FutureFuel.io Acquires College Finance Company, Rebrands to Candidly

FutureFuel.io has announced the acquisition of College Finance Company, and at the same time it has announced a new corporate identity, a new logo, updated visual brand elements and a new company name: Candidly. 

Since its founding in 2016, the firm has helped borrowers repay student loan debt and build savings. During this same period, the student debt load in the U.S. has ballooned to nearly 47 million student loan borrowers owing a collective $1.8 trillion. Candidly’s services strive to help debt holders shorten repayment times through employer contributions and its gamified repayment tools.

Candidly can be delivered as an employee benefit, or it can be integrated or embedded into a partner’s native experience as part of their financial wellness solution. The Candidly platform now allows users to prepare and plan for college, fund their education with the best-priced borrowing options, accelerate and optimize debt repayments, and build financial wellness via an AI-powered platform.

Candidly partners with employers, financial institutions, 401(k) and 403(b) recordkeepers, retirement plan advisers, wealth management firms and core banking providers.

Candidly also announced several new hires alongside the acquisition and rebrand. Kevin Walker, who founded SimpleTuition and SmarterBank, joins Candidly and its board of directors as co-founder and president. Walker joins the executive leadership team, which includes Eric Brickman, chief operating officer, who was previously one of the original architects of Newport Group.

Candidly also named Meera Oliva as chief marketing officer and Jackie Ward as chief people officer. Oliva led marketing at Gradifi, prior to its acquisition by E*Trade, and SimpleTuition, prior to its acquisition by Lending Tree. Ward has over 20 years of experience leading human resources across consumer and financial services companies, most recently as chief human resources officer at Newport Group.