VIVA adds embedded loan protection with Walnut and Securian Financial

By AI, Created 9:38 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – VIVA Finance has partnered with Walnut and Securian Financial to offer optional loan protection at the point of origination for its borrowers. The move aims to give essential workers and other underserved customers a frictionless way to protect against disability and involuntary unemployment while creating new revenue for VIVA.

Why it matters: - VIVA Finance is building a new layer of financial protection into its lending product for borrowers who may have limited credit histories but steady employment. - The optional coverage is designed to help cover loan payments if a borrower faces disability or involuntary unemployment. - The offering could reduce delinquency risk for VIVA while creating a non-interest revenue stream for the company. - The product targets essential workers, educators and healthcare employees who often manage tight household budgets.

What happened: - VIVA Finance announced a partnership with Walnut and Securian Financial to deliver embedded loan protection to its borrowers. - The protection is offered at the moment of loan origination through VIVA’s mobile-first lending platform. - Borrowers can accept the coverage with a single click. - The announcement was made May 5, 2026.

The details: - Walnut provides FlexTech™ technology for the integration. - Securian Financial provides underwriting expertise and will administer the loan payment protection product through its insurance company subsidiaries. - FlexTech handles quoting, enrollment, billing and contract management through Walnut’s API-based platform. - The loan protection offer appears inside VIVA’s existing loan origination flow through a headless API architecture. - Borrowers see a VIVA-branded experience with no redirects, no separate applications and no added friction. - At loan approval, borrowers receive a clear optional offer for coverage. - Coverage cost is calculated in real time based on each borrower’s loan attributes. - Enrollment is completed in one step. - The protection covers scenarios such as disability and involuntary unemployment. - Minnesota Life Insurance Company acts as the administrator of the debt protection program. - Securian Financial is the sixth largest life insurance company in the U.S. based on 2024 total life insurance in force for Securian Financial Insurance Group. - Securian Financial provides payment protection products to more than 6,000 lenders, financial institutions and associations across North America. - VIVA offers personal loans underwritten primarily on employment information rather than credit history. - VIVA serves hundreds of thousands of borrowers nationwide. - VIVA’s loan amounts go up to $15,000. - VIVA’s APRs start at 11.99%. - VIVA was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Atlanta. - More information is available on VIVA Finance’s website, Walnut’s website and Walnut’s LinkedIn page.

Between the lines: - The partnership fits a broader push to embed insurance inside everyday financial products instead of asking customers to shop separately for protection. - For lenders, that model can improve customer experience while adding a new income source and potentially reducing losses. - For borrowers, the main value is convenience at the exact moment a loan is approved and the need for protection is easiest to see. - VIVA’s focus on employment-based underwriting makes the protection pitch especially relevant for workers whose income may be stable but whose credit profiles are thin.

What’s next: - VIVA will roll out the embedded protection option inside its lending flow for eligible borrowers. - Walnut and Securian Financial will continue powering the technology and administration behind the product. - The companies are positioning the partnership as a step toward broader adoption of embedded financial protection across lending channels.