What Trident Funding does

Trident Funding is a US-based retail consumer loan originator and broker specializing in marine, recreational vehicle, and aircraft financing. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Newport Beach, California (with operational headquarters referenced in Shelton, Connecticut and governing jurisdiction in Florida), the company operates under NMLS ID 1740883 and holds active state lending licenses in Michigan, South Carolina, and New Mexico. Trident Funding acts as an intermediary that matches individual borrowers with a nationwide network of dozens of marine, RV, and aviation lenders, offering loan amounts ranging from $25,000 to $2.5 million with terms of 7 to 25 years depending on collateral type.

The company's product surface spans three core lending verticals — boat and yacht loans, RV loans, and aircraft loans — supplemented by a layer of add-on protection products (Extended Service Plans, GAP Protection, Roadside Assistance, Trailer/Tire Protection) and end-to-end boat documentation and closing services delivered through a technology integration with YachtCloser. The proprietary technology stack comprises an online loan application (completable in approximately five minutes with 24-48 hour approvals), a rate estimator tool keyed to credit score and loan parameters, and a payment calculator for pre-application affordability analysis. Distribution is via direct sales with dedicated boat and RV loan phone lines, a coast-to-coast regional branch and loan officer network, and content marketing through an educational blog, 'The Trident.'

Trident Funding earns revenue primarily through loan origination and referral fees paid by partner lenders for each funded transaction, plus ancillary fees from protection products and boat documentation services. The company pursues a horizontal segmentation approach across boat buyers, RV buyers, and aircraft buyers, with primary emphasis on recreational boat and RV financing. Industry association partnerships (NMMA, CYBA, FYBA, MTAM, NCMA, Sail America, NYBA) anchor its go-to-market within marine brokerage channels, and the company reports ~300 Google reviews with a 98% five-star rating as evidence of customer retention in a relationship-driven niche.

Name

Trident Funding

Legal name

Trident Funding LLC

Website

https://tridentfunding.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Trident Funding is a US-based retail loan originator and broker founded in 1996 that matches consumer borrowers with nationwide lenders for boat, yacht, RV, and aircraft loans ranging from $25,000 to $2.5 million, supplemented by ancillary protection products and boat documentation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine and Recreational Vehicle Financing

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Boat Finance (FSAKADAH)

Keywords

• Marine financing
• Boat loans
• RV loans
• Aircraft loans
• Recreational lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Loan Origination Fees: Trident Funding acts as an intermediary connecting borrowers with marine and RV lenders. The company earns revenue through referral fees and loan origination partnerships with banks nationwide. They offer financing for boats, yachts, RVs, and aircraft with loan amounts ranging from $25,000 to $2.5 million.
2. Ancillary Services: Additional revenue streams from complementary services including boat documentation services, extended service plans, GAP protection, roadside assistance, and tire/wheel protection for boats and RVs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Trident Funding is a marine and recreational vehicle loan originator that matches individual borrowers with partner banks and lenders for boat, yacht, RV, and aircraft financing. The company offers loan amounts from $25,000 to $2.5 million with terms up to 20-25 years, processing applications within 24-48 hours. It also provides ancillary services including boat documentation/closing, extended service plans, GAP protection, roadside assistance, and tire/trailer protection.

Product overview

Trident Funding is a marine and recreational lending platform offering a unified loan origination ecosystem across three core products: Boat Loans, RV Loans, and Aircraft Loans. The platform is supplemented by add-on protection services (extended service plans, GAP protection, roadside assistance, trailer/tire protection) for both boat and RV borrowers, as well as boat documentation and closing services powered by YachtCloser. An educational blog (The Trident) provides guidance content. The company matches borrowers with lenders across the US, offering loan amounts from $25,000 to $2+ million with terms up to 20 years. Online tools include loan calculators and rate estimators for pre-application planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Boat Loans

Quantifiable outcome

• Loan approvals within 24-48 hours
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CYBA (Marine Yacht Brokers Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association partnership providing credibility and networking within the marine brokerage community.
• Florida Yacht Brokers AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional industry association partnership in Florida, a major boating market.
• MTAM (Marine Trade Association of Maryland)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional marine industry association partnership supporting boat dealers and marine businesses in Maryland.
• National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor national trade association for the recreational boating industry.
• NCMA (National Marine Brokers Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational association representing marine brokers across the United States.
• Sail AmericaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association for the sailing community, promoting sailboat ownership and sailing activities.
• NYBA (New York Boating Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional boating association in New York, supporting boat dealers and marine businesses.
• YachtClosercoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology platform powering boat documentation and closing services, enabling streamlined digital processing of boat sales, USCG documentation, and state registration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Essex Credit: Essex Credit, a division of Bank of the West (now BNP Paribas), is one of the largest direct marine and RV lenders in the US, offering boat, yacht, and RV loans nationally. It is a direct competitor to Trident in the marine/RV loan origination channel and competes for the same end borrower.
• Newcoast Financial Services: Newcoast Financial Services is a specialty marine lender providing boat and yacht loans through a broker and dealer network. It is a direct peer competing for the same marine loan referral flow that Trident monetizes.
• BoatUS: Boat Owners Association of the US (BoatUS) is the largest recreational boating association in North America and offers boat financing alongside its core insurance and towing membership products. It is directly comparable in target customer (recreational boat buyers) and overlapping financial services offerings.
• MyAutoLoan: MyAutoLoan operates an online lending marketplace connecting consumers with lenders for auto, boat, RV, and motorcycle loans. It is a direct peer competing for the same online boat-loan shopper with similar lender-matching model.
• National Western Financial: National Western Financial is a specialized marine and recreational lender providing financing for boats and RVs through a broker and dealer channel. It directly competes with Trident for marine loan referrals and dealer relationships.

Broad incumbents

• LightStream: LightStream (a Truist Company) is an online consumer lender offering unsecured fixed-rate loans for boats, RVs, autos, and home improvement. It is a broad incumbent competing for the same marine and RV borrower pool, but with a much larger balance-sheet-driven model.
• Truist (Marine Lending Division): Truist Financial inherited SunTrust's marine lending business and continues to offer indirect marine and recreational loans through a national dealer network. It is a broad incumbent with balance-sheet lending capacity that Trident's broker model cannot match.
• LendingTree: LendingTree operates the largest US online loan marketplace, including dedicated boat loan and RV loan verticals where it matches borrowers with multiple lenders. It is a broad incumbent with similar marketplace mechanics but at far greater scale across all consumer loan categories.
• Fifth Third Bank (Marine Lending): Fifth Third Bank offers marine and recreational vehicle loans through its consumer banking division, including indirect lending through boat and RV dealers nationwide. It is a broad incumbent with national branch distribution and lower cost of capital that competes for the same dealer-originated marine volume.

Emerging players

• Best Egg: Best Egg is a Marlette Funding fintech platform offering personal loans that can be used for boat, RV, and other major purchases. It is an emerging player competing for the same discretionary-purchase borrower but via unsecured personal loans rather than secured marine lending.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trident Funding