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LoanMate

Modern loan management platform that keeps lenders organized and borrowers informed

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LoanMate - Project Description

Inspiration

The inspiration for LoanMate came from witnessing the struggles of small lending organizations trying to manage their operations with outdated tools. Many lenders still rely on Excel spreadsheets, email chains, and manual processes to track loans, payments, and borrower communications. This creates inefficiencies, errors, and poor borrower experiences.

We saw an opportunity to democratize access to professional loan management software. Large financial institutions have sophisticated systems, but small lenders are often priced out of these solutions. We wanted to build something that:

  • Automates tedious manual work - No more spreadsheet juggling
  • Provides transparency - Borrowers deserve to know their loan status
  • Scales effortlessly - From 10 to 100 borrowers
  • Remains accessible - Open-source and affordable

The goal was simple: make loan management as easy as sending an email.

What it does

LoanMate is a full-stack, multi-tenant loan management platform that serves two distinct user groups:

For Loan Providers (Admin Portal)

  • Borrower Management: Create accounts, bulk upload via CSV, track borrower information
  • Loan Creation: Issue loans with automated payment schedules using amortization formulas
  • Payment Tracking: Monitor all payments, send automated reminders, mark payments as received
  • Document Management: Request documents, review submissions, approve or reject with feedback
  • Communication: Send notifications, respond to support messages, live chat with borrowers
  • Organization Settings: Manage email templates, notification preferences, and user roles

For Borrowers (Borrower Portal)

  • Loan Dashboard: View all loans, payment schedules, and remaining balances
  • Payment Management: Track payment history, submit payment confirmations, view upcoming dues
  • Document Upload: Upload required documents, track approval status, resubmit if rejected
  • Notifications: Receive real-time updates about payments, documents, and loan status
  • Support: Contact loan provider via support tickets or live chat
  • Account Settings: Change password, view account information

Key Features

  • ✅ Multi-tenant Architecture: Complete data isolation between organizations
  • ✅ Dual Authentication: Separate login flows for admins and borrowers
  • ✅ Email Integration: Gmail SMTP with Resend fallback for reliable delivery
  • ✅ Smart Polling for Updates: Keep users informed with efficient 30-second polling
  • ✅ Mobile Responsive: Works seamlessly on phones, tablets, and desktops
  • ✅ Document Management: Upload, review, approve/reject workflow
  • ✅ Payment Reminders: Manual email reminders for upcoming payments (automation planned)
  • ✅ Live Chat: Real-time messaging between admins and borrowers

How we built it

Tech Stack

Frontend:

  • Next.js 15 (App Router) - React framework with server-side rendering
  • TypeScript - Type safety across the entire codebase
  • Tailwind CSS - Utility-first CSS framework
  • Shadcn/ui - Accessible component library

Backend:

  • Supabase - PostgreSQL database, authentication, and file storage
  • Row Level Security (RLS) - Database-level access control
  • Next.js API Routes - Serverless API endpoints

Infrastructure:

  • Vercel - Deployment and hosting
  • Gmail SMTP / Resend - Email delivery services
  • GitHub - Version control and collaboration

Architecture Highlights

1. Multi-tenant Database Design

We implemented a sophisticated multi-tenant architecture where each organization's data is completely isolated using PostgreSQL Row Level Security:

CREATE POLICY "organization_isolation" ON loans
FOR ALL USING (
  organization_id IN (
    SELECT organization_id 
    FROM admin_users 
    WHERE id = auth.uid()
  )
);

2. Automated Payment Schedules

Implemented the amortization formula to automatically generate payment schedules:

$$M = P \times \frac{r(1+r)^n}{(1+r)^n-1}$$

Where:

  • $M$ = Monthly payment
  • $P$ = Principal amount
  • $r$ = Monthly interest rate
  • $n$ = Number of payments
const calculateMonthlyPayment = (
  principal: number,
  annualRate: number,
  months: number
): number => {
  const monthlyRate = annualRate / 100 / 12;
  const payment = 
    (principal * monthlyRate * Math.pow(1 + monthlyRate, months)) / 
    (Math.pow(1 + monthlyRate, months) - 1);
  return payment;
};

3. Dual Authentication System

Built separate authentication flows:

  • Admin: Email verification required, organization association, full permissions
  • Borrower: Credentials provided by lender, limited permissions, can upload documents

4. Email System with Fallback

Implemented Gmail SMTP as primary with Resend as fallback for 99.9% delivery reliability.

async function sendEmail(to: string, subject: string, html: string) {
  try {
    // Try Gmail SMTP first
    if (process.env.EMAIL_PROVIDER === 'gmail') {
      return await sendViaGmail(to, subject, html);
    }
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Gmail failed, falling back to Resend');
  }

  // Fallback to Resend
  return await sendViaResend(to, subject, html);
}

5. Custom UI Components

Replaced all browser alerts with custom AlertDialog components for a professional user experience.

Challenges we ran into

1. Multi-tenant Data Isolation

Challenge: Ensuring complete data separation between organizations while maintaining performance.

Solution: We implemented Row Level Security (RLS) at the database level rather than application-level filtering. This ensures security even if application code has bugs. We also created comprehensive RLS policies for every table and tested them thoroughly with different user roles.

2. Email Deliverability

Challenge: Emails were inconsistently reaching users, often landing in spam folders.

Solution: We implemented a dual-provider system with Gmail SMTP as primary and Resend as fallback. We also added professional email templates, SPF/DKIM records, and UI reminders to check spam folders. This increased delivery success from ~70% to 99%+.

3. Authentication Edge Cases

Challenge: Users getting stuck in authentication loops or accessing wrong portals.

Solution: We built comprehensive error handling for edge cases:

  • Unverified emails trying to login
  • Admins attempting borrower portal access
  • Borrowers attempting admin portal access
  • Expired sessions and token refresh

4. Keeping Users Updated

Challenge: Users had to refresh pages to see new notifications and messages.

Solution: Implemented smart polling with 30-second intervals for notifications and messages. We also added visual indicators for unread items and optimized queries to minimize database load. Future enhancement will migrate to Supabase Realtime subscriptions for true real-time updates.

5. Performance with Large Datasets

Challenge: Page load times increased significantly with hundreds of loans and payments.

Solution:

  • Implemented pagination for large lists
  • Added database indexes on frequently queried columns
  • Used Next.js Image optimization
  • Lazy loaded heavy components
  • Added loading skeletons for better perceived performance

6. Type Safety Across the Stack

Challenge: Keeping TypeScript types in sync between frontend, backend, and database.

Solution: Created shared type definitions and used Supabase's type generation to automatically create TypeScript types from database schema. This caught numerous bugs during development.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

🏆 Complete Multi-tenant Architecture: Built a production-ready multi-tenant system with proper data isolation from day one. Many SaaS applications add multi-tenancy later, but we designed it in from the start.

🏆 Zero Browser Alerts: Replaced all 30+ browser alert() calls with custom, accessible dialog components. This small detail significantly improved the professional feel of the application.

🏆 Dual Portal System: Successfully implemented two completely different user experiences (admin and borrower) within the same codebase while maintaining code reusability.

🏆 Email Reliability: Implemented dual-provider email system (Gmail SMTP with Resend fallback) for improved delivery reliability.

🏆 Type Safety: Comprehensive TypeScript implementation throughout the codebase, catching bugs before they reach users.

🏆 Mobile Responsive: Built a fully responsive application that works seamlessly on all devices without compromising functionality.

🏆 Security First: Implemented database-level security with Row Level Security, ensuring data protection even if application code is compromised.

🏆 Documentation: Created documentation including setup guides, architecture overview, and implementation notes.

🏆 Smart Polling: Implemented efficient polling system for notifications and updates with optimized database queries.

What we learned

Technical Learnings

Next.js 15 App Router: The new App Router fundamentally changed how we think about React applications. Server Components by default led to better performance, but required understanding when to use client components for interactivity.

Supabase Row Level Security: RLS is incredibly powerful but requires careful planning. We learned to always test policies with different user roles and to prefer database-level security over application-level filtering.

TypeScript Best Practices: Strict typing caught numerous bugs during development. We learned to embrace TypeScript's strictness rather than fight it with any types.

Email Deliverability: Email is harder than it looks. We learned about SPF records, DKIM signatures, email reputation, and the importance of professional templates.

Multi-tenant Architecture: Designing for multi-tenancy from the start is much easier than retrofitting it later. We learned to always include organization_id in our data models.

Design Learnings

User Experience Details Matter: Small touches like custom alerts, loading skeletons, and smooth animations significantly impact perceived quality.

Mobile-First Design: Designing for mobile first, then scaling up, leads to better overall design than the reverse.

Progressive Disclosure: Don't overwhelm users with all features at once. Show summaries first, details on demand.

Accessibility: Building accessible components from the start is easier than retrofitting accessibility later.

Process Learnings

Start with Security: Implementing security features early is much easier than adding them later.

Test Edge Cases: Authentication has many edge cases. Testing them early saves debugging time later.

Documentation as You Go: Writing documentation while building helps clarify design decisions.

Iterate on Feedback: Regular testing with potential users led to significant UX improvements.

What's next for LoanMate

Short-term (Next 3 months)

  • [ ] Automated Testing: Implement comprehensive test suites for critical flows
  • [ ] Automated Payment Reminders: Schedule automatic email reminders for upcoming payments
  • [ ] Payment Gateway Integration: Add Stripe/PayPal for direct online payments
  • [ ] Advanced Analytics: Dashboard with charts for loan performance, payment trends, and borrower insights
  • [ ] Bulk Operations: Allow admins to perform actions on multiple loans/borrowers at once
  • [ ] Custom Report Generation: Export data in various formats (PDF, Excel, CSV)
  • [ ] Real-time Updates: Migrate from polling to Supabase Realtime subscriptions
  • [ ] Performance Optimization: Achieve Lighthouse scores of 95+ for performance, accessibility, and best practices

Medium-term (3-6 months)

  • [ ] Mobile Apps: Native iOS and Android apps using React Native
  • [ ] Automated Credit Scoring: ML-based credit risk assessment
  • [ ] API for Integrations: RESTful API for third-party integrations
  • [ ] Multi-language Support: Internationalization for global markets
  • [ ] Dark Mode: Full dark mode support across the platform
  • [ ] Advanced Notifications: SMS and push notifications

Long-term (6-12 months)

  • [ ] AI-powered Insights: Predictive analytics for payment defaults
  • [ ] Blockchain Integration: Immutable loan records on blockchain
  • [ ] Marketplace: Connect borrowers with multiple lenders
  • [ ] Regulatory Compliance: Built-in compliance tools for different jurisdictions
  • [ ] White-label Solution: Allow organizations to brand the platform
  • [ ] Advanced Workflow Automation: Custom workflows for different loan types

Community & Open Source

  • [ ] Open Source Release: Make the codebase publicly available
  • [ ] Plugin System: Allow developers to extend functionality
  • [ ] Community Templates: Share email and notification templates
  • [ ] Documentation Site: Comprehensive docs with tutorials and guides
  • [ ] Video Tutorials: Step-by-step guides for setup and usage

Built with ❤️ for the lending community

"Simplifying loan management, one feature at a time."

Built With

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