FINET HOLDINGS CORP
DEF 14A, 1998-12-21
LOAN BROKERS
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                     U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                            SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

           Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
                      Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )

Filed by the Registrant [X]
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant [  ]

Check the appropriate box:
[ ]  Preliminary Proxy Statement  [ ] Confidential For Use of the Commission
                                      Only (as Permitted by Rule 14a-6(e) (2))
[ X ]    Definitive Proxy Statement
[   ]    Definitive Additional Materials
[   ]    Soliciting Materials Pursuant to Rule 14a-11(c) or Rule 14a-12


                           FINET HOLDINGS CORPORATION
                (Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

    (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

[X]      No fee required.

[ ]    Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i) (1) and 0-11.

     (1) Title  of each  class of  securities  to  which  transaction  applies:
         ---------------------------------------------------------------------
     (2) Aggregate  number of  securities  to which  transaction  applies:
         ---------------------------------------------------------------------
     (3) Per unit price or other underlying  value of transaction  computed
         pursuant to Exchange  Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the
         filing  fee  is   calculated   and  state  how  it  was   determined):
         ----------------------------------------------------------------------
     (4) Proposed    maximum    aggregate    value    of    transaction:
         ----------------------------------------------------------------------
     (5) Total Fee Paid:
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[ ] Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

[ ] Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule
    0-11(a) (2) and  identify  the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid
    previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number,
    or the form or schedule and the date of its filing.

    (1) Amount Previously Paid:
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    (2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
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    (3) Filing Party:
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    (4) Date Filed:
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<PAGE>

 
                           NOTICE AND CONSENT STATEMENT

                    FOR ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY WRITTEN CONSENT
                      IN LIEU OF A MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS



TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF FINET HOLDINGS CORPORATION:

     Attached  hereto is a Consent  Statement which solicits the written consent
of the of the  shareholders  of Finet Holdings  Corporation  (the  "Company") to
approve  the  issuance,  offering  and sale by the  Company of up to  30,000,000
shares of its Common Stock in a private placement (the "Offering") at a price of
$0.60 per  share,  which  Offering,  if fully  subscribed,  would  result in the
issuance in excess of 20% of the  Company's  outstanding  Common Stock as of the
date  hereof.  The  Offering  was  previously   presented  to  and  approved  by
shareholders  of the Company at the 1998 Annual  Meeting.  However,  in order to
ensure that the Company has obtained the informed consent of its shareholders to
the Offering,  the attached Consent  Statement  clarifies the price at which the
shares of Common Stock are expected to be sold in the Offering.  The affirmative
written  consent of a majority  of the issued and  outstanding  shares of Common
Stock of the Company is  required to approve the  Offering at the price of $0.60
per share.

     Attached to the Consent  Statement  is a Consent  Card which  provides  for
approval of the Offering.  The procedure for indicating  approval of the Consent
Resolution is described in the Consent Statement.  The Consent Statement and the
accompanying  Consent Card are intended to be sent to  Shareholders  on or about
December 18,  1998.  The Company has set December 21, 1998 as the target date by
which  the Board of  Directors  desires  to  receive  all  written  consents  of
Shareholders.

     All  Shareholders  are  urged  to sign  and  return  the  enclosed  Consent
Card as promptly as possible.

                                 By Order of the Board of Directors,


                                   /s/  Jan C. Hoeffel
                                 ------------------------------------
                                 Jan C. Hoeffel
                                 Secretary

San Francisco, California
December 18, 1998


<PAGE>

           
                           FINET HOLDINGS CORPORATION
                         505 Sansome Street, 14th Floor
                         San Francisco, California 94111

                                 CONSENT STATEMENT
                    FOR SHAREHOLDER ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT


     This Consent  Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation by
the Board of Directors of Finet Holdings  Corporation ("Finet" or the "Company")
of the written  consent of  shareholders  to approve the issuance,  offering and
sale by the Company of up to 30,000,000  shares of its Common Stock in a private
placement (the  "Offering") at a price of $0.60 per share,  which  Offering,  if
fully subscribed, would result in the issuance in excess of 20% of the Company's
outstanding  Common  Stock as of the date hereof.  The  Offering was  previously
presented  to and  approved  by  shareholders  of the Company at the 1998 Annual
Meeting.  However, the description of the terms of the Offering set forth in the
November 1998 Proxy Statement did not firmly establish the price at which shares
would be sold in the Offering.  In order to ensure that the Company has obtained
the informed consent of its shareholders to the Offering, this Consent Statement
clarifies  the price at which the  shares  of Common  Stock  will be sold in the
Offering.

     In  addition,  the Company may issue  warrants to purchase up to  3,000,000
shares of its Common Stock (the  "Warrants")  to  investment  bankers as partial
consideration  for their  services as  placement  agent in  connection  with the
Offering.  Subject to the  receipt of  shareholder  approval,  the  Offering  is
expected to close on or before  December 21, 1998 (the  "Closing  Date") and the
Warrants  shall become  exercisable  on or after the Closing  Date.  The Company
requests  that all  written  consents be  delivered  to the Company on or before
December 21, 1998.  This Notice and Consent  Statement and the enclosed  Consent
Card are first being mailed to shareholders of record at December 11, 1998 on or
about December 18, 1998.

     Accompanying  the Consent  Statement is a Consent  Card which  provides for
adoption of the Consent  Resolution (the "Consent  Resolution")  and approval of
the Offering. The procedure for indicating approval of the Consent Resolution is
described in detail in this Consent Statement.

     The cost of  preparing,  printing,  assembling  and  mailing  this  Consent
Statement and other material  furnished to  stockholders  in connection with the
solicitation  of  consents  will be borne by the  Company.  In  addition  to the
solicitation of consents by use of the mails, officers,  Directors and employees
of the Company may solicit  consents by written  communications,  by  facsimile,
telephone,  telegraph or personal call.  These persons are to receive no special
compensation for any solicitation activities.


                                VOTING SECURITIES

     The matter being submitted for shareholder  approval is to be acted upon by
Written Consent, without a meeting, rather than by a vote held at a meeting. The
Company has only one class of voting security, its Common Stock, entitled to one
vote per share.  As of the close of business on December  11,  1998,  there were
36,405,386 shares of the  Company's  Common Stock issued and  outstanding.  Only
shareholders  of  record at the  close of  business  on  December  11,  1998 are
entitled to act upon this matter by Written Consent.


<PAGE>

                    SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL
                              OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

     The  following  table sets forth  certain  information  with respect to the
beneficial  ownership of the Company's Common Stock at December 11, 1998: (1) by
each person known by the Company to own  beneficially  more than five percent of
the Company's outstanding shares of Common Stock; (2) by each Director and Named
Executive  Officer of the Company;  and (3) by all Directors and Named Executive
Officers as a group.  Except as otherwise  indicated in the notes to this table,
the holders listed below have sole voting and  investment  power with respect to
such shares.  For purposes of this table, a person is deemed to have "beneficial
ownership"  of any shares as of a given date which such  person has the right to
acquire within 60 days after such date. For purposes of computing the percentage
of  outstanding  shares  held by each person  named  below on a given date,  any
security  which such  person has the right to acquire  within 60 days after such
date is deemed to be  outstanding,  but is not deemed to be outstanding  for the
purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.

                   -----------------Beneficial Ownership---------------------
                   Name and Address of              ----Common Stock----
                   Beneficial Owner             # Owned              % Owned
                   ----------------             -------              -------

Beneficial         Jose Maria Salema Garcao     12,263,900(1)          28.3%
Owners of          Quinta Da Marinha, Lote
more than 5%       CT-14, 2750 Cascais
of shares          Portugal
outstanding

                   Fondation Pamalu              5,000,000(2)          13.3%
                   4536 Mozelos VFR
                   Portugal

                   James W. Noack                4,404,238(3)          12.1%
                   854 Clifton Court
                   Benicia, CA 95410

                   Cumberland Associates         2,685,344              7.4 %
                   1114 Avenue of Americas
                   New York, NY 10036

                   Americo Ferreira Amorim       2,000,000              5.5%
                   Estefania 163
                   Porto, Portugal

Directors          Jan C. Hoeffel                1,564,075(4)           4.3%
And Named          L. Daniel Rawitch             1,346,973(5)           3.7%
Executive          Mark L. Korell                  450,000(6)           1.2%
Officers           Jose Philipe Guedes             385,000(7)           1.1%

- --------------------------- 


1    Reflects  5,373,900  shares  beneficially  owned,   currently   exercisable
     warrants to acquire 6,850,000 shares and currently  exercisable  options to
     acquire 40,000 shares.

2    Reflects  4,000,000  shares  beneficially  owned and currently  exercisable
     warrants to acquire 1,000,000 shares.

3    Reflects 4,301,237 shares  beneficially  owned by him, 28,000  beneficially
     owned by his minor  child and  currently  exercisable  warrants  to acquire
     75,001 shares.

4    Reflects 1,263,158 shares beneficially owned by him, 917 shares
     beneficially  owned by his spouse,  and currently  exercisable  warrants to
     acquire 300,000 shares.

5    Reflects 946,973 shares beneficially owned by him
     and currently  exercisable  warrants to acquire 400,000 shares.

6    Reflects 125,000 shares beneficially owned by him and currently exercisable
     options to acquire 325,000 shares.

7    Reflects 320,000 shares beneficially owned.


<PAGE>  

                   S. Lewis Meyer              365,000(8)              1.0%
                   Stephen J. Sogin            180,633(9)              *
                   Thomas L. Porter            115,000(10)             *
                   Michael G. Conway            90,000(11)             *
                   Richard Wilkes               10,000                 *
                   George P. Winkel                 50                 *

All Directors and Executive                  4,506,731                11.8%
Officers as a group


     The percent of class  calculation  is based on 36,405,386 shares of Common
Stock outstanding as of December 11, 1998.


                        SOLICITATION OF WRITTEN CONSENTS

     Under Delaware law and the Company's Bylaws,  any action which may be taken
at any annual or special meeting of Shareholders  may be taken without a meeting
and without  prior  notice,  if a consent  writing,  setting forth the action so
taken,  is signed by the holders of outstanding  shares having not less than the
minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take that action
at a meeting at which all shares  entitled to vote on that  action were  present
and voted.  The matter being  considered by the  shareholders is being submitted
for action by written consent, rather than by votes cast at a meeting. Set forth
below under the caption "Proposal 1" is the text of the Consent Resolution being
submitted for shareholder  adoption by written consent.  The Consent  Resolution
provides for the approval of the Offering  which is more fully  described  under
the caption  "APPROVAL  OF THE SALE AND ISSUANCE OF UP TO  30,000,000  SHARES OF
COMMON STOCK IN A PRIVATE  PLACEMENT AT A PRICE OF $0.60 PER SHARE"  below.  The
Consent  Resolution will be effective on the date on which the unrevoked written
consents  of a majority  of the shares of Common  Stock  issued and  outstanding
approving  the Consent  Resolution  are received by the Company (the  "Effective
Date").  The Company  requests  that all written  consents be  delivered  to the
Company on or before December 21, 1998.

     Shareholders are being requested to indicate approval of and consent to the
adoption of the Consent  Resolution by exercising the enclosed  Consent Card and
by checking the box which  corresponds to the action the  shareholder  wishes to
take.  FAILURE  TO CHECK ANY OF THE BOXES  WILL,  IF THE  CONSENT  CARD HAS BEEN
SIGNED,  CONSTITUTE  APPROVAL  OF AND  CONSENT TO THE  ADOPTION  OF THE  CONSENT
RESOLUTION.  The  text of the  Consent  Resolution  has not  been set out on the
Consent Card because of space limitations.  Nevertheless, signing and indicating
approval  on the  Consent  Card  will be  deemed to be  written  consent  to the
adoption of the Consent Resolution.

- --------------------

*    Represents  less than 1% of the  outstanding  Common  Stock on December 11,
     1998.

8    Reflects  currently  excercisable  warrants to acquire  300,000  shares and
     currently exercisable options to purchase 65,000 shares.

9    Reflects 50,000 shares beneficially owned by him and currently  exercisable
     options to purchase 130,633 shares.

10   Reflects 40,000 shares beneficially owned by him and currently exercisable
     options to purchase 75,000 shares.

11   Reflects 15,000 shares beneficially owned by him and currently  exercisable
     options to purchase 75,000 shares.



<PAGE>
         

     Execution of the Consent  Resolution  by execution of the Consent Card will
constitute  your approval of the Offering as a shareholder  of the Company.  The
failure  to  execute  and  return a  consent,  and all  abstentions  and  broker
non-votes,  will have the same effect as a vote against the Consent  Resolution.
Shareholders  who do not  approve  and  consent to the  adoption  of the Consent
Resolution  by execution of the Consent  Card will  nonetheless  be bound by the
Consent Resolution if sufficient written consents are received by the Company on
or before the Effective Date to approve the Consent Resolution.

     The Board of Directors  requests that each  Shareholder  execute,  date and
mail or deliver the Consent Card to the Company at the following address:

                       Finet Holdings Corporation
                       505 Sansome Street, 14th Floor
                       San Francisco, California 94111

     Any Consent Card executed and delivered by a Shareholder  may be revoked by
delivering  written notice of such revocation prior to the Effective Date to the
Company at the address set forth below.  Consent  Cards may not be revoked after
the Effective Date.
                       Finet Holdings Corporation
                       505 Sansome Street, 14th Floor
                       San Francisco, California 94111


                                   PROPOSAL 1

         APPROVAL OF THE SALE AND ISSUANCE  OF UP TO 30,000,000 SHARES OF
                       COMMON STOCK IN A PRIVATE PLACEMENT
                         AT A PRICE OF $0.60 PER SHARE


     At the  Company's  November 24, 1998 Annual  Meeting of  Shareholders,  the
shareholders  adopted,  among other matters, a resolution to ratify the issuance
of  Common  Stock  and  convertible  securities  to new  investors  which  could
potentially result in such investors owning approximately 50.3% of the Company's
Common Stock. One of the proposed transactions approved involved the issuance of
an additional  30,000,000 shares of Common Stock at $1.00 per share, or the five
day weighted  average  closing  price for the Common  Stock,  whichever is less.
However,  because the  description of the terms of the Offering set forth in the
November 1998 Proxy Statement did not firmly establish the price at which shares
of Common Stock would be sold in the Offering,  the Company has determined  that
further shareholder ratification of the Offering is desirable in order to ensure
that the Company has obtained the informed  consent of its  shareholders  to the
Offering.  As described in this Consent  Statement,  30,000,000 shares of Common
Stock are expected to be sold in the Offering at a price per share of $0.60.

     The  closing  price of a share of the  Company's  Common  Stock  during the
period  September  30, 1998  through  December 11, 1998 has ranged from a low of
$0-1/2 to a high of $1-5/8.  The closing price on December 11, 1998 was $1-3/32.
The Company  believes that the terms agreed upon,  including the price, are fair
and reasonable and in the best interests of the Company.

     Based on the amount of Common Stock issued and  outstanding  as of December
11, 1998,  the Offering,  if fully  subscribed,  would result in the issuance in
excess of 20% of the Company's  outstanding  Common Stock. The rules promulgated
by the National  Association  of Securities  Dealers,  Inc. for issuers  listing
securities on the Nasdaq Stock Market  require  shareholder  approval of private
placements that equal or exceed 20% of the Common Stock outstanding.  Therefore,
the shareholders are asked to consent to the following resolutions:

          "RESOLVED,  that the Board of Directors of this  Company is hereby
          authorized to issue, offer and sell up to 30,000,000   shares  of  the
          Company's  Common  Stock  in a  private  placement  offering  (the
          "Offering") at a price of $0.60 per share,  which  Offering,  if fully
          subscribed,  will  result  in the  issuance  in  excess  of 20% of the
          Company's outstanding Common Stock as of the date hereof; and

          RESOLVED FURTHER,  that the Board of Directors is hereby authorized to
          issue warrants  to purchase  up to  3,000,000  shares of the
          Company's  Common Stock (the "Warrants") to investment  bankers as
          partial  consideration  for  their  services  as  placement  agent  in
          connection  with the Offering,  such Warrants to have a five year term
          and a per share exercise price of $1.25,  and which Warrants,  as well
          as the Common Stock to be issued in the  Offering,  will be registered
          pursuant to a  registration  statement to be filed by the Company with
          the Securities and Exchange Commission; and

          RESOLVED FURTHER,  that the officers of this Company are, and each
          acting alone is, hereby  authorized to do and perform any and all such
          acts,  including  execution of any and all documents and certificates,
          as said officers shall deem  necessary or advisable,  to carry out the
          purposes of the foregoing resolutions; and

          RESOLVED FURTHER, that any actions taken by such officers prior to the
          date of the foregoing  resolutions  adopted hereby that are within the
          authority  conferred hereby are ratified,  confirmed,  and approved as
          the acts and deeds of the Company."

General

     Management  considers  the proceeds  from the Offering and the other recent
securities  offerings  described below under the caption  "Recent  Transactions"
that were ratified by the  shareholders  at the 1998 Annual Meeting (the "Recent
Offerings") to be critical to the Company's  continued  viability.  The Board of
Directors has separately analyzed each of the offerings and, as disclosed below,
consulted with three  investment  banking firms to help it analyze all available
alternative sources of financing.  Based on the Company's  financial  condition,
the price of its Common Stock, the need for additional capital,  and the limited
availability of other sources of financing, the Board believes that the Offering
and  the  terms  thereof  are  the  best  available  alternatives,  commercially
reasonable, and in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

Recent Transactions

     On March 18, 1998, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement with
certain  investors for the sale of $7,000,000  principal amount of the Company's
3%  Subordinated  Convertible  Debentures  (the  "Debentures"),  and warrants to
purchase  175,000  shares  of  Common  Stock.  The  offering  was  held in three
tranches.  The first tranch closed on March 18, 1998 and resulted in the sale of
$4,000,000 of Debentures  and the issuance of 3-year  warrants to purchase up to
100,000  shares of Common  Stock at an  exercise  price of $5.71 per  share.  An
additional  $1,500,000 face amount of Debentures were sold in a second tranch to
the same  investors  on April 20, 1998,  with the  investors  further  receiving
37,500 3-year  warrants to purchase  shares of the Company's  Common Stock at an
exercise  price of $4.88.  On May 26,  1998,  the third and final  tranch of the
Debenture offering was closed, for an additional  $1,500,000 principal amount of
Debentures,  and an  additional  37,500  3-year  warrants to purchase  shares of
Common Stock at an exercise price of $5.25 per share.

     The terms of the  Debentures  provide  that the  number of shares of Common
Stock  issuable upon  conversion of the Debentures is determined by dividing the
aggregate  principal  amount,  plus any  accrued  interest  at 3% per  annum and
certain other  possible  obligations,  by the lesser of (i) $5.00 per share,  or
(ii) 78% of the average of the closing bid price for the Company's  Common Stock
for the ten  consecutive  trading  days ending on the  trading  day  immediately
preceding such conversion date.

     The terms of the Debentures are currently the subject of renegotiation. The
terms agreed to in principle with the Debenture  holders provide that the number
of shares of the Company's  Common Stock issuable to the Debenture  holders upon
conversion  would  be  restructured  as  follows:  (i)  $1,100,000  worth of the
$7,000,000  principal  amount of  Debentures,  plus accrued  interest,  would be
immediately  convertible  into Common Stock at $0.50 per share;  (ii) $4,400,000
worth of Debentures  will convert into  7,333,333  shares of Common Stock,  at a
conversion price of $0.60 per share; and (iii) the remaining $1,500,000 worth of
Debentures will be redeemed by the Company at 100% of the face amount.

     On September 29, 1998, the Company raised  $2,500,000  through  issuance of
250  shares of its  Series A  Preferred  Stock (the  "Preferred  Stock"),  and a
warrant exercisable for 250,000 shares of Common Stock, to certain investors and
consultants.  The Company has agreed to file a  registration  statement with the
Securities and Exchange  Commission  (the  "Commission")  to register the Common
Stock issuable upon conversion of the Preferred  Stock.  Each share of Preferred
Stock is  convertible  into Common  Stock at any time on or after the earlier of
February  15,  1999 or the date the closing  bid price of the  Company's  Common
Stock is above  $1.50 per share.  The  conversion  price  floats  pursuant  to a
formula  incorporating  the length of time shares of  Preferred  Stock have been
held and the market  price of the Common  Stock at the time of  conversion,  and
assumes a base price per share of  Preferred  Stock of $10,000 plus 6% interest,
and a 78%  discount  from  market  price at the time of  conversion,  subject to
adjustment  under  certain  circumstances.  If a share of  Preferred  Stock were
converted  on February 15, 1999 and the price of the  Company's  Common Stock on
that date were the same as the price of the  Company's  Common Stock on the date
of  issuance,   each  share  of  Preferred  Stock  would  be  convertible   into
approximately  17,482  shares of Common Stock.  If any  Preferred  Stock remains
outstanding  on  September  29,  2000,  then all such shares  will be  converted
pursuant to the floating conversion formula.

     The  terms  of  the   Preferred   Stock  are   currently   the  subject  of
renegotiation. The terms agreed to in principle with the Preferred Stock holders
provide  that all 250  outstanding  shares  will be  redeemed  by the Company at
$10,000 per share.  As  consideration  for the holders of the Debentures and the
Preferred  Stock  agreeing to the  renegotiated  terms of such  securities,  the
Company will issue to such holders  warrants to purchase an aggregate of 840,000
shares of Common Stock. Such warrants will have a five-year term and an exercise
price of $1.50 per share.

     On October 30, 1998, the Company sold 2,500,000 shares of Common Stock in a
private placement to Fondation Pamalu, a current  shareholder of the Company, at
$0.80 per share, for a total consideration of $2,000,000. In connection with the
sale the  Company  agreed to  reduce  the  exercise  price of  warrants  held by
Fondation  Pamalu to  purchase  1,000,000  shares of Common  Stock from $5.00 to
$1.00 per share,  and  agreed to provide  the  purchaser  certain  anti-dilution
rights.

The Offering

     The Company currently  contemplates  making a private placement of up to an
additional 30,000,000 shares of Common Stock at $0.60 per share. The Offering is
expected  to  close in  December,  1998.  If all of the  shares  offered  in the
Offering are sold,  3,000,000  warrants will be issued to investment bankers for
services in  connection  with the  offering.  The warrants will have a five year
term and a per share  exercise  price of $1.25.  The  Company  intends to file a
registration  statement  with the Commission to register the Common Stock issued
to investors and the Common Stock issuable to the warrant holders. Proceeds from
the Offering are expected to be allocated for operational  and financial  needs,
infrastructure  investment,  e-commerce business  development,  and repayment of
outstanding  Debentures and  redemption of outstanding  Debentures and Preferred
Stock.

Potential Dilution to Current Shareholders
     
     The following  chart sets forth the potential  dilutive  effect which could
result from the Offering and the Recent Offerings (collectively,  the "Financing
Transactions"):

                               Potential Dilution

                                 Number of Shares        Percent of Beneficial 
                                 ----------------        --------------------- 
                                                       Ownership After Financing
                                                       -------------------------
                                                             Transactions
                                                             ------------

Common Stock issued and            36,405,386                    35.9%
outstanding as of December
11, 1998

Shares reserved as of              18,573,967                    18.3%
December 11, 1998 for
issuance to existing
shareholders under
convertible securities,
excluding the Financing
Transactions

Common shares issuable             46,438,333                    45.8%
pursuant to the                    ----------                   ------
Financing Transactions(13)

Total                             101,417,686                   100%


     The  foregoing  table assumes the  conversion of all currently  outstanding
convertible  securities  and the  exercise of all  currently  outstanding  stock
options.  If none of such convertible  securities are converted and none of such
stock options are exercised,  and all of the offerings pursuant to the Financing
Transactions are fully subscribed,  the percentage  beneficial  ownership of the
investors  participating  in the Financing  Transactions  would be approximately
56.1%.

Reasons for the Transactions

     The proceeds from the Financing  Transactions are critical to the Company's
continued viability.  The primary business purposes of the offerings are to fund
strategic  acquisitions and to finance  continuing  operations.  The Company has
incurred,  and expects to continue to incur,  substantial expenses as the result
of the  various  costs  associated  with the  acquisitions  of  Coastal  Federal
Mortgage Company on April 30, 1998 and MICAL Mortgage, Inc. on May 19, 1998. The
proceeds from the Financing  Transactions  are also critical in maintaining  the

- --------------------
13   Of such 46,438,333  shares:  2,200,000 are issuable upon conversion of $1.1
     million  of  Debentures  as  renegotiated;   7,333,333  are  issuable  upon
     conversion  of $4.4 million of Debentures  as  renegotiated;  2,500,000 are
     reserved for sale  pursuant to an  agreement  with  Fondation  Pamalu dated
     October 30, 1998;  565,000 are currently  exercisable under warrants issued
     in  connection  with the Financing  Transactions;  840,000 are reserved for
     conversion  of warrants to be issued in  connection  with the  renegotiated
     Debentures and Preferred  Stock; and 30,000,000 are Common shares currently
     contemplated to be issued in the Offering, with 3,000,000 warrants issuable
     to the  Company's  investment  bankers  if all such  30,000,000  shares are
     sold.

<PAGE>

Company's net worth at a level required by its warehouse  line of credit,  which
is the  principal  source of funds for newly  originated  loans to its borrowing
customers.  External factors also led the Company to seek additional  financing,
including the recent volatility in the market for small capitalization stocks.

     Primarily  as a result of the  one-time  costs  associated  with funding of
start up operations, the write off of intangibles, the costs associated with the
Coastal,  MICAL,  and other  acquisitions,  and real  estate  foreclosures,  the
Company's  expenses increased 65% from $13.0 million in 1997 to $21.7 million in
1998.  During  fiscal  years  1997  and 1998  additional  revenue  sources  were
developed;  however,  to date the cash consumed from the  commencement  of these
activities  exceeded total cash  generated.  Cash from the Recent Offerings has
been used to offset the operating cash shortfall.

     The Company's  day-to-day  financing  activities involve the use of cash to
fund its lending  activities.  The Company must advance cash on a daily basis to
fund newly  originated  loans to its borrower  customers.  The majority of these
funds are provided through a conventional mortgage warehouse line of credit from
Residential  Funding  Corporation  ("RFC").  The Company maintains a $79 million
committed  warehouse facility and a $25 million  uncommitted  gestation facility
with RFC. The borrowing  agreements  for these lines of credit  contain  various
financial  covenants,  among  them a  requirement  that the  Company  maintain a
certain net worth. Due in large part to operating losses carried forward for the
past two years,  as of April 30, 1998 the Company was in breach of the  tangible
net worth  requirement of its debt covenants.  Subsequent to April 30, 1998, RFC
issued  a  formal  waiver  of the  breach.  The  Financing  Transactions  are an
essential  component  of  increasing  the  Company's  net  worth  so that it can
increase its mortgage  funding levels  necessitated by business  development and
the Coastal and MICAL acquisitions.

     During 1998 the Company retained three  investment  banking firms to advise
it in connection  with its  financing  activities:  Piper  Jaffray Inc.,  Rochon
Capital  Group,  Ltd.,  and  J.P.  Carey  Securities,  Inc.  Due to the  factors
discussed above,  the offerings were effected on a very  accelerated  timetable.
The  Company  does not  expect  that the  Financing  Transactions  will  result,
individually  or in the  aggregate,  in a  change  in  control  of the  Company,
although there can be no assurances in any such regard.

     In accordance with the  requirements of NASDAQ listing  maintenance  rules,
the  shareholders of the Company are being asked to approve the Offering,  which
is an integral part of the Financing  Transactions.  The unrevoked consents of a
majority  of the issued and  outstanding  shares of Common  Stock is required to
approve Proposal 1.

THE BOARD OF  DIRECTORS  RECOMMENDS  A VOTE "FOR" THE  APPROVAL  OF THE SALE AND
ISSUANCE OF UP TO 30,000,000  SHARES OF COMMON STOCK IN A PRIVATE PLACEMENT AT A
PRICE OF $0.60 PER SHARE



                              SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

     The next  Annual  Meeting of  Shareholders  is expected to take place on or
about  November  19,  1999.  In  order to be  considered  for  inclusion  in the
Company's  proxy materials for the 1999 Annual  Meeting,  shareholder  proposals
must be received by the  Company at its  headquarters  office no later than July
15, 1999 and must satisfy the conditions  established  by the  Commission  under
Rule 14a-8 for  shareholder  proposals  to be  included in the  Company's  proxy
materials for that meeting. In order for a shareholder  proposal made outside of
Rule 14a-8 to be considered  "timely" within the meaning of Rule 14a-4(c),  such
proposal  must be received by the  Company at its  headquarters  office no later
than September 30, 1999.
 <PAGE>


             ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-KSB INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

          A copy of the  Company's  Annual  Report on  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission  Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended  April 30,  1998 including the
financial  statements and financial  statement  schedules,  is  incorporated  by
reference into this Consent Statement.  A copy of the 1998 Form  10-KSB is being
furnished to each Shareholder to whom this Consent Statement is delivered.

San Francisco, California
December 18, 1998


                                By Order of the Board of Directors

                                FINET HOLDINGS CORPORATION


                                   /s/  Jan C. Hoeffel
                                ------------------------------------------
                                Jan C. Hoeffel
                                Secretary

<PAGE>

                           FINET HOLDINGS CORPORATION

                                  CONSENT CARD

              THIS CONSENT IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF
                    DIRECTORS OF FINET HOLDINGS CORPORATION


     The  undersigned  shareholder by checking the box below takes the following
identified action with respect to the Consent Resolution:

     (1) Approval of the Consent Resolution Authorizing the Sale and Issuance of
up to 30,000,000 Shares of the Company's Common Stock in a Private Placement
at a price of $0.60 per share:

     [  ]   FOR              [  ]   AGAINST         [  ] ABSTAIN


all as set forth in the Notice and Consent  Statement dated  December 18, 1998,
the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged.
        
     Where no specification is made, the shares will be deemed to have consented
to the approval of the Consent Resolution.

PLEASE DATE AND SIGN THE CONSENT CARD BELOW.  IF STOCK IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME
OF TWO OR MORE  PERSONS,  EACH MUST SIGN.  WHEN SIGNING AS  ATTORNEY,  EXECUTOR,
ADMINISTRATOR,  TRUSTEE  OR  GUARDIAN,  PLEASE  GIVE  FULL  TITLE AS SUCH.  IF A
CORPORATION,  PLEASE  SIGN IN FULL  CORPORATE  NAME BY THE  PRESIDENT  OR  OTHER
AUTHORIZED  OFFICER.  IF A PARTNERSHIP,  PLEASE SIGN IN  PARTNERSHIP  NAME BY AN
AUTHORIZED PERSON.

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT, PLEASE FILL IN AND RETURN PROMPTLY.



                             Dated:                            , 1998



                             Signature:                              



                             Signature:                              






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