The share prices of listed alternative lenders, Money 3 and Cash Converters International, surged on Monday after both companies exceeded earnings forecasts for the December half.Money 3 unveiled a 12.3 per cent lift in interim net profit to A$15.5 million, attributable mostly to rapid growth of its automotive lending business.An 80 per cent rise in the interim dividend to 4.5 cents per share pushed the company's scrip up eight per cent or 15 cents to $1.85.Money 3 also upgraded its earnings guidance for the full year to between $30 million and $31 million.Cash Converters posted a sharp fall in first half profit to $9.4 million, but investors took some comfort from the announcement, which beat market expectations by around two per cent.The profitability of the company's proprietary stores and personal finance operations declined during the half as the Australian Securities and Investments Commission completed its inquiries into its lending practices. The company indicated in its ASX filing that a review of its responsible lending practices by Deloitte had not unearthed any new cases of legal breaches or non-compliance."This review has not identified any deficiencies or resulted in any recommended actions for Cash Converters to achieve compliance," the company told the ASX."ASIC has now confirmed no further work is required and Cash Converters has met its commitments under the Enforceable Undertaking and this has now been successfully closed."Cash Converters share price closed up four per cent to 39 cents on higher-than-average volume.The scrip is now trading slightly shy of its 12-month peak recorded in July.