"New entrants", including the marketplace lending and fintech set, are doing their bit to drum up demand for consumer credit, if Veda's Consumer Credit Demand Index for the December 2016 quarter is any guide.Veda said the    volume of credit card and personal loan applications lifted by 7.7 per cent compared with the same period in 2015, a result described as "stronger than expected."The results were driven "largely by activity in personal loan applications, with growth predominantly coming from products offered by new entrants in the personal lending space, beyond traditional credit card and auto finance markets," Angus Luffman, Veda's general manager of consumer risk said.Luffman interpreted the data to mean consumers were "taking advantage of the increased product options on offer to meet their needs," given that "the total debt outstanding on other personal credit, excluding housing, has consistently fallen since the start of 2016."Home loan demand may be taking a skew toward older borrowers, and may reinforce a kick in demand for investment loans.Veda said its data showed older demographics growing once again in relative mortgage application demand."The younger demographic volumes have remained static despite the rest of the market growing," Luffman said.