News is what gets notice. The facts themselves may not be remarkable – until they are remarked upon.
Witness this article from our friends at P2P Finance News.
INVESTORS can earn more than five per cent by investing in the top-rated Innovative Finance ISAs (IFISAs), research claims.
By spreading funds across platforms that 4th Way has given its highest PLUS rating, investors could earn 5.82 per cent returns, the peer-to-peer lending analysis firm said.
All of which is excellent. But we cannot let the piece pass without comment. See below: our own portfolio service offers a spread of loans, and a target return, for IFISA investors, of 7 per cent, free of tax.
7% Target IFISA Return
The Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA) is the newest type of ISA, which allows investors to access investments such as peer-to-peer (P2P) loans, with the tax benefits of an ISA wrapper. As with Cash ISAs and Stocks and Shares ISAs, no income tax is payable on the yield from your investment..
Your money will be invested in loans on the Money&Co. P2P lending platform, typically with a fixed return of 7% per annum after fees, which you will receive completely tax-free.
A Process Guide To Innovative Finance ISA Investment
Money&Co. lenders have achieved an average return of more than 8 per cent gross (before we deduct our one per cent fee). That figure is the result of almost £15 million of loans facilitated on the site, as we bring individuals looking for a good return on capital together with carefully vetted small companies seeking funds for growth. Bear in mind that lenders’ capital is at risk. Read warnings on site before committing capital.
All loans on site are eligible to be held in a Money&Co. Innovative Finance Individual Savings Account (IFISA), up to the annual ISA limit of £20,000. Such loans offer lenders tax-free income. Our offering is an Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA) that can hold the peer-to-peer (P2P) business loans that Money&Co. facilitates. For the purposes of this article, the terms ISA and IFISA are interchangeable.
So here’s our guide to the process:
The ISA allowance for 2018/19 is unchanged from last tax year at £20,000, allowing a married couple to put £40,000 into a tax-free environment. Over three years, an investment of this scale in two Money&Co. Innovative Finance ISAs would generate £8,400 of income completely free of tax. We’re assuming a 7 per cent return, net of charges and free of tax here.
Once you have made your initial commitment, you might then consider diversifying – buying a spread of loans. To do this, you can go into the “loans for sale” market. All loans bought in this market also qualify for IFISA tax benefits.
Risk: Security, Access, Yield
Do consider not just the return, but the security and the ease of access to your investment. We write regularly about these three key factors. Here’s one of several earlier articles on security, access and yield.