The story of finance since the turn of the century has been one of the industry’s forging ahead, and regulators and legislators struggling to keep up. Financial technology is very exciting and innovative – but the new world is full of new risks as well as rewards. These need to be monitored.
There are several online lending platforms (innovators themselves) that use cryptocurrency for borrowers and lenders. This is a further step down the road of technical and financial complexity – a new world.
For the record, Money&Co. is very proud of its strong track record (see below), and will not be moving into lending via crypto currencies. Nevertheless, things are moving in the area. See the report below from our friends at Crowdfundinsider.
A UK Jurisdiction Taskforce (UKJT) has published a document entitled “Legal Statement on cryptoassets and smart contracts.” The members of this Taskforce include a blend of both public and private entity participants.
The UK has established itself as the leading jurisdiction when it comes to Fintech innovation. Beyond a risk-taking, entrepreneurial society, the UK ecosystem has benefited from a regulatory environment that both accepts and encourages change. The lead securities regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) incorporates a stated mission of fostering competition. This means early-stage firms seeking to challenge entrenched incumbents must be provided with a compliant path to compete. Few other jurisdictions in the world embrace such an approach.
The goal of the Legal Statement is to “provide the best possible answers to the critical legal questions under English law” when it comes to cryptoassets. More specifically, the document addresses cryptoassets that veer from regulated securities or currencies.
Loans Latest
Mar-Key 6, rated A+, is 30 per cent filled at the time of writing. The yield on offer is 7 percent. Platform lending of the kind we facilitate here at Money&Co. can be a lucrative activity. The average yield achieved by our registered lenders over more than five years of loan facilitation on this platform is more than 8 per cent, before we deduct our one per cent charge. That return has handsomely outperformed retail price inflation, which has averaged around two per cent over this time.
Historical Performance And IFISA Process Guide
That figure is the result of over £19 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 2019/20 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.