Crowdfunding harmonisation in Europe is finally here. The publication of the new regulatory structure has been keenly anticipated. Our feeling, however, is that it’s all a little too late. The UK, easily Europe’s biggest crowdfunding market, is on its way out of the EU.
Our friends at Crowdfundinsider report:
According to a notice published by the European Parliament, final European Union-wide rules have been agreed upon thus forwarding the goal of a true monetary union while promoting online capital formation.
The European Parliament negotiating team has reached a deal with the European Council which will allow European Crowdfunding Service Providers, or ECSPs, list securities offerings of up to €5,000,000 within a 12 month period across the European Union. Previously, the European Commission had proposed a €1 million cap – an arbitrary amount that has been panned by industry insiders. Currently, European countries must provide a prospectus for securities offerings in excess of €8 million – an amount that has acted as a speedbump for some offering platforms (IE the UK).
Loan Latest
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.