You may have missed it, but the annual gathering of the great and the good at the economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, is taking place. It’s all happening virtually, ie, online. There have been a couple of amusingly self-deprecating comments from senior journalist bemoaning the loss of endless refreshments.
Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin do not have the right structure to work as a long-term payments method, says Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey.
Speaking on a World Economic Forum panel, Bailey said that there has been great innovation in payments in recent years.
However, he continued: “Have we landed on what I would call the design, governance and arrangements for what I might call a sort of lasting digital currency? No, I don’t think we’re there yet, honestly. I don’t think cryptocurrencies as originally formulated are it.”
The problem, for Bailey, is the volatility associated with cryptocurrencies, as seen in recent weeks with bitcoin’s wildly fluctuating price.
This is where central bank digital currencies have an advantage. Bailey says it is right to explore these, adding “those issues are up for grabs”.
Historical Performance And IFISA Process Guide
That figure is the result of over £20 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.