More moves in an alternative finance sector that’s working hard to adapt itself to new working conditions. Industry body Innovate Finance has appointed Mike Carter to lead its recently-established 36H Group, which took over from the Peer-to-Peer Finance Association in January. Our friends at AltFi take up the story.
Carter has been appointed to the role of Head of Platform Lending, tasked with managing the group at a time that its alternative lender members like Funding Circle are poised to play a significant role in supporting thousands of UK SMEs.
“Obviously, in common with all other markets, the immediate priorities of the sector are to manage their businesses through this unprecedented economic storm while still serving their customers, and many of the platforms have already implemented measures to combat the downturn,” said Carter.
Earlier this month Innovate Finance urged the government on behalf of its members to extend much-needed liquidity to the non-bank lending sector, so that it could in-turn continue to support the millions of SMEs facing a cash crunch.
Historical Performance And IFISA Process Guide
That figure is the result of over £23 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.