A slew of new loans are due on site – with one just attaining the 100 per cent filled level – as we move into the main Individual Savings Account investing season.
We thought we’d revisit blog by our CEO, Nicola Horlick, who opines on the benefits of making a loan and waking up your money to the benefits of yield. She also points out that making a loan necessarily brings an element of risk with it: “As with any investment, there are risks involved. We always take security for our loans, but it is still possible to lose money. Some of our loans carry more risk than others and we give them ratings of A+, A, B+, B and C+ to reflect how risky we believe that an individual loan is. The new loans that are currently on the site are rated A+ or A reflecting the quality of the security that has been given by the borrowers.”
A Process Guide To Innovative Finance ISA Investment
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:
We currently have one offering on site – an A-rated loan with a fixed-rate yield of 8 per cent, 43 per cent filled. As we say above, more are due on site soon.
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 an earlier article on security, access and yield.
If you haven’t made a loan via Money&Co. before, please read the risk warnings and the FAQ section. You may also wish to consult a financial adviser before making an investment. Capital is at risk, once loaned.