There’s a lot of nonsense and hype surrounding cryptocurrencies and its underlying blockchain technology. But there’s also a sensible way ahead – probably involving asset-linked digital tokens using blockchain. These securities (they will be regulated as such) are the coming fashionable wave in alternative finance. We believe they may prove more durable than many cryptocurrencies.
Our friends at Crowdfundinsider report the latest moves in this area.
The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance is the main actor.
The 2017 CCAF Blockchain report reviewed how both public sector entities and private enterprise are pursuing Blockchain or Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). The authors captured data from more than 200 central banks, corporations, startups and other public sector institutions.
This year’s benchmarking report is being segmented into three different areas:
Loan Latest
Our latest loan offering is A-rated and property-backed with a fixed-rate yield of 8 per cent, and a term of five years. It’s proving popular, and is currently 63 per cent filled. Our lenders have achieved average returns of over 8 per cent on the more than £12 million facilitated by Money&Co. in the past four years. All loans on site are eligible to be held in a Money&Co. Innovative Finance Individual Savings Account (ISA), up to the annual ISA limit of £20,000. Such loans offer lenders tax-free income.
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:
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 one of several earlier articles on security, access and yield.