Risk Summary

Estimated reading time: 2 min

Due to the potential for losses, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) considers this investment to be high risk.

What are the key risks?

1. You could lose the money you invest

Many peer-to-peer (P2P) loans are made to borrowers who can’t borrow money from traditional lenders such as banks. These borrowers have a higher risk of not paying you back.

Advertised rates of return aren’t guaranteed. If a borrower doesn’t pay you back as agreed, you could earn less money than expected. A higher advertised rate of return means a higher risk of losing your money.

These investments can be held in an Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA). An IFISA does not reduce the risk of the investment or protect you from losses, so you can still lose all your money. It only means that any potential gains from your investment will be tax free.

2. You are unlikely to get your money back quickly

Some P2P loans last for several years. You should be prepared to wait for your money to be returned even if the borrower repays on time.

Some platforms may give you the opportunity to sell your investment early through a ‘secondary market’, but there is no guarantee you will be able to find someone willing to buy.

Even if your agreement is advertised as affording early access to your money, you will only get your money early if someone else wants to buy your loan(s). If no one wants to buy, it could take longer to get your money back.

3. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Putting all your money into a single business or type of investment for example, is risky. Spreading your money across different investments makes you less dependent on any one to do well.

A good rule of thumb is not to invest more than 10% of your money in high-risk investments.

4. The P2P platform could fail

If the platform fails, it may be impossible for you to collect money on your loan. It could take years to get your money back, or you may not get it back at all. Even if the platform has plans in place to prevent this, they may not work in a disorderly failure.

5. You are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), in relation to claims against failed regulated firms, does not cover investments in P2P loans. You may be able to claim if you received regulated advice to invest in P2P, and the adviser has since failed. Try the FSCS investment protection checker here.

Protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) does not cover poor investment performance. If you have a complaint against an FCA-regulated platform, FOS may be able to consider it. Learn more about FOS protection here.

If you are interested in learning more about how to protect yourself, visit the FCA’s website here. For further information about peer-to-peer lending (loan-based crowdfunding), visit the FCA’s website here.

Tightening Expected to Last

Market Data Market Reports 12 Oct 2022

Sentiment among intermediaries has deteriorated sharply

One of the most interesting trends we see through the responses to our Q4 Blend Broker Sentiment Survey is the increasing appetite for non-bank lenders. Not only are brokers planning to put through an increased amount of business to non-bank lenders in absolute terms, but also compared to their responses to our Q3 survey, we see an increased appetite for non-bank lenders.

Click below to download the full report.

Download the Q4 Blend Broker Sentiment Survey

Most brokers expect credit conditions to be tighter over the next 12 months

94%

Source: Blend Broker Sentiment Survey

The ‘great tightening’

Tightening credit: The broker community is feeling noticeably more bearish about the credit outlook.
Headwinds: Nearly 60% said they would describe the outlook for the UK economy going into Q4 as negative.
Looking for the smart lenders: Two in three brokers said the main reason they would use a non-bank lender is their greater understanding of development finance.

Blend is a specialist development finance lender that works with experienced mid-sized property developers in the UK.

For more information, please visit www.blendnetwork.com or email us at enquiries@blendnetwork.com

BLEND Loan Network Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Reg No: 913456).

BLEND Loan Network Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Evelyn House, 142 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6YF.

Don’t Invest unless you’re prepared to lose money. This is a high-risk investment. You may not be able to access your money easily and are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more.

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