We continue to keep a very defensive portfolio during the last quarter.
We have stopped investing in less secure platforms, like Crowdestate, Crowdestor, Mintos, and Wisefund. Many of the loans at Crowdestor and Wisefund have defaulted and we have very little hope of getting all investments back. Especially Wisefund is extremely bad at updating the projects and letting investors know what is going on. We believe you should stay at a healthy distance from them for the time being. At least, we intend to do so.
Short consumer loans feels relatively safe at the moment, but we are prepared for new regulations targeting p2p platforms in some countries, like Latvia, which could mean that investors return.
Crowdestor Responds to Investor's Concerns
In a release January 29, Crowdestor addresses its investors and answers some of their concerns.
Not revealing loan originators, unclear company finances, generous guarantees, very high returns, and hiding behind virtual offices. These are just some reasons why we decided to stop all investments with Fast Invest.
Fast Invest’s commitment to truthful and transparent information couldn’t be more deceptive and incorrect. In fact, they won’t reveal much about anything.
When something seems too good to be true and warning flags are raised, we think you are smart if you choose to stay at a healthy distance.
We warned about Fast Invest already a year ago. But so far, Fast Invest has managed to stay in business. But with the rescent problems with Kuetzal and Envestio, more and more bloggers raises warning flags for Fast Invest.
Viainvest is a P2P lending platform owned by VIA SMS Group, Latvia. Since its launch in 2016 it has been highly profitable.
The platform offers investment opportunities in SMS loans and short credits in Latvia, Czech Republic, Poland, and Spain. Unlike some other platforms, the company transparency is extremely good and investments risk seems to be lower than elsewhere.
By-back guarantee with full compensation of accrued interest kicks in after only 30 days.
The Iuvo-Group P2P platform is one of the many European platforms available to investors who wants to enter the P2P lending market. Founded in 2016, it is also one of the newest platforms.
See what we like about the platform - and what we don't like.
The P2P Lending Market Flourishes - But Will it Last?
The sharing economy flourishes. The P2P lending market, where individuals finance another individual’s loan, has become an alternative to traditional banking and its expensive and hidden fees. This is especially true in Eastern Europe.
New to P2P Investments? This is what you should know about the Mintos P2P Investment Platform
1. The complexity of Mintos platform makes it less ideal for your first investments in P2P loans.
2. As you become more familiar with P2P lending in general, Mintos can prove to offer much more than other platforms. You just have to do a bit more homework – and do it well.
Our first impression of Viventor is not all together positive.
Viventor is heavily weighted towards consumer loans in Lithuania, but loan supply does not meet demand, which has created a large secondary market where loans come with an extra cost (premium)
Fast Invest's secrecy about loan originators, its hush-hush about its financial status, and unclear presence in U.K. now also raise concerns by Vivainvest.
Strangely enough, Fast Invest don't seem to understand that customers can disappear quickly if there is no transparency and if they don't get the information they need.
UK P2P lending outperforms more than 90% of funds invested in bond and direct property over the past three years, according to exclusive research from AltFi.
Conscious spending isn't about sacrifice and deprivation - it's about spending your money smarter, so that you can save more. Conscious spending means you decide what your money is worth and what you're going to spend them on. It helps you feel comfortable with your spending - and not guilty.
P2P platforms are one of the fastest growing segments in financial services today. The simplicity and efficiency of Internet platforms attracts 1,000s of new customers each month.
If you read this, you are probably interested in becoming P2P investor/lender yourself. This website is dedicated to tell you about new trends, new platforms, and what to expect from any P2P investments.
Obviously, the first thing you should know about P2P investments is that they come with a risk. Does predicted returns outweigh the risks? In each case, that is something you must decide for yourself.
The purpose of this site is NOT to give financial advice or recommendations. We just try to point you to available options.
The more facts you have, the easier it is to make wise decisions about P2P investments.
The Problem with Traditional Banks
For decades, banks have been middlemen, taking deposits and making loans. But you have probably noticed that bigger banks don't do much banking these days. They aren't interested in your deposits, at least not if you don't do any other bank businesses. In fact, many banks claim they lose money on your deposits. This makes it hard for banks to give you a decent return on your savings.
Banks don’t do much profit by collecting interest on small business loans either. When making less and less profits from lending, the lending market moves from the large banks to private equity firms and other asset managers. This is why the P2P lending market has exploded in the last decade.
By giving investors a large share of the return from smaller consumer and business loans, cutting or eliminating the investor fees, and simplifying the process of investing small sums in many different loans through internet platforms this market is rapidly attracting new investors.
This is, of course, not without problems.
P2P lenders charge more for their services, basically profiting from consumers and businesses that cannot secure loans from regular banks. Higher costs for customers increase the risk of bad debts.
Lack of oversight of the P2P lending market leaves society in the dark over overall debt and what risks exist. There is also the potential for outright fraud.
While banks are uniquely equipped to do banking and are well regulated, there don’t seem to be away back to the “old” system. Whether we like it or not, P2P lending is here to stay.
