Our friends at What Investment run an opinion piece with which we heartily agree. It argues that peer-to-peer (aka P2P or direct lending) is now a properly recognised asset class. In a nutshell, our view is that direct lending, just like private equity before, has had a slow start, but is on the way to […]
Gender equality in finance has been a hot topic for decades – while equality remains far from being attained. Fast Company reports the latest research. The data indicate that we still have a long way to go. In 2019, less than 3% of all VC funds went to women-led companies, more than 90% of all decision-makers at VC […]
London is the leading EdTech hub in Europe according to research published by London & Partners and Dealroom, to coincide with London Tech Week 2020. Our friends at UK Tech News carry the story: Best in Class: Global Trends in EdTech from a London Perspective explores EdTech VC-led investment trends since 2014, comparing countries and cities in […]
The scandal surrounding London Capital & Finance (LCF) deepens. Although the products involved were minibonds – very different from the asset-backed and secured loans offered here – the new line of attack is directed at the financial safety net that is the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Interesting times. FT Adviser carries the story. Investors fighting […]
We are pleased to announce the launch of the latest loan from WeBuyAnyHome.com Secured against property, the loan is rated A+ by our credit committee, yields 8 per cent, and is for £150,000 over three years. Below we offer an extended excerpt from the borrower’s representations seeking credit (which we have examined using our best […]
The trend for established FinTech players to migrate towards asset-backed loans – consistently identified in this News section – continues. Our friends at AltFi report: Listed lending fund Honeycomb has disposed of £44.6m of consumer unsecured whole loans to Tandem Bank in August, according to a stock market update. Honeycomb says the sale “is in line with the Company’s […]
As we look forward to a business world settling down in a post-Covid world (with a mixture of hope as well as enthusiasm) we thought we’d offer a refresher on how to lend. We cover new loans (to come) and buying other lenders’ loans in the secondary market. How do you go about lending and […]
The FinTech sector is agile and far less affected by the horrors of Covid-19 than many more mainstream sectors of the economy. Nevertheless, many FinTechs are seeking niche business models, often involving secured lending (in the case of direct lenders) and are looking for consolidation and to bolster their capital reserves. News reaches us from […]
The autumn term is upon us. Along with winter, the longer-term effects of the Covid-19 virus will create a chill climate of its own. This autumn will see a series of consolidations, as business models focus on proven niche markets, and assets get snapped up at bargain prices. Here are a couple of examples of […]
As the UK heads towards the European Union exit door, a number of government initiatives to facilitate trade appear. Without a high-level trade deal – the one that was supposed to be “oven-ready” would be just fine – one wonders how useful these initiatives will prove to be. The Fintech Times reports the latest: Department […]