Summary of a post.
A quick word on our lender rates
It may have come to your attention that, over the last six weeks, our headline lender rates have decreased. In the wake of the Brexit vote, and with the subsequent cut in Bank of England rates, many people might be inclined to draw a direct link between the two.
However, we thought it best to provide an explanation from our end as to why rates have dropped off slightly, and to provide clear reasoning so as to separate fact from fiction.
How our rates are calculated
This article we published over a year ago provides in-depth details of how we calculate our base rates, and, by extension, lender returns. However, the long and the short of it is that our lender rates are not directly dependent on Bank of England rates at all. Instead, our rates are determined by the demand and supply of loans from borrowers and lenders respectively, and the natural equilibrium this generates. This effectively means our rates are established by market forces, rather than any other ruling body.
The knock-on effects of recent events
Of course, that’s not to say that the peer-to-peer lending market itself isn’t susceptible to external forces. Since the Bank of England cut base rates to new record lows of 0.25 per cent, headline rates for borrowing have in turn plummeted across the lending industry. As a platform, it is thus understandable that, to remain competitive, there will be downward pressure on the rates at which we lend to borrowers – especially given our meticulous standards of credit underwriting, which will always ensure that only creditworthy borrowers are approved for Lending Works loans.
Unfortunately, a more competitive marketplace for the supply of loans, and the resultant drop in the rates being offered to borrowers, means that, in the case of peer-to-peer lending, lender rates are directly affected.
Compounding this is the impact of a subsequent decline in savings rates elsewhere, and the push factor it creates towards something like investing through a peer-to-peer platform. After all, rates being offered by banks and building societies have been derisory for a number of years now, but the manner in which these have been further slashed across the board over the last month has meant that, at Lending Works, we’ve seen a deluge of new lending capital enter our platform in that time.
Managing lender rates, and a look to the future
An additional consequence from this lack of competitiveness within investment and savings is that the lending queue for new investors has lengthened slightly too. Although the impact of this on lifetime returns is actually minimal, we understand the frustration that comes with this delay. Ultimately this is something we need to manage, and adjusting rates is a necessity in order to ensure that the right balance between the supply of lending capital and demand for loans is struck.
Yet while some might be inclined to think that this is a glimpse of the future for peer-to-peer lending, or some sort of ‘new normal’, we most certainly do not see it that way. Firstly, as a marketplace, we are always subject to the effects of black swan events, and it does invariably take time for the market to re-calibrate itself.
Yet being a nimble and agile company, we are best placed to meet such challenges head on, and with the efficient business model we operate, we have every confidence that we will be able to deliver a service to borrowers that will continue to set us apart from other lenders and credit providers, thus ensuring we always attract prime borrowers to our platform; and en masse too.
Furthermore, we have a number of exciting partnerships and projects which will be launching soon, and these will provide further impetus to the mix, and allow us to source more borrowers from an even wider array of channels.
So while there may be external forces at play which are creating a marginally less-favourable climate for peer-to-peer investors at the moment, we have every confidence that Lending Works will always provide a more compelling proposition than alternatives. Added to that, with the imminent launch of the new Innovative Finance ISA, and the considerable tax efficiency this will bring, the best days for lending through platforms such as ours are unquestionably still to come.
Related articles:
- The Brexit economy - two months later
- Our lenders show faith in P2P lending after Brexit vote
- Looking after your pension pot post-Brexit
Get email updates for future blogs:
Our website offers information about saving, investing, tax and other financial matters, but not personal advice. If you're not sure whether peer-to-peer lending is right for you, please seek independent financial advice, and if you decide to invest with Lending Works, please read our Key Lender Information PDF first.
As with all investments, your capital is at risk.
- Summary of a post.
- Summary of a post.
In line with our risk management framework, today we published our Q4 2019 performance update.
As a platform, we take great pride in all that we've achieved since opening our doors for business nearly six years ago. We’ve
Since opening our doors back in 2014, we’ve always prided ourselves on living and breathing two key principles at Lending Works: innovation, and putting the customer first in everything we do.
Featured
Wednesday’s Budget speech, coupled with the cut to Bank of England rates, represented a decisive response to the coronavirus. Here we analyse the impact it will have on mitigating disruption from Covid-19, along with the long-term implications of this significant fiscal stimulus.
Rumblings from the Treasury ahead of next week's Budget suggest tax grabs will be needed to fund increased spending, and it appears UK enterprise could be in the firing line. Here we articulate why targeting entrepreneurs and small business is ill advised.
In a difficult climate, customer acquisition and lead generation present stern challenges for UK retailers, and a great deal of marketing spend invariably gets directed towards getting feet through the door.
There is a variety of literature and research illustrating the importance of building brand loyalty, albeit with some degree of variance.
Over the last decade, there can be little dispute that the reputation of mainstream banks – and particularly the so-called ‘Big Four’ (HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds and RBS) – is at its lowest ebb.
The idea of peer-to-peer (P2P) lending is a simple one; you lend money to those who wish to borrow, with a view to receiving a great return for doing so.
Most popular
The 2019-20 ISA season has been a damp squib, with banks disinterested in attracting savers’ cash, rates cut, and the stock market in freefall. However, the emergence of the IFISA means alternatives beckon for those seeking a stable middle ground in terms of risk and reward.
In a decade of slow recovery, the rapid rise in asset prices has been the standout. But how sustainable has price growth been, and could we be in the midst of a bubble?
- Summary of a post.
Most people consider income tax to be a given, but in the UK it is barely two centuries old. In this article, we look at how this tax has developed over the years, and also why it is set to remain at the core of our tax system for many decades to come.
Open banking celebrated its second birthday last month, but has the ‘revolution for financial services’ that was promised actually come to pass? In this article, we look at the progress the initiative has made so far, and what the future holds in the face of high levels of scepticism.
On the face of it, a 'broken' energy market needed fixing, and the price caps introduced in early 2019 were heralded as the solution. But, one year later, have they actually helped consumers save?
Recent
The Lending Works Shield does not give you a right to a payment so you may not receive a pay-out even if you suffer loss. The Lending Works Trustee has absolute discretion as to the amount that may be paid, including making no payment at all. Therefore, investors should not rely on possible pay-outs from the Lending Works Shield when considering whether or how much to invest. For more information click here.