Summary of a post.
Lending Works turns three!
This week, Lending Works celebrates its third birthday, and in doing so, we as a company are reflecting on the incredible journey we’ve enjoyed over the last few years.
The idea for Lending Works was one borne out of the frustrations experienced by our founders, Nick Harding and Matthew Powell, in the world of mainstream financial services. More specifically, they recognised that allowing people to lend and borrow directly with each other can offer significant benefits and efficiencies to consumers, on both sides of the transaction, rather than simply benefitting the large financial services businesses.
After months of hard work behind the scenes, Lending Works launched its platform to the public in early January 2014, with a small team of people who gamely manned the phones in a small office in Farringdon, London. It can safely be said that things have taken off since…
Year-on-year growth
In its first year, the Lending Works platform matched an impressive £5 million in loans, which in turn resulted in excellent returns for our lenders and great value personal loans for our borrowers.
In our second year we then enjoyed threefold growth in terms of loan volume, while we also migrated our offices to accommodate our steadily swelling team. But it was in our third year that we’ve really laid the foundations for a prosperous future. We once again saw significant growth in terms of pounds lent, while we now have a sizable contingent of around 30 employees working their magic on the ground.
Yet it was our confirmation of full FCA authorisation last October which provided the ultimate stamp of approval for all that we do, and validated our commitment to treating customers fairly and effective governance, compliance and risk management. As a further feather in the cap, we were also the first of the eight-strong Peer-to-Peer Finance Association to receive this green light.
FCA authorisation, ISAs and the future
For lenders in particular, receiving FCA approval – following an exhaustive review - has two major benefits. Firstly, it provides important reaffirmation that your platform of choice to invest your hard-earned money is responsible, compliant, financially stable, transparent, and has stress-tested processes in place across the board.
The other major benefit, of course, will be the availability of the new Innovative Finance ISA, which we’ll be launching in the coming weeks. Full FCA authorisation, and subsequent approval from HMRC as an ISA manager, is a prerequisite for peer-to-peer lending platforms to be eligible to offer this new tax-free wrapper, and the opportunity to earn returns within an ISA will now make lending with us even more lucrative for consumer investors.
But while the Lending Works ISA will be at the core of what we expect to be a very successful year for our platform, we have numerous other initiatives and partnerships lined up which are set to significantly move the needle in 2017.
“As a company, we look back on the last few years with a lot of pride, and it is incredibly rewarding to see the progress we’ve made since Lending Works opened its doors,” commented Nick Harding. “It’s been three hugely successful years for us, and we’re proud of the fact that we’ve stayed true to our values every step of the way, focusing on delivering value to our customers rather than simply looking after ourselves.
“But, as ever, our focus is very much on the future, and how we can take things to the next level. With our ISA set to launch very soon, and some other exciting plans in the pipeline, we can say with a high degree of confidence that the best is very much yet to come.”
Related articles:
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.
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.
With the retail sector enduring its fair share of challenges, companies are looking at new ways to attract customers, and drive conversion. In an overcrowded, dog-eat-dog marketplace, with behemoths such as Amazon flexing their muscle, it’s easier said than done.
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.