Funding Circle šŸ¢ šŸ’ø - FCH

Gutted.

Canā€™t have more then 3 emojis in a title. Wanted to go for :pear: :two: :pear:

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@anon810895 As a pear 2 pear investor I approve this message :laughing:

Edit: Slightly off-topic but same spaceā€¦I got invited to the Mintos Beta earlier this week it looks great.

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For P2P investors, Funding Circleā€™s returns took a turn for the worse in 2016. This is clearly reflected in their statistics.

https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk/statistics/ (click on the return tab)

Their bad debt rate for 2016 is considerably higher than previous, their 2017 is even worse. Funding Circle sacrificed quality for volume.

As returns tumbled, P2P investors pulling their money out of Funding Circle. But thereā€™s no one to sell their loans to, which meant that investors had to wait over 5 months to access their funds. Because of this, Funding Circle changed their secondary market so that those selling the loans would pay the buyer 1.25%.

Secondary sales have been tracked at Selling Loans - Time frame. Page 1, 1st Post. Updated daily. | P2P Independent Forum

Their new system sells small amounts quickly, but for those wanting to liquidate large amounts, it takes even longer! There are users selling just over 1% of their portfolio every 10 days. Funding Circle are still originating loads of loans, though its growth has slowed. Even with the 1.25% bonus for buying secondary market loans, their system still prioritises new loans. Serving borrowers is more important to them than serving investors.

I opened a Funding Circle account in 2017, before all this came to light. The return is 2.5% and itā€™s illquid. I wouldnā€™t recommend it to anybody.

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Thanks @Han re-affirms why I donā€™t touch the UK P2P market. Rates are too low for the risk

As an example of Funding Circleā€™s excellent risk scoring methodology, this development was rated risk band A+ in 2017.

When you have stocks, you donā€™t needs to look at p2p. Carries more risk and isnā€™t as liquid as people think.

What rates do they they give though? I average 15% a year and no English company offer near that

5% and chance of default is disgraceful( British firms)

Funding Circle worth less than its cash holdings. Results tomorrow.

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At least they can get some P2P loansā€¦!

Their UK business has reached profitability. Increased loss due to write downs in Germany and Netherlands, where there will be job cuts. Projected break even in 2020. No coronavirus impact yet.

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Hello All, Is it still worth investing in Funding Circle, sold my holding as I was not sure it would be a growing business in the current climate.

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I can only talk as an lender rather than an investor, but over the last year it seems like itā€™s been impossible to get any money out without waiting for several months, which has made meant Iā€™m not putting any more money into it.

Itā€™s still taking me months at a time just to get a few hundred quid and theyā€™ve now stopped all withdrawals in the name of COVID

Funding Circle shares have shot up.

They are now only lending to UK businesses through the government Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans Scheme (CBILS). Which are 80% guaranteed.

Their US operation is lending through a federal scheme which sees the loans 100% guaranteed.

None of it is good news for me, who has never invested in the stock, but does have 1 year of ISA with them, which is probably all invested in companies about to go bust, and properties which cannot sell. Although I do see a lot of firms refinancing their credit through the government schemes?

This is good for FCH as a platform. Maybe even good for people investing on FCH. I have watched this tank all the way down to 20 something pence. Thinking I would average down but for one reason or another havenā€™t. Anyway looks like itā€™ll be green again for me at this rate. Up about 130% since Tuesday.

Unsurprisingly, given Zopaā€™s withdrawal from P2P lending, and that Funding Circle had paused their retail lending since the pandemic, they have just announced that they too are fully exiting P2P lending.

Their existing retail investors only represent 5% of their loans under management. Sadly for them (and unlike Zopa) there is no one who is buying the existing P2P loans, so retail investors will just have to wait and watch their returns trickle in, before withdrawing them in increasingly smaller amounts.

Since the pandemic, every few months, I have been transferring amounts from my Funding Circle ISA and into Freetrade. Itā€™s a hassle. They should just buy me out.

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The fall, the lender says, is in line with expectations following the conclusion of the government-guaranteed loan schemes last year but is still up on the second half of 2021 by 21 per cent.