Category: Loan

Peer to Peer Lending Around the World

p2p leadingPeer to peer lending has become a phenomenon throughout the world in a very short time Due to the many variations of this practice throughout the world it can be confusing to people when this subject is discussed. Each country or region has its own laws, attitudes and customs in this area and they can differ significantly. So, if you are interested in peer to peer lending as a borrower or lender, or just want to study the topic some more, then read on!

What are some of the differences in meanings for the term peer to peer lending? In many countries, particularly those that are more advanced, technology plays a larger role. Lending and peer to peer investing platforms are online and bring together lenders and borrowers from all over an entire country. Investors do not know the individual whom they are lending money to and only see an online credit profile with which to make their decision. These platforms engaged in hundreds of loans each day. They also process loan applications, check credit of the borrowers and collect payments. These are large, and in some cases, publicly traded companies.

On the other hand, in some countries peer to peer lending is more local and personal. The lender will likely meet the borrower and they will develop a relationship. These relationships can ultimately result in several loans and the trust that allows a borrower to get more money if they have been faithful in their payments.

In some countries, the purpose of peer to peer loans is mostly to pay off credit cards or refinance existing debt. In other places, these loans may be more likely used to start a small business or pay unexpected medical expenses. There are also many other reasons to take these loans and more personal relationships allow the lender to assess the needs of the borrower and the likelihood that the loan will be repaid.

The laws of the land also play a big factor in how these loans, platforms and relationships work. Privacy laws may limit the types of information that a lender can know about the borrower. For example, a loan request for medical expenses may not include details about the borrowers specific medical issues. Credit reporting and bankruptcy laws also vary by country which affects the information available to lenders and may make is harder for them to assess the viability of certain loans. In areas where lender and borrower meet, the personal appeal and information provided by the borrower can go a long way in convincing the investor to make the transaction.

As the world has seen rapid adoption of this type of loan over the past ten years, the number of platforms and models has grown dramatically. Also, governments have scrambled to make laws protecting both borrower and investor. While there have been some issues, for the most part this type of lending has been highly effective for both parties and the future seems bright. Experts expect the outlook to continue to be good and growth forecasts indicate the market will continue to increase significantly.

Buying a New Home Is No More a Distant Dream

money for homeEvery individual dreams of purchasing their own home. A safe place where they might want to raise a family, or look after their parents. While the rising cost of real estate often dissuades people from the task, it’s important to remember that with the help of a home loan, your dream home is no longer just a distant hope that won’t be fulfilled.

If you’re hoping to realise your ultimate dream of owning a home, let’s take a look at a few steps that will help you along your journey.

1. Get Your Priorities in Order

Before you even start looking for a house, it’s important that you understand what you’re looking for. Do you want a home that’s in the middle of the city where you work, or do you want something that’s a bit quieter and closer to your hometown? Think about whether you want a large house with a garden or park nearby, or if you’re content with a smaller home with a good view. Figure out what is most important for you to have in your home. This makes the selection process much easier.

2. Outline Your Budget

Whether you’re funding the house by yourself or applying for a loan, it’s important that you have an estimate of how much you can afford to spend on a home. Even if you do take out a loan, you’ll have to factor in the EMIs that you will have to repay into your monthly budget. For a better understanding of what you can afford every month, you can use an online home loan EMI calculator. Once you have your budget and priorities in order, you’ll be able to find a home that meets your needs.

3. Create a Shortlist

The house-hunting process is generally quite a long-drawn one. You may see several houses before you find one that you truly identify with. If you’re lucky, you may like a home the instant you walk in and see it. However, this isn’t always the case. Once you’ve seen a wide selection of houses, you should make a list of the ones that you would definitely consider buying. Then you can list out the pros and cons of each home before making your final decision.

4. Find Financing

Unless you’ve won the lottery or you’ve been saving incredibly well over the last few years, you’ll probably require a loan to cover the cost of your new home. There are a number of loan options available to you, and you will need to find one that fits your needs. Depending on your requirements, you could find a loan that offers higher financing, better interest rates, or quicker disbursals. You could also use a home loan calculator to find out the kind of EMIs you would be required to pay based on the interest rates being offered.

5. Budget for Your EMIs

Now that you’ve found your perfect home and got a loan to finance it, it’s a good idea to come up with a repayment plan. You may have to readjust your monthly budget to factor in your EMIs and curb your expenditure a little. Of course, it goes without saying that you should also ensure you put away some amount of your savings for any financial emergencies that may come your way.

With our 5 quick tips, you could soon be on your way to finding your dream home and settling down with your family. Remember, a home loan doesn’t have to be a burden, it could be the stepping stone that helps you achieve your dreams.

Rent’s Due and Money’s Tied Up: Quick Solutions to Footing the Bill

money billsFor some people, renting is a lot more affordable and easier than owning a home. There’s no property taxes, homeowners insurance, maintenance, or repairs that you have to cover. Though it can be convenient to simply pay rent, there are months where footing the bill is easier said than done. A car repair, high utility bill, medical emergency, family emergency, or a mix up with your paycheck can exhaust your funds leaving you in a bit of a jam.

There’s a lot of programs that help homeowners struggling to afford their mortgage payments, but what can you do as a tenant? With only a few weeks before the first and the threat of eviction for nonpayment, you may feel like you’re back is against the wall. Before you throw in the towel and wave your white flag, here are some quick solutions to getting that rent paid.

Work Something Out with Your Landlord

First and foremost, let your landlord know that you’re going to be a bit late on the rent this month. This prepares them financially and could stop them from starting the eviction process. Ask for an extension on the rental payment if possible. If you’re usually good on paying, they may be willing to work out an arrangement with you where you break the past due amount up into smaller amounts and add them onto the regular rental payments until you’re caught up.

Move Some Things Around

Now, take a look at your personal finances. Are there bills that you were due to pay on or around the same time your rent was due? Can these bills be paid at a later date? This can free up some cash you need now and give you more time to pay the other bills later. If another bill is going to be late, reach out to the service provider to inform them to try and avoid fees or collection efforts.

Sell Some Things

When things get down to the nitty gritty sometimes the only way it can be handled is to sacrifice. Perhaps you can clean out your rental property and sell some things for cash. You can get a quick response by taking photos and using an online app to sell to interested parties nearby.

Installment Loans

If your rent payment is due and the deadline is only a few days away, you probably won’t have time to earn enough to pay the balance in full. If you’re simply dealing with a temporary setback (a higher energy bill) and not a serious financial crisis (loss of employment), there are installment loan direct lenders that will lend you a helping hand. If you meet the minimal eligibility criteria, you could have several hundred or thousand dollars deposited into your account within a few business days. Then, you can pay the loan off with conveniently monthly payments.

Get a Roommate

If you’re dealing with an ongoing financial problem like the loss of a job or a decrease in pay, you may want to consider finding a roommate to move in with you. This can be a friend or family member who is in need of a place to stay. You might also offer a room to college students or single individuals who don’t mind a small space. Make sure this is alright with your landlord prior to offering your space. Having someone else in the place with you cuts down on all costs ensuring you can pay your rent on time.

Try Ridesharing

If you can’t get enough to pay your rent from your income, perhaps the solution is to boost your income. Ridesharing has become increasingly popular. Many companies even offer a sign-on bonus of a few hundred dollars. You can get paid a decent amount each day depending on how frequently you drive and where you live.

Government or Private Assistance

Lastly, there are some options for renters who have fallen on hard times. Check with your city, state, and county to find out about government and/or private programs that help tenants with back rent. You may need to meet certain criteria, but if eligible you could have your rent paid for you and even reduced in the month’s ahead.

As cost-effective as renting can be for some individuals, there are times when paying the rent each month is impossible. If your funds are all tied up or you’re going through something that will change your finances temporarily or permanently, there are still resolutions to getting your rent paid. Remember, start by talking with your landlord to avoid eviction procedures and then consider the tips listed above to accumulate the cash you need.

What Is The Future Of Loans?

loan futureThe technological revolution has been a serious point of interest for the lending industry. In the wake of mass digitisation and an increasing reliance on the Internet and connected technology for business purposes, many lenders (and borrowers) have found themselves wondering where lending will be and what the process will look like in the future.

Well, fear not: if you’re a borrower, then things are looking up for you. The future isn’t quite as rosy for traditional lenders, though; they’ll have to work harder to compete in an increasingly crowded market, and they’ll need to be able to battle online-only companies with significantly lower overheads and a more persuasive and desirable brand identity.

The first indication that the lending industry was changing as a result of an increasingly online-dominated landscape was arguably the peer-to-peer lending boom. The first P2P lending companies began appearing in the late 2000s, revolutionising the concept of money-lending by emphasising a more grassroots approach which favoured the relationship between consumers and companies rather than the transaction itself.

P2P lenders represent (in theory) a more transparent, more grounded industry with an increased focus on the consumer, which is why borrowers will be better off in the future. The Internet has already created a number of opportunities for companies to fill niches which were not previously filled by bigger companies.

These niches include more flexible student finance agreements, online-only mortgage lending which allows users to get a quote in minutes without a lengthy credit check process, and quick-turnaround lending which majorly threatens credit cards, among others. Put simply, the Internet has changed the landscape of loans and lending forever, and it’s not looking likely that this change will be reversed.

With that said, a large amount of the functionality and operation of loans looks likely to continue as normal, albeit with a decidedly more ethical spin. Let’s take payday loans as an example. Some negative press around certain payday loan lenders means that the public is more wary than ever about hidden terms and conditions; with scandal comes increased scrutiny.

Even though this is the case, the best payday loan lenders are unlikely to be fazed by this. A huge amount of payday lenders already carry out their business with near-total transparency and an emphasis on ethical treatment of their customers; problems begin when loan companies attempt to draw more money out of their customers than they have been honest about, and that’s just not something that a reputable payday loan company would ever want to do.

In a similar sense, the types of loans on offer to consumers are unlikely to change, although we’ll probably see more lending around bitcoin and cryptocurrency as the kinks in these systems are worked out and the security around them increases. Right now, the issue with lending cryptocurrency is that there’s no centralised authority, so there’s no way of absolutely guaranteeing the safety of cryptocurrency transactions. At the moment, the bitcoin lending process requires a huge amount of trust from both parties, so as these systems are refined and changed, expect to see this currency taking off in a big way in terms of lending.

Otherwise, the future of loans is, well, business as usual, as boring as it might sound (but boring is good when it comes to finance). As it stands, the vast majority of loans fall into four categories: secured loans, unsecured loans, short-term loans (payday loans) and peer-to-peer loans. There are other kinds, but these are the most common types of loan you’re likely to come across.

There’s just no reason why increasing digitization and cryptocurrency are likely to change this. Unsecured loans will still be offered to consumers, although the amounts are likely to change based on new developments in online technology and companies who are willing to trust their customers more. Secured loans will continue as long as people have property against which the loan can be secured.

Peer-to-peer lending looks like it is only going from strength to strength, although there will need to be tighter regulation and a closer eye on business practices going forward if it’s to maintain its current standing. Payday lending is unlikely to change as long as there are people who need money on a short-term basis, and with the recent rise of the gig economy, the number of people who require this service is only likely to increase. If the future of loans will change at all, it will likely be towards this more short-term lending system as people’s incomes are less certain in a majority self-employed economy (if that is indeed where we’re going as a society).

What’s a Limited Company and How Do I Start One?

building businessWhen you are starting up a new business there are a number of different ways you can set it up – one of these options is to create a Limited Company – this creates a business which is entirely separate from you and your personal finances.

1. What is a Limited Company?

The company has its own business name and its own separate identify. You need a business bank account and the business can make profits or loss. It can pay taxes and have debt, of its own, all separate from you as the business owner.

You have to have a company bank account – it can’t be in your name – and all money earned by the company have to go into the company bank account but this is relatively simple to set up.

It is important to understand that the company is separate from you as a person – if you want to have more control and be more involved then it might be better to set up as a sole trader – when you and the business are one and the same.

2. How to set up a Limited Company

The first thing you need to do is choose your company name, and then decide where it will be based. You also need to decide who will be within your company as well. Once you have all that decided you need to think about shares – if you have more than one of you owning the company you will need to decide what percentage you each own. Find out exactly how to set up a limited company in this step by step guide from Crunch.

3. Shareholders

You are able to add shareholders to the company but you should seek professional advice on this side of things as there can be tax implications.

4. Register with Companies House

Once you have decided on everything, you need to go to Companies House website and register your company for a low fee. You can do the whole process online. They will check if any other businesses have the same name as you and will ask who your company director and company secretary are.

It is often possible to do this through an accountancy firm. You need to be aware that being a company director comes with legal responsibilities.

5. A Memorandum of Association

Companies House also require you to file a Memorandum of Association which outlines why the company was set up and how it will be run. It can be used in tax issues or legal proceedings so make sure it is drafted correctly. You can write it but keep it as simple as possible in that case.

6. Consider professional advice

While the process is simple, if you get it wrong it could cause problems further down the line so you might want to consider getting expert help from your accountant or from a company set up specialist. There will likely be a fee involved but it will be worth it to get everything right from the start.

7. Working with your accountant

An accountant will often provide the support to set up your company for free as long as they then continue to work with you to deliver your payroll and taxes and support your business on an ongoing basis. It is definitely worth looking into for all of the help and support which you will get for your business from day one.

8. The business bank account

You don’t necessarily need a High Street bank for your business bank account but there are plenty of other options out there which can be set up quickly to help your business get off the ground without delay.

9. HMRC help and guidance

As a new business owner you need to understand your expenses and tax obligations as well as VAT potentially so it’s worth checking the HMRC website as they have a lot of information and advice for business owners.

They also run regular webinars and advice sessions on all kinds of tax-related business issues so check out everything on there to make sure you register with them for tax and if you need to register for VAT etc..

Again, it’s better to make sure you get everything set up from day one, correctly, so that your business starts from a positive footing. If you have any questions or doubts about business taxes you can also seek help from your accountant.

Setting up a Limited Company is a fairly straightforward process but it’s important to work out if this is the best route for you by looking at all the options first. If you do decide it’s what you want to do, then seek professional advice, from you accountant, before starting out so that you make sure everything is done correctly right from the start for your new business, giving it a good foundation.