With up to 14% returns, consider Peer-to-Peer Lending in your investment portfolio

Alternative investments are gaining popularity due to the high returns that they potentially yield. One such alternative investment that is worth looking at is peer-to-peer(P2P) lending or commonly known as debt-based crowdfunding.

The concept is simple – small and medium business owners looking for funds to expand their businesses take up business loans which are crowdfunded by investors. The interest paid  back by the businesses is the return on investment for the investors.

Funding Societies is a licensed and approved P2P lending platform in Southeast Asia. It is the industry leader with over 30,000 investors in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. As the only P2P lending platform to  win the MAS FinTech Award (SME category, 2016), Funding Societies has also won global recognition, being recognised amongst the Top 250 FinTech companies globally by CB Insights and winning the prestigious SME Global Excellence Award by United Nations’ ITU Telecom.

Here, Funding Societies explains why and how you can invest in P2P lending, a unique investment asset class that is complementary to traditional investments:

LOW BARRIERS OF ENTRY & POTENTIAL HIGH RETURNS

As an Investor, you can read the easy to understand factsheet prepared for each loan and invest only if you like the loan. The minimum investment amount is just  $100 and you can earn interest up to 14% p.a.!

If you are too busy and do not have enough time to read the factsheet then you can invest via the Auto Invest feature. Just set your parameters and let the system invest for you.

On the platform, you can invest in two types of investments:  Term Loans and Invoice Financing. The investment periods for both investments are relatively short, 1 – 12 months for Term Loans and up to 3 months for Invoice Financing.

MONTHLY REPAYMENT TO RE-INVEST EASILY

Suppose you invest into a term loan of 12 months this Christmas, you’ll receive part of your principal and interest paid back on a monthly basis until next Christmas.

Here’s an illustration:

Assuming an investor invests $100 in a loan of 10 months at 12% p.a. interest rate. The monthly repayment is calculated below.

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Therefore, the total interest earned by the investor is $10 at the end of the 10 months.

Assuming that the same investor invests 10 of such loans (10 x $100 per loan), he gets $110 in monthly repayments. The total interest earned will be $100.

Furthermore, the investor can reinvest his interest and principal multiple loans to achieve a compounding effect. Here’s another illustration:

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As shown in the above illustration, the investor re-invested his monthly repayment into new loans and was able to get $109, instead of $100 without re-investing.

LICENSED AND COMPLIANT

Funding Societies holds a Capital Markets Services license issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

They have also gone through multiple  internal and  external audits to ensure that all processes are compliant.

Funding Societies is also one of the first peer-to-peer lending platforms to use an independent escrow account to handle all investor funds. What this means to you as an investor is, Funding Societies does not have direct access to your funds and the funds and investments are safeguarded by the 3rd party trustee (which is also licensed by MAS).

STRINGENT IN CREDIT RISK MANAGEMENT

The key risk in this investment is businesses defaulting on the loans. However, Funding Societies does thorough due diligence on the company to minimize this risk, which is why the default rate is also one of the lowest in the region at just 1.4% as at 30th November 2017. The returns are priced based on risk, amongst multiple factors. As an investor, you have full autonomy to choose which loans you want to invest in, based on your risk/return appetite.

Funding Societies advocates the “skin in the game” concept. The company and members of the management team invest their own money in every loan to not only co-share the returns but also risks with all the investors.

SMART FEATURES TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR YOU

Auto-invest feature reduces the time required to monitor opportunities. Simply input your preferred parameters and the system will do the rest.

Live chat with Miyu the chatbot on Funding Societies’ website and get your queries answered 24/7!

Even though Funding Societies is an online platform, they offer a personal, offline experience for investors. Investors can  email, call or visit their office for a no-obligation chat. Funding Societies is also a winner of the Best in Customer Experience for Alternative Financial Services this year, awarded by Retail Banker International. Try out the platform for yourself to experience it!

SIGN UP NOW TO BE AN INVESTOR WITH FUNDING SOCIETIES

Join more than 30,000 other investors on Funding Societies’ platform, and earn returns of up to 14% per annum. Make your $100 (or more) work harder for you this year and collect your ‘bonus’ next Christmas! Sign up as an investor with Funding Societies now.

Disclaimer

This article is contributed by Funding Societies.

It should not be construed that Moneydigest is endorsing this article or any of the products and services provided by Funding Societies.

Nothing in this article should be construed as constitute or form a recommendation, financial advice, or an offer, invitation or solicitation from Funding Societies to buy or subscribe for any securities and/or investment products. Any past performance, projection, forecast or simulation of results is not necessarily indicative of the future or likely performance of any company or investment. The content and materials made available are for informational purposes only and should not be relied on without obtaining the necessary independent financial or other advice in connection therewith before making an investment or other decision as may be appropriate.

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Beginning your career in Forex: Tips to remember

It is no wonder that Forex is the biggest and the most attractive business market in the world. Millions of people are starting their career in Forex every day. If you want to trade in Forex, you do not need your office but you only need your computer connection and your strategy. When millions of people are trading in Forex, it might seem that all these people are having a good day. They are trading in the markets and although they can lose their money, they can be on track in Forex with a little hard work.

It is actually not that simple in Forex if you do not know the right way of trading. Most beginners in Forex lose their career after only a few months of trading because either they have no experience of the trading market or they have not quite get it right. They make many mistakes which are quite simple for them but deadly when you are a beginner. If you want to trade in Forex and thinking that you have a basic knowledge on the market, this article might come to your help if you want to avoid the mistakes that beginners make in their trading. It will not only give your career head starts but it will also improve your career smoothly in the market.

Sky is the limit

When you start your trading career you must wonder about the profit factor in this industry. To be honest there is no need to do the extensive calculation as you can easily understand the true benefit of professional trading just by observing the life of the successful Singaporean trader. Being an active trader you will be your boss and you set the limit for the potential loss or profit. However, trading is not all easy. In fact, this is not suitable for everyone. You need to trade this market in a relaxed environment so that you can take the perfect decision. Before you consider trading as your full-time profession it’s highly imperative that you consider demo trading account as your practice field. Never start your trading career with the real money since you might lose your entire trading capital. First of all, learn all the fundamentals of this market so that you can easily place your trade with an extreme level of confidence. Never take any risk which you can withstand. Find the perfect balance between your risk tolerance level and profit factor to survive in this industry.

Don’t start with live account

Many traders start trading in the market with all of the strategies they have got on the internet. It is a big mistake for you if you have just started your darer in Forex. You will see that there are lots of strategies for you but you cannot trade them in the live account when you are new. You should remember that it is an investment market where many traders lost their investment. You have to practice in your demo accounts to give you some foundation on the market trading. It will help you in your career and you can understand why demo accounts are here.

Choose a simple strategy for your beginning

There are many strategies that are used by professionals in Forex. Do not try to impress yourself and choose a simple strategy. If your strategy is simple and it works then it is not simple. Any strategy with a simple touch of your hard work and trading techniques can make your career bloom.

Never overtrade, never rush

This is the mistakes that beginners love to make. Do not overtrade in Forex as you are not going to make money if you have placed many trades in the market. Also, do not hurry. You need to be patient to give time to the markets to work out. Be disciplined in your trading and patient for your strategy to work.

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How Your Investment in Peer-to-Peer Lending Supports Local Businesses

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are at the heart of Singapore’s economy. They make up 99% of our enterprises, employ two-thirds of our workforce, and account for about half of Singapore’s GDP. To date, there are nearly 200,000 SMEs in Singapore.

While we often see success stories on news and social media, the road to success is sometimes not as straightforward. Find out how you can invest in peer-to-peer (P2P) lending with Funding Societies and support emerging Singapore SMEs.

Your contribution can directly make an impact on the business you’re supporting

According to a 2017 Straits Times poll, 40% of SMEs said that they thought the Singapore economy would grow in the next 12 months and 43% felt positive sales growth was on the cards.

By investing in SMEs through P2P lending, you directly contribute to immediate cashflow needs of the SMEs to grow their businesses. In return, you’re rewarded in monetary returns from the interests of the business loans. Funding Societies is one such platform in Singapore that is supporting local businesses through crowdfunding.

Read about how peer-to-peer lending works.

You earn potentially high returns on your investments while supporting local businesses

P2P lending harnesses the power of people to help local, homegrown businesses to grow and expand. Investing in P2P lending allows you to potentially earn up to 14% per annum returns on your investment.

It is actually really easy to invest in SMEs in Singapore through P2P lending. Funding Societies is a digital P2P lending platform that is dedicated to serving SMEs, therefore the mission of Funding Societies is aptly, “Stronger SMEs, Stronger Societies.” Investors receive monthly repayments which they can re-invest to support even more local businesses.

Support SMEs across multiple industries

The Ministry of Trade and Industry announced a $4.5 Billion industry transformation programme to systematically raise productivity, develop skills, drive innovation, and promote internationalisation, so as to catalyse transformation and achieve the stated vision of each industry. There’s also Infocomm Media Development Authority’s Go Digital Programme — an initiative that allows SMEs to increase productivity and capture more online sales through digitalization of their businesses.

However, the Singapore Budget 2017 recognizes that the government alone cannot help all businesses transform and the need to strengthen partnerships and collaborations in order to help SMEs succeed. Financial institutions, including alternative finance companies such as Funding Societies, play an important role in providing financial support to help SMEs grow and prosper.

As the minimum investment for peer-to-peer lending starts as low as $100 on the Funding Societies platform, you could help the economy holistically by investing in multiple industries and companies at the same time, in turn diversifying your investment portfolio across sectors.

Since its inception in 2015, Funding Societies has already expanded to two more Southeast Asian countries over the last two years – Indonesia and Malaysia. It is the only P2P lending platform to have won the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Fintech Award in 2016 and was recognised as one of the Top 250 Fintech companies globally.

More than 23,000 investors are already on Funding Societies’ platform regionally. Find out how to invest on the platform here.

Interested? Sign up for your investor account with Funding Societies now.

Disclaimer

This article is contributed by Funding Societies.

It should not be construed that Moneydigest is endorsing this article or any of the products and services provided by Funding Societies.

Nothing in this article should be construed as constitute or form a recommendation, financial advice, or an offer, invitation or solicitation from Funding Societies to buy or subscribe for any securities and/or investment products. The content and materials made available are for informational purposes only and should not be relied on without obtaining the necessary independent financial or other advice in connection therewith before making an investment or other decision as may be appropriate.

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Things that you need to learn as currency trader

If you want to stand in the financial market, you should be a brave person. You might be wondering what bravery has to do with trading. Of course, courage plays a vital role in trading. We will cite an example to make it more transparent if a trader hesitates to enter into a trade how he or she can trade the market? Moreover, this is a volatile market if you don’t bear the risks or if you don’t handle the risks, you cannot survive. The bottom line is you should be brave enough to trade the market successfully. The Singaporean traders are highly successful due to their braveness in trading the market. If you consider the Singaporean traders, they never hesitate to enter into a trade or they never think twice about trading the market. Facing losses is also part of trading so the trader should be able to accept it. Trading will be simple if the traders look at easily. If the traders look at the market as if it is complex then definitely it will be. The fault is in the gaze of the traders. Let us read to learn more.

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Market information should be learned

You are not the only trader in the market, so the competition is high. You need to compete with other traders to become successful in the market. To become successful traders, you should learn the market information thoroughly. You should make sure to learn the market news, financial news, market changes, market movements, economic changes, etc. to trade successfully. It is evident that the news impacts the market profoundly when the market is affected it will be a significant impact on your trading career. So, as traders, you should not be neglectful regarding the market. You should be a trader who does not want to see market surprises meaning you should be attentive regarding the market changes. If you study the changes, you will not know even if the value of the currencies changes so how can you also trade? As CFD traders you should bear in mind when trading CFDs the changes in the currency value will impact a lot on your trades. You should be up-to-date with these factors to become a successful trader.

A wise trader has a bright career

A knowledgeable person will lead a successful life so likewise, a wise trader will have a brilliant career. When the trader is wise he or she will not let the market to fool so the trader will collect the details regarding the price movements. When the trader knows what the market has prepared trader can make the wisest move.

Do not waste your emotions

There are three things a person should never waste. These are food, water, and emotions. So as traders; you should not waste your feelings. The market does not mind even if you lose a win it will move according to its wish you should be intelligent to tame the market.

All the novice traders had to face an extreme level of difficulty in the early stage of their trading career. They don’t know how to deal with the market dynamics. In fact, the majority of the traders think that this market is easy to trade and thus trade with big lot size. Some even start trading with high leverage account to make a huge amount of money from a small trading account. Every single one of them blows their entire trading account within a short period. So if you want to avoid such situation then make sure that you are not taking unnecessary risk.

Learning is a continuous process for every full-time trader. You need to make sure that you are well aware of the global economic factors or else you will find yourself in a miserable condition. Read the financial news to assess the economic performance of the country.

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Newbie’s Guide To Bitcoin Investing

ACT LIKE CASH, MINED LIKE GOLD

Cryptocurrency continues to gain popularity among investors and venture capital firms. Several of these individuals are betting that Bitcoin is here to stay! Before taking a stand, let us have a quick look at the basics of Bitcoin.

Bitcoin is a decentralized payment system developed by Satoshi Nakamoto (a Japanese pseudonym). This innovative digital currency was publicly released in 2009. We came a long way since then! A myriad of improvements or updates have been made by a network of developers.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Image Credits: pixabay.com

In simple terms, bitcoins act like cash and are mined like gold. How so?

Global retailers may allow you to purchase goods and services through this “intangible” currency. However, its acquisition poses challenges. Solving extensive mathematical equations are needed to discover new bitcoins. You will have to unlock each block and be rewarded afterwards.

It is fascinating that the developer has set a finite number of bitcoins to be mined – 21 million to be exact. The uncovered bitcoins skyrocketed in the recent years. At this rate, the final bitcoin is projected to be discovered by the year 2140.

THE ART OF ACQUISITION

Develop a strategy to obtain bitcoins by weighing the advantages and disadvantages of these primary options. You can either outright buy, mine for, or receive it.

The easiest way for beginners to acquire bitcoins is to purchase from specialized companies such as the www.coinbase.com. Coinbase.com sells bitcoins to customers at a mark-up of about 1% over the current market price. On the other hand, traders can go to bitcoin exchange websites such as the BitStamp. BitStamp eliminates the middleman as it allows you to transact with other users. See for yourself!

The second option is to dedicate your time on bitcoin mining. Bitcoin miners are crucial to the completion of transactions and the validation of genuine bitcoins. Using the computer, bitcoin miners need to verify a series of transactions that are guarded by a virtual lock called “blockchains”. Miners will run a software to find the key that will open said lock. For finding the coveted key, miners get a reward of 12.5 newly generated bitcoins. Research showed that it takes 1,789,546,951.05 attempts to find the correct key. Imagine how much effort you have to exhaust for that!

Last but not least, you may receive bitcoins offline by selling goods or services. You should apply the usual precautions when meeting a stranger for the bitcoin transaction. Meet in a public place at daytime and bring a friend (i.e., if possible).

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Are you going to embrace the future of money or treat it as a chaotic addition to the stock market?

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

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