We wanted to share an investor’s story with you, and who better than a blogger Denny who has been investing in loans since 2017 and writes his blog called re:think P2P. On his blog, he helps private investors make the right investment decisions. He analyzes the business models of individual P2P platforms, questions their developments, shares personal experiences, and observes overarching trends from the world of crowdfunding.
What is your story, and how did you find your way to investing in loans?
Hi! Thanks for having me for this interview. My name is Denny. I am a 32-year-old German citizen, originally born and raised in Berlin. I have been self-employed since October 2018, working on several different online projects. One of them is my finance blog rethink-p2p.de which I started about that time.
I came to p2p lending in 2017 when I ran into an online course covering a range of topics on how to generate a passive income. P2P lending was presented as one of those opportunities, and ever since, I have been closely following this industry and asset class.
How long have you been investing in loans on different platforms?
I started pretty soon after coming across that asset class for the first time. I made my first investments with Mintos and Bondora back in October 2017. I have carefully tried to see where additional platforms could make sense to be part of my lending portfolio throughout the years.
How did you find out about Income, and why did you choose to invest on Income?
Being part of the publishing space in p2p-lending, you constantly get new updates and information about platforms that come and go.
I usually tend to be very careful about new platforms as this kind of business model, especially in an unregulated environment, which invites shady people and businesses to easily collect dumb money from investors who are not experienced enough to tell the difference between a good and a bad platform.
With Income, I was impressed by how the platform was rethinking investor safety standards. The innovative protection schemes are somehow setting a new tone in the industry, and I like this approach very much – although I also believe that stress tests still need to prove the functionality and efficiency of the cashflow buffer or the junior shares.
I also think that there is still room for improvements in Income (regulation, segregation of funds, audited reports, etc.) if the platform wants to live up to its expectations of being the safest platform for investing in loans.
Nevertheless, I am convinced about the genuine intentions of the platform, and I have good faith in the people working for Income. Hence, I trust in them to make sure my funds are well protected and can accumulate growth over time. If your readers are curious to find out more, I wrote an extensive Income Marketplace review on my blog.
What are the other platforms you invest on?
My most significant p2p-lending investments are with Bondora Go & Grow, EstateGuru and PeerBerry.
What makes Income special, in your opinion?
It is an innovative and new approach to investor safety, as I wrote. Also, the team and their transparency towards my requested information left an excellent impression on me. The business case seems to be very well thought-through. From an investment standpoint, I think Income offers a very competitive return that includes high liquidity. Two aspects that I find very beneficial for my investment strategy.
Diversifying your investments is important as an investor: What’s the percentage you keep in loans, and what other investment classes are in your portfolio?
About 9% of my current portfolio is in p2p-lending right now. The majority is a property near Berlin that I bought six years ago. Other than that, I have a good share in stocks and a bit of cash and crypto.
If you are willing to discuss, what is the (p2p) allocation, and how big of a part does Income hold?
At the end of April 2022, my outstanding loan portfolio was 56.336 euros. Since I recently started investing on Income, my initial investment is 2.000 euros. That makes it about 3,5% right now.
How do you see the future developments of your portfolio?
Last year I committed to reaching a 160.000 Euro lending portfolio by March 2027. This would be achieved when I invest 1.000 Euro every month and the average return is 10% p.a. (ambitious, I know 😉). Considering a 10% return would lead to a 1.000 Euro net-cashflow after taxes (right now at least).
If investors are curious to see how that turns out, please follow me on my finance blog or my YouTube channel, where I post monthly updates on my progress.
