RateSetter reaches milestone – interest payments exceed £100m

A fund set by the P2P lender has so far efficiently protected investors against losses from bad loans.

A peer-to-peer lending platform RateSetter has generated over £100m in pre-tax interest payments for its investors since its launching in October 2010.

“This is just the start. We are opening lending as an asset class that everyone can access – filling the gap between the low returns of cash deposits and the volatility of shares,” said Rhydian Lewis, the CEO and founder of RateSetter.

No investor has so far suffered a loss on the lending platform. This is due to RateSetter's invention of Provision Fund, which spreads the risk across the whole loan pool.

All RateSetter borrowers are required to pay into the fund and, in the case of a missed payment, the fund steps in and reimburses the investor. If the level of non-performing loans stays low, the fund works as a buffer against losses although the risk of losing your money is still real.

According to RateSetter, it now has over 500,000 customers – more than any other British P2P lender. Its 60,000 investors have lent almost £2.5bn to 450,000 individuals and businesses across the country.

RateSetter has received a boost from its Innovative Finance ISA, which it started to offer in February this year. In three months, the company has received more than £80m in IFISA subscriptions from 10,000 investors.