What Can Peer-to-Peer Lending Offer You?

Hansy Mannil Jul 10, 2023

If you keep up with buzzwords like Fintech or disruptive technologies, you might have already heard about peer-to-peer (P2P) lending – web based services that match creditworthy borrowers with lenders. Lenders set the interest rate at which they're prepared to lend money, and the marketplace of borrowers decides if that rate is accepted.

We think it's an important part of the future of finance, so earlier this year Stratton Finance and carsales took a 20% combined equity stake in Plenti. As one of the most innovative lending platforms in Australia, we're now proud to introduce Plenti as Stratton Finance's peer-to-peer lending partner.

Plenti give both lenders and borrowers confidence to make informed decisions by maximising transparency and establishing protections such as the Provision Fund. Since the platform's inception in the UK in October 2010, the Provision Fund has ensured that every dollar of principal and interest owed has been returned to lenders.

So what does peer-to-peer lending offer you?

Plenti's peer-to-peer lending platform operates as an alternative to banks or building societies. By removing the middle man and connecting lenders directly with borrowers, Plenti can offer great returns of up to 10% to lenders and very competitive comparison rates on personal loans for borrowers.
Learn About Lending With Plenti and Learn About Borrowing With Plenti

Borrowing money with Plenti

At stratton, we can help you find a great deal on finance for cars, commercial equipment, boats, property and more. Now, we've partnered with Plenti to offer you an even wider range of finance options.

If, for example, you want to finance an older model or lower value car, and you want to borrow between $2,001 and $35,000, your Stratton Finance consultant may refer you to Plenti.

Besides offering a very competitive comparison rate, no monthly or early repayment fees, and easy online account management, Plenti's lending platform is well positioned to offer great rates on finance for such assets. If you're buying a car, you may also have the option to borrow more money or lock in an even better rate with a secured personal loan.

Contact your stratton consultant to discuss if a personal loan from Plenti is right for you.

Applying for a personal loan with Plenti

A RateEstimate, in less than 1 minute, allows you to get a no-obligation estimate of the interest rate you would pay on a personal loan, based on your desired loan amount, borrowing term and some basic personal information.

If you're happy with the RateEstimate you're given by Plenti, you can submit an application for the loan, along with documentation to assess your creditworthiness. If your credit assessment meets the required standard, the lending manager will then arrange for your loan to be financed at the requested rate, from the pool of funds in the lender marketplace.

Who is eligible?

If you're a citizen of Australia or New Zealand, have a good credit history and regular income, you are eligible to apply for a Plenti personal loan. Plenti do not provide loans to businesses at this stage.

How long does it take?

Once you've completed your application, a lending decision is typically made within a day. It usually takes another day to match your loan request with lenders, after which your money is transferred, on average, to your bank account within 1-2 business days.

Start Borrowing With Plenti

Lending Money through Plenti

If you have put aside some money and you're weighing up your investment options, Plenti has a track record of offering a better return than high-interest savings accounts, and more consistency and stability than more speculative investments such as shares. Essentially, Plenti is providing you with access to an established asset class which previously only the banks and a small number of large investors have been able to access.

Popular with self-managed super funds (SMSFs), Plenti is the only peer-to-peer lending company in Australia that is licensed by ASIC to accept retail investment, with no institutional or wholesale lenders on the platform. In other words, as a private investor, you can get started by lending as little as $10 on Plenti.

Lender protection

Plenti has a unique protection for their lenders called the Provision Fund. Contributed by borrowers, the Provision Fund is held to help give confidence and protection to investors. In the event of a borrower's default or late payment, Plenti can call on the Provision Fund to help compensate you as a lender.

While the Provision Fund is not a guarantee, Plenti's track record is flawless. Since the platform launched in the UK in October 2010, and later in Australia, the Provision Fund has ensured that every lender has received every amount of principal and interest owed to them. Currently, the Provision Fund in Australia holds over two times the expected defaults on the platform.

Get started lending

Choose an amount

You can start lending as little as $10. Simply transfer funds into your Plenti holding account using either BPAY or a bank transfer. Once your funds are received in your holding account, you're ready to lend.

Choose a market

Plenti has four 'markets' for fixed loan terms of one month, one year, three years and five years. Setting fixed term markets makes it easy for lenders to see what rates are being matched with borrowers in the marketplace. The lender dashboard also allows you to automatically reinvest payments on your loans in any market, either at a specified interest rate or the market rate.

Set your rate

As the name suggests, Plenti lets you specify the interest rate at which you're prepared to lend your money. You can view the 'Last matched rates' for each market. You can also view the 'full market', which shows all lender offers at various rates and loan amounts. The platform offers this transparency to help you make an informed decision when setting your rate.

Transparency

The Plenti platform is designed to be highly transparent, to give confidence to both lenders and borrowers. By publishing key data such as rate history, lender returns, available loan volume, applicant demand, estimated borrower default rates and Provision Fund balance and payments, Plenti help investors and borrowers feel confident in making an informed decision.