Safety first: Navigate marketplace lending in 2018

The peer-to-peer lending space is "littered" with stories of lenders losing out to poor quality borrowers, so it may be time for a strategy rethink. That's according to Bigstone executive chairman Robert Spano. Speaking to the Nest Egg podcast team, he said these stories are why fractionalisation, partnered with the ability to sniff out the difference between a bad egg and someone down on their luck is important. "What we have to stop is allowing investors to invest in singular loans," he said. "I think fractionalisation, which means taking a small percentage of a great number of loans, has to be in place to allow investors to invest over a spread of loans, not one individual loan." Mr Spano also spoke to Nest Egg about: · Commercial lending in the wake of the royal commission; · The difficulty small businesses have in accessing finance; and · Returns or protection – what do investors really want? Thanks Robert, for sharing your insights with the Nest Egg podcast team! You can stay up-to-date with what Robert and Bigstone are up to at bigstone.com.au/hub Have an investment story to share? Get in touch at [email protected] and you might get featured on the next episode.