Facilitating customers to invest in various loans using advanced investment platform: FAST INVEST

In 2015, Simona Vaitkune (CEO) an ambitious and driven individual working in the lending sector imagined a different future for herself. Her personal need to create an additional income stream led to an in-depth investigation of the available options – and a gap in the market became apparent. Investing was too complicated and not widely accessible. Those who wanted to create passive income had to know a great deal about the investment sector - or they would get lost in the jargon. Investors also had to have a hefty sum to start with, making it impossible to begin investing if you didn’t already have money. Simona decided to use her creativity, knowledge, and ambition to fill this gap. Her primary vision was to create a platform, which makes investing accessible to those who want to set themselves up for greater financial security in the future but don’t know much about the industry - and may not have much money to start with. That’s how FAST INVEST was born.

How does investing in loans work?

Let’s start by defining what P2P finance is. In a nutshell, P2P (or Peer-To-Peer) finance can be described as connecting borrowers who are looking for loans with lenders who want to invest their money in those loans. This process excludes traditional financial institutions and is often facilitated by P2P lending sites. For the purpose of this question, let’s clarify the following terms:

• P2P Lending (P2PL) refers to the process of financing (i.e. of the received loan application) which allows individuals to lend and borrow money without using a traditional financial institution (i.e., banks).
• P2P Investing (P2PI), on the other hand, can be defined as the process of investing your money to those who are requesting a loan. Because it is a direct exchange between the lender and the borrower, the process doesn’t require the involvement of banks and financial institutions. The P2P platform acts as an intermediary. It facilitates the process of lending and ensures controls protecting both parties are in place. They work to make the experience of lending and borrowing as smooth as possible, as well as determine their clients’ credit rating. P2P finance is a form of alternative finance.

Who is it for?

P2P alternative investments began as a neat solution to the straitened banking systems following the financial crisis. With new legislation preventing banks from issuing loans to a huge number of potential borrowers, people were left to search for alternative financing means. At the same time, savers were experiencing catastrophic interest rates – just 0.25% from 2009 to November 2017 – meaning that everyone from retirees used to living off their interest, to young families saving for a mortgage, could do nothing more than watch their savings dwindle as inflation and the cost of living crept higher and higher. P2P alternative investments provided a perfect solution, allowing borrowers to access the cash they desperately needed, without having to turn to the exorbitant interest rates of payday lenders, while investors experienced gains that no bank could hope to compete with. It is this mutually beneficial relationship between borrower and investor that made P2P such an instantly successful model and has seen the market grow and grow. Investing at FAST INVEST is for everyone since the minimum entry point is €1, anyone could become an investor as long as they are at least 18 years old and hold a bank account in the EU.

The Advantage of Investing in Loans

One of the main features of P2P that appeals to new starters over other forms of investment is that it’s easy to start small. With many of the P2P platforms, you can begin your portfolio with minimum funds. For example, with FAST INVEST you can start from as little as €1 – which means that you can test the water before you jump in. Of course, starting with a single Euro isn’t going to make you rich, or even be a particularly good way to take stock of your potential for return, but it does give you an opportunity to play with the platform. While there is some risk involved, with the possibility of borrowers defaulting on payments, this can be reduced by diversifying your investments. As well FAST INVEST offers one of a kind MoneyBack Guarantee (you can stop investing any time should your circumstances change – the company will buy back your investment within one day) together with the leading BuyBack Guarantee (if the borrower you’ve invested in fails to make a payment, FAST INVEST will cover that deficit in three days, meaning that you’re never left out of pockets) in the market. The main difference between the risks posed by P2P and by the other forms of more traditional investment options – shares, bonds, property, or even collectables – is that P2P risks all come directly from the person or people that you are dealing with. While the others are created mainly by extraneous variables, such as the general economy and the specific market that you are trading in. The difference with P2P is the duration of the investment. Most P2P loans are for a relatively short-term and you can see your return trickling in each month as the borrower makes their repayments and you get your proportional stocks of the whole. If you’re dealing in bonds, shares or property, then it’s more of a long-term process.

Short Term and Long Term Goals

FAST INVEST wants to provide the easiest ways for the people to invest and to be able to do it from any device comfortably. For this reason, the company is working on developing a mobile app. In the long term, the firm wants to become the go-to platform for individuals who are starting to dip their toes in the investment world. To offer the safest and most reliable platform with enough investment opportunities for every interested person since it considers that this should be a standard way of how people save their money and grow their wealth.

The Impulsive Leader

Simona Vaitkune, CEO:

There is no better way to grow as a leader than by challenging yourself. FAST INVEST was the perfect opportunity to leave her comfort zone, time and time again. The P2P lending sector was still a novelty, so her decisions needed to be quick, daring, and inventive. During this journey, Simona was applying her knowledge acquired from her studies and experience in the lending sector. Simona’s background comes from arts, economics and programming. Also, I elevated her understanding and the valuable network in the industry of finance in central Europe.

"Our goal is to build a sustainable, scalable investment model that’s independent of big banks. The FAST INVEST platform has been designed to give you full financial control of your future. Here you can invest risk-free in a range of loans, build your own portfolio and watch your finances grow. With us, you can be your own bank.”