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24 December 2025
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Marketplace or P2P lending has come a long way in Australia in the last five years. Most investors will be surprised by the type of borrowers and purposes of the loans, and how they are priced.
ASIC's recent report on marketplace lending provides a statistical base to study the different features of the industry. It continues to grow strongly but at a slower rate than previous years.
Marketplace or peer-to-peer lending is well established overseas and growing rapidly in Australia, but investors should understand the risks and the returns, as described in the first part of this debate.
In the second part of this debate on marketplace lending, a market participant explains the steps taken to mitigate the risks in lending for consumer credit.
The peer-to-peer (P2P) or marketplace lending market is winning market share, but there is a question whether it is truly a market of peers, or more an aggregator of small loans for large investors.
As fintech funding platforms and instant payment systems grow, small businesses will benefit from greater choice and bargaining power when it comes to obtaining finance and managing cashflows.
Although many people regard FinTechs as threats to banks and large incumbents, most of the new kids on the block see the value in forming beneficial relationships and cooperating rather than competing.
Advances in technology have allowed peer to peer lending to thrive, offering credit to more potential borrowers at lower interest rates than those offered by banks. How does it work and will it last?
Peer-to-peer lending allows borrowers and lenders to come together via online market places. Although in its infancy compared with overseas, the P2P lending model is now gaining traction in Australia.
I’ve long seen Buffett as a flawed genius: a great investor though a man with shortcomings. With his final letter to Berkshire shareholders, I reflect on how my views of Buffett have changed and the legacy he leaves.
With rates on hold and housing demand strong, lenders are pushing boundaries. As risky products return, borrowers should be cautious and not let clever marketing cloud their judgment.
Retirement isn’t a clean financial arc. Income shocks, health costs and family pressures hit at random, exposing the limits of age-based planning and the myth of a predictable “retirement journey".
The superannuation system has succeeded brilliantly at what it was designed to do: accumulate wealth during working lives. The next challenge is meeting members’ diverse needs in retirement.
Two years ago, I wrote an article suggesting that the odds favoured ASX shares easily outperforming residential property over the next decade. Here’s an update on where things stand today.
I am a professional real estate investor who hears a lot of opinions rather than facts from so-called experts on the topic of property. Here are the largest myths when it comes to Australia’s biggest asset class.