What happens to my investment in the event LEND no longer exists?

Investors

How does LEND manage credit risk?

LEND checks each borrower against creditworthiness databases in our parameterized application process and assign a risk score based on our proprietary risk model and further data from third party providers.

Low default rates are our top priority.

Is there a minimum investment?

Yes, the minimum investment amount is CHF 500 and CHF 1’000 for larger projects.

Is my commitment to fund a loan binding?

Yes. Once you have confirmed your investment you are bound to honour that commitment.

Are partially funded loans paid out to the borrower?

No. We request that a loan is fully financed.

How do I receive interest earnings and installments from the borrower(s)?

LEND manages and monitors the entire payment process. All payment activity is routed through our master account at Postfinance. Once we receive a borrower's monthly rate we split it up and transfer the correct portion to your account. You don't have to worry about the arrival of funds - we take care of that for you.

Could I lose my investment?

Most private borrowers are insured against the risks of unemployment, death and disability. However, investors must be aware that they may lose their full investment. As an investor, you assume all responsibility for the investment decisions made. Please note that the score and the interest rate offered for a loan are not a binding assessment of the actual ability of the borrower to pay off the loan. LEND makes no recommendation about financing loans.

There is no investor protection for investments and LEND or borrowers are not under direct supervision of the financial regulator Finma. However, Lend is a member of SRO Polyreg and a regulated financial intermediary.

Is my investment insured?

Most borrowers are insured against the risks of unemployment, death and disability. However, there are no other guarantees and a complete loss of your investment is a possibility.

What do the different loan statuses mean?

Committed amount: Loan requests that you committed to invest in which are still in funding, under review, or in the process of being paid out.

Current: Loans that are up-to-date on outstanding payments.

In Grace: Loans that are “In Grace” are up to 15 days past the due date.

Late 15+: Loans that are “Late 15+” have not been “Current” for 16 to 30 days.

Late 30+: Loans that are “Late 30+” have not been “Current” for 31 to 45 days.

In Collection: Loans that are in “Collection” are loans for which Switzerlend AG started the Collection process. In general, a loan enters “Collection” status when it is 45+ days past due.

Default: Loans that are in "Default" are loans for which borrowers have failed to make payments for an extended period of time. In general, a loan enters Default status when it is 120+ days past due.

Charged Off: Loans become “Charged Off” when there is no longer a reasonable expectation of further payments.

What happens when a borrower fails to make a payment or pays late?

If borrowers fail to make a payment by the due date, they automatically fall into default with no further notification. We will send payment reminders and where necessary enforce outstanding payments. Late fees may apply at the level of the effective interest rate of the loan contract.

We are also entitled to terminate a loan contract if a borrower is late with monthly rates amounting to at least 10% of the loan amount. Obviously our primary goal is to handle late payments in a way that a borrower finds back on track and continues paying the monthly rates on time. All enforcement efforts are performed by out in-house specialists with the overarching goal to find the best solution for our investors.

As investor you have full transparency of the status of all your investments in your personal dashboard. We will also proactively keep investors informed on the progress of any special cases.

What happens when a loan enters the status Collection, Default or Charged Off?

Collection: Loans that are in “Collection” are loans for which Switzerlend AG started the Collection process, i.e. debt enforcement. In general, a loan enters “Collection” status when it is 45+ days past due.

A loan that is in “Default” will still appear in your investment overview, in the status of “Default”.

Charged Off: A loan becomes “Charged Off” when there is no longer a reasonable expectation of further payments. In certain circumstances, loans may be charged off at an earlier or later date. Please note, loans for which borrowers have filed for bankruptcy may be charged off earlier based on the date of bankruptcy notification.

Switzerlend AG may sell charged-off loans to a third party. In the event that a charged-off loan is sold to a third party or funds are recovered on a previously charged off loan, investors will receive a pro rata share of the sales proceeds or recovery amount, respectively, less any fees. In general, recoveries on previously charged-off loans are infrequent.

A loan that has been “Charged Off” will appear as charged off, and the remaining principal balance of the loan will be deducted from your outstanding balance.

How does a high level of diversification affect my earnings?

As an investor you should invest your overall investment amount in as many loan projects as possible, creating a diversified portfolio.

While the default rage of the Swiss consumer loan market is low with 1-2%. a total loss of your investment is a possibility.

It is of utmost importance to us that our investors do NOT have to bear counterparty risk regarding LEND. We modeled the worst-case scenario of a resolution of LEND multiple times and drew the following consequences from this: An investment means that you purchase a claim from the loan contract between LEND and a borrower which is transferred by means of the “Abtretungsvertrag”. This means that an investor has an independent claim against the borrower that can be enforced directly. However, this is not the idea and contractually prohibited for as long as LEND manages the claims. Through the ongoing generation of fees from investors, the management and processing of current loans is profitable until the end of their individual term. The survival of this management is therefore secured within Lend.ch or within a rescue company.