Kuflink's new features for February 2023

Quote for February 2023
“Controlled Attention. Controlled attention is the art of coordinating all the faculties of the mind and directing their combined power to a given end. It is an act which can be achieved only by the strictest sort of self-discipline.  - 14 of 17. Napoleon Hill's 17 Principles of Success. (To see previous Napoleon Hill's 17 Principles of Success, please refer to previous Kuflink CTO's New Feature blogs).  

Released - Online P2P Platform

1) Released! As an ISA-Manager since 2017, we are proud to announce a partnership with "Docusign" and the release of our upgraded online Transfer - IN service. This is a service designed by our investor relations team and will ensure a smoother online version which can be "docu-signed" and sent via pdf to a client's existing ISA provider. Don't worry, for those ISA service providers who do not accept Docusign, we will still provide a completed PDF which can be printed, signed and posted to them. 

 

 

 

All completed Online ISA Transfer form status, can be accessed from the Account Overview section.

 

2) Released! For new Clients, a NEW 24-hour cooling-off period has been introduced, as well as new Investor declarations and an enhanced APT test. Kuflink’s cooling-off period is designed to counter social and emotional pressures to invest. By introducing a small pause in the consumer journey, we can be sure that clients are making a more informed decision.

 

 

3) Released! A NEW Debit Card Payment service provider, "STRIPE", has been onboarded, and this service is now Live. We have just changed our debit card service provider from MangoPay to Stripe, which is one of the biggest payment service providers in the world. Stripe has battle-tested reliability and is certified to the highest compliance standards. We are grateful to Kuflink's compliance team for having achieved onboarding with this remarkable partner in our journey. 

 

4) Released! We are excited to be introducing "Multi-Factor Authentication"("MFA"). Adding an additional layer of security to your account is a way in which we can double-check it's really you.

 

5) Released! Interest rates are now showing on the Secondary Market. 

Our secondary market is where clients can sell their loan parts to other willing lenders should they need funds (T&Cs apply). Clients have been asking if interest rates can be displayed, which has now been updated. 

 

7) Released! A NEW SIPP-Auto Product is now live with its own SIPP wallet. A SIPP is a Self-Invested Personal Pension, which will be done in partnership with Morgan Lloyd (a Specialist in Self-Invested Pensions). The SIPP Pool will have SIPP-eligible property loans. To open a specific SIPP account with us, please reach out to us, and we will help you through the process. 

Released! We have released SIPP - Select deals as requested by many of our SIPP clients. 

8) Released! New Updated releases for Mobile Apps for Android and Apple

Android. We have completely upgraded the APP this month so that you now see features on the desktop that are now available on the APP. This has been a long time in the making, and we are proud of the team of this Beta Release. Please ensure you download the latest version on the Play store. 

Apple. We have completely upgraded the APP so that you now see features on the desktop that are now available on the APP. This has been a long time in the making, and we are proud of the team of this Beta Release. Please ensure you download the latest version on the APP store.  

9) Released! NEW Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) page has been built, to show some of Kuflink's Key performance indicators (KPIs), energy performance certificates for the head office, Consumer survey results, Ongoing Management information: Profit & Loss, Balance sheet, Taxes paid, Green property developments funded, Governance committees, and much more.
Click here to view the ESG Page. 

10) Released! New Notification System for Bank transfers to the Kuflink wallet. We have completed this system where you can advise us of any bank transfers you have made on the day or expect to make. This will assist us in updating our systems to expect funds from you. To get started, press the wallet image, go to Top Up, and then choose Manual Bank Transfer (UK) from the drop-down menu. Please note, on receipt of your transferred funds they will not automatically invest into your desired product; this is still solely your responsibility. 

You can amend any notification by scrolling down to Topup Requests. 

Updates!

1) Update! We successfully achieved a 5-star Expert Defaqto rating January 2023

2) Update! We successfully achieved a  5-star Excellent Trustpilot rating in January 2023

3) Update! We were re-certified by Cyber Essentials in December 2022. 

4) Update! We are excited to report that we have just changed our debit card service provider from MangoPay to Stripe, which is one of the biggest payment service providers in the world. 

5) Update! We have connected our Open banking platform to our P2P Platform successfully to enable bank transfers to be immediately updated to Kuflink client wallets. We have built a proprietary solution to solve the NatWest to NatWest transfers which are working successfully. Thank you for your patience.  

6) Update! On Thursday, 21st April 2022, we started protecting client money for Corporates as we do for Individual client money under FCA Client money rules (CASS 7).

7) Update! We have successfully passed our ISO27001 Audit (UKAS). Press here for a copy of the certificate. 

8) Update! Some of our directors have successfully housed a family from Ukraine and are continuing to help in any way that they can to find some peace and normality in this traumatic crisis. 

9) Update! At times, unexpected popularity can result in pool availability being sharply taken up, leaving clients without the pool option for their ISA investment before the Financial Year's End. The good news is we have a solution that will enable you to allocate money to this Financial Year without losing any allowance. Simply transfer funds from the General Wallet to IF-ISA (Current); after clicking "transfer," the amount you have transferred will be deducted from your general wallet and be used against this year's allowance. You will then be able to invest these funds once we have further availability again.

10) Update! We have successfully internally passed the Bcorp Assessment, scoring significantly higher than the minimum (80 out of 100). BCorp assessors are now processing an Independent Audit and are hopeful we will have our BCorp certificate in the near future. We have released the assessment answers on our Kuflink ESG page. 

11) Update! As part of our objectives of the Kuflink Foundation and the Kuflink Group, we are pleased to announce a new two-year deal with Ebbsfleet United with a long-term principal club sponsorship. We are committed to our local community and the support of Ebbsfleet United – through sponsorship and in-person at the club. 

Chief Technical Officer's (CTO) thoughts for February 2023

In 2023, we will be adopting cloud-based technologies to increase innovation. Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning seems to have got everyone's attention with the recent ChatGPT release. We have already begun work in this area to improve operations and automate tasks as well as Developing new products and services. 

We have been lending money secured on Property for 11 years (since 2011) and have operated an online electronic Peer to Peer platform for 6 years (since 2016). We launched an Open banking Platform for internal use in 2022. Throughout this period, Kuflink has ensured no investor has lost a penny.

Kuflink Online P2P Platform

• Kuflink Co-invests up to 5% in Select Deals;
• An innovative interface through web and mobile interface;
• Secondary Market available;
• Cyber essential Certified;
• IF-ISA Tax-free wrappers available on products;
• SIPP Tax-free wrappers available on SIPP Approved products;
• Zero Investor Losses to date (February 2023)

In-House team

• Experienced Expert Underwriting team;
• Experienced Credit Committees (as developers, valuers, and bankers);
• Experienced Asset managers;
• Experienced Accountants;
• Experienced Collections Team; 
• Experienced Proprietary Software Developers; 
• Experienced Board of Directors;
• Experienced Independent Non-Executive Directors
  

Third-Party Service providers

• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors - RICS approved valuers;
• Automated Valuation Model (AVM) for instant property valuations - Hometrack;
• Rating Platforms
  • Trustpilot
  • Defaqto
  • 4th Way
• AML/KYC: Onfido, MangoPay and Creditsafe;
• Cyber Essential Auditors;
• Global Debit Card Service Provider: Stripe;
• Credit Bureau Agencies: Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, and Cifas
• Solicitors Regulation Authority - SRA-approved Solicitors;

External Auditors

• Independent External ISO27001 (UKAS) Auditors;
• Independent External Statutory Accounts Auditors;
• Independent External Bcorp Impact Assessment ESG Auditors;
• Independent External HMRC ISA Manager Auditors; and 
• Independent External Financial Conduct Authority.
  
  

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