Fund Ourselves

Fund Ourselves Limited (FRN 729238) was a UK firm directly authorised by the FCA from 10 October 2017. It operated a small peer-to-peer (P2P) short-term consumer lending platform and provided high-cost short-term credit, with an IFISA wrapper offered to eligible investors. Historic disclosures cite over £87 million invested through the firm's arrangements.

Current status: the FCA restricted the firm's permissions and assets on 11 April 2025, and Fund Ourselves entered administration on 21 July 2025, with Azets Holdings Limited appointed as joint administrators to wind down the business. The firm is no longer accepting new investments or loan applications. A separate FCA clone-firm warning was published on 26 May 2026 against the unauthorised domain fundourselves.uk.

Historically, Fund Ourselves operated as an online marketplace matching retail investors with short-duration unsecured consumer loans, with an IFISA wrapper for eligible UK investors. Marketing materials referenced automated matching and risk-scoring, but the specifics of the underwriting algorithm and diversification mechanics are not corroborated in available regulatory sources.

Under administration, existing borrowers should continue to make repayments and investors are contacted directly by the administrators (Azets) regarding next steps, recoveries and timing. No new lending or P2P matching is taking place.

Core historic products were peer-to-peer short-term unsecured consumer loans and an IFISA-wrapped investment account, with a stated minimum investment of £1,000. The firm previously claimed there were no hidden fees for borrowers or IFISA investors, although full historic fee terms are not independently verifiable.

FSCS / FOS: P2P loan capital is not protected by the FSCS, and the IFISA wrapper affects tax treatment only — not capital protection. With the firm in administration, recoveries will be handled through the insolvency process rather than normal redress routes.

The platform historically targeted retail investors seeking higher-yield, short-term P2P loan exposure (often inside an IFISA) and borrowers needing short-term credit, including individuals with thin or adverse credit files. The higher-risk borrower mix implied elevated default risk relative to mainstream credit products, and the platform was therefore only suitable for investors with a high risk tolerance.

Today there is no investor proposition — the platform is closed to new business and any prospective investor enquiry should be redirected to the administrators.

Strengths (historical): direct FCA authorisation (rather than Appointed Representative status), an IFISA wrapper offering tax-efficient access to P2P returns, and reported diversification across many small loans. Earlier customer reviews noted fast payouts and responsive service prior to the firm's difficulties.

Risks (verified):

• Fund Ourselves entered administration on 21 July 2025 and is not accepting new business.
• The FCA restricted permissions and asset movement on 11 April 2025 before administration.
• P2P investors are not covered by the FSCS for capital losses on loans.
• The Financial Ombudsman Service has upheld complaints relating to affordability checks and incorrect charging in at least some cases, indicating historic compliance and consumer-treatment issues.
• Administration materially reduces the options for investors to exit or realise assets; recoveries flow through the insolvency process.

Primary red flag: the firm is in administration (appointed 21 July 2025) and is inactive for new lending or investment — this is the material warning for any investor.

Clone-firm warning: on 26 May 2026 the FCA published a warning against an unauthorised clone using the domain fundourselves.uk. Consumers dealing with the clone have no FSCS or Ombudsman protection.

Repurposed domain: the legitimate domain fundourselves.com now hosts unrelated content (including generic blog posts and gambling-related articles), suggesting the domain is no longer a functioning financial services website and increasing the risk of consumer confusion or impersonation. Investors should expect communications from the appointed administrators rather than from the former management team.