EQUFUND

__don

Is anyone else having difficulties with EQUFUND? Since March of this year, they seem to have stopped responding to any contact by email or telephone. We have had personal investments with EQUFUND over a number of years, despite the understood risks, and they have always paid the agreed rates of return, mostly on time. When the contracts expired a few years ago, a rolling arrangement was agreed However, they have not responded to our request for a withdrawal, first made five months ago, despite numerous attempts to solicit any kind of response. It seems something has gone seriously wrong for this firm to just stop all contact.

mebu60

Sanctuary Bond from Equfund (IPS) Ltd. — MoneySavingExpert Forum

dunstonh

With very high risk investments like this, there are often difficulties.   That is why mainstream consumers are recommended to avoid them.    

bridgewalker

I am having similar problems.  I have a REAP loan where the interest was paid as expected until the end of the loan period in Jul 24 but I am unable to get anyone to communicate with me about repaying the capital.

We also have a Sanctuary Bond taken out nearly 2 years ago where we have not received the expected interest payment.

Eyeful

A low risk savings bond only comes from NS&I, Bank/Building Society covered by the FSCS up to £85k.

The Sanctuary Bond is therefore an investment product which has the  possibility of loss of all your money.

Q1. How did you find out about both these products?
Q2. Why did you invest in them?
Q3. Did you realise the risk attached to the Sanctuary Bond?

wmb194

bridgewalker said:

I am having similar problems.  I have a REAP loan where the interest was paid as expected until the end of the loan period in Jul 24 but I am unable to get anyone to communicate with me about repaying the capital.

We also have a Sanctuary Bond taken out nearly 2 years ago where we have not received the expected interest payment.

See the link to another thread in a reply above: this is a very high risk bond. Equfund appears to be a very weak company.

chrisgif

A message has been posted by Equfund on their website referencing recent challenges and that they will be in contact shortly.

bridgewalker

I found out about these products through and article in the Guardian or Observer.  I was attracted to them because of their ethical nature and I understood that they were not the same as N&I bonds which I also have.

We have had a recent communication from Equfund and I am hopeful that they will resolve their current issues.

dunstonh

I found out about these products through and article in the Guardian or Observer.

Article or advert? - or as so many articles are nowadays, a bit of both!

I was attracted to them because of their ethical nature and I understood that they were not the same as N&I bonds which I also have.

Its nice you were putting ethics before return (historically ethical/ESG investing results in lower returns in most periods).   However, unregulated investments are very high risk with total loss possible.   This is why it is recommended generally that you do not exceed 5% of your investible assets in unregulated investments.    

If you have followed that general guideline, then any losses will be minimal and your returns over the last year alone on your remaining conventional assets should have made up for the loss.

wmb194

bridgewalker said:

I found out about these products through and article in the Guardian or Observer.  I was attracted to them because of their ethical nature and I understood that they were not the same as N&I bonds which I also have.

We have had a recent communication from Equfund and I am hopeful that they will resolve their current issues.

Why? What has it said?

8vihar

I have had excellent regularity with my investment in Equfund since 2016. Our latest investment is the same process - securing a house to be upgraded and for someone to have a home. This has been fine up until the beginning of October when the interest payments stopped after 4 months. Since then only automated responses through October and the message on the website. I've met the staff and like their ethos. I hope things work out for them. On Companies House financial statements have been submitted at the end of Dec '23 OK but for Equfund SPV3 there are 29 charge codes outstanding. What does this mean?