ASK Private Client is an Appointed Representative of ShareIn Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm Reference Number 603332). This means ASK Private Client carries out regulated activities under ShareIn's supervision as its principal. Being regulated means we're committed to doing things properly, but it doesn't guarantee returns or protect you from losing money.

The money you invest in property loans is not protected by the FSCS. If a borrower fails to repay, the FSCS won't compensate you for investment losses, so you could lose some or all of your money. This is normal for this type of investment, you're deciding for yourself which opportunities to invest in, rather than receiving personal advice.

Before it's invested, and when it's sitting in your wallet, your money is held by ShareIn Ltd in a segregated client money account, separate from ShareIn's own funds and in line with FCA client money rules. Once you invest, your money is advanced to the borrower as part of the loan.

When you invest, you hold the beneficial interest in your share of the loan. Where a loan is secured, the security over the property is typically held by a security trustee on behalf of all investors in that loan, and ShareIn administers the investment. This structure means your investment and any security continue to be held for you, even though the day-to-day administration is handled on your behalf.

We aim to put things right quickly. If you're unhappy with any part of the service, contact us through the secure messaging functionality in your account, or using the contact details on the platform, setting out what's gone wrong, how it's affected you and the outcome you'd like. We'll acknowledge your complaint and work to resolve it as quickly as we can.

If we can't resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, or we haven't resolved it within eight weeks, you may be able to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS is a free and impartial service for resolving disputes, and contacting them won't affect your legal rights. You can find out how to complain to them on the FOS website.

Under data protection law you have the right to access the personal data we hold about you. To make a Subject Access Request, contact us through the platform or by email, including enough information for us to identify you. We may need to verify your identity first. We'll normally respond within one month. If you're unhappy with how we handle your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

We handle your personal data in line with data protection law and our privacy notice, which is available on the platform. We use appropriate security measures to protect your information and only share it where necessary to provide the service or to meet legal and regulatory requirements.

You can choose how we contact you - including whether you receive marketing communications - from the settings in your account. We'll always send you certain messages about your account and investments you hold.

If an investor passes away, their investments can be dealt with as part of their estate. The person managing the estate should contact us, and we'll work with them to deal with any cash and active investments in the account.

The easiest and most secure way to reach us is through the secure messaging functionality from your account, which keeps our conversation attached to your account and your details protected. You'll also find contact details on the platform.

This is a regulatory requirement. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requires ASK Private Client to assess whether investment opportunities are appropriate for investors, and to make sure financial promotions are directed at the right audience. As part of this you must:

• categorise your investor type (for example, High Net Worth Investor or Sophisticated Investor); and
• complete an investor appropriateness assessment, which helps us assess whether you have the knowledge and experience to understand the risks involved.

Investments offered through the platform are high risk, and you could lose some or all of the money you invest. The categorisation and assessment help make sure you understand these risks before you invest, and must be completed before you can access new opportunities or invest through the platform.

To meet FCA rules, first time investors go through a 24-hour cooling-off period after registering an account and before making their first investment. This gives you time to consider whether investing is right for you.

To meet anti-money laundering requirements, we need to verify your identity and you'll be asked, during the account registration flow, to provide documentation to allow us to do this. To allow identity verification we will require a copy of your passport or driving licence, and for proof of address we will accept a recent bank statement or utility bill dated within the last three months.

We use these documents to verify who you are and to keep your account secure. If we're unable to verify you from the documents provided, we may ask for additional information. You can upload your documents securely within the platform.

There are three steps: express an interest, await allocation, and transfer your investment money.

Express an interest

On the opportunity page, select 'Express Interest', enter the amount you'd like to invest and submit. Expressing interest doesn't automatically invest you in the opportunity, or guarantee you'll be allocated the full amount you request. If the opportunity is eligible for an Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA) and you'd like to invest that way,please indicate this when you submit your expression of interest. Please see IFISA FAQ section below for more details about investing within IFISA.

Await allocation

We review all expressions of interest and work out allocations. We will email you to confirm the allocation amount and invite you to log in to proceed.

Transfer your money

After logging in you can review the details, download the Commercial Terms Schedule and confirm you wish to proceed. You'll then be given bank transfer instructions, including a unique payment reference and the ShareIn Ltd account details. Make the transfer for the allocated amount, quoting the correct reference so we can match your funds to your investment. We'll email you once your funds have been received and allocated. See FAQ below: Why am I transferring money to ShareIn Ltd, below for more details.

Individual and entity investors will have an ASK wallet. You can top up your wallet ahead of making an investment, and it's also where returns on your existing investments are paid. You can choose to leave returns in your wallet to help fund new investments, or withdraw money from your wallet to your bank account.

Individual investors can also open an Innovative Finance ISA wallet - please see section below. Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA), for more information.

Monies are paid into a client money account operated by ShareIn Ltd, which holds client money on behalf of ASK Private Client before it's invested. Client money is held in a segregated account in line with regulatory requirements. ShareIn Ltd is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Firm Reference Number 603332).

If you have invested with ASK before, please note the ASK account used to send and receive funds has changed. For security we'll never send you bank details directly by email, all payment instructions are shown securely within the platform as part of the investment process, so always use the details displayed in your account. If you have any questions about a payment request or bank details, contact us through secure messaging before transferring anything.

In most cases a bank transfer arrives within one working day of you instructing your bank, though this can vary depending on your bank's processing, security checks and the amount being sent. We'll email you once your funds have been received and allocated to your wallet or investment.

If you've made a transfer and haven't had confirmation within a few working days, please contact us through secure messaging.

Once you've linked your bank account, you can withdraw available cash from your wallet to your bank. Withdrawals are typically processed within a couple of working days. Money that is already committed to a live investment can't be withdrawn.

You can see all of your investments at any time by logging into your account. Your dashboard shows your current and past investments, the amounts you've invested, the interest earned and your wallet balance. We'll also send you updates on your investments, and make any documents you need available, through the platform.

We'll send you an email with a link to set your password and access your account. Once you've logged in, you can view your account details and see all of your investments, both current and redeemed.

Before you can make any new investments, you'll need to complete a short investor appropriateness assessment and confirm your investor category. This usually takes no more than five minutes.

To invest through ASK Private Client you need to be at least 18 years old. Our investment opportunities are only available to investors who qualify under the FCA's investor categories.

If you have an annual income of £100,000 or more, or net assets of £250,000 or more, you are classified as a Certified High Net Worth Investor.

If you have previous experience investing in private or unlisted investments, such as real estate debt, or otherwise meet the sophisticated investor criteria, you are classified as a Self-Certified Sophisticated Investor. You'll confirm your investor category when you set up your account.

Yes, you can invest through a company subject to completing the relevant registration and identity checks for that entity. Entity investors have a General Portfolio wallet in the same way as individuals. Please note that only individual investors can hold investments within an IFISA. Please see section 3. Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA), for more details.

An Individual Savings Account (ISA) is a tax-efficient savings and investment account available to UK residents. ISAs let you save or invest up to a set annual allowance, with any eligible returns free from UK tax.

The current annual ISA allowance is £20,000, which you can split across different types of ISA provided your total subscriptions across all of them don't exceed the limit.

An Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA) lets you hold certain investments within a tax-efficient ISA wrapper. Eligible investments held in an ASK Private Client IFISA benefit from the same tax advantages as other ISAs, so any returns generated within the IFISA are free from UK Income Tax.

Any returns are paid to your ISA wallet and can be reinvested without affecting your annual ISA allowance. Because it's a flexible ISA, you can withdraw money from your ISA wallet and replace it within the same tax year, back into your ASK Private Client IFISA, without it counting as a new subscription.

No. An IFISA can offer tax advantages, but it doesn't reduce or remove the underlying investment risks. Your capital is still at risk, and you could still lose some or all of the money you invest. The tax wrapper only affects how any returns are taxed.

Where an opportunity is eligible to be held in an IFISA, this will be shown on its page. If you'd like to invest through your IFISA, let us know through secure messaging as soon as you've expressed interest, so we can make sure it's set up correctly before you invest.

From your account area, select 'Open IFISA'. You'll be asked to read and accept the IFISA terms and conditions and an ISA declaration, and to provide your National Insurance number. This creates an IFISA portfolio and wallet, into which you can add up to the current annual ISA allowance of £20,000.

If you do not want to add £20,000 into your wallet and would rather wait until an opportunity that is IFISA eligible is available, once you have accepted the ISA terms and conditions, you can express an interest in a live opportunity and select that you want to use your available ISA allowance.

The ASK team will then allocate an IFISA investment to you.

You can add up to £20,000 across all your ISAs in each tax year as this is your annual ISA allowance. The limit applies to everything combined, including Cash ISAs, Stocks and Shares ISAs, Lifetime ISAs and Innovative Finance ISAs.

For example, if you've already paid £15,000 into a Cash ISA this tax year, you could add up to £5,000 to your ASK IFISA.

If you hold ISA savings with another provider, you can transfer some or all of them into an ASK Private Client IFISA without losing the tax wrapper. There's no limit on how much you can transfer from previous tax years.

To start, go to your IFISA portfolio and select 'Transfer in an existing ISA'. Once you submit the request, ASK handles the rest and emails you when the funds arrive in your IFISA wallet. You'll need to wait for the transfer to complete before you can invest those funds.

Once you've submitted an ISA transfer to ASK, we take care of the rest and email you when the funds arrive.

When the money is in your IFISA wallet, you can express an interest in any live, ISA-eligible opportunity and tell us you want to use your ISA funds. You can invest:

• the full amount transferred from previous tax years, and
• up to £20,000 of your current year's allowance, if you haven't already used it.

Please note: you can only express an interest and invest in a live opportunity once your transfer has completed and the funds are in your wallet.

A transfer from a Cash ISA typically takes around 5 to 7 days. A transfer from a Stocks and Shares ISA or another Innovative Finance ISA typically takes around 15 to 30 days, as any existing investments may need to be sold and moved as cash.

Yes. Because it's a flexible ISA, if you withdraw money from your IFISA wallet you can pay it back into the same ASK Private Client IFISA within the same tax year without it counting again towards your £20,000 allowance. If you want to move that money to a different ISA provider instead, you should transfer it rather than withdraw it, to avoid using up your allowance.

When an investment held in your IFISA is repaid, your capital and any interest return to your IFISA wallet, staying within your tax-free ISA wrapper. From there you can reinvest in another eligible opportunity, leave the money in your wallet, withdraw it, or transfer it to another ISA provider. Because this is a flexible ISA, if you withdraw money you can replace it within the same tax year without it counting again towards your annual allowance.

No. Returns earned within an IFISA are tax-free and don't need to be declared to HMRC.

Yes. You can transfer cash held in your IFISA wallet to another ISA provider. You'll usually start this through your new provider, and we'll confirm the request with you before it's processed. Money that is committed to a live investment can't be transferred until that investment repays.

Cash sitting in your IFISA wallet is held ready for you to invest and doesn't itself earn interest. To put your allowance to work, you'll need to invest it in an eligible opportunity.

Investing through ASK Private Client gives you access to property lending opportunities originated and assessed by ASK. You have the ability to choose the individual opportunities that you invest in. Each opportunity is secured against property, and you can review the key details - including the target return, term, loan-to-value and security ,before you decide if you want to invest.

You can invest through your account or, if eligible, a tax-efficient Innovative Finance ISA (see IFISA section below), and manage everything in one place online. As with any investment of this kind, your capital is at risk and returns are not guaranteed, so you should review each opportunity carefully and consider spreading your money across different opportunities.

ASK Private Client gives you the opportunity to invest in property-backed loans made to experienced property developers and investors, that are secured against real estate assets. When you invest, you can earn interest over the term of the loan. Each opportunity relates to a specific transaction, such as funding the acquisition, planning, refinancing or development of a commercial or residential property in the UK.

Each opportunity is a loan to a borrower for a specific property project. You choose which opportunities to invest in and how much to commit. In return for lending, you earn interest at the rate set out in that opportunities documents, usually over a fixed term.

At the end of the term the borrower aims to repay the loan, and your original capital is returned. Please note investments are high risk, repayment of capital and interest are not guaranteed - the borrower may not repay in full or on time.

ASK's loans are typically secured against the underlying property and, in some cases, supported by additional security. This means that if a borrower fails to repay, there is security that can be enforced to try to recover investors' money.

Security doesn't guarantee you'll get everything back, the amount recovered depends on the value of the property and the circumstances at the time, but it is a key part of how ASK manages risk. The specific security for each investment opportunity is described in the associated opportunity documents.

Each investment has a target interest rate, shown on the opportunity page, which gives you a guide to what you might earn while your money is invested. Returns are not guaranteed; they depend on the borrower paying interest and repaying the loan. A higher target rate generally reflects a higher level of risk. Please read the documents carefully so you understand how and when interest is expected to be paid.

Yes. These are high-risk investments and your capital is at risk. If a borrower doesn't repay, you could lose some or all of the money you invest, and interest is not guaranteed. Although loans are secured against property, that security may not cover the full amount owed.

You should only invest money you can afford to lose. A common rule of thumb is not to put more than 10% of your assets into high-risk investments, and to spread your money across different opportunities.

ASK takes a selective, relationship-led approach and carries out detailed due diligence on every transaction before it's made available, assessing the borrower, the property, the proposed security and the wider transaction. ASK has a long track record in property lending.

Due diligence doesn't remove risk or guarantee that a loan will perform, and it doesn't mean every figure has been independently verified. You should always review an opportunity's documents and form your own view before investing.

Each opportunity has its own term, set out on the opportunity page and in the documents. Property loans generally run for a fixed term,  after which the borrower aims to repay. You should be prepared to leave your money invested for the full term.

Property lending is illiquid, so you should invest on the basis that your money is committed until the loan repays - you can't simply withdraw committed funds on demand.

Where the ability to transfer or sell an investment before the end of its term is available, this will be explained on the platform and in the relevant documents. Even so, there's no guarantee a buyer will be available, so you shouldn't rely on being able to exit early.

If a borrower misses payments or can't repay, ASK will manage the situation on investors' behalf. This can include working with the borrower or, where necessary, enforcing the security held against the property to try to recover money for investors. Recovery can take time and may not return the full amount you invested. Updates on any affected loan will be provided through the platform.

Any fees that apply to you as an investor will be set out clearly before you commit, and in the platform's terms. ASK primarily earns money from the borrowers it lends to, rather than from investors. Please check each opportunity's documents so you understand the full picture before investing.

Interest is paid into your ASK wallet, or into your IFISA wallet if you hold the investment in an IFISA, where you can withdraw it or reinvest it.

Interest earned within an IFISA is paid free of UK Income Tax, and there's nothing you need to report to HMRC. For investments held outside an IFISA, where applicable, withholding tax will be deducted from your interest before it's paid to you. We can't give tax advice, so please speak to a tax adviser about your personal position.