Branch App is popular for offering short-term loans in Nigeria, but do you know that you can invest with Branch for mouthwatering returns?
Branch App is now actually a veritable Fintech app, with features such as loans, banking, investment, and bill payment.
But we’ll be looking at the investment arm of Branch, and how you can make passive income just by investing your money with the Branch app.
Let’s dive in.
What Is Branch Investment All About?
Branch Investment is the arm of Branch International, a Fintech company operating in Nigeria.
Through its investment arm, the company is able to pool funds towards loaning out substantial amounts of money to individuals and businesses.
Users looking to grow their money can save and invest with Branch through the Branch mobile app.
How Does Branch Make Money?
Branch makes money via its moderate interest loans offered to individuals and businesses in Nigeria.
Branch uses the money pooled from its investors to derive interest via its loan offerings.
Branch loans have interest rates ranging from 15% per month to 20% per month. This means that Branch makes a minimum of 180% interest annually on its pooled funds, all things being equal.
This accrued interest is then shared with its investors who are saving or investing via the Branch app.
How to Invest in Branch
To make an investment with Branch, all you have to do is download the Branch app, complete and verify your profile details, and start depositing money.
Branch has two investment types which investors can choose from:
Flexi
The Flexi Investment is for short-term investors or savers who do not want any obligation tied to their Investment.
This means that with Flexi, you can withdraw your money at any time you want without getting slapped with a penalty.
Fixed
The Fixed Investment is for long-term investors who want to invest for the long-term without the temptation of liquidating their Investment.
This means that with the Branch Fixed Investment, investors will not have access to their funds until the maturity day set by them at the beginning of the Investment.
With Fixed Investment, investors can invest at a minimum maturity date of 30 days (1 month) up to a maximum of 365 days (1 year).
How Much ROI Does Branch Investment Offer?
Branch Investment offers a flat 20% ROI per year.
This means that whether you are investing with the Flexi plan or the Fixed plan, you would get a flat return of 20% per annum.
The ROI from your Branch Investment is automatically added to your investment balance on a weekly prorated basis.
This means that your ROI is paid every Monday, as a fraction of your annual return rate.
So, if you invested 100,000 Naira with Branch, you would get paid 20,000 Naira per annum, which is approximately 1,666 Naira per month or 416 Naira per week.
So, every Monday, you’d get paid 416 Naira into your Branch Investment wallet.
More so, if you invested 1 million Naira with Branch, you’d be paid 4,160 Naira every Monday.
Is Branch Investment Legit or Scam?
In my opinion, Branch International is a very legit company. The company is a Silicon Valley company with several astute international advisors.
Since launch, Branch International has raised a total of $274.3M in funding over 9 rounds.
In 2019, the company raised a Series C funding of $170m led by global companies such as Visa.
That investment has brought the company’s valuation to a whopping post-money valuation of between $500m to $1B.
This proves that Branch is a legitimate company with a huge international reputation and strong global partners.
Can You Lose Money With Branch Investment?
In my opinion, there is no way you can lose your money with Branch Investment.
You get paid as at when due, and there is no service charge or hidden charges on your capital or interest earned. What you see is what you have on the Branch app.
What I Like About Branch Investment
The biggest reason why I love Branch Investment is the ease at which you can move money to and from the investment platform.
You can transfer your funds or earnings from the Branch app to your bank account or to other bank accounts at zero bank charges.
Also, I use the Flexi Investment plan because I love to have control over what I do with my money and also my desire to stay liquid with these types of investment.
Still, I earn the same interest rate as when I keep my money invested over a longer period of time.
At a time when other investment apps are forcing investors to either continue investing their money or lose a part of it via penalties at the point of liquidating, Branch is definitely a welcome breath of fresh air.
What I hate About Branch Investment
My only grouse with Branch Investment is that moving huge amounts of money from the app is still a problem.
The last time I tried to pay someone, I could only do so at a maximum of 100,000 Naira per transfer.
That means you have to make multiple transfers if you want to move more that 100,000 Naira from your Branch wallet.
However, the free transfer from the Branch app ensures that unnecessary charges do not eat into your funds. So, that’s also a thumbs up to Branch.
Should You Invest in Branch?
Definitely.
At 20% ROI per annum, Branch Investment is a no-brainer for anyone looking to invest in the short-term to mid-term.
To me, investing with Branch feels like having a mobile bank account that performs way better than all these traditional banks that have held us back all these years.
Instead of keeping your money in your Nigerian bank to collect dust and still be charged for SMS alerts, transfers, card maintenance, and a host of other unnecessary charges, simply save and invest with Branch.
So, why not keep calm and invest with Branch so you can get your money working for you at zero cost?
Definitely a yes, yeah?