The Platinum Jubilee this week marks 70 years of service from the Queen. 70 years is no small feat, and indeed this is the first Platinum Jubilee ever to be celebrated in the history of the British Monarchy. It’s moments like these that give us pause for reflection.
As a business, Siemens Financial Services in the UK celebrated 60 years in 2020. So while we can’t exactly rival platinum, we do have a longstanding presence here learning from our customers, building relationships, and supporting the unrolling of new equipment and technologies.
I’m proud to be part of such a long-lasting and reliable financing business, and even prouder to support other businesses grow their lending books with block facilities. When it comes to block discounting, our milestone is a little smaller but we’re by no means less dedicated. SFS have been providing block discounting solutions to independent finance providers for over 15 years, our team is made up of highly experienced individuals with vast market knowledge, committed to helping your business achieve its potential. Collectively we have over 70 years’ experience of the block market and over 100 years in the asset finance sector.
Over the years we’ve been able to support all kinds of businesses to raise funds against future incomes streams and grow their books. Thanks to our block discounting arrangements, our customers have been able to plan for the future by keeping things growing and helping their businesses to make their mark in their local community.
So how does block work?
A typical Block Discounter funds agreements for their customers. A credit facility is approved and terms are agreed to match the existing finance portfolio of the Block Discounter. The Block Discounter then batches together a ‘block’ of those agreements and sells them at a discounted rate to Siemens against the agreed revolving credit facility. Siemens release capital in the form of a loan which is repayable monthly. The funds generated from the loan can be used to fund more agreements which can be blocked in the future.
The required paperwork for a block drawdown is simple to complete and the pay-out process is quick and easy. Loan repayments are fixed and matched to the average term of the blocked agreements, thereby ensuring the payments can be budgeted in line with the rental income generated from the underlying contracts.
We are proud of our long history of helping and supporting our customers and we are constantly looking for ways to do more. We are dedicated to improving internal processes and continue to provide training to inspire the next generation of sales individuals within block to help us achieve this.
If you would like to find out more information about our experience and how we can help, please click here.
Ines Escola, Account Development Manager Block Discounting
I am a Block Discounting Account Development Manager and have been part of the team since 2018, building business relationships with existing customers and onboarding new opportunities.
I have worked in the finance industry for over 20 years, having joined Siemens in 2003. My length of service at SFS has helped me to develop a strong internal and external network and enabled me to develop a broad knowledge of the finance industry.
My spare time is mainly spent enjoying time with my son. I try to get to the gym as often as possible and enjoy catching up with friends, which usually involves sampling a new gin.