Important investment notes
There are no guarantees in business. The value of what you commit to a partnership or transaction can go down as well as up, and any return can be lower than you expected — or not arrive at all.
Although the aim of every deal is to grow your business, you may not get back the amount you put in.
This page brings together the main risks you should consider when choosing and managing your operations on IGT.
Managing your operations
- Partnerships and trade operations take time to bear fruit. Enter them with a medium to long-term view, and only commit funds you will not need in the short term.
- IGT does not offer investment or business advice. You are responsible for selecting your counterparties, evaluating each project and managing your own partnerships.
- That includes reviewing your active partnerships regularly — the roadmap, milestones and journal in each workspace exist precisely for that.
- Every agreement that matters should be in writing. Contracts on IGT are signed electronically with a full audit trail — if a term is important to you, make it a clause.
- Foreign-exchange costs apply when a transaction is settled in another currency. Conversion happens through your own bank, at your bank's rates.
- The tax treatment of any operation depends on your personal circumstances and on the jurisdictions involved, and tax rules can change. Seek professional advice where needed.
- Keep accessible funds for unexpected expenses before committing capital to a deal — and never depend on a single partnership.
Make sure you understand the costs that apply to each operation, so you know the value you are getting. Read the full breakdown on our charges page.
Operation risks
You can take part in many kinds of operations through IGT. Some carry a higher degree of risk than others.
Commercial partnerships
- Even a well-planned project can fail: markets shift, suppliers fall through, and execution often takes longer and costs more than promised.
- Your result depends on your counterparty performing. A partner who goes quiet or underdelivers can sink a deal even when everything else is right — which is why references, track record and the coordinator's oversight matter.
- Past success of a partner or project owner is not a reliable indicator of future results.
Financial instruments (bonds, LTNs, bank instruments)
- Although a bond comes with a promise to repay at the end of the term, there are no guarantees — the issuer can default and stop paying.
- When interest rates rise, the price of existing fixed-interest instruments tends to fall. The longer the remaining term, the more sensitive the price.
- Credit ratings are not a guarantee or a recommendation, and they can be revised.
- In private, over-the-counter deals the biggest risk is that the document in front of you is not what it claims to be. Verify every instrument through official sources before committing.
How these instruments work and how to verify them, step by step: Bonds & financial instruments guide
International trade
- Exchange-rate movements between agreement and settlement can absorb the margin of a deal.
- Jurisdictions differ in law, regulation and enforcement. A contract that is straightforward to enforce at home can be slow and costly to enforce abroad.
- Logistics, customs and compliance checks (including sanctions screening by banks) can add delays and costs that no party controls.
Early-stage projects
- Newer businesses and first-time project owners carry higher risk: there is less track record, less public information, and it can be harder to verify what you are told.
- The potential rewards are often higher too — that is exactly why the due-diligence phase and the RWA deposit exist. Use them.
- Treat any pressure to skip verification, rush a signature or move the conversation outside the platform as a red flag.
We're here to help you do business
You choose your partners and your terms — IGT gives you the structure to do it with confidence: an assigned coordinator, electronic contracts with a signature audit trail, roadmaps with milestones, invoicing, and mediation and dispute tools if something goes wrong.
When you're ready, explore the projects already on the marketplace or publish your own.
Important information: This page is for general information only and is not investment, legal or tax advice, nor a recommendation to enter into any transaction. IGT is a marketplace that connects businesses — it does not broker, value or guarantee any operation, and outcomes are never assured. The value of what you commit can go down as well as up. Always conduct your own due diligence and consult a licensed professional adviser before transacting.