Probably one of the biggest issues facing microfinance today is that of impact. To what extent has microfinance actually affected global poverty? In what ways can its impact be measured, and how sustainable is it? Will it continue to grow? Though I agree that understanding impact is crucial and developing social impact studies and matrices [...]

• Impact Drivers Wrenches Corded Drills Power Tools Tools Home Improvement

• Grow Lights Hydroponics Seed Starting Gardening Plants Yard, Garden Outdoor Living

Continue reading → Is Impact Impact?

Prosper.com announced yesterday that the offers received for late loans to be sold off as defaults were to low to be acceotable. Doug Fuller, Vice President of Operations says, that with offers at 1.5 cents for the dollar, Prosper believes "the prudent course of business is NOT to sell them at this time". More on [...]

• President US Political Historical Memorabilia Collectibles

• Sand Dollar Shells Rocks, Fossils, Minerals Collectibles

Continue reading → Prosper decides to hold on to 4+ months late loans

Basic math skills are critical to personal finance success. Improving your math skills will have a positive impact on your financial situation.
For anyone who ever asked their math teacher when they would ever need to use the information they were learning, here’s the answer: when you want to be in control of your personal finances. [...]

• Personal, Field Gear Surplus Militaria Collectibles

• Canteens Personal, Field Gear Surplus Militaria Collectibles

Continue reading → The Importance of Basic Math Skills

It looks to me like lender rates have moved up a bit. Certainly not a scientific study but I noticed the rates on my B loans in May seem to have finished higher than recent rates.Five B loans in May: 13.55%, 12.40%, 15.95%, 13.55% and 13.50%Seven B l…

• SPF 25 and Higher Sunscreen Sun Care Skin Care Store

• Scientific Instruments Science, Medical Collectibles

Continue reading → Lender rates may be ticking up

The first week I came to MCDT, Justine, my supervisor, and Olivia, her supervisor, were looking at pictures of borrowers they were preparing to post to the Kiva website.  They called me over to look at one person in particular, standing in the middle of a group of five and said, “You must meet Ruth!”  [...]

• So-Called Dollars Exonumia Coins Paper Money

• Standing Liberty 1916-30 Quarters Coins US Coins Paper Money

Continue reading → Ruth

Prosper Vice President of Operations Doug Fuller updated lenders Friday night on the status of the numerous defaulted loans that Prosper has been trying to load off on junk debt buyers. Unfortunately, the news isn’t what most lenders want to hear: Prosper is holding onto the paper due to lack of what they call a [...]

• President US Political Historical Memorabilia Collectibles

• Night Lights Lamps, Lighting Collectibles

Continue reading → Prosper Holding Onto Defaulted Loans - For Now

I know that many people have been anxiously waiting for an update on the debt sale.  We’ve been working very hard toward finding a more favorable bid, as well as considering alternatives, but we’ve met with some severe obstacles.
Once bids with unacceptable contract conditions were eliminated the highest bid we received was only 1.5 cents [...]

• People Postcards Collectibles

• Finding Nemo Pixar Collectibles Contemporary 1968-Now Disneyana Collectibles

Continue reading → Debt Sale Update

I spent some time roaming the latest entry into P2P called Fynanz, which specializes in student loans. Not much going on there at the moment. I saw two loan listings, one of which was a ‘faker’ for testing purposes. Loans are done off of current LIBOR rates and adjusted accordingly. Info found here. One big [...]

• Entry Sets Doors Door Hardware Building Hardware Home Improvement

• So-Called Dollars Exonumia Coins Paper Money

Continue reading → Fynanz…zzzz! Anybody home?

CommunityLend, a Toronto, Canada based P2P Lending firm currently in startup phase, announced this week that they’ve been working with two firms to help further the site’s development in both OpenSource coding and applications, as well as its banking software interface.
UnSpace Interactive, a firm based out of Toronto, has been working in conjunction with CommunityLend [...]

• Home-Based Businesses Businesses for Sale Opportunities

• Toronto Raptors Basketball-NBA Fan Apparel Souvenirs Sports Collectibles

Continue reading → CommunityLend Announces Partnerships, Looks Towards mid-2008 Launch

The popularity of catalogs seems to have declined as more and more people shop online. Even with diminishing usefulness, catalogs still do exist and may lead to overspending. Understanding why this occurs, and limiting your encounters with such experiences, may help you to spend less.
Catalogs help to blur the line between wants and needs. How [...]

• Brochures, Catalogs Automobilia Transportation Collectibles

• Guides, Catalogs Tools Tools, Hardware Locks Collectibles

Continue reading → Catalog Shopping Concerns

Here are some interesting (not necessarily good purchases) that can be had on Amazon’s Friday Sale. If you want to take advantage you should act today.

Hooded Towel - I didn’t know that towels could come with hoods. Now all my towels have hood envy. Why is amazon suggesting that I buy this towel with a Betty Crocker double-sided non-stick griddle?
My Recommendation - Spot Bot Carpet Cleaner - We got one of these for our wedding. Our only complaint is that it works too well. The spot is so clean when it’s done that it doesn’t [...]

• Towels Accessories Golf

• Towels Breweriana, Beer Collectibles

Continue reading → Amazon Friday Sale: Hooded Towel Edition

Another great line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail!Some folks over on prospers.org noted that they had daggers on some 4+ month late loans, well so do I!Do I expect to see any money from this effort? NO. But at least Prosper is giving it a shot….

• Shot Glasses Barware Collectibles

• Daggers Knives, Swords Blades Collectibles

Continue reading → Not dead yet!

Does microlending work?  That’s one of the questions that I wanted to answer as a Kiva Fellow and that’s the question I’ve been asked on numerous occasions since I returned to Seattle.  After a couple of weeks of readjusting to the American pace of life, I’m prepared to provide an answer.
 
Yes, it works.  But, it [...]

• Work Womens Shoes

• Life Savers Candy Nuts Advertising Collectibles

Continue reading → Final Thoughts

The road trip is an annual rite of summer, but rising fuel costs may replace car rides with gas rations. Fortunately, there are still smart, effective ways of “getting your motor running” and “heading out on the highway” to your favorite destination.
Skyrocketing gas prices and a brooding economy don’t have to spell doom to [...]

• Summer Olympics Autographs-Original Sports Collectibles

• Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote Warner Bros. Animation Characters Animation Art, Characters Collectibles

Continue reading → Road Trip! How to Save Gas During Summer Vacation

I have several bloggers ask for advice on their listings or potential listings…  One of them even joined my group and successfully received a $25K loan at an interest rate he was happy with…
As a blogger the reputation of your blog has meaning for you both in terms of your persona, but also in real [...]

• Heart Rate Monitors Monitors Pedometers Gym, Workout Yoga Exercise Fitness

• Real Estate Opportunities

Continue reading → 8 Listing Strategies to get Best Prosper Loan Rate

Spring is a beautiful time of year, one of new life and new beginnings. It is also the start of the wedding season. My wife and I were wed almost two years ago, and I clearly remember how new and exciting those first few months together were. While your first few months together will be [...]

• Life Savers Candy Nuts Advertising Collectibles

• A Bugs Life Pixar Collectibles Contemporary 1968-Now Disneyana Collectibles

Continue reading → Starting Married Life in Financial Harmony

A related topic to my post on Rental Center Pricing is the rent to own services offered by rental centers. While you may feel better renting to own compared to just renting, the price you pay will still be extremely high.
Rent to own is a service that allows you to purchase an item by making [...]

• Service Businesses Businesses for Sale Opportunities

• Price Guides Supplies Comics Collectibles

Continue reading → Rent to Own

“I thought prosper was to help out in need and I am good for it.. Just give an chance, thats what life is taking an chance.”

“I cannot get a loan from any banks without haveing a job and I need the money right away if I can get it. ”

“I want to start a Cash Giftng Program, so I will be able to make some serious money $$$$”

“I am two months behind on my mortgage payments and I need this loan

• Cash Registers Banks, Registers Vending Collectibles

• Investments Opportunities to Make Money

Continue reading → What Hopeful Prosper Borrowers are Saying

Earlier this month, while you weren’t looking, Lazy Man and Money celebrated it’s two year birthday.
The Good and The Bad
The other day, I looked at some of my first posts and I laughed and cried about the roller coaster of good and bad ideas I’ve had when starting out. Two years ago, I was seriously considering buying a condo hotel in Las Vegas. Good thing I didn’t because a year later the W in Las Vegas was canceled. I rationalized my decision this way:
In the end, I feel that it’s probably pure speculation. Something that you buy [...]

• Current Year, Next Year Calendars Paper Collectibles

• Good Charlotte G Rock, Pop Music Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

Continue reading → Two Years of Lazy Man and Money

In the past, I’ve written about the negative aspects of using gift cards. Electronic gift certificates have some advantages over physical gift cards, but some merchants limit their effectiveness and inspire you to spend more.
Physical gift cards are often sold in fixed denominations. As more stores carry gift cards for other merchants, it makes sense [...]

• Gift Sets Kits Garden Tools Equipment Gardening Plants Yard, Garden Outdoor Living

• Phone Cards Trading Cards Collectibles

Continue reading → Electronic Gift Certificates

One of my mother’s favourite reminders while I was growing was the Miguel Cervantes quote “Tell me what company you keep and I’ll tell you what you are.”
I couldn’t help thinking about my mother’s wisdom this week as I looked at the first two partner announcements we are posting today.  Given that it was just [...]

• Growing Up Girls Enesco Decorative Collectible Brands Decorative Collectibles Collectibles

Continue reading → The Company We Keep

Financial planning at its smallest denominator is essentially what you’d like to have and how you plan to get it. That may be oversimplifying things just a bit, but sometimes when you look at things stripped away of all of their jargon, it’s a lot easier to understand it. So, in order to begin planning [...]

• A Simple Plan A Rock, Pop Music Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

Continue reading → The Key to Successful Financial Planning

Not looking too good for this month, two just flipped from late to 1 month late. Here is a screen shot, not a pretty picture.One of the two is an E link so it isn’t too much of a surprise, has made 15 payments and has gone late before but not all the…

• Shot Glasses Barware Collectibles

• Pretty as a Picture Enesco Decorative Collectible Brands Decorative Collectibles Collectibles

Continue reading → Late loans keep on rolling in

We are aware of the watch list problems and we are working to correct the problem as soon as possible. Thanks to everyone who reported the issue to us. If you notice any other problems, please email us at <Turn on JavaScript to view our email address>. Try to be as specific as possible in [...]

• Non-Country Specific License Plates Automobilia Transportation Collectibles

• Products, Non-Film Specific Star Wars Science Fiction Collectibles

Continue reading → Watch Lists Bug

Okay, I broke down today and placed a bid on a Prosper.com loan… WTF is wrong with me?! Didn’t I just tell myself ‘NO!’ a few days ago? Apparently I have a problem, an addiction of sorts, when it comes to Prosper. Maybe it’s the internal drive to get to $10,000 in active loans or [...]

• Internal Frame Packs Backpacks Camping Hiking

• Halcyon Days Decorative Collectible Brands Decorative Collectibles Collectibles

Continue reading → Is there a group for this?!

*sigh*

Another loan tagged with a bankruptcy in my Prosper loan portfolio.

Just turned less than 15 days late too. 18 on-time payments.

What is it with some folks? Oh, right. Nevermind…

• Halcyon Days Decorative Collectible Brands Decorative Collectibles Collectibles

Continue reading → Another Prosper Loan Bankruptcy

Here it is: my first blog entry! As I write this, I am putting the finishing touches on my packing and realizing I truly have no idea what to expect! I am in the phase of packing in which I second guess my second guesses and start throwing the unnecessary items [...]

• Putting Greens Aids Training Aids Golf

• Guess Men Discount Fragrances Store

Continue reading → Kampala or Bust!

When I first started this blog, I announced that I’d write about technology 5% of the time. Since I have written more than 700 articles at this point, I’m allow some 35 articles on technology. I think I used up a few of them with articles on my Asus EEE. As usual, with any technology article, I’ll attempt to tie it back to personal finance.
You may have already read about the Amazon Kindle. It’s yet another attempt by the technology industry to replace books. Companies have been at it for a few years, but it’s [...]

• Back of Book Canada Stamps

• Back of Book United States Stamps

Continue reading → Amazon Kindle: Buy or Not?

Last month in April, Kiva and Advanta Bank, one of the nation’s largest issuers of credit cards to the small business market, formally announced the launch of the KivaB4B Project with a beautiful party in downtown Philadelphia. KivaB4B is a joint initi…

• Bank of Canada Canada North, Central America Paper Money World Coins Paper Money

• Credit, Charge Cards Trading Cards Collectibles

Continue reading → Advanta Bank Corp. Launches KivaB4B Program!

There seems to be a lot of chatter within circles of p2p lending users about who exactly is to blame for loans gone awry and where the responsibility actually falls. The debate comes about because social loan marketplaces like the one popularized by Prosper do not allow users to make direct person-to-person loans, but rather [...]

• Investments Opportunities to Make Money

• Liberty Falls Decorative Collectible Brands Decorative Collectibles Collectibles

Continue reading → Marketplace Protection & Collections: A Closer Look

I recently received a forward email that has been circling the net for quite some time. The premise of the email is that if you are ever forced to withdraw money from an ATM by a thief you could enter your PIN in reverse order to summon the police. While such an idea [...]

• Pins, Buttons Police Historical Memorabilia Collectibles

• Security Cameras Home Security Home Improvement

Continue reading → ATM Reverse Pins and Alternative Security Ideas

When we compare the options of doing tasks ourselves and paying to have them done, we often overlook the intangible benefits of doing the work ourselves, such as the joy it creates.
Comparisons often begin in strict financial terms. You may look at the cost of changing the oil in your car and conclude that you [...]

• Work Womens Shoes

Continue reading → The Joy of Doing it Yourself

If you’ve ever had a chance to invest in a great stock but didn’t have enough money put aside to take advantage of the opportunity, you know too well the agony of defeat. Most of us are under the impression that it takes money in the bank to start investing. If you’re not financially stable [...]

• Bank of Canada Canada North, Central America Paper Money World Coins Paper Money

• UK Great Britain Europe Coins World Coins Paper Money

Continue reading → How to Invest Now Without a Dime in the Bank

Andrew over at Prosper corrected some mistakes in this blog entry.Now that I look at this again I see where I got confused (again!). I looked at ‘interest received’ line item under payments received and noticed that it was a good bit less than the ‘ne…

• Line Terminal Tackle Fishing

• Disney Cruise Line Pins, Buttons Contemporary 1968-Now Disneyana Collectibles

Continue reading → Correction to Prosper statements for lenders suck

We’re rolling out a release that the Kiva team is very excited about this week, and we hope it will excite you, too. I’ll list the highlights:Blended Payments: Lenders can now pay using a combination of their Kiva Credit and a PayPal transaction. In th…

• Credit, Charge Cards Trading Cards Collectibles

• Combination Sets Power Tools Tools Home Improvement

Continue reading → Blended Payments, at last

So you’ve found that special person in your life and now it’s time to buy an engagement ring. Buying the right engagement ring can be a costly endeavor and you may find yourself in need of a little financial assistance.  Prosper is the right choice for you.
The community at Prosper provides the support you need [...]

• Wedding Ring Quilts Quilts, Bedspreads Textiles, Linens Antiques

• Fellowship of the Ring Lord of the Rings Sci-Fi, Fantasy Trading Cards Collectibles

Continue reading → Engagement

I read a TechCrunch article today about how much it would cost to convert all fuel vehicles into electric vehicles. According to the article, Philip Greenspun calculates it will cost us nothing to convert to electric cars, but I beg to differ. He deduces that for the cost of annual vehicle fuel consumption, [...]

• Electric Gas Carts Cars Golf

• Lamps Electric Lamps, Lighting Collectibles

Continue reading → Will Converting to Electric Cars Will Cost Us Nothing?

On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, Canadian based journalists, bloggers, angel investors, venture capitalists and web entrepreneurs met at the MaRS Discovery District for Mesh ‘08; Canada’s ‘Web Conference’. Mesh is one of those rare events that bring together business minds, the tech savvy and those who are just plain interested in emerging opportunities [...]

• Home-Based Businesses Businesses for Sale Opportunities

• Rare Handbags

Continue reading → Mesh 2008: Canada’s Web Conference

At first glance, offering different prices to people for the same product or service sounds like discrimination. In the business world, it goes by the name Optimized Pricing and happens all the time.
From borrowing money and purchasing insurance to booking a trip, Optimized Pricing is a growing trend. This practice basically consists of offering the [...]

• Service Businesses Businesses for Sale Opportunities

• Banking, Insurance Advertising Collectibles

Continue reading → Optimized Pricing

As regular readers of Richer by the Day know, I read a lot of personal finance, investing, business, and economics books. Along with my personal experiences, the books that I read have played a huge role in my financial education. I typically list the book I am currently reading in the sidebar [...]

• Books Manuscripts Antiques

• Personal, Field Gear Surplus Militaria Collectibles

Continue reading → Free Books on Personal Finance, Investing, Business, and Economics

So far this month $7,930,000 according to LendingStats. This will easily surpass May’07 and will probably be the biggest month ever! Looks like the deal with WebBank is paying off with loans nationwide except for a couple of states. And I bet the …

• Confederate States United States Stamps

• United States Stamps

Continue reading → May looking like a big month

Memorial Day weekend is over… *Sigh*… back to work. The local news last night interviewed a number of people about how they spent their Memorial Day weekend. I was surprised by the number that were really cutting down their driving to save money on gas. One family decided to cut down their vacations from 3 to 1.
My wife and I don’t drive very much for vacations. We might go 45 miles north to Napa for some wine tasting this summer. When/If we do, we’ll hopefully find a cheap motel or perhaps even camp out. [...]

• Lincoln Memorial 1959-Now Small Cents Coins US Coins Paper Money

• Plate Number Coils United States Stamps

Continue reading → Ask The Readers: Did Staycation to Save Money on Gas?

Today MyC4 presents itself in an all new shiny layout. On MyC4 lenders can give loans to small businesses in Africa. Unlike at Kiva, lenders at MyC4 earn interest. So far 1.8 million Euros (approx. 1.2 million US$) have been invested in loans and there are no defaults yet - only several late payments. With [...]

• Hawaii, North Africa Small Size Notes Paper Money US Coins Paper Money

• Service Businesses Businesses for Sale Opportunities

Continue reading → MyC4 with new look - currency risk now to be covered by lender

If you’re interested in leveraging your credit in a safer environment, credit card arbitrage is one of the best ways. In order to succeed, you need to make more interest than your low interest balance transfer offer and for that you need to invest your money in a high interest bearing account. However, there [...]

• Credit, Charge Cards Trading Cards Collectibles

• Computers, High Tech Advertising Collectibles

Continue reading → 5 Things to Look For When Picking a High Interest Bank

Today, I planned to post some interesting information on Prosper.com lending based upon the Webinar (”Using Prosper tools for more effective lending”) that I signed up for with Prosper a few weeks ago. Unfortunately,

• Home-Based Businesses Businesses for Sale Opportunities

• Cut-Off Tools Air Tools Tools Home Improvement

Continue reading → Prosper.com Lending Tools Webinar Cancelled

This is part one of a series of what I learned by talking to a mortgage broker last week.

I stopped by my credit union to check into refinancing my mortgage last week. The rates were low and with the likelihood that the fed was going to drop rates …

• Tee Times Green Fees Golf

• Credit, Charge Cards Trading Cards Collectibles

Continue reading → My Mortgage Refinancing Experience: Post Mortgage Crisis Delivery Fees

So far all my Prosper.com and Lending Club loans are current. I would be annoyed with loan defaults, but currently the number of borrowers who pay the loan in a month or less is starting to bother me. Why does a borrower bother to take out a loan …

• Early Commemorative Coins US Coins Paper Money

• Early 1793-96 Large Cents Coins US Coins Paper Money

Continue reading → P2P Borrowers Waste Time and Money with Early Payoffs

Lending Club sent an email today that first surprised me because a quick reading of a few details sound rather ominous. However, if you read past the “you can withdraw uncommitted funds” sections of the email, or rather stick to the important stuff in the first paragraph, this email …

• Canadian Club Distillery Advertising Collectibles

• Club Heads Clubmaking Products Golf

Continue reading → Lending Club Quiet Period: Is a Secondary Loan Market Coming?

Due to the Lending Club quiet period, the Lending Club referral program has ended. The program was a good one — I earned over $300 in referral fees through this website by blogging about my experience creating a portfolio, creating a video, gathering advice for new lenders, the inception …

• Program Materials, Accessories Weight Management

• Apollo Program Space Programs Historical Memorabilia Collectibles

Continue reading → Lending Club Referral Program is Currently Dead…

I have already commented on Lending Club’s quiet period and referral program suspension. I decided to check other blogs to see what they have to say on the email notice that went out today. Since I was reading everything anyway, I decided to post links and a few quotes …

• Original Period Items 1700-74 Militaria Collectibles

• Original Period Items 1903-13 Militaria Collectibles

Continue reading → Lending Club Quiet Period Announcement: A Blog RoundUp

This extends my posting on the blog roundup of Lending Club quiet period postings…

HollowOak asks: “How far behind is Prosper? Or do they get kudos for having started the SEC filing months ago?”

Lazy Man and Money is calling Lending Club dead:
I have been worked for a number of start-up companies …

• Canadian Club Distillery Advertising Collectibles

• Club Heads Clubmaking Products Golf

Continue reading → More Lending Club Quiet Period Announcement Links

P2P Lending has been in the mainstream media news a great deal lately. I decided to post a roundup of many of the recent news articles on Prosper.com, Lending Club, Zopa, GlobeFunder, and Virgin Money. It is unfortunate that Lending Club entered a quiet period just as they …

• Canadian Club Distillery Advertising Collectibles

• Club Heads Clubmaking Products Golf

Continue reading → Lending Club, Prosper.com, and more: P2P Lending News Roundup

Lending Club has gone quiet and is no longer allowing lenders to lend, but borrowers can still borrow money according to their email notice. Those loans will be funded by Lending Club. From the email notice:
The borrowing side of our site will remain generally unaffected by this registration …

• Canadian Club Distillery Advertising Collectibles

• Club Heads Clubmaking Products Golf