Zopa took the Webby in Financial Services (Mint was People’s Choice).  On Zopa you can buy a CD and help reduce my loan without giving up any of your entitled interest (current rate 3.75%): Start Here When Buying Your CD

Lending Club took the Webby in Banking / Bill Paying (Mint was People’s Choice).  Lending Club is currently in a quiet period and is not currently accepting new commitments from lenders or allowing new members to register as lenders.

Kiva took the People’s Choice for Charitable Organizations NonProfit.  Kiva is a very worthwhile charity, but you don’t make any interest.

Here is the website to see all the nominees and winners: 12th Annual Webby Awards Nominees

• The Webby Nominees Are Announced

• Lending Club Forum

• Zopa Launches in United States

• My First Kiva Payments Are Made On Time

• RateLadder 2008 Goals

• Canadian Club Distillery Advertising Collectibles

• Club Heads Clubmaking Products Golf

• Signature Club A Blush Makeup Store

• Signature Club A Eye Shadow Makeup Store

• Signature Club A Foundation Makeup Store

A couple of peer-to-peer (p2p) lending articles came out in major publications over the weekend…  Enjoy…

The ChicagoTribue: Peer-to-peer lending helpful, but know rules

Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands.

At least that’s the mind-set of individuals who lend and borrow money from each other online, known as peer-to-peer lending. In this virtual community you may stand a better chance of obtaining a loan for your start-up business or earning an attractive return.

But though based on self-rule, peer-to-peer lending is not without its conditions. Consider the following before you forgo the bank entirely. [...]

The Washington Post: You Can Lend P2P, but Can You Collect?

In the wake of the subprime mortgage meltdown, traditional financial institutions have tightened up on who gets to borrow money. But some people are still finding ways to borrow what they need, thanks to another area of lending that is booming.

Person-to-person lending, or “social” lending, is growing at a phenomenal pace on the Internet as consumers look for an alternate way to pay off debt, according to new research by Javelin Strategy & Research. Javelin predicts that the demand for person-to-person lending services, or P2P, to pay off credit card debt may grow from $38 billion to $159 billion over the next five years.  [...]

• Lending Club Recharicterzation

• Lending Club on ABC News

• Prosper and Lending Club on CBS News Nationwide

• P2P Lending in Chicago Daily Hearld and The Denver Post

• RateLadder Lending Club Update

• Publications Publications Supplies Coins Paper Money

• US Publications Publications Supplies Coins Paper Money

• World Publications Publications Supplies Coins Paper Money

• Publications Supplies Coins Paper Money

• Supplies Publications Supplies Coins Paper Money

About a month ago I made my 4 loans on Kiva to women in Somoa.  I was both testing Kiva and hopefully making the world a better place.  Kiva allows you to make individual loans to people in need through NGOs around the world. 

I went with 4 women from Somoa.  I have always felt some affinity for Somoians as we have similar physical statures.

3 of those 4 loans have now made a payment.  With Kiva you don’t actually recieve any payments until the entire loan is repaid.  I will continue to watch my Kiva account.  I wish these women the best.  Good luck.

Read more about Kiva rom actaul lenders at the Kiva Forum

Here is the Kiva RateLadder Page.

• Kiva Loans Paid On time Again, But Don’t Die

• Kiva Forum

• RateLadder’s 1st Lending Club Payments Ontime

• My 1st Kiva Loan

• 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Kiva Loans

• Coins World Coins Paper Money

• World Exonumia Coins Paper Money

• World Scripophily Coins Paper Money

• Paper Money World Coins Paper Money

• World Cup Soccer Soccer Cards Sports Collectibles

What opinions do you guys have on how the sub-prime mortgage meltdown will affect peer to peer lending?  I’ll confess I’m still spooked at the moment and working to draw down my balance at Prosper.  From things I’ve been reading, it would appear that the worst is still yet to come, what with a large chunk of ARM borrowers set to reset between now and mid 2008.  What do you guys think?  Will p2p lending suffer when a lot of these people default?

This was posted by Jimmy211 at the P2P No Bank Forum…  here is a link: Sub-Prime Mortgage Meltdown

RateLadder responded with

I have read 2 schools of thought.  1 is that it will as you are saying.  The other is that people do everything possible to cut a deal with their mortgage provider and protect their consumer credit.  

As an unsecured loan we are last in line in bankruptcy and that is why loan rates are higher on unsecured loans.

Personally I have always been chasing the highest rates.  But I have recently be focusing on the cleanest of the clean credit (flight to quality.)

• Prime Borrowing on Prosper Hits Record Levels — Febuary Marketplace Survey

• November 2007 Prosper Marketplace Survey with Commentary from Kirk Inglis CFO

• Hey, Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?

• November Prosper Marketplace Survey Released

• Prosper’s People-to-People Lending Market Survey

• New Balance Womens Shoes

• Large 9x7-9x12 Rugs, Carpets Antiques

• Large Cents Coins US Coins Paper Money

• Furniture, Large Appliances Furniture, Appliances Fans Collectibles

• Large Cents Coins Canada Coins Paper Money

The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Kiva loans were just as easy as the first.

In addition, to the loans ($25 each) I also donated 10% to Kiva ($2.50 each).

Again I choose Samoans. Even if I am not related by blood, our identical physical statues provide the bond.

I wish these women all the best…

Here is my loan link to my loan:

Faleupolu Siu’s business is a taro plantation and a fruit farm. Faleupolu is now fifty-five and used to be very bad at counting money. This problem delayed her intention of wanting to start a small business. She has six children who were all raised and supported on her husband’s income of $16 a day from his work. Apart from his work, he also does fishing for extra earning for his children’s school fees. Two of their children have now graduated and are employed in Government Departments.

When Faleupolu actually joined our program, we took extra time to really teach her how to run a business and handle cash. She is now handling her business alone without any help, and is aiming for future improvement in their family business.

Here is my loan link to my loan:

Aimeamata Peniamina is a young single lady of thirty-nine years of age who is not ready to tie the knot yet. She has worked really hard to help her parents with their family’s living. Her grandmother taught her elei printing when she was sixteen and now she is self-sustainable. Her business is elei materials and sells them to the public stores for quite a good price. Aimeamata is grateful to her grandmother for teaching her how to do this, as she now able to rely on it for a living. She will use her loan to buy the materials needed to make her products more fancy. She thanks the S.P.B.D for lending her the money so that she is able to go on with her business. She has a strong heart and feels that she can do better and earn money, before she ties the knot.

Here is my loan link to my loan:

Naomi Ah-Ching is a hard-working woman who scarcely rests from working with her husband at developing their plantation business. She is thirty years old and has four children and they are all attending school.

Striking hard for a better future for her children, Naomi sells anything from her plantation in order to make money. Products like bananas, coconuts, taro, and yams are what she sells at the market in town where most people come to buy. She uses her loans to buy equipment to help her make her work easier and faster. She earns more than a hundred tala (about US$ 40) a day from her selling. Naomi much appreciates the help of S.P.B.D for women who need a boost toward developing their micro-businesses.

Here is my Kiva Lender page: RateLadder on Kiva

I would love to discuss Kiva in more detail on the P2P No Bank Forum, come join the discussion. Here is the link: register

• My First Kiva Payments Are Made On Time

• Kiva Forum

• Kiva Loans Paid On time Again, But Don’t Die

• My 1st Kiva Loan

• Zopa, Lending Club, and Kiva all Score at The Webby Awards

• Men, Women, Children Statues Chinese Asian Antiques

• Casino-related Non-Branded Lighters Lighters Tobacciana Collectibles

• James Bond Action, Adventure Trading Cards Collectibles

• Statues Chinese Asian Antiques

• Buddha Statues Chinese Asian Antiques

After a comment from a reader (Millionaire Mommy Next Door), I decided to try out Kiva.

Wow was that easy.  Signed up. Found a loan. Added my $25 to the loan via paypal (plus a 10% donation to Kiva of $2.50). Start to finish 15 minutes.

I choose to loan to a Samoan.  Being a tall large person I have always felt an affinity for Samoans.  Like maybe I am a long lost relative or more likely a kindred spirit…

Here is my loan (once it fully funds the banner below will show another random listing in need) — here is a permanent link to my loan:

Asia is a mother of 10 from the village of Asau Savaii, but married to a business man from Mulivai Leauvaa. She joined our program in 2006 when she needed help for her business. She is now applying for another loan to help buy more inventory for her shop and to pay her children’s school fees. Asia is the best saver in our centre and a very good supporter for doing the centre’s guarantees.

Here is my Kiva Lender page: RateLadder on Kiva

I would love to discuss Kiva in more detail on the P2P No Bank Forum, come join the discussion. Registration for the forum is free. Here is the link: register

• My First Kiva Payments Are Made On Time

• Kiva Forum

• Kiva Loans Paid On time Again, But Don’t Die

• Zopa, Lending Club, and Kiva all Score at The Webby Awards

• 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Kiva Loans

• Artist Signed Postcards Collectibles

• Door Bells, Knockers Hardware Architectural Garden Antiques

• Doors Door Hardware Building Hardware Home Improvement

• Doors Doors Door Hardware Building Hardware Home Improvement

• Deadbolts Doors Door Hardware Building Hardware Home Improvement

P2P No Bank has launched independent forums covering all p2p lending sites — including Kiva.  

Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can “sponsor a business” and help the world’s working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you’ve sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.

But they don’t have a forum where individuals can discuss their Kiva experience and the dos and don’ts of Kiva lending.  Join the discussion. Registration is free. Save the world. http://www.p2pnobank.com/forum Register: Here is the link: register

• My First Kiva Payments Are Made On Time

• My 1st Kiva Loan

• Lending Club Forum

• 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Kiva Loans

• Kiva Loans Paid On time Again, But Don’t Die

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

• Unique Handbags

• UK Great Britain Europe Coins World Coins Paper Money

• Service Businesses Businesses for Sale Opportunities

• Investments Opportunities to Make Money