Prosper Peer-to-Peer Lending

(Navigating the Risks of Peer-to-Peer Lending) Here is one of the better articles that I have found about peer to peer lending that is not on one of the peer to peer lending sites. I like that she points out the risks of lending this way. I hate that she does not talk a bit about the innovation behind this type of system and how it is different from the traditional system. I love the idea of these sites and how they function. I just wish there was more that could be done to reduce defaults. The hardest part to me about these sites is that I don't have a real name or address of the person I'm lending to. The lending site is the person that has all the personal information to track down any one with a problem and I don't understand what their motivation would be to go after the people that default. Why would they hire a decent collection company. As soon as the loan is funded they get all the money they are going to get on the loan. They don't care what happens after that point. I wish they had some interest in what happened to the loans once they were funded being they are the people that would hire a collection company and possible push to collect something from people who default. I understand that the best collection company in the world can't fix the problem of people defaulting on loans, but I would feel better if the site would lose something if a loan defaulted.

How The Credit Mess Squeezes You

Here is a great article that puts the credit crisis at a level the typical person can understand. It shows the small places that it could effect the average person's financial life. Student loans and credit card rates are going up due to a lack of available money to loan out. (How the Credit Mess Squeezes You)

A Guide For Your December Spending

Here is a good little quick read article about how to keep yourself under control during the holiday season. The author start by suggesting some great things to do with your holiday bonus. Then the author goes on to give tips on how to stay on track and not over spend in December. (A December Spending Survival Guide)

College Credit Card Debt

(Buy Now, Pay Forever) This is a great article for young people to think about before getting into credit card debt. It is something that is very hard to get out of. This article talks about some developments with college students and credit card debt.

Tips for Saving

(How to save $200,000 in 6 months) Here is an article with few personal example stories and some simple advice for savings. The 2nd page has the tips if you would like to skip the personal stories.

Subprime: Bailout backlash

(Subprime: Bailout backlash) I'll never understand why people who took bad loans deserve anything. They took loans. They were presented with the same information I was presented with when I signed my loan. Every term in black and white. The right to have an attorney review the contract. The right to refuse the contract. I don't care what irresponsible bad intentioned mortgage broker told them. They had all the right tools to prevent themselves from getting in this mess. No one forced anyone to take out a loan. Why can't we let the market runs its course? Why do investors in mortgages deserve a bailout? When you take risk and get burned we don't give you a refund. When is the government going to start backing every investment on the market against lose? Why should I lose money in a mutual fund? It will hurt the American public when I can't afford my own retirement. Sign me up for a government backed no loss portfolio.

New Rules of Credit Crunch

(The new rules of the credit crunch) Here is a quick read article about how the credit crunch is affecting the average consumer so far.

The Cost of Student Loans

(High-Priced Student Loans Spell Trouble) This article bring up how common and severe students loan problems are becoming. With the cost of college sky rocketing and the rate of savings for the nation shrinking it seems to be a place where people are coming up short in funds. The story brings up examples of what people's payments are for student loans. It is a lot harder to live when you are paying 15% of your take home pay to a student loan. The article goes on to discuss how if the economy were to go downward that it could be expected that student loan defaults are going to rise dramatically.

Wedding or a Million Dollars?

(Want $1 Million? Elope) When you are looking at the front end of getting married you should remember the aftermath of your decisions. Your wedding day is only one day of your life. The debt you accumulate can literally affect the rest of your life. This is an article that points out that if the average amount spent on a wedding was invested, that by the time the couple retires they could easily have a million dollars. The article points out that the typical wedding involves debt to cover the costs. This debts pulls the opposite effect of the investing your wedding fund money and ends up costing you even more and impacting your life for even longer. The article then gives some tips on how to manage your spending for your wedding day, because not having to tell your mother your eloped last weekend can easily be worth the cost of your wedding.

Mortgage Rates Rising

(Rate woes: The latest hit to home values) This article is about what will happen as the rise in mortgage rates takes affect in the next few months. It has a great numerical example that shows how much the same mortgage payment will buy as rates rise. It is interesting to see that just a little change in interest rates makes a persons buying power so much smaller.

Start Saving in Your 20's

(To get rich, start saving in your 20s) This article goes over some good knowledge for a person in their 20's to hear about financial planning at your currently age. The basic idea is to start early and invest aggressively. It also covers the reasons for an emergency fund. It also covers the advantages of easy investments like mutual finds and target date funds.

Save Money By Not Wasting It On Your Car

(20 ways you waste money on your car) Here is a quick read article about saving some money. This article has some pretty basic ideas of how not to waste your money on your car, but good pointers about maintenance that should not be ignored.

College Costs and the Market

How College Costs Could Lead to a Market Crash Here is an article with some reasoning about how student loan debt limits what a college graduate can do. It also goes on to say the solutions to the problem do not look good for graduates. The basic idea is that jobs are being outsourced and incomes are dropping for college graduates to compete against outsourcing.

Try Cash For A Week

Overspending? Try a 7-day money challenge. Here is a Quick Read article about trying to use cash for a week. The idea is to see actual material depleting rather then an idea of your balance going down from your debit card.

No Emergency Funds?

Middle class living on the edge? This article shows how few middle class Americans have appropriate savings to over come job loss or a medical emergency. It is startling how few families have the amount need for a common length of three months of unemployment.

Should you buy a house?

(Should newlyweds buy a house?) This article explains some good and bad points of buying a home right after you get married. I like some of the time table references in the article.

Pay Down Mortgage vs. Invest for Retirement

This article covers a question I have always wondered (The Cost of Peace of Mind). The idea centers around the prospect that you end up with more money in the end investing in a retirement plan then sending in extra mortgage payments. The author makes a clear argument that there is a good chance you will come out on top investing for retirement, but most people find the piece of mind of paying more on a mortgage better for them.