RepublicBuy.com

photo credit: Petrick2008

The media have been relentless in their discussion of the current state of the economy. Many Americans have been paying very close attention to economic news headlines, and they’ve been fretting about their declining investment portfolios. This painful recession has prompted many to take step that are tantamount to putting their hard-earned money in a coffee can and burying it in their backyard. Obviously, mattress-stuffing is a safe way to go, but that lazy cash will definitely lose value over time, its value eroded away by inflation. This economy has everyone worried about their investments, but there’s no need to panic. There are still safe places to invest your dollars:

* Gold – Since the global financial crisis began back in 2007, investors have been looking for safe places to grow their money. Institutional and individual investors have been buying gold, both the metal and stock in companies that mine and process gold. The price on gold will almost certainly increase into 2009 and probably into 2010 as well. The federal government has reacted to the triple threat of a) the real possibility of a deep and protracted recession b) financial market turmoil and c) the threat of deflation by dumping vast quantities of cheap cash into the American banking system, and all this cheap money will eventually make its way into the economy. When that happens, inflation will rear its ugly head, and investors will buy even more gold, as a hedge against rising prices. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: AmandaLouise

With banks constricting their lending opportunities for borrowers these past months, The New York Post’s video about the benefits of person-to-person lending is a short but incisive analysis of the credit program. The concept is simple: financial intermediaries are eliminated but the firm manages to match borrowers and lenders together minus the additional cost charged by banks in traditional lending schemes. The online transaction allows a borrower to seek lower interest rates, bypassing the services of a bank while in the comforts of their home.

However, the rates won’t keep getting lower. Lenders naturally have to base their interest rates with that of the central bank’s and other zero-risk investment opportunities’. After all, alternatives for newer lending practices such as P2P are always available and can be substituted at a more secured return from the government. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: A6U571N
Imagine making money like E-Bay, but in the world of loans. Two years ago, if you lent me money with principal and interest from a family member or friend I would’ve said you are “crazy”! But today there is such an opportunity to get a loan from people who want to lend money. Rather than get “burned” from our family and friends for lending money anyway we should look to other alternatives. There is an alternative much like E-Bay. It’s called Peer to Peer Lending. They are called “lenders” and these are ordinary people. These lenders could be your boss, friend, grandmother, aunt, dad, or even a stanger. Their job is to fund loans on a website called Prosper.com. It is a good idea that if a family member or friend borrows from each other, do it in a format where relatives and friends can get lend their money and get paid back with interest and principal. Peer to Peer Lending was founded on the very same principal as E-Bay. Namely to allow online bidding through an auction style process of lending. Chris Larson who is the co-founder of E-Bay is the owner and founding father of Peer to Peer Lending. If you have made a lot of money selling on E-Bay or made a deal through buying that product, the same goes for Peer to Peer Lending. Except the item is a person who needs a loan, and the bidders are the lenders who have cash$$$ A person who needs a loan becomes a borrower. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: karpov the wrecked train

In the past getting a loan used to be a pretty intimidating process, getting dressed in your Sunday best, looking your best and venturing into town to the bank for a date with the Bank Manager. Once there you used to have to throw yourself at the mercy of the manager and plead for them to lend you money, getting declined for a loan was often a demoralising and embarrassing process.

These days applying for a loan is much more stress-free with the decision on whether you get given the money being based more on details such as your income, credit report and other factors, but still people can get turned down for reasons other than a poor credit record. In light of the recent credit crunch many banks are being more cautious about whom they lend money to and in some cases have ceased offering unsecured loans. Read the rest of this entry »