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.
* Peer to Peer Lending Networks – Peer to Peer (P2P) Lending Networks like Lending Club have been gaining in popularity as individuals and businesses find it virtually impossible to secure financing from banks and other financial institutions. If you’re interested in a short-term investment and you’re willing to take on some risk, investing in P2P lending may be an option for you. Research the network you’re planning to lend with. Find out the average loan default rate and carefully consider whether it’s a system that you are comfortable with. Most lending networks allow you to provide micro-loans to borrowers, which you can use to get your feet wet.
* High Yield Certificate of Deposit – A certificate of deposit (CD) is a type of deposit account that invariably offers a higher yield than a standard savings account. CD’s are considered relatively safe and provide a decent return on your investment. Before investing in a CD, use your favorite search engines (don’t rely on Google alone! Yahoo! has a great search engine too!) to research the financial institution you plan on using. If you find complaints about fraudulent activity or poor customer service or worse, then stay far away from that particular financial institution. Credit unions have weathered the financial storms of recent months well. If you can join one, it’s a great idea to buy a CD with a credit union (a CD at a credit union is called a share certificate.)
* Debt Reduction – Reducing your debt should at the top of your financial to-do list regardless of the state of the economy. Carrying an oppressive debt load during a recession can bring ruin to a once thriving household, and nobody wants to be forced into moving back with their parents. If you are looking for a safe and smart place to invest your money, consider investing in your financial future by reducing your debt. Every balance you reduce or pay off will increase your monthly cash flow, and that liberated cash can be used for investing.
* Stocks – Experienced investors know that a recession can bring great opportunities to make fast money. With real estate and stock markets plummeting globally, the biggest losers are, generally speaking, small to mid-sized companies and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) stocks. Companies that have had a substantial market share for more than 25 years are far more likely to survive this and future recessions. It is important to diversify your portfolio and sell stocks of companies that are unlikely to survive the current crisis.

U.S. Treasuries are also extremely safe. Even if everyone in the United States failed to pay their taxes, the federal government has the power to simply print more money to meet its fiscal obligations. In the current economic environment, however, Treasury bills, notes and bonds are in high demand, which in turn has caused their yields to drop dramatically. Bottom line: there’s almost no point in investing in e.g. a 12-month Treasury bill when the yield is less than 1%.

It’s always a good idea to have a strong cash position during an economic downturn, but overdoing it can seriously compromise your plans for a comfortable retirement. Investing during a recession can be tricky, but with knowledge and some courage, even the most cautious investor can invest with confidence and, most importantly, stay ahead of inflation.

For help with debt reduction, visit the Debt Help website.

Keep up to speed about the latest interest rate news at the LIBOR website.

photo credit: Alan Nakkash

If you were thinking of investing in peer to peer loans and were scared away by the commitments, Lending Club’s trading platform has just added some liquidity.

Investors in peer to peer loans like it for several reasons. One is they could be helping someone. The borrower might need funding to start a business or pay for school. Second is the often the nice return investors see on their money, with many loans earning above 10%.

Certain investors liked the idea, but stayed away for a couple different reasons. One major reason is once you entered into a peer to peer loan you were locked in for the duration of the loan. With most loans being three years, peer to peer loans were not considered a liquid asset. If times changed and you needed access to money, your peer to peer loan was not the place to look.

Today, this might be different and has to do with the major changes to the industry in the last year. The SEC has stepped in and stated that issuing peer to peer loans without proper registration is illegal. This effectively shut down the industry and has done so for some time. Banks that want to open back up have to fill out the appropriate paper work with the SEC before issuing any more peer to peer loans. For those banks that do register, their peer to peer loans become securities and are tradable.

Today, Lending Club is one of the first to complete the registration and back open issuing loans. They have also added a trading section to their website. There, visitors will find it is being managed by Folio a member of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). This is a huge securities regulation firm that clients include the NASDAQ and ASE.

This addition has resolved the problem of liquidity. If you want to get out of a loan because you need the money, you can attempt to sell it on Lending Club’s trading platform. Furthermore, if you are looking to invest in a peer to peer loan, but only for a year or so, you can buy a loan listed on this exchange. For traders, Lending Club provides the information about the loan as well as the current credit standing of the borrower. This information protects traders, allowing them to judge the overall risk before buying a particular note.

This has also added some validity to the industry. The SEC has got involved and setup proper regulations for peer to peer lending sites. No longer is it seen as unregulated and lax in procedures. Also, this opens the door for a larger exchange of peer to peer loans. The possibility of complete exchange, where investors are able to trade between several different lending sites is now very plausible.

If you are looking for more information about peer to peer loans, you need to visit Kyle’s website. There you will find even more excellent information about peer to peer lending

photo credit: norrelb

With any investment or loan there needs to be an interest rate charged. Lending Club uses a formula that takes into account several factors, but it really begins with the assigning of a loan grade.

The first step in getting any peer to peer loan on Lending Club is borrowers must apply for a loan. Upon this request, Lending Club begins to evaluate the potential borrowers’ credit standing. This information is taken and used to assign the borrower a loan grade. These grades range from A to G with A being the highest and G the lowest. To further narrow down grades, each letter grade has sub classes. These are numbered from 1 to 5 with 1 as the highest. These loan grades will then be used in every part of the Lending Clubs formula for calculating interest rates.

The formula is made up of two distinct parts. They are the based rate and the adjustment for risk and volatility. The sum of these equals the interest rate charged.

The base rate is the interest rate charged on every loan. For most peer to peer loans on Lending Club it is 9.05%, but can be different for the A grade loans. Grades A1, A2, and A3 get a base rate of 7.05%. A4 and A5 get a base rate of 8.05%. This lower rate represents the decreased risk for this category of borrower.

The second part, the adjustment for risk and volatility, is a bit more complex. It begins by using the grade assigned to calculate an “assumed default rate.” This assumed default rate is then doubled and is used as the adjustment for risk and volatility. This creates an interest that is increasingly proportionate to the default risk of the borrower.

To further explain lets calculate the interest rate on a peer to peer loan from Lending Club. If a borrower is assigned a loan grade of C3, the base rate is 9.05%. The assumed default rate calculated by Lending Club is 2.05%. This makes the adjustment for risk and volatility 4.10%. Now the base rate plus the adjustment for risk and volatility equals an interest rate of 13.15%.

Lending Club does reserve the right to change both the base rate and the adjustment for risk and volatility. This only applies to incoming loans not to preexisting ones. This flexibility allows Lending Club to adjust for the market conditions and ensures the loans stay attractive to both borrowers and investors.

These rates no matter how they are assigned are attractive to both borrowers and lenders. The rates are usually lower than several other options of funding for borrowers and lenders get a rate of return normally above 10%.

To read more about peer to peer lending visit Kyle’s website. There you will find excellent information about peer to peer loans