Prosper

Today, I’d like to share with everyone blogs that I read and think you should check out.  For each blog, I will provide details on what is great about it so that you can understand better which blogs might be best for you.  I hope that the following blog recommendations will help you find additional [...]

The first-time home buyer tax credit extension cleared a hurdle in the Senate today with a 98-0 vote, and it could be a done deal if approved by the House this week. All over the U.S., there is an increasingly heated argument over the benefits of the First Time Home Buyers Credit and this extension. [...]

It has been a while since I write about Lending Club. I haven’t written about peer-to-peer lending, because there hasn’t been much to write about except for the chance to win $2,500 from Lending Club. Otherwise, I am still an investor on both Prosper and Lending Club, and I continue to buy more notes when [...]

Like it or not, your credit score matters whether or not you plan to borrow money. As such it’s a good idea to learn as much as you can about credit score, how it works, and how it impact your finances. Below are some great articles about credit score I found around the web this [...]

At an early age, it is difficult to teach children about money. Learning comes much more easily when it is fun. Game nights are a family tradition in many households and throwing in one of these board games can combine fun with a little financial education. The board games provide the basic concept for what [...]

In this  Ask the M-Network article, PJ shared information about his home and his desire to buy a house that just came on the market. Should he refinance is current home, or sell it to buy the new one? Should he buy the new home and rent out the old one? Here’s the question from [...]

Debt consolidation companies often give you a fantastic pitch that promises to help you lower your monthly payments and eliminate debt.  All you have to do is work with them, combine all your debt obligations into one low monthly payment, and save tons of money.  Is it really that fantastic, or just a fantasy?
Personally, I [...]

I have been lending in peer-to-peer lending networks like Lending Club and Prosper for a year now.  I believe that peer-to-peer lending networks are gaining credibility; especially with the successful Lending Club SEC registration in 2008.  Last year, I made +8.73% with Lending Club and + 7.58% with Prosper, which is decent returns considering the [...]

Net Worth Review
The S&P 500 gained +0.8% in December and went from 896.24 to 903.25. But for a full year, the S&P 500 dropped -38.5% from 1468.36 to 903.25 — ouch!  According to NetworthIQ, my net worth rose +3.44% and my net investable assets increased +6.54%.

Highlights

Home value actually went up slightly in December, but for [...]

This is the 12th issue of the Ask The Expert column by Larry Swedroe. You can see Larry’s full biography and important disclaimer below. If you are interested in having your question answered by Larry, please send me an email via the contact page.
Now, let’s get to the questions and answers (please note that the [...]