Posted on August - 13 - 2010

Investing $100,000 with Lending Club PRIME

Why so much money?

Well, it was just sitting in a savings account earning less than 2%, and I need to diversify my investments a little, but I’m not ready to go back into the stock market yet. I realize there is risk involved with holding a personal loan portfolio, but I’ve met the Lending Club team, and I feel confident in their tactics and processes to minimize that risk.

I’m looking now for investments that generate cash, and Lending Club fits that bill.

Setting up my Lending Club PRIME account

I didn’t want to choose dozens of loans on my own, and since Lending Club was waiving the normal .8% PRIME loading fee, I decided to enroll in their PRIME program.

The PRIME program allows Lending Club to invest on my behalf, which is exactly what I’m looking for. I want a

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Posted on August - 12 - 2010

Dow Sinks 3.3% on Week (Market Update)

Stocks limped to a small loss, capping a rough week that has seen the major indexes back into the red for the year on renewed signs of slowing economic growth.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 16.80 points, or 0.16%, to 10303.15, extending a four-day slide that’s seen the blue-chip index fall 3.3% this week.

The slump came as weak economic data and a gloomy Federal Reserve statement lent more credibility to fears that the flagging economic recovery could turn into a double-dip recession.

Investors “got a big jolt from the Fed this week that just shifted positions dramatically from just two weeks ago when they felt that the economy was gaining some traction,” said Bruce Bittles, chief investment strategist at Robert W.

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Posted on August - 11 - 2010

Bringing Debt Into a Marriage (P.S. I’m Hitched!)

Well, It’s official.

I’m married : ).

And it’s awesome. : ) : ) : )

Yes, that was three smileys in a row on a blog.

It’s a strange feeling…sometimes it feels strange, but I’d say 99% of the time, everything feels the same with my now wife, which is great, because we are both very happy.

The past few months have been pretty crazy, lots of wedding planning, moving, living in my Mom’s basement, etc. But now I’m settling in with my wife in Portland, and we just love it.

I honestly thought, when I started this blog back in January of 2007, that there was no way in heck I would be getting married anytime this side of 30 (I’m 27 now).

What, you didn’t think so either? Ha.

Bringin

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Posted on August - 10 - 2010

Dow Falls 54.50 Points (Market Update)

By Jonathan Cheng And Min Zeng

Stocks saw a late surge collapse as investors reassessed Federal Reserve moves to try and support an increasingly wobbly economic recovery.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 54.50 points, or 0.51%, at 10644.25 after surging after the Fed announcement to erase the majority of its earlier triple-digit loss. Treasurys jumped, while the U.S. dollar plunged, shaving off a day of strong gains.

At the end of their one-day policy meeting, Fed officials said they would reinvest the proceeds from expiring agency debt and mortgage-backed securities into Treasurys, to keep long-term borrowing costs for businesses and consumers low. The U.S.

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Posted on August - 08 - 2010

10 Funds Ahead of the SEC’s Proposed Rules (Screens)

As industry watchers debate the merits of proposed changes to the rules governing mutual fund fees, some fee-free funds are generating head-turning returns – and they won’t have to make big changes to comply.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed a new set of rules to limit the onerous and sometimes vague fees that have raised the ire of many investors. The so-called 12b-1 fee is traditionally described as a marketing and distribution fee, although a large portion goes to financial intermediaries (like brokers, financial planners and advisors), who recommend and sell the funds.

The fee is named for Rule 12b-1, which was adopted by the Security and Exchange Commission in 1980 and allows mutual fund companies to draw from their assets to pay those investing professionals.

Different share classes charge different 12b-1 fees. Cla

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