If you do a Google Search for Lending Club or Prosper, a common autocomplete suggestion that comes up is “Lending Club Scam” and “Prosper.com Scam.” These searches are commonly performed not because Prosper or Lending Club are operating without regulatory approval or are a scam in some other way, but because people have natural concerns about financially innovative companies and the peer-to-peer lending industry as a whole.

It’s certainly reasonable to have a healthy level of concern about new financial products, especially since the world is riddled with financial scams, but you can rest assured in that both Prosper.com and Lending Club must both meet the regulatory requirements of each state that they do business in. In addition, Lending Club has a B+ rating from Redwood City’s Better Business Bureau and Prosper has a B+ rating from San Francisco’s better business bureau. You can also read experiences of individuals, such as Matt Jabs from Debt Free Adventure, who borrowed money through Lending Club to consolidate his debt. .

Peer-to-peer lending is a relatively new part of the world of lending, so it’s not a surprise that “lending club scam” and “prosper.com scam” are two of the most commonly searched terms relating to the two largest peer-to-peer lending companies in the United States. It’s natural for people thinking about borrowing money from Prosper or Lending Club to have some concern whether or not they are borrowing from a reputable lender. It’s also expected that investors considering placing money into the world of peer-to-peer lending to wonder whether or not they are signing up for the next great investment scam.

Getting a loan from Prosper or Lending Club isn’t any different than getting a loan from a bank, credit union or finance company. There is the possibility that you could get a much better interest rate with a peer-to-peer lending company .With both companies, you’ll be getting a fixed-rate, fully-amortizing loan, meaning that there’s no hidden balloon payments or variable interest rate hikes with the loans that you are taking out from either company.

If you are considering investing in loans with company, you need to be very diligent before putting money forward. Like all investments, there is risk involved in peer to peer lending. Foremost, there’s risk that the borrowers you lend money to won’t repay their loans. Some of the earliest lenders in Prosper.com did not have a positive experience because there were no boundaries set in place as to who could take out a loan or what interest rates loans could be funded at. Fortunately, both Prosper and Lending Club now place reasonable safeguards in place, such as only providing loans with fixed interest rates and making sure that borrowers meet certain credit requirements, to make sure that investors make a reasonably good rate of return.

If you still have concerns about whether or not Prosper or Lending Club is a scam, continue to research each company. Look up what the Better Business Bureau has to say about each company, look up their corporate registrations and read reviews from people have had direct personal experiences with the world of peer-to-peer lending. Take a look at their statements filed with the SEC as well.

Comparison shopping for the best prices on products is one of the most important ways to save money on the products that a person needs.  Comparing different types of products before deciding which items to purchase will save money and will give the person an idea of what items are available and what the typical price of each item will be.  There are a number of different ways that a person can find a price for products and each way has benefits and negative aspects associated with the method.

Contacting The Retailers

One method for finding a price for a product is to contact the retailer directly and inquire about the product that you are interested in.  This can be done by calling the company to talk to a representative from the company that will answer any questions that the person may have about the products.  The biggest benefit of choosing this method for finding a price is that the person will be discussing the products with an actual person and can ask the representative about the different types of items available.  The representative may also recommend products that would be better for the person’s needs.

This method takes a significant amount of time to get information from a single  retailer but the information received will be the most complete information available.  If the purchaser is shopping for an item available at a large number of retailers, this method may take more time than the person is willing to dedicate to pricing for a single item.

Finding The Prices Online

Some people choose to find prices for products by reviewing online websites that provide prices for different products at various retailers.  Some of these websites are run by third parties not associated with a specific retailer and the information returned by the website will provide the prices for a number of retailers that offer the items that the person is interested in.  In most cases, the person will be able to find the price for a particular type of product from several different retailers using a single website.

One of the biggest benefits of this method is the ability to find many prices from different retailers quickly.  Going to a single website to get prices for a variety of retailers is more efficient than talking to representatives for each company and, if more information is needed, the websites will have contact information for the retailer listed with the price.

Audible.com currently has a special TV Offer (www.audible.com/tvoffer) in which new Audible listeners can get two free audiobooks and a 30-day free trial to its gold membership.

Audible’s TV Offer is currently the best available offer that Audible has for new listeners. Individuals that take advantage of the offer will get two audiobook credits and a thirty day free trial to Audible’s gold membership. Audible typically charges users $14.95 per month for a gold membership account, which entitles users to one audiobook credit for month. The gold membership also provides significant discounts on any other audiobook titles that users purchase in a given month.

The special offer does require a credit card to get the two free audiobooks since it’s technically a free trial offer, however, users that aren’t interested in an Audible gold membership can cancel their account before the 30 day free trial is up. Users that cancel before the end of their trial will not have their accounts charged.

If you’re not familiar with Audible, it’s a subsidiary of Amazon that has the world’s largest selection of audiobooks. Audible currently has more than 85,000 titles on its books from 2,500 different content providers. Bestselling audiobooks, such as those included on the New York Times Best Sellers list and Publisher’s Weekly’s lists, are available on Audible.  The service has also produced a number of its own recordings as part of its Audible Originals collection and provides audio versions of a number of different periodicals. Audiobooks from Audible are compatible with all major modern smartphones and tablets, including those powered by Apple’s iOS, BlackBerry OS and Android OS. You can also listen to Audible audiobooks on all iPods and many other MP3 players.

Here’s the fine print for Audible’s special TV Offer, “Get your first 30 days of the AudibleListener® Gold membership plan free, which includes one credit, plus a one-time bonus credit. In almost all cases, one credit equals one audiobook. After your 30 day trial, your membership will automatically renew each month for just $14.95, billed to the credit card you used when you registered with Audible. With your membership, you will receive one credit per month plus members-only discounts on all audio purchases. If you cancel your membership before your free trial period is up, you will not be charged. Thereafter, cancel anytime, effective the next billing cycle.”

Users interested in  taking advantage of Audible.com’s TV Offer, visit www.audible.com/tvoffer

As a nation, Americans love the convenience and flexibility of paying by plastic, but what we do not love are the interest fees on credit card debt!

There are faster and smarter ways to repay these particular debts, including budgeting more effectively, comparing card rates and taking advantage of 0%  balance transfers at Moneysupermarket.

The US census bureau reported in 2010 that an average card holder has credit card debts of over $5,000 dollars and American Consumer Credit Counseling suggest that the average interest rate is 18.9%.

When you are trying to save money for a large long-term purchase, such as a house or your education, paying off interest on your credit cards can hinder your efforts.

You can create a healthier financial situation by just putting a little time and effort into doing some math – or letting the spreadsheet do it for you – and making a plan of action.

Firstly, make a list of credit cards and how much is owed on each, plus the interest rate. This is known as the APR, which stands for the annual percentage rate that you pay.

Check balance transfers at Moneysupermarket for suitable cards, prioritizing those that offer 0% transfers and 0% or low APR for the longest time period. The longer the time period, the better!

Calculate whether you can amalgamate all your credit card debt and put it onto this one card. If the credit limit is not high enough, consider applying for two cards.

Remember, however, that your new credit cards are for the purposes of paying off debt more effectively, not for you to be able to treat yourself to luxury items, however much you may be tempted.

Late fees can be costly on credit card repayments, so consolidating your debts onto one card should help you stay on top of your monthly repayment date.

Missing even one monthly repayment can affect your FICO score, which is your credit rating score. Miss more than one repayment and your score will begin to tumble further.

This means that you will lose some of your purchasing power. Creditors will see you as unreliable and you will be penalized by higher rates of APR as standard.

It is far better for you to use the beneficial rates to begin carving away at your debts. Experts suggest paying the minimum repayments on all cards except for one.

Pay off one card at a time, beginning with the card with the highest APR. Pay as much as you can each month off the balance, even if it means sacrificing treats or working overtime.

When you have paid off the first card, you will then have more money to plough into the next one. As your debts decrease, you will have more money to clear each balance.

Then you will find yourself debt free and able to put more into your savings account. The process may not be quick or sometimes that easy, but it will be well worth it.

Car insurance can be an expensive part of owning a car and, for many people, is a mandatory requirement of driving legally in their state.  To get the cheapest price for your car insurance, there are several things to consider and tips to follow.  By following a few simple tips, you can save hundreds of dollars on insurance policy premium costs each year by getting the most inexpensive car insurance available that still meets your needs.

Do Your Research

What is the first step in finding the most inexpensive car insurance for your needs?  The first step is to do your research about car insurance policies and state legal minimums to figure out how much coverage you will need so that you can pick the right insurance product.  There are many people that are paying more for their car insurance than they should be because they fail to calculate the actual value of the vehicles to be insured before purchasing their policy, instead opting to choose an amount that reflects what they feel the vehicle is worth.

Getting the most inexpensive rate for your car insurance will mean doing your own research so that you can make your own determination of how much coverage you need for your car.  Insurance companies and their brokers make more money on your policy if you purchase more coverage than you need and will sell you more coverage to make a higher commission on the policy.  By calculating the asset values and choosing your insurance policy accordingly, you will eliminate the chance of overpaying for insurance.

Policy Comparisons

Another way to find the least expensive car insurance for your needs is to compare the policies of several companies to find the best price for your geographical area.  Many people choose the first company they come across with an affordable price without looking further to see if they would qualify for a lower rate from a different company.  Comparing the prices of several different insurance policies will give you the average price of car insurance in the area for the type car that you own.

Many people find an insurance company that is offering a lower rate with a quick search of other insurance companies in the area.  Websites that help compare the prices of several different insurance policies will help you determine which companies have the most inexpensive rates for car insurance.

Saving money is a difficult task for many people.  Every day, consumers are bombarded by commercials that show them hundreds of products that claim to make their lives easier and are seduced into spending more than they can afford on things that they do not really need.  Turning this spending into savings is simple to accomplish by following some easy saving solutions that reduce the amount of money spent on unnecessary items.

Review Your Expenses For Pointless Purchases

Many people have expenses that are more of a habit than a necessity, such as a daily cup of specialty coffee or ATM fees for using the ATM closest to home.  Eliminating these purchases, which provide you with little to no benefit, can help you save hundreds of dollars each year.  To find these hidden money wasters, keep track of everything that money is spent on for a period of two months so that you can see where your money is going and where spending can be trimmed.

Eliminate Expensive Entertainment

Entertainment expenses are some of the biggest expenses of any household budget and spending more than can be afforded on entertainment is a fast way to find yourself in debt.  Review your cable package and honestly judge your viewing habits to see if downgrading or eliminating the package would be a good way to save some money.  Instead of spending tons of money viewing first run movies at a movie theater, rent a movie or purchase a movie at a DVD reseller and pay a quarter of the cost.  There are many different ways to save money on entertainment and the methods chosen will depend on which forms of entertainment the individual enjoys.

Conserve Energy

Restricting and reducing your energy usage is an easy way to see significant savings in a short period of time.  Restrict driving to necessary errands to save on gasoline.  Turn off the lights in the rooms you are not using to reduce the amount of your monthly energy bill.  Replacing the weather stripping and seals around your home is also a good way to conserve energy and lower your heating and cooling costs.  Simply reducing the amount of energy used on a daily basis with these methods can save you hundreds of dollars each year.

Many people are trying to save money on the things that they have to purchase, such as food and clothing, as prices continue to rise across the board.  Some of these people do not know many ways to save money on their purchases because in the past they believed that the amount saved would not justify the time spent trying to save it.  Today, there are many easy answers for saving  money on shopping trips that do not take a lot of time and can result in a reduction of 30-50% of the total cost.

Coupons

Redeeming coupons is one of the most common methods used to save money on purchases..  Coupons can be redeemed for a wide variety of items ranging from clothing to furniture to household appliances and are accepted by stores as varied as toy stores and electronics retailers.  Many coupons area available in your local newspaper’s advertising section and other companies mail their coupons directly to the home or place coupons online for review and printing.

To get the best deals using coupons, take time each week to clip or print the coupons for products that you use regularly or are running out of.  Most coupons are valid for a month after issuance so you have until then to review advertisements to see if any of the products that you have coupons for are on sale.  Purchasing products with a coupon while on sale can save as much as 70% off the total price of the product.

Price Matching

Many stores offer price match guarantees for the products they carry.  If someone finds a lower price at a different retailer for the same item, then the retailer will honor the advertised price or refund the difference between the advertised price and the price that was paid at their location.  This is useful if you purchase a home appliance and notice that the item has gone on sale after you have made your purchase or if you do not have the retailer advertising the best price located close to your home.

Sales

Retailers will have sales for different items at different times of the year and keeping track of the things that you need will help you get most of the things that you need for a sale price.  This can cut 30% to 60% from the amount of spent each month on necessities.  Some people will not purchase items unless they are on sale and never pay the full retail price for anything.  Purchasing items that are on sale at a deep discount and then using a coupon for the item will reduce the cost even further.

Now more than ever, households are tightening their belts and learning to love savings again. After a long period of high consumer debt and loans and low personal savings amounts, the trend has rapidly started to change in the wake of the credit crunch and economic downturn.

The difficulty currently is, of course, finding a savings account that offers decent returns, ideally which are more than inflation. Failing to gain interest levels that at least match the cost of living, means that the real value of your money will slowly erode over time.

In the current tight financial market, where many are burdened with existing loans, there are few easy access accounts that offer savings rates above inflation. However longer-term accounts, bonds and savings trusts may offer more attractive and guaranteed returns.

Additionally, for consumers that already have loans, it may be better to focus on repaying these before attempting to save (with the exception of emergency funds). Loans will nearly always be costed at higher interest rates than savings accounts and should be tackled first.

As a general rule, it is wise to seek financial advice when making a personal savings plan. For example, you may be happy for a low-interest easy access web-based account to save for a holiday, but prefer a tax-efficient, longer-term bond to pay for your children’s college education.

Stock-market linked savings can offer attractive potential returns, but these are not guaranteed. Bonds and fixed savings rates are less attractive interest rate-wise, but offer guaranteed returns.

A financial advisor will look at your savings objectives, lifestyle, savings patterns and attitude to risk and advise accordingly. Usually the advice will be to follow a structured savings plan and spread across different savings vehicles with different levels of risk.

Basic ‘emergency’ savings are best kept in an easy to access account. Longer term investment savings may benefit from stock or index linked savings accounts to earn better rates of return in the longer term. Tax efficient savings accounts are the ideal, but will have capped limits and conditions.

For any savings account, check the basics first and read the small print – often a small missed term or condition can otherwise trip you up later on.

For example, be very clear if you can add to the savings account and how many times / how much you can withdraw without the savings interest rate being affected. Some tiered rate accounts offer the best interest rates when only one withdrawal is made a year. Make several and you will lose that rate.

Other savings accounts offer better interest rates to loyal customers who hold additional finance products with that banking institution. A common example is a better priced savings account for a customer already holding a cheque or balance account, or one of the institution’s loans.

Avoid being swayed by promotional or joining offers when looking at savings accounts. Of course the same logic applies to bank accounts or loans, but essentially the promotion is generally worth little when the underlying merits of the offer is analysed.

Better instead to look for good fundamentals. These will differ for different circumstances, but they are essentially a good interest rate, few or no withdrawal penalties, easy access (ideally online access for those who have regular computer access) and good customer service.

Savings accounts can be reviewed and searched for online, in the same way that other common financial products such as credit cards and loans can be.

Finally, once your savings account is set up, use it! Set up an automatic direct debit from your main account when you get paid each month, before you spend it and undermine your good intentions.

Saving money can be simple if you know some easy tips and tricks to streamline your savings.  Many of the easiest ways to save money are methods that most people do not even think about when trying to find ways to save and the more you incorporate these tips into your life, the faster your savings account will grow.  It will take some effort on your part to continue increasing your savings and in time, you will be saving hundreds of dollars over the course of a year.

Cook At Home

One of the biggest money wasters for most households is the cost of eating meals out or getting carryout meals to bring home.  Meals that are purchased from a restaurant typically cost 3 to 5 times more than it would cost the person to make the same meal themselves out of ingredients from the grocery store.  Getting into the habit of cooking at home can be difficult for people that are not in the practice of cooking for themselves but starting with simple meals and a couple of cookbooks can put anyone on the right path of eating well prepared home cooked meals.

Use A List When Shopping

Creating a shopping list and sticking to the list during your shopping trip is a good way to keep more of your money in your pocket.  Retailers are experts in finding ways to entice you into purchasing something that you did not intend to purchase and impulse purchases can add 30% or more to the amount you originally intended to spend.  Making a list and getting everything you intended to get in a single trip can reduce the amount you spend on shopping by a significant amount.

Avoid Other Bank’s ATMs

ATM fees charged for using an ATM not branded for your bank can cost you around $5 per occurrence, typically a $2 charge from your bank and a $3 charge from the bank that owns the ATM.  Even if you only use another bank’s ATM 3 times a month, you are still spending $180 a year on ATM fees.  Planning your ATM withdrawals to occur at your bank or going a little further out of your way to find an ATM branded for your banking institution can save you hundreds of dollars every year.

Buying things that we really do not need can create a host of financial problems, including becoming saddled with unmanageable debt.  Spending money on unnecessary items is almost the same as throwing the money in the trash can and will result in less financial security and a cluttered home full of stuff that is rarely used.  Spending wisely should always be a priority and having money in the bank does not mean that you need to spend it.  Here are some tips for curbing unnecessary spending and keeping more of your money in your bank account.

Avoid Peer Pressure

Peer pressure often seems like something that happens to middle-school students with weak willpower, but the truth is that adults are not immune to peer pressure.  Adults tend to match the spending of the people they are frequently in contact with, an act often referred to as ‘keeping up with the Joneses.’  This happens not because you desire the object, but because you want to fit in with the crowd and have the same things that they have so that you do not feel inferior.  Avoiding peer pressure when shopping, either by shopping alone or by training yourself mentally to avoid frivolous spending, can help you stay within your budget and avoid spending more than you can afford.

Purchase Generics And Store Brands

One of the biggest mistakes people make with their finances is believing that a higher price equals a better product.  This is often not the case.  Many brand name products have a higher price because you are also paying for all of the media advertising and endorsement deals the company has made to promote their products, not because the materials used to create the product are better than what other companies use.  In most cases, there is very little discernable difference between a brand name item and its generic equivalent so you can save a lot of money by purchasing generic items without sacrificing quality.

Break The Habit Of Impulse Purchasing

Purchasing items on impulse while in the store is a fast way to break your budget with unnecessary purchases.  Most impulse purchases are of things that you do not need and are often items that the store sells at a high markup.  By making a shopping list before you travel to the store and following that list while in the store, you will ensure that you are only spending what you intended and what you can afford.