Peer-to-peer lending? Credit unions do it better

MADISON, Wis. (7/13/09)--Lending Club, an online business that operates like a dating service to pair individuals who want to borrow money with people willing to lend it, reports more than 5,000 successful "marriages" worth more than $43 million since its launch two years ago. Credit Union National Association's (CUNA's) Center for Personal Finance reminds borrowers that credit unions remain a better option.

Peer-to-peer lending networks bypass the traditional lending industry by allowing consumers to appeal directly to other consumers for a loan. Peer lenders often can earn more interest lending their money to strangers than they'd earn on conventional investments such as certificates of deposit. Peer borrowers often can get loans at rates lower than banks offer.

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Courtesy of cuna.org