Prosper.com

It's unlikely that random people will just give you the money you need to float you through your ordinary fiscal troubles. But they might make you a loan. Peer-to-peer lending, where borrowers bypass big banks and get loans directly from other individuals, is getting bigger all the time.

For those who can't get bank loans, the new business of peer-to-peer lending can be a lifesaver. Internet companies connect people who need cash with folks willing to lend -- for a fair profit, of course. Here's how it works, risks and all.

Peer-to-peer lending site Prosper.com has stopped letting high-risk borrowers use its site because too many of them failed to repay their loans. The site's problem, says columnist and one-time lender Alex Salkever, is that Prosper got in the way of letting a social bond form between microborrower and microlender.

If you haven't heard of Prosper.com until now, a $1,000 contest and a new web site might get you interested. Prosper.com is a peer-to-peer lending site. The idea is that if you're having trouble getting a loan at a bank, or maybe you're feeling a bit anti-bank these days and would rather see...

Peer to Peer lending isn't just a good way to get a loan for consolidating your debt or launching a small business, it's also a great way to invest. LendingClub.com, one of the best known p2p lenders, is celebrating its growth and the popularity of peer-to-peer lending by giving away $2,500 to...

Now that Prosper.com is back from its quiet phase complete with SEC registration and a secondary market for loans, CEO Chris Larsen took some time to talk to WalletPop about Peer to Peer Lending. Tune in to learn more about the lending and borrowing process on Prosper, including: how interest rates...

Your looks can tell a lender if you're likely to repay a loan or default, according to a Reuters story. The study by Rice University in Houston, Texas, doesn't mean your looks as far as if you're handsome or homely, but whether you look trustworthy. And even with credit scores available, the study...