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Of course there are downsides to peer lending as well.  Default rates are generally higher due to the eagerness of lenders wanting to achieve above average rates of return.  Also, sometimes terms are worse than bank loans or mortgage loans in the aspect of pre-payments and/or fees.  It all depends on how the loan agreement is structured.

There are a few popular peer-to-peer lending sights available on the internet today.  The most popular two are Lending Club and Prosper.   Both sites allow you to become either a lender or a borrower.  Note that lenders are limited to specific states that have been approved.  Advertised rates range from 6% up to 30% depending on the risk a lender is willing to take.  The downside to these peer-to-peer lending sites is that they usually require a credit check, and adjust the rates based on credit score.  Prosper.com works more along the lines of an ebay style site for loans.  So the credit rating is not as critical for Prosper.com.  Lending club rates are completely based on credit score, assets and background information you provide during the sign-up.

Other means of peer lending or private lending is simply to ask friends or family members for loans.  There are sites (Virgin Lending) and documents that exist to make these peer loans more official instead of just taking your friend of family members verbal commitment to pay you back.  These are the best loans to come by and can be structured  to be very flexible depending on the needs of the person loaning the money and the borrower requirements.

Peer loans can be used for real estate purchases, credit card debug consolidation, home remodeling, home rehabbing, or simply to fund  at dream vacation.  Next time you are in the need of money, consider bypassing conventional bank and financial institution loans and consider Peer Lending.

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Sites like zillow.com and bankrate.com are excellent resources for tracking and predicting where mortage rates will be headed.  For example, on zillow.com, you can track mortgage rates for the average 15 and 30 year rate based on daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly charts.  Note that rates are different for each state, so rates shown on sites like zillow.com show the average rate across all states.

To find local rates, it is best to search for mortgage companies in your local area.  For example, if you live in Austin Texas, one of the local mortgage companies called SweetWater Mortgage shows rates for the local area and Texas.  Rates can be as much as a 0.5% difference from state to state, so make sure to check your local rates in comparison to the US average mortgage rate trends.

Bankrate.com provides a zip code input form so the site can cater mortgage rates to your specific area.  The search results will provide the lowest rates around and disclose any points or fees associated with obtaining that specific mortgage.

Next time you are looking to find out current mortgage rate trends and understand what direction mortgage rates are headed, look no further than you local mortgage provider web sites or industry specific sites like zillow.com.

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Social networking sites are more popular than ever.  LinkedIn is a social networking site targeted towards connecting professions with potential opportunities.  The opportunities can range from business ventures and changing jobs to head hunters targeting you.  Make sure your LinkedIn profile is updated with your latest job status and responsibilities.  This gives potentially employers up to date information on you in case they come across your LinkedIn profile.

Another social networking site worth joining is Twitter.  Create an interesting user name or handle, and broadcast messages on your skills, interests, and desires.  By doing this daily (or once you are addicted, it will most likely be hourly), you will build a large network of contacts, some of which might just be your next employer or a referral to one.

An easy way to attract attention to your resume and skills is to build a simple web site where potential employers or head hunters can view your most up to date resume.  Domain names can be purchased for as little as $10, and if you hire someone to do your website, it might cost a $100 – $200.  If you are skilled enough yourself, it should only take a couple hours to get a site up and running.  Advertise your site to the major search engines to attract visits, and make sure to search engine optimize (SEO) your site.  This will enable search engines to find your site and update their relevant links accordingly.  Also, make sure to Twitter about your site and any recently posted information or details.

Above are just a few easy investing ideas to spruce up your chances of finding a job and increasing your income potential.

Most investors use various types of moving averages, including the Simple Moving Average, Exponential Moving Average, Smoothed Moving Average, and Linear Weighted Moving Average. Each moving average calculation has its Pros and Cons. For this article, we will stick with the Simple Moving Average.

As mentioned previously, the simple moving average is just the average value of the stock price over a designated period of time. Investors and analysts generally use two different plots for the simple moving average. On a chart with the stock price plotted, analysts usually overlay both a short term moving average line and long term moving average line. Typical values for the short term moving average are 10, 20 and 50 day moving average calculations, and long term are generally 100 and 200 day moving averages. The key is to calculate what is know as the crossover point, which is where the moving indicator lines cross. Below is the criteria that move analysts use when analyzing stocks with the simple moving average.

• When the short term moving average (50 day) crosses and continues above the longer term moving average (200 day), it is believed this is a signal to purchase the stock because it will continue on an uptrend.
• When the short term moving average (50 day) crosses and continues below the longer term moving average (200 day), it is believed this is a signal to sell since the stock prices is likely to continue its slide downwards.

The below charts shows an example of a positive crossover point in which the 50 day moving average crossed over the 200 day moving average, and the stock price continued to increase.  This is a chart of Intel’s (INTC) stock performance for 2009.  The green line is the 50 day moving average, and the orange line is the 200 day moving average.

Note that at the crossover point, the stock price was $16.  If the stock price was purchased at the crossover point and held until December 2009, the return would of been greater than 25%.

Simple Moving Averages and crossover point analysis is a very simple and effective method that individuals can integrate into their overall stock analysis approach.

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There are several suggested methods for using the PE ratio as a fundamental indicator in the value of a stock. One method is to find the average PE ratio across the stock industry. For example, if you are researching biotechnology companies, stock screening and research sites usually provide the industry average PE ratio. If the stock under research has a PE ratio lower than the average industry PE, it may signal a good buy.

Some investors use the PE ratio calculation with the forward looking earnings value. By dividing the stock price of one share by the future yearly earnings expectation, you can determine the forward looking PE Ratio. If the value is lower than the industry average, this can also strongly suggest the stock may be at a prime purchase point.  The reason is that the stock is discounted based on the future earnings, and if the stock hits its future earnings, its price should rise to the industry average, resulting in a healthy stock price appreciation.

Now that you know what the PE Ratio is and how it’s used, have fun searching through stocks to find which ones stick out as exceptional discount prices. Most stock screen sites and stock search pages allow you to search and sort by PE Ratio.

Please note that PE Ratio should not be the only indicator or piece of information used to make decisions on stock purchases. It is however one of the most fundamental indicators used by stock analysts when researching stocks, and should be used as one component when deciding which stocks are best to buy.

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