Then I plan to do a lot of posts explaining how to wisely invest with Lending Club – and how it produces solid and predictable returns regardless of bear/bull market conditions.

Yeah – saving some and investing some, even while in aggressive debt repayment can be very important… per each individual situation. To be honest, I go back and forth on this every month. I try to commit 100% of my discretionary income to debt repayment, but I just keep feeling terrible about not paying myself at least something… even if it’s just 1%. I think there is a lot of wisdom in the old adage, “always pay yourself first – no matter how little.”

I think it’s a good idea to at least have some money in the markets. It makes it a lot more real and the moment I started investing I payed a lot more attention to how the markets were doing. I suppose that could become a bad thing because checking your portfolio everyday is so incredibly unproductive.

Hopefully this will become a very big baby for you!

Good post! thanks for the advice!

Wouldn’t it be neat if you got more affiliate income than the investment in your Lending Club account? Whatcha think about using those proceeds to fund your lending account to $1,000 or more like the Schwab, instead of just $270? Having more in your Lending Club account may help readers more readily sign up, because they’ll think if Matt has several thouand in Lending Club, he’s got high conviction in the product, and then I too shall join!

Just a thought!

Thanks for the offer but this article details the extent of my capacity to invest… until of course the katana puts my debt to rest once and for all.

1. High average net annualized returns regardless of bear/bull market – currently 9%+ since June of 2007.
2. Less volatility than mutual funds.
3. Greater control of risk and/or diversification by funding a vast number of notes with varying degrees of risk according to your tolerance.
4. Disintermediation of banks.
5. Option to fund loans for situations in which you would like lend a helping hand – ie) credit card debt reduction loans, or small business loans.

Besides trying to prove a theory that it’s mostly LUCK when it comes to investing with The Samurai Fund, the other main purpose to have help educate readers and participants on the stock market, income statements, industries, and fund management business!

I will probably open up the fund to new participants end of the month or 2Q, if you’d like to throw your hat in the ring. The pick has to be solely based off your name/site name!

Best, Sam