SLN News

Social Lending Network is Now Lend Academy

September 27, 2012 By Peter Renton 10 Comments

Today this blog has changed. No longer will it be sociallending.net, we have moved to lendacademy.com. But don’t worry everything is still here. You will notice that the only thing that has changed is the URL, name and logo – everything else is the same. Thanks to everyone who helped me choose the new logo – this one above was the clear winner.

So Why the Change?

This is something I have been mulling for the last 12 months. When I first took over the Social Lending Network about two years ago I didn’t know what direction it would take. I knew I loved peer to peer lending and I liked writing and running a blog so it sounded like a good idea at the time.

Back then I also didn’t know whether p2p lending would really take off. In October 2010, when I took over the Social Lending Network, Lending Club and Prosper combined for around $15 million in new loan volume just a fraction of today. But more importantly back then I didn’t know exactly what role the blog should have.

Since then it has become clear that this blog is really about learning. And I believe that I have learned as much or more from you, the reader, as you have from me. But learning is the foundation of what I am trying to do here. I want to teach everyone about p2p lending so it can become firmly entrenched in the financial landscape. With that in mind the name change to Lend Academy makes sense. This is a place where people can come to learn about p2p lending.

The Transition to Lend Academy

There are many parts of this transition and not everything is changing today. We have a new Facebook page that I encourage everyone to go ahead and like. There will be no longer any updates on the old Facebook page. Our twitter account has been renamed from @Socialloans to @LendAcademy.

It will take a few weeks before everything has been rebranded completely. But I am excited about this new journey with a brand that reflects what I am trying to accomplish.

All the 350+ posts I have written in the past two years are still here. In fact if you have bookmarked an old post you will be automatically redirected to the new URL. If you encounter any problems with the new site please let me know. And as always, I would love to hear your feedback. What do you think of this change?

Can You Help Me With The Rebranding of my Blog?

August 9, 2012 By Peter Renton 3 Comments

The Social Lending Network is changing. It is being renamed and rebranded to become Lend Academy. And I would like your help in choosing the new logo for Lend Academy. Since I am big believer in the peer to peer space I have decided to turn over the final branding decision to my peers.

I am running a design contest on 99designs and I have decided on the eight finalists. Now, I am leaving it up to you. Whichever design wins the most votes will be the new logo for Lend Academy. You can vote in the contest here.

Why the Change?

The current blog name and logo is one I inherited when I bought this blog back in October 2010 and I always intended to give it my own look. It has also become clear to me that the name Social Lending Network is somewhat confusing and can even be misleading. I get 2-3 emails a week from people asking me for money because they think I lend money directly. Also, the term social lending is never used by Prosper or Lending Club these days. Prosper uses peer to peer lending and Lending Club uses the term prime consumer notes or just consumer lending.

I wrote last year that peer to peer lending needs a new name but there has been no consensus on what that name will be. But I do know this industry is all about lending and investing. And my mission here is to educate the world about this type of lending – hence the name Lend Academy.

So, I would appreciate it if you would vote for my new logo here. Nothing is going to change right away, this is quite a large project to do a rebranding like this. But stay tuned. And thank you.

The $50 Discount for the P2P Lending Wealth System Ends Tomorrow

May 30, 2012 By Peter Renton 2 Comments

Just a quick one today. I received this email yesterday from an investor who had recently bought my new video course, the P2P Lending Wealth System.

This is what this person had to say about the course:

The videos were excellent, your commentary is thorough and thoughtful. For a novice investor, it was invaluable to give me the confidence to start investing in P2P loans. Well worth the money.

The $50 Discount Ends at 8pm EDT Tomorrow

I hope you will forgive this shameless plug but I wanted to let everyone know that the introductory pricing for the P2P Lending Wealth System ends at 8pm EDT tomorrow (Thursday). So, you really need to hurry to save $50 off the full price. Click here to find out more. End of shameless plug.

The New P2P Lending Wealth System Launches

May 10, 2012 By Peter Renton Leave a Comment

The all new P2P Lending Wealth System is now available. With over four and a half hours of video content I think it is safe to say that it is the most comprehensive training program for p2p investors ever created.

Those of you who have been with me a while here will remember the first version of the P2P Lending Wealth System that launched last December. Well, I have gone and redone the entire course, rerecorded all the videos and added a ton of new content. So it is completely up to date.

The Content

There are twelve videos within four modules – here is the breakdown of the content:

Module 1 – Introduction

Part 1 – Background
Part 2 – The Risks
Part 3 – Before you Start

Module 2 – Investing

Part 1 – Lending Club Introduction
Part 2 – Investing with Lending Club
Part 3 – Prosper Introduction
Part 4 – Investing with Prosper

Module 3 – Maximizing ROI

[Read more…]

Lots Happening Here at the Social Lending Network

April 26, 2012 By Peter Renton 4 Comments

April has been a really busy month for me. I have just finished recording a brand new version of the P2P Lending Wealth System. This is my online video course covering all aspects of peer to peer lending that I first released late last year. In version 2.0 every video has been re-recorded and I have added some brand new content as well.

Free Short P2P Lending Video Course

At the same time I have created a free short video course. The free course will be three short (10-15 minute) videos that introduce new investors to p2p lending and provides some guidance on the best way to get started.

The videos are designed for viewing in sequence as they build on each other, so you will only be able to view them by registering your email address. Then links to each video will be emailed over the course of a week or so. In these videos I cover the main questions that new investors have when starting out at Lending Club or Prosper.

A Site Redesign

Finally, the Social Lending Network is getting a makeover. Late tonight I will be installing a new design that will make the site easier to navigate, particularly for new visitors. If all goes well, by early Friday morning you will see the new look.

Next week I intend to launch the free short video course and then version 2.0 of the P2P Lending Wealth System will be available the following week.

Stay tuned.

The P2P Lending Wealth System Launches

December 8, 2011 By Peter Renton 11 Comments

I had the idea for a course like this back in April. People kept asking me the same thing in the emails I received. Can you explain the risks? How can I avoid defaults? How do I increase my returns?

I realized there was no place for new or existing p2p investors to go to learn everything they need to know to be successful. Sure there is a wealth of information on this blog but it is not exactly organized in a systematic way. Plus, I think video is the best way to teach people how to navigate around different websites.

So I created the P2P Lending Wealth System. It has taken me a couple of months to create but it is now ready for prime time.

Three and a Half Hours of Video Content

In this online video course I take investors through every aspect of p2p lending. There is around three and a half hours of video content divided into eight modules:

Introduction
The Risks of P2P Lending
Before you Start Investing
Investing with Lending Club
Investing with Prosper
Maximizing Your ROI
The Trading Platform
How I am Investing Today

Introductory Video

I have created a short nine minute video that introduces the P2P Lending Wealth System. The cost of the course is just $97 and for that you don’t just get the video course but also a host of great bonuses, including many goodies I have never shared before.

So go check out the video and let me know what you think.

Sneak Peak at the P2P Lending Wealth System

December 1, 2011 By Peter Renton 11 Comments

Last week I announced I would be introducing my new video course for p2p investors soon. I also asked for your help in filling out a short survey.

I certainly appreciated all of your responses – 91 of you told me exactly what you would like to see covered in this course. I have incorporated a lot of your feedback into the course and today I am going to give you an early sneak peek at the course itself.

But before I do that let me give you a bit of background as to why I created this course.

It is no secret to even the casual reader of this blog that I am a big fan of p2p lending. Ever since I started investing in 2009 I have been adding more money into this asset class. And the more I have learned the more bullish I have become about its future.

No Training Course Available

I firmly believe that every investor should have a portion of his or her portfolio dedicated to p2p lending. And word is definitely spreading. New investors are coming on board every day. But how do these investors learn the ins and outs of investing? [Read more…]

Quick Announcement and a Favor…

November 22, 2011 By Peter Renton 6 Comments

Just a quick one today. This is a very different blog post – I need to ask you a favor.

I am very close to finishing up my new video course for p2p investors. I have been working on this for the past six months and I will be releasing it in December. But before I do I have to ask you a couple of questions. Can you help me out?

This is a super-short survey, it should take you just a couple of minutes. I also provide a little more detail on my investor course:

http://www.sociallending.net/question

Thank you!

Do You Want to Write for the Social Lending Network?

November 2, 2011 By Peter Renton Leave a Comment

Just a quick one today. Since I took over this blog a year ago I have written every single article that has been published here. That’s 174 articles to be exact. But from reading the comments on this blog over the last few months I realize there are plenty of people out there who know more about peer to peer lending than me.

So, this is your chance to be heard. If you have a desire to see your name in print (well on a screen at least) or just have an idea you would like to share then I am inviting you to send them my way. I cannot provide any cash reward in return but if you have a blog or web site you can include a link to that in your article or byline.

I will be creating some detailed editorial guidelines but for now let’s just say 500-700 words and it has to be directly related to peer to peer lending. I will maintain editorial control over the content just like any other publisher. I can’t promise you will get published but if you are interested please let me know by filling out the Contact form and giving me your ideas for an article.

Why I am Investing Another $100,000 in P2P Lending

October 19, 2011 By Peter Renton 15 Comments

Earlier this month my total p2p lending portfolio crossed over $100,000 in value. It has steadily risen in value every month since I started investing in July 2009 (except for one month) and I have continued to add new money on a regular basis.

But I have decided that is not enough. So today, I am announcing publicly that I will invest another $100,000 in both Lending Club and Prosper over the next 12 months – thereby doubling my current investment.

Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is

It is no secret that I am a big believer in this concept. I have stated many times that I think p2p lending is the best risk/reward investment available in the world today. But the more I have studied the numbers and talked with management at Lending Club and Prosper, the more I became convinced that I should add to my investments substantially. [Read more…]