Bringing small borrowers and small lenders together is the idea behind the online social lending venture called Prosper.com.
Prosper, based in San Francisco, offers unsecured loans of up to $25,000 at a fixed rate for three years. Anyone with money can lend on Prosper, in increments as small as $50.
The system works a little like eBay, except that the bidding is to lend money at lower interest rates.
Since last year when it went live, Prosper has grown to more than 140,000 members and has originated about $33 million in loans.
Borrowers pay lower interest rates than they might get from a bank or other lender. They make their pitches online, and they can disclose as much personal information as they wish.
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