Lending Club Returns Update 4Q13

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Another quarter has come and gone, so it’s time for an update on the Lending Club returns I’ve been getting on my account.  At the end of the third quarter, my account was sitting at a return rate of 14.69%.  It’s actually improved a bit since then, but Lending Club has also added the ability to adjust the displayed NAR, which does some funny stuff (see below) and reduces the rate a bit.  I think that’s a good thing (again, see below) and that’s the rate I’ll likely be using for future updates.

Lending Club Adjusted NAR

A few months back, Lending Club introduced what they’re calling an adjusted NAR.  Basically, it uses the historical charge off rates of loans at the different stages of delinquency.  Obviously, the current loans have a historical rate of charge off of 0%.  Once they go into the Grace Period, about 23%, 16-30 days late, about 49%, 31-120 days late, about 72%, and in full default, about 86%.Beating Broke Lending Club Update

As an example, my portfolio currently has two notes that are in the 31-120 days late category.  So, when Lending Club is adjusting my NAR, they use the 72% figure and assume that 72% of the principle will be lost.  Using that number, they then calculate the new, adjusted NAR.  With the two notes late, my adjusted NAR is currently showing as 13.16%.  Still a very healthy number, and likely a more realistic number.  I like the new adjustment, as it should give investors a more realistic number to look at.

Lending Club Defaults and Late Notes

As I mentioned above, my portfolio currently has two notes that are 31-120 days delinquent.  And, if you go by the historical numbers, those two notes have about a 72% chance of eventually going into collections.  I’ve been lucky enough to only have had one note actually go that far to date, and the collection agency was able to get a bit of that money back for me.  It wasn’t the entire amount owed, but a significant portion of the principle, which I was happy for.  I could try and sell off the two delinquent notes, but at this point, I wouldn’t get much out of them, so I think I’ll just ride them out and see what happens.  The total principle involved is only about $35, so it would mean about a month and a half of lost interest payments.  That’s a risk I’m willing to take.

The Future of My Portfolio

With the rates I’m getting, I don’t foresee stopping my investing through Lending Club.  I may even start putting some more money into the account sometime in the future.  At the moment, I’m content to just leave it and reinvest the payments each month.  I’ve seen a few other investors that have either significantly changed how they’re using Lending Club, or have begun backing out of it altogether.  I think it’s something that you need to be able to change how you do it, but I also believe that backing out altogether is a mistake at this point.  The technology is still relatively new, and many of the changes that we’re seeing Lending Club make have been for the better.

I’ve created a page that consolidates all of the posts I’ve done on Lending Club, as well as the quarterly updates since I began doing them.  If you’re interested in starting to invest in Lending Club, you can read more on my Lending Club page, or you can sign up for an account and give it a go.

Lending Club Returns Update 3Q13

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Another quarter has come and gone.  We’re bracing ourselves for the coming winter.  It’s also time for a check-up on my Lending Club account, and the returns I’ve gotten.  In my 2Q13 update , my account was showing a return of 14.08%.  Keep reading to find out if I’ve managed to maintain that rate.

No More Defaults

One of the other things that I wrote about in last quarters update was that my portfolio finally suffered it’s first defaulted loan.  In this quarter, I had a few loans that went into the late categories, but ended up coming back to normal.  I’m still a little surprised that I haven’t had more defaults.  I’m glad that I’ve been lucky enough to only have the one default since January, 2010.

Active Passive Income

Beating Broke Lending Club UpdateThe closer you get to true passive income, the less work you have to put into it.  Lending Club portfolios are not true passive income.  I’ve discussed it before, and it bears reiteration.  They are awful close though.  In all, I spend about 20 minutes a month to reinvest the payments and interest that have come in.  It’s not all at once, usually.  With the $9-$10 in interest that my portfolio is earning each month, that’s a pretty good wage.  Maybe it’s an active passive income stream.  Oxymoron for the win!

Lending Club Return Rate

Now, for what everyone has been waiting for.  (Or scrolled down really quickly for)  Without any further defaults, and staying on top of reinvesting the funds as they come in, I’ve been happy this quarter with my return.  As of 10/4/13, my current Lending Club returns rate displayed is 14.69%!  It’s bounced back nicely from the default.  I’ve been investing the funds a little more aggressively over this quarter which helps explain some of that.  At this point, my reasoning is that I’ve been investing with Lending Club since 2010 and have only had one default.  The risk is still there, I think, but I don’t think it’s quite as bad as some would like to make it sound.

Where will my rate be at the end of the year?  I’m hoping it will remain steady.  I’ll be maintaining the same Lending Club investing filter, and hope that doing so will maintain the low default rate I’ve been lucky enough to have.

How is your Lending Club portfolio doing?

5 Ways a Better Credit Score Leads to Better Finances

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BookkeepingEverybody knows that you want to have the best credit score you can.  Why?  Because the better your credit score, the better the rates you can get on your loans, of course!  But, did you know that there are other reasons to try and improve your credit score?  In fact, here’s five ways that having a better credit score can lead to better finances.

  1. More money.  This is the obvious one.  A better credit score leads to better rates on loans (see above), and better rates lead to less interest paid over the life of the loan.  And less interest paid leads to…  (wait for it) a  better bank balance!
  2. Better rentals.  It’s a sad fact that many landlords are doing credit checks on prospective tenants these days.  They’ve got assets to protect, so it’s a smart move for them, but the fact that there are so many landlords out there getting burned that it’s become necessary is sad.  But, having a good credit score can help make sure you don’t get turned down for that great apartment down by the beach!
  3. Quicker payoff.  This one goes really closely with the first point.  With those lower rates, and lessened interest also comes the ability to pay the loan off quicker.  And, of course, a quicker payoff means a much better financial situation.  Especially if you avoid any new loans afterward.
  4. Any loan you like.  If you must loan money, at least do it smartly.  With the current state of affairs, you can’t just walk in and get a loan that has a pulse as it’s only requirement.  In fact, many banks and credit unions are cutting way back on their sub-prime lending for anything.  (P.S. the term “sub-prime” doesn’t just apply to mortgage loans) If you have poor credit, it’s much more likely, today, that you’ll get turned down for a loan altogether.  Better credit means that if you really need a loan, you probably can have one.
  5. Less fees.  We all hate fees.  Well, all of us except the financial institutions.  A growing number of them are making a growing amount of their revenues from fees.  And many have moved to an account structure that is based off of risk.  And risk is determined by credit score.  A lower credit score could mean an account with higher fees, or with monthly fees that some accounts might not have, while a higher credit score might qualify you for a different account without those fees.

So, you see, having a good credit score can really send your finances in the right direction.  And, having a bad credit score can really send them into the dumps in a hurry too!  Unless you’re very dedicated to the extreme frugaler lifestyle, and never plan on really using money, it still pays to have a good credit score.  It doesn’t take much to build it, and you might be glad you did someday.

photo credit: o5com