Talk about starting with a bang. The first month of 2007 has been one of the busiest ever at Zopa, with more loans agreed and more money exchanged than in any other month in Zopa's history. Lenders' money has been flying out of the door and hundreds of new borrowers have cut out the banks and got themselves a low, low rate. With a splendid January behind us, it looks set to be an exciting and prosperous year for every Zopa member.

January in 6 words: more members, easier lending, splendid promotions.

• 6,690 new people signed up to lend and borrow with Zopa members.
• Auto relend arrived to make lenders' lives easier. Find out more about it here.
• New lender summary screens were added to make it even clearer what's happening with lenders' money.
• Some brilliant lender promotions were launched - and if you get your skates on, you can still take advantage of the 1% cash back offer and the lender bonus in the A*36 and A36 markets.
• We produced a little guide to help you make the most of your money this year - download it here if you missed it.
• There were articles about us in Which?, IT Week, What Investment, The Fair Investment Company and Personal Computer World, and pieces about us on Yahoo and the Motley Fool websites.

Nick White is a man who knows money. For not only is he in charge of Personal Finance and Insurance at uSwitch.com, the price comparison site, but he's also an active member of Zopa. So when we were looking for a financial guru to give Zopa members a few pointers for the coming year, he seemed the perfect candidate.

Hi there Nick.
Hello.

What top financial tips have you got for your fellow Zopa members?
Firstly, budget. It sounds like the most obvious thing to say but write down your income and outgoings, and try to live within your means. Don't bury your head in the sand by not reading statements, and if you do get into trouble always tell the company that you owe as it's in their best interests to help you.

Secondly, switch. The average person can save £195 by switching to a cheaper credit card provider, £224 by switching to the best value home loan and £28 by finding the best bank account to suit their needs – a total of £446.

That's a fair old whack – enough for a nice holiday. Any more good tips?
Yes – shop around for loans. Consumers can save a collective £5.6 billion by choosing a lower rate loan and an amazing £6 billion by reviewing credit card providers and ensuring that they are using the card that is the most suited to their needs.

And finally, earn some interest! Current account customers in the UK are wasting £1.31 billion by remaining loyal to the big four banks, which offer interest rates more than 50 times worse than the market-leading providers.

That's a lot of money slipping through people's fingers. Is there anything Zopa members should watch out for in 2007?
Balance transfer fees. If you've got several credit card debts you should avoid continuously switching credit cards, as balance transfer fees are anything up to 3%. These balances could be consolidated into one low APR loan.

What one financial resolution should everyone make this year?
Always be realistic when working out your expenses and monitor your spending. You'll be able to identify where your money is going and how to make cutbacks if you need to.

Very sensible. So how do you think 2007 will pan out for Zopa members?
I think 2007 will be a great year for Zopa. You only have to look at the sheer scale of social content that is now appearing on the web to see how strong the appetite is to seek advice and help from other people, rather than financial institutions. Whilst actually borrowing and lending money is a bit of a leap from this it is to me also a natural extension of this phenomenon. Additionally consumers are increasingly becoming less apathetic towards banks, and many consumers will continue to feel they are being ripped off and will be more than comfortable in cutting banks out.

And rightly so. Just finally Nick, what's your signature dish?
Chilli.

Excellent. Thanks for all the great advice.

Wedding rings, conservatories, vintage cars, solar panels, boats, cosmetic surgery, Newcastle United season tickets and self-publishing are some of the things people have borrowed for at Zopa. But Charlotte Doniger (aka eventing) used her loan for something a lot more horsey - she bought a horse.

Hi Charlotte, so why the new horse?
My previous one had to be put down due to on-going lameness problems. The insurance company wouldn't pay out for him so I didn't have a great deal of money to buy another one, hence the loan.

What's your new horse called?
Jimmy. He was called this when I bought him and it's bad luck to change their names!

Best to stick with it then. Where does Jimmy live?
At a livery centre a couple of miles from my home.

And how long have you been riding for?
I learnt to ride aged 6 and have been eventing for as long as I can remember.

Have you ever won any big events?
Yes – mainly at dressage rather than eventing. Have had some great successes though.

And have you ever met Zara Phillips?
No, but I have seen her compete. She's very talented and brave – bet she doesn't have to get a loan to buy a horse though! In the horse world, money comes first, talent second.

That's a shame. What are your non-equestrian pastimes?
Going out with friends and holidays – love the skiing and the sun!!!!

Don't we all? Your worst Christmas present?
Some perfume that had gone off!

Black Beauty or Champion the Wonder Horse?
Black Beauty every time!!

Good choice - much better theme music. Thanks for talking to us Charlotte, and good luck with the eventing.

Regular readers of the newsletter will remember that a few months ago Zopa lenders Tara Basi (aka slsltd) and Parveen Bansal (PB1) trekked across the Namibian desert in aid of Sense International, a charity who work with deaf-blind children. Their trip went very well, as you can see from Parveen's photos, and thanks must go to every Zopa member who sponsored them.

Never ones to rest on their laurels, Tara and Parveen are planning another trip in October of this year - and they'd like you to join them. This time, again to raise money for Sense International, they're trekking through the mountains of Japan, braving awe-inspiring ridges and breathtaking climbs on two of the most spectacular peaks of the Japanese North Alps. If you think you might be interested in a 10-day trip that'll take you from the neon lights of Tokyo to the tranquil calm of Mount Yari, all for a good cause, drop Tara a line at sls@sls.demon.co.uk and he'll give you more details.

That's it for January. Have a good few weeks and we'll meet again in February.

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