The Huffington Post

Why Sharing Boosts Your Social Life as Much as Your Bank Balance
“Peer-to-peer money lender Zopa celebrated a recent birthday with 400 of its customers, keen to put a face to the online moniker.”

Fast Co Design

User Experience Is The Heart Of Any Company. How Do You Make It Top Priority?
“Financial services like Zopa or the recently launched Simple are taking customer needs into account by addressing the frustration associated with the traditional banking system.”

Manchester Evening News

Martin Lewis: If you really need to borrow, make sure you borrow smart
“Flexible loans are possible: If you're over 26 with a decent credit score, peer-to-peer lender Zopa.com triumphs.”

The Scotsman

Small is beautiful as peer-to-peer lending flexes its muscles
“Zopa remains by far the biggest player and to date has arranged more than £185 million in loans, including a monthly record of £8.2m this January alone.”

The Motley Fool

The Next Threat To Banking Shares
“And the next revolution in banking could be online person-to-person banking, known as P2P, that uses the Internet. In Britain there's several P2P start-ups including Zopa, Funding Circle and Crowdcube.”

Lovemoney

We don't need the banks: why Zopa, RateSetter and Funding Circle are the future of banking
“online peer-to-peer lenders like Zopa, RateSetter and Funding Circle get the thumbs up from the business arm of the Government”

BBC News

Giles, our CEO, on BBC News
Our CEO Giles Andrews talks about peer-to-peer lending on BBC News, following the Breedon report into the lending gap and Andy Haldane's (from the Bank of England) comment in a speech in New York.

The Independent

You can better your parents' pension
“It may even be worth considering peer-to-peer lending which is an important part of retirement planning for an increasing number of savers, particularly now that the banks are out of favour.”

BBC

What threat to banks from internet lenders?
“If you place your money with a peer-to-peer lender like Zopa, you are not lending to Zopa, in the way that you are lending to Barclays if you put your money on deposit with Barclays. You are actually lending to the individuals who have registered with Zopa.”

The Independent

Online lending 'could replace' banks
“A senior Bank of England policymaker (...) said in a speech in New York yesterday that web-based lenders such as Zopa, Funding Circle and Crowdcube, which put savers in direct contact with potential borrowers, could make conventional banks obsolete.”

The Telegraph

Technology could take the bankers out of banking
“"At present, these companies are tiny," Mr Haldane said. "But so, a decade and a half ago, was Google."”

MSN Money

Entrepreneurs who profited during the downturn
“Zopa has been one of the beneficiaries not of the recession, but of banks' inability to lend cheaply now that they have to admit their huge problems.”

The Mirror

Earn up to 4.65 per cent by locking up your savings for the long term
“There is one last option which we haven't mentioned so far - social savings websites. These are sites that enable you to use your savings to lend to individuals or businesses via the web.”

The Telegraph

Swap and share: the new ways to make cash
“Lending money to strangers may seem like the last thing you would want to do, but a rising number of savers and borrowers are going online for banking to cut out the high street banks.”

The Independent

A revolution is brewing in financial services
“Zopa is bliss for all those who hate banks because it uses the internet to cut them out. What it does is put people who want to borrow money in touch with those who have a bit of spare cash.”

The Guardian

Unhappy with big banks? You could move your money
“The best-known UK peer-to-peer lending site says January 2012 was its biggest month ever, with its savers lending £8.2m.”

Mindful Money

The rise of peer-to-peer lending
“"Avoid the middle man" is a phrase most of us are keen to hear - particularly when it comes to financial transactions. We tend to feel safer if we know who we're dealing with and can establish a relationship with them...”

Moneyvista

Peer-to-peer lender Zopa sees best ever month
“With APRs of 6.1%, loans from Zopa are some of the cheapest in the country and allow early repayment with no charge. At the same time savers enjoyed inflation-busting returns at very low risk.”

MyFinances.co.uk

Personal loans: Six of the best
“David Black, banking insight analyst at Defaqto, said borrowers should find out whether the lender has a facility which allows them to get an 'in principle' quote without leaving a footprint on their credit record. Currently Nationwide Building Society, Ratesetter.com and Zopa.com offer this facility.”

London Evening Standard

Top ways to make your savings grow even in these tough times
“In times of inflation, savers will always find it more difficult because their pot will dwindle in real terms while it is supposedly "safe" in a bank. As a result, increasing numbers of people are going online to try their hand at "peer-to-peer" lending, which can offer returns of up to 8% on some websites.”

Mindful Money

Seeking income? Try an alternative
“Aside from investment routes, why not try 'social lending'? Also known as 'peer-to-peer' lending (P2P), this connects lenders and borrowers directly - with no banks in the way - and typical returns of around 8% are far above the best buys on savings tables.”

Scotsman

Social lending offers frustrated savers chance to see cash grow
“Social (or peer-to-peer) lending lets savers set the interest rate at which they want to lend, how much they lend, the required return and the risk they are happy with taking. In return, they are paid interest significantly higher than from the typical savings account.”

This Is Money

How to make a perfect loan application - and on only the best deals
“The most competitive typical APR available for a loan of £5,000 is 7.8 per cent from Zopa.”

The Telegraph

10 ways to make money in a recession
“ If you have cash to spare and are not getting a good return on it you could try Zopa. The peer-to-peer lending site allows you to put your money up for others to borrow, and you can get a good return.”

This Is Money

Banks in 'significant change' to squeeze more from customers while building societies spiral into 'overwhelming pessimism'
“Zopa, one of the sector's pioneers, enables people to bypass the banks by lending money to other creditworthy people at rates that they agree between themselves. This, it says, enables both borrowers and lenders to get a far better deal than they would get from a bank.”

Easier.com

Choosing an unsecured loan
“Does the lender have a facility where someone can get an in principle quote without leaving a 'credit-application search' on their credit report?. At present, a limited number of lenders - including Nationwide Building Society, Ratesetter.com and Zopa.com - offer this facility.”

The Independent

Debt is blocking the next rung on the property ladder
“The loan is at a rate of 12.7 per cent," says Alex. "Any spare money we have, we put towards paying off this loan, as we can overpay without incurring a penalty.”

The Guardian

Five steps to reduce debt
“Zopa is the cheapest lender for £5,000 loans over three years, charging 7.7% or £155.42 a month.”

The Independent

Beat miserly bank returns by going social
“New Year always brings well-intentioned resolutions but if you're fed up with the banks and want to find a new way to save or borrow in 2012, social lending could be the answer.”

The Guardian

Ten ways to boost your finances in 2012
“Banks and building societies are offering pitifully low interest rates on savings, but it is possible to earn a reasonable rate on your money if you lend directly to other people through peer-to-peer lending companies such as Zopa.”

Scotsman.com

Ease the squeeze on day-to-day living by cutting your outlays
“Bigger gains are available if you feel comfortable with using social lending websites (...). The likes of Zopa, Funding Circle and Ratesetter have become increasingly popular over the past two years and all have ways of ensuring savers' money is protected.”

NS&I Perspectives

Where will the market go next?
“For a three-year or five-year cash investment I would also consider Zopa who offer a unique approach to borrowing and lending without the use of banks.”

Finextra

P2P Lending heads for its biggest season ever
“Zopa out of the UK has already lent more than £180 million (USD280m), which means they are now approaching a 2 per cent market share of the total UK retail lending market. The impressive thing about Zopa's achievement is that their default rates are running at just 0.9%.”

New Scientist

Bank says no? Ditch the bank - borrow from the crowd
“P2P lending started in the mid-2000s, when sites like Zopa in the UK, Prosper and Lending Club in the US, Smava in Germany, were founded on an obvious yet daring principle: that in the connected, high-tech 21st century, it should be possible for ordinary people to take the place of banks.”

The Ecologist

Occupy protests: a four step guide to bypassing high-street banks
“Zopa is a well-known example, allowing you to obtain personal loans directly from another individual without a bank taking a cut in the middle.”

Mortgage Finance Gazette

Borrowers want low APR and early repayment without penalty
“The option to repay some or all of a personal loan early, at any time, without penalty, ranks alongside a low interest rate, according to research by peer-to-peer lender Zopa.”

Technology Spectator Australia

Prosper Announces Support of UK Peer-to-Peer Finance Association
“As P2P Lending Realizes Rapid Growth, Prosper and UK-Based Groups Call for Industry Performance Standards.”

Technology Spectator Australia

Social lending's regulatory killswitch
“Zopa started broking loans in the UK in 2005 targeting good credit risk borrowers and along with its main UK competitor Funding Circle attracts lenders looking for better rates than banks offer.”

eConsultancy.com

Phil Allen of Coutts on banking and social media
“Zopa isn't a bank in the traditional sense but has broken into this territory by building a relationship between borrowers and lenders. It had one of the lowest bad debt ratios during the financial crisis. This is a great example of a social lending platform.”

Finextra

A Dictator or Retail Bank. Which is Easier to Save?
“Some bankers might have difficulty understanding why customers of today seem perfectly happy to give money to the likes of PayPal, M-PESA, Lending Club or Zopa.”

The Independent

As the euro crisis ripples spread, are your savings completely safe?
“As an example, peer-to-peer offerings from the likes of Zopa and Funding Circle have strong headline rates on offer but deposits are not covered by FSCS.”

London Evening Standard

Lend an ear to small firms' bank woes
“If Chancellor George Osborne can only get one thing right in his end-of-the-month programme for growth, it should be sorting out this financial bottleneck (...) by providing financial support and loan guarantees for the new peer-to-peer internet lending platforms such as Funding Circle and Zopa.”

CityWire

Peer-to-peer lending: a replacement for banks?
“Zopa is the highest profile P2P lender in the UK and has been around since 2005.”

Mirror.co.uk

The best loan rates available
“If you want to borrow, you don't have to go to a traditional bank anymore. You can borrow from a group of private individuals via social lending sites such as Zopa and RateSetter.”

London Evening Standard

Small investors flock to the idea of crowdfunding
“Peer-to-peer marketplace Zopa.com allows people with savings to lend money to those needing a loan, without a bank as a middleman.”

Pocketlint

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Zopa
“Zopa is a bit like a dating service for money: if you're looking for a loan, they'll find you somebody to lend it to you.”

WIRED

The 21st century will be defined by collaborative consumption
“Can we track and aggregate generosity, reliability, and consistency across marketplaces such as eBay, AirBnB and Zopa?”

The Guardian

Alternatives for savers seeking higher returns
“Since 2008, the number of people wishing to lend has increased dramatically. Zopa experienced a 78% boom in the number of active lenders in 2009 compared with the previous year...”

Forbes

Banking in a Sachet
“For banks, enabling micro-consumption may end up a matter of pure defense against the likes of Wonga and person-to-person lending services like Zopa.”

Mindful Money

Peer to Peer finance takes on the banks
“Zopa offers savers more and charges borrowers less by leaving out the intermediation that banks provide.”

The Economist

The mother of invention
“New sources of finance aim to compensate for the inertia of big banks.”

The Telegraph

Peer-to-peer lenders join forces in regulation call
“Three of the UK's leading social lending markets - Zopa, RateSetter and Funding Circle - have turned to self regulation following fears over "shoddy operators".”

Mirror.co.uk

Discover the best ways to borrow
“The best known website in this field is Zopa. If you went to Zopa and borrowed £10,000 over three years, you could benefit from a loan rate as low as 7.2%.”

This is Money

Interest of 20 per cent? Just buy a repossessed property in Detroit
“'I was pleased with Zopa,' she says. 'I even invested for my daughter. I put in £600 and after three years got back £1,200 - she was thrilled.'”

Walletpop.co.uk

Savers miss out on £43 billion in interest
“Of course you could be a bit more adventurous and try out social lending. (...) There are various websites where you can do this - Zopa and Funding Circle are some of the most widely known, with Zopa offering an average return of 6.8 percent.”

Mirror.co.uk

You can still beat inflation with these savings accounts
“The best known social lending website is Zopa. Over the last 12 months, savers with Zopa have been paid an average rate of 6.8% a year which is well ahead of retail price inflation at 5%.”

MyIntroducer.com

Brits clueless as to how Banks make money from them
“New research reveals the extent to which the British public is in the dark when it comes to how banks make money in the retail market, report Zopa.”

Express.co.uk

Price wars deliver great deals for borrowers
“You don't have to borrow from the banks or other commercial lenders, you might get a better rate from ordinary people.”

London Evening Standard

Banks heading for redundancy check
“This week for example Zopa which is one of the pioneers of what it calls peer-to-peer lending passed the £150 million mark for loans arranged between its members.”

FT Adviser

Zopa offers deal to mark £150m milestone
“Peer to peer lender celebrates passing a milestone by reducing its fixed fee paid by borrowers on all loans.”

MyIntroducer.com

Zopa marks £150 million in P2P lending
“Peer-to-peer lender Zopa confirmed today that it has just passed the �150 million milestone in the loans it has arranged between members, all at rates they agree between themselves.”

The Independent

Keep it in the family, but avoid rifts with relations
“Peer to peer sites such as Zopa cut out the banks and lets you borrow money directly from individual lenders.”

Finextra

UK P2P lenders form trade body
“UK peer-to-peer (P2P) lending sites Zopa, Funding Circle and RateSetter have set up a trade body.”

FT Adviser

Peer-to-peer finance regulator launched
“Giles Andrews, chief executive of Zopa, will act as the committee's initial chairman.”

Mortgage Finance Gazette

Peer-to-peer finance market launches self-regulatory body
“A new trade body - the Peer-to-Peer Finance Association - or P2P Finance Association - has been set up by Funding Circle, RateSetter and Zopa - the largest peer-to-peer finance platforms at present in the UK.”

Express.co.uk

Peer-to-peer lending grows
“Social lending is one of the fastest-growing financial sectors, with more than 35 P2P lenders worldwide, including UK-based Zopa. The UK market is worth about £150 million.”

LocalGov.co.uk

Big Society a cover for cuts?
“Councils should learn from new online services such as the community loan service, Zopa, or the alternative car-sharing scheme, Zipcar, which both work on the principle of collaborative consumption.”

This is Money

How to make sure your savings don't get eaten by rising prices
“A new craze among investors is to experiment with social lending - otherwise known as peer to peer (P2P). The theory is that by cutting out the middle men - banks - savers and borrowers can get better rates by lending direct to each other.”

Finextra

The Total Disruption of Retail Banking - Part 3
“Lending Club, Prosper and Zopa are just three examples of recent successes in the P2P lending space. (...) Zopa has lent more than £150m which means they are now approaching a 2% market share of the total UK retail lending market.”

BBC - The Bottom Line

Hyper Growth
“Evan Davis asks his panel of top executives about the perils and possibilities of running a fast-growing business.”

Which?

Hot Money Deals, 05 Jul 2011
“For those with high credit ratings, Zopa's lowest rates currently available are 7.9% APR for a £5,000 loan over 3 years and 8.2% APR for a £10,000 loan over 5 years.”

My Finances

Summary of Moneywise Customer Service Awards 2011
“Others honoured in the ceremony included Tesco, which was named Most Trusted Life Insurance Provider and peer-to-peer lender Zopa, which took the gong for Most Trusted Personal Loan Provider.”

Lovemoney.com

Why we don't need banks
“Perhaps the biggest name in the social lending world is Zopa. With Zopa, all borrowers are identity checked, credit checked and risk assessed, while lenders' money is spread across a number of different borrowers in order to spread the risk.”

Introducer Today

Summary of Moneywise Customer Service Awards 2011
“For the second year running peer-to-peer lender Zopa was voted Most Trusted Personal Loan Provider, ahead of more established names in this category.”

Moneywise

The best and worst loan providers for customer service
“Our readers voted for a loan provider that does things a little differently, Zopa, which picks up the award for a second year running.”

The Mirror

How small loans can cost the Earth
“Our table on the left shows some of the best buy loans of £3,000 over five years. The best rates are from social lending website Zopa.com (9.7 per cent) and Sainsbury's Finance (12.9 per cent).”

The Mirror

Case study: I found 11 per cent rate on personal loans website
“Zopa is a "peer-to-peer" lending website service. It brings together people who want to make money from lending with those who want to borrow and, by cutting out the middle man this way, can offer very competitive rates.”

The Independent

Social lending finds favour with older investors
“This concept of peer-to-peer (P2P) lending is becoming an important part of retirement planning too, with both Funding Circle and Zopa reporting an increasing number of investors opting to lend cash as a way to top up their pensions.”

The Independent

Money Insider: Don't dismiss peer-to-peer options for personal loans
“The rates on Zopa change on a daily basis, but when I checked on Monday it was quoting just 9.9 per cent for a £3,000 loan over five years and that included the one-off lending fee of £130, a deal that easily beat the rate being offered by mainstream lenders.”

MoneyWeek

A real alternative to the banks / Why won't banks lend
“The best known is Zopa - in effect an online marketplace that brings together willing lenders (seeking a higher return than the banks can offer) with borrowers (seeking a lower interest rate).”

Argent

Anatomy of a mad, grand idea
“Launched in 2005, Zopa is the UK's first peer-to-peer online lending marketplace. It cuts out the banks by putting lenders and borrowers in direct contact with each other.”

The Guardian

The end of consumerism?
“We don't trust centralised monopolies, but we do trust decentralised systems. So we see peer-to-peer money-lending sites such as Zopa proving popular, in stark comparison to banks.”

New Scientist

Future of money: Crowdsourcing cash
“The first peer-to-peer loan site, called Zopa, launched in the UK in 2005 and then in the US and Italy. Its members have now made over £130 million in loans.”

China Radio International

P2P Loans Building Bridge to Better Futures
“We also studied the cases of Prosper and Zopa – two popular overseas lending websites – to try to develop a transparent and stable online lending platform for ordinary Chinese people.”

MoneyWeek

How I beat the system with my own bank
“Many savers would be happy enough with a 7.5% annual return – and that's the average earned by investors using Zopa, the world's first peer-to-peer loan website.”

Management Today

New Generation Moneylenders
“The first P2P site was Zopa, which launched in 2005. Inspired by eBay, it aimed to harness the internet's power to create a feeling of community and create a marketplace where lenders and borrowers could come together.”

Financial Times

Airbnb moves 'aggressively' into Europe
“Similar internet services include Seatwave and Viagogo for second-hand ticket sales, Zopa and Funding Circle for lending money, and Whipcar and GetAround for renting cars.”

The Independent

Social lending: Get better returns and help small firms
“The social-lending concept has been around in Britain for more than six years with Zopa (uk.zopa.com) – which brings together people prepared to lend with those looking to borrow – now representing 2 per cent of the UK's personal loan business.”

Moneysupermarket.com

Mixed fortunes for borrowers
“For those looking for £5,000 over three years, deals worth a look include the Sainsburys Personal Loan with a representative APR of 8.2% (fixed) and Zopa Loan at 8.4% (fixed) for those with good credit scores.”

City AM

Forget investing in an Isa, try lending to a total stranger
“The concept is quite frankly cool. Lenders and borrowers deal directly with each other, borrowers get lower rates and lenders get higher returns. It's becoming a big business. Zopa - the oldest fish in the social lending pond - has arranged more than £125m worth of loans in its six-year existence.”

The Guardian

The Business podcast
“We hear from Giles Andrews, director of Zopa, an online personal loans company. He says his "peer-to-peer" lending venture could give the high street opposition a run for its money.” (starts at about minute 12)

Brand Republic

The Share Culture - could it be a brand's worst enemy?
“Even finance is starting to become more community based, for those wanting to avoid the greedy banks and borrow from real people, try Zopa.”

Moneymarket.com

Britons lack faith in large financial companies
“Instead, internet banks, supermarkets and new ventures such as Zopa appear alongside building societies and mutuals as the most trusted brands.”

The Big Issue

Share Options
“Zopa, the leading social lending company in the UK, has processed over £125m in loans to date, with borrowers paying interest rates on average 20 per cent lower than at a traditional bank, and lenders enjoying rates of returns between 8-15 per cent.”

MSN Money

Peer-to-peer borrowing: the biggest lenders compared
“Zopa is the original P2P lending site in the UK. It launched six years ago, and has arranged loans in excess of £110 million since then.”

Scotsman.com

If only the cunning used against Tesco was seen elsewhere
“Those prepared to put their faith in new, online models of finance are reaping the rewards. Social lending websites such as Zopa (...) point the way forward.”

Which?

10 alternatives to big high-street banks
Number 8: “A relatively new alternative to high-street loans, the unique point of peer-to-peer loans (P2P) is that the websites who offer them allow borrowing between consumers.”

Moneysupermarket.com

Five ways to beat the banks
“Here are our five top tips for minimising the amount you hand over to the banking industry every year... ”

The Telegraph

How to inflation-proof your savings
“With prices rising at their fastest rate for 20 years, and interest rates remaining at a record low, consumers are seeing a slow decline in the value of their savings.” - and one way to counter inflation is to become a lender yourself and get a return of 6pc-plus by doing so!

The Telegraph

Zopa Lending reaches £125m!
“Savers fed up with the derisory interest rates offered by banks have lent £125m directly to borrowers via Zopa, the online ‘peer to peer’ lender. ”

Lovemoney.com

Get the lowest loan rate now!
“Rates from the social lending site Zopa change all the time and can sometimes beat the market-leading loans from banks.”

WIRED

Rentalship is the new ownership in the networked age
“Collaborative spirit is spreading to all sorts of other industries as ubiquitous internet connections bring us together in creative new ways. The peer-to-peer model has lately moved from auction houses and online classifieds to car-sharing, jewellery-lending, even online banking...”

The Irish Times

Peer-to-peer lenders shake up market for borrowers in UK
“Founded in 2005 by Richard Duvall, the creator of one of the first of the internet-only banks, Egg, Zopa is now lending up to £5 million a month and its pace of growth is accelerating.”

The Guardian

Ten ways to change the way we live
“Use "People Power" to control finance.”

The Financial Times

Savers offered 8% to become lenders
“Savers hunting for decent interest rates on their cash may be tempted to lend their money to other individuals or small businesses through "peer-to-peer" (P2P) websites such as Zopa - as these can offer returns of 8 per cent or more.”

The Independent

Good news at last: change is on the cards
“If you have a good or excellent credit rating, the search may seem simple, but you should also be aware of peer-to-peer lenders, independent of traditional banks and loan companies, as these could offer you better rates.”

Marketing Week

How the financial sector can rebuild customer trust
“Zopa's marketing approach is to be as transparent as possible; for example, there is a page on its website called simply "How we make our money". As a way of getting cut-through and reaching disaffected customers, it is a telling proposition.”

The Independent

Personal finance just got a whole lot friendlier
“Social networking applications may still be in their infancy, but given the popularity of personal finance and online peer lending, their influence on our day-to-day activities looks set to take off this year.”

This Is Money

Is social lending set to dominate 2011?
“Savers lapped up 8% rates at Zopa and Funding Circle in their droves in 2010. Could this be a break-out year for social - or 'peer-to-peer' - lending?”

BBC Radio 2

“Christmas is a time when it's hard not to borrow a bit... but a growing number of people are choosing a different route to bypass the banks altogether.”

The Telegraph

Bankers' bonuses: don't get mad – get even
“Even if politicians cannot stop bankers behaving badly, they could at least make it easier for savers and borrowers to take their business elsewhere.”

Which? Rated 5 stars *****

Build your own bank
“More and more savers are turning to peer-to-peer websites such as Zopa.”

The Telegraph

Savers spurn banks for Zopa-style 'peer-to-peer' lenders
“Disillusioned bank customers are turning to "DIY banking" and other alternative finance providers because they are frustrated with the banks' huge staff bonuses, high charges and poor savings rates.”

RSA Journal

The everyday entrepreneur
“Zopa has loyal members who are evangelists for social lending; their advocacy, according to Andrews, is "more powerful than anything we could say".”

Money Week

The cheapest way to fund your Christmas spending
“...you might look at some of the peer-to-peer lending sites. Zopa offers lower interest rates than the banks.”

Which?

Want a loan for Christmas? Don't go to your bank
“Which? credit expert Martyn Saville explains: 'It seems perverse that consumers are offered a better rate the more debt they take on, but that unfortunately is the way the market works. If you're planning to borrow smaller amounts, it's worth considering the alternatives including peer-to-peer lending sites such as Zopa.'”

The Independent

Need cash? Bypass the banks entirely and find your lender on a social website
“"Not surprisingly, a number of new peer-to-peer lenders have launched in the UK recently," says Giles Andrews, co-founder of Zopa. "This is good news as banks need to feel some real competition from outside their cosy club before they will finally do a better job for their customers."”

The Daily Mail

The top cards for Christmas to boost your spending for the festive season
“Defaqto says the best rate on a loan of �1000 would be about 20 per cent. Last week, Zopa.com offered 15.8 per cent.”

MSN Money

Easy access savings at 6.5 per cent
“The latest evolution of person-to-person borrowing and lending is taking antiquated high street banks one step closer to redundancy.”

City A.M.

Be your own lending bank
“As well as the chance of a better return, you will get the warm fuzzy feeling of funding Joe's house. Or Dave's car - apparently more Zopa borrowers are called David than anything else. That's the sort of thing banks don't tell you.”

The Telegraph

Would you lend your money to a complete stranger?
“Zopa's success has been largely down to its strong risk controls.”

The Telegraph

Why bother saving?
“With bank accounts actually losing you money, we look at other ways to put your cash to work.”

The Daily Mail

Loans minus the moans: Borrowers who want to avoid the discredited banks are finding new lenders worthy of praise.
“Since 2005, Zopa has lent more than £100 million to 25,000 borrowers. No investor has yet lost their capital...”

London Evening Standard

The writing's on the web for banks.
“...it is easy to forget that the prime purpose of banking is simply to act as an intermediary, putting those with money in touch with those who want to borrow it.”

This Is Money

Zopa launches new 'instant access' option
“Savers at peer-to-peer lending pioneer Zopa.com can now withdraw their funds any time they want in 'easy access' style.”

Moneywise

Zopa gets more attractive for savers
“Savers using social lender Zopa - to get higher returns than they can typically receive in a savings account - can now access their money before the end of the loan term.”

Money Observer

Zopa launches instant access feature for lenders
“Zopa lenders can now access some or all of their money before the borrowers are due to pay it back, in return for a 1 per cent fee.”

Lovemoney.com

Get £322 richer in minutes!
“Find out how you could earn more money by simply switching to a better savings account...”

Spectator

Good news for the govenor: a groundswell of responses to the era of bad banking
“If you've given up hope that any bank, new or old, will treat you right, you can now cut them out altogether.”

This Is Money

Is inflation or deflation the biggest threat?
“Here we look at what you should do to protect your money if Britain is hit by high inflation or catches the dreaded deflation bug.”

London Evening Standard

Things to come could change the City
“Given that the City lives by its ability to innovate, it is astonishing how we are all prisoners of conventional wisdom and lazily assume that the business models of today will be the business models of the future.”

Interactive Investor

Peer-to-peer lending on the rise
Giles Andrews talkes to iii's Editor Sarah Modlock about peer-to-peer lending.

The Sunday Times

How to spend your way to a top rate on savings
“With cash earning next to nothing and the Bank of England telling us to spend not save, here are five tips on how to turn a profit.”

Money Observer

Rates to make the banks blush
“Savers are receiving dismal rates on their cash and trust in banks has hit rock bottom. Rebecca Rutt examines whether peer-to-peer lending is a viable alternative for yield-starved investors.”

City A.M.

Peer-to-peer bank reaches £100m in arranged loans and expects to grow
“Online peer-to-peer lender Zopa has smashed past the £100m arranged loans mark as demand for alternative banking surges.”

The Economist

The mother of invention
“New sources of finance aim to compensate for the inertia of big banks.”

Lovemoney.com

The five cheapest ways to borrow
“We really like Zopa because it cuts the banks out of the lending loop completely.”

Harvard Business Review

Beyong Zipcar: Collaborative Consumption
“Collaborative consumption � systems of organized sharing, bartering, lending, trading, renting, gifting, and swapping. In collaborative lifestyles, people with similar needs or interests band together to share and exchange less-tangible assets such as time, space, skills, and money.”

Liverpool Daily Post

Why social lending could be the way ahead
“Banks are being left out in the cold as borrowers and lenders turn to social lending to get the best rates.”

The Telegraph

Zopa calls on Government and FSA to regulate social lending sector
“Zopa, Britain's first online business linking lenders and borrowers, has asked the Government and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to regulate the growing social lending industry.”

The Telegraph

Savers and borrowers can fix their own rates online
“New evidence from the Bank of England that high street banks are charging "excessive" rates of interest may prompt more people to consider an online alternative that allows savers and borrowers to agree what they charge and pay for credit.”

ITV London Tonight

Zopa featured on ITV London Tonight
Our CEO Giles Andrews and one of our Lenders talk about Zopa on ITV London Tonight.

The Independent

Get the right deal to finance your new car
“The new "60" registration plate is upon us this week. But as buyers head to the nearest dealer, it is important to tread carefully when it comes to car financing. Social lending sites such as Zopa are becoming more popular among people seeking competitive rates without the charges that normally apply to bank loans.”

Lovemoney.com

Fed up with high street banks offering pitiful savings rates?
“[At Zopa], not only will you be able to avoid the hassles that come hand in hand with the big banks, but the potential returns are far better than you�d get on a standard savings account.”

The Guardian

Peer-to-peer lending and saving: Making everyone happy
“Zopa.com has done a lot of the groundwork in establishing peer-to-peer lending, and its experience suggests it may not be as risky a proposition as it first seems.”

The Telegraph

Make £500 a month by renting out your life
“If your savings are earning you little or no interest, you can make more by lending them to the general public with Zopa.”

Lovemoney.com

Five top places to get a loan
“With more and more banks refusing to lend to new customers, we reveal the best places to get a personal loan...”

BBC Focus Magazine

Quick chat: Martha Lane Fox
“I'm always flipping between [web]sites. Part of my life is trying to discover new things online and look at different models. One I'm looking at a lot now is Zopa.”

Moneywise

Cut out the middleman: borrowing without the banks
“With traditional banks forfeiting our trust, many of us are taking a shine to the new online social networks that allow users to lend to one another. Nathalie Bonney asks if they are about to take off..”

The Scotsman

Savers and borrowers unite to beat the banks
“With an average savings return of 8.2 per cent and loan rates significantly below the current average, peer-to-peer lending website Zopa stands out from the mainstream market.”

This Is Money

3 clever tricks for savers to beat inflation
“With the cost of living rising at 5%, basic rate tax payers need to find an account paying at least 6.25% to keep pace. Over the past 12 months, the average Zopa lender has enjoyed an 8.3% return on their money.”

The Evening Standard

Lending threat a scare tactic by bankers?
“Banks at bottom are merely intermediaries - their role is to put people who have money to save in touch with people who need to borrow.”

Lovemoney.com

10 money lessons from the World Cup
“#3 Unorthodox saves - In the final itself, both keepers made their best saves in slightly unorthodox fashion, by using their feet. And turning your back on orthodoxy can get you the best return on your own savings, by using a service like Zopa.”

BBC Radio Bristol

“A new search revealed that the majority of us have reservations about borrowing from banks...”

MoneyWeek

How to double the return on your savings
“...persisently low interest rates [are a] tax that hands the banks fattened profits - all paid for by savers.”

BBC Business Daily

“My bank wasn't servicing me in a way that met my needs and then through word of mouth I heard about Zopa...”

Totally Money

Consumers seek alternatives when it comes to financial providers
“The surprise of the Moneywise Customer Service Awards was the award for Most Trusted Personal Loan Provider, with smaller peer-to-peer lender Zopa raising its head above the parapet and taking the award from more established nominees...”

BBC Business Daily

Returning to the basics of banking
“Regardless of the new banking regulations across the globe, there are changes in the industry itself, as people seek a discovery of the old ways.”

The Telegraph

Five ways to beat the banks at their own game
“It is sad, but true. No matter how much your bank bleats about caring for its customers, it only has its own interests at heart.”

The Independent

Lending cash to others can mean higher rates
“Social lenders are offering investors the chance to boost their returns. And now they mean business.”

Radio 4 - You and Yours

“There's a new financial company that you may have noticed creeping into the best buy tables of your weekend newspaper...”

The Mirror

Credit rates are sky high but shopping around could save you hundreds
“Neil Sinclair found the loan rates he was offered by banks so expensive that he turned to online lending and borrowing exchange Zopa.”

The Scotsman

Big high street banks are not the only option available
“Disgruntled bank customers have been given a fresh reason to consider an alternative to the big high street brands after the City watchdog last week hit out at the way in which they handle customer grievances.”

Lovemoney.com

A new way to save money on the internet
“Some firms not only want your custom - they let you decide just what you should be getting for your money...”

WIRED Magazine

The Great Trust Experiment
“If P2P finance has yet to prove scalable or profitable, it's also true that, not so long ago, the same was said of other web ventures which went on to change the world.”

The One Show

Peer-to-peer lending
“Banks are still seen by many as enemy number one, but for those who want to avoid them there's another way to save and borrow money as long as you don't mind becoming a bit of a banker yourself.”

Lovemoney.com

10 traps to avoid when taking out a loan
“Unsecured loans are one of the most simple products there is, but the finance industry still manages to squeeze in a good number of extra ways to make money from you.”

The Guardian

Open innovation is coming of age
“The winner of the Open Business award was Zopa, which provides a peer-to-peer lending and borrowing service that has grown strongly during the banking crisis.”

The Independent

Can the Post Office deliver its plan to take on banking's boys
“It's particularly competitive for those looking for loans of £2,000 and £3,000 where it offers the lowest rate on the market, excluding lending website Zopa...”

The Telegraph

How the web is making the world a better place
“Three amazing services are making the world a better place by making it easier for people to collaborate.”

BBC Newsnight

What's wrong with Britain?
“Paul Mason travels around Britain to find out and asks how do we fix it?”

The Times

Would you lend cash to a stranger?
“Above a central London casino, a group of investors met this week to discuss how they handed over millions of pounds of their savings to strangers over the internet. And, still more surprisingly, how they got it back with interest.”

Evening Standard

City Spy: Not your usual bank bash
“...the fifth birthday party for Zopa [where] more than 150 of their customers turned up at the bash at the Empire Casino. "Being a couple of floors above a casino is the closest we will ever get to playing with our members' money," said Zopa boss Giles Andrews.”

The Spectator

It's time we bank customers started talking to each other in the queue
“I suspect that banks and building societies are demanding too big a cut, expecting that inertia, caution and convenience will continue to deter customers from considering the alternative...”

The Guardian

The big broken bank rebuild
“Since 2007, banks the world over have fallen from grace. Can designers help institutions invent more sustainable models and regain the customer's trust?”

The Independent

Trade soars for new lending website
“Zopa has seen its lending double in the last 12 months, amid growing evidence that discontent with the conventional financial system is driving Britons to seek alternative means of accessing funds.”

Press Association

Social lending site doubles loans
“The website, which enables consumers to cut out banks and lend to each other, has overseen loans totalling £70.9 million in the UK since it was first launched five years ago - £36.4 million of which was advanced during the past 12 months.”

This Is Money

Can the Lending Wizard save a credit file?
“A new website called The Lending Wizard allows you to search for a loan without marring your credit file. If you're happy with the interest rate offered, you can then go on and apply fully for the loan and your details are passed to the lender so you don't have to fill out any forms twice.”

Spectator Business

Businesses I really admire
“Why bother reforming the banks when you can bypass them altogether?”

The Times

Help me make the most of la dolce vita
“A young professional who dreams of travelling to Italy and beyond asks how she can build a decent pension for later life.”

Daily Mail

Don't let car cheats take you for a ride
“‘We did a lot of research online before finding Zopa,’ says Richard. ‘I liked how it worked and the rate we were offered beat a lot of the High Street brands because we only needed to borrow £3,000. A lot of the best bank loan rates are reserved for larger-sized loans.’”

Blackpool Gazette

If you can't beat banks become one yourself!
“...instead of simply complaining about it, more than 330,000 people have joined forces to defy the banks and take part in a revolutionary online marketplace...”

Lovemoney.com

Don't miss these inflation-busting savings accounts!
“Inflation is gathering pace fast, which is bad news for savers. But you can still beat inflation with one of these top savings accounts.”

Sunday Times

Your five minute guide to... personal loans
“...you can get better rates from peer-to-peer services such as zopa.com. Last week you could borrow at 1.7 percentage points less than the best deal available on the high street.”

MSN Money

How to get 6% returns on your cash
“...you can now earn near double digit rates of income by stepping into [the big banks'] shoes and lending out your own cash...”

Evening Standard

City Spy: Bankers' trust in their banks
“Zopa had 1,727 applications [last year] for loans from people who work in banks or other high street financial institutions. Perhaps these hopefuls trust other people rather than their own employers which, if true, says a lot.”

Evening Standard

Muddy attempts to predict Britain's financial future
“Far more interesting but not mentioned is whether Zopa will continue to grow - it being an internet site that puts would-be borrowers in direct touch with would-be lenders so we don't need banks at all.”

Daily Mail

Zesty Zopa
“Who says there is no room for a new kind of banking?”

The Times

How to find the cheapest loan
“Since the beginning of the credit crunch banks have tightened their lending criteria, making it more difficult than ever for borrowers to find an affordable loan. Here Times Money shares a few tips to help you get the best deal.”

New Statesman

The best things in life are free
“We need more financial innovations such as Zopa, M-Pesa and Grameen, which are simple and clearly socially useful.”

This Is Money

Borrow without risking your credit file
“Borrower beware. You can only apply for loans and credit cards without potentially marring your credit history through Nationwide, Barclaycard and Zopa.”

The Guardian

Personal loans to soak up your seasonal excess
“...check out what rate you could get on Zopa.com, the radical peer-to-peer internet lending site dubbed the "eBay of banking", which allows people to borrow from and lend money to each other, thereby sidestepping the banks.”

Lovemoney.com

Five easy ways to borrow money quickly
“During a short-term emergency it is worth considering some of the more flexible loans. What you're looking for is a loan that allows you to pay off the entire debt early without any penalities. At present, your best choices are Zopa and the Post Office.”

Scottish Sunday Express

Have a richer New Year
“...don't resort to doorstep lenders or payday loans, try alternatives such as Zopa.com...”

MSN Money

Are lenders on a loan lockdown?
“More people are looking for loans, but it seems banks are determined not to part with any money at all.”

CityWire

Adviser turns to online lending co-op after RBS snub
“Adviser Ian Lees applied for a loan at RBS... but has heard nothing from the bank. "I wanted a £10,000 loan and the manager at my local branch would not even get back to me". In order to borrow the money, Lees turned to Zopa and had the money in five days.”

Lovemoney.com

Earn up to 8% on your savings
“If you're prepared to be a little more adventurous with your savings, there are a couple of alternatives to the everyday easy access savings account you might want to consider.”

The Telegraph

Savers need not suffer rotten returns
“Perhaps a rude word in Russian is the answer to millions of savers' problems now that most bank and building society accounts pay less interest than the rate of inflation announced this week.”

This Is Money

Loans without repayment fees vanish fast
“The Post Office and online lending website Zopa are the only two lenders left in the UK who do not have hidden fees for early repayment. The Post Office reserves the right to introduce early redemption charges at any time, however, Zopa has guaranteed it will never introduce these charges.”

The Independent

David Prosser: Will Treasury hat-trick get a result?
“There are a handful of financial-sector business out there with something genuinely new to offer. Think of Zopa, the peer-to-peer lending service, for example...”

Andover Advertiser

Interest soars in net 'bank'
“Nearly 2,300 people in the Andover area have sigend up to a social website to lend and borrow money to each other, bypassing the banks.”

The Telegraph

A brave new future for high street banks
“Most intriguing of all is Zopa - a marketplace that matches lenders with borrowers and cuts out the middleman. Loans made through the website have doubled to £60m in the past nine months and the momentum is gathering. New entrants may at the extreme, even lead to new forms of banking.”

MoneySavingExpert.com

Money saving deals
“If you have a very good credit score and are borrowing smaller amounts, loan marketplace Zopa costs 9.6% APR for £4000, which sounds costly but next best is Asda at 12.9%.”

The Times

How to find the cheapest loan
“Since the beginning of the credit crunch banks have tightened their lending criteria making it more difficult than ever for borrowers to find an affordable loan. Here Times Money shares a few tips to help you get the best deal.”

The Guardian

Starting a business: What the over-50s need to know
“Businesses started by people in their 50s are more likely to succeed than those begun by 20- or 30-somethings.”

This Is Money

Savers over 50 turn to Zopa
“Over 15000 people aged over 50 have turned to lending website Zopa.com for an average income of over 8.1% on their savings.”

Hexham Courant

Lending scheme sidesteps banks
“Over 400 people in Tynedale have signed up to a social website to lend and borrow money to each other, bypassing the banks.”

The Motley Fool

Earn 6% as a money lender
“Attractive rates have prompted many to lend through Zopa”

Radio 4 - Today Programme

Mr Darling said it was good to have more competition in the banking sector
“But how easy is it to get into it?”

(6m 4s - 3.55MB)

The Herald

What's the story with... Zopa?
“Ever contemplated the interest repayments on a personal loan and wondered which of your bank bosses' homes you're helping pay for? Ever felt resentful about the stingy interest rates banks are offering for your precious savings?”

FT.com Blog

Can Zopa beat the banks?
“We at Money Matters want to know whether UK individuals who have used Zopa have got a good deal. So what is your view of Zopa - have you used it to borrow or lend money?”

Radio 2 - Jeremy Vine Show

It's hard to think of a time when banks have been held in such dislike and distrust by the general public
“It's enough to make you want to do away with banks altogether. But of course that's just a pipe dream...or is it?”

(12m 48s - 6.96MB)

Yorkshire Post

Bankers need to recognise depth of anger in the country
“Businesses that are fed up with banks could always vote with their feet and look for alternative sources when they need to raise finance. One avenue might be the online, person-to-person marketplace.”

The Guardian

Don't just howl with rage. Try an idea that does away with banks altogether
“Websites like Zopa could do to banks what iTunes has done to record shops: make them all but irrelevant.”

Birmingham Post

Zopa lends a helping hand for borrowers on the web
“People can see that they have bailed out large sections of the banking industries, but where are the benefits for them?”

My Finances

Online saving: find the highest rate for your cash
“Websites that empower investors are being pushed into the spotlight after bank crises and drastically low interest rates have shaken consumers to the core.”

The Guardian

If Google and Amazon won't innovate, the rest of us must
“The sector most in need of a new model is banking. There are interesting small experiments such as Zopa...”

MSN Money

What is your money personality?
“...think about lending to help others. Zopa is a lending and borrowing service that allows you to see who you are lending to and why.”

The Scotsman

Top ten: Click here to save yourself a fortune
“Jeff Salway offers his guide to some of the best money websites around.”

The Telegraph

20 ways to profit from the recession
“Alistair Darling's calls on Monday for banks to get lending again appear to have fallen on deaf ears, so you could do your bit to boost consumer confidence by becoming a lender yourself and get a return of 10pc by doing so.”

MoneyWeek

Savings auctions - nice idea, shame about the rates
“... if it's juicy rates you're after, and you don't mind a bit of risk when you're auctioning off your money, there's an alternative. ”

Radio 4 - Moneybox

In these strange times, how do you put any spare money to work?
“...an alternative to standard savings; it's called Zopa.”
Skip to 7 minutes and 45 seconds.

Radio 4 - In Business

Let's start a bank
“...Zopa, not a bank exactly, but something called an interent peer-to-peer lending operation.”
Skip to 21 minutes and 57 seconds.

Money Magpie

Zopa: an alternative to banks and a recession-busting way to borrow money
“Want to get a loan of £1000-£15000 with a no hassle, competitive interest rate? If the answer is yes, then Zopa is definitely worth a look. ”

The Sunday Times

How to net the best banking deals
“As banks boost profits by a record amount, we look at their biggest money-spinners and track down the best offers. ”

The Times

Spurn the government's poor deals
“The top loan at present for £3000 over five years is from Zopa.com at 9.1% , said Moneysupermarket. Monthly repayments would be £62 or £3712 overall - £368 less than the government's loan. ”

This Is Money

New loan offer for older entrepreneurs
“Online lending site Zopa.com has teamed up with the charity PRIME to offer loans at relatively low rates to retired people who have found the income from their life savings are not enough to make ends meet every month. ”

Money Magpie

Why I save with Zopa
“...I mentioned Zopa.com as a useful alternative if you need a loan. I also mentioned that I am a Zopa Lender and very happy with the service.”

Reader's Digest

A life without banks
“In these times of miniscule savings rates and tight-fisted lending from banks, the solution may have arrived: citizens are doing it for themselves.”
Thanks to our lender '29murfee12' for sending in this scan!

CNBC European Business

Bank Balancers
“The chastened banking sector is ceding large parts of its core business to savvy, ethically armed entrepreneurs.”

The Independent

Where can savers find a home for their cash?
“Money lending website Zopa can be an attractive alternative for your savings”

Lovemoney.com

Three cheap ways to borrow money
“Szu Ping Chan rounds up some of the best loans on offer, and some creative alternatives...”

The Times

Arising out of the ashes
“The mainstream banking system has taken 100 years of trust and blown it overnight... Zopa.com are reinventing banking for the Facebook generation.”

The Economist

Opportunity Gently Knocks
“...Derisory interest rates are encouraging savers to seek better returns elsewhere... For borrowers spurned by their banks, low-cost and unleveraged social lenders are an attractive alternative.”

The Telegraph

Us Now and social networks: interview with director Ivo Gormley
“Us Now, a new film illustrates how online networks are changing the way we live together.”

Scottish Daily Express

Online lender may be answer if banks say 'No'
“Zopa website is offering affordable credit.”

Yahoo! Finance

7 ways to beat the bank
“If you have a pretty healthy credit score then cut out the banks altogether and consider Zopa.com.”

The Independent

Borrowers have never had it so bad, so time to review your choices
“Need a loan but put off by exorbitant rates? Chiara Cavaglieri maps out the options for how to get your hands on the cash.”

The Guardian

Zopa: The 'savings account' paying 9%
“It's touted as the new model of savings and loans to replace our broken banks. Rupert Jones examines Zopa.com, the website that matches up depositers and borrowers.”

Norwich Evening News

Best of the web
“With the banking system not exactly looking a great investment at the moment, many are looking at alternatives.”

Financial Times

A green shoot
“Which finanical institution has just reoprted a 140 per cent rise in lending year on year? The answer is Zopa, the online "lending site"... The recovery starts here.”

Consumer Choices

Zopa loans - Ask our expert
“Zopa is certainly a very interesting new development in the credit market and a borrowing option that deserves a closer look.”

The Independent

Social lending website Zopa profits from banks' decline
“Zopa, the social lending website that cuts out banks, lent a record £2.5m in February and is piling on new members as the credit drought makes its service more attractive.”

The Telegraph

10 ways to get a better return on your money
“Getting a decent return on your money can seem a daunting task. A year ago building society savers were earning 7pc on their money. Today, with the Bank Rate standing at a record low of 0.5pc, most accounts pay less than 1pc.”

Bloomberg

Lenders and borrowers bypass bank with peer-to-peer site

This Is Money

Should you gamble to boost your savings?
“How much risk should savers take in the search for higher income?”

Motley Fool

A new asset class with great potential
“Could this relatively new asset class offer better long-term returns than shares, with lower-risk beside?”

The Times

Zopa's peer-to-peer model proves tempting for disillusioned savers
“We explain why people are bypassing conventional accounts and flocking to the online lending exchange in their thousands.”

The Times

Labour can't control the pinstripe puppets
“People are trying increasingly to bypass the banks because they mistrust the bankers.”

This Is Money

How to get a better return on your savings
“Savings rates may be plummeting, but there are several creative steps you can take to make sure you make the best of your nest egg.”

Evening Standard

The middle men taking the credit and heading for the top
“Now and again I come across a person with an idea that's so clever, yet simple, that I kick myself for not thinking of it first.”

The Sunday Times

Top tips for saving in a slump
“Rates are dire but you can still prosper by checking our gilts, gold, equities, social lending, life settlements and bonds.”

MSN Money

Banking dinosaurs die, but look who's come to replace them
“Internet-based loan market Zopa is one of the most promising candidates to come blinking into the sunlight.”

The Telegraph

Zopa: Where DIY bankers get 9pc
“Lenders and borrowers who want better rates are forsaking the banks to cut out the middlemen.”

Sunday Herald

Savers and borrowers join up
“A little-known person-to-person lending exchange has seen increasing numbers of savers, unhappy with the derisory interest rates offered elsewhere, join up in the last month.”

The Independent

Zopa takes up where the bank leaves off
“Julian Knight and Nargis Ahmad look at the site matching individual lenders and borrowers who recoil from hight-street rates.”

Money Week

How safe is social lending?
“Britain's ground-breaking 'social lending' exchange is enjoying a boom in business thanks to the credit crunch.”

Motley Fool

Make your savings work harder
“With interest rates falling, Harvey Jones explores the best ways to increase the return on your savings.”

Money Magpie

Get 9.1% on your savings with Zopa
“Imagine being able to make an average of 9.1% on your savings in this financial climate! That's what the people at Zopa are claiming their lenders made during 2008. In fact, it is possible to make 12% as a Zopa lender if you're willing to lend to riskier borrowers...”

This Is Money

Zopa offers top loans and savings rates
“As loan providers cut down on their lending and raise rates, increasing numbers of people who are disillusioned with the banking system are turning to loan website Zopa.com, which aims to match up borrowers with lenders.”

Yahoo! Finance

Get a loan without a bank
“Aah, where are they now, those banks who were our best friends just a few months ago? They couldn't lend to us fast enough when times were good. Now you'd be lucky to get a loan without having to offer your first born child as security.”

Radio 4 - Today Programme

If the banks won't lend you more money, where else can you go to get it?
“The other source of finance could be something called 'Social Lending'....”

The Times

How to handle loan rejection
“As lending conditions continue to worsen, we explain the options open to beleaguered borrowers.”

Derbyshire Evening Telegraph

More people are banking on the web to get them out of debt
“Struggling to consolidate his debts, Paul Robinson took the unusual step of borrowing £100 from 20 strangers he met over the internet.”

Monevator

Zopa Update: Interest rates rise for savers, but bad debt doesn't
“Back in March 2008, I asked if rising interest rates at Zopa were an opportunity for cash-rich savers or an accident waiting to happen. Nearly 10 months on, I'm yet to see any bad debt.”

The Plymouth Herald

Author Bob's sci-fi dream
“A Liskeard author has used a peer-to-peer loan to realise his dream of releasing his own series of sci-fi novels.”

Evening Standard

Be an online lender - and beat cuts in savings rate
“With saving rates at most banks running below 3%, and set to fall further if the Bank of England cuts interest rates again this Thursday, here's an ingenious way to improve your return.”

Halifax Evening Courier

Inter-lend on the net
“Internet social lending is becoming an increasingly popular way of lending and borrowing money as an alternative to banks.”

The Bolton News

Where to turn when the banks say no
“A new form of lending is heling a Bolton investor to take advantage of the banks' reluctance to lend.”

The Telegraph

Cost of personal loans trebles in 2008, says MoneyExpert.com
“The most competitive products for a £5,000 loan come from Zopa...”

The Scotsman

Making money by lending money
“These are lean times for borrowers seeking affordable loans and savers looking for decent returns. So it's no surprise that the two parties are turning to each other for the rates they can't get from the banks, courtesy of social lending website Zopa.”

Motley Fool

Two smart ways to get a better savings rate
“There are still two places that savers can stash their cash and get a market-leading return.”

The Times

The £1bn rip-off on trackers
“Borrowers have been left out in the cold as lenders profit from plummeting interest rates”

The FT

Peer-to-peer is the 'Next Big Investment Idea'
“...the overall winner is a simple concept that has already demonstrated its potential: peer-to-peer lending, via the internet.”

The Yorkshire Post

It's a shoot-out for survival as high noon hits the High Street
“...Anticipating our deepening mistrust of the personal financial services market, [Zopa] provides real value by matching people who would like to lend money for a decent return with people who are looking for loans.”

The Telegraph

Ways to beat the rate cut and get and income of more than 5pc
“The Bank of England's move to cut interest rates to a 300-year low will bring some much needed cheer to borrowers. But for savers and income seekers the landscape is getting increasingly tough. There are still ways to generate an income on your savings, however...”

The Guardian

Recession? What recession?
“A new style of bank, which creates a community out of lenders and borrowers to get both sides better deals, is flying in the face of recession.”

BBC2 - Working Lunch

Banks are stricter ... so some people are going elsewhere
“... It's not a bank. It's a meeting place on the internet for borrowers and lenders to get together and do business.”

The Guardian

Zopa shows banks how to do it right
“...Zopa is enjoying a boom. In the third quarter new borrowers soared by nearly 50% to 3700 compared with the previous quarter. Why is this happening - and is it safe?”

Finextra

Credit crunch winners
“Giles Andrews, co-founder and managing director of Zopa, spoke to Finextra about how the banking crisis is encouraging more people to turn to social lending...”

City A.M.

Julie Meyer: Financial services firms need to remember the service
“...Zopa has benefitted from banks tightening customer loans; loans are up because of the better rates (for both sides).”

Marketing Week

Zopa adds humanity to money lending process
“Zopa is a social lending website where ordinary people with spare money can lend it to those who need to borrow - cutting out the middleman (the big banks).”

MyFinances.co.uk

Banking alternatives
“Zopa.com - which means 'zone of possible agreement' - has been around for three years now and since the credit crunch last year, business has doubled.”

CNN

Online bank alternatives
“With banks failing across the world, where do you go for a loan and if you're lucky enough to have money, where do you park your hard-earned cash?.”

The Sunday Times

How the wealthy are beating the turmoil
“The rich are getting returns of 10% and you can too.”

The FT

Innovatve lending increases
“The tightening of lending practices by high sreet banks is pushing consumers towards entrepreneurial technology-based solutions.”

The Independent

Bypass the credit jam and drive loan costs down
“This week new cars will roll off forecourts up and down the country as the 58 registration is introduced. And despite endless warnings about the dire effects of the credit crunch, much of this spending will be financed through credit.”

CreditChoices

Progressive Zopa opens doors for young adults
“For 20 to 25 year olds, obtaining a loan can be difficult. Social lender Zopa believes it has the solution to this problem.”

FT.com

Reap the payback in lending to strangers
“Savers can earn an average interest rate of 8.9 per cent, higher than the best fixed rate bonds, by lending directly to borrowers seeking an alternative to bank loans.”

The Telegraph

50 ways to profit from the economic gloom
“Become a lender yourself and get a return of 10 per cent.”

The Independent

The Googles of tomorrow
“From a book club taking on Amazon to the loans firm shaking up banking - Tim Walker meets the creators of the next digital superbrands.”

Metro

Get loan through 'Dragons' Den'-style pitch
“Budding entrepreneurs and those seeking some extra cash will be able to secure loans through a 'Dragons' Den'-style pitch on lending site Zopa from the New Year.”

MotleyFool

How to get cheaper loans
“...what if you could get a loan without having to approach your nasty old bank at all?.”

MoneyNet

Zopa social lending 'immune' from credit crunch
“Social-lending bank Zopa is being touted as the most affordable source for credit in the wake of the current global financial crisis.”

TimesOnline

How to tap in to online riches
“Another face of the new "democratised" economy is peer-to-peer lending. Zopa.com puts internet users who have money to lend in touch with those who want to borrow.”

Square Mile Magazine

A user-friendly alternative to doing business with your high street bank
“Then there is the transparency - lenders can see exactly who they are lending to and what those borrowers are doing with the money. Reasons for borrowing have ranged from publishing a sci-fi trilogy to IVF treatment, solar heating for a bungalow... and lots of weddings.”

The Independent

In the zone: the online exchange where people become banks
“The popularity of Zopa, an online money exchange that aims to cut out the middle man, continues to grow. It has just picked up an award for its internet technology from specialist magazine The Banker, the irony of which is not lost on its creators, who have spent the past two years positioning their enterprise as an alternative to corporations.”

MSN Money

Cutting out the banks
“Many of us hate banks. They are big, inefficient and impersonal, they have so many ways to charge us, yet we just can't seem to do without them. So is that how it is always destined to be? Not according to Zopa...By cutting out the bank middlemen and many of the overheads, borrowers get lower rates and lenders get higher ones.”

IT Week

Web 2.0 Wealth Check
“New business models like Zopa show that the social computing information revolution can take place in any industry.”

CNBC

“For those using the site, a sense of control and community is a large part of the appeal.”

The Sunday Telegraph

Would you lend money to a stranger?
“The sceptics who questioned the chances of a company that matches people willing to lend money with borrowers who are complete strangers may have to hold their hands up and admit they were wrong.”

The Sunday Herald

Cut out the banks with lending the eBay way
“James Watson is a 31 year-old software analyst from Fife. He signed up to Zopa a few months ago. 'I like the concept,' he says. 'It's a bit like lending money to a friend or relative, because you can find out about the borrowers and chat to them over the website. It's all so much more human and personal.”

The Guardian

Super Zopa
“When the online financial marketplace Zopa launched two years ago, it outlined its ambition to become the eBay of the banking world. Many thought it might end up simply being a flash in the pan. But Zopa – a financial 'exchange' where people meet to lend and borrow money – has proved the doubters wrong.”

Investors Chronicle

Smart investors use the web
“Zopa brings money-making opportunities to the private investor which were previously only open to institutions.”

BBC Breakfast (and BBC Click)

“The concept is called Social Lending and the idea is to introduce people who need money to people who want to borrow some – cutting out the middlemen like banks and mortgage companies. Zopa is a pioneer in this space. For the past two years it has allowed members to borrow and lend on their own terms.”

The Banker

Putting a face to the online banking revolution
“Online product developments such as the peer-to-peer banking innovation, Zopa.com (online lending exchange), are radically changing the way financial transactions, big and small, can be done. These technologies can disintermediate the traditional bank role....The Zopa model, which cuts out the banks in the middle, can provide better lending rates and a clear opportunity to revamp lending attitudes and mechanisms.”

Financial Adviser

“Because social lending schemes embrace the trends that are defining the current age, they are likely to become increasingly important.”

Money Week

A web-based way to bypass the banks
“At Money Week, we love the idea of Zopa. We like the idea of cutting out the middleman and of helping people to help each other. And we like the basic claim Zopa makes: borrowers get cheaper rates via Zopa than they would if they borrowed from the banks, and lenders get higher rates than they would get if they saved via the banks... Does that mean you should be using Zopa? If you are a lender, the answer might well be yes (as) Zopa has much to recommend it.”

The Banker

Peer-to-peer lending strives to break the banking mould
“Rather like online auction market eBay, UK-based Zopa and its US counterpart Prosper represent the phenomenon of internet-savvy people who want to dispense with established intermediaries and their fees and like the idea of being part of a new community.”

Mail on Sunday

Is lending £25,000 to a stranger a good idea?
“A growing dislike and distrust of banks – their hidden fees, extortionate penalties and poor service – is driving many people to look elsewhere for loans and savings. And Zopa, the world's first online lending and borrowing exchange, is one of the biggest beneficiaries.”

Investment Adviser

Breaking New Ground
“Investors are always looking for new asset classes – especially those deemed low risk. Enter Zopa, the self-styled eBay of personal finance, which is wooing investors with promised returns of between 6 per cent and 14 per cent.”

The Banker

The brave new world of Web 2.0
“Many of those at the forefront of the Web 2.0 revolution claim that this marks the true beginning of online banking – not just a potentially inert online presence for an offline bank, but a complete virtual experience connecting one consumer to another to conduct financial transactions such as mortgages and small-business loans, all without the interference of middlemen: the banks. Take, for example, the social lending model of such sites as Zopa...”

The Daily Telegraph

Lend to strangers at the click of a mouse
“Zopa allows people to beome DIY bankers online... With the average return a healthy 6.8% before tax and after bad debt and fees, it is a tempting offer. Lenders effectively tie up their cash for the period of the loan, which averages three years, and bear the risk of defaults directly, but the top rates beat best buys on the open market, such as Northern Rock's three-year bond, paying an APR of 6%.”

Working Lunch (on BBC 2)

“An ebay for money.”

BBC World Service

“Social lending is a new type of business. Banks have been lending for eons so these websites are breaking new ground.”

International Herald Tribune

Internet lenders could prove disruptive
“A website based in Britain, Zopa.com, and another in the United States, have started businesses that connect individuals eager to borrow money to other people willing to lend, offering both sides better interest rates than banks... Banking analysts suggest that these hyper-efficient operations, with few employees and no costly real estate, could force changes to established banks.”

The Sunday Times

Zooming Zopa
“When it launched I was as sceptical as any about the idea, but after two years it clearly works.”

This is Money

Is Zopa a good investment?
“According to Barclays Capital's analysis of the historical performance of asset classes, (lender returns at Zopa) are better than the annual return from cash and gilts over the past 10 years, and have certainly been better than a saver would have seen from bonds over the past two years.”

The Daily Mirror

Bank of You and Me
“Faceless banks charging huge interest rates and slapping on penalties at the slightest excuse are encouraging growing numbers to seek alternatives. To fill the gap, imaginative ideas such as Zopa, an internet-based business where people borrow from one another, are starting to spring up.”

The Banker

Innovation: How to improve
“Banks are currently trying to figure out how to react to the community space – known as Web 2.0 or internet-only sites that emphasise collaboration among users – with new arrivals like Zopa providing a model, or perhaps a threat.“

The Scotsman

Zip to Zopa for the going rate
“Zopa offers a quick and easy benchmark for the best financial deals available.”

The Fair Investment Company

Zopa: Cut out the banks
“Zopa, a so-called ‘peer-to-peer' or ‘prosumer' (producer-consumer) network, allows individuals to lend and borrow directly between themselves.”

What Investment?

A revolutionary new type of savings scheme
“If your financial resolution for 2007 is to get your savings in tiptop shape then Zopa lending could be your answer.”

Easier Finance

Spring clean your finances – double the interest earned on your savings
“Those looking to knock their finances into better shape should explore Zopa lending – a new alternative to savings that last year paid out more than double the average deposit account, and more than the very best accounts available.“

Personal Computer World

Web could transform banking
“Banking is about to face the kind of social transformation credited to so-called Web 2.0 services like MySpace and YouTube, according to a new study. The reason is that that web facilitates a return to one of the oldest forms of financial service, Social Lending... Social Lending has re-emerged in the form of several online schemes such as UK-based Zopa, which allows members to borrow money invested by others.”

Which?

Best ways to borrow
“Zopa is a novel idea and might be worth a look if you want to borrow or lend.”

Money Extra

Social Lending – the zone of probable agreement
“If you are a bit of an individualist, don't like the idea of always doing business with big corporations, are the sort of person who shops on eBay and uses the internet for social interaction, then you are just the sort of person who could be in the market for Social Lending.

Bloomberg.com

Internet's free services start to bite at bankers
“In recent years the Internet has hammered the media industry... Banking may well be next. The Internet hates middlemen, and bankers are quintessential intermediaries. Take a look at some recent start-ups that threaten their trade. Last year, London-based Zopa.com started a service that matches lenders and borrowers directly.”

Silicon.com

Big-bank confidence dented by social banking
“Social Lending uses the age-old concept of borrowing and lending money person-to-person, which in the past has normally taken place in private between friends and family. Sites like Zopa take Social Lending into the public domain, cutting out the banks and stopping the bank manager getting fat at everyone else's expense.”

The Guardian

Internet lenders threaten banks
“The social networking phenomenon that has fuelled the rapid growth of websites such as YouTube and MySpace could be about to threaten the dominance of the big banks by transforming the way we borrow and save, according to a study published today.”

TNT Magazine

Lend on me
“With the launch of Zopa, the world of credit and debt has taken a giant leap into the internet age.”

The Independent

The five best new ideas for a modern money map
“Banks and insurance companies are not renowned for moving with the times – more often than not, innovation is an alien concept. But that doesn't mean the financial services industry doesn't occasionally come up with a new idea. And the best ones could save – or make – you serious amounts of money... Zopa.com is an internet site that gives people the opportunity to lend to individual borrowers for their mutual benefit.”

Motley Fool

Better than banks and building societies
“Everyone's a winner with Zopa, the ebay for money, except banks and their shareholders of course!”

The Guardian

Can Britain produce a success like YouTube?
“So what's the next big thing?... Zopa is like a betting exchange, but for loans. The site puts those with money to lend in touch with creditworthy borrowers.”

Financial Adviser

Zopa to target personal debt with new asset class
“The concept of the service, which already has over 100,000 members, is to tap into the most profitable sector of high street banking – personal debt.”

Motley Fool

Two high interest alternatives
“Despite the recent rise in interest rates, the table-topping savings accounts haven't been jumbled around much. This isn't good as lack of competition means no pressure for banks to provide a better service... If you're fed up with relying on banks, here's one way to cut them out of your savings: lend money to other individuals through the lending and borrowing exchange Zopa. OK, this is perhaps more of an investment rather than a savings account, but it seems like a pretty safe bet for most lenders.”

The Daily Express

Beware greedy lenders that punish good habits
“While the UK faces a growing personal debt problem, greedy lenders often discourage customers from clearing debts quickly by imposing penalties for paying off loans early... James Alexander of internet-based lending exchange Zopa is calling on the Government to ban early-redemption penalties... Zopa lets you pay off your debts at any time without penalty.”

CNN Money.com
(reproduced in Business 2.0)

Eleven technologies that'll change it all
“The innovation: peer-to-peer lending
The disrupted: traditional banks

Any industry making a huge profit margin off its customers is a good candidate for disruption. Banking is a classic case – just think of the 19 percent interest you pay on credit cards and the 2 percent you earn on your savings account. Zopa is closing the gap by using the Web to allow personal lending on a massive scale.”

Financial Times

Early redemptions
“At a time of growing concern about levels of personal debt, it seems perverse that lenders should penalise customers who want to reduce their outgoings... James Alexander, COO of Zopa, is calling for a government ban on early redemption penalties.”

The Sunday Telegraph

We can all be bankers now
Zopa, the internet business that introduces borrowers to private lenders, is now 18 months old. Pamela Atherton tracks its progress.

The Daily Telegraph

Net Benefits of a Lending Revolution
Bill Gates described Richard Duvall as “one of the most dynamic people I've ever met”. Duvall laughs: “I don't know if he says it about everyone but it's something I'm happy to quote.” The accolade will do him no harm as he builds up support for a personal finance website dubbed the eBay of lending. Duvall, who previously led the team that created internet bank Egg, launched Zopa in March 2005.”

Best Practice Magazine

Finance: Highly rated
“As an enterprising accountant looking at new borrowing or investment alternatives for clients, consider peer-to-peer lending. In the UK, one company in particular is bringing the concept of micro lending to the masses via its website, www.zopa.com, bypassing traditional banks and providing a new asset class for retail investors.”

What Investment

Product of the Month
*****
“No bank in the middle, no huge overheads, no unethical investments – it's a completely new way of doing things and a completely new asset class for your portfolio. Zopa could permanently change the way people save and invest their money”

Metro

Cash points
“By spreading your money around, you limit the damage caused if any one investment takes a dive. On the buffet are such things as shares, bank accounts, bonds and National Savings. But now you can become part of a lending exchange. A website called zopa.com lets you lend money through its online company”

This is money

Create your own bank
“The way High Street banks make their money is simple – charge borrowers more than they pay out to savers. And judging by the record profits most of the banks announced earlier this year, they do it very well. But a growing band of consumers is fighting back, taking control of their own finances and setting themselves up as their own mini-bank.”

The Guardian

Leading Questions
An interview with Richard Duvall, chief executive and co-founder of Zopa

Business week

Lots of Loans, But No Banks
“Finance co-ops have hit the Web, and they look like a good deal for borrowers and lenders... One of the Web's most intriguing trends is the rise of peer-to-peer lending communities such as London-based Zopa Ltd.”

The Times

Would you lend cash to a stranger?
“You may think the idea sounds crazy, but a growing number of people are lending money over the internet – and they are receiving market-beating rates in the process. In fact, the idea has proved so popular that the British internet company that came up with the concept has decided to expand into the United States.”

The Guardian

When bingeing ends in cheers
“Zopa, now 15 months old, is made up of some senior ex-Egg people, all of whom are getting something from Zopa that they couldn't achieve in their previous jobs.”

IT Week

Zopa shows what Web 2.0 can do
“UK startup Zopa aims to offer the equivalent of eBay for financial services. Instead of buying and selling goods, however, Zopa members lend and borrow money – with interest.”

Irish Times

Lending website banks on the eBay generation
“It caters for people who earn good money but not necessarily into their bank account on the last Thursday of each month, and it allays the fears of those who worry that their savings are being invested by the bank in a manner that they would find unethical.”

TowerGroup

The Case for Peer-to-Peer Online Lending Exchanges
“Zopa... represents the aligning of many macro trends, such as the maturity of the internet in terms of borrowers and commercial trust-based relationships. Another trend is that technology is more afforbale, easier to use, rapidly evolving, and sensitive to users' demands. The ‘virtual organization' is also more acceptable today than it was years ago. And giant killers such as Google, EasyJet, and other no-frills airlines are proliferating. Now financial institutions like Zopa... are coming from nowhere to challenge the established order in what may be the start of a new revolution.”

Forrester Research

Zopa shows that P2P lending can work
Peer-to-peer lending is here to stay. P2P lending may seem a novel concept, but individual lending has a longer history than banking itself and is still common in more traditional societies, particularly in Asia. Now that Zopa has proven that an online lending marketplace has consumer appeal, we expect other firms will follow.”

The Sunday Express

Will Trusting the Net Pay Off for You?
“Zopa.com, just over a year old, has 63,000 people registered. The site has been dubbed “the people's bank” and lets individuals lend money to others.”

The Motley Fool

How I Opened My Own Bank
“Alas, the banks (and to a lesser degree, the building societies) have an iron grip over lending to individuals in the UK, and that will never change, right? Wrong – and to prove it, I set up my own bank earlier this year. What I did was become a member of Zopa.....”

The Oldie

...and Mammon
“The basic attraction is that, by largely eliminating the middleman, both participants enjoy significantly better rates than those normally on offer....Banks are not yet shaking in their shoes. But they probably need to be aware that they now have a serious do-it-yourself rival.”

Financial Times

Zopa lending system gets $15m
“Zopa plans to expand into the US after raising $15million from existing private equity investors Benchmark Capital and Wellington Partners. It has also received backing from new investor Bessemer Venture Partners which originally backed Skype.”

Alpesh Patel

Show me the returns
“Lending through Zopa is becoming an important part of many people's portfolio, alongside their savings and investments... There's a strong chance that in the future people will talk about three things to do with your money: saving, investing and lending.”

The Scotsman

Small is beautiful as peer-to-peer lending flexes its muscles
“Zopa remains by far the biggest player and to date has arranged more than £185 million in loans, including a monthly record of £8.2m this January alone.”

The Motley Fool

The Next Threat To Banking Shares
“And the next revolution in banking could be online person-to-person banking, known as P2P, that uses the Internet. In Britain there's several P2P start-ups including Zopa, Funding Circle and Crowdcube.”

Lovemoney

We don't need the banks: why Zopa, RateSetter and Funding Circle are the future of banking
“online peer-to-peer lenders like Zopa, RateSetter and Funding Circle get the thumbs up from the business arm of the Government”

BBC News

Giles, our CEO, on BBC News
Our CEO Giles Andrews talks about peer-to-peer lending on BBC News, following the Breedon report into the lending gap and Andy Haldane's (from the Bank of England) comment in a speech in New York.

The Independent

You can better your parents' pension
“It may even be worth considering peer-to-peer lending which is an important part of retirement planning for an increasing number of savers, particularly now that the banks are out of favour.”

BBC

What threat to banks from internet lenders?
“If you place your money with a peer-to-peer lender like Zopa, you are not lending to Zopa, in the way that you are lending to Barclays if you put your money on deposit with Barclays. You are actually lending to the individuals who have registered with Zopa.”

The Independent

Online lending 'could replace' banks
“A senior Bank of England policymaker (...) said in a speech in New York yesterday that web-based lenders such as Zopa, Funding Circle and Crowdcube, which put savers in direct contact with potential borrowers, could make conventional banks obsolete.”

The Telegraph

Technology could take the bankers out of banking
“"At present, these companies are tiny," Mr Haldane said. "But so, a decade and a half ago, was Google."”

MSN Money

Entrepreneurs who profited during the downturn
“Zopa has been one of the beneficiaries not of the recession, but of banks' inability to lend cheaply now that they have to admit their huge problems.”

The Mirror

Earn up to 4.65 per cent by locking up your savings for the long term
“There is one last option which we haven't mentioned so far - social savings websites. These are sites that enable you to use your savings to lend to individuals or businesses via the web.”

The Telegraph

Swap and share: the new ways to make cash
“Lending money to strangers may seem like the last thing you would want to do, but a rising number of savers and borrowers are going online for banking to cut out the high street banks.”

The Independent

A revolution is brewing in financial services
“Zopa is bliss for all those who hate banks because it uses the internet to cut them out. What it does is put people who want to borrow money in touch with those who have a bit of spare cash.”

The Guardian

Unhappy with big banks? You could move your money
“The best-known UK peer-to-peer lending site says January 2012 was its biggest month ever, with its savers lending £8.2m.”

Mindful Money

The rise of peer-to-peer lending
“"Avoid the middle man" is a phrase most of us are keen to hear - particularly when it comes to financial transactions. We tend to feel safer if we know who we're dealing with and can establish a relationship with them...”

Moneyvista

Peer-to-peer lender Zopa sees best ever month
“With APRs of 6.1%, loans from Zopa are some of the cheapest in the country and allow early repayment with no charge. At the same time savers enjoyed inflation-busting returns at very low risk.”

MyFinances.co.uk

Personal loans: Six of the best
“David Black, banking insight analyst at Defaqto, said borrowers should find out whether the lender has a facility which allows them to get an 'in principle' quote without leaving a footprint on their credit record. Currently Nationwide Building Society, Ratesetter.com and Zopa.com offer this facility.”

London Evening Standard

Top ways to make your savings grow even in these tough times
“In times of inflation, savers will always find it more difficult because their pot will dwindle in real terms while it is supposedly "safe" in a bank. As a result, increasing numbers of people are going online to try their hand at "peer-to-peer" lending, which can offer returns of up to 8% on some websites.”

Mindful Money

Seeking income? Try an alternative
“Aside from investment routes, why not try 'social lending'? Also known as 'peer-to-peer' lending (P2P), this connects lenders and borrowers directly - with no banks in the way - and typical returns of around 8% are far above the best buys on savings tables.”

Scotsman

Social lending offers frustrated savers chance to see cash grow
“Social (or peer-to-peer) lending lets savers set the interest rate at which they want to lend, how much they lend, the required return and the risk they are happy with taking. In return, they are paid interest significantly higher than from the typical savings account.”

This Is Money

How to make a perfect loan application - and on only the best deals
“The most competitive typical APR available for a loan of £5,000 is 7.8 per cent from Zopa.”

The Telegraph

10 ways to make money in a recession
“ If you have cash to spare and are not getting a good return on it you could try Zopa. The peer-to-peer lending site allows you to put your money up for others to borrow, and you can get a good return.”

This Is Money

Banks in 'significant change' to squeeze more from customers while building societies spiral into 'overwhelming pessimism'
“Zopa, one of the sector's pioneers, enables people to bypass the banks by lending money to other creditworthy people at rates that they agree between themselves. This, it says, enables both borrowers and lenders to get a far better deal than they would get from a bank.”

Easier.com

Choosing an unsecured loan
“Does the lender have a facility where someone can get an in principle quote without leaving a 'credit-application search' on their credit report?. At present, a limited number of lenders - including Nationwide Building Society, Ratesetter.com and Zopa.com - offer this facility.”

The Independent

Debt is blocking the next rung on the property ladder
“The loan is at a rate of 12.7 per cent," says Alex. "Any spare money we have, we put towards paying off this loan, as we can overpay without incurring a penalty.”

The Guardian

Five steps to reduce debt
“Zopa is the cheapest lender for £5,000 loans over three years, charging 7.7% or £155.42 a month.”

The Independent

Beat miserly bank returns by going social
“New Year always brings well-intentioned resolutions but if you're fed up with the banks and want to find a new way to save or borrow in 2012, social lending could be the answer.”

The Guardian

Ten ways to boost your finances in 2012
“Banks and building societies are offering pitifully low interest rates on savings, but it is possible to earn a reasonable rate on your money if you lend directly to other people through peer-to-peer lending companies such as Zopa.”

Scotsman.com

Ease the squeeze on day-to-day living by cutting your outlays
“Bigger gains are available if you feel comfortable with using social lending websites (...). The likes of Zopa, Funding Circle and Ratesetter have become increasingly popular over the past two years and all have ways of ensuring savers' money is protected.”

NS&I Perspectives

Where will the market go next?
“For a three-year or five-year cash investment I would also consider Zopa who offer a unique approach to borrowing and lending without the use of banks.”

Finextra

P2P Lending heads for its biggest season ever
“Zopa out of the UK has already lent more than £180 million (USD280m), which means they are now approaching a 2 per cent market share of the total UK retail lending market. The impressive thing about Zopa's achievement is that their default rates are running at just 0.9%.”

New Scientist

Bank says no? Ditch the bank - borrow from the crowd
“P2P lending started in the mid-2000s, when sites like Zopa in the UK, Prosper and Lending Club in the US, Smava in Germany, were founded on an obvious yet daring principle: that in the connected, high-tech 21st century, it should be possible for ordinary people to take the place of banks.”

The Ecologist

Occupy protests: a four step guide to bypassing high-street banks
“Zopa is a well-known example, allowing you to obtain personal loans directly from another individual without a bank taking a cut in the middle.”

Mortgage Finance Gazette

Borrowers want low APR and early repayment without penalty
“The option to repay some or all of a personal loan early, at any time, without penalty, ranks alongside a low interest rate, according to research by peer-to-peer lender Zopa.”

Technology Spectator Australia

Prosper Announces Support of UK Peer-to-Peer Finance Association
“As P2P Lending Realizes Rapid Growth, Prosper and UK-Based Groups Call for Industry Performance Standards.”

Technology Spectator Australia

Social lending's regulatory killswitch
“Zopa started broking loans in the UK in 2005 targeting good credit risk borrowers and along with its main UK competitor Funding Circle attracts lenders looking for better rates than banks offer.”

eConsultancy.com

Phil Allen of Coutts on banking and social media
“Zopa isn't a bank in the traditional sense but has broken into this territory by building a relationship between borrowers and lenders. It had one of the lowest bad debt ratios during the financial crisis. This is a great example of a social lending platform.”

Finextra

A Dictator or Retail Bank. Which is Easier to Save?
“Some bankers might have difficulty understanding why customers of today seem perfectly happy to give money to the likes of PayPal, M-PESA, Lending Club or Zopa.”

The Independent

As the euro crisis ripples spread, are your savings completely safe?
“As an example, peer-to-peer offerings from the likes of Zopa and Funding Circle have strong headline rates on offer but deposits are not covered by FSCS.”

London Evening Standard

Lend an ear to small firms' bank woes
“If Chancellor George Osborne can only get one thing right in his end-of-the-month programme for growth, it should be sorting out this financial bottleneck (...) by providing financial support and loan guarantees for the new peer-to-peer internet lending platforms such as Funding Circle and Zopa.”

CityWire

Peer-to-peer lending: a replacement for banks?
“Zopa is the highest profile P2P lender in the UK and has been around since 2005.”

Mirror.co.uk

The best loan rates available
“If you want to borrow, you don't have to go to a traditional bank anymore. You can borrow from a group of private individuals via social lending sites such as Zopa and RateSetter.”

London Evening Standard

Small investors flock to the idea of crowdfunding
“Peer-to-peer marketplace Zopa.com allows people with savings to lend money to those needing a loan, without a bank as a middleman.”

Pocketlint

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Zopa
“Zopa is a bit like a dating service for money: if you're looking for a loan, they'll find you somebody to lend it to you.”

WIRED

The 21st century will be defined by collaborative consumption
“Can we track and aggregate generosity, reliability, and consistency across marketplaces such as eBay, AirBnB and Zopa?”

The Guardian

Alternatives for savers seeking higher returns
“Since 2008, the number of people wishing to lend has increased dramatically. Zopa experienced a 78% boom in the number of active lenders in 2009 compared with the previous year...”

Forbes

Banking in a Sachet
“For banks, enabling micro-consumption may end up a matter of pure defense against the likes of Wonga and person-to-person lending services like Zopa.”

Mindful Money

Peer to Peer finance takes on the banks
“Zopa offers savers more and charges borrowers less by leaving out the intermediation that banks provide.”

The Economist

The mother of invention
“New sources of finance aim to compensate for the inertia of big banks.”

The Telegraph

Peer-to-peer lenders join forces in regulation call
“Three of the UK's leading social lending markets - Zopa, RateSetter and Funding Circle - have turned to self regulation following fears over "shoddy operators".”

Mirror.co.uk

Discover the best ways to borrow
“The best known website in this field is Zopa. If you went to Zopa and borrowed £10,000 over three years, you could benefit from a loan rate as low as 7.2%.”

This is Money

Interest of 20 per cent? Just buy a repossessed property in Detroit
“'I was pleased with Zopa,' she says. 'I even invested for my daughter. I put in £600 and after three years got back £1,200 - she was thrilled.'”

Walletpop.co.uk

Savers miss out on £43 billion in interest
“Of course you could be a bit more adventurous and try out social lending. (...) There are various websites where you can do this - Zopa and Funding Circle are some of the most widely known, with Zopa offering an average return of 6.8 percent.”

Mirror.co.uk

You can still beat inflation with these savings accounts
“The best known social lending website is Zopa. Over the last 12 months, savers with Zopa have been paid an average rate of 6.8% a year which is well ahead of retail price inflation at 5%.”

MyIntroducer.com

Brits clueless as to how Banks make money from them
“New research reveals the extent to which the British public is in the dark when it comes to how banks make money in the retail market, report Zopa.”

Express.co.uk

Price wars deliver great deals for borrowers
“You don't have to borrow from the banks or other commercial lenders, you might get a better rate from ordinary people.”

London Evening Standard

Banks heading for redundancy check
“This week for example Zopa which is one of the pioneers of what it calls peer-to-peer lending passed the £150 million mark for loans arranged between its members.”

FT Adviser

Zopa offers deal to mark £150m milestone
“Peer to peer lender celebrates passing a milestone by reducing its fixed fee paid by borrowers on all loans.”

MyIntroducer.com

Zopa marks £150 million in P2P lending
“Peer-to-peer lender Zopa confirmed today that it has just passed the �150 million milestone in the loans it has arranged between members, all at rates they agree between themselves.”

The Independent

Keep it in the family, but avoid rifts with relations
“Peer to peer sites such as Zopa cut out the banks and lets you borrow money directly from individual lenders.”

Finextra

UK P2P lenders form trade body
“UK peer-to-peer (P2P) lending sites Zopa, Funding Circle and RateSetter have set up a trade body.”

FT Adviser

Peer-to-peer finance regulator launched
“Giles Andrews, chief executive of Zopa, will act as the committee's initial chairman.”

Mortgage Finance Gazette

Peer-to-peer finance market launches self-regulatory body
“A new trade body - the Peer-to-Peer Finance Association - or P2P Finance Association - has been set up by Funding Circle, RateSetter and Zopa - the largest peer-to-peer finance platforms at present in the UK.”

Express.co.uk

Peer-to-peer lending grows
“Social lending is one of the fastest-growing financial sectors, with more than 35 P2P lenders worldwide, including UK-based Zopa. The UK market is worth about £150 million.”

LocalGov.co.uk

Big Society a cover for cuts?
“Councils should learn from new online services such as the community loan service, Zopa, or the alternative car-sharing scheme, Zipcar, which both work on the principle of collaborative consumption.”

This is Money

How to make sure your savings don't get eaten by rising prices
“A new craze among investors is to experiment with social lending - otherwise known as peer to peer (P2P). The theory is that by cutting out the middle men - banks - savers and borrowers can get better rates by lending direct to each other.”

Finextra

The Total Disruption of Retail Banking - Part 3
“Lending Club, Prosper and Zopa are just three examples of recent successes in the P2P lending space. (...) Zopa has lent more than £150m which means they are now approaching a 2% market share of the total UK retail lending market.”

BBC - The Bottom Line

Hyper Growth
“Evan Davis asks his panel of top executives about the perils and possibilities of running a fast-growing business.”

Which?

Hot Money Deals, 05 Jul 2011
“For those with high credit ratings, Zopa's lowest rates currently available are 7.9% APR for a £5,000 loan over 3 years and 8.2% APR for a £10,000 loan over 5 years.”

My Finances

Summary of Moneywise Customer Service Awards 2011
“Others honoured in the ceremony included Tesco, which was named Most Trusted Life Insurance Provider and peer-to-peer lender Zopa, which took the gong for Most Trusted Personal Loan Provider.”

Lovemoney.com

Why we don't need banks
“Perhaps the biggest name in the social lending world is Zopa. With Zopa, all borrowers are identity checked, credit checked and risk assessed, while lenders' money is spread across a number of different borrowers in order to spread the risk.”

Introducer Today

Summary of Moneywise Customer Service Awards 2011
“For the second year running peer-to-peer lender Zopa was voted Most Trusted Personal Loan Provider, ahead of more established names in this category.”

Moneywise

The best and worst loan providers for customer service
“Our readers voted for a loan provider that does things a little differently, Zopa, which picks up the award for a second year running.”

The Mirror

How small loans can cost the Earth
“Our table on the left shows some of the best buy loans of £3,000 over five years. The best rates are from social lending website Zopa.com (9.7 per cent) and Sainsbury's Finance (12.9 per cent).”

The Mirror

Case study: I found 11 per cent rate on personal loans website
“Zopa is a "peer-to-peer" lending website service. It brings together people who want to make money from lending with those who want to borrow and, by cutting out the middle man this way, can offer very competitive rates.”

The Independent

Social lending finds favour with older investors
“This concept of peer-to-peer (P2P) lending is becoming an important part of retirement planning too, with both Funding Circle and Zopa reporting an increasing number of investors opting to lend cash as a way to top up their pensions.”

The Independent

Money Insider: Don't dismiss peer-to-peer options for personal loans
“The rates on Zopa change on a daily basis, but when I checked on Monday it was quoting just 9.9 per cent for a £3,000 loan over five years and that included the one-off lending fee of £130, a deal that easily beat the rate being offered by mainstream lenders.”

MoneyWeek

A real alternative to the banks / Why won't banks lend
“The best known is Zopa - in effect an online marketplace that brings together willing lenders (seeking a higher return than the banks can offer) with borrowers (seeking a lower interest rate).”

Argent

Anatomy of a mad, grand idea
“Launched in 2005, Zopa is the UK's first peer-to-peer online lending marketplace. It cuts out the banks by putting lenders and borrowers in direct contact with each other.”

The Guardian

The end of consumerism?
“We don't trust centralised monopolies, but we do trust decentralised systems. So we see peer-to-peer money-lending sites such as Zopa proving popular, in stark comparison to banks.”

New Scientist

Future of money: Crowdsourcing cash
“The first peer-to-peer loan site, called Zopa, launched in the UK in 2005 and then in the US and Italy. Its members have now made over £130 million in loans.”

China Radio International

P2P Loans Building Bridge to Better Futures
“We also studied the cases of Prosper and Zopa – two popular overseas lending websites – to try to develop a transparent and stable online lending platform for ordinary Chinese people.”

MoneyWeek

How I beat the system with my own bank
“Many savers would be happy enough with a 7.5% annual return – and that's the average earned by investors using Zopa, the world's first peer-to-peer loan website.”

Management Today

New Generation Moneylenders
“The first P2P site was Zopa, which launched in 2005. Inspired by eBay, it aimed to harness the internet's power to create a feeling of community and create a marketplace where lenders and borrowers could come together.”

Financial Times

Airbnb moves 'aggressively' into Europe
“Similar internet services include Seatwave and Viagogo for second-hand ticket sales, Zopa and Funding Circle for lending money, and Whipcar and GetAround for renting cars.”

The Independent

Social lending: Get better returns and help small firms
“The social-lending concept has been around in Britain for more than six years with Zopa (uk.zopa.com) – which brings together people prepared to lend with those looking to borrow – now representing 2 per cent of the UK's personal loan business.”

Moneysupermarket.com

Mixed fortunes for borrowers
“For those looking for £5,000 over three years, deals worth a look include the Sainsburys Personal Loan with a representative APR of 8.2% (fixed) and Zopa Loan at 8.4% (fixed) for those with good credit scores.”

City AM

Forget investing in an Isa, try lending to a total stranger
“The concept is quite frankly cool. Lenders and borrowers deal directly with each other, borrowers get lower rates and lenders get higher returns. It's becoming a big business. Zopa - the oldest fish in the social lending pond - has arranged more than £125m worth of loans in its six-year existence.”

The Guardian

The Business podcast
“We hear from Giles Andrews, director of Zopa, an online personal loans company. He says his "peer-to-peer" lending venture could give the high street opposition a run for its money.” (starts at about minute 12)

Brand Republic

The Share Culture - could it be a brand's worst enemy?
“Even finance is starting to become more community based, for those wanting to avoid the greedy banks and borrow from real people, try Zopa.”

Moneymarket.com

Britons lack faith in large financial companies
“Instead, internet banks, supermarkets and new ventures such as Zopa appear alongside building societies and mutuals as the most trusted brands.”

The Big Issue

Share Options
“Zopa, the leading social lending company in the UK, has processed over £125m in loans to date, with borrowers paying interest rates on average 20 per cent lower than at a traditional bank, and lenders enjoying rates of returns between 8-15 per cent.”

MSN Money

Peer-to-peer borrowing: the biggest lenders compared
“Zopa is the original P2P lending site in the UK. It launched six years ago, and has arranged loans in excess of £110 million since then.”

Scotsman.com

If only the cunning used against Tesco was seen elsewhere
“Those prepared to put their faith in new, online models of finance are reaping the rewards. Social lending websites such as Zopa (...) point the way forward.”

Which?

10 alternatives to big high-street banks
Number 8: “A relatively new alternative to high-street loans, the unique point of peer-to-peer loans (P2P) is that the websites who offer them allow borrowing between consumers.”

Moneysupermarket.com

Five ways to beat the banks
“Here are our five top tips for minimising the amount you hand over to the banking industry every year... ”

The Telegraph

How to inflation-proof your savings
“With prices rising at their fastest rate for 20 years, and interest rates remaining at a record low, consumers are seeing a slow decline in the value of their savings.” - and one way to counter inflation is to become a lender yourself and get a return of 6pc-plus by doing so!

The Telegraph

Zopa Lending reaches £125m!
“Savers fed up with the derisory interest rates offered by banks have lent £125m directly to borrowers via Zopa, the online ‘peer to peer’ lender. ”

Lovemoney.com

Get the lowest loan rate now!
“Rates from the social lending site Zopa change all the time and can sometimes beat the market-leading loans from banks.”

WIRED

Rentalship is the new ownership in the networked age
“Collaborative spirit is spreading to all sorts of other industries as ubiquitous internet connections bring us together in creative new ways. The peer-to-peer model has lately moved from auction houses and online classifieds to car-sharing, jewellery-lending, even online banking...”

The Irish Times

Peer-to-peer lenders shake up market for borrowers in UK
“Founded in 2005 by Richard Duvall, the creator of one of the first of the internet-only banks, Egg, Zopa is now lending up to £5 million a month and its pace of growth is accelerating.”

The Guardian

Ten ways to change the way we live
“Use "People Power" to control finance.”

The Financial Times

Savers offered 8% to become lenders
“Savers hunting for decent interest rates on their cash may be tempted to lend their money to other individuals or small businesses through "peer-to-peer" (P2P) websites such as Zopa - as these can offer returns of 8 per cent or more.”

The Independent

Good news at last: change is on the cards
“If you have a good or excellent credit rating, the search may seem simple, but you should also be aware of peer-to-peer lenders, independent of traditional banks and loan companies, as these could offer you better rates.”

Marketing Week

How the financial sector can rebuild customer trust
“Zopa's marketing approach is to be as transparent as possible; for example, there is a page on its website called simply "How we make our money". As a way of getting cut-through and reaching disaffected customers, it is a telling proposition.”

The Independent

Personal finance just got a whole lot friendlier
“Social networking applications may still be in their infancy, but given the popularity of personal finance and online peer lending, their influence on our day-to-day activities looks set to take off this year.”

This Is Money

Is social lending set to dominate 2011?
“Savers lapped up 8% rates at Zopa and Funding Circle in their droves in 2010. Could this be a break-out year for social - or 'peer-to-peer' - lending?”

BBC Radio 2

“Christmas is a time when it's hard not to borrow a bit... but a growing number of people are choosing a different route to bypass the banks altogether.”

The Telegraph

Bankers' bonuses: don't get mad – get even
“Even if politicians cannot stop bankers behaving badly, they could at least make it easier for savers and borrowers to take their business elsewhere.”

Which? Rated 5 stars *****

Build your own bank
“More and more savers are turning to peer-to-peer websites such as Zopa.”

The Telegraph

Savers spurn banks for Zopa-style 'peer-to-peer' lenders
“Disillusioned bank customers are turning to "DIY banking" and other alternative finance providers because they are frustrated with the banks' huge staff bonuses, high charges and poor savings rates.”

RSA Journal

The everyday entrepreneur
“Zopa has loyal members who are evangelists for social lending; their advocacy, according to Andrews, is "more powerful than anything we could say".”

Money Week

The cheapest way to fund your Christmas spending
“...you might look at some of the peer-to-peer lending sites. Zopa offers lower interest rates than the banks.”

Which?

Want a loan for Christmas? Don't go to your bank
“Which? credit expert Martyn Saville explains: 'It seems perverse that consumers are offered a better rate the more debt they take on, but that unfortunately is the way the market works. If you're planning to borrow smaller amounts, it's worth considering the alternatives including peer-to-peer lending sites such as Zopa.'”

The Independent

Need cash? Bypass the banks entirely and find your lender on a social website
“"Not surprisingly, a number of new peer-to-peer lenders have launched in the UK recently," says Giles Andrews, co-founder of Zopa. "This is good news as banks need to feel some real competition from outside their cosy club before they will finally do a better job for their customers."”

The Daily Mail

The top cards for Christmas to boost your spending for the festive season
“Defaqto says the best rate on a loan of �1000 would be about 20 per cent. Last week, Zopa.com offered 15.8 per cent.”

MSN Money

Easy access savings at 6.5 per cent
“The latest evolution of person-to-person borrowing and lending is taking antiquated high street banks one step closer to redundancy.”

City A.M.

Be your own lending bank
“As well as the chance of a better return, you will get the warm fuzzy feeling of funding Joe's house. Or Dave's car - apparently more Zopa borrowers are called David than anything else. That's the sort of thing banks don't tell you.”

The Telegraph

Would you lend your money to a complete stranger?
“Zopa's success has been largely down to its strong risk controls.”

The Telegraph

Why bother saving?
“With bank accounts actually losing you money, we look at other ways to put your cash to work.”

The Daily Mail

Loans minus the moans: Borrowers who want to avoid the discredited banks are finding new lenders worthy of praise.
“Since 2005, Zopa has lent more than £100 million to 25,000 borrowers. No investor has yet lost their capital...”

London Evening Standard

The writing's on the web for banks.
“...it is easy to forget that the prime purpose of banking is simply to act as an intermediary, putting those with money in touch with those who want to borrow it.”

This Is Money

Zopa launches new 'instant access' option
“Savers at peer-to-peer lending pioneer Zopa.com can now withdraw their funds any time they want in 'easy access' style.”

Moneywise

Zopa gets more attractive for savers
“Savers using social lender Zopa - to get higher returns than they can typically receive in a savings account - can now access their money before the end of the loan term.”

Money Observer

Zopa launches instant access feature for lenders
“Zopa lenders can now access some or all of their money before the borrowers are due to pay it back, in return for a 1 per cent fee.”

Lovemoney.com

Get £322 richer in minutes!
“Find out how you could earn more money by simply switching to a better savings account...”

Spectator

Good news for the govenor: a groundswell of responses to the era of bad banking
“If you've given up hope that any bank, new or old, will treat you right, you can now cut them out altogether.”

This Is Money

Is inflation or deflation the biggest threat?
“Here we look at what you should do to protect your money if Britain is hit by high inflation or catches the dreaded deflation bug.”

London Evening Standard

Things to come could change the City
“Given that the City lives by its ability to innovate, it is astonishing how we are all prisoners of conventional wisdom and lazily assume that the business models of today will be the business models of the future.”

Interactive Investor

Peer-to-peer lending on the rise
Giles Andrews talkes to iii's Editor Sarah Modlock about peer-to-peer lending.

The Sunday Times

How to spend your way to a top rate on savings
“With cash earning next to nothing and the Bank of England telling us to spend not save, here are five tips on how to turn a profit.”

Money Observer

Rates to make the banks blush
“Savers are receiving dismal rates on their cash and trust in banks has hit rock bottom. Rebecca Rutt examines whether peer-to-peer lending is a viable alternative for yield-starved investors.”

City A.M.

Peer-to-peer bank reaches £100m in arranged loans and expects to grow
“Online peer-to-peer lender Zopa has smashed past the £100m arranged loans mark as demand for alternative banking surges.”

The Economist

The mother of invention
“New sources of finance aim to compensate for the inertia of big banks.”

Lovemoney.com

The five cheapest ways to borrow
“We really like Zopa because it cuts the banks out of the lending loop completely.”

Harvard Business Review

Beyong Zipcar: Collaborative Consumption
“Collaborative consumption � systems of organized sharing, bartering, lending, trading, renting, gifting, and swapping. In collaborative lifestyles, people with similar needs or interests band together to share and exchange less-tangible assets such as time, space, skills, and money.”

Liverpool Daily Post

Why social lending could be the way ahead
“Banks are being left out in the cold as borrowers and lenders turn to social lending to get the best rates.”

The Telegraph

Zopa calls on Government and FSA to regulate social lending sector
“Zopa, Britain's first online business linking lenders and borrowers, has asked the Government and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to regulate the growing social lending industry.”

The Telegraph

Savers and borrowers can fix their own rates online
“New evidence from the Bank of England that high street banks are charging "excessive" rates of interest may prompt more people to consider an online alternative that allows savers and borrowers to agree what they charge and pay for credit.”

ITV London Tonight

Zopa featured on ITV London Tonight
Our CEO Giles Andrews and one of our Lenders talk about Zopa on ITV London Tonight.

The Independent

Get the right deal to finance your new car
“The new "60" registration plate is upon us this week. But as buyers head to the nearest dealer, it is important to tread carefully when it comes to car financing. Social lending sites such as Zopa are becoming more popular among people seeking competitive rates without the charges that normally apply to bank loans.”

Lovemoney.com

Fed up with high street banks offering pitiful savings rates?
“[At Zopa], not only will you be able to avoid the hassles that come hand in hand with the big banks, but the potential returns are far better than you�d get on a standard savings account.”

The Guardian

Peer-to-peer lending and saving: Making everyone happy
“Zopa.com has done a lot of the groundwork in establishing peer-to-peer lending, and its experience suggests it may not be as risky a proposition as it first seems.”