Moosie
Grand poopa
I don't wear a coat... It's summer silly
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Prosper is a company that created an online platform that connected "lenders" with "borrowers" over the Internet. Fancy language aside, it allowed regular people to become a sort of loan shark to other people anywhere in the country, where the so-called "lender" him or herself was the sole holder of the risk for any particular loan.
Interest rates collected the "lenders" on the $147 million in loans was sky high, but often fell short of that charged by credit cards ...
That is to say, the interest on those loans that were actually repaid. 18.5% of all Prosper.com loans are in some sort of delinquency. 35% of loans made since 2007 are delinquent or in default.
I guess this was a neat idea.
The problem was, it was illegal.
First of all, the "loans" made by "lenders" weren't really loans at all. The so-called lenders were purchasing securities issued by Prosper, based on the loans that it originated with the cooperation of a third (or fourth) party bank.
Sound familiar?
From the SEC filing:
Individual lenders do not actually lend money directly to the borrower; rather, the borrower receives a loan from a bank with which Prosper has contracted. The interests in that loan are then sold and assigned through Prosper to the lenders, with each lender receiving an individual non-recourse promissory note.
...
The notes offered by Prosper are investments. Lenders expect a profit on their investments in the form of interest, which is at a rate generally higher than that available from depository accounts at financial institutions. Prosper’s website has included statements that the Prosper notes provide returns superior to those offered by alternative investments such as equity stocks, CDs and money markets. The Prosper website has also stated that it offers lenders ways to "spread your risk out and ensure a more reliable return" and describes how lenders are allowed to use payments from an outstanding loan to purchase a new loan "in order to maximize returns." In addition, marketing to institutional lenders on the Prosper website characterizes the platform as an alternative to "stock or bond returns" that is "crucial for prudent portfolio management" in "turbulent markets." Testimonials published on the Prosper website show that customers have used Prosper notes as investment vehicles. Prosper also offers Portfolio Plans that allow lenders to automatically bid on loans based on estimates of risk and return characterized by Prosper.
Instead of acting like a go-between between qualified lenders and borrowers, as its "concept" suggested, Prosper.com was creating unregulated securities and selling them on the market, in violation of the law.
More from the filing:
.As a result of the conduct described above, Prosper violated Section 5(a) of the Securities Act, which states that unless a registration statement is in effect as to a security, it shall be unlawful for any person, directly or indirectly, to make use of any means or instruments of transportation or communication in interstate commerce or of the mails to sell such security through the use or medium of any prospectus or otherwise; or to carry or cause to be carried through the mails or in interstate commerce, by any means or instruments of transportation, any such security for the purpose of sale or for delivery after sale
Prosper Filing Registration Statement; Enters Quiet Period
Prosper has started a process to register, with the appropriate securities authorities, promissory notes that may be offered and sold to lenders through our site in the future.
Until we complete the registration process, we will not accept new lender registrations or allow new commitments from existing lenders. If you're an existing lender, your current lender agreements will be unaffected; your existing loans will continue to be serviced; you'll be able to track and monitor your loans; and you'll be able to withdraw funds from your Prosper account.
If you're a borrower with an existing loan, you will continue with your current borrower agreement and be unaffected by the registration process. If you're a borrower seeking a loan, you will still be able to create a new loan listing, which we will endeavor to fulfill through alternative sources. As the appropriate securities authorities may consider a new loan listing to constitute the offer of a security, we are unable to post new loan listings on our site until our registration statement becomes effective.
A successful registration can take several months, but we assure you we will do our best to move forward as quickly as possible. Until this process is complete, we're required to be in a quiet period and will be unable to respond to press, blogger or other inquiries about Prosper or the registration filing until it becomes effective.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and want to thank you in advance for your understanding and support.
Enters Quiet Period
...aka: 'shell game interruptus'
So what happens to the Millions out in loans ? they go on like usual ? Interesting. the Idea is still good though.