The new UK-based person-to-person loan marketplace Zopa <zopa.com>, first discussed here Aug. 3, is offering a 2% bonus to lenders who make money available prior to 30 November 2005 (click on screenshot left). In order to earn the bonus, would-be lenders must offer competitive rates.

The website cites an example of the potential return of a 4.9% rate on a 36-month installment loan:

  4.9% interest paid by borrower
+2.0% Zopa bonus
(1.3)% expected loss rate
----------------------------------
5.6% return to investor

Analysis
Zopa claims to have attracted 32,000 users, including 16,000 lenders in the eight months it's been online. So far, it has not lost any money to loan defaults, but that would not be unusual for a lender in its first few months.

The 2% bonus to lenders is not sustainable since the company only books a 1% loan fee, plus commissions, if any, when borrowers elect to take credit insurance. Evidently the company has more buyers (borrowers) than sellers (lenders). With such a novel concept, it's no surprise that the number of people willing to take money is higher than those willing to give it out.  As the concept becomes better known, and assuming that interest rates are allowed to float, the supply of money should reach equilibrium with demand.

--JB