In an earlier article on nontraditional investments, I mentioned Mosaic.


When you join Mosaic, you join a group of investors that are lending money for solar power installation projects.  As the loan is paid back, you receive principal and interest.  Because of the sustainability theme, Mosaic may be popular among those who would consider a Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) strategy.

I joined Mosaic in September 2013, and so far I have invested $500.

In an earlier article on nontraditional investments, I mentioned Lending Club.
Lending Club is the leader of the pack of a new breed of peer-to-peer lending platforms.  You can join Lending Club as a borrower or as a lender; for investment purposes, we're interested in the latter.