Peer-to-peer lending is resurfacing as stocks swing and housing stays unaffordable, pushing investors toward cash flows tied to household credit. In the U.S., this usually means buying notes backed by unsecured consumer loans, with no FDIC insurance and real default risk. The market has moved from hands-on “peer” picking to platform-led underwriting and automated allocation, funded increasingly by passive and institutional capital. Studies suggest platforms sometimes use information beyond FICO, and refinancing can improve borrower balance sheets in the short run.

But the article warns that innovation is not immunity. Early Prosper investors mispriced risk, and today’s fee-driven platforms still embed originate-to-distribute incentives and model risk. In stress, funding can vanish when investor trust breaks. Research links fintech loans to higher default rates and sensitivity to rate hikes. Treat P2P as a small, higher-risk credit sleeve, not a safe haven.

This Diwali season, I’ve found myself in India, surrounded by the warmth of tradition on the one hand, and a quiet undercurrent of frustration on the other. Gold, long woven into the fabric of celebration here, is suddenly the subject of side-eyes and recalculations at the various malls. Coins, bangles, and necklaces used to arrive without question. Now, they come with hesitation and a not so quiet glance at the market.

After all, at present, the price of gold, in inflation-adjusted terms, is not just high. It is downright abnormal.

Earlier this year, my wife and I made what should’ve been a simple request: a short-term lease extension while we explored buying a home. We loved our apartment. Paid rent on time. We weren’t just tenants; we were good ones. Reliable, respectful, well-liked by the front office.

So when we asked about continuing our lease month to month, or even for just a few extra months, we expected at least a conversation.