dont borrow $ from friends, borrow $ from strangers

Prosper is an online community where people come together for lending and borrowing money.

Bidding on borrowers' loans, lenders get great returns by offering great rates. And that means everybody does better.

peer-to-peer lending. apparently it is the new thing.

post your needs – say, $500 – and real people contribute to your loan at x% interest. 

alternatively, some of you folks who are more monetarily endowed can loan out money in any increment and get interest back! 

forget the bank!