Sorry it’s taken awhile to sit down and send you an email to update you on how my trades are going…but I guess since it’s been going so well that is my excuse; I’ve been a little busy!! I email Lili everyday and discuss trades. I have also convinced my brother to start trading; he’s making big money too! Even though I took a little break around Christmas, I’ve had some great success in my trades since the beginning of this year. What have I done?

SWHC: bought and sold stocks & options: $25,231.16 profit
FAS: bought and sold just stock: $ 1,519.93 profit
BX: bought and sold just stock: $ 2,399.95 profit
C: bought and sold just stock: $ 5,889.95 profit
FIG: bought and sold just stock: $ 5,099.79 profit
BAC: bought and sold stocks & options: $27,368.74 profit

Total profits since 1/28/09: $68,571.39

Joyce C.
Anchorage, AK

In the past two weeks, starting with just $1,500 dollars, I’ve made almost $900. I know more about the stock market than anyone I know and can independently research, evaluate, and come to conclusions about the market as a whole, or stocks individually. I understand numerous indicators and their place in trades and have, overall, a tremendous grasp on the collective market. I continue to make correct plays with both call and put options and can fundamentally screen for stocks that I feel comfortable following without relying on someone else’s opinion or recommendation. I also feel that I can very confidently measure professionals’ opinions and come to solid conclusions about those picks on my own, which feels phenomenal.

I’ve learned so much in the past 2.5 months, it’s remarkable. Currently in college, I feel I have authority to say that this experience is more rewarding, more fun, more efficient and more beneficial than any class, semester or academic year I’ve spent at a university. I also rate my successful trades as extreme successes. 

I love everything about this program. I will recommend with the highest regard this program to those that are committed, serious and extremely professional about their desire to enter the stock market.

I really cannot think of a single improvement that I would make to this program—it’s all been so beneficial and has truly captured what I think every educational experience should be like.

Tyler O.
Louisville, KY

I love selling on-line and find it an extremely enjoyable way to make money. I really enjoy working with you and learning how to build and tweak my website. At this point my website, http://makegreatconversation.com, has brought in about $830 on 13 sales. It is great to be able to open my PayPal account and see the sales and money adding up.

With Prosper, it is great to have someone looking over my shoulder, who knows what to do and can direct me, instead of just stumbling along by myself. I am looking forward to having my website beginning to really produce and to setting up a second and third website very soon. 

Joe C.
Everett, WA

Reid Hoffman is the founder of LinkedIn and has been involved with PayPal and has invested in other startups. He was on the Charlie Rose Show on March 4th, and part of his comments were focused on the role of the entrepreneur.

You can view the interview (54 minutes worth) here.

Among the compelling things Hoffman said are:

I actually think every individual is now an entrepreneur, whether they recognize it or not. . . . Average job length is two to four years. That makes you a small business. . . . You are the entrepreneur of your own small business.

But I think that one of the key things — the reason why I think risk tolerance is important is because what happens is people delude themselves they’re not taking risks. They say, oh, I’m going to get a job at, you know, Hewlett-Packard or I’m going to get a job — and that’s not risky. Well, look at current economic climates. Everything in life has some risk, and what you have to actually learn to do is how to navigate it. And people who take risk intelligently can usually actually make a lot more progress than people who don’t.

Regarding the current economic crisis, Hoffman said,

I’m a huge believer in the way that you actually get out of these economic downturns is through entrepreneurship, because that creates new kinds of jobs that actually have longevity and strength to them.

I have a modest hope — this is back to the change-the-world stuff — because I think entrepreneurship is really what has a chance of accelerating us through the recession, that LinkedIn kind of providing the tools for entrepreneurs will help with that.

We purchased a foreclosure property in Falmouth on December 10, 2008, for a purchase price of $185,000. We used a hard money lender, which everyone thought we were crazy to do, but he financed 100% for us (unusual). We started to rehab the property, replace windows, siding, flooring, kitchen and baths.

While talking to our friends we came across a buyer. We showed them the property on December 21, 2008, and on Christmas Eve we agreed on a sales price and had them sign a purchase & sale with an earnest deposit, and a closing within 30 days. What a way to start our new future with investing in real estate.

We bought the property for $185,000 and sold it for $295,000. Once everything is finished, paying the investor and finishing the project, we’ll have profited between $35,000 - $40,000. Not bad for our first flip! Now we’re off to try another.

Thanks for everything!

Sean and Kim W.
East Falmouth, MA

“When you pay just 10% or 20% too much for the products and services you use every day, you will have to work 10 to 20 extra years before you can retire.  Or, to put it another way, if you let yourself be overcharged by 10% to 20% for the things you buy, you are in effect spending one or two months a year working without pay for the companies that rip you off.  And trust me—until you fight for your money, you will overpay for almost everything you buy.”

— David Bach 

Fight For Your Money is the latest book from author David Bach, one of Prosper’s partners. This timely release helps readers identify ways they can stop financial leaks they don’t know about and hang on to more of their money—which is more important now than ever.

Bach’s book includes tips on saving money, from car-loan insurance and life insurance to air travel and cell phones.

Fight For Your Money  is on sale now. Throuugh March 9th, everyone who orders the book will also receive $500 in free downloads. Prosper is proud to offer Bach’s wisdom in its one-to-one coaching programs.

Randy Garn, Mark Eaton, and Ethan Willis

Mark Eaton, who went from auto mechanic to NBA All Star, visited with Randy Garn, Prosper’s Executive Vice President of New Business Development.

Since wrapping up a 12-year NBA career with the Utah Jazz, Mark has opened two successful Salt Lake City restaurants, Tuscany and Francks. More recently, Mark has become a corporate trainer and business speaker. 

This Saturday, Prosper’s Collin Kartchner, Executive Sales Recruiter, will be on The Big Business Show, talking about recruiting and the great things about working at Prosper. The interview will air shortly after 1:15 p.m.  on 1280 AM in Salt Lake City. You can also hear it on the station’s website. 

“The Big Business Show,” which airs on 1280 AM in Salt Lake City, will broadcast its first episode on Saturday, February 21, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. Prosper Inc. CEO Ethan Willis will be a featured guest on the premiere broadcast, which will focus on entrpreneurship. The interview with Ethan is scheduled for shortly after 1:15.  Be sure to tune in. 

You can also visit the website for the show here. Don’t miss it!

Prosper Inc., the personalized education company, is partnering with ecommerce guru Stephen Pierce and will offer his popular Internet business-building techniques and savvy in the company’s one-to-one distance learning programs. 

Pierce is an internet multimillionaire who was kicked out of high school at age 16. Once out of school, Pierce got involved with gangs and ended up being shot in the leg. Confronted so brutally by his situation, Pierce decided to take charge of his life. After several business failures, he borrowed a computer and started to learn about the Internet. He eventually discovered an aptitude for picking stocks, and realized great success in selling his tips on-line. 

“When I was ready to share my knowledge and experience with students around the world, identifying the right partner to help me was the easy part,” Pierce said. “Prosper has always set the standard for personal mentoring and I know my students will find success with Prosper.” 

Pierce and his wife, Alicia, live in Dallas and are active in philanthropy.

“Prosper is lucky to have Stephen Pierce as a partner and we look forward to helping his students gain the eCommerce knowledge he is uniquely qualified to share,” said Ethan Willis, CEO of Prosper. “Prosper continues to attract partners like Stephen because of our position as the most trusted name in one-to-one education.”