You can become a microcredit investor

How can a $25 loan change the world? With micro lending, that's how! For example, a farmer in Peru might grow potatoes, but can't afford a cart to carry them to the market to sell them. Such a person might not be able to get even a small loan from a conventional bank. She might be considered "high-risk," like many low-income people who have no credit history, no formal employment, and no

collateral to offer against a loan. That's where micro lending can make all the difference. Community investing is a powerful socially responsible investment strategy that puts critical capital into the hands of low- and middle-income communities across the U.S. and around the world that are underserved by mainstream financial institutions. It provides a hand up, not a hand out, that allows people to break the cycle of poverty and become self -sufficient. Thanks to the new generation of online micro finance sites, you can become a microcredit investor for as little as $25. Some of the more popular sites are Kiva.org, MicroPlace.com, Unitus, GlobalGiving.com and ACCION.org. You might be asking yourself, "if traditional banks think people in poverty are too risky to lend to, wouldn't it be risky for me too?" Any investment carries some risk, but micro loans have about a 2% default rate. Go to realgreen.org to learn more about the entire microlending process. What an inexpensive and simple way to help struggling families around the world create a sustainable, stable source of income!