5 Questions: Lending Club, Green Mutual Funds and Having Fun

We love to answer questions from our listeners, and sometimes we make a whole episode around it. Today we answer five questions about drinking on the job, Lending Club, borrowing from family, green mutual funds, having fun, buying a first home,

 Bonus Question:

 I have noticed that you tend to be drinking beer on each of the podcasts, let me just first say, fuck I’m jealous.I would like to know what kind of job I can get that will let me drink beer in the morning (without the whole judgey this guy is probably an alcoholic vibe). If you do respond to this email, please don’t use my name as my current job frowns on asking questions like these.

 This question is great. You have to work for yourself or work for some hipster-ass startup that has beer on tap all the time. But even then they’ll probably give you the stink eye if you’re drinking it at 8 a.m.

 Question One:

 Do you feel Lending Club is still a prudent investment given the recent scandal issues they’ve run into? Will it have long-term impacts on the business and the quality of loans? I’m considering a 50/50 split of my available investment funds between Betterment and Lending Club (in addition to my 401k where I’m already contributing 12%). – Matt

 So, a little background in case you didn’t hear. LendingClub CEO Renaud Laplanche resigned after it was found that the company had altered application dates on some large loans. It was also found that Laplanche “failed to fully disclose to the company’s risk committee a personal interest he held in a third party fund while the company was considering an investment in the same fund, which purchased LendingClub loans.”  Tisk-tisk

 That said, after a full internal analysis of company reporting, it was found that 99.9 percent of loans were above board. Since the companies stock has plummeted but their loans were not effected.

 Many people were fired, so the few bad eggs are gone. Although Andrew lost money with his stock, he still has some money invested in loans. Thomas thinks he will wait this one out and see if and when the company gets back on its feet.

 Question Two:

 Need advice on relative claiming we owe them money. Last year my wife & I became debt free and were on our way to saving a down payment for an investment property. 

 Now my mother-in-law is demanding a large sum of money from my wife.  She kept every receipt from when my wife was 18 onward (she’s 36) and now wants to be paid back. The list includes things like brakes on my wife’s first car and new basketball shoes from her senior year. 

 My wife never signed anything but apparently verbally agreed at the time to pay back some of this money. I realize that from a legal standpoint we probably owe nothing, but I feel as though morally we are responsible for whatever my wife agreed upon. Just where should the line be drawn?

 We can probably all agree that this is a pretty terrible parent. At first glance, the situation can make you cringe, but you have to ask yourself, what is really going on here? Is her mom desperate for money or is she just crazy? Keeping receipts for 18 years shows intent like she has been waiting deviously to cash out.

 Staying out of it would be the easiest thing but because they are married paying back this loan will be affecting both of them. The guys think that the most important aspect is to try and salvage the relationship. Sit down and have a talk with the mom and try to come to some middle ground. If she needs financial help, she should just ask, and they can figure it out together. Don’t lead with anger and find her intent before making any moves.

 Question Three:

 My name is Matthew, I’m 25 and just recently married and am on my way to having my first child. I have been looking at buying a house but after recently finding your podcast I’m not sure if I&#...

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