It's Been Quite Some Time Since I Talked Up Kiva ...

... and I should do it more often. It's really simple: Through Kiva (affiliate link, but not lucrative for me -- more of a statistics-keeping tool), you make $25 no-interest loans, generally to small business owners in poor countries.

Over the years, Tamara and I have loaned a total of $1,100 to 44 people/groups in 26 countries.

That doesn't mean we've ever been "out" $1,100. At the moment, we've got loans totaling $100 out in the system at various stages of repayment. Whenever we notice that loans we've got at least $25 back in our account, we just loan the money out again. We've only ever had one borrower default, for a lost of $8.62.

When people in poorer countries create new wealth and prosperity through production of goods and services, all of us are better off than we were before. And if you believe in karma or something similar, this seems like a good way to generate the good kind.

Give it a try!