Using Kiva to manufacture spend
Aug 16, 2021, 11:10 pm
#166
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 17
Repayments have been slow lately.
Sep 1, 2021, 4:24 pm
#168
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,030
You (as supporter) do not earn interest on Kiva.
https://www.kiva.org/
https://www.kiva.org/team/flyertalkers
https://www.kiva.org/
https://www.kiva.org/team/flyertalkers
Aug 24, 2022, 6:38 pm
#170
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Florida
Programs: United, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Hilton
Posts: 49
I have had a few problems with KIVA but always get out of jail because it is withdrawal related. I sometimes am slow to track how much is "moveable" out of KIVA and am off by a couple dollars. I tried to move $10-$20 more than would be eligible to move and they suspend me. After a quick explanation of my mistake they give my account back. Early on they once suspended me for multiple deposits in one day but I have not done that in the past few years. I have had success with many varying dollar amounts of deposits but am very careful with withdrawal and deposit frequency now.
Aug 25, 2022, 10:29 am
#172
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,443
Nov 29, 2022, 8:54 pm
#174
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ord/bkk based
Posts: 204
does kiva still work?
does paypal to a relative? i'm assuming not on this one.
i assume buying something on ebay does?
buying precious metals?
prepaying fed taxes? i don't have anything withheld so this seems the juicy one for me.
Jun 17, 2023, 1:16 am
#177
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: EWR/PHL/JFK
Programs: A3*G, AS MVPG, UA, AA
Posts: 610
My last buys were in July (PayPal) and August (Braintree) 2020. Both counted.
My lifetime default rate is actually pretty low at 0.71% including the covid era. Have one loan outstanding that’s got $18 left to repay (3 years late now). The currency exchange has gotten me though at 1.03% yielding a total of 1.74% which is close to the IRS payment method.
In my last batch I only did loans that matured in 14 months or less and used KivaLens to find lenders with low default rates.
My lifetime default rate is actually pretty low at 0.71% including the covid era. Have one loan outstanding that’s got $18 left to repay (3 years late now). The currency exchange has gotten me though at 1.03% yielding a total of 1.74% which is close to the IRS payment method.
In my last batch I only did loans that matured in 14 months or less and used KivaLens to find lenders with low default rates.
Oct 9, 2023, 2:31 pm
#178
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: ONT
Programs: AGR, UA, AA
Posts: 476
Kiva still works, although I have given up on it as a viable means of MS. Lifetime ~$50k lent, 1.75% default, 0.09% currency loss. COVID killed a lot of loans and I was dumb enough to lend to Americans for their small businesses, in an era when loans in the open market were easy to get. My default rate with US residents was 15%, clearly the highest defaulting country. Paying taxes (and underwithholding payroll income) is better.