While you may debate which tried and true piece of wisdom has the top spot as the first rule of investing, diversification is certainly near the top of the list. Yet many investors are unwittingly placing all of their investments in only one type of vehicle: retirement accounts.

Saving for retirement has become increasingly important as companies move from defined benefit to defined contribution plans. Employees must take personal responsibility for their own financial well being in retirement as a result of this transition, and many are responding well. Even those who have well diversified retirement portfolios are missing an important point: There’s a lot more to investing than retirement planning.

Too many people think that by investing for their retirement, their investment duties are over. That’s fine if you want to live modestly until you retire, but why not make the most of your money while you wait for retirement?

Having non-retirement investments, while important, shouldn’t come at the expense of your retirement accounts. Again, your investments for retirement may be your only source of income in those years. Adding on the many tax-advantageous ways to save for retirement, that really should be your top investment priority. But once you’re saving enough for retirement, be sure to consider your shorter-term investment options.

We don’t all have the necessary skills to make money in the stock market. Even experts in the field often lose money. Real estate, which traditionally seemed like an easy way to make great gains, is much less certain of late. Creating a P2P loan portfolio on Lending Club is a great way to put your extra money to work, and for many, social lending offers the perfect balance of risk and reward.

Retirement savings should almost always come first. Once you’re doing well in that area, look at ways to multiply your wealth on a more short-term basis. There are few investment options today to serve that need as well as peer-to-peer lending with Lending Club.

Nintendo's arcade classic, Donkey Kong, has fans around the world ranging from dorky, high-score experts to fun-loving, socialized newcomers. The game has such a wide draw because it is a complex, ingenious story that is difficult to master and fun to play.

But there is another element to Donkey Kong that is often overlooked: its relevance to everyday life. The story of heroism, hardship, and hazards could be anyone's autobiography, albeit with a plumber, a princess and a giant gorilla playing the starring roles.

Even more, the video game has a lot to say about finance. Take a look at these seven ways that DK and friends can help you hone your money management skills.

1. Watch out for barrels

Mario’s climb to the top of Mount Girl Booty would be a lot easier if it wasn’t for those stupid barrels. At times, it seems like they have minds of their own, chasing Mario into corners, falling down conveniently placed ladders, and attacking in groups of three, four, and even five. They just don’t quit.

Neither does life. Bad things happen to good people every day, and we’re talking expensive, unplanned things. A broken down car and an unexpected trip to the doctor can be big-time money drainers—financial barrels if you will. And there is no way to avoid them.

Donkey Kong never quits throwing those torturous orbs, and the real world never quits tossing whammies in our direction. What’s a poor soul to do?

Prepare for the worst, that’s what. An emergency fund is perfect for situations like that. Keeping aside a small chunk of change just in case anything bad happens (note: it will) is prudent, resourceful, and an awesome idea in hindsight.

Mario can jump over his barrels, but we can’t skirt life’s curveballs as easily. Planning on them coming our direction is our best bet to surviving.

2. The flames hurt

For some reason, Donkey Kong designers didn’t think that avoiding barrels, leaping over obstacles, and racing against time and space to save a high-maintenance piece of arm candy were enough. They also threw in some fire.

At the most inconvenient times, fireballs shoot out of God only knows where to roast our hero’s behind and steal valuable 1-ups. Ouch! Those things hurt.

So, too, do fees and interest. Forgetting to pay a credit card bill on time will result in a charred behind for sure, but it will also follow you around for a long time in the form of lowered credit scores and potentially higher interest rates on your other accounts. Overdrawing at the bank hurts more than just the ego; it takes a bite out of the pocketbook, too.

These financial firestorms hurt badly, but they are completely avoidable. Stay on top of your accounts. Don’t have a credit card if you can’t be responsible to pay it off properly. If you want to save the princess, if you want to enjoy retirement, keep your money to yourself, and don’t give it up to banks and financial institutions if you don’t have to. There is a reason why credit card companies are so lucrative: they feast on irresponsible consumers. Don’t be one of them. Don’t let the fire get you.

3. Channel your inner plumber

Somehow, a blue-collar worker like Mario was entrusted with the rescuing of royalty. How this came to be is beyond me. I assume that maybe he was fixing her pipes when she was whisked away, making Mario feel partly responsible for her well-being. That, or he is an extreme masochist.

Either way, Mario’s success in Donkey Kong may be directly related to his professionalism. He is a plumber, and plumbers work hard. His determination, grit, and ingenuity help him save the princess in the end (oh, spoiler warning), and they are the same exact virtues that you should strive for in your own life.

Hard work never hurt anyone – except for the dog in Iron Will. He died. But for everyone else, a good work habit in one’s chosen occupation will lead to good benefits everywhere else. Hard workers earn a good living, they make the most of the opportunities given to them, and they have an advantage over the rest of the lazy populace.

This kind of attitude carries over into personal finance, too. Some people skate by with their money, trusting that it will be there whenever they want it. Hard workers actually do something with what they have. Proactive people are the ones sitting pretty at the end of the game, not the ones who sit back and let others work hard for them.

This is why Luigi would have never hacked it in Donkey Kong.

4. Climb the ladders

Those 2-D ladders can be frustrating and freeing at the same time. Without them, Mario would have never made it past the basement of Level 1. With them, barrels and anything else DK can find to throw have a way of seeking and destroying our mustachioed hero. Haven’t these people ever heard of escalators?

Mario could not claim his ultimate prize without getting up those ladders, and we cannot reach our ultimate state of financial security without some ladders of finance. These monetary stepstools are the ways that we choose to invest: stocks, bonds, P2P loans, etc. Without them, our money stays put, content in remaining on the basement of Level 1 of life’s Donkey Kong puzzle. For those who want something more, though, those ladders are necessary.

Understandably, climbing the ladders can be scary. Who knows what awaits on the next ramp or level? But following through and climbing is the only way to advance in the game, regardless of what’s ahead.

Sure, giant barrels sometimes fall from the ladders, splattering and splintering all up in our faces. Stocks can fail, real estate profits can dry up, and bad things do happen (see above: “balls, fire”). But we can all learn a lesson from Mario: pick yourself up and climb that ladder again. Just be smarter this time.

5. Save the princess

The entire plot of Donkey Kong revolves around saving a girl you have never met. That fated female might as well be a pipe dream, a golden unicorn, a…retirement plan?

Yes indeed. If you have ever found yourself yearning, earning, and churning toward a future you know nothing about, then you can relate to our plucky plumber friend Mario. He is stuck rescuing a princess who may or may not even want to be rescued. Before Stockholm syndrome sets in, Mario and his jumping Osh Kosh B’Gosh have to race up a series of rapidly defeating ladders, ramps, and elevators only to have Gorilla Kong whisk his collateral away to the next level.

Doesn’t the princess have legs? Couldn’t she at least meet us halfway?

Planning for retirement can feel the same way. No matter what happens, that grand idea of sipping Cherry 7Up in lawn chairs resting on fake grass is ever so elusive and always farther away than any of us realize. Saving in supposed vain is a wearisome chore shared by those who forego big purchases in lieu of the lure of shuffleboard games at the condo social.

Some people work all their lives for a good retirement. For others, it just seems that way. But either way, along the road to retirement, doubt and remorse set in (not to mention that new barcalounger). Spirits drop. Hopes diminish. And AARP feels like it will never get here.

When you get to that point, remember the tale of Donkey Kong. Succeeding in the game means continuing to pursue that elusive princess. Mario doesn’t give up; he saves the princess…time and time again.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself. The payoff of a secure retirement is worth it. Save the princess! Save your pennies! You’ll be glad you did.

6. Be patient

If Mario were to sprint through the game, he would be toast in an instant. Running at full speed is ridiculous when there are so many pitfalls all around. And besides, overalls tend to chafe.

The winning strategy is patience. Wait for the barrels to fall, then walk in behind them. Time the fireballs just right, and you’ll be safe. Don’t get frustrated when the princess keeps getting taken away at the last minute; that’s life for cute, successful single women.

Mario would make a good investor with his patient strategy. Of course, he would probably invest entirely in gold coins and pipe fitting companies, so he might need some advice to get started. But patience is the ultimate winner in terms of savings.

The stock market is a fickle mistress: one day she loves you and the next she loves hurting you. That is why patience is important. Temptation might ask you to buy that new car, but having patience will show you that there are bigger and better things in store for you later.

Running through life at a breakneck speed hurts. Spending money on whatever you want whenever you want it is the equivalent of sprinting toward the finish line when you know full well you’ll pull a hamstring and probably throw up afterward. As Mario can attest, there are certainly times when you need to run as if a flaming barrel is chasing you. In life, this might manifest itself in certain decisions (i.e., go ahead and get that new house, stop overthinking things). It’s okay to hit the afterburners every once in awhile.

The greatest DK players, though, can spend hours at a machine, waiting patiently for just the right moment. This strategy is the only way to get the princess, and being patient with one’s money is the only way to make it safely to retirement.

7. Don’t give up

If Mario gave up, there never would have been a princess to save in Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario 64, Mario Sunshine, and Mario Galaxy, etc. (man, she sure does get into trouble easily). Donkey Kong would have made her the mistress of his jungle cave, and she would never have been heard from again.

Your money is asking the same of you: don’t give up on it. Don’t let it be the mistress to some rich credit card CEO. Don’t let it be the link between you and that piece of bling you most certainly don’t need. Or at the very least, budget yourself some mad money so that you can enjoy yourself responsibly as you honor your long-term financial goals.

More importantly, don’t give up on the process of saving. While your friends may be less inclined to think about the future, take pride in the fact that you are smarter than they are. Determination will help you get the girl and the money.

Social lending is getting increasingly mainstream media coverage. As Rate Ladder reported yesterday, peer to peer lending received prominent placement in Forbes Magazine and CNBC over the last few days.

Our CEO, Renaud Laplanche, was interviewed on CNBC’s Power Lunch program earlier this week to explain how social lending is helping people across America lend and borrow money at better rates.

A week earlier, CNBC’s The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch had a segment that highlighted person-to-person lending as a great financing alternative. You can read about that segment on The Big Idea Blog to get their take on social lending, and on Lending Club in particular.

To round up the week, we were pleasantly surprised to find that Lending Club was mentioned in the cover story of last week’s issue of BusinessWeek.

Social lending is rapidly gaining mainstream adoption, and this is excellent news for the Lending Club community.

Better Rates. Together.

The Lending Club blog has covered a wide array of topics since its inception. From product-specific details, such as how to apply for a low interest rate person-to-person loan, to more abstract areas of the personal finance realm, we’ve got you covered. The post on how to opt-out of prescreened credit card offers was one of the most popular we’ve ever had. Another service, quickly gaining popularity, can help you cut back on unwanted mail even more.

The service is available at catalogchoice.org. As you may have guessed from the name, this free service allows you to opt out of receiving catalogs that you no longer wish to receive. Unlike the pre-screened credit card opt-out service, Catalog Choice does not eliminate all catalogs with a simple click. That’s actually a good thing though, since it allows you to keep getting catalogs that you do enjoy. You have to individually enter those catalogs that you no longer wish to receive. Not all catalogs are available for opt-out through their website, but you can request that they add the opt-out option for any catalogs that you don’t see.

One of the main reasons that Catalog Choice offers this service is to reduce the amount of trees cut down for catalogs that recipients simply throw away. In their February issue, Real Simple magazine reports that 8 million tons of trees are used each year for the production of paper catalogs.

If that wasn’t reason enough to opt out of any catalogs that you don’t read, remember the added risk of identity theft for each item that you receive in the mail. Even those diligent about shredding all of their mail (junk or otherwise) before throwing it out may miss the address label on the occasional catalog, particularly if they receive many of them. So consider opting out of some of your catalogs today. You’ll help to save a tree and protect your identity all at the same time.

When I was growing up, I dreamed of one day being a contestant on American Gladiators. I dreamed of rolling around in those metal-spheres in "Atlasphere." Of hitting a bull’s-eye in "Assault" with my crossbow. Sadly, by the time I was old enough to compete, the show was gone.

With the new American Gladiators show back on TV, it got me thinking about all the lessons the original series taught me growing up, and how applicable these lessons are to my current financial situation.

Whoever said TV just rots your brain obviously never saw American Gladiators.

1. Sometimes, just hang on

In "Hang-Tough," the goal is to cross a set of gymnastics rings with a Gladiator aiming to tear you down. Once a Gladiator gets hold of you, you're pretty much sunk. But you can still earn points by just hanging on.

Sometimes when you are in debt, or financial distress, you just need to hang on. Keep paying your bills as best you can, hunker down, and with time the situation just might improve. You may not quite reach the goal, but you're at least still in the air. Sometimes that's the best you can do.

2. Be prepared for disaster

It's amazing how a big lead in American Gladiators can disappear in the blink of an eye. One misstep in the Eliminator and your lead is gone. Fortunately, in real life, we can prepare for catastrophes. Have you funded an emergency fund yet?

Not having an emergency fund is like climbing the wall without a harness. One slip, or takedown from Turbo, and you're in a heap of trouble.

3. Don't rush. Think.

In "Powerball," the goal is to put your colored foam ball into the scoring cylinders while avoiding tackling Gladiators. The event always seemed to favor the smarter of the contestants. While the bigger, more macho competitors would immediately rush to score, the smarter ones had a strategy. While the first contestant went hog wild, they held back and surveyed the scene. Sure, it cost them a few seconds, but then they had a 1 on 1 vs. a Gladiator while two chased their competition. Smart.

Are you thinking about where your money is invested? Or do you just rush into an investment whenever you have the money? Take the time to research the various options: CDs, mutual funds, person-to-person lending, etc.

4. Don't mess with Laser (Wall Street)

Laser is a big, huge, mean Gladiator whose sole purpose in life is to break contestants into little tiny pieces. You don't want to mess with Laser. Laser is a lot like Wall Street. Mess with him and you'll get torn to shreds.

Leave the day trading to the professionals. Fund your Roth IRA each year, or your 401K, and invest for the long term....and Laser won't eat your kid's college fund.

5. Take risks when you can

In Assault, the most difficult way to hit the target and defeat the Gladiator comes at the beginning of the event. Although it's difficult from long range, if you can hit the target, you win.

When your goal is a long way off (say you want to retire in 30 years), you can afford to take a little more risk with your investments. Who knows, you might just hit your target early!

6. Team up whenever possible

It was fairly rare to see the competitors team up, but when it did happen successfully, it was a thing of beauty. When two Gladiators would team up, it was absolute destruction. Two is always better than one.

When it comes to managing your money, two is also better than one. Whether it's your spouse, a close friend, or your financial adviser, two heads are better than one. If you don't have a person you can talk about money with (comfortably), find someone!

7. Follow what works

After watching a few seasons of AG, you started to get a pretty good sense of which strategies work for each event. It shocked me how many competitors would get on the show, and then completely ignore successful strategies used in the past.

Saving automatically works. Budgeting works. Diversifying your investments works. Refinancing high-interest debt works. Many people have successfully traversed financial obstacles, so why not follow the steps they took? You don't need to invent a better mousetrap to be successful with your money.

Try person-to-person lending, for example. Sign-up as a lender today and build a diversified portfolio on Lending Club. It’s a heck of a lot safer than trying to get past Nitro!

“I will destroy you!”

Yikes. Scary.