Today, we're excited to receive a nod from Harvard Business Review, which has highlighted social lending as a Breakthrough idea for 2009.

"Whenever people come together to create a pool of capital, the potential for wealth creation blossoms. ...the internet and social networks enable peer-to-peer interaction on an unprecedented scale." - John Sviokla

Hit up the full read at HarvardBusiness.org.

In the Super Bowl battle between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals, the Steelers came out on top by the slimmest of margins. The battle between the game and the commercials was not nearly as close.

For millions of fans watching the Super Bowl from the comfort of their couch, the game is as much about the commercials as it is about the football. There are people who enjoy the game despite not knowing any names, players, or even teams. Their satisfaction comes from monkeys selling online investment banking and from the universal appeal of broad physical humor.

And most times, they get to see a better show than the football fans.

But Super Bowl XLIII was different. A great game overshadowed a merely solid lineup of ads - one that would have outshone Buffalo Bills blowouts of years past but couldn't top the thrill of Cards-Steelers. Immediately after the game, the impact of Pittsburgh's last-second touchdown could be felt across the country. Santonio Holmes' touchdown provided a clear winner. As for the commercials' best? Time will tell.

There were several good spots, several mediocre ones, and several bad ones involving Clydesdale horses. For a closer look at just how effective the Super Bowl ads were, you would need to ask the average consumer which ads really struck a chord. Fortunately for the purposes of this article, I am an average consumer. Here then is my analysis of some of the Super Bowl's biggest and most memorable commercials. (To see the ads, visit hulu.com.)

Budget meeting by Bud Light: Batting leadoff for Super Bowl commercials is no easy task, but at least Budweiser didn't strike out. On the contrary, to carry on the baseball metaphor to unnecessary lengths, they drew a walk or reached base on an error or had an infield single. In other words, they did their job in entertaining the audience (throwing a man out the window), surprising viewers (throwing a man out the window), and making their point (being a teetotaler gets you thrown out of windows). But it didn't really "wow."

Car chase through the decades with the Audi A6: If I am anything like millions of other people who watched the Super Bowl on Sunday, then there were millions of people who are not friends with Jason Statham and who could not afford to buy an Audi A6 for the sole purpose of tooling around in a sports car. Never mind the fact that this commercial, with Crank star Statham hitting the streets in classic/modern wheels, makes me want to be that type of person. I'm not. So I'll just be admiring Audi A6's from a distance for the foreseeable future.

Generational movie clips by Pepsi: I thought the production of this piece was well-done, but I'm a Coke guy. Seeing will.i.am sing/rap will not change that. But thanks for spending $3 million anyway.

Baby investment analysts by E*Trade: The concept for these advertisements has always gone over my head. I never have got them, which is why I so appreciated this year's version with the kids singing campy oldies. That I can get behind. Perhaps the initial shock value of baby animation has worn off on me, too, and I can finally appreciate these ads for what they're trying to say. Message received: E*Trade can help out in tough times like these. And singing babies are effective.

Confident man by Cars.com: This commercial was destined for great things, much like its subject who rescued animals, performed open heart surgery with a pen, etc. But when the climax was our hero, sitting in his care, doing price comparisons on his smart phone, I felt betrayed. I guess cars.com was trying to say, "If this man can't buy a car with confidence, then no one can!" Thanks for believing in me, cars.com. I'm going to console myself at autotrader.com.

Alec Baldwin for Hulu.com: Confession: I love Hulu, and I love Alec Baldwin. But after seeing this commercial, I kind of love both a little less. Something about it just came across as creepy. Maybe it was Baldwin's insanely red lips or the fact that he was encouraging brain mushing or the Men in Black vibe that came out with the alien reveal at the end. It won't stop me from watching Arrested Development on Hulu, but it did stop me from admitting to my friends that I use the service.

Pigeon attack by Cheetos: That Chester Cheetah sure has turned into a dirty old man. In this spot, he encourages a Cheeto eater to incur the wrath of pigeondom on a rude cellphone-talking diner. Hilarity ensues? Is that what that was? I couldn't tell because my moral compass was compromised trying to determine whether Chester was a puppet, a cartoon, CGI, or claymation.

3D dancing players and lizards by Sobe: This 3D commercial came with all sorts of anticipation. Pepsi and Sobe had been pushing it for weeks leading up to the big game. Did it disappoint? To some, it did - mainly the ones who were expecting things thrown at them so they could go "ooh" and "aah." I was impressed simply with the depth and feel of the 3D experience, and it made me forget for a minute that Sobe Life Water tastes like a super weak juice box. I imagine that this was Sobe's strategy all along: distraction.

Any of the Clydesdale ads by Budweiser: I found them tedious and pointless. Every girl at my party found them adorable. Coincidence?

Moose head by Monster.com: The simplicity of this ad was what I appreciated the most. Monster nailed the joke: a boss with a moose head mounted in his office and the plebe worker with the moose's backend mounted over his cubicle next door. If Monster had wanted, it could have Super Bowled us over with the moose relieving himself, monkeys invading the scene for no particular reason, or a celebrity being the fauna-afflicted employee. Their restraint was admirable. I'll remember this next time I get laid off.

Mob breakfast by Denny's: Here is my Super Bowl winner. The Denny's spot really took the cake for me above and beyond any other commercial. First off, it was entertaining. I'm a sucker for spoof humor, so seeing a send-up of mob shows that I never really understood the popularity of in the first place was too much. Plus, it included a whipped cream pancake face. Does it get any better than that?

The real clincher, though, was Denny's free breakfast offer at the end of the clip (a free Grand Slam to everyone in America from 6:00am to 2:00pm on Tuesday). What greater call to action can there be? I appreciated this because it showed that Denny's wasn't wasting my time by giving away a free orange juice or something needless. They were giving away their signature breakfast, and you'd better believe I'll take them up on the offer.

Even better, as far as Denny's is concerned, if I like it enough, I'll come back for more. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what makes a great Super Bowl commercial.

Circuit City's loss is a gadget collector's gain.

When the nationwide electronics chain announced its going-out-of-business sale, wide-eyed guys and opportunistic gals took notice and flooded their local Circuit City stores with the big sales starting last weekend.

Were there deals to be had? You betcha. Was there that aroma of sweaty people fighting over discounted electronics? Sure thing. Circuit City's untimely end was a rare opportunity for consumers to stock up on the gadgets and toys they had been frugally pining after. In many locations, the savings started at 10 or 20 percent, which was more than enough of a drop to get the Rock Band crowd out of the house and back among the living. They needed a new drum kit, apparently.

It is a wild world we live in where the failure of one can be celebrated by many, yet it is a reality that could very well be par for the course over the next several months. Slate's Daniel Gross outlined an alarming trend of retailers gone under, including such fixtures as Linens 'n Things and Sharper Image. With the state of the economy the way it is, business as usual is out. Liquidation is in.

With this in mind, it makes money sense to be patient as a consumer and plan before you spend. Going broke for an item today will look irresponsible if the same item is marked down in a liquidation sale tomorrow. But save up in hopes of a steep discount, and you very well may be rewarded for it.

Liquidation sales are perfect for frugal consumers. The discounts typically start small with prices marked down 10 or 20 percent, but as the days drag on and the businesses get more desperate to dump their inventory, the savings will increase exponentially. A month or two later, there could be anywhere from 50 to 75 percent off deals storewide on the remaining products, and there will never be a better time to buy.

Still, it pays to shop conscientiously. Just because everything is cheaper doesn't mean that there are no strings attached or risks involved. Yahoo's Ben Patterson has his own list of buyer-beware truisms that make sense for closeout sales like Circuit City's. Among the best are:

• Remember: All sales are final. No returns.
• Markdowns might only be canceling out markups.

The first liquidation rule makes a lot of sense. You had better make sure that the item you're buying is the item you want because there is no going back once you leave the store. Sometimes this can scare consumers away from liquidation sales because there is a finality and pressure that typically doesn't come with big-box store shopping. Returns, exchanges, and refunds make the shopping experience easy and regret-free, so don't be surprised if an itchy trigger finger rears its ugly head when you're mid-Blu Ray player purchase in the Circuit City checkout line.

Patterson's other tenet is the one that really should strike a chord with careful shoppers. Another way of saying it: Just because it's a liquidation sale doesn't mean it's the best price.

On the surface it seems like the opposite should be true. Liquidation sales are, by reputation, notoriously cheap. But if there's still a buck or two to be made, these stores are going to do everything they can to make it.

The big discount signs draw people in, and they have a mystical power of making a consumer gloss over a price tag. "Thirty percent off a $40.00 Animal 2 DVD? That's amazing!" The allure of saving money can simply overpower the reality that the prices might not have been all that competitive to begin with. Marking down a steeply marked up product is not going to equate to the savings you would expect. Saving 10 percent on a $20.00 movie only makes the final price $18.00, and there are plenty of other stores that are selling flicks for cheaper than that.

Need proof? The prices from Circuit City's opening days of shopping nirvana were not even as cheap as some of its competitors (Best Buy and Wal-Mart, notably). The 10 to 30 percent savings storewide was more like 10 percent storewide and 30 percent in the Christian/Gospel music section. Consumers who came looking for steals left empty-handed.

However, just because shopping at liquidation sales has its downsides, there are still plenty of reasons to try your luck and find a deal at these stores. For starters, many people who were disapopinted with the Circuit City experience did not have the proper expectations going in. Circuit City employees were not going to be handing out iPod accessories as door prizes; expecting huge savings is not the right approach.

The people who left the happiest were the ones who knew what they wanted and had done their research. Take, for instance, the Rock Band crowd. Video games and video game accessories are more or less the same price no matter where you shop. Let's assume that the Rock Band drum kit was $30.00 at Best Buy and $28.00 at Wal-Mart. If Circuit City were selling the kit at a 20 percent discount from its listed price of $30.00, the sale would have made the price an affordable 24 bucks. No doubt the Rock Band fan would have left a happy customer.

Another way to not be disappointed with your liquidation experience is to wait a few days before you hit the sales. When the doors open on the first days of liquidation, the stores will be packed with folks looking to save a few bucks. And that's really all they'll be saving. But if you wait a few extra days, you'll have a better chance to save a greater amount of money because the discounts will be steeper and there will be less demand for what's on shelves. Provided you didn't have a particular product in mind, this alternative works great. You can stock up on gifts and even find some super cheap items for yourself.

The best advice to give as it relates to liquidation sales is to simply be smart. Going-out-of-business sales do not give the consumer a free pass to not think through their purchases. They give the consumer a chance to get ahead of the game by saving on desired items and scouring for good deals. Liquidation can be your gain if you let it.

The abusive practices employed by credit card companies are a recurring topic of conversation here on the Lending Club blog. That's why I'm so pleased to announce that some relief for cardholders is finally on the way.

On December 18th, the Federal Reserve Board, in conjunction with the Office of Thrift Supervision and the National Credit Union Administration, approved some significant changes to the rules that must be followed by card issuers. Many of the provisions are similar to those proposed in the Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights, which the House of Representatives passed in September.

Here are the highlights of the new rules:

Universal Default is Finally Being Banned

Credit card companies will not be allowed to raise rates based on our payment history on other accounts. Only events related to the account in question can affect its interest rate. This is a major victory for cardholders, as this practice was especially abusive.

Grace Period is Extended

Statements must be mailed out at least 25 days before the due date vs. the minimum 14 days required today. This should help cardholders to avoid interest and fees when they are unable to pay the bill as soon as it arrives.

Payments Apply To Highest Interest Rate First

As I mentioned in my post The Balance Transfer Game, payments have historically applied to the lowest interest rate first. So high interest balances (typically charged on cash advances and balance transfers whose teaser rates have expired) could only be paid down after all lower interest rate balances were paid off in full.

Interest Rate Changes Take Longer Before Going into Effect

Rates cannot be changed without reason and cardholders must be given 45 days notice (vs. 15 today) before an interest rate hike can occur. Cardholders will be able to opt out of unwanted changes in terms by canceling their accounts or paying off balances under the original terms.

Card issuers are not required to comply with the changes outlined by these new regulations until July of 2010, so be extra careful with your credit card until then. Still, these changes represent a major victory for consumers who have long decried the abusive practices of card issuers. Credit cards may still be a necessary evil in the future, but as a result of this reform they stand to be less evil.

Have you suffered from any of the abusive practices that will soon be banned?

A stolen credit card is supposed to be a catastrophic event, but was more like a minor nuisance when it happened to me recently. It would have been better had it not occurred, but the experience was much less painful than I would have imagined.

It all started with an automated call from someone supposedly from my credit card company's fraud department. Irregular charges had flagged their attention. Since they called me, rather than the other way around, I was reluctant to give out any personal information. Instead I hung up and logged onto my account online. There were about a half dozen pending transactions, none of which I had made. I logged off and called the customer service number on the back of my card.

Once I went through all the steps to verify my identity (they required more than the usual verification questions since my account had been flagged), the fraud department started listing the charges they thought might have been irregular. They caught each and every purchase made by someone else, and none of the ones made by me. I wasn't worried about being liable for the charges (as I've covered previously, as long as you report fraudulent charges as soon as you know of them, you're liable for at most $50), but it was still nice that those transactions were immediately removed from my account.

My credit card was then cancelled and a new one will be mailed out within a few days. They were even willing to expedite the shipping, if necessary. I will also be receiving an affidavit that I'll sign to officially swear that I didn't make the fraudulent purchases. With the affidavit in hand, my credit card company can investigate the fraudulent use and hopefully find whoever is responsible.

The only other action required on my part was to change how a few of my bills are paid. I have some bills automatically charged to my credit card, so I needed to update those accounts to be paid through an alternative method. I'll also monitor my credit and other accounts very closely in the coming months to ensure that my credit card number was the extent of the theft.

The entire ordeal took less than 30 minutes to resolve and required very little effort on my part. I've heard many complaints about the customer service at Bank of America but wanted to offer that in this case, they couldn't have been more helpful. I do most of my banking with them (credit card, checking and savings, and mortgage) and have always found them to be excellent for my needs. Your needs will dictate the best bank for your own situation, but the way Bank of America handled my stolen credit card (and all of my other banking needs) reaffirms that they're the perfect choice for me. Again, having your credit card stolen is not a pleasant experience, but for me it was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Have you had an easy (or difficult) stolen credit card experience?