Hi Steemit,

It looks like I need to increase my requirements for receiving a loan, in part due to the recent Zeartul scam and also, sad to say, it looks like I might be getting another default (or more) on the way soon.

New Loan requirements:

• Minimum rep is now 58
• Your account must be at least 5 months old.
• You must have a well written introduceyourself post that actually gives information about yourself (yea go figure) and it must include a picture of your very visible face. You must be an actual living (probably human) being, not a joke, novelty or bot account.
• The introduceyourself post must be verified at least with Steemit sign and date, and preferably linked to other social media accounts.
• You must post regularly with decent quality posts, at least once per week. No, resteems don't count. When I check out your blog, I better like what I see.
• Before I grant the loan, I'm going to ask that you send me privately a recent selfie and a picture of a government issued photo ID with all the information clearly visible. I'll keep this information private.

Anonymous option

The only way I can trust a more anonymous person is to do this:

• Your account must have enough value in SteemPower to cover the whole loan.
• You would turn over your Master key to me. Yep you read that right.
• I would change your Master key to something only I know. Then give you back your Posting and Active keys, so you could keep using your account.
• Upon successful repayment of loan I'd give you back your account, otherwise I'd keep it.

Exceptions

I'm willing to make exceptions to those strict conditions above in these cases:

• You have at least 100k Steem Power in your account (@thejohalfiles clause).
• You are a steem witness in at least position 70.

I reserve the right to refuse to loan for any reason!

If you don't meet any of the conditions above, then you must find someone who does to cosign the loan with you. The cosigner would be on the hook for what you don't pay.

Well there you go, those are the new rules, it may mean that I make loans less often, but I feel they will be safer.