Edvisors Network / Student Loan Network Holiday Party 2006


Image by Christopher S. Penn
Photos from the Holiday Party at Fleming’s in Boston.

All photos copyright Christopher S. Penn and the Financial Aid Podcast. Licensed under Creative Commons NONCOMMERCIAL no-derivatives by attribution.

Federal Stafford Student Loans From Nextstudent Have Great Incentives On Already Low Rates

After exhausting all forms of “free money” for college, such as scholarships and federal grants, the next best thing for students are federal student loans (http://www.nextstudent.com) to help them pay for school. Federal Stafford student loans have low interest rates and are more appealing when they feature benefits and incentives, according to NextStudent, the Phoenix-based premier education funding company.

It is becoming much more difficult for some students to imagine their dream of a higher education, as college costs increasingly are on the rise along with the cost of tuition and other expenses. NextStudent believes that student loans (http://www.nextstudent.com/student-loans/student-loans.asp) should not be an extra burden to already cash-strapped college students, so the company offers incentives to make payments easier and more manageable.

. Federal Stafford loans do not require collateral or a credit check and payment is postponed until after graduation. There are no guarantee fees and students do not need a co-signer, these student loans have a low interest rate of 6.8 percent and are secured by the government.

NextStudent’s Stafford Student Loan Incentives

NextStudent has professionally trained Education Finance Advisers who know all the ins and outs of the numerous student loan programs offered. They are available to assist student borrowers with all their questions about the Federal Stafford Student Loan program. Through NextStudent’s Student Loan program, student borrowers receive:

·A .375 percent reduction on their interest rate when they make payments through Auto-Debit

·A 2 percent interest rate reduction: 1 percent after the first 12 months of consecutive on-time payments, with an additional 1 percent rate reduction after 24 months of consecutive on-time payments

·A 2 percent upfront cash rebate, whereby borrowers receive the full amount they qualify for at disbursement. Borrowers must participate in Auto-Debit and make one on-time monthly payment to qualify.

Types of Stafford Student Loans

There are two types of Stafford student loans: subsidized and unsubsidized. To qualify for a subsidized Stafford student loan a student must show financial need. The government pays the interest while a student is in school and during grace periods and deferment. With unsubsidized Stafford student loans, students are responsible for the interest; however, payment is deferred until after graduation. All students are eligible for unsubsidized Stafford loans.

Eligibility

Federal Stafford loans are eligible for federal student loan consolidation (http://www.nextstudent.com/) . There are no prepayment penalties. Repayment typically starts six months after graduation. In addition, there are alternate available repayment options, including deferment and forbearance.

In order to be eligible for a federal Stafford student loan, borrowers must either be enrolled at least half time in a degree or certificate program, a citizen of the United States or an eligible noncitizen, current on existing federal education loans, and a high school graduate or have an equivalency diploma.

Federal Stafford student loans are affordable and can help students get through college without the worry of paying back student loans until after graduation. NextStudent’s program offers a variety of incentives to make these student loans even more affordable and manageable. There is no reason not to take advantage of a great deal that helps students obtain their dream of a college education.

NextStudent offers one-on-one education finance counseling and has a portfolio of highly competitive education lending products and services including an online scholarship search engine, low and no-cost federal student loans ( http://www.nextstudent.com/ ), parent loans, private loans, student loan consolidation programs (http://www.nextstudent.com/consolidation_loans/consolidation_loans.asp) and college savings plans.

The NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine, one of the nation’s oldest and largest scholarship search engines, is updated daily, available free of charge, completely private and represents 2.4 million scholarships worth .4 billion.

For more information about NextStudent and its student loan programs, please visit the company’s Web site at http://www.nextstudent.com/.

$ CHF040209


Image by Tradingrichmom
Rich Mom’s system signals entry:
12:15 $ CHF buy 1.577, S/L 1.1526, exit when CCIx 158 down
Exit 12:45 1.1611 = 34p. profit in 30 min.

Dagmar
Trading results that make you say W.O.W.
Follow me on twitter.com/tradingrichmom
www.fortunemachine.info

What to look for in a great personal finance software

A personal finance software is very useful and really makes it easier to manage your finances. So how do you decide which software is best for you? Here are some features that a good personal finance software should have.

It should give you information quickly and in an easy to understand manner. The reports and graphs should have sufficient depth of information and yet they should be easy to read and absorb. This should make sure your time is spent doing the important tasks like making strategic decision and is not wasted plodding through an ocean of words and numbers.

A quality personal finance software will make it simpler to do your online banking transactions such as deposits and bill payments. It will be able to export the data so that your tax software gets the information it needs. You will be saved the work of transporting the data from one software package to another. This can otherwise be a very complex exercise.

The software should be easy to install and have an intuitive interface. The features should be user friendly and the navigation should be easy to understand. It should have features for online banking with electronic payments.

The personal investment feature should be able to get you real time quotes for stocks. The software should have features that help you do financial planning for retirement, insurance and loans. All the features should have a comprehensive but lucid reporting function so that you can quickly know the status of your finances and make modifications to your investment strategy accordingly.

A good company will also offer you a free personal finance software for trial so that you can first use the software and then decide. Though a free version will have limited functionality it should easily be able to demonstrate the benefits of using a personal finance software. You will be able to see for yourself how the daily and weekly tasks get simplified and you get even more benefit because you can use the time you save and come up with better options for your investments and loans. You can learn more at www.perfios.com.

Personal Finance 101 video – finances are like a bucket with dollars flowing in and tear drops falling out through tiny pin holes in the bottom. Everything left in the bucket is savings. Save 00 per year by taking your lunch to work. Save 0 per year by purchaing cokes at the grocery store in bulk. Produced with CyberLink PowerDirector
Video Rating: 0 / 5

Magnera Human Skull 2


Image by L.C.Nøttaasen
New version:
www.flickr.com/photos/magnera/3922643845/
———————————————————————————————–
My second attempt on the skull blend. A bit more pleased about this one.
Skull by Sujit kumar
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Quick work instructions:
-> Layer1 (bottom layer): Face, sharpen
-> Layer2: Black and white filter, reds way down (-120)
-> Layer3: I copied the eyes from layer1 and used hue/saturation and colorize to make them more blue. Then I used the plastic wrap filter before I blured out the edges of my selection.
-> Layer4: Find a skull. I used blending effect inner shadow at opacity 75%, dist- 0, choke 0, size 213, blend multiply. Created a layermask and painted with a soft brush in multiply blending mode (in the layer mask) over the left side of the picture.
-> Layer 5 (top layer): Mask out with a black brush.

Tweak and enjoy!

Used@
1 storyfix.com/part-5-characterization-–-how-to-make-your…
2 musicspot.cnetfrance.fr/artiste/the-edge-10098285/photos/…
3 3 Ways To Get Over Your Financial Demons
www.financiallypoor.com/money-management/3-ways-to-get-ov…
4
www.facepaintingdesignsforkids.com/face-painting-pictures…
5 cashsavertips.com/personal-finance/nice-money-management-…
6 Do You Need A Diagnosis Of Your Personal Finances?
www.theoldarmy.com/2010/11/do-you-need-a-diagnosis-of-you…
7 Is Obama going to pay for his trip to Copenhagen out of his personal money?
moneytipoftheday.com/is-obama-going-to-pay-for-his-trip-t…
8 Greenspan & Money Distribution.
www.thinkitin.com/2010/12/greenspan-money-distribution.html

8 Great Personal Finance Sites

There’s lots of online information about personal finance. If you’re looking for advice on budgeting or investing, you’ll find plenty. If you want quotes for loans or insurance, they’re available. If you need help getting out of debt, you can find it online.

Predictably, some of the personal finance resources online are better than others. Some are frankly self-serving, trying to sell you some product or service. Others give information freely. Some of the information is good and some is not so good. You have to evaluate and discriminate when looking for authority and accuracy in personal finance information. After all, it’s your money that you’ll be risking if you follow bad advice. So be careful out there.

We can’t hope to list all the good online sites for personal finance. There are just too many. But here’s a short list to get you started in the right direction. We’ve included a few of the standard mega-sites plus some really good ones that are not so well known.

Necessary Virtues Personal Finance

http://finance.necessaryvirtues.com/

Specializes in information about how to manage your money efficiently and live a prosperous life. Offers several full-length books as free downloads, including these titles: “Solving the Money Puzzle: Personal Finance Made Simple,” “The Science of Getting Rich,” “Money for Life,” and the classic, “Think and Grow Rich.” Also offers free newsletter, “Your Money Plan.”

MSN Money

http://moneycentral.msn.com/

Specializes in information for investors, including free stock quotes and analysis tools. Also has sections on planning, banking, and taxes. Good investment advice columns and features. Some analysis tools require Internet Explorer for best results. (The site is owned by Microsoft.)

CNN Money

http://money.cnn.com/

More breadth than MSN Money but less depth on investing. Covers many areas and has quite a bit of unique content from Fortune and Money magazines. (This is a Time-Warner site so there is common ownership.)

Kiplinger.com

http://www.kiplinger.com/

Mostly about investing, but also has good articles on credit management, real estate, insurance, retirement. Do be aware that much of their focus is on selling subscriptions to their various newsletters, like the Kiplinger Report.

Zen Personal Finance

http://www.finance-weblog.com/

This is something completely different, a blog with a unique perspective on personal finance. Has sections on retirement, housing, credit, and investing (a mammoth 30-part series of posts on “How To Think Like Warren Buffet”). Not the place to go for everyday reference, but recommended for browsing.

The Motley Fool

http://www.fool.com/

Specializes in help with investing, particularly in stocks and mutual funds. Information is of high quality, but registration is required to access most of it, and payment is required for parts of the site and for some newsletters.

Yahoo Finance

http://finance.yahoo.com/

There’s a lot here, but most of it is conglomerated by Yahoo from various third-party sources. You’ll have to be discriminating.

Carnival of Personal Finance

http://carnivalofpersonalfinance.com/

A blog carnival that offers weekly collections of recent blog posts on topics like budgeting, saving money, earning money, managing debt, and living below your means. The quality is uneven so be prepared to dig deep.

So there you have it, a quick introduction to some of the best of the web when it comes to personal finance. Some of the big sites made our list as well as some smaller hidden gems. Here’s hoping you find it useful.

Challenging you to come up with three rules that describe everything you believe in about personal finance.
Video Rating: 0 / 5

Great Benefits of A 125 Home Equity Loan

Do you know what a 125 home equity loan is? I’m sure you know all about traditional home equity loans where you can borrow money using the equity in your home as collateral for the loan. These home equity loans provide many people with cash for a wide range of uses. Of course there are other types of equity loans besides the traditional home equity loan, and the 125 home equity loan is one of these options. A 125 home equity loan lets you get even more cash than usual based on the equity in your home.

Let me first define what equity is. Your home equity is quite simply the difference in what you owe the bank still and the value of your home. For example, if your home is valued at 0,000 and you still owe 0,000 to the mortgage company then you have 0,000 in equity. One nice benefit is that in a rising real estate market you gain additional equity simply through the rise in your homes value.

Traditional Home Equity Loans vs. 125 Home Equity Loans

In a traditional home equity loan you are offered a loan that does not exceed the amount of equity present in your home. So, if you have ,000 in equity you’re able to get a loan for ,000. This loan can be used to pay for anything you want from home improvements to education or even a vacation if you choose.

The difference between the traditional home equity loan and a 125 home equity loan is in the amount you can borrow. With a 125 home equity loan you can borrow up to 125% of the present equity value in your home. In this case if you have ,000 equity in your home you would be offered a loan of ,250. In the past many lenders would shy away from this type of loan since part of it is unsecured and increases their risk. These days however more and more lenders, especially online lenders are offering 125 home equity loans. If you’re thinking of applying for this type of loan you should know that a high credit score will help you greatly in getting approved.

125 Home Equity Loan Warning

The 125 home equity loan is especially suited for those who need access to a large amount of money. If you are thinking of using the money to start a business or take on a large home improvement project a 125 home equity loan could meet your needs quite well.

Keep in mind that as long as home values continue to rise or at least stay stagnant you’re in little danger from this type of equity loan. However, if your home value declines your equity will decline as well and you could actually end up owing more than your home is worth.

It really depends on your needs and circumstances to determine how much sense a 125 home equity loan makes for you. As I said previously, it can be very useful for those starting a business, particularly if you expect the business to have good cash flow. It is also useful for large home improvements since they are likely to increase your home’s value and also your equity. Just be careful that you don’t overextend yourself when taking a 125 home equity loan.

MORTGAGE LOANS Bad Credit Mortgage If you’re a first time home buyer, we offer a variety of loan programs to assist you in making your first time home purchase decision – even with bad credit problems or after bankruptcy. Bad Credit Home Equity Loan Our online application is the fastest and…

Boats at Port Credit


Image by wili_hybrid
Juha and I accompanied Santtu to check out an old sailing boat at Port Credit near Toronto. December 2007.

Student Credit Cards ? Great or Awful Idea?

Does a college student need a credit card? Better yet, should a college student apply for a credit card?

We all know that new credit card laws have made it more difficult for college students to obtain a student credit card. Now college students (and anyone that signs for them) need to think twice before getting that first credit.

There are many responsible credit card usage tips that college students can follow. On the flip side, there are also many college students that will fall victim to the credit card debt trap at an early age.

The question that I often receive in some shape or form is- should a college student have a credit card?

My answer is simple- all college students should have a credit card.

Before a mob of parents runs after me with blazing torches, allow me to explain myself.

Benefits of a Credit Card For College Students:

1. Build your credit rating.
When you make your first major purchase, whether it be a car or home, you will realize that one thing is very important- your credit score. This number makes a world of a difference. Before you do anything else you need to read about the importance of a credit rating.

The earlier you get a credit card the early you can build your credit rating. Yes I do realize the flip side here but please bare with me and continue reading for now.

Your credit rating becomes very important as you graduate from college and progress through your 20s. If you begin building up your credit at an early age you’ll notice some big wins.

2. Reap the benefits of a high credit score in your adult years.
A high credit score can save you a boatload of money over the period of a loan. A high credit score means that you have good credit. Good credit means that lenders feel it’s less of a risk to loan you money. Since it’s less risky to loan you money, you can receive a lower rate on major purchases when they happen, and believe me they will happen.

A lower rate may not seem like a big deal now, but trust me it will be one day. Unless you buy your first new car or first home with 100% cash, you’re likely going to have to apply for a loan. You don’t want to be in your 30s kicking yourself in the butt for messing up your credit or for having no credit.

3. Get used to a credit card.
Chances are very high that you’re going to have to deal with a credit card for the rest of your life. There are adults that refuse to possess a credit card or are vehemently against credit cards (see: Adam Baker or Matt Jabs), but it’s fairly rare to not have a credit card.

Cutting up your credit cards is too simple and it won’t solve the problem. You should get into the habit of using a credit card and paying it off monthly ASAP.

Okay now let’s go a bit further- what if you think the reasons for having a credit card are decent but you’re still not fully convinced on student credit cards? A college student should only have a credit card under the following conditions:

Student Credit Card Conditions:

1. It’s a student credit card with a minuscule limit.
A couple of hundred bucks to 0 max! Until you’ve mastered your financial situation completely you shouldn’t accept anything over 0. A high amount of credit available to you can be very beneficial, but it can also ruin you financially if you don’t control yourself. All college students should start off with the lowest limit possible and not increase it until income grows. On top of that, it’s also becoming more difficult for college students to get more than 0 worth of credit.

2. The student credit card is used for reoccurring monthly expenses.
I’ve automated my credit card to pay for my gym membership, cell phone bill, and a few online subscriptions (I swear it’s not porn!). A simple way to build your credit without buying useless junk is to automate reoccurring monthly expenses to your credit card. We all have monthly expenses. So why not simplify your financial situation and automate your monthly expenses with your credit card?

3. The credit card is only used in emergencies.
Yes I know that some will view an “emergency” as seeing a pair of jeans on sale at Banana Republic. This is where the 0 limit comes into play. Even if you lose control and splurge, you won’t go bankrupt because of it. You’ll probably have to suck it up and get an extra job to pay the credit card off, but you won’t destroy your finances.

A credit card is also extremely critical in real emergencies. Shit will happen in life. There will be times when you need money to pay your way out of trouble. Whether it be paying for a tow truck while stuck on the side of the road in the winter to having your flight delayed. Hopefully this sort of thing doesn’t happen to you. But if it does you can use your credit card and then pay it off with your emergency fund money when you get home

www.MarkFiore.com Watch the latest animation on credit card reform. If you love your credit card company, you’ll love this inside look at the credit card reform act that will take effect soon. A Mark Fiore political animation. Credit reform animation don’t leave home without it.