Student Loans - Graduate and Undergraduate Financial Aid

By William Blake

Whether you are in your first 4 years of college or are attending graduate school you are paying several times more for your college education than your parents and grandparents paid. This increase makes it difficult for students. But there are programs out there that give much needed assistance.

Undergraduates typically rely on a complex mix of scholarships, grants and loans. Those loans are sometimes taken out by undergraduates alone, others by their parents alone, sometimes a mixture of the two as when the parent becomes a co-borrower or co-signer.

The most common programs for students remain the unsubsidized and subsidized Stafford Loans. Subsidized loans are the most desirable, since the government pays the interest while the student is in school. But they are need-based. Unsubsidized loans are not need-based, making them available to a much wider group of students.

Here are some websites you can visit to see what you might qualify for: http://www.salliemae.com/get_student_loan/find_student_loan/undergrad_student_loan/federal_student_loans/stafford_loans/ and http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/studentloans.jsp

Graduates, on the other hand, often have fewer options for scholarships and grants just at the time when tuition costs jump. But teaching and/or research assistantships usually more than make up the shortfall. They, in effect, have very low-paying (and very long hour) jobs while attending courses and doing research.

Recently a new option has become available to graduate students: PLUS loans. Though the acronym stands for Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students, they are now an option for many grad students. In the undergraduate case, parents are the borrower and are responsible for repayment. In the case of grad students, they become the responsible party.

The Pluses of a PLUS loan

Graduate students have one advantage that many people do not have. Most of them have not yet had the opportunity to get into a lot of debt and have credit problems. Since PLUS loan approval is based on your credit scores many graduate students are able to qualify.

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Before considering consolidation as a way to get your debt paid off, you need to consider the debt consolidation loan consequences. It isn't always a good idea to consolidate your debt. Find out why on the Inside Debt Consolidation website at http://www.insidedebtconsolidation.com

Negative Credit History Timeline

By William Blake

Commercials that advertise ways to obtain a free credit report often emphasize the importance of doing so because of the serious problems you can run into because of having a negative credit history. A person with a negative credit history will have an impaired ability to borrow money, get a good interest rate, and sometimes even get a good job.

Fortunately, a negative credit report is not permanent and thus can be made better. After seven years, the majority of the undesirable contents of a negative credit report will automatically be removed.

Even though financial mistakes that damage your credit report can be fixed, it will require seven years. In order to avoid waiting seven years to have better credit, you need to take good care of your credit history now.

Your credit history will be negatively impacted by late payments on rotating credit and loans. For that reason, paying such debts in a timely manner is very important. Having proof that you have been able to pay bills on time for one entire year is important when you meet a lender to borrow money. Some people are not organized and thus have a hard time making on time payments. If this is the case for you, be sure to pay off your bills as soon as possible.

Some credit card companies and retails stores that distribute credit cards will allow you to make a special payment arrangement with them if you are unable to pay off the debt that you have incurred. This could be a wise decision, but it will put a negative mark on your credit history. This effect will only be short term, though.

Filing for bankruptcy causes serious negative repercussions to your credit history. Doing so will remain a part of your credit history for more than the standard seven years.

Keep in mind that this is the picture the lenders are looking at to see how reliable you are at paying your debts. Chapter 13 bankruptcies will remain on your history for seven years, but a Chapter 7 bankruptcy (where you don't have to pay money back) will remain for ten years.

Having a negative credit history could mean adding 3 or 4 percentage points to any loans that you might be interested in getting. It could mean that you will be turned down altogether. What you do right now with your credit can affect your financial situation for seven (or even up to ten) years. Take care that you don't do damage to something so valuable.

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How Canadian Retirement Affects Some Americans

By William Blake

I live within minutes of the Canadian border in Upstate New York so I have a lot of experience in how Canadians do their retirement planning and a lot of Canadian retirement planning seems to revolve around traveling the United States and clogging up traffic for hours. I have nothing against Canadians really, well maybe a little, but it always seems amazing to me how Canadian retirees will leave their common sense at home when they are retired in the United States. Here are some rules to help with Canadian retirement planning.

It's Called A Line, Stand In It With The Rest Of Us

It has been observed that some Canadians have the custom of being a bit impatient. Most of our manners are closely linked to the customs in the area in which we grew up. What Americans consider rude and pushy other cultures consider quite normal and acceptable. For example, it has been noted that Canadians are line jumpers. That can be very offensive to Americans but who knows how this is viewed in Canada.

It's The Vertical Pedal On The Left

Road rage is a very common thing in America. There are huge differences in the driving habits of people from different areas and Americans really lack patience with that. When others come from other countries and bring their driving habits with them it can be quite an annoyance for natives who are on the road with them. Perhaps they would feel the same if we were driving in their country.

Road rage doesn't seem to be quite as big a problem in other countries. In most places honking your horn is merely a way of letting someone know you are there or that you have the right of way. The horn is not used as a way to insult or complain about another persons driving. That may be why when Americans lay on their horn to express their frustration Canadians seem to be oblivious to any problem and continue doing what they are doing.

Shop In Your Own Malls!

These cultural differences between Canadians and Americans seem to carry over from the roadways into the shopping centers. Some find it difficult to deal with the overwhelming number of Canadians shopping in U.S. malls along the border. It is not uncommon to find more Canadian license plates lining the parking lots than U.S. plates. Inside the shopping center the different views of what is considered good manners and what is considered rude cause frustrations and problems. These cultural differences will only get worse if we cannot try to find a way to adapt to other cultures rather than reject them.

About the Author:

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Make Good Use of a Retirement Planning Calculator

By William Blake

Calculating your necessities during retirement can be much easier with a retirement planning calculator. It can help you determine how much money you will need each month of your retirement years. Then you will be able to plan accordingly when preparing for retirement. That means that once you reach retirement age you will not be worrying about whether you have enough money to care for your needs and maintain your standard of living.

It is important to begin planning for your retirement early in your career. A Retirement planning calculator can be utilized and if followed can really help one prepare for the future. No one wants to be forced to stay in the workforce and put off their retirement because of poor planning. A retirement planning calculator can help.

Where can you find this useful tool? You can find them online possibly on your bank's website or other financial institutions. You can also visit your bank or as the human resources representative at your place of employment to see if they can provide one for you.

Of course the retirement planning calculator will only be useful if the information entered is accurate. Also, once the information is entered the direction given by the retirement planning calculator must be followed in order to maximize your savings for retirement. So once you locate your retirement planning calculator you must give some serious thought to how you will use it.

A Retirement Planning Calculator Provides Figures For The Future

There are so many factors that should be considered when planning for retirement. People need to decide where they want to live when they do not have to hold down a permanent job any more. Many people choose the location of their home based on their job. After retirement, the possible places to live increase considerably. People can choose the location of their home based on the weather, the taxes or the services available.

Also during years in the workforce we generally have to consider our family and their needs. It is important to live in an area where your children can get a good education. However, once the children have grown up and have home and families of their own that is no longer something you need to be concerned about. Again, this offers opportunities for you to expand your horizons a bit and base your decisions what is best for you financially and otherwise.

A retirement planning calculator will help you factor in the cost of health insurance during your retirement. If you are in a financial position to take an early retirement but you have not yet reached the age where you are eligible for Medicare you will need to consider how you will pay for the health insurance you need during the interim.

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Is credit counseling the best way for you to get out of debt? It might be, but there's no single best way for everyone. Visit the Debt Smackdown website at http://www.debtsmackdown.com for more helpful information about clearing up your debt.

Rumors and Reverse Mortgages Rampant

By Smagmatti Vanrock

Since most seniors aren't fully informed on the facts of reverse mortgages, having this knowledge places you in a small circle of educated people.

A fair amount of seniors only know what they heard through the grapevine: Sisters husband, who heard from his dads friend, knows a guy who lost his house to the bank, all because he had a reverse mortgage.

Some dont know a thing about them other than what this guy they overheard at the coffee shop was saying. He talked about his brother who knew someone who had a friend with a reverse mortgage. The bank took this friends house and he had to live on the street.

In the business of reverse mortgage, there were some persons who were taken advantage of.

A common happening in the state of Texas was, if asked for financial guidance, estate managers would send customers to a friend of theirs, who so happened to be a reverse mortgage lender.

When it came time to close, the statement showed a consulting fee was owed to the financial adviser, in the amount of 10 grand.

Since the estate planner was paid from the referral, they were not always just serving the needs of the client.

Whether the reverse mortgage was the correct financial response to the customers issue was not the problem. The problem lies in related business relationships causing a serious conflict of interest.

Don't get me wrong; a lender can still egg you on to choose a reverse mortgage, even when it may not be the wisest choice.

But dont panic. Anyone who is going through the process of getting a reverse home loan will have to meet with an approved Housing and Urban Development (HUD) adviser, before continuing with the reverse mortgage.

The counselor has nothing to gain by leading you one way or another. They are there to bounce questions off of and to check over your situation. If something is amiss you will be told what it is.

The HUD counselor has no financial stake in the transaction. If it looks like a blatantly poor choice for the customer, the counselor will raise this serious question.

In closing, if you or someone you know is considering a reverse mortgage, do not take or offer advice on the subject until you've educated yourself to know the honest facts. From my experience the facts differ greatly from common folklore.

About the Author:

Be an informed consumer with this California reverse mortgage report and guide. And by the way... Meander you way to this site for more facts about the California reverse mortgage..

Finding Good Online Loans

By Dave Davis

Most of us need extra cash from time to time and sometimes it's hard to get our hands on it. Maybe you need some extra money for the holidays, or maybe bills and other expenses are starting to stack up. If this is the case for you, finding an online loan may be a solution that will really help you out.

Online loans work just like their name implies. You apply online for the loan you need by providing some basic personal information. If you are a U.S. Citizen and at least 18 years old, you are eligible to apply for a loan. Once you enter in your application online, it will generally only be a few hours before you find out if you have been granted a loan.

Most lending sources will notify you online, and then even deposit the loan amount in full directly to your savings or checking account. In most cases, you will have the money within 24 hours and without ever having to go to the lending source.

Before you start filling out an online application, make sure to do your due diligence on the lending institution. Since you will probably have to provide your social security and driver's license numbers, you will want to make sure that the site you're using is secure.

Since theft of identity is quite common, you will want to be extra careful. Making sure that the company you want to get a loan from has a good history is highly recommended. You should be able to find plenty of information online about any company that you are considering.

They should also state on their website what type of security or encryption is used to make sure the information you provide is not captured anywhere else on the web. As long as the lending source is using a secure website, you shouldn't have any problems and will have your hands on the needed cash in no time.

About the Author:

Dave is an educator about bad credit online loans and has helped hundreds of people to find personal loans for bad credit.

Home Mortgage Loan Guide

By John Bear

If you are considering buying a home, then you may be a little confused by all of the terms you hear about home loans. After all, lenders just throw around words like fixed rate, balloon mortgages and adjustable rate mortgages without a thought. What follows are the three most common types of home loans. Study it, and determine which one would be right for you.

First is the fixed rate loan and with this, you will have a fixed interest rate and that will not change for the life of the loan. So if you plan to buy a home and stay in it until you pay it off, then this would be the loan for you. Just take note that if interest rates go higher, yours will just stay the same. But just hope that they will not go down as you will be paying a higher interest rate.

The second type is the adjustable rate mortgage or the ARM. This loan's interest rate basically goes up and down with the market so if the interest rate is low, so will yours; and if high, your home mortgage rate will, too. One disadvantage of this type is that the interest rate on a home mortgage loan affects the payments so you will never know what your monthly mortgage payments will be so this type won't be right for everyone.

To make good use of an ARM loan, individuals usually plan to sell a house quickly that they purchased for investment purposes so they may take advantage of the low interest rates especially if it looks as they may go lower.

An ARM loan would prove to be beneficial when you buy a home on a time when the interest rates are very low. You can take an ARM and have it changed later to a fixed loan when the interest rates go lower.

The third type is the Balloon Home Loan. With this type, you will make monthly payments for a fixed amount of time, with a fixed interest rate. The difference is that at the end of the payment schedule, you will likely owe the unpaid balance in one lump sum. So if you use a balloon mortgage, you will find that the interest rates are much lower than either a fixed rate mortgage or an ARM.

Just one big problem for this type of loan is the large payment due at the end. On the other hand, if you plan to hold the house for just a short period of time, the balloon home loan might just suit you well.

When you get to really understand the types of home loans then you will be more confident and prepared to make the right decision in getting the best home mortgage loan for you and your family.

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Personal Finance Planning: Save It All In The Bank

By Jenni Snook

By simply changing some habits and adopting personal finance planning, you can easily reduce your costs significantly. However, it is also important to see the bank balance start to grow. Saving money seems like a painful exercise for many people these days. This seems to be case because many people either don't possess the discipline or are unaware where their money is ending up. In this article, we will discuss some money saving tips to help you get your bank balance up giving you some security for a rainy day.

Many of us, when we get paid, we have our salaries already spent. What tends to occur is that people spend too much the previous week, especially when they buy something they just couldn't live without.

A great tip to follow if you seriously want to save money is to take a reasonable amount of money out of your bank account and store it away in a secure location away from you. You should definitely know where to find it should it be needed but by placing it off site, it will be out of your mind.

If this tip is to work well, then you should only take tiny amounts of money. It wouldn't be logical to take more than you should, given that you will spend it at some point in the future. You may not realize it, but even putting away 10 dollars a week, adds up to 520 dollars over a whole year.

Another great idea would be to find out where you can find savings accounts that offer relatively high interest rates. Many banks have these and pay up to 12% interest. Nevertheless, it's important that you completely comprehend the terms and conditions that associated with such an account.

Normally, you would have to leave the money in the account untouched for a period of about 1-2 years if you wish to get the high interest rate. It's vital that you only put the money you can afford into the account.

In addition, you may be obliged to put minimum deposits on a monthly basis in your account to qualify for the high interest rate. It's critical that you are well aware of all terms and conditions, otherwise, this tip risks backfiring against you.

You may not think that saving small amounts will amount to anything. You must not forget that these small amounts will eventually add up to something significant. You may find that after a reasonably long period of time that following these personal finance planning tips has been worth it and you will have a relatively big amount of money in your bank account.

About the Author:

Jenni Snook is the head reporter of http://www.HealthyWealthySoul.com, a website dedicated to giving individuals advice and resources on personal finance planning to achieve both financial and spiritual happiness in their lives.

Credits Cards From American Express, Discover, and Others

By Eric Jilson

One of the most well-known and trusted providers of credit cards is American Express, especially in the low interest rate, high credit genre of cards. Often, their balance transfer options and up to fifteen months with no interest can't be beat. Some of their cards even offer points with redemptions towards travel, hotels, rentals, and more and often with no annual fee.

Chase credit cards have 5% on purchases and an offer of 0% APR for up to a full year. Cardholders can even receive cash back on 1% of their additional purchases. Chase offers a wide variety of cards, so you'll probably find one that fits your needs.

Citi has the Platinum Select card which has a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers, though it does not apply to cash advances. If you fail to make payments, go over your limit, or otherwise do not meet the terms of the contract, however, you'll likely lose these benefits.

Discover Platinum Cards are also offered with 0% APR as an introductory rate for up to a year. They also offer no annual fees, 5% cash rewards, and zero fraud liability along with limitless cash rewards for 1% of additional purchases. If you purchase products from their select, name-brand companies, they offer double the rewards for doing so. Of course, since you're paying a premium for the name-brand item, this may not really be that great of a deal. Make sure to read up on the card's requirements and small print before joining, as many find themselves caught because they didn't.

HSBC Mastercard offers manufactured goods from their in-house catalog to new cardholders. Since this bank mainly deals with newly established credit or people with credit difficulties, their offer few 0% APR or other deals. Their rates go as high as 18.75% and they usually have other fees associated with their credit re-establishing offers.

The AT&T Universal Platinum Cards are offered with similar deals, but also include many things the others do not. These include phone savings (through AT&T, of course) and free directory assistance credits and phone minutes monthly. This low-rate card is also a phone card, so you can use it to make long distance calls from any phone world-wide. This is in addition to their 0% APR for a year on purchases and balance transfers and their zero fraud liability guarantee. There are also options for insurance coverage on wireless phones built-in to the account. Of course, it's not all roses. There are down-sides to this card including variable rates after the year is up and very high rates on cash advances and defaults.

Bottom line, there are many cards out there for you to choose from and finding the right one for you is only a matter of looking through the options. For anyone looking for a new credit card or to transfer the balance and close out an existing card, there is a lot to look at out there. Hopefully this short list has helped you in making an informed decision. Be sure to check out each individual offer and to read contracts carefully so you don't get burned.

About the Author:

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Visa Business Credit Cards and Your Company

By Caressa Waechter

A varying assortment of financial issues face you when you are a small business owner. Probably one of the issues of greatest importance is keeping your personal and business monies completely separated from one another.

The easiest way of separating your business and personal funds is by having both a business bank account and a small business credit card. You would only use your business accounts for business purposes, and your personal financial accounts would only be used for personal reasons, never for business. With a system such as this, your accountant and the IRS will be happy since you are keeping your personal and business finances apart.

A business credit card plays a very important role in the finances of your company. Most business owners will have a fairly regular need to use a business credit card. From business travel, to buying lunch for employees, a business credit card is very handy to have during the normal course of your business day.

There are many choices when it comes to picking a credit card for your business. It seems like just about every financial institution issues a credit card to consumers, and it is almost the same way when it comes to business credit cards. If you are looking for the best credit card offer, there are a fair number of good ones to choose from.

Using a credit card issuer that meets the needs of the small business owner is the way to go when it comes to picking which credit card to use for your business. You want to get a small business credit card that is issued by a financial institution who realizes the requirements of the entrepreneur, so that they are able to assist you with your needs.

Fortunately, when it comes time to make a decision about business credit cards, you have several very good financial institutions to choose from. By making the right choice, you decide on a business credit card that is issued by a bank that understands the needs and requirements of entrepreneurs.

When you make a decision about which business credit card you are going to use for your company, you want to make sure it is a wise choice. A good business credit card will help you achieve your goal of maintaining separation between your business and personal finances.

While it is very important to have a credit card to use with your business, it is equally important to choose the right bank that issues your small business credit card. Making the correct choice when it comes to a business credit card will help your business' financial future.

About the Author:

Caressa Waechter understands the importance of keeping your business finances in order, so she recommends using a Visa business credit cards to help you do so. Find the best low interest business credit cards for your business by visiting her website.

Avoid Student Debt Through Consolidation

By Glen Stroude

For any student in college or university, being under a mountain of debt is a harsh reality. It is a situation that can lead to much disappointment after graduation. With so much money to be paid off before earning an income, many graduates are uncertain of their future.

Students need not have to feel this way though. Methods and financial help are in place to provide solutions for various scenarios. It still requires paying off the debts, but nothing is ever easy and positive effort is always required.

How can one service the multiple student loans that have been taken up? Other than paying them singularly, consolidating the loans into one single periodic payment is suggested by most credit counseling companies. To encourage more to take this option up, some incentives are offered to students.

How does debt consolidation for a student work? The multiple loans are put together into one main debt by the credit company the student chooses to work with. The company will then liase with the previous individual creditors that own the student's loans.

The individual creditors will deal exclusively with the credit counselor instead of the student. The loan is then repaid over a contracted period with the student, using the offered interest rate. This is where the best part of consolidating student loans comes into play, with interest rates given to students extremely low.

There are multiple advantages the student will enjoy as a result from this. There are less headaches dealing with a single creditor. The lower interest rates also provides more available credit for the student to use in other urgent areas. Finally, it improves credit ratings and opens up opportunities to take up future loans, if required.

For student loans, government and private credit counseling firms will offer much lower interest rates compared to those priced on commercial loans. This is partly in consideration to the students' financial situation. It is also used to encourage more to take up further education with some financial assistance afforded.

Finally, it is crucial to consider consolidating your student loan debts before the grace repayment period ends. This is so that the credit counselors are in a position to give lower rates. These will have to be raised after the grace period, as their risk position increases as a result.

About the Author:

Glen Stroude offers suggestions on student loan servicing for individuals requiring it. You can learn more about debt consolidation from Glen's information portal.

Home Mortgages Guide

By John Bear

Conventionally, a mortgage loan is used to buy the same property that is also used as collateral. Mortgages are generally taken on real estate properties rather than other movable properties. Home mortgages are loans that are taken to buy a house, which is the security for the loan.

When you get a home mortgage, it will enable you to defer paying for the house that you bought. Usually, it takes two parties in a home mortgage, which are the creditor, which is the one giving the loan, and the debtor, the person taking the mortgage. If you like, you can also include a legal advisor, a mortgage broker, and a financial advisor.

Mortgages can also be repaid in a number of different ways, just like conventional loans. These different ways include paying capital and interest, interest-only, no capital or interest, interest and partial capital, and more. Second mortgages, refinance mortgages, and bad credit mortgage loans are some of the other kinds of mortgages.

The rate of interest that is to be paid with the capital is known as the mortgage rate. It is one of the most important aspects in home mortgages. Now, there are also another two kinds of home mortgages based on the rate: the fixed-rate mortgages and the adjustable-rate mortgages.

The borrower's requirements and situation would clearly define the type of mortgage the borrower can take. Other important factors to be considered are the amount that can be borrowed, price range, and the tax advantages when taking the mortgage.

The home mortgage process, also known as origination, involves several stages such as submission of an application and documentation about credit history and income, checking of the documents and credentials by the underwriter, and granting of the mortgage. A good credit history is very important in order to secure a home mortgage. Creditors charge some fees for giving a mortgage like entry and exit fees, administration fees and lender's mortgage insurance.

Taking a home mortgage is no longer a tedious process. Most lenders have online websites that allow borrowers to discuss the mortgage, submit an application and also compare the various options. Their sites also have easy-to-use home mortgage calculators that give all information, including payments to be made each month and the tax advantages, with just the single click of a button.

The Internet is truly a wonderful source for getting a good mortgage dealer. Most sites even encourage borrowers like you to seek advice online or on the phone regarding home mortgages through the lenders' financial advisors. But of course, you have to ensure that the advisors have good credentials in order for you to trust them.

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