Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Sites | Writers | Advertise | My Orble | Login

Money Baffle

Employer Tuition Reimbursement

August 18th 2008 20:46
Who doesn’t like to get something for free? I sure don’t mind. Many employers offer tuition reimbursement for college credit to employees based on certain qualifications. It may be limited to those in certain position or anyone that works full-time. Whatever the case, it is to your advantage to look into the options. Not many people get away with a free education, so when it is available, don’t pass it up.

There is a catch, however. Your employee may also limit the reimbursement based on the grade you receive for the course. For instance, if you get a D or F for the course, you can probably assume that your employee will not pay for it. On the other hand, they may only pay 90% or so for a B. Obviously, the best bet is to get an A. It really depends on your employer, so even if you don’t see anything advertised about this option, ask your Human Resources person to see if this is available to you.


Just a recommendation, but if you have been wanting a bachelors or a masters degree this is a great time to get it. The better educated you are, the less likely you are to be downsized in an organization. In addition, if you are looking for employment, a potential employer will be more interested in someone with more education if they have more than one applicant for the same job.
23
Vote
Shared on
Comments (1)Comments (1) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Jen - Category: No Category
   


PLUS College Loans

August 14th 2008 02:02
If you are looking for money to pay for your students college loans, did your school tell you about PLUS Loans? These are only for the parents of dependent college students. They way it works, you apply to get a loan through a private lender. The only catch is that unlike other federally guaranteed student loans, these are not deferred until the student leaves school or drops below half time.

In fact, you may only have 60 days before you are required to start making payments. Before you agree to a loan like this, think carefully about how you will repay it. It has to be figured into your overall debts and will counted in your debt to income ratio for any future loan you plan to get until it is paid in full.


The other thing to consider is whether or not this is something that you will need to get for your child’s education each year. If that is the case, I would recommend that you seriously consider other options.

Other ways to reduce the cost of a college education include:
• Having your student get a part-time job and use some of the money for the college expenses
• Get a job at a college or university. Not everyone is aware that most schools provide free tuition to employees and their dependents.
• Search out scholarships. Not all are need-based and there are some that go unspent from year to year.
23
Vote
Shared on
Comments (2)Comments (2) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Jen - Category: No Category
   


Still Trying to Sell Your House?

August 8th 2008 02:32
I know friends and family with houses on the market in this current economy. It really is getting ugly. The prices keep dropping. However, some realtors are saying that it could actually take a few years for things to get straightened out.

My sister is looking at selling her house and was told that in the Chicago area they have so many foreclosures and new homes to get rid of that it will not be something that passes quickly. She lives in the near suburbs and has a nice home that costs over $400,000, yet houses like hers have been sitting on the market for months.

It is unfortunate, but not finding a buyer is exactly why many houses end up in foreclosure. It is becoming a vicious circle. Yes, those that can weather the storm will be fine in the end, but those that are going broke are in trouble.

The best thing to do in these times is save and spend your money on necessities. If you can’t afford your mortgage payment but the house won’t sell, it’s time to start cutting back as much as possible.

35
Vote
Shared on
Comments (2)Comments (2) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Jen - Category: No Category
   


Money, Money, Money

July 29th 2008 02:53
Who doesn’t want to make a lot of money? Ok, I don’t think it’s everything, but it sure would be nice to be in a position where I didn’t have to worry about money. I think most people could agree. Who doesn’t want to make a lot of money? Ok, I don’t think it’s everything, but it sure would be nice to be in a position where I didn’t have to worry about money. I think most people could agree with that statement.

It’s almost like we in America are working hard to keep our debt in proportion to the national debt which grows every day. Not that I think it’s ok to blame America’s problem with debt like that. If you are in debt, you should take responsibility for it…it’s your own fault


[ Click here to read more ]
37
Vote
Shared on
Read MoreRead More Comments (3)Comments (3) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Jen - Category: No Category
   


Have We Hit Bottom in the Housing Market Yet?

July 23rd 2008 02:42
Probably not. We will probably slip a little further. At a time when people are spending more on gas and utilities, most are not thinking about a home purchase. Unless they are forced to move for their job and are lucky enough to sell an existing home, houses on the market are not going to move fast.

Houses are getting down to rock bottom prices. In many cases, this means they are slipping to where they were at five or ten years ago. For a buyer that can afford it, this is a good time to jump into the market. Once we hit bottom (probably in the next couple of months) you will see the market start to rebound. Once that happens it will be too late to get the best possible price


[ Click here to read more ]
38
Vote
Shared on
Read MoreRead More Comments (1)Comments (1) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Jen - Category: No Category
   


Your Student Loan Debt

July 16th 2008 01:52
Student loans are with until one of two things happen: either you pay them off or you die. It is very difficult to get a student loan discharged due to bankruptcy. You would need to prove that you have an extreme hardship and couldn’t afford to live if you had to pay them.

There is a possibility that if you become terminally ill that you could get them discharged but it is a lengthy process that does require doctor’s proof on a regular basis for years. You are initially given a short term forbearance and once it is determined that you are not likely to recover you can get the debt discharged


[ Click here to read more ]
50
Vote
Shared on
Read MoreRead More Comments (2)Comments (2) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Jen - Category: No Category
   


Saving For Your Child’s College Tuition

July 15th 2008 01:56
Every year the cost of tuition to attend college increases. This is true whether you are planning to send them to a private school or a public one. The public schools are facing decreases in funding from the government. At the same time, their costs continue to increase just like everyone else. They have to give employees raises and are still facing increases in the cost of utilities, etc.

So what does that mean for you? That means that there are no expectations that those college costs are not going to go down anytime soon


[ Click here to read more ]
41
Vote
Shared on
Read MoreRead More Comments (2)Comments (2) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Jen - Category: No Category
   


Should You Close Credit Cards That You Don’t Use?

July 10th 2008 02:13
It used to be that if you weren’t using a credit card, you called them up and closed it. That way there was no credit available to you from that creditor so there was no temptation to use it. At the same time, with no available credit, you didn’t have to worry about someone stealing your card number and going on a shopping spree courtesy of you.

Now I hear financial people say don’t close those accounts. If they are paid off, it improves your credit score. So the question is, do you take the risk of getting the number stolen or is it more important that you have excellent credit


[ Click here to read more ]
56
Vote
Shared on
Read MoreRead More Comments (2)Comments (2) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Jen - Category: No Category
   


Can You Believe Those Offers To Clear Up Your Credit Report Instantly?

July 9th 2008 02:07
You know, I just love those advertisements that pop up every now and then from some company that says it can clear up your credit history like magic. It’s not true. If you pay money for something like that, it’s not going to get you anything. I have never tried this, but I’m sure that somewhere they have a disclaimer that says something to the effect of …not guaranteed.

Only time can improve your credit score. Of course, along with that you need to pay your bills on time and limit the amount of credit you use. These things combined will improve your credit rating


[ Click here to read more ]
42
Vote
Shared on
Read MoreRead More Comments (3)Comments (3) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Jen - Category: No Category
   


How’s That FAFSA Coming Along?

July 8th 2008 02:06
As a student, do you know what a FAFSA is? If you don’t, you should. This is the Free Applications for Federal Student Aid and is your ticket to finding money for college. Some universities will require that you complete this in order to attend school. However, that is not always the case…unfortunately. You see the FAFSA is about more than getting student loans. It is also about grants and other free money.

That’s right I said free money. That’s money that doesn’t have to be repaid – ever, unless of course you drop out of school in the middle of the term. Here’s the trick though, some funds are limited so if you don’t complete your FAFSA early in the year, you are missing out on money that you could have had to help you with your college expenses


[ Click here to read more ]
34
Vote
Shared on
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Jen - Category: No Category
   


More Posts
August 2008
3 Posts
July 2008
10 Posts
June 2008
21 Posts
Older Posts
34 Posts dating from June 2008
Email Subscription
Receive e-mail notifications of new posts on this blog:
[ View Blog Summary ] [ Create A New Post ]

Jen's Blogs

1446 Vote(s)
9 Comment(s)
30 Post(s)
Moderated by Jen
Copyright © 2006 2007 2008 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]