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Voting Question: Getting stressed out about finances?

My boyfriend and I are in our early-mid twenties, living together and living a pretty typical life... for the over-worked and underpaid average American. Though we managed to stay afloat every month on our tight budget, we are tired of living paycheck to paycheck. We always come up with a plan to save money, but it seems that every month something happens that throws a real screwball in the whole situation. For example, we'll be doing okay - then a car will break, the house will need more heating oil, or a close family member gets married. Yes, essentially we do our best to prepare for the unexpected, but as a result we have no savings at all [[which makes me nervous as f*ck]] and it seems as though we are living on the edge. This month we just got hit really hard. We were knocked $300 in RIDICULOUS overdraft fees from our bank, because I floated some checks to pay bills [[I am never late paying bills - ever]], and my boyfriend got his check 4 days later than we expected to get it... therefore it caused an overdraft that I totally didn't expect. On top of that, we have cars to register and his brother is getting married in 2 weeks [[wedding present, tux rental, etc.]]. I'm stressing out. We don't live an extravagant life. We stay home and cook rice and veggies for dinner every night. I go home for lunch during the work week because I work close to home. We have basic cable/phone/internet. Our rent is very cheap - especially for what most people pay in our area. Neither one of us has bought new clothes in at least a year. We drive older cars - no car payments. Our debt consists of our student loans, and small credit cards [[which were used for the unexpected expenses that seem to happen]]. We purchase necessities, not impulsive "wants." Our biggest goal is to buy a house while the market is low as soon as we can. I feel like were doing everything right - both of us are working hard full time, paying bills on time and consciously *intending* to save every month. But still we feel trapped. We've looked at way to reduce our bills - but the only light at the end of the tunnel is paying off something, which we actively work towards [[I always pay more than the minimum payment - as much as I can afford to]]. But until then, AHHHH!!!! It seems like the only solution is that we both need to make more money - but in this economic climate, his boss "can't afford" to give him a raise, and I'm pretty much in the same boat myself. My boyfriend has been looking for other jobs in the field that pay more... but no luck yet. We'll sell stuff on eBay sometimes, but that's never consistent. Overall, I'm thankful for our life. I think we are both lucky right now to have stable jobs and a roof over our heads, and I'm especially grateful that we aren't the kind of couple that is "sensitive" about money issues - the financial tension has not caused a strain on our relationship. But we need some improvement. Thank you for reading and considering. I know it was long. And thank you for your advice. more

Resolved Question: What do I do about my financial burden?

*sigh* I don't know where to begin. It's a long story.... I will be a undergrad freshmen( I hope)and want to go to an out-of-state private university. To make this portion of my story short, I applied, and got in. In fact, it's the only school that accepted me. I did my FAFSA early and finds out that with all my scholarship money, grant money and federal stafford loans (both sub. and unsub) I STILL don't have enough to finance my education! So I started to apply for private loans from companies such as Sallie Mae and Chase Bank. I'm approved for the sallie mae loan, but my cosigner isn't. In fact, it seems as if my ENTIRE family has bad credit, because they keep getting denied their cosigner portion of the loan -_- And I don't have any credit either.I can't apply to any other schools because I am literally broke, as in I can't afford to pay the college's admission fee, and I can't get a fee waiver. At the moment I am applying for every job under the sky, but with the economy, I'm just going to leave it at that. When I try to sit and down and talk to my mother about this she's gets very defensive, starts yelling at me and talking over me. She keeps telling me that "God got it", now; no offense to any believers out there since my intentions are not to start a riot or hateful forum, I just feel that I am a Realistic person. And let's be honest, when it's time to pay the bills, no one would EVER tell their bill collectors that "God has it". *sigh* I am literally at my breaking point. I'm an 18 year old female with-out any help from almsot anybody (I will also be the first in my family to go to college... If I make it there in the first place) and I am sick of talking some people who don't know what the fudge they are talking about and with bad credit. My question to you all is what do I do or what CAN I do or is there anyway to apply for a private student loan with-out a cosigner? I feel like I really need help with this financial hardship because I have been stressing out every minute, and the stress is starting to feel like I'm having mini anxiety attacks. Thank You for reading and reviewing my question. more

Resolved Question: Paying for College after College?

I am an upcoming Freshman, who needs financial advice. My parents make enough money that I have not been eligible for any financial aid yet can not afford to put any money toward my college tuition. I have never had a job, though not for lack of trying. Everywhere I've applied to work they will not hire me unless I have experience and I do not have experience because they will not hire me. I have zero income and will not be able to work while a full time student. I have heard of people getting loans through a bank that they won't have to pay back until a few months after they have graduated with the degree they want. Is there a way I can work out something with my college's Financial Aid Services or any bank that would allow me to go to school and not have to start paying back until after I graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in the field I choose? I know this sounds laughable, but I'm seriously unable to do anything without someone's understanding. more

Voting Question: How can we be less hopeless?

My husband and I live in Houston, we are complete homebodies. We do drink alcohol sometime but not often (when we do it is cider or wine) we don't have any money (another reason why we don't drink alcohol), we can't afford to do very much and even if we did a bar or a club would be the last place we would go. We are super video game nerds, I mean like own over eleven systems and own over 200 games. My husband does work in an engineering firm but has no friends there, everyone is into sports, and never invite him to lunch, once he thanked the boss for lunch he bought and the boss said he didn't even know he was there and his cubical is in the main walkway, and it seems to me like everyone acts as if it is high school. I am a housewife, and have no real contact with the outside world, a cell phone but no vehicle, we can't afford it anyways, there aren't any jobs available within walking distance. We own two cats but no dog. Our clothes are getting so warn out that they are starting to get holes in them and we can't really afford to purchase a new wardrobe. In fact my birthday wish is to have my sewing machine fixed so I can sew our own clothing (I am really good at sewing but at this point it is too expensive) We like to go to the park but often get treated like shit by the athletics that rome around. We did at one point have enough money to go to a comedy club once and we had to wait in line for an hour and a half and it was completely horrible, we were surrounded by retarded college girls and snotty ass holes who treated us like shit, so my husband pulls out his ds portable game system and I made him stop because that was leaving me feeling even more like a loser with no one to talk to and the couple in front of us were making fun of us and was trying to show of their great fake relationship (we do honestly have a great relationship and a much better one than their, but we were feeling uncomfortable just being there) It seems everyone that lives in this state, is the total opposite of us. We have friends that live a county away but they never seem to answer our phone calls and never want to come visit us, (they are rich) and we can't always visit them, they can't relate to not having enough gas money to drive to the next county and I feel every time my husband says that it only makes them think even less than us. We used to smoke pot, but quite frankly we don't anymore just for the fact that we are such losers that we don't have a connection. I am 20 and I should of been in college but I was kicked out of the house on my eighteenth birthday and I can't afford college. I know of a few old friends form high school I could talk to but I am too embarrassed by the fact that everyone I look up is in college and I was expected to do great things) We desperately want to have children but we can't afford to where as everyone else seems to live life without a care (I find myself jealous of those who have children and shouldn't, and those ungrateful ass kissers who do shit in life living in a nice home with children). My husband and I work very hard, I would say much much harder than most people and yet have even to show for it) I desperately want to go to college but even if I did take a chance with student loans, I don't have any transportation. (my husband has student loans that we can't even pay for) We are married (we got married at the courthouse and were the only people there that spoke english, and I said that I didn't was a ring because I knew we couldn't afford one and I didn't want to add more debt, even though i know for a fact I would of got one) His family are clueless jerks (and kinda white trash), he has a sister who gets every last drop of attention and his relationship with his parent's is that of a bank, we are in financial debt to them and their only interest with us seems to be us paying them back. I need glasses badly and have been without them for about three years now, I have lost hope in ever receiving any. I have extraordinarily large breast size 32 FF or 32 H depending on the manufacture and I can't seem to afford any bras that fit properly, right now I am wearing a bra from Ross that is sized 32 dd and I am using it as a makeshift sling to hold them up. I know I need something better but considering the fact that we have 75 dollars for groceries for a week and a half, and we save up for our video games, and we won't sell them, we wouldn't get hardly anything and besides each other it is the only joy we have in life. It pisses me off that my husband does the most work and gets paid almost half as much as everyone else at work. We are absolutely no friends at all. And I am using a second account with a fake name to post this just so my husband won't see this and know that I am unhappy, I have been denying the fact that we are both losers. Is there any way to improve our life in any way? I mean in any way possible? We really want to have children but I don't even see that hour relationship is fine, but therapy is way out of our price range anyways.when I did have my job, I was laid off because our restaurant closed down, I didn't qualify for unemployment because I didn't make enough money, yeah I didn't make enough money to qualify for help. The video games we have are from when we were both in high school and we save up for them 10 dollars at a time, it is a sacrifice we both make. Church, don't make me even go there, that is the best place to go to be treated like the worst pile of garbage on the face of the earth. Let's all face it, churches are capitalist organizations, places for social queens to show off and act like they are better than everyone. I don't think going to church will ever make me feel better. I'll go to church when I need to feel lowly in my thrift store clothes. more

Resolved Question: Best Investment Options (10 Year Time Frame)?

I'm leaving university in 6 months, with a student loan of ~$30,000. Once I start working, I should be able to put $5-10k each year into either paying off this debt or investing. I will most likely try to pay off the student loan asap. Is this a wise option to do? And what is this "rainy day" money that people talk about? How much should I put aside? I was thinking $3-5k? After my debt has been payed off, I would like to invest that same $5-10k to save up and put a deposit on a rental property or my own home. What is the best option while I'm saving up? A diversified pie? Index tracker? Term deposits at banks? more

Voting Question: how do you get credit it seems ive tryed everything any help?

hi im 27 and i cant no matter how i try get credit Ive tryed applying to all credit card companys(chase capital one extra)even the walmart credit card and other retail cards(jc pennys dillards target ext) Ive tryed getting a loan several diffrent banks (this is over a 5 year period ive been trying to get credit for 5 years)ive tryed getting a cheap car under 2,000 even one that was 1,000 ive gotten turned down left and right by every car dealerships I cant even get a cell phone without a security deposit because i have no credit ive tryed prepaid cards and payday loans its not helping my score at all i still have a poor score and no credit is listed ive also tryed a small student loan and no luck any help would be apprecated i guess what am i doing wrong here?Theres only hits on my credit from everyone pulling it and the past 4-6 months i refuse to continue having it pulled just to be told no , im at the end of my rope when i know people who are legaly bancrup and declared banrupcy 2-3 times and can get loans credit cards extra Ive also been using my banks debit/credit card and its not going tords my credit all my years of paying my cell phone and other bills dont count and its so frustrating even when i paid in cash for my car it didnt (as i was promised i had to go to a buy here pay here lot)go on my score Help me please i cant go my hole life with no credit soon i will need a house another car eventualy .Ive asked car companys how do i get credit and they tell me to go to american exspress or capital one and get a small credit card ive tryed all that ive aplyed for a $100 dollar credit card with a hudge downpayment and horable apr and still get turned down i guess i just need some help and out of places to ask thought id try herethe payday loans were at check cashers other companys told me no as far as my folks go thats a big NO they say im adult and wont help me which makes things harder alsoi have tryed secure credit cards more

Voting Question: student loan, and wanting to purchase a new car?

So, I currently have a student loan, well line of credit. I had the bank pay my student loan off because the interest rate on the line of credit was much better than the student loan. Still, I'm stuck with a big loan and big payments. I wanted to sell my old car and put down on the loan, but in my area people don't usually by private sale. I was also looking at purchasing a new car now that I have a baby..but didn't want two big payments. I know I could trade my old car in to knock down the car payments, but I would much rather have the cash to knock down the student loan payments. What kind of financial options are out there for me with car dealerships?? more

Resolved Question: What can we do to save our house from foreclosure?

Okay, I am 21, a full time college student and I work part time. I live with my mother, grandmother (who is on S.S. income), my great uncle(also on SS), and my sister. My mother is married, but separated and on the track of divorce. My stepfather has lived in this house for about 12-14 years. He makes about 80,000-90,000 a year and my mother makes about 36,000. He is part owner of the house and is on the deed, however the mortgage loan is completely in my mom's name (for some reason). Last year at the end of the summer he decided to just abandon our family and left us for good. He refuses to pay for the mortgage, even though he's on the deed, and he has paid for about 2/3 or more of the finances in this house. Our mortgage is about 300,000, maybe 350,000. Either way, we can no longer afford to live here, and have not been able to make several mortgage payments. We will be forced into foreclosure and it seems as if my stepdad will be able to get away scotch free without paying anything, even though he supported this family for over 10 years, then just walked out. What can we do? The bank seems unwilling to help us out and my stepdad's lawyers response is that the people living here should be able to contribute enough, however I'm in school, my Grandmother and Uncle are on SS (not being able to contribute much) and my sister can pay some, but for 10 years or more we relied on my stepdad's income. My uncle moved in because of the situation and even his monthly rent help doesn't make enough to pay the mortgage. It pisses me off that my stepdad can somehow get away with abandonment, and we are stuck in a pile of shit trying to fix everything. Please help someone! We don't have much money for legal assistance so we can use all the free advice we can get! I don't want to have to drop out of college(which I have to pay for on my own!) to work 2 jobs to try and pay this mortgage! more

Resolved Question: What do you think about this article?

This professor has hit a bullseye with this.... History Unfolding I am a student of history. Professionally, I have written 15 books on history that have been published in six languages, and I have studied history all my life. I have come to think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is simply a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus. Something of historic proportions is happening.. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it.. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten to fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two. We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why? We learned just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine.. And that is three times the $700 billion we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not. We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy. Why? We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why? We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it simply wants marriage to remain defined as between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?) We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose? Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is medicare and our entire government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and I know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth.. It is potentially 1929 x ten... And we are at war with an enemy we cannot even name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who, in turn, cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so. And finally, we have elected a man that no one really knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla , Alaska . All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe is more important.) Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to one word: Change. Why? I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now. This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life.. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again. And that is only the beginning.. As a serious student of history, I thought I would never come to experience what the ordinary, moral German must have felt in the mid-1930s. In those times, the "savior" was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they should have known was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory. Conservative "losers" readit right now. And there were the promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and frowned and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully and beat them into submission. Which they did - regularly. And then, he was duly elected to office, while a full-throttled economic crisis bloomed at hand - the Great Depression. Slowly, but surely he seized the controls of government power, person by person, department by department, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The children of German citizens were at first, encouraged to join a Youth Movement in his name where they were taught exactly what to think. Later, they were required to do so. No Jews of course, How did he get people on his side? He did it by promising jobs to the jobless, money to the money-less, and rewards for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun controAs a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me.. I choose to believe the evidence. No doubt some people will scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. To some degree, perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe-and why I believe it. I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. Perhaps the only hope is our vote in the next elections. David Kaiser Jamestown , Rhode Island United Stateshealth care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe , and across the world. He did it with a compliant media - did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and ...... .. .. change. And the people surely got what they voted for If you think I am exaggerating, look it up. It's all there in the history books.. So read your history books. Many people of conscience objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and ridiculed. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though. And the world came to regret that he was not listened to. more

Voting Question: please help with essay??? thank you!?

i'm jumping from a regular english class to honors brit lit for junoir year and unless i rewrite my essay and score an A (i got a B) then she won't let me enter brit lit so can anyone plz help me correct my essay to make it A material. thank you very much! Debt is one of the most formidable words in the English language for many college students aside from ‘pop quiz’ and public speaking. More than 47% of college students throughout the U.S are burdened by debt that can go up to the 10,000-dollar range and most do not have enough money to pay it off. Instead of going through the trouble of debt, college students should start out the right way by saving their money in the bank instead of dealing with student loans, grants, and scholarships. Saving money for college consists of opening a savings account and putting around 25 to 35% of money earned or given into the savings account to pay for tuition in college. If most people paid for college this way we would not have to deal with piles of student debt, which could affect not just the student but the school as well which needs a specific amount of money to function. This is why saving money for college is an ingenious idea. From the four principle ways people pay their tuition; scholarships, grants, and student loans are the least dependable and hardest to maintain. To some people, scholarships seem like the best route because it pays for most and sometimes even all of tuition, but it seems like luck to depend on them because one does not know if they will receive a scholarship. Even then, scholarships usually pay for books and tuition but they do not take care of personal needs such as food, shelter, and clothing. So if someone saves money in the bank and happens to earn a scholarship, the money in the bank can be used for their personal needs. Another way people pay for tuition is by student loans. When everything else fails, people turn to the loan industry where students are sometimes refused or do not receive enough money to meet their needs. Students that do receive loans, however, end up in a considerable of debt by the time they graduate college. The average student graduates with more than $25,000 in debt, which is more than twice the average cost of tuition. Then the student has to balance a job and schoolwork to pay back the loans as well as tuition, rent, and other personal needs. Grants are yet another way to pay for college but probably the worst to depend on. Grants do not pay for all tuition and they are very limited. Usually people receive grants if their parents make less than the average middle class salary, so middle class student usually will have difficulty receiving a grant. Since three of the four ways to pay for tuition are eliminated, that leaves saving money for college. Though it is proven that saving money for college is the smartest way to pay tuition, most people think it is too late to start saving money for college. If a person start saving around $200 a month for the next 3 years they will end up with around $7,200. On top of that, if they have a part-time job in high school they can save about 15% to 20% of what they make in their savings account and accumulate from around 10 to 15,000 dollars, which is above the average cost of tuition. Other people think that because of increasing tuition fees, it is impossible to save up enough money to pay everything off. About 54% of students who started saving late stated that they were able to pay off their tuition with no problems, so it is possible to save enough money. Although most people think they can depend on scholarships, grants, and student loans to pay for tuition are proven wrong and should instead turn to student savings. When people save money they become less stressed in school and do not go through a financial crisis. It is important to think about how to pay for tuition because it is easier to focus in college with no money issues. If most people remember to save money for college they will realize how much easier it is and will end up having a greater college experience. more

Resolved Question: History Help!? Insight Students!!!?

Complete the following questions. 1. In the 1980s and 1990s, Latin America generally A. experienced a period of brutal repression. B. became more democratic. C. became extremely prosperous. D. suffered from hyperinflation. 2. Which of the following choices best describes how the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank influenced democracy in Latin America? A. They funded the purchase of weapons for rebel groups that were fighting for freedom in their countries. B. They demanded that Latin American countries adopt democratic reforms as a condition for receiving loans. C. They funded the creation of the Organizations of American States, which was a pro-democracy group that peacefully protested in favor of democratic reforms. D. They proposed economic reforms for many Latin American countries that eventually led those nations to begin adopting democratic reforms. 3. The election of Felipe Calderón as president of Mexico in 2006 was significant because A. it ended 71 years of one-party rule. B. his election was characterized by fraud. C. it affirmed Mexico’s commitment to democracy. D. he was the country’s first socialist president. 4. Latin American market reforms in the 1990s were generally successful in A. Cuba. B. Brazil. C. Argentina. D. Venezuela. 5. According to the graph titled “GDP Per Capita in Latin America,” which of the following countries saw the fewest benefits from market reform in the decade between 1994 and 2004? A. Venezuela B. Chile C. Mexico D. Peru 6. According the graph, which of the following statements best describes the status of the economies in Latin American countries during the last several decades? A. All Latin American economies suffered setbacks between 1994 and 2004. B. The populations of Latin American countries are growing. C. More people in Latin American countries lived below the poverty line in 2004 than in 1994. D. In general, the economies of most Latin American countries grew. 7. The election of Vicente Fox as president of Mexico was significant because A. it ended 71 years of one-party rule. B. his election was characterized by fraud. C. he was Mexico’s first socialist president. D. he never took office. 8. Even though the North American Free Trade Agreement was intended to remove barriers to trade, many Mexicans worried that A. their population would decrease as a result of free immigration. B. their political system would suffer if a second party were allowed to run as opposition candidates. C. tourism would suffer from decreased competition. D. increased competition from foreign imports would hurt their economy. more

Voting Question: I hate myself. Can anyone solve this problem?

I'm struggling to survive. I'm 21, in college and have no way to pay tuition, rent or anything else. My credit is horrible. I can't get a student loan, I have no cosigner. I can't even open a bank account because my credit is so bad. I hate myself for doing this. I just want to die. I've lied to all of my friends...even stolen from some of them just to make ends meet. I have a job, but i can barely cover the cost of groceries and gas with my paycheck. I've considered stripping to help make ends meet. I hate my life and myself. My rent is due today and i have $3 to my name. I live with two roomates whose parents foot the bill for their luxurious lifestyles. I can't even begin to try and keep up. I hate them both. All i want is to go to school. I can't because I can't pay for it. These two people have been in college nearly 3 years and are still hardly hanging on by a thread. I'm very smart, but do not have the opportunities they have. They have every opportunity in the world, but choose to waste it. I just want to die. This life isn't worth it. Can anyone help me? more

Resolved Question: Is it better to have some credit card debt or to have money in your savings account?

I am hoping people who are knowledgeable about the way our economy of debt really works can help me out with this one. First of all, I am already thousands of dollars in debt from student loans, so no matter what, I'm in debt. I owe well under $1000 on my credit card bill. I have a few thousand saved up in my bank account. I don't have much income this summer until I start working more in September. My question is, is it of more use to me to have money saved up in my savings account than to not have any credit card debt? It's a low interest card, but if I wanted to I could pay it all off with the money from my savings. I just think that maybe having savings money is more useful in the long term. I could pay the credit card debt off later, and still have that savings money for an emergency or to go toward a car, house, etc. What do you think? more

Voting Question: Can you read this with your head in the sand?

by Pam Geller I am a student of history. Professionally, I have written 15 books in six languages, and have studied history all my life. I think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is just a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes, these exist but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus. Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it.. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about 10 - 15 years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two. We demanded and then codified into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people whom we knew could never pay back? Why? We learned recently that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our mone more

Resolved Question: Married couples: How do you split up the money?

I'm just curious what the standard is. I live with a boyfriend. The way things work is he gives me $400 per month for his share of the rent, groceries, and bills. We have separate bank accounts to take care of our own personal things such as car insurance and student loans. I like this set up and will prefer it whenever I get married too. But is it considered bad to want to keep my cash separate from my husband's cash? I run a home business and get several checks from joined accounts, so I know that at least some people put money in a shared account.Good to hear that it's working for you Mrs. Rose. Sometimes I think maybe we'll just set it up where we have private and shared accounts. ... A shared to cover household expenses and separate ones so he wouldn't know if I went out and spent a thousand dollars on a big present.Good point Milly. I would NEVER get married to someone I can't trust. But I even keep my 6 year old daughter's money separate to a degree. (Her account contains what I am saving up for stuff like birthday parties, back to school shopping, and just giving her some spending money.) Plus I think that if someone else gets hold of one of our debit cards or whatever, at least they won't have access to ALL of our money. Then again - I guess that's why there's a $400 or so daily limit on the cards.Hesperus ... It is a very small business. Just a few hundred dollars come in per year. So I go ahead and throw it in with my personal account. ... It often works out "just right" to make up for a day missed from my regular job. I will get another account though if it ever gets big. more

Resolved Question: hey someone please answer this i dont care if you guess.. .just answer if you are like in 10th grade or higher?

. What does leasing a car involve? (Points: 2) Purchasing a car from a car dealer rather than from the previous owner Using a loan to buy the right to use a car only on specific days of the week Paying off the car loan over a period of time that's longer than the car is owned Renting the car for a specific period of time and paying for its depreciation 2. When can a bank repossess someone's car? (Points: 2) When the owner buys a used car When the owner gets into an accident When the owner cancels the insurance When the owner defaults on the loan payments 3. Which of these makes a student loan different from other types of loans? (Points: 2) Students don't have to provide any collateral to get a student loan. Student loans are sponsored and guaranteed by the government. The principal on a student loan is paid off before the interest is applied. The payments on a student loan can't be shown on an amortization table. 4. Which of these describes how a five/one ARM mortgage works? (Points: 2) The monthly payment is one-fifth of the total purchase price of the house. The interest rate is fixed for five years and then changes every year afterward. The interest rate charged on the mortgage is five times the normal interest rate. The annual fees on the mortgage are only charged during the first five years of the loan. 5. What is one of the advantages of getting a government-sponsored mortgage instead of a conventional mortgage? (Points: 2) Government mortgages are easier to get approved than conventional mortgages. Government mortgages allow home buyers to spend more money on their house. Government mortgages charge lower interest rates than conventional mortgages. Government mortgages prevent the government from taking the property for public use. 6. What is one advantage of using a credit card to make purchases? (Points: 2) You earn interest on your purchases. You can buy something now and pay for it later. You automatically improve your credit history. You get instant access to your checking account. 7. Match each of the fees below with the situations where a credit card customer would get charged. (Points: 2) Matching: Answer Potential Matches: : Annual fee 1: The credit card company requires a yearly payment for the right to use the card. 2: You use a new credit card to pay off the $1,000 balance on another credit card. 3: You pay your minimum payment one week after the due date. 4: You withdraw $500 from an ATM using your credit card. : Balance transfer fee : Cash advance fee : Late payment fee 8. Why is it important for people to maintain a good credit history? (Points: 2) So that the IRS won't investigate them for tax fraud So that it's easier to list the expenses on their personal budget So that they know all of the fees associated with their credit cards So that they have an easier time getting loans and credit cards 9. Which of these credit card features would be best for customers who think they might not be able to pay their balance at the end of each month? (Points: 2) No fees for cash advances A high balance transfer limit A low annual percentage rate An annual fee that can be waived 10. Match each of the credit card terms with its definition. (Points: 2) Matching: Answer Potential Matches: : Annual percentage rate 1: Number of days to run a balance before fees or interest are charged. 2: A listing of a person's financial information and history 3: A credit card with money in a savings account to act as collateral. 4: The amount of interest paid on unpaid balances. : Grace period : Secured card : Credit report more

Resolved Question: Are You Spending More Money Or Less Since Obama Took Control?

Food costs more- and will continue to rise cause Obamas spending is more than any president in history. Property taxes are going up in most states. Gas prices are going up and that also is expected to continue- cause of speculars from Banks that need money. Energy bills will go up when Obama forces the Coal industry to shut down- cause he wants us to all have wind energy or solar that none of us can really even afford to get. More money will be taken out of our earnings from us who work to give to people who don't work- there is even some states buying cars for people who don't work- thats our tax dollars buying other people cars. Where is the good from this? They are rewarding the people who didn't bother to finish H.School or didn't bother to get a loan to go to college to get good jobs. It took me ten years to pay off my student loans and I never complained about it! Why make it easy for these people who don't want to learn? Anyone can go to college and get a loan! Like I did! Why should I now have to pay for other peoples college? I paid for my own! Nobody helped me! I wouldn't want people I don't know paying for my college anyway! I learned to be responsible paying for it! more

Resolved Question: Commonwealth Debit Mastercard question?

Those who have debit mastercard, how does it exactly work? So basically, if you purchase something online, do they take the money from what you have (amount) in your account? Also, what's the difference between standard mastercard and debit mastercard? finally, as i'm a full -time tertiary student, do i get monthly fee off? Are you eligible for a fee exemption? The monthly account fee on transaction accounts is waived for: * Australian War Veterans and Aged Pensioners where your pension is paid into your Streamline account * Customers with a Relationship Balance of $50,000 or more in eligible contributing accounts (such as a home loan) * Customers who are reliant on over-the-counter services because of a disability that prevents them using electronic banking facilities * Customers aged under 18 * Full-time tertiary students ?? http://www.commbank.com.au/personal/accounts/minimising-fees.aspx thanks in advance and sorry for asking these basic questions...i'm tthinking of getting mastercard but i thought it was only for people who have large amount of money in their bank + with enoumous monthly fees...etc. but i looked at this one and it didn't seem like that at all so.. thanks agian@ more

Voting Question: A Question about picking student loans.?

A lot of people have been telling me to stay away from private student loans. Okay, but i have to pay for college somehow. Stafford loans only allow you to take out a certain amount. Should I just take out several Stafford loans from different banks? I have to pay 9500.see now your confusing me!i got a pell grant for 3000 more

Resolved Question: Establishing a good credit score?

I am looking to purchase a house in the next 1-2 years with my significant other. Neither of us have, or have ever had, credit cards. We do have debit cards that link directly to our individual checking accounts. I have been paying on a car loan for the past 12 months religiously as well as my student loans. Never missed a payment. I have no other bills save my cell phone. My S.O. only has a student loan which he just began paying back four months ago. Some people have suggested that either one or both of us take out a credit card and use it just for gas or something similar that we can pay back right away on time to establish credit... is this a good idea, or will our car loans/student loans repayment be enough? Is it going to look good to the bank that other than our student loans and my car loan, we are not in debt in any way? Or will they only be concerned with a high credit score (among other factors, obviously). Thanks!I have also heard (guh, why didn't I major in business at college?!) that checking your credit score can push it down... Is this true? more

Resolved Question: Change you can count on?

Is Obama changing things too fast? I got an email saying my unemployment compensation is going up, sometime retroactive since February thanks to change, My sons student loan says all the information is in, yet the web site doesn't show it, because of change, People are getting less withholding with federal taxes, yet there are problems with the tax code tables. Is Obama screwing things up because of his rapid change? Does he think all he has to do is say its so and it works out, the federal government can change software programs over night, banks can change legal documents over night. I'm not saying his change is good or bad, that has yet to be determined, but process's are complicated and his ignorance of such seems to address one problem and then cost people and corporations undue stress because of his lack of planning on implementation of his change. Just my two cents, worth. more

Voting Question: Student loan repayment help private and federal loans? My salary can't pay for my student loans. HELP!?

My wages were garnished, although I gave student loan people my bank account information to deduct monthly. I can't afford on my income to pay my bills to live, and my student loans. I can't even pay the minimum b/c it's making me late on my rent & utilities. I need helpful answers on what to do now. more

Voting Question: Mary Kay Consultants: Love MK? Hate MK?

I signed up to be a Mary Kay consultant a week ago. I've heard many great success stories and quite a few failure stories. (Most of the failure stories have to do with National Sales Directors and people who get all caught up in the craziness). I'm 19, a college student, don't have a ton of money to my name, and refuse to sign up for a credit card/ bank loan to get me started. I am not looking for this to replace my current part time job, just some extra spending money. I was really sure that I wanted to do this and have been so excited until recently. Basically, what I am asking is has anyone really made money off this? Do you enjoy it? Thanks! more

Resolved Question: Private Certified Student Loan Payable to me?

I'm graduating from community college in a few weeks, and I'm transferring to Ferris State University (Michigan), and of course, I'm going to need to take out a private loan to cover the rest of the costs. What I'm looking for is a student loan that is certified through the school, which seems like 99.9% after this past winter, that has a check sent directly to me (then I'll just cut the school a check from my personal bank account from the funds the loan company sends me). I'm having a very hard time finding a loan company that will do that, although I have found a few, just can't seem to find the web sites I saw a few days ago. I'm going to need some assistance paying for an apartment, living costs, etc. above what I can pay for with a part time job. I would just get a normal loan where the funds are sent directly to the school, then I get refunded the difference, but I'm currently unemployed, receiving unemployment, but just enough to cover bills, and with no luck finding a job.. So its making it very tough to save up enough money to put a deposit and first months rent down on an apartment, plus all the utilities. I know some of you will recommend living on campus, but that is a last resort only for personal reasons. I get along with people, just too fine it seems like. I don't need that interrupting my studies. So my question is, Where can I get a Private Student Loan, Certified by the school for COA (cost of attendance minus other funding), where a check will be mailed to me?I have not yet filed for FAFSA. That was my goal tomorrow actually. When I visit the Fin. Aid office at Ferris, I'll speak to someone there, and see if they have any answers. In the meantime though, anyone else know anything on the subject? For the peace of mind, so that I won't be worried about living arrangements for the first week or two of school, seeing that I live 4 hours away.. more

Resolved Question: Where can I get a student loan?

Look. I'm 8th of 500 in my graduating class, I have a 5.2 GPA (Because AP classes bump up GPA a lot) and I am incredibly intelligent. Fact is, my parents have a $1,350 monthly mortgage and two new cars on the driveway, and a history of being late on payments. Both my parents were ineligible cosigners for a Wells Fargo Collegiate loan. This is due to bad a bad credit score. This came as a HUGE reality check to me, because now I CAN'T go to A&M University, which I dearly wanted to attend. Where else can I get a student loan? Can I apply for an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, even with parents with bad credit scores? Also, would this Unsubsidized Stafford Loan be gotten from a bank, like Wells Fargo? Because I noticed they also had Stafford Loan applications on their site. And can the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan be gotten directly from the school, because I've noticed a trend that any school I applied to has given me the option to apply for this Unsubsidized Stafford Loan and some kind of "Supplemental Plus" loan. I've completed my FAFSA, I received NO money from it, because my parents' yearly income is right at 100k, yet somehow their money disappears. I'm applying for Scholarships, and have applied to probably 30 so far, and I'm not exactly hopeful of those bleak results, as I would think many people are applying to the same ones. Any help is appreciated, thanks! more

Resolved Question: Why is the media not talking about Obama's momma?

One of the interesting things about Barack Obama is that he is appealing to the black voters of America as a black man, yet he was raised by a single mother and her parents, who were white. (Before you correct me that the politically correct term is "African-American," allow me to point out that all black people in America are not necessarily African-American.) In a well-researched article published in Time, Amanda Ripley explains, "In most elections, the deceased mother of a candidate in the primaries is not the subject of a magazine profile. But Ann Soetoro was not like most mothers." She points out: "Each of us lives a life of contradictory truths. We are not one thing or another. Barack Obama's mother was at least a dozen things. S. Ann Soetoro was a teen mother who later got a Ph.D. in anthropology; a white woman from the Midwest who was more comfortable in Indonesia; a natural-born mother obsessed with her work; a romantic pragmatist, if such a thing is possible." Barack Obama's mother was a very interesting woman, and, according to Ripley, he's very much his mother's son. Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham Obama Soetoro (she later spelled it Sutoro) was a white woman from the Midwest who married and divorced not one, but two, foreign men (one from Kenya and one from Indonesia, both Muslim). She met Barack Obama Sr. in a Russian-language class at the University of Hawaii, where both were students. After one semester, at age 18 she dropped out of school and, three months pregnant, secretly married a man she met only a few months earlier. Young Barack was born August 4, 1961. At that time, interracial marriages were illegal in many states, and bi-racial children were ostracized by both ethnic groups as not "belonging" to either. When the infant Barack was not yet a year old, Obama Sr. left his new family for a Harvard scholarship to get a Ph.D. in economics. His plan was to take his new family and return to rebuild Kenya. He already had a wife there, although there was some question about the legality of the earlier marriage. Obama's mother decided she did not wish to go with him, and returned to her studies at the University of Hawaii. She graduated in four years while her parents helped care for her young son. In 1964, Ann filed for divorce from Obama Sr. Like many Muslim men, Obama Sr. had multiple wives. It has been reported that Barack Jr. was distressed to learn that his six siblings, whom he met on a trip to Africa, had four different mothers. (Islam permits up to four wives at one time, and apparently polygamy is common in Africa.) At the University of Hawaii, Ann met another international student, Lolo Soetoro, who proposed in 1967. Ann and young Barack followed him home to Indonesia. Daughter Maya was born in 1970. In 1971, when Barack was 10, Ann sent him back to Hawaii to live with her parents and attend an elite prep school on a scholarship arranged by Ann's mother, an executive at Bank of Hawaii. Obama lived with Ann's parents until he finished high school. Ann and Maya followed a year later. Ann once again enrolled in classes at the University of Hawaii. Although Lolo visited often, they never again lived together, and in 1980, Ann filed for divorce. According to Ripley, Ann maintained a cordial relationship with her ex-husbands, staying in touch with both men. It is probably safe to say, however, that Barack Obama had very little actual influence from either man in his life. His father left before he was a year old, and he lived with his mother and her second husband in Indonesia for only four years, from age 6 to 10, before being shipped back to Hawaii for prep school. This makes it even more remarkable that he has written a memoir titled, "Dreams From my Father." It has been reported that Ann read a draft of her son's book before her death in 1995. One has to wonder how disappointed she must have been to learn it was about a father who abandoned him as an infant, and not about the strong and pioneering women who raised him. The book was first published in 1995, as he was campaigning for the Illinois Senate, and to capitalize on his new popularity, a new edition was published in 2004, after his keynote address to the Democratic National Convention. Ann Dunham Obama Sutoro studied anthropology in Indonesia, and helped thousands of poor women find better lives for themselves and their families. She is credited with helping to create the microfinance program in Indonesia, "which she did from 1988 to '92 —- before the practice of granting tiny loans to credit-poor entrepreneurs was an established success story. Her anthropological research into how real people worked helped inform the policies set by the Bank Rakyat Indonesia, says [her friend] Patten, an economist who worked there. 'I would say her work had a lot to do with the success of the program,' he sa more

Resolved Question: Is This What We Have To Look Forwarded To?

Scary Food for thought. Forward to all thinking Americans. This is long, but enlightening. Lest you think it was written by some right-wing kook, David Kaiser is a respected historian whose published works have covered a broad range of topics, from European Warfare to American League Baseball. Born in 1947, the son of a diplomat, Kaiser spent his childhood in three capital cities: Washington D.C., Albany, New York, and Dakar, Senegal. He attended Harvard University, graduating there in 1969 with a B.A. in history. He then spent several years more at Harvard, gaining a PhD in history, which he obtained in 1976. He served > in the Army Reserve from 1970 to 1976. He is a professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the United States Naval War College and has previously taught at Carnegie Mellon, Williams College and Harvard University. Kaiser's latest book, The Road to Dallas, about the Kennedy assassination, was just published by Harvard University Press. Dr. David Kaiser "My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to change it." - Barack Obama History Unfolding I am a student of history. Professionally, I have written 15 books on history that have been published in six languages, and I have studied history all my life. I have come to think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is simply a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus. Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it.. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten to fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two. We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why? We learned just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the $700 billion we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not. We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy. Why? We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why? We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it simply wants marriage to remain defined as between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?) We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose? Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is medicare and our entire government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and I know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth.. It is potentially 1929 x ten... And we are at war with an enemy we cannot even name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who, in turn, cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so. And finally, we have elected a man that no one really knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla, Alaska . All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never p more

Resolved Question: How hard is it to afford an elite school if admitted?

My parents can't afford it, so I am counting on loans. If I get into Berkeley or something, is it easy to arrangement loans? I'm thinking of doing a biology degree and pursue medicine afterwards without a gap in between. Does this mean I get good loans with low interest? Banks and universities normally do give out loans to students who will be able to pay back, right? I'm not going to be studying art history or something, so I thought loans would be easy to arrange, but now I see people panicking over tuition. is it because they don't want to be in debt or because it's harder than I expected? By the way, I don't mind having a 400 k debt to Vanderbilt if I know I can get my MD there. I'm not that scared of loans, but getting them sounds intimidating. more

Voting Question: What to choose, friends pls help me out with the biggest decisions of my life?

I got selected in DELL International Services Pvt Ltd as Technical Support Associate, I got the offer letter. I am an final year B.Tech student of Electronics and Communication Engineer. I have an B.Tech marks aggregate of 57%(last semester exams will be over by 30th april, there are three subjects and project in this semester). I have cleared 5 backlogs. The details of the job offered are as follows: Designation: Technical Support Associate Grade: A3 Process: USCTS CTC: 2lakhs of rupees per year Earnings: Basic DA: Rs. 5,862; Basket Allowance: Rs. 4,948; HRA: Rs. 2,345; Medical Allow: Rs. 1,250; Conv Allowance: Rs. 250; The total earnings: Rs. 14, 655. Deduction Provident Fund: Rs. 703 Professional Tax: Rs. 200 Transport Charge: Rs. 250 Cafeteria Charges: Rs. 250 Total Deduction: Rs. 1,403 therefore Net Pay is: Rs. 13,252 so friends, please tell me your views of this job and anything you know that is related here. Also I have planned for MS in U.S, wrote gre and toefl GRE Score: 1070(730-quantitative and 340-verbal and AWA: 3.5) TOEFL-iBT: 110(writing 29; reading 28; listening 29; speaking 24) I have applied and received i20s from 4 Universities they are: 1) George Mason University in Telecommuncations(tution fees is 16000 U.S dollars) situated at Fairfax, Virginia 2.) Northeren Illinois University in Computer Science( tution fees is 11000 U.S dollars) situated at DeKalb, Illinois 3.) California state university Northride in EE(Electronics) (the tution fees is 10,000 U.S dollars) situated at Northridge California. 4) Northwest Missouri State University in Applied Computer Science( tuition fees 9,000 U.S dollars) situated in Maryville, Missouri. (I have equal interest in computers and electronics as major) the sponsoring for my M.S would have to be done by my dad, he's 54yrs old, working in a private firm, he gets a salary of Rs. 30,000. We would have to take student loan from bank for the M.S. People I know are telling me that I should not do M.S at this time of global economic melt-down and U.S recession. Friends please suggest me what to do, please explain in detail. Either DELL tech support job or M.S in U.S.A? Understand that your valuable suggestions can help me make a life altering decession. I'll be waiting for your inputs, thank you more

Resolved Question: DELL Technical support Associate?

Resolved Question: can an international student get a loan from a bank in canada?

i got accepted to humber college in toronto. i dont want to lay four years of expenses onto my parents. when i was looking for schools, people in canadian education centre told me that you can apply for loans even if you dont get scholarship or something. i was counting on that, until earlier today i came across a website that tells that you are not elligible to apply for a loan unless you are a landed immigrent. and if so, can i be a landed immigrent after my first year? note: i'm above 23 male from Turkey, not from europian union.i know that you can do it in usa as an international if your family has gone through a financial crisis or something. i'm wondering about canada, or can you get in touch with a bank from usa for that ? more

Resolved Question: Will this student loan strategy work?

I currently have about 45k in federal student loan debt and about 20k in private student loan debt, and am considering enrolling in the IBR ( income based repayment plan) that becomes law this July. Under this law, I can take all federally backed loans ( subsidized and unsubsidized) and consolidate them, and then pay 10%-15% of my income for 25 years, when any remaining balance is forgiven. ( I am aware of the tax implications in year 25, and am not concerned; read on) I am starting law school this fall. With law school, I am eligible to take out stafford loans for tuition, along with grad PLUS loans for living expenses. This will mean a refund after tuition and books of around 8k. I plan to take out the maximum I can until my private school loans and consumer debts are paid off, and after I pass the bar, consolidate under the IBR and pay 10-15% of my income for 25 years. This way, no matter how much I borrow, I can never pay more than 10-15% of my income on student loan payments! This of great relief to me, as it no longer makes me fearful of the future in the way I once was... Before anyone gives me grief about "forking it onto the government," understand that I could care less. The govt. has been more than eager to bailout banks, insurance companies, and auto manufacturers, so why not take my piece of the pie? I don't believe people should have to pay for a higher education if they want one. This is a principle that I strongly believe in, and any statements that attempts to undermine that premise will be met with my not taking you seriously/ ignoring your post... I simply want to know: Is this a good strategy?Lauren F. : Good answer. However, I see this strategy as hedge against the possibility of earning such a high income. While I can be hopeful for such a high income, (six figures) in my region I believe starting wages are closer to 60-80k yearly. Obviously, at the end of it all I can choose to repay however I want, be it through the IBR or through more traditional means... Does my strategy make more sense considering these assumptions? more

Voting Question: Employer checking credit?

I am getting a job at a bank as an accountant and they require a credit check. I dont miss any payments on my credit cards or auto loan but had one charge off in 2006 and its paid. Other than that I have 11 accounts in good standind. Couple of my cards though are maxed out due to paying off my last semester of school (tried to get student loan but due to frozen credit market people with 800 scores cant even cosign and get approved). Question really is with all accounts in good standing, but having a credit score of only 600, will it be possible they will deny me due to high balances on credit cards and a charge off 3 years ago. more

Resolved Question: Rebuilding Credit... Secured Card... Removed Accounts...?

I pulled my 3 credit reports, and my three scores range anywhere from 490-502. I have had many credit problems in the past, and I am working to rebuild my credit and raise my score. With inquiries and other accounts falling off my report, can I somehow raise my score by 100 points within the next year? I am wanting to purchase a home within the next few years ( 2011-2012) and want to raise my score to 700 or more. Is that possible? 1.-- I have many inquires from 2007 when searching for a car loan... will these drop off this year? I also have many inquires for 2008, so will those drop off next year? I want alot of these inquiries to drop off before I go house-hunting in the next few years. ( 2011-2012 ) -- The only "new" credit I will be seeking soon is to apply for a secured credit card. Will that show up as an inquiry as well? 2.-- I've been reading that collection accounts are keeping people from getting mortgages. I have collection accounts in the past, but they have all been paid. Is it the unpaid accounts that prohibit people from getting mortgages, or the collection accounts all together? 3.-- I have an old Express store credit card that I thought was closed... it is showing "closed" but that the status of the card is "current" on my credit report, but I don't have the card anymore or use it. Should I call to make sure it's closed, or leave it alone since it isn't anything negative. This is my oldest card, from back in 2003. 4.-- My Maurices account is still showing up, even though it is from 2001. Can I ask to have that removed? 5.-- I have three charged off credit cards from 2003-2004... will those fall off in 2010 and 2011? 6.-- I am looking at obtaining a Secured Mastercard through Bank of America... I would only deposit $500 for my limit, and charge gas to it each month (that's my most frequent expense) and then pay it off each month as well. I called the bank, and they said that it would show up on my credit report as a credit card, and that the account would be reviewed after a year and I could possibly get an unsecured card, and receive my deposit back. Will opening this credit card hurt me? I have no other credit cards currently, but have in the past. 7.-- I am currently paying on a bank loan since January, and I've been current will all of my payments and even made extra payments on the loan. I also currently pay on my student loans, which are current and never late since October 2008. I have paid all of my other credit card accounts off, and some of them did have late payments. By paying regularly and on time on my two loans, as well as on my secured card that I want to get, will this help my score improve significantly? 8.-- A collection agency made three inquiries on my report... for three different accounts they had. I have paid them off, and they said that these inquires will come off after 30 days of the account being closed. Is this true? A credit counselor I talked to said he had never heard of this. Thanks in advance for all of your answers!I already had an Orchard Bank card in the past. Not happy with them. I would like to go with something that is more established, like a secured card through Bank of America or Capital One. more

Resolved Question: STUDENT LOAN INFO.. PLEASE HELP !!!?

i am getting married to my wonderful fiance Alexandra in 3 weeks, and I am and was aware that I will also be marrying a girl with like 54,000 dollars in student loans. she has like 27,000 from fannie may or whatever the place is called which is considered non federal, and another 17,000 which is federal. we are looking to consolidate these loans to have one lower payment, with better rates. anyone have any ideas, we are a young couple, we dont own a house, private banks, like pnc, wachovia, citizens bank wont give us a loan for so much money. are their any programs or people we can speak to about this? please help us out, we canT afford the 700.00 a month payments they will make us pay, and we dont want to default and ruin our credit. thanks! WE are also unsure about a fixed or a variable rate and which one is easier to get or more likely to be given out. 23 minutes ago HER DEGREE IS IN H.R. SHE DOESNT NOT WANT TO TEACH.. AND I DONT THINK SHE COULD WITH THAT DEGREE HERE IN PHILADELPHIA. more

Voting Question: COLLEGE LOANS!! please help.. i need a super smart persons advice!?

i am getting married to my wonderful fiance Alexandra in 3 weeks, and I am and was aware that I will also be marrying a girl with like 54,000 dollars in student loans. she has like 27,000 from fannie may or whatever the place is called which is considered non federal, and another 17,000 which is federal. we are looking to consolidate these loans to have one lower payment, with better rates. anyone have any ideas, we are a young couple, we dont own a house, private banks, like pnc, wachovia, citizens bank wont give us a loan for so much money. are their any programs or people we can speak to about this? please help us out, we can afford the 700.00 a month payments they will make us pay, and we dont want to default and ruin our credit. thanks! jaredcant afford 700.00 a month.. sorry for the mistake! we are also unsure about a fixed or a variable rate and which one is easier to get or more likely to be given out.HER DEGREE IS IN H.R. SHE DOESNT NOT WANT TO TEACH.. AND I DONT THINK SHE COULD WITH THAT DEGREE HERE IN PHILADELPHIA. more

Voting Question: Are people still not reading the fine print with bankers?

Have banking institutions change policy in regard to lending or is it still predatory? I'm considering getting a student loan.I don't think the interest on the student bank loan was lock but I'll check. Thanks more

Voting Question: A couple of random probability questions, can someone help me out please? Thanks?

1. According to a bank, 93% of loan customers will make their monthly house payment on time. If 15 customers are randomly selected, find the probability that 13 of them paid their monthly house payment on time. 2. On any given day, the probabilities of 0, 1 or 2 people getting the wrong amount of change from a given register is .650, .300 and .050 respectively. Find the mean, variance, and standard deviation for the number of people that get the wrong amount a change on a given day. 3. A medical study shows that people have a mean score of 3.8 with a standard deviation of .95 on a given blood test. If patients with scores above 4.00 are to be given a follow –up test, what percentage of patients will fall into that category? 4. For a given college entrance exam, it is estimated that 37% of students will not study. Find the mean and standard deviation for the number of students that don’t study in a group of 240 students. For a certain group of students, scores on an English quiz are normally distributed with a mean of 18.4 and a standard deviation of 5.1. If 50 different students are randomly selected from the English course, how many are expected to score above 16? more

Resolved Question: Do I have what it takes to become a credit counselor?

I moved from Delaware where I was employed in the credit card industry in fraud prevention and authorizations to Huntsville, Alabama last year. I haven't found a job that suits me because my main skill set is in the banking industry and Huntsville doesn't have many opportunities at all in that industry. My husband is a software engineer so we moved down for his career. I'm thinking about becoming a credit counselor for the following reasons. I'm a walking encyclopedia of lending regulations, practices and credit reporting practices. Basically, I know the industry inside and out and I still keep up with changes in the banking industry on a regular basis. When I worked authorizations I'd often encounter people who were totally maxed out on multiple accounts, had credit scores in the toilet, yet would call wanting permission to go over the limit on their card to buy some ridiculously expensive item. We were technically supposed to approve those requests but I felt so bad that I was enabling the customer to continue self destructive behavior I would often decline these requests and gently try to make the customer aware of what they were doing. These were people who were really in bad; not customers who were paying on time and in relatively good standing. My general rule was if someone is maxed out on more than one card, is barely making minimums, has a credit score under 600 and recent or chronic delinquency on any account I would say no unless it was a dire emergency like a car repair or a medical bill. It was basically what I could squeak by with doing. One time I had a rather long conversation with a woman DEEP in debt who actually told me I would make a good credit counselor. I was thinking about that recently and it sounds like a fulfilling career. I know that debt is an addiction for some people so I felt like I was being forced to feed people's addictions when I worked in the industry. It's like giving scotch to chronic alcoholic, no good can come of it. I'm also very good at managing my own finances. My husband and I are living on one income as a couple in our early 20's with student loan debt yet we do manage our expenses well enough to easily afford our own home. We've taken excellent care of our credit to qualify for good interest rates on all of our debt. Ironically our mortgage has the highest interest rate at 6.25% fixed; our consumer revolving debt rates are 5.5% or lower. I grew up low income and my parents avoided non-mortgage debt like the plague! I think I could set a good example for clients as a credit counselor; plus I'm incredibly nice but not afraid to tell it like it is. Does this seem like a good basis for a potential credit counselor? more

Voting Question: how do welfare checks get collected by people?

and what requirements do they ask you to show them and what questions do they ask to get base welfare of $350 per month? is this the base amount? how much in "food stamps" do you get and what amount are they? does this allow you to buy groceries with them? and can you have money deposited into your bank account? how quickly for first time? or can you pick up each month from office? for how long? do they care if you owe for past student loans or not? please explain. thanks for your answers!can you buy groceries at most large grocery stores? again how much are they worth? do you get them unlimited amount of months? more

Resolved Question: We are ready to move, but can't sell... Should we foreclose?

We bought our Townhome in Rhode Island in 2005 for 184,900 for 100% financing from the bank. The bank that held our loan is no longer in existance as a lender, but they are just collecting on the past loans they hold. Two of the 5 townhomes in our unit have already been foreclosed on. We have been hanging in there, but have huge bills, student loans, etc. We have always paid the mortgage on time and are just getting by with paying the mortgage on the one unemployment check my husband gets, since we have both been out of work since last November. We have been wanting to move back to upstate, NY where we are originally from, to be closer to family. Its very unfortunate for us though, because we can not even sell this property. Our original lender is not willing to do anything for us, and have actually suggested that since we have more debt to income, they wouldn't doubt that we probably should consider Foreclosure.... What's up with that??? I mean the woman I talked to actually told me that I'd probably have 4 months to save up some money before the bank would issue evacuation... like what??? this is crazy... Why are the banks not coming up with different plans and helping people AVOID FORECLOSURE! We have never been individuals to walk out on our problems but this ecomonic situation is getting ridiculous. I feel stressed out everyday, and to hear that the unit on the end just listed for $94,000 makes me sick to my stomach. So....in our situation....should we foreclose? and stop throwing money out the window, pay down our credit cards & increasing student loan deliquincies? and move back to NY and just rent a $600-$800 a month apartment to get back on our feet?We contacted a lawyer, he said their isn't anything that lawyers can do in this case. They can't place blame on any one person or hold specific people accountable. So unfortunately we get papers to rent it, or get paperwork started for foreclosure and bankruptcy. Starting a lawysuit against the Mortgage broker, loan officer etc... would be all bad, being that we got the loan through a friend of my husbands (who by the way doesn't work for as a loan officer anymore... for obvious reasons.... not to mention he was tied in to some pretty shady "mob" types that I wouldn't want to go pissing off. I mean the loan we got from the mortgage generator must have had connections to shady banks, and they are connected and owner by a laywer.... All BAD! more

Resolved Question: How to find people to invest in my Business?

I am a international student in USA, that i am studing management. I have a very profitable idea, so i want to open my own business, but the only problem it's that i haven't the money. I need 30K at least. So i want to ask where can i find private banks or persons that will give me the money like a loan or to invest the money and to take the 50% of the profit. more

Resolved Question: Can I beat a student loan lawsuit while in still in graduate school?

I am a student in a doctoral degree program? One of many student loans taken in undergrad program was past due $6000 plus interest. I was in process of going back to school for pharmacy. I applied for forbearance/deferment but the loan was sold from Bank of America to AES to Terri. I repeatedly told the student loan people I about to enter school but they filed a court proceeding in September 2008 and I enter school full-time in August 2008. I am not working and have no plans on working while in pharmacy school. I want to pay when I leave school. I would want the interest to accrue until repayment, as stated in my promissory note. I believe the lender or current note holder, intentionally not let me go back into forbearance. I am currently trying to defend my self in court from another state while in school. But I have made 2 filing on my own. I have even tried to request a dismissal. I filed affirmative defenses and now they want me to file admissions. The lawyer had made up all kinds of crazy request and asked who is my record custodian etc. I think I am over my head. I am considering contacting the lawyers office. Any advice? I thought if I am in enrolled in school full-time....in a degree seeking program....I cannot be held responsible for loan payments. Note this is for private loans. I have only taken private loans for undergrad. I am currently taking federal loans for graduate school. I had no problem getting those loans. For my first year of study. HELP PLEASE???? more

Resolved Question: Why is the Obama Administration targeting individual freedoms, and liberties ?

They can tax you at 90%! Tell college students what career choices they should make! Force banks to make bad loans! Tell people that race matters! Control the media! Pass a version of the fairness doctrine! Rewrite the bill of rights w/Obama appointed judges! more

Resolved Question: Does anyone know of a LEGITIMATE loan/program for $5,000 with bankrtupcy discharged, but bad credit?

Before everyone starts posting responses, here is my full situation. I was careless with my finances and also a self-supported college student at a big 10 school. I had no choice but to file bankruptcy to start over and that was discharged nearly 3-years ago. Since then, I had been VERY good with my finances and responsibilities after realizing this was a "new fresh start" for me to do it all right. I have stable employment and am in a good place now. I am paying to own my own home (through an in-house loan, similar to a land contract) and have never paid late or missed a payment in the past 3-years. I have financed on my own and purchased a new Ford since the bankruptcy discharged and made all my payments on time. This vehicle was traded in for my current Chevy lease (I needed a more reliable car for winter driving after owning the Ford for 14+ months) which I did require a co-signer for, but I have made every single payment in full and on time for the past year. I have finally built up my credit enough to qualify for two major credit cards (not ones that specialize in giving people with "bad credit" or "bankruptcy credit" a chance, but actual major financial institutions) I have both a savings and checking account - simply put, I learned the HARD way and have changed my lifestyle for the better after my experience. The situation I am facing right now is that I am looking to purchase a "2nd" summer car, not to be spoiled, but because I put TOO many miles on my lease and will be penalized. I am aiming to find a reliable car that I can use in the summer time only for the next few years and continue to lease a good winter car. I have done all the research and budgeting and know that I can afford to repay the loan. I have found some good vehicles that fall into the $5,000 price range and am interested in getting a personal loan for such; however, with the stigma of bankruptcy on my record and not that high of a credit score, I have found it extremely difficult to get the banks to truly understand my situation now. I have researched online countless hours for any institution who deals with this type of circumstance, but have had no luck. I was hoping someone out there had been in a similar situation and found something useful. If you have, I would greatly appreciate you sharing that information with me. Prosper.com and the similar have put a halt on all their new loan requests and applications. Thank you so much! more

Resolved Question: Should I move to California?

I'm a 21 year old male living in a 3 bedroom apartment with 2 friends in Columbus, IN. It's a small, mostly blue-collar town with no nightlife and nothing to do if you are under 21 (bars...and even then, they are mostly full of trailer trash and skanky girls). I have very little saved in the bank (under 1k) and am paying off a 2k student loan from my 1 year at the local community college (wooo! 3/4 paid!). I am hoping people can help me out with my problem. One of my roomates and I are looking into moving out to Cal within the next year. Neither of us have any ties that bind us here other than the fact that we were born here and have lived here all our lives. We are looking in the SoCal area. Any input would be much appreciated! more

Resolved Question: When will all the frivolous spending from the New Programs created by stimulus come to light?Those Green Jobs?

I looked into the Energy Auditing Program 80 million in my State from the stimulus, fed into the hands of bureaucrats.This has so many loopholes for people to jump on board for so called low interest small business loans that it isn't funny.Pretty soon every small business will have some so called Energy Auditing division.From Hair cutting to Painting, to Restaurants ,Carpentry etc. The low interest loans will happen after they pay 500$ to send an employee to school for two weeks.I'm sure the Government is charging out 5 times that per student.Then they can purchase an infrared camera and a door blower,to supposedly audit Homes and observe a businesses Energy Policy.One might think this will be a great side business,but as it goes along ,and the money gets squandered away,and the system is robbed more by the Government that is sponsoring this than the poor saps that pay for classes and licensing the funding will run out.New laws will be created to require stricter audits and fines for business's that don't meet the requirements,because the low interest loans won't be there or they are already broke from the economic Crisis.BTW to prove solvency and have enough equity now for the Honest man that wants to start a Company that meets the guidelines is near impossible with the banking crisis in full bloom.This type of program was done in the 70's. The owner of a local Painting company bought or was given an old school bus,the he hired three drunks to drive around in the community to blow insulation in to houses.Then the funding ended .Not a heck of alot accomplished.The Painters stayed drunk and the owner ,and the government were Happy. more

Resolved Question: Should I get my Associates first and transfer to a 4 year with all gen eds finished or go the whole 4 years?

If I go to the community college, first I'll need to get an apartment. This means money coming from somewhere...I don't know where...maybe financial aid (student loans)? I would be majoring in Computer Internetworking Technologies if all I wanted was the Associates degree because they don't require you to finish all your general education classes for that major...just a couple electives. If I got all my gen eds out of the way at this community college, I could transfer to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a 4-year university. Then I could major in probably Computer Engineering OR Computer Science and have absolutely no gen eds getting in the way. Then I could graduate with a Bachelors degree. I'm told that UIUC makes freshman and sophomore year gen ed classes very difficult so that they weed out a lot of the people who don't give it their best effort or of course the people that just party all the time. I'll be 29 years old if I start at the university this year. Benefits of 2 years at the community college: 1. Get all gen eds out of the way 2. Pay much less per credit hour than I would be paying for first two years at the university Disadvantages of community college: 1. I would have to find somewhere nearby to live because I can't work and go to school at the same time (within walking distance or biking) 2. I would need money to pay for my living arrangements Benefits of going all 4 years at the university: 1. Making long-lasting friendships 2. Many more clubs and activities to get involved with 3. I got partying all the time out of my system, so this would not be a problem 4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has one of the best engineering departments of all the universities and colleges in the world Disadvantages of going all 4 years to the university: 1. Extremely expensive costs for per credit hour 2. I would owe much much more 6 months after graduating to whatever bank I get the loans from or the federal government You could say that it looks like I've answered my own question, but I haven't. I already finished 1 year at this same university back in 1998-1999, but had to leave because of medical problems. So I'm familiar with the school and I have a guaranteed re-entrance into the school without having to re-apply. Yeah, it HAS taken 10 years. I just need someone with an objective point-of-view. Thanks. more

Voting Question: Will you review my essay please?

This is for a community college Into Business class. Assignment: Write a discussion paper giving your opinion of how the current economic situation is affecting businesses here in the United States. Also, discuss how you see yourself being affected by the current economic situation. 1 - 2 pages long, double spaced. I know the last paragraph and conclusion are a little weak, any ideas on beefing it up? My Paper (rough draft): The current economic conditions has placed a blanket of fear on the nation. Many people fear the downed financial markets and the number of job losses will lead to another depression. Even though the unemployment rates are rising and the crises in the stock market will make for a difficult year it is still no where near what occurred in the 1930's. This fear of a recession is what aided the current recession. People are afraid of losing their jobs so they begin saving their money, when they decreased their spending it only increased the needed layoff by companies. We caused the recession but we can also fix it. Large business corporations, "big box stores", have always had the advantage over smaller, individually owned businesses. With their outside investors they have a greater number of resources to fall back on when needed. Large businesses single goal is to create a profit, often at the unintentional expense of the economy. Sending jobs overseas the cost of labor is cheaper and there is a greater perceived profit. When jobs are taken from our country it lowers the amount of available jobs, extending the amount of unemployed people. The people are now unable to purchase these corporation's goods leaving the companies with a loss. These losses are what made the need for the government bail-outs in September 2008 so they could continue making their products. The government has to get the money from some where though, mostly from tax payers again leaving people unable or unwilling to do any spending leaving us in a continual cycle. The small business owner without a wealthy investor to finance their business pursuits depend on bank loans to start up. When the mortgage crisis occurred the banks were more selective to whom they would give loans, leaving the small business owners without many options. Small businesses that are already running are having a harder time making a profit. Society is spending less and the small businesses are having trouble staying afloat and many do not make it. Given that in a normal economy only 80% of small businesses succeed past their first year it is even harder in these trying economical times. I am lucky enough to still be a high school student living with my parents. This leaves me with very few financial responsibilities. I am aware that this economy may not change by the time I get out of school, and I want to be as prepared for it as possible. This education will be a very important role in my future. If I want to succeed in the business world, I need to have a solid college education to be capable to cope with anything the economy throws at me. Overall the current economic standing for businesses is not favorable. This is why education is such an important step in life. If the next generations are educated they will be ready to step up and help change the economy for the better. Thank you for any *constructive* critism. more

Resolved Question: What would have happened if we did not give any money to failing banks and allowed them to fail?

What would have happened to our economy? Would business truly come to a standstill? Would students no longer be able to get any loans for education? I think I know the answer, but just want to hear other people's idea first.While many of you are saying better banks would pop up, doesn't that take time?? What about people who need those loans NOW to start school, etc.? If banks are allowed to fail (which everyone admits would be bad) and leads to a domino effect and credit is frozen thus halting business in this country - then how is that helpful? It's like assuming the rich who get tax breaks will spend it on creating new American jobs (it's not guaranteed). It just seems like as much as we hate these Banks we have to do it to stop our economy from collapsing (assuming the money is not going to CEO bonuses but so that banks can continue to give credit).Also who is going to create a new business/bank in this economy if everything fails? We'll just end up with no banks at all. more

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