Passin’ the Buck

My morning ritual combines breakfast and channel surfing, to get a flavor of what we used to call the “mass media” considers newsworthy ... administrators of the federal student loan program. ASA has put forth a proposal for federal student loan reform ... is on the up and up, interest rates are high, repayment options are limited, and students face the [more...]

Date: 2009-01-13 14:15:10

Blog posts (22) | Videos (40)
 

Help a Reader: Funding College

Here's a question I recently received from a reader: Should I take a new Stafford Loan for school, or just put it on a credit card? CC rate is 5.9% Student Loan is 6.8% Each 6 month term will be around 3k. I'm looking at 4 terms to finish. The tax benefits of the Student Loan are interesting, but I'm not sure how great they will really [more...]

Date: 2008-08-26 19:46:10

debt consolidation

As we find ourselves living in the credit crunch of a world, ... purposes - we see people using them to pay off high interest credit card debt and student loans ... t also note that unsecured loans are also available. We have seen that debt consolidation loans [more...]

Date: 2008-12-15 15:17:50

What you need to know about repaying your student loans

For those of you whom graduated this past June, the grace period on your student loans is coming to an end ... loan (Perkins or Stafford), you are entitled to a discounted interest rate (usually .25 ... expenses.  Here's a run-down on the options: >> Level Payment Plan: The total amount of your loan [more...]

Date: 2008-12-30 23:08:33

A Cause for Celebration

To celebrate Independence Day, Higher Ed Watch will be going on hiatus next week ... that have occurred in the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program in recent years. Most of these changes ... substantial changes are to the federal student loan programs and the interest rates charged [more...]

Date: 2008-06-26 15:20:31

Vote for Thomas!

UPDATE, 11/19, 3:15p: Last week I asked you to vote for pro-life blogger Thomas Peters to receive a $10k college scholarship ... be able to pay off some loan interest this year. ;-)_______________ November 14: Young Thomas Peters ... off my student loans," Thom wrote. "Which means less stress about paying them off and more time [more...]

Date: 2008-11-14 14:53:35

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

This information comes from a great web page created by the National Council of Nonprofits ... Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. There might be hope for those with tremendous student loan debt ... , public safety, public interest law service, public care for children, elders or disabled [more...]

Date: 2009-01-05 21:51:43

TARP II: The Wrath of TALF

In normal times the Federal Reserve responds to crises by using teeny, gold-plated hydraulic levers to raise and lower interest rates ... which it will lend up to $200 billion to support the issuance of debt backed by consumer and small-business debt -- such as credit-card loans, student debt, auto loans and loans backed by the Small [more...]

Date: 2008-11-26 15:35:02

The Check is in the Mail

I got an interesting assortment of mail today, and I thought it represented my financial life so accurately that I had to share with you ... bill obligation spreadsheet. Next was a monthly statement for my new student loan. My payments don’ ... was cashed. I also got a letter from one of my American student loans. Shall we just say [more...]

Date: 2008-10-15 10:00:45

Why do we take unnecessary risks?

Watching the news, 40% of Galveston residents chose not to evacuate in advance of a storm that was rated, on an intensity energy scale, ... on this student loan (because interest rates represent a blend of profit-making and risk-taking [more...]

Date: 2008-09-13 14:47:40

How To Prepare For Preparing Your Taxes.

It’s that time of year again - time to start thinking about the dreaded tax season ... contributions or student loan interest If you cannot use either of the above forms, you will probably [more...]

Date: 2008-11-17 14:00:17

Money as a Dealbreaker?

Is money a “dealbreaker” in relationship?  If you meet a great person and found out after a few months of dating, they had massive student loans, some credit card debt, and a car loan; is that a deal breaker?  Would you run for the hills or stick around? It was an interesting question posed on a message board I read.  But currently two [more...]

Date: 2008-09-04 13:00:04

Automaker Bailout? Sure. Bank Bailout? Let Us Get Back to You.

In America, everyone is equal. But some bailouts are apparently more equal than others ... industry at below-market prices. The $25 billion bailout loan to the automakers was signed ... interest rates, which intensifies the cash shortage. Still, every student of finance is familiar [more...]

Date: 2008-10-01 16:04:45

Debt Consolidation with Free Government Grants? One Scam to Avoid

Have you ever seen a commercial or an ad promising “free government grant money? ... can be used for anything, including debt consolidation , student loans, a yacht or just about any ... s doubtful that you’ll find an organization that’s interested in helping you pay off your Mastercard bill [more...]

Date: 2009-01-14 13:23:22

Debt Consolidation: Will It Help Me?

We are in uncertain economic times.Many are falling behind in mortgages, student loans, car payments and credit card payments ... clearly explains what bankruptcy, debt consolidation, third party credit counseling and debt settlement ... will negatively affect your credit score and cause an increase in credit card interest rates.One of the best [more...]

Date: 2008-11-30 20:48:00

Conservative group takes on Reid

A conservative organization is set to launch an all-out effort aimed at beating Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in 2010 ... his interest in a bid, but last fall he came under indictment for his management of a student loan [more...]

Date: 2009-01-14 21:26:02

ROH Could Close This Week, "Smart Money" Buys Into Distressed Energy Co's

Energy smart money buys into distressed Sandridge. (SD) Chesapeake Energy (CHK) also gets a dose of cash by selling assets to the same smart money. Student loans a bright spot in lending, with lots of liquidity due to quick thinking US policy. GE Capital begins $10bn debt sale of FDIC backed debt. Interesting to see how this goes. Great [more...]

Date: 2009-01-06 12:24:27

Bernanke: Federal Reserve Policies in the Financial Crisis

Ben Bernanke does not expect further interest cuts to have much of an impact on the economy, ... , credit card receivables, student loans, and other forms of credit greatly curtailed. Consequently [more...]

Date: 2008-12-01 20:42:00

Not really a dilemna..but still interested in yout thoughts and opinions...

Hey guys, hope you are all well! Well here's my situation: With my 2009 application almost in tatters (although u never know *fingers crossed*) ... taxes, student loan ect.) and the hours long so i'm probably being naive if I think I'll be able [more...]

Date: 2009-01-15 22:58:44

A Fox Guarding The Hen House

Paul Basken's article in today's Chronicle of Higher Education does a great job of laying out the conflicts of interest and perverse incentives in ... debt collection practices resulting in ballooning debt for some students. At the heart of the issue ... agencies are supposed to be independent entities that oversee the collection activities of loan [more...]

Date: 2008-10-23 15:50:13

Should Mortgage Brokers be paid everything up front?

The following I read on Freakonomics blog. Blog reader Chris Harris raises an interesting question in an email to us: ... of discipline.) We’ve written in the past about my student Zahi (Itzhak) Ben-David’s work on real ... percentage of the value of the loan. This isn’t perfect either, but it might be a step in the right [more...]

Date: 2008-10-19 14:04:20

John Steel Gordon: A Short Banking History of the United States

Here’s an interesting read from this morning’s Wall Street Journal: A Short Banking History of the United States (free) ... and loan associations, mutual savings banks, and trust companies. While these were all banks, taking ... that is now playing out. I’m still a beginning student when it comes to financial history but I find it fascinating [more...]

Date: 2008-10-10 14:43:29

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