Steps to Follow for School Loan Consolidation
Before getting your school loan consolidated, you need to have thorough information about school loan consolidation process. The main aim of school loan consolidation programs is to handle your finances proficiently by offering you number of flexibilities and advantages. These loans make it convenient to make your payments to one lender and improve your credit scores by reducing monthly payments.Loan consolidation programs are meant to create new consolidated loans and to bring multiple loans under one debt. These programs make your loan repayment possible by combining several types of educational loans into one new loan. The major benefit of loan consolidation is the low interest rate which make borrower’s less likely to default on a loan. The monthly payment amount on a consolidated loan is usually low and you are permitted to make your payments once in the month. Additionally, the amount of time to repay may be extended beyond what was offered in last loan programs. These features make the payment of your loans more convenient and manageable.After taking your decision to get your school loan consolidated, you need to see which category you fall in.o Both students and parents are eligible to get their loans consolidate but not under one package.o Married students cannot get their loans consolidate together. Each of the spouses is responsible individually for the payment.o You can consolidate your school loan during your grace period, but not if you are still in school.o Loans that are in default can be consolidated but should have a satisfactory repayment arrangement.Before getting your loans consolidate, you need to find how many consolidation programs are available and which will suit your credentials the most. The two major types of loans are; federal consolidation loans and private consolidation loans.Federal consolidation loans are further divided into two major categories, namely, Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program and the Federal Direct Loan program.Federal Family Education Loan program offers loan from private lenders. These loans are guaranteed by the guarantors and reinsured by the federal government. 4 types of federal consolidation loans are available:1. Stafford (Subsidized): In this loan the interest being accumulated is paid by the federal government.2. Stafford (Un-subsidized): The interest that is being accrued is payable by the student even if he is enrolled in school.3. PLUS: These loans can be used by the parents with a good credit history, so they can pay for their child’s educational expenses.4. Perkins: These low interest rate loans are suitable for needy children who want to continue their education.US department of education have introduced Federal direct Loans for the convenience of the students. This program offers the following loans:1. Direct Subsidized Consolidation Loans: These loans are eligible for interest subsidies, such as subsidized FFELP and Direct Loans, and Federal Perkins Loans.2. Direct Unsubsidized Consolidation Loans: These loans are not eligible for interest subsidies. If you want any of your unsubsidized loans to be consolidated, then you will receive an Unsubsidized Direct Consolidation Loan.3. Direct PLUS Consolidation Loans: These loans combine FFELP PLUS and Direct PLUS loans.After selecting a good consolidating package, you need to look for a trustworthy lender. It is of vital importance to find out about the reputation and credibility of the consolidating company you are going to deal with. Here are few relevant questions which will help you evaluate the status of the company.o What are the special features of their consolidating package?o Since how many years they have been in this business?o What benefits or discounts the company offers?o Their consolidation program is enrolled under federal loan or the private loan?o How much do they charge for the application processor is it free of cost?After selecting a consolidating company according to your requirements, ask for their information package either by post or by e-mail. If you agree to their terms and conditions mentioned in the form, sign it and send it back to the company. Then the company verifies your pending debts from your previous lender. They send the check of the amount payable by you after receiving a verification certificate from the lender.
Car Title Loans: Choosing the Right Financial Service
How is this a good investment for both the borrower and the title loan company? It is an excellent investment for the borrower. This is why: at this point of time, let’s assume the borrower is in some kind of financial disposition. That means the borrower may have lost their job, can’t afford to pay their rent, may need money for their child’s school tuition; there could be a number of possibilities why the borrower is in search for instant cash. Depending on the borrower’s vehicle value, the borrower can receive up to whatever the maximum the loan company may offer. Some loan companies offer up to $100,000 and others may offer lower loans of up to $5,000. Obviously if the borrower is driving a Mercedes or BMW they will be looking at a larger loan value, but every title loan company is different.Let’s look at the other side of the spectrum. How is this a good investment for the loan company? If we scroll back to the first few sentences in this article, we can see that the title loan company “uses the borrower’s vehicle title as collateral during the loan process”. What does this mean? This means that the borrower has handed over their vehicle title (document of ownership of the vehicle) to the title loan company. During the loan process, the title loan company collects interest. Again, all companies are different. Some companies use high interest rates, and other companies use low interest rates. Of course nobody would want high interest rates, but the loan companies that may use these high interest rates, probably also give more incentives to the borrowers. What are the incentives? It depends on the company, but it could mean an extended loan repayment process of up to “x” amount of months/years. It could mean the loan company is more lenient on the amount of money finalized in the loan.Back to why this is a good investment for a title loan company (for all the people who read this and may want to begin their own title companies). If by the end of the loan repayment process, the borrower cannot come up with the money, and the company has been very lenient with multiple loan extensions. The company legally receives the collateral of the borrower’s vehicle title. Meaning the company receives ownership of their vehicle. The company can either sell the vehicle or turn it over to collections. So are car title loan companies a scam? Absolutely, NOT. The borrower just has to be careful with their own personal finances. They must know that they have to treat the loan like their monthly rent. A borrower can also pay-off their loan as well. There are no restrictions on paying a loan. He or she could choose to pay it monthly, or pay it off all in a lump-sum. Just like every situation, the sooner the better.Car Title Loans: The Pros and Cons
It is very helpful to analyze the pros and cons of a car title loan before you decide to take a loan out. Learning about your financial investment before you finalize anything is a great financial tool to success. A borrower must consider their options fully before making a decision.If you go online to most car title loan companies and read their “about us”, “apply-now”, “FAQ” pages you will see how bias their information really is. This is called false marketing. Just like the terminology “false advertising” most of these companies never state the entire truth about their company. They may hire outsourced journalists and columnists to write their content. Read the content before you make your final decision. If the content is cheesy and uses imagery in their content, the company is probably bullshit. Writing jargon in articles, is not something to brag about, but come on? Really? This is 100% needed! An example of poor imagery content may be: “Tired of thunderstorms and rainy days, get a car title loan today, and turn your day into a bright-sun shiny day”. The content shouldn’t be a story, if the borrowers really wanted to read a story, they could take their “nooks” out and read an article from “Reader’s Digest”. The content should be straight to the point, to get the borrowers’ to want to receive a loan from the car title loan company.The Pros of Car Title Loans
The most clear-stated pro would be the advantage of receiving instant cash. Anyone could walk into their local 7-11 or convenient store and purchase a state lottery ticket. That process is extremely easy; however the probability of receiving a large amount of cash instantly is extremely low. The probability of receiving instant cash at your local auto loan company is extremely high. Unlike traditional banks, and credit bureaus, another advantage of the car title loan industry is NO CREDIT CHECKS. Most of the time, borrowers come to tile loan companies because they’re stuck in financial situations. Their credits scores are usually poor at this point, after collections have had to continuously made adjustments because they couldn’t pay their bills on time. That is a major “Pro” for a car loan company. No matter what the borrower’s credit score may be, the borrower is still qualified to receive a car title loan. Another pro of the car title loan industry (which was actually mentioned previously in the article) is since the borrower is putting their car loan as collateral, it is easy to convince the lender to extend the loan to you.How does a borrower qualify? Like stated before, there is NO CREDIT CHECKS, therefore the borrower is already pre-qualified for a loan at this point. However, the borrower must meet the following requirements to receive a car title loan. The borrower must be over the age of 18 years old, the borrower must be the owner of their vehicle title, they must have already paid off their vehicle liens-free, and they must have a valid driver’s license or state identification card.How long does the application process take? The simplicity and speediness of the application process is another “pro” or advantage for the car title loan. The average online application just asks basic personal questions pertaining to the borrower’s vehicle, and location. The application roughly takes about a minute or less to complete. Most companies get back to the borrower within a few minutes of submitting an application. Once the loan representatives read through the borrower’s application information, they quickly give the borrower a call based on the number provided in the app, and go over the details and process of obtaining a loan.How long does it take to receive the loan? Every company depends and probably has a different loan process, but it usually takes within 24 hours or less to receive the “instant cash”. That is another advantage, or “pro” of the loan industry. Traditional banks, and credit bureaus, can take up to a few weeks to finalize the loans. By that time, the borrowers would have already lost their homes, been in serious debt, etc. Taking out a car title loan is the best financial choice. Check.The Cons of Car Title Loans
Now that we looked at the Pros, let’s look at the Cons of car title loans. Honestly, no financial decision is 100% perfect. Nothing is perfect, but some things get close. If this article was based on telling the reader that the car loan industry is the best financial choice, then the article would be full of shit. That’s why the title is “key-worded” “Choosing the ‘RIGHT’ financial service. Not the BEST. The “Right” financial service. Remember, nothing ever is perfect, especially in finances, but some things come close.The cons of a car title loan are indeed straightforward. The borrower is basically handing the ownership of their personal transportation over to the car loan company as collateral in order to receive a cash loan. As stated before, the borrower can face extremely high interest rates- depending on the company. If you have poor to no credit because of your financial situation, and learn that you cannot pay-off the loan you will be stripped of your vehicle, and instead of being able to alleviate your debt, you will fall into even more debt. At this point, the collections agencies will be completely done with you. The saying “follow the directions, and it’ll turn out right” is extremely important and accurate when obtaining a car title loan. A borrower may also be at risk of taking out a loan from a disreputable company that will charge extra fees on top of the accrued interest, or instant hidden feeds that were written in the fine print in the contracts, that are almost impossible to see, unless observed carefully with a magnified glass. Thus, a borrower must be careful before making a finalized decision in any financial situation, especially when their biggest ticket possession is being used as collateral.Now that this article has closely examined the Pros and Cons of the car loan industry, it is up to the borrower to make the right financial decision. The final decision is the hardest part. The final step is always the hardest part because the borrower now has to make a final decision whether he or she wants to take out a car title loan or choose to use another financial recourse. Honestly, after everything stated in this article, it would seem to be that choosing a car title loan is the right financial service. Again, banks and credit bureaus take too long to process a loan, so why choose them? If the borrower is in need of fast cash, they might want to consider choosing a car title loan.
Four Reasons Why Small Business Fail To Plan and Why They Need To Think Again
It is so widely acknowledged that a robust business plan is one of the key ingredients in small business success, it seems remarkable that anyone serious about their business could considerable it optional. For example, Business Link say, “It is essential to have a realistic, working business plan when you’re starting up a business”. A recent survey showed that small businesses were twice as likely to be successful with a written business plan as compared with those without one. The Times in their annual round up of 100 up and coming UK businesses suggest that “poor business planning” is a key reason for failure. Indeed, it’s almost impossible to find an authority that would advocate the opposite idea, a clear signal that this idea is accepted wisdom. Despite this, a recent survey shows that two thirds of small business owners run their businesses on gut instinct alone.I had a very interesting discussion about this a couple of days ago with a good friend of mine who has run several successful small businesses in which he posited the idea of a “planning gene”. He felt that the only possible explanation for the lack of proper planning in small business was genetic.According to his theory, the majority of people are born without the “planning gene” and this explains why so many people don’t have any written business plan, despite the overwhelming evidence of a high correlation between a robust and vigorously implemented business plan and business success. The majority of us are simply not biologically and genetically wired to plan.This is certainly one explanation, although I have to say I have a few reservations as to the validity of his theory. I talk with small business owners about planning every day. I’m part of a small business myself. I’ve owned several small businesses over the last ten years each with varying degrees of success. In all those conversations and all that experience, this was the first (semi) serious discussion I’d had about the planning gene.If I was to aggregate the results of the conversations I have had with actual and prospective customers on this topic, four distinctive strands emerge explaining why small business owners fail to plan. Whilst I have heard a few other explanations for the lack of effective small business planning, I am treating these as outliers and focusing on the most significant.I’m Too Busy To Plan – More often than not, the small business owners we talk to tell us that proper planning is a luxury that only big business can afford. For them, business planning, if done at all, was a one-time event that produced a document for a bank manager or investor which is now gathering dust in the furthest recesses of some rarely opened filing cabinet. There just aren’t enough hours in the day and if forced to choose, they would do the real, physical work and leave the mental work undone, which seems to be the poor relation at best, if it is even dignified with the status of work at all.Traditional Planning Doesn’t Work – The “I’m too busy to plan” excuse is often supplemented with this one. I’ve heard the stories of the most legendary construction overrun of all time, The Sydney Opera House, originally estimated to be completed in 1963 for $7 million, and finally completed in 1973 for $102 million, more times than I can remember. Sometimes, this idea is backed up with some actual research, such as the fascinating study by several eminent psychologists of what has been called the “planning fallacy”. It seems that some small business owners genuinely believe that mental work and planning is a bit of a con with no traction on physical reality.My Business Is Doing Fine Without Detailed Planning – A minority of small business owners we speak to are in the privileged position of being able to say they’ve done pretty well without a plan. Why should they invest time and resources into something they don’t appear to have missed?Planning Is Futile In A Chaotic World – Every once in a while, we hear how deluded we are to believe that the world can be shaped by our hopes and actions. This philosophical objection to planning is perhaps my favourite. It takes ammunition from a serious debate about the fundamental nature of the universe and uses it to defend what almost always is either uncertainty about how to plan effectively or simple pessimism. This is different from the idea that planning doesn’t work as these business owners have never even tried to form a coherent plan, but have just decided to do the best they can and hope that they get lucky as they are knocked hither and thither like a steel ball in the pinball machine of life.As with all of the most dangerous excuses, there is a kernel of truth in each of these ideas and I sympathise with those who have allowed themselves to be seduced into either abandoning or failing to adopt the habit of business planning. Most small business owners feel the same dread in relation to business planning as they do to visits to the dentist, so it’s unsurprising that so many simply don’t bother. However, by turning their backs completely on planning, they are in danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Taking each idea outlined above in turn, I’ll attempt to show why business planning is critical, not just despite that reason but precisely because of that reason.I’m Too Busy Not To Plan – Time is the scarcest resource we have and it is natural that we would want to spend it doing those things that we believe will have the greatest impact. Of course, we want to spend most of our time producing, but we should also invest at least some time into developing our productive capacity. As Stephen Covey pointed out in his seminal work, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, we should never be too busy sawing to sharpen a blunted saw. Planning is one of the highest leverage activities we can engage in, as when done effectively it enhances the productive capacity of small businesses, enabling them to do more with less. Nothing could be a bigger waste of precious time than to find out too late that we have been using blunt tools in pursuit of our business goals.If we as small business owners weren’t so busy and time wasn’t so scarce, then we wouldn’t have to make choices about what we did with our time and resources. We could simply pursue every opportunity which presented itself. However, for the busy entrepreneur, the decision to do one thing always has the opportunity cost of not being able to do something else. How can we be certain that our business is going where we want it to go without pausing regularly, scanning the horizon and making sure not only that we are on track but also making sure that we still want to get to where we are heading? I believe more time is wasted in the single-minded pursuit of opportunities that are not right than is wasted by over thinking the opportunity of a lifetime.In short, small business owners are extremely busy and their time is precious. So much so that to waste it doing the wrong things with the wrong tools would be tragic. Small business owners that cannot afford the luxury of making expensive mistakes simply must regularly sharpen the saw through continuous business planning.Traditional Planning Doesn’t Work, So We Need a New Approach That Does – There are some fairly large question marks over the effectiveness of traditional business planning techniques. In an age where business models are becoming obsolete in months rather than years, a business plan projecting five years into the future cannot be viewed as gospel. Nobody has a crystal ball and if they did, they probably wouldn’t be writing business plans but using their remarkable predictive powers to some more profitable end.Dwight D Eisenhower said “plans are useless, but planning is essential”. Whilst producing a document called a business plan is far from useless, the real value lies in the process by which the plan is created in the first place. If this process can be kept alive in a business then the dangers associated with traditional planning can be minimised or avoided all together. In an environment of continuous business planning, small businesses can be flexible and adaptive to the inevitable changes and challenges they will face. Rather than quickly becoming obsolete, their plan will simply evolve with the changing circumstances.Accepting that the plan is a living thing that will evolve necessitates a change of approach to business planning. An effective business plan is the response to the repeated asking of the questions what, why, how, who and how much. It is not a 20 – 30 page form to fill in for the benefit of a bank manager or some venture capitalist, who will probably never fully read it. A business plan should help you, not hinder you, in doing business. If traditional business planning doesn’t work for you, it’s time to embrace the new paradigm of continuous business planning.My Business Could Do Even Better With Effective Planning – If you are one of the lucky few whose business has thrived despite an absence of traditional business planning, then I say a sincere well done. I hope that you can say the same thing in five years time.Business life expectancy in Britain and across Europe and indeed the world are in rapid decline. A study done at the end of the eighties and then again as we marched into the new Millennium showed that life expectancy had more than halved for British businesses in those ten years, from an average of 9.7 years to 4.1 years. Just because a company once enjoyed market leadership does not mean that its future is assured. Many high street institutions have fallen victim to the recent recession. Five years ago it was inconceivable that UK retail institutions like Clinton Cards, Game, Borders, Barratts, T J Hughes, Habitat, Focus DIY, Oddbins, Ethel Austin, Principles, Allied Carpets, Woolworths, MFI and Zavvi/Virgin Megastore would all be either out of business or teetering on the brink of oblivion in 2012. Yet that is exactly what has transpired.Any business from the smallest to the greatest is not impervious to the winds of change. A new competitor, a technological breakthrough, new laws or simply changes in fashion and consumer preference can all re-write the future of a company regardless of how bright that future once seemed. It is precisely because these risks exist that business planning is critical. To survive in business is extremely hard, but failing to effectively plan for the future or adapt to current realities surely makes it impossible and failure inevitable.Of course, it is not necessarily the absence of plans that did for these companies but the quality of their plans and most especially the quality of their implementation. Even a poor plan vigorously executed is preferable to the finest planning and research left to rot in a drawer. Continuous business planning is effective business planning because it emphasizes implementation and regular reviews of real results as part of what should be a continual process of improving company performance rather than simply attempting to predict the future and wringing our hands when our prophecy fails to come true. We believe, like Peter Drucker, that the best way to predict the future is to create it.Planning Is Essential In A Chaotic World – We sometimes feel small and insignificant as we try against all odds to translate our dreams into business reality. It’s easy to feel all at sea when we consider some of the challenges we face. However, whilst it is true that we cannot control the direction of the wind, we can adjust our sails and change the direction of the rudder. Difficult and challenging circumstances may come in our lives, but we can control the outcome of these circumstances by choosing which path to take.The truth is that we are fundamentally achievement orientated as human beings. When this is taken away, we lose much of the energy and motivation that propels us forward. There have been numerous studies carried out on life expectancy rates after retirement, which show that when clearly defined goals and daily action moving in the direction of those goals are removed from our lives, the result is literally fatal. The individuals studied who failed to replace their career goals with a new focus for their retirement simply shriveled up and died. The implications for small business owners are clear. Those business owners with clear goals who take action daily that propels them in the direction of their goals are far more likely to thrive and survive than those who take any old goal that comes along or move from day to day with no defined objective other than survival.It seems to me that precisely because life is so chaotic and challenging that effective planning is essential. Without continuous business planning, our businesses and the small business owners that work in them may find that bit by bit they are atrophying and on their way to becoming another business failure statistic.There undoubtedly exists an antipathy for business planning felt by many small business owners. Clearly, this cannot be fully explained by the lack of a “planning gene”, but it equally cannot be fully justified by the reasons most commonly put forward by small business owners to not engage in the business planning process. These reasons must be critically re-evaluated and a commitment made to a continual and never ending process of improving the condition of their small businesses. Without such a commitment, the future for small businesses in the UK is uncertain.
5 Empowering Tracks From Female Icons To Make You Feel Inspired
Sometimes we all need a little lift. Whether you’ve had a recent knock to your confidence, have been going through stress in your personal or professional life, or have always struggled with your self-esteem, music is an essential tool for lifting your spirits and making you feel better about yourself.
According to a study by Heriot-Watt University, the type of music you listen to not only influences your mood, but also your personality, with indie and rock/heavy metal fans reporting the lowest levels of self-esteem, while fans of jazz, blues, opera, classical, pop, rap and soul all reported high levels of self-confidence.
So if you’re having a ‘down day’, why not boost your spirits by listening to some powerful, uplifting tracks? Here are five perfect confidence boosters.
Britney Spears – Toxic
Britney’s own struggles with her mental health and conservatorship have made her an inspiration for many people across the world.
This classic song is timelessly sensual, and the heavy beats throughout make it impossible not to dance to. A welcome blast of nostalgia, this tune has filled dance floors across the globe with fans old and new.
The video features Britney as a female spy playing the sexy flight attendant, seducing her passenger before she makes her escape on a motorbike and breaks into a high-security facility guarded by a laser security system.
This track and video is a guaranteed way to feel invincible, and deserves a place on your playlist no matter your mood.
Kelis – Milkshake
A cheesy classic that is guaranteed to make you feel all warm and gooey inside, Kelis pumps up the heat in this 00’s RnB track. Underpinned by intricate drum beats and electric elements, Kelis’ self-confidence is infectious, and it’s hard not to find yourself smiling at the lyrics.
This track is a great way to get into a flirtatious mindset, making it a great choice before going on a date or heading out for the evening.
And if you’re staying in? It’s a great mood lift. But beware! You may find yourself craving a sweet treat.
Eve (ft. Gwen Stefani) – Let Me Blow Your Mind
This RnB classic will capture your attention with its assertive rhythm and powerful vocals from 00’s icons Eve and Gwen Stefani. Featuring a laid-back – yet self-assured – beat, and catchy guitar riff, this is a great track for driving, and its empowering feel is sure to help you feel motivated.
Got a job interview lined up, or thinking of asking for a raise? This anthemic number is a quick way to feel positive and more assertive.
The video features Eve and Gwen Stefani crashing an exclusive event on quad bikes, causing a stir among the privileged attendants, and shoving the performer off stage to perform their own music, before finally being arrested and taken to the station in a police van.
This ‘baddie’ track helps you to tap into the hidden ‘bold’ side of your personality, and lifts your mood while keeping you feeling calm and cool.
Fergie – MILF$
If you have kids, it can be difficult to feel sexy. When you’re running around cleaning the house, changing nappies, or up to your elbows in dishwater, you can easily forget your sensual side – leaving you feeling frumpy and lacking in confidence and motivation.
Thankfully, Fergie’s comeback track is a quick remedy to your low mood and lethargy.
Featuring attractive mothers dressed in curve-hugging latex and silky lingerie going about their daily life in a dreamy, colourful suburbia, this track is a quick way to transform your self-esteem and transport you to a world where you are not just a mother, but a goddess too.
Why not shake off the day and tap into your feminine energy with Fergie, your sexiest PJs, and a bottle of your favourite wine?
Marina And The Diamonds – How To Be A Heartbreaker
Low confidence after a breakup? You’re not alone. Having your heart broken can leave you feeling depressed, undesirable, and unmotivated. So flip the tables on your ex and become a heartbreaker with Marina’s catchy club classic.
This empowering dance track will make you want to move your body and get in touch with your bad girl side, with its heavy beat and pounding rhythms.
Plus, if your libido has suffered as a result of your low mood, take a sneaky peek at the video – it will get your blood pumping with its steamy shower shots and smoking hot male models.