You’re not Alone in the Dorm Room

So you've made it to college, chosen all your classes, determined your major, brought your flip-flops and bath caddy -- maybe even met the dreaded roommate. But you can know for sure that your biggest worry is this -- will you be able to pay for everything? Basically, that means your college tuition, room and board, miscellaneous expenses. Maybe you own a car that you have to keep up. It's terrifying to know that you're literally on your own. For the most part, you can depend on your parents (if their finances allow it, which if they do, you're lucky). But what if you can't? Imagine … [Read more...]

Taking Small Steps to Get Out of Debt

  Image via Wikipedia Student debt is a common expression for a reason. If you’re suffering through student debt, in many cases the best course of action is taking it one small step at a time. Here are some tips that can help you along the way. Identify your biggest sources of debt. However, don’t act too quickly: sometimes your “biggest” source of debt is not the one with the higher amount.  Perhaps one student loan has a higher rate than the other. Or worse, yet not uncommon: you have debt on credit cards. Take small steps towards your sources of debt. It is often … [Read more...]

Debt Ratio Woes

How much debt do you have? If your debt to income ratio is higher than 40% you will have trouble getting a mortgage for a home. It is considered acceptable if this ratio (total monthly debt divided by total monthly income) is less than 30%. If you believe your debt load is more than you can handle, doing this calculation will give you an idea if you are actually headed for trouble. Not to mention that if you do this computation before obtaining any more debt, you will know whether you should be proceeding.   Image via Wikipedia       Chances are that if you … [Read more...]

Paying for College without Going into Debt

Avoiding debt is often a fantasy for many college students. However for others, it is only a result due to unawareness of options. If you need to pay for college, here are some options that can help you to avoid debt. Evaluate all methods of assistance. Federal help, including loans and grants, are available for many college students. These can be used in conjunction with scholarships and other funding opportunities, whenever available. Many colleges and universities allow students to pay via payment plans. This is commonly seen when you earn a degree online, when financial aid as well … [Read more...]

A debt restructuring plan can bail you out

You need to hire a trustworthy financial adviser to reach a good debt restructuring plan. This plan is done between borrowers and the financial institutions. IT is designed to get win-win situation for both the parties. Financial advisers assisting in debt restricting help in various ways. Before arriving at a debt restructuring plan, a variety of actions need to be taken by the concerned agencies. If you have existing assets, such as property, this will be valued. An evaluation team will come and inspect your property before ascertaining its value. They will also look into chances of … [Read more...]

Watching Your Student Debt – In Style

  Image via Wikipedia The outbreak of cell phones and smartphones is well-documented, if only by personal experience. Whether you think it’s “cool” or not, it is quite effective, and smartphones are revolutionizing the way that individuals can budget. If you have student debt and a smartphone – two probabilities – why not take advantage? Keep track of your finances with apps for your smartphone. Pageonce is a great example, one that oversees all of your financial accounts, and will give you various notifications and bill reminders. Combine this with a banking app that … [Read more...]