Free credit report WITH SCORE from Transunion!
May 31, 2008
Beginning June 16, 2008, you’ll be able to get a free credit report PLUS score PLUS free credit monitoring for six months from Transunion, one of the big three credit bureaus.
Why? Transunion settled a major class action lawsuit, according to this Denver Post article.
Who is eligible? If you had an active loan of any kind - mortgage, credit card, student loan, etc. - between January of 1987 to May 28, 2008, you are eligible to participate in this class action lawsuit and claim your free goods.
You can also opt for a settlement of $59.75 from Transunion.
Personally, I’m going to claim the 6 months of free service. That’s a great deal, and will provide a LOT of insight into my credit. $59.75 just isn’t worth it compared to in depth credit analysis.
To claim your goods, check the Transunion web site on or about June 16, 2008 at www.Transunion.com.
Have you played Budget Hero?
May 30, 2008
It’s much more entertaining than you’d think.
FAP808: Get $1 for listening to the Financial Aid Podcast
May 30, 2008
FAP808: Get $1 for listening to the Financial Aid Podcast
Listen now:
Student Financial Aid News
+ Chronicle: After months of artfully promoting doomsday scenarios for the federal student-lending system, the nation’s student loan companies appear to have won terms from Congress and the Bush administration that could help both the lenders and the student borrowers.
+ The federal program already hands out interest-rate subsidies and repayment guarantees to enable lenders to offer cut-rate student loans. Now, with the administration’s financial rescue plan, the lenders can either use their portfolios of subsidized loans as collateral for even more government funds or sell the loans outright to the government for more than their face value. Either way, that makes more money available for students to borrow.
+ Interesting and insightful analysis
+ For all the new friends on Twitter who are having FAFSA issues, be sure to check out FAFSAonline.com
+ For all the new friends on Twitter who are having student loan issues, drop me an email
Scholarship Update
+ The FastWeb and Dell “Why I Deserve A Scholarship” Contest is open to students 15 years of age or older who are either currently enrolled in an accredited college/university or will graduate from high school in Spring 2008. To be eligible for this contest, you must submit a video explaining why you deserve a scholarship. Additionally, you must be a legal resident of the 50 United States or District of Columbia.
+ Deadline July 4, 2008
+ Details at our free college scholarship search site
+ Are you signed up for the Student Loan Network $10,000 scholarship?
Free Stuff Friday
+ Betty Crocker Cookies Samples
+ Smoothie King
+ 10 pack of DVD-Rs from Office Depot
+ Firefox 3 World Download Day
+ If you’re a geeky sort, Google AJAX Libraries API handles the hosting for you
+ Google Earth plus Panoramio - virtual siteseeing, no gas
+ How to staycation in last weekend’s blog post
+ If you drive more than 1,000 miles a month, check out Free Gas Help
+ How to get $1 for listening to today’s show - in today’s show, of course
Free Song of the Week
+ 
Sharon Shannon & Mundy
“Galway Girl” (mp3)
from “Galway Girl”
(Daisy / IRL) Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album
Did you enjoy today’s show? If so, please consider subscribing for free to get it delivered to you. Subscribing for free means you don’t have to remember to download it every day.
+ 
+ 
+ 
Direct MP3 file download: Click here to download the MP3
Reminders
+ 
+ Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com.
+ Free scholarship search secrets eBook at StudentScholarshipSearch.com/ebook
+ Open an FDIC-insured savings account today!
+ Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com
+ Student credit card information at StudentPlatinum.com
+ FAFSA form tutorials and free help at FAFSAonline.com
+ College search
+ Grad student? Get graduate financial aid information at the GradLoans.com blog!
+ Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com
+ The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.
I want to hear from you! Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 206-350-1208.
Technorati Tags: financial aid financialaidpodcast
FAP807: Finding a summer job in a tight economy
May 29, 2008
FAP807: Finding a summer job in a tight economy
Listen now:
Student Financial Aid News
+ Chronicle: Citibank (ticker: C), one of the nation’s largest providers of student loans, has told a series of colleges in recent days that it won’t be doing business with them any longer.
+ The bank’s student-lending division, the Student Loan Corporation (ticker: STU), said in a statement that it was “suspending lending at certain schools where we anticipate processing minimal loan volume. We have also temporarily suspended lending at schools which tend to have loans with lower balances and shorter periods over which we earn interest.”
+ There have been a LOT of emails on private financial aid discussion lists about this - some schools are dropping Citibank as a lender for not supporting other fellow schools
Scholarship Update
+ Albright College Warren L. Davis Scholarships
+ The Warren L. Davis Scholarships are full-tuition scholarships, worth $26,620 for the 2006-2007 academic year and approximately $110,000 over four years. The College invites about 75 of its top applicants to apply for these scholarships and awards two Davis Scholarships each year. The Davis scholarship is renewable as long as the student maintains a 3.3 grade point average.
+ Details at our free college scholarship search site
+ Our May $1,000 scholarship drawing is just a couple of days away - sponsored by GradLoans.com Graduate Student Loans
Mail Bag
+ Jeff writes in: Thanks for the effort you put into the Financial Aid Podcast. I learn so much from your show each day.
+ Due to divorce, my daughter spends more time at her mom’s house than she does at mine. I understand that in this situation her mom’s income will be the information reflected on the FAFSA. Unfortunately her mom doesn’t have the best credit and I’m wondering what, if anything, can be done about this. What insight can you provide into this situation? Your help is appreciated.
+ The FAFSA regs do state that the primary parent will be the one where the child lives more than 50% of the time - so unless you can alter that arrangement, she will continue to be the primary parent. That said, only the PLUS loan and private student loans are credit based, and private student loans don’t require the FAFSA
Jobcast
+ Lots of articles about how summer employment for high school and college kids is harder than ever to find
+ In some cases, kids may be competing for the same jobs as parents
+ Figure out what your schedule is, what kind of pay you’re looking for, and most importantly, what the long term benefits of the job will be
+ What kind of networking opportunity will it present?
+ Have business cards - even if you don’t have a job
+ Prep a nice professional web site for yourself
+ Don’t expect to be making the big money (though it’s nice if you are)
+ Bring your unique skills to companies that need them
+ Social networking and new media are hot right now and a LOT of companies don’t know even where to start - but anyone under the age of 18 can set up a Facebook Fan Page or MySpace profile in about 10 minutes - use this knowledge gap to your advantage
+ Lack of experience can be made up for with knowledge
+ If you can afford it, unpaid internships are great, too
+ Be mindful of your income protection allowance for financial aid - $3,080 on the FAFSA
+ Work study does NOT count against your income
Did you enjoy today’s show? If so, please consider subscribing for free to get it delivered to you. Subscribing for free means you don’t have to remember to download it every day.
+
+
+
Direct MP3 file download: Click here to download the MP3
Reminders
+
+ Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com.
+ Free scholarship search secrets eBook at StudentScholarshipSearch.com/ebook
+ Open an FDIC-insured savings account today!
+ Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com
+ Student credit card information at StudentPlatinum.com
+ FAFSA form tutorials and free help at FAFSAonline.com
+ Student loan consolidation at StudentLoanConsolidator.com
+ Grad student? Get graduate financial aid information at the GradLoans.com blog!
+ Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com
+ The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.
I want to hear from you! Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 206-350-1208.
Technorati Tags: financial aid financialaidpodcast
Buy vs Rent:Long Time Renter Takes The Plunge
May 29, 2008
"The case for renting has been simple enough. House prices rose so high in the first half of this decade that you could often get more for your money by renting. You could also avoid having a large part of your net worth tied up in a speculative bubble. All this time, I have been a renter myself, ... [but] the housing market has, obviously, changed quite a bit since our last move, in 2005....This month, we found a house that we really liked, and we made an offer. It was accepted.I’m still not sure how good our timing was. Based on the backlog of houses on the market, I fully expect that our new house will be worth less in six months than it is today. ...In fact, if you’re now renting - almost anywhere - and do not need to move, I’d probably recommend that you wait to buy. The market is still coming your way. But it’s O.K. with me if our timing wasn’t perfect.
Leonhardt isn't buying for appreciation, and he realizes the price will probably still decline further. He is buying because prices have fallen enough that the intangibles of homeownership (as he and his wife value them) outweigh the extra costs of owning a home compared to renting."
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