Category Archives: Money
Banking More Effectively With Student Debt
When you have student debt, it’s going to impact your entire life. However, many people don’t fully understand how they can manage student debt, and especially not how they can do it through elements like their bank account. As a matter of fact, the bank account you choose could have a direct impact on your student debt, and choosing the right bank account could be the key. Here are four things to do when it comes to banking with student debt.
Understand Direct Deposit Benefits
Many bank accounts push direct deposit, with some of them giving access to a kind of “rewards program” when you add direct deposit to your bank account. Direct deposit is a way to get money directly from one bank account to another, and in this case, it typically has to do with your job. Usually, if you give your direct deposit information to your boss, they can directly deposit your paycheck. Use it to your advantage to get more from your banking experience.
Check for Minimum Monthly Balance Requirements
Many people with student debt have very low amounts of disposable income, often because they’re funneling a lot of their income into paying off student debts. In these situations, even monthly balance requirements as low as $400 or $500 can be insurmountable, sometimes causing people to have to take on fees just to keep their account open. It’s a much better idea to opt for an account that doesn’t have any minimum monthly balances.
Look for Information About Fees
Fee information can be what makes you decide whether or not to sign on with a specific bank. Many banks are doing away with a lot of fees, including overdraft fees and monthly maintenance fees. These fees just cut into your monthly paycheck, and that can be extremely frustrating. Instead of just dealing with the regular fees, it might be a good idea for you to find a bank account that doesn’t charge you any of these fees.
Find the Best Sign-On Bonuses
An ideal bank account isn’t just about avoiding bad elements of accounts; it’s also about actively pursuing the good elements. Sign-on bonuses can be a great way to save more money through your bank accounts, because it’s often like basically getting free money – many banks don’t require a lot of prerequisites for sign-on bonuses. If you want the best sign-on bonuses, you’ll want to look into a Sofi bank account, where you can find full reviews of some of the best sign-on bonuses in the industry.
Conclusion
One of the most important things to do when you’re paying off student bills is to make sure that you’re banking as effectively as possible. It’s not always easy to do, but it’s also not as difficult as it may initially seem. Bank accounts are extremely varied nowadays, and there are plenty of ways to find a good one. No matter how much student debt you have, the right bank account can be a great way to minimize its impact on your life.
Children’s Education Funds Reviews: 5 Flexible Opportunities for Working Moms
Across Canada, many parents are struggling to manage their work life and their families. The difficulties of juggling both responsibilities, for instance, lack of childcare or inflexible managers, continue to push women out of the workforce.
According to a CBC News Report, 15% of women who left their jobs in 2018 and are now out of the labour force did so for personal or family reasons.
While some working moms have decided to trade in their careers for more time with their children, others have found flexible schedules that allow them to be present for both roles. Alongside finding adequate childcare, a flexible work environment is a critical piece of the puzzle.
Since 1991, Children’s Education Funds Inc. (CEFI) has been assisting Canadian families with their children’s higher-education savings goals as a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) provider.
Children’s Education Funds Inc. also knows how important it is for working mothers to have flexibility built into their careers so that they can balance their responsibilities at home. A CEFI career means being in the business of helping families understand RESPs and which plans work best for their financial situation. It also means having the freedom to set your own schedule.
Since many moms are returning to the workforce after giving birth, let’s review some of the most flexible work circumstances for the busy parent.
Working remotely
An ideal situation for both moms and dads, working remotely allows parents to be available to their children and make money from a home office at the same time. Many companies are allowing employees this flexible option, which helps the modern parent conquer the work/life balance on their own schedule.
Co-working spaces that offer childcare
As more parents are able to work remotely, co-working spaces are becoming increasingly popular. This is a space that a group of people rent together with the added bonus of built-in childcare. Instead of trying to work at home with your young kids or taking them to daycare, moms can leave their child with trusted caregivers as they get the job done.
Flexible positions
It’s not shocking that a career as a busy lawyer or doctor will unlikely offer flexibility in your day-to-day routine. There are a range of careers, however, that will.
For example, flexibility is built in to a career running your own business. Case in point, a CEFI Dealing Representative specifically helps Canadian families set up Registered Education Savings Plans or RESPs under the umbrella of CEFI. What that means is – setting your own goals, working hours that meet your lifestyle demands and developing your own clients and book of business with access to the full support and resources from the CEFI head office.
The job can also be rewarding to assist young students and their families realize their goal of a higher education, while at the same time having the flexibility to tend to your own family.
Flex schedules
Moms who are granted flex schedules at work can stagger their clock-in time, which can help make mornings less hectic. Starting work later in the morning is especially helpful for parents who need to make sure their children get on the school bus. A flex schedules can also mean an employee trades in their lunch break in lieu of an earlier release time.
4 day work weeks
Working moms are used to getting lots done in a small amount of time. Although the 5 o’clock quitting time isn’t likely to change, the length of a workweek can. When companies implement the 4 day work week, moms can reap major benefits from having an extra day off. Instead of spending the weekend catching up on chores and grocery shopping, they can focus more on family activities.
Offering flexibility on the job helps more than just moms. It is also enticing the younger population of workers who have a strong preference for flexible working arrangements. Tara Dragon, an Edmonton-based human resources expert, notes: “Flexibility is something of value to people regardless of where they are in their career.
Finding balance as a parent can be a challenge, but with a flexible work arrangement, moms can still put their talents to good use and take care of their families at the same time.
Financial Preparation Services Company Awarded For Customer Service
The American economy has seen some challenging downturns over the last decade or so, and that has affected thousands of Americans looking to obtain gainful employment. More and more people decided to get an education as a means of securing themselves sustainable employment in the future. What many graduates didn’t anticipate was the challenge of entering the work force with the heavy burden of student debt. Due to the rise in demand for education, tuition rates and interest rates rose, making it even more expensive to get an education. Coupled with the challenge that many found trying to find work in their chosen industry, the amount of people struggling to pay down their debt or having their loans falling into default is higher than ever before. Fortunately, there are companies such as Financial Preparation Services whose job is to advocate on behalf of borrowers to help pay down their student debt.
Why Financial Preparation Services?
While there are numerous financial-assistance companies in the industry to choose from, not all provide the same level of service. Financial Preparation Services is known to work with their clients from the initial phone call right through to the end of finding them a solution. Whether that solution is loan forgiveness, deferral, or simply creating a more manageable and sustainable loan repayment schedule, your Financial Preparation Services representative will be a valuable advocate for you throughout your financial journey.
Financial Analysis
The first service Financial Preparation Services will provide is to conduct a comprehensive financial analysis to determine the status of your student loans, your overall financial health, and establish some financial goals for the future. This one-on-one budgetary consultation is the basis of the Financial Preparation Services customized approach they are known for. Every borrower’s circumstances and financial obligations are different, and that is why conducting a comprehensive financial analysis with each and every client is such an integral part of the Financial Preparation Services process.
Documents Preparation and Processing
Coordinating loan repayment schedules and application deadlines can be overwhelming, and let’s face it, no one likes paperwork. One of the most helpful services your Financial Preparation Services agent will provide for you is to take over this daunting aspect of financial management so you can focus on understanding your student loan situation and establishing some manageable financial goals.
Yearly Recertification
Your Financial Preparation Services agent will work with you from that first financial consultation and right through to your yearly recertification. Having an agent work with your throughout the entire process is advantageous as they have a firm grasp of your student loan situation, overall financial health, and future financial goals.
Loan Programs
Many borrowers are unaware of the loan programs and resources available to them. It is part of the job of your Financial Preparation Services agent to know all of the government assistance debt relief programs that are available, and they will help determine which, if any, you are eligible for. There are also other options such as loan consolidation, deferral, and even loan forgiveness in some circumstances, and your Financial Preparation Services agent will ensure that you apply for any helpful programs you might qualify for.
If you are struggling with your student debt and feel that it is holding you back from enjoying life and achieving your financial goals, consider contacting Financial Preparation Services to see what kind of help and programs are available to you. Through helping you find the right loan program to preparing and processing your loan documents for you and conducting a comprehensive financial analysis, your Financial Preparation Services agent will help you throughout the entire process.
Save Your Way to Retirement with a Roth IRA
Retirement should be a time to really kick back and enjoy the life that you have built for yourself. There is no way to enjoy your golden years if you are relying on Social Security and the kindness of strangers. That is why you need to be able to grab a Roth IRA as early as possible so you can get your money in it and figure out how to grow it as much as possible.
The beauty of a Roth IRA is that you contribute after tax dollars, which means that you are going to save on taxes when you are ready to take withdrawals from your account. The Roth IRA represents a tax break on the back end, after you hit 59 and a half. That is when you can take withdrawals out of your Roth IRA. Before that, you might be subjected to a penalty for withdrawing funds too early.
Another great benefit is that you can take money out of your Roth IRA in an emergency, penalty-free. You want to use that as a last resort, but you can tap into your Roth IRA as soon as you need to in order to get through an emergency house repair or a large, unexpected medical bill. Keep in mind that you can only withdraw what you have put into your Roth IRA, not any money that you may have made on your contributions.
The key to maintaining an effective Roth IRA is to make enough money and put a good portion of that money away. When you are budgeting effectively, you are able to make a real contribution to your retirement savings. Having a budget that makes sense allows you to spend on your essentials and then have enough left over to make real contributions to your Roth IRA.
When you take a look at your monthly budget, there are a lot of places that you can save money to increase your savings. You can reduce your restaurant spending and cook more at home. Cooking at home is a great way to build new skills and get healthier too. When you learn how to transform ingredients into quality meals for you and your family, you will feel better and be happier. That in turn will give you more energy to go out and make more money.
Learning to do some DIY house repairs if a great way to save money on household maintenance. Plus, you are making contributions to one of your most important investments when you are improving your home. There is no way that making improvements to your home won’t pay off in the future. Painting, for example, is a simple, learnable skill, that can make your house a more valuable piece of property. And improving the value of your home has a positive effect on your overall net worth.
When you are ready to make your Roth IRA a priority in your financial life, you are ready to take the next step as a smart capitalist.
How College Students Can Supplement Their Income
If you are a college student you probably already know the woes of college life all too well. Not only do you have to spend most of your time studying, but also you probably end up living off noodles and canned food. This is unless, of course, your parents are just filthy rich, but this is probably not the case. Even with the economy being what it is today, most wealthy people have to cut back as well. However, you might be surprised to learn that just because you are in college it does not mean that you have to be broke. In fact, there are tons of different methods that you can take to acquire money while attending college. Below you will learn about some of the different methods and opportunities that college students have available to them to supplement their income.
Use Your Writing Skills Online
Seeing that you are in college, you are probably pretty well educated, which means you know how to write very well. There are a wide variety of writing services online that are always looking for individuals that can write and speak English proficiently. Not only will this give you a chance to earn a little extra income, but you might be able to learn something new and educational in the process.
Take On A Tutoring Job
Is there a subject that you just find extremely easy and excel at? Well, not everyone has it as truly as easy as you when it comes to this subject. In fact, there are probably a lot of students that are suffering and lacking in this particular field. You have the advantage of setting up your own tutoring services and charging students that need a little extra help in the field in which you excel.
Donating Plasma
Donating plasma might not seem like the sexiest option on the table, but if you aren’t afraid of needles and can handle getting your blood drawn, this just might be the opportunity for you. Most centers will allow you to donate a certain amount of plasma once a month, and you can make anywhere from $30 to $50 dollars each pop. Not only this, but you will actually be helping someone else out. There are a lot of people out there that need your plasma.
Take Advantage of Moving Opportunities
You would truly be surprised to learn about all the moving services that are looking for young, strong college students to help them move. They know you are in college, so they will be willing to work around your schedule. Not only will you be able to make a few bucks moving, but also this will truly be a different change of pace than just sitting in your room with your nose buried in a book.
Find A Teaching Assist Job Or Work Study Program
Not everyone will qualify for this type of opportunity, but there are a lot that will. Teaching assistant jobs and work study programs are available through most colleges, and they can be truly useful, because you will not only supplement your income, but you will also earn college credit at the same time.
Go Digging Through The Garbage For Recyclables
Have you ever really looked inside the garbage cans or dumpsters at a college? Probably not, but you would be surprised at all the soda and energy drinks that you will find. These aluminum cans can be hawked at the recycling center for a pretty penny. Of course, you will have to collect quite a few and you might end up looking like a bum, but at least you will be making some money in the process.
