U- Chicago Blog

Know more about student credit cards - how you can get student credit card, benefits of student credit card and all other information about student credit card.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

How to Accept Credit Cards In Your Small Business

Would you like to accept credit card small business payments at your company or Website? More and more than enterprisers are taking this path on the route to wealth as they learn how to turn their business. Entrance the engineering age is neither hard nor expensive, but you have got to learn how to voyage the system by following a series of cardinal stairway that tin set you ahead of the competition.

Becoming eligible to accept credit card small business dealings is as simple as gap a merchant services account. You just have got to happen a financial broker, often a bank or credit union, who will subvent your account to do it secure. Many financial establishments are searching for small business proprietors that they can assist to get started in this moneymaking process. Bash an Internet search to happen the top few with reputable name calling or backgrounds. Compare their prices, options, and terms before choosing the 1 that looks best able to function your company’s interests and assist you grow. Then apply online or by telephone to get the ball rolling. In a very short clip you could be accepting credit payments while edifice undreamed of profitability.

After gap a merchant account, you volition need to purchase or rental the right equipment that will allow you accept credit card small business payments at your company or Internet site. For a physical location, you can purchase a credit card processor Oregon perhaps an e-check or debit entry processor for a few hundred dollars. Of course, you will need to see set-up fees, care fees, and any stores (like electricity or printing paper) to back up this equipment. Working with your underwriter, the fees may cost just 25 cents per transaction or 2% overall. It pays to shop for the best deal that plant within your company budget. A wireless credit processor plant great for employees who present commodity to residential or business customers. You also might desire to put in a pager or a digital system.

Experts believe the most moneymaking measure of a merchant account is to put up a company Website to accept credit card small business transactions. A well-designed land site that offers clear-cut information about your company and its services will maintain clients coming back and through word of oral cavity or search engines, convey others along as well. Find out how to register a domain name and happen a host site. Then your online “store” volition be unfastened to clients all over the human race 24/7, ensuring that sales and net income dribble in on a regular basis. It may take some clip to get the word out via the Internet, but in a matter of calendar months with a small spot of publicity you could see important tax returns on your investment.

Don’t allow this first-class chance base on balls you buy. Find out more than about how you can open up a merchant services account, start accepting credit payments, and perhaps put up a business Website to do your presence known throughout cyberspace. Your income may multiply when you learn how to accept credit card small business payments.

Monday, February 26, 2007

UK Graduates Looking Short-Term At Their Long-Term Financial Responsibilities

With almost two one-thirds of university entrants from England and Cymru who applied for care grants for this twelvemonth being unsuccessful, and the average alumnus owing £13,501 when they leave, according to Barclays, combined with a study by High Fliers Research screening that lone 21% of students were confident of managing to come up in a graduate-level occupation this year, it is not surprising that there is a feeling of somberness wall hanging over many United Kingdom university entrants.

According to a study of students from 30 institutions; 63% believed there are not adequate alumnus occupations for everyone leaving university this year, with a 5th stating that they felt that there were only limited occupations available.

Jeremy Law, the caput of student and alumnus banking at Barclays said, "If this tendency continues, students starting a three-year course this September could be graduating with debts of almost £20,000…graduates will happen themselves with debts for old age to come which may impact their ability to purchase homes and put in pensions…prince Oregon pauper, these degrees of debt may move as a hindrance to some people considering going to university."

There are beginnings of aid advice available to forestall student’s finances snowballing out of control, with of import financial establishments such as as Moneynet and other online comparison web land sites providing ushers to assist students with their money, and Barclays Bank recently encouraging students to;

“Consolidate their borrowing and pay off the debts with the highest interest rates first by making usage of the cheapest borrowing options, for example, interest free alumnus overdrafts or alumnus loans…where possible alumni should maintain a tight reign on their finances to assist put them up financially for the future."

With additions in general degrees of alumnus debt, negativeness surrounding job prospects, and the authorities concerned with meeting its 2010 target of getting 50% of the under-30s into university, you might anticipate trepidation over long-term debt to be entering into the psychological science of both students and authorities alike, however this makes not, overall, look to be happening. The authorities is determined to travel on with its plans, and students are still racking up huge student loans and personal debts by focusing on mundane financial pressures, rather than their future.

While concerns about money add to their degrees of depression, anxiousness and stress, university students in Bath declared that it was the short-term lack of cash for paying measures and covering mundane disbursals that caused them the top concerns.

Students interviewed By Dr Hadrian George C. Scott of the University of Bath indicated that, "They believe there's nothing they can make about the debts, so there's no point worrying".

A report, conducted for Liverpool Queen Victoria have suggested that in 18 old age clip when today's ‘Child Trust Fund Generation’ go to college, English Language student debts will average approximately £43,825 which would be about 83% of their first old age alumnus salary. A distressing figure, but one which makes not, according to Liverpool Victoria; “take into account that there is a large pushing by some universities to get the cap on top-up fees lifted and this would have got got a monolithic consequence on these figs - probably doubling or tripling the debt."

Dr George C. Scott also establish that students were becoming more than accustomed to the thought that they would have significant degrees of borrowing, and their percepts of what was considered an acceptable degree of debt was changing. Cognitive strategies rather than financial accommodations were occurring to warrant long term debt instead of dealing with it head on. An annual Unite/Mori study analysing student attitudes, published earlier this year, showed that students were becoming increasingly acclimatised to the thought that, as a student, they would have got to get certain amounts of debt, which would need to be paid back after graduation. Possibly a major displacement in attitudes towards debt will happen should the cap be lifted on top-up fees, but presently students are not being put option off going to university by the thought of starting their workings life shackled with debt.

Overall personal debt in the United Kingdom is increasing at a rate of £1m every four proceedings however the rate of change in the degrees of student debt are accelerating far faster than the already distressing United Kingdom average (five-fold addition in entire alumnus debt over the last decade). If no change is made to the alumnus occupations market or to student funding, and future alumni are to avoid running the hazard of being branded an adverse credit hazard at the start of their earning career, then they need to take the financial bull by the horns at an early stage, and take long-term financial planning seriously whilst at college, to reduce their arrears on leaving rather than looking to the never-never.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Student Auto Insurance - Are You Paying More Than You Should?

Student auto insurance is very indispensable for immature motorists and drivers. Uninsured drive could set a inquiry grade on your hereafter and lifelong drive and credit ratings. It could also land you in jailhouse if you have got an accident and are without any student auto insurance. You can help different price reductions and other grants on your insurance insurance insurance premium by adhering to simple restrictions.

What are the available premium rates?

Premium rates of student auto insurance are normally high. There are assorted determinants like your age, driving record, your car do like athletics car, etc. DUI-Driving under influence of alcoholic beverage or drugs or DWI-Driving while drunk have higher evaluations on your premium. Besides, new age and voguish cars are mostly of fibreglass and hence insurance companies inquire for higher insurance insurance premiums to see such as cars.

Additionally, you pay premiums according to your topographic point of residence. Proximity to bigger and outstanding cities attracts higher premiums. Again insurance premium rates travel north if you are male under the age of twenty-five arsenic accident rates for people in this class are the maximum. Normal annual insurance rates for students range from $3,600 to $13,800.

Can I lower my insurance premiums?

Yes, you can lower your student auto insurance insurance insurance premiums through simple measures. The best option is to keep good drive records. Discounts also depend on your academic grades. Keep good degrees in your college classes and present a transcript of your grade sheet to insurance company to have significant discounts.

If you dwell close to your campus and drive less, you can choose for low-mileage discount. Further price reductions are available for participating inch Driver’s Training Programs, community defensive attitude drive classes, etc. It is best to have coverage through your parent’s auto insurance as secondary driver.

If you put in different dismay and antitheft devices, automatic place belts, air bags, etc. in your car, you can inquire for significant price reductions on your student auto insurance. A higher deductible lowers insurance premium rates. Besides, you need to guarantee that there are no spreads in your insurance coverage.

You should purchase your new policy before you are out of your parent’s policy coverage. Drive old cars instead of new brands as you then pay lower premiums. Most of import of all is to drive confidently and steadily to avoid accidents and develop a good drive record, which can throw you in good position in the future

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Student Loans 101

When it come ups to furthering your education, you must have got student loans to make it. It is rather simple to get extra support to cover your school costs when scholarships and grants make not add up to adequate funding. There are student loans out there for you to apply for as well as private loans and loan consolidation if you need it.

Student loans are available through the federal authorities and they are the biggest beginning when it come ups to instruction loans. The most popular federal loans are Federal Soldier Soldier Soldier Stafford loans, Federal Perkins Loans, and Federal Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students or PLUS. The Federal Soldier Stafford Loans are available to both alumnus and undergraduate students. The Federal Soldier Perkins Loans are given by colleges to those who need it the most and these loans necessitate no payment of interest while the student is attending school. PLUS student loans are low interest and are available through the financial assistance office of the school your student is attending or through the Sallie Mae foundation. This student loan covers all expenses, including room and board and books, which you as a parent were going to be financially responsible for. Two programs are responsible for federally funded loans. One is the Federal Soldier Family Education Loan Program in which the lender can be your school or bank. The other programme is the William D. John Ford Federal Soldier Direct Loan Program where the lender is the U.S. Department of Education.

Private student loans are available to you when a scholarship, grant, or federal loan falls short of your tuition costs and other disbursals like books or living. They are also called option loans. A private student loan is not sponsored by the authorities and therefore no federal document will be needed to be signed by you. It is a loan that is offered through a bank or other financial institution. To obtain this type of student loan, credit is reviewed by each lender from you, your parent(s), and in some cases, a co-signer May be needed. The Sallie Mae programme offers a private loan programme for both alumni and undergraduates. Other private student loans include MEDLOANS and Master in Business LOANS. Loan consolidation is a great move when you have got respective loans to pay off. When you consolidate, your student loans with their assorted repayment agendas can be condensed down into one simple payment. An FFEL consolidation loan will give you a one-month payment option and they will reach credit bureaus and advise them that you have got a nothing balance. You must be in repayment of your defaulted loan with three on clip payments to be able to obtain a FFEL student consolidation loan.

copyright 2005, 4th Media Corporation

Monday, February 19, 2007

Student Loans - Lose Social Security Benefits If You Don't Pay

A huge bulk of people take out student loans to pay for higher education. The Supreme Court have decided to do societal security benefits a agency of repaying them.

No Benefits For You!

While billions borrow money to attend college and alumnus school, not everyone pays this money back. The failure to pay can ensue from fortune such as as a slow occupation market, failure to complete school and wellness problems. Of course, there are the choice few who simply welch on the repayments. The U.S. Supreme Court rendered a determination on December 7, 2005, impacting people who are behind in paying their loans.

In Lockhart v. United States, the Supreme Court was asked to govern on whether the federal authorities could prehend societal security benefits to cover outstanding student loans. The lawsuit involved Jesse James Lockhart, a disable man, who sued to halt the authorities from cutting his monthly $874 check. Lockhart endures from bosom disease, diabetes and other wellness problems and lives in public lodging in Seattle. He argued the forfeiture of portion of his check made it impossible for him to go on to purchase his medicine and food. The Justices disagreed with Lockhart.

Under federal law, attempts to accumulate defaulted student loans had a 10 twelvemonth limit. Put another way, the federal authorities was barred from hunting down delinquent remunerators after 10 years. In the past few years, however, United States Congress did away with this limitation, which brought forth a struggle of law. The Sociable Security Act incorporates language protecting benefits from being seized as portion of debt actions. In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that such as protections only apply to private individuals, not the federal government. In short, societal security benefits are no longer safe.

Currently, the sum balance on outstanding student loans is roughly $30 billion. Of this amount, roughly seven billion are delinquent or defaulted loans. With 25 percent of loans in the red, one can see why the authorities have got an interest in collecting the debt.

Personally, I don’t have any problem with this ruling. If you borrow money to travel to school, you should pay it back. Failing to make so could strip others of the same opportunity.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

If I File for Bankruptcy Will My Student Loans Get Discharged?

So are student loans able to be discharged? In short, probably not. Student loan debts are nondischargeable in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy cases unless paying the debt would cause the debtor "undue hardship." This basic regulation also uses to Chapter 13 Bankruptcy cases.

Discharge of student loans received popularity in the 1970's. Many people would register for bankruptcy shortly after completing their expensive education. The end was to discharge these student loans before they began earning money.

The diction of the exclusion of a “hardship discharge” and what is considered a student loan have recently been broadened so that most student loans made by non-profit-making groupings or the authorities are now considered student loans. This lone uses to the existent student and not a co-signor. So a parent sign language for one of their children could not have got this debt discharged. In addition, this exclusion makes not include debts to an educational establishment for tuition. If the loan is nondischargeable then the request on the loan is also not going to be discharged.

So we turn to "undue hardship." Most published tribunal sentiments hold that "undue hardship" intends more than than garden assortment hardships that come up with the costs of future payments. Respective electrical circuit tribunals of entreaties have got developed a three-prong test.

In summation, the debtor cannot keep a minimum criterion of life and his dependants are left with the debt, some further fortune in respect to the criterion of life would widen over the life of the repayment of the loan, and the debtor have tried to the best of their ability to pay off the loan according to the plan.

The ideal debtor who will successfully discharge student loans are the low-income debtors. The debtor have the load of proving their hardships. Any ground that brands this loan impossible for the debtor should be made known to your attorney. For example, unemployable debtors, underprivileged debtors, a sum deficiency of available occupations suited for the debtor's skills, certain disabilities, etc. If any of these states of affairs exist, your attorney will endeavor to turn out any extenuating fortune to the tribunal to get these student loans discharged.

Read more about bankruptcy at www.bankruptcyhome.com

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Student Debt and Student Loans

The statistics demo that more than than and more students are graduating from university with important debt. The debt degrees are growing twelvemonth on twelvemonth and many students will be paying them off for old age after they graduate. It looks that the consumer dependence to credit and disbursement have effected the student population just as much as every 1 else. The fact that most students are not earning anything, and are living either on finances provided by their parents, or on money borrowed, they go on to pass billions each year.

These costs are distribute over a assortment of areas. Adjustment and other life disbursals stand for the largest part of the expenditure. Added to this is travel to and from university, holiday and summertime travel expenses, and entertainment. While students are generally financially responsible and not as out of control as many patents of invention would have got you think, they make go on to pass a huge proportionality of their money on amusement and socialising.

Employment

Many students will also be working portion clip during their studies. There are a batch of occupations available and determination 1 is not a problem for most students who genuinely desire one. Employers recognise their flexibleness and willingness to work unsociable hours and also that they will generally be happy to accept minimum or stopping point to minimum wage. Therefore, while the occupations are there, they generally pay little, and students who work more than than 10-20 hours a hebdomad are probably putting a serious strain on their surveys and risking their hereafter opportunities of success.

Most student debt is comprised of student loans. The student loans company based on eligibility criteria supplies these. These loans are cheaper than credit that is available on the market from high street banks and have got other important advantages for students. Firstly, students will not have got to begin repaying the loans until they are earning a set minimum amount, currently around the £15,000 mark. Then there is also the fact that loan repayments are calculated according to earnings degrees and are therefore always reasonably affordable. Students are giving as much clip as they need to refund the loans and the interest rates, as said before, are very favourable.

Overdrafts

As well as these student loans however, many students will also have got other word forms of debt. Most banks are offering interest free student overdrafts of up to £2,000 and there are not many students who make not utilize this up pretty quickly. Then there are bank loans, shop cards and credit cards. All of these stand for a important amount of debt that most students are living with.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Tips for Finding the Best Student Credit Cards

Student credit cards bombardon fresher every year. Parents should be certain to discourse the issue of student credit cards with their college student before they go forth home. It is an attractive thought for a student to get their ain credit card, especially if they are far from home. However, they need to be certain to get a good card and to utilize it responsibly.

Low Limits

The best student credit cards are those that have got reasonably low limits. Giving a student their first credit card with a high bounds is a mistake. Students should understand that since most of them are unemployed, they should not take out a high bounds credit card. Student credit cards are meant for necessary points or emergencies, not new piece of furniture or a huge shopping spree. Therefore, to ease the temptation, the best student credit cards have got low credit limits.

Low Interest Rates

Another trait of the best student credit cards is a low interest rate. Most student credit cards will offer 0% APR for the first six months. This is a great deal and students should purchase whatever they need during this time. Be certain to check what the interest rate will be after those six calendar months however. If it is unreasonably high, then it is not deserving it to take the card, even with the great six calendar month deal. It usually take students longer to pay their balances on their student credit cards, so the interest rate matters.

Rewards

Almost all student credit cards offer some type of rewards program. The wise thing to make is happen one that you will be excited about using. The more than rewards you can get from your student credit cards, the better. Many student credit cards will have got rewards programs that allow you to collect points and later turn them into gift certificates. This tin be a great option for students.

Online Account Management

Student credit cards with online account management are perfect for today’s modern student. Most students make most of their banking online, so this conception suits right into their world. If your student credit cards have got online account management, as a student you are more than likely to maintain up with you account and even utilize your rewards programme more often. This is definitely a great option to look for in your student credit cards.

Lost Card Policies

Many student credit cards are beginning to offer some kind of “Lost Card” policy. These policies protect the student in lawsuit their wallet is lost or stolen. With students, it is much more than likely that these states of affairs will occur. Therefore, you may desire to believe about going over a credit card company’s policy on this before applying. The more than secure you are, the better the student credit card is.

Overall, when shopping for student credit cards retrieve to read the mulct print. Although they may sound glorious and offer great deals for a short time, you will also need to do certain their long term demands are ideal for you. Brand a listing of things you desire from your student credit cards and happen companies that lucifer your needs.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

The Art of Stoozing to Make Money from Credit Cards

Make Money from Stoozing

Stoozing, this is a sophisticated method of making money from credit cards that offer 0% introductory periods, the method necessitates project Fe subject in never disbursement on the cards.

But, I hear you all inquire - what is stoozing and can I make it?

Stoozing, in the simplest terms is borrowing money from credit cards that offer a 0% introductory deals and economy that money in a nest egg account for the continuance of the offer on the credit card. Then, the stoozer will apply for another 0% introductory credit card deal from another supplier and transfer the whole balance from the first card onto it. This manner the cash balance never have got to go forth the nest egg account and can be held like this for a long clip period of time earning 5% + interest!

Find a 0% Credit Card suitable for stoozing

Stoozing and Offset mortgages

Offset mortgages allow your nest egg and current accounts to be used to lower the amount of interest you pay on your outstanding mortgage balance e.g. if you have a mortgage outstanding for £80,000 and a nest egg account containing £10,000 the bank will only cipher and add interest on the outstanding £70,000; effectively saving you interest by the nest egg amount, at the same APR as your mortgage. This APR is often equal or greater than their typical nest egg account. This is similar to overpaying on your mortgage or other loans except the money is not locked in, and still accessible to take again later.

As the money residing in your other accounts is no longer earning interest, but reducing outstanding debt, it also intends the nest egg money is also not subject to tax unlike a normal nest egg account. By offsetting in this manner with savings, it is possible to greatly reduce the number of old age that the mortgage will run for. Instead of paying off the mortgage for a typical 25 twelvemonth period, with regular capital payments at the existent level, you can shave respective old age of the completion date. Once you have got got an offset mortgage, the more than nest egg you have, the lower your mortgage interest will cost. This is where Stoozing come ups in. Instead of using your ain money locked away to reduce your mortgage, usage the 0% balance transfers from the credit cards to set money into your linked nest egg account using the same Stoozing methods.

Find a 0% Credit Card suitable for stoozing

Stoozing cannot last much longer...

The state of affairs can't last though. Already Barclaycard and MBNA have got introduced one-off charges on transferred debt, based on a percentage of the amount, and other card suppliers are expected to follow this strategy. Also, as the PricewaterhouseCoopers' report notes, card issuers are likely to go increasingly selective about which clients they offer balance transfers to and there will be a much stronger focusing on client retention. They may also increase other fees, such as as those imposed for exceeding credit limits.

Monday, February 05, 2007

Choosing and Using Credit Cards

Credit cards are convenient, but they’re also dangerous. A lot of people ruin their
financial lives by turning the phrase “charge it” into a reflex. It’s a real problem, but
this article explains how to make good use of credit cards and how to choose a
good credit card. This information, by the way, applies both to using a credit card
for personal expenses and to using a credit card for business expenses.

Selecting the Right Credit Card

Selecting a credit card is easy. If you don’t carry charges forward from month to
month, choose the card with the lowest annual fee. It doesn’t matter to you if the
credit card company charges a painfully high interest rate, since you pay only the
annual fee if you pay your monthly credit card bill on time.

If you do carry a balance, it makes sense to choose the card with the lowest interest
rate. Some credit card issuers play interest rate calculation tricks that make it very
difficult to make apples-to-apples comparisons of credit cards. But if you choose
the credit card rate with the lowest annual percentage rate, you’re doing about as
well as you can.

The Right Way to Use a Credit Card

You shouldn’t use a credit card as a way to borrow money. That means always
repaying the charges within the grace period. You want to be what the bank calls “a
revolver,” which is a person who always pays his or her credit card bills on time.
After investments in a profitable business, a 401(k), and a deductible IRA, the next
best investment you can make is to pay off credit cards that charge a high interest
rate. Earning a tax-free interest rate of, say, 14 percent, which more than what a
401(k) and deductible IRA pay (and probably only slightly less than investments in
your business should pay) is too good to pass up.

NOTE While credit card interest on personal charges would not be deductible for
income tax purposes, credit card interest on business charges should be deductible
as business interest expense. Therefore, the worst kind of credit card debt is
personal credit card debt. Business debt isn’t quite as bad.

Do Affinity Cards Make Sense?

An affinity card is a credit card that’s issued by someone other than a bank—such as
a car manufacturer, an airline, a professional group, and so forth. Affinity cards
typically combine the usual features of a credit card with some extra benefit
connected to the issuer. In the case of a General Motors card, for example, you
accumulate dollars in a rebate account by virtue of what you spend with the affinity
card.

In general, an affinity card—especially one that doesn’t charge a fee—is a good deal
as long as the interest rate is competitive. For example, I have a General Motors
credit card that includes a 5 percent rebate account. In other words, five cents of
every dollar I charge on the card goes into a rebate account that I can use toward
purchasing a new General Motors car. How big your rebate gets depends on the type
of affinity card you have. For example, as of this writing the regular General Motors
credit card lets you accumulate up to $500 a year to a maximum of $3,500. The
General Motors gold credit card lets you accumulate up to $1,000 a year to a
maximum of $7,000.

There are many different affinity cards. Ford has one. Most of the major airlines
have them too. Airline affinity cards let you accumulate frequent flier miles based on
the credit card charges. In the plans I’ve seen, you usually get a mile a dollar.

The one sticky part of using affinity cards, however, is that getting even a 5 percent
rebate isn’t worth it if having the card makes you spend more money. Some studies
show that you spend 23 percent more when you use a credit card. The same is very
likely true of affinity cards.

If you’re one of those people who spends more when you have a card in hand, you
won’t save any money by using an affinity card. Even if you get a new General
Motors car for free or a handful of free airline tickets to Europe, you pay indirectly
for your new car or airline tickets with all the extra charging you do. If you don’t
make use of the rebate, the situation is even worse. You’ve charged more, perhaps
paid hefty annual fees, and you’ve received nothing in return.

NOTE One other point to consider argues in favor of using affinity cards for
business charges. In many businesses, you will have large business credit card
charges—much larger than an individual making personal charges will have. In this
case, assuming you don’t overcharge and don’t overspend, you may find that an
affinity charge card produces big benefits. In my case, because many of my business
expenses can be charged on my frequent flier credit card, I probably get two free
airline tickets a year.

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Finding the Best Travel Credit Cards

While many airlines offer temptations of frequent flyer miles, there is a second prevailing option - travel credit cards - for discounting your airline travels. There is a very solid ground that these travel credit cards are so popular for devouring travelers.

These travel credit cards - i.e., those with a characteristic that allows you earn air mileage price reductions as you do purchases with your travel credit card - offer a dual dipping opportunity. What this means, simply, is that you now have got two ways to earn mileage price reductions with the same trip - if you utilize your travel credit card to book the flight. You can earn credit not only towards your flight, but also towards an auto rental or a hotel room. You can also get mileage credit for purchases with your travel credit card that are not flight-related, such as as repasts and shopping from retailers.

Many credit cards work as travel credit cards, offering miles or points for your purchases with the card. There are four types of travel credit cards to consider. You might desire to take a credit card that have partnered with a hotel concatenation or specific airline. This may well be a good pick if your travel finishes are consistent, and you utilize the same airline continually; or if you have got a penchant in hotel chain. You might take a common trade name of travel credit card, such as as American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover or Diners Club. Your local bank, or another reputable banking firm might publish its ain credit card with a programme that offers travel rewards. You could also take a debit entry card that Acts as a travel credit card.

It's difficult to state in general which are the best travel credit cards. So much depends on individual need. Most folks new to travel credit cards begin with what are known as co-branded or chemical attraction travel credit cards - those specifically tied to the frequent circular offering of a certain airline. So, let's look at a couple of those.

American Airlines, for instance, have a partnership with Citibank, offering the AAdvantage mile program. With this American Airlines travel credit card, the traveler card user earn one AAdvantage mile for each dollar she or he charges on the travel credit card.

United Airlines have a similar travel credit card offer, called Mileage Plus First Card, and Delta Airlines have an American Express Optima mileage frequent flyer travel credit card. Northwest's travel credit card is called the WorldPerks Visa. Most chemical attraction travel credit cards are MasterCard or Visa, Delta being the most noteworthy exception.

While travel credit cards certainly offer great mileage fringe benefits to those who wing the friendly skies often, they also have got the disadvantage of comparatively brawny annual fees, however. The fees can range anywhere from $25 to $125. Besides credit history, the other factor that determines your travel credit card annual fee or your annual percentage rate (APR) is your choosing a standard, a gold or a platinum degree card. APRs are high for travel credit cards as well. You'll usually stop up paying 15 to 18 percent.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Student Possessions Insurance - Insuring the Contents of Your Room

In the UK each September, 350,000 new students embark off to university to begin a university career. The latest research shows that these same students will graduate three years later with average debts of £14,000.

Students know keeping a tight grip on finance while studying is essential, if you are to finish your course with your personal finance under control.

Student room insurance is therefore often overlooked as a non-essential cost. This can be a big mistake.

On arrival at university the majority of students will move into halls of residence. In recent years the standard of security in these halls has increased. However students still face a risk to their belongings being stolen. The lifestyle of a student hall means that early in the term it is easy for a stranger to access the halls and mingle with other students. As everyone is a stranger, one extra goes unoticed.

Many universities now include insurance as a standard package with the room. This rarely covers laptops outside of the room however and students should investigate closely to see if extra cover is required.

In shared accommodation the risks are much higher. By nature of what it is, student accommodation tends to be in the higher crime areas of town. Thieves know which roads and areas contain large numbers of students. These homes are likely to include several laptops Ipods and other portable high value items. Home office research shows that 1 in 4 students are a victim of crime while at university.

Room insurance can be arranged on your parents policy. However many of these policies do not provide cover for 'non forcible and violent entry'. While this sounds like a smallclause, it means that unless someone has physically broken into the property then your items are not insured. Over a third of student thefts do not follow a break in of this type.

Specialist student possessions insurance providers can cover your belongings in halls of residence or shared homes for less than £30.