Bustling New City By Chicago, Evanston

Here in the Chicago area there's a little community called Evanston that is quickly turning into gleaming new city with plenty to do. Bordered to the south by the city of Chicago, Evanston sits right on Lake Michigan. Evanston has been transforming from a quiet little residential suburb into a bustling, activity-filled, pedestrian paradise. With plenty of beachfront parks, fantastic access to public transportation, tons of restaurants, and loads of unique shops, Evanston has a lot to offer its residents and visitors to the community. Evanston also happens to be the home of the Big Ten University's Northwestern Wildcats.

Many like living in Evanston, because like Chicago you don't need to own a car to get around. Many people living in Evanston today work in downtown Chicago and get there by taking one of the two available train lines. There's the Metrarail and the CTA's Purple line. Both will get you to downtown Chicago during rush hour in about 30 minutes or less. So the commute is nice and easy.

I take my family there quite often to have dinner and see a movie or play. We like it, because there's always a lot of people downtown enjoying everything that Evanston has to offer. Every time we go there we always discover a new restaurant or new shop that we didn't notice before.

If you're a believer in preserving the small Mom & Pop shops, it won't take you very long to discover that Evanston believes the same thing. Evanston seems to have the foresight and understands that in order to preserve the small shops; there needs to be people living nearby. Hence, there are some exciting new developments going on in downtown Evanston.

Here are a few that I've come across recently that might be worth considering if you are in the market for a new home.

http://www.grandbendatgreenbay.com/

Talking Mental Health In College- Q & A with Richard Kadison, M.D. of Harvard University

Maria Pascucci, president of Campus Calm, had the opportunity to talk with Richard Kadison, M.D., about why high schools and colleges are seeing a rise in the number of stressed-out students battling mental health problems. Kadison is the chief of the Mental Health Service at Harvard University Health Services and author of College of the Overwhelmed: The Campus Mental Health Crisis and What to Do About It. Kadison has specialized in campus mental health and student mental health treatment throughout his career.

Campus Calm: Why are college campuses seeing a rise in the number of students with mental health issues?

Kadison: There are lots of reasons we're seeing a rise in the number of students with mental health issues. We're seeing more students who get diagnosed with serious problems in high school and they're functioning well enough to get to college. That's one group. I think there is the millennial group of students with what are described as helicopter parents who hover over them, and basically make decisions for them. You know the old metaphor about teaching people to fish instead of getting them fish. I think there's a lot of handing out of fish that goes on in high school. Kids are also being shuttled from one activity to another, kind of building their college resume and not having much down time and not really feeling passionate about things.

Campus Calm: How big of a part does the lack of sleep, eating right and exercising play in students being stressed out?

Kadison: The lack of sleep, I think, is a huge issue. College students are sleeping an average of 6 1/2 hours each night and they definitely experience symptoms of sleep deprivation, which screws up their immune systems, impairs their academic functioning and makes them more susceptible to depression and bipolar disorder.

Exercise is another huge issue. There's good evidence for milder forms of depression, four days of 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise works as well as antidepressant medication. A lot of students get busy, stop exercising and eating healthy, get more depressed, have more difficulty getting their work done, then start stressing out and have more difficulty sleeping. They get into this vicious cycle.

Campus Calm: How much of a part does perfectionism play in the lives of stressed-out students? How does Harvard's counseling center deal with academic perfectionism amongst students?

Kadison: That's certainly a big issue here and I would say, most elite schools. I talked to the directors of the other ivies. There are two major thrusts. I would say one is trying to create some balance in students' lives. They need to take care of themselves. Working all the time is not the best way to live. Having conversations with them about excellence versus perfection and working hard and trying to focus. But no one test, no one course, no one situation is going to make or break your life. Lives take twists and turns that none of us expect.

Number one: you need to learn how to be resilient. Number two: learn some techniques and skills to manage stress because what you have in high school and college isn't going to change once you get out into the real world.

Campus Calm: Whom do you see more of: overachieving guys or girls? Is it true that women seek help more than young men? Why or why not?

Kadison: In terms of more women seeking care, I think probably that's because women are more tuned into their emotions. There's less stigma. I don't think the numbers are different -- it's just that men aren't always wise enough to come in to talk to some one about it.

Campus Calm: How do you work to help students find meaningful ways to base their identities beyond grades & awards?

Kadison: That's exactly the challenge. It's people figuring out who they are -- we all have faults, we all make mistakes and we all do things we wish we hadn't done. The key is really to get to know yourself, figure out how to accept yourself and do the best that you can. Getting students outwardly focused, again in balance, so that they're engaged in their community. There's growing evidence that the more students are doing something to help their community, like working with high school kids, or volunteering somewhere, those students have much more satisfactory experiences in college than students who are completely self-focused. It's creating an environment where that's really encouraged and rewarded.

Campus Calm: Do you think that our current academic culture allows kids to learn how to make mistakes and fail safely?

Kadison: Well, I think part of the process is really the education of the whole community. It's not just the students. We try to do outreach activities and provide consultations to faculty, staff and residential staff. The reality is though, if the culture in the lab is that the professor is in the lab until 3 a.m., and expects everyone else to be there until 3 a.m., that's not a healthy message for students.

I think mental health advocacy groups are a good idea because students listen to other students more than other professional adults. Having advocacy groups so students can hear that getting depressed in college is nothing to be ashamed of and it's very treatable if you come and talk to someone about it.

Campus Calm: Is an Ivy League education always the best way to reach success?

Kadison: I think that students can get a great education at any school. There's students who come here to Harvard and don't get a great education because it's a bad fit for them. Being around other bright people who are totally focused on their academics doesn't help them learn how to create any kind of balance in their lives. That leads to a disappointment.

Campus Calm: So many students see straight A's and other academic achievements as stepping stones that will lead them to a good college, which will lead them to a good graduate school, then to a good job and, ultimately, a happy life. Does our society put too much emphasis on this one path to happiness and prosperity?

Kadison: As far as students seeing grades as stepping-stones, I think that's true. There's some reality in there and it's also a problem. I think to some degree this is up to the college admissions folks, that leading a balanced life and being engaged in your community is just as important as being successful academically. Doing other things that you feel passionate about.

Lithium-ion Batteries - The Way Of The Future

As an industrial maintenance mechanic for the past twenty years, I have seen maintenance and other trades revolutionized by the introduction of cordless tools. They help save time, money and can be used just about anywhere. Technology has come alomg way since the early days of cordless tools. Larger voltages have resulted in more power and longer run times from batteries have helped the tools become popular among tradesmen.

One of the only knocks against cordless tools has been the weight. The average 18 volt cordless drill has weighed up to six pounds in the past. The tool manufacturers have listened to the tradesman who want more power, more run time, and a lighter tool. The development of lithium-ion batteries for the cordless tool industry addresses all three of these consumer needs. Lithium-ion batteries offer a reduction in cordless battery weight of 25-40 % and a total tool weight of up to 25 %. In the past, many of the NiCad and NiMH batteries had to extend up into the handle of tools such as cordless drills, reciprocating saws, and circular saws. This all translated into more overall weight for the battery and tool. With the development of lithium-iom technology, manufacturers can pack more power in a battery pack that is the same size/weight as the NiCad or NiMH or fit the same power as the NiCad or NiMH in a smaller battery pack.

Lithium-ion batteries can also deliver more run time per charge than NiCad.The highest capacity for lithium-ion batteries is 3.0 Ah. This represents a 25 percent increase of the NiCad at 2.4 Ah. The NiMH highest rated capacity is 3.5 Ah. The lithium-ion may not deliver a better run time than the NiMH, but the lithium-ion battery will deliver better total performance over the life of the battery than NiCad and NiMH.The results are plainly seen in the the power delivery curve over the cycle life of the lithium-ion battery. The power delivery curve is steady compared to the older technology. This helps power delivery remain constant over the life of the charge. We all know what happens to a cordless tool when the battery starts to wind down.

It loses much of its power.The power loss at the end of the charge is drastically reduced in lithium-ion batteries. The lithium-ion battery delivers better total performance over the life of the battery than NiCad and NiMH. Another advantage of lithium-ion batteries is that cordless power tools have a better ergonomic design. With the battery not extending into the handle of the tool, manufacturers can make a more comfortable grip for their consumers to enhance the use of the tool. Lithium-ion batteries are the way of the future in cordless tools. NiCad and NiMH will be around for several more years but like cars, older models are eventually retired to make way for the new. Visit http://wwwjustcordlessdrills.com for more cordless drill information.

Chiropractic Classes Today

Find Chiropractic Classes in the United States and Canada. Today, more and more students are searching for integrative healthcare education, such as complementary medicine and chiropractic classes. Chiropractic classes are provided through chiropractic colleges, schools and universities. In many cases, the curriculum is course intensive and involves in-depth training in a variety of subjects and subtopics.

Prior to enrolling in any number of chiropractic classes, students must meet certain criteria. Typically, candidates who would like to pursue the doctor of chiropractic degree must have earned an equivalent of a bachelor's degree from an accredited school or university. Returning chiropractors may enroll in a number of continuing education chiropractic classes to maintain licensure requirements, or to simply expand practice by participating in specialized chiropractic classes.

In the first years, chiropractic classes embark on students learning fundamentals of chiropractic; including philosophies of chiropractic and its history. In addition, chiropractic classes will include comprehensive lessons in human anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacology, physiology, biomechanics and pathology. Aside from practical training in chiropractic, students will also delve into neuroscience, behavior science, radiology and clinical studies of the field.

In the latter years of training, students participating in chiropractic classes will learn how to make spinal adjustments through gentle maneuvers. These "adjustments" are based on biomechanical and scientific applications used to correct subluxations. A significant portion of chiropractic classes is dedicated to this hands-on training to give candidates ample experience in the field.

It is always wise for applicants to carefully review chiropractic classes and to determine which course of study suits his or her long-term goals. Depending on individual chiropractic schools, some may offer pre chiropractic classes, while others may only offer doctor of chiropractic programs. It is also essential to make certain that the school of choice meets all state requirements.

Successful graduates, who have completed all necessary chiropractic classes and training, can go onto achieving rewarding professions in the field of chiropractic. Licensed chiropractors make upwards in the range of a hundred thousand dollars or more annually.

If you (or someone you know) are interested in finding quality chiropractic classes, let career training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, cosmetology, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore career school programs near you.

Chiropractic Classes Today

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NOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.

Students With Bad Credit? No Worries!

It is even more disappointing for a student with bad or poor credit, who is trying to make a good start in life with a university or college education. As we shall see, not all is lost from the very beginning.

Special Design

There are specially designed loans for students with poor credit or no ratings at all and whose parents have a poor credit rating as well. Private institutions as well as the government grant college loans to students with bad credit. These loans are designed to favor further education for these students, by having good loan conditions, long payback terms and a greater flexibility.

Student Loans Granted By The Government

These are generally made available through the college, but they are backed or guaranteed by the government. There are two types of government loan: The Federal Stafford Loan and the Federal Perkins Loan, with some differences between them which we shall see below.

Both have certain features in common, like federal guarantee, eligibility based mainly on high school performance and a grace period, which gives the student time to finish studies and start repayment. The grant of these loans has basic requirements such as the real need for a loan and determined high school grades as a minimum condition.

The Federal Stafford Loan

As all loans, it is constructed on a determined payback term, closing fees and a certain interest. Interest rates fluctuate between 6.5% and a maximum of 8.25% and the payback terms start at a 10-year period and have an extended period of up to 25 years.

The Federal Perkins Loan

This is a more benign student loan, but with stricter eligibility requirements. The interest rate is fixed at 5% and there are no closing fees. In addition to these conditions, the grace period is longer.

Not Eligible

In the event of not being eligible for these government-backed student loans, there are private lending institutions that grant loans to students who do not qualify for the federal loans. However, the interest rates are higher, since there is no federal guarantee and the amounts granted are higher, supposedly as a condition to make the loan worth while for the lender.

Some Students Have To Add Loans

In some cases, the amount of the loan is not enough to cover the cost of college and other necessary college-life expenses. In these cases, they have to take a loan from a private lender, in addition to the Federal Loan.

However, if desired and available, there are private loans with enough allowance to cover all expenses, which are subsidized. A sensible suggestion is to look out for these before you resort to any other private lender.

They Are Still Student Loans

Private lenders, although they grant loans for a profit, establish interest rates that are lower than the standard personal loan and the repayment conditions are a lot more flexible. Nevertheless, in order to be considered at the time of financial hardships, it is always convenient to be ahead of the situation and state your case before the payment is past due.

Chiropractic Degrees - Achieve Yours

Find Chiropractic Degrees and chiropractic degree programs in the United States and Canada. Students interested in earning chiropractic degrees must understand that many chiropractic colleges and schools require prerequisite courses prior to entering their chiropractic degree programs. In general, most chiropractic universities require applicants to have attained previous minimum of 90 semester units in general education, biological and physical sciences, chemistry, psychology, English and humanities.

Chiropractic degrees are not that easy to come by - students participating in chiropractic degree programs will quickly discover that these are course-intensive programs that can last up to six calendar years. In accelerated chiropractic degree programs, students can achieve their chiropractic degrees in as little as three years; however this is a rigorous course of study and requires absolute dedication.

Chiropractic degrees and relative chiropractic degree programs include the Doctor of Chiropractic, Bachelor of Science in human biology, as well as Bachelor of Science in public health. Candidates interested in enrolling in chiropractic degree programs should take one of several pre-entry examinations, such as the CLEP (College Level Examination Program) or ACT (American College Training Program) exams to determine educational level prior to applying.

Students pursuing chiropractic degrees will gain intense training and education in a wide assortment of studies including classes in human anatomy, chiropractic biochemistry, biomedical physiology, biomechanics, pathology, cell biology, microbiology, immunology, pharmacology, radiography, chiropractic principles and history, chiropractic skills, physical examination and assessment, and clinical practicum.

In most chiropractic degree programs, students who have successfully achieved their chiropractic degrees will have acquired over 4,200 hours of in-depth studies and training; including combined classroom, clinical and laboratory experience. Successful graduates can and must attain licensure from the state in which they reside. States vary in licensure requirements, so it is of utmost importance that students who have attained their chiropractic degrees have met all prerequisites, educational requirements and credentials set forth by individual state specifications.

If you (or someone you know) are interested in finding quality chiropractic degrees and chiropractic degree programs, let career training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, cosmetology, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore career school programs near you.

Chiropractic Degrees: Achieve Yours

© Copyright 2007

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NOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.

Homeland Security Degrees in Demand

"Homeland security (HS) is a growing, versatile and dynamic profession," says Jim Ramsay, program coordinator for the BS program in homeland security at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL. "We (educators, government officials, and military personnel and HS professionals) generally realize that following 9-11, homeland security became a new profession." However, he adds, the timing of events and the complex nature of the job at hand didn't allow higher education to produce practitioners at a rate that either the government (state or federal) or industry needed. Hence, there was a rapid influx of ex-military, ex-airline, ex-police, ex-security, etc., professionals into the fledgling profession and the newly created U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), all of whom are aging.

And when you take an aging workforce and an urgency for skilled, highly-trained professionals, the result is more and more institutions offering homeland security degrees.

Of course, it's not just terrorist threats that demand immediate response to protect people and their property. "Hurricane Katrina showed us that with all due respect to our efforts to manage infrastructure protection, customs and border protection, terrorism, transportation and shipping security, etc, there are real threats from natural disasters that have very large, very expensive and very difficult to fix consequences," explains Ramsay.

So What Do Homeland Security Degrees Teach Anyway?


Turning out professionals prepared with homeland security degress is very new, says Ramsay, so the exact skill set preferred by the government or industry remains an empirical question. That being said, at Embry-Riddle the focus is on critical thinking and analysis, team work, history and philosophy, around a core of classes that explore each of the major directorates of the Department of Homeland Security (customs and border protection, emergency planning and response, information analysis and infrastructure protection, science and technology and management). For instance, students learn the basics of our legal system, sources of law, types of law, due process, habeas corpus, the origin and legal basis for homeland security, international law and legal systems (the international court and the UN), risk analysis and evaluation, ethics, cross cultural and non western history, statistics and some basic sciences.

Furthermore, the school's homeland security degrees require concentration in specific areas such as aviation/transportation security, emergency planning, readiness planning, implementation and evaluation, and occupational safety and security.

Likewise, at Virginia Commonwealth University, its program in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness has an "all-hazard approach," says Bill Newmann, undergraduate coordinator of the program. "The broad nature of our approach gives students an education is areas such as intelligence, risk management, strategic planning, legal and constitutional issues, and analysis of terrorist threats." The program also includes electives that allow students to specialize in anything from state and local government, to transportations systems to criminal procedure to risk and insurance, he adds.

An Array of Homeland Security Careers


Beyond the obvious man-made and natural disaster scenarios, those interested in homeland security degrees have a multitude of job opportunities. While you certainly may work within the military branches, state and federal government, or law enforcement, there are many homeland security needs within the private sector. "[Homeland security degrees prepare you for] consulting on emergency preparedness, occupational safety, cyber security, transportation security, and for organizations that have international exposures that will require a more professionally competent security officer," says Ramsay.

Homeland Security Degree in the Spotlight


Sonoma College, which offers the associate's degree in homeland response and emergency management, as well as certificate programs and continuing education credits in related areas, has developed a unique partnership with the New York City Fire Department to provide degree-education and college credits focused on homeland security.

Chiropractic Training - What It Entails

Find Chiropractic Training in the United States and Canada. If you're one of the many interested students in search of alternative healthcare education, then a chiropractic training program may be an ideal option for you.

Today, many chiropractic training programs, including undergraduate, graduate and doctor of chiropractic courses are accessible to applicants in a variety of chiropractic schools across North America. In many cases, students may apply for scholarships, financial aid and student loans to acquire this education (including federal Pell grants, and federal Stafford loans); however, it is essential that students review prospective chiropractic training programs as most chiropractic colleges and universities require prerequisite education from a traditional college or school.

Undergraduate studies offered through a number of chiropractic training courses include bachelor degree programs in biology, business, nutrition, psychology and related subjects of study. Graduate studies through chiropractic training courses may involve master's programs in chiropractic sports science, exercise and fitness, and other associated topics. Most chiropractic training programs offer pre-chiropractic courses (for those who have not yet achieved basic enrollment requirements), and doctor of chiropractic training as well.

The doctor of chiropractic training course entails an extensive curriculum. Students participating in this particular course of study will gain immeasurable knowledge and skills in how to take patient histories, perform physical and neuromuscular examinations, assess patient's psychological state, effectively communicate, clinically diagnose, apply critical thinking and problem resolution, manage casework, educate patients, and manage business. Additionally, practical chiropractic training will include learning about nutrition, chiropractic history and philosophy, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, radiology, pathology, microbiology, diagnostic imaging, chiropractic technique and procedures, and other elective courses.

In most cases, to successfully complete chiropractic training, the student must have acquired a minimum of 4,200 hours classroom hours and internship. Most chiropractic training programs, however, are longer than the required minimum, and can be completed in as little as 4 years for full-time programs, and up to 8 years for part-time* studies (not all chiropractic schools offer part-time coursework). Once students have achieved chiropractic training and have graduated from one of several accredited chiropractic colleges or universities, it is important to recognize that most states require licensure in this field, and to maintain licensure, chiropractic practitioners must receive annual continuing education courses.

If you (or someone you know) are interested in finding quality chiropractic training, let career training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, cosmetology, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore career school programs near you.

Chiropractic Training: What it Entails

© Copyright 2007

The CollegeBound Network

All Rights Reserved

NOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.

Student Loan Consolidation - How To Get The Best Rates And Plans?

Student loan consolidation can have got many benefits for the career minded student. With the terms of things going through the roof, going to college can be very costly. Many students don’t have got thousands of dollars to pay their manner through college.

This is why many college students utilize student loans to get themselves through college. When it come ups clip to pay back their student loans, it can be a existent load and a distraction from their career.

Before you subscribe up on the dotted line, you should cognize how to get the best student loan consolidation rate and program for your financial needs. If you are tired of too many measures and monthly owed dates, it just might be clip to happen the best student loan consolidation rate and program that you can measure up for.

What Is The Idea Behind Student Loan Consolidation?

When a student first applied for respective student loans from respective different agencies and student loan providers, they each gave a different interest rate and term for paying back the loans. The thought of student loan consolidation, is to take all the different student loans and set them into one easy convenient loan. You then only have got to do one monthly loan payment every month, instead of respective loan payments every calendar calendar month over time. This salvages the student both clip and money. Having a lower interest rate and less checks to compose every calendar month are a couple of advantages of doing a student loan consolidation.

Credit Check Before You Get Student Loan Consolidation Rates And Payment Plans

The most obvious manner to get the best student loan consolidation rates and payments, is by having great credit. It’s easy to get great student loan consolidation programs with a credit score, also known as FICO, over 660. But, there are respective ways to get the best student loan consolidation rates and payment plans.

You can make a simple online search on FICO and credit scores to happen the information you need to check out your credit score. Knowing your credit information should be your first measure to getting the best student loan consolidation rates. With knowledge, you will get the best student loan consolidation rates for your financial and credit situation.

Student loan consolidation rates and programs can change from individual to person. The loan rates offered will be based on your financial state of affairs and credit. With a FICO credit score under 600, it can be a challenge to get a good student loan consolidation rate and program in most cases.

7 Aspects To See With Student Loan Consolidation Plans

1. Lower Monthly Payments. Depending on your student loan state of affairs and the type of lender you choose, you may be able to lower your monthly payments by up to 50%

2. Having Simple Loan Payments. By consolidating your student loans, you only have got one loan payment per calendar month and one check to write. This is very good if you are writing respective checks every calendar month to multiple lenders.

3. Having Fixed Interest Rates. With some federal consolidation loans you can have got a fixed rate for the life of your student loan. It’s best to make research to see what the best interest rates and term you are eligible for. You can check online to cipher the interest rate on a new student consolidation loan based on the rates of your current student loans. You can then round up to the nighest 1/8th of a percent of the leaden average of the interest rates on your eligible student loans.

4. Extending Your Payment Period. You may have got a batch of student loan debt. With federal consolidation loans you may be able to widen the payment term up to 30 years. It’s A good thought to recognize you will stop up paying more than interest over the life of your student loan consolidation. The thought is to get some leverage until your career takes off. You can concentrate on making money instead of respective monthly loan payments.

5. In School Consolidation Programs. While still in school, eligible students can lock in a low rate. This would set you into repayment status, but since you are still in school, you are automatically set into deferment. The drawback of consolidating your loans while in school, is that you lose your 6 calendar month saving grace period. The solution to this would be to bespeak patience for up to 1 twelvemonth on your student loan consolidation. Here again you can make some research and get more than information online.

6. Lower Interest Rate. Student loan consolidation can salvage you thousands of dollars. You may be using credit cards with 10% to 28% interest trying to maintain up with your bills. This tin cost you thousands of dollars when you pay the minimum monthly payments on high interest credit card debt. Having a student loan consolidation may be your best option if you can get lower interest rates when consolidating your student loans.

7. New Interest Rates. With a new student loan consolidation, you may be able to get a much better interest rate. Interest rates are now at an all clip low. You may have got been paying on debt you built up from respective old age ago, at high interest rates. Things change over clip in the financial industry.

Resources Online For Student Loan Consolidation Rates And Payment Plans

With today’s Internet resources, you have got an advantage when looking for the best student loan consolidation rates and programs online. If you take some clip to do research on the procedure of getting the best student loan consolidation rates and plans, you may be able to salvage yourself the high costs on student loan consolidation.

Online website services can make it easy to see if you qualify. There are many tools and ideas online to assist you get the best rates and programs available for your student loan consolidation needs.

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.

Life Insurance Without Life Value: Why Young People Are Snubbing Financial Advice

This article is written by a 27 year old female (borderline Generation X / Y) called Rachel. Rachel spent six years at university, has no outstanding debts with the exception of government student loans. Rachel also has no pension plan, no life insurance, savings or property investment. Despite reports of average starting salaries for graduates beginning at £18,000, some even at £25,000, Rachel started on £14,000 three years ago, despite gaining a First Class Honours and offering extensive work experience.

This isn’t therapy through Microsoft Word, but it’s not uncommon to read reports of “apathetic youth” in the media. For driven young graduates who didn’t quite land where they expected – it is a little frustrating to be branded “ignorant”, when it is already difficult working off university debts and fighting your way onto the career ladder in a very competitive market.

What is the point of having independence in old age, if you cannot experience it in youth? That is not to say young people should be encouraged or supported in their debateable extravagance, only that we remain unconvinced by old age. We may have seen our parents lose money in shares or private pension funds, or get divorced and lose money through property. We may be worried about global warming and in an age of suicide bombers, we may not even be confident about how much control we have on our lives anyway. With so much choice on what we can do, but so few people empowering us with confidence, we may well rebel for years to come – chopping and changing until we find something that fits or until we get tired.

It’s too easy to brand young people as apathetic just because they haven’t got pensions or life insurance. Smug thirty-somethings who received full grants, graduated in a less competitive market and bought property when the house market was low are quite happy to “tut tut” at their twenty-something shadows in their lack of financially savvy experience, but today’s twenty somethings are being squeezed from all angles:

* Student loans replace university grants
* Commercialisation of university life, with banks and credit card companies actively courting student customers
* High property prices
* Very competitive job market

What we need are comprehensive financial research sites that provide information which directly relates to our circumstances. Websites such as moneynet ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk ) with their product price comparisons and finance guides (especially the student finance guide) –do go most of the way, but we want something that also takes into account our aspirations, situations and will go the distance. We’re not adverse to pensions, life insurance and mortgages, but if we’re going to splash out lots of dough, it has to be a reasonably reliable investment and we remain unconvinced from we’ve seen so far in provocative, panic-stirring media.

It’s true that products such as life insurance would at least protect our families from our debts and that’s important, but with regard to pension, who’s to say that in our old age, we may not revert back to student lifestyles – living in communities and on budgets.

Resources:

Google and the search command “define: generation X” or define: generation y” for age reference

Life Insurance Information

The source of inspiration for this article!

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.

What Card to Chose?

Overwhelmed at the large number and assortment of credit cards available today? The following is a summary of the cards out there.

Credit Card
Type A Credit Card enables you to purchase anything up to a certain set bounds that that peculiar card throws before you are required to pay for it. This type of card is similar to a loan, were you are required to pay a minimum monthly amount. This is the "Buy Now Pay Later" concept.

Debit Card
With This card you can purchase good with the money that is already in your account(s). The amount you pass is immediately taken from your account. Some good things about this is that You pass what You have got and will not owe it later, as well there is no waiting for the measure and having to retrieve to pay it. With A Debit card opposed to a Credit card there can be poorer protection in cases were your card is stolen or if there happened to be a charge dispute.

Charge Card
This Card is much like the Credit Card the lone difference is that it must be paid completely monthly. Therefore not allowing flexible wage times, but you are kept up to day of the month paying what you owe regularly!

Cash Card
This Card allows you to retreat cash from an standard atmosphere machine. Like the debit entry card it have got to have a particular pin number that places the user.

Cheque Guarantee Card
This is a card that the bank gives you that warrants the individual you are purchasing from that your check is guaranteed not to resile up to a set bounds on the Check warrant card.

Store Card
This is a type of credit card that is only usable in the supplies indicated or online with the supplies indicated. For Example Sears Card, Esso Card, Wal-Mart Card. There are usually put bounds and these are adjustable per clients individual credit history. Again at the end of the calendar month there is a measure sent out with the declared minimum payment.

This interruptions down what each card basically mathematical functions as and hopefully you can pick the one(s) best suited for Your Personal and business needs.