Trade Schools and Student Loans – Double Trouble?

An article appeared recently in the New York Times which discussed how many for-profit trade schools are doing very well in these difficult times. It seems, however, that their students don’t always fare so well. Federally backed student loans are used to pay for this training over 80% of the time, and many students cannot afford the debt load when it comes time to repay them.Many of these trade schools advertise frequently on television and subsequently have become household names. Some examples are the University of Phoenix, ITT Technical College and the Cordon Bleu cooking school among many others. It is not unusual for these for-profit schools to be billion dollar per year enterprises. The fees they charge can be substantial, sometimes surpassing $40,000 for a two year program in some cases.These trade schools have been booming lately because of the recession. People see that business is down and that the future does not look brilliant for many, and they think that the only way to get ahead and lead a decent lifestyle in the future is to get training and a good paying job. The problem is that they are letting themselves be misled in a lot of cases. They do this by listening to the recruiters for these schools who tell them it is likely they will be placed into a job through industry connections the school has developed. They also are led to believe that they can expect a certain level of salary upon graduation, and this often turns out to be totally unrealistic. Of course these figures are never put in writing and are not guarantees, but people tend to latch onto these dreams and find themselves in trouble when they don’t earn nearly the salary they were expecting and cannot afford the student loan payments after finishing trade school.It is an axiom of student loan borrowing that a person should only borrow in total as much as his/her first year of salary is expected to be- beyond that the debt burden will be too high. If someone were to borrow $40,000 for a two year trade school program, this will lead to payments of $460 per month for a ten year payoff period. Another axiom is that student loan installment payments should not exceed 10% of a person’s monthly earnings. So someone would have to start out earning about $55,000 per year to afford that level of student loan debt. There aren’t that many jobs paying $55,000 to fresh-out trade school graduates.Worse than that the former students are often facing underemployment and jobs paying close to the minimum wage, if they get hired at all. It is not unusual for people who graduate from cooking schools to get jobs bussing tables or washing dishes rather than being the glorious chef they expected to be, for example.The trade schools are doing very well, however. In fact in many cases they have begun to offer student loans themselves. As stated previously, these schools average well over 80% of revenue coming from student loans. So why would they lend additional funds, in fact their own money, to students? A lot of this loan money ends up being written off as bad debt, so what is going on? The answer is that there is a requirement when taking out federal student loans that at least 10% of the cost of schooling be paid either by the student or from other private sources. So the trade schools step in and lend money to students to meet these requirements. Their business that is funded by federal student loans is so good that write-offs on the money they lend to students themselves are worth it.It could be worse. There are many trade schools out there that are not well established household names like the companies cited above. There are lots of smaller, unaccredited schools. Sometimes these schools just close up and students are left holding the bag. And that bag is a heavy one because these kinds of schools, being non-accredited, are not sanctioned by federal student programs, so private student loans are required if the student needs to borrow money, which is the case most of the time. Private student loans have much higher interest rates and far less protection for borrowers than do federal loans. So the student is left with a heavy loan burden and no job credentials from the trade school that he can use to find employment and pay off the student loan debt. There are more and more reports of trade schools declaring bankruptcy and closing in one location and then opening up shop and starting again somewhere else under a different name and organizational structure.

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Don’t Get Caught Without Health Insurance Know the Facts

When it comes to preparedness, health insurance will always be your best bet. Because one cannot easily determine when he or she will need medical help, having a reliable health insurance plan will be very helpful in covering the costs of treatment and care. There are many factors one must consider before signing up for a health insurance policy. Since there are different types available, one needs to carefully assess his needs and also manage his allotted budget.What do you need to know about health insurance? How can this help you and your family in times of need? Read on to learn about interesting facts about policies and coverage, so you can make the informed choice when buying health insurance for you and your family.o In the United States, it has been reported that nearly 45 million Americans have no form of health insurance whatsoever. This accounts for about 15 percent of the total population as of the year 2006. As mentioned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among the total population of Hispanics, 32 percent were uninsured. This is compared to 19 percent of all African-Americans, and 10 percent of all whites who do not have health insurance coverage.o Of all the uninsured persons in the United States, about 7 million were minors, below the age of 18. This accounts for about 10 percent of the below 18 population of the country, as reported by the CDC. According to the new health insurance plan proposed by the administration of President Barack Obama, about $87 billion of government funds will be allotted for the improvement of state insurance programs, as well as the SCHIP, or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. This will expect to reduce the number of uninsured children in the country by up to 72 percent, giving minors better opportunities for health care.o More on the uninsured: what percentage of the population ages 19 to 64 (non-elderly) do not have health insurance? The Kaiser Health Foundation reports that approximately 20 percent of adults in this age group are without any form of health insurance, as of the year 2007. Which states have the most number of uninsured adults? The same site reports that New Mexico and Texas top the list, with about 30 percent of people in this age group without health coverage. On the other hand, Massachusetts has the least uninsured adults, which only comprise about 10 percent of the total age group.o Which states have the highest number of uninsured children, who are from ages 0 to 18 years old? As the Kaiser Health Foundation statistics present, Texas has about 22 percent of children without health insurance, with Florida following with 19 percent. Massachusetts also has the least percentage in this category, with only about 5 percent of children without health coverage.o According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), about 34 percent of the nation has their own private health insurance plans, while nearly half of the population rely on government funded insurance programs. To be more specific, 19 percent are under MediCare, 15 percent under MedicAid and SCHIP, and another 12 percent from other select public insurance providers.o The National Association of Insurance Commissioners reported in 2007 the insurance companies who have written the most premiums as of that year. Topping the list were UnitedHealth Group owning 11.7 percent of the market share, and WellPoint Inc. Group, with 9.75 percent of the market share. Kaiser Family Foundation follows in third with 7.7 percent market share in that same year. Among the oldest health insurance providers in the country, Blue Cross, is the ninth on the list, with approximately 1.72 percent of the market share.o When comparing individual insurance plans and group insurance plans, you can expect to save more if you purchase multiple policies. However, according to some people who choose individual policies, they are able to tailor their plans to be in tune with their specific health needs. You can learn more on the pros and cons of these two types of health insurance when you consult with an insurance agent.o During the economic recession in the United States, there were millions of people who have become unemployed. However, thanks to the new administration and the initiatives of President Obama, these employees can still reap the benefits of their health insurance plans, as the government intends to allot $25 billion. These will cover for as much as 65 percent of each employee’s health insurance premiums, according to a report by Reuters.o Speaking of employment, even the insurance industry is responsible for contributing to the number of jobs available for people in the United States. In two of the largest states in the country, hundreds of thousands are able to find work through many opportunities provided by the state. In California, about 300,000 employees are in the insurance sector, while in Texas, the figure has reached above 216,000 as of 2006. Other states included among the top in the list are Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.o According to the Health Insurance Association of America, the Franklin Health Insurance Company from Massachusetts was the very first firm to offer accident insurance, and this was in the year 1850. During this time, these policies were made available to employees of railroads and steamboats, who were prone to work-related injuries. Within a few decades, more organizations began to offer this type of insurance policy.

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The Best Ways I’ve Found To Make Money Online From Home

Have you been looking for a way to make money online without having to know much of the internet stuff? Wanting to work at home but don’t know how to do it? Here is the key gem: Between all the tricks on joining the craft beer movement, opening a gallery or being a tour operator, you will find clever advice that anybody can apply to make money online quickly.

The most basic way to make money online is through affiliate marketing. It is really easy. Basically you set up an ad for someone she is selling something and when they click through and buy it, you make money! Simple enough if you have no technical skill at all. Here are some simple tips on how to earn using affiliate marketing:

Drop-shipping is one of the most useful methods. You select a product in which you believe there is a demand and then drop-ship it to your customers in small quantities. You make money from the difference between what the stock costs and what you sell it for. For this method, it is important to note that you may need to make space for your inventory on your premises or perhaps wait until you have a build of an inventory before you can start drop-shipping; but the advantages make it a good choice for those seeking to make money online from their spare time.

Paid surveys are a great way to earn some extra cash. These can be accessed easily and there are many sites where you can get paid from spending your spare time. There is one site, though, which is said to pay $200 a week for twelve weeks straight – you can’t beat that kind of money making potential. With paid surveys, it is important to note that the sites are generally scams, and that you need to do some research to ensure you are making good money making opportunities.

Finally, a passive income generating method that can bring in money on autopilot is eToro’s Forex trading. This works by allowing you to invest on a demo account and earn money from the performance of the currencies being exchanged. The best thing about this system is that it allows you to do virtually anything and still see profits coming in. eToro has an average starting price of less than $50 and can generate an income of five figures in just a few months.

These are the best things I have found for making money online from your home. Though none of them are as good as, say, a paid-online course, they are much more affordable and can provide a valuable education to start earning money immediately online. With just a little research, you should be able to find a legitimate opportunity to get paid to learn the basics of making money in the currency markets. This is a truly remarkable opportunity.

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