It’s no doubt that graduating from college is a major accomplishment. However, when you know you are going to leave with a bundle of student loans that need to be paid back, your stress level just keeps rising. With the cost of education rising, you may owe a shocking amount of money. It’s important to put together a good plan, so you know how exactly you’re going to pay this off. Continue reading →

Many people were not aware, but this past week was declared North Carolina’s Financial Aid Awareness Week, proclaimed by Governor Pat McCrory.  Most colleges mail admission decisions for the fall semester around March 1, and for many states, including North Carolina, the deadline to apply for federal financial aid also falls at the same time.  There can be a lot of paperwork involved; therefore, the fourth Saturday in February has been deemed FAFSA Day in North Carolina. Continue reading →

Back in 2010, Arizona decided to do away with payday loans. They were the 17th state to do so at the time. Payday lenders tend to charge fees rather than interest and these fees add up very quickly. Often this leads to a cycle of constant borrowing simply to repay the loans from the previous payday lender. A better alternative is to develop, and stick to, a budget combined with some lifestyle changes to help reduce and eliminate debt. Continue reading →

Lenders often allow you a chance to qualify for a loan with this simple question: “Please explain in one sentence what makes you a good credit risk for this loan.” If you respond incorrectly, you could ruin your chances. Continue reading →

Sooner or later, you will run into an emergency. You may have a health issue that requires surgery or an extended period of time in the hospital. You may suddenly lose a job that had been your main source of income. You may even lose the home or apartment you’ve been living in. What happens if something like this occurs while you’re in college? Will you have to give up your studies? Well, if your school has an emergency student loan program, you won’t have to. Continue reading →

1-hour payday loans are the fastest type of payday loans currently available. As with all other payday loans, they are extremely accessible as very few people are not eligible for one. Because of this fact, they are historically popular in poor neighborhoods and with low-income families, usually those living paycheck to paycheck and for one reason or another, have an unexpected expense they have to pay for, and quickly. The difference between 1-hour payday loans and other payday loans is the speed of the turnaround of your application; processing of your application and subsequent approval may be completed within one hour. With 1-hour payday loans, you should be able to access the cash advance by the end of the following business day, at the latest. Many companies do offer the option of wiring the money directly and immediately to your bank, but not without charging additional fees. Theoretically, and depending on the activeness of the company you are dealing with, you could apply for the loan and have it in an hour. Continue reading →

Stafford Loans are federal loans given to students, that have low fixed interest rates (dependent on when loan is taken out). CFNC.org is an excellent resource for reading up on several financial aid options for North Carolina residents and I have used this website as a source for the following information listed in this article. There are two forms of the Stafford Loan: the Subsidized and the Unsubsidized Loan. Continue reading →

CitiFinancial has changed its name to OneMain Financial. Citigroup previously announced the name change and re-branding on December 8, 2010. However, it did not complete the name change until the summer of 2011. Continue reading →

According to the Department of Education’s (DOE) website, Perkins loans are low-interest loans provided jointly by the federal government and your university to help you cover the costs of tuition. Full disclosure: this author relied on Perkins loans to fund his own college education… and he fully advises all students to pursue this fantastic option. Continue reading →