THE Ramen Report

In debt and at fault?

Fri, 02 May 2008 13:42:49 +0000

Are students responsible for their financial woes? ( polls)

Are Generation Y’ers to blame for their financial woes? Or do they just not know any better, [asks this article][urlWhyGenY]. Weigh in. [urlWhyGenY]: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/HomeMortgageSavings/WhyGenerationYIsBroke.aspx#pageTopAnchor

How you can tackle your debt

Thu, 01 May 2008 12:34:08 +0000

Credit cards, student loans, maybe a car loan. Wouldn’t it be nice to be debt-free? If your goal is to get out of debt, [rank it, suggests Farnoosh Torabi][urlTorabi], senior correspondent for TheStreet.com. [urlTorabi]: http://www.thestreet.com/s/put-your-debts-on-a-totem-pole/funds/saving-money/10411975.html?puc=googlen&cm_ven=GOOGLEN&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA

Net worth: it’s not just for Bill Gates anymore

Thu, 01 May 2008 11:32:08 +0000

Want to see what you’re worth? Find your own Forbes-worthy rating with [this net worth calculator][urlNetWorth]. It’s like a “you are here” map for your finances. [urlNetWorth]: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9745956

Financial Literacy 101

Thu, 01 May 2008 10:29:53 +0000

School’s back in session with new tutorials from the Education Finance Counsel – a group of nonprofit student loan lenders banding together to help make college more affordable. [Check out budgeting, credit and ID theft][urlFinancialLiteracy] topics. Then impress your friends with your new financial prowess. [urlFinancialLiteracy]: http://www.efc.org/cs/financial_literacy

Student Loan Crunch: Relevant Links

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:00:55 +0000

Want to check out the latest student loan crunch updates? The Today show [outlines the recent developments][urlTodayShow]. The Yale Daily News [discusses how the loan crisis affects loans for professional students][urlYaleNews]. [urlTodayShow]: http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-us&vid=711a7a62-d883-4584-b53b-4ee07afd6483 [urlYaleNews]: http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/24049

How you can fight identity theft

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:56:08 +0000

Anyone can fall victim of identity theft. But you can take the right steps to [deter, detect and defend][urlIDTheft] against this rampant problem. [urlIDTheft]: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/

Smart moves to make during a recession

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:52:32 +0000

The slipping value of the dollar, the mortgage crisis. While some experts cite these as the apocalyptic signs of a recession, others are still loath to say the R word. No matter what the next few months may bring, [find out what you need to know][urlMTVNEWS] to survive a recession. [urlMTVNEWS]: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1582672/20080303/id_0.jhtml

What’s changed about Economic Hardship Deferment

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:54:36 +0000

This year, the Economic Hardship Deferment program has new eligibility rules that allow more students to qualify for the program. To find out if you are eligible, you can use the [Economic Hardship Deferment calculator][urlEconomicHardship] or refer to a [coversheet][urlDeferHardship] that outlines the requirements and documents you will need to provide when applying for deferment. [urlEconomicHardship]: http://www.theloanprogram.org/tlc/Calculators/HardshipCalc.aspx [urlDeferHardship]: http://www.northstar.org/downloads/defer_hardship.pdf

What you can do about your loans during the credit crisis

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:12:27 +0000

The credit crunch is [taking a toll on student loans][urlRamenMarket]. And while the government promises borrowers it can make more federal loans available, some experts say it won’t be able to cover all the funds if the credit crisis lasts, [reports the St. Paul Pioneer Press][urlPioneerPress]. Here’s what you need to do to avoid problems with your loan applications: [urlRamenMarket]: http://www.theramenreport.org/archive/2008/01/why-the-market-is-causing-unre.html [urlPioneerPress]: http://www.twincities.com/finance/ci_8274439?nclick_check=1

The graduate: what today’s job market means for your loans

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:09:07 +0000

This year is predicted to be [a tough one for landing that dream job][urlDreamJob]. So what’s a smart graduate to do with repayment looming? Think outside the standard repayment term – you have many payment options available, including graduated payment plans that start as low as interest-only. If you need to postpone making payments, consider applying for a deferment or forbearance. [urlDreamJob]: http://msn.careerbuilder.com/custom/msn/careeradvice/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1292&SiteId=cbmsnbc41292&sc_extcmp=JS_1292_msnbc>1=10884&cbRecursionCnt=3&cbsid=e850db09a3b5480a9be2cf28de990e03-257511669-VQ-4

Get the scoop on current loan topics

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:05:58 +0000

__Why you should gauge your debt__ When you’re busy with school, it doesn’t take much to lose track of your debt. Get a quick reality check early in your education with [Bright Ideas: Gauge Your Debt][urlGaugeDebt] – a lender-neutral brochure that helps you stay focused on your future financial goals. [urlGaugeDebt]: http://www.northstar.org/downloads/GaugeYourDebt.pdf

Turns out you really can have it all

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:04:04 +0000

Want to live cheap without feeling the pinch? [Yahoo! Finance offers you eight ways to save][urlEightWays] that are as relaxing as a bubble bath. [urlEightWays]: http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/104346/Eight-Ways-to-Cut-Back-Without-Sacrificing

Want to save $1,000 this year?

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:15:40 +0000

It’s not too late for that New Year’s resolution! [Check out the seven ways to save a grand in 2008][urlSaveThousand]. [urlSaveThousand]:http://www.boston.com/business/gallery/save1000/

Why the market is causing unrest in the student loan industry

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:23:47 +0000

Read the paper lately? The current hubbub about sub-prime mortgages is hard to miss. But what you may not know is that this unrest is trickling down to the student loan industry, as well, [reports Business Week][urlShakySeason]. Along with recent legislation, the mortgage crisis is likely to affect both new and existing student loans. [urlShakySeason]:http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/jan2008/bs20080117_586028.htm

Steal this valentine: February 14th for cheap

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:25:56 +0000

For all you cash-strapped Casanovas, Valentine’s Day may seem like one big conspiracy to drain your hard-earned student dollars. But is romance dead for the spendthrift? Hardly. All it takes is a little extra creativity — instead of teddy bears, [why not say “I love you” with extra cheese][urlValentine]? Have other ideas for a Valentine’s Day on budget? Share them with your fellow thrifty romantics. [urlValentine]:http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/128537/cheap_valentines_day_dinners_for_college.html