| Student loan options are baffling to family
Karen Wons of Maryland finds herself in a quandary that is confronting many parents right now. She is struggling with how best to advise her daughter -- a recent college graduate -- on paying down her $25,000 in student loans. Wons did what any wise parent would do. She asked for help. Wons's daughter works as a project manager at a medical software company. She has an annual salary of more than $50,000. Her employer provides a 401(k). She has about $13,000 in cash from recently redeemed Series EE savings bonds. She has no credit card debt. She has no payments on a reliable car with low mileage. She's sharing an apartment and other living expenses with an older sister in Madison, Wis. Her portion of the rent is a little more than $500 a month. Wons is unsure about the course her daughter should take: Should the daughter consolidate her college loans during her six-month grace period? (She has federally backed Stafford and Perkins loans.) Should she use the entire $13,000 to pay down the loans or keep making monthly payments to take advantage of the interest deduction? Should she invest all of the $13,000? While paying on the loans, should she contribute to her 401(k)? Let's take the consolidation question first.
Rein in spending and avoid credit-card debt
Question: I have credit-card debt at high interest rates on several cards, as well as student loans. Going into my last year in college and being wary of the future, carrying this debt scares me. I have been wondering if I should consider a debt-consolidation loan. What do you think? Answer: I am not a fan of consolidation loans. What attracts most people to consolidation loans is the potentially lower monthly payments. However, the main drawback of such loans is that they usually raise a person's average interest rate on his debt. .
125% Home Equity Loans Now Close Concurrently with a 100% First-Second Mortgage Refinance from BD Nationwide
BD Nationwide Mortgage introduces the "125% Home Equity Refinance Loan Combination" for refinancing 1st and 2nd mortgages into a new 100% first mortgage with a 125% home equity loan that funds simultaneously. The latest home equity product from BD Nationwide helps homeowners refinance their adjustable rate mortgage to 100% loan-to-value and enables them to consolidate additional consumer debt like revolving credit cards and unsecured high rate loans with a 125% second mortgage. On average, borrowers are saving $800 a month with 1st-2nd combo loans that were clearly created to convert and consolidate adjustable rate mortgages into fixed rate no equity loans that maximize savings. .
(AFX UK Focus) 2007-08-02 09:30 GMT: TFN NEWS BRIEFING: Banking and insurance highlights to 09:15 BST
2007-08-02 08:31:40 News Corp revives Sky Italia IPO plan - report MILAN (Thomson Financial) - News Corp has revived the idea of listing its satellite pay-TV unit Sky Italia on the Milan bourse, in an operation which could value the company at 3.3 bln eur, the Il Sole 24 Ore daily said in an unsourced report. 2007-08-02 08:28:51 Deutsche Boerse July turnover up 105 pct yr-on-yr to 237.4 bln eur FRANKFURT (Thomson Financial) - Deutsche Boerse AG said turnover on both its Xetra trading platform and on its trading floor in July was 237.4 bln eur, representing a 105 pct increase from the same period last year. 2007-08-02 07:57:13 Taiwan's KGI Securities ratings affirmed on improved revenue diversity - Fitch MUMBAI (Thomson Financial) - Fitch Ratings said it has affirmed Taiwan's KGI Securities Co Ltd's ratings with a stable outlook reflecting KGI's improved revenue diversity by products and geography, operational efficiency in brokerage, relatively sophisticated risk management, and adequate liquidity and capitalisation.
Synovus sets October date for TSYS spinoff decision
Synovus Financial Corp. took a major step Tuesday toward possibly spinning off its credit-card processing subsidiary TSYS, saying it wants a final decision by late October. Columbus-based Synovus, which owns nearly 81 percent of TSYS, also headquartered locally, said it will formally ask its board of directors during a regularly scheduled quarterly meeting Thursday to appoint a committee to consider a spinoff and make a recommendation. "Ample time will be given, but our expectation and hope is that this work will be done in a manner to allow us to announce a final decision no later than the third-quarter analysts call," Richard Anthony, Synovus chairman and chief executive officer, told brokerage analysts in a conference call Tuesday afternoon. Such a timetable would mean a decision should come by the third or fourth week of October.
A Single Global Currency
Since Europe enacted the euro as its common currency, there has been increased discussion about whether or not the world would benefit from a single global currency. At this point, the proponents seem to have a substantial edge; but like anything else, there are proponents and there are detractors. The Book: The Single Global Currency I just got through reading this interesting book by Morrison Bonpasse, who is the president of the Single Global Currency Association. It was an eye-opener. Additionally, I must say that Mr. Bonpasse recently invited me to serve on the association's international board of directors. Because I have both spoken and written about the pros and cons of currency consolidation and I find the topic fascinating, I was happy to accept the appointment.
Partnerships prove Ram pride sells
While Colorado State University doesn't generally sell naming rights to its buildings and sports facilities, it's happy to rent its name and logo to everyone from jewelers to car dealers, travel agencies and credit card companies. And every time a student or alumnus signs up or buys, the university, its athletic department and alumni association stand to benefit. .
Adknowledge Releases Rankings of Web Advertising Categories for July 2007
Adknowledge, a leading pay-per-click advertising marketplace, reported today the largest gains and losses in click volume for its online advertising categories. The rankings are based on over 50,000 advertisers that compete for traffic on an auction platform available at www.BidSystem.com. BidSystem advertising is sold on a category basis, giving an easy way to compare fluctuations in industries based on their monthly advertising spend. .
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