| IT Services Consolidation Shows No Sign of Slowing in Q2
The number of mergers and acquisitions in the IT services space during the second quarter of 2007 was up by 23% on the same period of the previous year, as the rate of consolidation showed no sign of slowing. In the three months to the end of June, ComputerWire tracked a total of 102 M&As involving IT services vendors, up from 83 in the second quarter of 2006. In total, the first half of 2007 has seen a massive 192 deals announced, up 19% on the first six months of last year. The two biggest deals of the quarter both involved private equity firms buying credit card processing companies. In April, First Data agreed to a buyout by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts valued at $29bn. Then, one month later, Alliance Data Systems was acquired by Blackstone Group in a $7.8bn agreement, representing roughly a 30% premium on Alliance's share price.
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. .
Advent Raises Largest-Ever Private Equity Fund for Latin America
Advent International, one of the world's leading global buyout firms, today announced the final close of its Latin American Private Equity Fund IV at the cap of $1.3 billion, making it the largest private equity fund ever raised for investment in Latin America. LAPEF IV exceeded its target capitalization by 30% and attracted over $2 billion of interest from institutional investors. The new fund brings Advent's total capital raised for the region to $2.2 billion. .
College graduate should pay down her student loans
Karen Wons of Maryland finds herself in a quandary that is confronting many parents.
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.
.
|
