Sunday, February 22, 2009

Investing For College Students

Investing for college students isn't as hard as it may seem. Did you know you could start a very simple but prosperous investing plan with just a small commitment each month?
The problems most college students run into when it comes to investing is lack of capital. Not long ago, it wasn't worth your time and effort to invest in the market. This is because commissions used to eat up investor's returns. If you had only $50 a month to invest, would you want $10 of that going towards your broker? The key to successful investing is keep 100% of your returns as possible.
The first company to market investments towards young students has been T. Rowe Price. With a minimum of $50 a month, you can invest in one of their mutual funds. There are small account fees, but nothing that will eat away at your returns.
They offer a wide range of index funds, with below average expense ratios. College student's number one problem is shortage of capital. However, there are no excuses now since it only takes $50 a month. The main advantage to starting early is compound interest. Many students have a vague idea what this is. However, have you realized the power that compound interest possesses?
For example, if you invested $50 a month into a Roth IRA, with an 11% return, at age 70 you will have approximately $1,370,000 by that age. All it takes is $50 a month. If you waited and started at age 30, and put in $100 a month with an 11% return, you total would be approximately $774,992.
The opportunity to take advantage of compound interest dwindles each day. Albert Einstein called compound interest, the "The most powerful force in the universe." Don't hesitate any longer. Take advantage of compound interest today. Having little capital is no longer an issue.
There is also another hidden benefit to this automatic investments, it forces you to invest each month. For some strange reason, most investors like to buy high and sell low, a strategy that doesn't make sense in any other endeavor. By forcing to invest each month, think of it as buying more when stocks are on sale, and buying less when stocks are overpriced. A great but simple strategy.
Investing for college students isn't as time consuming and complex as it once was. Start learning about simple investing strategies today. There are many advantages down the road. If you can start building a retirement portfolio for just $50 a month, imagine what you can do once you start making more money. Use the calculator below to dream big. Any goal can be reached with the right planning.

Do You Have a College Degree Or Did You Get Your Knowledge Online?

Over the years, I have noticed and perhaps you have too, that many people that do not have college degrees feel lesser than those that do. They actually think that folks that have degrees from college are smarter? No, that is not actually the case, sure they might have crammed more information into that little head of theirs and might use their brains for different things than those that had not went to college, but that does not mean they are smarter.
Running a Think Tank is fairly interesting in that often applicants apologize for not having very many advanced degrees, as in PhDs, after all nearly everyone who is anyone has a master's degree right? Well, I don't and I wouldn't accept one if it were offered either. So, on the degree thing well;
No worries on the College Degrees, I think they may be over rated anyway. After all a 10-year old PhD isn't worth much when the world moves so fast and even after 10-years most folks still have their student loans they are paying on. By that time everything is on WikiPedia or you can read it yourself on Google Scholar tool bar feature.
In fact, I left college after just a 2-year degree myself. You can probably become a semi expert in just about anything within about 2-3 weeks of hardcore study on the Internet anyway. There are videos of professors, research papers, information, articles, you name it, most is all there. Think on this.

Single Mother Grants For College

Obtaining educational financial aid is a daunting enough task for the average college student who only has to be responsible for herself. How much more intimidating, then, will accomplishing the same task be for a single mother who, before she can even think about paying for college, must provide for both her own and her child's (or children's) basic needs? Fortunately, there is help to be found in single mother grants for college.
Before you attempt to tackle finding specific government grants, it may help to take a step back from your personal situation for a moment. Look at yourself as simply a current or prospective college student.
Realize that there are government grants for education for anyone who needs them, regardless of her background. For example, any undergraduate can receive Federal pell grants - currently up to $4371 per school year - based on financial need alone. The outlook doesn't seem so bleak now that you realize that any single mother grants for college you obtain will serve as additional assistance to the minimum the federal government will allot you simply as a student with a certain level of financial need.
So, what specific study grants do exist and how do you obtain them? The power of the Internet makes finding financial resources much easier than it used to be. Start with a simple search for "single mother" and "financial assistance", "financial aid", or "college grants", and you'll be well on your way to finding the help you need in providing for you and your children's future. Also try including the name of your state of residence in your search. For example, Arizona offers the Arizona Foundation for Women, which provides empowering opportunities to girls and women through grants that assist them in meeting their personal needs, including higher education.
Specifically, single mother grants for college can be acquired through the Helping Hands for Single Moms program that is funded in part by the Arizona Foundation for Women. Helping Hands for Single Moms not only provides financial aid, but helps single moms find affordable housing and also teaches money management through the guidance of a mentor. The goal is that through a combination of higher education and life skills such as financial literacy, single moms will acquire the lifelong ability to independently support themselves and their children.
Helping Hands for Single Moms is just one example of many programs that make it possible to find single mother grants for college. Plus, positively keep in mind that grants such as these are financial assistance in addition to that which you will receive first from the federal government. Rest assured that with perseverance, you can indeed achieve your dream of obtaining a college education and becoming a financially independent provider for yourself and your children. Louis Zhang, Singlemotherfinancialassistance dot com.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Concerning Athletic Scholarships and College Sports

Countless high school students, possessing athletic skill and talent, are looking forward to a college education with the support of an athletic scholarship. In order to attain these grants, there are a few things students need to remember.

It should go without saying that grades are very important in availing (and maintaining) an athletic scholarship. A player has more opportunities open to him in college sports , the better his grades are. Schools are more inclined to give sports grants and scholarships to students who show that they can perform academically as well as athletically. Poor grades in turn may lessen a player's chances of getting student athlete scholarships.

Coaches appreciate applicants who make the effort to call. It is important to contact the coaches of prospective colleges and determine what they are looking for in a student athlete. Waiting on them to call would be a mistake, given the vast number of hopefuls in other schools. Initiating contact can accelerate the recruiting process and let an applicant know what coaches are interested in.

All emails and letters from schools should be considered, even if they are not an Ivy League college. Coaches who don't receive any response from letters will naturally assume the student is not interested. Do not leave out any possibility unless the decision has been made and finalized. A so-called second or even last choice may prove to be only one.

It imperative that an applicant should be professional in the process of trying out for college sports. There are no second chances when making first impressions with college coaches and administrators. Immaturity and irresponsibility will easily turn away and discourage a potential coach. The applicant should maintain respect for all involved as much as possible. The influence other people can have to coaches in regards to assessing student's character should not be underestimated as well.

Fortunately, the Internet has proved to be a useful venue for both athletes and coaches participating in college sports. There are many websites and online forums wherein students and scouts can come together and interact about athletic scholarships and other important information. D1Athletes is an online community wherein athletes and coaches alike can share and exchange information they need. D1Athletes offers them a place to build an online presence and gain important public exposure.