Wednesday, July 31, 2002

FREE  FREE  FREE  FREE  FREE!!  SAVE MONEY NOW! Got student loans? Now's your chance to save money.  Serious money. Effective July 1, 2002, interest rates on certain student/college loans (Stafford, PLUS) dropped to impressive lows (4.06-4.86%, for example). If you have not previously consolidated your student loans (you only need one to consolidate), you may be eligbile to consolidate your loans and substantially reduce your payments. There are a number of ways to reduce this further.  Automatic payment is one of them.  A good payment record is another. These rates are good until June 30, 2003.  But why wait?  Start saving money now.   12:16:08 PM    comment []

Got Grandkids?  Or Nieces or Nephews?  Or Friends? 529.  The magic numbers.  Section 529 plans are college savings plans that are contributed after tax but grow tax free and can be withdrawn tax free for qualified college expenses.  Great explanations can be found at savingforcollege.com.  Parents can set these up, too. But here's the special secret about them: If the funds are not contributed by parents, because the funds are owned by you, not the parents or the beneficiary, they do not count for financial aid criteria. We're setting one up now.  We're going to contribute $25 or $50/month so the beneficiary will have a little extra available for college expenses in 10 years. The other little secret about 529 plans is that because you are the owner of the funds, you can also change the beneficiary. Help someone pay for college.  529, the magic numbers. 11:52:57 AM    comment []

Why I hate the US Postal Service by Lena D. 1.  Long lines 2.  Takes too long to get there 3.  Costs too much to get there late. The Backstory: Thanks to a computer glitch I ignored for far too long, I had to send payment for my HMO coverage ASAP.  Because it was going to a PO Box, it had to be sent Express Mail (ha ha ha).  Of course, I got there too late in the day for overnight service.  So because my HMO refused to give me a street address, I paid $13.95 for Express Mail to get there a day late that I could have sent FedEx up to 7pm that day to arrive overnight for less money. Argh.   11:38:13 AM    comment []