Every aspect of the loan industry has been severely affected by the recession. I was fortunate enough to graduate in a year where the rates were low and the loans were readily available. I refinanced all of my outstanding loans into a 2.9% package and haven’t looked back since. I owe a lot of my success to these loans.
Students pursuing degrees at this time are having a more difficult time getting financing and good rates due to their lack of credit and the amount of defaults on the market. Most cases require a backing from their parents to secure the loan and most parents are in crisis with their homes and jobs. The issue has compounded to the degree that it threatens the higher education of tomorrow’s leaders.
Student Loans are becoming more accessible through private companies and the government. It is very important to make payments on time and not default on these loans. Defaults on these loans can be catastrophic to your credit report for years to come.

April 15th has come and gone. However, some of us still have our lovely extensions to carry the obligations forward for a few months. Taxes can become quite complicated for people as they gain more wealth, luck, and family. We all know that our new tax laws severely affect us small business owners that make over $250,000 a year. Let’s just say that a lot of successful small business owners are now saving every receipt possible to stay south of that mark.
Having a family or dependents is another way to ease your tax gains. Children give significant deductions as they should. It is no secret that it isn’t cheap or easy to raise children. The new stimulus package also allows recent homeowners to get significant tax credits in an effort to stimulate the housing market.
I feel as if the one part of taxes that most people get killed on or forget to claim is gambling winnings. Casino winnings taxes can be significant. In addition, if you choose to defer taxes at time of payout, be aware that government knows that you have won and will call for the taxes eventually. What I didn’t know is that International visitors can receive taxes back for winnings they accumulate while in the States.

It seems as the economy is finally on the upswing. After all of the hoopla about Obama’s first 100 days in office and his progress, many like myself wonder when the stimulus bill will actually trickle down and start helping the middle class. Our taxpayer money has invested millions into banks to keep their liquidity up. These banks in return are supposed to be giving homeowners and businesses access to credit they deserve.
However, I think the banks have taken advantage of the bailout and have tightened their lending criteria compounding the original issue. It’s just another way the consumer is held accountable for a greedy industry. One point that I agree on with Obama is his fight to end senseless credit card rate hikes. Many companies, fearing new legislation to ban increases, have started notifying good customers that their limits have been slashed and their rates have been increased.
I guess being a small business owner that takes responsibility for his original terms and agreement won’t ever understand how corporations can hide behind their customer service and take advantage of lengthy terms that their lawyers so masterfully created for situation like this.

I am a small business owner that started a company without any outside investment. I am going on my third year in which I believe I have survived the hardest times, including the current economic recession. There have been times in which I have had outstanding customer balances in the thousands. However, it is my responsibility as a business owner to pay my bills and manage the money coming in and going out. This leads me to the use of credit cards and their recent practices.

I recently transferred a balance to a card of a major bank that I have done business with for years. They gave me an offer of a zero interest credit card for 6 months on the balance and actually increase my limit on the card the following week to $29 thousand. I was pissed when I received a letter in the mail today saying they were going to adjust my rate to 24% or I could reject and close the card. I called rejected, and told them that they were losing a good customer that had never missed a payment or failed to pay off a balance.

These companies are in a mad dash to jack up your rates before June when impending legislation will disallow the common scam practice. These companies gave money away like candy and are now punishing consumers for their bad choices. It is unfair. Make sure that you compare credit cards and make sure that you follow up on the letter.

If you are a young person like myself that has the capability to buy a house, do it.  Home prices have fallen close to 30% nationally since last year.  You can steal a house worth $400,000 in 2008 for $250,000 today.  I really do feel bad for the people that are losing their homes, but we must also make somebody else benefit from these banks risky investments.  I grew up in a middle class neighborhood where home prices have been above $300,000 for the last 8 years.  Two homes are currently on the market for the low to mid threes.  I was pissed when I saw that one of my neighbors homes was stolen at auction for $130,000.  Rates are at historical lows.  Foreclosures are definitely risky, but do your research and you will benefit.  Even if you can’t manage interesting ways to come up with the down payment, offer homeowners on the brink of foreclosure rental agreements with options to buy.  Set up a legal binding agreement where you will rent the home for two years with 66% of the rent going towards a down payment.  Think about it, they can’t sell and you pay the mortgage saving them foreclosure embarrassment.  You get an agreement with sales price based on current market value and a way to leverage your rent towards a down payment.

The American consumer wants dirt low prices.  However, they also want domestic, helpful customer service.  I hate to say it, but it’s not feasible with a U.S. Median wage nearing $14.00/hr.    The average call from a consumer to U.S. based customer service rep costs about $7.50.  Call centers in India average $2.30 a call.   As a result, the next time you decide to racially punish the foreign accented person on the other side of the line, channel your anger towards yourself for being cheap.

The other option for customer service is Julie, the infamous celebrity voice from Boston.  Julie Stinneford is the voice of Amtrak and handled over 18.1 million calls last year.  About a third of those required no human interaction.  She saved Amtrak over 100 million dollars last year.  She has actually become famous with stints on “Saturday Night Live” and more.

Choose Your Timing Well

A thank you card should be sent on the day after the interview and not sent any later than two days after it. If you’re mailing the thank you card, get it in the mail as soon as possible after the interview. Then, also send a follow up email. You can repeat the same information in your email that you have in your card without using the same words. Polite persistence is a good thing when it comes to following up after a job interview. It shows excellent business communication skills.

Especially if the hiring process will be quick, you may even want to bring your thank you cards with you to the interview all ready to go except for space that you leave to add some specific details that occurred in the interview. For instance, if you were given a tour you could mention it and why you found it interesting or a good match to your interests. You could then finish the card at a nearby café before going back and asking the receptionist how you can get the card to your interviewer. You should also double check with the receptionist that you’ve spelled your interviewer’s name correctly. It’s a good idea to remember the receptionists name as well!

Get the Details Right

If you’re mailing your thank you card, do so immediately after the interview and make sure the address is correct and the company name is accurate. It won’t help you at all if you address the thank you card for your interviewer to Smith-Rite Solutions Inc. when the actual name of the company is Smith Ryte Solutions Corp. It may still reach him or her, but it won’t show you in a good light if you got the name wrong.

If more than one interviewer conducted your job interview, send one thank you card to each interviewer. Don’t create cookie cutter cards though – thank each person for something specific he or she added to the interview. If only one person actually asked you any questions or added anything to the interview, address the card to that person. If the others added to the interview in a minor way, you should mention their names in the card.

Be Professional and Sincere

Choose a professional looking thank you card. Make sure everything you write inside the card is clear and concise. It should be as polite and direct as: “Thanks for the interview yesterday that included the tour of the plant. I look forward to the possibility of being able to work on such a quality machine as the X230. Thanks again, Terry Stevens.”

Here’s another example of a suitable note to write inside a job interview thank you card “Thanks for taking the time to interview me Wednesday morning. I’m still extremely interested in the position and hope to hear from you soon about the second interview. Regards, Jacqueline Smith.”

Send a Letter or a Note

In most cases, a few lines written inside a thank you card are enough to send to your interviewer the day after a job interview. You should thank the interviewer for his or her time and mention something specific from the interview such as a certain subject you discussed or a factory tour you took. Then you should express your continued interest in the position and add that you hope to “hear from you soon.” A simple “regards,” “sincerely” or ‘yours truly” before signing your name is enough.

In some cases, a letter written on your resume letterhead paper should be added inside the thank you card before you send it. You may want to write a detailed letter if you’ve had previous interviews or have gone through a special lengthy interview process.

Writing a longer letter on professional stationery may help you stand out from the other candidates. Just make sure it’s appropriate to send a thank you letter and don’t babble – two pages maximum is more than enough. All business correspondence should be clear and concise with a polite, respectful tone.

Be Specific and Voice Your Expectations

Remember that the way to start a thank you letter after a job interview is by thanking the person for their time. Don’t summarize the interview, but rather mention something special or interesting that stood out.

For example, if you were asked for your input on something and you feel that went well and could mean you got the job, you could add something like “Thank you for your interest in my thoughts on the XYZ case and how my experience in xyz relates to the job. I’m still very much interested in the position and look forward to having a second interview with you at your convenience.”

You could also let your interviewer know that you are expecting to be responsible for the job duties he or she mentioned. You could write something like this in your thank you letter or card: “Thanks for your detailed description of the job duties. After reflecting on these, I’m still very much interested in the position and I’m hoping I’ll have the opportunity to be hired and show you what I can do.”

You Make Contacting You Convenient for the Company

Your business card should list your different phone numbers with the best times to reach you. Having a website address on your card is great if your website supports the image your business card promotes of you and further sells your skills and abilities.

In presenting multi contact options on your business card, you increase the convenience for hiring companies to get a hold of you. Make sure everything including your contact information is accurate on your business card. Never hand out old cards – keep your information updated.

You Make Yourself Look Like the Professional You Are

Having a business card sets you apart as a professional whether you own a business or not. Whatever your profession, announcing it on a business card with your contact information gets attention and promotes you as a serious expert. Keep the card tasteful and don’t be pretentious.

“Mary Smith, Floral Designer” is fine, but Mary Smith, Award Winning Designer of Floral Fantasies” is way over the top, not to mention ridiculous-sounding. If you have won an award, you can explain that in a separate line under your title such as: “Winner of the Connecticut Floral Association Design Award for 2008.”

If you’re involved in more than one profession, always have a separate business card for each one. “Jim Johnson, Professional Writer and Painter” just comes off as confusing and unfocused rather than professional. A business card that you hand out at a job interview identifies who you are to a potential employer, so be sure this identity is clear and professional-sounding.

You Look both Polished and Prepared

You may be surprised when you get to your job interview. Panel interviews with more than one interviewer are becoming more and more common. If you always carry a stack of your business cards with you, you’ll be able to hand out a card to each interviewer. This is likely to make a positive impression. By simply carrying extra business cards, you can appear both polished and prepared at your job interview.

Another way to be polished and prepared in a businesslike way is to be sure that all of your career communication tools form a cohesive presentation of who you are professionally. The contact information and image presented by your business cards, cover letter and resume should be supported by your voice mail, answering machine and website. Make sure all of your communications details are accurate and relevant.