There comes a time in all of our lives when we have to look at our finances and reevaluate the situation. For many of us that has happened at several points over the few years as the economy has had us all on draining rollercoaster. If there is one thing that we have learned it’s that personal finance and what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for everyone. A great article recently published online cautions consumers to think carefully over supposed personal finance advice. Whether you are meeting with an advisor in person or getting tips from videos on YouTube it’s important that you take time to really consider your options before making a decision. Everything from creating a budget, applying for a mortgage , or trying to save for the future will affect your finances and your family so you want your decision to be as well thought out and informed as possible.

College is infamous for being a ridiculously expensive time in a person’s life. Although the bills add up quickly, there are money saving tips that will help keep those bills down and keep more money in the student’s pockets.

While there may not be much leniency with tuition costs, housing is an expense which can be inexpensive if the right measures are taken. There are many different options for students when it comes to housing, there are dormitories, apartments, rental houses or condominiums. Dormitories are an inexpensive living situation as the student will be right on campus and will save money for traveling. While some people do not like living with another person in one room, there are low cost student apartments or rental houses. If the student searches for apartments or houses early enough, then they will be able to find the best possible deal.  

Food is one of the biggest expenses in college, while living in the dorms most students don’t have a kitchen, eating in the cafeteria is much less expensive than eating at a gourmet restaurant. If the student is living in an apartment or house, cooking is one of the best ways to save money. Instead of eating out at a restaurant, making a meal and saving the leftovers will not only save money but will be a healthier life choice as well.

The cost of books can seem astronomical for a first year college student. Spending over $1000 on books each year can really add up. Luckily, there are some tips and tricks which will take that bill down rapidly. The biggest mistake that college students make is that they buy all their books from the bookstore. While some books can only be found at the college bookstore, many of the others can be found online, at a used book store, or in the library. One of the greatest untapped book resources is the campus library, many students go to the library simply to study but the building is filled with books and usually has the novels or textbooks used in the classes. Instead of having to buy a book, why not rent it for free? There are also great deals with online books, many of the books can be found on Amazon or Chegg and will offer free shipping for students.

Going to college may be one of the largest expenses anyone has to deal with, but by being smart with money those astronomical bills can be diminished quickly.

Despite the recent recession, careers in many of the nations top financial institutions are still highly coveted. Even more specifically are jobs as loan officers. They have long been seen as lucrative careers that don’t require a lot of hard work.

However contrary to popular belief, working as a loan officer is not an easy job. To be successful, it often requires long hours and a lot of time spent following through on leads that may or may not work out.

One of the keys to being a successful loan officer is organization. You need to be able to juggle several different jobs at once; communicate clearly with other lenders, contacts, and the client; and stay on top of changes in state and federal regulations by participating in loan officer training courses . If you do not stay organized you will very quickly become overwhelmed and give in to the high levels of stress that often accompany the position.

Time management is also an important skill for a loan officer because many are paid on commission. As a result, the more deals you close the more money you make . And on the downside if you don’t close any deals, well then, you don’t get paid.

A career as a loan officer is not easy. Often times it is hard work, time consuming, and the pay off seems to be nonexistent; however, if you are willing to work hard and stay organized it will all be worth it when you close the big deal.

Las Vegas, also known as sin city and is frequently considered to be the casino capital of the nation, perhaps even world, is one of the most popular tourist destinations for people from across the country. And the major casinos and poker tournaments that are held there attract players and fans from across the world. Professional, and even amateur and casual for fun poker is continually gaining acceptance and popularity in mainstream society and the major poker professionals are becoming international stars and it is considered to be a great ambition and even thrill to be able to come across one and perhaps sit at a table with one of the greats in one of Vegas’ top casinos. Of course the high roller players, which also tend to be the top professionals, are typically in closed off private rooms, but it is more than possible and likely you will land yourself next to one of them or one of the celebrities that have taken up the game if enter one of the tournaments. You may even bump into one in the lobby of a 4 star hotel in Las Vegas .

Phil Helmuth, Annie Duke , Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan and Daniel Negreanu are all some of the top names, though just a few of them, that you can find in some of the Vegas casinos. In addition to these poker greats many celebrities and famous actors are also getting into the game and consistently showing up in some of the casinos and are frequently enrolled in the major tournaments. Jennifer Tilly, who is dating one of the smartest players in the world, Phil Laak, also known as the Unabomber due to his common use of a hooded sweatshirt to help conceal possible tells. Gabe Kaplan is another common celebrity face at many of these tournament tables.

The popular poker based television series Poker After Dark features some of the top poker professionals as well as the cross over celebrity players who have achieved great success with the game. It is private game that takes place in Vegas and is televised throughout the week on national television. Players are selected by invitation only and they are almost always selected from the best. The show is hosted by Leeann Tweeden who will sometimes interview the players during their play and will also provide informational commentary throughout. And while it is still a highly competitive strategic oriented game, poker is also gaining more and more interest for its entertainment value.

The stock market is rising, consumer confidence is up and New York art is hot. Affordable Art Fair (AAF), New York’s place to discover and buy works of art from today’s newest talent and known name and featured artists will be having it’s spring time sale May 6th through the 9th, 2010. Affordable Art Fair is located on 7 West 34th Street, near 5th Avenue. All works will range in price from up to $100 to $10,000. The fair is not just for the art connoisseur, but for anyone who appreciate art and the first time buyer.

If you’re staying at a hotel near 34th Street and 5th Avenue in May, come on by. This year, the Affordable Art Fair will host more than 70 established galleries from the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Asia, and other countries. On May 5th, you’ll have the opportunity for a Private Viewing party, be the first to choose from the works of art available for sale, while enjoying entertainment and complimentary drinks. Plus, this year will be the first ‘I Love Brooklyn’ party, on May 6th, from 6pm to 9pm, which Brooklyn galleries and the arts community come to Manhattan for a party featuring Brooklyn art, music, and drinks; $25 per person or $45 for two. Tickets bought at the door will cost $30 per person; Brooklyn residents receive a $5 discount with proof of residency. There will be a children’s program, a Foto Focus walking tour, print making classes, sculptor classes.

The Affordable Art Fair is the worlds equivalent of a designer sample sale, but significantly less snobby than the other competing fine art fairs like the Armory Show. AAF has lectures and workshops catering to the first-time buyers and to budding collectors. Advance tickets can be purchased online: General admission $20; students/seniors $15; children under 12 are free; on May 9th, which is Mothers Day, mothers get in free! Hours vary per day, so check at this website for the schedule.

I was having a problem last week. The electric company was threatening to shut off my power because I haven’t been able to pay my bills. It’s been a couple of months and it seems that one thing after another kept happening with the money. My car broke down in December, and then my fiance was mugged at the beginning of January, so I helped her out. She is mostly back on her feet now, so the paycheck I just got in today was going to be dedicated to paying those bills off. They were going to shut off the power on Monday and I was freaking out. If I couldn’t get on the computer I wouldn’t have been able to work to make the money to pay off the bills. I called my friend, not wanting to tell my father the mess I got into.
Luckily for me, my friend works for Montel Williams and is therefore always hearing about cash advance loans. It’s actually a pretty good deal. I got on, gave them my information around noon Saturday, two days before they shut off my power. Sunday morning when I woke up, I had the loan. There was a little bit in between where I had to review the loan information I was getting myself into, but it didn’t even take me a whole hour of my time to apply and read over the information. I am absolutely amazed. You really should see some of their videos and see what I’m talking about.
There are some requirements, you have to be over 18, and have a steady job making $800 or more a month. I have terrible credit because my money is a little erratic, but I always have at least $800 a month. They didn’t care about all that though. They didn’t check my credit using the big three reports, and therefore didn’t ding my credit in the process. Something else I thought was cool was that it didn’t cost me anything to apply. If they hadn’t found anyone who was willing to lend to me, I wouldn’t have been out any money. My favorite part is that it was completely confidential, only my friend and I knew what was going on for that week. The electricity is still on, and I’m paying back my loan today. I am so glad my friend told me about this and I hope you will share the tip too.