James and Jenn share opinions and concepts on disciplining children. Give us a call this week (206) 600-5704 or email us at geeklovesnerd@gmail.com Less

FAP881: Credit crisis, Sallie Mae, FAFSA updates Listen now: Weekly Financial Aid News Roundup From the Chronicle: Moody’s Investors Service has placed two colleges that invested in Commonfund’s short-term fund on a watch list for credit-rating downgrades and has issued a negative ratings outlook for a third. The colleges — Franklin Pierce University, Simmons College, and Suffolk University — are among 1,000 institutions that had their short-term accounts frozen by Wachovia Bank, the account manager, in late September. As of October 21, such colleges were able to get access to 48 percent of their original balances. Moody’s, which is analyzing the effect of the freeze on colleges’ ability to operate and make debt payments, stressed in a report issued today that the ratings revisions were not based solely on the colleges’ exposure to Commonfund. Other factors taken into account were an inability or unwillingness to secure capital elsewhere, a history of weak operating performance, and high levels of variable-rate debt. Commentary Unsurprising. Colleges, like individuals, need to readjust to the mindset that cash is king in the current economy, and that any kind of investment that ties up your money is going to hurt. Cash is king for you, too. If you have money in the markets (529 plan, 401K, etc.) that you will need in the next year or two, consult your financial advisor about getting it out of the market or moving it to something that carries insurance of some kind. From the Chronicle: A former Sallie Mae employee, in a False Claims Act lawsuit against the loan company that was recently unsealed in federal court in Indiana, alleges that Sallie Mae had been using the practice of granting forbearances to systematically balloon student-loan debts. In the system of government-guaranteed student loans, the tactic was part of a strategy to grow student debts as large as possible, increasing Sallie Mae’s profits, before taxpayers and debtors were stuck with the final bill, said the former Sallie Mae employee, Michael Zahara. Commentary I applaud Michael Zahara’s bravery for coming forward and bringing to light this tactic. This practice may be illegal and is also just reprehensible. Just to be clear, the Student Loan Network does not and has never engaged in any kind of practice like this. If you’ve been a victim of this kind of practice, you’ll want to consult a lawyer. Any debt that you’ve incurred that is the result of fraudulent or illegal practices is invalid and a court can order the debt dismissed, so if you’ve been a victim of this, call a lawyer to see if the practice is illegal. Depending on how strong your case is, they’ll probably do it on a percentage basis of money won in a lawsuit, rather than have you pay legal fees out of pocket. In other news, check out our FAFSA update news. Scholarship Updates We had the Micron scholarship earlier in the week. In just 7 days, we give away $10,000. Are you registered? Eye on the Economy The credit crisis hits home for colleges. Free Stuff Friday Bacardi’s hooking you up with Halloween music. Taco Bell is giving away a free taco for every base stolen during the World Series. Bargainist has TONS of coupons you can print out. Instant JPEG from RAW. Gmail for Mobile hits 2.0 with offline access for any J2ME phone. Sorry iPhone users. Gmail regular gets templates for fast replies to common questions. We’re just 10 days away from the general election. Hate web ads? Check out BFilter. Free Song of the Week Jonathan Coulton, Till The Money Comes Less

CropVillage 0105 Show Notes: Prices lower... exports down... but some positives for U.S. grain producers as well.  Melvin Brees Newsletter Ag Credit looks to be available... just be sure you're well documented A recent trip to Russia and the Ukraine by Genesus' Jim Long provides a glimpse of the tremendous growth in the ag industry  Less

Lawmakers tacked on several, unrelated extras to the bill.  Among those are extensions of tax incentives for renewable energy projects.  Some are for renewable energy producers – like electric utilities or wind farms.  Others are for individual projects, such as households that install solar panels.  David Brown Kinloch runs a small hydroelectric generation station near Harrodsberg, on the Kentucky River.  He says the passage of the bill means that he’ll finally be able to take advantage of those incentives. “For years and years, hydro, which is a real big deal in Kentucky, did not qualify.  Well in the last couple years, both hydro and biomass have been put into the production tax credits,” says Kinloch. Kinloch says that renewable energy projects can require significant investments.  And up until now, they haven’t looked as cost effective as fossil fuel generation. “Being able to get the production tax credit is that one little boost that gets a lot of these projects over the top,” Kinloch says. But Kinloch says lawmakers fell short when they extended those credits for hydro power by just two years.  He says it could discourage investors. “It’s very difficult to make decisions not knowing if in two years when you actually get that plant on line whether that production tax credit is going to be there or not,” says Kinloch. Solar power fared a little better.  Andrew Macdonald heads the Kentucky Solar Partnership. He says the solar industry would have fallen behind without the added incentives. “Now that the tax credits have been extended, and not just for another year but for eight years, it’s going to allow the whole industry to make investments in manufacturing, in training,” says Macdonald. Macdonald says the bill also removed a $2000 dollar cap on solar credits, which could be helpful to homeowners shelling out the $15 to $20 thousand dollars it takes to install a typical home system. What’s more, he expects utilities to start investing in large generation projects because they can get tax credits too.  And once the industry has a firmer foothold, Macdonald says those tax incentives will no longer be necessary.  University of Louisville Professor Emeritus an independent economic development consultant Dr. Peter Meyer agrees the incentives could help the renewables industry take off. “The reason that some of these things make sense, in a macro, in an aggregate sense, is because they contribute to increasing the total demand for solar systems, wind systems, and so on,” Meyer says. But Meyer says the development of this industry could bypass the poor. He says they’ll need renewable energy solutions more than anyone because fossil fuel energy costs are rising. “In the Kentucky case, what we’re looking at is we’re looking at a situation in which we’re committing a lot in the way of tax incentives on the assumption that people have got the money, when in fact it is not at all clear that they do,” says Meyer. Meyer points out that despite abundant coal resources, many Kentuckians struggle to afford energy bills.  And the cost of coal has nearly doubled in the past year.  Still, it’s unclear how energy prices would be affected if large utilities brought more renewable energy projects into the mix. Less

Lawmakers tacked on several, unrelated extras to the bill.?? Among those are extensions of tax incentives for renewable energy projects.?? Some are for renewable energy producers ??? like electric utilities or wind farms.?? Others are for individual projects, such as households that install solar panels.?? David Brown Kinloch runs a small hydroelectric generation station near Harrodsberg, on the Kentucky River.?? He says the passage of the bill means that he???ll finally be able to take advantage of those incentives. ???For years and years, hydro, which is a real big deal in Kentucky, did not qualify.?? Well in the last couple years, both hydro and biomass have been put into the production tax credits,” says Kinloch. Kinloch says that renewable energy projects can require significant investments.?? And up until now, they haven???t looked as cost effective as fossil fuel generation. ???Being able to get the production tax credit is that one little boost that gets a lot of these projects over the top,” Kinloch says. But Kinloch says lawmakers fell short when they extended those credits for hydro power by just two years.?? He says it could discourage investors. ???It???s very difficult to make decisions not knowing if in two years when you actually get that plant on line whether that production tax credit is going to be there or not,” says Kinloch. Solar power fared a little better.?? Andrew Macdonald heads the Kentucky Solar Partnership. He says the solar industry would have fallen behind without the added incentives. ???Now that the tax credits have been extended, and not just for another year but for eight years, it???s going to allow the whole industry to make investments in manufacturing, in training,” says Macdonald. Macdonald says the bill also removed a $2000 dollar cap on solar credits, which could be helpful to homeowners shelling out the $15 to $20 thousand dollars it takes to install a typical home system. What???s more, he expects utilities to start investing in large generation projects because they can get tax credits too.?? And once the industry has a firmer foothold, Macdonald says those tax incentives will no longer be necessary.?? University of Louisville Professor Emeritus an independent economic development consultant Dr. Peter Meyer agrees the incentives could help the renewables industry take off. ???The reason that some of these things make sense, in a macro, in an aggregate sense, is because they contribute to increasing the total demand for solar systems, wind systems, and so on,” Meyer says. But Meyer says the development of this industry could bypass the poor. He says they???ll need renewable energy solutions more than anyone because fossil fuel energy costs are rising. ???In the Kentucky case, what we???re looking at is we???re looking at a situation in which we???re committing a lot in the way of tax incentives on the assumption that people have got the money, when in fact it is not at all clear that they do,” says Meyer. Meyer points out that despite abundant coal resources, many Kentuckians struggle to afford energy bills.?? And the cost of coal has nearly doubled in the past year.?? Still, it???s unclear how energy prices would be affected if large utilities brought more renewable energy projects into the mix. Less

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed We all like saving money, right? In today’s World, with the economy floundering, it’s not so easy to do. Commodore256 sent the following top five list to me, full of money-saving tips and tricks. Reward yourself for being healthy. - Do you smoke? If your answerer is “no”, then you’re in luck. You can save the money that you would have spent on cigarettes (roughly $5.50 per pack) and in one year, you would have saved $2,000. ($5.50 x 365 days = $2,007.50) You could save that for a rainy day, or just buy a excellent computer or go on a vacation. If you saved this money over ten years, that could pay for a brand new car. Avoid shady business dealings. - Stay away from Get-Rich-Quick Schemes, Pyramid Schemes, Multi-Level Marketing and Ponzi Schemes. If you ever get caught up in one of these scams, get some legal help. Set up an “Unplanned Emergency Fund”. - You’ll never know when a negative financial event will happen. When that time comes, you’ll need money fast. Examples of a negative financial event would include losing your job, childbirth, sudden illness or even an injury. I believe everyone should have an Emergency Fund. Use Credit Cards wisely. - When you get a Credit Card, only charge stuff on your Card if you can afford to pay it all off in one single payment. This will give you great credit, and you won’t have to pay any interest. If you’re already in debt, there are some non-profit organizations that can assist. Enjoy Cheap and Free stuff. - There are plenty of cheap and free alternatives to have fun. Examples: You could buy used instead of new, you could go to the Library instead of buying Books or Magazine subscriptions, or rent movies instead of going to a theater. You could also save $150 dollars by not buying Microsoft Office. Download and install the free (open source) Open Office instead. What tips do you have to share with everyone that you use to help save you money? Millions Of Dollars For Your Business: The Business Credit Guru. The Real Estate Under Ground. The Credit Revolution! Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video: <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6VrXJGEZ0MM"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6VrXJGEZ0MM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a> How to Save Money How Do You Save Money? How to Invest Money The Truth about Wikipedia Credit Do You Protect Yourself from Identity Theft? What Will you do with Your Tax Refund? How to Save Money for Gadgets Jobs for Teenagers Identity Theft Track Your Finances Online for Free (without Software) a What Ways are You Saving Money Today? Less

http://geeks.pirillo.com - http://live.pirillo.com - We all like saving money, right? In today's World, with the economy floundering, it's not so easy to do. Commodore256 sent the following top five list to me, full of money-saving tips and tricks. http://chris.pirillo.com Less

I had the opportunity to discuss student loans and student lending, AIG, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and explain the credit crisis on Talk Radio News, going into detail about credit default swaps, subprime, Alt-A, and leverage. Thanks to Dan Patterson, TRN and ABC correspondent, for the interview. Listen now: Direct file download: MP3 file Did you enjoy this? If so, please consider subscribing for free to get it delivered to you . Subscribing for free means you don’t have to remember to download it every day. + + + Reminders + + Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. + Free scholarship search secrets eBook at StudentScholarshipSearch.com/ebook + Open an FDIC-insured savings account today! + Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com + Parent PLUS loans at ParentPLUSLoan.com + Graduate student loans at GradLoans.com + Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com + Private student loan consolidation at StudentLoanConsolidator.com + FAFSA form tutorials and free help at FAFSAonline.com + Get FAFSA news at the FAFSA blog + The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network. I want to hear from you! Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 206-350-1208. Less

We’ve been talking about ways to save money. Today we want to look at something that is top of mind for many of us – how to save money on gas. . . Follow the price of oil like a speculator Oil prices go up and down. If you knew the price of oil went up, you might want to hurry to fill up. If you knew it went down, maybe it would pay to wait a day or two. Now you can track the price of oil at Oil-Price.net. Large companies do it; why shouldn’t we? Time your purchase While we haven’t seen any research that proves this theory, it seems that gas prices often go up right before the weekend, especially long weekends. So test for yourself and, if you agree, try to buy your gas by the middle of the week. Serial rewards Some credit cards offer extra rebates (e.g. 5% instead of a normal 1% to 2%) on fuel purchases during an introductory period (e.g. six months). Consider this – if you have good credit, employ a strategy where you get a new card and use it through the ramped up reward period. Then move on to another one. Loyalty programs Our grocery store chain has opened convenience stores next to their main stores. To drive (pun intended) business to these new stores, they’re offering an incentive to their grocery store customers. For every $25 you spend on groceries, you get a 5 cent per gallon discount on gas at their convenience store. We saved 60 cents a gallon on a recent purchase. Shop before you shop Sites like Gas Buddy, Gas Price Watch, and Fuel Me Up help you find the gas stations with the cheapest fuel in your area. Gas Buddy seems best for our area; check them all out to see which is best for you. But before you do … Is it worth the drive to save money on gas? We know people who drive out of their way to go to the gas station with the cheapest fuel. It seems almost oxymoronic, doesn’t it? And aren’t you glad we got the “oxy” in there? It struck us as an interesting question to prove out – is it worth burning fuel to save money on fuel? Here’s our calculation … (click the image to enlarge) We found the prices for our area gas stations at Gas Buddy, as shown in the picture above. Using MapQuest, we determined that it would be a 3-mile round-trip from the Bigg Studio to the closest gas station, which charged $3.85 per gallon. This was the second highest priced gas in our area on that day. That figures! It’s an 8-mile round trip to the station with the cheapest gas – $3.66 gallon. Using our handy calculator (okay, we were able to calculate this in our head), we saw that we could save 19 cents per gallon by making the drive. That seems pretty significant. But here’s the rub … our car only has a 17.4 gallon gas tank. So if our tank was bone dry when we arrived at the gas station (a feat we probably come close to more often than we would like to think), the most we could save is $3.31. Suddenly it wasn’t as interesting for us. We often work from our house so we don’t really drive that much. But we have friends who drive a lot for work; they fill up their car as often as three times a week, so that would add up to over $500 for the year. Alright, it’s worth continuing. In order to get the cheapest fuel, we would have to drive 5 more miles. How much does that cost? The best source we could think of for that is the Internal Revenue Service. They allow a deduction of 50.5 cents for every mile driven for business. Since we figured the IRS wasn’t in the business of being generous with deductions, we figured if anything this might be a little on the low side. So we multiplied the 5 miles by the 50.5 cent cost per mile. It would cost us $2.53 to drive to the station to get the cheapest gas, where we would save $3.31 if our tank was completely empty. The most we could save by driving was 78 cents per fill-up. Even for our friends who fill up three times a week, this only translates into about $120 per year. It hardly seems worth it when you consider … We’ve assumed that our time isn’t worth anything. Because it’s going to take more time to drive out of our way for the cheaper gas. (Side note: Unless our tank was less than ¼ full, it would actually cost us money to get the cheaper fuel.) So here’s what we concluded: Driving to find the cheapest gas doesn’t really work for us. It might work for you, especially if you have a bigger gas tank. You can use the process we’ve mapped out to run your own numbers. But don’t forget to place some value on your time! However, in general, it’s probably a waste of time and money to drive out of your way for gas, unless you can … Combine that trip with other deals It just so happens that the gas station with the cheapest price in our area is in a retail zone. It may be the same for you. So if that area offers the best deals on the staples you need, and you combine that with coupons like the woman who feeds her family of five for as little as $10 a week, and fill up with the cheapest gas in your area while you’re there, paid for by your ramped up rewards credit card that you’ll pay off every month, now you have something going for you! Here’s one more thought on buying fuel. It’s a very simple one, but we recently got burned by NOT doing this. What does that say about us? Pay attention We pulled off the highway not long ago to fuel up. We turned right as we exited the off-ramp and turned right into the first gas station just off the highway. As we were filling up, we noticed the sign that showed the prices of gas. Then we noticed the sign at the gas station across the road. We could have bought gas for 20 cents a gallon less … had we just made a left turn!  Subscribe to The Bigg Success Show in iTunes.  Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed.   Related posts Don't Make This Costly Mistake Getting Aggressively Passive: Creating A Passive Income That Sets You Free How To Get Rich 6 Easy Steps To Financial Freedom  (Image by hugoslv) Less

FAP834: Expert interview with Bob Aresti, 360 FCU Expert Interview + Today, 12 minutes with Bob Aresti, CEO of 360 Federal Credit Union + Aresti on personal finance, why a credit union, and key consumer mistakes Did you enjoy today’s show? If so, please consider subscribing for free to get it delivered to you . Subscribing for free means you don’t have to remember to download it every day. + + + Direct MP3 file download: Click here to download the MP3 Reminders + + Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. + Free scholarship search secrets eBook at StudentScholarshipSearch.com/ebook + Open an FDIC-insured savings account today! + Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com + Student credit card information at StudentPlatinum.com + FAFSA form tutorials and free help at FAFSAonline.com + Financial Aid discussion forums + Get FAFSA news at the FAFSA blog + Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com + The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network. I want to hear from you! Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 206-350-1208. ShareThis Less

FAP833: Expert Interview with Allan Prindle Listen now: Expert Interview + A brief talk with Allan Prindle, CEO of Power Financial Credit Union + Prindle on personal finance, the one thing you need to know, and more Did you enjoy today’s show? If so, please consider subscribing for free to get it delivered to you . Subscribing for free means you don’t have to remember to download it every day. + + + Direct MP3 file download: Click here to download the MP3 Reminders + + Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. + Free scholarship search secrets eBook at StudentScholarshipSearch.com/ebook + Open an FDIC-insured savings account today! + Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com + Student credit card information at StudentPlatinum.com + FAFSA form tutorials and free help at FAFSAonline.com + Financial Aid discussion forums + Get FAFSA news at the FAFSA blog + Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com + The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network. I want to hear from you! Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 206-350-1208. ShareThis Less

Image via Wikipedia FAP827: Student credit cards, coffee scholarship, Free stuff Friday Listen now: Student Financial Aid News + Chronicle: Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo of New York hopes to have completed by this fall an investigation into the relationships between credit-card companies and college officials, according to Benjamin Lawsky, deputy counselor to Mr. Cuomo, who previously investigated questionable ties between student loan companies and financial-aid officials. + Mr. Lawsky testified at a hearing today of the House consumer-credit subcommittee in which members considered various ways to reduce students’ credit-card debt and misuse. Panelists, including Mr. Lawsky, sketched a scenario in which students are taken advantage of by predatory companies, who offer free gifts and withhold important information about payments and rates to students who apply for credit cards. + Check out our student credit card guide at StudentPlatinum.com + Inside Higher Ed: It’s that rare story involving a pig, a taser and a happy ending. For weeks now, Colby College officials and Maine authorities have been trying to capture a runaway pot-bellied pig that escaped from its owner, a student, at a picnic. The pig was roaming the campus and managed to elude capture with nets. Local press coverage has been extensive. This week, the pig was enjoying a snack of some French fries offered by an area resident who called the police. The Morning Sentinel reported that the person who shared the fries also called the police, who used a taser to stun the pig, leading to the pig’s capture and ending a month of freedom for the animal. While the pig will not be continuing on at Colby, it will stay in education, and has been adopted by a preschool. Scholarship Update + Maxwell House Minority Scholarship + ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must be minority high school students or graduates from New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Baltimore, or Newark. Applicants must be willing to attend one of the black colleges participating in their local black college fairs. + AMOUNT: $3,000 + Details at our free college scholarship search site Free Stuff Friday + CL Desktop - visual Craiglist shopping tool - I’m checking out the free stuff in Boston category by photo - VERY useful! + WebKut - application to make a PDF of any web page - also very useful! + Fotobooth and iSpy - two other free apps + Free Prima J tank top at Wet Seal + Free pack of Stride gum + Updated info on the free credit reporting from Transunion + Google Finance adds NYSE quotes in real-time + Evernote has a Mac desktop application now + Boxee is a Tivo style interface with social stuff + Stupid fun: make a radiation shield from your cell phone out of a Red Bull can Free Song of the Week + Geoff Smith, Bohemian Financial Rhapsody Did you enjoy today’s show? If so, please consider subscribing for free to get it delivered to you . Subscribing for free means you don’t have to remember to download it every day. + + + Direct MP3 file download: Click here to download the MP3 Reminders + + Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. + Free scholarship search secrets eBook at StudentScholarshipSearch.com/ebook + Open an FDIC-insured savings account today! + Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com + Student credit card information at StudentPlatinum.com + FAFSA form tutorials and free help at FAFSAonline.com + Financial Aid discussion forums + Get FAFSA news at the FAFSA blog + Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com + The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network. I want to hear from you! Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 206-350-1208. ShareThis Less

On the show, George shared a story from when he was a young man. So, obviously, this is an old story! He met a gentleman who was very successful in business and real estate investing. But you wouldn’t have known he had a dime to his name. George said he can still picture this man sitting at the table in his coveralls with his cap. He was a great guy who said something George never forgot. This man said, “I don’t know how to spell millionaire, but I is one.” How did he become a millionaire? He bought something! Not a new wardrobe. Or a bigger house, a new car, a second house, or a boat. He bought an income-producing asset. He bought a duplex. What he bought is important He put down a small amount of money and found a bank that helped him finance the rest of it. He improved the property by doing minor things like painting, putting down new carpet, and some basic landscaping. So now he had a property that looked much better. So tenants were willing to pay more to live there. So he increased the rent. Then he went back to the bank because he was making more money. They gladly refinanced his loan, because the income from the property would support it. What he did next is even more important He took this money from the bank and bought another investment property. A slightly bigger one. Which he then improved. He kept doing this over and over again until he became a millionaire. Eventually he owned a whole bunch of things. What you don’t need to become a millionaireYou don’t have to be that smart to become a millionaire; just be sensible. It also doesn’t take that much money to get started. You don’t have to be a super savvy business person. And you don’t have to have a fancy education, although education is a good investment. And you don’t have to wear flashy clothes!  4 tips that can lead you to a million dollars #1 – Start small. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Assume you’ll lose everything, so don’t invest more than you can afford to lose. #2 – Know your strengths and weaknesses. Get help. If you’re handy, find someone who is financially savvy. If you’re financially savvy, find someone who’s handy. If you have time but no money, find a partner with money. If you have money but no time, partner with someone who has the time. #3 – Make yourself accountable. The CEOs of the biggest companies in the world answer to a Board of Directors. Get someone who will hold you accountable – be it a mentor, a coach, or a partner. #4 – Logic, not emotion, rules. Don’t fall in love with a property. You’re not looking for cute; you’re looking for cash flow. Don’t rent to a tenant because you like him or her; rent to them because of their good credit score. Our bigg quote today is by Brian Koslow: “Any self-made millionaire listens for opportunity. The average person listens for what's wrong and why something won't work.” Paying attention may just pay you a million! Click on our Comment link below to share your thoughts  Click on the Share This button below to Digg, Stumble, Mixx, etc. Next time, we’ll offer up nine questions to answer before you make extra mortgage payments. Until then, here’s to your bigg success! Subscribe to The Bigg Success Show in iTunes.  Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed. Related posts   Get Real Estate How To Become A Millionaire Good Debt vs. Bad Debt cref 489]  ShareThis Less

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed Imagine my surprise when a few friends of mine from the Netherlands emailed to let me know that I was featured in a video about Wikipedia! Wikipedia linked to a video I had done about them, discussing how we can use them as a source to find out truth and information. I’ve often talked about Wikipedia in the past, listing it as a resource that should always be fact-checked. However, it’s the future of information distribution. I feel it falls short in some areas, yes. However, it’s strength far outweighs their weaknesses. So I went on a search, and came across the video in question on YouTube. The first thing you hear and see after their logo flashes through is the video that we recorded! What the producers decided to do is clip about the bottom half, which eliminates chat and my sponsor logos. Most concerning to me, is they also eliminated credit. We produced this video… and did not get credit. The Truth According to Wikipedia is an amazingly well-produced video. While I think it’s great that they used and edited my work, I’m very upset that they did not give me credit. It’s quite well done, so on the one hand I’m proud to have been a part of what they’ve come up with. But of course… the other hand is my disappointment in not being asked to use my content, or even so much as giving me credit for my original work. As traditional journalists, they should have given credit where credit is due. I’m not asking that they take the video down, since it was so well done. But I do think I should get proper credit. If you’re going to use something that another person has produced… give them credit for the work. Ask them if it’s ok to use! Most of the time, I will give you permission, and ask for a copy of what you put together. Is it really the truth, and the right way of doing things by leaving out where you got the information you used? Keyword Research Genius. Niche Research Revolution. Research 4 Profit. Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video: <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lVgxHkA7AD0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lVgxHkA7AD0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a> Related Content: Free Credit Report? The Truth is Out There - or is it? Credit Score Tips Wikipedia Fact and Fiction Unperfectly Cromulent Less

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed Identity theft is rampant these days. Your information can be taken faster than you can blink. However, there are several very easy ways to protect yourself. Are you careful enough? Do you know how to protect your identity? I received the following tips in an email, specifically related to tax return theft. When storing a copy of your tax return on your computer, try to protect it with a complex password. If you do decide to delete the file, either use the free Eraser for Windows, or Secure Delete in Mac OS X. Make sure you securely and properly delete the files. Don’t just put them in the Recycle bin. Make sure they are completely gone. Ignore all refund or rebate emails that claim to come from the IRS. Never click the links in emails if they claim to be coming from an official source, unless you know for a fact it comes from who it says. My suggestion is to verify any warning on the IRS website. This will allow you to make sure if something is legit or not. If someone calls you claiming to need to verify your information… hang up on them. DONT give them information. You aren’t verifying anything. Don’t give out any information or at your door, no matter how legit it seems. Check it out first. Check your credit report through all the agencies periodically. Keep on top of it. If you notice a discrepancy… challenge it immediately. You never really know when your credit report can turn around and bite you. Innocent mistakes can and do happen, and affect your credit adversely. So I recommend checking it at least once a year, if not a couple of times. These are some things in relation to tax season, but apply to every day of the year. Only deal with people, companies and websites that you know and trust. Don’t count on anyone but yourself to keep you safe. Millions Of Dollars For Your Business: The Business Credit Guru. The Real Estate Under Ground. The Credit Revolution! Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video: <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-UBiBQHOqnE"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-UBiBQHOqnE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a> Related Content: Stupid People Pownce: Social Networks aren’t Identity Networks Identity Theft Texas Security Homeowner's Insurance Less

http://live.pirillo.com - Identity theft is rampant these days. Your information can be taken faster than you can blink. However, there are several very easy ways to protect yourself. Are you careful enough? Do you know how to protect your identity? Less

FAP767: Going green on Free Stuff Friday, Earth Day 2008 Listen now: Student Financial Aid News + Inside Higher Ed: “Banks are marketing aggressively through a variety of channels. They’re calling students on the phone, they’re mailing to students, and they’re using a combination of on-campus and off-campus tables where they give away products, ranging from offers for sandwiches, offers of food and pizza, all the way up to iPod shuffles,” said Edmund Mierzwinski, consumer program director for U.S. PIRG. The organization manages the “Truth About Credit” campaign. + The survey, of more than 1,500 students at 40 campuses in 14 states, found broad support among students for limiting credit card marketing on campuses. Eighty percent said they supported at least some limits. There was strong support for restricting access only to promotions for cards with fair terms and conditions, and opposition to colleges’ sharing or selling lists containing student contact information. “Many credit card companies encounter no difficulty in securing information of current students at colleges for marketing purposes,” the report notes. “It is also true that some state public records laws compel public universities and colleges to sell their lists of student information as public records, to anyone.” + I’d have to say that paying tuition with a credit card is a terrible idea, far worse than private student loans + Our student credit card education site + Chronicle: Guarantee agencies such as USA Funds, despite their concerns, are cooperating with the department to prepare for a possible emergency, James Manning said. Only three weeks after department officials said they were troubled by the state of preparations for a lender-of-last-resort declaration, “we’re much more comfortable with where we are now,” he said. + Mr. Manning also made it clear that the administration is not ready to be offering assistance directly to lenders. Even if large numbers of lenders withdraw from the bank-based system, the 20 largest lenders handle 85 percent of student loans, he said. The size of the lenders, along with the continued migration of some colleges to the direct-lending program, should prevent any large-scale disruptions, he said. + Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com + Parent PLUS loans at ParentPLUSLoan.com Scholarship Update + The Woodlands High School GREEN Scholarship + $1,000 scholarships - 3 of them + For students at Woodlands High School in Texas + Be sure to Google for your city, town, county, and state with the words Earth Day scholarship to see what local environmental scholarships are available + Details at our free college scholarship search site Free Stuff Friday + Let’s see what we can come up with for green and free + Last week we mentioned PhoneRaiser to recycle phones and earn cash + FreeCycle.org is a site for trading stuff + Check out your local Craigslist free stuff column + Also check out the barter/trade column as well + Free Photoshop Express + When buying software, opt for digital download, and delivery is usually free + Mint has 30 free eBooks on personal finance + If you like horror, Scott Sigler’s eBook Infected is free until March 31 + Scholarship Search Secrets is free and paperless, too + Money savers - compact fluorescent lightbulbs - I’ve just started having to change bulbs I put in my house in 2001 - rechargeable batteries with a 1 hour charger + A really important point: green living can be money saving, too - sometimes. + Earth Day is April 22 - be on the lookout for free giveaways - last year, Lowes, Ikea, and Home Depot all had free CFL lightbulbs Free Song of the Week + Dirty Work, by Munk Promo + Financial Aid Podcast Live: Surviving the Credit Crunch Did you enjoy today’s show? If so, please consider subscribing for free to get it delivered to you . Subscribing for free means you don’t have to remember to download it every day. + + + Direct MP3 file download: Click here to download the MP3 Reminders + + Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. + Free scholarship search secrets eBook at StudentScholarshipSearch.com/ebook + Open an FDIC-insured savings account today! + Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com + Student credit card information at StudentPlatinum.com + FAFSA form tutorials and free help at FAFSAonline.com + Grad student? Get graduate financial aid information at the GradLoans.com blog! + Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com + The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network. I want to hear from you! Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 206-350-1208. Technorati Tags: financial aid financialaidpodcast ShareThis Less

http://live.pirillo.com - Many people in the country have been hurt by the mortgage crisis. People are getting foreclosed upon; they can't make their payments. Because of this, we are all feeling the pinch and we are tumbling into recession. Many people are trying to sell their homes themselves. Here are some tips to work without a Realtor, to save you some money. Less