How To Compare Your Student Loan Options

HomeFinancePrivate LoansHow To Compare Your Student Loan OptionsThis page may contain affiliate links.Jun 7, 2019Paying for college is one of the most difficult challenges faced by parents and students. This is especially true since it’s been more than 10 years since the government adjusted the amount students can borrow in federal loans. As a result, parents are bearing a larger portion of the burden. â€Å"As a freshman, the most students can borrow with Direct Loans is $5,500,† says Keith Babich from lender CommonBond. â€Å"Anyone looking at college costs knows that’s probably not going to come close to cutting it.† There’s a good chance you’ll need to find additional funding, beyond the â€Å"regular† Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans. As you piece together your college funding, here’s what you need to know. Student Loans as a Family Funding Puzzle â€Å"Once your student has their Direct Loan squared away, it’s time to look around at other ways of funding their education,† says Babich. â€Å"For many parents, the first stop is the Parent PLUS loan. However, that might not be the best option.† Babich points out that with the Direct Loans for students, interest rates are reasonably competitive. The interest rate for federal undergraduate loans during the 2019-2020 school year, for example, is 4.53%. It makes sense to start with federal undergraduate loans because they are guaranteed to just about anyone, regardless of income and credit, and they have relatively low rates. But once you’ve exhausted those loans, it’s time to compare other loan options. Babich suggests taking the step of looking at private lenders, like CommonBond, before turning to the parent PLUS loan, which has a rate of 7.08% for 2019-2020. â€Å"One of the issues is that parent PLUS loans are debt for the parents, and some parents are a little uncomfortable with this,† Babich says. â€Å"Instead, consider cosigning on a private loan. The student is still the borrower, but parents can use their better income and credit situation to ensure that the funding is there and get a competitive rate.† For many families, Babich points out, it’s about looking for ways to get the funding needed, without putting too much undue hardship on parents — who might have other obligations including additional children that will attend college. What to Look for When Comparing Student Loan Options Because there are so many private student loan options available, Babich suggests comparing different lenders and looking for the loans that best fit your family’s needs. Every family has its own priorities as to what’s most important. Here are some of the features to look at as you compare your options. Interest Rate â€Å"Everyone starts with the interest rate,† says Babich. â€Å"It’s a big deal. It determines what the education loan will ultimately cost you.† He points out that many private lenders, including CommonBond, offer lower interest rates on private loans than what you’d get with a parent PLUS loan. Ultimately, your rate depends on your credit score, along with other factors, like your loan term. Students who can’t qualify can borrow with the help of their parents or others as cosigners. Find out what rate you can get from three or four private lenders, and compare that to the parent PLUS loan. In some cases, where parents might have a lower credit score, but not have major adverse items, a PLUS loan might be the lowest-cost option. But, Babich says, for many families, there’s a good chance a private loan can do just as well, if not better. Not only does the Parent PLUS loan have a rate of 7.08% for the 2019-2020 school year, but there’s an origination fee of 4.264%, which can make the effective interest rate higher. For parents with higher credit scores, private loans can be a better option. Total cost of the loan Once you look at interest rate, it’s important to understand the total cost of the loan. For example, if you borrow $10,000 through a parent PLUS loan, with a 10 year term (and you start making payments immediately), you will repay about $14,400. That’s an extra $4,400 in interest over the course of 10 years. Anytime you borrow, you’ll have to pay interest. However, it’s important to consider the total cost of the loan. CommonBond offers a calculator that allows you to adjust various terms so you can compare the total cost of the loan. Factors that impact the total cost of your loan include: Interest rate When you start making payments Origination fee Loan term Use a student loan calculator to keep the term the same, but then adjust interest rate and origination fees to get an apples-to-apples comparison based on numbers. After you’ve looked at interest rate and total loan cost, you can begin considering other factors and perks. Grace Period Some private lenders require borrowers to begin immediate repayment, putting hardship on families. Instead, look for companies that offer grace periods similar to what’s offered by the government. â€Å"CommonBond and some other lenders have options that allow you to put off making payments until six months after the student leaves school,† says Babich. â€Å"This can make a big difference in family finances, especially if the expectation is for the student to make payments after they graduate.† Hardship Protections Hardship protections are something you hope youll never need to use, but its good to know your options ahead of time. This is where you need to do your research and consider whether this is one of those must-haves for you. Youll find that many private lenders offer forbearance that is on par with federal student loans (forbearance means you can press pause on payments for a period of time). Federal loans do offer a bit more flexibility when it comes to things like loan forgiveness (for those who work in public service for 10 years), and income-based repayment. But depending on your familys situation, it may not be worth the extra cost of the loan to pay for a protection you may never need. It’s also worth noting that parents who get PLUS loans can get a Direct Consolidation loan and be eligible for various income-based and forgiveness programs. However, even so, it still might not be the best choice, depending on the family situation. Instead of hoping for protections, Babich suggests looking to see what types of programs are offered by private lenders. â€Å"CommonBond has a forbearance program that provides for a measure of relief when needed,† says Babich. â€Å"Check with lenders to see what kinds of programs are available when you run into trouble.† Cosigner Release Because it’s unlikely that a student will qualify for the best rates and terms on their own, there’s a good chance that a parent will have to cosign. While cosigning accepts responsibility for the loan if the student doesn’t pay, the loan is still in the student’s name. Many private lenders won’t release the cosigner at all. However, CommonBond is one of the few that offers a cosigner release program. Make 24 on-time payments, and show you’re ready to take on the loan by yourself through your credit score and steady income, and the cosigner can be released. This is a great benefit to parents who want to give their children help funding college, but can’t be responsible for the debt for years to come. Flexibility Don’t forget to look at flexibility. Some private lenders only offer terms of five and 10 years. However, that might not provide families (or students) with affordable monthly payments. Consider lenders that offer longer repayment terms. CommonBond even has a handy tool that allows you to compare different options for term lengths and interest rates. â€Å"It’s about transparency and understanding what your options are,† says Babich. â€Å"You can take a look at different scenarios and figure out what’s going to work best with your financial situation.† Other Perks Don’t forget to look at other perks that might be important to you. Some lenders offer career development or networking events. CommonBond makes it a point to offer live customer service via phone calls. â€Å"We’re a high technology company, but some people also like that high touch service we offer,† Babich says. â€Å"You want to feel comfortable with your lender.† You should feel absolutely entitled to ask questions before, during, and after applying for a loan. Additionally, you might find it important to work with a company that offers a social good. CommonBond sponsors an education program in Ghana, and for every loan that’s approved, a child receives an education. Bottom Line Carefully think about what items matter most to you, and compare loan options in light of your family’s finances, and choose loans that meet as much of your must-have criteria as possible. While you’re best-served when you can get scholarships and grants, as well as rely on savings, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to look into loans to cover any funding gaps for your student’s education. The right combination of federal and private loans can help you meet those needs in a way that best supports your family. At this point, it’s worth a little extra research to understand what fits your family best.

Views on Corporate Social Responsibilities - 2056 Words

Corporations practicing stakeholder management will be more sustainable. Discuss. Introduction The perceptivity of sustainability is both in the sense of achieving long-term success and as survivability of a corporation (Zink, Steimle amp; Fischer 2008). Dunphy, Griffiths and Benn (2003) conceive corporations as channels of social purpose, constructed within society to attain useful social objectives. Henceforth, corporate social responsibility commits a significant role towards the sustainability of corporations. Both corporate social responsibilities and sustainability, and its related concepts influence all aspects of business. Chandler and Werther (2010) acknowledge the understanding of corporate social responsibilities as an†¦show more content†¦(Crane et al 2008) Despite over three hundreds billion in revenue and over ten billion in profits in 2007, Walmart with the conception to provide the best for consumers, dismissed the ethical customs towards its employees and stockholders. On top of that, in order to build its reputation, environmental concerns claimed w ere put aside. Though, Walmart is now sustainable and has picked up itself since then, consumers are still very concern and protesting against Walmart’s corporate social responsibility. For these reasons, corporations with classical governance are fundamentally associated with negative intentions. The lack of empirical evidence in agency theory, the contemporary view on corporate social responsibilities and its stewardship theory will be discussing below. Contemporary View on Corporate Social Responsibilities The success of the corporation in corporate social responsibilities demonstrates how well it has been able to influence stakeholder concerns while executing its business model. 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The Leadership Style And Qualities - 1830 Words

Strong leadership is vital to the success of any business, institution, school, team, or even church. Leaders that are considered effective encompass a leadership style and qualities that work to influence and motivate their followers. Joel Osteen, an evangelical pastor from Houston, Texas is truly one of the 21st centuries most captivating leaders. So much so, that he as selected by Barbara Walters as one of her 10 Most Fascinating People of 2016 (ABC News, 2006). His appeal is a phenomenon that is unmatched by any other current leaders in his profession. Over the past 15 years he has built a church, where he ministers one of the largest and most diverse congregations in America (Romano, 2005). Aside from his 45,000 attendees at his weekly services, his sermon is broadcasted in every television market in the United States and in over 100 other nations around the world (â€Å"About Joel,† n.d.). 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Wish Fulfillment in Modern Film Essay Example For Students

Wish Fulfillment in Modern Film Essay Ever since the start of the Roaring 20s?, Americans have had a fascination with the film industry and all the bells and whistles that go along with it. Even today, we become obsessed with movie stars, the actors and actresses who star in these films. We long for their glamorous lives and we begin to see them not as people, but as truly elite individuals. There have been countless examples of this in history movie stars whose lives are invaded by fans, paparazzi, and other media gurus who want so badly to know every burning detail of their lives. However, if we take a step back for a second , we start to realize how ridiculous this whole idea is. Our obsessions with movie characters, for both children and adults, is, inevitably, a far fetched dream of what we wish our lives could be like. There are many different facets to these dreams and hopes, whether its to be rich and famous, to fall in love, get revenge, or to simply find yourself. Regardless of what the dream is, movies have been and will forever continue to be an outlet for writers, producers, and movie-goers alike to bring those dreams to life, even if only for an hour or two. Looking at some of the research that our class compiled over the past couple of weeks, I realized that in both childrens and adults movies, there were a few similar themes that arose regarding wish fulfillment. One of these was finding true love. Between 12 kids movies and 12 adult movies, there were 6 in each category that had the theme of finding true love?. This data does not surprise me at all, due to the fact that love has always been a prominent theme when it comes to the film industry. Whether youre 42 and watching Gone with the Wind or 5 and watching Cinderella, it doesnt matter because at some point, Clark Gable and Prince Charming are going to show up and sweep the girl off their feet in an overly dramatic and picturesque romantic scene, reassuring the viewer that true love does exist. Especially for women and little girls, I think that this dynamic in films can actually be somewhat harmful. Not to say that there arent men out there that will show up with a glass slipper at the strike of midnight to take you off into the sunset in a pumpkin carriage made by your fairy godmother all Im saying is that for the majority of women, this ideal love scene is unrealistic and gives us a false pretense for the real world and a blurry view of what falling in love is supposed to look like?. Before I step off my high horse, it should be noted that these unrealistic love scenes are not only in childrens princess movies, but in adult movies as well. The only difference a lot of the time is that the writers include more real life situations, conflicts, and scenery, persuading the viewer to think these scenes are more likely to happen in real life, and not only that, but that it will happen to them. This sets us up, inevitably, for failure in the love department. Now, in many girls and young womens minds, we cant fall in love with someone unless they are perfectly sculpted, charming, spontaneous, romantic, and successful. Instead, even if the right guy does come along, our brain (the film industry) tells us to push him away because the right ? guy is waiting out there for you, he just doesnt know it yet or is too shy to say something. And even better, one of the more commonly viewed stereotypes, is the (for lack of a better word) sleazy? man, who falls in love with a woman who is too good to manipulate or take home the first night and never call again. Instead, the guy changes for her, and they end up falling madly in love, him a forever changed man. .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd , .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd .postImageUrl , .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd , .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd:hover , .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd:visited , .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd:active { border:0!important; } .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd:active , .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3814d06beb9125fab8d6adaed83976dd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Compare how the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet is portrayed in Luhrmanns 1997 film and Zefferelis 1968 version, which version is more successful? EssayThis kind of portrayal is seen in Crazy, Stupid, Love,? with Ryan Gosling as the masochistic ladies man and Emma Stone as the game changer?. Unfortunately, I myself fall victim to this love trap in films. But if anything, especially after discussing this topic in class and now writing and researching about it, I have a new perspective on it all, and am able to appreciate films for what they are and what they portray, as well as the special people in my life right now and for years to come. If everyone could take this approach and separate people in film from people in reality, I have to believe that society, in their romantic lives at least, would function a little bit more normally. Another recurring theme that popped up in our class data was a mixture of three things: defeating evil/bad guys, being a hero/saving the day, and a desire for action and adventure. Out of the 12 childrens movies, there were 9 that showed all three of these categories and out of 12 adult movies, 7 showed defeating evil, 7 showed saving the day, and 8 showed desire for action and adventure (View and Discuss). Again, I am not surprised by this data at all. For children, the bad guys usually show kids what NOT to do, and are later given consequences for their actions. The hero? of the movie usually saves the day and gives an example of what TO do (the opposite usually of whatever the bad guy was doing). In order for all of this to happen though, there usually has to be a conflict of some sort and a journey in which the main characters try and work their way through it all. This journey is usually filled with obstacles that need to be overcome and hardship that the characters must work through. This exact same dynamic is followed in adult movies, except once again, to keep the attention of the much more intellectual audience, the plot is thickened and made more realistic so we mentally put ourselves in the situation and watch the movie as though it is us in the characters shoes, wondering what is going to happen next. By the end of the movie, whether youre a child or an adult, you feel a sense of empowerment and triumph both for yourself and towards the imaginary character. Overcoming the bad guy in any movie is always going to make us feel good, especially with the amount of turmoil the character went through to get there. We as a society will always long for a happy ending, and if we dont get it, were usually not satisfied, and thats where the low ratings end up in the film industry. As unrealistic as it is to get a happy ending in some movies, such as Transformers (where alien robot cars basically take over the world) or Titanic (do I really need to explain? , the movie industry always has a way of twisting it around and giving the audience what they want. Again, I could say this gives us a false sense of hope for what really happens, however, when it comes to action films and over the top villains, I think we better realize the actuality of these things actually happening is much less, meaning that these types of movies, especially for adults, is merely just a form of entertainment, not necessarily a very realistic form of wish fulfillment. Sure, all of us would love to be Superman or Spiderman, flying all over the world and shooting webs from our fingertips, but we also know that these types of things will never happen, and there is no harm in letting our imaginations run wild once in a while! I think for the most part, all movies really are is a way for us to take a break from reality for an hour or two (or three if youre the Titanic or The Sound of Music). .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698 , .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698 .postImageUrl , .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698 , .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698:hover , .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698:visited , .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698:active { border:0!important; } .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698:active , .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698 .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4e23e0a23a29528d3af3ba15ba0ac698:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Discursive Essay - Trailer spottingAs far as I see it, thats all theyre meant to be. The film industry itself is just a bunch of people, brainstorming ideas and imagining different scenarios about the world around us. If you think about it, movies are just a very lifelike diary of whoever wrote the screenplay. At some point, someone got tired of simply writing their dreams down in a diary and decided to put it in film and share his or her ideas, wishes, and desires with the world. Turns out those desires, along with many other screenwriters and directors, were the same as some of our own, giving the film industry the popularity it has today. Both children and adults have dreams and desires that want to be fulfilled. Some, such as having magical powers and being able to talk to animals are more than unlikely and naive, and there is nothing wrong with that, especially for a child whose mind is so full of wonder and imagination that there is no need to stop them from watching these types of films. Others, such as being wealthy and famous, or finding true love, are not too far out of reach for adults, and I think we often times look to movies to try and solve the puzzle as to how to get there someday. Whether we do or not doesnt matter, because there will always be another film with another character that we can relate to, with a storyline similar to ours, and an ending that we wish to have all for ourselves. There is however, a positive side to the portrayal of our wishes in films, depending on the person who is watching. There is the person who watches the film and longs to be just like the main character in every way, but never does anything about it other than continue to watch the movie over and over again. Then there is the person who watches the same movie, relates to the character, and instead of putting his or herself in the characters shoes, puts on a pair of shoes and lands that new job theyve been hoping for, finally stands up to the person whos been bullying them in school, or finally tells that special someone that they love them. If anything, THIS is the message that media is portraying to us. Not that the things being shown in these films are going to happen to us exactly as the actors are picturing, but that we should be inspired by them to get up and make it happen ourselves. Part of the phrase wish fulfillment ? is to fulfill what were wishing for, and movies arent going to do that, WE are.