How to Qualify for Student Loan Forgiveness

To most, loans are the only solution to pay their tuition fees and complete education. Student loans also help students pay for books and living expenses while schooling. Even though these loans are refunded at low interest rates, they can be a burden depending on the job, salary, or how fiscally savvy an individual is.



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If you find yourself forced to live below your means or struggling to pay bills, applying for loan forgiveness will ease the financial encumbrance. Not everyone qualifies for loan forgiveness but most public servants do. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) can be a thank you gift to public servants for dedicating their time and energy serving their country.

Organizations that offer student loan forgiveness

The following are not the only organizations that will offer loan forgiveness. Therefore, it's wise to consult with your employer, or carry out research online to find if your profession qualifies for loan forgiveness.

• The Association of Medical Colleges

• The American Federation of Teachers

• Providers of Intervention Services for Disabled Students 

• Peace Corps Financial Benefit and Loan Deferment

• Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program (NELRP)

• National Health Services Corp

• Head Start Staff Student Loan Forgiveness Program

• College Cost Reduction and Access Act

• Child Care Provider Loan Forgiveness

• Armed Forces Student Loan Forgiveness Programs

• Americorps

• American Bar Association

According to the AES, “loan forgiveness programs encourage students to pursue an education that will lead to employment in specific occupations.” Loan forgiveness programs focus towards forgiving all or part of the loan as long as the borrower fulfills specific professional requirements.  The government also uses loan forgiveness to increase personnel in areas that lack enough. An example is nursing shortage in the U.S.

The programs are only applicable to students who secured loans through the government. Such loans include Federal Ford Loan, Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Consolidation Loans, and Federal PLUS Loan. However, you qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness only if you have already made 120 payments under any of the programs while still employed although they don’t have to be concurrent.

To qualify for Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program, health professionals should sign a two-year contract with an Indian health program. The program offers up to $48,000 coverage on student loans.

The Child Care Provider Loan Forgiveness Program will cover 20% of a borrower’s loan after serving two years, 20% for the next three years, and 30% onwards. To qualify, one must have served in a childcare facility and hold an early childhood education bachelor's or associate degree.
 
For vets, the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) can offer up to $25,000 yearly. For approval, one has to serve in the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program helps qualified nurses pay up to 60% of their education loan balance. The catch is they have to commit to a two-year contract and get 25% for a third year.

 More information on Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) is available at studentaid.ed.gov.

By Eileen Eva
 

A Medical Center Mystery

Have you receive this message below?

About

"ICU patients always died in the same bed on Sundays at 11 a.m., regardless of their medical condition. This puzzled the doctors. No one could solve the mystery. Mr. Licauco and the Ateneo paranormal folks were called. They arrived armed with special photographic equipment, infrared devices and motion sensitive radar to detect any presence, so on Sunday, a few minutes before 11 a.m., doctors and nurses nervously waited outside the ward to know what the mystery was all about. Some were holding wooden crosses and prayer books to ward off evil spirits. "When the clock struck 11, Mang Jose, a part-time Sunday janitor, entered the room, unplugged the life support system and plugged in the vacuum cleaner."

Me? Yes. That's the reason why I searched some details that can support the text message I received. Actually I got it a long time ago, and it was only now that I read it again.

According to the message, every patient dies in ICU every 11 AM, Sunday, whatever reason death may cause.

It mentioned a doctor named Dr. Licauco, perhaps his full name is Jaime T. Licauco. He is a paranormal expert (a parapsychologist), President of Philippine Paranormal Research Society, Inc., and a columnist in Inquirer Lifestyle. Other than that, I knew nothing about him. It also mentioned together with Mr. Licauco, the Ateneo paranormal folks. I don't know about them.

I found an article in a News website in the Philippines. He also received the same message, and searched everything about it.

News

I RECENTLY got a text message titled ?Mystery at a Medical Center? from a well known ophthalmologist. The message read: ICU patients always died in the same bed on Sundays at 11 a.m., regardless of their medical condition. This puzzled the doctors. No one could solve the mystery. Mr. Licauco and the Ateneo paranormal folks were called. They arrived armed with special photographic equipment, infrared devices and motion sensitive radar to detect any presence, so on Sunday, a few minutes before 11 a.m., doctors and nurses nervously waited outside the ward to know what the mystery was all about. Some were holding wooden crosses and prayer books to ward off evil spirits. When the clock struck 11, Mang Jose, a part-time Sunday janitor, entered the room, unplugged the life support system and plugged in the vacuum cleaner. I replied to the female ophthalmologist who had sent me the text, ?I didn?t know that story is still being circulated around.? I explained to her that the joke first appeared on the Internet maybe five years ago in the US. It carried names of well-known American parapsychologists. Somebody had forwarded to me a copy of that Internet joke. Soon it was used by compilers of a bestselling series of pamphlets on ?True Philippine Ghost Stories.? But they changed the name of the American hospital to Makati Medical Center and the names of the parapsychologists to sometimes Jaime Bulatao or Tony Perez and the spirit questors and myself. I thought the story had died a natural death. But many years later, I found out it is still very much alive, this time in text jokes. I am simply amused by such stories and hope people see the obvious jest. Strangers But urban legends apparently die hard. And some have been going on about me without my knowledge. I am usually the last to know. For example, I bumped into a group of strangers coming out of a Greenbelt restaurant years ago. One of them recognized me and greeted. ?Do you remember me?? he asked. I apologized and said, ?No I?m sorry, but I don?t.? He then told me he could not forget meeting me in a restaurant three months before former Sen. Ninoy Aquino came back to the Philippines. He said that I told him and six other people that if Ninoy came back to the Philippines, he would be assassinated. I said that? I asked incredulously. Yes, he emphatically replied. There were six of us who heard you say that. ?I?m sorry.? I told him. ?I don?t remember having said that.? And then I walked away from them. I learned from my son Jolan Alexander, now a businessman, that he had been told the story on two separate occasions that I once hit a baseball so hard it flew high up in the sky and was never recovered. When Jolan told me about that, I merely laughed because I have never played baseball, not even in my dreams! Relieved Here?s another recent example which took place only months ago. I went to a medical doctor who was a practitioner of holistic medicine and Chinese acupuncture. There was a female patient in the treatment room. When we were introduced, she said she knew me; we were neighbors in same office building in Makati. She said she was then scheduled for operation for cancer and I supposedly told her not to undergo the operation because she didn?t need it. Because of my advice. she said she didn?t undergo the operation. ?And what happened?? I nervously asked. ?You were right!? she replied. ?It turned out I didn?t need the operation after all.? I was relieved but at the same time puzzled because I would never tell anyone, specially someone I hardly know, not to undergo a medical surgery. I don?t remember that incident at all. But she was very sure that conversation took place in that building. Maybe that was another urban legend that has developed around my persona or character. I?ve been told that some people say I can read minds, tell the future, heal the sick and talk to the dead. If I could do all those things, I probably would have a long line of people waiting outside my door. I don?t know how many others are being circulated that I am not aware of.

Source:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/wellness/wellness/view/20101123-304720/Urban-legends-die-hard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaime_Licauco

Still Learning

Just spent another few weeks observing college life while invigilating for the January exams. I've learnt another few facts about students:

Some don't know the meaning of the phrase “Stop writing.”
Some can't read an analogue clock.
Some think it's o.k. to exit a room and immediately stop to have a conversation despite the fact there are two hundred others trying to get out as well.

Many of them appreciate the efforts we put in to ensure they get the sort of exam conditions in which they can do their very best.
Quite a few are willing to battle through severe weather conditions to get to college.
Most of them work bloody hard.

On writing matters:

In early January I ran a workshop at Nottingham Writers' Club which seemed to go down quite well. The members enjoyed it and produced some wonderful pieces of writing in a very short time.

Marion Clark at Yours magazine has accepted another story for the 2014 Yearbook.

I've been informed that my story due to be published in People's Friend will appear in the 9th February edition.

Looking forward to some brighter weather which lifts the spirit and boosts the creative mind.

Insatiable: The Magazine of Paranormal Desires

I have been a fan of White Cat Publications for some time.  They have a wonderful collection of literary magazines for those who have a taste for the paranormal or the otherworldly.  I have even been lucky enough to write a column for White Cat for a while.   All of this is why I'm thrilled to have been given the opportunity to be the editor of the new White Cat Magazine, Insatiable:  The Magazine of Paranormal Desires.

Insatiable is primarily dedicated to quality paranormal fiction with a romantic or erotic twist.   I've spent my last week reading all kinds of submissions and I have to say that I am thrilled by the quality of the submissions to the magazine and I believe that this is and will continue to be an outstanding publication.   A magazine can only be as good as its writers and if I continue to receive submissions of this quality, the magazine will be amazing.  The first issue of Insatiable was fabulous and if you have any interest you should take a peak at:   http://www.whitecatpublications.com/?wpsc-product=insatiable-premiere-issue

Due to this change in my paranormal interests, periodically I will make announcements regarding Insatiable on this blog.   Insatiable magazine is currently open to submissions and I am now reviewing submissions.  If you are a writer who loves the paranormal, please consider submitting your work.  You can find submission guidelines at:  http://www.whitecatpublications.com/?page_id=1995

(a place near you) please see attached document for your review run a conflict check and advice on your retainer fee

our opposing company information is below the breach of contract is for the sum of $1,150,000.00

Debtor

(Some local place in your jurisdiction)

Please send us retainer agreement ( engagement letter)  looking forward hearing from you.

Regards   

Taro Denshi

Senior Executive Manager

Beam Electronics Industrial Co.,Ltd.

3967-36 Wada, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture 390-1242

Tokyo Zip 110-0008     



Legal Counsel

I am Taro Denshi and I am the Accounts Officer at Beam Electronics Industrial Co.,Ltd. The management of Beam Electronics Industrial Co.,Ltd. requires your legal counsel in helping us seek redress from our debtors in your region who owe us money and breached our purchase agreement. Looking forward to reading from you.

Taro Denshi

Accounting Officer,

Beam Electronics Industrial Co.,Ltd.

3967-36 Wada, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture 390-1242

Tokyo Zip 110-0008                        

EMAIL: beamelectronicsindustrialcoltd@gmail.com

When Can I Get a Home Loan After Foreclosure or Bankruptcy?

The Vengeful Ghost of Emily's Bridge

In Alabama, the stories of haunted bridges fill almost every small town and county.  Cry baby hollows and cry baby bridges bring stories of children lost to tragic ends in turbulent waters.   Interestingly,  there is a similar story in Vermont.  There is a haunted bridge that is said to be lost in tales of woe. However it isn't a sweet babe that haunts this bridge, but an angry woman.  Emily's Bridge is located in Stowe,Vermont in the lovely valleys of the Green Mountains.

Emily's Bridge is mired in rumor.  Its true history is somewhat bland.  It is the oldest remaining covered bridge in the Stowe area.  The stream beneath the bridge once had a little gold in it, but not enough to make anyone rich.   The bridge is picturesque and warn by time, but it is the ghost that haunts it that makes it famous.  No one knows for sure who Emily was.  Some say she was a young woman who had her heart broken by her true love.   Desperate and despairing, she threw herself into the water below the bridge to end her life.  Others say she was a mother, whose husband ended his life and who lost her babies.  In a fit of despair, she also ended her life.

Whoever Emily was,  the stories of the white lady of Emily's bridge are terrifying.  Emily is a vengeful ghost.  It is said that after she is seen throwing herself off the bridge, she often chases her observer.   Some who catch a glimpse of Emily, are said to leave covered in cuts and bruises from her brutal attacks.  Strange noises are often heard on the bridge.  Screams, scrapings, and footsteps are said to haunt the quiet nights there.  Those who park on the bridge say that they hear Emily tearing and scraping at the outside of their cars.

Whoever Emily was, her sad story endures, even in the shadows of rumor and legend, because her ghost story endures.  As long as her tragic screams are heard in the shadowy nights of Emily's bridge, her story will remain.

We're alllll gonnnnna diiieeee (or: a bar exam update)

You know that point where it hits you that a HUGEMONGEOUS deadline is approaching and you are sitting there with your thumb up your ass and not a clue in the world with regards to the impending sucktasticness?

I'm there. 

I have 34 days to cram for the Texas bar examination, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to fail. I have no friggin idea what I'm doing. I have no initiative and I'm wandering around without knowing ANY OF THE LAWS. I *know* that I've done some stuff. But I don't think it's enough. I'm good with Contracts, but how about EVERY OTHER SUBJECT?

So today is the day I freak out, barricade myself in my hidey hole, and make suitable plans to study in remote locations where no one can find me.

All the while clutching my stomach, rocking from side to side, and murmuring about how I've been forsaken by my brain. And how WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE......

You tell em, Katniss. 

God help me.

It's okay Thursday....

It's okay....

To have tons of friends you've never met but feel like you've known forever via Twitter (and to love them bunnnnches). 

To be ridiculously excited to go watch Lord of the Rings and talk girl talk with an awesome lady I know in real life.....

That I'm blogging rather than hitting the road for an interview I have tomorrow....

To have a big, sequined, purple shower cap that I use on the reg, even though it makes me look like Miss Muffett and even though I work out every day....

That I use dry shampoo EVERY SINGLE DAY, regardless of when I washed my hair....

That bar exam studies make me want to kick a small woodland creature....

That my 11 year old brother and I spent two hours preparing/cooking a quiche that he wouldn't touch because of the texture....

That I had no such qualms...

NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM

To be unsure of whether anyone can last because Ice-T and Coco are having marital problems..

THAT'S RIGHT TYRA. YOU TELL THEM.

Star Mall, Alabang, Muntinlupa City

Star Mall Alabang is loacted at 2L, Administration Office, Starmall Alabang, South Super Highway, Alabang Muntinlupa City. I haven't been there, so I don't know what it truly look like in person. They said it just look like a simple building or mall like many others, but there's a distinct something different.

About

Muntinlupa was once notoriously known as the location of the national insular penitentiary, the New Bilibid Prison, where the country's most dangerous criminals were incarcerated. Consequently, Muntinlupa or "Munti" became synonymous with the national penitentiary although it has largely shaken-off this negative image to become one of the most progressive cities in the country. Muntinlupa is also home to some of the best commercial establishments in the metropolis and is the location of Ayala Alabang Village, one of the country's biggest and most expensive residential communities, where many of the wealthy and famous live. At the Star Mall Alabang, many encounter ghost while sitting and watching a movie. The location as many will tell you is very haunted by multo, which is derived from the Spanish word muerte, meaning dead.. As a to too often told modern ghost story goes, a young couple went to see a new movie they had trouble finding a seat for the theater as they made their way in was fully packed. They sat and watched a new romantic movie, only to find out when the movie ended and the lights came on that they were the only ones inside. Another tale tells of people seeing what they believe to be people just simply disappear before their very eyes. Tales of pickpocketing ghosts, items disappearing from store shelves and shop owners hearing strange noises and watching things move on their own. Star Mall, previously called Metropolis Star, stands on the former site of the Alabang Cemetery. Manuela Realty Development Corp., established by Sen. Manny Villar's grandmother-in-law Doña Manuela Aguilar Riguera, built the mall in the '90s. Many believe the bodies of the dead were never removed from the site and the angruy ghosts are letting their presence be known and felt. Some frightened mall goers often state they feel cold unseen hands touching them shoving them punching kicking and even kissing them. Photos taken inside and out of the large building often show ghostly images and mists. Many people often report that when going through their bags after shopping strange items often show up or the thing they just bought is missing replaced with another item. Several ghost hunting groups have deemed the location as one of the most haunted hotspots to ghost hunt in.

The Web Story

[Witness:] I'm from Alabang, and lumaki ako malapit sa Metropolis Mall.. Tama nga na dating sementeryo yung mall na yon.. Meron akong friend na may weird experience doon.. Meron kasi silang movie analysis na projects sa skul.. Since na malapit lang sya sa metropolis mall dun na lang sya nagdecide na manood ng movie.. Ang malupit pa doon 'last full show' sya nanood.. S'ya lang mag isa.. So pagdating nya sa movie hauz madilim na and nagsisimula na yung movie... Yung pinanood nya ay isang comedy movie. Syempre nakakatawa yung palabas and nung pumasok sya halos wala syang maupuan kasi tingin nya madaming tao... Ang nakakakilabot sa lahat nung bumukas yung ilaw pagkatapos ng palabas... Nagulat sya nung ilan lang pala silang nanonood, almost 10 or less lang sila.. Bigla syang kinilabutan kaya tumakbo sya pauwi... Mula noon di na sya nanood ng sine dun.. May isa pa akong friend na nagwork sa metropolis as a security guard.. So around 7pm meron daw pumasok na 10 guys na nakabarong, natawa nga sya kasi parang may kasal na dadaluhan yung mga manonood.. Eh, hanggang closing sya duty... Kinilabutan sya nung di lumabas yung 10 guys na nakabarong.. Bigla na lang daw nawala....

Source:
http://www.hauntedamericatours.com/ghosthunting/phillipines.php
http://www.starmalls.com.ph/contact.html
http://www.pinoyunderground.com/showthread.php?t=187854

The Ghosts of Native American Burial Grounds

One of my ex high school classmates posted an interesting bit of news on Facebook this morning.  The news was that my high school may be relocated to a place off of Weatherly Drive in South Huntsville, Alabama that is currently the location of three Native American archaeological sites dating from 1200 BC to 1500 AD.   One of these sites is said to be the resting place of Native American remains.  This means they may be moving my old high school to a location on top of an ancient Indian Burial Ground.   So many images popped up in my head when I found out about this.   Old ghost stories crept up from the dusty corners of my mind, Buffy the Vampire Slayer's high school popped up,  and many other images.   I am thrilled.  This could be the making of a thousand ghost stories whispered by high school students down over the generations.  

Stories of ghosts associated with Indian Burial Grounds have been pervasive in American folklore for generations. Indeed, where ever you find an Indian Burial site a ghost story is almost always close at hand. Some Native Americans buried their dead in large mounds.  These mounds have made for some interesting Native American Burial Ground ghost stories.  Indian Burial Mounds almost always have ghost stories associated with them.  One resident of Grandville, Michigan told a story of ghostly visitations nearby the Mounds there.  He described phantom noises and strange visitations.  In Alabama, Dauphin Island is known for its shell like burial mounds.   Phantom Native Americans have been seen in the shadows there.  Mounds aren't the only type of Native American Burial Sites that are haunted.  Robinson Woods in Chicago was known to once be the site of an Indian Burial Ground and stories of ghosts and paranormal activity abound in this area.  In Malone, New York there is an elementary school called Flanders Elementary.  It was built on top of a cemetery which was built on top of an Indian Burial ground.  Of course, the ghosts that wanders this school are legendary.   When I did research for my book, Haunted North Alabama, I discovered a paleo Indian graveyard might contribute to the hauntings associated with the Space and Rocket Center.  These stories are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Native American Burial Ground stories.  I could fill a book with these stories.

With the prolific nature of ghost stories associated with Native American Burial grounds, you would think that builders would avoid these sites for construction.  You'd think even skeptics would say it is probably bad business to build in a location that will inevitably be associated with stories of ghosts and horrors, but it doesn't ever seem to phase anyone.   I always wonder why people build on these sites just because it seems bad to destroy such ancient archaeological sites that surely hold unique pieces of American history.   Of course, none of these things phase those who decide where to build things.   So Virgil I. Grissom High School in Huntsville, Alabama could very well be the next of many places haunted by the ghosts of Native American Burial Grounds.  I wish I could send my children there.  I would love to hear the stories.

To read more about the relocation of Virgil I. Grissom High School:  http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/01/huntsville_school_officials_do.html#incart_river_default

Starting to Think You Forgot Me

Welcome back phishermen.

Teigo Osaki

Re: legal matter

Dear sir

We have debt collection matter in your State. We are Telecommunication Equipments Manufacturing Company based in Japan. 

We are looking for a lawyer firm that will represent our company on Debt collection matter.As soon as we get your reply to this mail that you will like to handle this matter on our behalf, we can forward to attention our debtor information for conflict check.

Regards

Teigo Osaki

Marketing Manager

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NTT)

3-1, Otemachi 2-chome

Chiyod-ku,

Tokyo 1008116

Japan

T: (800) 977 8970

Wbesite : www.ntt.co.jp

Are Consumer Purchased Credit Scores Different from Financial Institution Credit Scores?

 “When consumers buy a credit score, they should be aware that a lender may be using a very different score in making a credit decision.” Richard Cordray,director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), said in an email statement.

The three main credit reporting agencies; Equifax, Experian & Transunion, use their own algorithms to calculate credit scores and they each have several ways to calculate it.  Fair Isaac Company also computes and sells credit scores, known as FICO Credit Score, has more than 50 scoring models.  This means that there are numerous variations of a credit score. The good news is, based on CFPB’s research found that most of the scores pulled by consumers and other organizations are consistent by at least 75%. Between 20% - 25% of the scores that consumers purchase were moderately different enough to move them into another credit grade that financial institutions use to determine what consumers may qualify for loan rates. The remaining 1% - 5% of the consumers’ scores was significantly different.

Note:  FICO offers a calculator that lists the range of interest rates offered based on FICO score.  This of course may differ based on the financial institutions rates offered.

What is not widely known is that there different types of scoring models that are based on the information the financial institution or business wants to analyze.  For example, a credit score for a credit report pulled by an auto dealership may differ from the credit score of a credit report that is pulled by a financial institution. This is because the auto dealer may mainly want to focus on a consumer’s payment history on auto loans, regardless of the financing company or financial institution.  However, the financial institution’s credit score may be based on a consumer’s entire payment history on all trades reporting on the credit report. Another familiar type of scoring model is the one used by Utility Companies.

Regardless the scoring model, the fact holds true that if you have good credit, you will have high or good credit scores on them all and if you have “colorful” or bad credit, you will have low or bad credit score on them all.  What important is that you understand the “Anatomy of the Credit Score.”

• 35% is based on your payment history.
• 30% is based on how much of your available credit you've borrowed against.
• 15% is based on the length of your credit history.
• 10% is based on the diversity of credit you carry.
• 10% is based on the number of “hard inquiries” from creditors to qualify you for credit or open an account.

Other types of scoring modes are Bankruptcy Scores and Fraud Shield Scores.  

A Bankruptcy Score determines the likely hood of a consumer to file for bankruptcy.  Many lenders use it to determine whether or not they will loan you money. A bankruptcy score also may influence the interest rate that you may qualify for on a loan. Bankruptcy Scores are not generally shared with the public.  The lower the Bankruptcy Score the better. A Bankruptcy Score of 1 – 100 is ideal. A score of 300 to 900 indicates that you need to improve your credit by paying down debt especially on revolving lines of credit, like credit cards.

A Fraud Shield Score identifies inconsistencies between application information and credit report data. Just as the credit score, the higher the score the better.  If you have low Fraud Score, the lending institution many request or require additional document to verify your identity.  Don’t give them a hard time though, it is for your protection.

As with anything, financial and credit knowledge is Key to your Prosperity. 

STEP 1: Understand where you are with your credit.

• Pull your credit report to see what is reporting.  You are able to get a least one free copy of your credit report from all credit bureaus. Go to AnnualCreditreport.com.
• If there are several past due payments or lots of collections reporting, you may want to save your money and work on restoring your credit.  Try the myFICO.com Credit Score Calculator to start. 
• If all accounts are paid as agreed with no collections reporting, you may want to invest in purchasing your credit score to see where you are. 

Start at FreeCreditScore.com.  The score may be free, but make sure you read the disclosures to ensure that you are not required to sign up for a monthly monitoring service.

STEP 2:  Ask for help.

Regardless of whether you need assistance with restoring your credit or improving your credit to increase your credit score, don’t be afraid to ask for assistance.  Below are a few great options to assist you.

Anngie Jenkins, Credit Score Queen

www.CreditScoreQueen.com

National Credit Educational Services

www.NCESNow.org

STEP 3: Assess your spending habits, budget and savings plan.

This is crucial with rebuilding or maintaining your credit.  Feel free to contact me for assistance through

• My monthly Common Cents Newsletter,
• My weekday Madam Money Minute Financial & Credit Tip Texts by texting MADAMMONEY to 46786,
• Registering for a Madam Money Financial BootCamp, or
• For One on One Financial Coaching contact me at the information below:

   

Tarra Jackson, Financial Coach

Prosperity Now Financial Management Services

Tarra@ProsperityNowFMS.com

(404) 852-6295

  
We are all looking forward to being a resource to you towards your Prosperity Now!

The Horrific and Beautiful Franklin Castle

The Franklin Castle is a house surrounded by sorrow.   Franklin Castle was built in 1865 by Hannes Tiedemann, a German immigrant.  It is located in Cleveland, Ohio and is believed by many to be the most haunted house in Ohio.  Whether or not it is the most haunted house in Ohio, it is certainly one of the most tragic.   Tiedemann's luck seemed to have taken a downward turn after he moved into the beautiful mansion.  Many say it wasn't his luck, but his murderous temperament that took a downward turn, but history speaks only of his luck.   Tiedemann's daughter died of diabetes shortly after his taking up residence in the house.  His mother followed quickly behind her and three more of the Tiedemann's children also followed their sibling into the afterlife.  Death came more and more often in Tiedemann's house.  His wife died.  His niece died.  A maid died.   Rumors began to circulate that Tiedemann was behind all the deaths. Other rumors surrounded the house itself.  People began to whisper that the house itself was cursed.

In 1911, the house was purchased by the German Socialist Party.   Little is known about this period in the house's history.  The Nazis owned the house until 1955 and many tell a story in which 20 Nazi's were killed in the house during this period.   Later, the Germans rented the house out.   Other rumors indicate that a mad doctor lived in the house while the Germans owned it.  The doctor performed strange and perverse experiments in the darkest parts of Franklin Castle killing all he experimented on.

Rumors and stories about The Franklin Castle abound.  Mysteries lurk in the shadows there.   The house is riddled with secret rooms and hidden passages.  Tunnels creep underneath the house and old stories lay buried there.   In 1970, one of the occupants of the house found a secret room filled with the skeletal remains of babies.  Those that found the babies described hearing the phantom voices of crying babies long before they actually unearthed the remains.   Theories about the origins of the baby remains go from them being medical specimens, to them being the remains of Tiedemann's lost children, to them being the medical experiments of the mad doctor.

Ghost stories surrounding the Franklin Castle are prolific.   Residents and visitors have described hearing weeping babies and phantom children.  A black lady is said to be seen from one of the window. Nazi ghosts are prevalent and strange noises, voices, and lights fill the stories of all those who have wandered Franklin Castle.  The house gathers ghost stories like a child collects Halloween candy while trick or treating.    

The house's recent history is as odd as its past.  The house was burnt to a ruin in 1999.  In 2004, the house was bought and it was said it was going to be turned into a club.  The website for this club still remains.   http://franklincastleclub.com/.   This was shown to be a scam by a Mr. Mislaps.  He got into some trouble over back taxes and was ordered to stop giving tours of the house. 

The house has recently been rezoned as a 3 family dwelling.   One thing is for sure, with more people living in the house in the future, there are sure to be new ghost stories and new dark tales to fill the halls of this old house. 

What to Do When You Can’t Pay Your Bills

There is no doubt that one of the most horrifying experiences is struggling with money and not being able to pay bills.  I've overcome and am still overcoming financial struggles but there are so many more people and families that are in a more difficult situation. 

There is no magic pill or “one size fits all” method of fixing financial struggles or what I call “financial dis-eases.”  However, here are a few tips to help you get started.

Tip # 1: Assess the Problem

The most important step is to assess why you can’t pay your bills.  This could be because of a job loss, a pay cut, increase in fixed expenses, unexpected medical bills, an expensive mistake or poor spending habits.  After understanding the cause of the problem, the next phase of this step is to write out your budget. I encourage you to download and read “5 Steps to Building a Budget That Works.”  You may of course see that you are spending more than you make.  By writing this down in detail, you will understand your fixed verses flexible expense. 

  

Tip # 2: Fix the Problem

Once you understand what the problem is, you can now begin the process of fixing the problem.  Most people’s problem (like mine was) may be overspending.  If this is your issues, the best cure for this financial dis-ease is financial abstinence by eliminating the use of credit cards or unsecured lines of credit.  Also, cut back on eating out and reduce or eliminate flexible bills like cell phone, land line phone, cable or any other unnecessary expenses.

However, many people aren't overspending at all.  They are dealing with being under paid.  Their income does not meet their baseline budget of their fixed expenses.  If this is your issue, it is now a matter of increasing your income.  This is not an easy cure and may require lots of hard work to find and work a part-time job. You may want to establish a home-based business that generates extra income. 

Here are few ways to handle your financial situation:

1. Ask your family or friends for a loan or gift to assist you during your short-term struggle. Make sure that you only ask them once and make it clear that it is a gift (you do not have to pay it back) or it is a loan (you will pay back).  If it is a loan, establish the payment arrangements and make sure you pay them back on time.  Don’t be that family member that everyone ignores phone calls from because they know you are just going to ask them for money.
2. Contact the company(ies) and creditors to explain your temporary financial hardship and request to skip a payment for the month to get back on your feet or to modify your payments, permanently or for a limited time.  Many financial institutions have a loan modification program that you may qualify for.
3. Contact a debt management organization, like CCCS, to assist you with communicating with your creditors to reduce your monthly payments.  There are many organization out there, some free and some with a cost.  Make sure you do your research before you commit to their services and program, especially if they are requiring a fee up front.  I recommend that you find a non-profit debt management organization that does not charge a fee to assist you.
4. Although I am not an advocate of and try to sway my clients away from this, you may need to consider a short-term loan, payday loan, title loan, etc.  This should be your LAST resort and make sure that you understand the terms, rates you will have to pay and all of the fees.  If this is used the wrong way, you could find yourself in a worse financial condition than you were before you got the short-term loan.  Proceed with caution.
5. When all else fails and you have honestly tried everything stated above as well as other tips you've learned, another last resort option is bankruptcy.  “Bankruptcy is a tool, nothing more, nothing less” says Bankruptcy Attorney & Trustee Angelyn Wright of The Wright Law Alliance, P.C.  When used appropriately it can be the financial major surgery necessary to rebuild your financial well-being and give you a Fresh Start.  If you are considering this option, please make sure you understand what bankruptcy is and does.  When done the wrong way or with the wrong attorney, it may put you in a worse financial situation than you are now.  Get educated and ask questions before you proceed with caution.

Based on personal experience as well as observing and working with others who are dealing with and have resurrected from financial struggles, your financial situation can change if you are willing to work hard enough and can be disciplined.

By the way, don’t be afraid to ask for help.  There are many banks, credit unions, non-profit organizations, and financial coaches like myself that want to assist you.  Contact me at info@ProsperityNowFMS.com for consultation.

Week 7 Schedule...TBE

Today is the first day I start realllllly hitting the ole books hard. I've posted a schedule for this week (7 weeks out) below, and I hope to stick to it. I've allowed myself one free day (Sunday) during which I'll either do nothing or use it to catch up on shit I've not done during the week.

If you'll notice, my schedule isn't nearly as terrifying as Barbri's. That's because I actually want to accomplish it. I've added supplemental in case I finish my daily grind, but that's not required.


Hope it may help you, if you're departing upon this journey by yourself as well.

Happy Monday.

The Mummy of Bessemer Hall

Hazel Farris was a beautiful woman in life.   She was beautiful and notorious.   Hazel was born in Bessemer Alabama, but she was a fast living woman and ended up in Kentucky with a hard drinking husband by the time she was twenty-five.   Hazel and her husband both drank heavily and they were known to exchange blows from time to time.   One night,  one of their fights got out of hand.   Hazel grabbed the pistol and shot her husband three times.   The neighbors called the police and three police officers entered the house.   Three more gunshots pierced the night.   Reinforcements were sent and before the night was over five officers had been killed and Hazel had fled into the night.

Hazel ran home to Bessemer where she managed to avoid arrest despite a reward being posted for her capture.  In Bessemer,  Hazel got a job and went on with life.  She fell in love and in the heat of her passion,  she confessed her crimes to her lover.  Her lover was terrified by her confession and immediately turned Hazel in.  Hazel was mortified and heart broken.   She could take no more so she got completely intoxicated and took as much arsenic as she could get her hands on.   Hazel died in 1906.

Hazel's corpse was taken to Adams Vermillion's furniture store and funeral parlor.   Since no one claimed Hazel's body,  Adams placed her corpse in storage.   After a few months,  Adams noticed that Hazel's body was beginning to mummify.  It is believed that she began to mummify because of the combination of arsenic and alcohol she used to end her life.    Always one to make the best of situation,  Adams began showing the  modern mummy for money and eventually her body was sold.   After changing hats and going across the country in various sideshows as an oddity,  Hazel's body eventually came to the Bessemer Hall of History.  The mummy was displayed there from 1974-2004 and many believe that this is where Hazel's ghost lives on today. There have been reports of lights going on and off in the building and strange whistling noises.   Visitors have also reported feeling ill at ease at this building.   Even thought Hazel's corpse has finally been laid to rest,  her spirit walks on giving visitors a new nightmare to keep them up at night.

Plan of attack for Texas Bar studying--where I stand, where I want to go #1

As I prepare by myself for the bar examination, I've pledged to update y'all on my blawg as to how I'm studying, what I'm doing, and my plans for the future. Here is a breakdown of the examination and a written analysis of what I've set out to do.....

Texas Essays: 

There are twelve Texas-specific essays (2 Real Property, 2 Business Administrations, 2 UCC, 2 Family Law, 2 Wills and Estates, 1 Trusts OR Guardianship, 1 Consumer Law, w/ crossover topics of Federal Income Tax and Bankruptcy). I've already retyped the notes for Agency, Bankruptcy, Commercial Paper, Civ Pro, Community Property, Consumer Law, Family Law, Federal Income Tax, and Oil and Gas. I'm working on Trusts at this moment. 

This means I need to tackle Corporations, Wills, Texas Real Property, Secured Transactions, , and possibly Contracts. I already feel moderately comfortable with Secured Transactions, because I had a friggin awesome teacher for that, and it's a UCC (aka: mostly national standard) topic. 

For this portion, I plan on retyping the notes that will be most helpful to me, which also means I have to go back through during the final week's review and fill everything in, which will function as a great refresher. For the subjects I feel less strong with regard to or which do no lend themselves to effective outlining, I plan to chart. The next couple of weeks, I'll finish reviewing these subjects, then circle back and start charting some more, plus add in actual essay practice. I'll probably begin essay practice in two weeks. 

MBE:

There are six MBE subjects (Contracts, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Evidence, Torts, Real Property). I also plan to work six days out of the week. Thus, I will devote myself to one subject per day, particularly with regard to MBE questions, for the first few weeks. Toward the end, of course, I'll swap to varying questions and focus on subjects I am not doing as well in. 

Texas Procedure and Evidence:

Texas P&E has me nervous, but it also only counts for 10% of the exam. As I've said, I've already rewritten Civ Pro, which was 70 pages and killed a piece of my soul, I'm pretty sure. This means I have to go through the Texas Criminal Procedure plus Civil/Criminal Evidence sections with a fine-toothed comb, because I'm not sure of all the differences. I did well with non-specific criminal law and evidence, but I don't want to get stuck because I don't know the distinctions. 

This subject is also much different because it's a short answer portion, which I didn't have on my last bar examination. As such, I have to print out several of the past Texas tests and start quizzing myself on these. I plan to spend two days per week studying and preparing for the P&E. I will begin by going through the notes and either charting or rewriting them (there are LOTS of pages, so I'm not sure how long this will take me), then I will force myself to take an entire 90 minute practice conditions exam, grade it, then focus where I obviously know jackshit. 

MPT:

This section is also worth 10%. I've already been tested on this on the prior exam, but didn't do as well as I would have liked. I think I may procure a Kaplan book to help prepare, because I've heard that Kaplan really helps in this area moreso than Barbri, and anything that may bring up the score a few points can't be a bad thing. I plan on addressing this subject once a week. 

Ultimately:

I don't feel nearly as nervous as I did, and I attribute that in part to the chart I created acclimating myself with the Texas Bar Examination. (I did a breakdown. I'll attach it on my next blog post.) This helped me visualize the examination, and made it easier to understand which subjects I'm going to need to tackle. In short, it made it seem less insurmountable. 

While I initially thought I was going to do a calendar marking out the next seven weeks, I decided instead to break it down on a weekly basis. On Sundays, I'll analyze my progress, update my blog, and plan out the next week's course of attack. I think this will be more helpful because I won't feel like I'm failing if I spend more time on a subject I really need to address or less on one I find I already know. If you're interested in a blank, fillable study chart, let me know, and I don't mind sending it to you. 

101 Wednesday #1 (17, 54, and 81)

101 Wednesday. The day where I update you on my list and tell you what new and awesomely exciting things I've managed to cross off. This won't happen every Wednesday, because I'm not deluded enough to believe I'll actually accomplish one thing every single week. (Who knows, though?) (Also, I think it's safe to say I'm obviously not ambitious.)

Since I created my 101 in 1001, I've crossed off three things. It was shockingly easy to do. :)

#17 - Reconnect with two old friends

A few days ago, I received a text message from one of my oooolld high school friends. Rather than recounting it, I'll let it speak for itself.

Without even realizing it, I made a date with two very old friends, and we had a GREAT time chatting and reconnecting. I got my sushi fix, we got to catch up, and I can assure you that they have not packed on the pounds. (We actually all look almost the same as we did in high school, which we finished almost eight years ago.)

Probably the funniest moment was trying to figure out who in our original high school (in 11th grade, we swapped to an advanced boarding school) hadn't married (like us). We came up with two. Then Friend 1 asked "Who do we know that we went to (original school) with that got their advanced degrees?" Friend 2: "One of the girls we just named who isn't married." Me: "Naturally."

Ahhhh, the South. Where people seem to strive to be married, divorced, and laden down with children by the time they're 25.

#54 - Make Christmas cookies with my little brother

I have absolutely NO SHAME in informing you that I DO NOT make gingerbread. I tried a couple of Christmases ago using my mother's recipe, which calls for SIX cups of flour. After chilling, I was met with something roughly the size, texture, and hardness of a basketball.

(NEVER AGAIN.)

So a few days before Christmas, I picked up a box of gingerbread cookie mix (no judging), got out my cookie cutters, and ripped my little brother away from his electronics. Hilarity ensued.

Then we feasted.

Don't pretend like you're not drooling. 

#81 - Buy myself a piece of jewelry

The day after Christmas, I happened upon an ebay search I saved a while back. You see, after I graduated from law school, I wanted to use the money I received as gifts to buy the most perfect awesomest gift to remember it by EVAR (which I elected to be a ring with a red stone). And since I wanted it to be perfect, I still hadn't found anything by the end of the year. 

When I'm telling you I searched far and wide, I did. Rubies are hard to find, and I wanted a deep red stone. I considered garnet as well, but nothing I found was right. I wanted yellow gold. I wanted it close to my size so it wouldn't be difficult to resize. I wanted big, but delicate. I wanted something I could wear for-ev-ver. (Squints' voice from The Sandlot.)

I searched in jewelry stores. On ebay. In pawn shops. Nothing was perfect. 

Until this particular ebay search. A beautiful garnet ring popped up. In my size. In yellow gold. Flanked with white sapphires and diamonds. 

And now it's mine. 

My....precioussssss.