Complete Finance Blog

Losing sleep over how you’re going to pay for college? I’ve been there. Not every family has the savings or resources to support their college-bound students. The good news is, many people have survived paying for school themselves and there are a ton of resources out there. Here are a few things to look into:

1.    Fill out the FAFSA. When trying to get aid for college, filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the place to start. You’ll receive a financial aid package that could include a lot of the elements below, based on need.
2.    Get scholarship savvy. Free money—it’s out there for everyone from violinists to aspiring physicists. To research the scholarships available,  click here.
3.    Go grants. More free money! Grants, unlike loans, do not need to be paid back. There are several sites listing available grants and how to apply for them, like this one.
4.    Say yes to work. Participating in the federal work study program or holding down a part-time job while you are in school can help you cover costs and get valuable experience. Find out about the U.S. Dept. of Ed’s program or sea

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The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) revealed that in 2010, nearly two million UK households made a move that will save them an average of £2,600 annually. They opted for a standard mortgage loan after the expiration of their original fixed-term mortgage. The switch was valued at approximately £4 billion per year.

Typically, the standard variable rate (SVR) offered by a lender is higher than its fixed rate loans, which makes this situation unusual. SVR is tied to the Bank of England base rate, which fell due to the financial crisis. Currently C&G and Nationwide have 2.5 percent SVRs. In June 2008, it would have cost 6.6 percent to take out a two-year fixed rate loan.

Some economists worry about borrower shock when the base rate increases from its historic 0.5 percent low. The CML is not concerned because rates are only expected to increase to 0.9 percent by the end of 2012 and to two percent by 2015. If this happens, 85 percent of variable rate mortgage holders will still have lower payments at the end of 2012 and about 58 percent will be paying less than their original payment through the end of 2014.

According to the CML research, most borrowers have either ten or 20 percent equity in their homes, making refinancing attractive. T

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The U.S. State Department received the application from TransCanada for permission to build the Keystone XL Pipeline Extension over 3 years ago. Today, the White House made a firm decision not to decide just yet, with the State Department indicating that an actual decision is at least another year away.

Nice to see the President is focused like a laser on how to get Americans back to work.

Paying that auto insurance bill can be painful especially if you have never had to file a claim. Mistakenly, this prompts many consumers pick the cheapest insurance by dropping their coverage to levels that will leave them seriously exposed if they have an accident or suffer the theft of their car. However, you can actually cut down your premiums drastically without sacrificing coverage at all. Here’s how:

1. Get Safe Driver credits. Your car insurance company charges you what they do based on the risk that you pose as a driver. If you want to pay less for your auto insurance, be a safer driver and prove it! First, remember that having a claims-free and violation-free record helps reduce your insurance premiums tremendously. Want to save even more? Take a safe driving course offered in your area and send the completion certificate to your insurance agent. You can usually save an additional 10-15% with a safe driver credit.

2. Package your home and auto and get a multi-policy discount.  This is the biggest way to save money on your homeowners insurance and auto premiums, hands down. Most

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