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Story Archives of 'Personal Finance'Subprime Student Loan CrisisBy Virginia Prescott on Thursday, November 12, 2009.The recession is encouraging a record number of Americans to attend or return to college. Enrollment reached a record 11.5 million last fall. With unemployment on the rise, that number is expected to climb. For-profit colleges are aiming to fill the demand. Many students drawn in by promises of close personal attention and immediate career growth agree to take on high interest loans, often times unaware of what they’re signing. On graduation day they face the real world saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in debt. ![]() In many cases private student loans come with variable interest rates that can top twenty percent. In addition, a number of recent graduates contend that the education they paid for included sub-par labs, mediocre instructors, and fell short of the quality education that was advertised. The New America Foundation’s Stephen Burd has been investigating the for-profit college industry for The Washington Monthly and joins us with more on what he found. The Washington Monthly: The Subprime Student Loan Racket Marketplace: Allegations Against U of Phoenix Persist Schools like the ones we discussed are often described as "diploma mills." Well, some skeptics proved just how easy it is to walk away with a degree - by enrolling their cats. Now users of Wikipedia have posted a list of several such accomplished felines. Like Colby Nolan. Undercover agents enrolled the housecat at Trinity Southern University in Dallas, which earned him an MBA degree. And science journalist Ben Goldacre was able to score a diploma in nutrition from the American Association of Nutritional Consultants for his dead cat, Henrietta. (Photo by BdwayDiva1 via Flickr/Creative Commons) Fixed Annuities: Everything Old is New AgainBy Jon Greenberg on Tuesday, September 15, 2009.When stocks tumbled at the end of 2008, it made a lot of casual investors gun shy. They discovered that their appetite for risk was lower than they had thought. The market being what it is, there were people ready to make a buck to meet the needs of the newly cautious. NHPR’s Jon Greenberg reports. It Looked Like Identity Fraud, But Was Actually a Computer GlitchBy David Darman on Wednesday, August 19, 2009.Concern about a possible case of identity fraud has uncovered a computer glitch at the Small Business Administration. A New Hampshire woman learned she was on the hook for over seven thousand dollars on a defaulted loan. A collection agency demanded the money, because the Micronesian man who had taken out an emergency SBA loan had her social security number. NHPR’s David Darman has more. Personal Income Trends and College GradsBy Jon Greenberg on Friday, June 19, 2009.The economy continues its tough slog to recovery. Our weekly economic round-up looks at the ups and downs of personal income and college graduates riding out a lousy job market. NHPR’s Jon Greenberg has the latest. Granite Staters Return to FrugalityBy Laura Knoy on Monday, May 25, 2009.For centuries, New Hampshire Yankees have always been known for being resourceful. Now, with a recession and many people either losing their jobs or thousands of dollars from their retirement savings, Granite Staters have begun to return to these dime-stretching ways. They are shopping smarter, finding money-saving deals and reacquainting themselves with old school cost cutting measures. Today we’ll look at this trend, what some are doing to cut costs and if this trend will continue when good economic times come back. (This program was originally broadcast April 15, 2009) Guests
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Granite Staters Return to FrugalityBy Laura Knoy on Tuesday, April 14, 2009.For centuries, New Hampshire Yankees have always been known for being resourceful. Now, with a recession and many people either losing their jobs or thousands of dollars from their retirement savings, Granite Staters have begun to return to these dime-stretching ways. They are shopping smarter, finding money-saving deals and reacquainting themselves with old school cost cutting measures. Today we’ll look at this trend, what some are doing to cut costs and if this trend will continue when good economic times come back. Guests
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Boosts in BankruptciesBy Laura Knoy on Thursday, March 19, 2009.The Federal Bankruptcy Bill of 2005 caused a sharp drop in the number of bankruptcies, but current economic conditions are causing that number to rise once again. In New Hampshire it’s gone up by 32 percent in the past year. We’ll dig into the numbers and into bankruptcy policy, including a hotly-debated proposal to give judges more say on mortgage-related bankruptcies. Guests
Here's What's Awesome: Eyeball-Cam, Vinyl ClocksBy Brady Carlson on Sunday, March 8, 2009.As one of my favorite bloggers once said, I get letters... the latest one is from a fan who says his girlfriend "says 'here's what's awesome' is her favorite part of the WOM blog. no kidding. she mentioned it in passing the other night." This takes my job to a whole new level, folks. Knowing that some of you are counting on a set of awesome links each weekend puts a big responsibility on my shoulders. But I won't let you down, now that I know the eyes of the world are upon us. The Economy Hits the RetiredBy Laura Knoy on Wednesday, March 4, 2009.It's supposed to be a time of leisure, when the worries of work are behind you, the kids are out on their own and you can live smartly on all that you’ve saved. But things have changed for many of New Hampshire’s retired population. The rise in fuel costs, the dropout in the housing market and severe dips on Wall Street have left many with deep monetary losses and extra costs. The result: some retirees have been forced to go back to work, others to sell their homes and live with relatives and still others to live much more inexpensively then they ever thought they would have had to. We’ll look at New Hampshire’s retired population and how hard the economic times have hit them. Guests
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Saving a Buck in a Sour EconomyBy Virginia Prescott on Tuesday, February 10, 2009.
President Obama addressed the nation last night with grim news about jobs being shed at an alarming speed. As more and more Americans face layoffs, many people are looking for those elusive, so-called “recession-proof” jobs. The liquor industry, for example, is known to do well in a down economy - but even booze sales have been off lately. People say sex always sells, but I read about sex workers in Denmark who are offering discounts for their services. So what’s left? Are there any recession proof jobs? Garen Daly may have found one. He's the Frugal Yankee, and his job is to help people save money. He joins us to share some tips. (Photo courtesy untitledprojects via Flickr/CC) |
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