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Is It Wise To Try Handling Your Own Legal Matters To Save Money?

In most cases it is not wise to handle your own legal matters. Is it legal? Yes, handling your own legal matter is completely legal. In fact, “in pro per” is a common term in legalese that means someone is representing themselves in their own legal matters. However, depending on the size of the lawsuit and whether it is a criminal or civil case, it can be quite disastrous if someone doesn’t have the knowledge to “represent” themselves. If you are the defendant in a legal case you can increase your chances of losing your freedom and basic liberties by going to jail, and in a civil court you could easily lose a lot of money.

For one, law documents are complicated. There is a reason why lawyers need to go to school for multiple years and study for extremely hard tests to pass their bar in order to legally practice law in a particular state. When you represent yourself, it is usually up to you to file all the documents to make the case legitimate. In a civil case there can be multiple documents to file with the court if you are the plaintiff. If you are the defendant you will need to be aware of all the terms and agreements so that you know what your rights are in a civil court. If you don’t you could be going completely blind against a plaintiff who could have a very knowledgeable and adept lawyer by their side.

May 6, 2013

General

How A Low GPA Affects Your Financial Aid In College

Ever since your earliest years in grade school, you’ve been taught that your number one concern in school is achieving high grades. Students everywhere work their hardest to get top marks from preschool to college, and it is in college that the concern for good grades takes on more significant importance. When a slipping GPA could cause you to lose your financial aid, there is no room for error. Education is expensive, and many students wouldn’t be able to go on without aid. But how can a low GPA truly affect your financial aid?

In general, there are two kinds of financial aid. Some kinds of financial aid are need based, while others are merit based. Certain special cases may combine these two types of aid into a scholarship, but in general they are kept separate. Need based aid includes the federal government aid for which students apply every year through FAFSA. These funds are allocated to students based on their financial situations. Merit based aid is typically offered by schools and other non-government institutions to help exceptionally talented students finance their education.

If your GPA begins to slip, merit based financial aid is typically the first thing that will go. Students who are given scholarships based on academic performance need to keep that performance high in order to keep receiving funds from scholarship providers. If your grades start to slip, you can expect your merit based financial aid to be revoked. Academic scholarships are given to top performers, and yours will go to another hard-working student if you begin to neglect your studies.

April 25, 2013

General

Is A Prestigous University Worth The Money?

When the time comes to select the college that you want to go to, there are a lot of reasons why some of the more prestigious universities may seem like the better ones to apply to. As with so many things in life, sometimes we assume that just because a particular institution comes with a bigger price tag, then automatically, it must be better in value.

However, when publications like Business Insider features articles on some of the “upper echelon schools” like Oberlin College, Rutgers University and Northeastern University (just to name a few) that are proving to not be as good of a return on the financial investment that is made by going there, it’s completely understandable why more and more people would start to wonder if prestigious schools are actually worth the money. Well, in order to answer that question, there are a few factors to consider.

April 23, 2013

General

How To Create A 5 Year Financial Plan

Creating a five year financial plan is a great way to map out your future and plan your life accordingly. We might not be able to look into a crystal ball to see how our lives play out 20 years or more down the line, but we can usually get a clear idea of what our fiscal future will look like in the next five years by drafting a simple plan. A five year plan will also help you set certain goals and help you meet them. Perhaps you would like to start a family and you want to know if you will be able to afford things, like a new house and all the other costs that go along with having kids.

Here are some ways you can create a 5 year financial plan:

For one, you want to know exactly how much money you make in a certain year, after taxes. You also want to add up all your regular expenses and forecasted expenses to give yourself a little bit of a cushion. By doing this you will get an accurate reading of how much money you will be able to save in a year. This way you can add up the savings for all five years to get a macro perspective of your savings, after taxes and after all your expenses.

April 5, 2013

General

What Are Your Options When Unemployment Runs Out?

Unemployment benefits can be a great help to you when you need help getting through tough times after losing a job. The loss of a job is often unexpected and can be life-changing, so it is really a stroke of luck to have unemployment available as a safety net. However, the much-needed relief that unemployment provides is not a permanent solution. These benefits are meant to tide you over between jobs, not serve as a long-term source of income. Eventually, unemployment is going to run out. When it does, you are going to have to start looking for the next step to take.

Of course, preventative measures are always better than urgent emergency treatment. What this means is that you should be prepared for the time when unemployment runs out. While you are still receiving unemployment benefits, look into your state’s laws to find out how long you can stay on unemployment before the well runs dry. Check up on your unemployment time limit and find out if there is any possibility of filing for an extension. This will help you prepare for the day that your unemployment runs out, ensuring that you won’t be suddenly left high and dry.

March 19, 2013

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