The financial reform bill doesn't directly regulate payday lenders and their customers, but a consumer agency created by the bill could impose restrictions that limit access to short term credit. Flickr photo.

Payday lenders and their customers escaped regulation during the latest round of financial reform in Congress. But the payday loan as a financial reform issue isn’t going to go away. A payday loan amendment regulating the industry failed to make the financial reform bill. But a provision creating a consumer protection agency did. This consumer protection agency can regulate the payday loan industry.

Payday loan regulation is coming

Payday lenders and customers should be concerned about what may happen when the financial reform bill is ultimately passed. It includes the creation of a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA) that will have rule-making authority and oversight of payday lenders. It could impose restrictions on payday lenders that could drive them out of business and remove access to convenient short term credit for consumers. The Michigan Messenger reports that language in both the House and Senate versions of the bill ensure that the CFPA has oversight and rule-making authority over all payday lenders. The CFPA will enforce rules against bigger lenders and the Federal Trade Commission will enforce rules against smaller lenders.

Payday interest rates misconstrued

No interest-rate or rollover caps for online payday loans with instant approval are present in either the Senate or House versions of the financial reform bill. However, the CFPA could end up considering a provision promoted by Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin for capping the maximum annualized percentage rate of interest a payday lender could charge on no credit check loans at 36 percent. While a 36 percent interest rate would seem unusually high for a car loan or a mortgage loan lasting many years, it’s not enough to support small, short term loans lasting two weeks.

Cheap payday loans endangered

Direct payday lenders would not be able to make credit available to their customers if they offered 36 percent APR. The Richmond Times Dispatch reports that at 36 percent APR, the total fee charged on a $100, two-week cash advance would be $1.38. At that rate, payday advance lenders could not cover the cost of originating the instant payday loans, let alone meeting employee payroll and benefits and other fixed business expenses, like rent.

Payday loan alternatives are scarce

If payday lenders were forced out of business by regulations such as the 36 percent interest rate cap, consumers who need instant online loans for unexpected expenses would have few alternatives. The fees banks charge can make borrowing from them more expensive than getting payday loans. In fact, a study by Victor Stango, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Management at University of California, Davis, shows that that credit unions cannot offer payday loan alternatives any more cheaply than payday loan companies.

Credit unions can’t compete

The fees and convenience of payday loans were compared to credit union short-term loans in Stango’s study. His research, compiled from credit union data, the National Credit Union Administration and payday loan customer surveys, found that credit union rates are generally equal to or higher than those of traditional payday lenders, and the loans are less convenient for borrowers. Credit unions also weren’t able to compete with payday lenders on important things such as hours of operation or protection against damage to a borrower’s credit score from default.

Do payday lenders protect consumer credit?

Without payday lending, convenient access to short term credit would be scarce. Stango’s study said fewer than 6 percent of credit unions offer payday loans because most see little chance to make money on a competitively priced payday cash advance product. Plus, credit union payday loans often have total fee/interest charges that are equal to or higher than standard payday loan fees. Furthermore, application times are longer at credit unions, and default on a credit union payday loan may harm a borrower’s credit score, while default on a standard payday loan usually does not.

Will financial reform help the average consumer?

Several issues affecting everyday life are part of the financial reform bill. But what isn’t in the financial reform bill is important, too. Credit, when needed the most, was preserved after debate was rejected on an amendment regulating the pay day loans industry. And other aspects of the financial reform package may make a difference in the financial health of most Americans, including mortgage lending and debit and credit card fees.

Cheap pay day loans protected

Money lenders providing convenient access to online cash advances escaped restrictions on their business. Some politicians wanted to go after people who work for their money. The financial reform bill could have limited consumer access to same day cash advances and prohibited cash companies from offering additional products and services. Another provision forced federal regulation on the best practices of payday lenders, such as offering installment loans. Fortunately the Senate rejected the payday loan amendment.

Financial reform: debit and credit card use

Financial reform seeks to limit the fees banks charge retailers for debit card transactions. This could mean either lower prices, higher bank fees or both for consumers. The Christian Science Monitor reports that Visa and MasterCard charge retailers 1 to 2 percent of the cost of whatever people buy with their debit cards. That’s a lot more than what it costs for a computer at a bank to process the payment. The financial reform bill wants to make sure debit card fees are “reasonable and proportional to the processing costs incurred.” Or, in other words, lower. Retailers say they will pass the savings to consumers. But banks, deprived of such easy money, will probably turn the screws in other ways, such as increasing checking account fees. So it remains to be seen if the debit and credit card fee provision of the financial reform package delivers any benefits to most people.

Financial reform: mortgage loans

The financial reform bill could limit banks from lining their pockets when a borrower wants to pay off a mortgage early. For most mortgages, prepayment penalties would be allowed only in the first three years of the loan. For mortgages with balloon payments, prepayment penalties go away altogether. Plus, Reuters reports that the financial reform bill ends kickbacks to bankers and “liar loans,” two shady lending practices that led to so many bad mortgages in the housing bubble. Kickbacks known as “yield spread premiums” encouraged brokers to steer consumers into risky, high-interest loans even if they qualified for cheaper loans. Liar loans let consumers qualify for loans they could not possibly repay if they opted to simply state their income or other assets, rather than waiting for verification.

Financial reform: credit scores

Financial reform package provisions originally called for giving consumers free credit scores every year to go along with the three free credit reports, but this consumer benefit didn’t survive. However, the New York Times reports that an amendment requires those who use a credit score to deny credit to someone to give the score to that person free. When someone doesn’t have the best interest rate on a mortgage, credit card or auto loan, or gets stuck with a high insurance premium, they get to see the score that was used to make that judgment.

Payday loans: no credit score required

No credit check payday loans online often don’t require any sort of credit score. This is good because simply having one’s credit checked can have a bad effect on the credit score. A no credit check payday loan allows a person to get the quick cash they need without waiting for approval or damaging their credit score. Plus, the money can be in their bank account within 2 hours upon approval. Better yet, for people who may have bad credit or no credit, paying back the online cash advance on time can help raise that credit score.

The SEC's proposed stock market circuit breakers are trading curbs that will pause activity on volatile stocks in hopes of averting another Flash Crash like the market slide on May 6. Flickr photo.

New circuit breakers for the stock market to avoid another Flash Crash were proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday. The new trading curbs would be applied on a trial basis to all stocks on the Standard & Poor’s Index. The SEC said the new stock market circuit breakers will pause trading in specific stocks if their prices move by 10 percent or more in five minutes. The trial will begin after a 10-day comment period and will last through Dec. 10. The proposal is a response to the unexplained market slide May 6 that drove the Dow Jones industrial average down about 700 points within minutes.

NYSE circuit breakers focus on volatile stocks

NYSE circuit breakers already in place did not trip during the May 6 Flash Crash, but those trading curbs are market-based — they don’t apply at the individual stock level. Reuters reports that regulators and the exchanges have been under intense pressure to figure out what triggered the May 6 meltdown and do something to repair the integrity of U.S. stock markets. The exact cause of the Flash Crash has yet to be determined, but a mechanism to briefly halt trading across markets for a single stock has emerged as a solution. Reuters, a European news service, adds that the new NYSE circuit breakers are similar to stricter methods used in European markets. Circuit breakers at the London Stock Exchange are based on the liquidity and volatility of individual stocks.

Flash Crash exposes stub quotes

The stock market Flash Crash on May 6 brought the market down nearly 1,000 points in a matter of hours. Traders may have started looking for cheap payday loans, and the Dow soon rebounded, but it finished the day down 347.80, or 3.2 percent, at 10,520.32. According to the New York Times, some individual stocks suffered even more than the market at large. Five exchange-traded funds — mutual funds that trade like stocks — traded for a penny or less per share. Nine others traded at 15 cents or less. Stocks traded hands for a penny a share because of what the SEC calls “stub quotes,” or placeholder bids that traders sometimes enter into the electronic system when they don’t really want to buy or sell a stock, but want to stay in the game.

New NYSE circuit breakers more equitable

Thousands of trades in hundreds of stocks were canceled as a result of having been judged as “clearly erroneous,” executed by computer before traders were able to react to what was happening in the market. Market regulators canceled any trades that took place between 2:40 and 3 p.m. that were 60 percent or more below the last trade that took place before 2:40 p.m. In the same article, Reuters reports that some investors believe that the circuit breaker on individual stocks is a more equitable approach to prevent drastic, across-the-board trade cancellations.

“The broad market circuit breakers affect everybody, and could penalize people for what could be an index move,” Lou Matrone, a sales trader at JonesTrading, told Reuters. “But the stock-based ones deal with it specifically on a case by case basis. You’re not penalizing people for trading stocks where nothing is really going on, they’re not being dragged in for a ‘fat finger’ problem or some other problem.”

SEC considers other trading curbs

During the six-month circuit breaker trial period, the New York Times reports that the SEC will also consider other trading curbs discussed during a recent Congressional inquiry into the May 6 plunge. Those included ways to address the risks of market orders, a potential ban on so-called stub quotes of one or a few cents for a stock that is trading significantly higher than that, and the use of trading pauses at various exchanges.

British Airways is just one of the UK airspace airlines waiting hopefully for NATS to reopen flights. Image from Flickr.

The latest volcano news speaks well for all those waiting to fly through UK airspace. NATS, the National Air Traffic Services agency, announced that as of 6:00 GMT Tuesday, UK airspace would be reopened for commercial travel. With thousands of air passengers stranded and left to find cheap payday loans to try to live in airports or make it home via other means, this news was greeted with excitement.

Latest volcano news from NATS

The volcano news that has been headlining all over the world the last few weeks has been of special interest to NATS. The agency that controls UK airspace has conducted several “test flights” to see if the ash cloud is safe to fly through. Since Eyjafjallajoekull began erupting, the amount of sand, ash, glass and rock in the air has been steadily increasing. The ash cloud appears to be reducing in density and is moving south of Britain.

UK airspace closed since Thursday

Last Thursday morning, NATS announced that UK airspace would be shut down. The ash from the volcano in Iceland was simply too thick for commercial air flights to safely fly in UK airspace. The debris in the ash cloud could not only reduce visibility, but could easily damage aircraft engines. The grounding of UK airspace led to many passengers being stuck in airports. Some have taken no fax cash advance money to get rides on boats or trains. John Cleese, stuck because NATS closed UK airspace, took the extreme step of a $5,000 cab ride to make it to his final destination. Some estimates say that more than $200 million per day is being lost by the closing of the UK airspace.

NATS plans staggered opening of UK airspace

The opening of UK airspace will not happen in one large chunk. Instead, a line drawn between Teesside and Blackpool will be drawn, and airports south of that line will open. Scotland and Northern England will have to wait for further notice to see if the ash cloud thins enough for safe air flight. NATS highlights that with constantly-developing volcano news, it is difficult to predict exactly what will happen to UK airspace.

Sources:

Travel Weekly
BBC News
Reuters
EOnline

Thousands of Americans with toxic Chinese drywall will have to do this to their homes. (Photo: Wikipedia)

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has finally come forward with new guidelines that call for homes built with toxic Chinese drywall to be gutted, according to the Associated Press. That includes corroded wiring, outlets, circuit breakers, gas pipes and nearly everything in between. The impact on affected homeowners runs deeper. As CPSC commission chair Inez Tenenbaum told the AP, “We want families to tear it all out and rebuild the interior of their homes, and they need to start this to get their lives started all over again.”

When Chinese drywall equals chemical assault

Hydrogen sulfide has been detected in amounts 100 times greater than that found in drywall made outside China. The Chinese drywall can cause health ailments related to the throat, nose and lungs, as well as headaches. Homeowners have paid with their health, but who will pay for gutting their homes? That’s what Florida Sen. Bill Nelson wants to know. “The way I see it, homeowners didn’t cause this. The manufacturers in China did,” Nelson exclaimed to the media. “That’s why we’ve got to go after the Chinese government now.” That’s a much more worthy goal than chasing the payday loans industry, for certain.

Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin may be one guilty party to chase in court

Currently, about 2,100 U.S. homeowners have filed suit against Chinese manufacturers like Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co., as well as the U.S. companies that sold the drywall. There are thousands more homeowners waiting in the wings to follow suit. Those homeowners who could afford to gut the homes themselves have already gone forward, but are demanding that Congress give them grants to cover the costs. Truly, most people in the market for cheap payday loans can’t afford to completely rebuild the insides of their homes.

Some say the Chinese drywall situation is overstated

Former Louisiana Home Builders Association President Randy Noel told the AP the Chinese drywall problem as “been exaggerated,” and that the CPSC’s new rules are “overkill.” What an unfortunate word choice, considering that prolonged hydrogen sulfide exposure can kill someone. Yet Noel thinks that a little black soot on copper, brass and silver in the home is no big deal. Wipe it off, he says. Nose bleeds, headaches and breathing problems are probably just psychosomatic illnesses for people in Florida, Louisiana or any other area of the U.S. that has had to rebuild in recent years after disaster-level weather. Perhaps it is Noel’s cavalier attitude that made him the “former” president of the association.

Related Video:

The Story of Stuff book even talks about books! Image from Flickr.

When The Story of Stuff video was released in 2007, it quickly went viral. The video asks us to re-think the “materials economy” – where people purchase stuff, sometimes using cheap payday loans, use it, and then dispose of it. Over 10 million views later, Annie Leonard has released a 300-page book that goes much more in depth than The Story of Stuff’s original 20-minute video.

The Story of Stuff, the original

The original 20-minute video The Story of Stuff features single mom Annie Leonard talking about the realities of how stuff is made, purchased, and disposed of, including it’s environmental impact.

The Story of Stuff becomes a book

While at first it may seem counter-intuitive that The Story of Stuff Project would grow into a book – another piece of “stuff” – author Annie Leonard outlines the multiple reasons for writing the book on her website. A book is able to provide so much more information about her 10 years of research into The Story of Stuff (including sneaking into illegal factories). The Story of Stuff book also answers hundreds of the questions people asked her when they first saw her Story of Stuff video – like how do they get involved and where do they get more information.

The Story of Stuff book bridges divides

Just as importantly as sharing even more information about The Story of Stuff, a book is able to go places and make an impact in ways an online video never could. Only a small minority of people have internet access fast and consistent enough to do things like watch videos – and a book can go anywhere.

The Story of Stuff book is hopeful

Watching The Story of Stuff can seem kind of depressing. Not only are we using up the world’s resources, but we are doing it so quickly that faxless payday loans get used to feed the obsession. Amazingly, in the book even more so than the video, The Story of Stuff becomes a hopeful tale. Yes, it covers in detail what is going wrong, but it also covers in even more detail the hopeful signs. The Story of Stuff distills down to the fact that yes, things are bad – but we can get involved and we can make a difference.

The Story of Stuff book is even fairly stuff-free

If, after watching The Story of Stuff, you feel guilty about wanting to buy, rent, or read the book, you won’t need to. The Story of Stuff book is printed on 100% Post-Consumer Waste paper, uses soy inks, solvent-free glues, and even used electronic editing. Even better than that, an MP3 CD of the book is set to be released soon, so you can listen to the book instead. Yes, the book does contribute a bit to the Stuff on your bookshelf, but it does so in the way that will help The Story of Stuff become a much more positive story.

Image from Flickr.

Today is National Grammar Day, and in 2010 I think it is important to focus on digital communication. Although MySpace, Facebook and other social networks have created a world where more people than ever see the things we write, people seem to put less care into those things. Just for today, for National Grammar Day, let’s focus on making sure the things we write on the Internet for all to see are correct.

National Grammar Day web site

National Grammar Day — unlike many fabricated, unofficial holidays — is not built to market or promote a product or draw a profit for anyone. As I learned from NationalGrammarDay.com, March 4 is simply a celebration of language. You don’t need to visit a money lender or get cheap payday loans to celebrate language, thanks to free speech. That’s what that means, right?

Of course, you can purchase T-shirts from the web site, but they’re not National Grammar Day T-shirts, they’re the type of shirts a grammar nerd could don any day. As a matter of fact, I couldn’t even figure out how to purchase said T-shirts, so clearly Grammar Girl, the founder of National Grammar Day, isn’t in this for the cash.

A sad story of a sad e-mail

I had an experience recently that I would like to share with you, dear Internet readers, on National Grammar Day. A student reporter at a community college wrote an e-mail to me asking about a local restaurant. A friend of mine tipped him off that I frequented the place, so he sent me a very short e-mail that contained one very broad inquiry about the place.

Putting aside this young gentleman’s lack of reporter skills, the thing that really bothered me was that the e-mail did not contain a single capital letter. He didn’t even capitalize his name. Honestly, I was insulted. A guy who apparently plans to be a professional writer couldn’t even take the time to make his one-paragraph e-mail to me grammatically correct.

A plea to you from me

The e-mail from the unfortunately budding journalist convinced me that this boy did not care about his job, had no respect for language or grammar and therefore had no respect for me. Here’s the point of the story: There are people like me out there. There are people who will write you off as not only an idiot but a careless, disrespectful idiot if you don’t bother using proper grammar in written communication.

So I beg you, just for National Grammar Day 2010, take care to make  your written communication grammatically correct. I know incorrect grammar in Facebook status messages will never go away, but just for today, edit your status before you post it for all to see. Hit that “spell check” button on your e-mail. National Grammar Day comes but once a year; let’s make it count. It’s more than six months until National Punctuation Day, so I promise not to ask again until then.

I leave you with this musical tribute to National Grammar Day, “March Forth.” (Get it? Because it’s March 4? Oh, just watch the video!)

Best overall vehicle

Despite Toyota’s recent recall disasters, the influential magazine has named the Toyota Lexus 460L best overall vehicle. With gas mileage of 24 on the highway and 16 in the city, the full-size luxury sedan scored 99 on Consumer Report’s 100-point scale. The $70,925 price tag means that you’ll probably need a loan to buy one of these cars, even if you have plenty of cash now for a down payment.

Best family sedan

Top honors in the family sedan category went to the Nissan Altima which may be good news if your payday cash doesn’t always flow like wine . The Altima carries a manageable price tag, somewhere in the range of $19,900 $29,600, and gets reasonable gas mileage, too (32 hwy, 23 city).

Best small sedan

The Hyundai Elantra SE took the award for best small sedan. Priced at a mere $17,845 that plenty of people could finance with just a small loan, the Elantra gets decent gas mileage (34 hwy, 26 city) and comes equipped with electronic stability control, a proven life-saving feature not available on many other small cars.

Best sporty car

The Volkswagen GTI, a turbocharged version of the VW Golf hatchback was named best sporty car. Without completely sacrificing gas mileage (31 Hwy, 21 City) and without a price so high that you need your own personal money lender ($23,465-$24,070), the four-cylinder engine offers 200-horsepower and performance –oriented suspension.

Best small SUV

The Subaru Forester came out on top in this category, with fairly impressive fuel economy (27 hwy, 20 city) and a moderate price range of $20,295 – $28,495. Consumer Reports temporarily suspended its recommendation for the Toyota Rav4 as its top choice in this category following the manufacturer’s recall and stop-sale order, but it’s back now and affordable with the help of a good loan company.

Best family SUV

With its roomy interior, easy ride and responsive handling, the Chevrolet Traverse took the prize for best family SUV. With a fairly steep price range of $29,224 to $39,985, the Traverse offers less-than-optimum gas mileage (24 hwy, 17 city) and may not be the best automobile choice for if you already need money now.

Best green car

Not surprisingly, for the seventh year in a row the Toyota Prius took the prize in the green car category. The price of the new redesigned version remains reasonable $21,400 – $28,070 and at 48 hwy, 51 city its gas mileage is hard to beat. Described by the magazine as safe, reliable, and easy to handle, sales of the Prius were not interrupted by the recent recall, allowing it to remain on the Consumer Reports top-10 list.  It shouldn’t take credit counseling to figure out that this car makes good financial sense.

Best sports sedan

The Nissan Infiniti G took the title in the sports sedan category the fourth year in a row. Priced between $33,250 and $40,400, the Infiniti G offers agility and luxury with plenty of power and gas mileage of 27 hwy/19 city.  Not a bad choice, especially if you qualify for low interest loans.

Best family hauler

Yes, “family hauler” really is the name given to this category, and the winner is a microvan, the Mazda5. With gas mileage of 28 on the highway and 22 in the city, this small and maneuverable family hauler (I just really like saying that again) is economically priced between $17,995 and $23,005.  If you’re already a candidate for cheap payday loans and need to buy a car, this is a model to consider.

Best pickup

Stripped down at $20,850 or souped up at $41,775 20, the Chevrolet Silverado offers the fuel inefficiency typical of even less worthy pickups (20 hwy, 15 city), plus optional interior comforts and a measure of dependability. If you’re in the market for a pickup but find yourself short of cash today, a basic version of the Silverado may be just the ticket to debt survival.

Image from Flickr.

Black Friday. I understand why people head to the stores in droves when retailers advertise great in-store deals for Black Friday. What I don’t understand is why stores do this, especially in the case of Target’s $3 appliances, which are being publicized in the Target Black Friday ad.

Target $3 appliances, rumor has it, include toasters, coffee makers, sandwich makers and slow cookers to name  a few. Furthermore, I read that the $3 Target appliances are made by Chefmate, so they’re not low quality. With deals like this, taking out cheap payday loans to be able to take advantage of Black Friday sales might end up saving you money. Unfortunately it appears you must go to a Target store and deal with the craziness to take advantage of the sale; you can’t buy Target $3 appliances on the Internet.

More deals in Target Black Friday ad

Besides Target $3 appliances, the Target Black Friday ad also says it will give a $10 gift certificate for every $100 you spend between 5 a.m. (5 a.m.!?) and noon. There will be toys and board games on sale for $10. Some clothing will be marked down to 50 percent off.

There are also deals on more expensive things, such as a GPS and a couple of high-definition televisions. Though these items are in the $90 to $500 range, they are deeply discounted from their regular prices.

A Black Friday mystery

As several other members of the blogosphere have pointed out, Target $3 appliances are not going to make the store any money. As far as I can tell, the only thing  Target$3 appliances will do is create total mayhem in Target stores. So my question is, why do stores to this to themselves on Black Friday?

Target no doubt is hoping people will come in for the $3 appliances and buy stuff that the store will actually profit from. But for the life of me I can’t understand why stores create these scenarios where there will be total chaos for a few hours or a day. Why make Black Friday a circus? Why not stretch the sale out?

I’ll be home for Christmas shopping

I thought the Internet would end the Black Friday mayhem as people found online sales and took solace in the fact that they could shop from the quiet comfort of their own homes. It appears that stores like Target are making sure people have to come into the stores and deal with the madness of Black Friday.

But the store has to deal with the Black Friday madness, too. Are retailers really making so much money on Black Friday that they are inclined to keep doing this to themselves year after year? I am aware that Black Friday is a huge money-making day for stores, hence the name, but I wonder what would happen if they just let the sales go on for a little longer so every bargain hunter doesn’t converge on the store at the same time.

Trapster puts the power to avoid police in your hands. Image from Flikr.

The best way to avoid getting a speeding ticket is to not speed. However, for those who just don’t see that as an option, there is Trapster. Trapster is a free smartphone app that “maps out and alerts users in real time to the presence of live police speed traps, red light cameras, speed cameras, and areas where police often hide,” says Wikipedia.

Personally, I think Trapster developer Pete Tenereillo really missed out on a fortune by not charging for this app. This dude would be a multimillionaire if all of the people who have downloaded Trapster had paid for it. I wonder if he’s so well off that he doesn’t need cheap payday loans or the cash he would have made from Trapster.

More Trapster features

As if warning you about nearby cops and cameras weren’t enough to get every smartphone-having driver out there interested in Trapster, it does more. Trapster users can use it to log trip data and even share it on Facebook and Twitter.

Some people think the idea of letting a whole big, public social network know exactly where you are is creepy and dangerous, but others think exactly the opposite is true. I definitely think it’s good to let people close to you know where you are and what you’re doing when you’re away from home, but I keep my Facebook profile private so not just anyone can use information on it to track me down.

Trapster as a financial planning tool

Of course, no one wants to get a speeding ticket. They are super expensive, and when you tack on the possibility that it could hike up your insurance rate, it’s even more so. Also, police officers will always look for additional offenses to tack onto your ticket like not wearing a seat belt, dark window tint, you name it.

Not having to deal with the cops and the cost of getting involved in the legal system is definitely a plus, but of course Trapster has been quite the controversial little tool. After all, if drivers know where the cops are, they know where the cops aren’t, and for some that means it’s speed demon time. So I cannot argue with the fact that Trapster does help people break the law.

New Trapster release

Tuesday a new, improved version of Trapster is coming out. CNET says the new version of Trapster features an improved interface, Bluetooth audio, built-in iPod controls, rotating maps and a real-time traffic map. Now, that last one sounds really handy!

Access a university education from home with Academic Earth (Photo: flickr.com)

The more you know, the more socially, intellectually and (in some cases) physically able you become. Being a well-rounded citizen, friend and self-sustaining individual are all ends that can be achieved in large part through education. Unfortunately, many give up on the idea that they have to continue to learn throughout their lives if they want to challenge themselves, grow and live vibrant lives. Too many accept the black and white the world gives, topping it off on rare occasion with a splotch of gray. This is a tragedy, in that the world is filled with veins of colorful experience. Knowledge of how to live – rather than merely subsist – is essential for people of all ages. If the brain isn’t stimulated, the chance of senior onset dementia in later life is increased.

Use your mind while you’ve got it

Some people make good in college and truly expand their mental horizons. Others turn away from that kind of life and choose a trade, an average job or simply to drop out. Still more would love to be exposed to a university education, but lack the funds or the time to actually attend college. Sure, cheap loans or cheap payday loans can help with a little money once in a while, but not enough to bankroll a college education.

Yet there is hope. The popularity of distance learning has exploded across the World Wide Web, resulting in the availability of high-level university lectures covering a wide variety of topics. Two of the best aggregators of this video content are Academic Earth and OpenCulture.com. At no cost to you and on your own time via online video, you can view complete lectures from MIT, Harvard, Yale, Berkley and Princeton, among other esteemed universities. It’s all organized by topic and is easy to search, too.

“Hulu for nerds”

Farhad Manjoo writes for Slate that for anyone who has free time, there’s no excuse to stop learning. He recounts how he was able to hop from one lecture to the next, learning about everything from the origins of the current recession to long-term investing and more. Most of the lectures were very engaging, and for those that weren’t, leaving was as easy as a mouse click. Hop from the lecture halls of one university to the next without the travel costs… in no time at all! Academic Earth, while not an organization that can provide you with college credit, can give you nearly all the same material you’d receive in a traditional college classroom. They give you education when you want it. You can even subscribe in podcast fashion. As Manjoo describes it, “it’s like Hulu, but for nerds.”

And being a nerd is a good thing

Lead a busy life? Academic Earth is available when you need it! (Photo: flickr.com)

Academic Earth picks and chooses the best of the best, and its organization scheme couldn’t be easier to navigate. Google tried to achieve something similar with Knol, but the results were less user-friendly. In both cases, however, you are learning from acknowledged experts in their fields, as opposed to anonymous commentators that tend to color what appears on Wikipedia. Academic Earth, in Majoo’s estimation, bests Knol in that it presents material in the complete context of a course, whereas Knol is comprised solely of articles experts want to contribute at the time.

Academic Earth’s videos are generally of high quality, and make both the professor’s notes and spoken words quite clear. Discussion with students is sometimes included as well, but as the students aren’t speaking directly into microphones, the sound quality of their questions varies. Lecture notes, transcripts, handouts and homework are even available, but as this is all made available at the online student’s leisure, there is no grading pressure. How you use the material is up to you.

No grades?

Well, that isn’t entirely true. Viewers can grade the lectures to help clue the Academic Earth student community at large in to which lecturers pack that extra something that makes learning more fun. The base grade on a given lecture is “B,” but that can change based upon user reviews.

Where’s the profit?

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Richard Ludlow, Academic Earth’s founder, ultimately envisions his site as an agent for change. He told BusinessWeek that he hopes it will help lower the cost of education worldwide. But that can’t be done for free, or with just a few cheap loans or with cheap payday loans. While users can view videos for free, Academic Earth is a for-profit company. Thus, Ludlow’s initial plan is to add supplementary content that falls outside the Creative Commons. He will sell advertising on these.

Your college experience may vary

Studies have shown that distance learning can be highly effective, so the future of sites like Academic Earth is bright. Currently they do not replace a college diploma (as they are not an accredited academic institution), but who knows what the future will hold? I don’t believe online only education can ever fully replace the traditional college experience (some would argue the social element alone is worth the price of admission), but a more intense integration of online and on-site learning seems possible.

However, there are plenty of people out there who simply want to learn and are not worried about whether they’ll receive college credit or grab the reins of that “college experience.” No essays, finals, or boring discussions are to be found on Academic Earth. The bad ones generally don’t make it onto the site, and the lukewarm tend to be voted into oblivion by the user base. Plug in and spend an afternoon expanding your mind. Tune into one of Academic Earth’s playlists, even. But this isn’t merely an iTunes list of rock anthems or slow jams… it’s the tune a happy brain plays when it’s filled with interesting food for thought.

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Be a happy hippo with payday loans from Personal Money Market! (Photo: psotd.powerblogs.com)

Online-based no fax payday loans and easy payday loans connection site Personal Money Market is on a mission to be the only Web site that potential clients keep in mind when they’re in need of fast payday loans, payday cash loans, bad credit payday loans or other kinds of short term loans.

The company, boasting working relationships with a huge network of reputable lenders who have helped large numbers of consumers obtain the faxless payday loans, payday loans online, cheap payday loans, quick payday loans, instant payday loans and even payday loans for bad credit, is available anytime clients are in need of funds to tide them over until their next paydays.

We aren’t a lender… but we know them

It should be noted that Personal Money Market is not a lender of online payday loans, low fee payday loans, same day payday loans or installment loans, but rather a match making service of sorts, putting clients in touch with institutions who may be able to help them in their time of need.

The site, offering help obtaining installment payday loans and other kinds of payday advance loans is, quite possibly, one of the fastest in the business. The painless application takes just a few minutes to complete, with inquiries of a few simple things such as the applicant’s social security number, primary sources of steady income and other such things to verify their ability to comfortably repay their loan, should they be approved.

Don’t worry… it’s safe

Representatives of Personal Money Market want to ease potential clients’ fears right away, considering the increasing rate of cases of identity theft, especially online. They do this by assuring the client that should they come to the site in need of easy online payday loans or any other kinds of payday loans, the same up-to-date encryption technologies are utilized as online merchants who work very hard to keep their shoppers’ sensitive information out of harm’s way.

The best part about using the site, however, according to website representatives, is that should a customer be approved by one of the lenders that Personal Money Market has a great working relationship with, you just might have your money in your bank account quicker than you could have ever imagined. In fact, with some lenders, they have the ability to wire you your funds as soon as the end of the same day.

What are you waiting for?

If you are in need of easy online payday loans, you’ve come to the right place. We’re Personal Money Market, and we look forward to the opportunity to serve you!

Relax. Fast cash is available. (Photo: tomecat.com)

Bills seem to pop up at the worst possible times. Most of the time, however, the payment isn’t due for another couple of weeks, meaning that even if you’re stressing now, you can wait until your next payday to pay it. And then, there are the times when you’re short on the cash but the option of waiting isn’t there, such as the teacher asking for money for your child’s class’ next activity, the daily commuter vehicle that just won’t stay in working order, a much larger security deposit than you budgeted to get into your new place or the child whose illness forces a trip to the emergency room. In such cases, you can depend on fast cash from Personal Money Market.

Get it when you need it

Fast cash is available through Personal Money Market and the lending network 24/7 to help you, whether you’ve fallen short on paying all of your regular bills or a one-time surprise has thrown a wrench into your budget’s works. In very little time, upon approval, you could be on the right road to acquiring quick payday loans, cheap payday loans, low fee payday loans, instant payday loans, no fax payday loans, easy online payday loans, same day payday loans, bad credit payday loans, installment payday loans or payday advance loans which require no credit check and can get you back on with your life faster than you could have ever imagined.

Smooth move

Coming to Personal Money Market for all of your faxless payday loans or payday loans online needs is quite a smart choice. After all, the immediate decisions that our representatives make as to whether you qualify for one of our lenders’ easy online payday loans means that you may be able to get the cash you need in an extremely timely fashion; sometimes in the same day that you’re approved.

Your information is secure online with us

The process is not only very quick, but quite simple as well. Once logged on, you will be asked to fill out a faxless application which will ask you some important questions in regards to your current employment status, monthly take home income, whether you receive a paper check or direct deposit from your employer and others purely to verify your ability to repay a loan, should you be approved. There is nothing to worry about, however, because the transmission of all sensitive information is encrypted to keep it out of reach of identity thieves and other cyber criminals.

We’ll call you

Still listening? (Photo: sophierulestheworld.blogspot.com)

Should your application be approved to be picked up by one of the lenders in our network, you will be contacted by one of their representatives by either telephone or email. It is then that they will make you an offer for online payday loans, payday cash loans, fast payday loans, easy payday loans or payday loans for bad credit if you’ve been working on building a brighter financial future. Upon acceptance of an offer, you will hear or read the terms and conditions of the loan, including any applicable fees, interest rates, methods of payment and so on. Once you fully understand the terms of the loan and the confirmation has been secured, your funds will be wired to you very quickly, sometimes in the same day that you’re approved!

Making you a match

Keep in mind that not everyone will be approved, though we do try to help everyone. We are not a lender, but rather a “match making” service of sorts that works, tooth and nail, to match people from all walks of life with a company who may be able to assist them in their time of need. On a final note, always use payday loans as short term help and not a long term financial solution. Those with credit problems should seek credit counseling.

So, if your situation calls for fast cash, pay us a visit today!