photo credit: jessiphotoworld

Over at the No Credit Needed blog, a recent post looked at the writer’s financial priorities for the future. It makes for an interest list and something that a lot of people in debt are probably striving to achieve - and we know that making a list of your goals always helps you to achieve them faster and better. So let’s take a look at the key financial priorities on this list:

• Live within a budget - always have a written budget so you know where you plan to put your money
• Have insurance - always have sufficient coverage of the necessary kinds of insurance (for example, health, dental, life or disability)
• Have an emergency fund - for at least six months’ worth of living expenses
• Fully-fund retirement accounts - that makes the annual tax bill lower and increases the wealth for the retirement days
• Fund self-education accounts - the No Credit Needed blogger has three young children, and has the goal of saving enough for their college tuition
• Live without borrowing money - but with one big advantage - this guy has a house funded by his employer
• Continue to live without credit cards - he uses a debit card instead for situations where a credit card is usually very convenient.

It might be interesting to reconsider your list of financial priorities, too.

credit: kevindooley

With the cost of getting a good education constantly rising, many students are finding they finish college with a mountain of debts that will take quite a few years to repay - assuming they get a good job at the end of it. To improve their chances of getting a good job, many students end up studying at a more prestigious school, which is also more expensive, so they have an even larger debt: and the cycle begins. (more…)

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If you’re graduating from college soon, or are trying to decide what to study there, then the recent figures on current starting salaries for new graduates in a variety of fields might be very interesting for you. (more…)

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With so much trauma in the loans market, things were looking difficult for students for a while there: with many lenders crashing out of the market altogether, getting cheap student loans was starting to look impossible for some college students. But thanks to a new legislation recently passed through congress, there shouldn’t be any college students who find it impossible to get a reasonable college loan now. (more…)

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Unfortunately for many community college students in the U.S., student loans are completely unavailable to them. These students — a disproportionate number of them being minorities — cannot take advantage of low-interest federal student loans because their community colleges refuse to participate in the federal student loan program. (more…)

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Middle-aged couples often find themselves in a tricky dilemma – although they might be financially stable at the moment, they’ve got a couple of kids about to hit college, and they still have to keep an eye on their own retirement in 15 or 20 years’ time. A recent CNN case study gave a great example of a family facing this dilemma, and came out with a few useful tips that we can apply more generally.

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Rising tuition costs can be crippling for students, sometimes effectively making the college decision for them. The average total cost of attending a private institution, including tuition, room, and board, has risen 30% to an incredible $32,307 for the 2007-2008 academic year. At a public school, costs drop to $13,589, a price that many still cannot afford.

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If you’re contemplating the daunting financial proposition of going to college, but are in two minds because of the cost, then it’s time to change your thinking. Going to college is an investment that will make you money - the facts speak for themselves. Consider this:

• Having a degree means you will earn on average $20,000 per year more than someone who hasn’t gone to college. That means you’ll still be making a heap extra long after your college loan is paid off.
• Think about what you’ll study carefully, and if you can combine your interest with a job that’s on the high salary and high demand list, your investment in college will pay off even better. Jobs in computer based areas are still amongst the highest paying and in highest demand; other jobs that are projected to provide steady employment and good salaries include financial services agents, securities sales agents, engineers, post secondary teachers and accountants.
• You don’t need to attend the most expensive college to get a successful career in one of these areas. Often times a degree from a public (and therefore much cheaper) college is held in the same regard. Do your research carefully.
• Think of a degree as an asset, like a house. It’s probably the most important asset you’ll ever have.