Private Loan Consolidations Through Edfed

June 8, 2010 · Posted in Access Funds · Comments Off 

As a college student, you are constantly dishing out thousands of dollars towards various expenses, including tuition, books, fees, housing, food, cell phone bills, utilities, insurance and car payments. The list could go on forever. And, if you are like many students in America, part of your education is probably funded through private student loans.

There has never been a better time to consolidate your private student loans. Though the cost of schooling can cost thousands, EdFed is here to help you save thousands! This is because EdFed offers competitively, low interest rates and fees with our private student loan consolidations. Also, when you consolidate your private student loans through EdFed, you can save almost 50% off of your monthly bill!

Further Reduce Your Interest Rate

To save even more off of our already low interest rates, you can qualify to receive our borrower benefits. When you sign up to pay with our automated debit program you will receive an immediate 0.25% reduction off of your interest rate.

Three Flexible Repayment Options

When you consolidate your private student loans with EdFed, we offer you three repayment options to choose from, enabling you to choose the one that best meets your financial needs. Your interest rate stays the same, no matter which option you choose, and you have the freedom to change your repayment option at any time, should your situation change. Your payment options include:

* Equal Payments

This is the most common repayment option. In an equal payment repayment plan, both the interest and principal of the consolidation loan will be paid equally for the life of the loan. Your monthly payment will stay constant for the entire repayment period.

* Select 2/ Graduated Payments

The Select 2 repayment option enables you to make interest-only payments for the first two years of repayment. After two years, the payments will increase to include equal installments of both the interest and principal for the remaining term of the loan.

* Select 5/ Graduated Payments

The Select 5 payment option enables you to make interest-only payments for the first two years of repayment. During the third through fifth years of the loan, the payments will increase to include only a portion of the principal with the interest. When you enter the sixth year of your loan repayment, your payments will once again increase, this time to include both the principal and interest equally throughout the remainder of the loan.

EdFed Sets the Bar on Customer Service

EdFed’s customer service is second to none. When you call EdFed, an eager loan counselor will give you accurate, honest answers to all of your questions. We pride ourselves in our ability to provide the best support and service in the industry for you and your consolidation needs. Also, when you consolidate your private loans with us, we will assign a specific loan specialist to your consolidation. This will enable you to speak to the same specialist each time you call. This specialist will be familiar with you and your loan, so calling in will be more like talking to an old friend, rather than a stranger.

Easy Application Process

Applying for a consolidation loan through EdFed is a short and simple process. When you call to apply, one of our professional advocates will ask you a few simple questions and help you start your private consolidation application. It is that simple. We know how important your time is to you, so starting an application with us takes less than ten minutes.

Save Thousands!

When you consolidate through EdFed, you have the ability to save thousands of dollars to help you take the first step to financial freedom. From our low, reduced interest rates to our flexible repayment options, supported by the best customer service in the industry, EdFed is here for you.

Private Loan Consolidation

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Historic shifts are underway on the New Silk Road where East meets West creating alternative investment opportunities

October 15, 2009 · Posted in Bad Credit Loans · Comments Off 

You probably have heard of NAFTA (North America Free Trade Association), OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countires), the EU (European Union) and the BRIC (Brazil Russia India China) countries … but have you heard about MENA?

 

Ok, you ask … what is it and why should I care?

 

When conventional wisdom is not working any more, we need alternative investment strategies and you should give consideration to a very important region that collectively has a bigger economy than Brazil, Russia, and India … 3 out of the 4 BRIC countries.  And, in terms of growth, this region is growing faster than any of these countries.

 

Population wise, this region is bigger than the USA and is approximately equal in population to the EU.  In addition, this region has an exploding population (which is good from an engine of growth perspective … reference a key theme in recent presentation from Stuart Varney of Fox News at WizeFEST 2009, a conference this author recently attended).

 

This region is in the center of a part of the world along the old Silk Road … where we think of a network of traders with caravans loaded with silk, spices, flowers, jewelry, and gold … and trading routes with the romance of the Indian Ocean.  From Perth, Australia to Mombassa, Kenya along the coast of East Africa with passages up and down the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea.

 

There is a political thaw underway in a country in this region that has been the mercantile crossroads between East and West since its days as a link on the old Silk Road.

 

Examples of this thaw are that the US is sending an ambassador to this country after a four-year absence and the US is easing export bans to this country.

 

The region is called MENA or the Middle East and North Africa.  Among its largest economies are Saudi Arabia (where this author had a home base for two years) and the United Arab Emirates (which includes the go-go city of Dubai).  As a result, MENA holds 60% of the world’s proven oil reserves and nearly half of its natural gas.

 

Much has changed in this region over the years and its reach has expanded such that The New Silk Road weaves through Damascus, Riyadh, Dubai, Mumbai, Chennai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Hong Kong.  Along The New Silk Road, key alternative growth strategies include the scarcity of water and food, infrastructure needs, energy (in terms of drilling, pumping, and distribution) and engineering services … and finally, it offers growth not dependent on US trade (which is expected to be quite anemic).

 

In 2000, China’s exports to the Arab world came to just $6B.  Last year, China’s exports to the Arab world ($48B) nearly matched America’s exports to the Arab world ($50B).  Earlier this year, China finally passed the USA to become the Arab world’s largest trading partner … highlighting how a rising Arab world is turning away from the West and Rediscovering China.

 

Syria is the country mentioned previously that has a political thaw underway and is the mercantile crossroads of the East and West on the old Silk Road.

 

The largest investor in Syria is the Chinese company, Haier, that makes washing machines and microwave ovens in the country.  Another Chinese company recently completed a $180M hydroelectric plant.  On the drawing board, there are big real estate projects, including resorts on the Syrian Mediterranean coast.  They are 48,000 hotel beds coming online over the next three years and this will almost double the amount of beds currently available.  Tourism is up significantly in this country and currently accounts for 13% of the economy.

 

The region benefits from expanded trade with China and the rest of the Asian countries that are in pursuit of the region’s oil.

 

The most interesting thing about this growth is that it is happening in a part of the world where water is scarce and it is most difficult to grow food.  In Kuwait, one of the countries in the region, annual water consumption is 22 times the rainfall.  Counties in the region import 60% of their food and are phasing out crop production in order to conserve water.

 

Ironically, many of the countries in the MENA block are investing in farmland overseas with major purchases of farmland in Indonesia, the Sudan, and Pakistan.

 

One of the key takeaways is that alternative investment opportunities in a growth region like MENA include food and water necessary to feed and meet the thirst of all these people as well as the energy, infrastructure, and engineering services to drill, pump, and distribute oil and natural gas.

 

Your author lived and worked in the region early in his career and was always impressed with the upside potential in the region once political barriers could be overcome.

 

In addition, a recent edition of The Economist had a cover story on the Arab world titled “Waking from its sleep” with a 14-page special report containing a collection of articles.  Key points in these articles indicate that there has been two decades of political stagnation but there is a fever under the surface for change.

 

In the Arab world, its people are starting to speak out, to strike, and to take to the streets in pursuit of their demands.  As more women are educated and as more business people want a say in the state-run economies, the old pattern of the Arab governments that are corrupt, opaque, and authoritarian, are changing.

 

The democratic and capitalistic movements underway include education, tolerance, and independent institutions such as judiciary and free press.

 

Once the last failed dictatorship is voted out, the quiet revolution will be complete and the tremendous upside potential from trade will grow the region even faster under the more liberalized economic governments.

 

I trust this article has introduced you to an emerging economic region … a crossroads where East meets West on The New Silk Road … and the various alternative wealth creating opportunities associated with water, food, infrastructure, energy, and engineering services related to oil and natural gas.

 

I will continue to monitor developments in the MENA region and report on alternative wealth creating strategies in future articles and updates at my blog which is at http://aspenIbiz.blogspot.com  

Early in his career, Mike was an engineer with a large aerospace company. For many years, he was with a “marquee” consulting firm where he worked extensively with clients all around the world and became know as an American globalist. Most recently he has been providing technology, business, and management advisory services as a self-employed entrepreneur.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wealth-building-articles/historic-shifts-are-underway-on-the-new-silk-road-where-east-meets-west-creating-alternative-investment-opportunities-1335514.html

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