Smart Choices Can School Students in Financial Planning

San Mateo, CA (PRWEB) September 10, 2008

As the nation's economy continues its crunch, millions of college and university students across the United States are enrolling in school and borrowing thousands of dollars. Bills.com president Ethan Ewing has eight suggestions for how students can maximize those loans.

Two-thirds of college students graduate with some student loan debt, averaging $ 19,237 in 2003-2004, the most recent year with full data available. About 10 percent of parents also borrow money for their student's education, adding up to a cumulative parent loan debt of $ 16,317.

Ewing suggests students remember these eight points to make the most of their financial well-being, with loans or without:

1.

Economic Woes Mean its Time for a Financial Check-up

Longwood, FL (PRWEB) October 23, 2005

Economic indicators say that credit card and loan delinquencies are at an all time high, along with personal bankruptcy filings.

Obviously, many Americans need to do a better job of handling their money. Much like going to the doctor for a physical, a financial check-up is needed to evaluate how effectively we are handling our finances. Problems arise when we dont exercise a healthy financial regimen, which should include: tithing faithfully and consistently; having six months living expenses set aside in savingsreserved for emergency purposes only; purchasing via cash, check, or debit card, as opposed to using credit; saving for a future down payment on a house or, for those who are homeowners, consistently prepaying the principal on the mortgage. Christian Principles for Managing Money gives readers tips on overcoming financial woes. This book will help readers become better stewards so they can be a blessing to themselves, to their families, and to their communities.

In his book Christian Principles for Managing Money (October, $ 9.99, 1-59781-610-8),

James S. Poore teaches five basic principles for better money management. The author explains how to apply the principles to our lives in the most productive and practical ways. For example, most people sort their rent check by pay period. Believing they have to pick and choose what priority to handle with each paycheck is the wrong way to look at it, says Poore. A new strategy is the one he advocatesto divide each paycheck into five major categories (giving, income taxes, savings, debt, and spending). Through this new blueprint readers adopt a much better financial plan, one practical enough for the average person to implement. Unlike other studies, aside from the recommended 10 percent tithe, it is up to the individual to decide what God is telling them their different budgetary percentages should be. The author encourages each person to craft their own tracking method, an exercise that will prove to be revealing to them, especially when it comes to figuring spending reductions.

Poore recalls heading to college with only the clothes I carried with me. He personally used the principles that he explains in his book to increase his net worth. As a result Im a successful business man who owns and operates two restaurants in Indianapolis. Through my ministry of teaching Christian finances many individuals and families and also the church, as a whole, have become more competent in handling the material resources God has blessed them with.

Author James S. Poore, II, received his Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural economics from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, which he attended on a full athletic scholarship. He also has an MBA degree from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Today, James Poore is a successful businessman in Indianapolis. He is also a longtime member and stewardship director of Eastern Star Church, where he has been teaching for ten years the Christian finance class at JEWEL Bible Institute. Students in these classes are learning concepts that are synonymous with what is in the book. Poore has shared these same principles at various conferences, revivals, and worship services. His work for other churches includes teaching various Bible studies, classes, and workshops, and serving as a consultant for stewardship campaigns. Poore was also the vice president and director of marketing for the largest privately held bank in Indiana. He and his wife, Pamela, have one son, James S. Poore, III (Trey), and two daughters, Bailee and Kyndal.

Xulon Press is the worlds largest Christian publisher, with more than 2,500 titles published to date. Retailers may order Christian Principles for Managing Money through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors.

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Tax Preparation is a Good Career Option for Displaced Bank & Financial Professionals

Richmond, VA (PRWEB) October 16, 2008

A new career in income tax preparation could be a safety net for some of the thousands of bank and financial services employees who are losing their jobs due to the economic crisis. Many of those being laid off are older employees who would not be able to find another comparable full-time job, but are not ready to retire.

Tax professionals need many of the same qualifications that bankers and financial professionals possess. A tax preparer must be able to conduct a thorough interview to extract financial and personal information from his or her client and hold that information in complete confidence. Preparing income tax returns requires similar skills as completing banking, mortgage or investment documents. These jobs all require attention to detail, the ability to understand and interpret complex rules and to work with numbers and software programs. Good people skills and professionalism are also prerequisites.

Today more than ever, people are relying on paid tax professionals to handle their income tax preparation and other business affairs. Even with tax preparation software in full force there is increasing demand for tax professionals. More than 75 million individual taxpayers use a paid tax professional every year, as the tax laws continue to become more complicated. Shorter deadlines, competing priorities, endless meetings, wireless Internet, and cell phones all contribute to creating a more time-starved world. As we struggle with managing the elusive resource of "time", coupled with ever-changing tax laws, delegation of tax preparation becomes a higher priority. Many people are turning to professional tax preparers for assistance. However, there has been a shortage of qualified seasonal tax professionals due to increased competition and the low unemployment rates we have enjoyed in recent years.

Tax preparation can be a very lucrative seasonal career, either as an employee of a tax or accounting firm, or as an independent tax practitioner. A veteran tax professional can earn up to $ 100 per hour or more during tax season. Tax preparation can also be combined with other professions, such as bookkeeping and financial services, to create year-round employment or self-employment if desired.

After completing just one 10-week course a career in tax preparation can be launched. Continued career growth can then be attained by gaining experience and continuing professional education in advanced individual and small business tax preparation. The Income Tax School (http://www.theincometaxschool.com) offers a Comprehensive Income Tax Course consisting of twenty 3-hour lessons (60 hours of instruction). The course ($ 499 including books) covers most individual tax returns prepared by U.S. taxpayers. The Income Tax School also offers a series of advanced individual and small business tax courses that can be taken individually or as a certificate program. Students who complete the certificate program successfully and document the experience requirement are awarded the Chartered Tax Professional-CTP