Holiday Wishes!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a very Happy Holidays and all the best for the Christmas Season.
It has been an exciting year here at Money Smart Students and we are looking forward to an even more spectacular 2012.

A Talk With The Founder of Wealth Watchers - part two!

Today I have the second part of my discussion with Alice Wood - author and founder of 'Wealth Watchers'. I love it when I find experts who agree with my take on various subjects related to students and money. I asked Alice her thoughts on student debt and her answer didn't surprise me.

"Students should be taught to avoid debt. In fact, they should be terrified of debt. The exception to the rule is that a reasonable amount of debt is ok if there is a likelihood of a return on the money borrowed. Eating out and buying clothes they don't need isn't good debt but it's unbelievable how much debt students rack up doing just that. A reasonable amount of debt for school is ok, but students should do everything they can to find a way to go to school without borrowing money. You can work two hours a day at a fast-food restaurant and cover your college costs if you're smart enough to go to a community college. Maybe one way to get a four year degree is to go to night school so a student can work during the day to cover the cost of their education. Even if it takes five years to get a degree, someone could save a fortune by not taking out student loans. Most employers would be in awe of the work ethic of a student who was willing to do that."

I couldn't agree with Alice more! The number of students graduating with tens of thousands of dollars in debt before taking a single step out into the real world is absolutely mind boggling. Do everything you can to have as little debt as possible - or no debt at all - once you get that diploma in your hands.
Finally I asked Alice for a little 'out of the ordinary' tip. Something she would say to students which many might think is a no-brainer but which makes a lot of sense.

Students should try to stay out of trouble. Legal problems can be very expensive and an arrest will most likely show up on a background check. It's not the end of the world to have that kind of setback, but it's a challenging job market and it helps to have every advantage possible when it comes to looking better than the next guy.

I would like to thank Alice Wood for taking the time to give my readers a little taste of her knowledge in the area of personal finance. I encourage you, the readers, to check out the Wealth Watchers website. Cheers!

A Talk With The Founder of Wealth Watchers!

Thanks to Twitter, and other sources online, I’ve been lucky to meet, at least in cyberspace, a lot of great people in the personal finance field.  One of those people is author and business founder Alice Wood. Long story – short, after a freak accident in an airplane left her with a brain injury, Alice had trouble making good decisions about some things, including her finances. It eventually led her to create “Wealth Watchers”. Wealth Watchers encourages a group format for support, and a tracking system so you know where every dollar goes. Sounds like another ‘Watchers” group doesn’t it? And that was the point. Please check out Alice’s website listed in our links on the right side of the page. It is a great resource for students and parents. The first chapter of Alice’s book is printed on her site and is a very interesting read as well.

I asked Alice if she would like to give some tips to my readers and she graciously accepted. In part one today, I asked Alice her thoughts on the need for students to get into the habit of saving their money at an early stage.

Alice wrote – “Students should develop a pattern of savings as soon as they have access to money, whether it's a gift of money, or money they've earned. Any amount is better than nothing but I like the idea of 50% of going into a savings account as long as their parents are paying for their day to day expenses. But the child needs to have some say in how much they will actually set aside, otherwise they will resent the whole process. No matter what the amount might be, the goal should be to make it a habit to save.  I also like the idea of putting money into an actual savings account as long as there are no fees. Many banks offer free savings accounts for students. Using a bank or credit union as opposed to a drawer at home forces someone to "think before they spend." I don't recommend having the savings account tied to a debit card. A savings account is just that, savings, not spending money.”

Then Alice touched on a subject which, I think, rings true throughout our society these days whether your children are getting ready for college or not.

What's the right age to begin the (money) conversation? As soon as they can spend money or encourage their parents to spend money. One of the greatest things we can tell our children is "No"..."It's not in our budget"..."Put it on your list." - If parents can teach their children (and themselves) to delay gratification they will be setting their kids up for success when it comes to money and school.

I’ll have another post with Alice Wood later this week. Meanwhile, please check out her website for Wealth Watchers. See you soon. Cheers!



A Great Scholarship Application Tip

Just a quick post to re-post a comment left on this blog in relation to an article I wrote about Scholarships.
This comment came from Pam Whitlock and is a great tip as seniors continue the push for scholarship money.

"My oldest child is a senior this year so we are right in the middle of college and scholarship applications. We were at a seminar last weekend and heard some practical advice. The admissions person said that it is okay to use the same essays and cover letters for different applications but to always (always) make sure you have changed the name of the school in all areas of the essay or letter. He has gotten many letters where the student has mentioned the wrong college or changed it on the first line but not within the body of the letter itself. Proofread, proofread, proofread!"

Thanks to Pam for this comment and tip. I read every comment left here so if you have any tips or tricks to help make Money Smart Students, by all means leave it here, or on our Facebook Fan page.

Huge Tuition Cut for Ontario Students!

Are you kidding me? Is it really true - the news coming out of Toronto yesterday? Politicians living up to their election campaign promises?
It is true! And it is some unbelievably great news for post-secondary students in the Province of Ontario. The Liberal Government of Dalton McGuinty - which controls tuition fees at colleges and universities - has cut tuition fees by 30% effective January 1st 2012!  That's right - 30%! Fulltime students with family incomes less than $160,000 are eligible for the tuition cut - which will save University students about $1600 a year and college students around $730.
The move will cost the government $200 million in income and there's no word yet on how they'll make that up. However, less expensive education means more students can get the training they want and need to begin good careers - making them taxpayers, and consumers, and eventually homeowners, etc. It might be short-term pain for the government with the lost revenue, but it will definitely be long-term gain in a lot of ways.
There's also the issue that many types of students who could use a tuition break - such as retraining workers - are left out of this announcement. Let's hope, however, that the government comes up with another plan to help out those students in the very near future.
It's a step in the right direction in the area of tuition fees. Let's lobby more jurisdictions throughout North America to follow Ontario's lead and give college and university students the breaks they deserve!

Another Great Family Resource!

One of the things I really like about being online, is that as the Money Smart Student Community grows I am coming across more and more fantastic resources to pass on. I've found another one!
The website is http://www.moneytrail.net/ and it is a money management site for teens and their families. Parents and teens can track things like allowances, IOU's and expenses. The best part about it is - it's FREE!
I encourage you to check it out and see if it might be of use in your family. I have a feeling it will!

Help Grow our Facebook Community

As the Money Smart Student family continues to grow and gain momentum, I'd like to invite our new readers to join our Facebook page. It will be an easy way to find out when there are new postings on the website, as well as a source of new and different information on it's own. Click on the link below to go to our Facebook page and please 'Like' us. Thank you for your continuing support everyone. I am really looking forward to the next few months. Cheers!


Money Smart Students Facebook Page - Click Here!

CFAA - A Great Resource for Students and Parents

I wanted to introduce you to a great resource I found recently thanks to Twitter. It's called 'College Financial Aid Advisors'. The young lady behind the company is Jodi Okun. Jodi is a wealth of information for students AND parents when it comes to sources of financial aid, maximizing your amount eligibility, and other college money information. I invite all of you to check out Jodi's website and take a look at the services she offers and the information she has available. You never know what money saving, or money getting, tips you'll find.
Jodi is also the moderator of the weekly Twitter chat #collegecash, every Thursday night at 10 pm Eastern. You can join Jodi (@JodiOkun) and others, including yours truly (@monysmartstdnts), as we discuss a different subject each week related to college life and college finances. There are some really great people involved in this chat and a lot of great information is exchanged - so I hope we'll see you there.

Disturbing Loan Default Facts

A lot of my information here at Money Smart Students deals with how to try and borrow as little money as possible to complete your post-secondary education. The following story in USA Today proves that taking out student loans has the potential to be disastrous to your future credit rating and to your ability to financially handle the major events after college - buying a car, or a home, or even getting married.
The story has some scary facts about the rate of default for loans throughout the United States. It also appears that you have a greater possibility of defaulting on your student loans if you attend a for-profit college. Give the article a read through and keep it in mind the next time you go to apply for a student loan.

USA Today article on Student Loan Defaults

If It Is To Be...

I'd like to touch on something in this post which isn't a tip, or a reminder, it's just the reason I, and most other personal finance bloggers, do this thing we do. When I give talks at high schools, I throw out facts and figures, give some examples of money saving ideas, and do a fun exercise at the end about retirement. But the main focus of my presentation is to simply try and get the students to think about their personal finances. One 30 minute speech can't teach you everything about handling your money. A few laughs and some interesting anecdotes won't pay your way through college. But if I can succeed, through my presentations, this blog, Twitter and Facebook to make you more aware of how easy, and important, it is for you to be connected to your money - then my work here has a purpose.
There are lots of resources online, and off, which students can use to budget, track and save their money. I don't presume to know all of them. I know I don't. But bringing a few good ones to your attention and then having you 'take the ball and run' means I am doing my job as a provider of information.
The entire saying I started in the title is this - 'If it is to be - it is up to me!' I remember that from my childhood and I try to put it into practice as much as possible. It's the same way with being a Money Smart Student. You are the only one who can decide if you want to stay on top of your finances - or if you are going to be like most people and let your finances control you rather than the other way around.Cheers!

The Push is on For Scholarship Money!

I just caught the last couple of minutes of a great Twitter chat dealing with the subject of Scholarships and college finances. I'm going to be connecting with many of the people who took part in that chat and hope to be able to grab a lot of information and resources which I can pass along. Meanwhile - here's a few points mentioned by the participants.
First, and foremost, highschool seniors should be very involved in the scholarship process right now and moving forward towards the end of the year. Most awards have deadlines early in the new year (if not before) and missing the deadline gives you a 100% chance of NOT getting a scholarship. From Mark Kantrowitz @mkant (the man behind Fastweb.com - which is on our link list to the right) - Make sure you pay close attention to the instructions given with each particular application. Different scholarships have different rules and if you forget a required attachment or some other piece of information, you'll be out of luck. Also make sure you fill out the applications completely. Don't leave any blank spots and get somebody else to proofread your application for errors, omissions and spelling mistakes.
Do your homework on the scholarships and bursaries which are out there. There's over 150 scholarships available just for students who were members of their school's FIRST Robotics team! There are all kinds of 'specialty' scholarships like that available. You just need to do the legwork (or Google work) to find them.  Also, don't write off the small ones. Even the smallest dollar amount means less money you (or your parents) will have to borrow. Think about it - 5 to 10 $100 bursaries add up to between $500 and $1,000. Send in all the applications you can - you never know what you might get.
A great final tip from @CollegeCashChat - clean up the email address you are going to use on your applications. Firstname.lastname(at)gmail.com looks a lot better than sexykitten(at)hotmail.
This is the time to really put the push on when it comes to scholarships. Good Luck!
My thanks to the people mentioned in this post and the others on Twitter for some great info and even better connections. Looking forward to joining the discussion next week. Cheers!

People Are Catching On! You Really Should Get That Degree!

It looks like the general population is catching on that despite the costs involved, it is almost a necessity in this day and age for young people to have a college education. The full details of the latest report can be found in the following story -

http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/09/26/families-wise-up-about-paying-for-college/

Parents are also realizing that in order to pay for their child's college education - there are sacrifices and changes which have to take place. Many parents are getting second jobs. The biggest area being focussed on is money saving techniques. Reducing costs and expenditures while at college is the best way to make that 3 or 4 year stay more affordable. These are all practices we've been talking about for ages on this blog and elsewhere. Check out the article for some interesting information about college costs and how people are affording the ever-increasing pricetag of a higher education.

On a totally different note - Money Smart Students is happy to report that we are now listed in the Wisebread.com list of personal finance blogs. We're waaaaay down there in the rankings because of our young age and limited content to this point - but that's about to change. In the days, weeks and months ahead, Money Smart Students will be posting lots of quality information and working hard to get more readers, Twitter followers, amd facebook Likes. We welcome your comments and input on how we can make ourselves better and spread the word about the importance of being Money Smart Students and ready for the real world!

Another School Year Begins!

Happy September everybody! Another school year is now underway across North America and students everywhere are getting back into their routine. I'm glad to be back here with you as Money Smart Students ramps it up in 2011-12 - ready to help students everywhere get 'ready for the real world'.
I just want to touch on a quick subject today - and that is the need for highschool seniors to start RIGHT NOW thinking about how they are going to pay for college a year from now. Once you've settled in this week the first place you should visit is your school's Guidance Office, or Student Services, or whatever it's called in your area. Talk to your counsellors about options for college including bursaries and scholarships. Some of those have very early deadlines and finding out about a great money source after it's closed for applications won't help you at all.
Are you going to be setting aside some of your part-time income for the next year to help with expenses in college? Can you find a secondary source of income and put ALL of that towards your college fund? There's a lot to think about NOW as you start down the road to college over the next 12 months.
There were lots of studies this past summer showing that a college education is well worth the expense when it comes to earnings later in life. Putting a plan in place to minimize the need for student loans and other financing will give you a leg up on your future after college is finished.
Welcome back everyone - I'm glad to be here again as well.

How Are You 'Spending' Your Summer?

It's that wonderful time of the year for college/university students - exams are finished, classes have been passed (hopefully) - and now it's time to enjoy the summer. But the question begs to be asked - How are you going to 'spend' your summer? If you're lucky enough to already have a job, congratulations! It's still a tough grind out there. If you haven't found a job yet, keep plugging away and something will come along.
If you are returning to school in September you will hopefully have a plan in place for the money you are going to earn. How much are you going to set aside for an emergency fund? What about some personal money to last throughout next school year? Are you going to be responsible for your own expenses? How much can you set aside if you are diligent and reduce the amount of student loans you will need? These are all questions you need to sit down and think about before you get too far into the summer.
If you get your pay through direct deposit you should be able to ask your financial institution to automatically move your money into one or more designated accounts. This will help greatly in splitting up your funds and jump starting your savings plans. Create a separate account for each designated need - emergency, expenses, books, food, etc. The easier you make it for yourself, the more likely you will be to stick to the plan. Make sure you leave yourself a little wiggle room, though, so you can enjoy your time off this summer as well. It is, after all, your well-earned break from the hard work you did at school last year.
Bottom line - make a plan NOW for how you are going to 'spend' your summer. You'll be much better off when September comes along if you take the time to put your money plan in place before you get wrapped up at the beach, or the cottage, or at work this summer. Cheers!

Another Year Down! Congratulations!

Now that most post-secondary schools have finished their exams and students are back at home - I just wanted to congratulate those of you graduating in the Class of 2011. You have completed an important part of your life's journey. All the best in persuing the job of your dreams. It is my sincere hope that you accomplish all you desire in life and in your career.
To those of you who are finished school but heading back again in the Fall for another year - keep your eyes on the prize. Save up as much as you can from those summer jobs. Figure out what you're going to do with last year's books (Hint - sell them on one of the multitude of websites designed for just such a purpose). Stay on top of your financial position throughout the summer so when you do head back to class in September, you are ready to face the financial challenges ahead.
Have a great summer everyone. I'll still be here posting and updating and growing the Money Smart Students community - so keep checking back when you have a chance. Cheers!

Money on Student's Minds

A new AP-Viacom poll, conducted in association with Stanford University, says money is on the minds of students - a lot. Whether it's the student debt load they are taking on, or how much they'll make when they graduate, students can't escape the fact that money rules their lives.
The poll also confirms that money is the most likely reason a student will drop out of college - not grades.
Average student loan debt tops $23,000 among those surveyed - some reports have it as high as $27,000 - plus another $3-5,000 in credit card debt.
Despite all the money worries, a whopping 85 percent say the effort is worth it in the end when they get a job they love which pays good money.

For a full Associated Press story on the survey, click on the following - Student Money Survey Results

Budget For Your Needs - and Wants!!

Say the word 'budget', and people tend to get a little unnerved. Budgeting brings up images of having no cash in your pocket - not being able to do anything fun - and living a life of TV and Ramen noodles. Done properly - nothing could be further from the truth.
Setting yourself up on a budget is nothing more than telling your money where it is going. Want money in your pocket - put it in the budget. Want one night out a week - plan for it in your budget. It's just a matter of planning out exactly where you're going to spend your dough - and balancing the income with the out-go. There are a number of different ways to do your budgeting and there are lots of resources online to help you put your budget on paper.
The first thing you have to do is track your spending for a month to see where your money is going now. Keep every receipt and track every dollar you spend. At the end of the month write it all out and seperate every expenditure into the categories you want to set up in your budget. Most of the time it will be a real eye opener when you see how much you're spending on things like take-out food and those morning coffees.
The main thing is you have to know where your money is going - or where it went. Otherwise, how will you figure out if you're going to have enough money at the end of the month, instead of too much month at the end of the money.
Once you've figured out how you spend your money, the next step is to set up your budget to stay within your available cash limit. Your income and your expenses must always offset each other. That includes extras such as savings, charitable giving if you think that's important as a student, and every penny that leaves your pocket or bank account. But as I mentioned earlier, budget in the extras like one night out per week if you want - as long as you are able to balance the numbers when all is said and done.
There is lots more to the whole process (and they will be the subjects of future posts) but basically make a budget - stick with it - give it a chance - It will help you on the road to being a Money Smart Student!!

Fantastic Article on Money Apps

Today's tip is to follow the link below and read the article from CNN Money. It has the top Apps to help you save money and manage your money - everything from finding an ATM to tracking your receipts.
If a few of them help you to handle your money better - it will be worth the time reading it. Enjoy!

BEST MONEY APPS ARTICLE

Spring Break Tip

As some students prepare for Spring Break, March Break, whatever you call it where your are - here's a thought regarding this time of year.
Using your student loan money to finance a wild trip to Florida or Mexico may seem like a good idea now - but the long term pain from the short term gain will haunt you for a lot longer. In fact, by the time you finish paying off the extra money you used to take the trip, you probably won't even remember some of the details of the vacation. Better to save that money and pay it back at year's end towards your student loan . Any amount you can take off your student loans before you are scheduled to start repaying is a bonus towards getting out of debt early.
Enjoy your break - if you can afford it from work income or saved funds, then take that trip! But don't set yourself back even more financially by using borrowed money for a week in the sun.

Give Your Time - Save Your Money!

In honor of Special Education Week - and the people who provide a much appreciated service inthat field - today's posting is about giving of your time in order to save money.
Many times the only reason we end up spending money is because we are bored with doing nothing and want to go out and 'do something'. Most of the time that 'something' involves spending money in one way or another. How about getting involved with a charity, or cause, of your choice instead. The time you spend volunteering somewhere there is a need, or taking part in an event to help raise money for charity, is time you won't be 'out' spending money.
Not only will you be saving your money, the rewards you receive will come back to you many times over. Many people believe that in order to receive, you have to give first. The biggest reward, of course, is the knowledge that you helped make another person's day birhgter, or life a little easier. Also, how many times have you heard the stories of people who volunteered their time somewhere and ended up meeting someone there who ended up becoming their spouse - or their boss - or a benefactor in some manner. You never know who you'll meet and how your life will be enriched when you take some time to give to those in need.

Pick Your Printer Wisely!

Today's tip is a follow-up to yesterday's printing item. I found the article I remembered which talked about the cost of printer ink. You can find it here - http://bit.ly/dEnBcC - and it is a very interesting read.
What it boils down to is that some printers will warn you well in advance that you are running low on printer ink. The testers at PC World found out as much as 45% of the ink was still in the cartridge when the warning was given. Now, if you have a printer which shuts down when it's 'low on ink' that's a lot of wasted liquid. With the price of ink working out to $4,731 per gallon - that's a lot of money being left in the tank as well.
The best remedy would be to research your printer before you buy to make sure you are getting one that won't shut down at the 'low ink' level. Make sure you purchase good quality ink cartridges for your color ink - but black ink seems to be a different matter. The quality difference is not very visible for most applications. Go with a generic black ink cartridge and maybe switch it out with a name brand one when printing important essays or assignments.

TOTD - Isn't Technology Wonderful?!?

Today's tip is an easy one but it's one that I remembered the hard way this past weekend trying to help my son with a project he was working on himself.
This tip is especially relevant to students who need to work on thesis papers or longer essays as part of their course of study. I promise it is as close as I will ever get to a "Use one Q-Tip to clean both ears" kind of posting.
To save on paper and computer printer ink, only print out the final copy of any assignments you are working on in your computer. Make any edits before printing it out. I know it sounds pretty obvious but how many times have you printed out the same assignment two or three times after making only minor changes to the computerized version? I'm going to try and find the source but I think I remember reading somewhere that printer ink is one of the most expensive liquids we can buy by volume. Something like it would take thousands of dollars to fill your car's gas tank if you filled it with printer ink!! I'll find that story and post it here as soon as I can.
So it might seem obvious, but the savings will eventually add up if you only print out the copy you are going to hand in to your prof.
Straight and simple today - back to more thoughtful tips tomorrow.

Entertainment not "Spendtertainment"

Today let's talk a bit about spending your entertainment dollars wisely. If you've done a good job budgetting your money you should still be able to have a little entertainment in your life. Movies, nights out with friends, nights in with friends - there are lots of things to do as a group or a couple - even on a budget.
One good rule to live by though is not to spend your entertainment dollars somewhere where spending money is the main activity. This would include places like a Casino or a racetrack. If you've worked hard to save up those extra dollars in order to have a bit of fun - why waste the money on games of chance or on the horses?! There are tons of ways to have fun with your friends or significant other without breaking the bank and taking a chance of going overboard in the process.
Budget entertainment right into your monthly plan - and spend those dollars wisely because you've earned it!

Using Other Bank ATM's

Today's tip stays with yesterday's theme of banking.
Try to find a bank or credit union which has ATM's, or a branch, on-campus or very nearby. When you need to take out money only use your 'home' bank's ATM. You'll be saving upwards of $2.00 per transaction you could be charged for using a different bank's ATM. Also - avoid those generic ATM's at the corner stores at all costs. Their transaction fees could range anywhere from $1.50 to $3.00 or more.
Finally - you can also save extra transaction fees by using the cashback feature when making purchases at places such as Walmart which offer this service. If you think ahead and plan it out - you can avoid paying extra fees when it comes to taking your own money out of your own account.
Cheers!

Tip of the Day Launch

As things start to gear up here at Money Smart Students, I'm happy to launch the first entry in our new 'Tip of the Day' feature. Every day - Monday through Friday - I'll be posting a tip which will help you either save money or make money as a student. I've seen lots of lists out there giving what I would consider to be absolutely useless tips ('Only use one Q-Tip to clean both ears - use one end per ear!' - give me a break). I do not intend to do the same thing.
Today's tip is this - Make sure you have the best account for your needs at your financial institution.
Most large banks and credit unions offer student accounts with either no fees or very small fees - other than ATM charges. Make sure you have the right account type to qualify for the 'no fee' feature. If you aren't in the right account - ask at the counter the next time you're in the branch. All they can say is you don't qualify or they don't have one. You could save yourself upwards of a couple hundred dollars in fees over the course of the year. Multiply that by 3 or 4 years at school and it adds up.

Research Gas Prices to Save Money!

As the price of gas goes up once again thanks to the uncertainty in the Middle East - a little research can go a long way towards saving you some money when you need to fill your tank.
There are a number of websites which track gasoline prices but the one I've found the most helpful is http://www.gasbuddy.com/. It's easy to use and it gives lots of results for easy comparison. (and NO I am not an affiliate and I won't get paid for sending you there!)
A few cents per gallon or litre adds up over time! Take some time to do some research and save yourself some of your hard earned dough!

Deadlines!! Deadlines!!

Just a reminder to keep on top of deadlines for scholarship applications. This is the beginning of the busiest time of year for application deadlines - many have already passed their deadline.
Make sure you do your research on the specific scholarships you want to apply for and keep yourself very aware of when you need to have your paperwork handed in - or mailed in.
Even if you are simply renewing your annual scholarship or grant money make sure you know when the required forms are due at the student finances office.
A little bit of due diligence now can make sure you get all the money you have earned - and deserve - for school next year!

The Time Is Now!!

Now is the time to start planning your finances for NEXT school year - especially if it will be your first year away at college/university. Where is my money going to come from? How much will I need? How do I get the maximum benefit out of every dollar I plan on spending?
There are a lot of things to think about. The more time you take to do some research - find extra sources of income (scholarships/grants) - and prepare yourself, the easier the transition will be to life on your own.
There are lots of resources available on the internet to help you manage your finances. There are budgetting tools galore and general information by the website-full.
Take the time NOW to start managing your money in preparation for next year. You'll be glad you did once you take those first steps out into the Real World!

Tell Us YOUR Money Smart Student Story!

We're looking for some great money smart students willing to share their stories with our readers. What have YOU done to save money - make more money - or spend less money while you were away at college? Maybe you did something different even before you left home for university...If you did anything at all you're different than most people already!
Comment on this post and let others know why you are a Money Smart Student.

The Year to Make It Happen!!

As 2011 begins I just wanted to drop a little note to wish everyone all the best in the coming year. At the same time - the year will only be what you make it out to be! Make it your year-long resolution to learn everything you can about handling your money. Whether you are a highschool student getting ready to head off to college - or an adult reading this who is having some financial issues - make this your year.
Educating yourself about money is the best way to start off on the right foot, or correct things if they've gotten a little off course. Follow this blog and our Facebook page. We'll have regular video and written posts giving lots of tips and tricks to help you save money - earn more money - and spend the money you have wisely.
I am so looking forward to everything 2011 has to offer that I can't wait to get started. That's why I'm going to officially launch the entire program before the 10th of this month. My hope is once you see and hear what I have planned you'll really spread the word about Money Smart Students and together we can get thousands of students 'Ready for the Real World'!