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Credit Cards for Students Explained
Whether one likes it or not, the fact is that credit cards are slowly and surely becoming indispensable parts of modern lives. The convenience that a credit card provides is making them really invaluable in making purchases and availing of the other benefits they provide. Surely then, students would not like to be much away from the lure of the credit cards. Today student credits are becoming almost as popular as the credit cards meant for adults.
Student credit cards can be used in much the same way as the adult credit cards can, but there are certain restrictions. For student credit cards, a parent or a guardian generally needs to cosign. This is to ensure there is backup in case the student is not able to meet up with the payments. The limits on these cards are also lower than on adult cards. Student credit cards seldom go beyond credit limits of $500 to $1000. In addition, student credit cards have higher rates of interest for two reasons: 1) because students may not be able to pay off their bills and 2) students do not have any credit ratings to show.
However, there are many plus points to student credit cards. One of the most important ones is that students can learn finance management from a very young age. Parents must encourage their children to become wholly responsible for the payments on their credit cards. This ensures that the student would grow up to manage his/her incomes better. Another thing is that the student would be able to build up a credit record from a very young age. Of course this would depend on how efficiently the student manages to make his/her payments on the credit card in time.
The best thing a student can do is to make a budget in the beginning of the month. This should take into account how much the student can afford to spend on the credit card. Making a realistic budget and then sticking to it will make the credit card a very efficient tool in the hands of the student.
It is not necessary to be intimidated of student credit cards and to reject them for that reason. On the contrary, the best thing is to buy the card and then make proper efforts to make the payments. In this way, the student will always have money to get what he/she wants, like a movie or a concert ticket, a new pair of jeans, or even a new cell phone. Treating the card with respect from the student age could be a major leap in learning how to live with financial independence in later life.
Sample Loan Modification Hardship Letter
The loan modification process can be quite intimidating. You have to fill out all kinds of paperwork, negotiate on terms with your lender, as well as write a letter stating hardship. Out of those three main steps, the letter is the most difficult to do on your own. To give you an idea of how your hardship letter should look, here is a sample loan modification hardship letter to give you some guidance:
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter is to formally follow up on my application for loan modification I sent in to you last week. The application states what we had and what we are looking for, but obviously does not go into how exactly we got into the situation we are in now.
There were severe cutbacks at my job in November and I was transferred to a lower paying position in the middle of other people getting laid off. I should be grateful, but the salary I receive in this position is ¾ of what I was previously making. It had gotten to a point where we were pulling from our savings and scraping change to be able to make our mortgage payments and pay the bills. Two months ago our interest rate went up from 7.45% to 10.35% as we have not been able to manage and keep up with our payments since.
I would like to request our interest rate be lowered to anywhere from 7.25% to 8.40%. We feel this is a fair number to both parties. We were always punctual with our payments before my demotion and my wife is due for a raise next month. We are willing to work with you in finding a compromise that we can both agree on.
Sincerely,
Your Name
It’s important to stick to the facts in these letters, and this sample loan modification hardship letter does not veer off from the point: I simply cannot afford the high interest rate in my current situation. Be sure you mention why you are having problems with your payments and make it clear that there is no way for you to be able to manage as you are now.
Also be sure to mention the rate you would like. Your lender doesn’t have time to sift through every application and determine the exact rates they want.
Stating the interest rate you’re looking for gives them even more of a reason to accept you, because you have determined the interest rate you can handle on your own. It also shows that you are worried enough to have done the work to determine your ideal rate. Use this sample loan modification hardship letter as an example and work around it. A good letter can make all the difference.