Archive for June 2013

By Georgie Miller

Are student loans the next housing bubble? They're certainly making headlines right now. The U.S. Senate recently failed to advance two bills aimed at preventing interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans from doubling on July 1.

But the current debate is over the interest rate on new loans, so only students who are still in school and actively borrowing will be affected by the outcome. As someone who's already paying her student loans, I often want to ask, "What about me?"

If you too are no longer in school and have student loans to pay back, here's an abridged guide to successfully tackling your student loan debt.

1. Understand your obligations

While you may not have fully grasped this when you were signing the dotted line as a freshmen (no judgment: I certainly didn't!), student loans aren't like other types of debt.

By Justin Boyle

Last weekend I got a text message from my mother. It included a photo of her smiling in front of a picture window overlooking the sea and text that read, "Brunch in San Diego, dinner at home in Phoenix. Not a bad life!"

My parents are making a pretty good go of the empty-nest lifestyle, taking an island vacation once every few years and occasionally traveling between their old stomping grounds in New York City and their new turf in the Valley of the Sun. But they're not usually the type to jet to the seaside for brunch on an ordinary Saturday, so I had to ask about this trip.

It turned out that it involved the pending expiration of points they'd earned through their credit cards with miles promotions. By keeping an eye on the fine print of their card agreements, they were simply making the most of what their travel rewards cards offer them.

Want to do the same this summer (and beyond)? Here are three tips for maximizing your travel rewards.

1. Target the right carrier

Not all airline rewards programs offer the same flight availability. Some carriers offer few seats to frequent flyers on their flights, but others are much more liberal.