This post comes from Myscha Theriault at partner site Money Talks News. 

For many young adults, the military provides a tempting career alternative, especially when education funds are tight or jobs are hard to come by.

The rewards can be significant: job training, the GI Bill, health care and a chance for early retirement. The risks are abundantly clear as soldiers return from war zones, and as those who gave their lives are remembered on Memorial Day. As the wife of a military retiree, I'll share the perks and pitfalls I consider to be most significant, based on my years of experience.

 

This post comes from Adam Levin at partner site Credit.com.

Student loans are supposed to help middle-class kids pay for a college education, but these days they can do more harm than good. It’s high time we did something about that.

If you imagine a world where the federal government and private lenders actually partner with students, instead of treating them as a profit center, have I got a bridge investment deal for you. As things stand, the Affordable Care Act has a better shot of garnering support among Tea Party activists than the average American kid has of getting a good deal on a college education.

Riddle me this: Why should middle-class students pay more for loans than is absolutely necessary, all the while padding the government’s coffers and enabling state universities to build facilities that the students will only get to use for only four years?

The answer: they shouldn’t.

While no doubt there are more, here are five instances where middle-class kids are getting hosed on their student loans and student loan debt.

 

Perhaps you, like me, thought we'd never again see the kind of madcap competition to buy homes that was common in the housing boom. I'm thinking of lotteries, not to win a home but just a chance to buy one. I'm remembering bidding wars and home shoppers so desperate to buy that they'd camp overnight outside new subdivisions to be first in the door the next day.

 

Never say never.

 

In some parts of the country, this kind of red-hot competition for homes, especially new homes, is back. Boom-era responses like camping in line overnight, homebuilder lotteries and buying homes sight unseen are making a reappearance.

 

When disaster strikes, as it did with the tornado this week in Oklahoma, you can be sure scams will follow -- attempting to take advantage of the desire to give to help those in need.

Scam warnings are flying. The Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau, Scambook.com, and many others, including police departments, have issued cautions in the aftermath of the storm as people hear more about the devastation and seek places to donate to.

"After every natural disaster and man-made catastrophe, we see an outpouring of generosity, along with the inevitable scams and frauds," Art Taylor, president and CEO of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance said in a statement. "We urge donors to take the time to make sure their donations are going to legitimate charities that can do the most good for those in need."

 

This post is by Craig Donofrio of partner site Money Talks News.

Summer is around the corner, which means the kids will be home more and will inevitably be attacking their video game controllers. They’re probably already asking for the newest Skylanders figure or a video game you’ve never heard of.

Retail-priced games can cost up to $60, and there’s no guarantee your kid will even like it. How do you get your child the right game without going broke?

I’ve been video game bargain hunting for years. Here are my tips for finding the right kind of game at the right price.

The new fad
Kids, much like adults, are susceptible to fads, and Skylanders is the latest craze. You start with some basic characters that are introduced to the game through the “Portal of Power,” and then buy additional figurines for more in-game characters. With so many figurines, Skylanders can get expensive fast, so buy them on sale or in bundles (more on that below). 

This post is by Mitchell D. Weiss of partner site Credit.com.

The student loan crisis deserves all the attention it has attracted -- and more -- especially if we’re serious about tackling this trillion-dollar tragedy in a comprehensive way. But let’s not make the mistake of focusing all our good efforts on outcomes without addressing causes as well.

I’m referring to colleges and universities so under the gun to cover their bloated cost structures without jacking up tuition and fees even further that it’s a wonder how they maintain minimum admission standards.

It’s also remarkable that as enrollment declines, demand for financial aid increases and endowment funds shrink, the higher education sector isn’t confronting the institutional redundancies that are at the heart of this problem.

For example, in my home state alone, there are a half dozen medium-size private colleges and universities. To be sure, each has unique qualities and areas of specialty, which explains why they’re able to attract 5,000 to 7,000 students each. 

This post comes from Lindsay Olson at U.S. News & World Report.

If your child has recently graduated from college and is now looking for -- or has hopefully found -- her first "real" job, you may want to impart great wisdom to her. It's a difficult time for an inexperienced worker to enter the workforce, but these tips can help make the entry easier and better align her expectations with reality.

Ford R. Myers, the author of "Get the Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring," offers the following business truths to new grads:

1. The most qualified candidate does not necessarily get the job offer. Having been in the workforce for a while, you know that hiring isn't always fair and based on merit. What better time to learn that lesson than as a new grad?

Tell your kids it takes more than just a well-qualified résumé to get hired. According to Myers, "the candidate who will get the job is the one who self-markets and demonstrates to the employer that she is the best fit for the company's needs, problems and challenges."

2. Research is the route to success. Getting a job is sometimes a little like all those exams your grad is happy to leave behind. Hiring managers want to know that a candidate has done her research on the company and industry. Reading press releases, the company website, industry websites and blogs and even social media profiles can help your job seeker find out what this company is all about, and its recent success.

 

This post comes from Daniel Bortz at partner site U.S. News & World Report.

A zero percent introductory interest rate sounds great. So does a juicy rewards program. And who couldn't use a sweet $100 sign-up bonus? We've all seen credit card commercials touting such offers, but most close with those dreaded words: "terms and conditions apply."

Digesting the high volume of information contained in a credit card offer is not only time-consuming for many people but also headache-inducing. Fortunately for consumers, credit card issuers must include a Schumer box in the terms and conditions, named for Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., which contains basic information in large type, including the card's annual percentage rate. The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 also gives credit card users legal protection from unfair practices. For example, issuers can't raise the interest rate for the first 12 months after opening the account unless the cardholder is more than 60 days late on a minimum payment.

Despite these protections, long disclosure statements can be overwhelming, and the language can confuse the average consumer, says John Ulzheimer, the president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com. "Even if they wrote them in fourth-grade English, I don't know if people would take the time to read them or fully understand them," he says.