http://www.freemoney.com Your guide to Free Money. Free Money advice, tips and strategies. Free Money from online casinos, work at home jobs, government grants, scholarships. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:38:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 http://www.freemoney.com/undergraduate-scholarships http://www.freemoney.com/undergraduate-scholarships#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:10:33 +0000 admin http://freemoney.com/?p=96 How to Get a Scholarship — The Fundamentals Like most scholarships and grants, undergraduate scholarships aim to help students who excel in their high school academics. This reward is not just for book smarts, but also for individuals who excel in more tactile areas such as the arts, or sports. This financial aid often acts as an incentive to encourage students who have shown remarkable accomplishment in various activities at the high school level. Universities regard scholarships as investments into the future, ideally breeding successful graduates. Often, universities in the United States offer undergraduate scholarships to students for specific programs or subjects to motivate them into joining their respective institutions. For example, a university might offer an enormous football scholarship, covering not only the cost of tuition to attend the university, but room and board, uniform, and many other things associated with the student's positive experience at the school. Where Does the Money Go? The undergraduate scholarship program greatly benefits the student, since his or her educational expenses are covered either fully or partially as the scholarship suggests, and they are able to concentrate all of their efforts on their studies (or, some coaches might tease, on their sports). The student is not expected to return or pay back any of the costs of the education with the university or college. When the scholarship awarded is a partial scholarship, the student is expected to bear the costs of room, boarding and other expenses. This may occur if the student is on a special project, or doing specific research at the university or college. A partial scholarship might also signify that the student meets the minimum requirements for the scholarship, and must achieve a high GPA at university or college to be awarded a full scholarship. Many scholarships require that the student maintain a certain standard of academia during the educational journey. Dropping below a certain grade point average, for example, might affect the dollar amount awarded with the scholarship in the coming semester. The undergraduate scholarship programs that are offered are often designed to suit every student, and are not based on only high grade averages and academic brilliance. There is most definitely a scholarship possibility for any student who has a specific talent. How Do I Get A Scholarship? The process of applying for an undergraduate scholarship in the United States must be initiated well before the start of an academic year of the particular educational institution. A large number of people apply for such grants, but many underestimate the paperwork that goes into making such scholarships become a reality. The procedure to apply for scholarships includes supplying highly detailed information of personal, professional and academic relevance. This takes time, naturally, but many students rush the process, often leaving out pertinent information. Missing relevant details would be deemed an incomplete application that might not be acceptable. The application form often includes details of grade averages, essays written by the applicant and letters of recommendation. Make sure you have it all! Important Requirements Qualification for applying for a scholarship consists of three aspects, the students’ average grades over his or her high school education and his examination scores, the results of his SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and his involvement or accomplishments with extracurricular activities or community service. A suitable undergraduate scholarship candidate usually shows a reasonable level of skill in at least one of these aspects. Along with the application form, the student is to write a comprehensive essay on a topic provided by the university. Many students procrastinate in the essay writing, so be careful. This essay is an integral part of a student’s application as it gives insight to the selection committee of one's personality, achievements, and goals. The student and is encouraged to express his or her individuality through this medium. Another important requirement for the submission of the application form is the letters of recommendation. These should ideally be given by people who have relevance to your life, credibility, either by profession or relation (a past high school teacher, for example); someone who has an understanding of the strengths, skills and goals of the undergraduate scholarship applicant. To be recommended by another person lends reliability to the student, and is a way of confirming that the application is worthy of a scholarship seat in the institution. The second step towards being awarded the scholarship is to be invited for a scholarship interview, where the student meets a member of the selection committee. This is the final step in the scholarship process, and often the most nerve-wracking. Giving a successful interview requires confidence, self-assurance and poise. You must show the committee exactly why you deserve scholarship money, and how it will benefit their institution. Above all, remember to work hard for what you want. Best of Luck! ]]> http://www.freemoney.com/undergraduate-scholarships/feed 0 http://www.freemoney.com/unclaimed-property http://www.freemoney.com/unclaimed-property#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:09:36 +0000 admin http://freemoney.com/?p=94 What Happens to Unclaimed Property? Such properties will be considered as unclaimed or abandoned for a certain period after which it would be transferred to the government or the state's care until claimed by a rightful owner. Every state has distinct laws concerning the recovery of an unclaimed property. A property due can entitle you to file a claim on the recovery of the property. Thus it is advised that you visit several websites that offer excellent search abilities for these unclaimed properties. What are the requirements to claim an unclaimed property? There are a lot of circumstances that allow a person to claim his/her share of the property. Laid off, retired or reassigned are a few of the top situations in this regard. Forgetting to update the mailing address is another common reason for people failing to receive the unclaimed property. You will need to give certain details to the state government in order to claim your property. This will likely include our complete name, which includes your middle name, initials (if any), maiden name or your business name. SSN, contact number and the past and current residential address should be provided in the next step. You must spend some time in learning the criteria necessary for claiming an unclaimed property. After familiarizing yourself with these criteria, you can then move on to acquire the property by using the resources provided by the state government. How does a state discover the rightful owner of an unclaimed property? Well, you might have noticed numerous listings on the owners of unclaimed properties in the newspaper. Apart from this, the government arranges for huge displays at malls, state fairs, or other such public events. It also works closely with the public officials or the local librarians in setting up searchable databases that enable people to carry out searches for their lost property. So how do you search for your property? Well, you can begin with a database search in this regard. You can avail the services of business firms or locators who are responsible for locating your lost property for a certain fee. You would want to contact the office for unclaimed property in your state before signing a contract with these firms. The business of unclaimed property locator is very popular today. By reuniting people with their lost property, the locators earn good income from the comforts of their homes. There are several rules that govern the amount that can be charged by the locators. Hence, it is advised that you research the laws that govern your state before you decide to enter this business sector.]]> http://www.freemoney.com/unclaimed-property/feed 0 http://www.freemoney.com/unclaimed-funds http://www.freemoney.com/unclaimed-funds#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:08:55 +0000 admin http://freemoney.com/?p=92 Where Do They Come From? The funds come into existence when the true owners of shares, bank accounts, or other properties disappear due to marriage, change of job or death. If the money’s legal recipients do not claim their property within certain duration of time, the institutions that currently hold these assets would transfer them as a working capital to the respective states. These assets are then transferred to the treasury and labelled as unclaimed funds. Class Action Lawsuits Mean Big Money Maker Class action lawsuits found in several industries, services and products are the major contributors for unclaimed funds. Class actions can be categorized into several categories including: 1. security fraud 2. consumer protection 3. public health 4. antitrust or price fixing 5. human rights 6. environment 7. product liability Current and the former clients and stockholders of over 2,000 organizations are eligible to receive payments under unclaimed class action settlements. The class action settlements have crossed $11 billion and most of those entitled for a payment fail in filing a claim. Irrespective of the product usage and sale of stocks, class members are eligible for cash, credits, distributions or shares in companies like AOL, Ford, AT&T, GM, Coca Cola, NASDAQ, Merrill Lynch, Wal-Mart, Schwab and several others. How to Start Your Own Business of Unclaimed Funds You will be surprised to hear that the business of unclaimed funds is flourishing in present times. Anyone can begin with this business and work solely for themselves. This job is suitable for anyone who wishes to work at home on a part-time basis. It can later be adopted as a full time venture once the business gains some momentum. Your income from this business can be astronomical. You would be getting a share in every successful claim and hence it is necessary for you to build a strong customer base. The business of unclaimed funds can be started with minimal investments. Since the business would be operated from home, you are free from the worries of employee wages or office rental problems. You are in control of the working pace and also get to reap the entire earnings of your business. Finding Unclaimed Funds How can you find your unclaimed funds? You can visit several websites such as cashunclaimed.com in this regard. They assist you in recovering the lost money through the database search services. Generally, $700 is paid to individuals who claim for unclaimed funds. However, it can range up to $20,000 as well!! The main problem with these unclaimed funds is the size. There are over $35 billion that are being watched over by the government. This is certainly wastage of resources since they could be better utilized for other developmental activities. Hence it is time to claim your lost money and thereby contribute to the development of the nation. ]]> http://www.freemoney.com/unclaimed-funds/feed 0 http://www.freemoney.com/unclaimed-cash http://www.freemoney.com/unclaimed-cash#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:07:53 +0000 admin http://freemoney.com/?p=90 Whose Cash Is it? You might have seen several ads or announcements concerning unclaimed cash in the banks and agencies. These assets can either be located in your state or can also be located globally. Official sources have revealed that most of such frozen accounts consist of large financial assets worth several thousand dollars. The owners are often found to be private individuals, businesses, institutions or the companies. Such unclaimed cash are held by the government, bank, institutions or other agencies. Looking for unclaimed cash is now made easy through the adoption of open record policy that offers a listing on the rightful owners of the cash for public viewing. Conducting a research on the online databases is another good option to consider. Claiming Your Lost Money Once you discover your unclaimed cash, the next step would require you to solicit the funds legally. Here are a few tips in this regard: 1. Submit your claim form: every federal agency or the state has its own claim form that needs to be submitted with your claim. Ensure that the form is completely filled and attach an ID proof since a check cannot be verified without meeting this requirement. The copies must be clean and readable. 2. You will also need to submit forms that confirm that you are indeed the rightful owner of the unclaimed cash. 3. It is advisable to keep multiple copies of the documents and the forms that you submit along with the claim. 4. Follow the claim: most claims require a period of 2 to 16 weeks for processing depending upon the agency involved in processing. You can follow-up on the processing of your claim through online updates or through phone. Reasons Why You May Have Difficulty Finding Your Cash Finding the unclaimed cash can be truly challenging because of the following reasons: 1. It is found that around 15 federal agencies offer the online database search facilities for the public. Such databases either cannot be found easily or are not linked readily from home page. 2. Certain unclaimed cash may not be listed in the search results since its owner failed to claim them within the allotted time period. 3. If the unclaimed cash is below a certain limit then the probability of not showing up on the search results are high. 4. Unclaimed cash may fail to appear in the search results because some states choose to display only the most recent accounts that were added. ]]> http://www.freemoney.com/unclaimed-cash/feed 0 http://www.freemoney.com/lost-money http://www.freemoney.com/lost-money#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:04:22 +0000 admin http://freemoney.com/?p=86 Where Does it Come From? Do you have good track of all your financial assets? If so, you are one among the fortunate ones who are free from the trouble of lost money. In addition to dormant bank accounts there are several other reasons for money to get misplaced. A safety deposit box is a popular example in this regard. If a person fails to withdraw the contents of his/her safety deposit box then it would be automatically transferred to the government's care and would be labeled as lost money. Unclaimed insurance policies are also a part of lost money. Rental security deposit schemes, and checks not cashed are the other examples of lost money. With the advanced internet tools it is now easy to find such unclaimed money. You should research your name and former residence locations to discover the money that should probably be owed to you. How to Locate Your Lost Money The states are bound by the laws that mandate them to retain the lost money in the form of beneficiary until a rightful owner claims for them. The treasury department of every state is responsible for the safe storage of these funds. Other agencies of the federal government such as the FIDC, HUD, and IRS maintain records of lost money and assist people in finding their share of unclaimed money. You must therefore visit a federal government website in order to locate your lost money. The design of the databases for lost money and the search procedures differ across states and are generally simple to handle. Another great way to look for lost money would be to carry out a search for free unclaimed money. All you need to do is enter your name in the database for unclaimed money and see if any dues are pending in your name. You would then be required to submit a claim application to the government agency that is currently in charge of your money. The money will be returned within a span of 2 to 8 weeks. Agencies That Can Help in Your Search Here is a list of sites that assist you in finding your lost money: MissingMoney.com: you can search for your money in up to 40 states across the nation by your name, business name or even family name. It also facilitates the creation of profiles for family members and look for funds owed to them. IRS.gov: this site is ideal to track the funds that did not reach your accounts. You would be required to furnish your SSN, the precise refund amount that was expected and filing status in this regard. TreasuryDirect.gov: this website allows you to search for those missing treasury payments or savings bonds. PBGC.gov: visit this site for finding unclaimed benefits on pension. PBGC holds over $13 million worth of unclaimed pension benefits of over 32,000 individuals. As you can see finding lost money can be really easy if you are willing to spend some quality time on internet research. You can utilize this money for personal reasons and contribute to the development of the country as well. So get started with your search process today! ]]> http://www.freemoney.com/lost-money/feed 0 http://www.freemoney.com/unclaimed-money http://www.freemoney.com/unclaimed-money#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:45:31 +0000 admin http://freemoney.com/?p=57 Where Does it Come From? Unclaimed money is the term used to refer to the accounts in various financial institutions that have no known activity over a long period of time. Such unclaimed money can be in the form of savings, stocks, pay checks, unredeemed gifts, insurance payment, tax refunds, overpayments, refundable deposits etc. Since there are not enough government employees to go to each individual to find out if they have any unclaimed money with the government, many lose out on it. How to Find Your Money A system has been implemented through which one can find out if they can rightfully claim any money. There are a few legitimate websites online where one can find out whether or not they are eligible for any funds. The process of finding out on the website is absolutely free but be aware of finders to whom you have to pay a fee. Since this can be done free of cost, you should not have to pay a fee no matter how nominal it is. In addition to monetary funds, there are assets that remain unclaimed for years. The laws surrounding unclaimed money has been around since the 1940s and these laws do everything possible to protect these assets. These laws have been the oldest consumer protection programs. These claims can be made by an heir or heiress if not by the original owner. If the money or asset has been lying around for a long time, laws enacted by the US government protect them. The laws instruct the officials concerned to help the rightful owners get their money. The proper procedure is to fill in a form with an identity, sometimes address, verification. If the lost funds are not claimed for a long period of time, the government sometimes organizes auctions and sells the stocks, bonds and other assets. The funds collected from this auction are turned over to the rightful owner. An organization based in the United States known as the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators or the NAUPA manages and protects unclaimed money and assets. Once can begin their search for any lost money on the NAUPA site. However, the database on which one can look up their unclaimed money need to access sites specific to their states. ]]> http://www.freemoney.com/unclaimed-money/feed 0 http://www.freemoney.com/college-scholarships http://www.freemoney.com/college-scholarships#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:44:32 +0000 admin http://freemoney.com/?p=55 Always Apply for Financial Aid You should always apply for financial aid, regardless of your financial and socioeconomic status, because in this fluctuating economy, the future is not so certain. Being safe is better than being sorry. Many colleges accept the request for college scholarships from students (with declined or lost income sources) who had applied for it but were rejected initially. One smart thing to do here will be to apply to as many places as you possibly can. Do not exclude your local college because it will help you to save money on boarding and lodging if the college scholarship amount you receive is not quite enough to allow you to move away. Although, some expensive private colleges have an increased aid budget to entice a greater number of applicants. You can pay less in education fees if you go in for a four-year degree course by taking two years at a community college and then taking the other two at a pricier college (if they accept the credits from the prior college). Excel and Receive Better College Scholarships Prepare well to score in higher on your AP course as this will save a sizeable amount in college tuition. Choosing strategically and applying into those colleges where you are above the required admission criterion will give you better chance in getting college scholarships. Take any SATs or ACTs as this will increase your chances as well. And always be realistic and calculate ahead of time as to how much will be the starting salaries in the chosen path of career and the student debt at the end of studies. Don’t try for private loans without applying first for a federal loan. Please apply for additional aid if you need it due to circumstantial changes. Save Your Money It is always advisable to be wise about finance. While planning to get college scholarships, do see that you file for educational tax benefits wherever you can. Saving on your taxes will help your budget a long way. Never put tuition on credit card as this debt will be far more expensive than any other debt.]]> http://www.freemoney.com/college-scholarships/feed 0 http://www.freemoney.com/university-scholarships http://www.freemoney.com/university-scholarships#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:38:55 +0000 admin http://freemoney.com/?p=45 Are you seeking a credit card for college? Does renting movies give you pleasure? Is your dorm room furnished? Looking for off-campus housing? Do you resort to online shopping often? These questions are intended to flood your mailbox with ads on different products. But it does not stop here. The possibilities of selling your personal details like email or residential address, or contact number to other business enterprises without your permission is very high. It is therefore essential that you read the privacy policy of the website carefully. However, if you cannot find a privacy policy then you must exercise caution in furnishing your personal details on these sites. Hence it is recommended that you do good research for the university scholarships in order to avoid such scams and reap the maximum benefits.]]> http://www.freemoney.com/university-scholarships/feed 0 http://www.freemoney.com/post-secondary-scholarships http://www.freemoney.com/post-secondary-scholarships#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:37:39 +0000 admin http://freemoney.com/?p=43 The Business of Education In today’s world education is no longer just a learning facility to help grow and educate individuals; it is now also very much a business. As such, you need to consider several factors before you can choose to go to college. This includes quality of teaching, availability of course materials and even what sorts of text books are offered. But, why should you choose a post secondary program? Well, quite frankly it is essential in the present competitive world where a bachelor degree is highly valued and can help ensure you a financially secure future. Tuition Fees Keep Going Up? Not to Worry… Are you thinking about the tuition fees? Do not worry. There are numerous government and private organizations who offer financial support in the form of post secondary scholarships to those competent individuals who are interested in pursuing their secondary education. You can contact a financial aid officer or other individuals who head the post secondary scholarships program since they can provide you indispensable information on these programs. Applying for Your Post Secondary Scholarships Once you have the necessary information on the post secondary scholarships, the next step would be to apply for them. However, ensure that you are eligible for the scholarship before applying. One must also have a good understanding of the application requirements while applying for these post secondary scholarships. Failure to do so might result in the rejection of your application. You must also carry out some follow-up activities once you successfully apply for a scholarship program. Make a telephone call to the organization where you sent the application to ensure that they have received your application and any attached documents. There are several qualifying criteria for post secondary scholarships: Single parent status, any disabling condition, the research goals of a student and sometimes GPA as well. Here are a few application tips for making a successful scholarship application. 1. Your application folder must be pleasing and organized 2. Apply for the scholarship well before the deadline 3. Ensure that your documents are arranged in order 4. Study the application carefully 5. The application must be complete Other Types of Financial Aid You can find several other modes of financial assistance apart from the post secondary scholarships. A loan for college education or the student loan is offered on low interest rates with flexible repayment options. Such loans are generally offered by the federal government and do not require any credit card, checks or collaterals. You can also avail the private education loan and the consolidation loan that is a combination of multiple student loans and loans for parents. You can seek financial help from the direct lending schools also known as the Federal Direct Student Loan Program (FDSLP) and the peer to peer lending programs as well. The Pell Grant The Obama government is now utilizing the federal Pell grant and encouraging the American fathers to get good education. Each student can now receive $10,000 every year or $5,100 per semester. You can apply to this program by visiting the FAFSA website, where you would be required to download the application form and furnish accurate information to apply for this program. The American mothers can benefit from various programs such as Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISP), accounting scholarships, and also through career development grants for women. ]]> http://www.freemoney.com/post-secondary-scholarships/feed 0 http://www.freemoney.com/education-scholarships http://www.freemoney.com/education-scholarships#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:33:24 +0000 admin http://freemoney.com/?p=37 Need Money To Study Abroad? Are you planning a foreign education? Well, you must remember that an education scholarship in this regard does not imply that an international education can be received for free. These education scholarships are similar to “study on campus” with an exception that the “dorm” can be located globally. You must pay close attention to the application fee for the distance education scholarships since a survey indicates that over $100 million are lost by victims of education scholarship scams. You can get your the scholarship from one of hundreds of federal, state government organizations, non profit and educational institutions, so don’t feel that you need to apply to the little unknowns. The U.S. Department of State's Fulbright Program awards over 6,000 scholarships every year that are worth over $250 million. Finding Grant Sources If you were to look into the pages of history then you would realize that most scholarships or grants were only listed in a few bulky, thick books that were locked away in a library's reference section. But with the advancement in Internet technologies we are now able to easily find these educational scholarships online. You need to follow the below steps to identify the scholarship that suits your requirement. 1. Study the existing sites on scholarships. Fast Web is the best example in this regard. You can track scholarships, look for an appropriate scholarship that suits your needs or you can even learn about essay contests! 2. You can do thorough research for special educational scholarships meant for military servicemen or Native Americans on your favorite search engine. Simply type in the keyword and all sorts of resources will pop up. 3. Purchasing a grant guide is also a good idea. But you need to exercise caution since not all guides that you come across on the internet are legit. Most guides will cost you about $19.95 and try to purchase your guide from larger retailers, such as www.governmentgrant.com. 4. Consider entering scholarship contests! It can be surprising, but there are several companies that offer scholarship programs for the winners of these contests. A Few Things to Keep In Mind When Selecting Your Scholarship Here are a few tips that one must remember while selecting the educational scholarships. 1. A scholarship is meant to provide financial assistance, so you should NOT have to pay to apply. 2. Large local businesses are another great source of educational scholarships. You may want to contact your school officials for a listing on all local businesses. 3. The best place to apply for educational scholarships would be the college or the school that you are attending. 4. There are educational scholarships for the minority community as well. One can also contact a Church or the American Legion or other such Veterans organizations for more information on their educational scholarships for students. As you can see, obtaining an educational scholarship is not really difficult. Careful research would assist you in selecting the right scholarship program that can serve as your gateway to success. All the very best! ]]> http://www.freemoney.com/education-scholarships/feed 0