Sometimes it seems like things would be so much easier if you could just suspend paying for some of your bills for a few months…and without consequences.  Unfortunately, in most cases, you have to be facing some serious financial trouble in order to qualify.  If you are, one of the first payments you might look at is your student loan.  You might qualify for a deferment, but should you get one?

With a student loan deferment, your payments are suspended for a set period of time that your lender establishes.  If you have a subsidized Stafford loan, you also have the good fortune of suspended interest charges, so the loan amount will not increase during the time that you won’t be making payments.  However, most private student loans will continue to accrue interest, and that could increase the length of time that it will take you to pay off the loan.

Deferment Qualifications

There are a few different ways to qualify for a deferment.  First, as long as you are attending school at least part-time (and the definition of part-time may vary depending on your school and your specific loan), your payments can be deferred.  (In some cases, that’s a given until you graduate.)  After graduation, you might run into financial trouble, and you might qualify for an economic hardship or unemployment deferment.  For economic hardship, you must prove that the ratio of your payments versus your income is at a certain point determined by your lender.  To receive an unemployment deferment, you must show that you are actively seeking employment during the suspension period.

You could also qualify for a disability or family leave deferment if you are unable to work due to illness or a severe injury, if you are caring for your spouse or child that is experiencing an illness or injury, or if you are pregnant or taking care of your newborn and cannot attend work or school.  Your last option for qualification is a public service deferment—you are in the military, Peace Corps, or serving an approved tax-exempt organization as a volunteer.

Deferments are for Emergencies

Apart from the education deferment while you are still in school, all of these options require a substantial financial issue before you can be approved, so only consider a deferment when it is absolutely necessary.  It will be listed on your credit report, and the loan debt will still be included with your total debt if you apply for credit or other loans during the deferment.

If a deferment is a necessary option for you, make sure you understand all of the terms set forth by your particular lender, especially if they state that interest will still accrue in the meantime.  If so, consider making payments on that interest during the deferment.  Not only will it be more affordable than your entire monthly payment had been, but it will prevent the size of your loan from growing exponentially while you try to get your finances in order.  You don’t want find yourself worse off when the deferment is over.

In a job interview, you prepare yourself to answer all the difficult questions that the interviewer might ask, but have you thought about interview questions that you should ask?  You might have the perfect answers for your interviewer, but you can really impress him or her by being ready with questions of your own.  This way, the employer will see that you are a good fit for the company, and you’ll learn if the company is a good fit for you.

It is possible that a lot of your questions will be answered during the interview, but there’s always room for expansion.  There’s no need to assume that you should already know the answer to something, and asking questions will give you a better chance of being remembered, especially if the rest of the interview wasn’t particularly unique.

You can ask specific questions related to your position, such as:

• “What will my daily responsibilities be?”
• “How much of my position will be routine?”
• “What is the management style?”
• “Will I be able to see the results that my work will have for the company?”

The interviewer will know you’re determined to learn every aspect of your job and perform well.  Another good set of interview questions to ask would be related to your future with the company, such as:

• “Is there opportunity for advancement in my position or somewhere within the company?”
• “Does the company offer opportunities for ongoing training, workshops, and/or seminars?”
• “What does the future look like for the company as a whole?”

Employers are always looking for someone that will be with them long-term.  It’s expensive to bring on new employees, and it also becomes a hassle to have to continuously train new people for the same position.  If you can guarantee that you’ll be staying, you’ll have a greater chance of landing the job.

And don’t forget to close with, “May I contact you if I have other questions?”  This leaves the door open for you, and it’s a good way to gauge the employer’s interest in you.  Interviews tend to make most people nervous, but look at it as a simple meeting instead, a way to determine your compatibility for each other, and don’t be afraid to ask your questions.

For more interview questions, visit Monster’s Interviewing Articles

With the economy and the stock market not doing so well lately, it may seem riskier and more difficult to know exactly where to invest your money.  You want your money to work for you, but with falling stock prices, it’s likely you’ll see your money disappear rather than gain anything.  Search for the right advice, though, and you can learn the right places to invest.

As always, it’s smart to diversify your portfolio.  Doing so will mean that you’ll take less of a hit if one company or even an entire industry drops dramatically.  The other places you’ve invested that are gaining or remaining steady can balance out your loss.  If you want significant gains, you have to be willing to take on riskier stocks that have the potential for high returns on your investment.  Use safe, steady stocks to help maintain your money and cushion losses on the risky stocks.

Safe Investments

Every money and investment website may recommend different companies to invest in right now, but most share similar ideas of which industries to seek out.  For safer stocks, smartmoney.com recommends Duke Energy and Southern Co.  The reason?  People will always need electricity.  They may cut back, but most of us can only go so far (and in some places, prices keep rising anyway).  Microsoft is highly recommended, as they have the largest presence in the computer industry.  Chances are, you use Microsoft Office more than any other software for home and office needs.  Johnson & Johnson is another safe bet, a “family company” that produces many of the consumer goods people still need no matter what shape the economy is in.

You can also stay safe by investing in mutual funds, IRAs, a 401(k), and ETFs (exchange-traded funds).  You’ll have little to no risk of losing money, but you’ll still receive the current market rate or a guaranteed high interest rate.

Mid-Range Investments

If you’re looking to sit somewhere in the middle, the health care industry can be a good bet.  Medco Health Solutions comes recommended from smartmoney.com, as well as Dentsply, a large supplier of dental equipment.  The majority of people will only risk so much of their health to save money, so any slump the health care industry experiences can be expected to turn around and simply take off when the economy pulls out of the recession.

High Risk Investments

As for high risk/high return investments, smartmoney.com specifically recommends Lowe’s, GE, and Transocean (oil).  These are companies that may be going through a very rough patch but can be expected to jump high again soon, producing a nice profit for your investment.

Of course, you can invest your money wherever you’re comfortable.  If you’ve got enough to play with and can withstand a huge loss, you can go for all high-risk companies.  If you’re just starting out, you might try your hand with safer ones first.  At any rate, if the best advice for choosing a home is location, location, location, the best advice for choosing any stock is diversify, diversify, diversify.