Meghan Joy Corkrey or Meghan Joy as she is now being called is certainly now the best looking contestant on American Idol.  A beautiful face, a nice body, and a so so voice.  The tats on the other hand, are something that I can live without.  I love tats but these just don’t work for me.  I have some bikini pictures that I may post later but I don’t want to be sued so you’ll have to wait and see.  I can only pray that someone has some topless or naked pictures that she took in some stupid moment or someone took with a cell phone.  Until then I’ll just have to turn down the sound and watch her performance.

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How to Consolidate Student Loan Debt

Student loan debt consolidation can begin even before you graduate from college. If possible, take a day job during school (or during vacations from school), so you can begin to generate the capital you need to eat into your student loans. In addition, look for financing arrangements that allow you to pay out a portion of your gross income (over a period of five to ten years) to finance your education. This way, your payback plan will be somewhat concomitant and harmonious with your income situation upon graduation.

The key to effective student loan debt consolidation, of course, is savvy budgeting. Pay your bills on time, limit your use of credit cards, and ask for financial help from other sources to reduce the burdens on your future earning years. If your parents or guardians do not have money available to finance your education, you can look to private investors to take care of at least some of the burden in exchange of a percentage of equity in your earnings (as discussed above).

All this said, you want to maintain some credit to your name, so you can begin to build a reputation with the bureaus as a trustworthy borrower to qualify for low interest credit cards and other loans and leases.
In addition to actively taking steps to student loan debt consolidation, acquire health insurance as soon as possible. If you are young and healthy, you might opt for high deductible insurance in coordination with a health savings plan to cover emergency contingencies. This way, you won’t have to pay out of pocket for hospital visits, and you can reduce a means of uncertainty in your life. If you’re still in school, try to graduate within four years to avoid taking on more debt.

Student loan debt consolidation tacticians often need to remind borrowers that student loans cannot be expunged — even during bankruptcy (except under truly extraordinary conditions). In other words, once you take out student loans and spend the money, they are yours to manage, for a lifetime or until they’re paid off.

If you are running really short on cash, you may be able to defer or forbear some loan payments, but be aware that your options in terms of “kicking the can” with respect to your student loan debt consolidation plan are limited. Another tactic might be to consolidate your other bills onto a debt consolidation loan, thus freeing up money in your budget to pay for your standard student loan monthly charges.

1. Avoid middlemen. Numerous for-profit intermediary organizations advertise aggressively on TV, billboards and elsewhere, offering to help you donate your vehicle to charity. Here’s the catch: These organizations typically keep about 50 percent to 90 percent of the vehicle’s value for themselves, and the charities don’t get what they could have gotten. To prevent this, check directly with charities you admire and find out whether they accept car or boat donations.

2. Find a worthy charity. If the charities you normally support aren’t equipped to accept such donations, do some homework until you find a reputable charity that is. You can research charities’ track records online at this Better Business Bureau site and through Charity Navigator.

3. Check the math. If you still feel compelled to use an intermediary organization – possibly because you’re busy – at least ask the organization how much of the car or boat’s value will go to charity. If the organization simply gives charities flat fees — say, $100 for a used vehicle regardless of its value, or $2,000 a month — your donation may not be eligible for a tax deduction.

4. Know the status of your recipient. In order for you to qualify for a deduction, the charity that gets your donation must be an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) organization. Your church, synagogue, mosque or temple likely qualifies. (Check first just to make sure.) You also can visit the Internal Revenue Service’s Web site and search for Publication 78 to find other qualifying non-profit organizations. (Just type “78” into the search field on the IRS home page and you’ll be directed to the right publication.)

5. Do the delivery yourself. Once you’ve identified a worthy charity, recognize that it will have to pay someone to pick up your car or boat for you. To help the charity maximize the benefit of your donation, drop the car or boat off yourself.

6. Transfer the vehicle with care. Want to eliminate all risk of running up parking tickets and other violations after you’ve said goodbye to your donated vehicle? Then formally re-title the vehicle to the charity, and report the transfer to your state’s department of motor vehicles or licensing. Never agree to leave the ownership space on the charity donation papers blank.

7. Your estimate of the donation’s value probably won’t cut it. If your car or boat is worth more than $500, the IRS is going to want to see evidence of how much the charity got for it. (Most charities that accept these donations turn around and sell them for cash.) You’ll need to get a receipt from the charity revealing exactly how much money it made.

8. Know when you can report the fair market value. You won’t need evidence of the sales price if the charity keeps the vehicle or vessel and uses it in its charitable work, or if your donation is worth less than $500. Then you can report its fair market value based on listings from Kelley Blue Book and similar sources.

9. Keep a thorough paper trail. If your donation is worth more than $500, you’ll have to attach IRS Form 8283 to your tax return. If it’s worth more than $5,000, your documentation must include an outside appraisal. You’ll also need proof of the donation, such as a receipt from the charity and a copy of the title change.

10. Be detail-oriented. This paper trail may seem cumbersome, but think about it: This may be one of the biggest charitable donations you ever make. By taking the time to dot the i’s, you can make sure that the charity gets the most benefit and you get the biggest possible deduction.

Let’s celebrate the end of the year with the year’s best mugshots

Everyone seems to be releasing a new book so I was happy after I was interviewed and photographed for this new book that just came out. It’s also nice to see that some people have enjoyed my gift

The worst “Roommate Wanted” ad ever.  But funny

Here’s the perfect stocking stuffer,  the “toast wallet”

Another one of those “why didn’t I think of that” blog ideas

This guy called the bubble 4 years ago

There’s still too much money out there if people are paying $2,000 for a f’n horse’s paintings

I have trouble with this.  If there really is money to be made then private money will find it

I have no trouble with this. Friday’s hot girl link

 Not that anyone cares but I am going to give my go ahead to get back into the market officially today.  I’m not saying the overall market but it’s now time to start picking stocks again.  I have been all cash since August and have contemplated putting some cash back to work but just didn’t feel comfortable pulling the trigger .  Bottom? no but close.   There is still plenty of downside left but for some stocks its time to take advantage of their haircut and get back in.  I see a much better 3 and forth quarter.  The next two will be horrific but the market is always a few quarters out.  On a side note I will be selling some vol as well. Now on to the links

10 Celebrity Potheads that may surprise you

A Lesson in Shutting Up.  The story of Buffet’s Granddaughter from her perspective

Obama: the college years.  It reminds me of the one thing I don’t get.  The fact he still smokes

The Onion’s view of why the economy went bad

I think “The Flight of the Concords” is hilarious and I’m glad it’s back on.  Here’s the first episode of season 2

Thinking of seeing Marley and Me?  I’ll save you some time here

Tyson’s not looking quite as fit as he used to be.   I still think he can kick my ass

Let’s see what we can get for a buck.  Here’s a look at CEOs working for $1 a year

And now for your hot lady picture.  Well kinda.  I’m sure she was at one time

They knew how to throw a Christmas Party back in 1925.  They just didn’t know how to pick a tree or pretty girls

Think your job is tedious?  This illustration took 950 hours to complete

Wife was on me to get the lights up.  Every day, every night.  Well now they’re up and she’s even more pissed

In Pictures: America’s Biggest Billionaire Losers

I have to agree with this one.  Clint Eastwood thinks America is made up of a bunch of babies

Some people need to pay more attention to their website address choices

This is the stupidest thing I have ever seen

How to put a 35 ft Christmas Tree in a two story house

Here’s an interesting set of predictions from FMMF

I enjoy Paul’s Daily Links more than my own. Of course he doesn’t have the ……..

Pretty girl link

For those who found me, thanks for joining in.  Please pass the word.  Now on to the Links.

Palm is throwing up one last Hail Mary.  There is no way they survive none.  They will get bought out and absorbed, mark this post

6 Insane Discoveries that science can’t explain

I couldn’t stop laughing at this headline.  Just look

The first instance of “too big to fail”

LOL.  The people who lost money from Madoff want a bailout.  True, not an Onion story

I don’t need a job but since I live across the street I figured I would go ahead and apply.  I’m guessing my 35-6 Record in 2006 NCAA football is not enough experience

Everyone is completely negative.  Let’s take a look at the Best CEOs this Year

The Gambling Industry is not only getting hurt, it’s getting killed

I’ll be curious to hear what the “sweeping set of strategic and innovative changes” are going to be at the Detroit Free Press.  I’m guessing they are dumping print and going online, just like their readers

Everyone’s lost a little money over the last year and this has set up an interesting scenario for 2009.  As most of you know, if you lose money in the stock market you get to take it against your profits in the market.  My guess is that not many had profits.  That being said, you get to write only 3K against your income tax and the rest float until 2009 at which you’ll get to write it against any profits you make next year.   If there are no profits next year to write it against then the taxe advantage is lost. My question is this.  Will people try and make it back next year or have they been too shocked to try it again?  I lost 7K realized this year and I for certain am going to keep trading next year but for those who lost a bit more it is going to be a tough decision.

For the government it’s killer.  Not only do they not get any capital gains taxes from anyone this year but if people do have a better year next year then they won’t have to pay taxes on it.   The government is going to lose at least two years in a row. There is already a $495 billion deficit this year and next year it will be even worse.  The positive in the whole ordeal is the fact Obama will have trouble messing with any of the tax laws, especially if they hurt people financially right now.  The only laws he’ll be able to touch is regulation of the financial industry and security of investors.

My feeling is that smart investors need to try and take advantage of the law.  It is tax free money if you can show a profit.   Even if you put it into much safer areas than in 2008 it needs to be working money. (that is if you have any left).   I am by no means a tax lawyer so don’t take all this info and make your investments accordingly.  Check with you tax guy, this is just how I understand it

Thanks all for following me over to my new blog.  I won’t disappoint and plan to screw up links and misspell words just like the good old days.  I promise there will be plenty of money and even more funny.Now on to the links.  PS The thing about me spending more time with my family?  One weekend and they’re sick of me.

This picture below proves things can change quickly.  Take 8 steps back and take a look at the picture again.

It’s not the scandal with Madoff that surprises me, it’s the fact that he came out and said “Man this was an awesome scam I had going” .  He definitely broke the first rule of Fight Club

A man wrote his wife 98 love letters.  When she caught someone reading them she tore them up.  15 years later at the age of 82 and 3 years after she died, he finally pieced all the pages back together.

I remember I lost 1K at a blackjack table once.  This guy had a little bigger gambling loss than me.  To the tune of $900 million and yes that is at casinos not in the market

Say what you want to say about “The Hills” and the other worthless reality shows, bikini shots and hot women at least keep my attention

The Headline of the past weekend was “Shoe thrown at Bush by Iraqi journalist”.   I thought Bush’s response was hilarious ” I believe it was a size 10″ Of course we did go in and hang their leader so a flying shoe doesn’t sound so bad.

The was a precedent before Obama and he was Republican

Another story about how hard work, creativity, and the “never give up” attitude prevails.  Unemployed guy now employed

And don’t forget how lucky you are.  All of us feel that we are smart enough and hard working enough to not get ourselves in a bad financial position but it’s hard not to look at a picture like this and feel thankful for all the things we have

I love old advertisements.  Here is a recent find of ads I had not seen before

 And of course, back to the daily “hot girl” link.   I really missed not being able to put this up every day.