best business schools in the world

Objective

This chapter examines the characteristics of insurance contracts. It defines the

notion of insurable risks and insurable interest. Insurable risks are the raw

materials for the existence of insurance contracts.

An insurance policy is a legal contract between the insurer and the insured.

Although the direct advantages and related costs arising out of the existence of

insurance contracts are obvious to most readers, there are other benefits and

indirect costs generated by the existence of these contracts.

Definition of an Insurance Contract

A legal definition of insurance that appears in many insurance laws is the

following: A contract of insurance is that whereby one party, the insurer,

undertakes, for a premium or an assessment, to make a payment to another party,

the policyholder or a third party, if an event that is the object of a risk occurs. It

is often defined as a contract of indemnity. The insured is not to make any profit

out of the insurance but should only be compensated to the extent of the pecuniary

loss.

Although various definitions have been offered, one of the most helpful is to

define insurance as a mechanism (or a service) for the transfer to someone called

the insurer of certain risks of financial loss in exchange of the payment of an

agreed fixed amount. The payment is due before the contingent claim is serviced

by the insurer.

If from the insured's point of view, insurance is a "transfer," from the insurer's

point of view, insurance as a "pooling" mechanism. It is possible for the insurer

to reduce the risk which he faces by offering an "insurance service," by pooling

together a large number of exposure units or risks.

at multiple levels and an array of support services to ensure that students with different language proficiencies succeed. A Supportive Learning Environment. Community colleges offer small class sizes, averaging fewer than 30 students, allowing personal attention and ongoing support from professors. The focus is on individual student success within an environment designed to support students’ learning patterns and needs. Support services for students include tutoring, advising, writing labs, international student clubs, and international student service centers. Diversity. U.S. community college students come from diverse cultural heritages and ethnicities. The colleges offer a wide spectrum of clubs and activities that celebrate and support the diversity that describes society in the United States. Access to U.S. Culture. Because they are reflective of and responsive to their communities, community colleges tend to have strong local ties. This relationship provides international students with extensive opportunities to interact with Americans and to experience American culture. Variety of Locations and Campus Sizes. Community colleges, like other educational institutions in the United States, differ widely. Some are large, multicampus institutions located in big cities, while others are much smaller schools located in rural settings and serving small student populations. There is a community college conveniently located within commuting distance of 90 percent of the U.S. population. Distinguished Alumni. Alumni of U.S. community colleges include California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Maryland Governor Parris Glendening, NASA space shuttle commander Eileen Collins, Star Wars movie series producer/director George Lucas, film actors Tom Hanks and Clint Eastwood, fashion designer Calvin Klein, human genome scientist Craig Venter, and U.S. Surgeon General Richard  

Insurance Article For Startups And Young

A wellbeing investment account (HSA) is a duty absolved trust or custodial record that you set up with a qualified HSA trustee to pay or repay certain restorative costs you bring about. You should be a qualified individual to qualify and the record can be set up through a qualified HSA trustee. A qualified HSA trustee can be a bank, insurance agency or anybody effectively affirmed by the IRS to be a trustee of individual retirement plans.

In spite of the fact that HSA accounts are planned to cover social insurance costs, you might be amazed by the a wide range of ways that you can use the assets in a HSA account. Notwithstanding, there are qualification and commitment limits for HSA accounts. (For additional, see: Pros and Cons of a Health Savings Account.)

Who Is Eligible? 

To be a qualified individual and fit the bill for a HSA, you should meet the accompanying prerequisites:

Secured under a high deductible-wellbeing design (HDHP).

Have no other wellbeing scope. There are exemptions. Talk about with your CPA.

Not selected in Medicare.

Can't be asserted as a subject to another person's 2018 expense form.

Commitment Limits

The sum you can add to your HSA relies upon the sort of HDHP scope you have, your age, the date you turn into a qualified individual and the date you stop to be qualified. For 2018, in the event that you have self-just HDHP scope, you can contribute up to $3,450. On the off chance that you have family HDHP scope, you can contribute up to $6,850. Add $1,000 to these numbers on the off chance that you are over age 55.

Present and Future Uses

In the event that you as of now have a HSA, you are most likely mindful that the kind of restorative costs that you are allowed to repay yourself for through your HSA are those that would by and large fit the bill for the medicinal and dental cost derivations. IRS Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses gives detail.

Be that as it may, the cash that you collect in your HSA can be deliberately reserved for different costs that you may not know about including:

Long haul mind protection premiums and costs. The premiums you are qualified to regard as qualified restorative costs are liable to limits so check with your CPA.

Month to month premiums for Medicare. When you reach 65, you can utilize HSA commitments for Medicare Parts A, B or D premiums. For high salary workers amid retirement, your premiums are expanded and this can be a major help. Be that as it may, the sum in a HSA account can't be utilized for Medigap month to month premiums.

Medicinal services continuation scope, for example, COBRA. At age 65, you can utilize your HSA to pay for other medicinal services premiums including work based retiree advantage programs - not only yours, but rather your life partner or wards too.

Human services scope while getting joblessness remuneration under government or state law.

An additional advantage of HSA accounts is that once you achieve the age of 65, you can get to the cash for non-restorative costs, as well. As of now you will confront no punishment for withdrawals and will basically be liable to standard wage impose.

fedex business in usa and canada

FedEx Express Terms and Conditions 136 fedex.com 1.800.GoFedEx 1.800.463.3339 Contents E Services E Rates E Terms E Index E Customers who receive their invoices via FedEx Billing Online should mail their payment and remittance detail to: FedEx Billing Online P.O. Box 371599 Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7599 K. Customers who receive their invoices via EDI are required to submit remittance data (advice for shipments being paid) electronically in an approved FedEx remittance format. See the FedEx Electronic Invoice and Remittance Implementation Guide for details. Some invoice adjustment requests may also be transmitted electronically. Payment for EDI invoices must be submitted electronically via electronic funds transfer (EFT) or by sending a check payment to one of the following: (By FedEx Envelope) FedEx ERS Attn: Box 371471 500 Ross Street Room 154-0455 Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7741 Phone: 412.234.5494 (By U.S. Postal Service) FedEx ERS P.O. Box 371741 Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7741 L. If you are interested in or have questions regarding any of our invoicing or payment methods, contact your FedEx account executive or call Revenue Services at 1.800.GoFedEx 1.800.463.3339 (say “billing”), or access our internet application Manage My Account at fedex.com. M. Invoice Adjustments/Overcharges: 1. We reserve the right to audit shipments to verify service selection, shipment weight and dimensions. Package shape and dimensions may change during transit, which can affect the package’s dimensional weight and surcharge eligibility. If the service selected, weight entered or dimensions entered are incorrect or change during transit, we may make appropriate adjustments to the shipment charges at any time. 2. Default Billing. Senders are solely responsible for accurately completing all sections of the airbill and for the entry of accurate shipment information into any electronic shipping device. If you fail to provide or correctly enter this information, you will be billed and agree to pay based on our estimate of the number of packages transported and either the dimensional weight at the time of billing or a standard default weight-per-package estimate, both of which will be determined by us at our sole discretion. If no service is marked, we will send your shipment via FedEx Priority Overnight or FedEx 1Day Freight, whichever is applicable. 3. Our money-back guarantee policy governs and is the exclusive remedy for requests for refunds or credits related to service failures. (See the Money-Back Guarantee Policy section for applicable notice provisions and other conditions.) If the money-back guarantee is suspended or revoked, there is no remedy. 4. Requests for invoice adjustments due to an overcharge must be received within 60 days after the original invoice date (or ship date if prepaid by cash, check, money order or credit card). 5. FedEx is not obligated to refund any overcharge or pay any other obligation owed when your FedEx account is, or has been in the past, more than 60 days past due. 6. If your account is more than 60 days past due, FedEx may, at its sole discretion, apply any overcharge amounts or other overpayments it agrees are owed to you against the oldest invoices. 7. You may request an invoice adjustment for reasons not related to a service failure in the following ways: a. Use our internet application FedEx Billing Online at fedex.com if you are a registered user; or b. Submit your request through the invoice adjustment feature at fedex.com; or c. Submit the request via fedex.com/us/customersupport/email/express_ ground.html (select Billing/Invoicing as the category). All adjustment requests must state the reason an adjustment or refund is warranted and must provide the following: the FedEx account number (if any); the FedEx tracking number; and the date of shipment; or d. Submit the request via our telephone invoice adjustment system at 1.800.GoFedEx 1.800.463.3339 (say “billing”). If you choose to submit your request via the telephone invoice adjustment system, the request must state the reason an adjustment or refund is warranted and must provide the following: the FedEx account number (if any); the FedEx tracking number; and the date of shipment. A partial payment against an invoice is not considered a request for invoice adjustment or notice of a refund request. 8. If you choose to send your request for an invoice adjustment for non-servicerelated failure via FedEx or the U.S. Postal Service, please send it to: FedEx Revenue Services 3965 Airways Boulevard Module G Memphis, TN 38116 You may also send your request via fax to the FedEx toll-free fax service: 1.800.548.3020. 9. We will not be liable for any invoice adjustment unless you comply with the notice requirements described above. The filing of a lawsuit against us does not constitute compliance with these notice provisions. For additional information or assistance regarding billing issues, contact Revenue Services at 1.800.GoFedEx 1.800.463.3339 (say “billing”), 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (CST), Monday through Friday. N. Additional Taxes. If a federal value-added, consumption or similar tax is applicable to your shipment, we reserve the right to add that amount to your shipping charges without notice. We pay any applicable federal excise tax on the air transportation portion of our service. O. The shipper and any other party who is liable for payment are responsible for all reasonable costs incurred by FedEx in obtaining or attempting to obtain payment for services rendered by us. Such costs include, but are not limited to, attorneys’ fees, collection agency fees, interest and court costs. P. At our sole discretion, FedEx may transfer and assign ownership of, and any rights to collect, any and all charges due and payable to us. Q. FedEx will charge for the category of service selected by the shipper, notwithstanding any requests for a different delivery time or date, including but not limited to, requests made by the recipient using FedEx Delivery Manager. Cartage Agents We provide pickup and delivery service to points within our primary service areas. Service outside our primary service areas may be provided through cartage agents. For more information, please call Customer Service at 1.800.GoFedEx 1.800.463.3339 or Express Freight Customer Service at 1.800.332.0807. A. Our delivery commitment time and money-back guarantee policy apply only to the portion of the transportation handled directly by us (see the Money-Back Guarantee Policy section). The delivery commitment time begins when the cartage agent tenders the shipment to us and ends when a shipment is available for pickup by you or a cartage agent. Our tender of a shipment to a cartage agent constitutes delivery of the shipment by us for all purposes. Except as stated below for FedEx Express Freight shipments, we are not responsible for service failures as a result of cartage agent pickups or deliveries. B. For FedEx Express Freight shipments destined to extended service areas (H4, H5, H6) and when FedEx arranges delivery by a cartage agent, our delivery commitment time and money-back guarantee policy apply to both the portion of the transportation handled directly by us and to the portion of the transportation handled by the cartage agent. (See the Money-Back Guarantee Policy section.) For FedEx Express Freight shipments originating in extended service areas (H4, H5, H6, H7) the delivery commitment time begins when the cartage agent tenders the shipment to FedEx. C. For FedEx Express Freight shipments destined to H7 extended service areas, our delivery commitment time and money-back guarantee policy apply only to the portion of the transportation handled directly by us. The delivery commitment time ends when a shipment is available at the FedEx location for pickup by you or a cartage agent. We are not responsible for service failures as a result of cartage agent pickups from, or deliveries to, H7 extended service areas. D. If you elect to make arrangements for pickup or delivery directly with a cartage agent, you are responsible for all charges and fees assessed by the cartage agent. The invoice you receive from us will reflect only our charges and fees. E. A special handling fee applies; see Rates in the FedEx Service Guide. F. Cartage agents are independent contractors. They are neither employees nor agents of FedEx Express, and we are not responsible for any of their acts or omissions.

Shipping Overseas Shipping overseas

Shipping Overseas Shipping overseas is definitely more of a problem, but many businesses ship a considerable amount of their products outside the United States. So, unless it’s simply impractical—for instance, you’re shipping guns, or those marble and granite slabs we mentioned earlier—you should probably consider it. A few things to watch for include the following: ■ This probably won’t be a surprise, but it’s more expensive to ship outside the country. It’s still viable for high-value goods, but not so much for low-cost goods. ■ It can take a long time to ship to the other side of the world. To get a general idea just how long, take a look at the post office’s International Priority Mail and International Express Mail services, which provide fairly quick shipping times at a reasonable cost. ■ Don’t forget customs declaration forms. This is one more step needed before you can ship overseas. And also be aware that some countries want to charge a custom’s duty on items. Buyers must be aware that they are responsible for these fees; there’s no practical way for you to deal with them. ■ Some third-world countries, such as Canada, have a tendency to stop everything crossing their borders and try to extract a fee. ■ Consider fraud. Though not a shipping issue, fraud is still an important concern. Western Europe has very low fraud rates, but some countries (we might mention eastern Europe) have very high rates. This is something we talk about in more detail in Chapter 18. The major shipping services provide customs forms online. For instance, to find the U.S. Postal Service custom forms, visit http://webapps.usps.com/customsforms/. You can even fill in the form online and print out the completed document. Finally, we’re done! We’re now ready to sell through eBay. In the next chapter, we’ll look at exactly how to go about listing your products on the site. Chapter 5 Listing Your Items Effectively I n this chapter you’re going to learn how to submit an item for sale in eBay. There’s a lot to cover. We’re going to discuss how to create your photographs, the different ways in which you can list items, how much eBay charges, how to enter information and pictures for your listing, specifying payment and shipping, and so on. This chapter is not intended as a quick step-through process. We’re going to show you the process step-by-step, but we’ll be stopping and explaining various concepts and issues in detail as we go. So, we advise you read through this once before you begin listing your first item, otherwise eBay may timeout and make you start again. Creating Your Photographs You’re going to need photos of the products you’re selling; you can try to sell without pictures, but you’ll regret it—in general they’re unlikely to sell well. In many cases you can get product photographs from a supplier; in many other cases, you’ll have to get the photos yourself. That’s not necessarily difficult. You don’t need the very best digital camera for your pictures. Digital photography has advanced tremendously over the last few years, which means the top-end equipment is amazing . . . but it also means that good equipment, good enough for taking pictures to post on a web page, is cheap. The basic requirements are pretty simple: ■ 2.0 megapixels Get a camera that produces images with 2 megapixels or more. ■ Optical zoom Optical zoom is more important than digital zoom. ■ Macro mode Macro, or close-up, mode, lets you take photographs very close to the object, allowing you to get fine details.

Medical Loan in usa

What is a Medical Loan ?

A Medical Loan is extended by a bank or a financial institution under the category of personal loans. It can be availed for various contingency situations related to health or any urgent medical needs such as an operation, surgery procedure, therapy, or for any concerns related to health. The interest rate for a medical loan is based on multiple factors such as the organization you work for, your salary range, and the city of your current residence.

Apply Now

It is recommended to check and compare the interest rates, eligibility for a medical loan across various banks before you select one of them.

What are the current interest rates on medical loans ?

Medical loans can be availed from various banks and mostly comes under the category of personal loans. The interest rate on a medical loandepends on various factors such as the loan amount, the organization where you are employed, range of your salary, and the city you are based in currently. There could be other factors that might differ from one bank to another. Interest can vary from 12% to 25% depending on the personal loan eligibility.

Interest on a loan amount is the portion that is over and above the principal amount that has to be repaid to the bank. You can choose to take up the interest rate in various forms - Reducing or diminishing rate of interest, Flat rate of Interest, fixed rate of interest, or floating rate of interest.

Why Tata Capital ?

Tata Capital makes it a point to offer medical loans with minimal documentation and clears it within days for your contingency situations.

• Medical loans fall under the bracket of Personal Loans, so the procedure of approval and release of funds is almost similar.
• We provide suitable interest rates and faster dispersal of the loan amount to enable you to address your personal medical emergencies.
• We offer loan for any kind of medical expenses and approval of the loan amount totally depends on the income drawn.
• We provide you suitable advice on repayment of the loan amount, to make it in time and within your financial capacity.

Am I eligible for a Medical Loan ?

Medical loans come in the bracket of personal loans and can be availed from different banks or financial institutions. The personal loan eligibility criteria for each bank differs, but being an unsecured loan, there is no need to mortgage or get a guarantor for the medical loan. Eligibility for your Medical Loan mostly depends on your salary bracket, the organization you work for, and evaluation of your financial capability to repay the loan. Documentation is simpler for a Medical loan, as it an unsecured loan.

Apply Now

Some basic eligibility factors are listed below:

• Age between 23 - 58 years
• Minimum monthly salary should be Rs. 20,000
• 2 years of experience in the current organization or occupation
• At least a year of residence in the current address

How Much EMI do I Have to Pay ?

Repayment of the loans is done with calculated EMIs, where the portion of the EMI totally depends on the amount of loan taken and the interest rate applied on the amount.

You can calculate the EMI on the Medical Loan EMI calculator.

A mortgage loans

WHAT IT IS:

A mortgage is a loan in which property or real estate is used as collateral. The borrower enters into an agreement with the lender (usually a bank) wherein the borrower receives cash upfront then makes payments over a set time span until he pays back the lender in full.

HOW IT WORKS (EXAMPLE):

Mortgage loans are usually entered into by home buyers without enough cash on hand to purchase the home. They are also used to borrow cash from a bank for other projects using their house as collateral.
There are several types of mortgage loans and buyers should assess what is best for their own situation before entering into one. Types of loans are characterized by their term dates (usually from 5 to 30 years, some institutions now offer loans up to 50 year terms), interest rates (these may be fixed or variable), and the amount of payments per period.
[If you're ready to buy a home, use our Mortgage Calculator to see what your monthly principal and interest payment will be. You can also learn how to calculate your monthly payment in Excel.]
Mortgages are like any other financial product in that their supply and demand will change dependent on the market. For that reason, sometimes banks can offer very low interest rates and sometimes they can only offer high rates. If a borrower agreed upon a high interest rate and finds after a few years that rates have dropped, he can sign a new agreement at the new lower interest rate -- after jumping though some hoops, of course. This is called "refinancing."

WHY IT MATTERS:

Mortgages make larger purchases possible for individuals lacking enough cash to purchase an asset, like a house, up front. Lenders take a risk making these loans as there is no guarantee the borrower will be able to pay in the future. Borrowers take risk in accepting these loans, as a failure to pay will result in a total loss of the asset.
Home ownership has become a cornerstone of the American Dream. For most people, their home is their most valuable asset. Mortgages make home buying possible for many Americans. Mortgages are not always easy to secure, however, as rates and terms are often dependent on an individual's credit score and job status. Failure to repay allows a bank to legally foreclose and auction off the property to cover its losses.

Health insurance In world wide

Health insurance is insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses, spreading the risk over a large number of persons. By estimating the overall risk of health care and health system expenses over the risk pool, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to provide the money to pay for the health care benefits specified in the insurance agreement.^[1] The benefit is administered by a central organization such as a government agency, private business, or not-for-profit entity.

According to the Health Insurance Association of America, health insurance is defined as "coverage that provides for the payments of benefits as a result of sickness or injury. It includes insurance for losses from accident, medical expense, disability, or accidental death and dismemberment" (p. 225).^[2]

1. A contract between an insurance provider (e.g. an insurance company or a government) and an individual or his/her sponsor (e.g. an employer or a community organization). The contract can be renewable (e.g. annually, monthly) or lifelong in the case of private insurance, or be mandatory for all citizens in the case of national plans. The type and amount of health care costs that will be covered by the health insurance provider are specified in writing, in a member contract or "Evidence of Coverage" booklet for private insurance, or in a national health policy for public insurance.
2. (US specific) Provided by an employer-sponsored self-funded ERISA plan. The company generally advertises that they have one of the big insurance companies. However, in an ERISA case, that insurance company "doesn't engage in the act of insurance", they just administer it. Therefore, ERISA plans are not subject to state laws. ERISA plans are governed by federal law under the jurisdiction of the US Department of Labor (USDOL). The specific benefits or coverage details are found in the Summary Plan Description (SPD). An appeal must go through the insurance company, then to the Employer's Plan Fiduciary. If still required, the Fiduciary's decision can be brought to the USDOL to review for ERISA compliance, and then file a lawsuit in federal court.

The individual insured person's obligations may take several forms:^{[citation needed]}

• Premium: The amount the policy-holder or their sponsor (e.g. an employer) pays to the health plan to purchase health coverage.
• Deductible: The amount that the insured must pay out-of-pocket before the health insurer pays its share. For example, policy-holders might have to pay a $500 deductible per year, before any of their health care is covered by the health insurer. It may take several doctor's visits or prescription refills before the insured person reaches the deductible and the insurance company starts to pay for care. Furthermore, most policies do not apply co-pays for doctor's visits or prescriptions against your deductible.
• Co-payment: The amount that the insured person must pay out of pocket before the health insurer pays for a particular visit or service. For example, an insured person might pay a $45 co-payment for a doctor's visit, or to obtain a prescription. A co-payment must be paid each time a particular service is obtained.
• Coinsurance: Instead of, or in addition to, paying a fixed amount up front (a co-payment), the co-insurance is a percentage of the total cost that insured person may also pay. For example, the member might have to pay 20% of the cost of a surgery over and above a co-payment, while the insurance company pays the other 80%. If there is an upper limit on coinsurance, the policy-holder could end up owing very little, or a great deal, depending on the actual costs of the services they obtain.
• Exclusions: Not all services are covered. Billed items like use-and-throw, taxes, etc are excluded from admissible claim. The insured are generally expected to pay the full cost of non-covered services out of their own pockets.

cloud_computing_process in details

Cloud Computing Infrastructure Cloud Infrastructure Components Cloud infrastructure consists of servers, storag TUTORIALS POINT Simply Easy Learning SERVER Server helps to compute the resource sharing and offer other services such as resource allocation and deallocation, monitoring resources, security, etc. STORAGE Cloud uses distributed file system for storage purpose. If one of the storage resource fails, then it can be extracted from another one which makes cloud computing more reliable. Infrastructural Constraints Fundamental constraints that cloud infrastructure should implement are shown in the following diagram: TRANSPARENCY Since virtualization is the key to share resources in cloud environment. But it is not possible to satisfy the demand with single resource or server. Therefore, there must be transparency in resources, load balancing and application, so that we can scale them on demand. SCALABILITY Scaling up an application delivery solution is not that easy as scaling up an application because it involves configuration overhead or even re-architecting the network. So, application delivery solution is need to be scalable which will require the virtual infrastructure such that resource can be provisioned and de-provisioned easily. INTELLIGENT MONITORING To achieve transparency and scalability, application solution delivery will need to be capable of intelligent monitoring. TUTORIALS POINT Simply Easy Learning SECURITY The mega data center in the cloud should be securely architected. Also the control node, a entry point in mega data center also needs to be secure. TUTORIALS POINT Simply Easy Learning Public Cloud Model Public Cloud ThePublic Cloud allows systems and services to be easily accessible to general public, e.g., Google, Amazon, Microsoft offers cloud services via Internet. CHAPTER 6 TUTORIALS POINT Simply Easy Learning Benefits There are many benefits of deploying cloud as public cloud model. The following diagram shows some of those benefits: COST EFFECTIVE Since public cloud share same resources with large number of consumer, it has low cost. RELIABILITY Since public cloud employs large number of resources from different locations, if any of the resource fail, public cloud can employ another one. FLEXIBILITY It is also very easy to integrate public cloud with private cloud, hence gives consumers a flexible approach. LOCATION INDEPENDENCE Since, public cloud services are delivered through Internet, therefore ensures location independence. UTILITY STYLE COSTING Public cloud is also based on pay-per-use model and resources are accessible whenever consumer needs it. HIGH SCALABILITY Cloud resources are made available on demand from a pool of resources, i.e., they can be scaled up or down according the requirement. TUTORIALS POINT Simply Easy Learning Disadvantages Here are the disadvantages of public cloud model: LOW SECURITY In public cloud model, data is hosted off-site and resources are shared publicly, therefore does not ensure higher level of security. LESS CUSTOMIZABLE It is comparatively less customizable than private cloud.

Harvard is the oldest higher education institution

Established in 1636, Harvard is the oldest higher education institution in the United States, and is widely regarded in terms of its influence, reputation, and academic pedigree as a leading university in not just the US but also the world. 

Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, three miles north-west of Boston, Harvard’s 209-acre campus houses 10 degree-granting schools in addition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, two theaters, and five museums. It is also home to the largest academic library system in the world, with 18 million volumes, 180,000 serial titles, an estimated 400 million manuscript items and 10 million photographs. 

Like most of the United States’ pre-Civil War colleges, Harvard was founded to train clergy, but Harvard’s curriculum and student body quickly secularized, and in the 20th century admissions policy was opened up to bring in a more diverse pool of applicants. 

Now, a total of 21,000 students attend the university, each of whom at some point can be seen bustling past the famous statue of John Harvard, the university’s first benefactor and founder, which looks on benignly in the center of the campus. The bronze statue’s gleaming foot is due to almost incessant rubbing by tourists and students, who believe the act brings good luck. 

Only the academic elite can claim a place at Harvard, and the nominal cost of attendance is high – though the university’s hefty endowment is such that it can offer generous financial aid packages, which around 60 per cent of students take advantage of. 

As freshmen, students live in one of the dormitories in Harvard Yard, a prime location, and eat in the historic and picturesque Annenberg dining hall. Harvard students are active around and beyond campus, with over 400 official student societies including extracurricular, co-curricular and athletic opportunities. Whether playing on the field in Harvard Stadium, fostering entrepreneurial activities at the Harvard innovation lab or writing and editing at the daily newspaper the Harvard Crimson, student life is a rich and rewarding experience. 

Harvard's alumni include eight US presidents, several foreign heads of state, 62 living billionaires, 359 Rhodes Scholars, and 242 Marshall Scholars. Whether it be Pulitzer Prizes, Nobel Prizes, or Academy Awards, Harvard graduates have won them. Students and alumni have also won 108 Olympic medals between them. The university is regularly ranked number one in the world, and the consistency of its chart-topping performances shows that success is yet to breed complacency. 

Mortgage loans

Mortgage loans also vary greatly by repayment parameters. These days there are many options including: Fixed-Rate Mortgages A fixed-rate mortgage is one in which the interest rate on the note remains the same through the term of the loan. As a result, the payment amount and the duration of the loan are fixed. The borrower makes a consistent payment, usually monthly, for a specified number of years until the loan is paid off. These payments are amortized, meaning that, as time goes by, more of each payment is applied to the principal than to interest. The most common type of fixed-rate mortgages are 30 year and 15 year but other variations are also available. Adjustable-Rate Mortgages An adjustable-rate mortgage, commonly called an ARM, is one in which the interest rate fluctuates. It can move up or down monthly, semi-annually, or annually. In many types of ARM, the rate remains fixed for a period of time before it adjusts. For example, the rate on a 5-year ARM with a 30-year term will not be adjusted for the first five years. With any ARM, it is important to note how frequently the interest rate can adjust, plus the index and the margin used to set the new interest rate. In other words, if it is tied to the prime rate and that rate jumps by 2 points in a year, the ARM rate could jump as well. However, there is often a cap put on how much the rate can be raised in a single adjustment period. Interest-Only Mortgage Interest-only loans contain an option to make an interest-only payment. The option is available only for a certain period of time. However, some mortgages are indeed interest only and require a balloon payment, consisting of the original loan balance at maturity. Balloon Mortgages These mortgages are structured with a payment schedule similar to that of a thirty year fixed rate loan, although the term of the balloon loan is shorter, most often spanning five to seven years. At the end of the loan term, the outstanding balance must be paid in one lump sum, often by refinancing the home. Reverse Mortgages Reverse mortgage are available to any person over the age of 62 who has enough equity in their home. Instead of making monthly payments to the lender, the lender makes monthly payments to the borrower for as long as the borrower resides in the home (or it can be an up-front lump sum payment). The interest rate can be fixed or adjustable. When the homeowner moves out or passes, the house is sold and the mortgage is paid off. Home Equity Loans A home equity loan is a loan for a fixed amount of money that is secured by a home. The borrower agrees to repay the loan with equal monthly payments over a fixed term, just like the original mortgage. If the borrower defaults on the payments, the lender can foreclose on the home. A homeowner must have equity in the home to get a home equity loan, thus the name. The equity is the appraised value of the home minus the amount still owed on the original mortgage. Usually, the maximum loan is for a certain percentage, say 90%, of the total value of the home minus the amount of the original mortgage. Home Equity Lines of Credit Like a home equity loan, a home equity line of credit — commonly known as a HELOC —requires the borrower to use his home as collateral for the loan. The HELOC, however, works much differently. It is a revolving line of credit, much like a credit card, against which the homeowner can borrow by writing a check or using a check card connected to the account. The credit can be used as needed, however, the total amount that can be borrowed is set much like the Home Equity loan. Because a HELOC is a line of credit, the borrower makes payments only on the amount actually borrowed, not the full amount available, which can be an advantage for many people. Also, even after paying down a HELOC, the homeowner can re-borrow amounts up to the credit limit of the HELOC. Benchmark Community Bank tries to make the advice on its Financial Answer Center as useful and reliable as possible. Information has been gleaned from a number of expert resources. However, the purpose of this advice section of the website is to provide customers and visitors with general guidance and useful tips only. It doesn't necessarily deal with every important topic or cover every aspect of the topics with which it deals and might not be relevant or appropriate in all circumstances. It is not designed to provide professional advice and should not be relied on as such. If in any doubt, you should consult an appropriately qualified expert for specific advice before acting on any of the information contained in the Answer Center.

Different Types of Loans

Different Types of Loans All loans, no matter what they are, are either secured or unsecured. Knowing the difference can better help you understand how they work and what to expect when applying for one. Secured Loans A secured loan is one that relies on an asset, such as a home or car, as collateral for the loan. In the event of loan default, the lender can take possession of the asset (foreclose on a home or repossess a car, for example) and sell it to recover the amount of money loaned. For this reason, interest rates for secured loans are often lower than those for unsecured loans. In many cases, such as in the purchase of a home, the asset to be used as the collateral will need to be appraised before the terms of the loan can be set. Examples of secured loans are: • Car loans • Boat (and other recreational vehicle) loans • Mortgages • Construction loans • Home equity loans • Home equity lines of credit Unsecured Loans Unsecured loans do not require the borrower to put forth an asset for collateral. The lender relies solely on the borrower’s credit history and income to qualify him for the loan. If the borrower defaults, the lender usually has to try to collect the unpaid balance through a variety of efforts which may include using collection agencies, freezing accounts, lawsuits, and garnishing wages. Because there is a considerably higher assumption of risk on the lender’s part with an unsecured loan, the interest rate is usually much higher. They are often more difficult to obtain and the amounts loaned are usually lower than that for secured loans. Examples of Unsecured Loans are: • Personal loans • Personal lines of credit • Student loans • Credit cards/department store cards Payday Loans Payday loans are relatively new on the loan scene. They are short-term loans borrowed using the borrower’s next paycheck as guarantee for the loan so, in a way, they are secured. However, payday loans have notoriously high annual percentage rates (APRs) and can be difficult to pay off. Banks do not generally offer Payday loans. Most establishments offering them are private companies with separate storefronts. Title Loans A title loan, also fairly new, is a type of secured loan where the borrower can use their vehicle title as collateral. Borrowers who get title loans must allow a lender to place a lien on their car title, and temporarily surrender the hard copy of their vehicle title, in exchange for a loan amount. When the loan is repaid, the lien is removed and the car title is returned to its owner. If the borrower defaults on their payments then the lender can repossess the vehicle and sell it to repay the borrowers’ outstanding debt. Typically, the same companies that offer Payday loans will also offer title loans. Student Loans Student loans are, of course, used to get a person through college or other educational institution. There are many different types of student loans including: Stafford loans, the most common federal education loans students receive. They can be either subsidized or unsubsidized. Perkins loans, low-interest federal loans, administered by the school, for students who demonstrate exceptional financial need. PLUS loans, usually used to cover expenses not met by other federal financial aid. These can be taken out by dependent students’ parents or by graduate students. Institutional loans, non-federal aid that schools loan their students. Private loans, usually sought by parents of students ineligible for other aid or those who do not receive enough aid to cover the cost of attendance. In many cases, these must be secured by some form of collateral.

Stanford business University in usa

It’s very tempting to make excuses for not ‘taking part’, particularly when you don’t know anybody and are maybe feeling a little shy or lonely.  It would be very easy to tell yourself ‘I can’t go out because I still have to unpack’, which is precisely the reason why you should get it out the way on day one.  If you have no excuse to stay in, you’ll force yourself to go out – it may not always feel like a comfortable experience, but you will be glad you did further down the line.

Go to the Freshers’ fair

Your university’s Freshers’ fair will usually be held some time during the first few days of term, and it’s a great opportunity to find out about some of the societies and groups you might want to join.  It can be fun finding the most obscure or bizarre club, but don’t be tempted to join a society you’ll probably never attend – almost all freshers will find they’ve signed up to a society, paid the membership fee and then can’t be bothered with the socials and meetings.

Bag as much free stuff as you can

There will be freebies handed out everywhere during Freshers’ Week, so take full advantage.  Sure, some of the branded pens and bags are pretty naff, but they’re free and that can save you money in the long-run. Bag as many free pens as you can, for instance, and you need never shell out to restock your pencil case the whole time you’re at uni.

Be open-minded

Being open-minded is key to enjoying Freshers’ week, and some of your most enduring university friendships will be with people you never expected to meet or get on with.  If you’re open-minded about the people you socialize with, the societies you join and the experiences on offer, you’ll be pushed outside of your comfort zone and find you have a lot more fun as a result.

Be careful with your money

In those first few days you’ll probably be feeling pretty flash with cash, but suddenly having money of your own coupled with the thrill of Freshers’ week can spell disaster.  Unless you have a budget and plan your spending wisely, it can be all too easy to overspend and blow a significant amount of your student loan on having a good time.  Remember, while it might be fun spending it now, you won’t thank yourself in a few weeks when your bank balance is almost at zero.

Don’t worry if you’re not having fun

So much pressure is put on you to enjoy Freshers’ week that you can feel like a bit of a failure if you admit to yourself that you’re not having fun.  Bear in mind that there’s a lot going on for you during those first couple of weeks – you’re meeting new people, you’re likely living away from home for the first time, and you’re getting to grips with your course.  Don’t be ashamed to admit you’re not enjoying it.  It takes some people longer than others to settle and start having fun, so don’t beat yourself up about it.

Lizzie Exton writes for Inspiring Interns, which specializes in sourcing candidates for internships. To browse our graduate jobs London listings, visit our website.

Money making ways for a new person

How to get started

Start by reading other Wow Articles. You will want to have an idea of the tone of the site. The site is informative, relaxed and excited about showcasing good writers.

• Ensure that you are not just duplicating their content and re-editing an old idea. Be creative.
• Wow will pay up to $150.00 for a 3,000-word feature article.
• Focus on being useful. How will your post help readers?
• Practical, actionable advice is what readers want with easy to follow steps.

Wow Women focuses on women, writers, and a monthly theme. I am not sure what they offer in terms of a link back to your own content in the articles but they do link back to your site from your Author profile.

Please note that they do not open attachments. Your article or pitch needs to be presented in plain text in the body of the email. Sending a Bio or a link to other published work is a good idea and will improve your chances of getting published.

Strong Whispers: $50 – $150

Strong Whispers offers readers a range of articles about lifestyle, environment and other social issues. The range is wide. Your contribution is not limited.

Articles can range from corporate greed to education reform or change in world leadership to letting the people govern and make decisions on the way we treat the environment and exploitation of resources.

How to get started

Article earnings are negotiable, but they typically pay $50-$150 per published article. They are willing to pay more for the right article and website aims to publish 2-3 guest posts per month.

Step 1: Send them your best outline for an article you would like to write along with your fee expectation. Topics need to be unique and have a high impact.

They also ask that you send your current blog URL or an URL to published work so they can understand your writing style. They will tell you if the topic is of interest to them and if your sample meets their review criteria.

Step 2: After you have been invited to write for them, go ahead, write your article and submit it for review. They won’t publish simply mediocre or just okay guest posts.

Each article must be well written, accurate, grammatically correct and original content. You will get to view their guidelines so you can be sure to tick all the boxes.

Step 3: After you submit your article online, it will be reviewed. After review you will receive one of 3 emails:

1. Rejected – Poor quality.
2. Requires minor changes
3. Approved.

If approved, it will be set to publish either immediately or at a future date. Once set to publish, you will be paid via PayPal.

College Humour: $25 – $150

College Humor Media is an online entertainment company targeting a core audience of people ages 18-49.

Founded by two high school friends, College Humour Media delivers daily comedic content, including videos, pictures, articles, and jokes, created and/or curated by the College Humour staff.

They attract more than 15 million monthly unique visitors online and  more than 100 million video views per month with popular sketches such as “Jake and Amir,” “Very Mary Kate” and “Troopers.”

How to get started

• Make a College Humour account.
• Go to the article submission page.
• Put in your funny article and hit “submit.”
• Wait for the editors to review your article. If they like it, they will send you an email

They will pay you $25 if they put your article on the Articles page, $50 if they put it on the homepage, and an additional $50 if it gets more than 100,000 views.

Cracked.com: $100 – $200

Cracked.com is basically a humour site. If you are a funny/smart/creative person, Cracked.com offers a good opportunity to earn some extra cash with article writing.

No experience necessary. They will pay you if it’s good. You get to talk directly to the editors. Their content includes articles, photoshops, infographics and videos. Take your pick.

How to get started

Register for the site, click on the writer’s workshop, which leads you to the message board where everyone pitches their articles.

You pitch an article idea by writing the article idea, along with the five subtopics under the idea, a full column, and the information.

• At the time of writing you get $100 per article.
• If you get up to five published articles, it goes up to $200 per article.
• If your article finishes in the top ten articles of the month (rated on website traffic.) you get a $100 bonus.
• You also get $100 for coming first in the Photoshop competitions of which I think they run two a week.

There is a bonus that runs in the design section also from time to time. It includes $500 for designing a winning T-Shirt, and a thread where you post (presumably humorous) infographics and they’ll pay you $100 if it’s featured on the site.

[sociallocker id=11717]

Watch Culture: $25 – $500

Watch Culture offers its news, opinion and entertainment coverage to millions of users world-wide each month.

As an online magazine based in the UK it covers the popular zeitgeist. Each day dozens of  writers are earning money by publishing articles on Film, Music, Gaming, Sports, Television and much more to their ever expanding five-million a month strong audience.

Several hundred articles are posted every single week from contributors, some of which you will see from time to time on Sky News, Metro Radio, BBC Radio, Dublin FM and in the national newspapers.

How to get started

What Culture have begun rolling out a system entitling all writers to earn money from every article they contribute.

In the Beta testing phase some of the contributors have earned as much as £700 from one individual article. The system is based on a  per views basis, rewarding the very best writers whose content matches what their audience wants to read.

Typically, writers who could come up with original concepts and execute them well have really reaped the big benefits.

If writing isn’t your thing, they are also planning to set up a larger video presence and are looking for talented filmmakers and YouTubers to produce high quality content for the site.

So if you think you’ve got what it takes to write interesting articles or create popular videos and make money while doing it, get in touch with them at editor@whatculture.com  for more details.

If you’d prefer to chat on Skype, the address is ‘whatculture’. Or if you live anywhere near Newcastle in the UK, they can arrange a face-to-face meeting.