The Student Loan Scam is an exposé of the predatory nature of the $85-billion student loan industry. In this in-depth exploration, Collinge argues that student loans have become the most profitable, uncompetitive, and oppressive type of debt in American history.

This has occurred in large part due to federal legislation passed since the mid-1990s that removed standard consumer protections from student loans-and allowed for massive penalties and draconian wealth-extraction mechanisms to collect this inflated debt. High school graduates can no longer put themselves through college for a few thousand dollars in loan debt. Today, the average undergraduate borrower leaves school with more than $20,000 in student loans, and for graduate students the average is a whopping $42,000. For the past twenty years, college tuition has increased at more than double the rate of inflation, with the cost largely shifting to student debt.

Collinge covers the history of student loans, the rise of Sallie Mae, and how universities have profited at the expense of students. The book includes candid and compelling stories from people across the country about how both nonprofit and for-profit student loan companies, aided by poor legislation, have shattered their lives-and livelihoods. With nearly 5 million defaulted loans, this crisis is growing to epic proportions.

The Student Loan Scam takes an unflinching look at this unprecedented and pressing problem, while exposing the powerful organizations and individuals who caused it to happen. Ultimately, Collinge argues for the return of standard consumer protections for student loans, among other pragmatic solutions, in this clarion call for social action.

Credit and debt appear to be natural, permanent facets of Americans’ lives, but a debt-based economy and debt-financed lifestyles are actually recent inventions. In 1951 Diners Club issued a plastic card that enabled patrons to pay for their meals at select New York City restaurants at the end of each month. Soon other “charge cards” (as they were then known) offered the convenience for travelers throughout the United States to pay for hotels, food, and entertainment on credit. In the 1970s the advent of computers and the deregulation of banking created an explosion in credit card use—and consumer debt. With gigantic national banks and computer systems that allowed variable interest rates, consumer screening, mass mailings, and methods to discipline slow payers with penalties and fees, middle-class Americans experienced a sea change in their lives.

Given the enormous profits from issuing credit, banks and chain stores used aggressive marketing to reach Americans experiencing such crises as divorce or unemployment, to help them make ends meet or to persuade them that they could live beyond their means. After banks exhausted the profits from this group of people, they moved into the market for college credit cards and student loans and then into predatory lending (through check-cashing stores and pawnshops) to the poor. In 2003, Americans owed nearly $8 trillion in consumer debt, amounting to 130 percent of their average disposable income. The role of credit and debt in people’s lives is one of the most important social and economic issues of our age.

Brett Williams provides a sobering and frank investigation of the credit industry and how it came to dominate the lives of most Americans by propelling the social changes that are enacted when an economy is based on debt. Williams argues that credit and debt act to obscure, reproduce, and exacerbate other inequalities. It is in the best interest of the banks, corporations, and their shareholders to keep consumer debt at high levels. By targeting low-income and young people who would not be eligible for credit in other businesses, these companies are able quickly to gain a stranglehold on the finances of millions. Throughout, Williams provides firsthand accounts of how Americans from all socioeconomic levels use credit. These vignettes complement the history and technical issues of the credit industry, including strategies people use to manage debt, how credit functions in their lives, how they understand their own indebtedness, and the sometimes tragic impact of massive debt on people’s lives.

Product Features

• ISBN13: 9780812238174
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Do you ever feel TRAPPED by your DEBT?




If you’re looking for the FASTEST WAY OUT then the Debt Free Bible is your roadmap to freedom and here’s why; unlike other “get out of debt programs”

the Debt Free Bible doesn’t force you to use a single system or strategy. Why?




Because financial experts know there is no ONE SYSTEM to become debt free which will work best for everyone. So the Debt Free Bible gives you over

“19 Get Out of Debt Strategies” in ONE Manual (+4 Audio CD’s). It may be hard to believe, but we spent nearly 2 years and over $25,000

developing the Debt Free Bible.




Here’s just a little of what you’ll discover in the 287 pg Manual (+4 Audio CD’s):




• 43 places you can find UNCLAIMED MONEY to get out of debt fast! (page 253)


• Use the “Method Matrix” to compare 19 get out of debt methods and pick the best one (page 222)


• Discover how to get one bank pay off another bank with the “IR Method” (page 163)


• How to use the “Overflow Method” pay off any debt faster (page 159)


• How to pay off your bills FASTER with no extra money using the “RR Strategy” (page 167)


• Why the “LBF Technique” gives you a psychological advantage to become debt free (page 169)


• Why the “HIF Method” should be used FIRST on debts over 24% interest (page 171)


• How the “Division Method” and a calculator can get you debt free 8 YEARS SOONER (page 173)


• Pay off your mortgage in only 6 YEARS with the “AP Strategy” (page 191)


• A clever way to use your debt like a checking account with the “Deposit Method” (page 193)


• Use the “Float Technique” to loan yourself money to get out of debt FAST (page 197)


• And much more!

Product Features

• 287 Page Manual
• Four Interactive One Hour Audio CD’s
• NOTE: The “Debt Free Bible” is only a small part of the more expensive “Debt Free Bible System” which covers Debt Negotiation Strategies

How ANY student–including YOU!–can win scholarships and earn free money for college!

On the first day of high school, Kristina Ellis’s mom–a single, working mother who lost her husband to cancer–informed her that she could not financially support her after graduation. Kristina would need to find her own way to pay for college.

As an average student with less-than-impressive test scores, Kristina realized she would have to sell herself to scholarship committees if she wanted to stand out. That’s when she devised the plan that led to her receiving over $500,000 in scholarships–enough to pay for her full education at a top- 20 university, all the way through her doctoral degree, and make her dreams come true.

How she made it happen–and how you can too!–is the focus of this book. In Confessions of a Scholarship Winner, Kristina shares not just her little-known secrets for scholarship success but her incredibly inspiring story.

Together, you’ll explore how to:
Find the best scholarships for you Uncover the secrets behind paying for college Make a great impression in a scholarship interview Overcome the personal obstacles that stand in your way Craft a strategy that highlights your strengths, no matter your challenges or your financial status
You don’t have to be a star athlete, a top student, or a recognized leader to live your dreams! Here are the tools you need to catch a vision for your future and make your dreams a reality!

Endorsements

“Kristina Ellis’s story is absolutely inspiring. And the ‘insider’ information she presents in this book is just as motivating. If you’re looking for great ideas and easy-to-follow advice from somebody who has already blazed the scholarship trail, Kristina Ellis is the choice. Confessions of a Scholarship Winner is the only book you’ll need for creating your own path to success.”
–Curt Jones, Founder CEO, Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream

“I wish I had been given a copy of this book in high school– what an incredible resource for young people! Now everyone will understand that going to college really doesn’t have to leave you or your family in debt for years. Students and parents alike need to read Confessions of a Scholarship Winner!
–Brenna Mader, Miss Tennessee USA

“Confessions of a Scholarship Winner is a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the college financial-aid and scholarship process for attending a college or university. Kristina’s personal story is both compelling and accessible, and her clear, thoughtful writing helps makes this an indispensable resource for the college-bound student.”
–Dr. Thomas Burns, Provost, Belmont University

“I love this easy-to-follow guide for finding and winning scholarships. Confessions of a Scholarship Winner is packed with information, yet it is presented so well that it’s not intimidating. It’s a fast read and easy to implement. Homeschool.com highly recommends it.”
–Rebecca Kochenderfer, Senior Editor and Co-Founder, Homeschool.com, Inc.

From the authors of the national bestseller 13 Bankers, a chilling account of America’s unprecedented debt crisis: how it came to pass, why it threatens to topple the nation as a superpower, and what needs to be done about it.
 
With bracing clarity, White House Burning explains why the national debt matters to your everyday life. Simon Johnson and James Kwak describe how the government has been able to pay off its debt in the past, even after the massive deficits incurred as a result of World War II, and analyze why this is near-impossible today. They closely examine, among other factors, macroeconomic shifts of the 1970s, Reaganism and the rise of conservatism, and demographic changes that led to the growth of major—and extremely popular—social insurance programs. What is unquestionably clear is how recent financial turmoil exacerbated the debt crisis while creating a political climate in which it is even more difficult to solve.

In difficult times, debt can be a matter of life and death, happiness and despair. Controlling your debt can bring order and calm. Mastering debt can bring wealth and success. As bestselling Rich Dad/Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki says, ?Good debt makes you rich and bad debt makes you poor.”

The ABCs of Getting Out of Debt provides the necessary knowledge to navigate through a very challenging credit environment. A Rich Dad’s Advisor and best selling author of numerous business books, Garrett Sutton, Esq. clearly writes on the key strategies readers must follow to get out of debt. Unlike other superficial offerings, Sutton explores the psychology and health effects of debt. From there, the reader learns how to beat the lenders at their own game, and how to understand and repair your own credit. Using real life illustrative stories, Sutton shares how to deal with debt collectors, avoid credit scams, and win with good credit.

?The reason Garrett Sutton’s book is so important is that like it or not, debt is a powerful force in our world today. The financially intelligent are using debt to enrich themselves while the financially uneducated are using debt to destroy their lives.”- Robert Kiyosaki

The times call for a book that offers hope and education on mastering credit and getting out of debt.

What grade would you give your parents for how well they prepared you to manage your finances? What grade will your kids give you someday? At best you have 18 years to teach your kids how to manage money skillfully. So how do you accomplish this overwhelming challenge? Don’t panic! Everything you need to get the job done is right here in this book. Think it’s too late to debt-proof your kids? It’s only too late if you don’t start NOW!

Anyone suffering under the crushing weight of debt knows how impossible it can seem to find a way out. It’s overwhelming – and the more complicated the proposed solution, the harder it is to stick with it. That’s why “The Debt-Free Spending Plan” is simple. It doesn’t require sifting through chapters of high-minded financial advice or digging up your past spending history. It assumes you need help right now, and gives it to you. You will learn to: downsize expenses without feeling deprived; allocate money as it comes in and put together an easy-to-manage bill-paying plan; adjust for inevitable overspending; and, pay off debt without gouging expenses and (believe it or not) start saving. The plan is clear, easy, and takes just five minutes a day-and it doesn’t matter if you make $14,000 or $14 million. With straightforward daily spending strategies and effortless expense tracking tools, you will soon find yourself on the road to financial freedom-all before the next billing cycle.

In 2000, Julie and her husband, Mark, declared war on their debt credit cards, student loans, cars and the house. Seven years later, as they wrote the check for their last mortgage payment, God called them to adopt two children from Ethiopia. A few months later, with their income unexpectedly cut by two-thirds, they wondered if they could finish the adoption without crossing back over into the red.

When they brought Wendemagegn and Beza home 12 months later, Julie and her husband proved debt-free adoption is possible!

Passionate about helping others achieve their adoption dream, Julie shares how to find extra money in your household budget, apply for grants, and fundraise in order to build your family without saddling it with debt.

With over $80,000 worth of creative fundraising ideas from more than 30 adoptive families, the second edition of Adopt Without Debt shows you how to fulfill your adoption dream without signing away your financial freedom.

In considering the tough challenges that families face today, one issue keeps coming to the surface all too often—finances. Statistics show that financial issues are consistently one of the top reasons listed for divorce in this nation. Determined at the outset of their marriage to turn those grim statistics around, one young couple heard biblical teaching on finances, took it to heart, and patterned their lives after what God has to say about handling money. Meet Michelle and Trevor Thomas as they tell their story of how God led them out from under a mountain of debt into financial freedom. In Debt-Free Living in a Debt-Filled World, they will tell you candidly how they paid off their debt, built their home without a mortgage, and have lived the last 14 years debt free, raising four children on a teacher’s salary. Be encouraged in your own journey by what you read in theses pages. Whatever your situation may be, know that God has a plan for freedom for you, too. Financial freedom is within reach, so trust The Provider each step of the way. As families begin to dig out of debt and save for future needs, marriages are strengthened, children feel more secure, and communities become better places to live. God’s ways really are best. So, sit back and enjoy. You will laugh, you might cry, but you will surely be encouraged.