| Capitol column
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, as of yesterday, had received no word of any identity thefts arising from a stolen laptop that contained the names, home addresses, e-mail addresses and Social Security numbers of more than 5,000 student loan customers, spokesman Keith New said. Most of those customers live in Pennsylvania. The laptop was stolen two weeks ago from the Livermore, Calif., office of Vista Financial Inc., a subsidiary of Performant Financial Corp., which was hired by PHEAA to counsel borrowers about loan consolidation options. Police said they believe the theft was part of a random break-in and not a deliberate attempt to gain personal information about student loan holders. The affected borrowers have been contacted and offered a free year of a credit monitoring service that includes identity theft insurance, he said.
Student loan payback strategies
Second of three columns on personal finance for young people moving out on their own.
It's almost payback time for Rebekah Paine.
Paine, who graduated from Hofstra University in May, has about four months before she has to start repaying her $25,000 in student loans. Though she's put the matter on the back burner for now, Paine said she's apprehensive about shouldering the monthly bills.
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MGIC Says It Can Back Out Of Radian Deal
MGIC Investment Corp. said Tuesday it does not believe it has to complete its purchase of Radian Group Inc., after their joint interest in a mortgage investor became all but worthless.
The stock deal was originally valued at nearly $4.9 billion, but shares of both companies have lost more than half their value since it was announced Feb. 6. The deal would exchange 0.9658 share of MGIC for each Radian share, and it valued Radian at $60.78 per share, three times the current price.
Trading of both companies' shares was halted Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange. MGIC rose $1.60, or 4.8 percent, to $34.88 before the halt, while Radian slipped $2.38, or 10.3 percent, to $20.85.
Last week, private-mortgage insurer MGIC Investment and credit risk manager Radian Group revealed their investments in subprime mortgage investor C-Bass LLC could be worthless.
(AFX UK Focus) 2007-08-08 00:36 GMT: MGIC says it can back out of Radian deal
MILWAUKEE (AP) - MGIC Investment Corp. said Tuesday it does not believe it has to complete its purchase of Radian Group Inc., after their joint interest in a mortgage investor became all but worthless. The stock deal was originally valued at nearly $4.9 billion, but shares of both companies have lost more than half their value since it was announced Feb. 6. The deal would exchange 0.9658 share of MGIC for each Radian share, and it valued Radian at $60.78 per share, three times the current price. Trading of both companies' shares was halted Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange. MGIC rose $1.60, or 4.8 percent, to $34.88 before the halt, while Radian slipped $2.38, or 10.3 percent, to $20.85. Last week, private-mortgage insurer MGIC Investment and credit risk manager Radian Group revealed their investments in subprime mortgage investor C-Bass LLC could be worthless.
Discovery Holding Company Second Quarter Earnings Release
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 8, 2007, Discovery Holding Company ("DHC") will file its Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the three months ended June 30, 2007. The following release is being provided to supplement the information provided in the Form 10-Q. DHC owns a 100% ownership interest in Ascent Media Group, LLC ("Ascent Media" or "AMG"), a 100% ownership interest in AccentHealth, LLC ("AccentHealth") and a 66-2/3% ownership interest in Discovery Communications Holding, LLC ("Discovery"). Ascent Media provides creative and network services to the media and entertainment industries. AccentHealth operates one of the nation's largest advertising-supported captive audience Click for the lowest price on dmnobieblanktelevision');" onMouseOut="setTimeout('hideLayer()',500);" class=hotlink2>television networks serving doctor Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Full Product
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Blue Label Financial Launches and Empowers Students With Federal Loan Consolidation Program
Blue Label Financial eliminates the role of the marketing middleman, and takes the role of becoming a direct lender to consolidating existing student loans. (PRWEB) August 6, 2007 -- Blue Label Financial recently launched into the student consolidation loan market and moved into permanent offices May '07. President Jesse Freitas said: "We recognized that graduates with Federal student loans often find loan payments plus normal expenses of rent, transportation, etc. greater than their income from a new job. Or, students simply don't have enough disposable income to relieve financial stress. A loan consolidation offers students the opportunity to reduce monthly loan payments by approximately 50% and better manage their debt obligations. This is a rapidly growing market we want to participate in.
Nigeria: Yar'Adua's First Initiatives
THOSE cynics who recently called our new President Musa Yar'Adua "Mr. Go Slow" would have changed their minds after watching his first steps. He revoked the sale of Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries, ended the three-month strike of the Academic Staff of Nigeria Universities (ASUU), refunded the local government funds of the Lagos State government and suspended the reckless demolition exercise at the federal capital territory. In addition, he embarked on open declaration of his assets, declared that the federal government will always abide by the rule of law and started moves to review the electoral process in the country. These initiatives coming even before the composition of the federal executive council are simply courageous and immensely patriotic. .
When students become commodities
If the flier hasn't arrived already, students coming to Rutgers later this month will soon be getting an offer in their mailboxes to buy linens from Follett, a private company. Later in the school year, graduating students will get an offer from Follett for diploma frames. A percentage of those sales will end up in the university's bank account, even if students could have gotten a better price on sheets and diploma frames at Target. As part of its deal with Rutgers, Follett gets the right to manage the lucrative campus bookstore -- and gains access to the home addresses of its students. In exchange, it pays the university rent and a percentage of its total sales. The Follett deal is part of a trend in higher education in which colleges sell access to their students to private companies.
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