The most basic knowledge about financial aid that one can have is that it makes the college education affordable and encourages students from low-income backgrounds to work. As such, it is also known that college finances are more than just the tuition fee. A lot of other expenses come into picture such as room and board, books and other supplies etc. It is quite common in this case to have a doubt as to whether financial aid covers the other costs or not. The financial aid does cover the complete cost of college and includes other costs. The student budget which is the cost of attendance includes everything from tuition fee, room and board, transportation charges, books and supplies and other charges. The cost of attendance could be variable from person to person, counting in expenses for disability (if any) etc. Most of the colleges usually draw three different student budget figures on the basis of the student’s accommodation. The three categories are for students living in the campus dormitory, students who stay in a separate apartment outside campus and those who stay at home with his or her parents. A separate allowance determined by the college will be included in the student budget for those who live in an apartment outside the campus or with their parents. Colleges make use of a local rent survey in order to determine the costs of room and board outside the college. If the cost of the student’s accommodation is higher than the allowance provided, the college will not make any changes to the student budget as subsidizing lifestyle choices is not amongst its capabilities. However, changes will be made if the cost of accommodation is higher due to an existing disability. Most of the time, the financial aid provided does not cover the complete need of the students. In such cases, it is better to optimize according to your needs and keep the debt to be paid at the end of college as minimum as possible.

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) allow investors to build an investment portfolio at low cost. ETF is a marketable security which tracks a commodity or an index and the prices of the same constantly change. Most ETFs include index funds that track a collection of securities. Before you make an investment, it is best to choose the right fund that fits your needs. Here are some of the top ETF picks for 2018 to buy. You can choose from high-dividend ETFs as well and determine which ETF is the best for you. SPDR® S&P 500® This is one of the best ETFs with a rating of A+ and a holding cost of around $154. It holds assets worth around $254 billion. iShares Core S&P 500 This is another popular ETF with an A+ rating and assets of around $146.7 billion. It has a holding cost of around $63. Vanguard Total Stock Market This is an A+ rated ETF fund with a holding cost of around $35 and assets summing up to around $94.6 billion. PowerShares QQQ This is another popular ETF with an A+ rating and assets worth around $62.1 billion with a holding cost of around $324. iShares Core MSCI EAFE This is one of the top-rated A+ funds with assets of around $58.8 billion and a holding cost of around $64. ETF funds may be divided into stocks, bonds, and commodities. You need to choose the best ETF based on your long-term financial goals and your risk appetite. If you have a low-risk appetite, it is best to go for debt funds whereas if you are willing to bear a high risk, it is ideal to opt for stock funds. Whatever your budget, you will be able to find the best ETF that fits your needs. Consider the amount you want to invest and choose the best ETFs for the same. There are different ways in which you may evaluate an ETF fund before buying it. Pick a fund and learn how the ETF follows it. It is important to look at the average daily trading volume on an ETF investment. As a beginner, you need to create a diversified investment portfolio which focuses on the long-term growth of your fund. Evaluate your risk appetite and weigh your investment options before you decide on a fund. Check the fund’s liquidity grade, especially if you are planning to exit the market early. The best option will be to choose a balanced fund if you have a long investment tenure and a strong risk appetite.

If you are a small business owner, it's best to not use your personal credit card for business purchases.

Small or sole business entrepreneurs should know that using a personal credit card for business transactions can lead to problems. Mixing them up could lead to serious complications with respect to budgeting, handling personal/professional finances, and more.

This is where business credit cards come in handy. They provide attractive cashback offers, reward points, bonuses, discounts, and more, all of which help in curbing expenses that are usually incurred when running a business. A business credit card also offers financial ease, thanks to the revolving line of credit. To top it all, you get the opportunity to build a good credit score by using this card judiciously.

But keeping in mind that there are a number of credit cards, how do you decide which one matches the requirements of your enterprise? To make your task simpler, we have listed the five best business credit cards for a small business.

• Capital One Spark® Cash business credit card
  This is possibly one of the only business credit cards to have a flat 2% cashback on all (unlimited) purchases. This card does not charge an extra fee for foreign transactions, thereby making it highly beneficial for foreign businesses. Instead of reward points, Capital One offers cashback offers, which are preferred by many users.

• Chase Ink Business Preferred℠ credit card
  This business credit card gives entrepreneurs the best sign-up bonus of up to 80,000 points on the purchase of $5,000 within the first three months of getting the card. The points convert to $1,000 toward travel, which can be redeemed using the Chase Ultimate Rewards. You may also transfer the points to airlines and hotel loyalty programs.

• Chase Ink Business Cash℠
  The cardholder is eligible to receive a sign-up bonus of $500 after spending $3,000 in a span of the first three months. The best part about the card though is its $0 annual fee.

• SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express
  The cashback received on this credit card may be converted into investments that may be redirected back to the business. A 5% cashback will be given in a year's time on a purchase of $50,000 on office supply stores and on phone services within the country.

• Capital One Spark® Classic
  Touted to be one of the most affordable cards, the only condition that the cardholder needs to be careful of here is keeping their records clean and paying the necessary amount to maintain the balance.

While many of us strive to put aside some small portion of our earnings into a savings account or investment of some kind, a portion of financial planning that we tend to neglect is an insurance policy. Often, it might seem like a waste of money to pay out a premium year on year towards something that you do not immediately see the benefit of. However, obtaining several life insurance quotes and deciding on a suitable life insurance policy is essential for many reasons. While life insurance is not about assigning a monetary value to someone’s life but life insurance planning can provide some degree of financial support to one’s family in the event of one’s sudden demise. It is important to understand that more than being an investment that yields tangible returns on investments, life insurance must be understood as a risk management tool and must be treated as such. There are several plans that combine life insurance with mutual fund investments but these may be considered as a separate entity. While the higher end life insurance premiums are surely expensive, you would find that opting even for a basic life insurance plan would not make a significant dent in your income, but would return considerably high death benefits to your beneficiaries. An added benefit to most life insurance policies is that they provide some degree of tax deductibility up to exempted levels. Also, while there are any number of options available to get a life insurance quote online, including no exam quotes, it is always better to meet your insurance agent in person, and request his or her guidance in walking you through the nitty gritty of the policy you wish to take so that you are fully aware of what the specific policy covers and what your family or beneficiaries are entitled to receiving. You can always compare different life insurance policies and also check for life insurance no medical exam policies.

There are several options available to get loans with no credit check. You can opt for micro lending, take a pawn shop loan, payday loan or a title loan. Whatever method you choose, it is important to remain cautious while taking a loan with no credit check. This is to ensure that lenders do not capitalize on your urgent need for money and charge you exorbitant interest rates, putting you in further financial distress. Below are two things you need to keep in mind to get low-interest rates on loans that don’t require credit checks. Conduct a thorough research about lenders: Financial stability is hard to achieve and there may come a time when your credit suffers. When you are getting a loan from a lender with no credit check, it is important for you to ensure they are not cheating you or overcharging you. It is necessary to be cautious so that you don’t incur bad debts. Here are a few things you need to look at:

• Are they direct lenders or third-party lenders? In most cases, third-party lenders will pass your information to direct lenders. As a result, vital information such as your social security number will be tossed around by many people. Make sure that such information is passed only on via secure lines.
• Determine what the lender is offering you. Find out what is the minimum amount and maximum amount they offer in loans. On an average, online loan providers tend to provide loans from $100 to $1500. Be cautious if a lender is offering a steep loan amount.
• Figure out what interest rates they are charging. It could be a flat fee or a sliding scale, and it normally depends on the loan duration.

Calculate your assets and income: Having assets or collaterals will help you get low-interest rates on loans that don’t need credit checks. Showing a comprehensive list of your assets and source of income to potential lenders can help you get lower interest rates.