How to Prepare Homeschooled Kids for College

Preparing any child for college can be extremely daunting, we only want what’s best for them and will do all we can to help them achieve their goals. For conventionally schooled children, their high-school will often help them to handle their college preparation process, but for homeschooled children, the task often lays in the hands of the parents. So what can we do to prepare them? 

Think about it early

In school, student counselors recommend that parents and children start to think about college and university as early as the 8th or 9th grade. There’s a lot to think about, including finances, career options, degree paths and of course which college or university your child wants to attend - do you want to pursue a Grand Canyon University accreditation or are you thinking about a bachelor degree in Finance?. Thinking about the process early will help to take away some of the stress that both your or your child may feel as deadlines start to approach.

Financial Benefits of Homeschooling

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If your kids are approaching school age, you are most likely asking yourself the same questions that all parents go through when they’re sending their first child off to school. Where will they go? Will they be okay? Will they do well? These are all completely valid questions. But have you paused to consider teaching them yourself from home? There is a steady rise in what was once considered to be a niche way of raising your kids, and there are several advantages to home-schooling, not least the financial benefits it might have. Read on for just a few ways that home-schooling can save you money and could be the best option for your family.

1.       Save on School Fees

You won’t be paying out thousands of dollars each year on the private school system, but your kids will have some of the same benefits that students in private schools enjoy. One of the main advantages of attending a private school are the reduced class sizes. This means the teachers can more easily cater to each child’s individual learning pace. This just isn’t going to happen in a class of thirty and upwards. When you’re teaching your children at home, you can work in the same way and tailor the lessons to suit your children so they will get the same advantages of more personalized tuition.

2.       Grants and state tax credits

This is something else it’s worth doing your research on before you take the plunge, but there may be available tax credits and grants for you in your unique home-schooling situation. the Home School Legal Defense Association offers a variety of grants for special-needs students, single home-schooling parents and families who need financial assistance to pay for a curriculum. Consult with a tax specialist who will be in a good position to tell you what you might be eligible for.

3.       Free or inexpensive resources

There is so much to bear in mind when you are selecting the school for your kids. You want to make sure it has plenty of resources and available labs, as well as confident and friendly teaching staff. All of these things are important. One of the pros of teaching your kids from home yourself is that they will be able to use the huge amount of learning resources that are available online, for free. They won’t have the same access to bigger resources (like a science lab, or basketball court) but some home-schooling parents bring their kids together for these kind of experiences so, once you start thinking outside the box, anything is possible.

Whilst it’s true that you or your significant other will have to retire, or at least drastically reduce your working hours, there are lots of other aspects to think about when considering home-schooling. Make sure you speak to fee only financial advisors before you make any decisions and weigh up the pros and cons first – you might just find that home-schooling is the perfect choice for you and your family. 

Excellent Home Renovation Techniques for 2020

You should always be looking for great ways of being able to improve your home as much as possible this year. There are a lot of changes and home renovation techniques you can look to use that are going to help you improve the home as much as possible. Do your best to ensure you are going to be able to renovate and refurb the home in the best way you possibly can. 

This means thinking about the changes you can and should be making as a homeowner, and this can be very useful. Make sure you think about the different ideas that will allow you to make the most of this moving forward. Come up with things that can help you to improve and enhance your home as much as possible, and this is something that plays a part in this. Check out these amazing home renovation ideas for 2020 right now.

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What to do if You're Being Arrested

Nobody thinks an arrest will happen to them. However, it can be easier than you might think to accidentally land on the long side of the law. Perhaps the police have been called over an argument at home, or a traffic accident. Whatever the reason, you should know what to do if you are arrested so you don’t make the situation worse. Consider an arrest another emergency that you should know how to deal with. 

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If you are being arrested, try not to panic. Remember that you have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney, but these rights can only protect you if you use them. If you are arrested, keep quiet until your lawyer arrives. 

What is an arrest?

If a police officer takes you into custody, then you have been arrested. An officer will take you into custody when you are not free to leave. An arrest may mean being taken to jail,  but the arrest itself actually begins much earlier. If you have been stopped and questioned and are not free to end the questioning, you are under arrest. 

An officer can only arrest you if:

• They see you commit a crime
• They have probable cause to believe that you have committed a crime
• A judge or magistrate has issued a warrant for your arrest

Don’t use force

In the vast majority of cases, you do not have the right to resist arrest, even if the arrest is illegal. If you try to resist and use force, you can be charged with resisting arrest or battery of an officer, which only makes things worse. If you think your arrest is unlawful, cooperate and wait for your lawyer. 

Know what to expect

You will be searched, either at the scene or at the jail, and any evidence or items you are not allowed will be taken. You will be photographed and fingerprinted. 

If you are arrested and questioned, you must be informed of your legal right to remain silent and be helped by an attorney. If you waive these rights, anything you say can be used against you in court. Sometimes you will be asked to sign a waiver before talking. This is almost never a good idea. Instead, indicate that you understand, then wait for your attorney before saying anything further. 

Invoke your rights

Remember your right to remain silent until you have a lawyer present. Tell the officers that you wish to remain silent and want to speak to a lawyer. After you’ve done this, be quiet. It’s easy to start talking and accidentally say something incriminating that can cause you problems later.

You can tell the police your name and other basic information, like your birth date and address, but don’t tell them anything else without an attorney present. After your arrest, you shouldn’t speak to police offers, or to anyone else about your case, including other inmates, or your family. 

Police are trained to get information, and other inmates may try to get details from you that they can use as a bargaining chip in their own case. Assume that any conversations you have with any visitors or over the phone are being monitored. However, the conversation you have with your lawyer is confidential. 

Call for help

You should be entitled to a phone call, to your family, an attorney, or a bail bondsman like Bad Boys Bail Bonds. Memorize the numbers of a few people to call in the case of an arrest. You will probably not be allowed to use your own phone to make these calls, so you will need to know the numbers. 

Get legal help

Being arrested is stressful and unpleasant. People just want to make the problem go away and can think that they can just explain the situation, the police will let them go. This is rarely the case, so don’t try and talk your way out of jail or make any choices about your case without speaking with your lawyer first. Don’t take part in a lineup or anything else until your lawyer arrives. 

If you are being arrested and charged with a crime, you are entitled to help from an attorney. Contact an experienced criminal defense attorney or the local public defender’s office to discuss your case. They will be able to tell you how your case is likely to fare in court and what to expect. Calling a good attorney is the best way to protect your rights and get the best possible outcome from your case. 

Cranking Up That Credit Score

When it comes to your financial health, we all know that it’s not just about cash flow, it’s also about our ability to access the cash that we need in the future, as well. In most cases, this means relying on your credit for mortgages, loans, and so on. However, your credit score and history can even come up when talking about things like trying to rent a house or find a job. For that reason, it’s worth following these tips to make sure you’re giving that credit score all the help it could use.

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Make sure you pay your bills on time

Your credit score is, effectively, a numeric representation of how reliable you are in credit agreements. This means not only your credit cards and loans but also things like regular bills. Fail to pay them on time on a regular basis and it can start to tank your credit rating. As such, be money smart, be sure to put aside what you need for your bills in advance, and consider having them paid out of your bank automatically if you have trouble remembering to do it.

Use and pay off credit

If you don’t have much of a credit history, you might find it hard to apply for some of the best credit cards and loans around. However, there are introductory offers for those who have a bad or low credit to get their foot in the door. Low-credit credit cards are a thing, as are Money 4 You Payday Loans. You have to ensure that you only take on loans or credit that you can reliably pay off, but it can help you start building the history that allows you to apply for things like house loans in the future.

Take a look at your credit report

You can request your credit report (also known as your credit history) from one of the three big credit companies at Annual Credit Report. In fact, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion each have to provide your report at least once a year at your request. Here, you can look at your credit history to see if there are any mistakes or instances of potential identity theft that could see your credit score suffering through no fault of your own.

Don’t close unused credit cards or overdrafts

If you have a credit card or overdraft you’re not using, you might be tempted to close it but that could be a mistake. Your credit utilization is also factored into your score. I.e., the more you utilize your credit, such as how deep you are into your overdraft or your credit limit, the more it will negatively impact your credit score. On the other hand, having a low credit utilization score can be good for your overall credit.

Even if your credit score is low or you have no credit history to speak of, it’s important to know that it can recover completely. It just takes time and smart use of your credit in the future.