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As a single mom, life can be tough, especially if you’re not making a lot of money at your job.  Did you know that you can get help as a single mom?  If you’re wondering how it’s done, I wanted to give you some tips that you can use in order to get on the right path.

Listed below are 9 steps that you can take, in order to find help for yourself right away!

Start searching for scholarships - If you’re thinking about going back to college, there are so many scholarships that can help you out there.  Use search sites such as FastWeb to find something that can work for you.

Search for grants as well - Just like scholarships, there are grants for you too.  What you’re going to want to do is check with your local state though, because all states vary with grants.

Get food stamps - If you meet a certain income level, you may be eligible for food stamps.  You’re going to want to check with the food stamp program to see if you can qualify.

Childcare programs - If you have to work and you have no one to watch your child, you can check with your local state agency to see if there are programs.  You’re going to have to meet a certain income level, and most of the time, your child will have to be under the age of 13.

Medicaid - Health care is awfully expensive, especially if you don’t have any health insurance.  If you don’t, you may want to sign up for medicaid.  This program is going to help assist you with any problems you may have.

Rental Assistance - HUD is designed housing for those that meet income requirements.  If you’re looking for housing or assistance, this program can help you.

Every state is going to vary with it’s income requirements, as the cost of living is going to be higher in a place like Boston compared to a place such as the middle of nowhere, Nebraska.

Regardless, there is help for you out there for you.  Refer to your local state agencies to get more information on how you can get help.

Chances are that a majority of people you know are on Facebook. I signed in up in college on the day it was released to the University of Texas students; the site started off as something for Ivy League students only, but then trickled to all other colleges, then high schools, then the general public. It has ballooned into an international behemoth with more than 450 million users, according to CNN.com. While more members means you have more friends, family and colleagues to connect with online, it also means more people seeing your information, many of whom shouldn’t have access to that data. Facebook also developed applications and programs such as Facebook Connect, which share your information with outside parties.

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This guest blog is by Susan Ladika, a freelance writer who has lived in both the United States and Europe, and now calls Tampa, Fla., home. Her articles have appeared in The Wall Street Journal-Europe, CreditCards.com and scores of other publications.

I’ve traveled from Bosnia to Bali to Boston, and many points in between, and this month’s trip to Egypt was the first time I’ve ever had my bank card eaten by an automated teller machine.

It was a stifling hot night in Luxor, and all I wanted to do was grab some cash at the ATM across the street, run back to the coolness of the hotel, and pick up some souvenirs in the gift shop.

I inserted my ATM card and watched it disappear into the bowels of the machine — very different from the quick swipe and remove that I do with my SunTrust card at home.

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All banks will have to cater to the ATM related complaints by customers in a rush as the RBI is looking forward to come up with a common code for banks. It is said that banks will have to issue a ticket number for every complaint and each complaint has to be addressed to within a week of filing the complaint.

This act by RBI comes as a follow up of the directive that it had given to the IBA regarding the drafting of a common code for all ATM related complaints.

“The new format is for facilitating the uniform filing of complaints by the customers. Besides, it will also help to a keep a tab on bank’s complaints-resolving capability,” said an IBA official.

It has also been directed by RBI that banks need to display the ATM identification number and contact center number in case of ATM related complaints.

“Banks will soon have to put the information on their websites, where a customer will be able to track his resolution progress,” the official said.

He said that once a customer files a complaint the bank has to ensure that the complaint is updated immediately in the complaint management system (CMS).

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Car dealers love to take advantage of those with bad credit.  Heck, everyone tries to take advantage since they know that you’re going to be desperate for cash.  If you’re looking to spot a car loan for bad credit, I wanted to give you some scams that you should look for.

#1 Always read the contract - If you have to, get someone to read the contract over for you.  Have them spell out everything that you’re going to get.  Know your rate and how much you’re going to have to owe over the next few years.

#2 Watch out for the trade ins - If you find yourself at a no name car dealer, they are going to rip you sideways for a trade in.  Always get a KBB value before you set out to know what you should be getting.

#3 Ignore the warranty - The salesperson is more than likely going to offer you a warranty.  I would make sure that you avoid something like this and look for one yourself.

#4 Check your credit report – You may find that you’re not even in the bad credit category.  Get a copy of your credit report and see what your credit score is.  If your score is above 680, you may want to try your luck with a regular loan.

#5 Always compare - Compare your prices and rates online.  You’re going to find that you won’t get a high pressured sales pitch and you will also find that it’s going to be easier to research.  The last thing that you want to do is sit there and have someone try to get you to sign up.    Try comparison sites such as MyAutoLoan.

#6 Just use cash - If you’re finding that you’re having a hard time getting a loan, you may just want to go the cash route.  You can find that there are many cars under $3-5,000.  You don’t need to get a BMW if you can’t afford one.

Try your local banks, credit unions, or again, use cash.  You’re going to want to avoid those private car loan companies because you’re soon going to find out that they are going to charge a high interest rate and you will just get ripped in the long run.

Longtime readers know that I travel often and have encountered many issues with credit cards and problems with money abroad. Most European countries now use chip-and-PIN credit cards, which involve an extra layer of security. They are processed differently and use different card readers.

While many institutions in Europe are still set up to accept payments from both old-school magnetic swipe cards and new chip-and-PIN cards, some don’t. For example, two summers ago in Paris, I found that their automated subway ticket machines only accept euro coins or chip-and-PIN credit cards. Additionally, after spending a week in London in February, I found that Europeans don’t trust swipe cards very much anymore; if you use them, you come under scrutiny.

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If you have multiple types of balances on your credit card and are repaying little more than the monthly minimum, a 0% balance transfer may provide even more benefits than usual.

While most anyone with a credit card balance stands to save a substantial amount of money by taking advantage of 0% APR balance transfers that last up to 18 months, people who have used their credit cards for cash advances as well as purchases stand to reap even more savings.

According to a story by AP Personal Finance Writer Candice Choi, many of the nation’s largest credit card companies are applying all payments up to the minimum to balances that have the lowest interest rate. 

Consequently, if you owe $1,000 from a cash advance at a 29.99% interest rate and $1,000 from purchases at a 14% interest rate, your monthly minimum payment will likely be used to reduce the low interest balance, not the 29.99% rate that is driving you to the poorhouse. 

New CARD Act rules require credit card companies to apply payments above the minimum to balances with the highest interest rate, but these rules do not cover the money you are required to pay monthly.

This can also be a problem if you get 0% balance transfer checks in the mail.  Let’s say you currently owe $3,000 at a 14% rate and transfer $3,000 to your card to take advantage of the 0% rate.  Unless you pay more than the minimum, every payment you make will reduce the 0% balance, while the balance with 14% rate continues to rack up interest.

If your bank sends you balance transfer checks and you have a balance on your card, put those checks in the shredder and transfer your balance to a new card from a different company that offers 0% balance transfers. 

If you currently have cash advance balances on your card, you’re likely to save $200 or more for every $1,000 you transfer to a new 0% balance transfer card, regardless of how your credit card company applies your minimum payment.

I get a couple questions here and there.  Recent I received the following question in my e-mail Inbox from a person that I will call, “Frank.”

I’ve been in trouble with money lately.  I was recently cut with hours and I’m having a hard time keeping my electric, etc on.  I recently pulled a $500 loan at a local payday loan shop.  What happens if I don’t pay my payday loan?

First off, you’ve probably signed a contract with this particular lender.  Somewhere in that mambo jumbo, you have probably found out what interest rate you’re going to pay, as well when your loan is going to mature.  Yes, payday loans are crazy!  While there are a few that may help you out, there are many that will charge you 500% in interest rates!

Let’s take the $500 for example.  Let’s say that you don’t pay anything on the loan.  Most lenders are going to wait until the interest adds up to a certain point.  After it reaches a certain point, you’re going to find that they will come after you in a civil court lawsuit.

Now, whenever you’re served papers from a court, DON’T ignore them.  This is bad because this gives the court the option to do many things such as garnish your wages and more.  Show up in court, explain your situation, and you should be fine.

So many people make the mistake of ignoring papers and I don’t know why.  Most payday loan lenders will most likely go this route, since they probably deal with it on a daily basis.

Overall, the worst thing that’s going to happen is that the company is going to come after you and sue you in court.  The outcome is all going to depend on what you do on your side.

While I recommend using a payday loan as your last alternative, if you have to go this route, always make sure that you can pay it off by your next paycheck.

Thanks to a new partnership between Discover Card and a union-affiliated credit card issuer, Teamsters will soon enjoy access to an exclusive version of the Discover Card. The American Union Financial Services (AUFS) and Amalgamated Bank of Chicago (ABOC) Discover Card features fraud protection services and travel rewards, along with no annual fee and a low annual percentage rate.

The AUFS/ABOC Discover Card marks the first venture between Discover and Amalgamated Bank, a financial institution founded in Chicago by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union. Dating to the 1920s, Amalgamated Bank has helped generations of union workers gain access to affordable financial products, including savings accounts and credit cards. P Read more…