SELF IMPROVEMENT

Jobs, jobs, jobs

Are you tired of calling a company’s customer service department and being routed to an overseas call center? Did you lose your job when your company outsourced your call center job? If so, yesterday’s announcement by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should be good news to your ears.

“When you call customer service in the time ahead, chances should improve that you will reach someone in the United States, with a forecast of 100,000 new jobs at call centers to be created the next two years, according to the Federal Communications Commission.”

Pell Grants

The debt ceiling compromise passed earlier this week actually brings good news for families that qualify for Pell Grants. The deal will bring an additional $17 billion to the Pell Grant program. Of course this came at the expense of grad student-subsidies but this is great news for families that rely on the Pell Grant to pay for their college student’s tuition.

Stocks are on sale

For some investors, yesterday’s stock market plunge was a sure sign to get out and other investors will view it as a bargain basement-style sale on stocks. In this Kiplinger article, Bob Frick examines how investors can profit from crisis. “Periods of panic give shrewd investors a chance to buy deeply discounted stocks. But it isn’t easy to take that risk.”

Debt busters’ update

In a 2010 feature on personal debt, CNNMoney.com profiled the debt loads of seven individuals or families. Debt loads varied but everyone featured wanted to work to reduce or eliminate their debt. This update brings great news for some and slow but steady progress for others.