Free Money News September 2013

Where did summer go?

For many it's Back to School time as students or as parents with kids off to college. Either way you face both new experiences (exciting) and new expenses (scary). This issue and new articles offer valuable info to help you find more money.

Students: remember that you don't fill out the FAFSA just once, you must fill it out for each new academic year. And keep in mind that scholarships are available all year round.

Congress may be working to reduce your costs with lower interest rates and more Pell Grants but college costs continue to rise. Every bit of help available should be important to you.

In our September Free Money Highlights you'll discover ways to discover creative ways to find money to start a business. You'll also get a look at our recent articles on money-related topics. Both were created in response to feedback and requests we get from our Free Grant Community and from our Facebook fans.

These hot topics include free money in two forms: (1) property the government may be holding in your name and (2) how you can get financial help if you are dreaming of buying your first home (yes, there is some help out there!):

Free Unclaimed Money Searches Have you received an email that says it's from the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (yes, there is such a group!)? If so, beware. This is a sure sign of a scam since this organization never sends soliciting emails, never outsources the job of trying to find Unclaimed Property owners, and never would ask you to provide financial information such as a bank account number.

Just as important, you do not have to pay to find unclaimed money or other property the federal or state government may be holding in your name. You can learn a lot more, including how best to do your own (free!) search in our articles about free unclaimed money and about how to find your unclaimed money. Since most unclaimed property ($billions in the U.S.) is held by the states, we're also working on more specific information about claiming what's yours based on the state you live in. If that happens to be California take a look at our first state specific report: Unclaimed Money in California. Regardless of where you live the article will give you some good tips about how to find money that may be yours in your own state.

Grants for First-Time Homebuyers

There's nothing that's more a part of the American Dream: owning your own home. Though mortgage rates have been starting to rise they still are quite low compared to previous years. And a “New Qualified Residential Mortgage Rule” proposed by a group of six federal agencies hopes to make it easier for you to qualify for a mortgage.

If managing house payments or coming up with a big down payment have been your stumbling blocks you should take a look at our article about getting help to buy your first home. There are actually both government and private agencies that want to help you get that house. You need to know how to find them and how to avoid getting distracted by people or organizations who might take advantage of your situation. You'll discover how in this article so check it out and hold on to that dream!

Start Your Own Business

The administration touts a reduced jobless rate in the U.S. based on applications for Unemployment Benefits. However, the numbers do not include people who have simply given up looking for work. The fact there are far fewer jobs available than there used to be. If part of your American Dream is to own your own business, help is also out there for you. It's a great way to be sure you never get laid off! Of course there are lots of things you need to do to get a business going and thriving. And while there are many places you can go to get some know-how and financing, the very best place to start is with the Small Business Administration. Though they're part of the federal government they have local offices with real folks who want to help you succeed. Take a look at our review of the Small Business Administration website and discover exactly how to find them and how they can help you.

We wish you the best – make the most of your last few weeks of summer and don’t be afraid to dream…