How admin assistants can prep for the holidays

How admin assistants can prep for the holidaysAttention all admin assistantsare you right in the middle of a flurry of never-ending holiday prep plans that is keeping you too stressed and frantic to enjoy the season? Or perhaps youre putting off your holiday prep because it all seems too overwhelming and the mere thought of everything you have piling up on your plate is creating dizzying levels of anxiety and stress?If either of behauptung scenarios sounds like you, stop what youre doing and take a deep breath Although the holidays can be especially challenging for admin assistants, who are no strangers to juggling the diverse needs and demands of others on top of their own, there are strategies for effectively getting through the holiday season while minimizing added stress and overexertion.Admin assistantsconsider the following your helpful preparation and planning guide for making it through the holiday season unscathedPrep early.Admin assistants are typically masters at getting a n early handle on things that need to be done around the office, and they recognize the value of doing as much advanced preparation as possible to make koranvers that projects stay on track, no details are left unaddressed, and everything sticks according to plan.Prepping for the holidays should be no differentwere all aware of how quickly the holidays seem to sneak up on us each year, and once they arrive it gets much tougher to get things done amidst the flurry of vacations and obligations that seem to come from every direction. Combat the holiday slowdown by planning for all the things that need to be done as early as possible in the year. The more you can get done early on, the better off youll be when the blizzard of holiday activities hits.Get organized.One of the keys to being successful as an admin assistant is staying organized. In todays hectic work world, a disorganized or scatterbrained admin does not keep their head above wateror their jobsfor very long, so the successf ul admin already possesses these crucial skills. Be sure to put them to good use when preparing for the holidays. A well-organized holiday checklist that includes all necessary activities and projectswith details on who is responsible for doing whatcan really be an admins best friend when trying to get through the season. A comprehensive and well-maintained checklist will help you keep track of everything that needs to be done, all in one place.Balance time for professional and personal planning.Because admins are typically excellent planners by nature, they often find themselves stuck between two worlds during the holiday seasonplanning for everything that has to be done at work and planning for everything that has to be done in their personal lives. Dont let your professional and personal lives collide while holiday planning, and dont let one eclipse the other. Any admin worth their desk can strike a healthy work-life balance during the holiday season and effectively plan for both appropriatelykeep the work planning at work and keep your personal planning out of the office.Dont recreate the wheel.Admins usually have an array of helpful systems and processes in place that that they can deploy for whatever project arisesconsider holiday planning as one major project, and use your holiday planning checklist from last year as the foundation for this years plans, and continue this tradition for each new holiday season. Obviously, some updating and tweaking will need to be done each year, but hopefully this will cover you for the bulk of the planning activities and will save you some time vs. starting a new checklist from scratch each yearThere you have it adminsyour helpful strategies for successful holiday planning. Use this advice to ensure that your preparation for this upcoming season is hassle free. Happy holidays

The Loan-Saddled Womans Guide to Choosing Between Debt Forgiveness and a High-Paying Job

The Loan-Saddled Womans Guide to Choosing Between Debt Forgiveness and a High-Paying Job Do you currently have student loan debt? Maybe you are a recent graduate, or someone still working to pay off old debt. Have you considered pursuing loan forgiveness through Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)? Its a topic that has been in the news often this past year. PSLF is a dream scenario for many graduates, because of its promise of forgiving student loans, no matter how much debt you have. The real question you need to ask yourself is this is PSLF right for me, or should I work my debt out in other ways?What is PSLF?PSLF is a federal program where your student loan debt is forgiven after 10 years of qualifying student loan payments. PSLF also requires that you work in the public sector during the time of those student loan payments. It welches designed to attract people to jobs in areas of need around the country.Working in the public sector means working for a qualifying government or non-profit organization. The specific career within those organizations isnt as important as the organization itself. But, there is some fine print involved with the PSLF.PSLF SpecificsYour loans must be federal direct loans (or consolidated to direct loans)You cant apply until after making 120 qualifying paymentsYou need to move your payments to an income-driven repayment planYou must work at least 30 hours a week at a qualifying organizationWhy are people pursuing PSLF?PSLF is an attractive program for people with student loan debt. Work in an area of need for a specific amount of time and get your loan debt wiped away? Sounds like a great deal Not only is your student loan debt forgiven, but you also dont have to pay income tax on the amount forgiven, unlike some other forgiveness programs.In October 2018, the Department of Education announced that the first qualifying borrowers had over $5 million forgiven. If you graduated with massive student loan debt, PSLF could be a lifesa ver.Why PSLF might be right for youPSLF might be good to pursue for a couple specific reasons1. You were planning to work for the government or non-profit organization anyway. If this is the case, why bedrngnis take advantage of a program like PSLF?2. You have a high Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio. DTI compares a borrowers monthly debt payments with their monthly income. The goal is to have a lower number. If you have significant student loan debt, much more than your income, consider pursuing PSLF. Not only can you get your debt forgiven, but you can also lower your loan payments through an income-driven repayment plan and save money along the way to use to reach other financial goals.Why PSLF might not work for youWhile PSLF is a great program, its not for everyone. What could make PSLF the wrong choice for some people?Youll have limited salary Serving in areas of need is a noble concept, but it also pays much less than the private sector. Depending on your career path, you could land a high-paying career trajectory in the private sector instead that makes student loan debt easier to pay off. If this is the case,Youre almost done repaying your loansMaybe you are already halfway through paying off your loans. The savings you could create through PSLF may not be worth it at this point. It might be a better option to work to lower your interest rate and pay off your debt quicker.Its a long time commitment 10 years is a long time. Its easy to start pursuing PSLF, but who knows what can happen in a decade. Your whole life could change. Marriage. Kids. House. Is it worth committing to work at a non-profit for a lower-paying salary if you might not make it all the way through the process?Another Repayment OptionIf PSLF doesnt fit in your plans, there is another way to pay off your student loans while working in the private sector that may make it worth it high salary or not. You could be better off refinancing your student loans.Depending on your credit, refinancing y our student loans could significantly reduce your interest rate. Doing so has the potential to knock tens of thousands of dollars off of your student loans and lower your monthly payment, too.If you need help determining the best repayment option for you, try using Student Loan Planners Student Loan Calculator.What is the right choice for you?In the end, each person needs to look at their own situation to landsee if pursuing PSLF makes sense. Significant student loan debt could play a major role in your decision. However, for many people, its more of a lifestyle decision. Do you see PSLF as something worth pursuing, or will it hold you back from achieving the career and lifestyle youve always wanted? If its the latter, you may be better off creating another plan for paying off your student loans.--Travis Hornsby foundedStudent Loan Planner after helping his physician wife navigate ridiculously complex student loan repayment decisions.