If a person had $20,000 to spend, they could buy about 5,000 Javalanches, a Mini Cooper or feed 220 children in Africa for a year. If that person is a Northwest student, though, he or she would probably use it to pay off his or her loans. The average student debt of a Northwest graduate is between $19,825 and $22,555. The time to begin paying off loans is quickly approaching for seniors getting ready to graduate this spring.
“Our students have done a great job over the years (paying off loans),” Del Morley, director of financial assistance at Northwest, said. “The government keeps track of what they call a cohort default rate (percentage of students who default on federal loans) and our cohort default rate is always under the federal average.”
About 70 percent of Northwest students, each year, take out loans. Subsidized loans are need based and interest begins six months after graduation. Interest on unsubsidized loans begins immediately and payments must begin six months after a student is no longer enrolled in school. The Northwest Office of Financial Assistance provides students in need of loans with entrance and exit counseling and gives them tools to help with loan consolidations and payment plans.
“There are a lot of changes in the works coming up,” Morley said. “We’re going to try to get them all made before July 1, 2012.”
With any loans made after July 1, interest will begin to accumulate on subsidized loans as soon as a student graduates, and subsidized loans will no longer be available for graduate students. There is also a possibility that interest rates on student loans will increase.
“Unless (Congress) passes new legislation, it will be 6.8 percent next year,” Morley said.
Kearsten Smith, a senior who has taken out loans since her freshman year, said she is confident that her education at Northwest will help her find a job that will help to pay off her loans. If that fails, her next plan is to find someone very rich to marry.
“If you don’t have to take (loans) out, don’t, but at the same time, student loans are the best loans you can take out,” Smith said. “If you’re going to go to college, don’t be deterred because you have to take out loans to do it because they have the lowest interest rates (and) the best payback policy. Literally, they are the best loans you could ever take out.”
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2012年2月21日星期二
Highlights: Euro zone ministers, officials after Greek deal
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Euro zone finance ministers and representatives of the private sector finalized a deal on Tuesday that will provide 130 billion euros of new financing to Greece and help to cut Athens‘ debt-to-GDP ratio to just over 120 percent by 2020.
The deal relies on private sector holders of Greek government bonds accepting a greater than 53 percent loss on the nominal value of their holdings, which will help reduce Greece’s debt by around 100 billion euros.
Following are comments by ministers and officials after the talks, which lasted more than 13 hours.
IMF MANAGING DIRECTOR CHRISTINE LAGARDE
“I will take this matter further to the board of the IMF in the second week of March, obviously subject to prior action that Greece has committed to deliver before the end of February being actually delivered.”
EU COMMISSIONER FOR ECONOMIC AND MONETARY AFFAIRS OLLI REHN ON COMBINING EFSF AND ESM POWER
“It should be possible to combine the firepower of the ESM and the remaining amount of the EFSF in order to have a substantially stronger financial firewall than we have at the moment. If you calculate you can see the ESM is 500 billion euro and the EFSF remainder is 250 billion euro, that is a good starting point to reinforce the IMF resources.
“I expect that we can reach our decision in March so that we can come to a conclusion on the reinforcement of the IMF resources in the course of this spring.”
EUROGROUP PRESIDENT JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER
“After a meeting of at least 13 hours, we have reached a far reaching agreement on Greece’s new program and private sector involvement that would lead to a significant debt reduction for Greece and pave the way towards an unprecedented amount of new official financing being provided by the EFSF to secure Greece’s future in the euro area.
“The debt to GDP ratio is expected to reach 120.5 percent by 2020 and program financing is estimated to amount to 130 billion until 2014.
“Greece will launch bond exchange offer in coming days.
“Given the balanced agreement reached with the creditor group led by the IIF and the fact that the package delivers debt sustainability for Greece we expect a high participation rate.”
ON PRIVATE SECTOR ROLE
“In order to show our good faith to the private sector the official sector will be making an important contribution.
“Creditors will implement a further lowering of lending margins of bilateral loans to Greece to 150 bps over the entire period of loans compared to the current margin of 200 bps over the first three years and 300 bps thereafter.
“This will bring the debt-to-GDP ratio down by 2.8 percent by 2020.
ON NATIONAL CENTRAL BANKS’ ROLE
“Governments of member states where central banks currently hold Greek bonds in their investment portfolios will commit to pass on to Greece an amount equal to any future income.
“This will lower financing needs by 1.8 billion euros.”
ON MONITORING OF ATHENS
“The Commission will reinforce the task force for Greece.
“The troika will also substantially reinforce its presence in Athens in order to counteract any slippage in Athens.
“In the meantime a mechanism will be put in place to better trace and monitor funds put in place to service Greece’s debt,” he said, referring to the setting up of an escrow-style account.
GERMAN FINANCE MINISTER WOLFGANG SCHAEUBLE
“The new program for Greece will be 100 bln euros plus 30 bln for the swap deal as agreed. To reach this, given the fresh numbers since the decision of the summit, the private sector had to move a bit further in negotiations. We agreed a haircut of 53.5 percent and the coupon for the new bonds will start at about 2 percent, will rise with time from 3 to 4.3 percent after 2020. In this way we will reach the reduction in debt.
“It’s a result that can be justified and that creates the preconditions to get Greece onto a sustainable return to economic health if the swap deal with private creditors is successful. We didn’t make it easy on ourselves. We insisted that the parameters of debt sustainability of 120 pct of GDP will be maintained just like the 130 billion as an upper limit for the second Greek program.
“All of that now depends on the reaction from the private sector and besides, it’s all conditional on Greece fulfilling the prior actions. Greece has agreed a number of measures but there are others… that it has to get onto the way legally by the end of the month. We also agreed that we as the eurogroup will check this immediately at the start of March on the basis of the troika report.
“The Commission has said it will significantly strengthen the use of staff for the monitoring, advice and support of Greek authorities in implementing these measures and we as member states have also said we’ d provide staff if wanted and requested.
ON IMF
“The IMF has promised it will take part in the new program, but the decision is not a foregone conclusion on the IMF board, so it’s not helpful for us in the eurogroup to talk about it. Madame Lagarde will make the proposal to the IMF board and it will agree. We have voiced our expectations but we also know that we have to accept that each member in the IMF board has its own responsibility.”
(Reporting Claire Davenport and Annika Breidthardt)
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The deal relies on private sector holders of Greek government bonds accepting a greater than 53 percent loss on the nominal value of their holdings, which will help reduce Greece’s debt by around 100 billion euros.
Following are comments by ministers and officials after the talks, which lasted more than 13 hours.
IMF MANAGING DIRECTOR CHRISTINE LAGARDE
“I will take this matter further to the board of the IMF in the second week of March, obviously subject to prior action that Greece has committed to deliver before the end of February being actually delivered.”
EU COMMISSIONER FOR ECONOMIC AND MONETARY AFFAIRS OLLI REHN ON COMBINING EFSF AND ESM POWER
“It should be possible to combine the firepower of the ESM and the remaining amount of the EFSF in order to have a substantially stronger financial firewall than we have at the moment. If you calculate you can see the ESM is 500 billion euro and the EFSF remainder is 250 billion euro, that is a good starting point to reinforce the IMF resources.
“I expect that we can reach our decision in March so that we can come to a conclusion on the reinforcement of the IMF resources in the course of this spring.”
EUROGROUP PRESIDENT JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER
“After a meeting of at least 13 hours, we have reached a far reaching agreement on Greece’s new program and private sector involvement that would lead to a significant debt reduction for Greece and pave the way towards an unprecedented amount of new official financing being provided by the EFSF to secure Greece’s future in the euro area.
“The debt to GDP ratio is expected to reach 120.5 percent by 2020 and program financing is estimated to amount to 130 billion until 2014.
“Greece will launch bond exchange offer in coming days.
“Given the balanced agreement reached with the creditor group led by the IIF and the fact that the package delivers debt sustainability for Greece we expect a high participation rate.”
ON PRIVATE SECTOR ROLE
“In order to show our good faith to the private sector the official sector will be making an important contribution.
“Creditors will implement a further lowering of lending margins of bilateral loans to Greece to 150 bps over the entire period of loans compared to the current margin of 200 bps over the first three years and 300 bps thereafter.
“This will bring the debt-to-GDP ratio down by 2.8 percent by 2020.
ON NATIONAL CENTRAL BANKS’ ROLE
“Governments of member states where central banks currently hold Greek bonds in their investment portfolios will commit to pass on to Greece an amount equal to any future income.
“This will lower financing needs by 1.8 billion euros.”
ON MONITORING OF ATHENS
“The Commission will reinforce the task force for Greece.
“The troika will also substantially reinforce its presence in Athens in order to counteract any slippage in Athens.
“In the meantime a mechanism will be put in place to better trace and monitor funds put in place to service Greece’s debt,” he said, referring to the setting up of an escrow-style account.
GERMAN FINANCE MINISTER WOLFGANG SCHAEUBLE
“The new program for Greece will be 100 bln euros plus 30 bln for the swap deal as agreed. To reach this, given the fresh numbers since the decision of the summit, the private sector had to move a bit further in negotiations. We agreed a haircut of 53.5 percent and the coupon for the new bonds will start at about 2 percent, will rise with time from 3 to 4.3 percent after 2020. In this way we will reach the reduction in debt.
“It’s a result that can be justified and that creates the preconditions to get Greece onto a sustainable return to economic health if the swap deal with private creditors is successful. We didn’t make it easy on ourselves. We insisted that the parameters of debt sustainability of 120 pct of GDP will be maintained just like the 130 billion as an upper limit for the second Greek program.
“All of that now depends on the reaction from the private sector and besides, it’s all conditional on Greece fulfilling the prior actions. Greece has agreed a number of measures but there are others… that it has to get onto the way legally by the end of the month. We also agreed that we as the eurogroup will check this immediately at the start of March on the basis of the troika report.
“The Commission has said it will significantly strengthen the use of staff for the monitoring, advice and support of Greek authorities in implementing these measures and we as member states have also said we’ d provide staff if wanted and requested.
ON IMF
“The IMF has promised it will take part in the new program, but the decision is not a foregone conclusion on the IMF board, so it’s not helpful for us in the eurogroup to talk about it. Madame Lagarde will make the proposal to the IMF board and it will agree. We have voiced our expectations but we also know that we have to accept that each member in the IMF board has its own responsibility.”
(Reporting Claire Davenport and Annika Breidthardt)
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2012年2月13日星期一
Marin Software Raises $30 Million Funding
SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwire -02/13/12)- According to eMarketer, by 2015 advertisers will spend $132.1 billion annually for online advertising. Advertisers are increasing their investment in online advertising across multiple channels to drive greater lead generation, customer acquisition, and revenue. This activity is fueling the expanding adoption of Marin Software’s ad management and optimization platform. During the last year, Marin nearly doubled its customer base to 1,500 as well as the amount of annual spend managed on its platform to $3.5 billion. In the wake of Marin’s success, Asia investment company Temasek led a $30 million round of funding along with SAP Ventures. Joining the new investors in this oversubscribed round were existing Marin venture investors Benchmark Capital, Crosslink Capital, DAG Ventures, and Triangle Peak Partners.
Following Marin Software‘s year of rapid international expansion, customer growth, and product innovation, and the closing of the recent financing, Frank van Veenendaal, President of Worldwide Sales and Services at salesforce.com, has joined Marin Software’s Board of Directors.
Marin Software’s Dramatic Growth:
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About Temasek
About SAP Ventures
About Frank van Veenendaal
Follow Marin Software on Twitter
About Temasek:
Incorporated in 1974, Temasek is an Asia investment company headquartered in Singapore. Supported by 12 affiliates and offices in Asia and Latin America, Temasek owns a diversified S$193 billion portfolio as at 31 March 2011, concentrated principally in Singapore, Asia and growth markets. Temasek’s investment themes centre on Transforming Economies, Growing Middle Income Populations, Deepening Comparative Advantages and Emerging Champions. Its portfolio covers a broad spectrum of industries: financial services; transportation & industrials; telecommunications, media & technology; life sciences, consumer & real estate; energy & resources. Total shareholder return for Temasek since its inception in 1974 has been a healthy 17% compounded annually. It has a corporate credit rating of AAA/Aaa from rating agencies Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s respectively. For further information on Temasek, please visit www.temasek.com.sg.
About SAP Ventures:SAP Ventures is an independent investment firm affiliated with SAP AG (NYSE: SAP – News), the global market leader in enterprise application software, and we leverage our relationships with SAP and its global ecosystem for the benefit of portfolio companies. We make growth equity and later-stage investments in market-leading technology companies across North America, Europe, and key emerging markets. Over the last 15 years, SAP Ventures has supported more than 100 companies across five continents. Past investments include Commerce One, Endeca, Greenplum, MySQL, Red Hat, and WebEx. Current portfolio companies include Alfresco, Alteryx, Control4, LinkedIn, Lithium, OnDeck, OpenX, SAVO, Spring Wireless, Tealeaf, Tremor Media, and Zend. For more information on SAP Ventures, please visit www.sapventures.com.
About Marin Software:Marin Software is a leading provider of online advertising management solutions, offering an integrated platform for managing search, social, display, and mobile marketing. The company provides solutions for advertisers and agencies, enabling them to improve financial performance, save time, and make better decisions. Marin Enterprise, the company’s flagship product, addresses the needs of online marketers spending at least $100,000 per month on biddable media. Marin Professional delivers the same power and ease of use as Marin Enterprise, through an application designed for marketers spending less than $100,000 per month. Headquartered in San Francisco, with offices worldwide, Marin’s technology powers marketing campaigns for over 1,500 customers managing more than $3.5 billion of annualized ad spend in more than 160 countries. For more information, please visit: http://www.marinsoftware.com.
Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1884165
Following Marin Software‘s year of rapid international expansion, customer growth, and product innovation, and the closing of the recent financing, Frank van Veenendaal, President of Worldwide Sales and Services at salesforce.com, has joined Marin Software’s Board of Directors.
Marin Software’s Dramatic Growth:
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- Since its inception in 2006, Marin Software has grown into the premier provider of advertising management solutions worldwide. Marin currently serves clients in 160 countries with 25 currencies, increasing its international footprint in the last year with the opening of offices in Singapore, France, Australia, and Germany.
- More than 1,500 of the world’s leading advertisers and agencies manage $3.5 billion in annualized online ad spend through Marin Software. Within the last few months, Hotels.com, Brookstone, Coupons Inc., Rosetta, and Reprise Media have selected Marin’s platform to manage their search, display and social advertising campaigns. Longstanding Marin customers include iProspect, Neo@Ogilvy, Razorfish, Macy’s, Experian, and University of Phoenix.
- Spurred by increasing demand for its products worldwide, Marin Software hired more than 100 new employees during 2011.
- To date, Marin Software has raised more than $80 million in venture funding. Marin plans to invest this new capital to bolster product development, customer support, and service delivery worldwide.
- Temasek is an Asia investment company headquartered in Singapore, with a diversified S$193 billion portfolio as of March 31, 2011, concentrated principally in Singapore, Asia and growth markets. Through its partnership with Temasek, Marin Software will be able to accelerate its growth across Asia and other emerging markets.
- With the investment from SAP Ventures, which is affiliated with SAP AG, the market leader in enterprise application software, Marin Software will have the opportunity to leverage the experience and resources of SAP and its extensive ecosystem to help further Marin’s business momentum.
- Attracted by Marin Software’s exceptional growth and industry leadership, Frank van Veenendaal, President of Worldwide Sales and Services at salesforce.com, has joined the Marin Software Board of Directors. Van Veenendaal joined salesforce.com when it had less than $20 million in annual revenue and has since led salesforce.com to its current annual sales run rate of more than $2.3 billion.
- van Veenendaal’s extensive experience will prove invaluable as Marin expands its global sales and services programs.
- Marin Software’s Board of Directors includes Chris Lien, Founder and CEO of Marin Software; Paul Auvil, CFO at Proofpoint, Inc.; Bruce Dunlevie, General Partner at Benchmark Capital; and Donald Hutchison, advisor and investor.
- “I am pleased to welcome Temasek and SAP Ventures as investors in Marin Software,” said Christopher Lien, Founder and CEO of Marin Software. “Temasek brings unrivalled experience and capabilities in Asian and emerging markets, which will benefit Marin’s international development. Support from SAP Ventures and relationships with the SAP global ecosystem will further accelerate Marin’s growth around the world.”
- “We are honored to have Frank van Veenendaal join Marin’s Board of Directors, as he has written the global playbook on world-class SaaS sales and services execution during his tenure at salesforce.com,” said Lien. “The entire Marin team looks forward to benefiting from his expertise and counsel as we further develop Marin’s position as the global leader in online advertising management.”
- “Marin Software has built incredible momentum in a short amount of time to become a leading provider of ad management solutions, helping advertisers and agencies wring more ROI out of every ad buy,” said Frank van Veenendaal, President of Worldwide Sales and Services at salesforce.com. “The traction Marin has gained in the global marketplace reminds me of the early days of salesforce.com, and I look forward to working hand-in-hand with the executive team as the company cements its leadership worldwide.”
About Temasek
About SAP Ventures
About Frank van Veenendaal
Follow Marin Software on Twitter
About Temasek:
Incorporated in 1974, Temasek is an Asia investment company headquartered in Singapore. Supported by 12 affiliates and offices in Asia and Latin America, Temasek owns a diversified S$193 billion portfolio as at 31 March 2011, concentrated principally in Singapore, Asia and growth markets. Temasek’s investment themes centre on Transforming Economies, Growing Middle Income Populations, Deepening Comparative Advantages and Emerging Champions. Its portfolio covers a broad spectrum of industries: financial services; transportation & industrials; telecommunications, media & technology; life sciences, consumer & real estate; energy & resources. Total shareholder return for Temasek since its inception in 1974 has been a healthy 17% compounded annually. It has a corporate credit rating of AAA/Aaa from rating agencies Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s respectively. For further information on Temasek, please visit www.temasek.com.sg.
About SAP Ventures:SAP Ventures is an independent investment firm affiliated with SAP AG (NYSE: SAP – News), the global market leader in enterprise application software, and we leverage our relationships with SAP and its global ecosystem for the benefit of portfolio companies. We make growth equity and later-stage investments in market-leading technology companies across North America, Europe, and key emerging markets. Over the last 15 years, SAP Ventures has supported more than 100 companies across five continents. Past investments include Commerce One, Endeca, Greenplum, MySQL, Red Hat, and WebEx. Current portfolio companies include Alfresco, Alteryx, Control4, LinkedIn, Lithium, OnDeck, OpenX, SAVO, Spring Wireless, Tealeaf, Tremor Media, and Zend. For more information on SAP Ventures, please visit www.sapventures.com.
About Marin Software:Marin Software is a leading provider of online advertising management solutions, offering an integrated platform for managing search, social, display, and mobile marketing. The company provides solutions for advertisers and agencies, enabling them to improve financial performance, save time, and make better decisions. Marin Enterprise, the company’s flagship product, addresses the needs of online marketers spending at least $100,000 per month on biddable media. Marin Professional delivers the same power and ease of use as Marin Enterprise, through an application designed for marketers spending less than $100,000 per month. Headquartered in San Francisco, with offices worldwide, Marin’s technology powers marketing campaigns for over 1,500 customers managing more than $3.5 billion of annualized ad spend in more than 160 countries. For more information, please visit: http://www.marinsoftware.com.
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2012年1月31日星期二
Ryan Seacrest’s Company to Sell a Stake to Clear Channel
Ryan Seacrest, who already is a host, producer and spokesman for Clear Channel, will soon be an investment partner as well.
On Tuesday, the radio conglomerate is expected to announce its acquisition of a minority stake in Mr. Seacrest’s television and film production company, financing future growth and allowing for new collaborations between the two.
The investment in Mr. Seacrest — who will remain the main owner of Ryan Seacrest Productions — comes weeks after Clear Channel Radio renamed itself Clear Channel Media and Entertainment to promote its move into other media, including television.
Separately, the parties involved said, Mr. Seacrest also will work with the two private equity firms that own Clear Channel, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital, to identify new investments and acquisitions. The firms have committed as much as $300 million to the initiative, which could focus on music publishers, technology makers or other companies. Mr. Seacrest will help the firms find opportunities and close deals.
The investments attest to the backstage business ambitions of Mr. Seacrest, who became famous a decade ago for hosting “American Idol” on Fox. While remaining a television and radio host, he is simultaneously building a diversified media company by linking up with companies like Clear Channel, the talent agency CAA and the events promoter AEG.
Mr. Seacrest said by telephone Monday night that the Clear Channel investment was an “efficient route for future growth” and said he would tap into the company’s marketing assets, including its many radio stations and Web sites.
Separately, in a deal with CAA and AEG that was announced this month, Mr. Seacrest will have a stake in AXS TV, a cable channel that will replace HDNet this summer.
The parties involved in Tuesday’s announcement would not disclose the size of Clear Channel’s investment in Mr. Seacrest’s production company, but it is expected to produce scripted and unscripted TV shows and other types of content for Clear Channel. Ryan Seacrest Productions currently makes “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and related shows for E! and is preparing new reality shows for CMT and Bravo.
Robert Pittman, the chief executive of Clear Channel, praised Mr. Seacrest as a businessman and said the collaboration was a chance “to share in some of the success we think he’s going to have, and to enable some of it.”
Mr. Seacrest remains in talks with Comcast about an expanded relationship with its E! channel and other parts of NBCUniversal. Such an expansion could include a role on NBC’s “Today” show, prime-time specials and a presence on the company’s coverage of the Olympics.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Seacrest said that the Clear Channel investment would not preclude his productions for NBCUniversal or any other network or studio.
Once the negotiations with NBC conclude, Mr. Seacrest will still have at least one other bit of unfinished business: whether to renew his contract with “American Idol.” His current contract is set to expire this spring, and both he and Fox have signaled that he will probably remain on the show.
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