“Income-based Repayment” Program

For former students who have problems servicing their monetary obligations to Uncle Sam, this flexible repayment option may help them find some leg-room in their tight cash-flow position.

Last Thursday, Sylvia Hall of the Nightly Business Report told us that under this not widely-used Income-based Repayment plan, student loan payment is pegged at the borrowers’ adjusted earnings. Under this scheme, the amount to pay back each month is limited to15% of the borrowers’ income. If after 25 years or 300 payments, the loans remain unpaid, the government will forgive the entire remaining balance.

Unfortunately, the government’s good intention to help many borrowers of the student loan does come with a couple of catches.

Firstly, the loan the government forgives will become the borrowers’ taxable income.

Secondly, under this plan, the borrowers will be paying more interest on the loan due to higher unpaid balance.

Today, there are only 85,000 out of 1.6 million borrowers of student loans have subscribed to this repayment option. - Ayee

Food for Thought - Brain Foods*

When a renown neurologist in Taiwan discovered herself suffering from the onset of dementia, Dr. Liu* went public on what is ailing her. Instead of fear-mongering the public, she suggests to us the many other measures that we can do to help our brain stay healthier.

According to the good doctor, besides being both mentally and physically proactive with positive attitude, certain foods and eating habits can also help us keep this debilitating mental malaise at bay.

And the following is what the Doc has ordered.

• Chew our food well and eat slowly.

The motion to chew brings blood/nutrients to the brain.

• Make sure having breakfast each morning.

Nutrients in food help replenishing the glucose lost during sleep the night before.

• Stay hydrated/exercise chi-kung:

Water and oxygen are essential for good health.

• Have sufficient folic acid and Vitamin B12:

Both are considered brain foods.

• Add curry in diet:

Turmeric in curry is considered a strong antioxidant.

- Ayee

* From a posting on Internet in Chinese. Source unknown.
*Dr. S.C. Liu is a professor at Yang-Ming University in Taipei. She also practices her profession at Taipei’s largest government hospital.