2019 - AceParkingSD

How to Land a Government Relations Job in San Diego

December 26, 2019 AceParkingSD Leave a comment San Diego

If you’ve been dreaming of a career in government, the best way to ensure you get the position you like is to prepare for it as soon as you can. This is something you have to consider even before your high school graduation. The President of the American Continental Group, David Urban, who is highly experienced in government relations and public policy, noted that premium government positions require some tertiary education and training.

There are many different forms of government service spanning across industries. You can be a nurse, clerk, programmer, criminal investigator, engineer, lawyer, janitor, secretary, etc. All of these positions are needed may it be in the federal, state, or local city government. If you’re aspiring for a high government position, here are the main areas you need to study in order to boost your government relations career after your college graduation:

Pursue a Degree in Public Relations

If you’re considering a lifelong career in government, it is best to take up a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration. This course is the most comprehensive one out there in preparing you for a career as a public servant. David Urban agrees that this is one of the best areas of study that you should focus on if you aspire to move up the ranks.

Complete a Law Degree

Studying the rules of law and passing the bar exam means you get to practice as an attorney. The majority of those who graduate with a Juris Doctor do well in the government because they know the ins and outs of the law, making their jobs a lot easier. You can be in many departments with a law degree: you can serve as a prosecutor, you can be a public defender, you can apply to be a judge or justice, or you can even run for a legislative position. Having a Juris Doctor means you are a cut above the rest of the other job aspirants.

Take an Accounting Class

Every branch of government needs to balance their books because they are all allotted a budget that comes from taxpayer’s money. Because of this, they are required to keep an open book to show the public where the money is being spent on. Taking an accounting class, or better yet being a certified public accountant (CPA), means you can get into one of those coveted government positions, especially within the realms of accounting, budgeting, treasury, and finance.

Consider a Computer Science and Information Technology Degree

The world is now modern and digital, and these changes are seen across the board in all industries. The government has upgraded and continuous to upgrade their many technological platforms. Having a degree in computer science and IT can secure you your coveted government career because you can do a lot of things such as monitor databases, keep sites from getting hacked, fix network connection, and more.

Work Towards a Degree in Business and Economics

Pursuing a degree in business administration, economics, or business management is a great key area of study to ascertain that you land a job as a government employee. This is a good alternative to public administration, especially if you see yourself being in government while pursuing your entrepreneurial skills in your spare time. It is always good to know how to operate and manage an organization, as well as to learn the ropes when it comes to ensuring successful business plans and projects. All of these are present in government.

These are the top five areas of study, which will give you better opportunities and raise your chances when the time comes for you to apply to get that government position you desire. Most of all, apart from studying your lessons, you have to make sure you don’t break any laws and you maintain a good reputation. The last thing you want to happen is to get refused because you have a misdemeanor staining your records.

How to Find the Best Allergist For You in San Diego

December 21, 2019 AceParkingSD Leave a comment Uncategorized

If you are sneezing, wheezing, coughing, or itching all over due to strange-looking rashes, then you must be having an allergic reaction to something in your environment. An allergy flares up when your immune system reacts to an allergen, which could be anything ordinary from food, dust, pollen, bee stings and the like. This exposure can trigger the list of symptoms mentioned above. However, in severe cases, it can cause hives, low blood pressure, difficulty in breathing, asthma, and the worst-case scenario is even death.

Allergies can range from mild to life-threatening, making it a serious health issue. Those who are suffering from allergies whose symptoms cannot be treated by over the counter medication need to see an allergist, who is a doctor specializing in allergies. Finding the right allergist can help you manage your issues and help you live a better quality of life. Here are some things you have to consider when looking for one in the San Diego area:

Look for a Board Certified Professional

All doctors are not created equal. You have to pick the best one who has the right specialization, such as the practitioners in Premier Allergy. Choosing the one with the right credentials certified by The American Board of Allergy and Immunology is critical to finding good care.

This means that after their general training, these physicians have to do fellowship training in the field of allergies, which takes another two or three years. After this training, the allergy doctor has to pass a series of rigorous exams before being given the certification.

Moreover, in order to maintain the certification, these allergists are required to stay updated with current research, guidelines, and medical evidence. Throughout the course of their careers, allergists must take additional tests and fulfill continuing education requirements.

Find One the Comes with Good Recommendations

You should also check with your primary care physician about an allergy specialist recommendation. On top of that, you must also get referrals from people that you know and trust. It is critical to do your research when looking for an allergist who you can trust and feel comfy with. In general, people who are happy with their physicians will not hesitate to give you a recommendation.

Check Out the Allergist’s Website

In order to get a true and comprehensive glimpse of their treatment, you must check their website. Aside from dispensing medication, allergists go and look for the root source of your health issues. They search for triggers in the environment that could be exacerbating your symptoms. Apart from that, they give advice and educate all their patients, so they can control your flare-ups and exposure to environmental triggers. The site will also indicate if they offer allergy testing in their facility or if you will have to go elsewhere for the skin pricking tests.

Take Note of the Care Management Team

If you’re looking for a great allergist, you also have to look at his or her care team. the physician assistant, nurses, and other people in his team who shall be performing all your diagnostic tests and teaching you how to use medicines also play an important role in your choice of hiring. According to Premier Allergy, when you’re deciding on an allergist provider, you don’t just look at the doctor but the whole team because they all affect one another.

Make Sure You Feel Comfortable with Their Style

This is often overlooked but this is very critical because your relationship with your allergist and the care team shall be long-term, so you have to pick someone who you are comfortable with. A good allergist will spend a lot of time with you, reviewing your history, and explaining why things happen, and dispensing good advice. If you find that an allergist and his or her team has an awesome bedside manner who is easy to talk with, then you have found the right one.

As you can see, it is critical to find the right set of people who will care for you. Allergies impact the quality of your life. If you cannot get it under control, it can lead to more complications. Do yourself a favor and find a good allergist to manage and treat your health conditions. You will need someone who will listen to and validate your concerns.

What Can I Expect as a First-Time Home Buyer in San Diego?

December 9, 2019 AceParkingSD Leave a comment San Diego

It may mostly seem like a shark-eat-shark world anymore, but there are many programs to help first-time homebuyers. Often, such programs will help those who meet income and other borrower requirements with their closing costs and/or down payment.

At Chenoa Fund, we are a program that assists responsible borrowers to obtain an FHA home loan in addition to a loan or grant for closing costs and/or down payment assistance. We work with local, state and federal and grant providers to help our clients receive loans in which they will have 100 percent of their home loan amount financed at reasonable terms.

For first-time borrowers in the San Diego area, the following provides guidance about some of the programs that ease borrowers into home ownership.

San Diego Housing Commission –

The San Diego Housing Commission is eager to fill housing needs in both the city and county areas. The SDHC has a program for single-family housing as well as programs for potential buyers of townhouses and condominiums.

There are differing qualification requirements for the County of San Diego programs as opposed to the city’s programs.

County First-Time Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program –

The county has a program that helps homeowners who are low-income, first-time homebuyers receive assistance towards both their closing costs as well as the down payment amount.

Borrowers can receive a deferred-payment loan that can be as much as a 17 percent down payment. They can also receive up to $10,000 in closing cost aid.

City of San Diego Deferred Payment Program –

The city offers a program for residents who earn less than 80 percent of the county’s adjusted mean income. Borrowers can receive a second trust deed loan for up to 17 percent of the purchase price to go towards a down payment. The loan does not have any payments due for the first 30 years and carries a 3 percent interest rate.

The borrower must meet income requirements and have good credit. They must have already obtained their first mortgage and come up with 3 percent as a down payment.

Homeownership Grant Program –

Borrowers under the Deferred Payment Program can also apply for another up to 4 percent of the purchase price in order to pay for closing costs. They must earn no more than 80 percent of the adjusted mean income. Once escrow has closed, this loan will be forgiven.

Closing Cost Forgivable Loan Program –

The Closing Cost Forgivable Loan Program is available for residents who make no more than 100 percent of the county’s AMI. They will receive a loan for up to 4 percent of the cost of the home for closing costs. At the end of six years, if they are still the owners, the loan will be forgiven.

Remarkably, the San Diego Real Estate Hunter reports that, for the SDHC programs, “first-time homebuyer” can even mean someone who has not owned a home in three years.

If you are a first-time homebuyer in the San Diego area, there are programs for you that will help you with your down payment and/or closing costs. Many people qualify. At Chenoa Fund, we can assist you with an FHA first mortgage and with these and other first-time homebuyer programs. Call us for help in making the most important purchase of your life

How to Secure a Scholarship to Attend a San Diego College

September 8, 2019 AceParkingSD Leave a comment San Diego

If you are in high school and have plans to attend a popular San Diego college, such as the University of San Diego or San Diego State University, you will likely need to obtain scholarship money in order to defray some of the cost of your education.

FAFSA

The first place to begin your hunt for scholarship money is by submitting your FAFSA. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The federal government takes FAFSA information from each student and their families in order to determine how much federal aid students will need. Most scholarships require that you have a FAFSA on file with the federal government in any year that you are going to apply for financial aid.

Cal Grant

With your FAFSA in hand, you can provide your high school GPA information to the California Student Aid Commission. The latter administers the Cal Grant, a series of grants that are awarded for all four years of a student’s undergraduate degree program. Cal Grant provides funds for either undergraduate or teacher preparation programs.

Students can also receive grants provided by the Student Aid Commission for middle class students whose families earn up to $170,000 yearly as well as grants for dependents of law enforcement officers, foster children and members of the California National Guard.

Other Sources for Scholarships and Grants in San Diego

Other sources for scholarships and grants can be found on the following websites:

Discover Scholarships

U.S. News and World Report Scholarships

Fastweb

Steps to Improve Your Chances of Securing Scholarship Money and Succeeding in College

While still in high school, you can implement the following routine to ensure that you will earn the most possible scholarship money and that you will achieve in college once you are there:

Read widely and daily: Students who read every day and from a variety of topics acquire immense vocabularies and are better readers. This will help you succeed with the heavy reading load of a college student.
Maintain a high GPA
Take rigorous coursework: Where possible, take Advance Placement and Honors courses
Be involved in community service and school leadership activities: Many college admission departments look for candidates involved in community service and school leadership. Candidates who have not participated in community service risk rejection.
Be able to articulate your goals and how college will help you achieve those goals.
Join organizations that help you learn more about your proposed college major: Realize that these organizations often also provide scholarships.
Intern in your proposed field, if possible

Keel Associates Discusses What Americans Can Do About Their Auto Loan Debt

August 25, 2019 AceParkingSD Leave a comment News

When the American public was informed in February that 7 million fellow citizens were three months in arrears in their auto loan payments, maybe the mainstream media sources were surprised, but many of the rest of us were not. This was maybe the first red flag warning that now is a drum beat about the true state of our economy. Many in the American public are suffering financially under a heavy load of debt. Anyone who cannot make their critical car payment in this country is in severe financial turmoil and danger.

At Keel Associates, a debt solutions firm, we are aware that most all of us in the country need our vehicles in order to get to work and succeed in life. We are here to provide solutions that help consumers who are in deep financial danger due to auto loan debt.

What is the Problem? –

As we are keenly aware in this country, predatory credit card lenders have raised interest rates to double-digit levels, even for many borrowers with great credit. In the auto loan industry, new predatory loan methods are ensnaring borrowers with poor credit. An expose in CityLab reported that Americans owe $1.26 trillion in auto loan debt. That is 75 percent more than American consumers owed on auto loans in 2009. CityLab found 26 percent of all auto loans went to people with poor credit scores and low income.

NerdWallet found that, although borrowers with good credit can get auto loans for around 4 to 6 percent, subprime borrowers are often charged rates as high as 15 percent and above. Obviously, this increases both the total cost of the vehicle and the monthly payments. Couple that with the fact Motley Fool reported that the new cars are equipped with tracking technology that makes it easier for the cars to be repossessed, and you can see the horrible situation many people who have auto loans face.

What to Do? –

If you are trapped in high-interest auto loan payments, there are some important steps to take in order to secure your automobile and your mobility:

Evaluate your budget: Act pro-actively today. You need to list all of your monthly expenses and compare it to your take-home income.

Cut where you can: Unless you live in a city with a great transportation system, you likely can’t afford to lose your wheels. Are there video subscription services, cable television service, meals at restaurants, Starbucks or other things that really are not a priority? Cut those extra expenses right away, before you have to miss a payment, and your credit score slips.

Add what you can: Can you take on a small gig that will help you make that all-important payment? There are a lot more opportunities available in the gig economy today but realize realistically that many are low paying.

Sell what you can: Are there expensive “toys” you bought in the past that you no longer use? Now is the time to sell as many as possible on Craigslist or eBay until you can shore up your finances.

Get a debt consolidation loan: A debt consolidation loan is a personal loan, often at a lower interest rate. You can often consolidate your high-interest auto loan, credit card debt and other debts into a lower interest loan. This allows you to make one payment for all of your debt that is lower each month. Also, by placing your credit cards on the loan as well, you can wipe all of the debt out over time for good. At the high interest rates of most credit cards today, they are very difficult to ever pay off.

At Keel Associates, we specialize in helping consumers struggling with high-interest debt and heavy debt loads. Contact us. We are here to help

5 Must-See Location When You’re In Hollywood

February 14, 2019 AceParkingSD Leave a comment News

Hollywood is widely known for film production not only in Los Angeles or the United States at large but also across the world. This neighborhood is in the foothills of the popular Santa Monica Mountains and a few miles from northwest of downtown LA. It is at these foothills many people visit Hollywood to see the signature Hollywood sign from the hillside. There are other numerous must-see locations that you should look for any time you are in Hollywood as detailed below.

Walk Of Fame

The walk of fame is a unique sidewalk alongside Boulevard and Vine Street, and it carries famous faces and names that are represented by stars. These faces and names belong to great musicians, actors, personalities, and directors among other prominent people in music, radio, TV, motion picture, and live performance genres. It is a practice that began as early as 1960, and there was a big controversy about who should be included and who shouldn’t. Today, nominations get announced every year in June the few who get nominated gets added to the list too. Over 2000 stars have already been added on the sidewalk.

Universal Studios Hollywood

Hollywood has a universal site that holds different business divisions such as a working studio, a theme park, city walk and an area for shops and restaurants. In this place, you will enjoy the best and most classic theme park rides in the country. Visitors are usually given a chance to experience how films are made in Hollywood on a trip taken behind the cameras. You will also be able to go shopping, take your favorite bite, wander over the city walk and have a lot of fun, or even catch a movie.

The Hollywood Sign

The Hollywood sign is something that you should not fail to see when at Hollywood even if it’s a far glimpse. This sign was founded in the year 1923. At first, it was ‘Hollywoodland,’ and even though it was supposed to stay for not more than two years, the new Hollywood sign has been intact long enough and with no plan of being removed. Wood Harris warns that you cannot be allowed to get too close to the sign as a visitor. However, the good thing is that you can get a nice glimpse of it from Beachwood Drive or the hill near Lake Hollywood Park. You can also go for horse-riding at Sunset Ranch which is an awesome experience, and when you reach Mt. Lee Drive, you will be standing above Hollywood sign giving you a closer sight of it.

Chinese Theater

This theater was established in the year 1927 by Sid Grauman, and it has held different names and titles after every change of hand. Currently, it is known as the TLC Chinese Theater, and it is used to displays Chinese decorations, designs, handprints, and footprints. You can learn a lot about Chinese culture by visiting this theater. Make it one of your stopovers if you come visiting Hollywood.

Sunset Trip

Sunset strip is part of Sunset Boulevard, and it borders the Beverly Hills. The place is characterized by diverse retail shops, restaurants and recreation places. These amenities are easy to identify from the huge billboards and neon signs at night. Wood Harris says that this is one of the best places to hang out whenever you visit Hollywood, and you might get a chance to mingle with Hollywood celebrities because some of them live in the area. You will also get a chance to do some shopping, look around the area and enjoy your favorite meal.

Hollywood is one place that you can never miss something adventurous to see or do. It is always good to visit a new place once in a while, and this list provides you with some locations that will make your visit at Hollywood memorable.