Daily Archives: January 25, 2012

Education

EducationDynamics Releases 2011-12 eLearning Index; Reveals Compelling Trends in Online Education

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Annual Report Provides Unmatched Insights into Prospective Student Demand for Online Degrees and Opportunities for Growth in Sector

Hoboken, New Jersey, January 25, 2012 – EducationDynamics, higher education’s leading marketing information and technology services company, today released its 2011-12 eLearning Index, complete with five-year trends and analysis. The annual report delivers the most comprehensive review of the online education market currently available, providing unparalleled intelligence to help colleges and universities as they consider entering the market or expanding their catalog of online programs. The index evaluates data from more than 3,400 degree programs offered by more than 200 accredited institutions, and not only reveals the most popular online degrees, but also highlights growth opportunities related to areas of study where prospective student demand is not yet met.

“For more than five years, the eLearning Index has been required reading for colleges and universities as they develop their online program and course offerings,” said Carol Aslanian, Senior Vice President of Aslanian Market Research at EducationDynamics. “This incredible resource takes the guess work out of the online education market, enabling institutions to better determine what program levels, fields of study and majors will serve students best, while also providing ROI.”

EducationDynamics first published the eLearning Index in 2007; since then, several interesting trends have emerged regarding the shape of demand for online programs. Among the findings:

Associate’s level Health Programs have risen from number three to being number one, replacing Business, which has fallen to number two.

Bachelor’s level demand has remained relatively unchanged with Business degrees maintaining the largest percentage of market demand, followed by Humanities, Social Sciences and Health Professions.

MBA and other Business masters degrees have seen the most precipitous decline in demand as a percentage of market-share, dropping from number one to number four.

Education degrees have seen the greatest demand growth, relative to percent of market share, moving from number three in the 2007 report, to number one in 2011.

Doctoral degrees in the field of Education have remained the largest field of study demanded by prospective students. In the same period, degrees in the Health Professions dropped from number two to number four, with Social Science jumping from number four to number two.

The 2011-12 eLearning Index analyzes data collected in 2010 from eLearners.com, an EducationDynamics web resources that connects prospective students with online degree programs. During each quarter of 2010, EducationDynamics examined prospective student interest in more than 3,400 degrees listed on eLearners.com offered by more than 200 colleges and universities of all institutional types and categorized into one of four degree levels (e.g., associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate), across eight fields of study (e.g., education, engineering and science, visual and performing arts, etc.) and 96 majors (e.g., business administration, design, music, etc.).

Three core indices drive the analyses and resulting identification of degrees with high student interest and opportunity for growth: the eLearning Demand Index, eLearning Supply Index and eLearning Growth Index. Each index score provides an evaluation of degree level, field of study and major as it relates to demand, supply and growth in the online education marketplace.

Below are the top-line results of the 2011-12 eLearning Demand Index by degree level:

Rank Associate’s Bachelor’s Master’s Doctorate
1 Health Professions Business Education Education
2 Business Humanities
& Social Sciences Health Professions Humanities
& Social Sciences
3 Humanities Health Professions Humanities
& Social Sciences Business
4 Education Education Business Health Professions
5 Criminal Justice Computer & Criminal Justice Criminal Justice
& Law Information Sciences & Law & Law

EducationDynamics has made an executive summary of the 2011-12 eLearning Index available online; however, to order a complete copy of the report, colleges and universities should contact Carol Aslanian at 201.377.3321 or caslanian@educationdynamics.com.

About EducationDynamics
EducationDynamics is higher education’s leading marketing information and technology services company dedicated to helping institutions find, enroll and retain students. Its content-rich and highly visible education websites, including EarnMyDegree.com, EducationConnection.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com, TestDriveCollege.com, TestDriveGradSchool.com and its special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition, as well as other innovative solutions including LeadWatchLive, its Web-based inquiry management system. Through Aslanian Market Research, the company brings decades of proprietary research, unparalleled market and student intelligence and best practice insights to clients. For more information, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com/.

Contact:
Lindsey Mikal
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
303-433-7020
lmikal@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com

Business

Insurance King Celebrates 10 Years in Business

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Insurance King celebrates 10 years in business. Insurance King is a low cost car insurance leader in IL that was established in 2002.

Rockford, IL, January 25, 2012 – Insurance King celebrates 10 years in business. Insurance King is a low cost car insurance leader in IL that was established in 2002. “With over 40,000 cars insured and millions of dollars in claims paid in the Rockford, IL area, Insurance King has had a pretty good first 10 years,” said Dan Block co-founder of Insurance King. Insurance King started in 2002, in Loves Park IL, and has grown to 3 locations in Rockford, IL, with the main office at 123 N. Alpine Rd. Rockford, IL 61107, 815-639-0149, serving the West side of Rockford at 3814 Auburn St. Rockford, IL 61103 815-968-(KING)5464, conveniently located next to the DMV, IL Secretary of State License facility, and serving the Midtown district at 319 7th St. Rockford IL 61104 815-316-9522. The office hours are Monday through Friday 9am-5pm at the Auburn and 7th St locations and the main office on Alpine Rd. is 9am-5:30pm Monday through Friday and Saturday 12pm-4pm. Insurance King is also open most holidays simply call for holiday hours.

Co-founder Dan Block says;” the motivation for Insurance King came from personal experiences with finding low cost auto insurance. Dan was involved in an auto accident at the age of 18 which led to him being dropped from his parents policy and forcing him to find his own insurance. Dan was driving a brand new 1995 Ford Mustang GT, and the cheapest policy he found was $480 per month, which was $50 more than the actual payment for his car. In 2000, Dan became a licensed Insurance Agent and worked for a competing Insurance Agency and learned of much lower rates being offered through many different insurance carriers. Dan excelled selling hundreds of auto insurance policies per month when he ran into Scot Nyman, who had just started his own insurance agency. Dan had lunch with Scot and decided to leave where he was and helped create Insurance King, which was originally Nyman Advisors. Dan became very passionate in helping people save on their car insurance and helping people understand what a SR-22 was, that he became a SR-22 expert. Dan began driving to Chicago every Wednesday helping 20 or more get their licenses re-instated the same day with SR-22 filings. The State of IL recognized that Dan was the only Agent doing this and invited Dan to be a part of a mandatory insurance task force. With the help of Dan, the State put measures in place to help prevent fraudulent SR-22 filings and filing SR-22’s electronically. It took 3 years for the task force to get the SR-22’s filed electronically so IL citizens are now able to report their SR-22’s within 24-48 hrs.”

In 2003, Dan Block purchased the Agency from Scot Nyman, and began airing TV and Radio commercials, which have had a cult following. People actually call the Agency to let them know they love certain commercials that they saw or heard. This led Dan to run even more commercials, such as creating a jingle and even purchasing a Lion Mascot costume that dances outside of the locations and appears at social events and in TV commercials.

Today, Insurance King is expanding all over the State of IL and looking to grow into Indiana and Wisconsin. Insurance King is also developing an online rater for people to purchase insurance right from the comfort of their own homes.

To get your free quote for car insurance, contact any Insurance King location in Rockford IL and speak to an agent. Insurance King on Alpine Rd office 815-639-0149, Insurance King on Auburn St office 815-968-(KING)5464 , Insurance King on 7th St. office 815-316-9522, or visit www.insurancekingquote.com to have an agent call you.

Contact:
Dan Block
Insurance King
123 N. Alpine Rd
Rockford, IL 61107
815-639-0149
danblock317@gmail.com
http://www.insurancekingquote.com

Business

Kasasa Changes the Face of Local Banking in Anniston Alabama

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NobleBank and Trust Introduces Kasasa, a Striking Alternative to the Megabank Rollercoaster

Anniston, AL, January 24, 2012 – NobleBank and Trust asks consumers, “Do you Kasasa?” as it becomes the first financial institution in Anniston to launch the country’s most innovative financial products.

Kasasa® is a new brand of free checking and savings accounts that pays consumers to use their account with what interests them most—high interest, automatic savings, or digital downloads from iTunes® or Amazon.com®. These accounts, combined with the personal service that only community financial institutions can deliver, are offering residents a better checking account option than the megabank experience.

“Consumers deserve to wake up to happier days of banking and leave behind the nightmare of megabank fees and mistreatment. We are pleased to be one of two financial institutions in Alabama to offer these unique products,” said Anthony Humphries, president & CEO at NobleBank and Trust. “Kasasa delivers what research shows people really want but believe they can’t have—great financial products with the personal service of a community based financial institution.”

NobleBank and Trust is offering three Kasasa financial products, including Kasasa Cash®, Kasasa Saver®, and Kasasa Tunes®. All Kasasa products are free, reward-based accounts, with no minimum balance to get the rewards, no monthly service fees, online banking and nationwide ATM fee refunds.

Kasasa Cash – A free checking account that pays high interest for every month the account holder qualifies.

Kasasa Saver – A free, high interest saver account linked to a Kasasa Cash checking account. The interest and ATM fee refunds earned in the Kasasa Cash account are automatically deposited into the Kasasa Saver account when the account holder qualifies. The balance in the Kasasa Saver account also earns a high rate of interest.

Kasasa Tunes – A checking account that rewards consumers with digital downloads from iTunes® or Amazon.com® when they qualify.

To receive the Kasasa account benefits, each monthly qualification cycle account holders are asked to do a few simple things like, receive an eStatement, access online banking, use a debit card a minimum number of times, and have an electronic transaction (such as direct deposit) post and clear their account. If an account holder does not meet the qualifications in a given month, NobleBank and Trust will alert the individual, who will be eligible the following month for the benefits.

“Extensive research has shown us that consumers would prefer to do business with community financial institutions, but feel they would lose access to products,” continued Humphries.

“Kasasa is opening people’s eyes to a new banking model where no sacrifices are necessary. It’s a win-win because account holders get innovative products and personalized service.”

In 2009, Kasasa was piloted in six other markets across the U.S. In just the first two months of offering Kasasa, participating community financial institutions reported growth rates upwards of 150% on new account openings and 372% in deposits at institutions focused on deposit growth.

Kasasa is being introduced with an aggressive, highly engaging marketing campaign. It comes to life through a fresh mix of eye-popping advertising, the likes of which exceed the typical megabank’s high-budget programs. The ads feature America’s top slam poets www.kasasa.com/news-and-media/advertising riffing lyrical threads around the theme of “Do you Kasasa?”

Kasasa is distributed to NobleBank and Trust from BancVue, the leading provider of innovative products, dynamic marketing, and data-driven consulting solutions to community financial institutions nationwide to help them win the war against the megabanks.

For more information on Kasasa accounts, consumers can visit www.noblebank.com or www.kasasa.com/noblebanktrust.

Do you Kasasa?
Kasasa® is the first national brand of the most innovative checking accounts available today. The accounts, offered exclusively by the finest community financial institutions, are designed to be the first and only accounts that actually take an interest in their account holders by paying them to use their account with what interests them most—high interest, cash back, automatic savings, money to donate to charity or iTunes® or Amazon.com® downloads. Kasasa, developed and distributed by BancVue, marries innovative banking products with the personal touch of community financial institutions. For more information, visit www.kasasa.com.

About NobleBank and Trust
NobleBank and Trust, a community bank serving Calhoun County and the surrounding areas, was founded in October 2005 on the principles of personal relationships, trust, service and integrity. The bank has grown to over $165 million in assets by offering quality banking products complemented by the latest technology available. NobleBank and Trust has four locations – 1509 Quintard Avenue in Anniston, 646 Valley Cub Drive in Alexandria, 1868 Highway 78 East in Oxford and 100 South Main Street in Piedmont. For more information please visit www.noblebank.com or call 256-741-1800.

Contact:
Katie Weathers
CSG PR
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
(404) 791-8245
kweathers@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com

Business

AAA champions US real estate as alternative investment option

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A growing number of European investors could be turning to US real estate as an alternative investment this year, according to AAA.

Boston, MA, January 25, 2012 – A growing number of European investors could be turning to US real estate as an alternative investment this year, according to Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

The assertion comes in response to a report in the US about the popularity of US real estate among European investors who are growing less and less trusting of European assets. AAA, an alternative investment advocacy group, said that it is easy to see why US real estate could be more attractive than European real estate at the moment, in light of the ongoing Eurozone crisis.

“Quite simply, Europeans are finding it difficult to hold any confidence in their joint currency and its value,” stated Anthony Johnson, AAA’s analysis partner. He added “if the worst should happen and the Euro collapses, so could several property markets, and the value of the currency itself of course.”

Economists in the US claim that Las Vegas is proving a particularly attractive option due to its ‘brand’. Jed Kolko, a property analyst working for Discovery Bay in California, told the Las Vegas Review Journal: “The United States in general looks like a safer investment bet than Europe.”

He added that property prices in Las Vegas have also dropped to very appealing levels in the past few years, with some having fallen by 60 per cent from their peak before the recession took hold.

Kolko added, “There are great deals in Las Vegas. San Francisco is also a global destination, but there aren’t great real estate deals like you have in Las Vegas. So it’s a combination of global destination and affordability,”

AAA supports all kinds of alternative investments, with emphasis on ethical schemes in developing countries. An example is the forestry plantation investment scheme run by Greenwood Management in Brazil, which gives investors the chance to buy up small sections of plantations, on which non-native managed forests are grown under a sustainable model.

Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com