So we took some financial advice from our partner, Student Finance Domain, to teach all students how to be more financially prepared for life after college.

College is the time for you to open your first student checking account or college savings account. You need to know how to choose the right bank with the right student banking services, and make sure that it is convenient to your school and home…

Most eco-obsessed college students are too busy fighting global warming to learn how to balance a checkbook, how to invest their money or how to avoid credit card fraud.

So we took some financial advice from our partner, Student Finance Domain, to teach all students how to be more financially prepared for life after college.

Know the Basics

Here are the finance basics that all college students should know:

1. College is the time for you to open your first student checking account or college savings account. You need to know how to choose the right bank with the right student banking services, and make sure that it is convenient to your school and home.
2. Know how to balance a checkbook. This might just save you a lot of money.
3. If you’re in college you’re probably thinking about getting a student credit card or your first college credit card. Be sure to know what different types of credit cards are available to see which ones have better interest rates and rewards.
4. Know about credit card management and credit scores and reports. Being wise about your credit can lead to huge financial advantages in the future.
5. Create a college student budget plan to know how much you can afford to spend and what you can invest.
6. Beginner investing in stocks and bonds will be worth your wait in the future.
7. Student insurance can really save you from the high medical bills and unexpected events of college.
8. So many students rely on financial aid, so it’s important that they know how to apply for financial aid, the different types of financial aid forms, and how college grants and scholarships can help cover the cost of tuition.
9. There are so many different types of student loans to choose from, so you should always compare student loans to see which one is right for you. Student loans are available from the government and private institutions, which both offer undergraduate college student loans and graduate school loans.
10. Other resources are available to students to help them pay for college. Examples are federal work study, the Montgomery GI bill, student community service, ROTC and tuition payment plans.

The more you know at a younger age about your personal finances, the better off you’ll be when you’re older.

It’s advantageous to know how to be eco-friendly and how to manage your money at the same time. The effects of both will make your future much better.

If you’re looking for a bank that fits in with your eco lifestyle, offers great service and has environmentally-friendly buildings, then I’ve discovered the perfect one for you: PNC.

PNC was the first U.S. bank ever to build a green branch in 2002, and since then it has implemented its sustainability policies and green standards into 40 branches across 6 states…

If you’re looking for a bank that fits in with your eco lifestyle, offers great service and has environmentally-friendly buildings, then I’ve discovered the perfect one for you: PNC.

A Bank with a Mission

PNC was the first U.S. bank ever to build a green branch in 2002, and since then it has implemented its sustainability policies and green standards into 40 branches across 6 states. It was recently honored by Working Mother magazine as one of the nation’s ’2007 Best Green Companies’ because it has more certified green buildings than any company in the world.

PNC has begun the effort to make sure that all of its new buildings meet the U.S. Green Building Council standards. Some of the features of the PNC buildings include:

• Solar energy panels on the roof that capture and convert sunlight into energy
• Countertops made of recycled paper and sustainable wood
• ‘Four-element assembly’ window walls that consist of two sheets of glass between two sheets of film to isolate temperatures
• Steel structures made from recycled metal
• Paint and glue used during construction that does not emit greenhouse gases
• Carpet made from recycled products
• The reusing of roof water to flush toilets
• Rubber flooring made from recycled content

Because of PNC’s efforts to use mainly recycled products and alternative energy sources for its buildings, its branches reduce their overall waste consumption by 75%! You can watch a video that outlines PNC’s green efforts here.

Bonus Bank Services

As if PNC’s green services weren’t great enough, the banks also have a concierge desk with someone to greet when you first walk in, plasma televisions to watch while you wait, an indoor coffee bar and an internet café with web access! There are also least four teller stations with a drive-thru service at each bank location.

PNC is setting green high standards for not only banks, but also for major companies across the world. They are also worldwide leaders in providing educational opportunities for children through their partnerships with community non-profit organizations. One such investment is PNC Grow up Great, which provides funds for grants that help the emotional, social and artistic development of children.

So, if you don’t have a bank or you’re thinking about switching to one that supports great causes, check PNC out!

When I think about corn I think about corn on the cob, popcorn, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and other popular, tasty corn products. One thing that I never would have ever considered was corn’credit cards? Oh yes, it’s true! Veridian Credit Union located in Waterloo, Iowa has become part of a revolutionary and eco-friendly movement that transforms traditional plastic credit cards into corn-based, sustainable plastic credit cards…

When I think about corn I think about corn on the cob, popcorn, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and other popular, tasty corn products. One thing that I never would have ever considered was corn’credit cards?

Veridian Credit Union partnered with NatureWorks, the plant manufacturer, and Cargill, the world’s largest corn merchant, to create the product, which is made by turning corn into a resin known as polylactic acid (PA). The acid is turned into tiny pea-sized pellets that are then melted and transformed into the card.

Out with the Old, In with the New

The entire production process uses 65% less energy and produces 68% less harmful greenhouse emissions. And once you’re done with the card or it expires, throw it away and it will decompose into natural compounds in as little as 90 days. But the best thing about the corn cards is that they look and feel exactly like regular plastic credit cards!

It’s important to continue to find innovative ways to sustain the environment. Using corn to make plastic is just one of the many eco-friendly revolutions of our time, and I hope that new ideas keep popping up so that we can keep recycling and reusing old products to decrease the production of harmful new products!