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Amazon.com (AMZN) Has a Lot Riding on Amazon Prime Day

By U.S. News & World Report

Today is Amazon Prime Day — the online retailer’s annual one-day sale that, in just three years, has become a major market-moving event for Amazon.com, Inc (ticker: AMZN) and its competitors.

Analysts expect the sales of Amazon Prime Day to be the biggest in the company’s history, and the bar has been set extremely high. Although Amazon doesn’t release official Prime Day sales numbers, the online retailer generated an estimated $500 to $600 million in revenue from last year’s event, according to Morningstar. In a news release, Amazon confirmed that Prime Day 2016 was “the biggest day ever for Amazon.”

[See: The Top 10 Investment Portfolio for Millennials.]

The company said its recorded 20 times more sales than its average day on Prime Day 2016. In addition, Prime Day 2016 sales were up 60 percent globally compared to Prime Day 2015.

This year’s Prime Day will likely be even bigger than last year’s event because it has been extended from 24 hours to 30, starting at 9 p.m. ET Monday.

While Amazon investors are hoping for big sales numbers from this year’s Prime Day, the event is about more than just merchandise sales. Amazon is also looking to boost Amazon Prime membership by promoting free one-month trial subscriptions. It is also pushing many of its own products, including a 50 percent discount on the Amazon Echo, a 25 percent discount on the Kindle Paperwhite E-reader and a 40 percent discount on the Fire 7 Tablet.

“It’s no secret that some of Prime Day’s best deals have been on Amazon products,” said Maya Mikhailov, co-founder of GPShopper. This year, Mikhailov said Amazon may take the opportunity to promote its push into the grocery business. Amazon acquired grocery chain Whole Foods Market, Inc. ( WFM) in June in a high-profile $13.4 billion deal.

Kantar Retail e-commerce analyst Meaghan Werle says Amazon will likely try to capitalize off of the buzz surrounding the Whole Foods deal.

“I think [Amazon] will definitely focus a lot on food [this year], as it becomes more of a staple channel,” Werle said.

[See: 9 Most-Loved Stocks in the Trump White House.]

For now, Amazon investors eagerly anticipating Amazon’s Prime Day press release later in the week. In 2015, Amazon stock outperformed the Standard & Poor’s 500 index by 6.5 percent the week of Prime Day. In 2016, however, Amazon stock underperformed the S&P 500 by nearly 3 percent during Prime Day week.

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Amazon.com (AMZN) Has a Lot Riding on Amazon Prime Day originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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