Oscars 2014 Prettiest Red Carpet Dresses

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One of the most exciting parts of The Oscars (and any award show, really) is seeing what the celebrities are going to bring to the table (or carpet). This year, at the 86th Academy Awards at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, California, that took place yesterday, March 2, fashion critics and fans were overall pleased with the fashion that hit the red carpet.

While there were some celebrities that made us think “What were you thinking?” others were so stunning that we couldn’t help but put our televisions on pause and stare at them.

Celebs like “12 Years a Slave” star Lupita Nyong’o, “American Hustle” star Jennifer Lawrence and “Gravity” star Sandra Bullock awed audiences with their gorgeous gowns on the Oscars Red Carpet.

Luckily for some of the stars and best-dressed of the Red Carpet, like Blanchett, Bullock and Nyong’o, they were able to show off their flawless dresses when accepted awards for some Academy Awards. All 86th Academy Award winners are:

  • Best Picture – 12 Years a Slave
  • Best Actor in a Leading Role – Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)
  • Best Actress in a Leading Role – Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
  • Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
  • Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave)
  • Best Animated Feature – Frozen (Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho)
  • Best Cinematography – Gravity (Emmanuel Lubezki)
  • Best Costume Design – The Great Gatsby (Catherine Martin)
  • Best Directing – Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón)
  • Best Documentary Feature – 20 Feet from Stardom (Morgan Neville, Gil Friesen, Caitrin Rogers)
  • Best Documentary Short – The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life (Malcolm Clarke, Nicholas Reed)
  • Best Film Editing – Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger)
  • Best Foreign Language Film – The Great Beauty (Italy)
  • Best Makeup and Hairstyling – Dallas Buyers Club (Adruitha Lee, Robin Mathews)
  • Best Original Score – Gravity (Steven Price)
  • Best Original Song – Let It Go – Frozen
  • Best Production Design – The Great Gatsby (Catherine Martin, Beverley Dunn)
  • Best Animated Short Film – Mr. Hublot (Laurent Witz, Alexandre Espigares)
  • Best Live Action Short Film – Helium (Anders Walter, Kim Magnusson)
  • Best Sound Editing – Gravity (Glenn Freemantle)
  • Best Sound Mixing – Gravity (Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead, Chris Munro)
  • Best Visual Effects – Gravity (Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk, Neil Corbould)
  • Best Adapted Screenplay – 12 Years a Slave (John Ridley)
  • Best Original Screenplay – Her (Spike Jonze)

The show, hosted by the very funny and overall loved Ellen DeGeneres, was claimed to be an overall great show, with very deserving Academy Award winners.

Which Auto Financing Option Is Best For You

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Because there are so many ways to finance a car, there is no reason why buyers should focus on one particular method to finance a vehicle. There are several ways to finance a car and understanding each method is very important for first time buyers. At the auto dealership or at the bank, the paper work may be confusing, so being educated is a requirement. Many first time buyers use only the best financing options; however, there are eight common methods that are highly recommended.

During the shopping process, no matter if it is a new or used vehicle; there will be various financing options. However, most first time buyers simply buy their vehicles directly from the dealer. They do this because it is the most convenient option. They will not have to travel to a bank or a credit union; all financing is done at one location. When using this particular method, be aware of markups; the dealer may increase the financing rates. Although dealership financing options are convenient, most first time buyers think that dealership financing is the only option. Shopping around for other financing options that are offered by third party lenders may be a better choice depending on the dealership.

Banks and credit unions should be considered as well. When banks provide loans to first time car buyers, they provide the loans on their own terms. In some cases, banks may offer cheaper interest rates. If a bank does this, consider taking the bank’s offer to the dealership; the salesperson at the car dealership may lower the dealership’s offer if the bank’s offer is better. A credit union is a great way to finance a car as well.

Another option is using a captive financing company. These types of companies are agents of the car manufacturers. Captive auto companies have one purpose, and that purpose is getting buyers into the vehicles that are offered by the auto company.

First time car buyers that may get a big financial windfall in the future should consider a balloon payment loan. When this method is used, the payments each month will be lower. However, although the payments will be less, the company will need a big payment once the loan term ends.

A secured car loan is a loan that is backed by different types of collateral, such as another vehicle or general property. Because this loan uses collateral, the interest rates are often lower. When first time buyers use their current driving vehicles as collateral, they use an auto pawn loan. However, using this particular type of loan has some major risks. The payments can have multiple loan segments, and the debt and interest could increase.

Long term car loans give buyers a much lower monthly payment; however, the loan takes longer to pay. The usual amount of time it takes to completely pay a long term car loan is about seven years. This has some minor risks as the buyer may end up paying more than the vehicle is worth. Overall, there are many car financing options for first time buyers. Consider the best method based on the financial situation.