Business Valuation Expert Develops User-Friendly Stock Research And Due Diligence Website

Business Valuation Expert Develops User-Friendly Stock Research And Due Diligence Website
Over the last twelve months, Ian Campbell has developed a
website focused on Small Cap Canadian Mining and Oil & Gas
stocks. The site went live in early December.

If you check in the usual places, you'll find that for more
than 35 years, Campbell has been viewed as a leading
Canadian expert in the rendering of independent business
valuation opinions. He wrote the definitive Canadian books
on it. Doing my own research for this article, I found that
Campbell has recently been honored by the Canadian
Institute of Chartered Business Valuators. They have named
an annual research grant after him.

I interviewed Campbell and asked him why he conceived the
website. He responded that his own frustration with the
data overload on the Internet, coupled with the untold
hours it took him to manage his own portfolio, led him to
realize he could do much better.

Campbell did not fall into the trap of building a service
based only on his needs. He first talked to dozens of
investors. Next, he conducted objective market research.
The result is a special membership site for investors,
their advisers and analysts who want to systematically
research investment ideas.

But knowing that you can save yourself time and money with
your way of researching and conducting your own due
diligence ' as if you were a company acquirer ' was just
not enough. To test his site concept, he had to conduct
market research. Campbell had a seasoned market researcher
work with him to craft and distribute a detailed
questionnaire directed at thousands of individuals in the
U.S. and Canada. Each had at least $100K in the market and
was interested in individually managing or having an
investment adviser handle his portfolio. What he learned
helped him refine the actual 'service offerings' in the
concept.

But for me, it's about how the website provides member
access to a proprietary patent-pending 'due diligence'
questionnaire that includes more than 200 questions
organized by topical headings. The questionnaire searches
through company documents by key words.

The searches are linked to company documents. This enables
subscribing members to link directly to that response as it
appears within the same context within the company
documents. Once the search is concluded, a customized
questionnaire is available for the member's review and
follow-up. Subscribers have an opportunity to quickly and
systematically learn a great deal about an individual
company ' without having first to read unending corporate
documents. (In market research, when you ask 'open-ended'
questions, you're not sure what the respondents are going
to say; but this is usually where the real diamonds are
found.)

Interestingly, members now learn what the company has not
disclosed that may be important to their analysis. All
questions that do not yield a response to the special
keywords search are reproduced in a 'follow-up
questionnaire'.

Now flashback to that survey conducted earlier. "When we
conducted the extensive research earlier this year, I kept
hearing the words: unbiased, independent, and transparent",
Campbell said. "I knew that if we were to get the attention
and loyalty of those who wanted such an investment tool, we
would have to ensure that we accepted no money from anyone
except our own subscriber-members; that we offered unbiased
information; that we would not provide any buying or
selling advice. Moreover, this site had to be totally
transparent", he added.

Now, nearly one year later, Campbell has organized his
observations, conducted extensive research, laid out an
interactive marketing plan; built a site...all according to
what his target group said they wanted.

©Copyright, Roy MacNaughton, 2007

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Learn more about this special site at:
http://www.stockresearchdd.com Roy is a niche marketing
coach and business writer. He's a seasoned marketer, with
more than 30 years of international marketing and financial
experience, including 10 years online. His blog is:
http://www.UmarketingU.com

Personal Vs. Small Business Vs. Corporate Credit Cards

Personal Vs. Small Business Vs. Corporate Credit Cards
I'm sure that anyone who has been on the planet for at
least eighteen years, has received an offer to apply for a
credit card. Television advertisements, internet
advertisements, and credit card applications sent through
the mail, are a constant reminder of just how embedded our
society has become with the use of credit. I personally
don't know any adult who doesn't have at least one active
credit card. Not to mention the numerous car loans, home
loans, personal loans, and business loans, that are all
available to consumers. Let's take a look at three
different types of credit cards.

First, let's take a look at the personal credit card.
There are many different companies that offer personal
credit cards. The rates usually range from nine to twenty
percent. Many companies these days, are now offering zero
percent balance transfers. This ranges from the life of
the credit card balance transferred, down to a few months,
or maybe even two years. Many credit card companies will
offer low introductory rates, and then raise the rate after
a certain period of time. What many consumers don't know
about personal credit cards, is that many times, the credit
card company will give a low introductory rate, and then
raise the rate, if a customer's credit score changes. This
is a very common practice, so one must read over the terms
of the personal credit card very carefully.

Second, let's take a look at the small business credit
card. The rates are usually higher than the personal lines
of credit, due to the substantially higher credit limits.
These rates usually range from twelve to twenty-five
percent. The small business credit card also has limits
that are substantially higher than the personal lines of
credit. The limits usually range anywhere from fifty
thousand dollars, up to several hundred thousand dollars.
This type of card also allows for balance transfers, but
makes it substantially more difficult to transfer larger
balances. These cards have a more flexible cash advance
feature, and a less stringent repayment policy. Many small
business cards can allow the business to pay not just
monthly, but also bi-monthly, or even quarterly. This can
be a tremendous advantage to the small business owner, who
usually operates as a sole proprietorship or a partnership.
The credit limits are usually based on the personal credit
scores of the owners and the amount of income that the
business generates yearly, or quarterly.

The third type of credit card that we will take a look at,
is the corporate credit card. These type of credit cards
are extremely difficult to obtain. One of the reasons, is
that the corporation has to establish a long credit
history. This means that the corporation has to take out
loans, credit accounts, and maintain a good credit history
for a longer period of time, unlike individuals or small
businesses. Another reason that it is difficult to get a
corporate credit card, is that the corporation has to have
a substantial amount of assets, and be profitable for
anywhere from two to five years, before applying for the
line of credit.

The limits on corporate credit accounts are anywhere from
fifty thousand dollars to the infinite millions of dollars.
As the corporation expands, the credit card company will
usually raise the limits. This type of card also allows
for balance transfers, but makes it substantially more
difficult to transfer larger balances. The repayment terms
are very similar to the small business credit card account
holder. The payments aren't necessarily monthly, but may
be bi-monthly and sometimes quarterly. The interest rates
can be substantially higher than the small business, or
personal lines of credit, but this is due to the high
credit limits. The interest rates range anywhere from
twelve to twenty-nine percent. Some credit card companies
have even been known to charge flat rates on credit lines
to corporations. This usually occurs when a very large
corporation wants to borrow a substantial amount of money
against its line of credit.

So there you have it. Personal credit cards usually have
lower limits and lower interest rates, and are paid
monthly. This is in contrast to small business and
corporate cards, which usually have higher limits with
higher interest rates, and can be payed bi-monthly or even
quarterly.

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Bryan Pringle, Ph.D., has written many articles on the
credit industry, and is the webmaster of websites offering
news and information regarding credit cards. For more
information, please visit:
http://www.apply-forcreditcards-online.com

Disability Insurance Income

Disability Insurance Income
We would all like to know exactly what was going to happen
to us in the future, good or bad although it is hard
planning for the good it is much easier, although less
pleasurable to make arrangements for the bad but disability
insurance can help. Often the biggest strain when you are
unable to work is that knowing you must try and recover as
quickly as possible for the sake of your family, and this
causes additional stress so disability insurance can act as
a safety net whilst you are incapacitated. The chances of
you being in need of disability insurance before the age of
65 far exceeds the possibility of death prior to this age.
Unfortunately, this fact is often overlooked when life
insurance coverage is being arranged. If you are aged 40
for example, there is a higher chance that you will be
disabled, and thus unable to work for a period of 90 days
or more, than of you dying before the age of 65.

Of course, when someone is seeking disability insurance
cover, it is imperative to find the best disability
insurance rates and plans available. Unlike life cover,
disability insurance rates are based on the potential
income lost as well as, age, occupation and general health.
There are a few ways of reducing the cost of your
disability insurance with the main one being selecting a
longer period of time or waiting period following an
accident or illness before the disability insurance
payments commence. Some people find that by setting the
plan to pay for only a set period of time, they can
dramatically reduce the premiums they have to pay as it
eases the potential burden to the insurance company but can
be a problem if the time out of work lasts longer than the
plan provides for.

Whatever your situation though, common disability insurance
usually covers only a specific percentage of your original
salary. Reduced period disability insurance is also known
as short term disability and although it may only last a
few months, the benefits can be greater to the claimant. On
the other hand, total disability insurance can provide
limited financial cover for a much longer period but it
will be the responsibility of the claimant to prove that
they are unable to carry out work related tasks that
provided their income previously. Whatever the situation
though, a person making a claim owing to incapacitation
will be sent a disability benefit check every month until
the end of the plan or they return to work.

Some key issues to research in disability insurance
policies include, pre-existing conditions, your own
occupation versus any occupation, timeframes and whether or
not the monthly benefit payment is taxable or tax free.
Each policy is different so the amount of salary the
disability insurance plan will pay will depend entirely on
the policy you decide to go with. To give you an example:
some disability insurance plans pay out as much as seventy
percent of your monthly income in benefit whereas others
can pay as low as forty percent so you need to do your
research to avoid being paid less than you can afford to
survive on. More than any other factor, it is this one that
you need to be sure of as once you have taken out the plan
and found it necessary to make a claim, it will be too late
for you to change it.

----------------------------------------------------
Keith Mallinson BscHons Provides Information on disability
insurance income, what it is, how to find disability
insurance cost and where to find the best disability
insurance mortgage.
http://www.disability.insurance-llc.com/disability-insurance
-income.html

Your Access To Free Credit Reports

Your Access To Free Credit Reports
Free Credit Reports; have you wondered where to get one?
There are so many different web sites out there offering
this service, since it is so important these days to know
what's being reported about you. Everyone knows you can go
once a year to annualcredit report.com to get a free one,
but there are limitations that most don't know. Here are
the issues with this service.
1. No Credit Score
2. You only get access once a year.

Just about every lending institution that looks at your
creditworthiness looks at your score, so shouldn't you get
your free credit score report as well? Every 3 seconds
identity theft takes places, so do you think checking your
report once a year is good enough? I have discussed in
previous articles about the importance of checking your
report every 60 days, because it does not affect your score
and a lot of negativity can be reported about you. Lets
assume you are getting ready to make a big purchase, or you
have just have been denied for a credit application, if you
were better prepared you could of done the following.

1. Negotiated a better interest rate
2. Instead of being told no, you were told yes, because you
were on top of your credit situation.
3. Maybe you got the job, because your credit showed you
were a responsible person.
4. Your insurance premium is lower

Do you see how not properly managing your credit can sneak
into all aspects of your personal life? It's amazing how
your credit is the determining factor for a job these days,
but with the internet now, you can get access to your
profile within a few key strokes securely on-line.

I am sure you are still wondering which report to get, well
you should get a 3-1Free Credit Score Report with all 3
scores. This way you get the entire picture, just like the
creditors do. You also should sign up for monitoring, that
way you are notified when critical changes take place to
your personal report. This is absolutely so important I
would recommend getting starting as soon as you are done
reading this article. I have also mentioned before that
some individual may not even marry you, because of your bad
credit, wow, this credit stuff is really serious business
these days. The need to know is so strong that you need not
wait. I would get your Free Credit Score Report now.

----------------------------------------------------
About the Author: Mike Clover is the owner of
http://www.my720fico.com . My720fico.com is one of the most
unique on-line resources for free credit score reports,
Internet identity theft software, secure credit cards, and
a BlOG with a wealth of personal credit information. The
information within this website is written by professionals
that know about credit, and what determines ones credit
worthiness.

Prepaid Debit Cards: Your First Step toward Better Credit

Prepaid Debit Cards: Your First Step toward Better Credit
If you're having trouble getting approved for a credit
card, a prepaid debit card may be just what you need.
Unlike many regular credit cards, prepaid debit cards do
not perform a credit check when you apply. So if you've had
trouble with credit or have no credit, you'll still be
approved for a prepaid debit card. And these cards come
with other benefits as well. A prepaid credit card can be
the first step down the path to better credit.

How Prepaid Debit Cards Work

Prepaid debit cards are similar to both credit cards and
debit cards. After getting approved for one, you're able to
deposit money into your new account. This is often referred
to as "loading." The amount of money you load on to your
card is equal to your line of credit. When you swipe the
card, the money is subtracted from the amount you
deposited. As long as you have money on your card, you can
make purchases. You can use the card anywhere that debit
cards are accepted.

Having a prepaid debit card is similar to opening a
checking account on a card. You can deposit money whenever
you need to, and spend within your account limits. This
system helps keep you far away from credit card debt.

Benefits of Prepaid Debit Cards

One big advantage of prepaid debit cards is that they are
safer to carry than cash. You can shop for groceries, get
gas, and purchase other items without the hassle of dollar
bills crowding your wallet. And prepaid debit cards are
accepted all over. If you have a card with the MasterCard
or Visa logo, it can be used worldwide.

Another benefit of a prepaid debit card is that you don't
have to worry about paying monthly credit card bills. Since
the amount at your disposal is equal to the balance in your
account, you don't spend money that you don't have. This
saves the headaches involved with high monthly bills and
balances.

It's easy to load money on to your prepaid debit card. Most
cards let you reload any amount of money by calling and
authorizing a transfer of funds. You can also do this
online or through an ATM. This lets you control how much
you want in your account.

Exploring your Options

Companies offer different types of prepaid debit cards.
Before you sign up for one, check for additional fees and
features. One card that lets you transfer money for free is
the ReadyDebit card. With no credit checks and no security
deposits required, you can begin using the card right away.
It's issued through Visa, so you can use it wherever Visa
is accepted.

Another one to check out is the Prepaid Visa RushCard. With
this card, there are no annual or monthly fees. You can use
the card online or over the phone to make purchases. The
Prepaid Visa RushCard also offers some shopping discounts
at participating retailers.

A prepaid debit card may be just what you need to give your
credit a boost. Check through the different options through
credit card websites. The application process is easy. Once
you get the card, you can start taking steps to get back on
track in the credit card world.

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To View Prepaid Debit Card Offers click the following link:
http://www.credit-card-surplus.com/prepaid.php . Ed
Vegliante runs http://www.credit-card-surplus.com , a
directory helping consumers to compare and apply for credit
cards.