A Review of the Associated Investors of Alabama Real Estate Investment Program

A Review of the Associated Investors of Alabama Real Estate Investment Program
Associated Investors of Alabama, Inc. offers the chance to
become more knowledgeable in the real estate world with
their website. It doesn't matter where you live, this
company gives everyone a state-by-state guide so anyone can
get involved in the program. There are three hundred
investment opportunities at your disposal, leaving plenty
of reason to research their information.

However, this may take some time because their website is
loading with everything you need involving real estate,
leaving Associated Investors of Alabama, Inc. as one of the
leaders in this form of information. The four different
categories they have give you anything from reading
courses, audio information, eBooks and more to make you
feel educated.

Real Estate Investment Program

Consider Associated Investors of Alabama, Inc. to be the
main source of real estate information as opposed to a
specific investment program. What happens is the company
offers a chance for you to fill out a form and become a
member of their club. There are both individual and family
member options with a cost of $72 or $108 respectively.
Keep in mind, if you wait until after the end of August to
renew, there is a $50 upcharge fee.

The real investment comes with the 300 companies you can
find on their websites. It is very professionally set up
with groups and contact members right from the beginning.
Even if you would like to add your own club, there is
availability by filling out a small form. You can find
your state where meetings can be set up with the contact
person at the establishment they have listed within their
information. Scrolling down to the bottom of the page is
where you will find the additional states.

Benefits of the Membership

Once a member of the Associated Investors of Alabama, Inc.
there are a plethora of benefits offered which include free
educational meeting with some of their top speakers, email
newsletters, connections to banks who will loan money to
investors at no cost, not to mention other discounts for
any out of state meetings you intend to travel to
throughout the year.

The discussion boards have to be right up there in regards
to the benefits Associated Investors of Alabama, Inc. has
the ability to offer. An individual or family can go to
this area and put their homes up for sale, rental
properties, and basically anything real estate. Anyone who
may have questions about the information they have been
presented with can ask about them in the forum as well.
Then of course, it's an easy way to keep up with special
news, meetings, and any other announcements they may have
for you.

Final Thoughts

The best part about Associated Investors of Alabama, Inc.
is everyone interested in real estate can get involved.
Someone new to the industry has plenty to learn and those
who are seasoned veterans can learn from the best through
emails, audio seminars, and phone conferences, along with
face to face introductions. The idea however is to go to
meetings and interact with others learning everything you
can abut this kind of investment industry. When you get a
chance look it over, you might just want to get started
today.

----------------------------------------------------
Learn the Lemons from the Straight MLM Winners at
http://www.MLMreviewKings.com/trivita.html
from Brian Garvin and Jeff West at
http://www.MLMreviewKings.com .
This article may be used royalty free provided Bio & Links
remain intact.
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Worldwide

Avoiding Inheritance Tax - Planning For The Informed

Avoiding Inheritance Tax - Planning For The Informed
Many clients have accumulated substantial funds within ISAs
and PEPs over the past 10 years and enjoyed significant tax
breaks in the process.

It's not unusual to see clients with capital in PEPs and
ISAs in excess of £200,000 enjoying the freedom to
switch investments without incurring capital gains tax,
personal liability to tax on dividend income or bond
interest received within the tax sheltered 'wrapper'.

However, as clients get older and inheritance tax (IHT)
becomes an important consideration in their financial
planning, many fail to recognise that capital growth from
any investment held within the estate may ultimately be
worth only 60% of its accrued value. Inheritance tax could
easily apply at 40%, both to the assets themselves and any
growth achieved over the years.

So the 'tax-free' growth from PEPs and ISAs may not be all
it seems...

To illustrate this, let us assume that a male client aged
70 has £200,000 invested in PEPs and ISAs and has no
personal need for the income generated of approximately 3%
per annum gross.

Current life expectancy for a 70-year-old male is just
under 85 years old (source: Faculty and Institute of
Actuaries 2007). Assuming a total annualised return of 7%
per annum net of costs is achieved, in 15 years' time the
portfolio may be worth in the region of £515,000.

If we assume the family home will utilise the nil-rate
band* at the time of death (ie, assuming £600,000 for
a married couple in today's money), the whole of the PEP
and ISA portfolio may be subject to IHT at 40%. The net
value passing to the family will then be just
£309,000.

If instead, the client had chosen to receive income
generated within the PEPs and ISAs and made regular gifts
of this surplus income to the family - for example, to help
with school fees or to increase tax-efficient pension
funding - then the future capital value would be reduced to
just £346,000.

The liability to IHT at 40% on those assets would be
£138,400, leaving £207,600 passing to the
family.

However, income distributions over the period, even
ignoring growth on any gifts made, would amount to
£150,770 and importantly, be free of IHT in the hands
of the person donated to. In total, the family would have
received £358,370 - overall, a saving of
£49,370 and perhaps more importantly, the next
generation would have the use of those funds when they need
them most.

In summary, in certain circumstances and especially as
clients get older, it may be better to 'cap' growth within
the ISA or PEP and to change investment strategy in order
to generate increased tax-efficient income for distribution
to the investor.

Providing this income can be considered for gifting to the
family, there is unlikely to be any eventual liability to
IHT under the 'normal expenditure from income' exemption
and less capital will find its way into the hands of the
Treasury.

Care is required both in terms of recording the gifts and
to ensure they meet the criteria for the exemption, ie,
they must be 'normal expenditure', made from genuine income
and after allowing for the gifts, the person transferring
must be left with enough income to maintain their usual
standard of living. Even gifts out of income will not
qualify for exemption if the person transferring has to
resort to capital for living expenses.

Keeping a record of the gifts made is vital as the 'test'
for the exemption is only carried out post-death.

Finally, where clients wish to retain access to funds or
control of the capital, other approaches such as 'gift and
loan' trusts or discounted gift trusts may offer more
suitable strategies. However, the overriding objective in
all these scenarios is to move future growth outside the
estate.

* Projected to increase at 3% per annum and have increased

Key Considerations:

There are a number of options available to you when it
comes to estate planning, and inheritance tax mitigation.
It is imperative that you consider ALL the options
available to you before you take any action.

ACTION POINT

Calculate what your current exposure is to IHT. Once you've
done this, devise suitable strategies to help reduce the
amount of tax that your beneficiaries would have to pay.
It's advisable to speak to an estate planning specialist as
of all the financial planning areas, this is probably one
of the most complicated.

----------------------------------------------------
Ray Prince is an Independent Financial Planner with
Rutherford Wilkinson plc, and helps UK Resident Doctors and
Dentists get the best deals on mortgages, protection and
investments, as well as helping them achieve their
financial objectives. Just visit
http://www.medicaldentalfs.com to get your free retirement
planning guide. Rutherford Wilkinson plc is authorised and
regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

How To Repair Your Broken Credit Report

How To Repair Your Broken Credit Report
It might be a fact that I had the worst credit report in
the world or at least thats how the banks treated me but
what if I told you that it was possible to erase everything
negative from your credit report, with out filing for
bankruptcy and in return keeping only the good credit and
raising your credit score drastically.

You may have heard about many different Ads books, systems
and secrets to help you repair your credit fast. Many of
these programs have claim to Erase bad credit and smash
your debts with just 2 Magic Letters! Create a completely
new credit file in 24hrs! Well I bet you wonder are these
types of claims too good to be true? The answer is Yes and
no.

Everybody loves to believe that the only thing that can
repair bad credit is time; but on the real nothing could be
further from the truth. The fact is, time is only one
aspect that can repair a credit report (but that is not the
only way). because a consumer protection law known as the
Fair Credit Reporting Act (a.k.a FCRA) says that the only
negative information which can remain on your credit report
is not what is true but what can be proved to be true.

That means that any negative item on your credit report can
only remain there if it is accurate and CAN BE PROVED AS
ACCURATE under the guidelines of the FCRA. this fact
presents consumers with both good news and bad news. The
good news is that through the FCRA your credit score can
most likely be improved drastically in a very short period
of time with only a little bit of effort on your part.

The bad news is that while the actual way will take very
little of your time, it is important that you have good
information on hand to go about it. now this is the really
bad news; 9 out of 10 courses on repairing your credit will
do nothing more than lead you down the wrong road. This is
because they provide you with some out-dated dispute
letters which are not that effective. These are nothing
more than form letters and to tell the truth the Credit
Bureaus and Creditors will laugh at you if you try to use
them.

The key element that you will need for success is the
latest inside techniques and procedures to get the results
you want. These involve strategies known as Proof of
Contract, Constructive Notice Challenge of Procedure or
Restrictive Endorsement and many others.

All these terms may be impressive but they are really quite
simple. In the end, it is nothing more than a method of
communication which exercises your consumer protection
rights, which gets the results you want and raises your
credit score.

----------------------------------------------------
This Article was written by Keishon Martin who operates
http://www.Newmoneycredit.com where you can get the best
self credit repair package on the internet. also check out
his daily blog @ http://www.blogmessiah.com

Do you need your Credit Scores with Credit Report?

Do you need your Credit Scores with Credit Report?
I was real excited after I went to annualcreditreport and
got my free credit report. But to my surprise there were no
credit scores. I started asking myself since everyone looks
at your credit score shouldn't I know what my scores are? I
would assume there is a reason for a credit score to begin
with, and some very important purpose behind this magical
number that everyone closely looks at these days. In this
article I will discuss why you need to know your credit
score and by not knowing it how it can affect your personal
life.

Reasons for knowing your credit score:
When you apply for a loan, all lenders look at your credit
score to determine what type of loan they will put you in.
Your score will also determine the rate and terms as well.
This magical number also will dictate how much money you
need to put down on the purchase too. The lower your score
the higher your risk, and the uglier your loan terms are.
This is just one example of why you need to know this 3
digit number.

When applying for that higher paying job, guess what most
companies are doing now. They pull your credit, and if your
score is low I am sure they may consider hiring the
applicant with the same credentials but higher score. You
might ask yourself why, and the answer would be risk. Your
score gives anyone that requests your report the type of
risk you are. This employer may think you are an
irresponsible person by having low scores. This could cause
them to pass you up on the position.

Maybe you are trying to get insurance for a car, house, or
a boat. All insurance agents pull your credit, and
determine your premium based on your credit score. The
software that spits out this number will even affect your
insurance cost. This is amazing if you think about it. Even
utility companies are pulling your credit report now, and
if you have bad credit they will require larger deposits,
just incase you skip out on the bill.

Since everyone is looking at your credit score to determine
your credit risk, maybe its time to learn all three of your
scores. With the current credit crunch that is taking
place, matters will only get tough to get loans. There has
never been a more important time to learn what is being
reported about you. So the answer is yes, you need to know
all three of your credit scores. It is recommended that you
pull your credit report every 4 months, since anything can
change within a 30 day window on your report. Below is a
example of what is considered good scores according to my
FICO.

* Excellent: Over 750
* Very Good: 720 or more
* Acceptable: 660 to 720
* Uncertain: 620 to 660
* Risky: less than 620

----------------------------------------------------
About the Author: Mike Clover is the owner of
http://www.creditscorequick.com/ . CreditScoreQuick.com is
the one of the most unique on-line resources for free
credit score report, fico score, 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.

Three Types of Wisconsin Reverse Mortgages

Three Types of Wisconsin Reverse Mortgages
The three basic types of reverse mortgage are:
single-purpose reverse mortgages, which are offered by some
state and local government agencies and nonprofit
organizations; federally-insured reverse mortgages, which
are known as Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs), and
are backed by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) or Federal housing Administration (FHA);
and proprietary reverse mortgages, which are private loans
that are backed by the companies that develop them.

Single-purpose reverse mortgages generally have very low
costs. But they are not available everywhere, and they only
can be used for one purpose specified by the government or
nonprofit lender. An excellent example is the city of
Madison, WI which allows seniors over 65 with less than
30,000 in income to pay their property taxes with a
modified reverse mortgage. In most cases, you can qualify
for these loans only if your income is low or moderate.

HECM's and proprietary reverse mortgages tend to be more
costly than other home loans. The up-front costs can be 2%
FHA and 2% origination fee plus all the normal fees
associated with a mortgage (closing costs). Like a
refinance if you plan on being in your house a short amount
of time, it may not be worthwile to take out a reverse
mortgage. These mortgages are available just about anywhere
and have no credit or income requirements. The money you
receive either upfront or monthly can be used for whatever
you want. There is also the option of getting a line of
credit, which provides even more flexibility.

Before applying for a HECM, you must meet with a counselor
from an independent government-approved housing counseling
agency. The counselor must explain the loan's costs,
financial implications, and alternatives. For example,
counselors should tell you about government or nonprofit
programs for which you may qualify, and any single-purpose
or proprietary reverse mortgages available in your area.
They can't steer you to a particular lender but can tell
you what to expect. In the State of Wisconsin you can do
this over the phone if you can't get to a counseling place.

The amount of money you can borrow with a HECM or
proprietary reverse mortgage depends on several factors,
including your age, the type of reverse mortgage you
select, the appraised value of your home, current interest
rates, and where you live. In general, the older you are,
the more valuable your home, and the less you owe on it,
the more money you can get.

The HECM gives you choices in how the loan is paid to you.
You can select fixed monthly cash advances for a specific
period or for as long as you live in your home. Or you can
opt for a line of credit, which allows you to draw on the
loan proceeds at any time in amounts that you choose.You
also can get a combination of monthly payments plus a line
of credit.

The last type is the proprietary reverse mortgage, which is
a reverse mortgage that is backed and owned by the mortgage
company that markets it. Proprietary reverse mortgages are
generally the most expensive type. If your home is worth
more than the HUD's 203b limit for your county you may be
able to get out more money than with the HECM. if you have
a higher appraised value without a large mortgage, then you
may likely qualify for greater funds. Location (for
example, your neighborhood) is only one part of the
determination of appraised value.It is also possible it may
be less expansive than an HECM in the early years of the
mortgage because the insurance is not required.

As you can see some investigation needs to go into
obtaining a reverse mortgage. you must make sure you are
financially making the right decision when going with this
type of loan program. As always make sure you seek out and
expert in Wisconsin Reverse Mortgages who can help answer
your questions.

----------------------------------------------------
David Forer is an expert on Wisconsin Reverse Mortgages
with over 15 years experience with credit repair, debt
management, and mortgages in the state. He has a free
informational e book on Reverse Mortgages at
http://www.wisconsinreversemortgages.net/ebook.html

this
is not a sales book!

Real Estate Investment Trusts—A Long-Term Investment Strategy

Real Estate Investment Trusts—A Long-Term Investment Strategy
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are for-profit trusts
established by Congress in 1960. Their purpose is to give
small investors an opportunity to invest in large,
income-producing properties.

Stocks of many public REITs are available on major stock
exchanges and offer investors an efficient way of investing
in real estate. Each shareholder earns a pro-rata share of
the REIT profits. There are also private-owned REITs which
operate in much the same manner.

Overall, these trusts are definitely a long-term investment
strategy, but a good one for people who don't have the time
or inclination to be full-time investors. Within the public
and private REIT categories there are several types of
trusts:

Equity REITs. These trusts own and operate income-producing
properties (e.g. shopping centers, apartments, office
buildings, warehouses, hotels, etc.). They may specialize
in a certain market sector and in a certain geographic
location, or they may invest nationally.

Mortgage REITs. These trusts concentrate on the financing
end of the business. They tend to be real estate property
owners and operators or, they provide indirect credit
through buying loans (e.g. Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed
securities, etc.). The revenue from these latter trusts
comes mainly from interest earned on their mortgage loans.

Hybrid REITs. These trusts combine the investment
strategies of both equity REITs and mortgage REITs.
Qualifications for Public REITs To qualify as a public
REIT, a company must, in general: Pay at least 90% of its
taxable income to its shareholders every year. Have at
least 100 shareholders. Invest at last 75 percent of its
total assets in real estate. Derive at least 75% of its
income from rent or mortgage interest from properties in
its portfolio.

Advantages of Public REITS.These trusts have several
advantages: There is no required minimum. They have a lower
risk compared to stocks. They are a good income source and
provide a consistent stream of income. No public market
fluctuations As of 2005, all REITs had produced a 10.68%
return over a 20-year period. (Source: National Association
of Real Estate Trusts) REITs provide good dividends, but
they are taxable) They offer diversification and, thus,
more safety. They offer high liquidity; it's easy to enter
and exit a REIT.

A REIT corporation or trust generally doesn't pay corporate
income tax to the IRS or to the state.

Disadvantages of Public REITs. A downturn in a specific
investment area can seriously damage a REIT investment.
However, this possibility can be reduced by investing in
REITs that own diversified companies within a variety of
industry sectors.

Another disadvantage of public REITs is that they generally
don't perform as well as the stock market on a long-term
historical basis. Privately-Owned REITs These trusts
possess all of the advantages of public REITs. However,
they tend to generate higher income and pay out higher
dividends (6-7% compared to a pubic REITs' 5-6%.

In terms of disadvantages, the upfront fees can be higher
than with public REITS and such trusts are also not as
liquid. In other words, it can be tougher to cash out than
with public REITs.

A third potential disadvantage is limited transparency;
that is, investors may not know exactly what the trustees
are doing on a day-to-day basis. Methods of Investing in
REITs You can buy shares of individual companies, or you
can invest in diversified REIT mutual funds. It's very easy
to invest through such vehicles as an IRA, Keogh, etc. You
can also invest through borrowed money to buy REIT shares
on margin.

Key Point: Use REITs for long-term investing strategy.

----------------------------------------------------
Jack Sternberg is a nationally recognized expert on real
estate investment who's been in the business for more than
30 years. Sternberg is the creator of the renowned "Buyers
First" Program. His deals have totaled over $750 million
and he's been to the closing table more than 1,500 times.
For more, visit http://www.askjacksternberg.com

Covered Calls: Maverick Investor Goes Head-to-Head With Motley Fool

Covered Calls: Maverick Investor Goes Head-to-Head With Motley Fool
A covered call strategy is a way of effectively 'renting
out' your shares for a steady income of around 5% per
month, in a similar way to renting out your investment
property.

Warren Buffet does it, as do a lot of the large
buy-and-hold investors, because it makes sense to generate
income on stock holdings while you wait for them to rise in
value, or to produce dividends.

It may not be right for everyone, of course, but if you're
interested in generating 3% - 5% every month from covered
calls, then you owe it to yourself to get as well informed
about the strategies as you can.

Now, in searching the web for more information on covered
calls, you may well stumble across an article on Motley
Fool called "Stay Away From Covered Calls".

The author, Dan Caplinger, makes the fundamental error of
seeing covered calls as a 'gimmick' that doesn't really
make much sense. His case is built on sand, and there are a
few large holes in his arguments.

This Motley Fool article has been brought to our attention
on a number of occasions now, and it's time to correct the
errors Mr Caplinger has made.

1. In his RS example, Caplinger says that the stock was
stuck around $20 for most of 2004 and 2005 (there's a link
to the 5-year chart below).

Assume the stock was 'stuck' for 20 months, and assume 5% a
month in premium income for selling the covered calls. That
means you'd be making $100 a month per option sold for
twenty months, for a stock holding of $2,000 per option.
So, after 20 months, your stock is effectively free,
because you've got back 20 x $100 in premium income.

2. All the time you're generating that income, you know the
stock is going to break out of the range at some point -
but up or down, and when, no one knows! It's fine now
saying it broke up, but it could have gone the other way
or, indeed, done nothing at all.

3. Once it does break up, and you get your stock called
away at a profit, there's nothing at all to stop you
getting right back in again! In the same hour! Assuming the
premium still looks good, and the charts look OK, this is
what a lot of covered call traders do.

You'll also notice from the chart that it wasn't quite the
smooth run from $25 to $60 that Caplinger implies. The
first break went to around $50, but then fell back to $30
before climbing again. There's plenty of opportunity in
there to make significant sums from covered calls in this
period, too!

Caplinger is basically arguing for a buy-and-hold strategy,
or what is sometimes called a buy-and-pray strategy, which
means you can only make money when the stock goes up. (With
dividends, maybe you make a bit if it holds steady, too).

With covered calls, you profit when the stock goes up, down
or sideways! You have far more bases covered. Sure, you
might miss a big move occasionally, but so what? As an
investor, you are never wrong to take a profit, no matter
what happens subsequently.

At Maverick Investor, we believe that...

(steady monthly income) + (no losing trades)

beats

(occasional big upward moves) - (money tied up in stocks
going nowhere) - (some losing trades)

Every Time!

I can't comment on the tax, but there are entirely legal
and above board techniques to trade covered calls without
paying any tax at all.

As for commissions, I'm amazed he even mentioned them!
They're so small now with online trading that that is
almost irrelevant. OptionsXpress, as an example, quote a
minimum of $29.90 for covered calls. Think or Swim are even
lower, starting at $2.95 per option contract, and a $9.95
flat fee for stock trades up to 5,000 shares.

All in all, this is not the most impressively
thought-through article I've ever read, and quite a
disappointing drop in the usually high standards at Motley
Fool.

----------------------------------------------------
You can find the Motley Fool article at
http://tinyurl.com/38hpoz
The 5-year RS chart is at http://tinyurl.com/34m44q
To find out more about making 5% a month from covered
calls, visit http://maverick-investor.com and click on the
Covered Calls section.

The Basics of Yahoo Finance

The Basics of Yahoo Finance
Investment for future is a wise thing to do for your
retirement. One form of such investment is purchasing
stocks, which represent a fraction of the company, so that
when you purchase stocks of that company, you are in a way
purchasing into that company. You can get profit if the
company gets profit, and lose money if the performance of
the company goes down. Success in purchasing stocks on the
net comes from the ability to see the bigger picture of the
market and from concentrating on even the smallest details.

Yahoo Finance is one of the services provided by Yahoo that
gives almost all kinds of financial information including
stock exchange rates, stock quotes, financial reports,
corporate press releases and famous message boards to
discuss the stock valuation and prospects of a company. In
addition to that, it also provides some host tools for the
management of personal finance.

At Yahoo Finance, you will have access to a huge range of
financial resources including
- Latest market information including delayed quotes,
historical price data, tracking of personal portfolio, SEC
filings, mutual funds and stocks charts, data of insider
trading, exchange rates of currencies, estimates of
earnings and research, recommendations of brokerage and
listings of industries and sectors.
- The service also includes display of financial news from
different news agencies world wide, editorial contents from
various experts and external links for news from other web
sites.
- Personal finance tools like calculators, rates and
glossary.
- Content on personal finance including how to guides,
comments from experts and latest finance news.
- Interactive features like stock chat rooms and financial
message boards.
- Quotes and information from European markets of UK,
France, Italy and Germany, Asian markets of South Korea and
Japan and markets of Australia and New Zealand.
- And an ample directory of other web sites.

If you want to start investing and want to learn the basics
about financial planning and stock market, the category of
Investment References and Guides on Yahoo Finance directory
can be a great help to you. In this, you will find numerous
resources which will assist you to get started with the
stocks, mutual funds, bonds and other vehicles of
investment. However, in regard to trading actually, Yahoo
Finance is not a provider of brokerage service, but you
will have to register with a stock brokerage firm for
selling and buying stocks. For that purpose, you will have
to go to brokerage listings present in the Yahoo Directory.

Yahoo Finance contains the most updated financial
information on the net. Prices, annual high & low, changes
in dividend rates and outstanding common shares are updated
daily; corporate action items like exchange changes and
stock splits, officer changes and flash earnings
announcements are updated as and when they are announced;
quarterly financial statements, company phone numbers and
addresses and shares that are held in public hands, the
float, are updated after every 3 months; officer names,
number of employees and annual financial statements are
updated every year; the mutual fund reports are updated
once a day at around 6 pm; 2-year, 5-year and max charts
are updated once a week on Friday, after the market gets
closed; Research reports are updated every day; Downgrades
and upgrades are updated 3 times a day; IPO news is
continuously updated during the whole day.

----------------------------------------------------
http://www.story-of-finance.com

Romanian Property is Hottest in Europe

Romanian Property is Hottest in Europe
Emerging property markets that bear all the hallmarks of
future success are really quite hard to find. That is until
I looked at the case for Romania. It offers property
investors all the future capital growth they would want
from an emerging real estate market. But don't take my word
for it try following the multi nationals, they have all the
resources possible to select the best markets in which to
invest.

The car manufacture Ford recently invested in Romania by
officially taking control of Romania Automobile Company
Craiova, the former Daewoo operation. Fords commitment
includes plans to boost the plant's annual production
capacity to 300,000 units and double employment to 7,000.
Ford executives said the factory will assemble the Transit
Connectin 2009 and a new small car in 2010. John Fleming,
president and CEO of Ford of Europe, said the Transit
Connect, a compact commercial delivery vehicle, will go
into production in Craiova in mid-2009. The vehicle
currently is built only in Turkey, but Ford's assembly
operation there is at full capacity. Earlier this year,
Ford announced plans to begin marketing the Transit Connect
in the U.S. in summer 2009.

Romania is proving to be a safe place to invest with high
capital appreciation especially in the Bucharest area. The
property market which offers homes at very low prices has
in some areas of Romania seen bullish growth rates of 25%
to 30% p.a. for the last 3 years. Romania is currently
undergoing major infrastructural developments which will
see further capital growth all over the country.

Real estate agents and many pundits say that the growth
trend is expected to carry on for the next 5 years. Romania
joining the EU January 1st 2007 along with the development
of tourism on the Black Sea coast and in Transylvania, has
secured the regions future in the years to come. It will
have one of the fastest growing economies in Europe

The Super Highway between Constanta and Budapest which will
go through Bucharest and Brasov will be a critical element
in securing Brasov's role in Eastern Europe on a long-term
basis. Not to mention that low cost airlines fly to several
cities in Romania lead by Wizz Air and Easyjet.

British citizens are increasingly purchasing properties in
Romania either as investments or holiday homes.

Romanian property prices are very cheap in rural areas but
you need to be prepared to spend some time and to have
renovation expenditures for your property to achieve
British standards.

Mortgages are now available for foreigners. Should you wish
to buy a villa or a plot of land, you will need to set up a
company which is a very simple process - your estate agent
should assist you with it. Purchasing a new or off-plan
apartment can be carried out in your name without
necessarily requiring a company formation.

What is for sure Romania offers investors a one off
opportunity to enter a market in its infancy. Readers of my
articles will know that my firm belief is that profits are
not just made on sale but on the purchase price. This is
why Romania has a compelling case for overseas property
investment but you will need to get your skates on.

----------------------------------------------------
Author Nicholas Marr has written numerous articles about
overseas property. His articles are based on his experience
of working with hundreds of international real estate
agents in his capacity as CEO of overseas property portal

http://romania.homesgofast.com/

Do Credit Inquires hurt your Credit Score?

Do Credit Inquires hurt your Credit Score?
A credit inquiry is an item on your credit report that
shows with permission a creditor requested your free credit
score report.

Not all credit inquiries affect your credit score:
You may notice when you pull your credit report there are
inquiries on there from a business you are not familiar
with. The only inquiry that affects your credit score is
the one where you are applying for credit. This is
considered a hard pull on your report.

Inquiries that affect your credit score:
There is only one type of inquiry that affects your credit
score. This type of inquiry is applications for a mortgage,
auto loan and other credit, by you authorizing these
creditors to access your credit report. This type of
inquiry prompted by your own actions ends up on your
personal credit report and affects your score.

An inquiry that does not affect your credit score: Checking
your own personal credit report or any business that offers
goods and services that requests your report. A business
that you already have a account with that requests a check.
A potential employer that does credit checks. Some of these
types of inquiries might show up on your report but do not
affect your credit score.

Checking your credit report does not affect your credit
score:
Checking your credit report on a regular basis to ensure it
is accurate and error free is recommended by Fair Isaac the
inventor of the FICO Score. Maintaining a error free credit
report is part of credit management which will improve your
credit rating over time. Ordering your credit report at
CreditScoreQuick.com does not hurt your credit score.

How credit inquiries are factored in your Credit Score:
There are five types of information used to calculate your
credit score. Each category accounts towards a percentage
of your score.

Payment History - 35%
Amounts Owed - 30%
Length of Credit History - 15%
Types of Credit in use - 10%
New Credit - 10%

Don't let inquires scare you. There is nothing wrong with
shopping for a better rate, or better terms on a loan. As
you can see in the about chart, payment history is the
biggest factor in calculation process of your credit score.
The second biggest factor is how much of your approved
credit limits are charged up. But of course you don't want
to go out and start applying for every credit offer out
there either. Be responsible and have a good mix of credit,
but stay away from too much credit as well You really on
need 3 lines of credit reporting on your credit report.

Example:
1. credit card
2. car note
3. installment loan

This type of credit mix accounts for 10% of your score.

----------------------------------------------------
About the Author: Mike Clover is the owner of
http://www.creditscorequick.com/ . CreditScoreQuick.com is
the one of the most unique on-line resources for free
credit score report, fico score, 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.

Forex Trading Can Be Rather Intimidating for Beginners!

Forex Trading Can Be Rather Intimidating for Beginners!
Learning to master Forex trading online for someone who has
no background in the financial markets can be rather
intimidating. When it comes to Forex trading,
understanding the terminology and the Forex trading
strategies before you begin is vital - especially if you
want to see some measure of success.

But with all the simplicity and promises of wealth, the
fact is that the Forex trading is a very risky business.
It is a fact that people who didn't have the right
knowledge and skills trading in the Forex marketplace
suffered large financial losses and some even went into
debt. Many people who did well in the Forex marketplace
however first of all gained the knowledge and skills
necessary to do successful trading in this very liquid and
very large economic marketplace.

Beginner Forex traders must invest in their knowledge base
first. If you are serious about investing in Forex market,
building up your trading skills and knowledge is the very
first step that you must take. Forex traders must secondly
get the right trading system and strategies in place. It
is wise to research very well and consider all the various
brokers' system available to you before making your choice.
Although learning as you go will probably work for most
people, it might also be a good idea to invest in an e-book
on trading the Forex or check out some of the more general
sites that offer free training tools and online how-to
articles and guides about Forex trading for beginners.

As a Forex trading beginner you may not be accustomed yet
to the hustle and bustle of forex trading. You may have
heard that getting started in Forex trading is easy and
instant. But finding a proven system that fits with your
trading personality and style may take some time. Be sure
to stick with it until you make it work for you.

Detecting Forex trading trends and trendlines are key to
forecasting the Forex marketplace. Reducing the risks of
losing money and some basic charting knowledge as well is
recommended before you start. This is key to limiting any
losses and maximizing your upside potential.

One of the best ways of learning to transact on the forex
is by creating a virtual account. You will experience the
thrill of trading and not experience any of the risks.

And finally choose your broker wisely. The broker you
choose combined with your forex trading education can be
critical in determining your success when trading these
currencies online.

----------------------------------------------------
Article by: Tony Buel
Forex Trading for the Beginner
http://www.forextrading-101.com

Are your retirement preparation efforts doomed to fail?

Are your retirement preparation efforts doomed to fail?
There's much to be concerned about: traditional pensions
are disappearing and Social Security is on the road to
bankruptcy. Yet some of the most significant threats to
your nest egg aren't the ones getting the headlines.

Setbacks like losing your job and life-threatening medical
conditions are surprisingly common in later life.

A recent Boston College study has found that the results
can be particularly devastating for those nearing
retirement. The college's Center for Retirement Research
studied people in their 50s and 60s and found that: - About
1 in 5 lost their jobs during a 10-year study period from
1992 to 2002. Among married couples, nearly one in three
experienced job loss. - Forty-one percent of those studied
were diagnosed with a major medical condition such as heart
problems, diabetes or cancer. - Thirty-four percent
experienced health-related limitations on their ability to
work. - Eight percent were widowed, 7% experienced a severe
disability and 4% divorced.

Overall, the study found 6 out of 10 people in their 50s
and 60s experienced some kind of serious negative shock
that threatened their financial security.

How to protect yourself:

These are scary statistics, but they convey an important
truth about retirement planning: you can't assume
everything will go right.

Here's how to put that knowledge to work:

Don't put off saving for retirement.

The more money you have piled up by your 50s, the better
you'll be able to survive whatever surprises life throws
your way. People who put off retirement to save for other
goals, or simply spend more, are missing out on critical
time that can help them growth their wealth. But they're
also leaving themselves vulnerable to the setbacks
described above that could prevent them from accumulating
needed wealth.

Take advantage of any workplace retirement plans or, if you
don't have access to any, start setting aside money on your
own.

Get covered.

Health and disability insurance can help insulate you from
the financial fallout of illness or accident. If you can't
get this coverage through an employer, consider buying
individual policies. If you find yourself without health
insurance, read "A survival guide for the uninsured" for
tips on how to protect your well-being.

Live a healthy lifestyle daily.

We can't make ourselves immune from disease, but we can
better our odds for a long, healthy life by eating right,
exercising, getting regular checkups and finding
appropriate ways to deal with stress.

Continuously update your job skills and contacts.

Keep yourself marketable by taking on new responsibilities
or learning new skills through courses or seminars. Look to
start multiple sources of monthly income through prudent
investing that are independent of your employer.

Don't Rely On Others To Manage Your Money.

Learning the basics of investing can increase your rate of
return and prevent you from working with financial advisors
who may have interests that conflict with what's best for
you.

----------------------------------------------------
Paul McBride specializes in creating extra monthly cash
flow through part-time and full time home businesses and
teaching customers how to manage their own financial
investments.
Free information available at
http://www.jpwealthintelligence.com/?t=ar8

Young Brits Look To Achieve Major Life Goals Before 30

Young Brits Look To Achieve Major Life Goals Before 30
Young people have numerous life targets they wish to meet,
new figures reveal.

In a study carried out by Alliance & Leicester as part of
its Moving Improving research, taking their initial steps
on the housing ladder is one of the main life goals those
between the ages of 18 and 29 wish to achieve before they
reach their 30th birthday. Over half (57 per cent) of such
consumers are looking to own their first home ahead of
turning 30.

And despite any possible effects of the credit crunch, the
financial services firm pointed out that buying a property
before reaching their 30s is a manageable goal for many
Britons. Citing research carried out by the Council of
Mortgage Lenders in its First-Time Buyers: Lending and
Affordability study, it was revealed that the typical
person currently taking their first step into the housing
market is 29 years of age. However, this figure represents
an increase from the average age of 28 recorded during the
early 1990s. Meanwhile, Alliance & Leicester indicated that
two-thirds of existing homeowners state to have got on to
the property ladder before reaching their fourth decade in
life.

Furthermore, research from the financial services provider
revealed that 42 per cent of those surveyed would like to
start a family before reaching the age of 30, with 49 per
cent wanting to get married. The study also showed that one
in two 18 to 29-year-olds are looking to rent a property
with their partner.

For those looking for a competitive way to fund the various
expenses associated with such life goals, for example
paying for a wedding venue, purchasing items for a nursery
or putting down a deposit on a home, taking out a loan
could be of vital assistance.

Commenting on the figures, Richard Taylor, head of mortgage
products for Alliance & Leicester, said: "Reaching 30 years
old appears to be a landmark age for many people with it
being set as a deadline for some major life events, like
owning a property, getting married or starting a family.
Being a homeowner for the first time is something most of
us desire, preferably earlier in life. Even in an uncertain
housing market we're seeing those under the age of 30
feeling confident and optimistic about the prospect of
getting on to the property ladder before they say goodbye
to their 20s."

Mr Taylor added: "Those aiming to get on to the property
ladder need to do some background work and consider
professional advice to establish exactly what they can
afford to buy and to plan a budget in order to manage their
new monthly mortgage payments."

By taking onboard such financial guidance it may be
possible that consumers are not only able to meet monthly
mortgage repayments but also other forms of spending
constraint. Such areas could well include personal loan
payments, credit and store cards, utility bills and council
tax.

The mortgage expert went on to claim that as significant
numbers of young people have major economic goals, the
"financial aspect of purchasing a first home becomes ever
more critical". He asserted that it is crucial for
20-somethings wanting to buy a home in the coming years to
ensure that they save a sufficient amount for a property
deposit.

For consumers looking to get on the housing ladder taking
out a loan could be of assistance. In applying for a loan,
borrowers may be able to meet various expenses related to
getting a home, such as deposits, stamp duty and the cost
of a home information pack, quickly and effectively.
Additionally a loan may help merge other financial demands
such as utility bills and credit cards into one low-rate
monthly repayment. This may leave them with more disposable
income to put towards meeting mortgage repayments.

Getting a cheap loan could also lend a hand to those
wanting to meet another major life milestone and get
married. A recent cahoot study indicated 1.8 million people
are to propose over the course of 2008, with an average of
1,218 pounds to be splashed out on the likes of rings and
holidays to make getting down on one knee the perfect
occasion.

----------------------------------------------------
Abbi Rouse writes for All About Loans where visitors can
apply online for UK personal loans. We also specialise in
cheap bad credit loans, and loans for debt consolidation.
Vist Today: http://news.allaboutloans.co.uk

Personal Bad Credit Loans

Personal Bad Credit Loans
If you need to raise money urgently and you have a bad
credit rating, don't despair. There is help available but
LOOK CAREFULLY! Go through the small print and make sure
you fully understand the committments you are taking on.
Financial Debt is a fact of life for everyone at some
point; it's not always a situation of our own creation. If
you have a poor credit history it's not the end of the
world; most people can be helped with a bad credit loan.

Loans like this are available to help most people that
require extra money and can be used just like a regular
loan. A poor credit history can be from something as simple
as accidentally missing a loan or credit card repayment to
something more serious which may or may not have been done
on purpose. Arranging a loan this way could actually help
your credit rating.

There are other reasons bad credit loans may be required
such as for domestic emergencies, unforeseen circumstances
or for consolidating previous debts. Another reason for
borrowing money is to improve the credit status of the
borrower. The credit status can be improved by the monthly
repayment of a loan.

There are two options available, secured and unsecured
loans, but with the secured option the amount of loan will
be greater, up to 150,000 dollars and the repayment period
can be extended to a period of twenty five years. Through
the unsecured loan method, an amount in the range of 2,000
to 50,000 dollars is available for borrowing but this sum
has to be paid back in a period of 6 months to 10 years.

The risk of defaulting is much lower with a secured loan as
the finance company take a charge on your property which is
also the reason they can arrange the loan at a preferential
rate of interest. For an unsecured loan, the borrower is
charged a higher rate of interest because there is no
guarantee that the loan will be repaid. If you want to get
the lowest rates available, it is advisable to carry out
research.

This research is easier to do online and there are a number
of lenders giving bad credit loans even when the borrower
has been undergoing court judgments for not paying their
debts on time. However, there aren't many lenders giving
this type of loan so if you want to get credit at a rate of
interest which fits your pocket and has an acceptable time
scale for repayments, you should opt for an online loan
facility.

A person shouldn't have too much difficulty in arranging a
bad credit loan even if they have a previous adverse credit
score and it may help improve your situation when you are
at your lowest. You can select a lender online and, after
paying off everything you owe with a loan arranged this
way, you can live your life peacefully once again.

Arranging a another debt this way should enable a person to
carry out their financial obligations by rebuilding
credibility and reliability in the financial world at the
same time, which is like having a second chance.

----------------------------------------------------
The best way to search for a loan is online. Visit
http://www.wizoo.co.uk/adverse-credit-history-loan to find
plenty of alternatives

A Review of the Arizona Real Estate Investors Association (AZREIA)

A Review of the Arizona Real Estate Investors Association (AZREIA)
With over two thousand members Arizona Real Estate
Investors Association (AZREIA) proved to be the best in
professional education, membership development, convention
and trade show, government affairs and finance according to
the awards they received in 2007. Also among those awards
was the seventh best networking organization in the country
which speaks high volumes for what they can offer you in
terms of getting your own business off the ground in this
industry.

Investment Opportunities

Overall there are five avenues to take with Arizona Real
Estate Investors Association (AZREIA) in regards to their
investment plans. Four out of the five opportunities
revolve around land with Castle Arch Real Estate
Investment, LLC., Grande Harbor, Pine Meadows Development
Project, and Waterford of the Carolinas. If you are
interested in either of these you can contact Suzanne Nann,
Alan Davis, or Jeff Gross depending on which one you decide
to join.

The fifth area is a single family detached home which
Arizona Real Estate Investors Association (AZREIA) is
involved in with International Capital Group. It was built
in 2007 as were the other four, and if this is more around
your interest you can contact Judy Wieland to get more
information. They all have their own unique ways to help
build your investment portfolio, it is just up to you to
decide which suits your current needs.

Is This The Membership You Are Seeking

A great question and in fact if you decide you want to get
involved with Arizona Real Estate Investors Association
(AZREIA) then you must ask yourself a series of questions
just to make sure they are right for you. It doesn't
matter if you are full time, part time, a novice or an
experienced veteran the membership will be able to benefit
each and every person according to their website.

One of the biggest benefits is the other businesses and
vendors who can offer their services to anyone who is a
member. Anything to benefit the properties you own such as
heating/air conditioning units, credit card processing,
flooring, maintenance help, roofing, tenant checks, and
around thirty other enticing services and products to make
your life a bit easier. Arizona Real Estate Investors
Association (AZREIA) has built this around helping everyone
become successful and make a name for themselves at the
same time.

Final Thoughts

This was just a taste of what Arizona Real Estate Investors
Association (AZREIA) has to offer on their website and in
person. They meetings that are useful several times during
the month where networking with other members is always
encouraged. There are opportunities involving property
posting, a forum to answer your questions and enough to
keep you well informed for years to come.

Getting the benefits of magazines, DVDs and other purchases
in their store can offer up something for someone else you
know who might enjoy the library full of help they provide.
The best part is, you don't have to live in Arizona to
join their membership. They offer home study courses where
you can learn from them with all the information you need
built into their educational program. It will be worth
seeing when you get the time to do so.

----------------------------------------------------
Learn the Lemons from the Straight MLM Winners at
http://www.MLMreviewKings.com/trivita.html
from Brian Garvin and Jeff West at
http://www.MLMreviewKings.com . This article may be used
royalty free provided Bio & Links remain intact. Copyright
© Mission Billion, Inc. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Even Celebrities like Liz Mikel needs Identity Theft Protection

Even Celebrities like Liz Mikel needs Identity Theft Protection
Did you think Identity Theft Protection is unnecessary?
Well you might want to think again. Dallas based actress
Liz Mikel just found out the hard way that someone had
stolen her identity and been having a field day. She stars
in the NBC show "Friday Night Lights", found out that
identity thieves had went on-line and opened accounts in
her name.

Mikel said that she went to the mail and to her surprise
there was a notice from Capital One that there was a
problem with an account she did not have. After a phone
call to the company she had learned that someone had been
opening accounts in her name since early March.

What you need to know
Identity theft affects 9 million people every year, and is
currently growing in epidemic proportions according to the
FTC. Identity theft starts with the theft of your social
security number, your credit cards, and financial
information. For Identity thieves this information is like
gold.

Here is a variety of methods identity thieves may get a
hold of your personal information:
1. Pretexting- The use of false pretenses to obtain your
personal information from financial institutions, telephone
companies, and other resources with your information.
2. Phising ' They pretend to be financial institutions by
send you e-mail or pop ups hoping you will reveal your
personal information.
3. Old-Fashion Stealing- They steal wallets, credit cards,
mail credit card offers, purses, financial statements, and
new checks that come in the mail. They steal personal
records and bribe employees who have access to your records.
4. Changing your address ' They divert your mail by putting
a change of address request in to the post office.
5. Skimming ' They steal credit card and debit numbers by
using a special storage device when swiping your cards.
6. Dumpster Diving ' They go through dumpsters looking for
mail that was not shredded with your personal information.

Examples of what identity thieves do once they have your
information.

Bank / Finance Fraud

- They create counterfeit checks using your name and
account number
- Open bank accounts in your name and write bad check
- They may clone your credit or ATM card and electronically
drain all your accounts.

Credit Card Fraud
- They may open credit cards in your name. When they will
charge these cards up, and not pay the bill. As a result it
appears on your credit report.
- They may change the address on your credit cards so that
you no longer receive the bill, and run up charges on your
credit cards. It may be sometime before you realize there
is a problem.

Government Document Fraud
- They may file fraudulent tax returns in you name
- They may use your name and social security number to get
government benefits
- They may get a drivers license or id picture with your
name but with their picture.

----------------------------------------------------
About the Author: Mike Clover is the owner of
http://www.creditscorequick.com/ . CreditScoreQuick.com is
the one of the most unique on-line resources for free
credit score report, fico score, 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.

What is CLTV?

What is CLTV?
I know about all the bad hype from the media about the
mortgage market. And, of course I have heard each of our
presidential candidates run down the economy over and over
again. This happens every election year.

Unfortunately people with very busy lives hear and read all
of this and begin to think it is true. We have all heard
this: "If you tell a lie often enough people will believe
it is true". There you go!

Is our economy a little slow right now? Yes, but it is not
in the dumpster.

Are independent mortgage brokers and appraisers the cause
of the mortgage scandals? Absolutely NOT. In fact, it is
their integrity and concern for their client's well being
that helped to fulfill the American Dream.

The real scoundrels are the large corporations, and giant
lenders. Don't let me forget to mention the politicians
like the New York Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, who is
using the situation to his benefit by "saving the consumer"
with new laws that will only hurt the consumer by putting
the independent appraiser and broker out of business. But
of course he is making a name for himself. What does he
care. Guess who wants to run for president in 2012?

Well, enough of that! I received a very simple question
yesterday and I am writing about it here for a few reasons
I think you will understand afterwards.

The question I was asked is: "What is CLTV and LP?"

The answer is CLTV stands for Combined Loan To Value. This
is used when there is more than one loan on a property. As
an example, if the first mortgage is 80% of the appraised
value and there is a 2nd loan of 15% of the value, the CLTV
is 95%. In the industry we call these Combination Loans.

LP is a term for Loan Prospector. Loan Prospector is a
computerised program that reviews and approves or
disapproves an FHA, VA, or Freddie Mac loan. DU, DeskTop
Underwriting, is a similar program used for Fannie Mae,
FHA, or VA loans. When an application is put through these
programs, basically, ... sort of, the live underwriter then
only has to verify the documentation because the computer
has given an approval. If a loan isn't approved because of
an unusual circumstance, a lender can chose to do a manual
underwriting in which case the loan may still be approved.

My first reason for writing about this is to let you know
that Lenders ARE lending money. The mortgage industry is
alive and well in spite of the media and presidential
candidates.

As a consumer you should take full advantage of these
unbelievably low interest rates. Refinancing to lower your
interest rate will save you a ton of money.

In the case above, combining a 1st and 2nd mortgage is a
very smart financial move and will also lower your payments.

If you are thinking about buying a home there is no better
time than now. I really mean like, ... NOW. As soon as a
new president is elected, and it doesn't matter which one,
the rates will go back up. I promise you this will happen.
It happens EVERY election year.

Just make sure you go to a reputable broker and don't buy
more house than you can afford.

----------------------------------------------------
Connie Sanders owns http://www.mortgageunderwriters.com and
receives questions everyday from borrowers and industry
professionals. The ones with issues she posts on her blog:
http://mortgageguidelines.blogspot.com Visit today, your
comments are welcome.

How to run a FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

How to run a FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
What is Your Fundraising Goal?

Many organizations depend on fundraising to get the things
they need. People fundraise to get a new swimming pool for
their town, or to get special facilities for their school.
Sometimes people fundraise to get money for people who need
special health care or to help disabled or disadvantaged
people. Fundraising is always for a good cause and helps
people or organizations in their hour of need.

Once you take on the role of fundraiser, the first thing to
do is set a specific goal. Whether it's a large goal or a
small one, it needs to be phrased in a way that people can
relate to before they will get involved. Naturally the
fundraising is to raise money, but what is the money
actually for? Does the school need 10 new computers? How
would this change the lives of the children attending that
school?

The children won't just learn how to play games on these
computers, but they will learn skills that they will need
all through their working lives. It will benefit them
because they will be more employable if they are computer
literate. They will learn to do things on their school
computers that they would never learn just by having one at
home.

Once people can see exactly how they - or their children -
would benefit from these computers, they will get behind
the project and offer help wherever possible. This goal
will benefit teachers by making their work more interesting
and easier. It will motivate the children to learn since
most children love using a computer.

The next goal - or the sub-goal - will be to find out the
amount of money that is needed to achieve our goal. To do
this, we need to know how many computers are needed and
what sort they will be. Will there be printers and scanners
to go with them? Should they be networked? Who will
install them and see that they are running properly? There
may even need to be blinds installed to reduce the screen
glare. The money raised will need to cover all costs, not
just the purchase price of the computers. Each sub-goal
should be itemized with an approximate cost.

Other questions that need to be addressed for your
fundraising campaign are what specific activities you will
use to will accomplish your goal, and when they will take
place. A timeframe needs to be established, too. If there
is no time frame, the fundraising could drag on until
everyone is sick and tired of hearing about it. To have
specific goal of raising a certain amount of money by a
certain date gives people something to work towards and a
sense of satisfaction when it is accomplished. Does Your
Issue or Organization Look Worthy?

To fundraise successfully, your organization needs to look
worthy. How many times have you heard people say they
bought something they didn't really want simply because it
was for a worthy cause? If your organization looks worthy,
then people will support it; if it doesn't they won't. It's
that simple.

To get your organization to look worthy in people's eyes,
you need firstly to appeal to their emotions. This is done
by the correct marketing campaign and by the right
communication. You can see this by taking note of campaigns
for breast cancer awareness and others that are similar.

Firstly, you need to believe in it yourself. If you are
only half convinced in the worthiness of your organization,
then that will most certainly show in your manner and your
communication. Most people can spot lack of sincerity a
mile away and if you are not sincere or convinced of
worthiness, you won't be able to convince anyone else.

If you can get the support of someone who has the trust of
your community and who also has a high profile, then that
will help in the quest for a worthy 'look'. It may be a
doctor, a businessman, the town mayor or a politician. It
could be the dean of the local college or a well-respected
figure with a wider, national profile such as a politician.

It need not be just an individual who will lend worthiness
to your cause, but an organization. If you can claim that
the local tennis club or Rotary or Lions Club supports you,
then that will give you needed 'worthy' status as well.

If your organization does not look worthy, then prospective
donors will not be likely to donate. You must be
professional at all times by making sure the paperwork is
up-to-date and available should any ask to see it. You need
to have a person available to talk to anyone who should
want information. If all they can get is an answering
machine -though these have their place - then they will be
put off.

If your fundraising is ongoing, then you need to publish an
annual report and have it readily available. Donors need to
know that their money is being used wisely, so
communications with them is of prime importance. This
doesn't mean that they want to be pestered on a daily
basis, but they do need to know what their money was used
for, and that you are really appreciative of their support.
If they can be made to look good through their support,
then you will have a happy donor who is willing to lend
their status to your organization.

What Tools or Skills do You Have Available?

To complete a fundraiser successfully you need to have
access to various tools and skills. Tools you will need
could be a computer and the skills to use it. With a
computer, you can send email to those who are supporting
your cause and to those who are helping you with the job.
This will save you a great deal of time and energy - can
you imagine phoning 20 or so helpers to alert them to the
next meeting? Sure, you can advertise it in the paper, but
maybe they don't all subscribe to the paper.

Besides, with a computer, all the information is written
down and readily available and it didn't cost you anything
more than the time it took to prepare it. A phone is
certainly handy for that personal touch and for setting up
other appointments, so be sure you have access to one. If
you also have an answering machine, you'll find it
beneficial for taking those calls while you are out.

Communication skills are important in fundraising; if you
don't have them, get hold of someone who does. Look for
someone with a bubbly personality, a ready smile and the
gift of the gab. Some people say all you need is the mouth,
but you also need someone who is tactful and polite. If
they are also well liked in the community, then you have a
winning combination.

Logical thinking is also a skill much needed in fundraising
activities. For a person to get the support of a business
or organization they need to be able to verbalize the
details in a logical manner. If they jump from the end to
the beginning and then explain the middle, the person
listening is likely to be confused and consider the
proposal unprofessional. Their next step is a refusal!

Another skill that someone on your committee will need is
the ability to keep meticulous records. You will need to
keep minutes of meetings with a legible record of all the
goals and decisions made. Whether this is done on a laptop
or by hand in a notebook is up to the person doing it.

Bookkeeping skills are also essential. Since the goal is to
raise money, there will naturally be money involved and
you'll certainly need a record of who gave what. Even the
smallest raffle needs to be carefully recorded so that
everyone can see where the money came from and where it
went. This will ensure that everything is open and above
board. Financial records are a must.

...More to come tomorrow...

----------------------------------------------------
For more information on fundraising and how to set-up your
fundraising campaign. Please visit:
http://bigimpactaudio.com/fundraising

Importance of Life Insurance

Importance of Life Insurance
Every year, millions of dollars are being spent on the life
insurance and in present days .More families are likely to
be purchasing more insurance than ever before. Demand for
life insurance has actually made the insurance cost to the
skyrocket. Because the need for life insurance will always
be required by the families the stipulation for insurance
will keep on increasing. Obviously for few individuals life
insurance is a main concern over other insurances such as
property insurance and auto insurance. But one of the most
surprising things is that that there are many people
holding insurance policy is not even aware of its working.
This is may be possible because people who want insurance
are not familiar with the terms that insurance policies
basically use.

There are many people who are aware about the significance
of the life insurance. It is generally unpredictable what
would going to happen next thus, everybody require life
insurance due to the uncertainties of life. The primary
reality concerning life insurance policy is that the policy
cannot insure any person against passing away, but actually
it protects the dependents of deceased person against
certain economic losses that results from death of the
bread winner. Life insurance basically ensures that the
family of deceased person does not suffer from much loss.

Word "life insurance" do not warrants that it will cover
the dependents for lifetime. The term usually known as
policy could be for 10 years or may be 5 years, since it
totally depends upon the alternative of a person. The
policy of life insurance facilitates people with the
payment amount of insurance to members of family on passing
away of the bread earner. In this process there are 3
parties occupied- an insured person, policy holder as well
as a person who insures the policy. In general policy
holder and insured person are identical people.

Before purchasing a life insurance policy it is necessary
for you to consider reputed agent for life insurance. The
major responsibilities of the life insurance agent involve
setting up meeting with people, obtaining essential
information related to the current position as well as
facilitating them information concerning their policy. The
agents generally represent an insurance company that sells
as well as serve their insurance policies. The agents sends
reminder in order to recompense premium or to notify the
clients if there have been any changes in the rates.

It is very important for agent of life insurance to pass
the examination f insurance as well as to acquire license
by the state to sell the life insurance policy to the
clients. A sound agent of life insurance is one who do not
pressurizes the clients in making decisions and understand
the personal as well as financial position of the client.
An agent must be able to make client aware about the life
insurance policy. There are number of companies dealing
with life insurance policies available in the market today
and finding the right one for your personal needs as well
as requirements can be very difficult task to perform.
Thus, it is necessary for individual to carefully take
insurance policy in order to secure his/her life.

----------------------------------------------------
http://www.article-of-insurance.com

Guidelines for the Physical Inspection of Residential Properties

Guidelines for the Physical Inspection of Residential Properties
If there's one unbreakable law in real estate investment,
it's always perform due diligence on any property you're
considering. "Due diligence" is a common term for the
evaluation of a property and its surrounding environment.
This process has two purposes.

One, you want to reduce or eliminate investment risk; in
other words, you want to know exactly what's wrong (or
right!) with a property before you sink any money into it.

Two, you want to find "diamonds in the rough." These are
houses that look like lumps of worthless coal on the
surface, but once you get below that surface you find they
shine like financial diamonds because they're structurally
sound and a great investment bargain. Two Areas of Due
Diligence Generally speaking, due diligence breaks into two
areas—physical inspection of the property and
inspection of all documents and records concerning that
specific property. In this article, I'll consider only
physical inspections. I'll cover inspection of documents
and records in a separate article. Physical Inspection of
Properties You or a selected inspector will always want
visit any property you're considering for investment.
Often, the signs of decay or lack of maintenance will be
obvious—a leaky roof, foundation cracks, cracks in
the walls, plumbing leaks, etc.—and your visit will
prevent you from wasting further time and money on that
house.

Of course, the opposite can also be true; that is, you find
the "diamond in the rough" I mentioned earlier. In that
case, you'll want to jump on the property quickly before it
becomes known to other investors.

When problems are found in a property, you can require that
the seller correct those problems or reduce the price
before you sign any contract. Generally speaking, there are
two general categories of defects:

The obvious defects I mentioned earlier--peeling paint,
broken windows, leaking plumbing, warped floors, etc.
Hidden defects--corroded pipes in the walls, roof or window
leaks that don't show up until it rains or snows, etc.
These are the dangerous and expensive defects because they
can be hazardous and cost a lot to repair. Without due
diligence, you could end up reducing your profit or even
suffering a loss.

Let's get more specific now. Here's what professional
inspectors look at when they examine a property:

Overall structural integrity Property drainage/landscaping
Walks and drives Foundation, footings, crawl space,
basements, sub-flooring, decks Exterior walls, siding, trim
Windows, doors, cabinets, counters Gutters, downspouts
Roof, roof shingles, roof structures. chimneys, attic
Floors, walls, ceilings, etc. HVAC systems Plumbing
systems, (fixtures, supply lines, drains, water heating
devices, etc.) Electrical system (wiring, service panel,
devices, and service capacity Energy conservation/safety
Items Insulation & ventilation Moisture intrusion/mold Pest
Control Inspection Depending on the area of the country in
which you live, insects can cause considerable damage to a
property. These include such critters as termites,
carpenter ants, powder post beetles, and any other bug that
likes to munch on wood. Fungus, in the form of "dry rot,"
can also cause a lot of destruction. You'll need to hire a
specialist (pest control inspector) to examine the property
for any of these problems. If any problems are identified,
the pest control inspector should provide you with a
diagram that indicates the location of any infestations.
Serious problems need to be dealt with right away and are
usually paid for by the seller.

To protect yourself against any of the problems mentioned
above, make sure the purchase contract provides for
cancellation without penalty or loss of earnest money if
the physical condition of the property doesn't meet
standards. A Note on "As-Is" Properties If a seller offers
to sell you a property on an "as-is" basis, run the other
way! He or she may simply be naïve about property
laws, receiving bad advice from an agent, or, worst of all,
a con artist.

Such sellers may think they're not required to correct any
property defects before or after the sale. In most cases,
they're flat out wrong and are in violation of state laws.
In fact, they may well be charged with misrepresentation,
fraud, or negligence. Needless to say, you don't want any
part of a mess like that. One More Word of Advice The
seller should allow you complete access to the property
with no time limits. If he or she tries to restrict access
or specifies only certain hours, be suspicious and demand
complete access. If the seller refuses this request, then
walk away from the deal.

Key Point: Never, ever fall in love with a property! Always
inspect it (or have it inspected) with an objective mind!

Key Point: Choose the strategy that best suits your
situation and your personality.

----------------------------------------------------
Jack Sternberg is a nationally recognized expert on real
estate investment who's been in the business for more than
30 years. Sternberg is the creator of the renowned "Buyers
First" Program. His deals have totaled over $750 million
and he's been to the closing table more than 1,500 times.
For more, visit http://www.askjacksternberg.com

Ten Myths about Wisconsin Reverse Mortgages

Ten Myths about Wisconsin Reverse Mortgages
With the recent wave of Wisconsin Reverse Mortgages
happening there is a lot of misinformation out there. I
have heard of some really bad reasons not to take out a
reverse mortgage and decided it was time to write about
some of them. Please remember reverse mortgages aren't for
everyone but make sure the reason you aren't investigating
them is not on this list. If you haven't even looked at a
Wisconsin reverse mortgage for any of these reasons please
take another look, it might work for you.

1. When taking out a reverse mortgage I no longer own the
house my bank does. This is untrue because you are kept on
the title as owner of the property. As a matter of fact the
bank can't foreclose on you like a forward mortgage. You
live in the house as long as you can and will always own
the property till you decide to sell. like a regular
mortgage the bank will place a lien on the house to insure
it get paid off but you maintain complete control of the
house.

2. My children won't get anything when I pass. Your estate
only owes as much a the mortgage balance is at the time of
payoff. The payoff is however much you have spent plus
interest. Any equity that is left over is passed on to your
heirs. the bank does not get too keep any of this extra
equity. As an easy example if you owe 25,000 on the reverse
mortgage and the house os worth 125,000 and it was sold.
You would get the extra 100,000 not the bank or anyone
else. The lender would get paid there 25,000 they have
given you.

3. I could get forced out of my home by my bank. FHA/HUD
reverse mortgages specifically state that you can not be
forced out of your home.

4. Social Security and Medicare will be affected by the
money I receive from the reverse mortgage. This money is
actually considered a loan and not income. For this reason
a reverse mortgage does not lower Social Security or
Medicare benefits like some want you to think.

5. I must have really good credit and income to qualify for
a reverse mortgage. Actually it is a lot easier to qualify
for a reverse mortgage than a forward mortgage that you
have had in the past. Since there are no payments you don't
need income to qualify. As for credit the only thing that
is looked at is if you are currently going through a
bankruptcy you may not qualify. If you have bad credit you
will still qualify for a reverse mortgage.

6. My home must be free and clear with no mortgages to be
able to get a reverse mortgage. No, you can have a mortgage
and still qualify for a reverse mortgage. You will pay off
the current mortgage with your new reverse mortgage and
will be getting rid of the previous mortgage payment. You
must have enough equity to pay the mortgage off completely
and you will have to use some of your available cash to do
so.

7. There are large out-of-pocket expenses which make it
hard for seniors to get the loan. All of the costs, whether
closing costs or interest, are financed. That means there
are few out-of-pocket expenses at any point in the reverse
mortgage.

8. Reverse mortgage interest rates are higher than a
regular mortgage. This is just not the case. In most cases
the reverse mortgage has a lower rate than the current
conforming fixed rate. The HECM product's interest rate is
set by the Federal government.

9. I might "outlive" the loan (don't we all wish for
that?). FHA/HUD reverse mortgages are designed specifically
so that you can't outlive the loan. When you get the
reverse mortgage, the lender will charge you 2% to purchase
mandatory FHA mortgage insurance. That insurance guarantees
that even if you live to be 100, you can never owe more
than the value of your home and you can never be forced to
leave.

10. A reverse mortgage is like a home equity loan. First,
home equity loans may have many requirements such as high
income, low debt, and good credit that a reverse mortgage
does not. Second, you can "outlive" a home equity loan and
end up being foreclosed on by the bank. This can never
happen with a reverse mortgage. Third, a reverse mortgage
usually has significantly lower interest rates.

Those were ten of the biggest misconceptions out there
about reverse mortgages. I am sure I missed some but the
key is get with a good reverse mortgage expert and they
will be able to answer your questions. There are many
resources that will help educate, I suggest you do some
reading!

----------------------------------------------------
David Forer is an expert on Wisconsin Reverse Mortgages
with over 15 years doing mortgages in the state. He has a
free informational e book on Reverse Mortgages at
http://www.wisconsinreversemortgages.net/ebook.html

this
is not a sales book!

The Three (3) Pillars of Financial Health

The Three (3) Pillars of Financial Health
This is all about the foundation of financial success:
wealth strategy. My key purpose here is to draw a clear,
unmistakable distinction between wealth strategy and what
usually passes for "financial planning."

To be blunt, conventional financial planning is based on a
scarcity mentality. Professional financial planners will
ask you what is the minimum you can retire on. They will
help you list all the expenses you can do without when you
are older. In other words, they will plan for you to retire
poor!

The financial methodology behind this is all about savings,
not investment. The driving idea is what people call "the
miracle of compound interest". The real miracle is that
anyone can retire at all on the basis of compound interest
alone!

True wealth strategy implies that you intend to retire
rich, not poor. That is to say, as the years pass your net
worth should continue to grow and when you stop working it
should be greater than it is now. So should your income.
For most people, that isn't going to happen merely through
saving, nor through compound interest.

There are two keys to a strategy that delivers real wealth:
one is leverage, and the other is the velocity of money. In
this email, I can only introduce these core ideas. You will
find an increasing amount of information about leverage and
velocity of money at Wealth Strategy U.

Meanwhile, here are some key points to start with.

The concept of leverage is widely known, and widely
misunderstood because it is generally equated with "OPM"
— other people's money. Using OPM is just one
important example of leverage. True leverage covers just
about every area of business and life. When you fully
understand and use leverage to build wealth, you will be
making effective use of other people's money, time, ideas,
skills, labor and professional advice.

Leverage is intimately connected to velocity of money,
which is the principle of keeping your cash on the move.
This is the very opposite of the savings mentality, which
allows money to sit in one place accumulating a meager flow
of compound interest. When you apply velocity, you actively
seek new ways to deploy your capital, always with an eye to
leverage.

This portion is about tax, but in a special context.
Usually, people think about taxation separately from their
wealth building activities. Tax is seen simply as a
negative to overcome on the path to financial growth.

This is a costly mistake. Approached correctly, taxation
can be one of your most powerful engines of financial
growth. The right strategy can accelerate the increase of
both your business value and your personal net worth. It is
no exaggeration to say that the right tax methodologies can
literally double your return on investment and your overall
wealth.

How is this possible, while remaining strictly ethical and
within the law? The answer is simple to state, but takes a
tremendous amount of learning and effort to apply. To begin
with, you have to understand the immensely complex US tax
laws inside and out. More than that, you must keep current
with the endless changes that Congress brings to the
Internal Revenue Code. I am talking here about a level of
expertise, and a commitment to continuous learning, that
far exceeds that of the average CPA.

I will give you an example. Recently I was at a convention
where many CPAs were gathered and I asked one of them,
"What percentage of your tax planning has to do with
deferring taxes from the current year to a later year?" I
was expecting the number to be high, but still I was
shocked by the answer: "One hundred percent of the tax
planning we do is deferral." Let me explain what is going
on here. Like most CPAs, that CPA is deferring his clients'
taxes year by year with the expectation that when they
retire, they will be at a lower tax bracket than they are
today. In other words, he is planning for his clients to
retire poor.

With all due respect to my CPA colleagues, that's insane.
Why would anyone want to retire poor? We know from years of
testing our methodologies that you can multiply your net
worth over a few short years, by the correct application of
leverage and the velocity of money (see my last email).
Your tax strategy should be designed for you to retire rich
- in fact, richer than you are today.

What is needed is a strategy that does not defer year by
year, but installs permanent tax savings. This is where
exceptional knowledge of the Internal Revenue Code comes
in. You can only achieve such savings by understanding the
law in all its curious and anomalous details. You have to
figure how the Code is actually designed to help you reduce
taxes. Specifically, this means more than knowing about
individual tax laws; you have to master the ways different
laws interact. It's like a good doctor who knows more than
which drug to match with which disease; he or she also
understands how various drugs affect each other.

In the field of taxation, don't settle for fixing your
annual symptoms...look for the permanent cure!

In this final portion, I would like to introduce some
fundamental principles about business strategy. If you
don't own a company in the conventional sense, with
buildings and employees, please stay with me for a moment.
Even though your "business" may simply be a one-person
professional practice, or a real estate or stock investment
portfolio, the same principles apply.

What does it take to grow a business? The answer may seem
obvious, yet the principles I will share here are very
rarely applied. I know this from my experience counseling
hundreds of business owners over many years.

You must know where you stand now, and where you wish to go.

Simple, huh? Here is what is missing in 99% of privately
owned businesses I have encountered. The company may have
revenue targets (a surprising number don't even have that.)
What is missing is a valuation target. What do you want
your company to be worth to a potential buyer, and by when?
Never mind if you have no intention to sell: valuation is
the best way to "keep score" because valuation places your
business under the toughest possible scrutiny.

Perhaps you are one of the few owners who has a ready
answer to this question. Perhaps you do have an exit
strategy such as a sale or IPO, and you have a figure in
mind for the company's worth, with a future date.

Then let me ask you this: what is the value of your company
today? I'm not asking for your guess here, but for an
actual recent valuation, by an expert. Of course,
valuations are not cheap, and you might ask why you would
invest precious resources on what seems like an academic
exercise. You have no intention to sell right now, so why
spend on a valuation?

Here is the reason. You have a destination in mind - a
certain valuation by a certain date. To reach your
destination, you need to know where you are starting. Only
a present-day valuation will reveal to you the true
distance of the journey, and the ground to be covered.

Once you have conducted a valuation of your business, the
next step is what we call an "evaluation". This is an
analysis of strengths and weaknesses in every area of the
business: products, operations, management, marketing and
finances. To achieve the optimum future valuation, you will
probably need to address issues in all these areas. More
than that, you will need to create a step-by-step plan of
action that carries you through the period from now to your
target date.

The theme of valuation is remarkably rich in the insights
it can open up for any business. In this email, I have
simply introduced the idea and hopefully caught your
interest in the possibilities.

----------------------------------------------------
Tom Wheelwright is not only the founder and CEO of
Provision, but he is the creative force behind Provision
Wealth Strategists. In addition to his management
responsibilities, Tom likes to coach clients on wealth,
business, and tax strategies. Along with his frequent
seminars on such strategies, Tom is an adjunct professor in
the Masters of Tax program at Arizona State University. For
more information, please visit
http://www.provisionwealth.com

Make $27,000 in 4 minutes flat - Trading Forex

Make $27,000 in 4 minutes flat - Trading Forex
Quite a statement I think you will agree, but can it be
done?

The ruling bodies for the foreign currency off-exchange
markets are collectively the National Futures Association
(NFA) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
in the USA and in the UK the Financial Services Authority
(FSA). They do not like to see statements like the one on
this headline title.

I think that it would be fair to say that the NFA, CFTC,
and FSA are trying to make sure that people are not
encouraged to grab every penny that they can get their
hands on and dive headlong into the forex market, possibly
putting themselves and their family into financial crisis.
What they want is for the foreign exchange market to be
perceived in a balanced way, and for people to understand
the risks that are involved in trading within it.

OK, that said let us take a balanced look at the forex
market.

Most retail traders enter trades using very high leverage -
often 100:1 and sometimes more. This means that quite small
movements in the price differentials of currency pairings
will create large gains or losses in direct proportion to
the amount of leverage employed, and because of this, every
trader should be aware that it is highly possible to
sustain big losses as well as make big gains.

Of all of the participants entering the forex market, it is
widely predicted that 95% will sustain at least a partial
loss of their investment and only 5% will make a profit.

But is it possible to make $27,000 in 4 minutes flat?
Actually the answer is YES! But by the same token it is
also possible to lose $27,000 in 4 minutes flat too.

Are the governing bodies right to be so touchy about
attention grabbing headlines that seem to infer the
possibility of great gains? In my opinion they are.

The problem is an old one. The few ruthless operators that
lure in the unwary for the sole purpose of separating them
from their cash casts a shadow over both the good and bad.

The rooting out of these unscrupulous entities is to be
commended, but on the other hand, is it fair and balanced
to be forced to play down the good side of this great
industry?

I do not think that it is.

If you have funds that you wish to invest, and they are
funds that if lost would not cause you financial hardship,
then you may well wish to consider trading on the foreign
exchange because it is one of the few places that it
possible to turn a relatively modest investment into a
considerable sum of money- but not without risk.

Trading on the foreign exchange is a risk business and as
with any risk business one needs to have in place, a solid
risk management system and a very reliable trading system.
Even then a total loss of funds is still possible - as is
the possibility of making a better than average return on
your investment.

Summing up, I would not advise forex trading to the unwary
investor, nor to anyone that is already having a hard time
trying to make ends meet. But for anyone that has funds
that they would like to invest in a high risk high reward
environment then forex may just be the right place for you.

Finally, just to be clear, please read the following:-

IMPORTANT RISK DISCLOSURE

Off-exchange foreign currency trading on margin carries a
high level of risk and may not be suitable for all
investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you
as well as for you. Before deciding to invest in foreign
exchange you should carefully consider your investment
objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. The
possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or
all of your initial investment and, therefore, you should
not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should
be aware of all the risks associated with off-exchange
foreign currency trading and seek advice from an
independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.

----------------------------------------------------
Martin Bottomley is a full time professional forex trader,
acknowledged author, forex tutor and co-developer of forex
trading software including The Amazing Stealth Forex
Trading system.
You will find more information at:
http://www.stealthforex.com