Credit Repair: Improve Your Credit Rating Quickly!

Credit Repair: Improve Your Credit Rating Quickly!
In America, you can't even walk down the street without
somebody wanting to check your credit. If you suffer from
bad credit, then you need to learn techniques to improve
your credit rating - and you need to learn them now! The
very happiness of your life can depend on it. Let's take a
look at some of the most effective ways to do it:

Tip 1: You absolutely have to stay on top of the
information game. It is your right to obtain a free credit
report once every year from each of three major credit
bureaus: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. If you are
really smart about it, you will get one every four months
from each one by alternating. Go over these reports very
carefully and look for the following:

Any negative item. You see, every negative item on your
credit report can be disputed by you. If the agency cannot
verify the negative claim within 30 to 45 days - even if
it's true - it must be stricken from your report!

Outdated negative items. All negative items on your credit
report have a statute of limitations. After a given time
period, they are supposed to drop off automatically. So, if
you notice something that is 10 years old, you probably
want to request that it be removed.

Items that have been paid in full and do not state so.

Any other item that catches your attention!

Tip 2: Start paying your bills on time. Regardless of your
past credit history, it is never too late to start
improving your credit rating. Pay on time every time and
you will see positive changes begin to occur.

Tip 3: You have to keep your credit cards paid down or paid
completely off to improve your credit rating. Max them at
30% of the actual maximum and then pay them in full every
month. This is the second most important scoring variable
(after making timely payments) that contributes to your
credit score.

Tip 4: Break open your wallet and dig out some of those old
credit cards. Use them and pay them promptly and in full.
Long-standing credit accounts rate you higher than brand
new ones. Keep that positive payment information flowing
into the major credit reporting agencies to help to improve
your credit rating.

There are many more tips and tricks that you can utilize to
improve your credit rating quickly. These are the most
powerful though. Use these and be diligent. You will begin
to see dramatic improvements in your credit rating. Just
stick to the plan and keep repeating it. It is very
possible to improve your credit rating with a little effort
and patience. Soon, you'll be back at the top!

----------------------------------------------------
Chane Steiner is a credit repair expert and founder of
AAACreditGuide.com - a site where you can learn how to deal
with collection agencies -
http://aaacreditguide.com/collection-agencies/ and how to
repair bad credit - http://aaacreditguide.com .

Insurance Premium Audits for Contractors - How To Avoid Getting Overcharged In An Audit

Insurance Premium Audits for Contractors - How To Avoid Getting Overcharged In An Audit
WHAT DO CONTRACTORS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PREMIUM AUDITS? Most
contractors find they are subject to premium audits from
insurance companies for general liability, workers
compensation, and sometimes for automobile, and even
builders risk insurance policies. This applies most types
of contractors, including general contractors, plumbing
contractors, heating ventilation and air conditioning
(HVAC) contractors, electrical contractors drywall
contractors, painting contractors, roofing contractors, and
so on.

A premium audit is a review of your business operations,
financial reports, and records to determine what to charge
you for your contractor liability insurance, workers
compensation, or other coverage provided. The objective is
to determine the final earned premium for a given policy
that was issued on the basis of payroll, sales,
subcontracting costs, or other variables.

When policies are issued, the premium is often based on
projections you provide for sales or payroll. Your
insurance rates can vary based on this information, the
audit determines what the correct premium should be based
on your actual experience.

An auditor selected by the insurance company conducts the
audit. They may be an employee of the insurance company,
or an employee of an auditing firm, or even an independent
contractor.

THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF PREMIUM AUDITS. Depending on the
size of your premiums and your operations you may get one
of the following:

Physical Audit — Conducted at your premises or at a
secondary location such as your accountant's office.
Phone Audit — An auditor contacts you over the phone
to complete the audit. This type of audit is generally for
small- to mid-sized accounts.
Mail Audit — A voluntary audit form with instructions
is mailed to you. Mail audits are generally conducted for
smaller accounts.

RECORDS AUDITORS MAY ASK TO SEE: Auditors are likely to ask
for one or more of the following types of records:

Journals and Ledgers
Tax filings Individual
Pay Records
Time cards
Vehicle titles
Contracts with clients
Contracts with subcontractors
Records of Job Costs
P&L Statements
Balance Sheets

QUESTIONS AUDITORS MAY ASK The auditor will likely ask
questions about your records or operations. They may be
asking questions to determine if the correct
classifications are being applied. If an auditor decides
your operations are not correctly classified, it can have
an unwelcome surprising result of a large audit billing.
Make sure you understand your classifications, and how the
boundaries of your particular classifications are defined.

An auditor may ask for a tour of your operations, if they
feel it may be necessary to verify correct classifications
are being used.

Be familiar with how credits can be applied to your audits.

Insurance classification and rating rules often allow
credits to your audit, but your records must be maintained
to provide the necessary information in detail and summary
form.

When premiums are based on payroll, it is generally defined
as Total Remuneration for services performed by an employee.

Remuneration in most states, means money or substitutes for
money, and includes:

Bonuses
Commissions
Holiday Pay
Other Money Substitutes
Overtime Pay
Payments made to Profit Sharing Plans
Payments made to statutory benefit plans
The value of board and lodging
Tool Allowances
Wages

Understand the following concepts and definitions to help
make sure you avoid overpaying from an audit.

OVERTIME
In most states, the amount attributable to overtime in
excess of the regular time pay rate may be deducted. It
must be clearly identified in your records. It must be
shown separately by employee and in summary by class of
work.

DIVISION OF PAYROLL
Division of an individual employee's payroll to more than
one classification is not allowed, except for construction
or erection operations and/or certain executive officer
classifications. For construction or erection operations,
the payroll of an employee may be allocated to each type of
work performed on daily time cards. If not, wall wages will
be charged against the highest rated classification to
which the employee is exposed.

SUB-CONTRACTORS
Avoid becoming responsible for injuries to employees of
subcontractor, by obtaining certificates of insurance
naming you additional insured. Also, include in your
subcontract agreements hold harmless and indemnification
agreements in your favor. Auditors look to see if you have
adhered to the terms in your policy as respects to your
subcontractors. Sometimes audits go bad when the
certificates are not in place, or the auditor decides
payments to subcontractors are really wages to employees.

AUTOMATED RECORDS
Set up your automated records to provide audiors what they
need, and you will find your audits go smoothly, and save
you lots of time in the future.

DOCUMENTS YOU MAY BE ASKED FOR AT AN AUDIT
Accounts payable journal and cash dispersements
A/R journal
All vehicle leases, including but not limited to,
owner-operator leases
Annual income tax statements
Documents supporting entries in the journals and financial
statements
Driver and vehicle logs
Expense journal
Income Statements
Monthly Individual earnings reports
Payroll records including the payroll journal
Quarterly 941's
Registrations for owned vehicles
SUI's (State Unemployment Reports - DE 6's in California)
General and subsidiary sales ledgers
All underlying journals

----------------------------------------------------
Don Bury is a nationally recognized expert on negotiating
with commercial insurance brokers. Author of "Buyers Guide
To Business Insurance" in 1993, over $20 million in cost
reductions have been delivered so far.
Contractors get free help at
http://www.contractorinsurancetoohigh.com
Don Bury, President
Insurance Cost Reduction Services
3663 Camino Bella Rosa
Sierra Vista, AZ 85650
Phone/Fax: 800-760-1867
email: donbury@icrs.biz

The Psychology of Forex Trading

The Psychology of Forex Trading
Forex Trading Mind Set

Most of the people who engage in Forex trading lose.
Indeed, the industry estimates that more people lose than
profit. And they lose for a reason. They have not
properly prepared themselves with a Forex education and the
proper mindset to be a successful trader. In the cold
cruel world of Forex trading, you are on your own. It's you
against the market. All over the Internet, you can find so
called experts touting Forex trading systems with
extraordinary sure win claims. If it was so easy, everyone
would be a millionaire. The true winners are the ones who
have taken the time and effort to carefully devise currency
trading strategies that have been thoroughly tested
beforehand to produce positive successful results.

Listen to Yourself

You are the only one that can make yourself successful.
Everyone is trying to sell some kind of system to fools,
who think they're going to get rich instantaneously. It
just doesn't happen that way. You can use systems and
trading tools to have successful results, but there is no
such thing as a free lunch. Only through hard work on your
part will you be able to develop Forex trading strategies
that produce the results that you desire. You should begin
your education and training with Forex experts, while
building your own skill set to ultimately create your Forex
trading system. Trading forex is like any other business.
To be a successful forex trader, you need to educate
yourself. Great forex traders become better and better
because they continue learning. This gives them the edge
they need to stay on top of their game so they can go on
and become even better traders.

Make Your Forex Trading System Rules

Everyone lives in a society based on rules that must be
followed. In the Forex trading markets, except for some
simple market procedures and practices, there are basically
no rules or structures that govern your operation. You
have to take the responsibility for all your actions. If
you win, it's because of you. If you lose, it's not
because of the broker, a market, or the government. It's
because of you. You have to develop the rules and
structure to successfully exploit the possibilities that
are available in Forex trading.

If you are an individual who has a deep confidence in his
or her personal abilities, with the discipline to be able
to work hard to develop the currency trading strategies
necessary for a Forex trading system, then Forex trading is
for you. If you have the mindset to be an individual away
from the crowd, with no one telling you the rules or laws
that need to be obeyed, then you should be part of the
minority that enjoys spectacular Forex trading success.
Your profit as a successful forex trader can be
extraordinary and if you know what you're doing and have
the discipline to follow your rules of trading, there's no
limit to your profit potential.

----------------------------------------------------
Andrew Daigle is the creator and author of many successful
websites including ForexBoost at http://www.ForexBoost.com
and http://forex-trading-system.typepad.com , Free Forex
Training Resource for the Novice and Advanced Forex trader.

Setting a gold standard

Setting a gold standard
When the gold standard was set in place, the price of gold
remained a constant $20.65 per ounce and only fluctuated by
$0.01 from the year 1833 to1890. So for fifty seven years
as the US Dollar was attached to this gold standard, it
remained un-fluctuating along with the gold standard. That
is how it was designed to be from the founding of the
country.

The constitution states that the currency of the country is
to remain that way to maintain the Dollar and protect
against what is exactly happening to the currency today.

From the years between 1891 and 1930, the price of gold per
ounce remained relatively stable. The lowest it went was
$20.58 and the highest it reached per ounce was $21.32 and
so, for a total of ninety seven years between 1833 and
1930, the price of gold only moved $.74 cents from high to
low.

The price of gold hit an all time low during the depression
year of 1931 since then the US slowly removed the Dollar
from the gold standard until August 15th 1971; President
Nixon announced that the US government would no longer
redeem US currency for gold. This was the last step in
departing from the gold standard. The demise of the Dollar
can be seen since it was removed for the gold standard.

Keep in mind that the Dollar has historical value and
therefore is extremely consistent, even though it looks as
though the gold price is rising; it is actually the Dollar
that is dropping. It has been as high as $1,030 per ounce,
down to $830 per ounce.

So interestingly, if you wanted to buy a new car that cost
$55,000 in 2008 and in gold, that would cost you roughly 60
ounces of gold at the spot price of $930 per ounce. So, if
the Dollar was never removed from the gold standard and all
the inflation that has occurred because of the removal from
the gold standard, that same car today would only cost you
$1,200. Remove the $1,200 from $55,000 and you get $53,800
which is how much inflation this $1,200 item has risen by
over the last one hundred years.

The original Dollar value is roughly $.02 cents in today's
money. It's astounding to realise how much the Dollar has
dropped in value. I will try to explain further. In 1964,
$.25 would buy you roughly a gallon of gas because a
quarter in 1964 were made from 90% silver and 10% copper.
Silver costing $17.20 per ounce makes the quarters value
$3.11 so that same quarter from 1964 could still buy you a
gallon of gas today. This shows that the value of gold and
silver has hardly changed and that it's the currencies that
are not tied to gold and silver that are fluctuating
drastically.

This was the warning of the founding fathers and why they
tied the Dollar to the gold and silver standard at the
founding of the constitution. The excess printing of money
by the Federal Reserve is just another tax on the American
people, it takes the value of the Dollar that you have in
your pocket and makes them worth less and less in the long
run. While you are making roughly the same amount of money,
the price of goods and services are going up but really,
it's the value of the Dollar or any currency really, that's
value is going down. I hope that I have made it clear to
you that you need to make a move on this problem, be it
investing your money as soon as you can into precious
metals or by even taking a stand against the governments
position on a detached Dollar from the gold standard.

----------------------------------------------------
There is a lot of food for thought with this article and
knowing this information can change your whole way of think
towards the Dollar in your pocket. To know more about
investing in gold, go to my web site at:
http://www.wheretobuy-gold.com and check out my other
article at: http://howtobuy-gold.blogspot.com/
Thank you for th etime you took to read this article.

To Really Save Money On Contractors Liability Insurance,Take Control Of Your Loss Runs

To Really Save Money On Contractors Liability Insurance,Take Control Of Your Loss Runs
This article is one of a series of tips to help business
owners save large amounts of money on business insurance.
Today, we are going to talk about loss runs, which are
vitally important to any buyer of business insurance, who
wants to save money. They are also known as policy history
reports, but are more commonly called loss runs. This
information applies to all forms of business insurance,
including contractors general liability insurance.

What are loss runs? A loss run is simply a report from an
insurance company showing claims you had for a particular
policy. It should show the policy number, effective dates,
and list for each claim a claim number, amount paid, amount
reserved, amount incurred. It should show premium paid for
the policy also.

Why are they important? Failure to obtain them at the
right times is a primary cause for overpaying large sums of
money. No one will accurately quote your business
insurance without currently valued loss runs.

Why is getting loss runs often difficult? Brokers know
their clients cannot get competitive quotations without
them. To avoid unwelcome competition, they rarely give
them to clients voluntarily. Brokers often try do delay
handing over loss runs to clients, and use the time to
capture as much control of your renewal as possible. To
further complicate matters, brokers often cannot access
loss runs for policies you purchased from other brokers.
The critical job of capturing currently valued loss runs 90
days in advance of your renewal routinely gets mishandled.
This ends up costing you money and creating unnecessary
emergencies as your renewal approaches.

What is the solution? Collect and organize the information
necessary to secure your loss runs. You absolutely need a
spreadsheet listing all the policies you have now, and all
those you've had in the past 5 years. The table headers
(in a row across the top) are as follows, along with
explanations after the dash:

Inception Date - what date did the policy start?
Expiration Date - what date did the policy end?
Insurance Company - Exact name of insurance company.
Policy Number - Record it accurately.
Premium - use the final audited premium.
Total claims paid - amounts actually paid by the insurance
company.
Total claims reserved - amounts not paid, but set aside in
anticipation of being paid.
Total claims incurred - the sum of paid and incurred. Type
of Coverage - Liability, Auto, Property, Excess Liab,
Professional Liab, Workers Comp
Loss Run Contact - Name, phone, fax, email address of
person who publishes the loss run.
Loss Run Valuation Date.- The date the loss run report says
it is valued.

A good way to get this to happen is to ask your broker for
it. If your broker cannot give you this, declare an
emergency. This is absolutely vital information your
broker needs to effectively run your renewals. Insist that
your broker put this together and deliver it to you. It is
best to do this long before your next expiration date.

You want the policy history rows sorted first by line of
coverage, then by inception date. That way you will see 5
years for each line, in neat chronological order. For each
line, you can sum the premiums and the claims to see how
much money you are making the insurance companies. It is
usually a lot.

Summary: Failure to get complete loss runs on time is a
primary reason for overpaying for business insurance. No
one can accurately quote your insurance without currently
valued loss runs. This means you have to get them every
year, 60 to 90 days in advance of your expiration dates.
Keep organized as I am describing, and you will avoid the
following expensive mistakes:

1) Letting your broker think he or she has a monopoly on
your renewal. If you have your loss runs, that means you
can get quotes from anybody. If you don't have them, you
can't.
2) Having a last minute crisis, because of a missing loss
run. This can result in a quote not happening that could
have saved you a lot of money.
3) Getting ignored by underwriters, who view your
applications for quotations as incomplete without the loss
runs.

----------------------------------------------------
Don Bury is a nationally recognized expert on negotiating
with commercial insurance brokers. Author of "Buyers Guide
To Business Insurance" in 1993, over $20 million in cost
reductions have been delivered so far.
Contractors get free help at
http://www.contractorinsurancetoohigh.com
Don Bury, President
Insurance Cost Reduction Services
3663 Camino Bella Rosa
Sierra Vista, AZ 85650
Phone/Fax: 800-760-1867
email: donbury@icrs.biz

Incorporating Soft Elements Into Your Forex Trading Strategy

Incorporating Soft Elements Into Your Forex Trading Strategy
To veteran forex traders, the term 'strategy' is often
synonymous with 'trading tools,' meaning any combination of
charts, indicators, and oscillators that will help them to
make judgment calls on their trading decisions.

Though when you are caught up in trading, it is very easy
to become so focused on the technical aspect and trying to
gain an edge with the latest indicator that you forget to
focus on the mental aspect of trading. In a sense, a trader
will fall into the trap of putting to much of their focus
outside of themselves and will actually forget that *they*
are the ones making all of the choices and decisions.

This mental aspect of forex trading incorporates what we
call the 'soft elements' of a forex trading strategy, and
the two main parts to focus on are psychology and money
management. This is as opposed to the 'hard elements' of
your trading strategy, which would be the type of charts,
indicators, and oscillators you are using that make up the
technical portion of your trading strategy.

Money management and trading psychology are inextricably
related, and one cannot be successful without the other.
Trading psychology mainly encompasses focusing on your
emotions while you are trading and making sure that
emotions such as fear or greed do not make you deviate from
the rules of your trading strategy.

You will feel all kinds of different emotions during your
forex trading (it can be rather like an emotional roller
coaster), but the two emotions that can be the most
devastating are fear and greed. Trading psychology means
that you learn to tame these emotions as they pop up, and
coming to terms with the fact that dealing with large sums
of money can be a very emotional experience.

Money management is an offshoot of forex trading
psychology, but it is probably the most important soft or
mental element of your strategy. A simple definition of
money management would be 'acting in such a way to maximize
gains and minimize losses.' One of the most important rules
of proper money management is to always trade with the same
number of lots every time you receive a buy or sell signal.

Another rule is to never forget to enter a stop loss order,
and always go for the same profit/loss ratio. A common
proportion that many forex traders follow is 1.5/1 or 2/1,
meaning that they will always enter a trade hoping to get
1.5 or 2 times the amount of pips that they are willing to
risk (and this usually includes the spread).

As you should see, money management can be difficult or
even impossible to implement if you ignore trading
psychology, because you must already have emotional
stability if you are going to focus on maximizing gains and
minimizing losses. If you get fearful every time the market
turns against you and rush to exit the trade before it has
time to turn around in your favor, you will short circuit
the power of your trading strategy.

If you ignore the soft elements of your forex trading
strategy, it really doesn't matter how powerful your
combination or indicators and oscillators is because you
will always fall short when it comes to making an emotional
judgment call.

There is no quick fix to creating a profitable forex
trading strategy; including all of the essential technical
and mental aspects is the key to success.

----------------------------------------------------
Read more about profitable forex trading at
http://TheCurrencyMarkets.com
Get free information about the two most affordable and
comprehensive forex trading courses at
http://TheCurrencyMarkets.com/currency-trading-strategy-repo
rts.htm

"Return of premium" term life insurance comes of age

"Return of premium" term life insurance comes of age
If you'd like to have term life insurance in place to
provide for beneficiaries yet you're confident you'll
outlive the life insurance policy, you now have many
options for "return of premium" (ROP) term life insurance.
Under this type of life insurance policy, if no death
benefit has been paid by the end of your life insurance
term, you receive all your premiums back.

With a traditional term insurance policy, you buy a
coverage term, such as 15, 20 or 30 years, and pay a fixed
annual price. If you don't die within that term, your
contract ends and you receive nothing, having paid for the
"risk" that you might have died.

An ROP term life insurance policy gives you 100 percent of
your premium money back (it's tax-free) at the end of your
term if no death benefit has been paid. Or put another way,
"You can rent your insurance or you can buy it," says Alan
Lurty, Senior Vice President at ING.

How much will it cost me?

An ROP term life insurance policy will cost more than a
comparable traditional term life insurance policy, and
there is a significant range among insurers for that
surcharge, plus significant ranges depending on your age
and the length of term you want.

It will really pay to shop around for the best term life
insurance quote, but on the low end you can expect to pay
50 percent more than comparable traditional term life
insurance. So, for example, if your annual life insurance
rate for traditional term insurance would be $3,000, adding
an ROP option could bring it up to $4,500 annually. On the
high end, you might be looking at paying 150 percent more
over the base premium, so that $3,000 premium would become
$7,500.

Shoppers should also note that with a ROP term life
insurance policy, generally the longer the term the less
you'll pay out overall in premiums. So a 30-year ROP term
policy could actually end up costing less total money, at
the end of the term, than a 15-year ROP policy. How does
that happen? Because the 30-year term gives the insurer
more time to make its money back by investing your
premiums. So make sure you price out different term lengths
when getting a life insurance quote.

Generally, you will not be returned premiums for extra
riders you may add to the ROP term policy.
Who considers it?

The likely customer for ROP term life insurance is a person
who has the confidence he'll outlive his life insurance
policy. Or it could be the person who can't get over the
feeling that term life insurance is a "waste of money" if
the death benefit isn't paid out. ROP term life insurance
provides a way to hedge your bets no matter what happens.

What if I surrender my ROP policy early?

It's not wise to buy any life insurance policy if you don't
intend to keep up on payments. However, if you do surrender
an ROP term life insurance policy early, you will get some
of your premiums back based on a sliding scale if you've
held it for a few years. Check your life insurance policy
details about that sliding scale before you buy.

Many life insurance companies offer no premium returns if
you surrender your life insurance policy within the first
few years. Your life insurance policy will spell out the
rules for surrendering it, such as when partial premium
returns would start and the sliding scale for those returns.

For example, just because you're halfway through your life
insurance policy term doesn't mean you'll get half your
premiums back if you surrender it. The longer you keep it,
the higher percentage of premiums you'll get back, up to
100 percent at the very end of your term. (If you die
during your term, your beneficiaries receive the death
benefit without any premium return.)

Can I get it for less?

Life insurance companies such as ING and Genworth offer two
flavors of ROP term life policies, usually called basic and
enhanced (more expensive). Under the "basic" contract, you
pay a lower life insurance rate than an enhanced life
insurance policy because you get back less if you surrender
it early.

For example, if you bought ING's 15-year term life "basic"
ROP life insurance policy and surrendered it in year 10,
you would receive 30% of your premiums back. If you held
ING's "enhanced" 15-year life insurance policy for 10 years
you'd receive 60 percent back.

For either basic or enhanced life insurance policies you
always receive 100 percent of your premiums back if you get
to the end of your term.

Invest the difference?

Maybe now you're thinking that another option would be to
take the premium difference between traditional term life
insurance and ROP term life insurance and invest the
difference. Would you come out ahead at the end? It depends
mainly on your term length. Lurty of ING offers this
example: Say you're looking at traditional 30-year term for
$1,500 or ROP 30-year term for $2,000 annually. That's $500
a year you could otherwise put into investments. To equal
the money you'd get back from your ROP life insurance
policy at the end of 30 years, you would need to see an
investment return on the premium difference of about 7 to 8
percent. How well has your portfolio been doing? Lurty says
that with ROP term life insurance policies you don't have
to worry about "investing the difference" because it's
being done for you.

Note that the example is for a 30-year term. With
shorter-term ROP life insurance policies, like 15 or 20
years, you might indeed yield more at the end of the term
by investing the difference. And you would need the
self-discipline to actually invest those extra dollars each
year.

Of course, should you die within the term, only the death
benefit is paid out. Thus, don't view this as an investment
product.

Expect to see more return-of-premium insurance policies as
it catches on.

Companies selling return of premium term life insurance:

-American General Life Insurance Co.
-Fidelity Life Association
-Genworth Life & Annuity Insurance Co.
-ING Reliastar Life Insurance Co.
-Lincoln National Life Insurance Co.
-Pruco Life Insurance Co.
-Pruco Life Insurance Co. of New Jersey
-Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Co.
-The United States Life Insurance Co. in the City of New
York

----------------------------------------------------
Amy Danise is an editor for http://www.insure.com . Visit
http://www.insure.com for a comprehensive array of
comparative auto, life and health quotes, including a vast
library of originally authored insurance articles.
Insure.com is dedicated to providing impartial insurance
information to consumers. Visitors can obtain instant
quotes from more than 200 leading insurers, achieve maximum
savings and have the freedom to buy from any company shown.

Working Capital Loans and Small Business Cash Advance Strategies

Working Capital Loans and Small Business Cash Advance Strategies
In this article we have identified the ten major problems
which should be avoided when obtaining working capital and
business cash advances based on credit card processing. As
noted below, it is not necessary to accept any of these
business finance difficulties.

Credit card processing and small business loan strategies
are closely connected in many ways. Business owners should
not overlook the substantial working capital benefits which
will accrue to their business by effectively coordinating
credit card factoring and processing. These benefits will
increase measurably if a number of common business cash
advance problems can be successfully avoided.

Even thriving small businesses frequently need more working
capital than they can borrow from a bank. One of the most
important commercial financing needs for any business is
ensuring that short-term cash requirements are successfully
met. This is frequently a difficult task.

The use of a viable business cash advance strategy has
become an increasingly important business finance tool for
many businesses faced with a potential short-term cash
shortfall. However, as noted below there are a number of
potential problems to be anticipated and avoided when
businesses use credit card processing to seek working
capital advances.

Most merchants have documented credit card processing
activity and sales volume. This documentation of processing
activity and sales volume is a financial asset, since up to
$300,000 and more can typically be obtained via a business
cash advance based on future sales volume.

Before employing this strategy for working capital business
cash advances, businesses should realize that there are
several recurring potential problems that they need to
anticipate. Ten common credit card receivables problems
that business owners should avoid when employing this
strategy are highlighted below.

First, many lenders will attempt to charge closing costs.
Business owners should realize that this is an unnecessary
transaction cost for business cash advances when dealing
with a truly reputable provider of working capital
financing based on credit card factoring.

Second, many lenders for these services also charge
up-front fees. This is also a transaction cost that can and
should be avoided, and with the best programs there will
not be any up-front fees.

Third, a number of business cash advance programs require
collateral. This is an unnecessary requirement to be
avoided by business owners seeking credit card financing.

Fourth, some lenders will require financial statements and
tax returns for all business cash advances. Such additional
documentation requirements should only be necessary for
larger working capital advances.

Fifth, monthly fixed payments to repay merchant cash
advances are imposed by some providers. The preferred
approach is to avoid such fixed payment requirements.

Sixth, some providers impose a fixed term for repayment.
This requirement to pay off the business cash advance over
a fixed term should be avoided.

Seventh, many programs for working capital business cash
advances require that a business have at least two years of
operating history to qualify. While many business owners
can meet such a requirement, a more practical standard for
newer businesses is a minimum of one year in business.

Eighth, most business cash advance providers require credit
scores of at least 680. In today's difficult economic
climate, this can be a challenging requirement. It is
feasible to obtain this kind of working capital financing
with scores around 500.

Ninth, for merchants needing larger business cash advances,
it will be disappointing to learn that many programs are
limited to a maximum of $25,000 to $50,000. Providers that
are better capitalized for this business finance strategy
will be able to accommodate an advance of $300,000 and
higher.

Tenth, many providers will require 12 to 24 months of
documented credit card sales of $12,000 to $25,000 or more.
A more practical possibility for business owners will
involve a transaction history with six months of $5,000 or
more.

It is not likely that all ten of the obstacles described
above will be pertinent for all business owners. Business
borrowers are likely to experience several of these
problems if they are considering a business cash advance
that uses credit card factoring and credit card processing.

Can all ten credit card finance obstacles discussed above
be avoided? There are indeed viable credit card receivables
programs which avoid all of the problems described. For any
business owner considering this approach to working capital
financing, it is probably worth repeating that it is not
necessary to accept any of these problems in order to
obtain business cash advances based on future sales.

----------------------------------------------------
Learn how to avoid mistakes with commercial loans and find
out about business cash management strategies - Steve Bush
is a small business loans expert =>
AEX Commercial Financing Group [
http://aexcommercialfinancing.com ]

Working Capital Loans and Small Business Cash Advance Strategies

Working Capital Loans and Small Business Cash Advance Strategies
In this article we have identified the ten major problems
which should be avoided when obtaining working capital and
business cash advances based on credit card processing. As
noted below, it is not necessary to accept any of these
business finance difficulties.

Credit card processing and small business loan strategies
are closely connected in many ways. Business owners should
not overlook the substantial working capital benefits which
will accrue to their business by effectively coordinating
credit card factoring and processing. These benefits will
increase measurably if a number of common business cash
advance problems can be successfully avoided.

Even thriving small businesses frequently need more working
capital than they can borrow from a bank. One of the most
important commercial financing needs for any business is
ensuring that short-term cash requirements are successfully
met. This is frequently a difficult task.

The use of a viable business cash advance strategy has
become an increasingly important business finance tool for
many businesses faced with a potential short-term cash
shortfall. However, as noted below there are a number of
potential problems to be anticipated and avoided when
businesses use credit card processing to seek working
capital advances.

Most merchants have documented credit card processing
activity and sales volume. This documentation of processing
activity and sales volume is a financial asset, since up to
$300,000 and more can typically be obtained via a business
cash advance based on future sales volume.

Before employing this strategy for working capital business
cash advances, businesses should realize that there are
several recurring potential problems that they need to
anticipate. Ten common credit card receivables problems
that business owners should avoid when employing this
strategy are highlighted below.

First, many lenders will attempt to charge closing costs.
Business owners should realize that this is an unnecessary
transaction cost for business cash advances when dealing
with a truly reputable provider of working capital
financing based on credit card factoring.

Second, many lenders for these services also charge
up-front fees. This is also a transaction cost that can and
should be avoided, and with the best programs there will
not be any up-front fees.

Third, a number of business cash advance programs require
collateral. This is an unnecessary requirement to be
avoided by business owners seeking credit card financing.

Fourth, some lenders will require financial statements and
tax returns for all business cash advances. Such additional
documentation requirements should only be necessary for
larger working capital advances.

Fifth, monthly fixed payments to repay merchant cash
advances are imposed by some providers. The preferred
approach is to avoid such fixed payment requirements.

Sixth, some providers impose a fixed term for repayment.
This requirement to pay off the business cash advance over
a fixed term should be avoided.

Seventh, many programs for working capital business cash
advances require that a business have at least two years of
operating history to qualify. While many business owners
can meet such a requirement, a more practical standard for
newer businesses is a minimum of one year in business.

Eighth, most business cash advance providers require credit
scores of at least 680. In today's difficult economic
climate, this can be a challenging requirement. It is
feasible to obtain this kind of working capital financing
with scores around 500.

Ninth, for merchants needing larger business cash advances,
it will be disappointing to learn that many programs are
limited to a maximum of $25,000 to $50,000. Providers that
are better capitalized for this business finance strategy
will be able to accommodate an advance of $300,000 and
higher.

Tenth, many providers will require 12 to 24 months of
documented credit card sales of $12,000 to $25,000 or more.
A more practical possibility for business owners will
involve a transaction history with six months of $5,000 or
more.

It is not likely that all ten of the obstacles described
above will be pertinent for all business owners. Business
borrowers are likely to experience several of these
problems if they are considering a business cash advance
that uses credit card factoring and credit card processing.

Can all ten credit card finance obstacles discussed above
be avoided? There are indeed viable credit card receivables
programs which avoid all of the problems described. For any
business owner considering this approach to working capital
financing, it is probably worth repeating that it is not
necessary to accept any of these problems in order to
obtain business cash advances based on future sales.

----------------------------------------------------
Learn how to avoid mistakes with commercial loans and find
out about business cash management strategies - Steve Bush
is a small business loans expert =>
AEX Commercial Financing Group [
http://aexcommercialfinancing.com ]

Guides to apply for Student Credit Cards

Guides to apply for Student Credit Cards
More and more credit card companies are now issuing student
credit cards. A student credit card is a students first
experience of handling finances independently and entry
into the world of credit card usage. It teaches them how to
spend and how to save. Credit cards are issued to students
only after one of their parents signs their consent. This
is also done to keep track of the credit card holder and
ensure returns on time.

You can apply for your student's credit card as soon as you
become 18 years old. To apply for a students credit card
first of all you will have to fill out a form of that
company or bank whose credit card you wish to apply for. To
get more information about various companies that offer
credit cards, visit their websites and study their terms
and policies well. Also take a good look at all the
facilities that they claim to provide you with. If in doubt
seek the help of an elder who has already been using credit
cards. Different companies have come up with their
different schemes to lure customers. Go through all these
schemes carefully and also go through their terms and
conditions like last date of making payment and so on. When
you have decided on a company or bank, go visit them in
their office and apply.

To apply for a student credit card you must be above 18 yrs
of age, must be a resident of United States and must have a
valid social security number. To apply for a students
credit card you will have to first of all fill out an
application form providing details about yourself, your
place of residence, your vehicle information and so on. You
also have to provide your bank account information so make
sure you have a personal bank account when you apply for a
students credit card. The bank will also ask you to add an
authorized user so that in case you don't pay up they will
take up your responsibility. Credit card companies have to
be extra careful with students as they have no credit
history to verify their claim. When you fill out your form,
try to answer all the questions as it helps in verification.

You can also apply for your credit card online. All credit
card companies use encryption technologies to protect the
sensitive information provided by customers so it is
perfectly safe to provide your details and make your
transactions online. In fact applying online is much more
convenient. You will get your credit card within a week or
two of applying depending on your company. When you get
your credit card you can use it for making purchases,
paying your bills and much more. Make sure you pay back in
time otherwise the interests could mount up and cause
problems for you. So make sure you use your credit card
carefully and always remember to keep your credit card
number a secret.

----------------------------------------------------
http://www.creditscardsonline.com

(Apply for credit cards
online, Fast Approval.)
http://www.elistz.net

(Elistz.net - Free Classifieds,
Post 100% Free Ads.)

Financial Analysts: Fail Your Way To Success?

Financial Analysts: Fail Your Way To Success?
In the world of financial analysts, there is little room
for mistakes. I agree with the importance of accuracy when
working with numbers. Number mistakes can be costly not
only to the firm. I've seen more than one trader lost their
jobs for keying in an extra zero. I've also seen equity
analysts fall off the pedestal for arriving at the wrong
calls with wrong numbers.

"Fail your way to success."

I don't know who coined this phrase. There is a lot of
wisdom in these words and I've adopted it as one of my
mottos. I think many people would balk at this idea though.

The education system conditions everyone since grade school
that mistakes are bad. You're penalized with poor grades
for being wrong and rewarded with good grades for being
right. This carries over to the higher education system and
then to the professional world. To be hired by the most
prestigious financial institution on Wall Street, you need
to have outstanding grades to attend the top B-schools and
pass the CFA exam with flying colors.

Of course it would be nice to be able to do things right
the first time. What are the chances of that happening? We
all fell down when we learned to walk. Otherwise, there
wouldn't be internship programs for the newcomers or a
hierarchy in the financial world differentiating people by
the amount of experience they have.

Experience is just a euphemism for a collection of
mistakes. The key is to learn from your mistakes and not
let them stop you from achieving your goal. Successful
financial analysts who are high up in the hierarchy are
those who have amassed and learned from their "experiences."

No matter what stage of your career you're in, there's
always something new to learn. This means there are always
chances of making mistakes even if you apply extreme
caution.

Try out as many things as early as possible while the
stakes are low. When your stakes are high, hire mentors and
advisers who have walked the path before you. It is
preferable to be able to reduce the learning curve and gain
from others' experiences at this stage.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. The only sure way you
don't make mistakes is not take any action - that would
truly be the biggest mistake of all.

Always ask yourself two questions when things don't turn
out the way you intended:

1) What did I learn from it?
2) How would I do it differently the next time?

You might need to rebuild a valuation model you've spent a
whole week constructing because the valuation method you
used turned out not to be the best for that particular
investment. You might have worked really hard to break into
investment banking and found out it isn't for you, and you
would need to switch to another finance field that aligns
with your passion and long-term career goals.

Mistakes is an integral part of, and not a contradiction to
your strive for excellence. In the competitive world of
financial analysts, not being afraid to make mistakes is an
indispensable mindset to help you outperform your peers.

----------------------------------------------------
Corinne Lor is a success coach for financial analysts and
writes at Financial Analyst Blog.
http://financialanalystblog.com

High School Student Credit Cards: Why Mom and Dad are So Freaked Out

High School Student Credit Cards: Why Mom and Dad are So Freaked Out
High school credit cards -- they're a teenager's dream come
true and a mom and dad's worst nightmare. Students beg for
them, mom and run from them like they carry the plague.
What has mom and pop so freaked out? If you want to have
even half a hope of getting one of these coveted pieces of
plastic, there are some things you need to know...

Better Do Your Homework

I'm not talking about that math assignment you turned in
late last week. I'm talking about learning the ins and the
outs of responsible credit card use. Your parents are more
likely to consider high school student credit cards if they
know you have the knowledge necessary to handle them
responsibly. This means learning about credit limits, late
fees, statement payments and everything else that goes
along with credit card account ownership.

Speaking of Responsibility

If you really want to prove you're ready for high school
student credit cards, you'd better start showing mom and
dad you're a responsible individual. Responsible, as in,
curfew is not a general guideline. Responsible, as in, that
money you borrowed from mom for the movies has been paid
back. You want to prove you're ready? Start showing mom and
dad you're up for the challenge by taking your other
responsibilities seriously.

Create a Contract

If you're serious about high school student credit cards,
get to work creating a contract for mom and dad to review.
You'll want to include highlights such as who's responsible
for what (ideally, you'll be responsible for all charges)
and how much you will be allowed to charge per week before
mom and dad's permission is required. This let's your
parents know that you understand a credit card is not a
free-for-all spending spree.

If All Else Fails

If you do all of the above and your parents still think
you're not ready for high school student credit cards,
here's a last-ditch approach.

Start saving money. You'll need about $600 for this to
work. Once you have your $600 saved up go to mom and dad
and tell them you want a secured credit card in order to
start building a positive credit history. Tell them to use
$300 of your $600 as the security deposit and the remaining
$300 in a savings account in case you were unable to pay
your bill for some reason.

This will show your parents that you understand the
financial responsibility of being a credit card holder and
that you're ready to live up to that responsibility.

It may seem like a lot of effort, but the above steps
really will help your parents feel better about getting you
your own credit card. Remember, high school student credit
cards are as scary for mom and dad as they are exciting for
you.

----------------------------------------------------
For more tips on credit cards (including tips on credit
cards for teens), saving money and avoiding getting taken,
check out CreditCardWhizKid.com, a website that specializes
in providing credit card tips, advice and resources.
http://www.creditcardwhizkid.com/credit-cards-for-teens/

High School Student Credit Cards: Why Mom and Dad are So Freaked Out

High School Student Credit Cards: Why Mom and Dad are So Freaked Out
High school credit cards -- they're a teenager's dream come
true and a mom and dad's worst nightmare. Students beg for
them, mom and run from them like they carry the plague.
What has mom and pop so freaked out? If you want to have
even half a hope of getting one of these coveted pieces of
plastic, there are some things you need to know...

Better Do Your Homework

I'm not talking about that math assignment you turned in
late last week. I'm talking about learning the ins and the
outs of responsible credit card use. Your parents are more
likely to consider high school student credit cards if they
know you have the knowledge necessary to handle them
responsibly. This means learning about credit limits, late
fees, statement payments and everything else that goes
along with credit card account ownership.

Speaking of Responsibility

If you really want to prove you're ready for high school
student credit cards, you'd better start showing mom and
dad you're a responsible individual. Responsible, as in,
curfew is not a general guideline. Responsible, as in, that
money you borrowed from mom for the movies has been paid
back. You want to prove you're ready? Start showing mom and
dad you're up for the challenge by taking your other
responsibilities seriously.

Create a Contract

If you're serious about high school student credit cards,
get to work creating a contract for mom and dad to review.
You'll want to include highlights such as who's responsible
for what (ideally, you'll be responsible for all charges)
and how much you will be allowed to charge per week before
mom and dad's permission is required. This let's your
parents know that you understand a credit card is not a
free-for-all spending spree.

If All Else Fails

If you do all of the above and your parents still think
you're not ready for high school student credit cards,
here's a last-ditch approach.

Start saving money. You'll need about $600 for this to
work. Once you have your $600 saved up go to mom and dad
and tell them you want a secured credit card in order to
start building a positive credit history. Tell them to use
$300 of your $600 as the security deposit and the remaining
$300 in a savings account in case you were unable to pay
your bill for some reason.

This will show your parents that you understand the
financial responsibility of being a credit card holder and
that you're ready to live up to that responsibility.

It may seem like a lot of effort, but the above steps
really will help your parents feel better about getting you
your own credit card. Remember, high school student credit
cards are as scary for mom and dad as they are exciting for
you.

----------------------------------------------------
For more tips on credit cards (including tips on credit
cards for teens), saving money and avoiding getting taken,
check out CreditCardWhizKid.com, a website that specializes
in providing credit card tips, advice and resources.
http://www.creditcardwhizkid.com/credit-cards-for-teens/

Why Bother with Customer Satisfaction Surveys For Credit Unions?

Why Bother with Customer Satisfaction Surveys For Credit Unions?
If you want to find out what your customers think of your
credit union, then you may want to conduct a few customer
satisfaction surveys for credit unions.You see, taking the
time to conduct these customer satisfaction surveys for
credit unions can really make a huge difference in your
credit union, how you run it, and how satisfied your
customers are. No doubt you want to keep your customers
around, so it's time that you listen to what they have to
say. Not sure that customer satisfaction surys for credit
unions are for you? Well, here are a few great benefits you
will enjoy when you use them.

Benefit #1 - Learn What the Customer is Thinking - First of
all, using customer satisfaction surveys for credit unions
will allow you to figure out what your customers are
thinking. You may never find out what they really think
about the credit union until you give them surveys and
allow them to voice their opinion. So, if you want to know
what they are really thinking, use customer surveys to find
out.

Benefit #2 - Find Out Where You Need to Make Changes -
You'll also benefit from finding out where you need to make
changes when you use the customer satisfaction surveys for
credit unions as well. There may be some areas that people
would like to see changed and it may be easy to implement
these changes to make the customers happier. So, you'll
find out where you need to change some things to make your
customers more satisfied.

Benefit #3 - Learn What Customers Love about Your Credit
Union Another benefit of using customer satisfaction
surveys for credit unions is that you'll also learn what
your customers love about your credit union as well. This
can help you know what you are doing right so you don't
change it.

Benefit #4 - Make Your Customers Feel Special - Customers
love to know that you really care about what they think,
and using these customer satisfaction surveys for credit
unions will allow them to give their opinions so they feel
that you really care about serving them to your best
ability. This is important if you want to keep your
customers, so it will help you make sure that you keep your
customers around as well.

So, these are a few great benefits that you can enjoy if
you use customer surveys for credit unions. Make sure that
you use them yourself so you can reap these benefits and
make sure your customers have a great experience at your
credit union.

----------------------------------------------------
Ann Born is a writer, researcher and website designer. She
has managed Credit Repair sites including
http://www.officialcreditrepairtips.com for over 3 years
and has written 100's of articles. All rights are reserved.
This article may not be reproduced in any way without
including the Author's Bio.

Mortgage Companies Set Off the Great Foreclosure Crisis Of 2008

Mortgage Companies Set Off the Great Foreclosure Crisis Of 2008
Yes, that's right the mortgage companies and their henchmen
caused the foreclosure crisis that is affecting everyone in
the United States right now. I'm not saying the homeowners
are blame-free, but the actions and the practices of the
mortgage lending industry set-up many homeowners to fall
into foreclosure. Thousands of homeowners are trying to
stop foreclosure process right now because of the runaway
lending practices from the last eight years.

The very types of mortgages offered to the homeowners are
evidence that the mortgage companies set loose a runaway
train. Now that train wreck of foreclosures are sweeping
our nation right now. The types of mortgages that were
statistically destined for failure include these 3:

(1) Interest Only Loans
(2) 80/20 Loans, AND
(3) Self verification of income.

(1) INTEREST ONLY LOANS: this meant a buyer's mortgage
payments did not put one red cent toward equity. This type
of loan was offered to bring down monthly payments and
most buyers, overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork at a
mortgage closing, were unaware none of their money went to
the principal of the home. These loans, by bringing payment
amounts down put buyers in to homes in expensive housing
markets they could not otherwise possibly afford. Other
cases, mortgage officers outright conned unsuspecting
people into more house then they could afford.

(2) The 80/20 loan: what a classic twist, we leverage the
home for a 100% with no money down on the house, but
thousands paid in closing costs. No equity was disaster
leading to the foreclosure process.

(3) NO INCOME VERIFICATION LOAN: What can I say about this
one, the loans name says it all.

The loan officer would tell you nothing down on the house,
but when you would receive the closing documents you would
see thousands of dollars towards shady fees that a person
couldn't make out if they even had a Harvard law degree. So
buyers put down an amount of income they made and mortgage
staff did not verify it. These no money down,
interest-only and no income verification methods produced
millions for the mortgage companies and what did the
homeowner receive? Houses they couldn't afford, a ride on a
runaway train headed straight for the foreclosure wreck we
are in now.

But let's look at what the mortgage companies got out of
it. The Loan Officers received their commissions; the
mortgage companies received their fees then sold the
mortgage to an investor in China, Japan or Europe. When the
homeowners go into foreclosure does anyone go back to the
loan officer and ask for the commission back, based on
their unethical and unsound business practices? No. Does
anyone ask for the fees and commissions collected by the
mortgage companies? Nope, not one penny back. The biggest
concern by the mortgage industry was getting their money
from the mortgage closing process and their payments
thereafter. This market has mostly collapsed on itself
now, the sub- prime market where many of the mortgage
company bottom feeders lived thankfully have gone out of
business with the sub-prime market shut down in August of
2007. Problem is the full weight of this foreclosure crisis
is still falling on homeowners now.

The real estate agents and the real estate appraisers
assisted this foreclosure crisis with inflating the value
of property to get in on the sale. The real estate agents
having little training in many cases and in their blind
quest to get rich, real estate agents would push buyers
into property they couldn't afford, by assuring them, the
buyer must be able to afford it because Look!!! You
"qualified for" the loan "they wouldn't give you a loan if
they didn't believe in you. We now know this is not true.
But real estate agents are also keeping their commission
right now.

Real estate agents also helped drive prices up. For
example, in 2003, I told an agent that I wanted to make an
offer on a house and I wanted to bid under the asking
price. You'd have thought I'd just asked the agent to give
me a ride to Mars! The agent replied, "People offer more
than the asking price to make sure they get the property."
But it's not true, it's a bargaining process and if you
have an agent that won't write a lower bid, get another
agent because the agent's biggest concern is not if you are
paying more for a house than it's worth, their biggest
concern was the commission. Appraisers in the rush to keep
real estate brokers and mortgage companies happy (and
themselves in jobs) made sure the appraisal value would
come in at the required asking price. The bank took the
appraisal and the homeowner has a house. Look at that
chain of events; does it leave more than a little room for
over inflation of prices? Do you think any of these
professionals are going to hand back their fees for the
rampant mishandling of home buyers' lives?

The United States government inadvertently started the
foreclosure crisis way back in 2003 when Federal Reserve
Bank dropped the interest rates to its lowest in four years
in an attempt to slow down a potential recession. The
mortgage companies swung into high gear handing out
mortgages, biggest requirement to see if you qualified was
by having a pulse. The mortgage companies started issuing
Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) to virtually anyone, and
issued with with a promise that the market will still be
strong when the ARM comes due, property values would
increase, and the buyer would be earning more as time went
on. The issuing of mortgages with glee and total abandon
for consequences lead up to the foreclosure crisis starting
in 2006 and beyond.

Now the Big Boys of mortgage companies are crying to the
government for help due to the reckless handling by
mortgage companies of buyer's credit and the funny part is
the government is listening to them. But the government is
not listening to the homeowners who are fighting to stay
above the surface and stop the potential foreclosure
looming over their heads. The government has offered some
minuscule relief for certain homeowners, but the ones that
will qualify is about a 1/3 of those homeowners facing
foreclosure. And the relief is very temporary, measured in
weeks or months. We have a long way to go before the end of
this foreclosure crisis; I'm curious how the great
foreclosure crisis of 2008 will lead us. Will the
government need to step in to regulate the mortgage
industry more stringently? Will the government help the
homeowners keep their homes? Time will tell.

----------------------------------------------------
MJ Jensen has studied Real Estate from the Homeowners
perspective for over 20 years. He provides tips on mortgage
problems, and understanding debt and credit solutions for
consumers. You can visit his site at
http://www.stopbankforeclosurestips.com/free_report

Should I Buy a Home or Rent, Which is Better?

Should I Buy a Home or Rent, Which is Better?
Should I buy or should I rent? This is a perennial question
for those who want to move into a new home. While many
people answer this question with broad generalizations, not
backed up by actual facts and figures; the best way to
determine whether you should buy or rent a home is to
compare all the costs, factors and figures involved. Let's
take a detailed look at the question, comparing rental
costs, mortgage payments, increases in home values and
other factors which determine whether a person who buys a
home gets a better deal than someone who just rents.

As an example, let's compare renting to buying a $250,000
home with 5% ($12,500) down payment. Purchasing this
property in Toronto would require about $6,000 closing
costs and an approximate total of $2,000 per month which
includes mortgage payments ($1,460), property tax ($150)
and maintenance fees ($390). The rent on the same property
is about $1,500 per month, therefore it would seem like it
is easier to just rent the home instead of purchasing and
to invest the $500 extra monthly payment, down payment and
the closing costs.

The total investment growth from renting could be
approximately $ 7,115 after 5 years. This was calculated by
growing the monthly savings from renting ($500.00) plus the
down payment of $12,500 and closing costs of $6,000 at a
standard after-tax rate of 4% per annum. Indeed after five
years, a person who rents could retain $55,615.

Now what about the position of the person who buys a
$250,000 home with 5% down payment? After deducting the
down payment ($12,500) and adding the mortgage insurance
($6,531) to the purchase price, the buyer takes a 25 year
mortgage at 5.3% in the amount of $244,031. What would be
his or her situation after selling his home at the end of
the five year term? If there was an estimated increase in
property value of 5% per year, after five years the
$250,000 home would be worth $319,070. By subtracting the
approximate selling costs ($20,000) and the mortgage
balance at the end of the five year term ($216,990), the
net amount received after a sale would be $82,080.

In this case, the person who bought and then sold the home
after five years would have about $26,465 more than someone
who just rented and invested the $500 extra monthly
payment, down payment and the closing costs.

This is just an example and the figures presented here are
just an estimate. A lot will depend on the trend of the
housing market in your area, interest rates on mortgages
and the interests earned on investments. Check with the
real estate and financial experts in your area and seek
professional advice to make a wise decision.

So, if you are not sure whether to buy or rent, do not make
the decision only by looking at how much you would pay per
month as a homeowner or a tenant. With a help of a
qualified professional, calculate all the costs and
investment growths and compare your probable position as
either a home owner or a renter at the end of a certain
time period, then make your choice.

----------------------------------------------------
Hamed Mahmood Salehi is a Toronto Real Estate Broker. His
website http://www.FindYourHomeValue.ca/ offers great tips
for home buyers and sellers, free home evaluation, real
estate news and information about Toronto home values.

Car Insurance Coverage for Pets in Car Accidents

Car Insurance Coverage for Pets in Car Accidents
Pets ride in cars all the time, but what if they're injured
in a car accident? Whose car insurance company pays to
treat their injuries? The answer depends on the cause of
the accident.

Riding in cars can be dangerous for pets (as well as
distracting to the driver), especially because they ride
without the benefit of seat belts. If someone crashes into
you and causes injuries to your pet, you're entitled to
make a "third-party claim" with their car insurance company
for your pet's medical bills. That's because their
liability car insurance policy must put you "back where you
were" before the accident.

If you are at-fault in a car accident in which your pet is
injured, you'll want to check your car insurance policy for
exclusions. Say you crash into another car or a fence:
Collision insurance pays for the repairs to your own
vehicle. But you may have an exclusion on your collision
insurance coverage for damage to personal property that you
are transporting, whether it's your antique vase or your
pet. If your car insurance policy has such exclusions, you
won't have a valid claim. For example, State Farm says that
its policies don't provide coverage for pet injuries. Car
insurance coverage may vary depending on the car insurance
company, so be sure to carefully check your policy.
In this scenario, if you don't carry collision coverage at
all, you must pay for all damage from the accident,
including your car and pet.

Perhaps someone comes to visit you and your dog goes to lie
down under their car. Then, unknowingly, the visitor backs
over your pet. Is the visitor liable for your dog's
injuries? Yes, he is, but not under the bodily injury
section of his car insurance policy. Bodily injury pays out
for injuries sustained by any "one person" in an accident.
Your pet doesn't qualify as a person so he's not covered by
this portion of the car insurance policy policy.

However, for car insurance purposes, your pet qualifies as
your "personal property," and you have the right to be "put
back where you were" before the accident — in this
case, meaning having a healthy dog. You'd have the right to
make a claim on your visitor's car insurance policy for
your dog's medical bills, just as you would have the right
to make a claim if the driver backed over your lawnmower.

The death of a pet

Certainly pets are part of the "family," and the death of a
beloved pet can lead to extreme grief. But your pet's
status as your "personal property" may limit your options
for compensation if someone causes an accident that kills
your pet. State laws do not recognize the loss of personal
property as valid claims for "loss of companionship"
compensation, unlike the loss of a spouse. In the event
your pet is killed in an accident, you can likely make a
claim only for the "market value" of your pet.

Some courts have allowed damages for deceased pets to go
beyond "market value" by applying "pecuniary value" or
"special value," which applies to personal property that
has no ascertainable market value.

Tips for traveling by car with pets

Source: American Veterinary Medical Association

-Cats should be in a cage or in a cat carrier to allow them
to feel secure and prevent them from crawling under your
feet while you are driving.
-A dog that must ride in a truck bed should be in a
protective kennel that is fastened to the truck bed.
-Dogs riding in a car should not ride in the passenger seat
if it is equipped with an airbag, and should not be allowed
to sit on the driver's lap.
-Harnesses, tethers and other accessories to secure pets
during car travel are available at most pet stores.
-Pets should not be allowed to ride with their heads
outside car windows. Particles of dirt or other debris can
enter the eyes, ears and nose, causing injury or infection.

Car insurance coverage for pets has been a long standing
issue between car insurance companies and pet owners. There
are certain scenarios in which car insurance policies do
cover pets, as well as those that do not. It is important
to be safe when traveling with pets in your car, hopefully
you will remember the tips that we provided. Check with
your car insurance company to determine if your pet is
covered by your car insurance policy.

----------------------------------------------------
Amy Danise is an editor for http://www.insure.com . Visit
http://www.insure.com for a comprehensive array of
comparative auto, life and health quotes, including a vast
library of originally authored insurance articles.
Insure.com is dedicated to providing impartial insurance
information to consumers. Visitors can obtain instant
quotes from more than 200 leading insurers, achieve maximum
savings and have the freedom to buy from any company shown.

Credit Cards for Students

Credit Cards for Students
If you are a high school student and are willing to start
building an early credit, you can apply for a student
credit card. Through a credit card, you can also learn how
to become a responsible person and become really skilled in
managing your financials at a fresh age. These special
credit cards are addressing only high school students, and
applying for one must be accompanied by the co-signature of
one of the parents or guardians of the student. But
remember that a credit card also comes with a lot of
responsibility.

Before even considering the decision of obtaining a student
card, the students and their parents or tutors should first
look at the offers available on the market. There is a wide
range of banks and financial companies you can make a
choice from, so it's best if you just looked around. Not
all cards available are reasonable, and some are issued
with a highly unfair APR or annual fee. Because students
don't have credit at all, banks and institutions will try
pulling off more money out of your pocket by imposing
higher rates. This is a good enough reason for you to
always check before rushing in accepting a credit card
offer.

Co-signers will usually guide the students in taking the
most suitable decisions. He or she will accompany the
student when he applies for the card, and he or she will
also be the person that the loaner turns towards when the
student can't afford to pay the issued bill. Parents are
more skilled in choosing credit card offers, so students
should always request their help.

Those students that can't cope with normal credit cards
could be better off with prepaid credit cards. They are
absolutely risk free, and they can still help the students
on managing their financials. For this type of credit card,
the amount available on it also represents the limit in
which you can spend. In order to have the application form
completed correctly, students should fill them in with
their parents' supervision.

Each time a student gets approval for a credit card, adults
should instruct them on how to make proper use of the newly
obtained credit card. And though some students will be
tempted to boast by paying with their credit card every
time, they should keep some spare money on those credit
cards for special situations, or emergency cases. And at
the end of each month, they should put an effort in paying
their bill, so as not to risk raising a debt. Paying their
bills regularly will provide students with a good credit
score as well.

High school credit cards can also be applied for online.
The applications are usually processed right away and you
receive the answer to your request in a couple of minutes.
Although credit cards are both practical and "trendy", you
may consider a prepaid card for your almost grown-up kid.
If you don't know which offer is best for your family,
compare all options you can find on the market.

----------------------------------------------------
Article written by : Alitsa Neuyo. She is the professional
freelance writer. To read more articles, please visit :
http://www.108money.com
&
http://www.108money.com/edition/help-please.html

Contractors Drive Down Liability Insurance Costs By Comparing Notes With Each Other

Contractors Drive Down Liability Insurance Costs By Comparing Notes With Each Other
Smart and wealthy building contractors are the ones who
associate with winners in their specialties, for good
reason. They've come to realize they will never live long
enough to learn all they need to know by themselves. They
see the value of sharing information and comparing notes.
They skip long, expensive learning curves suffered by the
do-it-yourselfer's. As a result, they get smart much
faster, and avoid making costly mistakes that happen using
only trial and error.

For example, consider commercial liability insurance for
general contractors. When buying insurance, contractors
are typically isolated, and the insurance industry likes it
that way. It is nice and complicated, and there are plenty
of ways to spread fear, to keep contractors from doing much
about it.

Your job as the insurance buyer is to stop asking
questions, and pay the premiums. Isolated contractors try
to ask intelligent questions, but they have no benchmark
idea of what the best deals look like. They have very
limited power.

I happen to know that rates are all over the map for
contractors liability insurance. General contractors
focused on residential remodeling are a good example. I've
seen premium rates range from 0.7% of sales to over 3%. As
I collect more and more examples, I finally start to see
into the murky marketplace. Turn on the lights, and it is
easy to see what to demand.

Contractors are reluctant to show their insurance policies
to their peers, because they are also competitors. Their
don't want to show their numbers for sales and payroll for
one thing. Also, they are not all that confident they have
the best deals, and don't want to feel dumb. Every time
I've seen contractors pull out their policies and compare
them, there are always a good percentage wondering how the
best deal on the table came to be that way. 80% of them
discover they've been overpaying large sums of money.

To get maximum value from comparing notes, you want to do
it with others who have very similar operations to yours.
Compare with others in your state, with similar license
categories, similar sales volume, doing very similar types
of work. That will eliminate most of the variables that
make it hard to understand what is going on with pricing.
Significant claim history can influence rates. If one of
your group is paying a lot more, ask about claim history,
to see if that explains it.

You've got to keep an eye on coverage variation also.Really
cheap policies might be claims-made forms instead of
occurrence forms. You can't compare the two. They are
completely different animals. Coverage limits and
deductibles also vary, as do exclusions. With all that
said, I've seen insurance companies quote identical
accounts with one quote being double the other.

The more contractors work together, the more power they
have when it comes to purchasing insurance. If a hundred
contractors doing an average of one million in sales
organized themselves into a buying group, they could
probably buy an insurance company. Working together, they
could expect to see insurance costs 20% to 30% lower than
those dealing with the industry one on one.

----------------------------------------------------
Opt in at my website to get smarter about controlling
business insurance costs. You don't have to go it alone.
http://www.contractorinsurancetoohigh.com
http://www.icrs.biz
Don Bury, President
Insurance Cost Reduction Services
3663 Camino Bella Rosa
Sierra Vista, AZ 85650
Phone/Fax: 800-760-1867

Debt Quicksand − Six Ways To Pull Yourself Out

Debt Quicksand − Six Ways To Pull Yourself Out
Today, many Americans find themselves in a financial crisis.

Personal bankruptcies are being declared in record numbers
with one out of every 100 families experiencing this tragic
legal process, according to a survey conducted by American
Express.

Although the stigma has lessened, the effects can be
long-lasting. Getting a job or an insurance policy can be
very difficult if personal records are marred by bankruptcy.

Acquiring material possessions, taking trips to popular
vacation destinations or dining out regularly at fine
restaurants will eventually lead to faded memories. But the
aftereffects of many credit card charges can linger for
decades due to the power of compound interest. Paying three
to four times the original purchase amount in fees and
interest charges is a definite possibility. Making minimum
payments on credit cards or other unsecured debt will
eventually bury consumers in debt quicksand.

Here are six tips that can help to completely eliminate
personal debt if individuals are willing to make some
lifestyle changes:

Itemize debts from the smallest balance to the largest
regardless of the interest rates. List the minimum amounts
due on each bill. Make the largest payment possible on the
smallest debt and make minimum payments on all other
consumer debt. Once Debt #1 is fully paid, apply the
payment from Debt #1 to Debt #2 (plus its minimum payment).
Work through each debt obligation using this strategy until
all debt is fully paid. Some financial advisors would
suggest reducing high interest rate balances first but the
goal here is to gain pay-off victories and to keep momentum
rather than being concerned with interest rates. Attempting
to pay-off a large, high interest rate balance first could
lead to frustration and diffuse any good intentions to
eliminate debt.

Cut up the credit cards. This will take some courage but
it's necessary in order to get out of debt completely. If a
plastic card is necessary, consider a debit card which acts
like cash, not credit.

Don't borrow by establishing a home equity line of credit.
The inability to make these loan payments, could eventually
lead to a home going into foreclosure.

Create a money spending plan based on the "10-10-80"
formula. The first 10% goes to charitable organizations or
to a place of worship. The next 10% goes to personal
savings. The final 80% is used to pay for basic living
expenses. Keep in mind, that these are ideal percentages.
Consider lower percentages to start if it's difficult to
give or save 10%. The importance is in the order, giving,
saving, and spending.

PAY CASH for things. No cash, no purchase.

Get debt counseling but be cautious of credit counseling
agencies, debt management plans (DMP), debt settlement or
debt consolidation companies. There are too many predatory
"debt counseling" companies looking to make a fast buck at
someone's expense. The best approach is to consult with a
financial planner, preferably a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL
PLANNER™ professional (CFP®). These individuals
have a client's welfare as their top priority. Their fee is
a small price to pay if it means getting out of debt
permanently.

Making the transition from a credit/debt lifestyle to
cash-basis living takes time, effort and discipline but the
rewards make it worthwhile.

Digging out of a debt hole requires a change in mindset. If
financially distressed individuals are willing to commit to
change, the road can eventually lead to financial freedom
and peace of mind.

----------------------------------------------------
Rob Smith, CFP® and President of Debt Mentors, LLC
devotes his financial planning practice and website to
helping people with solid strategies related to money
management, debt elimination, and wealth building. He has
worked with individuals, families, small business owners,
and credit unions for the past 25 years.
http://www.debtfreelivingplan.com/home
http://submityourarticle.com/rss/author/3857

Devalued Dollar, no match for gold

Devalued Dollar, no match for gold
Suppose I say to you, there is no difference between a $100
Dollar bill and a $1 Dollar bill except the way the ink is
printed on them. It cost exactly the same amount of money
to print each of them. Ultimately they are practically
worthless in what they are physically. If you however take
a $.50 piece from the year 1880 which was made from 90%
silver, that had value in and of itself. The Dollar had
twice as much silver in it as the $.50 and so twice as much
worth. It was the silver that gave it its value.

Can you see what I am saying? No? Well, today, one of those
$.50 cents coins with the 90% silver content is worth
$5.00. How can that be? I hear you say. Well, they hold
there value and always will, inflation will make sure of
that. As the Dollar gets less and less, silver & gold will
rise and rise. If you buy it now, you can be sure it will
rise within in a few years time and keep on gong for years
to come.

In 1964, three silver dimes would buy you a gallon of gas;
gas cost roughly $.27 cents. Those silver dimes today are
worth a $1.25 each; those three silver dimes would nearly
buy you a gallon of gas plus about $.25 cents in today's
Dollar value. That's three dimes from 1964.

So what is happening is this, the price of gas hasn't gone
up, it's the value of the paper Dollar that is going down.
Inflation is causing deflation to the paper Dollar. Why?
Because the government is printing more and more paper
money from their own printing press we call the Federal
Reserve, which in turn devalues your Dollar every time they
do this.

Its like this, if you have 10oz of gold and 100oz of gold
exists in the whole known world, well then you own 10% of
the worlds gold. Let us say that 10% gold you have is worth
$100.00 and that is the world recognised value for 10oz of
gold. Now let us say a huge amount of gold was discovered
equalling to the same amount already in existence. That
would devalue your 10oz by half of its price. The more you
have of something, the less worth it becomes. There is only
so much gold in the world that has been found, this is why
it is called a precious metal. There is so little in fact,
that you could fill an average size house with the gold in
existence which is roughly 20x20x20 yards when combined to
make a cube.

This is exactly what is happening to your Dollar. The
Federal Reserve has a licence to print money whenever the
government needs debt paid off and so dumps more paper
money onto the market and devaluing yours. Only 5% of the
money created is in physical paper money, the rest is in
digital format. That's how easy it is, a few pushes of a
button creates millions of Dollars.

This method of creating money whenever we feel like it is
unsustainable. Eventually the Dollar will go to zero; it is
on an uncontrollable inflation course straight into the
ground. To protect yourself I will tell you this, go and
buy gold and silver bullion. It doesn't have to be in coins
and you don't have to store it a your home or business, you
can buy online and have the gold never leave the vault
where you buy it from, they can store it for you and I
guarantee you this, gold is an investment product that can
not just be created out of thin air like paper money can,
it will hold its value in times of uncertainty and it will
be worth more and more as time goes on.

Why settle for paper when you can have gold.

----------------------------------------------------
In a effort to inform people of the impending Dollar
disaster, I am writing this article and more. Visit my
website to find out where to buy gold online at
http://www.wheretobuy-gold.com and veiw my blog where I
will update it often with new the new articles I write at
http://howtobuy-gold.blogspot.com
Thank you for your time in reading this article.

Real Estate Investment Strategies to Accumulate Cash

Real Estate Investment Strategies to Accumulate Cash
Plenty of fancy words have been written about real estate
investment strategies. But I want to cut to the chase in
this article. No matter how fancy the language is,
investment strategies boil down to two objectives:

Buying real estate to accumulate cash.

Buying real estate to build equity and wealth.

Which strategy to choose depends entirely on you—your
needs, your personality, and so forth. Frankly, either
choice is fine as long as you choose one early in your
career, commit to it over the long term and do everything
you legally can to make it successful.

In this article, I'll look at the cash accumulation
strategies and the pros and cons of each. I'll treat the
build equity and wealth strategy in another article.

The Cash Accumulation Strategy - Let's assume you're
relatively new to the real estate market and need methods
for pursuing a cash accumulation strategy. Below are
several methods you can try:

Bird Dogging - In simple terms, you find good properties
for investors and charge them a finder's fee for doing so.
This is strictly a cash strategy.

Advantages: It doesn't require any cash on your part or
previous knowledge. It's also the fastest way to earn cash.
In addition, it's a great way to "learn the ropes" of the
local real estate market.

Disadvantages: The money you earn per transaction is the
least in the market. It also takes considerable time and
effort to locate suitable properties.

Flipping - Flipping is the art of buying a property,
waiting for the right moment, and then selling it for a
quick profit. In basic terms, you're get control of the
property with a binding purchase contract. Essentially,
it's a speculative strategy; that is, you're gambling that
the market value will rise to the point where you can make
a fast profit before you close on the deal. This strategy
is most effective in areas where the demand for housing is
so high that there's a limited supply, causing prices to
rapidly rise.

Advantages: With this method, you'll get negotiation
leverage and good profit potential. You can put little
money down and get great gains. Also, it can be a good life
if you enjoy an entrepreneurial life style and a lot of
freedom.

Disadvantages: Volume can be low, depending on market
conditions so your income can fluctuate. Although flipping
is entirely legal, it received bad press due to con artists
making a quick buck by duping customers. So, you may need a
very thick skin in terms of other people's opinions of you.
A second disadvantage occurs when too many speculators get
into the market. When that happens, prices drop quickly,
and you end up stuck with the property and no immediate
profit. A third possible downside is that interest rates
can rise, thus dampening the demand for housing. A final
disadvantage is hidden property problems. If you don't
pursue careful due diligence, you can end up with expensive
repair costs that eat up your profits or even cause a loss.

Buy and Sell As-Is - This method is simple: buy a property,
leave it as-is, and then put it back on the market but at a
higher price.

Advantage: When done right, you'll find that the profit
margin is even higher than with the flipping method.

Disadvantages: This method takes time and, due to that
fact, volume may be low.

Buy, Improve, Sell - With this method, you purchase a
property, make cost-effective improvements, and then sell
it at a higher price.

Advantage: Margins are even better with this "rehabbing"
method than with the previous methods.

Disadvantages: With this method, you have a much bigger
investment of time and money than the previous methods.

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

----------------------------------------------------
Jack Sternberg is a nationally recognized expert on real
estate investment and the creator of the renowned "Buyers
First Program" who's been in the business for more than 30
years. Sternberg's 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

How To Negotiate With Commercial Insurance Brokers - Take Control Of Broker Sales Interviews

How To Negotiate With Commercial Insurance Brokers - Take Control Of Broker Sales Interviews
From years of helping contractors and business owners
negotiate with insurance brokers, I've developed some
useful methods you can use in your own cost control
efforts. For example, you may have experienced as your
business insurance policy expiration date approaches, your
insurance broker(s) want to schedule sales interviews with
you to deliver their quotations. Some may also try the
asleep-at-the-wheel method of renewal to see if they can
get away with it; which is to simply mail you a renewal
billing and hope that you pay it without comment or further
action on their part. (Don't let this be you!)

Since, as an commercial insurance buyer, you are destined
to experience one or more of these interviews, here's a bit
of counsel to help minimize your suffering, and save you
valuable time. When you follow these procedures, the need
for traditional sales interview is largely negated.
Furthermore, the farther ahead of policy renewal time these
procedures are executed, the easier your renewals will
become. When renewals are properly managed, such meetings
become more celebrations of a job already well done over
the phone, email, and fax machine, rather than a
high-pressure last-minute negotiation session.

When a broker calls to announce a quotation is ready for
delivery and asks to schedule a meeting, consider the
following response in lieu of what you might normally say:

"Great. Thank you. Please (email/fax/mail) me the proposal
so I have time to absorb it in preparation for your visit."

If you make that your standard response, brokers will come
to expect you want information transmitted in advance. This
single request is very powerful, and goes a long way
towards protecting you from manipulative broker sales
tactics. It does so because it helps to separate the
commodity of insurance policies (the quotes, and their
associated quality and pricing factors) from the
professional relationship you have with your broker (the
meeting, your broker relationship, the servicing of your
account, etc.).

Insisting on getting proposals sent to you in advance, and
even asking the broker to include an agenda for the
meeting, will do you a great deal of good. You will have
time to understand your options and prepare your questions.
The meetings will be more professional and productive. And,
in some case you may even end up canceling a meeting
because the proposals sent proved unworthy of further
consideration (saving you from wasting your valuable time,
or worse - agreeing to a bad deal in a meeting due to the
pressure of the moment or a sense of obligation).

Eventually, professional insurance advice may be given,
and purchased, separately from the financial commodity that
we call business insurance. I think that paying for advice
via commissions is a dangerously flawed structure, and also
represents one of the worst conflicts of interest in
existence in the world of business today.

But that, as they say, is a topic for another day...

----------------------------------------------------
Get help from the author of The Buyers Guide To Business
Insurance (1993), and founder of Insurance Cost Reduction
Services. Over $20 million in measurable savings delivered
by helping buyers negotiate with their brokers.
http://www.contractorinsurancetoohigh.com
Don Bury