Three Simple Steps to Be as Rich as You Want

Do you want to be rich? Most of us will not deny the wealth that we see others enjoy. We sometime wonder how these people can get into such a pleasurable level of status that we do not even dream of. We wonder how come we work hard all our life and we have not achieved much no matter either materialistically or spiritually. How can we know those methods the rich people use and apply them into our life? Will we be rich after we use them? What price do we have to pay or do in order to get what we want like the other rich people do? In this article, we will find the secret that makes thousands if not million of people get as much wealth as they want. It was proven to be the effective method and we can also be the ones to utilize and enjoy the result of it.

The three steps that you can practice here will help to get you want include:

1. You visualize what you want. You see yourself as you already own it. If you want money, make a cheque that has the exact number of the amount you want. Carry it around and pick it up to take a look every time you have a chance. If you want a big house, take a picture of your dream house and put it on the wall in front of your working desk. Visualize yourself and your family live in this lovely house. See you and your family plan have a picnic party at the backyard of your house. What are you going to do in the pool that you have beside it? See it as it is happening now.

If you want a car, take a picture of the model you want. Choose the color that you like most. Keep the picture to see every time you have the opportunity. Visualize yourself drive this car around. How far you are going to drive this car? Feel the power of the engine. Feel the comfort you have while driving. See it and feel it as it is happening right now in front of you. When you visualize, your subconscious mind will response to it. The more intense your feeling have toward it, the more result you will get. The subconscious mind will believe that the situation is real. As the result, it will attract more favorable situation and opportunity into your life. You can be rich faster and accomplish more than you have ever dreamed of by right visualization.

2. You believe that what you want can happen. Apart from boosting your subconscious mind by visualization, you need to also stimulate your conscious mind. How are we going to do that? You need to have faith on yourself. You need to believe that you can be qualified to have and get what you want. The conscious mind communicates through words. Practice affirmation that you can do and achieve all you want. You need to eliminate all dis-empowering beliefs that you may have or use to have. Now you are totally convinced that all the assets, wealth and money you want can be yours and they will be.

3. You take constant and unwavering actions to achieve the wealth you want. Results come from actions. Do not expect anything happens without you do anything. Plan yourself around what you want to happen. What you will need to do in order to get them? How long is it going to take to the next level of income you want? What are you going to do? Make your action plan and incessantly pursue it. Rich will come when you take actions toward it.

The process of visualization can be enhanced by using Attraction Accelerator. It is background music which will help enhancing the power of your visualization. The process of having faith on oneself can be boosted by positive affirmation very often. To take effective actions will require proper goal setting and right planning to help the process.

Rich can be achieved by a lot of people and by you too. Once you can master the simple three steps explained in this article, you can go as far as you want.

Jim Somchai
Read more of his articles from his site. http://www.visualizationmeditation.com Get The Attraction Accelerator to help your visualization and attraction Geting FREE REPORT ON SUCCESS SCIENCE and Earn Money

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Cash Flow - Life Blood for Every Business

Introduction

The purpose of this article is to familiarize business owners with a kind of financing that is unfamiliar to many people, Factoring. I will explain, in a simple yet comprehensive way, how to improve your company’s cash flow. You may then decide if using the Factoring approach is a sound business decision for your particular situation and needs.

The Life Blood of Every Business

If we were in a room full of small business owners and asked them all, “What is the one thing your business needs the most in order to survive and grow?” we would probably get a variety of answers: “a needed product or service,” “a solid base of loyal customers,” “a well-prepared business plan to chart your course,” “a good location,” or “effective marketing.” All true answers. But in addition to these, there is one need central to every business – that is the need for available CASH. This is where factoring or accounts receivable financing comes into play.

Cash to business is like fuel to a car. You need to have enough in the tank to start the engine and you need to maintain enough in the tank to keep it running. Now the car (your business) will take you where you want to go. If you run out of gas – cash on hand – at any point along the way, well…we all know what will happen.

Where can a business owner obtain the cash he or she needs? Banks, venture capital, private funds of the owner, friends, and relatives are the most common places in turn. However, banks usually want a minimum of two or three years’ worth of business financials before they’ll give a loan. Venture capitalists want part ownership of the business. Not being in business long enough or not being profitable enough to satisfy the banks; and not wanting to give up any ownership; and with private resources already tapped, the business owner may be stuck. “Where can I find that cash to grow my company? I have a good business with loyal customers, I’m profitable or would be with enough cash to fuel the engine; I just need to get over this hump of not enough cash flow. What can I do?”

The answer to this question may be right under your nose and you don’t even know it. If you have accounts receivable with good, solid customers who are credit-worthy, you have something with intrinsic value that other business owners are interested in buying. The cash that can be obtained for your good receivables can be exactly what you need to get over a cash flow crisis.

By selling something you own – your receivables – you’re not generating any debt that must be paid back; and you’re improving your credit stature because you’re converting assets (invoices) into immediate cash. That cash can enable you to save further by getting volume purchase discounts, discounts for cash, create market opportunities, or hire needed staff. And most of all, you can start new and expanded production without waiting for earlier invoices (sales) to be paid.

Setting accounts receivable at a discount is a means of financing called “factoring” or "accounts receivable financing." It’s been around for centuries and is a billion-dollar industry for large businesses today. And it is growing rapidly in popularity with small and medium sized companies. Factoring not only has saved countless businesses from going under, it has provided many more businesses exactly what they need to grow: cash to fuel the engine.

Further Benefits of Factoring

Selling accounts receivable puts you in control of your business like no other form of financing. You control the discount by specifying when the advance is to be made. You can space the advances to create a steady flow of cash. If you don’t need cash now, you can wait to receive the advance and save on the discount (waiting on an advance creates a line of credit).

What’s more important to realize is no debt is created, you have no loans to pay off, you create and keep a cleaner financial statement, your access to cash grows with your business sales, and there is no need to re-apply. Finally, you can stop factoring at any time. There are no long contracts and you only factor the invoices you want. YOU are in control.

Conclusion

Invoice factoring is filling a tremendous void that banks have created. Companies accelerate their profit and thrive whether you are a start up or established business.

Factoring requires, less paperwork than loans and no credit or reference checks of your business and is also faster than tradition bank loans..

Invoice factoring offers businesses tremendous growth opportunities to assist in the management of cash flow and delivers working capital for your business needs.

If you are seeking an invoice factoring company, then Diversified Financial Services is the smart choice. Our Financial Consultants are ready to answer any factoring questions. Call today 800-954-0012.

Thomas McCarthy has designed, developed & implemented financial systems for many years. Thomas was a Factoring customer for over 7 years prior becoming a business owner and webmaster.

Download our FREE EBook "Growing Your Company Without Debt" learn how Invoice Factoring may be right for your company at: http://www.dfsfactoring.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_McCarthy

Debt Management Program - Manage Your Debts Efficiently

If you have taken debts which you are unable to payoff due to any reason, then debt management program can be a great help to you. Debt management program is nothing but ways through which you can manage your debts and pay them off.

There are many banks, financial institutions and lending firms that offer debt management programs at nominal rates. Debt management program helps you to merge all your existing debts into a single debt at low interest arte that can be easily paid. Debt management program is actually a broader term used for various services like debt consolidation, credit counseling, negotiation with previous lenders etc.

1. Debt consolidation – debt management experts generally suggest you to opt for debt consolidation to get rid of your debts. Debt consolidation is a type of loan that can be availed to pay off all the previous debts. Debt consolidation loans generally carry lower interest rate compared to other loans. There are basically two types of debt consolidation loans. Secured debt consolidation loans and unsecured debt consolidation loans. If you need larger amount of money then secured debt consolidation loans are best for you. To avail it you will have to place one of your properties as collateral against the lender. This can be any of your personal properties like home, car, jewelry etc. with secured debt consolidation loans you can avail large amount of money to the tune of £ 75000. The repayment duration is also very flexible ranging from 5 – 25 years. Secured debt consolidation loans carry very low interest rate because collateral is involved. On the other hand unsecured debt consolidation loans can be availed without placing any collateral against the loan amount. The loan amount is smaller and ranges from £ 1000 - £25000. The repayment duration of unsecured debt consolidation loans ranges from 1 – 10 years.

2. Negotiation with the lender – the lender who offers you debt consolidation loans holds talk with your previous lenders in order to reduce the interest rate of your debts on your behalf.

3. Credit counseling - financial experts on behalf of lenders suggest you ways to manage your expenditures and savings. Also they suggest you ways through which you can stay from debt traps in future.

Debt management programs are open to bad credit borrowers also. People suffering from arrears, defaults, CCJ, IVA, bankruptcy etc can also avail all the benefits of debt management programs. With debt management programs you can easily mange all your debts and pay them off.

Alec Reece has a way with dealing with loans for a long time. Writing articles is just a way to extend this to consumers and provide empowerment through information. All you have to do is read. To know more visithttp://www.ezdebtmanagement.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alec_Recce

Key Secrets to Money making- Easier than ever

Everyone has a goal in life but to be honest with you most of our goals revolve around money. It always comes down to money at the end. Almost every person out there thrives to earn more money each day. Some want a bigger house, some flashy cars others want to travel the world. So why is it that only a few earn the big bucks and others are stuck in the daily race for making money? Read on to discover and learn some of the key secrets to money making.

Never spend more than you earn- This is one of the hardest things to understand. In the modern age due to easy availability of credit and finance people prefer spending the money they never earned. They do not know that they are digging a financial hole for themselves and they would never be able to recover from it once they get stuck.

Let your money bring in more for you- Now when I say let your money bring in more for you I mean do wise investments which would bring constant recurring returns to your investment. The key to investing your money is to invest 25% of it every single time. This way your money would multiply and before you know it you would have more than you could ever expect.

Don't be lazy- I've heard people saying this several time that I do not have enough to invest. You can start with as little as $10 a month. That's a start at least. And with time when you discover how powerful it is you can save and invest more. Think about it this way if you have not invested the money you already have than its being wasted. What's wrong with investing the amount you have right now and getting some money in return to doing nothing?

Get on a plan- Every successful or rich person has a proper plan or a goal when it comes to money. If you do not have a plan than you are definitely putting yourself at risk with your finances. Write it down on a piece of paper what your expenses are, how much you wish to save and invest, how much money do you expect in your bank by a specified time frame.

Get more sources of income- People find it hard to find more sources of making money other than their day job. Well there are millions of ways to make money you only need to discover which would work the best for you.

The best and the fastest way to make some money is online using your computer. Read on to discover one of the best way to make money online- Click here to get started

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pushpa_Pal_Singh

Best Forex Trading System

Venturing oneself in any kind of investments is not easy. Though most people consider capital as the major element, still many failed to find success. Perhaps you have heard about forex trading as a business venture, but you don’t understand what it’s all about. This article will give you a little overview, before you can examine the benefits it can provide you.

Trading of foreign currencies through brokers is known as forex market. Movement of currency is the basis of forex exchange depending on market conditions. Process of dealing with the forex market to investors is called forex trading. Objective of every investor here is to profit. Opportunities of becoming rich or bankrupt via forex trading are speculative, because changes in forex rate are unexpected.

As time goes by, the impact of engaging in forex trading business is becoming more and more powerful especially to those who focused and risk their lives in this kind of gamble. Thus, every business individual or company at the back of this venture must not only be knowledgeable and responsive. There are so many qualities to own, ideas to adapt, and techniques or approach to apply in order to include your self in the series of successful forex trading investors.

Recently, many forex trading companies are providing best forex trading systems for their million clients. These systems can be accessed online, even without using your phone or going out somewhere else. In short, everybody deserves an effortless way of gaining profits at home. Online systems like these, provides historical display where you can back-check previous market exchange conditions. Having this is so simple. They can be downloaded directly to your PC, providing you a tutorial training based on video that will enhance your skills step by step. After this, why not imagine yourself profiting more in the biggest currency market in the world.

In fact, best forex trading system can be successfully achieved by examining first what is applicable or ideal for you. In choosing the best, you need to examine what is the difference between two kinds of forex systems – discretionary and mechanical forex trading systems.

Discretionary systems uses good or bad experiences, direct perception or immediate apprehension on input and outputs while programs coming out directly from mechanical systems following systematic procedures and technical studies are categorized under mechanical systems. Which of the two can fulfill your preference? It’s your duty to find out.

Know your personality first. If you think you can accomplish something based on the given standards of your systems, fearing yourself to be placed in risky situations, then it is recommended that you’ll use a system that belongs mechanically. On the other hand, if you’re flexible enough to adapt in any kind of forex trading conditions, then discretionary type of system is ideal for you. With this kind of set up, you need to plan what to execute next.

The ways you choose the best forex trading system actually do matter. At the end, you still need to consider several significant points before having one. Determine the compatibility between the system and your personality; otherwise you will end up waiting for nothing. Have one for trial and two as a second option is possible.

Discover the best forex trading system recommended by Ricky that enable him to earn $545 per day working only 2 hours a day.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ricky_Lim

Lessons From Long-Term Capital Management

Background

Long Term Capital Management(LTCM) was a hedge fund established in 1994 by John Meriwether, a very successful bond trader at Salomon Brothers. At Salomon, Meriwether was one of the first on wall street to hire top academics and professors. Meriwether established a team of academics who applied models based on financial theories to trading. At Salomon, Meriwether's group of geniuses generated amazing returns and demonstrated an unparalleled ability to precisely calculate risk and other market factors.

In 1994, Meriwether left Salomon and established LTCM. The partners included two Nobel Price-winning economists, a former vice chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, a professor from Harvard University, and other successful bond traders. This elite group of traders and academics attracted initial investment of about $1.3 billion from many large institutional clients.

Strategy

The strategy of LTCM was simple in concept but difficult to implement. LTCM utilized computer models to find arbitrage opportunities between markets. LTCM's central strategy was convergence trades where securities were incorrectly priced relative to one another. LTCM would take long positions on the under priced security and short positions on the overpriced security.

LTCM engaged in this strategy in international bond markets, emerging markets, US Government bonds, and other markets. LTCM would make money when these spreads shrunk and returned to the fair value. Later, when LTCM's capital base increased the fund engaged in strategies outside their expertise such as merger arbitrage and S&P 500 volatility.

These strategies, however, focused on tiny price differences. Myron Scholes, one of the partners, stated that "LTCM would function like a giant vacuum cleaner sucking up nickels that everyone else had overlooked." To make a significant profit on small differences in value, the hedge fund took high-leveraged positions. At the start of 1998, the fund had assets of about $5 billion and had borrowed about $125 billion.

Results

LTCM achieved outstanding returns initially. Before fees, the fund earned 28% in 1994, 59% in 1995, 57% in 1996, and 27% in 1997. LTCM earned these returns with surprisingly little downside volatility. Through April 1998, the value of one dollar initially invested increased to $4.11.

However, in mid 1998 the fund began to experience losses. These losses were further compounded when Salomon Brothers exited the arbitrage business. Later in the year, Russia defaulted on government bonds, a LTCM holding. Investors panicked and sold Japanese and European bonds and bought U.S. treasury bonds. Thus, spreads between LTCM's holding increased, causing the arbitrage trades to lose huge amounts. LTCM lost $1.85 billion in capital by the end of August 1998.

Spreads between LTCM's arbitrage trades continued to widen and the fund experienced a flight to liquidity causing assets to shrink in the first 3 weeks of September from $2.3 billion to $600 million. Although assets decreased, because of the use of leverage the portfolio value did not shrink. However, the decrease in assets elevated the the fund's leverage. Ultimately, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York catalyzed a $3.625 billion bail-out by the major institutional creditors in order to avoid a wider collapse in the financial markets caused LTCM's dramatic leverage and huge derivatives positions. At the end of September 1998, the value of one dollar initially invested decreased to $.33 before fees.

Lessons from LTCM's Failure

1.Limitation of Excess Leverage Use
When engaging in investment strategies based on securities converging from market price to an estimated fair price, managers must be able to have a long term time frame and be able to withstand unfavorable price changes. When using dramatic leverage, the ability of capital to be invested long term during unfavorable price changes is limited by the patience of the creditors. Normally, lenders lose patience during market crisis, when borrowers need the capital. If forced to securities during an illiquid market crisis, the fund will fail.

LTCM's use of leverage also highlighted the lack of regulation in the over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives market. Many of the lending and reporting requirements established in other markets, such as futures, were not present in the OTC derivatives market. This lack of transparency caused the risks of LTCM's dramatic leverage to not be completely recognized.

The failure of LTCM does not mean that any use of leverage is bad, but highlights the potential negative consequences of using excessive leverage.

2.Importance of Risk Management
LTCM failed to manage multiple aspects of risk internally. Managers mostly focused on theoretical models and not enough on liquid risk, gap risk, and stress-testing.

With such large positions, LTCM should have focused more on liquidity risk. LTCM's model's underestimated the probability of a market crisis and potential for a flight to liquidity.

LTCM's models also assumed that long and short positions were highly correlated. This assumption was historically based. Past results do not guarantee future results. By stress testing the model for the potential of lower correlations, risk could have been better managed.

In addition to LTCM, the hedge fund's large institutional creditors failed to properly manage risk. Impressed by the fund's all star traders and large amount of assets, many creditors provided very generous credit terms, even though the creditors engaged in significant risk. Also, many creditors failed to understand their total exposure to specific markets. During a crisis, exposure in multiple areas of a business to specific risks can cause dramatic damage.

3.Supervision
LTCM failed to have a truly independent check on traders. Without this supervision, traders were able to create positions that were too risky.

LTCM demonstrates an interesting case of the limitations of predictions based on historical information, and the importance of recognizing potential failure of models. In addition, the story of LTCM illustrates the risk of limited transparency in OTC derivatives market.

To learn more about finance and investing, please visit the Sharpe Investing blog.

Matt Golberg is a finance major and attending a well regarded business school.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Goldberg

Is Your Annuity a Rip Off or Not?

It is a sad fact, but this does happen in some countries where the client is considered to be quite well educated and feels well protected by his or her current legislation in this regard.

There are many different kinds of annuities and we will not be discussing any of them in much detail here; except the standard annuity purchased from the insurance company by your average man in the street. Most of the clients making up this sector don’t realize they are actually purchasing an annuity when one of their policies for this purpose mature. The proceeds of one of these policies mature and the insurance company’s representative turn up on the client’s doorstep with the good news.

Nine times out of ten these representatives will try and ‘sell’ the client another form of policy or simply let them know their policy has matured and they can get so much a month for the rest of their lives. They then ask them to sign on the dotted line without explaining to them what really is happening but just telling them they will get their first check in “x” number of weeks.

What really happened here is that the client has accepted the proceeds from his policy, often known as a retirement annuity and purchased an annuity with the same insurance company. If one examines the interest one could be earning on the capital amount that was invested he/she will often find it is far less than he/she would be getting if the money could be invested in some form of fixed deposit with another safe and secure company like a savings bank or building society. The reason why we say “if the money could be invested” is because the law will normally prescribe that such an investment must be made with an insurance company.

Not necessarily with the insurance company that has just had their retirement annuity mature, but any insurance company. The client can ‘shop around’ and see where they can get the best return or annuity for the money they have available. The company representative normally does not have to disclose this fact and very seldom does. Over and above this ‘shopping around’ for an annuity can be a very daunting task as returns and interest can be displayed and interpreted in so many ways.

Many times when the company representative is asked why the return is so low they will have been trained to answer along the line that their company has to maintain that annuity for the rest of the clients life, through good times and bad and what would happen if they lived another forty years or more. Many of these same reps are selling retirement annuities too and here they will be emphasizing how little the investment really cost the client in the long run after tax deductions. This also seems to justify an insurance company giving a poor return to the client on their annuity.

So, always remember to try and do your homework when it comes to taking up your annuity even if you find the subject very boring because it could just save you from being ‘ripped off’ at the very time in life where nobody wants this to happen.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Annuity Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

How To Make Free And Easy Money With GPT Sites

Since joining Associated Content, I've been spoiled by making money online by writing articles such as this one. But I've become more anxious to make even more money online, which is why I clicked on a link in the forums about Cash Crate. Cash Crate is one of many GPT sites on the internet. GPT stands for Get Paid To and at these sites you can make money to click on ads, fill out surveys, sign up for free trials and samples, etc. Some of the offers cost money, but a lot of them don't cost any money at all, and personally I stick to the ones that don't.

To make money online, all you need is some free time and an extra email address, and we all have about fifty of those laying around, right? If not, they're free and easy to set up. I recommend G-mail because you can add the little dots in your email address and it looks like a whole new email address. A good rule of thumb for making money this way is if you want to try to the service/product anyway, sign up through a GPT site and get some money back in your GPT account. But personally, I'm not signing up for anything I don't already want or haven't had before.

You can make more money if you choose the offers which require a trial or shipping and handling costs. But you don't have to choose these offers in order to make money. To risk nothing, stick to the freebie offers. There are plenty of them, and not all of them confirm but lots do. Here's how to work these GPT sites to make some extra spending cash.

First sign up using real information, including an email that you check frequently. They'll use this email to confirm your membership, send out newsletters (if you opt for them) and email you when an offer is confirmed. Some of the sites will use your real address to send you a check for the money you've made. For those sites that use paypal, be sure to include your paypal email address.

Once you've registered, have a look around the site. Some sites list the most recent payout offers at the bottom of the page. These are the easiest money on the site, which makes them good offers to start with. Find the freebie stuff and click. Maybe you may like to try some of the higher paid offers later. Maybe not. It's completely up to you.

When you click on an offer, fill it in with real information and your spare email. If you don't wish to use your real phone number (because they will call you) you can get a private number at privatephone.com Carry on through the entire offer until you get a message that says your information has been accepted, or you're registered, etc. It usually comes with a thanks. But keep an eye on your spare email because sometimes these sites and sign up deals want you to confirm your registrations and contest entries. And until you click on the confirmation email your offers at the GPT site will not go through and you cannot make the money offered you.

Between offers, it's very important that you clear your cookies. If you don't do this, you won't make nearly as much money. In Microsoft Internet Explorer to clear cookies you must click on tools, then internet options, then delete cookies. In Firefox, you need to click on tools and then options. Then you can clear whichever cookies you want, or all of them at once. But keep in mind, if you clear all of your cookies, you're going to have to re-log into the GPT site and your email again.

There are all sorts of GPT sites to choose from, and here are my favorites. They're all pretty much running the same philosophy, and the same tricks and tips apply to all. They vary in website interface and payout/payment methods. But these are my favorites because I've made money with all of them. Try them out and tell me which ones you like.

Treasure Trooper is the funnest GPT site because as you click on offers to make money, you also can accumulate gold and silver coins and pearls. When you complete an offer, you typically get a gold coin, and you can use these coins to buy pieces of a map and journal in order to solve a scavenger hunt game, in which you could win a hundred more dollars. After a completed offer (whether or not it confirms) you can also play the shell game. If you guess the clam holding the pearl, you win the pearl. When you've accumulated eight pearls, you can buy two referrals. Then you can make more money with your referrals. If certain offers don't confirm, you can try them again, and if you've already won a pearl, you needn't find it again. You can just try the offer again and if it confirms you still win the pearl. Treasure Trooper requires that you have twenty dollars in your account before you are paid.

Cash Crate is also a well known GPT site that's been known to pay out a lot of money to a lot of people. There is no fancy game to go along with the offers, but I've had good luck at getting offers to confirm. Cash Crate requires that you have twenty dollars in your account before being paid. But as with Treasure Trooper, you can make that amount in just a couple hours.

Fairy Tale Treasures is a smaller GPT site run by two sisters who have a Disney fascination. Every day they post a trivia question relating to Disney. If you guess the right answer you can win a magic lamp. Magic lamps can be cashed in for referrals, which means more money for you. Fairy Tale Treasures also boasts a more frequent pay cycle for their money making members. They currently pay twice a month and the best part is they pay by paypal. No need to wait on a check or going to the bank to cash it for your money. Payment is automatic and prompt. It only takes ten dollars to be eligible for payout.

This site is very similar in layout to Fairy Tale Treasures but it seems that the offers are confirmed a lot more easily. With completed offers you win signs, which can then be used to play games and/or buy prizes. You can also upgrade your membership if you have enough signs. I'm fairly new to this site but I like it a lot so far. It also pays via paypal, but you need twenty dollars to cash out.

Another thing GPT sites offer is the ability to shop online and receive a kickback from stores the GPT sites are affiliated with. For example, you can order something from Walmart and receive a percentage of your purchase back in your GPT account. That's a nice added bonus if you do a lot of online shopping. You'll buy the items anyway. Why not get a little of the money back when you do?

Jennifer Gardner is a Content Producer for http://www.associatedcontent.com/join.html?refer=75178 More of her money making adventures can be found at http://onlinedough.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Gardner

Saving and Investing For College

At a recent college financial aid session on the campus of a small, private liberal arts college, the financial aid director told a room of parents of nearly 200 students that the primary responsibility of paying more than $30,000 per year in tuition for the next six years of the pharmacy program was theirs. Each of these families was going to have to come up with a means to fund a $180,000 education, not to mention the cost of housing, transportation, books and the necessary incidentals that mark college life. The financial aid director asked how many had the money saved and were ready to handle the burden this would place on their families. A wave of nervous laughter, a sound somewhere between hysterics and despair filled the room.

The financial aid director’s point, is that the burden of funding a college education is that of the child’s parent. While there are many sources of funding that may be available to the student and the parents, there is no guarantee that these sources will be available when your child is ready for college. The only way to guarantee that your child can attend college is to fund it yourself.

So, how do you fund your child’s education on your own? The most important key is to start early. Many parents elect to start saving for their child’s or children's’ educations from the day they are born, and some even earlier than that. Every penny you save now, will be one less penny you have to try to come up with when your child gets to college. Keep in mind that your child can save for college as well. Setting aside a separate savings account for your child to deposit earnings from allowance, odd jobs, and formal work experiences is a great idea to introduce them to the concept of financial planning and investment. You might even consider allowing your child the opportunity to invest their money in the stock market or mutual funds using one of the investment programs named below. This is a great (and fun!) way to talk to your kids about finances and savings and start them down a life long path of responsible savings and investment.

If you’ve decided that you want to fund all, or at least a major part, of your child’s education on your own and you want to start saving, there are many options available to you. Let’s take a look at some of those options:

*Savings Accounts – The simplest method to save for your child’s education is using a basic savings account. Keep in mind that this offers a very low rate of return on your money so while you may be contributing to the account, you’re not going to realize the benefits of compound interest and other advantages investing in other types of financial products. The typical savings interest rate is somewhere around 2.5%, whereas money markets and CDs are typically around 5%. Bonds can be as low as 6% and as high as 9%.

*Money Market Accounts, Certificates of Deposits(CDs), and Bonds: In contrast to a savings account, money in these types of investments is often tied up for a bit more time (or in the case of a money market account you have to maintain a certain balance at all times) so if an emergency arises and you have to get to this money you won’t be able to do so as easily. Money Markets and Bonds are fairly liquid, but CDs typically require that you maintain your money in the account for a minimum of six months to a year.

*529 Plans – A 529 plan is a special type of investment account specifically designed to allow for the prepayment of higher education expenses. Many different financial institutions offer 529 plans and your employer may also offer a 529 investment plan to you as a part of your benefits program. Keep in mind that you don’t want to overpay a 529 plan because the money must be spent on qualified higher education expenses at an eligible institution, so it’s important to do your homework up front on these types of plans.

*Stocks and Mutual Funds – If you’re willing to take on a bit more risk for the possibility of a far greater return on investment, then stocks and mutual funds may be good investment decisions for you. If you’re new to the world of investing, consider a program like ShareBuilder (http://www.sharebuilder.com) or the Motley Fool Investment Guide (http://www.fool.com) to get hints and tips on investing safely and intelligently. Stock and Mutual Fund investing can provide the highest returns depending on the amount of research and preparation made prior to investing. You can win big and you can lose big. Index mutual funds are advised for those new to investing.

* Life Insurance – A final basic savings option is to invest in life insurance plans and then borrow against these plans to pay for your child’s education. There is a great guide to paying for education with life insurance at http://hubpages.com/hub/Funding_a_College_Education_with_Life_Insurance. This offer the added benefit of life insurance protection for your family under these policies.

Remember, if you want to guarantee that your child will have a fully funded education when he or she gets to college, the best advice is to start early. It’s also important that you do not make poor funding choices like borrowing against your own retirement plans. You will need that money long after your child graduates. Your retirement account could be significantly depleted if you use it to fund your child’s education.

The author is a keen researcher of all things related to grants and scholarships. More articles along with tutorials and videos on the subject of college financial aid can be found at: http://www.CollegeForKatie.com Copyright © 2007 This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Disclaimer: Advice provided by http://www.collegeforkatie.com is for informational purposes only. Material changes can and do occur. Programs, plans and definitions may change. Therefore, we encourage you to do your own research as we accept no responsibility for the information provided here. You may use this information at your own risk.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Preston_Hill

General Investment For Every Age

Investing in your personal finances is important at any age of your life. Below Harry discusses investing for those different stages in your life.

This is not advice of any kind but purely the personal opinions of the author regarding investments depending on age.

Teens

This is when education regarding money is paramount. Each teenager should have a mentor to guide them through the disciplines of making and spending money. To teach them the differences between good debt and bad debt, the dangers of credit card debt and debt traps in general. To be aware of responsible use of mobile phones, shopping and indiscriminate spending on throw away items like fashion and holidays.

Teaching teens the philosophies of responsible spending, paying off debts quickly and earning money through their efforts rather than allowances, will leave them in good stead to face later year responsibilities.

The Twenties

These are the early years when many people are relatively new to the workforce, still rent and are focused more on lifestyle, going out, going on holidays and exploring life and the world. While some have formed a permanent relationship, many don't have children. Home ownership and family are still in the future.

For this group many don’t have a financial focus at all but if they do have one, the main financial focus is usually on saving a deposit for a home. This is an investment that has particular appeal due to its lifestyle benefits and capital gains tax-free status.

The first step for many will be to get their credit card debt under control and then eliminate it. Only then will they be in a position to start building wealth rather than simply paying for past lifestyle choices involving financially irresponsible consumption – but living life for the moment.

With interest rates having stabilized at relatively low levels but property prices getting ready for another ‘run’, this age group stands to gain by entering the home loan market immediately or alternatively, saving for a deposit for a home so as to be able to buy when the market is weak.

Their main challenge will be to decide whether or not to try to supercharge their savings growth by diverting funds into a regular savings plan that invests in equity funds. This decision rests purely on their risk profile – alternatively, depositing their savings into a high, interest yielding account like the ING Direct Saver which has no fees, charges or restrictions on its use would be the best solution.

The decision to buy a house as a couple or an individual, should be made once the deposit secures an easy entry into the desired property market and when the opportunity avails itself through a well priced home.

The Thirties

By their 30s, some people are in a permanent relationship, many have children and most have bought a home. The focus is usually on reducing their mortgage, possibly renovating and, where possible, attempting to upgrade to a better property.

People in this situation should consider taking out income insurance, especially given the increased tendency of companies to respond to setbacks by downsizing or moving their labour force offshore.

At the very least they should be careful not to over-extend themselves financially, instead keeping money available for emergencies, whilst focusing on pouring all disposable funds into the home loan.

This may result in delaying renovations. Alternatively, they should ensure their mortgage facility allows them to draw down more money quickly if they need funds in a hurry by making additional repayments into an offset facility or a leaving it in a redraw account.

Of course, some people in their 30s will still be both mortgage and family free. This group may decide to forge ahead as a result of not having any family commitments by aggressive investing. Examples are by using geared share funds, by taking out a margin loans to finance portfolios of direct share investments or by purchasing additional investment properties after the purchase of their owner occupied home.

The Forties

Your financial comfort in your 40s largely depends on how much spending restraint you showed during the previous decade. If you were reasonably disciplined, there is a good chance you will be able to upgrade to a bigger home or, alternatively, carry out the renovations you deferred in order to finance investments.

However, the 40s is sometimes a financially difficult time for people who have children since they are now costing more than ever, especially if they are at private schools. This group needs to budget carefully. In contrast, those with relatively high incomes, or with few or no family responsibilities, should have the capacity to continue to use gearing to expand their investment portfolio.

The alternative will be to divert more money into superannuation. Unfortunately, while very tax-effective, money invested in super is locked up until you satisfy the various preservation rules.

These mean you can't get your super before you are at least 55 and also retired. Super savings really only equate to financial freedom for people who are already in their early 50s.

The Fifties

This is a time for more sustained wealth creation due to higher salaries and fewer family costs (many children by now will be financially independent). The new tax breaks offered by superannuation, plus the fact super savings will be more accessible, make this the preferred investment vehicle at this stage of life.

The other opportunity that often arises in your 50s is the chance to take more control over your life by establishing your own business, perhaps by getting a significant redundancy payment.

Even if the redundancy wasn't voluntary, it can provide a valuable chance to build a new, financially viable life outside the 9 to 5 standard working day. But it is particularly important to think very carefully before you use your family home as security for a business loan as a debt-free home is usually crucial for any sort of financial freedom and should not be put at risk without a lot of thought.

The Sixties and later

For many people in their 60s the main financial challenge is to invest their savings to generate a retirement income, and maximise their age pension. In most cases investments are built around some form of allocated or complying pension, in the process maximising tax and social security efficiency.

While there is a tendency for older investors to be extremely conservative, especially when the economic outlook is uncertain, higher life expectancy means a very defensive approach probably will result in your money running out.

This means investors should usually opt for an allocated pension that includes a reasonable exposure to both local and offshore shares, rather than a pension with a very high level of capital security.

While a conservative allocated pension carries less risk of suffering a sudden setback, it can also result in a low annual income and so increasing dependence on the aged pension.

One rule for everyone is to stick with a strategy

Even though some investors make a lot of money by timing markets, these are the exception. Even professional financial managers who handle the investments for Australia's huge superannuation funds often struggle to add value through timing.

Instead, they develop strict investment strategies and stick with them. If you give yourself plenty of time and patiently stick with a well-designed investment strategy, you will almost certainly be a lot better off in 10 years time than those who don't. The same rules apply to property investment – it’s not transactional purchases and the aim is to ride out the peaks and troughs of the property cycles.

Harry Pontikis is the Director of Chocolate Home Loans. Harry and his team are specialists in helping people within Australia, manage their investments and finances. http://www.chocolatefinance.com.au

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harry_Pontikis

How To Save Real Estate Commission

Are you tired of paying outrageous real estate commissions?

It's a FSBO myth that you can't sell real estate without a broker. Let me show you Six ways you can save thousands of dollars.

Six for sale by owner options:

1. Sell by owner - pay no co-op to buyer agents.
2. Sell by owner - hire a licensed broker or an attorney to write your contract.
3. Sell by owner - offer buyer agents a co-op fee.
4. List as a FSBO on MLS for a Flat Fee - pay buyer agents a co-op fee.
5. List full service MLS - pay a discounted commission.
6. Sell on ebay - pay their fees.
7. Pay an outrageous 6-7% commission.

You can mix and match to come up with several ways to save commission. Based on twenty plus years of working with For Sale by Owners, I'll give you pros and cons and make Recommendations.

1. Sell by owner - pay no co-op to buyer agents:

You sell to a buyer who is not represented by a broker. You're not represented by a broker so there is no commission.

Pros:

• You save commission.
• You maintain complete control.
• You don't list with a broker.

Cons:

• There could be contract errors.
• You may not have access to State approved forms.
• You are open to legal recourse.
• The contract may not be defensible in a court of law.
• Inspections and deadlines may not be addressed.
• It's difficult to build trust with the buyer.

Recommendation:

Use plan two.

Hire an attorney or a licensed broker to write your contract. This builds trust between you and your buyer.

2. Sell by owner - hire a licensed broker or an attorney to write the contract:

This is a smart economical choice.

Pros:

• The contract will be on the correct forms.
• Required inspections and deadlines will be addressed.
• Terms are usually defensible.
• Less chance of legal repercussions.
• Less chance of contract failure.
• You can split the cost with the buyer.
• Builds trust between you and the buyer.

Cons:
• It costs more money but it's worth it.
• You have to find a broker or an attorney who will write the contract for a reasonable fee.

Recommendations:

Do It!

3. Sell by owner - offer buyer agents a co-op fee:

This is a good option; however, agents who have buyers may not know you have a house for sale. Pros:

• You open the market to more qualified buyers.
• A licensed agent will write the contract.
• You may sell quicker.
• It costs less than a law suit.
• You don't have to list with a broker.
• You save money.
• You maintain control.

Cons:
• It costs more money.
• The buyer is represented by an agent. You are not.

Recommendations:

Use plan two. Hire an attorney or a licensed broker to review the contract. And, if needed, write a counter offer. Now you have someone looking out for your interest.

4. List on MLS for a flat fee - offer buyer agents a co-op:

This is the best of both worlds. You remain a for sale by owner. You remain in control. And you save half of the commission.

Pros:

• Increased buyer exposure.
• 90% of the buyers buy with a broker.
• You pay half the commission you'd pay for full service and you get full MLS exposure.
• You maintain the right to sell by owner.
• Buyer agent contracts will be on the correct forms.
• If you pay for contract assistance, all forms will be correct.
• Agents call you to set showings and to present offers.
• You maintain control.
• You increase the chances of selling.
• You will get a higher price.

Cons:

• It costs you more money
• The buyer is represented by an agent - You are not

Recommendations:

Incorporate with plan two.

Hire an attorney or a licensed broker to review your buyer agent contact and, if needed, write a counter offer. Now you have someone looking out for you. It costs far less than a law suit. You save money and maintain control.

5. Do a full service MLS listing - pay a discounted commission:

This is the great choice. You get representation. Most brokers will negotiate commission. If they won't . . . Find one who will.

Pros:

• You have someone to review your offers, write counter offers and monitor the closing.
• You save money, though not as much as with a flat fee FSBO listing.
• Your contracts will be on correct forms.
• Inspections and contract dates will be monitored.
• You're less likely to have legal repercussions.

Cons:

• It costs you more money.
• You lose some control.

6. Sell on ebay:

I know nothing about selling real estate on ebay; however, I know it is popular. I'll make some logical assumptions:

Pros: You save commission.

Cons:

• There could be contract errors.
• You may not have access to state approved forms.
• You could be at risk for legal action.

Recommendation:

At this time, I'm not comfortable recommending ebay.

There is one more option; you could:

7. Pay an outrageous 6-7% full service commission:

Pros:

• The broker takes over the sale.
• You get a sign, MLS and various goodies.
• The broker presents offers to you.

Cons:

• You pay too much to sell your home.
• You lose control.
• I could go on and on but I won't.

Recommendation:

Sell by owner and save thousands of dollars. Copyright (c) 2007 Wee Dilts

Wee Dilts created the original for sale by owner flat fee MLS program, authored the best selling “How to Sell Real Estate by Owner” book, and has assisted FSBOS since 1983. Colorado For Sale by Owners can register for MLS, purchase her book, or download Free FSBO tips at http://www.fsbofriend.com Have a FSBO questions? Send it to fsbofriend@msn.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wee_Dilts

A Faster Way To Eliminate Debt

If you've ever tried to pay off multiple debs simultaneously, you may have realized that sending slightly more than the minimum payment amounts each month is an exercise in futility. As the months go by, the balances seem to decrease at a snail's pace. Fortunately, there is an easier and much more efficient way to get out of debt; it's called Accelerated Debt Payoff.

Accelerated Debt Payoff, also known as Debt Stacking, is a time tested method of rapidly paying down multiple debts. You will pay far less interest with debt stacking, and will pay off the balances much more quickly. Debt stacking is incredibly simple; if you know the interest rates you are paying on your current debts, you can begin using it immediately.

After you have a clear picture of the number of credit accounts you have open and the total monthly amount of your payments, the next step is to rank your debts by interest rate from highest to lowest. Each month you will pay only the minimum amount for all debts except the one with the highest interest rate. To this account, you will apply the difference between your normal monthly payment and the money you have applied to the other accounts. For example, say you have 8 open accounts, and you have been paying an average of $600 every month towards the debts. If the total of the minimum monthly payments toward the seven lower interest rate accounts amounts to $200 per month, you would pay $400 toward the account with the highest rate of interest.

Once your most expensive debt is paid off, it's time to focus your attention on the second highest interest rate account. You will pay the minimums on the lower interest loans, and apply whatever remains of your $600 monthly payment to the most expensive debt, and so on. As you continue to systematically pay down the most expensive debt, the rate at which the total debt is erased is constantly accelerated. Soon, you will be pleasantly surprised to find your debt completely eliminated.

What if you have already taken out a debt consolidation loan? You can still use a slight variation of debt stacking to accelerate the repayment of your debt. If your monthly payment for the consolidated loan is $200, and you were previously paying $500 per month toward your debts, applying even a small portion of the remaining $300 toward repayment will have an amazing effect on the rate at which your debt vanishes.

Armed with this information you can eliminate debt more quickly, and your money will doing all of the work, while you reap the benefits. If you go about debt repayment without a good plan, it could take you years to become debt free if you ever do. Accelerated debt payoff is a simple and effective method that you can use to improve your financial outlook in the shortest possible amount of time.

Gregg Pennington writes articles on a number of topics including debt, credit, and online lending. For more information about debt and credit visit http://www.onlinemoneysources.net/debt-and-credit.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregg_Pennington

Mortgage Lead Generation Systems

If you are in the mortgage business, then you know that generating leads is the best way to get your business really flying. However, it takes solid marketing and the knowledge of techniques that work to get good leads in front of you. The good news is that there are many ways out there to get leads for your mortgage business. The downside is that plenty of the most effective methods cost a lot of money, and if you are just getting going in the industry then money is something you don't have.

There is more good news, though. There are still plenty of lead generating mortgage marketing techniques that are free or cost you very little. For a beginner in the mortgage industry, these methods are as good as gold in getting up and going. Read on and you will see some of the most effective, low cost ways of generating leads for your mortgage business.

With such methods, you can use what those in other industries use while seeing how they can be customized to the mortgage industry. While mortgages offer unique perspectives, they are still simply a product you sell. When you are good at marketing and selling, your profits in the mortgage industry will go up quickly, however, loan officer marketing or mortgage marketing can be tricky.

Give Freebies!

Once you have a good plan and are ready to seek out customers and produce more referrals, you can always conduct free seminars. When you conduct a good and free seminar, you are bringing attention to yourself as an expert to potential clients. Here are a few ideas that may help you get your seminar going.

First of all, try contacting a local real estate office. Offer to present your seminar and sales ideas at a sales meeting. Be sure to offer to bring lunch and have some freebies to give the realtors for listening to you.

You could also give your seminar at other unrelated offices. Talk to an HR manager or office manager and offer to present your seminar free to their employees. Be sure to offer the employees who come some sort of freebie as well. It could be a gift, waving of some closing costs, or anything else that may attract attention.

You should also approach relocation companies about offering seminars to their clients as a free service. Again, some sort of free product is crucial to success. Additionally, remember that you are offering your program to them so that you can give people reason to attend and listen to what you have to say.

Create Something You Can Market

One of the most coveted things you can have as a mortgage professional is what the pros call a unique selling proposition (USP). This is what will make you different from the thousands of other lenders out there offering their service to the customer. This is what will get your niche; a niche is how you truly make money in the industry. Either way, a USP is the key to success. If you do not have a strong USP, then now is the time to start thinking about one. Of all the other lead generating techniques you will find out there, this one is likely the most effective and the best in value all at the same time.

Find a Partnership Program

As you have seen, your niche is almost as important as your referrals themselves. In addition to establishing yourself in the industry, you should also try to find your own referral partners on the real estate side of things. Good referrals and a good niche go hand in hand.

One way to get the best referrals from the best realtors is to make yourself valuable to them. You can do that through the right referral program, or an effective mortgage lead generation system. The best ones will get you access to the low hanging fruit of the mortgage industry: renters who are buying for the first time. These mortgages offer the least competition when referred and are the easiest to close. Additionally, they are usually qualified because they come from a real estate agent.

Once you have a good USP, you can use it to enhance all the other tips you will get. As you search for leads, make sure your USP is there to help you make each search more effective.

Shane Brooks is a hard nosed business man that doesn't take kindly to competition. His hard hitting no nonsense marketing techniques constantly makes waves for his competitors regardless of the market he is focusing on. Shane doesn't mind stepping on the toes of his competitors or ruffeling a a few feathers of the so-called gurus in order to level the playing field. Learn more about his mortgage lead generation system here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shane_Brooks

Follow The Money

The old adage states that if you want to know how things really work, you follow the money. In the financial services arena, I'll add, if you want to understand your financial advisor, understand how he or she gets paid.

Truth be told, I'm not sure the issue of how their advisor's may be compensated even dawns on many prospects or clients. But, trust me, it is one of the key issues financial services prospects and clients must understand when seeking financial advice. Understanding this issue sheds light on your advisor's motivation, recommendations, and your ongoing relationship.

Let's face it, the entire landscape of financial services and their delivery has changed. In the past two decades, alone, the Glass-Steagall Act has fallen, there have been major advances in technology and communications, and, of course, the internet has democratized access to information. The settling dust has revealed a transformed financial services industry.

New competitors have entered the industry, consolidation has created financial supermarkets, product offerings have exploded, and, yet, it's still a sales profession -- one where the traditional methods of compensation have changed dramatically, as well.

What once was a transaction oriented industry compensating advisor's solely via sales commissions, has slowly morphed into a more consultative industry with many different forms of compensation. Commissions, fees for assets under management, hourly fees, and fee and commission combinations are all ways that advisor's can be compensated today.

Which is best? There may not be a right answer, except the one that's right for you. What is vital, though, is that the advisor you are considering fully discloses how they charge, that you understand the pros and cons of each form of compensation, and that you chose the arrangement that best suits you.

COMMISSIONS

Commission based advisor's are compensated by the commissions that are contingent on the purchase or sale of financial products. In other words, your advisor only gets paid when you buy or sell something. This approach may create a conflict of interest because the advisor may be tempted to push securities or products that may not be in the best interests of clients.

FEES FOR ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT

Fee Only advisor's charge an annual fee based on a percentage of the client's invested assets that the advisor is managing. Some say this removes the conflicts of interests inherent in commission based arrangements. But, others say that advisor's would be tempted to keep as much money under their management as possible, even when it may be best allocated elsewhere.

HOURLY FEE

Hourly consultation fees are simple arrangements that may best serve those needing limited advice. The hourly approach is flexible and removes conflicts of interest, but does not encourage a long term relationship between advisor and client.

FEE AND COMMISSION COMBINATIONS

Under this arrangement, an advisor may charge a fee for some service, such as developing a financial plan, and charge commissions on financial products bought or sold. The drawbacks of this are similar to those of a commission based advisor.

Is this a lot to consider? It may be. But, after finding an advisor who is competent, objective and ethical, it may be the last thing you'll need to consider. Bottom line: What feels right for you and the working relationship you'd like to develop with your advisor, regardless of the type of compensation, is ultimately what will be best.

Gary O. Clement, CFP® is President of http://www.clementassetmanagement.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Clement

The Truth About Your Credit Report

If you have ever applied for a mortgage, car loan, business loan or even opened a credit card, you have run a credit report. There are two parts to your credit report: your FICO score and the report that lists every lender you owe or have owed money to. This is what banks and creditors are looking at to evaluate how creditworthy you are, therefore, you want to make sure your FICO score is as high as possible and there are no errors on your credit report.

Begin your credit report checkup by running your current credit report and get your credit score. One place to do this is at www.myfico.com. You will get your FICO score and a credit report from each of the 3 credit agencies: Experian (www.experian.com), Equifax (www.equifax.com), and Trans Union (www.transunion.com). If you have run your credit report in the last 12 months and don’t have any credit card debt, you don’t need to do it again. It is important to get all 3 credit agencies’ reports because there are often mistakes. If you have any credit card debt, running a credit report is especially important, because it is the most accurate report of how much debt you actually owe.

What does your FICO score mean? It is out of 850, with 850 being the highest and best rating. A lower credit rating means that, according to the lenders, you are not as creditworthy. When you need to borrow money, such as buying a home or getting a small-business loan, the higher your credit score, the lower interest rate you will get. More than 75% of mortgage and auto loans are based on a FICO score.

Once you have run a recent credit report, check it for errors - Carefully! Ask the following questions: Is your personal information correct? Are there any debts that aren't yours? Is there duplicate information? If you find an error, call the credit agency and creditor (the company that lent you the money) right away. Copy the report and highlight the error. Send it back to the credit-reporting agency with an explanation. They should contact the creditor and verify the information. Creditors have 30 days to respond to a dispute. You can also dispute it online.

If you have made a late payment, ask the lender to remove the item. Explain it will never happen again. They usually remove it the first time. You can also write letters to your creditors to take late notices off your record. You should also try to resolve any outstanding bills.

You can raise your FICO score by any of the following:
• Don’t use more than 50% of the available credit on any account.
• Stop applying for new credit cards.
• Request limit increases on your existing cards (but don’t charge more!).
• Pass up department store and other store charge cards (for example, Banana Republic) so you don’t load up on debt you owe. Plus, they are known for very high interest rates.
• Avoid too many inquiries. Another reason to avoid applying for as many credit cards as you can is you want to avoid too many inquiries from credit card companies and lenders. This will lower your FICO score.

Just like most of us get a physical checkup every year, checking your credit report is part of your annual financial checkup. Even if you think you don’t want to apply for a new credit card or buy a home (or refinance), you might want to in the future and you should get it ready. It can take a while to clean up your credit report. But, it’s worth it when you are buying a home and the process goes without a hitch!

Written by Galia Gichon
DOWN-TO-EARTH FINANCE

(Copyright Down-to-Earth Finance LLC 2006)

Galia Gichon, Founder of Down-to-Earth Finance, demystifies personal finance – particularly to women – through unbiased financial education. With over 14 years experience in financial services and an MBA in Finance, she does not manage money or sell investment products. You can subscribe to her weekly e-mail newsletter at DownToEarthFinance-On@zines.webvalence.com for smart tips to save more money and independent advice about mutual funds and retirement. She can be reached at 212.734.0433 and http://www.downtoearthfinance.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Galia_Gichon

Discover How $35 Billion in Cash Has Gone Unclaimed - Is Any Yours?

Seem impossible? It is true; $35 BILLION in cash is unclaimed and sitting in the government’s hands. If you haven’t heard about it, you’re not alone. Millions of people are owed some of this unclaimed cash and don’t even know it. By the time you finish this article you will know how to find it.

The unclaimed money can be from many places like old bank accounts, forgotten savings accounts, stocks, bonds, uncashed checks, etc. After the companies and financial institutions that hold the money haven’t had contact from the account owner and haven’t succeeded in reaching them with the contact information on file for about 3 years.

Our state and federal governments have escheats laws that require the institutions to turn over this money as “unclaimed cash”. The government then takes the money and “holds it” for the account owner until it is claimed.

Problems State Cash Unclaimed Programs

However, there are a few MAJOR problems with the governments unclaimed money programs:

1) The account owner hasn’t been contacted and therefore doesn’t know that his account is now been turned over to the government as missing money.

2) States have inadequate advertising and very few attempts of notification to the account owner, if any. Usual advertising consists of a couple generic newspaper ads.

3) Most state governments don’t actually “hold” the cash that is unclaimed. The state transfers it to their general funds and it is spent on state expenditures.

This means, for example, the State of California spends about $600 MILLION of citizens unclaimed cash per year.

4) States provide databases to search for unclaimed money but each state has their own database. Therefore, if you search your states database you would have to search 49 other states to make sure you don’t have unclaimed money, not to mention the federal databases.

It is very likely that money may have been turned over to a state other than your state of residence.

How To See If You Are Owed Unclaimed Money

You should search to see if you are owed unclaimed money. BUT you should utilize a database that searches all state and federal databases.

You can conduct a search by simply entering your name. Quality sites will also search for “name variations”. One site, www.cashunclaimed.com, has Name Match technology, where if your name is William Smith it will search for Bill Smith, W. Smith, etc.

Don’t Be Selfish

Bill McIntosh of www.cashunclaimed.com, an all-inclusive database that searches all 50 states and federal databases, suggests you also check the names of your family and friends to see if they are owed unclaimed money.

Make sure your money does not end up as missing money!

Nicole Anderson offers information about unclaimed money at http://www.cashunclaimed.com Cash Unclaimed’s database covers all state and federal databases to ensure any money owed to you is found and offers unlimited name searches to members. Click on http://www.cashunclaimed.com for a free money search and locate your missing money today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicole_Anderson

Saving Money - A Top Strategy For Saving Money

Do you find it difficult to save the money you work hard to earn? if so then this article aims to help you get on top of your funds and start investing in your future (or maybe just getting together some money for a desperately needed car repair).

Have you ever found it to be so difficult to save up money you just don’t bother trying anymore if so you are part of the majority. Some people find it easy and natural to save for their future, but it is well known that these people have been programmed from a young age to save! So what does a person who is not a good saver do to get on top of things?

The key to saving is simple yet for some reason no one seems to know about it let alone employ it. Saving up money is just a formula but the problem is most people have it backwards. Here is an example:

John would like to save for a much needed holiday.

John works at a factory and he earns $500 a week and plans to save $50 dollars a week to put towards it. But after john pays all his bills, buys lunch at work and has drinks with his colleagues on Friday night he finds he has nothing left to put into his savings account? But I decides to put away $100 next week to make up for it, but once again after paying his bills and having drinks with his colleagues john again has no money left to put into his savings account.

This will continue in a vicious circle and john will probably never see any money to put towards his holiday unless he changes his strategy of saving. And worst still he probably now has I mindset that will stop him from ever attempting to try and save again.

The Solution!

The correct way for an individual to save is for them to reverse the equation. You need to take what you earn and deduct your saving amount from it then spend the rest at your leisure.

So john earns $500 a week he immediately deducts his $50 for savings then can go about his week spending the money any way he likes yes even drinking with his colleagues on Friday night. It is also a lot more gratifying to spend your money this way knowing that you have now put away the money you needed it is no longer a concern.

Having a saving bank account that takes more than a day to withdraw funds from will also help prevent you digging into your savings for impulse purchases. You would also benefit to keep in mind that what you are aiming to save is not a cash amount there is no motivation behind saving up cash who wants cash? What benefit can an individual get out of a number on a bank statement!

Simon Lissa is an Online Home Based Business Entrepreneur and the owner of http://www.paidonlinesurveys.biz A List of all the best paid online surveys available absolutely Free! Please feel free to visit: Paid Online Surveys

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But I Need the Money!

You come up with every reason to stay at your job: a sense of security, friends, a place to go each day so that you feel a sense of purpose in life. And then there’s the big paycheck to pay your bills, buy your clothes, take you to the movies, and fulfill obligations. There’s no room to feel your longings, question what really gives you pleasure and how, in some way, you could change things. It all gets in the way of the paycheck -- of the security -- of being in control. You brainwash yourself to believe all is OK.

It’s not all-OK. It’s actually all very UN-OK. You probably don’t want to get up to go to work where you feel unfulfilled. You ’re tired. You don’t feel happy. You don’t have a sense of purpose. Life is boring. But you have to pay those bills, you tell yourself over and over again. You have to fit in. You have to please mommy and daddy. You have to look good. You have to! You have to! You have to! These have-to’s consume and destroy your spirit, the essence of your true nature that appreciates what life is, laughs, and feels excited about what you’re doing and the challenges it brings you. Where does this leave you? What did you do with your dreams? Did they get left behind 10, 20, 30 or 40 years ago?

DON’T WORRY! You have the ability to make changes, no matter what you’re doing, one microscopic step at a time. The first thing you need to do is be honest with yourself. Ask yourself if you love what you’re doing? If you “like” your job and don’t feel excited about it, then you’re settling for less than what is possible for you to experience in life. You may not even know that you can be passionate about your work. Once you understand this, it’s up to you to begin the journey of exploring how you can make a change. Finding the support you need to walk through this journey and create a vision is essential. Knowing you are not alone, that someone is there to talk with, answer questions, and allowing yourself to be vulnerable is the greatest gift you can give yourself. You will open up to new possibilities, a new way of creating and cultivating personal effectiveness.

Talking to another person is also important because many times we don’t see past our emotions and beliefs. You need to express your negative emotions such as, “I don’t want to change,” “I’m too old to change,” It only happens to other people,” or “I can’t do it.” These are self-imposed images and beliefs about life that you either consciously or unconsciously chose to help you deal with your circumstances. It worked for a time and it doesn’t serve you anymore.

It is also imperative that you stay focused on your goals and remember that life does not have to be all or nothing. You will eventually find the balance you need to be responsible and fulfilled. It also takes patience. This can be quite a challenge because we usually want our lives to change quickly. Sometimes it does, but you are probably better off to make transitions slowly. If you are not aligned with the changes that take place on an emotional, mental, physical and spiritual level, it can backfire and you will sabotage your positive intention to create abundance. You need to be conscious of how you relate to yourself along the way because your new images about life will begin to integrate on a cellular level. You change the intention from the negative, “but I need the money and I’m not going to take any risks,” to the positive, “I value myself. I’m willing to explore new possibilities. I deserve personal and financial fulfillment.” Once you make this commitment, life begins to present new opportunities from which you create a new reality, a new experience and a new sense of purpose and self-empowerment.

Copyright © Judith Gruber 2000
All rights reserved worldwide
No part of this article may be photocopied or used in any manner without permission from Judith Gruber.

Judith Gruber, LCSW, CCET has been studying the concept and implications of money in our lives for over 20 years. She is a Clinical and Holistic Psychotherapist and Social Worker, Life and Business Coach and Certified Core Energetics Therapist. Judith developed and founded Money and Empowerment and facilitates groups, workshops, classes and lectures nationally.

She is adjunct faculty at NYU and As One Coaching Institute. Judith is an Education and Training Provider with the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services with whom she teaches and offers a distance learning course entitled, The Dynamics of Money in Treatment: Helping Your Clients Create Financial Health. She also offers this course through the National Association of Social Workers. She has been featured on “Inner Journey” and “BCAT,” cable TV shows.

She believes that the journey of the soul is a healing process that restores energy and consciousness to the individual, which promotes creativity, self-expression and personal integrity. Please visit http://www.moneyandempowerment.com

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Consumer Debt: Where Did it Come From?

In recent times, there have been growing concerns with regard to the ever-increasing levels of consumer debt in the UK. Such is the height of the problem that recent figures revealed that by the end of March 2007, personal debt levels in the UK had risen to over £1.3 trillion - a rise of 10.5 per cent over the previous twelve months.

Yet despite these figures, and the fact that debt levels have risen further since, the consumer love affair with loans, credit cards, store cards and other forms of unsecured credit continues unabashed - while lenders continue to provide the finance that consumers crave. Making applications for finance has become easier and easier, which many industry analysts claim is an important factor in creating the huge levels of debt faced by UK consumers.

Previously, applications for credit usually meant a trip to the bank and a meeting with the manager to discuss your application. Lending criteria was much more stringent than it is today, with the applicant having to provide much more information to support their application than by today's standards. Being stressful affairs, meetings with the bank manager were often avoided unless finance was necessary and many people chose to do without rather than face a grilling over their application.

When banks and other financial companies began to offer telephone applications for loans and credit cards, the application was made easier and more convenient. Furthermore, many financial institutions began to advertise loan offers in newspapers and on TV, but although you still had to talk to someone about your application, the fact that you were apart from the other person made the process of applying for finance much more accessible. With more and more lenders setting up call centres to process loan applications, greater numbers of people began to make applications.

The introduction of the internet as a consumer commodity is reckoned to be the real catalyst for the UK's mounting debt problem. With most major banks, credit card companies and financial institutions beginning to accept finance offers made online, customers were able to make applications for credit from the comfort and convenience of their own home without the need of having to speak to anyone, justify their application or make any additional effort on their part. The availability of internet applications resulted in many people making applications they would normally have thought carefully about previously. Being easily available, people would apply for loans and credit cards simply because they were there for the taking, not because they either needed or wanted them.

Today, the level of consumer debt is a problem that is blighting the UK. However, of equal importance are the rising levels of bad debt, much of which is now in the hands of consumer debt collection agencies, such as Capquest, as lenders sell off their bad debt in an attempt to cut losses generated by the burgeoning levels of consumer debt. These levels of bad debt, whereby a consumer has accumulated more debt than they can afford to repay has seen a huge surge in the number of people seeking advice for debt problems, with the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) claiming it had received 33 per cent more calls in the first quarter of 2007 compared with the same period in 2006.

Capquest Group is UK-based business and consumer debt collection agency specialising purchase, management and collection of both performing and sub-performing consumer debt.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_McAllister

Money and Inflation - The Sly Thief

There is a thief that lives in your pocket. With deft fingers he reaches in your wallet and slowly removes its contents. Day after day he drains the purchasing power of the money you had sweat to earn.

The thief is named inflation and he’s relentless. He takes the power of your wallet, your checking account, and your savings. He makes eight hours of work tomorrow worth less than the eight hours you put in today. He makes you a fool for saving, and says, “spend, spend, spend for if you don’t spend it, I will take it!”

Inflation is crafty in his theft. He doesn’t take all the power of your money at once; he bleeds it slowly and steadily, counting on a general naiveté of money, banking, and financial markets to prevent the call for his head. Inflation hides his theft in a snowstorm of official-looking reports and statistics.

Inflation is egalitarian in his theft. Whether a man has 10 dollars or 10 million dollars, he’ll take six cents out of each dollar this year. He taxes each man in direct proportion to the amount of money he holds.

In distributing that money, however, inflation is the lowest type of thief. He takes the 60 cents from the poor man and the 600,000 dollars from the rich man and gives it all to the rich man less a few pennies for administrative expenses. Even when the rich man pays the wages of the poor man, inflation has again stolen a little of its value by the time poor man gets his hands on it.

Who is inflation and where did he come from? In times gone by, inflation was born on a printing press and in the counting houses of kings. Today, with just a stroke of a pen and the clicking of a computer keyboard in a central bank he springs to life.

In simplest terms, inflation is too much money chasing too few goods. In more technical terms, inflation is the result of a total money supply that has become undocked from the total goods and services produced. He owes his entire existence to money masters who have convinced themselves that the process of moving money from hand to hand and around the world is too messy to happen without their meddling.

Who are these money masters? They are lonely, twisted practitioners of the dismal science of economics, confident in their ability to succeed in a task which is beyond the capability of any group of men. With religious fervor they hold tight to their beliefs despite thousands of years of failure, and each quarter proudly proclaim, “this time, we got it right.”

But, it is only by chance that they actually make a correct decision. You see, to truly succeed, they must divine what every man, woman, child, business, corporation, investor, fund, speculator, government, nation, group, and natural force will do today, tomorrow, next week, and on into the future. By its very definition this is an impossible task, but prognostication is only part of the job.

Once the money masters compile their assumptions about assumptions, they must attempt to guide their ship down a narrow channel bounded on one side by confidence in the money they create and destroy, and on the other side by investments they have made in the infamously ravenous governments of the world. Any errors in navigation will take months to detect and years to correct.

If the money masters of the central bank create money faster than the rate of growth of domestic production, prices for goods and services will rise and that money will flow to other nations to buy their less expensive goods. Deluged with a surplus of that currency, foreign monetary exchanges discount it, which inflates the prices of foreign goods in terms of that currency.

The impossible task of predicting how many computers will be sold, how many houses will be built, and how fruitful the farmer’s field will be is further complicated by a government that spends more than it takes in. If the government issues more bonds than the money masters predicted, the central bank has to purchase those excess bonds to protect its previous investments. The supposedly omniscient money masters have to create more money than they intended to pay for them.

If the poor man gets a raise next year, he may, again, be able to afford the goods he could earlier this year. If not, his standard of living is continually decreased. Meanwhile, the government spends the newly-created money with wealthier corporations and individuals, giving them the benefit of using the money before prices become inflated.

In this way, inflation taxes the poorest members in every nation for the benefit of the wealthiest men and the power of the politicians in office. The money masters at the central bank whose very existence enacts this atrocity shrug and say to themselves, “next time, we’ll get it right.”

Entrepreneur and economist Brock Lorber writes about sound money and banking as well as currency manipulation.

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A Guide To Business Insurance

If you have a business, then it is important to get the right level of insurance to protect your business interests. Without the proper level of insurance your business could be in serious trouble if anything unexpected should happen. Here are some tips about how to get the right business insurance for your needs:

Required by law

There are a number of types of insurance that businesses must have by law. The main type of insurance that is legally required is employer’s liability insurance. This type of insurance protects you from any claims that your employees might make for accidents or sickness that they suffer whilst at work or as a result of work. Some businesses are not legally required to have this insurance, but if you have insurance then it makes sense. If anything should happen to any employee you could be hit with a massive compensation bill if you are uninsured.

Another insurance that is often required is motor insurance. If your company has any vehicles then you are required to get at least third party insurance to cover any damage to property or other people. It is usually advisable to get comprehensive insurance for your vehicles in case they are damaged or stolen. Although it costs more, it could save you a lot money in repair bills.

Liability insurance

If you are selling products to the public or have a large number of non-employees using your business premises, then you should consider public liability insurance. This type of insurance will cover you in the event that anyone is injured by your product or hurt at your business premises. The cost of this insurance will vary depending on what products you sell and the size of your premises

Building insurance

If you have dedicated premises for your business, then you need to make sure that the building and its contents are insured. If you rent the building then the landlord should be insured for the property, but you need to make sure that the contents are fully insured. If an accident should occur and you don’t have adequate cover then you could lose money.

Key man insurance

A business relies on its key employees to make it successful, so you should think about insuring yourself and other top employees against health problems or accidents. Getting health insurance for your main employees will not only make sure that they can get back to work as soon as possible, it will also give them a sense of belonging to the company. If the type of work you are involved in has the potential for accidents to occur, then getting adequate insurance to cover this is important. Obviously working on a building site is going to lead to higher premiums than sitting behind a desk.

Reducing your premiums

Reducing your premiums is a good way to save money for your business. The best way to reduce the risk for the lender and so reduce the price of insurance is to make your business a safe and secure one. Make sure that security systems are up to date, and that health and safety procedures are adhered to.

Using a broker

The easiest way to obtain business insurance is by using an insurance broker who has expertise in your particular business area. They will be able to help you find the right insurer for your needs and get you a good deal.

Peter Kenny is a writer for The Thrifty Scot, please visit us at Motor Insurance and Life Insurance Visit http://www.thriftyscot.co.uk

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