Saturday, August 30, 2008

Do You Let People Take Advantage Of You

Category: Finance.

If you are struggling to make end s meet, you might want to ask yourself a few questions concerning just why it is so hard for you to do so.



Do you let people take advantage of you? There are a lot of things that can make it harder to make a living and accumulate wealth and a lot of them are fairly avoidable. You know what I m talking about. If this is you, you might want to re- think your strategy when it comes to dealing with these people. When relatives or friends come to you and ask for money or need a place to stay, do you automatically feel like you have to help them because they are your friend or family? Unfortunately, there are always circumstances that will make the situation personal and hard to give advice on, but if you start to feel like someone is taking advantage of your hospitality, you re probably right. Sit down and find out what exactly you are spending every month.


You might think that giving someone a place to stay won t cost you anything, but at the end of the month when you look at your grocery and utility bills, you ll think differently. Factor in your rent, gas, electricity( if you have it) , insurances, and other miscellaneous, groceries expenses. This includes small purchases at the gas station or fast food restaurant or just about anything else you would purchase on a day to day basis. A lot of the time, you will notice that a larger portion of your funds go toward miscellaneous expenses than you thought. These seemingly insignificant purchases make up a larger portion of your monthly budget than a lot of people would expect. You ll be surprised at what you find.


Save your receipts from these purchases for a month and see just how much you re spending. Next on the list is to get rid of the processed foods from your kitchen. Unfortunately, a lot of us have strenuous jobs to deal with and so paying for the extra convenience of having a meal that you can just stick in the microwave seems like a great option. Frozen foods or meals that are" ready to eat" out of the can are generally the most expensive items by ounce in the grocery store. The bad thing is that these tend to be very unhealthy for you and your family to eat and as we mentioned before, they re expensive. If you simply cannot do without the convenience of processed foods, try to make up for the funds you are losing in other areas, such as cutting back on your utility usage.

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Opening And Operating A Merchant Account Is Quite Easy - Finance Blog:

A merchant account is an essential tool for the smooth functioning of any business as it provides reliable support in your business.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

The Importance Of Income

Category: Finance.

"We re not saving enough for retirement" "Boomers Unprepared" .



Every time I turn on the news or open a newspaper or magazine there is some article talking about savings rates, or debt rates or whether it s better to save than to invest. "Lower Expectations" is the Wrong Advice. This is the topic of just about every article on financial planning I ve read in the last week. The ones that really get me wound up are the ones that tell the reader or listener that they need to lower their expectations for retirement because they aren t saving enough. It s all bordering on financial malpractice as far as I can tell. Ugggh! ! The Importance of Income.


Must you rely solely on savings? First, what does it take to retire? What if you have money coming into your household to pay for the lifestyle you desire to live? Hold On Tight To Your Dreams. Any lifestyle- whether you are working or not- takes income of course, and when you have income coming in from sources that don t require you to go to work to earn them, then you would be financially independent- not retired. Second, if you give up on your dreams, you die- yes die. How about showing people what they can do to reach their goals?


Many studies have demonstrated the power of goals, so why on earth are the" experts" telling people to reduce their expectations and" get real" ? Why not give them some options? No one. If people continue to hear they can t have this or they shouldn t do that, then who is the winner? This is the problem: too many people have been told for too long that they can t do things or they better not because it s risky so they don t even try. From Dream to Action. Instead, they settle for mediocrity and then look to the government or the banks to help them out because they still feel they are entitled to their life of financial freedoms.


It takes a dream to inspire someone to action, and action to make a dream come true( financially speaking) . Saving money, is not as, for most people strong an incentive as the immediate gratification that helps them feel better in the moment. You have to use all your resources( financial and otherwise) by taking your existing income and using it to create wealth, which creates more income which creates more wealth and so on and so on. If you are being told you can t have something, or maybe you should lower your expectations, then it s even more likely that you will want to enjoy the short- term rewards from spending money on something you want today. The answer to how to get out of debt and save money at the same time is really quite simple when you consider the emotion and psychology of goals and immediate gratification. The Power of a Complete Plan. The answer is not to look at getting out of debt at all, and not to look at saving money at all.


I m not talking about income that comes from a second or third job, but income that comes from setting powerful personal lifestyle goals and surveying all your available assets, then implementing some systems to build a foundation where your current resources are working to create income. The answer is to look at creating income. It s the power of a sequence and the power of having a full plan, not just several pieces of the picture taken independently. To effectively answer the debt/ savings question, you need to have a whole plan that starts with what income you want to live the life you want- then never ever, ever give up on that dream.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Just Having An Account In A Supposedly Sovereign Jurisdiction That Will" Keep Your Information Private" Is Not Good Enough In Todays Financial Landscape

Category: Finance.

As a middle aged, married, middle class, business owner, father of 3( one in college. argh) freedom seeker, I have sought for many years to establish the knowledge, and the resources, the relationships needed to make a lifestyle of financial privacy and freedom available to me and my family. Many have found that without doing something" shady" or" under the table" or downright illegal, and having to constantly be looking over your shoulder to see who is looking, having a workable private banking solution is, unattainable, in real life.



One of the most frustrating and problematic areas to resolve successfully has been that of how to establish a private banking relationship, for someone of moderate means, in today s world of intrusive financial surveillance. But I have found something that simply works. Just because I said it is simple, do not underestimate the value of this" gem" . If the above statement does not suitably impress you, perhaps you are not fully aware of what it takes to accomplish this in this day and time. If you think it s easy to find something that actually works. you have not tried. end of story. But before I give you a brief review of it s qualities and benefits, let me stress that I am not talking about just going out and opening an offshore bank account. The Continental Trust and Credit Union has been the long sought answer to the banking relationships I required.


In my opinion, this is not a valid and workable relationship. And secondly, anything with your name attached to it in the banking system is discoverable. First, unless you intend on having assets of less than$ 10, 000 USD( I am talking about US citizens here) you are required to report this account. Just having an account in a supposedly sovereign jurisdiction that will" keep your information private" is not good enough in todays financial landscape. This is not the way to do it. Suffice it to look at the large number of" high rollers" who tried to" hide" a good portion of their assets this way and got in a good deal of trouble.


It s not what I want, and I will presume it s not what you want. "Hiding" things and privacy are very different arrangements, and you want to be involved in the latter. legitimate, secure, legal, workable financial privacy! The Continental Trust And Credit Union is a private savings and loan association domiciled in Stockholm, Sweden and registered in accordance with the Economic Associations Act( 1987: 667) . With that being said. let s take a look at this treasure I have found. The activities are regulated by the Swedish Banking Act( 2004: 297) . Under the law that regulates Continental Trust, provided that it does not solicit to the public and keeps its membership small by legal definition, an EF is exempt from the standard banking regulatory regime and the only reporting required is an annual tax return filed on net profits. As a legally designated Ekonomik Foerening (EF) it is essentially a Savings and Loan association.


What this means is that this type of an organization is basically not required to report anything regarding its membership or financial transactions. ever! Now this does not mean you can get away with criminal activity, because if you give governments or courts a legitimate reason to come after you, they can eventually get just about any information they want. but as far as financial privacy, this is off the grid. This is as good as it get s! This is a legitimate type of organization classified by the World Bank as a Non- Bank Financial Institution and recognized as" having an important role in a balanced and diversified financial sector" . All of its officers have had background checks, the books are audited annually by a major, well recognized auditing firm. In other words, it s not some shady deal that you have to worry about being under the table.


That s the legal stuff. now as far as its usability and benefits. here are the major points: Full internet access to accounts and built in secure message system. Account data is held not only in secure and stable Linux servers with all the appropriate firewalls, but is then maintained on powerfully encrypted hard drives which are not on the same server as the web page but are instead, held and maintained very privately and secure half a world away. Internet security system twice as good as most major banks( Regarding security. The domicile, secure servers, banking, web servers and administration are all conducted and compartmentalized from different parts of the world making Continental Trust one of the most secure operations of its kind in existence today. ) So designed that even if the webserver were hacked, no information could be accessed. Much more useful in situations such as car rental etc. Transfer accts. for general in/ out activity by wire transfer or by transfer to linked private International Secured Mastercard Program( no spending limits except for the balance stored) Credit card, not debit card.


Funds accessed by: merchant purchases. Wire transfer. ATM withdrawals. Bankers draft. CD s yielding from 1% -5% monthly( that s right. monthly. Savings Accounts with 9% yearly earnings. Excellent passive investment) Minimum initial deposit is 2500 euro.


My experiences with CTCU have been excellent. Loans against capital or real estate. The communications with the staff have been prompt and professional. The one small problem I once experienced was when opening a trading acct. The treatment I receive is as a person, not a" number" . The trading institution would not initially accept the wire transfer because it was sent from another institution than what was named on the account.


The problem was easily resolved by the staff sending the proper documentation showing that the CTCU account was in fact the initiator of the wire transfer. This is actually how this kind of organization works, it s clearing of funds is through a separate bank. Problem solved! There are other benefits as well to becoming part of Venture Resources Group as they are experienced professionals in the international arena, but I will not go into that here. The other thing you need to know is that access to the Credit Union is by private membership only. you must be a member of the private business group Venture Resources Group. The last thing I will point out, is that CTCU is still fairly young and it s deposits and ability to do other things in the financial world is comparatively small. but growing. More detailed information is available from the Venture Resources Group and guest login codes to access all the information on the Continental Trust And Credit Union website are available upon request.


So there you have it as best as I can put it. I sincerely hope that this article and the information it contains are of great benefit to you and can give you a sense of financial confidence that here, is a solution, finally to what you may have been looking for. as it did for me. For the purposes of this article, I have assumed that you understand this, and have access to this kind of knowledge and relations. Important Note: A pre- requisite to having this kind of financial privacy is to establish working relationships with properly formed and maintained international entities. If you do not, then allow me to refer you to Venture Resources Group where I know you can get reliable and reasonably priced access to them.

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Apply For Credit Cards And Beware The Costs - Arlene Fearn's Finance blog:

Financial institutions usually make it quite easy to apply for credit cards because these institutions make substantial profits from the credit card business.

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One of the vital things that you should ensure is your credit standing. However, not anyone possesses it.

So, How Are These Credit Scores Calculated - Finance Articles:

So, how are these credit scores calculated?

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The Drilling Of A Borehole Requires A Government Permit First

Category: Finance.

If you are contemplating the development of a complex/ costly building, you are strongly advised to appoint a project manager who will manage the design team and the whole development.



Central heating is not generally required in the seaside towns( although this is a matter of own judgment) but air conditioning( at least in the bedrooms and for the seaside areas) is recommended. Also the appointment of a quantity surveyor on such large scale projects is strongly advisable. The cheapest form of cooling is the normal wail mounted units. Solar heating is an economic alternative and its adoption is relatively inexpensive, having a payback period of approximately 5 years. Split unit type with heat pumps is increasing in popularity and it is an alternative to be considered. If you will have a garden, it is advisable to drill a borehole for watering as the water charges rise more than proportionately with consumption. The drilling of a borehole requires a Government permit first.


This will cost around C1, 200 for the borehole and the pump, although it will depend on the depth of the borehole. Action to be taken and points to bear in mind when buying your own plot to build your own house. Visit the area that you are interested in and ask the local residents directly, or in case of a village, if there is, the village muchtar land for sale. Seek a suitable plot. Seek the assistance of a registered estate agent who may be in a position to offer to you alternatives but bear in mind always that most local sellers do not use the services of estate agents. A developer could be asking a high price for flats but he could be offering very attractive payment terms over a long period. Another factor which is also related to the price, is the payment terms.


Compare, not only the, therefore extent, quality etc. of a flat, but also the payment terms in order to ascertain who is offering you the best deal. What is luxurious accommodation may be far distant from what you will get however. Quality: In all advertisements for the sale of flats you will find the word luxury. If the flat you are buying is not ready, have your property surveyor go through the specifications of the materials and finishes so that he can explain their meaning to you.

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In Fact, There Are A Hundred And One Ways To Prove To Your Customers That They Come First - Finance Articles:

"People used what they called a telephone because they hated being close together and they were scared of being alone. " Chuck Palahniuk could be right and wrong! An online merchant will not exist and survive in the cutthroat world of online business without key customer service tools.

The Wohnbaukredit Is A Secured Loan In That The Housing Secures The Mortgage - Finance Blog:

In Austria, and in many other parts of Europe, there is a notable demand for home ownership, or a, and a mortgage wohnbaukredit is seen as normal funding for home purchasing.

Although You Are Able To Find Such Systems Using Search Engines Such As Google Or Yahoo This Is Not The Most Preferable Way Of Doing It - Finance:

When it comes to selecting a system out of the many Forex online trading systems that are now available there are a few things that a person should be aware of.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

However There Is A Solution And It Comes In The Form Of Cash Advance Payday Loans

Category: Finance.

There is no appropriate time for any particular incident to crop up. If at the same time you do not have any readily available finances available to you, it can be pretty disturbing for you.



It can be in a day, within a few hours from now or in a month. However there is a solution and it comes in the form of cash advance payday loans. These loans are approved towards your bank account within a period of 24 hours which means that the amount is in your hands within the same day. These loans are designed specifically to provide you finances in times of emergencies without any hurdles. Cash advance loans are offered to you solely on the basis of your upcoming payday. Based on these, lenders approve amount in the range of$ 100- $1500 to fix your various personal needs.


The amount advanced is highly influenced by what you draw as your monthly income which must be at least$ 1000 per month. These are very short term loans and are made available to you for a period of two to four weeks maximum. Other than that, you must have completed 18 years with a valid bank account. The eligibility criteria required to avail these loans are that you must be employed for the past few month with a good source of monthly income. This is one chief reason why these loans are very much popular among the salaried individuals. In fact by repaying the borrowed amount, you get a chance to improve the credit score. If you are having a series of bad credit problems like arrears, defaults etc against your name, it is not of major concern as lenders approve the amount without any credit check.


The interest rates concerning the loans are slightly higher as they are made available to you for a short time period without any collateral. Cash advance payday loans offer instant money to meet your immediate requirements without creating any obstacle. But with a proper research using the online method can help you find lender offering the loans at cheap rates.

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If You Are Looking For A Credit Card, This May Be A Relatively Easy Way To Get One - Lindsey Kosloski about Finance:

If you are looking for a credit card, this may be a relatively easy way to get one. You still have to submit an application for evaluation before you receive the card.

No One Will Be Able To Run A Credit Check On You- Period - Finance:

Thousand of people each day become the victim of identity theft.

Money Can Not Buy You - Robert Bowie's Finance blog:

My goal in writing this article is to teach you how to. reach your financial desires. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer& rdquo; .

Friday, August 22, 2008

APR Stands For Annual Percentage Rate

Category: Finance.

Home equity interest rates can be confusing for some people.



With the current housing market mess, it is wise to understand how these interest rates work and how much they will cost you during the life of your loan. In fact, if the wrong type of loan is taken out, homeowners can easily find themselves in financial trouble. The good news is that interest rates are a very helpful tool when homeowners are shopping for equity loans. APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate. Of the many terms that are associated with home loans, APR is one of the most important. It should be understood that you cannot compare the APR between an equity line of credit and a home loan. Homeowners should also understand that an introductory rate is often used by lenders to get new business.


These are two different types of loans and they behave differently. If your loan has an introductory rate make sure you understand what the true rate will be once the first phase or introductory phase is over. The interest rate for home equity loans does not correctly tell you the true cost of the loan because it does not account for added costs such as points and fees. There is a difference between the standard interest rate and the annual percentage rate. The APR is far more helpful when you are comparing two home loans because it accurately reflects the cost of credit expressed as a yearly rate. When you are trying to compare APR s between different loans, make sure that the terms and conditions of the loans are the same. It will also include the interest rate and all fees and points that must be paid.


Differences in the terms and conditions will affect the APR. Another confusing aspect of home loans is the difference between equity loans and lines of credit. As an example, if one of the loans that you are looking at has a longer payment term, and some type, a balloon payment of pre- payment penalty, it is not meaningful to compare its APR to another home equity loan that does not have those conditions. Consumers will do well to compare APR s on home equity loans, but they should understand that they cannot compare this to lines of credit loans. In other words, the fees in a line of credit are not factored into the APR. This is because the annual percentage rate for an equity loan takes into account the interest rate and all fees paid within the loan, while the APR for an equity line of credit only takes into account the interest rate. To avoid confusion, consumers should only compare like to like.


As mentioned above, home equity lines of credit may offer an introductory interest rate to get your attention. The APR of a home credit line loan should only be compared to the APR of another home line of credit that contains similar terms. These introductory rates are also called discounted rates or teaser rates. In some cases, the added interest can be significant, in which case you may want to continue shopping. It is important to know in advance how long the rate will apply and how much additional interest you will have to pay once it is over.

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Keep All Details - Finance Articles:

If you have ever shopped online, then you might know about some of the dangers associated with online purchasing and online credit card fraud. Here is some more information about the dangers of online credit card fraud and how to avoid them.

Many Merchants Complain About The Lack Of Information When It Comes To High Risk Merchant Account Application - Camille Genovese's Finance blog:

Many merchants complain about the lack of information when it comes to high risk merchant account application. It s more likely because merchant account providers do not provide standard customer service or are simply too lazy to share the nuts and bolts that the applicants need.

Cyprus Property Market Has Being Said To Be One Of The Fastest Growing Property Markets In Europe - Finance:

Cyprus s real estate and property market is booming dramatically due to the continuous work of construction companies who invest large amounts of funds towards infrastructure development.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Term Life Insurance Is The Cheapest Policy Around

Category: Finance.

If you are the breadwinner in the family or not one thing that you should be thinking about is a life insurance policy. How would your family survive.



What would happen to your family if you were to leave this world? You need to make this one of your main priorities. Online life insurance quotes are right at your fingertips, so take advantage of the opportunity. Today with the internet access if is quite easy to find a policy online that will meet all of your needs. If you were to shop around for a life insurance agent to have he or she help you find what you need, you may get pressured into something that you don t really need or want. Shop at your convenience, with no pressure and no underwriter pushing you into something that you don t want.


With online life insurance quotes, there is no pressure. Get Your Quote Online. There are a lot of companies out there that will help you find what they think that you need. Before you start looking for your online insurance quote, you need to get your information in order and there are some things that you need to think about before starting. Now some of these companies are good at figuring out what you need, by the way that you answer there questions. Assess Your Current Situation.


But there are a lot of companies who will just about sell you anything, whether you need it or not. One of the first things that you need to do before going online looking for coverage is to make an assessment of your finances are what your present situation is. For people who are on a tight budget, the best policy for you would probably be a term life insurance policy. One thing that you must realize is, even though you know that you need to get your family some assurance for yourself, it does mean that you have the spare income to make the payments. What you don t want to do is to get some policy that the price of the premium is to high. Term life insurance is the cheapest policy around.


You don t want the insurance bill to just pile up on your desk and you know that you can t afford the policy, even though you know you need it. But make sure that is the one for you. Don t become miserable after you purchase the policy because the premium is to big. Read the other articles that I have explaining what the differences are. Make sure you evaluate you situation before starting. The purpose of the policy is to get coverage for your family after your death. Consider this before you start your search for online life insurance quote.


Know how much money they are going to need to life the life that they currently live. Bills, rent, mortgage, etc. should all be added up to determine this amount. Make sure that you know this information. In fact this should be the basis when asking for a quote online. If you need more information on various types of insurances, please visit our site: http: //www. insurancelifecompany. com How much does my family need to live comfortably after I have left this world.

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Sears Credit Cards Can Pay For The Latest In Technology - Finance:

Sears credit cards are very useful because the stores affiliated with Sears credit cards carry a vast array of the needs of most consumers.

This Is Where Business Credit Cards Can Help - Finance Articles:

The first three years of a business life are the most crucial. This forces the owner to give the important numbers a good, hard think.

OsCOMMERCE BUGABOOS - Marilyn Strawbridge's Finance blog:

Just because osCommerce is the most popular merchant account software doesn t mean it s the best solution for your online business.