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Buy and Sell Philippines

The Real Risks in Balance Transfer Credit Card Checks

There are popular apprehensions among credit card users whether balance transfer checks are beneficial. The credit card season is generally from November through February and credit card companies would be approaching you with balance transfer check offers.

There are popular apprehensions among credit card users whether balance transfer checks are beneficial. The credit card season is generally from November through February and credit card companies would be approaching you with balance transfer check offers. You may receive a phone call, or SMS message, or again you may find in your email box offers for balance transfer check offers. Though regular posts are very rare now, you may even receive mails with the offer of balance transfer checks. Or, even the representatives of the credit card companies may approach you with this offer.

With Attractive Offers

Most often these balance transfer check offers are with attractive features. Sometimes they may be with 0% balance transfer. Or, they may be with very low percentage, say 2% or 3.5% and so and hence you can very well use the check to pay off your old debt and can gain in the deal. Hence, in this count the balance transfer check offer will be beneficial for you provided you make use of the offer prudently. Then you can manage you credit card debt more profitably


More Beneficial If

The Transferred Amount Is Big

As the balance transfer check can be credited to your account, you can make use of the money for your more profitable investments. This adds to your capital base. Suppose your outstanding balance rate is 12% and you owe 10000 dollars and the new balance transfer check is for a low rate of 3.99%. Then you can credit the check to your account and can use the amount for your more profitable business deals and can make good profits and can pay back easily the balance amount which now has only a low rate of interest.

Beneficial For Better

Credit Management

A balance transfer check is beneficial in another way also. You can credit the check to your personal account and can use the amount for the better management of your other existing credit card debts. Suppose the interest rate of your balance transfer check is 4% and you have a few other debts which are at higher rates above 10%. Then you can make better use of this facility to manage your credit card debt. By this, you can very well save the higher rate of interest that you owe to the other card companies. This is definitely a beneficial aspect of balance transfer checks.


You Can Capitalize On

The Balance Transfer Check

This is another benefit of the balance transfer check. You can deposit the check in to your personal account and can withdraw for the purchase of some of your valuable assets. It the amount is good enough, you can use it for purchasing some of your necessary assets like car or can meet other expenses like repayment of the loan for your residential unit. Sometimes the balance transfer check is at 0% interest and in that case it will be really worthwhile. You can use the money for holiday shopping or other beneficial purposes of your choice.

You can utilize the balance transfer check for other beneficial purposes like home improvement. You can credit the check to your personal use and can use the mount for buying furniture or home appliances. You can also use the amount for the modification of your house. Or, you can use the money for more profitable uses like the completion of your house or any other construction purpose

How To Monitor Employee Web Browsing

As an intelligent manager or business owner, you need to know about how to monitor employee web browsing. It is important to know what your employees are doing at all times of the day and if they are being productive or wasting your company time.

As an intelligent manager or business owner, you need to know about how to monitor employee web browsing. It is important to know what your employees are doing at all times of the day and if they are being productive or wasting your company time.

Time, as they say is money, and if your employees are spending your company time surfing the net, playing games, chatting and emailing, they are probably doing a limited amount of work. To add insult to injury, they have their hand out for a pay check on pay day. Do you know what you are paying for? If you monitor employee web browsing
then you know exactly which employees are doing the work, and which ones are doing nothing.

It is common for most work places to have internet access; however, it is difficult to know which employees are using their access for business purposes and which ones are abusing the privilege. When you monitor employee web browsing you will be able to sort out who is visiting which websites and how much time they are spending there.

Your employees should be advised that you will be watching their activities, but you only need to inform them once. After this initial warning, if they do not heed your advice and start to surf questionable websites or carry on with wasting your time, then you will have the evidence that you need to terminate their employment.

It may sound harsh, but you already know that jobs are scarce these days. You want to ensure that you have hired the right person for the job, one who takes it seriously. An employee who does nothing all day is a waste of your business resources. There are many programs that can do the monitoring for you. You only need to determine which one is most suitable for your situation.

Computer Monitoring Software comes in many forms, and theres a lot on the internet to choose from. There's a Comparison website to help you make an informed desicion when choosing monitoring software. Its at http://www.keyloggerdownloads.com

How to Make Money Finding Tenants for Landlords with Apartments for Rent

Every day an apartment goes vacant the landlord loses money. This is one reason why some property owners hire outside help to find tenants. With nothing but a cell phone and a reliable car you can earn huge finder fees by locating reliable applicants. Keep reading to find out how.

The first thing you need to do is find clients. Drive through neighborhoods and make note of any “For Rent” signs you see. Call the numbers listed and offer your services. Make sure the person on the other end of the line understands it won't cost him or her anything unless you find a renter. Look on Craigslist for apartment posting that have been up for a long time too.

Next interview clients to find out what they’re offering and what they’re looking for in a tenant. Make sure you cover the basics. How much is the rent? What utilities are included? How long is the lease? Do they allow pets? What kind? Ask them what they’re flexible on and what rules are set in stone.

Get information on the unit too. What’s the parking situation like? Is there a washer and dyer? How about air conditioning? To make things easier create a form with vital questions that your client can fill out for you. When the interview is over have your client sign a contract agreeing to your fee and collect the keys to the apartment.

Now that you have a few clients, start looking for possible tenants. You can't make money if you can't find tenants. Write detailed descriptions of the apartments or houses for rent and put them on Craigslist. Sites like postlets.com offer free templates to make your ads look more professional.

Don't forget to take pictures of the properties (both inside and out) to put in your ads. Also put signs out front of each unit with your phone number.

Soon potential tenants will start calling wanting to see the aparetment for rent. When this happens set up an appointment at the unit. If he or she doesn't like the apartment find out why. You may have another that fits his or her needs.

Once a tenant shows real interest in a unit have him fill out an application. You can find skeleton forms online. Once you have his information, run a credit check. Call his place of work and verify his employment as well. Charge an application fee to cover your costs.

Pass along your findings to the landlord and get a yea or nay. If your tenant is a go get on the phone and tell him the good news. While you have him on the phone set up a lease signing with his new landlord. Let him know he's expected to bring his deposit to this meeting.

Once your client and the renter sign their leases collect your fee. Your end of the deal is done

How to increase your income during a recession

Ways to increase your income during a recession

During a recession, it is important to get your creative juices flowing to be able to come up with ways to increase your income. This is not an easy situation and thinking outside the box will definitely help you to make a step towards the right direction.

How to increase your income during a recession

Turn your hobby into a job

Now may be the right time to earn some money by doing something you really love. Perhaps you have been waiting for such an opportunity for years, but never dared to actually go through with it, because you lacked motivation. Looking for ways to increase your income during a recession, might be just the chance you were looking for. If you know how to build up websites, you can start offering your services to friends and neighbours, who in turn will recommend you to others. If you are good at cooking, you can start your own catering business or join forces with an equally talented friend of yours. If you have a flair for writing, now it is the time to start acting on it. With many online freelance writing jobs, it is quite possible to find something that interest you. Just make sure that you have compared prices to see how much you should charge. Offering a slightly lower price than your competitors do might get your foot in the door more quickly, but be careful: Never sell yourself short. If you offer to work for peanuts, then your potential customers will probably think that your work is not of good quality and as a result, they will not pick you.

Do the jobs others do not do

Another great way to increase your income during a recession, is by doing the jobs that others do not do, either because they do not want to, or because they do not have the time. Mowing the lawn, washing the dishes, organizing file cabinets, scraping floors and helping kids with their homework are some of those jobs that can earn you some steady cash. If, over the course of time your services are high in demand, then you can start raising your rates.

Become a problem solver

If you know the solution to a problem, now it is the time to take advantage of it to increase your income. Knowing how to fix a computer, can help your friends and neighbours and your pocket as well. If you are good at plumbing, then you can help your neighbours every time a problems arises and earn some money out of it.

Invest

Pick a secure company in an industry that has not been affected by the recession to invest your money. Conduct a thorough research before making your final decision. After you make your choice, invest on a regular basis. Divide your stocks throughout the year and avoid buying too many at once. This is because during a recession stocks are likely to decline in price, so it is wise to wait until you find the best deal for you. Another thing you can do, is choose companies that keep retaining their dividend yield. You can easily find which those companies are, by checking the stock price: If the stock price has declined, that means that the dividend yield will have increased. Specifically, you should check for companies with dividend yield which surpasses 4%. What is important to note, is that you should not put all your eggs in one basket. Select stocks from different sectors, to broaden your horizons and protect your pocket. If you select stocks only from one sector, if that particular sector gets affected by the economic recession, then you will lose everything.

Learning how to increase your income during a recession is a challenge, that can change your life for the better, if handled well

To Save Or Not To Save Money? A Practical Guide To Personal Finance

To save or not to save money? We are always confronted with the same question of whether we can save money or not while trying to make both ends meet. Here are ways to save money.

To save or not to save money? We are always confronted with the same question of whether we can save money or not while trying to make both ends meet. It is best that we have the skills on financial management to be able to save money, and not to be trapped into debt. Here are practical ways on personal finance :

Reasonable Spending Habits.

* Identify "what you need" and "what you want". It is always like a tug-of-war between these two, but "what you need" should come out as a winner and only let "what you want" if you have already set aside extra funds for it. Failure to do so becomes an impulse buying habit.

* Know what are income generating expenses from lifestyle expenses. Income generating expenses or the basic needs such as utilities, transportation, food,gasoline while lifestyle expenses such as mobile usage, clothing, recreational expenses which can be adjusted or cut off as need arises. In some cases, there can be exceptions for mobile usage if it is use for income-related activities such as in sales while Internet expenses for freelance online jobs.

* Think of long term “things to buy" or expenses that requires bigger funds such as purchasing a new appliance, renovation projects, long term investment and so forth. Moreso,small sacrifices to save money can create funds for long term plans.

* Live moderately and find effective ways to reduce cost at home such as expenses for electrical appliances and Do-It-Yourself skills can spare us from service professional expenses.

Use Credit Card Wisely. Remember that everytime we use it we have a debt to pay. Is the purchase worth buying or are we into impulse buying. Credit card is not bad if we know how to use it for our advantage. Some business people use it as their capital and roll the cash until it is due. By this time, they have earned the profit.

* Study monthly statement carefully and keep track all your expenses if it is properly billed.

* Pay on time before the deadline and try to pay all the amount due. If you are paying only the minimum, you are just paying for the interest rates. The credit card company is just getting richer because of the monthly interest charges.

* For small purchases, pay it in cash instead of using the credit card.

* Do not make a long list of credit cards, get only what you can manage.

In order to save money, live within your means. If you want to live more than what you have, increase your income. Whatever what you have in your hand big or small, savings depends on how you manage money. Make a monthly effort to set aside even a small amount of savings and gradually increase whenever you can. Financial security can be achieved if we know how to save consistently.

Ways To Earn Cash Through Paid Product Testing

There are some legitimate ways to earn cash testing products at home

While there are a variety of ways to earn cash through paid product testing, it is important for an individual seeking to make extra income to approach the industry with a skeptical eye to prevent involvement in scams. There are a good number of paid product testing opportunities that can be found on the internet that are legitimate ways to earn cash, and there are also thousands of scams that are nothing more than a waste of time and sometimes money for a naive person. The best ways to earn cash through paid product testing is to find companies that have solid reputations and long track records of maintaining happy product testers,and avoiding the offers from companies that require a tester to pay an upfront fee to participate.

The easiest ways to earn cash through paid product testing is to do a little research and find a few companies that offer paid testing positions that look appealing. Next, you will usually be required to fill out an application which is basically demographic information, as certain companies want only a particular target audience to test their products. After a short time, the company you have applied to will let you know if you are a match to earn cash through paid product testing of a specific product they are currently testing.

If a tester receives a match to test a product, the item is sent to their home for their examination and use. Along with the product is usually a survey concerning the product's features and quality which must be completed and returned, but sometimes the survey and review of the product can be done online.

The ways to earn cash through product testing begin with payment for your use and opinion of the product presented to you. Amounts paid vary from company to company and even from product to product, but paid product testing is a simple and easy way to earn cash. In most circumstances you get to keep the product you have tested, which is a nice little bonus in addition to any earned cash you may have already made. Some other ways to earn cash through paid product testing is through companies that give gift vouchers to those who do an especially good job of reviewing in addition to any cash that has been earned for completing the basic task. Still other ways to earn cash through paid product testing is by entering free drawings that product testing companies offer for participation.

Great Websites That Can Help When Looking For A Job

It's easier to find a job online than by going door to door.

There are hundreds of great websites that can help when looking for a job, but the amount of assistance they can give to a person in their individual job search varies greatly with each website. In any case, these job listing websites offer a great way to help find a job while sitting at home, all with little more effort required than a few clicks of the mouse - a far departure from the "old days" of running all over town filling out dozens of job applications. The really great websites that help when looking for a job do much more than just list open jobs, they offer excellent advice on every topic associated with job hunting to aid an unemployed person in their quest to locate employment.

Here are a few great websites that can help when looking for a job:

http://www.USAJobs.gov/ - This wonderful website offers an official list of available jobs with the federal government, and serves as a great source for information to job seekers. This website has a list of special hiring events and when and where they are to be held, along with employment information for veterans, students, senior executives and those individuals with disabilities.

http://www.Monster.com - This is a great website that helps when looking for a job because of the excellent features it offers. On Monster.com you can browse for jobs, create a resume, map a strategy for job hunting or get a professionally written resume. This is also a great website to help when looking for a job for those who are young, as they can plan and research careers, get advice from job forums and even use a salary calculator to see what a career field may pay.

http://www.CareerBuilder.com - One of the more popular websites that can help when looking for a job, CareerBuilder.com has 1.6 million jobs listed at last inspection. Here you can search for jobs by category, company, industry and even look for jobs that are open internationally.

Yahoo Hot Jobs - This is a great website that can help when looking for a job by offering advice on resumes, interviews and negotiating salaries. Job listings can be searched by categories and locations, and you can even post your resume here.

It's a good idea when using great websites that can help when looking for a job to register with as many as possible to get your name and skills out there to employers.

What are stock options?

Stock options are what investors get if they want the option to buy or sell shares, at an agreed price, at a certain date. But anyone can get in on the stock options market, as a buyer or seller of stock options.

Stock options can be looked at from two ways, either the buyer, or the seller. In my case, what I was interested in was being the seller of stock options, in order to try to make a better investment of my money. An option is the right to buy or sell an item at a set price, whether or not the item goes up in value. For example, lets say I had $100,000 worth of a particular stock. I could sell you the option of buying the shares for $100,000 in a months time, and the shares could go up or down in value. I would charge you a certain percentage to give you this option, something like 2-5% depending on what the market was like, and what I wanted to do. The same is also true with selling shares at a set price. Let's say you already had $100,000 worth of shares, and you wanted to protect them from a possible crash, you could arrange to sell them to me in a months time for $100,000, which you would probably only want to do if the price of the shares went down more than the percentage that you gave me.

There are two types of stock options: "puts" which give the holder the right to sell the stock at a guaranteed price, and "calls" which give the holder the right to buy stock at a guaranteed price. A good way to sell stock options is to sell the option to buy your stock in the market, at a higher price than what it is, and if the stocks go up to that level, you have to sell it, and you would miss out on any profits over that amount. However you have made a profit not only of the percentage, but the higher value of the stock, and if the stocks go down, you get to keep the percentage which is the price to buy the option. I don't understand it that well, and you want to have solid financial advice before you risk a lot of money on the stock market, but so long as the whole market doesn't crash suddenly, you can make a good living from selling stock options.

How to Increase Your Personal Wealth

Money makes the world go round and sometimes the more money you have the better your life will be. So how do you go about increasing your personal wealth and savings I hear you say....

Firstly you need to plan, you need to make a plan to decide where you want to be both in the short term, say the next 12 months and the long term, say the next 5 years. Consider, factor in and include in your plan how much money you want to have and why. Including this will keep you motivated, focused and on target to achieve your goals and aims.

There are many ways to increase your personal wealth, and here are just a few. For example you could increase your savings, if perhaps you don't have the disposable income to do this on a regular basis you could start by checking that you have the best savings account possible - ensure that it is earning you a good deal of interest. Making sure that you have your money earning you the most interest it can help you increase your personal wealth, even if it is a small amount, remember that magical thing called compound interest.

Another way to increase your personal wealth is to perhaps dabble in the stock market. Where you are looking for penny stocks or something a bit more costly, stocks and shares could be one of your routes to riches. Just remember to conduct your research and weigh up the risks. Get professional advice before you invest your hard earned money.

TOP TIP: Work out what type of person you are and create a personal wealth action plan around this. For example if you are cautious maybe stocks and share trading is not the right way for you to go.

Property could be the way to increase you personal wealth. For example you could invest in either residential/private property or perhaps commercial rewards. You could buy and sell houses, rent out houses and so on to increase your personal wealth.
There are many ways to increase your personal wealth and there also many scams out there so beware. Be cautious with your money and don't expect to get rich quick or overnight.

I hope you have found this article both useful and helpful and I wish you every success in increasing your personal wealth.

Financial planning for the future

If you want to increase your personal wealth or perhaps save for something specific such as retirement, children or a holiday home then financial planning is a must. First you need to think about where you are now and where you would like to be in the future (both in the short and long term). Creating a financial plan will allow you to see where you are now and where you can realistically expect to be.

When creating the basis for your plan you will be asking and covering lots of questions including: What type of investor am I, How much do we have in savings now, How much would I/we like to have and more importantly how am I going to get there.
Below are a few suggestions as to how you can start creating your own financial plan right now!

Firstly - I would set out where I wanted to be by creating an overall goal. I would then break this down into smaller aims and targets which I would measure and monitor at regular set dates in the near future.

Secondly - I would work out what type of saver or investor I was and then factor this into my plan. For example if I am a risk taker I might want to dabble in the stock market. Finding out what type of person you are will help you create an individual financial plan that is suitable to you, your needs and your wants.

Thirdly - I would research all of the options open to me, in terms of how I could increase both my income and savings in order to achieve my financial goal/s. I would research savings, bonds, ISAs, pensions, property, business, investing and much more. Once you have conducted this research which may take days or weeks you will be able to move onto the next part of your plan which will be deciding what you are going to do to reach your goals and when.

Remember when deciding how to make and save your money to factor in work, family, holidays, home improvements and anything else you may need money for in the foreseeable future, as you need to ensure you have adequate access to your funds should you need them in say an emergency.

I hope you have found this article both helpful and useful and I wish you every success in creating a financial plan and achieving your financial goals.

Understanding management styles

In the context of organizational reality and day-to-day routine tasks, apart from the theoretical parameters that define a managerial style, the cognitive aspects of each individual are those that finally define a manager as democratic, authoritarian or humanist.

Management styles differ in the degree of dominance used in managerial decision making. There are managers, who are good listeners and facilitate the communication between management and employees being always ready to approve an alternative suggestion. On the other hand, there are managers, who slap their doors and disapprove in advance any idea, suggestion or inquiry from subordinates, especially if they feel it contradicts their own theories.

In economics, dominance is defined as "the degree of inequality in market share distribution". In the social hierarchy of an organization, a dominant manager retains full control of the organization, as a result of individual charisma, his position within the system, and his influential personality. So, in a sense, a dominant manager denies any share of organizational success to his subordinates feeling that he should be the only one responsible for the strategic decision making.

To understand management styles, it is useful to investigate the continuum of managerial behavior. Unfolding an evolutionary scale of decreasing dominance, broke down in seven stages, the continuum of managerial behavior relates each action to a certain degree of authority provided by the manager to subordinates. From stage one to stage seven, the manager gradually allows the participation of subordinates to the strategic decision making by presenting ideas or tentative solutions and inviting questions and suggestions.

In particular:

1/ The Autocrat Manager

An autocrat manager defines the problem, considers possible solutions, chooses the most appropriate one and announces it to subordinates. Acting as a ruler having unlimited power, the autocrat manager denies any participation of the organizational members in the strategic decision making, while demanding all tasks and objectives to be performed exactly as requested. The communication pattern involved in this management style is mainly downward, from the manager to the subordinate, often resulting in employee demoralization and high dependence on managerial supervision. On the other hand, by causing fear and discipline to subordinates with his despotic style, the autocrat manager retains full control of the business processes ensuring that organizational goals are met.

2/ The Authoritarian Manager

Similarly to the autocrat manager, the authoritarian manager defines the problem, considers possible solutions, and chooses the most appropriate one. Yet, instead of announcing it to subordinates, the manager tries to persuade them to accept the decision while eliminating them from strategic decision making. The manager, diplomatically, yet authoritatively, tries to "sell" the decision to the organization. In any case though, authoritarian management diminishes the substance of people operating under the assumption that people have to be pushed and always told what to do to get the best possible results from them.

3/ The Bureaucratic manager

The Bureaucratic manager presents ideas and invites questions before decisions are made. Through the establishment of strong lines of authority and control, the bureaucratic manager develops clearly defined and specialized functions and detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all routine tasks. Using the minimum absolute power, he serves the firm and tries hard to meet organizational objectives through the use of legal authority and written rules and procedures. Employee performance on bureaucratic management is measured based on the rate of consistency to the survival and growth of the organization, while promotions are based on competence leading to clearly defined career paths.

4/ The Laissez Faire Manager

The Laissez Faire managerial style is placed at the midpoint of the dominance scale representing a zero balance between managerial domination and employee domination styles. Laissez Faire managers have been heavily criticized for avoiding too much interference in employee behavior.

All employees need guidance, and in addition, employees normally achieve a superior level of performance if they understand what the organization expects of them and why.

5/ The Democratic Manager

The Democratic manager gains his power from what determines to be the majority opinion. Democratic management seeks consensus with subordinates considering this to be the best way to portray the broadest range of resources and get the best results. Democratic managers believe that by addressing employee responsibility and showing confidence in their subordinates, they assist in employee and human development, which in the long run, might also mean less managing on the part of the manager. The democratic managerial style is the basic model of presenting problems and openly asks for suggestions, while a majority vote establishes the future of the firm.

6/ The Participative Manager

The Participative manager sets organizational limits, but he relies profoundly on groups and individuals within the firm for definitive decisions. Providing employees responsibility, accountability, and authority over their work, participative management improves employee performance and boosts organizational performance. To a degree, the Participative manager appears similar to the Democratic manager, but the two managerial styles are different. Participative management is based on incentive compensation system where employees have a stake in the business outcome. In addition, in participative management the group members are progressively gaining power over the requests of the group as an entity.

7/ The Humanist Manager

The Humanist manager sets individual happiness as the ultimate goal. In search of this goal, the organizational objectives are transferred to a subordinate position. In this stage, the manager both allows and requires organizational members to make decisions within prescribed limits, evoking a team scheme where the authority of the manager and the participation in the decision making is equal to the authority of the organizational members.

Regardless of fundamental or smaller differences between these seven managerial styles, managers are human beings, who cope with organizational complexity aiming to sustain a competitive advantage for the organization and to promote stability. In this context, their human nature certainly overpowers their managerial skills and aptitudes and sometimes even their MBA degrees. Reality is much more different than theory. Therefore, in the context of organizational reality and day-to-day routine tasks, apart from the theoretical parameters that define a managerial style, the cognitive aspects of each individual are those that finally define a manager as democratic, authoritarian or humanist. And for these aspects only Organizational Psychology is suitable to provide explanations and answers.

Guaranteed Profits from Symmetrical Triangle Chart Pattern

There are many patterns in the stock market. Some are reliable and most of the others are not that reliable. Its easier to stick to what works. Symmetrical Triangle Chart Pattern is a very reliable pattern and you are assured to get guaranteed profits from this pattern.

Have you ever wondered if there is any definitive pattern which can earn you guaranteed profits from Stock market?

Well, one of the most profitable and guaranteed pattern is a Symmetrical triangle chart pattern.

That is not to say that, this pattern never fails. But it wins most of the time and that is what matters most.

How to identify the pattern?

The price point moves and down irregularly. It shows that the market hasn't made up its mind which direction it wants to pursue.

It shows a state of confusion. And it reminds in this state for quite some time.

But soon the pattern starts to emerge.

If you start connecting the successive peaks, they start to converge towards the trough lines, as shown in the picture.

Profitable Break

This is a very good setup. You need to watch closely when the price breaks either the high lines or the trough lines.

You can enter the trade as soon as the pattern is broken.

But what if it is a false break?

You can easily identify that. If the price breaks the upper line, you will enter the LONG trade. Your stop loss is when the price falls down and penetrates the upper line below.

OK. But how do you find the profit target?

It's easy as well. The maximum height of the pattern is the required height. You can expect the price to move from the point of breakout to travel that height.

Why it works?

This pattern is one of the oldest patterns. People have studied charts long before, and understood this pattern.
So, as soon the breakout happens, everybody wants to join the bandwagon. And hence the price moves pretty quickly to the target point.

So, the earlier you enter the trade, the maximum move you will get.

Which direction will it break?

This is something nobody knows for sure in this symmetrical pattern. Hence its better to watch out which direction it breaks.

Conclusion

It is one of the profitable patterns which have worked over decades. And hence many traders have included this pattern in their arsenal.

Since it is followed by many professionals, it is important that you trade along with the trend.

It's easier that way.

Key Account Management - Shortcomings and limitations

Key Account Management is an effective relationship management mechanism provided that the firms build the appropriate database of key accounts with respect to their adequacy on the customer contribution margin.

Key Account Management is one of the four components of customer relationship management along with customer lifetime value, customer portfolio analysis and the relationship lifecycle. Key Account Management is defined as an appropriate relationship management mechanism that utilizes the value of trust in business relationships to achieve functioning relationships with the customers.

The internationalization of markets and customers require from firms an increasing customer orientation. In addition, the intensity of competition forces firms to implement Key Account Management aiming to improve organizational internal efficiency, while decreasing competitive pressures. The main concept of Key Account Management is to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of relationship development and management. In mature markets customers are more sophisticated and demanding, and firms need to develop customer oriented strategies to meet customer satisfaction. To achieve that, Key Account Management focuses primarily on establishing trust with customers.

Key Account Management unlocks the customer potential by emphasizing on mutuality in business relationships. Progressively used as a value-adding marketing approach in customer-centric organizations, Key Account Management facilitates relationship management by recognizing the appropriate key accounts to manage, involving them in the process and including key scenarios in this approach. Applying detailed customer segmentation, Key Account Management allows for product/service differentiation according to expected customer requirements, while minimizing the market risk.

Firms that develop key account management skills follow strategic marketing management decision reflected on the emphasis given on the right marketing mix. Demographical data including industry structure, number of employees, sales volume, the firm’s international operations and the product characteristics, are taken into consideration in the implementation of Key Account Management. In addition, firms that engage in Key Account Management should craft suitable two-way plans and structure the appropriate team approach to ensure that they can offer different value proposition than competition.

Despite numerous advantages, Key Account Management has shortcomings and limitations. Primarily, it faces a difficulty in determining the key accounts. Criteria such as sales volume have been questioned a lot. Although various B2B companies consider sales volume and market share as appropriate criteria to determine a key account, customer contribution margin is applied only by 33% of the companies pursuing Key Account Management. Moreover, many firms still use traditional cost-accounting systems, although the new approach necessitates reconsideration of obsolete valuation approaches.

In conclusion, Key Account Management is an effective relationship management mechanism provided that the firms build the appropriate database of key accounts with respect to their adequacy on the customer contribution margin. Finally, firms should frequently measure and monitor the results of Key Account Management implementation in order to take corrective action if necessary and to reclassify where appropriate.

Portfolio Management approach to IT planning

Portfolio management enables organizations and IT executives to decide on and prioritize IT investments that would support the organizational objectives efficiently, while balancing the risk involved in the process.

Portfolio management enables organizations and IT executives to decide on and prioritize IT investments that would support the organizational objectives efficiently, while balancing the risk involved in the process. In particular, portfolio management provides a collaborative setting, where the decision-making upon projects which are added into the organizational portfolio is driven by specific business criteria, aligned with corporate governance and culture. In that way, portfolio management improves the business performance, while providing simplicity and precision into the process.

Planning and managing different IT investments as a portfolio of diverse investment categories, i.e. transactional, informational, strategic, and infrastructure, leads to the optimization of risk and return on these investments. Organizations follow portfolio strategies in order to achieve transparency suggesting that the more complex the decision-making process is the less optimum the investment decisions become.

Examples of IT Portfolio Management

Transactional IT investment would be performed by a company like UPS. UPS is a leading provider of specialized transportation and logistics services globally and a corporation of near US$43 billion aiming to facilitate global commerce. In logistics industry, time and convenience of service are essential. A major part of UPS’s success is attributed to the committed use of IT. UPS offers free package tracking services to its clients so that they knew precisely where their package is at any given minute and when it would be actually delivered. Before the use of IT technology, tracking services were provided via phone calls which generated additional call centre costs of $2 to $6 per customer. Today, with the use of transactional IT investment UPS offers a higher quality of services at a lower cost, thus cutting costs and increasing productivity and customer satisfaction.

Informational IT investment would be performed by a company like 7-Eleven. 7-Eleven is the largest operator, franchisor and licensor of convenience stores globally. Being a customer-centric corporation, 7-Eleven uses IT in order to gather information about trends in accounting, compliance, or communication to be able to improve the service provided and to introduce new product lines. In that way, 7-Eleven increases profit margins by constantly meeting customer needs through a consistently high-quality offering of products and services at reasonable prices. Moreover, through informational IT investment, 7-Eleven uses proactively the information towards a better decision-making and it achieves better information, better integration, faster operations and increased control over its business practices.

Strategic IT investment would be favoured by a company like Carlson Companies. The organization provides a broad range of services operating as a global leader in the marketing, travel, and hospitality industries. Through Carlson Shared Services the organization offers also IT and financial services, which signifies the introduction of innovative products in the market. In that way, it gains competitive advantage and improves global positioning. Typically, strategic IT investment is viewed as high-risk high-return strategy; however organizations that favor this type of IT investment enjoy high profitability through product innovation.

Infrastructure IT investment would be applied by a company like Raytheon Company. Being a global technology leader in defence, homeland security and other government markets, Raytheon views infrastructure IT investment as a means to provide standardized high-quality products and reduce costs. Moreover, enhanced IT infrastructure capability facilitates IT initiatives and flexibility. Providing excellent electronics, mission systems integration, and other capabilities in the areas of sensing, effects, command, control, communications, intelligence systems, and mission support services, Raytheon would need to invest highly in IT infrastructure to ensure business flexibility, business integration, and reduced IT costs.

How to Create an E-Mail Signature in Hotmail?

Does your e-mail you send from Hotmail have a signature? It helps announce the products and services you offer. Create a powerful e-mail signature in Hotmail and use it as a marketing avenue.
Do you know that your e-mail signature in Hotmail can serve as a marketing rep who work 24X7?  Yes, your e-mail signature can be a great way to promote your business without cost.  This step-by-step tutorial teaches you how to create an e-mail signature in Hotmail.
What is E-Mail Signature?
It’s the content you add at the end of your e-mail message.  Here’s the good news: Once you create an e-mail signature in Hotmail, it automatically adds the signature to every e-mail message you send.
You can also customize your e-mail signature on the go.  That is, if you wish to modify your e-mail signature in Hotmail for a particular message, you can do so in the message composing window.  Your default e-mail signature, however, remains intact.
Content of E-Mail Signature in Hotmail
Add info like your name and title to your signature.  Also, create a link to your website.  That way, prospective buyers can visit your website right from your e-mail message.  If you’ve a blog you can add a link to that too.  The same is also true if you’ve a presence in social media sites like Twitter.
A powerful tagline can also be a part of your e-mail signature in Hotmail.
List your main products or services in the e-mail signature.  For example, if you’re a freelance writer, highlight your key areas of writing.
Example of an E-Mail Signature in Hotmail
John Doe
Freelance Writer
Quality Content for your Business
Website: mywebsite.com
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Article Writing --- Web Content Writing --- Copy Writing
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Step-by-Step Tutorial to Create an E-Mail Signature in Hotmail
STEP 1: Login to your Hotmail Account.
...........................................................................................................................................................................
STEP 2: Click Options > More Options
...........................................................................................................................................................................
STEP 3: In the Customize your mail category, click Personal e-mail signature
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STEP 4: Type your message in the e-mail signature composing window
...........................................................................................................................................................................
STEP 5: Click the Save button

Managing Finances Effectively

Managing Finances Effectively
Money is an important need of every individual. People say money makes the world go around and it’s the reality. Right now, the world is faced with financial crisis and almost everybody is striving to balance their expenses with their income. However, with continues increase of goods and services price, the people are left with only two options: whether to cut off their expenses or increase their income by looking for other means of earning more.
Somehow, one reason why people experience financial problems is because they lack effective strategies on how to manage their finances effectively. Hence, this article outlines some practical helpful tips on how to manage finances effectively.

1. Determine needs and wants. Grab a sheet of paper and list down all the things to be purchased. Then carefully examine the list to determine those “needed” and “wanted” things. Needs are those that a person can’t live without like food and shelter, while wants are those that a person can live without like extra or luxurious bags, accessories etc. After which, separate those needed from wanted list.
2. List down the priorities.  Having listed the “needed” things, it is also important to arrange the “needed” list in the order of priorities. The most urgent needs are ranked as the top priority down to the least priority.
3. Budget expenditures. Put assumed market prices of the needs and see if the available money can cover them all. If not, buy first the things under top priorities. Keep track on all of the expenses being incurred weekly or monthly. This way, it will be easy to determine what area spends more money and examine if there is a possibility to reduce the expenses.
4. Avoid impulse buying. Impulse buying is also called an uncontrolled spending. This usually happens when people go to the malls or markets. This is why discipline is needed in handling money. It would be better not to bring more money in the grocery stores or malls than what is actually needed. Through this, impulse buying can be avoided since there is no extra money to spend.
5. Avoid having debts. Debts make life even harder. It is so easy to apply and get approved for loans or credits but it is very difficult to pay. It is then important to avoid having debts as far as possible.
6. Always set aside something for savings. It is very important to save something to be used during emergencies. There has to be an amount saved weekly or monthly no matter how tight the finances are.

As a conclusion, financial struggles or problems can be minimized through effective management of finances that should be adopted by each household or individual.

Money-Making Sites: Scam or Not? Money-Making Sites: Scam or Not?

Money-Making Sites: Scam or Not?

Many people have turned to making money online. It seems everybody is desperate to earn money in any way because of financial problems and also lack of employment. In return, so many sites are being promoted in the internet that let’s the users earn money online. However, not all sites are legitimate or legal. There are so many scam sites that seem to be legitimate and can easily fool surfers. How then can we determine scam sites from those legal sites? Here are some tips:

1. Legal or legitimate sites don’t offer as high as $100 for paid to click advertisements. Those who offer easy money are likely scams. Like when the site says that a person can earn $100 in just one day, it isn’t practical at all. How could advertisers pay the creator of the sites with a very high amount? Of course the source of the would-be income of users will be from the advertisers themselves and with the number of people wanting to earn much; the advertisers won’t be able to pay all of them. The same with the payout. The higher the payout is, the more likely that the site is a scam. One example is the site that offers until $100000 payout. Who in the world will throw that amount to anybody? That’s a very big amount of money. If the site is true, then many people should have been made rich. Look for sites that have smaller payouts like $1 to $10.
2. Legitimate sites don’t ask for registration fees. Those paid to click (PTC) and GPT sites requiring for a registration fee is more likely a scam. Why? Because legitimate PTC and GPT sites are free to join. Paid to write sites are also free to join.
3. Ask questions. It is very helpful to ask question or search the web to know the different comments of people regarding the site before joining. There is no use spending time with a site that won’t pay you in the end.
4. Be vigilant and keen. If it happens that the site is scam, make some move to report the site or post negative comments regarding the site to warn other surfers not to participate in the site.

It is always better to spend much effort and energy before earning something. The desire to earn easy money through the net can lead to disappointment

Tips for reducing your grocery spending

As the title states, I provide some effective tips for reducing your grocery spending. Following these tips should significantly reduce your grocery bills.

Most of us spend big portion of our income on groceries. Grocery bill cannot be avoided. However, it can be significantly lowered. All you need to do is follow my tips for reducing your grocery spending. I will start with ones that are the easiest to follow. So, here they are:

Make a list

Yes, it really is the easy one. You might even think that this tip is useless. However, wait a little while and read this paragraph before you condemn this idea. Making a list and sticking to it will surely help you reduce your grocery spending. In fact, it can significantly reduce your expenses. The reason is simple – you will not buy anything other than things you planned to. This is very important, because there are many effective traps set for you in stores. You can avoid them by making a list of things you need to buy and sticking to that list saving some money every time you go shopping.

Avoid shopping while you are hungry

It is very simple. You tend to buy more groceries when you are hungry. This may lead to significantly higher grocery bill as you will buy many unnecessary and often expensive items. You should always plan your grocery shopping trips in advance and execute them with full stomach.

Realize that sales are your enemy

Well, it is not entirely correct. Sometimes, sales can help you lower your grocery spending. However, they have exactly opposite effect most of the time. You may ask yourself: “How is that possible?” The answer is really simple: Sales usually make you buy something you would not buy under normal circumstances, thus raising your spending. Always buy only groceries you need. Ignore sales, unless they include your desired groceries or their equivalent (of course only in case that item under sale is less expensive).

Ignore advertisements

Many advertisements tell you that buying certain product is good for your health and budget. However, be careful! All advertisements are meant to persuade you into buying some product. Simple and unimportant facts about that product are said in the words promoting that product into something great and even magical. However, do not believe such things. Every grocery product advertised in TV or magazines has some cheaper (and often better) equivalent that you will not know of until you go search the shop for similar product. Another fact is that if you did not need advertised product before you saw the ad, it is highly probable that you still do not need it now. Keep this in mind every time you write your shopping list.

Avoid restaurants

Meals served in restaurant are almost always more expensive than meals prepared at home. Keep in mind that restaurants profit on making your lunch. Prepare your own meals at home and visit restaurants only on special occasions (or never). You are sure to reduce your grocery spending.

Now, it is the time for some harder-to-follow tips for reducing your grocery spending.

Let special treats stay occasional

It is simple. Do not buy so much candy and more expensive non-essential groceries so often. Start buying them only on special occasions. Another option it to buy some of them on regular basis leaving some gaps between each purchase (f.e. buy candy only once a week and only in small quantities). This tip is harder-to-follow because most of us think they cannot survive without candy and other special treats.

Grow your own food

Do you like gardening? Then stop growing only flowers and plant some vegetables or fruit trees too. Growing all your food is almost impossible these days. However, growing some vegetable or even fruit can significantly lower your grocery spending. I agree that this is not for everybody, but it can help a lot.

It wouldn’t be hard to predict that it’s going to be more difficult to make money in 2010. Employees and entrepreneurs alike are experiencing a decline in their earning power due to pay reductions, job layoffs, and consumer spending cuts. Investors who had previously benefited from lucrative profits in the money market now have to cope with decreasing returns. How can you survive when you are not earning enough? Let’s look at some of the typical challenges that people are facing today and offer some possible solutions to these problems: Situation: Your boss is cutting your work time to four days per week, and you stand to lose 20 per cent of your pay. Don’t use that day to stay home and mope about your loss. Those extra hours away from your regular job can provide the perfect opportunity to take advantage of a business idea which you never had the time to pursue. If you hadn’t seen the need to create your own income before, get busy and brainstorm some ideas to earn extra money. Your first goal is to replace your lost income. Break down your shortfall into a manageable figure; for example, if you stand to lose $10,000JMD per month, think of something you could do on your day off to earn $2,500JMD. Calculate how many customers you would need to reach your target. What service or product could you sell to 25 people in your community to earn $100JMD from each person? Situation: You graduated from college with a management degree, but a year has passed and you’re still unable to find a job. Widen the scope of your job search — don’t limit yourself to a typical managerial position. There are some fields that are always recruiting new persons, such as the life insurance industry, the army or the police force. You could actually find a satisfying career in the long term. The reality is that we need more entrepreneurs in Jamaica to create job opportunities for new entrants in the job market. If you can’t find employment, then you may have to invent your own job. What skills and talents do you have that could provide an income? Many small businesses are contracting out their data entry, marketing, accounting and Internet correspondence needs; if you can supply these services, you may be in the money. Situation: The company you worked for has closed down; your previous job was in a specialised field and there are few other businesses that utilise your area of expertise. If you’re facing a roadblock in securing another job, you may need to look far and wide to locate employment. The great news is that the Internet provides a virtual marketplace that can help you to link with a buyer for your services. Post your résumé on websites such as Monster.com or register with Elance.com or Odesk.com to find freelance work. You could also examine the possibility of sharing your specialised knowledge with others. Is there a need for training courses or educational material in your area of expertise? Can you create a new service that would appeal to a wider retail market? For example, a geophysicist with extensive information on earthquake activity could hold seminars to teach people how to prepare for this natural disaster. Situation: You are a self-employed hairdresser and many of your customers are cutting back on your services. Consumers are now looking for better value for their money, so you have to respond to changing customer demands by giving more for less. One option is to offer frequent user specials, such as one free wash and set if your customer pays for three within one month. Try to increase your business volume by designing a referral programme that will encourage existing customers to market your services for you. For example, you could offer a 25 per cent discount on services to anyone who brings a new customer. Situation: You’re retired and you depend on the interest from your investments to pay your bills. Recent changes in the government paper market will reduce your income significantly. If your earning source has decreased, you may be forced to find additional methods of generating an income. Don’t be disheartened by this development, as there are many retirees who are actually enjoying their ability to make money in areas that are exciting and fulfilling. There are always available openings to work part-time if you have professional skills such as teaching or nursing. You could also look at providing consulting services or training persons in your field. Consider using your hobbies to create income; you could provide organic vegetables to the supermarket or sell ceramics or paintings at craft shows. To succeed financially in 2010, you have to become more industrious and innovative in generating income. Don’t sit back and wait for someone else to make a job for you - get creative and do it yourself!

Most males realize that females will get an advantageous rate for their car insurance because they are less likely to be involved in an accident. Although there are many factor involved with this, the main reasons point towards their driving manner and the types of motorcars they drive which are mostly more sensible then males.

Most males realize that females will get an advantageous rate for their car insurance because they are less likely to be involved in an accident. Although there are many factor involved with this, the main reasons point towards their driving manner and the types of motorcars they drive which are mostly more sensible then males.

For these reasons, car insurance providers are happy to provide a discount on their insurance premiums not afforded to male drivers. However, potentially they can have as many accidents as men but when they do have one they generally have less damage to their vehicles. In light of these facts it is not surprising to find that the insurance premium a woman will pay is usually around thirty percent less than that paid by a man.

Of course the primary reason insurance rates for women are lower are because they are slower, safer drivers therefore accident repairs are not as high as for men. As the speed that most male drivers travel at is substantially higher, often above the speed limit for the highway; when accidents occur, they result in far more damage to the vehicle and a greater cost to the insurance provider. The insurers also treat females, even if they have just passed their driving exam, as a lower risk and are able to apply for further discounts.

In view of this, a number of specialist car insurance underwriters will only sell their car insurance plans to females with no men allowed, not even husbands. Providers are just trying to protect their assets and other members’ premiums which will have to rise if they have to pay out for big claims made by male drivers.

Some of these insurance firms find the only way they can increase their overall profits is by having a big number of members because the cost of premiums are lower, their profit margin is correspondingly less. If you are a woman then you really need to get a quote for a lady's automobile insurance preferably one that includes legal cover as well as it will help to claim back any excess from the third party in the event of a non-fault claim. It is invariably possible to obtain further reductions in the premium by fitting anti-theft devices and parking in a secure garage when not in use.

One last point to consider is the size of the insurer, specialist women only insurers are usually smaller and may not be able to compete with a general insurance company that is much bigger. Thus, check out these females only insurance firms by all means but shop around and get the best quote you can as you may find it less expensive elsewhere.

2010 Action Plan: Control Your Income

It wouldn’t be hard to predict that it’s going to be more difficult to make money in 2010. Employees and entrepreneurs alike are experiencing a decline in their earning power due to pay reductions, job layoffs, and consumer spending cuts. Investors who had previously benefited from lucrative profits in the money market now have to cope with decreasing returns.

How can you survive when you are not earning enough? Let’s look at some of the typical challenges that people are facing today and offer some possible solutions to these problems:

Situation: Your boss is cutting your work time to four days per week, and you stand to lose 20 per cent of your pay.

Don’t use that day to stay home and mope about your loss. Those extra hours away from your regular job can provide the perfect opportunity to take advantage of a business idea which you never had the time to pursue. If you hadn’t seen the need to create your own income before, get busy and brainstorm some ideas to earn extra money.

Your first goal is to replace your lost income. Break down your shortfall into a manageable figure; for example, if you stand to lose $10,000JMD per month, think of something you could do on your day off to earn $2,500JMD. Calculate how many customers you would need to reach your target. What service or product could you sell to 25 people in your community to earn $100JMD from each person?

Situation: You graduated from college with a management degree, but a year has passed and you’re still unable to find a job.

Widen the scope of your job search — don’t limit yourself to a typical managerial position. There are some fields that are always recruiting new persons, such as the life insurance industry, the army or the police force. You could actually find a satisfying career in the long term.

The reality is that we need more entrepreneurs in Jamaica to create job opportunities for new entrants in the job market. If you can’t find employment, then you may have to invent your own job. What skills and talents do you have that could provide an income? Many small businesses are contracting out their data entry, marketing, accounting and Internet correspondence needs; if you can supply these services, you may be in the money.

Situation: The company you worked for has closed down; your previous job was in a specialised field and there are few other businesses that utilise your area of expertise.

If you’re facing a roadblock in securing another job, you may need to look far and wide to locate employment. The great news is that the Internet provides a virtual marketplace that can help you to link with a buyer for your services. Post your résumé on websites such as Monster.com or register with Elance.com or Odesk.com to find freelance work.

You could also examine the possibility of sharing your specialised knowledge with others. Is there a need for training courses or educational material in your area of expertise? Can you create a new service that would appeal to a wider retail market? For example, a geophysicist with extensive information on earthquake activity could hold seminars to teach people how to prepare for this natural disaster.

Situation: You are a self-employed hairdresser and many of your customers are cutting back on your services.

Consumers are now looking for better value for their money, so you have to respond to changing customer demands by giving more for less. One option is to offer frequent user specials, such as one free wash and set if your customer pays for three within one month.

Try to increase your business volume by designing a referral programme that will encourage existing customers to market your services for you. For example, you could offer a 25 per cent discount on services to anyone who brings a new customer.

Situation: You’re retired and you depend on the interest from your investments to pay your bills. Recent changes in the government paper market will reduce your income significantly.

If your earning source has decreased, you may be forced to find additional methods of generating an income. Don’t be disheartened by this development, as there are many retirees who are actually enjoying their ability to make money in areas that are exciting and fulfilling.

There are always available openings to work part-time if you have professional skills such as teaching or nursing. You could also look at providing consulting services or training persons in your field. Consider using your hobbies to create income; you could provide organic vegetables to the supermarket or sell ceramics or paintings at craft shows.

To succeed financially in 2010, you have to become more industrious and innovative in generating income. Don’t sit back and wait for someone else to make a job for you - get creative and do it yourself!

What to do with a tax refund

So, you have a large sum of money in your hand. What should you do with it?

It's that time of year again; tax time. Most people don't have an accurate W-4 on file with their employer so they will get a tax refund. When you get your tax refund this year, you may want to consider saving it. We live in uncertain times and saving is never a bad idea. So, you have a large sum of money in your hand. What should you do with it?

Savings Accounts are offered by most banks. There is usually a small minimum amount to open the account and some will charge a maintenance fee if it drops under a certain amount. These types of banks are typically used as overdraft protection. They tend to have very low interest rates.

Money Market Accounts are also a bank offered account. While MMAs are similar to savings accounts there are differences. They usually have higher minimum balances and a limit on the amount of withdrawals you can make per month. The trade off is that they have higher interest rates and some offer the ability to write checks against your balance.

Certificates of Deposit are offered by your bank. They are in essence you loaning your bank money for a set period of time. In return they will give you a predetermined amount of interest on your money. The downside to certificates of deposit is that the money is considered untouchable. While you can technically withdraw the money, you will take a penalty on the interest earned. If the interest rate is good and you will not need the money, consider using this option.

Roth IRA is a retirement plan. You can open one through many companies. Some companies will have a high deposit requirement. Some companies such as ING do not. Roth IRAs are a good investment tool for your future. You should be aware that there is a maximum amount of money you can contribute to your IRA per year.

A Debt Snowball plan is not strictly speaking a savings tool. The money you pay to get rid of debts however will save you in interest in the long wrong.

Investing should be considered if you already have an emergency account, no or low debt, and have fully funded a retirement program. You can use a program such as Sharebuilder and do it yourself or you can contact a financial advisor for assistance.

By no means is this meant to be an exhaustive list. There are other options such as savings bonds and educational funds. Make sure to do your research before you commit your money anywhere.

Psychology of Foreclosure

Foreclosure; that's right I said it. A lot of people treat it like a dirty little word they whisper behind their hand. With the economy tanking and job losses, foreclosure has become a reality for a lot of Americans.

Foreclosure; that's right I said it. A lot of people treat it like a dirty little word they whisper behind their hand. With the economy tanking and job losses, foreclosure has become a reality for a lot of Americans. Some are people who bought too much house. Others decided to get an interest only mortgage or an adjustable rate mortgage and can no longer afford the payment. For some, medical bills and other emergencies have drained all their resources.

What is foreclosure? Foreclosure is when you are no longer able to make your mortgage payments. The bank will begin proceedings to take the house in lieu of payment. It will mar your credit score for years to come. You could be slapped with a deficiency judgment. This is the difference between what you owe and what the bank is able to sell the property for.

Now there are a lot of people out there who like foreclosure. It provides cheap homes that they can potentially flip. For most though, foreclosure can be a devastating loss. People will hang on to their homes long after they realize it just isn't a feasible option anymore. Why do people do this?

The people who have the easiest time with foreclosure are those who look at it as an investment choice. For some reason, their investment in the building is no longer working out so they cut their losses and move on. For others though, the house is a part of their family. It has tick marks and growth charts on the wall. It has memories.

Before you go through the process of foreclosure, educate yourself. There are a lot of aspects you will need to be familiar with.

Find out how it will impact your credit. Foreclosure will drastically reduce your credit score. That being said, if you are behind on payments for your mortgage or other bills, have collection agencies calling and cars repossessed, your credit is already going to be trashed. You can live without credit.

Find out the tax implications. They sell the house for less than what its worth, then the government could consider this income. Find out what you will need to report on your tax return.

Research what it will mean for any future home ownership. There have been new regulations regarding this topic. It can be several years before you legally could qualify for another mortgage.

Lastly, try every option you have before going through it. Some banks will work with you with loan modification and payment deferment. It's important to communicate with your mortgage holder.

Society has put a stigma on foreclosure. If you foreclose on your house, that means you are a deadbeat loser who won't pay their bills. Society has turned what is in essence a business and financial decision into a black mark against the character of the person themselves. It is important to understand that having a foreclosure is not an indication of your character as a person. Life can happen. Medical bills and emergencies arise. Step back from the emotional aspect and look at the situation from a business perspective. No one wants to foreclose on their house. Sometimes, it is unavoidable.

Credit can be rebuilt. Another home can be bought in the future. There is life after foreclosure.

Personal Finance Websites

Personal Finance is a hot topic these days. The most important part of personal finance is getting good information. You can save all the pennies you have but if you don't know what to do with it then you are in trouble. The most important part is making your money work for you.

Personal Finance is a hot topic these days. People are always interested in their money. There has just been a shift from people wanting to spend it to people wanting to save it. The most important part of personal finance is getting good information. You can save all the pennies you have but if you don't know what to do with it then you are in trouble. The most important part is making your money work for you.

There are a lot of websites, blogs and articles that offer personal finance advice. For every website you read, you can find another that contradicts it. It is important that any advice that you take is given by a credible resource so you aren't taken in by a snake oil salesman. The following are four websites that specialize in personal finance information.

Kiplinger is a publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice. They provide a weekly business periodical for management professionals and the monthly Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. They provide in depth information on investing, family finance, retirement and business information.

Bankrate is the leader in publishing financial rate information. They also offer personal finance columns and articles. You can utilize their many calculators to determine interest rates, amortization calendars, and debt payoffs. They provide in depth information on credit cards, insurance, retirement and loan information.

The Motley Fool is a financial services company that produces a website, book, newspaper column and newsletter. They provide a common sense approach to personal finance. According to their website, "The Motley Fool provides financial solutions for investors of every kind. Our products and services -- whether free or fee-based, online or offline -- are designed to help people take control of their financial lives."

Feed the Pig.org is a website that was designed by the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) and the Advertising Council. They provide tools to get you on the right track to saving. They offer quizzes, tips and other resources to help you achieve your goal. One nice aspect of this website is it helps you identify your savings personality and set up your goals. It will then allow you to sync it to your Facebook profile to stay on track.

Before you make financial decisions make sure to do your research. Find out who the person is who is giving you the information and research the information to see if it is correct.

How to Rebuild Your Credit Using Your 2009 Tax Returns

Rebuilding your credit is not that difficult. It takes time, patience, the right resources, and a good start. As a victim of the bad economy crisis, I too had to start over, and my future is looking brighter than ever. The beginning steps I followed in the rebuilding process is very simple and it works! I’ve been successful and it has been a rewarding experience. Use your 2009 tax return and follow these steps to start rebuilding your credit.

File your 2009 income tax return. Use the money you get back to get a secured prepaid credit card.

Search for a good secured credit card. There are a lot of companies out there. Google, “secured credit cards”, “secured prepaid credit cards”, “secured visa credit cards“, or “secured MasterCard credit cards. You should see Bank of America, Orchard Bank, Capitol Bank, just to name a few. I personally choose First Premier Bank. However, choose the one that works for you and your family, but whatever you choose make sure it will REBUILD YOUR CREDIT!

When you apply for the card of choice, you will be approved and it takes about 2 weeks to get the card in the mail. Whatever the fee is for that card company pay it right away. For example, First Premier Bank gave me a $300.00 limit, and I had a $179.00 fee to pay, and I paid it immediately with online bill pay at my bank.

Now after you pay the fee, not before, then you start using your card. Now here is the trick to really rebuilding your credit. DO NOT use the card unless you have the money to pay it off the next day! Why you ask? It’s simple, if I have $70.00 in my bank account and I need gas, I use my prepaid card and when I get home I go online and send the gas money from my bank account to the card company. All you did was use the money you already have AND you don’t have to worry about the interest rate, or finance charge. If you pay your card balance off within 2 weeks, you don’t have to pay the interest. Even though you have 30 days to pay a minimum balance of $15.00 to $25.00, you don’t want to ever do that, because they will tack on the interest. Also, never charge over 50% of your credit limit, example, if your credit limit is $300 never charge over $150.00, NEVER!

The above step is the most important step and it will get you on your way to your second credit card. Do the same with that card and when you check your credit report watch and see your score go up. This process takes about 6 months, but it is worth it. You can then start using those credit cards to pay on hospital bills, student loans, or whatever you are behind in. But remember, don’t use the card unless you know you will have the money within 2 weeks to pay off the balance. Paying off the balance will save you the finance charge, you just pay dollar for dollar, and that is a win, win, win, for YOU!

What Is A Sole Proprietorship, And What Are its Advantages And Disadvantages?

The sole proprietorship is the simplest and oldest form of business structure.  It’s also the most prevalent form because it is easy to create, transfer ownership, or dissolve.  Registration requirements depend upon the state that it is located in.  The owner can also choose a fictitious name, which allows him to open business accounts at banks in that name.

 Identity

The identity of a sole proprietorship and the business owner are one and the same which allows some definite advantages over more complex structures.  The operation of the business is centralized around, and controlled by the owner himself.  This makes the decision making process simpler with less need for discussions. 

Taxation

Profits from the company’s activities go directly to the owner, and are taxed on his own personal tax returns.  The revenues are taxed at the owners own personal tax rate.  This is a definite advantage compared to the double taxation that corporate profits receive.  A corporate tax is applied to business profits, and then dividends are taxed as income on the personal tax returns of shareholders.  You don’t have to be a C.P.A. to see the tax advantage to the difference between the two.

Unlimited Liability

There also disadvantages to having a single owner.  The most well known is unlimited liability for the debts of the business.  All of the debt that a business incurs from its activities is the sole responsibility of the owner.  This means that all of his/her personal resources are at risk for paying off creditors if necessary.

 Financing

Raising funds for the business needs of a sole proprietorship can also be difficult, as the credit rating of the business is the same as the owner’s own.  A personal bankruptcy on an owner’s credit record can make debt financing for the business particularly difficult.  Quite often an owner must use his or her own personal assets, which includes consumer loans.

Upward Mobility

Attracting qualified employees can also be difficult.  Employment with upward mobility might involve becoming a partner, which both parties might be reluctant to accept, especially since it would mean changing the legal structure of the business itself to that of a partnership.

 Business Risks

As a company grows, so do the business risks.  These risks can be reduced by spreading them out among more than one owner in the form of a partnership.  They can also be limited completely to the company and not the owners at all by forming a corporation.   Some sole proprietors do find other ways to deal with the higher risks due to growth, and their companies can become quite large.

A sole proprietorship is a good way to begin a business due to its ease of formation with many other definite advantages that make it appealing to many, including the administratively challenged.  Those that prosper and experience significant growth are offered other options to deal with these problems, which make for some interesting legal and accounting differences for those who appreciate those things.

How to Save Your Money up and How to Save Money and Be Frugal

Step
1
Adopt a simpler hairstyle that doesn't require frequent trimming in order to look good. Getting your hair trimmed every three to four months instead of every month could save you $250 to $600 or more a year. Getting less frequent perms can double that savings.

Step
2
Don't waste big bucks on a wide assortment of cleaning supplies. Baking
soda and vinegar can do almost any cleaning job just as well as the expensive store-bought cleaners, for a fraction of the cost.

Step
3
Just because you have a car at school doesn't mean you have to use it
everywhere you go. Walk or bike whenever possible. You'll feel more energetic, stay fitter, and save money on gas, parking, and wear and tear on your car. Save the car for longer trips, grocery shopping, or bad weather.
Step
4
The rule is simple on making money and saving money. Do it now, do it now. Don't make more liabilities for yourself
How to Save Money and Be Frugal
Step
1
Learn to wield a needle and thread well enough to sew on a button, hem a pair of pants, or fix a small tear. Otherwise you'll waste money buying new clothes you don't really need just because of a minor problem like a loose button.

Step
2
Limit your online shopping. When you make a purchase online, record it
in your check register or on a log of credit card purchases so you can keep track of how much you've spent that month. Online purchases can become
addictive because you don't feel like you're spending real money, and they can add up very quickly. Keeping a list provides a reality check.

Step
3
Use your computer to make greeting cards. Most computers come with
free programs that can be used to make all sorts of cards, or you can buy greeting card software (a onetime purchase), or use clip-art or original photos and create your own images for the cards. You'll have fun, receive compliments on your creativity, and save $2.00 to $4.00 per card.

How to Save Money Personally and How to Save Money Every time

Step 1
If you have access to a hose, wash your car yourself instead of going to a
car wash. If you don't have access to a hose, use a doit-yourself car wash instead of the full-service type.

Step 2
If you really can't stomach tap water, buy spring water by the gallon and
pour it into a smaller bottle. If you drink one 16 ounce container of bottled water a day, you could save 25 percent, or $25 a month or more.

Step 3
Don't buy books that you're going to read for pleasure. Use the library,
swap with friends, or go to used book sales or yard sales. People are always trying to get rid of perfectly good books. Limit purchases to books you want to keep for reference, like a good dictionary and thesaurus.

Step 4
Don't let down your guard when it comes to controlling your spending
just because you're flush with cash from your summer job. Continue to practice the same control you've practiced during the school year and save as much of your earnings as possible. Every dollar saved is a dollar less you have to borrow with interest.

How to Save Money Every time
Step 1
If you're a camera hound, get a digital camera and upload your favorite
photos to an online service like http://www.ofoto.com for printing. Not only will you save the cost of film at $4.00 or more per roll, you won't keep paying for photos that don't come out well.

Step 2
Buy school supplies like paper, pencils, and pens at an odd-lot store like
Big Lots. They buy leftover items at a steep discount and pass the savings on to you. Why pay full price for the same product?

Step 3
Crime has become big business on college campuses because today's students bring so many valuables to school with them: computers (many of them fully portable and easy to steal), DVD and CD players, electronic games, Palm Pilots, and other gadgets. Keep track of your stuff, keep your dorm room or apartment locked, and keep valuables out of sight.

Step 4
Do it now.