Thursday, August 23, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
What is a Light Bulk Wholesaler
What is a Light Bulk Wholesaler
by: Troy Breitmeyer
The term "light bulk Wholesaler" is turning up around the internet quite often these days, and turning some ears. I would like to take a moment to explain to you just what a light bulk wholesaler really is, and how they could really help you to expand your profit margin if you sell on ebay, or at your own online store.
A light Bulk Wholesaler will sell you, you the small business owner, products in bulk (by the case or pallet), in orders of less then 500 dollars for you store in your garage, storage unit, or wherever you choose to store them. Unlike using drop shippers, and just forewarding the order on to your supplier, buying from light bulk wholesalers will require you to have to deal with shipping, handling, storage space and the usuall things that any small home based business would have to deal with.
However, if you can find the room for storage, using light bulk wholesalers can be very profitable for you, because you will make more in profits, as many times you can get products this way for a very low price. (The same prices that major retailers pay for the products.)
When you by your products in bulk quantities, the wholesale supplier can offer you these products at the very lowest (wholesale) price available, allowing you , the Small Business Owner, the chance and the ability to compete and succeed in price drivin markets (like eBay.) In fact, most major retailers do business this way.(Buying products in bulk.) The bulk wholesaler will sell you, the retailer, a few, or several cases of their product(s) at a time to fufill your ordering requirements, and ship them to you. You store these products in your home, or if you are a brick and mortar retailer, you shelve these items. You get these products at wholesale prices, and in most cases, the larger the "bulk" the lower the wholesale pricing is for the products. You then ship or sell these items to your customer and you keep the difference that you paid at wholesale, and sold at retail.
A light bulk wholesaler will:
1) Sell New, Name brand Factory-Warranted products to you, the Home Based Business owner, at Wholesale Prices.
2) Accept minimum orders under $500.
3) Provide a way for you to compete in price drivin markets like eBay.
Using light bulk wholesalers can be very profitable, if you have the storage, and dont mind dealing with shipping.
by: Troy Breitmeyer
The term "light bulk Wholesaler" is turning up around the internet quite often these days, and turning some ears. I would like to take a moment to explain to you just what a light bulk wholesaler really is, and how they could really help you to expand your profit margin if you sell on ebay, or at your own online store.
A light Bulk Wholesaler will sell you, you the small business owner, products in bulk (by the case or pallet), in orders of less then 500 dollars for you store in your garage, storage unit, or wherever you choose to store them. Unlike using drop shippers, and just forewarding the order on to your supplier, buying from light bulk wholesalers will require you to have to deal with shipping, handling, storage space and the usuall things that any small home based business would have to deal with.
However, if you can find the room for storage, using light bulk wholesalers can be very profitable for you, because you will make more in profits, as many times you can get products this way for a very low price. (The same prices that major retailers pay for the products.)
When you by your products in bulk quantities, the wholesale supplier can offer you these products at the very lowest (wholesale) price available, allowing you , the Small Business Owner, the chance and the ability to compete and succeed in price drivin markets (like eBay.) In fact, most major retailers do business this way.(Buying products in bulk.) The bulk wholesaler will sell you, the retailer, a few, or several cases of their product(s) at a time to fufill your ordering requirements, and ship them to you. You store these products in your home, or if you are a brick and mortar retailer, you shelve these items. You get these products at wholesale prices, and in most cases, the larger the "bulk" the lower the wholesale pricing is for the products. You then ship or sell these items to your customer and you keep the difference that you paid at wholesale, and sold at retail.
A light bulk wholesaler will:
1) Sell New, Name brand Factory-Warranted products to you, the Home Based Business owner, at Wholesale Prices.
2) Accept minimum orders under $500.
3) Provide a way for you to compete in price drivin markets like eBay.
Using light bulk wholesalers can be very profitable, if you have the storage, and dont mind dealing with shipping.
Regain Control Over Your Life Once Again Through Debt Consolidation Refinance
Regain Control Over Your Life Once Again Through Debt Consolidation Refinance
by: Talbert Williams
Debt consolidation refinance is a simple way to regain your financial footing by refinancing your debt load.
By using a debt consolidation refinance plan, the equity you built up in your home can be used to pay off personal loan and credit card debts, among other things; however, you must not forget that borrowing for debt consolidation is actually adding another debt to the previous debt load.
On the other hand, taking a debt consolidation refinance loan will just mean using your own money from your built-up home equity to pay off your existing creditors.
How will refinance help to consolidate my debt?
Debt consolidation refinance will help you break free from debt you may have accumulated through poor money management or a chain of unfortunate events and bad financial habits.
It can help you get rid of the feeling that you are working only to pay your bills with no life at present. You can address the issue of increasing debt and regain control of your money, rather then being controlled by your debt.
It can set you back on the solid ground of fiscal responsibility that will help you sleep better at night and make life good once again.
How should I begin?
You can begin by doing a little research on programs and companies that can get you out of debt. Debt consolidation refinance companies may be loan companies, banks, or mortgage companies. The programs they offer vary from state to state and region to region.
Doing your research up-front and planning your best move is crucial to your debt reduction strategy. Check the interest rates and payoff amounts and decide what will work best for you. Also consider the monthly payments and closing cost.
Your next step is committing to a debt consolidation refinance plan. Slowly you can begin to reap the benefits.
If you carefully step into a debt consolidation refinance and plan every step, it will work for you. This can be your first step back into fiscal solvency.
Debt consolidation refinance is a simple way to regain your financial footing by refinancing your debt load.
By using a debt consolidation refinance plan, the equity you built up in your home can be used to pay off personal loan and credit card debts, among other things; however, you must not forget that borrowing for debt consolidation is actually adding another debt to the previous debt load.
On the other hand, taking a debt consolidation refinance loan will just mean using your own money from your built-up home equity to pay off your existing creditors.
How will refinance help to consolidate my debt?
Debt consolidation refinance will help you break free from debt you may have accumulated through poor money management or a chain of unfortunate events and bad financial habits.
It can help you get rid of the feeling that you are working only to pay your bills with no life at present. You can address the issue of increasing debt and regain control of your money, rather then being controlled by your debt.
It can set you back on the solid ground of fiscal responsibility that will help you sleep better at night and make life good once again.
How should I begin?
You can begin by doing a little research on programs and companies that can get you out of debt. Debt consolidation refinance companies may be loan companies, banks, or mortgage companies. The programs they offer vary from state to state and region to region.
Doing your research up-front and planning your best move is crucial to your debt reduction strategy. Check the interest rates and payoff amounts and decide what will work best for you. Also consider the monthly payments and closing cost.
Your next step is committing to a debt consolidation refinance plan. Slowly you can begin to reap the benefits.
If you carefully step into a debt consolidation refinance and plan every step, it will work for you. This can be your first step back into fiscal solvency.
Talbert Williams 2001-2006 All Rights Reserved
by: Talbert Williams
Debt consolidation refinance is a simple way to regain your financial footing by refinancing your debt load.
By using a debt consolidation refinance plan, the equity you built up in your home can be used to pay off personal loan and credit card debts, among other things; however, you must not forget that borrowing for debt consolidation is actually adding another debt to the previous debt load.
On the other hand, taking a debt consolidation refinance loan will just mean using your own money from your built-up home equity to pay off your existing creditors.
How will refinance help to consolidate my debt?
Debt consolidation refinance will help you break free from debt you may have accumulated through poor money management or a chain of unfortunate events and bad financial habits.
It can help you get rid of the feeling that you are working only to pay your bills with no life at present. You can address the issue of increasing debt and regain control of your money, rather then being controlled by your debt.
It can set you back on the solid ground of fiscal responsibility that will help you sleep better at night and make life good once again.
How should I begin?
You can begin by doing a little research on programs and companies that can get you out of debt. Debt consolidation refinance companies may be loan companies, banks, or mortgage companies. The programs they offer vary from state to state and region to region.
Doing your research up-front and planning your best move is crucial to your debt reduction strategy. Check the interest rates and payoff amounts and decide what will work best for you. Also consider the monthly payments and closing cost.
Your next step is committing to a debt consolidation refinance plan. Slowly you can begin to reap the benefits.
If you carefully step into a debt consolidation refinance and plan every step, it will work for you. This can be your first step back into fiscal solvency.
Debt consolidation refinance is a simple way to regain your financial footing by refinancing your debt load.
By using a debt consolidation refinance plan, the equity you built up in your home can be used to pay off personal loan and credit card debts, among other things; however, you must not forget that borrowing for debt consolidation is actually adding another debt to the previous debt load.
On the other hand, taking a debt consolidation refinance loan will just mean using your own money from your built-up home equity to pay off your existing creditors.
How will refinance help to consolidate my debt?
Debt consolidation refinance will help you break free from debt you may have accumulated through poor money management or a chain of unfortunate events and bad financial habits.
It can help you get rid of the feeling that you are working only to pay your bills with no life at present. You can address the issue of increasing debt and regain control of your money, rather then being controlled by your debt.
It can set you back on the solid ground of fiscal responsibility that will help you sleep better at night and make life good once again.
How should I begin?
You can begin by doing a little research on programs and companies that can get you out of debt. Debt consolidation refinance companies may be loan companies, banks, or mortgage companies. The programs they offer vary from state to state and region to region.
Doing your research up-front and planning your best move is crucial to your debt reduction strategy. Check the interest rates and payoff amounts and decide what will work best for you. Also consider the monthly payments and closing cost.
Your next step is committing to a debt consolidation refinance plan. Slowly you can begin to reap the benefits.
If you carefully step into a debt consolidation refinance and plan every step, it will work for you. This can be your first step back into fiscal solvency.
Talbert Williams 2001-2006 All Rights Reserved
Are You Taking Care of Business?
Are You Taking Care of Business?
by: Patty Gale
Too often, when we say we are "taking care of business", we think about the paperwork, the accounting, the inventory, etc... the trivial things that are important to get done in order for our business to run smoothly and efficiently. While necessary, they are not the most important.
We need to change our thinking about what "taking care of business" means. We need to make sales in order to have a profitable business, and we know without our customers or consultants, we don't have a business. They are our lifeblood, they are what keeps us moving forward, and meeting their needs should be our primary mission.
Without consultants or customers, there are no sales. Without sales, there is no revenue... without revenue, there is no business and we might as well go back and get a j.o.b. It is crucial that we take care of our customers and consultants. CRM (customer-relationship management) is a buzz-word in "big business". Many large corporations have implemented systems and technology to supposedly create customer care. Some have been successful, many have not.
Most of these systems simply give the illusion of customer care, but have failed miserably in actually providing it.
How many times have you been through the "round robin" of "press 1 for this" and "press 2 for that", only to spend an hour or more and never actually speak to a live person or get your problem solved? You hang up in the phone in frustration and vow never to spend money with XYZ Company again. This approach to customer care continues to baffle me as to why large companies believe this is effective. How can they possibly think that customer relationships can be created and nurtured by a recording?
Are those who make these decisions that far removed up the "corporate ladder" they can't see this isn't customer care at all and having the opposite effect?
Each and every one of our customers and consultants should be made to feel like they are our most important one. If we don't take care of them, someone or some other company will. Small and home businesses have an incredible opportunity to take back customer care and relationships the way it is supposed to be. We are in an incredible position to "take care of business".
Technology is wonderful. Without technology, there would be no internet and many of us would not be in business. However, there is no technology on this earth that can replace human connections. Technology will never replace our customers knowing that there is someone who truly cares about their needs.
So, how about you? Are you taking care of business?
by: Patty Gale
Too often, when we say we are "taking care of business", we think about the paperwork, the accounting, the inventory, etc... the trivial things that are important to get done in order for our business to run smoothly and efficiently. While necessary, they are not the most important.
We need to change our thinking about what "taking care of business" means. We need to make sales in order to have a profitable business, and we know without our customers or consultants, we don't have a business. They are our lifeblood, they are what keeps us moving forward, and meeting their needs should be our primary mission.
Without consultants or customers, there are no sales. Without sales, there is no revenue... without revenue, there is no business and we might as well go back and get a j.o.b. It is crucial that we take care of our customers and consultants. CRM (customer-relationship management) is a buzz-word in "big business". Many large corporations have implemented systems and technology to supposedly create customer care. Some have been successful, many have not.
Most of these systems simply give the illusion of customer care, but have failed miserably in actually providing it.
How many times have you been through the "round robin" of "press 1 for this" and "press 2 for that", only to spend an hour or more and never actually speak to a live person or get your problem solved? You hang up in the phone in frustration and vow never to spend money with XYZ Company again. This approach to customer care continues to baffle me as to why large companies believe this is effective. How can they possibly think that customer relationships can be created and nurtured by a recording?
Are those who make these decisions that far removed up the "corporate ladder" they can't see this isn't customer care at all and having the opposite effect?
Each and every one of our customers and consultants should be made to feel like they are our most important one. If we don't take care of them, someone or some other company will. Small and home businesses have an incredible opportunity to take back customer care and relationships the way it is supposed to be. We are in an incredible position to "take care of business".
Technology is wonderful. Without technology, there would be no internet and many of us would not be in business. However, there is no technology on this earth that can replace human connections. Technology will never replace our customers knowing that there is someone who truly cares about their needs.
So, how about you? Are you taking care of business?
Fixed or Varialbe Rate Mortgage?
Fixed or Varialbe Rate Mortgage?
by: Morgan James
So you’re planning to buy a house. You might even have a home in mind. Unless you are independently wealthy, odds are that you will have to get a mortgage. You will want to choose a mortgage that is best for you and that suits your needs. The first step in this process is finding a bank that is offering you the best rates, and a banker that you can trust. Once you have done this, you will want to consider the different types of mortgages. The two most common types of mortgages are fixed and variable rate.
A fixed mortgage means that you buy into a mortgage at one rate (often the current market mortgage rate, which can be about 1% below the prime rate) and you will pay that rate until you have either paid back your mortgage, or have decided to move. Any move with a mortgage means that you will have to renegotiate and refinance.
A variable rate mortgage is one that changes with the interest rates as they fluctuate. However, you generally agree to one monthly payment. Say, for instance, that you agree to a monthly payment of $1000. Perhaps $700 of that is going to pay the capital investment (the initial money that you owe) and $300 is going to pay the interest. If the interest rates rise, you will still pay $1000 each month, but only $600 will go to cover your capital, and $400 covers the interest. This means that it will take you a longer time to pay back your mortgage if the interest rates rise. Conversely, if you have a variable rate mortgage and the interest rates fall, you can shorten the time it will take you to pay back your rates. Of your monthly $1000, you could end up paying $800 to the capital and $200 to the interest.
The difficulty with variable mortgage rates is that nobody can predict how interest will move. In the early 2000s, mortgage rates hit an all-time low. This meant that if you had chosen a variable rate mortgage in the 1990s, you would have done very well and paid your house off quicker than if you had chosen a fixed rate mortgage. However, if you chose a variable rate mortgage in 2002, your interest rates have been steadily going up, and you are possibly looking at the long-term financial forecast with horror. You can refinance your loans to fix yourself into a lower rate. Ask your bank what the penalties for refinancing are, and discuss your options with a banker.
A fixed rate mortgage offers home buyers the comfort of knowing exactly when they will be able to pay off their mortgage. Some home buyers would prefer to avoid the stress of having to watch the interest rates to pay off their home.
One type of variable rate mortgage is an adjustable rate mortgage. This might mean that your mortgage rate is calculated every year, or every six months. Your payment plan might even hinge on the interest rates. In this case, this means that if you have an adjustable rate mortgage and the interest rates rise, your payments might rise as well. Talk to your banker to see if the interest rates will affect your monthly payments.
Interest rates have been slowly but steadily increasing over 2004, 2005, and 2006. There has been a slight increase in the number of houses that go into default recently as well. Financial analysts agree that this trend is only going to continue for the coming years, which means that more and more people might find it harder to pay off their mortgages. Consider your financial situation and your future prospects. Be sure to choose the mortgage that works best for you, both in the short term and the long term. With a little research and planning, you will be able to make informed financial decisions that will benefit you and possibly save you thousands of dollars.
by: Morgan James
So you’re planning to buy a house. You might even have a home in mind. Unless you are independently wealthy, odds are that you will have to get a mortgage. You will want to choose a mortgage that is best for you and that suits your needs. The first step in this process is finding a bank that is offering you the best rates, and a banker that you can trust. Once you have done this, you will want to consider the different types of mortgages. The two most common types of mortgages are fixed and variable rate.
A fixed mortgage means that you buy into a mortgage at one rate (often the current market mortgage rate, which can be about 1% below the prime rate) and you will pay that rate until you have either paid back your mortgage, or have decided to move. Any move with a mortgage means that you will have to renegotiate and refinance.
A variable rate mortgage is one that changes with the interest rates as they fluctuate. However, you generally agree to one monthly payment. Say, for instance, that you agree to a monthly payment of $1000. Perhaps $700 of that is going to pay the capital investment (the initial money that you owe) and $300 is going to pay the interest. If the interest rates rise, you will still pay $1000 each month, but only $600 will go to cover your capital, and $400 covers the interest. This means that it will take you a longer time to pay back your mortgage if the interest rates rise. Conversely, if you have a variable rate mortgage and the interest rates fall, you can shorten the time it will take you to pay back your rates. Of your monthly $1000, you could end up paying $800 to the capital and $200 to the interest.
The difficulty with variable mortgage rates is that nobody can predict how interest will move. In the early 2000s, mortgage rates hit an all-time low. This meant that if you had chosen a variable rate mortgage in the 1990s, you would have done very well and paid your house off quicker than if you had chosen a fixed rate mortgage. However, if you chose a variable rate mortgage in 2002, your interest rates have been steadily going up, and you are possibly looking at the long-term financial forecast with horror. You can refinance your loans to fix yourself into a lower rate. Ask your bank what the penalties for refinancing are, and discuss your options with a banker.
A fixed rate mortgage offers home buyers the comfort of knowing exactly when they will be able to pay off their mortgage. Some home buyers would prefer to avoid the stress of having to watch the interest rates to pay off their home.
One type of variable rate mortgage is an adjustable rate mortgage. This might mean that your mortgage rate is calculated every year, or every six months. Your payment plan might even hinge on the interest rates. In this case, this means that if you have an adjustable rate mortgage and the interest rates rise, your payments might rise as well. Talk to your banker to see if the interest rates will affect your monthly payments.
Interest rates have been slowly but steadily increasing over 2004, 2005, and 2006. There has been a slight increase in the number of houses that go into default recently as well. Financial analysts agree that this trend is only going to continue for the coming years, which means that more and more people might find it harder to pay off their mortgages. Consider your financial situation and your future prospects. Be sure to choose the mortgage that works best for you, both in the short term and the long term. With a little research and planning, you will be able to make informed financial decisions that will benefit you and possibly save you thousands of dollars.
Why Small Business Must Turn to PR
Why Small Business Must Turn to PR
by: Robert A. Kelly
Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Net word count is 670 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2003.
Why Small Business Must Turn to PR
If small business had no important outside audiences, it wouldn’t exist.
But since they do have external “publics,” it’s doubly unfortunate when those same small business owners seem unconcerned about the very outside folks whose behaviors can place a choke-hold on their business!
And worse, are so casual about public relations, the best way to move those behaviors in their direction.
Is that you? What’s the problem? Can you think of any other way to marshall those groups of people you need so badly if your business is to succeed?
Face it. You must turn to public relations if you are really serious about getting those important outside people to support what you are trying to do.
And the best part is, there’s no mystery about how to do it!
Start today by listing your important outside audiences in priority order. No doubt, customers and prospects will place #1 and #2. But think carefully about your local and trade media as well as community residents and leaders, suppliers and the like. The test for adding an external audience to your worry list is this: if left unattended, could its perceptions and behaviors hurt your business?
Since there is no other affordable way to find out how each of your target audiences perceive your business, products, services and operations, you must take the time to do it yourself along with your colleagues. Interact with members of that key target audience and probe their perceptions with plenty of questions. Watch for misconceptions, inaccuracies and rumors that need to be corrected. Stay alert to negativity of any kind.
This will let you decide how much you will try to alter perceptions among each audience. It also becomes the behavior modification goal against which you will measure your progress.
Now it’s message time. What will you say to members of your target audience to alter that negative perception that surfaced during your conversations with them? Your message must be persuasive, so stick with the facts and present them clearly. By identifying honestly what is really at issue at the moment, you impart a sense of credibility to your comments, and their timeliness adds a compelling dimension to your message.
What’s the best way to get that message to the eyes and ears of members of your target audience?
Here, you have an embarrassment of riches with dozens of communications tactics including news announcements, op-eds, letters-to-the-editor, speeches, community briefings, broadcast and newspaper interviews and many, many others.
Progress can best be tracked by interacting all over again with members of the target audience. While you’ll ask questions similar to those you asked in your earlier monitoring sessions, this time you’re looking for signs that your message got through. In other words, signs that your message succeeded in altering any negative perceptions of your business.
You should also monitor print and broadcast media, key customers and prospects for similar indications of success.
Should progress not be fast enough for you, you’ll want to consider increasing the number of communications tactics you employ as well as the frequency of their use. Your message should also be re-evaluated for its factual basis and clarity.
Gradually, your monitoring will playback perception changes among that target audience, and that means the behaviors you seek will not be far behind.
It is this kind of success that tells us very clearly why small business must turn to PR if it is to realize its potential.
end
by: Robert A. Kelly
Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Net word count is 670 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2003.
Why Small Business Must Turn to PR
If small business had no important outside audiences, it wouldn’t exist.
But since they do have external “publics,” it’s doubly unfortunate when those same small business owners seem unconcerned about the very outside folks whose behaviors can place a choke-hold on their business!
And worse, are so casual about public relations, the best way to move those behaviors in their direction.
Is that you? What’s the problem? Can you think of any other way to marshall those groups of people you need so badly if your business is to succeed?
Face it. You must turn to public relations if you are really serious about getting those important outside people to support what you are trying to do.
And the best part is, there’s no mystery about how to do it!
Start today by listing your important outside audiences in priority order. No doubt, customers and prospects will place #1 and #2. But think carefully about your local and trade media as well as community residents and leaders, suppliers and the like. The test for adding an external audience to your worry list is this: if left unattended, could its perceptions and behaviors hurt your business?
Since there is no other affordable way to find out how each of your target audiences perceive your business, products, services and operations, you must take the time to do it yourself along with your colleagues. Interact with members of that key target audience and probe their perceptions with plenty of questions. Watch for misconceptions, inaccuracies and rumors that need to be corrected. Stay alert to negativity of any kind.
This will let you decide how much you will try to alter perceptions among each audience. It also becomes the behavior modification goal against which you will measure your progress.
Now it’s message time. What will you say to members of your target audience to alter that negative perception that surfaced during your conversations with them? Your message must be persuasive, so stick with the facts and present them clearly. By identifying honestly what is really at issue at the moment, you impart a sense of credibility to your comments, and their timeliness adds a compelling dimension to your message.
What’s the best way to get that message to the eyes and ears of members of your target audience?
Here, you have an embarrassment of riches with dozens of communications tactics including news announcements, op-eds, letters-to-the-editor, speeches, community briefings, broadcast and newspaper interviews and many, many others.
Progress can best be tracked by interacting all over again with members of the target audience. While you’ll ask questions similar to those you asked in your earlier monitoring sessions, this time you’re looking for signs that your message got through. In other words, signs that your message succeeded in altering any negative perceptions of your business.
You should also monitor print and broadcast media, key customers and prospects for similar indications of success.
Should progress not be fast enough for you, you’ll want to consider increasing the number of communications tactics you employ as well as the frequency of their use. Your message should also be re-evaluated for its factual basis and clarity.
Gradually, your monitoring will playback perception changes among that target audience, and that means the behaviors you seek will not be far behind.
It is this kind of success that tells us very clearly why small business must turn to PR if it is to realize its potential.
end
How to Make the Most of an At Home Money Making Business Opportunity
How to Make the Most of an At Home Money Making Business Opportunity
by: Adrian Austin
An at home money making business opportunity can be a great way to stay home and earn money. However, as with any opportunity, you should ask questions. First, examine the product the opportunity sells. Would most people want it? Would you want it? Your liking the product will translate to others liking it too.
Second, what will the at home money making opportunity cost? Will it cost to join or market? Will you have to buy equipment? How will you be paid? How long does it take before you make a profit? Be wary if the company makes unrealistic promises such as earning lots of money at once. Look at what you will be spending versus what you are earning.
Third, how much training will you need for the at home money making business opportunity? The company you're affiliated with should show you how to advertise. Work with others to learn about your product and the best ways to sell it.
Fourth, find mentors who have successfully sold your product. You can find out what worked for them and what didn't. An online forum with people experienced with your business can help you be successful. Find out how much money can be made.
Fifth, look before you leap. If you're unsure about something, make sure you resolve your doubts with the company. Research the business before getting into it. Some businesses will let you have a free trial period before you have to sign up with them. While you should be cautious, you should also give yourself some time before you quit. Try to get the most out of your time and money.
Sixth, make sure you have all your legal matters in order before starting the business. An at home money making business opportunity regardless of how many people are involved can be subject to the same regulations and laws as traditional businesses. Contact the relevant local government agency. They will give you free information on licenses and fees. You can call them if you need zoning permits. An accountant may be helpful in telling you how to meet the requirements for a work at home business. They can also answer questions about taxes and forms needed for certain kinds of businesses. Your local business chamber of commerce may be able to answer questions about home businesses.
Seventh, prevent your home life from interfering with your business. Have a specific space created for an office. Make a schedule and stick to it. Consider getting another phone line or post office box for business communications. Talk to the people you live with about how you need their support and help in making your home business great. With preparation and effort, your home business can be a winner.
by: Adrian Austin
An at home money making business opportunity can be a great way to stay home and earn money. However, as with any opportunity, you should ask questions. First, examine the product the opportunity sells. Would most people want it? Would you want it? Your liking the product will translate to others liking it too.
Second, what will the at home money making opportunity cost? Will it cost to join or market? Will you have to buy equipment? How will you be paid? How long does it take before you make a profit? Be wary if the company makes unrealistic promises such as earning lots of money at once. Look at what you will be spending versus what you are earning.
Third, how much training will you need for the at home money making business opportunity? The company you're affiliated with should show you how to advertise. Work with others to learn about your product and the best ways to sell it.
Fourth, find mentors who have successfully sold your product. You can find out what worked for them and what didn't. An online forum with people experienced with your business can help you be successful. Find out how much money can be made.
Fifth, look before you leap. If you're unsure about something, make sure you resolve your doubts with the company. Research the business before getting into it. Some businesses will let you have a free trial period before you have to sign up with them. While you should be cautious, you should also give yourself some time before you quit. Try to get the most out of your time and money.
Sixth, make sure you have all your legal matters in order before starting the business. An at home money making business opportunity regardless of how many people are involved can be subject to the same regulations and laws as traditional businesses. Contact the relevant local government agency. They will give you free information on licenses and fees. You can call them if you need zoning permits. An accountant may be helpful in telling you how to meet the requirements for a work at home business. They can also answer questions about taxes and forms needed for certain kinds of businesses. Your local business chamber of commerce may be able to answer questions about home businesses.
Seventh, prevent your home life from interfering with your business. Have a specific space created for an office. Make a schedule and stick to it. Consider getting another phone line or post office box for business communications. Talk to the people you live with about how you need their support and help in making your home business great. With preparation and effort, your home business can be a winner.
Credit After Bankruptcy - What To Expect
Credit After Bankruptcy - What To Expect
by: Carrie Reeder
If you have recently filed bankruptcy, it won't be long before you are starting to ask yourself, "Ok, now, what do I do when I need a loan? Where do I got to get approved? Can I get approved?" Here are some overall basics about getting any kind of credit after a bankruptcy.
2-3 Years after bankruptcy discharge is the magic number - Once you have filed bankruptcy, even the next day you can still get a car loan and possibly a mortgage loan. But, getting an unsecured loan like a credit card or a personal is usually out of the question until you have some collateral or until 2-3 years have passed.
Most lenders will not approve any loan, auto or home loan included, until 2-3 years has passed from the discharge of the bankruptcy. This is just a basic rule of thumb for most lenders. If you are seeking a loan sooner than the 2-3 year mark, you will need to apply with a subprime lender (a lender who specializes in loans for people with bad credit). Even with a subprime lender, you may still need to have a down payment in order to get approved for the loan.
Credit Cards and Unsecured Debt Will Be Very Difficult to Obtain - The best way to combat this factor is to start rebuilding your credit. Apply for a credit card with a store that uses in house financing. This means that the same company that sells you the merchandise also finances it for you. These places are usually fairly easy to get approved with. They will usually start you out with a small credit limit like a $3-500 limit. If you make all of your payments on time, they will usually bump your credit limit up about every 6 months.
There are some credit card companies that will charge you a high processing fee, from $30-$200 or more just to have a $300-$400 credit limit. Maybe get just one of these card and make on time payments with this card too. After a while this company will start raising your credit limit as well. After a year or so of on time payments, you should see your credit score going up and you might be able to qualify for a small unsecured loan.
A bankruptcy can stay on your credit report for 7-10 years. However, after 3-4 years, you may start seeing your credit options open up quite a bit, almost as if you had not filed bankruptcy before. It depends, though, on if you make your other monthly payments on time, from the time your bankruptcy is discharged.
by: Carrie Reeder
If you have recently filed bankruptcy, it won't be long before you are starting to ask yourself, "Ok, now, what do I do when I need a loan? Where do I got to get approved? Can I get approved?" Here are some overall basics about getting any kind of credit after a bankruptcy.
2-3 Years after bankruptcy discharge is the magic number - Once you have filed bankruptcy, even the next day you can still get a car loan and possibly a mortgage loan. But, getting an unsecured loan like a credit card or a personal is usually out of the question until you have some collateral or until 2-3 years have passed.
Most lenders will not approve any loan, auto or home loan included, until 2-3 years has passed from the discharge of the bankruptcy. This is just a basic rule of thumb for most lenders. If you are seeking a loan sooner than the 2-3 year mark, you will need to apply with a subprime lender (a lender who specializes in loans for people with bad credit). Even with a subprime lender, you may still need to have a down payment in order to get approved for the loan.
Credit Cards and Unsecured Debt Will Be Very Difficult to Obtain - The best way to combat this factor is to start rebuilding your credit. Apply for a credit card with a store that uses in house financing. This means that the same company that sells you the merchandise also finances it for you. These places are usually fairly easy to get approved with. They will usually start you out with a small credit limit like a $3-500 limit. If you make all of your payments on time, they will usually bump your credit limit up about every 6 months.
There are some credit card companies that will charge you a high processing fee, from $30-$200 or more just to have a $300-$400 credit limit. Maybe get just one of these card and make on time payments with this card too. After a while this company will start raising your credit limit as well. After a year or so of on time payments, you should see your credit score going up and you might be able to qualify for a small unsecured loan.
A bankruptcy can stay on your credit report for 7-10 years. However, after 3-4 years, you may start seeing your credit options open up quite a bit, almost as if you had not filed bankruptcy before. It depends, though, on if you make your other monthly payments on time, from the time your bankruptcy is discharged.
Grants, Loans, "Free" Credit Cards And Credit Repair: The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth
Grants, Loans, "Free" Credit Cards And Credit Repair: The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth
by: Andre Vas
You got creditors calling you everyday. You could lose the car or house. Your teetering on the edge financial ruin - then you see an ad that may safe your butt! Typical headlines say something like "Millionaire reveals Hidden Cash Sources, or help for people in debt up to their eyeballs!"
HOW DESPERATE ARE YOU? IF YOU'RE IN TROUBLE, GET HELP. PROFESSIONAL LEGAL HELP!
It's available free or on a sliding scale based on your ability to pay from any number of agencies that can, and will REALLY HELP YOU! No, they won't give you money just for asking. Neither will anyone else.
Many ads will try to make you think that there's little known secret funds that only the rich know how to get their greedy hands on. How millionaires are ripping-off the system. Getting money that was set aside for people just like you! Are you getting mad? That's the idea. Now it's time to get your share. What, you don't know how? Send in for a "secret program" and collect your rightful share of free loot. It's easy, legal, anyone can get the cash.
As of this writing the United States Government is deep in debt. Far worse then you. Over four trillion dollars worth. That's $4,000,000,000,000.00. No, theres no loot stashed away in some forgotten vault, but some money is indeed available if you qualify. That's the catch 22.
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS GIVEN AWAY
That's the part of this con that is the truth. A lot of schemes sell information that you can get for free, from a whole bunch of government and private agencies. Of course, NOBODY just gives money away. You have to qualify.
Here's how to get your hands on some...
What are the con-artists selling?
Sometimes you'll get information on the (SBA), the Small Business Administration, which will help you get a LOAN, if you can't get one from regular banking sources. Of course the SBA has nothing to do with helping you pay off a stack of personal bills, a past due mortgage, car loan, utilities, medical bills.
The SBA arranges BUSINESS LOANS, and rarely, gives outright grants. You could also get details on how you may qualify for Medicare, or several other government programs. Of course, you could get exactly the same information for free from Uncle Sam!
Some plans tell you about Grants. That's where you really do get money, and you don't have to pay it back. Yes, there are many foundations that do give money away for worthy projects - if you qualify. That's the catch.
I could tell you more, but you already get it. Don't you? Sure, there's all kinds of government special assistance programs, low interest loans and outright grants - but in order to get any of this money you have to qualify.
Chances are very good you won't!
The agencies that give the money will tell you for free how to qualify so don't send away for some plan that will cost you to find out exactly the same thing!
GRANT COORDINATOR
OK you learned that you probably can't get any money for yourself. How about telling people that do qualify for grants and collecting a fat fee for your services? Sounds dumb? Several swindlers push a scam that goes something like this:
Like most schemes, there is a little truth to some of what is being pitched. Yes, like I already said, every day millions of dollars are given away by all kinds of government agencies, trusts, and foundations. It's also true that sometimes more money is available then is applied for.
Here's where you come in. What do you have to do? Hell - almost nothing...
Just let the companies that qualify for grants know that they got the grant. The money is reportedly just sitting around waiting to be given away, but the companies that qualify are too dumb or lazy to ask for it. Of course they will be so happy, they will pay you a fat commission for letting them know about it. Fat chance.
You have to have part with up to $100.00 for this little beauty! Several "companies" offer this goofy scheme. I'll say this - the ripoff artists that peddle this garbage, must have taken a post-graduate course in swindling.
Remember the load of bull most chain letters promise?
Maybe $50,000 in 90 days. At least they say you're required to send out a hundred letters, then of course everything just snow balls. Not with this offer. You only have to send one letter and get $50,000 for matching a grant to a company. Need $100,000? Send two letters. Need a million bucks? Should have it by the end of the month, just send 20 letters.
What do you get when you send away your money? A "secret list" - how original! What of? Companies that have been pre-approved for grants. Sometimes a list of companies that may qualify for grants. You usually get a list of organizations that issue grants as your "bonus" gift for ordering early!
SELF-LIQUIDATING LOANS
Come on, admit it - you did read at least one of these ads because they sound so good!
Typical headlines say something like "Borrow up to $50,000 without ever repaying a penny!" Now if that doesn't get you to read at least part of the sales pitch, something must be wrong with you! The better ads will try and explain how this is on the up and up with fancy banking terms - some real, others made-up. Look for things like "Arbitrage", "Compensating Balances", "Self-liquidating", etc.
Sounds interesting, but it even gets better. There's no credit check, you won't need any kind of collateral, if you have bad credit - no problem. Won't ask where you work, or even if have a job. There's no paperwork. Of course the ad says it's 100% legal. What - you were worried it wasn't?
LET'S REVIEW
A company you never heard of, is willing to give you - a total stranger, that may have a bad credit history, and be out of work, a large amount of money that you won't have to pay back. No forms to fill out except for a tiny little order blank.
This one really stinks! It costs anywhere from $7.00 up to $50.00 to cover a processing fee. What about your loan? Well maybe you'll get it tomorrow. This plan, like so many others, works on simple greed. Just about anybody at one time or another got turned down for a loan. So, this is your chance to get even. No paperwork, everybody accepted. Don't even have to repay because of some "secret method" - it's a shame people fall for it.
GET AS MANY CREDIT CARDS AS YOU WANT
OK, you didn't jump on the previous offers, how about this one?
Maybe you have a poor work history. Can't hold a job, or just living beyond your means. Down on your luck - no problem. You can get as many credit cards as you want! Easy! Everybody! Sounds too good to pass up. Most offers are modestly priced - after all, we're talking about people who may be desperate, don't have much money to spend. How does it work? You simply apply for secured credit.
THIS PLAN IS PERFECTLY LEGAL!
How? You put money in a secured bank account.
The bank then issues you a credit card equal to the money you placed in the account.
OOPS!... you didn't know that?
Let me run that past you again a little slower. You want a credit card where you can charge up to $500. So you have to deposit $500 in a special bank account and then the bank will let you use the credit card they issue up to the amount of money you have on deposit. Want two cards? Deposit $500 in two different banks.
Repeat the process as many times as you like. Of course if you had money to put in the banks, you probably won't need the credit cards. Shame they don't tell you that in the ads! Something about let the buyer beware I guess!
Actually it is important to build a good credit history, and this is one way to do it.
There is nothing illegal with using this method. Surprise!
You don't have to send away for any offer either. Just walk into your local bank, and ask to open a secured credit account. Not every bank provides this service, but a surprising number do.
The only catch is of course you can't touch the money in the account, and if you don't pay off your credit card balance in full each month you will rack up quite a bit of interest charges on top of whatever you charge with the credit card, so be careful.
A lot of ads claim you can get $100,000 in credit. Sure you can.
I just told you how. Deposit $100,000 in several banks as secured credit accounts, and you will get the cards.
Watch out for offers that ask you to send in a big application fee. Sometimes they use a 800 phone number, and tell you up front what the application fee is. Others claim the processing is free, have you dial a 900 phone number, and a $20.00 charge magically appears on your phone bill next month.
Still others start with a free 800 phone number that is nothing more then a recorded message that asks you to dial a 900 number to complete the transaction. No 900 phone numbers are free calls that I know of.
You could end up paying fifty dollars for so-called "free credit cards." If you can't find a local bank go ahead and apply, once you know how much the total charges are, but ask what bank is issuing the card first. Check them out with local authorities where the bank is located. It's worth the phone call.
However, you just might find out there is no such bank and a rip-off artist is just trying to steal your money, so proceed with caution. This type of offer is very heavily advertised on television. As I already said most offers are legal, but you will be required to put up cash equal to the amount approved for the credit cards offered.
There is another method that will give you a good credit history in time.
Open a regular savings account and deposit $200-$500.
Leave it there 30 to 60 days, then get a loan on the account.
Pay the loan off before the due date.
Withdraw part, or all of the money.
Open another account at some other bank.
Repeat the process over and over.
Your local credit bureau will get good reports on you, and before you know it, your mail box will be stuffed with offers for really free credit cards - no more secured account!
(c) Direct-Credit-Card.com - All Rights Reserved
http://www.Direct-Credit-Card.com
by: Andre Vas
You got creditors calling you everyday. You could lose the car or house. Your teetering on the edge financial ruin - then you see an ad that may safe your butt! Typical headlines say something like "Millionaire reveals Hidden Cash Sources, or help for people in debt up to their eyeballs!"
HOW DESPERATE ARE YOU? IF YOU'RE IN TROUBLE, GET HELP. PROFESSIONAL LEGAL HELP!
It's available free or on a sliding scale based on your ability to pay from any number of agencies that can, and will REALLY HELP YOU! No, they won't give you money just for asking. Neither will anyone else.
Many ads will try to make you think that there's little known secret funds that only the rich know how to get their greedy hands on. How millionaires are ripping-off the system. Getting money that was set aside for people just like you! Are you getting mad? That's the idea. Now it's time to get your share. What, you don't know how? Send in for a "secret program" and collect your rightful share of free loot. It's easy, legal, anyone can get the cash.
As of this writing the United States Government is deep in debt. Far worse then you. Over four trillion dollars worth. That's $4,000,000,000,000.00. No, theres no loot stashed away in some forgotten vault, but some money is indeed available if you qualify. That's the catch 22.
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS GIVEN AWAY
That's the part of this con that is the truth. A lot of schemes sell information that you can get for free, from a whole bunch of government and private agencies. Of course, NOBODY just gives money away. You have to qualify.
Here's how to get your hands on some...
What are the con-artists selling?
Sometimes you'll get information on the (SBA), the Small Business Administration, which will help you get a LOAN, if you can't get one from regular banking sources. Of course the SBA has nothing to do with helping you pay off a stack of personal bills, a past due mortgage, car loan, utilities, medical bills.
The SBA arranges BUSINESS LOANS, and rarely, gives outright grants. You could also get details on how you may qualify for Medicare, or several other government programs. Of course, you could get exactly the same information for free from Uncle Sam!
Some plans tell you about Grants. That's where you really do get money, and you don't have to pay it back. Yes, there are many foundations that do give money away for worthy projects - if you qualify. That's the catch.
I could tell you more, but you already get it. Don't you? Sure, there's all kinds of government special assistance programs, low interest loans and outright grants - but in order to get any of this money you have to qualify.
Chances are very good you won't!
The agencies that give the money will tell you for free how to qualify so don't send away for some plan that will cost you to find out exactly the same thing!
GRANT COORDINATOR
OK you learned that you probably can't get any money for yourself. How about telling people that do qualify for grants and collecting a fat fee for your services? Sounds dumb? Several swindlers push a scam that goes something like this:
Like most schemes, there is a little truth to some of what is being pitched. Yes, like I already said, every day millions of dollars are given away by all kinds of government agencies, trusts, and foundations. It's also true that sometimes more money is available then is applied for.
Here's where you come in. What do you have to do? Hell - almost nothing...
Just let the companies that qualify for grants know that they got the grant. The money is reportedly just sitting around waiting to be given away, but the companies that qualify are too dumb or lazy to ask for it. Of course they will be so happy, they will pay you a fat commission for letting them know about it. Fat chance.
You have to have part with up to $100.00 for this little beauty! Several "companies" offer this goofy scheme. I'll say this - the ripoff artists that peddle this garbage, must have taken a post-graduate course in swindling.
Remember the load of bull most chain letters promise?
Maybe $50,000 in 90 days. At least they say you're required to send out a hundred letters, then of course everything just snow balls. Not with this offer. You only have to send one letter and get $50,000 for matching a grant to a company. Need $100,000? Send two letters. Need a million bucks? Should have it by the end of the month, just send 20 letters.
What do you get when you send away your money? A "secret list" - how original! What of? Companies that have been pre-approved for grants. Sometimes a list of companies that may qualify for grants. You usually get a list of organizations that issue grants as your "bonus" gift for ordering early!
SELF-LIQUIDATING LOANS
Come on, admit it - you did read at least one of these ads because they sound so good!
Typical headlines say something like "Borrow up to $50,000 without ever repaying a penny!" Now if that doesn't get you to read at least part of the sales pitch, something must be wrong with you! The better ads will try and explain how this is on the up and up with fancy banking terms - some real, others made-up. Look for things like "Arbitrage", "Compensating Balances", "Self-liquidating", etc.
Sounds interesting, but it even gets better. There's no credit check, you won't need any kind of collateral, if you have bad credit - no problem. Won't ask where you work, or even if have a job. There's no paperwork. Of course the ad says it's 100% legal. What - you were worried it wasn't?
LET'S REVIEW
A company you never heard of, is willing to give you - a total stranger, that may have a bad credit history, and be out of work, a large amount of money that you won't have to pay back. No forms to fill out except for a tiny little order blank.
This one really stinks! It costs anywhere from $7.00 up to $50.00 to cover a processing fee. What about your loan? Well maybe you'll get it tomorrow. This plan, like so many others, works on simple greed. Just about anybody at one time or another got turned down for a loan. So, this is your chance to get even. No paperwork, everybody accepted. Don't even have to repay because of some "secret method" - it's a shame people fall for it.
GET AS MANY CREDIT CARDS AS YOU WANT
OK, you didn't jump on the previous offers, how about this one?
Maybe you have a poor work history. Can't hold a job, or just living beyond your means. Down on your luck - no problem. You can get as many credit cards as you want! Easy! Everybody! Sounds too good to pass up. Most offers are modestly priced - after all, we're talking about people who may be desperate, don't have much money to spend. How does it work? You simply apply for secured credit.
THIS PLAN IS PERFECTLY LEGAL!
How? You put money in a secured bank account.
The bank then issues you a credit card equal to the money you placed in the account.
OOPS!... you didn't know that?
Let me run that past you again a little slower. You want a credit card where you can charge up to $500. So you have to deposit $500 in a special bank account and then the bank will let you use the credit card they issue up to the amount of money you have on deposit. Want two cards? Deposit $500 in two different banks.
Repeat the process as many times as you like. Of course if you had money to put in the banks, you probably won't need the credit cards. Shame they don't tell you that in the ads! Something about let the buyer beware I guess!
Actually it is important to build a good credit history, and this is one way to do it.
There is nothing illegal with using this method. Surprise!
You don't have to send away for any offer either. Just walk into your local bank, and ask to open a secured credit account. Not every bank provides this service, but a surprising number do.
The only catch is of course you can't touch the money in the account, and if you don't pay off your credit card balance in full each month you will rack up quite a bit of interest charges on top of whatever you charge with the credit card, so be careful.
A lot of ads claim you can get $100,000 in credit. Sure you can.
I just told you how. Deposit $100,000 in several banks as secured credit accounts, and you will get the cards.
Watch out for offers that ask you to send in a big application fee. Sometimes they use a 800 phone number, and tell you up front what the application fee is. Others claim the processing is free, have you dial a 900 phone number, and a $20.00 charge magically appears on your phone bill next month.
Still others start with a free 800 phone number that is nothing more then a recorded message that asks you to dial a 900 number to complete the transaction. No 900 phone numbers are free calls that I know of.
You could end up paying fifty dollars for so-called "free credit cards." If you can't find a local bank go ahead and apply, once you know how much the total charges are, but ask what bank is issuing the card first. Check them out with local authorities where the bank is located. It's worth the phone call.
However, you just might find out there is no such bank and a rip-off artist is just trying to steal your money, so proceed with caution. This type of offer is very heavily advertised on television. As I already said most offers are legal, but you will be required to put up cash equal to the amount approved for the credit cards offered.
There is another method that will give you a good credit history in time.
Open a regular savings account and deposit $200-$500.
Leave it there 30 to 60 days, then get a loan on the account.
Pay the loan off before the due date.
Withdraw part, or all of the money.
Open another account at some other bank.
Repeat the process over and over.
Your local credit bureau will get good reports on you, and before you know it, your mail box will be stuffed with offers for really free credit cards - no more secured account!
(c) Direct-Credit-Card.com - All Rights Reserved
http://www.Direct-Credit-Card.com
The Macedonian Lottery
The Macedonian Lottery
by: Sam Vaknin, Ph.D.
Every conflict has its economic moments and dimensions. The current conflict in Macedonia perhaps even more so.
The USA and its Western allies regard Macedonia as a bridge between Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Albania. Hence the EU's plans for the revival of transport corridors 8 and 10 connecting these countries. If all goes well (and nothing has hitherto), railways will connect Bulgaria to Macedonia and river traffic will flow to Serbia from its southern neighbours. All this is envisioned in the Stability Pact. There are talks of an oil pipeline across Macedonia's territory. A pacified Macedonia is fairly crucial to Serbia's recovery and to the prospects of the whole region to attract FDI.
NATO is afraid of Turkish-Greek clashes in the aftermath of Kosovo and Macedonia. Turkey has increasingly cast itself in its ancient role of "protector of the Balkan Muslims". Greece is the only Orthodox-Christian member of the EU and an old foe of the erstwhile Sick Man of Europe from which it won bloody independence at the beginning of the 19th century. Such clashes are likely to destabilize the southern flank of NATO and block the West's access to Iraq, the Middle East, oil-rich Central Asia, and northern China. This will seriously dent the new "Pacific Orientation" of the Bush Administration.
And what about the actual combatants?
Albanians and Macedonian crime gangs (in cahoots with kleptocratic and venal local politicians) regard Macedonia as a vital route for drugs, stolen cars, smuggled cigarettes and soft drinks, illegal immigrants, white slavery, and weapons dealing. These criminal activities far outweigh the GDP of all the adversary states combined. This conflict is about controlling territory and the economic benefits attendant to such control.
Crime and war provide employment, status, regular income, perks, and livelihood to many denizens of Macedonia, Albania, and Bulgaria. They constitute an outlet for entrepreneurship, however perverted. Fighting for the cause and smuggling often means travel abroad (for instance, on fund raising missions), five star accommodation, and a lavish lifestyle. It also translates into powers of patronage and excesses of self-enrichment.
Moreover, in ossified, socially stratified, ethnically polarized, and economically impoverished societies, war and crime engender social mobility. The likes of Hashim Thaci and Ali Ahmeti often start as rebels and end as part of the cosseted establishment. Many a criminal dabble in politics and business.
Hence the tenacity of both phenomena. Hence the bleak and pessimistic outlook for this region. The "formal" economies simply cannot compete. Jobs are not created, the educated are often bitterly idle, salaries are minuscule if paid at all, the future is past. Crime and politics (one and the same in the Balkan) are alluring alternatives.
Moreover, the NLA itself is not a monolithic entity. It is more like an umbrella organization with serious and fracturing differences of opinion regarding the ultimate goals the insurrection and the means to obtain these goals. Roughly, it is made up of one third veteran Kosovo fighters, some of them professional soldiers, who also fought in Croatia, or in the Foreign Legion. These people are bitter and disgruntled by what they see as the betrayal of the West in refusing to guarantee an independent Kosovo and the failure of the current Kosovar leadership to integrate them economically into the emerging polity there. Their motives are part emotional and part pecuniary. Another third is made of unemployed, young Albanians, mainly from Macedonia itself. Their fighting is self-interested. They get a monthly salary and perks and, lacking education and skills, they don't have much of a choice outside the killing fields. The rest are diehard, hardcore, idealists who either fervently espouse a Great Albania, or would like to take over Western Macedonian in a "constitutional coup" which will grant them their own police force, municipalities, institutions, universities, budgets, and semi-political structures. The NLA itself is not directly involved in criminal activities, though a few of its members are. But the money that finances it (from the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, and the USA) is tainted by drug dealing, white slavery, illegal immigration, and the smuggling of everything illicit, from cigarettes to stolen cars, to weapons. In this they collaborate with politicians and criminals in Macedonia - both Albanian and Macedonian.
Being a politician in the Balkan is an extremely lucrative proposition. Both Albanian and Macedonian politicians will abandon the peace process if they believe it leads to electoral ruin. Given the current atmosphere, it doesn't pay to be a pacifist. Virulent nationalism is a guaranteed vote winner. The re-election ticket requires xenophobia, ethnic exclusivity, and radicalism. Here lies the future.
by: Sam Vaknin, Ph.D.
Every conflict has its economic moments and dimensions. The current conflict in Macedonia perhaps even more so.
The USA and its Western allies regard Macedonia as a bridge between Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Albania. Hence the EU's plans for the revival of transport corridors 8 and 10 connecting these countries. If all goes well (and nothing has hitherto), railways will connect Bulgaria to Macedonia and river traffic will flow to Serbia from its southern neighbours. All this is envisioned in the Stability Pact. There are talks of an oil pipeline across Macedonia's territory. A pacified Macedonia is fairly crucial to Serbia's recovery and to the prospects of the whole region to attract FDI.
NATO is afraid of Turkish-Greek clashes in the aftermath of Kosovo and Macedonia. Turkey has increasingly cast itself in its ancient role of "protector of the Balkan Muslims". Greece is the only Orthodox-Christian member of the EU and an old foe of the erstwhile Sick Man of Europe from which it won bloody independence at the beginning of the 19th century. Such clashes are likely to destabilize the southern flank of NATO and block the West's access to Iraq, the Middle East, oil-rich Central Asia, and northern China. This will seriously dent the new "Pacific Orientation" of the Bush Administration.
And what about the actual combatants?
Albanians and Macedonian crime gangs (in cahoots with kleptocratic and venal local politicians) regard Macedonia as a vital route for drugs, stolen cars, smuggled cigarettes and soft drinks, illegal immigrants, white slavery, and weapons dealing. These criminal activities far outweigh the GDP of all the adversary states combined. This conflict is about controlling territory and the economic benefits attendant to such control.
Crime and war provide employment, status, regular income, perks, and livelihood to many denizens of Macedonia, Albania, and Bulgaria. They constitute an outlet for entrepreneurship, however perverted. Fighting for the cause and smuggling often means travel abroad (for instance, on fund raising missions), five star accommodation, and a lavish lifestyle. It also translates into powers of patronage and excesses of self-enrichment.
Moreover, in ossified, socially stratified, ethnically polarized, and economically impoverished societies, war and crime engender social mobility. The likes of Hashim Thaci and Ali Ahmeti often start as rebels and end as part of the cosseted establishment. Many a criminal dabble in politics and business.
Hence the tenacity of both phenomena. Hence the bleak and pessimistic outlook for this region. The "formal" economies simply cannot compete. Jobs are not created, the educated are often bitterly idle, salaries are minuscule if paid at all, the future is past. Crime and politics (one and the same in the Balkan) are alluring alternatives.
Moreover, the NLA itself is not a monolithic entity. It is more like an umbrella organization with serious and fracturing differences of opinion regarding the ultimate goals the insurrection and the means to obtain these goals. Roughly, it is made up of one third veteran Kosovo fighters, some of them professional soldiers, who also fought in Croatia, or in the Foreign Legion. These people are bitter and disgruntled by what they see as the betrayal of the West in refusing to guarantee an independent Kosovo and the failure of the current Kosovar leadership to integrate them economically into the emerging polity there. Their motives are part emotional and part pecuniary. Another third is made of unemployed, young Albanians, mainly from Macedonia itself. Their fighting is self-interested. They get a monthly salary and perks and, lacking education and skills, they don't have much of a choice outside the killing fields. The rest are diehard, hardcore, idealists who either fervently espouse a Great Albania, or would like to take over Western Macedonian in a "constitutional coup" which will grant them their own police force, municipalities, institutions, universities, budgets, and semi-political structures. The NLA itself is not directly involved in criminal activities, though a few of its members are. But the money that finances it (from the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, and the USA) is tainted by drug dealing, white slavery, illegal immigration, and the smuggling of everything illicit, from cigarettes to stolen cars, to weapons. In this they collaborate with politicians and criminals in Macedonia - both Albanian and Macedonian.
Being a politician in the Balkan is an extremely lucrative proposition. Both Albanian and Macedonian politicians will abandon the peace process if they believe it leads to electoral ruin. Given the current atmosphere, it doesn't pay to be a pacifist. Virulent nationalism is a guaranteed vote winner. The re-election ticket requires xenophobia, ethnic exclusivity, and radicalism. Here lies the future.
36 Questions To Ask Your Web Host Before You Buy
36 Questions To Ask Your Web Host Before You Buy
by: Alex Welz
Getting a website is essential for business. Making a mistake could cost you money as well as lost reputation. We have put together 36 questions across 10 areas that you should as any hosting company before you purchase a website. How they answer these questions will determine if this is the right website solution for you.
Technical Support:
Technical support should be readily available. Your average hold time should not exceed a couple of minutes. If the hold time for support is long, this means that there are a lot of problems with the product or there support is understaffed.
1. How strong is their technical support division?
2. What do they provide?
3. When are they available?
4. Does tech support cost extra?
Security:
The website hosting servers should be hosted at a remote location with multiple backup across multiple locations. The servers should also be dual firewall protected. If the websites are hosted in this type of an environment, it means that you are protected against any power failure, natural disaster, or people trying to steal your information. You can check how many servers a company is hosting by asking them for the address of one of the companies they host. Then go to http://whois.sc, and look up that name. Whois will tell you how many sites they are hosting. Use a company that is hosting several thousand websites.
5. How secure is the site?
6. What type of protection do they offer?
7. How can they insure that unauthorized users will not compromise the integrity of your Web site?
Storage:
The amount of storage your website hosting offers is related to how large your website can become. You want to make sure that you have enough space to not only to build your current website, but to expand in the future.
8. How much storage do they offer?
9. A typical Web site uses between 20-30 MB.
10. Do they offer enough extra megabytes to for your business to grow into? 100MB is a good starting point.
Domains:
Getting a Domain name for your business is one of the most important things you could do. To find out more about domains, read our article …
11. Will the hosting company register your Domain name?
12. How long will it take?
13. Is there any extra cost to you?
Design:
There are 3 basic website design options. 1) Hire a web developer to design the entire website. 2) A template solution that is inexpensive, but modifications are limited. 3) A table based solution where the initial content is provided by the hosting company but everything including the entire layout can be changed. Make sure which type you are purchasing and if this is the correct solution for you.
14. Do they have a builder that you can manage easily?
15. What type of computer background do you need to design your site?
16. Do you have internal control over content and updates?
Email:
There are 2 types of email. The first is POP 3. This email type is attached to the domain name, and the email can be viewed from a web mail Internet browser window, or downloaded to a program such as Outlook or Eudora. The second email type is a forwarding address or email alias, where you have an email address that is @YourDomain, but it forwards to a different email address. POP 3 is usually more desirable because you can view your email from a variety of applications, and it strengthens your company image.
17. How many email aliases comes with your package?
18. Will they have your domain name in them for a more professional appearance?
19. What is the cost to add extra emails?
20. Are there any additional costs?
Search Engine Optimization:
You should submit your website to the search engines, such as Google, about once a month. This will help to rank you higher in the search rankings
21. Are search engine submissions included in your package?
22. How does it work?
23. Do you have internal control over content and updates?
Cost:
Make sure there are no hidden costs. Some companies will give you a low price knowing that they can charge you for additional services latter on.
24. What are the costs involved?
25. What are the initial setup fees and what do you get exactly?
26. What are the monthly maintenance fees are what do they cover?
27. Are there any additional charges?
28. If so, what are they and why?
Contract:
29. Am I locked into a contract?
31. May I cancel at anytime?
32. Are there any penalty fees for switching or closing my account?
33. What happens to my content?
Value:
34. What makes them better than their competition?
35. Do they offer extra features, storage space, better technical support?
36. What exactly sets them apart?
For help or questions about Web Hosting, contact G2Apex at contact@G2Apex.com or call 408-454-6543
For more articles like this, go to http://www.G2Apex.com/articles.html
by: Alex Welz
Getting a website is essential for business. Making a mistake could cost you money as well as lost reputation. We have put together 36 questions across 10 areas that you should as any hosting company before you purchase a website. How they answer these questions will determine if this is the right website solution for you.
Technical Support:
Technical support should be readily available. Your average hold time should not exceed a couple of minutes. If the hold time for support is long, this means that there are a lot of problems with the product or there support is understaffed.
1. How strong is their technical support division?
2. What do they provide?
3. When are they available?
4. Does tech support cost extra?
Security:
The website hosting servers should be hosted at a remote location with multiple backup across multiple locations. The servers should also be dual firewall protected. If the websites are hosted in this type of an environment, it means that you are protected against any power failure, natural disaster, or people trying to steal your information. You can check how many servers a company is hosting by asking them for the address of one of the companies they host. Then go to http://whois.sc, and look up that name. Whois will tell you how many sites they are hosting. Use a company that is hosting several thousand websites.
5. How secure is the site?
6. What type of protection do they offer?
7. How can they insure that unauthorized users will not compromise the integrity of your Web site?
Storage:
The amount of storage your website hosting offers is related to how large your website can become. You want to make sure that you have enough space to not only to build your current website, but to expand in the future.
8. How much storage do they offer?
9. A typical Web site uses between 20-30 MB.
10. Do they offer enough extra megabytes to for your business to grow into? 100MB is a good starting point.
Domains:
Getting a Domain name for your business is one of the most important things you could do. To find out more about domains, read our article …
11. Will the hosting company register your Domain name?
12. How long will it take?
13. Is there any extra cost to you?
Design:
There are 3 basic website design options. 1) Hire a web developer to design the entire website. 2) A template solution that is inexpensive, but modifications are limited. 3) A table based solution where the initial content is provided by the hosting company but everything including the entire layout can be changed. Make sure which type you are purchasing and if this is the correct solution for you.
14. Do they have a builder that you can manage easily?
15. What type of computer background do you need to design your site?
16. Do you have internal control over content and updates?
Email:
There are 2 types of email. The first is POP 3. This email type is attached to the domain name, and the email can be viewed from a web mail Internet browser window, or downloaded to a program such as Outlook or Eudora. The second email type is a forwarding address or email alias, where you have an email address that is @YourDomain, but it forwards to a different email address. POP 3 is usually more desirable because you can view your email from a variety of applications, and it strengthens your company image.
17. How many email aliases comes with your package?
18. Will they have your domain name in them for a more professional appearance?
19. What is the cost to add extra emails?
20. Are there any additional costs?
Search Engine Optimization:
You should submit your website to the search engines, such as Google, about once a month. This will help to rank you higher in the search rankings
21. Are search engine submissions included in your package?
22. How does it work?
23. Do you have internal control over content and updates?
Cost:
Make sure there are no hidden costs. Some companies will give you a low price knowing that they can charge you for additional services latter on.
24. What are the costs involved?
25. What are the initial setup fees and what do you get exactly?
26. What are the monthly maintenance fees are what do they cover?
27. Are there any additional charges?
28. If so, what are they and why?
Contract:
29. Am I locked into a contract?
31. May I cancel at anytime?
32. Are there any penalty fees for switching or closing my account?
33. What happens to my content?
Value:
34. What makes them better than their competition?
35. Do they offer extra features, storage space, better technical support?
36. What exactly sets them apart?
For help or questions about Web Hosting, contact G2Apex at contact@G2Apex.com or call 408-454-6543
For more articles like this, go to http://www.G2Apex.com/articles.html
Your Home - A Hidden Source Of Financing
Your Home - A Hidden Source Of Financing
by: News Canada
(NC)-Your home is more than just a place to hang your hat. In addition to being a source of pride and protection, it can be a valuable source of equity.
With interest rates still low, now may be a good time to consider a renovation, purchasing a new car or making some investments. The equity in your home may be able to help you secure the necessary funds to help you achieve your goals.
One way to access the equity in a home is to refinance the existing mortgage. This adds additional funds to the mortgage but it may yield a lower interest rate and lower monthly payments than a traditional loan. One caution, however; adding to your existing mortgage means it will take longer to pay it off. As a consequence, you will be paying more interest.
Another way to access the equity in your home is to open a line of credit that is secured against your home. Just as with refinancing, a line of credit may be available at an interest rate that is lower than a regular loan. In some cases, the interest rate on a line of credit can be as low as prime.
A line of credit gives you payment flexibility that is not available with a conventional mortgage. Not only do you have control over the length of the loan and how you repay it, you also have the flexibility to pay off the debt at anytime without penalty and you can control
the amount of payment you make each month - the minimum, as little as interest only, or as much as you can afford. The larger your monthly payment, the quicker you will pay off the line of credit and the lower your overall interest costs.
If minimizing the amount of interest you pay over the lifetime of the debt is important, then a secured line of credit may work for you. To qualify, you generally require 25 per cent equity built up in your home. Legal fees or registry fees may apply.
"If you are considering leveraging your home equity, you should meet with a qualified lending expert," says Terry Fitzpatrick, Vice-President, Bank of Montreal Consumer Lending. "A lending expert will explain your options, offer a variety of solutions, and help you make the best decision to suit your needs and your budget."
Information provided by Bank of Montreal. For more information visit www.bmo.com.
by: News Canada
(NC)-Your home is more than just a place to hang your hat. In addition to being a source of pride and protection, it can be a valuable source of equity.
With interest rates still low, now may be a good time to consider a renovation, purchasing a new car or making some investments. The equity in your home may be able to help you secure the necessary funds to help you achieve your goals.
One way to access the equity in a home is to refinance the existing mortgage. This adds additional funds to the mortgage but it may yield a lower interest rate and lower monthly payments than a traditional loan. One caution, however; adding to your existing mortgage means it will take longer to pay it off. As a consequence, you will be paying more interest.
Another way to access the equity in your home is to open a line of credit that is secured against your home. Just as with refinancing, a line of credit may be available at an interest rate that is lower than a regular loan. In some cases, the interest rate on a line of credit can be as low as prime.
A line of credit gives you payment flexibility that is not available with a conventional mortgage. Not only do you have control over the length of the loan and how you repay it, you also have the flexibility to pay off the debt at anytime without penalty and you can control
the amount of payment you make each month - the minimum, as little as interest only, or as much as you can afford. The larger your monthly payment, the quicker you will pay off the line of credit and the lower your overall interest costs.
If minimizing the amount of interest you pay over the lifetime of the debt is important, then a secured line of credit may work for you. To qualify, you generally require 25 per cent equity built up in your home. Legal fees or registry fees may apply.
"If you are considering leveraging your home equity, you should meet with a qualified lending expert," says Terry Fitzpatrick, Vice-President, Bank of Montreal Consumer Lending. "A lending expert will explain your options, offer a variety of solutions, and help you make the best decision to suit your needs and your budget."
Information provided by Bank of Montreal. For more information visit www.bmo.com.
5 Ways to Get Extra Money for Christmas Shopping
5 Ways to Get Extra Money for Christmas Shopping
by: Nicole Anderson
Christmas shopping is getting more and more expensive each year. With over 70% of Americans reported to be living paycheck to paycheck, where does the money come from for Christmas shopping? Here are 5 tips to getting some extra money for holiday shopping:
1 – Sell items on Ebay
Everyone is buying right now. Why not have them buy what you have for sale? All different types of items sell on ebay – the clothes your kids never even wore that still have the tags on them, DVD’s, collectible items sitting around just collecting, and any other “hot” items you may have lying around.
2 – Garage Sale
Do a little ‘Winter Cleaning” and make room for those Christmas decorations and presents. A Saturday morning garage sale can make you $50-$500, or more.
One person's junk is another's treasure!
3 – Collect your Unclaimed Money
There is an estimated $25 billion dollars of unclaimed money in the U.S. On the Oprah Winfrey TV Show it was announced 8 out of 9 Americans have unclaimed money.This money comes from many places. For example it could be an old checking or savings account your forgot about, an inheritance, savings bonds, uncashed checks or money orders, the list goes on and on. This money is yours and just sitting there waiting for you to claim it. A simple search in a quality database that includes all states and federal unclaimed money could mean a check in your mailbox!
A simple search in a quality database that includes all states and federal unclaimed money could mean a check in your mailbox! www.cashunclaimed.com is the largest unclaimed money site and is a great place to conduct your unclaimed money search.
4 – Holiday Job or Overtime
Companies are hiring for the Christmas shopping rush. Usually they are simple retail positions that don’t require specialized training or experience. A couple nights or days a week could be $1000 by Christmas!
If you are paid hourly at your job, and have enough work and flexibility with your schedule, you can put in some extra hours.
Workers who have restaurant jobs can pick up extra shifts.
Special Note: Many people claim 0 exemptions on their W4. If you have children, own a home, etc. increase your exemptions to the correct number. Your employer can assist you in filling out a new W4. This can mean an extra $50-$400 per paycheck!
5 – Reduce Expenses
You can reduce simple monthly expenses to keep more of the money you already have. Here are a couple money saving ideas:
- Eat in instead of dinning out
A family of 4 that eats out twice a week spends about $100 per week.
- Pay minimum payments this month on credit cards
Don’t make this a habit, but for December it will give you a little extra rather than racking up more credit card debt
- Leave your ATM card at home, carry a little cash for what you need
- Make coffee at home and skip your morning latte
(you’ll live, really you will)
Now that you have the extra money – Merry Christmas Shopping!
by: Nicole Anderson
Christmas shopping is getting more and more expensive each year. With over 70% of Americans reported to be living paycheck to paycheck, where does the money come from for Christmas shopping? Here are 5 tips to getting some extra money for holiday shopping:
1 – Sell items on Ebay
Everyone is buying right now. Why not have them buy what you have for sale? All different types of items sell on ebay – the clothes your kids never even wore that still have the tags on them, DVD’s, collectible items sitting around just collecting, and any other “hot” items you may have lying around.
2 – Garage Sale
Do a little ‘Winter Cleaning” and make room for those Christmas decorations and presents. A Saturday morning garage sale can make you $50-$500, or more.
One person's junk is another's treasure!
3 – Collect your Unclaimed Money
There is an estimated $25 billion dollars of unclaimed money in the U.S. On the Oprah Winfrey TV Show it was announced 8 out of 9 Americans have unclaimed money.This money comes from many places. For example it could be an old checking or savings account your forgot about, an inheritance, savings bonds, uncashed checks or money orders, the list goes on and on. This money is yours and just sitting there waiting for you to claim it. A simple search in a quality database that includes all states and federal unclaimed money could mean a check in your mailbox!
A simple search in a quality database that includes all states and federal unclaimed money could mean a check in your mailbox! www.cashunclaimed.com is the largest unclaimed money site and is a great place to conduct your unclaimed money search.
4 – Holiday Job or Overtime
Companies are hiring for the Christmas shopping rush. Usually they are simple retail positions that don’t require specialized training or experience. A couple nights or days a week could be $1000 by Christmas!
If you are paid hourly at your job, and have enough work and flexibility with your schedule, you can put in some extra hours.
Workers who have restaurant jobs can pick up extra shifts.
Special Note: Many people claim 0 exemptions on their W4. If you have children, own a home, etc. increase your exemptions to the correct number. Your employer can assist you in filling out a new W4. This can mean an extra $50-$400 per paycheck!
5 – Reduce Expenses
You can reduce simple monthly expenses to keep more of the money you already have. Here are a couple money saving ideas:
- Eat in instead of dinning out
A family of 4 that eats out twice a week spends about $100 per week.
- Pay minimum payments this month on credit cards
Don’t make this a habit, but for December it will give you a little extra rather than racking up more credit card debt
- Leave your ATM card at home, carry a little cash for what you need
- Make coffee at home and skip your morning latte
(you’ll live, really you will)
Now that you have the extra money – Merry Christmas Shopping!
Why Real Estate Investment?
Why Real Estate Investment?
by: Rik Foote
Why should you invest in real estate? Well, investing in real estate for profit is one of the most popular approaches to generating additional income in the United States today. In fact, if you pay attention to recent press you will have seen numerous reports about the real estate investment craze that seems to be sweeping the Nation.
When done carefully and intelligently, real estate can yield fantastic benefits that can not be achieved through any other type of investment. Here are just a few examples of why real estate investing can be such a powerful wealth generator.
1. Real Estate Markets Are Slow to React - Although real estate, like everything else, has ups and downs, it is generally a lot slower to react than the stock market. For example, you won’t get up in the morning and discover that your real estate investment is worth ten or twenty percent less than it was yesterday.
2. Leverage. You can borrow money to buy real estate, whereas, generally you can not borrow money to buy stocks. You can control a large dollar value of real estate with a small amount of your own money by using loans and mortgages. The stock market, by law, limits the amount of leverage (margin) you can use to buy stock. There are no such limits with real estate.
3. You Can Purchase Real Estate For Less Than Its Market Value. In many cases you can purchase a property for as low as 60 to 70 percent of the market value. When buying stocks, you may be able to find a stock that is considered “under valued” but generally that’s tough to do.
4. Real Estate Offers A Tremendous Amount Of Tax Advantages Through Depreciation. Real estate basically has two values, the land and the building(s) on the land. For example, if a property is valued at $250,000 and the assessed value of the land is $75,000, the building would be worth $175,000.
The government allows real estate investors to depreciate the value of the building in equal parts over its “useful life” which is defined as 27.5 years. So for example, based on the $175,000 building value above, the annual depreciation value would be $6,363.63 ($175,000 divided by 27.5). This means that for tax purposes, the investor would be able to reduce his/her annual income by $6,363.63!
Many people find the notion of depreciation to be confusing since it’s not really a loss of money. I recommend you check with a qualified tax professional for more details and how this can benefit you.
5. Real Estate Markets Are Insulated Local Markets. For instance, when the stock market falls, it takes down just about everybody and everything involved with it. When home values drop in one city such as New York, generally it does not affect property values in other cities like Boston or Chicago. To protect yourself, you can have a “geographically diversified” portfolio of real estate investments to hedge against these types events.
6. You The Investor Can Control The Value. Another aspect of real estate investment is that unlike any other investment, this investment is controlled by the investor. For example, as an investor, you can increase the value of your investment property by making some modifications to the property such as adding a garage or replacing the carpet, etc. With stocks or any other investment, the investor can’t do anything to increase the value of the investment.
7. The Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH). When a market has prices that always "fully reflect" available information, it is called "efficient”. The stock market for example is considered by most to be an efficient market. When you call your broker to purchase or sell a stock, you can be sure of one thing – the price you bought or sold the stock for was indeed the “correct” price for that stock on that day and at that time. Why? Because the existing price for the stock will already incorporate and reflect all relevant available information about the company such as earnings, and other metrics.
With real estate, the market is very inefficient. Unlike the stock market, with real estate, the “correct” price discovery mechanism is left to each buyer and seller to figure out on their own. There is the almost always uncertainty as to whether the price offered by the seller is too high or too low. Moreover, there is typically little to no help available from analysts and research agencies (like when dealing with stocks) in this respect. This inefficiency is the very reason why real estate offers such a great investment opportunity to be smart and win! But it requires experience and a sharp eye for good deals and great negotiation skill. This expertise can be developed.
If done correctly, real estate is probably one of the smartest investments you could ever make. Hopefully this short rambling has provided you with a fresh perspective of the many benefits of real estate investing. So be smart, continue to learn and above all don't wait for some magic moment, just get started.
To Your Success!
Rik Foote
by: Rik Foote
Why should you invest in real estate? Well, investing in real estate for profit is one of the most popular approaches to generating additional income in the United States today. In fact, if you pay attention to recent press you will have seen numerous reports about the real estate investment craze that seems to be sweeping the Nation.
When done carefully and intelligently, real estate can yield fantastic benefits that can not be achieved through any other type of investment. Here are just a few examples of why real estate investing can be such a powerful wealth generator.
1. Real Estate Markets Are Slow to React - Although real estate, like everything else, has ups and downs, it is generally a lot slower to react than the stock market. For example, you won’t get up in the morning and discover that your real estate investment is worth ten or twenty percent less than it was yesterday.
2. Leverage. You can borrow money to buy real estate, whereas, generally you can not borrow money to buy stocks. You can control a large dollar value of real estate with a small amount of your own money by using loans and mortgages. The stock market, by law, limits the amount of leverage (margin) you can use to buy stock. There are no such limits with real estate.
3. You Can Purchase Real Estate For Less Than Its Market Value. In many cases you can purchase a property for as low as 60 to 70 percent of the market value. When buying stocks, you may be able to find a stock that is considered “under valued” but generally that’s tough to do.
4. Real Estate Offers A Tremendous Amount Of Tax Advantages Through Depreciation. Real estate basically has two values, the land and the building(s) on the land. For example, if a property is valued at $250,000 and the assessed value of the land is $75,000, the building would be worth $175,000.
The government allows real estate investors to depreciate the value of the building in equal parts over its “useful life” which is defined as 27.5 years. So for example, based on the $175,000 building value above, the annual depreciation value would be $6,363.63 ($175,000 divided by 27.5). This means that for tax purposes, the investor would be able to reduce his/her annual income by $6,363.63!
Many people find the notion of depreciation to be confusing since it’s not really a loss of money. I recommend you check with a qualified tax professional for more details and how this can benefit you.
5. Real Estate Markets Are Insulated Local Markets. For instance, when the stock market falls, it takes down just about everybody and everything involved with it. When home values drop in one city such as New York, generally it does not affect property values in other cities like Boston or Chicago. To protect yourself, you can have a “geographically diversified” portfolio of real estate investments to hedge against these types events.
6. You The Investor Can Control The Value. Another aspect of real estate investment is that unlike any other investment, this investment is controlled by the investor. For example, as an investor, you can increase the value of your investment property by making some modifications to the property such as adding a garage or replacing the carpet, etc. With stocks or any other investment, the investor can’t do anything to increase the value of the investment.
7. The Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH). When a market has prices that always "fully reflect" available information, it is called "efficient”. The stock market for example is considered by most to be an efficient market. When you call your broker to purchase or sell a stock, you can be sure of one thing – the price you bought or sold the stock for was indeed the “correct” price for that stock on that day and at that time. Why? Because the existing price for the stock will already incorporate and reflect all relevant available information about the company such as earnings, and other metrics.
With real estate, the market is very inefficient. Unlike the stock market, with real estate, the “correct” price discovery mechanism is left to each buyer and seller to figure out on their own. There is the almost always uncertainty as to whether the price offered by the seller is too high or too low. Moreover, there is typically little to no help available from analysts and research agencies (like when dealing with stocks) in this respect. This inefficiency is the very reason why real estate offers such a great investment opportunity to be smart and win! But it requires experience and a sharp eye for good deals and great negotiation skill. This expertise can be developed.
If done correctly, real estate is probably one of the smartest investments you could ever make. Hopefully this short rambling has provided you with a fresh perspective of the many benefits of real estate investing. So be smart, continue to learn and above all don't wait for some magic moment, just get started.
To Your Success!
Rik Foote
Buy To Let Mortgages: Long Term Investment On The Concrete Structure
Buy To Let Mortgages: Long Term Investment On The Concrete Structure
by: Amanda Thompson
Buy to let mortgage market was worth £21.8 billion in 2004 and accounted to 38.2 % of commercial market in the same year. The buy to let market has grown more than any market as a whole – which is remarkable. Such a strong market spells nothing but benefit to mortgage hopeful. Buy to let mortgage was a constructive effort by The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) to encourage growth in the private rented sector.
Buy to let mortgage is a specialized product for a special mortgage product. However, there is little difference between this and other mortgage products. If you understand the various details of buy to let mortgage, there is no way that you won’t be successful in your attempt. Every buy to let mortgage will undergo the usual mortgage guideline. The lender will check your credit worthiness, value of your property, the amount of down payment before he approves your buy to let mortgage.
Buy to let mortgage have emerged as an increasingly popular mortgage in last few years. They are marked lower interest rates and have added to their attraction. Also rental income is more dependable form of income than other investment forms. The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) operates a buy to let scheme which is supported by a group of lenders. There are other buy to let mortgage lenders who operate outside the scheme and you don’t have to go through any ARLA agent.
A buy to let mortgage lender would ask for your rental details along with your income. There are some mortgage lenders who will allow you to add your rent to the salary, while other will base the buy to let mortgage entirely on the rent. Any previous mortgage will have a say in what you can borrow with buy to let mortgage. Different lenders will have different criteria which apply also for the amount you can borrow. The maximum that you can borrow will be anywhere between £150,000 to £1m per property. Buy to let mortgage can be taken on more than one property with maximum up to 5 properties. But more than one buy to let mortgage would not be possible on the same property.
Buy to let mortgage lenders usually lend 85% of the property value. Buy to let mortgage entails down payment. The down payment varies from 15%-25%. The larger down payment you can avail the better deals. There is a little variation in the rates of buy to let mortgage and other mortgages. The rental income formula varies but usually rental income should be 130%-150% of total monthly repayments.
The interest rates offered for Buy to let mortgage are fixed, variable, capped, tracker, capped, discounted. According to the inclination of the borrower, any interest rate type can be applied for. Always ask for quotes and compare. This will enable you to sort out buy to let mortgage that corresponds with your expectations. Research is fundamental in every loan process including buy to let mortgage.
Buy to let mortgage is a secured loan which means that it is secured on your property. Late repayment will show in your credit report and inability to repay can lead to loss of property. Think before you apply for buy to let mortgage. First check affordability and then apply for buy to let mortgage. Since it is a long term investment, you have to be careful about making payments on time. Since you have rental income, it will enable you to payments during difficult circumstances. You can take deposit form tenants to make prevent making arrears. We good record with buy to let mortgage will open doors for more investment as buy to let.
Before Buy to let make sure which property you are buying and whether it is compatible with the area. The neighbourhood should be such where there is considerable scope for letting it out. Plan out how much you are ready to pay for the property, keeping in mind expenses like down payment, stamp duty, evaluation fee, solicitor’s fee and other expenditure like remodeling to enable anticipated usage.
A few years ago buy to let mortgage was something which would cost you higher interest rate, larger down payment and expect large penalty for changing mortgage. However, the buy to let orientation has changed considerably. Buy to let mortgage has considerably moulded itself to become more consumer friendly. In such a stable mortgage market, there is great scope for expansion.
by: Amanda Thompson
Buy to let mortgage market was worth £21.8 billion in 2004 and accounted to 38.2 % of commercial market in the same year. The buy to let market has grown more than any market as a whole – which is remarkable. Such a strong market spells nothing but benefit to mortgage hopeful. Buy to let mortgage was a constructive effort by The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) to encourage growth in the private rented sector.
Buy to let mortgage is a specialized product for a special mortgage product. However, there is little difference between this and other mortgage products. If you understand the various details of buy to let mortgage, there is no way that you won’t be successful in your attempt. Every buy to let mortgage will undergo the usual mortgage guideline. The lender will check your credit worthiness, value of your property, the amount of down payment before he approves your buy to let mortgage.
Buy to let mortgage have emerged as an increasingly popular mortgage in last few years. They are marked lower interest rates and have added to their attraction. Also rental income is more dependable form of income than other investment forms. The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) operates a buy to let scheme which is supported by a group of lenders. There are other buy to let mortgage lenders who operate outside the scheme and you don’t have to go through any ARLA agent.
A buy to let mortgage lender would ask for your rental details along with your income. There are some mortgage lenders who will allow you to add your rent to the salary, while other will base the buy to let mortgage entirely on the rent. Any previous mortgage will have a say in what you can borrow with buy to let mortgage. Different lenders will have different criteria which apply also for the amount you can borrow. The maximum that you can borrow will be anywhere between £150,000 to £1m per property. Buy to let mortgage can be taken on more than one property with maximum up to 5 properties. But more than one buy to let mortgage would not be possible on the same property.
Buy to let mortgage lenders usually lend 85% of the property value. Buy to let mortgage entails down payment. The down payment varies from 15%-25%. The larger down payment you can avail the better deals. There is a little variation in the rates of buy to let mortgage and other mortgages. The rental income formula varies but usually rental income should be 130%-150% of total monthly repayments.
The interest rates offered for Buy to let mortgage are fixed, variable, capped, tracker, capped, discounted. According to the inclination of the borrower, any interest rate type can be applied for. Always ask for quotes and compare. This will enable you to sort out buy to let mortgage that corresponds with your expectations. Research is fundamental in every loan process including buy to let mortgage.
Buy to let mortgage is a secured loan which means that it is secured on your property. Late repayment will show in your credit report and inability to repay can lead to loss of property. Think before you apply for buy to let mortgage. First check affordability and then apply for buy to let mortgage. Since it is a long term investment, you have to be careful about making payments on time. Since you have rental income, it will enable you to payments during difficult circumstances. You can take deposit form tenants to make prevent making arrears. We good record with buy to let mortgage will open doors for more investment as buy to let.
Before Buy to let make sure which property you are buying and whether it is compatible with the area. The neighbourhood should be such where there is considerable scope for letting it out. Plan out how much you are ready to pay for the property, keeping in mind expenses like down payment, stamp duty, evaluation fee, solicitor’s fee and other expenditure like remodeling to enable anticipated usage.
A few years ago buy to let mortgage was something which would cost you higher interest rate, larger down payment and expect large penalty for changing mortgage. However, the buy to let orientation has changed considerably. Buy to let mortgage has considerably moulded itself to become more consumer friendly. In such a stable mortgage market, there is great scope for expansion.
The ABCs Of Stock Options
The ABCs Of Stock Options
by: Ken Morris
As a performance incentive many companies are starting to offer employees the “option” to buy company stock as a part of their compensation packages. These “options” are referred to as stock options and they provide a unique opportunity for an employee to potentially increase his or her wealth along side company shareholders. The employee receiving company stock options should have a good understanding of the characteristics of the different types of stock options in order to maximize their potential benefits.
A stock option is a right granted by a company to an employee to purchase one or more shares of the company’s stock at a set time and predetermined purchase price. The employee benefits when the value of the company stock appreciates over and above the predetermined purchase price following the granting of the stock options, enabling the holder to purchase the company stock at a discount. There are two types of stock options: non-qualified stock options and incentive stock options.
Non-qualified stock options (NQSO) are more frequently offered to employees than Incentive Stock Options because of their flexibility and minimal requirements. NQSOs afford the employee the right to purchase a set number of employer shares at a specific, predetermined price. If the employee wishes to acquire the employer stock then he or she will exercise the option and purchase the employer stock at the predetermined (exercise) price. If the stock’s value has appreciated over and above the predetermined price the employee has received the benefit of acquiring the stock at a discount. The difference between the exercise price and the market value (commonly referred to as the bargain element) will be taxable income to the employee as ordinary income, potentially as high as 35%.
The other type of stock option is the Incentive Stock Option (ISO). In direct contrast to a nonqualified stock option, there is no income tax consequence when an employee exercisers the option to buy the employer stock. The difference between the exercise price and the market value (bargain element) is only taxable upon the ultimate sale of the employer stock. In other words, a gain is only recognized when the employer stock is sold and not when the option is exercised. If the stock is held the appropriate time period before being sold, all the gains recognized may qualify for long-term capital gains treatment, a maximum rate of 15%.
Being able to take part in an ISO program allows an employee to receive a number of tax saving benefits. But with these tax benefits comes added complexity to keep track of and to understand. For example, to qualify for the favorable long-term capital gain taxation, the employee must hold the stock for at least two years from the date the ISO was granted and for at least one year from the date the option was exercised. This is commonly referred to as the “2 year / 1 year rule”. If the employee sells the stock before these requirements are met, gain on the stock is taxed as ordinary income in the year of the sale, essentially converting the ISO to a non-qualified stock option.
An additional complexity of an ISO that should be kept in mind by the employee is the potential for an alternative minimum tax (AMT) consequence upon exercise of an ISO. For this and other reasons, it remains important to work with your financial advisor and tax professional when evaluating the strategies to take full advantage of the opportunities and benefits of stock options.
by: Ken Morris
As a performance incentive many companies are starting to offer employees the “option” to buy company stock as a part of their compensation packages. These “options” are referred to as stock options and they provide a unique opportunity for an employee to potentially increase his or her wealth along side company shareholders. The employee receiving company stock options should have a good understanding of the characteristics of the different types of stock options in order to maximize their potential benefits.
A stock option is a right granted by a company to an employee to purchase one or more shares of the company’s stock at a set time and predetermined purchase price. The employee benefits when the value of the company stock appreciates over and above the predetermined purchase price following the granting of the stock options, enabling the holder to purchase the company stock at a discount. There are two types of stock options: non-qualified stock options and incentive stock options.
Non-qualified stock options (NQSO) are more frequently offered to employees than Incentive Stock Options because of their flexibility and minimal requirements. NQSOs afford the employee the right to purchase a set number of employer shares at a specific, predetermined price. If the employee wishes to acquire the employer stock then he or she will exercise the option and purchase the employer stock at the predetermined (exercise) price. If the stock’s value has appreciated over and above the predetermined price the employee has received the benefit of acquiring the stock at a discount. The difference between the exercise price and the market value (commonly referred to as the bargain element) will be taxable income to the employee as ordinary income, potentially as high as 35%.
The other type of stock option is the Incentive Stock Option (ISO). In direct contrast to a nonqualified stock option, there is no income tax consequence when an employee exercisers the option to buy the employer stock. The difference between the exercise price and the market value (bargain element) is only taxable upon the ultimate sale of the employer stock. In other words, a gain is only recognized when the employer stock is sold and not when the option is exercised. If the stock is held the appropriate time period before being sold, all the gains recognized may qualify for long-term capital gains treatment, a maximum rate of 15%.
Being able to take part in an ISO program allows an employee to receive a number of tax saving benefits. But with these tax benefits comes added complexity to keep track of and to understand. For example, to qualify for the favorable long-term capital gain taxation, the employee must hold the stock for at least two years from the date the ISO was granted and for at least one year from the date the option was exercised. This is commonly referred to as the “2 year / 1 year rule”. If the employee sells the stock before these requirements are met, gain on the stock is taxed as ordinary income in the year of the sale, essentially converting the ISO to a non-qualified stock option.
An additional complexity of an ISO that should be kept in mind by the employee is the potential for an alternative minimum tax (AMT) consequence upon exercise of an ISO. For this and other reasons, it remains important to work with your financial advisor and tax professional when evaluating the strategies to take full advantage of the opportunities and benefits of stock options.
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