Archive for Business
This Economy Is Great For Banks Issuing Bad Credit Cards
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’re using credit cards, it can be hard to get off the cycle of high interest debt and pay them down and not carry a balance. Bad credit cards can be dangerous as they charge high fees and interest and may play around with the terms.
The credit cards in our life have gone haywire – they hit us with inexplicable fees, the interest rates are going through the roof, they are cutting our spending limits, and there no rewards either. Even if you haven’t looked closely at your credit card bills these past few months, you can be sure that your credit card deal just got quite grim. If it isn’t obvious yet, this is no longer a buyer’s market. All of this may not really put you in the mood to count your blessings; but whatever raw deal your bank just handed to you, you can be sure that there are people out there with bad credit cards and contracts that make your bank look like Santa Claus. Let’s look at some of these winners.
Let’s start with subprime cards; First Premier Bank’s Centennial Gold card gives bad credit cards a bad name. They charge you nearly $30 to set up an account, they slap on nearly $100 for what they call a program fee, there is an annual fee, and you need to pay a servicing fee that’s about $100 a year too. You actually owe more in all these startups fees than the average credit limit the first month. All this changes with the new credit card law though, starting February. They won’t be able to charge you fees higher than 25% of your credit limit.
How about retail cards? These are no freebies or prizes to begin with; and retail cards offer you, with rare exception, the most ridiculous rates ever. Take Macy’s credit card; would you believe that they charge you almost a 24% interest on your balance? The Gap, JCPenney or Brooks Brothers, all think it is pretty cool to charge you that much. Where do they get off with this? the good (non-retail) cards charge only about 10%. The credit cards that treat you with appreciation when you pay back your balance in full by the due date each month, are usually well-hidden.There are some bad credit cards (all well-advertised), that think they can pull the wool over your eyes with some strange twisted rules. Take Bank of America’s Money Return Platinum Plus card; their rules on paper look quite nice; you get a 10% cash rebate for paying back your balance and no charge on balance transfers for six months. But hold on, there is a little caveat to that. The interest you pay on a balance is about 15% – 20%, and you don’t get the 10% cash rebate unless you carry a balance. So you have to pay them 20% to get 10%? What kind of bizarro deal is this?
Back in the careless and carefree days, the banks just handed out credit cards to all takers, and of course, were bad bets who could not afford a card in the first place. Everyone knows how those people let their imaginations run away with them in using those credit cards, and ended up in bankruptcy court. With finances and credit running tighter now, no one is willing to put out credit cards to subprime cases anymore. Instead, people with poor credit can give the bank a cash deposit for as much credit limit as they want, and get a secured card instead.
Usually this should give you a good deal; but there are some bad credit cards that can take advantage of you if you are hard up enough to need a secured card. The New Millennium Bank has a Platinum secured card from Visa and MasterCard; why they call it Platinum is probably because it’s worth that much to them. You pay a $100 processing fee, an annual fee, and there is no grace period for paying back your charges. You pay 20%, from the time you make the charge to the time you pay them back, even if it is before the due date. This really is a shocker is what it is. A secured card is usually the best deal; what on earth were they thinking?
If you need to fix your credit it may be easier than you think. It starts with the basics – like pulling a credit report so you know where you stand.
Then you can start to take steps to build your credit history back up.
Learn about the importance of saving for retirement.Starting Your Own Small Business
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Tips For Starting Your Own Small Business
With the economy in the shape it is, there are plenty of individuals looking to other resources for income. If you’re feeling the strain, you may have considered starting your own small business. However, it is also important to be careful with how you approach this arena. After all, a number of small businesses are taking nose dives these days simply because it is difficult to contend with the massive companies that sell everything for less. The key to starting your own small business is knowing how much it will cost to keep up, where to get it started location wise, and how risky it is.
Not all businesses succeed simply because their products and/or services just aren’t in demand. Or maybe they’re not a necessity for most people. If you haven’t noticed, countless individuals are ruling certain things out of their budget. They simply cannot afford them! However, there are some industries that people do not turn away from. Think about items like alcohol, coffee, food, entertainment, and prescription medications. Although can’t just run out and start selling these things on the street, they are meant to give you an idea of what people can never do without.
When starting your own small business, you need to have a location in mind and funding in place. Websites like SBA.gov and IncUSA.com can really help you get started with ideas and funding for your own small business venture. The federal government does hand out small loans to people that are striving to create a personal business. There is often even grant money available if you seek it out. Naturally the government will want to know what exactly you are spending this funding on.
Consider starting your own small business from home. While this may sound absurd to some people, because you are uncertain where your customers will come from, it is a wonderful idea money-wise. For a few hundred dollars you could have a website up and running in no time with a description of your services and products. You can purchase advertising through websites like Google and have your small business advertised all over the web in great spots where the right consumers will see. You even get to decide how much you spend on advertising. Now, think about the cost of a commercial store in a mall, shopping plaza, or downtown. The monthly rent alone would be horrible. Why do this when you can start your own business from home online, and spend much less? Lastly, research your consumer base. Find out if the product or service you intend to offer is highly desired or sought after. This will save you some major expense and hard work in the long run.
Learn about the importance of saving for retirement.Identity Theft Protection Companies
Posted by: | CommentsEach year, millions of Americans experience identity theft and is considered one of the fastest growing crimes in the States. Anyone can become a victim of identity theft. From an in-line grocery store to home shopping online, the threat of identity theft is omnipresent. However, this does not mean that you are powerless. Identity protection companies abound that can help you remain safe. Alternatively, taking simple identity protection measures can go a long way to ensuring that you stay safe.
Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft
One thing to remember about identity theft is that the earlier it is spotted, the greater the chances of catching the offender and minimizing any financial loss. As a result, preventive measures are given more focus such as eliminating junk mail with sensitive information, having fraud alerts and hiring an identity theft company or expert to monitor or track your financial records and statements. Even with all the best efforts towards identity protection, it may occur. In the event that it does occur, your ID protection service will help professional prevention services or a protection expert make things right. Any affected accounts can be quickly canceled and new cards and documents obtained and the theft can be quickly reported to the authorities. Identity theft prevention companies also offer insurance policies that will help pay off any losses that you may suffer in the process.
Time and again, it has been advised that one of the best identity protection steps you can take is to shred all documents before trashing them into the dust bin. All important documents like a passport, bank statements and bills must be kept in secure places and online information should be protected using an appropriate anti spyware or anti virus software when transacting. Phishing scams are also becoming unpopular ways in which identity thieves are using to trick people into revealing login and account information. Requesting credit history reports on a regular basis will also help you to spot immediately any suspicious deductions or any fraudulent credit claims against your name.
Identity Theft Protection Companies
Identity protection companies offer a wide range of services. These include fraud alerts, database monitoring, scanning and monitoring of credit and black market for sales of credit card information and private information. When an identity theft occurs, these are likely to be the first to spot it and can take the necessary measure to ensure that one suffers minimal loss. There are many companies offering identity protection and each has its own strengths and weaknesses, thus choose prudently.
Learn about the importance of saving for retirement.How Hard Is Getting a Patent?
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’ve thought about protecting an idea or invention of yours with a patent, you may be wondering what’s involved… how hard is it to get a patent, how much does it cost? Do I need an attorney? What about one of those “inventor incubator” companies that has offered to help me?
Here’s the real scoop on what’s involved with Patents.
Protecting Your Business Idea By Getting A Patent
What could be tougher than coming up with a breakthrough idea that will change the way people do something? Why, getting the patent office to recognize it, and finding the cash to fund the process, of course! People often think of getting a patent just to prove to the world that their idea is unique and useful; getting a patent though is such a tortuous process that no one would advise doing it unless you can find out for sure if your idea could actually sell for something more than you would actually spend getting the paperwork done. Once you satisfy yourself that you could make a killing on this, comes the actual filing process.
You need to remember how Einstein once started his career working as a patent clerk in Switzerland, admitting or dismissing patent applications: you would not want to be filing your patent in that office now would you? Not to scare anyone, but this does bring up an important point. A patent really is looked over by beady-eyed sleuths, scientific minds that find no pleasure quite as satisfying as finding how an application is not as unique as it claims, and then throwing it out. To help your case, the best way to go about it would be to provide them with as much deep and insightful technical detail on your invention as possible. This is no time to be hiding anything from them to protect your invention. You need to be sure to include evidence, explanations for technical people and layperson , drawings, papers, research findings and everything else. Get a witness to testify in writing that everything in there makes sense to him, and you should be on your way to getting a patent.
How Much Does Getting A Patent Cost?
And now for the money part: people often hire a patent attorney for the shoe leather; but you could work for yourself getting a patent and save quite a bit seeing as how hiring an attorney can cost a couple hundred dollars per billable hour. If you were to do it yourself you would only pay the patent office a minimum fee: the patent office usually gives the individual inventor or nonprofit a break by charging no more than $150 in filing fees. The big boys need to pay twice as much. Once the filing is over with there is the examination fee, usually a couple of hundred dollars to keep the patent examiner warm, and a similar amount in search fees to help him sift through other patents to make sure you haven’t just slapped a new coat of paint on someone else’s invention. The process itself can take an year or two. What could help your case though? If you could knock together a working model of your idea that would really help.
Isn’t there a way to improvise and get it done for less though? There is: what you need is some kind of proof that your design or idea existed on a particular date; if someone gets the bright idea to copy your creation, you need some kind of proof that your idea existed previously. It’s pretty simple actually; you just print all the details of your idea that you can fit on a USPS postcard. You send it yourself, and it arrives one day with a dated postal stamp on top of your printed idea. This proves pretty thoroughly that your idea existed first. It isn’t really a patent, but it will certainly help you to drag anyone else to court should they claim they were first.
Learn about the importance of saving for retirement.Free Criminal Records Check Information
Posted by: | CommentsIf you run your own business it’s a good idea to do a free criminal records check on employees before you hire them. Likewise, if you own rental property, like I do, it’s a good idea to do a criminal record check on your tenants, in addition to a credit report, employment verification and getting past landlord references.
The good news is that there are lots of ways to get access to this information quickly and easily. Here’s the scoop.
Free Criminal Records Check
There are so many ways to stay on top of things with all the technology at your fingertips. Your personal computer and Internet access can help you find pretty much any information you desire, and it does not require much effort. Say for instance you want to perform a free criminal records check and see what criminals are living near your home. This can be done in little time, and you don’t even have to be a police officer of criminal attorney to access this data.
Many people wonder why they would ever need to look into criminal records of any kind. After all, unless you’re been in prison yourself, what would be the purpose of checking out a criminal records database? This is simple! Most people choose to access free criminal records online so that they can become better informed about whom their neighbors are. You must consider that anyone could be living next door. If you don’t already know who lives in the residential homes and communities around you, then it is time to get better acquainted with your neighbors by doing an online check for criminals.
Websites With Free Criminal Record Check Information
Some of the more common websites or services that can assist you with this are ADT.com, Public.Records.peoplelookup.com, and PeopleSearching.com. Whether you knew it or not, someone may have used these kinds of search databases on you in the past. Companies routinely utilize free criminal records check sites to learn more about employee applicants. This way they can determine if you have a criminal record before they proceed to hire you. It only makes sense. Who wouldn’t use this wonderful technology that’s always at their fingertips, and totally free of charge? This is the information age!
If you have a spouse or children, it is certainly wise to check out free criminal records check websites. You may have three convicted pedophiles living near your home. Then again, you may not have any for miles. Search within a ten-mile radius and see what kind of neighbors you have. All you really need to get started is your street address and/or zip code. Many of these free criminal records sites even address specific neighborhoods or communities and let you know if registered sex offenders are living near your house. You can sign up for updates, which will allow you to review any new information that arises via email. Get informed about who lives in your are. It is a great way to better protect your children and family. This way you can monitor where your kids play and let them know which individuals and/or houses to avoid. Would you actually let your small child play near a registered sex offender’s home? Probably not.
Learn about the importance of saving for retirement.One Business Idea: Earn Extra Money Online
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’ve been wondering how to earn extra money online, maybe now is the time to figure it out. There are many different business models available. I encourage you to contact me for recommendations after you read this article. I have pursued several different methods, and I’d be happy to tell you what’s working best for me!
How To Earn Extra Money Online
One of the wonderful things about this new millennium are the opportunities that did not previously exist. Take the World Wide Web for instance. At this point you can earn extra money online, but do so without a specific degree or any formal training. Hey, you can’t beat that! After all, we currently live in a world where education is king, and it is increasingly difficult to pinpoint a good job that does not require extensive schooling and past experience. Regardless you can earn extra money online.
So, you have thought about it before. Maybe you’ve toyed with the concept of earning some additional cash or supplementing your income in some way. Well, consider the Internet as your vehicle to earning more money. There is a sea of capital to be had on the web. All you really need to get started is a computer, Internet access, and a passion to make some additional money. Now, if you you’re like most people, you absolutely want to earn some additional cash whenever you can. So at this point what you need to do is brainstorm a few ideas on how to go about this. Keep in mind that there are numerous ways to approach earning extra money online and bringing in additional monthly income.
Just to get you going, consider online businesses. Just like most people, you too can start a from-home business of some sort with very little effort. Maybe you have been pondering the concept of selling baked treats online or homemade jewelry. Other people just like you do this all the time. You can get started small and build your business as you start to earn more and more money. To get going, you simply need a little web space. Purchasing a domain name is cheap (maybe $8-$10), and you only pay the fee to keep it once each year. There is also free software you can obtain, such as wordpress to get you started with your new business website. This is much easier to do than you may think.
Do not overlook information as a means of earning extra money online. If you have some special skills or knowledge to offer the world, do not keep it to yourself. Instead, create blogs and websites with ads strategically placed on them. This way when people access your blogs and websites to learn more about a certain subject or field of interest, they see intriguing advertisements, and then proceed to click on them. Each click earns you more money. This is one way to earn extra money online, but without spending a single dime. You really can’t beat that! Who ever said you have to spend money in order to make money? This is no longer the case.
Learn about the importance of saving for retirement.Getting An Accounting Degree Online
Posted by: | CommentsHave you ever thought about getting an accounting degree online? Whether you want to be a staff accountant at a large firm, or hang your own shingle as an entrepreneur, accounting is an excellent business (no one wants to do it for themselves, even in hard times…) and can be very lucrative.
Other Uses For An Online Accounting Degree
Even if you don’t intend to use your accounting degree to be an accountant, it is an excellent way to give you a good grounding in financial practice if you want to tbe able to track your own business financials – income statments, balance sheets, P&L’s and so forth…
Earning An Accounting Degree Online Opens A Wealth Of Possibilities
Accounting is one degree with 360 degrees of possibilities – this is how the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts summarizes a career choice in accounting. Indeed the 360 degree view of accounting offers students career opportunities in the wide fields of finance and accounting. The fundamentals of accounting in many economic endeavors are undeniable. The fact that one can now earn accounting degrees online makes this career choice accessible to nearly everyone who has the drive and the passion to learn accounting technology. There are a number of reasons why you will want to take an online degree in accounting rather than the traditional classroom course. One of the obvious ones is the fact that accounting degrees online are up to 10 times cheaper that attending a college or university. Taking into consideration the tuition, books, accommodation and transportation, you can clearly see that the power of the internet in all these areas is the logical solution.
That however does not that the course online will exempt you from taking your course seriously. The same entry requirements are expected of anyone enrolling for an online course. When it comes to prerequisites however, you have some advantages that traditional courses do not have. These include accounting experience, transferable credits and a host of other considerations that may exempt you from certain units. Seriousness nevertheless, is still expected of anyone taking his or her education online. For beginners, the course begins with accounting basics that address fundamental concepts of accounting and lays a foundation for what is to come. In the first units, the course will build on accounting principles and emphasis will be placed on the uses and purposes of accounting and financial statements and an overview of accounting information systems and automation is introduced.
Information systems today have become integrated into nearly all aspects of business and accounting degrees online require that students learn the fundamentals of information systems and technology as well as the relationship that exists between information systems and business operations. Business law, regulation and tax preparation are also other units that are covered. Students get to learn about the different types of taxes that exist in finance and the tax laws surrounding them. Bankruptcy, employment and contract law are all covered as well. Most online accounting degrees require that the students access a learning network that allows them to interact with other students and instructors either via email or via a discussion board. Accounting degrees online or offline will offer you an opportunity to work in the government, become a partner in an accounting firm or an entrepreneur, a 360 degrees view wide open.
Learn about the importance of saving for retirement.Warehouse, Retail, Office – Commercial Real Estate Options
Posted by: | CommentsAs a commercial real estate investor I own a number of commercial properties including warehouse, retail, office, residential, and land. There are pro’s and con’s to each type of investment property. Deciding what is right for you will depend on your investing goals, your current assets and liabilities and tolerance of risk as well as the location-specific demands for leasing and properties for sale in the area that you want to invest. As in so many things in real estate, supply and demand rule the day.
Do You Want To Lease Warehouse Retail Space Or Own It?
If you are looking to warehouse retail supplies for your own store, it is easy enough to do with a rental space at a mini-storage, or perhaps unused space owned by your landlord in your current location. If you want to buy this type of property as an investment, it will take a little more care because you’ll have more risk and less flexibility moving in and out of an ownership position than you will on a lease.
Although I can’t vouch for it’s accuracy, I did find an example of someone’s experience with warehouse retail space on the web:
Although location is important in starting a business, it is only one of many factors that determine the success or failure of your enterprise. A few years ago, I bought some warehouse real estate. I wanted to start a warehouse shipping business over the Internet. It seemed like an excellent idea at the time. Unfortunately, I was a little bit off. By the time I got into Internet sales, it was already a little bit too late. The market was already saturated, and I was not Web savvy enough to overcome the obstacles. Still, I knew better than to give up. Although I wasn’t in a traditional location for a warehouse retail space, I decided to give it a go anyway. To tell you the truth, the shop was a little bit out of the way, and although there were outlet stores about 10 miles further down the expressway, I still did not expect large numbers of people to stop at my store.
Things worked out better than I imagined. Within a few months of opening the warehouse retail space, I was already starting to break even on operating expenses. In another couple months, I was on my way to becoming a successful warehouse retailer. My retail warehouse was doing so well, as a matter of fact, that I was soon able to afford to upgrade it. It didn’t really look like a good retail store at that moment. It looked like a warehouse with a cash register thrown in. Once I gave it a more professional appearance, business grew even further.
The great thing about my warehouse retail store was that I was able to use my success and popularity to get a wholesale business going. Soon, my warehouse retail outlet was shipping all over the country. As a matter of fact, nowadays we get almost as many orders over the Internet as we do from customers coming in person!
A big part of our success was our location. The placement that I thought would hold us back actually helped us. You see, most of the people coming from the city passed right by our shop. It was only a matter of a quick detour off of the highway for them to visit. Although it is not a great location for people looking to stop in for a quick shopping trip, it is ideally placed to take advantage of the warehouse outlet shopping excursions that so many people go on nowadays.
Business Is Complicated So Take Care In Selecting Your Warehouse Retail Space
Regardless of whether you plan to buy or lease warehouse retail space, it’s a good idea to know what you’re getting into and educate yourself on the marketplace so you can be sure you’re getting a good deal. Think through your plans for the property so you can feel confident it will meet your needs, now and for years to come as your business grows.
Learn about the importance of saving for retirement.