Get Me Out Of Debt!- Surefire Tactics For Debt Elimination

by: Joseph Hernandez
If you're in financial crisis while your debt has grown to be unmanageable, you're ready to try taking a little action and straighten out the scenario. Though your money is in chaos, you possibly can continue to do away with debt and restore control over your cash. However, you must find out the best way of getting it done.

Here are several tips that will assist you in getting you out of debt:

1.Alter your current utility suppliers You could put away a lot of money yearly on the gas, energy, water and telephone bills by switching. It is advisable to improve your energy power and phone suppliers prior to setting up direct debits.

2.Try to cut your household expenses.

3.Chop up store credit cards. These have undoubtedly the very worst costs, so if you discover it hard to manage a lot of these debts, discard your cards now to stop temptation. Many shopping area cards use a cash-back incentive. Don't be misled! The amount of cash-back isn't nearly as much as the interest you pay to your credit card. You'll pay through the roof for most store cards - it's safer to pay cash provided you can.

4. For all those stuff you cannot pay with cash, check around for the best discounts - the market industry is competitive, so there are some exceptional zero interest credit offers around. Additionally, it is worth having a look at the internet, as numerous creditors offer exceptional deals.

5. Evaluate protection policies Save maney by switching your insurance carrier. It is possible to get cheaper vehicle coverage or mortgage protection, for instance, by phoning around or searching via a web broker. Also, it is truly worth checking that you aren't unnecessarily increasing your payments by not combining several of your coverages - such as auto, home and fire insurance.. Look at your insurance policies binder.

6. Lastly, target on the plan to pay back debt. Read internet sites for testimonials to getting out of debt. This will help you stay motivated through your journey. Take every possible opportunity to save money. Buy discounted food products and take advantage of coupons. Don't get worried about becoming humiliated since you also are purchasing over stocked food and utilizing coupons. Feel better about yourself realizing why these many people are wasting money and possibly carry more debt than you. Then, some day when you are debt-free, you will no longer have got to say "get me out of debt!"

source: www.articlecity.com

How To Choose A Recruitment Agency For Overseas Staff

by: Fred Molloy
In recent times, the concept of recruiting overseas staff has gained momentum. Many businesses have joined the bandwagon in their attempt to meet the unprecedented and increasing skills shortage. To keep afloat and to stay ahead of competitors, it is important that you recruit skilled staff to deliver what the business stands for. Recruiting overseas staff is a boon for many small and medium sized businesses to meet this challenge. International recruits may possess the skills and attitudes that will prove beneficial to you and your business.

It is a known fact that to have a migrant worker is a financial decision. It is less desirable to have this worked out wrongly. You need them as an asset to your business rather than a liability. A wrong choice will result in lost visa space on which you spent your time, money and effort. Hence, it is required that these international recruitment agencies are more diligent in choosing the right candidate.

The exercise to bring in overseas staff will be rewarding if you are able to choose an appropriate overseas staff recruitment agency. There are numerous businesses claiming to be the best in the industry. How would you differentiate the good from the bad? This write-up is essentially to give an insight to the key aspects, which you need to be aware of when engaging a recruitment agency for overseas staff.

Choosing a Recruitment Agency for Overseas Staff

Recruitment is a dynamic industry and it becomes overwhelming and confusing for prospective employers and candidates. In this maze, to choose the right recruitment agency for overseas staff becomes even more daunting. Some of the characteristics that you need to look out for when availing the service of a recruitment agency, especially for Overseas staff, is listed below.

Global Presence

A well-established recruitment agency with numerous clients and offices in different locations across cities, provinces or countries is a safe bet. Be cautious when signing up with a start up agency or one with a single office location.

There are international recruiters who claim they have offices in different countries. To affirm their claims are true, request for the business registration documents for the respective countries. This could be beneficial, as it will quickly tell you whether they are being honest or misleading you with false claims. They may be in reality working with an associate agency and this might cost you more dearly. This also means that the recruitment process and most importantly screening of the applicants are not under their control.

Experience

It is important that the recruitment agency has the relevant experience in recruiting international staff in addition to guide and lead you smoothly through the transition process. It is advisable to choose a recruiting agency, which has been continuously working with Overseas recruitment and with good reputation.

An experienced recruitment agency is more likely to be aware of the laws of the countries from which the applicant hail from. As they are empowered with this knowledge, this will quicken the process to get them to your country after visa issuance. This requires experience in visa and immigration rules of both countries. This is a salient feature to look for when engaging a recruiting agency for overseas staff recruitment.

Reference Check

It is wise to carry out a thorough check on the recruitment agency that you wish to engage for recruitment. You should request for client testimonials and case studies to confirm their authenticity. Ideally, they should provide these without much delay. Needless to add, this should be followed up with a background check of the testimonials to ensure they are clients and not pseudo businesses.

Some shady recruitment agencies are famous in providing Client contacts with a foreign sounding name. Do not hesitate to insist in getting a reference from a client in your own country or in a similar country. This way you can verify the legitimacy of the referred Business entity.

There could be occasions where an international recruitment agency might pass their relatives or friends as client or business references. They would impress you with their polite, feasible and article manners. However in reality they might not be a business. Easier way to ascertain this would be to do a search on Google maps. If they are a listed business, the chances are very rare that you wouldn’t find them on google maps or other business directory.

Brand

Websites depicts the degree of professionalism maintained by an organisation. This platform serves as a tool for interaction and serves as the public face of the business. Being part of the social media such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the like is a clear indication of whether they are with the flow.

Reputation

Website would be a good start to obtain information about any prospective recruitment agency. Other sources to check their reputation would be through newspapers, magazines and word-of-mouth. This will give you information on how the business is viewed in the public eye. Review their website to see whether they are informative, articulate and influential with a reputation in the industry.

You have a reputation and brand name in your industry. You are gauged by the way you conduct your business and especially your HR practices. You definitely will be concerned that your reputation is upheld in all circumstances. There are occasion where international recruiters overcharge their applicants. This in turn would mar your reputation. It would be advisable to get them disclose how much if any they charge their applicants for their services. What has been portrayed as free or low cost could actually cost the applicant. This in turn can damage your brand identity with the unassuming applicant believing that it is being charged rather than the agency itself.

Consultation

A genuine recruiter is ready to offer good, helpful and honest advice and is foresighted. It would be beneficial if your international recruiter is capable of providing relevant information that you need to know, preparing you what to expect and assist you in making the right decision drawn from their past experience. However, this is possible only with recruitment agencies that has a global presence and/ or networked with industry partners, to source skilled staff from different countries.

The recruiting consultant would work out options in the best interest of the client drawing from previous work experience. He/She would be willing to spend atleast 30-40 minutes of friendly and professional initial consultation to gain a complete understanding of your requirements and follow-up for further information as and when the need arises.

Response

Recruitment agencies that provide quick turn-around-time for emails and telephone queries, is a good sign that they take their profession seriously. This can be anything from phone calls being answered quickly, politely and in a professional manner; email etiquette; regular updates on websites etc. It would be advantageous to have your queries answered quickly so that you have a smooth sail in this entire process. Turnaround time is an important feature to look-out when choosing a recruitment agency.

Staff

How the recruitment agency consultants conduct their business is a reflection of the business image and principles. Evaluating and assessing all aspects of the consultants’ performance is important. Acting professionally in all circumstances, being knowledgeable about their clients and industry, keen to listen and offer advise accordingly, are some of the desired qualities in a recruitment consultant. It is crucial to ensure that they will be able to represent your business values and thereby attract skills appropriate to your business.

A combination of these key traits will help you zero down on the appropriate recruitment agency that will provide efficient professional service and from where you can build a lasting business relationship.

source: www.articlecity.com

Courier Delivery Services

by: Interlinkdirect
Courier Delivery has been the pulse of communication since time immemorial. Even though the internet has taken up the bulk of mail communication process, courier still plays an active role when it comes to delivering tangible goods around the world with reliability and express speed that only courier companies can provide.

The process of courier is quite complicated and requires several components within the company to perform flawlessly and reliably. Right from the point of pick-up till the delivery, an item passes through several processes that are known only to those inside the business and which hardly matter to the end users. All that matters is the end delivery and peace of mind.

What to Look For In a Courier Service Provider?

Once you decide to use a courier service you have to ensure that you know what options are available and what not. First and the most obvious is the presence of the courier company at the other end. Mostly, smaller companies have collaborations with larger ones to deliver items. However this is not always reliable. A company with a dedicated team of professionals handling the entire process independently is a much better one.

Second comes the pricing. Tariffs vary across companies, make sure that as a customer you look for all available alternatives that provide the speed and reliability at a cheap price. Never choose a costlier one when you can have the same from a more economical courier delivery company.

Then comes the ease of pick up and drop. Most courier companies have local presence in the form of depots and pick up points; the best among them also provide pick up right from your doorstep if you choose. At the other end, the recipient should not be inconvenienced for the sake of delivery. He or she needs to be intimated well ahead about the time of delivery so that he or she can make the necessary arrangements to be present at the time of time of delivery. This commitment and care can be expected only from the best.

What Are The Tariffs?

As already mentioned, this aspect is variable and you as a customer should do your research to know about the cheapest available. Talk to your friends and neighbours if you are completely new to this. Most companies will be happy to revert to your queries regarding price options. You could also visit their websites and get a good idea about the several schemes on offer. Requesting a quote can be very helpful in getting the clear picture of the process.

Finally, if you are availing any of the internet related service, whether it be payment or delivery make sure that the company is accredited and authentic.
source: www.articlecity.com

What Does My Credit Score Mean?

by: William Hauselberg
Are you thinking about applying for a loan, or wondering why your interest rate is what it is? Chances are good that your credit score is going to play a big role in both. What is your credit score? Your credit score is your ability to pay your debts and how big of a risk to a lender you would be. The higher the score, the higher your chances of getting a good loan with a lower interest rate.

How is my Credit Score Calculated?

There are many factors that go into this. Roughly a third of your score is determined by your credit history and whether you pay your bills on time. Other factors that go into your credit score are how many lines of credit your have and how much of your credit you have used up. The more cards you have the better and the less credit your have used up the better.

What are Some Ways I can Check my Credit Score?

The first step to checking your credit score is to get your credit report. How do I get my credit report? You can go to one of the three credit bureaus and request a credit score. You can also go to your bank or credit union and request a copy. Each borrower gets one free copy of their credit report a year.

One thing that can affect your score is the accuracy of your credit report. There could be mistakes on my credit report that could affect my credit score, you might be asking? Yes, not all creditors report accurately on your credit report, so make sure that it is accurate by requesting a copy at least a year to check for errors that can be holding your score down.

How Else can you Improve Your Credit Score?

Pay your bills on time and make sure that you don't get in over your head with debt. Repossessions and bankruptcies can damage your score and make it less likely to get a loan in the future.

Your credit score is going to be the way that a lender determines whether or not to give you a loan. If you have a high score you are going to have a better shot at getting a loan for a car or a house. Make sure you are keeping up with your credit report and paying your bills on time.
source: www.articlecity.com

Unsecured Personal Loans Bad Credit – Online Cash Borrowing With Poor Credit Score

by: Farold Haefen
A few years ago, the only way that people with bad credit could access credit financing was by pledging some asset as security on the amount of cash that they planned to borrow. The pledged asset also had to have some value close to the amount being borrowed. This is not the case anymore as some lenders are now giving out unsecured personal loans bad credit where the credit scores of the borrower also do not matter.

How to get better terms on the loans

Unsecured personal loans bad credit have very high interest rates as a measure by the lenders to reduce the risks of losing their unsecured cash to people with records of poor repayments and defaulting loans among other things. The loans are also given at very strict terms and any violations will attract huge penalties. The borrower should therefore try to find better terms before applying for the loans by:

Comparing lenders- this is quite easy especially when done online and you first need to come up with a number of lenders who offer these unsecured loans. You then need to compare them to find the one whose quote on unsecured personal loans bad credit reflects:

• More flexible terms and conditions

• Lower interest rates

• An amount that will handle your needs

Dealing with reputed lenders- choosing to deal with a lender known for good reputation is another way you can get better terms. The borrower should take time to carefully go through the reviews posted by previous borrowers in the website of the lender and this should greatly help in making the right decision. There are also some online sites that can help you on this as they give reviews and ratings of different lenders.

Improving credit scores with unsecured personal loans with bad credit

People with bad credit can use these loans to raise their credit scores as this can later help them to easily obtain other types of loans. All they need to do is borrow the loans and then make prompt repayments while keeping in line with the terms agreed on these loans. Keeping an extended but clean credit period can also help to improve credit scores.

Even if you don’t have any valuable assets under your name, it’s now easy to qualify for bad credit loans. Most lenders are now offering unsecured personal loans bad credit in a bid to gain more customers and all you need is to carry out a quick search to find them, apply for the loans and get the funds.
source: www.articlecity.com

Extensive Long Term Care Insurance Information

 by: Abe Tacker

Nobody can tell you how to plan your future healthcare. Family members and friends can only express their concern by sharing pieces of long term care (LTC) related advice. In the end, you will still have the final say. In case you wind up wanting long term care insurance information, feel free to read on.

LTC is not like a commodity in the market although it may look like one as it is sold left and right by various insurance companies and brokers. LTC services are much higher in price than those pair of designer jeans that could cost around $150, or that ultimate grilled prime burger at Spago that is considered very pricey at $22. You’ll get to wear the jeans for a decade or two anyway, while you’re not going to have burgers every day for lunch, are you?

LTC services are said to be more expensive because once your condition qualifies for LTC, you have to receive care on a regular basis otherwise you’ll end up chasing a premature death.

Whether you would opt for the home care setting or LTC facility, you’ll be spending a huge chunk of your assets if you want to receive quality care. For a home health aide these days, you’ll need to shell out at least $19 per hour, as this is the national median hourly rate for this type of service.

People that require assistance with two or more activities of daily living usually hire a home health aide, but if they expect somebody to do the house chores then they pay an additional fee for homemaker services. At present the national median hourly rate for homemaker services is $18 and the scope of work covers meal preparation, house cleaning, and doing the laundry.

Long Term Care Insurance Information And Nursing Home Expenses

Once a person’s health condition gets worse and he starts to require intensive care, he has to be admitted into a nursing home. This type of LTC facility performs 24-hour monitoring on its residents, as most of them have come down to a terminal illness and thus the need for maximum health supervision.

At present, a day’s stay in a nursing home will cost $213 but nobody with a critical health condition stays for only a day. According to nursing home personnel the average length of stay of elderly residents is two and a half years. Meaning to say, they are spending approximately $194,362 which can wipe out anybody’s assets before his or her health has started showing signs of improvement.

Assisted living facilities are playing the same tune as nursing homes, although the rates of its services are a notch lower than the latter. Based on Genworth Financial’s 2011 Cost of Care Survey, a one-bedroom unit in an assisted living has a monthly rate of $3,261. This LTC facility basically offers the same services which you can get from home care.

Study your options from long term care insurance information and you’ll realize that the annual premium of a potential LTC insurance policy is by far more affordable than the costs of care which can threaten your finances in the near future.
source: articlecity.com

Summer Saving Tips

by: Philbert Manalo

Summer time is one of the happiest seasons of the year. This is the perfect time to get a week of vacation from work, go to the beach and enjoy time with friends and family. As summer could mean happy times, it could also mean more expenses as you spend for family getaways and as electric bills go up due to more people staying in the house and using electric appliances. To help you save money during summer time, here are some helpful tips: 1. Turn off unnecessary household appliances Be cautious on what appliances kids use. Turn of unnecessary appliances that might just add up to your bill. Turning off the air conditioning during a cold night is a one of the helpful things to practice. 2. Let the kids try a summer business Instead of allowing your kids to just spend more of their money during summer, you can even teach them how to be thrifty and run a summer business. They can try setting up a Lemonade stand or have a garage sale of their old clothes and toys. This way, the kids learn to value money and spend little or just enough for their needs. 3. Save on groceries Grocery shopping, combined with the money we spend "eating out," makes up a huge portion of our monthly expenses. In order to save more money during summer, you must learn how to save money on your groceries. Choosing less expensive drinks, avoiding single-serving snacks and being realistic about the amount of food you need are some helpful ways to save you some bucks on your groceries. 4. Avoid credit cards Using your credit card means borrowing money from the bank that issued the card. And since credit cards often have high spending limits, it encourages cardholders to spend more and more money based on their credit limit. This therefore leads to uncontrollable spending. It is more helpful then to use a prepaid debit card or a prepaid money card when making purchases as these types of cards have credit limits based on the amount of money that the cardholder has from their own bank account. This helps the cardholder think twice before spending as he knows the money will be deducted from his own savings account.  Saving money during the summer season does not mean though that you have to spoil your happy times with your family. With careful planning, budgeting and following these simple tips from reassessing your groceries to choosing prepaid debit cards over credit cards will surely help you save more money that you can use for your family’s future needs.

source : www.articlecity.com

The Golden Age Of Natural Gas Is Here

by: Felipe Bazon
A recent report published by the IEA (International Energy Agency) entitled "Are we entering a golden age of gas? " sparked a series of discussions across the globe about the future of gas. Many energy market experts came forward to express their opinions and thoughts about the report which led me to right this article.

The IEA report says that the discovery of new reservoirs in South america, Middle East and Central Asia, the supply from unconventional resources such as shale gas and the unpredicted increase in demand are the major factors that will make natural gas enter a golden age.

According to the IEA global consumption will rise by more than 50% over the next 25 years accounting for a quarter of the world’s energy supply by 2035. On the back of low CO2 emissions when it is burned the report also suggests it could be a quick fix for global warming.

That is when opinions start to differ. Despite having the lowest CO2 emissions between all fossil fuels, natural gas still emits CO2 when it is burned and a strong reliance on gas could see temperatures rise by 3. 5ºC in the next 50 years causing disastrous consequences. This problem could be easily solved by the installation of carbon capture and storage equipment on these power plants which in turn would elevate energy prices making gas not such a viable option after all.

But it is too early to conclude that as more studies are needed in this area to evaluate the operational costs of carbon capture and storage equipment.

IEA's biggest bet to create this so called natural gas golden age is surely on shale gas. Regardless to what many people think shale gas is not a newly discovered type of gas, it was first discovered and extracted in 1821 but the production was overshadowed by larger natural gas reserves and less expensive extraction.

Now that global reserves are declining shale gas is becoming a viable option especially in america where production tripled over the past five years. It is estimated that natural gas will be responsible for 40% of all the energy produced in the us thanks to an abundant supply of shale gas.

Another point in favour of gas is the announcement made by Germany that will phase out all of its nuclear power plants by 2022. The Germans plan to combine renewable energy resources and natural gas to compensate for nuclear. The plans are to build six new natural gas power plants that will generate a total of 5 GW. This will surely increase global demand.

All seems very optimistic according the IEA's report but there are other points that need to be looked at before we can say gas has entered its golden age.

For instance according to the Financial Times Commodities Experts Javier Blas:

“The natural gas market is entering a golden age on the back of increasing global demand. So proclaims the International Energy Agency, the western countries’ watchdog. But the natural gas pricing system remains, for now, largely in the dark ages. ”

I think what Javier is trying to say is that global wholesale gas prices need to be independent from oil prices and adopt gas-to-gas pricing similar to the ones used in the uk for instance.

Ben Fryes from Bloomberg says:

“A golden age for gas hinges on the industry’s ability to address this issue, Gas producers must use the latest technology to find solutions to the problems for gas to reach its potential as a fuel. New technology may boost future prices, ”

As you can see it is a bit too soon to say that we are entering a natural gas golden age but we are sure in for some huge changes in a near future.
source: www.articlecity.com

Top 5 mistakes when getting home equity

by: Loans For Ontario
Rates have historically never been better, so nowadays the temptation to borrow against your home equity is very strong. However, many homeowners unknowingly make costly mistakes.

Here are the top 5 mistakes people make when applying for a home equity loan.

Mistake #1 - Not Knowing The Difference between a Home Equity Loan and a Home Equity Line of Credit

A home equity loan is a one-time transaction that allows you to draw out all the funds available.

A home equity line of credit (HELOC) is open; you can choose a small initial advance against the full amount of the line; then reuse the line of credit as often as you want during the period that the line is open. Your monthly payment is based on the outstanding balance.

A general rule of thumb is: use a home equity loan when you need all the money up front; such as cash for home improvements, debt consolidation, or a large one-time purchase.

If you need ongoing access to cash and revolving credit a HELOC may be your best choice.

Mistake # 2 - Taking a Home Equity Loan When You Plan on Refinancing Your First Mortgage

Many mortgage companies look at the combined loan amounts (i.e., the sum of the first and second loans) even when you are refinancing only your first loan. If you plan on refinancing your first loan the lender may require you to pay off both your first and second mortgages; or close your home equity line completely.

Check with your mortgage company to see if having a second loan will cause your refinance to be turned down.

Mistake # 3 - Not Knowing The Hidden Costs

If you feel you must take out a home equity loan or open a line of credit it is important to know ALL the costs. With any loan secured against your property there can be hefty insurance costs, appraisals and other fees that can cut into your loan amount.

Mistake# 4 - Only Applying at Your Current Bank

Many consumers apply for their home equity loan from their home bank. This can be a costly mistake.

As in any other type of loan, be sure to shop around for the best deal. Your current bank may not be able to give you the best interest rate or the best terms.

Think twice before deciding to use your local bank; you may find that there is another lender out there that can offer you a substantially more attractive loan program.

Mistake # 5 - Not Checking Your Credit First

As in any type of loan, it is imperative that you get the best rates and terms. However, if you have credit problems it will seriously affect your ability to qualify.

In fact, if your credit is not the greatest you may have no choice but to use alternative lenders specializing in hard to place loans. The solution: Make sure you go with the bank or lender that provides the best rates for your type of credit whether good or bad.

There you have it. Avoid these 5 mistakes and you could save yourself hundreds, if not thousands of dollars when you get a home equity loan.

Strategic Capital Network is a licensed mortgage brokerage specializing in helping credit challenged homeowners qualify for home equity loans.
source: www.articlecity.com

Small Business VoIP Services: Solution For Business Owners

by: Marco A. Serrano
Small businesses have the tendency to lag behind in their competition with their big-time counterparts. And those that do usually fail to meet their expectations of growing their business. Aside from their larger competitors, they also tend to lag behind other smaller businesses.

One of the causes why small businesses often result to failure is because they do not make use of modern technology. New technology plays a very essential role in determining how a company will end up.

No one would disagree with the fact that technology is a big factor in the growth of a company, may it be small or large. Even a single network of a small business VoIP services can provide companies a competitive advantage.

The Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, offers wide solutions to businesses. With a small business VoIP service it can save money and boost their communications competence.

One of the basic solutions VoIP provides is the reduction of phone bills. VoIP does not just target to dramatically solve the phone expenses of the company concerned, but also those of their customers. If you are a subscriber of VoIP, you can choose any area code you want to use. And for example, the majority of your customers are based in Los Angeles; your business can provide the customers calls charged at local rates, even when your business is situated in New York.

This kind of small business VoIP services developed to reduce communication costs can even allow you to offer you’re most valuable consumers free toll numbers. Up to now, this service may only be economically practical to large companies. But with VoIP, you can have that competitive edge. Small business VoIP services give you this solution so that your business can compete in line with the big boys.

However, VoIP is not just limited to this small business solution. VoIP telephone also gives the sales personnel the benefit of making calls to the head office for free, irrespective of the location and distance. The same advantage can be enjoyed by the other employees of the company who are provided with a VoIP handset.

VoIP applications require communication through the internet. As such, VoIP solution to communications can be accessed with the use of hardware and software appropriate for IP use including laptops, PC, PDAs, palm computers, Bluetooth as well as other technologies that can handle packetized internet reception and transfer. So businessmen who are traveling only have to carry VoIP hard-phone with an Internet access to get in touch. Or they may also choose to use VoIP softphone installed in their PC and connect to the internet. The technology of small business VoIP services allows businesses to finally contend with corporate companies in flexibility and speed of communication.

With just simple clicks of a button, VoIP allows the set-up of web conference calls. Unlike the traditional web conferences, small business VoIP service web conference features the technologies of web-based video, sound, animation, and digital voice presentations. At a small business price, this corporate technology can have customers impressed.

With an adapted small business VoIP service, businesses are not just provided with competitive advantages over their larger counterparts. Businesses of any size are given the opportunity to develop further over their peers when it comes to communications proficiency, rate of response to customers' enquiries and requests, and image.

Get in to Voice over Internet Protocol. Whatever your business is, and no matter what size it is, small business VoIP services will help your company save money. Also, it will provide you additional features and control which may not be available in current phone systems.
source: www.articlecity.com

Getting Your Business To Grow - Lead Generation

by: Frank Ricard
When your business depends upon getting new leads regularly, there are some options that are open to you which can help you to achieve it. In today's technologically advanced climate, there are many businesses that tend to focus on electronic means of contacting potential customers, such as through social media or email marketing. Although these can be effective, you should never overlook the possibility of direct mail and using those lists in order to increase the success of your business substantially. Here are some of the benefits that will be seen when you use this type of marketing and mail your list physically instead of automatically.

Perhaps one of the most important things that need to be considered when choosing direct mail over email marketing is that the majority of people look at their mail that they get in their mailboxes every day. Of course, some people are going to toss some of the information without looking at it but a vast majority of those individuals are going to sort through it without delay. This gets your message in front of those individuals easily and, compared to email marketing, the response can be substantially higher.

Another benefit to using direct mail is that you can specifically target groups of people that have an interest in what you are offering. It is important for you to consider this, not only when using direct mail but when purchasing the list of individuals that you will be mailing. The more focused the list is, the more likely it is going to be that you are going to see results from that list.

Have you thought about the customization that is possible when mailing people instead of using electronic means of contacting them? When most people gather email lists, they are only going to gather the most basic information from the potential customer. When you have a mailing list, you not only have the physical address but you often have their name and perhaps some other information as well. You can use this information in order to customize the mailing which will, in turn, increase the response. This is also something that should be considered when you are gathering a list or purchasing it from the company that generates leads.

Finally, you can measure the results of mailing those individuals in order to see if any changes need to be made to the mailing. Of course, you would always want to consider changing the copy and testing in order to increase the response. Some of the ways that you can track the response of a direct-mail campaign include sending out coupons with specific information that either needs to be filled out on your website or to be mailed back to your company. This can assist you in doing a split test as well, allowing you to easily see which is going to be more effective so that you can make those changes and send the future mailings to a larger list to increase the response.
source: www.articlecity.com

Brand New Liability Insurance Covers CA Prop 65 and False Advertising Claims

by: Greg Doherty
A unique liability insurance policy put together by experts in the dietary supplement and herbal industries was recently rolled out at the Nutrition Business Journal Summit Conference in Dana Point, CA. Although initially focusing on the dietary supplement/herbal product industries, the coverage can apply to any business. Of particular significance is coverage for Proposition 65 lawsuits, which have proliferated in California. Companies are experiencing the hurt of “bounty hunter” lawsuits including civil actions by various state or local authorities.

False Advertising Insurance

Before this policy was announced, there was no coverage to be had for "false advertising.” Sadly most people figure they have such insurance under the “Personal and Advertising Injury” division of their commercial general liability policy. The truth, typically discovered following a lawsuit for false advertising comes in the door, is that a standard commercial liability policy contains absolutely no insurance for allegations of false advertising. With the announcement of this recent policy, insurance is now obtainable. The new policy particularly defines what constitutes “false advertising” which will trigger the coverage.

Proposition 65 Coverage

Again, heretofore there has not been any insurance coverage around for the financial consequences of enforcement of the provisions of California's Proposition 65. As a practical matter, allegations of high levels of lead have been the largest single cause of litigation, which could be initiated by public enforcers such as state or local district attorneys or private plaintiffs suing “in the public interest.” Experts have said that there are perhaps thousands of merchandise sold in California with lead levels exceeding the legal threshold, and without the proper warning labeling mandatory on the packaging of such products. Companies selling these products without appropriate analytical testing or the warning are “at risk” according to Frank Jaksch, President of ChromaDex, an Irvine, CA-based testing laboratory (www.chromadex.com ).

Typical Proposition 65 settlement expenses, which some have labeled as “legalized extortion,” include defense costs, plaintiff's attorney costs, civil penalties, and payments in lieu of civil penalties. According to statistics gathered by a leading trade association the average Prop 65 settlement cost, including attorney fees, exceeds $100,000.

Availability of Coverage and Limitations

The Prop 65/false advertising insurance is an expansion of coverage under one of the policy modules called Content Liability for Media Companies and Advertisers. This module provides extensive coverage for perils arising through creating and distributing content for all forms of communications together with print, digital and audio media. Companies that heavily make use of diverse media to advertise might by now have this form of coverage. The Prop 65/false advertising insurance is an extension of insurance beneath this module and can not be purchased on a standalone basis.

The insurer is at the start limiting two elements of Prop 65 settlements, civil penalties and/or payments in lieu of civil penalties, to a $100,000 maximum sub-limit of insurance, which could be negotiable and amplified under specific conditions.

The new policy also contains a module for insuring first-party and third-party costs arising out of a breach of data security, as well as notification costs, data restoration, crisis management, credit monitoring, cyber investigation, cyber extortion, and civil fines and penalties.
source: ww.articlecity.com

Using Renewable Energy for Your Business

by: Rick gueli
All it takes is for cost of a barrel of oil to spike up, and once again everyone starts talking about renewable energy. Then just as fast as whatever it was that caused the price spike goes away, the conversation dies down. It really is all ridiculous too because the future is coming and it is renewable energy.

Now the fact is that the hardware for assembling your own renewable energy system became cost effective years ago and its growing even more as time moves on. That is that it the cost of putting together, say a solar system is about 30% less than the value of the power it produces over its service life.

The big problem though, is that while the power that comes off your power grid does cost more, it's on an easy payment plan. You simply get your bill once a month, pay it, and that's it. Simple and easy and this is what has so many people hooked. It's just easier that way.

However, for you as a business person, there is the public relations aspect that you have to take into consideration. That is that it's just good for business for you to be seen as a conservationist by your clients or customers and this trend in PR is only expected to grow.

By far the easiest type of system to set up is a photovoltaic solar system that uses solar panels. Now while they are quick to install and get online, they do none the less have a few shortcomings that you will have to contend with.

The first is that they only generate power in the daytime and electricity is expensive to store in batteries, but it can be done. The option that most people take though is to direct excess production back into the grid during the day, get credited for it and then draw it back out at night.

Now if your business is in an area where you have a steady supply of wind, then you need to know that a lot of progress has been made in wind turbines. New off the shelf, high tech turbines that can be generating energy for you in about the same time as it takes to set up solar panels.

The nice thing about wind turbines is that they operate 24 hours a day, just as long as the wind is blowing. Also if you have enough wind and buy a big enough turbine system, you can generate a very large amount of power with one.

One issue to consider with wind turbines though, is that they do tend to be a bit costly, and it's not just the cost of the turbine that can run up your bill. It's the tower, because good towers can be expensive and that particularly holds true for larger towers that you would mount a large turbine on.
source: www.articlecity.com

Selecting The Right CFD Trade

by: Russell Gallo
As every CFD trader knows choosing a trade is not at all times the easiest task there are CFDs on lots of stocks to choose from but which ones should you invest in? Nearly all traders follow a specific variety of trading and select their CFDs according to selected criteria including liquidity and price, though not all traders have a trading plan but instead base their investment on factors such as dividend returns or company valuations. Even if you don’t employ a trading strategy there is certainly a handful of significant factors that it's best to think about when choosing which share CFD to buy and sell on the web, a number of of these elements are outlined below.

Seasonality

With thousands of equity CFDs to select from one factor that most traders overlook when they commence trading is equity CFD price seasonality, this is one of the most apparent factors influencing share CFD prices. If it’s summer time you must consider CFDs which historically have price moves up throughout this time of year or price moves down if you are bearish, illustrations of seasonal shares include retailers.

Technical Analysis

There are 1000's of indicators in existence with the most widespread ones being MACD, volume, moving averages, RSI, CCI, stochastic and bollinger bands. Don’t get bewildered by the countless hundreds of indicators available, keep it minimal in the beginning. Using many indicators can easily be confusing and can deliver mixed alerts, it is advisable to start by utilizing a few simple indicators first like MACD and moving averages for instance, once you’re accustomed with these indicators only then should you commence experimenting others. A few of the most profitable traders solely rely on technical analysis however at the beginning it’s advisable never to exclusively depend on technical analysis alone while making your buying and selling decisions.

Stock Fundamentals

Almost all people overlook company fundamentals when choosing a CFD to trade. One of the most important elements in choosing a stock CFD is the company’s balance sheet and profitability, reading over the company’s balance sheet is crucial ahead of making medium to long-term investments, naturally if you plan to engage in short term trades this is less imperative.

Company Management

Company management is something that most CFD investors fail to think about. Investing in companies who’s management have an excellent track record is always a fantastic start. Of course management is more important to think about for medium to long term traders, and less important for short term trader’s aiming to reap the benefits of short term price changes.

Global Market Conditions

It’s crucial that you monitor world stockmarket conditions as stockmarket movements are eventually dictated by the worldwide economic climate. Currencies, commodity prices and worldwide indices all have an influence on the local share market and ultimately your CFD positions.

It goes without saying these are just a few of the factors CFD investors should take into account when entering into a CFD position. Every cfd trader enters into CFD trades utilizing unique criteria that fits their risk profile and buying and selling habits, it’s always essential to develop your strategy to suit your risk profile and chosen lifestyle.
source: www.articlecity.com

Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations

by: Antonietta Dankel
Your organization's financial health depends upon sound financial management. Nonprofits have an obligation to act as responsible stewards in managing their financial resources. Nonprofits should use their financial resources to accomplish their missions in an effective and efficient manner. In addition, an organization is accountable to its board, staff and the general public to know how much revenue it is receiving and how that money is being spent. It also needs to ensure that grants and all other income are spent in the manner intended. Establishing clear policies and practices to regularly monitor how funds are used will make managing your organization’s finances simpler and easy to account for.

A great place to start is creating and following an annual budget. Look at your budget as a plan that identifies the financial resources to achieve your objectives. Once constructed, this plan assists staff and board in managing the organization financially throughout the year. Unique accounting standards require that nonprofit organizations report contributed income in one of three categories – unrestricted, temporarily restricted, or permanently restricted. It is a good idea to track the revenues by fund category.

It is important to plan ahead for difficult financial times. The demand for services is increasing at the same time that traditional sources of funding are shrinking and changing. Nonprofit leaders know that it will take creativity, innovation, and focus to weather this period. Adapting to these challenges also demands leadership and an open mind. A wise choice would be to develop a reserve fund as well as an investment policy for your organization.

Auditors have always considered the quality and sufficiency of internal controls as a component of an audit. When weaknesses in internal controls are observed, audit firms are more likely to highlight organizational shortcomings by submitting a management letter to an organization’s board of directors citing weaknesses and recommending action. Establishing appropriate internal controls will help prevent improper use of funds and to ensure that costs are controlled. Establishing these controls will also assist your organization in an audit or financial review

Financial Management will help you understand basic practices and build the basic systems and practices needed in a healthy business. For more information visit the Center for Nonprofit Success website at www.cfnps.org
source: www.articlecity.com 

Preparing for Long Term Care Costs

by: Sigfried Metz
Leading providers of long term care (LTC) insurance policies encourage families, who have members that will need LTC anytime soon, to sit down and seriously talk about future care giving services in order to avoid facing the soaring long term care costs.

America’s national median annual rate for a private nursing home room is currently $77,745 while a one-bedroom assisted living facility would cost $39,135. LTC patients, however, can pay more or less depending on the cost of care in their state of residence.

For instance, Iowa which was exempted from the list of 10 states that were predicted to face a rapid growth in elderly population who will need LTC in 2030, has a median rate of $57,852 for a private nursing home room while a private assisted living facility in this area would cost $38,184. These figures are definitely lower than the present national median rate.

On the other hand, Connecticut’s median rate for a private room in a nursing home will take you by surprise at $140,525. For a one-bedroom assisted living facility you’ll need to shell out $53,850, so just imagine how much you’ll need to fork out in 2015 as industry leaders have foreboded long term care costs will double by that time.

This data for long term care costs courtesy of Genworth Financial just goes to show that despite the national median rates of LTC facilities, you could spend more than what you have expected. This is the reason seasoned LTCI agents and companies would constantly remind the public to secure themselves with a long term care insurance policy which is integrated with the appropriate inflation rider.

Even if you keep abreast of the latest news about the industry, the numeric figures which the country’s top LTCI providers present in relation to the present cost of LTC are not accurate because there are also outside factors to dictate the inflation.

As one gets older, his chance of securing an LTCI gets slimmer. In case his application gets declined by the insurance company, he can’t just say that he’ll rely on Medicare, as his vast contribution to Social Security can answer for him.

This misconception about Medicare usually gets people into trouble. Only few truly understand that Medicare will shoulder nursing home expenses which one will incur while on the road to recovery from a temporary illness or disability.

To be certain that your long term care or that of your parents will be fully covered, now is the right time to inquire about LTC insurance policies. You can request for a policy quotation from different insurance firms since LTCI quotes are not uniform. Your insurance agent can help you out with this because most LTCI agents are affiliated with the top carriers of LTCI.

Once you get hold of the list of LTCI quotes, study each to be able to determine which will work for you, your parents or anybody in your family. Influencing the people in your life to secure their future health care needs is, after all, the best expression of love.
source: www.articecity.com

General Information About Quick Ways to Transfer Money Abroad

by: Lisa Coynee
If you need to transfer money abroad there are only a few simple steps you need to keep in mind. A valid bank account is a necessity for transferring money anywhere. A legit company, one that has been in business for at least five years is also the best way to secure your finances. And being aware of the rules and regulations regarding international money transfers is also another important factor to keep in mind. Once you have these three items it will be as easy as pie to transfer your money abroad without any glitches or unforeseen speed bumps along the way.

A quick search online will bring up a great many resources regarding transferring money abroad. There are hundreds of companies boasting about their services online and most of them are pretty good. Some of the top competitors in the market today are PayPal, and Moneygram. These companies, barring PayPal, offer agent locations around the world as well as online portals. PayPal is solely internet based but is still just as efficient and secure as its competitors. In fact, using PayPal can be much cheaper than the others in some instances. If you have access to a computer and would like to complete an online money transfer abroad yourself then PayPal is the perfect source to complete this. If you would rather go in and speak to an actual person to help you with your goals, then one of the other two companies may prove to be more beneficial to you.

A valid bank account is necessary when working with any kind of financial institution. This is because it is the securest way to prove your identity. When working with money companies are liable for the money they are working with and thus they need to be able back their claims up by knowing you are exactly who you say you are. Finally, when you need to transfer money broad you are going to need to know the rules and regulations of the country that you are sending the money to.

The rate of exchange for currency is going to differ by country and knowing this ahead of time will help prepare you for anything that may come your way. Transferring money abroad is actually quite easy and can be done at home with your personal computer. However, if you are wary of tackling such a transaction on your own there are a large number of companies and banks that have locations worldwide and are perfect for helping you in these matters. Just remember to prepare before completing the transaction and you will have no problem.
source: www.articlecty.com

Top 5 Reasons to Invest With Peer to Peer Lending

 by: Willis Harrison
Peer to peer lending is an exciting new phenomenon. For the first time lenders can efficiently find borrowers that are looking for personal loans without having to go to a bank. This efficient process benefits the borrower by giving them an additional way to secure a personal loan without having to meet strict bank restrictions. The lender benefits by being able to take on the role of the loan officer at the bank and deciding which loan they wish to fund, and being compensated with a higher interest rate for their effort.

The efficiency of P2P lending is what brings down the cost to the borrower and lender and allows both parties to benefit from lower interest rates than a bank can offer. These low interest rates make peer to peer lending attractive to borrowers. While at the same time appeal to people who are looking for a greater return on their investment than they can receive in their bank account.

Just like with any other transaction the fewer parties that are involved the more efficient the process becomes. The fewer amount of hands that need to see a return lower the cost of the transaction and benefit the parties that are still involved in the transaction. In this case people can see how both parties are equally benefited from the removal of the bank's part in the process.

Bank's will continue to dominate the personal loan market. However, as time moves on peer to peer lending will become a larger part of the personal loan market. As borrowers become more aware of ways to achieve a lower interest rate on a loan they will turn to p2p lending before they turn to the bank.

Investing with peer to peer lending is a fairly new concept, providing many benefits for the investor. This type of investing has become an alternative way to invest money because banks are no longer involved, giving the investor a better return on their money. Here are the top 5 reasons why someone would want to invest their money using peer to peer lending.

1. Knowing exactly where your money is being invested

Peer to peer lending, or p2p lending for short is gratifying because you are investing in other people. Your money is being used by other people who are trying to improve their lives, whether it is through getting out of debt, funding a business or using that money to improve their home. Each borrower has a story, and based on that story, you can choose a borrower that you can relate to or just want to help out.

2. Begin investing with just $25

If you have at least $25 to invest, then you can start investing in peer to peer lending. This is unlike many banks and mutual funds, where you have to invest hundreds or thousands of dollars to get started. With p2p lending, you can invest in lower increments of money, getting you an investment account a lot sooner.

3. CD's remain to pay less than 3%

Even though CD's are protected and insured by the FDIC, you are likely to lose money due to inflation if you were to get a five year CD right now. Currently, according to bankrate.com, the maximum return is 2.61%, with 2% for a three year CD. If you are trying to grow a nest egg, investing through a CD will not be very effective.

4. You get true diversification in your investment portfolio

It has been said by financial planners that diversification is an essential aspect to investing. P2P lending helps provide just that. You are investing in a complete different asset class, consumer credit, as asset class that is not available in most traditional investments. In 2008, almost every asset class lost value, making investing traditionally a bigger risk. With peer to peer lending you are adding more diversification to your investment portfolio.

5. You don't have to deal with Wall Street or banks

We all know how the big banks and financial institutions on Wall Street were the main cause of the financial crisis that everyone has been affected by. By using peer to peer lending, you can completely avoid using these institutions and get a better return on your money. Your money is in better hands with p2p lending, rather than in the hands of institutions that made poor decisions and showed a high level of greed with other's hard earned money. With p2p lending you are in control.

Martha wanted to buy a new car when her old Rover gave way and required about ??2,500 to buy the one she liked. Her bank offered her a loan at a shocking 29% for ??2,500 for a loan term of 4 years. This was way beyond her means. As she enquired among her friends for a more feasible loan rate, she came across social lending and decided to give it a try. Within the next three weeks she had got the much wanted loan at 15% which she could easily payback in the next five years. How does P2P lending manage loans at reasonable rates and that too for borrowers with not so perfect credit rating? It does so by cutting out middlemen with their huge overheads and big margins.

How does peer to peer lending work?

Most social lending marketplaces function on the eBay model where borrowers and lenders work out a loan without recourse to a third party. The borrowers' loan requests are listed on the online platform, indicating the required amount, interest rate and the duration of the loans. Lenders place bids on the loan listings which suit their investment criteria after sifting through hundreds of borrowing requests. The borrowers' online profiles can provide their financial strengths as well as responsibilities including their monthly income and expenses. Most sites get the borrowers' creditworthiness assessed through their credit scores as well as various other parameters like calculating their DTI ratio, their stability and affordability scores etc. Most social lending websites offer lending amounts up to ??25000 for duration of 1 to 5 years.

Who can join P2P lending sites?

The registration procedure for most social lending sites is quick and easy to comply with. You can apply as long as you meet the minimum application criteria. Borrowers can request for a loan for a plethora of reasons including debt consolidation, marriage, traveling, surgery, business, house repairs and student loan. Providing an authentic explanation of why you want the loan and how you intend to pay it back as well as a few indicators on your stability and reliability as a borrower can go a long way in getting your loan funded. However, you can choose to be discreet about your personal and financial information by using your privacy settings on your profile.

What is the plus of peer to peer lending?

P2P lending endeavours to build an online community for timely and affordable financial help to people turned down by traditional lending institutions for a number of reasons. It attempts to assess the creditworthiness of the borrowers through more than just their credit scores. Being online, their service charges are low and access is much easier. It can also be instrumental in helping borrowers build a healthy credit history for the future by making timely repayments on their loans.

In the process, peer lending can generate tangible benefits for real people on their hard earned money rather than for impersonal institutions like banks. Moreover, it also diversifies the risk quotient involved in unsecured lending by spreading the money over a number of borrowers. Obviously, lower risk markets generate lower returns while higher risk categories will give higher returns. Recently, a few social lending websites have launched a secondary market for loans to improve liquidity and investment options for the lenders.

Some peer to peer lending sites

Zopa and Prosper pioneered peer to peer lending in the UK and US respectively and have already created a sizeable place for themselves in the social lending scenario. Communitylend, too joined the P2P lending network in Australia. In the UK, a number of social lending platforms such as YES-secure, RateSetter, Quakle and Funding Circle have been launched in 2010.

In nutshell, if you find it difficult to fulfill the legal obligations set by the banks or would like to avoid the tedious transactions with traditional financial institutions, P2P could be the right option for you. It might be the way to a quick, easy and affordable loan you have been dreaming about
With the advent of peer-to-peer lending websites such as Prosper.com, it may seem as though a new era in online lending is beginning. As with any loan, however, it's important that you take the time to look into the advantages and disadvantages of this type of loan so as to make sure that you know exactly where your money is coming from and what will be expected of you when it comes time to pay it back. Even though the loan doesn't come from a bank of major lender, a peer-to-peer loan is still a debt and the repayment of such a loan should be considered a serious matter.

Is it right for you?

Before you start looking at whether peer-to-peer lending is right for you, you should first make sure that you understand how this type of lending service works. After creating an account with the lending site, you can either make a listing for a loan that you need or you can search the listings and find loans that you are willing to contribute to.

Loan requesters list the amount that they want to borrow, the interest rates that they're willing to pay, what the loan will be used for, and a little bit about themselves in order to show why they need the money. Loan contributors don't have to supply the full amount of the loan, just the portion that they're willing to pay. Multiple contributors can pay into a single loan, and once the requested amount has been reached then the borrower will have the full loan deposited into their checking or savings account.

Advantages

One of the main advantages of peer-to-peer lending is the fact that it doesn't require a bank or other major lending institution to be involved. The money that you borrow is supplied by private individuals just like yourself, who fund part or all of your loan and who receive interest from your loan payments. Of course, you don't have to have direct contact with any of the individuals who contribute to your loan... the peer-to-peer lending service acts as a proxy, with the site handling all loan payments with direct deposits and withdrawals. This is how multiple lenders can be used to fill your loan needs, with the payments that are automatically withdrawn from your bank account being divided up among them each month.

It's even possible to make money through a peer-to-peer lending service, provided that you have the money to invest into it. You'll be making interest on any money that you lend, minus any service fees that are taken out by the service itself. Unfortunately, unless you have a decent amount that you're able to invest into funding loans the amount that you make likely won't be significant.

Disadvantages

This type of lending isn't without its disadvantages, however. Since the money that you borrow isn't supplied by a bank or other federally-insured lender, in the rare event that there was some problem then you may not be able to recover your losses. Additionally, if you aren't able to get enough people willing to invest in your loan then you might not be able to receive the entire amount that you need.

Because of the different advantages and disadvantages, peer-to-peer lending isn't right for everyone. Some people may have good experiences with this sort of loan, especially if they are only wanting to borrow a small amount or haven't been able to get a loan elsewhere. Those individuals who have better credit or who have equity that they can use to secure a loan would likely be better served with a more traditional loan, however.
source: wwwarticlecity.com