Financing A Home In NY - New York

Owning a New York home can be a lot of people's dream. New York is a bustling city which can possibly provide a wide range of opportunities for everyone. Even if you're a businessman or artist, you'll surely find something that could give you a good life in New York. Luckily, amidst the high cost of houses in New York, you'll be able to find a home financing scheme that would fit your budget.

A New York home and other real estate properties are relatively more expensive compared to homes in other states. The cost of living in New York will drive those middle income homeowners into the suburbs. To be able to get yourself a decent New York home, you'll need good income and a high credit score so you'll qualify for attractive home financing schemes.

But still, you shouldn't just jump right away to the enticing home financing deal the first financial institution you approached offers. For somebody who signs up for any home financing without prior knowledge of how the process works is like a soldier who doesn't know how to shoot using his own gun. Financing a home is not something that should be done impulsively. You need to think it over several times and weigh all possible solutions. Lack of preparation may just possibly lead to a repossession of your dream home and leave you without any other choice but to declare bankruptcy.

Homes are expensive purchases, especially those located in NY. They could be the most expensive property you can possibly buy in your entire lifetime. Your home financing decisions would not only affect your life now but also how you're going to live in the next thirty to fifty years or so.

In NY there are several agencies which offer home financing. Each of them have their own specializations. Even if you have the dollars to spend, you need to carefully choose your home financing agency, or else, you might find yourself paying more than what the house is really worth for. Of course, other things to consider are the agencies reliability and any hidden charges they could possibly include.

The price of NY homes vary largely, depending on their exact location and size. The first thing you should do is find one that fits your budget. Compare one home against other homes in the vicinity. You should also consider things such as accessibility. You wouldn't want to live too far away from your work, right?

Next, start looking for home financing agencies. You can ask your friends and coworkers to refer you to an agency which offered them a good deal. But your best option is to conduct the research manually yourself. Be aware of home financing advertisements in the daily newspaper. Financial institutions frequently advertise new and attractive home financing offers in the paper to lure more homeowners. You can also research on the internet for reliable home financing agencies which could provide your financing needs.

The New York state is a big city and their real estate business is always growing. You'll probably notice how these financing agencies are so competitive with each other. If you're patient enough, you should be able to find one that would offer you the best interest rate possible.

Applying for a home financing in NY is fast and convenient. Financial companies have drastically improved their process in the hopes of getting the biggest share of the market. With just one application, you can obtain quotes from numerous agencies. Even those online agencies can compete very well with the traditional ones in terms of giving you professional service and better home financing deals.

Usually, you'd get better chance of obtaining a good home financing scheme if you have been pre-approved for home financing. Getting pre-approved is also quick and easy. Even online agencies can pre-approve you for a home financing. Once you're pre-approved, you can just start applying for home financing. The most convenient way is to apply online. Within few hours, you'd probably receive a call from a representative of these agencies. Make sure that you get all relevant data about their offers so you can make wise comparisons.

These New York home financing agencies would want to offer you the best deal possible so you can realize your financial potential. Owning a New York home is a very good investment. NY homes continually appreciate their values, and with low interest rates, there's probably no better time than now to go ahead and buy yourself a new home.

For more information now go to: http://www.homefinancingalert.com

T & K Futures and Options Inc. Predicts New Highs for Gold Futures in 2007

Gold seems to have found a place in many investors' long term investment portfolios. Gold has been called a safe haven investment and a hedge against inflation but in our opinion the reasons for higher gold futures prices in 2007 will be a continued weakening of the US Dollar versus other currencies and higher crude oil prices.

In 2006 gold futures prices reached $750 an ounce. Coincidentally, the US Dollar was declining rapidly and oil futures prices were rallying near record highs during this same time frame.

Why would the US Dollar decline more in 2007? There are a few possible catalysts that may push the US Dollar lower this year. The huge US deficit, the war in Iraq and the largest US consumer debt ratio per capita in history are just a few reasons the US Dollar may lose some of its safe haven aura and send investor capital flooding the gold futures and options.

What would make crude oil prices rise in 2007? Middle East conflicts, high global demand and OPEC's inability (excluding Saudi Arabia) to increase current production capacity are a few of the possible reasons for higher crude oil prices this year. When one considers that nearly 20% of the entire world's crude oil has to come through the Strait of Hormuz, the current nuclear agenda and aggression exhibited from Iran makes the interruption of a huge portion of the global supply of crude oil a potential reality.

The Department of Energy reported that demand was not diminished greatly by the record crude oil supplies last year. In other words, it will most likely take much higher crude oil prices to subdue global economic expansion and therefore, the world's appetite for crude oil. High crude oil prices infer higher inflation levels which may send investors scurrying to gold futures and options as an inflationary hedge.

Higher crude oil prices and a weakening US Dollar are just a few of the possibilities that may lead to higher gold futures prices this year. Visit www.tkfutures.com/gold.htm to learn more about gold futures and gold options investing.

Gold futures and gold options investing are very risky and only risk capital should be used for these types of investments. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Visit www.tkfutures.com/risk_disclosures.htm to learn more about the risks of gold futures and gold options investing.

MK Smith is a 13 year veteran of the gold future and option markets and is the President of T & K Futures and Options Inc.

Get A Jump On Retirement

I am going to make a bold statement but it is a true statement nonetheless. If you ever plan to retire comfortably or at a reasonable age you cannot abuse credit cards. They are financial cancer.

I used to be buried in credit card debt. Part of it was sensible because it helped me purchase books and other things to get me through college, which I financed on my own. However, some of it was just stupidity. Once I decided to make a change in my thought process it only took me 2 years to get out of this debt and I wasn't making lots of money at the time either.

Let's take an example. The average credit card debt is almost $10,000 per household now. Let's say you have a $9000 credit card debt balance and the interest rate is 14.9 % which is low for most people. Depending on the company the minimum payment is probably in the neighborhood of $150/month. If you paid nothing but the minimum payment on that card, and never made another purchase, it would take you 111 months to pay this card off. Almost 10 YEARS to pay off a $9000 credit card debt? That is insanity. It would cost you roughly $16,600 to pay of $9000 in debt.

Let's take a look at the same balance with some different, and probably more common, factors involved. Take a $9000 balance and a 28% interest rate, which happens with just a couple late payments, and you pay the minimum payments only. Someone that only pays the minimum payments will take 1984 months to pay that $9000 balance off. I am not sure about you but I am not going to live 165 years to pay off my credit card debt.

Obviously it wouldn't take you that long to pay it off because your estate would cover it when you died but it speaks to the point of my article. How would you plan to retire comfortably, and certainly not early, if you have this debt as well as other debt hanging over your head?

What many people do not see is that the money you save by not forking it over to the billion dollar banks, that give you the credit cards, can be used much more wisely for you. At my worst I was paying $400 in interest on credit cards. Once I finally paid off my credit cards and stopped using them I found I was easily able to pay cash for the things I would typically put on credit cards. Not only that, I found when I was taking money out of my bank account I was much more careful on what the money was being spent on in the first place.

I decided at age 27 that I wanted to retire comfortably at age 50 and spend my free time with my kids (that I did not have yet) and grandkids. It was worth it to me to sacrifice at a younger age than it would be to deal with my mistakes at age 70. Who really wants to be bagging groceries, at the age of 70, for some high school kids running the register? I know I don't. Clearly, it could happen anyway because of illness or some other circumstance that wipes out my retirement savings but I have no control over those things. I do have control over stupidity though and I wanted to stop it at an early age.

What I am hoping you will take away from this article is how bad credit cards are for you. Credit card companies make billions in profit each year and it is for a reason. Many people feel the insurance companies are the same as credit card companies in that they like to "screw" people. The difference is, with an insurance company you are at least getting something back for all the money you give them, if you buy the right products of course.

Insurance companies are rich because they take the money you give them in premiums and invest it to make their money. In many cases insurance companies pay out more money on claims for auto and home than they actually take in for premiums. It is hit or miss if they make a profit on "earned premiums". (Sorry for the insurance jargon.)

You get no benefit from a credit card company accept for the ability to spend even more money you don't have. Credit cards should be use for emergency purposes only and if you adopt that outlook you will most likely be standing next to me on the golf course in 20 years.

Scott Bianchi is an independent insurance agent that specializes in protecting people's present financial situation while helping them prepare for a comfortable retirement. He runs a web site on personal finance He can be reached at sbianchi@charter.net.

Remortgage for People With Bad Credit Rating?

Well in a word, yes. Having bad credit history (sometimes referred to as an adverse credit history), or even just one financial mistake in the past, can often lead to closed doors from the regular high street lenders – but don’t let this stop you from looking around, as this need not be the final outcome.

There are mortgage lenders across the nation, each with a huge range of mortgage types on offer, that will happily consider lending money to people with all sorts of circumstances, from all sorts of different backgrounds. As there is much more choice available now for remortgages for people with bad credit history, it means that the rates are often very competitive. Gone are the days of extortionate interest rates just because you have found yourself in financial difficulty. You don’t have to pay out for having an adverse bad credit remortgage. There are now many lenders that are only too happy to lend money to people that have a bad credit rating (these lenders are generally known as sub-prime lenders).

Perhaps you overspent over Christmas, and have found that the bills are just mounting up and you have not been able to pay all the instalments that were due this month. This can so easily happen, especially at times like Christmas and Holidays. Sub-prime lenders realise that it can often be just temporary circumstances that have led you into the situation of having a bad credit history, and they are still quite happy to consider an application for a remortgage.

You may well find that you are struggling to obtain a remortgage for many reasons, perhaps you have no proof of income, or you have County Court Judgements (referred to often just as CCJ's), Defaults, or even a Repossession threat – all of these might mean you might not fit the strict ‘High Street mould’. Even if you do fit the mould, but want to see what else is on offer, or achieve that dream situation of reducing your monthly outgoings, clearing outstanding debts, and perhaps even having some surplus cash to spend, there are thousands of mortgage products available to suit your individual needs. You just need to know where to look for the right advisor.

Once you have established that your credit history is not quite up to scratch, or you know that your arrears are piling up with your existing mortgage, and action needs to be taken – you need to start looking around for an advisor to help you find a remortgage for people with a bad credit rating.

You will need to find someone who will work with you and find you the best possible deal they can. Luckily in this day and age this does not have to be a firm who is based in the same town as you – many people find the service and deals they are happy with by using companies found from searches made on the internet. Of course it could well be that you may prefer to work with a local company and if so, then have a look through the local telephone directories and see who is around. Do bear in mind though that a local company may well be expert in finding mortgages for people with no bad credit problems, but not so experienced with remortgages for people with bad credit. It is important to find a company that specialise in sourcing remortgages for people with bad credit, as they will be able to find you the lowest interest rates and the best deals to suit your personal circumstances. This is best done via a search on the internet, as you have access to a much wider pool of expertise to choose from.

There are experts in the field of obtaining remortgages for people with bad credit rating, and they will be able to find you a remortgage deal that suits you and your bad credit history, so you need not let the fact that your credit rating is not all it should be deter you for applying for a remortgage for people with bad credit rating.

Please feel free to use this article, but keep all links intact and working.

Cat has worked in the Mortgage Industry, specialising in Bad Credit Mortgages for some years now. For further information on Remortgages for People with Bad Credit Rating, and also information about other bad credit issues, please visit our UK site http://www.cantgetamortgage.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cat_Archer

Top 10 Ways To Cut Spending

Do you run out of money before you run out of month? Do you wonder where your money goes each month? Do you struggle to find money to invest for retirement, emergencies and other financial goals? Here are 10 tips to cut your spending and stretch your dollar to the max:

1. Consider dropping your home telephone line. Your cell phone is probably all you really need, and most likely it has free long distance. You could save $30 or more per month by dropping your "land line".

2. Cut back on trips to Starbucks or other premium coffee shops. Often called the "latte factor", spending several dollars per day on luxuries like premium coffee can really add up. For example, if you spend $4 for a cappuccino five times a week for 50 weeks out of the year (you're on vacation the other two weeks), you would spend $1,000 in a year. Try treating your trip to Starbucks as a treat instead of a habit. You'll save money and probably lose weight too!

3. Pay your mortgage payment bi-weekly instead of monthly. You'll pay less interest and pay off your mortgage faster.

4. Carry cash instead of credit cards. Psychologically it's harder to spend cash than it is to use the credit card. You'll spend less and save on interest charges.

5. Use the "envelope system" for groceries, dining out, entertainment, and other discretionary spending categories. This will help you track how much you spend in these categories as well as prioritizing your spending.

6. Raise the deductible on your homeowners and auto insurance policies. It's not wise to file claims for small losses anyway (insurance companies love to raise rates after you file a claim), so a higher deductible will save you money now and in the future.

7. Buy regular gas instead of premium. Most cars don't need premium gasoline. Also, take public transportation if it's available in your area. Take advantage of "park and ride" and carpooling options.

8. Plan your purchases to avoid impulse buying. Take a list with you to the grocery store and stick with it. Studies show that impulse buying can add $10-50 to your grocery bill - ouch!

9. Go to the library instead of the bookstore. If you're an avid reader, give yourself a book budget for books that you will want to keep, and go to the library for everything else.

10. Take a vacation at home. Check out all the local sites and happenings. You'll rediscover your hometown and save on travel and hotel costs.

These are just a handful of ways you can cut spending and stretch your dollars, but if you follow these tips you'll discover you have more money at the end of each month to apply to other financial goals, such as saving for college, retirement or just for a rainy day.

Kristine A McKinley, CPA, and Certified Financial Planner, is a fee-only financial planner.

Article Source: http://www.abcarticledirectory.com/

How To Retire Young And Escape A Mid-Life Crisis

We are generally brought up with the notion that we will got to school, get a career, get married, have some kids and pay off the mortgage. If everything goes well, we will then retire somewhere sunny playing bridge and golf everyday. Many people will also go through painful episodes of divorce and/or bankruptcy.

Most people do not even think of doing anything different with their lives, and it is not until they reach their 40s or 50s when they start to question how they have lived their life as they realize their life is halfway over. This is referred to as a mid-life crisis. People often start to feel bored with their lives, their jobs and the people in their lives. Feelings of regret of not achieving past goals and aspirations are not uncommon. Spending ten hours a day in a cubicle tied to a computer is not how your career advisor said your life would be like.

When we are young we are told over and over the benefits of getting a good education to help prepare for a successful career, but nothing is done to help us prepare for the realization that this pattern of life may not be so fantastic as what everyone makes it out to be. A divorce, job loss or business failure only needs to be thrown into the picture to truly upset the American Dream.

If the ideal of getting a good education, career and home with a white picket fence, is not for you what are the alternatives, and what do you need to get out of the rat race and escape from your cubicle walls? There are so many places in this world that offer a cheaper and better lifestyle than what you might be accustomed to. Latin America, Easern Europe and South East Asia are places where you can live for not only cheaper, but often live a more relaxed, healthy lifestyle.

Having enough money is probably one of the biggest factors which will determine whether you can change your life. There is the emotive factor of selling your possessions that may have once been important to both how you, yourself and other people judged your success. When it comes down it, how important is a big house, expensive car and the latest plasma television? Without knowning it, it can be these items that are holding you down.

Did you know that it is possible to live in Thailand for just US$500 a month? Sure this amount is only a basic lifestyle, a beach apartment and eating local food, but who would not trade working 40 hours a week, to this for a leisure-filled, stress free life.

$500 is only a minimum amount, but by downsizing and cashing in some of your assets, the dream of changing your life for the better, may not be so far from turning it into a reality.

If you chose to semi-retire when you are in your thirties or early forties, you could have the chance to really enjoy living while you still have good health. Volunteering, study, learning a foreign language, traveling, running a small business or getting regular exercise are some of the things you could enjoy.

If in your thirties, you decided to keep working until the usual retirement age of 60 or 65, how much more do you think you would be able to accomplish working a regular job? Would a bigger house, newer car really make your life more worthwhile living?

With the opportunities available to make money on the internet you can still continue to make money to build your nest egg. For some people, it is even possible to increase their wealth by working less, something not likely possible trying to work your way up the corporate ladder.

You can be fairly sure that your work colleagues will not understand what you are doing. The hardest thing about change, even if it is for a better lifestyle, is to be able remove yourself from what is the expected norms of society. Think now how you want to live your life, if you enjoy your job then that is fine, but don't wait until you have to start hearing stories about your partners or friends going through a mid-life crisis.

Mike writes for his blog:

Retire Young and Wealthy where he is already living his dream.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Henry

How to significantly Increase the market appeal of your property

by Jeff Hammerberg

Recently a friend of mine called, excited that her house – which had been on the market much longer than anticipated – had finally sold. With an offer in hand, she was ready to move on with her life.

But then the buyer moved on instead, and suddenly the house was back on the market. Having experienced this twice before with other buyers, my friend felt jinxed. Realtors said that the house showed well, plenty of people looked at the property, and the asking price was reasonable. But while everything around it sold, her house languished on the market.

Upon closer investigation I was able to suggest a cure to the impasse, and decided to use her situation as an example of how to plan ahead before putting the “For Sale”sign in the yard.

The biggest impediment was that her house needed a new roof. The most recent buyer balked when his building inspector checked the property and expressed concern. My friend offered to provide a discount or repair allowance at closing to pay for a new roof, thinking that would satisfy the buyer and solve the problem.

But her strategy didn’t convince anyone, because until the roof came off, it was virtually impossible to determine how much – if any – other damage existed beneath it. There might have been extensive water damage, mold, or wood-boring insects lurking under those curled shingles. Without taking off the roof to get a closer look, it was tantamount to buying a car without first looking under the hood. So buyers were afraid they might inherit a Pandora’s box, and chose to walk away from the transaction,

Cosmetic landscaping was also needed, and some of the electrical outlets in the house required an upgrade. But for the most part, the roof was the only major issue. Buyers would look at the property and find it attractive and competitively priced. Some would even sign purchase offers. But upon closer examination, they would always back out of the deal and go elsewhere.

We talked it over and I suggested she get a fresh start by first dealing with any obvious problems and drawbacks that could be potential red flags or deal-busters.

“But I can’t afford to put a new roof on the house!” she moaned. “And nobody will want to look at the house if it’s under construction. I don’t know what to do, and it’s frustrating.” I helped her outline a plan of action – which homeowners should ideally do before listing their property for sale – and this is what happened next:

1) She hired a local building contractor to examine the house and create a “punch list” of needed repairs. These included a new roof – and any unforeseen repairs underneath the roof – upgraded electrical outlets, a few new windowpanes, and a new handrail for the back porch.

2) A landscaper was paid to rake the leaves, trim the hedges, spiff-up the lawn, mulch the flower beds, and plant some new flowers.

3) A termite inspector checked out the house and assured her that there was no evidence of wood-boring insects, which was an issue that had worried her because of the moisture seeping in under the dilapidated roof.

4) With plenty of equity in the house, her bank was enthusiastic to lend her money to do everything on her punch list, including the roof repair. She visited her loan officer and secured a loan quickly (with no out-of-pocket expenses because the loan fees were paid at closing from the profit made on selling the house).

5) Since she had cash in hand, the contractors she hired gave her projects top priority and within 20 days her totally refreshed house was ready to put back on the market.

6) She eliminated the repair allowance that she had previously offered buyers for fixing the roof, added the cost of repairs she had just completed to the price, and the house sold the following month. My friend paid off the home improvement loan at closing and walked away with a handsome profit.

Sometimes the circumstances are more complicated, but in most cases it is feasible to do repairs and sprucing-up before putting a house on the market. Those sellers who take the time and trouble to do so have an immediate advantage, because the house looks better and passes inspections easier. The potential for nerve-wracking surprises later on is minimized, and this makes buyers (and sellers) more comfortable and confident. A house that looks well cared for conveys a sense of pride of ownership, and that encourages potential buyers and has a positive influence on building inspectors.

Getting essential items done before you stick the sign in the yard can significantly increase the market appeal of your property and make a powerful first (and second) impression. It is sort of like dressing your best for a job interview.

It is Easy to Remove Debts-Low Interest Debt Consolidation

If you are over burdened with multiple outstanding payments and search a way to get rid of these, low interest debt consolidation loans are the perfect choice for you. Here a borrower gets a chance to remove all his debts and can live a better life. Let us see how these loans are accessible and what are the important features associated with it.

As the name implies, debt consolidation means consolidating all your debts in to one single manageable loan. Here a borrower is given full chance to be answerable to one single lender instead of multiple lenders. Add to this, you get the flexibility to pay lesser rate of interest. But getting a low interest debt consolidation loan needs a lot of research and the loaned amount with expected rate of interest primarily depends upon certain important factors.

For a good deal of low interest debt consolidation loan, you need to have a good guarantee. You can place your home or automobile as security. Such security usually involves a higher value and helps you to get debt consolidation loan at a lower rate of interest. This is why it is always recommended that you should ask for lesser amount than the value of your security.

Importance of security plays significant role in low interest debt consolidation loan. Except this, you should also search for the best lender in the loan market to get the best deal for low interest debt consolidation loans. In this context, you can go for online method. Here you can find several lenders, who are offering such loans for a long period of time and with a good reputation of their own. Read the loan quotations provided by them and finally select the best lender with the best offer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_Jonnes

Credit Card Debt Consolidation – How To Repay Credit Card Debts

Credit Card Debt consolidation refers to collating all outstanding credit card debts into one so that the debtor can manage the debt more easily. You may have incurred debts on various things, ranging from a new car, education or other investments. However, the debts incurred on excessive use of credit cards is the most common due to impulse buying.

Getting Into A Credit Card Debt Consolidation Program

The first step towards getting rid of a credit card debt is to look for an appropriate debt consolidation program. You can select a debt consolidation company from the many debt consolidation firms advertising themselves online. Look at the free online debt consolidation quote offered by each company, and choose the one you think is the best for you.

Credit card debt consolidation can be effective with or without taking out an additional debt consolidation loan. All your credit card debts are merged into one, so it becomes easier to repay this single loan amount at a lower interest.

Bad Credit Debt Consolidation Loan: Secured And Unsecured

Bad credit debt consolidation loan are of two kinds, secured and unsecured. When you take out secured consolidation loans, you have to submit some kind of collateral for the loan, either your house or car or anything of value. This is the reason that interest rates for this kind of loan is low. For unsecured consolidation loans, you need not name any collateral, but this also means that you need to pay higher interest.

Repaying Credit Card Loan Without Additional Loan

If you get proper guidance, you can manage your lifestyle and income in such a way that you need not take another loan to eliminate debt that is outstanding. A debt consolidation company will help you merge all credit card debts into a single debt, and then negotiate with your creditors to make it easier for you to repay the loan. This is done either by lowering the interest on consolidate debt or extending the loan term. By cutting down on unnecessary expenditure, you can remove your debt burden without taking a debt consolidation loan.

If you have unmanageable credit card debts, don’t despair. Get online to go through the profile of hundreds of debt consolidation firms and choose one that suits you. Through professional help and counseling, you will be able to find a credit card debt consolidation program that will help you repay your debts on easy terms.

From: www.ezinearticle.com

Strange and Bizarre Tax Deductions

It was Albert Einstein who said physics was easy compared to trying to prepare his taxes. You probably feel the same way. The tax code is full of oddities, and here are a few that will make you roll your eyes.

The internal revenue code is thousands of pages long. Throw in the regulations interpreting the code, and you have a wall full of confusing books. To make things even scarier, you are assumed to both know the code and understand it. That should send chills down your back.

Over the years, the code has been modified so many times that nobody really knows it all. Various sections seem to completely contradict others. Some seem to say the exact opposite of others. While this is all frustrating, it is the bizarre little sections that make you wonder what is going on in Congress. Here are some examples of strange things you will find.

1. If you have a child, you usually get to claim more deductions. In our fractured society, however, the tax code is a mess when it comes to dealing with divorces. The question is basically which parent gets to claim what? There are all kinds of rules, but one of the stranger ones has to do with...kidnapping.

If your child is kidnapped, you may get to claim the child tax credit and so on. Being a tax issue, there are some strange rules. For instance, the kidnapping cannot be by a family member! If your brother drags your child off to Canada, you get no deduction. You can read IRS publication 501 to figure it all out if you are insanely bored.

2. Jury Duty - Nothing beat jury duty, eh? Sit for eight hours and get paid five or ten bucks. Well, some business owners are good members of society. They will pay you normal wages while you do your civic duty. If they do, you can claim a deduction if you pay them back your earnings from jury duty. Boy, I bet your boss is going to be happy as pie when you give him or her that $5! On the other hand, a deduction is a deduction.

3. Tax Benefits of Being Blind - This one is an old favorite. The government is going to give you a break if you are blind. Just check the box on line 39A. Huh? You are BLIND! Obviously, the idea is you are having someone else do the tax return, but it is still pretty funny at first glance.

The above represents only a small sampling of the oddities found in the tax code. There are plenty other such as rules regarding issuing 1099s to fishing boat crews, but we have to stop somewhere. At least now you know that you are not alone wondering if the tax system makes any sense whatsoever. If you get frustrated, take comfort in the fact former President Jimmy Carter said the U.S. tax code was a crime against humanity!

About the Author

Richard A. Chapo is with BusinessTaxRecovery.com - providing information on
http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com/tax_deductions

Insider Secrets For Getting Credit Cards For Bad Credit Situations

I can't even begin to tell you how many horror stories I've been told about innocent people falling into traps when looking for credit cards for bad credit. While there are many legitimate bad credit credit cards on the market, there are also some very unscrupulous sharks out there just waiting to make you their next victim.

Fortunately, I have some insider secrets that will keep you safe and sound and will help you find honest-to-goodness credit cards for bad credit.

Show Me The Plastic, I'll Show You The Money

It's a very common scam for a company to promise a bad credit credit card, as long as you send payment in first. Unless you're sending in the money as a security deposit for a secured credit card, there is never a reason to send in up-front funds for a credit card for bad credit.

If you refuse to pay an up-front fee and the person you are talking too gets rude, hostile or insists your credit is so bad that you have to pay a fee up front or you'll never get credit, don't take the bait.

Let that be a huge red flag that you are dealing with a scam operation and they want to rob you of your hard-earned money. Nine times out of ten, the consumer sends in the money and never sees the credit card they paid for.

Some Fees Are Legitimate

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, it's important to note that you may indeed have to pay an annual fee for a bad credit credit card. However, when paying an annual fee for credit cards for bad credit, the fee should be charged to the card and you should not have to pay for it up front.

Look Out For Misleading Credit Limits

Before accepting any bad credit credit card, make sure you know how much your credit limit is and what fees are involved. If the credit card company is going to charge you a $125 fee to get a credit card for bad credit and you only have a $200 credit limit, it's really not worth it. You would be better off getting a secured credit card for bad credit, earning interest on your deposit and paying a lower annual fee.

Watch The Rates

If you're applying for credit cards for bad credit, don't expect to get a great interest rate. You will likely be paying interest in the double digits. That being said, don't let yourself get taken for a ride. If a bad credit credit card company tries charging you more than 19 or 20 percent interest, run in the other direction and find a better deal.

Do Your Homework

Most importantly of all, when shopping for credit cards for bad credit, don't rush into anything. Shop around, find the best deal and manage your bad credit credit card carefully once you get it. Eventually, you'll be able to work your way out of the credit cards for bad credit and into a low-interest credit card that will better serve your needs.

About the Author

For more tips on getting the best bad credit credit cards, saving money and avoiding getting taken, check out CreditCardTipsEtc.com, a website that specializes in providing credit card tips, advice and resources. http://www.creditcardtipsetc.com/bad_credit_credit_cards

Mortgage Term Life Insurance

Why should one buy mortgage term life insurance? The answer to that question is pretty obvious to most people but just in case there is anyone who doesn't know let us look at the what this policy provides. The intent of the designers of mortgage term life insurance was to create a policy that would be very inexpensive and at the same time would provide sufficient death benefit to pay off the mortgage in the event of the death of a breadwinner.

Life insurance was designed with the protection of the family first and foremost in the minds of it's creators. I believe it was fraternities who first explored the idea because they saw the difficulties that families experienced when a wage earning parent died. They figured that if a group of people got together and contributed to a fund over a period of time that money could be used, at minimum, to cover burial cost of the deceased and much pressure would be taken off the shoulders of the surviving family. At some point later someone came up with the idea to have mortgages paid off in the event of the death of a breadwinner. Let us look at how mortgage life insurance works and in particular mortgage term life insurance.

• The Premium
  
  

  As the name mortgage term life insurance implies this is very inexpensive life insurance. Term is the cheapest type of life insurance. This is close to the purest type of term insurance that exists. The premium of this policy remains level throughout. The mechanics are best illustrated by detailing an example...

  Let us suppose you bought a house for $200,000. You have good credit and a good job so you decide to make a down payment of $40,000...20%. You owe $160,000 which you intend to pay off over a 20 year period. The amount you pay each month will depend on the rate of interest the bank charges but for the sake of this illustration that is beside the point.

  In the initial years the majority of your payment is going to interest. As the years go by, and the principal decreases, a larger portion of your payment actually goes to reduce the amount owed to the bank or mortgage company.

  In the initial years the life insurance company is bearing greater risk. The natural thought is that you should be paying a higher premium for your policy at the beginning. Not so. What the actuaries have done is to calculate the cost for the risk the insurance company is bearing, each year, for the 20 year period. They charge you an average, thereby allowing for a level premium over the 20 year period. Calculating the premium is a little more complex than that but, in a nutshell, that is how it works.

• The Death Benefit

  Bear in mind that your mortgage term life insurance policy was intended to pay off your mortgage in the event of your death. That is exactly what it will do. The death benefit of the policy decreases each year; thus the popular name for this policy...decreasing term insurance. The amount paid by the insurance company upon the death of the insured is equal to, or close to, the amount owed to the bank or mortgage company...

  Let us use the same $160,000 mortgage as an example. If the insured died within the first year the amount paid would be equal to the amount owed at that time...$160,000. If the homeowner died in the tenth year the amount paid by the insurance company would also be equal to the amount owed but that amount at that time would be much less. I guess something close to $100,000. You would need to look at mortgage tables, and consider the interest rate, to arrive at an accurate figure...

  The beauty of the whole thing is that the survivors will have a house free and clear.

For additional information on mortgage term life insurance go to: http://www.lifeinsurancehub.net/mortgage-insurance.html

Future of Real Estate

The real estate industry is being changed by companies like Zillow, FNIS, RealEstateABC, Trulia, Redfin, ZipRealty and others including our own Homekeys.

All these companies have different business models but share a passion for change and the use of technology for the benefit of the consumer. From free and unlimited access to data, information and resources (previously the exclusive domain of real estate professionals) to significantly lower transaction costs and anything in between.

The incumbents appear to be concerned about the increased use of technology and how it will impact the traditional business model including the role of the real estate agent. With great conviction, the new entrants are pushing the envelope, innovating and preaching the consumer mantra to stake their claim in this $65 billion industry. This has become a fundamental area of debate and unrest within the industry participants, consumer watchdogs and regulatory bodies. No one is to blame, as each party is doing its duty to protect their interests. The answer, however, is being hinted by the consumers.

We believe the face of the real estate agent will be human but technology will be the heart and soul. Empowering technology will afford consumers a more active role in the transaction process, freeing the real estate agent to spend more time providing value with expertise, guidance and attention to transaction details.

Technology will never displace the human factor; it delivers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Consumers will conduct business on their time, not anyone else's. They want to know that when assistance is needed, someone will be available in a reasonable amount of time. Whether that is on the phone, email, text message or web chat is not important. Physical access is not always required and not always desirable. Technology works when the consumer is empowered and has access to the people and resources they demand when they demand it. Access should not require anyone to leave the comfort of their home or office.

There will always be a role for the agent, yet there will be fewer agents and their roles will be different. Because of technology, the industry will become more transparent, more professional and more efficient. Today's consumers are fiercely independent and technologically sophisticated. They have become increasingly familiar and comfortable with eCommerce and all sorts of "online social encounters". Our clients grew up with toys like mobile phones, laptops, the Internet, blackberries, and companies like Google, Yahoo, AOL, Expedia, Ebay, Amazon, Realtor.com, Lending Tree and hundreds of others. They even date online and are willing to share their lives on blogs and in sites like My Space. These trends are expected to continue. Our industry, like all others, is completely reliant on its consumer base; does it seem logical to presume that it will be immune to these structural and permanent changes in consumer behavior?

Our industry is not immune. We will have to embrace change sooner rather than later. Agents will be challenged to keep abreast of the latest technological developments in a world of increasing consumer expectations. Technology will redefine the barriers of entry to the industry and its adoption will play a major role in the success or failure of the real estate professional. It should not come as a surprise that historically these barriers have been among the lowest of any industry. Technology will flush the pipeline. There will be fewer agents and their role will be less that of "matchmaker" and more that of "advisor". Technology will bring down commissions but agents will net more because there will be fewer but significantly more productive agents. Tech-based real estate companies will streamline and automate all processes that can be automated within the value chain. Short of conducting physical property inspections, consumers will be able to complete the majority of tasks online while relying on interaction with real estate professionals for their expertise when necessary. Online consumers can already conduct powerful map searches, estimate property values, get neighborhood info and comparable sales, view satellite images and county data. It may not be long before they schedule virtual viewing appointments and use ground level photography and advanced mapping to drive around the neighborhood. They'll then walk around the inside of a home with their remotely conferenced agent and his counterpart asking their questions. If they like the home, they may proceed to virtually drive the comps.

Technology cannot longer be hoarded to perpetuate the existing business model and the traditional roles of agents. Other industries tried and failed because consumer expectations would not allow it. And life is too short to pursue regulation and legislation as the drivers to preempt competition.

Change is here to stay. Change fuels innovation and creativity and is a prerequisite for progress.

The companies and real estate professionals that provide and leverage technology will increase the value of "face-time". Consumers will be able to take a more active role and the real estate professional will spend their time where they provide the most value: delivering expertise, guidance and attention to transaction details. Those companies will be rewarded by the consumer.

After all, it is always the consumer, who has the final word!

The Benefits of Living a Debt-Free Life

Once you make the decision to get out of debt and get a handle on your finances, whether it be through steady payments, debt consolidation, or a debt settlement program, you will finally begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Although the road to financial freedom is not a short trip and it may have a few bumps along the way, reaching the finish line is more than worth the trials of the journey.

There are many obvious reasons to be debt free, including extra cash in your pocket, not having to pay high interest rates every month and never again having to worry about late fees. But, what about the less obvious benefits? Are there any reasons that are nonetheless important, but we don't seem to think of them right away? Of course there are and it is these very benefits that may be the most important of all when it comes to seeking debt relief at the appropriate time.

If you want to purchase a home, a vacation getaway or invest in real estate, you may need to obtain a conventional loan in order to secure the deal. The truth is that few real estate transactions are done with cash, which is why lending institutions play an important role in your need as a homeowner. With that being said, it is nearly impossible to get financing if you already have a lot of debt. When a lender pulls your credit file or compares your debt to income ratio, they may find that you cannot afford another payment. If this happens, your loan would likely be declined. If your pursuit of debt relief is successful, however, this will not be a concern as you will be better equipped to repay a loan when potential lenders view your credit status.

When you apply for a job, you will probably be required to sign a form giving the employer permission to access your credit report. If you have a lot of debt or your credit score is poor, some employers may not be able to offer you a position that you would otherwise be perfect for. This is especially true if you are applying at a location that handles a lot of cash, such as a bank or casino. Your credit report says a lot about you, including your ability to responsibly handle money. If you are debt free, you will have a much better chance at getting the perfect job without having to worry about your credit score.

In a world where so many people live from one paycheck to the next, it is so nice to have some extra spending money in your pocket. Whether you want to plan a vacation, purchase something without having to charge it on a credit card or simply want to know that you can buy something if you want it, the best way to accomplish these goals is through debt relief with the use of a debt consolidation and/or debt settlement program.

One of the final, but most important, benefits of living a debt free life is to lessen the stress and anxiety all too often associated with bills. If you worry about making monthly payments or borrow money from one credit card to pay another, then you are already experiencing the need for debt relief. Being free of debt will also help to prevent you from being irritable with family just because you are stressed about finances. One of the leading causes of divorce is arguments over, you guessed it, money. When you are out of debt and have a few extra dollars in your wallet, you will soon begin to adapt to a cash-only basis and wonder how you ever lived without it.

Article Source: http://www.abcarticledirectory.com/

Startup Ideas that don't make the mark

Recently, we have been receiving a lot of applications for the funding commissioned by MDA. There are good and bad ideas. Of course, some of them will be getting "No, I am sorry to inform you that...." from us. it should not mean to you that it is the end of the road if we don't fund you. If you believe in your idea so much, you should continue the search for funding. Even better, try to do a startup without funding, like some of our resident contributors, Cobalt Paladin, Design Sojourn, Weichang, Der Shing and myself have done. Through a few correspondences and meeting some self-proclaimed and crappy "entrepreneurs", I have set up a list of reasons why they don't make the mark. I have also placed some notes in this post to tell people what kind of entries will end up in our rubbish bin. Here are three reasons why we are ready to reject them.

1. One man show is bound to fail.

Despite how much we tell everyone that a team is important, some Singaporeans are still doing that. Usually when an entrepreneur tells me that he runs a one man show, three possibilities come to my mind: (i) he cannot inspire people to work with him, (ii) he cannot scale his business and hence his profit margins will be extremely low or (iii) he does not know how to grow his business. Good businesses require tight-knitted small teams and great business demands a vast number of good and strong teams. This is one problem I see with single inventors. If I keep trying to help them and gather people around them and they still do nothing, this demonstrates that they just cannot handle people. If you are still not convinced by my reasoning, here is a story which I can share with you.

Years back when I was in Cambridge, a brilliant German inventor I know approached a friend of mine from the United States to do business development. They formed a startup and I thought that the technology was fantastic to make the next Google. This is what exactly happened. One day, the inventor came to me and asked me about business models in my area of specialisation. I was baffled and told him that I was no expert of his industry. Then he continued to ask me what book to read about this. I told him to look up a few references. In the end, I realized that he did not trust my friend at all about business models. For every subject from financials to writing business plans, he had read every book. However, in the end, the business failed horribly. Luckily, my American friend did not suffer badly from the experience. Within seconds he quit the venture, a well-respected serial entrepreneur (and business angel who have done numerous technology startups and sold them to high bidders) in the Cambridge cluster called him and offered him a CEO job for the new startup. The moral of the story is trust which is cardinal to some of our Asian cultures. Remember, you cannot be the CEO, the accountant, the business development director, the public relations and the inventor all at one time. It's impossible to work like that.

So, if you want to convince us, show us if you have a team of two at least, where the other person possess complementary skills to what you don't have.

2. Derivatives vs Imitations

Some companies successfully did it through imitating what a successful big company do. For example, Baidu, the Chinese search engine took wholesale from Google. However, that can work if you can harness a domestic market as big as China, India or Brazil. Some founders try to do this in Singapore and find that their markets are so limited that it amounts nothing at all. As a matter of fact, Baidu is not really an imitation, but a derivative of Google operating in a niche market, namely the customers all write and read the Chinese language.

Of course, if you make a derivative from an existing product, you have a problem. The problem is not just your technology being challenged on the intellectual property front. The real problem is actually the market share that you are getting. Recently, Justin mentioned that if Chad Young did YouTube in Singapore, the company would not have flourished because of all the laws and regulations in the country. Actually, he is about half right. The real reason why Chad Hurley can get backers is because he has leverage of the market. Even if all the companies will sue him, the investors in Silicon Valley or the web 2.0 market will not ignore the amount of customers his website has generated. If you want to be in the internet business, you either have the top class technology or have the most customers. You can attack the niche market but be prepared that I will ask, "Are the people buying your product make up the top 20% of the income group in Singapore?"

3. Half hearted Efforts and Risk Adversity

If you want to do something, go all the way for it. If you want to take money from someone, be prepared to subject yourself to control from the investor. If you want to do both, you better go with full efforts. A lot of people talks about their ideas, but I have seen no prototypes. Believe it or not, even for a blog like SG Entrepreneurs, we wrote a business plan before getting the blog started. We even knew when we must get resident contributors to expand our base. It is quite easy to copy what we are doing in this blog, and I have seen copycats which have died along the way. We go all the way to get our system up and we try to implement everything possible. We never think that profits will come so quickly.

Here is something that Singaporeans need to learn: you must be prepared to suffer as an entrepreneur, otherwise join a company and work as an employee. Recently, I was watching a documentary called "High Net Worth" where the interviewer talks to Donald Trump why he does not encourage people to be entrepreneurs. Paraphrasing Trump's words, if you are not prepared to work 24-7 for your business or find people and ways to enhance your brand and product, don't be an entrepreneur and go be an employee. Not everyone is suitable to be entrepreneurs. It is the kind of advice that I like to give to some one man shows, who after a few years, are still one man shows.

From: http://www.articlestree.com/business/startup-ideas-that-don-t-make-the-mark-tx340496.html

At Last! Automation Demystified!

Product Review of: Automate Your Web Business

Like many other would-be web entrepreneurs, I get overwhelmed and more than a little intimidated by the �e-Commerce� mumbo jumbo that�s swirling around me. Up to now, I�ve been led to believe that to compete successfully with the big sellers out there making ridiculously high profits on the web, I need a sophisticated (and very complicated) web hosting machine. And oh, by the way, this must-have �system� can only be pieced together and maintained by high-priced experts. I�m in over my head. It�s an expensive, time-consuming process that requires more know-how than I could ever get on my own. Right? Wrong!

From Marlon Sanders, creator of the Amazing Formula for making money on the web, comes the ultimate, practical guide to automating a web business. Poof! My fear and �ignorance� of the technology is no longer an excuse for not getting my selling machine in gear. Here, for the first time, is an end-to-end tutorial of active marketing techniques�an easy and painless walkthrough of the all the steps you need to know to automate your web business.

Get ready to sell! When you free up your time through web automation you�ll be able to focus on what�s really important--marketing your product. After all, Marlon reminds us, it�s marketing, not automation, the impacts business and profits. It�s how you use the technology that matters. This ground-breaking product will show you the automation techniques you must do to succeed. Plus, it offers hints and strategies that are worth trying, and it spells out the ones you should absolutely avoid at all cost.

In the fast-moving chapters of this definitive how-to, we enter the world of �real-time processing� and �digital delivery� in terms we can understand and act on. We get a full-blown explanation of must-have information, such as how to set up a merchant account, the ABCs of creating order pages and establishing price points, and how to create an instant cash system and a can�t-miss referral generation machine.

Marlon layers technique upon technique�showing you what to do and when. He reveals the finer points of automating your upselling; your e-mail, mail lists, and database; your accounting system and your important computer procedures; and your problem follow-up system. Marlon even shows you how to automate the personalization process itself! When you�re finished putting these tips to work, you�ll have a well-oiled web machine that almost works on auto-pilot! You�ve saved tons of time and you�re free to focus on your profits! It�s awesome�and it�s all within your reach.

Marlon�s ultimate automation system puts the full array of web tools and technology at your fingertips. And his phenomenal use of screen captures, dynamic real-time links, and first-hand resource recommendations gets you right inside his own personal, automated marketing machine! This is what Marlon actually uses in his business. He shows you how he does it, why he does it, and the results you can expect when you do it. Not only that, he�ll tell you if he�s found a better way to do what he�s been doing. All of his secrets are revealed. Nothing�s left to chance.

True to form, Marlon�s delivered some exciting, eye-opening stuff in this e-book. His ultimate automation machine is a jam-packed toolbox of programs and advice to help you get the biggest bang for your web development buck�whether you�re a newbie or an advanced marketer. By the time I got to the last chapter of Marlon�s formula, I couldn�t wait to get my hands on the web automation technology that had scared me off before.

--Robert G. Gardner, Ph.D

Check out: http://getyourprofits.com/z/170/CD24633

Creating An Affiliate Marketing Program

Affiliate programs allow a business to generate a lot of traffic, therefore boosting sales through promotion by third party sales or websites. It's also a cost effective way to market your products and services, because you pay only for the efforts that actually turn into sales.

Establishing your own affiliate system can be either simple or overwhelming, all depending on how many affiliates you want to recruit, as well as your payment policy and the type of product that you offer.

In terms of your affiliate systems, there are two options for your business: outsource the entire system or manage your own affiliate system through your own web host. Each one is noted its own advantages as well as disadvantages.

If you have a small network of affiliates, then you can run your own affiliate software. If you decide to recruit a large number of affiliates, then you will probably need an external business to help you manage your network. The reason for this need is because you'll find it easer to deal with a large number of sign ups, track payments, monitor clicks, and so on if outsiders help you sort it out.

Kinds of affiliates There are numerous types of affiliates out there to pick from. There's the pay per sale option, where a person is paid only if a sale is generated from the affiliate's link. It's the least attractive to affiliates, unless the product is in high demand and the most profitable for business.

The other type is the pay per lead option, where you pay only for traffic. With this type, the affiliate is paid only if a visitor is generated from the affiliate's link. It's attractive to affiliates although costly to website owners, due to the likelihood of non-sale visits.

Things to keep in mind When setting up an affiliate network, something to consider is whether you'll approve affiliates automatically or manually. It's generally recommended to start affiliate programs with your established customer sites then progress to new ones.

If you opt for the pay per clicks program, you may have to control the affiliates because the quality of visitors will be a huge factor when it comes to the generation of sales. By manually reviewing, you'll also be able to evaluate the website or individual affiliates to see if it's in the best interest of your company.

If you decide to use your own affiliate system, one of your biggest challenges will be how to compensate affiliates with a percentage of what you receive from customers. To do this, you can rely on software such as Affiliate shop to assist you in tracking and managing commissions.

Source:http://www.articlestree.com/business/creating-an-affiliate-marketing-program-tx340499.html

2006 Tax Credits and Deductions You Should Know About

As April 15th draws every closer, it is time to start thinking about how you are going to reduce your tax bill. Here are a couple of ways most people miss out.

Every year, the IRS tries to alert people to new deductions and credits available to taxpayers. Some might argue the IRS doesn’t make much of an effort, but that is beside the point. In truth, it sends out news releases and so on. Here are some of the areas where you can save on your 2006 taxes that you might not know about.

Telephone Excise Tax Refund - For the last 108 years, the IRS has collected a long distance tax. Don’t remember paying it? Well, this is because your phone service was doing it as part of your bill. Much to the embarrassment of the IRS, the tax has been ruled illegal over and over by courts. The IRS has finally given in. Does this mean you get a refund for the last 108 years? No. Instead, you can claim a $30 or $60 refund on your 1040. The box is line 71 on the 1040 form and line 42 on the 1040A and 1040EZ forms. Alternatively, you can go rifle through your phone bills and file form 8913.

State and Local Sales Tax Deduction - Mention of this deduction may bring on a sense of déjà vu. It has been around since 2004, but was set at the end of 2005. Fortunately, it has been renewed. If you itemize deductions, you can choose to deduct the total state and local sales tax instead of the state income tax. This is a windfall for people that made big purchases such as luxury cars or live in a state where income tax is not collected such as Florida.

Home Improvement Tax Credits - If you installed energy efficient products on your home in 2006, you can claim a nice tax credit. The products, such as windows, doors and appliances, have to be approved for the tax credit. The exact amount of the credit depends on the product, but can be as high as $500. While this may not sound like a lot, keep in mind tax credits are applied directly to the amount you owe the government one you figure out your taxes. This dollar for dollar reduction makes them much more valuable than a mere tax deduction.

As we head full steam into the tax season, most people start to worry about filing their taxes. If you keep the above credits and deductions in mind, it should prove to be less painful.

Source: http://www.articlestree.com/money/2006-tax-credits-and-deductions-you-should-know-about-tx339169.html