Commercial Surety Bonds: Getting The Best Rate (Part 1 of 2)

There is a great range in rates for commercial surety bonds these days. Principals can see premiums range from 1-15% of the amount of the bond. Even a small bond at 15% can be extremely costly. In part 1 of 2 of this article, we will review what bonding companies look at when deciding a rate. Part 2 of this article will discuss what you can do to better your situation to make sure you are at the bonding companies lowest tier rating.



Commercial bond underwriting takes more than just personal credit into consideration. In general, a commercial bond submission must include: a bond application with general information on the principal, business financial statements and or a resume on the owner(s), personal financial statements of the owner(s), personal credit of the owner(s) and possibly their spouse(s), and the bond form that must be used to create the original bond. There are specialty programs available for some classes of business that will require less information. However, these programs are far and few in between.



A principal must qualify on all surety items named above. A surety can decline a principal if they fail to meet any of the sureties underwriting guidelines. The best way to understand what the surety is looking for is to go through everything one item at a time in detail. Some of the items below can be fixed immediately, others can take years to correct.



General Bond Application: A bond application will help the surety to determine: the bond amount, who is requiring the bond of the principal (obligee), principal\'s contact information, owner(s) contact and personal information, etc. A surety can decline an applicant if they find that any of the information is inaccurate. At times, a surety will not want to write bonds when certain obligees are involved.



Business Financial Statement: The business financial statement of the applicant is the bloodline of the company and is one of the most critical items reviewed by the surety when applying for a bond. The statement should be done in an orderly fashion. Handwritten & sloppy internal statements are not recommended in a submission. Instead, it would be wise to contact a CPA to complete at least a \Compilation\ Financial Statement for your business. This statement should also be done on an accrual method of accounting. This is necessary as it shows a clearer financial picture of your business. The unacceptable method of, \cash basis\ should be avoided as it does not include several items on the balance sheet making the financial picture \cloudy\. The CPA business statement should always include full notes and disclosures. In-house financial statements can be used for bonds $100,000 and less, but CPA is still preferred.



Resume: A surety needs confidence in the principal when approving a bond, especially at a low rate. The bonding company wants to know the principal has experience in their field of expertise and they can successfully run a business without triggering a claim.



Personal Financial Statement: Bonding companies are going to want to see that the owner(s) have enough liquid assets. Real estate ownership is also a must for most bond types. Obviously, they will want to see that the net worth of the individual is strong. Items such as life insurance, personal property, automobiles are less valuable in comparison to liquid cash or real estate equity.



Personal Credit: Many have the misconception that score is all that matters on a credit report. There are several items that are just as if not more important in the eyes of a bonding company:


1) Bankruptcy: Declaring bankruptcy can negatively effect you for the rest of your life. Fortunately, most bonding companies will write an account 7 years after it has been discharged. If it is within 7 years, the principal is usually stuck in a high risk bond program.


2) Tax Lien: For the most part, tax liens are underwritten similar to bankruptcies. The majority of sureties like to see them 7 years old and paid. If they are not paid or not far enough in the past, the principal will most likely be in a high risk program.


3) Civil Judgment: Bonding companies vary greatly when it comes to civil judgments. Some bonding companies will never write an account that has had a judgment placed against them. Other bonding companies will write an account with a satisfied judgment and a brief explanation of it.


4) Unpaid Collection: A collection on a credit report is not a good thing, but can still be written in a standard market if the collection is paid. An unpaid collection will immediately put an applicant into a high risk bond program.


5) Late Child Support: With out a doubt, unpaid child support is the worst item an underwriter can see. If an owner has late child support showing on their report they might as well start looking for bond alternatives. Not even high risk bond programs will write a bond for someone with late child support.



Of course, credit scores still count as well. Most bonding companies will be looking for credit scores of 670 or higher. However, some sureties have more liberal underwriting guidelines for low risk classes of business. Some sureties will base their decision on the owner that is considered the highest risk, while other bonding companies will average the credit scores of the owners.



Bond Form: The bond form is exactly what it sounds like, a form used to create a bond. The bond form contains the specifics of what the bond is guaranteeing. Therefore, bonding companies are careful as to what they are willing to write. Some classes of business are considered riskier than others (i.e. ICC Freight Brokers, Wage & Welfare, etc.). Sometimes a line of business is considered less risky, but the bond forms language is considered a higher risk. There are two clauses bonding companies will typically look for:


1) Cancellation Clause: A cancellation clause allows the surety to cancel a bond. An example read as follows, \The surety may cancel this bond and be relieved of further liability hereunder by giving 30 days\' written notice to the principal and the [obligee\.


2) Aggregate Clause: This clause creates a cap to the aggregate amount of claims. In other words, a $50,000 bond can pay out no more than $50,000 on a single claim or multiple claims. Therefore, if the bond pays out $50,000 on a claim, then it is maxed out and will not pay out on any additional claims. An example of the clause would be, \In no event shall the aggregate liability of the surety exceed the penal sum specified herein.\.



For most bonding companies, a bond form missing the proper language will result in an immediate declination regardless of who the applicant is.



As you can see, a bonding company reviews a multitude of information prior to approving a bond. A good agent knows not to quote or even give a ball park quote based on a credit score alone, as it will likely be very inaccurate. In the next installment of this two piece series we will go over what a principal can do to be considered less of a risk and obtain the lowest bond rate the bonding company has to offer.

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

Michael Weisbrot is Vice-President of JW bond Consultants, Inc., a



View their website at: www.jwsuretybonds.com

Credit Repair How To

Credit repair, is in a word, vital to reestablishing your credit. Unless you plan to never use your credit again, then you have to find a way to fix it.

In the world we live in, having credit available to you is important, even if you don't use it regularly.

What do you do, then when something goes wrong and you end up with bad credit?

Most of us start out wanting to have good credit, but things just go wrong.

In order to fix them, you need to use credit repair.

However repairing credit is not easy.

There is no quick solution.

You will need time and patience not to mention good habits to make it happen.

Your first priority is to stop using your credit cards.

Stop putting more on them.

You will want to talk to your creditors and ask them to help you.

They may be able to help you pay off your credit in several ways.

They may be willing to give you more time between payments.

They may offer to allow you to pay it off without charging additional finance charges if you agree to pay a certain amount monthly.

Or, they may even allow you to pay off your credit for pennies on the dollar.

This means that if you owe a creditor $1000 they may allow you to pay it off by only paying $700 if you pay it off in a certain manner.

In the end, the only type of credit repair that will actually improve your credit rating is time and good habits.

By paying off any money that you owe, you can gradually reestablish your credit slowly.

Be smart though, and do not get yourself into the same situation you got into.

Talking to your creditors can be a good first step to take.

It may help to stop the negative ratings and actually get you a few good marks.

In the end, no matter why you got into the situation you are in, you will need to take better care to stop this from happening again.

For continually updated information, tools and resources visit the CreditAndCreditReports.com blog.

California Commercial Auto Insurance

If you own a home based business, you must be aware that you are required to take out a separate insurance for you home based business apart from your home insurance. If you utilize your vehicle for your home-based business, you require separate insurance for car because your regular car insurance would not cover your commercial use.

The first thing you would have to do is contact you insurance company, agent, or broker. They would help you determine if your car usage would require commercial auto insurance. To determine this, the insurance agent will ask about your driving practices. The agent will ask how frequently you use the vehicle for work and if employees also use it. People who frequently use the vehicle for business use and who let employees use it should get commercial auto insurance.

So what does commercial auto insurance cover? Essentially, it will tender you the similar sort of coverage that your individual policy tenders. Liability, collision, comprehensive, personal injury, and uninsured motorist coverage are all standard features of your commercial auto insurance policy. Nonetheless, if your staff drives their personal vehicles for your business, you can get a \non-owned\ endorsement to your commercial auto insurance for their vehicles. It would be prudent to sit down and negotiate all the details with your insurance agent with regards to the coverage you want.

You do not have to be loyal to your current insurance company. Before deciding up on an insurance policy, make sure you get couple of insurance quotes from different insurance companies. Always compare prices and levels of coverage provided.

Don\'t take up any insurance policy without conducting a background check of the insurance company. You will also need to check the financial stability of the companies you are taking into consideration, so confirm with A.M. Best, Fitch, or Standard and Poor\'s to make sure you commercial auto insurance company is well rated. Lastly, verify with your state insurance department to find out consumer complaint ratios and get recommendations from other business owners.

California Auto Insurance provides detailed information about California auto insurance, California auto insurance companies, California auto insurance comparisons, and more. California Auto Insurance is affiliated with Cheap Sports Car Insurance.

The old man was right!

The old man was right

I read this on Saturday in an old book that was written many
moons ago.

It was a headline from the New York Times of April 26,1933

And the item reads.

\Henry Ford believes that the one thing people should learn from
the depression is that necessity of creating their own
business,no matter how small,instead of waiting for someone to
give them a job.

Everybody ought to have that in mind, because there are too many
out of employment to provide job\'s for all, he said.\

Let\'s fast forward to today\'s headlines

Ford Motor Co. on Monday said it would slash up to 30,000 jobs
and said it would shut down 14 manufacturing sites, including
seven assembly plants.

Ford\'s larger rival, General Motors Corp. said in November that
it would cut 30,000 manufacturing jobs and close a dozen North
American plants.

Old man Ford was right 73 years ago when he spoke those words
but I will take it one step further.

While not everyone has the drive and desire to operate their own
business, EVERYONE should take the time to educate themselves on
at least ONE solid method of investing in real estate.

Most never get started investing because they simply do not know
where to start and I cannot say I blame them as there are so
MANY ways to invest.

So pick one way and master that one way.

We prefer without credit checks and $1-10 down

It has been a Number 1 best seller 3 years in a row for a reason.

In Florida, we call that a Clue!

Truly caring for your success

TC and Vickie Bradley http://www.bwncc.com

Second Home Investment Market in Real Estate Opens a New Niche For the Accountant

Second home investment market in real estate opens a new niche for the accountant.

The growing market for second home investment niche in the real estate market has opened a new niche for many industry related professionals. Among them are the CPAs or accountants who can now tap this growing market. Many investors in the second home market need the services of qualified accountants to help them in this very important investing process.

Sometimes professionals get caught in the same routine year after year. It is important to keep doing the things that make a business succeed without ignoring new trends that could affect one\'s business. Thus the growing trend in the second home investment market in real estate is an area where industry professionals like accountants, real estate agents, mortgage professionals, home inspectors, intermediaries, attorneys, interior designers, moving companies, escrow officers, home cleaning businesses, landscapers, licensed contractors, interior designers, and other related businesses could start looking for more business.

This second home investment niche is a highly targeted market and tapping this market also means that you need to tap the publications or media that focus on this niche.

If you are an accountant or a professional who offers services in the second home investment market, be among the first ones to take the lead in getting ahead in the second home investment market niche. Just think about it, you could establish yourself early in this market before your competitor takes his or her share in the second home investment market niche.

Maria Reyes is the pen name for one of the writers for YourRealEstateMarket.com You can read more articles written by Maria Reyes regarding real estate marketing online and real estate advertising by visiting our second home investment magazine and directory.

Right to buy: your right to buy your home

Right to buy is one of the most popular policies that have a profound social impact increasing the owner occupancy. Right to buy schemes introduced in 1980 has given the right to tenants to buy their property at discounted rates. More than five million council right tenants have become homeowner through this scheme. You can be a part of the most important social revolutions of this century by endorsing council right to buy scheme.



If you are a secured tenant of

a local authority

London borough council

Housing action trust

Registered landlord (non charitable)



Then you are legally capable of buying the house under the Housing Act. Buying a home can be expensive. Right to buy mortgage can help you meet the cost of home. For right to buy a council tenant needs to have two years public sector tenancy. A new council tenant that is if the tenancy began on or after 18th January 2005 will require minimum five year tenancy.



Before going to Right to buy mortgage, calculate the amount you have to pay for right to buy. Most lenders will provide 95%-100% of the right to buy amount. To find such a lender you will be required to do some research. There will be lenders who offer specialized right to buy mortgage products.



Start the day you get council right to buy offer. The time spent on research will be the time well spent. There are companies who may try to contact you with plans to aid you with council right to buy scheme. They may offer all in one packages including mortgage and home improvement etc. this may lead you to take a mortgage deal without bargaining or one that you can't afford. There may be mortgage lenders who want to tell you that buy to right scheme is nearing closure. That is, however, not true.



Discounts available on 'right to buy' can be anywhere between 32%-70%. The discount available with council right to buy is dependent on how many years you have spent as council tenant and the maximum discount limit of your area. Right to buy is available for both houses and flats.



For houses the discount after two years is 32% and will add 1% for every addition year of tenancy with an upper limit of 60%.

Flats have discount of 44% after two years and additional 2% for every year. The maximum discount for flats will be 70%.



For the 5 year schemes (tenancy starting after 18th January 2005)



35% for houses and 1% for each year spent as a tenant. The maximum limit is 60%.

50% for flats with 2% discount for every extra year. The maximum limit is 70%.



There will be different maximum discount limit for right to buy in different areas. For example



London or south-east - 38,000.

Eastern Region - 34,000

South-West - 30,000

North-West or the West Midlands - 26,000

Wales, the East Midlands or Yorkshire and the Humber - 24,000

North-East - 22,000

A right to buy mortgage will not make sense to you if your home is sheltered housing for elderly, only temporary accommodation, or your home is provided by the company you are working with.

Council right to buy would require some documents to be filled as part of the application process. With an RTB1 form you make an application for right to buy. After that a notice form RTB2 form is sent to you telling whether you have right to buy. An important document called Section 125 tells you about the price you have to pay and the terms and conditions. This should to be read carefully.

Right to buy is an opportunity of becoming a homeowner at affordable rates. It is not easy to become a homeowner but it seems like a realistic possibility. Right to buy has encouraged tenants to remain in their neighbourhood and construct stable income communities. With 'right to buy' any individual can hope to transform his or her life socially.

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

Amanda Thompson holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce from CPIT and has completed her master's in Business Administration from IGNOU. She is as cautious about her finances as any person reading this is. She is working as financial consultant for chanceforloans .To find a Personal loans,bad credit loans,Debt consolidation,home equity loans at cheap rates that best suits your needs visit
www.chanceforloans.co.uk

Real Estate Trends Advertising

2005 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers Points to Real Estate Advertising Trends

The annual report by the National Association of Realtors profiling homebuyers and sellers reveals some interesting information about how and where to spend money when it comes to marketing homes. The study\'s findings should be of interest to real estate agents and clients alike.

For example, the study discovered that advertising properties on local television may not be the best use of advertising dollars when it comes to marketing properties. Although some 25 percent of homebuyers surveyed said they did sometimes use television as a source of leads, less than one percent of them said they had first learned about the home they eventually purchased by seeing it on TV.

The NAR survey has been going on for about ten years, and has proven useful over the last decade for being able to predict trends. For instance, it should come as no surprise that one of the most effective tools for marketing homes is the Internet, and that trend will likely continue to grow stronger as the years go by. Interestingly, even though consumers are using the Net more, they\'ve also continued to use agents to help them with the purchasing process. Some 77 percent of homebuyers said they used the Net in their search for a new home, yet 90 percent of them also used the help of a real estate agent.

The survey also found that traditional methods of marketing, such as newspaper ads, open houses, and a simple sign in the yard are still effective means of reaching potential buyers. It seems as if people still enjoy driving around and looking for signs in the neighborhoods that interest them. In fact, some 15 percent of buyers said that a yard sign was a significant source of information for the home they purchased.

Open houses didn\'t fare quite as well. Although nearly half of the homebuyers surveyed said open houses were useful sources of information, less than one percent said they had bought their home because of an open house.

In fact, among homebuyers surveyed, the number one source of information about the home they eventually bought was still their real estate agent. That\'s good news for the Multiple Listing Service, because it means that their information is still being used heavily by agents in finding potential homes for their clients. However, savvy listing agents also make sure their homes are featured on the Internet to give them an even wider exposure.

Copyright 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Jeanette Fisher offers free real estate investing information, free ebook, The Truth about Making Money Flipping Houses and teleseminars. http://doghousetodollhouse.com

Make Your Dream Car Your Own With A Car Loan

There was a time when people used to save money from their salaries to build up finances for realising their dreams, but now the modern age man believes in materialising all his dreams as quickly as possible. The easy availability of credit has facilitated this change. So if you dream of driving the best car in the globe then a car loan can help you make your dream come true.

A car loan is given by a lender to purchase a car. There are two options available to you for car Loans. You can either go for a secured car loan or you can opt for an Unsecured Car Loan. If you choose a secured car loan you\'ll be charged with low interest rate. The APR percentage will be low. Also, the monthly installments will be small and the loan repayment period will be flexible according to your affordability.

On the other hand, an unsecured Car Loan will have a bit higher rate of interest in comparison to unsecured car loans. The monthly installments will be bigger unlike in the case of secured loans. This is because an unsecured loan is approved without any collateral whereas a secured loan is provided against collateral.

With the introduction of Internet and online shopping, procuring a car loan has become easier. This requires not much effort from your side, as you just have to fill up an online loan application form to apply for the loan. The lenders will take care of all the arrangements and formalities required in procuring a car loan. So, if you need a car loan don\'t wait anymore. Sit in front of your computer, find a good creditor by exploring the market online, choose a loan which you wish to avail and fill up the form.

About The Author: The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in Business Administration and is currently assisting Ask4Loan as a finance specialist.

For more information please visit: http://www.ask4loan.co.uk

Home Equity Loan Rates How To Take Advantage Of The Best Loans Available

Home equity loan rates are determined from lenders by several factors. It can be well worth your while to know these factors to take advantage of the best home equity loans.

Home equity loans are commonly used to consolidate any other debts with high interest rates enabling the person to finance large expenses. Home equity rates are based on several different types of financial aspects.

There are two kinds of home equity loans. The other home equity loan is called the home equity line of credit that allows the borrower to use a credit card or checkbook to receive separate funds.

Home equity loan rates may vary depending on the lenders with many factors to consider.

What Will Determine My Home Equity Loan Rate?

* Loan to value - Majority of the lenders and banks will allow you to extend the credit based on a percentage of your home\'s projected market value. Lenders and banks usually charge higher interest rates for high loan to value percentages. The best interest rates are given to those loan requests at 80 percent loan-to-value or lower.

* Intended amount to borrow - Majority of the lenders offer various rates at different borrowing levels. Lenders basic rule is the larger amounts you borrow, the lower your rate.

* Credit history - In reviewing your ability to repay home equity rates, the lenders usually check for your credit history report. The credit score establishes the rate each lender could charge you. If you have a high credit score, your home equity rate would be lower.

* Status of the local market - Home equity rates could vary for each region because of competition and the demand or supply of money.

If the lenders in a particular region face a competitive supply of home equity products, these lenders could offer you with lower rates compared to the national rate. Your home equity rates could increase or decrease. For the lowest possible interest rates, make sure to clean your credit history of debt, determine the suitable amount of money to borrow and compute the loan-to-value beforehand.

As you probably know, most loans come with variable interest rates. Generally, home equity loan rates differ with each lender.

Most lenders are willing to negotiate the rates once you have met their criteria. They are aware of the accessibility of interest rate information throughout the Internet and nationwide banks. So make sure to do your research before negotiating.

Your home equity rates could increase or decrease. For the lowest possible interest rates, make sure to clean your credit history of debt, determine the suitable amount of money to borrow and compute the loan-to-value beforehand. In doing so, you are ready to face any lender and have a larger possibility of being approved with a low interest rate.

There are also home equity loans with large balloon payments at the end of the loan and others with no balloons but with higher monthly payments. Make sure you know all the details if you are considering this type of loan.

Be sure to review any type of home equity contract carefully before signing it. You should know what the terms are in full detail.

One of the best sources of credit is your home. Initially, home equity credit lines and home equity loans may provide you with large amounts of cash at relatively low interest rates.

Dean Shainin is a consultant specializing in home loans, strategies for loan financing, home equity loans, and consolidation loan information. To see a list of recommended loan companies, tools, resources, free quotes and articles, visit this site: http://www.homemortgageloantips.com

Get free valuable online tips for saving money from his: Equity Loan Rates website.

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

FSBO Sellers The Real Estate Agent Is Not Your Enemy

If you are selling your home without a real estate agent, you need to realize the agents in your area are not your enemy. In fact, they may prove very useful in moving your property.

FSBO Sellers - The Real Estate Agent Is Not Your Enemy

A common mistake made when people decide to list their home for sale by owner is to assume real estate agents are to be avoided. This is a mistake for a number of reasons and can significantly hinder your efforts to sell the property. Consider the following.

A majority of buyers will use a real estate agent to locate and make offers on real estate. I am sure this is hardly a shocking revelation to you. Given this fact, many FSBO sellers make the mistake of treating real estate agents rudely. If you receive a call from an agent, you need to realize the person offering their services may be the same person that calls a week later with an interested buyer. If you burn bridges by being rude or hanging up on real estate agents, you run the risk of missing out on potential buyers.

Even if a real estate agent does not bring a buyer, they can still be of assistance to a FSBO seller. Put bluntly, the real estate agents contacting you expect you to eventually give up trying to sell your property on your own. Although incorrect, this assumption leads them to view you as a potential client down the road. The negative aspect of this is they will continually contact you. Ah, but there is a positive aspect as well.

A real estate agent that sniffs a potential client can be very helpful. To generate credibility with you, they will give you an astounding amount of help for free. Many realtors, for instance, will provide you with all the contract documentation you need for the sale and purchase transaction for the property including a purchase agreement, escrow instructions, deeds, disclosures and a list of documents you will need. Some will even go so far as to provide you with free brochures for your home. Now, does that sound like an enemy?

Make no mistake, a real estate agent will help you because they believe you will eventually become a client. You probably will not, but there is little reason to view them as an enemy in your efforts.

Raynor James is with the FSBO site - FSBOAmerica.org - homes for sale by owner.

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

The Philosopher's Stone

If you know how to spend less than you get, you have the philosopher's stone - Benjamin Franklin

Ok, so how do you do it? It seems like any time I try to spend less, a new expense comes charging (so to speak) through the door. Here are a few suggestions I've gathered:

1. Robert Kiyosaki, investor, entrepreneur, and millionaire, says in his book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, that one essential is paying yourself first. That is, determine what amount of your income you're not going to spend (i.e. you'll save or invest it instead), and then stick with it. Even if it's just $10 per payday, do not let anything force you to spend that money.

2. Raise your standards. Take a month and calculate the amount of money you spend on snacks, sodas, fast food, and other junk that doesn't last beyond the moment. As much as possible, dispense with frivolous spending, but at the same time don't be afraid to reward yourself with big things. By refusing to spend on cheap or useless stuff you'll have more available for things you really want. Rewarding yourself when you can accomplishes two things. It gives you a motive for saving and it gives you tangible evidence of your new found financial success.

3. Instead of thinking in terms of what you can afford, think in terms of what you really need. Don't take out a mortgage for the maximum you qualify for. Lower the limits on your credit cards. Pay cash whenever possible to avoid paying interest. Learn to practice purchasing patience - wait overnight or longer when possible before buying so that you break the habit of spending on a whim.

4. If you haven't already, create for yourself a financial buffer and don't dip into it except for extraordinary circumstances. Some say you should have at least one month of living expenses set aside. Some say it should be two. I even know some who aren't comfortable unless they have at least a six month cushion!

These, and other simple strategies can help you keep more of your money in your own pocket and set you on the path to financial independence.

Leonard Hopkins is an internet entrepreneur and small businessman. He edits two blogs, http://www.moneyrant.com and http://www.thedailygoodnews.com

Retirement and the Roth IRA

An IRA is an IRA is an IRA, unless it\'s a Roth IRA. Roth IRAs, which burst upon the investment scene not so long ago, offers some attractive departures from traditional IRAs, especially if it\'s being used as a retirement planning tool.

The Roth is the same as a traditional IRA in that it is not an investment in and of itself, but a vehicle to investing in other instruments such as stocks, bonds, bank certificates of deposit, mutual funds, and even real estate. That\'s pretty much where the similarities end and the differences begin.

With an ordinary IRA, the money you contribute is not subject to income taxes first, it comes straight from your gross salary. Taxes are paid when you withdraw the money and traditional IRA monies have to be withdrawn from the account when you turn 70 , or they become subject to higher tax rates.

In the case of the Roth IRA, the money you pay in comes from your net salary - in other words, you have already paid the income taxes on it. For many people it makes sense to have paid the income taxes up front when they are making more money, than later on when they need the money for retirement.

In addition, there are no taxes on the growth from your Roth IRA. What you put in, stays in, and earns additional money for you. And, the longer you leave it in, the more it grows.

At the same time, the Roth IRA is a bit more accessible since you can make withdrawals from it, provided you have had it for at least five years and you are at least 591/2 years old. There are no penalties for early withdrawal from a Roth IRA and, because the income taxes were paid up front, there is no tax to pay at the time of withdrawal.

There are some rules that govern contributions to a Roth IRA. For example, you can contribute up to $4,000 per year as an individual, but if you are 50 or older you can make an additional contribution of up to $1,000 as of 2006, in order to \catch up.\ As long as you have income - from either work or alimony in most cases, you can make contributions to a Roth and you can keep doing so, no matter how old you are. You don\'t qualify for full contributions to a Roth IRA if your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) is over $95,000, but can make partial contributions if you don\'t earn more than $110,000. Married couples can make full contributions to a Roth IRA if their joint income doesn\'t top $150,000, and partial ones if their income isn\'t over $160,000.

There can be retirement advantages to a Roth IRA, primarily that the taxes have already been paid and there are none due upon withdrawal. Many people have converted their traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs as part of their estate planning processes. The transfer rules are somewhat complex, however. In order to withdraw money from the traditional IRA, taxes on it must be paid at the time of withdrawal. If the additional income in the year the money is withdrawn kicks the individual into a higher tax bracket, the tax bite can be more than anticipated.

While there are advantages to the Roth IRA, make sure you consult with your financial planner and estate planner to make sure you are cognizant of and meet all the rules.

About Ronald E. Hudkins;

Ronald Hudkins is a retired U.S. Army Military Police member that was assigned as a staff researcher. He has coordinated with military and criminal investigators, set on court marshals and worked closely with the Staff Judge Advocate Generals Office (JAG). He has a keen sense of legal matters - their interpretation, initiatives and guidelines. For imperative financial planning needs he suggests his book \Asset Protection and Estate Planning for All Ages.\ Additionally, he offers a Free Newsletter, Articles and Forum at his web site: http://www.AssetProtectNow.com

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

A Near Death Experience

I am a mother of three - I have two boys and a beautiful little girl. They can be a real handful at times. I take care of my children by myself for the most part. I split up with my husband a couple of years ago, and nowadays I\'m lucky if he takes them for a weekend every two weeks. To be honest I don\'t think he\'s capable of having them for more than two days a fortnight. Financially he helps a bit, but it\'s basically up to me to make sure that I have enough money to provide for myself and my kids. I have a decent job, and we get by.

My job sees me driving a lot. I have 60 miles to drive to get to work in the morning, and 60 miles again to drive home. I drive fast; some people say too fast, but it\'s never bothered me in the past - I consider myself a very good driver. But an incident last week made me consider things in a whole different light.

It was a normal morning\'s drive to work. I drive along the bypass at 70 mph after dropping the kids at the pre-school club. I\'m always in a rush, after managing to get the kids into the car. My hair\'s usually a mess; my makeup hasn\'t been done, and my breakfast is in my lap. As I think about it now, driving at 70 mph with no hands, as I eat my breakfast, or fix my hair, probably isn\'t a smart thing to do every morning. I was cruising along with my bagel in one hand; fixing my hair with the other hand, as I looked at myself in the mirror, and held the steering wheel with my knees. Just then my car drove over a piece of a car\'s engine from a previous accident. If I\'d have been watching the road I could easily have missed the object. If I\'d had my hands firmly on the wheel then I could have controlled the car, but because of my compromising position I lost full control of the car. It steeply swerved into the barrier, and as I grabbed the wheel to take the car away from the barrier the car swerved the other way, and spun a couple of times before the grip of the tires took the road side on, and the car flipped on its side and rolled for a couple of hundred metres.

My life didn\'t flash in front of my eyes, but my children\'s did. I seen them living with their dad in uncontrollable anarchy. I seen them growing up as problem children: coming from a background of no money and no control. My kids are great kids, but I can see that without me they could grow up to be bad kids.

After the accident I was only left with cuts and bruises, but I had a new vision of how things should be. I decided that I should be more responsible with my life: for my kids\' sake and I should plan for the kids\' future, in case something did happen to me.

I got myself some life insurance - I actually purchased it online while I was at work (life insurance) - and I\'ve decided to drive more responsibly. I now take an extra couple of minutes to eat my bagel before I leave the house; I make sure my hair and makeup are done before I leave, and I keep my speed down to under 60 MPH. It means that I have to get up earlier in the morning, but I\'d do anything for my kids. My next objective is to move house, to somewhere that\'s a lot closer to work. Then things will work themselves out, and I wont have to worry so much about my kids growing up in a way that I haven\'t planned.

Submitted by: Michael Hanna

About Michael Michael is a keen writer, and internet marketer living in Scotland:

Contact details: E-mail: samqam@googlemail.com Phone: 0131 561 2251 Michael\'s Website: Belfast Taxis

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

South Florida Investment Real Estate Properties Opening Up

Many of you have been emailing me the following question:

\... Mark, You keep mentioning about the Orlando and Las Vegas investment real estate market but you haven\'t mentioned much about the South Florida investment market. What are your thoughts on the South Florida investment and preconstruction real estate markets?\

I wish there was a short answer but the following will have to do. South Florida real estate properties have been rising over the last few years but I feel there are better and safer markets to invest in right now. Although investing in Miami (as long as it\'s preconstruction) is always a great idea because of the overwhelming demand for it. When investing in south Florida the fact is that finding preconstruction investment real estate in Miami is much more difficult then let\'s say Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, or even Las Vegas. There are several preconstruction developments opening up but many investors like choice and when you tell them that you have 8 nice preconstruction properties in Orlando and 6 in Las Vegas and only one in south Florida, people tend to think that south Florida isn\'t growing like the rest of the market. Many investors like to pick a home that reflects their personal style and when there is no selection of inventory this usually turns the investor off or even worse causes the investor to buy a very risky investment from a new developer. Imagine you walked into a car dealership and asked to see their luxury cars and they pulled out one car and said this is our entire inventory. Chances are you are not going to buy the car no matter how perfect is because you didn\'t have any selection and you felt like you had no choice in the matter. That is what the South Florida investment market is like, there are some good preconstruction investment properties but because the selection is limited only the educated experienced investors will purchase them.

I\'m not saying that investing in south florida real estate properties is a bad idea it\'s just not at the top of the list for the serious real estate investors. Many people choose to invest in south Florida hot spots like Miami or South Beach but that is because they want to visit the condo or home for vacation. I never discourage investors from investing in south Florida but then again I seldom bring it up unless that is the specific area they want.

The key thing to remember is that south Florida was a great investment market a few years ago but has defiantly cooled down over the last year or two. While if you buy in preconstruction you can still make a strong ROI you may want to look into other markets where there is more of a selection of choice developments.

If you are looking for more information on the south florida investment real estate market please call or visit our website. I have over 19 years experience in the Florida investment real estate industry and have a great knowledge of almost all projects around the state.

Goldberg Executive Realty Group
Mark Goldberg
Phone: 1-866-247-2259
E-mail: GoldbergRealtyGroup@cfl.rr.com http://www.investrealestate101.com

Mortgage Refinance Quote Offers Flexibility to Homeowners

Over the past several years, the housing market in the U.S. has
boomed. Homeowners have watched their home equity balloon as
housing prices have soared. In many areas in the U.S., modest
homes purchased as recently as seven years ago have doubled or
tripled in value. During that same period, interest rates dipped
dramatically, allowing a homeowner to obtain a mortgage
refinance quote. In refinancing, homeowners lowered monthly
payments and often withdrew a portion of their home equity - via
home equity loans and home equity lines of credit - to make
purchases or pay down consumer debt with higher interest rates.



In a speech given in October 2004, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan
Greenspan said, Despite average annual mortgage debt growth in
excess of 12 percent over the past two years, the financial
obligations of homeowners have exhibited little change as a
share of their income because mortgage rates have remained at
historically low levels. The enormous wave of mortgage
refinancing, which ended only in the fall of 2003, allowed
homeowners both to take advantage of lower rates to reduce their
monthly payments and, in many cases, to extract some of the
built-up equity in their homes. In the aggregate, the cash flows
associated with these two effects seem to have roughly offset
each other, leaving the financial obligations ratio little
changed.



Greenspan continued, saying, Indeed, the surge in cash-out
mortgage refinancings likely improved rather than worsened the
financial condition of the average homeowner. Some of the equity
extracted through mortgage refinancing was used to pay down
more-expensive, non-tax-deductible consumer debt or to make
purchases that would otherwise have been financed by
more-expensive and less tax-favored credit.



According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC),
historically low mortgage rates caused record numbers of
homeowners to obtain a mortgage refinance quote and to sign on
the dotted line to refinance their mortgages at lower rates. In
a recent report, the FDIC said, As mortgage rates bottomed out,
refinancing volumes peaked in June 2003, but they have fallen
sharply since then...Indeed, the Mortgage Bankers Association
recently forecast that the dollar volume of refinancings would
decline 57 percent in 2004 from a record $2.5 trillion in 2003.



More homeowners are seeking a mortgage refinance quote to
obtain a home equity line of credit (HELOC). According to the
FDIC, these lines of credit have grown about 30 percent
annually. The FDIC report states, The rationale for homeowners'
greater use of HELOCs is straightforward. With consumer spending
outpacing income growth in the 2000s, homeowners have turned
increasingly to home equity lending as a substitute for consumer
credit to finance new consumption, reduce outstanding debt, or
purchase a home in a two-loan package deal. The appeal over
other more costly credit alternatives derives from the
significant advantages of comparatively low interest rates, tax
deductibility, and easy availability, since income and cash flow
tests matter less for determining credit lines than for credit
cards or auto loans. Furthermore, because HELOCs offer the
flexibility to draw money only as needed and the convenience of
a revolving credit line, borrowers favor HELOCs more and more
over closed-end home equity loans. For these reasons, many
homeowners are converting the equity in their home into cash
through home equity borrowing and making this kind of
transaction an increasingly important part of their household
finances. With the dramatic decline in mortgage refinancing
volumes since mid-2003, a homeowner would more likely choose to
tap home equity through a draw on a HELOC rather than extract
cash as part of a refinancing.



Obtaining a mortgage refinance quote is the first step in
obtaining a home equity line of credit that homeowners can use
for home improvement, debt consolidation, or consumer spending.

Educated Choice

The more you and your employees know about your health care plan choices, the easier it is to control costs. By Cathy Aguirre

How to control health care costs continues to dominate discussions among benefit administrators, chief financial officers, CEOs, insurance brokers and health benefit companies. When you lower your costs, your employees often react by thinking they will receive fewer benefits.

Offering a choice of plans, having a sensible contribution strategy and providing employee education can hold costs down and satisfy employees.

Choice, Choice, Choice

Offering a choice in benefit plans, choice in network access and choice in monthly costs are some of the best ways to keep health care costs affordable. Whether you have 20 employees or 1,000, find a health benefits company that can offer you several plans for employees to choose from.

Typically, employers offer very little choice in health benefit plans. Successful benefit administrators understand that every employee has unique health care needs. Why not offer employees three or four plans to choose from?

The level of benefits employees choose will relate directly to how much they utilize health care services and what they can afford.

Most health benefit companies offer the following types of plans.

Traditional HMO. Lowest-cost plan, all care is coordinated by a primary care physician; employee must stay in network

Open access. A slightly higher-priced plan allowing the employee the freedom to selfrefer to specialists in the network. More freedom equals a higher cost.

Point of Service (POS). A less affordable plan for most, with more freedom; employee can access HMO benefits/network and/or pay higher co-insurance and choose any doctor

Preferred Provider Organization plan (PPO). Greatest freedom, highest cost; total network access and out-of-network benefit, self-refer to specialist

Developing a contribution strategy

Now that you have decided to partner with a carrier that can offer your employees the choices they need, how do you stay within your company\'s budget? The answer is simple be fair and consistent by implementing a defined contribution strategy that fits your company\'s budget. This process can be accomplished in two easy steps.

1. Determine what dollar amount per employee your business can afford.

2. Select a carrier that can offer you four plans that will satisfy your employees\' health care needs.

Here\'s an example of how a defined contributions strategy could work for you (based on a health benefits budget of $180 per employee, per month).

In the example in the chart above, your company accomplished two very important goals: You controlled your company\'s costs and you offered your employees choices.

With a defined contributions strategy, your employees are responsible for evaluating what they need and how much they are willing to pay.

A choice of plans with a defined contribution strategy is two-thirds of the employer\'s cost saving equation. By adding employee education, you could see a change in behavior that can lead to significant savings. The more informed employees are about the true cost of health care and how their choicesdirectly affect their pocketbook, the more likely they are to become \partners\ in controlling costs.

Most health benefit carriers provide members with an Explanation of Benefits for all claims processed, which contains the cost of services. Web-based tools offer plan information and are user-friendly. At workshops and mandatory open enrollment educational meetings, employees can speak directly with a carrier representative.

As health insurance premiums continue to rise and more employers face very difficult decisions, offering a choice of plans can keep your employees happy and satisfy your bottom line.

CATHY AGUIRRE, vice president of account services for VISTA, has more than 18 years of experience in managed care marketing. Aguirre provides leadership for all of VISTA\'s commercial accounts, which include Broward County government, The School Board of Broward County, Broward Sheriff\'s Office, Miami-Dade Government, Sears, Walgreen\'s and United Airlines. Reach her at http://www.vistahealthplan.com

Deal or No Deal Who's Your Banker?

You may have seen or heard of the hugely successful worldwide show, Deal or No Deal. If you haven\'t, the premise is quite simple. In the UK version there are 22 sealed boxes each containing a cash value of between 1 penny and 250,000. No one knows what each one contains. The contestant chooses one of the 22 sealed boxes to hold and then opens all the other boxes one-by-one, revealing the amounts inside. As each box is opened it gives the contestant a better idea as to what prize may be contained in their own sealed box.

Throughout this process the player receives telephone calls from an anonymous person called The Banker, offering deals. The deal will be an amount of money offered to the contestant that they can accept instead of holding onto their box. As the odds of the contestant\'s box being a larger prize increase these deals usually increase too. The Banker uses lots of analysis, tools and assistants to help him make his decision, whereas the contestant has to rely on their own guesswork and the advice of their friends and family.

The Banker, who doesn\'t know how much is in the sealed box, constantly observes the contestant, analyzing their psychology and their behaviour. The goal of The Banker is to try and make sure the contestant leaves the game with the smallest amount of money possible. The Banker makes cash offers based on the amounts of money the player has eliminated and their knowledge and perception of the contestant. Whenever The Banker makes an offer, the contestant has to choose whether to accept the offer and deal or say \No Deal\. The risk is that the contestant could end up with nothing if they don\'t accept the offer. So it\'s a choice between a known amount of cash now or an unknown amount in the future.

Of course this is all just a gameshow and doesn\'t bear any relation to real life. Or does it?

How many times a day are you being offered things by a mysterious Banker who tells you that you if you don\'t take this offer now then it will be gone? How much are you being analysed by unseen eyes that identify what your hot buttons are and what you\'ll respond to?

Huge amounts of research is done into demographics to identify the key triggers that will cause people to make decisions. Seemingly generous offers of loans and credit cards are set at tempting levels so that the amount to be borrowed draws you in and the repayments are just about within your reach. How many times do you choose to deal and take what\'s on offer?

Unfortunately, the deals that most people take in real life are deals that don\'t really give them anything except more debt. What seems like a good offer is really coming from someone whose goal is to see you walk away with as little money as possible.

Equally people are walking past good offers of cash today as they hold out for an unknown \prize\ somewhere in the future. How much money is spent each week on lottery tickets instead of putting it into a decent savings account that gives a guaranteed return. And how often does that hoped for lottery prize turn out to be a low value amount or nothing?

There are Bankers all around you who are trying to figure out how to make sure you walk away with the smallest amount of money. And every time you\'re faced with a decision you need to ask yourself what the real deal is. And you need to make sure you\'re as informed as possible.

Are you putting yourself in the position of the contestant, with nothing but the advice of your friends and family to rely on? And let\'s face it, they\'re probably no more informed than you. Or can you turn it around and become as informed as the Banker? Can you get the information that allows you to set the deals? The better you understand the rules and the game the better you can play it. And no-one understands it better than the Banker.

So become your own Banker today and put yourself in charge of the game.

You can discover what you need to know about your finances at http://www.financialdetox.com where you can request a Free 21 Day Financial Detox Program.

Andy Warren is a qualified chartered accountant, entrepreneur and coach with business experience at director levels in blue chip companies, SMEs and start-ups.

He is also a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and is trained in behavioural sciences and life skills. He has extensive knowledge, skills and experience in the field of coaching and developing human behaviour.

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

Effective Email Management

E-mail is one of the most powerful and widely used communication
tools around today. Every day we log onto our computers at work
and most of us will go straight to Outlook to check what new
mail we have received. It provides a quick, easy way of
communicating not only with other people in our organisation but
people all over the world. There are huge benefits to business
in having the ability to quickly and easily transfer information
as well as being able to set up meetings more efficiently. It is
however, essential that we understand the best ways in which to
manage this information.

Email Generation Rules

Before you send someone an email there is one simple question
you should ask yourself:

Do you need a response from the recipients urgently?

If the answer to this question is YES, then you should be trying
to contact them by telephone, pager or in person. For example if
you wanted someone to attend a meeting in 30 minutes time there
is no guarantee that they will read their incoming messages in
that time and may therefore miss the meeting. However, if the
answer is NO, then email could then be used as an option.

Once you have decided that email is the best option for relaying
the necessary information you should follow these guidelines:

High Priority Messages:A message sent as \high priority\
requires action by the end of the following day. Time Specific
Messages: Any message that is time specific must be expired
after the relevant date. We will look at how to set expiration
dates/times later is this section. Routine Message Categories:
All routine messages will be categorized and either filtered to
Personal Folders or, where appropriate, removed from email to a
bulletin board.

Follow Up Required:If a message requires reading or follow up
the recipient must be in the To: field of the message.
Information Only:If you put someone into the Cc: field of a
message you should not be expecting the recipient to read or
action it. You have sent it for their information only. Message
Content:Keep your message brief, only use attachments if the
data volume is significant and use the heading and the first 2
lines of your message to express both the content and the
expected action you are requesting

Email Processing

Most of you will open Outlook when at the start of the day and
leave it open until you shutdown your computer at the end of the
day. To work more effectively with your e-mail program we
suggest that you following these simple guidelines wherever
possible:

Only check your Inbox 3 times a day - morning, after lunch and
prior to going home. Your Inbox should be empty when you close
out of Outlook at the end of each day. Filter your emails. We
will look at how to do this later in this section. Use Tasks
and Schedule instead of e-mail messages

When a message arrives in your Inbox, after you have read it,
you should do one of the following things:

Delete it Schedule it Delegate it to someone else File
it ie personal folders or in the case of attachments, on your
hard drive Reply

What is Fair Housing?

You may have heard the term \fair housing\, but what does it mean? What are your rights as a renter or homeowner, and can you defend yourself if your rights have been violated?

The Fair Housing Act is enforced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It bars discriminatory practices in housing related to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, handicap or familial status. It includes pregnant women and those with children under the age of 18.

The Fair Housing Act doesn\'t just apply to apartment buildings. It applies to the majority of housing in the United States. There are some exceptions, such as single family homes sold or rented without a broker, private clubs that practice member-only policies, housing owned and operated by an organization and owner-occupied buildings with less than four units.

The Fair Housing Act outlines several practices that are prohibited in the sale and rental of housing. They include: the persuasion of owners to rent or sale, the setting of different conditions, the refusal to negotiate, rent or sell housing, providing different facilities or services to specific groups or individuals, the false statement that the property is no longer on the market and the denial of membership to any group or individual when it comes to a housing-related facility and/or service.

The scary thing is that there are numerous arrests and fines instituted each year for violations of the Fair Housing Act.

The act also protects you from discriminatory mortgage lending practices, including: refusal to provide loan information, refusal to issue a mortgage loan, the institution of different loan terms for different groups or individuals, discrimination in the appraisal of property, refusal to purchase a loan and the establishment of different terms for loan purchases.

Disabled citizens are protected under the Fair Housing Act. The term \disabled\ includes those who are physically or mentally disabled, including hearing or visual loss, AIDS, mental retardation, mental illness, alcoholism and various physical and mobility challenges.

What is an outright violation of a disabled person\'s rights? Examples include the refusal to rent or sell a property, refusal to make changes to a property and refusal to accept seeing-eye dogs on the property.

According to HUD, buildings constructed after March 31, 1991 with more than four units and an elevator must give disabled tenants reserved parking if requested, common areas accessible to the disabled, doors and entryways large enough to accommodate wheelchairs, electrical components within reach of a wheelchair, bathroom walls sturdy enough for grip bars and kitchens and appliances accessible to wheelchair tenants.

The interpretation of sexism, racism, ageism or other prejudices is subjective. In extreme cases, there may be outright threats or intimidation. At the worst, advertisements or statements could promote preferences based on race, sex, age, national origin or other factors. This is a direct violation of the Fair Housing Act.

If you suspect that your rights have been violated, the best strategy is to contact HUD. You have one year to file a complaint. You can call the agency\'s hotline at (800) 669-9777. The agency will then contact the individual who allegedly was discriminatory, and offer him or her to submit a response. HUD will investigate the case and determine the next steps of action. Mediation is often the route of least resistance.

Your case could be heard within 120 days and tried by HUD attorneys. You are allowed to be present with your own attorney representation. If you win the case, you can seek the housing you were denied, or you could be financially compensated. The guilty party may have to pay attorneys\' fees, and even up to a $50,000 government fine.

Martin Lukac, represents http://www.RateEmpire.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies! Visit http://www.RateEmpire.com today.

Bangkok Apartments Condo and Houses Tips for Home Hunters

On the surface Bangkok is no different than any other major city in the world when it comes to property, and prices. The nearer you are to the action by way of business and tourisms districts, the higher the prices asked. There are also the so called \'leafy\' outer suburbs that offer quite impressive but expensive housing. These estates are well maintained fortresses that function like mini self contained towns. Such places offer an alternative for those that prefer to live away from big city life.

Having said that, don\'t take the above too literally, as one thing I\'ve realised over the years is that greater Bangkok has an absolute abundance of places to live, and it\'s not so much getting what you pay for here, but more akin to what you can be bothered spend time looking for.

This city has tiny studios from as little as 1,000 THB/Mo., that are not much more than shelters, right the way up to penthouses in the sky with private pools and butlers to boot, and just about everything else in between.

When most folk arrive in Thailand for the fist time they usually opt to live in the security of an apartment building. Apartments or condominium buildings usually have limited access with a security presence at the entrance plus an office with a site manager and small team of administrative staff to help with all your settling-in and living needs.

It\'s just not possible to give averages on prices for this city as there really are hidden treasures at fantastic rents if only you can find them. I\'ve stayed in a huge 3 bedroom apartment with en suite bathrooms in each room for 50,000 THB/Mo. but a few Sois (side roads) along, a friend of mine was paying 55,000 THB/Mo. for a tiny 60 SQM 1 bedroom serviced apartment.

I would guess that a lot of expat families that have been posted out here on working contracts probably have a company housing allowance of between 45-70,000 THB/Mo. and \'savvy landlords\' will price their accommodation accordingly, but there are so many deals out there should you bypass the normal channels of searching.

If you need to settle in quickly, and money is not the issue, I strongly recommend using the services of a reputable agency to take the frustration out of home hunting. If you have time to ponder and can cope with the upheaval of moving a couple of times before settling in permanently, then I would suggest moving into an apartment building that doesn\'t require you to lock into a long contract (month to month is ideal) and then take your time to look around and see what\'s available.

Often word by mouth is a good place to start and you could begin by getting to know a few local expats then invite yourself around to their homes if their place of residence sounds interesting to you.

Accommodation - Houses

Some long-term foreigners prefer to move from apartments and condos into a house with a garden, which gives them more space, privacy and a sense of belonging.

Most of the houses in greater Bangkok will be privately let, and once again these prices can fluctuate enormously. It\'s a lot more difficult to find an ideal house than an idyllic apartment and a Thai friend, a colleague, or an agent, is definitely recommended in assisting you with your search here. There\'s also a Thai language weekly magazine that is cram packed with accommodation which is both privately and commercially managed.

If you know you will be in Bangkok a long time and prefer more space and privacy than is offered from an apartment, then a house is perhaps a better choice. Some people just like to have their feet planted firmly on the ground. However, with a house you will probably need live-in staff, as houses are more prone to security issues.

\Andy Maingam\ is a proficient publisher and webmaster of mrroomfinder.com where he owns an operates a 100% free property portal for the tenants, landlords, and agencies of Thailand. The site proves a very useful resource in helping new tenants make informed renting decisions, and is a great tool for home seekers and landlords either looking for or renting out Bangkok Apartments

Tips to Avoiding Financial Distress During the Holidays

If the festivity of lights, seeing Santa, and trying to figure out what you should get for all your loved ones stresses you out, you are not alone. As much as the holidays are supposed to bring about cheer and merry good times, it can be stressful for those that already have credit card debt, and too many things are there to do list before even being able to think about holiday expenses. No need to fear, this year you can make it one to remember without stressing out.

Setting some ground rules is the best place to start. You might have had them growing up, or now set them for your children, but they can work for yourself as well, especially when it comes to spending money.

First start by making a list of all the people you need to buy gifts for and set a price for each person, maybe it\'s the same, maybe it fluctuates, however make it and don\'t break it. Once you\'ve given everyone a price, add up the total and see if you can afford it and if it\'s reasonable. If you are over your expected spending budget, make any necessary adjustments. If you don\'t have a considerable amount of money this year to spend there are gifts you can give which don\'t cost a lot at all. Some quick ideas are to bake something, gift baskets full of the person\'s favorite items such as coffees, pastas, candies, or make picture frames.

If you can\'t spend this year but want to next year start a holiday savings fund which is basically like a direct deposit into an account, so you don\'t see the money and therefore won\'t miss it. Determine how much money you want to put aside and have a small portion of it deducted from your account each week or month. When the time comes when you are ready to start shopping, you\'ll have your money all set to go.

Ever hear the expression, \early bird gets the worm?\ It\'s very true. Do your shopping early not only to avoid the crowds come winter but no need to have the money and crunch time during the last couple months of the year either.

There is so much one can do to ensure that they have safe and happy holidays. Start with the tips above and come up with more as you go that are realistic for you.

For more information please visit www.holidaydebtresource.com.

Kelly Kennedy is the Communications Specialist for MindComet Corporation, a full service marketing agency for Fortune 500 companies and international conglomerates. Kelly specializes in public relations strategies focused on personal finance. Kelly has been author to hundreds of articles focusing on finance. She also acts as a contributing author for a wide variety of websites and newsletters. Kelly holds a Bachelors degree in Marketing from the University of Central Florida.

Financial Planning (Only Necessary If You Are Still Breathing)

If you, like most people, have not seriously considered what steps you should take for planning your finances and are now planning on buying a house, getting married or having children, you will do well to read David Chilton\'s book \'The Wealthy Barber\'.

It will not matter if you have never heard of a mutual fund or even balanced your checkbook. If dry financial reading is not up your alley, you will STILL find \'the Wealthy Barber\' easy reading. It will have you fluent in financial planning in weeks.

The key to David Chilton\'s success with his book is that it is written as a story, rather than a manual. You follow three 30ish individuals as they build their financial houses from scratch. They get their information from one of the most knowledgeable and financially secure individuals in town - the barber.

The gem of this story lies in the fact that the barber shows how income is not the biggest factor in planning for financial prosperity - proper planning is. And you can have your own finances in order by reading and applying the tasks he assigns his \'students\' while they visit for their monthly trim.

\'The Wealthy Barber\' has been favorably commented on by newspapers and financial reviewers because it does not stress budget or a reduced standard of living. It is these steps which often sabotage the best intentions of individuals. The sooner the methods are applied, the easier it will be to see their effects while maintaining your lifestyle, but it is always better to start now than not start at all.

\'The Globe and Mail\' calls \'The Wealthy Barber\' \...a perfect gift for young couples trying to live comfortably and save money in an increasingly tough world\. Is that not a gift worth receiving?

\'The Wealthy Barber\' will show you how to plan for your retirement, save for large purchases or future needs, invest, protect your family and avoid being victimized by financial blunders by exposing some financial products and services which you may not need, but are sure to be sold.

Although the story is set in a Canadian town, the general methods and training provide a valuable education in personal financial planning.

Having a clear understanding of your financial situation and preparing a plan is no longer a mystery. Although some decisions require the guidance of an expert, arming yourself with the right questions and basic knowledge will ensure your best financial outcome.

In today\'s world financial education is often sorely lacking. Taking steps to educate yourself, and pass that education on to your children will protect your family and provide an abundance whether you are current millionaires or not.

James Louis writes about things that impact our society. A long time investor, he likes to share his experience and insights. One of the subjects he writes about often is annuities. For more information visit:http://www.annuities-info.com

Don't Spend Another Dollar on Business 'Opportunities' Until You Read This

With an insecure job market, overworked employees,insufficient retirement savings and parents wanting theoption to stay home with their kids, it is notsurprising that many individuals are taking the leapinto online business opportunities.

The need to create a secondary income is a smartmove for people who recognize the risks associated withthe traditional job market. However, there arequestions: What are some of the options out there? Andhow can you avoid losing money to \'get rich quick\'schemes or unproven business ideas?

\You Want to Make Money On the Internet? Get In Line\

The truth is there ARE many options for you. Infact, you may have had the typical learning experienceof many who are exploring the touted \'gold rush\' ofonline income opportunities. Many systems that arepromoted require a learning curve that can cost morethan an individual can afford, in time, money andenergy.

Another problem many encounter is the need toinvest in product, create a marketing system, andcompete with the many other online entrepreneurs thatare selling the same or similar products.

Regardless of your experience, however, there isan option that is making it possible for ordinaryindividuals to master a business that removes theseobstacles. Mothers, retirees and even graduates lookingfor work can spend several hours online and bring homea real income.

\Money Makes the World Go Round\

I certainly don\'t tout this as a personalphilosophy. In fact many who look for online income doso because they are concerned about quality of life,not possessions. But the fact remains that moneyexchanges hands every day and this does indeed make theeconomy move.

Consider what many would consider to be a safesystem of financing your future: investments.Regardless of whether you invest in real estate, art,antiques or any other valuable, you count on the returnbeing greater than the investment.

Take a look at this from another angle: investingin stock is an investment in a valuable that youanticipate trading at a greater value. Withoutknowledge of how the stock market works, many wouldcaution against this as a dangerous and risky move.

However, with the proper training, many ordinaryindividuals have learned a process that allows them totrade within a few hours, create amazing income, and doso without the risk and cost involved in typicaltrading.

Imagine the possibility of making $1100 in profitsin under an hour. Imagine $3000. I can prove it can bedone. What amount of selling would you have to do withM.L.M. or information products to achieve results likethat? How much time would you need to invest increating an effective marketing campaign? What if youdidn\'t have to do either? Would you want to know how?

\Is This Something I Could Do?\

Absolutely! The ability to take advantage of stockmarket fluctuations may seem like the complicatedprocess that only a university educated graduate couldachieve. However, with the proper training, you couldlearn to day trade using a simple formula that anyonecan master. I know what I\'m talking about here; infact, my own background was in construction - a far cryfrom Wall Street!

Unlike other businesses, the benefits of learningto day trade can be put to work immediately. With abrief education and knowledge of how the system works,day trading becomes a low risk option that can beextremely affordable and easy to execute.

If you are like many others, you don\'t want towaste another dollar or hour on learning complicatedprograms that fail to deliver. Day trading means nomore hassles with marketing, customers or products. Infact, with the proper training, you can be making profits 80-95% of the time. You simply follow the progress of the market for a few hours and act when you see the ideal scenarios. Sound simple enough?

Understanding why some people make money andothers don\'t is the key to avoiding costly pitfalls inany business. With the proper knowledge and support,day trading can be the smartest move towards financialindependence that you can make today. Can you affordnot to consider this?

Please watch for my next article \Day Trading: IsThis The Perfect Home Business?\ for more information on this exciting business.

About the author:

Michael S.L. Bombard, an accomplished 4 year onlinemarketer, wants to rush you a free copy of his fact-filled PDF report that reveals the simple system he\'susing to generate massive profits online. Go now to: http://www.daytradetycoon.com/freereport.html

Money Movement Strategy

Recently, I was trying to explain the reason why I made money in both the Real Estate and the Stock Markets between the years 2000 and 2005, yet the economy was not really doing that great. So I did some research and I found charts that show the Dow Jones industrial average over the last 10 years. I also found charts of the Fed Funds rate and Real Estate home sales over the same period. When I compared the charts I found some interesting correlations between the current real estate market, the fed funds rate and the stock market.

I saw that the last time the Real Estate market had so much inventory was in January of 1996. When I looked at the Fed funds rate in that same year, it was also rising between 4.75 and 5 percent and that is where they are now exactly 10 years later. So if we look at the stock market at that time it was also reacting the same way as it now. With all of this research, if you believe in the money movement strategy which stipulates that wealthy investors tend to move money between stocks, bonds, real estate and money markets. Where do you think the Stock market is heading? I strongly believe that we are going to see some very bullish activity in the stock market over the next 2 or 3 years.

For more information please visit my website.

Dave Perry

Bad Credit Personal Loan: The Silver Lining in the Dark Clouds

Life is a road of ups and downs. Today things may look bright for you and tomorrow may be filled with darkness all around. You never know what will happen in the future. You can\'t predict anything about your life. You may be leading a good life today with enough earnings to make your life go easy. But, tomorrow you may suddenly fall in the need of money and you may be forced to borrow money to fulfill your urgent need. The best option to raise money for an unwarranted situation is to avail a personal loan. But, what if your credit history is already tainted? Well, there is a solution to every problem. Go for a bad credit personal loan.

Bad Credit Personal Loans are those loans that are specially designed to cater to the needs of people having poor credit records. Your credit record gets adversely affected if you have faced the problems of CCJs (County Court Judgements), defaults, arrears, missed payments, bankruptcy etc. in the past. Therefore, the lenders hesitate much in providing loans to bad credit borrowers. But, these days bad credit has become a common phenomenon and there are a plenty of bad credit loans available in the market.

Essentially, there can be two types of Bad Credit Personal Loans - a secured bad credit personal loan and an unsecured bad credit personal loan. The basic difference between the two is that a secured loan is provided against any property of the borrower as collateral whereas unsecured loans don\'t need the guarantee of collateral. The interest rates charged on secured loans are low and the repayment term is flexible. On the other hand unsecured loans carry high interest rates and the repayment terms are also stricter.

Since bad credit secured personal loans are easily approved by lenders due to the assurance of collateral, it\'s advisable to go for them. You\'ll have added advantage of low interest rates and longer repayment duration. This will also enable you to pay small monthly installments. But if you don\'t have any property to offer as collateral then you can go for unsecured loans also. By bargaining hard with the lenders you can get a good deal on competitive rates. You can also improve your credit history by making regular repayments to the lender.

About The Author: The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in Business Administration and is currently assisting Easy-Loans-Shop as a finance specialist.

For more information please visit http://www.easy-loans-shop.co.uk

Wealth Creation and Mortgage Planning Two Great Tastes that Taste Great Together

What if I were to tell you that almost everything you have been told about what to do with your home has been absolutely wrong and that one of the worst ways to build wealth is through your home? And what if I further went on to show you that anyone who perpetuates this myth probably is not your best source for accurate financial information?

Most of you right now are looking at the byline a couple of times to see if this article is REALLY being written by a mortgage person. Some of you have taken this as final, unequivocal proof that all mortgage people really do sit around a big table of tea cups wearing hats with fractions on them! No you are not in Wonderland but if you keep reading you might find many of you have been for a long time now.

One of the buzzwords or catch phrases floating around the financial circles is wealth creation. This has gained prominence due to the ability of the planner or agent to broaden their focus on overall wealth with their clients instead of just return on a particular investment. While a holistic approach is a very good one, what wealth creation strategies often lack are a defined strategy for accomplishing well, wealth creation! These plans often fail or vastly under perform because they don't properly account for one of the biggest parts of the wealth picture and that's the home!

WHAT DID HE SAY?

Now that's not a typo and I didn't contradict myself from the first paragraph. You see, most people believe their home is something completely separate from the rest of their financial planning. It's this sacred cow that's over in the green grass munching away while everything else in their financial life is trying to figure out how to grow without the food it needs. The sooner people realize that EVERYTHING they do is an investment decision , the better off they will be. The implication of your decision is not simply what you obtain by your action but what opportunity you give up.

So, back to wealth creation and mortgage planning. In borrowing some thoughts from a great financial partner of mine, Brent Gilmore, we can summarize what we typically look for as far as characteristics of a good investment as:

• something that earns us a good return based on our risk

• is liquid if we need it

• is not subject to additional restriction to access it once we have it

• is not at risk of loss.

The reality is your home is absolutely not the definition of a good investment. The reasons are fairly clear if we break them down. What if I told you the MAXIMUM return you could make on the purchase of your home was 0%?

Here's where we hit the rabbit hole.

First we must explain the difference between return of investment and return on investment. Return OF investment is simply getting back the money that you put in. Return ON investment is difference between the end value of your investment and the amount you invested.

Whether you pay cash for your home or pay nothing down, your home mortgage will be worth the exact same in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or 30 years. It is true that if values keep going up you will make a positive return ON investment but that is independent of the return OF your investment. Even that fact has some doubt clouding it, but that's another article.

PAGING CHICKEN LITTLE

Now let's step back from all of the sky is falling stuff and clear some things up. Your house may well continue to appreciate in value, especially in a strong local economy like Columbus . But appreciation as I showed you above has absolutely nothing to do with return OF capital . Remember that if you bought a $300,000 house today, paid cash for it and turned around in 1 year and sold it for $350,000 you would have experienced the same appreciation as if you had put $0 down to buy the house. Your $300,000 was invested in an asset that yielded 0% during its use.

The key to this is that when you pay your mortgage you choose to invest the money in your home instead of in other options that could return you more . Lets Consider the consequences of not being able to pay that mortgage one day:

• Will the bank give you back the money you paid on the mortgage and all of the appreciation when they sell your house in foreclosure?

• Will they lend you more to help you get back on your feet at terms as good or better then you have now?

• And will they do it without asking you to prove your ability to repay the new loan when you couldn't pay the old one?

Sounds silly, but this is what happens all the time.

Now wait, you say, I have a paper that shows me that if I pay twice per month I will pay off my mortgage 8 years sooner and save $84,000 in interest! You are right, you will. BUT is it a good choice if that money that you borrowed at 4% (After factoring in tax savings on the interest) could be returning you more, guaranteed , elsewhere? Consider other factors as well:

• Are you making those payments and carrying ad debt like credit cards at 15%?

• Are you finding it hard to put in enough in your 401k to even get the match your employer offers?

• Are you funding the Roth IRA or the kids 529 college savings plan?

We aren't even touching on the implications of eliminating or reducing your tax deduction and increasing your overall tax burden.

TO PAY OFF OR NOT TO PAY OFF , THAT IS THE QUESTION

Let's look at the positive outcomes of paying off your mortgage versus keeping it.

You no longer have to make a mortgage payment to the bank every month.

You might have less to pay at retirement.

And that's about it. Now, notice I didn't say anything about the myth that you finally own your home. In truth you never do, you always have to pay taxes on it and it is always at risk of loss through various means including but not limited to:

• Taxes

• Creditors

• Casualty Loss

In just about any analysis where someone is using the money that they would otherwise use to pay down the principal of their mortgage for other means of wealth creation, the other 'means' come out ahead every time. The requirement here is to spurn our human instinct to consume and to use this money effectively.

Notice that this is the key to wealth creation. If you can't conquer that human instinct nothing else matters. What this allows you to do is to use dollars you are already spending and inject them into the system to your advantage.

The simple truth is that paying off your mortgage is purely an emotional decision that we have been trained to believe is what we are supposed to do, but if you understand the implications of the decision and can act accordingly, that choice is usually incorrect.

DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Now you say, this is just a clever trick by another mortgage guy trying to make money off of me. Well, typically consumers refinance every 3 years and many times that is because they need money . But clients who have invested that money into the other elements of their financial plan are much less likely to refinance for need reasons.

People borrow for car expenditures, home improvements, college expenses, trips or to pay off that credit card debt they said they would never run up again. People who are planning for these expenses and finding tax preferred or tax free ways to fund them with the money tied up in their home have little need to make decisions based on these eeds.

OK, GREAT . NOW WHAT

There are all kinds of different mortgage products and programs that can make a consumer's head spin. The important thing to keep in mind is that most of them are wrong on almost all levels. If you are looking for wealth creation a home is a great part of that plan if used correctly. That does NOT mean you go out a get an interest only ARM so you can buy a $400,000 house when you otherwise could only afford a $200,000 house.

For many families they want to invest in the college savings. They want to have more than $50,000 in life insurance that their employer gives them. They want to protect against disability or job loss. They want so many things but don't know how to find it in the pool of money that they currently have available. Does it mean they give up? Often, that is the case but it doesn't have to be.

It means that you look at opportunities in the equity that isn't doing anything for you now and put it to use along with reallocating dollars you are already spending. The mortgage vehicle you use is independent of this choice and only your situation will determine which one is best for you. For most this is all that is necessary to see a million dollar or more difference at retirement. For others who are closer to an age where you will cease to earn income it is necessary to change current spending habits along with these measures.

These ideas that I have very briefly touched on are ones that need to be explored on an individual and ongoing basis with a team of financial professionals who understand how to help make this work for you. This is not one of those plans with steps that you can follow from a book on your own and in 20 years a golden goose lays you some precious eggs. Coordinating 401(k), Roth IRA, investments, permanent life insurance, wills and trusts is something that needs much more discussion than is prudent here and frankly with people who are much more qualified to tell you than me.

It is time to think of your mortgage and your home as more than the place where you and your family make great memories. If you allow it to work as part of a total responsible financial philosophy it can be an incredible wealth booster. With so many choices in all areas of finance it is imperative that you find a group of professionals that hold those same beliefs and values. Easier said than done, I know. I know because that is exactly what we have been doing for over a year in Columbus exclusively for our clients.

This, admittedly, is not for everyone and some of you might have even stopped reading by now because you think I am obviously out of my mind. That's ok, because changing that human instinct to hurry up and pay down a mortgage is difficult. But for those of you who have had their eyes opened, hopefully I have provided you with enough food for thought that you're starting to reconsider how your mortgage is working for you.

For more on home financing and personal financial information go to: http://www.RightWayunlimited.com. Articles, calculators, newsletters, glossaries and more for your personal financial information needs.

by Jeff Blovits , Franklin Bank SSB

p. 898-5656

Http://www.Rightwayunlimited.com - Personal Financial Information resource for consumers.

About The Author

Copyright RightWay Unlimited LLC, 2004.

This article may be redistributed provided that the author and RightWayunlimited are given full accredition.

RightWay Unlimited LLC is a personal financial information resource for Ohio consumers.

Jeff Blovits is the Branch owner of Franklin Bank Mortgage in Westerville, Ohio. Jeff is a contributing author and network partner of RightWay Unlimited. He is a financial services industry veteran with experience in banking, underwriting, and mortgage lending.

Jeff@Columbusmortgageloans.com

The Most Common Credit Card FAQs

What is a credit card?

A credit card is a small plastic card with a magnetic strip that is issued by a bank or other financial institution. It authorises card holders to purchase services and goods on credit.

What kinds of credit cards are available?

There are many kinds of credit cards available, but they break down into two different main kinds. Charge cards allow you to charge items to your account but expect that you will pay off your full balance each month, Credit cards also allow you to charge items to your account, but let you pay for your purchases over time and charge you interest on the outstanding balance.

What\'s the best kind of credit card?

There\'s no single answer to that question, because it depends entirely on your circumstances. Only you can decide whether you\'re better off with a low interest card, one that offers cashback or rewards, or some combination of those. In general, most people prefer a credit card that offers a low APR - but that may not be the best choice for someone who pays their balance in full each month.

What is an APR?

APR stands for annual percentage rate. Credit card companies make their money in many different ways. One of those ways is by charging you interest on the money that you borrow to buy things. The annual percentage rate is the percentage of your outstanding balance that you\'ll be charged in interest charges. If your APR is 12%, for instance, you\'ll pay ₤12 interest per year on ₤100.

How do I get a lower APR?

The APR that you\'re offered is completely dependent on your credit score, the higher your credit score, the lower rate of interest you\'ll be offered. If you have a record of paying your bills on time, you\'ll be offered a credit card with a low APR. If you pay you bills on time and keep your accounts up to date, you\'ll qualify for a lower APR in time.

What\'s a secured credit card?

If you can\'t qualify for a regular credit card because of low or no credit, a secured credit card may be the solution that you need. You simply deposit a sum of money into a bank account with the bank that issues your card. Your spending limit will be a portion of that deposit. That money will remain in the account as security in case you don\'t pay your account. If you make regular payments when they\'re due, the issuing company will eventually approve a regular credit card for you.

How do I compare credit cards to decide which one is best for me?

There are many different standards of comparison when you\'re choosing a credit card - interest rates, annual fees, finance charges, penalties and late fees - even how your interest charge is determined. You can compare credit cards against each another at comparison websites where you\'ll find all the information you need to compare credit offers from dozens of UK companies.

How do I apply for a credit card?

Applying for a credit card online is easy, too. From the comparison websites you can just click on the offer that you\'ve chosen to fill out a short application. In many cases, you can have an answer within minutes.

Jon Francis has been involved in various areas with the world of finance and has a keen eye for a bargin! He has an in-depth knowledge of the credit card UK market and now helps others get the best from a credit card. For more information visit http://www.moneyeverything.com