Finance Wanted.

By Ramsay Mameesh

In 2008, think big, make your top new year's resolution retirement. Conventional wisdom says to create small, manageable new years resolutions, that are easy to accomplish. Lose ten pounds, join a gym, get better organized, all are typical new year's resolutions. And saving more money for retirement, increasing your 401k contributions, reducing your debt, are great retirement resolutions as well. But why not consider going for the whole thing this year? Why not retire in 2008?

You may be in a position to retire in 2008. You may be wealthier than you realize. But listening to conventional wisdom, and thinking small, may cause you to miss the great retirement opportunity of 2008!

According to the U.S. Census Bureau. In April of 2007, 15 million American Households had a net worth over $500,000. That means 15 million American Families can stop working right now. An individual can retire on even less. Over 30 million American Adults do not need to be working! Unfortunately, since the time of that report, the two assets that make up the majority of Americans' net worth, housing prices and stock values, have both been on the decline.

And many economists are predicting, lower house values and the strong possibility of a recession, in the coming year. So while you are achieving your small and manageable retirement resolution, increasing your 401k contribution in 2008 for example, the overall value of your retirement portfolio may be dramatically lower at the end of the year. You may be in a better position to retire now, than you will be again, for many years to come. This is not the time, to be thinking small, or for conventional wisdom.

Conventional wisdom says you need to be rich to retire. Conventional wisdom is often wrong. The truth is you don't need to be rich to retire. Conventional wisdom in the retirement industry for instance, assumes you will consume, between 70 - 80% of your current income, annually in retirement. It's a guess. It's a "Consumption Assumption", that forces you to save more money than you need, and could cause you to delay retirement. If you are prepared to challenge conventional wisdom, and think big, you may be able to retire in 2008.

But how do you know if you have enough savings to retire in 2008? That depends - on how much you need to spend in retirement. You determine how much you need to spend , therefore, you determine how much savings you need. It's really that simple, and to make it even easier, here are some free retirement tools to help you achieve retirement this year.

• Free Retirement Guide - This 15 page retirement guide destroys conventional wisdom, and reveals the secret to early retirement, the formula to accurately calculate retirement, and much more.

• Budget 2008 Retirement Software - Your budget, the amount of money you are going to spend in retirement, is the crucial element in calculating if you have enough savings for retirement. This free retirement software enables you to easily create a budget, track your current monthly expenses for all of 2008, and plan for your retirement.

• Retirement Widget - A fun little desktop widget, to remind you how much time you have left, to retire in 2008.

This new year make your 2008 top new year's resolution retirement. Thinking big, and challenging conventional wisdom, may lead you to retirement in 2008.

Author Ramsay Mameesh is the founder of iPlan Retirement - a retirement planning company located in San Francisco CA. Mr. Mameesh is a graduate of California State University with degrees in Business Administration, Economics and Marketing. He has over ten years experience working for large financial institutions.

By Denise Bergeron

Being a mother is hard enough let alone being a single mom with financial issues. Stress can quickly take over due to the high demands put on single mothers and everything they have to do.

Stress comes in the form of getting the kids up in the morning, showered, dressed and ready for school. Making them breakfast and preparing their lunch. Getting them to the bus stop on time or dropping them off at school. Then after school there is dinner, help with the homework and bed time stories.

Now most single moms wouldn't mind doing the stuff listed above. But when you mix those with financial hardships then instead of enjoying them they start to become a lot more stressful.

Stress from financial matters for single moms can sometimes be hard to deal with. A single mom is unlikely to have help from a partner or parent. And when they are feeling overwhelmed with stress from everyday life and financial hardship there isn't anyone there to lean on or help out.

Financial and family stress for single moms can be dealt with in a couple of ways. First make sure and set some time aside for yourself each day. During this time read from your favorite book or watch your favorite reality show. Another thing single moms can do is just relax and sit in a quiet room and reflect on the things in their life that is causing stress. More often than not, just sitting and relaxing and thinking about how to handle your stress will make it go away.

For more information on this subject be sure to visit Single Mom Financial Help

Or are you looking for Loans For Single Moms? or maybe a Free Budget Worksheet

By Huldah Jones

According to U.S. Labor Department statistics, nationwide 17,000 employees were fired or laid off during January alone.

Components of Your Layoff

Employment

• Statistics are not given for the number of families that includes, but to be sure a very large percentage were heads of families. It is important for you the fired employee to be prepared for the emotional effects of the lay off on your family as well as on you.

• The current concerns over possible global financial crisis or recession might have an effect on how long you might be unemployed.

• If you were a long-time employee with seniority It's possible hiring policies for future employment might change in your field because of current economic conditions.

• The huge number of layoffs occurring at the same time nationally might have positive and negative effect on your layoff.

Essentials: Food and Clothes Shopping

• Use your severance check wisely when stocking the pantry. Avoid emotional shopping otherwise,"WOW! Those chocolate-covered artichokes filled with pralines look great, beside, I just got laid off and I need to treat myself." might appear to be essential.

• Mall window-shopping may have been a fun, free family activity while employed but it is not a good idea when broke. Think about it! Store after store you see items you cannot buy. It can set off a flutter of emotions you don't need right now.

Essentials: Keep an Eye on Emotional Well-Being for the Family

• Job layoff or sudden financial loss is a family matter; everyone in the family is affected by the unexpected intrusion causing not only much inconvenience, but also much anxiety and stress.

• If the lay off becomes prolonged the consequence of the layoff puts strain on family relationships. the loss of income and status can be emotionally draining and stressful.

• As the family continues to bear up under the hardship it is important for the spouse of the laid off employee to be ready to monitor the emotional health of the family; the laid off employee might be too absorbed in his or her own issues during this time and might fail to see a problem in its infancy.

• The best outlet for the family's anxious and fretful moments is prayer within the family dialogue gatherings. Make sure to plan them often enough so that pent-up feelings don't explode.

Huldah Jones, a Vision Therapist, retired as Technical Director of the Orthoptic Center, Helene Fuld Medical Center in New Jersey. She writes more on surviving Job Loss and Financial Stress at http://www.quietmysoul.com

By Jennifer L Loganathan

Check 21 or the, "Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act" is a regulation that enabled electronic check collection, processing and clearing between banks in the United States. The Federal Reserve had been investigating electronic check processing since the year 2000 with a focus on speeding up check processing and reducing transportation related delays. Through the collective efforts of industry officials and Federal Reserve staff, the act took shape and was presented before the US congress in the year 2002. The act, though signed in 2003, came into effect only from October, 2004. This act has brought in substantial changes, not only in the conventional method of check processing in United States, but also in the electronic payments industry, which was so far dominated by credit cards. The act is aimed at reducing both time and costs of physical transportation and processing of checks by using electronic images which are delivered electronically through a nationwide network of banks called ACH or Automated Clearing House. Compared to the previous standard of 3 days for a local check and around 14 days for out of town checks, a check now deposited at day 1 can be processed and cashed by the end of day.

In addition to being time consuming and expensive (considering the additional cost of transportation, particularly in outstation checks), physical transfer of paper checks is relatively more prone to theft. Check 21 Act has allowed, "check truncation" which means that the physical check is no longer required and an electronic substitute in the form of a digital image of the front and back of the check can be used for processing and payments, and is just as good as the original paper check. Such substitute digital images are also referred to as Image Replacement Documents (IRD) or echecks (electronic checks), though the term, "echecks" also encompasses several other payment options nowadays. However, to qualify as a valid e-check, the digital image has to comply with certain requirements of the Check 21 act. The substitute check must have an additional statement added to it saying, "This is a legal copy of your check. You can use it the same way you would use the original check." In addition, the substitute check must identify the account holders name and address, check number, transit code, bank information, 9 digit routing number and checking account number. Image file size of the substitute check is a critical consideration, as with the sheer number of checks in processing due to its growing popularity, banks will have to store a large number of check images for their records. In addition to storage, a larger file size will also lead to slower transmission and consequently slower processing. Banks may thus be compelled to lower the image file size, thereby lowering resolution and image quality, which may cause problems with validation of electronic checks and consequently security of the processing system.

Quicker processing will mean that there will be a much shorter time lag between the payee depositing the check and the funds clearing from the payer's bank account. Hence, "Float" may not be available, implying that the payer's funds have to be in place before the payee deposits the check. In case funds are insufficient, either party can face penalties and fines, as per the provisions of Check 21. Check 21 also provides protection to customers, in case of double deposit (where paper and electronic copies are deposited), or in case funds are deposited to or withdrawn from the incorrect account. In such cases, Check 21 provides the customer the right to have funds re-credited up to USD $2,500 per check, within 10 business days until the investigation is completed. However, this benefit applies to only those cases, in which a customer possesses a valid, "substitute check." The right to recover losses due to error or fraud covers not only the amount withdrawn, but also the fees, dues and/or penalties associated with the respective transaction. Check 21 provides these rights in view of potential problems associated with electronic check processing, such as the ones mentioned above. In addition, sometimes the digital image may not legible, causing transactional errors.

While Check 21 has increased the speed and efficiency of check processing, it has also increased the chances of check related fraud. As physical checks are minimized in electronic processing, it is harder to detect fraudulent deposits or payments. For instance, a digital image does not have the benefits of watermarks or chemically reactive paper, which are used to detect and minimize fraudulent checks. However, it has breathed new life in the usage of checks, which were on a constant decline, and created new demand for electronic checks, which are becoming increasingly popular, and are viewed by many as an excellent and low risk substitute for credit cards.

Jennifer Loganathan is the President and CEO of Stradafee Limited. Stradafee is a leading international payments company based in New York. Stradafee is a retail and electronic payments provider specializing in ecommerce and Internet merchant account solutions. Stradafee also offers high risk merchant accounts and offshore merchant account options. Stradafee can help businesses of all industries and sizes. For more information on credit card processing visit http://www.stradafee.com

By Mark Crisp

First of all, a "stock" refers to a share of ownership in a company. Companies sell stock to raise capital. Companies that trade on stock markets are public companies that have issued stock to the general public. Each person who owns stock has a number of shares in the given company, which give them corresponding ownership rights. For example, they may be entitled to voting on major company decisions and to a share of dividends (profits distributed to stockholders after the company's interest expenses and taxes are paid). Having said that, there are different kinds of shares that have different types of rights attached. Most stock traded on the stock market is comprised of "ordinary shares" which gives you voting rights and the entitlement to dividends.

What is a stock market? And what is a stock exchange? These terms are often used interchangeably. Well, "stock market" is typically used to describe the worldwide market involved in buying and selling stock, while a given stock exchange is one of the physical locations where stock trades are transacted. Until not too long ago, stock exchanges were teaming with people whose jobs were to physically trade stocks with one another on behalf of buyers and sellers. These days, most exchanges facilitate this electronically. Stock exchanges also vary in size, ranging from local stock exchanges like the Bendigo Stock Exchange in regional Australia to the massive New York Stock Exchange in New York City!

Unless you have the requisite licence, you can't directly buy and sell stocks yourself. You need to pay a broker to do so on your behalf. Historically, you might have called an individual broker to transact a trade for you; these days it's often just a matter of visiting an Internet based brokerage and filling in an order form.

To make money in stocks, you essentially need to buy a stock at one price, and sell it at a higher price. The increase in price is theoretically due to the increase in the value of the company, based on its financial performance.

In fact, this is the perspective generally taken by "fundamental investors" to make money in stocks. Fundamental investors use fundamental information about a company (primarily its financial performance) to justify buying, holding or selling stocks. Fundamental investors tend to hold their investments for several months at least, often a few years, and in some cases decades.

"Traders" tend to have much shorter time horizons. They buy and sell within weeks, days and - in the case of day traders - hours or minutes. In such time periods the prices of stocks are much more volatile and tend not to reflect corporate value so much as market psychology.

Traders seek to use the short term volatility of the stock market to their advantage. They use "technical analysis" - analyzing trends and patterns in stock prices - in order to spot opportunities to profit on upward, downward and even sideways price movements.

Investors who use fundamental analysis on the one hand, and traders who use technical analysis on the other, take very different approaches to stocks. However, both can make money. Technical analysis has a bit more of a mystique about it because of the "black box" nature of many of the stock trading systems used by traders.

Trading systems can vary widely. Essentially, a trading system is the step-by-step approach used by a trader to make money in stocks. While there are general approaches to trading e.g. trend following, candlestick charting and others, any given trading system is likely to be tailored by the trader to suit themselves.

There's no question that it's possible to make money in stocks. It's also possible to lose - so it's a good idea to learn as much as you can about stock market investing and trading.

Get your Momentum Stock Trading System and sign up for my free weekly online trading system newsletter here at: http://www.stressfreetrading.com

By Anupriya Jain

Which Car Loan Should I Go For?

Car loans are a dime a dozen, but which one should you go for? Especially if you are a prudent consumer with a balanced budget, getting the right auto finance can be quite a challenge, what with so many auto finance providers thrusting their offers in your face. Your dealer may even offer to do it for you. While this sounds really tempting, it may prove to be a costly affair. So do your own thing and check out the auto loans yourself.

You can get these loans from a variety of sources, like banks and financial institutions and online financing companies. Dedicated auto finance companies usually offer better terms if you approach them directly rather than through some middleman.

Finding The Right Auto Loan Lender

To begin with you can ask friends and relatives to recommend auto finance providers if they have had prior experience. You can also surf the internet for all the information you need at your fingertips. Most car finance company websites also have auto loan calculators which will make the interest and payment calculations for you based on the kind of vehicle you want to buy, the down payment amount and the term of the cash advance.

Interest rates fluctuate, so you can either wait for the right time to take a cash advance or else shop around the extensive car loans market until you have zeroed in on the best interests rates available at that time. In any case it is a good idea to take your time and carefully sift through various offers before finalizing your decision, rather than jumping at the first offer that you get.

You should also keep in mind that your credit rating affects the interest rates and the amount of advance you can easily get, so if the picture is not too good on that front, you can begin by working towards improving your credit rating. You also have the option of going ahead and getting your interest rated lowered in future through the refinance option.

Luckily for the car buyer, there are many players in the market for car loans so the consumer is a king. All you have to do is keep yourself well-informed. After you have read through the fine print, compared rates and offers from various auto financers, invite quotes from the chosen ones. Once you get these compare the offers on important parameters and choose accordingly.

Getting the best value for your money and driving away with the vehicle that you want requires some background work, but the effort is well worth it. The best car loans will not only help you own that set of dream wheels you've been eying for some time, but also ensure that payment terms suit your pocket and your future income inflow.

The how-to of car loans and car title loan cash with tips on how to find out the ideal used auto loan interest rate and the best auto car loans available

By Russ D Johnson

Montana is often known as "Big Sky Country" and is nicknamed the "Treasure State", but perhaps the state should consider merging the two for a new nickname - "Big Treasure Country", because at last check, the state's Department of Revenue is currently holding more than $21 million in Montana unclaimed money. Across the nation, states are taking in more money annually than they are able to return to the rightful owners, and MT is no exception.

The primary issue people have in locating missing money is a lack of education on the matter that keeps them from using the most important search tactics, but it's even harder in Montana because the state doesn't maintain any online search capabilities through their own state website. For a variety of reasons the state's own records can often be unreliable, but the issue is greater when the only place to consult these records is a third party site which the state must notify of any and all updates.

Montana unclaimed property can come from a variety of sources, the most common of which are: "money, uncashed checks, drafts, state warrants, uncashed payroll checks, utility deposits, interest dividends or income, savings and checking accounts, safe deposit box contents, credit balances, customer overpayments, gift certificates, unidentified remittances, stocks, bonds and uncashed coupons". Each of these types of assets has it's own unique dormancy period in each state. The dormancy period is the time that must pass before a piece of abandoned money is considered "unclaimed" and handed over to the state. The dormancy periods for most types of assets range from 1 to 5 years, but are longer in rare instances.

Due to the widely varying dormancy periods, MT unclaimed funds are constantly being turned over, and state employees aren't able to update the missing money records each time an asset comes in. On top of that, third party sites that actually make this data searchable are only as reliable as the data the state gives them. It is for this reason that anyone seeking lost money should search not once, but many times, and search regularly. It would be incredibly disappointing to search on one day, come up empty, and give up, when searching again in another day, week, month, or year would uncover a pile of cash with your name on it.

In addition to searching frequently, MT residents should search the records of other states to see if they are owed a portion of the tens of billions of dollars in forgotten funds nationwide. There are a number of reasons that a state other than the home state might owe someone money, but they are most commonly things like money owed by an insurance company that is based out of state, or money owed from former employer who's headquarters is in another state. Even a person has never left their home state, it is possible for other states to be holding money in the person's name.

There are dozens of issues that plague beginners in unclaimed money searches, but all of these can be overcome simply by learning search strategies from experts before starting the quest.

Unclaimed money and property expert Russ Johnson has been assisting Americans in finding their unclaimed money online since 1997. His site, http://www.unclaimedmoney.net, is updated regularly and offers guaranteed official searches for Montana unclaimed money and missing money across the country.

By Mary Hector

For those who live in the fast-paced world of today there is now a credit card that meets your needs. If you don't have the time to wait for credit card approval then an instant approval credit card might be the route to take. A lot of people don't have the time or patience for the dated method of applying for a credit card. Traditionally you have to fill out an application, mail it in, and wait for a letter advising you if you have been approved for a line of credit.

What happens when you don't have the luxury of time to get approved for a credit card? This is where an instant approval card comes in handy. Companies that offer instant approval credit cards provide an online link to their application. No more filling out your application by hand and sending it off in a stamped envelope. Now with a click of your mouse you can access the application, fill it out, and submit it.

Not only do you get rid of the time consuming forms and submissions, you can also say goodbye to waiting to be informed of your approval status. After submitting your application for your instant approval credit card you will be notified in minutes of whether you have been approved or not. Going through an instant approval credit card does not diminish your options on what type of credit card you can apply for. Credit card companies offer a variety of choices in addition to this hassle free method. You can choose from gas credit cards, rewards credit cards, or cash back incentives. This is an option that doesn't have any downfalls. You are able to be approved instantly and still have many of the choices with regular credit cards.

Such cards offered through the instant approval method are the Chase Visaฎ Platinum Card, Discoverฎ More (SM) Card, Chase Free Cash Rewards Visa Card, Discoverฎ Open Road(SM) Card, Blue from American Express, Chase Freedom Cash Visa Signature Card, Blue Cash from American Express, American Express Preferred Rewards Green Card, Clear from American Express, and Miles by Discoverฎ Card. Talk about a multitude in credit card options. You still maintain the same selection without having to have the patience on waiting days or even weeks for some type of notification in the mail.

So what if you aren't approved for a credit card through cards with instant approval? You still have opportunities, just possibly through a different type of credit card. The days of getting declined and experiencing the despair of not being able to benefit from a credit card are over. Many of the companies mentioned above have come up with a solution to being declined. When you seek a credit card through instant approval you will know immediately if you are declined. If so you may want to seek a prepaid credit card. You can be instantly approved and in the case of many cards offered can even benefit from some of the rewards credit cards or those that offer cash back incentives, all through a prepaid credit card.

http://bestcreditcardratings.com/instant-approval-cards

By Alec Recce

Information

Same day payday loans are the fastest means of generating extra cash. With fast payday loans you can tackle all such situations where in cash is required urgently. They are unsecured loans that can be availed without placing any security against the loan amount. People suffering from bad credit history due to arrears, defaults, IVA, bankruptcy etc can also avail the benefits of quick payday loans.

These are advanced to people having regular source of income and full time employment. Also anyone who wants to apply must have a regular checking bank account and must be 18 years of age or above.

Amount and interest

You can borrow an amount that ranges from 100 - 1500. Loan amount depends upon the credit status and repayment ability. Repayment duration of these loans can be 2 - 4 weeks. Make sure to pay the loan amount on due time else lenders can take legal action against you. You can either pay by a post dated check or can allow the lender to automatically withdraw money from your ban account. Annual APR of payday loans is very high and that is quite obvious because they are short term and unsecured in nature.

Usage

They can be used for all such emergency situations that require money urgently. Like you can use it for paying urgent medical bills, electricity bills, paying debts, car repair and so on. Same day payday loans get approved within 24 hrs and hence are ideal for urgent needs.

Application

The best way to apply for payday loan is via internet. It is a lot faster and hassle free compared to the traditional method. Also you can use search engines to find lenders offering payday loans at competitive interest rate. With few clicks you can get the details of hundreds of lenders offering payday loans.

Alec Reece has a way with dealing with loans for a long time. Writing articles is just a way to extend this to consumers and provide empowerment through information. All you have to do is read. To find same day instant loans, same day loans UK, Same day payday loans, same day cash advance loans, same day personal loans visit http://www.samedayloans.me.uk

By Russ D Johnson

Omaha steaks are likely the most well known treasure to come out of Nebraska in recent years, but there's something even juicier that NE residents will find is more interesting to them personally. As recently as 2007, Nebraska unclaimed money totaled more than $85 million, and counting. Despite the fact that the State Treasurer's Office holds quite a few "outreach" events to connect people with their lost assets, lack of education on the matter means that more money comes in than goes out to the rightful owners.

Living in a state with only roughly 1.7 million people, Nebraska residents have terrific odds of discovering that they are owed a share of the total unclaimed property being held by the State Treasurer. The only thing standing between the people and their money is a search and a claim, but before that can be done properly, the people need to know how to search or they could waste a lot of time on the wrong websites using incorrect search tactics.

The most important thing for Nebraska residents to remember, when searching for unclaimed funds, is that it's not a one search deal. This rule applies not only because many sites aren't offering reliable data, but mainly because the official data is updated constantly so searching one day without locating any money doesn't mean that searching another day won't turn up a pile of cash.

Among the most common types of assets that can become "unclaimed" in Nebraska are: savings accounts, checking accounts, health claim payments, dividends, telephone deposits, life insurance proceeds, vendor payments, wages, stocks, bonds, utility deposits, miscellaneous outstanding checks, safety deposit boxes, gift certificates. Each of these is considered unclaimed, and then handed over to the state, after a period of inactivity which varies from asset type to asset type, though most commonly these "dormancy periods" are between 1 and 5 years, with a few exceptions. With these widely varying dormancy periods, the state is constantly receiving new accounts, which means that a person could perform a search a day before the state obtains their cash, and the search would turn up nothing. But if the person were diligent and searched regularly, they would find a record of their cash the next time they searched.

The need to search often is important, not only because of the varying dormancy periods, but because the state can't update the unclaimed money list in real time. So even after monies have been handed over to the state, a person in the State Treasurer's Office must manually add the record to their system, which may not be done for days, weeks, or months. Searching once might never locate these assets, but searching regularly increases the odds of discovering the joys of turning missing money in to found money.

These tips will give you a jumpstart in the race for lost cash, but there are many more that you can learn by mimicking what experienced searchers do, to keep from falling in to traps beginners often do which wind up hindering their searches and keeping them from taking back money that is rightfully theirs. Learning from the experts can go a long way in helping you reunited with you money.

Unclaimed money and property expert Russ Johnson has been assisting Americans in finding their unclaimed money online since 1997. His site, http://www.unclaimedmoney.net, is updated regularly and offers guaranteed official searches for Nebraska unclaimed money and missing money across the country.

By William Kriski

Money means different things to different people. For some it's freedom, for others it's security. Thoughts about making money make some people feel dirty. Take a moment to examine your feelings about money. Does it make you stressed? Are your thoughts about money empowering or disempowering? In reality, money is actually neutral and is defined as 'a medium of exchange'. Money itself is neither good nor bad. What some people do to make money can be good or bad, however.

I believe that money enables freedom, which most people are seeking. Freedom to make your own choices. Freedom to work when and if you want to. Freedom to volunteer with charity groups, travel around the world or take up a new (or old) hobby. The fact is that it takes money to do all these things. You need money to pay rent/mortgage, buy food, get around town, take courses, etc. Charities need money to run their organizations. Musicians need money for instruments, studio time, and music lessons. Money is simply a means to an end. We are not striving to make money for money's sake but to enable a meaningful and enjoyable lifestyle.

I talk about the specifics of making more money in your career in my blog and e-book, such as finding niche markets, negotiating, and subcontracting to consulting firms. But realize that the vast majority of the problems of not making enough money are related to how you think about money and your sense of self-worth. If you'd like to understand how wealthy people think, check out some books I recommend at my website.

Before you can take the required action to make more money, you need to adjust some of your daily thoughts. Awareness is the key. Spend time each day thinking about money and your relationship with it, how to make it, how to save it, how to invest it and you will be well on your way to figuring out the answers. Set a goal of doubling your salary and get your subconscious mind to starting figuring out how to achieve this. Think of empowering questions such as 'How can I double my salary?' instead of disempowering thoughts like 'Why can't I earn more money?'. Your brain will figure out answers to both of these types of questions, so you want to be careful as to what kinds of questions you ask it!

Will is an author, IT consultant and guitarist/teacher. Will obtained a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering in 1995 and an Object Oriented Software Technology Diploma in 2000. He's been consulting since 2002. Will's passion is to empower YOU so that you can achieve your dreams.
http://thewealthyworker.com

By Henry R Bell

If you are thinking of giving an instant cover to your vehicle before it is too late then wrap it with the insurance scheme named as instant van insurance plan. Insurance should be considered as indispensable when you purchase a vehicle. This is because the risk and cost of any loss or damage to this valuable property will be transferred to another party i.e insurer. The insurer will compensate the loss of this car.

Usually, such rider is available against a little amount of money known as premium. And this premium rates vary from insurer to insurer because of the market is under the clouds of competition. The premium is affordable and can be paid in mode, half yearly and yearly. Moreover, if you miss any premium then you can renew the policy by paying an extra fee. A minimum amount is charged as late fee on the basis of the total premium.

As, you are looking for an instant insurance cover, thus, all the processes are formatted in a short and simple manner. Instant van insurance plan is free from complexities and are offered through online. Before applying through the online application method, you should always accumulate the required details. The details are related to the registration of the vehicle, owners name and correspondence address.

So, you can easily give a protection to your valuable property at a cheap rate. And still if you have doubts left then compare the insurance quotes that you can afford. The instant van insurance plan enfolds every income group.

Henry Bell is an author who can certainly identify the kind of insurance that you will need. Car Van Insurance endeavors to find the best possible deals for its customers. To find instant van insurance plan, car insurance, Instant van insurance, van insurance plan, cheap car insurance visit http://www.carvaninsurance.co.uk/

By Leslie Hardy

The future of Northern Rock, the beleaguered UK bank still remains uncertain after the deadline of 4 February 2008 for bids from interested parties.

The UK government is seeking to convert the estimated GBP25 billion of loans into bonds which will be sold in the open market. In order to make these bonds attractive, the government will guarantee them.

It has now emerged that in addition to requiring a fee for the guarantee, which could be as much as GBP400 million, the UK government is insisting that the guarantee is limited to 3 years. This means that the bonds will only have a 3 year life, and at the end of that time they will need to be replaced by alternative funding.

In practice, Northern Rock will have to seriously downsize, if not decimate, its mortgage portfolio. It can only achieve this target by actively encouraging mortgage holders to migrate to other bank and building society lenders.

Due to the severity of this requirement by the government, one of the bidders, Olivant, has pulled out.

This leaves 2 proposals on the table for Northern Rock.

The offer from Sir Richard Branson, of the Virgin group, is considered to be the front runner. Virgin's offer is complex and involves merging Northern Rock into Virgin Money.

Northern Rock currently has 420 million shares in issue. Existing shareholders will be asked to subscribe to a rights issue and purchase 6 new shares at 25 pence for each share they currently hold. This equates to GBP1.50 x GBP420 million which equals GBP630 million of new money.

Total shares held by existing shareholders will then be 420 million times 6, which equals 2,520 million, plus the original 420 million, which equals 2,940 million shares.

Virgin proposes that there will be 6,600 million shares. The current shareholders will hold 2,940 million while Virgin will hold 3,660 million. This means that the existing shareholders will see a dilution of their combined stake to 45%, while Virgin holds a majority 55%.

Virgin will purchase 2,600 milllion shares at GBP25 pence which equals GBP650 million. In addition, they will receive a further 1,000 million shares as Virgin Money will be merged with Northern Rock. This values Virgin Money at GBP250 million and most commentators consider this a highly inflated figure.

What this means is that Virgin is acquiring Northern Rock for a cash payment of GBP650 million. When one considers that Northern Rock has some GBP100 billion of assets, is one of the top 5 UK mortgage lenders with a market share of 20 percent, this seems a most attractive deal for Sir Richard Branson.

Many consider the Virgin bid to be favoured by the UK government. Indeed Sir Richard just happened to be with the Prime Minister as part of a UK trade delegation to China in January 2008, and he has a longstanding relationship with the Labour Party which was nurtured during the Blair years.

The Virgin group is a private entity and not listed on any stock market. As such its financial structure is opaque. Sir Richard is a persistent self publicist, and a shrewd and ruthless operator. He does have an informal, beach bum appearance. Unlike most beach bums from the Caribbean, Sir Richard owns his own private island of Necker . Concerns have also been expressed at his non UK status for tax purposes and the likelihood that very little tax will be returned to the exchequer if and when Virgin sell the revamped bank in several years time.

In fact Mr Vince Cable, a Liberal Democrat MP, has made reference to Branson's past unlawful behaviour in that he allegedly evaded purchase tax in 1971 and agreed to pay penalties in order to avoid a criminal prosecution.

From the viewpoint of shareholders, the Virgin offer is unattractive. Many shareholders bought their shares 1 year ago when they were priced at GBP12. Due to the adverse publicity, the shares are currently just under GBP1.

Many shareholders are incensed that Branson will be purchasing shares at just 25 pence. Even in the current and extraordinary market conditions, the shares are quoted at around 4 times this figure. The Virgin proposal also expects shareholders to subscribe to a rights issue based on a purchase of a further 6 share at 25 pence for each existing share held. This would raise GBP630 million.

The new money provided by existing shareholders is only slightly less than the GBP650 million which will be injected by Virgin. However, Virgin acquires a 55% controlling stake in the company.

Although the UK government have provided major funds for Northern Rock, it should be remembered that from a legal standpoint, the company is owned by the shareholders, and not the government. The shareholders have already flexed their muscles at the Extraordinary General Meeting of 15 January 2008 at which a resolution was passed to limit the authority of the Directors to issue shares. Clearly, any rescue plan for Northern Rock would need the approval of existing shareholders. At present, there appears very little chance of the shareholders handing over the company to Sir Richard Branson.

The response to this exercise of shareholder power by the UK government is lamentable. They issue repeated threats to nationalise the bank if shareholders are uncooperative. These threats are empty gestures as the spectre of nationalisation haunts New Labour, and the record of public ownership in the UK is, as elsewhere, unimpressive. Talk of temporary nationalisation, as a way of cheating shareholders of their rights, demonstrates the cynical disregard of the government for UK company law. This is a measure which would certainly meet with a legal challenge from shareholders.

The alternative proposal is an internal rescue plan. Some GBP500 million of new funds would be raised from a rights issue. This is feasible as existing shareholders are far more likely to subscribe additional funds to this proposal which effectively safeguards their interests rather than give funds to a company which is being handed to Sir Richard Branson.

On 10 February 2008, several banks have offered to securities around one half of the loans provided by the government to Northern Rock. This means that the UK government would need to guarantee some GBP13 billion of bond issues as opposed to GBP25 billion. On balance, this move will weaken the Virgin bid.

Leslie Hardy is Chairman of Wellington Estates Ltd a North Cyprus Property Company. Follow this link for more information on Northern Rock

By Meiyoko Taylor

When most people retire, one of the first things they think of is protecting the income they have worked all their life for. After all, you want to protect every last dollar you have earned right?

One of the first things that come to the minds of most retirees and seniors are Bank CDs. Many are under the impression that this is the only safe place to put their assets. They also assume that this is the only place they can gain interest on their retirement savings without any risk at all. That assumption could not be more further from the truth. In this article, you are going to be exposed to what can happen to your retirement savings and what the banks hope you NEVER FIND OUT.

Have you ever asked yourself what happens to your hard earned income when it is placed in a CD? Not too long after your income is place into your CD, the bank loans that money to another source. That's right, it is loaned out! They will make 60 to 70 percent off of your deposit while you're promised 4 to 5 percent on your assets. 4 or 5 percent that you have to pay TAXES on at the end of the year. Yes, I said TAXES. But after all, your money is FDIC insured right? Sure it is. Does that mean that ALL your money is insured? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! Let me explain. By the way this applies to ALL of your retirement savings at your Bank, NOT just your CDs.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp or FDIC only guarantees that 100,000 of your income is FDIC insured. However, certain retirement accounts are eligible to be insured up to 250,000. Now here is the million dollar question many of you want to know. What happens if the Bank FAILS? Contrary to what most people may think, Banks, at times, DO FAIL. Bank failures are rare but they still happen. According to the FDIC, there were 28 bank failures since October 2000!! (See Link http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/banklist.html). Even worse, the FDIC DOES NOT notify people when their bank has failed or is about to fail! The only way you find out is when your check/debit card gets denied or you arrive at your bank and it has a new name already.

Well what happens to your money once a bank fails? I will be more than happy to tell you so let me explain. The account owners which are within the FDIC guidelines normally are able to retrieve their money rather quickly. Well, what about those retirees with over 100,000 or those IRAs over 250,000? Those with assets not covered by the FDIC will become creditors to the receivership of the failed bank. "The FDIC will then sell off the failed bank's assets and pay those account holders who were over the FDIC income limit, from the proceeds of that money. This process CAN TAKE YEARS. YES! It can actually take years to get all of your hard earned dollars back. Some of us dont have years or time on our side to retrieve all of our hard earned retirement income.

Meiyoko Taylor is the Chairman & CEO of Milestone Retirement Group, Inc, specializing in protecting the retirement income of seniors and retirees. He has over 7 years of experience in the financial services industry and is a guest speaker for various sales teleconferences across america. He has worked for companies such as , AIG , Monumental Life, and Mutual Of Omaha. Meiyoko Taylor is currently servicing the NJ area, contracted with companies such as ING, Penn Treaty Network America(LTCI) Sunlife Financial, American Equity and Old Mutual.

By Ashton Gabriel

Credit cards and loans have become an integral part of our lives and more and more people are giving in to the temptation of 'buy now pay later' schemes. However, the only people who seem to be happy with the scenario are the credit card companies. An individual who has piled up a large sum of money in the form of loans can be in a sticky situation if for some reason or the other he is unable to repay his credit card debts. Managing your finances to repay your debt can be a real balancing act and people often fall flat while trying to perfect this act. The only feasible option seems to be to take further loans to repay the existing ones and soon the individual is dragged into this vicious circle. A more apt solution in this case would be to opt for credit card debt management services form a reliable and reputable company that has helped many other debtors to come out of their debts easily.

A company offering credit card debt management services is your best option to get a friend, philosopher and guide who can get you out of a messy situation. When creditors and collectors start harassing you and your family for the repayment of various credit loans, it can be a living nightmare. Avoid such unpleasant situations by applying for credit card debt management services that not only help you repay all your debts but also provide guidance to manage your finances in a better manner. The financial experts involved with providing you expert guidance on handling your credit card debts, will firstly analyze your financial situation and ability to pay back the debts. Accordingly, they negotiate on your behalf with the creditors to reduce or freeze the interest and charges on your debts.

Once your multiple debts have been consolidated under a single, affordable payment, then the credit card debt management advice helps you get rid of your debts easily. You now simply have to pay a fixed, monthly installment that goes towards all your debts at a go and you actually see your principal debt amount reducing rather than just the interest. Also, credit card debt management lets you have a greater amount of expendable income at the end of each month that you can contribute towards your family responsibility and expenses.

Once you opt for credit card debt management you can get the required moral and financial support that is crucial to any debtor at times like this. You may also secure a loan at a much lower rate of interest that will help you pay back the loan on all your credit cards at one go. Whatever may be the option you select, ensure that you are seeking guidance and help from a reputed and reliable debt management company. The yellow pages, the internet or past clients of the company are your best referrals. Opt for credit card debt management services and lead a secure, comfortable, debt free existence from then on.

Ashton Gabriel is a financial expert dealing with debt management and has carved out a career by providing apt consultation on debt management help and debt management. If you have any further queries about credit card debt management, business debt management and more products, then you can visit http://www.debtmanagementforuk.co.uk

By Joe Almedia

There are a lot of worries involved with running your own business. From wondering whether sales will meet expectations to dealing with employees, worrying about bad checks and verifying the age of customers so you aren't selling adult products to minors, there are many potential problems that could come up any day.

Fortunately, technology can get rid of some of these worries. While it can't solve your disputes with employees, it can make it easier for you to accept payments with confidence and monitor the age of your customers.

The first and most vital piece of technology for making your business life easier is a credit card terminal. If you're not accepting credit cards, you really should be. People these days love to pay with plastic, and you'll turn some customers off by not offering the option.

While you're looking at merchant accounts and payment processing equipment, see if you can get a card reader that allows customers to put in their PIN numbers as well. This will allow you to accept debit cards, providing even more flexibility for your customers (and lower transaction rates for you).

Next, if bad checks are a worry for your business, you'll want to look into getting a check reader. This is sort of like a credit card machine for checks. Just insert the check into the reader and the amount of the check is automatically debited from the customer's account.

You get the payment within 24 hours and it's deposited directly into your account -- you don't even have to drive to the bank and physically deposit the check! Using a check reader can give you peace of mind because you'll know before the customer leaves your shop if they can afford the check they just wrote.

A final piece of technology that is a great addition for people who sell tobacco, alcohol or other adult-oriented products is age verification hardware. Electronic age verification is done with the help of a device that looks like a credit card terminal and scans the barcode or magnetic strip on state-issued identification cards.

The machine then tells you whether the person is of age to consume whatever your product is. This takes the guesswork out of reading IDs and is a lot faster than having a person inspect each patron's identification and do the math to make sure you aren't selling to minors.

In some ways technology can seem like it makes our lives more difficult, always giving us more to read, watch and do. But in the case of your business, picking up some new technology can certainly make your life a lot easier.

North American Bancard offers some of the lowest rates around for credit card processing and has free placement programs to get the latest technology into your business. Visit http://www.sourceonemerchantservices.com for information on accepting credit cards, checks or debit cards.

By Tom Tessin

When banking online, some people worry about banking with a bank that might be fishy or could be a scam. In order to avoid this, there are many things you can do to make sure that you don't fall into a scam trap. Even though you can usually point out a scummy bank from miles, there are always some that cut through the cracks that mange to steal millions from innocent people.

Scams are all over the place. They range from telemarketers to the internet. Nobody likes to hear that they were just taken for a ride and the sole purpose of this article today is to inform you on how you can check to see if the online bank you're banking with or want to bank with is legit.

The FDIC mark

If a bank is FDIC insured, this is a great sign. The purposes of the FDIC mark it to make sure that your money is insured just in case the bank does go under. Just because there's a FDIC logo on the banks website doesn't mean they are insured. Anyone can copy and paste a FDIC logo on their website and call themselves a bank. The best way to find out if a bank is insured is to go to the FDIC's website at fdic.gov and do a search on the bank. If the bank is insured, you will see the name pop up and it will give you a lot of information.

Check the contact information

When you're doing your banking online, see what kind of contact information they provide. If the bank doesn't provide you with a toll free number to call, this is a huge red flag. All legitimate banks will provide you with a phone number to call just in case you have any questions. Also look for contact information. Feel free to make sure the address is legitimate online. It's always safe to call the number too before banking just to see who's on the other line. Ask as many questions as possible to make sure that they are real and legit.

Do they have branches?

Obviously if you're banking with a bank like Bank of America, they are going to be a legitimate bank but some internet banks do have a few branches that not that many people know about. All of this information is usually found on their website with branch locations and addresses. If an online bank does have a branch, you can feel confident that the bank won't scam you out of your money.

If you follow these three steps, you should be able to avoid any scam online when it comes to your money. Make sure that you take note of the first point and look for the FDIC logo, this is very important. Remember, if you ever find anything fishy regarding an online bank, contact the local authorities as soon as possible because not only will you be saving yourself but also someone in the future that might fall into the scam trap.

Tom Tessin is an author for GOtalkmoney.com that is geared toward investors looking for cd interest rates

By Rony Walker

A lot of people nowadays are in dire financial straits because of home loan. Loan refinance may lift them out of the ditch they're in, but still, it's not a guarantee. When people buy their homes, they are often very optimistic that mortgage payments would become easier with time. Unfortunately, this is not the case for some people who took a home loan, loan refinance, or other loans gone badly. There was this guy who thought that as he made more money through the years, mortgage payments would become a breeze. True enough, his income shot up, but so did his expenses as he got married and had three children.

The Different Scenarios

Most of us choose payment options that we can afford upon getting a home loan. Loan refinance may not have occurred to us yet and that option can be a risk, too. Because of the payment options you chose upon start up, you may now be paying a higher monthly payment for your mortgage compared to when you first started payments.

This could even result in negative amortization loan. When you're in this scenario, your principal is actually rising monthly since you're only paying less than your monthly interest-only payment. But when your principal starts to grow rapidly and the value of your home doesn't, you could be in for a great financial nightmare if you don't find an effective solution the soonest time possible.

The Solutions

For a financially out of control home loan, loan refinance seems to be the quickest option today. Of course, if you don't go for the right one, you can find yourself in a far worse situation than you started with. So if you decide to refinance, do it at a lower interest rate. If you want to succeed with this type of solution, participate in the process. Do research, shop around, ask expert advice, and not just from one person, so you can compare. The goal here is to close in on the best deal for you.

Another solution that makes total sense is to channel more payments on the principal rather than the interest. This is risk-free, and you'll see the difference soon enough. The down side is if you don't have the extra money rolling in every month. Because if you can keep pace with the schedule of payments, you'll be out of your debt faster than you know it, and you get to have big savings over time, as well.

There is also a mortgage calculator that you can do your research over the web. People say that it practically reduced their mortgage by 17 years. You might want to look this up and see if it works.

No matter what steps you take to rid yourself of loans gone out of proportions, you'll only succeed if you have knowledge of what you're getting into. So read up, equip yourself with pertinent data, and talk to different people who have good knowledge on these kinds of financial matters.

Eliminating old and bad debts like home loan, loan refinance, or credit card bills can make you a healthier person. We give expert advice on how to shorten your Arizona mortgage and teach you how to use a home mortgage calculator. Visit WhatAboutLoans.com today.

By Stephen Clayton

If you don't have online bill payment set up, you should do so now. Paying your utility bills online can save you hundreds of dollars every year, increase your household efficiency, and it helps reduce your carbon footprint!

Keep reading for a great list of reasons why you should be paying your utility bills online.

1. It's faster. You'll save your valuable time. Instead of driving to the bank or utilities office where you'll stand in line to drop off a payment, you can do right it from the convenience of your home office.

2. You'll save gas. For your own wallet and the environment, this is a great reason to pay your utility bills online. Using the Internet instead of trekking down to the bank means the car remains in the garage and your money stays in your wallet.

3. It's more secure. Despite what you hear about Internet security, it's actually safer to deal with your bank's secure web servers than to put a piece of paper in the mail with all your bank account numbers and financial details. You don't have to worry about your payments making it to the right people or your personal information falling into the wrong hands.

4. No more stamps and envelopes. If you're an online bill payer, you can often request to have your bills sent to you over the Internet as well. This means you can help save paper, which is great for the environment. You also save on the expense of ever-rising stamp costs.

5. You can often save on promotions. Because utility companies are still trying to market online payment, many are offering incentives for customers to sign up and get on board. Before you register for online utility bill payments, look for rebates and discounts for which you can cash in.

But, how exactly do you pay your bills online?

Typically, a bill payment will run through your bank account. Most banks offer online banking which allows you to log in and access all your account details. From there, you can register your account for bill payments, at which point you'll be prompted to enter your utility company's name along with your customer number.

If you're having difficulty setting up online payments, don't hesitate to visit or call your bank and ask for a step-by-step tutorial on how to set up an online payment program. Remember to always keep your passwords and account numbers safe and stored in a location off your computer.

For information on practical home energy savings ideas, please visit http://www.energysavingsoptions.com, a popular site providing great insights about energy cost cutting measures, such as garage door insulation, the helpful portable furnace, and many more!

By Aoureliou Televko

As a middle aged, middle class, married, business owner, father of 3 (one in college....argh) freedom seeker, I have sought for many years to establish the knowledge, the relationships, and the resources needed to make a lifestyle of financial privacy and freedom available to me and my family. One of the most frustrating and problematic areas to resolve successfully has been that of how to establish a private banking relationship, for someone of moderate means, in today's world of intrusive financial surveillance. Many have found that without doing something "shady" or "under the table" or downright illegal, and having to constantly be looking over your shoulder to see who is looking, having a workable private banking solution is, in real life, unattainable.

But I have found something that simply works...

If the above statement does not suitably impress you, perhaps you are not fully aware of what it takes to accomplish this in this day and time. Just because I said it is simple, do not underestimate the value of this "gem". If you think it's easy to find something that actually works...you have not tried...end of story. The Continental Trust and Credit Union has been the long sought answer to the banking relationships I required.

But before I give you a brief review of it's qualities and benefits, let me stress that I am not talking about just going out and opening an offshore bank account. In my opinion, this is not a valid and workable relationship. First, unless you intend on having assets of less than $10,000 USD (I am talking about US citizens here) you are required to report this account; and secondly, anything with your name attached to it in the banking system is discoverable. Just having an account in a supposedly sovereign jurisdiction that will "keep your information private" is not good enough in todays financial landscape. Suffice it to look at the large number of "high rollers" who tried to "hide" a good portion of their assets this way and got in a good deal of trouble. This is not the way to do it; it's not what I want, and I will presume it's not what you want. "Hiding" things and privacy are very different arrangements, and you want to be involved in the latter....legitimate, legal, secure, workable financial privacy!

With that being said...let's take a look at this treasure I have found...

The Continental Trust And Credit Union is a private savings and loan association domiciled in Stockholm, Sweden and registered in accordance with the Economic Associations Act (1987:667). The activities are regulated by the Swedish Banking Act (2004:297). As a legally designated 'Ekonomik Foerening' (EF) it is essentially a Savings and Loan association. Under the law that regulates Continental Trust, provided that it does not solicit to the public and keeps its membership 'small' by legal definition, an EF is exempt from the standard banking regulatory regime and the only reporting required is an annual tax return filed on net profits.

What this means is that this type of an organization is basically not required to report anything regarding its membership or financial transactions...ever! This is as good as it get's! Now this does not mean you can get away with criminal activity, because if you give governments or courts a legitimate reason to come after you, they can eventually get just about any information they want...but as far as financial privacy, this is off the grid. This is a legitimate type of organization classified by the World Bank as a Non-Bank Financial Institution and recognized as "having an important role in a balanced and diversified financial sector". In other words, it's not some shady deal that you have to worry about being under the table. All of its officers have had background checks, the books are audited annually by a major, well recognized auditing firm.

That's the legal stuff...now as far as its usability and benefits...here are the major points:

� Full internet access to accounts and built in secure message system
� Internet security system twice as good as most major banks (Regarding security; Account data is held not only in secure and stable Linux servers with all the appropriate firewalls, but is then maintained on powerfully encrypted hard drives which are not on the same server as the web page but are instead, held and maintained very privately and secure half a world away. The domicile, banking, secure servers, web servers and administration are all conducted and compartmentalized from different parts of the world making Continental Trust one of the most secure operations of its kind in existence today.)
� So designed that even if the webserver were hacked, no information could be accessed
� Transfer accts. for general in/out activity by wire transfer or by transfer to linked private International Secured Mastercard Program (no spending limits except for the balance stored)
� Credit card, not debit card; much more useful in situations such as car rental etc. Funds accessed by:
� merchant purchases
� ATM withdrawals
� Wire transfer
� Bankers draft
� Savings Accounts with 9% yearly earnings
� CD's yielding from 1%-2.5% monthly (that's right...monthly; excellent passive investment)
� Minimum initial deposit is 2500 euro.
� Loans against capital or real estate

My experiences with CTCU have been excellent. The communications with the staff have been prompt and professional. The treatment I receive is as a person, not a "number". The one small problem I once experienced was when opening a trading acct. The trading institution would not initially accept the wire transfer because it was sent from another institution than what was named on the account. This is actually how this kind of organization works, it's clearing of funds is through a separate bank. The problem was easily resolved by the staff sending the proper documentation showing that the CTCU account was in fact the initiator of the wire transfer. Problem solved!

The other thing you need to know is that access to the Credit Union is by private membership only...you must be a member of the private business group Venture Resources Group. There are other benefits as well to becoming part of Venture Resources Group as they are experienced professionals in the international arena, but I will not go into that here.

The last thing I will point out, is that CTCU is still fairly young and it's deposits and ability to do other things in the financial world is comparatively small...but growing.

So there you have it as best as I can put it. More detailed information is available from the Venture Resources Group and guest login codes to access all the information on the Continental Trust And Credit Union website are available upon request.

I sincerely hope that this article and the information it contains are of great benefit to you and can give you a sense of financial confidence that here, finally, is a solution to what you may have been looking for... as it did for me.

Important Note: A pre-requisite to having this kind of financial privacy is to establish working relationships with properly formed and maintained international entities. For the purposes of this article, I have assumed that you understand this, and have access to this kind of knowledge and relations. If you do not, then allow me to refer you to Venture Resources Group where I know you can get reliable and reasonably priced access to them.

VRG's Private Banking Solution

The Continental Trust And Credit Union

VRG Membership Inquiry :: kam.vrg@gmail.com