The Investment That Always Gives You the Best Return
by: Steve Kroening Author's Email Address: steve@wisdomsedge.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
How would you like to find an investment that will consistently outperform every other investment you make? There is such an investment, but it's not anything you'd expect. In fact, it's not real estate. It's not the stock market. It's not options. It's not treasuries. And it's not commodities. The investment is giving to your church and other charities. If you don't believe this investment will always outperform every other investment you make, let me share a story from Dr. Joe Morecraft, a pastor friend of mine. Joe was on the board of directors for a fairly large company. At the annual board meeting, one of the board members, an elderly man who had amassed a sizable fortune, made a stunning announcement. He told the board that he had far more money than he could ever use and no heirs to give it to, so he was going to give away his entire fortune over the next year. The rest of the board was stunned! Well, one year later, the board came together again. But this time, there was a noticeable buzz in the air. Everyone wanted to know if the man was able to give away all those millions of dollars. When the man entered, the room fell silent. Then came the announcement. A very red-faced board member had to tell all those influential people that he had failed in his task. But what he said was even more stunning than his original announcement. He told the board that through the course of the last year, he gave away millions upon millions of dollars. He established a pace that, he thought, would enable him to quickly get rid of everything he owned. Then something happened that he didn't expect. He started making more money than he had ever made previously in his life. All of his investments were moving up faster than they ever had. The man had to tell the board that he was, in fact, far wealthier after that one year than he was when he made the original announcement. But what he said next was one of those lessons we all need to learn. The last thing he said was, "What I learned this year is that I can't out-give God." As hard as he tried, he couldn't get rid of his money faster than God was blessing him. So if you're looking for a way to get the best return on your money, give it away. The return won't always be monetary. And there are times when you won't see the rewards this side of heaven. But the reward will always be far greater than the investment.
Steve Kroening writes for Success magazine and also publishes Wisdom's Edge. You can get Biblical tips on health, finance, relationships, parenting, and success, delivered to your email inbox every week. Simply visit http://www.wisdomsedge.com and sign up for this free e-zine.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
How to Pick a Good Home Owner Insurance Company
How to Pick a Good Home Owner Insurance Company
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
Peace of mind, security, and protecting your most valuable asset and possessions are the three best reasons that any homeowner needs to have a good home owners insurance policy. When it comes to finding a good home owner insurance company it pays to do some up front research before you buy a new policy. One thing that is important to note when researching insurance companies is that while financial strength is important very few go bankrupt because before they can even get licensed to do business in any state they have to prove they are financially sound. Before you choose a home owner insurance company, check out a few independent research companies first. Independent research companies thoroughly examine home owner insurance companies and give them ratings based on certain factors. Also, be sure to take advantage of additional study reports offered by the independent research companies, such as the special guides some independent research companies compile in order to help customers better understand the process used to decide a home owner insurance company rating. Apart from learning about average rates and consumer complaints made against the companies you are considering; it is also a good idea to look into their financial stability history. The insurance business is regulated by individual state laws which can be different from state to state. There are independent research firms who rate the insurance industry and in most cases the ratings that are given are on an alphabetical scale such as A, B, C, and so on. When looking for an insurance provider it is best to choose one that is rated a B or higher and avoid companies with ratings warning of future liquidation or under some form of state probation or suspension. Take into account the ratings each independent research firm has given to the homeowners insurance companies you are considering. It is also to make sure that any insurance providers you are considering is licensed to sell insurance in your state. Under no circumstances should you purchase home owners insurance from a company without a license in the state in which the house is located. Once you find a reputable and financially secure home owner insurance company everything else you are looking for - great coverage, quick claim service, and affordable rates - will fall into place. One final thing that is a necessity is a insurance provider that will give you the freedom to quickly and easily change your coverage as your needs change through the years.
To learn more about how to get low cost home owners insurance visit the website Home Insurance Quotes at http://home-insurance.home-choices-net.com/Home-Insurance-Quote-Online.html
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
Peace of mind, security, and protecting your most valuable asset and possessions are the three best reasons that any homeowner needs to have a good home owners insurance policy. When it comes to finding a good home owner insurance company it pays to do some up front research before you buy a new policy. One thing that is important to note when researching insurance companies is that while financial strength is important very few go bankrupt because before they can even get licensed to do business in any state they have to prove they are financially sound. Before you choose a home owner insurance company, check out a few independent research companies first. Independent research companies thoroughly examine home owner insurance companies and give them ratings based on certain factors. Also, be sure to take advantage of additional study reports offered by the independent research companies, such as the special guides some independent research companies compile in order to help customers better understand the process used to decide a home owner insurance company rating. Apart from learning about average rates and consumer complaints made against the companies you are considering; it is also a good idea to look into their financial stability history. The insurance business is regulated by individual state laws which can be different from state to state. There are independent research firms who rate the insurance industry and in most cases the ratings that are given are on an alphabetical scale such as A, B, C, and so on. When looking for an insurance provider it is best to choose one that is rated a B or higher and avoid companies with ratings warning of future liquidation or under some form of state probation or suspension. Take into account the ratings each independent research firm has given to the homeowners insurance companies you are considering. It is also to make sure that any insurance providers you are considering is licensed to sell insurance in your state. Under no circumstances should you purchase home owners insurance from a company without a license in the state in which the house is located. Once you find a reputable and financially secure home owner insurance company everything else you are looking for - great coverage, quick claim service, and affordable rates - will fall into place. One final thing that is a necessity is a insurance provider that will give you the freedom to quickly and easily change your coverage as your needs change through the years.
To learn more about how to get low cost home owners insurance visit the website Home Insurance Quotes at http://home-insurance.home-choices-net.com/Home-Insurance-Quote-Online.html
What is a Mortgage Refinance?
What is a Mortgage Refinance?
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
A mortgage refinance involves renegotiating an existing mortgage in order to get a better interest rate and lower monthly payments that will help improve your financial situation. It can also be used to pay off debt by tapping into the equity in your home, if you choose to borrow above and beyond what is owed on your current mortgage. One nice thing about a mortgage refinance is the ability to lower your interest rate and maintain the same monthly payment you will build your equity much quicker while paying down extra principle. If you remain cognizant of what interest rates are doing while in the refinancing process you will be able to reach your financial goals much easier. Another area where a refinance may help your financial situation is if you are having trouble meeting your monthly payment or you need to free up some cash for home improvements and the like. When a borrower takes money from the equity in their home, this is known as a cash-out refinance. In order for this type of mortgage refinance to be a viable option, the homeowner must have a fair amount of equity in the property. Your home will serve as collateral and you can use the funds you have invested in buying or improving your home, as equity. Typically home refinancing is done when you have a mortgage on your home and you apply for a second loan to pay off the first one. While making the decision to go for the home refinancing option, it is important to first determine whether the amount you save on interests balances the amount of fees payable during refinancing. By refinancing your mortgage when interest rates are lower, you can exchange a higher interest rate for a lower one, which, in turn, will lower your monthly payment. There are certain factors, like your credit rating and the amount of the down payment that you are able to afford, that will influence your interest rate, the single most important factor is the prevailing interest rates at the time. If you do have bad credit your options may be more limited but if you can get a lower rate make every effort to stay current on all your payments which will help raise your credit score. This will pay big dividends in the future when you apply for other loans. If you are considering a mortgage refinance to lower your monthly payment, you need to make sure that you will be staying in the property long enough to recoup the costs and be sure to carefully consider both the long-term and short-term financial implications. There are so many benefits that can be made when you consider how a mortgage refinance can better your life. With a great choice of mortgage deals available from a range of reputable lenders, a mortgage refinance deal could be just the answer to your problems, and you can enjoy lower interest rates, lower payments, and better payment terms as well as an array of other benefits.
To learn more about a mortgage refinance please visit the website Home Equity Loan at http://home-equity-loan.home-choices-net.com/home-refinancing/Mortgage-Refinance.html
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
A mortgage refinance involves renegotiating an existing mortgage in order to get a better interest rate and lower monthly payments that will help improve your financial situation. It can also be used to pay off debt by tapping into the equity in your home, if you choose to borrow above and beyond what is owed on your current mortgage. One nice thing about a mortgage refinance is the ability to lower your interest rate and maintain the same monthly payment you will build your equity much quicker while paying down extra principle. If you remain cognizant of what interest rates are doing while in the refinancing process you will be able to reach your financial goals much easier. Another area where a refinance may help your financial situation is if you are having trouble meeting your monthly payment or you need to free up some cash for home improvements and the like. When a borrower takes money from the equity in their home, this is known as a cash-out refinance. In order for this type of mortgage refinance to be a viable option, the homeowner must have a fair amount of equity in the property. Your home will serve as collateral and you can use the funds you have invested in buying or improving your home, as equity. Typically home refinancing is done when you have a mortgage on your home and you apply for a second loan to pay off the first one. While making the decision to go for the home refinancing option, it is important to first determine whether the amount you save on interests balances the amount of fees payable during refinancing. By refinancing your mortgage when interest rates are lower, you can exchange a higher interest rate for a lower one, which, in turn, will lower your monthly payment. There are certain factors, like your credit rating and the amount of the down payment that you are able to afford, that will influence your interest rate, the single most important factor is the prevailing interest rates at the time. If you do have bad credit your options may be more limited but if you can get a lower rate make every effort to stay current on all your payments which will help raise your credit score. This will pay big dividends in the future when you apply for other loans. If you are considering a mortgage refinance to lower your monthly payment, you need to make sure that you will be staying in the property long enough to recoup the costs and be sure to carefully consider both the long-term and short-term financial implications. There are so many benefits that can be made when you consider how a mortgage refinance can better your life. With a great choice of mortgage deals available from a range of reputable lenders, a mortgage refinance deal could be just the answer to your problems, and you can enjoy lower interest rates, lower payments, and better payment terms as well as an array of other benefits.
To learn more about a mortgage refinance please visit the website Home Equity Loan at http://home-equity-loan.home-choices-net.com/home-refinancing/Mortgage-Refinance.html
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
7 Cash Flow Steps to a Healthy Budget
7 Cash Flow Steps to a Healthy Budget
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
The word budget can strike fear into even the strongest of people. If there is one thing very few people are ready for when they leave the safety of home for the first time it is dealing with money. There are not too many people who even know how to balance their checkbook after they open their first checking account. So creating a budget can be a scary proposition for anyone who isn't good at keeping track of their money. But if we look at a budget in a different light then maybe it will be easier to live with what it is. And all it is is a cash flow plan. All a budget does is track where the money is flowing from and where it is flowing to. Cash flow; it's what makes the world go around. Here are 7 steps you can use to plan your cash flow and before you know it you'll have built a budget. Start with a piece of paper and a pencil; you can save those fancy budgeting software packages for later.
1. Write down your monthly income. If you are a salaried worker this should be easy. If your income is not that steady then add up the past three months worth of income and average it by dividing by three. This will give you a good starting point.
2. Start writing down all your monthly expenses. Mortgage, rent, car payment, credit card payments, utilities, groceries, eating out, entertainment, and anything else you spend money on. For those expenses that fluctuate, such as groceries and gas, use the three month average method to get an accurate amount.
3. Here's the scary part for most people. Subtract the expenses from the income and see what's left. You will either have a positive cash flow or negative cash flow. Unfortunately in this day of increasing debt most people have a negative cash flow.
4. Once you have your monthly cash flow laid out in front of you you can start assigning your money to your expenses. As you make those payments throughout the month write them down to see how your spending lines up with what you have budgeted for that particular item.
5. If you have a negative cash flow then you can start looking at everything you have written down and find areas where your spending may not be in the best interest of you financial goals. As you do this you can free up money for more important financial considerations.
6. The first time you do a cash flow plan it probably won't work out quite right. It normally takes about three months to get everything working right while you figure out where your money has been going every month. Be patient with your budget and before long it will start working and you will regain control of your money.
7. Once you are comfortable with your written budget and you have better control of where your money goes and what it does then consider investing in some budget software such as Quicken. It can make your cash flow plan much easier and with the added features like retirement and tax planning it can give you a solid financial future. By using these 7 cash flow steps you can begin your budget quickly and easily. Only by taking back control of your money can you improve your financial future for you and your family.
To learn more about cash flow planning please visit the website Household Budgets at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
The word budget can strike fear into even the strongest of people. If there is one thing very few people are ready for when they leave the safety of home for the first time it is dealing with money. There are not too many people who even know how to balance their checkbook after they open their first checking account. So creating a budget can be a scary proposition for anyone who isn't good at keeping track of their money. But if we look at a budget in a different light then maybe it will be easier to live with what it is. And all it is is a cash flow plan. All a budget does is track where the money is flowing from and where it is flowing to. Cash flow; it's what makes the world go around. Here are 7 steps you can use to plan your cash flow and before you know it you'll have built a budget. Start with a piece of paper and a pencil; you can save those fancy budgeting software packages for later.
1. Write down your monthly income. If you are a salaried worker this should be easy. If your income is not that steady then add up the past three months worth of income and average it by dividing by three. This will give you a good starting point.
2. Start writing down all your monthly expenses. Mortgage, rent, car payment, credit card payments, utilities, groceries, eating out, entertainment, and anything else you spend money on. For those expenses that fluctuate, such as groceries and gas, use the three month average method to get an accurate amount.
3. Here's the scary part for most people. Subtract the expenses from the income and see what's left. You will either have a positive cash flow or negative cash flow. Unfortunately in this day of increasing debt most people have a negative cash flow.
4. Once you have your monthly cash flow laid out in front of you you can start assigning your money to your expenses. As you make those payments throughout the month write them down to see how your spending lines up with what you have budgeted for that particular item.
5. If you have a negative cash flow then you can start looking at everything you have written down and find areas where your spending may not be in the best interest of you financial goals. As you do this you can free up money for more important financial considerations.
6. The first time you do a cash flow plan it probably won't work out quite right. It normally takes about three months to get everything working right while you figure out where your money has been going every month. Be patient with your budget and before long it will start working and you will regain control of your money.
7. Once you are comfortable with your written budget and you have better control of where your money goes and what it does then consider investing in some budget software such as Quicken. It can make your cash flow plan much easier and with the added features like retirement and tax planning it can give you a solid financial future. By using these 7 cash flow steps you can begin your budget quickly and easily. Only by taking back control of your money can you improve your financial future for you and your family.
To learn more about cash flow planning please visit the website Household Budgets at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com
Monday, July 16, 2007
The Personal Financial Budget is the Door to Financial Freedom
The Personal Financial Budget is the Door to Financial Freedom
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
Personal financial well being has as its core concept a personal financial budget. This type of financial budget is information made up of your income and expenses and the more accurate this information the easier it will be for you to meet your monetary goals and realize your dreams. People who are good at personal finance management know how to spend within their income, plan for the future, and solve their financial problems as they arise. People who live pay-check to pay-check usually have poor financial habits that include spending more then they earn, have no future financial plan, and continually fall farther behind with each monetary emergency that crops up. The question you need to ask yourself is which one are you and which one do you want to be? If you want to be the person with the secure financial future then you need to take charge of your money with a cash flow plan. The way to do that is with a budget which for many people is something that doesn't come naturally. Making a budget is much like anything else; it takes a little time to get the hang of it. The main thing to remember when starting your first budget is that for the first few months it will basically be a way to get organized and start getting an idea of where your money goes every month. Creating a personal budget will take some time out of a couple of days a week, but it is not necessary to spend hours a day doing it. The best place to start is with a pad of paper and a pencil or pen. You can also find simple budget spreadsheets for free on the internet if you want something a little more organized. Just simply list income on one side of the sheet and expenses on the other and see where you stand. Do you have a positive cash flow or a negative cash flow? By regularly monitoring and evaluating your cash flow you can begin to see patterns and spending habits that may need to be adjusted. The big surprise for many people is finding out just how they are actually spending money and where it is going. With a budget in place you can quickly identify those areas where you are spending to much money and those areas that maybe you need to redirect money to, such as credit card debt, car loans, or even retirement savings. A solid cash flow plan can also help break the cycle of debt that the people of this country, the United States, are struggling with. If you are struggling with money and are unsure of where your's is going then the first step you need to take is the creation of your own personal financial budget. Only by tracking your money at what is it doing can you take back control of financial future for you and your loved ones.
For more information about making a personal financial budget please visit the website Household Budgets at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com/Personal-Budget.html
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
Personal financial well being has as its core concept a personal financial budget. This type of financial budget is information made up of your income and expenses and the more accurate this information the easier it will be for you to meet your monetary goals and realize your dreams. People who are good at personal finance management know how to spend within their income, plan for the future, and solve their financial problems as they arise. People who live pay-check to pay-check usually have poor financial habits that include spending more then they earn, have no future financial plan, and continually fall farther behind with each monetary emergency that crops up. The question you need to ask yourself is which one are you and which one do you want to be? If you want to be the person with the secure financial future then you need to take charge of your money with a cash flow plan. The way to do that is with a budget which for many people is something that doesn't come naturally. Making a budget is much like anything else; it takes a little time to get the hang of it. The main thing to remember when starting your first budget is that for the first few months it will basically be a way to get organized and start getting an idea of where your money goes every month. Creating a personal budget will take some time out of a couple of days a week, but it is not necessary to spend hours a day doing it. The best place to start is with a pad of paper and a pencil or pen. You can also find simple budget spreadsheets for free on the internet if you want something a little more organized. Just simply list income on one side of the sheet and expenses on the other and see where you stand. Do you have a positive cash flow or a negative cash flow? By regularly monitoring and evaluating your cash flow you can begin to see patterns and spending habits that may need to be adjusted. The big surprise for many people is finding out just how they are actually spending money and where it is going. With a budget in place you can quickly identify those areas where you are spending to much money and those areas that maybe you need to redirect money to, such as credit card debt, car loans, or even retirement savings. A solid cash flow plan can also help break the cycle of debt that the people of this country, the United States, are struggling with. If you are struggling with money and are unsure of where your's is going then the first step you need to take is the creation of your own personal financial budget. Only by tracking your money at what is it doing can you take back control of financial future for you and your loved ones.
For more information about making a personal financial budget please visit the website Household Budgets at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com/Personal-Budget.html
Secrets to Keep Your Budget on Track
Secrets to Keep Your Budget on Track
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
Keeping track of our hard earned money is something that a great majority of us have trouble with. It's as if we spend it faster then we make it and by the end of each pay period we are left wondering where it all went. Learning to efficiently manage money is something everyone needs to know, but unfortunately most people are never taught this most valuable of skills. This is where a budget is most valuable. It gives a starting point in which we can all learn to properly manage our money. Let's look at it this way. Most businesses and corporation have a budget, even the United States government has a "budget" (okay, bad example), but individuals and families seldom follow any sort of budget. In this day of overwhelming debt this is not good. The first thing you need to do when starting a budget is to set a goal. What do you want your money to do for you? Do you want to get the spending under control? Get out of debt? Save up for a big purchase? Put money into retirement accounts? If you have a specific goal or goals it is much easier to build a budget around that. Most people who start a budget just want to find out where their money is going. As you list out your expenditures you will begin to see patterns. Some expenses you just have to live with like a mortgage or utility bills. It's when you start looking at all the little expenses and how they add up they don't seem so little anymore. If you start cutting out some of these smaller daily expenses, like the daily morning coffee for 4$ a pop, you may begin to see that you do indeed have extra money at the end of the month. The point is that it is the small items that add up over time and this is what causes the most financial problems for many people. If you buy that cup of coffee on the way to work everyday that turns out to be $80 a month or $960 a year. Add a few more small regular purchases into that equation and before you know it you are spending thousands of dollars a year on coffee, sodas and other things. Here's another secret to keeping your budget going. If you are using your budget to help pay off credit card and other debt then list out your debts from smallest to largest. Once you pay all your minimums on all your debts take any extra money that is left over and send it to your smallest debt. Yes, that's right, the smallest one. You'll be amazed at how quickly you pay that one off and it will give you motivation to move to the next one. Staying motivated is best way to keep using a budget to find that financial freedom you always wanted. After all, it is our behavior with money that causes most of our financial problems in the first place.Andrew Bicknell researches and writes on a variety of subjects.
To learn more about building a family budget please visit his website Household Budgets at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com/Family-Budget.html
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
Keeping track of our hard earned money is something that a great majority of us have trouble with. It's as if we spend it faster then we make it and by the end of each pay period we are left wondering where it all went. Learning to efficiently manage money is something everyone needs to know, but unfortunately most people are never taught this most valuable of skills. This is where a budget is most valuable. It gives a starting point in which we can all learn to properly manage our money. Let's look at it this way. Most businesses and corporation have a budget, even the United States government has a "budget" (okay, bad example), but individuals and families seldom follow any sort of budget. In this day of overwhelming debt this is not good. The first thing you need to do when starting a budget is to set a goal. What do you want your money to do for you? Do you want to get the spending under control? Get out of debt? Save up for a big purchase? Put money into retirement accounts? If you have a specific goal or goals it is much easier to build a budget around that. Most people who start a budget just want to find out where their money is going. As you list out your expenditures you will begin to see patterns. Some expenses you just have to live with like a mortgage or utility bills. It's when you start looking at all the little expenses and how they add up they don't seem so little anymore. If you start cutting out some of these smaller daily expenses, like the daily morning coffee for 4$ a pop, you may begin to see that you do indeed have extra money at the end of the month. The point is that it is the small items that add up over time and this is what causes the most financial problems for many people. If you buy that cup of coffee on the way to work everyday that turns out to be $80 a month or $960 a year. Add a few more small regular purchases into that equation and before you know it you are spending thousands of dollars a year on coffee, sodas and other things. Here's another secret to keeping your budget going. If you are using your budget to help pay off credit card and other debt then list out your debts from smallest to largest. Once you pay all your minimums on all your debts take any extra money that is left over and send it to your smallest debt. Yes, that's right, the smallest one. You'll be amazed at how quickly you pay that one off and it will give you motivation to move to the next one. Staying motivated is best way to keep using a budget to find that financial freedom you always wanted. After all, it is our behavior with money that causes most of our financial problems in the first place.Andrew Bicknell researches and writes on a variety of subjects.
To learn more about building a family budget please visit his website Household Budgets at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com/Family-Budget.html
Buying Home Owners Insurance Online
Buying Home Owners Insurance Online
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
If you are looking to buy your home owners insurance online then is advisable to research and compare at least 4 quotes that can be had from competing insurance companies. By going online for your insurance needs you can make the experience much easier. In fact you can find coverage's online that will cover a wide range of disasters and accidents, including damage caused by: fire/lightning, windstorms/hail, explosions, riot or civil commotions, aircraft, vehicles, smoke, vandalism, theft, volcanic eruption, falling objects, weight of snow/ice/sleet and much more. Your home is an investment deserving the protection that the proper home insurance policy can provide. That's why it makes sense to protect the sizable financial investment you've made in your own home with a comprehensive home owners insurance plan that may not be as expensive as you think. Most standard homeowner insurance policies will cover both the home itself and items that are found in the home. The quickest way to find out just what each policy covers is to sort through different types of homeowners insurance online. For the most part, homeowners insurance will be provided as a packaged policy and will help to cover the home owner's legal responsibilities because of property damage and/or personal injury. The online quote has a questionnaire that needs completed that will ask you some other valuable information that helps determine the replacement value of your home and this process may reveal something about your present coverage that you were unaware of. This is one of the great benefits of shopping online. There are other things to consider other then just comparing the price of each quote you are offered. Quotes and rates that are given by home owner insurance companies are influenced by any number of factors including deductible, location, risk factors, and the general housing market. By shopping around and keeping these factors in mind you can save money on your home insurance coverage. The best home owner insurance quote is going to be the quote offered by the insurance company that thoroughly investigates your home owner insurance needs. You can save yourself some time and money by getting your free home insurance quote from the top companies. When buying home owners insurance online it is also important to remember that each state has its own rules and regulations when it comes to home insurance. Most companies taylor their quotes to the state in which you are requesting coverage but it is important to make sure that the policy you are interested in provides for what the state agencies require.
To learn more about buying home owners insurance online visit the website Home Insurance Quotes at http://home-insurance.home-choices-net.com/Home-Owners-Insurance-Quote.html
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
If you are looking to buy your home owners insurance online then is advisable to research and compare at least 4 quotes that can be had from competing insurance companies. By going online for your insurance needs you can make the experience much easier. In fact you can find coverage's online that will cover a wide range of disasters and accidents, including damage caused by: fire/lightning, windstorms/hail, explosions, riot or civil commotions, aircraft, vehicles, smoke, vandalism, theft, volcanic eruption, falling objects, weight of snow/ice/sleet and much more. Your home is an investment deserving the protection that the proper home insurance policy can provide. That's why it makes sense to protect the sizable financial investment you've made in your own home with a comprehensive home owners insurance plan that may not be as expensive as you think. Most standard homeowner insurance policies will cover both the home itself and items that are found in the home. The quickest way to find out just what each policy covers is to sort through different types of homeowners insurance online. For the most part, homeowners insurance will be provided as a packaged policy and will help to cover the home owner's legal responsibilities because of property damage and/or personal injury. The online quote has a questionnaire that needs completed that will ask you some other valuable information that helps determine the replacement value of your home and this process may reveal something about your present coverage that you were unaware of. This is one of the great benefits of shopping online. There are other things to consider other then just comparing the price of each quote you are offered. Quotes and rates that are given by home owner insurance companies are influenced by any number of factors including deductible, location, risk factors, and the general housing market. By shopping around and keeping these factors in mind you can save money on your home insurance coverage. The best home owner insurance quote is going to be the quote offered by the insurance company that thoroughly investigates your home owner insurance needs. You can save yourself some time and money by getting your free home insurance quote from the top companies. When buying home owners insurance online it is also important to remember that each state has its own rules and regulations when it comes to home insurance. Most companies taylor their quotes to the state in which you are requesting coverage but it is important to make sure that the policy you are interested in provides for what the state agencies require.
To learn more about buying home owners insurance online visit the website Home Insurance Quotes at http://home-insurance.home-choices-net.com/Home-Owners-Insurance-Quote.html
Getting Through Identity Theft
Getting Through Identity Theft
by: Stephanie Foster Author's Email Address: workingathome@gmail.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
It's painful the day you realize it has happened to you - someone has stolen your identity and done terrible things to your credit score. It's painful, and getting through this can take years. The discovery can come about in a variety of ways. Many people don't realize their identity has been stolen until suddenly they cannot get the credit they just applied for. Upon checking their credit report, they discover accounts they never authorized listed under their names. Another possibility is that you will simply have had a credit card stolen, and so receive a phone call from your current credit card company noting unusual use on your account. You may have even received one of these calls legitimately, when you have done unusual spending with your card. But these calls can be a wonderful alert that something has gone wrong and someone is abusing your credit. How you will react depends on the situation. If it's a stolen credit card or credit card number, you can cancel the credit card and get a new one. You are often well advised to place an alert on your account, which requires some effort on your part, but is one way to know if there are more problems. In most cases of identity theft you will want to put a watch on your credit through the credit bureaus. You can file a report with all three credit bureaus that will flag your account. This means that you will be called before any new credit in your name can be approved. Inconvenient if you want new credit, but a wonderful way to know that only legitimate accounts can be opened. This initial alert will last for 3 months. But you may want more. You can request an extension of the fraud alert to seven years, and you can get a free copy of your credit report from all three bureaus. It's a good idea to do this annually, even when you do not expect there to be problems. Identity theft is a nearly silent crime, and catching it can be difficult. The earlier you do it, the less work you will have in fixing it. Go over your credit reports. Inform the credit bureaus of all fraudulent and inaccurate information. They are required to remove it as soon as they know that the information is incorrect. All of this can be a tedious process, and you may come up with problems for years to come. You can think you got it all, then find out that there's still a problem. This is why it is far better to be vigilant, and get your credit report annually, than to wait until there's a problem. Paying basic attention to your credit report can make problems a little easier to solve, or at least cut back on the number of them.
Stephanie Foster blogs at http://credit-blog.findcreditonline.com/ about credit related issues. For more tips on managing your credit wisely, visit http://www.findcreditonline.com/
by: Stephanie Foster Author's Email Address: workingathome@gmail.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
It's painful the day you realize it has happened to you - someone has stolen your identity and done terrible things to your credit score. It's painful, and getting through this can take years. The discovery can come about in a variety of ways. Many people don't realize their identity has been stolen until suddenly they cannot get the credit they just applied for. Upon checking their credit report, they discover accounts they never authorized listed under their names. Another possibility is that you will simply have had a credit card stolen, and so receive a phone call from your current credit card company noting unusual use on your account. You may have even received one of these calls legitimately, when you have done unusual spending with your card. But these calls can be a wonderful alert that something has gone wrong and someone is abusing your credit. How you will react depends on the situation. If it's a stolen credit card or credit card number, you can cancel the credit card and get a new one. You are often well advised to place an alert on your account, which requires some effort on your part, but is one way to know if there are more problems. In most cases of identity theft you will want to put a watch on your credit through the credit bureaus. You can file a report with all three credit bureaus that will flag your account. This means that you will be called before any new credit in your name can be approved. Inconvenient if you want new credit, but a wonderful way to know that only legitimate accounts can be opened. This initial alert will last for 3 months. But you may want more. You can request an extension of the fraud alert to seven years, and you can get a free copy of your credit report from all three bureaus. It's a good idea to do this annually, even when you do not expect there to be problems. Identity theft is a nearly silent crime, and catching it can be difficult. The earlier you do it, the less work you will have in fixing it. Go over your credit reports. Inform the credit bureaus of all fraudulent and inaccurate information. They are required to remove it as soon as they know that the information is incorrect. All of this can be a tedious process, and you may come up with problems for years to come. You can think you got it all, then find out that there's still a problem. This is why it is far better to be vigilant, and get your credit report annually, than to wait until there's a problem. Paying basic attention to your credit report can make problems a little easier to solve, or at least cut back on the number of them.
Stephanie Foster blogs at http://credit-blog.findcreditonline.com/ about credit related issues. For more tips on managing your credit wisely, visit http://www.findcreditonline.com/
The Household Budget and Emergency Fund
The Household Budget and Emergency Fund
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
One of the biggest problems for most people when it comes to creating a household budget is trying to incorporate those unknown or unexpected expenses into the budget. When the car breaks down or there is a sudden medical emergency that needs to be paid for very few people have the means to just pay for it. In most cases they tap into their emergency fund by paying for it with a credit card. Yes, that's right, for the majority of Americans their idea of an emergency fund is a credit card. Using credit cards for the emergency fund is a relatively new idea that didn't really begin to occur until the 1980's when credit and debt began to become popular. Before then people had set money aside in a savings account, in a jar, or under their mattress for just such an emergency. When something happened that required a large sum of money people just paid for it. So how do you build an emergency fund and how much should it be? Many financial advisors recommend that if you have large amounts of debt to be paid off that you should attack that first. There is little point in paying large amounts of interest on high rate cards while saving money. The interest on the debts cost more than any interest you may get out of a savings account and in many cases even high return investment plans. If you are serious about building and emergency fund as part of your household budget then it makes sense to have a small emergency fund set aside to keep from using the credit cards you are trying to pay off if an emergency does occur. All you need for this initial savings fund is $1000 to $2000. After you have this amount set aside you can begin attacking those debts and get them paid off. Once you have your credit card and other debts paid off you can begin building your permanent emergency fund. If you use the money you had been using to pay off your debts you should be able to accumulate the amount you need quickly and easily. It is recommended that a fully funded emergency account hold 3 to 6 months worth of living expenses. Once the fund is fully stocked just leave it alone. It is for emergencies only and should not be part of any investment plan. There are several good places to keep an emergency fund; a savings or money market account, a separate checking account that pays interest are all good places to keep this money. It needs to be easily accessible where you can get to it if needed. Putting it in a certificate of deposit (CD) is not a good idea because the money is locked up until the term of the CD is up. By setting up a working household budget you can easily see where your money is going and how you can best pay off debts and build a long term emergency fund. Once free of the lock credit cards and debt has on your money you can build wealth and live the life you have always wanted.
Andrew Bicknell researches and writes on a variety of subjects. To learn more about building an emergency fund and family budget please visit his website Household Budgets at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com/Family-Budget.html
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
One of the biggest problems for most people when it comes to creating a household budget is trying to incorporate those unknown or unexpected expenses into the budget. When the car breaks down or there is a sudden medical emergency that needs to be paid for very few people have the means to just pay for it. In most cases they tap into their emergency fund by paying for it with a credit card. Yes, that's right, for the majority of Americans their idea of an emergency fund is a credit card. Using credit cards for the emergency fund is a relatively new idea that didn't really begin to occur until the 1980's when credit and debt began to become popular. Before then people had set money aside in a savings account, in a jar, or under their mattress for just such an emergency. When something happened that required a large sum of money people just paid for it. So how do you build an emergency fund and how much should it be? Many financial advisors recommend that if you have large amounts of debt to be paid off that you should attack that first. There is little point in paying large amounts of interest on high rate cards while saving money. The interest on the debts cost more than any interest you may get out of a savings account and in many cases even high return investment plans. If you are serious about building and emergency fund as part of your household budget then it makes sense to have a small emergency fund set aside to keep from using the credit cards you are trying to pay off if an emergency does occur. All you need for this initial savings fund is $1000 to $2000. After you have this amount set aside you can begin attacking those debts and get them paid off. Once you have your credit card and other debts paid off you can begin building your permanent emergency fund. If you use the money you had been using to pay off your debts you should be able to accumulate the amount you need quickly and easily. It is recommended that a fully funded emergency account hold 3 to 6 months worth of living expenses. Once the fund is fully stocked just leave it alone. It is for emergencies only and should not be part of any investment plan. There are several good places to keep an emergency fund; a savings or money market account, a separate checking account that pays interest are all good places to keep this money. It needs to be easily accessible where you can get to it if needed. Putting it in a certificate of deposit (CD) is not a good idea because the money is locked up until the term of the CD is up. By setting up a working household budget you can easily see where your money is going and how you can best pay off debts and build a long term emergency fund. Once free of the lock credit cards and debt has on your money you can build wealth and live the life you have always wanted.
Andrew Bicknell researches and writes on a variety of subjects. To learn more about building an emergency fund and family budget please visit his website Household Budgets at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com/Family-Budget.html
Thursday, July 12, 2007
How To Protect Your Laptop Against Theft & Loss
How To Protect Your Laptop Against Theft & Loss
by: Titus Hoskins Bizware Magic http://www.bizwaremagic.com
Laptop theft is rampant. You have a 1 in 10 chance your shiny new laptop will be stolen. And the real shocker: according to the FBI 97% are never recovered. And they should know, the U.S. Department of Justice stated in a recent report that the FBI lost 160 laptops in a 44 month period ending in September of 2005. If FBI agents have trouble keeping track of their laptops, imagine what the ordinary person is facing. The statistics are pretty grim. A laptop is stolen every 53 seconds. Ouch! With stats like those you have to do everything in your power to avoid becoming a victim of laptop theft. If you keep valuable personal or business information on your laptop the consequences can be even more gruesome and devastating. For laptop hardware can be easily replaced, but your valuable information may be lost forever. So here are... 10 Practical Ways to Protect Your Laptop Against Theft, Loss or Misplacement.
1. Keep Your Eyes On Your Laptop Be aware of your laptop at all times especially when traveling. You wouldn't leave a Thousand Dollar Bill lying around unattended would you? So watch your laptop closely.
2. Don't Use An Obvious Laptop Bag Carry your laptop in regular luggage that doesn't look like it has a laptop. Don't advertise your laptop to any would-be thieves.
3. Use Visual Locks And Restraints Use visual locks and restraints to secure your laptop and to act as a deterrent. It won't fool hardened thieves but most will opt for a less secure laptop. For example, you can use a product like STOP, this system works by attaching a specially-made security plate to your laptop. This plate is barcoded and registered. It also carries a warning label letting would-be cyber thieves know that the ownership of your laptop is permanently monitored.
4. Use Passwords And Encryption Use passwords and encryption to protect any sensitive information on your laptop. Again, unless you use very sophisticated encryption it won't fool the experienced hacker or hard-core digital thief but it will slow down and hinder the common criminal. Set a BIOS Password for your laptop. You have to take advantage of any security option that's on your laptop's OS or operating system. For those using Mac OS X you can encrypt your entire hard drive and set-up a master password in order to view it. Windows XP & Vista lets you encrypt files and folders. Just right click your data, select properties, open general tab and then advanced to check "Encrypt contents to secure data box".
5. Use Encryption Programs Like Steganos Safe 2007 You can also try something like Steganos Safe 2007. Vital files can be encrypted and it can even turn your USB thumb drive or iPod into a key for unlocking your hard drive.
6. Use Anti-Theft Software Like LoJack Use anti-theft software that can track and locate your laptop or computer through the IP address once the stolen laptop is used to access the Internet. Use systems like "LoJack For Laptops". It costs Costs around 50 bucks a year but it may be worth that price for your peace of mind alone. According to the info on their site they recover 3 out of 4 stolen laptops equipped with the LoJack system. It basically places hidden and silent software that reports back the IP address and location of the laptop once it is stolen and the thief connects to the Internet.
7. Use Invisible Ultraviolet Markings Use invisible ultraviolet markings so that any recovered stolen laptops will be clearly marked as yours to the police. Keeping track of your laptop's serial number is also a good idea and have this number stored in a different place other than on your laptop.
8. Try Remote Data Deletion If you place important information on your laptop have a remotely controlled self-destruct solution in place. Then your highly sensitive information can be deleted remotely after your laptop is stolen.
9. Laptop Insurance - Be Prepared Create company policies for management of your company's laptops. Have set procedures in place for tracking and reporting of any laptops stolen or misplaced. Buying laptop insurance is another option you should consider especially if you are a student or do a lot of business traveling with your laptop in tow. Be prepared for the inevitable.
10. Backup Backup Backup Regularly backup any vital information you have on your laptop. Most information will be useless to potential thieves but may be extremely important to you personally or for the running of your business. No matter if it is through theft or simple misplacement, losing a laptop is a painful experience, one you should avoid at all costs. However, if it does happen to you, be assured you can minimize the pain by having a complete backup of your laptop's contents. In most cases, this information will be much more valuable than the laptop itself. For hardware can be easily replaced, your personal data and months/years of work may take forever to recover or redo. Sometimes it is lost forever, so BACKUP your information regularly. Keep your laptop and its contents safe and out of harm's way. Simply protect yourself and your laptop by using the tips you have just read.
The author has a keen interest in all things laptop and runs an online Laptop Buyer's Guide: http://www.bizwaremagic.com/notebook-online-buyers-guide.htm For Timely Special Savings/Deals/Coupons on Toshiba, Dell, Apple, Sony, Alienware... try here: Cheap Laptops http://www.bizwaremagic.com/cheap_laptops.htm Copyright (c) 2007 Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
by: Titus Hoskins Bizware Magic http://www.bizwaremagic.com
Laptop theft is rampant. You have a 1 in 10 chance your shiny new laptop will be stolen. And the real shocker: according to the FBI 97% are never recovered. And they should know, the U.S. Department of Justice stated in a recent report that the FBI lost 160 laptops in a 44 month period ending in September of 2005. If FBI agents have trouble keeping track of their laptops, imagine what the ordinary person is facing. The statistics are pretty grim. A laptop is stolen every 53 seconds. Ouch! With stats like those you have to do everything in your power to avoid becoming a victim of laptop theft. If you keep valuable personal or business information on your laptop the consequences can be even more gruesome and devastating. For laptop hardware can be easily replaced, but your valuable information may be lost forever. So here are... 10 Practical Ways to Protect Your Laptop Against Theft, Loss or Misplacement.
1. Keep Your Eyes On Your Laptop Be aware of your laptop at all times especially when traveling. You wouldn't leave a Thousand Dollar Bill lying around unattended would you? So watch your laptop closely.
2. Don't Use An Obvious Laptop Bag Carry your laptop in regular luggage that doesn't look like it has a laptop. Don't advertise your laptop to any would-be thieves.
3. Use Visual Locks And Restraints Use visual locks and restraints to secure your laptop and to act as a deterrent. It won't fool hardened thieves but most will opt for a less secure laptop. For example, you can use a product like STOP, this system works by attaching a specially-made security plate to your laptop. This plate is barcoded and registered. It also carries a warning label letting would-be cyber thieves know that the ownership of your laptop is permanently monitored.
4. Use Passwords And Encryption Use passwords and encryption to protect any sensitive information on your laptop. Again, unless you use very sophisticated encryption it won't fool the experienced hacker or hard-core digital thief but it will slow down and hinder the common criminal. Set a BIOS Password for your laptop. You have to take advantage of any security option that's on your laptop's OS or operating system. For those using Mac OS X you can encrypt your entire hard drive and set-up a master password in order to view it. Windows XP & Vista lets you encrypt files and folders. Just right click your data, select properties, open general tab and then advanced to check "Encrypt contents to secure data box".
5. Use Encryption Programs Like Steganos Safe 2007 You can also try something like Steganos Safe 2007. Vital files can be encrypted and it can even turn your USB thumb drive or iPod into a key for unlocking your hard drive.
6. Use Anti-Theft Software Like LoJack Use anti-theft software that can track and locate your laptop or computer through the IP address once the stolen laptop is used to access the Internet. Use systems like "LoJack For Laptops". It costs Costs around 50 bucks a year but it may be worth that price for your peace of mind alone. According to the info on their site they recover 3 out of 4 stolen laptops equipped with the LoJack system. It basically places hidden and silent software that reports back the IP address and location of the laptop once it is stolen and the thief connects to the Internet.
7. Use Invisible Ultraviolet Markings Use invisible ultraviolet markings so that any recovered stolen laptops will be clearly marked as yours to the police. Keeping track of your laptop's serial number is also a good idea and have this number stored in a different place other than on your laptop.
8. Try Remote Data Deletion If you place important information on your laptop have a remotely controlled self-destruct solution in place. Then your highly sensitive information can be deleted remotely after your laptop is stolen.
9. Laptop Insurance - Be Prepared Create company policies for management of your company's laptops. Have set procedures in place for tracking and reporting of any laptops stolen or misplaced. Buying laptop insurance is another option you should consider especially if you are a student or do a lot of business traveling with your laptop in tow. Be prepared for the inevitable.
10. Backup Backup Backup Regularly backup any vital information you have on your laptop. Most information will be useless to potential thieves but may be extremely important to you personally or for the running of your business. No matter if it is through theft or simple misplacement, losing a laptop is a painful experience, one you should avoid at all costs. However, if it does happen to you, be assured you can minimize the pain by having a complete backup of your laptop's contents. In most cases, this information will be much more valuable than the laptop itself. For hardware can be easily replaced, your personal data and months/years of work may take forever to recover or redo. Sometimes it is lost forever, so BACKUP your information regularly. Keep your laptop and its contents safe and out of harm's way. Simply protect yourself and your laptop by using the tips you have just read.
The author has a keen interest in all things laptop and runs an online Laptop Buyer's Guide: http://www.bizwaremagic.com/notebook-online-buyers-guide.htm For Timely Special Savings/Deals/Coupons on Toshiba, Dell, Apple, Sony, Alienware... try here: Cheap Laptops http://www.bizwaremagic.com/cheap_laptops.htm Copyright (c) 2007 Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Building a Family Budget
Building a Family Budget
by: Andrew Bicknell
Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com/
The first step to any kind of family financial peace is the creation of the family budget. With today's go-go-go lifestyle keeping track of income and expenses is a necessity. Too many families get into financial messes simply because they do not have any idea where their money is going until it is gone. When you first build your family's budget plan you may be met with a certain amount of resistance simply because a lot of people have an aversion to the word "budget". The thing to remember as the builder of the budget that you need to pass along is that this new way of dealing with money is not a set in stone law. A budget is simply a tool that allows you to see where your money is going and how you can better manage it. There is a certain amount of give and take, or fluidity, to a budget because it is constantly changing with the needs of your family. The first thing you and your family need to understand is that a family budget is a long term solution to many financial problems. It will give your family a solid financial future which will benefit all members. The best way to do this is to talk to your family about what type of financial goals your family should have and any budgetary constraints you are facing at the moment. Lay it all out for everyone to see, from mortgage payments and other bills to long term financial goals that include retirement and college funding. If you can help them see the whole picture and how they fit into it your chances of successfully building a family budget are much greater. If build an environment in which your entire family is working together for one common financial goal a budget will be much easier to incorporate. A good way to do this is to have each family member create their own mini-budget so they can better understand how their spending may be affecting the big picture. If they can find places to cut back on this can be translated into the overall family budget. One way to rein in an over exuberant child who thinks money just magically appears out of the ATM machine is to have them budget their own allowance. If a child has to use their own money to buy the things they will soon learn the value of money. Not only will this go a long way to helping the family budget it will start to teach them how to manage money which will stay with them into their adult life. As you build your family budget you will see patterns of spending start to emerge. Pay close attention to these and see if some of them are really necessary. Often times the things you are taking most for granted, such as eating out, will eat up a large portion of your monthly income. For a regular sized family eating out for one night could often buy enough groceries to last for almost a week. Building a family budget is the first step to taking control of your financial future. Only when you know where the money is going can you take control of the situation and make your money work for you.
Andrew Bicknell researches and writes on a variety of subjects. To learn more about building a family budget please visit his website at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com/Family-Budget.html
by: Andrew Bicknell
Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com/
The first step to any kind of family financial peace is the creation of the family budget. With today's go-go-go lifestyle keeping track of income and expenses is a necessity. Too many families get into financial messes simply because they do not have any idea where their money is going until it is gone. When you first build your family's budget plan you may be met with a certain amount of resistance simply because a lot of people have an aversion to the word "budget". The thing to remember as the builder of the budget that you need to pass along is that this new way of dealing with money is not a set in stone law. A budget is simply a tool that allows you to see where your money is going and how you can better manage it. There is a certain amount of give and take, or fluidity, to a budget because it is constantly changing with the needs of your family. The first thing you and your family need to understand is that a family budget is a long term solution to many financial problems. It will give your family a solid financial future which will benefit all members. The best way to do this is to talk to your family about what type of financial goals your family should have and any budgetary constraints you are facing at the moment. Lay it all out for everyone to see, from mortgage payments and other bills to long term financial goals that include retirement and college funding. If you can help them see the whole picture and how they fit into it your chances of successfully building a family budget are much greater. If build an environment in which your entire family is working together for one common financial goal a budget will be much easier to incorporate. A good way to do this is to have each family member create their own mini-budget so they can better understand how their spending may be affecting the big picture. If they can find places to cut back on this can be translated into the overall family budget. One way to rein in an over exuberant child who thinks money just magically appears out of the ATM machine is to have them budget their own allowance. If a child has to use their own money to buy the things they will soon learn the value of money. Not only will this go a long way to helping the family budget it will start to teach them how to manage money which will stay with them into their adult life. As you build your family budget you will see patterns of spending start to emerge. Pay close attention to these and see if some of them are really necessary. Often times the things you are taking most for granted, such as eating out, will eat up a large portion of your monthly income. For a regular sized family eating out for one night could often buy enough groceries to last for almost a week. Building a family budget is the first step to taking control of your financial future. Only when you know where the money is going can you take control of the situation and make your money work for you.
Andrew Bicknell researches and writes on a variety of subjects. To learn more about building a family budget please visit his website at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com/Family-Budget.html
7 Tips for Creating a Family Budget
7 Tips for Creating a Family Budget
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.comArticle Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
For many people creating a family budget is an exercise in frustration. Where to start, how to set it up, should I use budgeting software? Are all questions that nearly everyone asks? And then when they do get it set up and start tracking the money coming in and the money going out something happens. An emergency or an impulse buy that screws the whole thing up. Unfortunately the majority of people give up on their family budget before they ever give it a chance to do what it is supposed to do. One thing everyone needs to understand is that a budget is not a rigid thing. It is flexible and needs to allow for those unintended purchases or emergencies that life is full of. And if you stick with it before long it will be a cash flow planning device you cannot live without. That's all a budget really is, a cash flow plan for your money. That's right, your money, which should be working for you, not the other way around. A budget allows you to track your income and expenses, giving each dollar a task each and every month. This gives you a good picture for paying bills, setting aside savings, and planning for the future. If you are having trouble creating a family budget here are 7 tips you can use to make the process easier. Get a piece of paper and list out income on one side and expenses on the other.
1. Calculate your monthly income by gathering three months worth of pay stubs and averaging the monthly earnings.
2. Figure out your monthly bills by averaging the last three months worth. Do this for expenses such as rent, mortgage, utilities, phone bills, car payments or other fixed monthly expenses. You can also do this for those monthly expenses that move up and down from month to month such as credit card bills and groceries.
3. Subtract your monthly expenses from you income and see if you have any money left over. You will start to see areas where you might be spending too much money and can cut back on. This can free up money for other purposes.
4. Now that you have everything listed out in front of you you can start assigning certain amounts of money to certain expenses. As you make those payment note them in your budget to see if you are staying on track.
5. As you find ways to cut expenses you can also start designating a certain amount of money that goes into savings or retirement accounts every month.
6. Your first budget may not work out quite right. It takes most people around three months to start getting their budget working. Be patient and keep working at it, before long it will become second nature and you will have control over your money.
7. Once you have a good grasp on your hand written budget look into getting personal budgeting software such as Quicken or Microsoft Money. This will make your budget much easier to work with and they offer additional feature that can help you plan your financial future. These are the basic steps for creating a family budget that will get you started and on your way to taking back control of you financial life. If you stick with it before long you will start to realize how much money you used to waste and how much better it feels to know where your money is going and how it is working for you.
Andrew Bicknell researches and writes on a variety of subjects. To learn more about creating a family budget please visit his website Household Budgets at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com/Family-Budget.html
by: Andrew Bicknell Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.comArticle Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
For many people creating a family budget is an exercise in frustration. Where to start, how to set it up, should I use budgeting software? Are all questions that nearly everyone asks? And then when they do get it set up and start tracking the money coming in and the money going out something happens. An emergency or an impulse buy that screws the whole thing up. Unfortunately the majority of people give up on their family budget before they ever give it a chance to do what it is supposed to do. One thing everyone needs to understand is that a budget is not a rigid thing. It is flexible and needs to allow for those unintended purchases or emergencies that life is full of. And if you stick with it before long it will be a cash flow planning device you cannot live without. That's all a budget really is, a cash flow plan for your money. That's right, your money, which should be working for you, not the other way around. A budget allows you to track your income and expenses, giving each dollar a task each and every month. This gives you a good picture for paying bills, setting aside savings, and planning for the future. If you are having trouble creating a family budget here are 7 tips you can use to make the process easier. Get a piece of paper and list out income on one side and expenses on the other.
1. Calculate your monthly income by gathering three months worth of pay stubs and averaging the monthly earnings.
2. Figure out your monthly bills by averaging the last three months worth. Do this for expenses such as rent, mortgage, utilities, phone bills, car payments or other fixed monthly expenses. You can also do this for those monthly expenses that move up and down from month to month such as credit card bills and groceries.
3. Subtract your monthly expenses from you income and see if you have any money left over. You will start to see areas where you might be spending too much money and can cut back on. This can free up money for other purposes.
4. Now that you have everything listed out in front of you you can start assigning certain amounts of money to certain expenses. As you make those payment note them in your budget to see if you are staying on track.
5. As you find ways to cut expenses you can also start designating a certain amount of money that goes into savings or retirement accounts every month.
6. Your first budget may not work out quite right. It takes most people around three months to start getting their budget working. Be patient and keep working at it, before long it will become second nature and you will have control over your money.
7. Once you have a good grasp on your hand written budget look into getting personal budgeting software such as Quicken or Microsoft Money. This will make your budget much easier to work with and they offer additional feature that can help you plan your financial future. These are the basic steps for creating a family budget that will get you started and on your way to taking back control of you financial life. If you stick with it before long you will start to realize how much money you used to waste and how much better it feels to know where your money is going and how it is working for you.
Andrew Bicknell researches and writes on a variety of subjects. To learn more about creating a family budget please visit his website Household Budgets at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com/Family-Budget.html
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Professional Tax Preparation
Author Name: David Inthee Contact Email Address: meeinter@gmail.com WebSite: http://tips-answers.blogspot.com/
For the longest time I was able to do my taxes on my own. This was when my husband and I both had simple jobs, and all we needed was the information on our W-2. This has changed, and I have had to go for professional tax preparation for the last few years. Though it costs me money to do so, my taxes are just too complicated for me to handle on my own. My husband doesnt have the patience, and we both know that there are deductions that we would miss. Its worth the fee to us, but it is not the same for everyone. If you have very simple taxes, you can skip the professional tax preparation. You can buy inexpensive software that can help you with your taxes, or you can do it by hand. You do have to know how to read through the instructions though. If you just cant seem to get a grip on how to figure out your deduction, you are going to have problems, and you are going to have an erroneous tax return. We all know that can lead to trouble. If you really cant handle it, you should get professional tax preparation. However, if you can use simple software, it does all of the work for you. I am self-employed, and that means that if I dont get professional tax preparation, I am more likely to be audited, and I know I am going to make a mistake. I am pretty sure my mistake would be to my own detriment however, and I might never get it right. I am very likely to miss deductions, or to get the wrong amounts. There are parts of the tax law that I am sure even the smartest people could mess up, and I dont want to have to deal with an audit or with having to re-file to fix a mistake. When you need professional tax preparation done, you can shop around for a good price. You might be better off going with a smaller company. I have heard that H&R Block employees might not know anything more than you do, but they do have software to guide them. We found a local place that charges us half of what H&R Block has in years past, and they did a great job with finding deductions I didnt know I could take. If you already know that you have to pay in money for your taxes, finding the best deal for quality professional tax preparation can save you money in more than one way. ==================================================================== Author Biography: David Inthee write articles all more information Visit http://tips-answers.blogspot.com/
For the longest time I was able to do my taxes on my own. This was when my husband and I both had simple jobs, and all we needed was the information on our W-2. This has changed, and I have had to go for professional tax preparation for the last few years. Though it costs me money to do so, my taxes are just too complicated for me to handle on my own. My husband doesnt have the patience, and we both know that there are deductions that we would miss. Its worth the fee to us, but it is not the same for everyone. If you have very simple taxes, you can skip the professional tax preparation. You can buy inexpensive software that can help you with your taxes, or you can do it by hand. You do have to know how to read through the instructions though. If you just cant seem to get a grip on how to figure out your deduction, you are going to have problems, and you are going to have an erroneous tax return. We all know that can lead to trouble. If you really cant handle it, you should get professional tax preparation. However, if you can use simple software, it does all of the work for you. I am self-employed, and that means that if I dont get professional tax preparation, I am more likely to be audited, and I know I am going to make a mistake. I am pretty sure my mistake would be to my own detriment however, and I might never get it right. I am very likely to miss deductions, or to get the wrong amounts. There are parts of the tax law that I am sure even the smartest people could mess up, and I dont want to have to deal with an audit or with having to re-file to fix a mistake. When you need professional tax preparation done, you can shop around for a good price. You might be better off going with a smaller company. I have heard that H&R Block employees might not know anything more than you do, but they do have software to guide them. We found a local place that charges us half of what H&R Block has in years past, and they did a great job with finding deductions I didnt know I could take. If you already know that you have to pay in money for your taxes, finding the best deal for quality professional tax preparation can save you money in more than one way. ==================================================================== Author Biography: David Inthee write articles all more information Visit http://tips-answers.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Options For What To Act On Now In Your Pre-retirement Years
Let's just say your 5 or 10 or 15 years or so away from when you think your might retire. Some might call this the "Preretirement" stage. It's the period of time you plan and take a look at what you might want down the road. I truly suggest you really take this to heart! Naturally, you will come from a different place in your life than your friends will. Let's take a look at some different scenarios and see if you fit into any of them:
*You and your spouse both work at jobs you enjoy and find passion in. These jobs bring meaning to your life and you feel fulfilled.
*You work and your spouse does not or your spouse works and you do not. Both find your contentment in their roles within the relationship.
*One of you finds contentment and satisfaction in your role and the other does not.
*You are single. You love your job and cannot imagine your life without it.
*You are single. You can not wait to retire and finally do something you want to do that makes you happy. Surely, there are other situations but those are an example of a few. Just suppose you are ten years from the time you would like to retire. Now, you can be flexible here with the word "retire". That can mean you leave your job totally, or begin to phase yourself out or you find another job that you have always wanted and you will LOVE. Let me ask you some questions now. Just think about them for a bit before you jump to an answer. Give them some time to shift and settle. Your answer is not carved in stone! You are flexible! You can make changes as you need to along the way, to suit you at that time of your life.
1. You have had a very successful career and are well known for your accomplishments. You are used to getting accolades and constant reinforcement about how talented and special you are. You are now retired. You are no longer going to this place everyday where they think you are so wonderful. *How are you going to handle this? *Who is going to pat you on the back and let you know how great you are? *Where are you going to get those positive and uplifting feelings from?
2. You have left your job and are just thrilled about being home more and spending time with your spouse. They, on the other hand, have their own life and they really don't want to rearrange their life to accommodate you. * Now what are you going to do? * Do you expect your spouse to change their entire life for you? * Will the two of you be able to compromise?
3. You cannot wait to leave your job and enjoy your life. Your spouse wants to continue working for many more years. *Are you going to insist your spouse quit their job to be with you? *If they do continue working, what are you going to do?
4. You love your job! You are single. You are laid off! * What are you going to do? * Do you know what you love? What you have a passion for?
5. You are single. You get to retire and do what you have dreamed of! * Do you have a plan? * Do you know how to get what you want? * How are you going to make this dream come true for you? Okay. This is just a place to start. This is your "Preretirement" stage so you have lots of time to plan so that you don't get caught in a situation unprepared. Let this be a jumping off place for you. Take your time to mull over what you would like your life to look like. I promise you it will be worth the energy! So, let me ask you; what are you going to do in those retirement years of yours?
Kim Kirmmse Toth is a certified life coach. She works with baby boomers on the many transitions faced including the non-financial side of retirement planning. She may be contacted at: kim@myretirementbydesign.com or at her website: http://www.myretirementbydesign.com
*You and your spouse both work at jobs you enjoy and find passion in. These jobs bring meaning to your life and you feel fulfilled.
*You work and your spouse does not or your spouse works and you do not. Both find your contentment in their roles within the relationship.
*One of you finds contentment and satisfaction in your role and the other does not.
*You are single. You love your job and cannot imagine your life without it.
*You are single. You can not wait to retire and finally do something you want to do that makes you happy. Surely, there are other situations but those are an example of a few. Just suppose you are ten years from the time you would like to retire. Now, you can be flexible here with the word "retire". That can mean you leave your job totally, or begin to phase yourself out or you find another job that you have always wanted and you will LOVE. Let me ask you some questions now. Just think about them for a bit before you jump to an answer. Give them some time to shift and settle. Your answer is not carved in stone! You are flexible! You can make changes as you need to along the way, to suit you at that time of your life.
1. You have had a very successful career and are well known for your accomplishments. You are used to getting accolades and constant reinforcement about how talented and special you are. You are now retired. You are no longer going to this place everyday where they think you are so wonderful. *How are you going to handle this? *Who is going to pat you on the back and let you know how great you are? *Where are you going to get those positive and uplifting feelings from?
2. You have left your job and are just thrilled about being home more and spending time with your spouse. They, on the other hand, have their own life and they really don't want to rearrange their life to accommodate you. * Now what are you going to do? * Do you expect your spouse to change their entire life for you? * Will the two of you be able to compromise?
3. You cannot wait to leave your job and enjoy your life. Your spouse wants to continue working for many more years. *Are you going to insist your spouse quit their job to be with you? *If they do continue working, what are you going to do?
4. You love your job! You are single. You are laid off! * What are you going to do? * Do you know what you love? What you have a passion for?
5. You are single. You get to retire and do what you have dreamed of! * Do you have a plan? * Do you know how to get what you want? * How are you going to make this dream come true for you? Okay. This is just a place to start. This is your "Preretirement" stage so you have lots of time to plan so that you don't get caught in a situation unprepared. Let this be a jumping off place for you. Take your time to mull over what you would like your life to look like. I promise you it will be worth the energy! So, let me ask you; what are you going to do in those retirement years of yours?
Kim Kirmmse Toth is a certified life coach. She works with baby boomers on the many transitions faced including the non-financial side of retirement planning. She may be contacted at: kim@myretirementbydesign.com or at her website: http://www.myretirementbydesign.com
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
How to Check for and Reduce Errors in Microsoft Excel
How To Check For And Reduce Errors In Microsoft Excel
by: Rich Talbot Author's Email Address: articles@microsofttraining.net
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
Important decisions can be based on data output from a spreadsheet. For example, an accounting spreadsheet not only describes a company's financial history but also forecasts its future. A tiny error that initially appears insignificant can easily grow to give a totally incorrect financial picture. For this reason just one tiny error in one cell can spell disaster. There are ways to detect and correct most errors but no foolproof system exists. The prudent user should stay alert to this danger and undertake some excel software training to be able to use all available tools to detect them. Six ways to check for errors and minimise the chance of them being generated are given below. The validation tool The Validation option in the Data menu makes it possible to perform input range checks without having to write sophisticated software code. You have options to select the data type (e.g. whole number, date) to be validated and the upper and lower values for the input data. Excel will then check that the data falls within these ranges. The validation rules you have developed can also be stored and used in other sheets or workbooks later on. Reviewing formulas The edit menu can be used to look for errors in your formulas. It will not check that they are calculating what was intended but can at least check that there are no trivial syntactic errors, a formula referencing a text entry for example. If you do receive any error messages you can then use the audit tools described below to track down the error's source. The auditing toolbar The auditing toolbar will help you track down the source of any errors. When you find an error message if you activate the cell which contains the message and click on the trace error symbol on the toolbar Excel will draw arrows to highlight all the cells which are connected to that cell. Red arrows indicate the cells that are propagating the error, blue arrows indicate correct input values. The source of the error is therefore the cell that has a blue arrow leading in but a red arrow pointing out. Adding explanatory comments Adding explanatory comments to cells and using cell names can minimise errors and improve readability. The comments can be set to appear all the time or to appear just as an indicator which will expand to the whole comment when the cursor passes over it. Avoiding the rounding off option Although using the rounding off option doesn't alter the data contained within the spreadsheet it does affect how numbers are displayed. Confusion can arise when some numbers are rounded off whilst others are not or when the rounding off is displayed in different ways. When building a spreadsheet model it is best to turn the rounding option off and employ a consistent number of decimal places. Failing to maintain the decimal consistency can produce irritating and confusing results and may mask errors. Work more efficiently Most people use excel inefficiently by creating too many workbooks, preparing complicated reports that contain too many links between workbooks and using formulas haphazardly. This means that many hours need to be spent updating and auditing these spreadsheets. By completing some basic excel training ways to work more efficiently can be identified, thereby reducing the chance of errors being introduced and simplifying the process of detecting them if they are.
Author is a trainer with a Microsoft Office training company, the UK industry leader in its sector. For more information on Excel training, visit http://www.MicrosoftTraining.net.
by: Rich Talbot Author's Email Address: articles@microsofttraining.net
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
Important decisions can be based on data output from a spreadsheet. For example, an accounting spreadsheet not only describes a company's financial history but also forecasts its future. A tiny error that initially appears insignificant can easily grow to give a totally incorrect financial picture. For this reason just one tiny error in one cell can spell disaster. There are ways to detect and correct most errors but no foolproof system exists. The prudent user should stay alert to this danger and undertake some excel software training to be able to use all available tools to detect them. Six ways to check for errors and minimise the chance of them being generated are given below. The validation tool The Validation option in the Data menu makes it possible to perform input range checks without having to write sophisticated software code. You have options to select the data type (e.g. whole number, date) to be validated and the upper and lower values for the input data. Excel will then check that the data falls within these ranges. The validation rules you have developed can also be stored and used in other sheets or workbooks later on. Reviewing formulas The edit menu can be used to look for errors in your formulas. It will not check that they are calculating what was intended but can at least check that there are no trivial syntactic errors, a formula referencing a text entry for example. If you do receive any error messages you can then use the audit tools described below to track down the error's source. The auditing toolbar The auditing toolbar will help you track down the source of any errors. When you find an error message if you activate the cell which contains the message and click on the trace error symbol on the toolbar Excel will draw arrows to highlight all the cells which are connected to that cell. Red arrows indicate the cells that are propagating the error, blue arrows indicate correct input values. The source of the error is therefore the cell that has a blue arrow leading in but a red arrow pointing out. Adding explanatory comments Adding explanatory comments to cells and using cell names can minimise errors and improve readability. The comments can be set to appear all the time or to appear just as an indicator which will expand to the whole comment when the cursor passes over it. Avoiding the rounding off option Although using the rounding off option doesn't alter the data contained within the spreadsheet it does affect how numbers are displayed. Confusion can arise when some numbers are rounded off whilst others are not or when the rounding off is displayed in different ways. When building a spreadsheet model it is best to turn the rounding option off and employ a consistent number of decimal places. Failing to maintain the decimal consistency can produce irritating and confusing results and may mask errors. Work more efficiently Most people use excel inefficiently by creating too many workbooks, preparing complicated reports that contain too many links between workbooks and using formulas haphazardly. This means that many hours need to be spent updating and auditing these spreadsheets. By completing some basic excel training ways to work more efficiently can be identified, thereby reducing the chance of errors being introduced and simplifying the process of detecting them if they are.
Author is a trainer with a Microsoft Office training company, the UK industry leader in its sector. For more information on Excel training, visit http://www.MicrosoftTraining.net.
For Sale by Owner: Tips on Selling Your Own Home
For Sale by Owner: Tips on Selling Your Own Home
by: Silvia Ruch Author's Email Address: silviaruch@gmail.comArticle
Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
So you feel the need for change? Moving out is probably one of the hardest things to do: mentally, emotionally and physically. Not only will you leave your friends behind; you will also be leaving your beloved house. But finding the right people to take over your house will ease your mind about leaving. You might really love your house, leaks and all, but you still have to fix it up if you want to sell it for a good price. And if you are doing all the fixing up and the brokering yourself (as is usual in a for-sale-by-owner type of transaction), you have got to know everything there is about selling real estate from pricing to bargaining. But first thing is first. Spruce up the Place The first thing you have got to do before putting up your FOR SALE BY OWNER sign in your front yard is to clean your house. Take out all the clutter. Clean up every nook and cranny; every door and corner. Leave everything spic and span. Nothing is more attractive than a well-kept house. After that, check out all rooms, walls and ceilings that need to be re-painted. Peeling paint is a big turn-off; or it could mean a big chunk off your selling price. Re-painting the entire house is better. Would-be buyers will appreciate a house that looks brand new. Make sure that the electrical wirings all over the house are safe and working, all the fixtures are in place and all toilets and baths are in good condition. Now that you have fixed the house; you have to pay attention to the areas surrounding your house: front lawn, backyard, and garage. Make sure every grass and flower is in place and all the mess in the garage is taken out. Also, you might want to check your backyard and rid it of any unwelcome creatures that might surprise your visitors. It may seem unreal but a lot of houses have been rejected because of pests. However you do it and whatever parts and areas of the house you fix up, just make sure that when an interested buyer sees the place, they will fall in love with it straight away. Plus, if the house looks shabby and unkempt, you will never sell it for anything like what it is really worth. It is a tough job preparing your house for sale; it is an even tougher job to sell it on your own. For sale by owner properties usually get lower than the usual bids; the buyers usually smell a bargain in such deals. You need to make your house look appealing and attractive if you are to get what your property is rightfully worth.
Silvia Ruch is a Real Estate Agent who helps sellers to sell their homes on their own using her web-site http://www.learnhowtosellyourhome.com or buying her book http://www.booksandarticlesonline.com/temp.html. Also helps them using her real estate services http://www.SilviaRuch.com
by: Silvia Ruch Author's Email Address: silviaruch@gmail.comArticle
Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
So you feel the need for change? Moving out is probably one of the hardest things to do: mentally, emotionally and physically. Not only will you leave your friends behind; you will also be leaving your beloved house. But finding the right people to take over your house will ease your mind about leaving. You might really love your house, leaks and all, but you still have to fix it up if you want to sell it for a good price. And if you are doing all the fixing up and the brokering yourself (as is usual in a for-sale-by-owner type of transaction), you have got to know everything there is about selling real estate from pricing to bargaining. But first thing is first. Spruce up the Place The first thing you have got to do before putting up your FOR SALE BY OWNER sign in your front yard is to clean your house. Take out all the clutter. Clean up every nook and cranny; every door and corner. Leave everything spic and span. Nothing is more attractive than a well-kept house. After that, check out all rooms, walls and ceilings that need to be re-painted. Peeling paint is a big turn-off; or it could mean a big chunk off your selling price. Re-painting the entire house is better. Would-be buyers will appreciate a house that looks brand new. Make sure that the electrical wirings all over the house are safe and working, all the fixtures are in place and all toilets and baths are in good condition. Now that you have fixed the house; you have to pay attention to the areas surrounding your house: front lawn, backyard, and garage. Make sure every grass and flower is in place and all the mess in the garage is taken out. Also, you might want to check your backyard and rid it of any unwelcome creatures that might surprise your visitors. It may seem unreal but a lot of houses have been rejected because of pests. However you do it and whatever parts and areas of the house you fix up, just make sure that when an interested buyer sees the place, they will fall in love with it straight away. Plus, if the house looks shabby and unkempt, you will never sell it for anything like what it is really worth. It is a tough job preparing your house for sale; it is an even tougher job to sell it on your own. For sale by owner properties usually get lower than the usual bids; the buyers usually smell a bargain in such deals. You need to make your house look appealing and attractive if you are to get what your property is rightfully worth.
Silvia Ruch is a Real Estate Agent who helps sellers to sell their homes on their own using her web-site http://www.learnhowtosellyourhome.com or buying her book http://www.booksandarticlesonline.com/temp.html. Also helps them using her real estate services http://www.SilviaRuch.com
Monday, June 11, 2007
Do You Need to Make Estimated Tax Payments?
Article Title: Do You Need to Make Estimated Tax Payments?
by: Kristine McKinley Author's Email Address: k.mckinley@comcast.netArticle Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
The second quarter estimated tax payment is due in less than two weeks (June 15). Do you know if you need to make estimated tax payments? The federal income tax system is a pay-as-you-go tax system. That means you pay taxes as you earn income throughout the year. If you are an employee of a company, you pay taxes through withholding from your paycheck. If you are self employed, you pay taxes by making estimated tax payments. The general rule is that you must make estimated tax payments if you expect to owe at least $1,000 in tax for the current tax year, after subtracting your withholding and tax credits, AND if you expect your withholding and tax credits to be less than the smaller of: * 90% of the tax liability on your current year tax return, or * 100% of the tax liability on your prior year's tax return Example: If your tax liability for 2006 was $1,500, but you expect to owe $2,000 this year because your business did better than the previous year, then the minimum you would need to pay in to avoid underpayment penalties is the lesser of $1,800 (90% of your current year tax liability) or $1,500 (100% of last year's tax liability). The easiest way to estimate your quarterly estimated tax payments is to estimate your tax liability for the entire year and divide that amount by four. However, if you don't receive your income evenly throughout the year, you may use the annualized income installment method. A worksheet and instructions are available in IRS Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax. The due dates for estimated tax payments are: For the period: Jan 1 - March 31 Due date: April 15 For the period: April 1 - May 31 Due date: June 15 For the period: June 1 - August 31 Due date: September 15 For the period: September 1 - December 31 Due date: January 15 the next year If the 15th falls on a holiday or weekend day, the due date will be the next business day. You can pay your estimated taxes by using payment vouchers (Form 1040-ES), or by using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (https://www.eftps.com/eftps/). In addition, if you have an overpayment from a previous year, you can apply the overpayment to your next year's estimated tax. Resources: IRS website - http://www.irs.gov/index.html IRS Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax - http://www.irs.gov/publications/p505/index.html Form 1040-ES - http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf
Kristine A. McKinley, CPA, and CFP, offers financial and tax planning on an hourly, fee-only basis. She specializes in helping eBay sellers and online business owners understand and minimize their income taxes. Website - http://www.squidoo.com/ebaytaxtips
by: Kristine McKinley Author's Email Address: k.mckinley@comcast.netArticle Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
The second quarter estimated tax payment is due in less than two weeks (June 15). Do you know if you need to make estimated tax payments? The federal income tax system is a pay-as-you-go tax system. That means you pay taxes as you earn income throughout the year. If you are an employee of a company, you pay taxes through withholding from your paycheck. If you are self employed, you pay taxes by making estimated tax payments. The general rule is that you must make estimated tax payments if you expect to owe at least $1,000 in tax for the current tax year, after subtracting your withholding and tax credits, AND if you expect your withholding and tax credits to be less than the smaller of: * 90% of the tax liability on your current year tax return, or * 100% of the tax liability on your prior year's tax return Example: If your tax liability for 2006 was $1,500, but you expect to owe $2,000 this year because your business did better than the previous year, then the minimum you would need to pay in to avoid underpayment penalties is the lesser of $1,800 (90% of your current year tax liability) or $1,500 (100% of last year's tax liability). The easiest way to estimate your quarterly estimated tax payments is to estimate your tax liability for the entire year and divide that amount by four. However, if you don't receive your income evenly throughout the year, you may use the annualized income installment method. A worksheet and instructions are available in IRS Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax. The due dates for estimated tax payments are: For the period: Jan 1 - March 31 Due date: April 15 For the period: April 1 - May 31 Due date: June 15 For the period: June 1 - August 31 Due date: September 15 For the period: September 1 - December 31 Due date: January 15 the next year If the 15th falls on a holiday or weekend day, the due date will be the next business day. You can pay your estimated taxes by using payment vouchers (Form 1040-ES), or by using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (https://www.eftps.com/eftps/). In addition, if you have an overpayment from a previous year, you can apply the overpayment to your next year's estimated tax. Resources: IRS website - http://www.irs.gov/index.html IRS Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax - http://www.irs.gov/publications/p505/index.html Form 1040-ES - http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf
Kristine A. McKinley, CPA, and CFP, offers financial and tax planning on an hourly, fee-only basis. She specializes in helping eBay sellers and online business owners understand and minimize their income taxes. Website - http://www.squidoo.com/ebaytaxtips
How to Create a Household Budget
How to Create a Household Budget
by: Andrew Bicknell
Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
The "B" word sends a shudder down the spine of many people. It conjures up fears of never being able to do anything with their money. That it is somehow locked up in this budget and cannot be used for anything else. That in fact is not the case. A household budget is simply a way to see where all your money is going. And more importantly to give you a plan that tells your money what it is supposed to be doing, whether that's paying bills, going into savings or retirement accounts, or to buy groceries. Every successful business or person has a money plan. This is what a budget is, a plan for your money, telling it what to do instead of it telling you what to do. With a budget you can set and achieve your financial goals. You can also get a better view of what your money can do for you now and in the future. With a household budget you can create a spending and savings plan that puts aside a certain amount of money each month for known and unexpected expenses. It will also give you a good record of your monthly expenses based on each month's expenditures. The first thing you need to do when setting up a budget is figure out what your monthly income is. If you have a salaried job this is easy because it is a set amount each pay period. If you work on commissions or are self employed this may be more of an estimate. Write this number down at the top of your budget sheet. Now comes the fun part. Start writing down all your monthly expenses and include even the smallest of expenses. There are certain fixed expenses such as mortgage, car payments, insurance that you need to make every month. You will also need to track those expenses that are more fluid, such as groceries, gasoline, clothing, and entertainment. If you start by subtracting your fixed expenses from your income what you are left with needs to be budgeted to pay for those expenses that seem to change from month to month. Once you are done allocating money to all your expenses what you are left with is either a positive or negative cash flow. The nice thing about a budget is you can quickly scan what you have written down and see exactly where the money is going. This is very helpful if you are living pay check to pay check because chances are you can find some areas that you can easily cut back on or do without to leave you with extra cash at the end of every month. Here are four quick tips to help get your budget on track.
1. Learn money management - Successfully dealing with money is 80% behavior. Most people work for their money instead of having their money work for them.
2. Make a plan - A budget is a money plan. Most people would never dream of building a house without a plan. In fact most every activity in life involves some sort of plan. But our most important asset, our money, is left plan free and when we run out or are weighed down with debt we don't know why.
3. Needs and Want - Know the difference. Needs are basic things like a home with a roof, groceries, clothes (in moderation), transportation to get to work. You don't need a $400 plus car payment to get to work or a pair of $100 designer jeans. You may want them but you don't need them.
4. Be a little frugal - This doesn't mean live in a cave. You can still have fun but make sure it fits into you budget. Creating a household budget is the first step to getting your finances under control. You will have to be patient with the process because chances are it will not work the first 2 to 3 months you do it. But remain diligent and around the third month you will begin to see patterns that will help you refine your budget into a financial plan that will set you on the right path.
To learn more about how to create a household budget please visit his website Household Budgets at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com
by: Andrew Bicknell
Author's Email Address: andyb@electsys.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
The "B" word sends a shudder down the spine of many people. It conjures up fears of never being able to do anything with their money. That it is somehow locked up in this budget and cannot be used for anything else. That in fact is not the case. A household budget is simply a way to see where all your money is going. And more importantly to give you a plan that tells your money what it is supposed to be doing, whether that's paying bills, going into savings or retirement accounts, or to buy groceries. Every successful business or person has a money plan. This is what a budget is, a plan for your money, telling it what to do instead of it telling you what to do. With a budget you can set and achieve your financial goals. You can also get a better view of what your money can do for you now and in the future. With a household budget you can create a spending and savings plan that puts aside a certain amount of money each month for known and unexpected expenses. It will also give you a good record of your monthly expenses based on each month's expenditures. The first thing you need to do when setting up a budget is figure out what your monthly income is. If you have a salaried job this is easy because it is a set amount each pay period. If you work on commissions or are self employed this may be more of an estimate. Write this number down at the top of your budget sheet. Now comes the fun part. Start writing down all your monthly expenses and include even the smallest of expenses. There are certain fixed expenses such as mortgage, car payments, insurance that you need to make every month. You will also need to track those expenses that are more fluid, such as groceries, gasoline, clothing, and entertainment. If you start by subtracting your fixed expenses from your income what you are left with needs to be budgeted to pay for those expenses that seem to change from month to month. Once you are done allocating money to all your expenses what you are left with is either a positive or negative cash flow. The nice thing about a budget is you can quickly scan what you have written down and see exactly where the money is going. This is very helpful if you are living pay check to pay check because chances are you can find some areas that you can easily cut back on or do without to leave you with extra cash at the end of every month. Here are four quick tips to help get your budget on track.
1. Learn money management - Successfully dealing with money is 80% behavior. Most people work for their money instead of having their money work for them.
2. Make a plan - A budget is a money plan. Most people would never dream of building a house without a plan. In fact most every activity in life involves some sort of plan. But our most important asset, our money, is left plan free and when we run out or are weighed down with debt we don't know why.
3. Needs and Want - Know the difference. Needs are basic things like a home with a roof, groceries, clothes (in moderation), transportation to get to work. You don't need a $400 plus car payment to get to work or a pair of $100 designer jeans. You may want them but you don't need them.
4. Be a little frugal - This doesn't mean live in a cave. You can still have fun but make sure it fits into you budget. Creating a household budget is the first step to getting your finances under control. You will have to be patient with the process because chances are it will not work the first 2 to 3 months you do it. But remain diligent and around the third month you will begin to see patterns that will help you refine your budget into a financial plan that will set you on the right path.
To learn more about how to create a household budget please visit his website Household Budgets at http://household-budget.home-choices-net.com
Paid online surveys
Paid online surveys
by: Devid Inthee Contact Email Address: meeinter@gmail.com WebSite: http://tips-answers.blogspot.com
It's truly amazing how much business has converted to the Internet. And the more and more it transfers to cyberspace, the more it will continue to change/evolve. This is in no way a bad thing. It's absolutely beneficial to those who work in cyberspace. And at the same time, it doesn't seem to affect shopping malls and retail stores either. It's a win-win situation as far as I can tell. However, that's not to say that every business on the web is legit. There are plenty of scams being run on a daily basis. If you've never come across one, then you're certainly part of the minority. I can't even count how many fraudulent paid online surveys are advertised these days. It's basically a big scam. There are plenty of us who strive to work from home. This is completely to be expected. So many people are fed-up with large corporations treating them poorly. It's not odd to feel like a cog in the machine. And this is why folks research alternative ways to make money. Possibly careers done completely from home. This is where scams such as paid online surveys come into the picture. If you search this phrase "paid online surveys" on Google, Yahoo or MSN, you'll come up with plenty of results. Now, how many of these results are legitimate? Uh, none as far as I have experienced. You see, I tested the whole "paid online surveys" waters a while back. Do you want to know what I ended up with? Well, I'm going to tell you regardless. Countless advertisements, infinite loads of junk mail and not a dime to show for it. I tried all the top websites and none were beneficial in any way. They send you through hoop after hoop. You end up passing out your email to everyone, and all they offer for your services are coupons. What a load of garbage! But the real fun begins over the next few days. Your INBOX will be literally flooded with junk mail. And I do mean JUNK MAIL. More ads and trash to weed through. Then you'll be stuck clicking the UNSUBSCRIBE link to all those junk mails. What a way to waste your valuable time! The moral of the story is obvious. If it's too good to be true, then it probably is. When it comes to bogus paid online surveys, don't waste your time. Regardless of how intriguing they appear, they're bogus.
==================================================================== Author Biography: Want more information on Paid online surveys? http://tips-answers.blogspot.com/2007/06/paid-online-surveys.html has all the information
by: Devid Inthee Contact Email Address: meeinter@gmail.com WebSite: http://tips-answers.blogspot.com
It's truly amazing how much business has converted to the Internet. And the more and more it transfers to cyberspace, the more it will continue to change/evolve. This is in no way a bad thing. It's absolutely beneficial to those who work in cyberspace. And at the same time, it doesn't seem to affect shopping malls and retail stores either. It's a win-win situation as far as I can tell. However, that's not to say that every business on the web is legit. There are plenty of scams being run on a daily basis. If you've never come across one, then you're certainly part of the minority. I can't even count how many fraudulent paid online surveys are advertised these days. It's basically a big scam. There are plenty of us who strive to work from home. This is completely to be expected. So many people are fed-up with large corporations treating them poorly. It's not odd to feel like a cog in the machine. And this is why folks research alternative ways to make money. Possibly careers done completely from home. This is where scams such as paid online surveys come into the picture. If you search this phrase "paid online surveys" on Google, Yahoo or MSN, you'll come up with plenty of results. Now, how many of these results are legitimate? Uh, none as far as I have experienced. You see, I tested the whole "paid online surveys" waters a while back. Do you want to know what I ended up with? Well, I'm going to tell you regardless. Countless advertisements, infinite loads of junk mail and not a dime to show for it. I tried all the top websites and none were beneficial in any way. They send you through hoop after hoop. You end up passing out your email to everyone, and all they offer for your services are coupons. What a load of garbage! But the real fun begins over the next few days. Your INBOX will be literally flooded with junk mail. And I do mean JUNK MAIL. More ads and trash to weed through. Then you'll be stuck clicking the UNSUBSCRIBE link to all those junk mails. What a way to waste your valuable time! The moral of the story is obvious. If it's too good to be true, then it probably is. When it comes to bogus paid online surveys, don't waste your time. Regardless of how intriguing they appear, they're bogus.
==================================================================== Author Biography: Want more information on Paid online surveys? http://tips-answers.blogspot.com/2007/06/paid-online-surveys.html has all the information
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Why Has Personal Responsibility Disappeared?
Why Has Personal Responsibility Disappeared?
Copyright (c) 2007 Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success Shortcut 2 Success http://www.Shortcut2Success.com
Where has responsibility disappeared to in your life and those around you? Do not cop out and say it is the societal norm . . . please; it is time for you to stand up and take responsibility back in your life and mentor those around you! You hear about responsibility every day, or better yet, lack thereof. All we hear about is how nobody takes responsibility for their actions...or the kids have no responsibility or the parents...on and on. I have not heard anyone up techniques to teach and mentor responsibility, so here you are. Because I feel so strongly about this, I offer to you my five techniques to retrain yourself and teach those around you to be more responsible. These proven techniques cross all gender lines and age groups. Integrating these five proven techniques will foster discussion, action and ultimately greater responsibility for everyone involved. Let's start by grounding ourselves in what responsibility truly is. Responsibility is defined as: (1) answerable for acts or decisions and (2) able to fulfill obligations. Wow, how much more simple can it get? Are you with me on this! Five Techniques to get responsibility back:
1. Start with yourself, baseline your daily tasks and conversations as well as commitments you engage in. Do you meet definition 1 criteria? Are you truly answerable for everything you do, or did you make up reasons why something did not get taken care of? Maybe you have too much on your plate and you over commit without realizing it; this is not an excuse but often a reality for people...simplify.
2. Simplify your commitments and responsibilities as much as possible. Start slow; take the time to recognize the signs that you are slipping out of the responsibility mode. This technique may require a little time, and only you can evaluate and eliminate the non-value added portions of your day that may hinder your progression toward completely fulfilling the goal of *Taking Responsibility Back*.
3. Recognize the negative leading indicators in conversations or actions that drive you towards the *I'm not responsible for that...* plateau. These indicators are any action or decision you do not stand behind; go back to definition number 1. Remember how simple the definition is; guess what, it still is...just practice it.
4. Lead by example; words are cheap. Live up to your commitment and commit to yourself to meet all the expectations. Act accordingly and you will soon realize people around you will follow your example. If they do not, don't hesitate to call them out in a professional and non-derogatory way. Simply remind them of their decisions or commitments; and if circumstances have changed fine, just communicate.
5. Mentor those around you who do not take responsibility as so defined in the dictionary. Professionally and non-derogatorily point out the facts (not your opinion) on a given decision or commitment. The person may deny your statement and become controversial; just state the facts and carry on. You cannot make a person more responsible than they want to be. Maybe the response to those without responsibility could be to send them a copy of this article. Best of luck and much success.
Kent Jacobson, a.k.a. "Mr. Success" is a trusted authority in the success field and provides valuable success information for free through his website at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com . You can also read Kent's Success Blog to find more success secrets at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com/blog
Copyright (c) 2007 Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success Shortcut 2 Success http://www.Shortcut2Success.com
Where has responsibility disappeared to in your life and those around you? Do not cop out and say it is the societal norm . . . please; it is time for you to stand up and take responsibility back in your life and mentor those around you! You hear about responsibility every day, or better yet, lack thereof. All we hear about is how nobody takes responsibility for their actions...or the kids have no responsibility or the parents...on and on. I have not heard anyone up techniques to teach and mentor responsibility, so here you are. Because I feel so strongly about this, I offer to you my five techniques to retrain yourself and teach those around you to be more responsible. These proven techniques cross all gender lines and age groups. Integrating these five proven techniques will foster discussion, action and ultimately greater responsibility for everyone involved. Let's start by grounding ourselves in what responsibility truly is. Responsibility is defined as: (1) answerable for acts or decisions and (2) able to fulfill obligations. Wow, how much more simple can it get? Are you with me on this! Five Techniques to get responsibility back:
1. Start with yourself, baseline your daily tasks and conversations as well as commitments you engage in. Do you meet definition 1 criteria? Are you truly answerable for everything you do, or did you make up reasons why something did not get taken care of? Maybe you have too much on your plate and you over commit without realizing it; this is not an excuse but often a reality for people...simplify.
2. Simplify your commitments and responsibilities as much as possible. Start slow; take the time to recognize the signs that you are slipping out of the responsibility mode. This technique may require a little time, and only you can evaluate and eliminate the non-value added portions of your day that may hinder your progression toward completely fulfilling the goal of *Taking Responsibility Back*.
3. Recognize the negative leading indicators in conversations or actions that drive you towards the *I'm not responsible for that...* plateau. These indicators are any action or decision you do not stand behind; go back to definition number 1. Remember how simple the definition is; guess what, it still is...just practice it.
4. Lead by example; words are cheap. Live up to your commitment and commit to yourself to meet all the expectations. Act accordingly and you will soon realize people around you will follow your example. If they do not, don't hesitate to call them out in a professional and non-derogatory way. Simply remind them of their decisions or commitments; and if circumstances have changed fine, just communicate.
5. Mentor those around you who do not take responsibility as so defined in the dictionary. Professionally and non-derogatorily point out the facts (not your opinion) on a given decision or commitment. The person may deny your statement and become controversial; just state the facts and carry on. You cannot make a person more responsible than they want to be. Maybe the response to those without responsibility could be to send them a copy of this article. Best of luck and much success.
Kent Jacobson, a.k.a. "Mr. Success" is a trusted authority in the success field and provides valuable success information for free through his website at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com . You can also read Kent's Success Blog to find more success secrets at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com/blog
What Are the Most Important Things to Know About Cash Rewards Credit Cards?
What Are the Most Important Things to Know About Cash Rewards Credit Cards?
Author: Stephanie Foster Author's Email Address: workingathome@gmail.com
A good cash rewards credit card is a wonderful thing. Getting money back on money you have spent can be a real treat. But often they will cost you more than you get back... by far. So it's important to know if a cash rewards card is right for you. And that means you need to look both at what it will cost you to own and use it, and what you will get back from the card. The most basic thing to look at is the interest rate. While you will get the most benefit by not carrying a balance, most people will at least occasionally carry a balance. Your typical cash back card will have a higher interest rate than a card without any rewards attached. However, the rates will vary from card to card, and that is one factor you should consider. But don't fool yourself into thinking only the interest rate matters when looking at the expenses of your cash back card. The fees matter quite a bit too. Some will have annual fees. It is pretty easy to find cards that do not have an annual fee, so I would suggest dismissing those just offhand. Otherwise you risk the annual fee being more than what you get back each year. Watch out for the limitations placed on your rewards. Getting cash back means you don't have to worry about travel blackout dates or other such limitations that other kinds of rewards may have, but they can still limit what you get. A common limitation is what you can earn per time period. If you're likely to spend more than needed to get to that point, you won't want that card. The percentage you get back may also vary. 1% is no longer the only possibility. Sometimes the card will give higher rates back for certain types of purchases, such as gas, or if you buy from certain stores. If you spend a lot in the areas that you get extra back from, these can be well worth your while. If you have a balance to transfer, check for special deals on transferring that balance. Sometimes you will find deals offering a 0% interest rate on balance transfers. You'll need to watch for balance transfer fees, but if there are no fees, this will be an excellent deal. You will need to figure out what is most important to you. If you pay your balance off every month, the interest rate will be less important than what you get back. If you only spend a little, limitations on what you can earn won't matter so much.Stephanie Foster runs http://www.knowyourcreditcards.com/ as a resource to help people find the right credit cards.
You can learn more about cash rewards credit cards at http://www.knowyourcreditcards.com/cash/
Author: Stephanie Foster Author's Email Address: workingathome@gmail.com
A good cash rewards credit card is a wonderful thing. Getting money back on money you have spent can be a real treat. But often they will cost you more than you get back... by far. So it's important to know if a cash rewards card is right for you. And that means you need to look both at what it will cost you to own and use it, and what you will get back from the card. The most basic thing to look at is the interest rate. While you will get the most benefit by not carrying a balance, most people will at least occasionally carry a balance. Your typical cash back card will have a higher interest rate than a card without any rewards attached. However, the rates will vary from card to card, and that is one factor you should consider. But don't fool yourself into thinking only the interest rate matters when looking at the expenses of your cash back card. The fees matter quite a bit too. Some will have annual fees. It is pretty easy to find cards that do not have an annual fee, so I would suggest dismissing those just offhand. Otherwise you risk the annual fee being more than what you get back each year. Watch out for the limitations placed on your rewards. Getting cash back means you don't have to worry about travel blackout dates or other such limitations that other kinds of rewards may have, but they can still limit what you get. A common limitation is what you can earn per time period. If you're likely to spend more than needed to get to that point, you won't want that card. The percentage you get back may also vary. 1% is no longer the only possibility. Sometimes the card will give higher rates back for certain types of purchases, such as gas, or if you buy from certain stores. If you spend a lot in the areas that you get extra back from, these can be well worth your while. If you have a balance to transfer, check for special deals on transferring that balance. Sometimes you will find deals offering a 0% interest rate on balance transfers. You'll need to watch for balance transfer fees, but if there are no fees, this will be an excellent deal. You will need to figure out what is most important to you. If you pay your balance off every month, the interest rate will be less important than what you get back. If you only spend a little, limitations on what you can earn won't matter so much.Stephanie Foster runs http://www.knowyourcreditcards.com/ as a resource to help people find the right credit cards.
You can learn more about cash rewards credit cards at http://www.knowyourcreditcards.com/cash/
5 Tips For Selling Your Home For The Maximum Value
5 Tips For Selling Your Home For The Maximum Value
Author: Adrian Adams
Email Address: articles@thompsonenterprisesonline.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
If you're looking to sell your home in the near future, you want to get the absolute maximum value possible on the sale. That's no surprise, but often homeowners end up settling for less than they could have sold their house for if they had only made a few minor repairs and adjustments. What can you do to ensure you're not settling for less? Follow these simple steps to get your home ready for its appraisal and showing, and you could have several thousand dollars more in your pocket than you previously imagined!
1) Consider Your Home's Location The location of your home will actually have a significant impact on the value of your house, and will dictate approximately how high or low your initial asking price should be. If there's an empty lot next door, find out if there are any plans to develop that space ' if stores or an office building are going in, your home's value will be reduced. However, if it's going to be turned into a park area or green space, it will be in your best interest and your property value will increase.
2) Consider The Housing Market Is the housing market in your area a buyer's market or a seller's market? If homes in your area aren't selling as quickly as you like, you may be at a disadvantage. You'll be competing with other resellers and developers for fewer buyers, which means that you'll probably end up lowering your asking price in order to make the sale. However, if the market is hot, you should be able to get close to the price you want since houses are in high demand. If you can, wait until the market has turned in your favor, and then list your home. It's a fine line to balance, but if you keep a close eye on things, your Realtor should be able to help you out to make sure you list at the best time. After you've done these few external steps, it's time to look inward ' take some time to carry out these small adjustments inside your home, and watch the value increase!
3) Repair Everything You Can It may seem like common sense, but you'd be surprised how many homeowners forget the big impact a little coat of paint can have. If you walk into a home and see scratches on the wall, cracks in the floor tiles, and water marks on the ceiling, it won't matter how beautiful the rest of the home is, because you're going to spend the whole time wondering what else is wrong with the place! Fixing the big things and the little things will make your home look well-maintained and inviting. Since a lot of your home's value is based on perception, you want potential buyers to perceive your house as a place that's worth paying more money for.
4) Make Additions If it's in your best interest ' and you can find this out from a Realtor or appraising specialist ' add space to your home. The garage, porch and patio are not included in the square footage listing for your home, so if you can add even one more bedroom and a small washroom, it could increase your home's value by anywhere from ten to fifty thousand dollars. You do need to make sure that you won't spend more on the additions than you'll gain back though, as you don't want to find yourself taking a net loss down the line. Another easy addition to make that can significantly increase you home's value is a hot tub! A permanently installed hot tub is considered part of the full property area, and will allow you to start your home at a higher asking price.
5) Do A Little Yard Work Again, value is based on perception, and if both the outside and the inside of your home are well-maintained, you're going to be able to ask for more money and have more traffic coming through your home. A few hundred dollars spent on landscaping will actually increase the traffic in your home by 200-500% - which could result in a bidding war over your home, if more people are interested in buying. What better way to get the maximum value than through a bidding war between buyers? Keep your grass cut, gardens tidy, your doors and windows fully painted and cleaned, and polish any metal on your door, railings, or gate.
Need to sell your home fast? We buy houses! Visit us at http://www.cashhomebuyers.com/
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Declaring an Authentic Niche Market
Copyright (c) 2007 Molly Gordon Authentic Promotion http://www.authenticpromotion.com
niche...1. A recess in a wall, as for holding a statue. 2. A cranny, hollow, or crevice, as in a rock. 3. A situation or activity specially suited to a person's abilities or character. 4. Ecol. a. The set of functional relationships of an organism or population to the environment it occupies. b. The area within a habitat occupied by an organism. The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition * * * For years I struggled with the concept of niche. I knew that choosing the right niche market was considered essential to business success, yet for me, as for many professionals, choosing a niche felt like the kiss of death. When we dig in our heels against choosing a niche, we are probably responding to the first two definitions above. After all, who wants to do business in a hole in a wall or in a tiny, rocky place? If you believe that defining your niche market means choosing a hard, cramped, and confining space, no wonder you resist. People who bring their heart and soul to their work will resist niche marketing that tells them they must restrict the ways in which they offer value to the world. The good news is that choosing your niche market will do exactly the opposite: it will free you to be the biggest, most authentic, and most complete offer possible. Consider the third and fourth definitions of niche. When you look at niche in this light, you will see that your perfect niche market is that location or domain in which you are most readily accessible to the people who are most likely to benefit from (and thus value) the offer that you are and in which you are simultaneously most free to exercise your brilliance. ***Your niche market is the place in which you have a natural competitive advantage because you occupy the right place in the right ecosystem.*** A good niche market is one in which: * You are highly visible and easily accessible to the people who are most likely to benefit from your work, including prospective clients and customers, prospective collaborators and partners, and others with whom value-adding activities are most likely to be mutually beneficial. * You can employ the widest range of your talents, skills, and training (your offer.) There's a paradox in naming your niche market. When you give people a category to put your products or services in, it is easier for them to get a handle on what you do and to remember it. It's also much easier for them to appreciate how you differ from other professionals in that category. In other words, by putting yourself in a category, you can also make yourself stand out because you distinguish yourself from others in that category. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Molly Gordon, MCC, is a leading figure in business coaching ( http://www.mollygordon.com/coaching/index.html ), writer, workshop leader, frequent presenter at live and virtual events worldwide, and an acknowledged expert on niche marketing ( http://www.authenticpromotion.com/niche-marketing/index.html ). Join 12,000 readers of her Authentic Promotion ezine to grow your strong business while you feed your soul, and receive a free 31-page guide on effective self promotion.
niche...1. A recess in a wall, as for holding a statue. 2. A cranny, hollow, or crevice, as in a rock. 3. A situation or activity specially suited to a person's abilities or character. 4. Ecol. a. The set of functional relationships of an organism or population to the environment it occupies. b. The area within a habitat occupied by an organism. The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition * * * For years I struggled with the concept of niche. I knew that choosing the right niche market was considered essential to business success, yet for me, as for many professionals, choosing a niche felt like the kiss of death. When we dig in our heels against choosing a niche, we are probably responding to the first two definitions above. After all, who wants to do business in a hole in a wall or in a tiny, rocky place? If you believe that defining your niche market means choosing a hard, cramped, and confining space, no wonder you resist. People who bring their heart and soul to their work will resist niche marketing that tells them they must restrict the ways in which they offer value to the world. The good news is that choosing your niche market will do exactly the opposite: it will free you to be the biggest, most authentic, and most complete offer possible. Consider the third and fourth definitions of niche. When you look at niche in this light, you will see that your perfect niche market is that location or domain in which you are most readily accessible to the people who are most likely to benefit from (and thus value) the offer that you are and in which you are simultaneously most free to exercise your brilliance. ***Your niche market is the place in which you have a natural competitive advantage because you occupy the right place in the right ecosystem.*** A good niche market is one in which: * You are highly visible and easily accessible to the people who are most likely to benefit from your work, including prospective clients and customers, prospective collaborators and partners, and others with whom value-adding activities are most likely to be mutually beneficial. * You can employ the widest range of your talents, skills, and training (your offer.) There's a paradox in naming your niche market. When you give people a category to put your products or services in, it is easier for them to get a handle on what you do and to remember it. It's also much easier for them to appreciate how you differ from other professionals in that category. In other words, by putting yourself in a category, you can also make yourself stand out because you distinguish yourself from others in that category. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Molly Gordon, MCC, is a leading figure in business coaching ( http://www.mollygordon.com/coaching/index.html ), writer, workshop leader, frequent presenter at live and virtual events worldwide, and an acknowledged expert on niche marketing ( http://www.authenticpromotion.com/niche-marketing/index.html ). Join 12,000 readers of her Authentic Promotion ezine to grow your strong business while you feed your soul, and receive a free 31-page guide on effective self promotion.
The Questions Behind The Questions
Copyright (c) 2007 Robert Middleton Action Plan Marketing http://www.ActionPlan.com
One of the greatest confusions in talking about, and marketing, professional services is that we tend to answer the questions about our services at face value. This is a big mistake because what people ask and what they really want to know are two quite different things. So, if you answer the question they ask, they don't get the answers they want. Confusing? Definitely! The first question everyone asks us is "What do you do?" That's THE question. But if we answer it at face value we don't communicate much of real value: "I'm a management consultant." (OK, now I have your label, but I really don't know what that means to me.) or... "I do workshops on productivity and performance." (Better, but still I'm not seeing a big benefit here.) or... "I work with software firms to be more productive and profitable." (Yeah, I could see that this would be valuable.) or... "I work with startup software firms who are struggling to make a profit." (Bingo! my son-in-law works for a company like that!) So what's the underlying question to "What do you do?" My observation is that it's, "Are you someone who can help me?" Now the person you're talking to may not work for a software firm that's struggling to make a profit, but if they do (or know someone who does), you've hit a vital nerve with your answer. None of the other answers even get close. Wouldn't it be great if it got easier from there? Well, it doesn't! Because people keep talking in code. And you have to decipher the next one as well. Here it is: "That's great, how do you do that?" But don't go there. Translate the question as follows: "What kind of results do you produce for your clients?" Then answer like this: "The clients who work with me get these kind of results: They become profitable in six months or less and stop struggling with cash flow." This is music to the ears. The language of results. Just make sure you talk about what you can really deliver. This kind of marketing language will get the attention and interest of prospects, and make them want to know more. But you're not done yet. You're going to get more coded questions: "That's terrific. But how does your service work?" The red lights should go off at this point. Don't go down that path. Better men and women than you and I have gone there never to return. The vast majority tend to go in one of two directions: They go into "tech-talk" that explains their approach or process in excruciating detail. But tech-talk can be confusing to the average layman: "The sub-optimal performance horizon undermines the maximization of variable input factors in the productivity matrix. So we co-harmonize these factors." Huh?? Or they go in the opposite direction explaining how their service works in terms so generic that they lose all impact. "Well, we're all about productivity, alignment and commitment. When we get those things going, results tend to improve pretty fast." Well, Duh! Both of these approaches are dead ends. Nobody really wants to know how your service works. The hidden question behind the question is: "Do your services actually work?" That would be a little rude, wouldn't it? But answer it, nevertheless, as follows: Tell a story. Success stories that outline how you helped a specific client gets listeners hanging on your every word: "We met a very promising start-up software firm who didn't think they could hold on another month. We helped them get their cash flow working, got them some more money and then showed how they could sell the software faster to their target market. Nine months later they are profitable and growing quickly." Not so hard right? You can do this quite successfully with a little practice. You should prepare several success stories in verbal and written form. They are a powerful persuasion tool. Starting to get the idea? If you don't understand the real questions beneath the standard questions, you'll miss the opportunity to tell them what they really want to know. To speak a prospect's language you need to understand that the fundamental question everyone is asking is "What's in it for me?" Answer that and you'll do fine. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Middleton, the owner of Action Plan Marketing, has been helping Independent Professionals be better marketers since 1984. On his web site http://www.ActionPlan.com find valuable resources, products and programs for attracting more clients. Get a free copy of his Marketing Plan Sart-Up Kit.
One of the greatest confusions in talking about, and marketing, professional services is that we tend to answer the questions about our services at face value. This is a big mistake because what people ask and what they really want to know are two quite different things. So, if you answer the question they ask, they don't get the answers they want. Confusing? Definitely! The first question everyone asks us is "What do you do?" That's THE question. But if we answer it at face value we don't communicate much of real value: "I'm a management consultant." (OK, now I have your label, but I really don't know what that means to me.) or... "I do workshops on productivity and performance." (Better, but still I'm not seeing a big benefit here.) or... "I work with software firms to be more productive and profitable." (Yeah, I could see that this would be valuable.) or... "I work with startup software firms who are struggling to make a profit." (Bingo! my son-in-law works for a company like that!) So what's the underlying question to "What do you do?" My observation is that it's, "Are you someone who can help me?" Now the person you're talking to may not work for a software firm that's struggling to make a profit, but if they do (or know someone who does), you've hit a vital nerve with your answer. None of the other answers even get close. Wouldn't it be great if it got easier from there? Well, it doesn't! Because people keep talking in code. And you have to decipher the next one as well. Here it is: "That's great, how do you do that?" But don't go there. Translate the question as follows: "What kind of results do you produce for your clients?" Then answer like this: "The clients who work with me get these kind of results: They become profitable in six months or less and stop struggling with cash flow." This is music to the ears. The language of results. Just make sure you talk about what you can really deliver. This kind of marketing language will get the attention and interest of prospects, and make them want to know more. But you're not done yet. You're going to get more coded questions: "That's terrific. But how does your service work?" The red lights should go off at this point. Don't go down that path. Better men and women than you and I have gone there never to return. The vast majority tend to go in one of two directions: They go into "tech-talk" that explains their approach or process in excruciating detail. But tech-talk can be confusing to the average layman: "The sub-optimal performance horizon undermines the maximization of variable input factors in the productivity matrix. So we co-harmonize these factors." Huh?? Or they go in the opposite direction explaining how their service works in terms so generic that they lose all impact. "Well, we're all about productivity, alignment and commitment. When we get those things going, results tend to improve pretty fast." Well, Duh! Both of these approaches are dead ends. Nobody really wants to know how your service works. The hidden question behind the question is: "Do your services actually work?" That would be a little rude, wouldn't it? But answer it, nevertheless, as follows: Tell a story. Success stories that outline how you helped a specific client gets listeners hanging on your every word: "We met a very promising start-up software firm who didn't think they could hold on another month. We helped them get their cash flow working, got them some more money and then showed how they could sell the software faster to their target market. Nine months later they are profitable and growing quickly." Not so hard right? You can do this quite successfully with a little practice. You should prepare several success stories in verbal and written form. They are a powerful persuasion tool. Starting to get the idea? If you don't understand the real questions beneath the standard questions, you'll miss the opportunity to tell them what they really want to know. To speak a prospect's language you need to understand that the fundamental question everyone is asking is "What's in it for me?" Answer that and you'll do fine. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Middleton, the owner of Action Plan Marketing, has been helping Independent Professionals be better marketers since 1984. On his web site http://www.ActionPlan.com find valuable resources, products and programs for attracting more clients. Get a free copy of his Marketing Plan Sart-Up Kit.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Begin With Today
Copyright (c) 2007 Deborah Brown-Volkman Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. http://www.surpassyourdreams.com/
No matter where you are in your career, today is a brand new day. It does not matter how many jobs or gaps you have on your resume. It does not matter whether you once led a big project that failed or went nowhere. It does not matter if you tell yourself regularly that you should be somewhere else in your career rather than where you are right now. Today is a brand new day. We all have something in our career that we wished we would have done differently. Maybe you blew an interview. Maybe someone at work sidelined you. Maybe you should have spoken up more--or less. Objectively we know that everyone makes mistakes, but sometimes, inside, we cannot let go of what we perceive as failure. Every great leader has failed sometime in their career. It's not important how you fall, but how you pick yourself back up. So How Do You Begin With Today? Follow These Steps Below. 1. Make Peace With Your Past Rather than focus on how the past has harmed you, focus on how the past has taken you to where you are today. The project that went nowhere may have taught you to plan more or to be more assertive. The multiple jobs on your resume may have taught you to stay put and not leave when things get tough. The co-worker that sidelined you may have taught you to showcase your work better and expand your network. You have learned valuable lessons from every mistake you have made. You are a better person because of them. 2. Decide What You Want Once you have made peace with your past, you have a clean slate. What do you want to do with yours? Do you want a new job? Do you want a new career? Do you want to make more money? You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it. The only person who is keeping you from these things is you. Decide that you want something more and you can have it. Decide that today is the day that you will turnaround your career. 3. Start Where You Are Now Begin with today-it's what you have in front of you. Go after what you want because not doing so is keeping you from unleashing the true person that is inside you. Take out a piece of paper and write down what you want. Then, break what you want into steps. Prioritize your steps and then put them into your calendar. Work on one step at a time. Focus on the future and making what you want a reality. Look forward rather than back because what's behind you is over. Start where you are right now which is the best place to begin. So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love! ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Deborah Brown-Volkman is the President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. a successful career, life, and mentor coaching company that works with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers who are looking for new career opportunities or seek to become more productive in their current role. She is the author of Coach Yourself To A New Career and How To Feel Great At Work Everyday. Deborah can be reached at http://www.surpassyourdreams.com
http://www.career-escape-program.com info@surpassyourdreams.com or at (631) 874-2877.
No matter where you are in your career, today is a brand new day. It does not matter how many jobs or gaps you have on your resume. It does not matter whether you once led a big project that failed or went nowhere. It does not matter if you tell yourself regularly that you should be somewhere else in your career rather than where you are right now. Today is a brand new day. We all have something in our career that we wished we would have done differently. Maybe you blew an interview. Maybe someone at work sidelined you. Maybe you should have spoken up more--or less. Objectively we know that everyone makes mistakes, but sometimes, inside, we cannot let go of what we perceive as failure. Every great leader has failed sometime in their career. It's not important how you fall, but how you pick yourself back up. So How Do You Begin With Today? Follow These Steps Below. 1. Make Peace With Your Past Rather than focus on how the past has harmed you, focus on how the past has taken you to where you are today. The project that went nowhere may have taught you to plan more or to be more assertive. The multiple jobs on your resume may have taught you to stay put and not leave when things get tough. The co-worker that sidelined you may have taught you to showcase your work better and expand your network. You have learned valuable lessons from every mistake you have made. You are a better person because of them. 2. Decide What You Want Once you have made peace with your past, you have a clean slate. What do you want to do with yours? Do you want a new job? Do you want a new career? Do you want to make more money? You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it. The only person who is keeping you from these things is you. Decide that you want something more and you can have it. Decide that today is the day that you will turnaround your career. 3. Start Where You Are Now Begin with today-it's what you have in front of you. Go after what you want because not doing so is keeping you from unleashing the true person that is inside you. Take out a piece of paper and write down what you want. Then, break what you want into steps. Prioritize your steps and then put them into your calendar. Work on one step at a time. Focus on the future and making what you want a reality. Look forward rather than back because what's behind you is over. Start where you are right now which is the best place to begin. So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love! ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Deborah Brown-Volkman is the President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. a successful career, life, and mentor coaching company that works with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers who are looking for new career opportunities or seek to become more productive in their current role. She is the author of Coach Yourself To A New Career and How To Feel Great At Work Everyday. Deborah can be reached at http://www.surpassyourdreams.com
http://www.career-escape-program.com info@surpassyourdreams.com or at (631) 874-2877.
Get Seven Steps Closer to Finding Financial Freedom
Copyright © 2007 Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success
People make reaching a level of financial freedom harder than itactually should be. In order to find financial freedom, all youhave to do is follow a few simple steps and be committed to thecause. Financial freedom can be achieved by people who are notmillionaires. It can be had by everyday common people who knowhow to work within a system and get what they want. By initiatingthese seven simple steps, you to will be on a path to financialfreedom.
1. First and foremost, you need to find out where all of yourmoney is going every month. You need to remember to pay yourselffirst, and take care of everything else next. In other words,make sure that you are not taking every paycheck you get andpaying off debt. You do not have to pay everything off at once.By keeping some money for yourself you will be able to live anice life.
2. Stop creating debt. This is painful but a must in you gainingthe upper hand in managing your money. If you have a spouse thatspends, spends and spends . . . you must have a heart to heartdiscussion about living within your means. Wrong, just becauseyou qualify for another *Free Interest* credit card, it is notgiving you anything but . . . DEBT! All you need is ONE creditcard to manage your expenses.
3. Use your ONE credit card for everything, but do not spendbeyond your budget. Why, because you see exactly what you spendyour money on and how often. If you are like I was, cash forthis, credit for that, check for groceries . . . no way I couldkeep up with these expense sheets.
4. Invest automatically. This is one of the most time-tested tobe true but often-overlooked steps people ignore. People don'tlike to not see their money for some reason. They feel cheated bynot getting to see any of their money, but this is the exactpoint. If you don't see the money, you will not be as likely tospend the money. Make it a point to invest directly from yourpaycheck, and you will ensure that your money is getting to theproper investment without any being taken up front.
5. If you have a personal portfolio, make sure you diversify yourportfolio. In other words, do not put all of your money in thesame type of investment basket. You will want to make sure youhave money going to a lot of different places. The real estate,savings accounts, stock market (small amount) or start aninternet business are all realistic options.
6. Quit procrastinating and get started today. This is the numbertwo problem that plagues a large percentage of the population.Remember number one? See Number 1. They always say that they aregoing to get started but never seem to have the time to getaround to it. Remember, as time goes by so does your opportunityto save money. Each paycheck that you spend without investing isone that could have gone towards one of your investment optionchoices.
7. Develop multiple steams of income. What is this? Quite simplyinstead of getting one paycheck, figure out ways to get 2, 3 or 4paychecks. How and where you get into multiple streams of incomeis endless . . . I'll simply say, write down what your favoriteactivity is, or subject, maybe a hobby. Do a little research onthe internet by seeking out forums, chat rooms or similarproducts that cover your subject and let the ideas flow. Oneother method is to get into marketing on the internet; affiliatebusinesses can yield great rewards if that is something you'reinterested in. Example - http://www.pluginprofitsite.com/main-16688
These are simple steps. I am not a financial expert, but I thinkhearing the basics again are valuable insights to get started.Build a solid foundation, get started right away and do not beafraid to make mistakes. They happen to everybody including theprofessionals. The future is yours to grasp, so take it!
============================================================
Kent Jacobson, a.k.a. "Mr. Success" is a trusted authority in thesuccess field and provides valuable success information for freethrough his website at: http://www.shortcut2success.com/ . You canalso read Kent's Success Blog to find more success secrets at:http://www.Shortcut2Success.com/blog ============================================================
Read More Articles From Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success:http://thePhantomWriters.com/free_content/d/index.shtml#Kent_Jacobson_a.k.a._Mr._Success
People make reaching a level of financial freedom harder than itactually should be. In order to find financial freedom, all youhave to do is follow a few simple steps and be committed to thecause. Financial freedom can be achieved by people who are notmillionaires. It can be had by everyday common people who knowhow to work within a system and get what they want. By initiatingthese seven simple steps, you to will be on a path to financialfreedom.
1. First and foremost, you need to find out where all of yourmoney is going every month. You need to remember to pay yourselffirst, and take care of everything else next. In other words,make sure that you are not taking every paycheck you get andpaying off debt. You do not have to pay everything off at once.By keeping some money for yourself you will be able to live anice life.
2. Stop creating debt. This is painful but a must in you gainingthe upper hand in managing your money. If you have a spouse thatspends, spends and spends . . . you must have a heart to heartdiscussion about living within your means. Wrong, just becauseyou qualify for another *Free Interest* credit card, it is notgiving you anything but . . . DEBT! All you need is ONE creditcard to manage your expenses.
3. Use your ONE credit card for everything, but do not spendbeyond your budget. Why, because you see exactly what you spendyour money on and how often. If you are like I was, cash forthis, credit for that, check for groceries . . . no way I couldkeep up with these expense sheets.
4. Invest automatically. This is one of the most time-tested tobe true but often-overlooked steps people ignore. People don'tlike to not see their money for some reason. They feel cheated bynot getting to see any of their money, but this is the exactpoint. If you don't see the money, you will not be as likely tospend the money. Make it a point to invest directly from yourpaycheck, and you will ensure that your money is getting to theproper investment without any being taken up front.
5. If you have a personal portfolio, make sure you diversify yourportfolio. In other words, do not put all of your money in thesame type of investment basket. You will want to make sure youhave money going to a lot of different places. The real estate,savings accounts, stock market (small amount) or start aninternet business are all realistic options.
6. Quit procrastinating and get started today. This is the numbertwo problem that plagues a large percentage of the population.Remember number one? See Number 1. They always say that they aregoing to get started but never seem to have the time to getaround to it. Remember, as time goes by so does your opportunityto save money. Each paycheck that you spend without investing isone that could have gone towards one of your investment optionchoices.
7. Develop multiple steams of income. What is this? Quite simplyinstead of getting one paycheck, figure out ways to get 2, 3 or 4paychecks. How and where you get into multiple streams of incomeis endless . . . I'll simply say, write down what your favoriteactivity is, or subject, maybe a hobby. Do a little research onthe internet by seeking out forums, chat rooms or similarproducts that cover your subject and let the ideas flow. Oneother method is to get into marketing on the internet; affiliatebusinesses can yield great rewards if that is something you'reinterested in. Example - http://www.pluginprofitsite.com/main-16688
These are simple steps. I am not a financial expert, but I thinkhearing the basics again are valuable insights to get started.Build a solid foundation, get started right away and do not beafraid to make mistakes. They happen to everybody including theprofessionals. The future is yours to grasp, so take it!
============================================================
Kent Jacobson, a.k.a. "Mr. Success" is a trusted authority in thesuccess field and provides valuable success information for freethrough his website at: http://www.shortcut2success.com/ . You canalso read Kent's Success Blog to find more success secrets at:http://www.Shortcut2Success.com/blog ============================================================
Read More Articles From Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success:http://thePhantomWriters.com/free_content/d/index.shtml#Kent_Jacobson_a.k.a._Mr._Success
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