Benefits of Payday Loans

It happens to everybody: a week before payday, your roof starts to leak, your computer crashes and the technician tells you that it’s cheaper to buy a new one than to have it repaired, or a friend invites you to join her for a weekend vacation at a hotel with a limited promo. 

These are the financial emergencies that you can’t quite factor into your budget. You can afford to pay for it, you just don’t have the money with you right now— and for one reason or another, you can’t use a credit card. One option available to you is a payday loan. 

Payday loans are short-term loans where you are lent a small amount to tide you over until your salary comes in. Many payday loan companies can be found on the Internet (allowing for a quick search, for that quick solution to an urgent problem). These companies, in turn, will be the one to find the lending institutions that can spot you for that amount. Your application will be processed within days, and when you need it, the money appears in your account, ready to be spent as you wished. They simply withdraw the money from the bank account, with interest, when your salary comes in.

When should you get a payday loan?

1. When the purposes of your loan may not be accepted by other lending institutions.

One advantage of a payday loan is that you can use it for whatever purposes you like; you do not need to justify your expense. Whether it’s a vacation to France, a new laptop, or your daughter’s tuition fees, you do not have to go through the lengthy and often stringent evaluation process that other lending institutions demand. Try telling a bank officer that you always wanted to see Paris. You won’t get very far. When you take a payday loan, you don’t even have to explain.

2. When you need the money very quickly.

Another advantage is that it is very quickly processed, you have the money in days ,whereas most lending institutions will take days just to look at your application. If you process the payday loan on a Monday, you’ll get it before the end of the week. If you turn it in on a Friday, you may have to wait a little longer because of the non-banking holidays, but it’s still going to move much faster than if you had applied for an advance at your office. 

3. When you have credit card problems.

Ironically, it’s the people who need money most who have a hard time borrowing it. But not everyone is so financially secure that you had a gold credit card to charge all emergencies. You may be struggling with maxed out credit cards, but then your car breaks down, or your child gets sick. In this situation, payday loans may be your only solution. At least you know it’s available.

4. When you want a short-term debt.

And since the amount you borrow is paid back to your creditor by the very next payday, you aren’t tempted to sit on the debt as you would if you had used your credit card (or borrowed from your mother).. In a way, it is a good solution for those who would’ve paid for that emergency in cash, except for a small logistical problem of when your pay check is released.

Investing In Gold

It may seem old fashioned, but it is still possible to place some of your wealth and prospects into the ancient practice of hoarding gold. Gold has been the standard of wealth for centuries, in almost every culture that requires some system of barter, from Europe to Asia to South America. The metal has been known to launch expeditions for new lands, start wars, and to be the cause of the annihilation of entire cultures.

The reasons for the world’s fascination with gold have been the same from the first item that a person exchanged one good for another until the present day. Gold is rare, easy to move, does not go bad or decay in any way, and it can be broken down into smaller parts. All cultures have recognized the value of gold, and as a result it is still a hot commodity on the markets in countries throughout the world today.

Many people who chose to invest in gold are somewhat skeptical about the state of the world. Gold, they figure, has always been and will always be in demand, so if the worst happens and an economy goes into the toilet, investments in gold will remain safe and secure (provided, of course, that it is not stolen, another common historical occurrence with the precious metal). Whenever a large scale war breaks out, gold prices always go up, as it is proof against an inflated and devalued dollar and other economic downturns.

Gold allows the investor a number of opportunities in their options. Many of us would not think of it in this way, but gold is easily stored in our houses and even in our persons in the form of decorations or jewelry, which means that gold is a kind of portable wealth. Someone who buys a lot of jewelry can therefore be thought of as a kind of investor in gold.

More serious investors might consider buying gold in the form of bullion or coins issued by stable, reputable governments through brokerage firms or well known dealers. Again, this gold is transportable, easily liquidated wealth and the investor must undertake for its safety herself. If you choose this method of investment and storing, you will have to get your gold tested before you can sell it on your own.

In order to avoid the expense and the hassle of testing your gold, you could instead choose to purchase the metal through a mutual fund that specializes in precious metals. Not only will this eliminate the need to have the gold tested before sale, it will also earn you some interest over time, which hard sales of gold will not. You will also avoid the costs of insurance and the anxiety of storage.

Investing in gold is a time proven way of retaining wealth even in the most trying of circumstances. The risks of gold also remain, however, as it remains a highly mobile commodity that can be taken away as easily as it is stored, and the proper precautions must be taken.

Car Insurance Basics

Car insurance is basically insurance that drivers can purchase for any kind of vehicle in order to protect against losses sustained in traffic accidents.  Auto insurance policies are, in reality, a bundle of different coverages.  This insurance will usually cover the insured party, the insured motor vehicle, and any third parties involved.  Different policies will identify the situations in which each of these entities is covered.

Below are the specific coverages involved when you purchase car insurance.

- Liability Insurance: Liability coverage is the most basic and foundational coverage in car insurance policies and is required in most states.  This coverage ensures that if you are the one at fault in an accident, your liability insurance will pay for the physical injury and property damage expenses of any third parties involved.  This coverage includes legal bills.  Remember that third parties can sue you for “pain and suffering” damages.  Minimum insurance may not sufficiently cover you in more extreme cases, which is why many people recommend that drivers purchase more than the state minimum required.  Liability coverage limits are usually conveyed with three numbers.  For example, liability limits of 20/50/10 indicate that there is coverage of $20,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 in bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 in property damage coverage per accident.

- Collision Coverage:  In the case that you are in an accident, collision insurance will pay for the repairs that your vehicle requires.  Collision coverage is usually the most expensive coverage that you will have to pay for.  Insurance companies will declare a vehicle “totaled” or a “write-off” if the replacement would be cheaper than the repairs needed.

- Comprehensive Coverage:  This coverage will pay for any damages to an automobile that were not caused by an accident.  Qualifying damages include damages arising from carjackings, vandalism, natural disasters, and hitting an animal.

- MedPay, PIP, and No-Fault Coverages:  MedPay will pay for the medical expenses of you and anyone else in your car after an accident, regardless of whose fault the accident was.  PIP (Personal Injury Protection) and “no-fault” coverages are other forms of medical payment protection.  They are broader than MedPay and may be required in certain states.  These expanded coverages cover child care and lost wages.

- Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists Coverages:  UM (Uninsured Motorists) coverage will pay for injuries you have sustained if you are involved in a hit-and-run by a driver who does not have auto insurance, and is mandatory in many states.  UIM (Underinsured Motorists) coverage will pay for you if the driver who hit you creates more damage than their liability insurance can cover.

- Supplemental Coverages:  Rental reimbursement is an add-on that will cover rented vehicles in case of damage or theft.  Auto replacement coverage ensures that your automobile will be fully repaired for replaced even if the costs are more than its depreciated value.  Coverage for towing and labor covers you in case of an auto failure on the road where towing is necessary.  These supplemental coverages are usually offered as separate items or included in larger policies.

The Importance of Location in Fundraising

Location, Location, Location!

There are few things that are more important than location. It not only 

applies to real estate, but to fundraising too.  Here are some tips to 

expand your horizons when trying to maximize your fundraising efforts.

Traditionally, fundraising efforts are concentrated on: 

-Friends

-Neighbors

-Relatives

-Co-workers

Besides the usual suspects, there is a whole lot of money in other places right under your nose.

You have to go where the money is.  The big money in fundraising is being located where people are shopping.  They are out and about with cash or checkbooks in hand.

There's no better time than that for offering a quality fundraising product at these locations:

-Drugstores

-Home Improvement Stores

-Grocery Stores

-Shopping Malls

Drugstores -  Nice entry-level sales spot. Generally have good sidewalk space available.

Home Improvement Stores - Big weekend traffic spots. Lots of do it yourselfers diving in to their next project.

Grocery Stores - Prime hunting grounds for product fundraisers. A small, high-quality food item does real well here.

Shopping Malls - Hard to get approval for outside space, but a location near the food court is golden.

And don't forget the 800-pound gorilla: Wal-Mart - The Holy Grail of fundraising locations.  A day spent fundraising in front of this high-traffic retailer is like being in fundraising heaven. You'll have more potential prospects than you can shake a stick at.

Because of the sheer volume of Wal-Mart shoppers, you'll 

need oversize signage to get your fundraising message across quickly before 

your prospects hurry on in

Casing the Joint Ahead of Time

You want the best location for your weekend fundraising table. Scope out the lay of the land. Check which entrance gets the most foot traffic. 

Find out who is in charge at this location. Often it's the store manager, but occasionally it might require approval from the regional manager or 

shopping center management.  Don't expect them to drop everything to speak with you. If necessary, set up an appointment to seek permission

Be prepared with a two-minute overview of

Who - Tell them who you (and your group) are

What - Describe what your fundraiser involves

When - Have a primary date and an alternate one picked out

Where - Identify the exact spot you'd like to use

Why - Give the specific reason you are raising funds

How - Summarize your proposed activities at their location

It's a good idea to have everything written up in a well-prepared letter.  Stick to the basics as described above.  If you have group letterhead, use it!  

Make sure that everything will go smoothly. Ask for the name of the contact person for your chosen date.  Get permission, preferably in writing, just in case the weekend manager didn't get the memo.

Setting Up for the Big Job

After you've cased the joint, you want to be prepared to pull off your fundraising bank job.

Location - There is often a separate set of entrance doors. You want to stake your claim right there. There should also be plenty of room for people to get by.

Signage - Look for good places to hang your signs and posters.  They should be bright and bold with wording visible from thirty feet away. Highlight major benefits of the product and be sure to identify your purpose

Table Space - You want a large folding table, preferably 36x72.  Place folding chairs on the side away from the door. Use a full-sized tablecloth to improve presentation. 

Staffing - Schedule your fundraising teams with overlapping adult/child pairs. You want two adults and two children covering each 90-minute shift. Stagger the start/departure times by 30 minutes to avoid resource shortages.

Pulling It Off

To really break the bank, you have to have everything well planned. Timing and presentation are everything.  You only have 30 seconds to capture your prospects attention and convince them to stop. Your fundraising should be well thought out in these areas:

Product - Make sure to choose a high-profit, cash and carry fundraiser. Fast food discount cards are excellent. So are quality food items such as cookies and gourmet treats like fudge. Sales items should be small, highly portable, and attention getting in their own right.

Samples - Product samples should be well-displayed and readily offered to each prospective client. In the case of food items, plates or trays of small nibble-sized morsels should be offered by the children involved.

Presentation - Sell the sizzle, not the steak! Accentuate product benefits, not features. Would you rather have a juicy, mouth-watering, flame-broiled Whopper or a hamburger?

Sales Patter - Talk a good game! Work from a loose script. Write down your best talking points as itemized bullets. Keep it short and simple. Tell them about your cause and be sure to ask for their help

Location Wrap

As you've seen, a great location delivers hundreds of potential customers right to you. All you have to do is stake your claim to the prime turf and go for it!

Don't wait for your next fundraiser to suddenly grow wings.  Plan ahead and pull off your own bank job instead. 

Maximize your fundraising success with location, location, location!

Debt consolidation – Can it really help those in debts?

Debt consolidation is the act and process of taking out one loan to pay off many other loans and bills like credit card bills or student loans.

The main aim of debt consolidation is to basically reduce the total amount of loan repayment through interest rate reduction.

Many debt consolidation companies, programs and services have argued the benefits and advantages of debt consolidation when one is in cycle of debts. But the question is:

Is debt consolidation really useful in helping people get out of their debt problems?

While I agree that debt consolidation can help debtors solve their debt problems, many debtors really have much difficulty to get out of their debt problems even after they consolidate their debts.

Why is that so??

Think about it - Most of these debt consolidators are in debt problems because they spend on credit and are used to spending more than they can afford to. As such, they eventually run into debts in the long run since they are always spending more than they earn every month.

After debt consolidation – these debt consolidators will have their credit card balance clear and a single monthly loan payment (with extended repayment period). 

With a lighter loan repayment amount, most of these people will begin to relax and usually over spend on their monthly budget again in the near future.

By doing so, they will eventually run into debts again. Thus, it is not surprising to see many people who have had consolidate their debts before to run into debt problems again.

How does one get out of debts?

Debt consolidation is a tool to help debtors get out of debt problems. Unfortunately, many have used it to increase their debt problems as mention above.

The only surefire way to get out of debts is really to adjust your spending habit and commit to a discipline lifestyle. If you ask me, the get out of debt formula is really simple:

It’s either to earn more money or spent less money.

How to Achieve Currency Trading Success: Part 1

Currency trading success can be achieved by anyone, as everything about trading currencies can be specifically learned, by any trader wishing to put it in the time and effort to do so.

Trading currencies successfully is a combination of two factors:

Firstly, you need a successful trading method for long term currency trading success to predict market direction and these systems fall into two categories:

1. Fundamental analysis

A currency trader who makes trades based upon fundamental analysis, will look at the supply and demand situation relevant to the particular currency studied, and try and predict the impact of such factors as:

· The health of the economy

· Interest rates

· Balance of payments

· Employment

· Trade deficit

· Other factors

In today’s markets with the all-fundamental information available in seconds anywhere in the world, fundamental news is quickly reflected in the price.

Traders therefore, can have difficulty acting quickly enough to position themselves in the market in relation to breaking news.

In light of this, more traders looking for currency trading success are using a technical approach to the markets.

2. Technical analysis

Technical analysis is the study of a currency, based strictly on using only the price history of the currency.

Technical analysis uses no information about the currencies supply and demand situation - it simply focuses on price action.

The common belief is that the currency price reflects all the known information about the currency as it is immediately discounted in price action.

Technical analysis however does something more - it indirectly studies human psychology.

Since price patterns reflect shifts in human psychology, one can assume that certain patterns, cycles and trends, will repeat themselves again, as human nature has remained constant over time.

Technical analysis takes into account both the fundamentals and the market participants psychology and this gives us a simple equation:

All known fundamentals + human psychology = Price action

The fundamentalist studies the cause of market movement, while the technician studies the effect.

For currency trading success, you need to catch the longer-term trends that yield the big profits. The technical trader does not care how and why these trends develop; all they want to do is make money from them when they occur.

Look at any currency price chart over time and you will see long-term trends and many of them last for years.

The secret of currency trading success is using technical analysis to spot them.

Long Term or Short Term Trading

For long term currency-trading success, is it better to be a long term trader, rather than a short-term trader.

While traders can, and do make money with short-term methods of trading, the fact is, currencies trend longer term and these are the trends that yield the biggest profits.

The reason for this is obvious:

Currencies reflect the underlying health of the economy.

These cycles of expansion and contraction, tend to last for many months or even years and a long term position trader has huge profit potential, if they can lock into and hold these longer term trends.

The choice between long term, and short term trading is subjective, but generally the longer-term price trends tend to be easier to predict, and offer better risk / reward, so a long-term approach is the one to focus on.

Choosing and Using Credit Cards

Credit cards are convenient, but they’re also dangerous. A lot of people ruin their financial lives by turning the phrase “charge it” into a reflex. It’s a real problem, but this article explains how to make good use of credit cards and how to choose a good credit card. This information, by the way, applies both to using a credit card for personal expenses and to using a credit card for business expenses.

>Selecting the Right Credit Card

Selecting a credit card is easy. If you don’t carry charges forward from month to month, choose the card with the lowest annual fee. It doesn’t matter to you if the credit card company charges a painfully high interest rate, since you pay only the annual fee if you pay your monthly credit card bill on time.

If you do carry a balance, it makes sense to choose the card with the lowest interest rate. Some credit card issuers play interest rate calculation tricks that make it very difficult to make apples-to-apples comparisons of credit cards. But if you choose the credit card rate with the lowest annual percentage rate, you’re doing about as well as you can.

>The Right Way to Use a Credit Card

You shouldn’t use a credit card as a way to borrow money. That means always repaying the charges within the grace period. You want to be what the bank calls “a revolver,” which is a person who always pays his or her credit card bills on time.

After investments in a profitable business, a 401(k), and a deductible IRA, the next best investment you can make is to pay off credit cards that charge a high interest rate. Earning a tax-free interest rate of, say, 14 percent, which more than what a 401(k) and deductible IRA pay (and probably only slightly less than investments in your business should pay) is too good to pass up.

NOTE While credit card interest on personal charges would not be deductible for income tax purposes, credit card interest on business charges should be deductible as business interest expense. Therefore, the worst kind of credit card debt is personal credit card debt. Business debt isn’t quite as bad.

>Do Affinity Cards Make Sense?

An affinity card is a credit card that’s issued by someone other than a bank—such as a car manufacturer, an airline, a professional group, and so forth. Affinity cards typically combine the usual features of a credit card with some extra benefit connected to the issuer. In the case of a General Motors card, for example, you accumulate dollars in a rebate account by virtue of what you spend with the affinity card.

In general, an affinity card—especially one that doesn’t charge a fee—is a good deal as long as the interest rate is competitive. For example, I have a General Motors credit card that includes a 5 percent rebate account. In other words, five cents of every dollar I charge on the card goes into a rebate account that I can use toward purchasing a new General Motors car. How big your rebate gets depends on the type of affinity card you have. For example, as of this writing the regular General Motors credit card lets you accumulate up to $500 a year to a maximum of $3,500. The General Motors gold credit card lets you accumulate up to $1,000 a year to a maximum of $7,000.

There are many different affinity cards. Ford has one. Most of the major airlines have them too. Airline affinity cards let you accumulate frequent flier miles based on the credit card charges. In the plans I’ve seen, you usually get a mile a dollar.

The one sticky part of using affinity cards, however, is that getting even a 5 percent rebate isn’t worth it if having the card makes you spend more money. Some studies show that you spend 23 percent more when you use a credit card. The same is very likely true of affinity cards.

If you’re one of those people who spends more when you have a card in hand, you won’t save any money by using an affinity card. Even if you get a new General Motors car for free or a handful of free airline tickets to Europe, you pay indirectly for your new car or airline tickets with all the extra charging you do. If you don’t make use of the rebate, the situation is even worse. You’ve charged more, perhaps paid hefty annual fees, and you’ve received nothing in return.

NOTE One other point to consider argues in favor of using affinity cards for business charges. In many businesses, you will have large business credit card charges—much larger than an individual making personal charges will have. In this case, assuming you don’t overcharge and don’t overspend, you may find that an affinity charge card produces big benefits. In my case, because many of my business expenses can be charged on my frequent flier credit card, I probably get two free airline tickets a year.

A Good Understanding of Mortgage Backed Securities

Mortgage backed securities are one of the important reasons for the fast pace growth of real estate industry. Hence it is very important to have a good understanding of mortgage-backed securities

Mortgage backed securities are very important bonds. Investors buy the interests of the mortgage security and the monthly payment of the mortgage acts as a revenue earned from it. The value of the mortgage varies due to the fact that it can be paid off before the term and hence it is not like a bond. The mortgage may be repaid any time through outright cash payment or with refinance. Actually, the mortgage-backed security is issued by a retail lender who extends the mortgage loan. The reasons for issuing mortgage-backed securities are many. 

The main reason is for creating liquidity that can be used by them for many purposes. It is not possible for a lender to wait for thirty years to recover his money and make profit out of it. To solve this problem, the lender sells the securities in the secondary market by keeping the property of the borrower as collateral for security. The creditors also use these securities to clean their balance sheet. Although they might seem to be a little speculative and fishy, the fact is that they drive the market. Understanding mortgage backed securities helps to clear all kinds of doubts about it.

A good understanding of various mortgage points

Mortgage points are those, which are asked by the mortgage broker to be paid by the borrower. It is actually a lending fee expressed in terms of percentage on the quantum of the loan amount. Sometimes a creditor may ask the borrower to pay origination points on the mortgage. This fee enables the lender to get many of their costs earlier in the deal instead of waiting to recover them as part of interest payments. Understanding origination points is very important as the margin of interest may be low but the lenders get their inflow of cash by making the borrower to pay front end fees of the loan. Discounts points too can be offered by the lender for making one or two points of payments when the borrower makes on the mortgage loan amount. The borrower enjoys a slashed down interest rate from the lenders for doing so.

People who are purchasing homes for the first time are shocked by jargons like PMI and piggy bank loans. Hence, a good understanding of mortgage is the best method to start with. When applying for mortgage loans, the lenders first look at the borrowers credit score to find out how the commitments can be met by him. They check for the amount of money the borrower posses, how prompt he had been in paying the dues, how often he had played the balance transfer game, etc. The credit score makes a great impact on the down payment made by the borrower in turn it affects the interest rates on the mortgage offered to him. Understanding various mortgage programs will help in the selection of the most suitable one for the borrower.

2 Types Of Graduate Loans

Normally, graduate students pay for tuition fee more than undergraduate. Therefore, the main purpose of graduate loans is to help fund their education. There are two venues in which graduate students can obtain graduate loans: the government and private entities, (who provide alternative graduate loans). Each of these is discussed in more detail below.

1. Government Graduate Loans 

This type of loan is the same as undergraduate loan. The only difference is name. Like undergraduates, graduates have the opportunity to get a Stafford or Perkins loan from the government. 

Stafford graduate loans are available to any graduate student regardless of their financial situation. Two types of Stafford graduate loans exist: subsidized and unsubsidized. The difference in the two lies in who pays the interest. For subsidized Stafford graduate loans, the government pays the interest. Students pay for the interest in unsubsidized Stafford graduate loans, though there is the option of not having to make payments until after graduation. 

A Perkins graduate loan is available to students who demonstrate financial hardship. It has an interest rate of only 5 percent and can finance up to $4,000 of the graduate student's education. For graduate students who are adversely limited economically, the Perkins loan is not a bad option. However, one must keep in mind that payments are still expected to be received promptly and perpetually. In extreme circumstances it is possible to request a deferment on loan payments until one is able to pay normally.

To apply for either the Perkins or Stafford graduate loans, one must submit a FAFSA form to the government. When the form has been processed the government will send a SAR (Student Aide Report) which will give further instructions on how to apply for these loans. 

2. Alternate Graduate Loans

This loan has also been known as private graduate loans, are loans funded by non-governmental entities. Companies offering these loans could be banks, credit card agencies or any other enterprise interested in helping graduate students secure student loans. The Education Resources Institute (TERI) is an example of a company offering this type of loan. It is called the Act Graduate Student loan program. The application can be filled out online at http://gradloans.com. Decisions are received in as little as 15 minutes. 

You can first try to visit websites of all the major banks because many do offer student loans services. Or you can use a search engine by typing the name of banks you know. Some banks will even offer graduate loan comparison charts to help their customers see how their loans stack up against the competitors. These charts can serve as a further aide in researching graduate loans.

Investing - How To Profit Using Formulas

A classic Wall Street yarn, concerning a young man who was in the early stages of learning to be a professional speculator goes something like this. The young man had a problem, so he went to an elderly gentleman noted for his shrewd investment judgment, for advice. The young man had taken on quite an extensive line of stocks, but the market looked a bit over-valued and so he was thinking that his positions carried too many risks. He wondered if he shouldn't perhaps sell. He was so worried about it that he was having trouble sleeping.

The old man's advice was simple and direct: "Sell" he said. "Sell back to the sleeping point." Although there is no doubt that this advice smacks of ambiguity, there is a simple wisdom in it. We may safely assume that neither the young man nor his elder adviser knew which way the market was going, but both were aware that the market was sufficiently shaky to cause legitimate worry. Translated into somewhat more orthodox investment terms, the advice meant - Sell enough of your stocks so that a market collapse won't destroy you, but keep enough so that if your fears turn out to be groundless, and the market rises, you'll still profit to some extent - in the meantime, get some sleep.

At first glance, it may seem a bit cynical on the old man's part not to outline for his young disciple an exact and detailed course of action. But he couldn't be honest and at the same time guarantee that he knew exactly what action might turn out to be best. Furthermore, the young man didn't want someone to tell him precisely what to do. All he wanted was some help in easing the pressure and the help he received was clearly sensible.

How to Find the Sleeping Point

In a real sense, investment formulas are designed to help you in the same way that the old man's advice helped his young friend - they inject an element of caution in your investing when caution seems advisable, they reduce the provision for caution when risks seem relatively low and permit you to benefit when prices rise. In addition, once you incorporate a formula into your investment program, it works more or less automatically, allowing you to sleep nights in the full knowledge that you are continuously hedged against various unforeseen possibilities.

But just as the investment sage left it up to the young man to decide exactly what his "sleeping point" might be, you can select a formula appropriate to your own temperament, financial circumstances and proclivity to insomnia. Any formula can be adjusted to suit the needs and preferences of any investor.

Although formulas are designed to give un-hedged, unambiguous and unbiased indications for action, the investor should not feel that he is surrendering all personal control over his investments when he adopts a formula. The reason behind this logic is clear. It's because each investor selects the formula that will fit his own individual comfort level. A formula doesn't try to tell you what to do - it merely helps you do what you are already doing more profitably. For example, formulas cannot tell you which stocks to buy or currency to trade.

The whole premise of using formulas is based on the fact that those using them are normally quite sophisticated and that they know what kind of investment vehicle they are interested in, how to select them and where to go for advice in their particular area(s) of interest. However, by supplementing their knowledge with considerations of the equally important questions of when to own and in what quantity - formulas can supply a valuable added dimension to their investment results and assist in the management of their portfolio on a more professional level.

Along this same line, it is worth mentioning that although the true purpose of a formula is to supply the investor with an investment policy which is definite in its instructions at all times, you need not feel that you must follow the formula precisely in order to profit from it. You cannot, of course, ignore it altogether if you expect to benefit from it, but you can profitably use it as a touchstone or a general guide without swearing eternal allegiance to its dictates. You might, for example, want to use a formula, but also desire to increase or decrease your risks at various times for a variety of reasons. Your use of the formula will show you how far you are departing from your original plan and will give you a well-ordered program to come back to when you are ready.

8 Easy Tips for Cheaper Home Insurance

No one likes paying for home insurance, but it's a necessary evil for most of us. This doesn't mean you have to pay through the nose for it though - try these 8 easy tips for cheaper home insurance and see how much you could reduce your premiums by.

- Shop Around

By comparing prices from several insurance companies, you'll probably be able to reduce your premiums by a substantial amount. This may seem obvious, but research has shown that a surprisingly large proportion of people either just renew their current policy, or get only one or two quotes. Many insurance web sites will automatically compare dozens of policies for you, making this one of the easiest ways to reduce your insurance bill.

- Buy online

If you buy your policy online you can often get a discount of up to 20% on normal prices, because there are less administration costs involved and the savings can be passed on to you.

- Combine your buildings and contents policies

Many insurers will give you a discount if you take out both types of home insurance with them, and this usually works out cheaper than getting the two kinds of policies from different companies.

- Pay upfront

Although most insurers let you pay your premium in monthly instalments, many will charge interest for this. If you can afford to pay a full year's premium in advance, then this will work out cheaper in the long run.

- Don't claim for small amounts

Making many small claims can increase your insurance costs, as your insurer may see you as a greater risk and increase your premiums. You will also lose any no claims discount your policy has. Of course, you're entitled to claim for anything your policy covers, but ask yourself if making a small claim is really worth the hassle and possible future costs.

- Voluntary excess

This is related to the last point. Insurance policies feature something known as 'excess', which basically means that the policy won't pay out on claims below a certain value. On some policies, if you choose to raise your excess to a higher level, then your premiums will be lower.

- Increase your home security

Beefing up your home security with better door locks, window locks, outdoor lighting, and alarm systems can all result in lower premiums. Ask your insurer what you could do to get extra discounts.

- Reduce your cover

Many policies feature benefits that you might not need, such as cover for personal possessions while travelling, or 'free' legal advice. Look through your policy and see what parts of it you really need - by cutting your cover down to size you may be able to reduce your premium.

Fundraising For Youth Groups

Youth Groups are almost always in need of funds. Holding fundraisers to finance important trips like tournaments, museums, and musical events are just some of the needs that have to be met through fundraising. Others include the need for uniforms, sports equipment, art supplies, musical instruments, and more.

There are a lot of different ways your youth group can raise the funds they need. In this article, I will explore some of those with you and try to help you avoid some of the pitfalls. I will let you benefit from my experience and I will help you avoid some of my mistakes.

Let’s start right off with candy. I have tried to use candy as a fundraising tool on more than one occasion for more than one youth group. 

Pros and Cons of using candy as a youth group fundraiser. 

Pros: Candy is cheap and can be sold for a great profit for your youth group. Everyone likes candy, so it’s a fairly easy sale, especially if you go with name brand candy. The candy is cheap enough that most people have enough money in their pocket to purchase it.

Cons: Candy melts. Trust me on this. Candy melts and when it does, your profits melt with it as you try to clean whatever it melted all over. The members of your youth group eat Candy and when the parents have to pay for all the candy YOU let their child eat, you get phone calls. Trust me on this. You get a lot of phone calls. Candy smells. Trust me on this. Wherever you store the candy will smell like candy forever. Bigger children steal candy from smaller children and again parents end up paying for the candy and you get the phone calls.

Coupon Books are another commonly used Youth Group Fundraiser.

Pros: Some coupon books are filled with free stuff and everyone loves free stuff! Your youth group can raise as much as $10 per coupon book so they need to make less sales to reach their goals.

Cons: Everyone still has last year’s coupon book. None of the coupons have been used. They never have it with them whenever they go somewhere they might have been able to use it for. I have been to a door to sell coupon books and had a guy hand me 7 unused coupon books as his donation. He said if I resold those, I would be able to raise more money than if he just bought one again this year. Coupons expire. They usually have a cost of about $10 to $15 per book, but of course the children in YOUR youth group will never lose any of them and their parents won’t be calling YOU, like with the candy.

Basically, every fundraiser your youth group takes on will come with responsibility and they all have their pros and cons. However, if you look for a product that has the following features, I believe you will have a more successful fundraising opportunity for your youth group.

1. Choose products that do not melt, expire, rot, or otherwise perish.

2. Choose products that do not have a large cost per unit, no matter what the profit.

3. Choose products that everyone uses and will get a lot of uses from. Something they will remember being very useful will get them to continue supporting your youth group.

4. Choose products that do not require a lot of storage space.

5. Choose products that are popular like things with the donor’s favorite major league baseball or football team logo on them.

If you follow those simple rules, your youth group fundraiser will be easy to manage, you won’t end up stuck with a lot of leftover product to store, your storage area won’t smell, you won’t need to clean up messes, and best of all, the parents of your youth group participants won’t be calling you.

A Breath Of Relief With Low Interest Debt Consolidation

If you are overburdened with credit card bills, medical bills, wedding expenses, auto loans, personal loans and many other outstanding payments, it is right to go for debt consolidation.

Debt consolidation endeavors to consolidate your multiple debts into a single, easily manageable loan. But remember, it is not just bringing multiple debts under one creditor. You aim to save enough money that you pay as interest rate. Keeping this in mind low interest debt consolidation loans have been specifically designed to help you merge different debts into one; thus making you accountable to a single creditor.

The first step towards a low interest debt consolidation loan is to figure out the total amount of debt you want to consolidate. The lender will do rest of the task. Negotiations will be done on your behalf with different creditors.

 The best way to get a low interest debt consolidation loan is to place a high value collateral. Collateral is the property that you secure against the loan.  If you borrow against the equity in your home, you can extract a larger amount with relatively low rate of interest. The interest rate will be tax deductible. The repayments should be made on time; else the lender has the right to confiscate your property.

Low interest debt consolidation loan is ideal for bad debtors as well. Your credit score plays a vital role in determining the loan amount and rate of interest. Lenders usually offer higher amounts to borrowers with a better credit history. So, the borrower should first try to improve his credit score by clearing off those debts that he can easily pay and report it immediately to a credit rating agency. This will get his credit report updated and help him improve the credit score so as to draw larger loan amount at a low interest rate.

Choosing the right lender is of immense importance. In order to get the best possible deal, one should shop around for loan quotes from different loan providing organizations. This process of hunting for the best lender is very time consuming and you are sure to encounter many hassles in your way. Therefore, to prevent you from facing all such grievances, there is the provision of online lenders. A simple search through the Internet can make you familiar with different online lenders dealing in low interest debt consolidation loans. The free facility of online loan calculator provided by various websites can help you get an estimate of your monthly payments. The online technique of applying for low interest debt consolidation loan is simple, quick and puts an end to enormous paper work.

Low interest debt consolidation loans sway all your debts into a single monthly payment and help you get rid of them sooner. They make you liable to just one creditor thus helping you control your finances once again.

Currency Trading – the future of investment

Forex Trading, meaning Currency Trading, is a world wide, little known market, which will become the most popular source of income for investors in the very near future. It is open for banks, rich investors and small ones alike and, depending on the sum of money they are willing to risk, the earnings demonstrate this is the best way to start getting rich.

Why choose currency trading over stock, real estate or futures trading? The currency trading advantages are speed, liquidity, commission-free transactions, increased safety, short-term trading and great earnings. Let’s study each of these advantages in other trading systems: 

-Speed: Currency trading is instant due to a large amount of transactions while future trading implies a longer time to trade certain commodities, agricultural products, financial instruments and goods (contracts need to be written and signed)

-Stock traders must pay brokers a certain fee for each transaction made. The brokerage fee is available for all futures transactions, but not in the case of currency trading. In currency trading brokers earn money by studying and profiting from the difference of price between sold and bought currencies.

-Liquidity: The currency market is opened non-stop, anywhere in the world giving currency traders the chance to trade whenever they find the opportune moment and prices. This is a characteristic attributed only to currency trading.

-Safety: while other trading systems are based on speculation, on the fluctuation of price, on slippage and market gaps, currency trading is controlled with the help of built in safeguards that limit slip-ups. 

-Short term trading, like currency trading, is more efficient for profit making than long term trading. Day trading does not increase speculation, risk and does not imply that the broker’s commission will reduce any profit made.

Anyone can start trading currencies. This means Currency Trading is easy therefore making money is easy! The potential profit that can be made by buying and selling currencies and with a minimum capital for investment is amazing. Currency trading techniques are available online for learning for those interested in doing so, but the best choice would be to let a broker do business for you. 

Tricks and traps are everywhere for inexperienced and the best way to avoid loosing money and time is to hire a broker who knows how the currency market works and how to increase your venues. Let someone else do the trading for you!

The Currency market is very vast and it involves traders all over the world.

Therefore the market can not be monopolized, cornered in any way for a single beneficiary. There are many participants, many banks involved and currency trading is a global phenomenon. The amount of business done during a particular period of time by the Currency market is 30 times bigger than that done by the US Equity markets. The average sum of money exchanged during one day of transactions with many currencies goes over 1.6 trillion US$. The impressive numbers don’t stop here. The Currency market predictions of growth in the futures are over 2.0 trillion US$. These facts together with others (like the lack of physical location or centralization of any kind) offer the Currency trader safety. 

Trading currencies allows investors to make money quick and efficient, with little risk and in a big way! So what’s keeping you from becoming a Currency trader?

Business Credit Cards – Good or Bad?

Business credit cards are among the more popular kind of credit cards available. Being on the receiving end of credit is always a privilege and pleasure. Business credit cards are tailored to enhance this pleasure in ways that meet your business needs. Small business credit cards offer various intangible benefits to small businesses in addition to the regular perks.

The Perks of a Business Credit Card

1)  Frequent Flier Programs – For business users who travel around the world, additional air miles are one of the exciting perks offered by business credit cards. When a business traveler travels by air and pays through the credit card, they earn bonus miles. These miles can be redeemed in terms of additional air tickets. Another benefit is the regulation and monitoring of business travel by employees by payment through credit cards.

2)  Rebates – Some credit cards give rebates on business spending. It can be looked at as a huge saving to the company.

3)  Reward Programs – Points are given on each dollar spent through your small business credit card. These points can then be exchanged for a range of exciting merchandise.

The Intangible Benefits of a Small Business Credit Card

One of the benefits of a small business credit card is bringing about a sense of organization. Apart from the separation of business expense from personal expense, the small business credit card also brings great convenience. You can use it to transact via the internet or even the phone.

Tracking business expenditures becomes easy with a small business credit card, giving you organized financial statements at the end of the year.

Individual employee spending can be monitored and regulated through the use of small business credit cards.  An important but often overlooked benefit of small business credit cards is the building of business credit. Over time your credit card give you better credit, this is useful as emergency cash when your business grows.

Think Smart for Your Long Term Needs 

1)  Applying for a card at your bank makes it easier for your application to be accepted. Your existing relationship and their knowledge of your credit history simplify the process.

2)  Remember, having too many credit cards not only makes managing them a chore, but also affects your credit rating negatively.

3)  Use your small business credit cards effectively, for instance by paying online. Not only does your card offer you faster methods of payment, but also in many instances is a cash saver.

4)  Using cash advance should be only for emergency purposes, since they incur interest. Make your payments in time, as not doing so incurs costs that eat into the benefits of owning your business credit card.

Small business credit cards are the new currency of a fast paced, time efficient world. The privilege of owning a business card is balanced with its responsibility. Choose the one that is right for you. Take your business needs into account, and also weigh each credit card against the perks they offer relevant to you. Use good financial sense and do not overextend credit. 

Business credit cards are valuable tools that were invented in response to current business needs. Remember to choose wisely, and use wisely.

1st And 2nd Mortgage Refinance Loan

Refinancing a first and second mortgage requires some extra considerations. Depending on your equity, you may find that combining the two mortgages results in a higher interest rate. You may also find that you have to carry PMI with the refinanced mortgage.

Will Refinancing Benefit You?

Refinancing two mortgages allows you to consolidate your loans into one payment, often lowering your monthly bill. You may also find lower rates under the right circumstances.

Those with a large amount of equity benefit most from consolidating loans since they qualify for the lowest rates. It is important to look at interest savings, not just monthly numbers which can be misleading.

However, if you have less than 25% equity, you may end up qualifying for higher rates. With less than 20% equity, you will also have to pay for private mortgage insurance. Even with these factors, you may still find that you will save money by refinancing.

Have You Done Your Research?

To see if refinancing makes sense for you, research mortgage lenders. You can quickly go online and request quotes and terms. Look at the different offers, and work out the numbers. An online mortgage calculator can help you figure out monthly payments and interest costs.

An easy way to compare cost is to first add up your interest payments for both mortgages. Use this number to compare interest payments with each potential mortgage.

You also need to factor in the cost of refinancing. Just like with your original mortgage, you will have to pay fees and points. You want to be sure that you can recoup these costs with your interest savings.

Why Do You Want To Refinance Both Mortgages?

While refinancing both mortgages is convenient, you may decide to refinance only one or both separately. With your main mortgage, you can expect to get low rates.

A second mortgage will usually qualify for higher rates, but you can lock them in. You may also choose to convert from a line of credit to an actual mortgage. Again, you will want to investigate financial packages before signing up with a lender.

“The Best Comes With The Lowest” with cheap secured loans

Are you searching a loan that would be relatively cheap? If yes, then your search ends here, as cheap secured loans are specially customized for you.

Cheap secured loans are offered against any collateral. It could be real estate, automobiles or some other valuable assets. Generally, with cheap secured loans, the ranges of borrowed amount are from £3,000 to £75,000. But, in case of greater amount, lenders will check the worth of your collateral. If your collateral has higher value then, lenders will not only be willing to offer higher amount but also a lower interest rate. Even cheap secured loans are available for a comfortable duration of up to 25 years and you can pay off the installments either monthly or quarterly. 

Cheap secured loans however are offered at better terms and conditions that suit the borrower’s requirement. The interest rate of cheap secured loans varies from individual to individual. For a regular income earner, a lower monthly loan will help in saving a big sum of money. On the other hand, for a person whose monthly income is not stable, a loan with flexible monthly payments such as overpayments, underpayments or payment holiday will be highly suitable.

Nevertheless, cheap secured loans are obtainable against your valuable collateral. And for that, in case you fail to repay that can put your collateral in danger. So, before applying, you will have to calculate the amount you want to borrow as a loan. Needless to say, should borrow the exact amount, as borrowing a larger amount may become a huge financial burden in future. 

Now the question is how can you get a cheap secured loan. It is a bit tough as many lenders offer cheap secured loans to lure people. But in reality, these loans are not at all cheap. Don’t worry. With some effort, you will be able to get a cheap secured loan. First of all, list your requirement- decide the amount you want to borrow, how long would you like the repayment period to be, what amount of monthly installment are you comfortable with.

Next step is choosing lenders. Besides traditional lenders, you can opt for online cheap secured loans. Even, finding an online cheap secured loan is easier- Just a click brings all data within a minute. And last but not the list, comparative judgment of various quotes will help you to get the best deal.

“The best comes with the lowest”- this line is truly applicable for cheap secured loans. Like other secured loans, cheap secured loans provide same facilities at cheap rate. It’s a favorable opportunity that will suit your pocket.

Getting the right mortgage

Selecting a mortgage can be a difficult task. First of all, you need to decide which mortgage would suit your needs best. 

For those who want to know what their monthly outgoings are going to be, should look at a fixed rate mortgage, as these are mortgages that are set at a fixed price for a certain period, which can be anything from 1 year to 5 years.

A variable mortgage is just that, it’s a mortgage rate that changes (or varies) with the base rate. So if the base lending rate increases so does your mortgage rate, however the positive aspect of this type of mortgage is that if the lending rate lowers so does your mortgage repayment. This is not for all – as there is an element of risk involved (this was true back in the late 1980’s, when unfortunately rates rocketed as house prices tumbled)

You may also need to think about a repayment mortgage or an interest only mortgage.

The difference is that the latter does just that, it only pays the interests, so whilst your monthly payments will be less, you will still have the capital to settle at the end of the mortgage duration. However a repayment mortgage will be a little more expensive, but at least you will be paying off both the capital and the interest, which means ultimately your mortgage is reducing.

When you have agreed which type of mortgage suits your lifestyle then don’t be afraid to shop around whilst you are  still tied to a contract – as there is usually a set time when you have the ability to negotiate another rate and/or go to another lender who is offering you something cheaper.

I would always suggest that in today’s competitive market that you shop around, as there are lots of different lenders with differing rates, and you need to find the right one to suit your budget and lifestyle.

An Overview Of Forex Investing Strategies

FOREX trading refers to an international, 24/7, over the counter, exchange market where currencies of different nations are bought and sold. Trading is always done in pairs assuming the price of currency bought to go up and that sold to fall down. It is the largest liquid financial market making it impossible for any single investor to influence the prices of currencies.

There are two kinds of FOREX investing strategies:

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

FUNDAMENTAL ANALYSIS

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS:

Technical analysis is mostly undertaken by small and medium size investors.

A technical analysis considers factors that are actually affecting the market rather than factors that can affect it. Thus the price quoted reflects all the factors that have influenced it. Only market generated facts and figures are taken into account and factors like fear, hope, expectations or other changes are not considered. Thus the analysis is generally based on these suppositions:

• Price reflects all actual market movements. That means price includes everything known to the market like supply and demand of foreign exchange, political factors, trade agreements etc. It is not concerned with what resulted in change rather deals with actual changes. It works on the assumption that price can take only one of the three directions:

 Upward

 downward

 sideward

• It rest on those market patterns that have been identified as significant. That means those factors which are repetitive in nature or will produce desired results.

• History always repeats itself as human psychology changes very slowly with time. That is market movements are predictable.

VARIOUS TECHNICAL INDICATORS ARE:

1. RELATIVE STRENGTH INDEX:

It takes into account the ratio of upward and downward movements in index and expresses it in the range of zero to hundred.

2.CHARTS:

Charts include various hills, slopes, curves that develop on a chart over a time and reflect some major and minor changes in pattern. Some of the chart formations include:

• TRIANGLE

• RECTANGLE

• HEAD AND SHOULDERS

• DOUBLE TOP AND BOTTOM

• SAUCERS

• V

3.GAPS:

A gap represents area on a bar chart where no trading took place.

• UPGAP: it is formed when the lowest price on a particular day is more than the highest price of previous day.

• DOWNGAP: it is formed when highest price of a certain day is less than the lowest price on previous day.

NUMBERS:

Various number theories are used in technical analysis like:

• Fibonacci theory

• GANN

STOCHASTIC OSCILLATOR:

This indicates the overbought or/and undersold condition. It uses a scale of zero to hundred percent.

FUNDAMENTAL ANALYSIS:

It is the one where current economic, political, financial situation of the country of currency is studied. A country’s economical and political condition depends upon many factors like the interest rate, unemployment level, exports and imports, per capita income, percentage of population living above and below the poverty line, inflation, trade relations with other countries, tax policies etc.

A fundamental analyst studies and evaluates all these factors before coming to any decision. Thus it helps in long tem decision making and making profits in short term by extra ordinary developments.

Some of the indicators that help in fundamental analysis include:

1. GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT:

It reflects total market value of all the goods and services produced in a country during a given year.

2. RETAIL SALES:

This reflects total receipts by all the retail stores in a country.

3. CONSUMER PRICE INDEX:

It reflects change in prices of consumer goods.

4. BUSINESS CYCLE:

It reflects various phases through which a business passes. These phases include:

• EXPANSION

• PEAK

• RECESSION

• DEPRESSION

5. MONETRY POLICY:

It controls the supply of money in an economy.

Trading successfully needs knowledge, time and understanding of a market. You cannot earn continuously in a Forex market due to its volatile nature. Thus as a trader you should try to consider both technical and fundamental strategies of forex trading and make decision based on market expectations and trends. Try trading with money that you can afford to loose without any regrets. Trade with logic and if you are not sure quit and take rest for some time.