A Safe Investment Strategy

After years of unprecedented market gains the recent financial meltdown has caused investors nationwide to wake up with a head-splitting financial hangover. Believe me, I know your pain.

The worst was taking a 90 percent loss while vested in a technology mutual fund. Who could have predicted that a well-run fund could lose? It was managed by top notch, Harvard educated managers. That one hurt a lot. Real money saved over years and lost in mere months.

The security of your investments is becoming more and more important these days. Investors want to be able to anticipate decent returns in the stock market, but the market takes them on a roller coaster ride that would be the envy of any amusement park. One day it's a 200 point rise and setting a new record high on the Dow, then the next a 300 point tumble that takes six weeks to shake off.

If you're like me, you have taken that ride more than once over the years. It's happened in a big way twice in the past decade alone!

The series of highs and lows can leave you with a feeling of hopelessness. How can you know if a company is cooking the books? How can you predict if there will be another terrorist attack that will cripple our Country for months? Who has a crystal ball that can reveal when the next financial market meltdown will wash over us? Whenever these cycles hit personal fortunes are wiped out in a blink of an eye.

You may be thinking, "So what else can I invest in?"

The answer is to invest in real estate...but maybe not in the way the first comes to mind.

Real estate is an asset that you see and touch, is insured, and produces monthly income. Historically it is one of the safest investments available and there are several ways to get started. Here's a few:

1) The "Speculator" Approach - you could become a real estate "speculator" and buy properties with the hope that they will go up in value and allow you to reap windfall profits when you sell. Of course, this type of approach has a large amount of risk which has left large numbers of speculators who were consumed with "Flipping Frenzy" over the last few years in a very tough place when the market turned and did not favor their investment approach.

2) The Landlord Approach - on a more traditional level, you could buy a home, duplex, or small apartment building and rent the property out. Over time as you collect rent your tenants will pay off your mortgage. This does take some time, work, and experience. This approach is rather safe and can result in a good return in both the short and long term. The downside is that there can be a large amount of time required to make this work.

Now what if you find yourself in large group of over 200 Million Americans who want the benefits of real estate investing but don't have the spare time or hard-nosed demeanor needed to be a successful landlord? While not as well known as the first two methods, there is a third approach.

3) The Passive Method - this style of investing is known as making "Private Mortgage Loans". Private Mortgage Loans, when set up properly, can provide your portfolio with a great return in any real estate market. Up, down, flat...it doesn't really matter.

The investment model is simple. You directly loan money, at a very low loan-to-value, against a piece of real estate. The borrower is typically a tried-and-true veteran landlord that has a portfolio of equity-rich properties and also is familiar with the ins-and-outs of finding tenants and managing rental property.

Your return comes in the form of interest payments from your borrower and because you establish the loan terms together you can have the payments come regularly or have them rolled into the loan and paid out in one lump sum when the loan term is over.

To provide you with the safety you want, your investment is secured by a first mortgage. As long as you follow common-sense lending practices then you can enjoy a level of confidence in your investments that the stock market cannot provide.

Private Mortgage Lending is a vehicle that can help you quickly recover from harsh stock market losses. Using this approach you can realize returns greater than 10% and never get called to fix a leaky pipe. Unfortunately, most investors aren't even aware this opportunity exists.

Now that you've read this article, you can't claim ignorance as an excuse. Stop what you are doing and start looking for someone who needs a private mortgage with whom you can do business with. Find a landlord at your local real estate investor association, hit a round of golf together, and see if it makes sense to do business together. Then take action and make your first investment. Start small if it makes you feel better, but get started.

Failure to take action puts you in jeopardy of letting it slide to the bottom of your to-do list. If that happens, in a year you'll wonder why things have not changed for you financially.

Brian Teets is a lifetime resident of Michigan who has endured the ups and downs of the stock market. To request a FREE CD that reveals how you can get started with the safe investment of private mortgage loans, call his office at 734-328-6020 or by visiting his website at http://www.InvestInMichigan.org

Cash Loans - Fastest Way to Grab Funds

Urgent cash requirement has cropped up? Need quick funds to tackle sudden expenses? Then in such a situation one external source i.e. cash loans can be easily trusted. You can easily acquire immediate funds to solve small financial problems.

Cash loans require no credit check! This means that bad credit holders can also easily qualify for these loans. Those with bad credit like CCJs, IVA, late payments, arrears, defaults and bankruptcy are acceptable.

As cash loans borrower can borrow an amount ranging from £100-£1500 for a term of 2-4 weeks. The repayment date coincides with your coming payday and is easier to meet. The loan amount can be utilized for meeting various day to day expenses like medical expenses, college fee, utility bills, paying car repair cost and electricity bills. They carry slightly higher rate of interest as they are short term in nature. If you shop around thoroughly then you can probably find a lower rate deal for yourself.

Cash loans have fast approval process they don't require any documentation, paperwork or collateral evaluation. No lengthy formalities make the process much faster and easier. Cash is quickly transferred within 24 hours of approval.

One can easily apply for cash loans through banks, other financial institutions and online. There is a stiff market competition among lenders that allows you to avail a lower rate deal for yourself. But will have to research well before applying. All you have to do is, just fill up a simple online form.

Cash loans can be easily entailed by anyone who fulfills the minimum eligibility criteria:-
• Must be 18 years of age
• Must have regular employment
• Must have an active bank account

They provide quick access to money as they provide borrowers quick and immediate financial aid. Anyone can easily apply for cash loans without wasting much time in complying with lengthy formalities.

Peter Taylor is a senior financial analyst at Fast Cash Loan Tenant with an acumen for finance. In recent years he has taken up to provide financial advice through his articles. His articles are widely read because of the lucid manner of writing. To find Cash loans, tenant loans that best suits your need visit http://www.fastcashloantenant.co.uk/

Surviving the Recession

Surviving the ebbs and flow of economy is much easier when you are prepared for it.
The only mantra to survive during recession is to make smart moves. If you are prepared to handle the situation with all your creativity, things will be at ease. Here are a few important tips to survive and thrive during recession.

• Don't panic, rather keep all your senses open and pay great attention to the market as well on the business news. Only a thorough knowledge about recession will help you to cope up with the situation. Read books, visit public libraries, gather information etc.
• Spend wisely. Make a list of all your necessary investments and act prudently. Always keep an emergency fund with you.
• Money breeds money, try to find out the alternative sectors where you can make money. Be positive and invest in it because recession always creates opportunity. Try to earn as much as possible with all your smart moves and decisions.
• If you loose your job due to recession, never get depressed or feel bad about it. Use for skills to help needy people and try to earn as much as you can. Change your field if you want. Always try to avoid ruining your relationships due to financial problems.
• If somehow you struggle to make mortgage payments, keep calm and think for the best possible option. May be you can opt for extending the mortgage payment period or may be you can temporarily do away with the interest.
• Never try to get your hand on any additional loans or debts. It will only deteriorate your current situation. It is always believed that with the right attitude a frugal lifestyle can have its own pleasures.

About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert in finance industry. She also offers top quality finance articles like :

Weekend Payday Advance, Loan For Bad Credit

Face Your Debt Head On, and Find Consumer Debt Relief Options That Work

In the economy that exists in America today, there are hardly any consumers who can claim that they do not have at least one debt associated to their name. In fact the structure of American society depends on the opportunity to take out credit and thus debt in one’s name in order to get ahead in areas such as a new home or new car. However, now as result of too much available credit, and not enough income, many people find themselves in serious need of consumer debt relief as the debts they have accumulated have outgrown their ability to keep up.

Consumer debt relief is a popular topic, and one that many people need to learn more information on, because there are ways to get out of debt that will clear your credit history and allow you to get back on your feet if you know how to use them. While many people choose to avoid their debt, and the bill collectors who call on a regular basis because they do not see a solution, this is actually the worst tactic you can ever employ, and will never help you to find relief.

If you want to put an end to harassing phone calls, and the empty feeling in the bottom of your stomach every time you open the mailbox, you need to start by seeking the aid of a debt reduction agency. There are many trained counselors who can offer you viable solutions, but until you put the first step forward you will never know what they can offer you. This is why it is important to seek the aid of a debt settlement attorney or counselor as soon as possible if you find yourself dealing with a massive amount of debt.

One great way to find consumer debt relief is to consider applying for a debt relief loan from the federal government. The US government places billions of dollars aside to help people just like you who are facing a massive amount of debt without the means to pay with your current income. If you can prove that you will never be able to pay off your debt with your current loan, you may be eligible for a debt relief loan which will pay off your debt forever and is the ultimate form of consumer debt relief.

However, there are several other ways you can find relief as well if you do not meet the criteria for the grant, such as a debt relief loan. Usually, you will want to consult a debt settlement attorney before securing a debt relief loan because they can negotiate with your creditors to help reduce the amount you owe and make it a more reasonable sum. The advantage you have is you can place the combined lower amount into one location and then begin paying it off over time with a low interest rate at a monthly payment rate you can manage.

For additional on additional Consumer Debt Relief options, please pay a visit to http://www.consumerdebtreliefonline.com

Saving Money For Newbies - 4 Venues For Saving Money

Saving money is basically just setting aside a percentage of current income now to create a financial hedge or surplus for use in the future.

Cash accumulation methogs come in many different forms. Additionally, there are several reasons that people choose to save. However, your method for saving should be based on what you plan to do with the money in the final analysis.

1. Petty Cash Savings Accounts. When saving for just a high ticket item or for a minimal amount of time, or to accumulate an funds as a surplus against emergencies, a passbook savings account is the best method. You should dump bloated items that steal your cash, so that you can sock away at least $1000 into what I call a Rainy Day or Lean Fund. The reason you want to put this in the bank is because it is basically liquid. You can get it very quickly without going through much trouble.

This type of account is only good for short term money savings. You have flexibility with it. You can deposit and withdraw money to your account and earn interest, based on your average daily balance. The interest gained will be very low though because it is not a wealth accumulation vehicle.

If you make a mistake and use more money then what is currently on deposit in your account the bank will charge you an insufficient funds fee as high as $40 per occurrence. The bank will sometimes forgive your error and return this fee if you ask them to. They won't do this for you every month though.

2. Checking accounts that bear interest. The best aspect of having this type of account is the ease of use it offers. You get to transact your daily business through this type of account and earn a bit of interest at the same time. That's a twofer. Generally these types of accounts come with a host of other privileges like checks, online bill payment schematics and Visa and Mastercard based debit cards.

In order for you to not be charged a monthly fee to maintain this account you typically must maintain a daily balance as high as $2,000. Should you be neglectful of this account and become delinquently overdrawn with the bank, you will be reported to ChekSystems. A report to ChekSystems will mean exclusion from having a checking account with virtually every American bank or Credit Union for up to five years or longer depending on the severity of your account abuse.

3. Secured money market accounts (MMA). These accounts are backed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Company and are not as quickly accessible as your general savings or regular petty cash savings account. If you don't need access to this money as much as the funds in your savings account then this is the way you want to go. It offers more return on your deposited dollars but you won't be able to run down to the local ATM to make a fast withdrawal as easily. You will likely have to fill out paperwork and send it in to the company to cash in shares or write one of the limited number of checks that they give you when you first establish this account. If you can allow these funds to stay socked away without regular withdrawals then an MMA is for you.

If you have a larger balance on deposit in this type of account, this means the account will accrue at a higher interest rate. Don't go to the bank for a money market account though. They usually offer considerably less than the money market accounts offered by insurance companies or other investment companies.

4. "CDs" or Certificates of Deposit. This savings venue is attached to a measurement that requires a specified amount of time. You deposit your money in the bank for 30 days up to 5 years and the bank hands you a piece of paper that will mature or be redeemable on a specified date. If you cash in your cd early, you stand to loose money and a penalty may be attached as well. The general rule is the longer you leave it alone to grow the bigger your pot will get.

Keep in mind that usually insurance companies offer better deals on interests compared to banks, so before you invest, compare rates first! However, you should avoid saving your money in a life insurance product. It is wiser to keep your savings and life insurance coverage separate. Otherwise, you will pay higher amounts for your insurance and your money will grow at little or no return for up to three years initially and for the duration of the account compared to other investment alternatives.

Remember, the savings or investment vehicle you choose to use should be based on your overall financial objective. Diversification is not just making sure that you don't put all your eggs in one basket. It also means that you have to look at whether you can afford the risk of losing your total investment.

Did you know that the average financial planner cannot help you if you are already struggling financially? Most of the products that financial planners offer are not good for YOUR financial future but how can you know this? Understand how to manage your monthly finances by signing up fo my free Financial Basics 101 e-book, please visit http://www.financialbasics101.com

Asset Tracking System Online - Ensure Security of Your Assets

Every year, a lot of finances are lost by companies and concerns which invest money in buying assets. How does this happen? Slight carelessness can lead to loss or poor working condition of these assets which thereby causes a loss to the owners. This can be avoided with the help of asset tracking system online which will keep owners updated about the condition and usability of the assets that has been invested in.

There may be companies will still use the traditional methods of audits and spreadsheet tracking of all assets of the company, whether they are gadgets, furniture or even finances and investments. The process is very lengthy and also time and manpower consuming. This can be avoided by the way of getting an asset tracking system online which save a lot of time and inconvenience for the asset owners.

Various software and tools are now available to the asset owners and managers which are easy to use, take up less time and also lesser money to be operated. These tools make up a complete asset tracking system online which enables the managers to view location, movement and all other details about the assets. They can login from anywhere in the world and get updated about the condition of their assets easily.

The asset tracking system online works on the basis of trans-receivers which are fitted on the assets. Whatever usage or movement that happens with the asset is registered automatically in a commonly accessible database which is unalterable. The information also contains important notifications about due dates and warnings which are provided to avoid any inconvenience. Also, different kinds of assets like human resource, digital media, financial assets etc can also be tracked easily with the help of the asset tracking tools.

Asset owners can take benefits from the asset tracking system online easily. Complete convenience is taken care of and information is updated without any hassle or even delay.

John Elliott is an expert in international asset protection strategies. He specializes in wealth protection. For more information about asset tracking system online, asset tray and other services, please visit http://www.safeasset.org/

All Business Facets Benefit From Healthcare Financial Management

With inflation taking a bite out of just about everyone's budgets these days, from single people, to families, to business and government agencies alike, it has become evident that quality healthcare financial management is increasingly important. With so many troubles related to the economy nowadays, and the uncertainty and turmoil that is being experienced by so many, providing good financial management in the healthcare sector is of the utmost importance for all parties involved, from patients to providers to insurance companies.

These days there are a number of financial management services for healthcare that provide specific solutions and have been specially designed for the healthcare organizations and the medical professionals involved in providing care for their patients. While there are many money management software programs and many common needs in the healthcare industry, not all of these solutions are right for every healthcare provider and so it is essential to find the right match in order to gain the best benefits for the situation.

Many of the healthcare financial management companies that offer professional money management services for the healthcare field provide basic, stock solutions that cover the needs and demands of most healthcare groups. These basic managerial solutions more than often will provide all of the functionality that is needed for the majority of healthcare providers.

This is because, in general, there is a great deal of commonality in practices and procedures throughout the healthcare industry, from individual doctors, to clinics, to large hospitals. These operations run under very traditional and standard practices and typically enjoy being able to implement standard managerial solutions, which are very effective in the overall business financial management needs of the organization.

At the same time, as with all companies in the business world, there are those healthcare organizations that have unique and special needs, in terms of the cash management products and financial management solutions that they need. For these providers, there are many healthcare related financial management solutions that can be custom tailored to perfectly match the needs of the business and help the company to reach any unique business objectives that have been set up by the managerial side of the company.

Healthcare related financial management solutions are often able to provide the healthcare organizations with significant savings. There are many clients of some of the best systems available that claim that they were able to save 20% to 50% by using the right services.

The complete healthcare financial management classifications that are available today are fully capable of dealing with every facet of money management for a particular healthcare organization. Some of these functions include medical bill reviewing, medical audits, claims, collections and many other crucial functions that are all absolutely essential to operating a solvent healthcare concern in this day and age.

Educate yourself further about healthcare financial management from Mike Selvon articles portal and download your free audio gift for improved financial money management.

Get the Ultimate Advantage of Modern-Day Banking With Online Banking Services

With the introduction of Internet technology, the world of communication got a new media. Though the primary reason behind the invention of Internet technology is making more smooth and hassles-free communication, but in this contemporary time this media is used for almost all purposes and financial sector is not an exception.

Indian banking sector has witnessed a long history in the past hundred years. Now in this 21st century, the Indian banking scenario has completely changed. Now along with the nationalised banks, several private and even foreign banks have started business in India. To survive in this cut-throat competitive market along with customer satisfaction, banks are emphasising on the quality and variants of services. Now almost all the Indian banks are walking on the contemporary age of advanced technological revolution and offering their customers the Online banking services.

The Online banking services are basically those services by which one can access his/her bank account and general information on banking products through computer or other intelligent devices with the help of Internet. Indian banks provide different kinds of services under Online banking. Among those some of the most popular and common services are Cash management, Automated clearinghouse (ACH) transactions, Bill presentment and payment and Wire transfer. Apart from these, through Online banking services one will be able to make balance enquiry, download transaction information, accomplish investment activities and other value-added services, bill presentation and payment, loan applications, funds transfer and so on. So, it is clearly understandable that the Online banking services in India give you all sort of services that you can get from bank.

It has been noticed that for the last few years the popularity of Online banking services in India has grown-up in an amazing fashion. The primary reasons behind it is the advantages that are given by the banks through this service. The primary advantage the customers get is saving on time. By going this media, one doesn't need to visit the bank physically and wait for making transaction and so on; all the banking works can be done just by doing few clicks. The second most important benefit the users get is the option of accessibility world-wide. As the whole system is being operated through the Internet, you will get the opportunity to accomplish your banking work from anywhere in the world, where the Internet is accessible. Now in this modern age with the blessing of advanced mobile technology, even you can do your banking work while on your move.

But when it comes to Online banking, one should make some very clear points in mind. Some of those most important points are - not accessing the Online banking services from Cyber Cafes, protection of PIN number, avoiding of replying unknown email regarding finance query and so on.

The features of Online banking services are broadly categorised under few categories, like Electronic bill presentation and payment (EBPP), Fund Transfer, Investment purchase and sell, loan applications and transactions etc. Among all these it has been seen that the demands of Online investment is increasing day-by-day. Through the Online service one will be able to make even a fixed term deposit with ease.

So, from the above discussion one thing is quite clear that to get the ultimate advantage of advanced banking services nothing but the Online banking services would be the best option for you.

For more to know on online banking, fixed deposit just visit paisawaisa.com, where you'll find all the information you need.

Online Financial News - Easily Upgrade Your Financial Knowledge

Everybody needs finance to live happily. Finance can fulfill small and big needs easily. People work non-stop to earn income. It is important that one should stay updated with financial news all the time in order to grow more and to enhance their lifestyle. Earlier it was tough for people to keep themselves updated with financial news but with the blooming internet technology staying updated with finance news has become easier and convenient. Online financial news helps the people to upgrade their finance related knowledge in an efficient way.

The online financial news help to keep the various professionals, businessmen and even students to stay updated with the current happenings of various business and financial sectors. In order to grow in life and to make your dream come true staying upgraded with the currents trends can preferred to be the best option. With the help of online mode you can find there are various sites available, which are ready to advance your financial knowledge with a simple click of mouse.

In this fast pace of life and huge competition, staying updated with the latest trends can prove to be helpful in various ways. After liberalization and globalization the economy of the country is at the highest peak which has enhanced the business opportunities for the people. So, in order to manage these opportunities in better way, online financial news can prove to be an effective option to boost up relations with each other in terms of financial business activities.

The online financial news sites offer you the latest financial news around the world, while just sitting at the comfort from your home. You are suggested to do the research well and understand the concepts and motives behind financial news carefully. In this way only you can select the appropriate deal according to your requirements.

Online financial news educates the people with latest financial news that can help them to secure their future and expand their business accordingly. These sites enhance the knowledge of the people about financial market so that they cannot get mislead or puzzled while taking decision. These sites have solution for all financial queries of the people.

William Black has no formal degree in finance, but years of work that he has put in the finance industry makes him perfectly eligible to be called an expert in financial matters. To find online financial news, unsecured loans, personal loans, bad credit loans, cash loans visit http://www.infoaboutloans.co.uk/

Stocks, Bonds, and Mutual Funds Explained

Do you ever feel financially illiterate? Do you turn on CNBC only find yourself completely dumbfounded by what they are saying? Do you wish you at least new something about investing so that you could chat with your friends about the 'markets'? Don't worry, the basics aren't as hard as you think.

If you want to invest in the stock market, you have to know a little about what you are doing. When a company goes public, they begin to sell shares of stock on a public stock exchange such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). One share of stock has a price which continually fluctuates on a daily basis. Your goal is to buy a share of stock at one price, and then sell the share at a higher price on a later date.

Owning a share of stock means you own part of the company. The firm issues stock in order to raise money for their company to grow. If you own stock, you are a shareholder. As a shareholder, you are able to vote in the company and have some say. Although, usually you just vote on who you want to be on the board of directors, and they make decisions for the firm.

A stock is considered an equity security because you own part of the company. A bond is considered a debt security because you lend the company money, you don't own any of it. You can buy bonds from the government, state, bank, or a corporation. If you buy a bond for $1,000 that matures in 10 years with an effective interest rate of 5% paid annually, every year you will receive $50 until the 10 years are up at which time they will pay you back the $1,000.

You can hold bonds to maturity or you can buy and sell them. Bonds bought from the government usually have little to no risk. Corporate and municipal bonds have a rating that will tell you how risky they are. For example, an AAA bond has very little risk, but will usually not give you a very high return. A bond that is rated at BB or lower is considered a junk bond because it has high risk but potential for a very high return.

A mutual fund is a mix of stocks, bonds, or both. You give your money to a mutual fund manager who pools your money in with other people's money. He buys stocks and/or bonds that he feels will get a high return. Mutual funds are beneficial because you are able to diversify your money, meaning you reduce your risk by investing in many different securities or investments. No-load mutual funds are popular because they don't charge fees which puts more money back into your pocket.

If you are still looking for different ways of investing money and you want to learn more about investing and how you can start, go to LearnAboutInvesting.info

Choosing the Right Broker For Your Needs

What we want is a kindly figure who will listen intently to our financial history and then harness extensive knowledge, experience and a measure of second sight to draw up a plan guaranteeing us a happy and secure life. Not too much to ask is it? Well, such individuals do exist.

They are called personal accountants, and those who, measure up to the description above don't come cheap. They are not to be confused with financial advisers, who will be happy to select a suitable product for you in a particular field, such as investment or insurance.

Don't expect a personal accountant to change your life; they may save you some legwork, and perhaps that the rap if things go wrong. After all, pensions and endowment policy miss selling really did happen. But that begs the question: is there really such a thing as objective advice out there? How much does it cost, and can anyone do much more than lick a finger and stick it up to the wind? First, let's pin down who's who.

FINANCIAL ADVISERS

'Financial advisers' is a term that embraces several species- Independent Financial Advisers (IFA), tied agents, appointed representatives and brokers. While it might seem blunt, one of your first questions to anyone offering information or advice should be:

" What are you?" advisers must tell you clearly what their interest is."

INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISERS

IFAs, as their name suggests, should be in a position to look at any companies or products on the market and find those that suit you best. IFAs who advise on investments, such as shares and collective funds, pensions, or equity-based life insurance, must be authorised by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and abide by its regulations.

IFAs who advise only on loans, mortgages, non- investment-based insurance or bank and building society accounts do not have to be FSA-authorised and are covered by separate code of practice, depending on their area of expertise. Many of these advisers are due to be regulated by the FSA from 2004.

TIED AGENTS

Don't expect tied agents to check out the whole spectrum of products on your behalf. They usually advise on those of a single company (except in case of stakeholder pensions, where they can 'adopt' the offerings of other providers), so should at least know their products thoroughly. They may be employed by the provider, or simply act as agent and collect commission on sales. Banks and Building societies, estate agents and travel agents often act as tied agents. As with IFAs, tied agents are expected to make the effort to understand your requirements and to politely turn away if none of their products is suitable. Yes, honestly!

APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVES

Here's where the water starts to get muddier because appointed representatives are self-employed individuals who may act either as tied agents for a particular company, or for a firm of IFAs. If it's the latter, they can easily give the impression of being IFAS in their own right, but it is illegal for them not to be straight with you about their status.

BROKERS

Brokers again may have ties with certain companies or be independent. They normally specialise-often in investments, insurance or mortgages- and will, therefore, claim to have the greater knowledge than IFAs, who may cover a wide range of financial products.

Some product providers will deal only through brokers, because it saves them a high-street presence and they can, in theory, pass their savings in overheads on to you. Many brokers also form relationships with providers, which allows them to obtain products at preferential rates. If not regulated by the FSA they are covered by bodies such as the Mortgage Code Compliance Board.

DISCOUNT BROKERS

Further confusing the issue when it comes to investments are discount brokers. They operate on an execution-only' basis, which means they are not allowed to offer more than general information on products, as opposed to individual advise tailored to your own circumstances. Their selling point is that they rebate all or part of their initial commission when you buy a product such as a ISAs, making their money later on renewal commissions from the provider. Discount brokers may also act as IFAs and offer personal advice, but you can't then claim discounts.

So you need help to find a particular product-who you should you consult? For collective-fund investments or pensions, choose an authorised IFA or an appointed representative for a firm of IFAs. For mortgages, you may be best approaching specialist brokers, but check whether they are independent or tied to particular companies.

Liza Mathers writes for Seek4finance. Our visitors can apply online for a range of personal finance, solutions including personal loans, mortgages, credit cards, savings, current accounts and investment information. Visit http://www.seek4finance.co.uk today.

Guaranteed Business Loan Company

Any entrepreneur, new or established, has a need for cash flow to facilitate the smooth running of the business. However, funds may not always be available when you need it. We understand your business needs and provide you the answer to all your monetary concerns with our UK business loans.

You can realize your business dreams and be your own boss with quick business loans in UK. It's time to put your million dollar idea into action today! Uncertainty is a part of all our lives. You would have incurred a bad credit rating due to your past financial mistakes but that need not deny you fast business loan. You need not continue to be in penury, climb out of your bad credit situation.

CCJs, mortgage arrears, defaults on loan payments, bankruptcy etc? Don't be! Business finance can help you with competitive deals on small business loan bad credit so you can go ahead and set up your business, with the funding that you need despite your credit challenges.

Get instant business loans at flexible terms and conditions. In addition to this online interest rates are incredibly low which adds up to a TRULY LOW COST quick business loan. Whatever the range of your loan requirements, you can get them easily through online lenders. You could also benefit from the trustworthy advice offered by online specialist advisors.

Strike a balance in your business life too!

Execute your innovative ideas with the help of cheap financial support. Unsecured business loans can be used for almost any purpose including small business start up or expansion, purchase or lease of machinery, remodeling, marketing or even maintaining cash flow in your business. With an unsecured business loan you don't require to offer security to get yourself a loan.

The greatest benefit of business loan unsecured is that you dont't have to fear repossession of your property, although lenders can take legal action against you, if you fail to keep up with your loan repayments. It depends on your reputation and standing in the business field and your past credit record. Interest rates on your business loan unsecured also depends on the amount you want to borrow. Whatever your needs or circumstances, online experts can help you with unsecured business loan + “35000” or any amount for your needs.

Always do some research on your own, before you take that plunge. Compare different loan terms and conditions and choose the right loan for your self. Seek assistance from the online experts too.

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Protect Your Investment - Escrow It

For Internet auctions and other Internet transactions, where there is sometimes an element of fraud, a buyer would not have to make a direct money transfer to the seller. Escrow companies will ensure that such Internet sales transactions are completed; and only after the arrival of the goods will the buyer be paid.

In addition to reputable escrow providers, there are also a number of fraudulent escrow services, which have been known to pay the money into their own pocket. Often these fraudsters work on Internet auctions and offer attractive bargains with the use of dubious escrow services. It is in effect the seller's own escrow page, if the payment is sent the buyer does not receive the goods or his money back.

How can you protect yourself from fraudulent escrow providers? The occurrence of fraudulent escrow sites can be either a bad quality site or an exact copy of Internet sites from reputable escrow providers. Nevertheless, there are indications of which companies are trusted escrow suppliers who use the best source code escrow transactions.

Make sure that you have chosen an escrow provider with an existing physical address and telephone number. Do not use the escrow company if you call and there is only a voicemail response with unsatisfactory information. Send an e-mail enquiry to the escrow service provider to see whether you receive a satisfactory response.

Avoid escrow pages that end in .Org, escrow services are for-profit companies, the extension .Org is reserved for non-profit organizations. Escrow providers have a clearly defined bank account to which payments will be paid. Escrows asking for go-between or similar transfer systems are most likely fraudulent in nature.

Some fraudulent escrow sites often give a real registration number which a reputable escrow provider owns. If the same registration number belongs to a different escrow site it is a fraudulent offer; the number is easily checked with a quick search.

Reliable companies utilize a complex source code, escrowtransactions are secured with highly efficient and secure software, escrow is an excellent way to insure the safety of your online transaction, and only a little caution is required when choosing the correct escrow company.

Darrell F writing about software escrow and the popular source code escrow.

Credit Card Debt Can Be Reduced!

While credit cards are convenient and give you instant gratification, credit card debt is a huge problem in modern societies. If not used wisely they lead to overspending money you still do not have. Spending just because you can is never a wise move. Mounting credit card debt, especially if you have more than one card, may be a disaster if you can not pay off the balance of them all each month.

Now is the time to take control of your financial future. If you need to use credit to buy everything you want, do you actually need it? Or is it a want? Look at consolidating your credit card debt into one low interest payment and throw the rest of your credit cards out. Only keep one with a low minimum balance. Keep the limit close to an amount you can pay off in no more than two months. Once you only have one payment, you can afford to increase your monthly payment to pay your credit card debt off more quickly.

There is nothing worse than the pressure of several maxed out credit cards and the resulting credit card debt. Get your spending under control. The financial pressure it adds to your life is just not worth it. Use your credit card for emergencies. Stop spending beyond your means or you may find yourself trying to avoid bankruptcy next. Start a financial plan - start a spreadsheet on your incomings and outgoings, and record everything you spend for a month. Absolutely everything - takeaway food, bills, outings - every single cent you spend. And, don't cheat. The only person you cheat is yourself. At the end of the month, take a look at what you spent. How does it look? How much was on essential items?

food, utilities, loan payments? Now look at where you spent the rest - how much could you have lived without? Take a long hard look and be honest about it. I'll bet there is a lot you don't need that could be put towards your credit card debt.

Plan your future and live within your means. And stick to your budget to avoid more credit card debt. Paying your credit cards weekly will help pay your credit card debt off quickly and no more will you fear your monthly credit card bill. It will give you freedom to save for the future and achieve bigger dreams and goals. It will also give you an excellent credit rating to help you make your financial dreams come true. No-one is going to do it for you. So what are you waiting for? To head straight into bankruptcy because you don't know what to do? Get out there and deal with your credit card debt.

Always pay the credit card with the highest interest rate first. This is just commonsense. Do you even know what the rates are on your credit card debt? Maybe you should check then you'll pull your head out of the sand and get your finances back in order. Get rid of all those credit cards, take control of your life and have a wonderful future.

Discover how to avoid defaulting on credit card debt, and financial ruin. At their site http://debtmediators.com.au Debt Mediators offer professional help to Australians in need.

More Money, More Problem? Try on Expat Offshore Banking

How to protect your heard-earned money when you happen to be an expat?

Someone who's thousands of miles away from your country that you have grown so familiar and so comfortable with and now in a country where you still feel to be a stranger?

Well, actually you might be surprised to find out that when it comes to expat offshore banking, you have got all the aces. No kidding. You are in a very advantageous position because as an expat you have the liberty to make a choice where to entrust all cash.

More money, more problem, eh?

With expat offshore banking, the international financial market lay down at your feet to be of service. Try to keep that in mind so you won't have any of those sleepless nights.

Expatriates can take full advantage of the investment and tax benefits during the time they will spend living in a foreign land by availing the services of an offshore banking system. One of the perks that can be gained from expat offshore banking is that there is no need for those in the offshore jurisdiction to render an authorization or consent. An expat can freely enjoy the services of offshore banks directly together with the following other advantages:

• Confidentiality
• Accessibility
• Efficiency of Tax
• Flexibility

One thing more, the money is just but a thousand and one other things that you need to consider that's why there's a need for an expat international travel guide to generally guide you along the way. Like for starters, the general do's and don't to in your new found home like doing what is acceptable to the society and avoiding what is deemed to be taboo.

The expat international travel guide will scrap away the ignorant traveler/foreigner on you and therefore will help you survive life in general in the concrete jungle. Like a compass, such travel guides will tell you when and how to respond appropriately to certain situations like when:

• dining out
• shopping
• asking for directions or other form of help
• striking a conversation
• general interaction with others and so on

For certain, expat international travel guide will bring you to places minus all the hassles. Now that you know these tidbits of information, do yourself a favor by researching more on offshore banking and international guides for expats like you.

Sturat Mitchel is an Experience article writer and very interested in writing on topics like offshore banking and international travel tips

Rising CEO Pay - What Directors Should Do

Every American corporation mandates the pay structure of CEOs through its board of directors. The board of directors is responsible to dictate the CEO's pay based on his or her performance. More than 60 percent of all the American corporations have a CEO who serves as a chairman as well as a chief executive officer. So, the individual who chairs the board is largely left responsible for his or her own pay scale and bonuses.

Quite surprisingly, CEO's of major American companies' average more than $10 million in wages and bonus. This means the pay scale is 350 times more that what an average full-time American worker makes.

According to a study published by the National bureau of economic research "the increase in pay of senior executives and superstars in other fields has been a major source of rising inequality of wages in the United States. The reputation of American business, already scarred by corporate scandals, is continuing to get degenerated because of rising income inequality.

Due to expressive shareholders outrage and media attention, there has been a growing concern among board of directors to consider the issue seriously. The main reason for raising the CEO pay is the fear of losing an effectively performing CEO and to make sure this does not happen; compensation committees rely on surveys by consultants who prepare a report stating a higher CEO pay in similar companies disregarding the performance of a company. The survey shows that every CEO is placed in the upper quartile as a compensation committee of any company in America does not want to admit that its CEO is below the median.

To solve the problem of rising CEO pay, the board of directors should recognize the mistakes of the surveys conducted by consultants and should at a minimum insist on surveys that rely on company's performance. Moreover, compensation committees should focus on shareholders acceptance. Board of directors should also align the pay scale with what is earned by the top management of the company.

About Author: Pauline Go is an online leading expert in finance industry. She also offers top quality financial tips like :
Payday Loan Tips, Research On Inflation And Collective Bargaining

Benefits of Online Banking

Believe it or not online banking has existed globally in some form since the early Eighties, in particular with the Videotex system. Unfortunately it eventually turned out to be a major flop, apart from in France. Luckily, almost three decades on, online security has dramatically increased allowing online banking to flourish.

The most notable security advancement is the implementation of SSL security, which stores all secure data remotely and can apply scripts to it, for example checking current balance. The encrypted information is then sent securely back to the user. Users can check the webpage and data they are sending is secured by ensuring there is a padlock symbol displayed in their browser.

Online banking has really only taken off in the last decade, when the first internet only banks started, including Egg, First-e and the Smile. Smile was the first full internet bank account, now owned by the co-operative is award winning and known for its corporate social responsibility.

Now a days online banking is just as strong as ever. All the major high-street banks also offer a special internet account or at least the option of online banking. The attraction of an online bank account is mainly ease and speed of access, paperless accounting and primarily more competitive interest rates available.

Due to the nature of online banking and the potential for illicit activities to take place, online banking has constantly been a target by thieves and cyber criminals. The security precautions employed by banks are considered the strongest in the world, therefore canny hackers tend to prefer targeting less aware customers.

A common attempt to obtain bank account information is to create look a like websites, impersonating the genuine bank websites, known as phishing. This technique can easily deceive experienced web users who would not consider themselves at high risk of being caught out. Once a customer opens the website they believe to be the banks, they often enter their personal details such as usernames, pin numbers or passwords. Your confidential details are then sent directly to the criminals who would attempt to use your details themselves.

Banks and security corporations are in an ongoing struggle to protect their customers and their funds from external threats. The latest innovation aimed at increasing online safety is the introduction of security tokens, a physical device that an authorized user of computer services is given to aid in authentication

So what is the future of online banking? Well the simple answer is as secure as your money is, exceptionally. With increasingly complicated security algorithms and authentication systems being developed, external threats are diminishing. Additionally new approaches of online banking are emerging, in particular mobile banking, definitely a technology we will become accustomed to and probably not live without over the forthcoming decade. If you are pursuing a career which will be as secure as your money, why not look into banking jobs, in particular online banking jobs?

Charlie Newman writes on behalf of the Commercial Finance People. With the latest advice & career options for banking & finance professionals & a comprehensive job search, find your next banking job here. http://www.commercialfinancepeople.co.uk/banking-jobs/

No Credit Check Loans - Hassle Free Finance Without Credit Woes

Now it is possible for a borrower with severe credit problems to obtain funds without the fear of getting rejected. The loans are especially aimed towards those who have a history of adverse credit or no credit at all. No credit check loans facilitate smooth movement of cash, which then enables the borrower to meet their needs at relatively easy terms and conditions.

These loans are of good help when the borrower is facing severe financial crisis. The amount obtained under these loans can be used for paying medical bills, home improvement, wedding, consolidating debts, educational purposes etc. Moreover by ensuring timely repayment of the borrowed amount, the borrowers in particular have a chance to improve their credit score.

As per their needs and requirement, borrower can obtains the funds through these loans in secured and unsecured form. Those who are looking for bigger amount along with cheap rates can opt for the secured form of the loans. However to avail the loan option, borrower has to pledge one of the valuable asset as collateral, which can be a home, car or any real estate property. Usually, through this loan option borrower can raise amount in the range of £5000-£75000 which has to be repaid over a period of 5- 25 years.

For those borrowers, who are looking for small finances and are not willing to attach any collateral can go for unsecured form of the loans. The amount is advanced on the basis of borrowers' income and repaying capability. Through this loan form, an amount in the range of £1000-£25000 can be availed for a reimbursement period of 6months-10 years. However, these loans carry a slightly high rate of interest as the amount is approved without any collateral. although a proper research will assist the borrowers to obtain competitive rates.

Finding a convenient deal is now quite an easy task with the online mode. as the online market is full of lenders offering the loans, a proper study of the rate quotes of various lenders will help you spot lenders offering these loans at competitive rates.

With no credit check loans, a borrower with credit problems or no credit can generate financial support without facing too many obstacles.

Ashley P Lewis is a debt consolidator and advisor and has been dealing with various finance programs. If you want to know more about No Credit Check Loans, Loans UK, Personal Loans UK, Secured Loans, Loansx you can visit http://www.loansx.co.uk/

Consolidate Your Worries Through Unemployed Debt Consolidation Loans

These days one cannot guarantee a job just because you are educated and have got a higher degree. Your qualification is not of concern at times with the job demand higher then the actual availability. Under these circumstances many of us end up unemployed. Being unemployed after a good education does not hold pride but it is not in our hands. But many students would have taken up loans to study and these loans need to be paid off. These loans may be from various lenders and with a high interest rate. The debts because of these loans end up on a higher note and still repayment is a question mark. To help students out of this mess and make their life a lot better, student unemployed debt consolidation has been devised.

Under this debt consolidation plan, lenders offer loans to students to clear off all their loans so that they can be debt free. This loan is specially designed for the students and so only students can avail it. These loans are available at a comparatively lower rate of interest. You have the secured student unemployed debt consolidation and the unsecured student unemployed debt consolidation. For the secured loan you need to place a collateral in the form of your house, car etc while for the unsecured loan you don't need any collateral. The interest rate for the unsecured loan is slightly higher then that for the unsecured loan. Availing this loan does not need your physical presence. You just need a computer and internet connection. With advancement in technology, lenders have started asking for loan application online. You also get details of the loan online so you can complete your search without actually moving around and get the best.

Abner Cassa has years of experience in the field of finance. He has been working as a top advisor for loans and business finance. To find Unsecured Loans For Unemployed UK and Unemployed loans then visit http://www.unsecuredloansforunemployed.co.uk

Your Ike Silver Dollar - How Much Is It Worth?

So, you've stumbled across an Ike Dollar, and now you want to find out how much it's worth. Well, you've come to the right place. Identifying the value of any coin is very important. By doing so, you can be assured that the coin you are selling is worth the amount paid. It can also help you when you're buying coins, as knowing the value will assure you that you are getting your money's worth, and are not paying for overpriced coins.

But before going into that, here are some facts about the Ike Silver Dollar.

During the years 1971-1978, the U.S. government issued out the Eisenhower Dollar. It was the first U.S. dollar that did not make use of a precious metal. In fact, it was composed of 100% copper, with its outer layer composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel.

But, there were also silver-copper issues released by the U.S. government. These silver-copper issues, or what we call the Ike Silver Dollar coins, were especially minted for the purpose of selling to collectors. They were minted at San Francisco, at years 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1976. These coins were either proof (Brown Ikes) or uncirculated (Blue Ikes).

What are Ike Silver Dollar specifications?

The coin's diameter is 38.1 mm, and weighs 24.59 grams. It's composed of .800 silver, .200 copper bonded to .209 silver. Aggregate 60% copper and 40% silver. Its Net Weight is .3161 ounce pure silver, or 9.841 grams. It has a reeded edge.

Why it's worth collecting

The Ike Silver Dollar will always hold a special place in the heart of any American coin collector. The Ike Dollar of 1971-1976 holds the largest portrait of a president, or any real person for that matter, to ever appear on a regular-issue American coin. It is also considered very unique, since it is the last of the great traditional size 38 mm silver dollar series.

How to tell its worth

Identifying the value of your Ike Silver Dollar is not as easy as you think it is. You have to consider factors like year of minting, exactly what variety it is, and also the condition.

Most of the Ike silver dollars are in banged up or worn condition. In this case, it could be worth just the face value or maybe a bit more basing on the silver content. But even with that, it isn't much since the coin is really not made up of 90% silver.

Those Ike silver dollars that are in mint state condition will have a higher value, probably around $50+, again depending on its date, exact grade, and grading company.

Those with lower grades but are uncirculated can still cost you about $10 or more. Those that are circulated are probably worth $1, unless you have the rare ones that command a premium. These rare coins include 1972 type 2, type 3, and 1976 type 1. These coins sell for a little over its face value.

So, although the Ike dollar is really not worth much, it can still be a fun coin to collect. Remember, they are the last of the big and heavy dollar coins produced in the U.S., so you can keep it as a treasured memento.

Learn more about the Eisenhower Silver Dollar, as well as all of the earlier silver dollars and those currently being minted in the United States at: http://www.SilverDollarCoins.Info

Exchange Traded Funds - Today's Alternative to Mutual Funds

Exchange traded funds are becoming more popular every day. Many of the large investing web sites have whole sections dedicated to the topic of exchange traded funds (or ETFs as they are commonly labelled.) Why all the attention to this new class of investments.

Some Advantages of ETFs

The most widely touted advantage of ETFs is that they generally are not actively managed, and so they tend to have extremely low expenses, since they don't need to compensate a fund manager. For those looking to invest in a fund that primarily tracks on of the major indices, this is a great way to get the same returns with no lost performance from paying fees.

Exchange traded funds are not offered through a mutual fund company, but instead are traded on the stock exchanges. This has some advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that they can be traded any time during the trading sessions of the stock exchanges, so you don't have to wait for the market close to get in or out of a fund. One disadvantage to this is that you get a bid/ ask spread on a trade, that is the price to buy or the price to sell are not exactly the same. This is known as slippage, and can have noticeably negative impact on your returns if you are trading in and out of the market frequently.

Finally, there is a large variety of fund investments. You can invest in the major indices, or you can pick a smaller, more targeted sector, like the financial stocks or real estate stocks. You can target a region of the world, or a specific country like Germany or China. For a truly diversified portfolio, you can even allocate some of your funds to commodities like gold or silver, as there are funds that track the prices of these as well.

We provide information on the best ways to manage your exchange traded fund investments, including finding the best ETFs. Get more information regarding exchange traded funds.

How Financial Advisors Can Stop Striking Out - One Financial Advisor At a Time

The financial industry must continue to ask itself, "Why does the public needs us?"

I know this question makes many financial advisors feel uncomfortable. But if we do not continue to ask ourselves this question, we could find ourselves out of a job. Why?

Whether we ask ourselves this question or not, others are asking it.

This perennial question of, "Why does the public need stockbrokers and financial advisors" has been raised again by three professors in their paper, "Assessing the Costs and Benefits of Brokers in the Mutual Fund Industry."

In this paper, professors Bergstresser, Tufano, and Chalmers uncovered why consumers pay advisors to choose mutual funds for them. What they found does not reflect well upon the financial advisor community.

Do Financial Advisors Help Clients Choose Better or Better Performing Mutual Funds?

Most financial advisors tell clients that their chosen funds will perform better than direct purchase mutual funds. Unfortunately, Bergstresser, Tufano and Chalmers found the reverse to be true.

They found that investors suffer by paying on average 3.6 percentage points in front-end load fees, as well as higher annual marketing costs in the form of 12b-1 fees. They also found that the financial advisor recommended funds underachieved as compared to the direct purchase mutual funds.

In a recent year, not only did investors pay about $15 billion in sales charges and 12b-1 fees, but they spent an additional $24 billion on management fees. Think about this, these investors spent nearly as much paying advisors to find the funds as they did to the money managers to manage the funds. With this being the case, financial advisors had better do a great job finding funds for their clients.

Did they?

Investors who bought directly from the mutual funds earned almost a half a percent higher than those that had advisor recommended funds. If you took out index funds, the gap was almost two thirds of a point.

But wait there's more!

These differences were calculated before accounting for 12b-1 fees. When included, funds bought directly beat advisor recommended funds by almost a full one point.

So Why Do Investors Use Financial Advisors to Pick Their Mutual Funds and Investments?

The average mutual fund investor is higher educated and wealthier than the average consumer. So it can't be because they don't think they're capable of doing it themselves.

I believe one of the authors of the study to be charitable when he hypothesized that advisors bring a service to their clients by taking the emotion out of investing. Though when you look at the data, it appears that investors using advisors chase short-term returns as much a self-directed investors. And yes, it was found that advisors are as likely to chase short-term returns as anyone.

This study uncovered yet more unflattering details. It found evidence that brokers usually recommend funds with higher loads. So not only do advisors generally not pick the best mutual funds, they also recommend underperforming funds with a preference to higher sales loads. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why too many advisors do this.

The question is, what as an industry are we going to do about it?

What You Can Do as a Financial Advisor to Change How People Perceive You

Every change starts with one person.

How much research are you doing for your clients? Whether consciously or unconsciously, are you recommending funds with higher fees? Are you providing service equal to the amount of extra fees a client pays for the funds you recommend?

Only you can answer these questions

We are in the information age.

Studies like "Why does the public need stockbrokers and financial advisors" are going to come around, become distributed and get publicized more often. You might as well get used to it.

As financial advisors we need to step up to the plate and start doing the right thing by our clients or we're going to find ourselves out of business, one advisor at a time.

The public does not mind paying fees. What they do mind is an advisor not disclosing the fees. If we think we are worth the fees, then as financial advisors we should feel no need to hide the fees. Instead, we should fully disclose them and explain to our clients why our advice is worth it.

The public knows that we do not have a crystal ball that enables us to find the best performing mutual funds going forward. But the public does become suspicious when all the funds we choose have higher than average expense and sales charges.

There is an ever so slowly growing trend toward full disclosure vs. casual disclosure by advisors in the financial industry. Another movement gaining speed is that of formal fiduciary relationships with clients. Both these movements assure a long and profitable partnership between advisors and their investor clients.

I hope you join me as part of this trend of full disclosure and fiduciary responsibility, for everybody's sake.

About the Author:
By becoming an expert, Top Financial Advisor Coach, Jim Dew MBA, ChFC made over $3MM last year helping financial advisors just like you grow their businesses exponentially. Now, you can take his free quiz and receive an individualized report back within 24 hours detailing your strengths and weaknesses. Then use this report to boost your marketing and profitability to the next level. Take the quiz now at 300financial.com

Purchase Order Financing - Easy Money

According to Dictionary.com, the word easy has about 17 definitions. The most relevant definitions are:

"1. Not hard or difficult; 6. Not burdensome or oppressive; 7. Not difficult to influence or overcome; 11. Not tight or constricting; 14. In commerce it means not difficult to obtain." As used in this article, easy money is meant to convey the idea that, notwithstanding these very difficult times in 2008 where money is tight and difficult to obtain, under certain circumstances a business that sells products to other businesses can easily obtain money to grow exponentially.

On our planet earth, man did not invent money for thousands of years. As civilizations and nation states developed, man learned how to trade and barter for goods that they needed. Money was invented to solve the problems of bartering. There basically was a timing issue between, for instance, farmers having a crop to trade for what they wanted when they needed it. The invention and acceptance of gold and silver coins helped to overcome this timing mismatch. The farmer could sell crops for gold and trade gold, when needed, for the other things they required.

Paper money was invented for many reasons, not the least of which is to avoid the inconvenience of carrying around a large amount of gold or silver. Paper money is easier to hide. Until the early 1900's in the United States paper money could actually be redeemed for gold. During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt in 1933 passed laws outlawing the ownership of more that $100 of gold by individuals. By the turn of the century, the U.S. government discovered easy money. No longer restricted by the need for physical gold reserves, the government printing presses churned out however much money as they needed; and the politicians invented schemes such as the sale of government bonds, government loans of various kinds, and control of the money supply through twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks to manage the nation's economy and money supply.

Our government's easy money in fact is causing every American a very steep price. As the world economy realizes our money has less worth, we are charged more for imports such as gas, clothes, and food; if we travel abroad, in Europe for instance, we find that it takes about one and a half U.S. dollars to purchase a single Euro, the currency of Europe. In effect, European hotels, restaurants, goods and services cost fifty percent more for Americans because of the weakness in our dollar. Ironically, U.S. musicians make more money in Europe than they can make in America because it costs less to pay them "in dollars". In spite of this economic situation, many U.S. businesses are innovative, creative and ready to grow at a very rapid pace. Purchase Order Financing can be the easy money solution to rapid growth requirements.

Why does it work? Purchase order financing solves the timing problem to pay a manufacturer for goods before the buyer pays the seller for the product just like paper money and gold solved the barter timing mismatch problem. One real world example is the case of a company that developed popular products for dogs and cats. Most of their customers were small stores. One day they received a huge order from a big box store that would virtually double their business on a monthly basis. The business did not have the cash to fulfill the order. Purchase order financing provided the solution to their cash flow shortage to pay for the manufacture of the products and get the goods shipped to the big box customer.

How does it work? A letter of credit is issued to the manufacturer to guarantee payment. The costs of goods are paid to the manufacturer as soon as the goods are delivered, in the example above, to the big box store. An account receivable financing arrangement is created to pay for the purchase order and letter of credit side of the transaction. When the buyer pays the accounts receivable, the lender, generally a finance company or bank subsidiary, is paid pursuant to the contract and the profits are rebated to the seller.

Why is it easy money? Because the credit of the seller is not the main criteria to secure the financing; the credit of the buyer is used to support the financing. Nevertheless, good character and experience are important to lenders. During the due diligence process lenders need to determine that no prior UCC-1 liens exist with respect to the company. If there are serious credit issues such as bankruptcy, the approval of a bankruptcy court for the debtor in possession would be required. These types of situations would not typically be approved by a Bank, but the financing is still relatively easy to obtain considering the circumstances. And it is available if virtually unlimited amounts of capital. As the business grows so to will the finance facility grow so long as the purchase orders are from solid, creditworthy entities.

In 1959 Barry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, and Janie Bradford wrote a song called "Money" (That's What I Want). The song was the first big hit for the record label. It was covered by the Beatles in 1963. Everyone wants easy money. Here are the lyrics:

The best things in life are free
But you can keep 'em for the birds and bees
Now give me money (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want), yeah
That's what I want

Your lovin' gives me a thrill
But your lovin' don't pay my bills
Now give me money (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want), yeah
That's what I want

Money don't get everything, it's true
What it don't get, I can't use
Now give me money (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want), yeah
That's what I want

Well, now give me money (that's what I want)
A lot of money (that's what I want)
Whoa, yeah, you owe me money (that's what I want)
Oh, now give me money (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want), yeah
That's what I want.

The bottom line: Purchase Order Financing is easy money compared to traditional bank financing. Similar to the government printing presses for paper money, purchase order financing combined with accounts receivable financing, or factoring, can be a source of virtually unlimited cash for your business. Is that what you want?

Copyright © 2008 Gregg Financial Services

Mr. Elberg is a licensed attorney and licensed real estate broker. Gregg Financial Services is a full service brokerage for commercial finance companies and banks that fund B2B businesses. Mr. Elberg arranges funding from $25,000 to $50 million per month at competitive pricing, and works to reduce your financing costs as your company grows. For more information about GFS, please visit our website: http:http://www.greggfinancialservices.com

5 Reasons Why You're Better Off With A Joint Mortgage

House prices today have been described as being extortionate. In fact the average house price is about £180,000 which is about 8 times an average persons salary. Whilst those that have been lucky enough to get onto the property ladder in the early days when it was possible to get a mortgage and still have money in your account, nowadays many people are struggling to save up enough of a deposit to put down on a mortgage, let alone borrow the large amount of money that will actually allow them to buy a house or flat.

All mortgage lenders are happy to provide a joint mortgage. The incomes of each applicant are combined and then multiplied by a figure to come to the total amount they are willing to offer you. Most lenders will times this total figure by two and a half times the amount, but some will often multiply it by three and a half times the amount. If a married couple have a combined salary of £40,000 they could borrow anywhere between £100,000 and £140,000 for a property.

Deposit

Having more people save up for a deposit towards their mortgage can be so much easier than one person trying desperately to save by themselves. Having 2 people saving £2500 each is much easier than one person trying to save up £5000 for a deposit on a property. The bigger the deposit you can put on a mortgage, the more money you could borrow to buy a better house.

Borrow more money

By combining the incomes of 2 or more people, the mortgage lender will be able to offer you a larger amount of money. Joint mortgages could help you buy a larger property with 3 or 4 bedrooms which could even give you the opportunity to rent out an extra room to help cover mortgage costs. One person with an income of £25,000 won't be able to borrow much more than £87,000 and may struggle to find a property for this price, whereas 3 people with a combined salary of £70,000 could borrow anywhere up to £245,000 between them all.

Joint ownership

Having a mortgage is a big financial responsibility and for some the burden may feel too much. It can feel more comfortable sharing such a large commitment with someone you know and trust.

Location, Location

By joining forces with your partner, husband, wife or friend you can open up the opportunities of house buying. Lots of people now even buy with brothers, sisters and other family members to raise more finance. The benefit of this is you are more likely to be able to buy a better house in your favoured location than if you tried to buy alone.

Investing in property

There has been an increase in the number of people who want to start property development and getting a joint mortgage is a great way to enable this to happen. Although most people applying for joint mortgages are happy for it to be their home as well as an investment.

Any joint financial commitment needs to be taken seriously though and should be thought out thoroughly beforehand. Because each person named on the joint mortgage will have equal responsibility and liability for the property, it is important to have a joint agreement legally drawn up to cover for any eventualities such as separation, job losses or a change in your personal situation.

Kim M. Clarke writes for http://www.joint-mortgages.co.uk where you can get information about joint mortgages and other types of loan options available.

How Technology Can Make Your Business Life Easier?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

International Banking - Essential for Globalization of Businesses

International banking refers to the banking services that cover a wide array of topics. It provides you personal bank accounts along with the business bank accounts also. An important feature of international banking is foreign currency services. This is a very useful feature for the people who need to deal in different currencies. You can make transactions in dollars, euro or Swiss franc.

Getting Expert Advice

Another useful service that you get from international banking organizations is traveler's checks. All of us know the importance of traveler's check during the traveling period. Not only can you open a foreign currency account but you can also seek help from experts regarding the international trade such as import and export of goods.

International banking institutes have investment consultants that can guide you on how to improve international trade. You can manage your bank accounts in foreign countries without any trouble. It has many other benefits also associated with it. For example, you can save a great amount of money because of lower or no taxes at all. It definitely gives you an edge over your competitors.

Globalization is the mantra today. Every business owner whether he is running a small business or big business wishes to expand his or her business beyond the boundaries of nations. International banking is a necessary tool to globalize your business. You cannot underestimate this feature because you cannot grow fast without crossing the geographical boundaries.

When you expand your business in several countries you need an effective system to manage your finances. International banking organizations offer you just the right kind of services that you need as a multinational business owner. International banks have branches in many different countries. This gives you the liberty of making payments in any of these countries. Moreover, you can get the payment in local currency saving a big amount on transactional fees.

The relations between the countries and international scenario make a huge impact on international trade. International banking services too cannot remain unaffected by the political developments at the international level. That is why international banks have to observe keenly not only the economic changes but political changes as well.

Perform a Thorough Research

So, it is well-established fact now that you need international banking services to globalize business. However, you should not select any international bank in a hurry. Perform a thorough research on the bank before you decide to open an account with them. You should ascertain that the bank offers reliable and stable services to its customers.

Check out everyday banking online that allows you to access your account from the comfort of your home. Offshore banking has gained tremendous popularity day by day. Learn advantages and disadvantages of offshore banking. Read also useful information on student banking to help you understand how to manage your finance smartly.

Interest Rates 'Could Fall By A Point'

People considering loans may be pleased to know that one expert anticipates a major fall in interest rates by the end of the year.

Howard Archer, chief European and UK economist for Global Insight, said his organisation predicts that rates will fall to 4.5 per cent by the end of the year and to four per cent in the first half of 2009. He did warn that this prediction is based on the assumption that the UK will avoid recession but added: "With the downside risks to the UK economy mounting, there is clearly a very real possibility that interest rates will fall further and faster than this."

This could be even better news for people considering a UK personal loan or secured loan as following the credit crunch, many loan providers put up the cost of their lending. Earlier this month, financial advice website Fool warned that one in eight credit card holders have had their spending limit cut as banks respond to the credit crunch. However, if Mr Archer is correct then it is possible the cost of such borrowing could come down.

Britons may consider a loan for a number of reasons, including debt consolidation. Some existing borrowers could even find that a new loan could cut the cost of their borrowing. Earlier this year, financial advice website Moneyfacts suggested that consolidation could cut the interest bill of a debtor's total borrowing as well as cutting monthly payments.

A spokesperson for the organisation said: "Consolidating your debts on to one loan can prove an ideal solution." Moneyfacts explained that although a zero per cent interest credit card is a good way to reduce the interest costs of borrowing, it can be dangerous for customers who are not strong-willed enough to make their monthly repayments.

Furthermore, such a solution only works for smaller sums, it added. However, over the last few months it may not have been as easy to find a personal loan as it could be if the rate reduction occurs. Moneyfacts spokesperson suggested at the beginning of the month: "The credit crunch has caused the personal loan market to tighten, lenders have withdrawn from the market and rates have seen a continuous increase throughout 2007."

So, if rates do fall, it could make the next few months an ideal time for those considering loans to approach their lender. It is not just Global Insight's Mr Archer predicting a fall in rates, Jonathan Loynes; UK economist at Capital Economics, predicts the monetary policy committee (MPC) will announce a quarter-point cut when it makes its decision next week.

Last month, the MPC chose not to change interest rates from the 5.5 per cent rate it adopted in December. It warned that it could be several months before the money market conditions return to normal, outlining that the global uncertainty continues.

It can only be good news for consumers when the Bank begins to cut the base rate. Whether a person is a new borrower wanting a loan for home improvements or someone with existing debt who wants to consolidate for ease and low cost, a reduced base rate cuts the cost of credit.

Consolidation loans may also be suited to people who, perhaps because of the credit crunch, find themselves in an unsustainable financial position. A recent study by Chiltern revealed men are the most likely to struggle with their money management.

Mark Dawson writes for the the Loan Arrangers where you can compare loans and apply online for cheap secured loans, and bad credit loans.