Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Making Money Online Forum




What to do with those coupons that you impulsively bought off of Groupon, Living Social, Ideeli, or any of the many other discounted ‘deal of the day’ sites? Sell ‘em!


That’s right, there’s a site for everything these days, and selling coupons, while initially relegated to online bulletin board sites, such as Craig’s List, have established their own re-sale sites and are open for business.


In case you’re not in the know about these daily deal sites, they provide a great, affordable way to discover what a city has to offer by selling heavily discounted deals for services and products in your area or online - With deals like Living Social’s Amazon price buster, offering a $20 gift card for $10 and surpassing one million gift cards sold, there are sure to be some “miss-buys.” You thought you wanted, or needed it, but in the end it was something you were never going to use.


After doing a little investigation, I came up with several names of deal for “resale” businesses, with a few emerging as the leaders of the pack. DealsGoRound, CoupRecoup, and Lifesta are suddenly making an impact in the market.


Yael Gavish, co-founder of Lifesta, says she saw a need for a forum focused on the aftermarket. She had a friend visiting her in New York, who had purchased a Groupon certificate. Unfortunately, when the friend arrived, they discovered the restaurant was closed for renovations. Her friend was out the money, but the idea was created.


"People buy daily deals and they all work on the impulse buy," explains Yael Gavish of Lifesta.com. "So you think you're definitely going to this, but then, it turns out that 20-40 percent of these daily deals are never really used." Their site has seen a monthly growth of 50 percent, mainly through word of mouth.


A great solution for “buyers remorse” if I ever saw one!


There’s a lot of buzz about small business funding these days. The issue has become a major one not only in the small business community but also among government leaders. It’s certain that finding the funds for your small business venture, especially until cash flow becomes regular, is a challenge every small business owner or entrepreneur faces. If you’re facing this issue, we hope the resources below will help. If there is a creative way you have dealt with this issue yourself, please let us know in the comment section below. We would love to hear.


Basics

Four tips for raising cash. Raising money for your business venture is always a challenge and more so in a challenging economic climate. But tough times shouldn’t stop a determined entrepreneur from getting under way…whether investment is easy to come by or not. Open Forum


Praying for the help of angels. This simple post gives first-time entrepreneurs a detailed overview of the angel investor’s world. But more importantly, it takes a look at why angels invest and the kinds of businesses they prefer to invest in. If you’re seeking investment for your business start-up, it’s best to know what invest are looking for…including angels. The Smart Startup


Policy

U.S. program brings entrepreneurs/investors together. Venture capital investor Brad Feld talks about the newly unveiled Startup America Partnership as proof Washington “gets it” when it comes to promoting entrepreneurship. While we’re sure any program putting entrepreneurs and investors together can’t be all bad, a look at lowering taxes and revisiting the potentially harmful healthcare law would help as much as investment Brad. Feld Thoughts


Startup America boosts funding. Another post celebrates the federal program aiming at putting together entrepreneurs with investors. Here Aneesh Chopra, United States Chief Technology Officer, explains and praises the program. Getting funding to startups has become a major focus of government policy, but how will this translate to the broader small business community? Tech Crunch


Startups

New startup aims at providing capital for small business. A new company is trying to automate the loan process allowing small businesses to get an evaluation then apply for funding online. In essence, On Deck Capital takes the classic business approach of finding a problem and solving it. In this case, the problem is finding a better way to get investment for other small businesses. DealBook


Trends

Groundhog Day predictions. Yes, Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, made his own predictions for the length of winter and the coming of Spring, but small business experts are making their own predictions too. Here are five small business predictions for Spring from a variety of sources, not surprisingly a few touching upon small business funding and its availability. Business News Daily


Small businesses get more credit card offers. Credit card companies will be making more offers to small businesses, according to recent media reports. But could entrepreneurs be too worried about taking on extra debt to take advantage of this opportunity? Read Rieva Lesonsky’s detailed overview of this new funding option and what it means. Small Business Trends


Resources

A whole new fundraising frontier. Could social media be the next frontier for small business fundraising in the same way that it has been for marketing and networking? Enter Kickstarter and other similar sites that turn to online communities as a way of funding projects. Could it be right for your funding needs? Open Forum


Raising capital: a how-to guide. Putting together funding for a small business has never been easy. Still it can be one of the most important skills an entrepreneur possesses. Still, getting started with the fundraising process for your small business is not rocket science. Here are some basic steps to get you started. Open Forum


News

Is small business funding still plagued by discrimination? A settlement as a result of a discrimination suit filed against the U.S. Small Business Administration has apparently still not resolved the issue of whether the federal agency is bias toward minority applicants for business funding. What’s your take on whether the federal loan program could be impeding investment in small business especially in minority or under-served communities? NYTimes


From Small Business TrendsSmall Business News: Small Business Funding Facts





bench craft company

CBS <b>News</b> Restructures Management Team : TVBizwire : TVWeek <b>...</b>

CBS announced a number of changes today among the top management team for CBS News, with Jeff Fager taking over as chairman of the division, a newly created position. The company is also bringing in a new face, David Rhodes, ...

Olbermann to become “chief <b>news</b> officer” of Al Gore&#39;s cable <b>...</b>

First, Arianna Huffington gets $315 million from AOL for the HuffPo and winds up with editorial control of their entire content. Keith Olbermann gets … a nightly news show on an all-but-invisible cable channel and editorial control of ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Digital Privacy and Customer Care

Small business is all about customer care. So how to you feel about new proposed legislation that is designed to prevent online clients from tracking customer.


bench craft company



What to do with those coupons that you impulsively bought off of Groupon, Living Social, Ideeli, or any of the many other discounted ‘deal of the day’ sites? Sell ‘em!


That’s right, there’s a site for everything these days, and selling coupons, while initially relegated to online bulletin board sites, such as Craig’s List, have established their own re-sale sites and are open for business.


In case you’re not in the know about these daily deal sites, they provide a great, affordable way to discover what a city has to offer by selling heavily discounted deals for services and products in your area or online - With deals like Living Social’s Amazon price buster, offering a $20 gift card for $10 and surpassing one million gift cards sold, there are sure to be some “miss-buys.” You thought you wanted, or needed it, but in the end it was something you were never going to use.


After doing a little investigation, I came up with several names of deal for “resale” businesses, with a few emerging as the leaders of the pack. DealsGoRound, CoupRecoup, and Lifesta are suddenly making an impact in the market.


Yael Gavish, co-founder of Lifesta, says she saw a need for a forum focused on the aftermarket. She had a friend visiting her in New York, who had purchased a Groupon certificate. Unfortunately, when the friend arrived, they discovered the restaurant was closed for renovations. Her friend was out the money, but the idea was created.


"People buy daily deals and they all work on the impulse buy," explains Yael Gavish of Lifesta.com. "So you think you're definitely going to this, but then, it turns out that 20-40 percent of these daily deals are never really used." Their site has seen a monthly growth of 50 percent, mainly through word of mouth.


A great solution for “buyers remorse” if I ever saw one!


There’s a lot of buzz about small business funding these days. The issue has become a major one not only in the small business community but also among government leaders. It’s certain that finding the funds for your small business venture, especially until cash flow becomes regular, is a challenge every small business owner or entrepreneur faces. If you’re facing this issue, we hope the resources below will help. If there is a creative way you have dealt with this issue yourself, please let us know in the comment section below. We would love to hear.


Basics

Four tips for raising cash. Raising money for your business venture is always a challenge and more so in a challenging economic climate. But tough times shouldn’t stop a determined entrepreneur from getting under way…whether investment is easy to come by or not. Open Forum


Praying for the help of angels. This simple post gives first-time entrepreneurs a detailed overview of the angel investor’s world. But more importantly, it takes a look at why angels invest and the kinds of businesses they prefer to invest in. If you’re seeking investment for your business start-up, it’s best to know what invest are looking for…including angels. The Smart Startup


Policy

U.S. program brings entrepreneurs/investors together. Venture capital investor Brad Feld talks about the newly unveiled Startup America Partnership as proof Washington “gets it” when it comes to promoting entrepreneurship. While we’re sure any program putting entrepreneurs and investors together can’t be all bad, a look at lowering taxes and revisiting the potentially harmful healthcare law would help as much as investment Brad. Feld Thoughts


Startup America boosts funding. Another post celebrates the federal program aiming at putting together entrepreneurs with investors. Here Aneesh Chopra, United States Chief Technology Officer, explains and praises the program. Getting funding to startups has become a major focus of government policy, but how will this translate to the broader small business community? Tech Crunch


Startups

New startup aims at providing capital for small business. A new company is trying to automate the loan process allowing small businesses to get an evaluation then apply for funding online. In essence, On Deck Capital takes the classic business approach of finding a problem and solving it. In this case, the problem is finding a better way to get investment for other small businesses. DealBook


Trends

Groundhog Day predictions. Yes, Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, made his own predictions for the length of winter and the coming of Spring, but small business experts are making their own predictions too. Here are five small business predictions for Spring from a variety of sources, not surprisingly a few touching upon small business funding and its availability. Business News Daily


Small businesses get more credit card offers. Credit card companies will be making more offers to small businesses, according to recent media reports. But could entrepreneurs be too worried about taking on extra debt to take advantage of this opportunity? Read Rieva Lesonsky’s detailed overview of this new funding option and what it means. Small Business Trends


Resources

A whole new fundraising frontier. Could social media be the next frontier for small business fundraising in the same way that it has been for marketing and networking? Enter Kickstarter and other similar sites that turn to online communities as a way of funding projects. Could it be right for your funding needs? Open Forum


Raising capital: a how-to guide. Putting together funding for a small business has never been easy. Still it can be one of the most important skills an entrepreneur possesses. Still, getting started with the fundraising process for your small business is not rocket science. Here are some basic steps to get you started. Open Forum


News

Is small business funding still plagued by discrimination? A settlement as a result of a discrimination suit filed against the U.S. Small Business Administration has apparently still not resolved the issue of whether the federal agency is bias toward minority applicants for business funding. What’s your take on whether the federal loan program could be impeding investment in small business especially in minority or under-served communities? NYTimes


From Small Business TrendsSmall Business News: Small Business Funding Facts





bench craft company>

CBS <b>News</b> Restructures Management Team : TVBizwire : TVWeek <b>...</b>

CBS announced a number of changes today among the top management team for CBS News, with Jeff Fager taking over as chairman of the division, a newly created position. The company is also bringing in a new face, David Rhodes, ...

Olbermann to become “chief <b>news</b> officer” of Al Gore&#39;s cable <b>...</b>

First, Arianna Huffington gets $315 million from AOL for the HuffPo and winds up with editorial control of their entire content. Keith Olbermann gets … a nightly news show on an all-but-invisible cable channel and editorial control of ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Digital Privacy and Customer Care

Small business is all about customer care. So how to you feel about new proposed legislation that is designed to prevent online clients from tracking customer.


bench craft company
[reefeed]
bench craft company

http://psyconnecthing.com/ by PsyconnecThing.com


bench craft company

CBS <b>News</b> Restructures Management Team : TVBizwire : TVWeek <b>...</b>

CBS announced a number of changes today among the top management team for CBS News, with Jeff Fager taking over as chairman of the division, a newly created position. The company is also bringing in a new face, David Rhodes, ...

Olbermann to become “chief <b>news</b> officer” of Al Gore&#39;s cable <b>...</b>

First, Arianna Huffington gets $315 million from AOL for the HuffPo and winds up with editorial control of their entire content. Keith Olbermann gets … a nightly news show on an all-but-invisible cable channel and editorial control of ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Digital Privacy and Customer Care

Small business is all about customer care. So how to you feel about new proposed legislation that is designed to prevent online clients from tracking customer.


bench craft company



What to do with those coupons that you impulsively bought off of Groupon, Living Social, Ideeli, or any of the many other discounted ‘deal of the day’ sites? Sell ‘em!


That’s right, there’s a site for everything these days, and selling coupons, while initially relegated to online bulletin board sites, such as Craig’s List, have established their own re-sale sites and are open for business.


In case you’re not in the know about these daily deal sites, they provide a great, affordable way to discover what a city has to offer by selling heavily discounted deals for services and products in your area or online - With deals like Living Social’s Amazon price buster, offering a $20 gift card for $10 and surpassing one million gift cards sold, there are sure to be some “miss-buys.” You thought you wanted, or needed it, but in the end it was something you were never going to use.


After doing a little investigation, I came up with several names of deal for “resale” businesses, with a few emerging as the leaders of the pack. DealsGoRound, CoupRecoup, and Lifesta are suddenly making an impact in the market.


Yael Gavish, co-founder of Lifesta, says she saw a need for a forum focused on the aftermarket. She had a friend visiting her in New York, who had purchased a Groupon certificate. Unfortunately, when the friend arrived, they discovered the restaurant was closed for renovations. Her friend was out the money, but the idea was created.


"People buy daily deals and they all work on the impulse buy," explains Yael Gavish of Lifesta.com. "So you think you're definitely going to this, but then, it turns out that 20-40 percent of these daily deals are never really used." Their site has seen a monthly growth of 50 percent, mainly through word of mouth.


A great solution for “buyers remorse” if I ever saw one!


There’s a lot of buzz about small business funding these days. The issue has become a major one not only in the small business community but also among government leaders. It’s certain that finding the funds for your small business venture, especially until cash flow becomes regular, is a challenge every small business owner or entrepreneur faces. If you’re facing this issue, we hope the resources below will help. If there is a creative way you have dealt with this issue yourself, please let us know in the comment section below. We would love to hear.


Basics

Four tips for raising cash. Raising money for your business venture is always a challenge and more so in a challenging economic climate. But tough times shouldn’t stop a determined entrepreneur from getting under way…whether investment is easy to come by or not. Open Forum


Praying for the help of angels. This simple post gives first-time entrepreneurs a detailed overview of the angel investor’s world. But more importantly, it takes a look at why angels invest and the kinds of businesses they prefer to invest in. If you’re seeking investment for your business start-up, it’s best to know what invest are looking for…including angels. The Smart Startup


Policy

U.S. program brings entrepreneurs/investors together. Venture capital investor Brad Feld talks about the newly unveiled Startup America Partnership as proof Washington “gets it” when it comes to promoting entrepreneurship. While we’re sure any program putting entrepreneurs and investors together can’t be all bad, a look at lowering taxes and revisiting the potentially harmful healthcare law would help as much as investment Brad. Feld Thoughts


Startup America boosts funding. Another post celebrates the federal program aiming at putting together entrepreneurs with investors. Here Aneesh Chopra, United States Chief Technology Officer, explains and praises the program. Getting funding to startups has become a major focus of government policy, but how will this translate to the broader small business community? Tech Crunch


Startups

New startup aims at providing capital for small business. A new company is trying to automate the loan process allowing small businesses to get an evaluation then apply for funding online. In essence, On Deck Capital takes the classic business approach of finding a problem and solving it. In this case, the problem is finding a better way to get investment for other small businesses. DealBook


Trends

Groundhog Day predictions. Yes, Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, made his own predictions for the length of winter and the coming of Spring, but small business experts are making their own predictions too. Here are five small business predictions for Spring from a variety of sources, not surprisingly a few touching upon small business funding and its availability. Business News Daily


Small businesses get more credit card offers. Credit card companies will be making more offers to small businesses, according to recent media reports. But could entrepreneurs be too worried about taking on extra debt to take advantage of this opportunity? Read Rieva Lesonsky’s detailed overview of this new funding option and what it means. Small Business Trends


Resources

A whole new fundraising frontier. Could social media be the next frontier for small business fundraising in the same way that it has been for marketing and networking? Enter Kickstarter and other similar sites that turn to online communities as a way of funding projects. Could it be right for your funding needs? Open Forum


Raising capital: a how-to guide. Putting together funding for a small business has never been easy. Still it can be one of the most important skills an entrepreneur possesses. Still, getting started with the fundraising process for your small business is not rocket science. Here are some basic steps to get you started. Open Forum


News

Is small business funding still plagued by discrimination? A settlement as a result of a discrimination suit filed against the U.S. Small Business Administration has apparently still not resolved the issue of whether the federal agency is bias toward minority applicants for business funding. What’s your take on whether the federal loan program could be impeding investment in small business especially in minority or under-served communities? NYTimes


From Small Business TrendsSmall Business News: Small Business Funding Facts





bench craft company

http://psyconnecthing.com/ by PsyconnecThing.com


bench craft company

CBS <b>News</b> Restructures Management Team : TVBizwire : TVWeek <b>...</b>

CBS announced a number of changes today among the top management team for CBS News, with Jeff Fager taking over as chairman of the division, a newly created position. The company is also bringing in a new face, David Rhodes, ...

Olbermann to become “chief <b>news</b> officer” of Al Gore&#39;s cable <b>...</b>

First, Arianna Huffington gets $315 million from AOL for the HuffPo and winds up with editorial control of their entire content. Keith Olbermann gets … a nightly news show on an all-but-invisible cable channel and editorial control of ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Digital Privacy and Customer Care

Small business is all about customer care. So how to you feel about new proposed legislation that is designed to prevent online clients from tracking customer.


bench craft company

http://psyconnecthing.com/ by PsyconnecThing.com


bench craft company

CBS <b>News</b> Restructures Management Team : TVBizwire : TVWeek <b>...</b>

CBS announced a number of changes today among the top management team for CBS News, with Jeff Fager taking over as chairman of the division, a newly created position. The company is also bringing in a new face, David Rhodes, ...

Olbermann to become “chief <b>news</b> officer” of Al Gore&#39;s cable <b>...</b>

First, Arianna Huffington gets $315 million from AOL for the HuffPo and winds up with editorial control of their entire content. Keith Olbermann gets … a nightly news show on an all-but-invisible cable channel and editorial control of ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Digital Privacy and Customer Care

Small business is all about customer care. So how to you feel about new proposed legislation that is designed to prevent online clients from tracking customer.


bench craft company

CBS <b>News</b> Restructures Management Team : TVBizwire : TVWeek <b>...</b>

CBS announced a number of changes today among the top management team for CBS News, with Jeff Fager taking over as chairman of the division, a newly created position. The company is also bringing in a new face, David Rhodes, ...

Olbermann to become “chief <b>news</b> officer” of Al Gore&#39;s cable <b>...</b>

First, Arianna Huffington gets $315 million from AOL for the HuffPo and winds up with editorial control of their entire content. Keith Olbermann gets … a nightly news show on an all-but-invisible cable channel and editorial control of ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Digital Privacy and Customer Care

Small business is all about customer care. So how to you feel about new proposed legislation that is designed to prevent online clients from tracking customer.


bench craft company

CBS <b>News</b> Restructures Management Team : TVBizwire : TVWeek <b>...</b>

CBS announced a number of changes today among the top management team for CBS News, with Jeff Fager taking over as chairman of the division, a newly created position. The company is also bringing in a new face, David Rhodes, ...

Olbermann to become “chief <b>news</b> officer” of Al Gore&#39;s cable <b>...</b>

First, Arianna Huffington gets $315 million from AOL for the HuffPo and winds up with editorial control of their entire content. Keith Olbermann gets … a nightly news show on an all-but-invisible cable channel and editorial control of ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Digital Privacy and Customer Care

Small business is all about customer care. So how to you feel about new proposed legislation that is designed to prevent online clients from tracking customer.


bench craft company bench craft company
bench craft company

http://psyconnecthing.com/ by PsyconnecThing.com


bench craft company
bench craft company

CBS <b>News</b> Restructures Management Team : TVBizwire : TVWeek <b>...</b>

CBS announced a number of changes today among the top management team for CBS News, with Jeff Fager taking over as chairman of the division, a newly created position. The company is also bringing in a new face, David Rhodes, ...

Olbermann to become “chief <b>news</b> officer” of Al Gore&#39;s cable <b>...</b>

First, Arianna Huffington gets $315 million from AOL for the HuffPo and winds up with editorial control of their entire content. Keith Olbermann gets … a nightly news show on an all-but-invisible cable channel and editorial control of ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Digital Privacy and Customer Care

Small business is all about customer care. So how to you feel about new proposed legislation that is designed to prevent online clients from tracking customer.


bench craft company

Essentially everyone wants to make money online, even if they don't come right out and say it. Most people hide it by saying that either you can't make money online, or by saying something in the ball park of, "The only way to make money online is by some illegal activity." These people are what I call critics.

Much like movie critics, these type of critics judge you as a person much in the same way movie critics judge movies. First they observe what's going on, then they try and find every little possible flaw, and then they completely dissect you and tear you down in hopes that you will stop doing whatever it is your doing . Then when they cant find anything wrong they just say your to lazy to go to work at a real job. Well word to the wise, making money online is not easy and it's a ton of work especially starting out.

Then there's another type of people, these people I call predators. Predators are the people who despite all the put downs still push on to try and make their dreams of working from home a reality. Just as predators in the wild wait cautiously for the right time to strike, these predators never give up and constantly pursue their dreams much like a predator in the wild pursues its prey.

The Internet marketing world is a tough one, because it's everyone's dream to not have to go to work and still get paid, though few manage to accomplish it. Starting out it extremely hard, I wont lie to you like those cheesy make money online products, it's actually very hard strenuous work. The key is to never let what the critics say to you get you down instead use it as a motivator to prove them wrong, because there is nothing sweeter in the world then the look on a persons face when they have to admit that they were wrong.

While there are many forums you can go to in order to make money and try and obtain methods many wont help at all. In my experience there are two very simple reason for why no one will help a new marketer, one, they don't know how to make good money themselves and are there for the same reasons you are, or two, they are super predators who doesn't care about anyone but themselves. A super predator is the guy that hardly ever posts in the forum but has actually made a lot of money, and he personally doesn't care if you do well or not as long as he is. However, I will tell you this, you will not get much help from any forum the best way to make money online is to visit sites and sign up as an affiliate and then drive traffic to a blog or site that you have created based around that product or idea.





















































Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Free rental agreement forms online uk


surface encounters

Yahoo Prepping Personalized Mobile <b>News</b> Platform

Yahoo is reportedly preparing to launch a new publishing platform next week which will deliver personalized news content to mobile devices. The content will come from users' social ...

<b>News</b> In Brief: Earth/Environment - Science <b>News</b>

Licorice may be a natural alternative to antibiotics on hog farms, plus more in this week's news.

AOL-HuffPost: All The <b>News</b> Fit To Merge

As new media gains traction, more mergers will result.


surface encounters

Yahoo Prepping Personalized Mobile <b>News</b> Platform

Yahoo is reportedly preparing to launch a new publishing platform next week which will deliver personalized news content to mobile devices. The content will come from users' social ...

<b>News</b> In Brief: Earth/Environment - Science <b>News</b>

Licorice may be a natural alternative to antibiotics on hog farms, plus more in this week's news.

AOL-HuffPost: All The <b>News</b> Fit To Merge

As new media gains traction, more mergers will result.


surface encounters

Yahoo Prepping Personalized Mobile <b>News</b> Platform

Yahoo is reportedly preparing to launch a new publishing platform next week which will deliver personalized news content to mobile devices. The content will come from users' social ...

<b>News</b> In Brief: Earth/Environment - Science <b>News</b>

Licorice may be a natural alternative to antibiotics on hog farms, plus more in this week's news.

AOL-HuffPost: All The <b>News</b> Fit To Merge

As new media gains traction, more mergers will result.


surface encounters

Yahoo Prepping Personalized Mobile <b>News</b> Platform

Yahoo is reportedly preparing to launch a new publishing platform next week which will deliver personalized news content to mobile devices. The content will come from users' social ...

<b>News</b> In Brief: Earth/Environment - Science <b>News</b>

Licorice may be a natural alternative to antibiotics on hog farms, plus more in this week's news.

AOL-HuffPost: All The <b>News</b> Fit To Merge

As new media gains traction, more mergers will result.


surface encounters

Yahoo Prepping Personalized Mobile <b>News</b> Platform

Yahoo is reportedly preparing to launch a new publishing platform next week which will deliver personalized news content to mobile devices. The content will come from users' social ...

<b>News</b> In Brief: Earth/Environment - Science <b>News</b>

Licorice may be a natural alternative to antibiotics on hog farms, plus more in this week's news.

AOL-HuffPost: All The <b>News</b> Fit To Merge

As new media gains traction, more mergers will result.


surface encounters

Yahoo Prepping Personalized Mobile <b>News</b> Platform

Yahoo is reportedly preparing to launch a new publishing platform next week which will deliver personalized news content to mobile devices. The content will come from users' social ...

<b>News</b> In Brief: Earth/Environment - Science <b>News</b>

Licorice may be a natural alternative to antibiotics on hog farms, plus more in this week's news.

AOL-HuffPost: All The <b>News</b> Fit To Merge

As new media gains traction, more mergers will result.


surface encounters

Yahoo Prepping Personalized Mobile <b>News</b> Platform

Yahoo is reportedly preparing to launch a new publishing platform next week which will deliver personalized news content to mobile devices. The content will come from users' social ...

<b>News</b> In Brief: Earth/Environment - Science <b>News</b>

Licorice may be a natural alternative to antibiotics on hog farms, plus more in this week's news.

AOL-HuffPost: All The <b>News</b> Fit To Merge

As new media gains traction, more mergers will result.


surface encounters

Yahoo Prepping Personalized Mobile <b>News</b> Platform

Yahoo is reportedly preparing to launch a new publishing platform next week which will deliver personalized news content to mobile devices. The content will come from users' social ...

<b>News</b> In Brief: Earth/Environment - Science <b>News</b>

Licorice may be a natural alternative to antibiotics on hog farms, plus more in this week's news.

AOL-HuffPost: All The <b>News</b> Fit To Merge

As new media gains traction, more mergers will result.


surface encounters

Yahoo Prepping Personalized Mobile <b>News</b> Platform

Yahoo is reportedly preparing to launch a new publishing platform next week which will deliver personalized news content to mobile devices. The content will come from users' social ...

<b>News</b> In Brief: Earth/Environment - Science <b>News</b>

Licorice may be a natural alternative to antibiotics on hog farms, plus more in this week's news.

AOL-HuffPost: All The <b>News</b> Fit To Merge

As new media gains traction, more mergers will result.


surface encounters

Yahoo Prepping Personalized Mobile <b>News</b> Platform

Yahoo is reportedly preparing to launch a new publishing platform next week which will deliver personalized news content to mobile devices. The content will come from users' social ...

<b>News</b> In Brief: Earth/Environment - Science <b>News</b>

Licorice may be a natural alternative to antibiotics on hog farms, plus more in this week's news.

AOL-HuffPost: All The <b>News</b> Fit To Merge

As new media gains traction, more mergers will result.


Sunday, February 6, 2011

personal finance planning



Your investment adviser is an important partner in your life -- after all, who knows your intimate financial details better? It's an intensely personal, yet professional, relationship. But what happens when you discover that it's not an ideal marriage? When is it time to ask for a divorce?

It may be sooner than you think. In a recent survey by PNC Wealth Management of affluent individuals -- those with at least $500,000 in investible assets -- only 15% said their advisers, "really made a huge positive difference," or gave them an "A." Some 43% said they were looking for more attention from their financial advisers. If so many high-end clients are dissatisfied with the service they are getting, how well could advisers be treating their average Joe or Jane Investors?

Just as there are in matters of the heart, there are tell-tell signs that your adviser is "just not that into you" -- and vice versa.

• Annoyance.
"You hate when they call and feel like they are always trying to sell you something. You get annoyed every time you get something in the mail. They sound annoyed whenever you call, and are frustrated by your questions," explains Susan Hirshman, author of Does This Make My Assets Look Fat?

• We Never Talk Anymore. Maybe there was a time when you enjoyed chatting with your adviser, but now the conversation is all but dead. "Your phone calls or emails are not returned within 12 to 24 hours. You haven't had a detailed conversation about your goals and financial situation in more than a year. You haven't reviewed or discussed your tax return over the last 12 months," says certified financial planner Thomas Casey of Casey, Thomas & Associates.

If you find this happening, review your investment policy statement: What did you and your adviser agree to in terms of frequency of contact? Maybe your expectations have changed. "Make this clear to your adviser, and if necessary, update your policy statement. Communicate your concerns without being confrontational or overly emotional," advises Stephen Horan, head of professional education content and private wealth management at the CFA Institute, an association of investment professionals.

• A Sense of Selfishness. Who's getting best served in this relationship: you or your adviser? Take a good look at your account activity. "If you're paying your adviser via commissions and you are seeing a lot of activity, this may be a sign your adviser is more interested in improving their financial picture than yours," says Bonnie Kirchner, author of Who Can You Trust With Your Money? Get the Help You Need and Avoid Dishonest Advisers. On the flip side, if you're paying fees to have your assets managed and no adjustments are being made over time, you may not be getting what you are paying for.

John Graves, a financial planner with Renaissance Group, offers this simple test for when it's time to change advisers: "When he speaks more often than he listens. We often get caught up in our own importance, to our clients' disadvantage," says Graves.

• Confusion Is Rampant. Be leery if there's a lot of turnover at your adviser's office, if your adviser keeps changing firms or repeatedly makes careless mistakes like misspelling your name. This could be an indication of instability, points out Brian Patrick Kuhn, a certified financial planner with Retirement Planning Services. All this distraction could be costing you.

Confusion on the other side of the relationship is also a bad sign. If you've been with one adviser for a while, and you still don't understand your accounts or the overall plan, you should be concerned. "Sometimes people go with a planner's recommendations because it sounds good and they trust them, but they don't fully understand the recommendations," says Kuhn. "If a long period goes by and you're still unclear, the planner hasn't done their job, and the relationship can't go on forever without that clarity."

In the end, sometimes it just comes down to a personality mismatch. But while that might be tolerable, poor performance may be a deal-breaker. You should have a basic understanding of the types of investments you own, how they are tracking against the overall market and why they are under- or outperforming appropriate benchmarks, says Kirchner. If your portfolio is consistently and significantly under-performing, you may need to find someone with a better track record," she adds.

Analyze What Happened, and Move On

Much as you would try to figure out what went wrong with a marriage heading for a divorce, make sure you assess what happened in your financial relationship. "Most times it can be summed up in two words: communication and expectations," says Hirshman. "Advisers fail to communicate their process, client service model, fees and performance, clearly or accurately, for example. They don't do what they say, or they do what they say, but the client never understood it," she adds.


A new year often means lofty resolutions, especially when it comes to planning and maintaining a travel budget.



Though there are many personal-finance sites and software out there, this year I'm resolving to use Mint.com's free online tool. You can create plans for saving toward retirement and buying a house, but I'll be primarily using the site for its Travel Goals, which help you set -- and stick to -- realistic travel budgets.



And though the tool obviously doesn't do the hardest part (you still have to save the money), it does track how far or close you are to achieving your Travel Goal.



For example, say you want to go to Hawaii for a week this summer. Once you create a budget by filling in the estimates for airfare, hotel, meals, and other expenses, you can then specify how much you will contribute to that Travel Goal each month.



If you underestimate how much you'd need to save per month, the online tool points out: "Oh no! You aren't saving enough each month to reach your goal on time." The tool then offers you two ways to fix your Travel Goal: increase your monthly contribution in order to reach your desired travel date or postpone your planned date to fit your monthly contribution.



If you stay on track with saving the specified amount each month, Mint.com's budgeting tool highlights (and adjusts) the projected date of when you can afford to take the trip. Save more, and you could afford to take your trip a month or two earlier.



But if you slack on your monthly savings, the date will be pushed back -- a reality check and an instant motivator. Once you mentally equate an unnecessary clothing purchase or an impulse buy to the consequence of delaying your trip by a month, saving becomes a little more real.



Granted, most people will buy plane tickets and reserve hotels with a credit card several months before actually taking the trip; the tool helps track if you'll be able to easily pay it all off after your trip. After all, nothing ruins a vacation more than coming home to bills that you're not financially prepared to handle.



To fund my travels this year, I've linked my Mint.com account to an ING Savings Account labeled Travel Fund.



How do you stay on track with saving up for a vacation?



[flickr image via epSoS.de]




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Repatriation of ailing Filipino woman sought - Arab <b>News</b>

Arab News contacted on Saturday the embassy official concerned with the case but he did not answer the call. “We specifically requested that aside from providing her medical care, the embassy should also arrange her immediate ...

Solar &amp; Wind Energy <b>News</b> of the Last Week (or So) – CleanTechnica <b>...</b>

CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views's authors are supported by a revenue-sharing agreement with the company that operates CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views, Important Media. Of course, it's never enough ...

Pitchfork: LCD Soundsystem Announce Farewell NYC Show

Photo by Ruvan Wijesooriya; front page photo by Leigh Ann Hines LCD Soundsystem have announced that they will play their ...


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Your investment adviser is an important partner in your life -- after all, who knows your intimate financial details better? It's an intensely personal, yet professional, relationship. But what happens when you discover that it's not an ideal marriage? When is it time to ask for a divorce?

It may be sooner than you think. In a recent survey by PNC Wealth Management of affluent individuals -- those with at least $500,000 in investible assets -- only 15% said their advisers, "really made a huge positive difference," or gave them an "A." Some 43% said they were looking for more attention from their financial advisers. If so many high-end clients are dissatisfied with the service they are getting, how well could advisers be treating their average Joe or Jane Investors?

Just as there are in matters of the heart, there are tell-tell signs that your adviser is "just not that into you" -- and vice versa.

• Annoyance.
"You hate when they call and feel like they are always trying to sell you something. You get annoyed every time you get something in the mail. They sound annoyed whenever you call, and are frustrated by your questions," explains Susan Hirshman, author of Does This Make My Assets Look Fat?

• We Never Talk Anymore. Maybe there was a time when you enjoyed chatting with your adviser, but now the conversation is all but dead. "Your phone calls or emails are not returned within 12 to 24 hours. You haven't had a detailed conversation about your goals and financial situation in more than a year. You haven't reviewed or discussed your tax return over the last 12 months," says certified financial planner Thomas Casey of Casey, Thomas & Associates.

If you find this happening, review your investment policy statement: What did you and your adviser agree to in terms of frequency of contact? Maybe your expectations have changed. "Make this clear to your adviser, and if necessary, update your policy statement. Communicate your concerns without being confrontational or overly emotional," advises Stephen Horan, head of professional education content and private wealth management at the CFA Institute, an association of investment professionals.

• A Sense of Selfishness. Who's getting best served in this relationship: you or your adviser? Take a good look at your account activity. "If you're paying your adviser via commissions and you are seeing a lot of activity, this may be a sign your adviser is more interested in improving their financial picture than yours," says Bonnie Kirchner, author of Who Can You Trust With Your Money? Get the Help You Need and Avoid Dishonest Advisers. On the flip side, if you're paying fees to have your assets managed and no adjustments are being made over time, you may not be getting what you are paying for.

John Graves, a financial planner with Renaissance Group, offers this simple test for when it's time to change advisers: "When he speaks more often than he listens. We often get caught up in our own importance, to our clients' disadvantage," says Graves.

• Confusion Is Rampant. Be leery if there's a lot of turnover at your adviser's office, if your adviser keeps changing firms or repeatedly makes careless mistakes like misspelling your name. This could be an indication of instability, points out Brian Patrick Kuhn, a certified financial planner with Retirement Planning Services. All this distraction could be costing you.

Confusion on the other side of the relationship is also a bad sign. If you've been with one adviser for a while, and you still don't understand your accounts or the overall plan, you should be concerned. "Sometimes people go with a planner's recommendations because it sounds good and they trust them, but they don't fully understand the recommendations," says Kuhn. "If a long period goes by and you're still unclear, the planner hasn't done their job, and the relationship can't go on forever without that clarity."

In the end, sometimes it just comes down to a personality mismatch. But while that might be tolerable, poor performance may be a deal-breaker. You should have a basic understanding of the types of investments you own, how they are tracking against the overall market and why they are under- or outperforming appropriate benchmarks, says Kirchner. If your portfolio is consistently and significantly under-performing, you may need to find someone with a better track record," she adds.

Analyze What Happened, and Move On

Much as you would try to figure out what went wrong with a marriage heading for a divorce, make sure you assess what happened in your financial relationship. "Most times it can be summed up in two words: communication and expectations," says Hirshman. "Advisers fail to communicate their process, client service model, fees and performance, clearly or accurately, for example. They don't do what they say, or they do what they say, but the client never understood it," she adds.


A new year often means lofty resolutions, especially when it comes to planning and maintaining a travel budget.



Though there are many personal-finance sites and software out there, this year I'm resolving to use Mint.com's free online tool. You can create plans for saving toward retirement and buying a house, but I'll be primarily using the site for its Travel Goals, which help you set -- and stick to -- realistic travel budgets.



And though the tool obviously doesn't do the hardest part (you still have to save the money), it does track how far or close you are to achieving your Travel Goal.



For example, say you want to go to Hawaii for a week this summer. Once you create a budget by filling in the estimates for airfare, hotel, meals, and other expenses, you can then specify how much you will contribute to that Travel Goal each month.



If you underestimate how much you'd need to save per month, the online tool points out: "Oh no! You aren't saving enough each month to reach your goal on time." The tool then offers you two ways to fix your Travel Goal: increase your monthly contribution in order to reach your desired travel date or postpone your planned date to fit your monthly contribution.



If you stay on track with saving the specified amount each month, Mint.com's budgeting tool highlights (and adjusts) the projected date of when you can afford to take the trip. Save more, and you could afford to take your trip a month or two earlier.



But if you slack on your monthly savings, the date will be pushed back -- a reality check and an instant motivator. Once you mentally equate an unnecessary clothing purchase or an impulse buy to the consequence of delaying your trip by a month, saving becomes a little more real.



Granted, most people will buy plane tickets and reserve hotels with a credit card several months before actually taking the trip; the tool helps track if you'll be able to easily pay it all off after your trip. After all, nothing ruins a vacation more than coming home to bills that you're not financially prepared to handle.



To fund my travels this year, I've linked my Mint.com account to an ING Savings Account labeled Travel Fund.



How do you stay on track with saving up for a vacation?



[flickr image via epSoS.de]




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Repatriation of ailing Filipino woman sought - Arab <b>News</b>

Arab News contacted on Saturday the embassy official concerned with the case but he did not answer the call. “We specifically requested that aside from providing her medical care, the embassy should also arrange her immediate ...

Solar &amp; Wind Energy <b>News</b> of the Last Week (or So) – CleanTechnica <b>...</b>

CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views's authors are supported by a revenue-sharing agreement with the company that operates CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views, Important Media. Of course, it's never enough ...

Pitchfork: LCD Soundsystem Announce Farewell NYC Show

Photo by Ruvan Wijesooriya; front page photo by Leigh Ann Hines LCD Soundsystem have announced that they will play their ...


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Repatriation of ailing Filipino woman sought - Arab <b>News</b>

Arab News contacted on Saturday the embassy official concerned with the case but he did not answer the call. “We specifically requested that aside from providing her medical care, the embassy should also arrange her immediate ...

Solar &amp; Wind Energy <b>News</b> of the Last Week (or So) – CleanTechnica <b>...</b>

CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views's authors are supported by a revenue-sharing agreement with the company that operates CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views, Important Media. Of course, it's never enough ...

Pitchfork: LCD Soundsystem Announce Farewell NYC Show

Photo by Ruvan Wijesooriya; front page photo by Leigh Ann Hines LCD Soundsystem have announced that they will play their ...


benchcraft company portland or


Your investment adviser is an important partner in your life -- after all, who knows your intimate financial details better? It's an intensely personal, yet professional, relationship. But what happens when you discover that it's not an ideal marriage? When is it time to ask for a divorce?

It may be sooner than you think. In a recent survey by PNC Wealth Management of affluent individuals -- those with at least $500,000 in investible assets -- only 15% said their advisers, "really made a huge positive difference," or gave them an "A." Some 43% said they were looking for more attention from their financial advisers. If so many high-end clients are dissatisfied with the service they are getting, how well could advisers be treating their average Joe or Jane Investors?

Just as there are in matters of the heart, there are tell-tell signs that your adviser is "just not that into you" -- and vice versa.

• Annoyance.
"You hate when they call and feel like they are always trying to sell you something. You get annoyed every time you get something in the mail. They sound annoyed whenever you call, and are frustrated by your questions," explains Susan Hirshman, author of Does This Make My Assets Look Fat?

• We Never Talk Anymore. Maybe there was a time when you enjoyed chatting with your adviser, but now the conversation is all but dead. "Your phone calls or emails are not returned within 12 to 24 hours. You haven't had a detailed conversation about your goals and financial situation in more than a year. You haven't reviewed or discussed your tax return over the last 12 months," says certified financial planner Thomas Casey of Casey, Thomas & Associates.

If you find this happening, review your investment policy statement: What did you and your adviser agree to in terms of frequency of contact? Maybe your expectations have changed. "Make this clear to your adviser, and if necessary, update your policy statement. Communicate your concerns without being confrontational or overly emotional," advises Stephen Horan, head of professional education content and private wealth management at the CFA Institute, an association of investment professionals.

• A Sense of Selfishness. Who's getting best served in this relationship: you or your adviser? Take a good look at your account activity. "If you're paying your adviser via commissions and you are seeing a lot of activity, this may be a sign your adviser is more interested in improving their financial picture than yours," says Bonnie Kirchner, author of Who Can You Trust With Your Money? Get the Help You Need and Avoid Dishonest Advisers. On the flip side, if you're paying fees to have your assets managed and no adjustments are being made over time, you may not be getting what you are paying for.

John Graves, a financial planner with Renaissance Group, offers this simple test for when it's time to change advisers: "When he speaks more often than he listens. We often get caught up in our own importance, to our clients' disadvantage," says Graves.

• Confusion Is Rampant. Be leery if there's a lot of turnover at your adviser's office, if your adviser keeps changing firms or repeatedly makes careless mistakes like misspelling your name. This could be an indication of instability, points out Brian Patrick Kuhn, a certified financial planner with Retirement Planning Services. All this distraction could be costing you.

Confusion on the other side of the relationship is also a bad sign. If you've been with one adviser for a while, and you still don't understand your accounts or the overall plan, you should be concerned. "Sometimes people go with a planner's recommendations because it sounds good and they trust them, but they don't fully understand the recommendations," says Kuhn. "If a long period goes by and you're still unclear, the planner hasn't done their job, and the relationship can't go on forever without that clarity."

In the end, sometimes it just comes down to a personality mismatch. But while that might be tolerable, poor performance may be a deal-breaker. You should have a basic understanding of the types of investments you own, how they are tracking against the overall market and why they are under- or outperforming appropriate benchmarks, says Kirchner. If your portfolio is consistently and significantly under-performing, you may need to find someone with a better track record," she adds.

Analyze What Happened, and Move On

Much as you would try to figure out what went wrong with a marriage heading for a divorce, make sure you assess what happened in your financial relationship. "Most times it can be summed up in two words: communication and expectations," says Hirshman. "Advisers fail to communicate their process, client service model, fees and performance, clearly or accurately, for example. They don't do what they say, or they do what they say, but the client never understood it," she adds.


A new year often means lofty resolutions, especially when it comes to planning and maintaining a travel budget.



Though there are many personal-finance sites and software out there, this year I'm resolving to use Mint.com's free online tool. You can create plans for saving toward retirement and buying a house, but I'll be primarily using the site for its Travel Goals, which help you set -- and stick to -- realistic travel budgets.



And though the tool obviously doesn't do the hardest part (you still have to save the money), it does track how far or close you are to achieving your Travel Goal.



For example, say you want to go to Hawaii for a week this summer. Once you create a budget by filling in the estimates for airfare, hotel, meals, and other expenses, you can then specify how much you will contribute to that Travel Goal each month.



If you underestimate how much you'd need to save per month, the online tool points out: "Oh no! You aren't saving enough each month to reach your goal on time." The tool then offers you two ways to fix your Travel Goal: increase your monthly contribution in order to reach your desired travel date or postpone your planned date to fit your monthly contribution.



If you stay on track with saving the specified amount each month, Mint.com's budgeting tool highlights (and adjusts) the projected date of when you can afford to take the trip. Save more, and you could afford to take your trip a month or two earlier.



But if you slack on your monthly savings, the date will be pushed back -- a reality check and an instant motivator. Once you mentally equate an unnecessary clothing purchase or an impulse buy to the consequence of delaying your trip by a month, saving becomes a little more real.



Granted, most people will buy plane tickets and reserve hotels with a credit card several months before actually taking the trip; the tool helps track if you'll be able to easily pay it all off after your trip. After all, nothing ruins a vacation more than coming home to bills that you're not financially prepared to handle.



To fund my travels this year, I've linked my Mint.com account to an ING Savings Account labeled Travel Fund.



How do you stay on track with saving up for a vacation?



[flickr image via epSoS.de]




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Repatriation of ailing Filipino woman sought - Arab <b>News</b>

Arab News contacted on Saturday the embassy official concerned with the case but he did not answer the call. “We specifically requested that aside from providing her medical care, the embassy should also arrange her immediate ...

Solar &amp; Wind Energy <b>News</b> of the Last Week (or So) – CleanTechnica <b>...</b>

CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views's authors are supported by a revenue-sharing agreement with the company that operates CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views, Important Media. Of course, it's never enough ...

Pitchfork: LCD Soundsystem Announce Farewell NYC Show

Photo by Ruvan Wijesooriya; front page photo by Leigh Ann Hines LCD Soundsystem have announced that they will play their ...


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Repatriation of ailing Filipino woman sought - Arab <b>News</b>

Arab News contacted on Saturday the embassy official concerned with the case but he did not answer the call. “We specifically requested that aside from providing her medical care, the embassy should also arrange her immediate ...

Solar &amp; Wind Energy <b>News</b> of the Last Week (or So) – CleanTechnica <b>...</b>

CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views's authors are supported by a revenue-sharing agreement with the company that operates CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views, Important Media. Of course, it's never enough ...

Pitchfork: LCD Soundsystem Announce Farewell NYC Show

Photo by Ruvan Wijesooriya; front page photo by Leigh Ann Hines LCD Soundsystem have announced that they will play their ...


bench craft company reviews

Repatriation of ailing Filipino woman sought - Arab <b>News</b>

Arab News contacted on Saturday the embassy official concerned with the case but he did not answer the call. “We specifically requested that aside from providing her medical care, the embassy should also arrange her immediate ...

Solar &amp; Wind Energy <b>News</b> of the Last Week (or So) – CleanTechnica <b>...</b>

CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views's authors are supported by a revenue-sharing agreement with the company that operates CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views, Important Media. Of course, it's never enough ...

Pitchfork: LCD Soundsystem Announce Farewell NYC Show

Photo by Ruvan Wijesooriya; front page photo by Leigh Ann Hines LCD Soundsystem have announced that they will play their ...


benchcraft company scam

Repatriation of ailing Filipino woman sought - Arab <b>News</b>

Arab News contacted on Saturday the embassy official concerned with the case but he did not answer the call. “We specifically requested that aside from providing her medical care, the embassy should also arrange her immediate ...

Solar &amp; Wind Energy <b>News</b> of the Last Week (or So) – CleanTechnica <b>...</b>

CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views's authors are supported by a revenue-sharing agreement with the company that operates CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views, Important Media. Of course, it's never enough ...

Pitchfork: LCD Soundsystem Announce Farewell NYC Show

Photo by Ruvan Wijesooriya; front page photo by Leigh Ann Hines LCD Soundsystem have announced that they will play their ...


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Repatriation of ailing Filipino woman sought - Arab <b>News</b>

Arab News contacted on Saturday the embassy official concerned with the case but he did not answer the call. “We specifically requested that aside from providing her medical care, the embassy should also arrange her immediate ...

Solar &amp; Wind Energy <b>News</b> of the Last Week (or So) – CleanTechnica <b>...</b>

CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views's authors are supported by a revenue-sharing agreement with the company that operates CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views, Important Media. Of course, it's never enough ...

Pitchfork: LCD Soundsystem Announce Farewell NYC Show

Photo by Ruvan Wijesooriya; front page photo by Leigh Ann Hines LCD Soundsystem have announced that they will play their ...


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Personal finance is a tricky thing when the economy is going along well, but it can be a nightmare when it isn't. And the personal finance planning process is no walk in the park either for many, but don't despair, let's look at a few personal finance planning steps that can help us gain back that ground we may have lost.

Personal Finance Step 1: It's Time for a Checkup

Before you can fix a problem you have to know how bad it really is; right? The same is true with sorting out your personal finances. So a little record-keeping is called for in order to start determining how much you are spending each week or month—and exactly on what. Unless you are wealthy already, I'm confident you already know how much you are making so that information is a no brainer.

Personal Finance Step 2: What Financial Goals Do You Have?

This may seem like a strange question for someone who is struggling to put groceries on the table right now, but it really isn't. If you start getting your personal finances in order you will soon have some discretionary income to spend and you need to evaluate what is important enough to you to spend it on when that time rolls around.

Someone once said (but I can't remember who), that if you fail to plan there's a good chance your plan will fail. There's logic in those words, so heed them.

Personal Finance Step 3: Put That Plan into Action

Now that you know what your personal financial goal(s) is (are), it is time to develop a plan about how to get there. You are going to need a personal financial budget (but don't let that step intimidate you, it will be the next article I write about—and yes, even if you are living hand-to-mouth right now, you still need a budget; you'll soon learn why).

A budget can get you on the road to a better personal financial future like nothing else can. Don't be deceived into thinking that you just need to make more money; that's not true. You need to spend what you have even more wisely.

Personal Finance Step 4: Make Sure Your Plan Includes These Four Factors

The four factors are: flexibility, minimization of taxes (a biggie), liquidity and protection. Flexibility in your personal finances will be the lifesaver you grab for when that job ends unexpectedly and you need to get to any investment money you have.

Minimization of taxes will put more money in your pocket each pay period instead of at the first of the year (when you file your tax return), or worse, have to pay for all the new programs in our stimulus budget.

Liquidity in your personal finances will make sure that any last-minute need for cash is at your disposal. And protection will ensure that when the bottom falls out—a flood, a fire—you aren't the one left holding the bag; an empty bag, no less.

Resources

Personal Finance: Turning Money into Wealth by Arthur J. Keown (5th edition)


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Repatriation of ailing Filipino woman sought - Arab <b>News</b>

Arab News contacted on Saturday the embassy official concerned with the case but he did not answer the call. “We specifically requested that aside from providing her medical care, the embassy should also arrange her immediate ...

Solar &amp; Wind Energy <b>News</b> of the Last Week (or So) – CleanTechnica <b>...</b>

CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views's authors are supported by a revenue-sharing agreement with the company that operates CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views, Important Media. Of course, it's never enough ...

Pitchfork: LCD Soundsystem Announce Farewell NYC Show

Photo by Ruvan Wijesooriya; front page photo by Leigh Ann Hines LCD Soundsystem have announced that they will play their ...


big seminar 14

Repatriation of ailing Filipino woman sought - Arab <b>News</b>

Arab News contacted on Saturday the embassy official concerned with the case but he did not answer the call. “We specifically requested that aside from providing her medical care, the embassy should also arrange her immediate ...

Solar &amp; Wind Energy <b>News</b> of the Last Week (or So) – CleanTechnica <b>...</b>

CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views's authors are supported by a revenue-sharing agreement with the company that operates CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views, Important Media. Of course, it's never enough ...

Pitchfork: LCD Soundsystem Announce Farewell NYC Show

Photo by Ruvan Wijesooriya; front page photo by Leigh Ann Hines LCD Soundsystem have announced that they will play their ...


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Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Making Money Working



If you have been frustrated lately by search results on Google, you’re not alone, and Google knows it.


There’s been a drumbeat of criticism of Google’s search results coming out of Silicon Valley — and now the Internet giant has responded, saying it has heard “the feedback from the Web loud and clear” and believes it “can and should do better.”


In particular, the company is talking about stopping “content farms,” which provide low-quality, often unreliable and sometimes plagiarized information on a certain topic, just to get traffic from search.


Google has been making changes to its algorithm to keep low-quality sites from appearing high in searches, search guru and principal engineer Matt Cutts wrote in an official blog post Friday.


But he also writes that, despite Google’s efforts, “The fact is that we’re not perfect, and combined with users’ skyrocketing expectations of Google, these imperfections get magnified in perception.”


It’s unclear whether today’s post has anything to do with yesterday’s announcementthat co-founder Larry Page will be replacing Eric Schmidt as chief executive. But the mea culpa highlights one of the big questions Google has been facing lately: whether its search quality has taken a hit.


Just this month, there have been several posts from prominent tech insiders lamenting the state of Google results.


“Google has become a jungle: A tropical paradise for spammers and marketers. Almost every search takes you to Web sites that want you to click on links that make them money, or to sponsored sites that make Google money. There’s no way to do a meaningful chronological search,” wrote University of California at Berkeley visiting scholar Vivek Wadhwa on TechCrunch.


Software developer Jeff Atwood has complained about content farms in particular. “Last year, something strange happened: The content syndicators began to regularly outrank us in Google for our own content,” he wrote.


Content farms, in general, publish thousands of Web pages a day in an effort to draw views from Google searches. A Wired article from 2009 described their goal this way: “To predict any question anyone might ask and generate an answer that will show up at the top of Google’s search results.”


Sometimes the goal is achieved through low-quality but original articles and videos. Sometimes the sites cut and paste or compile content written elsewhere and use “search-engine optimization” techniques to get their own pages to appear higher in results.


In fairness, content farms are a problem that all major search engines are facing — but Google gets the lion’s share of the attention because it has the lion’s share of the search market.


And Google makes the point that it has made significant progress against “search spam,” in which sites patently lie about what is on the page, inserting keywords to attract people to sites that don’t actually have appropriate content at all.


“A decade ago, the spam situation was so bad that search engines would regularly return off-topic webspam for many different searches. For the most part, Google has successfully beaten back that type of ‘pure webspam,’” Mr. Cutts writes.


Content farms, however, are a different story — much trickier, and when you get down to it, just as annoying for readers.


Google’s algorithm proved to be fairly adept at detecting blatant lies about what was on the page. But information from content farms really is pertinent to the search terms at hand — even if it’s not actually what the reader wants. It’s something that a human is easily able to recognize, but maybe computer intelligence isn’t quite there yet.


And if Google’s algorithm just favors “trusted” sites like major media companies, that could create problems for sites that are obscure but contain legitimate information.






On a recent visit to the Rwandan capital, Kigali, I was deeply struck by the words of a 15-year-old I met called Olivier who is living with HIV and receiving treatment with the help of the Global Fund.



He looked at me intensely, his eyes burning with new-found hope, and said: "Thanks to you we are healthy and we can make our dreams come true. Antiretroviral (ARV) medicines are making us strong."



Olivier is one of 5 million people who are getting life-saving treatment in the developing world, compared with a mere handful barely a decade ago. Another 10 million people living with HIV need treatment and will eventually die unless they too are put on medication.



Whenever money intended for people like Olivier is stolen, it is an affront to the donors who put their trust in us and an outrage for people still waiting to start treatment whose lives are hanging by a thread.



That is why the Global Fund, which provides the funding but relies on governments, NGOs and faith-based organizations to implement health programs in the field, pursues corruption so relentlessly and insists that every cent that goes missing is paid back. Our zeal has occasionally come as a shock to some of our recipients who are not used to being held to such exceptionally high standards of transparency and accountability. We see this as a partnership, a joint enterprise between donors and recipients, in which all can learn. We have found, for example, that money intended for training programs has been misappropriated in a number of countries and we are doubling our vigilance in this area.



Fortunately, the dramatic results we are delivering in the fight against the three diseases show that the vast majority of the funds that the Global Fund disburses are reaching people in need. Programs supported by the Global Fund are saving 4,400 lives every day.



A report by the Associated Press on Sunday referred to already well-documented incidents of misappropriation of funds that were reported by the Global Fund last year. While yesterday's media reports contained no real news, they drew attention to the fact that sums of money are sometimes misappropriated by people who are entrusted with managing our grants. What these reports also convey is the Global Fund has no tolerance whatsoever of corruption.



In its report last year, the Global Fund's Inspector General listed grave misuse of funds in four out of the 145 countries which receive grants from the Global Fund. As a result, immediate steps were taken in Djibouti, Mali, Mauritania and Zambia to recover misappropriated funds and to prevent future misuse of grant money.



The Global Fund is at present demanding the recovery of US $39 million unaccounted for in these and other countries out of a total disbursement of US $13 billion. We have already recovered nearly $5 million.



The Global Fund is working with the relevant authorities to ensure that those committing fraud are brought to justice. Criminal proceedings are already underway in Mali, Mauritania and Zambia.



In the words of our Inspector General: "The distinguishing feature of the Global Fund is that it is very open when it uncovers corruption. That is its comparative advantage."



Our openness inevitably leads to publicity every time we uncover wrongdoing. By going after corruption whenever we find it, we are determined to show both our donors and people like Olivier, whose lives depend on our funding, that we will not let them down.







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