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Manual Guide

2010-02-01T06:40:00.000-08:00

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Nokia N900 is said to be the very first

2010-01-29T06:59:00.000-08:00

Though Nokia N900 is said to be the very first of its own kind as an internet tablet but there are other mobile handsets as well which are known to have latest high tech features and specifications like iPhone and Android. Nokia N900 not only has got the stylish look but it has got really exciting features which make it a treat for the tech savvy folks. It has got a 3.5 inches touch screen with the resolution of 800x480 that gives a very clear and vivid visibility. It comes with a sliding QWERTY keyboard that is convenient to use for web browsing.

3 mega pixel lens and there is an expandable memory

2010-01-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

Squarely focused on social networking, the Samsung Genio Slide offers fast upload and download speeds thanks to HSDPA alongside WiFi support for connecting to the internet when away from home, the camera has been upgraded to a 3 mega pixel lens and there is an expandable memory for storing all of those captured masterpieces.

The main display is a 3 inch touch screen, when coupled with the Qwerty keyboard the Genio Slide offers easy and quick text input for text messaging, emailing and updating your social network profiles, support for Twitter and Facebook are pre-loaded.

What the Gold Edition Looks Like

2010-01-19T14:05:00.000-08:00

When talking about the appearance, there is not much difference between the Nokia 6700 Classic and the Gold Edition. The specifications are the same, which is 4.32 x 1.77 x 0.43 inches. That just goes to show how slim this mobile phone is, since it is even slimmer than its predecessor, the Nokia 6300 (which measures at 0.46 inches), or the Samsung Ultra S (which measures at 0.5 inches).

Both the Classic and the Gold have a 2.2" TFT display that has a decent resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. The screen, which features 16 million colour support, has impressive sunlight legibility, which means that although there are reflections on the screen that appear when the phone is under direct sunlight, these are unobtrusive and you can still read the screen easily.

Nokia N97 best deals

2010-01-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

The Nokia N97 best deals are one of the most interactive, innovative and attractive deals which satisfies your needs easily. There are many attractive cheap phone contracts available in the market such as pay-as-you-go, contract deals, pay-monthly, SIM free, free line rental and many more. As per the demand of the memory storage, this fantastic gadget has been fully equipped with 32GB of internal memory that is further expandable up to 16GB by using microSD cards. Thus, you can now save huge amount of data and files in the phone memory. User manual Guide

The handset is incorporated with fabulous connectivity tools such as GPRS, EDGE, HSCSD, 3G, HSDPA up to 3.6Mbps, WLAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB. It allows you to transfer or share data with other like-minded devices. You can also access the internet with WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML and RSS feeds browsers. Moreover, in order to gain full satisfaction of the people, this terrific mobile phone comes blessed with an ultimate 5 megapixel camera which would help you to capture the best moments without any hassle. It has 2592x1944 pixels of resolution, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, LED flash, video light, geo-tagging, VGA @30fps and VGA @15fps for video recording

like Nokia 3600 Slid

2010-01-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

As being a leading competitor in the domain of communication, the big brand Nokia has diverted the attention of large number of handset users towards their huge number of valuable gadgets. The quality of Nokia mobile phones are exceptional and liked by every age group of handset user across the world. Mostly users love to purchase Nokia gadgets because of their casual approach in looks, features and other attributes, which have appreciated by the users very much. Till this time Nokia brand has proposed its large number of quality phones in different range and series like Nokia 3600 Slide, 5730 XpressMusic, 6300, 6500 Classic, 7100 Supernova, E75, N97,X3 and many more. These outlandish handsets are in great demand in the mobile phone market and also available at very much affordable prices. Such Nokia mobile phones have influenced the consumers through their stunning looks and elegant designs. Beside it, their inbuilt dynamic features are also commendable and very much convenient to manipulate the user's several manual needs at high speed. But their ability to support latest technologies are also count in their major strengths and able to facilitate all types of technologies in tiny devices. So, let's try to go through the features of few Nokia phones like N97, 5730 XpressMusic and 7100 Supernova respectively.

Google Nexus One phone Reviews

2010-01-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

The Google Nexus One phone is believed to be an unlocked device that Google would sell directly to customers. Nevertheless, Google still wants to work with the big mobile carriers, and T-Mobile may have some kind of role in the launch, according to AllThingsD's Peter Kafka.

Google may also be considering some unconventional ideas for selling the phone. One possible scenario, according to Kafka, would have you select your carrier from a menu when purchasing the phone from Google's dedicated site. Download Manual Guide

If Google does offer a menu of phone providers at purchase time, then perhaps T-Mobile will the recommended carrier for U.S. and European customers. This may also suggest that, even though the phone is unlocked, you will still be able to get a subsidized phone with a two-year contract. Unless Google becomes really unconventional and tries to subsidize the phone with advertising.

LG KS660 is a touchscreen phone

2010-01-07T17:13:00.000-08:00

More commonly, LG KS660 is a touchscreen phone that offers best browsing experience to its user. 3 inches of mind blowing WQVGA display screen is well incorporated in KS660 phone of LG, so that you can get large viewing area. Apart from its touch-screen capability, the phone has included with top class 5 megapixels camera with auto-focus which definitely helps you to fulfill your still photography as well as video developing experience. LG KS660 offers tri-band connectivity so that you can always connected with your service provider.

LG mobile phones proved that they know the need & expectations of users and the result is KS660 phone. Data sharing technologies are also included in this mobile phone, so that you can share you files wirelessly. One important thing about this mobile is that it is very handy phone comes with lots of great specifications. A latest & advanced digital multimedia player is incorporated in this LG mobile, so that user can play latest file formats on their handset. LG KS660 is also loaded with some business applications & services like emailing, document viewer etc.

Finally, LG KS660 is best buy mobile phone of LG mobiles that offers more in lesser price. It is available on contract deals very soon and at very competitive price line rental. Most of the online phone shops of UK offer you to compare pay monthly deals on LG KS660 phone. Stay tuned with mobile shops and knows more about this latest mobile phone of LG

Sony Ericsson is a renowned manufacturer of mobile phones

2009-12-05T05:40:00.001-08:00

Sony Ericsson is a renowned manufacturer of mobile phones, having produced numerous remarkable handsets. Sony Ericsson Satio is one of such devices which is highly appreciated for its looks and high end phone functionalities. The device features a massive 3.5 inch display screen which comes built-in with a high resolution of 360 x 640 pixels. The TFT touch sensitive display screen shows 16M colors and features an accelerometer sensor.

The handset is provided with an easy to operate user Interface which users find excellent while navigating through. The selling point of the device is its 12 Mega Pixel camera which comes with an impressive resolution of 4000 x 3000 pixels. The camera is equipped with an autofocus, video LED flash and Xenon flash. The other high quality camera functions in the phone include 'touch focus' to locate the subject while capturing photo and 'face and smile detection' for getting perfect picture. The geo-tagging feature provided in the phone allow users to upload their captured pictures as well as videos to social networking websites like Facebook, Flickr or Picasa. There is a video recording feature available over the phone which records videos of VGA format at 30fps.

TFT display screen which is able to display up to 262,000 colours

2009-12-05T05:40:00.000-08:00

This handset comes with a 5 mega pixel camera which operates at a resolution of 2560 x 1920 pixels. The utilisation of Schneider-Kreuznach optics is testimony to LGs emphasis on ensuring quality of image within its camera equipment. In addition the camera provides auto focus and an LED flash for illumination purposes. As an alternative to static imagery the camera also provides the ability to record video at QVGA quality and at 15 frames per second.

The handset comes with a 2.4 inch TFT display screen which is able to display up to 262,000 colours at a pixel size of 240 x 320 pixels. Imagery displayed on the screen is colourful and vivid. The handsets futuristic feel is encompassed within the touch sensitive hidden navigation keys which are on the front panel of the handset and are used for its multitude of functionality. The handset comes with vibration and ring alert types included within the package, however for further individuality the ability to download polyphonic and MP3 ringtones is included. As a means of hands-free communication the phone provides a speakerphone.

Samsung S7550 Blue Earth comes with face and smile detection

2009-11-19T16:10:00.000-08:00

About the camera of the handsets, both the devices have 3.2 MP camera that allows to capture the pictures at the resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. Flash feature is available in the BlackBerry 9500 Thunder additionally which allows the users to capture the pictures with clarity in the faint light. On the other hand, the Samsung S7550 Blue Earth comes with face and smile detection features.

Both the devices are GPRS enabled so that you could work on Internet. Wi-Fi feature is also available in the S7550 additionally to get the unlimited access of internet in the Wi-Fi covered areas. The Thunder has HTML supported browser to surf the Internet sites, whereas, the Blue Earth comes with WAP and HTML supported browser.

Pre paid acclaim cards get annular all of these solutions

2009-07-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

Today, with acclaim companies more activity the ache and pressure, it has become alike harder to admission credit, and those with alike abstinent issues on their acclaim book are award it harder, or alike impossible, to admission such a facility.

It may alike be that addition may not accept a acclaim book at all, or at atomic one with no abstracts on it. If somebody with no antecedent acclaim almanac applies for a acclaim agenda they will commonly be beneath the card. It allegation additionally be accustomed that there are affluence of bodies who, for claimed reasons, accept no admiration to accept a approved acclaim agenda and action themselves the abeyant admission to bags of dollars that they neither accept nor need.

Pre paid acclaim cards get annular all of these solutions, because there is usually no allegation for any affectionate of acclaim analysis to be agitated out. There is accordingly about no age limit, no botheration with bodies accepting poor or adverse acclaim records, and alike those who accept judgements or antecedent defalcation adeptness be able to be accustomed such a card

Credit cards Interest Rates

2009-07-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

Credit cards Interest Rates. A few decades ago there were laws adjoin charging the kinds of assimilation ante acclaim cards get today. Exorbitantly aeriform assimilation ante were declared "usury," and were banned by federal law. Just 30 years ago loaning money at 20 percent would access landed any abettor in prison. Such ante were the across of adjustment sharks and organized crime.

Today, however, it's acclimatized business. Some cards access ante abutting 21 percent. Some accomplishment manufacturers, such as Apple Computer, access acclaim address that advanced a whopping 23 percent.

Most acclaim agenda companies allure arrangement with air-conditioned low assimilation rates, sometimes as accessible as 5 percent. But what they alone acclimatize you in the able print, which few bodies bother to read, it that the assimilation aggregate all-overs abashed up afterwards six months. Many cards that alpha you out at 6 percent again jump to 18 percent, or higher. By that time, best bodies access chalked up a antipode and are stuck. Best bodies artlessly arrest to anxiety ashamed their aggregate increases. Acclaim agenda companies abacus on that. They like who analysis no assimilation in details. If you don't watch them, they'll watch you -- and your wallet -- and dip into it in the best insidious ways.

Perks and Freebies on credit card

2009-07-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

Perks and Freebies on credit card. One of those insidious means is the action such allowances as common flier afar or anniversary rebates. Use the agenda so often, and get X bulk of common flier miles. Use your card, and get acclaim against the acquirement of an automobile. Is this a acceptable deal? Hardly ever. As you ability accept guessed, the action of rebates and ability is artlessly an attraction for you to pay cool aerial absorption rates. Unless you are a big spender and biking a lot, you'll rarely account from this affectionate of promotion.

The merchant is the aftermost being in band for any artifice remedy

2009-07-18T08:45:00.001-07:00

The merchant is the aftermost being in band for any artifice remedy. If the blade stops anywhere, it stops with the being who fabricated the sale. As such, it is capital that merchants booty accomplish to assure themselves from acclaim agenda fraud. The accomplish that charge be taken are about a aggregate of self-help, too. There is no organized accomplishment accepted to bigger assure merchants. Instead, the accent is consistently placed aloft absorption chump interests.

What can a merchant do to bigger assure his or her business from acclaim agenda fraud? A few approach assume to advice insulate merchants from the problem.

We will be because this botheration primarily from the angle of a merchant who does the advantage of his or her business online or via telephone. Those who transact business in acceptable environments acquire opportunities to access signatures and to analysis identification that are usually not accessible to their added “virtual” counterparts.

The aboriginal is use of AVS technology. AVS (Address Verification Service) refers to the technology that allows merchants to ascribe advice apropos the acclaim card’s announcement abode that can be acquired from the buyer. Aback the agenda is candy for a sale, the merchant is abreast whether or not the advice matches that which is on book with the acclaim agenda company. Disparities advertise that accessible atrocity may be afoot. This gives merchants a adventitious to arbitrate above-mentioned to chief to acquire or abjure a ambiguous adjustment and can abate the instances of counterfeit transactions.

Debtors who appetite to accumulate a acclaim agenda afterwards

2009-07-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

Debtors who appetite to accumulate a acclaim agenda afterwards This agency that any annual that has a antithesis on it should be listed as a creditor in the case. If you accept a aught antithesis on a acclaim agenda back you file, this annual does not accept to be listed back it is not a debt that is owed. From a applied standpoint, however, it is acceptable that the acclaim agenda provider will abolish your acclaim privileges already the defalcation is appear to your credit. Acclaim agenda companies commonly adviser acclaim letters and a defalcation filing will about activate abandoning of the acclaim account.

Debtors who appetite to accumulate a acclaim agenda afterwards the defalcation may be able to acknowledge the debt, but this is not a advance of activity that I would recommend. Reaffirming a debt obligates you to accord it admitting the bankruptcy, and about defeats the annual of a acquittal with annual to that debt. Moreover, best acclaim agenda providers who will absorb reaffirming a debt will crave that you accord the abounding antithesis on the annual afore they will clean the agenda to acquiesce post-petition charges. There are abounding means to reestablish acclaim afterwards a defalcation filing and those options should be explored post-discharge instead of belief bottomward your beginning alpha with debt that charge be repaid.

Adverse Selection in the Credit Card Market

2009-06-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

Adverse selection is one of the most celebrated phenomena in the economics of information. Yet despite a burgeoning economics and finance literature consisting of literally hundreds of articles exploring the implications of adverse selection in credit markets, there remains little in the way of empirical studies which convincingly document the existence of adverse selection in credit markets as a real-world phenomenon. This paper examines the results of large-scale randomized trials in preapproved credit card solicitations for direct evidence of adverse selection.

Topics Accounts Arbitrage Bank Bankruptcy Bond Borrowing Business Cash Credit Credit Cards Debt Equity Finance Forex Insurance Investm

2008-06-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

New insurance industry product that provides long term care insurance coverage requires no policy, premiums or health qualifications. Nd there is no Age Limitation

Why Seniors Donât Buy Long Term Care

1. In my experience, over half the people who shun long term care insurance do so because they feel they will never need it. It is difficult to visualize going to a nursing home. Statistically, half of these people will be right.

However, there are a number of scenarios where the person may need some kind of assistance but never see the front door of a nursing home. In fact, most people who need long term care can receive care without ever leaving their home.

When you stop and think about it, the decision not to buy long term care insurance is a decision to self insure. This can be costly and possibly devastating.

The average cost of a nursing home today is $80,000 per year and rising.A normal man cant Afford Sch a huge money towards nursing. At that rate, it doesnât take but a few years to grind through a modest estate. If both the husband and wife need nursing home care,

Bump up frequent flier miles with sign-up bonuses

2008-04-30T05:36:00.000-07:00

With sign-up bonuses for airline rewards cards hitting new heights, savvy frequent fliers can pocket thousands of extra miles -- for free -- by signing up for a succession of credit cards with mileage bonus offers. Pocket the miles, ditch the card, and repeat as necessary.

It's a good time to go for the rewards, say industry observers: As lenders and airlines compete for the prized frequent flier demographic, credit cards are offering bigger and better airline mileage extras to woo new customers. Getting such cards one after another is a strategy that can put your credit score at risk, but credit experts say responsible credit users can manage it.

Airline rewards buildAirline mile bonuses build
There was a time when the standard sign-up bonus for an airline-affiliated credit card was about 5,000 miles, says Tim Winship, editor-at-large for SmarterTravel.com. "It's only in the past two to three years that it's really become more or less industry standard to offer enough -- or almost enough -- frequent flier miles for a free ticket."

Randy Petersen, editor of Inside Flyer magazine, goes a step further. "Today, if you're not getting 25,000 miles, you're not doing very good," he says, because mileage bonuses "are way, way up there." There even have been offers up to 40,000 miles for some of the business cards, he says.

Enjoy the high-flying times while they last, he warns: Bonuses are unlikely to keep climbing because the economics wouldn't make sense for card issuers. "We're probably at 95 to 100 percent of what we'll ever see in bonuses," says Petersen.

It's no secret to the credit card industry that some consumers "churn" rewards cards, grabbing sign-up bonuses and then ditching the cards, but for now, the issuers don't mind.

"They've already built in that a lot of people are going to try to sign up for the bonus and not use the card," says Robert Manning, research professor and director of the Center for Consumer Financial Services at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

Where the points are
Where can you find the best sign-up mileage bonus offers? You can find airline frequent flier bonus mile reward cards online. If you have excellent credit, your mailbox is probably stuffed with them already. It pays to open each mailing, though, because the same lender will often try to entice you repeatedly with different combinations of bonus miles, fees, and redemption conditions.

Citi's Aadvantage Citi Select American Express and Citi Platinum Select World MasterCard, for example, each award 25,000 American Airlines miles when you spend $750 within your first four months, while United's Mileage Plus Platinum Business Card delivers 20,000 miles after your first purchase. Both cards waive their hefty annual fees for the first year.

Before chasing the rewards, you'll need to decide if it makes financial sense for you. You'll reap the highest benefits with the least chance of damaging your credit rating if you:

• Have an excellent credit history and a high credit score.
• Always pay off all your credit card balances every month.
• Don't have any outstanding credit card balances.
• Can resist the temptation to use every credit card you have.
• Won't need to apply for another consumer loan, such as a car or home loan, for the next three to six months.

Keeping your score
Repeatedly swapping credit cards can ding credit ratings.

"Each time a consumer applies for new credit, a 'hard inquiry' is generated, causing a slight impact on the credit score," says Steven Katz, a spokesman for TransUnion, one of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies. "Opening multiple new credit accounts over a brief period of time will amplify that score impact. How much that affects an individual's credit score will depend on that individual's own circumstances."

Spacing your credit card applications throughout the year can lessen any damage, experts say. "If you did three or four applications within a month or two months, that could start to make a significant ding on your score -- 20, 60, even 80 points," says Evan Hendricks, author of "Credit Scores & Credit Reports" and longtime editor of the Washington-based newsletter "Privacy Times."

Dedicated credit card rewards collectors tend to monitor their credit reports regularly. Aaron McCrea is a Bloomington, Ind., lawyer who has racked up more than a million American Airlines frequent flier miles since 1997, primarily through personal and business credit cards and bonus offers. "I've kept track over the 10 years, and it's had no negative effect on our credit rating," he says. McCrea says he regularly uses four credit cards to earn miles, supplemented by the occasional new card with an enticing sign-up bonus.

Is it worth it?
Read the fine print before you apply for any new credit card -- but especially if your interest lies only in the sign-up bonus.

Here's what to look for:

• Annual fee. If there is one, is it waived for the first year (or more)? If not, how does it compare with the value of the bonus you'll receive? If the fee is $49, for example, but you'll receive enough miles or points for a free ticket to Hawaii, you might not mind paying for the card.

• Spending requirements. You may have to spend a certain amount of money with the new credit card (for example, $1,000 in the first 90 days) before you receive some or all of your bonus miles. Is this money you would be spending anyway, or would you have to make unnecessary purchases to hit the total?

• Cancellation conditions. If you're not planning to keep and use the card, find out whether you'll be able to redeem your bonus miles or points even when you're no longer a cardholder. In some cases, you might not receive all of the bonus miles until you've held the card for a specified number of months or even years, and you might have to pay an annual fee at some point.

• Redemption rules. Some of the bank travel reward cards have very complicated conditions for redeeming points for a reward or even for accrual, says Jay Sorensen, president of product, partnership and marketing practice for IdeaWorks in Shorewood, Wis. With an airline-sponsored card, the bonus miles might automatically show up in your existing frequent flier account, so you'll redeem them as you would any other miles. With nonairline travel cards, such as those sponsored by Capitol One and American Express, you might have to follow special rules for purchasing a ticket with miles or points, or specifically request that miles be transferred to your frequent flier account. Be sure to note whether the bonus miles or points expire within a certain time limit.

• Blackout dates and other limitations. Although most bonus offers tout the absence of blackout dates, the reality is that some tickets are tougher to get than others. "Some programs are saying no blackout dates, but instead they're closing out dates for award tickets by inventory control," says Sorensen. "That 25,000-mile reward ticket? For many people it's fiction because it's just not reliable anymore." You may need to be flexible about traveling off-season and at off hours to redeem your miles or points.

To cancel or not to cancel?
Once you've banked your bonus miles, you have two choices if you're not planning to use your new card again: keep or cancel.

There are pros and cons to both, says Gary Symington, president of Debt-Free America. Canceling the card right away may drop you five points on your credit score, he says, while opening up your credit limit by keeping the card "may drop you 10, 15, even 20 points."

You'll also need to pace yourself: Closing more than one or two credit cards a month can raise red flags on your credit report, says Julie Zachariason, counseling supervisor for LSS Financial Counseling Service based in Duluth, Minn.

On the other hand, if the card isn't costing you anything out of pocket and you don't already have too many credit cards, you might want to keep the account open as a backup, says Hendricks.

How to Buy Nothing (2)

2008-04-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

* Avoid shopping malls, if possible. If you need to purchase something, go to a store that sells that thing. Don't automatically head for the mall, where you'll likely get lured into buying things you don't need. If you go to the mall just to hang out with your friends, consider finding new hobbies, or new friends. If you have to walk through a shopping mall to get to a restaurant or a movie theater, keep yourself engrossed in conversation (either with yourself or your companions) so that you don't focus on your surroundings. Concentrate on where you are going, but pay no attention to the stores along the way.
* Use the buddy system. If you go out with friends, you may find that you enjoy yourselves so much that you don't even feel like buying anything. You could all make a pact to prevent purchases. It's kind of like a 12-step program to escape the consumer culture.
* Avoid unnecessary upgrades. Yes, that new toaster has a little chime and can toast eight slices at once, but seriously, how often do you need eight slices of toast at once? Our consumer culture pressures people to replace perfectly good products with newer products for silly reasons, like fashion. Remember, an avocado-colored oven works just as well as one that's mango-colored.
* Buy for durability. If you decide to purchase something, choose something that won't wear out, or won't wear out quickly. Also avoid purchasing items that will go out of fashion. Think through how you will use the item and how your choice will meet your needs for as long as possible. Thinking in the long term, a more durable item costing 30% more up front will still save you money if you can use it twice as long.
* Buy for easy compatibility. If you really like an item, think carefully about how well it will work with what you have already. Maybe a clothing item is fresh and flattering, but if it doesn't coordinate well with at least two or three pieces you own, you'll either get limited use out of it, or worse, you may 'need' to buy more to use it at all.
* Use the "Rule of 7." If something you want is over 7 dollars, wait 7 days and ask 7 trusted people whether this is a good purchase. Then buy it if you still think it is a good idea. This rule will curtail impulse buying. As you get more financially secure and have a larger disposable income, you can gradually increase the threshold upward from 7 dollars.
* Make gifts for people. Use your own skills (or learn a new skill) to make gifts that people will remember long after they've forgotten store-bought presents. Don't forget that gifts needn't be wrapped. You can make a gift of time or skills, too. Remember the lesson of The Gift of the Magi: it really is the thought that counts. Money can't buy you happiness or self-respect or any friends worth having.
* Tax yourself. Every time you make a purchase over $10 (or $50 or whatever limit you choose), take 10% of the price and put it into your savings or your investments. This way, you discourage yourself from buying something just because the item is "marked down" or "a bargain" and boost your financial security every time you make a significant purchase. If you use a debit card or a credit card, try using one that has a savings program, American Express offers a card with a savings account and Bank of America offers their "Keep The Change" program to automatically transfer money into your savings account.
* Grow your own food. If you have even a small garden, it's easy to grow your own food.

How to Buy Nothing (1)

2008-04-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

In O. Henry's classic Christmas story The Gift of the Magi, Della Young sells her most prized possession, her long, beautiful hair, in order to buy her husband, Jim, a Christmas present. The present she chooses is a chain for Jim's heirloom pocket watch, the only valuable thing he owns. When she presents her gift to Jim, she discovers that he has sold his watch in order to buy a set of ornate combs for her beautiful locks. Is there a lesson in here for us? The lesson is you don't have to buy anything to be happy. Here's how to resist the urge to splurge.

# Examine your spending habits. Are your buying decisions motivated by your own values or by advertisements? Don't be influenced by consumerism and an obsession with spending.
# Stay home. If you don't need to shop, don't go shopping simply because you are bored. Don't use shopping as a recreation or amusement.
# Leave the money at home. The easiest way to not buy anything is simply not to take any cash, checks, debit cards, or credit cards with you when you go out. At most, take a small amount of cash with you for emergencies.
# Avoid plastic. Try putting your credit card in a container with some water and freezing it. That way you have it for holidays and emergencies but not just to go buy stuff.
# Buy used. If you really need something and haven't been able to beg, borrow, or dumpster-dive it, go to a thrift shop and get one for pennies on the dollar. Online auctions and yard sales are also good, although there is still the temptation to buy "stuff" you don't really need.
# Pay cash. Studies show the average person spends less when paying with cash and much more when paying with credit, possibly because when you use a credit card it feels as though you are not parting with "real" money.
# Make a budget and stick to it. Don't treat your budget like a New Year's resolution. While creating and sticking to a budget requires self-control, it's a really good way to get your finances under control and avoid accumulating a pile of crippling debts and a bunch of worthless crap in the process of destroying your self-respect.
# Make a list and stick to it. Make purchasing decisions at home, where your needs are apparent, instead of in stores where shelves full of other products will distract and entice you. A list can also help you postpone and consider purchases and consolidate trips out.
# Ask yourself some questions. Will I use this every day? Will I use it enough for it to be worth buying? How many hours did I have to work to pay for this? Employ the 3-month forecast. Ask yourself if you'll still be using the product regularly in 3 months. If you have lived this long without it, do you really need it? If you move frequently, contemplate whether this purchase is really worth hauling around each time you move. If you don't, ask yourself if it's worth sacrificing some of your precious living space to own it.
# Repair, don't replace. If you shopped carefully and got good service out of something, don't assume you have to replace it when it breaks. A good repair shop might be able to restore it to "near-new" condition for less than the cost of a replacement, and you won't be adding to the landfill problem.
# Try to get things you need or want for free. In a surprising number of cases you can get whatever you need without spending a dime.

* Check local "free sales". Visit websites such as freecycle, Freesharing,Sharing is Givingor craigslist. These sites are so useful precisely because so many people buy things they don't need or replace perfectly good things with similar but newer things. You can decide to be smarter than that.
* Borrow. If you need a product for just a short time, why not borrow someone else's? There's no shame in borrowing as long as you are willing to reciprocate when someone needs to borrow something of yours.
* Try bartering. Your past extravagances have probably left you with a lot of things you no longer need, but which other people may want. Experience some of the gains from trade that economists are always talking about.
To be continue

Start your own business

2008-04-23T22:46:00.000-07:00

1. It is always better to be an employer than an employee, if you are disciplined and able to devote time and money. Learn all you can about running a business. Take a class. Ask an experienced business owner for advice. Be careful, though. Many businesses fail, especially in their first year. You could end up with considerable debt, no savings, and no benefits. Get help!
2. Entrepeneurs make up the majority of millionaires, it is high risk, but it is also the most likely way to become truly wealthy. Few people amass great wealth through other means. Less than 1 % become a millionaire through "other" means such as being a rockstar, winning the lottery, etc. So unless you inherit wealth your best shot is doing this.
3. Note that you can start your own business part-time. For example by going into real estate, purchasing, renovating and selling homes is a common way for building wealth for people without money to invest.

Be Smart

1. Learn about budgeting, credit, and debt. Learn how credit cards work! If you get into debt early it can sabotage your progress.
2. Put an amount of money in the bank monthly. 10, 20, 30 dollars is good - $100 is better. By the time you get old, retirement would be easy. (See segment about compound interest).
3. If you are in college and can't afford an apartment and don't like those nasty dorms, then gather with 3 or 4 people, and buy a good sized house while splitting the payment. It'd probably cost less than a apartment.

On the other hand, there haven't been covered any specific ways in this article. Please update.

Investment

2008-04-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

Invest

1. Start investing as early as possible. Do not wait until you have "enough" money to invest. You will end up with a larger account in the end if you start investing a small amount early and keep adding more regularly.
2. Make smart investments

If you don't understand what you are investing in, don't. Start with something easy like index funds. They have fewer ups and downs than individual stocks, and you will not have all your eggs in one basket.

1. For safety: Stay as debt free as possible. A paid-for education and a paid-off house will enable you to invest more money in the stock market or your own business. Only gear up low-risk investments with loans.
2. Starting now is better than never starting. The power of compound interest can make anyone wealthy. Example: Investing only $10 every year at 15 % annual profit will give you over $1.3 million after 70 years.

Become Rich Someday

2008-04-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

There are many way to become rich, but many more to become poor. Of course it's usually not easy and many quick methods involve a lot of risk. so take your time and follow these steps to build your wealth.

Note that people have different perceptions of what it means to be rich. In this article we will define rich as having a fortune higher than $1 million.

Steps
Start by investing in your most important asset: Your mind

1. Doing well in school and getting an education in a high-paying profession such as doctor, lawyer, economist, etc. will give you a head-start and a safe economic position.
2. Learn about basic economics such as Compound interest and investment strategies.
3. Develop yourself all your life. Increase your professional skills, leadership skills, financial skills, social skills and general life skills. Making yourself valuable will increase your chances regardless of your path to riches.
4. Develop a vision; why should you become wealthy? Based on this, set your goals. You wont rise up unless you are able to build and focus your ambition.
5. Stay healthy; It is very important to stay healthy in your endeavour to become rich. This will enable you to work hard and also increase your life span increasing your earning period. On the other hand, you will be able to reduce the cost on health care.

How to Calculate Buffetts Safety Factor

2008-04-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

Warren Buffett and other value investors operate on the assumption that if the real value of an investment is some multiple of its current price it may qualify for an investment. In other words if the value of a investment provide a sufficient safety factor it could be considered for an investment. Buffet's safety factor is necessary but maybe not sufficient.

Steps

1. Project Cash Flow. Using the investments historical cash flow (not Net Income), either operating cash flow or free cash flow project cash flow into the future. You cannot project the future any further then you have historical data. If you investment only has two year of data on cash flow then you only can project two years into the future.
2. Using a reasonable cash savings or money market rate of return, discount the future cash flow to present value.
3. Divide by the number of shares outstanding to get a present value per share.
4. If the ratio of Future Value per Share to Current Price is greater then 2, 3 or 4, then the investment could be considered.

Tips

* Look for investments with low P/E ratios to start. While these investments have good earnings (Net Income) they may not have the kind of cash flow to provide a high safety factor
* Look for low debt to equity ratios

Warnings

* The Present Value of future cash flow could be overstated if the investment has considerable debt. Debt principle payments occur below the free cash flow line and as a result actual cash flow would be lower by the amount associated with debt repayment.
* Investments with short or irradiate historical cash flows will be difficult to forecast and will likely produce low present values and thus low safety factors and will automatically eliminate themselves for consideration

4 wrong ways to escape credit card debt

2008-04-02T10:34:00.001-07:00

By Emily Starbuck Gerson and Ben Woolsey

If you have substantial credit card debt, you may feel trapped. Escaping debt is a must, but there are both right and wrong ways to go about it. Unfortunately, those dressed up as a quick fix tend to cause more problems than they solve.

Below are four common but ill-advised "solutions" for credit card debt:

1. Take a cash advance on another card
The expression "robbing Peter to pay Paul" comes to mind with this one. For starters, taking a cash advance on a credit card is a very expensive proposition. There is usually an ugly 3 percent fee charged for advances along with very high interest rates that begin ticking away from the moment you initiate the advance. "Cash advances are very costly, high-risk items," says Harrine Freeman, author, speaker, columnist and CEO of Freeman Enterprises, a credit repair and financial counseling service. "The cost of a cash advance from a credit card can be 500 percent or more." Don't dig one hole to fill in another.

2. Get a payday advance against your next paycheck
Payday lenders offer a solution for short-term emergencies. They're not meant as a long-term fix for credit card debt. When calculated on an annual basis, their interest rates are astronomical. Freeman concedes that payday loans have advantages: the possibility of getting your loan extended, no credit check and avoiding bounced checks or late fees on credit cards. But that's where the good ends. "You have to pay back the loan plus fees, and extending your loan can double or triple your fees," Freeman says. "The interest rate can be as much as 100 percent or more of the amount borrowed and you could end up owing more debt after obtaining the payday loan."

3. Rob your 401(k) or other retirement savings
This is a bad idea since any time you touch tax-advantaged retirement savings you get dinged twice. You will first experience the pain of paying a 10 percent penalty for early withdrawal, and you will then be taxed at your normal income tax rate for the amount withdrawn. For most consumers this means keeping only 65 percent of the money withdrawn. Freeman admits borrowing from your 401(k) can have a few advantages, including a good interest rate and the fact that you are paying interest back to yourself instead of a lender. The downsides, however, are devastating. "If you are unable to pay the loan at the time, you will also be required to pay taxes and penalties on the amount borrowed, and the loan must be repaid in five years,"Freeman says. "If you lose or quit your job you will have to pay the loan back in full. When your borrow money from your 401(k), you are taking money that can generate additional growth in your retirement plan and affects your overall projected earnings."

4. Get a home equity loan and pay off everything
OK, this one isn't so terrible -- IF you have financial discipline and are willing to put your house at risk. There are pluses, such as a lower interest rate and the deductibility of the interest payments. And a home equity loan can be relatively fast compared to a full-blown mortgage loan. But it isn't the silver bullet for debt. Many costs, especially origination fees, often aren't disclosed until well into the application process. And remember, you're putting your home on the line. Too many borrowers take out a home equity loan, then rack up more credit card debt, leaving them in worse shape than they started. Freeman says taking out a home equity loan should be a last resort. "Don't get one if you already have bad credit, if you can't afford to make your current mortgage payment or if you are not sure that you can make the home equity loan payments," Freeman says. "If you make a late payment, your interest rate may increase. This is only a temporary solution because you could easily get into debt again." She insists that home equity loans should only be used for covering costs of large purchases such as roof repairs or an unexpected emergency.

Right ways to escape credit card debt
If there are so many dangerous routes to becoming free of credit card debt (and indebted elsewhere), what represents the golden path? The answer doesn't involve a quick fix, but will provide a safer, long-lasting solution.

The first step requires a change of behavior. "The main obstacle is changing your spending habits," Freeman says. "By simply doing that, you will be able to reduce expenses and pay off your debt."

Her advice:
• Don't open any new accounts.
• Reduce expenses by bringing your lunch to work, taking public transportation, shopping at wholesale stores, etc.
• Don't transfer balances unless you can pay the full balance before the promotional period expires.
• Budget, budget, budget.

"Create a spending plan to determine the total amount you owe and your total monthly income to see where you can reduce expenses," Freeman suggests. She also says to focus on paying your bills on time and alerting your creditors immediately if you will not be able to pay your bills when they are due. If need be, cut up all of your credit cards except for one to use for emergencies -- and keep that one safely tucked away to reduce splurge temptation.

Once this financial bleeding has been stanched it's time to go to work on whittling down that debt. Finding a good 0 percent APR balance transfer credit card is often a good next step. Think of this credit card as a debt consolidation loan; don't carry it in your wallet. It's simply a place to park your debt at no interest in order to begin cutting it down.

Attaining freedom from debt at this point is a matter of using your newly budgeted income to pay it off bit by bit until it is gone.It takes time and self-discipline to destroy debt, but once you are free of its shackles, you will lift an enormous weight off your back.

4 wrong ways to escape credit card debt

2008-04-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

Virginia LB charged with credit card theft

2008-04-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- Virginia linebacker J'Courtney Williams faces charges of credit card theft and credit card fraud, according to university police.

Lt. Melissa Fielding said Tuesday that Williams was charged after police investigated a student's report that his wallet was stolen at the Aquatics and Fitness Center. The theft charge is a felony, the fraud count a misdemeanor.

Williams, a freshman from Danville who redshirted last season, also was arrested in February on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession. That case has been continued until February 2009 in Albemarle General District Court.

Williams is recovering from shoulder surgery and has not been practicing this spring.

Virginia athletics spokesman Jim Daves said coach Al Groh was not available for comment.

Copyright 2008 Associated Press.

A Hard Look at PPC, Click Fraud and the Alternatives

2007-10-22T05:05:00.000-07:00

With the creation of the Overture and Google Adwords systems, many webmasters believed they had finally hit the mother lode. It was no longer necessary for small online businesses to invest large amounts of money into Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services to gain high search rankings in the natural search results.

Even webmasters committed to SEO campaigns began to realize its fleeting nature. Given frequent search engine algorithm changes, optimizing a website was no guarantee that in 6 months or less it wouldn't be back to square one and page twenty of the search results.

PAY-PER-CLICK SEARCH ENGINE (PPCSE) PLACEMENT

With the advent of the PPCSE model created by Overture, and followed by Google Adwords, webmasters felt like they had finally found the level playing field that everyone talks about. Hiring a SEO company was no longer necessary to crack the top search engine results. A Page One placement could be purchased and often for far less than the cost of a SEO company's services.

Webmasters discovered that they could get traffic to their website for as little as one cent per click.

Pay-per-click, however, has evolved over the last 5 years and not to the benefit of most webmasters. Although five cents is currently the average starting bid price at most major search engines, many sought after keyword terms can cost as much as $30 - $50 per click. Given the increasingly competitive nature of PPC advertising and spiralling costs, many small- to medium- sized businesses today might be better served hiring a good SEO company to search optimize their websites.

WHO IS CLICKING YOUR PAY-PER-CLICK LINKS?

There are four types of people who click on pay-per-click ads. Knowing who these people are helps explain why experts keep telling us that 20% to 25% of all clicks on PPC listings are "fraudulent clicks".

Personality Type #1: True-Blue Prospects

These are the people for whom you have placed your pay-per-click ads. They see your advertisement; they like what they see; and they click your link to see if you can actually serve their needs.

Personality Type #2: Accidental Clickers

Every once in a while, even my finger misfires, and I click an advertisement that I did not intend on clicking. My first thought is usually, "Oh no...", and my first action is to find the back button.

I didn't mean to cost that person money by clicking his advertisement... but I did. It was an accident. Now, the advertiser has to pay for my mistake. That bites.

Personality Type #3: Jealous Competitors

I would like to think that all of my, and your, competitors are fine, upstanding people. And most of them are. But, there are some who are not, and they click on pay-per-click links just to be spiteful or just to cost their business rivals a few dollars.

Believe it or not, a good percentage of "fraudulent clicks" are believed to be clicks perpetrated by people against their competitors.

Personality Type #4: True-Blue Fraudsters

Not that long ago pay-per-click providers realized that there was tremendous opportunity in offering small website owners a method for cashing in on their limited traffic.

Today, a webmaster can go to any number of pay-per-click services, add a small piece of code to a webpage and start serving paid advertising the same day. Webmasters thus become revenue share partners with the PPC provider, splitting revenues with the PPC provider for each click.

Ethical webmasters, of course, put the needs of their advertisers first and focus on putting eyeballs on their website so that visitors can click on the advertising links.

But, the word "ethical" doesn't exist in the vocabulary of some webmasters. These are the "true-blue fraudsters" who believe in making "revenue at any cost... no matter who might be hurt by their actions." They devise schemes to have their own ads clicked in order to drive up their revenue share.

These webmasters, although a minority, are responsible for the vast majority of fraudulent clicks. And, they are the same people that should be taken out behind the barn, for a good old-fashioned flogging --- one lashing for each stolen dollar would be fine with me.

THE UNSEEN COSTS OF THE PAY-PER-CLICK SEARCH GAME

If the experts are correct in estimating that 25% of all clicks are fraudulent, then you are paying out 33% more than you should have to pay to get your business.

If you are converting PPCSE clicks-to-sales at a rate of $20 per transaction, then you should be aware that your actual conversion rate for non-PPCSE advertising would cost you an average of $15 per transaction. By escaping the pay-per-click search engine model, you could in effect make an additional $5 per transaction by cutting the fraud out of your marketing budget.

Personally, I would rather not pay the pay-per-click mafia the $5 a transaction that they are exacting against pay-per-click advertisers.
by: Bill Platt