Can money buy happiness? Popular wisdom continues to say “no”, but people keep acting as if the answer were “yes”. The drive to accumulate assets is a major drive in many lives. That may be an attempt to give meaning to life, a reaction to fear of not having enough, a leap for the brass ring of social prestige, or the need to make dear old Dad proud. Does it work?
Apparently, it does if you give it away. According to the Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey of 30,000 American households, people who gave money to charity in 2000 were 43% more likely than non-givers to say they were “very happy” about their lives. Brain function studies suggest that the high of giving money is as satisfying as getting money.
Too much money can be a drag. Dr. Martin Seligman, who is well-known for his work on learned helplessness, points out that depression is the inevitable result of the belief that one’s choices have no significance. People who are provided for in every possible way are just as miserable as those who are trapped in situations of dire want. Humans are hard-wired to enjoy overcoming problems and challenges. Cavemen who lacked the drive to survive had their genes washed out of the human genome pool thousands of years ago.
Money in itself cannot make us happy. However, it is a useful a tool to actualize what is important to us. If I am enamored with the idea of learning about anthropology and I have the money to enroll in college, then the money buys me the opportunity to experience a fuller life. However, it is up to me to find zest, significance and purpose in my studies. If I am concerned about the plight of the Asian red-throated warbler and want to help, my money will allow me to get involved directly or indirectly, giving me the satisfaction of making a positive impact on a world that is often unkind to the helpless.
From where I sit, making the world a better place is the ultimate source of satisfaction. If money is used wisely for that purpose, happiness will increase. Otherwise, it is just one more burden to look after.
When you are in the market for a new vehicle, whether it is a used vehicle or a brand new one off the lot, you have two options in financing the vehicle. One of these is the traditional auto loan method and the other is an auto lease. Leasing is not for everyone, so it is essential that you have all the facts before you get yourself into a lease and then find it difficult to break the lease.
Just as in a traditional vehicle loan, with a car lease you make monthly payments on the car for a certain length of time. This means that you can choose a short-term car lease for a specific length of time, which is usually two or three years. This is a shorter period of time than you would have with a loan allowing you to have a new car or truck every few years. You also have the option of leasing a really expensive car or truck for a longer period of time depending on your needs. The main benefit of leasing a vehicle is that you have a lower monthly payment over the course of a shorter term than you would have with a traditional auto loan from a bank or the company associated with the dealership.
When you take out a car loan, your monthly payments are a proportion of the full amount of buying the car, plus the interest rates charged by the lender. In a car lease, the payments are based on only a portion of the total cost of the vehicle. At the end of the term specified in the lease, you can bring the car back to the dealership and owe nothing or you can opt to finance the remaining portion of the cost of the car and buy it.
It is important that you first get an auto lease quote before you agree to the terms and sign the final lease papers. All auto dealers will give you a free quote that will not have any impact on your credit report because this is not an application for credit. You should have at least three quotes in order to do a comparison to find the lease that is right for your financial situation. When you do make your decision, you will have to submit an application to the lender associated with the dealership and wait to see if your application is approved. The lender will check your credit history to make sure that you are a good risk to repay.
One of the most important facets of a new-car lease is determining your driving pattern. If you do not do a lot of driving during the year, then a lease is right for you. This is because there is a certain number of miles that you are allowed to have on the car each year and if you do go over the total mileage amount you will have to pay extra money at the end of the lease. The amount per mile or kilometre for any mileage over the limit will be specified in your lease agreement. If you do a lot of driving, then it is possible that a lease is not the right option for you.
When you visit a dealership, you should ask about the specific policies the company has for a short-term car lease, if you would like to have a shorter than normal lease period. You can get a used-car lease option for a relatively short period of time, but why lease a used car when you can drive off the lot in a brand new vehicle?
I’m a lender. (Said with the same cringe a lawyer feels when he says “I’m a lawyer”.) In the joke department, lawyer jokes vs. lender jokes, lawyers have us beat. Same stigma though. Nobody likes us, but sooner or later, everybody needs us. Like a lawyer, my job is to represent you and bring you to the best possible outcome. Although I present you before an underwriter instead of a judge, a judgment is made just the same. The judgment, is your willingness and ability to pay.
Like a lawyer, I’m most effective when I know every fact and nuance about your situation. Once I do, I’ll find the program offering the best legal avenue for you to obtain financing. What’s that? Oh, you noticed the word “legal”? Ahhh.. Good. Glad you’re paying attention, because the investors are. They weren’t before, but they are now.
Real estate, as all markets do, is taking a breather. Nothing goes up forever. Remember the “Tech Bubble”? Same church, different pew. Just like people who loaded up on “Pets.com”, there are lots of people looking for chairs now that the music has stopped. As with the Nasdaq, the people hurt most in real estate were the ones who were out of their depth in the first place, playing a game they didn’t understand and avoiding the sound financial principles of decision making. Same old feeding frenzy. Frustrated at watching “everybody else” making money, they take the leap, over-extending themselves to get in on the action. Encouraged by realtors and, dare I say, even by some lenders who care only about closing the transaction, they’ll use light documentation or “no doc” loans to fudge a little (or a lot) on their income, or get an ARM with a “teaser rate” that turns really ugly at some point in the distant (or near) future. Using maximum leverage, they’ll finance as much as possible, putting as little of their own money as they can into the purchase. Why? To buy more house than they can afford, thinking they’ll make a big profit when they sell it. Oops.. No buyers? Bummer. Can’t afford it? Too Bad..
And while the last ones in are usually the ones left holding the bag, the catch is, the real owners of the collateral emerge when foreclosure occurs. Meet the investors, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and they don’t want to hold the bag. The recent, massive waive of foreclosures resulting from abuse of light documentation loans has caused credit guidelines and verification procedures to tighten dramatically. The resulting mantra? What used to be shrugged off by some realtors and lenders as “bending the rules to get the deal done”, is now being accurately viewed as “Loan Fraud” and they don’t think it’s funny. They will prosecute.
The best loan is the one that can’t get you into trouble. How do you get the best loan? Don’t lie on your loan application. Be honest with your lender and you won’t need a lawyer.
The key to finding competitive life insurance is to compare the premium amounts and coverage provided from various quotes. A life insurance quote typically consists of the coverage amount, a breakdown of included benefits and the amount of premium to be paid. The cost of life insurance is dependent on factors such as age and smoking status.
One way to find competitive life insurance is to compare the coverage amounts selected on various insurance quotes. Part of the premium calculation for a life insurance policy is based on the total amount of coverage on a particular policy. Different coverage amounts can sometimes result is a significantly different premium amount. It is important to remember the coverage amount on a life insurance policy needs to be selected carefully. The higher the coverage is on a life insurance policy the higher the premium will be for the policy. Although, it is possible to get the same amount of coverage cheaper on a different type of life insurance policy.
Another way to find competitive life insurance is to compare the type of benefits that are included with each type of insurance policy. Many times a life insurance company will offer a discount or some other benefit that can be added to the policy. One type of benefit that some life insurers offer is called a guaranteed renewable premium. This benefit is designed to keep the premium amount the same when purchasing additional insurance especially with term policies. A guaranteed renewable premium also means that an insured does not need to prove their insurability r take another health exam. Benefits are a goof way to compare life insurance policies to see who offers the best policy for the premium.
Finding competitive life insurance can easily be done by comparing the premium amount found on a rate or price quote. The premium amount due either at renewal or when a policy is purchased can be paid in a variety of ways. Many insurers offer a billing summary to go along with their insurance quotes. The billing summary is a breakdown of all of the billing methods that are available to pay the premium. Many life insurance companies offer many billing methods including monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual. A billing summary gives the premium payment amounts for each billing method. This makes comparing premium amounts from different insurance companies much easier.
There are many factors that go into the premium calculation for a life insurance policy. Two of the main factors are whether a person smokes and their age. An insurance policy is going to cost more for someone who is older and who also smokes.
Paying off debt is certainly the number one priority of any person with personal finance issues. The expensive interest charged on debt on a personal basis is perhaps the biggest killer that can occur. Once debt has paid off the feeling is good, and the way to do this systematically is to pay off the more expensive debt first until it is all paid off. Similarly there is no point in having 10,000 of debt and having 10,000 in savings in a current account. The banks are effectively laughing at people in this situation. The cost of debt far outweighs the interest earned through savings. The best approach here is to pay off all debt first and then use what ever money is left in the current account.
Secondly it is good idea once the debt is cleared, to invest some money each month or in a lump sum to a high interest savings account. This is to make best use of available cash at a low risk. The use of interest bearing savings accounts are that the level of interest paid is far greater than leaving cash left idle in current account earning little or no interest.
Switching saving accounts might also be another good idea if the level of interest paid by another bank or finance institution offers a high rate of interest. The effect is that people are able to maximise their capital invested. People can these days search online to find the best paying providers at ease.
Daily budgeting of monthly income and outgoings will also help to control the spending much more better than if left to chance. People using budgets will know what they are spending their money on and non essential itemised spending can be reduced or eliminated. The savings made each month can amount to being able to invest in high interest accounts and going on a vacation as a treat.
Selling new and second hand items on ebay or amazon will help earn a few pennies by getting rid of unwanted products.
Those with higher risk thresholds are able to invest in stocks and bonds though the level of income and capital growth is not guaranteed and stocks carry a wealth hazard warning.
Longer term personal finance involves saving for the future in the form of pensions. This is an area of finance that I do not know much about other than a set level of monthly payment is made over a given fixed period of time (usually from the start date of the plan until retirement). Generally the returns are not great though it offers some level of income upon retirement. The wise people who have pensions will no doubt be thankful they did invest as they will have a nest egg to help pay some of there day to day expenses. Some might have a pension and this might not be enough which in some respects down to bad planning and in not doing the budgeting at an earlier stage of life.
On the whole I would always say do not give your credit card number to ANYONE, and I mean anyone. I would be reluctant to give out my number to almost anyone who rang. Even if you think that you are 100% sure that the caller is who they say they are, they may not be. Anyway if your bank rang why would they want your credit card number. Surely they would be able to access it without your help if they needed to.
So first things first:-
Determine why your bank needs your credit card number. They may legitimately need it but I doubt it so be very wary. It could be a bank employee operating a scam or fraud after all you never know these days. There are so many scams that I am starting to feel that I could not trust anyone who rang me re any financial information.
Are there any security checks which you could use to identify that it is really your bank calling? Do you have any data such as your first school or mothers maiden name logged with them for identity checking. If so they should be able to answer these questions.
Do you know the telephone number of your bank so that you can ring back and make sure it’s your bank legitimately calling. If you are going to ring your bank back take the name of the person calling first. When you ring back try to speak to someone else and tell them the name of your caller. This may help you to determine if the call is legitimate or not.
All of the above may or may not work but I think, overall, the thing to remember about your credit card number is ‘If in doubt, Don’t give it out’ Now this article refers to your actual card number. Attached to your credit card there is also a pin number which is your personal identification number. This is in effect your password and so obviously this would NEVER be given out to anyone, or else it defeats the object of having a password. No-one should, or would, ask for this number for any legitimate reason so keep this pin number secret at all times and never even write it down. If you think that someone has got hold of your pin number contact your bank immediately in order to get this number changed at once.
At times I feel lucky (and cursed!) to have been on both sides of credit card debt. I’m a credit counselor and I’m a proud owner of about six credit cards with varying amounts of debt on them.
Here’s some tips I can offer:
1. Don’t get a credit card if you can help it. Seriously. A lot of places that insist on you having a Master Card or Visa will take a debit card that has the logos of the same on them. If you want to build up your credit rating, just pay your regular bills on time. Did you know that if you regularly pay your phone and light bills on time for a couple of years you can build up a pretty decent credit history.
2. If you’re going to get a credit card don’t just sign up for the first credit card offer that’s sent to you - and try to avoid anyone in the mall/airport/street-corner that’s offering you a card without reading the terms first. Things you want to look for are what the card’s APR (annual percentage rate) are when you get it and what it will rise to when the trial period is over. Also, you want to look at what kind of grace period the card has (this is a period after the purchase is made to make a payment before the card accrues interest). Some cards have a grace period of about ten seconds before an APR of about 23% kicks in. This is not good. Also, before you sign anything do some research of the card company’s reputation online. You’d be surprised at how some cards that are heavily advertised on television have a nasty reputation with their customers and have had a few class-action lawsuits against them still pending.
3. If you get a card, use it sparingly and when you do charge something, never charge more than you can pay off at the end of your billing period. If you max out your card you can actually incur over the limit fees when the interest is accrued and at this point the card company can actually raise your interest rates.
4. Every now and then ask for a credit limit increase. This is a good way to help your credit. However, just because you have a higher limit this does not mean that you should charge more to the card.
5. If your debt to income ratio gets out of whack and your monthly payments are barely covering the finance charges and you’re not getting ahead it might be time to call in some outside help. There are dozens of Consumer Credit Counseling companies across the country. Again, before you sign up, look up the reputation of the companies. Some companies that claim to be non-profit can turn out huge profits annually and have horrible reputations with their clients - also, if it’s advertised on Tv it doesn’t necessarily make it the best. A reputable credit counseling service can get your APRs lowered substantially and lower the amount you have to pay back by thousands. They won’t get rid of the debt that’s owed, but they’ll lower the amount you pay back - but, keep in mind that there’s a catch. Your cards will canceled permanently and this might hamper your efforts to get new credit cards for a couple of years - but, the good news is that credit counseling itself doesn’t affect your credit score. It’s technically a “neutral” mark.
Credit cards are an amazing way to simplify your life, but remember that nothing is free and if you’re not careful you might find your simple short-term life could turn into a complex long-term problem.
Most Americans are lacking in the wonderful fat called Omega-3. This nutrient is found in foods like cold-water ocean fish (salmon, mackeral, herring), and lake trout. It can also be consumed in the form of walnuts, flaxseeds, spinach, avocado, canola oil and soy products. A diet rich in those foods will provide the added benefits of Omega-3 fats that include:
Fighting off aches and pains: Omega-3 beats inflammation.
Researchers found that two-thirds of patients suffering from chronic neck and back pain were able to stop their anti-inflammatory medication after taking Omega-3 fish-oil supplements for 20-30 days.
Keeping off the weight: Omega-3 keeps moods stable and prevents the need to binge on high-fat foods…….
Feeling fine: Another form of Omega-3 called DHA makes up 25 percent of the body’s brain fat and manages the production and flow of serotonin-the feel-good chemical. People who suffer from depression are often DHA-deficient.
Breathing easy: Omega-3 helps reduce the inflammation associated with asthma. Patients in a recent Indiana study took Omega-3 supplements and were found to be better able to control exercise-triggered symptoms of asthma.
Staying heart healthy: Omega-3 may also lower blood pressure and reduce clotting. And because Omega-3 also lowers blood sugar, it may be a key component in fighting diabetes.
Important in increasing the Omega-3s in your diet is also decreasing the Omega-6s which actually increase inflammation and compete with the precious Omega-3s for your body’s attention. So, for best results, increase your consumption of Omega-3-rich fish, plant-based foods and fish-oil supplements while decreasing Omega-6 foods like crackers, chips, and full-fat salad dressings.
Levofloxacin, or famous as Levaquin is being top hits recently. This is a name of kind of antibiotic medications, named flouroquinolones. It is used commonly to treat lung, urinary tract infections, sinus and skin which is caused by certain kind of bacteria.
For last several months, Levaquin has become under fire for the occuring of adverse reactions linked to the treatment. Instead of getting cure, there are some side effects for patients who take Levaquin. Some of patients have suffered from tendinitis, tendon ruptures, and tendon pain, this is why the term of Levaquin tendon rupture is everywhere on news, articles, papers and health magazines. These injuries caused by usage of Levaquin can be cause an extremely painful, and in several cases, Most of the tendon related injuries reported by Levaquin users have been associated with the shoulder rotator cuff tendons and the Achilles tendon located in the back of the foot and it requires surgical repair for the damage tendon. Beside that, many of the Levaquin users have reported for numerous side effects, including swelling of the neck and face, and shortness of breath.
Actually, on July 8, 2008, Based on the FDA’s investigation of hundreds of reports of tendon injuries suffered by users of Levaquin and other similar antibiotics. FDA (Food and Drugs Association) has released a a strongest warning for Levaquin for an increasing risk of tendon rupture as its side effects.
The decisions to increase the level of warning into ‘black box’ warning, caused by so many reports found containing people suffering from tendon damage. Levaquin users have also reported the following injuries and serious side effects like dizziness, fainting, fast or pounding heartbeat, sudden pain or swelling near your joints (especially in your arm or ankle), etc. This levaquin lawsuit is no longer become a drugs matter, it achieves the level of court. Levaquin lawyer or, levaquin attorneys are getting busy because of this case progressing.
As we develop a brand new company, it is impossible to finance all the activities using equity. However, using debt on your business is something clever. But, financing the growth of the business using debt is challenging as well. Even an already established business will be finally need more working capital to growth.
If the credit sales of the factoring company stop in shortage point of cash flow, then the factoring will take advantage the most from from an account receivable financing services. Reputable business owner will realize there is no need to have a loan from banks in order offering credit to customers. This is a common strategy from factoring companies using a receivable financing. It is a method used by business, which convert sales on credit terms into an immediately cash flows. For obtaining a flexible working capital for business in any size, financing the account receivables has become most preferred financial tools. Moreover, the receivable credit line will be determined by the financial strength of the buyer, instead of seller of the receivables.
One benefit that the most owners don’t realize from a business that sell on credit terms is, it has a valuable hidden asset to be a collateral. For some customer, got a credit is like got a trust which could make them feel comfortable to work with us. That’s could make them become loyal customer and it could be strong assets and plus point to our business in long term business. In the other hand, with receivable financing, businessman could make their customer’s account receivable become extra collateral fund to growth their business, and no need to find immediate fresh money to growth their business, because they could use their “hidden asset” which most businessman think that usually it becomes big problem for their business cash flow.