Saturday, February 17, 2007

Proper Use of Credit Cards Avoid Headaches Later


DaysAgo, a new digital day counter that attaches to food containers and other items that need smart tracking. If you want to find out more about this product, go to www.howmanydaysago.com. DaysAgo was developed, invented by Kathleen Whitehurst and Debbie Stephens Stauffer from California. DaysAgo has distributors in Canada, Sweden, and United Kingdom. The sales started going up when the California women, Whitehurst and Stauffer appeared on the Oprah Winfrey's show. They have been swamped with orders since then.
Have you been drowning in credit card debt? Have you made all kinds of efforts to pay your credit card debts? Or have you been cutting down any credit card offers you receive in the mail?
It all depends on how many credit cards you want to carry around. Even though credit card companies have scaled back their reward, credit cards are convenient. They can save you time and money. Well, we are not too sure about saving money. In the old days when check-writing was the law of the land, we had time to ponder a purchase. It would take time to write a check and mail it out. Now all it takes is one quick swipe, and you have your products. If you have had some card deals lately, you can search these sites to find out how well you have been doing. Check www.cardweb.com, www.cardratings.com, www.lowcards.com.
Any way, what can you do to avoid going into debt if you have to use a credit card.
Make sure you record the amount charged in our checking account checkbook each time you charge a purchase. Otherwise, you will not be sure how much money you have in your bank account on the due date. Some people check their online account or call the bank to find out. In these cases, some checks or charges may have not been finalized.
As much as possible, use one or two cards. Make sure you do not cancel your first card. You will need credit history. Do not cancel unused cards right away. If you keep doing that, your credit history may suffer. Just keep in your mind that credit cards have promotions just to lure you in. They have all kinds of great programs in the beginning. Once they have you on their thumbs, or get you hooked, they take the benefits away. That is why card rewards are so low these days. Reward programs existed to get you to get into the habit of using credit cards for small purchases. For example, charging your fast food purchases at Burger King and Warner Co. jewelry etc. was the idea of the companies. In reality, there was nothing in it for you, consumers. Now, remember that each time you use your card at a business, the credit card company gets a kickback from the business. It could be as much as 3% of the purchase price. So by using their cards, you are helping the credit card company make some money.
Those are some of the prices to pay to be part of this cashless society. Which one is better? Cash or plastic? $ Millions are spent on convincing us, consumers, to throw away our cash and start being cool and adopting the convenience of plastic. Who stands to benefit from this change of financial attitude? The big card companies stand to win. They have led and financed campaigns to make our old ways look uncool and make us adopt plastic or credit cards instead of cash. Lo and behold, we tend to spend more when we swipe instead of writing out the check. The companies know they will be able to make more money this way.

Friday, February 9, 2007

Student Loan Companies, Colleges and Universities Receive NY Attorney General's Inquiry Letter


New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo is sending letters to colleges and universities from Boston to California. He wants to know about the nature of the relationships between colleges and universities and loan companies. The question to ask is whether these two entities are conspiring to push tuition costs to the point where education becones unaffordable to many young men and women. It is worth nothing that private student loans have become a very lucrative and fast-growing business over the years. All the while, tuition costs at many colleges and universities have soared. Who stands to benefit from the hidden relationships between Universities and Colleges and those loan companies? Until now, many families and students go to these centers of higher learning only to get taken advantage of.
NY Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo wants to know more details about the preferred-lender lists. Most colleges and universities compile these lists to offer to students. But nothing is said about the nature of the relationships between the school and the loan companies. What is in it for the schools? The Federal Education Department is thinking about regulating this side of the business. It is requesting more transparency. The students must know whether these institutions stand to make money in the deals. Private student loans may have their days counted. Mr. Cuomo has also demanded information from both loan companies and schools. "My office is seeking to ensure that students are being steered toward lenders offering the most competitive rates, not t hose who offer the best perks to schools of financial aid administrators," said Mr. Cuomo.

High Tech News: Cisco Systems Hot Routers & Switches. Wal-Mart Movie Downloads, Amazon Unbox on Tivo

Wal-Mart starts to compete with NetFlix, iTunes, Blockbuster and others. The Dayton giant wants to get into the download business of movies. Wal-Mart will selling movies ranging in prices of $1.99 to $18.99. Once again, Wal-Mart will try to get the customers by offering low prices.
Cisco Systems Profit Surge.
The San Jose-based company that makes routers and switches that direct data over computer networks reported that it made some profits. Cisco is also making money from sales coming from Scientific-Atlanta Inc., the world's second-largest cable television box seller. Cisco bought the company last year for $6.9 billion. Its upgrade for video allows the company to be the supplier of all the necessary equipment.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

The Superbowl: What's in it for The Regular Joe?

What's in it for Little Guys Like Us: Nascent Efforts to Include User-generated Content May Solidify True Fans' Base
The most anticipated football event came and went. It was Indy vs. Windy in the sloppiest game played in swirling rainfall in Florida. The Indianapolis Colts played a smart game despite the opening return by a Chicago player. Peyton Manning and the rest of Indianapolis stayed calm under frustrations and tried to capitalize on all the turnovers caused by a slick football. Coach Tony Dungy and his staff knew that their guys had the heart to win this last game. At the same time, Peyton Manning felt or breathed signs of relief when his team took the lead from Chicago. What to remember about the day is that it was the first time in the history of the league that two African-American coaches took their team to the pinnacle of the football games. Chicago's Coach Lovie Smith is a good friend of Coach Tony Dungy whose son was lost to suicide last year. Both coaches are Christian. Without any doubt, they were proud to represent the league and their organization during what has been celebrated in this country as Black History Month.
There were other issues brewing in the league. While bars could have large screen where patrons can watch the games, churches could not have such a luxury. In fact, NFL lawyers sent many reminder and cease and desist letters to particular churches that wanted to show the game on large screens during their fellowship on Sunday morning. Others heard of the letters and decided to bother such a powerful organization that has been removing fans' video clips from the likes of Youtube, LiveDigital, Revver, and others due to copyright regulations. While we are at it, The NHL, NBA and other leagues are doing the same thing. Just like network shows that do not want their fans to post clips on these video sites, the richest league on the earth is banning such postings.

How to Live Frugally: Do Not Spend What You Do Not Have: Personal Finance Links:

www.getrichslowly.com summarizes the advice nuggets found in various financial self-help books. For sure, this site tells you how to build over time. Time is your friend. Short-term investments will not cut it. For example, Getrichslowly.com owner invites you to borrow books from the library instead of buying them new.
We also read www.moneyhacks.org which offers commonsense advice and links to other sites that can save you money and time.
www.bargaineering.com/articles gives you the chance to have your own blueprint for financial prosperity. On this site, you can find advice on cell phone companies, car leases, bargain, credit cards, and deals on any consumer products.
www.FiveCentNickel.com tells you everything you want to know about credit cards. It also encourages you to live within your economic boundaries. Living frugally is what you need to remember. A local farmer saved every thing he had. He only spent money if he had to. About the time of his death, he made a substantial donation to his alma mater which named a building after him. There are many such stories all over the country.

Complete the reading of this article at GeRichOverTime: Financial Matters and GetRichTechniques and Tips


Thursday, February 1, 2007

Avoid Being Scammed: You Are Entitled to a Free Credit Report per Year

Get acquainted with the three major credit agencies:

Equifax. http://equifax.com or call 800-525-6285. Order your credit report today. You can also report fraud.

Experian (formerly TRW)
http://www.experian.com or call 800-301-7195

Trans Union
http://www.transunion.com or call 800-680-7289

You can order a credit report from all three of these big boys. You can order a report online, on the phone or by mailing an application.

Well, you'd better take care of your finances if you are making money. How about that?