Home loans for people with very bad credit - improve your chances of getting approved

If you have bad credit and are looking for a home loan, there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of getting approved and to help you get a reasonable interest rate.

Apply Online - The internet has a few companies that will take your application and submit it to hundreds of different lenders. You will receive up to the 4 best offers that you could qualify for. These offers are pre-approvals. You will still need to work with the broker to lock in an interest rate. Also, the benefit of using these companies is that they will not pull your credit initially. This is good because every time your credit is pulled, your credit score drops just a little. The mortgage company will just ask you to describe your credit, instead of pulling it.

Look Into Down Payment Assistance Programs - There are programs like Neighborhood Gold and Nehemiah that will help you get a down payment for your loan. Find out what their requirements are and if you could qualify. However, make sure the lender will work with them before you plan on it. Some lenders will not accept down payment assistance programs.

Apply With 2-3 Different Mortgage Companies - Sometimes one lender will be able to do a loan that another lender cannot. All mortgage brokers have access to different loan programs. What may be impossible for one, may be doable for another.

Keep Your Credit Score as High as Possible - Don't have your credit pulled over and over, this will drop your credit score. Keep making your payments on time. Also, pay off any amount you can on credit cards, this will help your credit score go up. If you have more than one credit card, divide the amount you have to pay down credit cards among all the different cards. It helps your credit score to not be maxed out on any lines of credit.

Rob benwell s blogging to the bank is back

Since the release of Rob's "Blogging To The Bank" (version 1.0 that is), he's been flooded with thousands of emails telling him of the success people have had applying his techniques on the internet.

We all know that things can change rapidly on the Internet and how a simple change like the Google Slap can turn smooth running profits to nothing overnight.

Rob is all too aware of this and has been working on how to make blogging a more sustainable and long-term income stream. In his book he tells of his trials of developing a blueprint of how to research keywords for your niches, creating a blog (as well as where to host it), content creation, optimizing your blog and generating the traffic you require to become a success.

What we found most interesting is that Rob recommends outsourcing some of the content creation to companies that specialise in the field of writing articles! Although it sounds daunting the math does work out in the long run in your favour. This is definitely an avenue even we at OpinView haven't quite fully explored. Of course, you can always write your own content. However Rob claims outsourcing provides a fantasic means for content to be uniquely written as well as cost effective - his recommended content creator is rentacoder. com.

Another aspect which Rob shows in his book is the arrangement of the blog page. We found it cool because it's just like a marketing tutorial! It's like, "Place this at eye level for 3 year olds so they can see the bright colours and pester Mom to buy it for them." There's a diagram of how to place additional monetization tools like Adsense and content to best attract the reader.

Rob's book is really easy to read. Again, we covered it in about a few hours and tested it on Blogger. com to see if what he said is actually do-able - and it is! There are some odd bits which will require some knowledge of HTML but for the better part it is geared towards a beginner.

All-in-all this is not a bad book for someone with an interest in blogging and wants a blueprint for how to make money blogging. It contains good content on how to generate backlinks through social sites as well as different methods to promote your blog.

We definitely recommend Blogging To The Bank 2.0.

Check it out before you miss the boat!

Ontario fishing tips

Getting ready

1. If you’re bound for a fishing trip to the North Country, expect to spend much on transportation, your outfit, licenses and permits. For a lot of people, the trip’s highlight will be fishing. For this reason, you should get yourself a new line on your reel.

2. Protect your eyes while fishing and you should only invest in a good quality pair of polarized sunglasses, as it will not only aid in protecting the eyes, but will also provide superior visual penetration into the water.

3. Keep mosquito repellent as well as plastic worms in a separate compartment, making sure it is out of the tackle box as both items do contain lacquer solvent that can soften the paint of any metal, plastic, or wood lure and the soft paint may never harden.

4. Always keep a small file or a small stone handy to be used to keep the hooks needle sharp.

5. Learn how to tie good knots. Practice carefully until such time that you are already certain that they will hold.

General fishing guidelines:

1. Don’t fish with any bait in just one spot for more than 10 casts. If, by those casts, nothing changes, it’s time you change location.

2. Properly position the canoe, not too close or too far from the fish. If you are too close, you will frighten the fish. If you are too far, you can not accurately place the lure in position.

3. When doing top water fishing, do not set the hook until you can really feel that the fish is on the lure, being very careful not to surprise the fish. Just keep on working the lure cautiously towards you.

4. Be very patient. Just be certain that you know you are in a suitable fish-producing area.

5. Always be quiet, as sound can travel through the water better than through the air.

6. Release carefully, instantly and safely any fish that you do not plan to eat. Preservation of Ontario’s fishing resources is essential and needed for fishing to continue thriving.

7. While waiting for your catch, or when you do catch anything or none at all, look at the scene behind you, take a deep breath and enjoy the only lakeland wilderness in the entire world!

Fishing Regulations

Carry your license with you

Residents of Canada should have a fishing-version Outdoors Card and must have a fishing license tag that is attached to it so that it can be considered as valid.

Non Canadian residents should have their basic license form signed and have the correct license tag fastened in order that it can be considered valid.

Keep in mind always that a Outdoors Card or non-resident license card is non-transferable; it grants privileges to you alone. It should be carried with you each time you go fishing.

Note too, that whenever a Conservation Officer requests to see and examine your license, the law requires you to show it.

State and District Regulations

State and District rules control angling in Ontario. The key and major State law with regards to fishing is the Ontario’s “Fisheries Act”; this defends guards and takes care of and save fish and its habitat. Likewise, it controls the fishing seasons, limits to catch, possession, and size, and the gears allowed as well as fish sanctuaries. On the other hand, the “Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act” is the major provincial law that regulates fishing. It is stated in this decree, that fishing licenses are issued.

Wildlife Protection and Preservation Officers

Wildlife Protection Officers have the authority to inspect, search, arrest, and seize under the different act they carry out, together with Ontario’s “Fish and Wildlife Preservation decree” as well as the “Fisheries Regulation and Act”. During the Conservation Officers duty, they may do the following:

1. Ask important questions that are in relation to the inspection they are conducting;

2. Review and examine buildings;

3. Stop and examine a boat, vehicle, or aircraft;

4. Confiscate certain items which are related to the offence that an individual may have done;

5. Search and investigate having a warrant to legalize such search;

6. Search and investigate having no warrant to support the search in situations that require immediate attention and action;

7. Arrest anybody that the Wildlife Preservation Officer supposes and believe has committed, or is on the act of performing, or is about to perform a violation or offence.

Open Seasons

The opening and closing dates of fishing season changes and is determined by the species on the area. It is illegal to try catching a fish for which the season has already been closed, even if one is going to release it after. Do understand that closed seasons protect the fish at time of the year when they are most susceptible especially during spawning.

Unless specially stated, species that are not on the list have a year-round open season.

Boon for the non homeowners cheap unsecured loans

While moving on the road I saw a banner which said ‘avail cheap unsecured loans on easy terms’. I got confused and I am certain you might also be in the same state. Earlier we have heard that one can avail cheap loans by placing security to the lender. Because of the collateral placed, the lender feels secure for the amount of loan. So if collateral makes it cheap, then how come without collateral the loan can be cheap. To end my confusion I visited a financial expert to seek advice and to know about such loans.

Cheap unsecured loan are nothing but simple unsecured loans. Moreover, we call it cheap due to the advantages that such loans offer. Few of the advantages are as follows:

• Repayment:

Cheap unsecured loan are the short term loans which facilitate repayment as quickly as possible. The amount involved is small, which in turn make the borrower to repay it earlier.

• Risk:

Cheap unsecured loan involves least risk as there is no collateral involved. The basis for lending a cheap unsecured loan is not the collateral but the trust on the borrower.

• Online:

They are also available with an online option which helps the borrower to locate all the lenders at once. It makes the comparison between several lenders easier.

• Who can apply:

Tenants and homeowners both can apply for cheap unsecured loans. Cheap unsecured loan is open for all.

• Save time:

Cheap unsecured loans help the person to save the precious time of the borrower. As no property is involved, so no need of valuation of property.

Today more and more people are looking for such a concept. The basic reason behind this is the person can fulfill his financial needs without taking risk on his property. But this does not mean that the person take the repayment of installments lightly. They must be careful in making the repayments, as the creditors know the way of recovering their money by their means.

Cheap unsecured loan can be used for any purpose. It can be your marriage, your education or going abroad. It fulfills all your financial needs. Generally the person goes for cheap unsecured loans for satisfying his immediate financial needs because this loan gets sanctioned earlier as compared to other secured loans.

Financial expert have cleared my doubts. And hope I have cleared your doubts regarding the concept of cheap unsecured loans. So with several advantages and with little or no disadvantages cheap unsecured loan is the best way to take money on credit.

Personality testing myth and realities

It is commonly believed myth that personality testing instruments can measure your personality and predict your future behaviors. The pre-employment testing mechanism has been following this creed without any solid evidence. The testing industry claims all out validity. The educational institutions and employer organizations use them for screening purposes. Their transparency and equity has even convinced the courts of law.

But it is still an unresolved riddle; what do they test?

Do they test personality? What is personality then? What is its nature? How does it come into existence? Is it outcome of evolution? Does matter has capability to generate a personality? Why animals don’t have a personality? Does it remain the same during whole of your life? And many more questions.

It is like peeling off an onion. Every strip leads to many more. Finally you get a heap of onion strips. Where is the onion?

But personality is not an onion…

Allport has recorded hundreds of different definitions. Most of the psychologists equate it to your style, behaviors and reactions. They have devised instruments to measure these main areas. The collected data about your behaviors and temperaments help them to decide your career. You may organize your behaviors in future but you may never be able to go for a career of your passion.

Why?

Experts like to predict. They predict weather. They predict political situations. They predict economic conditions. They predict your future with signs, numbers, cards or palms. And they predict your future performance with the help of personality testing instruments.

What’s Your Personality?

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It is well recognized fact that every human being has a personality. It is not merely your physical body. It is not merely your consciousness. It is not merely your ego. It is not merely your behaviors. It is not merely your physical expression. It is not merely your style. It is not merely your temperament.

But they all and many other characteristics are expressions of your personality.

I don’t find it wise to define personality. Admittedly it is an abstract reality. You get it with your birth. You can either develop it or disintegrate. Your style, behaviors and reactions are expressions of your developed, undeveloped or under-developed personality.

How do you look? How do you react? How do you talk? How do you live? How do you think? They all are expressions of your personality. The psychometrics measures these expressions and not your personality.

The abstract nature of personality can neither be measured nor be analyzed with any scientific or non-scientific tool. It can only be visualized. It can be developed. It can be disintegrated. Your thinking and doing makes all out the difference. A developed personality gives better style, behaviors and reactions than an undeveloped one.

Why Psychometrics are Getting Popular?

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The very first reason is that every one wants to know who he is.

But bigger reason of their massive use is just a desire of the employers to avoid bad-hire. They get hundreds of applications for a single situation. They are the only available tools to avoid idiosyncrasies.

They don’t have alternatives for psychometrics.

Tests are going to stay. Whether you are trying to be admitted for a specific discipline or looking for your dream job, you are going to encounter psychometrics at one stage or the others. You need to prepare before encountering them.

How to Prepare for Personality Testing Sessions?

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Keep in mind…

Personality is an amazing entity. You can think. You can visualize. You can discover. You can express. You can plan. You can create. You have unlimited hidden potentials. But your selected options on paper are going to decide your future.

You should practice offline and online personality tests before encountering a real session. Your practice shall not only make them familiar to you but also generate a list of your strengths and weaknesses. You can improve them with your conscious effort.

However, it is much more important to learn how different personality and aptitude tests measure expressions of your personality. What theories are working behind them? How do they relate different jobs with different types? This knowledge shall make it a lot easier to encounter psychometrics.

Ppc short term solutions

For many online visitors it is no secret that the small ads they encounter are Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising. It is estimated that only 20% of site visitors will actually click on these ads.

The good news is these ads are targeted and should be viewed by those who actually have an interest in the product or service you provide.

The basic premise of PPC advertising is to allow you to bid on keywords that are directly related to the product or service you provide. Costs for popular keywords can be expensive, so using keywords with varying suffixes may be a way to keep costs down.

The two primary reasons individuals use PPC advertising is 1) they have not optimized their website and are using PPC to gain new customers, 2) they are looking for a short term boost in site visitors with the hope of a solid return on investment (ROI).

In the first scenario the business needs to seriously look at their website and find ways to make it more attractive to both customers as well as search engines. In the second scenario the business may find some value in a short-term advertising blitz.

One potential negative in PPC advertising is that many individuals have an understanding of how this type of advertising works and may intentionally make you pay for a click that has no meaning. In other words, what some online users are doing is clicking on the ads and backing out and moving on to the next one. They realize someone is paying for the click so their actions are essentially the end result of a game designed to make the business owner pay more in PPC fees. While this may not be the norm, you should be aware that this activity can and does take place.

There is some strategy involved in making PPC advertising work for you, but the best case scenario is to rely on PPC as little as you can while doing everything you can to make your website search engine friendly.

Far too many businesses consider PPC advertising the primary way they will reach sales objectives, but the truth is the results are short term and always based on you ability to continue to feed the PPC monster (who really likes your cash). This is why optimizing your site makes so much sense. When you are able to significantly improve your site rankings through quality Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques you will likely find a better overall result with minimized long-term costs.

Using subdomains to bypass googles sandbox

There was apparently some talk at SES Chicago on getting a site indexed in regular results a lot quicker. This involved the use of an existing established similar domain (either one you own or one you bought) and use it to help you get a site out of the “sandbox.” The full forum post can be found here.

The technique is in the gray-to-black range. I wanted to mention that first, however if your site has been boxed for a while, this may be an alternative for you. It also requires some coding, and assumes your site is built in PHP although I would also guess there is similar ASP code out there.

First lets look at how this works: You have an established related domain and a new domain which is ‘boxed. By establishing a subdomain on the established site and mirroring the content of the new domain there you will get the new subdomain indexed more quickly because it would inherit some of the trust of the main domain.

Once it has established itself you would use some form of redirect (likely a 301) to redirect crawlers to the new domain. The new domain then inherits whatever the subdomain gained in terms of link popularity transferred from the established, trusted domain.

Sounds simple, but there are a few things you need to do.

First, obviously, is to find an established domain. If you need to buy an expired but still relevant site (and it’s in your budget) the author recommends you do so. You would also not change the registrar information, according to the author (this would be considered in that dark gray range).

You don’t want to change the registrar information because there is a chance that Google will notice the change in ownership and any trust the domain you just bought has previously earned would likely be lost.

So lets say you just bought a related domain that’s been around for a couple years and has a PageRank 5. by leaving the site intact and not changing the registrar information you are essentially ensuring the site maintains its existing stature in the engines.

Then you will create a subdomain on the site. Here you will place a mirrored copy of all your content navigation, etc. from your new site. Since the new site hasn’t been added to the index yet there will not be a duplicate content penalty.

You will also use some PHP coding to change the page header information to fool the webserver into thinking the page was created earlier than it was (the suggested PHP code is found in the forum post linked above). By telling the webserver the pages are old, you are informing the crawler that the pages are old as well.

This is because the crawler requests this information from the webserver at the time of indexing.

Because you’ve established a completely new section within an established domain the new section will get indexed sooner than the new domain.

It will inherit link popularity and trust from the parent domain allowing it to establish itself more quickly than the new site.

Once the subdomain has been fully indexed by Google you will want to redirect it to the new domain.

By doing this you have allowed the content to be found by Google which then assumes the pages are properly aged because it has been told by the webserver that the pages are in fact old (even though in reality you’ve recently created them).

By redirecting the subdomain you are then passing the inheritance and trust given to the subdomain by the main domain to the new site.

The reason this works is because the established site is already trusted by Google. Therefore the vote from the trusted site helps illustrate to Google that the new site is also trusted.

There are some things to consider with this tactic however:

Now that it’s been widely publicized I wouldn’t expect it will take that long for Google to realize the hole and patch it.

Also, the whole trustbox patent is based partly on authority but also on age. So while a page may appear old (because you’ve altered the page header served) Google may opt to instead consider the page’s age from the time it found the page.

In other words, even if the page is a year old, if Googlebot just found the page yesterday then it’s only 1 day old. While the patent does say that “scoring the document based, at least in part, on the inception date corresponding to the document,” it also goes on to say that Google could determine that age to be not the page date, but the date when it found the page.

And remember that like any type of blatant manipulation you risk being penalized by Google. Google engineers also visit these forums, don’t forget, so they are also keenly aware when new tactics are shared which are designed to circumvent the current algorithms.

Therefore it is their job to fix those holes, and likely also find ways to penalize the sites taking advantage of the holes. While no one can prove or disprove this theory, I’ve heard of enough sites which have been removed from the index for doing something they weren’t supposed to.

Therefore, while this may sound like a great way to get yourself out of the ‘box early, consider the alternatives. What if you do get out of the index early but Google catches on in 3 months, 6 months or more? Do you think they may decide to “backdate” any changes to your site if they determine that you participated in such a tactic? Then, not only are you back where you started, you could be worse off than if you had just taken your lumps and done things properly.

How to maximize dental plan benefits at a lower cost to you

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The best dental plan health strategy creates maximum benefits at the lowest cost with the maximum annual savings.

Affording dental care has become a major problem all over the world, as the costs of visiting the dentist have risen dramatically over the past few years.

After all, nearly seventy percent of Americans do not have any dental care coverage due to the high cost of traditional dental insurance.

Dental care has always been a necessity for every person. Although, most of us never really think about dental care until we go for our check-ups, or when we have some trouble with our teeth. Maintaining a healthy smile by visiting a dentist on a regular basis is the best way to ward off more complicated and painful situations in the future.

Unfortunately, finding affordable dental insurance can be challenging with the high cost of dental care insurance. Most people have a difficult time paying for health insurance let alone dental insurance.

It is as if dental insurance is an after thought in peoples minds. Lucky for us there is an alternative to high priced dental insurance.

And who exactly am I, anyway?

Hello, My Name is Leo Hanes.

I am a pretty basic and straight forward individual - I work hard and want the best for my family and myself.

Like most people I am very concerned with the seemingly ever increasing costs of health care benefits and I am looking for ways to deal with them in the most effective ways possible.

I "retired" early from my career after 35 years in the telecommunications industry as a Telecom Director in 2002, to travel and live in my motor home as a fulltime RVer.

I found myself in a situation that I had to buy my own healthcare insurance and dental plans at a greatly increased personal expense.

During my career, I learned much from the "de-regulation" of the telecommunications industry, particularly how it was "supposed" to reduce costs for the end-user or consumer.

Specifically I learned that "unbundling" product offerings into services that I actually needed always proved to be more cost effective, than accepting what the industry experts had packaged together to market to us.

With this in mind I have spent the past 4 years researching the healthcare and dental benefits industry, trying to find solutions that benefit the consumer most.

I have learned that using traditional professionals as a source of information and benefit protection is not always the best solution and that in fact we are often overly dependent upon them, rather than doing our own research.

It is clear that we have to be informed and prepared to deal with these matters ourselves.

First.... Learn how different types of dental plans can help you and your family reduce your personal costs....

Second…. Learn how understanding the lingo can help you make an informed decision

Third ….Discover how to avoid the most common mistakes about dental plans, dental providers, dental procedures, and dental discount plans when choosing health and dental benefit plans.

We have done all the hard learning for you, do your own research for yourself now.

Honeymoon getaways ideas

Your honeymoon is your first vacation as husband and wife and some people even enjoy their honeymoon so much that they plan second and even third honeymoons later in their marriage. The number of romantic honeymoon getaways is staggering and when it comes time to choose the honeymoon getaway for you and your special someone you need to make sure you choose one that fits your relationship. If you are cold weather people then a honeymoon getaway in the Bahamas may not be for you.

The honeymoon getaway business is huge and your options are literally endless. For the perfect honeymoon getaway you can try to book it yourself over the internet but I am going to suggest that you work with a professional travel agent to set up your honeymoon getaway. There are too many variables, too many ways for things to go wrong, and too many things to remember for a person with no travel experience to handle themselves. The opportunity for forgetting to make the correct arrangements is too large for such an important event so do the right thing and get a professional to take care of the arrangements for you.

I only have one honeymoon getaway experience but it was a wonderful one and I offer it as a suggestion if you are looking for ideas. I spent my honeymoon at one of the many resorts in the Pocono Mountains in the state of Pennsylvania. Aside from some very interesting room amenities like a champagne glass for a whirlpool bath and a fireplace in our room, the Pocono Mountains is a beautiful place to start off your marriage and the resorts there are all very beautifully and very comfortable. I can guarantee you that a second honeymoon in the Pocono Mountains is not too far off in the future.

Your honeymoon is something you should remember fondly for the rest of your life so take your time when selecting where to go and be sure to get the help of a professional travel agent when you are making your arrangements. There is nothing more satisfying than a wonderful honeymoon but there is also nothing more frustrating than a poorly planned getaway. So invest the extra money into a travel agent and then sit back and relax as you know that your honeymoon getaway will be something that you will remember for the rest of your life.

If you are a Brahmin parent looking for brahmin brides or grooms please check the url brahminsmatrimony. com

Taking advantage of the best credit card offers

Do you own a credit card? If you do, then you must be familiar about the numerous promotions and programs that are currently on hold to motivate you more to use your credit card for many important transactions.

Credit cards are the modern money. You could buy food, shop for groceries and pay services bill using your reliable credit card. Furthermore, if you aim to buy goods and services from the many online auctioneers and shops, the credit card would be the sole way on how you could proceed with the transaction.

Almost all people are now having a single or several credit cards. Because people recognize the advantage of not needing to take cash when going out to shop, more and more people are aiming to own one, if they still do not own a credit card.

If you also do not have enough money to buy anything, you could also buy the item by charging the amount to your credit card. There are many installment promotions and pay-light offerings that are being rolled out by credit card firms for their clients.

Nowadays, credit cards are also being used for money-advance or loans. Through using credit cards, you could easily withdraw cash from the ATM and have it as a cash-advance or loan. You could opt to pay the amount in full or opt to pay in installment terms.

Credit cards sure impose interest rates on every transaction coursed through the card, but did you know that you could skip the usual rates? If you do not want you r purchase to be imposed interest charges, then you must pay the bill on time and in full. By doing that, you are like paying for the item for its original tag price and there would be no credit card charge at all.

Almost all people nowadays own their own credit cards. And for those who still do not, they swoon to own one. There is now an exciting landscape in the credit card industry and competition is truly becoming more intense.

Every credit card firm is surely doing anything it could to outpace rivals and get the most of the market. As a result, there are numerous credit card offerings that are almost too attractive just to be ignored by the consumers. Some of these offers are also so attractive that some people open credit card accounts just to participate and enjoy them.

Modern credit card offers

Just to dominate in the expanding credit card market, credit card products are now coming with different offers aimed at attracting more users. A credit card can now offer subsidies or waived interests just to boost client numbers. That is the power of competition.

Aside from the usual charging waives, several credit card firms also offer more. The cash advance service is one of them. Through cash advance transactions, people can just withdraw money using the credit card. The amount would be treated as usual credit card transaction and could be paid in full and on time to prevent imposition of interest and other additional charges.

Credit cards can now be used to pay different bills, like utilities, telephone and other consumer services. Through using accredited and recommended automated teller machines, proper payment of bills can be done using the credit cards.

Almost all credit card firms are also currently offering different rewards schemes to loyal clients. These schemes work by motivating customers to use the credit cards through different forms of transactions. Through using the credit cards, there are corresponding points assigned to each transaction. The more points you earn, the more chance you get at having the rewards.

Nowadays, the most popular reward schemes are those that are related to air travel. Different miles points or flying reward schemes are now offered to credit card users. However, the program is not applicable to ordinary credit cards.

There are special credit cards that offer the frequent-flyer rewards. You are advised to apply specifically for such a scheme. If the current and usual credit cards are offering waived annual fees, for the frequent flyer and other reward schemes, these annual and membership fees are not waived.

That is the premium you would pay for taking part and getting a chance to have these many offers credit cards can provide.

Seven vital facts about your car s air conditioning system

Air conditioning, which was once a great luxury, is now a common feature on most motor vehicles. While the servicing of modern car air conditioning systems is best left to professionals, you can get the most enjoyment from your ac system if you know a bit about how it works and what malfunctions you should be on the lookout for.

1. Odd smells coming from the air conditioning may be caused by bacterial buildups

As your car becomes older, or when the air conditioning system is used infrequently, bacteria, micro-organisms, mold and fungi may start growing, just behind the dash panel on the evaporator causing some very unpleasant odors. Some even claim this can result in headaches and flu like symptom sometimes referred to as “sick car syndrome.”

This problem can be solved by using an anti-bacterial treatment that destroys the bacteria growth and leaves your car smelling fresh again.

2. If you car does not feel cold enough, then you may need to recharge your system

If you feel that your car doesn’t feel as cold as your friend’s car, then your system may need servicing. The air conditioning system in your vehicle is not usually covered by most manufacturers servicing schedules and the refrigerant gas that is used to operate the system depletes over time. On average most vehicles lose up to 15% per annum. This leakage can be caused when then system is not used during the winter months. Thus allowing the small “O” ring seals to dry out resulting in a gradual deterioration in system performance. If this continues, eventually the system will not be able to operate at all.

Most problems of this type can be put right fairly easily by a leak check of your system followed by a complete refill of your air conditioning refrigerant, this is sometimes referred to as a re-gas.

3. Running your air conditioning year round will help maintain the system

If you run the air conditioning in the winter it will help to keep the system well lubricated and leak tight. This is because the refrigerant actually carries the oil that lubricates the system and most importantly the compressor. It also keeps the seals and hoses moist, thus preventing them from drying out and cracking which can lead to leaks.

4. Strange noises coming from the air conditioning should be attended to immediately

If your air-con system suddenly starts making noises you have not heard before it is very advisable to have a qualified vehicle air conditioning specialist to have a look at it.

Some noises could be early symptoms of a compressor failure (the compressor is the air conditioning pump).The compressor is usually the most expensive part on the system ranging from approximately Ј230 to Ј600+ and if the bearings in your compressor break down or if the compressor seizes up it also means that other components can become contaminated with metal particles A flush of the system would then be needed as well as replacement of the compressor, the receiver/drier and the expansion valve - quite a hefty bill!

5. Don’t worry about a pool of water forming under your car after using the A/C

If you see a puddle of water on the ground, usually under the passenger area don’t be alarmed. This is a normal feature of the system as it is only water dripping from the air conditioning evaporator. The evaporator has a drain tube fitted to allow the condensation from the evaporator to drain away from the vehicle.

6. Excessive moisture inside the car can be fixed easily

Sometimes the drain tube from the evaporator may become blocked or detached allowing the condensation to build up inside your evaporator. If this occurs water will just build up inside your car to a point where there are damp carpets or misting / high humidity type problems. These problems can be solved with low-cost servicing.

7. Have your air conditioning serviced regularly, even if there are no visible problems

Just as the other systems of your car need servicing on a regular basis, the same is true for the air conditioning system. The compressor needs oil, or else it will seize up. The filter collects debris and moisture. If the filter becomes blocked, then the performance of the system will deteriorate and it can even quit working entirely (probably when you need it most!)

Normally the refrigerant gas in a car air conditioning system has to be recharged completely within four years from the manufacture date and thereafter every two to three years.

An annual servicing of your car’s air conditioning system will guard against malfunctions in the compressor and other vital parts of the system. Regular maintenance will save you money in the long run and guarantee you comfort in the hottest months.

Health insurance explained

In the competitive world today people spend more than half of their lives working day and night for some or the other reason. Though it gives them good financial rewards and gratification of their desires yet what suffers a big setback is their health. This is because individuals fail to pay significant heed to health, the most crucial aspect of their lives. But being occupied is not the only factor in deteriorating health. Reasons like environment, epidemics, natural calamities etc. also contribute largely to fading human health.

Keeping in mind the precariousness of human fitness and the immensely expensive medical treatments available nowadays, health insurance has become the need of the hour. Health insurance is an ideal way to care for your health. A health insurance policy enables you to have the best medical therapy for your illness at any point of time.

The American health care system provides four basic health plans. These are HMOs, PPOs, POSs, and Free-for-Service (Indemnity) Plans.

1. HMOs Plans - these plans are least expensive of all and are offered by Health Maintenance Organizations. In case you avail this plan, you are required to pay for every health related service in advance in the form of monthly premiums. HMOs cover a spectrum of health problems such as dental, vision etc. HMOs provide a list of service providers to all its subscribers. The latter is required to choose from these a so called “primary care giver” who will be supervising or coordinating his health care.

2. POS plans - these are HMO plans that give you the freedom to have a health care of your own choice. These plans are a little pricier than the HMO ones. Here it is not mandatory to go with the referrals from your primary care physician. But if you desire to abide by the HMO plan system per se, you can even do that. In case you opt for services outside the HMO or PPO networks, you will be served accordingly.

3. PPO Plans - Preferred Provider Organizations provides health care at discount rates. The PPO plans cost more than the two aforementioned. The PPOs cover a range of hospitals, doctors, clinics etc. The cost-sharing rate will be less within the network and more outside it. However unlike the HMO plans, PPO plans allow you to avail services from outside the network.

4. Fee for service plans or Indemnity plans are simple an easiest plans that compensate for each service you avail on case by case basis. For instance in case an emergency situation arises and you go for an ultrasound, the hospital needs to submit a claim to your insurance agency and you will be facilitated with the hospital expenses. But with a myriad of options and convenience the Fee-for Service plans come out to be most high-priced of all.

For further details you can surf the net and even get health insurance quotes online. This will save your time money and energy you would spend in consulting an agent.

Debt consolidation advice

Debt consolidation can be your ring-buoy in case you are in debt and cannot manage all your loans anymore. Such alternative as a debt consolidation loan is designed in order not only to help individuals unite all their loans in one manageable loan but also gain much lower interest rates, APR (annual percentage rate) and even loan terms. No matter in which stage you decide to benefit from a debt consolidation loan, you should know that sound knowledge of the subject matter is a key to your success, so never grudge your time on reading informative articles and helpful recommendations because they will undoubtedly prove useful to you.

There are several ways of consolidating debts and many reasons for doing this. Reasons can vary depending on situation but consolidation options are the same for everyone. Borrowing money against you home's equity is the first option available for those who aim at debt consolidation. This can be a perfect choice, if the real value of your home and all valuable assets you have in it are stable, so that lenders could be sure that you are not a risky but a paying client. The second option is zero-interest credit cards and bank loans. Credit union loans can also be beneficial if you need to borrow money in order to consolidate your current debts.

Debt consolidation is undoubtedly the best alternative to bankruptcy you can ever find. In case you decided to borrow money and consolidate your debts, you should remember that here is no place for rash decisions, everything should be properly considered. Debt consolidation loans are highly demanded nowadays and there are a lot of available offers in the market, and this is exactly why it is more than simply sensible to shop around for best loan at best price. Before you start analyzing the market and comparing different offers and rates, you should manage you budget and decide upon the amount of interest rates and APRs which you can afford as well as terms which can be beneficial to you. You should calculate everything carefully and make sure that debt consolidation is the best choice for you.

We suggest that you browse the Internet for the best debt consolidation offers and save both your time and your money. Search for trustworthy and reputable lenders, compare interest rates, terms and additional fees charged and choose offers which fit your needs and your budget best. After this you should request quotes from different lenders, fill them out and compare them carefully when you receive them back. It's also advised to use free online calculators which are designed in order to help you calculate estimated interest rates you can have depending, for example on your home's equity, credit history and your income. Right after you choose an appropriate loan which will help you consolidate your debts, you have to make sure that you can trust the company or the lender you plan to deal with.

Tips to boost your insurance business online

Insurance online is one of the most searched keywords online. This just means that the insurance itself has many sub categories and divisions. For obvious reasons, insurance is one of the most sought after keywords online since most people nowadays care more about their safety and security with anything that they purchase and do.

Travel insurance, car insurance, accident insurance, medical insurance, and life insurance are all under the word insurance. The mentioned type of insurance has also many branches that are still related to the sub categories. Clearly, the breakdown for the word insurance alone can take a while to be tracked down. But of course, where there are more people interested in a product or service, more competitors flock to it and create their own version or line of business.

So, the bottom line here is that, you won’t be the only entrepreneur online who will be dealing with insurance, insurance policies and quotes, but there are more out there – more than you can imagine. What you need to do, is to identify which insurance market you want to focus on. Creating your website alone isn’t going to do everything you want to happen, you have to start from scratch and learn what you can as well.

Once you’ve realized what niche of insurance you want to work on, you need to move on to the next which is the part where you advertise your site. You won’t be getting all the help you need by just telling your friends about the website. But you will get a fairly steady recognition in a timely manner when you do both offline and online promotion.

Distributing flyers is a good example on how to circulate your website around town. Online, weekly announcement about something regarding your website should also help. It’ll take time to at least see an improvement with your site’s traffic but there will definitely be a lot of work to do when that time comes so be prepared.

Find a business opportunity right for you

There a plenty of great reasons to go into business for yourself. Maybe you’re intrigued by the challenge of entrepreneurship. You’re ready to step out of the day-to-day routine of working for someone else, which will lead to success on completely different levels and the opportunity to realize your fullest potential. Nonetheless, the key to running a lucrative company is finding the business opportunity that’s right for you. In today’s competitive marketplace, many ventures fail, which makes the prospect of starting a business rather intimidating. Fortunately, business franchises provide great opportunities for everyone, even beginners with little or no experience. Most importantly, the failure rates for franchises are significantly lower. This is true because franchising offers benefits such as brand name recognition, marketing plans, training, on-going support and lower start-up costs.

Grow Your Business and by Improving Theirs with Business to Business Franchises

Some companies supply products and services to customers. Rather that meeting the needs of individuals, these franchise opportunities offer business aides to other companies and organizations. These services can be fairly simple, with industries like shipping, telecommunications and accounting. Meanwhile, you may be interested in something more strategic, which may draw you to a franchise opportunity like Business for Breakfast, a marketing system centered on word-of-mouth advertising. It’s been proven time and time again that this form of advertising is the most beneficial of all, which means that your services will be in huge demand.

Furthermore, if you would like to take advantage of the staggering growth of online businesses, you should consider a franchise with Orca, a company devoted to making the Internet work for businesses. The World Wide Web is definitely the new frontier of profitable businesses; thus, small and medium-sized companies now realize they are missing out, making your services increasingly valuable. Also, if you’re searching for a low cost business, you should consider franchises like these. After all, they do not require stock, employees or a great deal of start-up capital. Of course, not all business to business franchises are strategic in nature. In fact, some of the most important services are the ones you rarely think about. Most importantly, they’re also some of the most worthwhile investments you can make.

As a Laser Tech franchisee, for example, you will sell print cartridges and other office supplies. Every office uses paper goods and most other supplies and nearly all of them need print cartridges. Obviously, the demand for your products is there. The same is true for accounting franchises. All businesses need accountants, whether in-house or outsourced. TaxAssist Accounting, for example, allows you to venture into this industry by appealing to self-employed professionals and small business owners. Many of these practitioners have found that traditional accountants charge a lot more for the same services. TaxAssist is devoted to doing the paperwork, allowing the small business owners to take care of their companies and make money. And yet, not all financial businesses are focused on taxes. Franchises like Epi International specialize in helping businesses spend money efficiently. Thus, you help companies and public organizations maximize profits by re-engineering the way they do business.

For many new franchisees, everyday services like these become extraordinary business prospects. If you’re still having trouble narrowing your options, there are other factors to consider. Start by examining your previous experience and education. Most franchises don’t require experience or previous education because they provide all the training you need; but, if you have experience in a particular area, it can only add to your chances for success. Another issue to keep in mind is how much flexibility you want. At a glance, it would seem that everyone wants more flexibility in their business, especially since many entrepreneurs find success with a home business. Franchising with companies like Rapid Results Business Marketing, Billboard Connection and Laser Tech gives you the change to enjoy all the benefits of working from home. These include low overhead costs, the ability to make your own schedule and more time with your family (less time commuting to and from work).

However, some franchisees find that too much flexibility is a hindrance. This is the case for people who have a difficult time separating chores of the home from responsibilities of work. Perhaps you’re already concerned that this is a problem you may face. If so, you shouldn’t become discouraged. Many people need the structure a business setting can offer. Businesses like TaxAssist Accounting, New Opportunities (telecommunications) and Sign-A-Rama have actual locations and employees. This means that you have the advantages of an orderly business in addition to the profitability of a franchise.

Business to Consumer Franchises can be Equally Rewarding

Have you ever wondered if your favourite hobby could become a money-making business opportunity? Maybe you love to clean, sew, throw parties, repair things around the house or play football. All of these hobbies can translate to lucrative opportunities because there are so many different franchises in the market today.

Some of the most popular businesses are children’s franchises. These include Little Angels Children’s Photography, Baby Prints, Go Kart Party and Brazilian Soccer Schools. To begin with, Little Angels is a great prospect for photographers. This home-based business allows photographers to work with pre-school groups and nurseries, which gives them steady clientele. Photography is highly competitive and it’s usually difficult to build a name in the beginning. One rewarding thing about a franchise like Little Angels is that you only work part time. This makes it easy to do different projects (weddings and other special events) on your own time. Otherwise, a business like this can work around the needs of your family. Mums find Little Angels especially attractive because they can take their children to and from school everyday without any interference from work.

Moreover, not all memories are captured on film. No one knows this better than Baby Prints franchisees. Stay at home mums and dads who decide to go into business for themselves have found that casts of sweet little baby feet and hands are turning a sweet little profit they can not ignore. As a Baby Prints owner, your job is to capture every precious little wrinkle and dimple on baby’s fingers and toes, creating a cherished keepsake. Like Little Angels, Baby Prints is a work from home business with modest start-up costs. Additionally, this is one business for sale that offers exclusive sales territory.

By now, you may think that children’s franchise businesses are mostly for mums. However, this is not so. Case in point: Brazilian Soccer Schools is a fantastic business for football fans, many of whom are men. Even if you do not know a great deal about coaching, this company will provide training in both business and coaching. Better yet, Brazilian Soccer Schools can be operated in addition to your existing job during the first year. This makes the transition from traditional employment to entrepreneurship much smoother.

Certainly, owning a business will enrich your life as well as the lives of those around you. You’ve probably make this determination on your own by now. What you may not have considered, on the other hand, is that some businesses can impact your life in a completely unexpected way. For instance, Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs, the largest fitness group in the UK, will do just that. Not only will you have a chance to be your own boss and earn revenue doing so, you can also achieve a healthier lifestyle. Imagine the positive outcome this kind of business will have for you and your family. Most of all, you’ll have the unsurpassable satisfaction of helping others live better.

There’s a Brand New Career Path Just for You!

You’ve learned about a few of the franchise business opportunities available to aspiring businesspersons like you. Yes, these are only a small sampling, which may be overwhelming. The important thing to remember is that there is a franchise that’s perfect just for you. Once you have taken the time to analyze your experience, education, talents and personal goals, you will find it much easier to narrow down and then choose your business. After that, all it takes is an investment of your resources, time and discipline. Such effort will inevitably lead you to the right business opportunity and all the benefits that come with it.

Choices and charters in cleveland schools

If you’re looking for the latest and most innovative educational trends, you need look no further than Cleveland Schools. Charter schools, schools that are run privately, can be either non-profit or for-profit organizations, and can sometimes be selective of the students they accept. Charters in Cleveland schools often receive district money to run the school.

In Cleveland Schools, and indeed throughout the state of Ohio, charter schools are referred to as community schools. They are all independent, public schools. Even though they are funded by taxpayer money, they operate free from many of the rules and regulations that traditional public schools are obligated to follow. These Cleveland Schools are financed by a per-pupil allotment from the state tax funds, but do not tend to share in local property tax revenues. Parents of students within the Cleveland Schools district may choose to send their children to a charter, or community school free, of charge. These Cleveland Schools are also nonsectarian, and cannot refuse ANY students enrollment for any reason.

The Cleveland Schools’ board encourages families to make their decisions for the fall as soon as possible. In some cases, visits will be made to individual families who have not made their choice known. This will continue until all students in Cleveland Schools are enrolled in the school of their choice.

All around the country, charter schools have had their share of press. In some big cities, like Boston, where poverty-level school districts had been under serving minority students for years, charter schools have caught up with the other schools within four years, and continue to improve. Massachusetts has rigorous standards for its charter schools: it is cautious in approving schools, and maintains tough regulations for those schools. They are also willing to close the schools that just don’t work. In contrast, many educational experts describe Ohio’s charter school program as a “hastily assembled, poorly funded, and laxly regulated hodge-podge of educational dice rolls.”

More than half of the charter monies set aside for these community schools (Cleveland Schools included) is going to for-profit companies. In fact, the state “has an unusually heavy reliance on profit-seekers,” said Gary Miron, the Charter Evaluation Center’s chief of staff. “For-profit operators aren’t necessarily a problem,” Miron said, “as long as safeguards exist to ensure that they’re serving the public good, not just their own.” Unfortunately, that’s where Ohio’s charter schools, and those within the Cleveland Schools have fallen short.

The charter school movement in Ohio has been partisan, ideological, and divisive. Charter schools throughout Ohio and in Cleveland Schools were promoted as a way to sabotage urban public schools that many people thought to be hopeless. Ohio jumped into charters, trying to get as many up and running as possible. Unfortunately, officials just didn’t take the time to stop and think about how to make them work. According to Miron, “The result was inadequate funding, too rapid growth, ineffective oversight, and a lack of meaningful consequences for schools that simply ignored the rules.”

Attending a charter school within the Cleveland Schools district can be a rewarding experience for students and parents alike. It is extremely important, however, to go into it with one’s eyes open.

Be good to your stomach

Our stomach is one of the parts of the body that receives the harshest treatment and the least appreciation. Think about it. When is the last time you were really thankful that your stomach was working properly? Perhaps it takes seeing a friend or family member who has a rough stomach for us to really be grateful for our stomach health. But it shouldn't. We should be consistently treating our stomach with care so that it can do it's job well without causing us pain.

Being good to your stomach can be simple. Maybe you are already making wise choices for your stomach or perhaps you will have to make some severe lifestyle changes in order to really be good to your stomach. Whatever it requires, you should commit to being good to your stomach from this point forward.

What does it mean to be good to your stomach? Basically, to be good to your stomach means watching the things you put into it and the things you do. Surely everyone has experienced the pain of eating a meal that is too spicy or too greasy or too full of acid. Our stomachs do so much in the process of breaking down our food choices. Many times our stomachs are able to cover up some of our eating "sins," but other times they let us know that we have made a poor choice. I'm convinced that we owe it to our stomachs (not to mention to the rest of our bodies) to make healthy eating choices that are easy on our bodies and good for our health.

Take some time to evaluate the things you are putting into your stomach each day. Are you being kind or harsh? Do you notice any patterns that could perhaps be harmful to your digestive system? If so, consider changing them. You only have one stomach, and therefore it requires your upmost attention and care. Different stomachs have different levels of tolerance for spices, acids, and foods. You may not be able to eat everything your neighbor or even your spouse can eat. It is important that you learn, if you haven't already, what is good for you and stick to it.

The great thing about learning to eat based on the reaction of your stomach is that you will end up making good choices not only for your stomach but also for the rest of your body. The chances are high that what is good for your stomach will also benefit your body and your overall health. So be intentional about what you eat and drink and don't hesitate to pass up things that aren't good for you or your stomach.

How to get cheap car insurance in michigan

Finding cheap car insurance in Michigan isn’t similar to conducting brain surgery, though at times it may feel like it. You just have to know what you need, what you could use, and what is out there being offered to you.

Purchase Michigan’s minimum car insurance requirements. Michigan requires three kinds of car insurance coverage: personal injury protection (PIP), bodily and property damage (BI/PD) and property protection insurance (PPI). None of these kinds of car insurance coverage protect against damage and theft, though; for those kinds of protection, you must purchase comprehensive and collision car insurance policies.

Purchase a multi-line policy. A multi-line policy means you have more than one kind of insurance policy from the same insurance company. For example, some people purchase both their health insurance policies and their life insurance policies from the same insurance company. Talk with one of your current insurance companies about the different kinds of insurance they offer. You may end up purchasing a cheap car insurance policy from your homeowner insurance company, or vice versa.

Consider a multi-car policy. A multi-car policy – when you have added more than one car to your current car insurance policy – provides a discount on your car insurance in Michigan. This doesn’t mean you should run out and purchase a new car to get a multi-car policy; however, if your spouse or teenager has his or her own car and insurance policy, join up and get a discount.

Ask about other special discounts. Other special discounts include those intended for good drivers, good students, senior citizen discounts, and discounts based on the location in which you live as well as the car you drive and its safety features. Some car insurance companies in Michigan offer discounts specific to their insurance company. For example, one Michigan car insurance company may offer discounts to drivers who drive for a certain period of time with no accidents or traffic infractions.

Early info on the apple iphone

Apple Computers (Now Apple Inc.) has recovered from years of corporate doldrums through the introduction of an innovative line of computers but more importantly, through the phenomenal success of the iPod. Apple more or less created the market for personal digital MP3 players and has sold millions of units, along with millions of songs through their online music store.

Now the video world is coming into the handheld market - virtually every cell phone has a screen of some sort and the recent iPods have video screens as well. Apple's most recent product introduction is the much-hyped iPhone, which combines the functions of a cell phone, a "wide screen" iPod with touch controls, and an Internet communications device.

Apple has chosen to make an exclusive deal with Cingular, the AT&T cell phone network. Your only source for an iPhone will be through Cingular, along with a Cingular cellular service contract. They plan to make the product available in June. Back in the digital dark ages, Apple made the choice to keep their computer operating system in house, while Microsoft moved beyond IBM and licensed to any computer manufacturer who wanted it. It was the most important misstep that Apple has ever made, and is the reason that they will probably never extend beyond ten to twelve percent of the computer market. It will be interesting to see what happens when iPhone clones begin to appear in Verizon and other cell operator outlets.

The 4GB iPhone model will cost $499 with a two-year contract and $599 for the 8GB version (also with a two-year contract). Those are expensive phones, but Apple is in a unique position in that it has a dedicated core of iPod fans that may become Cingular converts. The iPhone's design is cutting edge: it has done away with keypads and with the exception of a "home" button the controls are operated on a 3.5 inch square touch screen.

According to early reviews the videos and photos look great. One giant touch screen controls the phone, the picture component and the videos - no stylus needed. For text messaging, there will be an onscreen keyboard - again controlled by touch.

Apple's iTunes store has gone into the video business, most recently negotiating a distribution contract with Paramount. Videos are downloaded onto the iPhone the same way that music is: through a wired connection to your computer. Apple's decision to push the viability of the iPhone as a video viewing device raises a couple of questions. The first is how satisfactory watching a movie on a three and a half inch screen will be, and the second is whether or not 8GB is enough to manage a library of music and video content. The current largest video iPod model has 60GB of space, in comparison.

For Internet and video functionality, the iPhone runs on the most recent Mac operating system. It has a 2 megapixel camera and promises support for Google maps, conference calling, and text and multimedia messaging. In short, all the features are included that young people use their phones for today, along with increasing numbers of traveling execs. The iPhone has Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity and includes both email software and a browser.

If you judge by the hype, Apple is betting big on the iPhone. It's worth noting, however, that Steve Jobs is pretty good at hyping every new Apple product. But the integration of telecommunications, video, and full blown Internet interconnectivity into the revered iPod is a major step - and the cell service completes an impressive multimedia package. It should be interesting.

Car insurance for a new driver

Many parents will buy their teenagers their first used car shortly after they turn sixteen. Once mom or dad has helped their teenage driver find a good and reliable used car it is time to find car insurance that won't cost them an arm and a leg for their new driver. New drivers will typically have higher premiums than older drivers who have more driving experience.

Even though new drivers are considered inexperienced, the premium that you pay doesn't have to empty your checking account. In fact, parents can save a little bit of money by using their existing insurance policy. Many companies will offer “multi” discounts. This means that if the policyholder has more than one car on their policy, then they will usually get a discount on the additional cars. Other insurance companies will offer auto and home insurance together and this can make paying your insurance even easier. If you are adding a new driver and car to the policy you may receive multi-driver and multi-car discounts.

If the new driver has had a driver education course such as Driver's Ed in high school, then you may also be able to receive a discount. Many schools offer these courses and if they do not, you may find them available through private companies. You can also take the course and receive a discount for both you and your new driver. Many insurance companies offer these discounts and because many states are requiring that students take these courses, then the situation is even better for you.

Some insurance companies also offer a Good Student discount. These programs award students by offering discounts to students who make good grades in school. If a student also takes a defensive driving course voluntarily, you may also be able to save by sending the certificate to the insurance company, as most insurance companies offer defensive driving discounts as long as the course was not a requirement for a speeding ticket.

Teens have higher accident numbers than any other age of driver. As they progress from being 16 to 17 to 18, their driving gets better as they gain experience. This is why it is important to be prepared for teen car insurance to be more expensive when they first begin driving. They are a higher risk because they tend to be involved in many more accidents. As a parent, you will need to expect to pay that higher premium, but as the teen becomes more experience you can expect that premium to begin dropping on a yearly basis. To make car insurance more affordable for your teen, you should be prepared to budget in that amount when purchasing them a used car.

Car insurance is also a good opportunity for students to learn responsibility. They should be able to help parents pay the premium through summer or part time jobs. They should also learn the effect that a traffic ticket or accident will have on their premium. They will also be able to see how being a good student allows you and them to save money on their insurance.

For more Car buying tips visit Atlanta Used Cars at UsedCarsAtlanta. us and Dallas Used Cars at UsedCarsDallas. us.

Drawbacks of not having a credit card

There are very few things that are as ubiquitous as the credit card. This little rectangle of plastic can give us so much convenience, but to the unwary can also bring so much misery. Credit cards may be the easiest way to get a standby line of revolving credit, always available when you need it, but it can also be the fastest way to get mired in credit card debt. People may complain about credit card debt but everyone agrees that despite the risks, there are too many drawbacks to not having a credit card.

Credit cards as we know them today are relatively new and are continuously evolving. The major laws protecting consumers’ rights involving credit were passed in the mid-seventies. It may be timely that Congress is currently considering added measures to enhance consumer protection. Yet, for a long time, people were using credit cards as a convenience product rather than as loans. Many people paid their entire balance each month. Credit cards were not as essential then as they are now.

Banks do not make money if people did not carry balances since a grace period for purchases, where no interest is charged for one month, is usually standard. As far as banks are concerned, the best credit card customer is one who carries a balance each month after remitting the minimum payment on time. Credit card issuers got really creative and have managed to make credit cards a necessary part of daily living. They worked to have credit cards accepted in more and more establishments, and to have credit card holders understand the many benefits and conveniences that they stood to gain from using their credit cards.

In our times, credit cards no longer a luxury. If you travel, you need your credit card to book flight reservations and reserve hotel rooms. You also need credit cards to rent cars, to purchase gas, and buy products by telephone or online. Being without credit cards today would make your life as difficult as traveling by horse and buggy. Without our even being aware of it, credit cards have become a business standard.

A credit card is one of the quickest ways to build a credit history. When you apply for a credit card and you still have no history, there are credit card issuers that you can approach. These issuers specialize in providing credit card products to customers who, because they are still attempting to establish or expand their credit history, are generally evaluated as higher credit risks. Many college students, for example, fall into this category, along with those who have limited employment income, or otherwise have poor credit history.

Today, having credit is a necessity. An inexpensive, reliable new car costs thousands of dollars, and although most people may want to pay in cash, the reality is they will need a loan. The rates and terms of that loan will be determined by your credit history, which is easily obtainable from the credit bureaus throughout the country. If you have used credit wisely in the past and repaid previous loans on time, you will be in a favorable position. If not, the result will be a more costly loan with higher interest rates.

The use of the credit card as a source of loans is illustrated by the fact that overall credit card debt now runs several hundred billions of dollars. Credit card debt has risen quickly to unimaginable proportions, and still banks continue to compete heavily for your business. Every year, billions of credit card flyers with invitations to transfer to another card issuer are sent out. The average American credit card holder is now in possession of almost a dozen credit cards, with average debt of $13,000. The credit card has indeed become a cornerstone of everyday living. Other than its necessity in making flight and hotel reservations, credit cards help the credit card holder with:

• “Cashless” transactions that avoid the risk of carrying around too much cash

• An interest-free loan from the time of purchase until the payment is due

• Cash advances from an ATM, in emergency cases

• The ability to shop by telephone or online

• The ability to purchase items when cash is not sufficient

• The ability to withhold payment when dissatisfied with a purchase or to dispute erroneous billings

• An instant source of credit that is available without filling out forms or undergoing further credit checks.

Cash, when it gets lost, is irretrievable; unlike cash, if you lose your credit card you can get a replacement no matter where you are. You also get protection against fraud or unauthorized use, which means you have minimal or even zero liability. Credit cards can be a resource in case of emergencies, such as a large car repair bill or an unforeseen expense.

Credit card companies normally provide the card holders with copies of their monthly statements. These statements list down in detail all charges that have been made against your credit card account. The monthly statements can thus serve as a complete financial record which, to the prudent credit card user, can become a guide for budgeting and controlling expenses. If the card user is a student, the monthly statements can become a tool for learning financial responsibility. Indeed, for personal finances and small businesses, credit cards have become a necessary financial tool.

There is also the prospect of being able to save money on future transactions because the usual credit card offers a number of rewards privileges that include frequent flyer miles, cash rebates, discounts or free telephone calls, points that go towards reduction of the cost of airplane tickets and hotel stays, points that can be redeemed as consumer products or gift certificates. All of the major credit cards — Visa, MasterCard, American Express — offer a multitude of card products with endless permutations on rewards, benefits and privileges that you can enjoy to maximize the value you get from your credit cards.

Ownership of a credit card entails certain responsibilities on your part. If these responsibilities are not exercised dutifully, you could unwittingly put yourself in a difficult situation where you lose your credit card privileges and suffer the drawbacks of not having credit cards. Your primary responsibilities as a credit card holder include the obligation to pay your bills on time, to stay within your pre-set spending limit, and to maintain the worthiness of your credit.

The convenience of having credit cards may tempt you to live beyond your means. You need to remember that excessive credit card debt and late payments will impair your credit rating and make it more difficult and costly to obtain credit in the future. Remember it is very easy to lower your credit ratings, but painfully slow to raise it.

It is now more important than ever to be effective at managing credit card debt. This is particularly true for people living from paycheck-to-paycheck and who must dip into their credit sources to make ends meet. If you are able to plan your credit spending and payments to your account, you will be rewarded with higher lines of credit and better rates. Otherwise, if you’re not efficient and disciplined with your credit card, you’ll have very few options available.

An oregon coast ghost hunting guide

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The winds cut deeper and make progressively louder noises as the days shorten. Fog creeps in from the sea more often. And then Halloween shows up, as if to really remind us about things otherworldly. It's no wonder Oregon's northern coast has a load of ghostly tales swirling about. It's no wonder the remake of "The Fog" currently in release is set in a fictional North Oregon Coast town. From flying pots and specters who've moved from one building to another in Seaside, the ghostly legends of a hotel in the Nehalem Bay, to the myriad of hauntings in ancient Astoria - there's plenty for the ghost-hunting tourist in this pristine and stunning area.

SLEEPLESS IN SEASIDE

Tales of things creepy abound in Seaside - but they're hard to find. It's almost as if they've been swept under the carpet.

For almost 100 years, the old Hotel Seaside (later named The Seasider) was a grandiose, beautiful building that was a sort of centerpiece to Seaside, at the Turnaround. So it's no surprise that place acquired tales of apparitions and otherworldly guests over the years. There were numerous spirits that purportedly haunted it.

These days, the Shilo Inn sits in that spot. But when the old hotel was torn down, the spooks moved to Girtle's Restaurant, just down the street on Broadway, according to owner Bob Girtle. He recounted numerous stories of otherworldly happenings in the restaurant, having seen them himself or coming from various employees who tell their own tales. They talk of seeing the mysterious shadows of feet walking behind the door of a closed-off area of the kitchen, visible from the small space between the floor and the door. This happens when it's not possible anyone else is in there, say Bob and his crew. They don't even check that room anymore when they see the shadows.

Then there is the notorious flying coffee pot in the galley area between the kitchen and the main dining room. Bob and others on his staff have experienced this more than once. Sometimes it moves a bit, others it literally flies across the hallway.

Bob said he inherited some employees of the old Seasider back in the 80's, and at least one said they saw some of the same ghosts.

John Sowa, owner of the New Orleans-style eatery Lil' Bayou, also related tales of moving objects in the kitchen and a strange sense of someone being near him while alone in his office. Kitchen utensils are found in different places than employees have left them, or an object suddenly falls off a hook or a shelf.

Lil' Bayou lies in the historic Gilbert District of Seaside, which is filled with old buildings, almost all with upstairs areas that are often unused. The charming, atmospheric area has gone through a rebirth in recent years, and often there are whispers of ghosts coinciding with many of the renewed buildings.

The Seaside Aquarium may have a closet containing something - or rather, an upstairs that could be haunted. When the building was a natatorium back about 80 years ago, there were apartments at the top floor. That area isn't used much at all now, but manager Keith Chandler says he's heard whispers over the years the top floor is haunted. Various stories have been handed down through the generations about noises coming from there.

EERIE AND NOT-SO-EERIE ON THE BAY

Manzanita, which caps the north end of the Nehalem Bay, is shrouded in mists and mystery, with Neahkahnie Mountain looming overhead and legends of a galleon and its buried treasures. Some versions of that tale contain atrocities, like purportedly burying their African slaves alive with the treasure to keep the natives away.

On its beaches, there are mysterious piles of rocks that have appeared over the years, apparently overnight. Sometimes they appear as single piles or stacks. No one has ever figured out who is responsible, creating speculation of an otherworldly artist.

In nearby Wheeler, facing the Nehalem Bay, Old Wheeler Hotel owner Winston Laszlo says he's encountered several things in that old building he couldn't really explain. Sometimes, he said, he believes he sees someone in the corner of his eye, only to discover there's no one there.

Once, Winston was looking in a mirror in the hotel's public area and saw the reflection of a man sitting in a chair behind him. Winston says he turned around to look at the man, whom he didn't recognize as a guest, and there was no one there.

A pair of ghost hunters even came to the visit the place and took photos of what they believed could be "spirit orbs" just outside the basement area. Winston still has copies of these.

Winston and wife Maranne Doyle-Laszlo say the entire building seemed to be against them during the process of remodeling the ragged old construct into the first-rate hotel it is now. They had a nagging feeling a presence seemed to arrange one disaster and setback after another, such as when a window blew out in a storm. Then, one day, they say the building seemed to accept them, and reconstruction proceeded smoothly thereafter. ( oldwheelerhotel. com. 877-653-4683.)

In an email just before her visit, ghost hunter Martina DeLude told Winston that made sense. "Ghosts that haunt residential and business locations become very threatened when someone starts changing things that they are accustomed to. Some spirits actually become incensed when furniture is moved around. Just like the living, most spirits do not like change. Possibly, as soon as they realized that it was once again going to become a hotel - perhaps something they may remember - they decided to help you along instead of stifling your efforts." There's more on their investigation of the Old Wheeler Hotel at nwpprs. com/Investigations/Places02/OldWheeler. html.

In other tales, Wheeler Antiques owner Garry Gitzen says a Wheeler woman, descended from local tribes, actually burned down her own house in recent years because disturbing spirits haunted it. She did this in lieu of tearing the thing down, never rebuilding it, with rumors floating about that Native American children had died in a fire in that spot in ancient times.

Not all is creepy here. According to Winston and Garry, there is a host of well-meaning spirits there known as the "Good Spirits of Wheeler," and Ekahni Books owner Peg Miller says the place is a sort of "spiritual vortex lite." They all point to something they call a "Wheeler Moment," where serendipity seems to suddenly rear its head. Locals talk of numerous circumstances where pleasant, happy coincidences popped up, assisting folks in some way. They all note various incidents where someone is discussing wanting to do something, and someone or some opportunity arises that helps things along - like the time the Garry and Winston were talking about creating a film festival, and they discovered a documentary filmmaker was staying in town.

ASTORIA - OR GHOSTORIA?

At the very tip of Oregon, Astoria is full of major ghost stories of one sort or another. That's no surprise, considering it's the oldest settlement west of the Mississippi.

The Liberty Theater is widely regarded as haunted. It was once a haven for the likes of Duke Ellington, Jack Benny, Guy Lombardo and supposedly even gangster Al Capone. Purportedly, it's also occupied by someone named Paul. One employee was quoted as saying that Paul is "quite handsome," giving him the nickname Handsome Paul. He apparently wears a "white tuxedo and a panama hat," according to the Clatsop County Historical Society.

Cast and crews over the years have talked about spotting him. While mostly just an apparition, he's been known to slam doors and make other unruly noises. Other tales from the theater include objects gliding through the air, knobs unscrewing themselves from appliances and utilities, as well as two or three other inhabitants from beyond.

Also famous for being haunted is the firehouse there, plus the town has a brutal history of men being "shanghaied" in the early part of the century.

The beginner s guide tips to successful home business

Very often we hear people saying “I want to spend more time with my family”, or “I want to make extra income to improve my lifestyle”. The answer to these wishes is a home based business.

Home based business offers you financial freedom, allows you to earn extra money to enjoy some of life’s little luxuries, and also provides the flexibility such that you are able to spend more quality time with your family. A home based business helps a dream comes true.

There is a great abundance of chances to earn extra income or profits online. However, in spite of the many opportunities that the Internet can offer, not all of them gives long-term achievements. You may come across some that give you the “quickest and best ways to get rich” schemes, but there are also others that work on fraudulent activities.

In order to consistently earn the extra income that you are looking for, you need perseverance, persistence and motivation. There are other factors that contribute to the achievement of your goals.

To begin, following are some of the important tips that will lead you to a successful and effective home business.

1) Do your homework

It is important that you do the necessary homework about every home business opportunities that you come across. Why? Because there are simply too many home businesses thriving on the Internet. You need to assess and identify which it the one that is suitable for you.

2) Decision Making

Do not let emotions overrule your decision making process. Regardless of the type of home business opportunities, good decision making will help to create a realistic goal. With thoughtful decisions, all other steps will come in systematically and logically.

3) Know the business

To be successful, what is more important than knowing and understanding everything about the home based business? Additional information is readily available on online forums, or from those who have tried home based business.

In summary, you can make that extra income only if you have chosen a good business. You should focus on one business that will bring in profits than trying different home based business with uncertainties.

Pearl value factors judging and evaluating pearls

Thanks to aggressive publicity campaigns sponsored by the diamond industry, anyone buying a diamond can confidently go into the transaction armed with enough information to ask the right questions. In the pre-purchase stage, you’ll likely query the seller about the five C’s: carat, cut, clarity, color and cost. As long as you trust the jeweler, you can be confident about the value of the gem you’re interested in based on his or her answers. But what about pearls? What questions do you ask? What does a high quality pearl look like? What are traits to avoid? Here we’ll tell you what makes a pearl valuable. We’ll also give you questions to ask your jeweler and tools to judge these lustrous gems yourself.

Pearl Value Factors

While there is no international standard for grading pearls, there is a system that is commonly used to evaluate these beautiful colored gemstones. Developed by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the world’s largest non-profit institute of gemological research and learning, this grading system considers seven pearl traits when determining value. They are: size, shape, color, luster, surface quality, nacre quality, and matching. Let’s take a look at each one as it relates to the beautiful cultured pearl.

Pearl Size

Pearls can be as small as a pinhead or nearly as big as a golf ball, but, of course, somewhere between these two extremes is the norm.

Size is determined by many factors. These include the size of the animal that produces the gems, the size of the implanted bead, the length of time the oyster or mollusk was allowed to form the pearl, the climate and conditions of the environment, and the health of the animal that produced the pearl.

Different types of pearls have different expected size ranges. For example, because they are produced in a relatively small oyster, akoya cultured pearls are usually much smaller than their South Sea counterparts, which are grown in one of the world’s largest mollusks, P. maxima. This large animal can accept a larger bead nucleus and can lay down nacre, the combination of organic substances that makes up a pearl, much faster than its smaller cousin. Be sure to find out what type of pearl you’re looking at (freshwater, akoya, South Sea or Tahitian). All have different expected size ranges, and anything outside the range will be reflected in the price. A guide: akoyas typically range from 2-11mm; Tahitians from 8-14mm; South Sea pearls from 9-20mm, and freshwater pearls from 4-11mm.

All other things being equal, a larger pearl will command a higher price. Larger pearls typically take longer to grow, and are not as common as smaller pearls. As in anything, however, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For some people, another pearl value factor, such as luster, may be more important than size.

When evaluating size, keep in mind that high quality small pearls exist, as do poor quality large pearls. Thus, pearl size is only one factor to consider when judging pearl quality. Which brings us to…

Shape

Close your eyes and picture a strand of pearls. What do you see? Probably a lustrous necklace of white round gems, right? That’s because the white round pearl necklace is a timeless jewelry staple and traditional classic in many cultures. As you can expect, round pearls are desirable due to demand, but they are also valuable because they are rare. (Think about it: Irritant enters oyster, oyster secrets nacre, nacre covers irritant. Pearl comes out…round? Doubtful.)

Although pearl culturing techniques are improving all the time, a perfectly round pearl is uncommon. (Akoya crops typically contain more spherical pearls than other pearl types.) According to GIA, collecting enough high quality round cultured pearls for a matched pearl strand can take years. Round or near round pearls will command more money than other shapes. That’s not to say that other shapes aren’t valuable. (Remember again the adage “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”) According to GIA, drop shapes can sometimes match the value of rounds, especially when they’re symmetrical and well-formed.

Not a traditionalist? Pearls come in many shapes, and, depending on what you like, can be just as desirable, but less costly, than round. Pearl shapes include button, oval, drop, semi-baroque and baroque. Some pearls even resemble bars, crosses, and coins. Some, called circled pearls, have grooves that go around the gems’ circumference. These beauties can make wonderful jewelry.

GIA classifies pearls into three major shape categories:

1. Spherical: Round or near round pearls

2. Symmetrical: When bisected, these pearls have equal halves

3. Baroque: Pearls with no discernable symmetry

Although pearl shapes vary, those that display some type of symmetry typically cost more. But baroque pearls, either when set alone or grouped with similar shapes into a necklace or bracelet, can be highly beautiful and unusual. And baroque pearls often show orient, a desirable shimmering rainbow-like effect that adds to the pearls’ value. Many designers prefer to work with baroque pearls for their infinite design possibilities—and many consumers buy them for their unique beauty.

Color

Although white will likely always win the pearl color popularity contest, pearls come in a wide array of gorgeous colors. From the aforementioned white to grey-black, pearls can also be lavender, pink, orange and many shades in between. The choice is up to you, but keep the wearer’s skin tone in mind when choosing: Pearl color should complement the wearer’s coloring.

When describing a pearl’s color, jewelers talk about three traits: hue, which is the overall pearl color—the one you see on first impression; overtone, which is not always present but which is the secondary color you see when you look at the pearl (i. e. a pinkish blush on a white pearl) and orient, which is also not always present, but, as mentioned above, can best be described as a colorful, rainbow-like sheen.

The popularity of pearl colors waxes and wanes; value is determined by what’s in fashion. As can be expected, white is always “in.” Lavender pearls are very popular right now too. And Tahitian cultured pearls, which are typically dark gray, dark green, or dark blue/purple were, amazingly, pretty much unheard of before the 1970s, but are now widely coveted—and very costly. Sometimes, too, a model or celebrity will wear a certain pearl color and that color will experience a surge in popularity.

As with size, pearl types display typical characteristics when it comes to color. Akoyas, for example, are usually white or cream; Tahitians are typically black, gray or brown; South Sea are usually silver, white or a gorgeous golden color, and freshwater come in white, cream and a wide array of pastels. Acording to GIA, if the desirable pearl color is rare, fine pearls displaying that color it will command high prices.

Luster

Because pearls are known for their inner glow, a trait that sets them apart from other gems, this value factor trumps all others. According to GIA, “Luster is the most important of all the value factors to the beauty of a pearl.”

Dependent on many factors, among them nacre thickness and growth conditions, luster is only good when nacre is translucent and its plates overlap in such a way that the pearl appears lit from within. Thick nacre does not guarantee sharp luster, but it certainly helps. The sharper the reflection on a pearl, the better the luster. GIA defines four categories of luster:

• Excellent: Reflections are bright, sharp and distinct

• Good: Reflections are bright but not sharp, and slightly hazy around the edges

• Fair: Reflections are weak, hazy and blurred

• Poor: Reflections are dim and diluted

Luster is one of the easiest pearl value factors to rate. Just hold an object, like a pen, close to the pearl. (Be careful not to get ink on the gem.) The sharper the reflection, the better the luster, and the more valuable the pearl will be. Note, though, that each pearl type has its own characteristic luster. Akoyas are known for their sharp, fine luster, while South Sea cultured pearls, for example, have a subtler, softer glow.

Surface Quality

Pearls are organic, and therefore “imperfect,” meaning they are not uniform, shiny, perfectly round orbs every time they come out of an oyster. Rather, as natural, layered objects, they show many surface characteristics such as abrasions, bumps, chips, cracks, pits, scratches and wrinkles. Most people will never see a perfect pearl in their lifetime, and indeed, minor surface irregularities do not detract from a pearl’s value.

As defined by GIA, there are four classifications of pearl surface characteristics:

• Clean: Pearl can be blemish-free, or spotless, or contain minute surface characteristics that are very difficult to see when examined by a trained observer

• Lightly blemished: Pearls show minor surface irregularities when inspected by a trained observer

• Moderately blemished: Pearls show noticeable surface characteristics

• Heavily blemished: Pearls show obvious surface irregularities, which can compromise durability

The pearl’s overall appearance will determine its value. Obvious or multiple surface characteristics or large blemishes that affect the gem’s durability will detract from its value, while a more clean-looking pearl is worth more. Most of us cannot afford a perfect strand of pearls, but, luckily, small bumps and blemishes can often be hidden by a drill hole. According to GIA, “…a completely clean pearl is a rare treasure. Since rarity influences value, the prices of such pearls run extremely high. Most consumers must settle for some degree of surface irregularity in the pearl they purchase. Even the finest pearls can contain minor surface characteristics.”

Nacre Quality

Directly tied to luster, nacre quality/thickness is a very important value factor which, fortunately, can be judged by the naked eye. It’s better, of course, to evaluate thickness with an x-ray machine or by cutting the pearl, but most of us don’t have such a machine, nor do we want to wear pearls that have been chopped in half. (Picture that for a minute!)

Take a look at the pearl you wish to evaluate. A chalky, dull appearance means that the nacre is probably thin. In some cases, the nacre is so thin that the bead nucleus shows through. Do not purchase these pearls—they won’t last!

GIA classifies nacre into three categories:

• Acceptable: The pearl’s nucleus is not noticeable and the gem displays no chalky appearance

• Nucleus Visible: The pearl shows evidence of its bead nucleus through the nacre. The pearl shows strong “blinking” (a flickering of light and dark) when it is rotated across a light source

• Chalky Appearance: The pearl has a dull, matte appearance

Thin nacre has a negative effect on a pearl’s value, although thick nacre does not guarantee sharp luster. Thin nacre can crack, peel or otherwise deteriorate and the pearls won’t last very long. (Unlike other gems, polishing a pearl does not restore its original beauty.) Pearls with thicker nacre are more durable and more valuable. Ask about nacre thickness if you have the opportunity.

Interesting fact: Many freshwater cultured pearls are cultured with mantle tissue only, rather than a mother-of-pearl bead, and, as a result, are nearly solid nacre. Many pearl experts say that today’s freshwater cultured pearls from China now rival the beauty of Japanese akoyas!

Matching

As you can imagine, this pearl value factor only comes into play when a piece of jewelry contains more than one pearl. Some designers intentionally mismatch pearls for aesthetic effect, but when a strand is meant to be uniform, how well the gems match is an important consideration. Fortunately, this is easy to determine. Just look at the strand and note any obvious differences in the gems. (Some jewelers will try to hide small or imperfect pearls near the clasp, so check this area carefully.)

When evaluating a matched strand, keep in mind that cultured pearls are organic, not poured from a factory mold. No two are exactly alike, therefore it is impossible to make a perfect match. This does not detract from the jewelry, though, as long as, on a whole, the piece is uniform. To test, look at the strand, hold it up close and also view it at arms’ length. Are the pearls the same overall size? Color? Shape? Luster? Nacre quality? If they look the same, they’re well-matched.

GIA defines three categories of matching:

• Excellent: Pearls are uniform in appearance and drilled in the center

• Good: Piece shows minor variations in uniformity

• Fair: Pearls are noticeably different from one another

According to GIA, “It takes an enormous amount of skill and labor to sort harvested pearls. The time and effort involved in producing a well-matched strand of pearls will reflect its market price.”

Conclusion

Because they are produced in different animals in different environments under unique conditions, each pearl type has its own expected characteristics. When the traits shown for a certain pearl are outside the norm for its type, the pearl will be more valuable.

Each pearl is unique, and uniquely beautiful. Which pearl and pearl type is the most beautiful? It’s up to you. (This author is partial to white baroque freshwater pearls and golden round South Sea pearls.)

Go Shopping!

Congratulations! Now you know what to look for and what questions to ask when shopping for pearls. Remember, a pearl’s worth depends on its overall look--how well it combines the seven value factors. Keep in mind that not all value factors are important to all people. You may be more interested in pearl color than pearl size, for example. As with anything, individual tastes reign supreme. Now, go forth and buy with confidence.