Food prices are always an issue at my house. My daughter has her favorites, which of course are opposite of my son’s and then there is me who is trying to make a more conscience effort in eating healthier. Most often, I can match a meal to two of the three, but rarely do I get all three unless we go out to eat somewhere. With groceries in the home, I find eating out brings more relief to stress, hunger and housework but ruins my monthly budget. Keeping a budget running no matter what the extra demand may be take a bit of determination and staying power. Relying on a cash advance or credit cards to pay for extras would send my budget into a tail spin – out of control.Eating out defeats the purpose and usefulness of a grocery list, but it sure does feel good after a long day. I try to keep the pantry or freezer filled with somewhat healthy quick dinners for most of the busy days and I actually have a budget category for restaurants. It isn’t a big amount, but I leave any remaining from the month before in there to carry over to the next month. I have found that keeping cash in an envelope is the easiest way to avoid future debt problems due to a busy day and/or lack of energy to make dinner.I’m pretty strict with myself and avoid using credit cards for restaurants. I use my debit card and therefore know and understand that the amount will come out of my bank account immediately. It keeps me grounded. When I spend $80 or more at the grocery store(s) shopping the sales and avoiding pricey products, why would I demolish all my efforts by taking my kids out to eat more often than I can afford?That is me, it is my journey and we all have our own household priorities. I go without in order to compensate for the extra added to food costs. My friend budgets for her hair and nails. She spends so much every month. It is important to her and therefore, she has earmarked that piece of her budget as a priority. She feels good about her money spent as I do. The best part is that neither of us are paying for our monthly splurges over the long-term and keeps the prices low because of it. I can’t imagine using a cash advance for my dinners out. That would be like spending the price for a 5 star restaurant but only getting fast food to eat – definitely not within my budgeted costs, needs or wants.Payday loans, online cash advances and credit cards are handy when the demand for emergency costs presents itself. Using them frivolously could lead to some debt problems or at the very least budget strain. Living paycheck to paycheck and not having enough to cover living expenses and the bills can make life quite stressful. Depending on a short-term loan or other credit in order to get by each month will create more problems over the long-run. Budgeting income and staying on task with it all is a job all on its own.
Why Should I Choose E-Commerce?
The internet is here and it is there to stay. It is catching up on everything and people are succumbing to its easy usability and gripping technology. Over the past few years it has been progressing and has lead to the rise of e-commerce (Electronic Commerce).The traditional brick and mortar businesses have varied overheads to be taken care of; e-commerce is virtual business and thus drastically cuts down on your overheads. You can upload a large catalogue of your products online and can keep on adding products as you need. E-commerce is not limited only to huge businesses. Small and medium sized businesses can avail internet business opportunities and can create a niche for themselves. One doesn’t need to be large and varied in their product line such as eBay or Amazon, but you can crave in a slot which gives you an upper edge and you can render the product or services effectively.It is easier to give more personalized attention to your customers through e-commerce. You can answers all their queries and send them notification mails when they place an order, when the order is dispatched and when they receive an order. You can also send across mailers, offers and promotions to them thus enabling a greater scope of their second visit. It is also safe bet to use e-commerce. You get the name of your customer; shipping address, credit/debit card number and transaction proofs which is not in the case of traditional shopping. Also there are no issues of shoplifters, so it is definitely a safer option of commerce.E-commerce enables home shopping which can be done anytime, anywhere adding more customized approach. To add to the comfort e-commerce also triggers comparison-shopping which is not the case in traditional shopping. Popular online shopping portals like naaptol.com offer product as well as price comparison. Your e-commerce site is totally under your purview. You can track the id’s that have visited you site, you can track the number of visitors on particular category, the time they have visited and products that interest them the most. Such tracking helps in marketing your site and target a niche audience. Such detailed analyses will promote advertisers to avail the popularity of your site and add to your income.E-commerce is booming and is bound to be at par with traditional shopping methodologies. It is not trying to overshadow the conventional means but is trying to enable easier access and smart shopping. The traditional means have their own advantages, but the distant future is going the e-commerce way.
Today’s Unique Fashion in Jewelry
Every era and every century brings new fashion in clothing, jewelry, products, and everyday living. The unique fashion of jewelry in today’s fast paced and ever changing styles comes with elegant taste, shiny stones, curvy shapes, and of course the free shipping! Let’s face it, in today’s society brings the power of online selling. Fashion could not be at its best right now. The media plays its role, but woman and men have unique tastes and want to wear what represents them whether it is power, beauty, or just the statement that says hey, look at me! So what exactly makes today’s unique fashion in jewelry so important? We will take a look at staying hip and stylish in today’s era, websites and how they keep up with today’s fashion, and the power behind unique fashion in today’s era.Jewelry has forever been a statement of power, but in today’s modern era, jewelry is worn for fashion and presentation more than ever. Fashion has become the style that represents you as a person. Wearing unique fashion of today’s world is one way of showing how “hip” and stylish you can be. Don’t get me wrong, wearing older fashion jewelry shows style too, which is a whole different conversation. Staying hip and stylish is important to the younger generation. When they are trying to impress there secret crush or trying to stay “popular” in school wearing the right hip jewelry is extremely important, but what makes today’s unique fashion hip? Well it’s a combination between the media and our role models and what they wear and the fads that run through towns like untamed horses. Both ideas run very close but also can differ. Young children and teenagers pick up on hip and stylish new fads very quickly.Humans have a basic instinct and a taste for fashion. As new generations become of age, new ideas and new tastes develop that can slightly change or drastically change the current style and fashion. Having a website that stays up to date with fashion and offers the best of the best is key and should be saved under your favorites. Websites that offer free shipping is also a perk that could influence where you shop. There are thousands and thousands of websites competing for the top search engine spot, but the one who gets that spot can influence today’s unique fashion in jewelry. They can influence because when you search “today’s fashion in jewelry” the top site will get the most views and pursue the viewer that the sites content is today’s fashion. Websites that make it to the top of search engines obviously have value and traffic since they are ranked high, so in a sense those sites must know fashion and must be popular with returning customers.The power behind today’s unique fashion runs very thick with media influence, the internet, and what is hip/stylish. So how can today’s fashion have power? The media shows what they portray as “hip and stylish” then the teenagers and children mimic this fashion and then that spreads a fad through that community. The parents and guardians notice and pick up on this fad and then start to purchase and order this new fashion of jewelry online and in retail stores. In the end, everyone is happy. The economy is running thoroughly, the children and teenagers are happy, and the parents and guardians are happy. The power of today’s unique fashion influences everyone in some kind of way. People must pay attention to growing fads and new styles.In conclusion, jewelry in today’s era is competitive. The unique fashion that changes swiftly, can move economies and change the way people look. Three things that make today’s unique fashion important is the younger generation and how they long for being hip and stylish, the online market and how it competes, and the power of modern fashion.
The Pros And Cons Of Prepaid Credit Cards
Observers in the lending industry have estimated that there may be at least 50 million Americans who are not able to qualify for credit. These consumers are usually young, often members of the minority groups and unbanked…and they are faced with the long-standing dilemma of credit: how can I build my credit record if no one will give me any credit at all?One of the answers offered by credit card companies is a variety of prepaid credit cards, designed for use by specific segments in the market. The prepaid credit cards are meant for that significant portion of the population that cannot meet the qualification criteria for regular credit cards, or who qualified before but have since lost their credit due to repeated defaults and other reasons.Advantages of Prepaid Credit Cards For those who do not have enough credit history or have had it blemished, prepaid credit cards are an effective way to build or slowly rebuild credit. That may not happen immediately, but it is something to work on over time. The banks that issue prepaid credit cards are also prepared to extend normal credit the moment you are able to show that you have become a worthy credit risk.For the moment, you may have to make do with prepaid credit cards. You can use prepaid credit cards as you would any other regular credit card to purchase airline tickets, reserve hotel rooms, or order items online.Prepaid Credit Card for Students There is a special prepaid Visa credit card for students, which offers a lot of convenience not only for the students but also for their parents. These reloadable prepaid credit cards offer parents several options on how to reload. Parents can add money to reloadable prepaid credit cards by depositing money, by arranging an automatic transfer of funds from their account (a deposit account or their own credit card account), or by online transfer. Using the prepaid Visa credit card is no different from giving the regular allowance to their child, only they do so by electronic means and there is no more cash that changes hands.The big advantage of the prepaid Visa credit card is that the student is limited to spend only as much money as there is in the card. The parent is thus able to control to some extent the spending behavior of their child. They can use the prepaid credit card anywhere that the credit card brand is accepted.Prepaid Credit Cards as Gift Certificates Some prepaid credit cards function like gift certificates. You buy the prepaid credit card for a certain amount, and your recipient can purchase items with it at any of the brick-and-mortar stores or online merchants, and also for mail order items, that accept the particular credit card brand. Your recipient can use the prepaid credit card only up to the amount of money that you loaded on it. This particular version of prepaid credit cards is non-reloadable.Like any gift certificate, recipients of prepaid credit cards can buy whatever it is they want at any time they want. Unlike a gift certificate that, when it gets lost is lost forever to the recipient, prepaid credit cards may be replaced if it gets lost or is stolen.Prepaid Credit Cards for Travel There is a prepaid credit card designed for travel. These reloadable prepaid credit cards can be purchased in lieu of travelers’ checks or cash. In a way, it combines the best features of a credit card and a traveler’s check because of its convenience and security features. Should you lose the prepaid credit card while you are on travel, you can easily obtain an emergency replacement, both for the prepaid credit card and some cash.Prepaid credit cards for travel are accepted all over the world, and also allow you to obtain currency from ATM machines. When you need to reload and you are already traveling you can arrange for the reload by phone or online. Apart from the fact that it is a prepaid credit card, you can use it exactly like a regular credit card. That also means you enjoy other benefits just like a regular card — reimbursements for lost luggage of up to $1,000 per cardholder if your luggage is lost; zero liability if your prepaid credit card is used fraudulently after you lose it or have it stolen from you; purchase security up to $500 per claim for any items you buy with prepaid credit cards, which subsequently gets stolen or damaged for certain reasons.Generally, you can purchase prepaid credit cards of all the major credit card brands at their participating retailers. You don’t have to worry about not having acceptable credit because prepaid credit cards are made available without need of a credit report or a bank account. The only qualifications you need to have are that you have reached 18 years of age and that you must be able to present a valid identification issued by government.Disadvantages of Prepaid Credit Cards There are a few things about prepaid credit cards that may not be as convenient as the regular credit cards. For one thing, you load only so much money onto it. You will need to keep track of the balance on the prepaid credit card because not all of the merchant terminals where you use the card may be able to help you determine it. However, there are procedures that tell you how to determine your balance, and you will these detailed on the back of the prepaid credit card and in the instructions accompanying it.The process of reloading your prepaid credit card may be a little inconvenient to some. If you’re using cash, you would have to visit the participating outlet where you bought your reloadable prepaid credit cards. The more convenient way will be reloading online.There are also the charges. Prepaid credit cards impose an application fee, the amount of which varies with the issuer, and there is also a service charge that you have to pay monthly. You also have to pay for transaction fees, charges when you transfer funds to top up the balance, when you replace your prepaid credit card, and many other fees. To be sure about the fees, you should read closely the fine print on the prepaid credit card account.Prospects of Prepaid Credit Cards Prepaid credit cards do not provide credit; it is your money that you’re using. You are asked to pay other charges, so it is not for free. You are paying for the convenience and security of carrying plastic instead of large amounts of cash. People with bad credit will be able to act as if they had a regular credit card and enjoy the convenience of one.Issuers of prepaid credit cards realize that it is a good way to monitor the credit behavior of the cardholder. A prepaid credit card would be a source of information that indicates to the credit bureaus and issuing lenders about how you as the individual cardholder use the card to pay your bills such as utilities. If these consumer data could be formatted in such a way as to provide the basis for a statistical model on probable future behavior in spending, then this could become the foundation for building a credit history.You would benefit, because by using prepaid credit cards you are rebuilding your credit. The prepaid credit card issuers would benefit, too, because they would be making previously unproven customers bankable. More people could then qualify for regular credit, and that would mean tremendous incremental revenue for the lenders.
A Look Into Alternative Investments
Your investment portfolio will typically include conventional investments such as stocks and bonds both equally important parts of a solid, long-term investment strategy. But, there are many other less-typical investments that can supplement your portfolio and provide you with opportunities to reduce some of the effects of market fluctuations. Consider alternative investments such as commodities, hedge funds, mutual funds with alternative strategies, and futures to round off your portfolio.What are alternative investments?
Alternative investments are asset classes that generally don’t move together with traditional equity and fixed income markets. They usually follow their own cycles. As a result, alternative asset classes have a low correlation with standard asset classes; therefore they may help diversify your portfolio by reducing the overall volatility of the portfolio when traditional asset classes such as stocks and bonds are performing poorly.Historically, alternative investments have been restricted to high-net worth individuals and institutional investors, but these days they are far more available to a wider audience. Alternative investments range from real estate to hedge funds to commodities and can complement a variety of investing strategies. However, they are designed to complement a well-founded portfolio rather than to serve as the focal point of the portfolio.Most people are attracted to alternative investment because they may yield a higher return than traditional investments, but note that potentially higher returns also may carry higher risks with them. What’s important to note is that alternative investments may be more illiquid than their conventional counterparts – they cannot be sold readily like stocks and bonds – and some may need to be held for a longer time horizon. Additionally, there may be unique fees or tax consequences.Alternative investment options for your portfolio
There are many investment products available today and it sometimes may be difficult to clearly identify which investments are conventional or alternative. But below are is a list of common alternative investments along with their potential benefits and risks.Gold
Including a small portion of your portfolio toward precious metals such as gold or silver may offset the performance of other assets in the portfolio such as stocks and bonds, because precious metals typically don’t move in tandem with conventional investments.Gold is typically viewed as a hedge against inflation and currency fluctuations. So when inflation effects the purchasing power of a currency – say the dollar weakens against the euro – gold prices tend to rise. As a result, investors place their money in gold during economic and market downturns.Investing in gold can be accomplished in several ways, including futures funds, exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, bars, and coins. Nevertheless, since precious metals make up a small sector, prices often change dramatically. This type of volatility can create opportunities for investors in the form of high returns but it can equally result in dramatic losses.Hedge fund offerings
Hedge funds have historically been available only to high-net-worth individuals and institutions. Hedge funds are investment pools that manage money for institutions like banks, insurance companies, as well as individuals who meet the federal definition of a “qualified purchaser” in terms of net worth and income.Hedge funds are typically organized as limited partnerships where the fund managers are the general partners and the investors are the limited partners. Hedge fund investments tend to have limited liquidity on a scheduled basis as a result these alternative investments are subject to special regulatory requirements different from mutual funds.Funds of hedge funds invest in a variety of hedge funds with many different strategies and asset classes with the purpose of reducing overall fund risk through increased diversification. Fund of hedge funds are available to investors that meet the accredited net worth standards of at least $1 million. Fees of hedge funds are higher because of the type of portfolio management and increased trading costs.Fund of hedge funds are registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and as securities under the Securities Act of 1933. They may also come in the form of a private offering which will need to adhere to stricter accredited investor standards. Fund of hedge funds can be complicated investment vehicles which often use leverage, lack transparency, may be subject to restrictions, and may include other speculative practices.Mutual funds with alternative strategies
Mutual funds are offered in many asset categories, including real estate and commodities. Some mutual funds can mimic hedge fund strategies and may be a good option if you’re interested in alternative investments but don’t meet the accredited investor standards.In contrast to hedge funds and fund of hedge funds with their higher fees and possible restricted liquidity, these types of mutual funds are relatively low cost and are very liquid – they can easily be bought or sold in a public market. As a result they are accessible to a wider range of investors and therefore mutual funds with alternative strategies are prohibited by law in using high leveraging to boost yields as is common with many hedge funds.Nevertheless, alternative mutual funds do use aspects of hedge fund investing such as employing both long- and short- investment tactics, trading complex derivative products, and short selling. If you are an investor that is looking to help offset market swings or specific sector swings and you understand the risks that may be involved investing in alternative investments, alternative mutual funds may be something to consider adding to your portfolio.Managed futures funds
Managed futures funds are formed for the purpose of investing assets in the investment vehicles and trading strategies deemed appropriate by commodity trading advisors (CTAs). These specialized money managers use futures, forwards, options contracts and other derivate products traded in U.S. and global markets as their investment vehicles. CTAs are required to be licensed and are subject to the regulations of the National Futures Association and the Commodities Trading Futures Commission (CFTC).Managed futures are speculative in nature, involving high risks, may carry higher fees, and have limited liquidity. Nevertheless, managed futures investments have been popular investments for high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors for the past several decades. Their appeal comes from their ability to provide investors with greater portfolio diversity by increasing exposure to global investment opportunities and other sectors such as commodities.There are several categories of managed futures in terms of structure and investment objectives. They may be available to investors in the form of a private offering subject to higher accredited investor standards according Regulation D guidelines of the Securities Act of 1933.Real estate investment trusts
A popular type of alternative investment is commercial real estate. Until recently commercial real estate has been mostly inaccessible to retail investors and was widely enjoyed by high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors for its potentially higher yields and diversification attributes. Since the inception of real estate investment trusts (REITs), investing in commercial real estate has become available to wider range of investors.REITs pool money from investors and invest the funds in properties ranging from office buildings to apartment complexes to hospitals and warehouses. REITs are offered to investors in two forms: traded and non-traded. Both offer exposure to commercial real estate assets.Publicly traded REITs can be easily bought and sold on a daily basis on active secondary market. However, they tend to be more volatile.Non-traded REITs are illiquid investments appropriate for investors with a long-term investment time horizon of at least 5 to 10 years. Non-traded REITs are not aligned with stock and bond market movements so they add great diversification to a portfolio.Other alternatives
Alternative investment can also include assets such as art, gems, rare collectibles, and antiques. In addition, venture-capital funds are considered alternative investments. These alternative investments can help provide investors with added diversification and can help balance out performance across various market swings.Considering alternative investments
Alternative investments can potentially boost your portfolios returns while helping you reduce market exposure and overall portfolio volatility. However, because of a lack of a secondary market for some alternative investments and restricted liquidity for others, as well as the higher risks associated with them, alternative investments should be used as complements to traditional portfolios consisting of equities and fixed-income instruments.Moreover, because alternative investments often require more professional management than conventional investments, it’s important to look to experienced money managers for help such as your Financial Advisor.Alternative investments include gold, real estate, hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, commodities along with others and are generally used to round off your portfolio’s performance because alternative investments are typically not correlated to traditional markets such as equities and fixed income.Alternative investments are often illiquid, with longer investment time horizons and carry higher risks, and often require professional money managers.Investors must meet a criteria outlined by the law, ranging from product to product, in order to take advantage of alternative investment opportunities.Alternative investments should generally be used to complement existing portfolios and strategies consisting of mainly stocks and fixed-income products.
Hotels in Singapore – Find Some of the Best Near Airport
The country of Singapore is famous not only for its higher growth graph but also for its alluring sight scenes, whether it is man-made or natural. Located at Malay Peninsula, this is supposed to be the busiest port of the world; the country actually deals with multi-ethnicity.A better transportation system, soaring edifices, a blend of culture and fabulous career platform- Singapore is among the most sought-after destinations in the world. Therefore, influx of tourist is increasing respectively every year. But, while reaching to this puzzling country, tourist want accommodation in hotels, which are best suitable to their needs. Nonetheless, Singapore hotels are considered some of the best in the entire tourism arena but sometimes, people opt for accommodation that is perfect in accordance with their plan. You may find lots of hotels in Singapore and many of them are situated in and around airport too. These hotels are available in almost every range including budget hotels, luxury accommodation and fragrance hotels in Singapore.Apart from hotel inside Singapore airport campus, some best hotels are located at famous orchard road shopping centre. These hotels offer wonderful ambiance to get relaxed. An impeccable hospitality and striking interior is the USP of these hotels while in-house gym, swimming pool, mouth watering delicacies, internet and cable TV facility, including mini bars in a completely air-condition atmosphere is another temptation.Singapore is a major business center as well as a favored tourism destination. Hence, voyagers and business client from all around the world step inside Singapore. To steal their heart and proffer them a flawless service that starts from their first step in Singapore land. To make it successful, International airport of the country boasts numerous eye-catching hotels. Some of the most gorgeous hotels are located near Singapore airport. Changi Village-A Far East Hotel, Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel, Perak Hotel, Mandarin Oriental, Singapore Carlton Hotel are also included in the list of hotels near Singapore airport. If you landed at terminal 1 or 2, you can reach to these using monorails.Hotels near Singapore Airport are also linked to Terminals 1 and 2 via a monorail system. Guests only have to reach Terminal 3 in order to enjoy a wide selection of eateries, shops and public transport, which easily links you to other parts of Singapore. These hotels are contemporary hotels, which flaunt best of designing appeal. Apart from an alluring interior, its delicacies, in-house gymnasium, spa, swimming pool are also appealing.Singapore is haute in tourism world and the country sees an arrival of thousands of globetrotters every year. Many of them do not want to waste their time in searching for a hotel away from airport. For such tourists, hotels near Singapore airport are taken as the perfect accommodation.
Leadership Skills Are Necessary for Technology Managers in the Current Business Economy
Technology oriented careers have been making a comeback. Accordingly, talented technology managers are necessary in every area of the field – from Web design and development, to database-driven e-commerce, to software engineering, to technical service and support. Technology positions, from programmer to CIO, are also critically important in organizations from all industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, education, government and service firms. Technology professionals often seek career advancement but need the leadership skills necessary to advance their careers. In response to these industry demands, adult-learning and distance learning schools now offer technology degrees at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels, often in accelerated formats.However, other necessary characteristics of successful technology managers cannot be found on a silicon microchip or in a line of CSS markup code. Some of these characteristics include a talent for leadership; the ability to communicate ideas and directions, and the ability to motivate and mentor staff. These skills are not taught in all technology curricula of the 21st century. However, some information technology and computer science academic curriculum designers are beginning to recognize the importance of teaching soft skills in the classroom. Accordingly, some programs of study now emphasize specialized leadership training for would-be technology managers.The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that computer and information systems professionals typically require advanced-level training (namely, a master’s degree) in order to be considered for leadership positions in technology. The BLS also points to the need for technology job applicants to have diverse experience in technology systems and applications. This experience will allow them to lead staff who work in different departments and who have different types of technology skills. An additional benefit to pursuing training for technology management careers is the bright future outlook of this field. These careers are expected to grow 16 percent through the year 2016.Technology leadership training programs at the master’s degree level will typically have two or three core academic components. The first core component, obviously, is technology. Students who pursue this type of master’s degree typically begin the program with knowledge of at least one higher-level programming language; and are comfortable with database management or development, as well as computer networking systems administration. The master’s in leadership and information technology course of study will build on students’ foundations in information science and systems, enabling students to approach these disciplines from a leadership and management perspective.Students will learn to lead employees as well as communicate with all levels of the organization and customers.In CIO Magazine’s 2007 State of the CIO survey of more than 500 IT professionals, the three skills “most pivotal for success in your role” were: the ability to communicate effectively, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to lead/motivate staff. In other words, leadership skills. The primary characteristics that all technology managers must have are leadership skills. These attributes enable technology leaders to motivate staff; to direct projects or business activities in a way that maximizes profits, and to ensure that staff on hand are competent and contribute to strong worker retention. According to career advice site Monster.com, the best managers and leaders in technology are those men and women who are directly involved in project management and task delegation, rather than those who give orders from afar.In the tech industry, there exists a decades-old stereotype about the social inclinations of technology workers. Unfairly or not, they have been historically pegged as lacking in leadership skills and strong communication abilities. Industry efforts to disassemble this stereotype is one primary reason why students interested in technology management are able to enroll in master’s-level programs of study that combine technology skills with interpersonal and leadership skills.The other reason more and more master’s-level technology programs of study focus on business and leadership skills is because technology manager careers have become more specialized and decisions-driven. Managers in tech fields must be able to assess the technology systems in place at their companies, and make system implementation and upgrade decisions that will be positive for their employees and clients. Technology must support and align with organizational goals. Making the right technology decisions requires developed leadership skills, strong soft skills, and polished business acumen.As technology continues to change and develop rapidly, technology leadership master’s degree programs will continue to develop targeted curricula, integrating technology with the business world to produce strong leaders.
Discover the Keys to Effective Communication
One of the key factors to mastering your life, is to master your communication. It is the great communicators in the world that get all that they want.The reason why most people have unsatisfactory results in their life, is because they have poor communication skills. People get frustrated when they don’t get what they want,and often times don’t realize it is because they did not communicate clearly, what it is they wanted.Poor results come from poor communication, not only in personal communication, but also in metaphysical communication. One of the main reasons why many people do not get what they want in life is because their way of communicating what they want is unclear.You must be very clear on exactly what it is you want when communicating with another person, The Universe, or yourself.I know you may be thinking, what do I mean with yourself. A lot of times we are wishy washy with what we want. We tell ourselves “I kind of want this,but I also kind of want that.” or “I guess that would be alright.”. We need to be very specific with ourselves of exactly what it is we want. We cannot express clearly, to someone else, what we want if we are unclear, about what we want, ourselves.First we will discuss how to communicate with your Higher Power to get what you want, then we will discuss how to communicate with other people. I am using the term “Higher Power” or “Universe” because I do not want to offend any one’s religious beliefs. You can replace the term Higher Power with God or whatever name you believe the creative source to be called. The principles for communication will be the same.To manifest what you want in life, from a metaphysical standpoint, I would highly encourage you to sit quietly with a pen and paper, and write exactly what it is that you want to create in your life. Write what you want in great detail. The more detailed you are, the better. Remember, this is about being extremely clear about what it is that you want.After you have written what it is that you want, I would highly suggest that you read what you wrote one to three times a day out loud. This will benefit you in two ways. First, it will help your mind get extremely clear and focused on exactly what you want. Your mind being clear will help you stay focused, take proper action and communicate to others in a more clear, concise and effective manner. The second benefit is, the two most powerful ways to communicate with the Universe, to manifest, is through writing and speaking. Writing creates the most energy, with speaking creating the second most energy. Writing and speaking to the Universe are your two most powerful ways to create what you want.Now let’s talk about our everyday communication with other people. There are many elements that go into positive effective communication. There is verbal and nonverbal communication.The words that we use only make up 7% of our communication. The other 93% is voice tone and body language. What that means is, before you have even said a word, you have already said a lot.It is very important to practice paying attention to your body language and voice tone. Let’s talk about voice tone, for a moment. Have you ever had someone ask you for something in a whiny sounding voice; or how about in a very demanding tone of voice? Think back to when someone has approached you with either of these voice tones. Did you really want to give them what they were asking for? Probably not, you were probably pretty turned off by their approach. Having a friendly confident tone can be very effective.Body language is huge! So many people are giving the wrong signals and they don’t even realize it. Your words and voice tone may be saying one thing, but your body is saying something very different. The non verbal speaks louder than the verbal, always. The person that you are communicating with will most often not even realize that they are being effected by your body language, however they are, it happens on a subconscious level.Pay attention to your body language. First of all make sure you are standing up straight with your shoulders back. Good posture communicates confidence. Everyone is attracted to a person who is truly confident. People are much more likely to say yes to a person that exudes confidence, rather than someone who does not. Another tip is to avoid standing with your arms folded in front of you. Arms folded communicates that you are stand offish and blocking the other person from getting through to you. It also communicates disinterest.Eye contact is so important, because of so many reasons. I will just cover a few reasons here. For one thing, it shows strong self confidence. It also allows you to have a strong connection with the person you are communicating with. A lot of people do not trust a person that avoids eye contact and building trust is the number one component to effective communication. Eye contact can be hard for some people. If you are someone who has difficulty with maintaining eye contact, begin practicing now. It begins with awareness, then practice, then mastery. One of the most important skills that you can practice and master is maintaining good eye contact.Next comes the words that we use. Even though words are only 7% of our communication, they are still extremely important and require conscious awareness to use them effectively. There is so much to cover, when it comes to the words we use. I will share some resources for you to study on your own, that will help you with everything that we just covered. First let’s cover what I believe to be one of the most important things to be aware of when it comes to the words you use.Most people’s main focus when they communicate is on themselves. They use the word “I” over and over again. Understanding that most people’s main interest is themselves can be a very valuable tool for you. One of your greatest tools to be a great communicator is to stop using the word “I”, “Me” and “My” so often and start using the word “You”, “Your” and “Yours” much more often. People love to talk about themselves, and if you let them do it, you will be their most favorite person in the whole world, because most of the people they talk to are talking about themselves most of the time.Another important thing to realize is that people love the sound of their own name. Use a persons name often during a conversation with them. They will be putty in your hands.Remember, God gave us two ears and one mouth so talk less and listen more. And really listen, a lot of times when another person is speaking we are caught up in our head thinking about how we are going to respond or just waiting for our turn to speak. Listen with you complete focus and attention on what they are saying then trust that you will be able to respond organically. The best communicators are the best listeners, not the best talkers.To really master these skills and take your communication to a whole new level, I would highly recommend that you begin to study NLP. NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming. By mastering NLP, you will become a master of influence. NLP will cover the best way to use your words, how to build powerful rapport, how to read other people and so much more.Here are a couple of tips on how to build powerful rapport. Match the speaking style of the person you are talking with, whether it is in person or over the phone. It is a good idea to match the voice tone and speaking speed of the person that you are talking to.Another powerful tool is to mirror the body language of the person you are communicating with. Don’t mimic them, just subtly mirror them. When you do this you are sending them a subliminal message that you are just like them.Remember, no matter where your communication skills currently are, you can always be better. To be a better communicator it just takes self awareness, the desire to be better and practice.
Mortgage Investing – How and Why To Invest In 2nd Mortgages To Reap 12% – 14% Return
Don’t Let Your Home Equity “Rust” Away! Use Your Home Equity To Invest In Real Estate! Equity Wasted & Unused Is Leaving Money At The Table! One mistake many make is that because they don’t have cash to invest, in real estate or any other investment, they won’t be able to invest properly in their future.By Sean MartinMany Canadians who have owned a home for a number of years have seen the value of their home rise at the same time that they have been chipping away at their mortgage. The result of this is many Canadians who may be cash poor, but equity rich. One mistake many make is that because they don’t have cash to invest (in real estate, especially after recent changes in Canada upping the minimum down payment for a rental to 20%), they won’t be able to purchase a property. However, if you own a home and have equity in it you may be pleased to find out that you can access funds to invest.You just need to utilize the power of leverage better. So how do you do that? You already have!When you purchased your home, you more than likely had a deposit of 5%-10% and had a mortgage for the balance. You used “OPM”, Other People’s Money, and started to build value in that investment. Keep in mind, your investment did not appreciate based on just what was borrowed, but on the value of your home (i.e.: $ 5000.00 down on a $ 100 000.00 home you are going to realize roughly 5% appreciation on that $ 100 000.00, not just the down payment.) That’s leverage. And you get to live there.Realize the gains which you are being kept from realizing in your present situation.Access the Equity In Your Property…This is the first step to use your home equity to invest in. If you own your own home and owe less than 80% of the value on your current mortgage, you have access to additional funds by refinancing. Although you can get a regular mortgage, many investors opt for a HELOC mortgage which allows them to re-borrow and principal they pay down on their mortgage. This is an important feature for investors, especially as they grow their portfolio, as eventually with 5 or 10 rentals, they are able to pay down their mortgage very aggressively using the positive cash flow from their properties. It’s a snowball effect: the more cash flow, the more you can pay down your mortgage, the more you can pull out of the equity, the more property you can buy, earning more cash flow… and so on.Once you have a mortgage or HELOC, here are some of the ways you can use it to invest in:Use it to Borrow / Leverage 100% of the Value of Any Rental Purchase- Using your HELOC, you can borrow the 20 – 25% down payment for the rental, and get 75% – 80% financing (if qualified) for a standard mortgage on the rental property itself. There are some properties that when financed strategically (rate is no longer the most important variable) properly will give positive cash flow even when you borrow the entire value. Those properties you may want to leap on!
Stay liquid for the unforeseen:- As you grow your portfolio, liquidity becomes more and more important. The more property you own, the more risk you are at for a number of issues to come up at once (i.e. vacancies for 2 properties, new roof needed for another, renovations needed on another). Having a HELOC with available equity will ensure that if you do have a “cash call”, you will be better equipped to handle it.But I Don’t Want To Be A Landlord but I Still Want to Invest in Real Estate…You can use your funds that you have borrowed inexpensively ( HELOC 3.25%-4% or a variable rate at 2.10%) and lend the funds to others through second mortgages. Yes, you can become the bank. Most people think of mortgage Brokers as someone to arrange a mortgage for a purchase. A mortgage Broker can also arrange for you to lend your funds to other individuals. Often this is facilitated through a second mortgage which you hold on a property. To do this alone can be intimidating and there is risk, but the reward is an interest rate of 12%-14%. Often a lawyer or accountant can also help find avenues to invest like this as well. To ensure the safety of your money, consider using an experienced Broker with access to an mortgage investment network specializing in 2nd mortgage loans. These Brokers will have their own underwriters and the proper tools in place to protect investors (you) should defaults occur. One channel I work with diversifies your funds into 3-4-5 different 2nd mortgages, syndicated with other investors like yourself. This offers protection from investing in 1 bad 2nd mortgage. Your exposure to risk is reduced in this manner. At the same time, should default occur they are in a position to pay the arrears on any 1st mortgage holder and purchase the property outright. This allows for sale to recoup what could have been potential losses. Should this type of action occur, your interest payments continue until the matter is resolved and your funds made available again for investing once again.TFSA / SELF DIRECTED RSP…If you are in a position where you have a self-directed RSP with your bank or financial institution can you use these funds to invest in mortgages?Most institutions will still not allow you to use the funds in your “Self-Directed” RSP to invest as your wish. Again, an experienced mortgage Broker can offer advice and show you how to continue to shelter your profits within a RSP, but invest in these products. There are financial institutions that will allow these profitable investments and a mortgage Broker can show you the options.A TFSA again has limiting rules with most banks and financial institutions. An experienced mortgage Broker will be able to guide you to helpThings to think about:- When you borrow for investment purposes, you are able to write off the interest portion of the payments. Make sure you speak with an accountant to ensure this works for your situation.
- Investing the funds from a TFSA, RRSP or RESP protect you from paying taxes on the income.- Even if you have a self-directed RRSP you financial institution will have policies prohibiting you from investing in second mortgage products. Ask me where to relocate your funds to maximize profits.- Release the equity in your house to invest, but divert it through your RRSP or TFSA 1st, especially if you have unused allocations from previous years available. Again, this should be done with the assistance of your accountant to ensure that it is done correctly for you and to keep the CRA happy. Always keep the CRA happy.- Most HELOC’s offered right now are Prime +.5%, or 3.5% today. Fixed rate refinance mortgages are available for as low as 2.54% and variable rate mortgages as low as 2.05%.- HELOC’s usually have interest only payments available to better your cash flow, while standard fixed rate/variable rate mortgages do not.- Make sure your HELOC is re-advance able! Not all are.
The Internet As a Marketing Tool
In the last decade or two the old marketing rules in the world has been re-written in many ways.The old ways simply does not work anymore, and yet, 1000′s of business owners still try and use those “old rules” as their only marketing option.Today, in the 21st century, business CEO’s have brilliant marketing tools & strategies to their disposal that they never had before.One of these tools is the Internet.Now unfortunately, contrary to popular belief, the Internet is not a magic wand as many people may think it is.But it is a magic tool, the same as what a PC or Laptop is, if they learn to use it in the right way.Obviously, there are many ways, in which we can use the Internet as a marketing tool, but there is one very specific way that no business owner should ignore.Firstly – before you even start thinking about marketing, create an online presence.This means “a properly manage website” that will tell your existing clients and your future clients who they are doing business with.Secondly – you want to use your website to build a list of potential clients.These are people or companies you hope to do business with in the future. This is your first step to create a sales funnel for your business.Simply put, you want to create a way that will allow you a “foot in the door” with potential clients, so that you can introduce yourself and your company’s products and services to them at a later stage.Your ultimate aim here for you will be to implement a marketing strategy called Permission Marketing.Seth Godin is the “father” of the Permission Marketing principles as we know it today and it is one of the best marketing strategies any business can follow – in fact, it is the only marketing strategy available and recommended for the small entrepreneur, right now, in the 21st century.The opposite of permission marketing is interruption marketing. Interruption marketing would typically be a television or radio advertisement.This is where a scheduled progamme (like a news broadcast) is interrupted to air an advertisement.Permission Marketing is where marketers (companies) obtain permission from a potential client before they move to the next step of sending an advertisement to the potential client.This form of marketing requires that the prospective customer give explicit permission for the marketer to send their promotional message (e.g. an e-mail, sales letter or catalogue request).The 3-steps of Permission Marketing:Turn strangers into friends;
Turn friends into customers and then
Turn the customers into your salespeople.Permission marketing is thus the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who actually want to get them.It recognizes and understands the new power of the customer – the power to ignore interruption-marketing messages. It realises that treating people with respect is the best way to earn their attention.In other words, you want to use the Internet as a tool to help you to get PERMISSION from 1000′s of potential clients, locally or from around the world, to market your products and services to them directly.Here is a checklist of questions you need to ask and answer yourself:Do you need to GROW Your Client Base to sell more products/services?
Do you want to implement a New Income Stream for your business?
Do you want to start a New Business from scratch?
Do you want to IMPROVE the Branding of Your Business and Trademark?
Do you want to EXPAND your business nationally or globally?
Do you want to learn new skills to INCREASE your business assets?According to a number of marketing experts, 2015 will be remembered as the “Year of the Split ” – this is the year where a “permanent split” will take place and separate the winners from the losers.