Pre-Token Sales Launch on December 28, 2017, for the Privacy Mobile Phone

Newswire

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DALLAS, TX - StealthCrypto^TM is launching the world’s largest decentralized, community-distributed, telecommunications network in less than 48 hours. The much-anticipated ICO opens pre-token sales at midnight on December 28, 2017, and is expected to sell out rapidly due to the fluctuation of the cryptocurrency market. Sharky Ashmore, CEO of BTC Media Group, states, “The bitcoin has so much movement that investors are looking for a stable, investment-grade place and StealthCrypto^TM is as stable and profitable as we have seen in the past six months.” The smartphone features include full privacy with hard kill switches and a built-in privacy control center whereby the user is always in total control.

Larry Castro, CEO of StealthCrypto^TM, says, “One of the most impressive features of the phone is the wallet which allows various currencies and the privacy app included on the StealthCrypto^TM page ensures approval from the user with IBE and split encryption authentication integration.” The StealthCrypto Cloud^TM NAS (Network-Attached System) is fully decentralized with files distributed and stored all over the world on multiple containers. The network is robust to attacks and therefore has no central point of weakness.
The genius of the StealthCrypto Cloud^TM is the fact that NAS has an embedded Wi-Fi router container that connects to peer-to-peer cloud storage, telecommunications, communications, IoT (Internet of Things) connections and mining and is powered by a decentralized StealthCrypto^TM incentive-based, Quantum meshed network. The integrated StealthCrypto^TM MESH network delivers Quantum Entropy with quantum key generation and distribution. StealthCrypto^TM has taken every step to ensure privacy and the pre-order list for phones are in the tens of thousands due to smartphone users’ need for privacy in their day-to-day lives.
About Stealth Grid™
StealthCrypto™ provides a proprietary, quantum secure blockchain solution, utilizing a multi-layer approach on the endpoints, dynamic split encryption, and Dynamic GeoDistribution™, eliminating the setup and management challenges associated with certificate-based solutions. StealthCrypto™ can be scaled to levels required for massive deployment characteristic of the Internet of Things and Blockchain and protect billions of devices and transactions with ease.
The StealthCrypto™ ecosystem provides products based on quantum secure blockchain technology for cloud storage, data protection, email, instant messaging, video conferencing, voice calls, mobile, AI cybersecurity and the StealthCrypto™ smartphone, all on its quantum mesh network and its Qubit Blockchain™.
All cryptocurrencies depend upon elliptic curve public-key cryptography (ECDSA) to generate digital signatures which allow transactions to be verified securely. The most commonly used signature schemes are ECDSA, DSA, and RSA. All these schemes are theoretically vulnerable to quantum computing attacks. Qubit Blockchain is being developed to be quantum computer-resistant and to provide transactions speeds untouchable by other blockchains.

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What is a Credit Card Shuffle?

A credit card shuffle is a very smart way to place your credit card debts under your thumb so that they are most manageable. “Manageable” in this context means you get to have the most effective ways of paying them off at the best interest rates in the most feasible pay-off time frames.

Is this even possible? The answer is, of course, it is.

What exactly is a Credit Card Shuffle?

Basically, then a credit card shuffle is the act of enrolling to a new credit card company and transferring your outstanding balance into that new credit card in order to benefit from lower interest rates and more manageable repayment “grace periods.”

The aforementioned interest rates and pay-off benefits of credit card shuffle comes in, basically, by “shuffling” credit cards.

This debt repayment resort is done by applying for a new credit card and transferring some or all of your balance into that new credit card.

In the event that your enrollment for a new credit card is successful, the new credit card company will “pay-off” the balance you owe to your previous credit card company. This time instead of owing the money to the previous company you will now repay the debt to your new credit card company.

Things to Consider when doing Credit Card Shuffle

The factors to count in to effectively get that foresight of your shuffling success mainly revolve around three things. These three things are…

1. How much balance you will transfer from your existing credit card to the new one? Eye on the areas which you are most likely to lose repayment control such as those with rising APR and/or those with sky-rocketing effective APR. Also, consider leveraging free balance transfer fees by applying for a long-term credit deal. However, get around a repayment plan so that you can pay-off the balance as soon as possible.

2. Your new credit card’s APR. Most companies offer their new clients the benefit of zero APR for the first 6 months. See if these 6 months of 0% APR will actually save you a significant amount in comparison to how much you will be paying for this portion of the dues in the existing credit card.

3. How much will you be able to pay your new credit company for the balance you have transferred? The length of time it will take for you to repay the balance you have transferred will greatly increase your chances of breaking free from your exiting and your new credit card’s interest rates. Also, being able to repay the credit faster, as in being able to settle the balance before the zero APR period expires, will enable you to slash a huge amount off of repayments and interests.

The secret behind the success in getting the most out of a credit card shuffle lies in getting your repayment priorities straight and having the patience to look around for that credit card company who will help you maximize your credit card shuffle benefits.

Written by www.money-meerkat.co.uk

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A Little Tip to Save Money on Air Conditioning This Summer

Guest post by Staci Striegnitz

The heat is on already this summer in Colorado, especially after a drier-than-normal winter. Air conditioners are the second highest users of electricity. Here are our tips to save a little bit of money this summer on your energy bill if you are in Colorado. If you are not in Colorado, be sure to check your local energy company for similar rebates! So try out this tip to save a few dollars this summer on air conditioning and stay comfortable in your home, without spending more time in the frozen food section at Safeway.

Xcel Energy is offering rebates of up to $1000 to Colorado customers who purchase new qualifying high-efficiency central air conditioner systems, or air source heat pumps. The rebate lowers the initial cost of the unit, and the new equipment costs less to run – which is great for your bottom line. Plus, these newer units require less energy to operate – a bonus for our environment.

To qualify for the rebate: you must be located in a Colorado home that receives electricity service from Xcel Energy. Rebates are only issued for units that are installed by contractors who are participants of Xcel’s cooling program. (And proper installation generates the maximum energy savings for you!) Your new equipment must be installed between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012, and your application must be submitted no later than July 31, 2013. Window units, rooftop units, and ductless mini-split systems don’t qualify for the rebate program. There are also additional qualifications for trade-ins, which can be found on xcelenergy.com.

You can install more than one unit per house, but you will have to file separate paperwork for each rebate. However, it’s only a little paperwork that can go a long way on saving you some change this summer – and keeping you cool!



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Steps in Registering a Cyprus Company

guest post by Michalis Milonas


For a variety of reasons, Cyprus has been the perfect destination of investors who wish to have minimal tax liabilities. It stands-out against its fellow European Union Members because of its low tax rates and highly secured and confidential banking system.

If interested to pursue a Cyprus company registration, company owners are expected to follow the following administrative procedures:

Decisions on the Type of Legal Business
The government allows the establishment and registration of legal entities belonging to private or public companies, branch office of a foreign company, European companies or Societas Europeas, general or limited partnerships, and trade or business names.

Eligibility for Registration
The government allows legal and physical entities both from EU or non-EU countries to register a company in Cyprus. However, it is necessary that the said company acquire the services of a corporate lawyer duly licensed by the Cyprus Bar Association for the preparation of the Memorandum of Articles of Association together with the signed HE1 Declaration Form.

Approval of Company Name
After finding a lawyer that could represent the company and assist it with the legal documents required by the rules and regulations of the country, it is time for the approval of the Company Name. This can be done through the assistance of the hired lawyer or by the applicant himself. He may refer to the website of the Register and do a query with a list of possible company names in mind. He may then fill-out the Point of Single Contact Form and submit it to the Registrar or PSC together with the required payment for the relevant fees. In some instances, lawyers may offer “shelf names” to their clients for a speedier registration process.

Submission of Required Documents
The approval of your company name signals the submission of legal documents needed for the pursuance of the registration. These materials are as follow:
a. Memorandum of Articles of Association
b. Amount and Division of Nominal Share Capital
c. Relevant information of the proposed directors and secretaries, which includes their names, passport details and addresses
d. Proposed addresses of the company to be registered
e. Certified copies of the passports of its ultimate beneficial owners
f. Bank reference for the ultimate beneficial owners
g. Chain of ownership for the Cyprus Company with the indicated names of its ultimate beneficial owners
h. Other requirements required by the Know Your Clients (KYC) in compliance to the Anti-Money Laundering Law set by the CBA
i. Duly filled out Declaration Forms HE1, HE2, HE3
Payment of Fees
The following expenses are the minimum amount you need to pay for the registration of a Cyprus company:
a. €102.52 for the subscription fee plus an additional 0.6% of the nominal share capital as payment for the subscription tax
b. €51.27 for the submission of the HE1, HE2 and HE3 forms
c. Additional fees for optional services, primarily the translation of documents etc
d. An optional €85.43 for those who wish to accelerate the registration process

The Time Table
Once these has been submitted to the Registrar, the company owner may wait for 2 to 5 business days for its approval and registration; if and only if all the submitted documents are free of errors and omissions. After which, you are expected to file for a tax identification number at the Inland Revenue Department.

There are several technicalities required in the registration of a Cyprus company. For a speedier and more convenient process, it is best to find the perfect Cypriot partner agent adept with these processes.




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When Marriage and Money Just Don’t Add Up

Guest post by  Margaret Cook


Saving money by spending less is a common first strategy. Once people realize how hard that is, they often turn to ideas for generating more income. Very few ideas are instant income assurance, but almost every income generating solution requires initial expenditures.
If you are working to reduce debt and you are considering starting a business of any kind, create a specific plan of what you will need to spend in starting your business. Be practical and realistic. When your financial worries abound, errors in planning and decision-making increase.
Married couples often have added stress making financial decisions. Money can become an emotionally charged flash point in the relationship. Starting a business before both partners have learned how to work through financial decision-making and being able to work well together to meet a financial goal can be a recipe for disaster.
Follow these tips for handling finances in your relationship:
1. Learn about the values, ideas and experiences each of you bring to any financial conversation and decision (saver vs. spender, competitive vs. passive, fearful vs. idealistic, etc.) These are not excuses to defend. Understanding your experiences will let you make any changes you need to make for the collaboration that financial success requires.
2. Identify a regular time to work together on financial decisions and work. It may start as a weekly financial meeting and it may be able to move to every other week/once a month when things are going well financially.
3. Read and learn about how to make good financial decisions. Read reputable resources on the internet and/or use the many downloadable tools for budgeting and finances.
4. Accept responsibility for the financial decisions that contributed to the problems you are working to solve. Accepting responsibility allows you to make changes and become active in the solution.
5. Learn to handle the checkbook more as “math” than mood. Make sound financial decisions – even on small purchases that are consistent with the agreed budget and remember to “do the math” often enough that everyone knows where you stand on the balances and meeting the budget.
If you are considering starting a business to create additional income, consider using a guide to help you create a realistic plan. Many of my clients found the information in The Jump-Start Guide… helps them create a realistic budget. It keeps them from underestimating expenses and inflating the expectation of income. I developed the material in the book over the last twenty years of counseling and career/business coaching.
Margaret Cook
Author of The Jump-Start Guide for a Start-Up Online Business


Article © 2012 Margaret Cook. All rights reserved. Printed by permission for blog.wisdomSteps101.com.




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10 Ways to Save Money & The Planet

Guest post by Geoffry

We are all aware of the value of being socially responsible – whether this is saving money or contributing to a greener world. There are many ways to economise on some expenses and feel that you are making savings where it counts, while rethinking your domestic strategy to develop some ecological strategies. Here are 10 ways to ease the strain on the planet while saving money.
1. Plastic Bottles
Plastic water bottles are almost universally regarded as environmentally unfriendly. Apart from the transportation costs and associated carbon footprint of transporting bottled water from its source to the shops, discarded bottles are a menace to wildlife. Save bottles by filtering tap water and keeping it cool in a metal water bottle.
2. Buy a Smaller Car
Downsizing from a large car to a smaller, more energy-efficient vehicle will reduce fuel bills. Keeping larger vehicles on the road is an expensive business, especially with insurance premiums and road tax on the rise. Switching off the engine while stationary will help save fuel.
3. Change your Shower Head
A four-minute shower can consume up to thirty litres of water. Modern showers are designed to maximize water pressure, which produces a vigorous spray but deposits far more water than is actually needed. Fit a low-flow shower head to cut down the volume, and take short, hot showers to reduce energy usage.
4. Eliminate Leaks
Leaking taps are more than a nuisance – they cost a fortune in lost water every year, and the cost of replacing them is a fraction of the monthly water bill. Like many small jobs that are easy to put off, leaking plumbing is easily, quickly and cheaply fixed.
5. Buy Rechargeable Batteries
Although many types of modern disposable battery can be recycled, most of the cheaper ones cannot. Rechargeable batteries will put in years of good service and prevent used batteries from going into landfill – cheap batteries contain many harmful chemicals, including lead.
6. Buy Local Food
Much of the produce sold in high street shops is shipped long distances with a high carbon footprint. Buying local produce reduces dependence on vegetables grown out of season and shipped at great expense to the UK. Locally sourced meat and poultry encourages small producers and is better quality than factory farmed meat.
7. Use Eco-Friendly Chemicals
Domestic chemicals are often far more damaging for the environment. Instead of bleach, consider using white vinegar, which will kill many types of bacteria in the home without harming wildlife.
8. Re-use Shopping Bags
While many retailers have reduced their dependency on plastic shopping bags, there is still room for improvement. A re-usable plastic shopping bag, or better still a biodegradable jute bag, is a much better option.

9. Replace your Light Bulbs
Choose energy-saving light bulbs, as these will outlive the disposable kind several times over, and reduce demand on the grid while you light your home. The same rule applies to most household appliances- replace older items for newer ones with a better energy rating.
10. Buy a Slow Cooker
Cooking in an oven consumes a huge amount of electricity. Slow cookers work much more efficiently, heating food slowly throughout the day and can produce some spectacular results. It’s also a great opportunity to put in some left-over food or cheaper cuts of meat.


Author Bio: Geoffery is a keen financial savings writer, blogging part time on behalf of savings & investment comparison site fairinvestment.co.uk – high interest savings accounts provider, connecting the consumers with market leading financial knowledge.


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The Perfect Place to Market Your Product

Guest post by Hueiyik

The effective use of Facebook as a marketing tool can add substantially to your customer base. The recent IPO (initial public offering) of Facebook stock clearly shows that the public believes in Facebook as an effective marketing and revenue generating tool. To be successful; however, you need to know how to bring the different facets of Facebook together into a winning package.
Facebook knows that more than 8 million people a day click to become fans of pages. By becoming a fan, Facebook users are able to follow their favorite celebrities, find out the latest news on issues they care about, and learn of special deals or coupons associated with products they regularly use. In addition, Facebook users become fans of pages that are introducing them to new ideas and products. Using Facebook fan pages is an effective way to develop and keep customers/followers.
Facebook provides organizations and business owners with a plethora of instruction pages to help them get started. There are also numerous tools that Facebook itself has developed to help build fan bases both on and off the Facebook website. Fan Box is a new tool that’s been recently launched. It’s a social-widget that Facebook Page owners can place on their own website that enables and encourages those who visit the website to become a fan of the accompanying Facebook Fan-Page. They can even set up their website to bring over Facebook content and vice versa. This helps the company or organization bring site visitors who land on their webpage to their Facebook page. They can also view a roster of other Facebook Fans. This roster highlights and mutual friends that they have who have also become fans of that particular product or personality Of primary importance, however, is that this can all be done without leaving the website, i.e. It can be done without the person having to go to Facebook itself. Of course, the people can also go directly to the Facebook page to become a Fan. The point here is that Facebook has created several tools that allow the organization, business or personality to gain a large number of Fans seamlessly.
One of the first things that should be done to add Facebook fans is to go to the Facebook social plugins page. Once there follow the directions for adding a Like Box to your page. There are other social plugins as well that will be useful in developing a large fan base. One of the most effective can be changing the URL for your fan page. For instructions on how to do this, go to shoutmeloud.com
Another tip is to remove any streaming and header because they add tie when a person is loading your page. It is important for a page to load as fast as possible in order that the person doesn’t become frustrated and navigate to another web page. Many people like to add the photo people use for their Facebook account to their web pages. This is a very nice tough because your fans will know that you care about them and that others will see their picture on your website.
The important thing, however, is to just get started. Social networking through Facebook is a very powerful and effective method of marketing. If you desire growth, whether as an organization, business or celebrity, using Facebook’s Fan Pages is the first place to go.






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Bridging Loans for Real Estate Developers

Guest post by Conner Bolton

Real estate is getting better and better even though there is economic instability. When purchasing real estate the developer has to give the buyer an insight of what they would be receiving for their investment.
Because of the recession that hit the economy, businesses reached out to lenders to keep the operations of their businesses afloat. They were so in need of obtaining a temporary cash flow. Most companies paid higher interest rates to receive money as there was no assurance of economic revival. Lending companies started to emerge as a good source of funds.
But for real estate developers, it gave them a better chance to grow the value of their properties. Many people lost their homes during the recession which also diminished the value. It was easier for developers to buy those properties at a lower price. If they did not have the sufficient funds for the developing aside from obtaining properties they would lend the money, most would use an bridging finance company to help them improve the value of those properties.
When the economy started to improve, developers were ready to sell their new, well-developed properties at a good price. Most people felt that if they didn't purchase a property at that time, the price might rapidly increase in the years to come, which would make them unaffordable. Real estate developers were able to pay their loans and gain more profit at the same time.
From then on, bridging loans have become more popular not just for those who are desperately in need of money, but also for those who wish to develop properties for a better deal.



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How to Break the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle

Guest Post by Daniela Baker

One study by MetLife in 2009 showed that almost 60% of households in America – lots of those with minor children in the family and many close to retirement age – are living paycheck to paycheck. That is, these families depend on each paycheck to pay the expenses that are at hand, without having any financial cushion at all. This is a problem that affects all income levels, as well, since the survey showed that about 30% of individuals earning over $75,000 per year – well over the national income average – still live from paycheck to paycheck.
If you're in this vicious cycle that has you missing bills and lying awake at night worrying about things like cash flow and car repairs – not to mention saving for retirement! – it's time to break the cycle. Here's the step-by-step process you can take to stop living paycheck to paycheck:
Track Your Spending
It's important – vital, actually – that you make a budget so you can get out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. But before you can take that all-important step, you need to actually figure out what you're already spending. Chances are likely that you know your major expenses – insurance, rent or mortgage, car payment, etc. – but you may not have a clue how much you spend on groceries, gas, eating out and other variable expenses. It's time to find out!
Action Step: Starting today, track all your expenses for an entire month. Include every single penny that you spend – cash, credit or debit. Once you've tracked a month's expenses, write them down in an organized fashion by category.
Make a Budget
Once you know where your money is going, it's time to create a budget that will tell you where to put your money before you actually spend it. Your goal here is to create a budget where you're spending what you bring in – and only what you bring in! – within a month. Unless you're living at poverty level, that is most likely possible with some self-discipline. If you absolutely can't figure out how to spend what you make or less, it may be time to meet with a financial advisor to determine your next step.
Action Step: Create a budget that will allow you to track spending and allocate all your money before it's spent. If you're new to budgeting, programs like You Need a Budget and Mint are great options to help you see where your money is going and to more easily track expenses.
Cut Unnecessary Expenses
Some unnecessary expenses are easy to cut out. Sell your car if the payment eats up half your paycheck, and stop eating out all the time if you can't afford it. Other expenses will take time to cut back on. If you spend $600 on groceries last month, don't budget for $300 next month. With couponing and creativity and learning, you may be able to get your grocery spending down to $300 a month, but expecting it to automatically get there in a matter of a month is unrealistic. Trimming expenses can take time, learning, and planning, and you'll get better at it as you go.
Action Step: Find at least one or two places in your budget where you could trim your spending – even if you're already living within your means. Work to cut a little bit from your budget each month for the next few months until you find a good balance where you're spending less than you make but also enjoying life a little.
Build an Emergency Fund
One of the primary ways that people get into a paycheck-to-paycheck cycle is by spending any reserve they have on emergencies, or by relying on credit to cover emergencies. Having an emergency fund of just $1,000 can make a huge difference, because you won't have to go into debt – and take on more monthly payments – every time something breaks down or another type of emergency arises.
Action Step: Take that extra money you're trimming from your budget, and put it in an emergency fund. Don't link your emergency fund account with your checking account, or you'll be tempted to transfer it over to your spending money every time a minor emergency arises. Only use this money when you absolutely must, and then replenish it as soon as possible.
Reduce Your Credit Usage
You don't have to completely cut credit out of your life if you want to stop living paycheck to paycheck, but you should reduce your use of credit.
If you're dealing with high credit-card payments that are stealing too much of your paycheck and going nowhere, consider transferring your balances to low-interest credit cards. Visit our updated comparison chart at http://www.creditdonkey.com/low-interest.html. This can lower your monthly payment and free up some cash for other things – like your emergency fund. Also, start being disciplined about when and where you use credit, since overspending and relying on credit is probably one of the things that got you in this mess in the first place.
Action Step: Make a plan for your credit cards. Pay down the highest-interest, highest-balance cards, or look into balance transfers. Then, determine ahead of time when you'll use credit. The goal is to use credit for major purchases where you need to spread out the cost a little, or to use rewards cards for everyday purchases that you pay back immediately in order to avoid paying interest charges.
Live on Last Month's Paycheck
As you're budgeting, cutting expenses, and being wiser with using credit, your goal is now to start living on last month's paycheck. Basically, you horde a month's worth of living expenses in your checking account, and then start to live on what's already in there, rather than spending directly out of your paycheck as it comes in.
For instance, let's say you need, at bare minimum, $3,500 to meet your monthly expenses. In April, May, June and July, you successfully slash your expenses and save $875 each month. By the end of July, you have enough money saved up to pay for everything that you'll spend in August, as long as you only budget for minimum expenses in August. (Note: This may mean totally cutting out extra expenses like eating out for a month, but it will be worthwhile!)
Now, you can sit down at the beginning and middle of the month in August and pay all your bills without having to worry if you're going to overdraft your checking account because you know that every dollar you've budgeted for in August is already there!
Then, let's say in August your paychecks total $4,000. Now you can create your budget for September with an extra $500 for whatever – whether that's retirement savings, paying off debt, extra spending money or a combination of the three. In September, you spend August's money, and in October, you budget out of whatever you actually made in September.
Living on last month's income is particularly helpful if you have a variable income, like if your job involves contract work or commission. You'll always know exactly what you have to spend when you're spending last month's money instead of scrambling to meet this month's expenses with this month's money.
Also, living on last month's income is helpful in emergencies. Let's say that in September, you've got a budget made out based on the $4,000 you made in August. But then your car breaks down, and it will take $300 to repair it. Instead of scrambling around to scrape together extra cash or using credit to pay for the problem, what do you do? You pay for the emergency out of the money you're getting in September, and then when you're spending September's money in October, you figure out where to cut back so you can budget – in retrospect – for the car breakdown. Make sense?
Living on last month's income is incredibly freeing and is a great way to build financial security!
Action Step: Start cutting back on your budget for the next few months until you get to where you can live on last month's income. You'll be amazed at how much peace this alone will bring to your finances!
Stay Disciplined
Once you're living on last month's income and have an emergency fund saved up for the big emergencies, it can be really tempting to start living beyond your means again. You need to stay disciplined, though. Remember that your cushion from the last month and your emergency fund will only stretch so far if you start spending them, and continue living within your means!
Action Step: Once you've reached these financial goals, set other goals for yourself, including paying off debt, saving for retirement, putting money away for a child's college education or buying a home. But continue to budget and live off of last month's income so that you remain financially secure for the rest of your life.
Daniela Baker at CreditDonkey says breaking the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck can be difficult, and it will take work and discipline. However, if you follow these steps, you'll slowly but surely get your feet under you financially and have some financial cushion, which can translate into more security and better decision-making in the rest of your life.



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Yet Another Reason Cash is Wiser than Credit Cards

Guest Post by David Rodwell

You know by now that paying with cash is almost always a better proposition than buying with credit cards. Credit cards can cost you significant amounts of interest charges, to say nothing of potential late fees if you should miss a payment.
Some consumers believe that simply paying off their credit cards each month is enough, that avoiding interest and fees levels the playing field. According to some recent studies published by Promothesh Chatterjee and Randall Rose, professors at the University of Kansas and University of South Carolina, respectively, that may not actually be the case.
The researchers studied consumers in the context of a phenomenon known as the “pain of payment.” The idea behind the pain of payment isn’t new; at its most basic, it’s the idea that spending money engenders an emotional response, and that response contributes to buying decisions.
What they discovered was that cash customers were much more familiar with the pain of payment than credit card customers. Because credit card purchases actually divorce the consumption of a product or service with its payment, credit card customers made different purchase decisions.
Here are some of the specific findings from the research:

When tested after the fact, credit card customers were more focused on benefits. They responded quicker to benefit-related words; they were more likely to choose products with superior benefits over products with a better price.

Cash customers, on the other hand, were more focused on cost. They responded quicker to cost-related words. They were more likely to choose products based on costs. They also considered a wider range of cost factors than credit card customers; for example, they looked at the cost of delivery or installation, warranty charges, and even the cost (in time) that it would take for delivery of the product.

Cash customers chose products based on cost. They were more likely to choose a lower-priced product, even when faced with a product with far superior benefits.

Credit card customers, on the other hand, made more benefit related choices. They were more likely to be indulgent. They more often chose high-image products, even when lower-cost products were available.

A number of factors can trigger a credit card purchase. Even if you plan on paying with cash, there are things that can convince you to use a credit card to make a purchase. The presence of a credit card sticker on the entrance doors, or even a sign at the register can increase your likelihood of using credit.

Customers using gift cards acted like customers using credit cards. This goes to the “pain of payment” theory. With a gift card, like cash, value decreases immediately. Unlike cash, however, it’s not usually immediately observed.
What all this means for you is this: making cash purchases means you’re more likely to choose lower-cost items. In many of your day-to-day purchases, using cash can save you money in this regard. For those items where quality is your main concern, it’s probably best to switch out for a credit card instead.


David Rodwell is a seasoned writer in business and personal finance, taking a particular interest in payment processing. You can find more of his articles located at CreditCardProcessing.net.

DOCUMENTARIES PLEASE

I appreciate the guest post, Jewel Rodgers

I absolutely love Netflix. Ever since we logged onto Clear-Internet.com and got a quicker internet speed, I have been adding things to my queue like crazy. I think that my favorite thing about Netflix is all the documentaries that they have available to watch. I love to learn. I remember as a kid when I saw the big clunky television cart wheeled into the classroom with the old school VHS player, I would get so excited! I also remember recalling a lot of the facts that I learned by watching educational programs on TV. Now, its no different. I like to learn by watching documentaries. They have a lot of great ones that were produced by the History Channel. I have watched everything from the History of the Salem Witch Trials to the documentary on the election of our President, Barack Obama. There is something for everyone on Netflix. It is really some of the best money that I spend every month and it is really not that much at all!

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Losing the Hacking War in the US

Guest Post By:

Elizabeth A. Roque is a contributing writer for Franklin Debt Relief

You may think, since we don't hear about it very often, that the US is winning the war against hackers. This, unfortunately, doesn't seem to be the case.

According to The Wall Street Journal:

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's top cyber cop offered a grim appraisal of the nation's efforts to keep computer hackers from plundering corporate data networks: "We're not winning," he said.

Shawn Henry, who is preparing to leave the FBI after more than two decades with the bureau, said in an interview that the current public and private approach to fending off hackers is "unsustainable.'' Computer criminals are simply too talented and defensive measures too weak to stop them, he said.

Unsustainable?

Are people that, most of the time, have no education or training, really beating the snot out of top employees that have been dealing with hackers for years upon years?

Yes, actually, this is the fact. Many people heard about the hacking of Sony's PlayStation Network last year, which compromised thousands upon thousands of people's valuable information – and it didn't happen just once, it happened three times, and the network went down every time it did. Nasdaq reported similar attacks last year, which sabotaged 100 million accounts, and the cybersecurity firm – yes, that's a company that specializes in anti-hacking measures – was a victim to a hook that stole thousands of e-mails that were internally exchanged within the company.

Why is this happening?

How could this be happening?

Technology is simply advancing too fast for regular people to come up with. A better approach may be, ultimately, to hire the hackers themselves to defend the systems that they are trying to attack – and rumor has it, the next hits are going to be important, vital systems in the US, such as our nuclear reactor systems and ultimately, our bombing systems.

Some people are combating this fact, such as James A. Lewis, a senior fellow on the cybersecurity at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He says that that Shawn Henry, who is retiring this year from the FBI and moving to a different company, is being overly gloomy. "There's a kind of willful desire not to admit how bad things are, both in government and certainly in the private sector, so I could see how [Mr. Henry] would be frustrated.”

It's hard to believe that Mr. Henry is the only one worried about the overwhelming hacking attacks going on as of current, especially since so much of the time, companies don't even know their data was stolen and it's stumbled upon accidentally. In fact, a new study shows that 55% of hacking attacks are only found on accident, and only 13% are caught by anti-hacking software. If over half of the hacking attempts are found on accident, then how many aren't found at all?

This isn't going anywhere slow – the hacking is only going to continue to get worse, and we're not going to be able to do anything out it until we step up our game and stop acting like hackers are no big deal. Hopefully, this happens soon, as attacks are just getting worse: in 2010, a group of Chinese hackers attacked and destroyed a computer's defenses, which isn't a huge deal – except that that computer was in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The hacking group gained access to everything stored on its systems, which include information on millions of people – addresses, names, and credit card information.

We need to do more than just react, too, and as Mr. Henry says:

Companies need to do more than just react to intrusions. "In many cases, the skills of the adversaries are so substantial that they just leap right over the fence, and you don't ever hear an alarm go off,'' he said. Companies "need to be hunting inside the perimeter of their network," he added.

We need our leadership to come up with a strategy and start organizing against cyber attacks before it's too late to stop them.





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Want To Know More About Personal Finance?

a Guest Post by Aldenandsons

Can you take control of your own money? One of the most important responsibilities in your life is being in charge of your own money. The information contained in this article can allow you to take back control of your finances, set goals, and get more bang for your buck.

If you search online, you can find coupons that you could not find in other places. Anyone wanting to improve their personal finances should consider habitual searches for online opportunities like coupons.

Do not waste money on anything that promises to make money easily. Many people get suckered by Internet scams. Learn as much as you can, but rather than constantly spending money on books and seminars, put that knowledge to work.

Flexible spending accounts are a wise choice for most people. This money is not taxed, so it's actually a savings.

If you have trouble maintaining and balancing a traditional checkbook, look into doing it digitally. Many options are available, both online and via software, which can easily categorize and track your deposits and expenditures.

Reducing the number of meals you eat at restaurants and fast food joints can be a great way to decrease your monthly expenses. Making one's own meals at home is thrifty and adds to appreciation of making the meal.

If you are looking towards Christmas with a tighter budget than years past you may want to consider making your gifts. Stop giving hundreds of dollars to department stores over the holiday season! By being a little creative you will save money, and have extra cash in your pocket for other things.

Find a bank that offers free checking. You can try banks in your area or even a credit union.

One way to save money and enhance your personal finances is to cook at home, in place of eating in restaurants. Healthful, substantial meals for a four person family can be cooked for about $30. These days you'll easily spend over 30 dollars ordering out for a few pizzas and soda.

Being able to successfully manage your money is key to your success. Profits should be protected and capital invested. Of course, you need to spend some of your profit on investment, but you also need to keep an eye on that investment. Choose how much of your profit will become capital and stick to the portion or amount.

Most banks offer online alert services as a part of your checking or savings account. The bank will email or text you when important changes are made to your account. Having a large withdrawal or low balance alert will protect you from fraud and overdraft.

12 month loans are a new form of short term loan that may help with your short term loan needs.

Improving Cash Flow For Your Business

a Guest post by Bill Robinson

For small and medium sized businesses, it is oftentimes difficult to obtain business funding. It generally takes days or several weeks to obtain money from banks & other lending institutions.

Other businesses and venture capitalists only provide money when you provide them with an ownership share within the enterprise. Banking institutions, on the other hand, do not require the same thing. What banks need alternatively is for you to show that your organization has a great track record of profits as well as a perfect credit score.

The question you may be asking is what happens if you do not match the banks’ requirements, but you do not want to give up ownership either? If that is the situation, there's an alternative that you could consider. This choice is called invoice factoring and it can make it easier to acquire financing and improve cash flow for your business.

In contrast to a business loan or perhaps a traditional line of credit, invoice factoring, also known as accounts receivables factoring, is very unique. Factoring firms use your invoices as payment rather than on your real collateral. If they originate from worthwhile customers who are able to pay dependably within thirty, sixty or ninety days' time, there exists a good opportunity that you are eligible for accounts receivable discounting.

It's simple to apply for accounts receivable factoring. To start with, the items or even services are shipped to the client from your company. The customer is invoiced and a duplicate of this bill is sent to the factoring firm. As the first payment, the factoring company provides you approx. seventy to ninety percent of invoice amount. When the bill actually gets compensated, the remaining 10% to 30% is provided to you as a second payment. A very small price is charged.

For small-scale and medium sized companies, invoice financing is an easily accessible replacement of the conventional loans options. In many cases, it may be described as a more sensible choice as well. Study the web for information regarding factoring and you'll understand the benefits of this manner of funding your own enterprise.





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Renting an Apartment in the Upper West Side

Guest post by Lex

Living in the Upper West Side apartments will allow you to be close to Columbia University, the Lincoln Center, and the Hudson River. There are many different reasons to want to live in the Upper West Side. The area has a wide variety of restaurants to choose from like hip boutique to the high-end fancy. There are also a wide variety of parks and many family friendly activities in the area to take part in with wonderful city skyline views. Dog walking and picnics are very common in the summer and spring seasons. Singles living in the area will love the hopping nightlife. This Manhattan neighborhood is full of trendy bars and clubs to meet new people.
The Upper West Side also has a relaxed atmosphere and friendly local people. Everyone is nice and the crime rate is much lower compared to the other parts of New York City. There are a million and one different reasons to want to live in this area. You can live close to some of the major attractions in New York. Why would you want to live anywhere else? The Upper West Side has a rich history that began all the way back in the sixteen hundreds. The Dutch were the first to settle the area and the Jews eventually became a large part of the demographic in the early 1900’s. During the 80’s, the area was known to be a ‘yuppy’ culture, filled with young and wealthy professionals.


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Event Rentals

Guest post by advisemedia


Spring time is the absolute perfect time to visit Las Vegas. The weather is more than beautiful and with the temperature rising people start coming out more during the day and night. The pool parties begin, and the events start occurring. Planning an event during this fun season can be a hassle. It is one big competition to be the party or venue that is remembered throughout the season. Many venues only have one shot to prove themselves. One opening shot to convince people that they should come back throughout the season.
The first impression people get of a venue is extremely important. Many venues turn to event rentals Las Vegas to get the equipment and advice they need to make that first impression a memorable one. The first step is deciding what a venue wants their aura to be. The theme is a very tough decision and could be the making and breaking factor of a location. It is important to be trendy, without going out of style too quickly. It is not only decorating decisions that need to be made but also business decisions. The owner and management of the venue must also decide what they should charge for drinks, cover, and other favors within the event. If they are charging too much or too little the venue can get the wrong vibe and guests can make decisions based off of that.
There are many decisions to be made if you are planning to open a venue this spring, or even if you are reopening for the season. Make sure you take into account the cost, decoration, trends and how you are promoting your event to make sure it is remembered all season.

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Rent vs Buying: What you Need to Know When Looking for Homes

Guest post by srn99


As it relates to living accommodations, perhaps one of the most asked questions is what is better, to rent or buy a house. The answer is very individualized and greatly depends on the circumstances of the individuals looking to move. While there are benefits and drawbacks to each of these options, understanding the basics of each option can certainly help you make an informed decision.

First, we will look at the benefits of renting a property, whether it is an apartment, a condo, a townhouse, or a single property house. Renting a property is beneficial to many individuals, and has some great features which appeal to many. When you are ready to rent a property, you can easily find available rental properties on the internet. Rental properties are available through either individuals (landlords) or through real estate agents or management offices. As it relates to renting a property through an individual landlord, sometimes they tend to be easier to work with. They will set the time with you to view the property, discuss any security deposit requirements as well as the expectations for rent, and may also require you to fill out a rental application.

Once you are approved for the property and move in, anything which breaks or needs assistance is the responsibility of your landlord. This makes many people feel a sense of peace, as there is very little required of them when it comes to home maintenance. Another great benefit of renting a house is you are not locked into a 30 year mortgage as you would be with a house you purchase. For example, if you were a young married couple which moved into a small town home for your first house and found out two years later you would be welcoming a little one, you would then be able to simply look for a bigger house to rent.

On the flip side, buying a home offers many benefits as well. Obviously, the major benefit of purchasing a home is that it is 100% yours. You can feel free to paint it, completely gut it and rebuild, or even put up a pool in the backyard. You will also not have to worry about a landlord wanting to take the property back in order to sell it, causing you to be back at square one. Owning your own house also offers the benefit of saving money, as with every mortgage payment you are working towards paying back the original loan and will have something to show at the end of the mortgage term. While renting, you are simply putting your money towards paying the landlord for the property without having the benefit of actually owning the property.

When you begin the search for your own house to purchase, the search starts with finding the best house for you. Just with renting a property, you can start on the internet by searching for your particular area you desire to live. For instance, if you are looking for real estate in Colorado, you can simply enter 'Boulder real estate' into your search engine, and start sorting through all the wonderful listings of houses just waiting for you to move right in.



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Five Wise Money Habits to Foster in Yourself

Guest post by Andy Boyd


The suggestions are simple but the actions are difficult. If you want to make a real change in your finances you will need to take some hard steps. These are just five simple habits you can develop towards a much more stable financial future. This website has many more ways to save.

1. Create a Spending Plan

The first step is to know where the money is going. Collect all of the monthly bills and bank statements and track where every penny went for an entire month. Include the tip for the pizza delivery, the newspaper, and the toll from the weekend day trip. Once everything is listed, it is easier to see where some places could be cut back. Plan for all of the bills that have to be paid. Plan for some fun. And plan for savings.

2. Build an Emergency Fund

There will always be an appliance that dies, a car that needs repair, or a medical bill that wasn't expected. By having a cash cushion, you will be less likely to use a credit card or other type of loan to get you through a tough time. Start small with at least $500 to cover most minor emergencies. Later, build it up to cover several months of expenses in case you lose your job.

3. Pay Off Debt

Car loans, credit cards, student loans and home equity loans all come with large interest rates and keep you from spending that money on other things. They are counted against you when you apply for a mortgage, or have your credit report pulled for a job application. Take any extra money you can to pay the debts off sooner. Some people like to do the smallest first, others like to do the one with the most interest. Regardless of your method, find a way to eliminate the debt as fast as you can.

4. Save for Retirement

Many companies match a certain percent of your pay towards retirement. If the company offers a match on 3 percent of a $30,000 salary, that is like getting an extra $900 a year. Add in the tax benefits of reducing your income and it is a win-win. Every little bit helps and the power of compound interest will allow amounts to grow over time, even in a poor economy. Don't allow a bad economy to be your excuse for putting this off.

5. Decide If This Is a Want or a Need

Can you live a simpler life? Perhaps you can borrow movies and books from the library instead of buying them. Making a home-cooked meal would be healthier and cheaper than eating out. That great shirt that is on sale looks like three you already have in your closet. Taking the time to really consider what is needed and removing the excess will allow you to spend the money on things that you truly enjoy and value instead of just buying another bauble out of habit.

In Conclusion…

Wise doesn't have to be boring. A person can live a full life without personal finance troubles. These steps are not easy and could take many months to achieve, but the financial freedom is well worth it.


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Instant Approval

Guest Post

Instant Approval

For people trying to rebuild their credit, obtaining a credit card with reasonable terms has always been a challenge, which is why we have written in the past about the benefits of secured credit cards as a practical alternative. Lately, there has been a proliferation of credit card promotions offering instant approval for people of all credit standings, including those who may have been denied credit in the past. Instant approval offers are tempting because you can simply go online, fill in a brief application, submit, and, bada-boom! You have your answer. If you don’t like the answer, you can simply move on to the next offer and try again. And, therein lies the problem.

In the past, anytime you submitted an application for credit, even those zippy instant approval applications, an inquiry is made on your credit report. When your credit report shows more than one or two inquiries made within a six month period, it lowers your credit score. That may be changing, as at least two credit card issuers, Capital One and Credit One Bank, have introduced instant approval cards that don’t require a credit inquiry, leaving your credit score unscathed.

So, with that, does it make more sense to apply for an unsecured, instant approval credit card, or a secured credit to meet your credit needs? In our recent article, Best Card to Build Credit? Secured Card vs. Debit Cards, we compared secured cards with debit cards making the case that, with secured cards you can build your credit score and have many of the same benefits as an unsecured card. But the secured card requires a deposit, and, typically, their rates and fees tend to be higher than unsecured cards. They can also be laden with hidden fees that can drain your secured deposit.

In many cases with instant approval cards, you never know what you’re going to get in terms of the APR or your credit limit until you apply. Obviously, the better your credit score, the lower your APR will be. Also, instant approval cards, especially those geared to people with less than perfect credit, charge higher annual fees. The problem with these offers is you can’t always see all of the fine print until after you apply. However, that is not the case with the Credit One Bank and Capital One instant approval credit cards. Their APR, fees, and limits are clearly stated on the online form. Furthermore, with the ability to get an instant response to your application without it affecting your credit score, you won’t be any worse off if you’re not approved.

Capital One® MasterCard® 

Capital One now offers instant credit approval (60 seconds) for a MasterCard with no processing or application fees. You receive all of the benefits of their standard cards, including $0 fraud liability, 24/7 account access, and automatic reporting to the three major credit bureaus. The APR ranges from 10.90% to 24.90% depending on your credit history.

Credit One® Bank Credit Card

Credit One offers an instant approval credit card with credit lines up to $1,500 based on your credit history. There are no enrollment fees or over limit fees. The APR is currently 23.90% and it charges a $75 first year annual fee ($99 thereafter).

Instant Credit Card Approval



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How to Get Out of Debt Using a Balance Transfer

Guest post by Andy Boyd

If you got into debt by using credit cards, it might be hard to believe that your ticket out of debt is simply moving that debt to another card. But a balance transfer to another credit card could help get you on the path to being debt free, if you do it the right way.

Reasons to do a Balance Transfer

There are at least a couple of reasons to do a balance transfer to try to lower or eliminate your debt.

1. For one thing, the initial transfer may extend the period of time you have to make a credit card payment. For example, when you transfer a balance to a new card, you'll have a full payment cycle until you need to make a payment on that card. So if you make the transfer late in the payment cycle on your first card, you'll essentially get to skip a payment.
2. Another advantage of a balance transfer is the ability to consolidate debt. If you have a high-enough credit limit, you may be able to transfer several balances onto one card, which can make it easier to manage your debt and avoid late payments and the penalty fees that come along with them.
3. Of course, the biggest benefit of a balance transfer is a lower interest rate. There's really no reason to do a balance transfer if you're not getting a lower interest rate. If you have good credit, you may get balance transfer offers with low teaser rates, sometimes even as low as 0 percent for up to 12 months. If you take advantage of this, you can make a serious dent in your credit card debt.

Potential Pitfalls

If you want to get out of debt by using balance transfers, you have to be alert for pitfalls that could derail your savings.

1. The first thing to consider is the fees. Almost all balance transfer offers come with fees. A typical fee is 3 percent of the balance. That may not be a big deal if you only owe a couple thousand dollars, but if you owe a large amount, it can eat into any savings you are realizing. For example, if you owe $15,000, you'll pay $450 in fees to transfer the balance. If you are transferring a large balance, look for credit cards that have a cap on fees.
2. Another thing to watch out for is the interest rate terms. Many cards have different rates for balance transfers and purchases. If you get a card that has a low teaser rate on balance transfers, the same rate may not apply to purchases. That means if you intend to use the card for purchases, you could be hit with higher interest charges, because most cards will apply your payment to the debt with the lower interest rate first. If you intend to use the card purchases, try to find one that offers the same rate for balance transfers and purchases.
3. Finally, pay attention to the regular interest rate on the card, not just the teaser rate. Assuming you are not going to be able to pay off the entire debt during the teaser rate period, it's important to know what rate you'll be paying in six months or a year. If you transfer debt from a card that has a 15 percent interest rate to one that offers 2.9 percent for six months but afterward has a rate of 20 percent, you could wind up paying more in the long run, which defeats the whole purpose of a balance transfer.

Andy writes about credit card balance transfers at FinanceChoices.co.uk. For more of his work, head on over to their blog about managing money or follow him on Twitter.

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