What Are the Benefits of a Cash Advance Loan?

Cash advance or payday loans are one of the quickest ways to get hold of money when you are short of funds. They are predominantly used to cover your expenses until your next payday, when you pay back the loan in full. If you find yourself short at the end of the month and need cash fast, then you should look at getting a cash advance loan. Here are some tips about the benefits of a cash advance loan.

What is a cash advance loan?

A cash advance loan is a short-term loan that is meant for people who need cash quickly due to a temporary shortage of funds. Usually, you can get hold of a cash advance or pay day loan within a few hours of applying. You are simply required to be in regular employment and fill out a few bank details. You can borrow anything up to about £500 depending on your needs and job circumstances.

No credit checks

One of the major advantages of cash advance loans is that no credit checks are required for you to get hold of the loan. All you have to do is provide details of your employer and you can get hold of the loan. This makes the application process extremely fast and helps you to get the money when you need it most.

Great for emergencies

If you have trouble getting hold of other loans or credit cards and have an emergency situation that requires money, there might not be time to find the funds elsewhere. A cash advance loan gives you the opportunity to get hold of the money you need quickly and at a relatively low cost.

Costs of cash advance loans

Although cash advance loans are relatively cheap if you pay back the loan quickly, you are still paying for the convenience of being able to get money quickly with very little checks. This means that you will pay a percentage of the amount you borrow as a fee, usually around 10%. If you pay back the loan when you next get paid at the end of the month, then this will be all you have to pay. However, if you can’t pay this back, then you will be charged again and again until you do. This could mean that in just 6 weeks you will have been charged £90 on a loan of just £300. This can lead you to get into a vicious circle where each month you have to get a cash advance loan just to stay afloat.

What are the alternatives?

The alternatives to cash advance loans are limited, especially if you don’t have a credit card or a family member who can lend you the money. Although they can be expensive, if you use cash advance loans wisely for emergency situations and special circumstances, you will find them a great way to get hold of much needed cash at short notice without the usual credit checks and long approval processes.

Peter Kenny
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/what-are-the-benefits-of-a-cash-advance-loan-73618.html

Camera Shooting Abroad

SHOOTING ABROAD

General
Shooting abroad can be a serious hassle if you don’t prepare properly. But if you follow a few guidelines, traveling with a kit is far more likely to go smoothly. Prepare and be prepared. The tips below address the most frequent problems we see.

Carnets
The countries listed below require carnets if you’re traveling with location production equipment. A carnet is essentially proof that a bond is held in your home country on the equipment and it will not be released until the equipment is returned to your home country. It is meant to stop people from taking goods from a country where they are relatively cheap and selling them in a country where they cost far more because of duties, taxes or other reasons.

The easiest way to get a carnet is to phone a company that processes them and they will post the bond for a fee. If you don’t know a company that offers this service, ask for a recommendation from someone who does and who can vouch for speed, reliability and efficiency. The charge varies depending on how quickly you need the carnet and on which country you’re visiting. Typically the charge will include:

Administration fee charged by the company processing the carnet
Local Chamber of Commerce fee
Charge for posting the bond

The bond required varies from country to country and is a percentage of the stated value of the equipment. The charge for posting the bond depends on the declared value of the equipment. Different people take different approaches to the declared value. Some use the new value of the equipment. Some list the used value. Some use an artificially low value to save on the charge for the bond. I recommend you seek advice on what value to declare. The values declared on a carnet have no bearing on the insured value of the equipment.

Once you have a carnet, make sure you have it signed and stamped every time you enter and leave a country. If you fail to do this, you will have to present all the equipment on the carnet to a Customs inspector once you’re back in the UK there is a fee for this and you risk a fine. If you’ve hired the equipment, you’ll need to hire the identical equipment to show Customs and this could incur hire charges and arranging for the exact kit with the serial numbers listed on the carnet to show the Customs inspector can be a major hassle. This can so easily be avoided by ensuring the right forms are signed and stamped on every entry into and departure from a given country.

Also extremely important is returning the carnet documents to the issuer immediately. If you send them by post, send them registered and phone to make sure they have been received. I know of a couple of cases of carnets apparently being returned to the issuer and apparently not received. The result was a hefty fine and a lot of trouble trying to reassemble the equipment on the carnet for a Customs inspection so the bond would be released.

The bottom line is the bond is only released once the equipment has returned to your home country and the carnet has been returned to whoever processed it with all the paperwork correctly done. This is essential.

Countries Requiring Carnets
Below is a list of countries that require carnets for camera kits. The list excludes EU countries because if you’re traveling from the UK and staying within the EU a carnet is not necessary.

Algeria, Andorra, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Canary Islands, China, Croatia, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, China, Iceland, India, Israel, Japan, Korea (Republic of), Lebanon, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United States.

Countries That Do Not Require Carnets
If you’re traveling to a country or countries that do not require a carnet you should take a pro-forma equipment list. This is a list of all the equipment you are traveling with and should include the manufacturer and model number, the serial number, the country of manufacture and the value. Once again the value can be replacement value, used value or an artificially low value at your discretion. This list should be on company letterhead. Take several copies of it with you, ideally with a company stamp on it.

In addition to the pro-forma, there is one other piece of paperwork you’ll need – an HM Customs and Excise C & E 1246 form. The heading on this form is “Returned Goods Relief: declarations to be made when using duplicate lists.” These can be downloaded from the HM Customs and Excise, now part of HM Revenue and Customs, web site www.hmce.gov.uk. On the home page, click onto Forms, leaflets and booklets. Once there, go to “Forms published in respect of matters formerly dealt with by HM Customs & Excise.” Follow the list down to C & E 1246 and print it out.

Complete the form and take it and several copies of the equipment list with you when you check in at the airport you’re leaving from in the UK. When you check in, let the airline attendant know you have a “Returned Good Relief” list and need to have Customs stamp it. Customs will generally only want to see the highest priced items such as the camera, which you should hand carry, and you will need to take these items through the boarding pass checkpoint and to the Customs counter on the other side to get this stamped. If Customs wants to see everything you may have to hire an airport porter to take the equipment around. The stamped form and list prove you left the UK with the listed equipment so that when you return to the UK you can show it to Customs and you won’t have any problem getting the equipment back into the UK.

Excess Baggage
Excess baggage charges can make a production manager shake violently and look like the terrified victim of a maniac in a horror film. They can be outrageous. For example, BA charges £30.89 per kilo for all baggage above 20 kilos if you’re flying economy class to Sydney. That’s each way. So if you’re travelling with 150 kilos of kit and personal luggage and there are two of you with 20 kilos of baggage allowance each, that’s 110 kilos of excess baggage at £3397.90 each way. Sometimes you can negotiate but often the person you’ll be talking to will apparently take great delight in the pain these charges can cause.

So how do you beat these charges? First, travel light. If it won’t compromise your shoot, consider taking an LCD monitor instead of a Sony 9-inch monitor. If you can, keep your lighting kit portable. If possible, carry on the camera with the wide angle lens attached and wrap the standard lens in something protective so that it can be carried on with the camera and wide angle as well. Then send the case for the wide angle empty this also reduces the chance of losing your wide angle lens to theft or mishandling. If possible, try to carry one or two camera batteries onto the plane as well. And make sure there is one tape in the camera and at least one spare in the carry bag. This means if your luggage gets lost, you’ll at least have a camera with lenses and some batteries.

Before you fly, ring the airline and tell them you will have excess baggage and would like to prepay. Try to negotiate a better rate, particularly if you fly with that airline frequently. At the very least this prevents another problem I’ve seen many times. The crew arrives to check in and no provision has been made for excess baggage costs so they’re faced with putting significant charges on their credit cards. A few times I’ve seen this happen and no one in the crew had a credit card that could handle the charge so they missed their flight.

Another option is to use a specialist company that guarantees to save you serious amounts on excess baggage charges. One such company that’s been brought to our attention recently is Media Onboard. We haven’t used them yet so I can’t vouch for them. However, they claim to be able to save as much as 70 percent on excess baggage charges. The company has arranged “huge discounts” with several Star Alliance airlines for anyone travelling with the “tools of their trade.” These airlines include Lufthansa, Austrian and United Airlines. Anthony Miller of Media Onboard’s business development team says “current users have found the savings to be so significant that it has altered the way that they plan and budget for overseas productions.” My suggestion is to visit their website, www.mediaonboard.com, and call them to check out their service. If they do what they say they can, their service will be extremely worthwhile. If anyone does try Media Onboard, please let me know how it went.

Transport to and from Airports
If your crew is flying, make sure you budget for the cost of getting them to and from all the airports they’ll be using. These costs can be high in some places, especially if the crew is travelling to several airports on the same trip. Some hotels will provide complementary transport to and from the nearest airport just make sure you confirm this service and book it in advance. If you’re lucky enough to fly business class, some airlines include a limo to and from your hotel. Again, book in advance. If you need to use a taxi, make sure you check what the fare should be from the airport to your destination and make sure the crew knows this before they fly. Ideally, provide the crew with some local currency so changing money doesn’t become a last minute hassle.

Local Equipment Hire Facilities
It’s a sad fact but equipment does break down or get lost in transport or stolen. When this happens, it helps a lot if your crew has a list of local equipment hire companies ideally with maps on how to get to them and a list of kit they offer. Before the crew flies, check with others you know for references of companies operating in the places the crew is visiting or go on the internet to find them. For a quick check, go to www.mandy.com. Phone or e-mail these companies before the crew leaves to confirm what they have, what they charge and how you can pay them. The easiest option is to deal with companies that accept credit cards. Also, have your crew take photocopies of your insurance policy pages that outline the equipment hire coverage you have and some business cards of whoever will be processing payment in the UK if it’s not done by the crew on location.

Summary
I’m sure much of this is obvious, especially to anyone who’s travelled, but we still see things go wrong or budgets unexpectedly increase because some of these tips weren’t followed. The main points are:

get a carnet if you’re flying to a country that requires it
make sure the carnet is stamped and signed by customs every time the equipment is taken into and out of a country
if the country or countries you’re visiting do not require a carnet take several pro-forma equipment lists and a C & E 1246 form (except within the EU)
sort out excess baggage arrangements before the crew gets to the airport and try to get the best deal possible
travel as lightly as you can
don’t forget about transport costs to and from airports
identify equipment hire companies operating in the places the crew is visiting
An Addition to Last Month’s E-Zine
Mark Holmes of Prokit in London distributes the Wally Dolly and he advised me that the units sold in the UK include four metres of track and a hi hat, rather than just the standard three metres of track.

Last Month’s Lyrics
No one got the answer to last month’s lyrics question: who wrote: “I’ve never seen a night so long, as time goes crawling by.” The answer is Hank Williams and the song is “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” Two people guessed Johnny Cash. He sang the song on one of his last CDs but he didn’t write it.

This Month’s Question
Moving away from lyrics to fiction, who wrote this line: “From thirty feet away she looked like a lot of class. From ten feet away she looked like something to look at from thirty feet away.” The first person to e-mail me with the correct answer gets a bottle of champagne. It won’t be Dom Perignon but it will be a decent bottle.

And if you have any questions or comments please e-mail cal@procamtv.com.

Until next time, happy shooting.

Cal Barton,
Procam Television

www.procamtv.com

Cal Barton
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/camera-shooting-abroad-73677.html

The Underground Economy and Why It Is Bad For All Of Us

Basically, the underground economy consists of people who are independent operators and who avoid or, more accurately, evade any legal responsibilities to their customers, communities or the country in which they live and from which they draw all the services they can manage.

A good catchall term for members of the underground economy is Leeches. When you use a member of the underground economy you use a person or an employer of other persons who:

-Does not pay income tax
-Does not pay GST or PST
-Does not pay workers compensation premiums
-Does not make employer contributions to the Canada Pension Plan or Employment Insurance
-Does not pay Employment Standards Act benefits so workers can have vacations and statutory holidays with pay
-Does not accept credit cards or, in most cases, cheques or other traceable payments
-Does not provide or honour guarantees or warrantees
-Uses and sells the cheapest and least durable products including counterfeit products
-Walks away from jobs at any time
-Has no business address or reliable means of contact
-Hires unqualified and potentially dishonest, unbondable, helpers
-May have a criminal record
-May be an illegal alien with no ties to the community or country
-Does not carry liability insurance and is likely uninsurable
-Is not licensed by any authority
-Is not certified for the work being done
-Is not trained
-Is not competent in at least some of the services offered and probably all
-Will not subject his or her work to inspection by any qualified person or agency.

This list could go on to include all of the negatives which can be countered easily by regulations, standards and mores prevalent in the legitimate above ground economy.

So what? If you deal with an unlicensed guy who paves your driveway or mows your lawn or fixes your roof for half of the price of a true professional, don’t you save money? And isn’t saving money a really good thing in any kind of economy? This is the dumbest way to look at dealings with the underground economy. An illegitimate construction contractor can cut his or her labour costs by about half by skipping all the ground rules of a legitimate contractor (see above).

This contractor can hire any yoyo to work on your roof or your electrical system or your plumbing. This contractor and his ilk cost our governments and the workers’ comp system more than $1.5 billion a year.

This means the government -this is us, folks- can’t adequately fund the apprenticeship programs we need badly across Canada. It can’t provide all the health and protection we need in the workplace.

It means also that the legitimate contractor, who pays for training and skilled sub trades and top grade products and a million other things we need, is severely damaged with unfair competition.

In addition, while you are paying your full share of income taxes, GST, PST and health costs, all the leeches who make up about 15 percent of our economy are costing us about $30 billion a year by not paying these taxes. Don’t blame only government when it can’t provide better roads or an improved environment or the zillion other things we want and need.

Blame yourself for abetting tax evasion by the underground economy leeches who are laughing at you all the way to their banks.

Every time you give a buck to the underground economy, you are taking a lot of that dollar away from elderly Canadians who depend on old age security payments and other supplements to their meager incomes.

You are depleting the money available to eligible unemployed workers including those who have to take time off to care for gravely ill or dying family members. You are potentially depriving low and modest income families of benefits from the Canada Child Tax Benefit and the GST credit.

You are taking money out of resources that should go to needy children, our health care system, post-secondary education and all our social services.

Think about this: the services we use to live decent lives in Canada are paid for, largely, by taxes paid by each of us. Without this money, Canada would enjoy a quality of life similar to Iraq or the Sudan but even worse because of our cold climate.

Deduct about 15 percent of the money we need and you put a huge hole in our services. That’s what the underground economy does every year. We are chumps for paying people to take money and resources out of our pockets while giving us, in all cases, inferior or, at least, questionable goods and services with no consumer protection whatsoever.

We might as well carry signs around our necks reading ‘Pickpockets welcome’ with a big arrow pointing to the pocket or purse where we keep our cash.

The next time someone comes to your door or telephones you offering cheap moving, renovation, land in Florida, car repairs or anything else in return for cash up front and no questions asked, ask yourself if you want your pocket picked once again or if you would rather pay for professional work from the above ground economy.

Ask yourself if you want to get involved in a criminal conspiracy to evade paying taxes or do you want everyone to pay fair taxes for the services your family needs. Ask yourself why you would want your blood sucked by a leech when you can deal, instead, with the good guys in Canada’s marketplaces.

Dale Goldhawk
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/the-underground-economy-and-why-it-is-bad-for-all-of-us-107741.html

Unsecured Loan- No Guarantee Required

Whenever finances fall short, borrowing is the first thought that occurs to us. But, there remain many apprehensions in the mind regarding the loan deals. Most borrowers are lured by the idea of unsecured loans and fear taking secured loans that require an underlying asset or collateral.

In case of unsecured debts, the creditor lends money on the basis of the credit profile of the borrower and doesn’t demand the home as security. For this reason, unsecured loans carry more risk for the lenders that they compensate by charging a high rate of interest and less flexibility in terms of repayment options.

Cited below are some of the characteristic features of unsecured loans.

The lender does not attach any value to the loan i.e. no security is demanded

A credit check of the borrower is carried to know his repayment history and paying capacity

The amount generally ranges in between £500 to £ 25,000

The repayment period can stretch from one to ten years

These loans generally carry high rate of interest because of the absence of security

If the borrower owns a house, he may get an unsecured loan at cheap rate

In case of default by the borrower, he can be sued by the creditor in the court of law

The processing of unsecured loans is faster than secured loans

Elimination of legal property evaluation and less documentation makes the disbursal fast

As stats reveal, most borrowers in Brits are in debts, and the year 2006 saw an alarming hike in the number of personal insolvencies. This clearly indicates the growing market of bad credit personal loans. Since most of the borrowers already have many debts against their homes, unsecured loans are their only saviours. The high street banks have declared their stringent policies in terms of unsecured loans, and they seldom grant any ad credit loan. So, private and online lenders are the ones who come handy to the borrowers. Though the interest charged on these loans is considerably high, borrowers avail them to get rid of their multiple debts on credit cards and other personal loans.

Angelo Drew
http://www.articlesbase.com/loans-articles/unsecured-loan-no-guarantee-required-124359.html

More Time Being Spent Servicing Debts

People are taking an increasing amount of time to service their debts, it has been revealed.

According to Unbiased, today (March 10th) is Debt Freedom Day - the time of the year when consumers will have earned enough money to allow them to complete interest repayments on the debts accrued on personal loans and credit cards. Starting from the beginning of the year, it was stated that Britons have needed to work for 70 days to generate enough income to service such indebtedness.

Now it was claimed that people should be in a position to take steps to make actual reimbursements on their debts. However, in 2007, the day when people have finished servicing the amount they owe was revealed to stand at February 1st.

Meanwhile, research from the financial advice site revealed that the amount of personal debt has surged by more than ten per cent over the course of last year. During the same period of time the typical level of interest payable on such debts has increased by six per cent.

Commenting on the figures, David Elms, chief executive at Unbiased said: “This year’s Debt Freedom Day is a real warning for UK consumers - as it marks the day we start paying off the actual debt levels rather than merely servicing the interest accrued. Compared to last year we spend almost two months longer this year to pay off the interest of our borrowings and this doesn’t even take into account mortgage costs.”

Unbiased also revealed that personal loan debt in Britain currently stands at 9.8 billion pounds, an increase from the 2.6 billion pounds recorded in 2007. However the amount owed on credit cards has dropped to 54.9 billion pounds, in comparison to 55.6 billion pounds last year.

Mr Elms added that although Debt Freedom Day “is of course a hypothetical point in the financial calendar” it is a date that many consumers should be aware about. He stated: “In the current economic climate it is has never been more important for people to realise just how much it costs to service their debts and to ensure they have adequate funds available to do so.”

The executive went on to report that getting monetary guidance from an independent financial adviser could help people get back on their fiscal feet. In getting such help, it was stated that consumers should be able to take stock of their current financial standing and identify areas where they can reduce expenditure and increase the amount of money they can save.

For those looking to get to grips with their finances, applying for a consolidation loan could prove to be of assistance. By taking out such a loan it is possible that consumers could merge monies owed on existing debts into a single low-cost amount. Last month, Rachel Lacey, editor of Moneywise, reported that a debt consolidation loan can be “great” for Britons wanting to improve their money management. However, she stated that after getting a cheap consolidation loan it is crucial that consumers do not go on to borrow more money through overdrafts and credit cards.

Abbi Rouse
http://www.articlesbase.com/debt-consolidation-articles/more-time-being-spent-servicing-debts-358811.html

Debt Consolidation: an Effective Option for Tenants to Merge Their Unsecured Debts

The trend of demand for debt consolidation loans is that a major chunk of UK people opting for consolidation loan comprise of the tenants. There is a reason behind this trend.

Tenants are eligible for unsecured loans as these loans do not necessitate submission of collateral security. However, lack of security increases the risk factor in the lending transaction. As a result, unsecured loans usually carry higher APR than secured loans.

credit cards, unsecured car loans, unsecured personal loans, consumer finance, etc carry a high interest rate. So, they are considered to be ‘costly’ debts.

The present lifestyle is such that it demands a substantial monetary reserve for coping up with increased needs and desires and living costs. It is not possible for a common man to fulfil all such needs and desires with the fixed monthly income.

So, what is the alternative?

Well, to use various means of credit, such as credit cards, store cards, personal loans and so on.

Debt, to a certain limit, is fine. However, order in the financial life goes for a toss when a person takes more debts than what he/she can handle. As unsecured loans carry high interest rate, the debt burden is more.

It is very essential to manage multiple debts efficiently so that the debt situation does not go out of your control. Debt consolidation is gaining popularity day by day as an effective means of consolidating the pending debts (especially, the high-interest ones).

You can save money you pay as interest for the high-rate loans and debts by opting for a cheap debt consolidation loan. You can select a consolidation loan in such a way that the interest on it is lower than the total interest you are paying for your different debts altogether.

So, careful selection of a cheap debt consolidation loan can enable UK tenants to get rid of the hassle of managing multiple high-interest debts and save money on the interest being paid.

alexawilsoon
http://www.articlesbase.com/loans-articles/debt-consolidation-an-effective-option-for-tenants-to-merge-their-unsecured-debts-115725.html

Debt Consolidation: an Effective Option for Tenants to Merge Their Unsecured Debts

The trend of demand for debt consolidation loans is that a major chunk of UK people opting for consolidation loan comprise of the tenants. There is a reason behind this trend.

Tenants are eligible for unsecured loans as these loans do not necessitate submission of collateral security. However, lack of security increases the risk factor in the lending transaction. As a result, unsecured loans usually carry higher APR than secured loans.

credit cards, unsecured car loans, unsecured personal loans, consumer finance, etc carry a high interest rate. So, they are considered to be ‘costly’ debts.

The present lifestyle is such that it demands a substantial monetary reserve for coping up with increased needs and desires and living costs. It is not possible for a common man to fulfil all such needs and desires with the fixed monthly income.

So, what is the alternative?

Well, to use various means of credit, such as credit cards, store cards, personal loans and so on.

Debt, to a certain limit, is fine. However, order in the financial life goes for a toss when a person takes more debts than what he/she can handle. As unsecured loans carry high interest rate, the debt burden is more.

It is very essential to manage multiple debts efficiently so that the debt situation does not go out of your control. Debt consolidation is gaining popularity day by day as an effective means of consolidating the pending debts (especially, the high-interest ones).

You can save money you pay as interest for the high-rate loans and debts by opting for a cheap debt consolidation loan. You can select a consolidation loan in such a way that the interest on it is lower than the total interest you are paying for your different debts altogether.

So, careful selection of a cheap debt consolidation loan can enable UK tenants to get rid of the hassle of managing multiple high-interest debts and save money on the interest being paid.

alexawilsoon
http://www.articlesbase.com/loans-articles/debt-consolidation-an-effective-option-for-tenants-to-merge-their-unsecured-debts-115725.html

Why Have a Financial Plan?

When it comes to money, planning and preparation is always a good idea. While things might not always follow your plan, the plan itself will help keep your finances focused on your goals.

But why is it really that important? Your parents probably didn’t have a financial plan. But we aren’t living in the same world anymore. Credit is out of control. People live longer. Social security is always at risk in the future. Health care for the elderly isn’t cheap by any means. Planning is important for many reasons.

A financial plan will help protect you and your family from many risks, such as not having a home, going bankrupt, losing everything you own in a lawsuit and other disasters. These events can be caused by a variety of happenings, such as injuries, illness, death and credit cards.

By having a financial plan, you are protecting your family’s finances. You have the proper life, homeowners, auto and disability insurance. You have a will. You have an emergency fund. You have little debt and a lot of credit. You have equity in your home.

All those things might seem like a wonderful dream. But they aren’t just a dream. They can be a reality through — you guessed it — financial planning.

Total consumer debt in the US is in the trillions, not counting home mortgages. Research shows that Americans have between 8 and 10 credit cards each. The average consumer has a credit card balance of $8,400 per card.

Debt makes it impossible to save for your future. If you want your to pay for your child’s college, you have to get rid of your debt. If you want to retire comfortably, you have to get rid of your debt. Your financial plan should focus first on debt reduction, then on saving.

Why save? Because you will probably live until you are 90. Maybe even 100. People are living much longer. You will have to have a lot of savings to support yourself for 35 years after you retire. Most financial planners say that you should plan to live until you are 95, though that could be a low figure.

Financial planning gives you a better quality of life. You have less stress and enjoy your daily life more. You are able to pay for things without credit, such as your daughter’s college education some day. You are able to drive a nice car without the large payment. You can buy a home for your family. You can retire when you want to.

You aren’t hounded by creditors. You aren’t trying to stretch pennies into dollars. You aren’t awake at night wondering how you’ll survive.

You have a plan that provides for you and your family. No, you can’t prepare for everything. Despite the greatest plans, life has its own ideas. But a plan is beneficial to your present and your future. Take the time and form a financial plan. It will pay you back tenfold.

Martin Lukac
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/why-have-a-financial-plan-83420.html

Manage your Debts Burden Efficiently

Consolidation of the existing debt burden occurs when your creditors agree to roll all your credit accounts into one which requires a minimum monthly payment. This is the most cost-effective loan management tool when your debt is tied up in credit cards, personal loans, student loans and a mortgage. Debt elimination can be achieved with a good consolidation strategy as devised by a reputable company or financial institution. This process reduces your debt burden.

Consolidation of existing loans certainly takes the weight off the high monthly payment due to multiple debt burdens. It is often possible to reduce payments by as much as 75% each month. Negotiation can take place with your creditors or through a consolidation program. Financial agencies dealing with Consolidation help you to deal with a single lender.

Debt Consolidation loans of secured type require you to offer your house as security. It is a good option to get a consolidation loan when you have a large amount of credit card debt due to the high interest rates of credit cards. These loans allow you to save your money by consolidating your debts with a single loan. You can recover from debt burden immediately. With these loans you can handle all your existing debts in an intelligent way. You no longer have to repay the instalments to many lenders. You have to repay a single loan to only one lender at lower interest rate. These loans offer higher loan amount for consolidation purpose at a lower rate of interest.

Unsecured debt consolidation loans are loans that individuals take out from a bank or financial institutions without placing any security for the loan. Such loans are availed to pay off credit card debt and medical bills. These loan plans are mostly in the form of personal loans. These loans are the best way of paying off credit card debt if one does not own a home. Many banks offer such plans to their customers who have a satisfactory banking history with them. However, interest rate on these loans is higher than a secured loan plan. Usually, the amounts disbursed by these loan plans are lower than what would have been if the loan is secured.

Both categories of debt consolidation loans are available online. E-lending facility assures maximum speed in the processing of these loans as well as assures some unbelievable cheap interest rates that a borrower can get through comparison.

amenda dorothy
http://www.articlesbase.com/loans-articles/manage-your-debts-burden-efficiently-301997.html

Identity Theft - You Can Prevent It

By now everybody has heard of some horror story about identity theft from TV shows or magazine articles. In the popular culture, references of identity theft are found in the novels and movies, notably Frederick Forsyth’s novel, “The day of the Jackal” and the 1995 movie “The Net.” In real life, the Identity Theft Resource Center (http://www.idtheftcenter.org) reports 8.9 millions identity theft victims in 2006.

So, what is an identity theft? An identity theft occurs when somebody steals vital pieces of personal information, e.g. your social security, credit card numbers, etc. and uses that information for financial gains by taking your identity. The most common form of identity theft involves credit card and mortgage frauds. But it can also be used for vicious crimes like drug dealings, terrorism, etc.

You may be surprised to know that many minor identity thefts are committed by someone you know. So, don’t make it an easy job for a person to steal your personal information from your wallet, checkbook, etc. Avoid leaving things containing your personal information lying around for others to have an easy access to that information.

Shred, shred, shred. Buy a cheap paper shredder from an office supply store and shred all your paid bills, used check books, etc. before tossing those into the trash. Put aside 30 minutes every Saturday morning for shredding anything that contained your personal information and you intend to trash. Make it a habit.

Never give out your personal information like your social security number; birth date etc. over the phone when the call you received is unsolicited. Your financial institutions have those information and they will not ask you for that. Sometimes, for verification purposes, they make ask you the last four digits of your social security number.

Don’t pay to get anybody to get a copy of your credit report. Because of a congressional mandate, all three-credit report bureaus will give you a copy of your credit report for free every year. Go to AnnualCreditreport.com to obtain your free credit report every year from TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. While obtaining your free credit report, these bureaus will push some paid services. Just ignore those.

Don’t get your free credit reports from the three bureaus all at the same time. Then you have to wait one year before you can get your reports again for free. In the mean time, some unwanted stuff may show up in your report. Get your free report every four months from each bureau. If you are using a PDA, password protect it to prevent others from accessing it.

Phishing is a popular method to steal sensitive information for identity theft purposes. Don’t be a phishing victim. Avoid clicking on any link that comes to your way through e-mails or IM. The e-mail will disguise itself coming from your financial institutions (your bank or PayPal accounts) and will urge you to click a link to verify your accounts or resort to such other tricks. Sometimes, it can be outright threatening. If you click the link you will end up in the thief’s website. And if you enter your user name and password, the thief will have enough information to log into your actual account.

Open online accounts for all your credit cards and financial accounts. Online accounts are not only convenient for faster bill paying, paperless transactions, etc.; they also help monitor your accounts frequently, instead of waiting for the monthly bill or statement to arrive. Monitor your accounts online every week and if you see any suspicious charges, checks, etc., call you banks immediately. Also setup e-mail based account alerts, if available, to alert you when charges are made to your accounts.

If possible, avoid putting your outgoing mails containing bills and checks in your mailboxes for easy access by a thief. Drop them in mailboxes located in the post office or street corners. Better yet, setup online bill payment with your bank and avoid the snail mail for bill paying.

You also need to keep your computer safe. Thieves can get into computers through spyware and unsecured wireless or network connections. Use anti-spyware programs and turn on your Windows default personal firewall program. To prevent viruses infecting your computer, use an anti-virus program. Setup accounts for each user of your computer and ask them to use strong passwords that include a combination of letters and numbers.

Another way to prevent anybody, including you, from opening any credit in your name is to freeze your credit. This option is not available in all states. If it is available in your state and you opt for this option, you need to lift the block before you allow anybody, e.g. an employer for a new job, creditor for a car loan, etc., to access your credit information. Though it is almost like a foolproof system to prevent identity theft, it is the also the most inconvenient method.

Deepak Dutta
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/identity-theft-you-can-prevent-it-84423.html