Do you experience money problems? Perhaps a bad credit score, a low income, or devastating debt payments to make each month? It’s easy and very tempting to blame the government, credit card companies, or possibly even your parents for your problems. However, many people are unable - or proudly refuse - to ponder on the role they play in creating their own financial problems.
Below we give a few examples of when your money problems are mostly your own fault:
-You took out tens of thousands of dollars of student loans because you wanted to get a degree that you should have known would give you a low salary.
-You racked up credit card debt because you travelled, bought clothes, ate out, and purchased other unnecessary things just because “you deserve it.”
-You don’t know what a budget is. You signed up for all your fixed expenses (rent, mortgage, loan agreements, cable, etc) without even considering how much of your take home pay would be leftover after making those payments. That’s why you can barely afford food and gas after paying your bills.
-You were unable to get a proper insurance and then got crushed with unexpected medical or car bills.
-You took a debt that no one with your salary could ever cope with, and now you are unable pay it back. Collections, foreclosures, and/or bankruptcies have devastated your credit. Now you won’t get a loan and you may even be denied housing and certain jobs.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Manhattan’s immunity to real estate crisis?
Is the real estate market in Manhattan still flourishing?
The real estate recession has been continuously spreading since the credit crunch started 8 months ago, reducing considerably prices in small towns, suburbs, and cities such as Seattle and San Francisco that have so far been resilient to the crisis. It would seem that New York is the last big city where real estate is flourishing.Between January and March 2008, the average price for a Manhattan home increased by 18%, up to $872,000, compared with the same period last year.
What is driving the prices up in NYC?
New York’s real estate boom was developed by means of a slew of newly completed and startlingly expensive condos.For example, Sting paid $26.5 million for a condo in the newly-built 43-story building at 15 Central Park West. Sanford Weill, the former chairman of Citigroup, bought an apartment in the same building for more than $42 million for an apartment in the same building.
What are the prices of the lower end apartments?
The market is also busy on its lower end, which in case of Manhattan generally starts atapproximately $400,000 for a studio. (People in New York are used to living with less space.)
The real estate recession has been continuously spreading since the credit crunch started 8 months ago, reducing considerably prices in small towns, suburbs, and cities such as Seattle and San Francisco that have so far been resilient to the crisis. It would seem that New York is the last big city where real estate is flourishing.Between January and March 2008, the average price for a Manhattan home increased by 18%, up to $872,000, compared with the same period last year.
What is driving the prices up in NYC?
New York’s real estate boom was developed by means of a slew of newly completed and startlingly expensive condos.For example, Sting paid $26.5 million for a condo in the newly-built 43-story building at 15 Central Park West. Sanford Weill, the former chairman of Citigroup, bought an apartment in the same building for more than $42 million for an apartment in the same building.
What are the prices of the lower end apartments?
The market is also busy on its lower end, which in case of Manhattan generally starts atapproximately $400,000 for a studio. (People in New York are used to living with less space.)
Tips and techniques to resolve your credit card debts problems
Credit card debt is a serious issue. You need to be aware of good tips and techniques to pay off your balances, know more about consolidation methods and reputed companies offering such services and find out ways to regain your financial freedom through the debt reduction program.
The first step to pay off credit card debt is to pay more than the minimum amount. Paying just the minimum amount will hardly make any dent on the principal amount and most of your payments will be going towards interests and fees. The longer you take to repay the charges, the outstanding balance will add up with more interests and fees and you will fall short of cash in your pocket each month.
Make larger payments each month so that the maximum portion can go towards the principal balance. This is the most suitable way of bringing down your outstanding balance. Make a few sacrifices from your monthly expenses so that you can contribute the saved amount towards repaying the debts. After all, you will benefit in the long run when you will be credit card debt free.
If you are not able to make any progress on your own, consider the services of a debt management company or the debt settlement program. A good debt management company or a reputed debt settlement company will negotiate with your creditors and represent you in front of your creditors and reduce the outstanding balance.
The first step to pay off credit card debt is to pay more than the minimum amount. Paying just the minimum amount will hardly make any dent on the principal amount and most of your payments will be going towards interests and fees. The longer you take to repay the charges, the outstanding balance will add up with more interests and fees and you will fall short of cash in your pocket each month.
Make larger payments each month so that the maximum portion can go towards the principal balance. This is the most suitable way of bringing down your outstanding balance. Make a few sacrifices from your monthly expenses so that you can contribute the saved amount towards repaying the debts. After all, you will benefit in the long run when you will be credit card debt free.
If you are not able to make any progress on your own, consider the services of a debt management company or the debt settlement program. A good debt management company or a reputed debt settlement company will negotiate with your creditors and represent you in front of your creditors and reduce the outstanding balance.
How to Select a Combined Home and Auto Insurance
When you purchase more than one kind of insurance policy from the same company, you’re usually purchasing what’s called a “multi-line policy.” Some insurance companies may refer to this as a “combined policy.” Regardless of the name, most insurance companies offer discounts for these kinds of multi-insurance purchases. This means you could save loads of money on premiums by purchasing more than one kind of insurance policy from a company with which you’re already doing business. Cheaper and easier? It just makes sense.
If you already have a homeowner insurance policy, or an auto insurance policy, ask an agent or representative if your insurance company provides the opposite kind of insurance coverage, too (home or auto, whichever relates to your situation). Since purchasing both kinds of insurance coverage will most likely make you eligible for a discount, your insurance company undoubtedly has its own special procedures to get you signed up with a combined home and auto insurance policy.
If you don’t already have either kind of insurance policy, what are you waiting for? While homeowner insurance isn’t always required, auto insurance is required in all states. Get two birds with one stone by searching online for combined home and auto insurance. The process for shopping around for multi-line insurance isn’t much different than shopping for only one kind of insurance.
If you already have a homeowner insurance policy, or an auto insurance policy, ask an agent or representative if your insurance company provides the opposite kind of insurance coverage, too (home or auto, whichever relates to your situation). Since purchasing both kinds of insurance coverage will most likely make you eligible for a discount, your insurance company undoubtedly has its own special procedures to get you signed up with a combined home and auto insurance policy.
If you don’t already have either kind of insurance policy, what are you waiting for? While homeowner insurance isn’t always required, auto insurance is required in all states. Get two birds with one stone by searching online for combined home and auto insurance. The process for shopping around for multi-line insurance isn’t much different than shopping for only one kind of insurance.
How to Get Cheap Interim Health Insurance
Are you between jobs and looking for interim health insurance coverage? Here's how to find cheap interim health insurance with a reliable company.
Interim Health Insurance Coverage
Interim health insurance provides you with health insurance coverage until you can get permanent coverage from your new employer. Coverage can be from one month to twelve months in duration, and most insurance companies allow you to extend your coverage if you need to.
Interim Health Insurance Costs
Interim health insurance rates vary from $25 a month to $125 a month. Deductibles, the amount you must pay toward a claim before your insurer will pay, are higher than they are with regular health insurance. Co-insurance, the percentage of the total bill you pay after you pay the deductible, varies from 20% to 50%.
Cheap Interim Health Insurance
The easiest way to get the best price on interim health insurance is to go to an insurance comparison website where you can get rate quotes from a number of different companies. In order to get your quotes you'll need to fill out a short form with your insurance information and the amount of coverage you want.
p/s: To get the cheapest rate choose the highest deductible you can afford as you fill out the form. Once you get your quotes simply choose the cheapest quote that has the coverage you need.
Interim Health Insurance Coverage
Interim health insurance provides you with health insurance coverage until you can get permanent coverage from your new employer. Coverage can be from one month to twelve months in duration, and most insurance companies allow you to extend your coverage if you need to.
Interim Health Insurance Costs
Interim health insurance rates vary from $25 a month to $125 a month. Deductibles, the amount you must pay toward a claim before your insurer will pay, are higher than they are with regular health insurance. Co-insurance, the percentage of the total bill you pay after you pay the deductible, varies from 20% to 50%.
Cheap Interim Health Insurance
The easiest way to get the best price on interim health insurance is to go to an insurance comparison website where you can get rate quotes from a number of different companies. In order to get your quotes you'll need to fill out a short form with your insurance information and the amount of coverage you want.
p/s: To get the cheapest rate choose the highest deductible you can afford as you fill out the form. Once you get your quotes simply choose the cheapest quote that has the coverage you need.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
5 Part-Time Business Ideas
Want to operate a sideline business along with your current business? Or are you simply curious about entrepreneurship, and want to test the waters before you commit to the world of commerce? Whatever your reason, here are 5 sure-fire ways to get started today with your own part-time business.
Espresso Cart
Brew up profits day after day! Specialty coffee drinks generate gross profits of 55.1 to 61.5 percent per cup, says the Specialty Coffee Association of America. So brush up on your coffee drinks, buy or rent an espresso cart, and head for sporting events, concerts and farmers' markets in your community.
Handyman
If it's broke, you can fix it. Your phone will ring off the hook with calls from homeowners, senior citizens and others who don't want to fix it themselves. Advertise in shopper publications and on bulletin boards, and drop off fliers at real estate offices. Then start repairing everything from leaky faucets to broken windows.
Medical Transcription
Work as an important member of a medical team without leaving your homebased office. There's big demand by hospitals, doctors, dentists, chiropractors and veterinarians who need outside help transcribing patient medical records. Training in medical terminology and linguistic skills will keep your business healthy.
Mobile Home-Entertainment Service
When it's dirty, disconnected or in need of repair, you'll save the day for homeowners who want their stereo, compact-disc player or videocassette recorder in working order. Brush up on your electrical and wiring know-how. Door-to-door fliers and calls to retail-store managers about your services will get your business off to a great start.
Office and Home Organizer
Attention all neatniks: Help packrats, overworked executives, and other organizationally challenged individuals clean out messy closets, straighten files, and throw out the excess clutter. Putting your knack for neatness to part-time business use is bound to arrange some tidy profits for you.
good luck!
entrepreneur resource.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
How to Research Your Market
Do your homework before opening your doors to avoid business-busting mistakes.
- Is the market saturated? Does your city really need another hardware store or flower shop? How much money is spent in your industry each year in your area? Is there room in the market for one more business?
- Does the market want what you’re offering? If you’re thinking of providing day care for dogs or a facility where people can cook a week’s worth of meals in a group setting, will anyone care? Or if you’re developing a new online service for day traders, is it something they can’t live without?
- What’s the competition doing? What do they do well? What do they do poorly? What’s unique about them? Can you offer something different that'll encourage customers to patronize you instead of more established businesses?
- Can you reach your target audience? If you’re selling inline skates, are you opening in an area with a population of the right age and disposable income?
- Local universities. Sometimes professors at business schools are interested in having their graduate students do a market feasibility study for course credit.
- Potential customers. Run your idea up the flagpole with informal focus groups. Talk with friends of friends--but not your own friends or family, since they may not tell you the truth--and old customers or existing customers if you’re already in business. This is the acid test to see if your plan is ready for prime time or needs tweaking.
good luck!
~entrepreneur resource
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