Friday, November 26, 2010

5 Tax Moves to Make This Fall - Yahoo! Finance

5 Tax Moves to Make This Fall - Yahoo! Finance

Monday, November 15, 2010

Are Taxes KILLING YOU Financially?

Are Taxes KILLING YOU Financially?

YOU can STOP the BLEEDING — NOW!

The BIGGEST "Economic Relief" in America goes to HOME-BUSINESS OWNERS!
In fact, our government will actually PAY YOU to run your own Home-Based Business!!!

WHY?

Small Business has always been the backbone of the American economy, so it is Small Home Businesses that will return America to Growth and Prosperity.


HOW?

It's called the "velocity of money." The more money in circulation and the faster it circulates, the stronger the economy. Small businesses spend money to make money, then they spend more money to make more money. So, the key to economic recovery is getting lots of businesses started quickly.


BUT…

I know, I know, half of Americans are broke, and the other half are afraid to spend the money they do have, so how do we get a bunch of new small businesses going?


SOLUTION–

Let Uncle Sam pay for the start-up costs and the ongoing operating costs. How? It's called an "Ethical Bribe," and here's how it works… YOU agree to start, and to run, a part time home-based business, to run it with a profit intent, and to keep adequate business records. UNCLE SAM says, "If you do that, I'll cut your taxes by $3,000 to $6,000 or more every year, starting RIGHT NOW, and furthermore, I'll let you collect part of your additional Tax Refund every couple of weeks, all year long – NOT waiting for April 15.


HOW DOES THAT WORK?

As soon as you add up all of your tax savings, you can visit your payroll office to fill out a short form called a W-4 that will begin to put an extra $300-$600 per month in your take home pay beginning with your very next paycheck!!! That means you get part of your additional tax refund in every paycheck, all year long! It's like putting $100 extra cash in your pocket every week – week after week after week! That's just from tax savings not even counting the money you'll make in your business!


HOW EASY IS IT TO QUALIFY?

Work your business at least 3 to 4 hours a week, be able to show you’re trying to make a profit, and keep adequate business records. “THAT’S IT,” Congress said.

Federal Income Tax Brackets For 2010 – Based On Taxable Income Ranges

Tax Rate

Married Couples Filing Jointly

Most Single Filers

10%

Not over $16,750

Not over $8,375

15%

$16,750 to $68,000

$8,375 to $34,000

25%

$68,000 to $137,300

$34,000 to $82,400

28%

$137,300 to $209,250

$82,400 to $171,850

33%

$209,250 to $373,650

$171,850 to $373,650

35%

Over $373,650

Over $373,650

· 2010 Federal Income Tax Brackets (IRS Tax Rates)

WHAT ARE THE 5 BIGGEST TAX BREAKS?

Out of the 100-plus tax breaks passed SO FAR for home-based businesses, here are the TOP FIVE:

1. Home Office Deduction (this even lets you write-off your RENT!)

2. Business-Use of Personal Vehicles (this may be your BIGGEST deduction)

3. ALL out-of-pocket Health and Medical Costs (for the whole family!) and hiring your own children.

4. Combining Business with Pleasure while on Trips (vacations just became deductible!)

5. Meals and Entertainment (this deduction is bigger than ever, and totally safe!)


If you would like to take advantage of home-based benefits and put more money into your pockets, click here.

If you already have a home-based business and are concerned you may be overpaying your taxes, click here.

Home business tax savings are one of the most compelling reasons to start a home based business. Many people who get a second job actually bring home LESS money as they move into a higher tax bracket ... where starting a business and using the home business tax deductions can actually increase your take home pay.

Why Everyone Needs A Home Business

By Sanford C. Botkin

This may be a decade of tremendous corporate profits and economic growth, but for the vast majority of North Americans, the 90's have been a dismal, uphill climb. And many economists believe that this next, new millennium won't be getting better any time soon.

Why?

Changing business and government attitudes are the reason. There has seemingly been more anti-business legislation in the last decade than in any other this century. Stronger employment and labor laws, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Comprehensive Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA, which includes mandating health insurance for workers for a period of time after they leave employment), safety laws, much tougher laws for discharging workers, more liabilities for lawsuits, Family Leave Act, Americans With Disabilities Act (which is creating immense numbers of lawsuits), along with higher minimum wages and fringe benefits.

Just reading this list is exhausting.

While these acts have beneficial and protective aspects, they have also encouraged businesses to move their facilities. That "sucking sound" popularized by Ross Perot is not just down to Mexico, but elsewhere as well. The result has been a dramatic loss of heavy industry in the U.S.

The young and the middle-aged alike are realizing that their dream of "having a job with a company forever" is an illusion. Companies have been downsizing, rightsizing and capsizing for some time now, and they continue to do so—more now than ever before. Even the federal and state governments are getting into the act with layoffs and attrition of jobs.

In addition to all this uncertainty and mutual lack of loyalty between companies and employees, even the workers who do keep their jobs have no guarantee of promotions due to the shrinking number of management positions. These circumstances aggravate the already tryingly long commutes in rush hour traffic and increasingly typical frustrated boss--spelled backwards, that double S-O-B.

Finally, if all this isn't bad enough, under recent tax laws employees are shafted more than ever with limits and thresholds for their employee deductions and higher social security tax limits. This results in more couples working than ever before and, on many occasions, working at more than one job. It is now almost impossible to have only one job in the family and make ends meet! Today, many households need three incomes just to survive.

Sadly, even having more than one job does not produce any major positive effect on most people's bank accounts. Why? Because of tax laws. This was well illustrated in 1994 by Jane Bryant Quinn in her Woman's Day article on "How to Live on One Salary."

Where The Money Goes

Ms. Quinn's example assumed that a man was earning $40,000 per year. His wife (we will call her Lori) wasn't working. They had more month than money. (Sound familiar?) Lori subsequently got an administrative job for $15,000 per year. You would think this would improve the family's financial situation, but when Ms. Quinn examined the economics of getting this extra income, the results were startling!

Lori had to pay federal and state taxes on her new income. Since they filed jointly, the family's combined income was what established their tax bracket. She paid $4,500 in new taxes, most of which was non-deductible, for federal and state income tax.

Lori had social security withheld from her paycheck at the rate of 7.65 percent, which amounted to an additional nondeductible amount of $1,148 being extracted from her salary. She also had to commute to work 10 miles a day round trip, which is probably conservative for most people. This resulted (in 1995) in nondeductible commuting costs of $696.

Lori also had some child care expenses, which give a partial tax credit. Ms. Quinn figured that the amount spent over and beyond the tax credit was $4,250 per year.

Lori also ate out each day with colleagues, spending an average of $5 per day, five days a week. This results in a nondeductible expense of $1,250 a year. (I would love to know where she ate for only $5.)

Now that Lori has a job, she has to have professional clothing--this means a hefty dry cleaning bill. Ms. Quinn assumed that Lori's increased expenses here amounted to an extra $1,000 per year, nondeductible, of course.

Finally, with both spouses working, Lori wasn't in the mood to cook dinner every night. They bought more convenience foods and ate out more frequently. This resulted in increased food costs of a nondeductible $1,000 per year at minimum.

Add it all up and Lori's take-home pay was a paltry $1,156 a year, for which she had to put up with a daily commute, an unpleasant boss and corporate hassles. (See the following summary of all these numbers, so you can do the math for yourself.)

Gross Income

$15,000

LESS

State and Federal Taxes

-4,500

Social Security Taxes

Car Expenses

-696

(at 29cpm-50 miles a week)

Child Care

-4,250

Lunches at the Job

-1,250

Business Clothing & Drycleaning

-1,000

Higher food expenses (eating

-1,000

out, snack foods, etc.)

Net take-home pay:

$1,156


No wonder more and more people are starting home-based businesses. In fact, there are currently an estimated 30 million people working from their homes. This number is expected to more than triple, to 97 million, by the year 2000, and to keep on growing. This has become and will continue to be one of the greatest mass movements in the U.S.

If you would like to take advantage of home-based benefits and put more money into your pockets, click here.

If you already have a home-based business and are concerned you may be overpaying your taxes, click here.

Executive Pay - Salaries and Compensation for Management - WSJ.com

Executive Pay - Salaries and Compensation for Management - WSJ.com

Middle Class in Crisis: America Needs a Reality Check

Friday, November 12, 2010

Retire in 10 Years - Make Money from Home

10 Effective Ways to Generate Website Traffic

OK, let me get straight to the point ...

Here are 10 effective methods to generate
traffic to your website:

1. Leave comments on other people's blogs with
a backlink to your site.

2. Advertise your website or service in the
appropriate category on Craigslist.org

3. Participate in LinkedIn.com

4. Exchange reciprocal links with other related
sites in your niche.

5. Purchase ad spots or solo email ads in
popular newsletters or ezines from
directoryofezines.com

6. Submit articles to trade magazines with a
link to your site in your bio

7. Use OnlyWire.com to automate your social
bookmarking and automatically generate
backlinks and traffic

8. Promote your website on the "Thank you" page
of other sales sites related to your niche.
Work out a mutually beneficial commission
with the site owners.

9. Participate in online forum conversations that
are related to your product, and insert your
site link into the signature area.

10. Create your own blog at blogger.com. Blogging
is a powerful and effective way to get free
traffic from search engines, RSS feeds, other
blogs, blog directories .. and more!
Find out if you qualify for a two-week or 30-day trial of an income opportunity
How to Retire in 10 Years Or Less
10 Ways Not to Promote Your Website - The Web Developer's Journal

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Home Business Tax Savings -- Why Everyone Needs A Home Business

Home Business Tax Savings -- Why Everyone Needs A Home Business
How To Create Your Dream Life - Randy Gage Channel

How to Dream Big - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

How to Dream Big - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

25 Simple Ways to Motivate Yourself

25 Simple Ways to Motivate Yourself

How to Motivate Yourself: 4 Timeless Thoughts

How to Motivate Yourself: 4 Timeless Thoughts

How To Motivate Myself: Create A Successful Day, Everyday

How To Motivate Myself: Create A Successful Day, Everyday

How To Motivate Yourself – Self Motivation | PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement

How To Motivate Yourself – Self Motivation | PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement

Ways To Increase Your Personal Motivation

Ways To Increase Your Personal Motivation

Five Ways to Increase Personal Sales

Five Ways to Increase Personal Sales

How To Identify and Overcome Objections

How To Identify and Overcome Objections

10 Ways to Overcome Sales Objections

10 Ways to Overcome Sales Objections

How to Telemarket | eHow.com

How to Telemarket | eHow.com
Les Brown - Live Full, Die Empty - Motivational Training 3-Minute Video.

Monday, August 23, 2010

How to Eliminate Your Debt in 3 Steps

Eliminating debt is the focus of more and more people these days. Perhaps it is due to the recession and the lack of personal wealth. Bad debt results from financing things (using your credit card to buy things) that can be consumed such as dining out, clothes, auto repairs, and even groceries. Too much bad debt can create an unhealthy financial situation. When you calculate the amount of total debt you are carrying including your mortgage, car note(s) credit cards, medical expenses, and others, the total can be quite staggering. Now calculate how much bad debt you are carrying in order to understand your true financial situation.

If you are serious about eliminating your debt, follow the steps outlined below:

1. Determine why you want to eliminate your debt.

Understanding why you want to eliminate your debt is critical. The reasons you want to eliminate debt will be a constant reminder to you when things get tough that it is worth the effort.

Do you want to eliminate your debt in order to save for retirement? According to an article in MSN entitled “Retirement crisis: From bad to worse”, the Baby Boomers and the post-boomer generations are facing a retirement crisis. Many Baby Boomers have tapped into their retirement accounts in order to pay their bills as a result of the high unemployment rate and the recession.

Do you want to eliminate your debt in order to establish an emergency fund? Has life ever thrown you a curve ball? Do you think it is possible that you will be thrown another curve ball? The point I’m trying to make here is expect the unexpected. An emergency fund will allow you to sustain your standard of living should you lose your income source. An emergency fund of three to six months is recommended. You can calculate the amount you need for an emergency fund by multiplying your monthly expenses by six. The emergency fund should be accessible but only in the event a sudden loss of income occurs. Having an emergency fund provides a sense of security and may help reduce your stress levels.

Do you want to eliminate your debt in order to establish or contribute more to your children’s college fund? Do you realize that over the past 35 years, the cost of college has mushroomed by 1000%? At the same time, the importance of higher education has increased by the same amount. College degrees and in many cases, graduate degrees are required in order to obtain employment in the United States.

Do you want to eliminate your debt in order to spend more time with you hobbies, buy an RV, or take a vacation? Do you want to eliminate your debt in order to support the church or charitable organizations? Do you want to eliminate your debt in order to start a business and live the life of your dreams. Do you envision the day when you can devote all of your time and energy to your own business?

2. Put together a plan.

Having determined the reasons for eliminating your debt, it is now time to put together a plan. Your plan should include a set of goals with associated timelines for eliminating your debt. For example, one goal would be to eliminate all credit card debt within one year from today. Or perhaps, eliminate all medical bills within six months from today. Write down your goals along with the respective deadlines. Setting goals and writing them down are crucial to your success because you simply cannot go somewhere if you do not know where you want to go.

When creating a plan to eliminate credit card debt, many financial experts advise that you eliminate the credit card debt with the highest interest rate first then proceed to the next highest. For example, let’s say you have four credit cards. The interest rates are 23%, 19%, 16%, and 12%. Their approach would be to pay additional money to the credit card company that is charging you 23% and once that balance is reduced to zero, pay additional money to the credit card company that is charging you 19% and pay off that credit card’s debt and so forth.

You want to take the balance into consideration when developing a plan to eliminate credit card debt. It may be wiser to pay off the credit card with the lowest balance then put that credit card in cold storage. Pay the credit card off with the next lowest balance using the additional money that is now available and so forth.

Whichever strategy you choose, remember to write down your goal and timeline for each credit card. The same process can be used to eliminate medical bills, car notes, and even your mortgage if you wish.

Eliminating your unsecured debt with the help of debt consolidating or debt settlement companies will allow you to eliminate your debt in a shorter period of time but your credit will be adversely affected. Debt consolidating companies actually work on behalf of the credit card companies and negotiate to lower interest rates with them. Your debt remains the same. Only the interest rate changes. Your payments may increase due to the shortened time frame negotiated for payoff.

Debt settlement companies will negotiate to actually reduce your debt owed to each creditor. In some cases, your debt can be reduced as much as 75%. You can eliminate your debt quicker can pay less money to eliminate your debt with debt settlement rather than debt consolidating companies but remember your credit will be adversely affected by using the services of debt settlement companies.

3. Execute your plan.

Now that you have your goals and timelines as well as your plan, it’s time to put it into action. Take action immediately and don’t procrastinate. “To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.” ~Eva Young

It’s important to imagine a debt-free life. Motivate yourself by visualizing how life would be without the debt you wish to eliminate and remind yourself of the reasons you wish to eliminate your debt.

Celebrate each achievement and reward yourself (without adding to your debt of course). Take pride in the fact that you are on the road to a better, less stressful, and happier life.

Never give up on yourself or your dreams.

Auto Pilot Income – How to Make Thousands of Dollars Working From Home

Many people today are looking for ways to make money from home in order to supplement their income. They are looking for ways to make money without putting in a 40-hour work week. Fortunately for them, there are plenty of what I call “Auto Pilot Income” opportunities. These opportunities will allow you to make several hundreds or thousands of dollars monthly from your home without requiring you to make a full time effort.

The key elements of the Auto Pilot Income opportunities are advertising, fulfillment, need, market size, and urgency. Mastering each of these elements will allow you to become very successful and achieve the financial goals you have created for yourself. A brief discussion of each element follows.

Advertising – People need to know you have something to sell them. Connecting the buyer and seller is what advertising is all about. Putting your message in front of the prospect and allowing them to evaluate it and take action. There are many ways to advertise in this age. One of the most popular methods is online and more precisely pay per click advertising. With this method, the advertiser (that’s you) only pays the advertising fee when someone clicks on the advertisement. If your campaign is setup correctly, it’s a great way to ensure that the people you are trying to target are seeing your ad. There is a bit of a trial and error period for novices but there’s plenty of resources to steer you in the right direction as well.

Word of mouth advertising is also still popular as evident by the number of network marketing systems in place. Network marketing is a great way to inform people about you and your product or service. It’s a low-cost method that allows for a somewhat personal touch. Given enough time and with enough people, you can communicate your message to the masses in a very effective manner.
Print advertising is still alive and well but not as popular as in previous times. People still read newspapers and magazines but the majority of your prospects will be online these days. You should attempt to negotiate a hard bargain when it comes to print advertising. Be sure you get the facts on how many people receive the periodical and the frequency it goes to print. Also ensure that your ad is picture perfect before it goes to print because it can’t be updated once it has been printed.

Fulfillment – There was a time when a business owner received an order, packaged the product, and shipped the order to the customer. Now, with the help of technology, the business owner can be thousands of miles from the fulfillment center. Many products that are shipped come from warehouses in which the business owner rarely visits. An order can be placed online then sent to the fulfillment center. The fulfillment center staff receive the order, package the product, and ship it to the customer. The business owner is not tied to the warehouse and in many cases, is unaware of the fulfilled order until he or she reviews the production reports. There are many companies that excel in fulfilling orders and will gladly take the responsibility off of your hands, for a small fee of course.

There are also many companies that provide services that once were the sole obligation of the business owner. These companies can learn about your business, train their representatives in the most efficient manners to provide the quality services the business owner once provided. Outsourcing has become a very popular strategy for large companies but the small business owner is learning how to profit from the strategy as well.

Need – Regardless of the type of advertising you select and whether you fulfill the product or service personally or outsource those tasks, it is imperative that your business addresses and solves a need in the market place. Without a real need, it is going to be difficult to convince someone that your imitation alligator laptop carrying case is a real bargain – at any price!

Identifying a need is critical and should be the first step when starting a new business or launching a new product or service. What is it that people are willing to pay their hard-earned money for these days? What is going on in the world around you? Where are people going? What are people doing? What will people be doing? Ah ha! Being able to predict the future is necessary if you want to be successful with identifying a need. Before you go digging through your attic for the crystal ball that you’re now seeking, let me assure you that there are plenty of market research companies that have put a lot of time and effort into predicting the future for you. There are countless marketing reports available at a price that will help you in your search for a need.

There are also numerous resources that will help you gather your own market data. The point is that a need must be uncovered before money or energy is spent on advertising. One such need that has been covered in depth recently by the media is retirement and more specifically, retirement for baby boomers. Many baby boomers are quite concerned about their ability to afford retirement. Many surveys have shown that people from this group are delaying retirement and working longer because they have not saved sufficiently for their future.

Market Size – Size does matter in this case. Your market size will determine how much money is available for your product or service. Do you want to be a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond? The market size should be large enough to accommodate you and future competitors that Carpe Diem also. Is your market large enough locally or will you need to launch a national campaign in order to reach your financial targets?

Taking the baby boomer market example which, by the way, consists of approximately 77 million people, one can see numerous opportunities or needs within one group. 77 million people is a really big market. As a matter of fact, many of the large companies in the world today have been marketing to this group for a long time. They see the importance of reaching this target audience because of the size of it as well as other reasons.

Urgency – This is what is used to get them off of the fence. Retailers use one-day only sales in order for customers to pull out their wallets. “This opportunity won’t last long” is common among advertisers stressing the deadline for a particular promotion. Without urgency, your prospects will delay their decision to purchase until they have enough reason to purchase (if any). Urgency must be created so your prospects will take appropriate action which is to buy what you’re selling.

Many online business owners utilize limited-time promotions or limited inventory in some cases in order to create a sense of urgency. The prospect needs to feel compelled to take the next step if you are going to be successful.
Do you think the baby boomers facing retirement feel a sense of urgency? Are they running out of time and options? How serious would it be if they ran out of money? Do you get the picture?

Becoming successful with the advertising, fulfillment, need, market size, and urgency elements will ensure your financial success.

Find the Best Small Business to Start Up Immediately...- And on a Shoestring Budget

Are you searching for the best small business to start on a shoestring? The key is choosing profitable small business ideas. Today more than ever, starting a small business of your own is within reach. No longer do budding entrepreneurs have to have big cash on hand to realize their dreams of small business ownership.

In fact, you can successfully operate and grow a small business right from your own home. There are literally hundreds of small business ideas well suited to “work at home” entrepreneurs.

Since you’re visiting this blog, more than likely you have been putting some serious thought into having a small business of your own. So why not consider small business ideas which offer you maximum freedom and flexibility, such as work at home opportunities?

Take a minute to think about all of the people you know who have been talking about starting a business for years. Perhaps some are your family, friends or even co-workers.

So, what does it take for you to find the best small business to start right now — and with limited start up money? You’re only 3 steps away from finding the answer.

Step One: Take a look at the facts

Fact #1: According to a recent study of entrepreneurship by the Kauffman Foundation, about 30% of American adults are starting up new businesses each month. That’s about 495,000 new businesses every month, and just under 6 million new businesses each year.

Fact #2: According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 56% of these new businesses will not make it beyond 4 years, with one third closing their doors in as little as 2 years! This means your new business has a 44% chance of survival beyond 5 years and a 31% chance of making it beyond 7 years.

Fact #3: The leading cause of start up failure is lack of operating capital — or, simply stated, MONEY!

Step Two: Analyze the facts

These facts seem to indicate that not having adequate business start up funding and a steady supply of operating capital leads to business failure, and ultimately shut down. This is where finding the best small business to start can have a huge impact on success or failure.

Step Three: Draw Your Conclusions

Reducing small business start up costs and operating expenses will give a new business a better chance of survival. Therefore, being successful in your new business venture requires conserving your financial resources by choosing small business ideas with low start up costs and the potential for high profitability.

So what is the best small business to start?

Answer: A Home Business. Choose profitable small business ideas which will make it possible for you to work at home. It’s cost effective, convenient and it can give you the freedom and flexibility to spend more time with family and friends.

When many people think of “work at home” business opportunities, they often think of stuffing envelopes or assembling parts. However, there are many more creative, fun and profitable “work at home” small business ideas for you to discover right here.

When it comes to starting up a home business, one of the biggest questions we’ve often been asked is “which home business opportunity is the easiest, quickest, most profitable and requires little money to start.

Answer? Discovering the best small business to start usually comes from making an honest assessment of your skills, talents, abilities and work experience.

However, this is not a hard and fast rule. What if you’ve trained all of your life for a profession you absolutely hate, and all of your education and work experience relates to a career that you don’t intend to continue pursuing? That’s where passion comes into play.

3 Considerations For Finding the Best Small Business to Start…

#1. Find Your Passion:

Do what you love and love what you do.

#2. Bootstrap:

Keep start up and operating costs low by operating a home business.

#3. Learn to Earn:

Get the skills and training you need to successfully start, manage and
grow your small business.

The best small business to start begins with an idea that you’re passionate about, even if you have yet to get the training and skills required to make it a success. You see, if you love what you do, you’ll enjoy every minute of learning how to do it professionally.

Even if you are high on ambition and have the education and experience to run a business, none of that matters if you don’t have the confidence of first determining the small business idea that’s right for you.

Operating a home business is the first step to starting up on a shoestring. The second step is getting a good education in bootstrapping. This is not as hard as you may think. There are many great resources available to help you along.

Find the “work at home” business idea that’s right for you!

To Your Start Up Success!

Consider joining NASBP for additional information and guidance.

How to Prosper in a Recession

Remember when Social Security and Medicare were the main subjects of conversation. In 2005, the Social Security trustees admitted that Social Security would be insolvent by 2017 due to the number of people reaching retirement age versus the number of people paying into the program. More benefits will be paid out that will be paid in by taxes. The program is expected to go broke by 2041 according to the trustees. These headlines are no longer getting our attention thanks to the financial storm we are in currently. Experts agree that we are in a recession. By definition, a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative growth in the economy. The effects include escalating foreclosure, bankruptcy, and unemployment rates. In October 2008, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the unemployment rate was 6.5% which is the highest rate in 5 years. People worry about their incomes and spend less, causing the economy to shrink more. If there is too much of a downward spiral, it becomes a depression. It’s not surprising that 77 million baby boomers are nervous about retirement. This article is intended to provide hope to anyone who has been a financial victim of the financial crisis that many have compared to a financial hurricane Katrina. Begin by organizing your debt. Your debt could be dragging you down more than you realize during a recession than any other time. There are several ways to seriously handle your debt:

Create a budget and get control over your spending IMMEDIATELY!

Put yourself in a situation where you have as much cash as possible. Put a handle on the amount of money you’re spending. Reduce unnecessary expenditures. Put off the around the world cruise until the economy is in positive territory and there are no threats to your income. Create an account at your bank and use it as an emergency fund if you don’t already have one. The goal is to have at least one thousand dollars in the account as soon as possible. It is to be used in cases of emergencies not to replace income. An emergency fund will help reduce the stress levels as well as cover for the unexpected events in life that would otherwise put you further into debt. Attack debt aggressively! There are several options to getting out of debt:

Eliminate debt with highest interest rates.
Many financial planners advise that you begin paying off your credit cards with the highest interest rates first. Their reasoning makes sense but you may want to begin an aggressive campaign to pay off the credit card with the lowest balance first then making extra payments on the credit cards with the highest interest rates. This will provide you with a sense of accomplishment as well as additional money to put towards the remaining credit card payments. Consolidate your unsecured debt. You probably have heard of non-profit companies offering debt consolidation services. What these companies do is negotiate with the credit card companies on your behalf to lower the interest rates. Your total monthly payment will remain the same or it may increase if the debt is to be paid off in a shorter period of time than the normal time period. For example, let’s say you have four credit cards and owe $12,000 in total credit card debt. And let’s assume that it will take you eleven years to pay off the balance by making the minimum payments. A debt consolidation company will negotiate lower interest rates with the credit card companies in order for you to pay off the balance in less time. This may cause your monthly payment to increase and it will also negatively affect your credit report because this type of service is considered to be third party intervention which appears on your credit report as a bankruptcy.

Settle your unsecured debt.
The services of a debt-settlement company are much different than the services of a debt consolidation company. Debt-settlement companies negotiate the debt balances with your credit card companies on your behalf. Using the example above, your debt could be lowered by as much as 80% as a result of the negotiations. You would be making payments to pay off a $2,400 debt balance rather than making payments on your original $12,000 debt balance. Your monthly payments would be greatly reduced and you could be out of debt within three years rather than eleven. Your credit report will be adversely affected. Your creditors will report late payments or account settled to the credit bureaus. These remarks will lower your credit score and make borrowing for large ticket items difficult.

File bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy is designed to help people who are insolvent and cannot pay their debts. Bankruptcy requirements and laws have become more stringent in the last several years for people wishing to apply. Keep in mind that bankruptcy is not a get out of debt free pass. There are attorney fees and, depending on the type of bankruptcy you are awarded, you may need to continue making payments to your creditors. Obviously bankruptcy reflects negatively on your credit report and can remain on your credit report for up to ten years and can prevent you from obtaining credit, insurance, an apartment rental, and even employment. This choice should be your last resort.

Make more money!
That’s right. Even in a recession there are opportunities to make more money than you were making before the recession. There are many industries that are unaffected by recessions and there are industries that thrive during recessions. Let’s examine the current conditions. Interest rates are extremely low. Ordinarily this would be the ideal time to borrow money or refinance your auto or home. However money is tight. The banks are reluctant to lend money out of fear that the money will not be repaid. With interest rates this low, investors are having difficulty finding investment vehicles to grow their money. The stock market traditionally has provided double-digit returns. Do you think anyone in their right mind is willing to invest heavily in the market today especially after experiencing a 52% decline in just one year? Foreclosures are at record levels and people are struggling to pay their mortgages on time. Even more are having difficulty paying their property taxes.

People are concerned about their jobs. Major corporations have announced significant layoffs which will ripple through the economy. Right time and right place. Taking these conditions into perspective, it would appear that people who could provide information to investors with options to grow their money aggressively (from 8% to 50% annually) with little or no risk, would be in high demand. People who could show others how to begin a business allowing them to replace their income would be in high demand as well because home-based businesses offer tremendous tax benefits as well as income opportunities. Prospering during a recession will require you to organize your personal finances in a way that will free up money. Use this money to create an emergency fund if you don’t already have one. Use the remaining money to invest in high-return, low risk investments and to start a tax-reducing business. This business will help investors find opportunities to grow their money and help others concerned about their jobs to reduce taxes and replace their income with a home business as well. When you help enough people, you will prosper and spiral up and out of this recession with enough momentum to put you on the track of becoming extremely wealthy.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Citigroup Settlement Shows Low Cost of Lying to Markets - CNBC

Citigroup Settlement Shows Low Cost of Lying to Markets - CNBC

Double-Dip? Doesn't Matter, As Investors Are Still Scared - Yahoo! Finance

Double-Dip? Doesn't Matter, As Investors Are Still Scared - Yahoo! Finance

Recession Still Challenging Marketers

Recession Still Challenging Marketers

Sales and Marketing Skills for a Slow Market: Ways to Keep Selling When Customers Tend to Keep Saying No

Sales and Marketing Skills for a Slow Market: Ways to Keep Selling When Customers Tend to Keep Saying No

How to Find a Job Fast: Simple Tips to Make the Job Search More Effective

How to Find a Job Fast: Simple Tips to Make the Job Search More Effective

How Twitter Can Help Job Seekers Find Jobs: Harnessing the Power of Twitter for Networking and Visibility

How Twitter Can Help Job Seekers Find Jobs: Harnessing the Power of Twitter for Networking and Visibility

Twitter Customized Features for Advanced Users: Creating Free Custom Twitter Backgrounds and Following Celebrities

Twitter Customized Features for Advanced Users: Creating Free Custom Twitter Backgrounds and Following Celebrities

10 Best Sites For Free Twitter Backgrounds: Give Your Twitter Page a Customized Look Without Spending a Dime

10 Best Sites For Free Twitter Backgrounds: Give Your Twitter Page a Customized Look Without Spending a Dime

Who Uses Twitter?: Online Social Networking Popular With Adults and Businesses

Who Uses Twitter?: Online Social Networking Popular With Adults and Businesses

Twitter 101: Top Tweet Tips for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

Twitter 101: Top Tweet Tips for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

The Twittersphere: What is it, and why join?

The Twittersphere: What is it, and why join?

Twitter "Do's" and "Dont's" for a Business

Twitter "Do's" and "Dont's" for a Business

Twitter Marketing Strategies for Small, Medium and Home Business

Twitter Marketing Strategies for Small, Medium and Home Business

How to use Video Marketing as a Promotional Tool: Short Clips Online Designed to Reach out to Prospective Customers

How to use Video Marketing as a Promotional Tool: Short Clips Online Designed to Reach out to Prospective Customers

Advertising Media for Small Business: Choose the Most Cost Effective Advertising Medium for Your Business

Advertising Media for Small Business: Choose the Most Cost Effective Advertising Medium for Your Business

Recovery loses speed as consumers turn cautious - Yahoo! Finance

Recovery loses speed as consumers turn cautious - Yahoo! Finance

Recession was deeper than gov't previously thought - Yahoo! Finance

Recession was deeper than gov't previously thought - Yahoo! Finance

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Americans More Risk Averse and Worried - Merrill

Americans More Risk Averse and Worried - Merrill

3 Things You Can Do Right Now To Boost Your Retirement Nest Egg

1. Stop Contributing to Your 401(k) or IRA.
A key labor union ally of the Obama administration has mounted an effort to create government-mandated worker retirement accounts as an entitlement program, with the possibility that a portion of all private retirement funds could be forced into U.S. Treasury debt. How do you feel about the government telling you how to invest your money?

2. Invest in Tax Liens and Tax Deeds.
Tax lien certificates and tax deeds are little known or understood investment types that can reap tremendous rewards for their owners. Essentially they combine the potentially high returns usually associated with riskier investments with the security offered by lower income financial instruments such as bonds. How does earning 16% to 25% on your money with minimal risk sound? Too good to be true? Not in this case.

3. Become a Network Marketing Business Owner.
Network marketing is a supported business system which provides tremendous leverage. It is one of the best ways a person can develop great wealth with little startup cost. Have you noticed that the wealthy are business owners? Ever wonder why?

Google in talks to build Facebook competitor: report - Yahoo! Finance

Google in talks to build Facebook competitor: report - Yahoo! Finance

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Executive PayWatch 2010. Getting paid to eliminate jobs!

Executive PayWatch 2010. Getting paid to eliminate jobs!

The Buzz: Cash is king. Too bad businesses are hoarding it. - Jul. 14, 2010

The Buzz: Cash is king. Too bad businesses are hoarding it. - Jul. 14, 2010

The fear economy: 'Unusual uncertainty' drags on recovery - Yahoo! Finance

The fear economy: 'Unusual uncertainty' drags on recovery - Yahoo! Finance

Small Business Grants | Business.gov

Small Business Grants | Business.gov

Business Tax Credits

Business Tax Credits

how the latest earnings will only create more rage at corporate america: Tech Ticker, Yahoo! Finance

how the latest earnings will only create more rage at corporate america: Tech Ticker, Yahoo! Finance

Consumer confidence retreats further in July - Yahoo! Finance

Consumer confidence retreats further in July - Yahoo! Finance

Friday, July 23, 2010

Pay czar will not fight banks on $1.6B in exec pay - Yahoo! Finance

Pay czar will not fight banks on $1.6B in exec pay - Yahoo! Finance

3 Things You Can Do Right Now To Build Wealth

1. Stop Contributing to Your 401(k) or IRA.
A key labor union ally of the Obama administration has mounted an effort to create government-mandated worker retirement accounts as an entitlement program, with the possibility that a portion of all private retirement funds could be forced into U.S. Treasury debt.

2. Invest in Tax Liens and Tax Deeds.
Tax lien certificates and tax deeds are little known or understood investment types that can reap tremendous rewards for their owners. Essentially they combine the potentially high returns usually associated with riskier investments with the security offered by lower income financial instruments such as bonds.

3. Become a Network Marketing Business Owner.
Network marketing is a supported business system which provides tremendous leverage. It is one of the best ways a person can develop great wealth with little startup cost.

Obama ally targets 401(k) dollars

Obama ally targets 401(k) dollars

Pay czar: 17 bailed-out banks overpaid executives - Yahoo! Finance

Pay czar: 17 bailed-out banks overpaid executives - Yahoo! Finance

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Good debt vs. bad debt - Yahoo! Finance

Good debt vs. bad debt - Yahoo! Finance

TARP watchdog: Economy still on government life support - Yahoo! Finance

TARP watchdog: Economy still on government life support - Yahoo! Finance

Make Money by Helping Baby Boomers Retire

Make Money by Helping Baby Boomers Retire

How to Prosper in a Recession

How to Prosper in a Recession

Fed Chief Says Recovery Continues but Outlook Is Uncertain - NYTimes.com

Fed Chief Says Recovery Continues but Outlook Is Uncertain - NYTimes.com

7 ways financial reform will impact your life

7 ways financial reform will impact your life

Fed chief open to new steps to keep recovery going - Yahoo! Finance

Fed chief open to new steps to keep recovery going - Yahoo! Finance

Some Top Home Based Business Ideas | Headlines Dot Com

Some Top Home Based Business Ideas Headlines Dot Com

Friday, July 9, 2010

Blogging As a New Internet Marketing Tool « mbt womens sport high

Blogging As a New Internet Marketing Tool « mbt womens sport high

SEO | Search Engine Marketing | Internet Marketing

SEO | Search Engine Marketing | Internet Marketing

Learn Internet Marketing For Free | Template Design Blog. Design tips/tricks. Templates/Skins for Sale.

Learn Internet Marketing For Free | Template Design Blog. Design tips/tricks. Templates/Skins for Sale.

Cost Effective Internet Marketing Strategies

Cost Effective Internet Marketing Strategies

Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Paid Search Advertising (PPC) - Search Engine Watch (SEW)

Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Paid Search Advertising (PPC) - Search Engine Watch (SEW)

Internet Marketing Today » Blog Archive » How to Get Pay-per-click Advertising for Free

Internet Marketing Today » Blog Archive » How to Get Pay-per-click Advertising for Free

The Ultimate Internet Marketing Seminar Website

The Ultimate Internet Marketing Seminar Website

Page 1 Internet Marketing

Page 1 Internet Marketing

How To Make Money Blogging - Blogging To The Bank

How To Make Money Blogging - Blogging To The Bank

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internet marketing

Home Internet Marketing › Learn About Home Internet Marketing

Home Internet Marketing › Learn About Home Internet Marketing

Free Internet Marketing - Free Marketing Resources

Free Internet Marketing - Free Marketing Resources

Free SEO Tools, Internet Marketing Tools and Backlink Checkers.

Free SEO Tools, Internet Marketing Tools and Backlink Checkers.

Marketing Tools & Resources | Free Guides

Marketing Tools & Resources | Free Guides

Proven Internet Marketing Advice By Duncan Carver...

Proven Internet Marketing Advice By Duncan Carver...

Learn Internet Marketing Strategies Free at Self-Starters Weekly Tips!

Learn Internet Marketing Strategies Free at Self-Starters Weekly Tips!

Free Internet Marketing Start Up Strategy And Research Advice, More.

Free Internet Marketing Start Up Strategy And Research Advice, More.

#1 Directory of Free Advertising and The 1,000 Free Advertising Project!

#1 Directory of Free Advertising and The 1,000 Free Advertising Project!

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Free advertising! Free classifieds Free classified Ads Free Ads Free Internet advertising Free online advertising Email Advertising Online classifieds

Internet Marketing - How To Start And Grow Your Internet Business - Online Marketing

Internet Marketing - How To Start And Grow Your Internet Business - Online Marketing

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Internet Marketing for Free

Learn How To Make Money Online At The Keyword Academy

Learn How To Make Money Online At The Keyword Academy

Make Money Online-How To Make Money Online-Make Money Fast

Make Money Online-How To Make Money Online-Make Money Fast

Make Money Online: How to Make Money Online

Make Money Online: How to Make Money Online

Make Money Online (Without Spending a Dime)

Make Money Online (Without Spending a Dime)

Moola Days — Ways to Make Money Online (Fast & Free)

Moola Days — Ways to Make Money Online (Fast & Free)

101 Ways To Make Money – Learn How To Make Money Online  

101 Ways To Make Money – Learn How To Make Money Online  

IMF presses US to cut debt - Yahoo! Singapore News

IMF presses US to cut debt - Yahoo! Singapore News

Greece to auction 1.25bln euros of debt: officials - Yahoo! Singapore News

Greece to auction 1.25bln euros of debt: officials - Yahoo! Singapore News

Actor Ed Norton named UN biodiversity ambassador - Yahoo! Singapore News

Actor Ed Norton named UN biodiversity ambassador - Yahoo! Singapore News

Wells Fargo cuts free checking ahead of new rules - Yahoo! Singapore News

Wells Fargo cuts free checking ahead of new rules - Yahoo! Singapore News

US-BUSINESS Summary - Yahoo! Singapore News

US-BUSINESS Summary - Yahoo! Singapore News

FDIC says regulators closed 90th bank of year - Yahoo! Singapore News

FDIC says regulators closed 90th bank of year - Yahoo! Singapore News

Thousands demonstrate as new strike cripples Greece - Yahoo! Singapore News

Thousands demonstrate as new strike cripples Greece - Yahoo! Singapore News

No full Social Security benefits until age 70? - Yahoo! News

No full Social Security benefits until age 70? - Yahoo! News

Monday, July 5, 2010

Macarthur Coal Raises Its Full Year Profit Forecast on Increased Sales - Bloomberg

Macarthur Coal Raises Its Full Year Profit Forecast on Increased Sales - Bloomberg

Bilfinger Berger Postpones IPO for Australian Unit, Citing Negative Market - Bloomberg

Bilfinger Berger Postpones IPO for Australian Unit, Citing Negative Market - Bloomberg

Losses Buried in European Bank Balance Sheets Threaten EU Stress Test Plan - Bloomberg

Losses Buried in European Bank Balance Sheets Threaten EU Stress Test Plan - Bloomberg

Bank of England Will Keep Rates on Hold Until at Least May 2011, BCC Says - Bloomberg

Bank of England Will Keep Rates on Hold Until at Least May 2011, BCC Says - Bloomberg

Bank of England Will Keep Rates on Hold Until at Least May 2011, BCC Says - Bloomberg

Bank of England Will Keep Rates on Hold Until at Least May 2011, BCC Says - Bloomberg

Clinton Seeks to Allay Russia Reset Concern in Former Soviet-Bloc States - Bloomberg

Clinton Seeks to Allay Russia Reset Concern in Former Soviet-Bloc States - Bloomberg

Deficits Shrink Most in Decades as Slowing Growth Still Lets S&P 500 Rally - Bloomberg

Deficits Shrink Most in Decades as Slowing Growth Still Lets S&P 500 Rally - Bloomberg

Hungary Seeks IMF Help Restoring Confidence After `Unfortunate' Comments - Bloomberg

Hungary Seeks IMF Help Restoring Confidence After `Unfortunate' Comments - Bloomberg

Euro Worst to Come for Most-Accurate Analysts as TD Securities Sees Parity - Bloomberg

Euro Worst to Come for Most-Accurate Analysts as TD Securities Sees Parity - Bloomberg

Euro Falls on Concern European Central Bank Will Keep Rates Low for Longer - Bloomberg

Euro Falls on Concern European Central Bank Will Keep Rates Low for Longer - Bloomberg

Toyota Halts Production in India After Nationwide Worker Strike, NHK Says - Bloomberg

Toyota Halts Production in India After Nationwide Worker Strike, NHK Says - Bloomberg

Wall Street Lawyers Take Hong Kong Exam in Search of China Advisory Fees - Bloomberg

Wall Street Lawyers Take Hong Kong Exam in Search of China Advisory Fees - Bloomberg

China Jails U.S. Geologist for Eight Years for Selling State Oil Secrets - Bloomberg

China Jails U.S. Geologist for Eight Years for Selling State Oil Secrets - Bloomberg