A personal check can be a wonderful way to represent your company or oraganization or even just to express yourself. A variety of designer checks are available to choose from that are not only cheap but high quality. Designer checks meet all bank standards and specifications. They are also printed on high quality paper.
It is no secret that banks charge a higher fee for reordering checks. Since it is not necessary to buy checks at your local bank, you can custom design your personal check at a better price. Infact, the company the bank uses to print your checks can give you a better deal than your bank. However, the best way to get cheap but good checks is to order online. Most websites have great promotions and specials including free shipping and a wide variety of designs to choose from.
This website in particular www.buydesignerchecks.com. offers a wide selection from 10,000 different personal as well as business checks. . Categories include Business checks, bestsellers, cartoons, inspirational checks etc
In order to protect yourself from scams, be sure to search online for reviews of a particular website, before ordering your checks.
Using checks that add to your style will add fun and color to using checks.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
The Wall Street Journal is an international daily newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company in New York City. It is the newpaper with the largest circulation in the United States. It also has Asian and European Editions. The paper gets its name from Wall Street which is the heart of the financial district. It has been printed continuously since July 8, 1889.
Dow Jones & Company was founded in 1882 by Charles Dow, Edward Jones and Charles Bergstresser. The small paper Customer’s Afternoon Letter was changed to The Wall Street Journal by Edward Jones and began delivery of the Dow Jones News Services Via Telegraph. Journalist Clarence Baron purchased thepaper in 1902.
The Journal covers business and financial news and issues within the United States and around the world. It has won the Pulitzer prize 33 times which included articles on backdated stock options and the adverse effects to China’s booming economy. No other brand of newspaper has so effectively established its name for its content. The Wall Street Journal is the most associated and noted brand for accurate financial news.
Wall Street Journal is divided into three sections. The main section features any important headlining news from around the world that include political as well as economic news articles.
The second section is the Marketplace. In this section you will find featured stories on technology, corporations etc., Future market prices and a review of commodities are also included in this section
The last section or the Money and Investing section is the page most investors like to read. It contains articles about investment topics, and also will give you a market summary of the Dow, NASDAQ, S&P, Russell 2000, most active stocks, greatest gainers and losers, etc. And, of course, there is a market recap of all the New York Stock Exchange companies, NASDAQ companies, American Exchange companies, T- Bonds and Notes, preferred stock, Mutual fund prices, and closed- end fund price.
The Wall Street Jouranl offers a comprehensive and accurate picture of the financial world and many people enjoy reading the paper. Besides buying the paper, you can susbcribe to a wall street journal student subscription online, today.
Dow Jones & Company was founded in 1882 by Charles Dow, Edward Jones and Charles Bergstresser. The small paper Customer’s Afternoon Letter was changed to The Wall Street Journal by Edward Jones and began delivery of the Dow Jones News Services Via Telegraph. Journalist Clarence Baron purchased thepaper in 1902.
The Journal covers business and financial news and issues within the United States and around the world. It has won the Pulitzer prize 33 times which included articles on backdated stock options and the adverse effects to China’s booming economy. No other brand of newspaper has so effectively established its name for its content. The Wall Street Journal is the most associated and noted brand for accurate financial news.
Wall Street Journal is divided into three sections. The main section features any important headlining news from around the world that include political as well as economic news articles.
The second section is the Marketplace. In this section you will find featured stories on technology, corporations etc., Future market prices and a review of commodities are also included in this section
The last section or the Money and Investing section is the page most investors like to read. It contains articles about investment topics, and also will give you a market summary of the Dow, NASDAQ, S&P, Russell 2000, most active stocks, greatest gainers and losers, etc. And, of course, there is a market recap of all the New York Stock Exchange companies, NASDAQ companies, American Exchange companies, T- Bonds and Notes, preferred stock, Mutual fund prices, and closed- end fund price.
The Wall Street Jouranl offers a comprehensive and accurate picture of the financial world and many people enjoy reading the paper. Besides buying the paper, you can susbcribe to a wall street journal student subscription online, today.
Monday, February 22, 2010
ONLINE FRAUD
With the convenience of online banking and transactions comes the curse of online predators. Here is what you can do to prevent your online banking user ID and password, social security number and other online PIN numbers from being stolen and protect yourself from becoming a vitim of online scamsters, frauds and identity theft.
1. Beware of phishing sites. It is highly impossible that your bank will send you an email requiring you to update your ID and password with them. If you receive such an email, first check the email ID you have received it from. For example, if you receive an email from bankofamerica@yahoo.com to update your password or to input information for your Bank of America account, report it to the bank immediately. The first trigger is the domain of the email and the second is the destination URL. For example, they may give you the actual link of the bank website, but when you click on the link, the URL in the address bar is different from the one you clicked on. If this is the case, then you know that you have been directed to a mirror or phishing site. Another give away is the “https.” Secure sites that require input of information use “https” and not “http.” You will also see a symbolic lock at the end of the address bar on your browser indicating that you are on a secure site.
2. Do not vist sites that contain malware. Sometimes just visiting a site may download malware on your system. Browsers these days give you a warning when you access infected sites. Do not ignore the warning. Be careful while downloading from, or browsing media and entertainment sites, blogs and forums. Most hackers use downloads to spread virus and malware. A deadly form of malware is Rootkit that disguises itself as an executable program within your list of programs and escapes detection. At its most harmless stage, it will spy on your browsing habits and will give the hacker the ability to send pop ups that advertise his products or his site. But at its worst, its will retrive all of your personal information and data that you store on your system as well as that which you enter online. Invest in a good anti virus program. Regularly scan your system and removable media for malware.
3. Avoid giving personal information online. There are online scams that entice you into giving your personal information promising to make you rich overnight, or to deposit money that you have won in the lottery. Steer clear of such emails. Mark them as spam if they end up in your inbox and do not fall prey to online fraudsters and scamsters.
1. Beware of phishing sites. It is highly impossible that your bank will send you an email requiring you to update your ID and password with them. If you receive such an email, first check the email ID you have received it from. For example, if you receive an email from bankofamerica@yahoo.com to update your password or to input information for your Bank of America account, report it to the bank immediately. The first trigger is the domain of the email and the second is the destination URL. For example, they may give you the actual link of the bank website, but when you click on the link, the URL in the address bar is different from the one you clicked on. If this is the case, then you know that you have been directed to a mirror or phishing site. Another give away is the “https.” Secure sites that require input of information use “https” and not “http.” You will also see a symbolic lock at the end of the address bar on your browser indicating that you are on a secure site.
2. Do not vist sites that contain malware. Sometimes just visiting a site may download malware on your system. Browsers these days give you a warning when you access infected sites. Do not ignore the warning. Be careful while downloading from, or browsing media and entertainment sites, blogs and forums. Most hackers use downloads to spread virus and malware. A deadly form of malware is Rootkit that disguises itself as an executable program within your list of programs and escapes detection. At its most harmless stage, it will spy on your browsing habits and will give the hacker the ability to send pop ups that advertise his products or his site. But at its worst, its will retrive all of your personal information and data that you store on your system as well as that which you enter online. Invest in a good anti virus program. Regularly scan your system and removable media for malware.
3. Avoid giving personal information online. There are online scams that entice you into giving your personal information promising to make you rich overnight, or to deposit money that you have won in the lottery. Steer clear of such emails. Mark them as spam if they end up in your inbox and do not fall prey to online fraudsters and scamsters.
CREDIT CARD DEBT
It is impossible to imagine life without credit cards. They are convenient and useful. However, credit card debt can become a nightmare. You can, however, keep the debt from lowering your credit score and in turn lower your creditworthiness through 5 simple steps.
1. Do not accrue a huge balance on your card. While purchasing something, swipe the card when you know that you can pay more than the minimum payment and pay down the balance. Therefore don’t spend more than you pay. A balance on the card that is not paid soon is unattractive to other lenders.
2. Debt has a direct effect on your credit score. Therefore do not utilize more than 25% of your credit limt at a time. A high debt-to credit ratio looks like an indication of inability to pay debts and makes creditors wary of giving you credit.
3. It is not always advisable to wait until the debt mounts up and try to negotiate a settlement with your creditor. Though you end up paying a fraction of what you originally owe, you may end up paying tax on the money you saved. Additionally, a creditor will offer you a settlement only after you have been past due for many many months and this will not look good on your credit report. Also, if you’ve been granted a settlement or a special payment plan, it is highly unlikely that you will be eligible more than once with any creditor.
4. If you’re taken to court over non payment of debts or unsecured payments, it looks very bad on your credit report. This may result in creditors garnishing your wages or seizing your property.
5. Credit card purchases can be beneficial too. For example, you can use credit cards as a short-term loan to help cover the costs of moving, or to buy items that you truly need, but don’t have the cash to cover. Set up your own repayment plan, and stick to it. Repaying the balance over three months won’t cost you too much in interest, but drawing out the repayment over three years would be very costly!
1. Do not accrue a huge balance on your card. While purchasing something, swipe the card when you know that you can pay more than the minimum payment and pay down the balance. Therefore don’t spend more than you pay. A balance on the card that is not paid soon is unattractive to other lenders.
2. Debt has a direct effect on your credit score. Therefore do not utilize more than 25% of your credit limt at a time. A high debt-to credit ratio looks like an indication of inability to pay debts and makes creditors wary of giving you credit.
3. It is not always advisable to wait until the debt mounts up and try to negotiate a settlement with your creditor. Though you end up paying a fraction of what you originally owe, you may end up paying tax on the money you saved. Additionally, a creditor will offer you a settlement only after you have been past due for many many months and this will not look good on your credit report. Also, if you’ve been granted a settlement or a special payment plan, it is highly unlikely that you will be eligible more than once with any creditor.
4. If you’re taken to court over non payment of debts or unsecured payments, it looks very bad on your credit report. This may result in creditors garnishing your wages or seizing your property.
5. Credit card purchases can be beneficial too. For example, you can use credit cards as a short-term loan to help cover the costs of moving, or to buy items that you truly need, but don’t have the cash to cover. Set up your own repayment plan, and stick to it. Repaying the balance over three months won’t cost you too much in interest, but drawing out the repayment over three years would be very costly!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
SMALL BUSINESSES – HOW TO STAY AFLOAT & TAX TIPS
The economic downturn has hurt many small businesses. The recession didn’t just hurt companies related to real estate, banking and mortgages but also a significant number of businesses dealing with essential and non essential items.
A lot of employees have been laid off and have stopped spending on anything other than what is absolutely necessary. There are ways to bring back customers during these tough times. And though you may not experience high profitability, it may help you stay afloat and ride out this downturn.
Small businesses have limited capital and cannot afford to cut prices. However, if it will bring back customers, you may want to do just that. Customers are looking for bargains and deals and are attracted to special promotions. It is better to make a tiny profit than to have no sales at all.
You may also want to consider cutting down on any non essential expenses like expensive coffee in the break area. Cutting costs is a good business practice no matter what the state of the economy.
Set achievable revenue targets and reconsider company goals because in order to survive during tough times you may have to change business practices.
You may also want to give your employees well defined job descriptions so that employee tasks do not overlap. This will also lead to increase in productivity and improved time management.
Encourage employees to innovate. Employees are filled with ideas that could actually become good business strategies.
Advertising is an important factor to promote your business and the special promotions you’re offering. For example, it is natural to cut advertising budget. But it is good to note that your competitors do the same and therefore the cost of advertising significantly decreases. In case of online marketing, bids may decrease on important and expensive keywords. Sometimes, by maintaining your bid, you can increase AdRank and ROI. Also by increasing your advertising spend with fewer competitors in the fray, gives you the opportunity to capture market share.
It is the tax season and it would be advisable to invest in some good small business accounting software. Read all of the letters or emails you receive from IRS or state tax authorities. Do not spend several hundred dollars on a CPA just so that he/she can make sense of the receipts, credit card statements, checks and invoices. The more organized you are, the better you will manage your company’s finances.
A lot of employees have been laid off and have stopped spending on anything other than what is absolutely necessary. There are ways to bring back customers during these tough times. And though you may not experience high profitability, it may help you stay afloat and ride out this downturn.
Small businesses have limited capital and cannot afford to cut prices. However, if it will bring back customers, you may want to do just that. Customers are looking for bargains and deals and are attracted to special promotions. It is better to make a tiny profit than to have no sales at all.
You may also want to consider cutting down on any non essential expenses like expensive coffee in the break area. Cutting costs is a good business practice no matter what the state of the economy.
Set achievable revenue targets and reconsider company goals because in order to survive during tough times you may have to change business practices.
You may also want to give your employees well defined job descriptions so that employee tasks do not overlap. This will also lead to increase in productivity and improved time management.
Encourage employees to innovate. Employees are filled with ideas that could actually become good business strategies.
Advertising is an important factor to promote your business and the special promotions you’re offering. For example, it is natural to cut advertising budget. But it is good to note that your competitors do the same and therefore the cost of advertising significantly decreases. In case of online marketing, bids may decrease on important and expensive keywords. Sometimes, by maintaining your bid, you can increase AdRank and ROI. Also by increasing your advertising spend with fewer competitors in the fray, gives you the opportunity to capture market share.
It is the tax season and it would be advisable to invest in some good small business accounting software. Read all of the letters or emails you receive from IRS or state tax authorities. Do not spend several hundred dollars on a CPA just so that he/she can make sense of the receipts, credit card statements, checks and invoices. The more organized you are, the better you will manage your company’s finances.
CREDIT – HOW IT IS CALCULATED AND SOME TIPS
Have you have ever wondered how your credit score is calculated. An algorithm or formula decides your credit score using information from your credit report while comparing it to the reports of millions of other people. It gives any bank, organization or individual a highly accurate picture of your creditworthiness.
There are three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. They all have a different way of calculating your FICO score. Factors that influence your credit score are based on your payment history, on how much amount you owe on your cards, your personal loans, mortgages, etc., length of credit history, new credit and credit mix.
Your payment history is influenced by the following factors:
A) Do you make your payments on time?
B) Have you been late on any of your payments and how late?
C) How often have you been late?
D) When was the last late payment?
E) Have any of your accounts been turned over to collections agencies and
how many?
F) Have you filed for bankruptcy?
While considering the amount you owe, the following factors are reviewed:
A) How many accounts do you owe payments on and how many have balances?
B) How much of your credit line have you used? Even if you make monthly
payments, having a 90% balance on your card at any point in time will
hurt your score.
C) In case of major loans, how much do you owe against how much you borrowed?
Length of credit comprises of 15% of your credit score. It is advisable to hold onto your older credit card accounts versus the new accounts, because the older your accounts, the better your score.
New credit comprises of 10% of your score. The factors considered are:
A) How many new accounts have you opened?
B) When was the last time you applied for credit or a credit limit increase?
C) And the length of the time since the credit inquiries were made
Credit mix looks at the overall picture. It is the mix of your credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, etc. The more balanced the mix, the better your score. Credit mix comprises of nearly 10% of your credit score.
What you should pay attention to: Your credit score is calculated based on the information on your credit report. Sometimes your credit report may contain incorrect information. Therefore, it is advisable to have a look at your credit report atleast once a year. If there is incorrect information, it will give you time to have the error corrected before you apply for credit.
A word of caution: Those store cards that you get at your local stores affect your credit. These private labeled credit cards actually belong to a third party rather than the store itself. When you apply for a card at a furniture store or at an appliance store, there is a credit inquiry and past due payments on these cards will affect your credit.
If you want to raise your credit score, you may want to reduce your debt. Avoid having a huge balance on any card at any given time. Sometimes monthly payments do not suffice due to high interest rates. Therefore it helps to quickly pay the debt you owe before applying for some more credit.
You can obtain a report from each credit bureau as they are legally obligated to give you a free report once a year. If you need help analyzing your report, there are attorneys who specialize in analyzing and helping you fix the errors in your credit report.
There are three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. They all have a different way of calculating your FICO score. Factors that influence your credit score are based on your payment history, on how much amount you owe on your cards, your personal loans, mortgages, etc., length of credit history, new credit and credit mix.
Your payment history is influenced by the following factors:
A) Do you make your payments on time?
B) Have you been late on any of your payments and how late?
C) How often have you been late?
D) When was the last late payment?
E) Have any of your accounts been turned over to collections agencies and
how many?
F) Have you filed for bankruptcy?
While considering the amount you owe, the following factors are reviewed:
A) How many accounts do you owe payments on and how many have balances?
B) How much of your credit line have you used? Even if you make monthly
payments, having a 90% balance on your card at any point in time will
hurt your score.
C) In case of major loans, how much do you owe against how much you borrowed?
Length of credit comprises of 15% of your credit score. It is advisable to hold onto your older credit card accounts versus the new accounts, because the older your accounts, the better your score.
New credit comprises of 10% of your score. The factors considered are:
A) How many new accounts have you opened?
B) When was the last time you applied for credit or a credit limit increase?
C) And the length of the time since the credit inquiries were made
Credit mix looks at the overall picture. It is the mix of your credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, etc. The more balanced the mix, the better your score. Credit mix comprises of nearly 10% of your credit score.
What you should pay attention to: Your credit score is calculated based on the information on your credit report. Sometimes your credit report may contain incorrect information. Therefore, it is advisable to have a look at your credit report atleast once a year. If there is incorrect information, it will give you time to have the error corrected before you apply for credit.
A word of caution: Those store cards that you get at your local stores affect your credit. These private labeled credit cards actually belong to a third party rather than the store itself. When you apply for a card at a furniture store or at an appliance store, there is a credit inquiry and past due payments on these cards will affect your credit.
If you want to raise your credit score, you may want to reduce your debt. Avoid having a huge balance on any card at any given time. Sometimes monthly payments do not suffice due to high interest rates. Therefore it helps to quickly pay the debt you owe before applying for some more credit.
You can obtain a report from each credit bureau as they are legally obligated to give you a free report once a year. If you need help analyzing your report, there are attorneys who specialize in analyzing and helping you fix the errors in your credit report.
PRESS RELEASE- HAITI RELIEF DONATIONS
Donations to Haiti as part of earthquake relief is now tax deductible this season, according to the Internal Revenue System (IRS). This special tax relief provision was enacted on January 22, 2010. Taxpayers who itemize deductions on their 2009 returns qualify for this special provision. Those who claim the standard deduction do not qualify. This includes all short form fillers.
According to the new provision, any cash contribution made to IRS approved charities or organizations after January 11, 2010 and before March 1, 2010 is eligible. This refers specifically to contributions made to affected areas in Haiti. Cash contributions include contributions made by check, credit or debit card, and text messages.
Taxpayers will benefit immediately by filing their 2009 returns early, filing electronically and choosing direct deposit. You can receive a refund in, as early as, 10 days of filing returns and they can be transferred directly to a savings, deposit or brokerage account.
Taxpayers can deduct their contributions either in 2009 or 2010 but not both. They can file their itemized deductions as per Schedule A (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040sa.pdf)
Any non cash contribution made in the form of goods, or services, merchandize or property does not qualify. Admission fees to any banquet, charity on sporting event as part of relief activity is also not eligible.
IRS requires that you retain proof of all cash contribution. For example, if you sent a text message, then your telephone bill will be sufficient if it provides the name of the organization you have donated to, the date and the amount. In case you sent a check or made contributions by any other means, please retain records such as a cancelled check, and bank or credit card statements. Also keep receipts from the charity you donated to. The receipt should show the name of the charity, the date and the amount.
If you would like more information on recordkeeping rules for cash contributions, you can refer to Publication 526 (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf)
Contributions to foreign organizations or any charity not recognized by the IRS is not deductible. To get a list of charities or organizations qualified to receive tax deductible donations, please refer to the IRS online database at http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=96136,00.html
You may not find some churches or organizations in this list but you can still contribute to them and qualify for tax deductions. Therefore, you may want to check with agencies such as USAID, to get a more comprehensive list of organizations helping victims in the affected areas in Haiti.
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