This article is intended for the professional who operates out of their home or for the home-based business owner. The convenience and economy of working from home is nice, however, as the business grows the need for an office located in a “business location” will increase. However, you currently cannot afford nor need all the services of an executive suite or serviced office. A virtual office is an excellent alternative which can save up to 78% of the cost of traditional office services. Perhaps you’ve experienced the following scenarios: “Where is your office?” During your initial sales meeting, you’ve convinced your prospect that you understand their needs and you look forward to providing a solid proposal of your solution to their problem. They like your personal professionalism and your team appears as competent as the competition. Then they look down at your business card and ask “where is your office”? Suddenly you are on the defensive, only as big as your 8’ X 10’ home office. You can’t afford nor need to invest in office space, but what can you do? A virtual office is an excellent way to present a bigger company presence. Suddenly you are as large as a multi-story office building located in the prestige business districts of your city. “We don’t do business with home-based companies.” You are able to deliver the goods or services the large Fortune 100 company needs but they don’t do business with a “home-based” company. How can you arrange for your phone and mail to be serviced with an address within the “business district”? A virtual office is an excellent way to present a prestige address for your home-based business. “Let’s hold the meeting at your office!” You must host a team collaboration or presentation meeting. Any gathering with more than 3 or 4 people in attendance typically requires the meeting to be moved out of the “office room” and into the kitchen or living room. Such a casual environment takes away from the professionalism of the message you are delivering. A virtual office facility will provide quality meeting room facilities at an economical fee when compared to hotel conference room rates. The availability and use of white boards or audio-visual equipment to support the meeting activity might be limiting at your home office. Parking might be difficult to accommodate. You will need to provide restroom and possibly beverage or food service which means time and effort to prepare. Wouldn’t want your boss or prospect to see the “dirty laundry”! A quality virtual office facility can provide the equipment and facilities needed for most any meeting or presentation, often these are provided at no additional cost with the meeting room fee. What is a Virtual office? A Virtual office is a service provided by many full serviced or executive suite providers. Typically, they will offer Virtual office services with options so that you purchase just the services you need to enhance your business. Examples of these packages are: 1. Virtual Office Address Only - Includes the use of a prestigious business address, receiving mail, handling and receiving shipments, signing for mail when authorized. 2. Full Virtual Office with Live Answering - Includes all features of the package above plus live personalized telephone answering, including voicemail box with remote access. 3. Full Virtual Office with Live Answering and Conference Room Time - Includes all features of the package above plus conference room time. Additional services should include mail forwarding to an outside address or call forwarding to an outside line (home office or mobile phone). A quick checklist of the features/benefits you should expect to find with a quality Virtual office provider would include: - A prestigious address - Upscale contemporary reception area - Fully-equipped conference rooms and common areas - Access to an association network to support your out of town activities - Professional receptionist to greet clients - Full administrative and secretarial support services - Kitchens with complimentary beverage service and vending machines. If you like the economy and convenience of working out of your home but have encountered the need to present a professional, business “storefront” you now know there is an alternative to the traditional business office or executive suite lease options. The Virtual office from an Executive Suite provider is that alternative. Additionally, if you find an increasing need to host meeting or presentations and want to provide a more professional option outside your home or the neighborhood Starbucks and a more personal option than a hotel, you now know there is a solution. The Virtual office from an Executive Suite provider is that solution.
Sunday, October 2, 2016
How to get a tax break on your home remodeling
It’s always a big discussion among many homeowners who are trying to figure out which tax deduction you’ll be able to get when you’re making improvements to your home. This topic even baffles tax experts at times being that the laws change so often, therefore trying to scramble to see which tax deductions still exist as well as new ones that may have come to be can be quite the task. Basically, if you want to do improvements to your home it should be for that fact that it’s going to increase its value and make your life more enjoyable, not because you might get some sort of tax break. More often than not, your tax advisor will be able to find some sort of deduction regardless, so don’t make that your first priority. For the most part, there aren’t deductions for you to take advantage of. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t benefit from a home improvement down the line. Improving your home will probably increase the value of your home, so that when you sell it, you’ll have more equity invested into it, and you’ll make more. So, even though there aren’t home improvement tax deductions for you to take advantage of, it nearly always works in your favor. Don’t be discouraged however because there are times when a deduction can be made. One situation may be when you need to remodel or improve your home for medical purposes. For example, if someone in your home becomes disabled and you need to make an addition for a new bathroom, a new stair case, a bigger bedroom, or an assortment of other reasons, you might be able to obtain a home improvement deduction. Since these are basically a medical expense, the improvement falls under the medical expense deduction qualification. Here’s basically how it works (right now, but things change rapidly), if you pay out more than 7% of your income for medical related costs, you then are eligible to get a tax deduction for them. It certainly wouldn’t be hard to spend more than 7% of your income to qualify for these home improvement deductions. One thing to remember however is that although your medical needs may qualify you for tax deductions, don’t just assume that your home improvement deductions will also qualify When you need to do remodeling or make enhancements to your home for business reasons, this is another time when you may qualify for deduction. For instance, when you need to put an addition on the house, add another bathroom, or any sort of thing that adds to the functionality of your business, you may then qualify for home improvement deduction as it relates to your business. Any time you operate a business from your home, you can deduct business expenses, and so remodeling shouldn’t be any different. However, again, while home improvements for business purposes might qualify for deductions, you shouldn’t assume that they would while in the process of remodeling. Never assume, always verify, and you should be fine!
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Two bbq recipes
There is no shortage of barbecue recipes. Almost everyone who barbecues food has a few favorite recipes. Here are a couple of fun barbecue recipes to try out. You never know when you’ll find a new family favorite! GRILLED VENISON WITH BACON Prep time: 6 to 7 hours Cooking Time: 20 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients 2 lbs. venison backstrap (tenderloin) 1 qt. apple cider 1 1/2 lbs. thick sliced bacon 2 12oz. bottles of barbecue sauce Cut venison into 2 inch chunks and place in a shallow baking dish. Pour enough apple cider into the dish to cover the venison pieces fully. Place the dish in a refrigerator and allow to soak for two hours. Remove venison from the cider and shake the pieces vigorously to free them of cider. Throw away the cider that is left in the dish. Wash the dish before putting the venison in it again. Put the venison back in the dish and pour in the barbecue sauce generously -- so that it covers the venison fully. The dish should then be covered and returned to the refrigerator for two to three hours. Remove the venison from the fridge and let it stand for half an hour in normal room temperature. Next, wrap bacon slices around each chunk of venison. Secure the with toothpicks to make sure that it does not fall off during grilling. The venison is now ready to be barbecued. Heat the grill and brush some olive oil on the grill grate. Lay the venison packed in bacon on the hot grill. You can expect the bacon to cause flame-ups, but don't worry. Let it get slightly burnt. It adds to the smoked flavor. Turn the venison a few times to ensure smooth and even cooking, and serve hot. STUFFED GRILLED PORK CHOPS Prep time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Serves: Four Ingredients 4 extra-thick rib pork chops, 1" to 1 1/4" thick 3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs Large pinch dried rosemary, crumbled fine Large pinch dried marjoram, crumbled fine 1 Tbsp. melted butter 1/2 cup minced sweet onion 1 small clove garlic, minced 1/2 tsp. salt Slice shallow pockets in the pork with a sharp knife. Take a deep dish and toss the breadcrumbs, herbs, butter, onion, garlic, and salt. Mix well, then stuff the mixture into the pockets. Grill the chops. They should be grilled at medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes per side. To ensure even cooking, the chops should be turned several times. Serve once the chops are nicely browned.
How to act on a first date
The key to a successful first date is to relax and just be the real you. If you try to act in a way that you think the other person will like, then they may start liking someone who you are not, and in the end you will wind up breaking up and getting hurt, so honest truly is the best policy, and in the end if you are just being you and it does not work you, you know they were not the one for you. Dating is like gambling at poker, sure a good bluff may win you a hand or two but you are not going to win the World Series of Poker by bluffing, only by playing the best you can. This is no different from dating if you make things up to try and impress this person they are not liking you but are liking the fake you and eventually they will see the two are no the same. Try to think back to the things you talked about when the both of you spoke on the phone and see if you learned anything that may help you decide where to go for your date, but if you do not have enough information about them to know what they may like you sometimes have to gamble and throw the dice, and hope you don’t crap out. The most important thing to do on a first date is to have a good time, the bigger a deal you make of it the harder it is going to be and the higher the chances of you making a jerk of yourself. If you are nervous before the date take a few minutes and take a few deep breaths and if this does not help then I recommend you do what I like to do in the casinos when my nerves are bothering me I simply have a drink. The alcohol in one drink will usually calm me down enough to concentrate. The key to having a nice first date is simple: Take her/ him to a nice place, quite but not too quiet, you should be able to hear each other but other distractions are also good for those uncomfortable moments. Do not take her/ him to a place where your friends hang out, this will make her/ him feel as if they are being ganged up on or they may feel out of place and resent you for making them feel that way. It is very important to have the whole night planned out already before the date and have a backup idea just incase. The tricky part is making it look like it was not all planned. Let's say you decide that you are going to take her for dinner, then after you want to take a walk on the beach do not just say hey after dinner let's take a walk on the beach. I would recommend you wait till after dinner and ask her if she wants to take a walk to burn off dinner and then take her to the beach. Then when you are on the beach take her/his hand while walking, this makes a physical connection between you and makes it easier later on when you go for your first kiss. Just remember that dating is a gambling sometimes you are going to get a bad hand and eventually if you play your cards right you will find the right person and win the jackpot.
How to save money at the gas pump
: How To Save Money And Conserve Gas! HOW much for ONE gallon of gas? $2.60? Who else longs for the day when you could fill your tank for ten bucks? But gas prices are on their way up. Sure, they go up and down. They go up a dollar and down 50 cents... ... to condition us to think 50 cents more is a good deal! For those of us who have to drive back and forth to work everyday - in gas guzzling traffic - every penny hurts. So with the ever-raising costs of filling your tank full of gas, there's no shame in cutting every corner to save a buck. All a person needs is the know-how, the tips and tricks, the truth and not the old rumors. Energy Technology and Fuel Economy Only 15 percent of the fuel that you put into your car gets used and the rest of the energy is lost for many reasons. It is important to maintain your car and have an understanding of how your vehicle operates. Paying for your gas the smart way One of the ways that you can save money at the gas pump is by using a gasoline credit card. When you have a gas card you’ll be able to get 5 or 10 percent rebate back on the purchase of your gas. Buy your gas in the morning or evening Gasoline becomes denser in colder temperatures. Gas pumps are set to measure the volume of the fuel that you pump and not the density. Fuel economy and Co2 emissions The average fuel economy of new cars and trucks in the United States and Canada has increased by over 130 percent for cars and 75 percent for trucks. Saving money at the gas pumps is as easy as making a few simple changes in your life and your driving habits.
Antiques concepts online and off
Are you a part of the latest antiques craze? Compared to ten years ago, we are constantly bombarded with antique radio shows, antique television show that have become increasingly popular have pitched the idea of dealing with antiques to large international crowds, and the simple fact remains, the antique world is giving love to those who love the antiques… not to the bargain hunters. Do you feel excited when you see an old toy, dating back 200 years ago and in mint condition, do you feel that owning something like that will give you something special, that the first person to ever hold this in his hands is long gone, but that there is a link between generations and across time because you are now enjoying the same thing?. I know this feeling, and even though I did sell and still do sell some of my antiques, I hold on to many others, it is no secret that most antique lovers have to sell a few things here and there, but every once in a while something gets to you, sometimes even in a mystical way, its something you know you want to hold on to. A very popular niche in antiques is old toys, the toys first produced when mass production just started, or even hand crafted toys that date way back. When shopping for antique toys, it can be extremely helpful to have a price guide in hand. Many unscrupulous sellers are hoping to gain profit due to a buyer’s lack of knowledge. Watching some of the antique shows can help educate you as a buyer. For a few dollars, you can purchase an antique toy pricing guide and have a firm understanding of how to find a bargain. If you happen to have collected many of your childhood toys and are ready to sell them, there can be a great deal of money to be made. Do some research regarding antique toy and their prices and some items may make you a mint! An extremely popular collection of antique toys includes a wooding rocking horse. Wooden rocking horses are widely available at online antique stores and often cost well over $1,000 if they are in good condition. Some wear is expected, but the rocking horse must work and contain the original pieces. Surprisingly, antique-toys sought after by collectors typically include marbles. One onionskin marble on EBay is currently priced at $500 and steadily climbing. While marbles may be at the bottom of your antique toys list, they can sell for huge amounts of money. If antiques is your passion and you want to learn more the internet is a great resource of information, in fact, the antiques market has been growing in a phenomenal rate since the internet started catching on, people can trade and present antiques on Ebay and other auction sites. There is always a place for more people and more items on this market, and you may find out that its not that difficult to start doing things in the antiques market soon enough.
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Seven tips to successfully write web articles
Online readers love free information. They scour the internet daily looking for specific information to solve their problems, help them be successful, live longer or get healthy. You should join the information revolution too! Publish your free helpful solution-oriented articles to the web. But wait! There are a few things to keep in mind when writing for the web. Long paragraphs are usually acceptable for print media; they are not for the web. If you want to write articles that web users will love to read and put to use follow these 7 simple tips: 1. Make your article scan ready. A study by Jakob Nielson publicized as guru of web page usability by the New York Times published that only 16 per cent of his test users actually read the copy they found online; 79 per cent of them simply scanned it. Your impatient web readers will want important information to jump out at them. Some practical ways to make your text scannable are: headings, sub-headings, bulleted list, numbered lists, easy steps and/or typeface variation. For example, compelling headlines are considered an art. Are you drawn to the author’s article as “How to Write Web Articles” or “5 Tips to Write Winning Web Articles?” 2. Keep it short. Get and keep the attention of web readers by delivering short messages. You put effort into gaining your web reader’s attention; now make their click worthwhile with brief compelling copy in bite sizes. Start with the conclusion. Your readers may not make it to the end of your piece to get it. Web readers don’t want to get bogged down in long blocks of text. So get to the point early and use the rest of your article to support that main point. 3. Make Your Title Sizzle. Dull titles will not capture your readers interest. It will make your article fade into the sea of other boring articles listed in article banks these days. You have to create a title that will reach out and grab your reader by the collar. To get your article read, start with a sizzling title. Make it short. Create interest. Include the main benefit or solution in your title. 4. Talk to Your Targeted Audience. Your information is not for everyone. Avoid generalities. Choose a friend or family member that’s interested in your topic. Write your article to them. Writing to a friend will make your copy personable and friendly. You won’t come across as a fussy hen, do this, do this, don’t do that. You will connect with your readers as a friend giving advice. Your article will do a better job of building creditability for you. Creditability inspires trust and readers only trust their friends. 5. Add substance. Resist fluffing your articles. Include practical valuable information in your copy. Everyone loses when you don’t take the time to impart substance. It increases the reputation of the web being an unreliable source of knowledge. Additionally, lack of substance will block your road to profitable referrals. Do the research and/or draw from your knowledge and experience to illustrate. Your stories and real life examples will meet your reader’s need for practical information and connect with their emotion. It’s a known fact emotions will move people to action. Whether you desire them to act by signing up or making a purchase, add substance and improve your reader responses. 6. Make it web professional. Create a more web professional look by using short sentences then format your page to approximately 65 characters per line. Long stringed sentences that stream from side to side of the web page look visually unprofessional. Select a layout for your article from several short article formats that include the how-to, tips list, question-answer, problem-solutions and interview. Make your introduction and summary short but do add one. Your web readers don’t want just a list of boring facts and information. They want to connect with you by reading your personable introduction and practical tips with a definite ending or summary. Remember excited readers become enthusiastic buyers and enthusiastic buyers will refer your product or service to all their friends. 7. Use your keywords. Thread your keywords throughout your short article as naturally as possible. Otherwise your copy will sound stiff and dull. To gain visibility on the search engines, your site must be “indexed” by their robotic software. In its most basic form, they must be able to compare the code, keywords and other Meta tags with the actual content of the site. From this they reach a conclusion regarding the context of the site. This and other factors will affect how well your copy or website places in the search engines. You may use these guidelines for all kinds of web copy. The same elements of using keywords, making your article professional, adding substance, keeping it short and making your copy scannable will improve the quality of your articles. Practice the above simple principles and write winning articles to distribute on the web everywhere.
Geometry homework help some ways to help overcome your frustration with high school geometry
I know you. I have seen you in my geometry classroom many times over the last 29 years. You have always, and I mean always, been a very good math student. You made good grades in Algebra with very little effort, and you have always liked math. But now you are taking high school geometry, and you are really frustrated. You’ve got good study habits; you pay attention in class, ask questions, and do your homework. But for some reason this strange course just doesn’t make sense to you and you find yourself even requiring some additional help with geometry homework, which has never happened before. Heck, in past math courses you were the one that could give others help! To make matters worse, you are seeing classmates who had trouble with Algebra suddenly doing very well in geometry, understanding it, and actually enjoying math for the first time in their lives. Not that you’re not happy for those fellow learners, but you can’t understand why this course is so different from the other math courses you have taken, and why are you not able to grasp it? High school geometry is a strange creature. In my 29 years of teaching high school geometry I have seen the above scenario played out over and over again. Just what is it that makes this course so different? And what are some strategies that will help frustrated students master this course that sometimes seems so strange? First of all, if you are experiencing frustration with your high school geometry course, it is very important for you to realize that this is quite common, especially early in the course. Please know that most students do get past the confusion and frustration if they don’t give up. Practice the techniques I’m going to give you, continue to work hard, and even though it takes longer for some than others, that light bulb should eventually light up for you. It might help if you understand why geometry is so different from other math courses. A traditional high school geometry course is about logic. It is abstract. It requires a different way of thinking. It is not what I call “cookbook mathematics” where one is given a recipe and merely has to follow that recipe in solving every problem. Geometry is not about a lot of drill and practice. It is about critical thinking, learning concepts and principles and knowing when and how to apply them. It is true that previous Algebra courses required critical thinking skills as well, but not to the extent that geometry requires them. However, as you work at honing these critical thinking skills in high school geometry, there are some simple, straight forward skills that also must be mastered if you are to succeed. Learn all the terms and definitions as they are presented. This is absolutely essential. The same goes for postulates and theorems. And don’t just memorize them; as a matter of fact you don’t have to memorize them word for word. But make sure you have a very clear understanding of what each term means. I often told my students “You can’t expect to solve a problem about a scalene triangle if you don’t know what a scalene triangle is.” Develop your geometry vocabulary. Don’t rush through your geometry homework. Your goal shouldn’t be to ‘just get it done’ so that you are finished with it but to really understand it. Before you tackle the assigned problems, review your notes from class and look over the corresponding material in your textbook. As you work through the homework problems, check your answers with those provided in the back of the book. If you have something wrong, go back and rethink it. If you still can’t figure it out, put a star or check mark by that problem to remind you to ask the teacher about it the next time the class meets. Finally, when you have finished your homework assignment, make yourself think just a little more! Resist the urge to immediately slam your book closed and put your work away. Spend just a few minutes looking back over the problems and thinking about what you had to do on each one. Developing this habit of reflecting on your work can reap huge benefits in understanding and remembering important concepts. The more you understand and remember from each assignment, the less you’ll have to study and review when it comes exam time.
Hello from toronto free music great food and street life at toronto s taste of little italy
Festival season is in full swing. Summer is a great time to be in Toronto since there are multiple events going on at the same time. I had just heard about the “Taste of Little Italy” street festival and decided to partake of a little free-admission Italo-style celebration. When I got there yesterday at about noon the restaurants and bands were still setting up. Streets were closed all the way from Euclid to Shaw and everyone was working feverishly to prepare for the 3rd and final day of this year’s Taste of Little Italy. All the major bars and restaurants had big screen TVs to beam the live Brazil-Australia World Cup match to a crowd of avid soccer fans. At the heart of Little Italy is the CHIN Building, headquarters of Toronto’s first multicultural / multilingual radio station, founded by famous Italian-Canadian entrepreneur and community leader Johnny Lombardi. CHIN broadcasts in more than 30 languages in Toronto, in more than 18 languages in Ottawa/Gatineau and is available via satellite all across North America. Little Italy is one of Toronto’s most popular entertainment areas with a great variety of Italian restaurants, trattorias, bars and cafйs. Other cultures have also made culinary inroads and you’ll find Japanese, Mexican, Peruvian and Portuguese eateries as well. Since the festival wasn’t quite off the ground yet I decided to treat myself to a little lunch and chose a nice window seat at “El Bodegon”, one of Toronto’s foremost Latin restaurants. Although the menu is dominated by meat and seafood, I opted for a light meal, combining a savoury avocado salad with fried plantains, one of my favourite vegetables. I had a perfect view from my little table by the window and caught a glimpse of two celebrities making a brief appearance: Jack Layton, federal NDP leader, and Olivia Chow, now a federal Member of Parliament. Toronto’s foremost political power couple, made an appearance on their bikes at the street festival. At about 1:30 pm the music started to get going and right across from my lunch spot a two-man band started to play Latin rhythms and flamenco. After a very satisfying mid-day meal I started strolling through the area and chatted with a few of the bands. One of the music groups, Los Imbakayunas, is from Peru and tours all throughout Eastern Canada during the summer months and plays at various street festivals and special events. The hot Peruvian rhythms and melodic sounds of the pan flute were enchanting the crowds and hips were started to gently sway. Even a woman in an electric wheelchair started to dance exuberantly to the music. I talked to a gentleman from the Coro Folcloristico Italia di Toronto who informed me that his group has been singing for more than 15 years and their repertoire includes the whole gamut of Italian folk songs, from the north to the south. I also had a brief chat with Pablo Terry, bandleader and flute player of Sol de Cuba who has been brightening up the Toronto music scene for the last 11 years. Across the street was another band playing Latin Jazz, followed by a group playing contemporary Italian music. A few steps down from Terry was the Jeanine Mackie Band who got the street cooking with their funk, blues and R&B tunes. Further east another Italian choir, the Coro Abruzzo, was setting up for its performance. A street festival always attracts interesting people. An older gentleman on a bike decorated with a tiger tail, a green plastic superhero adorning the handlebar and a tyrannosaurus rex made an appearance. Of course I had to talk to him. He said his name was Mickey, he’s retired now and he figured decorating his bike would be something to do in his retirement. From dressed-up dogs to dogs in baskets on bikes, everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. Various entertainment areas were set up for children: young ones were running back and forth inside a very large inflatable train, a soccer challenge was set up and at “Hoop It Up” people could test their basketball skills. Various games of chance were enticing the crowd to try their luck. Low-cost shiatsu massages were available and henna tattoos could also be obtained. Many of the local stores participated in the festival by providing special sale-priced items on the street. The Nicorette girls, dressed in devilish red dresses, adorned with diabolic tails, were handing out free stop-smoking chewing gum, trying to entice the smokers to give up their filthy habit. More freebies were to be had in the form of “clodhoppers”, a truly delicious concoction of fudge and graham wafer crackers. I have to admit I walked by the Clodhoppers truck four times just to scrounge up another free sample of these delicious sweet treats. Another bunch of people were handing out free taste bags of Doritos, containing the new Jalapeno flavour. Later on I bought a pop at Kalendar Koffee House and was promptly given a free hot Nutella sandwich. The generosity was appreciated. Freebies were available everywhere, free music and very reasonably priced food samples (costing between $1 and $5) made for a great low-cost outing on a hot June weekend.
Gold a hedge against the perils of interesting times
While paper-based investments and real estate are vulnerable to effects of changing times, gold soars. A precious metals investment may save a portfolio when all else fails. The old Chinese curse, “may you live in interesting times”, has particular relevance to the current epoch of U. S. history. There’s a lot going on right now, much of it scary. Major investors around the world are responding to the events of our perilous age by sinking their dollars, deutschmarks and yen into gold, silver and palladium; Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and billionaire speculator George Soros to name but a few. Big financial institutions like the Central Banks of Russia and China are also leaping onto the metals bandwagon driving the price of these precious commodities ever higher. This is spurring a gold rush not witnessed since the Misery Index years of the 1970s. Many financial experts now view gold in particular as an island of stability in a paper-based investment market growing stormier all the time, a development that bodes well for everyday folks who want to shore up their retirement accounts with a precious metals hedge. “People the world over are losing faith in politicians, and currencies,” says Marc Lubaszka, President/CEO, World Financial, a highly successful investment firm specializing in precious metals based in Studio City, Calif. “This has resulted in a flight to gold and other precious metals, a storehouse of value for more than five thousand years. Investors are taking their money out of paper assets, and putting it where it is likely to earn a better return in uncertain times.” Old Reliables Unreliable Investments once considered as stable as granite are rapidly losing ground, Lubaszka explains. Real estate is but one example. Long praised as a slam-dunk by money gurus, home-buying is no longer viewed as a hurdle-free path to profit. Stratospheric pricing and higher interest rates are putting intolerable pressure on the current housing bubble, factors bound to bust the suds sooner or later and drive the overheated real estate market into deepfreeze. “The housing bubble will burst rather than gradually deflate, following the rapid and violent pattern of decline of nearly every financial bubble throughout history,” Lubaszka says. “Higher interest rates negatively impact not only the health of the housing market but other economic segments as well. The stock market takes a hit because higher rates make it more costly for companies to pay for debt. Higher rates hurt corporate profit margins and reduce stock value, bad news given the deep debt situation so many companies are in today.” Paper is Passй According to Lubaszka, the U. S. dollar has lost more than 80% of its original value since the early 70’s when we went to a floating currency, a situation not helped very much by the debut of the Euro in the late 1990s. Unlike American dollars, a portion of the Euro is gold-backed, a stability feature that has helped it outperform the dollar over the long haul. It is for this reason that many foreign investors have been taking money out of U. S. dollars and putting it into gold and oil instead, one explanation for why the price of both has continued to rise in recent months. “Gold prices are climbing right now because the Federal Reserve is printing dollars in flood proportions to keep the real estate market afloat,” adds Richard Russell, editor Dow Theory Letters, a stock market trends and securities report published since 1946. “This is creating inflation, which erodes purchasing power. All the world’s central banks are inflating right now, reducing confidence in paper globally and encouraging gold-buying. India and China are spurring gold prices as well. India is the world’s largest gold-consumer, and the Chinese government is actively encouraging its citizens to buy gold.” All are extremely encouraging signs for gold investors. Over the course of the past 35 years, gold has climbed in value from a modest $35 an ounce to nearly $600. Contrast that with the battered U. S. dollar, a currency currently worth only 20% of its value in 1970. “When gold peaked-out in the 1970s, interest rates were at an all-time high,” Lubaszka says. “Right now we’re waiting to feel the effects of the last 9 interest rate increases which generally take 6-9 months to begin impacting the economy. Now’s the time to buy gold because when rates go up, downward pressure is exerted on real estate, stocks and bonds and commodities like gold tend to increase. The opposite occurs when rates travel from a high to a low. That’s the time to reduce gold assets and increase the paper part of a portfolio.” Buy Without Getting Burned Michelle Henderson, a talent agency owner in Los Angeles, Calif. understands the stakes when it comes to investing. “As an agent I work in a commission-based world, and have to invest in both people and ideas all the time,” she says. “Though I’d had bad experiences with stock investments in the past, I knew I would eventually find something that would work for me. I invested in a diversified metals portfolio made up of palladium, silver and gold, and earned a profit of 38% with the palladium alone. Staying focused on making money, and following World Financials advice, I was able to earn an above-average return and greatly increase the overall value of my assets safely.” Lubaszka explain, “It’s probably best for the first time investor to begin conservatively by purchasing physical metals instead of gold stocks, which can be very volatile”. According to Clearwater, Fla.-based talk show host and gold analyst, Tom O’Brien, when metals gain 20%, gold equities jump by fifty or sixty per cent. That’s great when it happens but the reverse can occur as well. Buy gold bars or coins, and put them in a safety deposit box. If you chose to purchase coins from a coin shop, make certain you pay the lowest price possible and that they have a buy back policy. If you elect to go with a broker, fees will be inevitable because you are purchasing a tangible commodity. There are brokers, and then there are brokers. The best of the breed will answer all questions, and make the process of first-time gold buying less nerve-wracking. Great brokers are also accessible when needed, and quick to call with any new information that affects the value of the investment. Work with established companies, five years in business is good, ten even better. Don’t bother with firms that badger you with telemarketing offers or apply high-pressure sales tactics. Avoid paying high commissions too. Some brokers have layers of fees, through which they earn more money then they do investing on behalf of customers. There are also companies out there that will not buy metal back. Stay away from them as well. “Check references and Better Business Bureau ratings”, Lubaszka adds. “Deal with a company that takes an active interest in doing business with you. World Financial, for example, offers a five-star customer satisfaction guarantee. If questions are not answered or we fail to respond to a prospect’s call or email within 24 hours, that person receives a one ounce silver American Eagle coin free of charge. A financial advisor’s job is to ease the investment process, and to insure that customers get the most for their money. Good advisers are merely good, but the best are worth their weight in gold.” To contact World Financial directly call 818.264.4085. World Financial is the premiere provider of precious metals to investors nationwide. Aside from offering numerous incentive programs, World Financial offers clients the right type of precious metal strategy for every investor’s needs. They are located at 12198 Ventura Blvd Ste 200, Studio City CA, 91604.
Tips on how to rent a car
If you are planning to do any traveling, either business or personal, you’ll likely want to rent a car upon arrival at your destination. Most airports have car rental agencies onsite for your convenience. These tips on how to rent a car will help you get the best deal. The major international car rental agencies have offices throughout North America and often around the world. There is no such thing as the best company in this industry. It really does pay to shop around. Rates will depend on the type of vehicle, the time period, and things like agency specials. You can easily compare prices online and you can reserve your car online too. Almost all rental cars have automatic transmission, radio, and air conditioning. Even if you request a manual transmission, chances are it won’t be available upon arrival. If you are traveling with children that will require car restraint seats, make sure to request them when you book your car. If you are renting a car in the US, you usually do not need an international driver’s license. Your license from your home country should be adequate. That said, an international license can be helpful in proving to the agency that you have a valid license especially if they aren’t familiar with the licenses from your country. Rental companies have different rules about who they will rent to. Some will not rent to anyone under the age of 25 while others won’t rent to anyone over the age of 70. Other rent to drivers under 25 but charge a premium. Check with the agencies for restrictions before you book. The car rental business is extremely competitive so prices change frequently. Some companies offer regular advertised deals; others run random special promotions. If business is slow you are likely to be able to get a better rate than if you are trying to rent during peak seasons. No one agency has the monopoly on best prices. It just depends, so do your homework and don’t be afraid to try to barter a better price! Sometimes if you booked through a travel agent, you might get a better price on your rental car. Some packages even include the rental feespare these offers to see which is best. The car rental insurance is where many agencies really soak you. The collision damage waiver and theft insurance they attempt to sell you is priced ridiculously high. But you also cannot risk driving without it. Some auto insurance companies have a rider that covers you and some credit cards also provide you with free coverage. See what you can do to avoid purchasing the rental agency’s insurance because it can almost double the price of your rental. Now that you know how to rent a car and get the best deal, you’ll have a few extra dollars in your pocket to start planning that next vacation.
Healthrider elliptical trainer reviews
Healthrider Elliptical Trainer Reviews You may have heard about a healthrider elliptical trainer, but may wonder how well the healthrider elliptical trainer machines really work. The healthrider elliptical trainer machines are not as prominent in conversations compared to other elliptical machines, however healthrider elliptical trainers do have a reputation that does clearly stand out. If you are considering buying a healthrider elliptical trainer, you will be glad to know that the healthrider elliptical trainers have some great benefits along with some good reviews. Now no one will say that the healthrider elliptical trainer machines have the highest quality, but many people can agree that the quality of a healthrider elliptical trainer is above average. Their different models all share a common reputation of good quality at a excellent price. When looking at healthrider elliptical trainers, you will notice that they only come in a few models. This is because Icon who manufacturers these machines, who also manufacturers other machines that do not get great reviews, seems to focus more on quality when it comes to manufacturing their healthrider elliptical trainer machines. This is what makes a healthrider elliptical trainer so reliable, because no matter what model you buy, they are all highly reliable in quality and performance. The machines consistency is one reason why it is so highly regarded. Many people recommend the healthrider elliptical trainer, but they do have concerns about the stride length as it is not that great. This can be a problem for tall users or people who are more comfortable using a longer stride length. Another problem is the limited options you have with limited incline availability. Depending on what healthrider elliptical trainer you choose, will really depend on how many problems you will face with this feature. The incline option varies on each individual model of the healthrider elliptical trainer. So if an adjustable incline feature is important to how you want to perform your workout, then you more then likely will want to look at all of healthrider elliptical trainers and choose the one that has the best incline feature. Another problem with the healthrider elliptical trainer is the limited warranty. Even though these machines are very reliable and have high durability, the warranty could have been better then it is. Despite the cheap warranty that comes with the healthrider elliptical trainers, you do not need to worry about your machine not lasting long. A healthrider elliptical trainer is a very good machine that has great quality added to it. You can always purchase an extended warranty for whichever healthrider elliptical trainer you decide to purchase, which may make some people wonder if this is why the warranty is as limited as it is. So despite the poor warranty for the healthrider elliptical trainers, there is an option to make you feel more comfortable for when you purchase your healthrider elliptical trainer. Buying an extended warranty is recommended. Other then these problems that can be found with the healthrider elliptical trainer, the healthrider elliptical trainer is a machine that still ranks above average and is used by many satisfied customers.