Finance Discuss

Yahoo Answers: The Best Free Advertising Method

2009-06-04T05:49:00.000-07:00

With free Internet marketing services, one can save a lot. Instead of shelling out for the marketing aspect of your product or services, that chunk of money could be put to other important elements of your business since many information websites now offer knowledge regarding Internet marketing services that comes with no price tag at all.
With more than 21 million unique users in the U.S. and 90 million worldwide, Yahoo Answers is the largest knowledge-sharing community on the Web.

This strategy will be broken down for you in a step-by-step format, making it easy for you to incorporate this technique into your own marketing efforts. You'll quickly discover just how incredibly powerful this tactic is when you begin to analyze your traffic and see just how much Yahoo Answers is directing your way.

Different groups of people would have different approaches in driving targeted traffic, but no matter how diverse many methods are, there are always some crucial things to get high quality traffic to your webpages . Here are five of them.

Step One: Open a Yahoo Answers Account

You will need a Yahoo Answers account to be able to answer open questions. To create your account visit: http://answers.yahoo.com/ You will be able to create your account using your current Yahoo messenger account if you already have an ID:

Step Two: Complete Your Profile

Once you have created a Yahoo Answers account and are logged in, you will be able to create or edit your profile. You should take a few minutes to fill out as much as information as you would like to share and then save your information.

You can choose to allow Yahoo Answer members to contact you via messenger, or keep this information private. You can also enable "email contact" if you would like to receive comments via email, or you can choose to disable all contact other than through the questions that you answer.

When you edit your profile it is recommended that you add a photo or customize an avatar. It's important to brand yourself and this is an easy way to make your profile more memorable as your photo will appear within your answers.

Step Three: Familiarize Yourself With Yahoo Answers

From the main Yahoo Answers page you will see categories listed on the left hand side. This is where questions are posted and grouped according to their subject matter.

This is also where you will go when choosing the different types of questions that you would like to answer, and depending on the niche markets that you are involved in, you might find yourself answering a variety of questions from different categories and groups.

Before you start answering questions you should have an idea of what you plan to promote. That way you can find questions that are relevant to the website that you wish to advertise via the Yahoo Answers website. Each time you answer a question, you can include a "SOURCE" in a secondary box that accompanies your response.

This is an easy way to promote your websites and direct people to find out more information about the topic of their question. You should also browse previously answered questions so that you can get a feel for the way other people have answered and addressed different questions, paying attention to those answers that were selected as being the "TOP" response.

As you begin answering questions, you may run into a series of questions that are no longer open. Here is a breakdown of the life cycle of a question from the time it is first posted:

Questions that are "Resolved" are typically closed from receiving future follow ups while questions that are marked "Undecided" have not yet received a "TOP" vote.

Questions are open for only four days but the original poster can extend the period for a few extra days or if a question has been resolved, they can close it before that time period has ended.

It's important to answer questions as thoroughly as you can and avoid spamming your websites within your answers. In fact, there are few times where including your website URL within the answer is acceptable at all. If those viewing your response feel that it is spam you will not receive votes and your answer may be removed entirely. Therefore, you should try to keep your websites within the "Source" box only. Those who liked your answer are likely to follow your link to find out more especially if you are careful to answer questions that pertain to your niche market.

Step Four: Cover Multiple Niche Markets Easily

If you are involved in multiple niche markets, you might benefit from creating multiple Yahoo Answer accounts. This will also help you answer more questions each day under different accounts while building up levels on all of them.

By creating multiple Yahoo Answer accounts you can also create different characters, (men/woman, parents, single men, divorced, etc) which will lend credibility when you are answering questions in different categories.

Yahoo Answers allows multiple accounts so you don't have to worry about breaking any rules, however voting for your own answers or point gaming is not allowed.

Step Five: Be The First, Every Time

One quick technique that will help you answer more questions before others is to subscribe to the RSS feed available through Yahoo. You will receive a listing of recently asked questions that are still open and available to be answered, and best of all, these questions will be related to your chosen niche markets.

By answering recent questions rather than digging through older ones you are ensuring that your website receives traffic not only from the Yahoo Answer center (and those who view your answer from within that section) but also from the Yahoo search engine as well.

You can take it a step further and write articles based on the questions that you review. Submit these articles to http://www.e-bestsellers.com/article or http://www.ibestof.com to generate even more traffic. It's an easy way to research various niche markets and see just what people are interested in or needing help with Yahoo Answers can be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience and an easy way to generate targeted traffic to your website. Just be sure to log in every day and build up your levels.

Set you mind before Investing

2009-06-04T04:10:00.000-07:00

Now a day I see many people wants to become rich overnight. I donno who has became that so rich in overnight.

First of all keep you mind open for everthing whether profit or loss.
If you are much concern about your money, I advice you, not to put so much of money in the stocks and share.
Use the maximum of your minimum in the stocks.
Tell yourself that "I can be a millionniare by next year" [not everyday reduce your days as days pass:) ]
Before investing in shares, stocks, Mutual funds, try to get ample knowledge about the market, trading, and everything.

Market Live brings in the Stock Market Tutorial which explains the basics of the Share Market. Demat Account, IPO, Secondary Market - All your Stock market ...

The below are some tutorials about trading.

Market Live

Greek Shares

Article base

Money Management from school days...

2009-05-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

Adhering to money management through out your life helps in keeping a track record of your finances and living a debt free life. This habit should be followed right from your early age. The best source of imparting money management comes to mind is ‘school days’. Understanding the financial need, money managementshould be taught as a separate subject, right from the first class.
Some important points while teaching money management in schools are as follows:

As the kids grow older, their need increases. For this they get pocket money from their parents. The teachers should make them understand how to use pocket money more wisely. The kids should also be encouraged to save some amount of money. Teachers should make kids realize ‘how hard the parents work to earn money?’ This will help the kids to know the value of money and what all hardships it takes to earn.

Another important factor which the teachers should keep in mind is ‘peer pressure.’ Quite often the kids’ complaint their parents about their limited pocket money as compared to their friends at school. For example “: Dad, nick was showing me his brand new bike, What about me?”Since these things mostly arise in school, therefore it becomes the responsibility of teachers to make the kids understand this particular situation. Every family is different in their living style, financial background etc. The children should be encouraged to have a positive attitude while dealing to such issues. In the future the kids will not indulge themselves in spendthrift habits.

Teachers should accentuate on the fact that most of the things have a price tag attached to it. The kids should be taught not to damage the things such as books, desks, walls etc. Not only in school but everywhere as we live in a society and it’s our duty to protect it.Making this a habit, the kids will save more money in the long run.

In higher grades the children should be taught money management concepts that will help them in dealing with situations such as recession, inflation, job retrenchment etc.

Teaching money management as a separate subject will help the kids to live a smooth financial life. In the future the kids will respect the money more, live a debt free life, can enjoy every thing without sacrificing on their basic needs, can save more even from a limited income for the rainy days and live to the fullest without any financial worries. Irrespective of the future financial situation, the kids will not have to worry about managing their finances.
Synonym to the age old saying "A stitch in time saves nine", manageME7 makes people proactive in judicially keeping a track on their day to day income and expenditures! For further information visit our website to Personal Accounting Software and Personal Finance Software

How does car insurance premium calculated?

2009-05-01T04:14:00.000-07:00

Car insurance is a protection for you, third parties and your car. Each car policy is assessed individually by reviewing statistics whilst taking into consideration underwriting criteria which consists of a series of factors, the major ones being area, age, gender and driving. Car insurance premiums are determined by a series of rating factors. When these rating factors are calculated, an underwriter can tailor an insurance policy to suit the needs of the individual.
Insurers view the vehicle owner and the vehicle as a risk. The premium that the insurer will quote to you will be a reflection of the amount of risk you oppose to the insurer.

The insurance companies have Underwriters (the people who assess the risks and develop the policy based on the facts provided). The Underwriters are responsible for ensuring that the level of risk that is retained by the insurance company will be profitable to them. For example, if an Underwriter rates an insurance policy too cheap, the amount that they may pay out in claims may outweigh the amount that they have collected in premiums and therefore a loss would be incurred by the insurance company. Thus, it is important for the Underwriter to evaluate and develop a policy that will be primarily be beneficial to the company, whilst still being competitive to the policy holder.

Underwriters have access to a wealth of statistics. Each statistic provides the underwriter with an important rating factor in calculating premiums.

The main rating factors an underwriter will look at are:

• Area • Age • Gender • Driving history

The areas play an important aspect in the risk assessment for a car insurance premium quote. Typically, insurance premiums are higher for residents within inner cities opposed to those who live in suburban or rural areas.

Crime rates are statistically higher in inner cities and the density of people within the area is greater. The increased density presents a grater risk for the Underwriters as more thefts, vandalisms and accidents occur within these increasingly dense areas. Therefore, the likelihood of an insurer having to payout a claim on an insurance policy is higher in denser areas compared with suburban or rural areas.

Age Young drivers are viewed as a higher risk as statistically; they have more claims than mature drivers.

The age ranges for insurance policies are usually determined in the following age bands. • 17-20 • 21-25 • 25 and over.

Insurers are more likely to pay out claims in the 17-20 age band than they would in the 21-25 age band. Lesser in the 25 and over age band. People aged over 70 may experience a rise in premiums as the claims in this age bracket increase possibly due to changes in reaction speed or health issues.

Gender Women are seen as a lower risk than men statistically due to men driving more than women. As a result, men have a higher exposure on the roads and therefore a greater chance of road traffic accidents. Additionally, women are also statistically considered to be more cautious drivers.

Driving history. The driving history also plays an important part in rating a risk. The more experienced the driver in terms of the driving years, the lower the premium they would attract compared to novice drivers.

MotorQuoteDirect is a leading provider in motor insurance for vehicle owners across the United Kingdom. For more information on the different insurance policies available, visit them at MotorQuoteDirect to view their Car insurance policy range.

Save Money With Health Insurance

2009-05-01T04:08:00.000-07:00

With this difficult economy, it should come as no surprise that you are not the only one who is scouring the Internet for low cost health insurance. Buying a cheap health insurance policy doesn't indicate you will receive fewer medical services. Your new goal is to find a health plan that can fit your budget and your needs. Finding an affordable medical insurance plan is easier than most people think, especially now that we are able to go online for information and quotes. Here are a few ideas to help make this task easier.
5 Ideas to secure affordable health insurance in a tough economy.

All health plans are not created equally. Compare numerous health plan options as they will permit you to tradeoff some flexibility in terms of the doctors, coverage, and deductible selection you have in exchange for a very affordable but fully comprehensive health insurance plan.

Buy the coverage that's right for you. You want to get the most value for your dollar but cheap medical insurance that does not provide the health care you need is money wasted. Another way to get a cheap health plan while still having all of the 'bells and whistles' you might require is to ask for a higher deductible.

Low deductibles no longer exist. The premiums paid for lower deductibles are so high that it no longer makes sense to have them. Higher deductibles tend to dramatically reduce your monthly premiums. If you feel the need to pay high premiums, pay yourself by opening a health savings account.

Be your own health provider with a health savings account. Invest in your personal health plan and set up a Health Savings Account (also known as HSA) which are designed to off-set the high deductible costs of a low cost health insurance premium.

Line multiple quotes up next to each other for comparison. Make sure that the plans and quotes you receive are comparable. Keep in mind that a quote that comes with the lowest initial payment might not be the cheapest one. Once you have short-listed your best picks, it is time to sit down and compare the low cost health plan quotes. Remember, knowledge is power – if you know your options, you can find the right health plan coverage for you.

Go online to compare health insurance options. Researching your options for insurance online will help you find a low cost health insurance plans with the features and coverage that meets your plan requirements as well as providing an affordable deductible that fits your budget. There are many top-rated insurance companies online and these providers have to be very competitive because it's quick and easy to compare them with other companies on the internet. When times are tough, use the Internet to save you money by providing low cost health insurance plans to compare. Get started with health insurance quotes online today!

Make Some Real Money by Forex Trading

2009-04-13T01:59:00.000-07:00

Today, anyone can make a real living out of simply exchanging currency in the forex market. It holds a number of advantages over the stock market such as the longer trading hours and greater liquidity, plus over a trillion dollars gets exchanged on a daily basis in this market, so it's no secret as to why so many potential traders are interested in jumping in. If you don't know what you're doing as many new traders don't however, you could stand to lose much or all of your entire initial investment.
Follow Trends - Don't fool yourself, there is a lot of money to be made from simply following trends which already exist, jumping in low, and exiting high. Many expert traders who have been doing this for awhile make it there business to anticipate the market and while they're better at it than someone who is fresh off the boat, there's still a great element of guesswork and risk associated with trading this way.

Have a Trading Plan - Eventually those consistent trends will begin to reverse, and you need to exercise discipline in terms of exiting a trade before you hemorrhage much or all of your profits. This sounds easier said than done, as many traders will stick it out through a reversal hoping that trend will reverse again or correct itself and return to its once profitable motion. Most times this simply isn't the case. Emotions kill even the best trading campaigns, don't let it happen to you. Have a plan, stick to it, then move along and repeat your success elsewhere, it works.

Employ a Trading System - Forex trading systems are revolutionizing the term "effective trading" by staying connected to real time market data around the clock and trading automatically and accordingly with changes on behalf of their owners. As this technology continues to go more mainstream, more and more traders are embracing it each day. Because all trading is done automatically for the trader, these programs are recommended for new traders looking to earn some guaranteed profits early on as well as experienced traders looking to outsource some trading work to a capable source.

Begin your path to financial independence by earning some real money forex trading using the best forex trading systems available today.

21 Tips for Credit Card Fraud Prevention

2009-04-07T06:08:00.000-07:00

1. Keep an eye on your credit card every time you use it, and make sure you get it back as quickly as possible. Try not to let your credit card out of your sight whenever possible.

2. Be very careful to whom you give your credit card. Don't give out your account number over the phone unless you initiate the call and you know the company is reputable. Never give your credit card info out when you receive a phone call. (For example, if you're told there has been a 'computer problem' and the caller needs you to verify information.) Legitimate companies don't call you to ask for a credit card number over the phone.

3. Never respond to emails that request you provide your credit card info via email -- and don't ever respond to emails that ask you to go to a website to verify personal (and credit card) information. These are called 'phishing' scams.

4. Never provide your credit card information on a website that is not a secure site.

5. Sign your credit cards as soon as you receive them.

6. Shred all credit card applications you receive.

7. Don't write your PIN number on your credit card -- or have it anywhere near your credit card (in the event that your wallet gets stolen).

8. Never leave your credit cards or receipts lying around.

9. Shield your credit card number so that others around you can't copy it or capture it on a cell phone or other camera.

10. Keep a list in a secure place with all of your account numbers and expiration dates, as well as the phone number and address of each bank that has issued you a credit card. Keep this list updated each time you get a new credit card.

11. Only carry around credit cards that you absolutely need. Don't carry around extra credit cards that you rarely use.

12. Open credit card bills promptly and make sure there are no bogus charges. Treat your credit card bill like your checking account -- reconcile it monthly. Save your receipts so you can compare them with your monthly bills.

13. If you find any charges that you don't have a receipt for -- or that you don't recognize -- report these charges promptly (and in writing) to the credit card issuer.

14. Always void and destroy incorrect receipts.

15. Shred anything with your credit card number written on it.

16. Never sign a blank credit card receipt. Carefully draw a line through blank portions of the receipt where additional charges could be fraudulently added.

17. Carbon paper is rarely used these days, but if there is a carbon that is used in a credit card transaction, destroy it immediately.

18. Never write your credit card account number in a public place (such as on a postcard or so that it shows through the envelope payment window).

19. Ideally, it's a good idea to carry your credit cards separately from your wallet -- perhaps in a zippered compartment or a small pouch.

20. Never lend a credit card to anyone else.

21. If you move, notify your credit card issuers in advance of your change of address.

Auto Loans

2009-04-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

When you are in need of money, often times the need is immediate. Finance companies sometimes offer an easy way out of financial problems by offering a auto title loan. Unfortunately, clients are misled by the quick money that a auto title loan offers.

Tagged as abusive, extremely high interest rates of up to 360% are charged for auto title loans. The consumer must sign over their car title as collateral, to be able to receive a auto loan. Set up as open-ended credit, auto title loans are not subject to an interest rate limit or a maturity date.

Getting a auto title loan is simple! A customer enters the finance office to apply for a auto title loan and is asked how much money they would like to borrow. Without any credit check and delay, the borrower can obtain a loan by exchanging their auto title and an extra set of keys to their vehicle as collateral. The loans are typically less than $1,000.

The borrower then makes the first payment after 15 days and then every 30 days thereafter. One percent interest must be paid per day and the borrower must pay a minimum of ten percent of the loan principal with each payment, excluding the first payment.

Every auto title loan has an annual percentage rate of up to 360%. While the auto title loan can be paid off early with no penalty, the vehicle can be repossessed with one missed payment. Unfortunately, many borrowers are losing their transportation because of this.

This "Secured lending" is supposed to be cheaper for borrowers than unsecured lending because the lender can look to collateral in the event of default. That security means that it is a kind of lending that is in a vastly different category than payday loans – and should not be compared to it.

The auto title lenders have avoided interest rate limitations by structuring the debt as open-ended credit, like credit cards. Open-end credit was deregulated because federal law let out-of-state card issuers export their no-cap law. The legislature has never decided that secured, small loans should be deregulated.

Most secure title loans are charging a much higher interest rate than unsecured credit cards. Credit cards are unsecured, and therefore more risky than secured loans. Despite the greater risk, the current average interest rate charged by credit card companies is 12.5% . Yet auto title loans which are secured by autos which are owned free and clear by the title loan borrowers, are being charged rates that are 29 times the rate being charged on credit cards.

Due to astronomical annual percentage rates and because of the high repossession rate, the first payment on these loans is due a scant 15 days after borrowing the money. Failure to make the first payment of your car title loan, or any one payment thereafter results in repossession. While no data is currently available on repossessions of cars, at one auction house, over 150 vehicles have been sold after being repossessed.

There is also the loss of equity. For example, for many Iowans their auto is their most valuable asset. Auto title loans put this asset at risk and Iowans are losing all of their equity to the astronomical interest rates. For the unfortunate clients who lose their auto to repossession any excess equity they may have built is eaten by the repossession costs and interest rate charges.

The "financial emergency" that necessitated the desperate auto title loan for these consumers is rarely as short-lived as the loan terms, so the interest quickly mounts as paying the loan off with a balloon payment is commonly impossible. It will appear that in a auto title loan, you won’t be able to escape at all.

Here are some guiding principles from an affordable loan term. These should keep you away from auto title loans as well:

Establish Fair and Affordable Loan Terms. Title-secured loans should be repayable in affordable installments rather than a lump sum. Is your auto title loan like this? Rates should be limited, and lenders should be required to consider the borrower’s ability to repay
Protect Borrowers After a Default. States should bar abusive practices such as seizing cars without notice, pocketing the difference between the sales price and what the borrower owes or pursuing the borrower for even more money after repossessing the auto.
Close Loopholes to Ensure Consistent Regulation. States that permit title lending should close loopholes that exempt some loans from the law and ensure that laws apply to all lenders, including those operating across state lines.
Monitor Lenders Better. States should closely monitor lenders through strong licensing, bonding, reporting and examination requirements.
Ensure Borrowers Can Exercise Their Rights. Auto title loan borrowers should be able to sue title lenders and void contracts that violate the law. Binding mandatory arbitration clauses that deny borrowers a fair chance to challenge abuses in court should be eradicated.

Mortgage Basics

2009-04-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

Financing:

Buying a home is the biggest financial investment most of us will ever make. As with any large project or goal, it requires dealing with a variety of complex issues. The best approach is to divide the process into manageable tasks. The following deals with the first steps of gathering your records, determining what you can afford, and understanding mortgage options.

Own Financial House:

Before you go looking for a home, you should determine how much home you can afford. Most lenders will prequalify you to borrow up to a certain amount. Prequalification allows you to focus in on a realistic price range and makes you a more attractive buyer. Whether or not you want to prequalify, eventually you'll need to complete a loan application and it may take some time to gather and assemble the required information.

It's also a good idea to review your credit report. Contact local lenders to determine which credit bureaus they use. Then contact the credit bureaus and request a copy of your credit report (in most states, credit bureaus are required to provide individuals with a free copy of their report). Review your report to ensure that all information is correct. If you have past credit problems, don't lose hope. Be prepared to present a rationale for each slipup, and demonstrate an improvement in your ability to pay bills on time.

How much to Afford:

The Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) is a government-sponsored organization that purchases mortgages from lenders and sells them to investors. Two income-to-debt ratios established by Fannie Mae are standard requirements for conventional mortgages. The first requirement is that monthly mortgage principal and interest payments (P&I), plus insurance and property taxes, cannot exceed 28% of the buyer's gross monthly income (some exceptions may apply to increase this limit to 33%). The second requirement limits total monthly debt payments (housing, credit cards, car payments, etc.) to 36% of gross monthly income. In addition to these requirements, you may have to pay 10% to 20% down on the total purchase price to qualify for a conventional mortgage.

Steps to Finding the Right Mortgage:

Estimate how long you expect to live in the house. If the answer is less than three to five years, consider an Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM), which typically starts out with a lower rate. If you plan to live in your new home longer than five years, a fixed-rate mortgage offers protection against rising interest rates.

Shop around for mortgage rates. Banks, credit unions, and mortgage companies all offer mortgages. Compare at least six lenders in your area.

Add up all the costs for each lender. Include fees, points, closing costs, etc., to arrive at the total mortgage cost for each lender.

The Easy Mortgage For Bad Credit Solution

2009-04-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

When you need to obtain a mortgage for bad credit, there are a couple options you have to choose from. Before you commit to anything, it is crucial that you know your options and spend some time thinking about this important decision. Whatever you decide is something you may be stuck facing and paying off for the next 30 years, so do not take this decision lightly.
Your mortgage for bad credit options are basically the following:

1. Search for and try to find the best offer with your current credit situation

2. Focus on credit restoration to qualify for preferred treatment

There are a number of companies and organizations that will approve you for a home loan no matter what your credit score, but that comes with major consequences. You're likely to pay outrageous fees and the interest you'll pay on the loan will be two to three times the average rate.

As a result, not only will it cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars more to live in your home every month, but by the time you pay off your mortgage it could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars more. That's because each month you pay your mortgage, more money is sent to the bank to pay interest than to actually owning your home. You're simply paying a fee.
Whether you need a mortgage for bad credit to purchase a new home, refinance your current home, or buy a second home, you'll end up paying more with these plans - and not just in mortgage payments. Because of your bad credit, your closing costs could be higher and you may end up paying private mortgage insurance (PMI), which is nothing more than a fee because of your bad credit score.

This can all be entirely eliminated by simply planning 30 - 90 days before you purchase your home. By putting a little effort in restoring your credit, you can erase any worries about getting approved for a mortgage. In doing so you'll save thousands of dollars in the process and reduce your closing costs.

Take the first and easiest step in repairing your credit right now. Get your credit fix in less than 45 seconds and watch your future start to change today.
by J.Taylor

How to Find a Good Insurance Agent?

2009-04-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

Insurance Agents are the one who should work on customers interest.

Do not stick to one single Agent, get in touch with 4 or 5 agents, so that each individual will give different opinion. It will help you to find the right choice.

Check whether the Agent is capable of clearing all sort of doubts you have. Ask critical, sensitive, stupid questions which ever comes into your mind.

Ask for their comission amount, remember you have the rights to ask them.

Ask for their customers phone number, contact them and get feedback form the customer about the Insurance agent.

Do not rely on the Insurance agent who tries to push something which you cannot afford. Make sure you are comfortable with the agent's recommendations and advice. Don't do business with someone you don't like; find another agent who represents the same company.

A good agent will ask questions about your insurance needs.

Raise your credit score

2009-04-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Make sure to pay your bills on time.

Non paid bill will have a bad imact on you.

Keep low balances on Credit cards.

High balance may lower your credit score.

How many Credit cards do you have? remember this before going for a new card.

Sometimes new cards may lower your credit score.

Have 2 or utmost 3 Credit cards. Dont go beyond that.

2 or 3 credit cards are managable and you might remember all transactions. and pay bills on time which will raise your score.

How to manage Credit Cards?

2009-03-30T02:51:00.000-07:00

Carry a limited number of credit cards.

Having a credit card will help you in emergency Situation. One for which the balance can be paid off each month is all you really need. It's also wise to only carry your emergency credit card, bringing the other one with you only when you know you're going to use it. This will help you avoid temptation.

Spend only what you can afford to pay back within a month or two.

While making the monthly minimum payment on your credit card will keep you in good standing with the credit bureau.

It will also keep you in debt. Any balance you leave on your account after the grace period is subject to finance charges which add up very quickly.

Determine your own acceptable level of debt. The majority of financial institutions consider it reasonable to have a 25 percent debt-to-income ratio, which means the amount of money you owe is one-quarter of your annual income. Most people can only manage the payments on a 10 to 15-percent debt-to-income ratio .

Advocate for your rights as a credit card holder by asking for lower interest rates or waivers of late payment fees. As long as your credit is in fairly good shape, most companies are willing to negotiate the details rather than lose a customer.

Apply for credit cards that don't have an annual fee, as well as cards that offer rewards to members.

Not only should you not have to pay for the privilege of membership, but you should get bonuses for it. Many cards now offer cash rewards or a certain number of frequent-flier miles for every dollar you spend.

Read your monthly statements thoroughly to make sure all the charges were authorized for the correct amount and not subject to unexpected fees.

Stop using your credit card if you're in over your head. At the very least, take a break from using it until the balance is paid down to a manageable level.

How to buy a Car?

2009-03-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

To make sure you buy a new car that fits your needs, start by answering these 10 questions:

1. Do I prefer a domestic or an import brand? Does it matter?

2. Do I need (or just want) a large new car, a medium-sized new car -- or a small one?

3. Do I need (or just want) a vehicle with rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive or some sort of all-wheel-drive/4x4 system?

4. Do I prefer a soft ride, a firm, "sporty" ride -- or something in-between?

5. How important is power/performance? Do I need (or just want) a new car that can do 150 mph?

6. Do I need (or just want) a vehicle that can carry cargo? How much?

7. What kind of gas mileage is acceptable -- and what's not? Is my personal "tipping point" at least 28 mpg -- or is 16 mpg OK if the car otherwise meets my needs?

8. How about safety? Are crash-test scores very important? The presence (or absence) of features like side-curtain air bags, stability control and brake assist?

9. What level of warranty coverage meets my expectations? Is three years/36,000 miles enough? Or is the minimum five years/50,000 miles?

10. Is resale/trade-in value a big consideration? Some brands hold their value much better than others.
Your answers to the above will automatically exclude a number of makes/models, narrowing your pool of possible candidates considerably. Now the biggest question:

11. How much do you want to spend?
Never, ever plan to buy a new car without thoroughly figuring out beforehand the maximum amount of money you're comfortable spending -- and stick to it. This will keep you on budget and help you dodge the "low monthly payment" shuck and jive that often gets unsuspecting new car buyers in way over their heads. Be sure to include everything in the bottom line, too. That means finance charges, interest, taxes, insurance, everything you will need to spend to own and drive the car.