Posted on June 14th, 2008 — in Mathematics Hall
How will credit card balance transfers affect my credit score and rating?
Transferring balance from a high interest credit card to a new lower interest
card can definitely save you money on interest, if nothing else at least until
the introductory rate ends (if applicable). We all receive those infamous credit
card offers in the mail, urging us to apply for a new card and transfer our high
interest balance over, in order to take advantage of the lower interest rate
that this new card has to offer.
This seems like a logical thing to do, right? I mean, lower interest rates on
your credit accounts equals more money in your pocket, true? Yes,
transferring your credit card balance from a high interest credit account to a
lower one is an excellent way to save money on interest, especially if you carry
a lot of debt on your credit card(s).
But how does this affect your credit rating and credit score?The answer to that question really depends on your
situation, and how you go about it.
A closer look
Lets say you have $5,000 in debt on a credit card account from “ABC
Credit Services”, which has a total credit line of $10,000. For this
example, lets just say this is currently your only open credit card
account. Since your debt takes up half of your total credit line, this would put
your percentage of debt compared to your credit line, for this account, at 50%.
We’ll call this your “debt percentage”.
You’re making payments to ABC with no problems and you seem happy with the
account and the interest rate. That is, until one day you check your mail, and
there it is, a credit card offer from “XYZ Credit Services” with a
fixed interest rate set at half of what you’re paying now with ABC! Suddenly
dollar signs start popping up in your head, and you start trying to figure out
how much money you could save by transferring your $5,000 balance to XYZ. You
then decide you’re going to apply for the account at XYZ. Your credit is good
right? No problem! You receive the card in a week or so, and go ahead with the
balance transfer.
So how does this affect my credit score?
How this balance transfer affects your credit rating and credit score really
depends on what you do from this point on, and also what your credit line is on
your new card from “XYZ”. If your credit line on your new card is
lower than that of the original “ABC” credit account, then your
“debt percentage” will be higher, which generally will lower your
credit score. This would be true if you closed the original account at ABC, and
kept your new account as your only open credit card account.
If you’ve had your “ABC” credit card for a while (maybe 2 years or
more), and you have a good payment history with them, then it will most likely
be in your best interest to keep that account open, even if you don’t use it.
Especially if your credit line with your new lower interest card is below
$10,000. Usually for the sake of your credit score, you don’t want to
increase your “debt percentage”, you want to decrease it.
For example, if you keep both accounts open, you will have a total credit
line of $20,000. With your $5,000 in debt on your new card, and your original
account at ABC having no balance, your debt percentage would only be 25%,
which is a good percentage and your credit score will reflect that.
Now reverse that and say that you closed your credit account from
“ABC”, given that your credit line at “XYZ” stays the same,
you would have a debt percentage of 50%, which is what you started out with in
the beginning. Add to that a newly acquired credit card with little or no
payment history on it, and you’re credit score would almost surely decrease, at
least until you establish a longer payment history on your new account.
So for this example, it would probably be best to keep both accounts open.
Your lower debt percentage could possibly offset the hit your score took from
obtaining your new credit card. And looking to the future, it should
look better on your credit report this way too.
Avoid increasing your debt percentage
When trying to keep your credit score as high as possible, try to avoid doing
anything to increase your debt percentage. Even though the amount of debt you
are carrying on your “revolving credit” is the same, it will always
look better if you’re using 25% of your total credit, compared to using up 50%
of it.
But don’t try too hard to decrease it either
Be sure not to take it too far by applying for more credit than you need,
just because you think it will help your credit score by having an even lower
debt percentage. Obtaining any new credit will generally bring down your credit
score slightly, at least for a short period of time. Applying for credit too much and too
often will almost always have a negative impact on your credit score, which
is exactly what you don’t want. Your time would be better spent on trying to
pay down this debt instead.
As with anything, being informed is the key
Balance transfers such as this can and will save you money on interest, if you do it
right. Stay informed about how things like this affect your credit, and you should be just fine!
Jake Rustenhoven is the webmaster of http://www.freebiecreditreport.com and the author of many other self-help and how-to articles related to credit reports and credit scores.
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Posted on June 13th, 2008 — in Life Of Webcams
A favicon is a custom icon that sits next to your web site title in a persons favourite’s menu when they have bookmarked your site, it is an easy way to create an ‘eye drawing image’ to ensure that people always see you link in their favourite’s and should hopefully encourgae them to check out that ‘great site that they haven’t visited yet today!’
This is a quick guide that will provide instructions on how to create one for your site, it really is very easy and will help to create a extra tool to maintain your site in the customers mind.
All it takes is four easy steps…
1) Choose an image that you would like to use to represent your web site. Most people use a small version of their logo but you can use any image that you want. I would advise however that you choose an image that is reflective of your web sites theme and an image that will still remain recognisable when the size is dropped to 16 x 16 pixels.
2) Take your chosen image, which should be as high a quality as you can get, in .JPG or .GIF format and convert your image to the 256 color Web Safe Palette or the Windows 16 color format. This can very easily be done in most graphics packages and as a guideline I would say that the less colours you use the better so as to maintain image clarity and professionalism.
3) Using your graphics package, reduce the image down to 16 x 16 pixels, at this point you need to ensure that you preserve the image resolution. This is a key factor as a larger image that has been reduced can loose all clarity and just become a tacky blob, is this how you want your web site remembered? The key here is to keep perservering until you are happy with the finished icon and it is a great advertisement for the professionalism, and the theme, of your web site.
4) Once you are happy with your completed icon you need to save it as “Favicon.ico”. This is the default name that web browsers, such as Internet Explorer, look for. This file then needs to be copied to the root directory of your web site and then whenever a customer bookmarks your site your image is cached and will display when they use their favourites menu.
This can very easily be tested by clearing your cache and re-bookmarking your site and ‘hey presto’ your new shiny, professional and eye drawing favicon will appear next to your site title and will also appear in the address bar of your browser.
This is just another simple trick that aims to get you ‘thinking outside the box’ when it comes to developing your website presence and reminding your customers to come and re-visit your web site.
Mike - Forum Webmaster at
Online Auction Trader - a community forum dedicated to developing you a sustainable, profitable and long term online income.
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Posted on June 13th, 2008 — in Humor Management
The noontime peace on our townhouse patio was suddenly shattered by the raucous bellow of a leaf blower. A South American gardener’s helper and his blower machine inexorably advanced toward my patio and my waiting lunch. The dust swirled in the sun as he swept the patios clean.
I frantically looked around for a non existing cover for my lunch. Knowing that he spoke no English, I semaphored for him to cut off his blaster, alternating my signals between chopping at my neck with stiffened hand and pointing to my mouth and my food. A blank stare confirmed my suspicion that I wasn’t coming across.
Finally, the young man looked up with what seemed like comprehension and turned off his machine. I pointed to my lunch (which consisted of a bowl of hot mushroom soup, a piece of Russian rye toast, a cup of coffee and a slice of pound cake for dessert.
I thanked him for the silence, prepared to enjoy my lunch. He suddenly broke out in a big grin, pulled out the chair and started eating! Dumbstruck, I watched him dig in. Bemused, I allowed myself two brownie points, one for not saying anything and one for doing my good deed of the day.
Retired portrait photographer. Now I can laugh.
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Posted on June 12th, 2008 — in Net Portal
Everyone who uses the internet has more than likely been targets of spam at one time or another. At first they are easy to dismiss for internet experienced persons, however for the inexperienced user of the internet, the messages contained can sometimes be intimidating and in some instances lead to trouble (I will come onto a personal example later).
Spam can take several forms; email and search engine spam are just two, but the one we will concentrate on in this article, and also the one you will, and have most likely encountered, is via email.
Spam is defined as unsolicited bulk mail, much of which is caught in your “bulk” or “trash” folder found in your email service provider control panel. You have probably often seen a mass of these types of emails in you bulk folders when checking for email that you actually have consented to receive, as many emails are caught by spam filters even though they should not. The majority of spam you may receive will be of a sexual or gambling nature, however over the past few months I have noticed an ever-increasing number of scam emails asking for sensitive information, claiming to be someone they are not.
Paypal and eBay scams are a prime example of these types of emails known as “phishing scam emails”. The email will be along the lines of:
“We have noticed an irregularity in your account details and require you to update them immediately. Failure to do so will result in the permanent closure of your account”
You can see how these emails can be pretty alarming to an inexperienced internet user who may only occasionally use the internet to sell or buy items on eBay for example. Some of the emails will look very convincing, and will use the images and symbols of the respective company, however be very cautious and take heed to the following important point:
If you are unsure of the legitimacy of the email, do not follow any link contained within the email to an external website. Instead, type the website address that you know is correct into your browser directly, so that you are safe in the knowledge that you are not using a fraudulent website.
Failure to do this may result in your account being hijacked by the scammer; it’s as easy as this. You follow the link in the email to a website claiming to be, and also looking very much like one where you have an account. The website will ask you to input your username and password to access your account and voila, you will have now sent this information to the scammer, allowing them access to your account containing sensitive information about you.
Another type of email scam that has been very popular is where you are notified to be the very lucky winner of a lottery, even though you have never entered the lottery in the location claiming your success! This is where the example of a personal experience comes in. Many people reading this will be thinking “I’ll never fall for one of these scams”, however the unfortunate reality is that many people will do so. An elderly relative of mine received one of these lottery scams from Spain, and then insisted on following up with the email scam, even though they had never even entered the lottery draw. The only stumbling block was that the bank account details required, needed to be sent by fax, which she couldn’t do, and despite the frustration that this caused I of course refused to help send it.
There are measures that you can take to help avoid being targeted by spammers; a few have been mentioned here. However, in addition never reply to a scam email as it will notify them that the email address is live and also that you have read the email, leading to further spam.
Of course there are many other threats from spam that are not discussed here, such as viruses and trojans being sent via email attachments. More details on spam can be found here: www.spam-blocker-online.com.
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Posted on June 12th, 2008 — in Uncategorized
The patterns of wind are interesting and take on the appearance of being so complex that many computer software scientists have previously thrown up their hands giving up in trying to mathematically predict it. Yet, we can predict it since we have formulas for much of what we know as fluid dynamics physics, we have laws and rules which are taught in higher math and physics classes through linear sets of equations, yet when we add additional variables and stack the data sets, somehow our minds having been taught a certain methodology of problem solving, rendering us to a conclusion that it is impossible to predict.
Not so, since currently with the use of computers, XML data bases, ESRI software and a better understanding of other complex systems and patterns which we have broken through, we now know it is not only possible, but known that we can predict wind patterns and depending on the number of variables taken into consideration we can be so accurate that we would know wind.
It seems as if many give up just before they figure it out. You see the wind and weather is nothing more than many interrelated yet separate patterns all coming together. Each one is simple by itself, but the huge number of variables make it seem impossible. Thankfully scientists now with super computers are making it all happen and soon weather prediction maybe as exact as looking at a calendar to see what the next day is. Think on this.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
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Posted on June 10th, 2008 — in Marketing
Marketing is a broad business subject that encompasses a
range of activities including advertising, public relations,
sales, and promotions. Generally, you will find that people
often confuse sales with marketing, when in fact the two are
quite different. Marketing is all about getting a product or
service into the market, promoting it, influencing behavior,
and encouraging sales turnover. Sales, quite distinctly, is
the actual transaction of getting a product or service into
the hands of your customers.
With so many messages being propelled towards all of us
these days, it is more critical than ever for a company to
get their product noticed. This means marketers have
evolved to being creative. Marketing is not an exact science
and managers who know little about it are afraid that the
marketing staff within their firm is often wasting valuable
money. The truth is that marketing is an investment that
always pays off; it just may come back in ways that are not
necessarily measurable. So even though one campaign
may
bring moderate results, another will bring astonishing
profits.
Companies not committed to a marketing program are at a
disadvantage in today’s business world. Those who are still
focused on their products, rather than their customers, are
doomed to experience lots of failure. Knowing what your
clients’ expectations are and working to exceed them is
the key to ultimate business success.
There are millions of marketing ideas just waiting to be
spawned. If you need to generate ideas, start by
brainstorming on paper or on the computer. One small idea
usually leads to many other ideas. Alternatively you can
do a web search for the specific marketing ideas you are
looking to use in your marketing program. If you lack the
talent or time to be creative and generate your own
marketing ideas, there are marketing agencies that can
assist you to build a complete marketing program.
When you are planning your marketing program, keep in
mind
the hurdles you may face, and think of ways to eliminate
them. Some things that may hold you back from
implementing
your marketing ideas include budget shortfalls, lack of
skill, or being understaffed. Think of ways around this as
you plan your strategy for the future.
Finally, think about the specific actions that you can use
in a marketing campaign. Your marketing actions might
include advertising, sponsorship, branding, and public
relations. Or, you may want to stick with direct mail,
product packaging and creating promotional materials such
as
pens or caps. Whatever method you choose, make sure you
are pointing excited energy in that direction. It will
be reflected in the results!
The author has discovered one of the secrets to getting the
word “out there” regarding your product or service. She has
shared this information with hundreds of business owners
over the last 20 plus years and helped them to improve their
business.
Andrea Lee Churchill is passionate about marketing and
is the webmaster of FWS Marketing
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Posted on June 9th, 2008 — in Lots Of Travel Resources
Driving in Thailand
Many people like the thrill of riding fast motorbikes and driving rally cars, some enjoy driving 4 X 4 vehicles in wild terrain at speed or just seeing how fast their 10 year old car can go, whilst others prefer a complicated game of Mah Jong or chess, maybe even the occasional game of Russian roulette. The psychology of Thai drivers includes all these traits and more.
Driving in Thailand is not for the feint-hearted. If you happen to be from one of the few countries in the world who drive on the Left side of the road you have a slight mechanical advantage because you are used to driving on the “wrong side of the road,” and with the steering wheel on the “wrong” side, but even these benefits will not help you much in Thailand.
Whilst the laws of the road are very similar to your home country’s, the Rules of Engagement are quintessentially and pragmatically Thai. Compared with Western countries the passing of a driving test is a minor formality which takes around 10 minutes in a car park with red cones. Until you pass this “test” you can drive anyway without ‘L’ plates if you are with another driver.
The general knowledge of any sort of Highway Code is virtually non-existent and such things as undertaking at speed and a total lack of signalling, even when turning across several lanes of traffic is normal practice.
In towns and cities motorbikes will cut you up left and right at the same time. Another will probably pull out in front of you and expect you to stop for it, whilst pedestrians weaving between traffic queues do not seem to notice cars or motorbikes heading for them at 50 kms per hour and only inches away.
In country districts where the roads or tracks seem to be appallingly potholed in places, any rules of the road are entirely forgotten by the local drivers who have been driving round these hazards for years. They will of course use the bit of the road without holes which may or may not be the correct one. It is possible to find yourself on entirely the wrong side whilst someone going in the opposite direction passes you on his wrong side. 4 X 4 vehicles are a must for country tracks as cars suspensions and ground clearance just won’t cope.
If you have a driving licence from your own country as well as an international one, you have the patience of a holy-man, have eyes in the back of your head, the reflexes of Michael Schumacher in a Formula 1 Farrari, a crystal ball for checking out the local traffic and to make sure that the ‘puddle’ in front of you is not a metre deep, then you may wish to come to South-East Asia to check out this dangerous pastime. It’s actually very good fun!
Interested in this subject? Try this link for more of the same
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Posted on June 9th, 2008 — in Home Improvement Info
Because GardenDirect.co.uk was opened online around 1996 it has with momentum become one of a selection of finest mail order stockists of garden and house plants. From the company’s twelve years that GardenDirect.co.uk have been doing business the business now have 2 million shoppers who have been drawn by great convenience, competitive charges, superior value for money and constantly high quality garden sheds. Their products are so varied; the business is constantly rated for their unusual plant varieties that can be found continually introduced to the recent range, which additionally includes gardening sheds and extras to help customers that can buy the very best for their well kept garden. The business sell beyond one hundred and thirty million best select flowers each year, the huge majority raised on their own nurseries, this allows people to be sure about your buy & know that what one have ordered are of the highest quality standard.
Garden Direct of course give the choice of a catalogue aimed at people to inspect through or possibly purchase from in one’s own time. Garden Direct sell the best array from classic favourites to lots of uncommon forms one will often not find in most garden stores; the catalogue will probably also include a list of seasonal special offers as well. GardenDirect.co.uk have types of options of flower plants that folk will often buy within Garden Direct’s online store. You yourself might well either go for a plug, ready or super seeding. Each of which are altogether different, plug shrubs, distributed at 4-6cm tall in a plug of compost the above mentioned can be found the best the best value for money, you then have the taller set shrub plants that are sold at at 6-8cm high & being further mature should be set straight into your garden, not forgetting you have super flower plants these are ideal for people who have less time to spare, distributed at 9-11cm tall they don’t forget will probably be directly set into one’s well kept garden.
Along with plants www.GardenDirect.co.uk stock the ordinary garden products that one might well buy; these consist of garden tools, garden sheds and gardening shears along with countless others. Garden Direct can make your gardening easier, by ordering your garden tools online you can save time and hassle of having to visit a garden store.
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Posted on June 7th, 2008 — in Cash Advance Resources
Many people with a poor credit history or a low credit score tend to assume that they will not be able to obtain a loan. These people assume that they will not be able to obtain a loan for a car let alone a home.
In point of fact, in the 21st century there are a significant number of loan options available to a person who has a poor credit history and a low credit score. If you are a person in such a position who desires to obtain a loan, there are some points and tips that you should bear in mind as you go about searching for a loan. By following these tips, you will improve your chances of obtaining a loan even if you do have a bad credit history and low overall credit score.
1. The first tip to keep in mind as you go about trying to find a loan (if you have a low credit score and a poor credit history) is to obtain a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. (Indeed, even if you have a solid credit history and a decent credit score, you should still consider obtaining a copy of your credit report from each of the three major agencies in advance of applying for a major loan.) The reason you need to obtain a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies is based on the fact that research has demonstrated that a majority of credit reports on file contain errors, errors that adversely effect a person’s credit history and credit or FICO score. As a result, by knowing what is on your credit report, you will be in a position to determine whether there is any incorrect information on your report. Upon identifying erroneous information on your credit report, you can take steps to get your report corrected. By correcting your report, you will be able to improve you credit history and your credit score, making it easier for you to obtain the loan that you need and desire.
2. The second tip that you need to consider when seeking a loan is to make certain that any of your revolving accounts are current. In considering whether or not you are worthy of a loan, a lender primarily will consider your credit history and credit report. However, a lender will also consider the status of your current revolving accounts (credit card accounts and the like). If these accounts are current and not past due, you will have a better chance of obtaining financing even if you do have a poor credit history.
3. The third tip that you need to keep in mind when considering obtaining a loan is the amount of income you anticipate earning in the immediate and not too distant future. Your lender will want to know exactly what you are earning presently and will want to try and accurately predict what your future earnings will be as well. The key to successfully dealing with a loan is to make certain that you have a reliable and sufficient stream of income to satisfy the terms and conditions of the loan
4. Finally, as you go about seeking a loan, even if you have poor credit and a lower credit score, make a list of those reliable lenders that offer loans to people with less than stellar credit histories. By identifying lenders that deal specifically with in providing loans to people with less than stellar credit histories, you will be well on your way to obtaining financing. After you have developed a list of potential lenders, you need to do some independent research on these different lenders. You naturally will want to make certain that you link up with a lender that is well established, reliable and reputable. (There are some less than ideal operators on the market today. By doing your own independent research, you will be able to ensure that you are working with a top notch lender.)
In the end, by following the suggestions outlined in this article, you will be well on your way to obtaining the financing you need (whether it be for a car, a home or something else important to you) in very little time.
Publisher & Author - Bill Darken - There’s a good student loan area along with more relevant general loans assistance such as home, car, and consolidation loans. There’s are highly informative eye opening articles and up to date loans news at Bill’s site, see it all here at
Loans or http://www.loans-only/wordpress/
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Posted on June 6th, 2008 — in Marketing
I have a major secret to success…
Not just success in the self-storage business. Not just the secret to financial success. But the secret to success in every area of our human lives. And - as you’ve probably guessed - I’m going to reveal it in this article.
But before I do, I want to warn you that it will appear extremely simple at first glance. In fact, you’ve probably heard it a few times before. You’ll probably read it, your brain will translate a meaning to you based on your background or previous experiences and you might completely miss the relevance of this secret.
So, before I tell you what it is, I would like you to commit, right now, that you’ll read it, re-read it and re-read it again. Then think about it before continuing.
Okay, here it is:
Make people offers they can’t refuse!
Simple enough right? Maybe, depending on how you think about it. Allow me to expand that thought to help you understand the point I’m trying to make.
See, our life is spent making offers to people and considering offers presented to us. We must offer something to somebody before they’ll hire, date, marry or befriend us. And, we must make our offers irresistible. Offers so strong that the person would feel foolish for not taking you up on it.
I offer my wife the satisfaction of romance and love. I offer her a good father to our children and an extremely close friendship.
When we go out to dinner with friends, we offer friendship, laughter and sometimes a shoulder to cry on or support with a challenge in their life.
When you signed up to receive these articles, I offered you valuable tips on self-storage marketing. The real offer I’m making to you is more money through increased expertise and knowledge. I offer my clients more money and more time through more effective marketing strategies and turn-key systems.
When you market your self-storage facility, what are you offering your prospects?
If your marketing looks like most self storage marketing I’ve seen, you really don’t communicate an offer at all. You offer “matched prices” or “secure access”…
Is that really an offer? To a degree it is, but you’re not offering something that people really want. You see, people don’t want matched prices, or gated access. Those things are great compliments to the real offer you’re making.
The bottom line is this…
Whether we realize it or not, everything we do is based on what we offer others and what others offer us. It sounds selfish, I know, but even charity work offers us something. When I do charity work, I get the feeling of self-worth and the satisfaction of helping somebody in need.
Make sense?
So how do we tie this into self-storage marketing?
Well, there are a lot of ways that this thinking is relevant and can help you make more money at your self-storage facilities.
But there are two things that I’d like you to think about as you read this article:
1. What is it that you really offer people as a self-storage marketer?
2. What offer can you make to lower or reverse the risk for people to accept your main offer?
This brings us to the 4th and final step of the marketing success code. Offers or Action is the final step.
To review all 4 steps here they are:
1. Interrupt/Attention
2. Engage/Interest
3. Educate/Decide
4. Offer/Action
If you follow those 4 steps properly, you can’t fail at marketing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s impossible to hit a home run every single time. But it’s not the equation that fails, it’s us as marketers that don’t follow it properly.
We might think we interrupt but we miss the boat. We might think our offer is right, but it’s completely wrong. The world’s best marketers and advertising geniuses strike out more than you’d think.
This is why testing is so important, which we’ll discuss later.
For now, I want to keep your focus on your offers. Think about that everyday and your level of success will only get better.
And before today is over, make somebody an offer they can’t refuse. Be it your spouse, boss, customer, employee or child. Think about what they want, what their self-interests are and offer them a way to fulfill that interest.
You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to get what you want…
In our next article we’ll discuss offers in more detail and why making wimpy offers will only hurt you in the long run.
Copyright 2006 Derek Naylor
Derek M. Naylor is the President of Storage Marketing Solutions (SMS). SMS has created, and proven many turn-key marketing solutions for the self-storage industry.
Additionally Derek has helped thousands of businesses increase their profits by helping them implement elite marketing strategies and tactics. For a complimentary marketing strategy session, call SMS at 800.941.4805 or visit http://www.storagemarketingsolutions.com to sign up for their newsletter.
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