1. The basic insurance limit is $100,000 per depositor per insured bank. If you or your family has $100,000 or less in all of your deposit accounts at the same insured bank, you don’t need to worry about your insurance coverage. Your funds are fully insured. Your deposits in separately chartered banks are separately insured, even if the banks are affiliated, such as belonging to the same parent company.

2. You may qualify for more than $100,000 in coverage at one insured bank if you own deposit accounts in different ownership categories. There are several different ownership categories, but the most common for consumers are single ownership accounts (for one owner), joint ownership accounts (for two or more people), self-directed retirement accounts (Individual Retirement Accounts and Keogh accounts for which you choose how and where the money is deposited) and revocable trusts (a deposit account saying the funds will pass to one or more named beneficiaries when the owner dies). Deposits in different ownership categories are separately insured. That means one person could have far more than $100,000 of FDIC insurance coverage at the same bank if the funds are in separate ownership categories.

3. A death or divorce in the family can reduce the FDIC insurance coverage. Let’s say two people own an account and one dies. The FDIC’s rules allow a six-month grace period after a depositor’s death to give survivors or estate executors a chance to restructure accounts. But if you fail to act within six months, you run the risk of the accounts going over the $100,000 limit.

Example: A husband and wife have a joint account with a “right of survivorship,” a common provision in joint accounts specifying that if one person dies the other will own all the money. The account totals $150,000, which is fully insured because there are two owners (giving them up to $200,000 of coverage). But if one of the two co-owners dies and the surviving spouse doesn’t change the account within six months, the $150,000 deposit automatically would be insured to only $100,000 as the surviving spouse’s single-ownership account, along with any other accounts in that category at the bank. The result: $50,000 or more would be over the insurance limit and at risk of loss if the bank failed.

Also be aware that the death or divorce of a beneficiary on certain trust accounts can reduce the insurance coverage immediately. There is no six-month grace period in those situations.

4. No depositor has lost a single cent of FDIC-insured funds as a result of a failure. FDIC insurance only comes into play when an FDIC-insured banking institution fails. And fortunately, bank failures are rare nowadays. That’s largely because all FDIC-insured banking institutions must meet high standards for financial strength and stability. But if your bank were to fail, FDIC insurance would cover your deposit accounts, dollar for dollar, including principal and accrued interest, up to the insurance limit. If your bank fails and you have deposits above the $100,000 federal insurance limit, you may be able to recover some or, in rare cases, all of your uninsured funds. However, the overwhelming majority of depositors at failed institutions are within the $100,000 insurance limit.

5. The FDIC’s deposit insurance guarantee is rock solid. As of mid-year 2005, the FDIC had $48 billion in reserves to protect depositors. Some people say they’ve been told (usually by marketers of investments that compete with bank deposits) that the FDIC doesn’t have the resources to cover depositors’ insured funds if an unprecedented number of banks were to fail. That’s false information.

6. The FDIC pays depositors promptly after the failure of an insured bank. Most insurance payments are made within a few days, usually by the next business day after the bank is closed. Don’t believe the misinformation being spread by some investment sellers who claim that the FDIC takes years to pay insured depositors.

7. You are responsible for knowing your deposit insurance coverage.

Know the rules, protect your money.

7 Things Seniors (and Everyone Else) Should Know About FDIC Insurance is a post from: Tiki Stadium Finance Tips

Candle fundraisers are your basic order taker fundraiser. You need to do more than just show pictures of candles. Showing fragrant samples will dramatically boost your candle fundraiser’s results.

The basic concept is the same as all order taker fundraisers. You equip your sellers with a brochure, an order form, and a basic sales script.

The brochure describes the various candle selections and provides details on color, aroma, size, shape, weight, and container type. Price points are usually on the order form itself.

Unlike candy or cookie dough, it’s easy for your sellers to carry samples. Their non-perishable nature makes them a great fit for weeklong sales efforts.

One of the great things about candle fundraisers is how the aroma of your samples makes the selling process so much easier. Most buyers will sniff several samples and imagine how the candles will fill their homes with their pleasant smells.

Perennial favorites are french vanilla, bayberry, apple, pumpkin spice, apple cinnamon, holiday pine, melon burst, and citrus breeze.

Candle sizes range from small two-ounce votive candles all the way up to giant three-pound ball or bell-shaped versions with multiple wicks.

Several fundraising companies have candles in decorative shapes like various fruits, animals, wizards, trees, and figurines. In addition, large rectangles, cylinders, half-rounds, and tapers are always readily available.

Some companies also offer container-based candles which burn more slowly and safely. They also avoid messy cleanup problems. Popular styles are Mason jars, jars with handles, jars with screw tops, and square glass containers.

Profitability
Most fundraising companies offer their candles at a 50% discount. Some suppliers also offer a larger discount for higher volume sales.

The average seller makes five to seven sales. Many of these sales are multi-unit buys, so they average about $80 in revenue. That translates to roughly $40 in profit per seller, which is quite good.

Factors affecting your candle fundraisers profitability include freight charges, quantity discounts, quality of the brochure, number of available candle choices, the motivation level of your sellers, and the duration of your fundraising activities. And of course, the most important factor is having fragrant samples in the hands of your sellers.

This product works well for both elementary school and high school fundraising.

Larger groups can easily earn a quantity discount above 50%. As always, do an RFQ fax quote to the candle supplier list and lock-in your best possible discount up front.

Fundraiser Candles for Your Group is a post from: Tiki Stadium Finance Tips

1. Detail out all your debts

First, look at all your secured debts such as mortgage and car loan. How much are the repayment for each month? What are the interest rates?

Then, list down all the fixed expenses such as power, phone, insurance, food, etc. What are the total costs for these expenses?

Follow by examining your credit card debts. Take out all your credit card statement and write down the amount you owe for each card and their interest rate.

Finally, write down all your other expandable; these are your optional expenses such as entertainment, gym, membership, dinners at restaurant and other impulsive purchase.

2. Eliminate the unnecessary expenses

Now you should have a better idea on where your money goes; Make a diet plan on your cash; In your Cash Diet Plan, list down all the your savings from the elimination of the optional expenses. You will be surprise that how much money you can save by carefully control your expenses. The money you saved can be used to pay down your debts.

3. Get your family involve and work as a team

Don’t do it alone because under such as stress condition, you may out of control and may not think and plan in clear mind; get your family together and let them know your financial problem and have them to work together to control the household spending and eliminate the unnecessary expenses.

4. Cash out with your assets

If you have equity, you are in a better situation because you could refinance or get a secured loan for pay off your debts. If you are looking for bankruptcy as your debt relief options, your may not have any equity in hand already. But equity is not the only asset; many people tend to forget that things that have cash value, but not sentimental value. Think antiques, old clothes or collectibles.

List down all the assets you own which your can sell and cash out. Check the closets, garage and storage locker, she says, “and find out what you can live without”. Then, cash them out through garage sales, eBay or consignment shops. Use the money to pay down your debts as much as possible.

5. Go for consumer counseling service

Arrange an appointment with a credit counseling agency and let the counselor to understand your finance situation and draft a budget for you. Review the debt management plan proposed to you before your sign to enroll into the plan. You may get a few plans from other credit counseling agencies for comparison. Choose the one which best suit your current financial needs. Although a debt-management plan can have a negative impact on your credit, it’s better than bankruptcy.

6. Get A second or part time job

Utilize your out-of-work time on second or part time job. Although you may not earn much in your part time job, a little money coming in can keep a bad financial situation from getting worse.

Summary

Bankruptcy may be your easy way out from debts but the consequences may follow you for 7 to 10 years. Always look for other alternative before choose for this dramatic options.

6 Steps to Take before Bankruptcy is a post from: Tiki Stadium Finance Tips

Debt is something that many people have to deal with throughout their lives and getting right out of college can be a scary time for anybody to have to worry about any sort of debt ordeal, there is no doubt about that. Paying back student loans that were collected during the time that you were in college can be very scary but knowing what to expect whenever that time does come is always better than not being familiar with it.

These loans can be quite substantial, to say the very least but as long as you always make your payments promptly and in a timely manner, you will be just fine and will not have to worry about them coming after you, wanting their money. Creditors can be extremely pushy whenever it comes to collecting their money for anyone of you out there but avoiding them is only you prolonging the inevitable and you know that is never going to completely fix anything for you in a positive manner.

Finishing college is a very trying time for anyone going through that experience and you totally deserve as little stress as possible because you have worked for so long and so hard, that the last thing you need right now is to be concerned and stressed over any type of debt. There are different things that anyone of you could try doing to ensure that you do not have to be bogged down with any sort of student loan debts after finishing college. Make sure you speak up front to the one’s loaning you your money about all of the terms and conditions so that everything is completely understood.

Your future could be brighter by you just taking some simple steps in planning and preparing in a more efficient manner each time that something does come up that will cost you money down the road. Having a financial plan is always extremely crucial when determining whether or not you are going to be able to live by your means or end up struggling severely down the road because of your debt.

Make sure that you start saving money during college and planning for that time whenever you do finally graduate because that is the moment of truth and the time in your life where you will be responsible for paying back any student loans that you acquired during those years. Your debt is just that, it is your debt, nobody else is going to handle things for you, so be a grown up finally and handle your finances properly.

Finishing College And Feeling Concerned About Your Debt-Helpful Information To Put You On The Right Path is a post from: Tiki Stadium Finance Tips

What forex brokers offer automated services?

GFT Forex is an automated forex broker, whose DealBook FX 2 software offers the investor both a demo and a live forex trading tool in the currency market. This forex trading software offers the investor direct access to some of the tightest spreads, through a stable, standalone forex trading platform, 24 hours a day.

The DealBook FX 2 software shows live, dealable prices, real time data, free real time world and financial news, forex charts, more than 65 technical indicators, and the ability to build the investors own indicators.

GCI Financial Ltd., another automated forex broker, provides trading software that tracks real time prices in 20 major currencies, live charts, and real time profit and loss account tracking. The software is offered as a demo also. Market orders are confirmed within seconds at prices clicked on or accepted by the client.

The FX3K is an online automated dealing and trading platform used by automated forex brokers. The FX3K online trading environment includes real time quotes, charting, technical analysis tools, and news. FX3K integrates the client, dealer, back office and system administrator functions. Product features include high speed execution of client orders and the ability to monitor real time margin availability, net exposure and profit and loss on all open positions. FX3K has chat options to allow trader-dealer conversations.

The COESfx Level 1 Trading Platform is used by automated forex broker as an Electronic Currency Network for the execution of best prices for buyers and sellers of foreign exchange. It offers traders live and executable prices, thereby making each participant a market maker. Traders gain access to “best bid/best offer quotes directly from price providers and other traders. COESfx pricing is derived from a number of partners in the network such as banks, Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs), Introducing Brokers (IBs), fund managers and other traders on its Electronic Currency Network.

A Review of Automated Forex Brokers is a post from: Tiki Stadium Finance Tips

Some consumers seem to get in trouble overnight with credit cards. Seemingly broke and deeply in debt, some desperate card holders are constantly on the lookout for a quick fix for the credit problems. A 0% credit card balance transfer
might appear to be the perfect solution. Many among us desperately jump at such offers without much forethought. 0% deals on balance transfers or purchases might seem irresistible even to the most credit worthy person. But especially if you have a large outstanding card balance (or balances), a 0% credit card balance transfer will seem especially lucrative. And to no surprise, there is no shortage of these type of balance transfer offers currently available in the marketplace.

Regardless of your credit circumstances, you should exercise caution and thoroughly investigate all aspects of any credit card offer that you consider. Despite the obvious attractions of a balance transfer credit card, it is worth giving a second thought before you cut up your old credit card to make room in your wallet for the new one. Companies often fail to clarify the fine print, hiding those rather unpleasant details which could cost you dearly in the long run.

Let us start with a very typical credit scenario. Imagine having a $10,000 outstanding balance on a credit card with a 10% annual APR, translating to $1000 in finance charges on a yearly basis. On the other hand, imagine securing a credit card that offers you 0% on balance transfers for the first year of membership. Transferring your card balance to a 0% balance transfer offer would cut down your annual interest expense by $1000. Exciting, isnt it?

But did you bother to check what the interest rate would be after the introductory interest-free period? The rate might turn out to be significantly higher than your existing card, and you do not want to be caught on the wrong side of a high APR. Forewarned is forearmed. You will need to plan ahead and not just a day or two before the interest-free period comes to an end. Some consumers might be surprised to discover that when an introductory APR offer expires that the rate of interest can revert retroactively to an APR of 23% and beyond. If you do not pay off your balance systematically and end up with a large balance when the introductory offer expires, many times consumers are stuck paying out an outrageously high APR because they did not pay down their card balance at all. So above all, make sure to plan on paying off that balance before the introductory period expires or you may regret it.

0% Balance Transfer Some Pointers

When considering balance transfers credit cards, help yourself by asking these questions:

- What will be the interest rate once the initial introductory 0% balance transfer period is
over?
- Is it comparable to my current APR or will it be significantly higher? What is the net difference?
- Particularly if you plan to carry a card balance over time, what will be the long-term net effect of the difference in APR’s?
- Do I want to get into the habit of switching from one 0% balance transfer card to another?

If your current credit card offers a better long-term ongoing APR than the new one, it makes more sense to stick with what youve got, especially if you have the means to pay off your card balance without incurring large finance charges. A balance transfer card most certainly has its own pros and cons but if you wish to use balance transfers to your advantage, make sure that you understand the net benefits of the card over the long term.

0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards – Too Good to be True? is a post from: Tiki Stadium Finance Tips

For those who carry balances on their credit cards, high interest rates have resulted in higher monthly bills, with many seeing their minimum payment increase substantially. Fortunately, now, more than in recent years, 0% credit cards offer a safe harbor from high rates. There are two basic types of 0% credit cards: those that offer a 0% rate on balance transfers, and those that offer a 0% on purchases. The best credit cards offer 0% interest on both. How much savings can these credit cards provide? Lets take a look at the math.

Lets assume youre carrying a balance of $10,000. If you simply pay the minimum each month, you will accrue close to $2000 in interest over the course of a year, thanks to daily compounding balances (too bad savings accounts dont pay that type of interest). With a 0% balance transfer, you can expect to save all of that money, plus, youll be given time to pay down that debt. When the 0% period expires, not only is there a chance your interest rate will be lower, but, if rates do not go down, you can always transfer the balance to another 0% credit card. Plus, if you make a minimum payment of $150 a month, your balance at the end of the year will be closer to $8200, rather than $12,000. Thats quite a difference.

Now, if youre fortunate enough to have no credit card debt, a 0% interest rate can be handy tool to avoid interest expenses on new purchases and free up some cash in the short term. Need a new fridge? Have to fix your car? Want granite counters for the kitchen? With a 0% credit card, you can defer the cost of these expenses for a year while taking advantage of high interest rates. How? By placing the cash that would have left your bank account into a high-yield savings account and taking advantage of rewards credit cards.

Lets assume you will make $10,000 of purchases over the next few months. Using a credit card with a 0% interest rate and 1% cashback rewards, coupled with a high-yield savings account with a 4% interest rate can put about $500 extra in your pocket over the course of the year.

Of course, not everyone pays their balance in full each month. With average credit card interest rates in the 12% to 15% range, carrying a monthly balance of only $1000 can cost close to $150 a year. Saving $150 in interest charges may not be a fortune, but its surely enough to buy a nice dinner with a good bottle of wine.

No matter how you use your credit card, a 0% interest credit card can have a positive effect on both short and long term cash flows. Given that the alternative is paying more than 12% in interest, choosing a 0% credit card in this atmosphere of high interest rates is a no-brainer.

0% APR Credit Cards: The High Interest Rate Solution is a post from: Tiki Stadium Finance Tips

Imagine you are going to give out your entire business process to be handled by another organization. I am sure you will want to know all you can about this particular aspect. You will surely not want to be caught unaware; if goes wrong with the entire process. Research and more research is the answer for you to meet such eventualities.

Choose the right outsourcing company to do your accounting outsourcing work. Numerous outsourcing come up with attractive and lucrative offers to do the work for accounting firms like yours. Find out carefully as many things as you can about the company before you actually let them do your work.

The internet is a storehouse of information and utilizing it in the best possible manner is in your hands. Check out the services provided by the various companies. Also try to get testimonials from firms who have already done accounting outsourcing from the particular outsourcing company.

Check out the various security measures put in place by the company to protect your company and customer data. This is an important aspect of with which you must take special care. In this internet age, people have become increasingly skeptical about giving out information about their financial details online. Security measures must be stringent enough to deal with this issue and to also bring back the faith of customers to the entire process of accounting outsourcing.

Your work will be done very quickly and you will be able to meet customer deadlines with plenty of time to spare. Highly qualified professionals are always hired for doing outsourcing work. So this means that you serve your customers with the best possible service that you can afford with in your budget. Accounting outsourcing work is done faultlessly by the professionals.

Monetary wise accounting outsourcing works out just perfectly for your accounting firm. You do not need to undertake any additional financial investment for the process. In fact you can earn through accounting outsourcing. Imagine you do not spend an extra cent and yet end up earning profits. This is just incredible; you must not waste time pondering over pros and cons of accounting outsourcing.

Check to see if the outsourcing firm provides any offers for free trails. You can actually take up this opportunity to see for yourself the quality of the work done by the firm. Based on this work done, you can decide whether you actually want to work any further with the company for accounting outsourcing work or not.

Accounting outsourcing can turn out to be beneficial to you in many ways. All of these benefits are subject to your working with the right accounting outsourcing company. So try outsourcing your accounting and experience a faster and more efficient way of doing business today!

Accounting Outsourcing Nitty-Gritty that you need to Know is a post from: Tiki Stadium Finance Tips

Why do you have to choose debt management program? If your debts are out of control, and you havent got any knowledge or experience to solve debt problem, debt management program will work on the behalf of you. Moreover, best debt management program usually uses a third party institution to control all of your debts, manage your budget, and negotiate with your creditors to reduce the total amount of outstanding debt in order to get lower interest rates as well as the late monthly payment. The success of negotiation proposal is based on the debtors situation and creditors agreement. The first process of debt management plan is to teach the debtors to live in the simple life style in order to reduce unsecured debts. Next, best debt management plan help you to create a list plan of your payment for your lender and your daily life. You have to pay every month according to the plan that you receive from your debt management company. Every month, you have to send your money to your debt management company, and
then they will give it to your creditors. Besides this, you will be free from your creditors phone call from your creditors if you pay to your debt management company your payment every month. You feel better after getting a help from debt management program; however, you have to pay until your debt is paid off.

Another thing you have to consider is fee charge. Some debt management company earn benefit from their service by giving advice to debtors, but non-fee organization are usually provide free credit counseling service to their customer because this type of company is a part of government agencies. If you decide to choose debt management company with fee, debt counseling will take all responsibilities to help you to get out of debt easily. In contrast, the government debt management can only advise and prepare a debt plan but doesnt manage the payment for you. You should take government debt management when you have some knowledge of debt and make sure you can access with debt solution process. In short, best debt management is the debt management that fit with your financial situation, and at last, you get out of debt.

Best Debt Management is a post from: Tiki Stadium Finance Tips

Do You Hate Research? . . . I do!

I have always wanted to find an investment strategy that made sense. An investment strategy in which I do not need to know the intricacies of the market, predict market trends or follow specific stocks. How can I get the inside information of what is hot before the rest of the market knows? I can’t. Nor do I need to.

Plus, I don’t have that kind of time to commit to in-depth research. Like you, I have a regular job that I need to devote my time to. I am not a day trader; nor do I want to spend all of my free time on the computer doing research. Always following the stock market and getting stock quotes is not how I want to spend my free time.

I Avoid Individual Stocks . . . they are too unreliable!

Everybody wants to buy low and sell high. While millions of people do make money this way (and many millions loose money), I have found an easier and more effective way to use the market to my advantage. I do not trade in stocks. I do what I can to avoid individual stocks. And I consistently beat the market . . . month after month after month.

If not stocks, what’s the alternative?

Like many people, I got heavily involved in the stock market in the mid to late Nineties. Tech stocks were going through the roof and I, like everybody else, wanted a part of the action. It seemed an easy way to make money. Everybody was getting rich. You did not need a special investment strategy to beat the market.

During this time, I engrossed myself in the financial markets. I wanted to learn as much as I could without giving up my day job. I was trying to find the next best tech stock, IPOs and the occasional pre-IPO offering. But it was not until I discovered options trading that I discovered an investment strategy (The Yager Trading Strategy) that can work in any kind of market . . . Bull, Bear or stagnant.

That’s right…OPTION trading!

And I am not talking about stock options or writing covered calls. Options trading…I started selling options on S&P futures, using different methods and trading strategies. And I did well. VERY well.

Between July 1998 and January 2000 (a span of 18 months), from my option trading system, I turned an initial $25,000 investment into $167,615. That’s over 670% increase. And this was not paper money where you buy a stock and it has a certain listed value. This was real, taxed income. Profits collected on a monthly basis.

Market fluctuations and volatility have diminished greatly since then…reducing the premiums. Those types of returns are no longer available, but the option trading strategy is still very sound. I still consistently beat the market. Even the years the DJIA, Nasdaq and S&P were all down, I posted more than a 22% gain.

Learn the option trading strategy or see how to make money with this strategy. I describe the strategy and show actual recent trades on YagerInvesting. The information is FREE. No subscription required. This is a method for risk capital only.

For the preceding 12 months (May ’06 through April ’07) this is how my strategy, The Yager Trading Strategy, performed:

DJIA—–20.3%
NASDAQ—–14.7%
S & P 500—–17.3%
Yager Trading Strategy—–32.2%

A Trading Strategy That Consistently Beats All Major Indexes is a post from: Tiki Stadium Finance Tips