Author : James BronsonWhen we can not handle our bills, life seems just that much harder When the well seems to be running dry, where do you go from there? Before you look at debt consolidation or worse, bankruptcy, try talking to your creditors to find a solution

Most people are scared to talk to creditors Maybe you have imagined a tall scary man sitting behind a high desk waiting to crush you if you ask for help Actually, most creditors are glad to help If they don not work with you, they do not get their money Also, they are human and know what it is like to hit hard times

One way to ease the debt burden is with payment plans This used to be a dirty word because it signified that you could not pay your bills and needed help Think about what is worse: getting help or saving face and watching the debt grow even larger?

Asking creditors to work with you is not a mark of shame It is a sign that you are taking responsibility because you want to get out of debt and preserve your credit Payment plans work more to your advantage when you ask about them at the first sign of trouble

Utility companies offer payment plans for their customers Saving money here leaves you extra to put towards your credit card debt Here is how it works A utility company will take a look at your monthly bill amounts for the past twelve months and come up with an amount for the equal payment plan That amount is what you pay each month It is easier to budget when you know that your bills will be the same each month

If you are behind in your mortgage, they will be willing to cut you a break as long as you call them before you are about to be foreclosed upon While you are dealing with financial issues, they may be able to reduce you payment or just have you pay the interest on the mortgage loan and tack the rest onto the end of your loan It is not a permanent solution but one that will get you back on your feet

Credit card companies are also willing to help, too They can reduce your payment or suspend it for a few months But, they are more willing to offer these solutions in the beginning It shows a willingness to pay

Payment plans are a smart way to lower your bills when you need it most Use the extra money towards credit card bills or an emergency fund

Credit counseling is another way to lower credit card debt payments and avoid filing foreclosure You can finds many credit counseling forms on the web Find out how to lower credit card debt payments and avoid bankruptcy. Call toll free 800-896-9932 or click here now.
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Author : Pat StedlingOnline criminal record checks are a relatively new tool for bringing peace of mind in many areas of life During the last 5 or so years, online criminal record checks have evolved into nearly instant in speed and are highly accurate given some simple search information A first and last name, add a middle initial, maybe some current and prior address information, and we can conduct a fast and discrete criminal record check on virtually anyone How are they used?

Consider the following (fictional) scenario As a small business owner, you have worked and grown your business to the point of adding employees As the owner, you have pretty much always been at your place of business whenever employees were present, and managed to handle your receipts on your own But now for whatever reason, you will be called away from your normal routine for a few days You have three equally qualified employees, but can you put your faith in one or any of them with your business revenue while you are away?

You have grown to know each of them in the past few months, or at least so you think One of them is kind of a loner, and never really talks about his past, but is a tireless worker that never complains The second seems to be quite a friend both at work and in your personal life as well, and has actually become quite good friends with even your family And the third one seems amazingly gifted at dealing with the public and is quick with a smile and eager to please But her story never seemed to add up when she talked about her past What can you do? Cancel the trip? Close the store for a few days? Roll the dice and go with your instincts? As the owner, this business is your life The answer could be just a few dollars and a few computer clicks away

Today we can find in seconds what once took days or even weeks of mail, phone calls, and faxes Also, today’s data is far more complete and accurate as well, with the ability to drill down to state and local levels, or to cast a nationwide net in your criminal record research So later at home you surf over to one of the websites offering online criminal record checks, and nervously enter the names of your three employees

First you check the customer service star, and in a few seconds you find out why she seems to have three different stories for the same period in her life All three of her stories date from serving time for check fraud that stretched over a period of years, and in a state she never mentioned Next, feeling just a bit guilty about checking up on a friend, you type in the name of number two Your jaw practically hits the desk as you confirm that there have been three arrests, albeit no convictions, for various complaints of sexual advances toward minors As you look at your daughters’ pictures on your desk, you wonder if you should even have any employees anymore, and contemplate how few times in the future this guy will be visiting your home You check the loner just to make the task complete, and head up to bed

The next morning seems like any other At lunch-time, you call the loner into your office and close the door As you level your eyes on the quiet, imposing man across from your desk, you take note of the scarring along one side of his face, and the distant look in his eye even as he stares back You muster up some fortitude and decide it’s now or never “Tell me about three years ago ” in as commanding a voice as possible The loner’s eyes become quickly clear and focused, with anger, shock, surprise? “you only asked about the last two years on the app’, I didn’t lie to you That was another time, someone else ” His eyes sink downward “I’m not saying you did lie,” you snap back, “but any man that takes on three gangsters defending some gas station attendant the same day he rotates out of the service, and then has the bum luck of being arrested for excessive force due to training?” You pause, “Look, if you’re going to be my store manager whenever I’m gone, I’ve got to know ”
Criminal records checks, background checks, public records checks, and reverse directories are available to the public, with over 300 million criminal records, and one billion public records to be searched. Find out more at Criminal Records Background Checks. Submitted By ArticleUnited.com

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Author : Pat StedlingA public criminal record search has become increasingly easy during the past few years, especially easy since about 2008 Advances in computing power, database efficiency, and information sharing web technology created a synergism of sorts, making public records checks virtually instant The number of websites offering these services is staggering, and the information those websites allow access to includes numbers in excess of 300 million criminal records alone Further, this number can only be expected to grow between the hard times upon us, and America’s ever increasing appetite for feeling secure

Just to put this in perspective, allow me to share a little personal history in regard to the growth of the public record search industry During the period leading up to and for a couple years after the events of 9-11, I worked with a series of contractors doing airport maintenance projects in both the public and military sectors Prior to 2001, we as contractors and employees who were to have access to secure areas submitted a stack of paper and references for our criminal and background information checks Quite honestly, I recall that though it was all taken very seriously, the tasks of research and verification were handed off to a row of office workers with access to what must have been some of the largest phone bills of that time In short, what information that was available on-line was expensive and full of holes, and seemed borderline primitive compared to what was to come in the next few years

By 2003 and 2004, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and America’s and much of the World’s policy and resource were thrown at the now top-of-mind desire to know who was the person next to you, and what background did they have By the Summer of 2004, the stack of paper and references had shrunk, as had the size of the office staff to process background checks What once took two to three weeks when checking a background, could be accomplished for a fee with a few keystrokes, and to a degree of accuracy that found many an applicant in the follow-up stack, with a personal interview and explanation of something as simple as a one month discrepancy in address history two or three years prior Fast forward to 2008-2009, and we have access in minutes to a nationwide criminal background check on virtually anyone, from anywhere, about nearly anything that they have done that could be considered Public Record

For example, just one supplier of these searches boasts they have handled criminal records searches for over 500,000 customers in the last two years searching a database of over 300 million records All that is needed are a Paypal or charge card, and a first and last name to begin the search The more information that can be provided, the tighter the search results, but it all happens in seconds and minutes now And just as a side note, that 500,000 customers doesn’t count the 20 or so other search categories they offer not related to criminal records

So who are all these customers doing the searches? Almost anyone with a security interest of any kind could be included Security for one’s family or finances when hiring domestic help or contractors use these services Even the dating world has caught on to check out that new flame, or as part of the marriage screening process Employers who must be bonded or need bond-able employees, commercial drivers, people who handle hazmat under license, teachers, landlords, all of these groups and more are discovering just how easy it is to limit risk and exposure that can come with a criminal background

The concept and process of a public criminal record search has come a long way in a few short years, and appears to be here to stay With an Internet connection, a few dollars, and some basic information, a public criminal record search is easy Criminal records checks, background checks, public records checks, and reverse directories are available to the public, with over 300 million criminal records, and one billion public records to be searched. Find out more at Criminal Records Background Checks. Submitted By ArticleUnited.com

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Author : Jay RosensweigI just came back from having a drink with two very attractive female friends, Jessica and Susan While watching football, the conversation revolved around what women want in a man, the “nice guy” or the “bad boy ” Susan said “all women will say that they want a nice guy, but the truth is that they really want the bad boy We are just wired for that ”

Shortly after a “bad boy type” walked by and Jessica perked up in her seat as if she saw some candy She then showed me some pictures of her ex and a guy she is kind of dating Once again they had that “bad boy look ” So the crux of the conversation was that women will say they want a nice guy, and they do, but not always They want a challenge, and want a man to put them in their place at times They do not want a doormat This made me think of another personal experience that may explain why a woman went from cursing at me to wanting to kiss me

About 8 months ago I did a Long Island single mingle at the Cats Meow (now closed) Two women came in and said they were just dropping something off to the bartender and would not be staying, therefore did not want to pay the cover charge About 40 minutes later I noticed they were mingling with the participants from the event I approached them and told them that they were welcome to stay, but would have to pay the cover charge like everyone else This resulted in a shouting match that turned ugly when one woman told me to stick the cover charge up my behind

I am usually very polite at my events, but this was going to be an exception to that rule Curses were flying and the shouting got heated Rather than make any more of a scene, I backed off and went to find the manager She told me the ladies were personal friends of hers and that the bar would take care of the cover, so I let it go About 40 minutes later I approached the woman from the shouting match to clear the air, so everyone could enjoy the rest of the night The next thing I know, this woman tries to kiss me An hour earlier we were cursing at each other and now she wants to kiss me?

Somehow her attraction switch was flipped on when I showed her that she could not walk all over me The moral to this story, is that many women will say that they want a nice guy to treat them well, be there for them, and settle down with The key here is that they want that guy eventually, just not right away Here is what my friend Fran had to say

"I always thought I wanted a nice guy but I have to tell you, I honestly believe now that I don’t Every time I meet a nice guy I find something about him that turns me off I fully believe that I like the challenge of a bad boy and that the nice guy just makes it easy and uneventful if that makes any sense I’ve dated this wonderful man about 3 times now and he couldn’t be any nicer but So, I totally agree with your perspective that all women think they want a nice guy but the truth is we do not "
Jay Rosensweig organizes
NY Speed Dating >events and offers an
interesting perspective on the New York;
Singles through his company WeekendDating.com. He can be reached
at 718-757-6933. Submitted By ArticleUnited.com

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Author : Tina HancockOf course, we could change

If you think the finance crisis in this country–or the world for that matter–is close to ending, think again

Looking at the debt levels every entity has accumulated–from the federal government through states and municipals, to corporations and individuals–we have finally reached that unsustainable position

A tipping point It is downhill from here

Unless we do something different We have got to wake up out of this debt fantasy

Did we honestly think we could keep on borrowing?

If 40% debt is acceptable for an individual to qualify for a fixed mortgage, when health care, food, fuel, insurance and other basic costs are rising at an increasing pace how is the regular Joe going to sustain fixed mortgage payments that are at the top of his debt range from the getgo?

Let alone the credit card interest that increases with each passing month Add in future costs of rising tuition, clothing, medical care for children the average homeowner will pay over the next twenty years

Are we that stupid to think we can get away with this?

Where is the money going to come from?

I guess it will have to be printed, because it seems there is no end in sight to the borrowing everyone advocates

What is wrong with living within your means?

First you have to determine your means If you have not realized a relatively stable income for a while then you should not sign a mortgage or any loan document

Why cannot everyone, including the governments and Wall Street follow basic principles of finance?

When can we have financial education in our school systems?

If we do not educate our youth, they are going to repeat the same mistakes That is if they get the chance

PERSONAL FINANCE 101

We need a public finance education campaign to teach people basic finance principles:

1 Do not spend more than you have coming in

2 Do not borrow long term if you do not have stable income with a few years history

3 If you do not have an emergency fund with at least 3-6 months of expenses saved, you should not sign any kind of debt instrument

4 Pay yourself first–put a minimum of 10% of any income aside in a separate fund that is not to be considered emergency funds

5 Stop using home equity to finance anything that does not improve the value of the home that can be recouped upon sale

6 Reinvest dividends instead of spending them–the secret to the finance universe is the power of compound interest

7 Do not assume others know more than you do Do your homework

8 Take a deep breath and keep your head–do not let anyone talk you into anything You are the one who has got to live with the consequences so take your own sweet time making any financial decisions

9 Gather as much information as you can about a subject, give yourself enough time to think about it, ask yourself how you feel about it, sleep on it, then do what your gut tells you

10 If you marry, make sure your intended shares the same finance policies and outlook as you do

11 If you must marry, make sure you have done all the forgoing first (stable job, home, emergency funds, purchases, retirement)

12 If you want kids–plan them Do not bring kids into the world that you may not be able to provide for Things are very iffy now and your kids deserve a bright future If you do not have financial stability, you cannot afford them

13 Do not blame others for your bad decisions It is your own fault Accept it Move on Do better next time Learn from your mistakes Tell others what you learned Make the world a better place

CORPORATE, GOVERNMENT FINANCE 101

There needs to be organizational finance policies in place to ensure staff and officials follow the basic finance principles, beginning with

1 Do not spend more than you have coming in

2 Do not borrow long term if you do not have truly stable income with documented history

3 If you do not have an emergency fund with at least a minimum predetermined amount of expenses saved–like a complete operating cycle, you should not sign any kind of debt instrument

Operate from a cash position, not a borrowing position for operational expenses If you run short and have to dip into your emergency fund, change the way you are operating so you can replenish the fund–not borrow, which increases your operating expenses!

4 Pay yourself first–put a minimum of 10% of any income aside in a separate fund that is not to be considered emergency funds; this is to build business stability and ensure good ratings and reputation

5 Stop using loans to finance anything that does not improve the value of the business that can be recouped upon sale

6 Reinvest dividends instead of spending them–the secret to the finance universe is the power of compound interest

7 Do not assume others know more than you do Do your homework That goes for everyone–from the janitor to the board member

8 Take a deep breath and keep your head–do not let anyone talk you into anything You are the one who has got to live with the consequences so take your own sweet time making financial decisions This applies to every level of staff and officials Think before acting!

9 Gather as much information as you can, give yourself enough time to think about it, ask yourself how you feel about it, sleep on it, then do what your gut tells you If the decision is one to be made by a committee or group, make sure there is true consensus Otherwise you may not have a group later

10 If you merge, make sure your intended shares the same finance policies and outlook as you do

11 If you must merge, make sure you have done all the forgoing (stable income, adequate operating facility, emergency funds, purchases, employee retirement)

12 If you want to start other businesses–plan them Do not start more than you can sustain Things are very iffy now and your employees deserve a bright future If you do not have stability, you cannot afford to branch out and take on more risk

13 Do not blame others for your bad decisions If you did not follow the above, it is your own fault Accept it Move on Do better next time Learn from your mistakes Tell others what you learned Make the world a better place

Pretty similar, right?

So why cannot people, firms, governments, do these things?

The answer is they can, they have, and they should We just have to encourage this kind of behavior Who is going to lead by example?

We are all to blame for buying into the debt fantasy But it is time to end it and start being responsible with our money (c) 2008 Tina Hancock, MBA, MA Finance
Hancock Management Intl LC
http://nicericeonline.com
http://truefinancenow.blogspot.com Submitted By ArticleUnited.com

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Author : Bob AlexanderWhen the final chapter in my life’s story has been written and work on the screenplay for the movie begins, someone will be faced with the difficult assignment of deciding who will play me on the big screen It won’t be an easy task because it will take an actor of the first water to capture the true essence of me

My life has had the same assortments of successes and failures, tears, both of joy and of sorrow, grand excitement and heart-rending disappointments as everyone else in this world I can say though, in all honesty I’ve never been bored a day in my life!

I guess I’ve been thoroughly blessed to have survived in this world as long as I have without the benefit of a burning desire for anything, leaving me slightly out of step with all the movers and shakers of this world Does that mean that I’ve been without dreams and goals to achieve them? No!

Having no great desire to save the world, cure cancer or control a corporate empire has worked well for me With only a few exceptions there’s not a thing I would change if I had all this to do over again There are enough surprises jumping out at us when we least expect it to overcome any thoughts of succumbing to boredom, which I believe is a sin!

Who then, if this epic of human survival were cast today, would I choose for that role of a lifetime? Not just anyone could carry off such an assignment After much thought, I’ve narrowed the field down to just a few that could seriously portray me on the big screen

As my younger self, would be the one I would definitely choose to play me, if for no other reason than he’s the only young actor I can think of at the moment He’s obviously talented, for I’ve seen him in several movies, other than “Second Hand Lion,” with Robert Duvall and Michael Caine Dye his hair a little darker and he could be me in my younger years

Al Pacino would be a favorable choice for an older me He lives the character and in just a few scenes you forget that he’s Al Pacino That’s the kind of man who can capture the real Bob Alexander I can see Al now, smiling as he says, “Say hello to my little friend!” Oops! Wrong movie!

Unfortunately I don’t believe this part is crying out for Mr Pacino This is the role every actor dreams about, but he seems a little too serious accurately portray me I’ve never found a serious situation that couldn’t be improved by a little humor Some believe this to be a flaw in my character but I believe it to be genetic and it’s not my fault! I was born with this affliction

I think the ability to find humor in the most dire of situation has been passed down to my brother also A case in point is a dilemma my family encountered when my mother passed away

As befitting a good country song, it was raining on the day before her funeral and the weather outlook for the next day was more of the same In addition, when my brothers and I were seated in the funeral home with the director, we found that the day was already booked There were four interments already scheduled, but the gentleman said that he could squeeze us in at 8:00 a m We all determined that this was much too early for such an event

My brother broke the silence that ensued with, “What’s the chance there will be a cancellation tomorrow?” The funeral director looked surprised and in a shocked voice replied, “I don’t think I’ve ever been asked that before ” We all had a good laugh that broke, for the moment, the somber mood that had been cast over the room Mother would have been proud!

When it comes down to deciding just who will be the lucky fellow to play me, I’ll have to go with George Clooney Not only is he a good actor, he has a wit about him that is reminiscent of my humor Put that together with his good looks, and he would be the perfect choice to play the role of Bob Alexander Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at:
http://www.homeandgardenbob.com
http://www.redfishbob.com Submitted By ArticleUnited.com

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