The Three Largest Factors In Your Interest Rate
There are three major factors that affect how much you pay for a loan. Understanding these factors can save you time, money and frustration.1. The Federal Reserve Discount Interest Rate.Banks and other lending institutions borrow money from the Federal Reserve Banks. The discount rate is the ... more...

Think INSIDE the Square to Keep Those Love Fires Burning
I was sitting in my sanctuary in my back yard contemplating the worlds mysteries and minding my own business when a fellow neighbor walked up to me and started a conversation. As he looked a little distressed, I invited him into my little spiritual oasis and offered him a cup of coffee. He ... more...

Negative Gearing Its Not to Your Benefit!
The concept of negative gearing has been originally developed to encourage real estate investment in Australia by allowing any income losses from property investment to be deductible from other income as a tax benefit. This means that the taxable income of the owner will be reduced after the ... more...

The Three Factors of Credit-Worthiness
Between the Internet, well-meaning family and friends, and know-it-all articles in the print media, it's hard to know where the facts end and the nonsense begins. Facts are everywhere, but so are urban legends, hidden agendas, and opinions posing as truth. Fact or fallacy - it can be devilishly ... more...

An Interview with Gary Dunn, Publisher of the Caretaker Gazette
I am always on the lookout for innovative, unconventional, and first and foremost, cost-saving ways to travel. I recently came across the concept of "caretaking", i.e. looking after other people's (often beautiful) properties and estates, as a way of procuring rent-free living opportunities in ... more...

How to Deal With A Death in the Family and Still Run Your Small Business
As a small business owner we have to deal with tax law changes, local ordinances, environmental laws, Workers Compensation, etc. Just when we thought we had everything under control, something terrible happenes. A death in the family. Oh my God you say? What do I do now? Well since I have been ... more...

Marketing Success - Marketing Strategy - Brand Identity Guru
Marketing message x Credibility x Visibility = Marketing SuccessThese three variables, when working positively together, create success. Period. But determining how to get those variables to work together is the trick.Your marketing message isnt a static entity. It can have a high or low impact on ... more...

Debt a Glossary of Terms
Bankruptcy - Having been legally declared financially insolvent. There are two types of bankruptcy - liquidation, in which your debts are cleared (discharged) and reorganization, in which you provide the court with a plan for how you intend to repay your debts.Collateral - Property acceptable as ... more...

When did the Job Hunter Become the Bad Guy?
Without a doubt, this is a highly competitive world we liveand workin. The job boards are full of very technical jobs requiring specific skill sets from would-be candidates. Nobody understands this better than the HR manager or the recruiter tasked to fill a position.Its not uncommon today to find, ... more...

Disaster Assistance Through the IRS
Every year millions of people have property damage from unexpected events. There seems to be a rise in natural disasters occurring all around us, from the western earthquakes to the southern hurricanes. Although we rarely think of the IRS and our taxes when disasters happen, it can actually be a ... more...

Planning to Buy Your Dream
Lots of people are dreaming about that little cottage with the white picket fence or that modern apartment with a killer view or that fixer-upper in the country orThe dreams are endless, but the idea is all the same owning your own home is a major milestone in life. Many people fell like they cant ... more...

Who's That Knocking At My Door? Investing To Rent!
Investing to rent can create the financial and real estate success you have been searching for, but it takes hard work, thoughtful preparation and practical knowledge. As a landlord you must be creative, fearless and intuitive. In the Tidewater area approximately one out of every five homebuyers ... more...

Stopping Home Foreclosure with Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy Will Stop Your Sale - At Least For Now For $395, you can stop your sale- at least that is what the ads say. You are about to find out how bankruptcy can be good or very damaging.Bankruptcy will stop your foreclosure sale. It's a fact. However, filing bankruptcy for the sole purpose of ... more...