Do you find yourself printing hundreds of receipts from online shopping? Do you also print out bank statements for your record or receive them in the mail? Don’t be at risk of having a paper trail of your financial records! You can save time and paper by creating simple PDFs of all of your financial transaction and protect them further through setting a password on each or all files. You can even create invoices, proposals and more for your small business using PDFs to make sure other parties involved cannot manipulate the document.

A great piece of software to create simple PDFs is the McBurrz PDF Suite from mcburrz.com. This software allows you to create PDFs from any program that is able to print. Use it to print all of your bank statements, online receipts, and more from your web browser or create PDFs from Microsoft Word, Excel, or Powerpoint. One of the coolest features of this software however is that you can password protect your PDFs, so that you have control over who can print or even view them! Passwords can be created with 128 bit encryption so you know your documents will be secure!

McBurrz has a lot of other cool software for small businesses too! If you are on the creative side, there are photo editing  and vector design programs, video and audio editing software, and more!

Althought consumer credit is no longer at an all time high, in this country it is still a problem. You know about credit cards, at least you think you know a decent amount. Our national savings rate is slowly increasing. Become part of the trend, here are 4 ways to combat Credit Card Debt.

There’s been a boom in online shopping. That trend is certainly not stopping. Online transactions are absolutely dependant on credit cards – and this isn’t helping the average consumer. Running a balance on your card and paying interest rates that are out of this world (when compared to what you would receive in return for such balances at a bank) is how the majority of consumers create the biggest issues for themselves. The proof is in the mail. Literally – how many direct mailers do you see on a yearly basis telling you that you qualify for 0% interest? The paper, the postage, the design and the time spent on creating these costs money. Credit Card companies don’t mind – they know they’ll make that back and then some off consumers.

Facts are, Credit Cards are a way of life. No one wants to carry cash anymore. So its wise to understand how to use them. Its impractical to not have credit cards at this day in age. Being prudent and limiting the number of cards you have, or simply just the ones you carry and use on a regular basis is important. Paying them, yeah, that’s also important.Indeed, having only a traditional American Express card, which doesn’t allow you to carry a balance, can be an excellent way to impose fiscal discipline on you and your family-although, as the Visa ads point out, not everyone accepts American Express. For the rest of us, who do occasionally dabble in credit-card debt, here are a few ways to keep your habit under control.

So here they are, 4 ways to combat Credit Card Debt and use Cards more wisely:
1. Take advantage of frequent-flier or cash-back programs tied to credit cards, but keep in mind that interest payments on a high balance can quickly turn “free” flights into outrageously expensive ones. At a dollar per mile, running up a debt of 25,000 may get you a plane ticket, but it will also saddle you with $4,500 in yearly interest payments, assuming an 18% annual rate.

2. Look very closely at credit-card offers before you bite. Obviously, most of those 2.99% and 3.99% rates will be in effect for only a few months. But there may be other catches as well. Making a late payment, even if it arrives only a day after it was due, may immediately trigger a permanent rate hike. Also, low initial rates sometimes apply only to transferred balances, and you could get charged a fee for making the transfer. Check, too, to see whether there is an annual fee, or charges for exceeding your credit limit or even for closing an account.

3. Avoid amazing grace-period tricks. What you’re looking for is a provision that says you’ll never be charged interest as long as you pay your bill in full by the due date. But some cards have no grace period, calculating interest from the moment you make a purchase, while others give you only a limited time after making a charge before interest is imposed. That period of 20 days or so may end before your payment is due.

4. Don’t forget to cancel cards you no longer use. If you don’t, they’ll show up on credit reports, and that could be a problem, particularly if you’re applying for a home mortgage. Your would-be lender may be reluctant to make a loan to someone who has a cumulative credit-card limit of $50,000, $100,000, or even more.

The following is a review for UFB Direct. The account I used for testing purposes has been open over 1 year.

I’ll try to answer the following for you:

1. Is UFB Direct safe to use?
2. Who is UFB Direct?
3. Is it easy to set up an account here?
4. Once I have an account, what can I expect?

UFB Direct is a subsidiery of Affinity Financial Corporation and is a safe and reliable place to park your cash. They also often have very decent rates for Certificates of Deposit (CDs). How do I know it is safe? You ask, well…the bank is an FDIC member. Check out their FDIC information by click here.

The drawback here is the lack of ACH transfers, at least not free ones.

Link(s):

http://www.ufbdirect.com

Signing Up:

Signing up was pretty simple and standard 10 minute process.  I did have to wait for a signature card to come via snail mail and this was an annoyance but necessary with many other banks. In the long run, I’ve always felt that taking the extra step to protect security and identity comes prioritized of convenience (to a degree). From starting the application until everything is set up and account is funded took about 8 business days.

Support:

I Made several calls to ask random questions, one of which was about the free ACH (or lack thereof) transfers.  Via phone call, I got the answer needed quickly. Hold time was only about 7 minutes. I emailed them to get some FDIC information from them.  Could have done the research but wanted to see how quick and willing they were to hand over that material. It took 2 days  Overall, support was as it should be. No complaints.

Website: Not very intuitive.

Interest Payments: When this account was first opened, it was paying more than FNBO and so I decided to switch over here. Throughout the least year or two, interest rates have gone over and under the par of high yield savings and money market accounts. Interest rate moved below competitors for a while (5+ months) and has recently started an upward trend again. I don’t allocate all my money here, but it pays to let some of it sit here.

Insurance is designed to protect a person and the family from disasters and financial burdens. There are many kinds of insurance of which, the basic and most important is considered to be life insurance. It provides for the dependents after your death.

Since there are certain financial commitments you need to meet throughout life and do contribute in some way to the family income, you need to provide something even in death to secure the home, help the family meet expenses for a while, protect dependent parents, or secure the children or spouse.

Financial obligations could include funeral expenses, unsettled medical bills, mortgages, business commitments, meeting the college expenses of the children, and so on.

How much insurance a person needs would vary, depending on lifestyle, financial needs and sources of income, debts, and the number of dependents? An insurance adviser or agent would recommend that you take insurance that amounts to five to ten times your annual income.   It is best to sit down with an expert and go through the reasons why you should consider insurance and what kind of insurance planning would benefit you.

As an important part of your financial plan insurance provides peace of mind for any uncertainties in life.

1.    Life insurance correctly planned will on premature death provide funds to deal with monies due, mortgages, and living expenses. It offers protection to the family you leave behind and serves as a cash resource.

2.    It secures your hard earned estate on death by providing tax free cash which can be utilized to pay estate and death duties and to tide over business and personal expenses.

3.    Life insurance can have a savings or pension component that provides for you during retirement.

4.    Some policies have riders like coverage of critical illness or term insurance for the children or spouse. There are certain rules regarding eligibility for riders which you will need to determine clearly.

5.    Having a valid insurance policy is considered as financial assets which improves your credit rating when you need health insurance or a home loan or business loan.

6.    In case of bankruptcy, the cash value as well as death benefits of an insurance policy is exempt from creditors.

7.    Life insurance can be planned such that it will cover even your funeral expenses.

8.    Term life insurance has double benefits, it protects and you can get your money back during strategic points in your life.

9.    Insurance protects your business from financial loss or any liabilities in case a business partner dies.

10.    It can contribute towards maintaining a family’s life style when one contributing partner suddenly dies.

Insurance is vital to good financial planning and security but you would need to assess your personal risk and long term commitments. Insurance stands a person in good stead throughout life and can be used in case of emergencies during a life time by requesting a withdrawal or loan.

It is easy to dream but tough to mark one’s presence. Self employment is chosen by people who want to mark their individual presence in the world of business. Desire to rule the world is a trait commonly found in self employed persons. Your dedication, hard work and sincerity towards your work without adequate capital resource are futile. A self employed loan can pose to be the perfect loan which will meet your cash needs in the most effective manner.

Self employed loans were difficult to find in the past but with more and people choosing to work for themselves, they have gained popularity. Self employed loans are not confined to one or two group of people, it aims to meet the cash needs of all those who wish to start a business of their own or need funds to enforce the development and expansion of their existing business. A homeowner can use the equity in his home to access the funds needed. In this case a borrower’s home will pose as collateral against which the self employed loan is lent. Both homeowners as well as tenants who do not own or do not wish to put their property at risk can enjoy the privilege of borrowing unsecured self employed loans.

Self employed loans are designed to meet the cash needs of self employed people who do not have a fixed income. Flexible repayment option is the key feature of self employed loans that suits best to self employed people’s financial circumstances. A borrower can make underpayment, overpayment and can also enjoy payment holiday with a self employed loan.

There are various sources available where you can apply for a self employed loan namely traditional lenders and online lenders. Opportunities are unlimited what you need to do is to find which one is best for you. If you are looking for a quick hassle free self employed loans then online lenders are the best option. You can access get the loan decision regarding your loan application within 24 hours so there is no long waiting.

Online process for applying for a self employed loan is simple and fast. A loan applicant needs to fill up an online loan application with some basic personal information such as name, loan amount, loan term and his or her contact number. Majority of online loan lenders also provide free loan advice where in you can consult their expert loan advisors for guidance.

As soon as you submit your loan application you will be overwhelmed by the response you will get from the lenders. Don’t go for the very first option, do a bit of search. A little effort now will repay you with huge savings in the future. Collect loan quote from major self employed loan providers, these are usually available for free or for nominal charges. Compare the various loan quotes on the basis of loan amount, loan term, lender’s fees and repayment options offered by loan providers.

Those with bad credit history or who have faced defaults or bankruptcy too can apply for self employed loans. Though, lenders will tend to charge a high rate of interest from you as you have a bad credit score. Knowledge of the credit score will help you negotiate on the loan terms with the lender.

Your strong determination and dedication accompanied with sufficient capital furnished with a self employed loan is what can make a difference and can help you realize your dream to own and manage a big enterprise.

The secret in real estate business is to use other people’s money. This is how most real estate tycoons are made. Unlike traditional residential real estate mortgages, real estate financing offers much broader financial options, including lending or financing from various financial institutions. Transactions like these call for above-average negotiation skills.

It’s not advisable to invest your own money in a real estate as for a few very important reasons. First, you tend to give most of your profits away by not leveraging your investment. Second, real estate is a very risky business ñ you don’t want to jeopardize everything you have.

This is not to say that real estate investment is all about losses. On the contrary. if you know how to make money work for you, you may actually garner a great deal of money in return for your investment.

Here’s how:

If, for example, you purchase a $100,000 property that increases an average of 7 percent per year (in reality that number could be higher or lower), you would see a net profit from renting your property resulting in an approximately 15 percent return.

If you’re content with little return of investment, you might settle with your 15 percent return. But if you really want to earn on your investment, consider the possibility of what leveraging can do for you. At present, a typical real estate investor can find financing as high as 95 to 97 percent of the purchase price. There even some instances where you may be able to get a 100 percent financing but we won’t use this for our example as it’s an inadequate comparison.

So, if you’re are an investor who is already content with a smallreturn of investment then 15 percent sounds like a lot. But for those who really want to make it big in the real estate, 15 percent is far from being considered a noteworthy return.

How does leveraging work?

Let’s assume that the rental income will cover all your expenses, including the mortgage payments. Taking the same example, a 7 percent appreciation of your property results in a $7,000 profit per year. With a 95% financing in place, you’ll be able to get a $7,000 return on $5,000 (your 5 percent down payment on a $100,000 real estate property). This will provide you with a 140 percent return on your investment. Not only that, with the same $100,000 you can go out and purchase 20 investment properties, finance 95% percent of them, and make an amazing $140,000 profit a year. This totally beats the $15,000 profit with an all-cash transaction.

In terms of the additional 20 properties, expect to have a hard time getting financing for them since usually only five or six new rental property mortgages are the maximum that lenders presently allow. Which is why you need to have an above-average negotiation skills.

100% mortgage refinancing allows you to borrow against your equity, while hopefully lowering your interest rates. To get approved for a cash out refinance, you need to have excellent credit. Otherwise, you need to work with a sub-prime lender or apply for a line of credit.

What 100% Refinanced Mortgage Can Do

A 100% refinanced mortgage can allow you to take out all of your home’s equity. Anytime you cash out part of your equity, your refinance rates will increase. But rates will be lower than if you take out a second mortgage.

However, with no equity, you will need to carry private mortgage insurance. But if you choose a sub-prime lender, you don’t have to worry about paying premiums.

Improving Your Application

Lenders are primarily concerned that you can repay the loan. Without equity, lenders look at other factors, such as income, cash assets, and credit history. Income is important when it is compared to your debt ratio. Other debts, including credit cards and student loans, decreases your borrowing power. So if possible eliminate or reduce your debt.

In the case of job loss or other financial emergencies, lenders want some reassurance that you can handle monthly payments. That is why cash assets, which also include CDs and money market accounts, are important. Six months of savings is a good start.

Your credit history predicts how likely you are to skip payments. But even if you don’t have perfect credit, you can find 100% financing with a sub-prime lender. They will also be more lenient with your application, but charge slightly higher rates.

Getting Better Terms

Be prepared to pay at least 3% at the time of closing for your refinancing. Otherwise, those cost will be rolled into your new mortgage and you will be paying additional interest on that money.

You will also want to research loan offers before making a final decision. By researching loans, you can know you are getting the best deal. Don’t just focus on rates; take a look at closing costs as well. Remember too that you may find a better deal by taking out a second mortgage to access your equity.

Ok, so we are a long ways away from the 6.01% Turbochecking days, nothing we can do about that. But we still want to earn the most we can on money we have!

Most online savings accounts are earning about 1.4% APR today. Getting that extra 0.6% isn’t much, but every little bit helps. So to we’re going to briefly discuss this current offer from Amegy Bank of Texas:

What you get:

• 2.0% APY on balances up to $25,000
• Free ATMs nationwide – really, who needs this?
• Free Bank-at-home with bill pay – neat.
• No fees – neat.
• Unlimited transactions – they probably just ran out of things to list…

What you need to do:

• Have direct deposit of payroll, social security check, or retirement benefits or two (2) ACH debit
• Login to online banking at least once a month
• Receive e-Statements
• Make at least 10 signature-based transactions with your Amegy  Check Card every month
• Maintain a Valid email address

This sounds do-able. You can automate the ACH transfers with an FNBO Direct account (which we recommend everyone have). I would hope you login once a month and check you balance- or even just to make sure everything looks up to snuff. e-Statements, isn’t everyone doing this by now? Less snail mail, always available, green…If you don’t have e-Statements for all the accounts you can, please reconsider.

The 10 transactions per month is pretty simple too if you make consistent small purchases (coffee, tea, lunch at work etc).

As for a valid email address, there is no need to discuss that.

Foreign Exchange Market is a market where traders buy and sell currencies with the hope of making a profit when the values of the currencies change in their favor. People are making vast amounts of money from Forex trading. The Forex Market has a big potential for everyone, ranging from large corporate firms to ordinary, everyday people like you and me.

It is a very exciting trade with a huge money-making potential. Just imagine yourself sitting comfortably in your pajamas at your computer, you turn on the internet and make a few quick transactions and by the time that you get up to get a cup of coffee, you are several hundred dollars rich! Would you like that? I would!

I can hear you say, “Wait a minute!!  This sounds just like another one of those confusing markets like stocks, options or traditional futures, so what makes this market any different?”

Aaah! Good question! So, in answer to your question, here are 10 good (if not great) reasons to enter the Forex Trade:

1. First and foremost, Forex trading allows for small investments. You do not have to be able to invest thousands of dollars to get started with this trade. You can start trading Forex with as little as $300 to $350 and could be well on your way to earning more than that on your first day.

2. The Forex markets are always open! You are able to trade anytime and from anywhere in the world. No waiting for the stock exchange to open. The market is ongoing, with generally only minor breaks on the weekends.

3. The funds that you invest are liquid; you can cash them anytime you want. No waiting for days to get your stocks converted into hard cash.

4. The value of the Forex Trading market is COLOSSAL: it is 30 times larger than all of the US equity markets combined. It is the largest market in the world with daily reported volume of 1.5 to 2.0 trillion dollars. This massive value makes it a lucrative and desirable trade to invest in.

5. It is a highly stable trade and offers greater strength over other markets. Countries and people are ALWAYS going to need currency. Although the value of different currencies goes up and down, the fluctuations are not as dramatic as stock prices and generally follow a predictable trend.

6. You do not have to worry about commissions, exchange fees nor any hidden charges when you trade Forex.  Forex brokers make only a small percentage of the bid and there are very respectable and free brokers available as well. Is that not wonderful for you?

7. You make profits no matter which way the currency is going. You will not worry about a falling currency value if you know what to do with it and make good gains.

8. Forex is a very transparent market. Unlike equity markets, where analysts have an unfair advantage over the layman because of their insider knowledge, the relevant information for Forex is equally available to every one through international news. Therefore, all Forex traders are in a position to make pertinent decisions according to the current market situations.

9. Forex market is extremely quick! It takes not more than 1 to 2 seconds to complete your transactions because it is all done electronically, online and in Real Time.

10. The final good news is that you do not need any formal education, licensing, diploma or degree to trade Forex. All you need is the know-how of how it works, trading strategies and some tips and techniques and you can be on your way to earn big profits.

Forex trading online may be the fastest path to financial freedom and an end to all your financial worries. It truly is an excellent, if not THE best home business opportunity for ordinary people.
You owe it to yourself to give it a try!!!
Prosperity and happiness to all!