Car Shopping Tips for Smart Buyers

Editor's note: This is a guest post from Bailey Harris

When it's time to buy a car, there are certain things you should be aware of. Unless you're a particularly savvy car buyer simply heading out the door with your checkbook and a determination to return with a car will probably lead to buyer's remorse. You need to be informed. Following are a few car shopping tips for smart buyers.

Decide on the Vehicle You Need

Whether you're shopping for a new car or a used one, doing a little research ahead of time will benefit you when you're ready to hit the bricks. Before heading out decide what your automotive needs are.

• Will you be hauling a lot of stuff? If not, you can probably rule out a pickup truck.


• Do you plan on camping? Maybe it'll be a good idea to consider a van. If so, will you need a full size van or will a minivan work?


• A stay-at-home mom needs room for multiple passengers because they'll more than likely be called upon to haul neighborhood kids to soccer games and music recitals. A minivan or large SUV is usually the vehicle of choice for those activities.


• Although a sports car is attractive, is it functional?


• A sedan is a favorite of American families. Two-door or four-door, front wheel drive or rear wheel drive?


• If there are a lot of country roads or snowy winters in your area, then a four-wheel drive SUV or pickup may be called for.

The possibilities seem endless. The bottom line is to sit down and make a list of vehicles that have what you need and those that don't. Selectively dismiss any that won't fit your lifestyle or bank account. Start your actual shopping trip by taking a look at what's left.

Leave Emotion at Home

You've done your homework and decided on a certain type of vehicle--let's say you're newly married with a child on the way. You've determined that what you really need is a minivan or small SUV. Now you confidently enter a dealer's showroom and suddenly you're distracted by a shiny, new two-seater sports convertible. Its flashy good looks beg you to throw caution to the wind and plunk down your hard earned money so you can enjoy the wind whipping through your hair as you and your spouse cruise along the interstate…and then you remember the baby? Where does the child fit into this fantasy? Nowhere, because that's what it is--a fantasy. Smart buyers don't fantasize, at least not when they're shopping. They leave their emotion at home and refrain from considering any vehicle that won't do what they need it to do.

Stick to Your Budget and Get the Best Deal You Can

Before entering a showroom, decide how much money you can reasonably spend on a vehicle. Don't let the salesperson talk you into something that costs more than you can afford. They generally work on commission so it's to their advantage to sell you the most expensive vehicle they can, but there are ways to make sure you won't be taken advantage of. Be smart. Let them know that if you get a good deal they'll get your business the next time you need a car.

• Intelligent sales people won't go overboard because they would like to have you as a repeat customer. Get to know the sales person. Let them know you're on a budget, and then stick to it.


• Quite often there will be incentives, such as rebates or low interest rates. Make sure the seller informs you about any and all incentives that are available. If you don't understand what they're talking about, ask them to explain again, in detail.


• If you're buying a new car, consider waiting until the new models come out and shop for models from the previous year that haven't sold. Frequently you can come away with a very good deal that way.


• If you're trading in your old car, find out the approximate value before going car shopping. Knowing what it may be worth can help you get a good trade in price.


• You don't necessarily need a new car. A good used car with low mileage can come with a very good warranty and provide you with years of service.

Shop Around

Before signing a contract, let the dealer know you want to think about it. Visit multiple dealers and get the best offer you can on a similar vehicle. A return trip may allow you to get an even better deal after you tell them about the other offers.

About Author: Bailey writes on many topics, including Auto Insurance Quotes for carinsurancequotes.net.

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JP Morgan Chase to Take Twitter Stake

Investment News compiled by Sherin Dev

A new technology fund by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. is in talks with Twitter Inc., an Internet messaging and communications major, to take a minority stake in the rapidly growing microblogging company, people familiar with the matter said.

Reported by WSJ, The investment, which is expected to value Twitter at more than $4 billion, will be made from the bank's new $1.2 billion digital growth fund, these people said. Exact terms of the potential deal couldn't be learned.

Discussions between J.P. Morgan and Twitter are continuing, and there is no guarantee a deal will be struck, the people added.

The fund has raised $1.22bn to date, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. But it plans to raise $1.3bn in total, and will have a maximum of 480 investors, say the people. JPMorgan expects to earn commission of at least $13m from the fund.

Besides the Twitter stake, JPMorgan hopes to invest another third of the fund in one other private web company - possibly games maker Zynga or telephony provider Skype.

The final third of the fund will be allocated among six other companies, they said -- possibly to include coupons site LivingSocial, or Gilt, the flash-sales site. Twitter will be the fund's focus. The company has 253m unique users per month, up 85 per cent from a year ago, according to venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

News of the JPMorgan fund’s plans was first reported on Sunday by The Financial Times.

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Motorola's Xoom Starts Tablet War with Apple's iPad

Technology News Compiled by Sherin Dev

After months of speculation, the tablet wars begin in earnest this week. Motorola is releasing its Xoom tablet on Feb. 24, and I consider it the first truly comparable competitor to Apple's hit iPad. That is partly because it is the first iPad challenger to run Honeycomb, an elegant new version of Google's Android operating system designed especially for tablets.

The Xoom has a more potent processor than the current iPad; front and rear cameras versus none for the iPad; better speakers; and higher screen resolution. It also can be upgraded free later this year to support Verizon's faster 4G cellular data network

Motorola is taking aim at the iPad just as Apple is expected to announce, next week, a second-generation of its tablet. Little is known about this second iPad, but it's widely expected to take away at least one of the Xoom's advantages over the original iPad—cameras—and is rumored to be thinner and lighter, since weight was one of the most common complaints about the generally praised first iPad.

Unfortunately for consumers looking for iPad alternatives, the Xoom has an Achilles' heel: price. While iPads come in a range of models priced all the way up to $829—none of which requires a cellphone contract—Apple's entry price for the iPad is just $499. By contrast, the base price of a Xoom without a cellphone contract is $800—60% more. And even with a Verizon two-year contract at $20 to $80 a month—depending on the data limit you choose—the least you can pay for a Xoom is $600, or 20% more before counting the contract costs.

In fairness, the iPad model with the same memory as the Xoom and a 3G cellular modem like the Xoom's is $729, which is a closer comparison. But it is still less than $800, and consumers still focus on that $499 iPad entry price (for a Wi-Fi-only model.)

Read in details from WSJ

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Diabetes & The Impact On Life Insurance

Editor's note: A guest article by LifeBroker, Australia’s largest specialist insurance broker

If you are suffering from the symptoms of diabetes, you may be concerned about whether or not you will qualify for life insurance. Thankfully, in almost all circumstances the answer is yes. This is true regardless of whether or not you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is an issue that has been growing more prevalent. More people are diagnosed with this disease now than ever before. The life insurance companies are already well aware of this fact, and they are always revising their guidelines in order to account for the increasing occurrence of the disease.

By 2031, statistics indicate that as much as 11 percent of the Australian population could be suffering from type 2 diabetes. This will amount to about 3.3 million Australians!

When you apply for life insurance, you will need to undergo medical screening. In other words, you will be asked a series of questions about your health. Your answers to these questions will then be assessed by an underwriter. It is their job to make a prediction about how likely it is that you will need to make a claim within a certain period of time. In cases where you have a disease like diabetes, the risks that you will need to file a claim sooner become higher.

When applying for life insurance, it is best to get the underwriting up front. What this means is that you will be fully informed of the terms of the policy before you agree to anything. It is important to be completely sure of everything that you will and will not be covered for, before any agreements have been made.

When a policy is underwritten at the time of the claim, rather than up front, this means that you might not be covered even after paying your premiums for many years.

Before allowing you to sign up for a policy, most life insurance companies will require further testing, even in cases where you have no pre-existing condition such as diabetes. In the case of somebody who has diabetes, they may ask for several pieces of information. This could include your blood pressure, age, age of diagnosis, the type of diabetes, medications, weight and height, your ECG levels, and a recent HBA1C test result. They may also want to test to make sure there is no protein in your urine.

The purpose of this information is to determine how well you are controlling your diabetes, which is the primary factor in determining whether or not you qualify.

About the author: This article was provided by LifeBroker - Australia’s largest specialist broker of life insurance, providing free premium comparisons across all major life insurers.

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Can Bankruptcy Prevent Foreclosure?

Editor's note: This is a guest article from Wystan North a bankruptcy specialist from Ohio

Once used only as a last resort by people drowning in debt, bankruptcy is now viewed more as a strategic move. In particular, it’s becoming a popular choice for people at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure. Many homeowners, stuck with sub-prime mortgages that have reverted to high original rates, are considering bankruptcy to keep their lenders from foreclosing. But does it really work? Read on to learn more about bankruptcy and how it can affect home ownership.

The Automatic Stay

Part of the appeal of bankruptcy to at-risk homeowners is the automatic stay: once the bankruptcy is filed, the court prohibits your creditors from contacting you or soliciting payments. Foreclosure counts as a form of solicitation, so your lender can actually get into trouble for foreclosing on your home. At the very least, this will buy you some time while you try to get your finances back in order.

Bankruptcy Chapters

The effect of bankruptcy on your mortgage also depends on what chapter you file under. Individuals can file one of two types of personal bankruptcy: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. The latter is considered more useful in preventing foreclosure because it simply reorganizes your debt into a repayment plan, where you make payments to a bankruptcy trustee over a period of three to five years. The payments are calculated according to your paying capacity after essentials, such as rent or mortgage, have been deducted from your income.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy, on the other hand, involves selling off your assets and using the proceeds to pay your creditors. This means you may be putting your property at stake in exchange for getting rid of the mortgage—a setup not much different from a foreclosure. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy can still be used to stop foreclosure if your home is listed as an exempt asset, meaning it can’t be sold under Chapter 7 terms.

Loan Modification

New laws also allow people to negotiate a loan modification while in bankruptcy. Basically, while you’re making payments on a Chapter 13 plan, your lender can still screen you for loan modification—a change in the terms of your mortgage to lower your monthly payments—or work out other foreclosure prevention options. This way, you can keep making payments and safely keep your home. And since the bankruptcy will have eliminated some or all of your unsecured debt (such as credit cards), there’s less risk of defaulting and facing foreclosure again.

About Author : The writer of this article is Wystan North. He has made his mark by writing on legal issues especially on bankruptcy terms. The author regularly writes on bankruptcy related issues like bankruptcy lawyer, Filing Bankruptcy In Ohio, filing chapter 7 and chapter 7 bankruptcy etc.

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Coca-Cola's Top Secret Formula Revealed?

Most viewed news by Sherin Dev

The radio show This American Life has revealed the original Coca-Cola recipe—a secret the soda company has carefully guarded for more than 100 years. The show says Coca-Cola creator John Pemberton’s 1886 recipe was quietly published in 1979 in the Atlanta Constitution-Journal and no one noticed at the time. It has two parts. The first includes "fluid extract of coca," citric acid, caffeine, sugar, water, lime juice, vanilla, and caramel. The second, called "7X," includes alcohol, orange oil, lemon oil, nutmeg oil, coriander, neroli, and cinammon.

For over a century now, the Coca-Cola formula is one of the most fiercely guarded trade secrets of the corporate world. Many claimed to have found it. And you will find quite a few such claimants on the internet. But the mystery and mystique of Merchandise 7X, the name given to the combination of secret ingredients which gives the soft drink its distinctive taste, has endured.

Now an American public radio show claims to have found the recipe kept in an Atlanta steel vault and which, it is said, only two employees of the company at a time know how to mix. For obvious reasons, the two never fly together.

'This American Life', broadcast on more than 500 stations to 1.7 million listeners, said it found the list of ingredients in a 40-year-old newspaper. On its website, thisamericanlife.org, it said the newspaper, named Atlanta Journal-Constitution, had published the photo of a book containing a handwritten replica of the original recipe on February 8, 1979.

The recipe, from "This American Life"

The recipe: Fluid extract of Coca: 3 drams USP, Citric acid: 3 oz, Caffeine: 1 oz, Sugar: 30 (unclear quantity), Water: 2.5 gal, Lime juice: 2 pints, 1 quart, Vanilla: 1 oz, Caramel: 1.5 oz or more for color

The secret 7X flavor (use 2 oz of flavor to 5 gals syrup):
Alcohol: 8 oz
Orange oil: 20 drops
Lemon oil: 30 drops
Nutmeg oil: 10 drops
Coriander: 5 drops
Neroli: 10 drops
Cinnamon: 10 drops

The long story of Coke's secret formula begins with Pemberton, a veteran from Georgia who emerged from the Civil War with a morphine addiction. Hoping to cure his ailment, he dreamed up Pemberton's French Wine Coca, a brew that included kola nut and coca wine. But in 1886, as Atlanta passed prohibition legislation, he reformulated the drink without alcohol, renamed it Coca-Cola, and began selling it in Georgia pharmacies.

Asa Candler, an early president of the Coca-Cola company who bought the formula in 1887, worried rivals would obtain the recipe so insisted no one ever write it down again. Staff removed all labels from ingredient containers and identified them by sight and smell only. Candler even went through the company mail so he could shred invoices that employees might attempt to sell to other drink makers.

HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR SOFT DRINK - COCA-COLA

1886: Dr John Pemberton produced the syrup for for Coca-Cola and carried a jug down the street to Jacobs' Pharmacy, where it was sold for 5 cents a glass

1906: Countries outside the US - Cuba, Canada ana Panama - began bottling the drink

1916: The iconic contour bottle - so distinctive it could be recognised in the dark - was introduced to distinguish Coca-Cola from competitors

1931: Artist Haddon Sundblom's Santa Claus first appeared in ads for Coca-Cola. This image of Santa - shown as a plump, jolly, friendly man - helped shape the modern-day image of St. Nick

1969: The Beatles name-checked Coca-Cola in their song Come Together

1982: Soft-drink history was made with the introduction of Diet Coke, the most successful new soft drink since Coca-Cola itself. Within two years, Diet Coke had become the top low-calorie soft drink in the world

1985: The drink became the first soft drink to be consumed in space when astronauts tested the Coca-Cola Space Can aboard Space Shuttle Challenger

2006: Cheryl Cole signed up to promote Coca-Cola's sugar free drink Coke Zero

Present: The world's top soft drinks maker reported a net income of £3.58bn for the fourth quarter of 2010

Read more story:

1. Site claims to have uncovered Coca-Cola's top secret formula

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Sanofi Aventis Buys Genzyme for $20.1 Billion

Business news compiled by Sherin Dev

Sanofi-aventis(EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) and Genzyme Corporation (NASDAQ: GENZ) announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which sanofi-aventis is to acquire Genzyme for $74.00 per share in cash, or approximately $20.1 billion.

Christopher A. Viehbacher, Chief Executive Officer of sanofi-aventis said: “This transaction will create a meaningful new growth platform for sanofi-aventis while expanding our footprint in biotechnology. We expect it to be accretive from year one, and the CVR structure, which served as an important value bridge between our two companies, rewards both Genzyme and sanofi-aventis shareholders,particularly if Lemtrada™ outperforms the market’s current expectations.”

Genzyme and sanofi-aventis will immediately begin integration planning, including the formation of a joint Integration Steering Committee. Henri A. Termeer will resign as Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Genzyme following the close of the transaction, but will advise on the integration in his role as Co-Chairman of the Integration Steering Committee with Christopher A. Viehbacher.

The deal is the second-biggest in biotech history and gives France's Sanofi, which has pursued Genzyme for nearly nine months, a foothold in the market to treat rare diseases. It will help Sanofi compensate for declining revenue from drugs that have lost, or are set to lose, patent protection.

The CVR runs until the end of 2020 and entitles holders to a series of payments worth up to USD 14 in total, depending mainly on the success of Lemtrada.

Read more directly from Sanofi

1. Sanofi-aventis to Acquire Genzyme for $74.00 in Cash per Share Plus Contingent Value Right

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Sony Ericsson to Launch PlayStation Smartphone

Technology news compiled by Sherin Dev

Sony Ericsson announced Sunday it will launch its highly anticipated PlayStation smartphone in March. Sony Ericsson CEO and President Bert Nordberg, who made the announcement at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, admitted the technology has been a long time in the making.

"Even if the dream has been there a long time, in the industry it's taken some time to get everyone there," he told CNN.

The new device, named Xperia Play, is the first attempt by a major manufacturer to combine cellphone and full gaming capabilities in the same product since Nokia Corp. launched the sophisticated but ill-fated N-Gage in 2003, an expensive commercial failure that didn't satisfy the demands of either the gaming community or cellphone aficionados.

Nordberg said, the XperiaTM PLAY would hit U.S. stores in April and be sold through provider Verizon Wireless. Although he refused to name a price he said it would be a "subsidized phone" when purchased through a subscription.

Xperia Play Powered by Android (Gingerbread) have Real game controller and is able to download more than 100,000 apps instantly. Its incredible graphics and integrated front facing camera add spice to the product.

Further Readings:

1. CNN - Sony Ericsson announces new PlayStation smartphone
2. Xperia Play - Features and specifications

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JPMorgan to Start Social Media Fund

Business news compiled by Sherin Dev

JPMorgan Chase is planning to start a new fund to invest in an array of Internet and new media companies such as Facebook and Twitter and digital-media companies, people familiar with the matter said.

JPMorgan Chase & Co is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.1 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries. The firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers, small business and commercial banking, financial transaction processing, asset management and private equity.

As per New York Times, 'The proposed fund, which will be run by JPMorgan’s asset-management unit, is seeking to raise between $500 million and $750 million from wealthy investors to pour into privately held technology companies like Twitter and the social-buying site Groupon, these people said.'

'The idea is to place bets on companies with established business models and steady revenues before they go public in widely anticipated stock sales.'

'JPMorgan plans to buy and sell shares in these companies on behalf of clients, and will not directly invest the firm’s own money, one of these people said. But simply having a base of ready base of retail investors could give JPMorgan’s investment bank a competitive edge in winning business from the fledgling technology firms. Analysts have long viewed retail customers as a more stable source of capital, compared to money that moves in and out of stocks owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. '

News of the JPMorgan fund comes ahead of the firm’s annual day-long investor conference on Tuesday, in which the bank will review its businesses and its plans for the year ahead.

References:

1. New York Times DealBook

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True Practices to Gain Financial Knowledge, Skills and Accuracy

This article written by Sherin Dev

Acquiring financial knowledge and skills can do only through proper practices. A little of the same may receive through formal school and collage studies. Some of them may get from the practices for parents and mentors like teachers or any relatives and friends as well. Here are five proven best practices to acquire right financial knowledge utilizing the possibilities.

1. Read Financial Newspapers - Financial newspapers are the right source to get update with what happening in the money market and industry. If you are out of college, have a practice or reading at least one financial newspaper a day. This can be done through reading at office utilizing your free time, lunch time or visiting public libraries or even subscribe the same at your home. Generally, financial papers give huge coverage on happening in the nation, adjacent nations and worldwide. They also feature good articles on personal finance, business, money management and investment practices for readers. Reading a paper in a day is good, two is excellent and more is fantastic. Subscribing such papers can be used for references in the future.

2. Financial Channels and News: Whenever possible, watch financial channels and news’s to enhance your knowledge. Practice it in your tea time break, whether it is in office or home. News channels are the best source to provide authentic information on financial matters. Through the speeches and interviews with financial and subject experts, it provides you an excellent opportunity to update your skills and knowledge time to time.

3. Subscribe and Read Money Magazines - Read best available financial magazines, weekly or bi-weeklies, to get more exposure on money topics. Such magazines always come with highly packaged newses, information and interviews to provide extra-ordinary financial knowledge to its readers. There are many in its kind to select, subscribe and read. Visit public libraries to collect and read such magazines and periodicals free, by using your free time productively to gain knowledge in the subject.

4. Read Online - Internet provides ample opportunities to read excellent contents online packaged with nice information. Have a practice of visiting financial websites and subscribe latest articles directly to your mailbox to get updated with latest information and articles time to time. Utilizing the features like Google alerts, one can subscribe free and latest news alerts directly to the mailbox. This is a great option to get breaking news’s on various subjects like business, finance and investments.

5. Personal Finance Blogs - Subscribe personal finance blog’s feeds to get latest articles from it whenever all added. One can easily find various experienced and famous blog writers, (don't forget to subscribe my blog too - remember, you are reading this useful information from here only) on their choice and interest. Have a practice of visiting good financial blogs and try to subscribe and read at least 5 best blogs regularly. One of the major advantages of subscribing personal finance blogs are, it would automatically clears your any long forgotten or existing doubts time to time. Adding and reading comments under the articles in the blogs are highly helpful to have healthy debate with fellow readers, other bloggers around the world to get required information and knowledge.

There are some of the other methods available are, following famous money managers like Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman etc, in the social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, also helpful to get good information on financial subjects.This would also provide an opportunity to ask your doubts to the experts directly.

Whatever you do to get knowledge on any subject, do it systematically. Make it as a part of your everyday life and later such practices would control your time and knowledge in an efficient way to the success. Share with others and your own kids. This would later expand your skills to new levels.

Any doubts, knowledge sharing, criticisms, you have a comment option down... go and mark your comments in this page for me to get the knowledge updated...

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Nokia and Microsoft Announce Plans for Strategic Partnership

Technology News Compiled by Sherin Dev

London, UK - Nokia today outlined its new strategic direction, including changes in leadership and operational structure to accelerate the company's speed of execution in a dynamic competitive environment.
Major elements of the new strategy include:

- Plans for a broad strategic partnership with Microsoft to build a new global mobile ecosystem; Windows Phone would serve as Nokia's primary smartphone platform.

- A renewed approach to capture volume and value growth to connect "the next billion" to the Internet in developing growth markets

- Focused investments in next-generation disruptive technologies

- A new leadership team and organizational structure with a clear focus on speed, results and accountability

Here’s a quick summary of what learned from CEO Stephen Elop, Nokia and CEO Steve Ballmer, Microsoft

• Nokia will adopt Windows Phone as its primary smartphone strategy, innovating on top of the platform in areas such as imaging, where Nokia is a market leader.

• Nokia will help drive and define the future of Windows Phone. Nokia will contribute its expertise on hardware design, language support, and help bring Windows Phone to a larger range of price points, market segments and geographies.

• Nokia and Microsoft will closely collaborate on development, joint marketing initiatives and a shared development roadmap to align on the future evolution of mobile products.

• Bing will power Nokia’s search services across Nokia devices and services, giving customers access to Bing’s next generation search capabilities. Microsoft adCenter will provide search advertising services on Nokia’s line of devices and services.

• Nokia Maps will be a core part of Microsoft’s mapping services. For example, Maps would be integrated with Microsoft’s Bing search engine and adCenter advertising platform to form a unique local search and advertising experience.

• Nokia’s extensive operator billing agreements will make it easier for consumers to purchase Nokia Windows Phone services in countries where credit-card use is low.

• Microsoft development tools will be used to create applications to run on Nokia Windows Phones, allowing developers to easily leverage the ecosystem’s global reach.

• Microsoft will continue to invest in the development of Windows Phone and cloud services so customers can do more with their phone, across their work and personal lives.

• Nokia’s content and application store will be integrated with Microsoft Marketplace for a more compelling consumer experience.

Read more stories directly from source:

1. Nokia and Microsoft Announce Plans for a Broad Strategic Partnership
2. Nokia outlines new strategy, introduces new leadership, operational structure
3. Nokia provides financial targets and forecasts linked to new strategy
4. Companies plan to combine assets and develop innovative mobile products

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Relatively Great Ideas to Make Money from Valentine’s Day Spree

Editor's Note: Article written by Sherin Dev

It’s against the Valentine’s Day ethics. But is the right ethics for a right Frugal. When everybody in a spree to spends money, you catch that opportunity to make money. Valentine’s Day provides you one of the ever best opportunities to tap huge money that spend by lovers across the world. Here are some great ideas on how one can make money from the enjoyment moods of others in their own city.

Whatever the service, ideas or programs, advance preparation is a must to avoid failures, but comes to a huge success. One of the major tasks is to inform public that you have such a specific Valentine’s Day service for them to utilize. Effectively market your ideas across the city and public utilizing possible advertising campaigns like news paper, ad boards and notices. Never miss collages and other places where youth comes together always!

1. Offer Midnight Delivery Services. Yup, it is one of the best ways to make money. You can take advantages from offering the odd time service to public with little more service charges. Most of the lovebirds would like to deliver gifts, cards and flowers to their lover at the very first moment, 00:00:01, in the day. Utilize this mentality as an opportunity to make money. Remember to prepare well with required agents with you to deliver such services in time.

2. Valentine’s Day Gift Services - Be a resource for lovers to contact and select their intended gifts for lovers. Valentine’s Day is famous for roses, handmade cards, candy or jewelry. Provide a service to order these items when booked in advance. Have a variety of items for people to select and order using utilizing single window. Have all the required information are ready with you for those required to select and accept their orders for delivery. Being an affiliate of world famous vendors like Hallmark would do wonders for you in this venture.

3. Be a Party Guide for Lovers - You can be a party guide by collecting all information in advance about the places where lovers can enjoy parties. Offer services for lovers to books such parties, halls and rooms for accepting advances and later your fee too.

4. Open a Special Valentine’s Day Stall - Open a temporary stall for Valentine’s to contact and purchase items like flowers, handmade and other cards, candies, truffles, chocolate covered items etc. Open such stalls in any place where public gathers a lot would fetch more money. Start such venture in well selected places in advance to the Valentine’s Day.

5. Conduct Eve Programs for Lovers - Conducting eve programs for lovers are a best way to make money. It’s depends on the capacity of each individual on what they want to conduct. Music nights, food nights, entertainment nights, fashion show, dancing parties all would do better in this day if you have good organizing capacity. This can organize jointly with friends or having tie-up with hotels and malls in your city.

6. Offer Valentine’s Day Babysitting – Can consider as an excellent way to make money. Most of the couples prefer to go outing in the night for enjoyment and dinner without their kids to avoid temporary disturbances. Tap this opportunity. Offer a Valentine’s Day babysitting service for those who really required. If the service is for night time, you have options to charge more. Why don't try this one in this year itself?

Conclusion

You can offer one or more above services mentioned in this article as combined. An Example,
if you like to go with a Valentine's Day special stall, you can offer all other services to public easily!

Try to participate similar minded people and friends in a profit sharing basis to ensure sufficient resource to convert any venture to a huge success. Joint efforts always have superiority over individual efforts.

Days like valentines, New Year, Christmas offers various hidden opportunities to make money. Identify what is suitable to you and have right mindset to proceed with it. When comes to reality, it would be an excellent time pass, activity which offers enormous opportunities to make money and build talent as a young entrepreneur. .

Further references:

1. How to Make Money On Valentine's Day
2. Seven ways to make money from Valentine’s Day
3. Valentine's Day Money Making Ideas

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Apple's New iPad in Production

Technology news compiled by Sherin Dev

Apple Inc. has started manufacturing a new version of its iPad tablet computer with a built-in camera and faster processor, said people familiar with the matter.

The new iPad will be thinner and lighter than the first model, these people said. It will have at least one camera on the front of the device for features like video-conferencing, but the resolution of the display will be similar to the first iPad, these people said. It will also have more memory and a more powerful graphics processor, they said.

The new iPad will initially be available through Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc., but not Sprint Nextel Corp. or T-Mobile USA in the U.S., according to some of the people familiar with the matter.

The new iPad is expected by Apple watchers to debut in the next couple of months at a similar price range as the current iPad, though exact details couldn't be learned. It currently costs between $499 and $829.

Further reading:

1. Source & More news at WSJ
2. USA today: Apple's iPhone still stirs up frenzy

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AOL Acquires Huffington Post for $315 Million

Business news compiled by Sherin Dev

AOL disclosed early Monday morning that to acquire internet news website Huffington Post for a deal of $315 million. This action reveals the intention of AOL to become the top producer of news, entertainment and other digital content. The transaction will create a premier global, national, local, and hyper-local content group for the digital age – leveraged across online, mobile, tablet, and video platforms. The combination of AOL’s infrastructure and scale with The Huffington Post’s pioneering approach to news and innovative community building among a broad and sophisticated audience will mark a seminal moment in the evolution of digital journalism and online engagement.

As part of the deal, Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington will be appointed president editor-in-chief of all of AOL’s content. She will not only run The Huffington Post, but will lead AOL’s news, tech, women, local, multicultural, entertainment video and community content businesses in an AOL entity that will be known as the Huffington Post Media Group

As per Newyork Times, the two companies completed the sale Sunday evening and announced the deal just after midnight on Monday. It will be the company’s largest acquisition since it was separated from Time Warner in 2009.

AOL has agreed to purchase The Huffington Post for $315 million, approximately $300 million of which will be paid in cash funded from cash on hand. The Huffington Post is privately owned by its two co-founders, as well as a group of investors. The proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of government approvals. The boards of directors of each company and shareholders of The Huffington Post have approved the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the late first- or early second-quarter 2011.

AOL now claims that the combined entity reaches 117 million unique visitors per month in the U.S. and 270 million worldwide. AOL CEO Tim Armstrong says the new organization will be "a next-generation American media company" focused on content, community and social experiences

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1. "A Merger of Vision" - Arianna Huffington
2. Press release from AOL and The Huffington Post

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How to Repair Your Credit after a Bankruptcy

Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Deborah Dera

The state of today's economy has been less than friendly to many. A number of honest, hard working people have found themselves struggling on a financial level and despite their best efforts have turned to bankruptcy in an attempt to gain a fresh financial start. The good news is that while your credit score may have taken a hit you can take steps to repair your credit after you receive your discharge.

Budget Responsibly

Your bankruptcy filing will show up on your credit report for up to 10 years. This does not, however, mean that you will not be able to obtain any type of credit at all. Take some time to sit down and work out a budget that will allow you to reestablish some type of credit without going into debt. Use the cash you've set aside in your budget to take out a small loan, open a store credit card, or to do something that will allow you to make monthly payments – on time – so that they are reported to the credit bureaus.

Create an Emergency Fund

There is no telling when the economy will improve. Spend some time stashing some cash in a savings account so that you will have an emergency fund in place for future tough times. Having an emergency fund in place will help you to avoid turning to credit when things get rough.

Review Your Credit Report

Take some time to pull a copy of your credit report and check it for mistakes. Many people who have recently filed for bankruptcy have found that their credit reports show mistakes. The most common mistake is that old creditors show your account as open and past due when they should show as closed because of your bankruptcy filing. You'll need to contact the credit bureaus directly to have these mistakes corrected.

Open New Credit Accounts

The only way to establish credit is by using credit. The trick is to use your credit responsibly. Open a few small credit accounts with major credit card bureaus (skip the department store cards). Make small purchases, never exceeding 10% of your credit limit, and pay them off in full when the bill arrives in the mail. Paying the bill right away will show good payment habits and will prevent you from having to pay the higher interest rates you're bound to be subjected to after your bankruptcy.

While it may take some time to rebuild your credit score, it is possible. Tread carefully, don't overuse the lines of credit you are able to establish, and make sure you make every single bill payment you have on time. Before long, you'll be well on your way to a 720+ credit score and your bankruptcy will be a thing of the past.

Deborah Dera is a professional writer focused on personal finance, bankruptcy, credit repair, and more. She enjoys contributing content to CreditLoan.com and to other sites dedicated to helping individuals take control of their financial futures.

About Guest Writer
This post was written by a guest writer. If you'd like to add a guest post in Money Hacker, please check out Write for Us page for details about how YOU can share your knowledge with our community.

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Money Hacker Monthly Wrap

I was excited by getting guest article throughout the month of January 2011. It is nice to say that most of articles posted in money hacker in the month of January are guest article written by various authors from around the globe. It covers different subjects that is interested to people from different places and traits.


Here is a short wrap of these articles added by arranging the same in a proper way to take an easy look:

January 03

Two Essential Financial Resolutions to Set for This New Year

A simple guidance to set two most important resolutions for this year and methods to work and achieve success with it at the end of year. This is really a good article for any individual who intend to move with realistic resolutions than setting multiple and none of them work for them later.

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January 06

Strategies for the Time of Food Inflation

Food inflation at the peak in various countries and people virtually suffering from it. It is a major culprit to empty our pocket in no time. Here are some strategies that help readers to do better and save money even at the time of inflation. This article is best to read for getting ideas on live within regular budget even it the ordinary time or the time of food inflation.

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January 09

When it comes to Credit Repair, the Right Strategy is Essential

Are you considering embarking on a credit repair project? Good for you! This means that you’re tired of paying higher than necessary interest rates and not getting the things you want and deserve. It’s time to get going on fixing your credit, but before you get started, you need to know a few things.

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January 11

3 Ways Being Green Can Save You Money

An interesting article to live green and how it is useful to save lots of money unexpectedly. this article provide three best, simple strategies to any person who want to live green and save lots of money.

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January 15

Do You Need Disability Insurance?

A debate on the requirement of disability insurances. It covers various aspects that supports to go with a disability insurance and the huge advantage of having one. this guest article looks covers various facts in our life and advice the most required to live healthy and wealthy always

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January 18

How to Cut Living Expenses: 5 Easy Tips

Looking for ways to make money even when you’re just going through the motions of your everyday life? Consider putting more effort into saving money – you can do it every day, and yes, it’s just like making money. The old adage “a penny saved is a penny earned” has some substance to it, no matter how outdated it may seem.

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January 23

Four Ways to Hack Your Wallet Or Purse

Hacks usually make our lives easier, more efficient, and happy. They are simply ways we can improve our lives. So it makes sense, then, that you would want to hack your wallet or purse, as this could help you manage your money. Here are four hacks that will help you be responsible with, literally, your purse strings!

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January 25

Importance of Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance is quite important when you are traveling abroad or even within your nation. When you plan your vacation, you have to plan your flights, connecting flights, accommodation, local conveyance and all such things in advance. An interesting article about the world of travel insurance and its must requirement..

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January 28

Could You Be a Victim of Credit Scoring Stereotypes?

If you’ve been wondering about credit scoring and how it all works, then you’re not alone. Many people have thought they had high credit scores only to find out they have been part of a "stereotyping" that often happens when it comes to matters of credit.

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