Brand New Prepaid Visa Card - iBankUP Prepaid Visa Card

iBankUP Prepaid Visa CardThe iBankup prepaid Visa Card is the next level of prepaid debit cards. Having this card gives you all the benefits of a checking account and a debit card all rolled into one. For a small monthly maintenance fee you get great benefits such as bonus cash back points and no annual fee. You are guaranteed approval. This is the cheap alternative to a checking account at a bank. Parents, this is the perfect card for your teenager as it lets you determine their spending limit. Your child still gets the benefit of learning how to manage money and credit cards.

You get free direct deposit and the card is re-loadable online or at variety of retailers nationwide. The card is linked to a money management portal with online access. You can also use MoneyPak to load your money onto the card. The sign up is so easy you can do it in less than five minutes. The step by step instructions are so thorough that a child could do it. Once you have signed up and chosen your card colors you will receive your confirmation and direct deposit information. This can be emailed to your email account or directly to your employer.

You receive bonus cash back points from the first moment that you load your card. You also get to choose your online access ID and password right then and there. It will take a few business days to receive the card in the mail but you can load it even before you get it. Because these IBankup Upside Cards are for everyone, there is never a credit check.

iBankup prepaid Visa Card features include: Free Direct Deposit, Mobile and FaceBook Access, Load Cash Easily, "Get Rewarded", True Balance Tracking, Worldwide Acceptance, Virtual Check Book.

Special Features:

- Save up to $220 compared with other prepaid cards
- The power of a checking account in one card, even if you have bad credit
- Write personal checks online, we mail them for you
- $0.99 monthly fee with total load of $500 or more
- Free Direct Deposit from employers or load cash at 50,000 retailers

Other Information:

Issuer: Meta Bank
Card Network: VISA
Card Type: Card for Bad Credit, Guaranteed Approval, Prepaid Debit Card, Teen Debit Card, Reward Card
Comments: The maximum balance cannot exceed $10,000.00. Monthly maintenance fee is $0.99 if a minimum amount of $500 is loaded to the card within the calendar month. Otherwise a $2.99 fee applies each month.

Fees Information

Annual Fee: $0.00*
Opening Minimum: $25.00
Application Fee: $0.00
ATM Fee: $1.70

Additional Fees

Foreign currency conversion: 2% (in addition to the currency conversion rate)
Account closure fee - None
Activation fee - None
Annual fee - None
Automated phone inquiry (per call) - $0.99
Balance inquiry fee - $0.99
Companion card (balance over $1000) - FREE
Companion card (per month) - $1.99
DDA load fee - None
Decline fee on ATM withdrawal - $2.00
Decline fee on POS - None
Express delivery (surcharge) - $14.95
Inactivity fee - None
Monthly fee (balance $25-$500) - $2.99
Monthly fee (balance over $500) - $0.99
Negative balance fee - None
Online customer support - FREE
Purchase transaction fee - None
Standard delivery - $9.95

Peanut: Understand the Pros and Cons of prepaid credit cards would help you to take better decisions

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The Pros and Cons of Prepaid Cards

Pros and Cons of Prepaid CardsPrepaid cards offer the convenience of a credit card without the difficult approval process or risk of getting into debt. These cards work a lot like a gift card, you will have to load the account with cash (direct deposit is usually available) before you can use it for a purchase

Prepaid cards are not credit cards; you cannot spend more than the balance you have deposited and you will not be charged interest for your spending. The prepaid account will not be reported to the credit bureaus as a credit card.

Pros:

- Easy approval process, no credit required
- The same fraud liability protections as a standard credit card
- Easy to use for online or phone purchases
- Access cash from ATM machines
- Less expensive than check cashing services

Cons:

- Expensive fees for opening and maintaining the account
- Fees for loading money on the account or using the card for purchases
- Very limited, if any, reporting to the credit bureaus
- Does not help improve your credit the same way a credit card or secured card would
- Much more expensive than opening a checking account and using an ATM card

Fees and charges can vary significantly between different prepaid credit card offers. Be sure to read the fee schedule for the prepaid credit card before you apply.

Source: Credit.com


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Credit Cards for Excellent Credit

Credit Cards for Excellent Credit After years of shrinking credit limits, rising rates and new fees, not to mention government legislation, credit card users have every reason to question the value of the plastic in their wallets. And now that the dust has settled, many may find their current credit cards aren't as good as they could be.

The best credit cards available! Find an offer that matches your excellent credit with low rates, great deals and rewards programs. FICO scores/credit scores are used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any credit card offer.

The best five in the sense of credit range is 750+, with its specific features:

1. Citi Platinum Select MasterCard

Citi Platinum Select MasterCardSpecial Features:

- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months and 0% Intro APR on purchases for 21 months. After that, the APR will be 11.99%-20.99% based upon your creditworthiness.
- Extra Cash from Citi: enjoy discounts on gift cards, travel, merchandise and more
- No annual fee
- Secure, free online account management

2. Chase Freedom Visa $100 Bonus Cash Back + 0% Intro APR

Chase Freedom VisaSpecial Features:

- Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you make $500 in purchases in your first 3 months
- 0% Intro APR for 12 months on balance transfers and 0% Intro APR for 6 months on purchases
- 5% Cash Back on up to $1,500 spent in bonus categories each quarter
- Unlimited 1% Cash Back on all other purchases without limits on what you can earn

3. Discover More Card - 24 Month Promotional Balance Transfer

Discover More CardSpecial Features:

- 0% intro APR for 6 months, then the Regular APR
- 5% Cashback Bonus® in categories that change like travel, gas, groceries, restaurants, home improvement stores and more
- Up to 1% unlimited Cashback Bonus on all other purchases
- No Annual Fee

4. Chase Sapphire Card (15K)

Chase Sapphire CardSpecial Features:

- Earn $150 in rewards - that's 15,000 bonus points after you spend $500 in 3 months
- Redeem points for travel, gift cards, merchandise, cash back and more
- 2X points earned on airfaire & hotel accomodations booked through Ultimate Rewards & 1 point for every dollar spent on all other purchases
- No annual fee!

5. Discover More Card

Discover More CardSpecial Features:

- 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months, then the Regular APR
- 5% Cashback Bonus® in categories that change like travel, gas, groceries, restaurants, home improvement stores and more
- Up to 1% unlimited Cashback Bonus® on all other purchases
- 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months, then the Regular APR


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Apple Thunderbolt MacBook Pro

Apple Thunderbolt MacBook ProThunderbolt is a revolutionary I/O technology that supports high-resolution displays and high-performance data devices through a single, compact port. It sets new standards for speed, flexibility, and simplicity. And it makes its debut in the new MacBook Pro.

The new 15- and 17-inch models bring quad-core power to almost everything you do. The available 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor — with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.4GHz and up to 8MB of shared L3 cache — enables these MacBook Pro models to run applications up to twice as fast as their top-of-the-line predecessors.

With faster access to memory, each core can get right to work on your data, rather than waiting for it to arrive. That’s why the new Intel Core architecture uses an integrated memory controller to connect fast 1333MHz memory directly to the processor. Together with up to 8MB of shared L3 cache, the integrated memory controller helps your applications run at peak performance.

When you need more performance for things like playing 3D games, editing HD video, or even running CAD software, the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models automatically switch to discrete AMD Radeon graphics that let you see more frames per second and experience better responsiveness. With up to 1GB of dedicated GDDR5 video memory, these processors provide up to 3x faster performance than the previous generation.

For graphics-intensive applications, the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models automatically switch to new high-performance AMD Radeon graphics processors. With up to 3x the performance of the previous models,3 they let you see more frames per second in 3D games, or work on HD video projects with more speed and responsiveness than before.

The Thunderbolt port will give you plug-and-play performance with a whole new world of Thunderbolt peripherals, as well as with the Apple LED Cinema Display and other Mini DisplayPort peripherals. You can daisy-chain as many as six devices, including your display. And with support for video and eight-channel audio, it’s easy to connect HDMI-compatible devices — like your TV and home stereo — using the HDMI adapter you already have. Current VGA, DVI, and DisplayPort adapters are also supported.

The new FaceTime HD camera gives you three times the resolution of the previous camera — perfect for the brilliant LED-backlit display — along with improved low-light performance. You and your friends can make 720p HD calls from one new MacBook Pro to another. You can also make video calls to other Intel-based Mac computers,4 iPhone 4, or the new iPod touch.

The Multi-Touch trackpad is the most natural way to interact with what’s on your screen, and the smooth glass surface gives you plenty of room for gestures. Pinch to zoom in and out, swipe to flip through photos, rotate to adjust an image, and much more. The buttonless design lets you click anywhere. And if you’re coming from a right-click world, you can right-click with two fingers or configure a right-click area on the trackpad. The more you use the Multi-Touch trackpad, the more you’ll wonder how you ever did without it.

The new MacBook Pro delivers amazing battery life. And that’s with more powerful processors and faster graphics. An energy-efficient processor architecture with an integrated video encoder, along with automatic graphics switching in the 15- and 17-inch models, all help improve battery life. So you can expect to surf the web wirelessly for up to 7 hours on a single charge.

The latest 802.11n wireless technology in MacBook Pro makes it easy to get connected just about anywhere. MacBook Pro automatically finds available networks and allows you to join them with a click. Bluetooth wireless technology is also built in, so you can use your favorite wireless accessories right out of the box.

With the new Thunderbolt port, you can daisy-chain as many as six devices, including your display, to create a full-fledged workstation. Two USB 2.0 ports (three on the 17-inch MacBook Pro) and a FireWire 800 port let you connect your iPad, iPod, iPhone, digital cameras, and external hard drives.

The new SDXC card slot on the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro models supports up to 64GB cards and makes it a snap to transfer all those photos to and from your MacBook Pro, so you can edit and share them on the spot. And the ExpressCard/34 slot on the 17-inch MacBook Pro is perfect for an eSATA adapter — or even a 3G wireless card for times when no Wi-Fi network is available.

After using iMovie and iDVD to edit and apply the finishing touches to your home movie, use the 8x SuperDrive on MacBook Pro to burn it to DVD in no time. Since the SuperDrive writes to double-layer discs (DVDs with nearly 9GB of space), it’s great for backing up data, too.


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The Importance of Having a Rainy Day Fund

Editor's Note: This guest post is by Mariana Ashley

Importance of a Rainy Day fundI once knew a young man who was busy saving money for his wedding, hoping that once he hit a certain dollar amount he would ask his longtime girlfriend to marry him. Midway into his saving endeavor, the transmission blew on his truck and suddenly he had to pay $2,000 to get it fixed. The young man didn't have a rainy day fund in place to cover unexpected expenses and sadly had to use some of the money he had been saving for a fancy wedding on something as routine as a transmission.

While it was good that he didn't have to put this sudden expense on a credit card or ask his parents for money, the young man's situation reminded me of why it's important to have a rainy day fund. A rainy day fund is an emergency savings account that helps cushion the blow if something unexpected happens, like losing your job or having your car break down.

There are hundreds of little things that could crop up that are outside of a carefully planned budget. You could break a bone or get appendicitis and suddenly have a mountain of hospital bills. Your dog could get in a fight with another dog and need expensive veterinary care. Your refrigerator could stop working and suddenly you have to buy a new one. Or an uninsured family member could pass away, and you are called upon to help with funeral expenses.

So how much money should you put into a rainy day fund? A good place to begin is to save three months' worth of living expenses. If you already have a firm budget in place, then it should be fairly easy to calculate how much you spend on bills and necessities like food in an average month. If you don't have a budget in place, you will need to sit down and determine how much you spend each month on bills like rent/mortgage payments, car payment, insurance, electricity, cell phones, etc. Then look back at your bank ledger and add up how much you spend on groceries. Add all of your routine expenses to determine how much money goes out from your account each month. Multiply this by three and you have determined an estimated three months' worth of living expenses.

The reason it is recommended to save three months' worth of living expenses is that three months is about how long it would take to find a new job if you were to suddenly become unemployed, especially in a sour economy where companies are doing less hiring. Some people even choose to save up six months' worth of living expenses just in case a job hunt would take them even longer.

Once you've hit your goal on your rainy day fund, you can stop adding money to the account and focus your finances on other goals, like paying off any debt, saving for retirement, or investing. Finally, any time you have to use your rainy day fund for an emergency, be sure to replenish your savings as soon as you can.

About the Author: Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031@gmail.com.

guest writers blogAbout 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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Should I Invest in Japan

Invest In JapanThe world has been transfixed for the past week by Japan's heart-rending triple tragedies: the Sendai earthquake, the tsunami and the near-meltdown of a nuclear power plant. Tens of thousands are presumed dead. Radiation escaping from the damaged plants could get worse.

Since disaster first struck on March 11, Japan's stock market has fallen 12% as investors struggle to assess the effects on Japan's economy. What seems clear to us is that the market has overreacted, as it often does in catastrophes.

The slowdown seems temporary. Japan has capacity to rebuild the country as early as possible and healthy growth can expected for next year.

An average stock in japan selling in a 13.9 times of its annual profit and it seems a best time for investors to buy business powerhouse stocks like Sony, Canon, Toyota, Nissan, Nippon, Mitsubishi etc.. Investors can even prefer to buy Nippon steel, Shiseido which are some of the best brands in Japan.

Including BlackRock, number of big foreign investors now heading back to Japan last week. An easy growth of 10% is expected soon even after the calamities.

Look at history. In the weeks after Japan's 1995 Kobe earthquake, stocks fell by a quarter, but then bounced back in a matter of months. After the 2001 bombing of the World Trade Center, U.S. stocks fell 11.6%, before rebounding 19.4% over the next six months.

For the four quarters ended December, Japan's Finance Ministry reported, corporate pretax profits rose 27% as sales climbed 4.1%. At the start of this week, Morgan Stanley MUFG was forecasting 18.5% corporate earnings growth for 2011 and 22.4% growth for 2012. Apply a haircut of 25%–the amount some economists are pruning from their GDP forecasts–and you get still-respectable growth of 13.9% and 16.8%.

"The market looks cheap," says Seiichiro Iwasawa, chief strategist at Nomura Securities. After last week's sell off, "the market is discounting that next fiscal year's earnings will decline by 20%. I would say that in the worst case, earnings growth will be zero. There is a big distance between this scenario and the one I presume. I think it's a buying opportunity." The recent lows of 8,227 on the Nikkei and 725 on the Topix were "probably the bottom." Iwasawa expects the Nikkei to rebound soon to as high as 10,000 from Friday's close of 9,206.

Dylan Grice, a strategist at Société Générale, penned a piece entitled "Buy Japan, and prepare to buy with both hands." Grice pointed out that there were still plenty of risks, but Japan "is beginning to look cheap." Among the companies whose intrinsic value (book value plus returns in excess of cost of capital) exceed the stock price are Toyota, Sony, Canon, KDDI, Nissan Motor, Nippon Steel and conglomerate Itochu.

This article covers some parts from the original article written and posted by LESLIE P. NORTON. Read her interesting article in full here



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Facebook Investor DST Joins Funding Round for 360buy.com

facebook+360buy.comDigital Sky Technologies,the Russian internet investment group that backed Facebook, has joined a group of investors committing hundreds of millions of dollars to 360buy.com, China’s largest online retailer.

The Financial Times said the interest in 360buy underlines the vast opportunity for online commerce in China, one of the largest and fastest-growing internet markets.

360buy has been described as the Amazon.com of China, was founded in 2004 by Qiangdong Liu, who remains its chief executive

DST already owns large stakes in some of the most successful US internet companies, including Facebook, Groupon and Zynga.

Read full story


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Money Through the Ages

Money Through the AgesMoney Through the Ages is a guide to the financial challenges and goals at different ages, from late teens to the retirement years.This special section presents 10 stories of individuals and families trying to conquer the challenges that their financial lives present.

For each stage of life, this section provides a look at how individuals are coping with their own circumstances, and offers the counsel of contemporaries who are financial advisers and have been through similar experiences.

The articles and audio interviews are a collaboration between the Your Money staff of The New York Times and Marketplace Money, from American Public Media.

The Teens: Balancing Debt Against College Choice

The 20s: Out of College, Not on Her Own

The 30s: Too Busy for Finances, but a Baby Changes That

The 40s: Setting Up a Plan to Get Back on Track

The 50s: Repairing a Long-Neglected Nest Egg

The 60s: Pondering Risks in Retirement

The 60s: Navigating the Benefits Maze

The 70s: Finances That C.E.O.’s May Not Be Watching: Their Own

And for your own planning, an interactive checklist helps navigate the ways you can prepare and secure your financial future.


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The Pre and Post Retirement Planning and Ideas

perfect retirement planMillions of Americans fear retirement. They never knew an early, well advanced planning and disciplined approach would help them to retire peacefully for the later years. Most of the people who think about retirement plan not at all aware where they do start the planning. This article intended to help those to prepare a better retirement plan by calculating the required and plan accordingly.

When it comes to retirement, people think about money. Most of them start thinking about retirement plan very late and that would later put them to unnecessary panic. Start early with a clear plan and discipline to enjoy your golden years without worries.

This two article from well known financial experts would help people to plan, achieve and enjoy their retirement life without much pain. take a look:

Retirement 101: How to Figure Out What You'll Need

If you're totally baffled, try these six simple steps. It's not a plan. But it's something anyone can do in 10 minutes or less, and it will give you a much better idea where you stand—and what you need to do.

How to Cash Out in Retirement - A look at four strategies that could help make a retiree's savings last a lifetime

Explain various strategies for spending down retirement savings. The key to developing a successful strategy is flexibility. Given all the variables in retirement spending, investors regularly revisit their approach rather than religiously following a preset path. Those who are willing to make small adjustments along the way will run the smoothest course through retirement


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World's Best 30 CEOs

Barron's 30 Best CEOsBarron's magazine have published the list of best 30 CEO's in the latest edition as the part of their annual roster of the top corporate leaders from around the world. Published along with the profile of each CEO, Barron done a great job for readers and subscribers to understand the background of each one included in their list.

The eight new members of the roster are already making good money in Asia and appear well-positioned for the years ahead. Other newcomers to the list are making a mark on China with everything from cold beer and grilled chicken to luxury automobiles and high-end corporate computing gear.

Notable returnees in the list includes Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett, Apple's Steve Jobs, JP Morgan Chase's Jamie Dimon, IBM's Sam Palmisano and Costco Wholesale's Jim Sinegal.

Selection of the 30 top CEOs isn't based on a statistical formula. It's based on the collective knowledge of the Barron's staff, plus recent interviews with investors, analysts and executives. The idea, as in past years, was to identify corporate leaders who have made a difference to their companies and delivered for investors. Only included the the CEO's who has been on the job for at least three years, and preferred companies with market values of at least $5 billion.

Here is the Barron's Top 30 CEO's:

Best 30 CEOs

Read More: 30 Best CEOs

Profiles of the World's Best CEO's


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Amazon Cloud Drive - Brand New Online Service to Store Files

Amazon.com Inc said it has unveiled an online service that would enable its customers to securely store and access music through their smartphones and computers.

Amazon Cloud Drive
Amazon Cloud Drive is your hard-drive in the cloud. Securely store your music, videos, photos, and documents online and access them from anywhere.

All you need is a web browser to upload, download and access your files from any computer. Back up your files to ensure that your music, photos and personal documents are available to you wherever you go.

The Amazon Cloud drive offers 5 GB of free online storage that you can access from any computer. If you need more storage space, paid plans are available for storage up to 1,000 GB.

However, just purchase an album from the Amazon MP3 Store to get 20 GB of storage free of charge for one year from the date of your purchase. That's enough space to store up to 4000 songs. You can keep your 20 GB storage plan after the year is up or do nothing and we'll drop you down to our free 5 GB plan.

Need more than 5 GB of space? Amazon offer paid storage plans with up to 1000 GB of space. These plans are billed annually and renew automatically for your convenience.

Upload Files

- To upload files to your Cloud Drive, click on the "Upload Files" button on the top left corner of the page.
- Click on "Your Cloud Drive" to select a destination folder for your files. If you do not select a folder at this time, your files will be uploaded into the "Your Cloud Drive" root folder. You will be able to move or copy your files into a different folder once your upload is complete.
- Next, click on "Select files to upload." Select one or more files from your computer to upload.
- Confirm your selection to begin uploading your files.

Download Files

- Check the box next to the file you wish to download.
- Click on the "Download" button
- Your browser will present you with a dialog with download options.

Organize Your Files

Creating folders

Amazon has already created some top level folders for you including "Documents," "Music," "Pictures," and "Videos." You can create more folders to organize your Cloud Drive files as you wish.

To create a new top level folder, select the "Your Cloud Drive" folder in the Folders area on the left hand side of the Cloud Drive page. To create a new sub-folder, select the existing folder where you want to create your subfolder.

- Click on the "New Folder" button.
- Enter the name of the new folder you want to create and click "Save Folder" button.

You can navigate through your folders by clicking on a folder in the "Folders" area on the left hand side of the Cloud Drive page. The folder structure can be expanded or collapsed by clicking on the "+" or "-" buttons next to each folder name.
Moving files and folders

- Check the box next to the item(s) you wish to move.
- Click on the "More Actions" button.
- Select the option to move your item(s).
- Select the folder you wish to move your item(s) to.
- Click on the "Move Items" button to move your item.

Copying files and folders

- Check the box next to the item(s) you wish to copy.
- Click on the "More Actions" button.
- Select the option to copy your item(s).
- Select the folder you wish to copy your item(s) to.
- Click on the "Copy Items" button to copy your items.

Renaming files and folders

- Check the box next to the item you wish to rename.
- Click on the "More Actions" button.
- Select the "Rename" option.
- Type in the new name for your file or folder and then click "Rename".

Deleting files

When you delete files in Cloud Drive they are placed in your "Deleted Items" list. You can access this list by clicking the "Deleted Items" link in the Lists box located in the upper left of the page. Deleted files are not removed from your account and you can restore them if necessary. Deleted files continue to take up space in your account until you permanently delete them.

- Check the box next to the file(s) you wish to delete.
- Click on the Delete button

Your files will be moved to the "Deleted Items" list, where they can be recovered if necessary or permanently deleted later to free up storage space.

Recovering deleted files

- Click on the "Deleted Items" list on the top left corner of the Cloud Drive page.
- Check the box next to the item(s) you wish to recover.
- Click on the "Restore To Folder" button to restore the selected items to the same folders from which they were deleted. Or, click the "More Actions" button and select the "Move" option to move the items to a different location.


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8 Unusual Things I Learned from Warren Buffett

8 Unusual Things I Learned from Warren BuffettA superbly written article by James Altucher the author of 'Trade Like Warren Buffett", in forbes about the eight unusual things he learned from Warren Buffett. Begins with his visit to Omaha to attend the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, James Altucher talk about the Dicipline of Warren, his worst investment mistake - Sinclair gas station he bought in 1951 with a friend of his with whihc he lost he lost $2000, when his savings was about $9600 at the time - another interesting fact he learned about Buffett that he once have rejected from Harward Business School to admit as a student.

Buffett was a victim of reverse anti-Semitism. Becuase he was not Jewish, his teacher Graham once rejected his interest to work for him. Another point, Altucher describes the will power of Warren Buffett and the apetitie of achieving goals. A real story explains this in a better way. Again, a little known truth about Buffett in picture, The SEC investigated Buffett in 1974-1976 for manipulating penny stocks.

At the 7th point, James revealing some of Buffett's habits. He never own a desktop in this table. Don't have a cell phone and plays bridge 12 hours in a week.finally, he found how buffet evaluate success from his own words: "“I measure success by how many people love me. And the best way to be loved is to be loveable.”

This is of course an interesting article from a famous writer. Read here


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Amazon Appstore for Android - A Place to Fulfill Apps Need

Amazon Appstore for AndroidAmazon released its long-awaited Appstore for Android. Fundamentally it's very similar to Google's first-party Android Market or the third-party AppBrain, but it has a few Amazonian differences that could set it apart from the competition very quickly.

First and foremost, Amazon is promising to give away one paid app for free every day. Today it's Angry Birds Rio, and it only retails for 99 cents, but that doesn't really matter: people love free stuff. People will download stuff simply because it's free, even if they don't want it! The best bit (or worst bit) is that developers still get 20% of the usual retail price, which will paid out of Amazon's pockets.

The next defining feature is Amazon Appstore exclusives. Angry Birds Rio, CoD:MW:Force Recon and other apps will be available only from Amazon. As we know from the console wars, exclusive titles aren't always a good thing, but who cares? Amazon simply wants unique selling points, and exclusive titles are definitely that.

To Read a Review: Click Here

Visit: Amazon Appstore for Android


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How to Become a Millionaire in 3 Easy Steps

How to become a millionaireAn interesting article from CNNMoney I thought would come useful for Moneyhacker readers. This article describe three easy steps that anyone can follow and save lots of money. Of course, if follow in a good manner, this would even make you millionaires. Read this interesting article that certainly help you to change your thoughts and inject good habits to become next millionaire!

Use our calculator to pinpoint when you're likely to become a millionaire based on your current situation and investing returns.

Read the article here

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Best Children’s Books on the iPad

Best Children’s Books on the iPadOnce upon a time (five years ago), e-books for children came on shiny CD-ROMs that cost $40, plus a few dollars for sales tax. Today’s children’s e-books cost just that sales tax. All you need is a $500 iPad.

Just a fad, you say? Perhaps, but recent e-books for Apple’s iPad indicate that the professionals have arrived in the app stores. These e-books can sound out difficult words and move you with illustrations that change based on the tilt of the screen. Today’s children can actually blow the little pig’s house down, by way of the iPad’s microphone.

As in any emerging medium, quality varies — in this case, widely. There are thousands of e-books to wade through, and some are not much more than scanned pages. Here are 10 noteworthy exceptions, ranked by age, with some honorable mentions.

Go, Clifford, Go! ($5) is one of Scholastic’s first e-books, which, along with I Love You Through and Through (also $5) lets you tilt the screen to make cars move, trees sway, waves roll. Ages 2-up.

Finding Nemo: My Puzzle Book ($1) is one of a series of movie-inspired e-books that mix jigsaw puzzles with a scavenger hunt, plus the ability to record your own narration. 3-up.

Here is a complete list of interesting books

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EBay to buy GSI for $1.96-billion

EBay buys GSI for $1.96 billion to take on AmazonEBay Inc. plans to buy e-commerce company GSI Commerce for $1.96-billion in cash in a bid to draw more buyers and sellers to its online marketplaces.

EBay said Monday it offered GSI shareholders $29.25 per share, a 50.9-per-cent premium over its closing price on Friday. Shares rose by the same amount in Monday’s Nasdaq trading. EBay shares were down 3 per cent.

GSI owns Web businesses such as Rue La La, which offers one-day-only deals to its members, and ShopRunner, a members-only online shopping service that offers free shipping. GSI also provides technology, payment processing and customer care services for e-commerce sites.

In a statement, EBay chief executive officer John Donahoe said the deal would help the company connect more buyers and sellers.

EBay said the acquisition, expected to close in the third quarter of 2011, would have little effect on its fiscal 2011 adjusted earnings forecast, and would add to 2012 earnings. EBay said the deal would hurt 2011 profit by 30 cents to 34 cents per share.

As part of the deal, EBay will sell off GSI’s licensed sports merchandise business and 70 per cent of ShopRunner and Rue La La, which will all become part of a new holding company run by GSI’s founder and chief executive Michael Rubin.

EBay will lend Mr. Rubin’s new company $467-million. Including the loan, eBay said the deal was worth $2.4-billion.

EBay said those business were not important to its long term growth strategy but it will keep a 30-per-cent stake in both Rue La La and Shop Runner.

GSI has until May 6 to solicit bids from other parties during the so-called "go shop" period.

EBay has pointed to its PayPal payments processing unit as its prime growth driver in recent years.

But it is also trying to spark growth at its more familiar marketplaces unit, a high-margin business that connects online buyers and sellers.

Here is a more detailed report from Reuters

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10 Things Groupon Won't Tell You

10 Things Groupon Won't Tell You1) "50% off? Not really."

Steep discounts are the cornerstone of the pitch for daily deal web sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial , which promise 50% off or better at a local restaurant, spa, fitness center or other shop – if enough people sign up (and pre-pay) before the limited-time offer expires. But the discount may be much less once you factor in taxes, tip and any un-covered portion of the bill.

Because businesses recoup so little -- often just 25% of the voucher price after fees -- they have incentive to price deals so you're forced to spend more, like offering a $30 voucher to a $50-per-plate restaurant or a photo package with just two prints. "We're starting to see some price manipulation going on, so the discount doesn't hurt their margins as much," says Greg Sterling, a senior analyst with Opus Research. For example, more than 3,000 Groupon users paid $10 for a $20 FTD voucher before Valentine's Day, only to find prices at the special voucher-redemption page $5 to $10 more expensive than what other visitors to the site saw. Groupon spokeswoman Julie Mossler says the price discrepancy was unintentional, and that customers got refunds.

Read more: 10 Things Groupon Won't Tell You


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Porsche Prices $7 Billion Share Issue

Porsche Prices $7 Billion Share IssuePorsche said Sunday night that it had priced its issue of new shares at 38 euros, putting the value of the offering at 4.9 billion euros, or $7 billion.

The carmaker, which is set to merge with Germany’s largest automaker, Volkswagen, is offering shareholders three-quarters of a new share for every old share they own, the price at a steep discount to its Friday close at 56.22 euros.

Porsche shares fell 2.05 euros, or 3.65 percent, to 54.17 euros in Monday morning trading.

Read More: Porsche Prices $7 Billion Share Issue


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Why Lottery Winners Go Bankrupt

Why Lottery Winners Go BankruptCallie Rogers blew a 2003 U.K. lottery jackpot of $3 million on shopping, cocaine, friends and breast augmentation and told reporters two years ago she was working as a maid. William "Bud" Post squandered his 1988 Pennsylvania prize of more than $16 million on houses, vehicles and bad businesses before going bankrupt and serving time for firing a shotgun at a bill collector before his death in 2006.

Are these outcomes rare? A recent study of Florida lottery winners suggests no.

Economists at the University of Kentucky, University of Pittsburgh and Vanderbilt University wanted to answer a public policy question: What happens when individuals in financial trouble are given large lump sums? So they collected data from nearly 35,000 winners of up to $150,000 in Florida's Fantasy 5 lottery from 1993 to 2002, and cross-referenced this information with state bankruptcy records.

Their findings, published last fall in The Review of Economics and Statistics, show that a big lottery score does little to reduce the likelihood of bankruptcy.

Read more: Why Lottery Winners Go Bankrupt


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Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul

Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its SoulIn 2008, Howard Schultz, the president and chairman of Starbucks, made the unprecedented decision to return as the CEO eight years after he stepped down from daily oversight of the company and became chairman. Concerned that Starbucks had lost its way, Schultz was determined to help it return to its core values and restore not only its financial health, but also its soul. In Onward, he shares the remarkable story of his return and the company’s ongoing transformation under his leadership, revealing how, during one of the most tumultuous economic times in history, Starbucks again achieved profitability and sustainability without sacrificing humanity.

Offering readers a snapshot of a moment in history that left no company unscathed, the book zooms in to show, in riveting detail, how one company struggled and recreated itself in the midst of it all. The fastpaced narrative is driven by day-to-day tension as conflicts arise and lets readers into Schultz’s psyche as he comes to terms with his limitations and evolving leadership style. Onward is a compelling, candid narrative documenting the maturing of a brand as well as a businessman. Onward represents Schultz’s central leadership philosophy: It’s not just about winning, but the right way to win. Ultimately, he gives readers what he strives to deliver every day—a sense of hope that, no matter how tough times get, the future can be just as or more successful than the past, whatever one defines success to be.

Get and read this great book now:


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6 Rewards Programs Worth Your Loyalty

6 Rewards Programs Worth Your LoyaltyEverybody loves free stuff, which is one reason the average American household participates in a whopping 18 consumer rewards programs. But while more companies are offering points, miles and cash-back rewards than ever, that doesn't necessarily mean each of those 18 is worth a spot in your wallet.

No one tracks exactly how many companies offer such loyalty programs, where customers get discounts or bonuses for shopping often, but experts agree they are multiplying. Once primarily the domain of the airlines, now customers can expect rewards offers from boutiques, department stores, pharmacies, and even their bank. In the past year alone, Delta Air Lines, Virgin America, JCPenney, GameStop, Rite Aid and others have rolled out or expanded their programs. "More companies are relying on these programs to compete," says Kelly Hlavinka, managing partner at Collquy, which tracks loyalty programs.

For the companies, certainly, the rewards can be potent. In order to earn rewards, customers must first spend money – in some cases, a lot of it, notes Brian Sozzi, a retail analyst at Wall Street Strategies. Women's retailer Chico's, for example, starts offering discounts after customers spend $500. In other cases, the loyalty programs act as a lure: With health care costs rising, more pharmacies are offering points for prescriptions – and betting that consumers who take the bait will shop for their other needs there as well, says Hlavinka. Others are responding to new market pressures. After the recession, many consumers turned to big box discounters, and to win them back, some department stores increased discounts and coupons within their loyalty programs.

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5 Biggest Retirement Myths

5 Biggest Retirement MythsIt was a simple enough proposition. Michael and Margie Gershtenson had always heard that the Southwest, land of cacti, affordable housing and low taxes, was a great retiree haven. And they knew they needed to set aside a certain amount for life's next chapter—as those big-broker ads ask, "What's your number?" So they set up a foolproof plan: Build a nest egg of at least $3 million, and get out of town. Which is exactly what they did, hitting that threshold five years ago and closing down their dental practice in Colorado—Michael had been the dentist, Margie the hygienist. Off they went, to senior-rich Sedona, Ariz., to live out their golden years.

But like millions of others, the Gershtensons ran into trouble—and not just because of the crash of 2008. Arizona may have low taxes, but the couple spent several thousand dollars more than expected each year on out-of-state travel, to visit their former home and escape the state's miserable summer heat. They faced high insurance costs—about $450 a month—to fill in gaps in their Medicare coverage. And most damaging of all, they've seen the income they were counting on from their portfolio slashed by record-low interest rates. The result? The Gershtensons now live on about 20 percent less than they originally planned to. "The golden ages aren't always golden," sighs Michael.

Read full article here


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Your Financial Life Plan: An Overview

Financial Life PlanIn architecture, there's a big difference between a sketch and a plan. A sketch sets out the broad aspirations for your project -- it's a picture of what your dream house will look like when it's finished. A plan, on the other hand, lays out the structural details that will bring that house into existence, down to every last window, rain gutter and light socket. And over the past couple of years, many Americans learned the hard way that when it came to getting their financial houses in order, what they thought was a plan was much more like a sketch. Today, with unemployment stubbornly high and the stock and housing markets wobbly, these folks are finding that the devil is in the details you ignore.

But there's growing evidence that, as the economy slowly recovers, consumers are getting serious about drawing up a financial life plan -- not just a new approach to investing, but a strategy that covers it all, from health care to taking care of the family legacy.

That shift is making itself felt in the financial-services industry. In the three-year period ending at the close of 2009, independent advisers attracted more investor assets than big Wall Street brokerages for the first time ever, according to the consultancy Tiburon Strategic Advisers; indeed, despite lingering uncertainty in the markets, more than 60 percent of advisers reported actually gaining clients in the past year. Bing Waldert, a director at research firm Cerulli Associates, says at those firms "you're more likely to see a comprehensive financial planner" who can offer broad-ranging advice about taxes, insurance and other details beyond the investment portfolio. At the same time, big mutual fund companies are recasting themselves as big-umbrella advisers, including Charles Schwab, which just finished a huge expansion of its "money-management education" Web site, and T. Rowe Price, which has unveiled a slick new tax-planning center.

It's all part of a recognition, by clients and companies alike, that well-being stretches far beyond a person's portfolio. "If we don't talk about much more than just investing decisions, plans can easily get derailed," says Elaine King, a wealth manager at the Coral Gables, Fla., wealth-management firm Gibraltar Private.

To be sure, many people have good reason to seek the extra help, as they face not only lower expectations for the stock and housing markets but also bigger expenses over the horizon.

Almost all the tax cuts passed in the first part of this decade are due to expire this year, and in an era of massive deficits, most are unlikely to be renewed -- while other, new levies could stick taxpayers with an even bigger bill. With profits expected to stay modest, many onlookers expect companies to be increasingly stingy with employee benefits, whether it's raises and bonuses or 401(k) matches and health plans. Still, the pros we've tracked down say a detailed life plan that includes the right financial steps can overcome the challenges of a postcrash economy. Here are some places to get started.

Rebuild Your Life Plan:

* Overview
* Upgrade Your Portfolio
* Stay Healthy for Less
* Make Your Home Pay Off
* Preserve Your Wealth
* The Right Advice


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Living Longer - The Good News and Bad

An article by Jilian Mincer in Smartmoney.com

Living Longer - The Good News and BadHow long do you think you'll live? Whatever your answer, it's less grim than you think: Two-thirds of Americans underestimate how long they'll live. And with life expectancies at an all-time high, that otherwise-good news is becoming a serious challenge for retirement planning.

According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control, the average life expectancy is now over 78 years for the first time in American history. For people who are healthy and have good genes, it's even higher. A 65-year-old healthy man has a 50% chance of living to age 85 and a 25% chance of living to 92, according to the Society of Actuaries. For a healthy 65-year-old woman, there's a 50% chance she'll see 88 and a 25% chance to reach 94. If those two people are married, there's a one-in-two chance one of them will celebrate a 92nd birthday.

Longer life spans also mean longer retirements. A couple in its 60s needs its nest egg to stretch 30 years or more – but advisers are having trouble convincing clients they'll need at least three decades of savings. In spite of the statistics and actuarial numbers, only about a quarter of retirees and 20% of pre-retirees think they'll live to turn 86. "Life expectancy has increased dramatically, and people have old numbers in their minds," says Kate Warne, investment strategist at Edward Jones.

There's also a strong financial incentive to bury one's head in the sand. Living longer – and stretching retirement savings – may very well mean spending less. "The most important thing is really to make sure you stick to the spending plan you lay out in the beginning," says Bill Bengen, a financial adviser and author of "Conserving Client Portfolios During Retirement" in Chula Vista, Calif. "The first couple of years of retirement are the most important."

For example, a retiree with a $1 million portfolio and assuming an annual average 7% rate of return and a nominal rate of inflation, could spend $52,000 per year for 20 years, says Bengen. But if that pot needs to last 30 years, on the other hand, the annual budget drops to $45,000.

To emphasize the new retirement reality, many advisers are using 90, 95, even 100 years as the expected life expectancy when designing a client's portfolio. "Initially, there is a blank stare," says Drew Denning, vice president of the retiree services division at Principal Financial Group. "At first clients think 15 years of retirement is reasonable." This also means preparing clients – who may have had relatively low out-of-pocket medical costs while employed – for significant health care expenses, especially at the end of that long retirement.

And those costs can really kick in as we age, says Anthony Webb, a research economist at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. "Bad health catches up with all of us," he says. And despite recent changes in Medicare, retirees – especially women – have significant out-of-pocket medical costs, according to a December 2010 report by the non-profit Employee Benefit Research Institute. Men retiring at 65 in 2010 will need an estimated $124,000 to $211,000 saved up to cover health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket medical costs – and there's still a 10% chance they'll run out of savings, the report said; Women, who typically live longer, need $143,000 to $242,000. And those figures don't include the costs of a nursing home or assisted-living facility. About 70% of those over 65 will end up living in a long-term-care facility, according to the U.S. Department of Health And Human Services. In 2009, the average cost for a room in an assisted living facility was $3,131 a month; a semi-private room in a nursing home was roughly double that rate.

But in spite of these increasing costs and longer retirements, advisers say their strategies haven't changed much. Lisa Kirchenbauer, a financial planner with Omega Wealth management in Arlington, Va., uses 100 as a life expectancy when planning. "Most of my clients won't live to 100, but what if they do? My job is to run the worst case scenario." That might mean cutting expenses, moving to a smaller house or working longer but she won't decrease estimated rates of inflation or life expectancy. Chris McDermott, senior vice president of retirement and financial planning for Fidelity Investments, says it also requires the appropriate "asset allocation to hedge against longevity risk." Maintain enough stock exposure to combat inflation; limit withdrawals to 4% to 5% per year; and delay Social Security payments as long as possible. One strategy that specifically addresses longevity is buying a fixed immediate annuity, which turns a single lump-sum payment into a stream of cash that extends until death – like a self-funded pension. Last year, sales of fixed immediate annuities were $8 billion, up 2% over 2009, according to Beacon Research.

Source of this article

Related Stories from source:

How to Deal With Inflation Risk in Retirement
How to Cash Out in Retirement
Should You Take Social Security Early?

Read more articles from Jilian Mincer

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Perfect Portfolios - Find the Right Fit

portfolio modelsInvestors are getting used to market volatility, as concerns about the aftermath of Japan's earthquake joined those of tensions in the Middle East. Oil prices and gold dipped from their highs, and worry about rising interest rates continues to dog fixed-income markets. So what's an investor to do?

Financial planners say it's best to stick with a long-term strategy. But that doesn't mean that investors should set their asset allocation and forget about it. Many financial advisers and market strategists favor large-cap, U.S. dividend-paying stocks in today's market. Market pullbacks give investors an opportunity to add to their favorite positions, says Brian Jacobsen, chief portfolio strategist for Wells Fargo Advantage funds. These days, Jacobsen particularly likes large-cap U.S. companies in the industrial and business-to-business tech sectors, which he sees as under appreciated areas for growth. In bonds, the safest spot is typically the shorter end, which is less susceptible to sharp price declines. And as always, advisers suggest mixing it up. "You can't say enough about diversification these days," says Loretta Nolan, a fee-only financial adviser in Old Greenwich, Conn.

The right mix of assets depends on lots of things, of course, including investors' appetite for risk and the size of their savings. While no single approach is right for everyone, each month SmartMoney provides a suggested mix of assets for investors at various stages of life. Below, our latest thinking, along with a few recommended adjustments.

The Portfolios:

25-year-old carefree bachelor
40-year-old couple with kid headed to college
70-year-old multimillionaire couple with lots of potential heirs
35-year-old married couple with a young child
42-year-old couple; husband is unemployed
75-year-old widow
32-year-old professional planning to return to grad school
34-year-old recent newlyweds
50-year-old couple with two kids in college
55-year-old single parent, kids finished college
57-year-old empty nesters
65-year-old marathon runner

Source


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New Phase in Europe Crisis - An Interesting Story With Global Interest

New Phase in Europe CrisisPortugal Is Seen Needing Bailout as Austerity Plan Fails, Prime Minister Resigns

LISBON—Portugal's parliament rejected a new government austerity plan Wednesday, spurring the resignation of Prime Minister José Sócrates and setting off a new phase in Europe's sovereign-debt crisis.

The failure to pass the measure, after a heated debate, threatened to push already-high government borrowing costs to unaffordable levels and force Lisbon to seek a bailout.

That would make Portugal the third among the 17 nations that use the euro to apply for help from other members of the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. Greece and Ireland went first.

Read this interesting story here...

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The Entrepreneur Equation: Evaluating the Realities, Risks, and Rewards of Having Your Own Business

The Entrepreneur EquationThere's never been a better time to start a business—or so the conventional wisdom would have you believe. But with up to 90 percent of businesses failing within the first five years, it's time to take off the rose-colored glasses and think twice before you invest your precious time, money and energy.

The Entrepreneur Equation helps you do the math before you set down the entrepreneurial path so that you can answer more than just "Could I be an entrepreneur?" but rather "Should I be an entrepreneur?" By understanding what it takes to build a valuable business as well as how to assess the risks and rewards of business ownership based on your personal circumstances, you can learn how to stack the odds of success in your favor and ultimately decide if business ownership is the best possible path for you, now or ever.

Through illustrative examples and personalized exercises, tell-it-like-it-is Carol Roth helps you create and evaluate your own personal Entrepreneur Equation as you:

• Learn what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in today's competitive environment
• Save money, time and effort by avoiding business ownership when the time isn't right for you
• Identify and evaluate the risks and rewards of a new business based on your goals and circumstances
• Evaluate whether your dreams are best served by a hobby, job or business
• Gain the tools that you need to maximize your business success

The Entrepreneur Equation is essential reading for the aspiring entrepreneur. Before you invest your life savings, invest in this book!

Reviews:

"Carol delivers the reality check that today's entrepreneur needs to succeed."
—JJ Ramberg, Host of MSNBC’s "Your Business" and CEO of Goodsearch.com

"In a sea of feel-good 'yes-you-can' books that lure people into mindlessly wasting their limited time and resources on business ideas that don't stand up, The Entrepreneur Equation stands alone as a masterly, compelling reality check that every would-be entrepreneur disregards at their peril."
—Les McKeown, Author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling book Predictable Success and CEO of Predictable Success

"Carol Roth leverages her experience as both an entrepreneur and a strategist for businesses to provide valuable and unique insights on entrepreneurship in today’s business landscape. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or even an existing business owner, The Entrepreneur Equation provides a roadmap to help you determine how and if owning your own business will help you achieve the American Dream."
—Adam Kaplan, Chief Portfolio Officer, Banyan Mezzanine

"The book perfectly mirrors [Roth's] no-holds-barred style and conveys her genuine empathy and desire to see every entrepreneur succeed."
—Laura Provenzale, Head of Consumer Investment Banking Group, Raymond James

"In The Entrepreneur Equation, Carol will help you confront what it really takes to be an entrepreneur and run a business for success (because there are no guarantees)."
—Martin Chimes, Serial Entrepreneur, Former CEO of Corporate Express Australia and Chairman of Unistraw International LTD


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iPad 2 Arrives in 25 More Countries This Friday - Source

Available in Hong Kong, Korea & Singapore in April

iPad 2 Arrives in 25 More Countries
CUPERTINO, California—March 22, 2011—Apple® today announced that the second-generation of its third post-PC device, will go on sale in 25 additional countries this Friday, March 25. iPad 2 will be available at Apple retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers at 5 p.m. local time, and online through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com) beginning at 1 a.m. Apple today also announced that all models of iPad 2 will be available in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and additional countries in April.

"While competitors are still struggling to catch up with our first iPad, we’ve changed the game again with iPad 2," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. "We’re experiencing amazing demand for iPad 2 in the US, and customers around the world have told us they can't wait to get their hands on it. We appreciate everyone’s patience and we are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone."

iPad 2 features an entirely new design that is 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter than the original iPad, while maintaining the same stunning 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. iPad 2 features Apple’s new dual-core A5 processor for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics and now includes two cameras, a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime® and Photo Booth®, and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video, bringing the innovative FaceTime feature to iPad users for the first time. Though it is thinner, lighter, faster and packed with new features, iPad 2 still delivers up to 10 hours of battery life* that users have come to expect.

Pricing & Availability

iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK on March 25 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) the 64GB model. iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 will be available in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and additional countries in April, and in many more countries around the world in the coming months. Further international availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.

iMovie® and GarageBand® for iPad apps are available for $4.99 (US) each from the App Store℠ on iPad or www.itunes.com/appstore. The Smart Cover is available in a range of colors in vibrant polyurethane for $39 (US) or rich leather for $69 (US).

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Source: Apple

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Travel Money: Saving Money on International Transactions

Editor's Note: This guest post is by Mark Shaw

saving money on international transactionsWith the very last no-charge debit card having bitten the dust, what next for travel money? Budgeting for holidays abroad can be a tricky business and alongside taking account of currency exchange rates, tourists should be aware of the charges and commissions applied to international transactions. Here’s a short guide to what to look out for.

Pre-paid cards

Pre-paid cards are a great way to set and stick to holiday budgets – load them up with money before leaving the country and then use them as you would a normal credit card abroad. The market is booming at the moment, which means loads of offers on the table – check terms and conditions, withdrawal charges, commission and foreign currency exchange rates.

Credit card

Whilst the last no-charge debit card has disappeared it’s still possible to find a travel credit card that doesn't charge a commission on international payments. Transactions are treated to up-to-the-minute currency exchange, which means best rates. Shop around for the right card, be aware of ‘load charges’, where they apply and on what type of transactions or withdrawals – 0% balance transfer cards can also be a great way to minimize any financial impact from a jaunt abroad.

Traveller’s cheques

Often regarded as the dinosaur of travel transactions, traveler cheques do continue to offer a safe option for international transactions. They offer the purchaser to opportunity to change money in advance, plus they can be replaced if lost or stolen. As with any money exchange, currency is selected and reflected on the cheques, which can be exchanged at all sorts of venues all over the world, from banks and bureau de change through to hotels and shops. Keep an eye out for commission charges, both on initial exchange and buy back options.

Cash

Nothing speaks quite the same as hard cash - changing money in advance is a good way to avoid commission charges and also pick a prime exchange rate. If the destination is home to a soft currency dollars are always a good option and are generally accepted anywhere and everywhere. Using cash is also a good way of setting and sticking to budgets in advance, however it can feel a little risque wandering around a foreign country with a bundle of stash.

guest writers blogAbout 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 Comments Policy

"If you are here, behave like when you visit someone else's home"

I am fed up with marketing comments with spam links... So I decided to say that,

This is not the place to offload your junks. From today (26th July, 2011) comments with authenticity only will be accepted.

Sorry to all spammers and marketers. I took lots of efforts to build and establish this blog. I am OK for fair marketing of your products or services using this blog and love to help others. But, considering it as a place to post any junk or spam, is truly painful!

So, kindly add only fruitful comments please...

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Worlds Most Ethical Companies

Worlds Most Ethical CompaniesThe Ethisphere Institute, a New York think tank, on Tuesday released its fifth annual ranking of the world's most ethical large companies, expanding the ranking to a top 110.

At the heart of the evaluation and selection process for Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies is Ethisphere’s proprietary rating system, the Ethics Quotient (EQ). The framework of EQ is comprised of a series of multiple choice questions that capture a company’s performance in an objective, consistent and standardized way. The information collected is not intended to cover all aspects of corporate governance, risk, sustainability, compliance or ethics, but rather it is a comprehensive sampling of definitive criteria of core competencies. The EQ framework and methodology was determined, vetted and refined by the expert advice and insights gleaned from Ethisphere’s network of thought leaders and from the World’s Most Ethical Companies Methodology Advisory Panel. A methodology committee of leading attorneys, professors, government officials and organization leaders, assisted Ethisphere in creating the scoring methodology for the World’s Most Ethical Companies awards.

The EQ framework consists of five core categories. The categories and associated weighting for each is defined as: Ethics and Compliance Program (30%), Reputation, Leadership and Innovation (30%), Governance (15%) and Corporate Citizenship and Responsibility (25%). Detailed read on the methodology is here

There is no set number of companies that make the list each year. Rather, the World’s Most Ethical Company designation is awarded to those companies that have leading ethics and compliance programs, particularly as compared to their industry peers. This year, there are 110 World’s Most Ethical Companies. Of these companies, 36 are new to the list in 2011 and 26 companies dropped off from the 2010 list. These "drop offs" generally occurred because of litigation and ethics violations, as well as increased competition from within their industry.

The Winners are…

Aerospace
Indra Sistemas
Rockwell Collins Inc.
The Aerospace Corporation

Apparel
Adidas
Comme Il Faut
Gap
Patagonia
Timberland

Auctions
eBay

Automotive
Cummins
Denso
Ford Motor Company
Johnson Controls

Banking
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group
National Australia Bank
Rabobank
Standard Chartered Bank
The Westpac Group

Business Services
Accenture
Dun & Bradstreet
Noblis

Chemicals
Ecolab
JM Huber

Computer Hardware
Hitachi Data Systems

Computer Software
Adobe Systems
Microsoft
Salesforce.com
Symantec Corporation
Teradata Corporation

Construction and Engineering
CRH
Granite Construction
Parsons Corporation

Consumer Electronics
Electrolux
Ricoh
Xerox

Consumer Products
Colgate-Palmolive Company
Henkel AG
Kao Corporation

Diversified Industries
General Electric Co.

Electronics and Semiconductors
Freescale Semiconductor
Premier Farnell
Texas Instruments

Energy and Utilities
Encana
Statoil
NextEra Energy, Inc.
Northumbrian Water
Vestas Wind
Wisconsin Energy Corporation

Engineering and Design
AECOM Technology Corporation
CH2M Hill
Fluor Corporation

Environmental Services
Waste Management

Financial Services
American Express
Housing Development Finance Corp
NYSE Euronext
The Hartford Financial Services Group

Food and Beverage
General Mills
PepsiCo
Solae
Stonyfield Farm

Food Stores
Kesko
The Co-Operative Group
Wegmans
Whole Food Market

Forestry, Paper and Packaging
International Paper
Stora Enso Oyj
Svenska Cellulosa

Health and Beauty
Natura Cosmeticos

Healthcare Services
Baptist Health South Florida
Hospital Corporation of America
Premier

Hotels, Travel and Hospitality
Kimpton Hotels
Marriott International
The Rezidor Hotel Group
Wyndham Worldwide

Industrial Manufacturing
Caterpillar
Deere & Company
Eaton Corporation
Milliken & Company
Schneider Electric

Insurance
Aflac Incorporated
Sompo Japan Insurance
Swiss Re
Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Co.

Internet
Zappos

Media, Publishing and Entertainment
Thomson Reuters

Medical Devices
Becton Dickinson
Royal Phillips

Metals
Umicore

Real Estate
British Land plc
Jones Lang LaSalle
Unibail-Rodamco

Restaurants and Cafes
Starbucks Coffee Company

Specialty Pharma
Medicis

Specialty Retail
Best Buy Co.
Hennes & Mauritz
Sonae
Target
Ten Thousand Villages

Staffing
Manpower

Telecom Hardware
Avaya Inc.
Cisco Systems
Juniper Networks

Telecom Services
Singapore Telecom
Swisscom
T-Mobile USA

Transportation and Logistics
Autoridad del Canal de Panama
East Japan Railway Company
Nippon Yusen Kabushi Kaisha
UPS

Here is the list with information on the nations the above company belongs and operating to.


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