By S Porter
Everyone has heard of identity theft, even though 10 years ago we all used our social security numbers for almost everything. Now, 1 in 13 people will have their identity compromised this year alone. The type of identity theft ranges from minimal to very serious, but once it has happened it will change the way you see your id forever. The average dollar value of damage is between $3,000 and $5,000 and it takes hundreds of hours of time to repair all of the problems with your id. These are pretty common figures but what can a thief actually do with your identity?
The simplest form of identity theft involves small amounts of money that can be easily overlooked. Someone gets your credit card number and name, and they can make charges to your card by online shopping. If they have your bank account number and name, they can access your checking and savings and clean them out. With the same information they can also put cable, telephone, electric, water and various other bills in your name and leave you with the bill after they have already moved on to another identity. This type of theft is a big deal, but not as serious as some of the more long term id problems they can do with your information.
With your social security number and few other pieces of info, a thief can begin opening lines of credit in your name. They don't need to steal your credit card number, they can simply open several new credit cards in your name and max them out before you even know what's happening. After 1 month, your credit is shot and the thief will move on to someone else's credit; but creditors may not start hounding you for another 3 months. Monitoring your credit report is a good idea, but it won't protect you from this kind of theft because creditors won't report it until it's already too late. Dumpster divers can use the pre approved credit card offers in your trash, but they can also just apply for credit online using your social security number.
Medical Theft is one of the more serious forms of identity theft, and it is becoming more common with the rising costs of healthcare. Hospitals don't start sending you bills until your problem has been taken care of, so by the time you hear about it the damage has already been done. A thief only needs your name and social security number to do this, but an insurance card will work even better. Medical bills can rack up quickly to hundreds of thousands of dollars and convincing the hospital that it wasn't you can be a very difficult task. The medical bill collectors can have liens places against your home or have your wages garnished for years until the debt is settled.
The most serious forms of identity theft are more rare, but they can ruin your entire life. A major purchase like a luxury car or boat can seriously hurt your credit, but what about a criminal record in your name? A thief committing crimes in your name will stick with you a lot longer than a bad credit score and it is much harder to explain. Even worse, someone could steal you passport info and use it for terrorist activities overseas. This type of theft could get you on a terror watch list or arrested and charged with a crime in a foreign nation; leaving you holding the bag with little to defend yourself.
There are companies that can help with identity theft problems, but most people don't see a need for them until its already too late. LifeLock and TrustedID are both companies that will make it almost impossible for someone to pose as you. Other companies like Ameriplan offer a service that will help you repair your good name after your ID has already been stolen. You can do everything they do yourself, but it requires a lot of time and constant vigilance to stay on top of your credit report and identification. As time moves on, technology will advance and make it more difficult for our id to be stolen; but until then the duty of protecting yourself is up to you.
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Showing posts with label Economy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Economy. Show all posts
Friday, December 17, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
How to Run an Ameriplan Business Online
By S Porter
Starting an Ameriplan business is a very popular opportunity right now and many people are interested in giving it a try. Opening a restaurant or another traditional business can cost thousands of dollars and requires a business license; along with a great amount of knowledge about the field you are getting into. Ameriplan is cheap to start and doesn’t require a license, so it’s a great way to get your feet wet in personal business. They deal with discount health and dental programs, so there is a great need for what they provide. This all sounds great, until you actually get started and realize that you have no idea what to do next.
There are thousands of different ways to advertise and most people stick to the basics, like flyers and business cards. Finding customers is the most difficult part of any business and success or failure depends on your ability to find them and close the deal. The most common way that beginners get customers is to go get them one by one, but when you advertise they begin to come to you. Everyone is familiar with the internet, but few people know how to run their business with it. Like regular advertising there are thousands of ways to advertise online, and finding the way that works for you can launch your business to all new heights.
I can’t possibly describe all the ways to advertise online, so instead I will describe some of the ways that worked in the past. The best thing to remember is to go where the people are, but most other IBOs haven’t gone yet. Years ago, an IBO named Bill Bertha began using Pay Per Click advertising on Yahoo and Google and made a killing. He paid for a sponsored result spot under the Ameriplan keyword so that when people went to a search engine and typed in Ameriplan they found his website right at the top. To this day he has signed up more members than almost anyone else ever has, but other IBOs eventually caught on to this method and its no longer cheap or easy to try this.
Craig’s list and other free classified ads were big for awhile, but now they are flooded with spam and other business opportunities. One of the ways that I have seen recently is to purchase a banner ad in your local area online newspaper. There are still many opportunities to use this method if you are willing to pay for the banner ad but as soon as you have to compete with another IBO in your local area, the price will go up. Another way that still works is social networking sites like the many work at home mom websites. On these websites, many people come together looking for good ways to make money from home and save money on their families benefits. Finding new websites where future entrepreneurs come together will work perfectly for people just getting started, and they are free to talk to people on.
As old ways of online advertising go out of style, there are always new ways replacing them. Millions of people are currently obsessed with sites like My space and Twitter, but it’s only a matter of time before someone figures out how to use them. Having a good feel for where people are flocking to on the internet can give you the upper hand, but if you don’t use the internet much you may want to stick with what you know. Advertising in the real world always works, but the internet changes every day. If you see a good opportunity to advertise your Ameriplan business online, jump on it because it may not work tomorrow!
Article showing at GoArticles, ArticleDashboard, ArticlesBase, DimeCo, Amazines, ArticleAlley
Starting an Ameriplan business is a very popular opportunity right now and many people are interested in giving it a try. Opening a restaurant or another traditional business can cost thousands of dollars and requires a business license; along with a great amount of knowledge about the field you are getting into. Ameriplan is cheap to start and doesn’t require a license, so it’s a great way to get your feet wet in personal business. They deal with discount health and dental programs, so there is a great need for what they provide. This all sounds great, until you actually get started and realize that you have no idea what to do next.
There are thousands of different ways to advertise and most people stick to the basics, like flyers and business cards. Finding customers is the most difficult part of any business and success or failure depends on your ability to find them and close the deal. The most common way that beginners get customers is to go get them one by one, but when you advertise they begin to come to you. Everyone is familiar with the internet, but few people know how to run their business with it. Like regular advertising there are thousands of ways to advertise online, and finding the way that works for you can launch your business to all new heights.
I can’t possibly describe all the ways to advertise online, so instead I will describe some of the ways that worked in the past. The best thing to remember is to go where the people are, but most other IBOs haven’t gone yet. Years ago, an IBO named Bill Bertha began using Pay Per Click advertising on Yahoo and Google and made a killing. He paid for a sponsored result spot under the Ameriplan keyword so that when people went to a search engine and typed in Ameriplan they found his website right at the top. To this day he has signed up more members than almost anyone else ever has, but other IBOs eventually caught on to this method and its no longer cheap or easy to try this.
Craig’s list and other free classified ads were big for awhile, but now they are flooded with spam and other business opportunities. One of the ways that I have seen recently is to purchase a banner ad in your local area online newspaper. There are still many opportunities to use this method if you are willing to pay for the banner ad but as soon as you have to compete with another IBO in your local area, the price will go up. Another way that still works is social networking sites like the many work at home mom websites. On these websites, many people come together looking for good ways to make money from home and save money on their families benefits. Finding new websites where future entrepreneurs come together will work perfectly for people just getting started, and they are free to talk to people on.
As old ways of online advertising go out of style, there are always new ways replacing them. Millions of people are currently obsessed with sites like My space and Twitter, but it’s only a matter of time before someone figures out how to use them. Having a good feel for where people are flocking to on the internet can give you the upper hand, but if you don’t use the internet much you may want to stick with what you know. Advertising in the real world always works, but the internet changes every day. If you see a good opportunity to advertise your Ameriplan business online, jump on it because it may not work tomorrow!
Article showing at GoArticles, ArticleDashboard, ArticlesBase, DimeCo, Amazines, ArticleAlley
Friday, November 5, 2010
Government Motors and the Death of the Free Market
By S Porter
When the government interferes with the free market, the results are never good. The same progressive steps have happened repeatedly over the course of our history and yet we do them over and over again. Now we are running down the same path; determined that this time will be different. General Motors is the latest pawn in the game for who has best ideas to run our economy, but the fundamentals of the free market have been thrown out the window. Over 35 years ago, Amtrak was the government pawn and the talk was about making it profitable in less than 3 years so we didn’t lose the passenger rail system. Today we still own Amtrak, it’s still losing money, and the government has prevented any competition from taking them down.
Normal free market operation happens when a company produces a product or service and based on its merit, we the people purchase what it sells because we like it. The company must be run well and as demand for what they sell rises, other companies will compete for your dollars. This competition will keep prices low and quality high to attract your attention. If the product becomes unpopular, too expensive or the company is run badly; the business will die and be replaced by something you will spend your money on. This is the natural business cycle that is propelled by YOU; the free market.
GM has been deemed too big to fail, and the government has stepped in to try to save the thousands of jobs that depend on the automakers success. Unions have driven up the price of labor along with legacy costs in the billions to pay workers who have long retired. The result is a company that cannot sustain its own weight, and for a long time GM has spent more money on labor than the car itself. We the people like the cars they make and we really enjoy our SUVs, but the company is so badly run at this point that it has no hope of survival. The government took billions of your money and gave it to GM to keep them in business, but that won’t stop the ship from sinking under its own weight. GM has declared bankruptcy anyway, and now the government is getting even more involved. The white house has fired their executives, is now limiting their compensation terms and even dictating what kind of cars they must build. The government can’t tell a company how to be successful; YOU do with your dollars. GM didn’t produce these cars before because we didn’t buy them, now they don’t have a choice.
Ford should be the big winner in this situation, but the government will make them the big loser. They didn’t need bailout money because they are a good company and their cars are popular around the world, but now they must pay to keep their competition in operation with their tax money. The government is telling GM to produce cars that we don’t want to buy, so it will be a black hole for years to come. In an attempt to make them profitable, the government will change the rules of the game in GMs favor by giving you incentives to buy their products. Tax deductions and green standards will make GM’s cars cheaper to buy, all while penalizing Ford for being a profitable company. In the end, no company can compete with a government entity because the government can always tilt things in their favor. Every private car company will be driven out of business by Government Motors because it’s the only way GM can compete and you will pay the tab for all the loses. The government can’t tell you what to buy, but they sure will try.
Rather than letting bad banks fail and good banks succeed, the government has disrupted the financial industry and produced the opposite. Now the government is getting involved in the energy sector and deciding for you what types of energy you should buy and shouldn’t. Rather than allowing free market solutions to healthcare like Ameriplan and other health plan alternatives, the government created public plans in Medicare and Medicaid which have raised healthcare prices through the roof. The next step will be to expand the public healthcare system and eventually put 2.3 million people in the insurance industry out of work. This type of economic “justice” is socialism no matter what they try to call it, and it will ultimately cost your freedom of choice, your tax money, your opportunity for success and eventually your job. The free market dies a little more each day and leaves many of us wondering; which industry will the government try to “save” next?
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Monday, August 31, 2009
Cap and Trade or Cap and Tax
By S Porter
The Obama administration is now pushing its cap and trade bill through congress. It sounds harmless enough, but the effects it will have on middle class Americans is staggering. There seems to be a never ending battle to take more and more of your money for all of the projects the current congress has slated, but this one will impact your wallet in a way most people never saw coming. Global warming, global cooling or climate change all mean the same thing; get ready to pay. Global temperatures have gone down for the last three years and most Americans no longer believe the hysteria, but that isn't going to stop the government from implementing sweeping reforms that put you on the hook.
Cap and trade essentially puts a cap on the amount of carbon dioxide that any company can produce. The problem is that the biggest offenders are power generation facilities that we all get our energy from. They well exceed the limits that congress would like for them to stay under, so they will need to pay a hefty tax for everything they produce beyond the cap. I'm sure this sounds like a great idea to the extreme environmentalists out there, but power companies aren't just going to pay the tab. In order to remain profitable, they will need to pass that expense on to their customers and we will end up paying for their extra taxes.
We the people don't have a choice in what company produces the energy that we use in our homes, so this new tax will hit us square in the face. It's still far too expensive to convert everything we use to renewable energy, so the power bill will go up considerably. The standard rate for electricity and natural gas is expected to double in the next couple of years, and it will come strait from us to the power company, then to the government. Everything we use and buy in the United States is produced using power and shipped around using power, so the cost of everything else will rise along with it. The government knows this is going to happen and they say it's acceptable because it will FORCE us to use less, but should the government really be telling US what to do?
For years the hype over global warming has had major repercussions in our way of thinking. A recent poll showed that three out of five children now believe the world will no longer exist when they grow up. Scientists have told us that major sea level rise and melting polar ice caps would devastate our shore lines and make the earth unlivable, but then the earth began cooling again and nothing happened. Obviously we don't know as much about how these things work as we would like to think we do, but the government is going to bankrupt us based on a guess. Over the last several thousand years, there have been times when the world was MUCH hotter and much cooler; but here we all are thinking the end is next week.
The government, the people and companies are all out of money, but we keep getting squeezed for more. Healthcare reform will bankrupt us because the government won't use free market solutions like Ameriplan. Social security will bankrupt us because the government won't make tough decisions. Inflation will kill us because the government just keeps borrowing more money, and now cap and trade has come along to put the final nail in our coffin. At some point the people of this country are going to have to stand up and say enough is enough; we tell you what to do and how much to spend, not the other way around!
Article showing at EzineArticles,GoArticles,ArticleDashboard,ArticlesBase,
Amazines,ArticleAlley
The Obama administration is now pushing its cap and trade bill through congress. It sounds harmless enough, but the effects it will have on middle class Americans is staggering. There seems to be a never ending battle to take more and more of your money for all of the projects the current congress has slated, but this one will impact your wallet in a way most people never saw coming. Global warming, global cooling or climate change all mean the same thing; get ready to pay. Global temperatures have gone down for the last three years and most Americans no longer believe the hysteria, but that isn't going to stop the government from implementing sweeping reforms that put you on the hook.
Cap and trade essentially puts a cap on the amount of carbon dioxide that any company can produce. The problem is that the biggest offenders are power generation facilities that we all get our energy from. They well exceed the limits that congress would like for them to stay under, so they will need to pay a hefty tax for everything they produce beyond the cap. I'm sure this sounds like a great idea to the extreme environmentalists out there, but power companies aren't just going to pay the tab. In order to remain profitable, they will need to pass that expense on to their customers and we will end up paying for their extra taxes.
We the people don't have a choice in what company produces the energy that we use in our homes, so this new tax will hit us square in the face. It's still far too expensive to convert everything we use to renewable energy, so the power bill will go up considerably. The standard rate for electricity and natural gas is expected to double in the next couple of years, and it will come strait from us to the power company, then to the government. Everything we use and buy in the United States is produced using power and shipped around using power, so the cost of everything else will rise along with it. The government knows this is going to happen and they say it's acceptable because it will FORCE us to use less, but should the government really be telling US what to do?
For years the hype over global warming has had major repercussions in our way of thinking. A recent poll showed that three out of five children now believe the world will no longer exist when they grow up. Scientists have told us that major sea level rise and melting polar ice caps would devastate our shore lines and make the earth unlivable, but then the earth began cooling again and nothing happened. Obviously we don't know as much about how these things work as we would like to think we do, but the government is going to bankrupt us based on a guess. Over the last several thousand years, there have been times when the world was MUCH hotter and much cooler; but here we all are thinking the end is next week.
The government, the people and companies are all out of money, but we keep getting squeezed for more. Healthcare reform will bankrupt us because the government won't use free market solutions like Ameriplan. Social security will bankrupt us because the government won't make tough decisions. Inflation will kill us because the government just keeps borrowing more money, and now cap and trade has come along to put the final nail in our coffin. At some point the people of this country are going to have to stand up and say enough is enough; we tell you what to do and how much to spend, not the other way around!
Article showing at EzineArticles,GoArticles,ArticleDashboard,ArticlesBase,
Amazines,ArticleAlley
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
5 Ways YOU Can Fix the Economy
By S Porter
1. Go on a date. Most people overlook the little things that people can do to improve the economy around them. Your community thrives by money flowing from person to person and an economic downturn happens when that stops. You may not have the money to go out and splurge on the big ticket items, but any amount of money flow goes a long way if everyone is doing it. Reconnecting with your spouse through dinner and a movie will also stimulate more than just your local vendors!
2. Go on vacation. President Obama recently said that taking a trip to Las Vegas is irresponsible when the economy is down, and that immediately put thousands of people in Las Vegas out of work. Travel and tourism usually takes the biggest hit when things are bad, but that also means they are offering great deals for anyone who wants to take a trip. Vacation costs more than a date, but not as much as it usually does and you may be saving a few jobs all by yourself. If you have the money to get away there isn’t a better time than right now, and you can do it for a good cause as well.
3. Buy something from another person. Many people need to downsize their own household right now, so they are trying to sell a lot of things they don’t really need. You can but these items for unbelievable prices and you will be helping them out at the same time. They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure; and with the economy down right now, you may be helping them pay their mortgage this month. Some people feel bad when they see someone selling personal items because they need the money, but I see it as initiative to survive. Doing whatever it takes to meet your obligations is a valuable skill that more people should learn, and they will be stronger when they come out the other side.
4. Invest in something. Stocks have been down at levels we have not seen in more than a decade. If you are a long term investor, you won’t see a better situation for decades to come. No one can tell you if the stock market is done going down or not, but if you are investing for the long term; I can tell you with 99% certainty that the stock market will be higher in ten years. Many businesses out there are good companies that need your investment money to grow and expand, and ultimately, to hire new employees and pay more in taxes.
5. Start a business. This is the all time number one thing anyone can do to help the economy and everyone around them. When the economy is down, large companies are laying people off and small business is doing all of the job creation. I chose to start an Ameriplan business, because it helps people with high healthcare costs and it allows me to generate an extra income for my family. If your business has a strong base, you can begin to hire new employees and help provide for their families as well. Businesses provide the majority of economic growth, and the big businesses of tomorrow are starting right now.
Saving money isn’t a bad thing; in fact it’s a necessity for any responsible family to do to ensure a good quality of life. The problem occurs when everyone stops spending all together and starts saving everything they have. Businesses can’t survive in this climate so they begin laying people off and the downward spiral continues. Giving to charity and helping the poor is a noble cause; but unless we all begin to spend something again, we will all need someone else to donate to us! Get out there and help your community and your fellow Americans, by doing something for yourself.
Article showing at EzineArticles,GoArticles,ArticleDashboard,ArticlesBase,
Dime-Co,Amazines,ArticleAlley
1. Go on a date. Most people overlook the little things that people can do to improve the economy around them. Your community thrives by money flowing from person to person and an economic downturn happens when that stops. You may not have the money to go out and splurge on the big ticket items, but any amount of money flow goes a long way if everyone is doing it. Reconnecting with your spouse through dinner and a movie will also stimulate more than just your local vendors!
2. Go on vacation. President Obama recently said that taking a trip to Las Vegas is irresponsible when the economy is down, and that immediately put thousands of people in Las Vegas out of work. Travel and tourism usually takes the biggest hit when things are bad, but that also means they are offering great deals for anyone who wants to take a trip. Vacation costs more than a date, but not as much as it usually does and you may be saving a few jobs all by yourself. If you have the money to get away there isn’t a better time than right now, and you can do it for a good cause as well.
3. Buy something from another person. Many people need to downsize their own household right now, so they are trying to sell a lot of things they don’t really need. You can but these items for unbelievable prices and you will be helping them out at the same time. They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure; and with the economy down right now, you may be helping them pay their mortgage this month. Some people feel bad when they see someone selling personal items because they need the money, but I see it as initiative to survive. Doing whatever it takes to meet your obligations is a valuable skill that more people should learn, and they will be stronger when they come out the other side.
4. Invest in something. Stocks have been down at levels we have not seen in more than a decade. If you are a long term investor, you won’t see a better situation for decades to come. No one can tell you if the stock market is done going down or not, but if you are investing for the long term; I can tell you with 99% certainty that the stock market will be higher in ten years. Many businesses out there are good companies that need your investment money to grow and expand, and ultimately, to hire new employees and pay more in taxes.
5. Start a business. This is the all time number one thing anyone can do to help the economy and everyone around them. When the economy is down, large companies are laying people off and small business is doing all of the job creation. I chose to start an Ameriplan business, because it helps people with high healthcare costs and it allows me to generate an extra income for my family. If your business has a strong base, you can begin to hire new employees and help provide for their families as well. Businesses provide the majority of economic growth, and the big businesses of tomorrow are starting right now.
Saving money isn’t a bad thing; in fact it’s a necessity for any responsible family to do to ensure a good quality of life. The problem occurs when everyone stops spending all together and starts saving everything they have. Businesses can’t survive in this climate so they begin laying people off and the downward spiral continues. Giving to charity and helping the poor is a noble cause; but unless we all begin to spend something again, we will all need someone else to donate to us! Get out there and help your community and your fellow Americans, by doing something for yourself.
Article showing at EzineArticles,GoArticles,ArticleDashboard,ArticlesBase,
Dime-Co,Amazines,ArticleAlley
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