Fred Harteis News Articles - Most people understand that low credit scores will translate into higher mortgage and credit card interest rates. But few realize there are plenty of other insidious ways that a low score can add to a person's costs. Bad credit can also negatively affect your job, utilities, cell phone, elective medical procedures and your marriage.
Car Insurance
Consumers with bad credit pay between 20 percent and 50 percent more in auto insurance premiums than their good-credit neighbors, says Clarence Smith, who authored an insurance study for Conning.
Car Loans
People with poor credit usually pay an interest rate between 19 percent and 26 percent on a new car purchase, compared with the six percent to seven percent average, says Lynch.
Job
Today, 70 percent of companies will check credit before they decide to hire a candidate, says Doug Borkowski, a financial counselor. The fear is that credit problems at home create tension and distraction at work, Lynch says.
Housing
Rental property owners may reject tenant applications with poor credit scores, something only 48 percent of consumers know, according to a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) survey.
Utilities
Only 30 percent of those that CFA surveyed know that utilities, too, care about credit scores. Even slow credit indications are enough to slap you with a $500 deposit before the telephone company connects your line or the electric company turns on the juice, Lynch says.
Cell Phones
These providers increasingly rely on credit scores to sort the good risks from the bad credit. Bad credit definitely doesn't get the sweetest deals at Verizon. Instead of contract plans that offer more minutes for your dollar and come with a wider selection of phones, those who do not make the cut must consider pay-as-you-go phones.
Elective Medical Procedures
When Lynch looked into laser eye surgery, the doctor immediately pulled her credit score to see if she qualified for his monthly payment plan. Otherwise, the bill is due in full at the counter. "They're not denying you service, and if it were a mandatory treatment, this would never come up," she says.
Source; Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Fred Harteis News Articles – Finding the grill of your dreams
Fred Harteis News Articles- What's the totally tricked-out grill wearing this season? Think stainless steel, a few side burners, a rotisserie, a smoker and a little infrared technology.
From a basic $20 patio model to an outdoor dream kitchen with a price that rivals the down payment on a house, there really is a grill for everyone. The trick to getting the perfect model is deciding what features you want and how you want to cook, then shop specifics.
"The first big trend, I think, is all the stainless steel," says Mark Connelly, senior director of testing for appliances at Consumer Reports. The good news for consumers is that manufacturers have "been doing that without the price getting too crazy."
The abundance of stainless steel is a reflection of what's going on in the high-end kitchen market, he says. "The more stainless steel, the more expensive," he says, but, it's popularity has made the sleek, shiny look more affordable for everyone over the past year.
The other hot grill item? Plenty of side burners with heat "equivalent to what you have in your own kitchen," Connelly says.
Rotisseries are big, too, says Karen Adler, co-author of "The BBQ Queens' Big Book of Barbecue." "Over the past few years this has been the most popular add-on," she says.
And "there seem to be more smokers," says Lynn Blanchard, test kitchen director for Meredith Corp., issuers of the Better Homes and Gardens publications.
If you're going to spend big bucks on a grill, get a test drive first. Some specialty retailers will fire them up on the weekends so that you can try them out first. Some things to watch:
"Don't be enamored with the high BTUs per hour they advertise," says Connelly. Quality "has to do with how well they distribute heat. It's no horsepower race. And unfortunately that's what a lot of manufacturers tout."
How evenly does it heat the grate? Will burgers in different corners cook at the same rate, or will one burn while the other stays pink inside?
Does it flare up? This is important to most people, says Connelly. And it has a lot to do with the construction underneath the grate -- the part few people see. One feature to look for in gas grills is metal pyramids beneath the grate surface. The construction serves to give grease a way to drip down while allowing flames to rise unhindered at the same time, he says.
Can it handle low-temperature grilling? That's important if you want to cook something such as salmon, says Connelly.
Another feature to examine on a gas grill: the number of controls. Does each burner have its own control? "Generally speaking, the more burner controls you have, the more flexibility it gives you as a chef," Connelly says. His recommendation after shopping grills is to look for at least three burner knobs.
Check how easy it will be to clean, too, says Blanchard.
And ask about assembly. "It can be an eight-hour nightmare on a Saturday," says Connelly. "It's probably worth the money" to have the store do it.
How to shop smartly
Before you get in the car, ask yourself (and whoever else might be using the grill) a few questions. The hardest one first: gas or charcoal?
Charcoal tends to be less expensive, gets hot enough and creates that traditional "cook-out" flavor. You don't have to worry about filling or returning propane tanks. (And it's easy to tell if you have enough charcoal for the big day.)
Gas models can be pricier, although these days there are portables and less expensive models in the $100-plus range. State-of-the-art and high-tech models most often feature gas. They start quicker, and the flame and temperature are easier to control. Some gas grills will allow you to burn wood chips to enhance flavor. You do need a supply of propane. In some cases you also can tap into your home's natural gas -- with the help of a pro, of course.
Source; Bankrate.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
From a basic $20 patio model to an outdoor dream kitchen with a price that rivals the down payment on a house, there really is a grill for everyone. The trick to getting the perfect model is deciding what features you want and how you want to cook, then shop specifics.
"The first big trend, I think, is all the stainless steel," says Mark Connelly, senior director of testing for appliances at Consumer Reports. The good news for consumers is that manufacturers have "been doing that without the price getting too crazy."
The abundance of stainless steel is a reflection of what's going on in the high-end kitchen market, he says. "The more stainless steel, the more expensive," he says, but, it's popularity has made the sleek, shiny look more affordable for everyone over the past year.
The other hot grill item? Plenty of side burners with heat "equivalent to what you have in your own kitchen," Connelly says.
Rotisseries are big, too, says Karen Adler, co-author of "The BBQ Queens' Big Book of Barbecue." "Over the past few years this has been the most popular add-on," she says.
And "there seem to be more smokers," says Lynn Blanchard, test kitchen director for Meredith Corp., issuers of the Better Homes and Gardens publications.
If you're going to spend big bucks on a grill, get a test drive first. Some specialty retailers will fire them up on the weekends so that you can try them out first. Some things to watch:
"Don't be enamored with the high BTUs per hour they advertise," says Connelly. Quality "has to do with how well they distribute heat. It's no horsepower race. And unfortunately that's what a lot of manufacturers tout."
How evenly does it heat the grate? Will burgers in different corners cook at the same rate, or will one burn while the other stays pink inside?
Does it flare up? This is important to most people, says Connelly. And it has a lot to do with the construction underneath the grate -- the part few people see. One feature to look for in gas grills is metal pyramids beneath the grate surface. The construction serves to give grease a way to drip down while allowing flames to rise unhindered at the same time, he says.
Can it handle low-temperature grilling? That's important if you want to cook something such as salmon, says Connelly.
Another feature to examine on a gas grill: the number of controls. Does each burner have its own control? "Generally speaking, the more burner controls you have, the more flexibility it gives you as a chef," Connelly says. His recommendation after shopping grills is to look for at least three burner knobs.
Check how easy it will be to clean, too, says Blanchard.
And ask about assembly. "It can be an eight-hour nightmare on a Saturday," says Connelly. "It's probably worth the money" to have the store do it.
How to shop smartly
Before you get in the car, ask yourself (and whoever else might be using the grill) a few questions. The hardest one first: gas or charcoal?
Charcoal tends to be less expensive, gets hot enough and creates that traditional "cook-out" flavor. You don't have to worry about filling or returning propane tanks. (And it's easy to tell if you have enough charcoal for the big day.)
Gas models can be pricier, although these days there are portables and less expensive models in the $100-plus range. State-of-the-art and high-tech models most often feature gas. They start quicker, and the flame and temperature are easier to control. Some gas grills will allow you to burn wood chips to enhance flavor. You do need a supply of propane. In some cases you also can tap into your home's natural gas -- with the help of a pro, of course.
Source; Bankrate.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Fred Harteis News Articles - New ways to save on drugs
Fred Harteis News Articles - We've reached a dubious health milestone: More than half of us insured are now taking at least one "maintenance" drug for a chronic condition, according to a recent health industry report.
Meanwhile, the price of brand-name medications rose 2½ times faster than the rate of inflation last year. Here's the news you need to know to avoid the worst of the pain - no clandestine trips to Canada required.
Discounters have become the best inflation hedge
Wal-Mart, which in 2006 began selling 30-day supplies of generics for $4 a pop, just rolled out another plan perfect for people who take meds daily and have a high co-pay: a 90-day supply of any of about 350 generics for just $10 (or your co-pay, whichever is less).
Competitors like Target and Kroger quickly matched the price cuts. Some discounters might offer drugs that others don't, so visit their websites to see if your medicine is on their lists.
More employers are insisting you use mail order
Some employers now require workers who fill the same scrip more than three months in a row (basically anyone on a daily regimen) to order 90-day supplies from an approved mail-order company - or receive a lower reimbursement than the pharmacy rate they're used to. At Time Inc., for example, your pharmacy co-pay rises by 25% after three months. So before you head to Wal-Mart, do the math.
Insurers are raising co-pays on brand-name drugs
Generics have always been cheaper than brand names, but it's gotten even costlier to insist on, say, Prozac rather than fluoxetine. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average co-pay for a 30-day "nonpreferred" brand is now $43, up from $28 in 2001. The average generic co-pay is just $11, so ask your doctor to prescribe the generic equivalent if one exists (it does more than 75% of the time).
Source; Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Meanwhile, the price of brand-name medications rose 2½ times faster than the rate of inflation last year. Here's the news you need to know to avoid the worst of the pain - no clandestine trips to Canada required.
Discounters have become the best inflation hedge
Wal-Mart, which in 2006 began selling 30-day supplies of generics for $4 a pop, just rolled out another plan perfect for people who take meds daily and have a high co-pay: a 90-day supply of any of about 350 generics for just $10 (or your co-pay, whichever is less).
Competitors like Target and Kroger quickly matched the price cuts. Some discounters might offer drugs that others don't, so visit their websites to see if your medicine is on their lists.
More employers are insisting you use mail order
Some employers now require workers who fill the same scrip more than three months in a row (basically anyone on a daily regimen) to order 90-day supplies from an approved mail-order company - or receive a lower reimbursement than the pharmacy rate they're used to. At Time Inc., for example, your pharmacy co-pay rises by 25% after three months. So before you head to Wal-Mart, do the math.
Insurers are raising co-pays on brand-name drugs
Generics have always been cheaper than brand names, but it's gotten even costlier to insist on, say, Prozac rather than fluoxetine. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average co-pay for a 30-day "nonpreferred" brand is now $43, up from $28 in 2001. The average generic co-pay is just $11, so ask your doctor to prescribe the generic equivalent if one exists (it does more than 75% of the time).
Source; Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Fred Harteis News Articles - How safe is your ATM?
Fred Harteis News Articles - When hackers infiltrated Citibank ATMs at 7-Eleven stores, they revived the fear of everyone looking to get out a few bucks for a Slurpee - is using this machine safe?
Experts say the answer is that an ATM's safety depends on where it is. If it's at a bank, an ATM is somewhat safer than it is in a public place, such as a ballpark, a train station or a convenience store.
"You should never use ATM machines at convenience stores if you can help it because those are much more susceptible to tampering," added Avivah Litan, a security analyst with the Gartner research firm.
While consumers can't do much when hackers break into back-end computers that approve cash withdrawals in order to steal PIN codes - such as happened during last year's Citi ATM breach - the odds are slim that it will happen to you.
"It is possible to install malicious software on a banking server to capture an encrypted pin as it passes through, but it is extremely rare," according to Margot Mohsberg, a spokeswoman for the American Bankers Association.
There are other methods of getting scammed at the ATM, however, that are both popular and preventable.
Most often, thieves use a method called skimming, which means they insert a device into the card slot on an ATM that steals your data right off your card's magnetic strip.
When it comes to skimming, non-bank ATMs are far more susceptible, putting you at greater risk. There's less of a chance of skimming at your bank's local branch, because the bank is videotaping and maintaining that ATM, than at the ones in a convenience store that are maintained by a third party, said Ellen Cannon, managing editor at bankrate.com.
"There are thefts constantly," said Cannon.
To further decrease your odds of getting victimized, Cannon also suggests changing your PIN number regularly and using different PINs for different accounts.
Also, when shopping, opt for credit over debit. Chances are your credit card has 100% fraud liability, whereas your debit card may not.
"Basically, avoid using your PIN as much as possible," Litan recommends. Despite industry standards that call for protecting PINs with strong encryption, that doesn't always happen, so to stay on the safe side, keep transactions that require you to enter your PIN to a minimum.
And when it comes to online activity, never use your PIN under any circumstances. "There's no online use of PINs," Litan said, and any prompt to do so is just a scam.
Ultimately, the best thing you can do is check your account frequently and report any suspicious activity immediately.
Beyond that, there's really not much else consumers can do, according to Thomas Fox, community outreach director of Cambridge Credit Corp., a nonprofit credit counseling agency based in Agawam, Mass. "It falls to the bank to employ new ways to deter hackers."
But if you are a victim of theft, keep in mind that while it is a hassle, it is not necessarily a hardship.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Experts say the answer is that an ATM's safety depends on where it is. If it's at a bank, an ATM is somewhat safer than it is in a public place, such as a ballpark, a train station or a convenience store.
"You should never use ATM machines at convenience stores if you can help it because those are much more susceptible to tampering," added Avivah Litan, a security analyst with the Gartner research firm.
While consumers can't do much when hackers break into back-end computers that approve cash withdrawals in order to steal PIN codes - such as happened during last year's Citi ATM breach - the odds are slim that it will happen to you.
"It is possible to install malicious software on a banking server to capture an encrypted pin as it passes through, but it is extremely rare," according to Margot Mohsberg, a spokeswoman for the American Bankers Association.
There are other methods of getting scammed at the ATM, however, that are both popular and preventable.
Most often, thieves use a method called skimming, which means they insert a device into the card slot on an ATM that steals your data right off your card's magnetic strip.
When it comes to skimming, non-bank ATMs are far more susceptible, putting you at greater risk. There's less of a chance of skimming at your bank's local branch, because the bank is videotaping and maintaining that ATM, than at the ones in a convenience store that are maintained by a third party, said Ellen Cannon, managing editor at bankrate.com.
"There are thefts constantly," said Cannon.
To further decrease your odds of getting victimized, Cannon also suggests changing your PIN number regularly and using different PINs for different accounts.
Also, when shopping, opt for credit over debit. Chances are your credit card has 100% fraud liability, whereas your debit card may not.
"Basically, avoid using your PIN as much as possible," Litan recommends. Despite industry standards that call for protecting PINs with strong encryption, that doesn't always happen, so to stay on the safe side, keep transactions that require you to enter your PIN to a minimum.
And when it comes to online activity, never use your PIN under any circumstances. "There's no online use of PINs," Litan said, and any prompt to do so is just a scam.
Ultimately, the best thing you can do is check your account frequently and report any suspicious activity immediately.
Beyond that, there's really not much else consumers can do, according to Thomas Fox, community outreach director of Cambridge Credit Corp., a nonprofit credit counseling agency based in Agawam, Mass. "It falls to the bank to employ new ways to deter hackers."
But if you are a victim of theft, keep in mind that while it is a hassle, it is not necessarily a hardship.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Fred Harteis News Articles - In Interviews, Honesty Is the Best Policy
Fred Harteis News Articles - It's graduation season, and this means it's time for job hunting. Joining the pool of applicants will be a lot of people who have been downsized, fired, or who found their previous employment to be less than satisfying. Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned veteran of the job search, it's helpful to get advice about the all-important but nerve-wracking experience known as the job interview.
The art of the job interview seems to be mainly about strategy: how to get from point A (unemployment, underemployment, or otherwise unsatisfying employment) to point B (a good job). But there are lots of ways to get from A to B, and some are more ethical than others. You can lie on your résumé, exaggerate your accomplishments, or mislead a prospective employer about what you can do well. Taking the low road may lead to a job offer -- but at what cost?
If you have to become someone other than yourself, what does this say about your integrity? And what will happen to you, professionally as well as personally, if it comes to light that you lied to get the job?
Even if you are committed to being truthful, however, it is still possible to miss the main point of a job interview (and run the risk of being passed over). A job interview isn't about you. Or rather, it's not merely about you. It is about whether or not the company will benefit from hiring you. Ethics is about thinking beyond our own needs and desires, and applying the ethical principle of 'Make Things Better' in the context of a job interview means concentrating on how you will help the company. This can't be at the expense of other ethical principles, such as 'Respect Others,' which requires us to be truthful, and 'Do No Harm,' which asks us not to say or do things that will make things worse for others or ourselves.
Ethics thus lies at the core of any job interview. With this in mind, here are five guidelines that you can use to ace your next interview -- by taking the high road.
1. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WILL BRING TO THE COMPANY.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people respond to my own job offerings with an endless discussion of why the position will help them: "This job is perfect for me, because I need something that will offer me flexibility." An employee should be concerned, first and foremost, with helping the company, not the other way around.
2. BE HONEST.
Few of us are good liars, and this is a good thing. When an interviewer asks you something to which you don't know the answer, it's much better to admit it than to pretend otherwise. Also, misrepresenting yourself on your résumé in any way is a big mistake, not just because it will come back to haunt you (since it may not), but simply because it's wrong.
3. WHEN IN DOUBT, DON'T.
The most fundamental ethical principle of all, Do No Harm, applies to how you treat yourself as well as others. Resist the impulse to say something that would make you look foolish, incompetent, or naive. If you're not sure about how something will be taken, leave it unsaid.
4. DON'T BADMOUTH YOUR PREVIOUS EMPLOYER.
Your prospective employer may ask you about previous jobs and why you left, or why you want to leave your current one. If a poor relationship with a boss or colleague was a contributing factor, it's better to say something like: "My supervisor and I didn't see eye to eye on a lot of projects," rather than "He was the biggest jerk I've ever worked for." Criticism at its best centers on what a person has done, not on who a person is.
5. LOOK WITHIN.
This last rule is the most important. Before you even apply for a job, do some soul-searching, and find out what it is you're really looking for. To embrace a company's mission successfully you have to know what your own mission in life is, and why you want to devote considerable time and energy to that organization. Honesty applies not just to how you deal with your prospective employer; it also applies to how you deal with yourself.
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
The art of the job interview seems to be mainly about strategy: how to get from point A (unemployment, underemployment, or otherwise unsatisfying employment) to point B (a good job). But there are lots of ways to get from A to B, and some are more ethical than others. You can lie on your résumé, exaggerate your accomplishments, or mislead a prospective employer about what you can do well. Taking the low road may lead to a job offer -- but at what cost?
If you have to become someone other than yourself, what does this say about your integrity? And what will happen to you, professionally as well as personally, if it comes to light that you lied to get the job?
Even if you are committed to being truthful, however, it is still possible to miss the main point of a job interview (and run the risk of being passed over). A job interview isn't about you. Or rather, it's not merely about you. It is about whether or not the company will benefit from hiring you. Ethics is about thinking beyond our own needs and desires, and applying the ethical principle of 'Make Things Better' in the context of a job interview means concentrating on how you will help the company. This can't be at the expense of other ethical principles, such as 'Respect Others,' which requires us to be truthful, and 'Do No Harm,' which asks us not to say or do things that will make things worse for others or ourselves.
Ethics thus lies at the core of any job interview. With this in mind, here are five guidelines that you can use to ace your next interview -- by taking the high road.
1. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WILL BRING TO THE COMPANY.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people respond to my own job offerings with an endless discussion of why the position will help them: "This job is perfect for me, because I need something that will offer me flexibility." An employee should be concerned, first and foremost, with helping the company, not the other way around.
2. BE HONEST.
Few of us are good liars, and this is a good thing. When an interviewer asks you something to which you don't know the answer, it's much better to admit it than to pretend otherwise. Also, misrepresenting yourself on your résumé in any way is a big mistake, not just because it will come back to haunt you (since it may not), but simply because it's wrong.
3. WHEN IN DOUBT, DON'T.
The most fundamental ethical principle of all, Do No Harm, applies to how you treat yourself as well as others. Resist the impulse to say something that would make you look foolish, incompetent, or naive. If you're not sure about how something will be taken, leave it unsaid.
4. DON'T BADMOUTH YOUR PREVIOUS EMPLOYER.
Your prospective employer may ask you about previous jobs and why you left, or why you want to leave your current one. If a poor relationship with a boss or colleague was a contributing factor, it's better to say something like: "My supervisor and I didn't see eye to eye on a lot of projects," rather than "He was the biggest jerk I've ever worked for." Criticism at its best centers on what a person has done, not on who a person is.
5. LOOK WITHIN.
This last rule is the most important. Before you even apply for a job, do some soul-searching, and find out what it is you're really looking for. To embrace a company's mission successfully you have to know what your own mission in life is, and why you want to devote considerable time and energy to that organization. Honesty applies not just to how you deal with your prospective employer; it also applies to how you deal with yourself.
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Fred Harteis News Articles -10 reasons to love a recession
Fred Harteis News Articles - If you are old enough to have worn a mood ring, Earth shoes or bell-bottoms the first time around, you probably recall the "stagflation" days of the 1970s with a bemused mix of humor, national pride and nostalgia.
The forecast was just as dire back then, and for good reason. In 1975, inflation topped 14 percent, unemployment approached 6 percent (but doubled that in some locales), and fuel and food prices were headed skyward.
Most of us would be well into the Reagan years before our wallets grew appreciably heavier.
The funny thing is, I don't remember the sacrifice. We drove used cars and lived within our means, since car leasing and credit cards were not yet widespread.
We rented and shared apartments, since the average home mortgage rate hovered around 10 percent.
We shouldered none of the financial burden of such modern conveniences as cell phones, high-speed Internet or fitness center memberships.
No one wants a recession, of course. It can cause serious economic pain for millions.
10 blessings of a recession
1. Family dinners
2. Shorter gas lines
3. Less junk mail
4. More coupons
5. Free fitness
6. Bargain SUVs
7. Business startup opportunities
8. Growth in gardening
9. Musical inspiration
10. New perspectives
However, economists tell us there are some reasons to actually welcome and perhaps even embrace a recession. After all, a recession is the ebb part of the natural ebb and flow of the economy.
Just as surely as hot markets cool and bulls turn to bears, capitalist economies take a breather every so often to pause and reflect. If they didn't, these corrections would be far crueler.
So, let's smile, lift our half-full cups of regular unleaded and toast these 10 very good things about impending bad times.
Source: Bankrate.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
The forecast was just as dire back then, and for good reason. In 1975, inflation topped 14 percent, unemployment approached 6 percent (but doubled that in some locales), and fuel and food prices were headed skyward.
Most of us would be well into the Reagan years before our wallets grew appreciably heavier.
The funny thing is, I don't remember the sacrifice. We drove used cars and lived within our means, since car leasing and credit cards were not yet widespread.
We rented and shared apartments, since the average home mortgage rate hovered around 10 percent.
We shouldered none of the financial burden of such modern conveniences as cell phones, high-speed Internet or fitness center memberships.
No one wants a recession, of course. It can cause serious economic pain for millions.
10 blessings of a recession
1. Family dinners
2. Shorter gas lines
3. Less junk mail
4. More coupons
5. Free fitness
6. Bargain SUVs
7. Business startup opportunities
8. Growth in gardening
9. Musical inspiration
10. New perspectives
However, economists tell us there are some reasons to actually welcome and perhaps even embrace a recession. After all, a recession is the ebb part of the natural ebb and flow of the economy.
Just as surely as hot markets cool and bulls turn to bears, capitalist economies take a breather every so often to pause and reflect. If they didn't, these corrections would be far crueler.
So, let's smile, lift our half-full cups of regular unleaded and toast these 10 very good things about impending bad times.
Source: Bankrate.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Fred Harteis News Articles - How to Avoid Sneaky Fees
Fred Harteis News Articles - You Can Save $5,363!
Think you've never been charged a sneaky fee by your bank, broker, credit-card issuer or cell-phone provider? Then you haven't looked at your bills very closely. Companies collect billions by nickel-and-diming you. It's time to stop letting them get away with it.
Bank & Credit Card Fees
Pay Credit Card on Time: $39
Avoid Paying by Phone: $15
Stay in Your ATM Network: $156
Avoid an Overdraft: $28
Total Annual Savings: $238
Calculations are based on one late payment per year and one weekly out-of-network ATM withdrawal.
Investment Fees
Make 24 Stock Trades With a Discount Broker: $480
Avoid a Quarterly Inactivity Fee: $40
Avoid a Balance-Transfer Fee: $25
Receive Electronic Statements: $24
Get a Fund With 1% Expense Ratio & No 12B-1 Fee: $250
Total Annual Savings: $819
Calculations are based on two stock trades per month at $10 per trade, and $50K invested in a stock mutual fund
Cell Phone & Land Line Fees
Avoid Overage Charges: $72
Pay $5 a Month for 200 Text Messages: $15
Transfer Your Contract to Avoid Termination Fee: $156
Switch Land Line to Internet Calling Service: $28
Total Annual Savings: $832
Calculations are based on overage charges of $6 per month and text messages at 20 cents each.
Car Rental Fees
Rent Off-Site, Not the Airport: $39
Pay for Your Own Gas: $15
Turn Down Collision-Damage: $156
Use a Discount Site: $28
Total Annual Savings: $1,074
Calculations are based on four week-long rentals per year at $50 a day.
Hotel Surcharges
Have "Resort Fee" Removed From Hotel Bill: $280
Pass Up Valet Parking: $154
Tip the Maid Yourself to Avoid "Maid Gratuity": $56
Resist the Mini Bar to Avoid Restocking Fee: $140
Total Annual Savings: $630
Calculations are based on 14 nights in a hotel per year.
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Think you've never been charged a sneaky fee by your bank, broker, credit-card issuer or cell-phone provider? Then you haven't looked at your bills very closely. Companies collect billions by nickel-and-diming you. It's time to stop letting them get away with it.
Bank & Credit Card Fees
Pay Credit Card on Time: $39
Avoid Paying by Phone: $15
Stay in Your ATM Network: $156
Avoid an Overdraft: $28
Total Annual Savings: $238
Calculations are based on one late payment per year and one weekly out-of-network ATM withdrawal.
Investment Fees
Make 24 Stock Trades With a Discount Broker: $480
Avoid a Quarterly Inactivity Fee: $40
Avoid a Balance-Transfer Fee: $25
Receive Electronic Statements: $24
Get a Fund With 1% Expense Ratio & No 12B-1 Fee: $250
Total Annual Savings: $819
Calculations are based on two stock trades per month at $10 per trade, and $50K invested in a stock mutual fund
Cell Phone & Land Line Fees
Avoid Overage Charges: $72
Pay $5 a Month for 200 Text Messages: $15
Transfer Your Contract to Avoid Termination Fee: $156
Switch Land Line to Internet Calling Service: $28
Total Annual Savings: $832
Calculations are based on overage charges of $6 per month and text messages at 20 cents each.
Car Rental Fees
Rent Off-Site, Not the Airport: $39
Pay for Your Own Gas: $15
Turn Down Collision-Damage: $156
Use a Discount Site: $28
Total Annual Savings: $1,074
Calculations are based on four week-long rentals per year at $50 a day.
Hotel Surcharges
Have "Resort Fee" Removed From Hotel Bill: $280
Pass Up Valet Parking: $154
Tip the Maid Yourself to Avoid "Maid Gratuity": $56
Resist the Mini Bar to Avoid Restocking Fee: $140
Total Annual Savings: $630
Calculations are based on 14 nights in a hotel per year.
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
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