Rental Property Secrets

As a rental property owner, I am always looking for ways to maximize the rental income and keep my units marketable without having to do any major renovations. I am always keeping my eye out for potential properties that I can buy, and easily rent out that will cover the mortgage and a little more. That being said, one of the biggest mistakes that I see other landlords and rental property owners make is that they are reluctant to or just flat out won’t put any money into their properties because they don’t think they will see a return for that investment. When I tell some of my counterparts that I put new kitchens and bathrooms into all of my rental units they think I am nuts. To quote one of my friends who has some properties, “Why would you spend $4,000 on an apartment that is just going to get destroyed by the next people that rent it?”. To answer his question, I thought I would write this article.First, let’s think about the mathematics behind it. Granted each market or city is going to have a different result, but for where I live in the Philadelphia area this holds true. By doing a little research and finding comparable apartments in your market, you can find out what the magic number is. What are the three features that are going to stick out about any apartment? The condition of the rugs, the bathrooms, and the kitchens. If any of these items look worn or beat up, it is going to be harder to rent and you won’t be able to get as much for it… that is just a fact of life. So let’s say you spend $3,000 to upgrade the kitchen and bathroom(s). Yes, it is possible to spend that little on upgrades and I will show you how later on. Assuming the rest of your unit/building is in good condition, that $3,000 investment can produce an extra $200 a month in rent for me per unit. At $200 a month, you made your investment back in just over a year and you are now making more money per unit. Think about it. If a prospective renter is looking at two apartments: one with a dated kitchen and one with a modern kitchen and bathroom, which one is he/she going to choose? Not only that, but a nicer apartment is going to command a higher rent which in turn brings in a higher income renter who is less likely to abuse and destroy the apartment.For some of you, I am sure that $3,000 to renovate a kitchen and bathroom(s) probably made you chuckle

Welcome to Biz4ge – Dedicated to Business Transformation

Welcome to the Biz4ge website – dedicated to the success of business transformation efforts in organisations of all types and sizes, but especially to those who must manage much of it without the benefit of expensive external specialist support!
The content of this website has been forged by the decades of collective experience it’s authors have (see About Us) of working with and for large organisations around the globe and in most sectors on their change management efforts. This website assembles our extensive knowledge of business transformation and business architecture techniques.
Very importantly, it does so in a way that cuts through much of the technical jargon and complexity surrounding them thereby making them more accessible, relevant and an essential performance improvement and benefits delivery tool for mid-market and larger organisations.

Use a Payday Loan for Your First Car

Use a Payday Loan for Your First CarSo you are fresh out of university and you got yourself a nice job. You’re earning quite well and you are all set to live a life of your own finally. There is only one problem – you need a car that you can call your own. You probably had one during your uni days – your parents might have gotten it for you or you inherited it from your dad. The thing is, it is probably going bonkers on you. As old as it is, you probably want one that would serve you better. Am I painting a familiar picture here?I am sure that you would want a car of your own, something a bit better than that old piece of junk you have. Then again, being relatively new on the job, you might not have had enough time to save up for something flashy and brand new. How about a used car? Maybe you can find one for relatively cheap and yet do the trick.So you find one for several thousand pounds, maybe less. What is your next step? You are probably thinking about dealer financing or taking out a car loan from your bank. Both are feasible, of course, but what if you could get some cash to augment what you might have stashed away in a much easier manner and without too much hassle?For some cases, a payday loan could work for you. For example, if you only need about £1,000 to £1, 500 more to purchase that car using cash, you can save a lot more than if you took up the dealer’s offer for financing. Same thing for a car loan from a conventional bank. You merely have to look for a good payday loan provider and you

Telstra's NBN speed hump

One of the most common questionings of the proposed National Broadband Network is: "What if they build it and no-one comes?" Well, we may be about to find out even before the NBN is built.
Telstra’s announcement that it will switch on its upgraded hybrid fibre coaxial cable network in Melbourne from December 1 will provide something of a preview of the early years of the NBN.
The network upgrade was announced in the dying days of the Donald McGauchie/Sol Trujillo regime and in the lead up to the announcement of the outcome of the original NBN tender process – the one that didn’t produce a conforming or acceptable tender and led to the brilliant political strategy of, not announcing a failure, but the glittering new fibre-to-the premises network at a cost to taxpayers of up to $43 billion.
McGauchie and Trujillo didn’t know what was coming towards them. They thought the government was within weeks of announcing that a consortium, not including Telstra, would build a fibre-to-the-node network, cutting across Telstra’s copper lines, at a cost to the taxpayer of $4.7 billion or so.
So they came up with an idea designed to demonstrate Telstra’s ability to threaten the new network, protect its own position in the sector and provide a two-finger salute to the government in the process.

ASIC action against One.Tel directors fails

TOP News

Packer hits back after One.Tel ruling 7:46 PM

Brambles says well-placed for economic recovery as sales revenue falls 3% 5:02 PM

AXA says no change to AXA Asia Pacific offer for now 6:37 PM

RBA says business lending to pick up 12:41 PM

Fortescue Metals continues rail fight 8:10 PM
The Spectators

Bartholomeusz: Poking the Packer bear

Bartholomeusz: Telstra's NBN speed hump

Reinventing China’s growth

DEALS TV: JAL's Bermuda Triangle

Bartholomeusz: Into the Myer tax mireThe corporate watchdog has failed in its civil action against One.Tel founder Jodee Rich and the failed teleco's finance director Mark Silbermann, and is at least $20 million out of pocket as a result.NSW Supreme Court judge Robert Austin on Wednesday handed down his judgment in the long running case launched by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in December 2001

International Electrotechnical Commission

International Electrotechnical CommissionBy promoting international cooperation toward all problems and related issues regarding standardization in the electrical and electronic technology fields, the IEC, a non-governmental organization, was started in October, 1908, for the purpose of realizing mutual understanding on an international level. To this end, the IEC standard was enacted for the purpose of promoting international standardization.UL (Underwiters Laboratories Inc.)This is a non-profit testing organization formed in 1894 by a coalition of U.S. fire insurance firms, which tests and approves industrial products (finished products). When electrical products are marketed in the U.S., UL approval is mandated in many states, by state law and city ordinances. In order to obtain UL approval, the principal parts contained in industrial products must also be UL approved parts. UL approval is divided into two general types.One is called "listing" (Figure 1), and applies to industrial products (finished products). Under this type of approval, products must be approved unconditionally.The other type is called "recognition" (Figure 2), and is a conditional approval which applies to parts and materials.CSA (Canadian Standards Association)This was established in 1919 as a non-profit, nongovernmental organization aimed at promoting standards. It sets standards for industrial products, parts, and materials, and has the authority to judge electrical products to determine whether they conform to those standards.The CSA is the ultimate authority in the eyes of both the government and the people in terms of credibility and respect. Almost all states and provinces in Canada require CSA approval by law, in order to sell electrical products. As a result, electrical products exported from Japan to Canada are not approved under Canadian laws unless they have received CSA approval and display the CSA mark.Approval is called "certification", and products and parts which have been approved are called "certified equipment", and display the mark shown in Figure 3.The mark shown in Figure 4 is called the "Component Acceptance" mark, and indicates conditional approval which is applicable to parts.The C-UL mark shown in Figure 5 (finished products) and Figure 6 (parts) indicates that the product has been tested and approved in UL laboratories

There is a large number of people who are employed in a company in a so-called “at will” scheme. It means that they have not signed any formal or bind

There is a large number of people who are employed in a company in a so-called “at will” scheme. It means that they have not signed any formal or binding employment contract or have not signed any kind of agreement in terms of his or her employment with their employers. This being the case, the law of the state has implicit permission that their employment can be ended at any given time, whatever occurs to their employers. Meanwhile other employees have an employment contract signed with their employers, with a clause of “at will” to the condition that their employment may end depending on the employers’ option. Are you an “at will” employee? You may think that you have no say whatsoever on whatever your employer would “will” for you, like ending your employment without due process of the law. You may think that filing for wrongful termination charges against your employer is null because of the fact that you are an at will employee.Fret not. You and other “at will” employees in the country are still entitled to some degree of legal protection from an employer’s wrongful termination. You cannot be terminated for

How to Resign to Your Job Gracefully

There are numerous reasons why employees would want to quit their job. It can be caused by a bad relationship with colleagues, mental or physical issues, career change decision or wanting a greener pasture. This is always a crucial stage for everyone because of the fear of not handling your resignation properly because you wouldn’t want to burn bridges while your struggling to start anew. Resigning gracefully is possible, below is the top ways on how to do it.1.It is a norm to resign in person, be professional and face your boss. Set an appointment to discuss this pressing matter and provide a written resignation that contains your intention of leaving, the date you are resigning, the date you would like to live and affix your signature.2.Do not be a coward and announce your resignation through email, fax or phone. You need to be polite even if your leaving. And don’t ditch your job without a warning,

to Elect S Corporation Tax Status for Your LLC

An LLC can be taxed similar to an S corporation. If you are wondering, why you would even want this type of tax treament? Read on and I'll explain.Owners or members, as they are usually called, of an LLC have the choice to elect how the LLC will be treated for tax purposes. This is a fairly new option allowed by the tax regualtions. In the past, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) classified business entities as either partnerships or corporations based on four different factors.The four factors included: (1) Limited liability; (2) Centralized management; (3) Continuity of life; and (4) Free transferability of interest. A business entity would be taxed as a partnership if it possessed two of the four characteristics. It would likely be taxed as a corporaiton if it possessed three of the four characteristics. This led to a lot of confusion and uncertainty for business owners.Then in 1997, new IRS regulations came into effect which allowed business entities like LLCs to elect the tax treatment they desired. These regulations became known as the "check-the-box" regulations. They can be found in Income Tax Regulations 301.7701-1 through 301.7701-3. The form for making the election is IRS Form 8832 and details about the election process are set forth in the instructions to Form 8832.The regulations give business entities like the LLC several different options. They can operate as an LLC but still enjoy the beneficial characteristics of a corporation while being taxed similar to a partnership. In the alternative, the regulations allow an LLC to elect corporation tax status and then make the S corporation election.In a nutshell, partnership taxation is a form of pass through taxation where the the income and deductions "flow through" the entity and are reported and paid by the individual partners. Most LLCs and S corporations are taxed this way. On the other hand, if an entity is considered a corporation, it will have to pay income taxes on its net profits and then when those proceeds are paid to the shareholders in the form of dividends, they will have to pay tax again at their personal level. This is called the "double tax" of

Voice Broadcasting: A Powerful Tool, But Dangerous In the Hands of Fools

Voice Broadcasting can be such a great technology for so many applications. It has been a popular and growing tool now for many years and for good reason. Imagine being able to deliver a message to large numbers of people without having to pay the cost of tele agents, and having the ability of sending one message to a live pick up vs. a different message to an answering machine. Add to this the marrying of interactive voice technology where a recipient is able to press a number key and be transferred to a live agent, or place an order for a product or service. It is the ultimate technology in terms of cost efficiencies and flexibility for marketers, political consultants, municipalities, collection organizations, and many other entities. But powerful tools in the hands of fools create a great deal of danger. See Bob Tuttle and Mark Edwards for details. Their firm "The Broadcast Team" (aka TBT) was recently fined $1,000,000 by the FTC and the Department of Justice for violations Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) in the course of using "voice broadcasting" to call millions of U.S. consumers using automated dialers and prerecorded messages.The Federal Trade Commission today announced that Tuttle and Edwards firm was charged with making tens of millions of illegal automated telemarketing calls and they have agreed to pay a $1 million civil penalty under a settlement reached with the agency and the U.S. Department of Justice. They had violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) in the course of using "voice broadcasting" to call millions of U.S. consumers using automated dialers and prerecorded messages. A federal district court action brought by DOJ on behalf of the Commission alleges that the Florida-based telemarketer's automated phone dialing service called and then illegally hung up on more than 64 million people – and called more than a million numbers that were listed on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry. Lloyd Gomberg, Senior Vice President of Freedom telework Inc. said “The law is very clear- Even when Voice broadcasting is legally permissible the calling list still must be scrubbed against the FTC and various States Do Not Call Lists.”Gomberg further noted that Freedom Telework Voice broadcast

International Electrotechnical Commission

International Electrotechnical Commission
By promoting international cooperation toward all problems and related issues regarding standardization in the electrical and electronic technology fields, the IEC, a non-governmental organization, was started in October, 1908, for the purpose of realizing mutual understanding on an international level. To this end, the IEC standard was enacted for the purpose of promoting international standardization.

UL (Underwiters Laboratories Inc.)
This is a non-profit testing organization formed in 1894 by a coalition of U.S. fire insurance firms, which tests and approves industrial products (finished products). When electrical products are marketed in the U.S., UL approval is mandated in many states, by state law and city ordinances. In order to obtain UL approval, the principal parts contained in industrial products must also be UL approved parts. UL approval is divided into two general types.

One is called "listing" (Figure 1), and applies to industrial products (finished products). Under this type of approval, products must be approved unconditionally.

The other type is called "recognition" (Figure 2), and is a conditional approval which applies to parts and materials.

CSA (Canadian Standards Association)
This was established in 1919 as a non-profit, nongovernmental organization aimed at promoting standards. It sets standards for industrial products, parts, and materials, and has the authority to judge electrical products to determine whether they conform to those standards.

The CSA is the ultimate authority in the eyes of both the government and the people in terms of credibility and respect. Almost all states and provinces in Canada require CSA approval by law, in order to sell electrical products. As a result, electrical products exported from Japan to Canada are not approved under Canadian laws unless they have received CSA approval and display the CSA mark.

Approval is called "certification", and products and parts which have been approved are called "certified equipment", and display the mark shown in Figure 3.

There is a large number of people who are employed in a company in a so-called “at will” scheme. It means that they have not signed any formal or bind

There is a large number of people who are employed in a company in a so-called “at will” scheme. It means that they have not signed any formal or binding employment contract or have not signed any kind of agreement in terms of his or her employment with their employers.

This being the case, the law of the state has implicit permission that their employment can be ended at any given time, whatever occurs to their employers.

Meanwhile other employees have an employment contract signed with their employers, with a clause of “at will” to the condition that their employment may end depending on the employers’ option.

Are you an “at will” employee? You may think that you have no say whatsoever on whatever your employer would “will” for you, like ending your employment without due process of the law. You may think that filing for wrongful termination charges against your employer is null because of the fact that you are an at will employee.

Fret not. You and other “at will” employees in the country are still entitled to some degree of legal protection from an employer’s wrongful termination. You cannot be terminated for reasons that would violate the labor law and other public employment policies.

Here are the following statutes or legislations that strive to protect “at will” employees against wrongful termination by employers.

1. Laws on Civil Rights concentrating on Pretextual Termination – This is an extension of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It contains protections for employees against anti-discrimination. Employers cannot terminate an employee’s work for reasons of their gender, race, religion, skin color or country or nationality of origin.

There are even legal protections added to prevent discrimination on employees for their age.

As such, employers of at will employees may terminate an employment for arbitrary reasons as long as they are not with unlawful and discriminatory purposes or motives. If you believe that you have been a victim of wrongful termination that is pretextual, you have the right to file a case against your employer with claims that their lawful firing is motivated with unlawful discrimination.

There are numerous reasons why employees would want to quit their job. It can be caused by a bad relationship with colleagues, mental or physical issu

There are numerous reasons why employees would want to quit their job. It can be caused by a bad relationship with colleagues, mental or physical issues, career change decision or wanting a greener pasture. This is always a crucial stage for everyone because of the fear of not handling your resignation properly because you wouldn’t want to burn bridges while your struggling to start anew. Resigning gracefully is possible, below is the top ways on how to do it.

1.It is a norm to resign in person, be professional and face your boss. Set an appointment to discuss this pressing matter and provide a written resignation that contains your intention of leaving, the date you are resigning, the date you would like to live and affix your signature.

2.Do not be a coward and announce your resignation through email, fax or phone. You need to be polite even if your leaving. And don’t ditch your job without a warning, more so if you are planning to work in the same industry.

3.While delivering your oral resignation, be honest and tactful. Affirm that your

MOLLY, THE ASSISTANT, Molly treasurer at XYZ Corp. in Miami, opened an e-mail from a former colleague who no longer worked for the organization. The e

MOLLY, THE ASSISTANT, Molly treasurer at XYZ Corp. in Miami, opened an e-mail from a former colleague who no longer worked for the organization. The e-mail read: "Hi Molly, there should be a refund of $716 on my old corporate Visa card from the IP Conference. I paid for, but did not attend, the conference and did not turn in the charge to XYZ for reimbursement. Can you have Visa issue a refund check to me? Thanks very much for your help."The e-mail was from Jerry, a former XYZ executive who had been Molly's boss at one time. The message seemed innocuous enough. Jerry had legitimately charged a business conference to his corporate credit card, but he had canceled his registration because he left the company. Therefore, he was due a refund.It would have been very easy for Molly to trust her former boss and get him the refund. Instead, because something didn't seem quite right, she chose to check on whether XYZ had already reimbursed Jerry

To understand loans and mortgages we need to understand loan limits first. If your loan amount exceeds the amount below, you will qualify for a Jumbo

To understand loans and mortgages we need to understand loan limits first. If your loan amount exceeds the amount below, you will qualify for a Jumbo Loan, which carries higher interest rate.One-Family (single family homes) $417,000 Two-Family(duplex) $533,850 Three-Family (triplex) $645,300 Four-Family(fourplex) $801,950FIXED Loans:30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rates This loan program is fixed for 30 years. Your interest rate will not change for 30 years. This is ideal for people who plan to stay at their present property for a long period of time.20 Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Fixed for 20 years. Your payment will be higher than 30 year fixed loan becuase your loan term is only for 20 years. Interest rate will not change for 20 years.15 Year Fixed Mortgage Rates 15 year fixed loan has a loan term of 15 years and will not change during this

Are you aware of someone who have been injured or killed in a construction site? Perhaps all of us know the dangers of construction worksites. It is a

Are you aware of someone who have been injured or killed in a construction site? Perhaps all of us know the dangers of construction worksites. It is a fact that many a family have lost a breadwinner because of a construction accident.Workers in the construction industry do not comprise a very big percentage of the total number of United States workforce. However, concerning worker injury and fatality rates, the construction industry sector has one of the highest percentages of such among all other industry sector in the country.The basic causes of almost all construction accidents are fairly due to equipments used, work methods and site conditions. Here are some of the noted cases about construction accidents caused

Can You Tithe Your Way Out Of Debt?

In the course of being active in the local church and attaining Associate Degrees in Pastoral Counseling and Theology, I became convinced that the teaching - "tithe your way out of debt" - is false teaching! There is no scripture that justifies this, not even Malachi. In fact, much of the church teaches Malachi incorrectly. They do not teach the entire passage on tithing. The leave out its beginning that speaks of "you have gone away from mine ordinances". The word "ordinances" means "laws". And, as Paul said -" he (Jesus) released us from the curse of the law". An evangelist friend argued that tithing was before the Law. I argued that so was circumcision. We agreed to disagree.

Can You Tithe Your Way Out Of Debt

In the course of being active in the local church and attaining Associate Degrees in Pastoral Counseling and Theology, I became convinced that the teaching - "tithe your way out of debt" - is false teaching! There is no scripture that justifies this, not even Malachi. In fact, much of the church teaches Malachi incorrectly. They do not teach the entire passage on tithing. The leave out its beginning that speaks of "you have gone away from mine ordinances". The word "ordinances" means "laws". And, as Paul said -" he (Jesus) released us from the curse of the law". An evangelist friend argued that tithing was before the Law. I argued tha

Rich People Know Something You Need to Know!

Why do others seem to live an abundant life but, for you, an abundant life is always out of reach? The answer is simple: People who have abundant lives know something you don't know and they do something you aren't doing. I am always amazed, often saddened, by a simple fact of life that many people do not realize. Let me illustrate it with a short example of a real life couple who have not learned How To Have Abundance. As you read their story you may be tempted to think this doesn't apply to you. Please, give me the benefit of the doubt and read the entire article. It will only take a few minutes and you just might learn something about your own situation because this really does apply to just about everyone.Billy and Jen (ficticious names but real people) live in a constant state of poverty. In spite of advice from people who have abundance, they listen instead to people just like them, people who are always broke. I mean, do you consult with a Plumber about brain surgery? Do you ask a high school dropout to help you write a Doctoral Thesis? You get the point.Billy and Jen are constantly buying used vehicles that are "great deals", vehicles that break down within weeks and now sit in their yard, unfixable. They get ripped off again and again.

Pre-Foreclosure - How To Invest

By investing in properties "pre-foreclosure," you get ahead of the crowd and possibly get a great price. The downside? You may have to walk a fine line between helping an owner and taking advantage of him.Pre-foreclosure is simply that time between when the home owner gets the notice that he is in default on the mortgage loan, and when he finally loses the home. This may be where the most money is made on "foreclosures". By going straight to the owner before the home is lost, you are a step ahead of investors who wait for foreclosure sale or wait until the bank owns the property.Are you taking advantage of an owner when you make a profit off of his financial troubles? Maybe. You might also be helping him make the best out of a bad situation. You really can do the latter and still make a

California Unemployment Insurance

California unemployment insurance is designed to provide you with unemployment insurance benefits should you find yourself unemployed due to lack of work. If you apply for unemployment insurance benefits you must be eligible based on the requirements of the California unemployment insurance board in order to receive benefits.The California unemployment insurance act has a set of criteria that defines whether are eligible to receive benefits. You must have worked a specific period of time, as well as earned a certain amount of money for a claim to be established. You can qualify either working full time or part time and you must find yourself out of work as a result of nothing to do with you.In order to remain eligible on your California unemployment insurance benefits you must be willing and able to look for work every day. You must be out seeking gainful employment daily, and you must file your claim cards on time to remain entitled to unemployment insurance benefits. Should you decide you would like to take some training you must have it approved and in place for your benefits to continue paying.When you are filing for unemployment insurance benefits you will be required to provide proof of employment including your start and finish date and your insurable earnings. You will need your paperwork for any employers you had in the past year.The maximum California unemployment insurance benefits is $450 a week and the minimum is $40. After filing for unemployment insurance benefits, once your claim has been accepted you will be notified of what your weekly benefits will be, based on a percentage of your earnings.According to the California unemployment insurance act the reason you became unemployed can affect your eligibility. For example, if you are laid off and it has nothing to do with you then you would be entitled to benefits. However, if you quit or are fired from your job there will be an interview conducted with you and with your previous employer to try to resolve the reason for you no longer being employed. The unemployment insurance agent will have to determine whether you are eligible based on the information collected and the stat

A Debt Consolidation Program To Relieve Debt

Debt consolidation programs are good if you are paying on several different loans. They can make your life easier by giving you one monthly payment. Your monthly debt decreases if the program you use for debt consolidation stretches your payments over a long period of time. Paying less every month will free up some extra cash. A successful strategy sometimes is to use a debt consolidation program. With these programs you can manage various high-rate revolving debts with one payment. Let’s say you have several high credit card balances with high interest rates. With the debt consolidation program, you will be able to lower the interest rate you’re paying and manage the debt better. Debt Consolidation Programs Reminders

Savings Account Payday Loan - Cash

Need fast cash, but not sure where to turn? Need to pay off a bill, get emergency money, or just get something to last you through next payday, but you do not have the credit to get a traditional loan? A savings account payday loan may be the answer you are looking for.How Does A Payday Loan Work?A payday loan is a temporary loan offered by many different companies around the world. These loans typically only last until your next payday. These types of loans are offered in various outlet stores or even on the internet for your convenience. You typica

Credit Repair is More Than a Right, It's Your Responsibility

The majority of Americans have errors and other unverifiable information on their credit reports that could be dragging down their credit score. Odds are good that your credit score is lower than it should be. The unfortunate thing is that odds are you will be yet another one of the millions of Americans who will continue to suffer with an unfair credit score because you will do nothing to repair your credit.Most Americans want to believe the credit reporting system works; that people earn their bad credit and there is nothing they can do about it but wait for seven years. But study after study shows the credit reporting system frequently does not work. This is why the Fair Credit Reporting Act and other consumer protection legislation give you the right to do something about it - the right to make sure your credit score is as good as it can be.So why is it that, though everyone has the right to dispute the negative items in their credit reports, very few people do? It certainly can't be because they don't understand the importance of a high credit score. After all, it doesn't take a genius to figure out the benefits of a good credit score when it can be the difference between paying $2,500/month and $2,000/month for the exact same house.More likely, the reason people do not repair their credit is a mix of apathy and lack of understanding of the credit reporting system. Too many people assume the credit reporting system is some official government bureaucracy with an extensive system of checks and balances designed to ensure the safekeeping of their credit history. This couldn't be further from the truth.The credit bureaus at the center of the credit reporting system are not official organizations. Instead, they are massive, for-profit corporations that collect personal information from your creditors and make money by selling this information in the form of your credit reports.So now you are asking yourself, how do they ensure this information is correct? If a creditor reports something that is wrong, how do the credit bureaus make sure it doesn't end up on your credit reports?The answer to both of these questions is: they don't. Your creditors report information, the credit bureaus record it, and for most people, the story ends there. Nobody at the credit bureaus or in the government is going to

Understanding and Comparing Health Insurance in California

With all the health insurance options that are available it might be overwhelming with choosing the right health coverage. Every state offers different health insurance options based on the laws in that state. California residents have one of the largest selections of health coverage that is available today. This guide will help you understand eighty percent of all the health insurance options that are available to you in the state of California.When comparing health insurance plans there are three main categories that you will be looking at. Three categories are; office consultation, prescriptions drug coverage and everything else that is build in to the deductible.1. Office consultation. With most health insurance plans, you will have a copay or co-insurance to pay for office consultations. The copay or co-insurance are typically not subject to the main deductible of the plan. A copay is a fixed amount such as $30 for an office visit. Co-insurance is a fixed percentage such as 30% for an office visit. An example of co-insurance would be:Office Visit: $100 chargeNegotiated rate: $ 60 chargeCo-insurance: 30%In this case, the subscriber would pay 30% of the negotiated rate of $60 for a total of $18. The negotiated rate is the charge that an in-network doctor or provider has agreed to in order to participate in that network. This usually applies to PPO type plans.

Public-access television

Public-access television

Public access television is one of three types of PEG (Public Educational Governmental) media access within a municipality. In short, public access television is the availability of one or more television stations to the general public. If public access television is offered within a municipality, resources available to the public will include a part-time or full time cable TV channel, possibly more than one, and may also include studios, equipment, and staff to assist in the production of shows. The channel and facilities may be administrated by the cable company but the cable company cannot control the material