http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/finance/what-does-your-nest-egg-look-like.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/what-does-your-nest-egg-look-like.html Mon, 04 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Consumer credit counseling services will consolidate your debt and reduce your interest rates without a loan. These consolidation services will accept credit card debt and any other unsecured debt. Not only will you have the benefit of reduced interest rates you will also have the convenience of one monthly payment for your debts. Debt counseling services will also deal directly with your creditors and your creditors will no longer be able to make collection calls to you once you have enrolled in debt counseling.

Debt counseling can be your way out of debt. These counselors can teach you how to budget and how to manage you money so that once you are out of debt, you can stay that way. This type of debt management will not devastate your credit and it will give you a second chance. Make your debt management selection as soon as possible, that way you can get your finances back on track and begin to enjoy a life of debt freedom.


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Marjorie Salada is the owner of debtmanagement1.com, a website that contains information on debt consolidation, debt settlement, debt counseling and how to manage credit card debt.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/how-well-are-you-prepared-for-retirement.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/how-well-are-you-prepared-for-retirement.html Mon, 04 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0500
• Prepare an overview of your expenses-calculate everything that you pay out from your groceries to your utilities. Find out what it currently costs you to live.
• Look into your future-some of your costs may increase, but you will have other costs that will decrease in the future. Try to be specific about what it will cost you to live. Don’t forget to factor in inflation.
• Calculate long-If you retire at age 65, you average life expectancy is another 20 years, but what if you live another 30. You had better plan for the fact that you might beat the odds.
• Know where you are-calculate where you stand know and approximate what you will be able to save in the future. Be conservative in your estimations. Don’t forget about pensions, 401K and Social Security.
• Make adjustments-if you have done your calculation and find that you are falling short of where you need to be, make the necessary adjustments so that you will be prepared. You may need to save more, delay retirement, work part time or reduce your spending so you are prepared for retirement.

It is no secret that the soon you start preparing for retirement, the better off you will be. It is also important to know where you stand at any given time. You should evaluate where you are in the retirement saving process and where you want to be and what your time line is. This is something you should do regularly to avoid surprises.


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Marjorie Salada is the owner of debtmanagement1.com, a website that contains information on debt consolidation, debt settlement, debt counseling and how to manage credit card debt.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/mortgage/should-you-prepay-your-mortgage.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/mortgage/should-you-prepay-your-mortgage.html Mon, 04 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0500
The benefits to prepaying your mortgage are:
• You will retain more of your money. The average mortgage will cost you two to three times the initial loan amount just in interest. That is money that will stay with you if you prepay instead of going to your lender.
• You will own your home sooner by prepaying the loan.
• Having equity in your home gives you more options. If you need to borrow money for any reason you can get a home equity line of credit at a reasonable interest rate

The disadvantages to prepaying your mortgage are:
• When interest rates are low, like they have been in recent years, you do not get a big return on prepaying your mortgage, but you are still farther ahead by paying your mortgage then you are by putting the money in a savings account.
• You may lose some of tax deduction options by prepaying your mortgage and as a result paying down your interest.
• You may want to have the equity in your home available to you through a home equity line of credit. When things are going well for you financially, home equity lines of credit are easy to get, but if you are experiencing financial hardship, a home equity line of credit may not be that easy to get. So, a home equity line of credit may be something you want to have in place before it would become necessary.

There is a lot to consider when it comes to prepaying your mortgage, but it is wise to have all other debt paid first, except for student loans. All other debt will normally have a higher interest rate than your mortgage.


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Marjorie Salada is the owner of debtmanagement1.com, a website that contains information on debt consolidation, debt settlement, debt counseling and how to manage credit card debt.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/debt/dealing-with-credit-card-balance-transfers-that-have-gone-bad.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/debt/dealing-with-credit-card-balance-transfers-that-have-gone-bad.html Fri, 25 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0500
You do have some options for paying off these credit card balances. But first and most importantly you need to stop charging on your credit cards and if that means cutting them up or freezing them, then you need to do it. It is going to be hard to pay off your credit card balances while you are adding to them.

As long as you are making you payments on time and your interest rates are low, you should stick with your current plan, because that is your best option. You should look for a way to increase your income or decrease your expenses so that you are able to pay more than the minimum. Paying more than the minimum will decrease the amount of interest you will be paying over the life of the repayment period.

However, if your credit card company raises your interest rate above 12% you might want to check into consumer credit counseling to see if they can save you money. Keep in mind that consumer credit counseling will have an effect on your credit. It will not devastate your credit, but it may lower your credit score somewhat. If you are making your payments on time, but feel you will not be able to maintain much longer, debt counseling is a good debt option for you.

If you are several months behind on your payments, debt settlement is probably going to be your best option. Debt settlement involves either you or a debt negotiation company negotiating a reduced balance that your credit card companies are willing to accept. You must be aware that this option will negatively affect your credit, but if you have not made your payment for several months your credit has already been negatively affected. This is a good alternative to bankruptcy and will not affect you credit as much as bankruptcy.

If you have gotten in financial trouble over credit card balance transfers, there is hope, but it is going to take some discipline and some changes in your lifestyle to be able to regain control over your credit card balances.




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Marjorie Salada is the owner of debtmanagement1.com, a website that contains information on debt consolidation, debt settlement, debt counseling and how to manage credit card debt.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/weight-loss/the-importance-of-drinking-water-for-weight-loss.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/weight-loss/the-importance-of-drinking-water-for-weight-loss.html Fri, 25 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Here are some facts about water and the reasons that it can help you with your weight loss:
• Water suppresses your appetite naturally and helps you body metabolize stored fat. Research has shown that decreasing your water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while increasing your water intake can reduce fat deposits.
• The way to fight fluid retention is to drink enough water. When the body does not get enough water it tends to hold on to every drop for dear life, causing your body to store water outside the cells, resulting in swelling. Using diuretics will cause the same effect. If you are experiencing excess water retention, you may want to examine the amount of salt that is in your diet. Your weight loss will come faster if you can reduce the amount of salt in your diet. If you are overweight you need more water than a person of normal weight.
• Water helps your muscles maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles the natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration.
• Water helps prevent the sagging skin that follows weight loss.
• Water helps rid you body of waste and it also helps prevent constipation.
• Water is absorbed into your system more quickly if it is cold. There is evidence to suggest that drinking cold water can burn calories.
• When you drink the optimum amount of water and you no longer experience fluid retention, more fat is used to fuel your body and you will experience less cravings and hunger.

Water truly does sustain your life and without we will die. It is amazing that something so simple and something that is free is so important to our lives. If you drink 64 ounces of water daily, within a month you should notice a lot of differences in yourself. Our bodies are made up mostly of water and the best way to keep them healthy is to drink a lot of it.



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Marjorie Salada is the owner of Weight Loss 3000, a website that contains information on weight loss, exercise, weight loss surgery and living a healthy lifestyle.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/debt/the-problem-with-credit-card-balance-transfers.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/debt/the-problem-with-credit-card-balance-transfers.html Wed, 23 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0500
So, you take the company up on their offer and you transfer your balance and everything it great. This is true as long as you make your payments on time and are not tempted to charge on the old card. In many cases one of two things happens, causing the balance transfer idea to look less attractive.

First, you have that old credit card that you just paid off and it has a lot of available credit. It is the day before payday and you need gas or a friend comes to town and you want to go to dinner. What do you do? You take out that old credit card, the one with the available balance, and charge on it. Little by little that card begins to have an accumulating balance again and before you know it you now have two credit card payments.

The other problem is with payments that are not made on time. You must make ALL of your payments on time. Making late payments will cause you to lose your introductory rate and if you have a habit of making late payments, you could see you interest rate increase to over 30% annually. You can make you payment 3 days after your due date and it will most likely never affect your credit. It usually has to be more than 30 days late before it is reported to the credit bureau. But paying 3 days after your due date, you will be considered late by your credit card company and will be charged a late fee.

Balance transfers can help you reduce your debt and save you money, but it is all in how you handle them. Make your payments on time and refrain from using your charge cards and they are a good debt option for you. If you have a problem with making your payments on time or you find credit cards tempting, there are other debt repayment plans that will work better for you.


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Marjorie Salada is the owner of debtmanagement1.com, a website that contains information on debt consolidation, debt settlement, debt counseling and how to manage credit card debt.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/weight-loss/what-does-stress-have-to-do-with-losing-weight.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/weight-loss/what-does-stress-have-to-do-with-losing-weight.html Wed, 23 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Eliminating stress, or I guess I should say reducing stress, I don’t think you can completely eliminate it in today’s society, it is going to go a long way in improving your quality of life. The problem is a lot of people are under so much stress, they don’t know where to start to make changes to reduce it.

Here are some of thing that I have found helpful in reducing stress in my life:
• Do 5 five minutes of deep breathing.
• Take some time to reflect on the positive things in your life.
• Say “no” to tasks you don’t want to do and you don’t have to do.
• Have a bed time ritual. (I cross stitch or read for up to an hour before I go to bed).
• Do deep relaxation or medication exercises.
• Spend some time doing something you know will make you feel better. This could be doing something to pamper your self, taking a walk in the park, organizing a small area of your home or office, writing a letter to a friend or writing in a journal. This can be any number of things that you may enjoy.
• Spend some quality time with your family.

I have found that getting organized in other areas of my life makes it easier for me to make healthy food choices and to stick to a regular exercise plan. My experience is that when I get organized in some areas of my life the other areas of my life soon fall into place.

As soon as I start experience a lot of chaos in my life, I try to take some steps to eliminate the stress and get the important things in my life back into place and then it makes easier to move forward with the areas that take more time and effort.


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Marjorie Salada is the owner of Weight Loss 3000, a website that contains information on weight loss, exercise, weight loss surgery and living a healthy lifestyle.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/weight-loss/why-do-people-get-eating-disorders.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/weight-loss/why-do-people-get-eating-disorders.html Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Contrary to popular belief, eating disorders are not about eating or being skinny. They are about control and self-expression. A person with an eating disorder usually feels that other areas of their life are out of control and their eating or lack of it is the one thing they do have control over.

Their dieting may start about being thin and beautiful, because that is what is considered desirable in our society today. They want to be perfect, but then the dieting goes too far. These disorders are very complicated and take long and intensive treatment. Many people that suffer from eating disorders never do recover.

Eating disorders happen mostly in young women with a history of dieting. Most people are predisposed to these disorders and have addictive tendencies. When they are faced with life’s problems, they do not cope the same way as most people do. Like any other addict, if they can't control situations in their life, they will find something that they can control or get comfort from and that is the way they deal with food.

For a long time, a person with an eating disorder may be able to keep it hidden. This makes it even harder to make changes, because this person has suffered in silence for so long they do not know how to open up to other people. Learning to trust and talk to other people is a very important when it comes to person with an eating disorder recovering.

Unfortunately, eating disorders will eventually have severe consequences. They will affect your heart, kidneys and liver. It causes osteoporosis and muscle deterioration. It also weakens your immune system and causes anemia. As many as 20 percent of all people, who suffer from eating disorders, will die from their disease.

Eating disorders are very complicated and learning how to recover from this disorder is a lifelong process, but with time and professional help a person is able to make significant strides towards living a normal life. Getting help and learning to trust again is the key.


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Marjorie Salada is the owner of Weight Loss 3000, a website that contains information on weight loss, exercise, weight loss surgery and living a healthy lifestyle.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/loans/should-you-pay-off-your-debt-with-a-home-equity-line-of-credit.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/loans/should-you-pay-off-your-debt-with-a-home-equity-line-of-credit.html Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Just because you have this line of credit does not mean that you have to have anything on it. I know people that have them for emergencies and may not use them for many years, but if something does happen, it is as simple as writing a check to have some extra money and the interest rate is far lower than that of a credit card and the interest is also tax deductible.

Short term borrowers make good candidates for home equity loans because they can get a good rate due to the short term on the loan. This is an excellent option for consolidating your debts if you can pay them off in five years or less. Once you have paid off the loan, the account can be kept open for that day that you might need it.

You can also get a home equity loan that has a longer term, but your interest rate will be higher than most fixed rate mortgages. Although, this rate will probably still be lower that what you are paying on most credit cards. So if you are looking for a way out of debt and are fairly disciplined with your money, a home equity line of credit is a smart way to go as long as you can pay it off in five years or less.


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Marjorie Salada is the owner of debtmanagement1.com, a website that contains information on debt consolidation, debt settlement, debt counseling and how to manage credit card debt.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/debt/are-you-a-compulsive-shopper.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/debt/are-you-a-compulsive-shopper.html Mon, 21 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0500
• Are your credit cards all maxed out?
• Do you have a hard to concentrating at work or sleeping at night because you are worrying about your debts?
• Are you trying to avoid creditors and people you owe money to?
• Do you feel ashamed because your finances are out of control?
• Do you have closet full clothes that still have tags on them?
• Are you paying your rent or buying groceries with credit card cash advances?
• Are you afraid to balance your checkbook or open your credit card statements?
• Do you drink, eat or do drugs to forget about your debt?
• Do you think if it is on sale you got a good deal?
• Do you often borrow money from friends and family?
• Do you skimp on buying food so you can pay your creditors?
• Do you hide shopping purchases from your partner?
• Do you hide your debts from your partner?
• Are you not wanting to seek help even though you now you family is suffering because of your financial situation?

If you answer yes to more than six of these questions, you probably have a spending problem. The quickest way to get this problem under control is to swallow your pride and get professional help. You need somebody that can not only set you up on a debt management plan, but they can also help you figure out why you are spending money. You are not alone and your compulsive spending habits can be changed with time and effort.




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Marjorie Salada is the owner of debtmanagement1.com, a website that contains information on debt consolidation, debt settlement, debt counseling and how to manage credit card debt.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>