Archive for June, 2008

My neighbors Melissa and David just returned from a trip to Kauai, Hawaii, where they stayed in a Hanalei Bay vacation rental. Despite rooming with ants and other critters in their less-than-pristine, jungle-immersed rental apartment, they are glad they skipped the resort option for this vacation.
“I guess I would stay in a hotel if I […]
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Voluntary Constraint Marketing

Been shopping for a car lately? Did you buy one? If so, how do you know you got the best model and the best deal?

Shopping has become increasingly complex. With the advent of online opportunities, that complexity has multiplied many times over.

And if you are looking to start an affiliate marketing online business, the decisions can be overwhelming. You are being told that you should concentrate on eBay, no - Adsense, no - starting an affiliate program, no - …

According to Barry Schwarz in “The Paradox of Choice, Why More Is Less” we are shopping more and enjoying it less.

So, what are you to do about it? Mr. Schwarz gives us 5 rules to live by.

1) “We would be better off if we embraced certain voluntary constraints on our freedom of choice, instead of rebelling against them.”

Here is the deal. You could spend 12 hours a day trying to figure out which of the many possibilities being thrown at you is the best. But, if all you are doing is analysis, you have no production. So, no online affiliate marketing.

After all, the trail to profiting online is learn, produce, analyze, automate and repeat. If you are analyzing but not going on to the next step, you will never earn a dime.

2) “We would be better off seeking what was ‘good enough’ instead of seeking the best …”Take your time choosing the route you are going to use to market online. But don’t take too much time. Then take your time choosing what tools you need to start producing the websites, audios, videos and other products that you will be using in your online affiliate marketing. But, don’t take too much time. Settle for ‘good enough’ and go with it. You can tweak it later.

3) ” We would be better off if we lowered our expectations about the results of decisions.”
Don’t be discouraged if your initial efforts do not produce the next Microsoft. Not only is it important to have reasonable expectations, but you need to be encouraged that you have made progress.

You may remember that Thomas Edison tried thousands of possible combinations of design, filament and gas to design a light bulb. He was interviewed at one point and asked if he was discouraged because he was failing. His reply was that he was not failing, he had discovered over a thousand ways not to make a light bulb.

If all you do is discover a thousand ways not to make money with online affiliate marketing, you could write a best seller documenting that.

4) “We would be better off if the decisions we made were nonreversible.”

Now that rule is a hard one to swallow. If we choose to make money on eBay and fail in the first month or two, it sure would be easy to try our hand at Adsense next. But, this is crucial. You need to trust your early research and impressions.

When you chose your course, you did so with intelligence based on good research. Don’t throw that all away to start over on another course. If you do, you will be starting all over, learning how not to make money on the web in another area!

5) “We would be better off if we paid less attention to what others around us were doing.”

It is important to keep an eye on what is going on in your field of online endeavor. But, it should be done out of the corner of your eye.

This goes back to rule number one. If all you are doing is keeping track of the trends in your area and are not producing on your own, you will know a lot about how to make money, but you won’t be making any.

If you will take these five rules to heart, you will be better off - not only with your success, but you will be able to sleep better at night.

About the Author :

Ron McCluskey started marketing online before the web. He had a bulletin board system on an Apple way back in 1986. Marketing since then has changed a lot, but Ron has kept up with current trends. Find him at http://extremeaffiliateincome.com

This article is distributed by: www.iSnare.com
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Personal Finance 101 - Credit Checks

Credit cards, personal loans, mortgages and other forms of personal credit are an everyday part of financial life for all UK consumers. Looking at the figures for UK personal debt shows that Britain appears to be addicted to borrowing money and still continues obtaining more from the financial institutions. By the end of 2005 the UK personal debt levels stood at a record ?1,148, with 83% of this debt consisting of secured mortgage loans. Due to the nations reliance on credit of all forms, it is extremely important to keep a close eye on your own personal financial history and keep up to date with the official credit check reports which can help prevent fraud, and make the difference between acceptance at a favourable interest rate, or outright rejection just when the money is needed the most.

In the UK there are two main credit reference agencies which hold a wide range of financial information detailing a person’s continually evolving financial history, these are Experian and Equifax. By obtaining a copy of your report from each of these sources, (as they may contain different information), you can not only check the accuracy of the information stored and look for any potentially fraudulent entries, but you can also request that any incorrect information is amended to prevent possible future credit problems.

Each lender will weigh the information contained in a person’s credit file differently. However there are universal contributing factors which include:

- Electoral Roll information for a person’s currently registered address.

- Defaults on any financial repayment contracts, such as loans, mortgages, etc.

- Employment history for mortgage, credit cards, loans, hire purchase and finance agreements.

- Any County Court Judgments.

- The complete amount owed and the number of credit facilities used.

- The number of new credit facilities that have been applied for (both successful and unsuccessful applications).

- The type of credit used.

- Salary details given on the application form.

Lending organisations combine the data obtained through a credit report, along with information acquired from an application form, to produce a credit score. This score represents a measure of an applicant’s likelihood to repay debts and to make any repayments on time.

If an applicant’s score falls below the lenders acceptable risk threshold, or they don’t fit an ideal customer profile, then the application may be completely rejected. It is also possible that a low score may result in acceptance, but at a more expensive interest rate than might usually be offered.

Some credit card providers, such as the Asda supermarket chain’s finance services, now provide applicants with a copy of their credit reports with all applications, however, to obtain the best deal it is vitally important that borrowers do some shopping around. When shopping around for credit however, try to obtain as much information as possible prior to making a formal application for credit. Whenever any application for credit is made, a footprint is left on the credit record showing that a search has been made. Credit companies see lots of footprints as an indicator that the applicant may be in severe financial difficulties or even that some form of fraud may be evident. Using one of the various online financial comparison websites, such as Moneynet.co.uk , enables you to see what is on offer, and what general market rates are available, before any financial commitment or full credit search is required.

Even people who are not looking to obtain additional credit may find a credit report useful for peace of mind, and to ensure that their credit details are not being used for fraudulent applications, or as part of the growing disturbing phenomenon that is identity theft.

Disclaimer:

All information contained in this article, is for general information purposes only and should not be construed as advice under the Financial Services Act 1986.

You are strongly advised to take appropriate professional and legal advice before entering into any binding contracts.

Useful resources:

Equifax credit reference agency

Experian credit reference agency

Moneynet.co.uk loan comparisons

About the author:

Richard lives in Edinburgh, occasionally writing for the personal finance blog Cashzilla ( http://cashzilla.blogspot.com/ ), and listens to music no one else likes.
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Do You Really Know How To Quickly and Easily Find Affordable Health Insurance Online?

Affordable health insurance, it’s something we all want to take part in but the reality is many consumers don?t know how to properly search for the best online health insurance deal. Fortunately, with the advent of the Internet finding the most affordable health insurance online has never been easier.

One thing you must know before doing any type of online research for health insurance or any other insurance product is that there are many insurance company websites that promise incredibly low rates for their insurance products but actually fail to deliver. Shopping for affordable health insurance isn’t as easy as buying the latest hard cover novel, the newest DVD or the latest Play Station 2 game. When purchasing health insurance online you will be required to divulge information about your current state of health as well as other information that is normally personal in nature. For that very reason always take the time to make sure the website you are considering purchasing your insurance through is truly legit and that they actually have licensed insurance providers that can help with your health insurance needs, wants and desires.

Perhaps the easiest way to find affordable health insurance online is to simply do a cost comparison as well as a benefit comparison between insurance providers or specialists. Don?t be mislead by the numerous ads touting insurance policies for 70% and 80% cheaper then anyone else. Although many of the insurance companies advertising specials like this are doing so to gain your business and may have a very good health benefits package there are a few bad apples that will do nothing more then take your health insurance premiums and provide little in the way of health care coverage. Remember the goal is to get the maximum amount of health insurance coverage at the lowest possible monthly rate.

So to recap the quickest and simplest way to find the best affordable health insurance online is to do the following; Step 1 - Search on the internet for health insurance companies and providers. Step 2 ? Obtain their health insurance premium rates and quotes. Step 3 ? Accurately (this means read the fine print) compare and contrast the plans and prices you obtained in step 2. Step 4 ? Choose the health insurance plan that meets your health coverage needs and stays within your monthly budget and then apply online.

In some cases consumers shopping for affordable health insurance get confused or lost by the variety or options available to choose from. One way to seek resolution on this minor problem is to actively utilize the insurance company’s licensed health insurance agent by requesting guidance and information on their company’s respective plans, coverage amounts and monthly premiums.

Finding affordable health insurance doesn?t have to be a hassle or pain in the neck procedure. In fact by following our quick and easy tips you will find that locating the most affordable health care insurance online doesn?t have to be frustrating at all.

Looking for more money saving tips and advice regarding affordable health insurance? Sharlene Raven is a respected webmaster whose site GoodHealthCoverage.com specalizes in providing health insurance information you can trust.

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