What does this have to do with us? Unless you own a home in the upper prices ranges of our market (and only a small percentage of my readers own these homes)
You too can profit. Lets say you have a $300,000 home (or it was worth that last year). Lets say you can sell it now for $260,000. Then you can buy that dream home that was a half million dollar home for say $430,000. You took a $40,000 loss but picked up $$70,000 and got your dream home.
Similarly the first time buyer can buy a home with prices rolled back to those early in this decade.
Almost everybody wins.
Credit Card Scams You Need to Know About
How To Avoid These Common Credit Card Scams
In a perfect world, credit card scams would not exist. Unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world. The scams abound and the scammers seem to breed like rabbits. If you want to avoid credit card threats you need to know what common credit card scams to look out for. Here are the ones most likely to hit you at one point or another.
Let Me Take Your Card To The Back
This is when someone at a restaurant or other business needs to take your credit card "to the back" to run your transaction. There's no guarantee that those people won't copy your credit card details when you're not looking. In fact, it's been done many many times to other innocent cardholders.
To avoid this scam only pay by credit card when you can see exactly what they are doing with your card at all times. In all other situations, pay cash.
I Need Your Those Three Digits
This scam happens when someone calls you pretending to be from the security department of your credit card company. Supposedly there's been suspicious activity on your card and they have to verify that you're in possession of the card. They ask you to read the three digit "security code" on the back.
While that is indeed as security number, it's not your credit card company calling. It's another one of those annoyingly-deceptive credit card scams. When you get this call it means that a scammer already has your credit card number and expiration date. He just needed those three little numbers on the back of your card. If you fall for the scam, he got them.
You've Been Approved
This scam is also done over the phone. You get call saying you've been approved for a great credit card. High limit, low interest rate - what more could you ask for? Of course you want to jump on the deal so you go for it.
To process your new account the person on the phone needs to verify just a few things. Your name, social security number, address, phone number and income. Don't fall for it.
If you are ever pre-approved for a card, they'll send you something in the mail and you'll need to call them. No credit card company is going to call you over the phone asking for such personal information. Do yourself a favor. Next time you get a call like this, tell the person you need a number where you can call them back. Call the authorities with the time of the call and give them the number. It's the only way to stop these credit card scams.
Be Weary, Be Wise
While you don't want to feel as though you're paranoid or overly-suspicious, the fact of the matter is that we live in a changing world and credit card scams are becoming more and more common. Do yourself a favor and protect yourself from these scams. Be on the lookout at all times and keep the above information in mind.
http://www.creditcardwhizkid.com/2008/06/credit-card-scams-you-need-to-know-about.html
Sent by Jennifer Hamby
"Where is Your Paint Can?"
A man landed a job painting the yellow line down the center of the highway, by hand. After three days his foreman complained about the job he was doing. "Your first day out, you did great," he said. "You painted that line for three miles. Your second day wasn't bad. You painted two miles. But today you painted only one mile, so it looks like I will have to fire you."
On his way out of the foreman's office, the employee looked back and said, "It's not my fault. Everyday I got further and further from the paint can."
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This humorous story illustrates how we can complicate our lives at work and at home, if we are lacking insight into how we create additional stresses in our lives. Many times we look to a time management seminar or a book to tell us how to gain more time. Perhaps, we might do better to ask, "How can I simplify my life?"
Here is a brief questionnaire that can be used to evaluate whether you are unnecessarily making your tasks more difficult.
1. What systems do I have, or need, that will make sure that I use my time, resources and materials in a practical manner?
2. In what ways am I making my job more difficult because I walk back and forth between the unfinished "yellow line" and my paint can?
3. Have I let a habit lock me into a routine that is not only counter productive, but also costs me time and a peaceful existence?
4. How can I further simply my life at work and home so that I feel more in control and more productive?
5. What unnecessary steps can I eliminate at work that will reduce the stress that I feel?
Like the man painting the yellow line by hand, if we fail to plan how to accomplish a task. We then lose sight of our ability to re-evaluate our activities and we may find ourselves walking the same path over and over again, but accomplishing less and less. If this becomes a habit, we may find ourselves on the road to burnout.
Taking a few minutes to analyze situations in which we have left our paint can far behind, rather than bringing it along, can lead to a happier more productive life.
www.workplaceissues.com
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