Credit Card Debt: How To Get Rid Of It.
By Greg Mee
This method is simple, but requires some discipline.
First, you have to stop any new spending on your cards.
Second - you'll need to examine all of your spending. You'll
need to know how much extra money you'll be able to put towards
paying off your cards.
Credit card companies generally determine the minimum payment
to be 2 - 2.5% of the outstanding balance. So if you owe
$1,000, for example, your minimum payment will be 20 - $25 per
month.
Some part of that $25 goes to the interest on the balance, some
to pay off the actual balance. How much goes where depends on
the interest rate. Your credit card statement will give you the
exact numbers.
Let's say that $20 of the $25 goes to the actual balance. To
pay off $1,000 at $20 per month will take 50 months. Just over
four years. You'll also have paid $250 in interest alone.
Here's how you pay them off:
Look at the interest rates on all your credit cards. Take the
one with the highest rate. That's the one you're going to work
on first and we'll call it card #1.
After examining your spending you may have found some money to
put towards your payments. All of this extra money to pay off
your card debt goes to this one card. The idea is to pay as
much extra to card #1 as you can. Until it's paid off.
Pay the minimum balances on all the other cards until card #1
is done.
Then take the card with the next highest interest rate and add
to its payment the total of the payment you were making to card
#1. In other words, send the regular monthly payment you used to
send for card #1, plus any additional amounts that you used to
pay on card #1, plus the monthly minimum for card #2- all to
card #2. Do this until card #2 is done.
Then take the total you were paying to cards #1 and #2 and add
that to the payment on card #3, and so on.
Here's an example:
Let's say you have four, maxed out, credit cards. Each with a
balance of $5,000 ($20,000 total.)
Say the minimum payment on each card is $100 (yours may be
different) making your monthly minimum payment total $400.
Now let's say you have $500 per month to pay these off, which
you found through analyzing all your spending.
Card #1 has the highest interest rate and you'll send $200 per
month to that card and pay the minimums ($100) on each of the
others.
And you're not adding any new spending.
The extra $100 you're sending in to card #1 goes to the actual
balance of the card, not the interest. This will let you pay
that card off a lot faster. You might be able to kill this card
in two years, instead of 5.
Eventually, card #1 is dead. The entire payment, $200, that you
were making to card #1 gets added to the payment on card #2, for
$300 total. ($100 minimum plus the extra $200 from card #1.)
The balance on card #2 will be less than $5,000 since you've
been making your minimum payments all along. Adding the $200
from card #1 to the payment of $100 that you've been making to
card #2 will make this card go away much faster than the first
card did.
When card #2 is gone you take the $300 per month that you were
paying to #1 and #2 and add it to the payment on #3, which will
now be $400/month.
When #3 is done you repeat the procedure for card #4, but now
you're sending the whole $500/month to that one card.
Obviously this system will take years, but at the end of that
time you have:
* Four dead cards (hopefully you cut most of them up,)
* Spending and budgeting discipline earned from going through
the whole process, and
* $500/month to put into a savings account or where ever.
Good luck!
About the Author: Written by Greg Mee. For more help on
handling credit card debt visit
http://www.1-credit-card-debt.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Friday, July 27, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
Credit Card And Loan Apr…some Points Of Interest
By Terry Till
When choosing to have a credit card or credit arrangement how
many of us take an interest in the APR or look into how much
our borrowing will cost us over the year that we have a credit
amount outstanding.
The APR or annual percentage rate that is used for a credit
card or credit facility is our guideline as to how much
interest we will be paying to the financial lender on the money
we borrow. With the competition nowadays to offer us credit on
all matter of consumables we can all to easily forget that what
we sign for today on a credit card or credit arrangement will
inevitably cost us considerably more than the original purchase
price if we don’t make some preliminary investigations into the
total cost of the item including the financial lenders
interest.
So when making your next purchase using a credit card, or any
other credit arrangement, be sure to enquire first what the APR
is and what the total cost of the item will cost you including
the interest.
As a basic guideline obviously the lower the APR is, the
smaller the amount of interest charged should be, however it is
always wise to ask for a full quotation of the total cost in
writing when ever possible.
Also check what APR your current credit card is charging and
make the time to see what better offers are being made by the
other financial institutions, it is not uncommon nowadays to
find interest rates now being offered from 0% to the high 20%
range. Again it is also well worth asking how long the interest
rate being offered is guaranteed for as some companies may offer
an attractive introductory rate for a short period of time which
when reverted back to their normal rate may be far more
uncompetitive than others available.
About the Author: Copywrite 2005 Terry Till
http://www.credit-card-offer-deal.info
Source: http://www.isnare.com
By Terry Till
When choosing to have a credit card or credit arrangement how
many of us take an interest in the APR or look into how much
our borrowing will cost us over the year that we have a credit
amount outstanding.
The APR or annual percentage rate that is used for a credit
card or credit facility is our guideline as to how much
interest we will be paying to the financial lender on the money
we borrow. With the competition nowadays to offer us credit on
all matter of consumables we can all to easily forget that what
we sign for today on a credit card or credit arrangement will
inevitably cost us considerably more than the original purchase
price if we don’t make some preliminary investigations into the
total cost of the item including the financial lenders
interest.
So when making your next purchase using a credit card, or any
other credit arrangement, be sure to enquire first what the APR
is and what the total cost of the item will cost you including
the interest.
As a basic guideline obviously the lower the APR is, the
smaller the amount of interest charged should be, however it is
always wise to ask for a full quotation of the total cost in
writing when ever possible.
Also check what APR your current credit card is charging and
make the time to see what better offers are being made by the
other financial institutions, it is not uncommon nowadays to
find interest rates now being offered from 0% to the high 20%
range. Again it is also well worth asking how long the interest
rate being offered is guaranteed for as some companies may offer
an attractive introductory rate for a short period of time which
when reverted back to their normal rate may be far more
uncompetitive than others available.
About the Author: Copywrite 2005 Terry Till
http://www.credit-card-offer-deal.info
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Friday, July 20, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
Virtual Credit Card Terminals
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kent_Pinkerton]Kent Pinkerton
Virtual credit card terminals are the best means for processing credit card payments. They are perfect for any business that accepts credit card payments by phone, fax or e-mail. Virtual credit card terminals are a safe, browser-based interface that allows you to authorize, process, and manage credit card transactions, using any computer with an Internet connection. You do not need a physical credit card terminal.
As they reduce complexity and expenses, virtual credit card terminals are suitable for businesses of all sizes. They are commonly used in utility companies, mail order businesses, call center operations, newspapers and magazines, insurance companies, charities, and service companies. With virtual credit card terminals, you can manually enter credit card transactions for mail or phone order sales, refund money to a customer's credit card, automatically bill customers for recurring charges, check the status of transactions, run a variety of reports, and capture previously authorized transaction.
Virtual terminals are software-based credit card terminals enabling you to quickly capture and authorize credit card transactions in real time. When the process is complete, the merchant receives an authorization number and the server stores the transaction details. Transactions are automatically settled at the end of the day and the reports are generated within two to three business days.
Compared with POS (point of sale) terminals, virtual credit card terminals are very fast. Other features of virtual credit card terminals include address verification service, customer and merchant email notifications, recurring payments, and detailed reporting capabilities. Automatic item sub-total calculation, credit card swipe card option, automatic tax calculation, automatic shipping calculation, item discount calculator, billing and shipping data fields, and coupon or rebate calculator are the added features of virtual credit card terminals.
Unlike other software packages, virtual credit card terminals do not need licensing fees and fees for upgrades and customer service. The cost is always associated with authorizing and processing of credit card transactions. Most software-based credit card terminals utilize flash memory to store the software. [http://www.e-CreditCardTerminals.com]Credit Card Terminals provides detailed information on Credit Card Terminals, Credit Card Terminal Systems, Wireless Credit Card Terminals, Credit Card Processing Terminals and more. Credit Card Terminals is affiliated with [http://www.i-CreditCardProcessing.com]Credit Card Processing Software.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kent_Pinkerton http://EzineArticles.com/?Virtual-Credit-Card-Terminals&id=353178
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kent_Pinkerton]Kent Pinkerton
Virtual credit card terminals are the best means for processing credit card payments. They are perfect for any business that accepts credit card payments by phone, fax or e-mail. Virtual credit card terminals are a safe, browser-based interface that allows you to authorize, process, and manage credit card transactions, using any computer with an Internet connection. You do not need a physical credit card terminal.
As they reduce complexity and expenses, virtual credit card terminals are suitable for businesses of all sizes. They are commonly used in utility companies, mail order businesses, call center operations, newspapers and magazines, insurance companies, charities, and service companies. With virtual credit card terminals, you can manually enter credit card transactions for mail or phone order sales, refund money to a customer's credit card, automatically bill customers for recurring charges, check the status of transactions, run a variety of reports, and capture previously authorized transaction.
Virtual terminals are software-based credit card terminals enabling you to quickly capture and authorize credit card transactions in real time. When the process is complete, the merchant receives an authorization number and the server stores the transaction details. Transactions are automatically settled at the end of the day and the reports are generated within two to three business days.
Compared with POS (point of sale) terminals, virtual credit card terminals are very fast. Other features of virtual credit card terminals include address verification service, customer and merchant email notifications, recurring payments, and detailed reporting capabilities. Automatic item sub-total calculation, credit card swipe card option, automatic tax calculation, automatic shipping calculation, item discount calculator, billing and shipping data fields, and coupon or rebate calculator are the added features of virtual credit card terminals.
Unlike other software packages, virtual credit card terminals do not need licensing fees and fees for upgrades and customer service. The cost is always associated with authorizing and processing of credit card transactions. Most software-based credit card terminals utilize flash memory to store the software. [http://www.e-CreditCardTerminals.com]Credit Card Terminals provides detailed information on Credit Card Terminals, Credit Card Terminal Systems, Wireless Credit Card Terminals, Credit Card Processing Terminals and more. Credit Card Terminals is affiliated with [http://www.i-CreditCardProcessing.com]Credit Card Processing Software.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kent_Pinkerton http://EzineArticles.com/?Virtual-Credit-Card-Terminals&id=353178
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
Do You Need Credit Card Processing Services?
By Shane Penrod
Are your customers asking for credit card processing services?
If so, you may want to consider adding this service to your
company’s Website in order to provide convenient payment
methods that will bring back repeat business. Many companies
today are moving more toward e-commerce, which means that if
you want to avoid getting left behind, you should get ready to
join the throng of professionals who are marching into the
electronic age of doing business.
Although you may have relied on cash transactions up to now,
you might find that is becoming more cumbersome to make correct
change, accept checks that could bounce, and track delinquent
payments, all while keeping track of each and every
transaction. Farming out some of these tasks to hired help can
be costly, which is why you may be able to benefit from credit
card processing services. If you conduct business onsite at a
primary facility, you can plug in a credit card processor and
start taking credit payments immediately, which are far less
likely to bounce than personal checks.
But you will first have to open a merchant account before
establishing credit card processing services. Look for a
longstanding bank with a solid reputation, one who currently
offers merchant accounts to dependable business owners like
you. Then be prepared to provide the required documentation
that shows a stable credit history and a reasonable business
plan that depends on credit card processing services. Upon
approval, which can come within a few days, you will be able to
purchase or rent credit card processing equipment and start
accepting credit payments from your customers.
Credit card processing services can be established at your
company’s Website. You do have a Website, don’t you? If not,
that is the second important step into the 21st century that
your company needs to take. Hire a Web designer or sketch a few
ideas yourself. It need not be fancy or sophisticated, but
rather a basic outline of your company’s services or products
along with basic operating information. Then you will need to
register a domain name for a small fee and then pay monthly
“rental” fees to post your site in cyberspace. Hiring a
designer or someone to maintain and update your site will cost
a little more, although often you can find a high school or
college student who can do this type of work at nominal cost.
When your site is up and running and your merchant account is
approved, you are ready to open the Website doors to current
and new customers for business. They can browse at their
convenience and pay by credit card without human assistance at
each juncture. You can make money and save money at the same
time.
If your company is growing, your customers are asking about
credit payments, or you want to move forward with your business
plan, give some thought to opening a merchant account, setting
up an attractive Website, and adding the convenient, customer
service option of credit card processing services.
About the Author: Shane Penrod is the founder of
Merchant-Account-Quotes.com Specializing in allowing merchants
the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national
merchant account providers. For free quotes on merchant account
rates and fees, please go to
http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
By Shane Penrod
Are your customers asking for credit card processing services?
If so, you may want to consider adding this service to your
company’s Website in order to provide convenient payment
methods that will bring back repeat business. Many companies
today are moving more toward e-commerce, which means that if
you want to avoid getting left behind, you should get ready to
join the throng of professionals who are marching into the
electronic age of doing business.
Although you may have relied on cash transactions up to now,
you might find that is becoming more cumbersome to make correct
change, accept checks that could bounce, and track delinquent
payments, all while keeping track of each and every
transaction. Farming out some of these tasks to hired help can
be costly, which is why you may be able to benefit from credit
card processing services. If you conduct business onsite at a
primary facility, you can plug in a credit card processor and
start taking credit payments immediately, which are far less
likely to bounce than personal checks.
But you will first have to open a merchant account before
establishing credit card processing services. Look for a
longstanding bank with a solid reputation, one who currently
offers merchant accounts to dependable business owners like
you. Then be prepared to provide the required documentation
that shows a stable credit history and a reasonable business
plan that depends on credit card processing services. Upon
approval, which can come within a few days, you will be able to
purchase or rent credit card processing equipment and start
accepting credit payments from your customers.
Credit card processing services can be established at your
company’s Website. You do have a Website, don’t you? If not,
that is the second important step into the 21st century that
your company needs to take. Hire a Web designer or sketch a few
ideas yourself. It need not be fancy or sophisticated, but
rather a basic outline of your company’s services or products
along with basic operating information. Then you will need to
register a domain name for a small fee and then pay monthly
“rental” fees to post your site in cyberspace. Hiring a
designer or someone to maintain and update your site will cost
a little more, although often you can find a high school or
college student who can do this type of work at nominal cost.
When your site is up and running and your merchant account is
approved, you are ready to open the Website doors to current
and new customers for business. They can browse at their
convenience and pay by credit card without human assistance at
each juncture. You can make money and save money at the same
time.
If your company is growing, your customers are asking about
credit payments, or you want to move forward with your business
plan, give some thought to opening a merchant account, setting
up an attractive Website, and adding the convenient, customer
service option of credit card processing services.
About the Author: Shane Penrod is the founder of
Merchant-Account-Quotes.com Specializing in allowing merchants
the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national
merchant account providers. For free quotes on merchant account
rates and fees, please go to
http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Friday, July 13, 2007
Wireless Credit Card machines
The Cost of Leasing a Credit Card Machine
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Estep]Jamie Estep
Leasing credit card machines and equipment is a common practice for many new business owners. When a business starts out, they are often met with a barrage of telemarketers and companies offering to help them to accept credit cards. Because of the new business owner's extremely busy schedule and lack of knowledge regarding the credit card processing industry, owners are often convinced that leasing a credit card terminal is the best solution for their business.
In reality, leasing a credit card machine is far from the best interest. For most businesses, a simple swipe and print credit card machine is a perfectly acceptable method of accepting credit cards. What many new business owners fail to do, is investigate the actual price of a new credit card machine. What they would find is that the outright purchase of a credit card terminal is often a completely reasonably priced purchase, and usually is many times less costly than a lease. What would cost them two to three hundred dollars to own, can cost them thousands of dollars to lease. Money is very tight, especially during the startup phase of a business, and the extra money spent on leasing a credit card machine is most definitely better suited elsewhere.
Leasing credit card equipment became a standard in the eighties and early nineties, when the lack of consumer knowledge and a growing processing industry led to the portrayal of high priced processing equipment. During this time fifty dollar per month leases were not uncommon. Since the creation of the internet, consumers have access to a vast amount of information. Processing companies can no longer easily inflate the costs of processing equipment. Now, new business owners are virtually the only group susceptible to getting scammed into a lease. This is due mainly to time constraints and a lack of research on their part.
Leases do still play a role in obtaining credit card equipment, but should only be considered when the required equipment is very high priced. Wireless terminals, while becoming more affordable, can still be a considerable investment. Wireless terminals can still cost over a thousand dollars to purchase which is definitely a significant amount of money. Leasing a wireless terminal can alleviate some of this cost, but business owners should still be aware that they will pay more than the cost of the terminal in the end.
Leases also often come with strings attached, or more appropriately a web of strings attached. Lease commonly last for thirty six to forty eight months, but can be in any increment from twelve months up to forty eight. The shorter the lease, the higher the monthly payment. Leases are also normally non cancel-able for the duration of the lease. There may be considerable penalties for canceling a lease before its term is up. Leases are not always for ownership of the equipment, and hefty buyout fees can occur at the end of the lease. Some leases start over at the end of their term, and the business only has a short window to opt out of the lease. Businesses should be aware of the terms governing the lease before they even contemplate signing it. Signing a lease without fully understanding what is involved in it and fully calculating the cost of the lease can be an extremely expensive mistake.
Enter your lease information into the lease [http://www.merchantaccountblog.com/tools/credit-card-equipment-lease-calculator/]cost calculator to find out how much extra leasing will cost you compared to purchasing.
Copyright 2006 Jamie Estep, The Merchant Account Blog.
Jamie Estep runs the website: ( [http://www.merchantaccountblog.com]The Merchant Account Blog) and offers information and advice on topics relating to credit card processing. The Merchant Account Blog also has a lease cost calculator where businesses can compare the costs of an equipment lease to purchasing a terminal outright. ( [http://www.merchantaccountblog.com/tools/credit-card-equipment-lease-calculator/]Credit Card Terminal Lease Calculator)
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Estep http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Cost-of-Leasing-a-Credit-Card-Machine&id=190057
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Estep]Jamie Estep
Leasing credit card machines and equipment is a common practice for many new business owners. When a business starts out, they are often met with a barrage of telemarketers and companies offering to help them to accept credit cards. Because of the new business owner's extremely busy schedule and lack of knowledge regarding the credit card processing industry, owners are often convinced that leasing a credit card terminal is the best solution for their business.
In reality, leasing a credit card machine is far from the best interest. For most businesses, a simple swipe and print credit card machine is a perfectly acceptable method of accepting credit cards. What many new business owners fail to do, is investigate the actual price of a new credit card machine. What they would find is that the outright purchase of a credit card terminal is often a completely reasonably priced purchase, and usually is many times less costly than a lease. What would cost them two to three hundred dollars to own, can cost them thousands of dollars to lease. Money is very tight, especially during the startup phase of a business, and the extra money spent on leasing a credit card machine is most definitely better suited elsewhere.
Leasing credit card equipment became a standard in the eighties and early nineties, when the lack of consumer knowledge and a growing processing industry led to the portrayal of high priced processing equipment. During this time fifty dollar per month leases were not uncommon. Since the creation of the internet, consumers have access to a vast amount of information. Processing companies can no longer easily inflate the costs of processing equipment. Now, new business owners are virtually the only group susceptible to getting scammed into a lease. This is due mainly to time constraints and a lack of research on their part.
Leases do still play a role in obtaining credit card equipment, but should only be considered when the required equipment is very high priced. Wireless terminals, while becoming more affordable, can still be a considerable investment. Wireless terminals can still cost over a thousand dollars to purchase which is definitely a significant amount of money. Leasing a wireless terminal can alleviate some of this cost, but business owners should still be aware that they will pay more than the cost of the terminal in the end.
Leases also often come with strings attached, or more appropriately a web of strings attached. Lease commonly last for thirty six to forty eight months, but can be in any increment from twelve months up to forty eight. The shorter the lease, the higher the monthly payment. Leases are also normally non cancel-able for the duration of the lease. There may be considerable penalties for canceling a lease before its term is up. Leases are not always for ownership of the equipment, and hefty buyout fees can occur at the end of the lease. Some leases start over at the end of their term, and the business only has a short window to opt out of the lease. Businesses should be aware of the terms governing the lease before they even contemplate signing it. Signing a lease without fully understanding what is involved in it and fully calculating the cost of the lease can be an extremely expensive mistake.
Enter your lease information into the lease [http://www.merchantaccountblog.com/tools/credit-card-equipment-lease-calculator/]cost calculator to find out how much extra leasing will cost you compared to purchasing.
Copyright 2006 Jamie Estep, The Merchant Account Blog.
Jamie Estep runs the website: ( [http://www.merchantaccountblog.com]The Merchant Account Blog) and offers information and advice on topics relating to credit card processing. The Merchant Account Blog also has a lease cost calculator where businesses can compare the costs of an equipment lease to purchasing a terminal outright. ( [http://www.merchantaccountblog.com/tools/credit-card-equipment-lease-calculator/]Credit Card Terminal Lease Calculator)
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Estep http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Cost-of-Leasing-a-Credit-Card-Machine&id=190057
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
Want A Cheaper Finance For Your Vehicle? Try Secured Automobile
Loans.
By Maria Smith
The usual modus operandi in most automobile purchases is as
follows.
Step 1: Recognize the urge for an automobile.
Step 2: Check the bank balances.
Step 3: Head for the purchase provided the second step gives a
positive result.
Step 4: If the second step gives a negative result, take an
automobile loan.
This will be rated as the most logical sequence of events by
most people unless they acknowledge the fact that they can save
hundreds of pounds by planning the automobile loan in a more
systematic manner.
Recognizing the need for an automobile:
The first step will always be to concede that there actually is
a need for a car or any other vehicle. The prices of vehicles
have heavily come down. But they still continue to be treated
as a luxury item. The desire to have a vehicle will always be
there. People wrongly try to push desires as a need. Need
emerges because of a difficulty being faced by the borrower.
Only if a need is recognized must one go to the second process.
Check for capability:
The automobile certainly would not come for free. One must have
the capability to repay the value of the vehicle purchased. Fat
bank balances are not always required. Taking a secured
automobile loan allows investment in more productive uses while
making you the proud owner of a vehicle.
There is no need to get disheartened if you do not fulfill the
qualifications. Every lender has a different lending policy.
Given the numerous lenders offering mortgages, your financial
condition is bound to match some or other lender’s products.
Stretching ones finances too much will lead to a breakdown in
the financial condition. The vehicle is not the only
expenditure on your part. There are many more expenditures to
be borne by the customer. If the sum invested in the vehicle
exceeds, the other expenditures will have to be curbed.
Alternately, this would have an adverse effect on savings.
Therefore, the amount of secured loan must be decided with
care. Once inside the showroom, almost every vehicle looks
good. But one must vote for the vehicle that most suits his
budget.
The loans process:
If you thought there is little to an automobile loan after
making the decision to take it, then you are wrong. You are
still halfway in the loans process. The implementation part is
still remaining.
The first step in the loans process will be finding a suitable
lender. Though there is a single lender who offers automobile
loan, it is difficult to find the lender from the crowd of
lenders. The various lenders chosen have to pass through
various stages of screening to prove that they can provide the
loan at the best of terms. Online search significantly
simplifies the process of search. No obligation loan quotes
offered by the lenders too are of great help in the search
process.
Once the lender is selected, the negotiations on the loans
begin. Details of the loan like the term of repayment, interest
charged, actual cost of the loan, amount of monthly or quarterly
repayments etc. are to be decided in this stage. This is the
most important step because this will decide how the loan fares
in the long run.
The borrowers are advised to tread cautiously in this stage.
The terms and conditions of the lenders must be read carefully.
Particular attention must be given to clauses which rule out
early or premature repayment with a penalty. All queries
regarding the loan must be immediately clarified to prevent
problems from emerging in the future.
The days ahead….
Has the loans process sucked most of your energy? You can rest
now because the days ahead are a smoother ride. You finally get
the resources to purchase the vehicle of your choice. Secured
automobile loans give borrowers a better bargaining power.
Regular repayments to the automobile loan can further assure a
smoother future. Taking a loan protection can be helpful in
full and final settlement of the secured automobile loans.
About the Author: Maria Smith has not been writing articles
from the beginning. But the increase in perplexing loans
information has urged her to write on different loans types. To
find a Loans UK,secured loans,unsecured loans,Debt consolidation
at low interest that best suits your needs visit
http://www.loansfiesta.co.uk
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Loans.
By Maria Smith
The usual modus operandi in most automobile purchases is as
follows.
Step 1: Recognize the urge for an automobile.
Step 2: Check the bank balances.
Step 3: Head for the purchase provided the second step gives a
positive result.
Step 4: If the second step gives a negative result, take an
automobile loan.
This will be rated as the most logical sequence of events by
most people unless they acknowledge the fact that they can save
hundreds of pounds by planning the automobile loan in a more
systematic manner.
Recognizing the need for an automobile:
The first step will always be to concede that there actually is
a need for a car or any other vehicle. The prices of vehicles
have heavily come down. But they still continue to be treated
as a luxury item. The desire to have a vehicle will always be
there. People wrongly try to push desires as a need. Need
emerges because of a difficulty being faced by the borrower.
Only if a need is recognized must one go to the second process.
Check for capability:
The automobile certainly would not come for free. One must have
the capability to repay the value of the vehicle purchased. Fat
bank balances are not always required. Taking a secured
automobile loan allows investment in more productive uses while
making you the proud owner of a vehicle.
There is no need to get disheartened if you do not fulfill the
qualifications. Every lender has a different lending policy.
Given the numerous lenders offering mortgages, your financial
condition is bound to match some or other lender’s products.
Stretching ones finances too much will lead to a breakdown in
the financial condition. The vehicle is not the only
expenditure on your part. There are many more expenditures to
be borne by the customer. If the sum invested in the vehicle
exceeds, the other expenditures will have to be curbed.
Alternately, this would have an adverse effect on savings.
Therefore, the amount of secured loan must be decided with
care. Once inside the showroom, almost every vehicle looks
good. But one must vote for the vehicle that most suits his
budget.
The loans process:
If you thought there is little to an automobile loan after
making the decision to take it, then you are wrong. You are
still halfway in the loans process. The implementation part is
still remaining.
The first step in the loans process will be finding a suitable
lender. Though there is a single lender who offers automobile
loan, it is difficult to find the lender from the crowd of
lenders. The various lenders chosen have to pass through
various stages of screening to prove that they can provide the
loan at the best of terms. Online search significantly
simplifies the process of search. No obligation loan quotes
offered by the lenders too are of great help in the search
process.
Once the lender is selected, the negotiations on the loans
begin. Details of the loan like the term of repayment, interest
charged, actual cost of the loan, amount of monthly or quarterly
repayments etc. are to be decided in this stage. This is the
most important step because this will decide how the loan fares
in the long run.
The borrowers are advised to tread cautiously in this stage.
The terms and conditions of the lenders must be read carefully.
Particular attention must be given to clauses which rule out
early or premature repayment with a penalty. All queries
regarding the loan must be immediately clarified to prevent
problems from emerging in the future.
The days ahead….
Has the loans process sucked most of your energy? You can rest
now because the days ahead are a smoother ride. You finally get
the resources to purchase the vehicle of your choice. Secured
automobile loans give borrowers a better bargaining power.
Regular repayments to the automobile loan can further assure a
smoother future. Taking a loan protection can be helpful in
full and final settlement of the secured automobile loans.
About the Author: Maria Smith has not been writing articles
from the beginning. But the increase in perplexing loans
information has urged her to write on different loans types. To
find a Loans UK,secured loans,unsecured loans,Debt consolidation
at low interest that best suits your needs visit
http://www.loansfiesta.co.uk
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Monday, May 14, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
Online Merchant Account - Costs and Alternatives
By Bruce Zhang
Merchant Account Basics
A Merchant Account is a commercial bank account established by a merchant to receive payment via credit cards. Three parts are required to accept credit cards. Besides a merchant account, you need a local bank checking account to deposit funds and a processing solution, such a terminal or web-based store front to take credit card payments. Online merchant account, or ecommerce merchant account, is a merchant account that can take credit orders on the Web.
Cost of Merchant Account
An online merchant account will boost your online sales, but merchant account incurs various types of cost. A merchant account usually requires a one-time setup fee between $50 - $100. Some merchant account providers waive the setup fee in promotion period or in conjunction with other services. Other costs include gateway fee, statement fee, annual fee, transaction fees and discount rate fees.
Accept Credit Card without Merchant Account
When you first start an online business and have limited resources, the alternative would be to use the services of a credit card processor. You can enjoy the benefits of processing credit card transactions online without the requirements of a merchant account and high costs involved. Paypal, WorldPay, PaySystems and Clickbank are some of popular credit processing services. Popular shopping carts or online storefronts, such as eBay Store, Yahoo! Store and Microsoft bCentral, offer built-in credit card processing capability.
International Merchant Account
International merchant accounts, or Offshore Merchant Accounts, are merchant accounts that allow the merchants to accept payments from around the world-- regardless of where your business or customers are located. Comparing to an online merchant account, two major services that come with an International merchant account are Multiple-Currency Support and International Fraud Protection.
Wireless/Mobile Merchant Account
Mobile merchants used to face unique issues when accepting credit card payments. With the advancement of high-speed wireless networks and mobile technology, mobile businesses are no longer limited in their payment options to just cash or checks.
Many mobile merchant account (http://www.4th-media.net/online_payment/mobile_merchant_account.php) service providers waive application fee and setup fees to attract more businesses. However, the use of wireless service provider does incur the expense of the terminal hardware, activation fee, monthly service fee, and transaction cost.
Copyright @2005, Bruce Zhang
Bruce Zhang has over 10 years experience in developing ecommerce and e-business application such as literature fulfillment (http://www.4th-media.net/order_fulfillment/literature_fulfillment.php) and supply chain management applications.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bruce_Zhang
http://EzineArticles.com/?Online-Merchant-Account---Costs-and-Alternatives&id=27610
A Merchant Account is a commercial bank account established by a merchant to receive payment via credit cards. Three parts are required to accept credit cards. Besides a merchant account, you need a local bank checking account to deposit funds and a processing solution, such a terminal or web-based store front to take credit card payments. Online merchant account, or ecommerce merchant account, is a merchant account that can take credit orders on the Web.
By Bruce Zhang
Merchant Account Basics
A Merchant Account is a commercial bank account established by a merchant to receive payment via credit cards. Three parts are required to accept credit cards. Besides a merchant account, you need a local bank checking account to deposit funds and a processing solution, such a terminal or web-based store front to take credit card payments. Online merchant account, or ecommerce merchant account, is a merchant account that can take credit orders on the Web.
Cost of Merchant Account
An online merchant account will boost your online sales, but merchant account incurs various types of cost. A merchant account usually requires a one-time setup fee between $50 - $100. Some merchant account providers waive the setup fee in promotion period or in conjunction with other services. Other costs include gateway fee, statement fee, annual fee, transaction fees and discount rate fees.
Accept Credit Card without Merchant Account
When you first start an online business and have limited resources, the alternative would be to use the services of a credit card processor. You can enjoy the benefits of processing credit card transactions online without the requirements of a merchant account and high costs involved. Paypal, WorldPay, PaySystems and Clickbank are some of popular credit processing services. Popular shopping carts or online storefronts, such as eBay Store, Yahoo! Store and Microsoft bCentral, offer built-in credit card processing capability.
International Merchant Account
International merchant accounts, or Offshore Merchant Accounts, are merchant accounts that allow the merchants to accept payments from around the world-- regardless of where your business or customers are located. Comparing to an online merchant account, two major services that come with an International merchant account are Multiple-Currency Support and International Fraud Protection.
Wireless/Mobile Merchant Account
Mobile merchants used to face unique issues when accepting credit card payments. With the advancement of high-speed wireless networks and mobile technology, mobile businesses are no longer limited in their payment options to just cash or checks.
Many mobile merchant account (http://www.4th-media.net/online_payment/mobile_merchant_account.php) service providers waive application fee and setup fees to attract more businesses. However, the use of wireless service provider does incur the expense of the terminal hardware, activation fee, monthly service fee, and transaction cost.
Copyright @2005, Bruce Zhang
Bruce Zhang has over 10 years experience in developing ecommerce and e-business application such as literature fulfillment (http://www.4th-media.net/order_fulfillment/literature_fulfillment.php) and supply chain management applications.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bruce_Zhang
http://EzineArticles.com/?Online-Merchant-Account---Costs-and-Alternatives&id=27610
A Merchant Account is a commercial bank account established by a merchant to receive payment via credit cards. Three parts are required to accept credit cards. Besides a merchant account, you need a local bank checking account to deposit funds and a processing solution, such a terminal or web-based store front to take credit card payments. Online merchant account, or ecommerce merchant account, is a merchant account that can take credit orders on the Web.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
Merchant Credit Card Terminals
By Kent Pinkerton
Merchant credit card terminals are electronic devices offering fast, low-cost means to authorize and process credit card transactions. They are very commonly used in retail stores and restaurants. Most merchant credit card terminals accept all major credit, debit, and private-label cards offering low-cost credit card authorization, check guarantee, and data capture for a range of retail applications.
A terminal to process credit cards is a great investment to your business. Most merchant credit card terminals support Internet-based services such as e-mail, electronic signature, interactive electronic coupons, onscreen advertising, cash management reporting, and e-commerce. They make transactions more convenient, faster, and accurate for both customers and merchants.
At first, merchant credit card processing terminals verify your customer's card information. Then they withdraw money for the purchase from the customer?s account and deposit it directly into your merchant account. The most important units of merchant credit card terminals are card readers with a small keypad and display. They require power supply and can communicate through a telephone line. Modern terminals are powered by batteries and can communicate wireless or over the Internet. They come in several sizes and prices.
There are many types of merchant credit card terminals: traditional terminals (with or without printers), wireless terminals, and virtual or software-based terminals. Merchants with a permanent place of business need a basic card reader terminal. In this case, the terminal is placed right on the counter where all transactions take place. For businesses that constantly change locations, a wireless credit card processing terminal is a good choice. It is suitable for merchants who are always on the go.
Millions of merchant credit card terminals ship annually and the majority have the same basic functions and features. It can only be used in combination with a merchant account that processes credit card transactions. Businesses already using credit card terminals need to buy extra equipments to maintain additional services such as debit card transactions and issuing and accepting gift cards. A number of terminals also support additional forms of payment such as electronic bank transfers and phone cards.
Credit Card Terminals provides detailed information on Credit Card Terminals, Credit Card Terminal Systems, Wireless Credit Card Terminals, Credit Card Processing Terminals and more. Credit Card Terminals is affiliated with Credit Card Processing Software.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kent_Pinkerton
http://EzineArticles.com/?Merchant-Credit-Card-Terminals&id=353177
By Kent Pinkerton
Merchant credit card terminals are electronic devices offering fast, low-cost means to authorize and process credit card transactions. They are very commonly used in retail stores and restaurants. Most merchant credit card terminals accept all major credit, debit, and private-label cards offering low-cost credit card authorization, check guarantee, and data capture for a range of retail applications.
A terminal to process credit cards is a great investment to your business. Most merchant credit card terminals support Internet-based services such as e-mail, electronic signature, interactive electronic coupons, onscreen advertising, cash management reporting, and e-commerce. They make transactions more convenient, faster, and accurate for both customers and merchants.
At first, merchant credit card processing terminals verify your customer's card information. Then they withdraw money for the purchase from the customer?s account and deposit it directly into your merchant account. The most important units of merchant credit card terminals are card readers with a small keypad and display. They require power supply and can communicate through a telephone line. Modern terminals are powered by batteries and can communicate wireless or over the Internet. They come in several sizes and prices.
There are many types of merchant credit card terminals: traditional terminals (with or without printers), wireless terminals, and virtual or software-based terminals. Merchants with a permanent place of business need a basic card reader terminal. In this case, the terminal is placed right on the counter where all transactions take place. For businesses that constantly change locations, a wireless credit card processing terminal is a good choice. It is suitable for merchants who are always on the go.
Millions of merchant credit card terminals ship annually and the majority have the same basic functions and features. It can only be used in combination with a merchant account that processes credit card transactions. Businesses already using credit card terminals need to buy extra equipments to maintain additional services such as debit card transactions and issuing and accepting gift cards. A number of terminals also support additional forms of payment such as electronic bank transfers and phone cards.
Credit Card Terminals provides detailed information on Credit Card Terminals, Credit Card Terminal Systems, Wireless Credit Card Terminals, Credit Card Processing Terminals and more. Credit Card Terminals is affiliated with Credit Card Processing Software.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kent_Pinkerton
http://EzineArticles.com/?Merchant-Credit-Card-Terminals&id=353177
Friday, May 11, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
Is Your Wireless Network Secure?
By Jeremy Whittaker
Networking professionals are encouraging people to think
twice about wireless network security. You might be
thinking I use WEP-128 bit encryption with MAC address
filtering, I’m safe. Or you may be you’ve never even heard
of WEP, if this is the case you might want to unplug your
wireless access point immediately. But then again look at
the bright side at least you don’t have the false sense of
security that your network is secure. Perhaps you are the
smart guy who knows how insecure wireless networks are. You
too are at just an equal risk!
Your computer consultant might be partially right when they
say WEP will protect your network. It will protect your
network from casual snooping but that is about it. Last
year the FBI was able to crack a WEP protected network in
less than 3 minutes with tools widely available on the
internet. Since then it’s been downhill for WEP.
At this point you might be thinking, “Oh well, someone gets
on my network and uses the internet”. This is completely
false. If someone has gone through the process of getting
on your network chances are the only thing they want is not
internet access. Any computer security professional will
tell you that physical access to the network is 95% of the
security battle. Once this has been accomplished you can
consider all of your data compromised. Customer invoices,
customer data, credit card numbers and passwords to
financial institutions will all be in the hands of a hacker.
One in many methods can be used to gain access to your
personal data, whether it’s through Key loggers, Trojans, or
just by sniffing your plaintext network traffic.
Maybe, just maybe, I have not convinced you of the
insecurities of wireless networks. Let me tell you about
another attack that hackers can use to gain access to your
network. Let’s say your access points are completely locked
down, to your knowledge. A user from your network goes and
flips on their laptop while sitting in an airport terminal
waiting for a plane. They see an available insecure
wireless network so they click on it and connect. None of us
have ever done this before right, itching to check their
email one last time before heading out of town? Unbeknownst
to them they have just clicked on a fake honeypot wireless
network, set up by a rogue hacker that before they can even
realize their machine is already being scanned. Picture for
a moment that user could be anywhere, even sitting at a desk
in your network. Just as long as the rogue access point is
stronger than your AP’s radio signal you’re security is
done.
May be you fall into the category of never setting up
wireless networks because you read about their insecurities.
How then can you be at risk? Just consider for a moment
that a user in your organization fires up his wireless card.
See’s a wireless network that is named XYZCorp after your
company. So they connect to it and immediately a script is
hammering their machine for security vulnerabilities. Once
again they connected to a rogue access point setup by a
hacker. Now you might be thinking. “C’mon you must have to
be a computer genius to find and run these tools.” Think
again, thanks to the kind people over at remote-exploit.org
all these tools can be downloaded in one big happy ISO file.
Burned to a CD as an image and bang you’re done, ready to
take a drive to the nearest business and start sniffing
credit card numbers. Everything wrapped into a nice package
just waiting for the next script kiddy to start running the
programs. You may be thinking ok this is a major problem so
what should I do? Give up my organizations ability to use
wireless networks? This isn’t exactly what we are saying.
A newer wireless security technology has taken over in 2004
called WPA. It is more secure than WEP. And so far tools
are not as readily available to hack your network. But
consider the following. WEP was ratified in the late 1990’s
less than six years later it was exploited. This is typical
of almost every computer technology. It is only a matter of
time before technologies are exploited. Just always
remember Security is a multi-tiered companywide
responsibility. From providing physical security to web
site security all matters should be considered serious and
not taken lightly. So before you grab a wireless access
point and slap it in your network, I urge you to think
twice.
You may think you are in a sinking boat because you are a
small organization not able to implement the latest
technologies and afford the newest access points. Or maybe
you cannot afford to pay an IT staff over 100k-200k a year
to maintain your medium size network. Executives at
N2
Network Solutions say you should consider IT outsourcing or
IT consulting. You can get Industry certified engineers on
a project by project basis. Contractual relationships are
also available to dump the responsibility of your network
into their hands for a fraction of the price. To keep your
small to medium size network performing like a Fortune 500
machine invest the capital and secure your assets.
Jeremy Whittaker is a Senior Consultant for N2 Network Solutions, a leader in Phoenix IT Outsourcing, providing computer services and Phoenix IT Consulting.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeremy_Whittaker
http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-Your-Wireless-Network-Secure?&id=256379
Wireless networking in today's market is everywhere. But is it secure? Even if you haven't installed or configured wireless networking in your network. You can still be at risk.
By Jeremy Whittaker
Networking professionals are encouraging people to think
twice about wireless network security. You might be
thinking I use WEP-128 bit encryption with MAC address
filtering, I’m safe. Or you may be you’ve never even heard
of WEP, if this is the case you might want to unplug your
wireless access point immediately. But then again look at
the bright side at least you don’t have the false sense of
security that your network is secure. Perhaps you are the
smart guy who knows how insecure wireless networks are. You
too are at just an equal risk!
Your computer consultant might be partially right when they
say WEP will protect your network. It will protect your
network from casual snooping but that is about it. Last
year the FBI was able to crack a WEP protected network in
less than 3 minutes with tools widely available on the
internet. Since then it’s been downhill for WEP.
At this point you might be thinking, “Oh well, someone gets
on my network and uses the internet”. This is completely
false. If someone has gone through the process of getting
on your network chances are the only thing they want is not
internet access. Any computer security professional will
tell you that physical access to the network is 95% of the
security battle. Once this has been accomplished you can
consider all of your data compromised. Customer invoices,
customer data, credit card numbers and passwords to
financial institutions will all be in the hands of a hacker.
One in many methods can be used to gain access to your
personal data, whether it’s through Key loggers, Trojans, or
just by sniffing your plaintext network traffic.
Maybe, just maybe, I have not convinced you of the
insecurities of wireless networks. Let me tell you about
another attack that hackers can use to gain access to your
network. Let’s say your access points are completely locked
down, to your knowledge. A user from your network goes and
flips on their laptop while sitting in an airport terminal
waiting for a plane. They see an available insecure
wireless network so they click on it and connect. None of us
have ever done this before right, itching to check their
email one last time before heading out of town? Unbeknownst
to them they have just clicked on a fake honeypot wireless
network, set up by a rogue hacker that before they can even
realize their machine is already being scanned. Picture for
a moment that user could be anywhere, even sitting at a desk
in your network. Just as long as the rogue access point is
stronger than your AP’s radio signal you’re security is
done.
May be you fall into the category of never setting up
wireless networks because you read about their insecurities.
How then can you be at risk? Just consider for a moment
that a user in your organization fires up his wireless card.
See’s a wireless network that is named XYZCorp after your
company. So they connect to it and immediately a script is
hammering their machine for security vulnerabilities. Once
again they connected to a rogue access point setup by a
hacker. Now you might be thinking. “C’mon you must have to
be a computer genius to find and run these tools.” Think
again, thanks to the kind people over at remote-exploit.org
all these tools can be downloaded in one big happy ISO file.
Burned to a CD as an image and bang you’re done, ready to
take a drive to the nearest business and start sniffing
credit card numbers. Everything wrapped into a nice package
just waiting for the next script kiddy to start running the
programs. You may be thinking ok this is a major problem so
what should I do? Give up my organizations ability to use
wireless networks? This isn’t exactly what we are saying.
A newer wireless security technology has taken over in 2004
called WPA. It is more secure than WEP. And so far tools
are not as readily available to hack your network. But
consider the following. WEP was ratified in the late 1990’s
less than six years later it was exploited. This is typical
of almost every computer technology. It is only a matter of
time before technologies are exploited. Just always
remember Security is a multi-tiered companywide
responsibility. From providing physical security to web
site security all matters should be considered serious and
not taken lightly. So before you grab a wireless access
point and slap it in your network, I urge you to think
twice.
You may think you are in a sinking boat because you are a
small organization not able to implement the latest
technologies and afford the newest access points. Or maybe
you cannot afford to pay an IT staff over 100k-200k a year
to maintain your medium size network. Executives at
N2
Network Solutions say you should consider IT outsourcing or
IT consulting. You can get Industry certified engineers on
a project by project basis. Contractual relationships are
also available to dump the responsibility of your network
into their hands for a fraction of the price. To keep your
small to medium size network performing like a Fortune 500
machine invest the capital and secure your assets.
Jeremy Whittaker is a Senior Consultant for N2 Network Solutions, a leader in Phoenix IT Outsourcing, providing computer services and Phoenix IT Consulting.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeremy_Whittaker
http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-Your-Wireless-Network-Secure?&id=256379
Wireless networking in today's market is everywhere. But is it secure? Even if you haven't installed or configured wireless networking in your network. You can still be at risk.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
Is Your Wireless Network Secure?
By Jeremy Whittaker
Networking professionals are encouraging people to think
twice about wireless network security. You might be
thinking I use WEP-128 bit encryption with MAC address
filtering, I’m safe. Or you may be you’ve never even heard
of WEP, if this is the case you might want to unplug your
wireless access point immediately. But then again look at
the bright side at least you don’t have the false sense of
security that your network is secure. Perhaps you are the
smart guy who knows how insecure wireless networks are. You
too are at just an equal risk!
Your computer consultant might be partially right when they
say WEP will protect your network. It will protect your
network from casual snooping but that is about it. Last
year the FBI was able to crack a WEP protected network in
less than 3 minutes with tools widely available on the
internet. Since then it’s been downhill for WEP.
At this point you might be thinking, “Oh well, someone gets
on my network and uses the internet”. This is completely
false. If someone has gone through the process of getting
on your network chances are the only thing they want is not
internet access. Any computer security professional will
tell you that physical access to the network is 95% of the
security battle. Once this has been accomplished you can
consider all of your data compromised. Customer invoices,
customer data, credit card numbers and passwords to
financial institutions will all be in the hands of a hacker.
One in many methods can be used to gain access to your
personal data, whether it’s through Key loggers, Trojans, or
just by sniffing your plaintext network traffic.
Maybe, just maybe, I have not convinced you of the
insecurities of wireless networks. Let me tell you about
another attack that hackers can use to gain access to your
network. Let’s say your access points are completely locked
down, to your knowledge. A user from your network goes and
flips on their laptop while sitting in an airport terminal
waiting for a plane. They see an available insecure
wireless network so they click on it and connect. None of us
have ever done this before right, itching to check their
email one last time before heading out of town? Unbeknownst
to them they have just clicked on a fake honeypot wireless
network, set up by a rogue hacker that before they can even
realize their machine is already being scanned. Picture for
a moment that user could be anywhere, even sitting at a desk
in your network. Just as long as the rogue access point is
stronger than your AP’s radio signal you’re security is
done.
May be you fall into the category of never setting up
wireless networks because you read about their insecurities.
How then can you be at risk? Just consider for a moment
that a user in your organization fires up his wireless card.
See’s a wireless network that is named XYZCorp after your
company. So they connect to it and immediately a script is
hammering their machine for security vulnerabilities. Once
again they connected to a rogue access point setup by a
hacker. Now you might be thinking. “C’mon you must have to
be a computer genius to find and run these tools.” Think
again, thanks to the kind people over at remote-exploit.org
all these tools can be downloaded in one big happy ISO file.
Burned to a CD as an image and bang you’re done, ready to
take a drive to the nearest business and start sniffing
credit card numbers. Everything wrapped into a nice package
just waiting for the next script kiddy to start running the
programs. You may be thinking ok this is a major problem so
what should I do? Give up my organizations ability to use
wireless networks? This isn’t exactly what we are saying.
A newer wireless security technology has taken over in 2004
called WPA. It is more secure than WEP. And so far tools
are not as readily available to hack your network. But
consider the following. WEP was ratified in the late 1990’s
less than six years later it was exploited. This is typical
of almost every computer technology. It is only a matter of
time before technologies are exploited. Just always
remember Security is a multi-tiered companywide
responsibility. From providing physical security to web
site security all matters should be considered serious and
not taken lightly. So before you grab a wireless access
point and slap it in your network, I urge you to think
twice.
You may think you are in a sinking boat because you are a
small organization not able to implement the latest
technologies and afford the newest access points. Or maybe
you cannot afford to pay an IT staff over 100k-200k a year
to maintain your medium size network. Executives at
N2
Network Solutions say you should consider IT outsourcing or
IT consulting. You can get Industry certified engineers on
a project by project basis. Contractual relationships are
also available to dump the responsibility of your network
into their hands for a fraction of the price. To keep your
small to medium size network performing like a Fortune 500
machine invest the capital and secure your assets.
Jeremy Whittaker is a Senior Consultant for N2 Network Solutions, a leader in Phoenix IT Outsourcing, providing computer services and Phoenix IT Consulting.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeremy_Whittaker
http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-Your-Wireless-Network-Secure?&id=256379
Wireless networking in today's market is everywhere. But is it secure? Even if you haven't installed or configured wireless networking in your network. You can still be at risk.
By Jeremy Whittaker
Networking professionals are encouraging people to think
twice about wireless network security. You might be
thinking I use WEP-128 bit encryption with MAC address
filtering, I’m safe. Or you may be you’ve never even heard
of WEP, if this is the case you might want to unplug your
wireless access point immediately. But then again look at
the bright side at least you don’t have the false sense of
security that your network is secure. Perhaps you are the
smart guy who knows how insecure wireless networks are. You
too are at just an equal risk!
Your computer consultant might be partially right when they
say WEP will protect your network. It will protect your
network from casual snooping but that is about it. Last
year the FBI was able to crack a WEP protected network in
less than 3 minutes with tools widely available on the
internet. Since then it’s been downhill for WEP.
At this point you might be thinking, “Oh well, someone gets
on my network and uses the internet”. This is completely
false. If someone has gone through the process of getting
on your network chances are the only thing they want is not
internet access. Any computer security professional will
tell you that physical access to the network is 95% of the
security battle. Once this has been accomplished you can
consider all of your data compromised. Customer invoices,
customer data, credit card numbers and passwords to
financial institutions will all be in the hands of a hacker.
One in many methods can be used to gain access to your
personal data, whether it’s through Key loggers, Trojans, or
just by sniffing your plaintext network traffic.
Maybe, just maybe, I have not convinced you of the
insecurities of wireless networks. Let me tell you about
another attack that hackers can use to gain access to your
network. Let’s say your access points are completely locked
down, to your knowledge. A user from your network goes and
flips on their laptop while sitting in an airport terminal
waiting for a plane. They see an available insecure
wireless network so they click on it and connect. None of us
have ever done this before right, itching to check their
email one last time before heading out of town? Unbeknownst
to them they have just clicked on a fake honeypot wireless
network, set up by a rogue hacker that before they can even
realize their machine is already being scanned. Picture for
a moment that user could be anywhere, even sitting at a desk
in your network. Just as long as the rogue access point is
stronger than your AP’s radio signal you’re security is
done.
May be you fall into the category of never setting up
wireless networks because you read about their insecurities.
How then can you be at risk? Just consider for a moment
that a user in your organization fires up his wireless card.
See’s a wireless network that is named XYZCorp after your
company. So they connect to it and immediately a script is
hammering their machine for security vulnerabilities. Once
again they connected to a rogue access point setup by a
hacker. Now you might be thinking. “C’mon you must have to
be a computer genius to find and run these tools.” Think
again, thanks to the kind people over at remote-exploit.org
all these tools can be downloaded in one big happy ISO file.
Burned to a CD as an image and bang you’re done, ready to
take a drive to the nearest business and start sniffing
credit card numbers. Everything wrapped into a nice package
just waiting for the next script kiddy to start running the
programs. You may be thinking ok this is a major problem so
what should I do? Give up my organizations ability to use
wireless networks? This isn’t exactly what we are saying.
A newer wireless security technology has taken over in 2004
called WPA. It is more secure than WEP. And so far tools
are not as readily available to hack your network. But
consider the following. WEP was ratified in the late 1990’s
less than six years later it was exploited. This is typical
of almost every computer technology. It is only a matter of
time before technologies are exploited. Just always
remember Security is a multi-tiered companywide
responsibility. From providing physical security to web
site security all matters should be considered serious and
not taken lightly. So before you grab a wireless access
point and slap it in your network, I urge you to think
twice.
You may think you are in a sinking boat because you are a
small organization not able to implement the latest
technologies and afford the newest access points. Or maybe
you cannot afford to pay an IT staff over 100k-200k a year
to maintain your medium size network. Executives at
N2
Network Solutions say you should consider IT outsourcing or
IT consulting. You can get Industry certified engineers on
a project by project basis. Contractual relationships are
also available to dump the responsibility of your network
into their hands for a fraction of the price. To keep your
small to medium size network performing like a Fortune 500
machine invest the capital and secure your assets.
Jeremy Whittaker is a Senior Consultant for N2 Network Solutions, a leader in Phoenix IT Outsourcing, providing computer services and Phoenix IT Consulting.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeremy_Whittaker
http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-Your-Wireless-Network-Secure?&id=256379
Wireless networking in today's market is everywhere. But is it secure? Even if you haven't installed or configured wireless networking in your network. You can still be at risk.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
What is wireless credit card machine?
02nd October 2006
Author: Vinay Choubey
Wireless credit card machines are at the forefront of credit card processing technology. Many have built in pin pads and thermal printers to make them a complete mobile transaction solution. They are lightweight, very portable and are easy to use.
? A wireless credit card machine comes with advanced technology but also with a much higher price tag when compared to standard POS terminals. The starting price on a wireless credit card machine is around $850.00 for full featured terminals and can go up from there.
? Wireless credit card machines are most often used in mobile and trade show businesses, but are becoming more common in upscale restaurants, taxi, limo, and delivery services.
? The comstar charge anywhere terminal has a much lower price, but does not include an attached printer. One of the benefits of wireless terminals is a feature called store and forward. This service allows cards to be processed when no cellular service is available, by storing the card and transaction information obtained in the swiping of the credit card. The merchant later completes the transaction when service is available. By using store and forward, a merchant will never have to turn down a sale.
? Most wireless terminals have built in pin pads, and are also able to operate with electronic check acceptance services. Due to federal regulations, both debit and electronic checks must be processed through a land line connection and cannot be processed wireless. This is due to the added security that is required when transactions involve a customers bank account.
How Wireless Network works
Wireless credit card machines operate on wireless networks, and thus require additional wireless fee for the cellular service. A wireless credit card machine can be used with a normal phone line if cellular service is not available within a particular area, or can be set up with a store and forward system when no telecommunication method is available at all.
Important Wireless Network Information
? Mobitex Wireless Processing Network
It uses a satellite network, and operates similar to a cellular phone. This network is the standard for wireless processing. The mobitex network is run by Velocita Wireless. This is not the standard cellular phone network, but is designed specifically for business and processing uses.
? CDPD Wireless Processing Network
It is similar to but pre-dates the Motient network is called CDPD. Machines that use the CDPD system will soon be useless on the wireless processing network because the CDPD system is being abandoned. It is important when purchasing a wireless terminal to ensure that the machine does not use the CDPD wireless network but uses the Motient or CDMA networks.
? Wireless Network
Wireless Network is very new for processing is the standard GSM and CDMA cellular phone networks. The GSM network is used by Cingular and T-Mobile. The CDMA network is used by Verizon and Sprint Wireless. These systems are the networks that most cellular phones operate on, allowing for a very large coverage area and reliable service. The coverage area is substantially larger than the Motient Network.
For more details on Credit Card Machine visit us at www.halfvalue.com and www.halfvalue.co.uk for more information.
This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.a1articles.com/article_90956_45.html
02nd October 2006
Author: Vinay Choubey
Wireless credit card machines are at the forefront of credit card processing technology. Many have built in pin pads and thermal printers to make them a complete mobile transaction solution. They are lightweight, very portable and are easy to use.
? A wireless credit card machine comes with advanced technology but also with a much higher price tag when compared to standard POS terminals. The starting price on a wireless credit card machine is around $850.00 for full featured terminals and can go up from there.
? Wireless credit card machines are most often used in mobile and trade show businesses, but are becoming more common in upscale restaurants, taxi, limo, and delivery services.
? The comstar charge anywhere terminal has a much lower price, but does not include an attached printer. One of the benefits of wireless terminals is a feature called store and forward. This service allows cards to be processed when no cellular service is available, by storing the card and transaction information obtained in the swiping of the credit card. The merchant later completes the transaction when service is available. By using store and forward, a merchant will never have to turn down a sale.
? Most wireless terminals have built in pin pads, and are also able to operate with electronic check acceptance services. Due to federal regulations, both debit and electronic checks must be processed through a land line connection and cannot be processed wireless. This is due to the added security that is required when transactions involve a customers bank account.
How Wireless Network works
Wireless credit card machines operate on wireless networks, and thus require additional wireless fee for the cellular service. A wireless credit card machine can be used with a normal phone line if cellular service is not available within a particular area, or can be set up with a store and forward system when no telecommunication method is available at all.
Important Wireless Network Information
? Mobitex Wireless Processing Network
It uses a satellite network, and operates similar to a cellular phone. This network is the standard for wireless processing. The mobitex network is run by Velocita Wireless. This is not the standard cellular phone network, but is designed specifically for business and processing uses.
? CDPD Wireless Processing Network
It is similar to but pre-dates the Motient network is called CDPD. Machines that use the CDPD system will soon be useless on the wireless processing network because the CDPD system is being abandoned. It is important when purchasing a wireless terminal to ensure that the machine does not use the CDPD wireless network but uses the Motient or CDMA networks.
? Wireless Network
Wireless Network is very new for processing is the standard GSM and CDMA cellular phone networks. The GSM network is used by Cingular and T-Mobile. The CDMA network is used by Verizon and Sprint Wireless. These systems are the networks that most cellular phones operate on, allowing for a very large coverage area and reliable service. The coverage area is substantially larger than the Motient Network.
For more details on Credit Card Machine visit us at www.halfvalue.com and www.halfvalue.co.uk for more information.
This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.a1articles.com/article_90956_45.html
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
A Mind-Blowing Secret About Law Firm Cash Management
By Chris Rempel
All lawyers - solo and large-firm attorneys alike - know that time is money. Days must be planned with the utmost efficiency in order to keep a law practice running smoothly. Lawyers and attorneys must spend the majority of their time and efforts representing clients; but the day-to-day running of a law office is like any other business.
Clients must be billed, payments tracked and accounts kept up to date, and receiving payments in a variety of formats is time consuming. Sometimes, law firm cash management can be anything but profitable.
It stands to reason that if all of one's time is consumed by business administration issues like collecting on unpaid accounts, banking and so on - this "multi-tasking" will not only waste time, but also cause the firm to actually lose profits for the following reasons:
1. Less time will be spent billing hours and making money
2. Money will be lost on accounts owing, and time will be lost pursuing them
So what's the solution - getting paid up-front, or perhaps using a trust account?
Both of those may be options, but the most adaptable and sensible option is to accept credit cards from your clients. This opens your doors to more clients - as it makes it easier for "cash-strapped" clients to pay legal fees. It also makes it easier to collect on A/R, because you can simply process the payment in a matter of seconds and the issue will be dealt with - instead of waiting for checks, or running all over town to collect them.
However, today's credit card mentality has created a dilemma, particularly for professionals working independently or with small firms and businesses. Typically, the procedure for accepting credit card payments has been fraught with rules, regulations and a lot of stress. And when time is short anyway, the process involved in setting up such a system can seem endless. The costs to set up a "merchant account" can seem intimidating.
Concentrating on a law practice is an ongoing endeavor; but the task of providing credit card acceptance capabilities can be downright overwhelming. The need to know everything there is to know about merchant services has caused thousands of professionals and business hopefuls to throw up their arms in frustration and declare "No credit cards accepted!"
Issues involving statement and transaction fees, in addition to annual fees, programs fees and monthly minimums are enough to annoy anyone, and it doesn't end there. So, in the long run, attorneys lose potential clients desperately in need for attorney services.
Daring souls who brave the murky waves of rules, regulations, waivers and fees to invest in the actual equipment/startup cost needed to perform a credit card transaction still face contracts and agreements for that equipment, and hours of research. Cost for leasing credit card processing tools ranges from $29.00 to $80.00 a month, sometimes more. Lease terms generally run 36-48 months and canceling the lease is often not an option. Once you sign, you're stuck. Leasers must also pay state tax, if applicable, and may also find themselves paying for "Loss or Destruction" of that equipment as well. If you default on your lease, it's your credit report that suffers.
As a result, attorneys often find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place. And many attorneys, especially those working solo, or even those who belong to small firms, can ill afford to spend hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars setting up and maintaining a credit card billing system for their business. Yet not doing so can cost them thousands of dollars in earning potential - and in terms of collecting on legal fees owed while simplifying their law firm cash management process overall.
So what to do? What options are out there? Granted, not many. Still, one solution is growing in popularity. It's called mobile credit card processing, and it's a unique service provided by companies like "Accept by Phone". Finally, professionals, especially lawyers, can accept credit cards without the mundane and frustrating hassle of more "traditional" credit card processing methods. Many potential clients, including those going through divorce, those facing criminal charges and whose account assets have been frozen, and countless others seeking the services of an attorney often don't have access to cash or checking accounts. Mobile credit card processing services enable both clients and attorneys to complete payment transactions painlessly with a credit card.
Most mobile credit card processors allow attorneys to accept credit card payments via landline and through cell phones, instantly. No more waiting for checks to arrive and, more importantly, to clear. Credit card payments don't bounce. Using such a service also cuts overhead expenses and eradicates the fees and regulations of more traditional methods.
The catch? Believe it or not, there isn't one. Some services actually cost as little as $5.00 a month (in fees) to use, along with a percentage on each sale (usually ranging from 3.95% to 5%). Most services have no annual fees, no transaction fees, no minimums or volume restrictions. There are no cancellations fees and no terminals needed. And all you need is a phone line, cell phone or a PDA.
How can that be? Besides technology that truly places the world at our fingertips, this "accept by phone" system is very low maintenance for the account provider (financial institution that issues the merchant account), and the account setup/approval cost is minimal in comparison to a traditional account. These services utilize an automated system that enables callers and vendors to complete transactions in a matter of seconds and with a minimum of hassle. And as a result, both the merchant provider and the merchant (you) save big time.
These unique merchant services offer a win-win situation; clients receive immediate legal representation that fits into their financial ability and preference, and attorneys get paid, instantly, just by using their cell phone for 30 seconds - simplifying their law firm cash management struggles in one fell swoop.
What's not to like about that?
Chris Rempel recommends http://www.AcceptByPhone.com, which enables lawyers to accept credit cards using any phone (or cell), for just $5 per month and 3.95% per sale. Find out why Chris and others think this service is the ultimate mobile merchant account service.
For more practical law firm business tips, see my law firm management website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Rempel
http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Mind-Blowing-Secret-About-Law-Firm-Cash-Management&id=416515
By Chris Rempel
All lawyers - solo and large-firm attorneys alike - know that time is money. Days must be planned with the utmost efficiency in order to keep a law practice running smoothly. Lawyers and attorneys must spend the majority of their time and efforts representing clients; but the day-to-day running of a law office is like any other business.
Clients must be billed, payments tracked and accounts kept up to date, and receiving payments in a variety of formats is time consuming. Sometimes, law firm cash management can be anything but profitable.
It stands to reason that if all of one's time is consumed by business administration issues like collecting on unpaid accounts, banking and so on - this "multi-tasking" will not only waste time, but also cause the firm to actually lose profits for the following reasons:
1. Less time will be spent billing hours and making money
2. Money will be lost on accounts owing, and time will be lost pursuing them
So what's the solution - getting paid up-front, or perhaps using a trust account?
Both of those may be options, but the most adaptable and sensible option is to accept credit cards from your clients. This opens your doors to more clients - as it makes it easier for "cash-strapped" clients to pay legal fees. It also makes it easier to collect on A/R, because you can simply process the payment in a matter of seconds and the issue will be dealt with - instead of waiting for checks, or running all over town to collect them.
However, today's credit card mentality has created a dilemma, particularly for professionals working independently or with small firms and businesses. Typically, the procedure for accepting credit card payments has been fraught with rules, regulations and a lot of stress. And when time is short anyway, the process involved in setting up such a system can seem endless. The costs to set up a "merchant account" can seem intimidating.
Concentrating on a law practice is an ongoing endeavor; but the task of providing credit card acceptance capabilities can be downright overwhelming. The need to know everything there is to know about merchant services has caused thousands of professionals and business hopefuls to throw up their arms in frustration and declare "No credit cards accepted!"
Issues involving statement and transaction fees, in addition to annual fees, programs fees and monthly minimums are enough to annoy anyone, and it doesn't end there. So, in the long run, attorneys lose potential clients desperately in need for attorney services.
Daring souls who brave the murky waves of rules, regulations, waivers and fees to invest in the actual equipment/startup cost needed to perform a credit card transaction still face contracts and agreements for that equipment, and hours of research. Cost for leasing credit card processing tools ranges from $29.00 to $80.00 a month, sometimes more. Lease terms generally run 36-48 months and canceling the lease is often not an option. Once you sign, you're stuck. Leasers must also pay state tax, if applicable, and may also find themselves paying for "Loss or Destruction" of that equipment as well. If you default on your lease, it's your credit report that suffers.
As a result, attorneys often find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place. And many attorneys, especially those working solo, or even those who belong to small firms, can ill afford to spend hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars setting up and maintaining a credit card billing system for their business. Yet not doing so can cost them thousands of dollars in earning potential - and in terms of collecting on legal fees owed while simplifying their law firm cash management process overall.
So what to do? What options are out there? Granted, not many. Still, one solution is growing in popularity. It's called mobile credit card processing, and it's a unique service provided by companies like "Accept by Phone". Finally, professionals, especially lawyers, can accept credit cards without the mundane and frustrating hassle of more "traditional" credit card processing methods. Many potential clients, including those going through divorce, those facing criminal charges and whose account assets have been frozen, and countless others seeking the services of an attorney often don't have access to cash or checking accounts. Mobile credit card processing services enable both clients and attorneys to complete payment transactions painlessly with a credit card.
Most mobile credit card processors allow attorneys to accept credit card payments via landline and through cell phones, instantly. No more waiting for checks to arrive and, more importantly, to clear. Credit card payments don't bounce. Using such a service also cuts overhead expenses and eradicates the fees and regulations of more traditional methods.
The catch? Believe it or not, there isn't one. Some services actually cost as little as $5.00 a month (in fees) to use, along with a percentage on each sale (usually ranging from 3.95% to 5%). Most services have no annual fees, no transaction fees, no minimums or volume restrictions. There are no cancellations fees and no terminals needed. And all you need is a phone line, cell phone or a PDA.
How can that be? Besides technology that truly places the world at our fingertips, this "accept by phone" system is very low maintenance for the account provider (financial institution that issues the merchant account), and the account setup/approval cost is minimal in comparison to a traditional account. These services utilize an automated system that enables callers and vendors to complete transactions in a matter of seconds and with a minimum of hassle. And as a result, both the merchant provider and the merchant (you) save big time.
These unique merchant services offer a win-win situation; clients receive immediate legal representation that fits into their financial ability and preference, and attorneys get paid, instantly, just by using their cell phone for 30 seconds - simplifying their law firm cash management struggles in one fell swoop.
What's not to like about that?
Chris Rempel recommends http://www.AcceptByPhone.com, which enables lawyers to accept credit cards using any phone (or cell), for just $5 per month and 3.95% per sale. Find out why Chris and others think this service is the ultimate mobile merchant account service.
For more practical law firm business tips, see my law firm management website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Rempel
http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Mind-Blowing-Secret-About-Law-Firm-Cash-Management&id=416515
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
The Wide Area Network Dilemma
By David Chambers
I recently attended a trade show aimed at owners and operators of convenience stores. Dynamic speakers at the show inspired many attendees to ask lots of thoughtful questions. As I stood in our booth talking to these business owners a theme developed: "Should we network our stores? And if so, what is the best solution for our business?"
Wide Area Networks (WANs) can often be the technology investment that doubles your revenue. ---okay, maybe not double. But I've got your attention and a WAN is definitely a "bottom line" builder.
In fourteen years of network engineering I have orchestrated successful WAN implementations streamlining ordering, eliminating overtime expenses and reducing shrink. But does every business need a WAN? Answering six key questions ---Who, What, When, Where, Why and How (including How Much)--- is the start to finding out.
Who: Get support from all departments. Anyone who will be affected will need to be involved at some level. A WAN is a significant investment, and even if it will be used only for Point-of-Sale (POS) traffic the project will go much smoother if there is buy-in from the CEO on down. A new WAN will touch training, sales, inventory, purchasing, accounts receivable, accounts payable, IT, and everyone in between. It's better to bring them in than wish you had.
What: Choosing a hardware platform is an important decision. The wrong decision now may cost tens of thousands of dollars two years from now when you want to roll out VoIP and your hardware won't handle it. Open your eyes to the BIG picture and prepare for the future. I recommend to my clients that they should think out no more than five years. The infrastructure will be ready for a facelift at that time.
When: Just as critical as "Why". Time is a balancing act. Take as much time as you can to design and implement your WAN properly. Moving too quickly will leave holes that someone (probably you) will fall into. One of my clients had tried the DIY approach before contacting me for help. He implemented his 32 point WAN too quickly and the results were catastrophic. The stores didn't have enough bandwidth to work properly and the VPN tunnels were not properly secured. He spent the majority of his time just keeping the WAN running and was not able to keep up with his day-to-day work. But, as I wrote earlier, time is a balancing act. If you take too long precious momentum is lost and it becomes easy to overlook an element of the project, such as the IP addressing scheme. I have often said, "A WAN is a living, breathing creature and sometimes it has attitude"!
Where: This is an interesting part of the design decisions. Certainly each store will be part of the WAN but what about corporate HQ? Maybe now is the time to co-locate your data-center in a secure, professional facility? You may benefit from inviting a choice vendor or two into the WAN (called an ExtraNet). If you have retail stores you may want to be connected to your credit card processor for faster (and potentially less expensive) transactions. The same is true for gift card processors, VoIP providers, etc.
Why: There are so many reasons. The one I hear most often is, "We want to get access to the POS data for each of our stores." or, "We want to start using e-mail". Other reasons may include to reviewing inventory levels, implementing a new enterprise application, providing online training to store staff, monitoring video surveillance, or adding VoIP. It is critical to explore all of the reasons well in advance. Identifying as many desired components at the front end will maximize benefits and ROI. When the time comes to design the network, each application will have its own network requirements.
How (or How Much): WANs come in different colors and flavors. Private, hosted, VPN, software based, hardware based, broadband, layer 2, and layer 3 are just a few options available. To break it down more simply consider these three options:
1. Private, Managed: This option eliminates the need to hire Remote Access Specialists or highly trained (and expensive) engineers who have experience with WAN technology. A private, managed service provider will help you architect the WAN, provide project management for the implementation, and proactively monitor the network 24/7/365 once it is turned up. This results in a fast, secure network that will not require encryption.
2. VPN, Unmanaged: This is the do-it-yourself network that can be self-managed until you hit about four or five stores. After that, it becomes unwieldy to manage and remember multiple broadband providers. You will need to have someone (or a team of technicians) who can travel to the stores and install the equipment as well as (regularly) maintain the firewall security and perform firmware updates.
3. VPN, Managed: In this scenario mission critical data travels over the public Internet between the store and the corporate office. A hardware device (or software) at each end goes through the process of building a "tunnel" between the stores and the data center. Then each device encrypts the data packets on one end, and decrypts them on the other. Keeping the VPN Tunnel up is intensive enough. Add on to that the hard work of encryption and decryption and you will experience high latency and network outages when the tunnel drops.
The marketplace is rife with WAN providers. This has led to phenomenal competition. Competition leads to innovation (another reason to only build for a five year period). Some of the newest players (2000 to present) bring the best value to their customers. The tier 1 providers are, of course, still there. Smaller, more agile companies may provide the flexibility you need. How much you invest needs to be in direct proportion to the service you receive. Find a company that wants to help you be successful. Have at least two meetings with a company before you start to discuss the "How Much" question. It is absolutely essential that you both understand what will be needed in terms of bandwidth, uptime, monitoring, redundancy, billing, and other services. Remember, this is an investment to increase revenue. "But David, how can that be?", you ask. Consider this:
Fraud, theft, Inventory shrink are all losses we would like to eliminate. Your new WAN will allow for immediate access to POS transactions, current inventory levels, and make catching the "till dipper" red-handed, adding thousands to your bottom line. Video surveillance will also help catch the nighttime burglar, not to mention the rogue employee that has inventory going out the back door. The entire world is quickly moving toward Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and for good reason. Site-to-site calls are free! Site to Corporate calls are free! Long distance charges can be eliminated! Sending credit card and gift card transactions over the WAN will reduce the processing time from 30 - 40 seconds down to 2 - 3 seconds. Customers move quickly through the check out line and have a happier experience, bringing them back more often. Additionally, processors may lower your per-transaction fees for using a faster connection than dial-up. Creating a WAN will eliminate the need for costly phone lines. A broadband connection can share your existing fax line and you may be able to eliminate lines for ATM machines, credit card machines, and others. These add up to very real dollars being pushed straight to your bottom line.
Making the decision to design and implement a WAN is a terrific first step. Don't underestimate the amount of effort and time that will be required to make your project a success. Find a good partner in the marketplace that is like-minded and will work with you flexibly to meet and exceed your needs.
David Chambers helps clients design, build, and manage their network infrastructures. He lives in Dallas, TX with his lovely wife of four years and their two children. He may be reached at davidcchambers@gmail.com or 866-607-9468.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Chambers
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Wide-Area-Network-Dilemma&id=241403
By David Chambers
I recently attended a trade show aimed at owners and operators of convenience stores. Dynamic speakers at the show inspired many attendees to ask lots of thoughtful questions. As I stood in our booth talking to these business owners a theme developed: "Should we network our stores? And if so, what is the best solution for our business?"
Wide Area Networks (WANs) can often be the technology investment that doubles your revenue. ---okay, maybe not double. But I've got your attention and a WAN is definitely a "bottom line" builder.
In fourteen years of network engineering I have orchestrated successful WAN implementations streamlining ordering, eliminating overtime expenses and reducing shrink. But does every business need a WAN? Answering six key questions ---Who, What, When, Where, Why and How (including How Much)--- is the start to finding out.
Who: Get support from all departments. Anyone who will be affected will need to be involved at some level. A WAN is a significant investment, and even if it will be used only for Point-of-Sale (POS) traffic the project will go much smoother if there is buy-in from the CEO on down. A new WAN will touch training, sales, inventory, purchasing, accounts receivable, accounts payable, IT, and everyone in between. It's better to bring them in than wish you had.
What: Choosing a hardware platform is an important decision. The wrong decision now may cost tens of thousands of dollars two years from now when you want to roll out VoIP and your hardware won't handle it. Open your eyes to the BIG picture and prepare for the future. I recommend to my clients that they should think out no more than five years. The infrastructure will be ready for a facelift at that time.
When: Just as critical as "Why". Time is a balancing act. Take as much time as you can to design and implement your WAN properly. Moving too quickly will leave holes that someone (probably you) will fall into. One of my clients had tried the DIY approach before contacting me for help. He implemented his 32 point WAN too quickly and the results were catastrophic. The stores didn't have enough bandwidth to work properly and the VPN tunnels were not properly secured. He spent the majority of his time just keeping the WAN running and was not able to keep up with his day-to-day work. But, as I wrote earlier, time is a balancing act. If you take too long precious momentum is lost and it becomes easy to overlook an element of the project, such as the IP addressing scheme. I have often said, "A WAN is a living, breathing creature and sometimes it has attitude"!
Where: This is an interesting part of the design decisions. Certainly each store will be part of the WAN but what about corporate HQ? Maybe now is the time to co-locate your data-center in a secure, professional facility? You may benefit from inviting a choice vendor or two into the WAN (called an ExtraNet). If you have retail stores you may want to be connected to your credit card processor for faster (and potentially less expensive) transactions. The same is true for gift card processors, VoIP providers, etc.
Why: There are so many reasons. The one I hear most often is, "We want to get access to the POS data for each of our stores." or, "We want to start using e-mail". Other reasons may include to reviewing inventory levels, implementing a new enterprise application, providing online training to store staff, monitoring video surveillance, or adding VoIP. It is critical to explore all of the reasons well in advance. Identifying as many desired components at the front end will maximize benefits and ROI. When the time comes to design the network, each application will have its own network requirements.
How (or How Much): WANs come in different colors and flavors. Private, hosted, VPN, software based, hardware based, broadband, layer 2, and layer 3 are just a few options available. To break it down more simply consider these three options:
1. Private, Managed: This option eliminates the need to hire Remote Access Specialists or highly trained (and expensive) engineers who have experience with WAN technology. A private, managed service provider will help you architect the WAN, provide project management for the implementation, and proactively monitor the network 24/7/365 once it is turned up. This results in a fast, secure network that will not require encryption.
2. VPN, Unmanaged: This is the do-it-yourself network that can be self-managed until you hit about four or five stores. After that, it becomes unwieldy to manage and remember multiple broadband providers. You will need to have someone (or a team of technicians) who can travel to the stores and install the equipment as well as (regularly) maintain the firewall security and perform firmware updates.
3. VPN, Managed: In this scenario mission critical data travels over the public Internet between the store and the corporate office. A hardware device (or software) at each end goes through the process of building a "tunnel" between the stores and the data center. Then each device encrypts the data packets on one end, and decrypts them on the other. Keeping the VPN Tunnel up is intensive enough. Add on to that the hard work of encryption and decryption and you will experience high latency and network outages when the tunnel drops.
The marketplace is rife with WAN providers. This has led to phenomenal competition. Competition leads to innovation (another reason to only build for a five year period). Some of the newest players (2000 to present) bring the best value to their customers. The tier 1 providers are, of course, still there. Smaller, more agile companies may provide the flexibility you need. How much you invest needs to be in direct proportion to the service you receive. Find a company that wants to help you be successful. Have at least two meetings with a company before you start to discuss the "How Much" question. It is absolutely essential that you both understand what will be needed in terms of bandwidth, uptime, monitoring, redundancy, billing, and other services. Remember, this is an investment to increase revenue. "But David, how can that be?", you ask. Consider this:
Fraud, theft, Inventory shrink are all losses we would like to eliminate. Your new WAN will allow for immediate access to POS transactions, current inventory levels, and make catching the "till dipper" red-handed, adding thousands to your bottom line. Video surveillance will also help catch the nighttime burglar, not to mention the rogue employee that has inventory going out the back door. The entire world is quickly moving toward Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and for good reason. Site-to-site calls are free! Site to Corporate calls are free! Long distance charges can be eliminated! Sending credit card and gift card transactions over the WAN will reduce the processing time from 30 - 40 seconds down to 2 - 3 seconds. Customers move quickly through the check out line and have a happier experience, bringing them back more often. Additionally, processors may lower your per-transaction fees for using a faster connection than dial-up. Creating a WAN will eliminate the need for costly phone lines. A broadband connection can share your existing fax line and you may be able to eliminate lines for ATM machines, credit card machines, and others. These add up to very real dollars being pushed straight to your bottom line.
Making the decision to design and implement a WAN is a terrific first step. Don't underestimate the amount of effort and time that will be required to make your project a success. Find a good partner in the marketplace that is like-minded and will work with you flexibly to meet and exceed your needs.
David Chambers helps clients design, build, and manage their network infrastructures. He lives in Dallas, TX with his lovely wife of four years and their two children. He may be reached at davidcchambers@gmail.com or 866-607-9468.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Chambers
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Wide-Area-Network-Dilemma&id=241403
Monday, April 30, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
Defeating Credit Card Debt With Self Control
By Roy Thomsitt
Credit card debt is a major social problem in some Western
countries. To rid yourself of credit card debt, it is best to
recognize the problem as both a social and individual problem.
If you are overburdened with credit card debt, or are in danger
of becoming so, it is very easy to see it purely as an
individual problem, one from which you may be suffering both
physically and mentally. Worry and stress can be silent
marauders into your physical and mental well being. Debt can
undoubtedly cause both worry and stress, not just to the
debtor, but their immediate families too.
Why Should You Care About The Social Causes of Credit Card
Debt?
If you wish to overcome your credit card debt problem, you will
benefit from removing some of the social influences. They are a
major influence on the way you react, think and behave. Remove
the social influences, and you take a big stride in your
journey to eliminate your debt.
I do not, of course, mean remove the root causes of credit card
debt. You cannot do that. What I am referring to is to prevent
the social influences from penetrating you and taking over your
life. As an individual, you have the right to resist social
influences where they are harmful. The liberal, unfettered use
of credit cards is an influence you will benefit from
resisting.
Just by being fully aware of the social influences, you have
made an important step. You will more likely be on your guard,
and by asserting your individuality, you are more likely to
overcome or prevent the credit card debt problem.
What Are The Social Causes Of Credit Card Debt?
You could spend years analyzing the credit card debt problem.
Here are just a few of the influences at work in the society
around you:
1. Credit card interest rates are high, therefore the profits
can be high. Banks and other credit card issuers are after
their slice of that big money, including from you. They can
therefore justify big marketing budgets to get your money. I
deliberately do not say “get your business”. You will resist
better if you think “they are after my money.”
2. It is very easy to get credit cards, multiple credit cards
in fact. Issuers of credit cards make it easy for you, if you
have had no debt problems in the past. If they seem to take it
lightly, it is understandable that their customers do too. But
remember, they take the risk factors into account when setting
interest rates. That’s why they are so high.
3. Your friends, neighbours and work colleagues will probably
all have multiple credit cards, talk about them and flash them
around from time to time. That can all influence your own
attitude to credit card debt. 4. Depending on what country you
are in, yours may be a “have now, pay later” society. Immediate
gratification can take precedence over common sense. If everyone
else is doing it, it surely must be right? Wrong. Especially if
the interest rates are too high.
5. You see other people buy new furniture, go on exotic
vacations, or go out to expensive restaurants all the time.
Even if you never know if they are doing so on credit card, you
may want the same. But you do not have the immediate cash, so
what do you do? Jump on the credit card train? That is what
your society may be pushing you towards.
How To Resist the Social Pressures To Succumb To Credit Card
Debt
Due to the overwhelming pressures of the credit card society,
it can be quite a difficult task, initially, to change your own
attitudes. But by asserting your individuality, you can steadily
eliminate the social conditioning. It is really a matter of how
you think in certain situations. You are in charge of the way
you think, so all you need to do is what is natural. Not what
everyone else seems to be doing around you, but what is natural
to you as an individual. Think to protect yourself, assert
yourself, and to look after your financial well being.
Here are a few ideas to help you:
1. Whatever type of loan you may apply for, you are after just
one product, money. Different types of loans are marketed as
separate products, in different packages, but to you, they
should all be one: money. The money, once you have it, is all
the same quality. A dollar is a dollar, a pound is a pound, a
euro is a euro. Having engrained that upon yourself, knowing
you are just after this single product, you need only look at
price. Credit card debt is very, very expensive. The interest
takes money from you, and reduces your assets. If you need a
loan, you want the lowest possible interest rate, one that does
not unnecessarily leech your assets.
2. A credit card should only be used as a convenience to pay if
you have no cash on you, knowing that you can pay off the
balance before interest charges kick in. Many cards have an
interest free period. Never use credit cards as a loan beyond
that free period. Others do, but you have no need to. You can
eliminate that idea altogether. You are creating a new habit
that will enhance your financial situation, and resisting an
old common habit that would ultimately damage your finances.
3. Plan all your borrowing. Sit down and write down what you
absolutely must buy over the next year, and add what you would
like to buy. Total the cost. Write down a budget for each
month, making sure you have listed all your regular expenses
that are fixed and unavoidable, and those over which there is
some flexibility. Compare that total with your income. If you
have a surplus, then you can think about those extra purchases
you had in mind. If not, don’t think any more about them. You
cannot afford them, and cannot afford to borrow.
If you have a planned surplus, then maybe you can get those
things you wanted. If you can afford all of them, and there are
quite a few items on your list, then forget about getting a
loan. Be patient, resist the have now pay later syndrome. You
can save interest and buy a bonus item with that later if you
really must. You are in a great position to pay cash.
Prioritize the things you want to buy, and note their cost, and
then work out a plan by which you buy one item at a time spread
throughout the year. Why pay the banks credit, when you can pay
cash? You will save not just the interest but maybe get cash
discounts. Cash gives you control. With credit you are
subservient.
If, on the other hand, there are just one or two more expensive
items you want to buy, it is time to compare options and test
your resolve. If you save your surplus each month, consider how
long it will take to have enough for item 1 and maybe item 2.
Are they really urgent? Probably not. Maybe you can save for
one after 4 months and 2 after 9 months. That way you are
getting into the habit of saving, and living off cash. Cash is
king. Your finances will start to look good over time, and
you’ll start to feel proud of yourself. You will feel in
control.
Remember too that by saving, if an emergency comes up, you may
have the cash at hand instead of reaching for that expensive
credit card.
You really cannot wait and save? That is a pity, but now check
out all the loan sources suitable for your intended purchases.
Get the best plan, the best interest rates, and apply, with the
intention of using that loan just for what it is intended, and
to pay it off within the time scale of the spending plan. In
the example one year. Stick to that discipline, and your credit
is still under your control. And, you have avoided reliance on
expensive credit cards.
4. Remind yourself every day that you are only going to use
your credit card when you have no cash on you, as a
convenience, and you will repay it before interest starts to
accrue.
5. Also remind yourself every day that sometimes it is good, or
even necessary, to be that bit different, and to resist social
pressures. Imagine all the credit card lemmings heading towards
the precipice, while you relax in your counting house, counting
out your money. Real money; your assets. Anyway, it’s great
sometimes to be different, it really does make you feel good
about yourself.
6. Never, ever feel you have to buy something just because a
neighbour or friend has been boasting about theirs. Envy and
jealousy are viruses that minimize your individuality, and can,
in this case, damage your finances.
Resisting the pressures of the credit card society will be a
lot easier once you have set your mind to it, and started to
feel the benefits. Enjoy the process, and you will be a cash
convert for the rest of your affluent life.
About the Author: Roy Thomsitt is the owner and part author of
http://www.eliminate-credit-card-debt-now.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
By Roy Thomsitt
Credit card debt is a major social problem in some Western
countries. To rid yourself of credit card debt, it is best to
recognize the problem as both a social and individual problem.
If you are overburdened with credit card debt, or are in danger
of becoming so, it is very easy to see it purely as an
individual problem, one from which you may be suffering both
physically and mentally. Worry and stress can be silent
marauders into your physical and mental well being. Debt can
undoubtedly cause both worry and stress, not just to the
debtor, but their immediate families too.
Why Should You Care About The Social Causes of Credit Card
Debt?
If you wish to overcome your credit card debt problem, you will
benefit from removing some of the social influences. They are a
major influence on the way you react, think and behave. Remove
the social influences, and you take a big stride in your
journey to eliminate your debt.
I do not, of course, mean remove the root causes of credit card
debt. You cannot do that. What I am referring to is to prevent
the social influences from penetrating you and taking over your
life. As an individual, you have the right to resist social
influences where they are harmful. The liberal, unfettered use
of credit cards is an influence you will benefit from
resisting.
Just by being fully aware of the social influences, you have
made an important step. You will more likely be on your guard,
and by asserting your individuality, you are more likely to
overcome or prevent the credit card debt problem.
What Are The Social Causes Of Credit Card Debt?
You could spend years analyzing the credit card debt problem.
Here are just a few of the influences at work in the society
around you:
1. Credit card interest rates are high, therefore the profits
can be high. Banks and other credit card issuers are after
their slice of that big money, including from you. They can
therefore justify big marketing budgets to get your money. I
deliberately do not say “get your business”. You will resist
better if you think “they are after my money.”
2. It is very easy to get credit cards, multiple credit cards
in fact. Issuers of credit cards make it easy for you, if you
have had no debt problems in the past. If they seem to take it
lightly, it is understandable that their customers do too. But
remember, they take the risk factors into account when setting
interest rates. That’s why they are so high.
3. Your friends, neighbours and work colleagues will probably
all have multiple credit cards, talk about them and flash them
around from time to time. That can all influence your own
attitude to credit card debt. 4. Depending on what country you
are in, yours may be a “have now, pay later” society. Immediate
gratification can take precedence over common sense. If everyone
else is doing it, it surely must be right? Wrong. Especially if
the interest rates are too high.
5. You see other people buy new furniture, go on exotic
vacations, or go out to expensive restaurants all the time.
Even if you never know if they are doing so on credit card, you
may want the same. But you do not have the immediate cash, so
what do you do? Jump on the credit card train? That is what
your society may be pushing you towards.
How To Resist the Social Pressures To Succumb To Credit Card
Debt
Due to the overwhelming pressures of the credit card society,
it can be quite a difficult task, initially, to change your own
attitudes. But by asserting your individuality, you can steadily
eliminate the social conditioning. It is really a matter of how
you think in certain situations. You are in charge of the way
you think, so all you need to do is what is natural. Not what
everyone else seems to be doing around you, but what is natural
to you as an individual. Think to protect yourself, assert
yourself, and to look after your financial well being.
Here are a few ideas to help you:
1. Whatever type of loan you may apply for, you are after just
one product, money. Different types of loans are marketed as
separate products, in different packages, but to you, they
should all be one: money. The money, once you have it, is all
the same quality. A dollar is a dollar, a pound is a pound, a
euro is a euro. Having engrained that upon yourself, knowing
you are just after this single product, you need only look at
price. Credit card debt is very, very expensive. The interest
takes money from you, and reduces your assets. If you need a
loan, you want the lowest possible interest rate, one that does
not unnecessarily leech your assets.
2. A credit card should only be used as a convenience to pay if
you have no cash on you, knowing that you can pay off the
balance before interest charges kick in. Many cards have an
interest free period. Never use credit cards as a loan beyond
that free period. Others do, but you have no need to. You can
eliminate that idea altogether. You are creating a new habit
that will enhance your financial situation, and resisting an
old common habit that would ultimately damage your finances.
3. Plan all your borrowing. Sit down and write down what you
absolutely must buy over the next year, and add what you would
like to buy. Total the cost. Write down a budget for each
month, making sure you have listed all your regular expenses
that are fixed and unavoidable, and those over which there is
some flexibility. Compare that total with your income. If you
have a surplus, then you can think about those extra purchases
you had in mind. If not, don’t think any more about them. You
cannot afford them, and cannot afford to borrow.
If you have a planned surplus, then maybe you can get those
things you wanted. If you can afford all of them, and there are
quite a few items on your list, then forget about getting a
loan. Be patient, resist the have now pay later syndrome. You
can save interest and buy a bonus item with that later if you
really must. You are in a great position to pay cash.
Prioritize the things you want to buy, and note their cost, and
then work out a plan by which you buy one item at a time spread
throughout the year. Why pay the banks credit, when you can pay
cash? You will save not just the interest but maybe get cash
discounts. Cash gives you control. With credit you are
subservient.
If, on the other hand, there are just one or two more expensive
items you want to buy, it is time to compare options and test
your resolve. If you save your surplus each month, consider how
long it will take to have enough for item 1 and maybe item 2.
Are they really urgent? Probably not. Maybe you can save for
one after 4 months and 2 after 9 months. That way you are
getting into the habit of saving, and living off cash. Cash is
king. Your finances will start to look good over time, and
you’ll start to feel proud of yourself. You will feel in
control.
Remember too that by saving, if an emergency comes up, you may
have the cash at hand instead of reaching for that expensive
credit card.
You really cannot wait and save? That is a pity, but now check
out all the loan sources suitable for your intended purchases.
Get the best plan, the best interest rates, and apply, with the
intention of using that loan just for what it is intended, and
to pay it off within the time scale of the spending plan. In
the example one year. Stick to that discipline, and your credit
is still under your control. And, you have avoided reliance on
expensive credit cards.
4. Remind yourself every day that you are only going to use
your credit card when you have no cash on you, as a
convenience, and you will repay it before interest starts to
accrue.
5. Also remind yourself every day that sometimes it is good, or
even necessary, to be that bit different, and to resist social
pressures. Imagine all the credit card lemmings heading towards
the precipice, while you relax in your counting house, counting
out your money. Real money; your assets. Anyway, it’s great
sometimes to be different, it really does make you feel good
about yourself.
6. Never, ever feel you have to buy something just because a
neighbour or friend has been boasting about theirs. Envy and
jealousy are viruses that minimize your individuality, and can,
in this case, damage your finances.
Resisting the pressures of the credit card society will be a
lot easier once you have set your mind to it, and started to
feel the benefits. Enjoy the process, and you will be a cash
convert for the rest of your affluent life.
About the Author: Roy Thomsitt is the owner and part author of
http://www.eliminate-credit-card-debt-now.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
Boosting Your Credit Score To Get The Best Credit Card Deal
By Ethan Hunter
Making Your Credit Rating Work For You
One of the basics of getting the most competitive credit card
deal in the market is to ensure you have the best credit record
possible. Few of us are lucky enough to be earning a six-figure
salary, and many people are likely to have other financial
undertakings that a potential lender will want to take into
account. None of this, however, should preclude you from
getting a top bracket credit rating. Getting a credit score of
700+ may be beyond some consumers, but lifting your credit
rating to a point at which lenders will furnish you with some
of their best deals is not an insurmountable task.
It can be a stressful time applying for a new line of credit.
Many consumers get upset when applying for a new credit card
when they find out their credit score is low, and they have
poor credit.
A lower credit score can impact the amount of money that
financial institutions will lend you. It can also impact on the
rate of interest at which you borrow. In some cases, the
difference between having an excellent credit rating and a poor
one could be getting a 0% deal on your credit card, and paying
an APR that touches 30%. Sometimes financial institutions won’t
even lend you a dime, based on a low credit score.
A variety of factors can impact on your credit score. Generally
speaking, lenders love stability more than anything else. Paying
amounts owed on time is but one of many variables. It could be
that you’ve lived in more than one address over the preceding
three years; or having borrowings with a variety of
institutions. It could even be down to the fact that you’ve got
too much credit already at your disposal.
But just what goes into your credit score? A report by the
analytics experts Fair Issac recently broke credit scoring down
into five categories and assessed their importance on the final
rating.
Most important was how you had paid you bills in the past with
the most emphasis on recent activity. Naturally, paying all
your bills on time is good; paying them consistently late is
bad. Having accounts that were sent to collection agencies is
even worse, though nowhere near as bad as declaring bankruptcy.
Paying your bills in a timely and consistent manner contributed
to 35 percent of the score.
Next most important was the amount of money you owe and the
amount of available credit at your disposal. The assessment of
outstanding debt fell into several categories, and included
credit cards, car loans, mortgages, home equity lines, and so
on. Also given consideration was the total amount of credit
available. If a customer has 10 credit cards that each have
$10,000 credit limits, that totals $100,000 of available
credit. Generally speaking, people who have a lot of credit
available tend to use it. This makes them a less attractive
credit risk. This amounts to 30 per cent of the total credit
score.
Also impacting on credit scores is the length of credit history
(15 percent). The longer a customer has had credit –
particularly if it's with the same financial institution – the
more points they get.
The mix of credit contributes 10 percent to the credit score.
Customers with the best scores have a mix of both revolving
credit, such as credit cards, and installment credit, such as
mortgages and car loans. Statistically, consumers with a richer
variety of experiences are better credit risks. As far as banks
and credit card companies are concerned, they know how to
handle money.
The last important factor taken into consideration is new
credit applications (10 percent). If you’ve applied for several
lines of credit in the past few months this will negatively
impact your credit score.
The antidotes to this are simple. Pay your bills in a timely
manner, particularly in the months leading up to an
application. Close unused retail store cards, credit cards and
old bank accounts with overdraft facilities. Maintain
long-standing and healthy arrangements with banks and other
lenders. Don’t apply for a stack of credit cards, loans and so
on, unless you’re absolutely sure it’s the right product for
you. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t apply for a
credit line unless you use it.
There’s a sixth factor that can contribute enormously to a
negative credit rating. In 2001 it became possible for
customers to get their own credit score in exchange for a small
fee. In the past, prospective lenders were able to keep this
score hidden, and many unscrupulous institutions used this
knowledge to charge a higher APR on credit. By being aware of
your credit score lenders can't lie and say your score was low
and charge higher APR on your credit card.
More importantly, it’s vital that you get rid of black marks on
your credit rating. Errors unfortunately happen all the time,
and erroneous reports of missed payments, referrals to debt
collectors and even bankruptcies can scupper your chances of
getting a low rate of interest and even a credit card
altogether. Query everything and haggle with credit reference
agencies so that only the information that is listed on your
credit history that should be there, is there.
You can find out your credit history by applying to one of
several companies. Many offer an online service and can furnish
you with the information both quickly and cheaply. Equifax,
Truecredit and Consumerinfo are some of the best such
providers.
Patience is the key to getting a great credit score – and the
best credit deals. You’re never going to make the jump from
having a credit score of 500 to one of 700 overnight, but by
implementing easy to follow and practical strategies, you can
quite easily leverage your credit score to a rating that is
respected by all concerned.
About the Author: Ethan Hunter is the author of many credit
related articles. If you are looking for help with Home Loans
or any type of credit issue please visit us at
http://www.creditcardunlimited.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
By Ethan Hunter
Making Your Credit Rating Work For You
One of the basics of getting the most competitive credit card
deal in the market is to ensure you have the best credit record
possible. Few of us are lucky enough to be earning a six-figure
salary, and many people are likely to have other financial
undertakings that a potential lender will want to take into
account. None of this, however, should preclude you from
getting a top bracket credit rating. Getting a credit score of
700+ may be beyond some consumers, but lifting your credit
rating to a point at which lenders will furnish you with some
of their best deals is not an insurmountable task.
It can be a stressful time applying for a new line of credit.
Many consumers get upset when applying for a new credit card
when they find out their credit score is low, and they have
poor credit.
A lower credit score can impact the amount of money that
financial institutions will lend you. It can also impact on the
rate of interest at which you borrow. In some cases, the
difference between having an excellent credit rating and a poor
one could be getting a 0% deal on your credit card, and paying
an APR that touches 30%. Sometimes financial institutions won’t
even lend you a dime, based on a low credit score.
A variety of factors can impact on your credit score. Generally
speaking, lenders love stability more than anything else. Paying
amounts owed on time is but one of many variables. It could be
that you’ve lived in more than one address over the preceding
three years; or having borrowings with a variety of
institutions. It could even be down to the fact that you’ve got
too much credit already at your disposal.
But just what goes into your credit score? A report by the
analytics experts Fair Issac recently broke credit scoring down
into five categories and assessed their importance on the final
rating.
Most important was how you had paid you bills in the past with
the most emphasis on recent activity. Naturally, paying all
your bills on time is good; paying them consistently late is
bad. Having accounts that were sent to collection agencies is
even worse, though nowhere near as bad as declaring bankruptcy.
Paying your bills in a timely and consistent manner contributed
to 35 percent of the score.
Next most important was the amount of money you owe and the
amount of available credit at your disposal. The assessment of
outstanding debt fell into several categories, and included
credit cards, car loans, mortgages, home equity lines, and so
on. Also given consideration was the total amount of credit
available. If a customer has 10 credit cards that each have
$10,000 credit limits, that totals $100,000 of available
credit. Generally speaking, people who have a lot of credit
available tend to use it. This makes them a less attractive
credit risk. This amounts to 30 per cent of the total credit
score.
Also impacting on credit scores is the length of credit history
(15 percent). The longer a customer has had credit –
particularly if it's with the same financial institution – the
more points they get.
The mix of credit contributes 10 percent to the credit score.
Customers with the best scores have a mix of both revolving
credit, such as credit cards, and installment credit, such as
mortgages and car loans. Statistically, consumers with a richer
variety of experiences are better credit risks. As far as banks
and credit card companies are concerned, they know how to
handle money.
The last important factor taken into consideration is new
credit applications (10 percent). If you’ve applied for several
lines of credit in the past few months this will negatively
impact your credit score.
The antidotes to this are simple. Pay your bills in a timely
manner, particularly in the months leading up to an
application. Close unused retail store cards, credit cards and
old bank accounts with overdraft facilities. Maintain
long-standing and healthy arrangements with banks and other
lenders. Don’t apply for a stack of credit cards, loans and so
on, unless you’re absolutely sure it’s the right product for
you. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t apply for a
credit line unless you use it.
There’s a sixth factor that can contribute enormously to a
negative credit rating. In 2001 it became possible for
customers to get their own credit score in exchange for a small
fee. In the past, prospective lenders were able to keep this
score hidden, and many unscrupulous institutions used this
knowledge to charge a higher APR on credit. By being aware of
your credit score lenders can't lie and say your score was low
and charge higher APR on your credit card.
More importantly, it’s vital that you get rid of black marks on
your credit rating. Errors unfortunately happen all the time,
and erroneous reports of missed payments, referrals to debt
collectors and even bankruptcies can scupper your chances of
getting a low rate of interest and even a credit card
altogether. Query everything and haggle with credit reference
agencies so that only the information that is listed on your
credit history that should be there, is there.
You can find out your credit history by applying to one of
several companies. Many offer an online service and can furnish
you with the information both quickly and cheaply. Equifax,
Truecredit and Consumerinfo are some of the best such
providers.
Patience is the key to getting a great credit score – and the
best credit deals. You’re never going to make the jump from
having a credit score of 500 to one of 700 overnight, but by
implementing easy to follow and practical strategies, you can
quite easily leverage your credit score to a rating that is
respected by all concerned.
About the Author: Ethan Hunter is the author of many credit
related articles. If you are looking for help with Home Loans
or any type of credit issue please visit us at
http://www.creditcardunlimited.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Friday, April 27, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
Wireless Communications - Your Computer Security Tip
By Syd Tash
I have repeated countless times never to shop online or give sensitive, personal information from a public computer. Not ever. No matter what security precautions you think you have taken. I stand by that advice.
But what if you are using your own laptop at a wireless hot spot? This is somewhat better, but there are still dangers. Follow these minimum steps:
1. Make sure all your security programs are up to date, including Windows (especially including Vista). You do have a full suite of security programs, right? If not, get them!
At a minimum, you should have an anti-virus program, a firewall, and two anti-spyware programs. A spyware blocker tool is also very useful, since it is always better to prevent a problem, rather than have to deal with it later.
A custom HOSTS file is good to have as well, since it will keep you away from known bad and dangerous sites, and help protect you from spyware. Do a search at a search engine for a good one.
If you have never used one before, it may seem complicated at first glance. It is not. Take the time to read and understand it.
It is a good idea to update and run all your security scans before going to the hot spot, so you know your laptop is clean to begin with.
2. Before giving sensitive info online, check that you are on a site that begins with https://... and you see a gold padlock on the lower right of your screen (upper right in IE7).
The s means secure and encrypted, although this is not foolproof. Criminal sites can be encrypted also, but this is rare.
When you want to go to the site of your bank, PayPal, broker, utility company, credit card company, etc. you must type the address in your browser yourself. Do not simply click on a link in an email; you could end up at a phishing (fake) site. Do not even copy and paste an address from an email. For that matter, email is not secure at all, so never send sensitive information in an email.
3. Disable file sharing, so no one can peek into your shared folders. Click Start, Control Panel, Network Connections. Right-click your connection and click Properties.
Select the Networking tab and clear the checkbox marked File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks. Click OK and restart your computer.
4. Change your passwords every month or two. Use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters, if you can.
Do not use anything that can easily be guessed, such as your favorite restaurant, nearby college, the name of your dog, your name, birth date, street where you live, etc. Do not use the same password for all your sites.
5. Finally, here are some low-tech but important tips. Watch behind and around you! Before entering IDs or passwords, look around and make sure no one is watching you.
Check your bank and credit card statements carefully, as soon as they arrive. If anything looks wrong or unusual, contact the company immediately.
Restrict the number of people who use your laptop at home and at the office. The more people who use it, the less control you have over it, and the greater the chance that something bad will happen.
Give other users limited or guest accounts. This will restrict their activities on your machine, and prevent them from downloading anything. To set up additional accounts, click Start, Control Panel, User Accounts.
If you often connect at wireless hot spots, print out this article, and slip it into your laptop carrying case. Review it regularly. Happy (and safe!) surfing.
Syd Tash is a noted security consultant and author of "How to Protect Your
Computer from Daily Internet Threats". He has been keeping surfers safe since
the last century. For more popular free Daily Tips
and info to keep you safe online, http://info4u.vze.com and bookmark it!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Syd_Tash
http://EzineArticles.com/?Wireless-Communications---Your-Computer-Security-Tip&id=505028
By Syd Tash
I have repeated countless times never to shop online or give sensitive, personal information from a public computer. Not ever. No matter what security precautions you think you have taken. I stand by that advice.
But what if you are using your own laptop at a wireless hot spot? This is somewhat better, but there are still dangers. Follow these minimum steps:
1. Make sure all your security programs are up to date, including Windows (especially including Vista). You do have a full suite of security programs, right? If not, get them!
At a minimum, you should have an anti-virus program, a firewall, and two anti-spyware programs. A spyware blocker tool is also very useful, since it is always better to prevent a problem, rather than have to deal with it later.
A custom HOSTS file is good to have as well, since it will keep you away from known bad and dangerous sites, and help protect you from spyware. Do a search at a search engine for a good one.
If you have never used one before, it may seem complicated at first glance. It is not. Take the time to read and understand it.
It is a good idea to update and run all your security scans before going to the hot spot, so you know your laptop is clean to begin with.
2. Before giving sensitive info online, check that you are on a site that begins with https://... and you see a gold padlock on the lower right of your screen (upper right in IE7).
The s means secure and encrypted, although this is not foolproof. Criminal sites can be encrypted also, but this is rare.
When you want to go to the site of your bank, PayPal, broker, utility company, credit card company, etc. you must type the address in your browser yourself. Do not simply click on a link in an email; you could end up at a phishing (fake) site. Do not even copy and paste an address from an email. For that matter, email is not secure at all, so never send sensitive information in an email.
3. Disable file sharing, so no one can peek into your shared folders. Click Start, Control Panel, Network Connections. Right-click your connection and click Properties.
Select the Networking tab and clear the checkbox marked File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks. Click OK and restart your computer.
4. Change your passwords every month or two. Use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters, if you can.
Do not use anything that can easily be guessed, such as your favorite restaurant, nearby college, the name of your dog, your name, birth date, street where you live, etc. Do not use the same password for all your sites.
5. Finally, here are some low-tech but important tips. Watch behind and around you! Before entering IDs or passwords, look around and make sure no one is watching you.
Check your bank and credit card statements carefully, as soon as they arrive. If anything looks wrong or unusual, contact the company immediately.
Restrict the number of people who use your laptop at home and at the office. The more people who use it, the less control you have over it, and the greater the chance that something bad will happen.
Give other users limited or guest accounts. This will restrict their activities on your machine, and prevent them from downloading anything. To set up additional accounts, click Start, Control Panel, User Accounts.
If you often connect at wireless hot spots, print out this article, and slip it into your laptop carrying case. Review it regularly. Happy (and safe!) surfing.
Syd Tash is a noted security consultant and author of "How to Protect Your
Computer from Daily Internet Threats". He has been keeping surfers safe since
the last century. For more popular free Daily Tips
and info to keep you safe online, http://info4u.vze.com and bookmark it!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Syd_Tash
http://EzineArticles.com/?Wireless-Communications---Your-Computer-Security-Tip&id=505028
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
How to Start a Paper Shredding Business
By Randy Wilson
Paper Shredding Business Opportunities are blossoming up everywhere because in recent years, privacy concerns and new policies have forced companies all over the country to invest in paper shredding services. Large corporations and small are in need of shredding services.
Even in many homes, people have purchased small, trash can sized paper shredders for mail and receipts. Most businesses will not be able to shred the material they have by purchasing one of these same machines. First, the small machines are not capable of the volume. Secondly, companies in general are downsizing staff and it is unlikely that they are going to pay someone to feed documents into a tiny shredder all day.
That is where you come in. Investing in a paper shredding business now is like buying a gold mine. The list of documents the Federal Government says must be destroyed is getting lengthier everyday. Every time you sign a document, be it a job application or a credit card receipt, there is a time limit that the receiving company has to hold that document. After that time limit, they are required by law to destroy, or shred, that document.
Large corporations can take in thousands of signed resumes' a year. Restaurants and retail outlets that have not gone to electronic signature devices can have thousands of credit card receipts a month. Think of all the banking records that come due for destruction every week. Now think about the amount of tax documents that need to be rotated and destroyed every year. These are just a few examples of the growing necessity of paper shredding businesses for confidential document destruction.
Mobile shredders are a fantastic investment, as the shredding device is built into the back of a large truck trailer for onsite paper shredding. This allows the shredding company owner to go to the client for onsite shredding. Companies spend thousands of dollars warehousing these documents that often get kept years past their required time because no one wants to deal with all that paper. Mobile paper shredding would allow you to go directly to their warehouse or storage facility. Clients will appreciate not having to pay someone else to have all of this information brought to you.
Even in this electronic age, there are still things that will be in paper form. Recorded documents and legal papers are still required to have pen and ink signature. Many companies are even having computer components such as hard drives and floppy disks shredded for security purposes. The federal government requires such stringent privacy laws due to identity theft and fraud, that nearly any document with a name and address on it must be destroyed after a certain period of time. This continuing process virtually guarantees that a confidential paper disposal service would thrive in the right hands.
Time limits for document destruction will play in your favor as well. Nearly every set of documents has a different holding date. For example, resumes and cover letters have a hold date of one year, if the applicant was not hired. Hired applicants can have part of their file destroyed in three years, for example, the application and some privacy statements. Corporations as well as individuals are required to keep tax records on file for three years. Companies that process financial data, such as banks and paid tax services, will always have documents that are in need of destruction. This gives you the perfect opportunity for a home employment paper shredding business.
Things to consider when thinking about a paper shredding business will depend on what type of service you wish to offer. Having a fixed location where people can bring their records to you for destruction is one idea. However, it is worth considering purchasing a mobile shredding unit in addition to this or even as the sole business operation. Mobile paper shredding will allow you to be even more flexible to your clients needs.
The demand in this industry will only be growing in the coming years as laws and policies change. It is clear that this is a growing enterprise. Be it on site shredding with a mobile shredding unit, or a permanent paper shredding location, you can be sure that there is a public in need of this critical service.
© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.
Randy has dozens of home based business articles such as Best Home Based Internet Business, Ebay Money Making Tips and Medical Billing Service.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Wilson
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Start-a-Paper-Shredding-Business&id=54647
By Randy Wilson
Paper Shredding Business Opportunities are blossoming up everywhere because in recent years, privacy concerns and new policies have forced companies all over the country to invest in paper shredding services. Large corporations and small are in need of shredding services.
Even in many homes, people have purchased small, trash can sized paper shredders for mail and receipts. Most businesses will not be able to shred the material they have by purchasing one of these same machines. First, the small machines are not capable of the volume. Secondly, companies in general are downsizing staff and it is unlikely that they are going to pay someone to feed documents into a tiny shredder all day.
That is where you come in. Investing in a paper shredding business now is like buying a gold mine. The list of documents the Federal Government says must be destroyed is getting lengthier everyday. Every time you sign a document, be it a job application or a credit card receipt, there is a time limit that the receiving company has to hold that document. After that time limit, they are required by law to destroy, or shred, that document.
Large corporations can take in thousands of signed resumes' a year. Restaurants and retail outlets that have not gone to electronic signature devices can have thousands of credit card receipts a month. Think of all the banking records that come due for destruction every week. Now think about the amount of tax documents that need to be rotated and destroyed every year. These are just a few examples of the growing necessity of paper shredding businesses for confidential document destruction.
Mobile shredders are a fantastic investment, as the shredding device is built into the back of a large truck trailer for onsite paper shredding. This allows the shredding company owner to go to the client for onsite shredding. Companies spend thousands of dollars warehousing these documents that often get kept years past their required time because no one wants to deal with all that paper. Mobile paper shredding would allow you to go directly to their warehouse or storage facility. Clients will appreciate not having to pay someone else to have all of this information brought to you.
Even in this electronic age, there are still things that will be in paper form. Recorded documents and legal papers are still required to have pen and ink signature. Many companies are even having computer components such as hard drives and floppy disks shredded for security purposes. The federal government requires such stringent privacy laws due to identity theft and fraud, that nearly any document with a name and address on it must be destroyed after a certain period of time. This continuing process virtually guarantees that a confidential paper disposal service would thrive in the right hands.
Time limits for document destruction will play in your favor as well. Nearly every set of documents has a different holding date. For example, resumes and cover letters have a hold date of one year, if the applicant was not hired. Hired applicants can have part of their file destroyed in three years, for example, the application and some privacy statements. Corporations as well as individuals are required to keep tax records on file for three years. Companies that process financial data, such as banks and paid tax services, will always have documents that are in need of destruction. This gives you the perfect opportunity for a home employment paper shredding business.
Things to consider when thinking about a paper shredding business will depend on what type of service you wish to offer. Having a fixed location where people can bring their records to you for destruction is one idea. However, it is worth considering purchasing a mobile shredding unit in addition to this or even as the sole business operation. Mobile paper shredding will allow you to be even more flexible to your clients needs.
The demand in this industry will only be growing in the coming years as laws and policies change. It is clear that this is a growing enterprise. Be it on site shredding with a mobile shredding unit, or a permanent paper shredding location, you can be sure that there is a public in need of this critical service.
© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.
Randy has dozens of home based business articles such as Best Home Based Internet Business, Ebay Money Making Tips and Medical Billing Service.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Wilson
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Start-a-Paper-Shredding-Business&id=54647
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
Online Credit Card Account Access
By Adam Goldman
Credit cards, the Internet and online services all pave the
path towards a new era of technological advancements and
commercialised lifestyles. Nowadays, you won’t have to fly
halfway around the world or drive across town to purchase
authentic gifts for a loved one. Instead, you can just order it
online at home. Your gift will be wrapped and delivered right to
your door step. All you need is a secure connection, a working
credit card account and a little understanding of how to manage
an online account.
In fact, if you find it hard to keep your bills in order or
can’t find the time to drop in at the bank, then having an
online credit card account is the best way to solve your
problems. With this, you can actually manage all your finances
without you ever leaving your office, or even your desk. You
can make instant payments on the spot, check past transactions
easily and immediately print statements that would regularly
take weeks to get to your mailbox.
With all this convenience, anyone is bound to worry about the
security of having an online credit card account. If you are
able to access your account with your name, ID or a simple
password, it is possible for a thief who has the right
combination of these elements to access to your account. Thus,
it is important that you do not give out your personal
information to strangers or even callers over the phone.
Also, before you enter any sensitive information on your
browser, ensure that your browser is a secured browser that
utilizes Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) that encrypts data before
transmitting it to the server. Most banking websites utilize
secured web pages indicated by a locked padlock sign at the
bottom of the browser. Naturally, credit card users are advised
to not make financial transactions over public computers. Online
access can be a godsend to most of us who lead a busy lifestyle
but if we are not careful, we may lose our finances and
property to thieving scoundrels at the click of a mouse.
About the Author: Adam Goldman recommends Find Credit Cards for
finding a Visa card application. See
http://www.findcreditcards.org/issuer/visa.php for more
information
Source: http://www.isnare.com
By Adam Goldman
Credit cards, the Internet and online services all pave the
path towards a new era of technological advancements and
commercialised lifestyles. Nowadays, you won’t have to fly
halfway around the world or drive across town to purchase
authentic gifts for a loved one. Instead, you can just order it
online at home. Your gift will be wrapped and delivered right to
your door step. All you need is a secure connection, a working
credit card account and a little understanding of how to manage
an online account.
In fact, if you find it hard to keep your bills in order or
can’t find the time to drop in at the bank, then having an
online credit card account is the best way to solve your
problems. With this, you can actually manage all your finances
without you ever leaving your office, or even your desk. You
can make instant payments on the spot, check past transactions
easily and immediately print statements that would regularly
take weeks to get to your mailbox.
With all this convenience, anyone is bound to worry about the
security of having an online credit card account. If you are
able to access your account with your name, ID or a simple
password, it is possible for a thief who has the right
combination of these elements to access to your account. Thus,
it is important that you do not give out your personal
information to strangers or even callers over the phone.
Also, before you enter any sensitive information on your
browser, ensure that your browser is a secured browser that
utilizes Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) that encrypts data before
transmitting it to the server. Most banking websites utilize
secured web pages indicated by a locked padlock sign at the
bottom of the browser. Naturally, credit card users are advised
to not make financial transactions over public computers. Online
access can be a godsend to most of us who lead a busy lifestyle
but if we are not careful, we may lose our finances and
property to thieving scoundrels at the click of a mouse.
About the Author: Adam Goldman recommends Find Credit Cards for
finding a Visa card application. See
http://www.findcreditcards.org/issuer/visa.php for more
information
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Monday, April 16, 2007
Wireless Credit Card Machines
Identity Theft: Don't Be A Victim!
By Matthew Keegan
Moments after stepping out of the taxi, Rachel plunged through the entranceway of the hotel lobby eager to put behind what had been a terribly exhausting day. Flight delays due to weather had caused her LAX-MDW-BWI trip to take nearly eleven hours to complete. All she could think of was taking off her shoes to relieve her aching feet and dipping them into soothing, warm bath water.
The line at the front desk was mercifully short. One clerk caught Rachel's attention and signaled her forward — she gave him her reservation information and then dug out her American Express card for payment. As he stepped away to verify its authenticity Rachel's eyes surveyed the lobby. "They've updated everything since I was last here", she thought. Her concentration, clouded by fatigue, was now on the mission style tables, chairs, and light fixtures, which had replaced the heavy, wooden furniture previously occupying the lobby. "Here is your card and room key, ma'am," the clerk interrupted minutes later. Quickly, Rachel stuffed her card back into her wallet, gathered her bags and whisked away to her room.
Rachel was a victim of identity theft that night, but did not know it at the time. Had she kept a watchful eye on what her clerk was doing instead of studying the lobby, she might have noticed him switching cards on her. At the very least, she would have seen that the card handed to her beneath her room key was not her own.
Identity theft is an exploding problem that has increased exponentially in this technological age. Particularly since the early 1990s thieves have been taking advantage of what we would consider every day transactions: writing a check at the grocery store, ordering merchandise via the internet, applying for a credit card, using your cell phone, and more. Each transaction requires you to share personal information: your bank and credit card account numbers; your income, your Social Security Number (SSN); and your name, address, and phone numbers.
An identity thief will lift some piece of your personal information and appropriate it without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft. One of the most common methods is when the identity thief uses your personal information to open a credit card account in your name.
The Federal Trade Commission is the arm of the federal government tasked with overseeing the problem of identity theft. A special hotline number (1-877-IDTHEFT) was created for consumers to call to place your information in a database which is accessible with other law enforcement agencies and private entities, including any companies about which you may complain. Additionally, an ID Theft Affidavit — a form you can use to alert companies where a new account was opened in your name — can be filled out and given to the company. This affidavit is available online to consumers.
Identity thieves can get your personal information in a number of ways:
* They steal wallets and purse containing your i.d. and credit and bank cards.
* They steal your mail, including your bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, telephone calling cards and tax information.
* They complete a "change of address form" to divert your mail to another location.
* They rummage through your trash, or the trash of businesses, for personal data in a practice known as "dumpster diving."
* They fraudulently obtain your credit report by posing as a landlord, employer or someone else who may have a legitimate need for — and a legal right to — the information.
* They get your business or personnel records at work.
* They find personal information in your home.
* They use personal information you share on the internet.
* They buy your personal information from "inside" sources. For example, an identity thief may pay a store employee for information about you that appears on an application for goods, services or credit.
Identity thieves will then take the personal information they have obtained about you and use it in a number of different ways:
* They will call your credit card issuer and, pretending to be you, ask to change the mailing address on your credit card account. The imposter then runs up charges on your account. Because your bills are being sent to the new address, it may take some time before you realize that there is a problem.
* They open a new credit card account, using your name, date of birth and SSN. When they sue the credit card and don't pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report.
* They establish phone or wireless service in your name.
* They open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on that account.
* They file for bankruptcy under your name to avoid paying debts they have incurred under your name, or to avoid eviction.
* They counterfeit checks or debits cards, and drain your bank account.
* They buy cars by taking out auto loans in your name.
Fortunately for Rachel, American Express covered her losses. Although she didn't find out about the theft until she reached her home in California, American Express suspended her account when a number of suspicious charges appeared and she couldn’t be reached by them to verify the charges. Their fraud department left a message on her phone answering machine instructing her to call them and, when she did, Rachel was notified that someone else was using her card. When she explained that she had the card in her possession, she checked her purse and found a card for someone else instead.
Visa, MasterCard and American Express absorb the cost of fraud as long as they are notified by the consumer [certain restrictions may apply — check with your card issuer for specific details]. Had Rachel used a debit card, the story might have been much different. Unlike a credit card, the debit card takes a direct hit on your bank account, meaning that you will have to absorb the loss.
So, all is well with Rachel, right? Sure, American Express overnighted a new card with a new account number for Rachel to use on her next trip, but the problem could very well have continued — and deepened — had she not taken three more steps recommended by the Federal Trade Commission:
First, contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus. Tell them that you are a victim of identity theft. Request that a "fraud alert" be placed in your file, as well as a victim's statement asking that creditors call you before opening any new accounts or changing your existing accounts. This can help prevent an identity thief from opening additional accounts in your name.
At the same time, order copies of your credit reports from the credit bureaus. Credit bureaus must give you a free copy of your report if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, and you make that request in writing. Review your reports carefully to make sure no additional fraudulent accounts have been opened in your name or unauthorized changes made to your existing accounts.
Second, contact the creditors for any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Creditors can include credit card companies, phone companies and other utilities, and banks and other lenders.
Third, if possible, file a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place. Get a copy of the police report in case the bank, credit card company or others need proof of the crime. Even if the police are unable to catch the thief, the report can be helpful when dealing with creditors.
In summation, identity theft is a problem that is causing businesses and consumers billions of dollars per year. As a result, higher interest rates and an increase in the cost of goods and services is passed on to consumers. So, do not be a victim — protect yourself from identity theft by remaining alert especially when a third party is handling your personal information.
Matthew Keegan is the owner of a successful web design and marketing company based in North Carolina, USA. He manages several sites including the Corporate Flight Attendant Community at http://www.corporateflyer.net and the Aviation Employment Board at http://www.aviationemploymentboard.net This article originally appeared in the Summer 2002 issue of the Flight Attendant News.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Keegan
http://EzineArticles.com/?Identity-Theft:-Dont-Be-A-Victim!&id=61172
By Matthew Keegan
Moments after stepping out of the taxi, Rachel plunged through the entranceway of the hotel lobby eager to put behind what had been a terribly exhausting day. Flight delays due to weather had caused her LAX-MDW-BWI trip to take nearly eleven hours to complete. All she could think of was taking off her shoes to relieve her aching feet and dipping them into soothing, warm bath water.
The line at the front desk was mercifully short. One clerk caught Rachel's attention and signaled her forward — she gave him her reservation information and then dug out her American Express card for payment. As he stepped away to verify its authenticity Rachel's eyes surveyed the lobby. "They've updated everything since I was last here", she thought. Her concentration, clouded by fatigue, was now on the mission style tables, chairs, and light fixtures, which had replaced the heavy, wooden furniture previously occupying the lobby. "Here is your card and room key, ma'am," the clerk interrupted minutes later. Quickly, Rachel stuffed her card back into her wallet, gathered her bags and whisked away to her room.
Rachel was a victim of identity theft that night, but did not know it at the time. Had she kept a watchful eye on what her clerk was doing instead of studying the lobby, she might have noticed him switching cards on her. At the very least, she would have seen that the card handed to her beneath her room key was not her own.
Identity theft is an exploding problem that has increased exponentially in this technological age. Particularly since the early 1990s thieves have been taking advantage of what we would consider every day transactions: writing a check at the grocery store, ordering merchandise via the internet, applying for a credit card, using your cell phone, and more. Each transaction requires you to share personal information: your bank and credit card account numbers; your income, your Social Security Number (SSN); and your name, address, and phone numbers.
An identity thief will lift some piece of your personal information and appropriate it without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft. One of the most common methods is when the identity thief uses your personal information to open a credit card account in your name.
The Federal Trade Commission is the arm of the federal government tasked with overseeing the problem of identity theft. A special hotline number (1-877-IDTHEFT) was created for consumers to call to place your information in a database which is accessible with other law enforcement agencies and private entities, including any companies about which you may complain. Additionally, an ID Theft Affidavit — a form you can use to alert companies where a new account was opened in your name — can be filled out and given to the company. This affidavit is available online to consumers.
Identity thieves can get your personal information in a number of ways:
* They steal wallets and purse containing your i.d. and credit and bank cards.
* They steal your mail, including your bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, telephone calling cards and tax information.
* They complete a "change of address form" to divert your mail to another location.
* They rummage through your trash, or the trash of businesses, for personal data in a practice known as "dumpster diving."
* They fraudulently obtain your credit report by posing as a landlord, employer or someone else who may have a legitimate need for — and a legal right to — the information.
* They get your business or personnel records at work.
* They find personal information in your home.
* They use personal information you share on the internet.
* They buy your personal information from "inside" sources. For example, an identity thief may pay a store employee for information about you that appears on an application for goods, services or credit.
Identity thieves will then take the personal information they have obtained about you and use it in a number of different ways:
* They will call your credit card issuer and, pretending to be you, ask to change the mailing address on your credit card account. The imposter then runs up charges on your account. Because your bills are being sent to the new address, it may take some time before you realize that there is a problem.
* They open a new credit card account, using your name, date of birth and SSN. When they sue the credit card and don't pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report.
* They establish phone or wireless service in your name.
* They open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on that account.
* They file for bankruptcy under your name to avoid paying debts they have incurred under your name, or to avoid eviction.
* They counterfeit checks or debits cards, and drain your bank account.
* They buy cars by taking out auto loans in your name.
Fortunately for Rachel, American Express covered her losses. Although she didn't find out about the theft until she reached her home in California, American Express suspended her account when a number of suspicious charges appeared and she couldn’t be reached by them to verify the charges. Their fraud department left a message on her phone answering machine instructing her to call them and, when she did, Rachel was notified that someone else was using her card. When she explained that she had the card in her possession, she checked her purse and found a card for someone else instead.
Visa, MasterCard and American Express absorb the cost of fraud as long as they are notified by the consumer [certain restrictions may apply — check with your card issuer for specific details]. Had Rachel used a debit card, the story might have been much different. Unlike a credit card, the debit card takes a direct hit on your bank account, meaning that you will have to absorb the loss.
So, all is well with Rachel, right? Sure, American Express overnighted a new card with a new account number for Rachel to use on her next trip, but the problem could very well have continued — and deepened — had she not taken three more steps recommended by the Federal Trade Commission:
First, contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus. Tell them that you are a victim of identity theft. Request that a "fraud alert" be placed in your file, as well as a victim's statement asking that creditors call you before opening any new accounts or changing your existing accounts. This can help prevent an identity thief from opening additional accounts in your name.
At the same time, order copies of your credit reports from the credit bureaus. Credit bureaus must give you a free copy of your report if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, and you make that request in writing. Review your reports carefully to make sure no additional fraudulent accounts have been opened in your name or unauthorized changes made to your existing accounts.
Second, contact the creditors for any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Creditors can include credit card companies, phone companies and other utilities, and banks and other lenders.
Third, if possible, file a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place. Get a copy of the police report in case the bank, credit card company or others need proof of the crime. Even if the police are unable to catch the thief, the report can be helpful when dealing with creditors.
In summation, identity theft is a problem that is causing businesses and consumers billions of dollars per year. As a result, higher interest rates and an increase in the cost of goods and services is passed on to consumers. So, do not be a victim — protect yourself from identity theft by remaining alert especially when a third party is handling your personal information.
Matthew Keegan is the owner of a successful web design and marketing company based in North Carolina, USA. He manages several sites including the Corporate Flight Attendant Community at http://www.corporateflyer.net and the Aviation Employment Board at http://www.aviationemploymentboard.net This article originally appeared in the Summer 2002 issue of the Flight Attendant News.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Keegan
http://EzineArticles.com/?Identity-Theft:-Dont-Be-A-Victim!&id=61172
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)