The Convenience of Credit Card Services

Credit cards have become so popular with consumers that in this day and age, no business can afford too forego accepting them as a form of payment. Without credit card services, businesses would lose out on quite a lot of potential revenue. Many people think of businesses which do not offer them as being less than serious business ventures.

So what are these credit card services?
Basically, the service denotes that a business has a system in place enabling theme to accept credit cards as payment. These services are those which allow a business to accept credit cards; a machine for processing credit card payments for instance, is a service which a business provides to consumers and is itself a service which is being provided to them by the banks, who allow them the use of a credit card processing machine as their service. Given that people are more likely to pay with a credit card than cash in most situations, failing to provide these services means disaster for a business owner who would be unable to accept card payments; for many of their customers, this may be the only form of payment they are able to use since carrying of any large amount of cash has fallen out of favor. Therefore, these services are now part and parcel of operating a business.

The proliferation of internet access into homes meant an explosion in the online world as a venue in which to do business. These e-stores or "clicks-and-mortar" businesses (where a physical business has an online presence as well) had to have a way for their customers to pay for goods and services; with credit cards being the obvious solution. These websites then needed these services; in the form of specialized web pages where customers could fill in their card information and the merchant then process the payment. This in turn fostered advancements in security technology for websites to prevent such sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands. These sites came to be known as secure sites and are the very backbone of online commerce today.

Other than this type of credit card services, there are other ways such as over-the-phone credit card payment, and on the web, third party service companies who act as an intermediary and provide an interface for accepting online payments.

There are many ways that these services are in use and as technology progresses, others will be developed.

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Debt Management, Debt Counseling, Debt Settlement - What Are the Differences?

Debt management and debt counseling are two good alternatives to managing your debt. Although a lot of people will confuse debt management or counseling with debt settlement, there are some differences.

Debt Management and debt counseling are two different programs, but can be confused as one. In this article, we will take a look at all three options, Management, debt counseling and debt settlement, Hopefully you can choose which solution fits your needs, we will also look at some of the pros and cons too.

Debt management is usually for people who have fallen a little bit behind and are having a hard time paying their bills and want to catch up. Management can also be for people who are not sure of how to manage their money. The decision of what bills to pay and where to cut back can be troublesome at times.

This is how debt management usually works. You hire a management company to take care of your finances for you and catch up on our late payments, in return you give them a big portion or all of your paycheck. They look at your expenses and decide which debts to allocate the money towards and how much.

The debt management company also takes into consideration what you need for living expenses. Pros, a good management company takes care of all the work for you and will assure your debts are paid on time. Not all management programs are bad, only believe a tenth of the bull you read on the web. Let me give you a good example. My ex-wife has to travel allot, at times she will be gone for up to 3 months. She has a debt management company take care of her finances for her, because she does not have the time. Sure they charge a small fee, but when she gets back, she can rest knowing all is well.

Cons, most debt management programs charge a fee and there are some bad debt management companies. Some debt management companies want you to use consolidation as a technique, this only works if your borrowing the same amount of money as you have debt, at a lower interest. A good debt management company will help you get out of debt, not create more.

Debt Counseling can be utilized for a few reasons. Most people don't fall into this first category, but there are some individuals who just don't know how to manage money. A good debt counseling program can teach someone how to manage their finances and get back on track.

Debt counseling can also be used for someone who's fallen behind on their bills and just needs a good plan to get caught up. A good debt counseling advisor should be able to take your income compared to your debt and come up with a plan that will show you where you need to budget your money.

Pros, a good debt counseling program should not take that long to come up with a plan, less expensive.

Cons, there's some bad debt counseling programs. be leery of one that wants to take to long making up a plan, unless your seeking counseling because you don't know how to manage money.

Debt Settlement, negotiation, relief, or reduction the outcome is the same. This is where a person has to much debt and doesn't have the monetary means to pay it off and is looking for creditors to relinquish some of their debt. Most people in this situation have fallen behind on their debts and have thought about filing bankruptcy. The good news is a lot of creditors are willing to work with you. The bad news is most people don't know how to deal with creditors and end up hiring a debt settlement company.

Most debt settlement programs don't work, they take to long to settle and charge outrageous fees. Some debt settlement programs can take 2 to 5 years and can charge up to 15 thousand or more in fees.Most creditors will not wait 2 to 5 years before taking action to collect. No matter what you've heard, the laws on bankruptcy have changed and most people will have to set up a payment plan with their credit debt companies.The only thing you can do is protect what credit you have left.

The great news is you can negotiate your own debt settlement and save a lot of money. You don't need to hire a professional negotiator. All you need is the right tools and information to get the job done.

If your considering any of these alternatives and would like to learn more, we would like to help you decide which program is better by giving you a free debt consultation.

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The Differences Between Debt Management Companies and Debt Settlement Firms

With the average U.S. household owing more than $10,000 in credit card debt, it's no surprise that millions of consumers are turning to debt management companies or debt settlement firms to become debt free. However, there are enormous differences between these two types of organizations. A good debt management company offers free or low cost services, can help you preserve your credit rating, and will teach you to organize your finances and budget properly. It will also successfully negotiate with your creditors to give you financial relief.

By contrast, even with the "best" debt management companies, consumers pay high fees, wind up with serious blemishes on their credit files, and receive little to no financial education. Additionally, while many debt management firms "guarantee" their work, in reality they have no way to ensure that their questionable techniques and unorthodox negotiating methods will be effective. Read on to discover the downside to using the services of debt settlement companies - and why using a debt management company is far more advantageous.

The Hit to Your Credit Scores
The primary problem with debt settlement companies is that they typically advise you to stop paying your bills for a few months - sometimes for six months or more. At the end of that period, the debt settlement company goes to your creditors and tries to negotiate settlements on your behalf. The logic used by debt settlement firms is simple: They figure that after a few months of not getting paid, your creditors will be so eager to receive some money (instead of no money) that these creditors will gladly settle your debts for pennies on the dollar.

If only it were that easy.
The problem with this is strategy is two-fold. First, you wind up with serious black marks on your credit reports and you decimate your FICO credit scores. After all, just one late payment can drop your FICO credit score by 50 points or more. Imagine the damage done by being three to six months late on multiple accounts.

Plus, when debt settlement is "successful," your creditors agree to accept less than the full amounts owed (even though they will consider the balance as paid). The creditors often then report to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion that your account was "Settled" or "Paid by Settlement" - which also tarnishes your credit records.

Does Debt Settlement Work - Or Backfire?
Additionally, there is no assurance that the methods used by debt settlement firms will work. Instead of caving in to a debt settlement company's demands to let you pay, say, $30 for every $100 you actually owed, creditors may just decide to sue you, get a judgment against you, or garnish your wages.

The Better Method - Education and Reasonable Negotiations
Rather than use a debt settlement company, a better strategy is to first try to negotiate directly with your creditors. If your efforts fail, and you can't keep up with your bills, then it's time to enlist the help of a credit counseling agency/debt management firm. A good non-profit, HUD-certified credit counseling agency is the National Foundation for Debt Management (www.NFDM.org).

Debt management programs typically take three to five years to complete; most debt settlement programs usually take two to four years. Fortunately, enrolling in a debt management program, also known as a DMP, shouldn't backfire on you - as long as you continue to pay your bills on time. When you enroll in a debt management program, your credit files do include a notation that you are participating in a DMP. However, taking part in a debt management program does not adversely impact your credit rating, nor is it a factor in how your FICO score is calculated, according to executives from Fair Isaac Corp., the creator of the FICO score. Your credit rating also doesn't suffer because you are paying back everything you owed in a typical debt management program. The cost savings come primarily from having late fees eliminated, and interest rates lowered - two key factors in helping you become debt free fast.

Don't Forget About Debt Settlement Fees.... And That Big Tax Bill

Obviously, costs vary for debt elimination programs. But $25 a month is a common monthly fee for many debt management programs. Most debt settlement companies charge you in one of two ways:

a flat fee, which often runs $1,000 or more, and is based on how much money the debt settlement "saves" you by negotiating with your creditors
a percentage fee, with fees of 15 to 20% of your total debt being typical
So for those with $10,000 in debt, fees would run about $1,500 to $2000 for a 3-year debt settlement program, compared with about $900 in fees for a typical 3-year debt management plan
Why Pay Thousands When You Are Already Thousands of Dollars in Debt?
Besides the fees cited above, it's not uncommon for debt settlement firms to impose added monthly charges on their clients. These fees can be as low as $20 a month or as high $90 or $100 a month, depending on the company in question. Over time, therefore, consumers shell out several thousand dollars - on top of the initial fees charged - when they opt to go with a debt settlement firm.

The IRS's Viewpoint on Debt Settlement
If you enter into a debt settlement plan, one final hazard to be aware of is that you will have to pay taxes on the amount of money you saved. For instance, if your debt was $10,000 and the settlement plan says you only have to pay $3,000, you will be required to pay taxes on the $7,000 you saved. If you are in the 25% tax bracket, you'll have to fork over $1,750 to the IRS, because the government deems your $7,000 in savings as income.

Clearly, there are many pitfalls associated with debt settlement programs. As a result, most consumers battling credit card debt would be far better off seeking out the help and services of a reputable debt management firm.

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Take Advantage of Debt Counseling and Save Thousands of Dollars in the Process

Many people who find themselves surrounded with debt turn to debt counseling services. There, they find professionals who will aid them in debt management and combine each loan into one single basket. This is handy because customers can then only make one payment monthly to the counseling company.

Debt counseling can be a great solution to help with repaying debt and better managing debt so that individuals don't get knocked down even lower in debt. With a proper counseling, customers are can remain stable financially and debt is lessened.

A good number of agencies, who offer solutions to debt management based on each individual's financial situation, provide financial counseling services. Usually such services are offered for debts that aren't secure, like credit card debt, medical bills, back taxes, personal loans, and old utility bills.

If customers maintain a strategy that is organized, debt counseling will guide them financially so that they can manage their debt smarter. With such counseling, the spending habits of a client are analyzed, along with the client's financial situation and how the client manages his/her money in the present setting.

Creditors are then negotiated with in hopes that the creditors will extend the time in which payments are due, which in effect, decreases interest rates. Therefore, customers repay their debts through counseling services.

These counseling services can provide a tremendous advantage to clients who pursue its services. Some benefits are reduced interest rates, no more late or over limit charges, decreased monthly payments, access to budgeting tips, and a new spending pattern.

The major advantage, though, is that professionals will be there to help negotiate with the creditors, favorable interest rates for the clients. Customers also face reduced hassle when trying to repay their debts.

Many people find financial counseling companies helpful, as well, because they're able to answer any questions they may have, clarifying any problems that may arise in the future. Because of this, individuals don't have to make numerous phone calls, which can be quite stressful.

However, just like everything, debt counseling does have drawbacks. One of these drawbacks is that it will usually take longer for a client to repay a loan, since debt consolidation loans last longer. As a result, customers may even end up paying more for the loans than they would have for individual loans.

There are two types of loans that are common with financial counseling companies. For secured loans, clients need to offer collateral in case a loan isn't repaid. An unsecured loan doesn't require clients to offer collateral, but they'll need to negotiate with the company in which how they're loan needs to be repaid.

It's important that great care is taken when choosing a counseling company, so that more debt isn't owed after the client is done with its services. Some companies aren't as reliable and will try to take the client's money rather than help the client.

Therefore, individuals should always do their research before deciding on a debt company. Those interested in counseling should find out if there's going to be an upfront fee, if the service will just enroll the client in a debt management program, the qualifications of the counselors, if credit and debt counseling is kept confidential, and how often the company pays creditors.

Customers should never pick a company that will just enroll them in a debt management program, for they should be counseled and educated as well. It's also advisable not to believe or trust everything that companies say, especially if they claim that they can get rid of debt fast, since it takes time and planning to get rid of debt.

Individuals faced with bankruptcy will find debt counseling to be a necessity. However, before deciding with a company, customers should research it first to make sure it's the best possible match. It's good to look at the strategies each company uses and to compare fees with standard rates. Those interested should also evaluate the counseling services with their creditors, so that money can be saved.

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5 Steps to Hiring a Brain Injury Attorney

One of the most important decisions a traumatic brain injury survivor must make following an accident is choosing the right attorney. Finding the best attorney for your case can be a daunting task, especially for someone with a brain injury.

Choosing an attorney should not be taken lightly in Wisconsin, because the law here makes it extremely difficult to fire your personal injury attorney and find a new attorney to take over your case. The following 5 simple steps will help you find the right Brain Injury Attorney for your case.

1. Identify the Type of Case You Have
Start by identifying your particular accident. If you were injured in an automobile crash, then you need an attorney handling auto accident claims. If, on the other hand, you were injured in a semi-truck crash, then you need an attorney that has successfully handled tractor-trailer accidents in the past. The Internet is a great resource to gather general information about your particular accident and finding an attorney with experience handling such a case. For example, conduct a web search for "(your state) Car Accident Attorney," "(your state) Truck Accident Attorney," etc.

2. Research Your Specific Type of Injury and Your Symptoms
You should also conduct research on your specific type of injury and symptoms. For example, you could conduct a web search for "Mild Traumatic Brain Injury," "Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury," "Severe Traumatic Brain Injury," "Post-Traumatic Headache," "Dizziness," etc.

3. Search for Names of Potential Attorneys
Once you have identified what type of case and the type of injury you have, and have done some preliminary internet research, you can begin searching for attorneys that have experience in accident cases that result in injuries to the brain. Again you should turn to the Internet. The Yellow Pages may also be of benefit, however, because there is a limited amount of information that can fit on one page it is usually an inadequate resource. Television is even less helpful, because of the time limit on the ads and the insistence of some personal injury attorneys to run generic catch-all commercials promising a big settlement on all types of case and injuries. Search the web for an attorney with experience handling your particular type of accident and your particular type of injury, including your symptoms.

Once you have your list of possible attorneys, you should read their particular websites closely. Check out the organizations to which they belong. They should belong to organizations that advocate for victims that have survived traumatic brain injuries. Also, look for past settlements and jury verdicts concerning traumatic brain injury.

4. Call and Request Written Material From the Attorney
It is critical that you choose the right attorney from the outset. You can simply call the first attorney you see on TV and set up an appointment. However, this is not recommended as it is hard for you to determine whether this attorney is truly experienced with traumatic brain injury based simply upon a TV advertisement. Instead, call and ask the potential attorney to send you information this attorney uses to develop and document his client's traumatic brain injury symptoms. If you request written material before meeting with the attorney, then you cannot be pressured into signing something you may later regret. You will be able to first read the attorney's educational materials and then decide on your own time whether this attorney is right for your case.

If you do call an attorney for written materials and instead of politely sending you some free educational information, they attempt to get you into their office or offer to send someone out to your house or hospital room, then beware. Brain injury victims are usually quite vulnerable following an accident and they should never feel pressured into signing anything, including an attorney's fee agreement.

If the attorney or law firm does not offer informative, written materials, or if they are pressuring you to come in and sign a retainer, then they may not be reputable.

Keep in mind that the ethics rules prevent attorneys from directly contacting you in person, by telephone, or by email, unless you contact them first. If an attorney solicits you without your request, then you should immediately report them to the Office of Lawyer Regulation (877) 315-6941.

5. Schedule an In-Person Appointment with the Attorney and Ask Questions
Once you have done the necessary background research, it's time to set up a face-to-face meeting with the attorney. Make a list of questions and bring the list with you to the appointment. If the attorney is competent and experienced with traumatic brain injury, he/she will likely appreciate your persistence and answer your question much more directly.

Here are some suggested questions to ask:
Will you be the one handling my case from start to finish? (If the answer is "no," immediately request to meet with the attorney that will be handling your case from beginning to end).

What is the process for handling my case? What steps will you go through?

When will my case be ready to be resolved? (If the attorney promises a quick settlement, they may be telling you what they think you want to hear as opposed to the actual truth).

How many active cases are you personally handling at the present time?

Have you ever represented people with traumatic brain injuries before? What were some of the results?

How do you obtain most of your brain injury cases? (Referrals from attorneys, other professionals and former clients is the right answer).

Have you attended or presented at any brain injury conferences or seminars?

Do you belong to any trial lawyer brain injury organizations?

Are you a member of any national brain injury associations?

Are you a member of your state's Brain Injury Association?

What is your AVVO ranking? (A rank of 9+ is excellent).

Attorneys that devote a majority of their practice to the representation of traumatic brain injury survivors will not be learning on the job during your case. They will not have to learn new medicine for your case.

Instead, you can be comfortable with an attorney experienced in the representation of brain injury victims knowing they have worked with some of the best experts in the fields of medicine for brain injuries and an experienced brain injury attorney will not be intimidated when faced with brain injury medical experts that have been retained by the insurance companies to say that you did not sustain a life-changing injury. As a result, experienced traumatic brain injury attorneys are usually in a much better position to obtain the appropriate amount of damages for their clients with traumatic brain injuries because they have a better idea as to the amount a jury may award for this specific kind of injury.

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Business Intelligence - The 5 Stage Process to Maximize Business Profits

Every business works with the aim of earning profits and this can be achieved by taking the right business decisions. Business leaders take innumerable decisions that influence the work in various ways. However, the ultimate goal is to make the decisions effective enough in order to carve the path of profit for the organizations. Hence, successful implementation of plans is the foremost need of every business and Business Intelligence proves helpful in this context. Let's get an insight to Business Intelligence and its components:

Business Intelligence:
Business Intelligence plays a primary role while implementing strategies and the right planning procedures. BI technology assists its users in gathering, storing, accessing, and analyzing the data. The set of applications covered under Business Intelligence allows the companies in effective implementation of Decision Support System, applying Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) concepts, Statistical Analysis, Forecasting, and Data Mining.

Business Intelligence serves in sending the information to the right decision makers at the right time. BI is preferred by lot of users, as it leads them in reaching the facts based on conclusion or more commonly known as 'single version of the truth'. This gives the best end product and leads an organization to convert the raw data into useful information; thus, bringing profits.

Characteristics of a Business Intelligence Solution:

It is a single point of access to information
It gives well-timed answers to business questions
It allows effective implementation of BI tools, applications, and systems in all departments of an organization
Stages of a Business Intelligence Process:

Business Intelligence process gathers raw data and converts it into useful information; and further transforms it into knowledge that must be used with intelligence. The BI process is based on five major stages mentioned below:

Data Sourcing: This stage works on gathering the data from different sources including, E-Mail messages, images, formatted tables, reports, sounds and other relevant sources. The major role of Data Sourcing is to gather the data in digital form; therefore, the sources for collecting data are computer files, digital cameras, scanners etc.

Data Analysis: The next stage is to arrange the data collected from Data Sourcing and estimating the data depending upon the current and future trends. Also known as Data Mining, this stage also predicts the information that will be needed in future.

Situation Awareness: This stage of the Business Intelligence process helps in filtering the relevant data and using it in relevance to the business environment. The users compile the data by keenly observing the market forces or Govt. policies, so that it becomes easier to take decisions. Combinations of different Algorithms are used to aptly identify the Situation Awareness.

Risk Assessment: Taking risks is part of every business; but, if one can take precautions, it turns extremely helpful. Risk Assessment stage helps in identifying the current and future risks, including cost benefits; choosing the best options; and comparison between two decisions to identify which one will turn beneficial. It summarizes the best choice amongst varied options.

Decision Support: This last stage in BI process aids in utilizing the information with intelligence. The aim of this stage is to warn the users about various crucial events like poor performance by staff, takeovers, changing trends in market, sales fluctuations and much more. It aids in taking better business decisions for improvising staff morale and customer satisfaction.

Significance of Business Intelligence:
Business Intelligence plays a significant role in the working of organizations and helps them to continue with progression. Following is the significance of Business Intelligence:

BI helps in studying the changing demands; therefore, a company can have accurate and updated information about customer preferences
It aids the Managers to remain informed about competitors' behavior and their actions
It assists the analysts in knowing the adjustments that need to be done for maximizing profits
It helps organizations to make future plans based upon relevant data organized to give better results.
Business Intelligence Users:

IT Users: These users make use of BI tools for development purposes, including Data Integration, Data Modeling, Report Generation, Presentation, and Final Delivery. IT users also use it for supporting the individuals in the organization and provide reports to the outside customers.
Power Users: These types of users include 'Professional Analysts' who have been using the BI tools. These users study the pre-defined reports and provide support in taking the right decisions, but they are not obligated to take decisions.
Business Users: They review the analysis report presented by the Power Users. These users can apply their own queries on the data, and create reports based on those queries.
Casual Users: These users have the privilege of making changes in report information and may enter the data that can help to perform further high-level research.
Extra-Enterprise Users: These users are usually not a part of an organization and are external sources that help the companies in taking more tactical decisions. These may include External Partners, Customers, Business Analysts, Suppliers etc.
Hence, Business Intelligence solutions assist the organizations to take effective decisions and get a deeper insight of business data in order to meet the specified goals. By using all the tools, applications, and systems, organizations can speed up the delivery of product by achieving the targets.

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Benefit Your Business and Your Customers With Merchant Credit Card Processing

Everyone in business realizes that 'time is money.' That makes efficient money management crucial. Customers need quality products and good service. By providing the efficient payment option of credit cards, you benefit both your customers and your business. Satisfied customers and secure transactions are important, which is why smart business owners shop around for merchant credit card processing services that provide these benefits. With up-to-date technology and encryption security, processing credit cards is safe and convenient for everyone.

The Security Standards Council
The negatives of identity theft, online theft, and credit card fraud make secure financial transactions a necessity. The Security Standards Council provides a complete set of requirements that ensures merchant credit card processing continues as a safe and reliable payment method.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) set the guidelines for security management, network architecture, software design, and policies and procedures that protect customer account information. The security points provided include requirements for building a secure network, protecting cardholder data, maintaining a vulnerability management system, implementing strong access control measures, monitoring and testing networks, sustaining an information security policy, and upholding a policy that addresses the security of this vital information. These efforts all work together to protect merchants and the financial information of customers.

Credit Cards Increase Sales
Customers appreciate a safe and convenient way to make payments for products and services. Credit cards offer secure payment transactions, simple-to-access transaction histories, and the facilitation of exchanges and returns. Credit card services include many forms. For example, pay at the pump gas station credit card management differs from a traditional retail merchant credit card account. Merchant credit card processing services offer advantages to any type of business, whether a small business account, merchant account, or eCommerce account.

A credit card service can provide merchants with a safe and efficient payment method designed to best suit their type of business. This not only offers a benefit to customers, but also streamlines the payment process for businesses. In addition to enhancing customer convenience, processing credit cards provides businesses with the ability to access online accounts and records, and manage their databases. These offerings allow merchants to assess their profitability and productivity in an instant.

Benefits for All
Offering the option of paying with credit cards will help you build your business as you also provide convenience and security in the process. It allows you to offer additional customer services like debit card and gift card transactions. With customized services that match your business, you will enjoy the benefits accepting credit cards can offer, including repeat customers and a simplified business process.

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Practical Ideas on How Merchant Credit Card Processing Functions

The world wide web retail business has become the fastest growing industries across the world. As online businesses can quickly boom, so does the requirement of merchant service providers. The numerous customers and immeasurable dollars that access the web play a significant part in financial systems across the world. Servicing every single one of those dealings via merchant credit card processing could be a daunting task. What makes online retail so enticing could be the simple running the internet enterprise.

Online merchant services is really a term accustomed to define the providers of services enabling seller to simply accept credit cards from consumers online on a website, on the telephone or via other venues. These service providers usually give you a wonderful benefits for shoppers and retailers alike. With user friendly Internet dealings, customers could be more certainly going to return. Making merchant account presented can increase sales and revenue.

Deeper exploration indicates that buyers want convenience. When limited payment choices are offered to shoppers, they often move toward locations of business that provide flexibility of payment. The times of "cash only" transactions was buried. Getting merchant credit card processing services available will catch the attention of buyers. Once you get more buyers, you get more gains.

An additional advantage of using merchant credit card processing is the fact that more money could be made with fewer consumers. Studies suggest that individuals who shop with a charge card tend to waste more money than people who buy with cash or checking accounts. Since the option of credit card payments raises, it's probably more and more buyers will shop and that they can spend more using bank cards along with other types of payment.

Because the dawn on the debit card, stores are lucky to be able to take checking account payments with immediate clearance with the funds. Every time a Visa or MasterCard debit card used, it can be treated as being a bank card. The merchant credit card processing systems recognizes these debit cards as being a regular credit card. It is really a safer method to accept payments from checking accounts.

To say last, merchant bank card processing is economical. When consumers have analyzed the minimum expense of getting this service for the additional profits gained, it turns into greater numbers of an asset than a liability. The greater buyers which you can get for your business, the greater successful your online business might be. You shouldn't be stuck inside the days of yester-year. Get a merchant credit card processing system component of your Online business now.

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Guaranteed Exclusive Mortgage Leads - 3 Things to Avoid Getting Scammed

I've been working in the mortgage and mortgage leads industry for over 5 years and have wasted tons of funds trying to find a source for truly exclusive mortgage leads. Just so we are all on the same page, an exclusive mortgage lead is one that has not been resold to other brokers and is exclusive to you and you only. That being said if you are a homeowner in America someone somewhere has has tried to contact you about your mortgage so these simple steps must be taken to make sure the lead is not being hounded by several other brokers.

Stay away from mortgage trigger data
Trigger data is the exact opposite of exclusive and here's why. The name trigger comes from how the lead is generated. When a homeowner has his/her credit pulled by a lender, their homeowner information is triggered in the database of the credit company's records to let them know them know a broker is inquiring about a home owner's ability to obtain a loan. The only thing you can be sure of with this type of lead, is that they are nonexclusive leads and have already filled out a 1003 with another mortgage broker. You really get what you pay for, as these cheap mortgage leads usually run about 30 cents a pop.

Internet Leads for mortgage
Buyer beware of any company claiming they have guaranteed exclusive mortgage leads that were generated from the internet. Most Internet leads come from a network of highly monopolized affiliate websites that resell the leads up to 9 times. These sites sometimes use incentive based promotions like click here to WIN A FREE IPOD as they direct you to a quote form that collects your credit and mortgage status. Most Internet lead providers are upfront about the reselling of their leads; However, they will still try to lure you in by telling you that you will be the first one to get the lead or that there is no one else signed up in your area so the chances are the lead won't even be resold. The only way to get exclusive mortgage leads from the Internet is if they came from your own site using mortgage seo techniques, that being said, Internet shoppers are more competitive by nature so there is a good chance that they requested quotes from other websites as well. Again you get what you pay for... You should never spend more than 25 bucks for even the freshest Internet mortgage lead and try to find out as much as you can about the websites and the methods they use to entice the homeowner to submit their information.

Direct Mailers
The same goes with direct mailing. The mailing list that you purchased has, more than likely, been sold over and over to several brokers. If the homeowner took the time out to respond to your junk mail then the chances are they responded to the other ones too. Conversion ratios from mailers are the lowest in the industry and there is no way to generate guaranteed exclusive mortgage leads from mailers. This is still a tried and true method of marketing as the cost of mailing list are about 7-12 cents a record. Don't expect to see more than the industry standard of.01% conversion.

So how do you generate Guaranteed Exclusive Mortgage Leads????
The answer is mortgage telemarketing. The process starts with the data or the telemarketing list. Most well established mortgage call centers maintain their own database containing millions of homeowner records so before you sign up ask where they get their data, and hopefully they won't say they use internet leads, credit data or mortgage trigger data. Like I mentioned before, if you have a mortgage in America then someone somewhere has contacted you so the only way to guarantee that the lead is exclusive is to simply ASK! Through the process of telemarketing exclusive mortgage leads the agent must verify that the homeowner is not engaged in talks with other mortgage brokers by asking the qualifying question in the call script. Only then should a mini 1003 be collected and an appointment set to meet with the mortgage broker. Make sure you find a company that offers guaranteed exclusive mortgage leads in writing, records all conversations between the borrowers and the telemarketing agents and has a clear replacement policy just in case any slip through. Depending on the filters and criteria, guaranteed exclusive mortgage leads can run anywhere from $55 to $95 and can render as high as 20% closing ratios.

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8 Important Components Of Currency Trading

The currency trading business has always been, and will always be, a risky one! It does not matter whether the transactions are being conducted from the comfort of one's home, or from a legitimate office--a study of market trends and organizations as well as the factors impacting prices, is advisable at the outset. After all, no one enters the trading arena with a desire to end up on the losing side!

Take a look at all the various components of currency trading--

(1) Names like Forex, Foreign Exchange, FX and Currency Exchange are quite familiar, but very few are aware of what they actually represent. To put it simply, they all deal with currency trading, that is, one currency being exchanged for another.

(2) Where the lending rate of a particular currency is concerned, it is decided by the central bank of that country. This is an overnight value. Should the interest rates go down, the currency's value also lowers.

To counteract this, a process called "carry-trade" is put into action. Here, currencies going at lower interest rates are sold and currencies with higher interest rates are bought in their place. If the rate of interest is higher, naturally the value of a particular currency also goes up!

(3) The prices of various currencies are affected by different factors, a few of which can be inflation, industrial production and unemployment. These are known as macroeconomic factors. A poor economy leads to a high rate of unemployment. Along with depreciating the value of the currency, it also causes geopolitical events.

The trading community looks towards the economic data analysis to decide which market positions will bring in profits. So any information related to macroeconomic factors can be found from the analysis.

(4) The major people involved in currency trading include--financial markets, governments, financial institutions, multinational corporations, central banks and large banks.

A smaller percentage includes retail traders or small speculators. But they are not directly involved in this trade; they interact via banks or brokers. Unfortunately, they become the main targets whenever a Forex scam erupts!

Last, but not the least, are the individual investors. If they are not careful, they can be taken for a ride by people putting forward different trading schemes. They are easily taken in by the fact that foreign exchange markets promise great profits if handled properly.

(5) What does one do in currency trade?

The mechanics involved in FX are almost the same as those in other trade markets. It is actually quite a simple process, once the investor and trader get the hang of it.

Quote currencies are displayed in pairs, such as--EUR/USD, USD/JPY, and so on. The first listed currency (base currency) is the foundation for selling or buying. The second listed currency is the counter currency (quote).

To illustrate with an example, say the listed pair is EUR/USD. Euros are being bought while dollars are being sold--both at the same time. So if the value of the Euro goes up, the value of the US dollar is also bound to go up. What is to be kept in mind here is that foreign exchange takes place on the basis of lots, that is, 100,000 base currency units.

(6) There is another terminology that makes the rounds in this arena--trade volumes. The frequency with which any product is sold or bought, determines its liquidity in the market. This is what is meant by trade volumes.

(7) There are many reasons for currency trading to achieve this sort of popularity--

(a) This is the most liquid market in the world today, since it enables quick selling and quick buying of any particular item. Thus, major price rises or price falls cannot affect the commodity. Also, its own price will not fluctuate so much. FX is a reference to market liquidity. The biggest advantage is being able to conduct transactions via the Internet from home.

(b) If the trader is sharp enough, he/she can dispose off the currency pair that has the possibility of undergoing a reduction in value, before anything else. This ensures definite profits.

(c) FX has other features like--lengthened trading hours, going up to 24 hours a day on weekdays (weekends are not included); geographical dispersion; plenty of traders and varied types; and different factors that have an impact on exchange rates.

(8) As far as the trade business is concerned, a currency exchange or foreign exchange market is viewed as the largest global market; it trades cash values.

Currency trading is dependent on a set price that is named as exchange rate. It is beset with risks, but if the game is played correctly, can yield huge profits too! Ultimately, it all depends on the investor!

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