How to Find a Commodity Futures Broker

Are you interested in futures investing? If you are, you will want to get into futures trading, as it a great way to make money with the trading of commodities. If you are interested in trading futures, it is advised that you use the services of a commodity futures broker, particularly if you consider yourself to be an inexperienced trader. Doing business with a commodity futures broker can give you peace of mind, as many can assist you along every step of the way.

If you don’t already have a commodity futures broker that you would like to do business with, you will need to find one. When finding a commodity futures broker to do business with, you will find that you have a number of different options. A few of the many ways that you can go about finding a commodity futures broker are outlined below.

When it comes to finding a commodity futures broker, there are many individuals, particularly beginners, who turn to their local phone book. In the business directory of your phone book, you may be able to find the business listings for a few commodity future brokers. In all honesty, the number of local brokers available will all depend on the size of your city. What you may not realize, especially if you are a beginner, is that you don’t necessarily have to do business with a local commodity futures broker. In fact, you may even find it better to do business with a commodity futures broker that operates on a national level.

Another way that you can go about finding a commodity futures broker is by using the internet. When using the internet, you have the ability to use online phone books, online business directories, or standard internet searches. While all of these three approaches will give you results, you may want to perform a standard internet search, as it likely to return more results. Speaking of results, those results may include the online websites for commodity futures brokers.

The above mentioned approaches can be used to find a commodity futures broker, but you want to do more than just find a broker, you will want to choose one. If you are a beginner, the commodity futures broker that you choose to do business with may have huge impact on your futures trading success. That is why it is advised that you thoroughly research and examine all of commodity futures brokers that you come across. You will want to work with a broker that has an outstanding record, knowledge and training, as well as good customer service skills.

In short, there are a number of different ways that you can go about finding a commodity futures broker. When it comes time to choose a commodity futures broker, you will want to choose the broker who best fits your needs or your expectations.

Ulysses Faust is a writer for Transworldfutures.com where you can find accurate information about a Commodity Futures Broker and other related information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ulysses_Faust

Mortgage Brokers and Loan Officers

Are you looking for a new career? You may want to think about becoming a mortgage broker or loan officer, or sell useful training material for brokers and loan officers.

If you type Mortgage Broker or Loan Officer in your search engine, you will find links to thousands and thousands of websites. This is because Mortgage Brokers and Loan Officers provide a much needed service to the public. They take applications for mortgage loans from potential homebuyers, and help the buyers find the right loan. If you ever applied for a mortgage loan for the purchase of a home, you worked with a broker or loan officer.

A mortgage broker works on his/her own bringing a borrower and lender together for the purpose of a mortgage loan. Brokers are quite often real estate agents in addition to working as a mortgage broker. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, there are approximately 40,000 mortgage brokers in the U.S.

The mortgage loan officer is an employee of a mortgage company, bank, or other mortgage lending institution. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that mortgage loan officers earned between $30,000 and $100,000 in 2005. However, highly motivated loan officers earn much more.

There should be no shortage of business for mortgage brokers and loan officers as numerous real estate properties are bought and sold every day in the U.S. The mortgage broker, loan officer field is a lucrative, well respected field that thousands of people are in now or want to start. There are also brokers and loan officers who are interested in enhancing their present business and knowledge.

You can sell well respected items that really do sell and get paid up to 50% in commissions. Mortgage Broker Training provides banners and text links to make it easy for you. Click below to take a look at some of the products.

Linda worked in the mortgage industry for several years and now manages her websites at: http://www.mortgageproducts.org and http://www.my-home-services.com/broker.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Chandler

Role Of Business Brokers In Selling A Business

Role of business brokers in selling a business is more important than buying a business. However, there are people who do not understand the importance of the role of business brokers when they decide to sell their business. Irony is that some people are happy with giving more time to the selection of a coffee machine rather than to choosing the right business broker. This is a big mistake on their part and can result in not only the loss of money and time but also sometimes resulting in inability to find any buyers.

Here are some points to consider when you choose the business broker for selling your business. However, it is not possible to get a broker who has all the qualifications yet you must look for experience, knowledge, reliability and compatibility with you.

Reliability:
Reliability is essential because the role of business broker in selling a business is very important. How can you judge whether a particular business is reliable or not? The best method is to contact the references given by the business broker. They are in the best position to tell about how the business broker performed the deal. Ask them whether they are satisfied with the role of business broker or not. Also, make sure that the business broker you are going to hire has the capability of taking the transaction to the end and can follow up.

These references can also give you indications regarding the price they got for selling their business. Could they get the price they were expecting? Also, ask them about the consistency of the business broker with the plan charted out in beginning. They can also tell about the level of knowledge the broker has and his capability of providing the right advice. One very important question that you can ask is if need be would they like to hire the same broker again or not. The answer to this question can help you in taking decision quickly regarding hiring the business broker for selling the business.

If the business broker you are going to hire for selling the business belongs to the association of brokers then this is a point in his favor adding to his reliability. This is because the Associations such as International Business Brokers Association apply very strict ethical rules. Similarly, you can gauge the level of the knowledge by asking some questions. The business broker should not only have completed formal education to perform his job perfectly, but also need to keep himself informed about the changes in the particular industry.

Finally, a tip regarding experience of the business broker you are going to hire. If the business broker has ever owned a business then he is a better choice than the others who never run any business.

Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business.

Business Owners all across the country are joining "The Community of Small Business Owners” to receive and provide strategies, insight, tips, support and more on starting, managing, growing, and selling their businesses. As a member, you will have access to true Millionaire Business Owners who will provide strategies and tips from their real-life experiences.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Gordon

Should You Refinance Your Mortgage Using a Mortgage Broker?

Mortgage brokers are independent agents that match homeowners with mortgage lenders. Typically paid by commission these brokers work with mortgage lenders to sell loans. Like any other salesperson mortgage brokers do not necessarily have your best interests at heart; they are in the business simply to make a buck. Because of this you may encounter brokers that push loans using high pressure sales tactics. Mortgage brokers are a dime a dozen so don’t fall for slick sales tactics or pressured sales tactics.

Good mortgage brokers have extensive connections in the mortgage industry. This is extremely helpful if you are trying to find a mortgage with a poor credit rating. Your mortgage broker can find a variety of lenders that specialize in subprime mortgages to help with your poor credit rating. If you have good credit, brokers can offer a variety of loan packages for your circumstances as well.
Should you rely solely on a mortgage broker? Probably not, look at a broker as one more source for your mortgage search. You shop from a variety of lenders and brokers to ensure you will find the best deal for your mortgage. If you don’t have the time to devote to researching mortgages lenders a broker can do the legwork for you; however, you will accepting the brokers word that the loan you accept is the best one for you.

The first thing you need to ask your mortgage broker is what their fee is and who pays it. By shopping from a variety of brokers and lenders you will be able to gauge what the going rate for a mortgage broker’s services is. By shopping from a variety of brokers and asking for references you can find an honest mortgage broker.

Louie Latour has twenty years of experience in the mortgage industry as a mortgage broker. He is the owner of Mortgages for Dummies, a mortgage help site devoted to saving homeowners money with a free guidebook “Five Things You Need to Know Before Refinancing a Mortgage.” Sign up for your free mortgage guide today at: http://www.refiadvisor.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Louie_Latour

Cheap Car Insurance Broker

When you are looking for a cheap car insurance broker, consider shopping online. There are several benefits to shopping online for anything, and those benefits do not stop when it comes to shopping online for a cheap car insurance broker.

Shopping for a cheap car insurance broker online…

…pretty much ensures that you will get a quick response. Conducting business online is almost always much speedier than conducting business in person or even over the telephone. Of course, after the initial online contact you may feel more comfortable speaking with the cheap car insurance broker over the telephone or in person, which is perfectly fine. Just give him a call; by this time you will be well on your way to getting a cheap car insurance policy.

…allows you to get rates from several different cheap car insurance brokers in the same time – or in less time – than it would take you to get a rate from one cheap car insurance broker. We know how important it is to shop around when we are looking for a cheap car insurance broker. Shopping around online is much quicker than calling or visiting several different cheap car insurance brokers. You may end up spending an entire Saturday doing what you could do in an hour online.

…makes it possible to do some quick, and thorough, research about the various cheap car insurance brokers with whom you are considering doing business. You can read up on the car insurance company’s rating from any independent rating company while you chat with your friend about any experiences he or she has had with the cheap car insurance broker in question.

Consider shopping online the next time you are in the market for a cheap car insurance broker. Your search will be much quicker, more widespread, and even more thorough than if you shopped by calling or visiting each cheap car insurance broker on your list.

To get free quotes and learn more about insurance please visit the following recommended sites.

Cheap Car Insurance Broker
This is the fastest website for teen car insurance quotes
Get multiple quotes quickly to see possible savings on health insurance in California

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Newberry

10 Heavy Duty Online Sales Grabbers

1. Give your prospects extra incentives so they will
order quicker. It could be free shipping, a faster
shipping option, free gift wrapping, etc.

2. Make your small business look big on the world
wide web. Design your web site using professional
graphics, ordering systems, organized layouts, etc.

3. Attract a lot more customers by giving them clear
ordering instructions. Give them all the information
they need so they can complete their order easily.

4. Give your customers buying incentives so they'll
make repeat purchases. Offer them discounts, free
gifts, bonus points, etc.

5. Tell people about your site whenever you get a
chance. Those people will tell other people and so
on. It's a cheap way to multiply your advertising.

6. Write and send press releases for your web site.
Use a strong headlines, make it newsworthy, and
tell the journalist why their readers would like it.

7. Use a lot of headlines on your web site and ezine.
Some types of headlines are free offers, questions,
problem solvers, sales, and statistics.

8. Design graphics, templates, buttons and banner
ads for other sites. Allow people to use them in
exchange for your web link on their home page.

9. Use time saving promotional software. You can
automate your search engine submissions, posting
to online classified sites, etc.

10. Advertise your online business by dressing in
clothes that are imprinted with your ad. It could be
a T-shirt, ball cap, coat, etc.

What If I Don't Like My Broker?

Your relationship with your broker usually only lasts for the duration of the loan acquisition process. A mortgage broker’s job is to find you the best-possible loan that fits your needs. After you’ve closed on your mortgage, you’ve paid your broker, and the deal is done. At that time, your relationship with your broker is also typically finished.

Talk With Your Broker

If you are having problems with your broker, talk with them about your concerns. It’s best to voice everything and get it out there, so they can have an opportunity to resolve the issue. If your broker has found you a great deal on a mortgage, you really would probably prefer to work things out with them and go through with the mortgage deal they’ve brokered.

Typically if you voice your concerns with your broker, they will fix the problem or make it better for you in some way. You should consult any agreements you have with your broker, to find out what rights you have under your agreement.

Ending The Relationship With Your Broker

If you decide you want to end your relationship with your broker, do so in writing. Your broker has likely already done a significant amount of work on your behalf. So you owe it to them to treat this in a professional manner. You technically don’t have to go through with any deal a mortgage broker garnered with a lender under closing. You shouldn’t owe your broker a dime until after you have officially signed on the dotted line and accepted the mortgage they found for you.

What Happens To The Loan?

You likely will sign an agreement with your broker that, if they find a deal with a particular broker and you end up using that deal, you agree to pay the broker for his or her services. This is simply common courtesy and business. If you decide to end your relationship with your broker prior to closing your loan, you should be aware that the loan deal your broker garnered for you will likely be lost.

View Our Recommended Online Mortgage Lenders - We maintain a list of low rate mortgage lenders and updatethe list frequently. Try applying with one of our recommended lendersfirst.

Bad Credit Mortgages- Tips for Success- Read this article to learn some tips on getting approved for a mortgage loan with bad credit.

10 Amazing Ways To Jump Start Your Sales

1. Find a strategic business partner. Look for ones
that have the same objective. You can trade leads,
share marketing info, sell package deals, etc.

2. Brand your name and business. You can easily
do this by just writing articles and submitting them
to e-zines or web sites for republishing.

3. Start an auction on your web site. The type of
auction could be related to the theme of your site.
You'll draw traffic from auctioneers and bidders.

4. Remember to take a little time out of your day
or week to brainstorm. New ideas are usually the
difference between success and failure.

5. Model other successful business or people. I'm
not saying out right copy them, but practice some
of the same habits that have made them succeed.

6. Take risks to improve your business. Sometimes
businesses don't want to advertise unless it's free,
sometimes you have to spend money to get results.

7. Include emotional words in your advertisements.
Use ones like love, security, relief, freedom, happy,
satisfaction, fun, etc.

8. Ask people online to review your web site. You
can use the comments you get to improve your web
site or you may turn the reviewer into a customer.

9. Out source part of your workload. You'll save
on most employee costs. You could out source
your secretarial work, accounting, marketing, etc.

10. Combine a product and service together in a
package deal. It could increase your sales. If you're
selling a book, offer an hour of consulting with it.

Quote of the Day:

"Nine-tenths of wisdom is appreciation. Go find somebody's
hand and squeeze it, while there's time." -- Dale Dauten



Clifford Brown

Simple Steps To Find A Good Forex Broker

George S. White

If you want to trade Forex, you need a solid broker on your side. You need to make sure you're trading with a good company that has solid assets so that you know your money is safe with them.

You also need to make sure to understand how your broker makes business. If a broker takes the opposite side of your trade, this means they're playing against you. In that case, the customer usually loses.

Besides this, since the Forex market is a global market, there are brokers based in different countries. You need to be especially careful with this. If you open an account with a broker that's from a 3rd world country, you can have problems if something goes wrong. It's common to see brokers based in Cyprus or even based in offshore territories. These kinds of brokers don't offer any security to potential customers. If you send them money and the money simply disappear, imagine how difficult it will be to get your money back...

As you can see by these simple examples, there are plenty of dangerous brokers in Forex. The only thing you can do in order to avoid more Forex brokers' dangers is to make a solid research about a broker before you open a real account with them.

Make sure you know where your broker is from. It's pretty common to see brokers avoiding to display on their website where they are from. If you see this on a broker's website, that's probably because they're trying to avoid telling you where they are based. If they don't clearly state their complete address and phone number, avoid them at all costs.

Then, try to make some research to know what their current customers are telling about them. If that's an honest broker, you probably can read some reviews made by their satisfied customers. If they are a lousy broker, there are bad reviews about them all over the web.
If you do your due diligence about a Forex broker, you'll be able to know where this broker is based, how they do business, and if they are regulated or not. If you have any kind of question about the company or the way they operate, you can contact them (preferably by phone) so that you know exactly if this is a good broker or not.

Are Your Sales Prospects Playing Ball?

The process for converting suspects into prospects, prospects into leads, leads into customers is much like playing a baseball game. You'd love to hit a home run every time you step to the plate, but the game is really won on base hits. This is where your focus should be (1st Base-Engage Suspects, 2nd Base-Qualify Prospects, etc.). And like baseball, where you don't get to skip second base to speed your journey to home plate, you must make sure you touch every milestone in your sales process. Not doing so can result in wasted time quoting or selling to unqualified opportunities.

But to successfully play the game of sales baseball, one thing MUST also be true...your sales prospects have to be "playing ball." Because if they aren't playing ball, you're wasting your time.
Here are three techniques to determine if YOUR prospects are playing ball:

Evaluate Participation. Regularly analyze how engaged your prospects are in the process. If the person doesn't take your call or respond to your email ...you've got nothing. If the person agrees to hear your pitch, but doesn't give you detailed information about their needs ...you've got nothing. If you get all the right information, but you present the solution to someone with no power to make the buying decision...you've got nothing.

Ask Closing Questions. I call this step the "confirm or deny" technique. Many sales people mistake this step to be the final step you take in the sales process. Actually, the good closers know how to ask the right questions throughout the entire process (when converting suspects to prospects; prospects to leads; and THEN leads to customers). Determine your confirm or deny questions for EVERY milestone in the process...not just the end...and then be sure to ask them before you consider the next step. Don't be afraid of the "deny" because it is better to hear it earlier than later-while you still have time to address it.

Confront Time Wasters. It's important not to take this step with hostility or emotion. Yet, at the same time there comes a time with some prospects where you need to address the unpleasant fact that they are wasting your time. If you've been following the first two steps of this article, then this step should be a lot easier. Sometimes the "take-away" gets the prospect off the dime. Remember, it's okay, in fact recommended, to call your prospects OUT when they aren't playing ball. Doing so clears the way for you to focus more attention on the deals you have the best chance of winning!

Saying NO to a potential opportunity, especially when the pipeline is not as full as you'd like it to be, can be very tough for any salesperson. Just remember though, if they aren't playing ball you can never win the game!

Go-To-Market Strategies is a resource center for sales and marketing professionals and business leaders. Our tools, templates, and services help companies achieve big aspirations with limited budgets.

Visit our website for sales and marketing templates and access to free downloads or browse more articles

How Can You Spot Mortgage Fraud?

By Urban Sotense

Each mortgage scam contains some type of misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission relied upon by an underwriter or lender to fund, purchase or insure a loan. Mortgage scam is easily practiced particularly where mortgage industry professionals are involved. The true level of mortgage scam is largely unknown because a significant portion of the mortgage industry is void of any mandatory fraud reporting and in addition, mortgage fraud in the secondary market is often under reported. Based on various industry reports and analysis, mortgage scam is pervasive and growing. Mortgage scam can be basically analyzed as:

* Fraud for Profit - Sometimes referred as "Industry Insider Fraud" and the motive is to falsely inflate the value of the property, issue loans based on fictitious properties or revolve equity. Based on existing approximate reports, eighty percent of all reported mortgage scam losses involve collaboration or collusion by industry insiders

* Fraud for Housing - An illegal action perpetrated solely by the borrower. This type of mortgage scam is done by a borrower who makes misrepresentations regarding his income or employment history to qualify for a large loan. The motive behind this scam is to acquire and maintain ownership of a house under false pretenses

Fraud for Housing can not be compared to the scam done by mortgage scam industry professionals which affect the borrowers. Predatory lending usually is targeted towards senior citizens, lower income and challenged credit borrowers. Mortgage lending representatives force borrowers to pay exhaustive loan settlement fees, sub-prime or higher interest rates, and in some cases, unreasonable service fees. The usual result is the borrower defaulting on his mortgage payment and undergoing foreclosure or forced refinancing. Our focus is to recognize the mortgage scam that could happen to us, the borrower.

MORTGAGE SCAM SCHEMES

False or Stolen Identity - A fake identity may be used on the loan application. The applicant may be involved in an identity theft scheme and use someones personal information without the true person's knowledge.

Inflated Appraisals - An appraiser acts in collusion with a borrower and provides a misleading appraisal report to the lender. This report inaccurately states an inflated property value.

Silent Second Mortgage - Buyer of a property borrows the down payment from the seller through the issuance of a non-disclosed second mortgage. The primary lender believes the borrower has invested his own money in the down payment, when in fact, it is borrowed. The second mortgage may not be recorded to further conceal its status from the primary lender.

Nominee Loans - The identity of the borrower is concealed through the use of a nominee who allows the borrower to use the nominee's name and credit history to apply for a loan.

Equity Skimming - An investor may use a nominee, false income documents, and false credit reports, to obtain a loan in the nominee's name. Subsequent to closing, the nominee signs the property over to the investor in a quit claim deed which relinquishes all rights to the property and provides no guaranty to title. The investor does not make any mortgage payments and rents the property until foreclosure takes place a few months later.

Property Flipping - A property is bought, falsely advertised at a higher value, and then quickly sold. What makes this property illegal is that the appraisal information is fraudulent. The schemes typically involve one or more of the following; fraudulent appraisals, doctored loan documentation and inflated buyers income... Kickbacks to buyers, investors, property and loan brokers, appraisers, title company employees are common in this scheme. A home may be appraised for $100,000 but is actually worth $30,000.

Air Loans - This is a non-existent property loan where there is usually no collateral. A broker invents borrowers and properties, establishes accounts for payments, and maintains custodial accounts for escrows. They may even set up an office with a bank of telephones, each one used as the employer, appraiser, credit agency for verification purposes.

Foreclosure Schemes - Are one of the worst. The loan agents mislead the homeowners into believing that they can save their homes in exchange for a transfer of the deed, usually in the form of a Quit-Claim Deed, and up-front fees. The perpetrator profits from these schemes by re-mortgaging the property or pocketing fees paid by the homeowner without helping to prevent the foreclosure. The victim suffers the loss of the property as well as the up-front fees. Be aware of offers that promise to save homeowners who are at risk of defaulting on loans or whose houses are already in foreclosure. If you are near a foreclosure seek a qualified credit counselor or attorney to assist.

Mortgage Scam per e-Mail - Many of the emails imply that the recipient has already been approved for a loan by making a vague statement such as "we are accepting your mortgage application". Recipients may believe that they are actually being offered a loan. These emails are basically just poorly implemented tricks to get recipients to click on the link provided and fill out a form which in turn will defraud you in one way or another. If enough information is provided, scammers might even be able to steal your identity. A lot of the sites will last only a few days before they are taken down. But new will arise as soon as they are suppressed. Often they consist of just one page containing a form.

There is no information about the company offering the service, no privacy policy or a legal document, and no contact options other than the form provided. Often,the form is not secure (https), which is a good indicator that the site is not legitimate. No credible company would expect potential clients to submit information via an unsecured form. Never deal with spammers, regardless of how attractive their offer may seem. If they are unscrupulous enough to send unsolicited email, or allow their affiliates to send unsolicited email, then they have immediately shown themselves to be untrustworthy and you should avoid them at all cost. In general try to avoid the use of online mortgage loans.

Utah Home Mortgage Loans - Finding a Broker Online

The Utah housing market is an excellent place to invest your money. Utah homes consistently increase in value, and in most areas of the state, homes are still affordable. If you are in the market for a Utah home mortgage loan, you may want to bypass the traditional bank or offline broker and consider using an online broker.

Why Use an Online Broker?

Online brokers are extremely easy to locate and work with. They also tend to charge lower fees than offline brokers. However, the main benefit of working with an online broker is the sheer mass of loan programs that you will have to choose from. Online brokers work with a variety of lenders and usually have access to a broad range of loan programs. You will also find that an online broker can usually close your Utah home mortgage loan in less time, and more importantly, for less money.

Utah Broker Regulations

Just because a broker operates online, it doesn't mean that they can escape lending regulations established by the state. Online brokers must follow the same rules as anyone else. Unfortunately, the broker regulations in Utah are rather lax. Though brokers must have a surety bond for $25,000, there are no specific education or experience requirements. This means that the broker you are working with may not be any more experienced than you. It's a good idea to get a referral or check a broker out prior to working with them. Utah has a consumer hotline that can be called if you have any questions. The number is 1-801-538-8830. You can also try contacting the Utah Department of Financial Institutions.

Visit Utah Lending Center for more information about mortgages in Ut

Commercial Mortgage Loans

Only mortgage loans from commercial enterprises will help them acquire the commercial property. However, mortgage lending business plans are available with different interest rates, terms and amounts.

As an entrepreneur, you have to be careful while opting for a particular mortgage loans of commercial services. The purchase of commercial property has become a fashion among business owners. After buying commercial property in a good location, leasing additional space.

Therefore, advertising or recover the costs of equipment.

If you do not have time to do all investigations, to get help from an experienced and dominate the commercial mortgage broker. The agent will help you select the best commercial mortgage lenders able to meet their needs and requirements.

Not only that, which will offer valuable advice for you to get the best prices.

However, some business owners do not want to go to commercial mortgage loans. To avail himself of commercial mortgage loans, one has to declare their financial information. May apply for a mortgage business is also quite difficult. But if you remain vigilant during the selection process, you definitely get the get the best offer.

You must make an appointment only of commercial mortgage loans that companies are federally insured. You can check the credentials of companies with the Better Business Bureau.

If companies have registered complaints with the bureau, then stay away from such dubious businesses. If you have time, you can find the best commercial mortgage lending business on the web. Among several commercial mortgage business, you can choose the most appropriate. If you're looking on your own, do not forget to check all aspects of the company in question.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nilo_Butay

California Refinancing - How to Choose the Right Mortgage Broker

Choosing the right mortgage broker to refinance your California mortgage can save you time, money, and aggravation. Mortgage brokers have extensive contacts in the mortgage industry and can often provide access to loan offers you wouldn’t find on your own. The problem with using a mortgage broker is that most are paid by commission and the mortgage that gives your broker the largest commission probably isn’t the right loan for you. Here are several tips to help you avoid paying too much when refinancing your California mortgage with a broker.

When shopping for a mortgage broker you need to find a broker that knowledgeable, honest, and willing to work with you. Most importantly, you need a mortgage broker that will not charge you Yield Spread Premium. This markup of your mortgage interest rate serves only to boost the mortgage broker’s commission. During the first discussion you have with a potential mortgage broker, tell the broker you understand Yield Spread Premium and will not accept a mortgage that includes this markup. Tell your broker that you will pay all necessary closing costs and a reasonable origination fee for their services, but will not tolerate lender paid compensation.

Finding the right broker to refinance your California mortgage means choosing one that will provide you the necessary guidance, information, and loan offers that are right for your situation. If your broker seems hesitant to answer questions or return phone calls you should concentrate on finding a broker that will. You can learn more about your California mortgage broker options, including costly mistakes to avoid with a free mortgage tutorial.

SALES PROMOTION (How It Should Be Done To Gain More Customers)

By Eze Andrew C


Sales promotion is one of the ways companies/corporations/business owners rewards their customers and in turn project their business to attract more customers. But most companies deviate from this, they erroneously use sales promotion to exploit and hurt their customers. Moreover, they sometimes rather than reward their customers reward those who rushed to their company because of the promotion, those who have in mind to go back where they came from after the promotion. As a result, most companies after promotions experience reduced sales/patronage.

This article seeks to show you how to package a very good sales promotion, how to make best use of your sales promotions, how to get dedicated customers with your sales promotions, how to genuinely reward your customers thus making them more dedicated and proud of your product

HOW TO PACKAGE A SALES PROMOTION TO BENEFIT FROM IT AND EQUALLY REWARD CUSTOMERS.

There are many questions you should ask when packaging a sales promotion
- Is it going to be very costly?
- Is it going to reward only a few persons?
- Is it going to be by raffle draw, lotto, lucky dip etc?
- Is it looking factious e.g. (win 10 million)?
- Is it going to exploit your customers?
- Is it going to hurt your customers and make them lose faith in you, hate you or make them start wishing for an alternative product/service?

If all the above questions are in affirmative then you are in for your worst sales promotion ( you better stop the promotion because a promotion like this is worst than none). You may have been doing it like that but still feels your sales are not reducing, just take your time and take a survey of how your customers feel about your promotions and you will be amazed at the negative response you will receive.

A sales promotion should
- Be very simple and rewarding for instance a promotion should be like this: Attach a little less costly item like books, pens, shirt, cups etc with your company's logo to your product or service. Such that once a customer purchases your good/service they get it. Better still take a survey to know what your customers like most.
- Not be like gambling, jackpot, lotto, lucky dip etc For example a sales promotion saying buy 20 packs of tea or anything you get a raffle ticket and stand a chance of winning one million or five million. It is EXPLOITING!! Rather, it should be buy 20 packs of tea or anything and get 10% or 20% discount or Buy three packs and take one free. The later and so many other examples is the ideal and really rewarding!!

- It should make customers happy/proud of your brand and your competitors/their customers jittery and envy for example a sales promotion in which you offer your customers essential services as a reward for their patronage for example A cosmetics company offering to pedicure and manicure the nails of their customers free of charge when they purchase their product or a pharmaceutical company offering free blood test/consultation/check up to their customers when they purchase their product

MAKING BEST USE OF YOUR PROMOTION

Though promotion is for rewarding customers, it should also be of some benefit to the business owner without hurting or exploiting the consumers.
For a business owner to benefit from a sales promotion the promotion must first of all be genuine, less costly and really rewarding to the customers. When the above condition is met in any sales promotion the business owner/company has succeeded in riding its way into the heart of the consumers.

It is advisable if possible that the company repackages its product/service before or during any major sales promotion this will boost the image of the product/service
The company should make sure their logo and what they do is clearly shown on the gifts they give away

The company should give best of services during the promotion this will make new customers happy and willing to continue coming even after the promotion (if possible recruit new hands to make service efficient)

Finally, sales promotion if prepare for as above will produce the most desired effect both on the customer and the business owner/company.

A History of Adhesives

By Sam D Goddard

The usage of adhesives goes back a long time, many historians would vouch for the presence of the sticky substance capable of holding things firmly in place way back into the past. The world has been shown repeatedly how in those early days of life, many potteries and broken vessels were glued to each other with the help of something sticky. Many people think ancient adhesives were made from tree saps however, early sap was actually animal glue made purely out of animal by products like bone, hair and even teeth. Archaeologists have retrieved many clay pots and artifacts repaired with this kind of glue or sap.

Some historians claim that the earliest known traces of the usage of adhesive were found in and around the caves of the Dead Sea going back to 8000 years ago. These adhesives were made out of animal hides. Archaeologists stumbled upon a 6,000-year-old ceramic work which shows clear evidence of adhesive use. This Babylonian artifact which dates from as early as 4000 BC proves that the process of gluing and fixing was commonplace in the Babylonian culture. Many historic evidences also point to the statues recovered from the Babylonian ruins where damaged body parts used to be casually fixed with the help of adhesives. In the era of the Babylonians it was something called tar that was used in order to fix things or statues.

Egyptians made glue pretty much out of the same ingredients as the Babylonians but the application differed. They used the glue more in cases of adhering something to a base or a surface. They also used glue to attach or adhere anything on ivory or paper. History proves that during the period of 1500-1000 BC glue or adhesives had become a really important means of putting things together.

Greeks and Romans have also made judicious use of adhesives. Masters at marquetry and veneering, the Greeks and Romans commonly used glue and adhesives in all their works. Many damaged and broken parts of the temples and the ivory statues have been put together with the help of adhesives. Many early carvings and handiworks have revealed that glue was used in order to put things in place. It is from them that the concept of modifying raw adhesive arrived. Animal glue now got refined and modified into egg white glues and others. Adhesives were also prepared from other raw materials like blood, bones and milk. Early mentions of the existence and usage of glue can be found in special works of literature dating from around 200 B.C.

There has been evidence to show the use of adhesive all around the globe. From the Mongolians of Asia who depended heavily on the use of adhesives to make their bows and arrows and to mend their weapons to Native Americans who used adhesives to attach stone chips with their weapons while going on hunting trips. In Medieval Europe people used adhesives to stick golden leaves on to paper or manuscripts. Medieval men have used adhesives heavily in all spheres of their daily lives.

Between 1500 and 1700 A.D. adhesives were mostly used in the manufacturing or building of any kind of furniture. The first ever glue factory was created in Holland in the beginning of the 1700s. The United States produced many adhesives factories in the year 1900. The most important fact about previously manufactured adhesives was that they were all made from natural products and raw materials. The coming together of synthetic polymer in the 1900s finally led to this dip in business for the natural adhesives and the 1920s and 1930s saw many new plastic and synthetically produced adhesives being churned out from the factories thanks to technological advancements in adhesive making, ever since there has been no change in the scenario.

Synthetic adhesives are here to stay for a long time. Raw animal glue soon got metamorphosed into a well-refined adhesive made out of other alternative ingredients such as fish starch and casein. Modern times have given adhesives a complete facelift. Natural adhesives are well on their way out as the market has been completely taken over by synthetic or artificial adhesives. The refinement in adhesives has not only come from the ingredients but also in terms of resistance and toughness. Nowadays, the market offers a wide variety of adhesives to all consumers. Some are natural, some synthetic, some for every-day use and some for specialist projects. All these adhesives are applied for different purposes.

The application of adhesives has however not altered at all over the ages. People still use it for fastening any material to some surface or for repairing the broken ends or pieces in a jiffy. Adhesives are a way of life now and will remain so for years to come. It is not possible to maintain a piece of art or sculpture intact for centuries. Many paintings of the Egyptian pharaohs and kings have been kept in place until now thanks to ancient raw adhesive. On the other hand, museums and archives nowadays preserve their amazing collections of art with the help of glue or adhesives for future generations to enjoy.

Sam D Goddard has worked with the construction chemicals industry since 2005 bringing many chemicals, solvents and industrial adhesives to market.Get more information regarding adhesives.

Goal of ECommerce Web Design

Before you start to design a winning website you should have a precise idea about the objectives of your site and what all priorities you have to set because from the past experience it has been seen that lots of ebusinesses, which were launched without any proper goals, failed in establishing themselves.
When you go for designing an e-commerce website you should have certain goals and priorities in your mind. You can ask yourself if you want to make a brand and position your company or if you want your website visitors to call you and visit you physical store. To generate high revenue within short span of time could be another goal. Your goals and priorities can be various.
Unfortunate the fact is that, in most of the ecommerce web design we usually don't get achieve many of these goals. Or you can rather say that many of them are poorly prioritized or misunderstood as a whole. But making it a customer oriented website can change the whole outlook of your business website. So prioritize this as well.
Three guiding factors for Smart eCommerce
If you want to achieve your goals you should take into consideration of these three factors:
Your target There should be some uniqueness in your site. Which simply means the benefits, features or services you are offering should be different from what your competitor are giving. This will give you a definitive edge in the competition. Distilling your unique value proposition (USP) and communicating it quickly and clearly on your Website is the first element of profitable ecommerce Web design.
You Should Understand Your Target Audience An essential part of any business is to understand your market, and Online business is no exception here. You should design your web site for your target audience not for yourself. Your website style and content should be reflected in the context of your customers' immediate needs and desires.
Achieving a Defined Objective Once you're satisfied with what you have done till now then its time to communicate your USP to the target audience. You should then concentrate on your sales process. For this you can analyze the mechanism of your sales channels, provide the necessary educational steps and requisite product information. And finally design a Website that optimizes action while eliminating disruption, because ecommerce web site works on "One Second Principle". According to this principle, on the Internet you have only one second to make a powerful impression, one second to establish your professionalism and start building trust and one second to generate the interest of your target audience. So work accordingly and make it easy for customers to buy from you.

Secrets to a Successful Website - Content and Value

If you go through the trouble of designing or paying to have a website done you ultimately want that site to be successful. It does not matter what the objective of the site is whether it be to sell a product, advertise your business, or just get out some message that you want to convey to your target audience.
The first thing that you want to look at is developing content for your new site. You want your site visitor to walk away with some kind of value in what they read. A advertisement is great for you but it does not necessarily provide value to the site visitor. Say for example you are selling a electric scooter. You could just tell the technical details of the scooter that you are selling and some pictures etc... That may bring people to your site to look at the scooter. That is a good thing indeed but why would they come back? What if they did not like the scooter?
Take that same site and ad some content around the scooter like articles on new developments in electric motors and batteries. Or some articles on solar energy and other green topics that promote a electric scooters value in that it does not need any gasoline. Interesting and related content can keep a visitor coming back again and again to see what you are going to write next. Oh, by the way they will also look at what you are selling. So instead of a one time visit you could have a repeat visitor.
Content will bring visitors and hopefully they will come back for more content that you produce. That relationship that you build will make for a stronger customer that will buy from you. Instead of a consumer that does many different price comparisons and ultimately buys the lowest priced model. Remember content brings visitors and visitors equal conversions.

America's Economy is Coming Down!

Economists and pastors seem to acknowledge one thing: America’s economy is on its pathway to an "accident waiting to happen", an imminent major crisis. See what both sides have to say about it.

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Facts or suppositions, all Americans have felt it on their pockets that there is something happening to their economy and not towards the positive side. The newspapers have been full of titles like "Oil and gasoline prices skyrocketed". With the new oil price record of over $135/barrel, the price for food and goods reach new heights as well; keeping in mind that the dollar has dropped by 18% of his international value in 2007. In other words, the slumping American dollar caused the US economy a major hit; the latter shrunk by 16% in the past year when compared to global economy.

The response to what caused the US economy drop is complex; however, some answers can be found in the credit crisis.

Charles Moffat, from The Politics eZine affirms: "Americans have too many mortgages, too many credit cards and too much national debt. They rely on foreign imports from China and other nations and their own economy has become too service oriented and lacks manufacturing.

Imagine you have $10,000 in the bank and the yearly compound interest rate is 5%. Over a year you would get $500 in interest. But imagine for a moment if the value of food, gasoline and all commodities doubled in price in one year. Your $10,500 isn't really worth the same as it used to be... it is now worth approx. $5,250 in terms of actual purchasing power".

Economists' answer

This is the situation in USA at the moment and the most important economists in USA seem to be rather gloomy when referring to the country’s economy:

"The world is set to jump off the top of a waterfall without knowing how deep the water is below." - Kenneth Rogoff, IMF (International Monetary Fund) Head of Economic Research.

"There's a 75% chance that the US will experience a currency crisis within five years." - Paul Volcker, Chairman of the US Federal Reserve.

Stephen Roach, Chief Economist, Morgan Stanley says:"There's nobody home on economic policy in America right now. It’s an accident waiting to happen."

Pastors' answer

To this reality, I’ll let you read on the spiritual answer of David Wilkerson, founder of Teen Challenge, Inc., the worldwide Christian drug and alcohol rehabilitation ministry. He is the author of The Cross and the Switchblade, The Vision, Have You Felt Like Giving Up Lately?, Hungry for More of Jesus, Revival on Broadway and many other books. David and his wife, Gwen, live in New York City, where he serves as senior pastor of Times Square Church.

". . .Beloved, America is facing God's judgment--and we will never be the same! In the days to come, literally hundreds of thousands of Americans will lose their homes. Why? They've leveraged them with equity loans, so they could play the stock market and try to strike it rich!

I tell you, the stock market has become America's golden calf! People see it as a financial savior, and they worship it daily--trusting in it, depending on it, giving it all their energy and attention. But it's going to fall suddenly--and none of the small, individual investors will be spared. They'll suffer the most, losing their homes, their cars--everything!

I must ask you: "Are you prepared for what is coming? If not, are you acting now to get ready? When I speak of being ready, where do your thoughts take you? Do you think immediately of investments, bank accounts, survival plans, safety for your family?"

Indeed, today - while most of America focuses on its prosperity, God is waking a holy remnant in the church. These saints are on their faces, seeking Him with all their strength and crying out for a true Word from the Spirit of truth.

In recent months, our ministry has received hundreds of letters from pastors and believers who are repulsed by most of what they see in the church: hype, foolishness, entertainment, shallow preaching. They're crying out, "Enough! We're tired of seeing our pastors go to conventions and return only to introduce come new gimmick. We're sick of seeing the flesh accommodated. We're hungry for truth! We want to hear preaching that convicts us and challenges us to holiness and prayer."

Believer, you can rest assured--in the coming days of calamity, the true revival won't come through showboating, big-time preachers or TV evangelists. It won't come through prosperity teachings or other doctrines of false security. No--God's revival will come through a hidden company of pastors and lay people who have been in the school of Christ, learning His ways and trusting in Him. These will lead a revival of truth!

Yet not everyone is going to want truth. Many will turn to unbridled lust. Indeed, our society could see Sodom replayed a hundred times over. But, as our nation poises on the brink of chaos, many Americans will begin to seek truth, answers, life.

As for me, I want to face the coming times as "... a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth" II Timothy 2:15

By Claudia Miclaus

What Does A Mortgage Broker Do?

By Cary Bergeron

A mortgage broker is a good person to turn to when shopping for a home loan. These individuals have connections with various lenders and can help you determine which lender has the best loan deal for you. Unlike a loan officer, a mortgage broker usually does not work directly for any one lender. This means that you can shop the competition with the help of your broker much easier.

If you are considering using a mortgage broker, you are probably wondering how that individual will be paid. You do not want to pay more for your mortgage to cover the commissions from the mortgage broker. Using a broker does not end up costing you more. The broker is paid by the bank, not the borrower. If a broker is charging you an upfront fee, find a different broker. The bank will pay the mortgage broker a small percentage of the entire mortgage amount.

A mortgage broker is particularly helpful if you are searching for a specialized mortgage product, such as a bad credit mortgage or a mortgage for most of the home's value. Because brokers have inside knowledge of the industry, they can help you avoid constant rejections from lenders that do not offer the services that you need.

Working with a mortgage broker will save you time and frustration as you shop for your next home loan. The broker does all of the work for you. You do not have to approach lender after lender. Rather, the broker will scour all of the current offerings and find the best deal for your needs. You will not have to fill in application after application. You simply fill in one application with the broker, and possibly one with your chosen lender. In the end you will have an excellent loan that fits your needs perfectly!

Internet Lead Generation Sales Plan

By Bill Rice

Are you considering buying or generating Internet leads for your business? The strategy is a good one, but it requires good business planning like any other new initiative. This is not a game that discriminates based on size or product. So, if you are a bank, mortgage broker, recruiter, student counselor, or small business owner there is opportunity here. Just make a good Internet lead generation sales plan.

Why Internet Lead Generation?

The numbers speak for themselves. Your customers are going to the Internet first and abandoning traditional means of finding products and service providers. Industry reports show that 75% of buyers begin their purchases online and 39% of advertisers are shifting their budgets to the Internet. This is an obvious action-reaction relationship.

If you want your business to grow you have to be where the buyers are looking for you. In addition, conversion numbers continue to show that Internet leads tend to convert 3-10 times higher than traditional offline advertising like print and yellow pages. This is significant efficiency paid back into your advertising budget before you even get started.

Lead Quality, Distribution, and Nurturing

Lead generation on the Internet is still an emerging science, but quality matters less if you have a capable lead management system. Your Internet lead sources, whether you generate or buy leads, are going to be diverse in quality. However, with a good lead management software you can effectively manage a variety of different lead flows and sales performance.

You can identify certain lead characteristics and sources as immediate opportunities for your sales force and other may be more appropriate feed into a lead nurturing process. You may also consider using pre-qualification teams.

The important idea here is to manage and track your sales leads in such a way as to ensure you are paying the right price and handling each sales leads appropriately to fit customer expectations.

4 Hidden Secrets to Close More Deals

There are four secrets to closing more deals with online lead generation and Internet lead sales:

• Trust: 69% of sales people that become trusted advisers get the deal
• Lead Scoring: 73% of companies do not have a process to re-qualify leads
• Persistence: 80% of sales close after the 5th contact
• Lead Nurturing: 40%-68% of disqualified leads became qualified within 12 months

(Sources: Wendover, Reed, Elsevier, CMO Council, InTouch, and Carr)
Each of these elements needs to be incorporated into your Internet leads sales plan. A blend of sales training, sales scripts, and lead management software can make these smooth elements of every closed deal.

Emphasizing these hidden keys creates an amazing experience for each of your customers as they come into and are through your sales pipeline.

Make More Money

Internet lead generation and sales is the most efficient way to focus your sales plan on only your target customers. Add in the helping hand and discipline of a lead management software and you have all the ingredients of a killer money making online business.

Small Online Business Needs Credit Card Processing

It is essential that small business people operating online have credit card processing.
The other day I saw something that I haven’t seen in quite a while, and I’m not talking about black and television. I found a new online shopping site and their checkout page had directions on how to send in a check for payment. I had two immediate thoughts. First, this might be an old version of the site because in my experience no one does paper checks online any more. Two, if it was current I didn’t trust it. With merchant services so easy to establish why would anyone not accept payments online?

There may have been a time in the online shopping arena when only established larger businesses had credit card processing, but that time has come and gone. Consider the following examples:

• A buddy of mine buys and sells baseball cards, working from his extra bedroom, and he is set up to accept credit cards
• My uncle makes holiday ornaments from discarded aluminum cans and he accepts payments online
• The guy next door sells genuine BMW accessories online, working out of his garage, and he has credit card processing

The lesson here is that small online businesses – even very small online businesses – can benefit from having credit card services. First, it makes their business operate more efficiently. Instead of dealing with the hassle of processing checks, all transactions are done in real time and organized for easy reconciliation.

Second, it gives people a greater sense of confidence when they deal with an online merchant. There are enough people that have been burned by sending a check to a bogus online business including me that seeing credit card services offers a greater sense of confidence when placing an order. And third, with merchant account services so easy to establish and so available to e-store owners there just seems that something is not quite right about anyone who would make the decision not to accept payments online. At worst they might be crooks – at best they aren’t very savvy about running an online business.

But if you are a small online business wanting to add credit card services you may be wondering how to best go about making your choice. You may have even entered "merchant services" into your search engine and found that there are hundreds upon hundreds of providers. And maybe you’re feeling that you’re in over your head. One way to ratchet down the anxiety is by speaking with other small e-store operators that have made the leap into credit card processing online. They can help you navigate the processing of making a decision. Indeed, thy can show you where they may have stumbled during the process to make sure you avoid the potholes that can trap rookies.

If you don’t have this resource, contact four to six credit card services providers and talk to them about what you need. See what solutions they offer and make side-by-side comparisons to see which one seems to be offering the best fit for your business.

Jim Osterman is a Web content developer with Charge.com, a leading company that offers innovative credit card processing solutions.
By Jim Osterman

10 Amazing Ways To Jump Start Your Sales

Ingrid Dreyer

1. Find a strategic business partner. Look for ones
that have the same objective. You can trade leads,
share marketing info, sell package deals, etc.


2. Brand your name and business. You can easily
do this by just writing articles and submitting them
to e-zines or web sites for republishing.


3. Start an auction on your web site. The type of
auction could be related to the theme of your site.
You'll draw traffic from auctioneers and bidders.


4. Remember to take a little time out of your day
or week to brainstorm. New ideas are usually the
difference between success and failure.


5. Model other successful business or people. I'm
not saying out right copy them, but practice some
of the same habits that have made them succeed.


6. Take risks to improve your business. Sometimes
businesses don't want to advertise unless it's free,
sometimes you have to spend money to get results.


7. Include emotional words in your advertisements.
Use ones like love, security, relief, freedom, happy,
satisfaction, fun, etc.


8. Ask people online to review your web site. You
can use the comments you get to improve your web
site or you may turn the reviewer into a customer.


9. Out source part of your workload. You'll save
on most employee costs. You could out source
your secretarial work, accounting, marketing, etc.


10. Combine a product and service together in a
package deal. It could increase your sales. If you're
selling a book, offer an hour of consulting with it.

Forex Broker

A broker is any person or firm that charges a fee in exchange for executing trades for a trader. A Forex broker does not charge a commission for placing a buy or a sell order the way a real estate broker would charge a percentage fee of the total price of a sale. A Forex broker is paid according to the spread – or the difference between the trader’s bid for a currency, and the seller’s asking price for that currency. Usually this spread is less than 0.1% or ten pips. (Pips are the smallest movement a currency can make on the Forex. Pips are commonly called referred to as points.) The lower the spread, the less a trader pays a Forex broker for a trade.

The Forex market is global and does not have one central regulatory agency like the Security Exchange Commission. Each country is responsible for the actions of trades in it’s own country. A Forex broker in America must register with the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). While traders are not regulated, Forex brokers are. A Forex broker must be registered as a Futures Commercial Merchant (FCM) before that Forex broker is allowed to accept a deposit for an account from a trader. Once registered, a Forex broker is given an identification number so that a trader can check the status of a Forex broker before hiring that Forex broker. There are such people known as introducing brokers who may solicit traders for a registered Forex broker, but the introducing broker cannot accept a deposit for a trader’s account. It is a good idea for any trader hiring a Forex broker to check the status of the Forex broker with the authorities.

The Mortgage Broker Bond - Its Importance In The Economy

Mortgage brokers play an necessary and vital role in the economy. Nowadays, mortgage broker bond has becomes the significant bond and it is necessary for the people who are busy in the business of mortgage broker business, mortgage lending trade.

Mortgage lenders or dealers are necessary to get license and authority from the licensing department. This mortgage license is necessary for the mortgage brokers who are busy in the business of mortgage in their state. To get this mortgage broker license, the candidate is required to get mortgage broker bond from the suitable state. Mortgage broker bonds are issued as per the act and order of the state and federal jurisdiction.

Mortgage broker bond ensures good performance of mortgage trade without any default rule of the mortgage broker or provider. Mortgage broker bonds are given all over the various parts of the states and so many industries analyzed the requirement of mortgage broker bond in their state.

Mortgage broker bond defends the oblige against the non performance of agreement by the principal in the state and put into effect the mortgage broker to give a performance. Today, tendency has been changed and most of the people are enforced to issue mortgage broker bonds as per the state rule. Mortgage broker bond also makes part of different kinds of security bonds and mortgage broker bond are given in separate forms and special bond amounts.

Mortgage broker bonds play an efficient role in the financial system and all most every part of the earth mortgage broker bonds are required.

Canadian broker sentenced to 7 years

MONTREAL (UPI) -- A judge in Quebec sentenced investment broker Andre Charbonneau, 52, to seven years in prison Monday for a scheme that cost his customers $14 million.

In the scheme, which ran from January 1995 through September 1999, Charbonneau's customers invested in his life insurance company, l'Alternative Compagnie, after he promised excellent returns with guarantees he claimed were backed up by the provincial government and Hydro-Quebec.

Some of the 440 duped investors lost their life savings, The Gazette, a Montreal newspaper, reported.

Judge Jean-Pierre Bonin ordered the defendant, who had been defending himself, to seven years in prison. Charbonneau had argued for a two-year sentence while prosecutors had suggested 10 years in prison.



Copyright 2008 by United Press International

Broker arrested in Societe Generale probe

PARIS (UPI) -- A broker at Societe Generale has been arrested in connection with a $7 billion trading scandal at the French bank, police said Wednesday.

Sources at the bank said Manuel Zabraniecki, a broker from the bank's cash equity trading desk, was arrested after a raid on the bank's La Defense headquarters, The New York Times reported.

Zabraniecki was one of 11 people listed as friends of Jerome Kerviel, the former trader at the center of the scandal, on his personal profile on the Internet portal Facebook.

Societe Generale said in January it sustained the losses when it unwound $76.6 billion worth of unauthorized bets Kerviel had allegedly hidden through fictitious transactions, the newspaper reported.

A Paris appeals court Friday will consider whether Kerviel should be released from custody while the probe continues. He has been behind bars since Feb. 8, after prosecutors persuaded judges to detain him amid concern he would flee or tamper with evidence.



Copyright 2008 by United Press International

Succeeding In Your Business: Do You Have What It Takes To Be a Franchisee?

Cliff Ennico

"I'm looking at a number of options for setting up my own business, including some franchises. I'm wondering, though, if a franchise would be a good fit for me. Is there any way of knowing if my personality would suit me for a franchise as opposed to my own startup business?"

When you buy a franchise, you buy a pre-existing business plan that has been proven successful in other (hopefully, lots of other) locations around the country. You are assigned a franchise territory, you are trained in the operation of that business, you lease retail or office space (although there are some newer franchises you can operate from a home office) within the territory, and you start a local business using the franchise's trademarks.

When you buy a franchise, you are "hedging your bets." Published data demonstrates that franchised retail and service businesses generally fail less often than their standalone counterparts. Note that it's not correct to say franchised business succeed more often than standalone small businesses, merely that they fail less often -- quite a different thing.

This shouldn't be surprising. When you buy a franchise, you are joining a "street gang" of entrepreneurs. A solid franchise will train you in the business, help you pick the right location, furnish you with all necessary equipment and supplies, send their employees out to help you with your "grand opening," and make available a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week toll-free hotline to answer any questions you may have. If the franchise can't answer a question, you've got all of your neighboring franchisees to tap for advice, who will be happy to return your e-mails and telephone calls because (A) they have their own franchise territories and are not competing with you, and (B) they probably have some questions of their own you can help answer.

In the words of the Broadway musical "West Side Story": "When you're a Jet, if the spit hits the fan, you've got brothers around, you're a family man . . . " (apologies to Messrs. Bernstein and Sondheim).

But that security comes with a price . . .

Unlike Burger King's customers, you cannot "have it your way" when you buy a franchise. You must follow the franchise model, often very closely and seek the franchise's permission to deviate even slightly from that model.

Franchises are all about uniformity and consistency -- a Burger King restaurant in Bangor, Maine offers its customers exactly the same experience that a Burger King in San Diego, Calif. does. If even one franchisee steps out of line and does something different, it affects the entire franchise system.

Now, when you first buy a franchise, the franchise rules are no big deal. After all, you are new to the business, and you're very grateful for the detailed instructions and training the franchise is giving you.

After a year or two, however, you will know the business fairly well -- probably as well as the franchise itself does, and perhaps a little better because you know your local market better than it does. That's when the franchise restrictions start to chafe. You may have excellent ideas for improving the franchise, but you can't execute them unless you can persuade the franchise to adopt them for the entire nationwide system. You will start wondering why you are paying 8 percent to 12 percent of your gross sales each month to a faraway company that's no longer providing you with the intense support they did in the early months.

An old college friend of mine now runs a successful home improvement franchise. I once asked him what he looks for when evaluating new franchisees, and I have never forgotten his answer: "We look for good second lieutenants, Cliff. We don't look for buck privates, because they need to be told every day how to tie their shoelaces. But we also don't look for generals who think they know more about the business than we do."

If you are the type of person who needs some structure in your worklife, and are not afraid of selling, a franchise might be a good fit for you. If the thought of selling makes you gag, do not buy a franchise -- unless you are buying an extremely well established and recognized franchise, the franchise name won't sell itself. You have to go out and build the franchise brand within your assigned territory.

On the other hand, it's possible to be too entrepreneurial for a franchise. If you are the type of person who can't follow orders and always think your judgment is better than your boss's (which, after all, may be one reason you are considering self-employment right now), you may find a franchise too restrictive and confining. Start your own business instead -- that way, you're 100 percent in charge and can do whatever you want, whenever you want, without having to get anyone's permission or approval. Except, of course, for your customers . . .

The Mortgage Broker Bond - Its Importance In The Economy

Mortgage brokers play an necessary and vital role in the economy. Nowadays, mortgage broker bond has becomes the significant bond and it is necessary for the people who are busy in the business of mortgage broker business, mortgage lending trade.

Mortgage lenders or dealers are necessary to get license and authority from the licensing department. This mortgage license is necessary for the mortgage brokers who are busy in the business of mortgage in their state. To get this mortgage broker license, the candidate is required to get mortgage broker bond from the suitable state. Mortgage broker bonds are issued as per the act and order of the state and federal jurisdiction.

Mortgage broker bond ensures good performance of mortgage trade without any default rule of the mortgage broker or provider. Mortgage broker bonds are given all over the various parts of the states and so many industries analyzed the requirement of mortgage broker bond in their state.

Mortgage broker bond defends the oblige against the non performance of agreement by the principal in the state and put into effect the mortgage broker to give a performance. Today, tendency has been changed and most of the people are enforced to issue mortgage broker bonds as per the state rule. Mortgage broker bond also makes part of different kinds of security bonds and mortgage broker bond are given in separate forms and special bond amounts.

Mortgage broker bonds play an efficient role in the financial system and all most every part of the earth mortgage broker bonds are required.

Refinancing a Loan - mortgage:refinancing Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sumit_Bhatnagar

Certified Business Broker

Are you planning to sell your business? Or are you looking for a new business opportunity you can invest in? If you are, then you should use a business broker to help you search for a buyer or a seller, as well as facilitate the transfer and purchase of a business.

Business brokers, also known as business transfer agents, are persons or firms that facilitate the buying and selling of other businesses. The job of a business broker usually involves determining the value of a business, advertising it to prospective buyers, and facilitating the discussions and transactions between the buyers and sellers.

For business sellers, a good broker helps you sell your business at a higher price. A great business broker will determine the difference between simply settling a transaction to cutting a great deal where you acquire the maximum value of your business. Finding a good business broker is actually not that difficult.

First, you can consult the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA). With the assistance of this trade association, you can find a certified business broker. You can also ask for referrals and recommendations from trustworthy sources that have first-hand knowledge of the business brokerage industry.

When choosing a certified business broker, there are some important criteria you should keep in mind. Investigate the broker?s background, credentials and previous experience. If there are complaints and legal actions filed against a broker, you may check on the circumstances surrounding these through the Better Business Bureau.

A full-time business broker is a preferable choice. You should also scrutinize the discretion of the broker you are considering. Selling a business is a very private matter, and you want to avoid any negative effects, especially with employees and suppliers.

Looking for a certified business broker can be difficult, but it is definitely worth it if you find a broker that can maximize the value of the business you are selling to ensure a smooth and hassle-free transaction.

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The Mortgage Broker Bond - Its Importance In The Economy

Mortgage brokers play an necessary and vital role in the economy. Nowadays, mortgage broker bond has becomes the significant bond and it is necessary for the people who are busy in the business of mortgage broker business, mortgage lending trade.

Mortgage lenders or dealers are necessary to get license and authority from the licensing department. This mortgage license is necessary for the mortgage brokers who are busy in the business of mortgage in their state. To get this mortgage broker license, the candidate is required to get mortgage broker bond from the suitable state. Mortgage broker bonds are issued as per the act and order of the state and federal jurisdiction.

Mortgage broker bond ensures good performance of mortgage trade without any default rule of the mortgage broker or provider. Mortgage broker bonds are given all over the various parts of the states and so many industries analyzed the requirement of mortgage broker bond in their state.

Mortgage broker bond defends the oblige against the non performance of agreement by the principal in the state and put into effect the mortgage broker to give a performance. Today, tendency has been changed and most of the people are enforced to issue mortgage broker bonds as per the state rule. Mortgage broker bond also makes part of different kinds of security bonds and mortgage broker bond are given in separate forms and special bond amounts.

Mortgage broker bonds play an efficient role in the financial system and all most every part of the earth mortgage broker bonds are required.