The Importance of Internationalization

[WizardRSS: unable to retrieve full-text content]

Internationalization is a process by which you structure your life, your business and your finances, to minimize the control any one nation-state can impose on you. Ultimately, this gives you more freedom to live the life you want with reduced risk and greater opportunity.

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Settlement Statement

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6635539

debt counseling corp debt definition debt dispute letter debt elimination calculator

Unsecured debt and people currently being greedy and investing moolah they do not have is why there is a financial turmoil

Personal debt and folks staying greedy and paying funds they do not have is why there is a financial crisis. Counselors go over your whole financial scenario with you, and help you to produce a personalized plan to solve your funds troubles. An preliminary counseling session normally lasts an hour, with an feature of follow-up [...]

Source: http://www.legaldebthelponline.com/2011/10/22/unsecured-debt-and-people-currently-being-greedy-and-investing-moolah-they-do-not-have-is-why-there-is-a-financial-turmoil/

bad debt write off bankruptcy debt relief best debt consolidation company best debt consolidation loan

The Most Expensive Groupon? The One You Forget to Redeem

--> As Groupon prepares its initial public offering, DailyFinance wanted to offer the company's original public investors -- the bargain buyers -- a gentle reminder:

REDEEM YOUR GROUPONS!

DailyDealMedia, which tracks online group discount sources, reported that the percentage of those not cashing in on Groupons they'd purchased rose from 18% to 22% between July and September. The sampling involved just 100 Groupon clients surveyed six weeks apart -- but the results still underscore a problem in the digital bargain world. Many users aren't getting what they pay for.

"That's pure profit for the company," says Boyan Josic, CEO of DailyDealMedia.

While Groupon could not give numbers because of the pending IPO, spokeswoman Julie Mossner likens the Groupon redemption rate to that of gift cards. That means about 7% of Groupons dissolve into the cyber-ether without services rendered, if we go by one gift card study. Industry types call the unused value "breakage."

Whatever the percentage, Mossner says, "We structure deals and train merchants to anticipate 100% redemption so that they're prepared to handle the traffic."

Groupon's IPO is expected to reap $540 million at $16 to $18 a share, according to reports Friday. While Wall Street pundits debate the company's value, we can say with certainty that Groupon's customers will lose money if they don't redeem their offers.

Too Easy to Ignore

You'd think David Erickson would know better than to let Groupons expire. He's the director of e-strategy for a market research outfit called Tunheim in Minneapolis. But just a few days ago, Erickson realized he had forgotten another Groupon -- $10 for $20 worth of dry cleaning. He also let two Groupon theater tickets lapse.

"My attitude is sort of 'Well, that's on me,' " he tells DailyFinance. "I had plenty of time to get it done. I had plenty of time to redeem it."

Erickson is sure the rate of unused coupons is going up. Growing competition among deal-aggregating platforms is stuffing our email with temptation, he says. People are too busy to take action. And once a deal gets tucked under several screen-fulls of email in your in-box, it's even easier to ignore.

The social media specialist is juggling about 10 other deals for personal use from Groupon and similar sites, and has begun using Google's calendar function to remind him when they're due. Groupon also offers its own expiration alarm for those who sign up.

But sometimes, that is not enough. Whether we are deal-diving on the Internet or clipping old-school paper coupons, we are complex creatures who don't always follow through, says Lars Perner, a University of Southern California marketing professor. He recalled an experiment where shoppers could take a coupon right next to a product in a supermarket aisle. Less than half of the shoppers who bought the product bothered to bring the coupon to the checkout line.

Even those who spend money on an electronic coupon sometimes need a kick in the rear to redeem it. Perner believes the perceived open-endedness of cyber-deal due dates (often six months on Groupon) keeps procrastinators from cashing in. "Some of the coupons are given as gifts and people don't get around to scheduling them," he says. "It's also a matter that these are things that require days off. People just don't get their act together."

No, I Don't Need It, but the Deal Is So Good

Groupon's Mossner says the redemption rates fluctuate according to the type of offer. For instance, a skydiving introduction that requires a specific appointment forces the issue far more than a flexible restaurant discount.

Perner and other experts recommend that Groupon buyers target a day to take advantage of the discount and circle it on their virtual calendars. That way they feel more obligated. On the business side, Perner wonders if Groupon-style sites might increase their redemption rate if they further limited the window to use the coupons.

The forces that govern cut-rate e-commerce are powerful enough as it is to squash a couponer's initiative, according to the professor. We are suckers for what he calls transaction utility economics. When we see deep discounts on items we don't normally buy, we rationalize that they'll come in handy at some point. Perner once found a deal on computer discs so compelling that he ordered them in absurd amounts. They wound up stacked in his office, and he begged colleagues to take them.

There is also a competitive impulse to Grouponing, he adds. Some gain pride in finding deals that others can't, creating a false need.

"When some people shop, the adrenaline starts racing and it has a mindless grabbing quality to it," says Joan Ingber, a New York City psychologist.

Erickson, the social media strategist, has pledged to redeem himself by redeeming more Groupons. Now he often includes friends in the deals as a backup measure. "Then we have each other to remind ourselves about the deal," he says. --> Click here -->

-->

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Settlement Statement

Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/10/22/the-most-expensive-groupon-the-one-you-forget-to-redeem/

debt elimination calculator debt elimination programs debt fix debt free america

Angela Merkel Makes A Big Call, As She Promises A 'Breakthrough' This Week


merkel sarkozy meeting summit

While the world grimly awaits some failed half-measure out of Europe, Angela Merkel has made a big call.

According to Reuters, she said: "The breakthrough... will be on Wednesday."

We don't know what that means, and absent some huge plan backstopped by the ECB we're skeptical, but she must have something in mind to say something like this.

Stay tuned.

Please follow Money Game on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/so0lnjvkdwE/angela-merkel-makes-a-big-call-we-will-solve-this-thing-this-week-2011-10

best debt consolidation company best debt consolidation loan best debt management best way to pay off debt

Apple ?Only? Worth $502

Apple announced its earnings Tuesday beating its own guidance though it failed to live up to lofty consensus estimates for the first time in years as iPhone sales showed a decline of more than 3 million quarter-on-quarter. We have revised our Apple estimates slightly lower to $502, which is about 25% above market price.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2011/10/21/apple-only-worth-502/

debt iva debt lawyer debt management group debt management software

Filing Bankruptcy After A Job Loss

[WizardRSS: unable to retrieve full-text content]

Many American families rely on two incomes to pay the monthly bills and set a little aside as savings. When one income is unexpectedly reduced or eliminated, the family is thrust immediately into a crisis mode. Often there is not enough money to pay all of the family bills, so touch choices must be made.

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Settlement Statement

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6636825

business debt collection business debt consolidation loan business debt management business debt relief

A Close Examination Of The Latest High-Frequency Economic Data


In monthly reports, September's Leading Indicators were reported up 0.2. Despite the fact that this index has been positive for 5 straight months, the spokesman for the Conference Board suggested that there was a 50% chance of a recession. Doesn't the Conference Board have confidence in its own numbers?

Industrial production rose 0.2. Capacity utilization rose 0.1%, but only with an equal -0.1% revision to August. Housing starts had a very strong September, while permits declined slightly under the 600,000 level. The Empire State and Philly regional manufacturing indexes were mixed. Inflation at the wholesale and retail levels remained hot, with PPI up 0.8% in September, and CPI up 0.3% and also up 3.9% YoY. That inflation is this high, with virtually flat wages, means that the average American is in no shape to re-ignite strong growth.

The high frequency weekly indicators were very mixed this week. Some showed good growth, while others continued to signal contraction.

On the jobs front, the BLS reported that Initial jobless claims fell 1,000 to 403,000. The four week average decreased to 403,000. With the exception of 8 weeks at the beginning of spring, the four week average is the best reading in over 3 years.

The rest of the jobs-related indicators were weak. The American Staffing Association Index remained at 90 for the 4th straight week. This series remains lower YoY. 

Further, adjusting +1.07% due to the 2011 tax compromise, the Daily Treasury Statement showed that for the first 13 days of October, $96.1 B was collected vs. $97.7 a year ago. For the last 20 days, $130.4 B was collected vs. $132.7 B a year ago. This continues the string of actual negative readings and so continues as an ominous sign for jobs.

Housing was mixed. The Mortgage Bankers' Association reported that seasonally adjusted purchase mortgage applications decreased 8.5% last week. On a YoY basis, purchase applications were also down 5.1%. Generally speaking, in the last couple of months purchases mortgage applications have established new lows (the lowest since 1996 says the MBA), but only slightly lower than the flat range they had been in for the prior 15 months. Refinancing decreased 18.6% w/w. Refinancing has been very volatile and affected by small changes in interest rates.

As to housing prices, however, YoY weekly median asking house prices from 54 metropolitan areas at Housing Tracker showed that the asking prices declined only -0.8% YoY. Like almost every single week for the last couple of months, this is yet another record smallest YoY decline in the 5 1/2 year history of this series. The areas with YoY% increases in price remained at 16. The areas with double-digit YoY% declines remained at only 2. If the current trend continues, nationwide asking prices may turn YoY positive next month.

Several of the remaining series put in good numbers. Retail same store sales had another good week. The ICSCreported that same store sales for the week of October 15 increased 3.6% YoY, and increased 0.1% week over week, Shoppertrak reported that YoY sales rose 6.5% and increased 4.0% week over week.

Weekly BAA commercial bond rates increased .26% to 5.52%. Yields on 10 year treasury bonds also increased .29% to 2.22%. This is a good reading for a change -- the spread between the two rates decreased and increasing rates in both shows less fear of deflation.

The Money supply surge appears to have ended. M1 declined -1.9% for the week. It remains up 2.4% m/m, and 21.6% YoY, so Real M1 was up 17.7%.
M2 rose 0.2% w/w. It remained up 1. 4% m/m, and 10.2% YoY, so Real M2 was up 6.3%. The YoY increase in both M1 and M2 nevertheless continue near historic high levels.

Rail traffic remained mixed. The American Association of Railroads reported that total carloads increased 1.3% YoY, up about 7200 carloads YoY to 547,800. Intermodal traffic (a proxy for imports and exports) was up 7200 carloads, or 3.0% YoY. The remaining baseline plus cyclical traffic was unchanged or 0% YoY. Total rail traffic has improved in the last few weeks after having turned negative for 6 of 12 weeks during the summer. Using the breakdown of cyclical vs. baseline traffic from Railfax, baseline traffic was down 6200 carloads, or -3.1%YoY, while cyclical traffic was up 6300 carloads, or +6.1 % YoY.

The most negative reading again goes to Oil, which finished at $87.40 a barrel on Friday. This is about $7 below its recession-trigger level. Gas at the pump rose $.06 to $3.48 a gallon. Measured this way, we probably are still about $.20 above the 2008 recession trigger level. Gasoline usage was down -3.3% YoY, at 8598 M gallons vs. 8891 M a year ago. Gasoline usage is a concurrent recessionary reading, while the decline in prices in the last 6 months suggests a resumption of expansion soon.

There certainly appears to have been some improvement in these weekly indicators from their post debt-debacle contraction. That is certainly good news. On the other hand, there is nothing in these numbers to suggest a strong rebound is underway, particularly when it comes to jobs.

Have a nice weekend.

Please follow Money Game on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/dJW9fzjDfwc/a-close-examination-of-the-latest-high-frequency-economic-data-2011-10

business debt relief business debt settlement capquest debt recovery christian debt relief