The FDIC and You

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. or as it's better known, FDIC, is a government agency insurance fund designed to protect depositors from a bank failure and a loss of their savings up to $250,000. The FDIC was established in 1933 through the Glass-Steagall Act as a means promoting confidence in the U.S. financial system by insuring customer deposits. It was one of several government owned corporations set up by the Roosevelt Administration during the "Great Depression" to counter the devastating collapse of the banking system.

Today, the FDIC insures the deposits of more than 8,000 banks and savings associations with $13 trillion in assets and includes $9 trillion in customer deposits. When a bank failure occurs, the FDIC reimburses customer deposits from it's Deposit Insurance Fund, financed by insurance premiums paid to it by it's member banks. By the end of 2007 the Deposit Insurance Fund had a $52 billion surplus. In the 21 months that followed, 128 banks had failed leaving the Deposit Insurance Fund with a negative $300 million. The FDIC predicts that due to the rapid increase in bank failures, the Deposit Insurance

Fund deficit will soon reach $100 billion. A total of 120 U.S. banks have failed and were taken over by the FDIC in 2009. By comparison,there were 25 in all of 2008 and only 7 in the three years between 2004 and 2007. In March of this year, Congress approved a bill allowing the FDIC to borrow up to $500 billion from the U.S. Treasury to cover customer deposits to shore up a collapsing financial industry. To keep this in perspective, $500 billion dollars is the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of Switzerland and twice what was spent on World War I. The U.S. has had national deficits for most of the past 50 years and has recently managed to create an astounding $12 trillion national debt portfolio through bailouts, take overs, hand outs, tax credits and entitlement programs.

The Federal government doesn't seem the least worried about where this money will come from. In fact, we all know where it's going to come from. Get ready for much higher taxes and a greatly lowered standard of living for all.

Autor: Raymond Walkoczy

About The Author:

Ray Walkoczy is the President and CEO of Hyland Financial Group, LLC and has over 18 years of hands-on experience in commercial mortgage, asset lending, option and commodity trading. Ray is also the creator of a proprietary system of option trading in the equity and commodity markets. Visit his website located at http://www.njcommercial-lending.com for more details.

To learn more about how you can trade like a professional or if you would like more information regarding this and other market beating strategies, please visit: http://www.njcommercial-lending.com/stock-trading-systems.

Added: November 25, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Reduce Your Financial Stress to Lessen Illness and Fatigue

Financial duress is one of the biggest stress-inducing factors in our current culture. From worries over excess debt to the frustration created by the act of balancing your budget and writing out checks, many monetarily-related matters can inflict a detrimental degree of anxiety.

Ongoing mental and emotional vexation can result in far-reaching physical afflictions that you may never have considered. The long-term impact of dread can disable your immune system, causing you to be an easy target for germs and viruses.

Tension often contributes to sleep disturbances as well, particularly insomnia. Insufficient sleep then leads to fatigue that carries on through your day, undermining your productivity and depleting the energy you need to appreciate joyful experiences.

Headaches and chronic muscle pain are another prevalent side effect of relentless worry. Left unattended, tightened muscles can even lead to skeletal misalignments!

How can you help free yourself of the aches and pains that result from these assorted afflictions, while also diminishing their root cause of apprehension?

If financial stress is the key element that's detracting from your good health and quality of life, look at ways to reduce your expenses and better manage debt.

Buying your grocery market's house brand instead of name brand products can save several dollars on each shopping trip. Make grocery runs no more than once a week. Those frequent stops for small purchases can be real budget busters! Bulk purchases aren't always money savers. If you're buying more than you'll use, you're wasting money. Be thoughtful about your actual usage before you decide if a bulk buy is really financially frugal.

Bundling your at-home technology services (things like your high-speed internet services, home phone landline, long distance plans and satellite TV entertainment) save on your monthly bills. Another bonus is that it gives you three (or more) tech services on one easy and convenient invoice!

Purchase what you need and put the things you want on hold. Not only will focusing on needs help to keep your monetary parameters in check, but it also makes those 'wanted' items seem more like a treat when you do reward yourself on occasion.

That being said, do be sure to reward yourself each pay period. You don't want to feel like a slave to your finances. You can conservatively enjoy your hard-earned income without breaking the bank. Plan a fun date night with your spouse, get a new pair of comfortable but affordable shoes, take a lesson or get a massage.

To help wash away the day's stressors, make it a habit to sit back and relax in a hot bubble bath. Create a refreshing evening routine as well - play soft music in the bedroom before climbing into bed. If you must watch TV, skip the violent action dramas. By all means, forgo heated debates and steer clear of controversial topics that will raise your blood pressure.

Saving money, building relaxing routines and reducing stress will help to keep you healthier and happier!

Autor: Kate Kelly

Kate Kelly writes about personal financial advice and personal health, as well as budget tips and QWEST high speed Internet and home phone services. Kate is considered an expert in the field of high speed Internet and is a trusted resource in keeping readers updated on helpful advice for finance management, improved lifestyles and stress-reducing high speed Internet services.

Added: November 23, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

How to Organize Your Monthly Bill-Paying

Needless to say if we all had our way, we would forego the chore of paying our monthly bills, or better yet forego receiving these demands for money altogether. Unfortunately though, paying our monthly bills has to be done, but we can however put a system in place that will make this process a lot easier.

I'm sure at one point, we have all either misplaced an actual bill that we received in the mail, been unsure of whether we have already paid a specific bill or even missed the due date by when the bill is to be paid. Bills tend to come in periodically through the month and the due dates are often scattered throughout the month, which makes it even more difficult to stay on top of all your payments. All these things can be easily overcome, if you just take a little time and effort to put a bill paying system in place that will work for you.

Taking the time to sit down and create a system is guaranteed to save you time, confusion and frustration every month. You'll also realise that it's very satisfying to know that you are in control and organised.

Firstly you will need to gather all your bills that come in over the course of a month and decide on one place where they will be put as soon as you receive them. It's best to make this place easily accessible so that it just becomes second nature to put your bills in there immediately. You can use anything as a home for your bills, from a large envelope or a more sophisticated bill organiser for your desktop. It really doesn't matter what you chose to use, as long as all the bills get put in there immediately.

Secondly, you need to sit down and make a list of the dates each bill is due. The way you do this is also up to you. You can simply jot down the dates in your planner or calendar, or just make a list of the bills you are going to pay at the beginning of every month and those you are going to pay at the end. You could even save them on your computer's calendar and set yourself reminders for the days they are due.

The third thing to do would be to set aside some time each month to pay your bills - be it by manually writing cheques for them or paying them online. It may be once or twice monthly depending on the due dates of your bills.

It may seem like a lot of preparation work to set up your own system, but you will only benefit from sticking to it and making it work. Working according to your system will become second nature and you will find that every month the process becomes quicker and even more organised. In addition to alleviating your stress, you will also no longer be subject to paying late fees as all your bills will be paid on time.

Autor: Terry Mitchell

Terry Mitchell is the owner and operator of Foxrater - http://www.foxrater.com - the web's top free insurance quote site. It allows people to enter their zip code and compare the rates of auto, homeowners, health, and life insurance companies doing business in their area.

Added: November 22, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

The Pitfalls of Electronic Bill Payment

With the increase in the number of people using the internet over the last ten years or so, electronic bill payment has become more and more common. It's just so much easier to log into a website and make a payment, compared to sitting down and writing a check, putting it in an envelope, stamping it and dropping it in the mailbox. But it's not all rosy - there are several things you need to be aware of when paying online.

The biggest threat when using online bill payment is that someone could intercept your information and use it to make fraudulent purchases in your name, or even commit a full case of identity theft. There is a huge criminal industry dedicated to doing exactly that, and it's getting worse all the time.

There are several things you can do to reduce your risk when using online banking:

- Use a strong password, not something that is easy to guess
- Make sure you run a good internet security program on your computer and keep it updated
- Never access your banking website (or any other important site) from a public wireless connection, such as in a coffee shop or hotel
- Be vigilant about emails that claim to be from your bank and want to you "update" your account - ensure they are legitimate before entering any private information

Another potential pitfall of online banking and bill payment is the delay between when you post a transaction and when it reaches the payee. Many things on the internet are practically instantaneous, but bill payment isn't one of them.

It typically takes anywhere from 2 days to a week for a payment to get posted to your account. And the day it is posted is the official date of payment, not the day you processed it.

What this means is if you make a payment that doesn't actually reach the payee until after the due date, you will get charged late fees even if you processed it before the due date on your end. Make sure you give your payments enough time to clear when you're putting them through.

I suppose electronic bill payment is similar to doing it by mail in this one way - the delay between sending the payment and when it is received by the payee.

Paying bills electronically has far more advantages than disadvantages, you just need to be aware of how it works and ensure that your information is kept as safe as possible.

Autor: Richard McLagan

Richard McLagan has been writing about technology and finances for over 5 years. His latest website project can be found at http://www.gaspoweredgeneratorsonline.com where you'll find information about gas powered generators

Added: November 21, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Need Cash For the Holidays? Try a Cash For Gold Offer

Is money going to be tight for the holidays this year? If so, you might be looking for ways to bring in some extra cash. One good way to get some extra money fast is to try a cash for gold offer.

Companies that offer to pay you for your gold seem to be popping up everywhere. How do they work? Most of the cash for gold offers work like this:

1. You enter your name and address on the company's website.
2. They send you a packet that contains instructions and a prepaid envelope.
3. You send your gold back to the company, and they appraise it.
4. You accept or deny the amount. If you accept, they send you the money. If you deny it, they send you your jewelry back.

Is it really that simple? Yes, it is. Just make sure that you pick a reputable company. There are scams out there, so make sure that you pick a company that is legitimate. Also, some companies can take awhile to get your money to you. Be sure to read the terms and conditions to see what the average wait time is. Some companies, like Gold Seller's Kit, offer a platinum service for a small fee. This means you get priority appraisals and your money faster. If you really need the money soon and don't want to wait 2-3 weeks, consider looking at a company like Gold Seller's Kit.

Overall, cash for gold offers can be a good way to get some extra cash for jewelry items you aren't really using. It saves you the hassle of haggling at a pawn shop, and you don't even have to leave your house.

Autor: Mya Simpson

For more information about Gold Seller's Kit and cash for gold offers, Click Here.

Added: November 20, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Why You Should Use a Free Checking Account

What Is a Free Checking Account?

Obviously, a free checking account is a checking account you can use without having to pay for anything. Many accounts available with traditional banks are free. Some will charge a small fee as long as there is below a certain amount of money in your account, but there are also many available that don't charge anything. This is not the type of free checking account we are speaking about.

We are talking about free online checking accounts. Online accounts are superior in many ways. In fact, they are very new in the industry and many people are probably not familiar with them or know that they are available. There are many benefits why you should use them. Of course, saving money due to no fees is up there.

Speed and Simplicity

Just anything that is online is fast and easy. That is one of the great benefits of the Internet. You can get the information and services you need without wasting time or getting frustrated. With an online account, you get the speed and simplicity as well.

It's fast because everything can be done online. You can often send checks through e-mail or have them send it if it is a paper check. This means you don't have to spend time writing out a check or mailing anything. This is also easy because you can access your account credit online without having to go into a bank.

The speed and simplicity alone is worth signing up for a free checking account online. You will likely save a lot of time and money. All you have to do is have your money directly deposited into your account from your paycheck and everything is ready to go.

Overdraft Line of Credit with ING Direct

There are a few good accounts available. The ING Direct Electric Orange account is far superior. They offer the overdraft line of credit. With most accounts, you are familiar with the overdraft fees. If you write a check or use your debit card for more than what is in your account, you could be charged a fee that costs you up to $35 or more. That is steep and will cost you a lot. Hopefully you don't get in the habit of this, but sometimes you don't realize are you really need the money and you go over just a few dollars. This can be a real pain.

With the overdraft line of credit, you are essentially being lent money. Instead of paying the fee, if you go over, you pay interest on the money that went over. If you run over by a few dollars and pay it back within a few days, you'll be charged minimal amounts. This is a great benefit for the unorganized checkbook balancer.

Autor: Samantha Asher

You can sign up for the free ING Direct Electric Orange Checking account to start getting all the great benefits you can't get with a traditional checking account.

Added: November 17, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Financial Help For Single Mothers Guide

If you want to get financial help for single mothers, you need to keep a few things in mind. The first thing is that it's not easy to get assistance in this economy. The second thing is that most so called assistance programs will be outright scams, designed to steal your money. So when you look around for some financial assistance, you want to ensure that you do everything in your power avoid scams.

So what sort of REAL assistance is there? Well there are the usual assistance programs such as federal welfare assistance. There are also a few housing assistance programs such as the HUD program and Housing Choice Voucher program. These housing programs are basically programs where the government will help subsidize part of your rent, if you qualify for the program. Now before you get excited at the thought of the government paying your rent, there are various restrictions in place, so make sure you spend some time looking into these government programs.

You may hear a lot about federal grants for single mothers, but there is in fact no such thing as federal grants for mothers. This is a scam. The government actually does not offer very much in the way of personal assistance grants. Most grants are for larger organizations. There are a few federal grants you can qualify for when you go to school, but be very skeptical of any website offering to help you get a federal grant.

Not besides federal welfare and a few grants that you can qualify for, what other help is there? Your best bet is to look at what sort of private assistance you can find. Many organizations online will offer you some sort of aid, but you are going to have to look online and use the search engines to find this assistance. Some examples of the assistance you can get would be food, shelter, clothing, and even money.

Autor: Sally Sanderson

To learn how to get single mother help, consider looking online for sites that offer you free government grant help.

Added: November 16, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/