Why Are Checks So Expensive from Banks?

No Comments » | Posted by Marry Takers
May 24 2013

Q: Im almost out of checks and need to order more why are checks so expensive from banks and are there any other places to get them cheaper? I only write one or two checks a month and it kills me to have to spend $20 or more on a new box.

A: Essentially, its expensive to buy checks from banks because its expensive for banks to provide them to you. Banks dont produce checks out of thin air they have to pay to have them printed and shipped, which means they need to mark up the price for customers so they dont lose money.

Where to Order Check Books for Less

Luckily, your bank isnt the only source of checks. In fact, there are quite a few options for ordering checks at a fraction of the price your bank would charge, especially online. A couple of the best options for getting cheap bank checks are:

  • Walmart: This retailer offers personal checks with a wide variety of custom designs starting at about $6.
  • Vista Print: Ordering online from Vista Print allows you to get 25 checks for just $2.49. Theyre customizable as well.

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Tags: Banks

Regulating Debt Buyers

No Comments » | Posted by Mark Edwards
May 24 2013

Debts are bought and sold on a daily basis, leaving the buyer with relatively no clue if the debt they buy is valid or not. A debt can be bought and sold four to five times, often with little to no documentation besides the contact information of the addressee. Rules say that debt buyers can place judgments against the debtor that lead to wage garnishment and seizure of assets. These are problems that the average person cannot afford, nor recover from.

In an effort to crack down on these judgments based on flimsy evidence, several states, including Maryland, are requiring better proof that debt buyers are suing the correct consumers. They are now not allowed to sue without in-depth knowledge of the case, including whether or not the debt is even still valid. Debt buyers are supposed to sign affidavits swearing they have personal knowledge of a case, but employees are signing hundreds of these per day without even looking at the files. In fact, several debt buyers buy the debt without the supporting documents from the original creditors. How can they swear they have seen the files when they do not even buy it?

Default judgments are highly common, because many consumers do not know they are being sued. Many times, people are not aware of these judgments because flimsy attempts were made to contact them before the lawsuits went to court. The FTC wants to make it tougher on collection agencies before submitting a judgment to the courts, including making it more likely litigants will be able to defend themselves in court.

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Tags: Debt, Debt Buyers

How I cut my spending in half to take a job I loved

No Comments » | Posted by Jacob ONeill
May 22 2013

This article, by Ainslie Simmonds, as told to Libby Kane, comes from our partner site LearnVest.

In 2009, I was a very senior executive celebrating my fourth anniversary at a brokerage firm. 

I was working about 70 hours a week, managing 80 people and traveling to the company’s other offices (two of which were cross-country) 3-4 days a week, twice a month. Even when I wasn’t at the office or on the road, my Blackberry was constantly lighting up on nights and weekends. I would estimate I got about 400 emails a day.

But with three children under 10, I knew that years of working at a blistering pace was taking a toll on our family, and I needed to make a change. I set out to find something a little less intense and found a great consulting role in marketing and product development with a small firm.

I was excited to keep up all my professional skills (and get some new ones) at a pace I knew would bring some welcome relief to the crazy of our household. At this new job I would manage only 15 people, largely set my own schedule and truly be offline while I was at home. But to make it work, we had to make some adjustments in order to accommodate my reduced salary.

In fact, it was a big reduction: $5,000 a month, plus the substantial bonuses I would no longer receive. When I did the math, I didn’t think it was even possible to make such a massive shift in our lifestyle—but I knew I had to give it a try if I didn’t want to burn out before I turned 40.

How We Cut $5,500 a Month

My husband Mark and I live in Larchmont, N.Y., a small town about 30 minutes outside of New York City, with our three kids, plus our dog Emily, our cat Nikki and our fish Charlie. It isn’t cheap:

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Tags: Cut, Cut Spending

Results May 21 & May 22

No Comments » | Posted by Barry Ernst
May 21 2013

Well if you were watching the market or trading today, you know it moved a lot quicker then the past and it was nice to trade with volume. We had a 90 minute day with some nice trades. We only had 1 NQ trade and as you can see the past results on the blog, the NQ was carrying us through most days. It was a little choppy today and based on our rules, there just simply were not a lot of trades on the NQ. We took a 4 tick loser on the ES and then had 2 back to back VERY nice trades. See chart and results below:  ES 5-22 +4 BE BE = +50.00 -4-4-4 = (-150.00) See chart for this trade and the 2 below +4+6+12 = +275.00 +4+6+4 = +175.00

+ 350.00 Trading the ES in the first 90 mins  

 

NQ 5-22 +4 BE BE= +20

+20.00 Trading the NQ in the first 90 mins  

Tuesday was a decent day. Had a little movement in the market especially on the NQ. See the results below:  NQ 5-21 +4+6+13 = +115 +4+6+3 = +65 +4+6+3 = +65 +4+6+10 = +100

+345.00 Trading the NQ   ES 5-21 -4-4-4 = (-150) +4 BE BE = +50.00 -5-5-5 = (-187.50) +4+6+4 = +175.00

(-112.50) Trading the ES



ChCh Businesses Respond To Demand For Variety and Quality

No Comments » | Posted by Joseph Carr-Boyd
May 20 2013

A number of small businesses are using their talent and creativity to respond to the needs of the re-build arrivals and locals alike, says Donna Miles the owner of sandvich , a Christchurch-based business re-creating some of the worlds best-loved

Media Release For Immediate Release

ChCh Businesses Respond To Growing Demand For Variety and Quality

Rebuild Visitors Encourage Growth In Niche Markets
The post-earthquake creative energy in Christchurch is not limited to gap-filler projects.

A number of small businesses are using their talent and creativity to respond to the needs of the re-build arrivals and locals alike, says Donna Miles the owner of sandvich, a Christchurch-based business re-creating some of the world’s best-loved sandwiches.

She says the majority of sandvich’s clients are either well-travelled locals or new professional arrivals into the city.

“We have had a phenomenal response from day 1; 100% growth in sandwich sales in our first outlets in two local supermarkets. One of our customers, a local Engineering firm, has recently had three new employees from the U.K, U.S. and Spain; they are all very happy to have healthy and exciting takeout lunch options available to them nearby”.

Miles says there has been an equally strong response from local residents and local schools too. She say

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Tags: Respond, Respond Demand

Health and safety guidelines for directors launched

No Comments » | Posted by Jacob ONeill
May 20 2013

Guidelines for company directors on leading and managing health and safety in their workplaces have been launched by Labour Minister Simon Bridges.

Health and safety guidelines for directors launched

Guidelines for company directors on leading and managing health and safety in their workplaces have been launched by Labour Minister Simon Bridges.

“This is an important milestone in addressing both the recommendations of the Pike River Royal Commission and the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health Safety which sought guidance for directors on their responsibilities,” says Mr Bridges.

The guidelines provide directors with advice on how they can influence health and safety performance in their organisations, their roles and responsibilities, diagnostic questions and actions, a checklist and case studies.

“These guidelines are an essential tool for every company director. Directors should be in no doubt that workplace health and safety is a business priority and they must actively lead it,” Mr Bridges says.

“This is an important step towards achieving the urgent step change in health and safety that the Independent Taskforce believes we need. Everyone has a responsibility to make sure that objective is achieved, and soon.

“I want to acknowledge the leadership of the Institute of Directors in helping to develop the guidelines, jointly with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and employer and employee representatives. I thank the

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Tags: Directors Launched, Launched, Safety Guidelines


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