Greetings Monkeys,
With the recent forage of Hurricane Irene up the eastern seaboard, 2011 is shaping up as the mostly costly year ever in terms of natural disasters. This is why today I am going to skip on the ranting, raving, finger pointing and tail wagging. Money, markets, economics, bitching and moaning can rest. Today’s a day to focus on the things that really matter.
I want to wish all of you guys on the east coast (especially NYC) well. Get yourself secured and stay calm. With all the crazy shit going on lately in the world and especially the world of finance, it is pretty easy to lose sight of the essentials. Dollars, prestige and success all come and go. In the end, having our health and security is the most important thing. Sometimes it takes unpredictable calamities to remind us of that fact. Wherever you are today, try to give a good thought and keep it positive. I’m making this an open topic dedicated to the monkeys in Manhattan’s ivory towers forced to watch the the tidal waves below. Whatever you guys feel like ranting about, this is the place for it.
Be safe,
Midas
Where I unload on Twits and take verbal S***s
For many small businesses, the task of managing credit card payments can be daunting. On top of the cost of leasing a card reader and payment software, a phone line is often required. And with a long list of additional fees, it’s an expensive proposition, especially for start-up businesses. But thanks to new technology another option is threatening traditional credit card payments — accepting payments with cell phones. “Square” is a new service being used across the globe to help simplify the process.
Convenience for Consumers
A tiny device is plugged into a consumer’s smart phone that communicates their credit card account information. Once the free Square App is installed and an account is set up online, they’re ready to make purchases with their cell phone from any merchant who has a Square reader. It’s as simple as choosing a bank account on your phone — and with a contactless wave authorize payment. The smart phone’s screen is used to authorize the transaction and an email or text receipt may be sent to the customer. All their transactions can be reviewed, deposits can be tracked and a refund requested by logging onto the Square website.
Cheaper for Merchants
Merchants who currently use a standard credit card set up have multiple costs associated with every purchase. They pay a percen Read more…
Locating a perfect home loan financing program is as difficult as finding a new home, for a purchaser. It’s advisable to think on certain factors before hunting for a new home ever starts. The foremost one is to get a copy of credit score history, because if someone applies for home loan this is the key factor for which every lender think about before lending as loan.
If someone’s credit score is not up to the mark he should not lose heart as doing say can cause him to debar from funding his home through home loan financing. Numbers of companies are now available offering different packages for the people with low credit score.
Issues Which Needs Settlement Before Home Loan Financing:
It’s important to locate a good real estate broker when home purchase is the matter; as it’s very important to select a best home loan financing. Different banks and companies are now offering packages for home loan financing; it’s good to compare both before taking any decision. While looking for a financing one should possess a well secure house eliminating the possibilities of difficult financial situations.
Before contacting any financing company a home owner should settle down the issue regarding his stay in a new home i.e. for how l
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If you’ve seen those TVmercials for eHarmony, you might be curious: Well, this weekend is your chance tomunicate with your matches for free! Sign up for eHarmony, and pay nothing to send emails May 27-30.
Q: You note that Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION provides 3 bureau credit SCORES each quarter. Does this mean that they include the credit REPORTS that make up those credit scores, or only the final credit score numbers?
A: As you mention, Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION® provides credit scores from all 3 credit bureaus when you sign up, and updates them on a quarterly basis thereafter. To see your scores, you just need to log in to the Identity Guard member center.
When you sign up for Identity Guard you’ll also get your 3-bureau credit reports. Then you’ll get quarterly updates to your credit reports, which is a little different from the full reports you get at sign up. The updates aren’t theplete reports, instead they make things a little easier by just including what has changed since your last report update. That way you can quickly scan through and double check any changes. Of course, Identity Guard’s credit monitoring alerts you of key changes to your credit reports on an ongoing basis, but it makes sense to take the time to review these changes on a quarterly basis.
In addition you’ll get a free public record report when you sign up, and an updated one every quarter. A
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All merchants who accept credit cards are now subject to strict Payment Card Industry standards, rules, and regulations, which require a level of security that took about five years to finally implement.
PCI exists to increase credit card security and, among other goals, to stave off government intervention. While significant effort has been made to improve the security of credit card data processing, adequate attention has yet to be given to the identification, authentication, and accountability of cardholders.
For consumers, the primary concern is account takeover. Account takeover occurs when your existing bank or credit card accounts are infiltrated and your money is siphoned out. A hacked account or stolen credit card is often to blame.
InformationWeek reports that according to a new Ponemon Institute survey, “50% of security professionals view PCI as a burden, and 59% don’t think it helps them improve security. Furthermore, comparing this study with the inaugural one conducted in 2009, the number of respondents who said they had sufficient resources to comply with PCI dropped from 40% to 38%. Ponemo
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