Hacking

Hacker attitudes

Several subgroups of the computer underground with different attitudes and aims use different terms to demarcate themselves from each other, or try to exclude some specific group with which they do not agree. Eric S. Raymond (author of The New Hacker's Dictionary) advocates that members of the computer underground should be called crackers. Yet, those people see themselves as hackers and even try to include the views of Raymond in what they see as one wider hacker culture, a view harshly rejected by Raymond himself. Instead of a hacker/cracker dichotomy, they give more emphasis to a spectrum of different categories, such as white hat, grey hat, black hat and script kiddie. In contrast to Raymond, they usually reserve the term cracker. According to (Clifford R.D. 2006) a cracker or cracking is to "gain unauthorized access to a computer in order to commit another crime such as destroying information contained in that system".^[9] These subgroups may also be defined by the legal status of their activities.^[10]

White hat

A white hat hacker breaks security for non-malicious reasons, for instance testing their own security system. This classification also includes individuals who perform penetration tests and vulnerability assessments within a contractual agreement. Often, this type of 'white hat' hacker is called an ethical hacker. The International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants, also known as the EC-Council has developed certifications, courseware, classes, and online training covering the diverse arena of Ethical Hacking.^[10]

Black hat

A black hat hacker, sometimes called a cracker, is someone who breaks computer security without authorization or uses technology (usually a computer, phone system or network) for malicious reasons such as vandalism, credit card fraud, identity theft, piracy, or other types of illegal activity.^[10][11]

Grey hat

A grey hat hacker is a combination of a Black Hat and a White Hat Hacker. A Grey Hat Hacker may surf the internet and hack into a computer system for the sole purpose of notifying the administrator that their system has been hacked, for example. Then they may offer to repair their system for a small fee.^[4]

Elite hacker

A social status among hackers, elite is used to describe the most skilled. Newly discovered exploits will circulate among these hackers. Elite groups such as Masters of Deceptionconferred a kind of credibility on their members.^{[12]:86,90,117} Elite (e.g. 31337) gives the term leet speak its name.

Script kiddie

A script kiddie is a non-expert who breaks into computer systems by using pre-packaged automated tools written by others, usually with little understanding of the underlying concept—hence the term script (i.e. a prearranged plan or set of activities) kiddie (i.e. kid, child—an individual lacking knowledge and experience, immature).^[11]

Neophyte

A neophyte, "n00b", or "newbie" is someone who is new to hacking or phreaking and has almost no knowledge or experience of the workings of technology, and hacking.^[4]

Blue hat

A blue hat hacker is someone outside computer security consulting firms who is used to bug test a system prior to its launch, looking for exploits so they can be closed. Microsoftalso uses the term BlueHat to represent a series of security briefing events.^[13][14][15]

Hacktivist

A hacktivist is a hacker who utilizes technology to announce a social, ideological, religious, or political message. In general, most hacktivism involves website defacement or denial-of-service attacks. In more extreme cases, hacktivism is used as tool for cyberterrorism.

Techniques

Vulnerability scanner

A vulnerability scanner is a tool used to quickly check computers on a network for known weaknesses. Hackers also commonly use port scanners. These check to see which ports on a specified computer are "open" or available to access the computer, and sometimes will detect what program or service is listening on that port, and its version number. (Note that firewalls defend computers from intruders by limiting access to ports/machines both inbound and outbound, but can still be circumvented.)

Password cracking

Password cracking is the process of recovering passwords from data that has been stored in or transmitted by a computer system. A common approach is to repeatedly try guesses for the password.

Packet sniffer

A packet sniffer is an application that captures data packets, which can be used to capture passwords and other data in transit over the network.

Spoofing attack

A spoofing attack involves one program, system, or website successfully masquerading as another by falsifying data and thereby being treated as a trusted system by a user or another program. The purpose of this is usually to fool programs, systems, or users into revealing confidential information, such as user names and passwords, to the attacker.

Rootkit

A rootkit is designed to conceal the compromise of a computer's security, and can represent any of a set of programs which work to subvert control of an operating system from its legitimate operators. Usually, a rootkit will obscure its installation and attempt to prevent its removal through a subversion of standard system security. Rootkits may include replacements for system binaries so that it becomes impossible for the legitimate user to detect the presence of the intruder on the system by looking at process tables.

Social engineering

Social engineering is the art of getting persons to reveal sensitive information about a system. This is usually done by impersonating someone or by convincing people to believe you have permissions to obtain such information.

Trojan horses

A Trojan horse is a program which seems to be doing one thing, but is actually doing another. A trojan horse can be used to set up a back door in a computer system such that the intruder can gain access later. (The name refers to the horse from the Trojan War, with conceptually similar function of deceiving defenders into bringing an intruder inside.)

Viruses

A virus is a self-replicating program that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other executable code or documents. Therefore, a computer virus behaves in a way similar to abiological virus, which spreads by inserting itself into living cells.

While some are harmless or mere hoaxes most computer viruses are considered malicious.

Worms

Like a virus, a worm is also a self-replicating program. A worm differs from a virus in that it propagates through computer networks without user intervention. Unlike a virus, it does not need to attach itself to an existing program. Many people conflate the terms "virus" and "worm", using them both to describe any self-propagating program.

Key loggers

A key logger is a tool designed to record ('log') every keystroke on an affected machine for later retrieval. Its purpose is usually to allow the user of this tool to gain access to confidential information typed on the affected machine, such as a user's password or other private data. Some key loggers uses virus-, trojan-, and rootkit-like methods to remain active and hidden. However, some key loggers are used in legitimate ways and sometimes to even enhance computer security. As an example, a business might have a key logger on a computer used at a point of sale and data collected by the key logger could be used for catching employee fraud.

Today one of my roommate hacked Gmail account of his friend, the thing which makes me happier is he did this by himself without my help. I realized one thing today that instead of helping other its always better to inspire them to help themselves, people may think you as arrogant or rude for such things but I am damn sure that they’ll learn good things from you.

Why I am saying good to hacking for many reasons. Many of my friends at back home are hackers, some are ethical and many are not :) . The term ‘hacker’ here should be taken into broader sense. Hacker means person who breeches security of any information system and Hack is an act done by hacker to get any processed data from any information computing device. I think this is a very common term these day’s everyone is aware about hacking or ethical hacking. I am not going share those old views of hacking. The term Hacking was basically used in mid 60’s with the advent of computing devices it got popular after 90’s when ARPAnet became INTERnet.

Before sharing anything I would like share some interesting things, which we’ll call hackers. Let’s look at it first

• Original Hacker – Aficionados who born during early phase of computing i.e. 60’s with the intense of constantly checking capabilities of mainframes.
• Hardware Hacker – Innovators in 70’s played key role in bringing personnel computing to the world. They worked to decentralize the computing technology.
• Software Hackers – Basically programmers who used to create elegant means to change or create code which hampers hardware.
• Cracker-Person breaking down to security enters into someone else’s computing device though not always with bad intense, term got popular since 1980
• Microserfs – Term got popular after Douglas Coupland’s novel – Microserfs in 1995, its a marginalized group of hackers who never co-opted with security provided by Microsoft, windows 95 was first victimized OS because of these people.
• OpenSource : An ethical group which creates best possible software led to a broad community devoted to submitting free hacks openly that could then be improved by others.
• Hacktivists: Group merging hacking activity with an overt political or social posture .

Dating

Dating is any social activity performed as a pair or even a group with the aim of each assessing the other's suitability as their partner in a relationship or as a spouse. The word refers to the act of agreeing on a time and "date" when a pair can meet and engage in some social activity.
In many cultural traditions, dates are arranged by a third party, who may be a family member, an acquaintance, or a dedicated matchmaker. Recently matchmaking services have become popular. Although dating rules in Western popular culture have become more relaxed during the 20th century, there is considerable variation between individuals' values. For example, when the activity costs money, it has traditionally been the man's role to pay; in recent times the practice of "going Dutch" (splitting the expenses) has emerged. Traditional dating activities include sharing entertainment or a meal.
Typically a person may date many different partners during the same time period in order to have the best chance of finding their most suitable available mate.Dating begins to play a role in some people's lives as teenagers, typically at the expense of time spent with peer groups or cliques. Some who have dated for a while may decide to "go steady", or enter an exclusive relationship with a single partner. Commonly cited reasons for doing this are relief from the stress of dating new people, and being able to rely on an escort for occasions of perceived importance. Cited disadvantages are non-specific feelings of being tied down, arising from the loss of opportunities to date a variety of other people, and from feeling obliged to focus on the growth of the steady relationship at the expense of their own growth. The phrase "X and Y are dating" can mean that X and Y are in an exclusive relationship with each other, or are courting. It can also mean that X and Y are independently involved in dating. The intended meaning must be inferred from the context.

Online poker

Online poker is the game of poker played over the Internet. It has been partly responsible for a dramatic increase in the number of poker players worldwide. In 2005, revenues from online poker were estimated at US$ 200 million per month. Typically, online poker rooms generate the bulk of their revenue via three methods. First, there is the rake. Rake is collected from most real money ring game pots. The rake is normally calculated as a percentage of the pot based on a sliding scale and capped at some maximum fee. Each online poker room determines its own rake structure. Second, pre-scheduled multi-table and impromptu sit-and-go tournaments are not raked, but rather an entry fee around ten percent of the tournament entry fee is added to the cost of the tournament.
Third, some online poker sites also offer games like black jack or side bets on poker hands where the player plays against "the house" for real money. The odds are in the house's favor in these games, thus producing a profit for the house.
These are also the three primary methods brick and mortar casinos derive profits from operating poker tables.

Ecommerce

The meaning of the term "electronic commerce" has changed over the last 30 years. Originally, "electronic commerce" meant the facilitation of commercial transactions electronically, usually using technology like Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), where both were introduced in the late 1970s, for example, to send commercial documents like purchase orders or invoices electronically.
The 'electronic' or 'e' in e-commerce refers to the technology/systems; the 'commerce' refers to be traditional business models. E-commerce is the complete set of processes that support commercial business activities on a network. In the 1970s and 1980s, this would also have involved information analysis. The growth and acceptance of credit cards, automated teller machines (ATM) and telephone banking in the 1980s were also forms of e-commerce. However, from the 1990s onwards, this would include enterprise resource planning systems (ERP), data mining and data warehousing. In the dot com era, it came to include activities more precisely termed "Web commerce" -- the purchase of goods and services over the World Wide Web, usually with secure connections (HTTPS, a special server protocol that encrypts confidential ordering data for customer protection) with e-shopping carts and with electronic payment services, like credit card payment authorizations.
Today, it encompasses a very wide range of business activities and processes, from e-banking to offshore manufacturing to e-logistics. The ever growing dependence of modern industries on electronically enabled business processes gave impetus to the growth and development of supporting systems, including backend systems, applications and middleware. Examples are broadband and fibre-optic networks, supply-chain management software, customer relationship management software, inventory control systems and financial accounting software.
When the Web first became well-known among the general public in 1994, many journalists and pundits forecast that e-commerce would soon become a major economic sector. However, it took about four years for security protocols (like HTTPS) to become sufficiently developed and widely deployed. Subsequently, between 1998 and 2000, a substantial number of businesses in the United States and Western Europe developed rudimentary web sites.
Although a large number of "pure e-commerce" companies disappeared during the dot-com collapse in 2000 and 2001, many "brick-and-mortar" retailers recognized that such companies had identified valuable niche markets and began to add e-commerce capabilities to their Web sites. For example, after the collapse of online grocer Webvan, two traditional supermarket chains, Albertsons and Safeway, both started e-commerce subsidiaries through which consumers could order groceries online.
The emergence of e-commerce also significantly lowered barriers to entry in the selling of many types of goods; accordingly many small home-based proprietors are able to use the internet to sell goods. Often, small sellers use online auction sites such as EBay, or sell via large corporate websites like Amazon.com, in order to take advantage of the exposure and setup convenience of such sites.

Ebooks

Text can be searched automatically, and cross-referenced using hyperlinks. This makes e-books an excellent choice of format for works that benefit from search and cross-reference capabilities, such as dictionaries, reference works, certain kinds of textbooks.
Less physical space is required to store e-books. Hundreds (or thousands) may be carried together on one device. Approximately 500 average e-books can be stored on one CD (equivalent to several shelves' worth of print books) Because they take up little space, e-books can be offered indefinitely, with no 'out of print' date, allowing authors to continue to earn royalties indefinitely (copyright law permitting), and allowing readers to find older works by favorite authors.
Readers who have difficulty reading conventional books can benefit from the adjustment of text size and font face. Text-to-speech software can be used to automatically convert e-books to spoken books. In addition, e-books may be read in low light or even total darkness, with a back-lit device. It costs nothing to replicate an e-book. Copies can be made instantly and in as great a quantity as desired. This makes it easy to retain backups, and means that it is difficult to eliminate works once they have been distributed. e-books can be published by independent publishing houses, which can mean greater editorial and authorial freedom and more room for experimentation. From the publisher's point of view, the ease of distributing e-books means that they can be used to stimulate higher sales of printed copies of books.
With Internet access becoming ubiquitous in industrial nations, the ease of distributing e-books is a considerable advantage. e-books cost nothing to transfer, and such an operation occurs instantly. Readers can begin reading at once, without the need to visit a bookstore.
Errors in texts may be easily and quickly corrected, and may even be pushed to users to update their copies of works in-place, rather than requiring a separate errata.
No environmental resources are consumed by e-book replication, cutting down on paper and ink production. Nor do e-books require to be replaced through wear and tear; there is no risk of damage, vandalism or degration on the pages.

Recycling

Recycling is the reprocessing of materials into new products. Recycling generally prevents the waste of potentially useful materials, reduces the consumption of raw materials and reduces energy usage, and hence greenhouse gas emissions, compared to virgin production. Recycling is a key concept of modern waste management and is the third component of the waste hierarchy.
Recyclable materials, also called "recyclables" or "recyclates", may originate from a wide range of sources including the home and industry. They include glass, paper, aluminium, asphalt, iron, textiles and plastics. Biodegradable waste, such as food waste or garden waste, is also recyclable with the assistance of micro-organisms through composting or anaerobic digestion. Recyclates are sorted and separated into material types. Contamination of the recylates with other materials must be prevented to increase the recyclates' value and facilitate easier reprocessing for the ultimate recycling facility. This sorting can be performed either by the producer of the waste or within semi- or fully-automated materials recovery facilities.
There are two common household methods of recycling. In curbside collection (UK: kerbside collection), consumers leave presorted recyclable materials in front of their property to be collected by a recycling vehicle. With a "bring" or carry-in system, the householder takes the materials to collection points, such as transfer stations or civic amenity sites.
The term recycling does not generally include reuse, in which existing items are used for a new pupose.

Globalization

Globalization (or Globalisation) refers to increasing global connectivity, integration and interdependence in the economic, social, technological, cultural, political, and ecological spheres. Globalization is an umbrella term and is perhaps best understood as a unitary process inclusive of many sub-processes (such as enhanced economic interdependence, increased cultural influence, rapid advances of information technology, and novel governance and geopolitical challenges) that are increasingly binding people and the biosphere more tightly into one global system. An example of globalization was the invention of the telephone.
There are several definitions and all usually mention the increasing connectivity of economies and ways of life across the world. The Encyclopedia Britannica says that globalization is the "process by which the experience of everyday life ... is becoming standardized around the world." While some scholars and observers of globalization stress convergence of patterns of production and consumption and a resulting homogenization of culture, others stress that globalization has the potential to take many diverse forms. In economics, globalization is the convergence of prices, products, wages, rates of interest and profits towards developed country norms. Globalization of the economy depends on the role of human migration, international trade, movement of capital, and integration of financial markets. The International Monetary Fund notes the growing economic interdependence of countries worldwide through increasing volume and variety of cross-border transactions, free international capital flows, and more rapid and widespread diffusion of technology. Theodore Levitt is usually credited with globalization's first use in an economic context.

Yoga

Yoga (Devanagari: ) is a group of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. As a general term in Hinduism[1] it has been defined as referring to "technologies or disciplines of asceticism and meditation which are thought to lead to spiritual experience and profound understanding or insight into the nature of existence." Outside India, Yoga has become primarily associated with the practice of asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga (see Yoga as exercise), although it has influenced the entire dharmic religions family and other spiritual practices throughout the world.
Hindu texts discussing different aspects of yoga include the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Shiva Samhita, and many others.
Major branches of Yoga include: Hatha Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Raja Yoga. Raja Yoga, known simply as Yoga in the context of Hindu philosophy, is one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of thought, established by the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Yoga and Buddhism
Main article: Yoga and Buddhism
Yoga is intimately connected to the religious beliefs and practices of the Dharmic religions.[46] The influence of Yoga is also visible in Buddhism, which is distinguished by its austerities, spiritual exercises, and trance states.
Yogacara Buddhism
Yogacara (Sanskrit: "Practice of Yoga [Union]" ), also spelled yogāchāra, is a school of philosophy and psychology that developed in India during the 4th to 5th centuries.
Yogacara received the name as it provided a yoga, a framework for engaging in the practices that lead to the path of the bodhisattva. The Yogacara sect teaches Yoga in order to reach enlightenment
Zen (Ch`an) Buddhism
Zen (the name of which derives from the Sanskrit "dhyaan" via the Chinese "ch'an") is a form of Mahayana Buddhism. The Mahayana school of Buddhism is noted for its proximity with Yoga. In the west, Zen is often set alongside Yoga; the two schools of meditation display obvious family resemblances. This phenomenon merits special attention since the Zen Buddhist school of meditation has some of its roots in yogic practices. Certain essential elements of Yoga are important both for Buddhism in general and for Zen in particular.
Tibetan Buddhism
Yoga[clarify] is central to Tibetan Buddhism. In the Nyingma tradition, practitioners progress to increasingly profound levels of yoga, starting with Mahā yoga, continuing to Anu yoga and ultimately undertaking the highest practice, Ati yoga. In the Sarma traditions, the Anuttara yoga class is equivalent. Other tantra yoga practices include a system of 108 bodily postures practiced with breath and heart rhythm. Timing in movement exercises is known as Trul khor or union of moon and sun (channel) prajna energies. The body postures of Tibetan ancient yogis are depicted on the walls of the Dalai Lama's summer temple of Lukhang.

Call center

Types of calls are often divided into outbound and inbound. Inbound calls are calls that are made by the consumer to obtain information, report a malfunction, or ask for help. These calls are substantially different from outbound calls, where agents place calls to potential customers mostly with intentions of selling or service to the individual. (See telemarketing)
Call center staff are often organized into a multi-tier support system for a more efficient handling of calls. The first tier in such a model consists of operators, who direct inquiries to the appropriate department and provide general directory information. If a caller requires more assistance, the call is forwarded to the second tier, where most issues can be resolved. In some cases, there may be three or more tiers of support staff. If a caller requires more assistance, the caller is forwarded to the third tier of support; typically the third tier of support is formed by product engineers/developers or highly skilled technical support staff of the product.
Call centers have their critics. Some critics argue that the work atmosphere in such an environment is de-humanising. Others point to the low rates of pay and restrictive working practices of some employers. There has been much controversy over such things as restricting the amount of time that an employee can spend in the toilet. Furthermore, call centers have been the subject of complaints by callers who find the staff often do not have enough skill or authority to resolve problems, while the dehumanized workers very often exhibit an attitude of apathy to even the most abusive customer.

:: Share Market

Function and purpose
The stock market is one of the most important sources for companies to raise money. This allows businesses to go public, or raise additional capital for expansion. The liquidity that an exchange provides affords investors the ability to quickly and easily sell securities. This is an attractive feature of investing in stocks, compared to other less liquid investments such as real estate.
History has shown that the price of shares and other assets is an important part of the dynamics of economic activity, and can influence or be an indicator of social mood. Rising share prices, for instance, tend to be associated with increased business investment and vice versa. Share prices also affect the wealth of households and their consumption. Therefore, central banks tend to keep an eye on the control and behavior of the stock market and, in general, on the smooth operation of financial system functions. Financial stability is the raison d'être of central banks.

Exchanges also act as the clearinghouse for each transaction, meaning that they collect and deliver the shares, and guarantee payment to the seller of a security. This eliminates the risk to an individual buyer or seller that the counterparty could default on the transaction.
The smooth functioning of all these activities facilitates economic growth in that lower costs and enterprise risks promote the production of goods and services as well as employment. In this way the financial system contributes to increased prosperity.
Relation of the stock market to the modern financial system
The financial system in most western countries has undergone a remarkable transformation. One feature of this development is disintermediation. A portion of the funds involved in saving and financing flows directly to the financial markets instead of being routed via banks' traditional lending and deposit operations. The general public's heightened interest in investing in the stock market, either directly or through mutual funds, has been an important component of this process. Statistics show that in recent decades shares have made up an increasingly large proportion of households' financial assets in many countries. In the 1970s, in Sweden, deposit accounts and other very liquid assets with little risk made up almost 60 per cent of households' financial wealth, compared to less than 20 per cent in the 2000s. The major part of this adjustment in financial portfolios has gone directly to shares but a good deal now takes the form of various kinds of institutional investment for groups of individuals, e.g., pension funds, mutual funds, hedge funds, insurance investment of premiums, etc. The trend towards forms of saving with a higher risk has been accentuated by new rules for most funds and insurance, permitting a higher proportion of shares to bonds. Similar tendencies are to be found in other industrialized countries. In all developed economic systems, such as the European Union, the United States, Japan and other developed nations, the trend has been the same: saving has moved away from traditional (government insured) bank deposits to more risky securities of one sort or another.

seo sites

Learn Investment

Building a Solid Foundation

Investing successfully is more about attitude than about money. Even an imminent inheritance and a good-paying job offer little hope of financial success without a positive, constructive attitude that leads to a rational, systematic investing approach. The solution to avoiding a stressful retirement and enjoying financial freedom starts by examining your attitudes. With a thorough self-assessment under your belt, you can begin learning sound investment fundamentals.

Profit by Understanding the Risk and Return Relationship

What is something you do really well -- better than most people' Whatever it is, your special skill or knowledge is probably characterized by two critical attributes:

• It's rewarding. Whether the reward is financial or simply the satisfaction of doing something worthwhile, you profit by it in some way.

• Developing your special skill or knowledge required some type of sacrifice.

Investment reward is called return. Return is the financial benefit of risking your money in the market. It is expressed as "rate of return." Investment sacrifice is called risk. The essence of investment risk is the chance you take that the value of your investment will decline. Investment risk is usually expressed in terms of volatility in the value of the investment. The value of some investments, such as government bonds, does not change much, so the chance of losing money is slight. On the other hand, the value of stocks issued by many Internet companies rapidly rises and falls and may not recover. After analyzing your personality and grasping the concepts behind risk and return, you are ready to tackle the one simple fact that underlies the importance of investment risk and return: they are both positively and linearly related.

In order to earn higher returns, you have to assume higher risk. If you are unwilling to accept high risk, your returns will be relatively low. In the long term, all investment securities and portfolios operate this way. The key to successful investing lies in a plan that is not only well thought-out and consistently applied, but one that accounts for and manages risk as well. A risk management plan expresses your personal tolerance for risk in terms of the kinds of investments you should own.

Assessing Your Risk Tolerance

Your risk tolerance is about personal preferences and goals. The cornerstone of a consistently applied risk management plan lies in an assessment of your own tolerance for risk and volatility. This leads to an investment plan reflecting both your personality and tolerance. A thorough risk tolerance assessment taps two key attributes: cash flow needs and your attitude about short-term fluctuation in the value of your investments. Cash flow is money coming in and then going out for expenses. If you depend on investment income to fund your cash flow, your investments should include safe stocks and bonds paying high dividends and interest. If you depend on employment income to fund your cash flow, you can invest in riskier, low-income stocks and bonds with greater potential to grow in value over the long-term.

Your financial obligations and preferences determine cash flow needs. If you are approaching retirement, you may not currently have large cash flow needs. But upon retirement, your income source may shift from salary to earnings on your investments. It is at this moment when knowing yourself becomes extremely important, since you will be able to anticipate your reaction to seeing the value of your portfolio take occasional dives and experience long periods of no growth. By anticipating your reaction, you'll be prepared either to adjust your investment strategies or to sit back and ride out the storm.

Matching Reward Expectations with Risk Tolerance

If stock prices rise, it means the market believes profits will rise at roughly the same rate. In the long run, the economy cannot grow fast enough to sustain high double-digit profits. Therefore, stock prices could not sustain the high double-digit returns we witnessed in some recent years.

A reasonable long-term return expectation hovers between 8 and 10 percent if the investor's risk tolerance permits allocating 60 to 80 percent of the portfolio to stocks and the remainder to fixed income investments. Investors with lower risk tolerance should expect less of a return.

It can take both discipline and foresight to put money in low-risk investments. Nevertheless, a mismatch between realistic expectations and risk tolerance is a sure formula for disappointment. A well-conceived risk management plan matching risk tolerance and realistic expectations can prevent disaster while yielding respectable long-term returns.

got-merchant

When you're ready to start accepting credit card payments while operating from a limited budget, there's a cheap merchant accountwaiting for your business. You don't have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to offer customers a range of payment options. Now you can get an affordable merchant account for just pennies on the transaction or a low monthly fee.
Remember to compare merchant accounts

Some merchant account vendors will set up an account for you that charges less than a quarter for each credit card transaction. Others assess fees on a sales volume basis. Of course, it's important to decide whether you want all the perks for an additional low cost, or if you prefer to operate on a shoestring to begin with until business picks up.

And it will. Customers love the option of paying with plastic, since this saves them valuable time from looking for an ATM to withdraw cash from their account, or even remembering to keep track of money withdrawn on a debit card. Experts claim that customers who pay with plastic tend to buy more, since they can pay for their purchases when the next statement arrives rather than depend on a limited amount of cash they may be carrying with them.

Can a merchant account save money with fast transactions?

Why not find out how a cheap merchant account can benefit your business? In addition to increasing customer satisfaction, a merchant account can help to save employee time that would otherwise be spent in making change or explaining why a customer must pay cash instead of charge a payment. In addition, a cheap merchant account now may pave the way to more expansive payment options in the future, such as wireless transactions or an online website that can operate without immediate human controls.

A cheap merchant account may be just the thing to give your business a shot in the arm. As the word spreads, more customers will utilize your company's services, and they will be more likely to bring back repeat business. Get in touch with a merchant account provider to find out more about the low cost of offering credit card payment options to your clientele. Their appreciation for this helpful service will be reflected in their continued or enhanced spending. Some companies report a sales increase of several hundredfold within a few months' time. Find out how a low-cost merchant account can help you improve profits.

equity-loans-guide

Ways to Qualify for a Low Refinance Rate 

Obtaining a low rate is a top concern for many homeowners who choose to refinance their existing mortgage. Those who are unable to qualify for a low refinance rate may choose to delay refinancing. Because the refinance process creates a new loan, homeowners must have money to cover closing costs and other fees. If you are unable to obtain a low rate, refinancing may not be the best option. 

There are various ways for homeowners to improve their chances of qualifying for a low rate refinance. If you have a good credit rating, many lenders will be glad to offer you prime rates. Most mortgage professionals propose refinancing when mortgage rates are two points lower than your present rate. In this situation, you will notice a decrease in your monthly mortgage payment. 

Homeowners with a bad credit rating should carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of refinancing. In some cases, obtaining a lower mortgage payment, or getting cash at closing, may help improve your current credit status. The lump sum of money you acquire at closing may be used to consolidate debts, payoff bills, etc. 

Boost Your Credit Score for a Low Refinance Rate 

Individuals with the highest credit scores will qualify for the best loan rates. Thus, a good tactic for obtaining a low rate refinance is to increase or improve your credit rating. Many factors contribute to your credit rating. Late payments, missed payments, judgments, and high debt to income ratio are damaging to your credit score. For this matter, lenders will not offer you a super low rate on a refinance mortgage with a bad credit history 

The best way to improve your credit is to reduce your outstanding balances, pay debts promptly, and avoid skipped payments. Improving your credit will take time. However, after several months of making regular payments, your score will begin to improve.
Compare Different Refinance Loan Packages 

Comparing and contrasting several different lenders is an effective way to finding the best refinance loan package. When choosing a lender, you should contact mortgage companies, banks, credit unions, etc. Do not accept the first offer you receive. Instead, request quotes from several financial institutions. If possible, obtain your loan through a mortgage broker. This will save you time and money. A mortgage broker will submit your information to various lenders for review.

refinancemortgageguide

Refinance Car Loan

Reasons to refinance your car loan

Most people know that they can refinance their house, but fewer know that it's possible to refinance a car loan, too! It's become extremely popular in recent years. And it might seem like a silly idea, since most car loan terms are short--typically three to five years. However, it can be a good idea, since

IT MAY LOWER YOUR INTEREST RATE

If you got your car loan when rates were high, you may be able to get a lower rate now. Or perhaps, when you first obtained your car loan, your credit was less-than-perfect. If you've managed to improve your credit score over the past year or so, you may now qualify for the lower rate. And a lower interest rate means less cost to you over time. Even dropping your rate by 1-2% can mean significant savings over the life of your loan.

IT'S USUALLY CHEAP

Many car loan lenders that will refinance your loan don't charge any fees. That means no application fees, no fees for paying off your first loan early, and no other extra charges. So in many cases, refinancing your car loan won't cost you anything at all! And if you refinance for a lower rate, that's like saving money for free.

IT'S EASY TO OBTAIN 

Although you will have to go through a credit check, there are lots of lenders out there who will help bad credit borrowers refinance a car loan. And many of these lenders are available online, which means very little paperwork, almost instant approval and a no-hassle application process! In fact, online lenders are typically more flexible when it comes to interest rates and fees, which means more savings for you. Chances are a quick Internet search will turn up hundreds of lenders who want to help you refinance your car loan and save money

refinance-mortgage-guide-info

Finding a Good Lender 

Finding a good lender to help you with refinancing your home loan can be tricky if you have bad credit. There are plenty of predatory lenders out there who would like to take advantage of you with excessively high interest rates and fees. The key to finding a good lender is to know what are reasonable terms and to compare lending companies.

Look At Your Credit Record

Credit records are not perfect accounts. Before you apply to refinance your loan, you should check to see that all your information is correct. If you believe there is a false record, resolve it with the credit reporting company.

You also want to know what your credit score is. The lower the score the higher rate you will have to pay, but at least you will have an idea of what to expect from a lender. Paying three to five additional points is common for people with bad credit history.

Compare Lenders

Lenders offer different rates for the same type of loan, so shop around. The easiest way to compare quotes is to use an online website. By entering your information online, companies compete for your loan, offering you better rates. The internet also allows you to compare mortgage lenders outside your local area, possibly finding a better deal.

Once you receive offers, compare the rates and fees. Often the fees are where lenders make their money. Adding up the interest and fees, and comparing that figure will give you the true cost of the loan.

Look For A Good Deal 

Mortgage lenders increase their profits by pushing loans with high interest rates and points. Some lenders will push these types of loans even if they aren't best for you, so beware of fast-talking dealers. Be sure to read the terms and look for hidden fees before you sign the paperwork.

Online mortgage companies eliminate some of this risk by requiring mortgage lenders to state their terms online. Online quotes are also more competitive since lenders know you are probably shopping around to refinance your loan. Once you have an offer, print out the terms for your records.