Ideas for Earning Money at Home

Do you ever think about making money from home? Well, who doesn't? There are a lot of books and websites with ideas for earning money from home. The owners of the website http://www.incomeondemand.us have provided the info below as some ideas for legitimate ways to make money. These ideas could apply if you're just getting started or if you're looking to expand into new streams of income.

By the way, if you like these ideas and want to know more, there is an Income on Demand e-book which lists more opportunities, and you can check out the table of contents here.

Making Extra Income Online from Home

Many websites on the internet fall under the "useless" category for people who are looking to find practical information that can help them support themselves and/or their families, pay off student loans, and meet other necessary expenses. Our goal is to find and share resources to help people find money-making opportunities that they might enjoy. Here are a few of our favorite ways that people can make from the comfort and safety of your own home.

Freelancing: Write to earn!

If you have an interest in writing, this is a great opportunity for you. Many magazines and websites require freelancers to write for them, and if you have a talent for writing, they will be happy to pay you in order to write articles or stories for them. As an additional bonus, you can work with a selected niche or a specific interest at your desired time. All you have to do is sit at home and pour some words out of your mind into a text file. Some writers also make money by establishing contacts at local businesses who need to outsource and hire writers to create content of all kinds, from blog entries to annual reports.

Affiliate Marketing – Promote products!

Affiliate marketing is one of the most efficient and simplest ways of earning online. The basic process is that you buy a certain product and recommend it to someone else. Your reference is taken into account when they buy the product and you get a percentage of the commission upon the purchase. The best methods of affiliate marketing include reviewing products through social media, videos (on sites like YouTube and Dailymotion), and blogs. Many retailers offer affiliate programs.

Video Publishing – Use your talent to entertain or tutor others!

If you like making videos, you can find a lot of opportunities to make money with your work. YouTube is currently the largest platform for video publishing. If you are a gaming enthusiast, a talented cook or make-up artist, strong in a specific field of education or just a superb stand-up comedian, YouTube provides you with the ultimate online podium to demonstrate your capabilities to the world. Advertising for YouTube on your videos will result in large paychecks depending on the number of viewers you are able to attract.

Blogging – Share your mind!

Many people consider blogging to be the easiest route to making money online. Keeping a specific topic in mind, you can share your insights to try and attract readers from all over the world. Sharing your expertise in any field can help others who are struggling with a similar issue somewhere else on the globe. Depending on the number of readers, you may be able to get a direct advertiser who will pay generously for advertising on your blog, and there are also advertising networks that work with bloggers. Lots of bloggers also monetize their blogs through affiliate marketing, so you can see that many methods of making money online naturally support each other.

An Interview with ForeX Masters

ForeX Masters is a service offering courses and support for people learning to be traders. They provide trading knowledge and skills meant to translate into successful trading. After sharing their knowledge through courses, they monitor new traders' performance and how they are applying what they have learned. Learn more at http://www.fxmasters.co.uk/.

1. How did ForeX Masters get started?

ForeX Masters started as a complimentary service that we were offering to some of our alternative fund investors. Some of them had experience trading their own stock and commodities account and wanted to learn more about Forex market and how our fund strategy was delivering hedge alpha.

Before we knew it, we had more people being referred to us via our brokers and clients, and decide it would be a good and fun opportunity to deliver in-depth forex education. This also serves as a tool for our expansion plan while recruiting and growing talent.

2. What are the main differences between the three Forex courses that you offer?

We understood based on our own experience and the feedback of our clients that people have different needs. These needs can be based on their lifestyle, life stage, and financial goal. Some are doing trading for fun, while others do it as a mean to earn extra money. Still others simply do it as a means to build a long-term retail trader career. In some cases, I have seen people transiting from stock and indices for career purposes. Not many big institutions offer an in depth trading course but expect their traders to have acquired that knowledge. Therefore, we thought it necessary to design different courses with the aim of filling business needs in mind while always providing a solid base.

3. How have your courses helped people with their ability to trade either part-time or full-time; in other words, what are some of the key skills that you teach?

We have had a great success to date with every student that manages to complete their chosen program while respecting and following our methodology. Till today we have some our student testimony that can be seen below as successful examples, and for those that still struggle we do operate a open door policy, where the can get in touch with any of our coaches for a free refresher session.

I actually had a student contacting me in October last year almost 18 months after completing his program; he told me he needed help, and I spent two months coaching him after we met for a coffee. Sometimes people lose interest and drive, and as with mastering any skill in life, successful trading take requires time and having the right attitude is key.

Students usually come out with a deep understanding of technical and fundamental analysis but more importantly the importance and impact of countries' economies, and central bank policies on currencies exchange. And another important lesson is the correlation between currencies and commodities. Something I always assure my students is that by the end of one of our program, your view on the world will drastically change while at the same time your understanding of it will help you have a more fulfilling life.

4. Are there any misconceptions that you commonly see people having about trading?

Misconceptions associated with Forex trading are always the same with the financial trading industry and investing: people believing it's a scam or that huge amounts of money are required to invest or simply that the markets are rigged so that only the wealthy would profit.

Contrary to stock and indices, for example, there's no one entity that can control the outcome of a trading session. With the Forex market it's a fragmented and decentralised market where all parties need each other and the biggest players do need the smallest to a certain extent. Anyone can profit from this market if they put the time and effort into learning. Even the best traders and funds do lose money at times; the secret is to stick to risk management and build consistency.

Another misconception is that it's impossible to make an income from trading, which is totally untrue. People can indeed make a living from trading but once again this requires knowledge time and discipline

5. For people who have always wanted to get into trading, what makes Forex a good option compared to other ways of investing?

The Forex market offer a unique way for individuals to invest and trade 24 hours a day. The information needed to make informed trading decision is widely available on most brokers' platforms and specialist websites for free.

Thanks!

Meet Terry Gangaram, Founder of Drexel Mortgage Corporation

With 30+ years of real estate experience, Terry Gangaram founded Drexel Mortgage in 1995 to help Americans nationwide make their American Dream a reality. Starting with residential mortgages, Terry has helped thousands of homeowners buy their first house, investment properties, and commercial real estate to grow their business. Terry's team at Drexel is committed to finding you the financing you want for the home you want.

Learn more by visiting the websites for Drexel Residential Lending and Drexel Commercial Lending.

1. What made you decide to focus your career on working in the home mortgage field?

I wanted to help people become homeowners. Just like the American dream, I wanted to own a home rather than renting, and that's when I wanted to help others do the same. With decades of experience pursuing my entrepreneurial passion providing loans to clients, I built the Drexel Mortgage brand to become one of New York City's top mortgage providers.

2. What are some of the differences for consumers when it comes to working with a local agency like Drexel Mortgage rather than a large national company?

Drexel Mortgage offers great advantages with a hands-on approach to real estate. We're not quick to say no right away with a lot of red tape. For example, when it comes to credit, Drexel Mortgage works with the individual to repair their credit so they become creditworthy to become homeowners. We dispute charges, challenge charge-offs, and help fix delinquincies by advising clients how to prepare their credit for homeownership. Traditional lenders tend to cherry-pick who they want to work with, ignoring many borrowers who are only a few simple steps away from their own homes. We advise clients on a personal level to tailor-fit every loan for each borrower's needs. For example, we advise borrowers to have a co-signer, or have a family member assist them with the loan process to make the loan process comfortable and easy-going.

3. In addition to helping people who want to purchase a new home, what services do you provide for refinancing and debt consolidation?

Once people become a homeowner, they call Drexel Mortgage to utilize the equity in their home to purchase investment properties, consolidate their high interest credit card payments into one low monthly mortgage payment, or pay off bills. Refinancing has many benefits, and Drexel makes it easy for customers to refinance to renovate their homes, fix their credit, and even to finance major purchases.

4. Are there any common questions you get or misconceptions you regularly see regarding home mortgages and personal finance?

Being in the mortgage industry for decades, I've seen a lot of recurring mysteries and common questions. For example, people assume the mortgage process is a mystery that takes a long time. At Drexel, I make it easy for homebuyers to understand that buying a home is an exciting and simple process. Drexel understands buying real estate; mortgages can look like a daunting endeavor--after all, it's probably one of the biggest purchases a person will ever make. But the reality is, at Drexel Mortgage we take the time to assure you're comfortable with achieving your goals.

Another real estate misconception is that you need a lot of income with a huge down payment to own a home. With Drexel Mortgage, we put these popular myths to rest very quickly. I'm often asked what kind of houses are clients qualified for. Clients commonly think they need a high 700 credit score with 20% down just to qualify for a mortgage. Those days are long over, and today's real estate market understands that there are clients from all over the credit/income spectrum who can qualify for a home. At Drexel Mortgage, with flexibility to tailor loans based on the individual's needs we can provide loans to clients with a 600 credit score, with 3.5% down payment.

5. For people considering buying or selling a home in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of New York where your office is located, do you have any locally-specific advice?

New York City, where Drexel Mortgage is located, is one of the most sought after real estate markets in the country. New Yorkers are fast-paced, high-speed people who want it all yesterday. If you're buying a home in NYC, save yourself some time by getting pre-qualified first. Providing a Pre-Qualification is a free service we offer. We look at the income, assets, and credit of the individual to let them know what purchase price their income can support. Sometimes we can offer a pre-approval letter, to save some time for the realtors as well. With a pre-approval letter, the realtors, homebuyers, and appraisers can make fast, intelligent decisions to buy a home and start the loan.

Feel free to call me directly with any questions at (718) 441-1515, terry@drexelmortgage.com, www.terrygangaram.com.

Thanks, Terry!

Meet Darren Pawski of Synergy Financial Solutions

Darren Pawski, a financial services industry professional with almost 30 years of experience, is the managing director of Synergy Financial Solutions, a boutique financial services firm known for its highly personalized and exceptionally comprehensive approach to financial planning and management. Mr. Pawski began his career in the late 1980s and has served in a number of executive leadership positions with some of the most respected providers of financial services operating in Perth.

An active member of his local community, Mr. Pawski devotes much of his free time to community service efforts and volunteering. While he is a frequent presence at all manner of community service events, Mr. Pawski is especially committed to his volunteer work within the aged-care sector. Outside of his professional work and community service, Mr. Pawski is an accomplished traveler and distance runner who has explored some of the most interesting and unique places the world has to offer.

Known for his firm belief in the value of ongoing education, Mr. Pawski has a long history of helping clients, colleagues, and members of the public better understand the most critical aspects associated with financial planning and financial management. Mr. Pawski, who is currently working toward a master's degree in finance, earned his Diploma of Financial Planning from Deakin University and secured his Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking from Kaplan.

1. In your own words what do you do?

My goal is to help all of our clients develop a personalized and all-encompassing financial strategy that leads to the realization of their specific goals for the future.

2. What led you to your current business?

I've always been very passionate about my role in the finance industry, and Synergy Financial Solutions has allowed me to really sharpen my focus on meeting the specific needs of each and every client that reaches out to our financial planning and management firm.

3. Could you walk us through your process of developing your business?

With my wealth of industry experience, I was keenly aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the industry as a whole. In developing this business, we simply created a structure that we believed would emphasize the strengths while eliminating the weaknesses.

4. Did you encounter any particular difficulty in the beginning, and how did you overcome it?

Of course we did, but we also created an overarching plan that accounted for every possible difficulty in order to ensure there was a contingency in place. Our ability to plan ahead and foresee potential obstacles allowed us to overcome the difficulties we encountered along the way.

5. What is your long-term plan?

We hope to continually grow in a manner that ensures we can continue to offer our highly personalized services to a broader base of clients.

6. Could you share with us some industry insights?

The key to a sound financial strategy begins with a commitment to advance planning and a thorough, comprehensive approach.

7. What are some important lessons you've learned about entrepreneurship/business?

At its core, entrepreneurial success requires an understanding of how to best meet the needs of the consumer.

8. Any tips for achieving success?

You can essentially guarantee long-term success by making a deep commitment to your clients and ensuring they always remain a priority in the decision-making process.

Thanks, Darren!

Meet Ross Lang, Owner of Cobb Pawn & Gold in Marietta GA

Ross Lang is the owner of Cobb Pawn & Gold in Marietta, Georgia, a family owned shop that has been in business for over 30 years.

1. How long have you been in business?

Cobb Pawn and Gold is a family owned and operated business established in 1982 as an alternative to a typical pawn shop in Marietta, GA with more the look and feel of a fine jewelry store, including the personal service you would expect. We specialize in low interest loans on diamonds, jewelry, watches, and other valuable assets. We also offer loans on boats, PWC's, heavy equipment, and more, all stored on our secured lot.

2. Why should you get a loan at Cobb Pawn & Gold vs a typical pawn shop?

We are a family owned and operated business. With over 30 years experience in the jewelry business, we have the expertise to assess and offer you the true value of your fine jewelry at interest rates a fraction of that of a typical pawn shop. Unlike most of our competition, our mission is not to acquire your treasured possessions and flip them for a one time quick profit; our goal is to have a long-term personal relationship with you. Many of our first time loan customers become some of our best retail customers, returning every holiday or birthday year after year for that special item and the same quality of service and respect they received the first time they walked in our door.

3. What is the most unusual item brought into your store?

It's hard to come up with just one item out of the thousands of loans over the last 30 plus years, but the first thing that comes to mind is a 1966 Pontiac GTO Tri-power with factory original paint. We've had the car a couple of times. The customer owns a small seasonal business of his own and has used it as collateral to purchase additional inventory when needed.

4. Is there really such a thing as win-win with pawn shops?

Yes. We recently had a customer that had a pawn loan with a local competitor on a civil war-era rifle that had been in his family for generations. He's retired on a fixed income and was caught in a dead end loan that he could never afford to pay out; he only pay the monthly fees and the pawn shop he was at would not accept any principal payments. We paid out the loan and wrote him a new loan at half the interest rate he was paying. The discount in the rate left him enough cash to pay on the principal every month, and he was able to get his rifle back in a few months.

5. You have fantastic reviews online. Why do your customers keep coming back?

Being a family ran business, we offer superior customer service at the best rates in the industry; it's that simple! Our loan process is fast, easy, and private. All your transactions with Cobb Pawn and Gold will be kept confidential by us. In addition, all your jewelry collateral, while in our possession, will be fully insured, secure and kept off premise in a bank vault. That's why Cobb Pawn and Gold's growing customer base and our reputation of discretion and professionalism have attracted some well-known local athletes, executives, entertainers, small business owners, and prosperous locals who need quick cash. We are well-known in the industry and purchase fine jewelry and Swiss watches all over the southeast from pawn shops and jewelry dealers.

Thanks, Ross!

Meet Nishanth Muraleedharan, Entrepreneur

Nishanth Muraleedharan aka Nishani is an entrepreneur with the mission of helping people work from home, make money online, and have financial freedom. You can learn more about him at http://nishani.in His latest project, ReferEntrepreneurs.com, is a a social networking site for entrepreneurs which also pays them every month, and it will be launching later this year.

1. How did you become interested in focusing your efforts on helping people work from home?

I've been working online from 2007 onward, and I find that most of the programs available online are all a scam, and if there is a good program, then we can make only few cents out of it. If you want to make good money online, then we should promote some MLM products, and we need to create a huge down-line. This is only possible for very few who have a very big email list and a marketing background. But for normal people who are looking for work from home options, these are not viable options. Hence, I was thinking of helping people who can get maximum help on minimal effort. Keeping this in mind, I've come up with my new Business Social Networking site, ReferEntrepreneurs.com.

2. What resources will be available on your soon-to-launch site, ReferEntrepreneurs?

I don't want to ruin the suspense by listing all the features here, but I can tell you that there will be options for earning good money every month on autopilot. We have options to make money for premium members as well as basic members who can join the site for free. Also, we are working hard on adding the features to offer entrepreneurs a place to grow their business and at the same time earn money while socializing and sharing ideas with other likeminded entrepreneurs! It will bring a lot of exciting features. Stay tuned! It will be worth waiting for!

3. Have you always been interested in entrepreneurship--what first caught your interest about it?

In my school days, I stayed with my grandparents as my father was working in a bank and used to get transferred all over India as part of the job. I was totally drawn towards business from my childhood days. My grandfather was into the textile business, and I used to see him doing business from my childhood days, which also attracted me toward business. Throughout my childhood, I was surrounded by entrepreneurs. All of my uncles on my mom's side had multiple businesses, which led them all to be successful.

Growing up, I was always thinking about what I could do to change my lifestyle. For years, I couldn't come up with anything. Now I've chosen online business as my career as this is the only business which doesn't have any restrictions of place or locality to do business. You can do your business on your laptop from anywhere in the world. You can truly live your laptop lifestyle.

4. Why is creativity so important for people who want to work for themselves?

Only those who are creative and innovative can become filthy rich for their whole life and pass on their fortune to coming generations!

If you are not creative and innovative, you will always have to depend on someone else's programs to make money, or you have to work for someone else for your whole life!

If you are making money from someone else's program, then it is the same as working for someone else and making the program owner's rich. It is true in the case of working for any MLM business or any revenue share programs or any business where you are just a member and not the owner!

So I would suggest if you are creative, and if you have an idea which can change this world, then implement it, so you can create millionaires, too, with you making billions.

5. For someone who has always wanted to work from home but doesn't think that he/she can afford to do this, what is your advice?

My advice for newbies those who want to make money online is to study well which program is giving more returns for the time you spend on it. Also, then get in touch with the top earners in that program and copy them, follow them, and get mentored by them. You will be successful.

Also my advice to all budding entrepreneurs is...

Always have the desire to do something innovative. Think how technology can impact people's life. Take real world examples of Alibaba, Flipkart, Uber, etc. How a simple idea brings about a change in our living. And simply put, "At least go out and give it a try with your own ideas maybe for a couple of years. There is no harm, and rather there's a lot in return. So TRY STARTING UP NOW!!"

"If you are not playing with all in, you are really not playing."

"Everyone is special. Try to find what makes you special. If you know, then keep nurturing it, or else keep trying to find it."

Also, if you are now doing a day job, don't quit the job to start the business until you reach a point where you can make a living off of what you are doing and what you love to do. Until then you need a job. So quit only once you are at that point where your business can support your daily life and all the unexpected expenses!

Thanks, Nishani!

Where to Get IRS Form 1040 and Instructions

It used to be that you would walk into any library or post office to pick up your tax forms and instruction booklets, but paper copies are harder to come by now. For most of us, we just need a 1040 form and instructions. But which 1040 form do you need? There's 1040A, 1040EZ, and more.

For some great tips about where to get your 1040 tax form and instructions, check out this link from File My Taxes Online, which is a useful resource with tax information and links. Their article about IRS 1040 forms starts out with some pointers about how to make sure you choose the 1040 form that's right for you.

But where can you find the actual forms? You can download them online, and some local government offices do indeed still carry paper forms and instructions, but be sure to contact your local library, post office, etc to make sure they have the forms you need. Did you know that you can also contact the IRS and ask them to mail you a 1040 form and instructions? I think this is a great option for people who don't want to download and print the info they need.

File My Taxes Online has other good info about what documents you need to collect to file your taxes. They offer some helpful checklists, which I think are good to look at now so that you have plenty of time to order any necessary paperwork that might be missing from your files long before your taxes are due. This article is a great starting point: http://filemytaxesonline.org/where-to-find-irs-form-1040-and-instructions/.

Where to Get Your W-2 Form Online

As we enter 2016, the last thing you probably want to think about is filing your taxes, but it's inevitable! Might as well get things done early rather than waiting until the last minute. One thing you can start on right now with minimal effort (thanks to the internet) is getting your W-2 form(s).

Any company you worked for last year should send your form by January 31, but did you know that you might be able to get your W-2 form online right now? Some of the popular tax filing programs such as H&R Block and TurboTax offer services that will download your W-2 for you. This doesn't work for ALL employers, but you never know if it might work for yours--and more and more employers are allowing online access to W-2 paperwork every year.

Why get your W-2 online? It allows you to file sooner, and you also avoid having paper copies of your documents lying around. Also, in recent years, there have been some forms of identity theft where thieves file for people's refunds very quickly, so you can sometimes avoid a big hassle just by getting your information together and filing as soon as possible.

By the way, if you need information from your W-2 forms from prior years, you can get transcripts from the IRS of anything from the last ten years.

Check out http://filemytaxesonline.org/getting-your-w-2-form-online/ for more detailed information on this and other tax-related topics.

Meet Angela Lee, Founder of Millennial Housing & Lifestyle

Angela Lee is the founder of Millennial Housing & Lifestyle. She is a millennial and an NYC transplant with 12 years of experience in real estate and mortgage banking. She's held senior positions in sales, talent management, communications, and marketing for various private and public institutions. She was recently elected to lead the largest AAPI real estate trade organization in 2017--and honored as the first millennial, Korean American, female leader of a nationwide real estate trade organization.

Learn more about her at www.itsmeangela.com.

1. How would you describe Millennial Housing & Lifestyle?

The decision to launch this platform is due to my passion about educating the millennial generation in terms of housing and lifestyle so we can have a positive impact for the generations to come. Whether or not one believes homeownership is still out of reach, we will talk about challenges together. The blog platform has exclusive interviews with experts, as well as lifestyle tips and tricks--plus informative content designed to help make the next big decision a smart one. I am on a mission to make real estate relevant to a lifestyle, not just some responsibility to dread.

2. What are your focus areas, and how do you differentiate yourself from your competitors?

So here I am in real estate, doing something that will impact millions of people all over America. Hosting this important discussion concerning the millennial generation and real estate is at the very core of our personal lives, our regional and national economies, and our futures.

Most blogs dealing with real estate are self-serving. They bend over backward to sell products and services. But this blog is different. I'm here for one reason: to start and nurture a rich conversation. The participants will be millennials and interested others who want to make an important contribution to the real estate industry.

3. How is the real estate market impacting how millennials see and do things for their future?

The soaring cost of education, massive student loan debt, the difficult job market, and the rapid rise in the cost of living in major population centers has hit millennials square in the jaw. We have a challenge like no other generation has faced in decades. One of the first areas we millennials must reform is real estate. In an age when it's very difficult to buy a home before age 40, it will be our task to find ways to disrupt, innovate, and improve.

4. What are some things that most people don't know about your job, and what are some of the biggest challenges you've encountered personally?

The blogging business is not an easy task. In order to create and curate quality content, I have to spend countless hours brainstorming and speaking to my sphere of influence. It is hard work and a full-time gig, and much of it isn't glamorous. Just like any other business investment, it's important not to lose sight of end goals.

I recently ended a 13-year career as an upper level executive in the financial industry. I can't lie: the money was very good. But here in New York City, it takes a lot of cash just to live. I woke up one morning realizing I was about to turn 33 and owed on mortgage debts, student loans, and credit cards for a grand total of $1.5 million of debt. I was clearly going to be working until my dying day simply running in place to keep the payments on schedule. But the big realization that made me quit my career was that I wasn't making a difference in the world. Focusing on everything that's working instead of dwelling on negativity has helped create a balance in my personal life.

5. What tips would you give to a millennial who is looking to start a business in today market?

I would say don't rush into anything, and get a professional mentor (you should find one if you don't have one already.) You're going to need a whole lot of skills you probably don't have right now because of your age. Technical skills are great assets, but interpersonal skills will get you far in life, especially in business. My second bit of advice is don't ever burn bridges because you never know where and how your paths will cross again. We all run in circles--it's a small world out there. It is a golden rule in life.

6. Finally, what are you most excited about at the moment, and do you have any other thoughts to share?

My biggest project at the moment is the official launch of my new blog--Millennial Housing & Lifestyle.

Remember, leaders are not born. They are made. Becoming an entrepreneur/CEO is not as hard as it looks. It is the hard work that you need to put in; that is a big deal. Be sure to dream big and focus on what you want out of your actions. Immerse yourself in building your own empire.

Thanks, Angela!

A Guest Post from Fast-Bad-Credit-Loan.net

The following is a guest post from Fast-Bad-Credit-Loan.net, a website with lots of articles and informational resources about finding and assessing opportunities for fast loans to help with emergency financial situations.

Where Is a Good Place to Get a $5000 Loan Fast with Bad Credit?

Perhaps your home drains are completely stopped up and you have no idea why. Maybe your car suddenly quit. You are going to need several thousand dollars for the repairs. Things like this cannot wait and you need cash and you need it now. A $5000 fast bad credit loan may be the answer to your problems, and here are tips for finding the best online lender.

When you check the Internet, you will see thousands of companies that want to lend you money. It can be difficult to tell which lender is best, just by visiting a website. That is why you should talk to friends and family and ask about referrals.

A personal referral is a great way to find a lender. After all, if a particular lender is not reliable, you might able to find out that information and avoid a big headache. Also, someone you know may recommend a trusted and easy-to-work-with lender, and that can save you all kinds of time and trouble.

You might not be able to get a referral. Next, visit the website of a lender and check into their fees. Most fast bad credit loan lenders tell you ahead of time just what the cost will be. There is no guesswork, and you should not have to worry about hidden charges.

If you find a lender that is not straightforward about fees, you may want to check elsewhere. There are plenty of good lenders that tell what you will pay with no hassles. This makes the process of borrowing money, very easy.

Check with at least three lenders to see if there are any major differences. Once you decide upon one lender, do some research. Visit online discussion sites and ones for consumer complaints and see if this company has a lot of problems. This can help you avoid trouble in the future.

A Resource on Tax Deductions and Refunds

Who doesn't want to get a larger refund from the IRS? I know a lot of people who seem to get a large refund every year, and I'm never quite sure how they do it. Well, after doing a bit of reading, I bet that many of them have learned how to use tax deductions for a bigger IRS refund.

Taxes are one of those things where you can get quickly bogged down and exhausted if you try to read the government tax code itself, but luckily there are a lot of good informational resources to choose from to pick up some tax tips. Just a few moments spent reading could result in a lot of money in your pocket.

Also, the tax laws do change a bit from year to year, so articles like the one linked above can be a good way to keep up with the latest rules and regulations. There are a lot of deductions that people often miss, and as a result, they miss out on extra savings. For example, did you move in 2015? Did you have a student loan? Did you contribute to a charity? These are just three areas where you might be able to add some deductions to your return.

By the way, there are also tax credits that you might be missing, so be sure to check for those, too. Some of the popular tax prep software programs walk you through deductions and credits, but it's also very helpful to have other background knowledge working in your favor when you start to get organized about preparing your taxes for 2016. It's never too early to start on research and preparation!

Two Tax Refund Calculators for 2016

Now that it's fall, are you starting to think ahead for your taxes for 2016? Why procrastinate when you can better estimate your available funds to spend if you think ahead? There are two tax refund calculators for 2016 that can help you figure out your tax refund when you file in 2016.

By calculating your tax refund ahead of time, you can make sure that you don't overestimate your refund and thus spend (or plan to spend) money that you don't really have. On the flip side, if the calculators determine you should be getting a healthier refund than you imagined, maybe you can start making some fun plans to use your refund money. I know that if I don't plan ahead, I end up using my refund to pay for car insurance or some other boring expense, when it would be much more enjoyable to use it for a vacation!

Both H&R Block and Turbo Tax have easy to use and very popular refund calculators, but rather than take my word for it, check out the links to these and other useful tax-related resources on the File My Taxes Online website, a website that serves as an information portal and doesn't try to sell you any tax prep services, etc. They simply give the latest news and links about taxes, tax law, tax-related tools, and more.

Meet Victoria, Creator of Money Munchkids

Money Munchkids' goal is to teach children grades K-3rd about basic financial terms and principles in order to provide a sound foundation for their lives as adults and the financial responsibilities that await them. Money Munchkids does this through their completely original after-school course, activity books, and other retail material. Learn more about their activity books and other financial literacy products by clicking here.

1. What made you realize that kids today could really use some help in developing money management skills?

Being an older sister and having experience in child care, I have a passion for kids. During a shopping trip with a family, I was doing some child care for one of the children, who was pretending to buy the whole store with their fake credit card. I watched as the child used the credit card reader exactly as an adult would. It was frightening. I think that's the moment that I finally decided to put my idea into action.

2. Growing up, did your parents influence your own ideas about money?

Definitely, my dad is an entrepreneur, and my mom is an accountant. They both taught me to use money as a tool to succeed and accomplish my goals.

3. What are some of the key lessons that kids will learn with your activity book?

Kids can learn about counting change, ways to make money, and managing a bank book, with puzzles about important terms and more. Make It, Count It, Keep It is the beginners' activity book. It brushes over a lot of the topic we cover in our class. It's important to note that the activity books are and will continue to be separate from the courses, so kids don't need to be in the class to use the activity books.

4. Where (in what geographical area) do you offer your after school courses, and what do students learn in those courses?

Thus far we've only got courses based only in Los Angeles. We'll be approaching schools in the Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, and Venice areas over the next few weeks about starting courses. If anyone, in those or other areas, would like us to bring our course to a school they can Request A Course.

5. If you could suggest just three financial lessons/ideas for parents to share with their kids, what would you say>

There are so many great tips to share but a few would be:

• Start your kids' financial education early because they learn young and fast!
• Teach them that things cost money and how the cost of some things compare to the cost of others.
• Encourage them to keep track of their own money.

We also have resources for adults on helping to teach their kids about money.

Thanks, Victoria!

Meet Daniel Wicharz, Senior Sales Executive

Daniel Wicharz is a Senior Sales Executive with Skrill. He began working with the European payment provider Skrill at the end of 2013, and he is responsible for sales operations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In the past, Daniel worked as Senior Sales Representative for payment provider PayPal where he gained experience in the e-payment industry. He has also worked for other well-known companies, including Google and Apple. Learn more about Daniel by clicking here and here.

1. How did you first become interested in working with online payment providers in your career? 2. What do you enjoy most about your current position with Skrill?

I enjoy the speed of transformation of the industry and the "hidden" overall value. Online payment providers like Skrill make payments happen online with extremely low fraud rates that nobody could ever imagine just one decade before. Even in high risk industries, we manage to decrease fraud to a level that even the cash industry cannot beat, especially when you take fake money into comparison. We make payments happen on a global level from the states to Europe, Australia, everywhere. Who could have foreseen one generation before, that it is as easy to pay someone on the other side of the planet as someone next door.

3. How do you see the world of online payments developing and changing over the next year or so?

It will change by far. I am sure we will see "online" payment penetrating also the physical stores. The trend to paying with your mobile phone or even your watch in a store will become mainstream.

Thanks, Daniel!

Meet Don McClain of EZ House Buyers

Based in Houston, Texas, Don McClain of EZ House Buyers provides a way to sell your house fast.

1. Who can benefit from EZ House Buyers?

EZ House Buyers provides an alternative to the traditional sales channels of hiring a realtor, cleaning up the property, doing open houses and showings, negotiating a contract, inspections, long closings, costly repairs, etc. We assist property owners by providing them with a quick solution and a fair price. We buy properties "as is, where is", and we pay the closing costs. In short, we provide a valuable alternative to property owners who want to sell quickly.

2. What is the average closing time for these transactions?

All we need is to get title work done and make sure there are no outstanding liens on the property that are not being paid. We have closed deals in as little as two days. Sometimes we need the seller's assistance in tracking down missing heirs. Other than that, we can close very quickly--sometimes much faster than the seller was aware that we could.

3. What are the most common reasons for selling a property through EZ House Buyers?

There are many reasons that a property owner would want to sell quickly. Some of the most common are: loss of job, pending foreclosure, illness, divorce, costly repairs, investment property that needs to be sold, death in the family that results in a situation where heirs would rather have the cash than the property. There are many reasons, and EZ House Buyers custom tailors a solution for each seller.

4. What is fair market value price for these properties?

We typically pay more than anyone else in the market. The amount depends on the property type and location, and if it is rural or urban property. We run comparables on the property and typically can pay up to 65% for rural properties and up to 75% for urban properties.

5. How is EZ House Buyers better than other realtors or home buyers for cash?

EZ House Buyers evaluates each situation carefully. We customize a solution for each property owner. If a seller needs to stay in the property for a time after closing, for example, we can do a lease-back to them. Also, we work with the property owners to help them clear title on properties that may have title issues. On each and every deal, we work to make sure everyone is pleased, and we work to get the property owners as much for their property as possible.

Thanks, Don!

Meet Laurel Hardy, Investment Advisor

Laurel Hardy started her career as an international fashion model, but turned her focus to finance. She worked as a broker for four years at a major wire house brokerage firm, where she learned from senior mentors with decades of Wall Street experience.

In founding her own wealth management firm, BespokenWealth.com, Laurel wanted to share accessible financial strategy that would otherwise only be available to the wealthy. She believes you can build wealth in this country with solid planning and investment strategy, regardless of your family's background.

1. What inspired you to take up a career in finance?

I never liked finance in school. It just wasn't something that interested me. I liked sciences and earned my degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Towards the end of my education, though, I realized that every scientist needed to find funding for their experiments. That meant seeking grant money or money from individual investors. There happened to be a lot of politics involved in that process, and often times the best experiments were blocked from being conducted due to lack of funding, not lack of importance. I wanted to make a difference in science by funding experiments that were not funded elsewhere. To do so, I set out to see how money worked.

I looked for an internship at an investment firm, but ended up with an opportunity to work alongside my father as long as I passed my licensing tests. I passed my series 7 and series 66 on my first try, and was sent for further training in St. Louis. By the time I was done, I realized how important money and savings are to every single household out there. I saw that there was a massive need for trustworthy, knowledgeable, and sound individuals to provide advice on investments.

Unfortunately, most individuals don't realize that they aren't getting good financial advice, but are either being sold a product or are being short-changed. 401(k) providers at work usually do little or nothing to educate people on how to invest. They don't want the liability, so they tell people to pick for themselves. They just give them a bunch of choices and say, "You pick." People often chose randomly because they're so overwhelmed. Others go online and think they're getting good advice. They don't realize the biases involved and the products being sold to them through the advice they're reading. Even accountants fall victim to savvy investment salesmen who convince them that selling investments is something anyone can do to get them to sell their mutual funds. It's disgusting, and I could see that I could really make a difference for individuals by giving sound advice and knowing what was going on out there and who was pushing what. It's too much information for the hobby investor or average person to expect to understand since they have to spend their time working. My work is this, and that's why a good investment advisor is so important for individuals to have.

2. Why did you decide to start your own personal investment firm?

I was frustrated by how expensive the large firms were for my clients. There has been a push towards banking and away from investing as well. Banking is different from investing in that it involves loans, lines of credit, and checking accounts. Investments are a completely different specialty. I did not think it was in my clients' best interests to be sold mortgages and lines of credit when they were just trying to allocate their 401(K). I left the firm and worked briefly with another individual who ran her own firm from her house. I then started mine.

Unfortunately, most independent advisors do not have much education in investing. They usually have accounting knowledge, then sell investments on the side. To give people good investment advice without having to sell the products a large firm wanted me to push and without having to charge people an arm and a leg, I needed to start my own firm.

3. How do you customize your wealth-building strategies to meet the individual needs of your clients?

I listen to my clients. I mean really listen. People tell me what they're concerned about, what they're feeling, and what they want to do with their money. Then, I do my work to find the type of account, type of investment, and type of platform on which they can hold their investment before making a recommendation on all of these. Some people prefer to do their own investing and just want someone to bounce ideas off of for now. Others need a whole financial plan and want a trusted advisor to handle their accounts so that they don't have to. Either way, I choose each investment and product with my clients, based on their needs and wants. I do not choose one way to do things and then make all of my clients invest that way. That's why I'm different, but that's also what makes my way of doing things efficient. It takes skill, knowledge, experience, and an ability to understand what individuals are experiencing to be able to run my investment firm the way that I do. I know that I'm delivering the best quality advice a person can get because I'm not swayed by corporate interests or manipulated by mutual fund companies. My clients get my full attention, and that's why my firm is unique and personalized.

4. I think a lot of people feel that they can't afford to hire an investment adviser. What would you say to people who feel that way?

Can anybody afford NOT to hire one? The difference between 25 years of good investing and 25 years of guessing on your own is large. Either way, everybody will pay someone to manage their money. It's best that you make a judgement call about who you want to pay and how they'll manage it instead of just going with the flow and telling yourself you're saving money. Unless you are the one waving a ticket on the trading floor of a stock exchange, you are paying someone to invest. Even people using discount online trading that they do themselves are paying someone to invest for them. They just don't realize it, and that's part of the marketing that the trading platforms propagate. It's often hidden and complicated, but that's the truth. So if you think you can't afford to pay an investment advisor, you're wrong. You already are paying someone; you just might not be getting advice.

5. For people who are new to investing their money and working toward building wealth, what is your advice on getting started?

My advice is to save your money. Investing can be overwhelming, especially with so much bad information out there, but don't panic. Slow and steady wins the race. Friends and relatives may mean well, but they are often our worst enemies when it comes to the investment advice they give. If you're not comfortable investing your savings, you don't have to. When you're ready to invest, you'll know. Then, realize that slow and steady wins the race.

Finances are EXTREMELY personal to people. Every single person has a different speed at which they want to go. Unfortunately, everybody also thinks that they're a professional at finance and wants to tell you what to do with your money. It's difficult to stand your ground, but my advice is do your best to save as much as you can, then be true to your instincts about how to grow your money once you've saved it.

The worst thing a person can do is nothing. Time is the most important thing an investor has to work with, and the longer people wait before investing their savings, the less time they have. Doing nothing is actually hurting you, so get serious about saving some money for investing. It's the best way to take control of your future.

Thanks, Laurel!

Meet Casuel Pitts, CEO of Ultimate Discount Services INC

Casuel Pitts is the CEO of Ultimate Discount Services INC. The company offers a membership-based service that can help you pay for everyday incidents like traffic accidents and so on by helping you pay for your deductibles and co-payments. Learn more at www.udsinc.us.

1. What are some of the benefits that members receive through Ultimate Discount Services INC?

We provide eight services that are tied into a membership which are:

50% off your Auto Deducible
50% off any Traffic Related Violation
50% off our Cell Phone Deductible
50% off your Medical Co-Pay
50% off your Dental Co-Pay
50% off your Vision Co-Pay
A Credit Repair Program
An Investment Program

2. What are the key differences between Ultimate Discount Services INC and insurance companies?

The difference between UDS INC and insurance is we are a membership entity, and we have more leverage to benefit our customers vs insurance providing one service. Plus, we are more affordable.

3. How did your company first get started, and what inspired you to launch it?

June 1 2014 is when UDS INC, was created, and what inspired me was I wanted to create something that was fulfilling a need and not a want. We as the consumer can't predict what goes on in our lives, and that's why UDS INC, gives you reassurance that you are safe.

4. How has your company grown in the (almost) year since it first started?

We have networked with major companies like Sam's Club, Mountain Dew, World-Wide Marketing-Finance Consulting LLC, and many more. We also have opened up two offices in Minnesota and Illinois.

5. In covering deductibles, co-pays, etc, are there specific insurance companies that Ultimate Discount Services INC doesn't work with--and are there any other details that people should know before joining?

We work with any insurance, and there are no restrictions. We have a Travel Club Program and a Put It On A Bill Program. For more information about how these programs work, please call 321-283-5800. You can also watch the video below.

Thanks, Casuel!

Introducing Elite Merchant Capital for Small Business Loans

What do you do if you're a small business owner who needs a loan, but you have credit issues? This issue comes up quite a lot for people with difficult credit issues. Say you have a successful business and want to expand (or you run into some other reason why you need to borrow funds). It could be hard to get a loan from some lenders unless you have a strong credit record, and let's face it, there are a lot of reasons why many people have encountered credit trouble, including medical expenses and divorce.

That's where Elite Merchant Capital comes in. They specialize in bad credit business loans to help business owners who have run into credit difficulties and need funding for their business. They have two specific criteria that a business needs to meet to qualify: you need to have been in business for at least six months, and you need to generate at least $10,000 in gross sales.

Another reason why business owners like Elite Capital is that they offer a merchant cash advance, and there is a quick turnaround in terms of how fast you can receive funds once your application is approved. In fact, you can get money within 24 hours. And they approve 98% of applications.

The company has US-based loan specialists, and you can communicate directly with their reps via phone or email to learn about the financial options available to your own small business. For people who need business cash in a hurry, it's something to check out.

Meet Joe Orsak, Director of Marketing with Improve My Credit USA

Joe Orsak is Director of Marketing with Improve My Credit USA, the consumer-voted number one credit repair company in America, the consumer-voted number one credit repair company in Texas for four years running, and winner of the Houston award for excellence in customer service and marketing for three years running.

Joe provided answers to my interview questions in the form of a YouTube video, and you can also see the answers transcribed below.

1. What are a few reasons why someone would need to repair their credit?

Ya know, most often people discover that they need credit repair because they have been told "no" by somebody--because of a home loan, car loan, or maybe even a job promotion--and people find themselves in that situation of numerous reasons. Identity theft is huge: at least one in eight Americans will experience it. And sometimes it's just because of a financial strain of a situation--medical, divorce, that type of thing. In all of those situations, we always recommend speaking to a credit expert.

2. What are the major benefits of working with a credit repair company rather than doing it on your own?

Ya know, that's a good question. We often are asked that. And in fact, you can work on your own credit. We even have a great ebook on our website (ImproveMyCreditUSA.com), for free, that tells you how to do it. But, there's an old saying that goes, "You don't know what you don't know." Ya see, there's a little over three hundred laws that govern how the credit bureaus and creditors are required to report information on your credit. And if you're not familiar with those rules, then you just don't know what questions to ask when you're asking them to verify information as accurate on your credit report. So it makes it really challenging to move forward. Always work with a credit expert.

3. What are some of the misconceptions that people tend to have when it comes to credit?

Common misconceptions--wow, yes, all the time! In fact, there's a lot about credit that is counterintuitive. You do something that you think is what is going to help your credit, but in fact you could hurt your credit. For instance, dealing with collections. Older collections: when somebody decides that they want to deal with an older collections, and improve their score and they pay that collection, in fact it could cause a great deal of damage to your credit. There's tons of examples, and we just don't have enough video time of give them all, but yes, there's a lot that is counterintuitive that doesn't makes sense about how credit repair works.

4. Your company is based in Houston, but you help people all over the US. What is your most effective way to do this?

Ya know, we have a great office, and you can come visit us any time you want; we'd be happy to see you! But 99% of our business is done over the phone and through email. Once you become a client, we also have an online portal for you where you can monitor your progress 24/7. And if you ever have a question, you can go to our website and engage us through the chat support, or just pick up the phone; we'd be happy to talk to you.

5. Can you share some everyday tips that people can use to avoid running into difficulties with credit in the first place?

Credit tips--absolutely. In fact, we have a website called BetterCreditTips.com where I record all kind of videos and answer questions on the subject, but let me give you one right now. How you use your credit cards is critical in maintaining positive credit. So never carry a balance over 30%. You'll always wanna keep that balance low because it makes up 30% of your credit score. Thirty and thirty, easy to remember.

So we hope you found those answers helpful. And if you think you might have some credit issues, simply fill out the form on this page and we will give you a shout. We look forward to taking care of you.

Improve My Credit USA
(866)802-3470
info@ImproveMyCreditUSA.com
ImproveMyCreditUSA.com

Thanks, Joe!

Introducing AlgoRates.com

In the few years that I've been writing this blog, I've written about different sites and products related to financial topics, but I think this is my first post on algorithmic trading. AlgoRates.com is a site that offers an automated investment management system which is professionally controlled by human analysts.

The AlgoRates system is always being reviewed through the company's continual improvement process, and new research is brought to bear on how the system works. The idea of the system is to help small traders who have historically experienced losses in the market. Large banks and funds have uses algorithmic trading for years, and AlgoRates strives to help smaller investors build their portfolios in this way, too.

The website also contains informational material on what algorithmic trading is, its potential advantages, and what strategies the company utilizes. In a nutshell, this type of trading uses an online trading platform (or computer software program) that uses a set of operations (an algorithm) to automatically make trades based on specific factors that are programmed into the algorithm, such as price and timing.

Honestly, there's much more to learn on this topic than your humble blogger can explain to you, but AlgoRates is an interesting place to start if you want to learn more.