Personal loan mistakes and how to avoid them

If you are thinking about taking out a personal loan, then there are a number of things you should be aware of before signing anything. Although personal loans can be extremely useful for paying off debts or improving your cash flow, if you make mistakes then you can end up in financial trouble. If you know about these common personal loan mistakes and how to avoid them then you will find the right loan for your needs.

Getting too many quotes

Although shopping around for your loan is important, you should also remember not to get too many detailed quotes from lenders. Every time you apply for a loan or get a detailed quote, the lender in question has to pull up your credit report. If you credit report is continuously being looked at or loan applications turned down, then your credit rating will suffer. This will affect your chances of getting the loan that you want. Shop around as much as you want to compare prices and interest rates, but do not make applications until you are sure the lender is the right one for you.

Hiding financial problems

It may be tempting when applying for a loan to hide your past financial problems, or to stretch the truth when it comes to your earnings. If you do this it is likely to end up with you being refused for a loan, or even being in trouble for giving false information. If you have had credit problems in the past and have recovered from them, this is often seen as a positive sign because lenders can see that you honour your commitments and are able to get yourself out of problems. If you are honest then you will get more competitive terms and will not get yourself into legal trouble.

Borrowing more than you can repay

One of the most common mistakes people make is to borrow more than they can repay. This is especially true if you get a secured loan, because the lender is less concerned if you pay or not as they have some collateral in place. You need to be honest with yourself and work out a strict budget. Only agree to a loan that you know you can pay back not only now but when times are hard. If you do this then your loan will help you improve your financial status rather than to make your problems worse.

Believing in promotional advertising

When taking out loans, too many people focus on the promotional interest rates that companies offer. Although these interest rates seem like an amazing deal, you rarely end up being eligible for such a low rate. Even if you can get a very low rate, there are often hidden charges to consider that are not mentioned. Instead of looking at APR, look at how much you have to repay in total, as this is the more important figure. If you go to a responsible lender then their fees and charges should be transparent and clear, and you will get a deal that will suit your needs and not leave you paying more than you should be.

No time your best fake excuse to avoid writing

After a full day of work, family and life, you fall into bed exhausted. Mentally ticking off your to-do list, you cycle through shopping lists, phone calls, appointments, feeling good about what you have gotten done, until you get to the thing you really want to do. You lay there, bathed in regret – why didn’t you get your writing done today? You vow to do it tomorrow. You will make time for your novel or that article you know would sell. You consider angles, write a few lines in your head, and fired up with enthusiasm for your writing, you fall asleep. The next day continues on much like the one before and you live the life of an unfulfilled writer, all because you do not do the simple work of making time to write.

The task of finding and dedicating time for your writing can be daunting. Many people who want to write identify this as the number one challenge – finding time. How can you give yourself more time when there are a limited number of hours in the day plus housework, family, a job, and other personal or professional obligations to fulfill? You can’t create more hours in your day but you can restructure the ones you have to make more time for your writing. As a writer and a coach for writers, I have identified some of the reasons behind the challenge and offer some ways to get around the lack of time excuse.

Often the “lack of time” is really a mask for writing fears. The work of writing, while satisfying, can be difficult to make time for. We put it off to do the easier things, the things we know how to do. Think about the things you do when you are procrastinating getting to the writing. Do you clean, cook, or exercise? Do you spend your valuable writing time reading or watching TV? The act of writing challenges us to dive into ourselves and come out with something tangible. This is not easy. Notice when you are resisting and when you really do not have time to write.

There are a limited number of hours in the day, but often we give away our passion and power by forgetting that we can always choose what to do with our time. I can hear you saying, “Well, I have my job, and then I have my family, and kids, and all these other obligations.” Your roles become more powerful than you are because you believe you have no choice in the matter. Certainly dinner needs to be served. Certainly you have other commitments that you need to honor. But who decided that your writing wasn’t as important as everything else? What would life be like if your passions had a place in the schedule as well? What difference would it make to the people in your life if you staked a claim for your writing? Hmmm...

With the help of a perspective shift, you may realize that your writing is important, too. Perhaps in your mind it has been important, but you haven’t taken that extra step to actually make space for it. Without space, your writing becomes a burden on your back, something you want to do but can’t. You then become a victim of your life. No fun.

Look at the following ways to restructure your time both internally and externally. Then try out a few of them and see what works for you.

Get in the habit of writing in short bursts of time. Give yourself ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes to write and then learn how to make the most of those bursts of writing. This means sidestepping the wandering or procrastination that distract you from writing.

Wake up early. Set your alarm twenty minutes early and give yourself that time to write. If the thought of getting up earlier makes you cringe, try giving yourself time at the end of the day.

Do you watch TV? Give it up and give yourself more time to write. Many people use TV as a way to zone out and relax at the end of the day, but isn’t there a better way to relax and be entertained? Yes! Use your writing to relax. Which leads me to...

Reframe the way you think about writing. Of course the art of writing is work, but if you think of it as drudgery and something that requires a lot of you, you are missing out on the rejuvenating aspects of the practice.

Whenever you do get a chance to write, take a minute when you are finished and write down three words that describe how you feel after writing. Use these words as a lure to get you to the page when you feel tired or uninspired.

Take part of your lunchtime to write. Or, use your allotted coffee or smoke breaks to slip away from work and scribble a few lines.

The real issue is often time management. We may have enough time but do not use it in a way that honors our priorities. What are your priorities? If you are not showing up for your writing, maybe it isn’t a priority. What else is going on in your life that is more compelling than writing? Take a moment now to jot down where you spend your time. What do you notice about your priorities?

Once you have a clear picture of where your time goes, how do you feel about it? Does the way you spend your time reflect what is important to you? Work and other obligations seem more fixed and indeed they may be for now, but where else can you make decisions to get writing into your life?

Perhaps your topic or project isn’t seductive enough. I have been working on the same project for years now, and there were times when I just wasn’t interested. I gave myself a break, knowing that I would come back to it. Now I have an angle on it that is compelling and fun and I am more eager to make time for it. How can you approach your project in a way that would entice you to make time for it? How do you find a writing project that earns your time and attention?

Play with an entirely new perspective. Let go of the idea of you as a writer. Perhaps now that you are clear about how you spend your time you are happy with it. Maybe you have realized that you really don’t want to make the effort to write at this point after all. How free would you feel if you let yourself off the hook for having the writing urge and not having the time to indulge it?

Try a tool I use with my clients. Imagine giving up writing, and the idea of writing. I call it ‘taking away the bone.’ Think of a dog with a bone. Imagine trying to grab the bone from the dog’s mouth. The dog will hang onto that bone for dear life. If the thought of losing your writing urge makes you want to grab onto it even tighter, it could be a signal that you need to do what it takes to make writing a priority in your life. Commit to yourself as a writer, get clear about your writing projects, and let it happen.

Looking for hot and funky maternity clothes

Before, pregnant women go through a style crisis the moment they get pregnant because most department stores did not carry any maternity clothes or if there was any it was only a small collection whose designs were utterly hideous. Lucky were those girls who had the benefit of being able to sew their own maternity clothes or perhaps who had friends or family who could design some for them. But even so, the fabrics and the outdated designs were still somewhat unflattering for the pregnant woman who is supposed to be at her most beautiful and best when expecting a child.

For the entire nine month pregnancy period, these women had to wear polyester pants and floral tops. But not for the pregnant women of today who are given a wide array of choices when it comes to maternity wear to keep them looking hot and funky even with their baby bumps.

The fashion industry has realized the market and the need of these pregnant women who still desire to be stylish and fashionable even with their delicate condition. These hot mommas don't let a few extra pounds suppress their sense of style when it comes to fashion.

Long gone are the days when mommies are frumpy in outdated outfits. Today's expectant mothers are keeping themselves updated and are keeping pace with the latest trends to hit the fashion scene. With the huge availability of stylish and trendy maternity clothes available, entering motherhood is so much more appealing as you get to maintain looking beautiful and attractive while keeping away feelings of depression.

From casual clothes, work outfits, sleep wear and even lingerie the choices are endless for today's expecting mothers. Online shopping has even made shopping for pregnant women more convenient without the necessity for them to be on their feet when looking and selecting for maternity clothes. But still they could opt to shop in person with the abundance of stores and boutiques catered specially for pregnant women. There are also discount outlets and shops that offer used maternity clothes for expecting mothers who are on a tight budget.

Women going through motherhood have a vast array of choices when it comes to maternity wear. Pregnant women no longer have to worry about wearing oversized clothes that do not in any way give them shape or are not cut to give them form and figure.

Pregnancy has its challenges but with stylish and fashionable maternity wear, facing those challenges makes it more rewarding.

Reality exposed

Did you know that our thoughts may be influencing our reality and lives? Have you ever seen a movie called 'What the Bleep Do We Know!?'.

Interestingly, there is a part in the movie about how different emotional states affect water molecules and cause them to form patterns. Imagine your suprise upon discovering that there is a different pattern for love, joy, etc.

You may start to notice the ways that your mind and body are interrelated and how your thoughts affect your body. For example, a lifetime of negative thinking may manifest in a body that is in worse shape than the body of someone who always maintains a sunny outlook on life.

Imagine for a moment that things aren't necessarily what they may seem. There is a whole lot more going on out there than we are 'tuned' into. Just pondering over this for a while may start to open your mind to new possibilities.

We only see a certain range of light with our eyes. Yet, science tells us that the full range of the light spectrum is far beyond what human beings can see with the naked eye.

Of course, you may surmise the same idea applies to our human hearing. There is a greater frequency range for sound than what the human ear can hear. Consider the notion that there are entire realities that we, as human beings, don't normally experience.

Fascinating, isn't it?

Ever wonder why insects willingly fly into a spider's web? Science tells us that from the insects' point of view, and the spectrum of light that they see, a web is a beautiful multicolored rainbow.

Our perception of reality appears to be limited by the range of frequencies that we are physically aware of. Imagine how different your life might be, if you were able to sense more of these frequencies?

You may have pondered that we are born as a blank slate, very open to the influences that we encounter after birth and as children. Perhaps our current education system only takes us so far.

Isn't it exciting to think that the truth of our lives and this universe might be a whole lot more interesting than you ever dared to dream and goes beyond what you were taught in school? The implications are staggering.

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Hello from new york city - part 4 - staten island and a random act of violence

The Staten Island Ferry is a fabulous institution. It is a huge ferry that departs from a very modern, glass enclosed terminal, holds several thousand people and in just about 20 minutes whisks you over to Staten Island, very close to the Statue of Liberty, and all this for free! One thing we really noticed about New York City is that we definitely love the public transportation system. With our week long pass we have been hopping on an off subways as we please and we have found the transit system to be very efficient, pretty clean and quite safe (for the most part).

The Staten Island Ferry is a great insiders way of sneaking a peak at the Statue of Liberty since it passes pretty close by Ellis Island. Not close enough to take really great pictures with a simple digital camera like mine, but I gave it a shot anyway.

As we got off the ferry terminal on Staten Island I had a bit of a hare-brained idea: I suggested that we board one of the buses that was waiting there, just to hop on and ride around and see the island. Of course I didn't have a bus map with me, didn't have any literature about Staten Island, so didn't know where we were going or what the major destinations were on the island. So we got on the #46 bus without any idea where we were going or how long it was going to take. (I guess I figured how big can the island be? Well, it's bigger than I thought...).

But we saw a good chunk of Staten Island's neighbourhoods and there are some pretty nice residential neighbourhoods, although I had expected a more upscale, more landscaped environment. The ethnic mix in the area seemed to be very much characterized by Blacks and Latinos, at least those were pretty much the only people getting on the bus. School had just ended so a bunch of highschool kids had gotten on with us.

Well, we rode the darn bus until the end, which ended up being a non-descript shopping mall called "West Shore Plaza", where we ended up having a sandwich and strolling around in a sports store which had amazingly good prices on most merchandise. Then finally another bus showed up and we had to run to catch it.

It was a pretty non-eventful bus ride, people of all ages got on and off, then two young black teenage boys got on, but didn't pay. The bus driver didn't question them and we just continued the ride. All of a sudden, I heard a big noise, like someone fists hitting another person and all the people in the bus turned around, and the two young men were beating up a young short Latino teenager. It all took just a few seconds, right before a bus stop. The whole event was too quick for anyone else to react, although I have to say, the crowd showed compassion and shock at what had happened. The minute the bus came to a stop, the two guys jumped out and ran away.

Everybody was shocked. The Latino kid was sitting there, rumpled, stunned, not seriously hurt, but had a very pained expression on his face. After he had calmed down he explained that about 8 kids were trying to extract money form him at the bus stop, he said he didn't have any and gave them an expired transit pass and 2 of the guys followed him onto the bus.

I have never personally witnessed public violence, so this was very shocking to me and I was glad that the kid wasn't really hurt. But I did feel very sorry for the victim and the whole event left a bad taste in my mouth, particularly since we had had the impression that New York City had felt so clean and safe. As a matter of fact we had commented on that a number of times, of how little litter there was in the street, how few street people or hustlers there were, how there was no graffiti in the subways, and how safe it felt to be taking transit at all hours of the day. We heard that former mayor Rudy Giuliani as well as current mayor Michael Bloomberg have really been cleaning up the city, and it shows. I guess it still doesn't prevent all violence from happening.

After our return to Manhattan we subwayed it all the way up to 103rd Street and essentially walked all the way down through Central Park, admiring all the recreational facilities and the beauty of this giant green space. Further south we strolled over to 5th Avenue and then down into the Broadway Area just north of Times Square, where we had some quick Italian food at Ray's Pizza. The evening was pretty chilly, probably only about 12 degrees or so and past 11 we headed back home on the Q train, processing the memories of another packed day and studying the behaviour of our fellow transit riders all the way back.

For the entire article including photos please visit

travelandtransitions. com/stories_photos/hello_nyc_4.htm

Putting your estate in order

Estate planning for business owners.

For business owners, an effective estate plan addresses a number of concerns over and above the desire to care for surviving family members. Control over who will run the business, conservation of the owner's assets in the face of legal expenses and taxes, and the liquidity to pay estate taxes due shortly after death are just some of the most pressing issues.

For the sake of their heirs, business owners should plan for the orderly transfer of their wealth — including their business interests — well in advance.

Prepare for Estate Taxes:

Depending on the value of business and personal assets at the time of death, the law may require that estate taxes be paid on the value of the business. If there is not enough cash on hand, heirs may have no choice but to sell the business prematurely or for less than the real value.

Some business owners use an irrevocable life insurance trust to purchase policies on their life, collect any death benefits, and distribute the money according to prearranged terms. The proceeds can be used to pay any estate taxes due, so heirs are not forced to sell a business, property, or other assets they would prefer to keep in the family. The use of these approaches can involve a complex web of tax rules and regulations. You should consider the counsel of an experienced estate planning professional before implementing such strategies.

Plan for Successful Succession:

A buy-sell agreement may be forged between the owners or shareholders of a business, outlining the terms for a buyout in the event of death or disability. It usually includes a pre-negotiated sale price, but can also explicitly request individuals to sell their interests to others or indicate who should manage the business operations.

Payments from a life insurance trust may also be used to buy assets from an estate, such as transferring ownership of a family business according to a pre-existing buy-sell agreement.

Your business is not just your livelihood. It's likely to be the largest portion of your estate and thus the core of the legacy and security you intend to leave behind for your family. A solid estate plan can help keep your business intact through the most difficult transition of all.

Richard R L Evans

Parenting tips on getting your child to take medicine they hate

As a parent you hate it when your kids are sick. We want them to get better as quick as possible, and of course usually the quickest way is with antibiotics or medicine of some kind.

Where the problem comes in is when your child does not like their medicine and does not want to take it. While you of course will give your child what the doctor prescribes but don't be afraid to ask about the taste and if you have a child that struggles to take a certain kind of medicine see if their is an alternative.

Yes we can force feed them their medicine but it is unpleasant for everyone and if your child gets upset enough they will just throw it back up anyway. Plus unless you are extremely proficient at this you may waste doses.

Anything you can do for your child to make it easier for them to take their medicine will get them healthier quicker and save you and them from some miserable moments.

I have found with liquids that don't taste good that if I have a drink ready with something sweet it seems to help, I have even been known to use a spoon full of sugar to help the medicine go down easier.

While no parent likes to do it you can plug your child's nose so they have to open their mouth and try it that way. If your quick it does work most of the time, but that doesn't solve the problem if they hate their chewables or can't swallow pills easy.

I finally resorted to bribery with the nasty tasting chewable medicine. We got a package of sweet tarts and she would have a sweet tart, follow it with the chewable, and then another sweet tart. This of course only works if you child likes this type of candy. But you can try others if you have to.

When it comes to pills that need to be swallowed that is sometimes tough for children to learn how to do. I have found that placing the pill in a spoonful of applesauce makes it easier for my daughter to get the pill down without choking.

I hope these tips help. Make sure you are firm when it comes to medicine, let them know that somehow someway the medicine must get into their tummy to make them feel better. But that doesn't mean you can't be sympathetic and follow the dosage with a whole lot of attention and love.