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Home insurance, auto insurance or term life insurance may prove to be better investments than a Fortune 500 company that has a track record. For those people that are very brave right now, you could make a pretty penny with stocks, mutual funds, or even bonds right now. It’s a high risk; high reward game and I don’t have the guts to play it right now. There will be some people that make a small fortune right now by taking those risks, but more people will fail than succeed in this game. I would strongly suggest taking the 2010 year off and refrain from pumping new money into the stock market. Keep your insurance policies up-to-date and consider upping your insurance coverages across the board. Look for low auto insurance rates and quotes online to help comparison shop and you will save some money. Once you do this and you have a little money left over for investing, be sure to check the precious metals industry and see if that makes sense for you.

As many of you may already know, I am a novice gold prospector. I haven’t found a whole lot, but I have been in a couple of places, where I am finding real small flakes of gold. If it wasn’t for people like me, finding new gold supplies, the jewelry companies would have  low jewelry making supplies of gold. I enjoy getting outdoors and trying to find some of the shinny metal. Gold prospecting is a fun hobby and one I think the whole family would enjoy. I like being around nature and most of your gold has trickled down to the creeks and rivers, so being by the water is another plus to gold prospecting. Have you ever searched for gold before? If so, please let me know how you did and what was the reason you stopped; if you indeed give up trying to find new gold.

You just can’t do much these days without a credit card. For those who own at least one credit card, probably don’t realize how tough life is without one. Buying things online or paying for gas at the pump is just a couple of the advantages a credit card holder can enjoy. I was curious to see how much the reward programs meant to you, for those credit card companies who do have one in place.

A reward card can offer you airline miles, discounts, or even cash back in some cases. All the card holder has to do is keep their payments sent in on time and they will earn credit for each purchase they make, if they use their credit cards to complete the cash transactions.

I usually prefer to just have the card with the lowest interest rates. Normally the reward programs aren’t that important to me. Since the prices of gas has soared in recent years and there are some reward programs that offer free gas at the pumps. I think I will start paying attention to the reward programs more. I would like to know with each purchase, I am earning free gallons of gasoline for simply buying things I normally would. If the rewards are important to you; which credit card reward program interests you the most? I believe some credit card holders aren’t even aware of all the programs and benefits their current credit cards offer.

I have noticed a strange pattern in the financial world lately. We normally see gold prices react to the market conditions. It seems things have switched around now and we are seeing the gold prices affecting the stock prices on Wall Street. I have become very interested in gold, since the prices have shot through the roof. I have been looking for companies to invest in; which mine for gold or have some relation to gold.

I think my best choice is to get out and look for gold myself. I live in a region of North Georgia that is known for heavy deposits of the shinny metal. I have recently bought a gold pan and started to pan a few of the local creeks in my area. I haven’t found nothing yet, but I am still positive that I will find a little gold this summer. I plan to go on at least a dozen gold panning and searching adventures this year. If I can find one or two good spots for finding gold, I will step up my mining efforts and buy a sluice box. If the sluice box helps me to find more gold, my next step would be to invest in a dredge. A dredge is the best way for getting gold that is laying on the bottoms of creeks and rivers. You can find a lot more gold and in a shorter amount of time, if you use a dredge. Before I can go that far in my gold-finding efforts, I first need to find a few flakes. So I’m not counting my chickens yet and will wait for a little color to show up in my gold pan.

The smaller companies want to move up and the bigger businesses would like to keep them where they’re at now. It’s a daily struggle in the world of business and we see these competitive battles in many different industries. A company that does business online can get a big boost; when they start allowing their customers to pay by credit card. It’s now a plastic world we live in and your company is missing out, if they haven’t began to make moves in this direction. A website that offers credit card processing is more convenient; than the ones that only accept checks through the mail. Any small business who has their eyes on the future, will see the advantages to accepting payments online in the form of credit cards or through a popular payment processor like Pay Pal. Most people may think all companies now accept credit cards, but there are still business being done in the old fashion way and who knows how much business gets lost daily due to this reason.

Retailers have been waiting and consumers have been waiting to see what impact the Gulf oil spill will have on us. Well the waiting is over and the first industry to get hit is the food industry. While gas prices will be rising soon at the pumps, it’s the food prices that shot up today. The foods most affected by the oil spill will be the seafood markets. Your next seafood dinner will cost you more than it did the last time you ordered it. You may not even be able to eat the same thing you had last time, because some seafood restaurants will not even have certain selections that come from the Gulf of Mexico.

Shrimp lovers may suffer the most and shrimp is really drying up fast right now. If you like shrimp, you better hurry and eat some now. Shrimp prices are about to really jump and you may not be able to find some shrimp in restaurants. This is only the beginning and the domino effect is going to go much further than anyone knows right now. The latest attempt to fix the oil spill in the Gulf failed and now seafood markets are taking no chances as they begin to bump their prices up for the precious seafood that is left. Eventually food costs will rise across the board as fuel prices go up for trucks that deliver the food to the grocery stores. Today is the first official day where the accident in the Gulf has cost Americans money directly from their pockets and it will get much worse before it gets better.

The Government led by President Barack Obama took this situation lightly and despite their words in D.C.; where they said they were doing everything they could to fix the oil leak in the Gulf, they really wasn’t. Now they will be using their resources as they took this accident for granted and their delay in getting on top of the situation is going to cost Americans millions of dollars over the next 8 to 12 weeks and we may even go into the winter season, before things fully recover.

Trying to find gold in a cave or along the edge of a flowing creek or river is a long tradition in this country. In the early 1820′s and 1830′s we can see gold prospectors trying to strike it rich in many of the U.S. states. These prospectors have found lots of gold over the first century they spent looking for it. As the 2nd century is coming to a close, we have seen technology help many gold prospectors to find the yellow shiny metal they seek. It’s not only gold these miners collect that make the work worth the tremendous effort it takes to find golden treasures. Many gold prospectors find other valuable rocks that are worth money. It’s not uncommon to hear about a gold mining team to discover diamonds on their quest for large gold nuggets.

I’m new to all of this gold prospecting and I am still trying to get my eyes adjusted to spotting out gold in my pan. I have probably already over looked a few stones that were worth money. I would hope a diamond would catch my eye and would stick out like a soar thumb in nature. I do want to make sure I am doing my best to preserve these valuable finds; that may not involve gold. I do need to search online and see what diamonds look like when they’re first mined from the ground. It would help to get familiar with other stones that gold prospectors commonly find, so I can keep everything that has value. I wouldn’t be sad at all, if I went out looking for gold specs in my pan and discovered a few diamonds were there instead.

Losing weight with some of the popular diet pills or a product like relacore can add extra expenses to the family budget. These products have been proven to help people lose weight, so it’s good when you can find the extra money to spend on dieting products. Every penny counts these days and each person must budget their own money. Since most people cut back on the amount of food they eat each day, when they’re on a diet, they may be extra money here to buy a diet product. All your doing is replacing food costs with a diet pill or supplement and the bottom line on your budget should come out the same. Spending money at a exercise gym or fitness center is not needed; when you can exercise at your home. You may not have some of the equipment to use, but taking a stroll around the neighborhood or just jogging in the yard is great exercise for someone hoping to lose weight. No matter how tight your budget is at home, if you’re serious about losing weight, then there are ways around it. Take money out of the fitness center and grocery bill to get a diet product and this will be much more effective in your weight loss efforts.

We didn’t have the luxury many years ago to search for term life insurance online quotes using our computers. We didn’t have as many companies offering term life insurance either. The fewer companies that exist online or in real life, decreases our chances for finding affordable rates on life insurance. The good news for those people wanting to save money on their insurance rates, is that we are not living in the past and the future is now. We can all find the best insurance companies; if we are willing to take the time and hunt down the best rates being offered to consumers. If you want a little extra money in your pockets in 2010, you can start by using the cheapest insurance policies that are available in your area of the world. If you currently have a life insurance policy, you may want to think about switching, if you can find a lower rate online. I think most people will be surprised to see how much extra money they could be saving each month. Don’t over pay for your term life insurance and begin a search today, to track down the lowest insurance rates. Also, don’t accept the first offer you find online and compare at least 5 different quotes, before you make a decision on your life insurance policies.

The new year is almost here and this is when we start making a lot of important decisions. I know those financial decisions get made during this time of the year and everyone hopes to have more money in the new year. Some bills we will be able to pay off next year and be done with them for good. Then we have things like the utility bills, car insurance, or life insurance that we won’t ever be able to pay off. We can make sure we are using the best plans and see if any other companies offer better rates. The life insurance consumer reports are one good place you could look for better rates on life insurance. Some people may want to select a new plan for the new year and now is a good time to make that switch. Any ways to save money in the new year is a task most responsible consumers will want to take. Saving a few dollars on the cable bill, our car insurance, or even those life insurance policies can add up to a lot of money this time next year. If you want extra money in your pockets 1 year from now, you have to be willing to make changes and sacrifices. It may seem hard now, but you will be glad you done it when the next holiday season rolls around in 2010.

Which gold stock do you like best right now? It can be tough on choosing just one gold stock to invest in. You could choose an ETF that focuses on gold. An ETF is like a mutual fund but trades on the stock market like an individual stock. I have found one attractive gold ETF that I would like to invest in. It is currently trading just under $50 right now and if trends go as predicted, there would be a little money to be made here. The ETF I am referring to is Market Vectors Gold Miners and it goes by the stock symbol: GDX

Top 10 Holdings for GDX

I like this ETF and their focus is on gold. I am a fan of the Barrick Gold Corporation and they’re one of the largest (if not the largest) companies that mine for gold. They own a lot of land around the world where they look for this shinny metal. Gold’s popularity is very high right now and this could be a very profitable ETF in 2010. I wouldn’t want to invest too far down the road from now, but any investments over the next 4 to 6 months would seem like a safe bet here.

This isn’t the only ETF that focuses on gold. You can do your homework and find other good ETF’s too. There are also mutual funds that you can invest in and you can find mutual funds that is geared to the gold companies or gold markets. I am a fan of Barrick Gold and I have heard good things about Yamana Gold. Since these two companies are found in the top 10 holdings, it gives me a good feeling about this ETF. I have also heard good news recently about Eldorado Gold and it goes by the stock symbol: EGO

There is no EGO in this ETF or at least in the top 10 holdings. I’m not sure which gold companies make up the other 32% of this ETF, but the top 10 holdings do look solid for GDX. Which gold companies do you like right now? Are there any out there that you plan to invest in soon? Gold prices are around $1200 an ounce and some think we might see $2000 an ounce by the end of next year. If that holds true; then investors should be able to profit from gold stocks or an ETF like GDX.

I would like to take a poll some day and see what people look at first; when deciding an insurance company. Is it the coverage that your specific insurance plan covers or is it the cost of the insurance? I can’t speak for others, but the cost would be the thing I look at first. If I can’t afford it; then no sense looking at how much or how little it covers. Of course I am someone that has been poor most of my life and people with good jobs and rich families may not have had to face the same choices in life as I have.

Perhaps I could turn to the Tar Heel state of North Carolina for my answers. If you currently live in North Carolina and insurance has been on your mind lately; what do you look at first (cost or coverage)? I’m not sure which insurance companies are popular in North Carolina, but I would have to guess that Blue Cross Blue Shield NC ranks pretty high. I know this version of insurance in my state of Georgia is well-known. A few years back, I found that the Blue Cross/Blue Shield in Georgia was the best insurance you could choose as an employee of a company. I’m sure their value in North Carolina is pretty much the same. If I were to move to North Carolina and had a decision between two jobs to make and one was offering this type of insurance and the other job was working with another North Carolina insurance company; I would probably go with what I know and choose the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina job. The benefits that an insurance company can give to an employee is enough to make a job seeker choose one position over another one.

Santa Clause is just a couple of months away and shoppers are searching for ways to earn a little extra spending money. If you would like to earn a little extra money this year; then you can use your computers to help. Joining a honest PTC or Paid to Click site is a good way to start generating a little extra cash. I think Clixsense is one of the best PTC sites out there. They have lots of ads each day and I usually will login 10 to 12 times a day to catch all the new ads being posted. You can usually see new ads at Clixsense about every 2 hours during the daylight hours. They take a break at night, but usually an increase of ads are shown in the early morning hours. This is a good place to start earning more money for Christmas this year.

A good matrix program can help you earn some serious cash, if you’re good at promoting a matrix online. If you’re active in free traffic exchanges online; then you can earn good money from a matrix. I’m in a popular matrix right now and it’s worked out well for me. You just need to refer a couple of people to get your matrix really going. The more you can find referrals for your matrix, the more chance you have of earning big money. It’s not a good idea to go out and find a new matrix to join on your own. Try to find a matrix program that someone can vouch for. I can vouch for the 4X1 Fortune Matrix and I have been paid from this one. This matrix is a one time cost of $11 and this single payment can earn you an unlimited amount of extra money. You will also get to benefit from spillovers and spillunders. When people above you or below you get a certain level filled, their excess referrals can find their way to your matrix and this is where the earnings can really start to add up. If you join fast and start promoting it, you will have a great chance of getting a little extra money before the Christmas holidays get here.

A new PTC site you can join for free. You will need to spend a little money with a new matrix, but for only $11 (one time payment) you can join the 4×1 Fortune Matrix and it’s a honest matrix that works well. Promote your new PTC site and your matrix as much as possible. You can do this with free traffic exchanges. I would suggest joining all 3 traffic exchanges that are considered the BIG 3 and these will help you find the most referrals for your matrix or new paid to click program.

I hope these two nuggets will hope you earn money in time for Christmas. Remember to keep promoting after Christmas to keep earning money into the new 2010 year! Good luck and feel free to leave any replies if you need help at 4 X 1 Fortune or at Clixsense. I should be able to reply within 24 hours in most cases.

We have been a little miserable over the last few months with all the construction going on at my house. My parents had two new walls built in our front yard and several rooms inside the house were fixed up too. This caused problems for our driveway; since the workers needed this space to build the walls in the front yard. We had the usual problems inside the house as you might expect with tearing out and replacing the floors. We still have a few lumps in the tile flooring that got put down, but at least our floor is more sturdy now. The rooms got paint jobs we fixed up and they look a lot better than they did. It wasn’t an easy experience to go through with these home improvement repairs. It is over now and the workers have been paid. Now we can enjoy our new walls outside and the indoor improvements as we wait for the winter to come in.

The most money being made these days is in the entertainment world. Movie stars and professional athletes are at the top of the food chain in the entertainment industry. Surprisingly at number 2 on the list is Sales Jobs. People who go door to door or make their living by selling products or services is the 2nd highest industry in terms of how much money they make. You would think doctors and attorneys would rank high on the list and they do, but sales people actually make more money than they do. It isn’t easy to be in sales and you do have to learn how to deal with rejections. If you can handle this part of the job; then you have the chance to earn more money than a brain surgeon earns each year or other highly sophisticated jobs. You don’t have to have a high level of education to enter the world of sales. You do need to be human and have that special gift of connecting with other human beings. If you can do that and get a job with the right company; then you can be making more than the guy that gives you health check-ups or the one that works on your teeth every 6 months.

Does anyone have a home remedy for those little bumps we get all over our face? I know the cost of prescription drugs are going up and medicine has reached an all time high in this country. This is probably great news for the drug companies, but not for the consumers of these products. We may see a sharp increase in websites and books that deal with home remedies. We have to do something to get better and if a teen is suffering from acne, they will need the best acne treatment that is store bought or home made. I don’t think they will mind where it comes from as long as it cures up their acne problems. I’m sure the same can be said with the person that is suffering from a nagging cough. I have been there and know how a bad cough can feel and you will try anything to stop from coughing your head off. I know most families have that grandparent or an aunt that is famous for their home remedies. We need to encourage these people to write books or post their formulas on the Net, so we can work around the high costs of prescription medicines.

You can buy insurance on just about anything you own these days. If you own a very valuable piece of jewelry or a baseball card; then there is someone out there that will insure it. Most commonly we think about insurance for our home or cars and this is probably due to the laws in many states. Some states do force us to buy insurance, but it is a good idea in case some unforeseen disaster occurs. A boater can get insurance on their boats, the bike rider can find insurance for a motorcycle and the people that like to travel can get motorhome insurance. There is really no end to the people or companies that offer insurance for so many different things.

What is the most unusual item you have seen or heard about someone getting insured? I know some athletes will take insurance out for their health. This is a good idea for college kids that have the ability to play in the pros one day. If I had a leg that could kick field goals in the NFL (National Football League); then I think I would take out insurance on my leg. At least I would have some money coming in; if something was to happen to my leg. Anything that has value to you and if you can afford it, you should consider taking out an insurance policy on that item.

It’s great we have computers today that we can use to save us money for various things. It does take effort and seem like work when we have to call businesses on the telephone looking for the best prices. If you were trying to get the lowest rates on your life insurance policy; then you probably wouldn’t call up as many people on the telephone; than the number of different companies you could find online. Using our computers to save money is a smart way of using these handy little devices. In some cases, someone looking for cheap life insurance, could find one website that would list the lowest life insurance quotes and that really is easy!

We see people everyday searching for things like life insurance and other things they need. The search engines are filled with great information and knowing how to use them properly can be a big help in saving our hard-earned money. How many online searches have you did in the past week or month? I use the search engines daily to locate information I seek and I have picked up on a few things by using them so much. It really depends on what you’re searching for, but you will develop your own search tips and advice if you practice using them. Don’t be scared to use one of the big search engines to find something you would like more information on and pretty soon you will see that we can’t live without those online searches.

It can be tough on those that get injured and are no longer able to work. I’m not sure how some people can make it with no money coming in. There are ways to establish an income coming in, but it can take some time to get it started. If you’re unable to work and need extra money to help keep up your current lifestyle; you may need to seek disability insurance. This can help create a new source of income for you and your family. If you can’t work and need money, you will have to do something. You won’t get much accomplished until you try, so you need to act as soon as possible. The sooner you start making strides to get money coming in once again, the sooner you can relax. There are people out there that can help you and now is the time to find them!

Money hasn’t been easy to find these days for me, so I have been slacking off from a few things I normally have done by now. If you could see my car right now; then you would know what I mean. I haven’t washed it yet and it really shows right now. I may need to find some pressure washers or get a few hoses like the fire department uses to blast off all the dirt now. I know the typical water pressure you get from the car wash won’t be enough to take off all the dirt. The dirt that is on my car now is built in and it’s not going to be easy to remove. It will take some brushes and elbow grease to get my car totally clean. I can’t believe it is already June and I haven’t washed my car one time yet. This is the longest I have ever gone without washing one of my vehicles and if you could see my car now, you could see just how dirty it really is. I was hoping recent rains would have cleaned it up a bit, but it doesn’t appear the rain is washing any of that dirt off. I guess I will have to start saving my quarters, so I can take it in for a good cleaning.