Meditation Music

Meditation music can significantly enhance your meditation session. Gentle sounds and rhythms can help you to achieve a deeper state of calm, peacefulness and relaxation. It is well established that sound and rhythm can create mental and emotional environments. As early as the 1920s, researchers were making connections between music, enhanced mental alertness, concentration and imagination.

Music has the capability to directly affect our physical being. Many cultures ascribe to this tenet. For example, according to the principles of Indian music, human beings are composed of sound. The vibrations inherent in sound can either bring us into greater accord with the vibrations of the universe or completely disrupt our chakras (centers of being). Music for meditation can either inhibit or expand our consciousness, depending on the selection that we make.

All this talk of alignment, vibrations and chakras may seem daunting, but the principles behind choosing appropriate meditation music is really quite simple. Basically, if you are looking to create a specific atmosphere, the tempo of the music should match the mood that you are trying to bring about. For example, upbeat and catchy tunes are most appropriate for the workplace or in other situations where you need to stay awake and focused. For meditation music, a compilation of soothing tones and sounds will take you where you need to go. You really can?t go wrong with meditation music that is peaceful, relaxing and tranquil.

Music for meditation is as much about personal choice as anything else. Ask yourself, ?When do I feel the most relaxed? When have I felt the most at peace in my life?? For example, if you have an affinity for the ocean, you might choose a meditation CD with the sound of waves crashing upon the shore. Or, if you like jazz, you might choose meditation music with gentle piano and saxophone rhythms. Remember, meditation is a personal journey and it is up to you to choose which tools you are going to take along.

There are many resources which offer meditation music. Music for meditation is now widely available online, in bookstores, in popular music shops and in health and wellness stores. Some meditation CDs are a collection of harmonies, while others offer spoken words and mantras to guide you along the way.

Other types of meditation music are specifically designed to release past hurts and emotions through a combination of music and guided imagery. Still others help you to deal with inner fears or severely traumatic experiences. Meditation CDs may be used alone or as part of a more formal music therapy program.

If you are new to meditation, you may have difficulty descending into the calm and tranquil state that is so necessary for maximum clarity and self-discovery. Here, music for meditation can be a great tool in creating a profound meditative experience.

As you gain experience, turning on your meditation CD may become an unnecessary step in your journey. However, many find that music makes their meditative experience that much more energizing and refreshing. http://www.meditationandmore.com

Jamie Lynn has dedicated herself to teaching others the Power of Meditation and other alternative health/healing tips and techiques for the mind, body and spirit! http://www.meditationandmore.com

Massage Therapy Training

Ancient civilizations used massage therapy as a treatment for many diseases. The therapists were practical people with very little formal training. Medicine has come a long way since then and today?s massage therapists are well-trained health professionals. They undergo a scientifically designed course of instruction covering both theory and practice.

Massage therapy is given by manipulating the soft tissues of the body by strokes, pressure, squeeze or taping. It relaxes the muscles and eases the tension, knots, spasms and cramps. Therapy improves blood circulation, stimulates lymphatic system and calms the nerves.

Most states, and some counties and cities, have their own licensing systems for the therapist. A person has to pass a board examination accredited by the federal government. The training is given by many schools, which are accredited by the massage therapy professional associations.

An average of 500 hours of instruction in the classroom, coupled with supervised hands-on practice, is necessary for the registration. A high school diploma is a minimum qualification for admission to the program.

The students are taught anatomy, physiology, pathology and kinesiology before moving on to massage. Massage history and theory, and practical techniques, are the main course requirements. Treatment principles, nutrition and ethics complete the program.

Setting a high standard of professional ethics is of much relevance in massage therapy. The identification of massage with commercial sex in the past is very much ingrained in the public mind, so the professional associations lay a lot of emphasis on ethics.

There are over 100 different techniques of massage. From the basic general massage, like Swedish massage, sports massage and aromatherapy, the student advances to very specialized and targeted techniques.

Today?s medicine has a distinct place for relaxation techniques and stress reduction using massage therapy. The training of massage therapists is rising to the level required by the medical profession.

Massage Therapy provides detailed information on Massage Therapy, Massage Therapy Schools, Massage Therapy Jobs, Massage Therapy Training and more. Massage Therapy is affiliated with Massage Therapy.

Male Menopause The Alternative AntiAging Approach

Andropause is a syndrome resulting from the deficiency of hormones, especially testosterone. It?s onset and symptoms may not be as dramatic as female ?menopause?, but its effects can be just as serious. It is interesting that hormone replacement is quite routine in women but barely even addressed in men. The decline in hormone levels in both sexes has an adverse impact on one?s state of health. Starting around age 25, DHEA and testosterone levels begin a progressive downward trend. With falling hormones, it is much harder to maintain muscle mass. Things begin to sag and fat begins to form increasingly thick layers around the lower back and abdomen. Stamina is affected and exercise intolerance occurs. Osteoporosis is well-documented in women and occurs in men as well. This can result in hip and vertebral compression fractures. Wrinkles that carve deep crevices in the face are partially due to testosterone deficiency. Libido is reduced and even impotence may develop. These changes are all a result of male ?menopause?.

Hormone replacement has been available for women for decades and the positive results continue to multiply. In Anti-Aging medicine, it is expected that maintenance of hormone levels in the youthful range (that of a 25-30 year old) will provide substantial health benefit. Proper monitoring of hormone replacement is a relatively recent innovation that makes this therapy much safer. We can now insure proper dosages in the accepted normal physiologic range. Cancer risk is greatly reduced by this refined approach to replacement therapy.

The decline in testosterone occurs as a result of multiple causes and treatment should be directed accordingly. Aromatase (an enzyme that converts Testosterone into Estradiol) increases as we gain years. This increases raises the free estrogens and lowers the free Testosterone. Prostate cancer is correlated with high circulating estrogens. Aromatase inhibitors, such as chrysin, nettle extract, and Arimidex can inhibit aromatse. Testicular atrophy leads to decreased testosterone production. A course of treatment with HCG stimulates testicular development and can boost Testosterone production. A complete vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant supplement plus a proper diet help to correct nutritional deficiencies. DHEA and possible melatonin replacement also serve as alternatives and as adjuncts to testosterone therapy. A diet that includes a large amount of legumes, especially soy, is helpful in providing the necessary building blocks for our bodies to manufacture hormones. Maintaining cholesterol in the normal range (not to high or to low) is also critical for hormone synthesis. Testosterone replacement can be accomplished by the use of creams, pills or even injection. It is best if the physiologic patterns natural to the body are mimicked, which makes injection less favorable. Creams containing natural testosterone are well absorbed through the skin, bypass metabolism by the liver, and are easy to apply, thus making them superior to pills. The potential risks of testosterone administration include increases in red cell mass, worsening of sleep apnea, changes in plasma lipid levels, and fluid retention. There is some concern that testosterone replacement might exacerbate benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). There is no change in PSA with testosterone therapy. You are not a candidate for this replacement therapy if you have an active testicular or prostate cancer. Finally, testosterone supplementation may produce adverse side effects if administered to men with normal levels, hence the importance of monitoring.

With proper replacement, you can expect to regain muscle mass, increase bone density, increase stamina, increase libido, reduce your risk for a variety of cancers and Alzheimer?s disease, and live an improved quality of life.

Dr. Rod Rojas is a board certified physician and Medical Director of IHC SKIN LASER AND ANTI AGING CLINIC, member of the prestigious American Academy Of Anti-Aging Medicine.

If you are suffering any of these symptoms, give us a call at The Skin Laser and Anti-Aging Clinic 843-757-8717.

We will be very happy to assist you.

Losing Weight While Keeping Your Skin Firm

Considering you don't have an excessive amount of loose skin already it is possible to lose weight and keep your skin firm in the process. The idea is to keep your body well hydrated day in and day out. NEVER EVER let yourself become dehydrated. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and NEVER EVER totally eliminate your carbohydrate intake. From my experience most people who have lost weight too fast by eliminating their carbohydrates ended up with a lot of excess skin afterwards. The whole idea is to lose the weight to get healthier and of course to look better with your clothes ON and with your clothes OFF. Here are some tips

1. Follow a well rounded balanced diet such as my insulin response diet located at http://www.tbfinc.com

2. Follow a full body exercise routine alternating with a split routine every 4 weeks. For example, full body routine 4 weeks, split routine 4 weeks, full body routine 4 weeks, and so on.

3. Considering you don't have stomach ulcers and you are not on blood thinners you should also take ONE TEASPOON of cold artic cod liver oil ONCE PER DAY with your evening meal.

4. Take 1000-1500mg of lecithin per day. Lecithin has been known to increase the elasticity of the skin.

5. Anything you can do to increase circulation will also help. Skin brushing techniques are very good. Do a search on the internet for skin brushing to get all the info you need. Deep massages are also good.

6. Most importantly if you are more than 75 pounds overweight DO NOT try to lose weight too fast. The more you weigh the easier it will be to lose weight on this program so ease into it slowly so you only lose about 3 pounds per week. Doing this will prevent the sagging skin. If you lose weight too fast you will end up with loose skin 90% of the time.

7. Some of my clients have done weekly body wraps with great success but it can get messy. You can do this as an option but it's really not necessary.

As an option you can also take a supplement called collagen.

As I stated above one key to increasing the elasticity of your skin is to keep your body well hydrated. Yes, drinking water will do this. The average person needs at least ? an ounce of water per pound of body weight. Possibly more depending on the type of exercise you do on a daily basis. The reason why so many people end up with loose skin after losing weight is because they go on low carbohydrate diets that will in turn dehydrate the body. If you lose weight and are dehydrated in the process you will see the scale weight go down but unfortunately most of the weight being lost is nothing more than water weight. If you are losing 2-3 pounds per week you are doing great. If you are losing 4-6 pounds you are pushing the limit. Any more than 6 pounds per week and you are sure to end up with loose skin after losing the weight because chances are you are restricting too many carbohydrates from your diet. Cutting out refined flours/breads and sugars will yield the best results.

Also, instead of getting on the scale every week to measure your progress go more by how your clothes are fitting. I always tell my clients to try on the tightest pair of pants they have and then follow my program for 4 weeks and then try them on again. After 4 weeks those tight fitting pants will be a thing of the past.

Follow all the above and you will see satisfactory results.

Listen to Your Heart

If I were your (sweet) heart I would most likely be yearning for your attention right now. To make my point, I invite you to take this allegorical trek with me. Pretend that your heart - your one and only sweet heart that lives inside your chest - could actually talk to you. What would it have on its "mind" right now?

The heart of the problem

We treat our hearts like the wheels on a Daytona 500 racecar. But when it wears out we can't pull into the pitstop and snap on another one. We've only got one. Like other internal organs, we often ignore our hearts. We live our lives satisfying our desires, and forming habits that endanger the health of our heart, and our lives as well.

Unhealthy heart habits you can avoid

Now I speak to you from the heart (literally). You pretend you do not realize how your actions hurt me day by day. You neglect to exercise. Haven't you seen the volumes of scientific evidence that tell you how much I benefit from aerobic exercise?

Will you wait until you feel that burning in your chest, then you go for an aspirin? That might be too late. And how about all those chemical stimulants you subject me to every day? The caffeine in your coffee makes you feel good, but it makes me work harder. And the alcohol. That affects me too. Narcotic drugs... oh, those are even worse. You don't even go there.

From the first time you tried smoking, I knew you were not thinking about me. Don't you know that I suffer whenever your other organs are damaged. It's more difficult to pump blood through damaged lungs and clogged arteries. You are killing me. When will you cut down on your animal fat and cholesterol intake? You're killing me, and you need to realize this fact: When I die, so do you.

Help change the statistics - Exercise

Research is showing that approximately 1,200,000 "new and recurrent" coronary attacks occur per year. Don't you realize that heart disease (696,947) is the leading cause of deaths in America. And most of this could be prevented by regular physical exercise.

Compare this to the number of deaths from cancer (557,271), stroke (162,672), chronic lower respiratory diseases (124,816), accidents or unintentional injuries (106,742), and diabetes (73,249). And I (your heart) suffer whenever any of those other conditions happen as well... I die from strokes too (cry, cry, cry).

Tell me, can't you control your blood pressure and lose some weight? I don't want it to have to end like Nellie did. She grew up a beautiful young girl of normal weight. Then she became lax in her eating habits and did not exercise. For years I overworked myself pumping blood past body fat and through partially clogged arteries.

She thought about her weight and how she looked, but never about me. Her main concern was how she could fit into her favorite dress again. I couldn't take the neglect anymore. I attacked her one morning. She died at age 45.

Now, I don't want to have to fail you that way. I am your one and only sweet heart. I've been working for you from before you were born. I have been taking care of you even while you sleep. Take care of me, please. Won't you?

Ple-e-e-ease... just listen to your heart, now!

References:
Das, S.R., et. al., (2006). Increased Cardiovascular Risk Associated With Diabetes in Dallas County. American Heart Journal, May; 151(5);1094-1100.
Luddington, A., Diehl, H., (2002). Health Power. Hagerstown: Review & Herald
National Center for Health Statistics; Deaths-Leading Causes, URL: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm
Bentley Thompson - EzineArticles Expert Author

Copyright ? 2006 by Bentley Thompson

Bentley writes about lifestyle-related conditions such as diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular diseases. He advocates the anti-diabetes diet which he describes on his website. You may visit his website and blog using the following URLs: http://www.anti-diabetes-diet-supplements.com/ and http://choosehealthtoday.blogspot.com

Learn the Best Way To Gain Muscle

Some individuals have an extremely hard time gaining weight and muscle mass. Millions of frustrated people search endlessly for the best way to gain muscle and increase their body mass. Diet, exercise, and supplements are the most popular methods used to aid in gaining muscle and adding weight. Individuals looking for the best way to gain muscle will benefit greatly by following a sensible diet and weight training regimen designed to stimulate the body by consuming the proper foods and building muscle tissue.

You must increase your caloric intake significantly if you want to gain weight. A diet consisting of plenty of protein and fats will give your body no choice but to gain weight. The goal is to give your body enough calories to build muscle, but not so many to cause a large gain in body fat. The best way to gain muscle is to force your body to gain mass by increasing the amount of food you consume and promoting muscle growth by training with heavy weights.

Weight training is the quickest way to build muscle mass. Weight training stimulates growth while the increased caloric intake provides fuel for the body to use in building muscle tissue. If you fail to consume the proper foods while training with weights, you will lose muscle rather than build upon it. You will gain muscle mass more quickly if you use free-weight exercises and lifting heavy weights. Your body will respond to this by building muscle.

Your body can be forced to gain weight and muscle if you eat correctly and train properly. The best way to gain muscle is to give your body the fuel and the stimulation it requires to increase your muscle mass.

Michael is a former "skinny guy" who managed to pack on over 20 lbs of muscle. He attributes most of his success to the information about how to gain weight he learned from http://www.musclegaintips.com

Learn More On Menopause Symptoms

Menopause is a natural condition and not an illness that occurs when the ovaries no longer produce enough estrogen to stimulate the lining of the uterus and vagina. Simply said menopause is when women no longer menstruate or get pregnant. It generally occurs to women somewhere between the ages of 40 and 60. One of the most famous signs of menopause is the hot flash, a sudden reddening of the face accompanied by a feeling of intense warmth. Other common symptoms include depression, fluid retention, insomnia, mood swings, nervousness, night sweats, painful intercourse, anxiety, urinary changes, thinning of vaginal tissues, vaginal dryness and weight gain. It should be noted that some women experience few symptoms while still others encounter none at all.

Seek treatment to prevent the tissue thinning and painful dryness that many menopausal women experience. One natural remedy for menopause is Menozac, a botanical alternative medicine formulation which contains a blend of all natural herbal extracts developed to ease the transition and provide effective menopause symptoms relief. Leading herbal experts have recommended the Menozac?s ingredients as alternatives to HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy). Recent study shows that herbs worked better than estrogen in eliminating the menopause symptoms and also helped to prevent cancer. It eliminates the health risks associated with the synthetic hormones.

Rian is a health conscious guy who always update himself with the latest health news and love sharing with others.To learn more on Menozac visit http://www.magicapsule.com.

Learn How To Protect Yourself From Crime

Learn To Defend Yourself Properly With Self Defense Products - Have you often wondered what you would do to stop an attacker? The fact is not many individuals know what to do in a potentially dangerous and violent situation.However, you can learn how to defend yourself properly with your self defense products.

Many individuals take advantage of these low prices on pepper spray,stun guns,tasers or mace spray.Having these self defense products on hand will allow one to feel more confident. Most attackers will not attack someone who is looking confident.They, instead, choose those who look like they will not fight back.When you learn how to defend yourself properly

you?ll emit a certain confidence in yourself that an attacker will notice. If, in fact, it does not stop them, you will have our self defense products to help you. Our pepper spray products are designed to temporarily debilitate the attacker?s eyesight. When the pepper spray is sprayed in the attackers face and they try to wipe it away, it simply is rubbed into their eyes further, causing them discomfort and temporary vision loss.

Take advantage of our pepper spray prices and low prices on stun guns to add to your protection today! With the rate of crime increasing in different cities and towns around the country, individuals need to learn to rely on themselves to fight off an attacker.

Kevin Johnson Is a expert on self defense products like pepper spray,stun guns,tasers,mace defense sprays,tear gas,stun batons and other self defense products. http://www.selfdefense247.com

Kickstart your Sex Life with Viagra

Since times immemorial man has been trying to search, explore new ways to make his sex or love life more interesting or pleasure seeking. The means and methods employed earlier were all quite uncomfortable and at times embarrassing but the usage was always there because of the consistent desire to reach the apex of bliss.

We have always been in search of an additional energy along with our own natural energy to add a punch to our sex life with our partner.

Here comes the era of magical ?blue pills?, these small, blue colored pills can be taken orally to enhance your sexual life. Could anyone ever imagine a pill improving our sexual health? The question lies far from our imagining powers. But, YES! That?s true the miraculous pill is in the market for you to explore the real zenith, the true bliss of a romantic, passionate relationship.

Sildenafil, sold under the name Viagra is a drug used to treat male erectile dysfunction (impotence). "Erectile Dysfunction" means the inability to achieve erection, an inconsistent ability to do so, or the ability to achieve only brief erections.

Part of the physiological process of erection involves the parasympathetic nervous system causing the release of nitric oxide (NO) in the corpus cavernosum of the penis. NO binds to the receptors of the enzyme guanylate cyclase which results in increased levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), leading to smooth muscle relaxation, resulting in increased inflow of blood and an erection.

Sildenafil is a potent and selective inhibitor of cGMP specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) which is responsible for degradation of cGMP in the corpus cavernosum. The molecular structure of sildenafil is similar to that of cGMP and acts as a competitive binding agent of cGMP in the corpus cavernosum, resulting in better erections. Other drugs that operate by the same mechanism include tadalafil (Cialis?) and vardenafil.

As with all prescription drugs, proper dosage is at the discretion of a licensed medical doctor. It is usually recommended to start with a dosage of 50 mg and then lower or raise the dosage as appropriate. The drug is sold in three dosages (25, 50, and 100 mg).

Amongst sildenafil's serious adverse effects are: priapism, severe hypotension, myocardial infarction, ventricular arrhythmias, sudden death, stroke and increased intraocular pressure. Common side effects include sneezing, headache, flushing, dyspepsia, prolonged erections, palpitations and photophobia. Visual changes including blurring of vision and a curious bluish tinge have also been reported. So, what are you thinking now? All search, thinking ends with viagra. Here, you have a new, easy and comfortable means to add on that extra energy, vitality and thrill to your romance.

viagrapunch is an authentic website advertising for genuine viagra pills. In order to educate people about current Viagra researches, fake Viagra and misleading ED products, http://www.viagrapunch.com is committed to providing visitors with complete information on viagra pills, latest news, personal views, articles and discussion board on viagra pills related topics.

About the author The author is an amateur writer focusing primarily on health related topics or on the health related research findings. For more information on Viagra, visit http://www.viagrapunch.com

Karma Yoga Part 2 For Life Spirtual Liberation

There is a story in the Ramayana, one of the great kings, Janaka, who besides being a Rishi, was also a perfect Karma Yogi. The Ramayana is one of the sacred epics of Hindu tradition and religion.

This is a story of spiritual liberation for everyone.

A Rishi is a wise and scholarly saint, who has attained all possible knowledge in a certain area. King Janaka had attained this (and more) as a perfect Karma Yogi was said to have also attained Moska, or liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

What is Karma Yoga?

Karma Yoga, or the "discipline of action" is based on the teachings of the Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita, the holiest of Hindu scriptures. As one of the four pillars of yoga, Karma yoga requires the adherence to one?s duty (swadarma) while remaining detached from the reward. Simply, It is the yoga of performance of ?right action?.

What is right action?

Right action is compliance with your Swadharma (personal right duty-action). Thus each thing you do, is harmony with the Creator, Creation and your purpose for life. We all know what we should be doing. It ?feels? correct.

More specifically, and your life?s work done must be without expectations, motives, or anticipation of its outcome. Doing so, it purifies one's mind and enables an individual to comprehend the wisdom is so doing.

Why does Karma Yoga help? What can it do for you?

Karma Yoga, practiced in daily life enables an individual worthy, through action, meditation and devotion to develop the power of reasoning, develop their intuitive power to acquiring knowledge and finally to transcend the mind itself. What do I do next?

You practice daily the 3 Ds?Devotion, Duty and Discipline. This is the secret of performing Karma Yoga.

Devotion

Is gained through, if nothing else, understanding the magnitude and greatness of the Creator?s work. This is the first step to becoming a Karma Yogi, and you cannot proceed without it. It never fails, even just to glance at the heavens, and let one?s mind wander, you will become devoted. The more you reflect on creation, the more you are drawn to the creator.

Duty (swadharma).

Often "duty" is referred to as "righteousness". You will incur demerit if you shun your duty. In Karma Yoga, the whole thing is about achieving merit, Your duty is towards God, or Self, or the Inner Teacher who teaches you through all the specific circumstances of your life as they appear. Karma Yoga teaches that God is the doer, not you

Discipline. Each work you do, each task is a sort of teacher or lesson. You know you can learn different skills by doing different jobs.

You also know that each job has different requirements in terms of time, degrees of concentration, skills or experience, emotional input and output, physical energy, and will.

A Karma Yogi will do whatever job or task well, and in full compliance according to your Swadharma.

The message of Karma Yoga is this:

When you do any action that is in harmony with the Creator and Creation, you are never egotistically motivated.

You also no longer maintain compulsive desires relative to the future. With this eradication of compulsive desire, you are able to live in the ever-present, with the understanding that present actions influence the future, so you live without being bound to the future.

It is a basic spiritual law that all desires carries within themself the motive force for their fulfillment.

That is, if an experience is possible to have in this natural world, and we desire it, we are subconsciously pushed toward it or attract it to ourselves.

Spiritual liberation

The adherence then, to correct action, through Karma Yoga can lead then to our ultimate spiritual liberation.

More FREE Information

On karma yoga and other alternative health and spiritual matters, go to our website for free articles, downloads and magazines:

http://www.net-planet.org

Is Hoodia Effective for Dieting

Research performed at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa focused on plants called ?bush food?. These were plants that were commonly eaten by the African natives. The scientists noted that when animals were fed hoodia gordonii, they lost weight, but not due to any toxic effect. This was in the sixties and at they time, they may not have thought of the possibility of using hoodia gordonii as a weight loss supplement. It is unlikely that anyone asked, ?Is hoodia effective for dieting??

Later, a British pharmaceutical company called Phytopharm became interested in hoodia gordonii and efforts to create the best hoodia product began. It was ten years ago when Phytopharm patented and licensed what they believe is the active molecule in hoodia gordonii. It wasn?t until hoodia began to receive attention from the media that Phytopharm had to continuously answer the question; is hoodia effective for dieting. Their answer to that question is this: ?...only Phytopharm?s Hoodia gordonii product has had extensive safety studies performed and been clinically proven to reduce calorie intake and body fat.? Apparently Phytopharm has the best hoodia product.

The problem for dieters is that it may be years before that product is available. Should everyone put their diets on hold for a couple of years? Many websites list testimonials from users who answer a resounding, yes, to the question; is hoodia effective for dieting. Can these testimonials help us find the best hoodia product? That?s hard to say. It is natural to be a little suspicious of testimonials posted on a company?s websites. There are several websites dedicated solely to hoodia reviews. And on these sites, most products get mixed reviews.

For the millions of Americans who are overweight, waiting is obviously not the best option for their health. The question, is hoodia effective for dieting, can really only be answered by the individual. Results will vary. Results vary whenever we talk about any health supplement or prescription drug. Searches for the best hoodia product will have to be conducted on an individual basis. One thing is certain; no appetite suppressant will be effective in the long term. It takes life style changes to maintain weight loss. Even the best hoodia product can only be considered a kind of weight loss ?crutch?. In the end, we all most wait for a definitive answer to the question; is hoodia effective for dieting. When Americans become less overweight, then we will know.

For more information about the best hoodia products, visit the Hoodia Info Blog.

Patsy Hamilton is one of the editors at the Hoodia Info Blog. Visit us at http://hoodiainfo.blogspot.com

Infertility Heartbreak to Hope

Infertility can be a shock and heart wrenching to some couples trying to conceive. Often, fertility is not something many people dwell on, until they are attempting to have a child. Infertility can begin to be diagnosed if an older couple has had unprotected sex for a year and have not conceived. If the couple is younger, infertility can be diagnosed earlier since the conception rate is higher for younger people.

Roughly, 1/3 of infertility is caused by male factors, about 1/3 is attributed to female issues and for the remaining 1/3, it can be caused by a combination of problems, including some cases that are just unexplainable. Most cases of infertility can be treated with drug therapies or operating to repair reproductive organs.

The two most common causes of male infertility are azoospermia (no production of sperm cells) and oligospermia (very few cells are produced). Sometimes, sperm cells can be deformed or they will die before ovulation can occur. Rarely, male infertility may be caused by some genetic disease like cystic fibrosis.

Most female infertility is caused by a problem with ovulation. Other causes can include blocked fallopian tubes, or abnormalities in the makeup of the uterus which may lead to miscarriages.

One of the most common treatments for infertility is in vitro fertilization (IVF). This is used if a woman has blocked fallopian tubes or if a man has a low sperm count. In this procedure, a woman's eggs are removed from her ovary and mixed with sperm in a Petri dish. This mixture stays in the Petri dish for about 40 hours and then it is examined to see if fertilization has occurred. If so, the fertilized eggs, or embryos, are placed directly into the woman's uterus. You often hear about in vitro fertilization, but it really only occurs in less than 5% of fertility treatments in the US. In addition, it is fairly expensive. The average for one cycle of in vitro fertilization is around $12,400. However, it does have a fairly good success rate. In 2002, about 1 out of every 100 babies born in the US was conceived using IVF.

Another way to treat infertility is artificial insemination or intrauterine insemination. Artificial insemination is a procedure where sperm is injected directly into the woman's uterus when she is ovulating. A man provides a sample of semen and it is then prepared to be inserted into the uterus. A catheter is used to place the semen directly into the uterus, bypassing the cervix. Drugs may be used to stimulate a woman's ovulation cycle and increase the likelihood of fertilization. Artificial insemination is less complicated than in vitro fertilization and as a result, will cost less.

There are many more ways to treat infertility and they all depend on the couple's situation. There are surgical options, drug treatments and even having another woman carry your baby to term if you are unable to do so. As science advances, the options and the success rate will increase.
Michael Russell - EzineArticles Expert Author

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Infertility

Non Profit Debt Consolidation Advice

Debt consolidation advice is meant for consumers who are in need of support and guidance due to their mismanagement of their financial situation. This advice is given by non profit debt consolidation organizations. It is a service now given by these organizations or ?consolidators? to counsel and educate the clients of their financial issues, namely in their budgeting plans. Their main objective is to help their consumers gain control of their finances and plan their budget well.

Budgets are plans that each and every working person needs to achieve financial freedom. Many people have trouble setting or following their budgets and go into debt as a result, and that is where non profit debt consolidation organizations come in to personally assist them in keeping a stable budget. They will advise the consumers on their inflow and outflow of money and will design a payment plan that is specific to their individual needs. The advice given is not merely a guideline but also a stepping stone for the individuals to take reign over their financial situation. Regardless of the consumer?s location, they would have access over online materials, guideline books, and financial planning books.

Such advice does not cover only budgeting plans, but credit debts and plans for keeping the financial level of the consumer at a safe level. The advice given is on consolidating their debts as one single loan and other programs. The main objective is to assist the consumers in keeping up with a safe financial plan.

Ever since the beginning of this service, it had helped various types of people with debt problems.

Non Profit Debt Consolidation provides detailed information on Non Profit Debt Consolidation, Non Profit Debt Consolidation Advice, Non Profit Debt Consolidation Companies, Non Profit Debt Consolidation Loans and more. Non Profit Debt Consolidation is affiliated with Bad Credit Debt Consolidation Loans.

New Spring Las Vegas Homes 2006

With a booming tourist industry, Las Vegas remains a great provider of employment. It is perfect to live and work. Many new homes stand on higher elevations. You can view the breath taking Red Rock. There is always something new and exciting. Calculate monthly and bi-weekly mortgage payment from online mortgage calculators without any pressure after you find your dream home.

Juhl by CityMark

CityMark continues to electrify with Juhl. Juhl is just a walk away to gourmet restaurant, museums, cultural centers, and photo galleries. In minutes, you begin to enjoy the lights, sounds of what Las Vegas is known.

Solera, Sun City, The Club by DelWebb

DelWebb proudly build homes for active adults. Close to golf courses and fairways, it is a paradise for avid golfers. Amenities include fitness center, swimming pool, hobby craft, bocce, tennis, and more.

Boca Raton by PB Resorts

PB Resorts developed an excellent luxury home which combines the energy of Las Vegas, and lifestyle of South Florida. Boca Raton is situated at the South Strip. There are plans to establish fabulous retails, residential homes, casinos, and restaurants.

Avilla Park, Carlisle at Summerlin, Laguna Palms, Marquesa, and Valencia by Pacifica Companies

Pacifica Companies creates affordable two to three bedroom from low $100s. With 5.25% interest rate, 30 year term, and $100,000 principal, your monthly mortgage payment comes to only $552.20.

Monterrey, and The Boulders

Rich and Famous lived at this Las Vegas Country Club community where Monterrey now stands. Now, you can afford to live at this dream location. Majestic Lone Mountain and blue sky surrounds the 1, 2, or 3 bedrooms condominiums of the Boulders. The amenities pamper and cater your relaxation crave.

Dennis Estrada is a webmaster of mortgage calculators website which calculate the monthly payment, bi-weekly payment, affordability, refinance, annual percentage rate, discount points, and more.

Mutual Funds An Introduction and Brief History

Each one of us does not have the expertise or the time to build and manage an investment portfolio. There is an excellent alternative available ? mutual funds.

A mutual fund is an investment intermediary by which people can pool their money and invest it according to a predetermined objective.

Each investor of the mutual fund gets a share of the pool proportionate to the initial investment that he makes. The capital of the mutual fund is divided into shares or units and investors get a number of units proportionate to their investment.

The investment objective of the mutual fund is always decided beforehand. Mutual funds invest in bonds, stocks, money-market instruments, real estate, commodities or other investments or many times a combination of any of these.

The details regarding the funds? policies, objectives, charges, services etc are all available in the fund?s prospectus and every investor should go through the prospectus before investing in a mutual fund.

The investment decisions for the pool capital are made by a fund manager (or managers). The fund manager decides what securities are to be bought and in what quantity.

The value of units changes with change in aggregate value of the investments made by the mutual fund.

The value of each share or unit of the mutual fund is called NAV (Net Asset Value).

Different funds have different risk ? reward profile. A mutual fund that invests in stocks is a greater risk investment than a mutual fund that invests in government bonds. The value of stocks can go down resulting in a loss for the investor, but money invested in bonds is safe (unless the Government defaults ? which is rare.) At the same time the greater risk in stocks also presents an opportunity for higher returns. Stocks can go up to any limit, but returns from government bonds are limited to the interest rate offered by the government.

History of Mutual Funds:

The first ?pooling of money? for investments was done in 1774. After the 1772-1773 financial crisis, a Dutch merchant Adriaan van Ketwich invited investors to come together to form an investment trust. The goal of the trust was to lower risks involved in investing by providing diversification to the small investors. The funds invested in various European countries such as Austria, Denmark and Spain. The investments were mainly in bonds and equity formed a small portion. The trust was names Eendragt Maakt Magt, which meant ?Unity Creates Strength?.

The fund had many features that attracted investors:

- It had an embedded lottery.
- There was an assured 4% dividend, which was slightly less than the average rates prevalent at that time. Thus the interest income exceeded the required payouts and the difference was converted to a cash reserve.
- The cash reserve was utilized to retire a few shares annually at 10% premium and hence the remaining shares earned a higher interest. Thus the cash reserve kept increasing over time ? further accelerating share redemption.
- The trust was to be dissolved at the end of 25 years and the capital was to be divided among the remaining investors.

However a war with England led to many bonds defaulting. Due to the decrease in investment income, share redemption was suspended in 1782 and later the interest payments were lowered too. The fund was no longer attractive for investors and faded away.

After evolving in Europe for a few years, the idea of mutual funds reached the US at the end if nineteenth century. In the year 1893, the first closed-end fund was formed. It was named the ?The Boston Personal Property Trust.?

The Alexander Fund in Philadelphia was the first step towards open-end funds. It was established in 1907 and had new issues every six months. Investors were allowed to make redemptions.

The first true open-end fund was the Massachusetts Investors? Trust of Boston. Formed in the year 1924, it went public in 1928. 1928 also saw the emergence of first balanced fund ? The Wellington Fund that invested in both stocks and bonds.

The concept of Index based funds was given by William Fouse and John McQuown of the Wells Fargo Bank in 1971. Based on their concept, John Bogle launched the first retail Index Fund in 1976. It was called the First Index Investment Trust. It is now known as the Vanguard 500 Index Fund. It crossed 100 billion dollars in assets in November 2000 and became the World?s largest fund.

Today mutual funds have come a long way. Nearly one in two households in the US invests in mutual funds. The popularity of mutual funds is also soaring in developing economies like India. They have become the preferred investment route for many investors, who value the unique combination of diversification, low costs and simplicity provided by the funds.

Know more about mutual funds at http://www.completeonlinetrading.com

Mortgage Refinancing Title Insurance Basics

If you are refinancing your mortgage your lender will require title insurance when closing on the new mortgage. Here is what you need to know about this insurance policy.

Mortgage lenders require title insurance to protect them against third party claims on a property. Title insurance protects from losses due to a disputed title.

There are two varieties of title insurance. Mortgage lenders require you to purchase title insurance that protects them; this title insurance does not protect the homeowner. The second variety protects the homeowner and is generally not required by the mortgage lender. Lender title insurance expires when the mortgage is repaid; homeowner title insurance is valid for as long as you own your home.

When you apply to refinance your mortgage the lender will order a title search to make sure you are the rightful owner of the property. Your lender will charge you a fee for this title search. The purpose of the title search is to uncover any liens that may have been placed on the property. A lien on the property for example could be for unpaid property taxes.

Title insurance costs vary regionally depending on where you live. You may be able to save money by shopping around for a better deal. Refinancing you mortgage may enable you to find a cheaper rate for your title insurance; the insurance provider may discount the re-issue rate of your policy.
Louie Latour - EzineArticles Expert Author

Louie Latour specializes in showing homeowners how to avoid common mortgage mistakes and predatory lenders. For a free copy of "Mortgage Refinancing - What You Need to Know," which teaches strategies to find the best mortgage and save thousands of dollars in the process, visit Refiadvisor.com.

Claim your free guidebook today at: http://www.refiadvisor.com

Chicago Mortgage Refinance

Money To Burn Consider A Premium Credit Card

With all things in life, there will be things that you can pay extra for with credit cards. While most people in most circumstances will be looking for a credit card that gives them the absolute cheapest deals and best rates, there will be some people out there who will be looking for that little bit extra with their credit card and will be willing to pay a premium for these extra benefits.

The amount you will have to pay for a premium credit card will vary enormously when you compare the offers from one credit card company to another. By and large, you should expect that the more you are paying for a premium credit card, the better the card will be and the more premium facilities and extra features the card will offer you. There are some credit card companies that will offer relatively cheap premium credit card options. This might be a platinum card or a similar offer that costs just a few pounds per month. There are even companies out there that will charge you nothing for a so-called premium credit card. Other may charge you a significant monthly or annual fee so the differences can be very large.

The fact that you pay nothing for the credit card does not necessarily mean that it does not offer you premium services, as the reason you have paid nothing for it may be due to the fact that you are an exceptional attractive applicant and the credit card company wishes to attract you to their business. You will generally know how good your credit rating is and if you think that you may not deserve a free premium credit card based on your credit rating, and then you should consider the possibility that the card is actually offering you nothing extra.

The services that a premium credit card generally offers will vary. Some will offer you an attractive reward scheme. This may be a cash back option, or some other reward such as redeemable points or airmiles for every pound you spend on the card.

These reward schemes can be very attractive to some customers because if you spend a lot on your card, you can get a significant amount back in cash or reward and may even get a free flight every year. Other advantages typically associated with premium cards are high maximum spending limits and very good rates of interest. For people that carry a high outstanding balance on their card, it may be worth their while to pay for a premium card that will save them money on interest payments. Other charges associated with credit cards such as international transaction costs and cash withdrawals may be free also.

A recent report revealed that many people are not utilising the reward scheme offered by their credit card company. It should be remembered that the reward scheme is an intrinsic part of the credit card and the use of it enables the consumer to save cash, be it through a straightforward cash back scheme or a loyalty scheme that offers points that can be redeemed against goods.

Peter Kenny is a writer for creditcards-gb For additional articles and an extensive resource for everything about credit cards, please visit us at UK Credit Cards and 0% Balance Transfers.

Money Market Funds

Money Market Mutual Funds (MMF) are offered by banks, brokerages and mutual fund companies. Many people who sell stock place their proceeds in a MMF until they decide where to reinvest their money. But these accounts are excellent places to save money for an emergency fund or for other short-term goals.

No matter where you open a MMF, the accounts are not FDIC insured, so there is a slight risk associated. They often offer better interest rates than basic bank money market accounts.

The reason that the risk with MMFs is so minimal is that they are highly regulated. The money in the fund is invested in very safe, short-term debt securities such as certificates of deposits and U.S. Treasury bills. The goal of the fund is to maintain a share price of $1. There is no guarantee that the fund will maintain its share price, however, consumers haven't lost any money in these funds.

You will pay a fee called the expense ratio. This fee helps to pay the cost of someone to oversee the fund and manage the investments in it. The expense ratio has already been deducted from the advertised yield. It is important to look for a fund with a low expense ratio. Vanguard has a reputation for charging low fees. For example, if their expense ratio is at .30%, then you can expect the industry average to be at .50%. You want to avoid funds that charge above the industry average. You can look in the fund prospectus or on many Web sites to find expense ratio information.

There are two types of money market funds: taxable and tax-free. The taxable funds will usually pay a higher yield, but they aren't for everyone. You can use a tax-equivalent yield formula to see which fund will give you the best overall return.

Most money market funds have a minimum dollar amount. They will allow you to write checks and make electronic transfers. Federal regulation limit electronic, telephone and preauthorized transactions to six per month, with only three by check, draft of debit card. Some institutions may impose a fee if you have a certain amount of withdrawals beyond your account minimum balance.
Martin Lukac - EzineArticles Expert Author

Martin Lukac, represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

Money Market Accounts

If you are looking for a higher interest rate than a traditional bank savings account offers, a money market account (MMA) may be a good investment for you. Like savings accounts, money market accounts are liquid savings accounts. They usually offer you the ability to write a certain number of checks from the account each month. Most banks and credit unions offer money market accounts that are insured up to $100,000 by the FDIC of the NCUSIF.

Money market accounts usually earn about twice as much interest as a regular savings account. However, many MMAs require a higher starting balance than savings accounts.

High-yield MMAs are money market accounts that offer double or triple the standard bank MMA rates. These high-yield accounts are usually found through online banks. There is a lot of competition for you deposits and online financial institutes usually have lower expenses resulting in better rates for you.

There are several large corporations, including General Electric and Ford, which offer high-yield MMAs to the general public. While the yields are very competitive, there is no FDIC guarantee on the account. You will be taking a little more risk in return for a higher-yield account. If the corporation goes bankrupt, you will lose your money.

Most MMAs offer check writing and money transfers only over a minimum amount. You are limited by federal regulations to only six electronic, telephone or preauthorized transactions every month, with no more than three check, draft or debit transactions. There may be certain fees charged if you make too many withdrawals or if your balance falls below a certain level. Make sure you read and understand all terms before you open any account.
Martin Lukac - EzineArticles Expert Author

Martin Lukac, represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

Miles Credit Cards Strategies to Accumulate Miles

Put simply, miles credit cards allow cardholders to earn points for every dollar charged on the card. The accumulated points can be redeemed for reduced or, in some instances, free airfare. There are many promotional offers and some cards offer more points than others. To entice the customer, certain miles credit cards offer no annual-rate, no APR fees, additional bonus miles with new sign-ups, balance transfers at reduced or no interest rate for a certain period as well as no blackout date for miles redemption.

Credit card companies have also come up with affinity card programs that allow cardholders to collect airline miles with purchases at some of their most preferred retailing outlets and merchants. This lets cardholders add more miles at a faster rate with purchases from their favorite retailers. On the downside, these cards tend to have high annual fees and interest rates.

Frequent flyers tend to be mostly business travelers, who travel often due to work. However, careful planning can help normal travelers to accumulate good miles. Some tips to accumulate miles at a fast rate are:

1) Utilize Partner Services - Miles cards normally have tie-ins with car rental companies and hotels as part of their marketing strategy that also provide mileage points accumulation. Using these car rental companies or hotels and charging them to the miles card will also help to increase the points accumulated by using necessary travel expenditures.

2) Vacation or Tour Packages - Miles credit cards offer vacation or tour packages to encourage customers to travel and thus to increase demand for their airlines. Once again, by utilizing these vacation or tour packages, cardholders can accumulate more mileage points on the card per trip, earning more points while vacationing.

3) Non-frequent Travelers - For less frequent travelers, it is better to charge any travel related expense to the miles card when you travel. The travel related expenses could be anything from buying souvenirs, groceries, fuel while in a different location, etc, which also helps to accumulate additional miles on the card.

4) Affiliate services - Some miles card programs partner with a network of allied airline carriers. Examples of these kinds of network alliance services include the Star Alliance or Flying Blue programs. If your preferred airline does not fly to the location that you desire, try to choose from another airline that is part of the alliance network, giving cardholders yet another opportunity to accumulated miles.

Most miles credit cards have numerous benefits for frequent flyers. However, the benefits could vary, based on the specific program. Some mile cards provide additional or bonus points while making certain purchases. The points can later be traded for airline miles. Some miles credit card programs allow portability or the transfer of points to other frequent flyer accounts, and some even offer consolidation of all accumulated points to one single card. These earned miles give you free or reduced travel tickets. In addition, most of these cards also offer various other travel-related benefits, including free additional tickets, upgrade opportunities, lost baggage insurance, car rental insurance, and greater coverage amount for travel accident insurance.

Apart from points, most mile cards also offer different type of rewards for members. This could be anything from free hotel stays to car rentals, discounted vacation packages or even free airline tickets, in some instances. Certain airline miles card programs entice customers with an attractive offer to take advantage of free bonus miles, as high as fifteen to twenty thousand free points, in some cases. In general, you will receive flight miles per trip taken, but some miles card programs will offer a generous point total per flight, amounting to more points per mile than the actual miles flown. (Be sure to check with each reward miles program for specific details.)

Miles credit cards can be pretty costly for the credit card companies as well as the airlines. As such, miles credit cards tend to have higher interest rates and annual fees than traditional credit cards. One of the most recent promotional trends with certain miles cards programs is to enable cardholders carrying balances to qualify for a free domestic airline ticket on any airline. It is advisable that customers evaluate the pros and cons of such offers as in most cases, the cost of finance charges on the left over balance outweigh the benefits of getting a free ticket.

These cards will also have an expiration period, before which the accumulated miles need to be used. It is important to know this period and use the accumulated miles to get the maximum benefits. Nevertheless, miles credit card offers have become immensely popular as they allow customers to accumulate valuable miles through ordinary purchases, which later can be transferred to free flights and vacations.

For more information on the best miles credit cards available, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com

Making A Good First Impression When Selling Your Home

The decision to buy a home is often dependent upon the first impression of the buyer. This means your home must be spiffed out so buyers will make the emotional attachement.

Making A Good First Impression When Selling Your Home

Imagine you have always wanted to work in a particular job for a particular company. After years of education, you have finally received an interview for the position. How are you going to present yourself at the interview? Are you going to wear jeans? A t-shirt? Of course, not. You are going to get out your best professional outfit, go get a haircut and so on. Why? You want to make the best first impression available.

Selling a home is no different that going for a job interview or a first date. You must spiff up your home so it makes a great impression on potential buyers. For many buyers, the decision to purchase a home is an emotional one. Recognizing this fact, you want to make it love at first site. This issue is so important that an entire industry has evolved to help you do so.

The home staging industry is exactly what it sounds like. A person comes in and reviews your home from an objective perspective. They will then reorganize the home to make it more buyer friendly. They often will ask you to leave before doing this so they can get the job done without objections.

You must let a staging professional do their job. They are going to help sell your home. They will organize the home in a manner that facilitates this. You, on the other hand, have organized the home in a manner that makes it livable for you. The two goals are very different and you must realize as much.

Once you make the decision to sell a home, your personal tastes are no longer relevant. You will suffer less if you can come to grips with the fact the home is emotionally no longer yours the moment you decide to sell, not when escrow closes. From the moment you make that decision, the property is no longer where you live. It is an asset to be sold for as much money as possible and as fast as possible. You must learn to let go. Don?t worry, you can start looking for a new home to get attached to!

Independent parties that spiff up your home are not all that widespread. It is a growing service sector, but has a lot of room to grow. If it is available in your area, you would be wise to give it a try.

Raynor James is with FSBO America - homes for sale by owner.

Make Money Fast Invest In Energy Markets and Make Huge Profits Now

The recent move in crude oil to all new time highs has shown the potential to be made trading energy markets and many savvy traders make triple digit gains or more!

If you want to get involved in energy markets and get a share of this profit potential then this report is for you, even if you have never traded energies before.

Let?s look at these exciting markets and one move that could yield even bigger profits than crude oil!

Why trade energies?

Quite simply, they offer a speculators dream that includes the following advantages

1. Trending nature

Energy markets trend longer term and traders can lock into these trends for huge profits.

2. Profits in bull and bear markets

Traders can buy or sell energy contracts depending on their view and this gives constant opportunities for profit.

3. Volatility & liquidity

Energy drives the world economy and by its very nature is volatile and price swings are always present.

Liquidity is high (crude for example is the biggest commodity market in the world) this means that positions can be opened and closed quickly to lock in profits and limit losses

4. Seasonal trends

Many energy markets exhibit highly reliable seasonal trends due to consumption patterns. For example, unleaded gasoline demand is highest in the summer holiday driving months and heating oil demand is strongest in the winter months

What vehicle should I use to trade energy markets?

With energies there is the possibility to make large rewards however with reward goes risk.

Risk management is critical to long term success in trading any volatile market. The ?safest? method to trade these markets is by options, which offer unlimited profit potential and limited risk.

How should I trade?

Energy markets to exhibit reliable trends and the best way is to use a technical trading system that simply follows the trend. There are many good simple systems that can be used.

I Missed the recent bull move up in crude oil have I missed the boat?

There are always trends to take advantage of, so the fact you have missed one does not mean others will not come around.

Here is a quick outlook for energies, that includes a market that could take off shortly and give far bigger profits than crude oil!

Crude oil

Prices should remain firm as demand exceeds supply, add in geo political concerns in major oil producing areas such as the Middle East and prices can go higher.

Pullbacks therefore represent buying opportunities.

The same applies to heating oil and unleaded gasoline that are ideal markets to trade from a seasonal point of view.

Natural Gas

Natural gas could take soar in value simply because crude and its products have increased so much in price. Natural gas has the following advantages:

1.It is a clean fuel and environmentally friendly
2.It is produced in the US ( and is not imported ) and is therefore free of geo political concerns that surround oil
3.It is relatively cheap in price

With the US looking for alternative energy sources, a buy and hold strategy in natural gas could yield huge long term gains.

While natural gas is plentiful in the long term in the short term demand is exceeding supply and this scenario looks to be in place for the next few years.

With a rising demand and supply already short we have the perfect scenario for higher prices.

Energies the perfect markets to seek huge gains

Energy markets offer great potential for profit for traders with risk capital and represent an ideal diversification away from traditional investments such as stocks and bonds.

For FREE Energy reports

For free energy reports on the potential of these markets and a complete comprehensive guide on how to to trade for big profit potential visit:

http://www.wellingtoncr.com/new_energy_reports.html

Low APR Credit Cards Selecting the Best

Hunting for and selecting the very best low APR credit cards has become easier with the advent of the Internet where you can do easy comparisons (from the various options available to you at the click of a mouse) as to which low APR credit card will be the best for your needs.

Simply put, low APR credit cards charge you an interest rate even lower than the standard APR offered by most traditional credit cards. The lower the interest rate or APR, the cheaper the card is to carry and the more money you'll save on it. Easy enough, right? So if you carry a large monthly card balance, a low APR credit card could be very beneficial for you. In some cases, low rate credit cards can help cardholders save a lot of money. But what?s an APR anyway?

The Rationale of Low APR Credit Cards

The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is the cost of credit; it is the amount of interest rate that is chargeable to any outstanding balance on a credit card. If you don?t make the full payment within the grace period certified by the credit card company, the card issuer has the right to charge you an interest rate for the service, a fee known as the APR. For a credit card to be considered a ?cheap? credit card it should have a low APR.

With a low APR credit card, there is always fine print in the terms and conditions to take note of. Commonly, consumers fail to read the fine print that might include the following:

1) Annual Fees: Many low APR credit card offers might provide a low interest rate or APR but require you to pay a substantial annual fee. If the effective interest rate (after counting the annual fee) is indeed higher than the actual rate, then this credit card is obviously masked in the garb of a low APR credit card.

2) Low Introductory Rates: Credit card companies know that low introductory rates are a great incentive. So when suddenly, the initial period ends, and your monthly minimum payment increases dramatically, you know something definitely smells fishy. Check it before you fall prey.

3) High Balance Transfer Fees: Another trick in the trade is that some amongst the low APR credit card fraternity offer low balance transfer rates that come with a high balance transfer fee (which would be mentioned in the fine print).

The moral of this story: Read and re-read the fine print associated with any low APR credit card before you apply.

Want Low Rate Credit Cards?

Follow these simple steps:

-Call the institutions in which you already have a bank account or credit card account. Discuss with them the possibility of converting your existing account to a low rate account.

-If your existing credit card company cannot provide this request, seek out an offer and a card issuer that does.

-Get in touch with the companies you are interested in applying for low rate credit cards. They might be able to provide information about existing card offers that you might not be aware of.

-Fill out the card application and return as per the instructions. Make a follow-up call to the credit card company if you have not heard from them within the next 10 to 15 business days.

-You have the right to obtain an explanation if the credit card company has turned down your application. The denial letter must explain how you can obtain your credit report.

Keep in mind, however, that credit card issuers reserve the lowest possible interest rate offers for customers with the strongest credit histories, so maintain a good credit history is essential when trying to secure all types of low APR credit cards.

For more information on a variety of low APR credit cards, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com

Life Insurance The ABCs of Professionals

Finding a good life insurance agent can get confusing. There are so many things that you just don?t understand. How about all of the abbreviations on their business cards or in their yellow page ads?

Here?s a short list of the most popular abbreviations you will see:

CLU: Chartered Life Underwriter ? a professional advertiser in business and family financial security in regards to life insurance. This designation comes from an accrediting institution. A comprehensive course of study and the passing of a series of 10 college level exams is required. They must be knowledgeable in the areas of life insurance, pensions, taxation, finance, economics and business and estate planning. There are strict ethical and experience requirements. It usually takes five years to become a CLU.

LUTCF: Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow ?those who meet or exceed the qualification standards of The American College and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. This designation shows a strong code of ethics and professionalism. There are five courses required to become a fellow, with two being personal insurance or business insurance classes.

ChFC: Chartered Financial Consultant ? an agent that is also a financial planner. This is a professional equipped to handle both life insurance and financial planning. There is a broad course program that must be completed to display this designation.

AEP: Accredited Estate Planner ? this title is awarded by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils to professional estate planners, attorneys, CLUs, ChFCs and others that meet qualification requirements and pass two graduate level courses from The American College.

CFP: Certified Financial Planner ? CFPs are increasingly popular among consumers. The right to use this designation is for those who have gone through educational training and agree to follow the CFP Board Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

FLMI: Fellow Life Management Institute ? this designation shows that the agent has a solid foundation of knowledge in life and health insurance. It is administered by the Life Office Management Association.

When choosing an agent, you should also take the time to look into any memberships in professional associations, such as the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, or NAIFA.
Martin Lukac - EzineArticles Expert Author

Martin Lukac, represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

Life Insurance Getting the Best Rates

Every expert has a different opinion on the best way to buy life insurance. The debates range from what kind of insurance is best to what the true purpose of life insurance is.

It can be very confusing.

But there are several strategies that experts agree will get you the best deal on life insurance.

Always be honest

Honesty is the best policy. It may be tempting to lie about your health and medical history. Many people try this in an attempt to be approved.

It doesn?t work. Lack of disclosure will always come back to you. If you application and medical records don?t match, you will not get a good deal.

Don?t deny you smoking. If you have a family history of heart disease or diabetes, report it. You won?t receive the best rate, but you won?t be rejected either.

Time works in your favor

You can get the best rate on your insurance policies by scheduling your medical tests for first thing in the morning. Many insurance companies actually require this.

Your blood pressure is lower in the morning. Your cholesterol is better and you are less stressed. It is a good idea to avoid salts, sugars, alcohol, drugs, caffeine and exercise before the test.

Exercise can actually through your blood sugar and liver functions off. Go to bed early and get up, have the tests and then eat breakfast.

You can often get better deals toward the end of each financial quarter and at the end of the year. Insurance companies are working to fill there quotas then.

Falling rates can save you

Rates have fallen in the past ten years by 60%. Once you have insurance, you aren?t locked into that rate forever. You can easily reapply for a lower rate. If you are in good or better health, you could see cheaper rates. A 40 year old male in 1994 would be paying $995 annually for a $500,000 20 year policy. The rate for the same policy is $390 today.

Shop around

The easiest way to get the best deal is to shop around. You can start with an independent agent who can search a wide range of policies for one that fits your needs and budget. Talk to several agents to see who can offer you the best service and best insurance. This a big, important commitment, don?t jump before you look.
Martin Lukac - EzineArticles Expert Author

Martin Lukac, represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!






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Life Insurance Getting Better Rates by Refinancing

Your life insurance needs naturally change over time. Children grow up and move on, financial situations change and families grow. If your lifestyle has changed, it?s probably time to ?refinance? your term life insurance policies. By periodically examining your life insurance needs, you can explore more cost-efficient options that will save you in the long run.

The cost of life insurance has dropped 60% in the last ten years. This is mostly due to the fact that we are living longer. Competition has also caused companies to offer better rates. By changing your policy, you could have a much lower rate than was set years ago.

Take the time to consider how your life has changed. If your children have grown up and gone out on their own, you may want less expensive coverage. If you?ve changed your lifestyle, such as losing weight or quitting smoking, you could be eligible for cheaper premiums due to a raise in your health status.

You may be happy with your policy, but if you?ve had it for a while, it could be worth it to simply look into your options. There are more features offered, longer premium guarantees and better conversion options available today than there were five years ago. You can buy a cheaper policy with more features.

You have nothing to lose from simply looking into your coverage. Start with calling your current life insurance agent and ask him or her what they can do to fit your existing coverage to your needs.

Many insurance web sites will give you a basic idea of the variety of coverages available. Remember that quotes are usually based on the healthiest level of being, which you may not qualify for. Always assume that you are receiving a low figure. Make sure that you double check with an insurance agent before committing to the coverage off of the internet sight. You can often do this by phone, or they will come to your home.

Independent agents represent many different companies and can offer you more choices. They are knowledgeable of many different policies and can find one that will best fit your individual situation.

Even if you decide to stay with your current insurance company, you may find that you need to rethink the amount of coverage. You may have too much or too little. Do the math, you could save money.

Don?t terminate your old policy until the new policy is in force. You don?t want any gaps in coverage to occur.

If your health has gone downhill since your initial policy was created, you may not want to change policies ? your rates will increase. Most insurance companies write in a two-year contestability period on new policies. That means they have the right to challenge a death claim.

Do the research and honestly evaluate your coverage needs. Refinancing you life insurance could be very beneficial to your finances.
Martin Lukac - EzineArticles Expert Author

Martin Lukac, represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!