Ten minutes and higher prices - easy methods to get more online

Be it real estate or a piece of electronics on Craigslist, every person wants to get as much money as possible for items being sold. In the sea of online ads, getting that best price can feel practically impossible. By taking a few basic steps, though, you can improve the price you get when you sell online. Post resource – Four easy ways to get more money for what you are selling by MoneyBlogNewz.

1. Photography importance

Look at photos to start research as an online buyer. When it comes to going to homes, most people choose which homes to go to by looking online. About 83 percent of buyers make this decision this way. The sales costs increase 5 to 30 percent by simply putting up good pictures, even though it may be easy to just take a cellular phone picture. The lighting in the home should be really well for the picture. Also, keep away from blur with a fast shutter speed. The $100 to $300 in photography that is professional might be worth it for those who have a high-dollar item to sell.

2. Don’t use weird language

Straightforward, concise, clear copy describing the item you have for sale will go a long way. Rather than listing the “seriously amazing camera that will make your photos 1 billion times better,” describe the item in concrete terms: “10 megapixel camera with full manual settings to control the photo.” It sounds like you are professional. More than likely, somebody will buy it. Numbers and statistics are suggested. More than three adjectives in one sentence is a bad idea. A professional copywriter could cost you $50 to $100, but having a grammar-nerd friend check over your listing is worth calling in the favor.

3. The importance of research

It’s OK to be hopeful about the sales price, however asking too much can put off potential buyers. See what the price of your item should be. If you are asking for a higher-than-going rate, be sure to explain why. Explain why you need less than the going rate as well on some goods. Deviations from the norm in either direction will be noticed, and answering the questions right off the bat makes your listing more attractive to buyers.

4. Don’t become spammers

It can be tempting to post your item for sale twice a day, just in case somebody misses the listing. Most online services, however, have search functionality. Posting your item multiple times just gets annoying to viewers and makes you look desperate. Go ahead and re-post sometimes. Only do this if something has changed though. It takes effort and cash to list something more than once in one place. Stay away from this.

Articles cited

MSN Real Estate

realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13108474

Small Biz Trends

smallbiztrends.com/2010/04/5-tactics-to-improve-online-sales.html

Stay-at-home partners could possibly be hurt by CARD act needs

The CARD Act, passed in 2009, is intended to help safeguard customers. One provision of the bill is that those that provide credit cannot issue credit unless the applicant can prove that they can repay it. The law may have significant unintentional consequences, however. Some stay-at-home spouses may lose financial freedom. Source for this article – CARD Act could strip stay-at-home partners of financial identity by MoneyBlogNewz.

Needs of the CARD Act

The CARD Act contains several provisions meant to protect consumers from unfair or inappropriate practices of credit card issuers. In the Act, the way income is viewed changes. There are new rules for businesses. Community property and household income can no longer be considered as “income” on an application for credit. Applications can only have individual income. One person’s income is put there. The point is to safeguard customers for taking out too much credit. They’ll not be able to over qualify for the income anymore.

Effects of new CARD Act rules

All of the rules for the CARD Act may hurt some customers. Everyone that stays at home with children may have a problem. There may be one person who works while the other stays at home. In this case, the CARD Act makes it very hard for that stay at home person to get credit. Any stay-at-home spouses can be unable to get an independent credit history although it will stop those without income from getting a charge card. Without credit, there will be less opportunity for jobs. That will make it harder on a person if the relationship ends suddenly.

Troubles with the CARD Act and property that belongs to a community

In 10 of the 50 United States, married couples share what is known as “community property.” Partners have equal share of whatever is in the marriage according to the shared property law which might be changed with a pre- or post-nuptial agreement. Any community property states can still share the property. It just has to be split evenly between the two in the CARD Act. For couples not in community property states, the CARD act simply means that one partner cannot obligate the other partner to bad credit loans or other debt without their explicit agreement.

The CARD Act affects you also

If you are a stay-at-home partner, these new provisions of the CARD Act may have the biggest effect on you. Are you a stay-at-home partner without a job? Just prepare to have to get your partner’s signature on every little thing from personal loans to credit card. It is essential more now than ever to get your own credit card history. Make sure you keep talking to your partner about finances and keep up some kind of employment.

Articles cited

NCLC

nclc.org/

The Library of Congress

thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:HR00627:@@@D&summ2=m&

Banks rolling out EMV chip charge cards for travelers

The nation’s largest banks are starting to compete for customers that want EMV chip-equipped credit cards. EMV chips are really a very small integrated circuit built into a credit card, and the technology was developed by a joint venture between Europay, Mastercard and Visa. Magnetic stripe cards are actually only used by those backwater, un-evolved hill-folk called Americans; much of the world has gotten on the EMV chip bandwagon. Article source – Banks fighting to corner market for EMV chip credit cards by MoneyBlogNewz.

Credit card difficulties

A common complaint among jet set types traveling overseas and using their credit cards is that European merchants often have difficulties processing American credit cards that have antiquated magnetic stripes rather than EMV chip cards more common overseas, according to Bloomberg. Both Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase have decided to fix this issue. As a service, the high end charge cards can have EMV chips in them. Wells Fargo is launching a pilot program, where about 15,000 customers can be invited to use the Wells Fargo EMV chip card sometime this summer. Any high net worth clients in the Palladium program will be getting EMV cards from Chase bank who isn’t even piloting it.

How much is lost in sales without it

The need to have an EMV card, also commonly called a smart card, for travelers is not a joking matter. Magnetic strip cards aren’t accepted in several places in Europe. Because of this, in 2008 card providers lost $ 447 million in revenue while European merchants lost $ 4 billion. There’s a “Chip and PIN” used with the Smart Cards making them different than regular magnetic cards, Wikipedia explains. Chip and PIN cards use a small computer chip and built-in circuit board, about 3 by 5 millimeters in total, which stores the information of the user. A smart card reader is carried by merchants to read the card. A Personal Identification Number is given to users. This is how the sale is made. It is easier to keep money safe from thieves with a smart card. It is hard to manipulate.

Card companies already have them

The EMV chips were developed between Eurocard, MasterCard and Visa, calling it “EMV,” which is just one type of smart chip. American Express also has EMV chip equipped cards in its Express Pay line. However, the smartcard reader technology isn’t as widespread in America as in Europe, as the U.S. is slow to adopt technologies from other countries at times. All consumers will eventually have access to EMV chips at JPMorgan. The company is just giving them to high end customers before this.

Citations

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-14/jpmorgan-pushes-chip-cards-to-wealthy-in-race-with-wells-fargo.html

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMV

Gas and oil determined to fall as costs pinch customer demand

Oil prices are increasing and gas prices are approaching levels not seen since the summer of 2008. In spite of a large volume of gas and oil reserves in the U.S., speculators have managed to drive up the price of oil 21 percent this year. But reality will intrude on the markets, analysts say, when gas becomes too expensive for U.S. customers to afford.

Oil rally carries on, for now

In early trading Friday light, sweet crude for May delivery rose to $111.90 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest level since September 2008. The highest level since 2008’s summer was also reached in United States gas costs which averaged $3.70 this week. The oil price surge was due to many factors. A looming government shutdown is weakening the dollar, which makes dollar-based commodities such as crude oil more affordable for traders betting with other currencies. It doesn’t seem like the Libya conflict is about to end. The country has already stopped producing most of its oil. The U.S. is awash in oil considering customers are spending increasingly more buying gas every single day. The United States Energy Information Administration explained that there was an increase in oil inventories in the United States in the week that ended April 1. There was a 2 million barrel increase. There was an increase in over 14 million barrels a day in t! he crud refinery.

Speculators suspend law of supply and demand

The United States used to blame OPEC for its oil shocks, but OPEC’s role in increased oil costs has been reduced. There was an oil conference in Paris where the United Arab Emirates oil minister spoke. He said that costs have hardly any change any longer because of OPEC. Mohammed bin Dhaen al-Hamli said that OPEC is providing the industry with the oil it needs. The only reason for oil costs rising is due to traders. They’re betting on a worst case scenario instead of paying attention to the facts. The Federal Reserve is simply helping oil speculators which help pension funds and hedge funds bet on commodity costs with zero interest rates. Analysts estimate that due to speculators, oil futures are $15 to $20 increased than they should be. Prices might be driven up even further with violence in Nigeria along with the elections this weekend. The country produces 2.2 million barrels a day.

How much longer until an oil tipping point

United States consumers may not be willing to pay much more for the oil and gas coming out. In just the last four weeks, there has been a 3.7 percent drop in gas demand. Some analysts are saying that oil costs will reach a tipping point soon, unless another crisis in the Middle East or a Nigerian meltdown play into the hands of oil speculators. The second Fed quantitative easing plan (QE2) failed. Before, oil was around $90 a barrel to buy. As rising costs continue to constrain customer demand, when quantitative easing ends in June and the free money spigot is turned off, oil and gas speculators could reduce their position by as much as a third, stabilizing crude oil prices at between $85-$95 a barrel.

Information from

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110408-707562.html

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/04/09/business/09markets.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Industrial Fuels and Power

ifandp.com/article/0010617.html

Fortune

finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/04/08/oil-at-the-tipping-point/

Twitter receives tax holiday windfall from City of San Francisco

In an 8-to-3 vote, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has determined in favor of an ordinance that will provide local business Twitter and others a tax break from the city’s corporate payroll tax on brand new hires, reports the Los Angeles Times. Twitter will benefit from a 1.5 percent payroll tax shield through the next six years. While Mayor Lee praised the move as a step in the right direction for maintaining the city’s reputation as a place for tech firms, critics believe such corporate tax holidays open the door for cities to be exploited by large companies.

It is ‘rejuvenation’ for Twitter to be there

Offering Twitter a payroll tax break was necessary to keep the social media giant in San Francisco for years to come, said Lee.

“This moment represents a real step forward in the effort to revitalize and transform the Central Market area,” he said. “Central Market and the Tenderloin have been burdened with high vacancies and blight for decades.”

While Twitter officials wouldn’t comment on the payroll tax exclusion Wednesday, Lee told the San Francisco Chronicle that he appreciated Twitter’s enthusiasm for helping revitalize those key business districts. The creation of jobs and services in sagging geographic areas would benefit San Francisco across the board.

“There is great synergy between Twitter and the arts organizations and small retail businesses who are looking to expand in the area," said Lee. "The city can work collaboratively with businesses, community-based organizations, property owners and area residents to catalyze meaningful change.”

The tax holiday for Businesses

The Twitter payroll tax break should be able to save about $22 million in taxes for the company in just six years, according to the Chronicle. That’s $22 million that San Francisco needs, said city supervisor John Avalos.

“I don’t believe giving an exception to our payroll tax is the way to go,” he said. “I believe that businesses in San Francisco and around the country should be socially responsible. … If we allow a company to threaten to leave, then give them a tax break so they don’t, we’re setting a bad precedent."

Citations

Los Angeles Times

latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/04/twitter-gets-6-year-payroll-tax-break-from-san-francisco-board-of-supervisors.html

San Francisco Chronicles

sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/05/BA7R1IQM9D.DTL

San Francisco Mayor's Office

sfmayor.org/index.aspx?page=330

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty on corporate tax holidays and offshoring

youtube.com/watch?v=MIRncAiu9Vw

Homeowners have simpler time paying home loans in spite of lousy market

Fewer people are having a hard time paying the mortgage, though the housing market is still not doing too well. The joblessness rate is beginning to ease as employers are beginning to hire once again. However, that hasn’t translated to better conditions in the overall housing market.

Less homes underwater

In comparison with last year, fewer people believe homes are underwater. This was shown in a Harris Interactive poll, reports Daily Finance. Last year, there were 24 percent of respondents that believed their home was worth less than they owed on it. This year, that number dropped to 21 percent on 3,000 respondents. Additionally, 22 percent of respondents in the Harris poll were struggling to make mortgage payments, compared to 29 percent last year. However, 3 percent fewer individuals in the poll said they had a mortgage. There are fewer people taking out short term installment loans to cover a mortgage with a lower unemployment rate too.

Market full of homes

Analysts are worried about distressed properties. This is because they keep costs low, reports USA Today. In January, it was noted that there were 1.8 million distressed homes. Any of these homes hadn't made payments for more than 90 days. The price of a distressed home always is at least 20 percent lower, which makes them attractive to bargain hunters and real estate investors. Unfortunately, a large supply keeps home costs lower nationally. Soon the moratorium on foreclosures will end too, states Reuters. This will mean more foreclosures are to take place in the coming months. Because of questionable foreclosure practices, the government investigated the largest mortgage loan companies in the nation including Wells Fargo and Bank of America.

Everyone who can should purchase a cheap home

More than likely, the market will continue as a buyer's market. For the next few months, MSNBC points out, home prices will continue to fall. The record low rates for home loans were just hit and are starting to come back out. More than likely, it would be good for you to get your home now in a low rate. However, loan companies have been fairly skittish in an uncertain climate.

Citations

Daily Finance

dailyfinance.com/story/real-estate/fewer-us-mortgages-in-trouble/19902674/

USA Today

usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2011-03-30-distressed-homes-shadow-inventory.htm

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/03/31/us-financial-regulation-mortgages-idUSTRE72A63J20110331

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/38770102/ns/business-real_estate/

Nasdaq rebalances to reduce impression of Apple rumors on index

To temper the unpredictability of Apple shares, Nasdaq officials will rebalance the Nasdaq-100 index in May. By slashing the weight of Apple shares on the entire index by four eighths, which is two one quarter portions, or to go further, half of a whole, Nasdaq has performed a rebalancing. The action by Nasdaq is calibrated to discourage hedge funds from fiddling with Apple shares and encourage more scrupulous investors to throw down instead.

The Nasdaq to be redone with Apple going down

For the past few years, as Apple stock goes, so does the Nasdaq-100. Since the industry bottomed out in 2009, the Mac, iPhone and iPad have driven Apple shares skyward more than 250 percent. Since then, Apple’s stock has risen about another 150 percent to represent more than 20 percent of the total value of the Nasdaq-100 index. Apple stock is more than twice what it should be in the index, Nasdaq officials explained. On May 2, Nasdaq will rebalance anything. This will make, on the Nasdaq-100, Apple shares only 12 percent. The adjustment to repair for Apple realigns the ratio for the company's stock and outstanding shares with the way the Nasdaq-100 is calculated. This is a big change. It will change 81 other business positions. The change might make Apple rivals go up. They will be more prevalent. Microsoft will rise from 3.4 percent up to 8.3 percent. Other increases are expected in businesses. Intel will get to 4.2 percent, Google to 5.8 percent and Oracle ! to 6.7 percent.

All the Apple rumors change things

Any future manipulation by hedge fund traders that could hurt the Nasdaq-100 or short Apple will be prevented by the lower ratio of Apple shares. Recently, there was an instance where Apple stock swung in price due to Apple rumors, according to Jason Schwartz at Seeking Alpha. Apple was trading at $360 in February. At this time, a rumor that iPad 2 releases would be delayed until June because of "supply chain contacts" came out by Yuanta Securities. The rumors spread very quickly. Soon, Apple shares were shorted by Yuanta Securities to make money. It only took 2 days to lower Apple stock. It had a $20 decrease. The iPad announcement of being sold on March 10 was given by Steve Jobs right after that. Yuanta made lots of money off of it although investors felt really idiotic. This had a huge affect on the Nasdaq-100. It was a big deal.

No more of an Apple rumor influence

The Nasdaq rebalancing doesn’t take impact until next month, however money managers are already rebalancing their holdings. Apple stock went down on Tues from $337 to $341.19 with a $4.19 drop. There has already been less hedge fund able to use Apple to manipulate the industry. The iPhone delay rumors are, more than likely, not true. It will not affect the stock though since it is already going back up and is $15 below its high. Apple is anticipated to do better than expected in first quarter earnings while investors and traders can trade Apple shares.

Articles cited

Fortune

tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/04/05/a-good-day-to-buy-aapl/

Mac Observer

macobserver.com/tmo/article/nasdaq-100_to_cut_apples_index_share_nearly_in_half/

MSN Money

money.msn.com/market-news/default.aspx?feat=e52a3c86-3053-48e5-91eb-970765febdcc

Seeking Alpha

seekingalpha.com/article/260887-hedge-funds-bloggers-and-the-origin-of-apple-rumors

Keep away from credit at your peril

Several consumers looking to establish a credit history are denied credit because they don’t have enough credit to start with. And even a person with a high FICO score can be denied if the overall credit history bears too few records of active credit. Source for this article – Understanding the down side of avoiding credit by MoneyBlogNewz.

Being too responsible can hurt too

Everyone who is super responsible with credit might not do as well off as they think. Eventually, most people will conserve money by living generally debt free including paying off student loans right away and staying away from credit that is more than necessary. Some credit corporations don't like this though. There are some people that use credit, but have many choices to choose from. It can look bad to have credit inquiries too often though.

Experian's public education director Rod Griffin explained that credit can go down when there isn't much of a credit history and if you apply for charge cards often. Showing an ability to handle a reasonable number of open, active credit sources over time is paramount in illustrating credit-worthiness to creditors, including mortgage lenders.

Always have credit, however pay off loans

The argument Griffin has is that it is not bad to pay off loans early. This is despite what credit experts say. Negative marks will stay on a FICO report for about seven years while good things stay for about 10 years. Customers get put in the "no, thank you" zone by many creditors when they pay off loans very easily. You should have accounts open and active for at least 24 months for creditors. Otherwise, loan companies are likely to pass over the application and move on.

Use credit cards, but sparingly

Don't take on lots of credit cards in case you are a college student that is just beginning to build credit. Used responsibly and in moderation, having one credit card or two is a fine path toward building credit.

Griffin reports that this might change though. The Obama administration started the Charge card Act though. Several think that this makes it harder for young people to build credit. Experts say there is less of a possibility that students can build credit since access to college students is taken away.

Credit might be hurt more than you think when using just money

While you won't rack up revolving debt by living a cash-only lifestyle, you also will not build your credit. Maintain active credit accounts where you pay more than the minimum each month, and look to such goods as installment loans and no credit check loans when emergency funding is necessary. You can avoid building up too much debt on a credit card with these goods even though they will not make a difference on a credit history without reporting.

Citations

MSN

money.msn.com/credit-rating/raise-your-credit-score-to-740-weston.aspx

Yahoo

finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/112152/dangers-of-avoiding-credit?mod=series-m-article-c

Understanding the Credit card Act

youtube.com/watch?v=UbIDOZz6CPw