Reasons Why You Should Consolidate Your Debt

Inflation revolves around an ever expanding money supply in the economy and higher consumer spending, which helps an economy grow. However, this same philosophy is causing people to increase their spending habits and in the bargain they are not able to pay back all that they owe. When you find yourself in such a situation, where all your credit card payments are making it difficult for you to stay on budget, all is not bleak. There are alternatives to get out of debt, stay out of it and start to improve your damaged credit rating. Here is a list of top five reasons why you should opt for debt consolidation loan or student loan debt consolidation.



Keeping your Home



Since a house can cost a substantial amount, a lot of people seem to pay a large part of their take home pay towards their mortgages. At present, interest rates are low so investing in a home is a great option. If you realize there are too many bills and mortgage payments to be made, you could opt for debt and bill consolidation. A debt consolidation loan not only eases payments to various providers but also makes paying for your house simpler and more manageable.



Going to School



There are so many people who would like to attend school to get a degree but tuition, books and other costs can be really high. A higher education can be a distant dream for those who are already dealing with credit payments. There are individuals who are working two jobs just to be able to make their payments. A Debt consolidation loan or a student debt consolidation loan helps control and manage all of your outstanding debt. A debt consolidation loan combines all of this debt and makes available a better interest rate. This allows you to complete your education, and also pay your bills on time.



Credit Card Interest Rates



Most people have more than one credit card registered in their names. This is because the credit card companies try various marketing tactics to lure you into signing up with them. The credit dependency reaches a point of no return and every time you default, your penalties or interest rates just get higher. There are times you are paying a lot more on interest than the principle. In order to be able to organize things you could opt for a credit card debt consolidation. This makes you liable to only one lending institution, where all of your credit balances are combined and transferred into a single loan under your name.



Controlling Debt



In case you have too many debts to deal with, opting for debt consolidation may be a good option for you. The debt consolidation company contacts all of your debtors and pays them on your behalf. In this way, all your debts are transferred to the debt consolidation company and from henceforth you have to pay them for one larger loan rather than pay numerous sources for multiple smaller loans.



Future Buying Power



Debt consolidation helps you build a favorable credit report or improve your damaged credit report. In time, if you choose to make an investment or purchase and the provider checks your credit report, the results will be positive, enabling you to get the loan or mortgage you require at a later date.



We have been helping people with their debt consolidation needs for over a decade, and our reputation as a full service debt consolidation

company is unsurpassed in the debt consolidationindustry.

Promote your business with the right logo!

A logo is a design or image that represents a company, brand or product. Its aim is to help people identify the company with a positive customer experience. It is the basis of all future branding, advertising and communication strategies. Therefore considerable attention should be paid by the brand owners to develop and create an image that besides being unique will stand the test of time � Remember a logo will outlive people, products and services and exist as long as a company continues to operate.



Background:



The word �logo� is derived from the Greek word �logotipos� meaning a graphic symbol, element or icon of a trademark or brand which is set in a unique typeface or arranged in a particular way.



The three different aspects of a logo are:

Logotype/ word mark /letter mark

Icon: symbol/trademark

Slogan: Tag line



Logos gained enormous popularity in the 19th Century after the Industrial Revolution which led to increase in output, distribution and beginning of competitive markets. Every Company wanted to prove it was the best. Every organization wanted to outshine its competitors which surprise, surprise has not changed. There was a huge upsurge in the market and as a result logos were created in order to enable people to differentiate between products, packages and labels so buyers could easily recognize the product they wanted.



The emergence of logos brought about a revolution in the advertising world. More and more companies began demanding a unique symbol that could be a part of their business for years to come. However, only affluent companies could afford their own logo, crest or emblem.



Concept:

Concept is the most crucial aspect of logo design. The logo needs to undergo rigorous tests in order to create a unique place in the market its brand owners operate in.



While deciding on what kind of logo you want, ask yourself about the kind of image you want to portray about your company � For example cartoons could represent a fun filled company philosophy. Never forget that once decided upon, your logo will be a silent medium that will communicate the company�s ideals and philosophy.



The logo should be impressive and at the same time should not be over dramatic. The design elements need to be as few as possible so that the logo does not appear to be packed with different image components. It should be able to attract the customers the company wants to attract. For example, research shows that using bright colors does not create the brand confidence in finance related companies. Finance companies are advised to stick by the traditional grey, blues and reds (remember the bankers� grey and blue pinstripe suits!!) by the marketing gurus! Though for every rule the pundits ask you to stick by, there are highly successful designs that just do the opposite - ING�s logo with its orange color image does exactly the opposite of what research and popular wisdom suggests but still creates a highly unique and recognizable symbol.



It is felt that certain elements make up a credible and a high quality logo. These are:

A logo should be different from your competitors. In my view there is no point being another face in the crowd. So stand out and if you dare, be different. Sometimes breaking rules and conventions may work in your favour. Evaluate maverick design ideas and themes.

It should reflect the companies business, products/services.

It should be easy to compress and still uniquely retain its design elements.



When finalizing your logo design think about your target market and ask these questions:

1) By looking at your logo image, will they be able to guess what the company products/services are.

2) Will they see the image as a representation of professional, reliable company � A company that delivers on its promise?



Remember the logo is not to please you but your customers. Why? Because they are the ones who pay your salaries. They are the ones who will help you buy that lovely apartment with water views!



The most simple yet difficult thing to do is to ignore and forget about what your personal likes and dislikes are with respect to colors, images and font styles and try to see from your target customer segments� point of view. Easier said than done, but if you can, you will have a logo that will be recognizable.



Significance:

A well designed logo can raise the image of a company it represents. It establishes the credibility of the company. Potential customers form an opinion of a business within seconds and the logo plays a significant part in determining this.



Each aspect of the logo�s design should be carefully analyzed in order to ensure that the right message is being communicated.



Logos leave remarkable impressions that have a lasting and a deep impact on the hearts and minds of the viewers.



Author Alok Vats is related with many maverick graphic and website design activities at Maverick Mav. Maverick Mav provides affordable graphic design, logo design, web design, stationery design, illustration design and much more. They have recently launched the cartoon logo design service.

About Winter Sports Travel Insurance

As the days grow shorter and summer becomes a memory, many of us will be turning our thoughts towards planning a winter vacation, especially one involving winter sports such as skiing. Travel insurance is an often overlooked part of holiday planning, but if you plan on taking part in sporting activites then it really is essential.



A normal travel insurance policy will probably not be up to the standard you need for winter sports, and if things go wrong you could be left facing a huge bill. So what features should you be looking for in a policy?



- Injury Cover



No matter how accomplished a skiier you are, hurtling down a mountain is always going to be more risky than simply lying on a beach working on a tan. And if you do have an accident, a mountainside isn't the easiest place for medical services to reach. If you're unlucky enough to need a mountain rescue or airlift to hospital, you'll be facing a bill running into the thousands even before you get medical attention. This sort of expense is likely to be specifically excluded on a standard insurance policy, but will be an integral part of almost any winter sports cover.



- Equipment



Most winter sports require expensive equipment, and where there are valuables there's always the chance of theft. Your insurance should provide enough cover to fully replace your equipment with brand new items if necessary, right there at the resort. Even if you plan to hire your equipment, the hire company will probably require insurance - and your own policy is likely to be cheaper than the standard one they'll try to sell you.



- Liability



Even the best skiiers or snowboarders can be involved in an accident in which someone else gets injured. Whether or not an accident is your fault, you could end up being taken to court and this is usually a long and expensive process. A decent insurance policy will cover costs from any legal proceedings and / or compensation payments.



- Closure of Piste



If bad weather (or warm weather!) means that the pistes are closed and you can't ski, your policy should pay you compensation to cover the costs of any pre-booked lessons or lift fees, and many will even include a payment simply to cover the inconvenience of not being able to ski.



- Off Piste



A final point to note is that a standard winter sports policy will probably only cover you for accidents that occur when skiing on designated pistes. If you plan to go off-piste, then make sure your insurance will cover this - you'll probably have to pay a supplement.



As with most kinds of insurance, paying out for travel insurance can seem like a waste of money. However, if you find yourself caught up in an accident on the mountainside then the costs involved can be truly frightening and you'll be glad you took the time to arrange adequate cover in advance!



Nick Hunt is a contributing writer for 1Stop Personal Finance, where you can read more about winter sports insurance in the travel insurance section of the site.

Which Kind Of Credit Card Should I Choose?

As even the briefest search on the internet will show you, there are thousands of credit cards available from many different providers, and even more sites offering advice on which card you should choose. Most card advertisements and promotions make a lot of noise about attention-grabbing features such as market-leading low rates, long balance transfer deal introductory periods, or enticing cashback or rewards programs, but some or all of these features may be irrelevant to you no matter how good they look.



What really matters when choosing a new card to apply for is getting the card with the right mix of features to suit the way you plan to use it. To ensure that you get the best deal available it pays to take a little time out to think about the ways in which you normally use your card.



In today's increasingly cashless society, many people use plastic as simply a convenient payment method, clearing their balance in full every month. This frees them from having to carry large amounts of cash around, and makes it easier to keep track of their spending with online account management and the like. If this is the way you plan to use your card, then the interest rate doesn't really matter to you. Considering that you'll be clearing your balance every month, then you shouldn't be charged interest at all.



What's more important is to get a card that rewards you in some way for using it, either through cashback where a small percentage of everything you spend is credited back to your account, or with a rewards program that will allow you to build up points which you can later redeem to get cheaper goods or services.



If you plan to use your card to fund larger purchases such as home electricals, with the repayments being spread over several months, then the APR of a card is the single most important feature to look for. A low APR means that more of your repayments go towards clearing your debt rather than servicing the interest charges. This means that your debt will be cleared more quickly, and will have cost you less to take out in the first place. It may also be worth looking for a card which offers a long 0% introductory period on purchases, with many cards now offering a deal of 12 months or even longer.



The most common way of spending with a card is to have a mix of large and small purchases, repaying a reasonable portion of your spending each month but sometimes carrying a balance over if funds are a little short. It's also common to want to transfer a debt from a more expensive account such as an older credit card or an expensive overdraft. For this kind of mixed use, a relatively new kind of card can be a good fit.



A 'flat rate' card charges the same low interest rate for each type of card use, whether purchases, balance transfers, or even cash withdrawals. The low interest rate means that your credit costs less and can be cleared more quickly, and the simplicity offered by having just one APR for everything means you know exactly where you stand.



So no matter how impressive a new credit card may seem, with a wide range of eyecatching features, it really pays to decide which one to apply for based on your own needs and spending habits rather than the features that card issuers tell you are the most important!



Michael is a writer for UK credit cards site Card Sense, where you can compare balance transfers and cashback deals as well as read general credit card articles and news.

All About Basil

Basil is one of the most popular herbs used in cooking today. It is a very versatile herb, and is used in Italian, Thai and Vietnamese cuisines amongst many others.



It has a warm, aromatic but gentle flavor, with a hint of spicey aniseed. It's well known that it goes extremely well with tomatoes, where it can be served raw in salads such as the classic Italian Caprese, or cooked into a rich tomato sauce for pasta or other hot dishes.



Basil is also popular as the prime ingredient of pesto sauce (known as pistou in France), which is made by pounding fresh basil leaves with pine kernals, olive oil, parmesan cheese and garlic to produce the distinctive thick green sauce so often used with spaghetti or as a dipping condiment.



Like most herbs, basil is widely available in both fresh and dried forms. Again like most herbs, the fresh version is generally considered to be superior. If you come across a cheap and bountiful supply of the fresh herb, you can dry it slowly in a very low oven before crumbling it and storing in airtight jars. This method of preserving it costs much in terms of flavour though, and a better option is to puree the leaves and freeze into ice cubes, which can then be dropped from frozen straight into the recipe you're cooking.



Basil can be quite expensive to buy in the fresh form, so if you become a fan of the herb you might like to try growing it yourself - it's much cheaper that way, and you can also ensure that the leaves you're using will be as fresh as can be! It's also one of the easier herbs to grow and so is ideal for beginners.



Basil is a native of warm climates, and so needs to be planted in a sunny and sheltered spot if it is to flourish. If you have a patio or terrace with a south facing wall, then sowing it in a pot there is ideal. It's all the better too if you can grow it close to your kitchen for easy picking whenever you need it!



Left to itself, basil will tend to grow into a tall, thin, ungenerous-looking plant with little in the way of edible leaves. You can encourage a more rewardingly bushy growth by 'pinching out' the plant as it grows, removing the top young leaves to encourage more sideways growth. Harvesting the herb regularly will also encourage more vigorous growth.



Basil is a tender annual, and will die off quickly in cold weather. You may be able to prolong its life by bringing it indoors at the first sign of a cold snap, or you could sow a succession of new plants indoors for a year-round supply.



Although it is mainly a culinary herb, basil does have some minor antiseptic properties, but is not widely used medicinally by herbalists. It is however a member of the wider mint herb family, and in common with its relatives it's said to be a good digestive aid.



There are many varieties of basil available, but the most popular are the Genovese type which gives the typical authentic italian flavour and aroma, and the purple-leaved 'holy' basil which is used more often in Asian cooking.



Whichever variety you choose, and whether you decide to buy it or grow it, basil is a treat for your senses and a great addition to your culinary toolbox.



Andrea is a keen cook and food writer, and runs a kitchen accessories site, which features a wide range of cooking products from chopping boards to coffee machines.

Taking Stock of Leftovers

There's nothing more impressive to serve up at a big occasion than a large roasted bird, whether a duck, a turkey or a goose. As well as being delicious, a roast of this kind will be a centerpiece of a festive or celebratory meal, giving a real feeling of luxury and extravagence to your guests.



However, once the theatre of carving and the enjoyment of the feast is over, you'll invariably have to deal with a substantial amount of leftovers. Cold cuts with pickles is a favourite, and a real treat for the day after, but by the third or fourth helping this might start to pall, and you may even begin to regret buying such an impressively large bird.



Even in today's disposable society, the idea of throwing a roast into the garbage when there's still so much to be gained from it seems like such a waste, but what can you do when you can't stand the thought of another cold slice of poultry?



The answer is to make a stock, capturing the flavour of the bird in a handy liquid form that can be used for weeks or even months afterwards, adding an extra layer of taste to your day to day meals.



The process of making a stock is actually very simple, even if it's one of those topics sometimes shrouded in a sense of cheffy mystery. To begin, strip as much meat off the bones as you feel you might want to keep, leaving behind all the fatty or otherwise inedible pieces. Break the bones up into manageable pieces with a pair of strong kitchen scissors, and put them into a roasting tin along with any scraps of skin or meat that are remaining.



Roast the mixture in a hot oven until the bones take on some color - the more color, the better the flavor, although you want to avoid actually burning it.



Once you think the bones have been roasted to perfection, the next step is to add them to a large pan along with some basic flavorings such as a carrot, some celery, a small onion - anything you have to hand in your storecupboard. Fill the pan with enough water to cover the contents, bring to the boil, and simmer gently for at least an hour, preferably two or three.



Many people also like to add some peppercorns to their stockpot before cooking, or even herbs such as bay or thyme. The important thing to remember is that you shouldn't introduce too many strong flavors that will overpower the meat, and also to be very restrained with seasoning - as the stock cooks and the liquid evaporates, the flavor will become more intense, and if you've added salt it may become overpowering. To be safe, only use salt right at the end of the cooking process.



Once the stock has been simmering for an hour or three, strain it through a fine seive, or even better a double thickness of muslin. At this point you can discard all the solids, as they will have done their job by giving up all their flavour to the liquid.



Your basic stock is now finished, and can be used to make a wholesome broth with the meat you previously stripped off the bones. Alternatively, a simple way of preserving your stock for future use is to reduce it down by boiling until it's a thick, powerfully flavoured liquid with an almost syrup-like consistency.



This can then be frozen in an ice cube tray, with a cube or two being added to future recipes in place of a stock cube or powder, giving your meals a memory of your festive feast for months to come.



Andrea writes for Recipedia, a glossary of food and drink terms, containing hundreds of entries in topics from pasta to sparkling wine.

The Downsides to Debt Consolidation

There's no doubt you'll have heard plenty about debt consolidation loans - our TV screens are full of adverts promising freedom from financial worry, and the internet is positively flooded with solicitations to lock in a low rate with a refinancing package.



If you're having difficulties keeping up with your bills and credit repayments, or even facing the prospect of recovery action on overdue installments, then the idea of debt consolidation can be very seductive. By combining all your current debts into one single loan, the theory goes, you'll be benefitting from both a reduction in your monthly repayment amount and a lifting of the stress caused by constantly having to juggle your finances.



But is debt consolidation really as simple as all that? Of course there are benefits to restructuring your financial life in this way, and the adverts aren't shy of pointing out the positive side, but before embarking on this course of action there are a few negative aspects you'd be well advised to consider. Only then can you make a fully informed decision on whether debt consolidation is right for you.



Firstly, in order to secure a lower monthly repayment you either have to get credit at a lower interest rate, or spread your payments over a longer period. Most consolidation packages rely on a combination of both, but it's almost certain that the deal will involve a lengthy loan term. This means that you'll be paying interest on your debt for longer, and the total amount of interest you'll be charged will in the long run be higher. You may feel that this is a price worth paying for reducing your monthly bills to a more manageable level, and you may indeed feel you have little other choice, but it's a point to bear in mind.



Another potential problem with consolidation is that, in a sense, you're giving yourself a fresh start financially. You're wiping out all those worrying debts and getting your finances back under control. This is of course a good thing - but you'll be left with all your old credit card accounts with a zero balance, and all the temptations to spend that that may provide. If you're not careful, you could end up in an even worse situation - having to pay back a large loan while running up new debts at the same time.



This pitfall can of course be avoided by cancelling your card accounts at the same time as you clear the balances, and it is strongly advisable that you do this.



The final problem to bear in mind is that by consolidating you will probably be shifting unsecured debt into a secured loan using your home as collateral. This means that if, in the future, you fall behind with your payments, you could risk losing your home as your creditor calls in the debt through foreclosure. This is a serious drawback, and if most of your current debt is unsecured then you might wish to explore every other possibility before tying it up to your home.



So, is debt consolidation an altogether bad option for sorting out your finances? Not at all. It can be a very effective strategy for dealing with problem debts, but it shouldn't be entered into blindly, no matter how attractive the advertisements may appear.



Michael has been writing on personal finance matters for several years, and is currently working for LoanTime.co.uk where you can compare personal loans, secured loans and bad credit loans.