How To Haggle

We're all broke at the moment. Petrol's gone up by 25%, VAT's now at 20%, and food went up 4% last year compared to 2% the year before. As shoppers, we need to smarten up. Haggling's been around for centuries and it's time to take action! Electrical goods Check the online price first, as it's often less than in store. Armed with your evidence, ask the assistant in a friendly way if they can match the online price. If they say no, politely suggest that the manager might like to offer a discount. You could get up to 20% off this way. You could also check the prices in other stores. John Lewis and Asda, for example, offer to match prices in other stores, even sale and special offer prices. Nights out If you're booking a restaurant for at least six people for a special occasion, call the manager...

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Become Debt Free in 2011

Being in debt is not a good place to be. Psychologists maintain that debts cause anxiety, lowers performance and induces low self esteem. You may look rich, talk rich, walk rich but deep down inside, you know you are anything but rich. Being in debt simply means spending tomorrow’s money today. Debt mortgages your financial future, reduces your current cash flow and puts unnecessary pressure on your financials, often rendering you incapable of making decisions that will put you back in control of your finances. The debtor is a slave to the lender, so goes ancient words of wisdom. Financial freedom also means freedom from debt. Getting out of debt is one of the first key steps in the journey to financial freedom. In the world of personal finance, there are two types of debts – good debts and...

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Low Self Esteem Symptoms

Do you think you, or someone you know, may have low self esteem? Are you a little unsure if it is low self esteem, low self confidence, or anxiety or depression? The following low self esteem symptoms may help you decide if it is your self esteem which should be worked on, or another area of development. If you think someone else may suffer from low self esteem, it may be best to show them this article, and let them figure it out for themselves, rather than try and push your opinions on them. Having said that, some people do need a nudge in the right direction so it is about finding a balance. Low self esteem symptoms may include the following: Complaining and blaming others: People with low self esteem often feel their misfortune is someone/something else’s fault and life has dealt them...

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BofA to spin off $5 billion private equity unit

(Reuters) - Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) plans to spin off its last large private equity fund, with more than $5 billion in assets, and has no plans to make new private equity investments, a company spokesman said on Tuesday. Bank of America, the largest U.S. bank by assets, will spin off BAML Capital Partners into its own unnamed firm. The firm would then manage the bank's private equity assets for a fee -- winding those positions down over time -- and could begin accepting outside investors. The assets will remain on BofA's balance sheet until they are wound down. Company spokesman Jerry Dubrowski said BofA determined the business was "not strategically critical to customers and our clients" and the decision was made to spin off the unit. Dubrowski said the head of the new firm had...

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Japan eyes sales tax rise to pay for post-quake rebuild

(Reuters) - Japanese consumers may have to help foot the reconstruction bill after last month's earthquake and tsunami caused $300 billion of damage, further burdening the hugely indebted economy, a newspaper said on Tuesday. It would be the first increase since 1997, though a sales tax hike had been the subject of fierce political debate before the earthquake struck as one way for Japan to dig itself out of its massive debt. The government is considering raising the tax by 3 percentage points to 8 percent when the new fiscal year starts next April, the Yomiuri newspaper reported. "It was clear even before this disaster and the need to secure funds for reconstruction that to ensure a sustainable fiscal situation, some sort of reform of spending and revenues was necessary," said Internal...

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Yahoo earnings beat estimates, sales fall

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Yahoo Inc. on Tuesday reported a smaller-than-forecast decline in quarterly profit, as the Internet search and advertising company presses ahead with an ongoing turnaround effort. Yahoo’s earnings for the first quarter beat Wall Street estimates, and its shares of rose more than 2% in after-hours trading, following the report. Sprint looks to share network Sprint Nextel is in advanced talks to rent space on its wireless network to start-ups LightSquared and Clearwire, a move driven by consolidation and cost-cutting. Spencer Ante reports. Yahoo YHOO +3.47% said net income fell to $223 million, or 17 cents a share, compared to $310.2 million, or 22 cents a share, in the same quarter last year. The Sunnyvale, Calif., firm said net revenue for the period ended...

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Gold Tops $1,500 on Outlook for Escalating U.S. Debt, Dollar

Gold futures rose to a record $1,500.50 an ounce as U.S. debt concerns weighed on the dollar, boosting demand for the precious metal as an alternative investment. Silver surged to a 1980 high. The greenback dropped against the euro on speculation that the European Central Bank will continue to raise borrowing costs as some nations struggle to contain sovereign debt. Standard & Poor’s yesterday revised its long-term outlook on U.S. debt to negative from stable. Gold has climbed 32 percent in the past year, and silver prices have more than doubled. “The U.S. credit rating will undoubtedly be lowered in the next few years,” said Michael Pento, a senior economist at Euro Pacific Capital in New York. “This will mean much higher borrowing costs and a much lower currency. International investors...

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Do you think you will be rich one day?

In this land of opportunity, Americans may believe that it's harder to get rich than it used to be. But when asked about the likelihood of getting rich personally, one-third say it's very or somewhat likely that they will attain wealth because of their work, investments, inheritance or good luck. On the other hand, six out of 10 (63 percent) say it's not too or not at all likely they'll get rich. Just 2 percent volunteered that they're already rich. Bankrate commissioned Princeton Survey Research Associates International to explore how people feel about their chances for prosperity, as well as how they define wealth and their motivations for pursuing it. Hope springs eternal -- for the young. More than half of those aged 18 to 29 (54 percent), believe they will get rich. Meanwhile, cynicism...

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Not everyone thrives in the typical office environment.

The vast expanses of utilitarian cubicle farms are best left to those whose personalities jibe more with logical and structural tasks as opposed to those who lean toward the visual and intuitive, says Judith Gerberg, a New York City-based career development expert and head of Gerberg & Co. You're likely a good fit for an offbeat type of job if you're more driven by self-expression, can work independently and are more holistic by nature, she says. Offbeat jobs can range from relatively benign pursuits, such as acting and software engineering, to hazardous occupations, such as commercial fishing and aerospace operations. Gerberg recommends that you thoroughly assess your skills and the demand for them before setting out to pursue an off-the-beaten-path career because competition for some...

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Money management 101

From the middle class to millionaires, everyone feels a few dollars short of comfort at times. But more money won't necessarily solve financial difficulties. Developing strong money management skills can help you use the money you have today to live the life you want. Plus, when your ship does come in -- the great job, the winning lottery ticket or the inheritance from rich Uncle Bob -- you'll know how to handle it. "People need to have a plan for their money," says Steve Bucci, Bankrate's debt adviser and president of Money Management International Financial Education Foundation. "If you don't have a plan and the other person does have a plan, they're going to win because they have the discipline, goal and desire and you're just sort of playing by ear." And who is the other person? Marketers,...

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5 famous family feuds

Cashing in on family money Blood is thicker than water, as they say. However, perhaps it should be added "but money is thicker than both." Particularly if the blood is blue, it would appear. The truth is, a number of American dynastic families might best be described as "rich, famous -- and feuding." Whether it's Grandma cutting off the heirs, or the heirs allegedly abusing Grandma, there's plenty of evidence that money can't buy a happy home -- no matter how many you own. In fact, it may be the cause of the discord. If the recession has left you feeling poor, the following family feuds may make you glad you don't have a fortune to fight over. When it comes to battling over estates, it would appear, where there's a will, there's a way to fight about it. An Astor-nomical fortune New York...

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If you think rich, you’re much more likely to become rich

If you think rich, you’re much more likely to become rich. This is the unanimous verdict from speaking to every wealthy person I know – and from my own research and experience in the field of generating wealth. This series of articles will show you how to cultivate an abundance mentality – and teach you how to attract more money into your life. It will also demonstrate how to set and reach financial goals, and show you how to totally re-think the way you look at currency. Whilst I’m not going to promise you millions overnight, if you apply the advice in this and the following articles you won’t worry about cash anymore, you’ll stop seeing money as the “be all and end all” of your life – and somehow you’ll almost certainly attract more cash into your life. This is quite a long article...

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10 Things People Buy They Should Get Free

Your mom always told you that money doesn’t grow on trees. She’s right, but then if you don’t waste it, maybe you don’t need one anyway. There are plenty of free things you can pluck from the web as well as from libraries, parks, banks and other businesses. Here’s a look at more than a half dozen valuable freebies: First, take a look at the this recent news story Stacy turned in, then I’ll provide more details. Here’s another look at that list, along with a few more. Free checking. Last week we wrote an article about how, at many banks, free checking was soon to become fee checking. But plenty of banks still offer free checking accounts. SunTrust, for example, offers a free plan with no minimum balance required. And you get free online and ATM service too. Wachovia and U.S. Bank still...

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Can’t Pay Your Taxes? File Anyway

The tax deadline this year is April 18. But if you find that you owe and can’t pay, don’t bury your head in the sand by not filing. File your return on time, then check out these options for dealing with the debt. Over 140 million individual income tax returns are filed every year – and every year, a quarter of Americans wait until the last minute. According to the IRS, only 82 million had filed as of March 25, and “20 to 25 percent of all taxpayers file in the final two weeks of the tax season.” Some people are just procrastinators. Others are reluctant to file out of fear they owe money they don’t have. If you’re in the latter group, there’s a little good news: The filing deadline is not April 15 this year – it’s April 18, thanks to a D.C. holiday. But if that three extra days isn’t enough...

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The 10 Commandments of Wealth and Happiness

One of the stupidest expressions ever coined was “The one who dies with the most toys wins.” When you’re on your death bed, you won’t be thinking about the things you had – you’ll be thinking about the times you had. So here goes: the 10 commandments of achieving financial independence and being happier while you do it … 1. Thou shalt live like you’re going to die tomorrow, but invest like you’re going to live forever. The ease of making money in stocks, real estate, or other risk-based assets is inversely proportional to your time horizon. In other words, making money over long periods of time is easy – making money overnight is the flip of a coin. Money is like a tree: Plant it properly, care for it every so often, then wait patiently. Stare at a newly planted tree for 24 hours, and you’ll...

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