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It looks intimidating, doesn’t it? That room at the gym where they have classes with
names like Cardio Kickboxing, Step Funk and Pump ‘n’ Jump. As you’ve walked by,
you’ve watched the exercisers out of the corner of your eye - it looks like loads of
fun. But you know you could never do that - you trip over yourself walking from the
Stairmaster to the treadmill, both of which are getting really boring. Well,
guess what? If for a few minutes you can stop telling yourself that you can’t
do cardio dance, maybe - just maybe - you’ll discover that you actually can.

Granted, if you seriously have a problem moving and counting to four at the same
time, one count for each step, then cardio dance is probably not for you. If you can
count to eight while moving, then there’s a chance you may actually become good at
it. Can you step-touch? Meaning, can you take a step to the side and bring your
other foot to meet it? Can you march in place? Can you step forward with one foot
and then raise the other knee? Can you step forward with one foot and, while
standing on that foot, raise the other knee three times? If you can do that, then
you’ve already performed a cardio dance move - it’s called a ‘repeater’ (a rather
obvious name for repeating the same knee lift more than once). It only gets better
from here on.

Here are some tips that will help you make the most out of your cardio dance
experience:

1. Dress properly, including and especially your footwear! The right shoes
   can make your cardio class a joy; the wrong ones can cause injury. With cardio
   dance, you are moving sideways quite a bit, as opposed to forward, like you do
   when you walk or run. So you will need shoes made especially for cardio dance. If
   you don’t want to invest in shoes specifically for cardio dance right away, at the very
   least make sure you have cross-trainers - that way, if the classes don’t work out for
   you, you can use them for other activities. If you’re a woman, make sure you’re
   wearing an athletic bra that gives you a lot of support, even if you’re doing a low-
   impact class - a jogging bra, at the very least. You really don’t want to be flopping
   around - it’s uncomfortable, and if you’re more than a B cup, it’s downright
   painful.
2. When come to class for the first time, show up early and let the instructor know
   you’re a beginner. That way he or she can take some extra time with you or at least
   make sure you’re in a spot where you can see what’s going on.
3. Start off with a simple class, something with a name like ‘Beginning Aerobics’
   or ‘Hi-Lo I.’ Don’t even think about the ‘Tae-Yo-Fusion-Funk-Pump III’ class yet!
   Go as basic as possible. When you’re starting to get bored of basic, then try
   something more advanced or adventuresome, like a funk class or a Step class.
4. Follow the instructor as if you’re looking at a mirror. Don’t think about right and
   left too much - that can get confusing. Just imitate/ mirror what the instructor is
   doing to the best of your ability. Don’t think about it too much. Thinking gets in the
   way of doing. The less you think, the better off you will be.
5. Once the class has a basic step down, the instructor will usually try to change it
   a little, add something fancy like a special kick or a different way of stepping or -
   yikes! - a turn. If you are an absolute beginner at aerobics, this may throw you at
   first. Don’t worry - just keep doing the basic step the way you were originally
   taught. Or if you do try the new way and you get lost, go back to the basic move.
   Always, if you get confused go back to the original step until you get your
   bearings.
6. Instructors will often add arm moves to your foot moves. Consider those
   optional for now. Arm moves are good because they add intensity and help get your
   heart rate up, especially if your arms remain at or above heart level. But if you’re
   starting off, they can be really confounding. Try them only when you feel really
   confident with what your feet are doing.
7. Your cardio class will often end with a bit of strength training. Do the moves
   mindfully. With many of these classes, you’re only using light weights, or body
   resistance, so you must focus on the muscles being worked, or you won’t get much
   of a workout. And if you can’t do those last couple of crunches, don’t sweat it. It’s
   not a competition.
8. If you get one of those cheerleading instructors who wants you to yell and
   scream and you aren’t the yelling, screaming type - then don’t! Seriously, vocal
   participation is not necessary. Let everyone else look silly.
9. If you’re really shy about doing cardio dance around a crowd of people, then try
   some videos at home first. There are loads of cardio dance DVDs out there for all
   levels of fitness. Just make sure to read the reviews first to make sure they are
   appropriate for your beginner’s level.
10. Here’s the real beauty of working out to cardio dance videos - you can pause
    the routine and backtrack as many times as you want until you get a step down. The
    first couple of times, accept the fact that you may not get too much of a workout
    because you are learning the moves (part of the enjoyment should come from
    learning, really). But after that, you should be fine. One caveat - be careful of doing
    some moves on carpet, especially anything where you’re leaping around, turning or
    sliding your feet on the ground. And make sure you’ve cleared some room - it’s no
    fun to step-kick your coffee table.

If you keep coming back to your cardio dance classes, the time will come when
everything falls into place and you feel like you’re lighter than air. Enjoy it - that
feeling of exhilaration is the dancer’s high, and there’s nothing quite like it.

Janiss Garza lives for cardio dance! She is also editor-in-chief of
http://www.yourexercisedvds.com, which contains
hundreds of expert reviews of cardio, toning, Pilates and yoga DVDs. What’s more,
readers can rate and review the DVDs too! Learn all about your DVD workouts
before you buy at
http://www.yourexercisedvds.com.

Have you ever paid attention to the states you are in during your day? Are there moments when you become particularly aware of yourself? Why don’t you check in with yourself right now and notice the state you are in? How does your body feel (calm, tired, energetic, excited, tense, etc.)? What occupies your thoughts (people, tasks, future, past, etc.)? Do you feel any emotions (happiness, anxiety, anticipation, etc.), and if so, how do you feel them (e.g. warmth in your chest, knot in your stomach, etc.)? Your state relates to your physical well-being, as well as your thoughts and emotions.

Most people do not realize that we are constantly in a state. In fact, we ‘cannot not’ be in a state. Even if we were devoid of a physical, intellectual and emotional internal process, that would be a state in itself. As long as you walk this earth you are going to be in one state or another; And if you are like most of us, you will be going through a wide variety of states on a daily basis, sometimes changing between states in a matter of minutes or even seconds.

States can be resourceful (happy, motivated, creative, etc.) or non-resourceful (angry, resentful, fearful, etc.). People who spend the majority of their time in resourceful states are more likely to lead a successful and gratifying life, even if not necessarily an easy life (does anyone?). If you are in a resourceful state you can make the best of any situation. It is the number one criterion to success in any walk of life. Likewise, if you are in a non-resourceful state you will say and do things that draw tension and complications into your life.

So the million-dollar question is this: How do you maintain a resourceful state in the midst of the many challenges you face every day? The answer is easy in theory (and of course, not so easy in practice). First, know your states and what triggers them. Second, neutralize the triggers that put you in non-resourceful states. Third, optimize and add to the triggers that activate your resourceful states.

Let’s start with knowing your states and what triggers them. This takes some practice in the art of introspection. Check in with yourself several times a day, noticing you state. What does your body feel like? What are your thoughts and emotions? Once you have noticed your state, think about how this state limits or empowers you. Is it a desirable state? Do you like yourself in that state? Next, track back in time to the moment that state started and ask yourself, “What started it?” Was it a phone call from your friend? Did you remember something important? Did you succeed or fail at something? Link you state to a particular incident, something that triggered it. For example: You got your paycheck in the mail (trigger) and are in a relaxed, upbeat state as a result of it. If you do this kind of introspection on a daily basis, you will get a good idea of what your main states are and what triggers them.

The second step is to neutralize those triggers that put you in a non-resourceful state. There are several ways to do this, depending on what kind of trigger you are dealing with. For example, if you enter a non-resourceful state every time you get an email from a person you have been avoiding, you might neutralize this trigger (the email) by contacting that person and clarifying the unresolved issues that bother you. After you have done this, you will either no longer receive emails from that person or it will not negatively affect your state if you do. In other words, ‘clean out your closet’ and you will clean out a significant amount of triggers that put you in non-resourceful states.

If your negative triggers have something to do with bad or even traumatizing experiences from the past, you have the option of seeking professional help (coaching, therapy). If you want to work on it yourself, you can try the following: Ask yourself what being in the non-resourceful state, which this particular trigger (relating to a negative past experience) causes, does for you. Ask your negative state (anger, fear, etc.) internally, as if you were speaking to a person: “What is your positive intent for me?” In many cases you will receive an answer from inside that sounds a little bit like this: “To keep you safe from X happening again.” In this case your negative state actually acts as a protective mechanism that is trying to spare you from harm.

For example, if you have been in a bad car accident you will most likely become fearful when sitting as a passenger in a speeding car. Instead of being silently paralyzed by fear, and vowing never again to get yourself into this position, wouldn’t it be better to ask the driver: “Could you please slow down? It bothers me that we are going so fast.” In order to get to the point where you speak up and make this request of the driver, you first have to ask your fear “What is it you want for me?” The answer will most likely be “Safety.” Once you know what your non-resourceful state is after (in this case: Safety), you can figure out a better way to get it, e.g. speak up and take charge instead of being frozen by fear.

Thirdly, optimize and add to the triggers that put you in resourceful states. Having made a list of all your states and their corresponding triggers, sort out those states that you find most empowering. These states produce harmony, efficiency, and enthusiasm in your life. Again, notice what triggered those states. It could have been an event, a person, or a memory. See if there is a main theme among those positive triggers. Do they all have to do with your partner, your kids, your hobby or a concept like ‘helping people’? Try to find one or more headlines for your positive triggers.

Now you can consciously design a schedule that involves a good spread of those triggers throughout your week. It helps to have at least three of them (even if little ones) every day; A strong positive trigger in the morning will set the stage for your daily state. Most likely the trigger will be an activity you enjoy like riding your bike, meditating, listening to music, or interacting with loved ones. Lastly, if you can, finish you day in a resourceful state by planting a positive trigger in the evening (nice meal, reading a book, spending time with a loved one, etc.). When you build a foundation of positive triggers into your daily routine, you will find that in time your base state will be a resourceful state – your foundation of happiness.

Christoph Schertler is a certified NLP Trainer/NLP Coach and feels passionate about empowering others. He has trained with some of the biggest names in the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and has experienced how NLP transforms and enriches people’s lives first hand.

He is currently working on growing his own NLP business, PEC - Personal Empowerment Coaching, LLC, based in Southern California. If you are interested in PEC services or want to learn more about NLP, visit http://www.pecoaching.com and sign up for the free bi-weekly Ezine: NLP – The Secret Science of Self-Empowerment.

Fundamentals of web design

It’s great that your website is designed in an artistic and splendid manner. But it will fail to attract and sustain visitors if it does not have a neat , consistent, and intuitive navigational interface at its disposal . There can be no denying that those oblivious of this fact are inching toward their doom on the web. This writing seems to be on the walls…

If the surfers get lost in your site, wanting to get what they look for, probably you are not navigating well toward what your web presence inherently stands for.

Admit it. You, too, are lost. The Web gives nothing to surfers if not easy navigation alternatives.

Solutions at hand? If you manage to persuade your first-time visitors to make one step further from wherever they happen to be, the probability of them getting fairly involved with the content, and the site itself gets a boost. Here are a few considerations that will help you smoothly sail through your navigation system that your site needs to have.

How surfers wish to be guided while they explore your site?

Your website should give a clear idea to the surfers as to where they are at the moment, where they have been few moments ago, and where all they can go rightaway. Let’s see in pretty details what the options in each case are.

Letting the visitor know where they are

There is an array of techniques to opt for on your website to tell your visitors where they are. One of the options is to have a clear navigation menu in a prominent location, generally, the left margin or across the top of your page. The current page should be clearly distinguished from the other navigation menu options. This can be accomplished in ways like:

- If you employ images for your menu options, you can do so by using a different image for the button indicating the current page.

- If you employ an HTML table, mark the cell corresponding to the current page. This can be done by using a different cell background color.

- You choose use a different font type or color.

Another effective way of letting your visitors know where they are is to use a ‘breadcrumb trail’. A breadcrumb trail clearly shows the path right from the homepage to the current page. Each component of the path should be hyperlinked to its corresponding web page. Here is an example of a breadcrumb. It is usually found near the top of the page: Home > Articles > Web Design > Current Article

Letting the visitors have an idea where they have been a short while ago

Doing so is very simple and straight forward. The simplest way to tell your visitors where they’ve been is to give your visited links a different color.

The standard color for visited links is purple, just the same as the standard color for unvisited links is blue. Though the use of these standard colors is highly recommended, you can, however, choose a color other than blue for your unvisited links. The underlying consideration is that you better choose a more subdued tonality of color for visited links. To make it clear, if you use dark green for unvisited links, use light green for visited links

Letting the visitors know where all they can go

On your website, the best way to let your visitors know where they can go is to provide a clear navigation menu. Here are some guidelines that will help you out.

- Related navigation options may be grouped in clusters. Microsoft’s home page is a fine example for this.

- Make sure the most popular destinations in your site are prominently located or emphasized in your navigation menu.
Like for example, Yahoo! presents the links to its most popular sections in bold.

- Never link to all sections of the site from every section. Mostly, it is enough to link only to the most relevant sections, and to provide a link to the homepage, where comprehensive navigation choices can be offered.

Besides your navigation menu, you can provide your visitors with a Site Map. Some users will be comfortable with it rather than trying to find their way around your site using your navigation menu.

If your site happens to be more than just a simple company brochure, you should provide “ search capabilities ” and include a visible search box in your homepage. The most preferred location for the search box is at the upper right corner of the page.

The search box need not be provided in all the pages of your site. However, a link to a page must be provided to enable your visitors access the Search function. That link must be prominently visible and be named ‘Search’.

What to simply avoid in your navigation system

- Never scatter your links haphazardly throughout the page

- Make sure you do not put your menus only at the bottom of every page

- Never ever make the hyperlinks the same color as the rest of the text

- Avoid to make the text very, very small or in a strange font

- Do not let the menu actually move around the screen

- Exercise restraint to put the menus on a popup window or console of some kind

Your navigation system should make the headway…

- For your company logo prominently displayed on every site

- For facilitating people to contact you

- For due enrichment of your website as it grows over time

- For linking every page to the home page

- For keeping it simple and plain—and not surprising anyone

- For keeping it consistent and for providing context.

The bottomline: Effective navigation essentially calls for being surfer-friendly

It is highly imperative for your website that it is surfer-friendly. It simply means that if it is nice looking, it will not suffice. It has to be easy to surf through as well. All pages on the site should be accessible with ease, with only one or two mouse clicks, and the navigation must be easily understandable.

This way, you will keep visitors on the site longer, and have them come back quite often. Remember, content and other stuff may be crucial but only if your visitors are able to find them.

Deepak Sharma is a Web Designer at BlueApple, a Web Design and Development Company with a well connected development infrastructure in India having a strong portfolio with global clientele and offering superior web services and solutions at competitive costs.

‘God gives us different passions so that everything He wants done in the world will get done.’
Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

Do you remember finding a dream that you just couldn’t wait to pursue? You faced every day with a new (perhaps renewed!) enthusiasm and resolve! Sometimes, however, as we each wait for our dream to take shape, mature and come to fruition, we lose sight of what originally inspired us to have such a dream or vision. In the everyday efforts of pursuing a dream — which often means ‘roll up our sleeves’ and ‘get to work’– we forget some of the things that motivated us early on: the excitement of using our abilities more fully, of helping others, and finding a purposeful life. Instead, we often get de-railed, or discouraged. When those times occur, it is especially helpful to go back to the basic issues to ‘get back on track.’

The ‘Basics’
We talked about the importance of making sure we have drawn upon the deep heart desires God has given us, and of trusting that He will be a partner in granting those desires and in making our plans succeed. We talked about the growing of our dream, and that it will likely go through different stages. In the meantime, we are also growing in character and wisdom to equal the dream we have embraced. (See Getting Back to Basics, Part 1, August 2005, http://www.followyourheart.info/articles/art200508pr.html)

What else is there to think about? Speaking from my own experience, I believe it is helpful to look again at God’s promises and remember their initial offer of hope when we first discovered our dream. They can continue to offer hope and inspiration as we follow that dream. The last chapter of my book, Follow Your Heart and Discover God’s Dream for You, is called ‘Promises to Keep You Going.’ That chapter was written because in writing that book, and as I completed the book and sought a publisher, there were many times of testing and uncertainty. Sometimes I wondered if my efforts where a whim, sometimes they were intimidating, and sometimes I wondered if they would ever succeed at all.

What I did when those occasions happened was to first look at the things we have been reviewing. I went through a checklist, and you can do the same, asking:

• does my dream really motivate me and incorporate my strongest passions?
• did I pick the dream that ‘won’t let go’, even though there were reasons why it might not have been the most logical dream? (When I returned to that dream it was immediately clear that I had a peace about it, in spite of the uncertainties surrounding it. Could peace be God’s homing device to guide and direct us to our destination?)
• do I understand my dream has to go through several stages and ‘grow’?
• do I trust God to fulfill my dream according to His timing and purpose, and to give up any ‘perceived’ control of my own?

After answering those questions with a strong ‘yes’, and knowing that no other dream so completely captured the deep passions within I felt God had given me, I resolved to trust Him to see my dream blossom and grow. (And I am glad I did!)

God’s Promises
What I did next was to keep returning to God’s promises— they were what really ‘kept me going.’ I believe He plants His desires for our life within us, until those desires grow, become stronger, and catch our attention. He certainly is interested, then, in helping and seeing those very desires fulfilled. I was interested in the promises that spoke to these issues, and what might be required of me to do.

One of the key things I realized is that God is deeply involved in our dreams and lives. He has given us ‘his very great and precious promises.’ (2 Peter 1:4)
I decided to take them at face value, and assume they mean exactly that they say.
(Without trying to over-analyze them.)

• I ‘willed’ myself to believe them, because my will has more power than my feelings.
• I was willing, if it depended on my action or response, to take that step.

So, what were some of the promises that kept me and my dream going? I am going to concentrate on our heart’s desires, on guidance, and on joy and abundance. To me these were key promises that spoke of an active involvement of God on our behalf– in our yearnings, in guiding and watching over us, in counseling us, and in giving us life ‘to the full.’

Heart’s Desires:
‘Delight yourself also in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Ps. 37:4)
‘May he give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed.’ (Ps. 20:4)

Guidance:
‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go: I will counsel you and watch over you.’ (Ps. 32:8)
‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you
In the way you should go.’ (Isa. 48:17)

Joy/Abundance:
‘Until now ;you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.’ (Jn. 16:24)
‘…I am come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’ (Jn. 10:10)

Our Mission
Finally, in addition to believing God’s promises, I believe too that our mission in life is a law ‘written in our members’. God has already revealed His will for us relating to our vocation and mission. We start to discern that will as we discern the motivations and talents we have been given. This discernment is what started me on my own dream journey, a journey I share with all dream seekers. I felt I was being true to myself, and to true to whatever gifts or abilities God had given me.

It is my hope that as you follow your heart and dreams, you will continue to discover the purposes He has for your life and talents. May you trust in Him and His promises to you to keep you going forward. May the ‘desires of your heart’ also come true!

Happy dream journey,

Judy Peterson

©Copyright 2006 - Judy Peterson. All Rights Reserved.

You are free to re-print this article or forward it to someone else as long as you include the following resource box at the end and as long as you link to the URL mentioned in the resource box.

Through life stories, practical help, and inspirational guidance, author and speaker, Judy Peterson helps others identify a God-given dream or passion and pursue their life purpose. This is based on her experience as a businesswoman and on her book, Follow Your Heart and Discover God’s Dream For You. Please visit http://www.followyourheart.info.

Unless otherwise specified, the New International Version (NIV) is used for all biblical verses.

This publication is registered with the Library of Congress in Washington, DC - ISSN 1551-5907.

Creatine is a substance that helps increase energy at the cellular level. Without getting too technical we’ll examine how this works. Creatine supplementation has become a science of its own. There are many different theories about whether it works or not, and how it works.

When we look at energy at a cellular level it is created by the creation and breakdown of chains of molecules. ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) is one of these molecular structures. There are three phosphates attached to the molecule. When a phosphate is separated from the ATP molecule energy is released from the breaking of the connection. This energy is used by the cells. The molecular structure is then changed and what was once ATP becomes ADP (adenosine di-phosphate) with only two phosphates attached. This new molecule begins searching for a free phosphate somewhere to reattach.

The muscles go through three energy phases. The first, and the one we are looking at, is the ATP-PC system where ATP is broken down for energy and rebuilt. This system is the immediate energy system and according to some research can last as long as three minutes, or until all ATP is depleted and there are no free floating phosphates. The next system is the lactic acid system in which the various metabolic processes produce energy and give off lactic acid. This system last approximately ten to twelve minutes and then the aerobic system kicks in. This system carries the body’s energy needs over extended periods. It is important to note that one system doesn’t stop when the other takes over. They do overlap and the ATP-PC system kicks in every once in a while.

With all of the technical stuff out of the way, let’s look at Creatine and what it does. Creatine introduces phosphates into the energy cycle allowing ATP to be built for a longer amount of time. It is also believed that the body will produce more stored ATP for future use with regular supplementation of Creatine. This allows for a more explosive muscular contraction and a longer lasting ATP cycle. This is important because the muscle contractions are more intense and stronger during the ATP energy cycle.

Creatine is also said to pull more water into the muscles giving them a fuller appearance. This added water also provides more leverage and aids at the cellular level. This increase in water uptake can be dangerous if a person does not drink adequate water during use. Making sure to drink plenty of water keeps the body from becoming dehydrated and enhances the efficiency of the creatine.

There are many different versions of creatine on the market and each claim to work in a different, but better, way than the others. Any product that will introduce more phosphates at the cellular level and increase energy production and release will benefit muscular energy and strength. Whether you are looking for more power while lifting, more explosive take off when sprinting, a longer work capacity or fuller muscles creatine can be an asset to your program.

Mansi aggarwal recommends Bodybuilding Supplements.

Bad credit cash advance services fulfill the needs of people who need quick emergency cash but their bad credit history disqualifies them for getting a loan. These bad credit fast cash loan lenders do not worry about the bad credit history. They provide cash loan with guaranteed approval as quick as 24 hours. The loans are usually for short-term in that you are expected to pay back in two to three weeks.

What Do You Need To Qualify For Such Loans

To take the benefit of bad credit cash advance services, you have to fulfill some eligibility criteria. To be able to get this payday loans for bad credit you have to provide the details of your employment. For example, the name of your present employer, how much monthly salary are you getting and how stable your job is. By verifying this information, the lender company satisfies itself that you are having a regular source of monthly income. In addition, the monthly income should not be les than one thousand dollars. One needs to be at least eighteen years of age and should have a working bank account to get the benefits of bad credit advance services.

Quick Processing

Bad credit cash advance services are usually very fast. One can expect the required amount of cash in his/her account within 24 hours of the application. However, you should understand very clearly that this bad credit fast cash loan is a short-term solution to your emergency cash requirement and you have to pay it back on or before your next payday. If you do not make repayment before the next payday, the lenders will impose penalties and the rate of interest will go higher.

Bad credit cash advance services can be located in the Internet. You can simply fill in the application online and get approval instantly. Some lenders do not even require you to submit any paperwork. They are able to process your application completely paperless. No fax required, no teletrack, and no credit check.

Locating bad credit cash advance services is easy. Click here for bad credit no teletrack cash advances. You can get payday loans with no faxing required and almost 100% guaranteed approval.

Today every person will find himself in the vicious circle of debts. The basic reason behind this can be that people of present generation believe in high standard of living and want to lead a comfortable and luxurious life. Due to this they start spending lavishly and extravagantly. Unnecessary spending affects their budget and forces them to go for a loan. Once the person is in the web of debt, it is very difficult to come out of it.

When the date of repayment of debt comes near, the person finds himself in the more confused and baffled situation that can affect him physically and mentally both. The person surrounded by debts may sometimes feel lack of money and time while making repayments of debts. Debt consolidation acts as a helping hand to the people in debts.

Today various debt consolidation agencies provide advice to the individuals irrespective of their credit situations regarding the ways available to consolidate their debts. Among them most popular ways are

• Debt consolidation loan

• Debt consolidation mortgage

• Debt consolidation remortgages

• Debt counseling

Debt consolidation loan

It makes an effort to merge up all your debts into one manageable loan. It makes you deal with the single creditor rather than dealing with number of creditors

Debt consolidation mortgage

Owing a home has certain advantages. One of them is that they qualify for debt consolidation mortgage that provides enough funds to payoff creditors. Rate of interest charged is very low.

Debt consolidation remortgages

Remortgage implies that the terms of mortgage are negotiated usually to include a growth in the amount borrowed. It involves a change in mortgage lender as well.

Debt counseling

Debt counseling is one of the services which various agencies provide in order to advice the borrower regarding his creditability.

Debt consolidation help is nowadays provided by many individuals as well as agencies at very reasonable price or sometimes free of cost. Banks and various financial institutions also render these services. The person can meet them face to face or by telephonic conversation to seek expert advice on the financial matters. Online facility is also available. But face to face meeting is always preferred.

Thus, debt consolidation agencies make a significant effort, so that you may come out of this web of debts. Come, hold our hand, and put an end to the vicious circle of debt.

Rick Russell has no formal degree in finance, but years of work that he has put in the finance industry makes him perfectly eligible to be called an expert in financial matters. To Find debt consolidation help, debt consolidation loans, debt management, adverse credit debt consolidation UK visit http://www.fixyourdebts.co.uk

Just like people, nations can borrow money and just like us they also must repay their debts along with relevant interest!

But why can’t all of the countries (nations) borrow money? Simply the same reason why individuals can’t - their expenses are greater than their income in many cases. To cross the gap some countris try printing extra currency, raise debt and cut expenditure. Often a country combines the three to tackle its financials. This is not good practise however.

There are roughly three ways that a country can borrow money; one is by issuing bonds internally to its population, two is taking a loan from international entities like the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank.. and third is by undertaking loans from other countries.

Many governments issue Treasury Bonds and other Debt related Instruments which essentially means that the government is borrowing on behalf of the country or from their citizens. While most of these bonds are issued to cover the expenses of the government in some cases they are issued with some specific purpose like building infrastructure etc. Normally the bonds issued by governments are considered to be the safest way to invest money and so the interest rate is also the lowest. These bonds are bought and sold in the open market and their yields also fluctuate or vary.

The 2nd source of borrowing for countries is most often from institutions like the International Monetary Fund or the Asian Development Bank as mentioned earlier. Here, each country has to specify what the purpose of the funds are going to be and the inspectors from these institutions then visit the country to appraise the project. For example if a particular country wants to borrow money for building a Dam they will approach the international fund. The fund will then send their inspectors to appraise the project, see the viability and the benefits that are going to accrue to the people as a result of the project. They then determine the amount of the loan, tenure and the interest rate. Normally such loans are subsidized as they are for good causes.

This type of loan is not given out in a lump sum and money is released at different stages of the project and the repayment also normally starts at the end of a speciified time period - say 5 years or so. This provision is kept because the country is seeking the loan precisely because they do not have funds right away and the project being undertaken is for the benefit of the people. However this does not mean that interest does not accrue on that amount for that time period. Interest keeps on accruing which has to be paid later.

A 3rd way in which nations borrow money is by borrowing it from other nations. Normally, this is also carried out with some specific purpose in mind and is reasonably well subsidized which means that the interest rates are lower than normal. Nations do this to develop strategic ties with other nations generally to gain some form of economic or military advantage. For instance the US may decide to lend to Pakistan to fight terrorism or India may lend to Bangladesh to tackle floods because it’s a neighbor. More than simply financial aid, when nations lend to each other it’s very often a signal of goodwill and political diplomacy. In political diplomacy there is always give and take and unlike the case of individuals, where if one borrows money one is expected to repay, here the beneficiary country can repay in other ways as well. While all this is never clearly stated the cases of many debts being written off after a period of time without relationships getting strained is enough evidence to indicate that the lending country did not really expect to get it back. Other favors can be given in international forums like the WTO for economic reasons or for military reasons by providing a country’s airspace and land for having a military base.

These are the three main ways in which nations borrow and lend money to each other or from their own citizens or international agencies. While in some cases they have to borrow to maintain their expenditures at other times it is to take care of some special needs like an emergency or some other project. You will notice that most of the above behavior is quite similar to individuals and if you think about it long enough, you will find similarities even in your own life.

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There is no such thing as a ‘riskless’ investment, certainly not in real estate. And if there was, common sense dictates that it would not offer sufficient return to justify its existence. Risk and reward are closely linked. For the most part, the higher the perceived risk of an investment, the higher its potential reward. Therefore, attempting to eliminate, or even to reduce risk dramatically, may not be an investor’s most optimized strategy.

Harry Max Markowitz, the 1990 Nobel Prize winner in Economic Sciences and Professor Emeritus at City University of New York pioneered significant breakthroughs in the correlation between risk and diversification, and between relative and absolute risk aversion and risk tolerance in finance utility, the principles of which were later on used to the postulate Risk Theory and the Modern Portfolio Theory in financial economics.

In simplistic terms, Prof. Markowitz wanted to go beyond the traditional ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ axiomatic line to managing investments. His approach was to define how can an investor earn attractive returns without undue amounts of risk and, conversely, establish how much risk input is necessary to achieve a certain investment goal.

Risk aversion is a concept that attempts to explain the behaviour of consumers and investors under conditions of uncertainty. More specifically, risk aversion is the reluctance of a person to accept a bargain with an uncertain payoff, rather than another bargain with a more certain but possibly lower expected payoff. The inverse of a person’s risk aversion is called risk tolerance. Using this model, Prof. Markowitz discovered that it is possible to simultaneously minimize risk and improve returns by having a broadly diversified portfolio. The efficiency optimization of this portfolio is known as the Markowitz Efficient Portfolio, where no additional expected return can be gained without increasing the risk of the portfolio (or, alternatively, where no added diversification can lower the portfolio risk for a given return). In practical terms, the Markowitz Efficient Portfolio finds the optimal equilibrium between risk and reward.

In essence, the thrust of Modern Portfolio Theory has been to shift from trying to maximize returns to managing risk. Unfortunately, a great many real estate investors spend their time doing exactly the opposite. The lure of a single high-yield investment is tempting and capturing but, all other variables being constant, many fractional smaller investments add up to the same yield over the same capital investment with a much lower degree of risk.

Take the case, for example, of three investors - Investor A, Investor B and Investor C - who are each about to purchase two million dollar worth of real estate properties. Investor A purchases a 2-million dollar rental building yielding an 8 percent CAP rate. Investor B purchases eight residential rental units worth an average of $250,000 apiece, yielding an aggregate 8 percent return. Investor C purchases a two million dollar worth combination of residential, commercial and industrial products, yielding an aggregate combined total 8 percent return. Prof. Markowitz’ theory can detail out, as a mathematical function, that the risk-return profile of Investor C’s portfolio is the most optimized and, moreover, that it displays the lowest possible level of risk for its level of return. This is obtained by measuring risk as the standard deviation of the return on investment, that is the level of uncertainty of the return.

The relevance of Prof. Markowitz’ work to the discipline of real estate investments is to be found in the underlying movements of Market Risk. Market Risk is the stress that the value of an investment will undergo due to moves in market factors. Market Risk is of very real importance in times of price reductions, such as the present. The three standard risk factors that apply to real estate investments are:

[ ] Equity Risk, or the inverse of the risk that prices will change.

[ ] Interest Rate Risk, or the risk that interest rates will change.

[ ] Volatility Risk, or the risk that the speculation component will change.

Market economic shifts are caused by two, and only two factors: a shift in the Interest Rate component of risk or a shift in the Volatility Risk. For instance, these days it would appear that Volatility is the primary factor in the slow-down of real estate markets, due to lower speculation which is causing a upward shift in Equity Risk (the lower the prices, the higher the risk) through lower demand, which in turn generates an inventory surplus. Interest Rate Risk, though certainly a contributing factor, is of secondary importance, as the Fed has been very cautious to allow ample time for the economy to adjust between increases.

Contrary to the belief of many, risk allocation has nothing at all to do with market timing. In fact, all empirical evidence suggests that market timing is more pipe-dream than reality. By definition, market timing means buying low and selling high, and we all know that this is the key to successful investing. So, in theory, market timing is logical. Regrettably, however, there is no guaranteed way to anticipate market movements, so most attempts at market timing fail to deliver the results investors hope for.

Risk Theory and the work of Prof. Markowitz are of utmost importance in the two main financial disciplines of Capitalism: real estate and the stock market. But they also find their place in more exotic fields of application. For instance, when combined with probability calculus in Applied Mathematics, Risk Theory is used by casinos or lottery institutions to optimize (reduce) the risk of payout (a.k.a. the ‘odds’ of winning), which goes to explain why one always loses. Likewise, governments use the Markowitz-curve to set taxation policy. Capital gains tax deferments, both allowed by the Internal Revenue Service in the States and by the Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency, are predicated on the basis of Risk Theory. And large industrial conglomerates, such as the Big Three or even Hollywood, use Prof. Markowitz’ work to determine the risk of launching a new product, that is to anticipate with reasonable accuracy whether a new product will be a hit (risk tolerance of the output at decreased uncertainty) or a flop (risk aversion of the output at increased uncertainty).

Although, in the case of Hollywood, it might be argued that when applied to the ‘Da Vinci Code’ , Risk Theory did not deliver very accurate results - Oops …
Luigi Frascati

Luigi Frascati is a Real Estate Agent based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics and maintains a weblog entitled the Real Estate Chronicle at http://wwwrealestatechronicle.blogspot.com you can find the full collection of his articles. Luigi is associated with the Sutton Group, the largest real estate organization in Canada, and is based with Sutton-Centre Realty in Burnaby, BC.

Luigi is very proud to be an EzineArticles Platinum Expert Author. Your rating at the footer of this Article is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Pretty sites do not rank pretty well in search engines

It is a great idea to wish to make your web site pleasing to look at. After all, a thing of beauty is joy for all. Unfortunately this holds good only till the beauty is not the cause of woes and worries. This is especially true when it comes to designing a web site, and more so when your web site is meant to be a facilitating means to your business.

Here the idea of looks or beauty of a site is not to be discarded out rightly. Generally it has been seen that new comers or relatively less experienced web designers tend to place excessive emphasis on the appearance of the site knowing little about its ramifications. The wholesale use of images, graphics, animation, often mindless and hardly required, hampers the usability of a site, sometimes severely, albeit the site appears to be fairly good to look at.

It is prudent to look beyond looks of your site

The salvation of a web site lies in all those features that support and enhance its usability. Only then one can look forward to get more traffic, and can give a boost to one’s business prospects. The online behavior of users suggests that your site should be designed in such a way that users are able to fulfill their needs with ease and convenience.

Amongst the features that add to the usability of your site are plain looks with user enabling characteristics, a good navigation system, fresh and informative content, search engine friendly design that enhances the visibility of your site on the web.

Here are a few considerations on the usability of a web site.

Usability is nothing but user friendly features on your site

The less a visitor seems to face hiccups on your site while browsing for a particular purpose, the more your site is said to be usable. Essentially, a web site caters to two needs, broadly, of users: either it helps them get certain information or ideas, or helps them to buy a specific product or avail a particular service. What ever be your objectives, your site must facilitate a smooth completion of such users’ tasks at hand without any annoying hassles.

By annoying hassles I precisely assume all those features which are not well received by the users. Rather such features turn them off and scare them away to another site causing you considerable losses. Say for instance, when you use lots of animations and graphics on your site, the load time of the site increases and users prefer to switch over to another site.

Other hassle could be the lack of information which the users expect the site to contain. Take for example, if the site intends to sell products or services, it must display all the relevant and sufficient information which a buyer might need to make a well informed decision.

Yet another hassle could be in terms of finding the desired information. The information which can not be found with ease on the site tantamount to conspicuous absence of the same altogether. Hence the usability of the site not only lies in the availability of certain information but also in its easy accessibility.

Moreover, users find it difficult to handle the hassle of mobility within a particular web site if it is not logically and conveniently structured. If the visitor of your site gets confused and disappointingly lost in search of what he or she is looking for, it does not auger well for you as well.

A site can never be high on usability scores unless due consideration is given to its navigation system, and it is made user friendly in the process.

Enhancing the usability of the site through an easy navigation system

A good navigation system helps users to go from one section of the site to another with direction and ease. Even if one has invested tremendous amount of money and efforts on optimizing one’s site in the search engine, it is not going to do any good so far as the site lacks easy navigability. Hence the traffic gained the hard way does not translate into tangible benefits due to a thing which is so easy to manage.

Here are some tips for a sound navigation system.

Use a navigation bar or panel on all the pages of your site in a similar or corresponding place.

Think of a navigation plan from a user perspective. This will make you feel the need to provide short cuts from one significant page to its most logical sequence. Clearly, these short cuts are over and above the navigation bar or panel you employ. Remember that these short cuts will save the users from going necessarily to home page or site map to move around.

If your site happens to be large enough, what you require is a site search engine for enhanced usability.

A site map is what you need for sure if your site exceeds a few pages. The crucial advantage of using a site map is that it help search engine to access all the pages of the site. Thus, it goes well with the search engine listing.

It is not advisable that your navigation menu is dependent on a particular browser. In case you prefer to zero in on a specific browser, make it sure that you include alternate facility that is compatible with other browsers too.

Search engine visibility is not a phenomenon in isolation

Search engine optimization ensures that your site gets a good ranking in the search engine pages. A lot of efforts and relevant considerations are required over time for making a page or a web site optimized in search results.

Once a web site enjoys a good visibility in the search engines, any attempt to change or modify the web design may have corresponding effect on the visibility of the site. The changes that have favorable impact on the search engine friendliness are welcome, but certain changes can play havoc with the ranking.

These changes are found to be made by web developer, amateur or not having real insights into mechanics of search engine visibility, quite oblivious of consequences.

Like for example, if a web developer replaces the existing navigation menu and all links with a JavaScript enabled ones, it will definitely dive down on the search results. Whatever purpose JavaScript might serve, it does not help the spiders read all the pages. Consequently, only home page gets indexed, and hence a drop in the ranking is on the anvil.

Key to sustainable visibility

Toward the end of this article, what I wish to stress upon is the fact that getting listed in the search engines is only a beginning. It requires consistent search engine readiness, and more usability features to sustain or improve upon search engine visibility.

Deepak Sharma is a Web Designer at BlueApple, a Web Design and Development Company with a well connected development infrastructure in India having a strong portfolio with global clientele and offering superior web services and solutions at competitive costs.