Learning More About Student Loan Consolidation

After several years of attending college, you have gained a serious amount of debt in the form of student loans. A few thousand dollars here and there really can be folded down over time. If you have graduated or are you going to go, the credit must be repaid. If you consolidate your student loans now, you can save a considerable amount of money. Instead of paying multiple creditors at the individual loans you have taken out, you’ll be able to pay one payment each month.

Most student loans (excluding Perkins Loan) allow at least six months after the exclusion of the window before you have to pay on loans. If you have these types of loans, each of which may carry different interest rates, and, of course, you’re probably dealing with different lenders for each loan. Each lender expects you to pay like clockwork every month. As a result of the consolidation of your individual student loans not only simple single payment, as well as in favor of lower interest.

In fact, this interest rate, which may determine that a student loan consolidation program of your choice. Based on the fact that interest rates of your loans, may already, perhaps you will look at the bids, the lowest available.

Remember that you must choose a fixed rate rather than the variable rate on the consolidation of student loans. Most will be more comfortable with the predictability of a fixed interest rate rather than variable rates that may change with the transition to a market index.

Further, it may be wise to think about the length of your payment. Ask yourself, what time frame you are comfortable paying for your student loan debt. As a rule, the less time is required to pay the debt, the higher the interest rate may be. You’ll be saving yourself more money if you consolidate the loan back as soon as possible.

In student loan consolidation, you must be prepared so that your payments on the loan go into forbearance, if absolutely necessary. Indulgence of insurance protection for the borrower if he or she can not repay the debt over a long period of time because of job loss, illness or injury.

Please keep in mind when you are looking for a lender that there are some that may penalize the borrower to repay the loan early. Be sure that you do not choose one of these creditors. Most of you have serious doubts that you can restore your consolidation loan before its term. Fair enough, but it is always a good idea to be prepared if you do.

This can be useful for you who are looking for a student loan consolidation for web services. It may be that you can find the best regards of online services than with traditional lenders. Online services make it possible to get interest rates and terms of payment is better than their offline competition. The Internet is just another tool to help you consolidate your student loans quickly and efficiently.

Visit TFGI.com can provide you with fantastic bill consolidation quotes, and can also help personal finance, using free articles and information, such as “what is good debt?” And other articles.

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Consolidate Student Loans Now

New York —
The interest on student loans will be 1 July, the opportunity to save money for those who act quickly.

The smart student or recent graduate is now existing loans to lock in a lower rate.

“It’s simple,” says Frank Ballmann, Executive Vice President of Finance at Affinity Direct, a loan consolidation lenders in Englewood Cliffs, NJ: “It is a safe bet that you save money by making your loan by June 30 .

On 1 July, the interest rate on Stafford loans is 6.8% from 5.3% and prices for a Plus loan growth to 8.5% from 6.1%. The plan also limits on the borrowing of the first and second year under grads and students.

A Stafford loan is a low-interest educational loans from the federal government, but by the commercial banks. The loans are need and available to undergraduate and graduate students.

Plus loans are available to parents of dependent students, regardless of financial need. The program was expanded to include students. Borrowers owe interest once the loan, and repayment begins as soon as the final payoff is. Unlike a Stafford loan, loans, plus a bank check to qualify.

The Federal Consolidation Loan Program allows borrowers with federal student loan funds insured to roll them into a single package and the repayment of a monthly payment. The new payment can be significantly lower than the sum of the payments, because the existing loan term can be 30 years from 10 years, the maximum for most of the German Federal Ministry for Education Loans.

The planned rate hikes are part of a budget to cover the costs of Hurricane Katrina relief and other efforts to ensure the federal deficit.

The interest rates will rise, but still low in historic terms. The 1 July rate hike will be passed to the cost of a university degree and they are more expensive to repay the debt. Borrowers who already “their loans to lock in lower rates will continue that rate, but can not consolidate again unless there is a new loan for the introduction to the package.

Consolidation often allows students to reduce monthly payments by 50% or more. If money is tight, the choice to pay only the interest payment of more than 60% for two years. Remember: If you choose this option, you can not pay the principle and therefore not reducing the balance.

Many lenders face fourth point from the interest rate on the monthly payments automatically deducted from a checking or savings account.

The savings from reduced student loan payments can be used for immediate needs such as paying off high-interest credit cards or long-term projects such as funding a 401 (k) retirement or storage in a home purchase. The reduced debt-to-income ratio can also be your financial profile and save a little on a mortgage. (See “The too good to be true Taxbreak).

Ballman says loans can be consolidated, with no credit check or employment verification and no prepayment penalties. Check with your lender or shop around for a loan consolidator.

Many banks offer very good information about the funding on their websites, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo. Contact your lender.

Personal Student Loans – How to Find Student Personal Loans Quick!

Are you a student in need of some extra money? You no longer have to hit up the parents for cash every single time you need it. It can become very difficult to work a job while you are going to school as well. It will be worth it all in the end even if you have some hard times while getting your education. Once in a while you just need money today. This is when you need to find personal student loans to help you get by for a while.

Sometimes it can be difficult to get personal student loans because you do not have any credit history built up yet and the lenders do not always want to work with those with no credit. You could use a parent or someone else as a co signer for your loan. This will make it easier to get the loan from the lender and you will get a lower rate most of the time.

However, there are some lenders that actually cater to those students with no credit or even bad credit. You can always get a personal loan through the government. You get these loans from your financial aid office and they can help you with any of your schooling expenses.

The money you get can help you and give you more time to study so you can keep those grades up. You can usually get two different government loans and your financial aid office will have more info for you.There is one other option, but it is only for emergencies. It is called a payday loan or cash advance. You will need a job of some sort or a source of income along with a bank account to take advantage of this type of loan.
 

Peoria Bankruptcy Lawyers Help Stop Foreclosure

What is bankruptcy?

Bankruptcy in Peoria is a legal proceeding in an Illinois federal court in which an individual debtor’s assets are liquidated and the debtor is released from further liability. Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing deals with liquidation, while Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing deals with reorganization.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy is when the court appoints an administrator to liquidate or sell things you have to pay your creditors. Most of its debt is forgiven, but you can choose to pay some creditors, usually keep a car or a house in which the creditor a lien.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is when your debt is transformed into one monthly payment. The payment will continue for 36 to 60 months. In all cases, a plan for payments over a maximum period of five years. You do not put all your debts. You pay only what they can afford, but the minimum payment may be affected by the property you want to keep. In the late payments, outstanding debt is discharged.

If you have questions about bankruptcy, you should seek the advice of a licensed bankruptcy attorney.

Pros and Cons of bankruptcy

Pros (positive aspects) of bankruptcy:

* One of the biggest advantages of bankruptcy is that debtors may obtain a new financial start.
* If you qualify for Chapter 7 may be forgiven (sort of) most unsecured debts. A secured debt is the creditor entitled to collect by seizing and selling certain assets of the debtor if payments are lost as a mortgage or car.
* You can maintain (ie, exempt) many of its assets, although state laws vary greatly in the definition of assets that can be maintained.
* The collection efforts when you file for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 to stop.
* You can not be fired from his job just because he filed for bankruptcy.

Cons (negative aspects) of bankruptcy:

* A bankruptcy can prevent your chances of getting a mortgage or a car loan for a while.
* A bankruptcy can remain on your credit report for 7-10 years and can affect your financial future.
* Not all debts are discharged. A portion of the debt that can not be discharged are child support, alimony, student loans, divorce settlements and other taxes on income. You should seek legal advice on specific categories of debt to be allowed to discharge.

Can Bankruptcy eliminate debt?

Bankruptcy does not necessarily eliminate all debts, and often simply restructures existing debts – this leaves you responsible for all future payments. Filing bankruptcy will remain with you for 10 years and may have difficulty obtaining a loan. Bankruptcy is a public register and will be reflected in your credit file but not permanently. Talk to one of our expert loan counselors if you need help.
The best solution is bankruptcy?

Anyone considering bankruptcy should understand the process and the laws relating to bankruptcy. Questions about bankruptcy should be treated by a qualified bankruptcy attorney.

Ten Best Gambling Movies

Pool wizard Willie Mosconi instructs Paul Newman on the set of The Hustler (1961)

Gambling holds a certain fascination with the moviegoing public. Poker, dice, pool, blackjack, horse racing and sports betting have been featured in a number of memorable films. Here are ten gambling-related movies that are sure to get the competitive juices flowing. Bet on it, baby!

The Hustler (20th Century-Fox, 1961)

Paul Newman (”Fast” Eddie Felson) and Jackie Gleason (Minnesota Fats) play a pair of high-stakes pool players in the 1961 aptly-named film classic The Hustler. Robert Rossen produced, directed and co-wrote (with Sidney Carroll) The Hustler for his own Rossen Films.

The Hustler is based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Walter S. Tevis. It follows the triumphs and tragedies of young pool shark “Fast” Eddie Felson and his quest to unseat the reigning straight pool champion of the world Minnesota Fats. Along for the wild ride are George C. Scott (Bert Gordon), Piper Laurie (Sarah Packard), Myron McCormick (Charlie Burns) and Murray Hamilton (Findley).

The Hustler is packed with gambling action, including the final match in which Eddie and Fats play for a cool ,000 a game. That’s not chump change, and neither is The Hustler which garnered nine Academy Award nominations.

Great line: “Do you like to gamble, Eddie? Gamble money on pool games?” – Jackie Gleason

The Cincinnati Kid (MGM, 1965)

Steve McQueen has the title role in this poker movie classic based on the 1963 novel by Richard Jessup and written for the screen by Ring Lardner Jr. and Terry Southern. McQueen — as Eric Stoner — is partial to stud poker, and sets out to challenge the old veteran Edward G. Robinson (Lancey Howard) in Depression-era New Orleans.

Norman Jewison directs, with Tuesday Weld (Christian), Karl Malden (Shooter), Ann-Margret (Melba), Joan Blondell (Lady Fingers) and Rip Torn (Slade) also adorning the cinematic landscape. Ray Charles sings the movie’s bluesy title song.

Poker players will love The Cincinnati Kid, especially the climactic showdown in which the Kid hits a full house. Outstanding hand, but is it enough to beat the old champ?

Great line: “Gets down to what it’s all about, doesn’t it? Making the wrong move at the right time.” – Edward G. Robinson

Rounders (Miramax, 1998)

Matt Damon (Mike McDermott) and Edward Norton (Lester “Worm” Murphy) frequent the underground poker clubs of New York City in director John Dahl’s Rounders. Expertly written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, Rounders also features John Malkovich (Teddy KGB), Martin Landau (Abe Petrovsky), Gretchen Mol (Jo) and Michael Rispoli (Grama).

Watch Damon and Norton hit the road, frantically trying to win ,000 in five days in order to pay off vicious loan shark Michael Rispoli. Poker fans will revel in this film, as No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em is the game of choice.

Great line: “Listen. Here’s the thing. If you can’t spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker.” – Matt Damon

Edward Norton and Matt Damon in Rounders (1998)

Maverick (Warner Bros., 1994)

Mel Gibson plays gambler Bret Maverick in director Richard Donner’s big screen version of the classic 1957-62 Warner Bros. TV western. James Garner (Marshal Zane Cooper), Jodie Foster (Annabelle Bransford) and James Coburn (Commodore Duvall) also appear.

Bret Maverick’s trek to the poker game of the century in St. Louis proves to be an ordeal as he encounters the notorious gunfighter John Wesley Hardin, a vengeful Mexican, “hostile” Indians and a conniving southern belle. William Goldman’s script provides plenty of laughs and gambling thrills, culminating in the big poker tournament aboard the Lauren Belle which carries a top prize of 0,000.

Great line: “You know my old pappy always used to say, ‘there is no more deeply moving religious experience…than cheatin’ on a cheater.’” – Mel Gibson

Mr. Lucky (RKO, 1943)

Cary Grant works his magic as gambler Joe Adams aka Joe Bascopolous in the wartime comedy-drama Mr. Lucky. Directed by H.C. Potter and scripted by Milton Holmes and Adrian Scott, Mr. Lucky chronicles the escapades of high-roller Adams and his bid to reclaim his gambling boat the Fortuna.

Laraine Day (Dorothy Bryant), Charles Bickford (Hard Swede) and Gladys Cooper (Veronica Steadman) ably assist Grant, who initially schemes to relieve Day’s War Relief Inc. of its charity gala earnings. Cary Grant is both slick and suave, a fast-talking con man who eventually sees the error of his ways.

Great line: “All you have to do is give me the gambling concessions…Sure, blackjack, chuck-a-luck, roulette. I’ll raise the dough in one evening.” – Cary Grant

The Gambler (Paramount, 1974)

James Caan plays Axel Freed, an English professor whose compulsive gambling lands him in hot water with the mob. Directed by Karel Reisz and scripted by James Toback, The Gambler also features Lauren Hutton (Billie), Paul Sorvino (Hips) and Burt Young (Carmine).

The Hustler is loaded with gambling action, including Caan’s trek to Las Vegas where he doubles down and hits on an 18 in blackjack, winning the hand. But Caan, who owes his mobbed-up bookie ,000, is at his sleaziest best when he asks one of his student athletes to shave points in a college basketball game.

Great line: “Forty-four thousand dollars, Axel. It ain’t just numbers.” – Paul Sorvino

James Caan and Lauren Hutton in The Gambler (1974)

A Big Hand for the Little Lady (Warner Bros., 1966)

Henry Fonda (Meredith) and Joanne Woodward (Mary) get caught up in poker fever in this entertaining western directed by Fielder Cook. Also on hand are Jason Robards Jr. (Drummond), Paul Ford (Ballinger), Charles Bickford (Tropp), Burgess Meredith (Scully), Kevin McCarthy (Habershaw) and Robert Middleton (Dennis Wilcox).

Sidney Carroll’s script sizzles, as hayseed Fonda buys his way into an annual high-stakes poker game in old Laredo. Fonda is stricken with a heart attack, and his novice wife Mary has to take over his hand. But, alas, not everything is at it appears…

Great line: “Now look, mister, the first rule of the game of poker, whether you’re playing eastern or western rules, or the kind they play at the North Pole, is put up or shut up!” – Robert Middleton

The Only Game in Town (20th Century-Fox, 1970)

Warren Beatty is Joe Grady, a Las Vegas piano bar player whose penchant for gambling threatens his relationship with an aging showgirl. Based on Frank D. Gilroy’s play and directed by George Stevens, The Only Game in Town also features Elizabeth Taylor (Fran Walker) and Charles Braswell (Lockwood).

The final sequence is excellent as the frantic Beatty goes on a tear, selling his valuables for needed cash in order to keep his gambling hopes alive at Sin City casinos.

Great line: “Which is worse — the heart abused or the heart unused?” – Warren Beatty

California Split (Columbia, 1974)

George Segal (Bill Denny) and Elliott Gould (Charlie Waters) play two friends whose love of gambling takes them to new highs and new lows. Directed by Robert Altman and written by Joseph Walsh, California Split also features Ann Prentiss (Barbara Miller) and Gwen Welles (Susan Peters).

Watch buddies Segal and Gould play poker, shoot craps and lay down bets on the ponies as they gamble their way to Reno. The legendary poker player “Amarillo Slim” Preston can be glimpsed seated at a Reno card table.

Great line: “Goddamnit, lady, you don’t throw oranges on an escalator!” – George Segal

Elliott Gould and George Segal in California Split (1974)

 21 (Columbia, 2008)

Based on the 2003 nonfiction book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions by Ben Mezrich, 21 stars Kevin Spacey (Micky Rosa), Jim Sturgess (Ben Campbell) and Kate Bosworth (Jill Taylor).

Spacey plays the MIT professor who recruits a group of college students as blackjack card counters. After undergoing intense training, the kids head to Las Vegas where they relieve the casinos of several million dollars.

Directed by Robert Luketic and scripted by Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb, 21 serves as a potent analgesic for anyone who was ever “robbed” by the casinos.

Great line: “The only thing worse than a loser is someone who won’t admit he played badly.” – Kevin Spacey

Place your own bets?

Additional Reading

Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason in The Hustler (1961)

Steve McQueen and Edward G. Robinson in The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

Matt Damon and Edward Norton in Rounders (1998)

Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and James Garner in Maverick (1994) 

www.lendinguniverse.com California student loans and hard money, getting a mortgage loan and local mortgage lenders against debt consolidation loans and compare it with private hard money loan rate and terms. http In general, hard lenders and thrifts charged higher fees than credit unions for checking and savings account services, and larger institutions charged more than smaller institutions. During this same period, the portion of funding of private money source s revenues derived from noninterest sources—including, but not limited to, fees on savings and checking trust deed investments—increased somewhat. Changes in both consumer behavior and practices of funding of private money source s are likely influencing trends in fees, but limited data exist to demonstrate the effect of specific factors. Commercial lenders is currently conducting a special study of the overdraft programs that should provide important insights on how these programs operate, as the lenders as private investors on characteristics of customers who pay overdraft bank fees. The first two options require that customers have created and linked to the primary checking account one or more other trust deed investments or a line of credit in order to avoid overdrafts. The funding of private money source typically waives fees or may charge a small fee for transferring money into the primary account (a transfer fee). Funding of private money source s typically charge the same amount for a courtesy overdraft …
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24-Karat Protection: Rfid And Retail Jewelry Marketing

Introduction

The jewelry business is a unique one – and not necessarily one “business” at all. The global jewelry market is estimated to be over 0 billion today. The U.S. jewelry retail industry alone aggregately generates approximately billion in annual revenues, and at present, there are over 30,000 specialty jewelry retail stores. However, the American jewelry industry is surprisingly fragmented. While there are large, national jewelry chains, such as Zales, Kay, Tiffany, and Sterling Jewelers, there are also a multitude of small, regional chains and independent retailers. From a market perspective, while Wal-Mart is the largest jewelry retailer in America today, this is not a market it controls. In fact, the top fifty jewelry chains collectively hold less than half of the American market. Also, the jewelry market is divided by price points, with often great contrasts in the inventory – and customer needs/demographic/segmentations – between high-end jewelry stores and their products and those that aim at bargain customerswith so-called costume jewelry. Like patterns in jewlery retailing have been found around the world, including in the United Kingdom. In the UK, the estimated £3.2 billion market is likewise fragmented. However, British consumers spend approximately half as much per capita on jewelry versus that of their American counterparts.

Today, jewelry retailers are increasingly looking to implement RFID (radio frequency identification)-based systems as a way of accomplishing a variety of managerial and marketing objectives. As can be seen in Table 1, there are a variety of potential solutions providers, mostly comprised of small companies around the world that are looking at how to serve this potentially lucrative market. However, in this distinctive and diffuse marketplace, these vendors are proposing surprisingly similar solutions for the unique issues facing jewelry retailers.

Table 1.  Vendors for RFID-based Jewelry Management Solutions

Vendor

Location

Solution

Website

5Stat

Beatrice, NE

USA

INCOMPASS

http://www.5stat.com/

RSI ID Technologies

Chula Vista, CA USA

Pressiza

http://www.rsiid.com/

Jewelry Computer Systems, Inc.

Naperville, IL USA

Unbranded

http://www.jcssoft.com/

The Jewellery Store

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Unbranded

http://www.tjs.ae/

Innovez One

Singapore

Enterprise Jewellery Software Business Solutions

http://www.innovez-one.com/

Orizin Technologies

Karnataka, India

Jtrack

http://www.orizin.net/

Hong Kong RFIF, Ltd.

Hong Kong

RFID Jewelry Management System

http://www.hk-rfid.com/

DAILY RFID

Guangzhou,

China

RFID Jewelry Solution

http://www.rfid-in-china.com/

 

This article examines the prospect for RFID to be applied in the retail jewelry industry. It begins with an overview of what RFID technology is, how it works, and where we are seeing it used today and where it will be employed in the near future. Building upon this foundation, the reader will then see how RFID can be specifically employed in the retail jewelry industry, which presents a uniquely effective application of this technology. The article concludes with an analysis of the managerial issues involved with the use of RFID in the retail jewelry setting and a look to the future of technology in this area and what near-term developments will mean for retailers, employees, and consumers.

RFID 101

Automatic Identification

Automatic Identification, or Auto-ID, represents a broad category of technologies that are used to help machines identify objects, humans, or animals. As such, it is often referred to as automatic data capture, as Auto-ID is a means of identifying items and gathering data on them without human intervention or data entry. The omnipresent bar code is itself a form of Auto-ID technology. RFID is thus fundamentally another form of Auto-ID technology. Sometimes referred to as dedicated short range communication (DSRC), RFID is “a wireless link to identify people or objects.” RFID is, in reality, a subset of the larger radio frequency (RF) market, with the wider market encompassing an array of RF technologies, including:

cellular phones,   

digital radio,

the Global Positioning System (GPS),

High-Definition Television (HDTV), and

wireless networks.

RFID is by no means a “new” technology. In fact, it is a technology that already surrounds us. First off, if you have an automobile that was manufactured after 1994, the car uses RFID to verify that it is your key in the ignition. Otherwise, the car won’t start. If you have an Exxon/Mobil SpeedPassTM in your pocket, you’re using RFID. If you have a toll tag on your car, you’re using RFID. If you have checked out a library book, you’ve likely encountered RFID. If you’ve been shopping in a department store or an electronics retailer, you’ve most certainly encountered RFID in the form of an EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) tag. 

RFID and Bar Codes

Conceptually, bar codes and RFID are indeed quite similar, as both are auto-ID technologies intended to provide rapid and reliable item identification and tracking capabilities. The primary difference between the two technologies is the way in which they “read” objects. With bar coding, the reading device scans a printed label with optical laser or imaging technology. However, with RFID, the reading device scans, or interrogates, a tag using radio frequency signals.

The specific differences between bar code technology and RFID are summarized in Table 2. In summary however, there are five primary advantages that RFID has over bar codes. These are:

Each RFID tag can have a unique code that ultimately allows every tagged item to be individually accounted for,

RFID allows for information to be read by radio waves from a tag, without requiring line of sight scanning or human intervention,

RFID allows for virtually simultaneous and instantaneous reading of multiple tags,

RFID tags can hold far greater amounts of information, which can be updated, and

RFID tags are far more durable.

Table 2.  RFID and Bar Codes Compared

Bar Code Technology

RFID Technology

Bar Codes require line of sight to be read

RFID tags can be read or updated without line of sight

Bar Codes can only be read individually

Multiple RFID tags can be read simultaneously

Bar Codes cannot be read if they become dirty or damaged

RFID tags are able to cope with harsh and dirty environments

Bar Codes must be visible to be logged

RFID tags are ultra thin and can be printed on a label, and they can be read even when concealed within an item

Bar Codes can only identify the type of item

RFID tags can identify a specific item

Bar Code information cannot be updated

Electronic information can be over-written repeatedly on RFID tags

Bar Codes must be manually tracked for item identification, making human error an issue

RFID tags can be automatically tracked, eliminating human error

 

How RFID Works

There are three necessary elements for an RFID system to work. These are tags, readers, and the software necessary to link the RFID components to a larger information processing system. In brief, the science of a passive RFID system works like this. The RFID tag is the unique identifier for the item it is attached to. The reader sends out electromagnetic waves, and a magnetic field is formed when the signal from the reader “couples” with the tag’s antenna. The unpowered RFID tag draws its power from this magnetic field, and it is this power that enables the tag to send back an identifying response to the query of the RFID reader. When the power to the silicon chip on the tag meets the minimum voltage threshold required to “turn it on,” the tag then can respond to the reader through the same radio frequency (RF) wave. The reader then converts the tag’s response into digital data, which the reader then sends on to the information processing system to be used in management applications. In a passive RFID system, the reader sends out a signal on a designated frequency, querying if any tags are present in its read filed. If a chip is present, the tag takes the radio energy sent-out by the reader to power-it-up and respond.

All of this happens almost instantaneously. In fact, today’s RFID readers are capable of reading tags at a rate of up to 1,000 tags per second. Through a process known as “simultaneous identification,” most RFID systems can capture data from many tags within range of the reader’s antenna almost simultaneously. In reality however, the tags are responding individually – within milliseconds of one another – in a manner to prevent tag and reader collision in their signals through response protocols. 

Analysis

While it will take a few years for RFID to become commonplace on retail store shelves and the store of the future to become a reality, RFID is already being used in a wide variety of creative applications, including:

A worker at a distribution center can instantly identify each and every one of the items contained in every box on a pallet on the tongs of the forklift she is driving;

A librarian can locate a book that had been hopelessly misshelved;

A worker at a livestock processing facility can instantly access the identity and history of a cow;

A hospital can locate critical medical devices instantly, wherever they are located throughout the facility;

A blood bank can track its inventory with greater accuracy;

A pharmacist can tell that two bottles in his supply of a high in demand, highly addictive prescription drug are counterfeit;

A military contractor can instantly locate the necessary spare to repair a Blackhawk helicopter;

An art museum can use RFID-enabled exhibits to provide enhanced visitor experiences by making exhibits come “alive”; and yes,

A golfer can instantly locate his errant shot and retrieve the ball from the thicket where it landed.

Futurist Paul Saffo foresees that much of the focus on RFID today is on doing old things in new ways, but the truly exciting proposition is the new ideas and new ways of doing things that will come from RFID. He predicts that: “RFID will make possible new companies that do things we don’t even dream about.” As such, this new, old technology will become one of the driving forces of the 21st century. RFID is thus an exciting technology, one that is poised to enter our lives in many exciting ways over the next decade. The ability of RFID to deliver rich information, instantaneously and automatically, is why major retailers in the U.S. and abroad, including Wal-Mart, Target, Metro, and Tesco, along with the U.S. Department of Defense, are major backers of employing the technology in their supply chains. And, while much of the media and investment focus has been on such warehousing and retailing applications, now, there is increased interest in applying RFID in a wide variety of settings, including health care, sports and entertainment, museums and theme parks, and yes, casinos.   

RFID and Retail Jewelry Applications

Today, we are seeing exciting in-store RFID applications in bookstores, pharmacies, electronics retailing, and grocery stores, bringing about new possibilities in customer service, business intelligence, inventory management, and security. Yet, the very nature of jewelry items makes them unique in the retail marketplace. Think about it. The form factor of jewelry is not conducive to being individually identified. Ever seen a UPC (Universal Product Code) label on a gold necklace? Ever seen an EAS tag attached to a diamond ring? No, and not just because of the physical impracticality. Other than watches – which represent less than five percent of the total jewelry market, the vast majority of jewelry is not branded. Also, the jewelry market is also one where craftsmanship is in many ways as valued as it was centuries ago, and thus, in many cases, there is not a “supply chain” to speak of. In fact, a ring or pin that is made in the store itself may not have to travel more than 100 feet from its point of origin to its point of sale. Thus, this is a high-end market where individual item identification has not been technically or practically possible, until the advent of RFID-based solutions.         

Therefore, unlike the vast majority of retail applications, the focus here is not on cases and pallets of goods. In the jewelry environment, the focal point is squarely on tagging the individual item – each ring, watch, necklace, etc. With the value of jewelry items being high, and in many cases, with values reaching into the stratosphere, the ratio of the cost of the tag (with tags currently running between 25 cents to several dollars each, depending on capabilities) to the value of the item being tagged is better in this field than in any other retail application. Thus, all of the RFID solutions on the market today are focused on managing trays and individual items of jewelry – whether they be in the jewelry display case or in storage in the backroom of the store.

How do these systems work? While there are certainly variances between them and certain nuances and benefits offered by each vendor’s solutions, by and large, they all are based on using extremely small form factor tags and a series of readers, which can be positioned on jewelry display cases and doorways. The systems generally employ 13.56 MHz, ISO 15693-compliant passive tags, with some vendors even offering EPC Gen 2 UHF (900 MHz) tags. The tags are generally still attached to items using thin strings or cords. One Dubai-based vendor, The Jewellery Store, is making use of a tag, manufactured by Sokymat, specifically for jewelry tracking. The tag has a 16mm hard plastic casing, and both ends of the cord attach to the case after being looped through a section of jewelry, thereby completing an electric circuit and rendering the tag operable. This unique solution further protects the item by making the tag tamper-proof, as the circuit loop makes it impossible for a thief – internal or external – to remove a tag from a lower priced item and replace it on a higher priced one to “fool” the system. Likewise, the high-end Swiss jeweler watchmaker, De Grisogono, whose products cost an average of €20,000, have deployed RFID-based tracking of individual items and watch trays across all of their 15 worldwide retail locations. When combined with store and chain-level software, such systems offer unprecedented visibility for retail jewelry management.

The RFID Value Proposition for Jewelry Retailers

Early adopting jewelry retailers have three key needs they are addressing through the use of these specially-tailored RFID solutions. These are:

Inventory management

Store security

Sales monitoring and metrics.

Inventory Management

By managing jewelry items with RFID, individual store and jewelry chain management can not only protect their significant investment in inventory in new ways, they can also garner unprecedented visibility on their valuable inventory. Due to the lack of UPC-based tracking, the introduction of RFID solutions can enable either constant monitoring or on-demand scanning of their stock. The presently available RFID solutions can scan entire trays of rings in one pass, which can reduce the time and expense involved in manually inventorying hundreds of items in a jewelry display case or perhaps several thousands of items on display in an entire jewelry store in minutes rather than days of painstaking work. Further, with numerous similar looking (to the untrained eye), unbranded items in a display case, rotating inventory was a heretofore laborious task that has been often left undone in the typical jewelry store. In one installation in the Middle East, RFID has enabled a jewelry retailer to reduce the time it takes for personnel to inventory the store from 2-3 days to 10 minutes.        

Store Security

With RFID, jewelry managers and employees can also better protect their stores’ valuable inventory. A single ring or watch – not necessarily in a high-end jewelry retailer’s inventory – may run several or even tens of thousands of dollars. Likewise, a single jewelry tray often contains many thousands of dollars worth of items, and (perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single display case). For this reason, jewelry stores are attractive targets for not just single item shoplifters or internal employee theft, but outright robberies and large scale criminal operations as well.    

The National Retail Federation defines “retail shrinkage” as inventory losses stemming from:

employee theft,

shoplifting,

organized retail crime,

administrative error, and

vendor fraud.   

Recent reports that have pegged the inventory shrinkage problem for American retailers as a whole at approximately billion annually, and an astonishing billion for Wal-Mart alone [31]. Industry analysts say that crimes against jewelry stores alone result in over 5 million in losses annually. These include losses due to not only strong-arm tactics, such as armed robberies and sometimes kidnapping – and worse – of jewelry store employees, but other unarmed criminal strategies. These include so-called “smash and grab” scenarios, where criminals literally use hammers and other similar items to break the glass on display cases and run out of the store with entire trays of merchandise. Similarly, jewelry store employees can fall prey to distraction schemes, where teams of perpetrators distract the attention of a salesperson so that they can remove single items or again, entire trays of merchandise from the store.

With the growing threat of Organized Retail Crime (ORC), shoplifting is fast-shifting from being predominantly a crime of opportunity carried-out by individuals to the focus of criminal enterprises. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, organized retail crime accounts for as much as billion in retail losses annually, including not just shoplifting, but other nefarious activities including credit card theft, extortion, and loan fraud. These organized shopping gangs exact far more economic damage on retailers than traditional shoplifters (swiping a CD or a dress) or an economically-motivated shoplifter (stealing food or drug items for personal or family use). In fact, while the typical shoplifting case perpetrated by an individual averages a loss to the retailer of just over a hundred dollars, according to National Retail Federation, the average loss from each ORC shoplifting case is over ,000, with jewelry being a leading target of organized retail crime enterprises!

With the new RFID based inventory management solutions, store management can be alerted if an individually tagged item is out of a display case beyond a specified period of time, signalling a warning to salespeople that a shoplifting attempt may be in progress – thus acting as an “early warning system” for jewelry retailers. This can be contrasted with the use of video cameras in jewelry stores, which can only be used as “after the fact” evidence tools of a shoplifting having occurred, unless the retailer invests in personnel to constantly monitor the activity on the store floor via video feeds. Finally, as with all retail, internal theft is especially concerning for jewelry retailers due to the size, nature, and value of items that can easily be taken by employees – valuable items that have not to date had the protections of the vast majority of other retail items. And jewelry industry employees have proven especially creative in their thievery, as there have been documented cases where employees have surreptitiously inserted cubic zirconium fakes for the real diamonds in engagement rings and even removed items from stores in various body orifices. With monitoring of jewelry trays and display cases, store management can be alerted if an unsold item is missing from a tray at the end of the day when they are returned to the store’s backroom and/or the location’s safe.

Thus, inventory shrinkage – both from internal and external causes – has been a very real and intractable problem for jewelry retailers. RFID tagging of individual items can thus go a long way in protecting and monitoring a store’s valuable inventory, and thus, increased protection and visibility, combined with loss prevention, are significant parts of the ROI equation for RFID implementations in the retail sector. One jewelry retailer in the Middle East reports that its annual losses in a single store have declined from a quarter million dollars a year to zero since installing RFID-based inventory tracking, making its ROI on its RFID investment roughly 400%. An illustrative case recently came to light as one of the few jewelry stores in the United States making use of active RFID used the security system to actually recover a stolen RolexTM watch. Sissy’s Log Cabin, a jewelry store in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, had implemented an RFID-based inventory management solution from Jewelry Computer Systems, Inc. of Naperville, Illinois.  The store’s employees were alerted when a shoplifter stole a Rolex watch from one of the store’s display cases. While the perpetrator got away, the store owner, Sissy Jones, credits the RFID security system with being alerted to the theft and identifying the article. She stated: “We noticed that there was one empty hole [where a watch should have been] and we got our scanner out and scanned them. In 10 to 15 minutes we knew which one was missing.” Being able to trace the item by its serial number, the watch was recovered in a pawn shop over 500 miles away in Dallas, Texas in just two days.

Sales Monitoring and Metrics

Finally, there is the issue of sales monitoring and metrics. Even with relatively low-end jewelry, personal selling is key – especially given the unbranded nature of jewelry items, their cost, their similarity, and the infrequency of such purchases for most people. Thus, RFID inventory solutions can also offer a powerful sales management tool to jewelry retailers. In a nutshell, from the perspective of RSI ID’s sales and marketing vice president, Tawnya Clark: “It helps the store manager understand what the salesperson is doing.” With software tailored to the jewelry industry, several of the competing systems can enable store and chain managers to be able to answer questions such as:

Which items are selling…and which are not?

Which salespeople are showing and selling which items?

How often are particular items being shown to customers?

How long is each item being displayed before it is sold?

How many times is an item shown before it is sold?

Which items are not being shown to customers?

Which items are aging in inventory and need to potentially be looked at for markdowns?

Thus, RFID tracking will enable a whole new era of jewelry store management through the visibility such systems provide not just on the inventory itself, but on the efforts and effectiveness of jewelry salespeople.

Analysis

Across the globe, the jewelry market certainly presents an intriguing application area for RFID. The business case can be made very well in this unique market, due to not just the value of the items being sold, but the very solid results in inventory management and security, as well as sales effectiveness, that can be made. Vendors in this area speak of ROI being in months, as opposed to years, even for small store installations. Thus, the retail jewelry sector can be expected to rightly be one of the hot growth areas for RFID solutions providers in the next few years. And, with the demonstrated growth in the world-wide market for jewelry, the potential size of this market area will likely attract even more RFID solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of the retail jewelry environment.

What is around the corner? Certainly, tags will be coming in much smaller form factors. An Indian firm, Orizin Technologies, has begun marketing an RFID tag that is 26 x 23 x 7.3 millimeters in size, with a read range of 20 meters. Likewise, the China-based Daily RFID Company, Ltd. has recently introduced a tiny RFID tag, with a thickness of just .6mm, which is specifically aimed at the jewelry market. The tag, which costs just over one U.S. dollar per unit, can be applied both individual items of jewelry and jewelry boxes, trays, and cases to enable in-store and shipment tracking. Scientists at Hitachi Research Labs in Japan have devised the tiniest RFID tag ever. Measuring just 0.05 millimeter by 0.05 millimeter, the so-called powder chip is smaller than the width of a strand of hair. While such a small tag can have a wide variety of uses in items such as passports, gift certificates, and currency, perhaps the most exciting application could be in the jewelry industry. Such a small tag could be invisibly embedded in items such as rings, necklaces, and watches, enabling them to be better tracked in retail locations and the supply chain. The powder tag would also make it possible for jewelry makers to introduce an e-pedigree to jewelry items, enabling “track and trace” capabilities and making it possible for all parties to verify the authenticity and legitimacy of items. Such a capability could prove to be an extremely effective means of not just fighting counterfeiters and the large trade in counterfeit jewelry, but to severely restrict the ability of criminals and black marketers to sell stolen jewelry, as the value of unverifiable items would be far less than verifiable items.

Finally, as the noted management expert/futurist Don Tapscott recently posited, such an e-pedigree could be used to verify that diamonds have not been sourced from the so-called “Blood Diamond” areas of Africa, an issue thrust in the public spotlight by the movie of that same name. Indeed, a voluntary system, known as the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, was established by South African diamond producing states in 2000 to certify that a diamond has not been sourced from an area where the sale of such objects could help finance the operations of rebel groups. The certification scheme aims at preventing these “blood diamonds” from entering the mainstream rough diamond market, and its development was aimed at trying to assure consumers that their purchase of a diamond engagement ring, pin or broach would be possibly helping finance civil wars and human rights abuses.

Thus, RFID in this market can enable those in the jewelry industry to “do right by doing good,” making a compelling case for RFID in this global marketplace.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Biography

David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. Dr. Wyld also maintains compilations of works he has helped his students to turn into editorially-reviewed publications at the following sites:

Management Concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/)

Book Reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/) and

Travel and International Foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).                

Is a Student Loan Consolidation Right for You?

Related Site: http://pie-ing.blogspot.com/

Any person who, according to search the Internet for student loan debt consolidation has noted that it unbelievable that the number of websites claiming that their company is to help you get your debts into one low monthly payment. But no matter how often we read that the line on the website after website, you do not feel the confidence you need to continue. This is because these companies often do not explain to you, and you need to understand what it is that is going to scams that take place there too.

Now let us understand a picture to help. You are a student who is nearing completion. They have tons of credit card bills, student loans and medical bills. Although you are able to at least the majority of payments to your monthly bills, you fall behind others. These give you to pay late fees and everything else, unless you are lucky, and you have decided to look at loan consolidation, as well as other debt consolidation plans.

Next, let us on your student loans. For student loan consolidation you want your loan in two groups. First one for your federal student loans and another for your private student loans. You must avoid the combination of these student loans at any price. The reason is that you are certain benefits from the federal student loans, you are in federal student loan consolidation, only if no private student loans mixed in. These include tax breaks on interest and pardon to certain federal student loans. For these reasons you should avoid private student loans as much as possible in the first place.

Next we will look at debt consolidation in general, including the student loan consolidation. For consolidation loans are usually a solution to your plan will be loans, which will contribute to how much you owe. How would you describe the various types of debt consolidation loan, you should use the various types of debt separately from each other. This means dealing with the group secured and unsecured with unsecured.

If you are looking to secure your debt with student loan debt consolidation that you want to look at the interest rates available. If you have other interest rates on your various loans, then your interest rate for your consolidated loan should be somewhere between the highest and lowest. This is done by multiplying each of the loans by the related interest, and adding all the values together (this sum is X), then all of the original loan values (this sum is Y). You then divide the first answer from the second, the X / Y

Student loan consolidations student loan consolidation and others for those in need is a good thing for most people, especially those who research and choose their plan.

Related Site: http://pie-ing.blogspot.com/

Commission Structure of Student Loan Collector They will do whatever it takes to collect on your defaulted student loan. I did. This industry is dark and what you’ll learn is scary. Get My Confessions of Rogue Student Loan Collector www.freestudentloanstuff.com Visit My Blog www.StudentLoanFundamentals.com Mr. Kay Production Manager Rogue Student Loan Collector Why should you listen to me? * I am a Production Manager for a top ranked federal student-loan collection agency who is contracted with Department of Education. Our firm’s job is to basically locate and recover billions of dollars in defaulted federal student loans. * My team has collected well over 7 Billion dollars from doctors, single mothers, college students, veterans, people of disability, unemployed and anyone who is behind on federal student loans. I have developed a powerful unique course that exposes every tactic that I have used to collect hundreds of millions from unaware student loan borrowers just like you. Why am I releasing this information? *I have seen what student loan troubles can do to a person. Family get torn apart, newly graduates cannot find a job or go back to school, kids are not able to go to school because of the parents defaulted student loan, and the list goes on…. I want you to learn how to “fight back” against those who are making your life difficult — and holding you back. With the “Student Loan Blue Print” we guarantee your entire outlook on life will change forever. However, I …
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PLUS Loans Left Out Of Student Debt Consolidation?

It was to our attention that many students request a student debt consolidation programs and want to include PLUS loans. Others believe that wrongly PLUS loan can not be consolidated. All these concepts are erroneous due to lack of information on the proper PLUS loans. PLUS loans can be consolidated, it’s just that they will not be consolidated together with student debt under certain circumstances.

The nature of the PLUS loan differs from the other student loans and thus there are some obstacles to the achievement of the student debt consolidation loans and also on the packaging. Although it might not be economic reasons for this, the source of this difficulty is legal and has to do with who the real owner of the loan. This problem can however be overcome by other means.

Nature of plus loans and the common barriers to consolidation

PLUS loans are for the provision of financial resources for the parents of pupils so that they help their children pay for their college studies. The obligation to repay is not the students, but the burden on parents. PLUS loans a personal loan with three parties: the lender (financial institution), the purchaser or the borrower (the student, the parents) and the final recipient of the loan (the student).

So, legally speaking, is committed to the loan contract, the actual parents. And since the consolidation of federal student loans mean, instead of all the debts for which the student is obligated to a loan, PLUS loan stay by a parent debt and not a student debt. This does not mean that PLUS loans are not consolidated because it is in some other way to fulfill this purpose.

Independent of plus loan consolidation

PLUS loans can be consolidated, regardless of student debt in this case, what the parents actually do, their PLUS loan refinancing on favorable terms, such as lower prices and more generally the lowest monthly payments by extending the repayment programs. The problem is that this is not a single monthly payment, and packing all students debt.

The alternative is for parents to consolidate PLUS loans together with other personal debt, consumer debt. This reduces the debt in a single monthly payment, but keeps the students part of the blame on one side and parents on the other side. Nevertheless, thousands of dollars can be saved by using the debt consolidation through these funds.

Joint Consolidation: Other means to achieve this objective

A final alternative that is a comprehensive solution to ensure all debts through a home-equity loans. These loans may be higher loan amounts with no specific purpose for the money and the money thus obtained can be used for repayment of the federal and private student loans and PLUS loans. Then, the student can provide for the PLUS loan debt through the repayment of the entire new loan or loan rates can be distributed. However, it should be noted that the owner of the property is the risk run by this financial transaction.

studentfriendloan.blogspot.com School loans have become a necessity with the cost today’s College Education. After graduating, School loan consolidation can be a smart option by lowering your interest rate and combining all outstanding loans in to a new school loan with a lower apr. School Work has provided some helpful links from school loan companies and other helpful resources. We’ve provided several school loans resources, including the site for the US Department of Education. We encourage you to take your time and compare multiple lenders and resources, and involve your parents or a financial advisor before actually applying for school loan. for more information visit this page http
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Making An Action Plan

When it comes to our finances, many us are so busy creating ideas on how to get ahead in life that we never actually get around to doing something about these ideas. Even if you have big dreams for success, if there is no action plan, the end result will be unrealized goals and frustration.

Here is an example of what happens when ideas are not followed by action: I have a client who I’ll refer to as Althea, who is in a very serious financial crunch. She owes over one million dollars in unsecured loans and credit card debt and has changed jobs frequently. Although being depressed about her situation, she is very upbeat with her ideas. She has come up with many creative money-making concepts that are all viable.

However, Althea’s problem is that she hasn’t done any of the action steps that we have agreed on that will help her to see her ideas to fruition. A typical conversation with her goes like this;

Advisor: “Have you completed your budget yet?”
Althea:   “I started, but I didn’t get to finish it. However, I have another great idea of how we could really make a lot of money – this one can’t lose!”

As Thomas Edison said, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” It’s essential to have big ideas, as nothing ever got created without them. But as Edison discovered when he finally made the electric light bulb work after hundreds of attempts, real results only come with effort and determined action.

Whether you intend to save towards your own home, get out of debt, send your children to college, or retire in comfort, you must create and carry out an action plan in order to achieve your goals. Here is a four-step guide to help you move from ideas into action:

P – Purpose

Personal achievement guru, Brian Tracy, says that the three keys to high achievement are “Clarity, Clarity, Clarity.” He confirms that your success in life will be largely determined by how clear you are about what you really want. Similarly, your first step to making an action plan is to be very clear about what it is you’re trying to accomplish and why it’s important to you.

Sometimes the reason why we’re not moved to act on our ideas is that we don’t have enough motivation to start moving. If you have been wishing for your own house but haven’t started to save for it, focus intently on the dream. Think of living without a landlord. Watch home improvement television shows, and buy decorating magazines. Imagine your net worth growing as the value of your home increases. See the end result clearly in your mind and you’ll be more compelled to act.

L – Logistics

This is where you design the blueprint to achieve your dreams. You have to logically work out all the steps you need to take in order to move from where you are now to where you want to be. For example, if you are now a secretary, but you hate administrative work and would love to become a social worker, what changes would you have to make in order to attain your goal? Do you need further education? Can you save up to pay for this training or do your need a student loan? Can you volunteer at an organization that will help you to network with people who can help you?

A – Advice

In the same way that a sick person needs to seek a doctor’s advice, you must look to expert advisors to steer you in the right financial direction. Many people with big ideas can’t move forward because they don’t have the right knowledge. There are financial professionals that can guide you about home ownership, debt reduction, retirement planning, or business start-up. Look for books or seminars that can give you tips on achieving your particular goal. The right advice will remove the confusion and uncertainty that usually prevents action.

N – Non-Stop Attitude

To make your action plan effective, you must develop a ‘non-stop’ attitude just like a champion marathon runner. This means that you will permit no distractions or disturbances to prematurely end your ‘flight‘. Even if there are delays or route changes because of turbulence in your environment, you must resolve from the beginning that you will not stop ‘flying’ until you arrive at your destination.

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Ryun

Copyright © 2007 Cherryl Hanson Simpson. No reproduction without written consent.

Cherryl is a financial columnist, consultant and coach. See more of her work at www.financiallyfreenetwork.com and www.financiallysmartonline.com.