Glossary of Forex Terms...=3

C -

Cable - A term used in the foreign exchange market for the US Dollar/British Pound rate.

Capital Risk - The risk arising from a bank having to pay to the counter party with out knowing whether the other party will or is able to meet its side of the bargain. see Herstatt.

Carry - The interest cost of financing securities or other financial instruments held.

Cash Delivery - Same day settlement.

Cash market - The market in the actual financial instrument on which a futures or options contract is based.

Cash - normally refers to an exchange transaction contracted for settlement on the day the deal is struck. This term is mainly used in the North American markets and those countries which rely for foreign exchange services on these markets because of time zone preference i.e. Latin America. In Europe and Asia, cash transactions are often referred to as value same day deals.

Cash and Carry - The buying of an asset today and selling a future contract on the asset. A reverse cash and carry is possible by selling an asset and buying a future.

Cash Settlement - A procedure for settling futures contract where the cash difference between the future and the market price is paid instead of physical delivery.

Central Bank - A bank which is responsible for controlling a countries monetary policy. It is normally the issuing bank and controls bank licensing, and any foreign exchange control regime.

Central Rate - Exchange rates against the ECU adopted for each currency within the EMS.Currencies have limited movement from the central rate according to the relevant band.

Chartist - An individual who studies graphs and charts of historic data to find trends and predict trend reversals which include the observance of certain patterns and characteristics of the charts to derive resistance levels, head and shoulders patterns, and double bottom or double top patterns which are thought to indicate trend reversals.

Clean float - An exchange rate that is not materially effected by official intervention.

Closed position - A transaction which leaves the trade with a zero net commitment to the market with respect to a particular currency.

Commission - The fee that a broker may charge clients for dealing on their behalf.

Confirmation - A memorandum to the other party describing all the relevant details of the transaction.

Contract - An agreement to buy or sell a specified amount of a particular currency or option for a specified month in the future (See Futures contract).

Conversion Account - A general ledger account representing the uncovered position in a particular currency. Such accounts are referred to as Position Accounts.

Conversion - The process by which an asset or liability denominated in one currency is exchanged for an asset or liability denominated in another currency.

Conversion arbitrage - A transaction where the asset is purchased and buys a put option and sells a call option on the asset purchased, each option having the same exercise price and expiry.

Convertible currency - A currency that can be freely exchanged for another currency (and or gold) without special authorization from the central bank.

Copey - Slang for the Danish krone.

Correspondent Bank - The foreign banks representative who regularly performs services for a bank which has no branch in the relevant centre, e.g. to facilitate the transfer of funds. In the US this often occurs domestically due to inter state banking restrictions.

Counterparty - The other organisation or party with whom the exchange deal is being transacted.

Countervalue - Where a person buys a currency against the dollar it is the dollar value of the transaction.

Country risk - The risk attached to a borrower by virtue of its location in a particular country. This involves examination of economic, political and geographical factors. Various organisations generate country risk tables.

Cover - (1) To take out a forward foreign exchange contract. (2) To close out a short position by buying currency or securities which have been sold.

Covered Arbitrage - Arbitrage between financial instruments denominated in different currencies, using forward cover to eliminate exchange risk.

Covered Margin - The interest rate margin between two instruments denominated in different currencies after taking account of the cost of forward cover.

Crawling peg - A method of exchange rate adjustment; the rate is fixed/ pegged, but adjusted at certain intervals in line with certain economic or market indicators.

Credit Risk - The risk that a debtor will not repay; more specifically the risk that the counterparty does not have the currency promised to be delivered.

Cross deal - A foreign exchange deal entered into involving two currencies, neither of which is the base currency.

Cross rates - Rates between two currencies, neither of which is the US Dollar.

Current Account - The net balance of a country's international payment arising from exports and imports together with unilateral transfers such as aid and migrant remittances. It excludes capital flows.

Types of insurance companies

Insurance companies may be classified as
Life insurance companies, which sell life insurance, annuities and pensions products.
Non-life or general insurance companies, which sell other types of insurance.

General insurance companies can be further divided into these sub categories.
Standard Lines
Excess Lines

In most countries, life and non-life insurers are subject to different regulatory regimes and different tax and accounting rules. The main reason for the distinction between the two types of company is that life, annuity, and pension business is very long-term in nature — coverage for life assurance or a pension can cover risks over many decades. By contrast, non-life insurance cover usually covers a shorter period, such as one year.

In the United States, standard line insurance companies are your "main stream" insurers. These are the companies that typically insure your auto, home or business. They use pattern or "cookie cutter" policies without variation from one person to the next. They usually have lower premiums than excess lines and can sell directly to individuals. They are regulated by state laws that can restrict the amount they can charge for insurance policies.

Excess line insurance companies (aka Excess and Surplus) typically insure risks not covered by the standard lines market. They are broadly referred as being all insurance placed with non-admitted insurers. Non-admitted insurers are not licensed in the states where the risks are located. These companies have more flexibility and can react faster than standard insurance companies because they don't have the same regulations as standard insurance companies. State laws generally require insurance placed with surplus line agents and brokers to not be available through standard licensed insurers.

Insurance companies are generally classified as either mutual or stock companies. This is more of a traditional distinction as true mutual companies are becoming rare. Mutual companies are owned by the policyholders, while stockholders (who may or may not own policies) own stock insurance companies. Other possible forms for an insurance company include reciprocals, in which policyholders 'reciprocate' in sharing risks, and lloyds organizations.

Insurance companies are rated by various agencies such as A.M. Best. The ratings include the company's financial strength, which measures its ability to pay claims. It also rates financial instruments issued by the insurance company, such as bonds, notes, and securitization products.

Reinsurance companies are insurance companies that sell policies to other insurance companies, allowing them to reduce their risks and protect themselves from very large losses. The reinsurance market is dominated by a few very large companies, with huge reserves. A reinsurer may also be a direct writer of insurance risks as well.

Captive insurance companies may be defined as limited-purpose insurance companies established with the specific objective of financing risks emanating from their parent group or groups. This definition can sometimes be extended to include some of the risks of the parent company's customers. In short, it is an in-house self-insurance vehicle. Captives may take the form of a "pure" entity (which is a 100 subsidiary of the self-insured parent company); of a "mutual" captive (which insures the collective risks of members of an industry); and of an "association" captive (which self-insures individual risks of the members of a professional, commercial or industrial association). Captives represent commercial, economic and tax advantages to their sponsors because of the reductions in costs they help create and for the ease of insurance risk management and the flexibility for cash flows they generate. Additionally, they may provide coverage of risks which is neither available nor offered in the traditional insurance market at reasonable prices.

The types of risk that a captive can underwrite for their parents include property damage, public and products liability, professional indemnity, employee benefits, employers liability, motor and medical aid expenses. The captive's exposure to such risks may be limited by the use of reinsurance.

Captives are becoming an increasingly important component of the risk management and risk financing strategy of their parent. This can be understood against the following background:
heavy and increasing premium costs in almost every line of coverage;
difficulties in insuring certain types of fortuitous risk;
differential coverage standards in various parts of the world;
rating structures which reflect market trends rather than individual loss experience;
insufficient credit for deductibles and/or loss control efforts.

There are also companies known as 'insurance consultants'. Like a mortgage broker, these companies are paid a fee by the customer to shop around for the best insurance policy amongst many companies .

Similar to an insurance consultant, an 'insurance broker' also shops around for the best insurance policy amongst many companies. However, with insurance brokers, the fee is usually paid in the form of commission from the insurer that is selected rather than directly from the client.

Neither insurance consultants nor insurance brokers are insurance companies and no risks are transferred to them in insurance transactions.

Third party administrators are companies that perform underwriting and sometimes claims handling services for insurance companies. These companies often have special expertise that the insurance companies do not have.

Principles of insurance

Commercially insurable risks typically share seven common characteristics.[1]
A large number of homogeneous exposure units. The vast majority of insurance policies are provided for individual members of very large classes. Automobile insurance, for example, covered about 175 million automobiles in the United States in 2004.[2] The existence of a large number of homogeneous exposure units allows insurers to benefit from the so-called “law of large numbers,” which in effect states that as the number of exposure units increases, the actual results are increasingly likely to become close to expected results. There are exceptions to this criterion. Lloyd's of London is famous for insuring the life or health of actors, actresses and sports figures. Satellite Launch insurance covers events that are infrequent. Large commercial property policies may insure exceptional properties for which there are no ‘homogeneous’ exposure units. Despite failing on this criterion, many exposures like these are generally considered to be insurable.
Definite Loss. The event that gives rise to the loss that is subject to insurance should, at least in principle, take place at a known time, in a known place, and from a known cause. The classic example is death of an insured on a life insurance policy. Fire, automobile accidents, and worker injuries may all easily meet this criterion. Other types of losses may only be definite in theory. Occupational disease, for instance, may involve prolonged exposure to injurious conditions where no specific time, place or cause is identifiable. Ideally, the time, place and cause of a loss should be clear enough that a reasonable person, with sufficient information, could objectively verify all three elements.
Accidental Loss. The event that constitutes the trigger of a claim should be fortuitous, or at least outside the control of the beneficiary of the insurance. The loss should be ‘pure,’ in the sense that it results from an event for which there is only the opportunity for cost. Events that contain speculative elements, such as ordinary business risks, are generally not considered insurable.
Large Loss. The size of the loss must be meaningful from the perspective of the insured. Insurance premiums need to cover both the expected cost of losses, plus the cost of issuing and administering the policy, adjusting losses, and supplying the capital needed to reasonably assure that the insurer will be able to pay claims. For small losses these latter costs may be several times the size of the expected cost of losses. There is little point in paying such costs unless the protection offered has real value to a buyer.
Affordable Premium. If the likelihood of an insured event is so high, or the cost of the event so large, that the resulting premium is large relative to the amount of protection offered, it is not likely that anyone will buy insurance, even if on offer. Further, as the accounting profession formally recognizes in financial accounting standards (See FAS 113 for example), the premium cannot be so large that there is not a reasonable chance of a significant loss to the insurer. If there is no such chance of loss, the transaction may have the form of insurance, but not the substance.
Calculable Loss. There are two elements that must be at least estimatable, if not formally calculable: the probability of loss, and the attendant cost. Probability of loss is generally an empirical exercise, while cost has more to do with the ability of a reasonable person in possession of a copy of the insurance policy and a proof of loss associated with a claim presented under that policy to make a reasonably definite and objective evaluation of the amount of the loss recoverable as a result of the claim.
Limited risk of catastrophically large losses. The essential risk is often aggregation. If the same event can cause losses to numerous policyholders of the same insurer, the ability of that insurer to issue policies becomes constrained, not by factors surrounding the individual characteristics of a given policyholder, but by the factors surrounding the sum of all policyholders so exposed. Typically, insurers prefer to limit their exposure to a loss from a single event to some small portion of their capital base, on the order of 5 percent. Where the loss can be aggregated, or an individual policy could produce exceptionally large claims, the capital constraint will restrict an insurers appetite for additional policyholders. The classic example is earthquake insurance, where the ability of an underwriter to issue a new policy depends on the number and size of the policies that it has already underwritten. Wind insurance in hurricane zones, particularly along coast lines, is another example of this phenomenon. In extreme cases, the aggregation can affect the entire industry, since the combined capital of insurers and reinsurers can be small compared to the needs of potential policyholders in areas exposed to aggregation risk. In commercial fire insurance it is possible to find single properties whose total exposed value is well in excess of any individual insurer’s capital constraint. Such properties are generally shared among several insurers, or are insured by a single insurer who syndicates the risk into the reinsurance market.

AMAZING LOVE QUOTES

Don't find love, let love find you. That's why it's
called falling in love, because you don't force
yourself to fall, you just fall.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

Lucky is the man who is the first love of a woman,
but luckier is the woman who is the last love of a man.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

It takes a minute to have a crush on someone,
an hour to like someone, and an day to love someone...
but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

It breaks your heart to see the one you love is happy
with someone else, but it's more painful to know that
the one you love is unhappy with you.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

If love is the answer,
can you please repeat the question?

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

Faith makes all things possible.
Love makes them easy.

~ Unknown

I believe that to truly Love, is the ultimate
expression of the will to live. A heart that
truly loves is forever young.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

Love makes life so confusing, but without love
would you really want to live?

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

Do you love me because I am beautiful
or am I beautiful because I am loved?

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * *

Love me now, love me never,
but if you love me, love me forever.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

Three things of life that are most valuable -
Love, self-confidence & friends.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

To the world you may be just one person,
but to one person you may be the world.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

Love is like heaven, but it can hurt like hell.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

Who do you turn to when the only person
in the world that can stop you from crying,
is exactly the one making you cry?

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

He taught me how to love,
but not how to stop.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

Of all forms of caution, caution in love is the most fatal.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *



We come to love not by finding a perfect person,
but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

Many a young lady does not realize just how strong
her love for a young man is until he fails to pass
the approval test with her parents.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

Is it better for a woman to marry a man who loves her
than a man she loves.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

Give her two red roses, each with a note. The first note says 'For the woman I love' and the second, 'For my best friend.'

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

A good marriage is like a casserole,
only those responsible for it really
know what goes in it.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

No one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

~ Unknown ~

* * * * * * * * *

Love, true love, is that which can give the most
without asking or demanding anything in return.

~ Mazie Hammond ~

* * * * * * * * *

Where there is love, there is God also.

~ Leo Tolstoy ~

* * * * * * * * *

All, everything that I understand,
I understand only because I love.

~ Leo Tolstoy ~

* * * * * * * * *

Love cures people -- both the ones who give it
and the ones who receive it.

~ Dr. Karl énage ~

* * * * * * * * *

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life:
That word is love.

~ Sophocles ~

* * * * * * * * *

It is wrong to think that love comes from long companionship
and persevering courtship. Love is the offspring of spiritual
affinity and unless that affinity is created in a moment, it
will not be created for years or even generations.

~ Khalil Gibran ~

* * * * * * * * *

When they asked me what I loved most about life,
I smiled and said you.

~ Tina ~

* * * * * * * * *

Just because you know someone doesn't mean you love them,
and just because you don't know people doesn't mean you can't
love them. You can fall in love with a complete stranger in a
heartbeat, if God planned that route for you. So open your heart
to strangers more often. You never know when God will throw
that pass at you.

~ Heather Grove ~

* * * * * * * * *

Love... What is love? Love is to love someone
for who they are, who they were, and who they will be.

~ Chris Moore ~

* * * * * * * * *

Why do you say you love me,
if you are only going to leave me?

~ Julia ~

* * * * * * * * *

Love is like a river, always changing,
but always finding you again somewhere
down the road.

~ Kelly Elaine ~

* * * * * * * * *

Love is a language spoken by everyone,
but understood only by a heart.

~ Shirley Rindani ~

* * * * * * * * *

People need love even when they don't deserve it.

~ Nikki Ledbetter ~

* * * * * * * * *

For every word you say,
another piece of my heart you take.

~ Tiara Johnson ~

* * * * * * * * *

Maybe God put a few bad people in your life,
so when the right one came along you'd be thankful.

~ Andrea Kiefer ~

* * * * * * * * *

Love the heart that hurts you,
But never hurt the heart that loves you.

* * * * * * * *

Love me for a reason,
let the reason be love.

* * * * * * * * *

It doesn't take a reason to love someone,
but it does to like someone. You don't love
someone because you want to, you love someone
because you are destined too. It's because you
fall in Love with them, that you then try to
find a reason, but you always come up with
the answer, No reason!

* * * * * * * * *

Love is the beginning of all the joy
which nature has store for us.

* * * * * * * * *

Never say goodbye when you still want to try.
Never give up when you still feel you can take it.
Never say you don't love a person when you can't let go.

~ Dons ~

* * * * * * * * *

Say I love you and mean it,
don't just say it cause you can.

'Top Ten' Favourite Love Quotes

 
Favorite Love Quotes #1
Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
Franklin P. Jones
Favorite Love Quotes #2
At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.
Plato
Favorite Love Quotes #3
Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.
Robert Frost
Favorite Love Quotes #4
If you have it [Love], you don't need to have anything else, and if you don't have it, it doesn't matter much what else you have.
Sir James M. Barrie
Favorite Love Quotes #5
Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
Henry Louis Mencken
Favorite Love Quotes #6
Love is a friendship set to music.
E. Joseph Cossman
Favorite Love Quotes #7
True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked.
Erich Segal
Favorite Love Quotes #8
Love is a canvas furnished by Nature and embroidered by imagination.
Voltaire
Favorite Love Quotes #9
They do not love that do not show their love. The course of true love never did run smooth. Love is a familiar. Love is a devil. There is no evil angel but Love.
William Shakespeare
Favorite Love Quotes #10
Like the measles, love is most dangerous when it comes late in life.
Lord Byron

To View More of the designs made by puneet visit http://web20graphics.blogspot.com/ 

FOR GETTING WORK CONTACT PUNEET PUGALIA

contact him at puneet_pugalia@yahoo.co.in

LOAN

How to Find the Cheapest Whole Life Insurance Quote Online



Whole life insurance covers you for your entire life, not just for a specific period or term. Because your premium stays the same until the policy is paid for, it's important that you find the cheapest whole life insurance quote.

Look Online
The Internet is your best source for finding the cheapest whole life insurance quote. With insurance comparison websites you can complete a questionnaire about what kind of insurance you want. The websites will ask such information as:
* Your age
* How much insurance you want
* Whether you smoke
* Whether you work in a hazardous occupation
* Whether you have any risky hobbies
* Whether you have any health conditions
Once you complete the questionnaire you'll get fast quotes from multiple companies. You can then easily compare the quotes and choose the best one for you. (See link below.)
When you get your whole life insurance quotes, look for companies that offer no-load or low-load whole life insurance policies. These policies may be the cheapest choice for you because they include little or no sales commissions.
Save on Your Whole Life Insurance Quote
Because whole life insurance builds up cash value, it can be an expensive form of insurance. However, there are ways you can save on your whole life insurance:
* Check the price of several insurance amounts with the same company. Sometimes more insurance actually costs less. For example, a company might charge $1.00 per $1,000 of coverage up to $249,999, but 90 cents per $1,000 of coverage over $250,000. So it would cost less to get $250,000 worth of coverage than $245,000.
* Change your habits. If you stop smoking and lose weight, you can save up to 50% on your premiums.
* If you have a health condition, look for a whole life insurance company that specializes in people with that condition.
* Ask about hidden fees. For example, your insurer might charge you to set up an automatic payment plan.

A NICE JOKE

A man is working on the buses in the US collecting tickets.

He rings the bell for the driver to set off when there's a woman half getting on the bus. The driver sets off, the woman falls from the bus and is killed. At the trial the man is sent down for murder and seeing as it's Texas he's sent to the electric chair. On the day of his execution he's sat in the chair and the executioner grants him a final wish.

"Well" says the man, "is that your packed lunch over there?" "Yes" answers the executioner. "Can I have that green banana?"

The executioner gives the man his green banana and waits till he's eaten it. When the man's finished, the executioner flips the switch sending hundreds of thousands of volts through the man. When the smoke clears the man is still alive. The executioner can't believe it.

"Can I go?" the man asks. "I suppose so" says the executioner, "that's never happened before."

The man leaves and eventually gets a job back on the buses selling tickets. Again he rings the bell for the driver to go when people are still getting on. A man falls under the wheels and is killed. The bloke is sent down for murder again and sent to the electric chair. The executioner is determined to do it right this time so rigs the chair up to the electric supply for the whole of Texas.

The bloke is again sat in the chair. "What is your final wish?" asks the executioner. "Can I have that green banana in your packed lunch ?" says the condemned man. The executioner sighs and reluctantly gives up his banana. The bloke eats the banana all up and the executioner flips the switch. Millions of volts course through the chair blacking out Texas. When the smoke clears the man is still sat there smiling in the
chair. The executioner can't believe it and lets the man go.

Well, would you believe, the bloke gets his job back on the buses. Once again he rings the bell whilst passengers are still getting on, this
time killing three of them. He is sent to the electric chair again. The executioner rigs up all United States electricity supply to The chair, determined to get his man this time. The man sits down in the chair smiling.

"What's your final wish ?" asks the executioner. "Well" says the man, "Can I have that green banana out of your packed lunch.?" The executioner hands over his banana and the man eats it all, skin included. The executioner pulls the handle and a brazillion volts go through the chair. When the smoke rises the man is still sat there alive without even a burn mark.

"I give up" says the executioner, "I don't understand how you
can still be alive after all that?". He stroked his chin. "It's something to do with that green banana isn't it" he asked.

Nahh" said the bloke,

"I'm just a really bad conductor"

CELL PHONES

Nowadays, virtually everyone carries a mobile phone, including the young children. They have become the most important item an individual can own. They serve as a communication tool used to make and receive calls as well as send text messages, listen to music, surf the internet and even play mobile games.
Mobile phones are now so common that they hardly attract attention. People have started understanding the value, convenience and ease of owing a mobile phone. In earlier days, very few people could think of buying mobile phone but today looking at the dropped prices, almost every individual can afford to purchase it. Mobile phones are equipped with every latest feature you desire. Even if you don't need the advanced features, you can get a basic mobile phone to make and receive calls. They can help us in our fast lifestyles when we have no time to meet our friends, relatives and left with the only option of talking over the phone. We can stay in touch whenever and wherever we need to.
Mobile phones available in small attractive designs, provides access to many useful features like camera, games, music and many more. We almost take them for granted as they are extremely affordable to maintain. The loads of useful features make lives much easier. Some like to use it as a camera, some for listening to music, some for making calls, some for entertainment purposes and some for multipurpose. With the latest java games, wallpapers, polyphonic ringtones, Bluetooth mobile technology, picture messaging, you can never feel bored. These days, people are looking for comfort, convenience and reliability and mobile phones have surely provided them all.
The main advantage of mobile phones is talking on the move but if due to a poor reception or network, an important call gets dropped, it's no use. So you need to take care while choosing your network service provider so that you don't face any problems while making and receiving calls. You can choose among the best mobile Phone Networks like Orange, 3 Mobile, T Mobile, O2, Vodafone, Virgin, etc. All these mobile networks provide cheap line rental mobile tariff plans, benefits like free line rental, half line rental and free mobile phone insurance with free mobile handsets. The roaming feature allows you to make and receive calls even if you are out of your country. It might be a little expensive but let's people stay connected.
Today, people have become so dependent on their mobile phones that they cannot imagine life without them

Faster Xp boot up

This is a Simple trick to boot up ur XP faster

1- start>run> and paste ''regedit''
2- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/ SYSTEM / CurrentControlSet / Control / Session Manager / Memory Managment / PrefetchParameters / EnablePrefetcher.
3- double click on "Enableprefetcher"
4- past 1 in Value Date, and Hexadecimal most be on.

SPEED UP MOZILLA FIREFOX

Firstly you need to Download http://fasterfox.mozdev.org

then follow these steps:

1. Open up FF click into the Firefox address location bar, and type about:config , press Enter.

2. The "Config" file will appear in the Firefox browser as a page with hundreds of lines of code in it. Now, we start by enabling some advanced tabbed options:

3. Locate the line browser.tabs.showSingleWindowModePrefs . (tip: press "b" on your keyboard to quick scroll).

4. Double click on browser.tabs.showSingleWindowModePrefs . This will set its toggle to "true". Now your advanced and enhanced tabbing should be set.

5. Next: we will increase the "pipeline" RAM ability for Firefox to accomodate more packet transfer. In the same config document, scroll down to the line that says network.http.pipelining . Double click this line to set it to "true".

6. Lastly, we will increase the maximum pipeline requests to 100. Find the line that says network.http.pipelining.maxrequests . Double click on it, and a dialog box will pop up. Change the setting from 4 to 100.

7. No need to save this file. Simply close and restart Firefox, and you should see an immediate 10% to 40% increase in web page transfer speed, and faster opening of your tabbed windows! Enjoy!

Top 10 Money Saving Tips for Term Life Insurance

As Life Insurance Awareness Month is coming to an end, we thought it would be appropriate to share our Top 10 Money Saving Tips for Term Life Insurance.

1. Buy when you're young
Many people may feel they don't need life insurance when they are young. While your financial needs may be lower at a younger age, the rates are also substantially cheaper when you're young. Remember, the goal is to cover your primary assets (like your salary and house) so that if something were to happen to you, your beneficiaries would be able to persevere financially. The best advice is to lock in as much protection at a young age while your health and prices are still good.

2. Your “half” birthday could be costly
While some companies raise their prices based on your actual age, most companies increase the price of their policies six months before your birthday. It's a term called “Age Nearest” in the industry, and that half-year price increase could really add up over a 20-year term policy. As above, the quicker you purchase your policy the better.

3. Select the right length of coverage

Everyone has different needs, and not one size fits all when it comes to term life insurance. While it may make sense for people in their 30s and 40s to secure a 20-year term length, a 10-year term might be more appropriate for someone nearing retirement.People who are trying to quit smoking, for example, might be best suited purchasing a shorter term (and then replacing it with a longer term policy when they qualify for non-tobacco prices). Lastly, individuals who have 30-year mortgages might want to consider a 30-year term to ensure that the house is protected throughout the period of the loan.

4. Check for price breaks
Companies often offer “price breaks” at certain coverage amounts (e.g., $250,000 vs. $225,000). The truth is that many people can actually pay less money for more coverage. Check how little your prices increase when you increase coverage to $250,000, $500,000, or $1,000,000.

5. Buy the right amount of coverage
Many agents may try to sell you more coverage than you need. The purpose of life insurance is to “indemnify” (replace financial loss), and what most people should be looking for is income replacement for their beneficiaries. Independent financial planners recommend the following rule of thumb: purchase an amount of coverage equal to 6-10 times your annual gross income.

6. The right hobby with the wrong company could cost you
People who participate in high-risk sports or activities (such as hang-gliding, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, and racing), or even those who like to have an occasional cigar could very well pay more money if they don't pick the right company. Every company looks at risk factors differently and some are more liberal in certain areas than others. Speak with a licensed insurance expert and make sure they have all the underwriting criteria at their disposal and match you with the right company.

7. Work policies aren't always the best deal
While purchasing a life insurance policy through your employer is convenient, it may not be the best deal available to you. Work policies are often based on a composite profile of the employees you work with, many of whom may be less healthy than you, or have other underwriting factors that might drive up rates. These type of policies also expire if/when you leave the company. Inexpensive term life insurance polices that cover your dependents until they can live comfortably on their own are often a better alternative.

8. Check out your payment/billing options
Many life insurance companies offer discounts to consumers who pay their premiums annually, or who pay monthly by electronic funds transfer (EFT).

9. Review your policy often
Do a review of your life insurance policy a minimum of every three years, if not more often. Rates may be lower, and your circumstances may have changed, necessitating more or less protection. If you are replacing a policy, make sure you allow enough time to get your new policy in place so coverages won't overlap or lapse.

10. Don't overspend on protection
Term life insurance is the most affordable and cost-effective pure protection available, and it is typically much less expensive than a comparable whole life policy. The old axiom still rings true: “Buy Term and invest the difference.”

What is Loan ???

A loan is a type of debt. All material things can be lent but this article focuses exclusively on monetary loans. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower.

The borrower initially receives an amount of money from the lender, which they pay back, usually but not always in regular installments, to the lender. This service is generally provided at a cost, referred to as interest on the debt. A borrower may be subject to certain restrictions known as loan covenants under the terms of the loan.

Acting as a provider of loans is one of the principal tasks for financial institutions. For other institutions, issuing of debt contracts such as bonds is a typical source of funding. Bank loans and credit are one way to increase the money supply.

Legally, a loan is a contractual promise of a debtor to repay a sum of money in exchange for the promise of a creditor to give another sum of money।




Student loan articles

NextStudent is proud to offer free student loan articles covering a broad range of financial aid topics. If you use newsfeeders, feel free to add our student loan articles to your feeder and get up to date student loan articles as soon as we publish them!
Private Consolidation Loan Just Released by NextStudent
Selecting the best means of financing a college education sometimes can be a challenging experience. Many borrowers do not realize that the combination of personal savings and federal funds often does not cover all college expenses, according to NextStudent, a leading Phoenix-based education funding company. Fortunately, private consolidation loans such as the new offering by NextStudent are an excellent low-cost option for covering the funding gap and repaying student debt.
Federal Consolidation through NextStudent Simplifies Repayment of Student Loans
This time of year is rife with high school seniors deciding which colleges they will attend the following year. Additionally, many other students are awaiting the approach of July 1, 2007, the date when new rates for existing variable rate student loans may take effect.
Become Your Own College Funding Resource with NextStudent’s Scholarship Search Directory
There is no question that college costs are escalating beyond the ability to pay for even those of modest means without taking out student loans. New proposed student loan legislation is under consideration to lower interest rates but yet has not been enacted. In addition, individual schools from Ivy League universities to community colleges are implementing their own unique policies and programs to help students finance their college education so they avoid further debt.
NextStudent’s Commitment to Customer Education Seen in Student Loan Blog
The NextStudent Student Loan Blog celebrates its second anniversary this year, and with the recent political changes in Washington continually propelling the student loan industry to the forefront of political debate, its purpose as an excellent watchdog of student loan news and changes in federal student loan policy is more relevant than ever.
Students Spring into Funding College for New School Year
Now that spring break is a gently fading blip on college students’ radar, many students are prone to coast through the final weeks of the semester and forget about more serious considerations like planning for next year. High school seniors are in a different boat altogether, diligently working their way through their first Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In their case, it is wise for students and their parents to monitor where they are in the college funding process and plan accordingly, according to NextStudent, the Phoenix-based premier education funding company.

How to Find the Cheapest Whole Life Insurance Quote Online

Whole life insurance covers you for your entire life, not just for a specific period or term. Because your premium stays the same until the policy is paid for, it's important that you find the cheapest whole life insurance quote.

Look Online

The Internet is your best source for finding the cheapest whole life insurance quote. With insurance comparison websites you can complete a questionnaire about what kind of insurance you want. The websites will ask such information as:

* Your age

* How much insurance you want

* Whether you smoke

* Whether you work in a hazardous occupation

* Whether you have any risky hobbies

* Whether you have any health conditions

Once you complete the questionnaire you'll get fast quotes from multiple companies. You can then easily compare the quotes and choose the best one for you. (See link below.)

When you get your whole life insurance quotes, look for companies that offer no-load or low-load whole life insurance policies. These policies may be the cheapest choice for you because they include little or no sales commissions.

Save on Your Whole Life Insurance Quote

Because whole life insurance builds up cash value, it can be an expensive form of insurance. However, there are ways you can save on your whole life insurance:

* Check the price of several insurance amounts with the same company. Sometimes more insurance actually costs less. For example, a company might charge $1.00 per $1,000 of coverage up to $249,999, but 90 cents per $1,000 of coverage over $250,000. So it would cost less to get $250,000 worth of coverage than $245,000.

* Change your habits. If you stop smoking and lose weight, you can save up to 50% on your premiums.

* If you have a health condition, look for a whole life insurance company that specializes in people with that condition.

* Ask about hidden fees. For example, your insurer might charge you to set up an automatic payment plan.

The Best Home Equity Loan for You

Deciding which home equity loan is best for you depends on two things:

Do you want to receive your money in one lump sum?
What do you need to use the money for?
There are three ways to turn your home equity into usable cash:

1. Cash-Out Refinance
When you take a cash-out refinance, it means you're refinancing your existing loan to a larger amount than what you owe and taking the difference in cash. You receive your money in a lump sum and you might use the cash for home improvements or debt consolidation. If the mortgage interest rate on your existing home loan is higher than current rates, it may make sense to refinance this way.

2. Home Equity Loan
If you have a great mortgage interest rate and don't want to refinance your existing mortgage, a home equity loan might be the way to go. A home equity loan is a second loan that you take out in addition to your first mortgage . It allows you to get cash from your home equity.
A home equity loan takes less time than refinancing your first mortgage and is a good choice if you'd like your cash in a lump sum. Again, you might use this for home improvements or paying off high-interest credit card debt. You might also use it to pay medical bills or finance a second home.

ICICI, CITIBANK, CITY Financial, BAJAJ Allianz, HSBC and LOT MORE

Love Quotations

I could fill a thousand pages telling you how I felt and still you would not understand.

So now I leave you without a sound except my heart shattering as it hits the ground

Love is like an eternal flame,

Once it is lit, it will continue to burn for all time.

There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind..

Never love unless you can bear with all the faults of man!

If God is Love - I dare say. But what a mischievous devil Love is!

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.

Words are the pen of the heart, but music is the pen of the soul

When i saw you i was afraid to talk to you...

when i talked to you i was afraid to hold you...

When i hold you i was afraid to love you

Now that i love you im afraid to lose you.

True love is eternal. If you think you were once in love but fell out of it, than it wasent love you were in

No Boy Is Worth Fighting For, And If You Have To Fight To Get Him,

Than You're Better Off Without Him.

A Cute Guy Can Open Up My Eyes, A Smart Guy Can Open Up My Mind,

But Only A Sweet Guy Can Open My Heart.

I Cry For The Times That You Were Almost Mine,

I Cry For The Memories I've Left Behind,

I Cry For The Pain, The Lost, The Old, the New..

I Now Cry For The Times I Thought I Had You

A kiss can beautify souls hearts and thoughts.

JOKES

A man is working on the buses in the US collecting tickets.

He rings the bell for the driver to set off when there's a woman half getting on the bus. The driver sets off, the woman falls from the bus and is killed. At the trial the man is sent down for murder and seeing as it's Texas he's sent to the electric chair. On the day of his execution he's sat in the chair and the executioner grants him a final wish.

"Well" says the man, "is that your packed lunch over there?" "Yes" answers the executioner. "Can I have that green banana?"

The executioner gives the man his green banana and waits till he's eaten it. When the man's finished, the executioner flips the switch sending hundreds of thousands of volts through the man. When the smoke clears the man is still alive. The executioner can't believe it.

"Can I go?" the man asks. "I suppose so" says the executioner, "that's never happened before."

The man leaves and eventually gets a job back on the buses selling tickets. Again he rings the bell for the driver to go when people are still getting on. A man falls under the wheels and is killed. The bloke is sent down for murder again and sent to the electric chair. The executioner is determined to do it right this time so rigs the chair up to the electric supply for the whole of Texas.

The bloke is again sat in the chair. "What is your final wish?" asks the executioner. "Can I have that green banana in your packed lunch ?" says the condemned man. The executioner sighs and reluctantly gives up his banana. The bloke eats the banana all up and the executioner flips the switch. Millions of volts course through the chair blacking out Texas. When the smoke clears the man is still sat there smiling in the
chair. The executioner can't believe it and lets the man go.

Well, would you believe, the bloke gets his job back on the buses. Once again he rings the bell whilst passengers are still getting on, this
time killing three of them. He is sent to the electric chair again. The executioner rigs up all United States electricity supply to The chair, determined to get his man this time. The man sits down in the chair smiling.

"What's your final wish ?" asks the executioner. "Well" says the man, "Can I have that green banana out of your packed lunch.?" The executioner hands over his banana and the man eats it all, skin included. The executioner pulls the handle and a brazillion volts go through the chair. When the smoke rises the man is still sat there alive without even a burn mark.

"I give up" says the executioner, "I don't understand how you
can still be alive after all that?". He stroked his chin. "It's something to do with that green banana isn't it" he asked.

Nahh" said the bloke,

"I'm just a really bad conductor"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One day George W. Bush and Dick Cheney walk into a diner. A waitress walks up to them and asks if she can take their order. Bush leans close to her and says, "Honey, can I have a quickie?"

The waitress is appalled and yells at the President about women's rights and storms away.

Cheney then says to Bush, "George, its pronounced 'quiche'."

The Best Home Equity Loan for You

Deciding which home equity loan is best for you depends on two things:
Do you want to receive your money in one lump sum?
What do you need to use the money for?
There are three ways to turn your home equity into usable cash:

1. Cash-Out Refinance
When you take a cash-out refinance, it means you're refinancing your existing loan to a larger amount than what you owe and taking the difference in cash. You receive your money in a lump sum and you might use the cash for home improvements or debt consolidation. If the mortgage interest rate on your existing home loan is higher than current rates, it may make sense to refinance this way.

2. Home Equity Loan
If you have a great mortgage interest rate and don't want to refinance your existing mortgage, a home equity loan might be the way to go. A home equity loan is a second loan that you take out in addition to your first mortgage . It allows you to get cash from your home equity.
A home equity loan takes less time than refinancing your first mortgage and is a good choice if you'd like your cash in a lump sum. Again, you might use this for home improvements or paying off high-interest credit card debt. You might also use it to pay medical bills or finance a second home.

ICICI, CITIBANK, CITY Financial, BAJAJ Allianz, HSBC and LOT MORE

How to Find the Cheapest Whole Life Insurance Quote Online

Whole life insurance covers you for your entire life, not just for a specific period or term. Because your premium stays the same until the policy is paid for, it's important that you find the cheapest whole life insurance quote.

Look Online

The Internet is your best source for finding the cheapest whole life insurance quote. With insurance comparison websites you can complete a questionnaire about what kind of insurance you want. The websites will ask such information as:

* Your age

* How much insurance you want

* Whether you smoke

* Whether you work in a hazardous occupation

* Whether you have any risky hobbies

* Whether you have any health conditions

Once you complete the questionnaire you'll get fast quotes from multiple companies. You can then easily compare the quotes and choose the best one for you. (See link below.)

When you get your whole life insurance quotes, look for companies that offer no-load or low-load whole life insurance policies. These policies may be the cheapest choice for you because they include little or no sales commissions.

Save on Your Whole Life Insurance Quote

Because whole life insurance builds up cash value, it can be an expensive form of insurance. However, there are ways you can save on your whole life insurance:

* Check the price of several insurance amounts with the same company. Sometimes more insurance actually costs less. For example, a company might charge $1.00 per $1,000 of coverage up to $249,999, but 90 cents per $1,000 of coverage over $250,000. So it would cost less to get $250,000 worth of coverage than $245,000.

* Change your habits. If you stop smoking and lose weight, you can save up to 50% on your premiums.

* If you have a health condition, look for a whole life insurance company that specializes in people with that condition.

* Ask about hidden fees. For example, your insurer might charge you to set up an automatic payment plan.

The Importance of Friendship

THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S Leisure and Lifestyles project based in the Department of Education at the University of Aberdeen has just completed a seven-year study. One of the many topics covered by the research team was that of friendships and their importance to adolescents.

ALTHOUGH relationships with parents determine in large measure our longer-term preferences, attitudes and values, during adolescence it is often relationships with friends that cause most concern and which pre- occupy the thoughts of young people as they grow up.

Friendships are based on a completely different set of structural relationships to those with parents. They are more symmetrical and involve sharing and exchange. Friendships are important to young children but there is a change at the beginning of adolescence -- a move to intimacy that includes the development of a more exclusive focus, a willingness to talk about oneself and to share problems and advice. Friends tell one another just about everything that is going on in each other's lives... Friends literally reason together in order to organise experience and to define themselves as persons.

The role of friendships
In adolescence friendships normally exist within the larger social structure of peer relationships. In this larger social setting each adolescent has a particular role to play and is usually aware of their own status within the group. Close friendships are not independent of such status. Popular or successful youngsters stick together. Those who are 'in' do not mix as frequently with those on the periphery of what is acceptable to the group. Whereas the standards and styles set by the peer group can set highly influential markers around acceptable and unacceptable behaviours for young people, it is in individual friendships that young people find support and security, negotiate their emotional independence, exchange information, put beliefs and feelings into words and develop a new and different perspective of themselves.

Data from the YPLL project indicates that young men and young women use and view friendships in quite different ways. For instance, as far as young women are concerned, we can trace the development of friendships through an early adolescent period when emotional commitments are minimal and the focus of friendship is common activities, a period in mid-adolescence when young women become most anxious about being rejected or excluded from a same-sex friendship. There is strong emphasis on loyalty and support at this stage:

'...People should remember that you need attention too, and not ignore you and sneak away from you. People who sneak away from you cannot really be your friends in the first place. Sometimes friends gang up on you. So you have to make another friend in another class. That is not pleasant. I should know...'

Friendships become easier for young women in later adolescence as they develop a clearer sense of self identity. Young women of this age show a high regard for each other's individuality and a greater ability to tolerate differences. Young men's friendships rarely achieve the depth of intimacy of young women's. Larger peer groups - the boys' or 'the lads' - often appear more important to them than individual friendships. Young men in middle adolescence describe their friends to researchers in the YPLL team in terms similar to those used by pre-adolescent girls - failing to see emotional support, closeness or security as important qualities of a friendship.

Apart from these general trends, the YPLL data also reveals interesting social class differences between youngsters. Young people from working- class backgrounds, for instance, are more likely to spend time with a boy/girlfriend whereas young people from G middle-class backgrounds continue to move around in mixed sex groups for a longer period, perhaps anticipating an extended period of dependence on parents as they head for further or higher education.

The role of the peer group
Peers and friends are not the same thing. Peer groups appear to have a dynamic role, the function and influence of which shifts across adolescence. The adolescent uses the peer group to evaluate the perspectives of others, while developing his or her own values and attitudes.

Style of dress, hairstyles, musical interests, speech and language use, leisure activities, and values are among the characteristics that teenagers appear to learn, in part, by watching and comparing themselves to others in their group. Further, teenagers learn methods of handling social relationships by observing and imitating peers. The influence of the peer group appears to be particularly marked where parental influence is not strong.

Of course, being liked, accepted and defining one's role within a social group are important features of life at any age, but because peers play such an important role in the lives of adolescents, social acceptance is an urgent concern for most young people. Young people in the YPLL study were asked to identify from a list which items they felt influenced popularity and unpopularity amongst friends. From this question we discovered that young men are more likely to regard being like their friends in behaviour and appearance and physical attributes as important, whereas young women are more likely to value qualities in the personality of their friends, like honesty, cheerfulness and so on. The importance attached to attractiveness declines throughout the adolescent years . Lastly, there are class- based differences. For example, amongst both boys and girls, more importance is attached to qualities such as 'a good personality' and 'being oneself' by young people from middle- class backgrounds.

These findings highlight the importance of peer pressures in adolescence. The peer group gives out clear signals to its members both about style and about fundamental values and perspectives. Conformity to the group is the price that has to be paid for approval and acceptance by peers.

Alone and lonely
One set of findings from the YPLL project included evidence of a concern with personal loneliness and the absence of confidants among a substantial number of adolescents. Though adolescence is generally a time of intense sociability, it can also often be a time of intense loneliness. Being with peers and friends does not necessarily solve this feeling of loneliness. Adolescents are notorious for their frequent shifts in mood, frequent periods of rumination over relationships and identity, and time spent alone.

In the YPLL survey a sixth of adolescents reported spending a lot of spare time on their own. This issue was followed up in qualitative interviews with a panel of young people, for while we cannot make a simple equation between aloneness and the experience of social and psychological difficulty, young people do seem to need to interact with friends in resolving some of their conflicts. We found clear differences between the ways in which boys and girls cope with problems. For instance, the panel members in the YPLL study were asked to respond to a number of statements about what they would do if they had a problem. Confiding in a friend when unhappy or worried tended to be something which young women rather than young men were inclined to do.

The more negative and distressing aspects of friendship are rarely examined in the literature on adolescence. By way of exploring this neglected area members of the YPLL panel group were invited to talk about problems experienced with friends. Such discussions highlighted the significance of arguments and broken friendships. Asked about what might spoil a friendship, the breaking of a confidence and (for boys) 'stealing' another person's girlfriend were considered particularly disloyal. Young people are not alone in having problems with friendships, but the psycho-social issues that confront adolescents make it more certain that such difficulties are likely to be of concern to them. Adolescents can be highly egocentric.

They sometimes find it difficult to see other people's point of view and to interpret other people's behaviour. They can be touchy and hypersensitive to rejection, and their social skills are, as yet, underdeveloped.

Equally, at times, adolescents feel the need to 'escape' and to be on their own. The YPLL panel study asked young people: Where do you go and what do you do if you just want to be alone to think?' The answers highlighted young people's desire for a private place of their own. The overwhelming response was to escape to the bedroom:

'In my room - close the door, ask not to be disturbed, and put on some soothing music, sit on my bed, relaxed, and think...'

Another young person disclosed:

'I stay in my room and if I'm feeling troubled about something I write it out on paper and that helps me to work things out.'

Others went out:

"I go down to the swing park and swing slowly on a swing."

Other places frequently mentioned were walks in parks or woods. A number of young men mentioned going off on their bikes to get away from it all, and amongst older adolescents driving around or driving out of town and parking to view the scenery were popular 'escape' mechanisms.

As the individual adolescent seeks to grow more independent of the family, peer groups and friends become important points of reference. They provide social contexts for shaping the day- to- day behaviour of adolescents, and encourage conformity to norms and values. Despite much popular mythology about 'the generation gap', such standards are startlingly similar to parental values, though the similarities are masked by different youth styles or expressions. Such groupings clearly have a developmental potential in enabling young people to make the social adjustments necessary for them to operate in adult society.

Educationalists concerned with young people have begun to pay much more attention to the concept of 'peer education'--for example, in relation to smoking, drug or HIV education programmes (eg Smokebusters or Fast Forward in Scotland). How much attention do these programmes pay to the real dynamics of peer group pressures as they ebb and flow across adolescence?

How to Upgrade Dexterity Customization - Tips for IT Manager

If you have Microsoft Great Plains and support it for your company and have light or heavy Great Plains customization, written in Dexterity - you need to know your options in upgrading Great Plains or migrating it from ctree/Pervasive to MS SQL/MSDE.

Great Plains Dexterity is proprietary programming language/environment, which was created in early 1990-th to provide platform / database / graphical interface independence for Mac and Windows based Great Plains Dynamics. Today it is legacy and Microsoft Business Solutions is phasing Dexterity out.

However Great Plains 7.5 and even 8.0 is Dexterity based application, so you have to deal with it and it's customization.

Good news. Prior to version 7.0 Great Plains had plans on expanding GP functionality and so was changing tables structure - forcing Dexterity customization to be analyzed and partially rewritten with each upgrade. Not any more - GP structure stays the same - Microsoft is doing new modules acquisition and unifying it's graphical interface to move all it's ERP packages: Great Plains, Solomon, Navision and Axapta to web-based Microsoft Business Portal.

Still pain. Dexterity has possibility to customize existing Great Plains screens, so called Alternative Great Plains forms. This was upgrade problem in the past and it stays now - there is no way to do it in house (until you are willing to pay for full-time internal developer - who is usually in the learning curve). You got to bring in consultant.

Recommended approach. You should have the strategy to migrate Dexterity customization to SQL, Crystal Reports, custom web publishing - Visual Studio.net and slowly abandon Dexterity customization

SQL Stored procedures - performance improvement. Consider replacing dexterity data manipulation with SQL stored procedures. Dexterity is cursor-driven language and it is not efficient when processing huge datasets. Crystal Reports. Take advantage of open and leading technology. Crystal Reports will eliminate the need in the future for painstaking Dexterity reports upgrade. Base you Crystal report on the SQL view or stored proc Do direct web publishing off your GP database. Use Visual Studio - it is easy to find specialists and have them in staff. We are in the World when web publishing is very easy. Good luck and if you have issues or concerns - we are here to help! if you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies - USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, New York, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Seattle and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

Microsoft Great Plains Implementation - Overview for IT Director/Controller

What is installation in the language of technology? Installation has server and client sides.
Server side - Installation creates security environment (logins) on MS SQL Server or MSDE, creates system database - DYNAMICS and then company databases. All these tasks are performed by Microsoft Great Plains Utilities
Workstation side - workstation installation copies the client side application, installs current version of MDAC (we need SQL ODBC driver - please check documentation on ODBC DSN setup), registers the application. If you plan to run Great Plains Utilities from the workstation to create server side (see above) - you need to check Install Client and Server Components

What is following implementation? Implementation requires combination of technological and accounting skills
System Setup - you should refer to GP documentation. In general setup consists of Company information, General GL/AR/AP/Payroll setup, User classes, Customer/Vendor/Employee classes to name a few
Master Records - you should either use integration tools, such as Integration Manager, SQL queries or have users to type in all your GL Accounts, Customers, Vendors, Employees .
Beginning Balances - this is recommended approach - you place aside the old accounting application for querying the historical data and enter beginning balances in Great Plains GL, AR, AP, SOP, POP, Payroll. When you have balances in the system you are ready to use it in production
Historical Data conversion - this is optional, in order to do historical data conversion you need to know basic Great Plains tables structure (Setup->Tools->Resource Description->Tables Structure). This is similar to surgery - so you probably need outside consultant to help you. If the volume of historical data is small - you can deploy Great Plains Integration Manager and then post the records in the modules.
User Training - we are just listing this item - it is up to you to decide on the way to train your users
Using Two Systems in Parallel - this is recommended. You should print the reports from both systems during this test period and compare the results
Customization - typical areas of customizations: Invoice form, Crystal Reports, pulling info from multiple databases, including Great Plains database, Great Plains forms modification with Modifier/VBA, Great Plains Dexterity forms and logic customization, integration with CRM, RMS and other business systems, web publishing from Great Plains tables, EDI with your suppliers, SQL Data Transformation packages

Do I need consultant? We strongly recommend you to use consultant in the following cases
You have identified the need for Great Plains Dexterity customization
You are doing migration from Pervasive/Ctree to Microsoft SQL Server/MSDE, especially when you have third-parties without migration tools
You are doing migration from Great Plains Accounting to Microsoft Great Plains
You have to create a lot or ReportWriter Modified Great Plains Reports
You have old version of Great Plains: Dynamics or eEnterprise 6.0 or prior - in this case you can not appeal to Microsoft Technical Support - it is discontinued
Your Great Plains has more than 20 users in this case the mistake may lead to serious business problems
You don't have support for your old Great Plains - then you have to select your Microsoft Business Solutions Partner and pay for the annual support/enhancement plan - you will get new registration key and will be ready for the upgrade
Good luck with installation, implementation, upgrade and if you have issues or concerns - we are here to help! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies - USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, California, Texas, Florida, New York, Georgia, Washington, Minnesota, Colorado, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is CMA, Great Plains Certified Master, Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer. You can contact Andrew: andrewk@albaspectrum.com

Microsoft CRM Custom Design & Development: SDK, C#, SQL, Exchange, Integration, Crystal Reports

Microsoft CRM is new player on the CRM software market. The whole conception behind CRM seems to be different. In case of traditional CRM software (Siebel, Oracle) - the application was designed with platform independence in mind. Microsoft CRM is dedicated to Microsoft technology and so deploys all the Microsoft tools: Windows Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange 2003/2000, SQL Server, Crystal Reports Enterprise, Biztalk server, Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Great Plains as backend, etc.

If you are software developer, database administrator or web designer who is asked: how do we customize Microsoft CRM - we are giving you directions in this article.

Microsoft CRM SDK - this is software development kit with C# and partly VB.net code samples - it is supported by Microsoft Business Solutions technical support. It is based on web service calls, if you are C# .NET developer - you are excellently positioned to do this type of customizations. This is the preferred modification scenario and this should be easily upgradeable customization. VB.Net examples will be available soon. Legacy SQL Data integration. This is also easy and safe. If you have SQL database, sitting on the same or linked SQL Server - you can create ASPX .Net application and simply integrate it into CRM. You can place it on the navigation bar or menu in isv.config - please refer to MS CRM SDK Legacy ASP integration - this is somewhat more sophisticated. You have to deploy HTTP handler to be a middle party between CRM which is .Net based and ASP which is legacy IIS. The trick is - you have to have INI file with security settings to penetrate into MS CRM with proper credentials, calling web service. Microsoft Exchange Programming. Microsoft CRM has Exchange connector - which moves CRM incoming email to MS if it has GUID in its subject. You can alter this logic (for instance - move email to CRM if it doesn't have GUID but it is from the sender who is contact or account in MS CRM). Refer to MS Exchange SDK onsyncsave event handling. Then simply apply some MS CRM SDK programming - you need some COM+ objects creation and VB programming experience. Direct SQL touch - in #4 above I described you the scenario with MS Exchange handlers - this would be ideal world if MS CRM SDK does the job. But - in real world this is not always true - you have to do direct flags correction in CRM database (like making Activity closed, moving email attachments/octet streams, etc). This is not supported by MBS technical support - but you can rescue to this technique if you have to get job done. MS CRM Customization tool - this is rather end-user tool and we don't describe it here - read the manual. We've described above the options to use when this tool doesn't do the job Crystal Reports - feel free to create Crystal report - tables and views structure is self explanatory. Try to avoid the temptation to create your own SQL view or stored procedure in MS CRM database, instead - create custom database and place your view and stored proc in it. Happy modifying! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies - USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, based in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is Dexterity, SQL, VB/C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

Microsoft Great Plains Upgrade - Version 8.0 Overview for IT Director/Controller

If you have Microsoft Great Plains as main accounting and ERP system you need to know some technical details on Great Plains version upgrade and what is going on behind the scenes, which options do you have in case of Dexterity, VBA, SQL customizations, ctree/Pervasive migration to MS SQL/MSDE. As of right now it is reasonable to upgrade to Microsoft Great Plains 8.0

Is upgrade required? Not actually, but you have to consider these factors
? Technical Support discontinuation - the old version may not be supported - currently if you are on version 6.0 - support is already discontinued. You can not have Microsoft Business Solutions help you, but obviously you have MBS partners who can still help you. If you are on Ctree or Pervasive SQL, then your support expires December, 31 2004.
? Tax Updates/Magnetic media expiration - if you have US Payroll module and depend on it with W2 and other forms - you must stay with the version, which is supported and has tax updates. If you are on Ctree or Pervasive SQL - then you will not have tax updates for these platforms at the end of 2004 and your W2s maybe inaccurate. If you have a lot of employees - you may have issues with government.
? Following the Technology and Microsoft rules - Microsoft wants you to be on the newest platform and provides you the best support when you follow this rule
? If you do have heavy customization - we recommend you to skip one version, for example if you are on version 7.5 - do not upgrade to 8.0 and wait for the next version

What is upgrade in the language of technology? Upgrade has server and client sides.
? Server side - upgrade converts tables from old format to the new one. In general words - Microsoft Business Solutions developers may change table structure, append additional fields to add new functionality, things like that. Upgrade copies the table with changes to temporary table, then drops original table, recreates it with new structure and copies all the data from temp table to the newly created one.
? Workstation side - workstation is written in Great Plains Dexterity and has Dynamics.exe - engine and DYNAMICS.DIC - dictionary. These two plus all the additional files will be replaced with the new ones. Other dictionaries, such us REPORTS.DIC and FORMS.DIC should be also upgraded and upgrade will try to deal with them automatically. In some cases modified reports (in REPORTS.DIC) could not be upgraded and need to be recreated in the new version.
What is customization upgrade? You should consider different types of customizations: Dexterity, VBA/Modifier, SQL, ReportWriter, Crystal Reports
? Dexterity Customization - being very short - Dexterity may have so called Custom Forms - these do not need upgrade - they should work as is. Then Dexterity may alter existing Great Plains forms (so-called Alternate Great Plains forms) - in this case Dexterity customization should be redone for these forms/screens. Plus additional consideration should be given to Dexterity triggers, shadow tables, etc.
? VBA/Modifier customization - Modifier allows you to modify existing Great Plains windows - it creates so called modified Great Plains windows, stored in FORMS.DIC. Usually modification is placing new buttons or fields, which in turn will be given VBA scripts (stored in DYNAMICS.VBA). VBA scripts may call something nice, like Crystal Report, or have some data access logic. Usually the old version of DYNAMICS.VBA workds with the new version. You may need to rearrange buttons on the modified form.
? SQL - you may have some stored procs for data integration, EDI or the like - if the addressed tables will be changed in the new version then you need to analyze your SQL code. The good news is - Microsoft Business Solution doesn't make a lot of changes since version 7.0, because Microsoft is now trying to merge the products it owns: Great Plains, Solomon, Navision and Axapta - and so has different priorities
? ReportWriter - MBS doesn't change tables, but it keeps changing Dexterity formulas used in ReportWriter original reports - this is the problem in so-called Modified Reports upgrade - usually you have these reports modified: SOP Blank Invoice form, SOP Blank Picking ticket, etc. If report can not be upgraded - it should be redone in the new version with some exceptions.
? Crystal Reports - the nice thing about Crystal Report - id doesn't need to be upgraded (if the fields in the tables exist in the new version - which is usually true statement)
What is upgrade for third-party modules? Your Great Plains may have so-called third party modules: Mekorma, Kampdata, Horyzon, Wennsoft, Avalara, Truepay, Trinity, Intellisol to name a few
Third party modules may have their own utility for upgrade. You just need to know that your third-party is ready for the new Great Plains version - if not - you just wait and stay on the old version.

What is migration from Ctree/Pervasive.SQL 2000 to MS SQL/MSDE? MBS has migration tool. You need first to install Great Plains on SQL Server with exactly the same account/segments structure and then install migration tool (it is Dexterity chunk) on your ctree/Pervasive workstation - then, when you integrate the chunk - you will map it to target SQL-based Great Plains Company, select all system and company tables, click the button and it will move all your tables one-by-one. In the case when your Great Plains ctree/Pervasive has third parties - you need to check if the vendor has migration tool - otherwise you have to do manual move, use SQL Linked server to your legacy data

Do I need consultant? It is probably good idea to have consultant to do the upgrade. We strongly recommend you to use consultant in the following cases
? You have Dexterity customization
? You are doing migration from Pervasive/Ctree to Microsoft SQL Server/MSDE, especially when you have third-parties without migration tools
? You have a lot or ReportWriter Modified Great Plains Reports
? You have old version of Great Plains: Dynamics or eEnterprise 6.0 or prior - in this case you can not appeal to Microsoft Technical Support - it is discontinued
? Your Great Plains has more than 20 users and you have to have upgrade done over the weekend - if it fails - you have business problems
? You don't have support - in this case you have to select your Microsoft Business Solutions Partner and pay for the annual support/enhancement plan - you will get new registration key and will be ready for the upgrade

Good luck with upgrade and if you have issues or concerns - we are here to help! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies - USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, based in Chicago, California, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Texas, New York, Washington, Georgia and Florida and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

IT Department Skills to Support Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft CRM

Microsoft Great Plains as ERP and Microsoft CRM as Client Relation Management system is very robust combination and could serve midsize to large corporation as Business System. Being VP IT or IT Director you need to foresee the positions to have in your IT department to do internal MS Great Plains and MS CRM support.

Let us give you the directions, based on our research and consulting practice.Microsoft SQL Server Specialist - we specially do not name this position as MS SQL DBA, because both Great Plains and MS CRM are not very complex from the database administration side, they do not use indexes optimization, referential integrity, probably do not require complex transaction log backup/recovery scenarios. On the other hand this position requires Great Plains and Microsoft CRM tables structure analysis and some primary Great Plains data fixing skills via SQL queries, described in MBS Customer source techknowledge database. The best candidate should have some accounting background - to be able to address ongoing issues to MBS technical support.
Network Administrator with good Microsoft Exchange and Active Directory skills. Microsoft CRM uses all the newest Microsoft technologies, and Exchange is a workhorse here. In order to install and upgrade MS CRM this guy needs to understand the under-laying Microsoft technology. In the best case - she/he should know Exchange security structure and probably program Exchange handlers, due to the fact that CRM/Exchange connector is not a perfect tool yet.
C# or VB.Net programmer with excellent SQL Skills- if you are midsize or large company - you should have this position - you will need web publishing and MS CRM customization and its support. Currently Microsoft CRM SDK has C# examples - so C# programmer would be the best fit, it may have more VB code in the future, so the C# - VB balance maybe restored.
Crystal Reports Designer/Programmer - Crystal Reports is the best tool available on the market to address both Great Plains and MS CRM reporting needs. This position maybe merged with one of the above.

These people should be probably cross-trained in both Great Plains, Microsoft CRM, Crystal Reports, SQL and C# programming, so you do not depend on the unique skills of one person. In our opinion, which is based on our long term consulting practice - these skills will allow you to keep the cost of IT support reasonably low and avoid paying high consulting price to your Microsoft Business Solutions Partner.

Happy hiring and training! But in any case you need to select Microsoft Business Solutions Partner/Var/Reseller to be your official representative. This is how MBS has its channel working - it assures that Microsoft Business Solutions products are properly implemented. If you want us to be your Microsoft Business Solutions Partner - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies - USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains implementation and customization company, based in Chicago, Boston, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta, and Miami and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is Dexterity, SQL, VB/C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

Instant Messaging is a Sweet Way to Communicate

MSN messenger is a pretty cool invention. I mean I'm not really into serious discussions on the email, answers to questions can often take a few days to arrive because people are so busy these days. I've just been 'hooked up' into Messenger and it's really a different kind of communication, quick, simplistic and even humorous with the capability to express your feelings with 'emotion' cartoons. With Messenger you can communicate with a group of close friends or business partners instantly whenever they are at their computer. When a message is received you are informed instantly on your desktop, you don't have to be at an email site. A little box appears flashing the name of the sender, you read the message and send a reply when you've got a second free. There's a contact list and when you go on-line, it automatically tells you who of your connections are on and off-line at that moment. If someone goes on-line after you've already been at your computer, a small box appears on your screen to tell you who are now also instantly message able. It's like the spontaneity of a telephone call but you don't even have to dial any numbers! Just log in your password and you're connected. The huge array of smiley faces and other 'emotional' icons add another dimension to the conversations. Some of the smiley faces actually move (sticking their tongues out etc.) and there are many other symbols to express the moment. E.g.: Show a little sun when it's sunny in your neighborhood, flash a wilted rose when your love life isn't going to well, put up a black sheep when you're feeling disconnected from society. How about expressing your dream of a holiday by flashing up the tropical island icon when you're stuck in dreary office working hard on a cloudy day. They say a picture speaks a thousand words? Well I certainly don't work for Microsoft but I guess Bill Gates and his buddies have made a few bucks because they've had a couple of good ideas. They're helping the world with their knowledge, and I reckon their MSN Messenger is another step forward in bringing the Earth together into one world. Besides the normal email format you can also have web cam and audio conversations, as well as sending files and photos instantly. It's as sweet as that first time you kissed your honey bunny, well maybe not that sweet.

Importance of Computer and Technology

Today the world has become small village, thanks to internet and technology. The world is getting closer and closer with internet. Each day we are facing with some kind of new challenges in our life for example computer problems and virus threats. Different people think in different in different ways. Sometimes a big problem for us is smaller for other person (that is he is having the solution for that problem).

So, it becomes very vital for us to discuss our problems and new ideas with each other. If we discuss with each other what we have learned by experience then definitely the we can evolve a better society. For example if a person is facing some problem in his computer and he does not know the abc of computer. Then, it is very difficult for the Computer Company to solve his problem from their call center support. So, if there is good computer technology forum then the person can openly ask to the world for the solution for his problem. And may be somewhere in the world, somebody may have solution for his problem.

So, he can get the solution from the experience of other person. And exchange of information between the two persons is Vice-Versa. It can create a more knowledgeable society in the world. And the people will be able to interact more and more. We can take the example of latest virus and spyware attacks in the world (Blackworm, kamasutra are some examples). These virus attacks has done so much damage worldwide. So we can share our expertise with each other in the computer forums or science communities, we can create better-educated and intellectual society.

Importance of mobile phones

Nowadays, virtually everyone carries a mobile phone, including the young children. They have become the most important item an individual can own. They serve as a communication tool used to make and receive calls as well as send text messages, listen to music, surf the internet and even play mobile games.
Mobile phones are now so common that they hardly attract attention. People have started understanding the value, convenience and ease of owing a mobile phone. In earlier days, very few people could think of buying mobile phone but today looking at the dropped prices, almost every individual can afford to purchase it. Mobile phones are equipped with every latest feature you desire. Even if you don't need the advanced features, you can get a basic mobile phone to make and receive calls. They can help us in our fast lifestyles when we have no time to meet our friends, relatives and left with the only option of talking over the phone. We can stay in touch whenever and wherever we need to.
Mobile phones available in small attractive designs, provides access to many useful features like camera, games, music and many more. We almost take them for granted as they are extremely affordable to maintain. The loads of useful features make lives much easier. Some like to use it as a camera, some for listening to music, some for making calls, some for entertainment purposes and some for multipurpose. With the latest java games, wallpapers, polyphonic ringtones, Bluetooth mobile technology, picture messaging, you can never feel bored. These days, people are looking for comfort, convenience and reliability and mobile phones have surely provided them all.
The main advantage of mobile phones is talking on the move but if due to a poor reception or network, an important call gets dropped, it's no use. So you need to take care while choosing your network service provider so that you don't face any problems while making and receiving calls. You can choose among the best mobile Phone Networks like Orange, 3 Mobile, T Mobile, O2, Vodafone, Virgin, etc. All these mobile networks provide cheap line rental mobile tariff plans, benefits like free line rental, half line rental and free mobile phone insurance with free mobile handsets. The roaming feature allows you to make and receive calls even if you are out of your country. It might be a little expensive but let's people stay connected.
Today, people have become so dependent on their mobile phones that they cannot imagine life without them.

Protect Your Computer...and Your Business!

We all take the computer for granted. I mean, all we have to do is switch it on and it's ready to go. But did you ever stop to think what would happen if your computer suddenly crashed? And that is the only computer you have to work on!

What will happen to your work and your business for the next few days or weeks?

Do you have the original or a copy of all your programs?

Do you have the setup configurations, eg for your ISP?. You will need this to re-install some programs.

Do you have a copy of your email address book? Your email list or address book is vital to your business.

Do you remember all your passwords - for retrieving email, connecting to your ISP, membership sites, etc?

So what can you do to ensure that your computer will run as well as you'd expect, and continue working when your computer is down? Here's a few simple tips:

1.Is your computer protected from viruses? Install an anti-virus software such as Norton AntiVirus or McAfee, and make sure to get regular updates. New viruses are coming out more often these days so you need to have updates regularly. Anything more than 3 months old needs to be updated today.

You can do an online virus scan at: http://housecall.antivirus.com

2.Install a firewall. Anytime your computer is connected to the Internet without a firewall, it is operating under an "open door" policy to intruders. Hackers can get in, take what they want, and even leave open a "back door" so they can turn your computer into a "zombie" and use it to attack other computers, distribute porn and spam.

Your bank account and credit card information, passwords, documents and personal files can be stolen while you're busy surfing. Don't let that happen!

You can download a personal firewall from here:
http://www.zonelabs.com or from http://soho.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm

3. Make regular backups of your important files. Keep a record of all vital information, such as passwords, system configurations, etc. in a file and also print a copy of this and keep in a safe place. Make a duplicate and keep at another location.

If your computer does not come with a zip drive or CDRW drive, it would be a good idea to invest in one. Zip drives and CDRW drives are inexpensive and can be easily installed. The cost of a blank CD for example is less than $1.00 and can store up to 650MB of data.

If you lost some files or your hard disk crashed you can easily retrieve them from the backups. And if your computer is down for repair, you can take that backup CD and work from another machine.

4.Remove all unwanted files on your hard disk. You can safely remove files in your temporary internet folder. In Internet Explorer, select Tools -> Internet options - > Delete Files.

5.Increase your systems performance by defragmenting your hard disk regularly. As applications and files are saved and deleted they gradually cause your hard disk to fragment. By defragmenting your hard disk you can optimise the performance of your computer. Defragmenting may also save wear and tear on your hard disk and extend its lifespan.

Do this today.

About The Author

About the author: Ahmad Supaat provides work-at-home ideas and opportunites for anyone interested to start a business online. For more information please visit http://insiderprofit.com. Subscribe to the "Insiderprofit Home Business Tips": mailto:insiderprofit@getresponse.com, mailto:insiderprofit@yahoo.com