50 Plus Finance

Monday, September 10, 2012

One of the Most Beautiful Ski Resorts in the World – The Courchevel Chalets

Courchevel hosted the Nordic combined events for the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Courchevel Chalet is a ski resort nestled in the town of Saint-Bon-Tarentaise located in the French Alps in the Rhône-Alpes locale. The entire resort spans half of Les Trois Vallées and is the largest linked ski resort on the planet. Courchevel is comprised of five separate villages known by their heights in meters as: Courchevel 1300 (Le Praz), La Tania (1350), Courchevel 1550, Courchevel 1650 and Courchevel 1850. The five villages are connected by piste, road and ski lift so you can easily get from one location to another fairly easily.

The alternative villages that make up Courchevel (1650, 1550 and 1300) tend to be less pretentious than 1850. They also have more affordable accommodations, but their prices seem to rising as the market rises.

Though large numbers of Courchevel's patrons are British nationals, the resort also has an elite Russian following that usually visits the chalets when Russian Orthodox Christmas and Russian New Year occur. Because this influx of Russian visitors happens every season, Courchevel has become the "winter playground of the wealthy and famous" of Russia. January's first two weeks have become the height of Courchevel's resort season.

There are many ways to occupy your time while at Courchevel Chalets. If you like shopping, Courchevel 1850 has lots of boutiques, and snowshoeing has also gotten very popular. There is a pedestrian lift available which makes it easy for non-skiers to get around the mountain, and you can book panoramic flights around the mountain from the altiport.

Of course, if you love skiing, there is plenty to be had. With the various ski trails offered by the Three Valleys lift pass you will have trouble deciding which one to try first. The Jardin Alpin also offers access to some great runs for novices, while at the Saulire there are some wonderful red and blue runs. Each of Courchevel’s runs is marked with their famous colors.

The Courchevel Valley is a great starting point for discovering the entire Three Valleys area. You'll find tree runs great for newbies along side the more advanced red and blue runs. There is lots of variety so that skiers of all skill levels can all use the same area. Also, there are lots of black runs available for more advanced skiers.

The Courchevel Chalet is world's most famous ski resort. It towers above all other ski resorts since it provides the most varied range of accommodations of anywhere in Alpine region. No matter what your interests or your spending capacity, the chalet staff and personnel will make sure that you have the ski vacation of a lifetime as you enjoy the strikingly beautiful environs.

Finding the Right Creative Agency to Promote Your Business

(Photo credit: bargainmoose)If you own a business, you spend a lot of your energy, money and time promoting your service or product. The problem is you have no way of knowing whether your investments will translate into profit for your company. The practical resolution is to hire a creative agency to promote the product or service for you. Contracting a dependable creative firm is very cost-effective move because a good agency will bring with it the skills and knowledge needed to help you get more sales for your company.

The best way to start your search is to make a short list then narrow it down to what you feel are the best two or three firms. Set up a meeting with each of them to discuss the particular goals that you would like to carry out. Of course, clear communication in this area is critical. Be sure to raise any questions with them about how they plan to help you hit your targets, or whether they can even deliver what you are looking for. Can your business afford the agency's rates? You may have to talk terms with them to get an affordable arrangement.

Make certain that the creative agency you select has the right frame of mind. After all, branding is what makes your business stand out. If you're working with a firm that is too conservative no one will ever notice your company. Spend time researching prospective agencies until you find the right one for you.

On a more specific note, it is essential that the agency you pick has a team of professionals skilled and experienced in custom creative development and design. The agency should be keeping you apprised as the production process progresses. Finally, just as you must be open to suggestions, the agency should take your opinion into account as well. Furthermore, the agency's own imagination and creativity should be able to discern the reaction that you wish to generate from your customer base.

A confident creative agency will not take "no" for an answer.

The main reason some of the largest brands in the world are where they are today is because to them the sky was the limit. Anything is possible if your have a creative agency with the firepower to open the doors to those prospective customers.

However, it is crucial to choose the proper agency for your business goals. You must thoroughly examine each agency's creative style and services. Find out their track records and also the various types of clients they have served. Check out their portfolios (these are usually available online) and see if they have any experience with the sort of services you are asking them to provide.

Finding the best creative agency for your needs might be difficult, but if you use some of these suggestions, you will ultimately be able to find an agency that's just right for your particular needs and goals.

You CAN Recover Your Deleted Emails – Find Out How

English: Range Software package. Screenshot of...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)Have you ever unintentionally deleted an important email? Has a virus attack left you with lost files? You probably thought that you could never get these files back again? Well, believe it or not, lost or deleted emails can be recovered. You can restore your lost or deleted emails the same way you would recover lost data on your hard drive. As a matter of fact, there are lots of email recovery software tools available on market today.

Each email account is located on a "server" maintained by your email provider.

This server where all your sent and received emails are kept. Each email is sent to the recipient's post office protocol (POP3) email account. This protocol is used to bring up email messages quickly so they can be read through programs like Outlook. But sometimes people don't realize they need to create certain account settings in their email software so that their get saved to the server. Otherwise, it will only be sent to the POP3 account saving only "soft copy" of the email.

Since email was an early form of information sharing, it shouldn't be any surprise that emails get lost as they are sent from all over the web. Since so much critical information is sent via email these days the process of email recovery has become a field in its own right.

An email server recovery tool is a piece of software that can help you recover deleted emails. Whatever the reason for the email deletion, whether it be an application error or accidental deletion, the email recovery software can bring them back.

Here are some features to look for if you want a good piece of email recovery software:

Make sure you have the option of using both HTML and RTF formats for your email messages.
It should have the ability to bring back password-protected files
It should be able to fix broken or corrupted PST files

You should also check out Outlook PST Repair Software. It can bring back emails that have been deleted as well as restoring many features of Outlook Express and Outlook such as emails, notes, contacts, distribution lists and calendar information.

If you're a novice user you should check with other experienced users or professionals before choosing email recovery software. Getting good advice before choosing a recovery program will keep you from wasting time and money that you would later regret. If you find a software package you think will do the job for you, evaluate its performance.

Since information loss can happen at anytime, you should have good email recovery software on hand so that you can be up and running as quickly as possible. Whether you are dealing with personal or business email, time is money and you don't want to waste either.

Why Setting a Budget and Limits When Gambling is Important

Slot machine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Whether you are unaccustomed to gambling, or have been an experienced card or slots player at live casinos, it is crucial that you set up a gambling budget and see that you follow it.

It is not a secret that people who gamble frequently become hooked to the rush they get when they start; and like with any addiction, those who are addicted to gambling discover themselves wanting to up the ante in order to have the same feeling of exhilaration that they did in their early gambling days.

Take it slow

Those who become addicted to gambling may find a need to step-up the amounts that they bet to increase the thrill, and hopefully increase the size of the jackpot available to them; although while their risks can increase, their winnings seldom do and they find themselves losing everything else that is significant in their lives, from family and friends to the careers that they worked so hard to establish.

With safety and temperance in mind, gambling can be a exhilarating form of amusement, and the best way to prevent a slip into gambling addiction is to set up a budget and exercise self-control to assure it is honored.

Smart gamblers need to look at gambling as a form of amusement; while winning can be a nice perk, the expectation should be to lose and any money spent should be perceived as an investment in the pleasure of your game of choice, whatever that may be. Consider what you'll be able to afford to lose when playing at online casinos and set a weekly or monthly maximum.

If you’re using an alternative payment method like credit cards to fund your virtual casino account, be sure you transfer no more than that maximum and as soon as you have spent it, you need to stop playing and not be enticed to transfer more money.

In order to make your gambling budget go further, select casino games that are appropriate based on what you have to spend. If your weekly or monthly gambling budget is small, do not pick the high-roller Roulette tables and risk losing all your money in one round or you will not feel like you satisfied your desire to gamble.

Rather, check out the Slot machines like gladiator slots, Card Tables, Table Games or other casino games which allow you to bet small amounts so you get to bet more before you reach your budget.

Play smart

Naturally, with gambling at internet casinos, it does happen, but you can’t expect to win any major jackpots.

If you do happen to win, it’s up to you whether you stop while you are ahead and walk away with your winnings or keep on playing at the risk of losing it all.

Just remember, that once your account is empty, there’s no more online casino gaming until you have reached your following budgeted period.

Have a gambling budget

Coming up with your gambling budget is a pretty easy procedure. Look at the monthly expenses for your family; everything from housing, to food, to your family activities.

Make certain you consider any essential savings amounts, and leave a buffer for unexpected expenses, but then any amount remaining, after that, can make up your gambling budget which is never to be exceeded!

Gambling at online casinos can be an amusing and entertaining interest, but safeguards need to be taken to ensure it remains a safe experience that doesn't have a damaging affect on your financial security or your relationships with the important people in your life.

As soon as that line is crossed, it’s probably time to reconsider the reasons why you gamble and change your gambling habits. But if you are a responsible gambler who can follow a budget; relax, enjoy, and have fun!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Advancing Your Career With an MBA

English: MBA Master Business Administration

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)Life's not over until you're dead. Many people don't look at retirement as "giving up," but rather another chapter in their life. If you want to keep working in your "golden years," you'll have to stay competitive. You'll be up against a job force that's younger than you, but you have two strengths: your experience and the ability to get an MBA online. It's not as difficult as you might think.

Assess Your Strengths

The first step in getting your online MBA is to know your strengths and weaknesses. In fact, knowing your weaknesses is probably going to be your greatest strength. Make a set of goals for yourself and write them down. Not only does this make everything objective, but it demonstrates to admissions offices that you are organized and confident about the abilities you have.

Keep it simple. Ask yourself questions like:

"Why do I think a graduate business degree is right for me?"
"What do I have in common with business professionals?"
"What future careers fit my personal strengths and abilities?" and
"What kinds of business schools and companies seem like they would be a good fit for me?"

Most importantly, ask yourself "why now?" You should have a firm grasp on why starting a graduate program makes sense for you now, and why you're willing to go through all of the hard work necessary to get one. After you've written down the answers to these questions, let everything "stew" overnight. Revisit your answers in the morning to see if you agree with what you previously wrote.

Decide On a New Career

MBA applicants that have established firm career goals tend to do better than those who haven't. They also tend to be happier with the outcome of their education and degree. Having a career plan beforehand also makes the job of finding a school easier. Since schools don't allow you to change what you want to study mid-stream, it will also save you a lot of time and frustration (not to mention money) in the long run.

Understand Where and How You Fit

Admissions officers aren't just interested in your academic abilities. An MBA has to translate into real-world usability. You have to be able to succeed professionally. This is where you have an edge over a younger applicant. If you already have some type of business experience, use this to your advantage when applying. One of the most important things you can do when interviewing with a school is to be honest. Admissions officers can tell when an applicant is just telling them what the school wants to hear. Be frank about what you want from your degree.

Another sticking point for some applicants is being realistic. It's one thing to say you want to own a restaurant, but if you've never cooked anything resembling a good meal then it's just not practical to expect to be a successful restaurateur.

Be proactive and demonstrate what you can contribute to your future profession. A lot of folks can say what they want to get from a degree. Few understand what they have to offer the profession as a whole. This is crucial, since admissions wants to know why it should spend its resources on you if you're going to take, but not give back to your profession.

Do some research on the school you're applying to. Don't walk in blind. It's always good to be able to tell the admissions officer what you like about the campus.

Study For the GMAT Exam

The Graduate Management Admission Test GMAT is an exam you don't want to put off. Even if you are nervous about taking tests, you need to buck up and get to studying. Your GMAT score is valid for 5 years, so you have the flexibility of keeping that around for a while if you can't get into a school right away. You can always retake the GMAT too if you don't score high enough. A good prep time is about three to six months.

Choose a School

There are more than 1,900 graduate business schools with more than 4,500 programs. You'll find something. Typically, you'll have the option for traditional 2-year programs as well as accelerated 12-month programs. To apply for business schools, you'll need:

Undergraduate transcripts
Essays
Work experience
GMAT scores
References and a letter of recommendation
Extracurricular activities
Interviews

Once you're accepted, classes are done entirely online. You typically communicate with your peers and professors via email and video or teleconferencing. Since you can often dictate your schedule with an online degree, you'll get your MBA on your terms - something on-campus graduates can't claim.

Author Bio:
Guest post contributed by Sarah Rawson. She is currently studying her MBA Finance online and writing as a freelancer. Sarah’s articles mainly appear on higher education blogs.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Improve Your Credit Score - 4 Effective Ways

Loans (Photo credit: zingbot)Your Credit score is a very important part of every American’s financial life. The Credit score, also known as a FICO score, is what most lenders use as a credit measuring scale. It plays a most significant role when it comes to applying for a loan or refinancing existing mortgage. If you’re planning to make any big purchase like a home or a car you must take care of your credit score and try to improve it as much as possible before applying for the loan.

How to improve your FICO score

Discussed below are some effective tips on how to improve your credit score and become eligible for a loan with favorable loan terms and affordable interest rate.

1. Initiate early – Start repairing and fixing your credit errors way ahead of submitting a loan application. Credit reporting agencies often make mistakes in a consumer’s credit report. You must get copies of your credit report from the 3 leading credit bureaus namely TransUnion, Experian and Equifax, and find out if there are any discrepancies. You may find errors like a missed payment which was actually paid on time or a wrong balance. Dispute the errors with the concerning companies. You may need to furnish supporting documents to get it fixed. Initiate the process as early as possible because it may take a couple of months to get your report fixed. Correcting your credit report would help you improve the FICO score radically.

2. Reduce credit utilization – Credit utilization can be described as the ratio between the credit card balance and credit limit. This is a very significant part of your credit score. Lowering the credit utilization ratio and thus your credit card balance would help you improve your overall credit score remarkably. A 30% ratio would be considered standard. However, don’t close existing credit card accounts hurriedly as it may take some of your credit limit and thus make the ratio ascend. You may ask for a credit limit increase to reduce credit utilization; provided you don’t have a high balance or any red flags. If you have a clean credit history, your creditor is likely to increase your credit limit. But you must use your credit limit judiciously to avoid worsening the situation.

3. Make on time payments – You must pay your bills and make all payments on time to prove your credit worthiness. Even a single missed payment can take 100 points off your credit score. Be careful about your bills, especially medical bills, which may end up in collections. Medical bills often go unpaid and end up in collections. As a result, you may not even know about them until you see it on your report. Therefore, if you don’t get a bill after you've seen a doctor, you must call the concerning authority and ask them about the bill to avoid a missed payment and thus a reduction in credit score.

4. Stay with your current employer, if possible – Job hopping often leaves a bad impression while it comes to your credit profile and credit score. Try to avoid a job change, especially while you’re in anticipation of a mortgage, buy to let mortgages or car loan application. Until your loan is serviced, don’t opt for changing your job and don’t let the lender consider you as a high-risk borrower.

Author’s Bio – Jasmine Jones is the editor chief at Emortgagecalculator.co.uk. She keeps telling her clients to save money and introduce frugality into their life.