Money Making

Bank of the Valley: 14 Month CD Special

Connor Head — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:38:44 +0000

Bank of the Valley offers a wide variety of terms and rates with their CD accounts. It ranges from 3 months to 60 months and each CD account can be opened with $500. All of the CD accounts can also be available as IRA Investments as well.

Currently, Bank of the Valley has a 14 month CD special:

$500-$4,999.99 – 0.70% APY
$5,000-$14,999.99 – 0.85% APY
$15,000-$34,999.99 – 0.95% APY
$35,000 and more – 1.05% APY

It’s interesting how Bank of the Valley offers varying APYs for different balances as some CDs only give you a flat rate for the term. The inter

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Are there Really Health Benefits from Eating Dark Chocolate?

Elijah Burgess — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:39:20 +0000

Today is Valentines Day and for many of us, that means flowers and chocolate. While Im huge into making a big deal out of Valentines Day, Ive never said no to chocolate. My husband knows that Im happy with flowers (but theres no need for roses), but that the real way to my heart is with delicious dark chocolate.

Plus, the purported health benefits of eating dark chocolate help erase some of the guilt associated with enjoying it so much. Indeed, there are numerous studies out there that indicate that eating a small amount of dark chocolate each day might be good for you.

Health Benefits Associated with Dark Chocolate

There are a number of studies out there that indicate that dark chocolate might be good for you.

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Free Credit Monitoring from Credit Karma

Elijah Burgess — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:09:11 +0000

Credit Karma is well-known in the world of personal finance as one of the leaders in offering access to a free credit score.

Credit Karma offers an array of interesting information about your credit situation, based on your TransUnion credit report.

And now, Credit Karma is offering free daily credit monitoring.

Features of Free Daily Credit Monitoring

The idea behind the free daily credit monitoring offered by Credit Karma is that you can receive updates about what is happening with your credit profile.

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Hospitals should conduct compliance audits

Connor Head — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:44:06 +0000

AUBURN, ME – As hospitals face more scrutiny from the federal government, it’s a good idea for them to audit or assess their compliance learned a group of finance managers Wednesday during an education session offered by the Maine chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Hospitals claiming a provider-based status for inpatient and outpatient facilities have come under the scrutiny of the Office of Inspector General and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in recent years. Whi

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5 Tips to Help You Get in Control of Your Finances

Flynn Best — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:52:44 +0000

The start of a new year always brings a slew of resolutions, vowing to make this year different than last – from health, to relationships to finances and more. But with a few simple strategies, you truly can make 2012 the year you finally take control of your finances.

Reduce Your Credit Card Debt

Did you know that 14 million Americans are still paying off their holiday bills from 2010? Or that the average household currently has about $15,000 in credit card debt? As you rethink needs versus wants in 2012, regain control by paying down the balance of the credit card with the highest interest rate first. T

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Ex UBS Trader Pleads Not Guilty To $2.3B Fraud

Connor Head — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:48:28 +0000

A trader accused of fraud over a $2.3 billion loss in unauthorized trading reported by Swiss banking giant UBS pleaded not guilty in a London court Monday.

The trader, Kwaku Adoboli, was ordered held in custody, and his trial was scheduled to begin September 3.

Adoboli faces a charge of fraud by abuse of position between January and September 2011, and he also faces two counts of false accounting. Read more info…

Creating video content for your website

Flynn Best — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:13:23 +0000

When many people think of website content, they automatically think of written content. However, over recent years, increases in internet speeds have led to a huge rise in the popularity of video content.

Now there are many opportunities for businesses to take advantage of this to reach their prospects and carry out effective marketing in different ways

Not only can you use videos on websites such as YouTube to spread the reach of your content and increase the chances that it will get found, but some people simply prefer to engage with video content.

For that reason it makes perfect sense to look into this form of content.

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Three Common Tax Misconceptions about Home Ownership Explained

Connor Head — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 12:14:51 +0000

One of the benefits of owning a home is the deductions that homeowners can use when filling out their annual tax forms. While there are several tax benefits to owning your own home, some of these benefits are greatly exaggerated and some of them are simply misconceptions that are untrue. Here are some of the more common tax misconceptions and exaggerations that are out there so you can be aware of them.

Misconception #1: The interest that I pay on my mortgage provides me with a tax break.

For the majority of homeowners, mortgage interest does provide a tax break which is unavailable to renters.

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Jim Letourneau’s Big Picture Speculator

Elijah Burgess — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:46:50 +0000

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Frost Bank Review, Rates: CDs, Savings, Money Market, Mortgages

Connor Head — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:55:32 +0000

Frost Bank has proven their consistent record of performance through their commitments to their customers and the $18.5 billion in assets they are able to reel in. Since 1868, Frost Bank has promised each and every customer their fair share and strives to treat them in the most professional manner. Perhaps this is why Frost Bank was rewarded the “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Retail Banking in Texas” – according to the J.D. Power

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Should you invest with an online brokerage?

Flynn Best — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:15:15 +0000

Online brokerages represent a powerful medium where you can manage your investments. Indeed, for the average investor who has some time to put into researching and handling his or her investments, an online brokerage may be all that’s required.

“If someone needs their hand held, a traditional broker or bank can be helpful,” says Mick Heyman, a financial adviser in San Diego who uses online brokerages for himself and his clients. “But for the average person, I think an online broker is great. Online brokers have caught up to and maybe even exceeded what a traditional broker or bank can offer.”

The trading services offered by an online brokerage are comprehensive.

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10 Ways to Increase your Productivity at Work

Elijah Burgess — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:31:32 +0000

Distractions abound at the office: The phone is ringing off the hook, your inbox pings whenever a message arrives, and Skype messages are pouring in.

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5 Tax Planning Tips to Use Now

Flynn Best — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:27:42 +0000

Savings Accounts and Money Market Rates provided by 16 December 2011

Only a fraction of people prepare as much as they should for tax season. I was burned last year by not saving enough money to pay in April. Jackson Hewitt has decided to give us a few tips so that we are all better prepared.

Save more for retirement – By increasing retirement plan contributions, you can reduce your income for tax purposes. T

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Review of Chase Blueprint

Elijah Burgess — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:30:25 +0000

Have you ever struggled to manage your credit card use? Have you been frustrated to be charged interest on your every day items while you try to pay down your balance?

A new set of software by Chase Bank called Blueprint aims to help you manage your credit card use and pay off your debt with a plan. This is an exclusive benefit to having certain Chase credit cards. Your other credit card companies cant offer you access to Blueprint, and not every Chase card qualifies.

What is Chase Blueprint?

Blueprint is an online program that Chase credit cardholders get access to.

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Q&A: KevinMD shares his views on healthcare and politics

Connor Head — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 01:48:41 +0000

NASHUA, NH – Social media pundit and Nashua, N.H.-based primary care physician Kevin Pho, MD, regularly shares his views on healthcare issues from the provider perspective. In this Q&A, he takes a look at how healthcare will factor into the presidential election.

Leading up to Tuesday’s primary in the Granite State, Pho spoke with Government Health IT Editor Tom Sullivan about the healthcare issues important to his state, how politics influence Americans’ perception of health reform, and whether a Republican president could really repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Q: What aspects of healthcare are unique to New Hampshire? And wh

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