What Everyone Should Know About Debt Forgiveness, Obligations and Deficiency

What is a Personal Debt Obligation?

A personal debt obligation is an amount of money legally owed to a lender that arises from a loan agreement. It involves a continuing obligation to make payments until the debt is paid off in full. A lender has the right to sue in order to collect any unpaid outstanding debt. A debt obligation can be secured or unsecured. A secured debt obligation involves the placement of a lien against the debtors property, so a lender can force the sale of the property to pay off the debt. An unsecured debt obligation has no security against the debtors property which means a lender can only sue a debtor personally to recover any monies due.

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What is Debt Forgiveness?

Debt forgiveness is the partial or total forgiveness of a debt. It means you no longer owe the debt to the lender or any other party. The lender gives up its rights to collect the debt and instead "writes it off" their books. Once a lender agrees to forgive a debt, the lender will report the forgiveness to the IRS by filing a 1099 form.

What is a Deficiency Debt?

Deficiency debt also known as debt deficiency arises when collateral that is used to secure a loan cannot satisfy the total amount due on the loan. It happens most often with debt involving real estate. However, it can occur in other types of collateralized loans such as car, business, and equipment loans. When a loan goes unpaid, the lender has the right to auction off the property to pay off the debt. If the lender collects less than what is owed at the sale, the shortage is called debt deficiency.

What are the consequences of a Personal Debt Obligation?

You will continue to owe the original amount that was borrowed plus any additional interest, late fees, collections fees, penalties, and/or attorney fees that may come due. If the debt obligation remains unpaid, then the lender can go to court, sue for a money judgment, get a money judgment, and use any legally available collection tactic. Most often, after a money judgment is awarded, a lender will attempt to put a lien on a bank account or garnish wages or put a lien on the debtors real estate. A lender can put a lien on business equipment. A debt obligation that turns into a money judgment can last for many years. In New York, a money judgment last for 20 years.

What are the consequences of Debt Forgiveness or Debt Deficiency?

Whether it is debt forgiveness or debt deficiency, the consequences are essentially the same. A lender has two general options regarding any unpaid debt. 1. The lender can forgive the debt. 2. The lender can get a court ordered money judgment to chase the borrower for the money or sell the debt to a third party.

If a lender agrees to forgive the debt, the lender will, in all likelihood, file a 1099 form for the forgiven amount. You should also remember to check your state taxing authority, since your state may consider debt forgiveness as taxable income. If the debt is secured by property, it may be possible to negotiate an exchange of the property for the full debt balance. In this case, the lender would not have a reason to file a 1099 form.

If the lender refuses to forgive the unpaid portion of a debt, then the lender will try to collect on the remaining balance. The lender can hire an attorney to sue for the remaining debt or sell the debt to a third-party. If successful, a lender will get a money judgment. There are various methods a lender can use to enforce collection of a money judgment. They can request your financial records to see if you have a job; to determine if you possess cash in the bank; or to locate your property. If the lender can find anything you own or earn, it will be seized or attached. The lender has the right to collect a fixed percentage of your wages also known as wage garnishment. By the way, the lender does not need you permission to garnish your wages. The lender simply contacts the payroll department and demands that a portion of your salary go to the lender.

When there is a debt deficiency from the sale of a property, the lender can forgive the difference or try to collect the difference. A deficiency debt becomes a new personal debt obligation unless a lender forgives the deficiency. Sometimes, a lender will demand a property owner sign another loan agreement for a deficiency debt. The IRS and some states offer tax relief to homeowners who have their debt deficiency forgiven. There is more information provided ahead about tax relief in this FAQ.

In our day and age, debt collection is big business. Technology makes it easier to find anyone and to find everything an individual earns or owns. There are third party companies purchasing personal debt obligations and/or deficiency debt from lenders. These third party companies may pay 10 to 20 cents on the dollar for the debt. Once the third party company owns your remaining debt, under most circumstances the third party has the same collection rights as the original lender.

Why does a lender issue an IRS 1099 form after Debt Forgiveness?

Debt forgiveness is considered taxable income by the IRS and by certain state and municipal taxing authorities. The IRS requires a lender to report the forgiven debt on form 1099-C, Cancellation of Debt. Individuals are required to report any forgiven debt on Form 1040. For example, lets say Mr. Jones originally borrowed 0,000 from the lender. The lender decides to forgive 0,000. Basically telling the debtor he or she does not have to pay 0,000. The IRS believes that since you did not have to pay back the entire loan, then you ended up keeping the money, therefore it is income.

What if I own a property with a value less than the mortgage balance, can the difference be forgiven through a short sale or a foreclosure auction? Can the difference become a deficiency debt? Will the IRS let me exclude forgiven debt and not look at it as income?

The general answer is yes to all of the questions. If a lender agrees to a short sale, the uncollected difference can be forgiven or it can become a personal debt obligation. If the lender forgives the difference then the amount forgiven can be considered taxable income. If the lender refuses to forgive the difference, then it becomes a personal debt obligation. This means a lender or a third party (who buys the debt obligation from the lender) has the right to legally pursue you by getting a court ordered money judgment.

If your home ends up selling at a foreclosure auction for less than what is owed, the uncollected balance is called a deficiency debt. A deficiency from a foreclosure action can be forgiven or can become a personal debt obligation. Various states have anti-deficiency statutes. These statutes prevent a lender from collecting on a deficiency. Also, the federal government enacted the Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007. The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 allows taxpayers to exclude income from the discharge of debt on their principal residence. Debt reduced through mortgage restructuring, as well as mortgage debt forgiven in connection with a foreclosure, may qualify for the relief. The act applies to all applicable debt forgiven between 2007 and 201. It applies up to million for joint filing and million if filing separately. Make sure you read the act and get a qualified tax professional to analyze your specific situation.

The IRS has additional exceptions to the "debt forgiveness is income" rule. The most common situations when cancellation of debt income is not taxable involve qualified principal residence indebtedness, bankruptcy, insolvency, certain farm debts, non-recourse loans and other exceptions established by the IRS. You need to speak with a qualified accountant or other professional, so you understand your tax obligations.

What are Anti-Deficiency Laws?

Simply put, an anti-deficiency law prevents a lender from collecting on a deficiency debt or places limits on how much a lender can collect on a deficiency debt. A homeowner will not be held responsible for any deficiency if the property is occupied by homeowner. Basically, the property must be the homeowners primary residence. The lender can only recover the property and any proceeds from a foreclosure auction sale.

Anti-deficiency laws do not prevent a lender from reporting the deficiency to the IRS. Since the lender is generally prevented from collecting the loss on a sale, the lender can report the loss to the IRS as forgiven debt.

You can contact your states attorney general or banking department to learn about any deficiency laws. You can contact a qualified attorney. There are certain states that limit a lender to only one lawsuit to collect a mortgage loan debt. So make sure you get a professional opinion about your state laws.

What happens If I settle a Credit Card or Business Loan for less than what is owed?

If negotiated properly a credit card company or lender may agree to settle a business loan or credit card debt. Normally, the unpaid balance should be forgiven. This brings up an important principle. In order to get debt forgiveness, it must be in writing!!. Keep this in mind. Just because the lender verbally tells you the debt is forgiven does not mean it is forgiven unless it is in writing. There are instances when a debtor is told the debt is forgiven only to get aggressive collection calls sometime in the future.

How can I determine What Is Best for Me?

Ask yourself "What am I trying to achieve, what are my goals?" Your answer should focus on what puts you in the best financial position in the short and long term. The focus should be on reducing your debt obligation with limited long term negative financial impact. If debt is forgiven, then you may have a tax bill. If the debt becomes a money judgment, then wages can be garnished or certain assets can be seized. You will need a qualified team of professional advisers to assist you or you need to do a fair amount of research. Your advisers can include an accountant, attorney, and/or a consultant.

Each persons circumstance is unique. It requires spending time listening, gathering detailed financial information, reviewing all necessary documents and discussing various strategies.

Now you know so take control.

What Everyone Should Know About Debt Forgiveness, Obligations and Deficiency

Ways to Make Money Quickly, Legally

So, you are in a bind. Your rent is due and you don't have the funds available to pay your landlord? What to do? Well, after praying about your next step the revelation you receive may be not what you had expected. Perhaps you were looking for a miracle instead perhaps God has shown you ways for you to work out your problem quickly and legally. Yes, there are many ways to make money that are honest and smart. Let's take a look at some of them right now.

Ways to make money are perhaps much more numerous than you first thought:

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Hold a garage sale: Chances are you have some things around your house that you no longer are in need of. If so, hang a sign out front and invite neighbors and "drive bys" to visit you. While you may not own a big ticket item that can garner you a nice return, a bunch of smaller items including clothes, bric-a-brac, books, etc. could push you over the top.

Ebay: Not everyone is fond of garage or yard sales. In addition, if you have a special item which you know could bring in more money if you could advertise it, consider eBay or another online auction site to sell what-have-you. EBay has proven to be one of the biggest ways to make money that there is today.

Bake, clean, or provide another service: Not everyone has the time or inclination to cook for themselves, pick up their dry cleaning, mow the lawn, clean, etc. You neighbors may be too busy to take care of their yard but would gladly pay someone they know such as you to do the work for them. Offer to organize their attic or garage and don't be shy to charge them a decent rate. Perhaps in exchange for money they will offer to you whatever is in their garage of value. This can one of the ways to make money as you resell what they have online or in your next yard sale.

Online help: If you own a computer and have internet access, then this can be one of the ways to make money quickly and legally. Sometimes blog managers will pay for posters to add a few paragraphs of comments to their sites while others will be glad if you moderate their forums. Either way, if there is money involved you can raise cash that way too.

Watch the kids: Not everyone likes to babysit other children, but perhaps you are already "giving that service away" when your friends drop their children off to play with your kids. Let's be smart about it: are you providing a play date or babysitting services? If the latter, start charging by the hour to make sure your hard work gets a return on the investment!

Yes, there are many ways to make money you hadn't thought of in the past. Don't borrow off of your credit card and don't take out a loan you won't be able to repay later. Chances are there is a service you can provide, an item you could sell, or something you can offer that will bring in money quickly. Are there many ways to make money? Yes! Find out what they are and step forward in faith today.

Ways to Make Money Quickly, Legally

How Does Marketing Create and Satisfy Consumer Needs?

A. Marketing merely reflects the needs and wants of customers. B. Marketing shapes consumer needs and wants. 

Part A  

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'Marketing merely reflects the needs and wants of customers.' We all need to eat, drink and sleep and reproduce, this is all part of who we are as human beings. Therefore at the basic level companies will strive to satisfy these functions and keep doing so by once in a while showing advertisements that tells the public that they are around and can provide the products they need.  

The other aspect is that needs vary depending on what country you live in. "For example a consumer in the United States may need food but may want a hamburger, french fries and a soft drink and a person that lives in Mauritius that needs food may want a mango, rice, lentils and beans. Wants are shaped by our society." The other part is wants, everybody can want something but only a few has the means to acquire it. A good example would be that everyone wants to eat out at expensive restaurants everyday but in reality only very few people can actually afford that lifestyle. This is why various segments have been created to target different groups and classes of people.

Marketers must therefore continually be creating and developing attractive products and then in turn devising a brilliant marketing strategy to win the consumer over to buy their product over other competing products. Companies strive to retain their customer base by delivering value and satisfaction from their products and this is formulated in consumers' minds as a combination of service, quality and price. Some consumers would not mind paying a higher price for an item or service if they received very good service.

This is all part of what a consumer's expectations on a product are, if these perceived expectations are met time after time then they become a loyal customer to that particular company. We as people like consistency and if a marketer provides consistent service in addition to great products and price then we will keep on going back for years. A good example would be Ben's Chili Bowl located in Washington DC. It is an eatery that has been in business for decades and the fact that it had kept so many loyal customers is because they have offered consistent service and great food over the years and people who used to go there to eat as kids still go there as adults. They even have patrons fly into Washington DC just to experience their food and service. Companies also create brands and these brands have an effect on people's purchasing habits.

These brands can mean several aspects of the company combined to form a perception in the consumer's mind such as products, services, information and experiences. The more unique and interesting a brand the better it will perform. One brand that comes to mind is the Coach Company that manufactures accessories in the retail sector. They produce items such as handbags, purses, belts and other items. Coach has built a strong brand name for themselves by being unique in their style and service and this is primarily the reason that customers create a high demand for their products. This has also allowed the company to maintain an above average price for their products compared with their competitors with the knowledge that consumers would pay that higher price. Segmentation is another way that companies target the consumer to satisfy their needs and companies use this technique to target where they should market their products. There are various criteria that companies use to segment their products and some of them are geographic, demographic, psycho graphic and behavioral.

They would use factors such as how populated and area is or how wealthy the population of a specific area is and target products that fit that mold. This has proved to be a very successful tactic for companies in marketing. Marketing channels are also used by companies to reach their consumers. They use three types of marketing channels which are communications, distribution and service channels. Communications is important to get the company's message out to the public and this could be in many forms such as the radio, television, the internet, posters and the like. They also need to distribute their products to the consumer and this means they will need a physical location like a store, or be a wholesaler and have others retail your products for you and also sell your products on the internet. Service channels are needed to effect transactions with the consumers and these could be banks for credit card purchases and transportation companies such as UPS to deliver the products to homes and businesses.

Marketing has relied on four marketing skills and tools and they are the sales force, advertising, sales promotion and marketing research, they must also use brand building, customer relations, telemarketing and others to make their product selling become reality. Companies must also function ethically and honestly to serve the consumer in the best possible manner. Marketing in the United States is unique in the world because it has evolved and changed over the years to blend in with the capitalistic society we live in in the US. This also means that some of the marketing we use in this country can only work with the credit system we currently have. This is not so in other parts of the world even in industrialized countries. So I would view marketing in the United States as one of the spokes in the wheel that makes our economy such a giant as it is today. 

Part B 

Regarding the second argument 'Marketing shapes consumer needs and wants.' I have to also agree with this statement. My reasons are many and varied. After seeing so many television commercials and advertisements both on the Internet and on newspapers I have concluded that some companies construct their ads to create a need in the consumer's mind even if originally they were not interested in the product. I took some time to research some of the words that advertisements commonly use and I found an interesting mix of words and phrases. The word 'free' is the most common denominator I found in the ads, free is used in combinations such as free home trial, free inspection, buy one get one free, free installation, free estimates, free parking, free demonstration and free consultation. The word free is usually a powerful catalyst that springs the consumer into buying that particular product or idea even though he or she might not need it. I think other terms also kind of bait people into buying things they don't need.

Terms such as 'no payments till 2010' or 'money back guarantee' 'no down payment' 'offer good while supplies last' help dissipate any doubts that the consumer may have and spur them on to make the purchase. "Because the goal is to get customers' attention, persuade and create demand, market segmentation has historically been based on variables that correlate to creating demand: geography, age, gender, income, education, occupation and other traditional demographics, as well as psychographics around personality, lifestyle, values and attitudes. It works because these attributes are helpful for defining how to effectively speak to different groups of people."

Some companies do act unethical in their advertising, for example I have seen some ads on the internet especially where companies would advertise a product and make it very appealing to the consumer then at the very bottom is tiny fonts the word 'restrictions apply' they would hide the link that takes you to where the restrictions are listed. So if you happen to buy that product without reading the fine print and something happens that you are not satisfied or want to return the item the company would refuse and make reference to their restriction policy. Other tactics that companies use to shape consumers needs and wants is to use celebrities or other famous people to sell their products. A good example of a company would be Nike. Nike teamed up with Michael Jordan to create marketing giant. One of the themes behind their partnership was to create the desire within consumers that if they wore Michael Jordan's sneakers they could play basketball or jump as high as him.

This was directed primarily towards the younger consumers and turned out to be a huge marketing success. Companies also take advantage of world events or changes in the economy to come out with new products. A good example is the ever increasing popularity of hybrid cars. This has been brought about by gas prices going up and the economy slowing down. However the increase in hybrid cars has led to a marked decrease of large SUV vehicles. In the past we used to associate hybrid cars with car companies such as Toyota and Honda, but nowadays companies such as Lincoln, Ford and others are coming out with hybrid vehicles. This has been a necessity of them to compete in today's changed car market.  

However advertising is not the only force that drives the consumer. Most companies do a lot of research before releasing an advertisement in getting a feel of what the consumers really desire. There is a constant interaction with the public in studying what is in vogue at the time and also what brands people want to be associated with. I have always wondered at why companies come out with new models or new releases at such a quick pace. This tactic is basically mainly a tweak or an enhancement of the previous model or version in order to create the perception of a totally new product which in turn creates more demand for the product.

Good examples of these products would be software, Microsoft is especially good at coming out with new versions of their products. For example with the release of Microsoft Vista operating system it meant that people had to upgrade their computers also because their existing hardware could not support Microsoft Vista's requirements. In conclusion, newer firms tend to lean more towards creating needs because the public does not yet know about their products. Established companies are more interested in fulfilling the existing needs of consumers. These companies are already known and their products have already being deemed essential to their lives so they would continue buying their products even with little or no advertisement. 

How Does Marketing Create and Satisfy Consumer Needs?

Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid - What RE Investors Should Know in 2011

Walgreens, CVS or Rite-Aid: Which Tenant Is Best in 2011?

There are 3 major drugstore chains in the US: Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid. Below are some key statistics about the 3 major drugstore chains as of July 2010:

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Walgreens ranks #1 with market cap of .33 Billion, .25 Billion in revenue, and S&P rating of A+. According to Walgreens, 75% US population lives within 3 miles from its stores. On Oct 1, 2009, Walgreens opened its 7000-th store in Brooklyn, New York. In April 2010, it acquired 258 Duane Reade drug stores in New York Metropolitan area. CVS ranks #2 with market cap of .09 Billion, .1 Billion in revenue (CVS revenue alone is less than Walgreens if revenue from its Caremark group is taken out), and S&P rating of BBB+. CVS opened its 7000-th store in Little Canada, Minnesota on October 5, 2009 and currently operates 7025 drug stores.. Rite Aid ranks #3 with market cap of 9 Million, .53 Billion in revenue, 4780 drug stores and S&P rating of B-.

Investors purchase properties occupied by these drugstore chains for the following reasons:

The drugstore business is very recession-insensitive. People need medicine when they are sick, regardless of the state of the economy. Both rich and poor people in the US have access to medicine. Some even argue that low-income people use more medicine due to free or low-cost drugs offered by government-assisted programs. So the tenants should do well during tough time and have money to pay rent to landlords. The drugstore business has a good prospect in the US: People are living longer and need more medicine to sustain longevity, e.g. Actonel for osteoporosis, Aricept for Alzheimer's symptoms. Older people tend to use more medicine than younger ones as they often have more medical problems. As the 78 million baby boomers are getting closer to retiring age starting from 2008, the drugstore chains anticipate the demand for medicine to increase in next 20 years. The drug market continues to expand as the US population will continue to grow. More and more Americans suffer from various diseases. The number of Americans suffers from seasonal allergies doubled in the last 15 years to 37 million people per Fortune magazine. They spent .4 Billion in 2009 for allergy drugs. As their waist lines balloon (75% of Americans are forecasted to be either overweight or obese by 2020), more Americans are diagnosed with diabetes, high cholesterol at younger and younger ages. In addition, doctors also recommend treating various diseases sooner than later due to better understanding about the diseases. For example, doctors now prescribe antiretroviral drugs for patients soon after infected with HIV virus instead of waiting for the infection to become AIDS. More doctors combine insulin with oral medicines to treat type-2 Diabetes instead of just oral medicines alone. All these factors increase the size of the drug market. Advance in genetic engineering has introduced various new genetic DNA testing kits which allow the genetic diagnosis of vulnerabilities to inherited diseases and disorders. Genetic testing is currently the highest growth segment in the diagnostics industry. Some of these genetic tests will probably transform into direct-to-consumer testing kits available in drug stores in the near future. Upon FDA approval, these new products will potentially bring in additional revenue for drug stores. The passage of Health Care Reform Bill on March 23, 2010 provides insurance coverage to an estimated 33 million more American. This is a major present to the drugstore industry. There are new drugs to treat previously untreatable illnesses, and new diseases, e.g. Viagra for men's unhappiness, Zoloft for depression, Avastin for colon cancer, Herceptin for breast cancer, Nicotine patches for smokers to kick the habit, Tamiflu for a potential bird flu pandemic, vaccine for swine (H1N1) flu pandemic, Tekturna/Rasilez for hypertension and various new drugs for AIDS and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). The new medicines are very expensive, e.g. a year's supply of Avastin costs about ,000. Eli Lilly has sold about .8 billion of Zyprexa in 2007 for schizophrenia and yet most people have never heard of this medicine. There are existing drugs now approved to treat new illnesses and thus increase their sales revenue. For example, Lyrica was originally intended to treat pain caused by nerve damage in people with diabetes. It is now approved by FDA to treat Fibromyalgia which affects 5.8 million Americans per WebMD. Big advances in genetics, biology and stem cells research are expected to produce a new class of drugs to treat diabetes, Parkinson's and various rare genetic disorders. For example the new drug Ilaris from Novartis targets genetic causes of an inherited disorder that there are only 7000 known cases worldwide. However, Novartis hopes to gradually broaden its drugs to a blockbuster drug to more common disorders caused by similar genetics. Technology and modern life introduce and require new products, e.g. pregnancy test kits, Lamisil for stronger clearer toe nails, Latisse for longer & thicker eyelashes, Premarin for menopausal symptoms, diabetic monitors, electronic toothbrushes, contact lenses, lenses cleaners, diet pills, vitamins, birth-control pills, IUDs, nutrition supplements and Cholesterol-lowering pills (Americans spent nearly B in 2006 on Cholesterol medications alone per IMS Health, a Connecticut-based consulting company that monitors pharmaceutical sales.) There are also more surgeries: C-sections, Kidney transplants, open-heart triple by-pass, and breast augmentations. More surgeries mean more medicines are needed such as Vicodin for pain management and Warfarin to prevent blood clots in surgeries. Before the customers can get to the medicine aisles or pharmacy counters, they have to pass by chocolates, sodas, digital cameras, watches, toys, dolls, beers and wines, cosmetics, video games, flowers, fragrances, and greeting cards. Drug stores hope you use the one-hour photos services and exchange your liquid propane tanks there. The stores also carry seasonal items, e.g. Halloween costumes, and "As Seen on TV" merchandise, e.g. Shamwow. As a result, customers buy more than their prescriptions and medicine in these drugstores. Rite Aid sells more 28,000 non-pharmacy items in its stores while Walgreens has 22,000 different items on store shelves. CVS reported that non-pharmacy sales represented 30% of the company's total sales in January of 2007. The figure for Walgreens is 34% and 37% for Rite Aid. Many pharmacy locations are in effect convenience stores especially ones that are in residential or rural areas. And so Walgreens hopes that customers also pick up WD-44, and screw drivers at its stores instead of at Home Depot; Thai Jasmine rice, and fish sauce to avoid a trip to Safeway or Kroger Supermarkets. During the recession, sales of these non-drug items are down as customers buy what they need and not what they want. Walgreens tries to reduce the number of items by 4000. It also introduces its own private label which has higher profit margins. There are more and more generic medications on the market as a number of enormously popular brand-name blockbusters will lose their 20-year long patents, e.g. Lipitor (best selling drug in the world to lower cholesterol) in 2010, Viagra (you know what it's for) in 2012. Drugstores prefer to sell generic drugs to customers due to higher profit margins than the brand-name medications. Some people are addicted to pain killers, e.g. Hydrocodone and consume a large amount of medicine, e.g. 30-day dosage in a day to get high. According to testimony from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, US retail pharmacies dispensed nearly 180 million prescriptions in 2007 for opiates, e.g. Hydrocodone. A high percentage of these prescriptions are probably not used for any legitimate medical purposes. This author estimates that at least 10% of the dispensed prescription drugs are not used at all and sit idle in the medicine cabinets. They are eventually expired and thrown away. These companies sign very long-term, NNN leases, guaranteed by their corporate assets. This makes the investment in the underlying property fairly low risk, especially for Walgreens with an A+ S&P rating. In fact, these properties are sometimes referred to as investment-grade properties. Once the drugstore chains sign the lease, they pay the rent promptly and timely. This author is not aware of any properties leased by one of these drugstore chains in which the tenants failed to pay rents. Even when the stores are closed due to weak sales (Walgreens closed 119 stores in 2007), these companies may sublease the properties to other companies and continue to pay rents on the master leases. A typical Walgreens lease consists of 20-25 year primary term plus 8-10 five-year options. During primary term and options, there will be no rent increases in most of the leases. This is the main disadvantage of investing in Walgreens drugstores. A typical CVS lease consists of 20-25 year primary term plus 4-5 five-year options. The rent is normally flat during the primary term and then there is a 2.5%-10% rent increase in the in each 5-year option. A typical Rite Aid lease consists of 20-25 year primary term plus 4-8 five-year options. The lease often has a rent increase every 5-10 years.

Investment Risks: Although the pharmacy business in general is recession-insensitive, there are risks involved in your investment:

The main downside about investing in pharmacies is there is little or no rent bump for a long time, e.g. 20-50 years, especially for Walgreens. So the rent is effectively reduced after inflation is factored in. This is one of the main reasons these properties do not appeal to younger investors. The 3 drugstore chains now have a new formidable competitor, Wal-mart. Wal-mart sells prescription drugs in more than 4000 Wal-mart, Sam's Club and Neighborhood Market stores in 49 states. The retail giant is known for launching in 2006 a highly-publicized generic prescription drug program which now sells 350 generic medications for a 30-day supply. The actual number of medications is less as the medications with different strengths are counted as different medications. For example, Metformin 500 mg, 850 mg, and 1000 mg are counted as 3 medications. Wal-mart probably makes very little profits on these medications if any. However, the marketing campaign--created by Bill Simon, the President and CEO of Wal-mart US, generates a lot of publicity for Wal-mart. Wal-mart hopes to draw customers to its stores with other prescriptions where it has higher profit margins. In an unscientific survey with just one brand-name prescription of Lyrica, this author finds the lowest price at Costco, the highest price at Walgreens and Wal-mart at the middle. Other drug chains try to counter Wal-mart in different ways. Target now offers the same 350 generic medications for for a 30-day supply. Walgreens has a Prescription drugs club with membership fee which offers 1400 generic medications for as little as /week. CVS says it will match any offers from its competitors. Chief Business Correspondent Rick Newman from US World & News Report predicted that Rite Aid might not survive in 2009. While Rite Aid is still around in 2010, dire predictions continue. The study by Audit Integrity gave Rite Aid about a 10.5 percent chance of filing for bankruptcy in 2010. Drugs are also sold in thousands of supermarkets, Target stores, and Costco warehouses. However, there are no drive-through windows at these stores or Walmart to conveniently drop off the prescriptions and pick up medicines. Customers will not be able to pick up their prescriptions during lunch hour or after 7PM at Target stores or supermarkets. They need to have membership to buy medicines at Costco. Others may not fill their prescriptions at Walmart because they don't want to mingle with typical Walmart customers who are in lower income brackets. And some babyboomers don't want their prescriptions filled at Target or Walmart because there are no comfortable chairs for them to sit down to wait for their medicines. Many leases in areas with hurricanes and tornados are NNN leases with the exception of roof and structure. So if the roof is damaged, you will have to pay for the expenses. The tenant may move to a new location down the road or across the street when the lease expires. This risk is high when the property is located in small town where there is low barrier for entry, i.e. lots of vacant & developable land. The tenant may ask for rent concession to improve its bottom line. The possibility is higher if the tenant is Rite Aid and if the store has low sales revenue and/or higher than market rent. More Americans are walking away from their prescriptions, especially the most expensive brand-name medicines. This may have negative impact on the sales revenue and profits of drug stores and consequently may cause drug store closures. According to Wolters Kluwer Pharma Solution, a health-care data company, nearly 1 in 10 new prescriptions for brand-name drugs were abandoned by people with commercial health plans in 2010. This is up 88% compared to 4 years ago just before the recession began. This trend is driven in part by higher and higher co-pays for brand name drugs as employers are shifting more insurance costs to their employees.

Among 3 drugstore chains, Walgreens and CVS pharmacies in general have the best locations-at major intersections while Rite Aid has less than premium locations. Walgreens tends to hire only the top graduates from pharmacy schools while Rite Aid settles with bottom graduates to save costs. When possible all drugstore chains try to fill the prescriptions with generic medications which have higher profit margins

Walgreens: the company was founded in 1901 by Charles Walgreen, Sr. in Chicago. While the company has existed for more than 100 years, most stores are only 5-10 years old. This is the best managed company among the three drugstore chains and also among the most admired public companies in the US. The company has been run by executives with proven track records and hires the top graduates from universities. Due to its superior financial strength--S&P A+ rating-- and premium irreplaceable locations, properties with leases from Walgreens get the highest price per square foot and/or the lowest cap rate among the 3 drugstore chains. In addition, Walgreens gets flat rent or very low rent increase for 20 to 60 years. The cap rate is often in the low 6% to 7.5% range in 2009. Investors who buy Walgreens tend to be more mature, i.e. closer to retirement age. They are looking for a safe investment where it's more important to get the rent check than to get appreciation. They often compare the returns on their Walgreens investment with the lower returns from US treasury bonds or Certificate of Deposits from banks. Walgreens opened many new stores in 2008 and 2009 and thus you see many new Walgreens stores for sale. It will slow down this expansion in 2010 and focus on renovation of existing stores instead

CVS: CVS Corporation was founded in 1963 in Lowell, MA by Stanley Goldstein, Sidney Goldstein, and Ralph Hoagland. The name CVS stands for "Consumer Value Stores". As of 2009, CVS has about 6300 stores in the US, mostly through acquisitions. In 2004, CVS bought 1,200 Eckerd Drugstores mostly in Texas and Florida. In 2006, CVS bought 700 Savon and Osco drugstores mostly in Southern California. And in 2008 CVS acquired 521 Longs Drugs stores in California, Hawaii, Nevada and Arizona for .9B dollars. The acquisition of Long Drugs appears to be a good one as it CVS does not have any stores in Northern CA and Arizona. Besides, the price also included real estate. It is also bought Caremark, the largest pharmaceutical services company and changed the corporation name to CVS Caremark. When CVS bought 1,200 Eckerd stores, it formed a single-entity LLC (Limited Liability Company) to own each Eckerd store. Each LLC signs the lease with the property owner. In the event of a default, the owner can only legally go after the assets of the LLC and not from any other CVS-owned assets. Although the owner loses the guaranty security from CVS corporate assets, this author is not aware of any incident where CVS closes a store and does not pay rent.

Rite-Aid: Rite Aid was founded by Alex Grass (he just passed away on Aug 27, 2009 at the age of 82) and opened its first store in 1962 as "Thrif D Discount Center" in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It officially incorporated as Rite Aid Corporation and went public in 1968. By the time Alex Grass stepped down as the company's chairman and chief executive officer in 1995, Rite Aid was the nation's largest drugstore chain in terms of total stores and No. 2 in terms of revenue. His son, Martin Grass, took over but was ousted in 1999 for overstatement of Rite Aid's earnings in the late 1990s. Rite Aid is now the weakest financially among the 3 drugstore chains. In 2007, Rite-Aid acquired about 1,850 Brooks and Eckerd drugstores, mostly along the East coast to catch up with Walgreens and CVS. In the process, it added a huge long term debt (currently owes over .69 Billion) and is the most leveraged drugstore chain based on its market value. The integration of Brooks and Eckerd did not seem to go well. Revenue from some of these stores went down as much as 20% after they change the sign to Rite Aid. In 2009, Rite-Aid had over 4900 stores and over Billion in revenues. The figures went down in 2010 to 4780 stores and .53 billion in revenue. On January 21, 2009 Moody's Investor Services downgraded Rite Aid from "Caa1" to "Caa2", eight notches below investment grade. Both ratings are "junk" which indicate very high credit risk. Rite Aid contacted a number of its landlords in 2009 trying to get rent concession to improve the bottom line. In June 2009, Rite Aid successfully completed refinancing .9 Billion of its debts. However, it continues to struggle in 2010 as same store sales decreased 2.5% in June, 1.7% in May, 1% in April,.1% in March, 3.2% in February, and 2.1% in January..

Things to consider when invested in a pharmacy

If you are interested in investing in a property leased by drugstore chains, here are a few things you should consider:

If you want a low risk investment, go with Walgreens. In stable or growing areas, the degree of safety is the same whether the property is in California where you get a 6% cap or Texas where you may get a 7.5% cap. So, there is no significant advantage to invest in properties in California as the property value is based primarily on the cap rate. In 2010, the offered cap rate for Walgreens seems to come down from 7.5%-8.4% in 2009 to 6.5%-7.5% for new stores. If you are willing to take more risk, then go with Rite-Aid. Some properties outside of California may offer up to 10% cap rate in 2010. However, among the 3 drug chains, Rite Aid has 10.5% chance of going under in 2010. Should it declare bankruptcy, Rite Aid has the option to pick and choose which locations to keep open and which locations to terminate the lease. To minimize the risk that the store is shuttered, choose a location with strong sales and low rent to revenue ratio. Financing should be an important consideration. While the cap rate is lower for Walgreens than Rite Aid, you will be able to get the best rates and terms for Walgreens. A 7.25% cap Walgreens with 5.25% interest rate on the loan will generate more cash flow than a 10% cap Rite Aid with 9% interest rate (if you could find a lender for Rite Aid). If you are not a conservative investor or risk taker, you may want to consider a CVS pharmacy. It has BBB+ S&P credit rating. Its cap rate is higher than Walgreens but lower than Rite Aid. Some leases may offer better rent bumps. On the other hand, some CVS leases, especially for properties in hurricane areas, e.g. Florida are not truly NNN leases where landlords are responsible for the roof and structure. So make sure you adjust the cap rate down accordingly. Some of the CVS locations have onsite Minuteclinic staffed by registered nurses. Since this clinic idea was introduced recently, it's not clear having a clinic inside CVS is a plus or minus to the bottom line of the store. All 3 drugstore chains have similar requirements. They all want highly visible, standalone, rectangular property around 10,000 - 14,500 SF on a 1.5 - 2 acre lot, preferably at a corner with about 75 - 80 parking spaces in a growing and high traffic location. They all require the property to have a drive-through. Hence, you should avoid purchasing an inline property, i.e. not standalone and property with no drive-through windows. There is a chance that these drugstores may not want to renew the lease unless the property is located in a densely-populated area with no vacant land nearby. In addition, if you acquire a property that does not meet the new requirements, for example a drive-through, you may have a problem getting financing as lenders are aware of these requirements. If the pharmacy is opened 24 hours a day, it is in a better location. Drugstore chains do not open the store 24 hours day unless the location draws customers. Many properties may have a percentage lease, i.e. the landlord can get additional rent when the store's annual revenue exceeds a certain figure, e.g. M. However, the revenue used to compute percentage rent often excludes a page-long list of items, e.g. wine and sodas, tobacco products, items sold after 10 PM, drugs paid by governmental programs. The excluded sales revenue could account for as much as 70% of store's gross revenue. As a result, this author has seen only 2 stores in which the landlord is able to collect additional percentage rent. The store with a percentage rent is required to report its monthly sales to the landlord. As an investors, you want to invest in a store with strong gross sales, e.g. over 0 per square foot a year. In addition, you also want to check the rent to revenue ratio. If the figure is in the 2-4% range, the store is likely to be very profitable so the chance the store is shut down is low. It does not matter how good the tenants are, avoid investing in declining and/or low-income areas or small towns with less than 30,000 residents within 5 miles ring. In a small town, it may be the only drug store in town and captures most of the market share. However, if a competitor opens a new location in the area, revenue may be severely affected. These properties are easy to buy now and hard to sell later. In 2009 where the credit market is tight, you may have problems finding a lender to finance these properties. Many properties have an existing loan that the buyer must assume. If you have a 1031 exchange, think twice about buying this property. You should clearly understand loan assumption requirements of the lenders before moving forward. Should you fail to assume the existing loan (assuming an existing loan is a lot more difficult than getting a new loan), you may run out of time for a 1031 exchange and may be liable to pay capital gain. With few exceptions, drugstore chains do not own the stores they occupy for several reasons. Here are just a couple of them: They know the pharmacy business but don't know real estate. Stock investors also don't want Walgreens to become a real estate investment company. Owning the real estate will require them to carry lots of long term debts which is not a brilliant idea for a publicly-traded company. About 10% of the drugstore properties for sale and typically CVS pharmacies require very small amount of equity to acquire, e.g. 10% of the purchase price. However, you are required to assume an existing fully-amortized loan with zero cash flow. That is, all of the rent paid by the tenant must be used to pay down the loan. The cap rate may be in the 7% range, and the interest rate on the loan could be attractive in the 5.5% to 6% range. Hence, the investor pays off the loan in 10 to 20 years. However, the investor has no positive cash flow. This requires you to come up with outside cash to pay income tax on the rental profits (the difference between the rent and mortgage interest). The longer you own the property, the more outside cash you will need to pay income taxes as the mortgage interest will get less and less toward the end. So who would buy this kind of property? The investors who have substantial losses from other properties. By acquiring this zero cash flow property, they may offset the income from the drugstore tenant against the losses from other investment properties. For example, a property has 5,000 of rental profits a year, and the investor also has losses of 0,000 from other investment properties. As a result, the combined taxable profits are only ,000. The uninformed investors who fail to consider that they have to raise additional cash to pay income taxes.

Out of the Box Thinking If you put too much weigh on the S&P rating of the tenants, you may end up either taking a lot of risks or passing up good opportunities.

Good location should be the key in your decision on which drug store to invest in. It's often said a lousy business should do well at a great location while the best tenant will fail at a lousy location. A Walgreens store that is closed down later on (yes, Walgreens closed 119 stores in 2007) is still a bad investment even though Walgreens continues paying rent on time. So you don't want to blindly invest in a drug store simply because it hasa Walgreens sign on the building. No company is crazy enough to close a profitable location. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that a financially-weak company like Rite Aid will make every effort to keep a profitable location open. On the other hand, a financially-strong Walgreens will need justifications to keep an unprofitable location open. So how do you determine if a drug store location is profitable or not if the tenant is not required to disclose its profit & loss statement? The answer is you cannot. However, you can make an educated guess based on store's annual gross revenue is often reported to the landlord as required by the percentage clause in the lease. With the gross revenue, you can determine the rent to income ratio. The lower the ratio, the more likely the store is profitable. For example, if the annual base rent is 0,000 while the store's gross revenue is M then the rent to income ratio is 5%. As a rule of thumb, it's hard to make a profit if this ratio is more than 8%. So if you see a Rite Aid with 3% rent to income ratio then you know it's likely a very profitable location. In the event Rite Aid declares bankruptcy, it will keep this location open and continue paying rent. If you see a Rite Aid drug store with 3% rent to income ratio offering 11% cap, chances are it's a low risk investment with good returns. The weakness of corporate guaranty from Rite Aid is probably not as critical and the risk of having Rite Aid as a tenant is not really that significant. Drug stores with new 25 years leases tend to sell at lower cap, e.g. 7-7.5% cap on new stores versus 8.0-8.5% cap on established locations with 8-10 years remaining on the lease. This is because investors are afraid that the tenants may not renew the leases. Unfortunately, lenders also have the same fear! As a result many lenders will not finance drug stores with 2-3 years left on the leases. The fact that drugstores with new leases have a premium on the price means they have potential of 10% depreciation (buying new at 7.3% cap and selling at 8.3% cap when the leases have 10 year left). Some investors will not consider investing in drug stores with 5-10 years left on the lease. They might simply ignore the fact that the established stores may be at irreplaceable locations with very strong sales. Tenants simply have no other choices other than renewing the lease.

Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid - What RE Investors Should Know in 2011

Debt Settlement Letter - Example of a Good Debt Settlement Letter

Debt settlement letters are very important because they set terms to help you rid yourself of debt. They're a binding contract and can help fix your credit rating if done correctly. There are a number of things that should always be included in one of these letters to make sure you aren't setting yourself up for trouble. Here's an overview of what you need to include along with a sample letter.

Always make sure your name, address and zip code are located on the letter, along with today's date. The collector's name and address should follow, along with your account number. Address the letter to someone helpful you spoke with by phone if possible. Explain your debt situation and what you plan to do. List the amount of debts you have and what you can do to improve your chances of repayment, such as a new job. Be sure to include a proposed settlement amount, along with your terms. When you receive a letter back agreeing to your terms, include a payment. Sign the letter and date it.

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Your name
Address
City, State and Zip
Today's date

Creditor Name
Address
City, State and Zip

Re: Your Name
Creditor's Account Number
Your Social Security Number

I (name) wish to settle the outstanding debt with (creditor). (Explain why you've fallen into debt.) I strongly wish to pay back this debt.

Currently, the outstanding debt balance is (dollar amount). I am willing and able to settle this amount for (amount you can afford to pay). As part of this settlement I am making the following requests:

My account will be shown paid in full.
Any ligitation is dropped.
All negative listings will be deleted from the three credit bureaus below.
Equifax
Experian
TransUnion

Upon acceptance of this letter (creditor name) agrees to the terms and settlement conditions and I (name) will send an overnight money order in the amount of (settlement amount) paid to (creditor name).

(Creditor name) agrees to forward this letter to the three credit bureaus listed so negative listings may be deleted.

(Print Your Name) (Print Date)
(Sign your name)

Debt Settlement Letter - Example of a Good Debt Settlement Letter

Popular Small Businesses to Start For Very Little to No Money

Starting Small Businesses on a Shoestring

If you've been out of a job and the expectations of job openings in your area of skills look depressing, take heart. Opening your own organization may not be as expensive as you might believe with these strategies on how to start a booming small business at very little to no cost. With Angel Lenders and government and SBA help, small businesses are starting up and and those that have been losing profits during the recession are getting back on track.

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You need to comprehend what the marketplace and competition is for your manufactured goods or services first. If there is a community (or global) demand for what your organization offers, the next step is to create a business strategy. Without a business strategy or plan, you'll run the risk of failure early in the game. Be clear in your mind that you have a passion for your small business ideas as well. This is of great consequence if your business is to have many years of growth.

What is a Business Plan?

A business plan or model outlines the arrangement of your business, methods for marketing and promotion, the purchase of equipment, and what your business' objective is. A business plan is just that: a plan. You need to jot down all of your ideas and build your plan in an easily-understood format that will suit any intention, including for use in a lending situation.

Create Your Business Ideal

Besides having a business plan, you need to design your business model. Your business archetype should be geared around keeping cash outlay low without giving up quality so that the highest profits possible can be achieved. Although most businesses design this type of model as a course of action, a low- to zero-cost start-up business needs to be particularly creative since resources and supplies are limited in the beginning.

The Prime Principles for Starting a Business with Little Money

1. Set up a computer for online access (you may get a 'bundled' rate through your current residence or cell phone provider) and become acquainted with cheap or free software as well as free web-based applications.

Before buying anything, especially software-related, make sure there aren't free counterparts to be had by running a search and checking out Google Aps and the Microsoft website. Also take a look at open-source (free) software such as OpenOffice.

2. Determine who your buyers are, where your expertise lays and what folks are looking for.

3. Find out who your vendors may possibly be for services (like flyer distribution) or equipment (such as a printer) and if you can work out a barter agreement.

4. Create a website and have it hosted for free. There are many very high-quality free website editors that also offer free hosting from the same site. Run a search on "free website editor and hosting" to find a company you like and is easy to work with.

5. Become a member of local network groups and online forums, and set up a free blog through Blogger.com or other free blog site. Some network groups could charge small yearly dues but, on the whole, online network groups and forums are free. These are your free advertising methods so be sure to keep this in mind when considering any costs or dues.

6. Get free business cards from sites such as VistaPrint.

7. Become an affiliate for products and services that complement your business and promote them on your website and blog(s).

8. Read everything you can about the business you're in to increase your knowledge, know-how and expertise. Folks trust people who unreservedly give good advice and wind up buying from them.

9. Think about composing an informational booklet or how-to e-book and publish these for sale on your website and blog. Information sells.
While a few visitors may not pay money for a product, they might purchase your information on how to create their own product or how to do something without buying an encyclopedia. For instance, one small business proprietor builds and sells very small homes. When the recession hit, the home sales fell but the sales of the plans for the homes increased considerably and has kept his business going strong.

10. Try to set up a niche to make your business unique and set apart from the other guys. For instance, if you can't afford to breed dogs, you could think about creating dog treats, collars, and toys cheaply to market to breeders and sell at pet and craft shows.

Low-Cost Small Business Ideas

If you have no notion what kinds of businesses are minimal and economical to start, look at retail trends on the Internet. You might be surprised at how many fun and cool business ideas there are that can be started for very little money---if any money at all---such as:

1. Logo Design
2. Website Design
3. Office and/or Building and Home Cleaning
4. Interior and/or Exterior House Painting
5. PC Repair
6. Landscaping
7. Credit Rating Restoration Assistance
8. Pet sitting, boarding, and grooming (I know a woman who goes to residences to groom their pets and she beats all the competition. In fact, she has more work than she can handle).
9. Courier for Businesses
10. eBay Consignment Sales for Others

There are many more low-cost businesses ideas out there. As long as you have the passion and desire to get going with your business ideas and plans, you can create profits you can live off of.

Popular Small Businesses to Start For Very Little to No Money

Coaching Tools 101 - The Wheel of Life - 11 New and Improved Uses For the Ultimate Coaching Tool

The Wheel of Life may be 'old hat' to us coaches, but it's a powerful visual coaching tool with many uses in the coaching world. In fact it may just be the best and most flexible coaching tool -- in any coach's toolbox.

We forget that The Wheel of Life is still new to most of our clients. And even when they have come across it before it will tell them something new when they use it again, because like most coaching tools it can only catch how someone feels at a moment in time.

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So, apart from the common use of the wheel to look at life balance, how else can we use The Wheel of Life to help our clients? Here are 11 new and improved uses for The Wheel of Life:
Use The Wheel of Life to help your clients set meaningful goals. Areas with low scores are ideal candidates for your clients to set bigger goals around. Tip: This is an especially useful tool for business and career/executive coaches -- to edge left-brained clients into 'softer' areas that improve their whole lives. Which will, of course, benefit their careers and businesses in the long run. Use a wheel to drill down and help your clients understand their lives and issues more deeply. Take one of the segments or categories and ask them to delve deeper by writing out 8 areas that make up that segment for them. Tip: Eg. a 'Finance' wheel could include saving for a house or wedding, spending less/budgeting, saving for retirement, paying off credit cards, getting a better paid job etc. Help your clients see how far they've come. Use The Wheel of Life monthly or quarterly with your clients, as both a check-in to see how they're doing AND as a way for them to see how they've improved and grown. Improved scores demonstrate concrete value from coaching and help clients see their learnings and progression. Tip: It's a bit like looking back over an old journal and seeing how far you've come! De-stress your Clients! What about The Wheel of Stress of The Wheel of Frustration? Take the usual 'life balance' categories off the wheel and help your client 'free think' through their issues. Get them to label the top 8 areas that stress them out or frustrate them most. Ask them to score HOW stressful and frustrating each of their areas is out of 10 -- and review the results with them. Tip: Ask, which area stresses them out the most? Are there any surprises? How could they lower their scores? Help your clients get excited about life! How about The Wheel of Happiness, Fun or even Excitement? Depending on what your client needs/is looking for, ask your client to come up with 8 areas or things that are fun or make them excited or happy. Label the wheel segments accordingly and ask your client for an action or commitment for each segment. What do they notice? How could they bring more of each segment into their lives? Tip: Help them find multiple wins, ie. areas where one action raises their score across a number of areas? For Business Coaches, use the wheel to identify Sales and/or Marketing actions for your clients. Take a blank wheel and add the key areas where your clients need to take action. Ask your clients come up with actions for each to complete in the next month. Tip: For example, a Marketing Wheel might include the following; online social networks, SEO, article marketing, traditional networking, newsletter, trade shows, advertising, seminars. Priorities Management. What are your client's top priorities -- this could be at work, home or life in general. Ask your client to label each segment and specifically identify their top 3 priorities. Then get them to score their satisfaction out of 10 for each area. Tip: What do they notice? Do they have their priorities 'straight' or do they need to shift their focus? What actions could they take to improve their scores? Understanding what's TRULY important in life. Get your client to list or brainstorm their priorities or goals - asking them to list everything they want to "Be, Do and Have" in life is a great way to do this. Now ask them to take each priority or goal and go around the Wheel of Life 'balance' categories and ask, "Will achieving this improve my satisfaction in this area?" and for each area that is improved, that goal gets a point. Then you review which goals get the highest and lowest scores. What do they notice? What have they learned? This helps people to see what will truly make a difference in their lives as opposed to what they think will improve their lives. Tip: Let's assume your client wants to buy a Ferrari. Will it improve their Finances? No. Will it improve their relationships with family and friends? Probably not. Will it improve their Career? Unlikely. Will it improve their Fun? Yes. And so on until you get a score of perhaps 2 out of a possible 8. Now take being a great Dad. It may not improve your finances or your career (although you never know) but it will help your family relationships, fun, health, personal growth etc so you perhaps get a score of 6 out of 8. Identifying skill gaps for promotions/new jobs/careers. Use a blank wheel and get your client (or you can do this beforehand) to label the Top 8 Skills they will need to get the job or promotion they want. Now get them to score, out of 10, where they are at the moment against each of the skills. Finally assign an action against each of the skill areas where they need to boost their skills. Tip: You could even ask them to identify an action for areas where they score highly, "What could they do to truly excel at that skill?" Help your clients identify what they are looking for in a relationship. This is called The Relationship Wheel. So, take a blank wheel and ask your client to label the segments with the 8 qualities an ideal partner would have. This MUST be done by the client! And then ask them to give a score as to how IMPORTANT out of 10 each quality is. This will help them identify whether being attractive or romantic is as important as being reliable, having a good sense of humour or a good parent. Tip: You can even use the strategy outlined earlier in number 8 where you take each personal quality they've listed, and give it a point for each area on the Wheel of Life that it improves. Which qualities will truly make a difference in their lives? General Action Planning. Simply use a blank wheel to help your client come up with actions. Write the goal at the top of the page and then ask them to write out the 8 actions or chunks of work that make up their goal. Tip: Ask them to put a date on each -- and they can use the pieces of pie to record % complete for each area until it's complete!Of course you're not limited to 8 segments -- it's just a useful number -- and an easy one to divide the wheel into! So, feel free to use fewer segments or split segments to get more.
And whatever we've used the wheel for I like to ask this question when complete, "So, if this wheel represented your life/relationship/career/marketing strategy, is it a bumpy ride?"
I hope this has given you some new ideas as to how you can work with and use 'The Wheel of Life' in your coaching practice. Give it a try - it's wheely good!

Coaching Tools 101 - The Wheel of Life - 11 New and Improved Uses For the Ultimate Coaching Tool

How To Get Over Him - Quickly

Let me make one thing clear: this has nothing to do with love.

I'm no expert. The very word makes me nauseous and sets my body to a defensive mode. But I have had my heart broken once or twice. Badly. By some pathetic loser by the way who, in my blissful juvenile ignorance, contained my whole world: my oxygen, my insides, my reason for being without whom I'd wither and die to nothingness blah, blah.

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Somebody should have whacked me across the head with a Dr. Phil self-help bestseller in hard cover - it may have been enough to cause selective amnesia. But no, I have had to endure many, many self-inflicted humiliations the magnitude of which almost surpasses George W. Bush's abundant stream of faux pas, which I suspect include nuking someone's ticker.

With no access to a warhead, however, to deploy my heart's retribution, I resorted to good old fashioned emotional meltdown that rivaled Chernobyl. Not only have I said and done it all in the name of witless love - things I loathe to enumerate lest the wrath of Virginia Woolf strikes me dead - I have listened excruciatingly to my girlfriends and their hearts' lament on losing Mr. Loser, er, Mr. Right. And the twisted plot to get him back.

What I bemoan most of all is that not one good sista gave it to me straight. That I will change.

So, if a looming break-up is coming your way (trust me, we can all see it coming!), read, learn and gain wisdom from the mistakes of others because you don't want to make them all!

For the ladies who have been-there-done-that and, hopefully, out of the singles jungle, enjoying the safety and comfort of Tarzan's little love-nest high up on the treetops, be a real friend and show the girls how it's done.

Delete, delete, delete ... all traces of your ex.

If your memory is better than mine, there are two phone numbers you know by heart: your mum's and your ex's. In your quest to "get over him", first, delete him from your digital memory store starting with your mobile phone. Erase his mobile number, work phone, home phone, his best friend's number, his mother's number - especially!

If you're an IM user, block him immediately and blacklist his email address from your mailbox.

Then remove every piece of clothing, toiletry and dirty underwear he left behind in your bathroom. And no, don't even think of washing and neatly packaging these into a bundle for him. The concierge has closed and will not be re-opening. Ever.

Whatever you do, DO NOT call him.

It's pathetic, really. What are you hoping to accomplish? No, you won't get him back because he's not coming back. The bottom line is if he dumped you, he's not into you. Sound familiar? The word on the street is true and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.

OK, so there are those lucky people that get back together and live happily ever after.

In the movies!

If you're living in the same world as I, you know it's the exception, not the rule. Sadly, most women seem to think, to their detriment, that their situation is somehow always an exception: as if they live in a parallel reality where the rules of engagement do not apply because for some unknown and far-imagined reason, many are under the illusion that they're immune to life's cruel veracity. Well, you're not. The rule of life rules, unless the odd exception, freak-of-nature type event occurs. And it rarely happens. The sooner you realise that, the better.

So, in your moment of pathetic weakness, it's completely understandable and even acceptable to max out your credit card for much needed retail therapy. Even indulge in uncharacteristically obscene behaviour including binge-drinking, a drunken pash or two with complete strangers, or hysterical emotional outbursts in embarrassingly crowded places. Just make sure you're in the company of people who give a damn about you - your friends.

Scream. Cry. Laugh. Do whatever it takes to flush him out of your system. But for goodness' sake, do not call your ex.

Should I return the gold watch he gave me?
Are you kidding me? It's yours. Keep it. Or better yet, take all the valuable items he's ever given you to cash converters - the gold necklace for your birthday, the beautiful pair of earrings last Christmas and that gorgeous bracelet for Valentine's Day. Then buy yourself a new pair of Jimmy Choos. It will elevate your height as well as your mood.

Turning his precious little gifts, which are rightfully yours, into cold hard cash will satisfy a scorned woman's desire for sweet revenge. Albeit briefly. But who cares? Right now, little victories are what you need to get you over the line. And over him.

Let's be friends? Yeah, right!
Oh, please! If you are insisting on remaining friends with an ex who dumped you like vomit, you're up o something and it won't do you any good.

Problem is, you can't see it. So let me make it clearer for you: he's not coming back.

Wake up and smell the stench. You're standing on a gigantic pile of horseshit collected over the years starting from the time you believed in the myth of Cinderella. Didn't you know? She divorced her prince two months later: they weren't compatible after all.

So, think long and hard about your real motivations. Life is good but it ain't a fairytale.

If he's the one wanting to remain friends, well, beware. Remember, he dumped you. So it's neither an invitation for renewed romance nor for any kind of "real" friendship you want or need right now.

Let me tell you a little secret. Most guys, unfortunately, are cowards. They are scared to death of hurting our feelings because we all go "emotional on them!. They will do anything to weasel their way out of very difficult situations. The fact is, if he wants you, and I mean want-you-so-badly-it-hurts, there are no mixed messages. He will move heaven and earth to be with you. If he's not in to you, the only thing he'll move is his thumb: "want 2 come over 2nite?"

Need I say more?

Get a life ... darn good one!
The sweetest revenge is to live a happy life. And it's the only way to live.

But first, change your sheets.

Call your friends. Dance around the house in your underwear or naked if you prefer. Attend a party. Drink good champagne. Wear amazingly red lipstick. Strut around in ridiculously high stilettos. Visit your hairdresser.

Smile.

Chat up a good looking guy at a funky bar. Wear perfume. Flirt. Play games and play it cool. This time, you're the predator, not the prey. Take a risk.

You're so sexy. Who wouldn't want you?

And if you're still weary of rejoining the singles jungle, here's a tip: run an ad for a male flatmate. You may be surprised at what you'll find. Tarzan might just come knocking at your door.

Live life. It's the only one you've got.

Robelen Bajar is a freelance writer with a Mr. Strong Man who's so in to her.

How To Get Over Him - Quickly

7 Jobs That Provide A Company Car

Being provided with a company car is a great 'perk' of employment, and depending on which position an individual holds, can be utilized either on a part-time or full-time basis. Some of the jobs that offer a company car include the following:

1. Many upper-management, specifically, executive management positions, include the use of a company car, particularly those directly working for an automotive manufacturer or closely related to the industry. In these instances, it's the perfect way to increase their advertising as more of their cars are seen on the road. Another reason that is that, just as in some communities 'keeping up with the Jones' is a means of determining resident status in the neighborhood, members of the upper-Escalon of corporations are provided with company vehicles because they also need to 'keep up appearances'. A newer or luxury car represents success and in business, that's very important, especially in regard to their competitors.

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2. Jobs that require an employee to travel frequently often times provide the use of a company car. Corporations realize that it's not entirely fair to expect an employee who has to travel on regular basis, such as in the case of a sales or marketing position, to have to utilize their own vehicle. The company acknowledges the fact that these types of employees are required to travel frequently as part of their job and shouldn't have to bear the expense of maintenance and or fuel costs, in addition to wear on their personal vehicle, so they provide the individual with the use of a 'company' car.

3. Car dealerships usually provide their salesmen with the use of a company car. Along the same lines of an auto-industry executive, this is an excellent way for the dealership to advertise their vehicles and hopefully attract new customers. Additionally, if a salesperson is driving and is happy with the performance of the particular car they've been given to utilize, they'll have an advantage and the added benefit of first-hand knowledge about the vehicle when it comes time to make a sale.

4. Messengers and the sometimes affectionately referred to 'gophers' in a business environment are usually given use of a company vehicle, though mainly only during work-hours. These employees have to deliver and pick packages and drop off projects at printing, customer and other facilities in addition to any other off-site tasks the company requests of them such as running out for office supplies, food, etc.

5. A personal assistant who works directly for one individual whether in an office or private environment will be given the use of a company car because these types of positions require extensive traveling time on behalf of the employer's personal, as well as business, needs.

6. Federal and other-high ranking officials in the securities field are often times provided with a company vehicle because many of their duties require traveling to other counties, towns and even states.

7. Some miscellaneous service and labor positions such as construction, landscaping, plumbing companies, etc. give their employees the use of a company vehicle because there is usually a need to get a very early start, respond to emergency calls and also in lieu of the need to travel extensively to different locals on a regular basis as part of the business' services.

Keep in mind that if you are applying for a position that requires travel, whether frequent or infrequent, you can always try to negotiate for a company car during the interview process.

7 Jobs That Provide A Company Car

No Limit Holdem Poker Cash Game Strategy - How to Spot and Exploit Weakness In Poker Cash Games

Aggression in your betting is an important component of any winning poker strategy. Being the aggressor means you have two ways of winning the pot - either showing down the best hand or having your opponent fold. The real key to developing a winning cash game poker strategy is the use of selective aggression. Knowing when an opponent is weak will help you to get this right. This article looks at both obvious and disguised weakness from opponents.

Before we move on to the details there are two important factors to mention here. Firstly watch out for you very skilled opponents, they will be aware of how their actions are perceived and will try to mix up their play to deceive you. Secondly paying attention to the table, the betting patterns of all opponents and how different players react to different flops is important here. For example there is no point trying to push an opponent who always calls off of a 'weak' holding - he will call you anyway!!

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Obvious weakness is the scenario where an opponent makes no attempt to show any strength. The first example of this is a pre-flop limp. Any opponent who limps from one of the later positions at the table when first to enter a pot is showing weakness. Re-raising from a later position will often take the pot down immediately. When called you will usually have position on the limper after the flop - when your opponent checks to you fire another bet to take the larger pot there. If called a second time you must slow down of course, however this works so many times that the rare scenario in which you are forced to fold will be more than made up for by the times you take down the pot without resistance.

Players who raise from stealing positions may also be weak. If your opponent raises the button when ever they are folded to you do not need to give them credit for a good hand. A healthy re-raise from the big blind will often take the pot pre flop. Remember to ensure that your opponent is capable of making the fold - no point bluffing a calling station here!

Many players who call raises pre flop will lead into the original raiser when the flop comes with a small bet. This is called the weak-lead and is usually a sign of a draw or vulnerable holding such as bottom pair. Firing a large raise will often take the pot down immediately in this situation. This is opponent specific - some players will make this same move when strong here so it pays to be aware of your opponents previous betting patterns.

Likewise some players bet very strongly from out of position after calling a pre-flop raise. Here the texture of the flop is a significant factor. If there are flushes or straights draws available then your opponent may be protecting a strong but vulnerable hand such as an over pair. If the flop is 'rags' the strong lead is more likely to be a weaker holding. How to react here will depend on your opponent, however a strong raise will usually take the pot in this scenario.

Finally, when attacking your opponents weakness it is important to have the discipline to give up when you encounter serious resistance. These plays will win enough pots when your opponents fold to make up for the times when they fail. Do not get tempted to follow up with a huge river bluff when called on the flop and turn!

GL at the tables,
Mark

No Limit Holdem Poker Cash Game Strategy - How to Spot and Exploit Weakness In Poker Cash Games

How to Remove Late Payments from Your Credit Report

Most people know that if they pay their bills late, their credit scores will suffer. However, most people don't know this: According to Credit.com, a single 90-day late payment is as damaging as a bankruptcy filing, a tax lien, a collection, a judgment, or a repossession. It doesn't matter if you're late paying a credit card bill or a ,000 mortgage payment. All that matters is that you were 90 days behind in paying your due balance.

Payment punctuality counts for about 35% of your overall credit score. Paying bills on time is generally the single most important contributor to a good credit score. Being late on any bill, for any length of time, is a possible sign of future non-payment of debt and is always viewed negatively by lenders. Late payments stay on your credit report for 7 years from the date of the initial missed payment.

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A 30 or 60 day late payment will damage your credit score only while it is being reported as currently past due. They usually don't cause lasting damage to your credit score after this period passes unless you make 30 or 60 day late payments on a regular basis.

If you only have a few 30-60 day late payments listed on your credit report, the best thing to do is contact your creditors by phone and ask them to remove it. Tell them a nice little story and ask them nicely to remove it. Follow the conversation with a written request to have the isolated late payments removed from your reports. However, if you consistently make late payments, it will probably take a little more effort.

As mentioned, a 90-120 day late payment is extremely damaging. At around 90-120 days, the creditor will usually write off the account and it will stay on your credit report as a charge off for 7 years.

If you are unable to get the creditor to remove the late payment history from your reports, there are a few other ways to do it. One of the best ways is to dispute them with the credit bureaus.

How to Remove Late Payments from Your Credit Report

How to Tell if Your Partner is Cheating on You

If you have suspicions about your partner cheating on you then don't just drive these thoughts away. It might be a good time to do a little investigation to be sure. Don't tell your partner straight ahead that you're doubtful about their actions and manners. Start your investigation by clearly following their tracks and then slowly and gradually making your way up to the final stage.

One way to tell if your partner is cheating on you is to catch them lying about a matter. You can follow eye movements to tell if they are lying. Ask more questions if you are not sure of their discomfort or uneasiness. If their answers are brief and clear, then they are telling the truth. If, however, they try to create stories out of nothing and don't try to look at you while speaking then it's time you started worrying about your relationship.

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Partners who are cheating are often guilty of their actions. They try to apologize over small mistakes and go out of their way to make you happy or feel pampered. Keep an eye on this change of attitude or abnormal behavior. Some people also start showing that they have little interest in you or your activities and that they want to spend sometime alone. This kind of behavior is also alarming. Tell them you want to go with them even it's a short trip to the mall.

When your partner is away frequently call them on their phone to see if it's busy. You can track down credit card and phone bills to take into notice something unusual going on behind your back. Also check your partner's closets and shirt pockets to look for scribbled-down phone numbers or meeting places. If you find an unknown number, call that number and see who picks up. If it's not a familiar voice then ask questions to learn where they live and who they are. If your partner has got a cell phone then get your hands on it when they're not looking and check the phonebook. Call a suspicious number and notice the tone of the other person when he/she picks up the phone.

Another way to catch a cheating partner is to follow them in a car. See where they go, what they buy and who they meet. If you can, try to show up suddenly somewhere and be surprised to see your partner there. Notice their reaction. If they are happy to see you then there's nothing to worry about. If, however, they are perplexed, worried and wide-eyed, then they are surely hiding something. Ask them questions to clarify things up a bit. If nothing seems to work, go back and carry on with your investigation till you come up with something solid. Confront your partner only when you have enough evidence against them and then decide what should be done next.

How to Tell if Your Partner is Cheating on You

Placing A Value On Your Personal Injury Claim

Your Medical Doctor or Chiropractor has released you from treatment for your motor vehicle accident and enough time has passed so you're about to position yourself to sit down with Adjuster Henry Hard-Nose. His employer is Rock Solid Insurance, the company who insures Fred Fuddle, the individual who plowed into your rear end, smashing you with a tremendous crash which was responsible for your injuries plus the "Pain and Suffering" you've had to endure.

To be adequately compensated for what you've gone through you must have accumulated what's identified in the world of insurance claims as "Special Damages". Those are your Medical bills, your Lost Wages plus every dollar paid out to help with your recovery. When building the value of a personal injury claim there are several key elements you should be aware of:

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LIABILITY: In the vast majority of motor vehicle accidents it's clear who was at fault. Assuming that Fuddle struck you a mighty blow in the rear end (rear-enders make up well over half of the motor vehicle accidents that take place in the United States each year) yours is a case that must be settled. (Final Statistics prove that in 83% of accident's that took place in 2003 it's clear who was at fault) !

The very doubtful liability case has little, if any, settlement value. If that's the situation you should obtain the services of the local Legal Beagle who does a good job at that, Attorney I.M. Greedy. But, if you do, be very careful when you sign Greedy's "Contingency Fee Agreement". Read it closely. Don't sign anything that will let him charge you one penny, other than his normal fee. Do not - - in any way whatsoever - - allow him to chisel any money from you, for his out-of-pocket expenses. All Greedy should be compensated for (if he's successful at busting loose some bucks from Rock Solid) is his fee and that should be no more than the usual locally published accepted percentage of the total recovery.

TYPE OF INJURY: If there are severe injuries (which make up only ten to fifteen percent of all motor vehicle accidents) you should obtain the services of a lawyer. But, if you've had minor injuries like whiplash, bumps, bruises, sprains and/or strains (and it's clear you're not at fault) you can handle and settle the claim yourself.

TYPE OF PERSON YOU ARE: Rate yourself and be brutally honest. You're most likely an average motor vehicle owner/driver, living a normal life. But, if you've spent some time behind bars, have a criminal record, or a history of character defects that often get your butt in a jam with the local cops (and this is well-known) you must take those facts into consideration when forming expectations regarding what your case is worth.

THE TYPE OF PERSON FRED FUDDLE IS: The better Fred Fuddle looks, or the better the "entity" "(Fuddle's business or company, etc.) appears, the better for Rock Solid. But, if Fuddle is a known bookie or drug dealer, they're in deep "stuff". On the other hand, if Fuddle is a well-loved philanthropist, that can be a plus for Rock Solid Insurance. Or if the vehicle that struck you was a van driven by Pastor Frederick Fuddle, and the named insured is The Fuddle Camp For Lost Souls, that can be a plus for Rock Solid.

But, if the "entity" that hit you was a dilapidated junk pile on wheels operated by Fred "Goof-Ball" Fuddle, and the named insured is The Fuddle Rotted Cow Manure Corporation, that will obviously not be favorable for Rock Solid.

DAMAGES: There are "Medical Special Damage" Expenses, "Non-Medical Special Damages" Expenses, and/or your "Property Damage" Expenses.

MEDICAL SPECIAL DAMAGE EXPENSES: These typically include Cost of Ambulance, Emergency Room, Hospital and/or Clinic Charges, Chiropractor, and/or Dentist, Over-The-Counter Drugs and/or Prescription Medications, Laboratory Fees and Services, Diagnostic Tests: X-Rays and (CT) Scan, Prosthetic Appliances or Surgical Apparatus, (Cranes & Crutches), Physical Therapy, Registered and/or Practical Nurse Fees, Ace Bandages, Gauze and Tape, Heating Pads, Creams, Lotions, Ointments, Balms and Salves.

When it comes to listing your Medical Special Damage "expenses" don't overlook one single dollar because, when it comes time to settle your claim, that dollar can increase the value of your payment for "Pain and Suffering" by a multiplier of four or even five! (Yes, that means a .00 bill can be worth .00 to 0.00 more ,in your pocket, from Rock Solid Insurance, at settlement time).

NON-MEDICAL SPECIAL DAMAGES: These typically include Lost Wages and Earnings, Lost Vacation time and/or Sick Leave, Travel Expenses (car rentals, public transportation, expenses incurred getting to and from your Chiropractor and/or hospital and/or physical therapy "treatment" of some sort) Household Help during disability and/or Child Care. Be sure to obtain written proof of such "Non Medical" Special Damages.

LOST WAGES: The income you lost, because you were unable to work, is an area where adjusters take terrible advantage of the typical claimant because they know so little about it.

Commissions and overtime can make a huge difference in your lost earnings. Be sure to get a letter from your employer, on their official letterhead, explaining that in detail. Or, if you're self-employed, get this information stated on your accountants letterhead.

The time you miss from work (thus the money you may have lost) is calculated and this element constitutes what is known as "Lost Wages" or "Lost Time Verification". In most situations you're entitled to compensation for lost time and earnings, even if you have no actual loss of money! Such as, for example, when your salary is paid by your company insurance coverage, or by taking sick leave, or some similar arrangement.

Even if you're salaried you should obtain a "Lost Earnings", or "Time Lost Verification", in writing on your employer's letterhead.

IF YOU'RE SELF-EMPLOYED: To prove your lost earnings you'll probably have to assemble some inside information for Hard-Nose. If you don't like the idea of submitting private documents to him, in the privacy of your home or office, just think how you'd feel about producing them in the non-private environment of a courtroom. When a case goes to trial, and if you want to prove your damages so as to collect adequate compensation, that's your only alternative.

TWO CRITICAL AREAS REGARDING LOST WAGES: Did the injury necessitate a change of job or employment at a lesser rate? Or, did the injury allow your going to work but only on a part-time basis? If the answer to either question is "Yes", it would be wise to ask your employer to document these facts on their letterhead.

IT'S CRUCIAL FOR YOU TO KNOW: Even if you've been paid while out of work, you can still compute your time lost from work as "Lost Wages" .

PROPERTY DAMAGE EXPENSES: These typically include Motor Vehicle Repair, Damaged Clothing, Broken Glasses, cost of Substitute Car Rentals, Towing and Storage. Make copies of all bills relating to any of your property damage expenses. Keep the originals. Be sure to have these in your possession when you and Hard-Nose plunk yourselves down to "Talk Turkey". Photocopies are sufficient to give him.

YOUR AGE: Because of their obvious innocence, insurance claim accident victims, up to the age of 12, generally have excellent settlement results. Those in their teens, and into their late 50's, fall into a fairly normal category because they're generally considered to be at the height of their physical stamina. Those in their late 60's, and over, usually fare extremely well; primarily due to the sympathy that's often invoked, from a judge or jury, because of general attitudes regarding frailty and the elderly.

MOST IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER:The information Hard-Nose places into your file plays a major role in the ultimate value of your claim. Never underestimate the importance of his impressions and conclusions! Should, one day, your case ends up in front of a judge, or jury, what Hard-Nose feels, observes and then reports into your file at Rock Solid about you, his insured Fred Fuddle, and/or possible witnesses, etc., (in addition to the information you've documented for him) could have massive influence on the value of your claim - - especially if Fuddle is a loser and he's absolutely in the wrong. At that point the only thing stalling a settlement is the amount of money it's going cost to get rid of you.

And, should your file end up in the hands of the local defense attorney for Rock Solid Insurance, all the positive factors about you, your injury and liability, will cause him to gasp, "Hey, what's going on here? My legal fees will be higher than the few hundred more bucks this one can be dumped for."

The bottom line: Your out-of-pocket expenses correctly recorded and presented, your injury information properly documented and your lost wages clearly established will seriously increase the dollar value of your personal injury claim.

QUESTION: How does Dan know this to be true? ANSWER: "Because for 38 years Dan was right there, where he saw and done that" !

Copyright (c) 2005 by Daniel G. Baldyga. All Rights Reserved

DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this "How To" Insurance Claim Article "PLACING A VALUE ON YOUR PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM" is to help people understand the motor vehicle accident claim process. Dan Baldyga does not make any guarantee of any kind whatsoever, NOR do they purport to engage in rendering any professional or legal service, NOR to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance adjuster, or claims consultant, or the like. Wherever such professional help is desired it is the INDIVIDUAL'S RESPONSIBILITY to obtain said services.

Dan Badlyga has had 3 "How To" Insurance Claim books published, the last being AUTO ACCIDENT PERSONAL INJURY INSURANCE CLAIM (How To Evaluate And Settle Your Loss) which can be found on the internet at http://www.caraccidentclaims.com or http://www.autoaccidentclaims.com.

This book explains, in simple language, "How To" handle your motor vehicle property damage and/or personal injury claim. It also contains BASE (The Baldyga Auto Accident Settlement Evaluation Formula). THE BASE FORMULA will explain how to determine the value of the "Pain and Suffering" you endured - - because of your motor vehicle accident injury!

Placing A Value On Your Personal Injury Claim

49 Signs Of A Cheating Partner - Read These Red Flags Now And Know If Your Partner Is A Cheater

Lately things just aren't the same with your partner. Something seems off, and you can't help but wonder if there's somebody else. Suspecting your partner of cheating can be tricky. The possibility terrifies you, but you're also afraid of being wrong and looking like a fool who has trust issues. In a situation like this, it is wise to tread carefully.

Make sure that there are legitimate reasons for suspecting your partner, and that it's not just your insecurity that is skewing your point of view. If you do have an overwhelming feeling that there may be infidelity in your relationship then read on for common signs of cheating, and compare them with your man or lady's behavior.

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1. Change In long held beliefs: You observe a shift in your partner's attitude about relationships or love. It may be that your man used to condemn husbands who cheat on their wives and had strong opinions about infidelity. Suddenly, they seem more lenient with their thinking.

Maybe you're watching TV together one night and there's news of a celebrity couple breaking up because the man cheated. You are appalled, but he might shrug and say something like "Well, if she stopped having sex with him what do you expect?"

Pay attention to changes in long held beliefs that your partner had, he or she may be altering their view to accommodate their new thinking or behavior.

2. Trading in khakis for miniskirts: If you have known your partner for a while, then you might start noticing sudden changes in the way they dress or want to look. If your lady has always been very taken with her appearance, and she buys new clothes or changes her hair, it may not be a cause for alarm. However, if she used to dress like a frumpy grandmother to work and she's suddenly wearing miniskirts and high heels, then you may have a problem.

3. Newfound body image issues: A sudden and unjustified change in body image is another major infidelity sign. If your partner has taken the decision to be thinner or more muscular for health reasons or has always been fit there's probably no reason to doubt anything.

However, if your couch potato husband is not really concerned with his health, but suddenly starts spending hours in the gym because he is now obsessed with getting rid of his belly fat, then take a closer look. Also, if he refuses that you accompany him to the gym, or is presenting otherwise sketchy behavior regarding his body, he may be straying.

4. I want to be alone: Your partner suddenly wants to spend a lot of time on their own. The need for space is a major sign that something is going on especially if this request comes out of nowhere and with no valid explanation.

If you two had a fight and he or she is still resentful, then the need for space can be somewhat understood. However, if your relationship is stable and things are going great, and your partner suddenly wants to be alone, there might be someone else filling that void.

5. Picking fights: The man or woman in your life might also not only demand more space but do everything possible to create more of it. He or she might pick fights for no reason, and may make an issue of every little thing to create an illusion that you're not getting along.

They do this to legitimize their wrongdoings and to feel less guilty. The way they figure is this; since you're both always fighting, you are the unreasonable one and you are pushing them into another person's arms.

6. Storming out of the house: On a related note, if your man or woman storms out after a "fight" because they just can't take it anymore and say that they need some time to think, they may be using it as an opportunity to meet up with the other person. This technique has two major benefits.

First, it gives him or her more time on their own to cheat. Second, they can use the fights as a lever to gain the sympathy of the other person who they are cheating with. They want the other man or woman to stay in the deceitful relationship.

So they complain about their partner to demonstrate that they are being driven to cheat and so it isn't their fault. So if every time you fight with your partner, he or she storms out there may be a good reason why.

7. Reverse psychology: When someone is cheating, he or she becomes a master manipulator. If you start noticing that your once earnest and direct partner is using reverse psychology and other weird techniques that they didn't use before, then know that something is up. If he or she always makes it seem that you're the one in the wrong no matter what happens. He or she may have something to hide.

8. On the defensive: If your man or lady has suddenly become overly defensive and can't take any type of criticism, then you need to take a good look at what's going on. If you ask him about a lady co-worker and he starts a fight, or he becomes furious after you ask him why he didn't call if he was going to be late for dinner, there's something there.

Ask your partner about it, maybe there's a good reason for this newly found oversensitivity and short temper. A stressful work week or family problems may be to blame for this change in behavior.

9. Lying through their teeth: Cheating always involves lying. If you keep catching your partner in little lies, then something is up. If he said he was working late the night before at the office, then says that he was out with his boss having drinks another time, beware he may be cheating. If the little things he or she says just don't add up, then ask them about it. If they avoid confronting the issue, you can be sure that there's something going on that shouldn't be.

10. Going the distance: If your partner is cheating, then he or she may deal by becoming more distant. He will avoid talking about serious subjects and only engage in small talk. He may avoid getting into conversations about your finances, work, and children if you have them or any future plans. He or she will always seem to have something on their mind and you can't seem to connect with them on a deeper level like you used to.

11. Emotional detachment: Your partner might also disengage emotionally from your relationship. Your man used to be extremely affectionate and loving, but now you can't get an "I love you" out of him. There might be something wrong. You'll want to ask him why he has become emotionally detached.

He might be upset with you over something you did and is acting out, so talking about it is very important. If he just shrugs or refuses to even acknowledge his behavior or even blames you for being paranoid, something deeper might be festering under his aloof exterior and you need to be careful.

12. Loves being out alone, hates staying in with you: Does your partner seem upbeat when he or she gets home or when they are getting ready to go out, but seems gloomy while he or she is spending time with you? If you don't have any problems in your relationship that may be causing this change in behavior, then it might be that your partner is excited about something going on outside the home, something like a juicy affair.

13. Affection overload: Some other cheaters act in an entirely different manner due to overwhelming feelings of guilt. They will shower their partners with affection, gifts and caring words. They might be even more romantic than usual and more attentive.

If this shift is sudden and you cannot find a logical or even an illogical explanation for it, then ask your partner what brought this on, they may be able to reassure you and give you a valid explanation. If you still can't understand this behavior, it might be that your partner is cheating and using this as a decoy so you won't suspect anything.

14. Chatter away: On a related note, if your usually silent partner suddenly becomes a chatterbox, then beware. Sometimes people who lie tend to over talk or give more information than was asked for to cover up other things. Observe this new behavior for a while, and bring it up to them if it bothers you.

15. Working a lot of overtime: One of the most obvious cheating signs is your partner keeps working overtime when this was never the case before. He or she suddenly becomes the most valuable and hardest working employee in their company.

This doesn't always mean that your partner is cheating on you; there might be a special project that needs to be done before a certain deadline or it's the end of the year and there's a lot of work that needs to be done. However, if your partner seems to be the only one working overtime, and other employees don't seem to know anything about it, then there might be something fishy going on.

16. Do not enter-work zone: If your partner used to involve you in his or her work life. Telling you all about work, inviting you to company events like picnics, having you over to meet them for lunch but suddenly starts cutting you off, something might not be right.

Maybe he or she doesn't want you around their workplace because there's someone they don't want you to know about or there is something that they are hiding like all those extra projects they were working on late were fictional. If you do see any of your partner's co-workers, they may act very uncomfortable in your presence. If there is no valid explanation for this, something might be going on behind your back.

17. Buddies no more: Similarly, if your man used to invite his buddies over for Sunday night football or Thursday night Basketball every week, and suddenly stops having them over, it may be because he is afraid that they will spill his secret or not corroborate his stories.

If he starts meeting with them outside more and more, he may also be using them as his alibi for getting out of the house. He may be keeping you apart from them because he's afraid that they might accidently or intentionally divulge his secret.

18. Awkward friend situation: Also it may be that your man or lady's friends keep avoiding you even though you all used to be very close. Your girlfriend or wife's friends might do everything in their power to not see you because they can't face you if they know of their friend's cheating.

They might also be afraid of saying anything that would compromise your relationship and most people do not want to be a part of that. So they might avoid you all together so as not to find themselves in an awkward situation.

19. Bye Bye old interests: If your partner suddenly loses interest in activities which he used to love, then there might be something weird going on. If your man, out of the blue, starts to hate playing sports when he used to live and breathe soccer, or he stops spending his free time gardening on the weekends, then there might someone else in his life that is bringing on those changes.

20. Marriage blues: If you are married, and you notice that your husband or wife starts acting hostile or bored towards you, your children or your home life in general, there might be something fishy going on. He or she might start making references to how they misses being single or how hard it is to be married.

He or she might get rid of your children's toys in the car or anything that demonstrates that they have a family. They may be cheating with someone and are lying to them about being married with children, and so they suddenly start rejecting their marital status.

21. Beware of the Lazy pants: If your spouse used to be active around the house doing laundry, feeding the kids, mowing the lawn, and suddenly starts becoming lazy and uncooperative, he or she may be feeling negatively towards the very notion of being married and sharing your home.

They don't even want to try anymore, and this includes doing chores, planning family outings and vacations. They might not even want to attend important events such as holidays, anniversaries or birthday parties. This is especially suspicious if they never really had any issue with doing these things before.

22. Strange outings: Another sign that your partner may be straying is that he or she begins to go out to new places at strange times, and never has a convincing answer as to why this is. He used to hate food shopping, suddenly he insists on doing the weekly grocery shopping, and doesn't want you to come along.

She used to deeply despise anything arty, and out of the blue, one Saturday has an outing to go to an art museum with friends. You know your partner inside and out, so if you notice changes in their favorite activities with no valid explanation, something is up.

23. Sneaking out like a teenager: If your partner is sneaking out, then he or she may have something to hide. The reason they may be going out behind your back is usually to avoid scrutinizing questions and wants to avoid lying to you. If he or she has nothing to hide then letting you know that they are on their way out shouldn't be such a secretive matter, so beware of increased sneakiness and secrecy.

24. Is your partner an undercover agent?: You may find out that your partner has a new means of communication that you don't know about. This includes a new e-mail address, a Facebook account under a pseudonym or nickname, a new cell phone and phone number. All of these are big red flags that you should immediately take notice of.

25. Financial infidelity: Another major sign of cheating is the odd use of money and/or credit cards. If you are used to sharing financial data between you and your partner, and he or she suddenly starts hiding credit card statements or disabling your access to an online checking account to hide cash withdrawals or other new spending habits, something weird is going on.

26. Is this my partner talking?: If your partner is having an affair, then he or she might start using different language than he used to. This includes telling more or less jokes, or using certain catch phrases. He or she may even adopt a certain way of talking or an accent that is inspired by someone else.

We tend to emulate people that we like and hang around with often. So if this is happening in your relationship, pay attention and ask your partner about it.

27. Your partner becomes jumpy and frazzled: Your man or lady might easily get disturbed or confused by mundane things. If you do something nice for him or her, they act strange. This is because they want to vilify you to justify their wrongdoing, and your nice behavior catches them off guard.

They might act disoriented and jumpy for no apparent reason. This can be a cheating sign because your partner is trying to sort out his or her feelings about your relationship but also the affair, and is likely to present erratic and unstable behavior as a result.

28. Country music anyone?: If your partner suddenly starts developing new taste in music or in food, then you might want to question him or her about it. It may be that they are dating someone who is fond of a certain cuisine or music, and they are beginning to take a liking to it. Developing new tastes out of the blue can be a revealing sign that your partner has found someone new to be devoted to.

29. What's up with the Brazilian?: Another infidelity sign is a sudden change in personal hygiene and body grooming habits. If your man used to shower every morning and is suddenly taking several showers a day for no apparent reason, there might be something going on.

If your lady didn't used to pay attention to her private parts being groomed, and begins getting Brazilian bikini waxes, she might be trying to impress someone else. He or she may also buy new underwear and use it, or may start putting on a lot of perfume or after shave. Pay attention to these little details if you suspect your partner of cheating.

30. Condoms away!: Another sign that there might be a sexual affair going is the increased use of contraceptive methods. Is she on the pill when you have gotten a vasectomy? Is he carrying out condoms when you are on the pill and haven't used condoms since high school? If there is no valid explanation for this behavior, then this is a big red flag that your partner may be cheating.

31. Blue pill wonders: Another sign of cheating is that your partner is suddenly interested in purchasing medication for sexual performance. He may get erectile dysfunction medication such as Viagra. She might order breast enlargement herbal supplements or lubricant for herself. This is especially suspicious if it is done secretively through online ordering or he or she hides the objects once they arrive or takes them in secret.

32. The answer lies in clothes: There may be unexplained stains, smells or rips on your partner's clothing. This may include the clichéd lipstick smudge on your man's shirt, but also other types of stains and smells that just aren't typical of your partner's clothes. This can also lead to suddenly excessive laundry washing at weird hours of the day or night, unexplained purchasing of new clothes, or finding clothes in the trash can that your partner may have thrown away to hide evidence.

33. Knock knock, is anyone in there?: Your partner may be caught daydreaming or checked out at many times during the day, and doesn't tell you what they're thinking about and is unwilling to interact. He or she seems to be in another world, but denies it and can't seem to be bothered to engage in activities with you. Your partner may just be absorbed by work or something else might be bothering them.

34. Are you more likely to reach President Obama on the phone than your partner?: Your partner suddenly becomes impossible to reach. When you call the office, they are always at a meeting or on another call with an important client. Their cell phone is turned off on more than one occasion, and the cell phone reception in their building is suddenly the "worst." Your partner may not call you back right away, or claims to not have received your calls or listened to your messages.

Their assistant or receptionist is all of the sudden the most incompetent person on earth. In short, the fact that they have become inaccessible is everyone else's fault but their own. All the flimsy excuses in the world cannot hide the fact that there is something sketchy going on in your partner's life.

35. No, it's mine!: With the advent of new technologies, there is a multitude of ways one can keep in touch with someone else. If you and your partner used to share phones and laptops, and keep them on in each other's presence and this suddenly changes, there is a reason for that. You used to look at your man's cell phone, read his text messages and he never even flinched.

All of the sudden, his phone has become so precious to him that he eve takes it into the bathroom. If you take a look at it, he accuses you of snooping. His laptop, which used to be your computer as well, suddenly has password protection. All of these are telltale signs that he might have something to hide.

36. Delete all: If he still allows you to touch or use his or her phone, or laptop, you find that he or she always makes sure that browser history and cookies are deleted, that their contact list is cleaned up, and incoming e-mails erased.

Maybe they're just embarrassed of some pages they visited, but more likely, he or she may be hiding their online contact with a lover. Similarly, if his or her phone's message list or call log is always empty, they just might be hiding something or someone from you. Look into this.

37. He or she becomes a night owl: Your partner might spend a lot of time on their computers especially late at night and after you go to bed. Sure, your man might be a porn addict, but he may also be contacting another woman.

On a related note, your partner might start talking more and more on their cell phones, and racking up huge bills. To sum it up, if there is a sudden, unexplained change in telephone or computer usage with your partner, there may be something strange going on.

38. Your opinion and advice don't matter anymore: Another sign that your partner might be infidel is he or she stops seeking out your advice or your opinion about major decisions in their lives. They might make irresponsible big purchases or act impulsively without talking with you first. Maybe he went and spent all of his savings on a boat that you never knew about.

Maybe she decided to put up your house on the market without consulting you first. They may have quit their jobs and not even told you about it. This type of rash behavior is typical of a cheater who just doesn't care about planning your future together anymore and doesn't even care to ask what you think beforehand.

39. Your partner becomes a world champion nagger: A cheating partner may begin to constantly complain about you or your relationship and how unhappy he or she is. They may be overly critical of you, and suggest that things aren't working out. He or she may pick more fights to prove this point and makes no effort to make things work. At this point, your partner may be having an affair but also thinking of ending your relationship.

Now, if you do have genuine problems between you that you are working on, then there is probably nothing to worry about. However, if everything is going fine in your relationship and you do get along; your partner may be fabricating a broken relationship to justify not only his or her cheating, but also their leaving.

40. Sex? No thanks: If your partner is cheating on you, he may suddenly lose interest in having sex with you. Even if he or she does, they'll just go through the motions, with no shared feelings or emotions. If it's there any sex at all, it becomes just physical. If your partner has always been a passionate lover and suddenly becomes detached or cold in lovemaking for no good reason, there may be somebody else.

41. Who are you and what have you done with my wife?: If on the other hand, your man or lady usually is usually more reserved and subdued in bed, and suddenly becomes an extremely attentive and passionate lover with exaggerated displays of affection, they may be overcompensating to deal with their feelings of guilt.

They may suggest you try new things in bed and become more adventurous. Ask them where they got this newfound fervor, and if there's a valid explanation, then just enjoy. Otherwise stay alert. This change in sexual behavior might be a result of infidelity.

42. Extreme changes in feelings and behavior: Your partner may at times be very sexually engaged and at other times be completely withdrawn. Sometimes they shower you with affection, and other times they hardy want to talk to you and seem to avoid you.

Although, there may be good explanations for this type of unpredictable and erratic behavior, it is something to watch out for, especially if your partner used to be fairly consistent. It may be that they are cheating and are confused about their affair, thus taking out their mixed feelings on you.

43. He or she has become a complete downer: Has your partner been generally unsatisfied with their life lately even though they used to be happy? Is he or she much more negative than they used to be? This may be due to an exciting affair that they are having which has demonstrated to them how mundane their current life is. Have they become confused about their own sense of self? Maybe there is someone new in your partner's life who is calling into question their identity and who they are.

44. Bungee jumping, here I come: On a related note, is your partner suddenly a thrill seeker when you could never even get them to go on a child's water slide ride at your local amusement park? Does he suddenly want to get a motorcycle or a tattoo and signs up for mountain climbing classes? Of course, this might just be a mid-life crisis talking.

However, there's always the possibility that there is someone else, perhaps somebody younger in your partner's life that is instigating this transformation and inspiring this new attitude.

45. Low self-esteem: Another sign that your partner may be cheating is that he or she has increasingly low self esteem. This means that your partner is vulnerable and can fall prey to cheating because he or she cannot make themselves feel secure and worthy. If they believe that you are not providing them with enough approval or love and just aren't getting satisfaction from their job, they might go to someone else from whom they can obtain the desired feelings of security and self worth.

Of course this doesn't mean that if your partner cheats, this is your fault; your partner should have come to you first to resolve his or her issues, and low self esteem is no excuse for bad behavior.

46. Gonorrhea, herpes anyone?: A concrete sign that your partner may be straying is you have proof that they have contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and it wasn't from you. Maybe you got a call from your husband's physician, or intercepted an email, or found lab results by mistake. You may even have seen the actual STD on your partner's body.

If this is the case and he or she has only gotten the disease recently, then your partner is not only straying but might even have contaminated you. So get yourself checked. If you have also gotten the STD and you have not engaged in sexual relations with a new partner, then this only serves to confirm your suspicions that your partner has been cheating on you.

47. The "friend" you never got to meet: A tangible sign of cheating is that someone new suddenly starts taking up your partner's time and attention. Whether it's a co-worker, a gym partner, or a friend from way back, this person seems to come out of the blue and he or she starts coming up in conversations and in future plans all the time.

Your partner brings up this mysterious friend in random conversation and they always seem to be at the right place at the right time and at social gatherings you weren't attending. Although it is healthy to seek out new friendships, it is a big red flag if your partner refuses to introduce you to this new friend and wants to keep him or her under wraps.

48. I'm a cheater? No you're the cheater, you cheater: A telltale sign that your partner might be cheating is that they turn around and accuse you of straying when you have given them no reason to doubt you. Of course, there's always the possibility that they're just jealous or are feeling insecure in the relationship. However, if you have reassured them of your unconditional love and have done more than enough to placate their anxiety, and they're still accusing you left and right, something is definitely wrong.

The reason they may be doing this if they're cheating is to deflect attention from their own behavior. They may also genuinely believe that you're cheating because they become paranoid and start imagining their own deceptive tactics everywhere. Don't fall into this trap, and don't start accusing them of cheating either, look out for other signs to be sure.

49. Follow your gut: The biggest sign that your partner may be cheating is that there is something deep inside of you that is making you doubt him or her in the first place. Think about it; you know your partner better than anyone. Their habits, actions and behaviors are hardwired into your brain, and so if you feel it in your gut that there's something wrong, then follow your instincts. It might turn out to be true.

49 Signs Of A Cheating Partner - Read These Red Flags Now And Know If Your Partner Is A Cheater