Cover of Start Your Own Business

There are many people these days who would like to consider starting their own business. Whilst some people may think that now is the worst time to consider starting a business due to the economic fragility and turbulent financial climate, others believe that now is the perfect time to consider this due to the uncertainty over employment, job losses and pay cuts.

However, no matter how keen and eager you are to start your own business, one of the things that is likely to pose a challenge for many people is finding the money to start up your own business. Of course, the amount of money that you need to start your own business will vary depending on the type of business that you plan to start, what you already have versus what you need, and what is involved in setting up e.g. renting premises or buying equipment.

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Social media giant Facebook is slated to IPO in the spring or early summer of 2012, and this change will carry the requirement of public financial records. According to some experts, the company could possibly see a $10 billion gain at a valuation of up to $100 billion. The company has not yet chosen a specific bank for this endeavor, and some financial experts wonder how the IPO will affect the way Facebook does business in the long run.

Thought you had enough with just a checking and savings account? Got your tax account set up and think your financial picture is complete? Hold your horses, because there are a few more types of financial accounts you might want to consider.  These accounts may not be as basic as the ones mentioned above, but they may still play a role in diversifying your portfolio, gaining interest, building good credit, and being prepared for any financial "bumps in the road".

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If you’re a Sin City enthusiast like myself, a tiny glimpse into the scandals that ensue behind closed doors on the city strip offer a world of intrigue and entertainment. I came across an article recently that offers a glimpse into the major bankruptcies that have occurred for Las Vegas Casinos. Naturally, what came to mind was the scene in Ocean’s 11, a Sin City original, where Rusty and Danny, AKA the dreamy Brad Pitt and George Clooney, are explained the top 3 casino robberies ever attempted. Fabricated or not, while reading the article I had a difficult time not envisioning the top bankruptcies, and ultimate scandal, in my head as if playing before me like a well scripted movie scene, just as Ocean’s 11 so masterfully painted a picture of the attempted robberies of LV casinos. Unfortunately, as I read further, the bankruptcies of Las Vegas casinos are a lot less glitzy: Donald Trump is no Brad Pitt.

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Allstate Corp., the second largest home and auto insurance company in the United States, announced a significant fall in net income during its third quarter earnings call. The year-over-year loss of net income was significant; the company had posted $367 million in the previous third quarter, compared to $165 million this year. Despite losing 55 percent in net income, Allstate's third quarter earnings beat overall expectations, resulting in shares rising as much as 6% in after hours trading on Monday.

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If you want to start trading stocks online, it’s very important to go with a website that works well for your needs and skill level. Whether you’re just starting out in trading at all, or simply moving to an online venue, there are various options to explore. Your money is extremely important, so you don’t want to make a decision about where you will trade without doing some research. When trying to find a stock trading website, really learn about what that site will offer you, and seek out user reviews to find out what others who have used it think about it. Just like any decision regarding your money, it’s not one to take lightly. To get started, here are some online stock trading websites to consider.

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Everyone knows Warren Buffett as the billionaire who made his fortune through simple investment rules combined with savvy expertise with balance sheets. Granted, he gave most of his fortune away and lives an extremely humble life, but that’s by choice and not necessity. Warren Buffet is the Yoda of investment and a financial philanthropist whose actions inadvertently command respect.

Rule #1: Don’t lose money. Rule #2: See rule #1. That said and done it’s not as clear-cut as it would seem. Before applying the two investment rules above, there are a set of commandments that need to be followed to ensure you’re not accessing a financial drain.

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Probably, all the things in this world are based on a difference. Two exactly the same cars turn out to be different in further usage – one of them brakes down faster for some reasons. The same ball at hand does not make two basketball players equally skilled. And so is with Forex trading.

From my own experience, I would say that there is no perfectly profitable system, which would suit two traders at once. As a rule, one of them “drowns” (gets losses) and another “stays afloat” (earns profits). And they both were using the same system.

The major reason for this frustrating disparity is that most of the best and profitable trading systems do not have adamantly set rules. When certain market conditions are met, we often clear entry/exit points and get clear instructions to take a trade. However, it’s often left to us, the traders, to only trade the very best set-ups, so we should be capable of reading the markets and using our intuition.

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President Obama announced changes in the HARP program today, aimed at allowing more homeowners to refinance their homes. But will it work?

We all know that many homeowners have lost their homes to foreclosure in recent years and many more are unable to afford their mortgage payments. Part of the problem is that interest rates on existing mortgages are high. Many homebuyers purchased homes with a loan that started out with a low (teaser) interest rate which increased after a couple of years. Most of these buyers planned to refinance when their interest rates were raised. The problem is that this house of cards came crashing down. Home values plummeted. Although many homeowners can qualify for a home loan, their home is now worth less than the balance of the loan.

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Every time you walk into a bank these days you are confronted with an advert for tracker bonds. So, what are these bonds, are they better than a savings account, who are they best suited towards and how do they work?

Tracker bonds have become popular as inflation has risen well above the 2 per cent recommended rate for the Bank of England. These bonds offer an alternative to savings accounts which due to very low interest rates pay tiny returns on money invested.