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Investment Scams Proliferate
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There are more scams on the go than just the high profile ones that
you read about in the paper. Madoff is a very large example of some of
the smaller schemes that proliferate online and offline.
There are far too many con artists out there these days to really
take anything for granted any longer. You can thank the recession for
that as more people try to find ways to make money. Let’s face it,
investors are looking to recoup their losses somehow and on the other
side of the fence, there are con artists just salivating to divest them
of their money.
Be on the lookout for scams like the Ponzi scheme which dangles the
golden promise of high returns in front of investors. This one works by
taking funds from new investors and then paying off the first investors
in the pyramid until it ultimately collapses. In the Ponzi, virtually
all the investors lose everything, including the shirt on their backs.
We all know the real estate market is in a real mess and this is
where the real estate investment con comes into play. It usually
promises high returns for merely flipping real estate. However,
investors lose out big time when expected work is never performed as
promised or the house is located in a really bad area where no one
wants to live.
A little closer to home and a bit more personal, is the
investment/financial advisor fraud. This happens when an advisor
without any ethics or morals takes advantage of their client not
knowing much about investments. They may embezzle funds, grossly over
inflate the cost of their services or have even been known to make up
charges.
Another popular scam is the oil and gas investment con. It primarily
assures investors they will make quick bucks on oil and gas ventures.
However, these “ventures” never do get off the ground. Make sure you
are aware and alert and watch for unregistered securities.
The worst scam of all, at least on a personal level, is something
called the affinity fraud. The scam artist in this fraud uses personal
connection to target groups, say at work, church or even a family, and
lures them into making fraudulent investments. This one really hits
home when those who have had the wool pulled over their eyes discover
the deceit.
If you’re the victim of fraud or about to be charged with fraud,
hiring the right attorney will make all the difference in the world.
Don’t try to handle fraud situations on your own, as there are too many
things that have the potential to go wrong.
Robert Webb is an Atlanta personal injury lawyer with Webb & D’Orazio. To learn more about Atlanta personal injury lawyer, Atlanta personal injury, Atlanta business law, Atlanta criminal defense visit, Webbdorazio.com.
Deadly Hit and Runs
Even though the law demands you remain at the scene of an accident,
exchange information with the other driver and wait for the police if
they have been summoned, there are people who take off instead.
Unfortunately, even though the law states those involved in crashes
must stop and stay at the scene, there are an increasing number of
people who jackrabbit, leaving the other driver wondering how they will
recoup from the accident. Generally speaking, there are three
possibilities why someone takes off after being involved in an
accident: they were DUI, uninsured or unlicensed.
If the driver of the vehicle that took off and left you stranded at
the scene is living in the U.S. illegally, there is a good possibility
they have no driver’s license. Illegal residents have the ability to
buy vehicles at auctions since no one asks for a driver’s license. What
usually happens after they have fled the accident is they abandon the
car, as it is usually untraceable even if it is recovered.
When it comes to uninsured drivers or those driving while under the
influence, these leave a lot more clues as to their whereabouts. While
this might be reassuring in terms of catching the culprit, when it
comes to uninsured motorists, this will not do you much good. They
won’t be able to pay for any damages. You might want to check with your
insurer about uninsured motorist coverage, as this will provide
compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, etc. It will also
apply to passengers in an accident.
Frankly, in this day and age, it makes a great deal of sense to have
as much uninsured motorist coverage as you can afford. Too many things
can go wrong when you’re driving and taking the chance that the other
driver is also insured is a real risk. Your state may mandate uninsured
motorist coverage, so check first before buying auto insurance.
If the driver that hit you was drunk, they may be found and they may
also have insurance. Having said that, once again, this is a risk you
take if you don’t also have uninsured motorist coverage of your own. If
you are able to get the license plate number and a good description of
the vehicle, it will help the police look for the culprit. With luck,
that driver will be caught and does have insurance.
In cases like this, whether you have uninsured motorist coverage or
not, make it a point to speak to an attorney who has extensive
experience in dealing with auto accidents. S/he will brief you on how
to recover losses if the other driver does have coverage and may be
able to assist you in dealing with your insurance company if the driver
was uninsured and you are having trouble with your claim.
Robert Webb is an Atlanta personal injury lawyer with Webb & D’Orazio. To learn more about Atlanta personal injury lawyer, Atlanta personal injury, Atlanta business law, Atlanta criminal defense visit, Webbdorazio.com.
Do You Want To Save Money On Your Utah Health Insurance? Use A Utah Health Insurance Broker And You'll Save Money!
By Bret Harding
http://www.UtahHealthInsuranceBroker.com
Many people have asked me what the differences are between a "health insurance agent" and a "health insurance broker?" The main difference reside in the fact that most "agents" are captive meaning they represent one company, and often times they try to sell you on the company they represent. However, a "broker" on the other hand is independent of any one company, and, therefore, represents many companies. So why use a health insurance broker? Well, there are certain advantages to be had from using the services of a health insurance broker and your insurance premiums don’t go up as a result. You will pay the same price whether you use a health insurance broker or you go directly to any health insurance company.
So, you’re now saying to yourself, what’ the catch? How do these people get paid? The answer is that insurance companies pay these independent brokers a commission the cost of which is covered by inclusion in all health insurance premiums. In other words you’re paying for this broker’s advice anyway so why not take advantage of it!
The Three Sources of Insurance:
There are three sources of insurance and two can reasonably be accessed online.
1. Captive agents are those selling for a single company.
2. Telephone agents sell only over the phone and again avail you of the insurance perks of a single company.
3. Brokers represent numerous insurance companies offering a variety of options in coverage and cost. They spend the time and effort accomplishing the task of researching and acquiring the necessary information in order to offer you the best combination of price, coverage and service.
OK, enlisting the services of a health insurance broker seems like a good idea. Now the next question arises, how does one find such a broker who is qualified to do the job and how does one know who are the effective ones and the ones that are less so. There are certain criteria that these people must meet in order to be in business. They must be licenses by the State, and unlike an agent who represents an insurance company, health insurance brokers represent you the client only.
Many of the best health insurance companies are based online. The trouble is with 100's of different health insurance companies to choose from, only by using an individual with knowledge of the whole market, can you make an informed decision. At Utah Health Insurance Broker we know the Utah insurance inside and out, and have the experience to help you make the best possible decision.
Start Saving Today on Your Utah Health Insurance Visit: http://www.UtahHealhInsuranceBroker.com
Gas Nozzle Accidents May Be Negligence
If you’ve ever been totally soaked by gas while filling up your
vehicle because the hose separated from the nozzle, you may have cause
to file a personal injury claim.
Getting gasoline all over yourself including in your eyes and all
over your face, not to mention your clothes, is an upsetting
experience. It may also be one that causes serious harm unless you get
help immediately. Depending on the circumstances of the gas splash, you
may have grounds to file a personal injury claim against the gas
station for having a defective gas nozzle. If you do find yourself in a
position like this, make sure you speak to a skilled personal injury
lawyer for advice.
Let’s say there was no emergency eyewash station or other solution
on hand at the gas station and the painful experience of having gas in
your eyes was only alleviated by using the washroom and washing it out
with water. Let’s also say that the hose was very clearly defective and
that the management of the gas station knew or should have known the
hose was in such a bad state – bad enough that they would have
reasonably expected your type of accident could and would happen.
Let’s further posit that there was no damage to your vehicle because
you immediately washed it after the incident and it was fine. Now,
depending on which state you happen to be in, negligence law may be
different. This is one of the major reasons to consult with an
experienced personal injury attorney for assistance. Knowing your
rights is the first thing you need to do for yourself.
This type of an accident is not common, and assuming the hose was
indeed “clearly” defective and that may be proven, then you will, as
mentioned above, need to prove the station owner did know about the
problem, or should have known about it. Nozzles don’t have a habit of
separating from the hoses, so it’s likely the owner should have known
about the problem, have seen it or had it mentioned to him or her by
other patrons filling their vehicles.
The other argument in your favor would be the fact that the standard
of care or maintenance at a service station would seem to dictate that
the hoses be checked for faults on a regular basis. Given those
factors, you may be entitled to some form of compensation depending on
the severity of your injuries.
If they are not that serious, you may not get a lot of money in
return. Many personal injury cases are expediently evaluated on the
basis of the degree of liability the station owner has, the exact
nature of the injury, the type and amount of medical bills you may have
incurred now, and perhaps in the future and any pain and suffering you
struggle with now and in the future. In addition, you may be able to
claim lost wages now and in the future.
Based on the fact that there were no serious injuries but there was
severe pain from gas in your eyes, you may have a claim for the pain,
stress and inconvenience as a result of the nozzle separating from the
hose and dousing you with gas. Contact an attorney as soon as you can
and make sure that the attorney not only handles personal injury
claims, but premises liability. You never know, this kind of thing
might have happened at the same gas station before and this would be
good for your case. If the facts of your case merit a lawsuit, your
attorney will begin to preserve evidence, examine maintenance records,
get photographs and determine what kind of liability insurance the
station has. Don’t delay contacting an attorney, as time is of the
essence.
Tim Anderson works with Atlanta Personal Injury attorney, Stephen M.
Ozcomert. The firm specializes in personal injury, malpractice,
motorcycle accidents, and wrongful death. To learn more about Atlanta
personal injury lawyer, Stephen M. Ozcomert or Atlanta personal injury, Atlanta personal injury lawyer, Atlanta personal injury attorney, visit Ozcomert.com.
Personal Injury Car Crashes and Assessing Damages
It’s hard to try and set an amount of damages that you may have
sustained in a car crash. The sheer overwhelming number and type of
wounds may totally confuse you, not to mention having to repair your
vehicle.
During the summer the highways and by-ways across America are jammed
with holiday and regular travelers, add into this mix 18-wheelers, road
construction, detours and unpaved roads waiting for upgrading, and you
have the potential for accidents. It’s often bad enough traveling in an
area you are familiar with, never mind going out of state to a place
you have never been to before and have no idea how their traffic
patterns will affect you. This makes it tough to know if you have
enough insurance to take long distance road trips.
The inevitable may strike your first trip or your fifteenth trip,
and when it happens those injuries are put into a category that will
tell you the approximate dollar amount that may be awarded for those
injuries. There are so many factors that need to be dealt with, not the
least of which is determining who is at fault in the accident, the
percentage of culpability, medical bills, down time from work, pain and
suffering, the continual stream of medical rehab expenses you may face
and yes, vehicle repair costs.
When you do submit a claim to an insurance company, every one of the
above factors will be taken into consideration before the company works
out how much they are going to offer you for a personal injury claim.
At this point, if you have not spoken to a personal injury lawyer, then
you should in case you get a lowball offer as settlement for your
injuries. The thing with a great many injuries is that although they
may not look serious on the surface, and may not hurt that much right
now, they could develop into something potentially deadly later, e.g.
neck and head injuries.
Figuring out how much your injuries are worth is just about the most
important aspect of a personal injury claim, and it is also the hardest
part to calculate. This is yet another reason why you need to be
consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney who is able to
assess your injuries and figure out what they may be worth if your case
is taken to court.
Keep in mind that insurance companies will only offer you what
“they” think your claim in worth and you can bet that what they think
it’s worth and what you think it’s worth don’t agree. Let’s face it, an
insurance company is in business to keep its claims to a minimum, not
offer large sums of money to settle personal injury claims.
In most cases the person who was negligent and caused the accident
(liability) has to ante up money to the injured person for things like
permanent physical disability, disfigurement, lost wages, medical and
rehabilitation care and other expenses, loss of educational, social and
family experiences (missed school, training, recreation, vacation,
etc.) and emotional damages such as stress, depression and damaged
property.
Even though the insurance company has a formula to figure out
damages, they may be right out of the ballpark when it comes to fair
compensation. Always speak to a highly skilled personal attorney and
find out the real scoop on how much your personal injuries may be worth
if you are successful in court.
Tim Anderson works with Atlanta Personal Injury attorney, Stephen M.
Ozcomert. The firm specializes in personal injury, malpractice,
motorcycle accidents, and wrongful death. To learn more about Atlanta
personal injury lawyer, Stephen M. Ozcomert or Atlanta personal injury, Atlanta personal injury lawyer, Atlanta personal injury attorney, visit Ozcomert.com.
Texting While Driving a Major NO NO
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that texting while
driving a vehicle is a remarkably bad idea. The results may be deadly
for both the texter and the person they hit.
Adults don’t generally try to text while they are driving; most
likely due to the fact they realize it’s not a very smart move. Teens
and inexperienced younger drivers, however, have a disturbing record
for attempting to text while handling a car on the road. The
consequences are not pretty. Consider the statistics that show 5,000
teenagers killed annually in traffic accidents. This isn’t to say they
were all caused by the drivers foolishly texting while driving, but a
significant proportion of that number were doing precisely that at the
time of the collision that killed them.
Even more disturbing than those figures, another 2,500 people were
also killed by vehicles driven by teens doing a variety of things like
talking on a cell phone, yakking to their friends in the backseat or
attempting to reply to an email with their Blackberry. Inattention
kills. It’s just that simple. This nationwide problem is being dealt
with in various ways by each state. If you’re unsure what the law says
in your state, consult with an experienced personal injury attorney.
Some states are getting downright innovative in trying to address
the problem of texting teens. For instance, New York recently voted to
bring in a bill that not only bans texting while driving (statewide)
but kicks up the license requirements for younger drivers. For
instance, the practice driving that teens do with an adult prior to a
road test and getting a junior license has been substantially
increased. It went from 20 hours to 50 hours and added in 15 hours of
night driving. In addition, a learner’s permit must be held for six
months before a junior license is issued.
When it comes to the infamous Blackberries and various assorted
pagers, personal digital assistance, laptops, gaming devices and other
two-way messaging systems, they are simply banned outright, with the
exception of being used for “emergency” situations. Of course, what
constitutes an emergency for one person may not be an emergency for
another. Fines run to $150. Interestingly enough, there is one odd
exclusion and that is iPods. We’re not sure why those weren’t banned
either, as listening to an iPod while driving means emergency vehicles
can’t be heard and the driver can’t react appropriately to allow them
to pass.
There is no doubt that text and driving don’t mix. Even in the state
of Georgia there is a problem with this kind of irresponsible activity.
Unfortunately Georgia only has a cell phone ban, but nothing in place
for texting. Would a texting ban be a good piece of legislation to
bring into effect in Georgia? Undoubtedly it would be; the question is
what would it take to make that happen?
In many instances new legislation addressing problems like texting
while driving doesn’t come into being until there have been a number of
fatal accidents that highlight the behavior as a problem. While that’s
a rough way to introduce lifesaving legislation, it may be what happens
in Georgia’s case unless someone wants to advocate for change now.
Tim Anderson works with Atlanta Personal Injury attorney, Stephen M.
Ozcomert. The firm specializes in personal injury, malpractice,
motorcycle accidents, and wrongful death. To learn more about Atlanta
personal injury lawyer, Stephen M. Ozcomert or Atlanta personal injury, Atlanta personal injury lawyer, Atlanta personal injury attorney, visit Ozcomert.com.
80,000 Pounds and Rolling
If you’ve ever spent any time on an Interstate Highway in the US,
you will have had an up close and personal experience with sharing the
road with a big rig.
There is no doubt that our highways are teeming with all types of
vehicles, and some of the largest ones happen to be trucks and trailer
units. Thanks to their massive size, these rigs are exceptionally
deadly if involved in an accident. You’re looking at close to 80,000
pounds of steel hurtling down the road and it is unable to come to an
immediate stop.
In fact, it takes three times the amount of time for an 18-wheeler
to stop compared to a normal vehicle. This is a factor that people
should keep in the back of their minds when they cut in front of a rig
and then do something incredibly stupid like slow down or suddenly stop.
Most large rigs should really be looked at as accidents waiting to
happen given their size and the number of things that may go wrong when
they are traveling at high speeds on a highway. Aside from trucker
negligence, there may be vehicle maintenance problems, tire problems,
bad weather that makes it hard to drive or even uneven load
distribution.
Whatever the cause of the accident, it’s a sad fact that roughly
every 16 minutes there is a large rig accident in the US that takes a
life or severely injures or disables another person. Large rig
accidents cause some very traumatic injuries that include spinal cord
injuries, brain injuries (coup and contre coup), broken bones, scars,
acute bruising, paralysis, amputation and disfigurement.
While it may be the trucker at fault for the accident, or his
employer, it’s best to discuss your case with an expert personal injury
lawyer. Big rig accidents are never easy on the victim as they are
complex and require a lot of groundwork to make a solid case. These
cases are incredibly complex because of the nature of the liability and
the number of people involved from the insurance company to the trucker
and from the employer to the crew who maintained the road where the
accident happened. Suffice it to say that there are a multitude of
factors that need to be considered in big rig cases and only an
experience personal injury attorney will be able to handle them.
Unfortunately, it’s a fact that many road rules go by the wayside
when tired truckers attempt to meet often unrealistic delivery
deadlines. Fatigue plays a significant role in accidents, as does the
condition the driver and the truck itself, prior to the accident.
It’s the little details that count in preparing a personal injury
lawsuit. Trust your attorney to do his job and make sure you obtain
justice.
Tim Anderson works with Atlanta Personal Injury attorney, Stephen M.
Ozcomert. The firm specializes in personal injury, malpractice,
motorcycle accidents, and wrongful death. To learn more about Atlanta
personal injury lawyer, Stephen M. Ozcomert or Atlanta personal injury, Atlanta personal injury lawyer, Atlanta personal injury attorney, visit Ozcomert.com.
SaaS and IT – Working Together Results In Satisfaction
The "Google Communications Intelligence Report 2009" contends that the outlook is cheery for cloud computing and software-as-a-service. Fears of SaaS replacing IT departments appear to be wildly exaggerated; Google suggests that cloud applications do the opposite, enabling IT departments to fulfill benchmarks of success and meet internal expectations.
November 05, 2009 - by Adam Bullock
I've always been a little surprised at the fear of using a hosted service because many individuals have already been using them, and perhaps they just haven't realized it. According to a cited statistic within the report from the Pew Research Center, 69% of Americans are using hosted services in 2009. Did you log on to your Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo! email account this morning?
If so, congratulations cloud pioneer! It wasn't that scary, was it?
As SaaS vendors mature and establish a track record, fear has been replaced by understanding and adoption. According to Google research, 50% of companies that were not using hosted applications (but were aware of them) said they would be considering partial or full SaaS implementation in the next 12 months.
The satisfaction level of those using SaaS is higher than those aware of SaaS but not using it, as well as those not aware nor using it. For messaging applications, email security and web security services, the satisfaction level of those using SaaS compared with those aware of (but not using it) was, on average, about 5% higher for each. While those unaware of SaaS nor using it had an average satisfaction level 15% lower than those companies using SaaS. Ultimately, regardless of whether or not someone had heard of SaaS, those using software-as-a-service were more satisfied with their solution than those not using that kind of platform, period.
Using hosted email solutions helps increase IT department satisfaction, and it can also reduce maintenance costs and free up IT resources to focus on more strategic initiatives. This helps your IT department work on improving efficiency instead of addressing in-house hardware issues. And even while cost ranked lower has a motivator for companies to deploy SaaS, Google suggests that hosted solutions have a lower total cost of ownership than their on-premise alternatives.
Adam Bullock is the digital media specialist for Smarsh and veteran blogger. In previous stops in his professional career, Adam has spent time with an Internet marketing firm as a project manager as well as a leading domain name registrar. For more information, contact him at abullock [at] smarsh.com
The Right Answer
Effective annual marketing plans have always relied on a combination of real data and intelligent assumptions. Recent years have brought us a great deal of change at a very fast pace, which has created new challenges as well as new opportunities for preparing an effective 2010 marketing strategy.
I believe it is very safe to say that when it comes to marketing tactics, there is no common "right answer". When asked by clients if a particular tactic will produce the desired results, I can only honestly say that it all depends on the product, target, message and — more importantly in today's changing landscape — how the consumer wants to be approached.
If you aren't familiar with the Four P's of marketing [see footnote], it's a tried and true concept that I believe is as relevant today as when it was first introduced a half a century ago. However, the fourth P, "Promotion", requires some special attention these days. It isn't all about print vs broadcast media, public relations, and your sales force anymore. Today we are faced with — and perhaps blessed with — the possibility of building personal relationships with the masses. Today's buzz phrase is "Social Media" and it really can work if you are smart in your approach.
Before jumping onto FaceBook or Twitter, it's important to understand that social media can work with you or against you in two significant ways:
1. Social media allows you to hold a conversation with your audience
2. Social media allows your audience to hold a conversation with others about you
It is also important to understand that social media isn't just about FaceBook and Twitter. It's also about blogs, media sharing, widgets, mobile apps, podcasting, rss, email, and good ol' word-of-mouth. According to the MarketingSavant, a social media campaign by Ben & Jerry's yielded a 42% increase in time spent engaged with their website, strengthened existing relationships, and introduced younger audiences. This is an excellent example of how you can utilize social media through your own website without relying on trends like FaceBook.
But, don't let assumptions about social media overpower your focus on traditional media. Broadcast, outdoor, and print media are still the right choices in many cases. With the array of marketing channels available to us today through social and traditional media comes much uncertainty. For this reason, it may be wise to include experiments in your marketing strategy to isolate the effects of each option. If you have real data on your target demographics and psychographics — and you really should — you can start with assumptions about how they may want to be approached. Perform short market tests through seemingly appropriate channels and cut the loser at each stage. It will take time to isolate the winners, but solid experiments will ultimately reveal them.
As you begin working on next year's marketing plan, take a fresh look at the marketing mix. Determine which uncertainties require the most attention, and why. Work through the potential impact of reducing these uncertainties and you will be on your way to finding the right answer for attracting new customers and retaining existing ones.
Until next time,
Howard Theriot
Catch Light Productions
Four P's Of Marketing
http://www.netmba.com/marketing/mix/
The Least Expensive Ohio Health Insurance Plan
Affordable, inexpensive Ohio health insurance plans can be found. And perhaps the least expensive Ohio insurance health plan is the "Saver 80," plan underwritten by UnitedHealthOne, one of the largest US health insurers.
The "Saver 80" health plan covers the typical Ohio inpatient expense benefits such as room and board, professional fees of doctors, surgeons and nurses, operating and recovery room, prescription drugs and the intensive care unit.
Some of the outpatient expenses include X-rays and lab tests (subject to limitations), facility and hospital fees, surgeon and assistant surgeon fees, emergency room fees, hemodialysis, radiation and chemotherapy.
The "Saver 80" plan, although inexpensive, provides $3 million of lifetime benefits per person, which compares favorably to other Ohio catastrophic health insurance plans. The coinsurance after the deductible is just 20% and is capped at $3,000. An optional $5 million lifetime benefit can also be purchased.
Additional coverages include a "prescription drug discount" card and preventative mammogram, pap smear and PSA screening benefits (covered after the deductible).
How inexpensive are the Ohio UnitedHealthOne "Saver 80" rates? Using Franklin County, monthly preferred non-smoking rates are listed below:
$38 (Male age 35 $7,500 Deductible)
$52 (Male age 35 $2,500 Deductible)
$103 (Male & Female ages 35 with two children $7,500 Deductible)
$143 (Male & Female ages 35 with two children $2,500 Deductible)
To instantly view, compare or apply for the least expensive Ohio health insurance plans, please visit Ohioquotes.com, the premier resource for affordable health care. Or, call (888) 513 6446. Your personal information is never shared with any other person or company.
