Types of health insurance

Health insurance is designed to protect against loss of income and expenses for medical care. There are two broad categories of health insurance policies: disability income policies and medical expense policies.

Disability income policies can also be referred to as loss of income, loss of time or replacement income. This type of policy will pay benefits to an insured who is disabled and can no longer work to earn a regular income. Payments can be weekly or monthly depending on the policy.

Medical expense policies are represented by a wide range of coverage from very minimal to comprehensive packages with multiple coverage. Some include both accidents and illnesses, various hospital expenses and other costs pertaining to medical care such as accident and sickness policies, hospital-stay policies, basic medical expense policies and major medical expense policies.

Any of these policies might cover various combinations of the above and may be paid in a lump sum. Some policies cover only accidents and not illness. As you might imagine, policies like this are very specific about what is considered an accident.

It is important to understand what is defined as an accident as it pertains to the health insurance industry: an accident is an event that is unforeseen and unintended.

Keep in mind that any discussion of this type of policy also applies to any type of policy that includes accidental coverage, not just accident specific policies.

Accident benefits are most commonly paid for accidental loss of life (also called accidental death), accidental loss of limb or sight (dismemberment), loss of time and/or income, hospital expenses, surgical expenses, and medical expenses like visits to the doctor.

Accidental death benefit can also be referred to as “principal sum.” This type of coverage should not be confused with life insurance. There is a world of difference between the two. Life insurance policies will generally be paid regardless of the cause of death. An accidental benefit is paid ONLY if the death is accidental as opposed to a death by natural causes or illness.

The person who receives the death benefit is called the beneficiary. The policy owner has the right and responsibility of naming beneficiaries. Usually there is a primary beneficiary however he/she can assign a second and even a third beneficiary.

The primary beneficiary is the first person in line to receive the benefit in the event of the death of the policy holder. The policy owner can also name a second beneficiary who would receive the benefit in the event the primary beneficiary dies before the insured. Some policies can include a third beneficiary who would be in line after the first two.

There is another important element in regard to accident policies: An accidental death may not be instant. A person can die as a result of an accidental injury months after the accident occurrence. Read your policy carefully because most stipulate that the accidental death benefit will only be paid if death occurs within three months of the accident.

Tips to get top ranking in google

When you’re disagreeable to intend ranks into the crowning 10 of the wager engines and more especially into the crowning spot, you’ll requirement as whatever germane instruction backwards to your place as you crapper mayhap get.

When the wager engines watch in what visit to surpass websites, they do this supported on the noesis of the place as substantially as instruction pointing backwards to the place and also the interior scheme of the instruction within the site. All of these factors become into endeavor when determining what visit the wager engines distribute to websites for keywords.

Of instruction this formula is such more complicated than I’ve described here, but effort your website submitted to directories is a enthusiastic artefact to verify whatever of those ever essential links.

I’ve seen costs attendant with a assist same this for as such as $1 per directory, so for a itemize of 300 directories, you haw clear as such as $300. If you countenance into whatever places online that substance this service, you haw wager this for as lowercase as $100 or so for 1000 directories.

I commonly dissect this as a outlay goodness status and also verify into kindness the instance continuance of money when I opt what makes significance as farther as expenses.

I’ve timed most how daylong it takes me to accede to 5 directories and it is correct around 4-5 transactions per directory, so in most 20 minutes, I’ll hit most 4-5 directories done.

If I’m feat for 300 directories, modify at a pace of 10 directories every 20 transactions or most 30 per hour, I’m ease hunting at most 10 hours of my instance for 300 directories.

Take this into consideration, but if you poverty to intend started sight most how daylong this would take, study a directory of directories that lists directories by tender rank. The website I’m conversation most is addurl. nu and crapper be accessed online.

There are individual instances where you’ll be healthy to only do wager on Google or character and become up with a aggregation of directories to itemize to and if or when possible, intend your website traded in directories that are limited to your niche.

If you are attempting to intend a website for “mountain biking” hierarchical in the wager engines, ideally you’ll wager for and encounter “biking” directories or modify elevation biking directories that module unification backwards to your site. This is essential as the wager engines, especially Google move relevancy. The more germane or attendant the pages are that unification to your content, the more continuance those instruction are appointed and the easier it module be to intend your website broad rankings for the wager cost you’re feat for. As such as it strength hit whatever value, I wouldn’t be nearly as convergent on effort my elevation biking website traded in a wood-working directory for example.

Directories are an superior artefact to intend instruction backwards to your place and wherever it makes significance from a time-value-of-money perspective, you should be outsourcing this work. Many honored sources module do this impact for you for inferior than $100. Good phenomenon and go intend those rankings!

Its 2005----bulk email is dead

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A typical day at the inbox

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Today, I received 374 e-mails total.

A pretty light day considering some days I get more than 1,000.

To clarify what they were--35 were for business, 4 were personal in nature, 11 were from groups I asked to get information from like Neiman Marcus and Urban Outfitters, VH1, and a PR Newsletter.

The balance of 324 was unsolicited (UCE-unsolicited commercial e-mail)--in other words spam.

If I extrapolate the UCE I’ve gotten in the last six hours alone, I find I must be missing something about myself on some spiritual level..

I am a balding, fat man with a small penis that doesn’t work. I am in debt.

I am looking for a lower interest rate on my mortgage while at the same time making thousands of dollars with no effort on my part in the privacy of my own home—filling out surveys, stuffing envelopes and not selling something that miraculously sells itself.

Even better, I can be a travel agent without wrinkles; obtain a college degree while waiting for my 1500 advance to show up in my bank account; I can restore my credit rating legally while watching my free satellite TV and munching on my drugs sent courtesy of an offshore pharmacy that has a doctor who will write me a prescription… HMMM…definitely something to consider. NOT.

I’ve also discovered that I am a prime candidate to help an African Prince transfer funds into the US. He trusts me. All I have to do is give him my bank account information.

The problem is that I am a woman who doesn’t suffer those ills.

Someone thinks I do…There is something wrong with this picture.

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The future of bulk email and why it is likely to remain dead

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Now, you might be asking why I, who was dubbed the “Spam Queen”

in the “Wall Street Journal” three years ago, am even bothering to say anything about e-mail?

Just to set the record straight, I have never advocated spam or sending spam.

One reporter said to me, "Some people consider all bulk email as spam. What do you have to say about that?" to which I replied, "Then I guess you'd call me the spam queen," as a joke.

In our sound byte media world, one editor turned this little quip into a buzzword and I became known almost instantly, all over the world, as representing what everyone, including myself, hates about email.

The media as usual emphasized sensationalism and missed the point.

I am not complaining because my marketing business skyrocketed as a result.

At that time I advocated email as a very effective medium for small business, which because of its low cost lets small businesses level the playing field against big corporations.

At no small personal risk, I visited the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, DC, and spoke my peace about small businesses and not throwing out the baby with the bathwater before even the very term spam could be legally agreed upon and defined to the satisfaction of marketers, ISPs and the government jointly.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of the US economy, and entrepreneurs with their dreams are what have made the US the economic powerhouse it still is today.

Email that is sent to people who WANT to receive it, and that is in accordance with their preferences, still gets a high response. It allows many small businesses to get ahead. I didn't want to see big corporations or the government take over email and bar entry, filter, and extort everyone else while still sending their own advertising messages freely.

And then came the Can-Spam act, which I and many other legitimate marketers welcomed, because it had a great promise of getting rid of the noise while keeping the signal.

As it turned out, the opposite happened. Email filters from ISP's now block a large amount of legitimate messages, which they call "false positives".

Marketers can't send the text they would like to send to their subscribers, so they have to resort to filter tricking tactics such as spelling the word spam as sp@@@M so that they can get past the filters that were intended for another purpose entirely.

In a climate like this, legitimate companies that had been diligently following best practices, and keeping their lists clean for years, suddenly did not want to stay in business with ambiguities in the law and the potential litigation that might ensue even if all the rules WERE followed, so many companies just folded.

However the people that continue to send email illegally did not fold.

Often times sending from outside the US borders, they stepped up their operations even more, to the point that there is almost no truly legitimate bulk email left.

In other words, the signal has become lost in the noise.

The simplicity is this — bulk commercial e-mail has gotten to the point where it isn’t effective. We just don’t do it anymore. What’s the point? It doesn’t get a response, and we found people are overloaded with advertising messages and no longer willing to receive more, especially in their inbox, unless they specifically asked for it.

As a marketing professional, the only thing that should count for you at the end of the day is effectiveness. Bulk commercial e-mail has turned into the above, a bunch of unprofessional, ineffective scams.

In other words, Spam is a four-letter word.

Legitimate marketers are staying away in droves and it’s easy to see why. First of all let’s look at some facts. In the United States, it is legal to send unsolicited commercial e-mail. The CAN SPAM act allows for this. You have to provide a way to opt-out and not hide who you are, and a few more simple but ethical rules.

Although it is legal, there isn’t an internet service provider in the United States who will allow you to send unsolicited commercial e-mail.

Larger mailers have opt-in information from lists they purchase which imply consent but those lists aren’t originated from the mailer, but from other sub-mailers—you get a free thing or access to a particular site and the user checks a box that it is okay to get information from their “affiliates and partners.”

The “affiliates and partners” they are referring to are those who pay for the e-mail addresses and opt-in information.

These guys are sending you mail legally, but the fact is, they are not getting into your e-mail box for the most part. Blocking, filtering, and doing it the “legal” way bulk wise, is just not working.

Not to mention, there is no way to prove that the recipients opted in or are willing to get the message since they opted in at someone else’s site, not yours.

The response rate is pathetic and when that mail does get through, you have many disgruntled individuals who never remember opting in, so in their view, the mail is unsolicited. The only way to get e-mail into inboxes en masse is by not following the rules, so the only messages getting through are the scams, including the pornographic, illegal, and objectionable.

It is ironic that the very thing people want to rail against, they are getting more of in the aftermath of Can-Spam.

So where does that leave us?

What can a small businessperson do to get their message out, and not break their bank?

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How to market effectively in the new internet wave

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If you are a small businessperson, there are 3 alternatives that you should consider, which are described in this next section:

What is effective you might ask? (Ask away, it’s kind of the point here..)

1) First party offers that impart some value added (a tip; some information, something the consumer is interested in.)

Lets say John Q. Consumer gave his e-mail address for a newsletter, or for more information on a particular subject, or to play a game.

Chances are he probably would not be angered to get an e-mail from your company especially since he asked for you to contact him. He would recognize your domain name since he spent enough time on your site to actually ask the info.

Additionally, your internet service provider would not shut you down for violations and you’d start to build a small but effective list of people who are actually interested in what you, as a business owner, have to say.

This has been effective since the beginning of the internet. The only problem is, how do you reach people the first time, to get them to your site?

How do you find a target market for your products that is likely to be interested in what you have to offer and sign up for your newsletter, visit your site, and hopefully buy your stuff?

Is there anything less costly than television, radio, and (ugh!) banner ads?

Yes there is. Drum roll please…..Search Engine Marketing. If you write good ads, and compete with the right keywords, people who are already searching for an answer to a question, doing research, comparison shopping will go to a search engine and type in their parameters.

If you know how to market well, only people who are interested will go to your site.

If you have a web site that is compelling and you are offering a value added, they will ask for more information or sign up for your newsletter, or get your free download.

Now, getting to this point can sometimes take a little time, but if you are persistent, and know how to interpret your statistics, you can do this. If you want the result without the learning curve, hire a Search Engine Marketing Firm.

So the new tools for small businesspeople to stampede traffic to their websites in 2005 and beyond are going to be:

1) Search Engine Marketing

2) Publicity, including press releases that provide meaningful news

3) Providing quality content and expert commentary for radio, TV, and internet hubs in your field

You can be successful on the internet and these tools help to establish you as an expert in your field, as well as attract the very people who are looking for your product or service at the same time.

These are the tools of a new form of marketing, which people are calling "In Touch" Marketing, or "intelligent marketing" and is one way to cut through and actually get you the most possible business, at the lowest possible cost, with laser precise targeting. In future articles I will teach you how to use them with deadly precision.

This is the new way for small businesses and entrepreneurs to succeed in 2005 and beyond.

Remember, you heard it here first :)

Laura Betterly

CEO, In Touch Media Group

Aquarium care fish freshwater

Aquarium Care for Freshwater Fish

Freshwater fish are perhaps the easiest fish to care for in comparison to saltwater species because they are usually hardier fish. A basic aquarium set up will be required. You will need a tank, some rocks or substrate to line bottom of the tank. You will also need a filter, and some lighting. When choosing fish, it is imperative to make sure the fish are compatible. Not only do they need to be compatible for water temperature and P. H., but they also should have similar food requirements. Try to keep the fish relatively the same size. It has been said that if a fish is small enough to fit in another fishes mouth, that is usually where it ends up. So don't be discouraged if this happens. Even fish that have been housed together for several months have been known to disappear on occasion.

Freshwater fish should be fed twice daily. Feed only a small amount that can be consumed within the first two to five minutes. Over feeding is a common mistake among novice fish keepers. Any excess food should be lifted with a net if possible, as it will become debris and quickly dirty the tank. Water should be kept regulated and tested weekly. Any discrepancies in P. H. and water temperature should be corrected immediacy in order to minimize stress caused to the fish.

Stress is significant because it causes illness in fish. It is important to monitor the activity and overall well being of the fish in an aquarium. The signs of stress will be fairly obvious. Slow moving or lethargic looking fish will require a stress coat that can be purchased at a local pet store. Try to avoid overcrowding the tank. This should help to reduce the amount of stress caused to the fish.

Change about a third of the water in the aquarium at a time, because this type of change will cause the least amount of disturbance to the fish and other inhabitants. This will need to be done every two to three weeks. Use either a bucket or a siphon to remove the water from the tank. Try to remove any loose or floating debris at this time. When adding the new water to the aquarium, be sure that it is within approximately two degrees of the tank water. The sides of the aquarium should be scrubbed regularly to remove an algae build up. Again be careful not to disturb the fish. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling the aquarium. Lastly, check the manufacturer's recommendation on filters and change them accordingly. Filters collect any fish waste or left over food. They can't function properly unless they are clean.

Introduce hardy fish to a new tank. These fish can withstand higher nitrite levels that are present in a new aquarium. Choose fish such as danios, barbs, gouramis, and live bearers. Don't add more than three to four small fish per week. Acclimation times vary per species, so check with your retailer before adding any other new fish.

Sub-prime mortgage loans who qualifies for a sub-prime loan

Sub-prime mortgage loans are designed for those who don’t qualify for “A” rated loans, typically those with a FICO score of less than 650. They also cater to those desiring unconventional terms, like a jumbo loan. As with any lender, to find the best financing, you have to compare mortgage loan offers.

Who Qualifies For Sub-Prime Loans?

Anyone can qualify for a sub-prime loan, no matter their credit history. Even people with excellent credit may choose to work with a sub-prime lender to work out special terms.

When it comes to mortgage loans, sub-prime lenders don’t decline applications. Rather, they present terms, which you can choose to accept or decline.

For instance, a person could discharged a bankruptcy and apply for a mortgage the next day with a sub-prime lender. The lender would likely charge 12% above conventional rates and require a 50% down payment. The option is to either take the loan or wait two years for much better terms.

What Sub-Prime Lenders Offer?

Besides flexibility with terms, sub-prime lenders offer near conventional rates. On average, sub-prime lenders charge 1% to 2% above conventional rates for every drop in credit grade. However, large cash reserves or down payments can offset a negative credit history.

Sub prime lenders don’t require private mortgage insurance – a real savings if you don’t plan on a down payment of 20% or more. Lenders also offer refinancing options in your mortgage, saving on closing costs in the future.

Who Provides Sub-Prime Loans?

It used to be that only unconventional financing lenders offered mortgages to those with poor credit. But now virtually all banks and financing companies deal with sub-prime loans. For the lowest credit ranks, you still need to work with a sub-prime lender.

To find the right sub-prime loan, compare financing offers from several companies. You can work with a mortgage broker online to evaluate quotes in minutes or go directly to lender sites.

When requesting a loan estimate, provide as much information as possible, including your credit score. But don’t let the potential lender inspect your credit report unless you want to see your credit score go down. Only allow the most promising lead access your report to complete the loan application.

Presentation skills that persuade and motivate

Almost everyone feels a bit nervous about delivering a presentation before a group. Some people would rather undergo a root canal than experience the anxiety of giving a speech.

Follow some basic guidelines for preparation and delivery, and you can transform your nervousness into positive energy that achieves the results you desire.

The secrets to successful presentations are simple, based on common sense. Many people, however, fail to employ them.

Step One: Purpose

What’s the purpose of your presentation? There are many reasons to make a speech or announcement, and you need to clearly define your goal. Do you have to deliver bad news to your department? Do you require a decision from your superiors on a problematic business situation? Do you have a solution and want to convince people? Are you trying to sell a solution or product?

Most presenters try to persuade their audience to buy into specific ideas. They must sufficiently inspire and motivate listeners to take action or give the green light to act on suggested solutions.

You need to lead your audience through the decision-making process so members can go through it with you. Unless they believe they “own” the decision, they won’t act upon it.

It’s critical to avoid spelling everything out for them. Let them “see” what the problems are and which decisions are needed. They will then be happy to engage in finding solutions and enthusiastic about acting on them.

Step Two: Know Your Audience

Your audience is not merely composed of the people you’ll face when you deliver your speech. It also includes those who may be influenced or affected by your proposal. Before you think about what to say, you must determine who your audience is and what they’ll need from you to buy into your argument.

Make sure you’re selling the benefits of your solution—not the features. For example, if your new program benefits the company by saving time and money, this is what you should emphasize. It will appeal to your audience much more than any discussion of actual program features. Always focus on your audience’s interests.

Step Three: Structure Your Presentation

Most of the time, it’s wise to open with a story that reveals a picture of the problem at hand. Stories engage people, especially if they’re personal and real. They create an authentic connection and grab people’s attention. Remember: Your first 30 seconds are the most crucial.

Follow up your story with an honest analysis of the problem, and back it up with research statistics. The Internet makes this part of your task easy, but be cautious about spending too much time on stats.

Then, present the solution. This is the “good stuff,” as people want to know relief is in sight. Spell out the benefits to your audience.

Strengthening Your Presentation

If you use slides or PowerPoint graphics, don’t become overly attached to them. They should supplement your talk and illustrate key points, not deliver the presentation for you. Don’t use graphics that contain every word you say, and never read directly off the screen.

Limit text to subheadings, which should be large enough to read from the back of the room. Don’t talk to the screen instead of your audience. And always be prepared for the possibility of a power or technological failure; bring handouts and have an alternative way to deliver your speech in case there’s no screen.

Managing Anxiety

Some experts suggest memorizing the first 60 seconds of your speech. If you do this, make sure it sounds natural and authentic. Because you’re likely to open with a personal story, introduce yourself and explain why your topic is so important to you. This makes the first 60 seconds sound natural, even if you memorize your text.

Don’t draw attention to your nervousness by telling your audience about it. You can share your feelings, but not your anxieties. Your goal is to present yourself authentically, as a real human being.

Don’t fidget or fiddle with your hair, clothes or body parts. Practice your speech in front of a mirror as often as you can, and minimize nervous tics by standing behind a podium, if necessary. Practice drawing a deep breath for instant relaxation.

Specific performance demands in real estate transactions

Every so often, real estate transactions can go bad. This often results in one party demanding the other specifically perform pursuant to the real estate contract.

Specific Performance Demands In Real Estate Transactions

Once a seller and buyer agree on a price for a property, a real estate contract is signed. The contract contains provisions each must comply with, provisions that are legally binding. If problems arise during escrow, particularly if things turn nasty, one party may look to legal remedies to force the other party to do something.

Specific performance is a legal demand that a party perform some act. Although the theory can be applied to many situations, it is often seen in real estate transactions. This is because courts have determined that property is unique, and specific performance is often more valuable than monetary damages.

In the case of real estate, specific performance demands often involve the conveyance of title. Having met the conditions of the contract, the buyer demands the seller convey title to them. Why would sellers not do this automatically? Situations can include seller remorse, basic flakiness or the realization the seller accepted far too low an offer compared to what the market would produce.

Specific performance demands are a two sided situation. Courts often are reluctant to grant them because human nature is such that the defendant will often poison a situation by damaging the property or screwing up title. This does not mean the seller is off the hook.

While courts are hesitant to grant specific performance demands, they are not hesitant to enforce real estate contracts. Depending upon the laws in your state, the court may grant something called a lis pendens. The lis pendens represents the equivalent of the monetary damages suffered by the buyer. More importantly, it is recorded against the deed of the seller’s property. This effectively forces the seller to pay the buyer if the seller ever hopes to sell the property. When a title insurance company reviews title for any subsequent sale, it will notify the new purchaser of the lis pendens and refuse to issue title insurance. With no title insurance, the seller is going to have an extremely hard time moving the property. In fact, it will be nearly impossible as it is difficult to imagine any buyer that would want to get involved in the dispute.

While there can be sniping in real estate transactions, most go fairly smoothly. When they fall apart, specific performance and lis pendens can become dominant issues.