Getting HD Channels Without Cable
As the price of cable service steadily increases and the economies of many remain a challenge, more and more people are trying to find ways to cut their budget. With people being so busy all the time, the clear choice looks to be the cable TV.
Most major cable companies are already posting losses due to people switching to satellite and other content providers, but what does one do if you want to cut ties to cable altogether? You do not want to have to watch movies for the rest of your life, and over the air broadcast quality can not be as good as cable right? Wrong.
Many people do not realize that over the air broadcasts is actually better quality than cable because the cable signal must be strictly compressed in order to be transmitted over the cable lines. When a program is delivered over the air the bit rate is much higher and there gives high definition quality much closer to Blu-ray than cable HD.
The question still remains, how does one get these HD signals into the house without cable? Most people think that all they need is an antenna from Radio Shack or Best Buy and they are good to go. Actually to get the best and most HD channels there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, you need to go to a website called TVfool.com. The reason for this is that this sight has information that is critical if you are to get a good digital signal. Simply enter your address and zip-code and this website will automatically show you all the over over air channels in your area.
Not only that but it will tell you which direction to point your antenna to get the best reception depending on the channel you want to view. Doing this will require the use of a compass. Tons of compasses can be found online as apps but the best compass to use in this situation would be a physical compass because they will generally be more accurate.
The site will also let you know what kind of antenna you need and where to place it in or on your place of residence in order to get the best viewing experience such as an indoor antenna, a rooftop antenna, or an attic antenna.
Second, understanding that the longer the distance between your TV and your antenna means the longer the cord is important for getting the best reception. The longer the cord that connects your antenna to your television the more degraded the signal. In the old days analog signals would fade over distance like the ripples in a pond when a stone is thrown in.
This caused channels to get snow as the signal got weaker. These days all major broadcast signals are digital. This means that you either have a signal or you do not. It is like a light switch, it is either on or off no middle area. So if the cord connecting your antenna to you TV is too long, the signal will degrade to the point where it's like you have no signal.
The longest distance you want to have is about 10 feet. If you can not get it at 10 feet you will want to get a device called HD HomeRun. This box allows the user to connect a coaxial cable to it and broadcast the signal over WiFi. This allows any WiFi capable viewing device to receive the broadcast signal and display it in high definition.
Using this box means you can keep the distance short and get the signal broadcast over WiFi. If the cord you have is just long in and of itself, there are cable kits you can buy at Radio Shack that will allow you to trim the cord down to a good length.
Now that you have this information, you are ready to cut the cable cord and start getting over the air HD channels with not too much work. Knowing how to do this correctly can be the difference between getting one or two over the air channels in your area to getting all of the over the air broadcast channels right in the comfort of your living room. Enjoy!
Source by Hartley R Smith II
- Published in Uncategorised
The Apple Tablet – What Will Be the iSlate's Impact on Mankind?
Is the iPad going to revolutionize modern thinking on technology and communications? Will the iPad bring mankind's consciousness closer together than ever before? How is the iPad going to change society and culture. Are we destined to end up like that blind guy from star trek with an Internet visor?
Well, now that it's likely that the apple tablet is to be called the iPad it will definitely not have any disturbing social impact … looking back in tech history on this great product and wonder … "What the hell were they thinking? " But on the off chance that it will be called the iSlate (a far better and more elegant name) we may find ourselves in a brand new world. And by brand I mean the brand of Apple.
Apple could take over the world with this facing off against it's biggest competition: Google. We all know that the future (and our money) will belong to one of these two companies. But enough of this talk … I'm not writing about corporate politics. Next topic.
Everyone is saying that the iPad will "save print media" if this is in fact true, then this device (iPad / iPad) will indeed change how the world views information technology almost as much as the Internet has affected IT.
Pretty soon we'll be forgetting what "real paper" looks like and be absorbed into virtual reality like we've been trying to do for years! Woah now, let me not get ahead of myself. We're not going to be eat up by computers and enslaved by evil machines … at least not yet. Although, did not one of those terminators have the apple logo on it?
Ok, lets get serious. The iSlate or iPad probably will not be game changing, but it will be really really cool and convenient for a bunch of reasons, but we will not know why we want it till we see it.
Stay tuned, next Wednesday will be Judgment day!
UPDATE: The iPad (bad name) is here! Just got informed! So come back for more!
Source by Kalki Gillespie
- Published in Uncategorised
Laptop Or Desktop Confusion? Top Consumer Advice Revealed
Are you confused and frustrated not knowing which one to buy? A cheap desktop PC or a great value laptop? Well let me offer you my thoughts about the differences between a laptop and a desktop PC.
My aim is to make it easier for you to make the right choice and buy a PC to be proud of.
There are many different factors that should be considered with regards to your purchase.
Let's have a closer look at this:
Portability – It does not take a rocket scientist to work out that buying a laptop will give you greater mobility. The laptop is very portable. Perhaps a better question to ask you is … where do you plan on using this computer? Are you going to be home based or would you need to take it away from the home. Would it be an advantage to be able to take it away from the home? Personally I always choose a laptop. Why? Because it gives me greater flexibility in the working environment and it is nice to work in the garden in the summer! So for portability the laptop is preferred.
Perhaps you are not fussed where you're computer will be located. If that's the case and your happy sitting at the same desk in the same room, the desktop computer is the choice for you.
Hardware Capability – There used to be a huge difference in the hardware capabilities between a desktop and a laptop PC. A few years ago if you wanted a powerful PC you never considered a laptop. These days technology gets more powerful and smaller so there really is not much difference. The only difference is the size of the hard disk. To me this does not really sell a desktop PC as laptops typically have more than enough disk space to cater for my needs.
Desktop PC's are great for heavy processing activities. If you are passionate about your music, video, photography or games then you might want to take advantage of the desktop PC's larger storage capacity.
The other great thing about desks is that you have plenty of scope to upgrade the components.
You could add an external storage unit to a laptop but it compromises its portability.
Processing capabilities – If you are a die hard gamer then a desktop is the only real answer. Many games put a tremendous burden on the processing capabilities of a PC. With a desktop you can always upgrade your graphics card, something you can not do with a laptop.
So if you can not live without your games and you want to be able to play them effortlessly for the next couple of years then I suggest a desktop PC with a support hot graphics card installed. As companies aim to take software to its limits they place more more demands in having the hardware to support it. Technology gets smaller and even more powerful.
Cost – Laptop PC's usually cost more than the equivalent spec desktop PC. Laptops do come with other external periphers such as built in monitor mouse and keyboard.
OK let summarize:
Laptops are great for portability and for traveling about. So if portability is important you really have no choice but to go with a laptop.
If you do not mind working on your PC in one place then ask yourself if you're likely to play games. If gaming is something you are likely to do then a desktop PC is the choice for you.
Source by Preston Scott
- Published in Uncategorised
Comments: Water or Coolant Mixed With the Transmission Fluid: Is the Gearbox Ruined?
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Ten Song Titles Consisting of Just One Word With Five Syllables
Earlier this week on an episode of Jeopardy, I was intrigued by one of the unusual categories introduced by host Alex Trebek. The answers had to consist of words with exactly five syllables, two of which I got the correct questions.
Two of the five syllable words I missed were “Abolitionists” and “insurmountable”, two that I should have gotten. Long after the game had ended and the classic Final Jeopardy theme song had faded out, I was still trying to think of relatively common words that had five syllables.
My attention turned, as it often does, to popular music. Here are ten one-word song titles that fit the Jeopardy category of Five Syllable Words.
“Opportunity” by Elvis Costello
This tune, like most of the others on the Nick Lowe produced Get Happy album, is rife with lines such as “Her bedroom eyes were like a button she was pushing.”
“Anticipation” by Carly Simon
Predating the smash hit “You’re So Vain” by a few years, this title track is the highlight of the diva’s second album.
“Imagination” by Earth, Wind and Fire
The soul band had a bunch of hits besides this one, including “Fantasy”, “Shining Star” and “September.”
“Radioactive” by Gene Simmons
The long-tongued Kiss bass player had a minor hit with this title on his first solo album, but Paul Rodgers wrote a more popular tune when he formed the Firm after the demise of Bad Company.
“Uncomplicated” by Elvis Costello
Five albums after his first five-syllable title song, Elvis struck again with this opening track from the Blood and Chocolate album.
“Infatuation” by Rod Stewart
Former Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck appears on this single from the legendary pop rocker, who also convinced Beck to make a cameo in the corresponding video.
“Undeniable” by Mat Kearney
This single spawns from the indie rocker’s sophomore album, Nothing Left To Lose.
“Apothecary” by Ambrosia
Bassist Joe Puerta sings the lead on this mellow drug-themed gem from Life Beyond L.A., the record that first put the band on the charts because of “How Much I Feel.”
“Aphrodisiac” by Loudon Wainwright III
The folk legend worked this tune onto the Therapy album, which snugly fits around a song about a veteran singer’s one night stand with an attractive up and comer.
“Louisiana” by Randy Newman
The great Mississippi Flood of 1927 is the subject of this tune, which appears on the veteran songwriter’s Good Old Boys album.
Source by Doug Poe
- Published in Uncategorised
Ten Classic Hits About Criminals On the Run
The revival of vinyl has not only allowed me to enjoy hearing some modern bands on record, but it has also given me the chance to revisit some of the albums I had not heard in several decades. Some of these I had overlooked in my youth, only to now find the appealing in middle age.
One example is a release by Gary Wright, who reached as high as number two on the singles chart back in the mid seventies. The album is Dream Weaver, which spawned singles like “Love Is Alive” and the title track.
While I had heard those two tracks occasionally on the local oldies station, several other tunes struck me when I spun it on the record player recently. I was particularly impressed by a song called “Can’t Find the Judge.”
The song, a bluesy endeavor unlike most of the synthesized based album, is unusual in its context. It is the pleading of a man to find the judge who sent his woman to prison.
Apparently she had committed a violent crime somehow in defense of the man singing the song. Before the time of that song, and really even since, the man has been the one who commits a violent crime.
Songs about men committing crimes are too many to list, so I began to consider those by guys who commit crimes but have not yet been caught. Here is a list of ten such tunes about men on the run from the law.
“Indiana Wants Me” by R. Dean Taylor
The sirens and the police bullhorn at the fade out lets everyone know that the fugitive is finally caught after having committed a crime to somehow defend his lover.
“Renegade” by Styx
It did not take guitarist Tommy Shaw long to carve his niche in the band, scoring this Pieces of Eight mega-hit on just his second LP with them.
“Don’t Take Me Alive” by Steely Dan
The wanted man here, a bookkeeper’s son armed with a case of dynamite, is surrounded in this track from The Royal Scam.
“Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi or Warren Zevon
Bon Jovi charted much better with this title, but Zevon’s acoustic track fits perfectly on his solid but poorly-promoted Wanted Dead or Alive album.
“Gimme Some Water” by Eddie Money
The fugitive in this tune shut a man on the Mexican border, a crime for which he is hanged when finally caught at the end.
“Bad Man’s Blunder” by the Kingston Trio
The folk trio somehow managed to make a light-hearted song out of a tale about a man shooting a deputy just for the fun of it.
“John Wesley Harding” by Bob Dylan
This title track about a Robin Hood of the Old West helps set the tone for the entire folksy album that followed up Blonde on Blonde.
“Pretty Boy Floyd” by Woody Guthrie
Likely, Dylan got the idea for his tune after this tale from his idol, who sang about another bandit who stole from the rich to give to the poor.
“Take the Money and Run” by the Steve Miller Band
This here story about Billie Joe and Bobbi Sue narrates how the couple go on the run after he shot a man while robbing his castle.
“I Shot the Sheriff” by Bob Marley or Eric Clapton
The reggae legend penned this classic, but it was Slow Hand who turned it into a Top Ten single.
Source by Doug Poe
- Published in Uncategorised
How to Remove Fake Antivirus Software
There is a proliferation of fake antivirus programs nowadays. The developers of these rouge programs are exploiting the existing security fears of almost all computer users. That is why you need to equip yourself with the right knowledge on how to remove fake antivirus software from your computer. But before you can delete fake antivirus software, you have to understand its specific behavior.
Get Rid of Rogue Antivirus by Knowing It Thoroughly
A rogue antivirus program can sneak into your computer’s system through several channels. First, it can be transferred from an infected removable USB stick to your PC. You may also have downloaded a dubious toolbar that automatically installs the fake antivirus. The most common form of transmission is by using torrent sites or peer-to-peer downloads.
Such virus normally mimics the behavior of the built-in security center installed in your computer. If you are running on Windows, the fake virus will imitate the appearance and dialog boxes of the Windows Security Center.
Once installed, the bogus antivirus will warn you about virus and malware infections. Pop-ups and nag screens will appear instructing you to download and purchase a new antivirus application. In reality, there are no real malwares or viruses in your PC. The only infection is coming from the fake antivirus software.
If you will not uninstall bogus antivirus software, your web browser can be hijacked. Your computer will also run very slowly. Worse, you will be exposed to phishing scams and identity theft.
The Easy Way to Delete Fake Antivirus Software
You can remove rogue antivirus software manually. However, this is a risky option especially if you are not too familiar with your system files and computer registry. You can damage your system if you accidentally delete a wrong file.
The best and easiest option is to remove bogus antivirus software automatically. This involves the use of a reliable malware removal tool. Remember that even highly experienced computer users are looking for information on how to get rid of such software automatically. They seek the help Internet security services to delete the virus from their computers.
In order to avoid harming your system and to completely eliminate the such fake software from your machine, you should follow the solutions and approaches implemented by most computer users. You must get the most reliable and updated information about rouge software. It is also important to learn how to remove fake antivirus software using an automated anti-malware tool.
Source by R. K. Jain
- Published in Uncategorised
Health Care Reform – Busting The 3 Biggest Myths Of ObamaCare
In the last few months we’ve seen a lot of Health Care Reform rules and regulations being introduced by the Health and Human Services Department. Every time that happens, the media gets hold of it and all kinds of articles are written in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the TV network news programs talk about it. All the analysts start talking about the pros and cons, and what it means to businesses and individuals.
The problem with this is, many times one writer looked at the regulation, and wrote a piece about it. Then other writers start using pieces from that first article and rewriting parts to fit their article. By the time the information gets widely distributed, the actual regulations and rules get twisted and distorted, and what actually shows up in the media sometimes just doesn’t truly represent the reality of what the regulations say.
There’s a lot of misunderstanding about what is going on with ObamaCare, and one of the things that I’ve noticed in discussions with clients, is that there’s an underlying set of myths that people have picked up about health care reform that just aren’t true. But because of all they’ve heard in the media, people believe these myths are actually true.
Today we’re going to talk about three myths I hear most commonly. Not everybody believes these myths, but enough do, and others are unsure what to believe, so it warrants dispelling these myths now.
The first one is that health care reform only affects uninsured people. The second one is that Medicare benefits and the Medicare program isn’t going to be affected by health care reform. And then the last one is that health care reform is going to reduce the costs of healthcare.
Health Care Reform Only Affects Uninsured
Let’s look at the first myth about health care reform only affecting uninsured people. In a lot of the discussions I have with clients, there are several expressions they use: “I already have coverage, so I won’t be affected by ObamaCare,” or “I’ll just keep my grandfathered health insurance plan,” and the last one – and this one I can give them a little bit of leeway, because part of what they’re saying is true — is “I have group health insurance, so I won’t be affected by health care reform.”
Well, the reality is that health care reform is actually going to affect everybody. Starting in 2014, we’re going to have a whole new set of health plans, and those plans have very rich benefits with lots of extra features that the existing plans today don’t offer. So these new plans are going to be higher cost.
Health Care Reform’s Effect On People With Health Insurance
People that currently have health insurance are going to be transitioned into these new plans sometime in 2014. So the insured will be directly affected by this because the health plans they have today are going away, and they will be mapped into a new ObamaCare plan in 2014.
Health Care Reform Effect On The Uninsured
The uninsured have an additional issue in that if they don’t get health insurance in 2014, they face a mandate penalty. Some of the healthy uninsured are going to look at that penalty and say, “Well, the penalty is 1% of my adjusted gross income; I make $50,000, so I’ll pay a $500 penalty or $1,000 for health insurance. In that case I’ll just take the penalty.” But either way, they will be directly affected by health care reform. Through the mandate it affects the insured as well as the uninsured.
Health Care Reform Effect On People With Grandfathered Health Plans
People that have grandfathered health insurance plans are not going to be directly affected by health care reform. But because of the life cycle of their grandfathered health plan, it’s going to make those plans more costly as they discover that there are plans available now that they can easily transfer to that have a richer set of benefits that would be more beneficial for any chronic health issues they may have.
For people who stay in those grandfathered plans, the pool of subscribers in the plan are going to start to shrink, and as that happens, the cost of those grandfathered health insurance plans will increase even faster than they are now. Therefore, people in grandfathered health plans will also be impacted by ObamaCare.
Health Care Reform Effect On People With Group Health Insurance
The last one, the small group marketplace, is going to be the most notably affected by health care reform. Even though the health care reform regulations predominantly affect large and medium-sized companies, and companies that have 50 or more employees, smaller companies will also be affected, even though they’re exempt from ObamaCare itself.
What many surveys and polls are starting to show is that some of the businesses that have 10 or fewer employees are going to look seriously at their option to drop health insurance coverage altogether, and no longer have it as an expense of the company. Instead, they will have their employees get health insurance through the health insurance exchanges.
In fact, some of the carriers are now saying they anticipate that up to 50% of small groups with 10 or fewer employees are going to drop their health insurance plan sometime between 2014 and 2016. That will have a very large effect on all people who have group health insurance, especially if they’re in one of those small companies that drop health insurance coverage.
It’s not just uninsured that are going to be affected by health care reform, everybody is going to be impacted.
Health Care Reform Will Not Affect Medicare
The next myth was that health care reform would not affect Medicare. This one is kind of funny because right from the very get-go, the most notable cuts were specifically targeting the Medicare program. When you look at Medicare’s portion of the overall federal, you can see that in 1970, Medicare was 4% of the U.S. federal budget, and by 2011, it had grown to 16% of the federal budget.
If we look at it over the last 10 years, from 2002 to 2012, Medicare is the fastest growing part of the major entitlement programs in the federal government, and it’s grown by almost 70% during that period of time.
Because of how large Medicare is and how fast it’s growing, it’s one of the key programs that ObamaCare is trying to get a handle on, so it doesn’t bankrupts the U.S. Medicare is going to be impacted, and in fact the initial cuts to Medicare have already been set at about $716 billion.
Medicare Advantage Cuts And The Effects
Of that $716 billion cut, the Medicare Advantage program gets cut the most, and will see the bulk of the effects. What that’s going to do is increase the premiums people pay for their Medicare Advantage plans, and reduce the benefits of those plans.
Increased Medicare Advantage Costs
Right now, many people choose Medicare Advantage plans because they have zero premium. When given a choice on Medicare plans, they view it as an easy choice because it’s a free program for them, “Sure, I get Medicare benefits, I don’t pay anything for it; why not.” Now they’re going to see Medicare premiums start to climb, and go from zero to $70, $80, $90, $100. We’ve already seen that with some of the Blue Cross Medicare Advantage plans this year. It’s going to get worse as we go forward in the future.
Reduced Medicare Advantage Benefits
In order to minimize the premium increases, what many Medicare Advantage plans will do is increase the copayments, increase the deductibles, and change the co-insurance rates. In order to keep the premiums down, they’ll just push more of the costs onto the Medicare Advantage recipients. Increased premiums and reduced benefits are what we’re going to see coming in Medicare Advantage plan.
Fewer Medicare Physicians
And then if that wasn’t bad enough, as Medicare doctors begin receiving lower and lower reimbursements for Medicare Advantage people, they’re going to stop taking new Medicare Advantage recipients. We’re going to see the pool of doctors to support people in Medicare starting to shrink as well, unless changes are made over the course of the next five years. So Medicare is going to be affected, and it’s going to be affected dramatically by health care reform. Everybody’s kind of on pins and needles, waiting to see what’s going to happen there.
Health Care Reform Will Reduce Healthcare Costs
The last one, and probably the biggest myth about health care reform, is everybody thinking that ObamaCare will reduce healthcare costs. That’s completely hogwash. Early on in the process, when they were trying to come up with the rules and regulations, the emphasis and one of the goals for reform was to reduce healthcare costs.
But somewhere along the line, the goal actually shifted from cost reduction to regulation of the health insurance industry. Once they made that transition, they pushed cost reductions to the back burner. There are some small cost reduction components in ObamaCare, but the real emphasis is on regulating health insurance. The new plans, for example, have much richer benefits than many plans today: richer benefits means richer prices.
Health Care Reform Subsidies: Will They Make Plans Affordable?
A lot of people hope, “The subsidies are going to make health insurance plans more affordable, won’t they?” Yes, in some cases the subsidies will help to make the plans affordable for people. But if you make $1 too much, the affordable plans are suddenly going to become very expensive and can cost thousands of dollars more over the course of a year. Will a subsidy make it affordable or not affordable is really subject to debate at this point in time. We’re going to have to actually see what the rates look like for these plans.
New Health Care Reform Taxes Passed On To Consumers
Then there’s a whole ton of new health care reform taxes that have been added into the system to help pay for ObamaCare. That means everybody who has a health insurance plan, whether it’s in a large group, a small group, or just as an individual, is going to be taxed in order to pay for the cost of reform. Health care reform adds various taxes on health care that insurance companies will have to collect and pay, but they’re just going to pass it right through to us, the consumer.
Mandate Won’t Reduce Uninsured Very Much
During the initial years of health care reform, the mandate is actually pretty weak. The mandate says that everyone must get health insurance or pay a penalty (a tax). What that’s going to do is make healthy people just sit on the sidelines and wait for the mandate to get to the point where it finally forces them to buy health insurance. People with chronic health conditions that couldn’t get health insurance previously, are all going to jump into healthcare at the beginning of 2014.
At the end of that year, the cost for the plans is going to go up in 2015. I can guarantee that that’s going to happen, because the young healthy people are not going to be motivated to get into the plans. They won’t see the benefit of joining an expensive plan, whereas the chronically ill people are going to get into the plans and drive the costs up.
Health Care Reform’s Purpose Is Just A Matter Of Semantics
The last portion of this is, one of the key things – and it’s funny, I saw it for the first two years, 2010, and ’11 – one of the key things that was listed in the documentation from the Obama administration was: Health Care Reform would help reduce the cost that we would see in the future if we do nothing today. That was emphasized over and over again. That was how they presented health care cost reduction, that it would reduce the future costs. Not today, but it would reduce what we would pay in the future if we did nothing about it now.
Well, that’s great, 10 years from now we’re going to pay less than we might have paid. And we all know how accurate future projections usually are. In the meantime, we’re all paying more today, and we’re going to pay even more in 2014 and more in 2015 and 2016. People are going to be pretty upset about that.
Conclusion
Those three myths, that health care reform is only going to affect the uninsured, that it won’t affect Medicare beneficiaries, and that ObamaCare is going to reduce healthcare costs, are just that. They are myths. There’s nothing to them.
It’s really important that you pay attention to what’s happening with health care reform, because there are more changes that are coming as we go through this year, 2013. Knowing how to position yourself so that you’re in the right spot to be able to make the best decision at the beginning of 2014 is going to be really important for everybody.
Source by Tim J Thompson
- Published in Uncategorised
The Best Investment for 2015
Sometimes the best investment is safe investments and 2015 may be one of those times. First, let's look at your investment options. Then, we'll focus on finding the best safe investments for 2015 and beyond.
Since early 2009 stocks and stock funds have been the best investment options. The past six years have often been referred to as "the stock market that nobody loves", yet with the approach of 2015 the stock market continued to reach new all-time highs. Stocks are not cheap, but there are two sectors that might be interesting: oil stocks and natural resources funds (if oil prices get even cheaper); and gold stocks and funds (if gold gets cheaper). Neither are safe investments, but there could be opportunity if oil or gold really get cheap.
At this point in time any bad economic or political news could trigger a reversal in stocks in 2015 or 2016. The risk vs. potential rewards suggests that stocks and diversified stock funds are no longer the best investment options. Now, let's look at the flip side of the coin: bonds and bond funds. Historically, when the stock market tanks investors flock to bonds, which sends bond prices higher. Many investors see bonds and bond funds as their best safe investment options.
The problem here is that bonds and bond fund prices are near record highs as interest rates remain historically and ridiculously low. The problem: when rates climb significantly bonds and bond funds fall in price and investors LOSE money. Higher interest rates make existing bond issues and portfolios (like bond funds) less attractive. Looking at 2015 and beyond, bonds and bond funds are not likely to be your best investment options or even your best safe investments when rates threaten to go up.
In fact they were never truly safe. They just looked safe because interest rates have basically been on a downward trend since 1981, which sent bond prices higher and brave investors good returns. Now, the question is: where do you find the best safe investments (that pay interest) when you're lucky if you can get 1% at the bank and even less in the money market?
The best safe investments might be staring you right in the face. If you have a retirement plan where you work (like a 401k or 401a) one of your options might be a stable or "guaranteed" fund. You might be able to lock in 4% or more for a specified period of time. If you have an older "universal life" insurance contract you may be able to add money to it at a "guaranteed" minimum interest rate of 3%, 4% or more. The same could apply if you hold an older retirement annuity contract. Returns like this might not excite you, but compared to stocks and bonds they could have the best investment options on the horizon.
If interest rates increase significantly across the board (both long-term and short-term rates) and you need quick access to your cash, the good old money market mutual fund could be one of the best safe investments. As rates go up, their dividends automatically adjust upward as well. They are not "insured" by the federal government, but many hold short-term government securities (T-bills) which are considered to be one of the truly safe investments in the world.
In normal times the issue of finding your best investment options focuses on stocks vs. bonds. I'm not alone when I fear that these are not normal times. We (and much of the rest of the world) have lowered interest rates to stimulate our economy and support our markets. There's not much room to lower rates further in the future. That's why I suggest that the best safe investments could probably be the best investment options available for 2015 and beyond. When the dust settles, the debt over whenever stocks or bonds are the best investment will likely take center stage again.
Source by James Leitz
- Published in Uncategorised
Watch New Movies Online – How to Watch New Movies on the Internet
So your looking for a place to watch new movies online? You want to watch all the newest releases in high quality right? You also want to watch them instantly and easily? Am I right? I though so! The internet has tonnes of sites that allow you to watch new movies online but as with everything on the internet, there are a lot of scams and the movies you do find are either poor quality or in a hundred parts! So how do you find a decent site to watch all the new movie releases on?
Firstly, you should always avoid the torrent sites. The files on these sites are full of viruses and spy ware that can damage your computer even if you’ve got anti-virus software. You should also avoid searching for new movies on You tube and other video sharing sites. You will almost never find full, good quality movies on them. So where should you go?
You can join a paid movie download price for a small one time fee. The fee is usually about the price of one movie in the shops (maybe a bit more) and you get access to huge databases full of the latest movies all ready to download quickly and easily. But when choosing a service to join there are a few things you should bare in mind.
Firstly, make sure that if your paying to join a site, they have a money back guarantee. You can never be sure what a service is like until you’ve joined and a money back guarantee is a sure fire way to make sure your not getting scammed. The best sites I’ve seen have an eight week money back guarantee with no questions asked.
Next, you should choose a site which not only has a huge selection of movies but TV shows and music as well. If your paying to join a service you should get the most out of your money! You should also choose a site that has customer support. The best sites I’ve seen have 24/7 customer support in case you have any problems or questions you need answering.
Source by Lewis Waller
- Published in Uncategorised