The Savvy Marketplace

In the following article we will attempt to shed some light into these questions and give you all the information you need to make an informed choice.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids: Do they belong in natural skin care products?

What are they?

How are they useful to our skin?

Are they a natural ingredient in skin care?

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA’s) are Fruit acids, which are weak organic acids derived from various sources such as, grapes, apples, sugar cane, maple, pineapple, papaya, willow bark, lemon, lime, sour milk, blackberries, yoghurt and cider, and play an important role in skin care.
Fruit acids are natural exfoliants that perform a number of functions at the level of the stratum corneum on the skin’s surface:

Loosen and dissolve dead cells from the skin’s surface

Help to regenerate new skin cells,

Aid in the control of acne, smooth rough dry skin, improve the texture of sun-damaged and aging skin and

Retain moisture, which leaves your skin healthy and vibrant.

Naturally contained AHA’s are basically a good thing, unfortunately, many companies are using concentrated extracts, or worse still, synthetically manufactured AHA’s or BHA’s (beta hydroxy acids), and that is not a good thing.
When scientists comes across a ‘new substance’, so to speak, they have a tendency to want to make it better than nature’s version… more concentrated for quicker results… and so on. Unfortunately, this usually brings with it side effects and sometimes actual physical damage.

A natural ingredient - just what exactly does that mean?

Does it mean it is a substance that nature created and it has been added to a product in order to make that product natural? No, a natural ingredient is an ingredient that is, where ever possible, present in it’s natural form, for example AHA’s can be extracted and then added to a product, thereby the maker of that product can claim it contains ‘Natural ingredients’. Or the AHA’s can be use in a product in the form of an extract of Papaya with all the other ingredients present in Papaya fruit. This is a more balanced set of ingredients that work together (synergistically) to achieve a desired effect, thus it is a truly natural ingredient.

Let me give you an example: Aspirin (a very commonly used pain killer) is derived from the bark of the white Willow tree. The substance or the active ingredient is called Salicylic acid, a BHA. This is the stuff that reduces pain. It is also the stuff that can cause Stomach ulcers….

Now, the herbal extract of the white Willow bark does not (or is much less likely to) cause Stomach ulcers. Why? Because the herbal extract contains many other ingredients that are contained in the bark, which the extraction process brings out. Some of these substances are mucilaginous (Porridge is mucilaginous) which means they are slippery and when taken internally, they cover the membrane of the Stomach (the lining) and prevent the salicylic acid from causing irritation or ulceration - clever, isn’t she, that Mother Nature woman?

Sometimes you will hear these additional ingredients referred to as “phyto-chemicals”. This is very current topic today with respect to Vitamins and other ‘natural’ supplements.

What does all this have to do with natural skin care? Well, as I have written before. Natural skin care is not necessarily natural and one could debate back and forth what ‘natural’ is, or what it should be. One thing is certain, natural skin care products should not contain any ‘un-natural’ ingredients, be they synthetically produced or in ‘purified / isolated form’. Natural should be as close as possible to the way it is found in nature.

That is not to say one should not use Vitamin E as a principal ingredient in a cream, but it should not be of a synthetically derived form. Wheat germ oil, for example, is very high in Vitamin E and contains many other phyto-chemicals, which are nourishing to the skin.

At Wildcrafted Herbal Products we choose to define natural as ‘the way nature created it’, so we prefer not to use isolated natural ingredients. Instead, we choose to use ingredients from plant extracts, essential oils, carrier oils and other extraction processes according to Naturopathic principles, which preserve the integrity of the plant or relevant plant parts.

I hope this clarifies some of the confusion that is propagated in the media about AHA’s and provides you with information you can use when next looking at ingredients on
natural skin care products
.

About The Author

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

Wildcrafted Herbal Products’ natural skin care range is suitable for men and women and contains only pure, natural ingredients, formulated according to Naturopathic and Aromatherapy principles.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter - it’s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.

© Copyright: Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2005

There’s almost nothing more irritating than buying a lot of expensive cosmetics and finding out after you get home that you don’t like them. You can protect your wallet from this drain by trying out free cosmetic samples first.

You don’t have to throw money down the toilet any more. Trial offers for free cosmetic exist online. With just a little investment of your time, you can get freebies to help you better choose what’s right for you.

Cosmetics companies and other manufacturers want you to have freebies so they can build a fiercely loyal customer base. It does a company no good if you get home and find out your perfume stinks or the color on the package didn’t match the shade inside. What’s even worse for them and for you in this situation is that most stores won’t take the items back once they’re opened. But, thanks to trial offers for free samples online, those worries could be a thing of the past.

Why not try before you buy? Go ahead and take advantage of the offers available online from manufacturers. Even better, you can receive great free stuff or make extra money for completing the offers!

To take advantage of free cosmetic samples online or other offers for free product samples, just look at the list below and decide what you’re interested in. To get the good freebies, you might have to invest a little bit of your time by completing offers, but the money savings in the long run makes the time investment pale in comparison.

You can:

Get free cosmetic samples, learn more about other freebies, find out about offers that reward you for completion with free money or free merchandise, learn how to get free stuff and/or money for shopping online.

The only thing standing between you and getting free stuff online including free cosmetic samples is a little bit of your time. Manufacturers want to know what you think and they want you to become a customer for life by providing you with products that make you happy.

So, sign up with a rewards program today and get paid cash or receive free stuff for accepting offers including free cosmetic samples.

Sherri Lonon is a successful author and publisher of http://www.1st-in-rewards.com

Great tips on receiving free merchandise and money from top online rewards programs.

(c) Copyright 2004, http://www.1st-in-rewards.com. All rights reserved.

Publishing Guidelines: You may freely distribute or publish this article provided you publish the whole article and include the copyright notice and links in full. A courtesy copy is requested upon publication.

We all see it . . . business markets are trying hard but continue to be flat, easily scared, and “frozen in the headlights,” - - - primarily maintaining, and definitely not building. Workforce attitudes suffer from a steady flow of negative global and economic events, career disappointments, and the constant threat of being laid off. Customers are struggling to identify their path forward, which in turn makes it even more difficult for any business to determine their own plans for the future. The fear of post Enron scrutiny on business leaders and organizations is ever present. When will the “upturn” come?

In response, it seems companies are moving forward on the back of very conservative and “tactical” decisions and day-to-day activities. Why? Because they are much safer, and not as likely to be second-guessed. “Winning big” has become much less of a focus than not losing big! Unfortunately, tactical approaches focused on day-to-day survival versus a bigger picture do not prepare companies for the future, nor do they capture the immense value that is inherent in times of great change, uncertainty and disruption. And the longer this goes on, the more steep and slippery the slope on which they reside becomes! But again, when will the “upturn” come?

Sad news . . . the general upturn that many are hoping will arrive to “save them” is not coming. It will be up to each and every company to uniquely and quickly use every part of the current business environment they face to literally create their own upturn!

For a company to create and continuously advance their own business upturn, they will need to amass the full knowledge, talent, experience and capabilities of their organization and in certain cases introduce some outside influences to:

Identify the “what, where and when” of their current environment while

Simultaneously identifying “exploitable discontinuities” and related new mountain tops for the future, and then . . .

Develop short, mid and long-term commitments and plans that tactically harvest the most out of today without compromising placement for success tomorrow.

Below are some steps that can help companies quickly accomplish this:

1. Identify the “upturn team” and include:

“Quiet leaders”, “unsung heroes”, and possibly a “cynic” or two.

Those involved with the current situation at a management / tactical level.

New employees (and especially those from other industries or companies).

Business development, market research, “future minded” personnel (internal or external).

Those who are feeling the most “stress” from the current circumstances such as:

Functional leads
Strategic management
Vendors who supply clients
Customer support/feedback centers of knowledge
Financial stakeholders

2. Challenge the “upturn team” to fully:

Define and validate the current conditions with facts, not anecdotal conclusions.

Identify and understand the conditions that drive the current situation.

3. Analyze the causal source of the conditions, their interrelationships, and identify patterns, trends, future “points of change” and impacts, potential market “backlashes”, new opportunities, etc. and focus on the “critical few ” items that will have the greatest potential to create upturn value.

4. Brainstorm and develop “value scenarios” that optimize the near and medium term with a view toward maximizing the long term.

5. Coordinate value scenarios with infrastructure development plans and financial capability to identify and eliminate “barriers to success” and validate return on investment before beginning.

6. Communicate the vision and the tactical details as they apply to each participant to create a constant “call to action” for successful implementation.

7. Compliment and encourage what people start, and enthusiastically celebrate what they finish!

Fear, uncertainty, and lack of ownership often inhibit participation, creativity and expression of thoughts and ideas. It is usually beneficial to utilize internal or even external facilitators to overcome these concerns. In so doing, companies often find they have created a “process” for thinking strategically AND tactically to ensure the “upturn” created becomes a company way of life, versus a one-time event!

Copyright 2003, PBK Communications. All rights reserved.

Susanne Rothschild
The Rothschild Corporation
410 Merrymount Court
Katy, TX 77450
WEB SITE: http://www.managementtrainingconsultant.com
OFFICE: 281-395-8709

Management / Organizational Consultant with extensive domestic and international experience in strategic human performance consulting helping organizations realize bottom line results aligned with business objectives.

Gregory (Greg) M. Harms
PDQ! International, Inc.
14415 Dracaena Court - Suite 200
Houston, TX 77070
WEB SITE: http://www.pdqintl.com
OFFICE: 281.374.0135

Program / Management Consultant with specialized ability to help identify and incorporate an organization’s vision of success into focused business planning, process and organizational development, meaningful financial reporting, and effective execution and delivery.

Why the Jews?

This question has been asked throughout the ages without any definitive answer. Thus, it behooves us to first take a look at some previous attempts and understand where they fail. Previous attempts take a look at any number of possible causes individually; one at a time. There are six primary commonly proffered causes which are: economic, ‘the chosen people’, scapegoating, deicide, being outsiders, and racial inferiority. Authors will typically try and focus on one cause at a time and find some time in history when it was absent and anti-Semitism persisted and thus disprove it as a cause. The flaw in any such analysis is the result of perceiving anti-Semitism as a single-cause effect.

Like so many things in the world, anti-Semitism is a multi-causal effect. That is, you can’t remove any one cause and remove the effect of anti-Semitism. Human height is determined similarly, as a multi-causal (polygenic) trait. There are many genes (units of inheritance) that determine human height, all of which interact with one another. Thus simply turning off one gene for human height has complicated effects on the overall resulting height of any given person. This multi-causal type analysis must be applied to anti-Semitism in order to yield any meaningful results.

Anti-Semitism should be conceived as a tree of causes and effects. At the root of that tree is a societal need for an underdog. What started the tree growing was one of the proffered causes: ‘the Chosen People’. I’m reminded of the story my father tells from his youth. He went around the neighbourhood proudly announcing that he was Superman. One of the older boys decided to challenge his claim and threw him straight over a fence saying: “If you’re Superman, let’s see you fly!” My father landed face first in the dirt laying his claim to rest.

Like the older boy was to my father, the Roman Empire was the challenger to the Jewish empire’s claims of being the chosen people of God. The Roman Empire conquered many peoples throughout its existence, but none with the ‘pomp and circumstance’ embodied in the ‘Judea Capta’ coin, coined to celebrate the victory of the Roman Empire over the ‘Chosen People’.
(http://www.bible-history.com/sketches/ancient/judea-capta-medal.html)

The defeat of the Jews at the hands of the Romans set off a host of effects which themselves, historically, also became causes of anti-Semitism. As a dispersed people we were outsiders in the many countries of the Diaspora. Persecution of outsiders and using such people as scapegoats is a side effect of the predatory instinct. The ‘proud’ lion of the animal kingdom doesn’t attack the leader of the pack wildebeest but instead attacks the weakest of the herd. Likewise in human relations, we tend to pick on the people with the least chances of mounting an effective reprisal. Thus we see that the chosen people quickly became the people of choice when it came to choosing a scapegoat.

Recall in grade school, that there was always that one kid that the rest of the kids chose to pick on. Once the group had decided that s/he was the ‘one’, there was very little that the bullied kid could do about it. So too is the story of the disenfranchised Jews. This brings us to the next proffered cause of anti-Semitism that is deicide, that is, killing Jesus. Tom Harpur in his book, “The Pagan Christ” discusses the advent of Christian dogma. The authors of the gospels were left with a choice as to whom to pin the blame for the death of Jesus on. Given that they were living in a Roman dominated world, and were wary of further ruffling the feathers of the Roman eagle, they chose to pin the blame on the Jews who were incapable of offering a defense. This incipient pattern of scapegoating the Jews for any number of problems would be repeated time and again throughout history.

Jealousy of Jewish successes and wealth is another commonly offered explanation of anti-Semitism. As a scattered and shattered people, our choices of employment were few in the Diaspora. Throughout the middle ages, excluded from the feudal and manorial systems, they were relegated to be artisans, traders and moneylenders. In a forced separation of the Jews and the secular world, the Jews developed high intellectualism in the study of the Holy Torah, the sole survivor of our former glory. This penchant for developing intellectualism in isolation is, at once, our strongest and weakest characteristic. Nonetheless, the Jews developed economically valued skills by virtue of our intellectualism and our forced experiences as moneylenders. This accounts for our disproportionate contributions and participation in lucrative economic realms.

Finally, we deal with the anti-Semitic accusations that the Jews are of a ‘lesser’ race. This is best exemplified by Hitler’s use of Hegel’s precepts of euthanasia. Hegel mutated Darwin’s work to allow for the application of ‘natural selection’ to human populations. This pseudo-scientific theory allowed the Jews to be viewed as ‘less fit’ than other races, and the horrors of the Second World War that followed. To any rational being, any such race based attacks fail immediately, since the Jews are a people encompassing many races. However, the purpose of anti-Semitism is to allow for a scapegoat people. In order to do that, humans must circumvent their natural empathy for fellow humans, by reducing them in status. Thus it is necessary to see the Jews as a lesser race in order to make way for blaming them for any conceivable need. Thus when it comes to categorizing a people, it is necessity, rather than logic, that is the mother of invention.

Another cause for anti-Semitism, not commonly discussed, is historical disadvantage. As far as labels go, they tend to stick. If “all the world is a stage” as the Bard suggests, then the Jews are typecast as the underdog. This suggests that were we able to remove all the multi-causal causes of anti-Semitism, anti-Semitism would persist due to a deep-seated societal need for underdogs, with Jews as the long favoured choice. It will always be possible to find reasons to hate the underdog as long as the need for the underdog exists.

Thus, the only solution to anti-Semitism is to eliminate the societal need for an underdog. How does one eliminate the need for an underdog? I leave you to the privacy of your own thoughts where the answer resides.

About the Author

Martin Winer is a Jewish author interested in social issues.
By day, he’s a Computer Scientist, developing http://www.rankyouragent.com/

Autoresponders: Clinically Proven To Increase Sales (Part 1)
by Adam Kling © 2001
http://www.mybizhosting.com
http://www.myservlethosting.com

You’ve no doubt heard several reasons why you should use
autoresponders in your marketing efforts. But are you aware
that there is actually a behavioral trait within most people
that causes them to react to autoresponders? Why do they
work and how can you use this information to your benefit?

You may be familiar with a behavioral analysis called “DISC”.
It takes a scientific approach to breaking down individual’s
observable behavior. Each letter in the acronym DISC stands
for a type of behavior. What is interesting is to look at
where the majority of people fall within this standard.

Over 40% of our population falls into the category called
Steadiness. Let’s look at a few of the characteristics of
this type of behavior to see why autoresponders work so
well and how to improve their effectiveness even more!

Those who fall into the Steadiness category have the
following general traits:

They value:

* harmony
* closure
* security
* structure
* loyalty

They are:

* detail oriented
* heavy into gathering information to make decisions
* low risk takers

Are you beginning to see a pattern?

Also, Steadiness types require a certain manner of
communication. They need you to be patient, provide a
logical approach, show how solutions benefit them, give
clear definitions, and eliminate the risk.

If we take out the key traits here, we’ll see the reason why
autoresponders work so well. If written properly automated
messages offer structure, detail, risk elimination, show the
benefits and - above all - allow the buyer to take his/her
time in making the decision without forgetting about you.

It is the fact that 40% of the population - the majority -
fall into this category that explains the overwhelming
response you receive when using well-written autoresponder
messages.

In Part 2 of “Autoresponders: Clinically Proven To Increase
Sales” I’ll explain how you can use autoresponders in your
business and several simple techniques you can use to make
your autoresponder messages work far better.

###

Adam is the CEO of MyBizHosting. To view a detailed outline
of his services including unlimited FREE autoresponders with
every account rush down to http://www.mybizhosting.com now.
MyBizHosting also offers a reseller program - Earn money for
referring the most flexible and advanced host on the ‘Net
to your friends, associates and customers. Java fans… be
sure to visit http://www.myservlethosting.com.

If you ask most people for the value of their home the response
you receive will probably be much higher than the market value,
a projection of the price the home should bring when the real
estate market is competitive and open. This occurs because some
people have a difficult time separating the emotions for their
home from the actual value and tend to include improvements/cost
of repairs, which do not add value to the property.

The property may be difficult to sell if too high a price is
asked. Potential sellers may opt to look at similar houses with
lower prices forcing seller to eventually lower the price below
what the market can handle. You’ll only get what your house is
worth if it matches what the buyer is willing to pay. Every
seller wants to get as much money as he can for his property,
for this reason a systematic method clear of judgment must be
used to reach a selling price that is competitive. This method
also gives the seller room to negotiate. You can do this or hire
a real estate agent to do it for you. Following is an outline of
how you can determine the list price of a property.

The asking price of a property is called the list price. How do
you determine what your house is worth? The list price should be
made only after the comparison of at least three similar
properties (which have been sold or are currently on the market)
to the property to be sold has been made using mathematical
calculations (comparable market analysis, CMA). The ideal
properties to use as comparisons are those exactly like the
house to be sold but because no two properties are alike similar
properties are used. The properties to be compared should be
similar to the one to be sold and should presently be on the
market, have sold within a year or as close to this time frame
as possible.

The more time between the sale the less valuable the
information. When creating comparables certain features must be
included: size, location, type of construction, age, design,
number of bedrooms/baths, garage, date of sale, sales price,
market lifespan, type of financing used, and the motivation of
the seller.

Once the features to be compared have been identified research
the cost of the features, make a legend for each feature
(bedroom BR, hardwood floor HF), and create a data table with
the information (see next page). After the data table is
completed and analyzed, list the properties in order from most
similar to least. Compare the features of your house to those of
the others. Select the one most similar to yours. If the more
similar comparable has more features, then your price should be
less but if it has fewer features your asking price should be
more.

Sample Table and Legend (Data table includes houses that have
not sold. Remember to proceed with caution when using prices of
homes yet to be sold.) Bedroom =BR Hardwood Floors = HF Wooden
Deck = WD Fireplace = FP Porch = PO Bath = B Garage = G Age = AGE

Address BR HF WD FP PO B G AGE Property 1 Yours 3 X X X
2.5 X 15 Properties Sold 123 S Main St 3 X X X X 2.5 X 12 21
Saunders Ln 2 X X X 1.5 X 14 12 Lee St 3 X X X 2.5 X 10 New
on Market 10 Turnkey Pl 2 X X X 1.5 X 20 15 Shephard Rd 3 X
X X 2.5 14 Address List Date List Price Sales Date Sales Price
122 Main St March, 05 126,900 June, 05 123,000 12 Lee St Jan,
05 121,000 April 05 117,900 10 Turnkey Pl Feb, 05 123,500 Mar,
05 120,000

A list of properties to be used can be obtained by contacting a
local real estate office for information on closed sales or
using the internet to access closed listings of a multiple
listing service. Choose homes closer to the area of the house to
be sold, preferably the same neighborhood. If the neighborhood
does not have similar properties to use, branch out to
surrounding neighborhoods. Stay as close to the area as possible
because houses several miles away may be similar in physical
appearance but because of the location may have a value greater
or less than yours.

Using comparables to obtain the listing price of your house is
very valuable but an understanding of the market is essential to
setting a final listing price. The real estate market fluctuates
between being hot, medium, and cool.

A hot market brings with it more buyers than sellers. This
market creates motivated buyers who might be willing to overlook
certain issues relating to the house and you, the seller, have a
greater chance of receiving your asking price. Sometimes the
market has many buyers and sellers. In this medium market a
buyer has more choices and may choose the best condition house
with similar featuresbuyer’s advantage. A cool market is not
good news for the seller because in this market there are more
houses for sale than buyers. In this type market buyers can be
more selective because of the variety available. Once the
decision has been made to sale a house, a comparative market
analysis (CMA) should be used when setting the list price
together with an understanding of the type market your area is
currently in and its possible impact on the list price. Together
the use of these tools will help you determine list price that
is competitive.

We are all affected by humour. The Webster’s Dictionary definition of humour is “a normal functioning bodily semi fluid or fluid (as the blood or nymph).” I have no clue what this means, but to me humour is something funny. I kind of liked the part about the nymph, but the rest of that definition is lost on me.

The first recorded occurrence of humour was found on the cave walls of Lascaux. Sometime in 1957, Archaeologists unearthed a carving, primitive in construction, of a black guy, a Jewish guy, and a Polish guy walking into a bar. The punch line is no longer decipherable, but cultural anthropologists have speculated that, since these carvings were made in France, it is likely that the three bar patrons were refused service by obnoxious waiters. This illustrates the fact that different cultures have different conceptions of what is funny.

For example, there is a type of humour which is often referred to as “British,” this is most likely because it comes primarily from Great “Britain.” British humour usually falls into two categories: funny and weird, or stupid and weird. Both types more often than not involve men dressing as women, a device which, like the metric system, has been imported into American comedy with varying degrees of success. It never ceases to amaze me that this is considered to be the pinnacle of humour.

An analysis of British comedy provokes some key questions: How does British humour fit into the larger cultural framework? If there is a God, and he is merciful, then why does ‘Benny Hill’ exist? Is it possible to enjoy a Monty Python film if you watch it with someone who insists on saying every line along with the actors? Do all those people who refer to Shakespeare’s ‘comedies’ truly think that his stuff is funny, or are they just embarrassed because they don’t get it either?

It is true that humour can vary according to culture, but there are some things that everyone can agree on. For example, everyone knows that there are some things which just are not funny: AIDS, the Holocaust, and any film staring Chevy Chase. Beyond this common ground there is much disagreement as to what is funny. I have witnessed, first hand, many otherwise sane people who find Jim Carrey to be intensely humorous. While I am willing to allow that a man who makes funny faces at the camera is amusing to small children and the intellectually challenged, I have serious doubts about a society that sanctions his being paid $7 million to film two hours of fart jokes.

Ultimately, humour, much like intelligence, is about associations. If you combine two elements that people wouldn’t normally associate, like chocolate and peanut butter, or Tony Blair and ethics, then you’ve said something humorous. “Cows and scientology.” That’s funny. Don’t ask why, but it is. So learn to appreciate the humour that surrounds you, because laughter, like radiation, brightens our lives. And laughter lasts much longer.

David Stockdale is a man without an agenda. He uses his writing as a tool to express ‘his’ opinion in a world all too often concerned only by the voice of the majority.

Cash back credit cards are a fantastic way for you to make some
cash, while spending on your credit card, though it does only
suit the customers who pay their bill in full at the end of each
month.

A cash back credit card will give you the chance to earn as you
spend, as a percentage is returned to you on an annual basis for
every pound that you have spent. This is usually set at between
0.5% and 2% depending on how generous the credit card lender is
and as I have said already and will say again, I cant stress
enough at being able to pay off your credit card statement in
full each month, is the only way that a cash back credit card
will work for you.

If you are a borrower then cash back credit card’s will only
cost you, even though you will be earning a little back, you
will find that this will be eaten up and more by the interest
charges, which are usually on a higher scale of APR.

By not incurring the interest payments, then every pound that
you spend on the card will see a little winging it’s way back to
you and if you do pay your credit card bill off in full and
never have worries about doing so, then why not switch to a cash
back credit card, if you don’t already have one, as there are
only a few ways in which you can get money from a credit card
lender, rather than the many ways in which they abstract cash
from us.

There is a word of warning that will come with this though, if
you decide that you want to balance transfer a amount from your
existing credit card company on to a cash back credit card, then
you should try and avoid this, in fact avoid it altogether, as
any payments you make to the credit card will only go on to pay
the amount transferred and interest will only mount up on any
purchases that you have made on the credit card, which will
leave you paying back more than the cash back card is making you.

There are a few good deals on the go right now, with the Amex
Blue cash back card the Amex Platinum and the First Trust Bank
cards worthy at a look if you decide that a cash back credit
card is for you.

So if you have a clear statement at the end of each month then
go for it and make that bargain in the sales save you even more
cash.

Regular maintenance of your vehicle will extend its life perhaps well beyond what you or others may think is its normal lifespan. Today’s cars can easily top the 100,000 mile mark with many cars on the road exceeding 150,000, 200,000, even 250,000 miles. Ask owners of high mileage cars how they got to that point and most will point to their own rigorous and disciplined maintenance schedules as being the chief factor. By carefully and diligently following a maintenance schedule, you can extend your vehicle’s life too. Let’s take a look at several important maintenance steps you must take in order to avoid costly repairs and to help you hold onto your vehicle longer.

Regular oil changes - The 30 minute oil change specialists recommend that you change your oil every 3,000 miles or three months, while some manufacturers state you only need to change your oil once every 7,500 miles or six months. Opt for more frequent changes than lengthy manufacturer recommended intervals, but change your oil [and oil filter] every 3,000 miles if your car is subject to hard driving.

Change your air filter - Your engine will run better and cleaner if you change your air filter at least once per year; more so if you do a lot of “stop and go” driving or put on many more miles per year than average.

Rotate your tires - Evenly wearing tires will help ensure that your car stops properly and stays on the road. Have your brakes and shocks inspected too to avoid potential handling and control issues.

Transmission fluid - Your transmission isn’t guaranteed to run forever. Change your fluid at manufacturer recommended intervals, generally once every 30 or 60 thousand miles. Neglect it and face costly repairs and potentially fatal [to the car] consequences.

Drain the radiator - Periodically draining the radiator and replacing the antifreeze will help flush out rust and dirt particles that can clog up your cooling system. When the coolant’s rust inhibitors get used up then corrosion will show up within the radiator as well as in the engine block

Change the spark plugs - Some manufacturers have installed long life spark plugs meaning that changing spark plugs once every 60 or even 90 thousand miles or more is a possibility. Keep in mind that the longer your spark plugs sit in place, the more difficult it may be to remove them later. Optimally, replacing your spark plugs once every 30 thousand miles is ideal.

Examine your exhaust system - Your muffler, catalytic converter, and remaining exhaust system parts can wear out. A poorly functioning exhaust system saps your engine of needed power.

Wash and wax - Yes, your car may mechanically run well, but if the body falls apart, then what do you have left? Regular washings and a once a year wax job should do the trick.

Other stuff - Replace your battery, fuel filter, PCV valve, belts, and hoses as needed and every other part that wears out. Sensors come and sensors go; usually you will only have to replace your knock or oxygen sensors if and when a problem arises.

Ultimately, refer to your manufacturer’s repair book for guidelines as to when to perform maintenance. The key to extending your vehicle’s life is in doing the maintenance when needed to head off costly repair bills. Otherwise you will be neglecting your car to the point where it “dies” prematurely.

You can extend the life of your vehicle. If you aren’t up to the task, hire a qualified mechanic to service your vehicle regularly.

Matt Keegan writes for The Parts Bin, a retailer of high quality

K&N filters,

EBC brakes, and

Husky floor mats available to you at deeply discounted prices.

Are you finding loan availing difficult just because you could not pay off some debts in time? Your requirements of finance can, in fact, be met easily once you opt for UK bad credit secured loans. Lenders offer you UK bad credit secured loans for all of your needs including home improvements, paying for education or wedding expenses, enjoying a holiday trip or even for paying off previous debts.

Lenders provide UK bad credit secured loans to borrowers who are willing to offer any of their property as collateral with the lenders. The collateral may consist of home, car, valuable papers or any other property that has sizable equity in it. The collateral serves the purpose of giving a sense of security to the lender about the loaned money. In case of a payment default from the borrower, lender can raise the loan amount by selling the collateral. The equity is of great help in deciding the loan amount and lower interest rate. Larger the equity, larger will be the loan amount and lowered the interest rate on it. So, when availing greater loan, put property like home, which always has big equity, as collateral. However, keep the loan amount to immediate needs to avoid incurring bad debts again.

Being a secured loan, the borrowers can avail larger amount. Normally lenders provide UK bad credit secured loans in the range of £5000 to £75000. The loan can be repaid in comfortable duration of unto 25 years. Though longer duration helps in gaining a financial recovery, still carrying the loan for maximum term is not advisable as it would leave little money for other expenses. Larger repayment term may also result in higher outgo on total interest paid on the loan.

Despite bad credit, borrowers avail bad credit secured loans at lower rate of interest because of the security the lender gets in the form of the collateral. Like other secured loans this one also is availed at 2-3 percent lower than unsecured loans.

The loan may be availed at further cheaper interest rate when borrowers apply to the lenders online and are flooded with loan offers having different interest rates. Choose the loan package that suits you the best.

That very credit report of yours should also be improved. Can you pay off easy debts? That will improve credit report substantially and your credit score may go nearer to the acceptable mark of 620 which is taken as safe for providing loan.

Bad credit is no more a hurdle in taking secured loan. A good preparation before finalizing the loan deal will serve the borrower better.

After having herself gone through the ordeal of loan borrowing, Natasha Anderson understands the need for good quality loan advice. Her articles endeavor to provide you the wise counsel in the most elementary way for the benefit of the readers. She works for the UK secured loan web site UK finance world. To find a Secured or unsecured loan that best suits your needs visit http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.uk