Healthy Financial Habits

The demand for gold in India has recently risen as the Indian rupee has appreciated. With a stronger rupee gold become cheaper to buy. The gold spot demand has been on the rise for the past five sessions. Indias gold prices rose above Rs 17000 on Monday conforming to Healthy Financial Habits prediction of a rise in the price of gold. Early Monday morning we estimated a rise of Rs 95 by the end of the week to end at Rs 17900. We apologize for the typo but we are estimating the ending price this week to be around Rs17,000

The United States dollar has been falling off due to recent data released by the department of labor showing higher than expected job loss for the month of December. The news caused the dollar index to fall giving rise to the Indian rupee, boosting it to its strongest point in 15 months. With a higher rupee gold is cheaper to purchase.

In the past year India has imported an estimated 350 tonnes which is 150 tonnes more than expected. Gold prices had risen 25% during 2009 as the US economy weakened.

As of Tuesday, 7:00am gold hovering at 1717.15 INR 995/g

Check back with Healthy Financial Habits every Monday morning for your weekly gold price predictions. Here you will find current news, information and investment strategies that will assist you in making financial decisions. It is important to remember that consulting with a quality financial adviser is always recommended prior to making personal financial decisions.

Author: Greg Jackson

Are you one of the many people out there that currently receives governmental assistance such as food stamps or government housing? Perhaps you are not receiving government assistance but have an income less than 135% below the poverty guidelines. If you meet either one of these criteria, you may qualify for a free cell phone with approximately 65 minutes of airtime per month.

Safelink wireless is a cell phone provider operated by Tracfone that receives funding through the universal service fund. The free cell phone that you would receive is given to recipients by Tracfone. Safelinks roots originate nearly 20 years ago when the lifeline program was created. The lifeline program was set up by the FCC to insure that low income individuals and families had affordable access to telecommunications by offering them a discount on their landline service.

Tracfone took the concept of lifeline and converted it into the 21st century by extending the free land line service to cell phones. They took the allowed dollar amount per month through the lifeline program and converted it into cell phone air time. This conversion equates to approximately 65 airtime minutes per month.

Individuals who recieve the free cell phone then have the option to buy additional minutes through safelink. This is where Safelink makes their money by selling additional minutes to their customers. Airtime cards for the service are currently not available specifically for the safelink phone however, you can use Tracfone minutes purchased at retailers such as Walmart, Walgreens, Target, CVS, Eckards, Radio Shack, or Riteaid. You can also purchase airtime online directly through the Tracfone website of by calling their 800 number.

The Safelink program has recently been scrutinized by people and referred to as the “Obama Phone”. This myth has been busted by Healthy Financial Habits. As mentioned in a previous article the Safelink phone was created prior to the Obama administration. President Obama had nothing to do with this program.

The Safelink wireless phone can be beneficial to those individuals who truly need a phone for emergency situations such as the elderly. Elderly people who receive government assistance also need quick access to a phone if they have to dial out in the case of an emergency. The phone has also helped younger job seekers by allowing a point of contact for potential employers to call. It is difficult for an employer to contact an individual if they do not have phone service.

Author: Greg Jackson

Check back with Healthy Financial Habits every Monday morning for your weekly gold price predictions. Here you will find current news, information and investment strategies that will assist you in making financial decisions. It is important to remember that consulting with a quality financial adviser is always recommended prior to making personal financial decisions.

If you are looking for a fairly sweet deal on a cash back credit card that also offers a 0% introductory rate then you may want to consider the BankAmeicard Power Rewards Visa Signature card from Bank of America. Currently, Bank of America is offering an introductory APR of 0% for the first 7 to 10 billing cycles. The 0% APR applies to purchases, balance transfers or direct deposits only.

As for rewards, the BankAmericard gives you 3 points for every dollar that you spend in categories such as gas, grocery, and drug stores. The triple points rewards is only good for the first 6 billing cycles. You will also receive one point for all other purchases.

Once you have accumulated your rewards points Bank of America offers several ways to spend your point. They can be used for travel, hotels, gift certificates, merchandise and many other areas. If you prefer, you can trade your points in for cold cash. You are able to start cashing in once you have reached 2,500 points and your points have no limits.

With identity theft on the rise Bank of America offers a great feature on the BankAmericard and all other cards that they issue. They call the fraud protection service “Total security protection”. This service protects against any fraud out unauthorized use of your card. Best of all it comes standard and is free.

One more feature of this card is its no annual fee. More and more banks are now starting to charge an annual fee because of recent legislation that went into effect just a few days ago.

Finally, once your introductory APR expires your Variable rate APR will be between 12.99% and 20.99%

Author: Allen Dukes

Check back with Healthy Financial Habits every Monday morning for your weekly gold price predictions. Here you will find current news, information and investment strategies that will assist you in making financial decisions. It is important to remember that consulting with a quality financial adviser is always recommended prior to making personal financial decisions.

One of the most important things that you can do is to monitor your credit report. Monitoring your credit report is the only way that you are going to catch errors that will affect your credit score. It is good practice to pull your credit report each year or every six months. If you are about to make a large purchase such as a house or car it would be a good idea to check your report long before you try to obtain financing. With so many companies out there that offer a credit report and credit score which one should you choose?

You are entitled to one free credit report per year from the three credit reporting agencies – Equafax, Experian, and TransUnion. There are three ways to obtain your annual credit report which is by mail, phone, or the annual credit report website.

There is one website that the staff at Healthy Financial Habits found to be useful. annualcreditreport.com seems to be the most useful and free service out there. At this website you are able to view and print your credit report every 12 months.

Once you have received your free credit report you should print it out and take a look over it. You will notice that each account that you have open or has recently been closed is listed along with their address and phone number if available. The TransUnion report will list information such as your last reported balance, what date it was updated, highest balance, past due payments, payment status, what day you opened the account and what date it was last paid. You will also notice different colored boxes corresponding to your account status. Each month creditors and lenders report whether you paid your account on time or late. The corresponding color box will appear for each month. If your credit report has all green Oks then you are good to go.

Take a look over you report and investigate any late payments or closed accounts. It is common for lenders and creditors to make mistakes. If you notice any suspicious activity on your report or have questions about a late payment you must immediately contact the account in order to take corrective action and save your credit score.

Author: Mike Smitt

Check back with Healthy Financial Habits every Monday morning for your weekly gold price predictions. Here you will find current news, information and investment strategies that will assist you in making financial decisions. It is important to remember that consulting with a quality financial adviser is always recommended prior to making personal financial decisions.

Do you have bad credit and need cell phone service? Perhaps you would like to give way a cell phone to someone who is elderly and does not realize the importance of having a cell phone for emergency use. Maybe you are currently locked into a contract with a service provider that seems to jack your bill up each month with hidden fees and charges.

When it comes to pre paid phone service it is hard to top what straight talk from Tracfone has to offer. This prepaid cell phone company offers just two plans. It is as plain and simple as that. The first plan gives you 1000 minutes, 1000 text messages, 30 MB (about 300 pages) of mobile web access and free 411 calls. Straight talk offers all of this for only $30 per month. The second plan offers unlimited everything and is only $45 per month.

With either plan you have to choose one of their phones. Certain phones work in specific areas so be careful when choosing your phone. Phones can range in cost anywhere from $59.99 on up and include your first refill card for free. (If you order from the website). The phones that they offer are not poor quality cheap phones. They offer features such as mobile web browsing, camera, Bluetooth, flip phones, and slider phones.

I am an advocate of the prepaid Straight Talk phone after realizing how much money I have been throwing away each month to my service provider. I was able to get the same coverage with more text messages, minutes, data use, and free 411 calls for about $25 less per month than what I was paying my previous provider.

The Straight Talk phone operates on a prepaid basis. This means that you pay for your minutes (last for 30 days) up front and talk until your 30 days are up or your minutes expire. If you use the $30 plan your minutes do not roll over each month. Once your 30 days are up you must renew your service.

Renewing your service is easier than ever. You can refill your phone on the internet each month or choose to have your phone auto refilled. If you are not very computer savvy you can choose to purchase a refill card from retailers such as Walmart. You are not obligated to refill your phone every 30 days. You can allow your phone to cut off then reconnect service whenever you are ready.

Healthy Financial Habits recommends this phone to just about anyone out there that is tired of other cell phone companies charging outrageous rates for service that sometimes does not work. Several of our readers have commented on this product praising it for value and effectiveness.

Author: Allen Dukes

Check back with Healthy Financial Habits every Monday morning for your weekly gold price predictions. Here you will find current news, information and investment strategies that will assist you in making financial decisions. It is important to remember that consulting with a quality financial adviser is always recommended prior to making personal financial decisions.

Next week we will celebrate the life of one of the greatest African American civil rights leaders in the United States. Martin Luther King Day 2010 will be celebrated on Monday January 18, 2010. Every year we celebrate this holiday on the third Monday of January.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15th 1929. He grew up in Atlanta Georgia where he attended a segregated school system. He earned his bachelors degree in 1948 from Morehouse College which is the same college that his father and grandfather earned their degree. He later received his doctorate degree in 1955 from Boston University.

King is best known for his contribution to the civil rights movement. He served on the executive committee for the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). Perhaps his most famous contribution to the American history was his “I Have a Dream” Speech to a crowd of 250,000.

Other accomplishments in his life include being president of the Southern Leadership Conference, directing the march on Washington, receiving 5 honorary degrees and being named the Man of the year in a 1963 issue of Time Magazine. He was also the youngest recipient of the noble peace prize.

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the evening of April 2, 1968.

Let’s remember Martin Luther King this January 18th for all of his contributions and bravery that has led us to where we are today. He fought for equal rights and inspired many other African Americans to step up and continue to fight for equal rights.

Author: Mike Smitt

Check back with Healthy Financial Habits every Monday morning for your weekly gold price predictions. Here you will find current news, information and investment strategies that will assist you in making financial decisions. It is important to remember that consulting with a quality financial adviser is always recommended prior to making personal financial decisions.

It’s a new year and you want to make a fresh start with new furniture. The only problem that you have is that you credit is not the best. Don’t let your credit worries stop you from getting thing furniture that you need in the New Year. Renting to own furniture may be an option that you have never considered.

Renting to own from furniture rental companies such as Rent A Center can be a way to get the things that you need with bad credit because they do not check your credit score. Perhaps one of the most frustrating things that could happen is picking out the furniture that you want only to find out that you do not qualify because of your credit, debt, or income. Renting to own eliminates this fear by bypassing all credit checks. All you have to do is show that you have a source of income and are able to pay for what you are trying to buy.

Rent to own businesses not only offer furniture, they also offer electronics such as big screen televisions, computers, stereo equipment, and gaming systems. They have appliances such as washers and dryers, microwave ovens, and even ranges.

Most companies offer free delivery and pickup. This is perfect if you are on the go and do not have time to hassle with moving household furnishing. After you pick out the items that you would like in your home a delivery truck will soon drop the items off and in most cases set them up for no additional charge.

Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of renting to own is the fact that you are able to make flexible payments. Not everyone is paid once a month or every week. Rent to own businesses usually offer the option to make small weekly or biweekly payments instead of one large monthly payment.

One argument that many people make about rent to own centers is how all of their merchandise is overpriced after financing charges. People who make this argument fail to realize that many customers pay off their purchases within a couple of months and avoid the hefty finance charges. Renting to own can be a bit on the expensive side if you choose to make the smallest payment possible and stretch it out for as long as possible.

Author: Carla Kessler

Check back with Healthy Financial Habits every Monday morning for your weekly gold price predictions. Here you will find current news, information and investment strategies that will assist you in making financial decisions. It is important to remember that consulting with a quality financial adviser is always recommended prior to making personal financial decisions.

If you are looking for a credit card with low or no interest then you have come to the right place. Healthy Financial Habits regularly checks out the latest credit card deals that card companies have to offer. 0% interest introductory cards are usually available to those with good or excellent credit. If your credit is good then you should not have a problem obtaining one of these cards. Here are some zero interest credit cards that we came across.

The Chase Freedom card offers up to 12 months at 0% APR. In addition you will receive a $50 cash back bonus as soon as you make your first purchase. This card offers 3% cash back on certain categories such as gas, department stores, and home improvement stores. In addition you can earn 1% cash back on everything else. This card is offered only to those with excellent or good credit.

Citi bank offers the Citi Platinum Select card with also a 0% introductory rate for the first 12 months. This card carries no annual fees and the Citi Identity theft solutions. Although this card does not offer any cash back options you can rest assure that your account is safe with $0 liability on unauthorized purchases.

The Capital One no hassle miles reward card comes standard with 0% APR on purchases until December of 2010. This card is perfect for the traveler because it offers 1 mile for every dollar that you spend and 2 miles for every dollar that you spend each month over $1,000. This card has no annual fee and the miles do not expire or have limitations.

Discover more gives you more with a 0% introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles. In addition you can earn cash back bonuses on categories such as home improvement, gas, travel, department stores etc. You will also receive 1% on everything else.

The Slate card from Chase has no annual fee and 0% on purchases for the first 12 months. This card is an excellent guard against identity thieves because if offers patented fraud protection, zero liability on unauthorized purchases and email and text alerts. In addition this card has Blueprint to help you manage your finances.

Credit card deals are out there. Look around and find the credit card that best fits your needs and apply. Right now would be a great time to apply for that new credit card before legislation that just went into effect causes credit card companies to raise their standards even higher than they already are.

Author: John Zinsky

Check back with Healthy Financial Habits every Monday morning for your weekly gold price predictions. Here you will find current news, information and investment strategies that will assist you in making financial decisions. It is important to remember that consulting with a quality financial adviser is always recommended prior to making personal financial decisions.

Earning 5% on a checking account in not only amazing by also realistic. In today’s competitive banking industry banks are constantly looking for ways to entice people into giving them cash. One incredibly effective way to draw people in is to offer them awesome rates such as 4% -5% on new reward checking accounts.

Check around with your local community and state banks. You may have never heard their name before or may question their validity but they are most likely going to be FDIC insured so don’t worry. Most of these smaller banks offer the same great features as the larger banks with more of a personal experience.

It seems as if they all offer a similar deal on interest bearing checking accounts. You basically accept the fact that you have to create an online banking account and accept an online statement opposed to a paper statement in the mail. In addition you have to make somewhere around 10 debit card transactions and 1 ACH transfer or direct deposit per statement. Since most of us have direct deposit and perform more than 10 transactions per month there is really no major hoops that you have to jump through.

There are however two disadvantages of using an interest checking. First, is the fact that many small community and state banks want you to live in the state or county that their bank is located. You will find very few that will take on an account out of their area. The second disadvantage of using an interest checking accounts is the fact that if you do not meet the requirements each month you will not be paid the stated interest rate. They will usually pay you somewhere between .01% and 1%

An interest checking account form a community or state bank can be an excellent place to park your spare cash for emergency use. Check around your area to find the best rates. Before signing up take a quick look at your banks financials for signs of potential failure in the immediate future. Always go with a bank that is FDIC insured.

Author: John Zinsky

Check back with Healthy Financial Habits every Monday morning for your weekly gold price predictions. Here you will find current news, information and investment strategies that will assist you in making financial decisions. It is important to remember that consulting with a quality financial adviser is always recommended prior to making personal financial decisions.

Temperatures have been brutally cold in recent weeks, especially in the south east. As temperatures continue to drop, your heating system is working overtime to keep you and your family comfortable inside when temperatures dip down into the teens outside. With a constantly working heating system it is no wonder why heating repair businesses are staying busy. It has been reported by many repair businesses that they are having difficulty keeping up with the rise in demand for unit repair.

So you think that you heating unit is not working? One common mistake that homeowners with a heat pump make is calling a repair service too soon. When its cold outside they notice that the temperature in their home is dropping and the system is having a difficult time because it is running constantly and putting out very little heat. They immediately pick up the phone and call for help without knowing how a heat pump system is designed to work.

Briefly, a heat pump system is a heat exchanger system designed to gradually warm or cool a home. In the summer time refrigerant flows in one direction carrying heat from the inside of a home to the exterior and dispersing the heat through the condenser on the outside of the house. The refrigerant is then returned to the interior evaporator unit in your home and the cycle continues on. In the winter time your heat pumps refrigerant flows in the opposite direction having the opposite effect.

With moderate temperatures a heat pump is effective and efficient. As temperatures drop below freezing heat pumps lose their efficiency and effectiveness. Because of this, heat pumps have auxiliary heat strips built into the unit. You will know when the heat strips are activated because you will receive an unusual blast of hot air often followed by the smell of burning dust. These heat strips are often activated whenever your household temperature drops below a certain threshold. (Usually 3-5 degrees below the set temperature.)

Before you pick up the phone to call the repair guy first understand that your unit may be a heat pump unit and this is usually normal. The last thing you want to do is call for help and have someone come out only to tell you that your system is in normal operation and waste both your time and theirs.

Author: Greg Jackson

Check back with Healthy Financial Habits every Monday morning for your weekly gold price predictions. Here you will find current news, information and investment strategies that will assist you in making financial decisions. It is important to remember that consulting with a quality financial adviser is always recommended prior to making personal financial decisions.