Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Don't be ugly http://bit.ly/beBA1F Comparison of photo attractiveness by camera/smartphone brand and make
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
About Online Currency Conversion and Currency Converters
There are many options on the web for currency conversion. Here are some available currency converters for reference.
Search Engines e.g. Google
Most search engines comes with its own currency converters, however, you will need to buffer 10% discrepancy or shortfall should you exchange money from money changer in your country. The reason being whatever it is reported on search engines are real-time figures, and normally there is lapse period between reported figures online and the money changer. The money changer would have gotten the currency at much earlier timing in different rate than reported.
Yahoo! Finance provides currency converter. It is easily accessible as you can see from Yahoo! Finance homepage. It is user friendly as it allows you to invert currency as and when needed and it provides a chart of currency fluctuations over a period of time for reference.
MSN Money has currency converter under Investing. However, you need to click on several pages before you get to currency converter tool. You would need to select Money, followed by Investing and finally Currency rate to access currency converter page. The quotes are delayed for 60 minutes. It is not real-time.
Banking Institutions
All banks provide online currency rates for your own conversion. It is a hassle as you will need to do your own calculations based on the amount that you need. However, it is the most accurate, especially if you want to do online fund transfers such as telegraphic transfer or inter-banks debit.
The rates reported at all bank websites are the rates that you will be buying or paying, excluding administrative fees. One disadvantage is not all currencies found in the world is available in bank websites. Only major trading currencies such as United States dollars, Euro, British Pounds, your home currency, and some other commonly traded currencies will be available.
XE-Universal Currency Converter
This is the commonly used currency converter to obtain exchange rate or to convert currencies that are unavailable in bank websites by many corporate companies and multi-national companies based on my working experiences. This is the most sought for currency converter for exchange rates and most relied for in reporting your expenses in local currency. The difference is normally 3-5% between reported and actual spent. i.e. when you receive your monthly credit bill for your overseas expenditures.
Search Engines e.g. Google
Most search engines comes with its own currency converters, however, you will need to buffer 10% discrepancy or shortfall should you exchange money from money changer in your country. The reason being whatever it is reported on search engines are real-time figures, and normally there is lapse period between reported figures online and the money changer. The money changer would have gotten the currency at much earlier timing in different rate than reported.
MSN Money has currency converter under Investing. However, you need to click on several pages before you get to currency converter tool. You would need to select Money, followed by Investing and finally Currency rate to access currency converter page. The quotes are delayed for 60 minutes. It is not real-time.
All banks provide online currency rates for your own conversion. It is a hassle as you will need to do your own calculations based on the amount that you need. However, it is the most accurate, especially if you want to do online fund transfers such as telegraphic transfer or inter-banks debit.
The rates reported at all bank websites are the rates that you will be buying or paying, excluding administrative fees. One disadvantage is not all currencies found in the world is available in bank websites. Only major trading currencies such as United States dollars, Euro, British Pounds, your home currency, and some other commonly traded currencies will be available.
XE-Universal Currency Converter
This is the commonly used currency converter to obtain exchange rate or to convert currencies that are unavailable in bank websites by many corporate companies and multi-national companies based on my working experiences. This is the most sought for currency converter for exchange rates and most relied for in reporting your expenses in local currency. The difference is normally 3-5% between reported and actual spent. i.e. when you receive your monthly credit bill for your overseas expenditures.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
10 Tips to Avoiding Internet or Online Scams
If you or someone you know has been online for any length of time, it's almost a given that you would have come across an internet or online scam, or even a old con that's just been given a new lease of life on the internet.
Basically when something is a scam, they give you the exact opposite of what they promised you. So don't be conned! Always keep these questions at the back off your mind when you go on the internet.
To lessen the risk of, and even avoid, being the unwitting victim of an online scammer, there are also several things you can do to investigate the claim.
First of all, do you know what you are doing, or are you just caught up with your emotions? Always use your hard cold logic and common sense before acting, especially when paying money is involved.
Do a whois on the domain name and find out when and to who it was registered. Domains which are recently purchased should set your scam alert warning bells ringing!
Ask for references or testimonials; if the company is legitimate, then they will definitely send you details and references from their satisfied clients. You should always ask since you have nothing to lose.
If you are dealing with large sums of money, always check with the state’s Attorney’s Office to see if the company has a received any sort of complaints.
Do a Google search on the product and company.
For example: if the product is "XYZ Cash Gifting", then search Google for "XYZ Cash Gifting Scams", "XYZ Cash Gifting Complaints" and "XYZ Cash Gifting Reviews". Always check other buyers' reports before taking further action! Other good sites are ripoffreport.com and scam.com
Make sure the review or complaint is legitimate. A lot of unethical advertisers and marketers use “unbiased" review tactics to "scam" honest visitors in order to make sales.
Check in with the National Fraud Information Center. You can reach them at 1-800-876-7060. They provide a lot of valuable resources about all forms of scams.
You should be wary of pyramid schemes. They still exist and a lot of people still fall for this. If you are asked to send money to ten people, who each send money to ten other people, and goes on, this is ILLEGAL.
If you encounter a site or ad that says you won a prize or money then think twice. Remember the old adage: there is no free lunch.
Be wary of good offers that you've received by email. Lots of people still fall prey to email scams. Don't ever click on any unfamiliar links in your email unless it is someone you can trust and communicate with regularly. If you can, check with them that the link they sent you was intended.
Is there a guarantee or refund policy in place? Do they have a complaints or support section for customers? If it is online, go through the reports throughly.
If you still think that it is just too much to resist, and that you have to make a purchase, then at least pay for it by credit card or Paypal. If you are not fully satisfied with the product after purchase, please make a quick call (and email) to your bank and do a “charge-back". Also, when entering your financial information on the payment processor, make sure it is a secure connection. The domain should have “https://” on instead of just “http”. Never give out your credit card details (especially by email).
Basically when something is a scam, they give you the exact opposite of what they promised you. So don't be conned! Always keep these questions at the back off your mind when you go on the internet.
- Does the offer promise you money that seems too good to be true?
- Is the promised Rate of Return (ROI) too high for that industry?
- Do it use manipulative emotional tactics (fear of loss, urgency, greed) to try and persuade you to make an impulse buy?
- Do they have a physical mailing address (non PO Box) or contact number?
- Do they have a variety of legitimate payment methods?
- Does it ask you for money and tell you to in your personal detail to enter into draws for prizes and such?
To lessen the risk of, and even avoid, being the unwitting victim of an online scammer, there are also several things you can do to investigate the claim.
First of all, do you know what you are doing, or are you just caught up with your emotions? Always use your hard cold logic and common sense before acting, especially when paying money is involved.
Do a whois on the domain name and find out when and to who it was registered. Domains which are recently purchased should set your scam alert warning bells ringing!
Ask for references or testimonials; if the company is legitimate, then they will definitely send you details and references from their satisfied clients. You should always ask since you have nothing to lose.
If you are dealing with large sums of money, always check with the state’s Attorney’s Office to see if the company has a received any sort of complaints.
Do a Google search on the product and company.
For example: if the product is "XYZ Cash Gifting", then search Google for "XYZ Cash Gifting Scams", "XYZ Cash Gifting Complaints" and "XYZ Cash Gifting Reviews". Always check other buyers' reports before taking further action! Other good sites are ripoffreport.com and scam.com
Make sure the review or complaint is legitimate. A lot of unethical advertisers and marketers use “unbiased" review tactics to "scam" honest visitors in order to make sales.Check in with the National Fraud Information Center. You can reach them at 1-800-876-7060. They provide a lot of valuable resources about all forms of scams.
You should be wary of pyramid schemes. They still exist and a lot of people still fall for this. If you are asked to send money to ten people, who each send money to ten other people, and goes on, this is ILLEGAL.
If you encounter a site or ad that says you won a prize or money then think twice. Remember the old adage: there is no free lunch.
Is there a guarantee or refund policy in place? Do they have a complaints or support section for customers? If it is online, go through the reports throughly.
If you still think that it is just too much to resist, and that you have to make a purchase, then at least pay for it by credit card or Paypal. If you are not fully satisfied with the product after purchase, please make a quick call (and email) to your bank and do a “charge-back". Also, when entering your financial information on the payment processor, make sure it is a secure connection. The domain should have “https://” on instead of just “http”. Never give out your credit card details (especially by email).
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Tips on Exchanging US Currency for Foreign Currency
When you are visiting another country for business or for pleasure, you will likely need to obtain some of the local currency.
There are a huge range of places from which you can exchange foreign currency. These include banks, travel agents, foreign exchange businesses and airport kiosks. All of these providers offer similar services and so the deciding factors for which to use will depend on convenience, risk and the charges they make.
Currency fluctuation is not likely to be a major consideration for most short stay visits. It is unlikely that currency fluctuations will be large over a relatively short period of time. Nevertheless, when this does occur, its affects can be quite considerable. There are three main ways in which currency conversion rates might fluctuate:
1. There may be a steady and gradual decrease in the value of the foreign currency against that of the US dollar. This might be because the US is doing well and its currency is appreciating. It could also be that the currency of the country you are visiting is decreasing because of economic difficulties. Maybe a combination of both.
Whatever the reason, if the currency is effectively becoming cheaper to buy on a day by day basis, then you are likely to benefit from buying your currency as late as possible. This would mean buying the currency in the country you are visiting, unless charges negate any currency fluctuation gains.
2. There may be a steady and gradual increase in the value of the foreign currency against that of the US dollar. This might be because the US is economically challenged and its currency is depreciating. It could also be that the currency of the country you are visiting is increasing because of good economic performance. Maybe a combination of both.
Whatever the reason, if the currency is effectively becoming more expensive to buy on a day by day basis, then you are likely to benefit from buying your currency as early as possible. This would mean buying the currency in America before you travel.
3. It is possible that, if you are visiting a country that is economically unstable, such as Zimbabwe in recent times, there could be a sharp devaluation of that country's currency. In this case, it would be much better to leave buying your currency to as late as possible.
Having decided whether to buy in the States or the country you are visiting, you then need to decide from whom to purchase the currency. Where to exchange will depend on the evaluation of a number of factors including:
1. The best deal, taking account of exchange rates offered by the provider and any other charges that they levy. It is usual for there to be a slight difference between providers in the rate at which they sell the currency. This helps to cover their administrative charges. Some will levy a minimum fee, particularly if you are exchanging only a little amount of currency.
2. Whether or not there is free exchange of monies back into US currency. If you wish to buy currency before you leave America, there is the possibility that you buy more currency than you will need. In that case you will want to change the money back on your return. Look for a provider who will offer to exchange left over foreign currency to dollars at no charge. There are some about.
3. availability of other services with a discount if currency purchased at the same time (or better exchange rates if buying travel insurance for example). There are a range of offers that might be made, and it is worth considering these packages as some significant savings can be made.
For sheer convenience and the ability to take just the amount of money you need, it is often useful to simply draw funds direct from your bank account from local ATM machines. This will provide you with the amount of foreign currency you need, as you need it.
It is unlikely that you will be left with any significant amount of foreign currency to change back if you use this method. However, remember that this is not often the best rate that you could get.
There are a huge range of places from which you can exchange foreign currency. These include banks, travel agents, foreign exchange businesses and airport kiosks. All of these providers offer similar services and so the deciding factors for which to use will depend on convenience, risk and the charges they make.
1. There may be a steady and gradual decrease in the value of the foreign currency against that of the US dollar. This might be because the US is doing well and its currency is appreciating. It could also be that the currency of the country you are visiting is decreasing because of economic difficulties. Maybe a combination of both.
Whatever the reason, if the currency is effectively becoming cheaper to buy on a day by day basis, then you are likely to benefit from buying your currency as late as possible. This would mean buying the currency in the country you are visiting, unless charges negate any currency fluctuation gains.
2. There may be a steady and gradual increase in the value of the foreign currency against that of the US dollar. This might be because the US is economically challenged and its currency is depreciating. It could also be that the currency of the country you are visiting is increasing because of good economic performance. Maybe a combination of both.
Whatever the reason, if the currency is effectively becoming more expensive to buy on a day by day basis, then you are likely to benefit from buying your currency as early as possible. This would mean buying the currency in America before you travel.
Having decided whether to buy in the States or the country you are visiting, you then need to decide from whom to purchase the currency. Where to exchange will depend on the evaluation of a number of factors including:
1. The best deal, taking account of exchange rates offered by the provider and any other charges that they levy. It is usual for there to be a slight difference between providers in the rate at which they sell the currency. This helps to cover their administrative charges. Some will levy a minimum fee, particularly if you are exchanging only a little amount of currency.
2. Whether or not there is free exchange of monies back into US currency. If you wish to buy currency before you leave America, there is the possibility that you buy more currency than you will need. In that case you will want to change the money back on your return. Look for a provider who will offer to exchange left over foreign currency to dollars at no charge. There are some about.
3. availability of other services with a discount if currency purchased at the same time (or better exchange rates if buying travel insurance for example). There are a range of offers that might be made, and it is worth considering these packages as some significant savings can be made.
For sheer convenience and the ability to take just the amount of money you need, it is often useful to simply draw funds direct from your bank account from local ATM machines. This will provide you with the amount of foreign currency you need, as you need it.
It is unlikely that you will be left with any significant amount of foreign currency to change back if you use this method. However, remember that this is not often the best rate that you could get.
Friday, September 17, 2010
How to: Tips on Getting Cash while on Vacation in a Foreign Country
It is crucial to effectively manage your budget and spending habits while traveling in a foreign country, although you do want to have more than enough cash to have a good time and still take care of emergencies.
Knowing how to properly get and use cash money and how to purchase items and services when traveling in a foreign country can save you a lot of money and make your trip less frustrating. There are many methods to withdraw some cash while in a foreign country and some methods cost more than others. Some ways to get cash in a foreign country can be frustrating or dangerous.
I have lived in and traveled to several foreign countries for years and have determined the best ways to get cash and manage money while traveling in a foreign country.
This article is geared toward those traveling in a foreign country, for those who are living or wish to live in a foreign country, the strategies for getting and saving cash are different.
Forget travellers checks. They might have been useful years ago, but now with ATMs available almost everywhere and the instantaneous electronic linking of banks world-wide, travelers checks have become cumbersome and obsolete.
Use your ATM card. Look on the back of your ATM card and make sure it has either the PLUS logo or the CIRRUS logo. Most ATMs world-wide accept both of these systems. When you arrive at the airport or train station of your new country, go to the nearest ATM and withdrawal cash.
The advantage of this method for getting cash as opposed to the currency exchange booth is that you will get a much better exchange rate.
The disadvantage is that you may have to pay an ATM fee. Also, before you travel, ask your bank what fees will be levied against your card for using an ATM. For example, VISA charges a 1% fee for all cash you withdrawal from a foreign ATM.
In my experience, the fees you pay at the ATM are not nearly as much as the fees at a currency exchange booth, especially ones at an airport. Currency exchange brokers at an airport charge a very high rate because they know that travelers entering their country need money. By searching around town and paying attention to the rates at other, off-the-beaten-path brokers, you can find a much better rate.
If you can properly manage your money during your trip, however, you may never need to go to a currency broker.
A few words on exchange rates. An exchange rate has two prices. The Bid price, or buy price, is the price at which you buy a currency. The Ask price, or sell price, is the price at which you sell back the foreign currency. The difference between the two is called the Bid/Ask spread. The "tighter" the Bid/Ask spread, meaning the closer together those two prices are, the better exchange rate you are getting.
Let's say the currency of Country X is trading at a rate of $1 (US Dollar) = 1.49/1.51. If you have $100 and you want to buy X currency, you will get 149X. If you were to immediately sell back that money to get dollars again, you would not get back your full $100, because you only have 149X and you need 151X to get $100.
Don't be confused if you see a rate expressed the other way around, meaning 1X = $0.66/$0.67. In this case, the Bid/Ask prices are the opposite of the first example. If this seems confusing, just remember that when doing your calculation, whichever number results in you getting paid less money, that's the correct number. In addition, some brokers might even charge you a high flat fee just for using their services.
In the above example of $1 = 1.49X/1.51X, the Bid/Ask spread is 2 cents. At an airport you might see an even worse spread, i.e. $1 = 1.40X/1.60X. In this case, a 20 cent spread is horrible and you will be giving the broker a lot of your money.
Banks trade currencies with other banks around the world all the time, and they exchange millions of dollars with each other. The banks give each other a good rate. This is called the Interbank Rate, and it might look something like $1 = 1.4999X/1.5001X. In this case, they are giving each other a one-thousandth of a cent spread. When you use an ATM or credit card, the bank is passing along to you this very good exchange rate.
If you use your VISA card or VISA ATM card, you will be charged 1% of however much money you spend or withdrawal. Call your bank to make sure the bank is not tacking on an extra percentage. A good bank should not charge you any extra percentage to take out money at an ATM.
However, some bad banks might charge an additional 3% on top of what VISA charges. If your bank does this, and you travel a lot, then you need to switch banks. If you don't travel often, then you can probably suck up the extra cost for one short trip.
Foreign countries do not use or accept credit cards nearly as much as in the U.S. In the U.S., I will charge a 50 cent cup of coffee to my credit card. In most foreign countries, you can use your credit card at big chain stores and fancy restaurants only. For anything local, they will not accept it. You will need cash. When going to the ATM, try to anticipate how much money you will need over a given period of time and withdrawal the maximum that you are allowed. This will minimize the affect of the ATM fee, if you are charged one. In addition to the ATM's fee, your home bank might charge you a flat fee each time you use a foreign ATM.
This is even more reason to go to the ATM as few times as possible and withdrawal as much money as possible. If you don't feel safe carrying around that much cash, you can lock it up in the hotel safe. Your personal safety is not part of this article. This article is only about how to get the most bang for your buck when changing money in a foreign country.
Try to anticipate exactly how much you will need. Use you credit card when you can. If you over-estimate the amount of cash you need, you will be stuck with the foreign currency. If you know you aren't going to be revisiting that country anytime soon, you will need to visit an exchange broker to get U.S. dollars back and you will lose some money on the bid/ask spread.
Before leaving for your trip, take a look at the historic exchange rate of the past month or so. This website provides a chart for many currencies: www.x-rates.com. People can win or lose a lot of money with currency exchange rate speculation.
As a traveler, you shouldn't play that game, unless there is a very obvious trend. If the foreign currency is going in a clear path from bottom left to top right, then you can assume it will continue to increase and you should withdrawal as much money right away as you can.
If it is in a obvious path down, then you can wait to withdrawal a larger sum of money until a day when the rate is lower. To do this, you must pay very close attention to the daily rate. If you don't feel comforable with this method, don't try it, you won't save yourself that much money by doing this, but you can save some.
The only time I would recommend getting the foreign currency while you are still in the U.S. is if you are going to a place where you know there will be no facilities for getting the currency as soon as you arrive at your destination.
For all main locations of tourism, you can find an ATM waiting for you at the airport. When you are out and about on vacation, be careful not use any ATM that is stand-alone or looks like it has a false front. These might be fake ATMs set up to take your money. Use only ATMs that are installed in the side of a brick or concrete building or inside a bank or airport.
Knowing how to properly get and use cash money and how to purchase items and services when traveling in a foreign country can save you a lot of money and make your trip less frustrating. There are many methods to withdraw some cash while in a foreign country and some methods cost more than others. Some ways to get cash in a foreign country can be frustrating or dangerous.
I have lived in and traveled to several foreign countries for years and have determined the best ways to get cash and manage money while traveling in a foreign country.
This article is geared toward those traveling in a foreign country, for those who are living or wish to live in a foreign country, the strategies for getting and saving cash are different.
Use your ATM card. Look on the back of your ATM card and make sure it has either the PLUS logo or the CIRRUS logo. Most ATMs world-wide accept both of these systems. When you arrive at the airport or train station of your new country, go to the nearest ATM and withdrawal cash.
The disadvantage is that you may have to pay an ATM fee. Also, before you travel, ask your bank what fees will be levied against your card for using an ATM. For example, VISA charges a 1% fee for all cash you withdrawal from a foreign ATM.
In my experience, the fees you pay at the ATM are not nearly as much as the fees at a currency exchange booth, especially ones at an airport. Currency exchange brokers at an airport charge a very high rate because they know that travelers entering their country need money. By searching around town and paying attention to the rates at other, off-the-beaten-path brokers, you can find a much better rate.
If you can properly manage your money during your trip, however, you may never need to go to a currency broker.
A few words on exchange rates. An exchange rate has two prices. The Bid price, or buy price, is the price at which you buy a currency. The Ask price, or sell price, is the price at which you sell back the foreign currency. The difference between the two is called the Bid/Ask spread. The "tighter" the Bid/Ask spread, meaning the closer together those two prices are, the better exchange rate you are getting.
Let's say the currency of Country X is trading at a rate of $1 (US Dollar) = 1.49/1.51. If you have $100 and you want to buy X currency, you will get 149X. If you were to immediately sell back that money to get dollars again, you would not get back your full $100, because you only have 149X and you need 151X to get $100.
Don't be confused if you see a rate expressed the other way around, meaning 1X = $0.66/$0.67. In this case, the Bid/Ask prices are the opposite of the first example. If this seems confusing, just remember that when doing your calculation, whichever number results in you getting paid less money, that's the correct number. In addition, some brokers might even charge you a high flat fee just for using their services.
In the above example of $1 = 1.49X/1.51X, the Bid/Ask spread is 2 cents. At an airport you might see an even worse spread, i.e. $1 = 1.40X/1.60X. In this case, a 20 cent spread is horrible and you will be giving the broker a lot of your money.
Banks trade currencies with other banks around the world all the time, and they exchange millions of dollars with each other. The banks give each other a good rate. This is called the Interbank Rate, and it might look something like $1 = 1.4999X/1.5001X. In this case, they are giving each other a one-thousandth of a cent spread. When you use an ATM or credit card, the bank is passing along to you this very good exchange rate.
If you use your VISA card or VISA ATM card, you will be charged 1% of however much money you spend or withdrawal. Call your bank to make sure the bank is not tacking on an extra percentage. A good bank should not charge you any extra percentage to take out money at an ATM.
However, some bad banks might charge an additional 3% on top of what VISA charges. If your bank does this, and you travel a lot, then you need to switch banks. If you don't travel often, then you can probably suck up the extra cost for one short trip.
Foreign countries do not use or accept credit cards nearly as much as in the U.S. In the U.S., I will charge a 50 cent cup of coffee to my credit card. In most foreign countries, you can use your credit card at big chain stores and fancy restaurants only. For anything local, they will not accept it. You will need cash. When going to the ATM, try to anticipate how much money you will need over a given period of time and withdrawal the maximum that you are allowed. This will minimize the affect of the ATM fee, if you are charged one. In addition to the ATM's fee, your home bank might charge you a flat fee each time you use a foreign ATM.
This is even more reason to go to the ATM as few times as possible and withdrawal as much money as possible. If you don't feel safe carrying around that much cash, you can lock it up in the hotel safe. Your personal safety is not part of this article. This article is only about how to get the most bang for your buck when changing money in a foreign country.
Try to anticipate exactly how much you will need. Use you credit card when you can. If you over-estimate the amount of cash you need, you will be stuck with the foreign currency. If you know you aren't going to be revisiting that country anytime soon, you will need to visit an exchange broker to get U.S. dollars back and you will lose some money on the bid/ask spread.
As a traveler, you shouldn't play that game, unless there is a very obvious trend. If the foreign currency is going in a clear path from bottom left to top right, then you can assume it will continue to increase and you should withdrawal as much money right away as you can.
If it is in a obvious path down, then you can wait to withdrawal a larger sum of money until a day when the rate is lower. To do this, you must pay very close attention to the daily rate. If you don't feel comforable with this method, don't try it, you won't save yourself that much money by doing this, but you can save some.
The only time I would recommend getting the foreign currency while you are still in the U.S. is if you are going to a place where you know there will be no facilities for getting the currency as soon as you arrive at your destination.
For all main locations of tourism, you can find an ATM waiting for you at the airport. When you are out and about on vacation, be careful not use any ATM that is stand-alone or looks like it has a false front. These might be fake ATMs set up to take your money. Use only ATMs that are installed in the side of a brick or concrete building or inside a bank or airport.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Ancient Hieroglyphs in Temple of Seti I show a helicopter, submarine, etc http://bit.ly/azQaAs It's on Wikipedia too (see Abydos, Egypt)
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
House for SALE! Need a home *near* RGPS? You won't do any better than Hillcrest Villa. Agents welcome http://bit.ly/a1gjWF
Thursday, September 2, 2010
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