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ARA

Last Update Friday, May 09, 2008

Automotive (top)

Take the Headache Out of Buying a New Car
(ARA) - The end of the year is the perfect time to buy a new car. Dealers are eager to clear out old inventory so they can make room for the 2008 models, and there are deals to be had. But before setting foot on the lot, it's a good idea to know where your financing is going to come from.

Protect Yourself from Expensive Vehicle Repairs
(ARA) - Whether you're driving around in a brand new car, or one with an odometer reading closing in on 100,000 miles, there's one thing you can count on. Eventually, your vehicle is going to break down and fixing it won't be cheap.

When it's Smart to Comparison Shop for Auto Insurance
(ARA) - Does it seem like your auto insurance rates go up every time you sneeze, refill the gas tank or - the ultimate factor - add another driver to your policy? You're not imagining it; numerous factors influence the cost of your auto policy and many of them are simply beyond your control.

How Much Should You Pay for Auto Insurance?
(ARA) - How much does the average person pay for auto insurance? Probably more than they would like. Often the bill just gets accepted as a necessity and we simply write out a big check each month.

How to Save Money on Auto Insurance
(ARA) - Shopping online is an incredibly efficient way to explore different auto insurance options. Instead of sitting on the phone with agents or filling out forms on various Web sites, you provide information just once and get a variety of quotes instantly, saving you time and money.

Want Great Auto Loan Rates? Check Your Credit
(ARA) -. With auto manufacturers reporting slow sales and gasoline at record highs, anyone in the market for a new car can find some great deals. But before you hit the dealership, you should do a little homework to make sure you can get the best rate on an auto loan.

Gas Prices Rise, Your Insurance Rate Can Decrease
(ARA) - Gas prices continue to rise and many economists say there's no end in sight. You need your vehicle, so when you can't save at the pump, you need to save on other auto-related expenses.

Bad Credit? Get Car Loan Approval
(ARA) - Don't let a bad credit history hold you back from getting a car loan. There are bad credit car loans to rescue people with a less than perfect credit record. The key lies in locating a suitable lender who can explore all viable financing options.

Refinance Your Auto Loan and Ease a Tight Budget
(ARA) - Living from paycheck to paycheck can be very stressful when unexpected emergency situations happen. You have to squeeze some extra money out of your budget, but where is it going to come from? When these situations arise, auto refinancing could turn your circumstances around to your advantage.

Turned Down for an Auto Loan? There are Options
(ARA) - In the current climate of declining property values, higher interest rates, and changes in available mortgage products, more and more homeowners are becoming delinquent or going into foreclosure. Many folks are losing their hat, their home and their good credit, through no fault of their own.

Education And Careers (top)

Never Stand in Line for Postage Again
(ARA) - Does it seem like you're always in line at the post office? That's the last thing you need to deal with, especially at this time of year when there's so much to do. Whether you're a small business owner or just someone who sends a lot of mail, you'd benefit greatly from having the ability to print postage at home or work, rather than having to take all your letters and packages to the post office. So what's holding you back?

Find a Local Accountant to Maximize Profits
(ARA) - Choosing the right accountant can be the most important decision a small business can make. A good accountant is a valuable financial consultant. They can help you maximize your revenues and minimize expenses by uncovering key success factors in your business.

Considering A Career Change? Go Where The Jobs Are
(ARA) - According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, eight out of 20 occupations projected to grow the fastest are in health care. They estimate that about 19 percent of all jobs created between 2004 and 2014 will be in health care.

Culinary Careers, No Cooking Involved
(ARA) - Do you dream of a career in the culinary arts, but fear you wouldn't be able to handle the heat in the kitchen? Sweating it out as a chef isn't the only route to career success in the food world. You could opt to sip wine for a living instead.

Interested in Art? Picture This
(ARA) - If art is your passion, but you never had time to pursue it, don't put it off any longer. Whether you want to explore the arts to satisfy your soul, you're ready for a career using your talent or you just want to take up a new hobby, there is an art class for you.

Higher Education is Within Everyone's Reach Thanks to a California School
(ARA) - Want to make more money in your current job? Tired of what you've been doing and want to pursue a different career track altogether? If so, what's holding you back? For most people it's time -- specifically the lack of it.

How to Fit College into Your Busy Life
(ARA) - There is no question that college degrees generally translate into larger paychecks. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an associate degree can put an extra $6,500 per year into a typical high school graduate's pocket and a bachelor's degree is, on average, worth $19,000 per year more than just a high school diploma.

Educators No. 1 Online Graduate School Program
(ARA) - According to U.S. News & World Report, Walden University is the nation's largest online provider of graduate-level education programs, by enrollment. Over 20,000 educators have chosen Walden University's College of Education to pursue their M.S.Ed., Ed.D., or Ph.D. in Education degrees online.

Tech Degree, IT Certification or Both?
(ARA) - You're confident that an IT career is right for you. But do you need a degree or are certifications enough? Or do you need both? Those issues are at the heart of an on-going industry debate that begs the question whose job is it to provide IT students with education and whose to give them training.

Business Degree Key to Success as Your Own Boss
(ARA) - You've always dreamed of working for yourself, but scary statistics about the number of start-ups that fail in their first year have kept you behind your desk, pushing paper for someone else's profit. Yet there are a number of ways to stack the deck in favor of success when you're ready to strike out on your own, starting with getting a business degree.

Family (top)

Fishstick-free Omega-3 for Your Preschooler
(ARA) - Mary Poppins' advice to serve medicine with a spoonful of sugar may have worked for 19th century English children, but as a modern American parent you probably think your child already gets enough sugar - and then some. You're likely also aware that studies show the majority of American children do not get needed vitamins and nutrients - like Omega-3 - from diet alone.

Are You Over Paying for Auto Insurance?
(ARA) - We're increasingly relying on the Internet to research, find that great deal and add convenience to balance out our hectic lives.

Make Expensive Vehicle Repairs a Thing of the Past
(ARA) - When the dealer you bought your new car from offered a vehicle warranty, did you turn him down? If so why? Probably because you thought the coverage was too expensive and your new car shouldn't have any problems for quite some time.

Web Site Brings Disabled Community Together
(ARA) - Most young men spend their days working, hanging out with friends and doing their favorite hobbies. At age 23, Daniel Lifshen was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and found himself wondering if his future would still contain all these activities.

Dodge Caregiver Depression
(ARA) - Caregivers frequently sacrifice their own physical and emotional needs to help a family member or friend. Although done for the best possible reasons, overextending oneself may lead to feelings of depression and being overwhelmed.

Natural ADHD and ADD Relief
(ARA) - Evidence is mounting that dietary changes may help children control their Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder at least as well as Ritalin does. Evidence also shows that some dietary changes - like increased Omega-3 consumption - can also enhance learning skills in children who do not have ADHD.

Omega-3, An Alternative to Statins and Other Medications
(ARA) - If you're one of the millions of Americans who are at risk for heart disease, chances are your doctor has prescribed statins to lower your cholesterol. But is this so-called wonder drug of the 21st century doing you more harm than good?

The Comforts of Home and the Fun of Orlando
(ARA) - Visitors to Orlando, Florida, enjoy warm weather, elaborate theme parks, lush golf courses and a myriad of incredible entertainment options. It's no wonder that it is one of the top vacation destinations in North America.

Why It's Important to Have an Updated Resume at All Times
(ARA) - What would you do if tough economic times forced your company to make drastic cutbacks and, without warning, you lost your job? We're not even through the first quarter of 2008 yet, but according to the U.S. Labor Department, nearly 180,000 Americans have already fallen victim to the budget axe, the majority of them in the financial, manufacturing and construction industries.

Money (top)

Job Security Starts with a College Degree
(ARA) - The price of gas has tripled in the past decade. Rice costs have doubled in the past 6 months. These are just two examples of the increased cost of living. To deal with these changes, many people are tightening their budgets. Wouldn't it be nice to know your job is secure and you'll be making the money you need for you and your family to live comfortably?

Is Your Business Providing You With Enough Tax Savings?
(ARA) - According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a significant number of American businesses are paying excess taxes. Is yours one of them?

Hiring Sales Superstars in 2008
(ARA) - If you had to venture a guess, what would you think is the biggest challenge facing corporate America today? Yes, keeping costs down and moving inventory are big ones, but not nearly as big as the challenge of finding the right people to keep the company moving forward.

View Your Credit Reports and Scores Instantly
(ARA) - We all know the importance of having an accurate credit report and a good credit score. Still, many of us have no idea what our credit score is, nor do many people know what is on their credit report.

Eco-friendly Gifts Boost Business and Support Equality
(ARA) - With everyone going "green" and becoming more conscious of the environment and fair global trade, consumers are looking for these values in the products they buy. Wouldn't it be great if your business not only supported these initiatives, but also offered customers a way to help too?

Are You Over Paying for Homeowners Insurance?
(ARA) - Homeowners will shop around for appliances, furniture and other necessities to get the best price for the best product. But one necessity that often goes overlooked is home insurance.

Want to Save 35 Percent on Insurance?
(ARA) - Next to housing and transportation, your biggest expense is likely insurance. According to the latest Consumer Expenditure Survey released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, the average American spends 7.9 percent of their income protecting what they have.

Negotiation and Consolidation Help Eliminate Debt
(ARA) - For people with more than $10,000 worth of credit card debt, the first reaction is often to panic and the last resort is to declare bankruptcy. Between panic and bankruptcy, there are options with organizations that will help you renegotiate and consolidate debt.

How to Save Your Home from Foreclosure
(ARA) - Are you two months or more past due on your mortgage payments and sweating it out? If so you're not alone. Between the sub-prime mortgage crisis, rising interest rates and a tough economy, thousands of Americans are in the same situation, according to RealtyTrac, the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties.

Managing Your Credit Card Debts
(ARA) - Credit cards are not always a bad thing, if you are smart with how you use them. They enable us to buy items immediately, eliminate having to carry cash, and record and track purchases. Disadvantages include interest, fees, and increased impulse buying. With a credit card comes certain responsibilities, and it's never too late to be smarter.

Real Estate (top)

Bad Credit and Home Refinance
(ARA) - Mortgage rates are at historic lows, and it seems like everyone's jumping on the refinance bandwagon these days. But is it really a good idea for people with bad credit?

Who Wants To Pay Less Taxes This Year?
(ARA) - April 15 is coming, and I am sure you're feeling the pain of your tax burden. Now is the time to start doing something about it, so that this year and the years to come you are taking every legal tax break you deserve.

How to Win in Today's Housing Market
(ARA) - For all the dire news coming out of the housing market, there's a big, shiny silver lining waiting for many homeowners and home buyers. The Federal Reserve has repeatedly dropped interest rates in the past month - good news for anyone seeking a mortgage.

Find the Best Deal on Refinancing Your Home
(ARA) - Do you have a balloon mortgage that is coming due or an adjustable rate mortgage payment that has been steadily creeping up as interest rates change? Or perhaps you've had an unexpected financial hit such as a large hospital bill or a job loss that has made your current mortgage payments unreasonable. If so, refinancing your mortgage can be a great way to save money every month.

Got Debt? Explore Debt Relief Solutions
(ARA) - Everywhere you look you see news about the "credit crunch" and the mortgage foreclosure crisis and, if you're like most Americans, you're feeling the pinch too. Whether you have bills piling up, mounting credit card debt or are facing foreclosure or bankruptcy, there are solutions to help relieve the burden of your debt.

How to Sell Your Home Cost Effectively in the Current Market
(ARA) - The headlines coming out of today's real estate market are enough to give any homeowner pause - but especially hard hit have been home sellers.

Technology (top)

Frustrated by Computer Problems? There's a New Solution
(ARA) - Recently, in Berlin, Germany, a man's neighbors called the police to report him for disturbing the peace. He'd become frustrated and had thrown his computer out the window. When the police arrived, they decided not to charge the man because they said everyone has felt frustrated by computer problems at one time or another. Are you frustrated with your computer? Before resorting to drastic measures, there's a new solution you should check out.

Have you Seen the Top Five Movies?
(ARA) - Last year, the American Film Institute voted and came up with the Top Five movies. Critics debated and movie lovers everywhere weighed in, but many people found that they'd never seen the top five movies of all time.

Where to Turn for Help if Your Company Doesn't Offer Tech Support
(ARA) - When your company's software needs updating, printer drivers fail or the network crashes altogether, do you feel like you're stuck in a rowboat without a paddle? If you work for a smaller company that doesn't have a dedicated IT department, or a larger one that has experienced budget shortfalls and scaled back significantly in recent months, the answer is probably, "Yes!"

Balance Your Budget by Saving on Insurance
(ARA) - Had a major life change recently, like moving out on your own for the first time, getting married, welcoming a new baby into the family or purchasing a new car? If so, you're no doubt very busy, but don't use that as an excuse for putting off one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family.

Computer Slowing Down? What to Do About It
(ARA) - Is your computer getting bogged down? Does it often hang on the hour glass for several minutes at a time? If so, your computer is likely experiencing problems with its registry database, the operating system component that stores information about the system, application settings and hardware.

Get an Internet Filter for Peace of Mind
(ARA) - The Internet is changing the way kids learn about the world around them; but unfortunately, not always for the better. Sure the information superhighway offers easy access to information when they have questions or need to complete school reports, but unfortunately that's not all our kids are finding.

Make a Postage Meter Part of Your Home Office
(ARA) - According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of people who work at home has grown again substantially over the last decade. Approximately 4.2 million people are now doing it.

A Great Place to Turn When You Need Tech Support
(ARA) - When you're at work and experience a computer problem, you likely pick up the phone and call tech support. But what do you do if your home system crashes as you are working on a report due the next day; or worse, your teenage daughter is putting the finishing touches on a term paper?

Travel (top)

Need to Sell Your Timeshare?
(ARA) - You purchased your timeshare to spend quality time with your family and friends. You made great memories there, but now you find that you don't use it anymore. What do you do when you need to sell your timeshare?

Need Help Planning Your Destination Wedding?
(ARA) - When the former Kelly Gleason and her boyfriend, Ben, decided to become Mr. and Mrs. last year, they knew the ceremony had to be held someplace exotic. "We're the type of couple that is always looking for an adventure so we decided right away a destination wedding would be perfect for us," says Kelly.

Defy the Typical Caribbean Vacation
(ARA) - When you think of the Caribbean, the first things to come to mind are probably the sunny skies, warm tropical breezes and white sandy beaches; but Doris Pfister of Orlando, Fla., thinks you'd be even more impressed by what you don't see.

Hot Winter Travel Deals in Baltimore
(ARA) - That long dry spell between New Year's and Memorial Day is upon us. What better way to stave off the winter doldrums than with a quick vacation? Vacation destinations offer great deals to entice winter travelers, and some of the year's hottest activities - and lowest hotel rates - can be had between now and spring.

Spring Travel for Families on a Budget
(ARA) - The Outer Banks of North Carolina offer families the feeling of being a million miles away on a budget that's easy to reach -- and getting there is the easiest it's ever been.

Weddings And Style (top)

Beat the High Cost of Health Insurance
(ARA) - If you've shopped for or are currently paying for health insurance, you know that consumers are paying more than ever before for their policies. But the numbers are staggering.

The Difference Between HMOs and PPOs
(ARA) - Making sense of your health insurance options can seem like trying to consume alphabet soup with a fork. HMO or PPO? Which one is right for you?

How to Find a Qualified Plastic Surgeon
(ARA) - If you're thinking of having a cosmetic surgery procedure done, you need to find a qualified and trustworthy surgeon. Everything from liposuction and tummy tucks to breast augmentation and facelifts are serious medical procedures and consumers should select a board-certified plastic surgeon or they could pay the price.

Credit Card Debt Help
(ARA) - Ever hear of indentured servitude? It's a historical concept that means you're basically working for free to pay off some obligation (like a share cropper). Ever just make your minimum credit card debt payments every month and feel like you are just spinning your wheels? Sometimes the two seem eerily similar.

Need Help Erasing IRS Debt?
(ARA) - Do you owe Uncle Sam money? Are you struggling with IRS debts and at a loss about what to do? Don't despair, you are not alone. Many Americans owe back taxes, or cannot afford to pay their IRS debts, but there are places you can turn for help.

Time is Money: Rent a Postage Meter for Your Home Office
(ARA) - According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of people who work at home has grown substantially over the last decade. Approximately 4.2 million people are now doing it.

Criminal Investigation - A Recession-proof Career Choice
(ARA) - If you've always wanted to be the one to take down the bad guys, there's great news. According to the Department of Labor, careers in criminal investigation are looking better than ever, even with a recession looming. In fact, according to Yahoo! HotJobs, security careers, which include criminal investigators, are "recession-proof" careers.

Simple Steps that Will Slow the Signs of Aging
(ARA) - It wasn't so long ago that you were getting ready for your high school prom. Now you're an adult with a family, a career and bills to worry about. Look in the mirror. Is all the stress you're under beginning to show?