What is a MLM Business and What You Need to Know About Them

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Looking to improve your situation by starting your own business?

As you’re doing your research you may run across some amazing claims by potential business operations that promise you the ability to work for yourself while selling great products.

The old mantra of “if it is too good to be true, it probably is” should raise a red flag in your head.

When an individual or business claims they’re going to make everyone rich and successful, you are probably speaking to someone involved in an MLM business scam.

What is a MLM Business?

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Romney Chooses Paul Ryan to Be His Vice Presidential Candidate and Links

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Mitt Romney announced Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential candidate in the run for the White House this year.

The move is a savvy one — Paul is popular with the tea party, Romney is more mainline Republican.  It is sizing up to be quite the race and as always, quite the nasty one with Super PACs spending millions of dollars on misleading advertising.

There is one guaranteed winner this fall: media outlets like radio stations and TV networks.  They’ll bring in a ton of revenue this year thanks to the election.

Not running a media outlet but still want to get ahead financially this fall?  Here are some articles to help you on your way:

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USAA Free Checking Review – No Fees and Lots of Convenience

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Looking for a new checking account with low fees and great customer service?

Take a serious look at USAA Free Checking.

USAA stands for United Services Automobile Association.  The firm was started in 1922 by 25 service members that came together to insure each other’s vehicles.  It is a financial services company with our nation’s military and military families at its core.  The firm has grown to serve more than 8 million members and offers a wide variety of banking and insurance products.

Being able to use USAA’s financial services is only available to the select few who have either served in the military or their family members.  This keeps the company focused on its mission and enables them to offer unique products.

If you qualify, you should definitely consider using them for your banking and insurance needs.

That said, certain products, like checking and savings, are available to everyone.  And that’s great news for you!

Why USAA Free Checking?

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US Olympians Pay Tax on Winning Medals and Links

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There’s been a bit of an uproar in the financial media about US Olympians being taxed for winning medals in their competitions.

The tax kicks in because the US Olympic Committee pays $25,000 for a gold medal, $15,000 for silver, and $10,000 for bronze.  This money is considered income and is then taxed by the US government regardless of where the income is earned.  Other countries do not tax their medalists and in some cases pay them even more.

Do you think it is fair to charge tax on Olympic earnings?

If you know an Olympian that needs some financial advice, here are some tips:

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How to Improve Your Credit Score Fast

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Having a good credit score impacts many areas of your life: the interest rates you pay on debt, your car insurance rates, and what types of credit card offers you get in the mail.

If you find yourself with a poor credit score, but have a need to improve it quickly, there are a few tips you can try.

However, the only true way to drastically improve your score is to use debt responsibly for a long period of time.

What Goes Into a Credit Score?

Before you can improve your credit score you need to know what exactly goes into your credit score in the first place.  Once you know what goes into the credit score you can work to make changes in those specific areas.

credit score factorsWe have a full post that dissects what goes into your credit score, but here’s a brief breakdown:

  • 35% – Payment History
  • 30% – Amounts Owed
  • 15% – Length of Credit History
  • 10% – New Credit
  • 10% – Types of credit used

How to Improve in Each Credit Score Area

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London Summer 2012 Olympics Have Begun and Links

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The Olympics kicked off on Friday night with great fanfare.

Thousands of spectators, teams, and athletes have flown across the pond to compete and witness the games at great financial cost.  London has spent billions of dollars to host the games in hopes of reclaiming that money in the future from tourism, use of the created venues, and tax revenues from development around the new complexes.

Here are some great financial tips this week that you might find useful even if you didn’t go to the Olympics:

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Best Gear to Rock a Mobile Office

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Not too long ago your office was a physical space with a heavy desktop computer, a fake wood desk, filing cabinets, and maybe even a Secretary named Ruth.

In the digital age your office is wherever you currently are.

Sure, you might need a physical space somewhere, but with all of the mobile technology available you can get a majority of your work done wherever you are.

Best Gear for a Mobile Office

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US Facing Worst Drought in Several Decades and Links

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Will the summer heat ever wane?

Blistering heat has encompassed a majority of the United States.  The drought we are currently experiencing is being called the worst drought since 1956.  This will surely impact food prices as the basic economic principal of supply and demand kick in.  With less supply due to crops failing, and normal demand, food prices should go up.

Preparing for rising costs in any part of life is important.  Here are some articles to help you get better with your finances:

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Olympic Athletes Often Below Poverty Line and Links

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With the 2012 Olympics about to start I found something very interesting in a CNN Money article this week.

In “Olympic athletes face financial hardship“, writer Charles Riley informs us that American Olympians are often earning little or no money from their athletic endeavors.  Unlike other countries that sponsor and pay their athletes, USA Olympians are mostly on their own in terms of income.  They have to hope to land a sponsorship deal or be at the very top of the sport to get any kind of income.

I found this quite interesting.

You see all of these amazing athletes in the top 10 or 20 in their sport in the entire world, and a majority of them on the US side aren’t making any money.  Yet the Olympic committees and broadcast companies will earn millions or billions in advertising revenue and licensing fees.

Even if you’re not an Olympian you may be struggling financially.  Here’s are few tips to get you racing in the right direction:

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How Much Is Your Total Compensation?

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In the recovering American economy some people are just glad to have any job.

But in certain sectors of the economy — information technology being one of them — unemployment is incredibly low.  That leads to many candidates receiving multiple competing offers that must be compared to each other.

Whether you are looking for your first job offer, trying to leave your current job, or need to compare multiple offers, there are some points about compensation you must be aware of before making a decision.

Your Salary is Only Part of Your Compensation

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