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Thursday, March 18, 2010
Natural Gas Could Go Well Below $4 says Schork
Bartels Says S&P May Rise to 1,230 After Breaching 1,150
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Jim Turk Gold Will Soar on Euro Crisis
PayPal released an update to their iPhone application
PayPal with Bump integration
PayPal released an update to their iPhone application that integrates with Bump, allowing users to transfer money simply by bumping phones. How exactly does this work?
Do immigrants to UK get priority for housing?
No wonder there's a housing shortage if those coming to the UK are jumping the queue because "They are homeless." What about British homeless?
Recorded from BBC London News, 17 March 2010.
BBC: MoD Files Reveal UFO Sightings
The British MOD UFO Files declasified (18/2/2010)
The MoD department, which has dealt with more than 12,000 reports including 135 last year - was used to assess threats posed by any Unidentified Flying Objects sightings throughout Britain.
Any reports made would now not be investigated or followed up as the hotline had been closed, a spokesman said.
UFO experts expressed anger at the decision.
Nick Pope, former UFO Investigator at the Ministry of Defence and now independent world known UFOlogist discusses the UFO Files Released by UK National Archives. Top scientists and academics attend a conference organised by the Royal Society - the UK's national academy of science.
UFOs on top scientist's agenda
Show: The Hub
Station: BBC World News
Date: February 18th, 2010
Subject: 5th Release of UK UFO MOD Documents
18th February 2010- http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/latest/2...
Flying Toblerones, mysterious illnesses and "silky-white substances" are among hundreds of close encounters described in previously top-secret files released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
More than 6,000 pages of material spanning from 1994 to 2000 holds hundreds of other-worldly experiences with unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and apparent aliens across Britain.
Aircraft of all shapes and sizes have been witnessed flying over a wide range of locations - including Chelsea Football Club and the former Home Secretary Michael Howard's home in Kent.
One man told police he was physically sick and developed a "skin condition" after an eerie "tube of light" enveloped his car in Ebbw Vale, in Wales, at 10.40pm on January 27 1997.
The file, the fifth released under a three-year project between the MoD and The National Archives, consists of 24 records of sightings, letters and Parliamentary Questions.
Highlights include a man who arrived at his Birmingham home at 4am on March 20, 1997, to discover an illuminated blue triangle hovering over his garden. The craft shot off leaving behind a "silky-white" substance on the tree-tops, which he collected in a jam-jar.
And a West Lothian electrician who spotted a "Toblerone-shaped" UFO hovering over a field. A sketch of the craft is included in the report.
Experts believe the records highlight how shapes of reported UFOs have changed over the last half-century.
Dr David Clarke, author of The UFO Files and senior lecturer in journalism from Sheffield Hallam University said: "In the 1950s the next big leap in technology was thought to be a round craft that took off vertically and it's intriguing to note that this is the same period when people began to report seeing 'flying saucers' in the sky
Iraq Oil Production Will Affect OPEC Quotas Meyer Says
OPEC Oil Output Cuts This Fall unlikely says Khelil Algerian Energy Minister
Weaker Economy May Not Support $80 Oil Says Sieminski
U.S. Stocks Advance, Sending Dow to Highest in 17 Months
Silver Falcon Mining, Inc. (SFMI) Announces April 19, 2010 Mill Production Start-Up
From this point-in-time, the Company will proceed with 4 weeks of verification of the equipment and mill commissioning. This will include final verifications, confirming that all the equipment components are mechanically sound, and that all electrical circuits function properly. This will be followed by powering-up the facility to check on the full functionality of the mill circuit.
read entire article
6 Fundamental Requirements in Opening a Free Merchant Account for a Hassle-free Application
A free merchant account is the perfect solution for most merchants who like to start accepting credit card payments. Acquiring a free merchant account is very easy as long as you meet all the requirements the bank or merchant account provider wanted.
Merchant account application and agreement
The foremost requirement in opening a free merchant account is to submit an accomplished application form. This paper contains your personal data such as name, place of residence, contact numbers and business data. You also have to attach pictures of yourself. A tax identification number and SSS are also required for proper identification as the business proprietor. Application forms differ on each merchant bank. You have to fill them up according to their satisfaction and the checking of the establishment.
Valid identification documents
Be equipped with any valid identification documents such as passport, driver’s license, voter’s ID and such. This is to ensure that no fraud is taking place.
Financial statements
Just like you are, companies that provide merchant accounts need to ensure the validity of each application. So, they will ask for your business’ financial statements. This will confirm that you are capable of paying the fees on due time and that you are in good terms with your bank or any financial institute. If your business is going on for a few years now, you have to provide the business financial statement after at least two years of service. If not then, your personal financial statement and personal tax will do. Moreover, you have to present the cash flow details, the probable average online transaction rates and the estimated conversion value.
Business documents
Documents such as your business license, seller’s permit, tax seller’s permit, and documents of incorporation are needed to open a merchant account. You must also present a voided copy of a bank account check where your money is set down. This check must have the “Doing Business As” (DBA). You also have to provide the business phone number and registered business address. This mustn’t be a P.O. Box address.
Website
Since a merchant account is applicable for online businesses, you have to give the company a URL of your valid and active website. Make sure that your website is professional-looking and has the vital policies of deliver, and secured checkout system and other fees. Verify if the domain you have is legal and accessible and it must be registered with you as the legal owner.
Payment gateway
Before applying for a merchant account, you must already have a payment gateway for your business. This is the main objective of acquiring a merchant account as it will provide assistance in the transactions done between the customer and you. It will make it easier for you to trace the due payments from your customers and clients.
The most essential qualification for opening a credit card merchant account is to meet the requirements of the bank you are applying to. There are industries called processors that help in this task. You may choose from personally going to the bank or the gate processor.
Bob Chapman all currencies will be devalued by two third
Bob Chapman : if you own bank CDs you are looking for trouble
Bob Chapman the united states will have a depression that will last for a minimum of five years and it will preceded by a hyperinflation deflation scenario , 500 banks could easily go under this year.....so do not own Bank CDs for two reason the first the government can go after them and the second the banks can go bankrupt , so what you do with your money , buy gold and silver assets , or if you have a large amount of money you can invest them in canadian or Swiss treasuries....
Bob Chapman : Get your cash out of the Banks and The Stock Market - we will have Bank Holiday and the Stock market will crash by the end of this year
Mr. Chapman also known as The International Forecaster is a 74 years old. He was born in Boston, MA and attended Northeastern University majoring in business management. He spent three years in the U. S. Army Counterintelligence, mostly in Europe. He speaks German and French and is conversant in Spanish. He lived in Europe for six years, off and on, three years in Africa, a year in Canada and a year in the Bahamas.
Mr. Chapman became a stockbroker in 1960 and retired in 1988. For 18 of those years he owned his own brokerage firm. He was probably the largest gold and silver stockbroker in the world during that period. When he retired he had over 6,000 clients.
Starting in 1967 Mr. Chapman began writing articles on business, finance, economics and politics having been printed and reprinted over the years in over 200 publications. He owned and wrote the Gary Allen Report, which had 30,000 subscribers. He currently is owner and editor of The International Forecaster, a compendium of information on business, finance, economics and social and political issues worldwide, which reaches 10,000 investors and brokers monthly directly, and parts of his publication are picked up by 60 different websites weekly exposing his ideas to over 10 million investors a week.
In June of 1991, at the request of business associates, and due to retirement boredom, he began writing the International Forecaster.
Bob Chapman : do not expect the government to guarantee your bank account , it is bankrupt
Bob Chapman on the Gold Plated Tungsten Bars Scandal
Gold Counterfeiting: German TV discovers 500g Tungsten bar from bank
Bob Chapman returns on the Tungsten Gold plated bars scandal after a German TV have found a Tungsten bar sold as gold and professionally counterfeited , Bob Chapman advises against Gold bars if you are not able to check them out very carefully , he prefers coins to barsGerman ProSieben TV Channel Finds 500 Gram Tungsten Bar At W.C.Heraeus Gold Foundry With Bank Origin
From my estimate, 500 grams (or about 17.63 ounces) of gold at spot should be about $20,000 (US) instead of just over $20 (US) that Tungsten would be worth. That’s quite a rip-off. Via Infowars
Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
March 2, 2010
German TV station ProSieben finds what appears to be some evocative proof of gold counterfeiting, in the form of tungsten gold substitutes coming to the W.C.Heraeus foundry, which is the world’s largest privately-owned precious metals refiner and fabricator, located in Hanau, Germany. The foundry has isolated at least one 500-gram tungsten bar due for melting, originating from a (so far) unnamed bank, which as the head of the foundry stated made the unpleasant discovery that “not all the glitters is gold.”
Full clip after the jump.
The Dollar Is Going to Suffer says Axel Merk
"People should have much more confidence in the euro to stomach any shock that would come from Greece," he says. "Ultimately, people can print money much [easier] in the U.S. than elsewhere in the world and the U.S. dollar is going to suffer because of that," he explained
Credit Cards vs Paypal
Bourgeois Expects Visa, MasterCard to Beat Estimates
March 17 (Bloomberg) -- Rod Bourgeois, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., talks with Bloomberg's Margaret Brennan about the outlook for Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. Bourgeois also discusses the impact of EBay Inc.'s PayPal service and other online payment systems on the credit card industry. (Source: Bloomberg)
O'Neill Is Bullish on Industrial Commodities on Demand
O'Neill Is Bullish on Industrial Commodities on Demand
March 17 (Bloomberg) -- William O'Neill, a partner at Logic Advisers, talks with Bloomberg's Betty Liu, Adam Johnson and Jon Erlichman about the outlook for commodities and oil prices. O'Neill also discusses the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' output levels and the outlook for the global economy. (Source: Bloomberg)Tuesday, March 16, 2010
U.S. Stocks Advance as Fed Pledges to Keep Rates Low
Barratt Says Gold Price May Surpass $1,200 by Year End
Bob Chapman : Banks and Insurance companies will go bankrupt , always pay in cash and get out of CDs and life insurances
Bob Chapman 2055 Banks are in trouble
Bob Chapman : never keep more than three months household operating expenses in any bank , and for a business not more than six months , businesses need to have cash flow if they do not they are stuck , pay as many bills as possible with cash , when you go to the supermarket do not use the credit card , do not use a check or some sort of other payment , pay cash ...also if you have CDs with banks get rid of them , go to gold coins and shares and if you have a lot of money you can get involved with treasuries from Canada and Switzerland , and the reason why is , if you must be in some kind of currency those currencies will stand up the best ...in the future they will be the best of the bad lot , the real answer is gold and silver related assets , also there are seven major insurance companies that are in serious trouble , there arer going to be in the future insurance companies that are going to go under , if you have cash value life policies , if you have annuities get out of them " says Bob Chapman ...you should put your money in gold and silver assets
Bob Chapman : Get your cash out of the Banks and The Stock Market - we will have Bank Holiday ande the Stock market will crash by the end of this year
Mr. Chapman also known as The International Forecaster is a 74 years old. He was born in Boston, MA and attended Northeastern University majoring in business management. He spent three years in the U. S. Army Counterintelligence, mostly in Europe. He speaks German and French and is conversant in Spanish. He lived in Europe for six years, off and on, three years in Africa, a year in Canada and a year in the Bahamas.
Mr. Chapman became a stockbroker in 1960 and retired in 1988. For 18 of those years he owned his own brokerage firm. He was probably the largest gold and silver stockbroker in the world during that period. When he retired he had over 6,000 clients.
Starting in 1967 Mr. Chapman began writing articles on business, finance, economics and politics having been printed and reprinted over the years in over 200 publications. He owned and wrote the Gary Allen Report, which had 30,000 subscribers. He currently is owner and editor of The International Forecaster, a compendium of information on business, finance, economics and social and political issues worldwide, which reaches 10,000 investors and brokers monthly directly, and parts of his publication are picked up by 60 different websites weekly exposing his ideas to over 10 million investors a week.
In June of 1991, at the request of business associates, and due to retirement boredom, he began writing the International Forecaster.
Bob Chapman : do not expect the government to guarantee your bank account , it is bankrupt
$3 Gas - Breaking Point ?
3 Effective Ways in Searching for Credit Card Companies to Process Online Business Transactions
Inquiring about credit card companies in banks, searching the Internet, and calling the customer support of credit card companies are the most effective ways in looking for credit card companies that can process your online credit card transactions.
When your online business can accept credit card transactions, your sales will surely increase and so will the cash flow. In today's competitive market, accepting credit card payments are giving the customer shopping convenience. Oftentimes, successful online businesses do accept credit card payments as it has been proven to increase sales. However, finding companies that provide credit card processing services can be confusing and sometimes misleading. A lot of them are often initiated by third party services. They usually have higher rates too. Looking for financial companies that offer online credit card transaction services can be easier when you are looking for the at the right places. Below are the ways you can do to be able to easily find the credit card processing company that is appropriate for your online business:
Inquiring about credit card companies in banks
Most banks do not easily grant credit card processing services to online businesses. However, they are the direct financial centers that could give you some recommendations in finding companies that provide credit card processing services. Some banks may approve in providing credit card processing services to your online business given that such online business is credible enough to pass the bank's standards. In case that your application for this type of service will not be approved, you could always easily ask the bank personnel to provide you with other options.
Searching the Internet
By simply browsing and using search engine sites such as Google and Yahoo, you could easily learn information about credit card processing companies. The Internet could give you sites that recommends a number of companies that provides such service. Online sites such as Electronictransferservice.com and Business.com are some search engines that have browse providers where you can gather companies that offer merchant credit card processing. Also read FAQ pages and forums about financial and business topics to learn the most rated and recommended companies for credit card processing service.
Calling the customer support
Another option of finding credit card processing providers is by calling the customer support hot line of financial companies which can usually be obtained through the Internet. Personally ask questions and references about credit card processing. The customer service support will gladly provide you all the necessary information that you will need to know with merchant accounts. Evaluate all the vital information that the customer representative provided and assess which company will best suit your online business.
Online credit card transactions do not just limit their services for online businesses. Church credit card processing options are also gaining popularity as one of the online credit card uses today. This just goes to prove that plastic payments have a promising development. Online businesses can greatly benefit from the efficiency of this developing payment trend. Be knowledgeable and practical in choosing your credit card processing company. Compare information and rates to maximize the potential sales of your online business.
Investing in the Stock Market and Gold for Beginners
Gold is a very hot commodity right now. In recent years gold has been bouncing back to the top for investors. Therefore, you may want to look at the prices of gold as they stand right now and where experts believe the prices are headed. It can be very easy for you to gain stock market earnings by investing in gold. Research is the key for any stock market investment.
Before you can even begin investing though, you need to have the capital to do so. This means paying off any of the payday advance loans and lines of credit you may have. Once your other debts are paid off you can use your current salaries to invest in the market. You should not invest in the market unless you can afford to lose a little of your starting capital. Mistakes and certain choices are bound to make you lose.
You also need to start off with a good amount to invest so that you can diversify your stock portfolio. The phrase “never put all your eggs in one basket” is very important when it comes to the stock market. By having a diversified portfolio you are able to make money, sell off some stocks, and ensure that you are in the best industries rather than just one industry.
Basically, when you invest you need one investment company from each industry you want to invest in. For example, you would invest in one gold company, not two or three since they compete against each other.
3 Helpful Tips for Companies with Bad Credit History in Applying for a Merchant Account
In order to increase sales and improve profitability, you need to open a merchant account that enables you to accept credit card payments for your business. However, if you have a bad credit history, you might find it hard to be approved of a merchant account because of the higher financial risks involved in providers, especially with regards to chargebacks and the proliferation of fraud. To help you open a merchant account even with bad credit, consider the following useful tips:
Clear your bad credit records
To increase your chance of being approved for your merchant account application, you need to improve your credit standing. There are certain credit information agencies that do the research and monitoring of credit standings, such as Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. These bureaus are the sources of credit reports that merchant account providers use in evaluating their applicants. Once your credit issues have been resolved and settled, you need to inform these institutions so that the bad credit record you have will be cleared, thus improving your credit standing and increasing your chance of being approved with your merchant account application. If you are under the state of bankruptcy, you are required to wait for six months after being cleared of such condition before you can request these institutions to remove such credit information.
Look for merchant account providers that cater to companies with bad credit history
Some merchant account providers are more compliant with applicants that possess imperfect credit background as they understand that it is normal for companies to sometimes incur late payments as well as overdue debt and loan payments. As long as these instances were not repeatedly or excessively listed in the credit report, some providers still allow you to set up a merchant account. Just as long as you have not also been involved in serious cases of bad credit history, such as bankruptcy, you have a good chance of getting your business a merchant account. Just look for these providers, without having the need to spend a lot of your time inquiring over merchant account providers known to be strict with credit history. Banks, for example, are known to disapprove applicants with poor credit history as they are governed by more stringent measures concerning risk and fraud management. Banks, being vital financial institutions, need to minimize the risk of having to incur more costs due to poor performing or fraudulent clients. Merchant account providers, on the other hand, whose main business is to set up a merchant account, would always find a way to increase their sales and cater to the needs of their market, thus making them more compliant in approving applications. Examples of these providers include National Merchant Bancard at Sunvirtual.com, Freeauthnet.com, and Total Merchant Services, among others.
Compare providers’ products, services, and specific guidelines regarding the credit and financial aspects
Always included in the process of choosing a merchant account provider is to make a comparison of their products, services, and costs. Since you are opening a merchant account under a different condition, that is having an imperfect credit history, is it important to pay attention to certain costs that may differ among providers. Chargeback costs and penalties may be higher in this case. Aside from costs, providers may set a different condition in handling chargebacks. Merchant account providers usually hold a certain amount in your merchant account in order to secure them of your payment in case the need for a chargeback arises and to avoid the proliferation of fraudulent activities.
To make things clear for you, when a chargeback takes place or when a need to refund an unsatisfied customer happens, the sum of money is taken from your merchant account. In case you have insufficient funds in your account, the merchant account processors temporarily have the burden of refunding the customer, thus the need for additional chargeback fees aside from the cost involved in the processing of the chargeback. Your due balance will then be collected when funds are already available in your account. The risk comes in now, especially when it takes longer time for your company to cover the chargeback, affecting the financial operations of the merchant account provider. Imagine their losses if many companies have insufficient funds in their merchant accounts. To address this problem, merchant account providers settle for a hold amount in your merchant account to cover possible chargebacks. The amount is said to be computed based on a certain percentage of your monthly sales and released in three to six months time.
As long as you do your part in correcting your bad credit history and you deal with the right merchant account provider that answers your needs, you can very well be approved of a merchant account. Soon, you will be ready to accept credit cards and other electronic forms of payment that will help boost your business and make it more profitable.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Oil price below $80 - Oil Tomorrow CNBC
Bob Chapman The Government market manipulation is gone out of control
Bob Chapman on The Sovereign Economist 10 mar. 2010
Bob Chapman we are seeing some massive market manipulation all over the world and that's the result of the group put by Ronald Reagen , and since then the government have been rigging the market , what we are seeing here is out of control manipulation , out of control...they just do not care , and they think they can do anything they want , the American people have the feeling that there is something wrong going on , we should tell them what it is and who is doing it ...says bob Chapman the International Forecaster , we got the government on the run and we got the people behind the government on a bigger run , they are really concerned
Bob Chapman market manipulation is gone out of control
Bob Chapman : Get your cash out of the Banks and The Stock Market - we will have Bank Holiday ande the Stock market will crash by the end of this year
Mr. Chapman also known as The International Forecaster is a 74 years old. He was born in Boston, MA and attended Northeastern University majoring in business management. He spent three years in the U. S. Army Counterintelligence, mostly in Europe. He speaks German and French and is conversant in Spanish. He lived in Europe for six years, off and on, three years in Africa, a year in Canada and a year in the Bahamas.
Mr. Chapman became a stockbroker in 1960 and retired in 1988. For 18 of those years he owned his own brokerage firm. He was probably the largest gold and silver stockbroker in the world during that period. When he retired he had over 6,000 clients.
Starting in 1967 Mr. Chapman began writing articles on business, finance, economics and politics having been printed and reprinted over the years in over 200 publications. He owned and wrote the Gary Allen Report, which had 30,000 subscribers. He currently is owner and editor of The International Forecaster, a compendium of information on business, finance, economics and social and political issues worldwide, which reaches 10,000 investors and brokers monthly directly, and parts of his publication are picked up by 60 different websites weekly exposing his ideas to over 10 million investors a week.
In June of 1991, at the request of business associates, and due to retirement boredom, he began writing the International Forecaster.
Bob Chapman : do not expect the government to guarantee your bank account , it is bankrupt
U.S. Stocks Advance as Consumer Shares Rise
Crude oil to fall to $78 in near-term says expert
Sunday, March 14, 2010
3 Best Methods in Credit Card Acceptance for Small Business Owners
An important thought to be kept by small business owners is to catch up with the generation’s ways and trends. Payment through credit cards, otherwise known as plastic money, is all the rage in businesses. The convenience offered to customers who prefer credit cards compel business owners to set up the needed apparatus to run their payment processing in this manner. To those small business owners who are aspiring supporters to the plastic money trend, explore the following methods to cater credit cards:
PayPal
Companies such as PayPal are called third party payment processor in the industry of web-based businesses. Small businesses can really benefit out of this type of service because it is has a trouble-free setup and it doesn’t need special skills to use. Another advantage is that you may open a merchant account to go along with it. In this manner, it doesn’t only accept credit cards, it also process the transaction. It is to be expected that extra services means additional charge but it is all worth it for PayPal deals with the merchant account itself. That’s not even the best of it. Its latest, cutting-edge feature is the virtual terminal that you can install through your mobile phone. With the aid of PayPal’s Website Payment Pro, it is made possible to accept credit cards via phone, email, fax or post.
Merchant account
Another way to accept credit cards is through acquiring a merchant account. This isn’t only widespread for the majority of retailers but also for small business owners. Opening a merchant account also may come with a terminal where a credit card’s magnetic strip is striped. You probably have seen this terminal in brick and mortar depots. This system is rapid in all sense. Swipe a card and it only takes seconds with one client and then you can move on to the next. You are also secured against chargeback and you can receive your earnings in a day or two. You also have control over your account. Through the years, merchant accounts have modernized and allowed credit card payments through mobile devices namely Blackberry, Palm, and iPhone.
Phone service
This method is also called Accept by Phone Service. A traveling merchant who is constantly on the go would surely benefit from this service. Plumbers, door-to-door salesmen, contractors and movers are a few merchants who can run their business in the palm of their hand. It only takes dialing an 800 number, then key in a password and finally, enters the credit card number of your customer with the billing amount. This speedy transaction happens only for seconds and everything is now processed.
With the mentioned alternatives to cash and checks, both merchant and customer will be engaged in a business deal which is not only productive but also convenient. Even if these means of accepting credit cards would involve a fee, it’s more vital to think of gaining more in the near future. PayPal, merchant account and phone service got it all.
2 Reliable Institutions that Regulate Credit Card Processing Entities
Fraudulent activities have evolved their way with the widespread use of credit cards and other electronic forms of payment, affecting both end consumers and retailers accepting these payment forms. With this concern, the fundamental need to regulate the quality of products and services that these credit card processors offer arises. Especially with the increased competition in the credit card processing industry, the following regulators have played an important role in controlling these processors for everyone’s security:
Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC)
The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) is also known as the Payment Card industry (PCI). This private council was originally developed by Visa International, MasterCard Worldwide, American Express, Discover Financial Services, and JCB to regulate credit card, debit card, ATM and other related companies. It developed the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and PIN Transaction Security (PTS), which both aim to address security-related problems associated with the use of credit cards and other electronic payments.
- Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). This is the main standard created by the PCI SSC in 2006 to uphold consistent security measures in handling account data among credit card processing centers internationally. This standard specifically aims to develop and maintain a secure network by requiring a firewall and non usage of default passwords for the systems used; to protect cardholder data by requiring encrypted keys, such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), upon transmitting cardholder information to credit card companies online; to protect credit card processing systems and applications by consistently updating anti-virus software; to employ strict control measures by restricting access to cardholder data; and to uphold security policy by consistently monitoring security systems. All these are required by the PCI SCC to help protect cardholder information entered online from being hacked or destroyed during credit card processing. As an online retailer, you can encourage repeat customers as they are assured of better security for the information they give out upon purchasing.
- PIN Transaction Security (PTS). This standard requires PIN entry devices used in credit card processing, such as point-of-sale (POS) and unattended payment terminals in some kiosks, to undergo the council’s evaluation, testing, and approval. It aims to enhance security of the PIN entered, thus reducing potential risks for fraudulent activities. It ensures you as a retailer that the PIN device you acquire and use in your business is safe for you and your customers. In addition, PCI SSC updates its PTS standard every three years to address the fast-developing technology and the never-ending battle between hackers and security measures, thus letting you operate in a highly secure manner.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the US government entity that involves consumer protection and competition among different economic sectors. Its duties include generating and monitoring strict implementation of laws and developing programs to educate and protect consumers as well as industry players, among others. Affecting the credit card processing industry, it instituted the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA), primarily addressing the growing problem of identity theft. Credit card processors are regulated in a way that certain requirements must be followed by these companies to ensure that the identity and confidential information of your clients as retailers are protected. For example, FACTA requires that the transaction receipt must not show more than the last five digits of the credit or debit card. It must also not show the expiration date of the card. Both information are very confidential and are used in verifying transactions over the internet and over the phone, thus should not be made visible or known to other people, except the cardholder himself.
FTC also has a relevant control over credit processors with the FTC Act, giving it the authority to perform investigations involving organizations and companies engaged in trade, as well as their management, systems, and practices. In fact, in the past few years, FTC was said to file and win cases against fraudulent credit card processors and even merchant account processors. As a retailer, you are given due protection against these deceitful service providers that can be damaging to your business and your clients. Although FTC can give you support and protection against deceitful providers, it is always good to do a research on customer reviews and feedback to avoid getting into this kind of trouble. It is always wise to go for trusted credit card processors who, at the same time, can give you the best rates.
With the changing technology and persistence of frauds, no one is a hundred percent assured of security against these deceitful activities; but with the strict implementation of security standards in the industry and stringent government acts against fraudulent activities, you could be certain that there will always be enough protection to minimize such risk, as well as due government action when such incidents arise.
Bob Chapman : On a GDP per capita level , We are in the same trouble as Greece
Bob Chapman on the Sovereign Economist 10 Mar 2010
Bob Chapman The International Forecaster is back this week again with the sovereign economist to analyze the economic and political situation of America and the world
Bob Chapman : Get your cash out of the Banks and The Stock Market - we will have Bank Holiday ande the Stock market will crash by the end of this year
Mr. Chapman also known as The International Forecaster is a 74 years old. He was born in Boston, MA and attended Northeastern University majoring in business management. He spent three years in the U. S. Army Counterintelligence, mostly in Europe. He speaks German and French and is conversant in Spanish. He lived in Europe for six years, off and on, three years in Africa, a year in Canada and a year in the Bahamas.
Mr. Chapman became a stockbroker in 1960 and retired in 1988. For 18 of those years he owned his own brokerage firm. He was probably the largest gold and silver stockbroker in the world during that period. When he retired he had over 6,000 clients.
Starting in 1967 Mr. Chapman began writing articles on business, finance, economics and politics having been printed and reprinted over the years in over 200 publications. He owned and wrote the Gary Allen Report, which had 30,000 subscribers. He currently is owner and editor of The International Forecaster, a compendium of information on business, finance, economics and social and political issues worldwide, which reaches 10,000 investors and brokers monthly directly, and parts of his publication are picked up by 60 different websites weekly exposing his ideas to over 10 million investors a week.
In June of 1991, at the request of business associates, and due to retirement boredom, he began writing the International Forecaster.
Bob Chapman : do not expect the government to guarantee your bank account , it is bankrupt
5 Effective Ways in Getting Better Merchant Account Processing Fees
Making your business more profitable does not only involve finding ways to increase your sales. It also entails applying cost-effective means, such as getting better merchant account processing fees, to maximize your profits. Here are effective ways that help you obtain better processing fees on your merchant account:
Research as much merchant account providers as you can
A good way to start choosing the most cost-effective merchant account provider is to do a research. Gather as much merchant account providers as you can on the Internet so you will have more providers to choose from. Learn the relevant information, such as products and services they offer and their related processing costs.
Read and solicit customer feedback and reviews
In order to save time from going over many merchant account providers and reducing the risk of dealing with fraudulent providers, it is advisable to go over customer feedback and reviews. Look for merchant account providers that are known for giving retailers the best deals in the industry. Search for providers with a good reputation on pricing their clients, without misleading you with low introduction costs, but higher processing fees. A website that helps you provide such useful information includes credit-card-processing-review.toptenreviews.com. You can also ask opinions from other retailers regarding their merchant account processing experience.
Do a comparison of reliable providers
After you get ideas on which merchant account providers are reliable, you need to compare their services and their fees. Find out which provider gives the best deals by outlining the standard and value-added services as well as the different costs involved. You can again go to credit-card-processing-review.toptenreviews.com to help you with this task or cardfellow.com and other similar websites. If you see considerable differences in certain merchant account processing fees, do not assume instantaneously that a certain provider is expensive or cheap; rather, find out what makes the certain fee more expensive or cheaper. In other words, know the nature of the costs involved. This also helps you avoid being deceived by providers who significantly offer lower fees, but lists additional fees that are of exact nature to fees already included.
Ask for quotations
Before you decide which merchant account provider to deal with, narrow down your choices first and ask for quotations from these providers. In doing so, do not forget to identify the type and size of business you have. Rates are usually cheaper for smaller and less-risky businesses. Again, always ask about the nature of the costs involved if some are not clear to you. Inquire about possible rate increases in the later years of service as your deal usually involves a long-term contract. There are actually some providers who advertise very low rates, but increase their rates later on within your contract. Finally, do not forget to state other providers’ rates as other companies lower their fees in order to compete and win customers.
Limit the services you avail to your needs
The final and one of the most important ways to get better merchant account processing fees is to make sure that you only avail of the services that your business really needs. There are merchant account processors that offer bundles of services for cheaper rates. In the end, they may come out more expensive for you as you are not able to really make use of the other services you are paying for. Always compare the products and services that a certain merchant account provider offers with the services you really need before dealing with them. This helps you minimize your expenses and fully utilize their services. Another piece of advice, do not go for an offshore type of merchant account if your business is small and you intend to cater to local clients only. This type of merchant account gives you added services, such as allowing acceptance of multiple payment currencies, which would be impractical and expensive for your business.
Merchant account fees can really be made cheaper if you just know what your business actually needs and you have enough knowledge in the costs involved as well as the bargaining ability. In effect, your business would be more profitable aside from increased sales brought about by the acceptance of credit cards and other electronic payment forms.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Lindsey Williams Spills the beans about oil and gas
Bob Chapman explains the Technocracy system and how they are bring the West to its knees - Alex Jones show 12 Mar 2010
Bob Chapman on the Alex Jones show 12 Mar. 2010
Alex Jones and Bob Chapman discuss the economic future of America and the ever emerging police state design to control the population.
Most U.S. Stocks Drop on Decrease in Consumer Confidence
Friday, March 12, 2010
Why Platinum bullion is a Great investment
South Africa Is All About Platinum Bullion, Not Football...
South Africa is the main world producer of Platinum , a precious metal that is suffering from severe shortage in the market because there are no new mines discovered , not to mention that platinum is a useful industrial metal ,
Bob Chapman : Real Estate is not going to recover for at least 8 years , you should rent not buy
Bob Chapman : Southern California is going to become an absolute zoo
The silver is really under priced , silver is basically a commercial metal today , and they do not produce enough silver every year to meet the commercial demand , the only reason the silver price is where it is today is because the government is manipulating the prices , this won't last forever , these prices are going to break out , silver is probably a better buy than gold from a leverage point of view says Bob Chapman the International Forecaster
you do not want to own a real estate you want to rent , it is cheaper and gives you more mobility ...you wanna travel light nowadays says Bob Chapman , we do not know what it is going to happen but it is not going to be good , Bob Chapman added . The price on the average house in America right now is down 32% , Bob Chapman expects it to go down 40% , there are areas where they are down 50% 60% , 70% and they are going to go lower......
Bob Chapman : Real Estate is not going to recover for at least 8 years , you should rent not buy
Oil and Gold on the Rise
Gordon Kerr of Enerplus sees Crude Oil prices on the Rise again
Enerplus's Kerr Sees Rising Market on the Oil Front
Gordon Kerr, chief executive officer at Enerplus Resources Fund, talks with Bloomberg\'s Pimm Fox about energy developments, the outlook for oil prices and Enerplus\'s plan to convert to a corporation in time for changes to Canadian tax law regarding trusts in 2011
Silver Mined in America - Wildcat Silver
Wildcat Silver Corporation
Wildcat Silver is developing the Hardshell silver-manganese deposit in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. Wildcat owns 80% of the Hardshell deposit and is headquartered
in Vancouver, BC. The Company trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol WS.
Board of Directors
Richard W. Warke (Chairman)
R. Stuart Angus
John R. Brodie
Donald Clark
Robert Wares
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wave Of UFO Sightings Over Cleveland
Wave Of UFO Sightings Over Cleveland
March 10, 2010 MSNBCBuy Gold While Supplies Last, Says Fund Manager
Hedge Funds Bailing Out of Gold - There is risk of deflation not inflation says Anthony Scaramucci Gold is not going where people are expecting
There is more deflation risk than Inflation , the Gold is not going where people think it will says Anthony Scaramucci, of Skybridge Capital
Anthony Scaramucci, of Skybridge Capital, discusses what's next for gold with the Fast Money traders , There will be no inflation anytime soon without real wage growth , despite the trillions of dollars helicoptered into the economy , without wage growth there is more a risk of deflation than inflation Anthony Scaramucci believes
Predictions for Silver - Gold by Ray Barros
Foreclosure Rates Climb at Smallest Rate in Four Years
Martin Feldstein More worried about the US Dollar than the Euro despite the drop
Feldstein Says Euro's Fall an `Overreaction' Over Greece
March 11 (Bloomberg) -- Harvard University professor Martin Feldstein said the euros 4.6 percent decline against the dollar this year has been an "overreaction" stemming from the financial crisis in Greece. Bloomberg's Sara Eisen reports. (Source: Bloomberg)
Why The Sugar Stock prices keep on falling ?
Is sugar an under-performing sector? Experts debate
One sector which has got pummeled over the last week is sugar. There is continuous fall in sugar stock prices across the board. This has become an underperforming sector on fears that the sugar cycle globally and locally has turned and that we have seen the best days for this cycle at least.
Bob Chapman : Pondering Our Collapse While We Watch Others Fall
Bob Chapman
The International Forecaster
March 11, 2010
Every important factor we see is working against the dollar and we believe that trend is irreversible. That means the present dollar rally probably cannot endure and it could well be the time to short the USDX.
Most observers discuss Europe’s problems and the plight of the euro, pound, and the Danish and Swedish koronas. They believe these European currencies will plunge lower versus the dollar and that the dollar will maintain, even after a dollar rally from 74 to 81 on the USDX. As we have said before the euro was unnatural creation born of a desire to usher in a world currency. As we shall see in the future the euro will fail. In spite of that the dollar is certainly no bargain, because next year America will be totally bankrupt. As a result of the terrible conditions among currencies, gold makes great gains. Last year and so far this year gold is up 10% to 24% against many major currencies. This kind of action of course proves again that gold is the world’s strongest currency. We might add here that we believe that it is only a matter of time before the LBMA, or Comex, or the ETFs, GLDs and SLVs are enveloped in scandal. As so often has happened in history fiat currencies have collapsed. Thus, it will happen again. Those of you not in gold and silver related assets will lose most of what you have worked for your entire lives.
The collapse of currencies and nations won’t happen overnight, because their demise has been planned, and a subtle collapse is in process. Our guess is that next year is when the collapse will finally take place followed by one of the greatest deflationary depressions of all time. During the last 2-1/2 years all the toxic investments have been and will continue to be transferred from the Illuminist banks, brokerage houses, insurance companies and transnational conglomerates to the public. The Federal Reserve is the repository for this junk, which includes Treasuries and Agencies. That means the public foots the bill. Every government and bank in the world will be affected. This magical game of 3-card-Monte will never work and the Illuminists know it won’t work. That is why they have war on demand to distract the public and to escape punishment for the devastating thing they have brought upon mankind. What we are facing is as bad if not worse than the collapse of the Lombard system in Venice in 1348, the year of the plague and the collapse of the Hanseanic League in the 1600s, the creation of the Medici’s. For starters we already have 19 bankrupt or near bankrupt major countries and many others that will be pulled into the vortex of financial and economic calamity. In each country we see the Illuminists doing their evil work, legends in their own minds, in a system that they know cannot survive. They are waiting for orders to pull the plug in each and every country. These masters of the universe all know that prosperity cannot be created by printing money and issuing credit indefinitely. They know full well that such a system cannot survive.
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