Tuesday,
December 16, 2003
"Know the
rules...so you can break them properly."
Speaking of
spineless enemies, nice work over in Iraq, guys:
One
scumbag down... and
one
more to go. God
bless the U.S.A. By the
way: Click
here to see a Saddam-in-custody photograph you
simply won't find anywhere else.
Tell your kids:
Giving hickeys can getcha thrown in jail if you're not
careful. (I don't have to make this stuff up!) A
North Texas 7th grader forcibly gives a
hickey smack dab in the middle of the hallway...and
ends up in front of a judge because of it. Break
out the turtlenecks and read more...
Paying more for a dozen
chicken embryos? Thank a dead doctor: Low
carb/high protein diets have already made an impact on
beef prices-now
eggs are the latest commodity affected by the
life-work of Dr. Atkins. (Could cheese be far
behind?)
NostraDover calls it
again! Passwording your accounts can create big
problems for your heirs: Forensic hackers
are making a great living, breaking into computers of
dearly (and recently) departed loved one. (I
first brought this to your attention in Dose of Dover
#60 on September 9 of this year.) As
more of us become computer-savvy and track our
finances through on-line services, or list assets list
in a cyber-file, the chances of having all of your
information locked away from friendly hands skyrockets!
Sure,
passwords can be broken, but plan on spending anywhere
from $150-$300 per hour for a computer forensics
expert to hack in. The
Dallas Morning News' Doug Bedell hammers this
cyber-challenge in his front-page story, reinforcing
good advice that everyone should heed.
Buying a computer can
not only be confusing, but also very expensive
if you don't know what you're doing:
You really need to deal with someone you
trust...experts that'll steer you in the right
direction, help you buy the best machine to meet
your needs, and will be there to answer your
questions
(in English even!) after
the sale. Ben's cyber-choice?
Take
It Home Computers...serving smart
computer buyers from coast-to-coast, with the Dover
Satisfaction Guarantee.
Those gosh-darned
Brits...apparently they're keeping more than just a
stiff upper lip! You've
gotta read about the sounds that went out over the
P.A. system of a retail store in England.
Hmmmmmm, sounds like a couple of scenes from the
popular family film now in theaters, "Bad
Santa" starring Billy Bob Thornton.
Wanna know why I
despise the cable companies? Maybe it's because
of their cavalier attitude, rising prices and crappy
service; here's the perfect gift that'll be
appreciated every single day of the New Year! (And
here's why I love my Dish!)
Still
needing a few last-minute gift ideas?
Why not...
Traveling this holiday season? Here's
how/where to pick up the newest baggage locks, blessed
by the Transportation Security Administration:
Oh sure, the skies are safer, but larcenous screeners
are still a reality at airports everywhere. Find
out how/where to get the latest government-approved
locks...
Okay chicken,
so you didn't want to fight the brain-damage of
Thanksgiving travel...fine! Goin' anywhere
for Christmas? It's only 9
days away!) Get
more bang for your buck...check out Ben's
always reliable, no-brainer choice for consistently
affordable and competitively priced hotel room or condo
deals: www.hotels.com.
America's diamond marketers
don't miss a beat. Instead of waiting on "Mr.
Right" to make a move, the diamond retailers are
pushing a brand-new way to sell their stuff:
Diamonds are forever-but marriages aren't...read
why.
Attention, Tammy Faye
Baker!!! According to the FDA, make-up can be a hazard
to your health: Yeah, you can get
infections from some of it-but make-up can even cause
car accidents? Duh...I've
seen Dallas women driving their kids to school over
the years-now the FDA's figured it out.....
Speaking of make-up,
unless you're a guy that enjoys listening to Judy
Garland records, pampering the woman (women) if your
life doesn't have to be a challenge: From
expert make-overs to expert matching/tailoring of
colors, check
out the latest gift-idea additions that'll translate
into success this holiday season or even more
importantly, Valentine's Day '04 (which is now only 60
days away, folks).
Wanna knock the daylights
out of your credit scores? Tapping into
your home equity might do just that, if you do it the
wrong way! Here's
why.
Speaking of credit
scores, didja hear about the mortgage company that
was able to step in and close a "tough"
loan on less than 24 hours notice? Despite all
of the paperwork and (perceived) brain-damage that
goes with the home buying process, the first
mortgage company that was supposed to close fell
apart and set the stage for the save of the century
by my friends at W.R.
Starkey Mortgage. And
what's really amazing about this story are the facts
of the deal: A pock-marked credit report, a
non-conforming loan and a short-fuse couldn't keep
Starkey from delivering the goods for a grateful
homeowner, which brings me to the moral of the
story...
Don't screw
around with a buncha pikers that make mortgage
promises they'll never be able to keep!
You might think you're getting a good deal, but
it'll likely blow up in your face when
push-comes-to-shove and they can't close.
Then your problems really begin. W.R.
Starkey has the Dover Seal of Approval because
they're the best, no-B.S. mortgage company in the
nation...period.
They deliver and make
home buyers the winners and long-term
beneficiaries of Starkey's commitment to their
company positioning statement: "A
different kind or mortgage company where people
come first."
You really can bank on it, folks.
Take
the Dover-proven route to stress-free
finance, and take advantage while interest rates
are STILL at incredibly-low levels! Ben's
no-brainer choice for any/all of your mortgage
needs? Easy...do
it all on-line
or on the phone with the
official mortgage company of www.benjamindover.com
and your first (and
only) stop: W.R.
Starkey Mortgage.
It's
easy to get educated about the process
first...(plus the price is
right...how about free?!?)
Everything you need to know
is only a click away. Get your copy of Bens'
Home Buyer's Guide by clicking here.
Here are some common-sense
tips on how to lighten the spam load in your e-mail:
Outside of disconnecting from the Internet
altogether, using
your cyber-head will reduce the garbage in your
"Inbox".
What you see isn't always
what you get-especially when it comes to the latest
scam running the Internet: You'd better get
off your butt and make sure you've got the
latest-and-greatest security patches from Microsoft
[what do you mean you've never gotten the free updates
for your operating system?]. Fake
websites out to steal your personal info are popping
up everywhere and could make you their latest victim
if you're not careful.....
Could the newest e-mail
address for those looking for love be tang@aol.com?
Hmmmmmm.....
Don't
get suckered in by countless radio-commercial
claims from car leasing companies out to hook
you, wear you down...and beat you into an emotional
(and maybe financial) pulp! Check
out Ben's free Smart Car Seminar automotive
acquisition tips right
here!
This
is a no-brainer, and they're the first and last
automobile leasing company you'll ever need to deal
with, no matter where you live...Benjamin
Dover-endorsed Manufacturers
Auto Leasing! They
have loyal clients across the entire state of Texas
and around the nation. Why?
Because they'll take care of
you better than anyone else out there!
By
the way: If
you're facing one of those upside-down scenarios
(car business term meaning you're financially
buried), or maybe you simply want to bail on your
current vehicle and need someone to get creative on
your behalf, Manufacturers
Auto Leasing is
the best in the business.
Period.
Before you bite on one of
those end-of-the-tax-year pleas to "write off
the car and not the kid," beware! According
to The Wall Street Journal, "cars to charity
saved Americans $654 million in taxes in 2000, but the
charities collected only a small fraction of that
amount." What does this mean? Expect the IRS to
scrutinize those vehicle donations a lot more closely
in 2004: The General Accounting Office
studied 54 randomly selected returns claiming a
deduction for a donated vehicle and found that most of
the charities received less than 5% of the value
claimed by donors. About one in five got less than
1% while a similar portion got more than 15% of the
claimed value of the vehicle. Read
more here...
As America gets older,
opportunities abound for those with an eye on aging:
No, I'm talking about something as low-tech as adult
diapers. Electronics for a graying generation are big
business, and I'm not talking about hearing aids,
either. Chug
that glass of Metamucil and read more...
(You've
gotta move on this 2003 Holiday Gift idea fast!)
How deep are your pockets? Wanna
even-up the gift-giving score for the next coupla
years? Okay,
so this one's not for everyone's
budget...(but at least you won't have to worry about
fighting lines at the post office to get this gift
delivered on time).
It's all about strategy:
Here are some tips that'll make your gift-hunting
attacks on the mall a success: Some of it
is common-sense, and some of it is getting prepared-if
not for this year, now's the time to get a jump on
next year. Pack
your flask and read more.....
Dontcha love the
amazing resources I compile every week in
the Dose of Dover? Good! Then don't whine about
having to sign-up for free access: Like
anything in life, there's always gonna be a
trade-off on some level. I embed dozens of links in
every edition of this newsletter, and my frequent
sources, The
New York Times, The
Dallas Morning News, The
Los Angeles Times, The
Orange County Register and
USA
Today require
varying levels of registration in order to access
their websites for free...with
one small caveat: If you try to hit an older story,
there's a reasonable chance that the news
organization has either moved the story to a new
URL, or to their archives. If it's archived,
there's a high probability that they'll charge you
for access to the story...usually under $3.
Don't whine about it...just pay 'em if you wanna
read it--or not. It's always your choice.
Also
worth noting: Nowhere
is it written that you have to give accurate
information when you sign up for free access on
their website. They'd like you
to, but they'll never really know. So use a
disposable e-mail address (like Hotmail
or Yahoo)
and get creative when you register. But
just remember: They/we are giving
you a tremendous service for a great price...free!
So no complaining...
Time
to help Mom
& Dad (or Grandma & Grandpa) take some smart financial
steps that'll allow them to live in
their homes until they pass on without a mortgage
payment...and maybe even pull a wad of cash outta
the deal while they're at it! I've
already done the research for you on reverse
mortgages. Now it's your turn to help an older
homeowner take advantage of this fantastic financial
product.
Still
looking for a cool holiday, birthday (or other special
occasion) gift that'll keep on giving, all
year
long? Give
'em a subscription to the Dose
of Dover...the
most reliable source of insight
and no s*** ideas available on the planet.
(You can afford it...it's free!)
Time to share the wealth! Sign-up
for a subscription to the weekly Dose of
Dover Newsletter right
here!
Litigation fever's on the
rise; should you be concerned about getting sued?
Maybe. You'll be surprised at the success
rate of lawsuits between consumers and corporations.
Reminds me of the old joke about the new law firm
merger, pairing a powerful Jewish firm with an equally
successful Japanese partnership. Of course the new
firm is known as "SoSueMe..." Read
more about the rise and risks of litigation in
America, from Sunday's New York Times....
Cash is not only
king, it's your ticket to keeping your Social Security
Number private: Here's
why you can tell your doctor's office (or any other
health care provider) to buzz off if they ask
for your 9-digit number...Plus:
Waiting around 'til the last minute to ship your
holiday gifts is gonna cost you more--but you may not
realize how much more you'll get popped at your local
neighborhood shipping center. Helping
you avoid financial brain-damage (one used tongue
depressor at a time),
check
out this Thursday's (December 18, 2003) edition of Ask
Benjamin Dover from The Dallas Morning News right here!
