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January's a month full of New Year's resolutions, and
many of those resolutions tend to focus on financial goals. Joining us to
help sort out the realistic opportunities from the others is
Dallas Morning News columnist and our un-common sense expert
Benjamin Dover.
Question 1:
You see alot of questions from consumers about business opportunities, don't
you?
Answer 1:
Sure do...January 1st and birthdays seem to be the most popular
introspection "trigger dates" and besides weight loss, getting your
financial act together, which usually requires making more money, is always
at the top of the "to do" list. And it should be, especially with the
amount of consumer debt being carried by Americans today.
Question 2:
In fact, this first question came from one our viewers. They ask: "What
do you think of the home-based business/real estate-related ads found in the
newspaper or on TV? I know they sound like classic examples of "if it’s too
good to be true, it is" but I’d still like your opinion. Do you think they
can ever work?"
Answer 2:
I’m glad you’re checking into these business opportunities first–before
putting your hard-earned cash on the line. I always see an increase in the
number of "biz op" inquiries this time of year–probably a result of New
Year’s resolutions relating to making more money–and my response is always
the same: "If it sounds too good to be true..." "I’ll
teach you how to buy real estate with no money down"
promoters are making their dough by selling high-priced "how to"courses,
either
through TV infomercials or
"free informational seminars."
Frankly, most people don’t have the tenacity or discipline to build the
types of fortunes promised by the creators of these courses, but the
question remains: Is it possible to make a
bunch of money through these methods? Sure, anything’s
possible. But since the promoters don’t want to spend their profits
defending themselves from lawsuits filed by agencies like the Attorney
General’s office or the Federal Trade Commission, they’re plausible-enough
to get by the authorities.
Question 3: This next
question is from your column in this morning's Dallas Morning News: " Is
there any advantage of using a debit card over a credit card? Is there
any risk?"
Answer 3: Debit cards are
effective cash management tools for those of us that need stronger
spending boundaries...effective "charge card" substitutes that carry
Visa or MasterCard logos. Some consumers either can’t qualify for a
traditional credit cards (or don’t want one that carries the temptation
of debt), so they’ll get a
direct-draft-from-your-checking-or-savings-account debit card instead.
While debit card give users widespread merchant acceptance/convenience
like "old-fashioned" Visas or MasterCards, they don’t offer other key
features–most notably–the same level of fraud protection as
charge/credit cards.
Even though many debit card issuers are now "protecting" debit card
users from fraudulent transactions, limiting liability to $50 (like the
credit card companies have been doing forever), there’s still a huge gap
in the real protection afforded debit card users. Example? If your
credit card gets hit with a fraudulent $1,000 transaction, a phone call
to the issuing bank not only flags the problem, but is relatively easy
to remedy by "charging back" the merchant that originated the
transaction.
But for debit card users who are victimized by the same $1,000 fraud,
it’s just not as easy to fix, because the bank account has actually had
$1,000 sucked out by the bad guys. Getting $1,000 "real" dollars
returned versus a $1,000 credit/charge transaction "reversed" is not
only more difficult, but can take much longer, sometimes the
difference between one 5-minute phone call and hours of pleading and
documentation brain damage that’s simply not worth it.
Oh yeah: Forget
piling up any "frequent fliers miles or "cash back rebates" when it
comes to debit cards, too.
More good news for future home buyers
(and their credit reports): 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.
Hit their website
or
call their Austin
office at:
(512) 329-9040 or
toll-free: (877) 340-9040.
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.
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!
Plan a getaway romantic weekend this
year for Valentine's Day...it's only 23
days away!)
Get more bang for your sleep away from the rest of
the family buck...check out Ben's reliable, no-brainer choice for
consistently affordable and competitively priced hotel room or condo
deals:
www.hotels.com.
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