Fred Harteis News Articles - Think your boss is bad?
Fred Harteis News Articles - The labor movement is asking workers to move their complaints about their bosses from the water cooler to the Web.
The AFL-CIO union federation's affiliate for nonunion workers, invited workers throughout the country Monday to share their best stories about their worst bosses in its "My Bad Boss Contest."
Top prize is a one-week vacation.
"It's an opportunity for people to get this off their chests and to see what's happening out there and to shine a spotlight on this," said Executive Director Karen Nussbaum.
It's also an opportunity for the worker advocacy group, which has more than 1 million members, to pick up new members, since contestants must go to workingamerica.org to enter.
Standing by to weigh in with on-line comments about the worst-boss stories are author Barbara Ehrenreich, who chronicled the plight of the working poor in "Nickel and Dimed," comedian-turned-liberal-talk-show host Al Franken and liberal commentator Jim Hightower.
Voting for the best worst-boss stories will be done by Web readers over the next six weeks. Each week's top vote-getter will be eligible to compete for the grand prize, a seven-night vacation getaway and $1,00 for a round trip air fare, to be announced by Aug. 16
Leading vote-getters as of Monday were:
-- "Russ," whose table-thumping boss at a small company nixed bonuses, cut overtime and ordered managers to "instill fear" in workers to boost productivity, all because a competing company's owner had a more expensive car.
-- "Graphics Girl," who left her media company, and was publicly berated for doing so, after 10 years, including the last five where she worked 50 to 80 hours a week without overtime pay and often without seeing her children. "I missed birthdays and health and years of seasons changing since my office was in a basement with no windows, all for nothing," she wrote.
"It's important to legitimize for people that when you're treated unfairly on the job, that it's not necessarily something you have to swallow," commented Nussbaum.
And then there was "Nobody" who warned others by his own example of the perils of entering the contest from a workplace computer. "The fact that my entire Internet connection is monitored by my employer prohibits me from making a contribution," he wrote.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - Amazon.com makes move into groceries
Fred Harteis News Articles - Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc. has started selling groceries on its Web site, a cautious step into a business that was one of the biggest casualties of the dot-com collapse.
The service is limited to non-perishable goods such as cereal, pasta and canned soup, but Amazon can ship those items to any customer, unlike online grocers that only deliver to limited areas.
"Because we only carry products when we can offer great prices and free shipping, we don't carry everything (yet!)," the company said in a notice on its Web site.
Seattle-based Amazon has seen sales growth slow amid increased competition, and has invested heavily in technology and content to draw in new customers and increase loyalty.
Like many other product categories Amazon has added over the years, groceries were quietly introduced to its Web site May 25 through a beta, or test, page that indicates the company will evaluate the business before promoting it more widely.
"We try and offer our customers one-destination shopping where they can find everything they need, and groceries are something our customers have been asking for," Amazon spokeswoman Tracy Ogden said. "As with any of our stores, we are always looking to increase our selection."
During the Internet boom of the late 1990s, investors poured money into a number of online grocery stores such as Webvan, which once touted an ambitious plan to spend $1 billion on a warehouse network but went bankrupt after the dot-com crash of 2001.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc. has started selling groceries on its Web site, a cautious step into a business that was one of the biggest casualties of the dot-com collapse.
The service is limited to non-perishable goods such as cereal, pasta and canned soup, but Amazon can ship those items to any customer, unlike online grocers that only deliver to limited areas.
"Because we only carry products when we can offer great prices and free shipping, we don't carry everything (yet!)," the company said in a notice on its Web site.
Seattle-based Amazon has seen sales growth slow amid increased competition, and has invested heavily in technology and content to draw in new customers and increase loyalty.
Like many other product categories Amazon has added over the years, groceries were quietly introduced to its Web site May 25 through a beta, or test, page that indicates the company will evaluate the business before promoting it more widely.
"We try and offer our customers one-destination shopping where they can find everything they need, and groceries are something our customers have been asking for," Amazon spokeswoman Tracy Ogden said. "As with any of our stores, we are always looking to increase our selection."
During the Internet boom of the late 1990s, investors poured money into a number of online grocery stores such as Webvan, which once touted an ambitious plan to spend $1 billion on a warehouse network but went bankrupt after the dot-com crash of 2001.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - Think your boss is bad?
Fred Harteis News Articles - The labor movement is asking workers to move their complaints about their bosses from the water cooler to the Web.
The AFL-CIO union federation's affiliate for nonunion workers, invited workers throughout the country Monday to share their best stories about their worst bosses in its "My Bad Boss Contest."
Top prize is a one-week vacation.
"It's an opportunity for people to get this off their chests and to see what's happening out there and to shine a spotlight on this," said Executive Director Karen Nussbaum.
It's also an opportunity for the worker advocacy group, which has more than 1 million members, to pick up new members, since contestants must go to workingamerica.org to enter.
Standing by to weigh in with on-line comments about the worst-boss stories are author Barbara Ehrenreich, who chronicled the plight of the working poor in "Nickel and Dimed," comedian-turned-liberal-talk-show host Al Franken and liberal commentator Jim Hightower.
Voting for the best worst-boss stories will be done by Web readers over the next six weeks. Each week's top vote-getter will be eligible to compete for the grand prize, a seven-night vacation getaway and $1,00 for a round trip air fare, to be announced by Aug. 16
Leading vote-getters as of Monday were:
-- "Russ," whose table-thumping boss at a small company nixed bonuses, cut overtime and ordered managers to "instill fear" in workers to boost productivity, all because a competing company's owner had a more expensive car.
-- "Graphics Girl," who left her media company, and was publicly berated for doing so, after 10 years, including the last five where she worked 50 to 80 hours a week without overtime pay and often without seeing her children. "I missed birthdays and health and years of seasons changing since my office was in a basement with no windows, all for nothing," she wrote.
"It's important to legitimize for people that when you're treated unfairly on the job, that it's not necessarily something you have to swallow," commented Nussbaum.
And then there was "Nobody" who warned others by his own example of the perils of entering the contest from a workplace computer. "The fact that my entire Internet connection is monitored by my employer prohibits me from making a contribution," he wrote.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - The labor movement is asking workers to move their complaints about their bosses from the water cooler to the Web.
The AFL-CIO union federation's affiliate for nonunion workers, invited workers throughout the country Monday to share their best stories about their worst bosses in its "My Bad Boss Contest."
Top prize is a one-week vacation.
"It's an opportunity for people to get this off their chests and to see what's happening out there and to shine a spotlight on this," said Executive Director Karen Nussbaum.
It's also an opportunity for the worker advocacy group, which has more than 1 million members, to pick up new members, since contestants must go to workingamerica.org to enter.
Standing by to weigh in with on-line comments about the worst-boss stories are author Barbara Ehrenreich, who chronicled the plight of the working poor in "Nickel and Dimed," comedian-turned-liberal-talk-show host Al Franken and liberal commentator Jim Hightower.
Voting for the best worst-boss stories will be done by Web readers over the next six weeks. Each week's top vote-getter will be eligible to compete for the grand prize, a seven-night vacation getaway and $1,00 for a round trip air fare, to be announced by Aug. 16
Leading vote-getters as of Monday were:
-- "Russ," whose table-thumping boss at a small company nixed bonuses, cut overtime and ordered managers to "instill fear" in workers to boost productivity, all because a competing company's owner had a more expensive car.
-- "Graphics Girl," who left her media company, and was publicly berated for doing so, after 10 years, including the last five where she worked 50 to 80 hours a week without overtime pay and often without seeing her children. "I missed birthdays and health and years of seasons changing since my office was in a basement with no windows, all for nothing," she wrote.
"It's important to legitimize for people that when you're treated unfairly on the job, that it's not necessarily something you have to swallow," commented Nussbaum.
And then there was "Nobody" who warned others by his own example of the perils of entering the contest from a workplace computer. "The fact that my entire Internet connection is monitored by my employer prohibits me from making a contribution," he wrote.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - The Not-A-Millionaire guide to financial security
Fred Harteis News Articles - Who doesn't want to be rich? But let's face it, getting rich gets hard very fast if one or more of the following conditions applies:
You're not an investment banker or venture capitalist.
You're trying too hard to live like one.
You went ahead and had the cutest darned kids.
Being financially secure, however, isn't out of the question. And once you achieve that, you've laid the groundwork for living well.
In fact, there's no point thinking about rich until you figure out how to get – and stay – solvent.
Solvency doesn't have anything (or at least not much) to do with how much you make. Any financial planner will tell you they've had high-income clients who, given free rein, spend themselves into the ground.
Broadly speaking, solvency means being able to meet your financial obligations. How solidly solvent you'll be depends on how you define "meeting your financial obligations." You may be able to pay the minimum on your credit card bill, but being able to pay off the whole balance every month reduces your financial risk.
Build a cushion
For life's pricey annoyances, there isn't MasterCard. There is an emergency fund.
It's a hassle to build if you don't have one, but you'll be glad you did next time your transmission sputters or your boss hands you a pink slip.
Walbert recommends setting up a high-yielding money market account dedicated exclusively to emergency money.
To fund it, besides curbing spending where you can, you might deposit:
• A bonus or financial gift from a relative
• A small amount from your paycheck every month – ask your employer to direct deposit it.
• Money you get back from a flexible spending account, a transportation reimbursement account or an insurance claim.
• An extra paycheck. If you're paid every two weeks, you'll get 26 paychecks a year. So in some months you'll get three instead of two. If your fixed monthly expenses don't change, you might be able to set aside one paycheck a year.
Live on less than you make
Earmark at least 10 percent of your gross income for retirement savings – which can be invested pre-tax in a 401(k) at work or in other tax-deferred savings vehicles.
Then live on 90 percent of your take-home pay and bank the rest for shorter-term savings goals like a down payment or vacation.
Adopt a pay-go, pay-off strategy
With a few exceptions, don't charge more than you can afford to pay off in full every month. Ideally, the only debt you should carry from month to month should be mortgage debt and student loan debt, the interest on which may be deducted on your tax return and which represent investments that can pay off later (your home and your education).
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in Agriculture Fred Harteis has lead many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - Who doesn't want to be rich? But let's face it, getting rich gets hard very fast if one or more of the following conditions applies:
You're not an investment banker or venture capitalist.
You're trying too hard to live like one.
You went ahead and had the cutest darned kids.
Being financially secure, however, isn't out of the question. And once you achieve that, you've laid the groundwork for living well.
In fact, there's no point thinking about rich until you figure out how to get – and stay – solvent.
Solvency doesn't have anything (or at least not much) to do with how much you make. Any financial planner will tell you they've had high-income clients who, given free rein, spend themselves into the ground.
Broadly speaking, solvency means being able to meet your financial obligations. How solidly solvent you'll be depends on how you define "meeting your financial obligations." You may be able to pay the minimum on your credit card bill, but being able to pay off the whole balance every month reduces your financial risk.
Build a cushion
For life's pricey annoyances, there isn't MasterCard. There is an emergency fund.
It's a hassle to build if you don't have one, but you'll be glad you did next time your transmission sputters or your boss hands you a pink slip.
Walbert recommends setting up a high-yielding money market account dedicated exclusively to emergency money.
To fund it, besides curbing spending where you can, you might deposit:
• A bonus or financial gift from a relative
• A small amount from your paycheck every month – ask your employer to direct deposit it.
• Money you get back from a flexible spending account, a transportation reimbursement account or an insurance claim.
• An extra paycheck. If you're paid every two weeks, you'll get 26 paychecks a year. So in some months you'll get three instead of two. If your fixed monthly expenses don't change, you might be able to set aside one paycheck a year.
Live on less than you make
Earmark at least 10 percent of your gross income for retirement savings – which can be invested pre-tax in a 401(k) at work or in other tax-deferred savings vehicles.
Then live on 90 percent of your take-home pay and bank the rest for shorter-term savings goals like a down payment or vacation.
Adopt a pay-go, pay-off strategy
With a few exceptions, don't charge more than you can afford to pay off in full every month. Ideally, the only debt you should carry from month to month should be mortgage debt and student loan debt, the interest on which may be deducted on your tax return and which represent investments that can pay off later (your home and your education).
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in Agriculture Fred Harteis has lead many successful business ventures.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Fred Harteis: Veterans Day Memory
Fred Harteis: Celebration of Peace
Fred Harteis: “My November date of note is the celebration of peace. Each November, when we celebrate Veterans Day. we are remembering and recognizing the sacrifices of brave service people in the cause of freedom.”
1918 - It was on this day – the 11th day of the 11th month at 11 a.m. – that World War I came to an end. The Allied and Central Powers signed the Armistice in Marshal Foch’s railway car in the Forest of Compiegne, France. On May 24, 1954, Congress passed a resolution declaring November 11 “Veteran’s Day” – a national holiday to honor all of those who have served our nation in her armed forces.
Fred Harteis and Linda Harteis are members of IBOAI
Trade Association Facts:
IBOAI, the official trade association of Quixtar IBO’s serves and protects the business interests of independent business owners in America and Canada. Association leadership includes Greg Duncan, Don Wilson, Billy Florence, Jody Victor.
Billy Florence leads DCI International and owns Equad News www.e-quadnews.com. Fred Harteis owns Harties International.
Ron Puryear WWDB and Greg Duncan lead WWDB World Wide Dream Builders.
Keywords: Billy Florence, Don Wilson, Greg Duncan, Fred Harteis, Jody Victor Ron Puryear, Quixtar MLM
© 2006 electronic reprint permission provided to Fred Harteis by esource business news.
Fred Harteis: Celebration of Peace
Fred Harteis: “My November date of note is the celebration of peace. Each November, when we celebrate Veterans Day. we are remembering and recognizing the sacrifices of brave service people in the cause of freedom.”
1918 - It was on this day – the 11th day of the 11th month at 11 a.m. – that World War I came to an end. The Allied and Central Powers signed the Armistice in Marshal Foch’s railway car in the Forest of Compiegne, France. On May 24, 1954, Congress passed a resolution declaring November 11 “Veteran’s Day” – a national holiday to honor all of those who have served our nation in her armed forces.
Fred Harteis and Linda Harteis are members of IBOAI
Trade Association Facts:
IBOAI, the official trade association of Quixtar IBO’s serves and protects the business interests of independent business owners in America and Canada. Association leadership includes Greg Duncan, Don Wilson, Billy Florence, Jody Victor.
Billy Florence leads DCI International and owns Equad News www.e-quadnews.com. Fred Harteis owns Harties International.
Ron Puryear WWDB and Greg Duncan lead WWDB World Wide Dream Builders.
Keywords: Billy Florence, Don Wilson, Greg Duncan, Fred Harteis, Jody Victor Ron Puryear, Quixtar MLM
© 2006 electronic reprint permission provided to Fred Harteis by esource business news.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Harteis – Quick Business Quote
Fred Harteis - Truth always prevails, in business and in everyday life. To be a good leader you need to be truthful and have a backbone.
A lot of people are afraid to tell the truth, to say no. That's where toughness comes into play. Toughness is not being a bully. It's having backbone.
Robert Kiyosaki
Robert T Kiyosaki is a Hawaiian born author and motivational speaker. He studied in America, joined the Marine Corps and fought in the Vietnam war. Kiyosaki now lives in America and has risen to fame as a motivational author and speaker in the areas of personal finance, investing and business. His Rich Dad Poor Dad series of books have sold millions of copies worldwide and through his education programs he is reaching thousands of students with his financial messages.
Fred Harteis and Linda Harteis are members of the IBOAI
Trade Association Facts:
IBOAI, the official trade association of Business Owners (Ibo’s), serves and protects the business interests of independent business owners. Association leadership includes Greg Duncan, Don Wilson, Billy Florence, Jody Victor.
About Diamond leadership: Billy Florence leads Team DCI International and founded Billy Florence’ Equad News . Fred Harteis owns Harteis International. Randy Haugen and Don Wilson lead Legacy Business Group. Jody Victor is founder of Markerman Productions.
Ron Puryear WWDB and Greg Duncan lead WWDB World Wide Dream Builders.
Jerry Harteis leads Harteis Associates.
© provided to Fred Harteis web blog by Esource Business News
Fred Harteis - Truth always prevails, in business and in everyday life. To be a good leader you need to be truthful and have a backbone.
A lot of people are afraid to tell the truth, to say no. That's where toughness comes into play. Toughness is not being a bully. It's having backbone.
Robert Kiyosaki
Robert T Kiyosaki is a Hawaiian born author and motivational speaker. He studied in America, joined the Marine Corps and fought in the Vietnam war. Kiyosaki now lives in America and has risen to fame as a motivational author and speaker in the areas of personal finance, investing and business. His Rich Dad Poor Dad series of books have sold millions of copies worldwide and through his education programs he is reaching thousands of students with his financial messages.
Fred Harteis and Linda Harteis are members of the IBOAI
Trade Association Facts:
IBOAI, the official trade association of Business Owners (Ibo’s), serves and protects the business interests of independent business owners. Association leadership includes Greg Duncan, Don Wilson, Billy Florence, Jody Victor.
About Diamond leadership: Billy Florence leads Team DCI International and founded Billy Florence’ Equad News . Fred Harteis owns Harteis International. Randy Haugen and Don Wilson lead Legacy Business Group. Jody Victor is founder of Markerman Productions.
Ron Puryear WWDB and Greg Duncan lead WWDB World Wide Dream Builders.
Jerry Harteis leads Harteis Associates.
© provided to Fred Harteis web blog by Esource Business News
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - Bankruptcy filings up despite reforms
Fred Harteis News Articles - A new law to deter American consumers from seeking bankruptcy protection made filings plunge to a 20-year low in the first quarter of 2006, but a rapid rise in new cases since then raises questions about whether the law is working as expected.
The 2005 bankruptcy reform law was pushed through Congress by banks and credit card companies that sought to prevent abuse by individuals trying to wipe their financial slates clean from runaway debt.
By making it more difficult to file for personal bankruptcy, the companies reasoned that consumers would be more likely to negotiate a repayment plan.
"I think the law so far is working as it was intended," said James Chessen, chief economist for the American Bankers Association trade group. "Some of the abuses have been wrung out of the system."
But credit card companies and banks are keeping an eye on the recent increase in filings.
The law took effect Oct. 17, 2005, prompting a surge of 619,322 personal bankruptcy filings for that month as debt-laden consumers rushed to court.
New cases plunged to 13,758 in November, then rose to 21,636 in December, 27,235 in January, 35,352 in February and 49,977 in March, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
That compares to the monthly average of 130,183 new cases in 2004.
Some experts say the upward trend is likely to continue, but it may take several more months before a clearer picture emerges.
"Some people think that merely reducing the number for filings regardless of who they are and what kinds of problems they have is a success," said Melissa Jacoby, a bankruptcy law professor.
"Other people think that the bill will only be successful if it keeps out abusive filers and allows legitimate filers to continue to use the system successfully," Jacoby said. "If really, the only question is whether filings stay lower, then my suspicion is that it will be unsuccessful in that regard."
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in Agriculture Fred Harteis has lead many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - A new law to deter American consumers from seeking bankruptcy protection made filings plunge to a 20-year low in the first quarter of 2006, but a rapid rise in new cases since then raises questions about whether the law is working as expected.
The 2005 bankruptcy reform law was pushed through Congress by banks and credit card companies that sought to prevent abuse by individuals trying to wipe their financial slates clean from runaway debt.
By making it more difficult to file for personal bankruptcy, the companies reasoned that consumers would be more likely to negotiate a repayment plan.
"I think the law so far is working as it was intended," said James Chessen, chief economist for the American Bankers Association trade group. "Some of the abuses have been wrung out of the system."
But credit card companies and banks are keeping an eye on the recent increase in filings.
The law took effect Oct. 17, 2005, prompting a surge of 619,322 personal bankruptcy filings for that month as debt-laden consumers rushed to court.
New cases plunged to 13,758 in November, then rose to 21,636 in December, 27,235 in January, 35,352 in February and 49,977 in March, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
That compares to the monthly average of 130,183 new cases in 2004.
Some experts say the upward trend is likely to continue, but it may take several more months before a clearer picture emerges.
"Some people think that merely reducing the number for filings regardless of who they are and what kinds of problems they have is a success," said Melissa Jacoby, a bankruptcy law professor.
"Other people think that the bill will only be successful if it keeps out abusive filers and allows legitimate filers to continue to use the system successfully," Jacoby said. "If really, the only question is whether filings stay lower, then my suspicion is that it will be unsuccessful in that regard."
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in Agriculture Fred Harteis has lead many successful business ventures.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - All Web sites are alike
Fred Harteis News Article - All Web sites are alike. Regardless of their owners, they can all do the same set of things. In that fact lies the profound crisis facing all aspects of the media industry.
It doesn't matter whether a Web site's owner once focused on publishing newspapers or magazines, broadcasting television or radio, making music or producing movies, or even selling soft drinks. Any Web site can host text, audio and video, it can facilitate connections and communication between users, and it can enable those users to create and display their own text, audio or video.
Coke can release music; ABC can publish articles; and Forbes or The New York Times can broadcast video.
The Web is one big level playing field of competition for the customer's time and attention. The quality and relevance of the content will be what drives viewers to devote that attention - not whether the host happens to be Coke.com, NYT.com or Disney.com.
So should a magazine like Time, Rolling Stone or Fortune still think of itself as in the magazine business if a growing portion of its readers are seeing the content it produces online? Or should it produce content of all types under its brand there? This kind of existential question burdens - or should burden - anyone who creates or distributes branded information or entertainment.
How should a sports fan decide, for instance, whether to go for his or her news fix to ESPN.com or SI.com? Most likely the decision will not have much to do with the fact that one organization was historically a TV network and the other a magazine. The sports fan seeks good sports content - which can now be distributed in all forms online. And indeed, SI.com has scored a hit with regular video segments on its Web site from columnist Rick Reilly.
But this new media egalitarianism strikes an even deeper blow against conventional thinking - and existing business models. While it hasn't much happened yet, what if big consumer brands decide to take their audiences and become media brands as well? If Coke, for example, could in effect operate its own TV station online, would it still buy hundreds of millions of dollars worth of ads in other media?
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in Agriculture Fred Harteis has lead many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Article - All Web sites are alike. Regardless of their owners, they can all do the same set of things. In that fact lies the profound crisis facing all aspects of the media industry.
It doesn't matter whether a Web site's owner once focused on publishing newspapers or magazines, broadcasting television or radio, making music or producing movies, or even selling soft drinks. Any Web site can host text, audio and video, it can facilitate connections and communication between users, and it can enable those users to create and display their own text, audio or video.
Coke can release music; ABC can publish articles; and Forbes or The New York Times can broadcast video.
The Web is one big level playing field of competition for the customer's time and attention. The quality and relevance of the content will be what drives viewers to devote that attention - not whether the host happens to be Coke.com, NYT.com or Disney.com.
So should a magazine like Time, Rolling Stone or Fortune still think of itself as in the magazine business if a growing portion of its readers are seeing the content it produces online? Or should it produce content of all types under its brand there? This kind of existential question burdens - or should burden - anyone who creates or distributes branded information or entertainment.
How should a sports fan decide, for instance, whether to go for his or her news fix to ESPN.com or SI.com? Most likely the decision will not have much to do with the fact that one organization was historically a TV network and the other a magazine. The sports fan seeks good sports content - which can now be distributed in all forms online. And indeed, SI.com has scored a hit with regular video segments on its Web site from columnist Rick Reilly.
But this new media egalitarianism strikes an even deeper blow against conventional thinking - and existing business models. While it hasn't much happened yet, what if big consumer brands decide to take their audiences and become media brands as well? If Coke, for example, could in effect operate its own TV station online, would it still buy hundreds of millions of dollars worth of ads in other media?
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in Agriculture Fred Harteis has lead many successful business ventures.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - Saving A Marriage: Spend, Save Or Give?
Fred Harteis News Articles - Money in the bank gives you the warm fuzzies, but money in your spouse's pocket creates an insatiable urge to spend.
The marriage needn't tumble off the personal finance precipice if you understand each other's response to money and learn how to accommodate it.
"Our attitudes toward money are so deeply embedded that we tend to believe we are right and our partner is wrong," says Diane McCurdy, author of How Much Is Enough? Balancing Today's Needs With Tomorrow's Retirement Goals. "Typical responses are: 'I'm a responsible adult and you're a spoiled child,' or 'I like to have some fun and you're a miserly killjoy.' If more couples understood how their partner feels about money, fewer would end up in divorce court."
McCurdy says there are four basic attitudes toward handling money: saver, spender, builder and giver.
Saver: Who would the rest of the world hit up for a loan without savers? It's not unusual for savers to build a substantial savings account on a tight salary. Savers are organized and don't buy impulsively. They abhor risk, and a savings account is more than security for a rainy day--money socked away provides peace of mind, even contentment. However, savers can be too conservative and may avoid investments that would make their money grow faster. Some wait too long to enjoy their money and a few never learn how to enjoy it.
Spenders: Money equals things, lots of things, right now. Spiffy cars and the latest gizmos are tangible and can create fun and status, unlike what spenders see as an abstract and generally useless savings account. Spending $100 on a midweek meal is nothing--make it $200 if friends are involved. In some cases, spenders are the Joneses others want to emulate. But many spenders are eaten alive by interest payments because they don't pay the credit card bill in full each month.
Builders: Think Bill Gates and Microsoft, or other successful entrepreneurs who see money as a tool to turn their dreams into reality. Some builders are close to maniacal in pursuit of their dream and may overlook the basics of money management. They may misjudge the amount of money they need to cover their losses if something goes wrong. If so, it's on to the next project. Builders are filled with ideas.
Givers: Such people routinely buy extravagant gifts for friends, usually things they'd never consider buying for themselves. They also volunteer in great numbers, giving time, money and energy to a cause they believe in. Deep down, many feel money is close to a sin and giving it away is the only proper thing to do with it. They also derive pleasure in making others happy or in doing good deeds. Givers often ignore their own needs and may hurt their children by not teaching them how to handle money.
Source: Forbes.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in Agriculture Fred Harteis has lead many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - Money in the bank gives you the warm fuzzies, but money in your spouse's pocket creates an insatiable urge to spend.
The marriage needn't tumble off the personal finance precipice if you understand each other's response to money and learn how to accommodate it.
"Our attitudes toward money are so deeply embedded that we tend to believe we are right and our partner is wrong," says Diane McCurdy, author of How Much Is Enough? Balancing Today's Needs With Tomorrow's Retirement Goals. "Typical responses are: 'I'm a responsible adult and you're a spoiled child,' or 'I like to have some fun and you're a miserly killjoy.' If more couples understood how their partner feels about money, fewer would end up in divorce court."
McCurdy says there are four basic attitudes toward handling money: saver, spender, builder and giver.
Saver: Who would the rest of the world hit up for a loan without savers? It's not unusual for savers to build a substantial savings account on a tight salary. Savers are organized and don't buy impulsively. They abhor risk, and a savings account is more than security for a rainy day--money socked away provides peace of mind, even contentment. However, savers can be too conservative and may avoid investments that would make their money grow faster. Some wait too long to enjoy their money and a few never learn how to enjoy it.
Spenders: Money equals things, lots of things, right now. Spiffy cars and the latest gizmos are tangible and can create fun and status, unlike what spenders see as an abstract and generally useless savings account. Spending $100 on a midweek meal is nothing--make it $200 if friends are involved. In some cases, spenders are the Joneses others want to emulate. But many spenders are eaten alive by interest payments because they don't pay the credit card bill in full each month.
Builders: Think Bill Gates and Microsoft, or other successful entrepreneurs who see money as a tool to turn their dreams into reality. Some builders are close to maniacal in pursuit of their dream and may overlook the basics of money management. They may misjudge the amount of money they need to cover their losses if something goes wrong. If so, it's on to the next project. Builders are filled with ideas.
Givers: Such people routinely buy extravagant gifts for friends, usually things they'd never consider buying for themselves. They also volunteer in great numbers, giving time, money and energy to a cause they believe in. Deep down, many feel money is close to a sin and giving it away is the only proper thing to do with it. They also derive pleasure in making others happy or in doing good deeds. Givers often ignore their own needs and may hurt their children by not teaching them how to handle money.
Source: Forbes.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in Agriculture Fred Harteis has lead many successful business ventures.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - What the rich want in a home
Fred Harteis News Articles - The latest Coldwell Banker Previews International Luxury Survey reveals that, although owners of million dollar houses are living well, they are not indulging in especially lavish life styles.
Coldwell Banker surveyed 300 U.S. homeowners whose primary residence is valued at over $1 million ($2 million for California residents because the median house price is more than twice the national average).
"We did not find huge numbers of these consumers having amenities like heated floors (14 percent), tennis courts (4 percent), or backyard putting greens (5 percent)," said Jim Gillespie, CEO of Coldwell Banker.
They live comfortably, however, and they have money left over to fund discretionary purchases. A good proportion of these luxury home owners, 35 percent, own second homes, for example, and an equal number are considering buying another house as an investment or as a second home.
When they buy second homes, recreation is the biggest reason for it; 55 percent are in recreational areas such as beaches (32 percent), lake front (11 percent) or ski resorts (11 percent).
Nearly two thirds of respondents have designer kitchens and more than a third have wine cellars. Other amenities of choice: entertainment rooms (59 percent), wet bars (57 percent) and theater seating (24 percent).
These have-a-lots also want to keep what they have; 87 percent have security systems.
And they don't want to spend their time mowing the lawn; 67 percent hire professional landscapers to take care of their yards. Some 37 percent have in-ground pools gracing those landscaped grounds.
One aspect of the modern lush life that distinguishes the present-day wealthy from their predecessors is the notable absence of full-time household help. "The million-dollar life-style is not what you see in the movies," says Gillespie. Only 5 percent employ personal assistants, 4 percent have a live-in housekeeper and 1 percent a driver. That despite the fact that 43 percent made more than $500,000 a year and another 41 percent earned between $200,000 and $500,000.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - The latest Coldwell Banker Previews International Luxury Survey reveals that, although owners of million dollar houses are living well, they are not indulging in especially lavish life styles.
Coldwell Banker surveyed 300 U.S. homeowners whose primary residence is valued at over $1 million ($2 million for California residents because the median house price is more than twice the national average).
"We did not find huge numbers of these consumers having amenities like heated floors (14 percent), tennis courts (4 percent), or backyard putting greens (5 percent)," said Jim Gillespie, CEO of Coldwell Banker.
They live comfortably, however, and they have money left over to fund discretionary purchases. A good proportion of these luxury home owners, 35 percent, own second homes, for example, and an equal number are considering buying another house as an investment or as a second home.
When they buy second homes, recreation is the biggest reason for it; 55 percent are in recreational areas such as beaches (32 percent), lake front (11 percent) or ski resorts (11 percent).
Nearly two thirds of respondents have designer kitchens and more than a third have wine cellars. Other amenities of choice: entertainment rooms (59 percent), wet bars (57 percent) and theater seating (24 percent).
These have-a-lots also want to keep what they have; 87 percent have security systems.
And they don't want to spend their time mowing the lawn; 67 percent hire professional landscapers to take care of their yards. Some 37 percent have in-ground pools gracing those landscaped grounds.
One aspect of the modern lush life that distinguishes the present-day wealthy from their predecessors is the notable absence of full-time household help. "The million-dollar life-style is not what you see in the movies," says Gillespie. Only 5 percent employ personal assistants, 4 percent have a live-in housekeeper and 1 percent a driver. That despite the fact that 43 percent made more than $500,000 a year and another 41 percent earned between $200,000 and $500,000.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - Car Thieves Target Escalades
Fred Harteis News Articles - Escalades had the highest rate of insurance theft claims for the fourth straight year, according to a study released Wednesday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Escalade was followed by the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and the Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab pickup.
The Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the insurance institute, noted the Escalade offers plenty of eye candy to tempt thieves, from chromed wheels and leather seats to rear-seat DVD systems. Not to mention a marketing campaign that links the Escalade to the hip and trendy.
"This is the car that Tony Soprano drives. It's seen in a lot of rap videos. There are a lot of NFL players who are photographed in it," said Kim Hazelbaker, senior vice president of the Highway Loss Data Institute. "It's part of our pop culture as a very large, flashy SUV."
The institute calculated which newer vehicles were most likely to be stolen by assessing theft claims per 1,000 insured vehicles from model years 2003 to 2005. The Escalade had a claim rate of 13.2, while the Lancer Evolution had a rate of 11.9.
The lowest-ranking vehicle, the Ford Taurus, had a rate of 0.3, followed by the Pontiac Vibe 4-wheel drive at 0.4, and the Buick LeSabre and Park Avenue, both at 0.5. Cadillac, a division of General Motors Corp., sells the new 2007 Escalade at a starting price of $57,280.
Hazelbaker said about one-fourth of the claims for the Escalades were for $40,000 or more, providing evidence that thieves were stealing the entire vehicle instead of seeking its parts.
Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell said the theft rate was "an unfortunate byproduct of the desirability of the vehicle." The 2007 model comes equipped an improved anti-theft ignition immobilizer, which prevents the vehicle from being started without the proper key.
The Lancer Evolution, a high-performance version with more than twice the horsepower of a standard Lancer sedan, was likely targeted because thieves coveted its rear spoilers and special tires and wheels, Hazelbaker said.
Theft losses for pickups, meanwhile, have increased sharply since 1999, the institute found, based on high claims for the Dodge Ram and the Ford F-250 and F-350 trucks.
Hazelbaker said the Ram has an available option of 20-inch wheels capable of fitting previous versions of the pickup, potentially making it more desirable to thieves.
The study found that the Dodge Stratus and its twins, the Chrysler Sebring and Plymouth Breeze, had high theft losses in Washington, D.C., while losses of the 2003 Nissan Maxima and Lexus RX 330 were high around New York City. The group attributed the losses of the Maxima and RX 330
to their expensive Xenon headlights.
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - Escalades had the highest rate of insurance theft claims for the fourth straight year, according to a study released Wednesday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Escalade was followed by the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and the Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab pickup.
The Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the insurance institute, noted the Escalade offers plenty of eye candy to tempt thieves, from chromed wheels and leather seats to rear-seat DVD systems. Not to mention a marketing campaign that links the Escalade to the hip and trendy.
"This is the car that Tony Soprano drives. It's seen in a lot of rap videos. There are a lot of NFL players who are photographed in it," said Kim Hazelbaker, senior vice president of the Highway Loss Data Institute. "It's part of our pop culture as a very large, flashy SUV."
The institute calculated which newer vehicles were most likely to be stolen by assessing theft claims per 1,000 insured vehicles from model years 2003 to 2005. The Escalade had a claim rate of 13.2, while the Lancer Evolution had a rate of 11.9.
The lowest-ranking vehicle, the Ford Taurus, had a rate of 0.3, followed by the Pontiac Vibe 4-wheel drive at 0.4, and the Buick LeSabre and Park Avenue, both at 0.5. Cadillac, a division of General Motors Corp., sells the new 2007 Escalade at a starting price of $57,280.
Hazelbaker said about one-fourth of the claims for the Escalades were for $40,000 or more, providing evidence that thieves were stealing the entire vehicle instead of seeking its parts.
Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell said the theft rate was "an unfortunate byproduct of the desirability of the vehicle." The 2007 model comes equipped an improved anti-theft ignition immobilizer, which prevents the vehicle from being started without the proper key.
The Lancer Evolution, a high-performance version with more than twice the horsepower of a standard Lancer sedan, was likely targeted because thieves coveted its rear spoilers and special tires and wheels, Hazelbaker said.
Theft losses for pickups, meanwhile, have increased sharply since 1999, the institute found, based on high claims for the Dodge Ram and the Ford F-250 and F-350 trucks.
Hazelbaker said the Ram has an available option of 20-inch wheels capable of fitting previous versions of the pickup, potentially making it more desirable to thieves.
The study found that the Dodge Stratus and its twins, the Chrysler Sebring and Plymouth Breeze, had high theft losses in Washington, D.C., while losses of the 2003 Nissan Maxima and Lexus RX 330 were high around New York City. The group attributed the losses of the Maxima and RX 330
to their expensive Xenon headlights.
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - Summer forecast: Lines, full planes, higher fares
Fred Harteis News Articles - Get ready to hurry up and wait. Summer 2006 is shaping up to be the busiest on record for air travel. This summer is expected to be the busiest ever for air travel in the U.S.
Nearly 207 million passengers are expected to board U.S. airliners for domestic and international trips in the next three months. That's up from 205 million in the June-August period last year, and from 185 million in summer 2001, before the Sept. 11 terrorism nearly brought travel to a halt.
From airport parking lots to security checkpoints to the planes themselves, events are conspiring to create long lines and cramped quarters — all at higher fares. Airports, airlines and the government are girding for the crush.
Fueling the high demand for air travel is a U.S. economy strong enough to offset a double-digit percentage increase in fares. For each mile the airlines carried a passenger in April, they were collecting 11% more than a year earlier, according to the most recent industry figures.
Even before the high season for travel kicked off with the Memorial Day weekend, airlines were begging passengers to arrive earlier, pack lighter, prepare to wait — and stay calm.
Along with the huge volume of summer travelers, other factors could make such blow-ups common. Among them:
•Fewer workers. Fighting huge losses, airlines have laid off more than 150,000 workers in the last five years. The big traditional airlines are running with 21,000, or about 7%, fewer workers than last year, according to recent government numbers. Airlines say they've offset many cuts through better use of technology — check-in kiosks, for example. But the fact remains that fewer people remain to work ticket counters, transfer baggage and solve problems.
•Fewer seats for domestic travel. While demand is up, the number of seats on U.S. planes on domestic routes will be down 2% this summer from last year, according to the trade group Air Transport Association. Seating capacity on flights between the USA and foreign cities, however, will be up more than 4% over last summer. Chasing the higher profit they can get on international trips, U.S. carriers including American, United and Delta have added dozens of international flights to Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean in the last two years.
•Packed planes. Airlines struggling to cope with record high jet fuel prices are packing as many passengers as possible onto every flight.
•Bumping. Airlines in general have been bumping more passengers from flights so far this year than a year ago, Department of Transportation figures show. From January to March, American, American Eagle, Delta, Southwest and others involuntarily bumped more passengers than the same three-month period a year earlier.
Source: USAToday.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - Get ready to hurry up and wait. Summer 2006 is shaping up to be the busiest on record for air travel. This summer is expected to be the busiest ever for air travel in the U.S.
Nearly 207 million passengers are expected to board U.S. airliners for domestic and international trips in the next three months. That's up from 205 million in the June-August period last year, and from 185 million in summer 2001, before the Sept. 11 terrorism nearly brought travel to a halt.
From airport parking lots to security checkpoints to the planes themselves, events are conspiring to create long lines and cramped quarters — all at higher fares. Airports, airlines and the government are girding for the crush.
Fueling the high demand for air travel is a U.S. economy strong enough to offset a double-digit percentage increase in fares. For each mile the airlines carried a passenger in April, they were collecting 11% more than a year earlier, according to the most recent industry figures.
Even before the high season for travel kicked off with the Memorial Day weekend, airlines were begging passengers to arrive earlier, pack lighter, prepare to wait — and stay calm.
Along with the huge volume of summer travelers, other factors could make such blow-ups common. Among them:
•Fewer workers. Fighting huge losses, airlines have laid off more than 150,000 workers in the last five years. The big traditional airlines are running with 21,000, or about 7%, fewer workers than last year, according to recent government numbers. Airlines say they've offset many cuts through better use of technology — check-in kiosks, for example. But the fact remains that fewer people remain to work ticket counters, transfer baggage and solve problems.
•Fewer seats for domestic travel. While demand is up, the number of seats on U.S. planes on domestic routes will be down 2% this summer from last year, according to the trade group Air Transport Association. Seating capacity on flights between the USA and foreign cities, however, will be up more than 4% over last summer. Chasing the higher profit they can get on international trips, U.S. carriers including American, United and Delta have added dozens of international flights to Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean in the last two years.
•Packed planes. Airlines struggling to cope with record high jet fuel prices are packing as many passengers as possible onto every flight.
•Bumping. Airlines in general have been bumping more passengers from flights so far this year than a year ago, Department of Transportation figures show. From January to March, American, American Eagle, Delta, Southwest and others involuntarily bumped more passengers than the same three-month period a year earlier.
Source: USAToday.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - Hurricane preparation
Fred Harteis News Articles - Preparing our houses for the worst may be the best investment we can make. Here are five great tips for preparing your home for Hurricane Season.
1. Secure your garage
About 80 percent of residential hurricane damage starts with wind entry through garage doors, according to the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes. Many garage doors are made of lightweight materials to conserve weight and expense which makes them vulnerable to high winds.
Look for a sticker on the inside of your garage door that gives you a pressure rating. If you don't see a sticker, chances are you'll need to reinforce your doors. But consumer beware:" There many products out there claiming to provide protection, but they may not be up to code and they can be quite expensive, says Kerri Caldwell of Hurricane Protection magazine. In some cases, you may be paying over $15 a square inch to shield your garage.
2. Reinforce your windows
Forget about taping your windows. It's a waste of time. If you live in a hurricane or storm-prone area, you may want to think about installing impact resistant windows recommends Leslie Chapman-Henderson of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes.
These windows are designed to withstand flying debris. But keep in mind, you'll be paying for the extra protection. Impact resistant windows may cost twice as much as regular windows. These windows are designed to withstand the impact of a standard missile traveling at 34 mph.
3. Watch your grading
Soil should slope away from your house. After the first four feet of your home's perimeter, the ground should slope down about six inches. If your grading needs improvement, use clean fill dirt, not top soil, to build up a slope around your house. Top soil is organic and will hold water against your home's foundation.
4. Check your trees
Every year falling trees and tree limbs cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage as well as personal injuries and deaths. Homeowners are the first line of defense against problem trees.
You'll need to check regularly for signs of damage or disease including cracks in the trunk or major limbs, insect infestations, trees that look one-sided or that lean significantly, branches hanging over the house or near the roof, limbs in contact with power lines or mushrooms growing from the bark signaling decay.
5. Secure your stuff
If you have furniture and other outdoor equipment on your patio or deck, bring them inside when strong weather threatens. Don't forget trash cans, grills, toys, and potted plants. Keep them from becoming flying objects that can cause additional injury or damage during storms with high winds.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - Preparing our houses for the worst may be the best investment we can make. Here are five great tips for preparing your home for Hurricane Season.
1. Secure your garage
About 80 percent of residential hurricane damage starts with wind entry through garage doors, according to the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes. Many garage doors are made of lightweight materials to conserve weight and expense which makes them vulnerable to high winds.
Look for a sticker on the inside of your garage door that gives you a pressure rating. If you don't see a sticker, chances are you'll need to reinforce your doors. But consumer beware:" There many products out there claiming to provide protection, but they may not be up to code and they can be quite expensive, says Kerri Caldwell of Hurricane Protection magazine. In some cases, you may be paying over $15 a square inch to shield your garage.
2. Reinforce your windows
Forget about taping your windows. It's a waste of time. If you live in a hurricane or storm-prone area, you may want to think about installing impact resistant windows recommends Leslie Chapman-Henderson of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes.
These windows are designed to withstand flying debris. But keep in mind, you'll be paying for the extra protection. Impact resistant windows may cost twice as much as regular windows. These windows are designed to withstand the impact of a standard missile traveling at 34 mph.
3. Watch your grading
Soil should slope away from your house. After the first four feet of your home's perimeter, the ground should slope down about six inches. If your grading needs improvement, use clean fill dirt, not top soil, to build up a slope around your house. Top soil is organic and will hold water against your home's foundation.
4. Check your trees
Every year falling trees and tree limbs cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage as well as personal injuries and deaths. Homeowners are the first line of defense against problem trees.
You'll need to check regularly for signs of damage or disease including cracks in the trunk or major limbs, insect infestations, trees that look one-sided or that lean significantly, branches hanging over the house or near the roof, limbs in contact with power lines or mushrooms growing from the bark signaling decay.
5. Secure your stuff
If you have furniture and other outdoor equipment on your patio or deck, bring them inside when strong weather threatens. Don't forget trash cans, grills, toys, and potted plants. Keep them from becoming flying objects that can cause additional injury or damage during storms with high winds.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles – 5 Ways To Cut Your Cell Phone Bill
Fred Harteis News Articles - Is your cell phone bill becoming the size of a phone book? No wonder. Cell phone providers have been developing clever new ways of squeezing dollars out your wallet, from addictive services like text- and video-messaging to downloadable ring tones and video games.
The good news: with some nifty cost-saving tactics, your cellular dependency doesn't have to cost a fortune.
Here are five ways to save:
1.) Plan Out Your Messaging
Thumb sore from all that texting? Be prepared to pay handsomely. At 10 cents per text those little messages can quickly add up. To add insult to injury, most carriers charge for the messages you send and receive. Fortunately, carriers offer special text-messaging plans that allow you to save. Sprint/Nextel, for example, currently offers a bundle of 100 text messages for $5 a month, a more generous 500 messages for $8, or unlimited text messaging for $15.
2.) Follow Your Friends
Increasingly, carriers offer unlimited in-network minutes, which means you can talk for free with other subscribers until your phone melts into your ear. So it makes sense to go with the carrier that most of your friends and family use. Currently, only Sprint/Nextel and T-Mobile charge for this service (for an extra $5 and $7.99, respectively). With the other major carriers, the perk is free.
3.) Don't Overrule Prepaid Plans
If you don't use your phone all that often, consider getting a prepaid plan, says Allan Keiter, president of MyRatePlan.com, a consumer-information web site for wireless and long-distance plans. "With rate plans starting at $39.99 a month now, that's a lot of money to make one or two calls a month," he says. With a prepaid plan, you purchase a certain dollar amount to use for a period of time and pay only for the minutes you actually use. With Virgin Mobile's Minute2Minute prepaid plan, for example, you pay 25 cents a minute for the first 10 minutes of the day you use, and 10 cents a minute thereafter.
4.) Find Your Perfect Match
Most cell phone plans look alike, but the truth is that providers often differ on the special add-ons they offer with their plans. Going with the carrier whose offer fits your needs best could save you a bundle. Are you in the habit of grabbing your cell phone right after work to call your gal-pal Jane and talk until the wee hours of the evening? Go with a carrier that offers the earliest free-evening minutes. At Sprint, for example, nighttime minutes start at 7PM, while with other carriers 9PM is the norm. Cingular, on the other hand, allows you to roll your unused minutes over to the following months: a great perk if your minute usage is inconsistent.
5.) Trim the Fat
Roadside assistance for only $3 or $4 a month (which means your carrier will come to your rescue if you have car trouble and, say, tow your car to the nearest service station) and equipment protection for just $5 sounded like nothing when you signed up for your plan. But those additional costs quickly add up. And the fact is, you probably don't need them.
Source: AOL.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - Is your cell phone bill becoming the size of a phone book? No wonder. Cell phone providers have been developing clever new ways of squeezing dollars out your wallet, from addictive services like text- and video-messaging to downloadable ring tones and video games.
The good news: with some nifty cost-saving tactics, your cellular dependency doesn't have to cost a fortune.
Here are five ways to save:
1.) Plan Out Your Messaging
Thumb sore from all that texting? Be prepared to pay handsomely. At 10 cents per text those little messages can quickly add up. To add insult to injury, most carriers charge for the messages you send and receive. Fortunately, carriers offer special text-messaging plans that allow you to save. Sprint/Nextel, for example, currently offers a bundle of 100 text messages for $5 a month, a more generous 500 messages for $8, or unlimited text messaging for $15.
2.) Follow Your Friends
Increasingly, carriers offer unlimited in-network minutes, which means you can talk for free with other subscribers until your phone melts into your ear. So it makes sense to go with the carrier that most of your friends and family use. Currently, only Sprint/Nextel and T-Mobile charge for this service (for an extra $5 and $7.99, respectively). With the other major carriers, the perk is free.
3.) Don't Overrule Prepaid Plans
If you don't use your phone all that often, consider getting a prepaid plan, says Allan Keiter, president of MyRatePlan.com, a consumer-information web site for wireless and long-distance plans. "With rate plans starting at $39.99 a month now, that's a lot of money to make one or two calls a month," he says. With a prepaid plan, you purchase a certain dollar amount to use for a period of time and pay only for the minutes you actually use. With Virgin Mobile's Minute2Minute prepaid plan, for example, you pay 25 cents a minute for the first 10 minutes of the day you use, and 10 cents a minute thereafter.
4.) Find Your Perfect Match
Most cell phone plans look alike, but the truth is that providers often differ on the special add-ons they offer with their plans. Going with the carrier whose offer fits your needs best could save you a bundle. Are you in the habit of grabbing your cell phone right after work to call your gal-pal Jane and talk until the wee hours of the evening? Go with a carrier that offers the earliest free-evening minutes. At Sprint, for example, nighttime minutes start at 7PM, while with other carriers 9PM is the norm. Cingular, on the other hand, allows you to roll your unused minutes over to the following months: a great perk if your minute usage is inconsistent.
5.) Trim the Fat
Roadside assistance for only $3 or $4 a month (which means your carrier will come to your rescue if you have car trouble and, say, tow your car to the nearest service station) and equipment protection for just $5 sounded like nothing when you signed up for your plan. But those additional costs quickly add up. And the fact is, you probably don't need them.
Source: AOL.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - The Good Life guide to summer reading
Fred Harteis News Articles - Whether you're on a summer business trip or stealing a little time for a weekend getaway, chances are you'll be spending more than a few hours flying this season. And what better time to get in some good reading?
But instead of the usual airport paperbacks, we've got a few suggestions for cool summer reads that won't just keep you riveted, they'll excite your inner businessman, too.
Joseph Finder, author of the best-selling "Company Man," is back with a new biz thriller: "Killer Instinct." This one follows electronics salesman Jason Steadman as his unlikely friendship with a Special Forces soldier-turned-tow-truck driver turns deadly. The driver comes to work with Steadman, and it soon becomes evident that he hasn't left his killing days behind him. A bit over the top, yes, but in the spirit of "The Firm" and all those other unbelievable thrillers that we love to love, this one is a crowd pleaser. (St. Martin's Press, $24.95)
For a more focused look at one of the most interesting historical figures you've never heard of, John F. Wasik's "The Merchant of Power: Sam Insull, Thomas Edison, and the Creation of the Modern Metropolis" is more than worth a look. The story of Insull, Thomas Edison's right-hand man and one of the world's richest men in the early 20th century, is also a fascinating cautionary tale. The man who invented the power grid lost it all - including his place in history - in the Great Depression, at least until now. (Palgrave Macmillan, $24.95)
If James P. Othmer can write "The Futurist: A Novel" - an excerpt of which was a National Magazine Award finalist - while keeping his day job as an ad executive at Young & Rubicam, what are the rest of us doing? This satire is both a hilarious - and frighteningly accurate - send-up of contemporary corporate culture, and an inspiration to anyone who's lost his creativity to the corporate grind. And J.P. Yates, Othmer's pundit protagonist, who travels around commenting on the "future" of things only to suffer an identity crisis of sorts, is a product of the consultant era that every corporate dweller will recognize. (Doubleday, June 6, $23.95)
"Black and Blue: The Golden Arm, the Robinson Boys, and the 1966 World Series That Stunned America" is the newest work from "Long Ball" author Tom Adelman, a gripping story of the Orioles 1966 World Series upset over the Dodgers. It's summer, it's suspense - well, sort of - and it's the kind of action that any business traveler worth his salt won't be able to resist. (Little, Brown, $24.95)
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - Whether you're on a summer business trip or stealing a little time for a weekend getaway, chances are you'll be spending more than a few hours flying this season. And what better time to get in some good reading?
But instead of the usual airport paperbacks, we've got a few suggestions for cool summer reads that won't just keep you riveted, they'll excite your inner businessman, too.
Joseph Finder, author of the best-selling "Company Man," is back with a new biz thriller: "Killer Instinct." This one follows electronics salesman Jason Steadman as his unlikely friendship with a Special Forces soldier-turned-tow-truck driver turns deadly. The driver comes to work with Steadman, and it soon becomes evident that he hasn't left his killing days behind him. A bit over the top, yes, but in the spirit of "The Firm" and all those other unbelievable thrillers that we love to love, this one is a crowd pleaser. (St. Martin's Press, $24.95)
For a more focused look at one of the most interesting historical figures you've never heard of, John F. Wasik's "The Merchant of Power: Sam Insull, Thomas Edison, and the Creation of the Modern Metropolis" is more than worth a look. The story of Insull, Thomas Edison's right-hand man and one of the world's richest men in the early 20th century, is also a fascinating cautionary tale. The man who invented the power grid lost it all - including his place in history - in the Great Depression, at least until now. (Palgrave Macmillan, $24.95)
If James P. Othmer can write "The Futurist: A Novel" - an excerpt of which was a National Magazine Award finalist - while keeping his day job as an ad executive at Young & Rubicam, what are the rest of us doing? This satire is both a hilarious - and frighteningly accurate - send-up of contemporary corporate culture, and an inspiration to anyone who's lost his creativity to the corporate grind. And J.P. Yates, Othmer's pundit protagonist, who travels around commenting on the "future" of things only to suffer an identity crisis of sorts, is a product of the consultant era that every corporate dweller will recognize. (Doubleday, June 6, $23.95)
"Black and Blue: The Golden Arm, the Robinson Boys, and the 1966 World Series That Stunned America" is the newest work from "Long Ball" author Tom Adelman, a gripping story of the Orioles 1966 World Series upset over the Dodgers. It's summer, it's suspense - well, sort of - and it's the kind of action that any business traveler worth his salt won't be able to resist. (Little, Brown, $24.95)
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - America's Best and Worst Paying Jobs
Fred Harteis News Articles - Why do financially pushy parents want their children to marry doctors? Because, as Willie Sutton said of banks, that is where the money is.
The medical profession dominates the top end of our list of the 25 best and worst paying jobs. Surgeons are No. 1, with the next seven spots taken by various sorts of specialist practitioners. Chief executives, at No. 9, and airline pilots, at No. 13, are the only two nonmedical occupations in the top 15. At the other end of the scale are jobs in hotels, restaurants and leisure businesses. Lowest paid of all? Fast-food cooks, followed by busboys, dishwashers and waiters.
According to government data, the mean annual salary for 55,390 surgeons is $181,850; for a fast-food cook, $15,230. The mean annual pay for all jobs is $37,440.
Our numbers are drawn from the government's National, State and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. They, in turn, are based on a national survey of employers (the latest available one is from 2004) of every size and in all industry sectors. They cover 800 occupations.
The survey covers full- and part-time workers who are paid a wage or salary. It does not include the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers and unpaid family workers.
It asks about basic pay, incentive bonuses and commissions, but not overtime pay or non-wage compensation, such as stock options. That all helps explain why mean annual wages appear lower than one might have expected at the top end and higher at the bottom, where undocumented workers are unlikely to be counted accurately.
Remember, too, that these are mean salaries and that they give no indication of how distant the outliers at either end of the salary scale for any occupation might be. There are plenty of lawyers that earn a lot more than $110,590, and surely there are dishwashers who earn a lot less than $15,670.
Earnings can vary widely for the same job in different industries and in different places. Farm workers and nurserymen who work for the federal government, for example, earn almost twice the average for the occupation. Ditto laundry and dry-cleaning workers.
Click here to see the top 25 paying jobs
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - Why do financially pushy parents want their children to marry doctors? Because, as Willie Sutton said of banks, that is where the money is.
The medical profession dominates the top end of our list of the 25 best and worst paying jobs. Surgeons are No. 1, with the next seven spots taken by various sorts of specialist practitioners. Chief executives, at No. 9, and airline pilots, at No. 13, are the only two nonmedical occupations in the top 15. At the other end of the scale are jobs in hotels, restaurants and leisure businesses. Lowest paid of all? Fast-food cooks, followed by busboys, dishwashers and waiters.
According to government data, the mean annual salary for 55,390 surgeons is $181,850; for a fast-food cook, $15,230. The mean annual pay for all jobs is $37,440.
Our numbers are drawn from the government's National, State and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. They, in turn, are based on a national survey of employers (the latest available one is from 2004) of every size and in all industry sectors. They cover 800 occupations.
The survey covers full- and part-time workers who are paid a wage or salary. It does not include the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers and unpaid family workers.
It asks about basic pay, incentive bonuses and commissions, but not overtime pay or non-wage compensation, such as stock options. That all helps explain why mean annual wages appear lower than one might have expected at the top end and higher at the bottom, where undocumented workers are unlikely to be counted accurately.
Remember, too, that these are mean salaries and that they give no indication of how distant the outliers at either end of the salary scale for any occupation might be. There are plenty of lawyers that earn a lot more than $110,590, and surely there are dishwashers who earn a lot less than $15,670.
Earnings can vary widely for the same job in different industries and in different places. Farm workers and nurserymen who work for the federal government, for example, earn almost twice the average for the occupation. Ditto laundry and dry-cleaning workers.
Click here to see the top 25 paying jobs
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles – Accounting ~ The New “It” Job
Fred Harteis News Articles - If the stereotype of a nerdy bean counter comes to mind when you think of an accountant, think again.
"All of a sudden, accountants are in the news. With all the scandals, and all the money that's changing hands, the profession has started looking sexy, dangerous and challenging," explains Eva Rosenberg, MBA, EA, publisher of TaxMama.com, and author of 'Small Business Taxes Made Easy'. "Accountants aren't just boring geeks anymore. We're hot!"
With the demise of Arthur Andersen LLP and the Enron scandal, as well as the creation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002 (which established a public accounting oversight board), Rosenberg's proclamation isn't far from the truth. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (also known as SOX 404) revised corporate governance standards, added new disclosure requirements and created new federal crimes related to fraud.
One result of the legislation was an increased demand for well-trained accountants, so it's no surprise that colleges and universities have noticed a surge of interest. In fact, some schools like Baker College Online are rapidly expanding their curriculum.
After all, where there is interest, there is opportunity. And the media has helped generate much of the interest, say those in the field.
"News reporting has a lot to do with it," explains Robert Payne, Baker's associate dean of business. "If something is in the news, it becomes news ... people want to know about it and interest is piqued just as it is with [other] scandals.
Payne is in charge of piquing students' interest beyond the desire to enroll, and attributes online learning's technology to helping them connect numbers and concepts despite never setting foot on campus. "The technology performs all the [accounting] functions that are done in the traditional, on-ground classroom on paper. Other technologies like videocams, scenarios and simulations of real-world events, often in real-time, make distance delivery of accounting programs possible."
Adam Mikolajczak, a Baker Online student who has taken several online accounting classes agrees. "Instead of dry textbook theories, practical terms seem to come alive," he notes.
In addition, online learning ensures that students are not limited by geography, schedule or accessibility. For Derek Thompson, an online student at American Intercontinental University (AIU), flexibility is key. As he pursues a degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting, the husband and father of an 11-year-old girl works full-time. "Studying online allows me to attend classes without eliminating family time, since I don't have to travel or attend classroom sessions."
"Online education is booming as the technology gets better and better and more schools become accredited and are accepted by employers. No longer are online schools seen as diploma mills," Steven explains. With corporations and accounting firms having a lot more work to do in order to ensure compliance, they need to hire a lot more accountants. And, the surge is seen not only in large firms, points out Steven, but small ones as well.
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - If the stereotype of a nerdy bean counter comes to mind when you think of an accountant, think again.
"All of a sudden, accountants are in the news. With all the scandals, and all the money that's changing hands, the profession has started looking sexy, dangerous and challenging," explains Eva Rosenberg, MBA, EA, publisher of TaxMama.com, and author of 'Small Business Taxes Made Easy'. "Accountants aren't just boring geeks anymore. We're hot!"
With the demise of Arthur Andersen LLP and the Enron scandal, as well as the creation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002 (which established a public accounting oversight board), Rosenberg's proclamation isn't far from the truth. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (also known as SOX 404) revised corporate governance standards, added new disclosure requirements and created new federal crimes related to fraud.
One result of the legislation was an increased demand for well-trained accountants, so it's no surprise that colleges and universities have noticed a surge of interest. In fact, some schools like Baker College Online are rapidly expanding their curriculum.
After all, where there is interest, there is opportunity. And the media has helped generate much of the interest, say those in the field.
"News reporting has a lot to do with it," explains Robert Payne, Baker's associate dean of business. "If something is in the news, it becomes news ... people want to know about it and interest is piqued just as it is with [other] scandals.
Payne is in charge of piquing students' interest beyond the desire to enroll, and attributes online learning's technology to helping them connect numbers and concepts despite never setting foot on campus. "The technology performs all the [accounting] functions that are done in the traditional, on-ground classroom on paper. Other technologies like videocams, scenarios and simulations of real-world events, often in real-time, make distance delivery of accounting programs possible."
Adam Mikolajczak, a Baker Online student who has taken several online accounting classes agrees. "Instead of dry textbook theories, practical terms seem to come alive," he notes.
In addition, online learning ensures that students are not limited by geography, schedule or accessibility. For Derek Thompson, an online student at American Intercontinental University (AIU), flexibility is key. As he pursues a degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting, the husband and father of an 11-year-old girl works full-time. "Studying online allows me to attend classes without eliminating family time, since I don't have to travel or attend classroom sessions."
"Online education is booming as the technology gets better and better and more schools become accredited and are accepted by employers. No longer are online schools seen as diploma mills," Steven explains. With corporations and accounting firms having a lot more work to do in order to ensure compliance, they need to hire a lot more accountants. And, the surge is seen not only in large firms, points out Steven, but small ones as well.
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles – Jobs of the Future
Fred Harteis News Articles - It's 2026. You lost your cashier job five years ago, when Wal-Mart Stores switched to automatic checkout. A job at the post office lasted only a few years, since no one sends mail anymore. Then came the avian flu, decimating populations around the world. Your new office job shut down because everyone was afraid of getting sick.
But one thing is clear: In two decades, your job probably won't exist, at least not in the same form. "I think there's going to be an enormous shift of occupations," says futurist Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock and Revolutionary Wealth. "Most jobs are going to change. They'll survive, but they'll change."
It's hard to think of an industry that's not undergoing upheaval. From newspaper publishers to moviemakers, media firms are adjusting to the digital age. The Big Three auto companies--General Motors Ford Motor and Daimler Chrysler must transform themselves to compete in the global marketplace. Pharmaceutical giants that focus on blockbuster drugs are languishing, while biotech upstarts with tightly targeted medicines are on the rise.
Meanwhile, computers continue to take over the world. Machines will learn to perform most translation services, eventually making language experts unnecessary, Toffler says. Robotic aircraft will put fighter pilots out of business.
But there's good news: Technology will create new jobs as well. Out-of-work "top gun" pilots may find jobs captaining dirigibles, says Joel Barker, author of Five Regions of the Future. A relic from the 1920s and 1930s, these rigid blimps will revolutionize travel in the developing world, he adds. They don't require expensive infrastructure like runways, and they can stop in midair to drop off passengers or deliver goods, a boon in rural areas.
Hollywood's woes may be solved by holography. Since consumers are perfectly happy watching DVDs at home on big flat-screen televisions, box-office receipts have slipped and movie moguls are scrambling. But eventually, Barker says, film companies will start producing three-dimensional holographic movies that require equipment too expensive and complicated to set up at home.
It's too early to declare the end of oil, but alternative energy will create dozens of new careers in the next two decades. Hydrogen fuel could be cost-competitive with gasoline if refueling stations were mass-produced, according to a study conducted by Ford. The hydrogen at these stations would be produced on-site, so managers would need an entirely different set of skills than those required in today's gas stations, which are mainly retail operations.
Eventually, of course, cars will be obsolete, and teleport repairmen could replace auto mechanics. "People look at teleportation and say, 'That will never be real,' " says Robert Herman, a management consultant, futurist and founder of the Herman Group. "But people looked at planes and said, 'There's no way that can fly.' These things are not outside the realm of possibility."
OK, so 20 years might be a little early for teleportation to materialize. But commuters can dream.
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in Agriculture Fred Harteis has lead many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - It's 2026. You lost your cashier job five years ago, when Wal-Mart Stores switched to automatic checkout. A job at the post office lasted only a few years, since no one sends mail anymore. Then came the avian flu, decimating populations around the world. Your new office job shut down because everyone was afraid of getting sick.
But one thing is clear: In two decades, your job probably won't exist, at least not in the same form. "I think there's going to be an enormous shift of occupations," says futurist Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock and Revolutionary Wealth. "Most jobs are going to change. They'll survive, but they'll change."
It's hard to think of an industry that's not undergoing upheaval. From newspaper publishers to moviemakers, media firms are adjusting to the digital age. The Big Three auto companies--General Motors Ford Motor and Daimler Chrysler must transform themselves to compete in the global marketplace. Pharmaceutical giants that focus on blockbuster drugs are languishing, while biotech upstarts with tightly targeted medicines are on the rise.
Meanwhile, computers continue to take over the world. Machines will learn to perform most translation services, eventually making language experts unnecessary, Toffler says. Robotic aircraft will put fighter pilots out of business.
But there's good news: Technology will create new jobs as well. Out-of-work "top gun" pilots may find jobs captaining dirigibles, says Joel Barker, author of Five Regions of the Future. A relic from the 1920s and 1930s, these rigid blimps will revolutionize travel in the developing world, he adds. They don't require expensive infrastructure like runways, and they can stop in midair to drop off passengers or deliver goods, a boon in rural areas.
Hollywood's woes may be solved by holography. Since consumers are perfectly happy watching DVDs at home on big flat-screen televisions, box-office receipts have slipped and movie moguls are scrambling. But eventually, Barker says, film companies will start producing three-dimensional holographic movies that require equipment too expensive and complicated to set up at home.
It's too early to declare the end of oil, but alternative energy will create dozens of new careers in the next two decades. Hydrogen fuel could be cost-competitive with gasoline if refueling stations were mass-produced, according to a study conducted by Ford. The hydrogen at these stations would be produced on-site, so managers would need an entirely different set of skills than those required in today's gas stations, which are mainly retail operations.
Eventually, of course, cars will be obsolete, and teleport repairmen could replace auto mechanics. "People look at teleportation and say, 'That will never be real,' " says Robert Herman, a management consultant, futurist and founder of the Herman Group. "But people looked at planes and said, 'There's no way that can fly.' These things are not outside the realm of possibility."
OK, so 20 years might be a little early for teleportation to materialize. But commuters can dream.
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in Agriculture Fred Harteis has lead many successful business ventures.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - How to save thousands on student loans
Fred Harteis News Articles - If you've borrowed money from Uncle Sam to finance your education or your child's, you might be able to save yourself thousands of dollars.
The trick: consolidating your federally guaranteed, variable-rate loans between now and June 30.
Here's why: your payments will go up on July 1 due to an increase in loan rates. Those rates are reset every year based on the yield on 3-month Treasury bills as determined by the last T-bill auction in May, which occurred Tuesday.
That yield was 4.84 percent, up 1.84 percentage points from the end of May last year. Hence, the repayment rate on the federal loans for students known as Stafford loans will rise to about 7.14 percent from 5.3 percent currently.
If you start repaying your loans while you're still in school or up to six months after graduation, known as the grace period, you get a lower rate. That rate will rise to 6.54 percent from 4.7 percent.
Meanwhile, the rate on student loans for parents, known as PLUS loans, will rise to roughly 7.94 percent from 6.1 percent. This year's rate increase is second only to the record 1.93 percentage point increase in 2005, said Mark Kantrowitz, founder of FinAid.org and author of the upcoming book "FastWeb's College Gold."
When you consolidate, you roll all your loans into one and lock in a single rate on the money you owe. If you consolidate your loans now, you can get a rate of 5.38 percent for regular student loan repayment, and 4.75 percent if you're still in school or in the grace period. That applies to Stafford loans obtained after June 1998.
Come July 1, those rates will jump to 7.25 percent and 6.625 percent, respectively.
For PLUS loans, the consolidated rate, currently 6.125 percent, will rise to 8.00 percent in July.
Here's what that means in dollars: Say you have $20,000 in 10-year variable rate Stafford or PLUS loans. If you consolidate before July 1, you could save roughly $20 a month in payments and about $2,300 in interest over the life of your loan.
If you have $100,000 in loans, as many medical students do, multiply those savings by 5. You'd save close to $100 a month, or about $11,500 in interest over the life of the loan.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - If you've borrowed money from Uncle Sam to finance your education or your child's, you might be able to save yourself thousands of dollars.
The trick: consolidating your federally guaranteed, variable-rate loans between now and June 30.
Here's why: your payments will go up on July 1 due to an increase in loan rates. Those rates are reset every year based on the yield on 3-month Treasury bills as determined by the last T-bill auction in May, which occurred Tuesday.
That yield was 4.84 percent, up 1.84 percentage points from the end of May last year. Hence, the repayment rate on the federal loans for students known as Stafford loans will rise to about 7.14 percent from 5.3 percent currently.
If you start repaying your loans while you're still in school or up to six months after graduation, known as the grace period, you get a lower rate. That rate will rise to 6.54 percent from 4.7 percent.
Meanwhile, the rate on student loans for parents, known as PLUS loans, will rise to roughly 7.94 percent from 6.1 percent. This year's rate increase is second only to the record 1.93 percentage point increase in 2005, said Mark Kantrowitz, founder of FinAid.org and author of the upcoming book "FastWeb's College Gold."
When you consolidate, you roll all your loans into one and lock in a single rate on the money you owe. If you consolidate your loans now, you can get a rate of 5.38 percent for regular student loan repayment, and 4.75 percent if you're still in school or in the grace period. That applies to Stafford loans obtained after June 1998.
Come July 1, those rates will jump to 7.25 percent and 6.625 percent, respectively.
For PLUS loans, the consolidated rate, currently 6.125 percent, will rise to 8.00 percent in July.
Here's what that means in dollars: Say you have $20,000 in 10-year variable rate Stafford or PLUS loans. If you consolidate before July 1, you could save roughly $20 a month in payments and about $2,300 in interest over the life of your loan.
If you have $100,000 in loans, as many medical students do, multiply those savings by 5. You'd save close to $100 a month, or about $11,500 in interest over the life of the loan.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - Who's Hiring the Class of '06: Hottest Jobs for Grads
Fred Harteis News articles - Thanks to an improving economy and healthy nationwide job creation, things are looking promising for the class of 2006.
Seventy percent of hiring managers say they plan to recruit recent college graduates in 2006, and one-in-four expect to hire more new grads than last year, according to CareerBuilder.com's annual survey on college hiring.
While the job market is generally favorable, certain occupations are particularly new grad-friendly. In its 2006 spring salary survey, the National Association of Colleges and Employers ranked the top jobs for 2005-06 bachelor's degree graduates by the number of job offers reported. The following, listed with their average starting salaries, topped the heap:
Accounting (private) -- $45,817
Businesses are scrambling to expand their accounting departments to deal with new pressures from the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and global expansion, said Blane Ruschak, national director of university relations at Big Four accounting firm KPMG. Young accountants are cashing in on these new jobs.
Management Trainee -- $38,482
Management trainee programs are intensive "boot camps" through which new graduates can learn about all facets of the organization, said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder.com. This gives new hires from all educational backgrounds the benefit of shadowing others and getting more personalized training.
Financial/Treasury Analysis -- $46,335
Financial analysts help banks, insurance companies, mutual and pension funds, securities firms and other businesses make investment decisions, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. To get hired, candidates need stellar math skills -- therefore, business, economics, finance and mathematics majors will find themselves especially in-demand. Once hired, financial analysts should expect long hours, but many earn large bonuses that substantially increase their earnings.
Sales -- $38,830
New graduates make excellent salespeople because they're high energy, driven to success and undaunted by rejection. They also save their employers training time, Haefner said. Students hoping to start a career in sales should get involved on campus and use their résumés to demonstrate how they've used the traits of a successful salesperson in their everyday lives -- for example balancing school and work or playing competitive sports, Haefner explained.
Project Engineering -- $50,365
Globalization is translating into more job opportunities for engineering graduates, said Karen Clark, who leads the engineering recruitment effort for Washington Group International, a leading integrated engineering, construction and management solutions company. "The engineering fields are in-demand now because of the multitude of projects to help improve living conditions throughout the world," she said.
Consulting -- $50,120
The consulting market is bouncing back to levels not seen since 1999 or 2000, and that's translating into more opportunities for new graduates at both the bachelor's and MBA levels, said Archstone Consulting's Lauren Shapiro said. New graduates are raw talent, she said. "We know we can mold them."
Teaching -- $30,377
Job growth, retiring teachers and high turnover are creating good opportunities for new graduates looking for teaching positions -- especially in special education, math, science, some foreign languages and computer sciences, said Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association.
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News articles - Thanks to an improving economy and healthy nationwide job creation, things are looking promising for the class of 2006.
Seventy percent of hiring managers say they plan to recruit recent college graduates in 2006, and one-in-four expect to hire more new grads than last year, according to CareerBuilder.com's annual survey on college hiring.
While the job market is generally favorable, certain occupations are particularly new grad-friendly. In its 2006 spring salary survey, the National Association of Colleges and Employers ranked the top jobs for 2005-06 bachelor's degree graduates by the number of job offers reported. The following, listed with their average starting salaries, topped the heap:
Accounting (private) -- $45,817
Businesses are scrambling to expand their accounting departments to deal with new pressures from the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and global expansion, said Blane Ruschak, national director of university relations at Big Four accounting firm KPMG. Young accountants are cashing in on these new jobs.
Management Trainee -- $38,482
Management trainee programs are intensive "boot camps" through which new graduates can learn about all facets of the organization, said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder.com. This gives new hires from all educational backgrounds the benefit of shadowing others and getting more personalized training.
Financial/Treasury Analysis -- $46,335
Financial analysts help banks, insurance companies, mutual and pension funds, securities firms and other businesses make investment decisions, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. To get hired, candidates need stellar math skills -- therefore, business, economics, finance and mathematics majors will find themselves especially in-demand. Once hired, financial analysts should expect long hours, but many earn large bonuses that substantially increase their earnings.
Sales -- $38,830
New graduates make excellent salespeople because they're high energy, driven to success and undaunted by rejection. They also save their employers training time, Haefner said. Students hoping to start a career in sales should get involved on campus and use their résumés to demonstrate how they've used the traits of a successful salesperson in their everyday lives -- for example balancing school and work or playing competitive sports, Haefner explained.
Project Engineering -- $50,365
Globalization is translating into more job opportunities for engineering graduates, said Karen Clark, who leads the engineering recruitment effort for Washington Group International, a leading integrated engineering, construction and management solutions company. "The engineering fields are in-demand now because of the multitude of projects to help improve living conditions throughout the world," she said.
Consulting -- $50,120
The consulting market is bouncing back to levels not seen since 1999 or 2000, and that's translating into more opportunities for new graduates at both the bachelor's and MBA levels, said Archstone Consulting's Lauren Shapiro said. New graduates are raw talent, she said. "We know we can mold them."
Teaching -- $30,377
Job growth, retiring teachers and high turnover are creating good opportunities for new graduates looking for teaching positions -- especially in special education, math, science, some foreign languages and computer sciences, said Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association.
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - 20 Savvy Tips for Using Plastic on Vacation
Fred Harteis News Articles - For most instances a credit card is the best bet when you travel, hands down. But when you want to get a little spending money, an ATM card is a great resource.
Credit Cards
1. Select cards for overseas use.
For an international trip, find which cards you'll be able to use. In certain parts of the world, some cards will be accepted more widely than others, says Clark Howard, co-author of "Get Clark Smart: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Rich from America's Money-Saving Expert." Check a couple of good guidebooks to find out which cards will give you the most options in that area.
2. Ask about fees in advance.
If you're leaving the U.S., ask about fees. Call the issuing bank and find what kind of fees it charges for using the card outside the U.S. Many institutions charge additional fees -- flat rate, percentage or both -- for foreign transactions. "Most people don't think to ask, or know to ask," says Howard.
3. Carry lost/theft phone number.
Before you leave for foreign ports of call, get the number to call if your card is lost or stolen. That 800 number you've got now probably won't work outside the U.S., says Hasbrouck. But your card's bank has another number and will share it if you ask.
4. Tell card issuer your plans.
If you're going to be making charges in another country or an area of this country that's outside your normal pattern, let the card company know ahead of time. Otherwise, their fraud department could see all that unusual activity and shut off your charging privileges.
5. Prepare for emergencies.
"If you have a safe place, like a password-protected contact on the Web, you need to have your account numbers there," says Howard. That way, if your cards are lost or stolen, you can report them without having to call home and have someone go through your bills. "It's great to have a list," he says. "Even better, before you leave on a trip, purge your wallet of all the things you won't need."
6. Take cards from two banks.
If something goes wrong and one of your banks shuts off your credit, you'll have a back-up card until you can straighten out the situation, says Howard. But if all your cards are from the same bank, you're stuck.
7. Check your credit limits and expiration dates.
You want to find out how much you can spend on each card and know that it will work for the duration of your trip, says Mai Lee Ua, public relations associate with Discover Financial Services.
8. Keep all receipts.
"You don't have the same dispute rights when you use a card outside the U.S.," says Howard."That's why it's so important to keep a copy of every charge slip." Otherwise, if the merchant makes a mistake or puts through an amount that's higher than you approved, and you don't have your original slip, you've waived your rights, he says.
9. Try to use just one card.
It's far easier to reconcile your spending when you get back and it allows you to have more discipline, as far as your budget.
10. Make sure certain card is accepted.
Even if the merchant has your card's insignia on the door, ask if the card is accepted. When Howard went to Prague recently, he discovered an interesting phenomenon: Restaurants would sport credit card logos on the door, but when he tried to pay with one of those cards, management would tell him they don't take those cards. The decals were almost like a status symbol, he says. But they didn't really mean anything.
Source: AOL.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - For most instances a credit card is the best bet when you travel, hands down. But when you want to get a little spending money, an ATM card is a great resource.
Credit Cards
1. Select cards for overseas use.
For an international trip, find which cards you'll be able to use. In certain parts of the world, some cards will be accepted more widely than others, says Clark Howard, co-author of "Get Clark Smart: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Rich from America's Money-Saving Expert." Check a couple of good guidebooks to find out which cards will give you the most options in that area.
2. Ask about fees in advance.
If you're leaving the U.S., ask about fees. Call the issuing bank and find what kind of fees it charges for using the card outside the U.S. Many institutions charge additional fees -- flat rate, percentage or both -- for foreign transactions. "Most people don't think to ask, or know to ask," says Howard.
3. Carry lost/theft phone number.
Before you leave for foreign ports of call, get the number to call if your card is lost or stolen. That 800 number you've got now probably won't work outside the U.S., says Hasbrouck. But your card's bank has another number and will share it if you ask.
4. Tell card issuer your plans.
If you're going to be making charges in another country or an area of this country that's outside your normal pattern, let the card company know ahead of time. Otherwise, their fraud department could see all that unusual activity and shut off your charging privileges.
5. Prepare for emergencies.
"If you have a safe place, like a password-protected contact on the Web, you need to have your account numbers there," says Howard. That way, if your cards are lost or stolen, you can report them without having to call home and have someone go through your bills. "It's great to have a list," he says. "Even better, before you leave on a trip, purge your wallet of all the things you won't need."
6. Take cards from two banks.
If something goes wrong and one of your banks shuts off your credit, you'll have a back-up card until you can straighten out the situation, says Howard. But if all your cards are from the same bank, you're stuck.
7. Check your credit limits and expiration dates.
You want to find out how much you can spend on each card and know that it will work for the duration of your trip, says Mai Lee Ua, public relations associate with Discover Financial Services.
8. Keep all receipts.
"You don't have the same dispute rights when you use a card outside the U.S.," says Howard."That's why it's so important to keep a copy of every charge slip." Otherwise, if the merchant makes a mistake or puts through an amount that's higher than you approved, and you don't have your original slip, you've waived your rights, he says.
9. Try to use just one card.
It's far easier to reconcile your spending when you get back and it allows you to have more discipline, as far as your budget.
10. Make sure certain card is accepted.
Even if the merchant has your card's insignia on the door, ask if the card is accepted. When Howard went to Prague recently, he discovered an interesting phenomenon: Restaurants would sport credit card logos on the door, but when he tried to pay with one of those cards, management would tell him they don't take those cards. The decals were almost like a status symbol, he says. But they didn't really mean anything.
Source: AOL.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - When your personal info is stolen
Fred Harteis News Articles - No one's immune from the aggravations of potential identity theft.
The latest reminder of this was Soccial Security numbers and other valuable personal data of nearly 27 million veterans was stolen in a burglary at the home of a Department of Veteran Affairs analyst.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson said that authorities think the intention of the burglary wasn't to steal the personal data, and that thus far there is no indication ID theft has resulted from the incident.
Last year, millions of employees and consumers were told that their personal information was lost or had been stolen. And early reports then also indicated no identity theft had resulted from the breaches at that time. Or the mass of data may be so overwhelming that the chance of your identity being stolen could be 1 in 27 million, which makes only the most paranoid worried.
The annoying thing is you just don't know. And you never will. But if you are concerned your personal information has fallen into the wrong hands, there are steps you can take to prevent it from being used fraudulently.
Monitor your accounts for any irregularities over the next few years. Sheila Gordon, director of victim services at the Identity Theft Resource Center, recommends that you:
Check your annual earnings statement from the Social Security Administration and make sure it squares with the money you've earned this year.
Check your 401(k) account periodically to make sure no one has cashed out or rolled over any of your balance.
Check notices from the IRS that indicate you haven't paid taxes on certain earnings, which may indicate someone is working under your Social Security number
Check your credit report for any new loans (e.g., home, car, school) taken out in your name or new credit card accounts you didn't open.
Put a fraud alert on your credit reports. A fraud alert tells companies that they should call you to verify your identity whenever they check your credit report with the intention of opening an account in your name or making any changes to an existing one.
So, for example, if someone is fraudulently trying to set up a cell phone account in your name, the creditor will call you first.
Put a fraud alert on your credit reports at all three credit bureaus -- Equifax (800-525-6285), Experian (888-397-3742) and TransUnion (800-680-7289).
It's a relatively quick process that you can do by phone via the credit bureaus' automated systems.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - No one's immune from the aggravations of potential identity theft.
The latest reminder of this was Soccial Security numbers and other valuable personal data of nearly 27 million veterans was stolen in a burglary at the home of a Department of Veteran Affairs analyst.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson said that authorities think the intention of the burglary wasn't to steal the personal data, and that thus far there is no indication ID theft has resulted from the incident.
Last year, millions of employees and consumers were told that their personal information was lost or had been stolen. And early reports then also indicated no identity theft had resulted from the breaches at that time. Or the mass of data may be so overwhelming that the chance of your identity being stolen could be 1 in 27 million, which makes only the most paranoid worried.
The annoying thing is you just don't know. And you never will. But if you are concerned your personal information has fallen into the wrong hands, there are steps you can take to prevent it from being used fraudulently.
Monitor your accounts for any irregularities over the next few years. Sheila Gordon, director of victim services at the Identity Theft Resource Center, recommends that you:
Check your annual earnings statement from the Social Security Administration and make sure it squares with the money you've earned this year.
Check your 401(k) account periodically to make sure no one has cashed out or rolled over any of your balance.
Check notices from the IRS that indicate you haven't paid taxes on certain earnings, which may indicate someone is working under your Social Security number
Check your credit report for any new loans (e.g., home, car, school) taken out in your name or new credit card accounts you didn't open.
Put a fraud alert on your credit reports. A fraud alert tells companies that they should call you to verify your identity whenever they check your credit report with the intention of opening an account in your name or making any changes to an existing one.
So, for example, if someone is fraudulently trying to set up a cell phone account in your name, the creditor will call you first.
Put a fraud alert on your credit reports at all three credit bureaus -- Equifax (800-525-6285), Experian (888-397-3742) and TransUnion (800-680-7289).
It's a relatively quick process that you can do by phone via the credit bureaus' automated systems.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - Workers would give up coffee for Web
Fred Harteis News Articles - It should come as no surprise that most Americans with Internet access at work do some personal Web surfing on the job. A new survey finds that half of them would rather give up their morning coffee than forgo that ability.
Maps, news and weather are the chief nonwork-related sites visited.
A quarter of employees watch or listen to streaming media at least once a week from work, and 18 percent have downloaded and stored nonwork music, photos and video clips, according to a telephone-based survey sponsored by Websense Inc., which makes software that helps companies filter and monitor Internet use.
Many companies have Internet policies that ban pornography but allow reasonable personal Internet use, such as e-mailing a doctor to schedule an appointment or buying a gift during a lunch break.
According to the survey, 61 percent of employees with Internet access have spent at least some time accessing personal sites.
The average is 3.1 hours a week, compared with 12.8 hours for work-related surfing.
The survey of 500 employees was conducted March 16 to April 4 by Harris Interactive. The random sample was limited to adults who work at a company with at least 100 employees and who have Internet access on the job.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - It should come as no surprise that most Americans with Internet access at work do some personal Web surfing on the job. A new survey finds that half of them would rather give up their morning coffee than forgo that ability.
Maps, news and weather are the chief nonwork-related sites visited.
A quarter of employees watch or listen to streaming media at least once a week from work, and 18 percent have downloaded and stored nonwork music, photos and video clips, according to a telephone-based survey sponsored by Websense Inc., which makes software that helps companies filter and monitor Internet use.
Many companies have Internet policies that ban pornography but allow reasonable personal Internet use, such as e-mailing a doctor to schedule an appointment or buying a gift during a lunch break.
According to the survey, 61 percent of employees with Internet access have spent at least some time accessing personal sites.
The average is 3.1 hours a week, compared with 12.8 hours for work-related surfing.
The survey of 500 employees was conducted March 16 to April 4 by Harris Interactive. The random sample was limited to adults who work at a company with at least 100 employees and who have Internet access on the job.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - Theft-proofing your home
Fred Harteis News Articles - Suntan lotion...check. Bermuda shorts...check. Now that you're packed and ready to hit the road, make sure your most valuable asset will remain safe and sound.
Here are Five Tips that will tell you how.
1. Know the stats
There were over 2 million burglaries nationally for the 2004 year, the latest year that stats are available, according to the FBI. Most burglaries happen in July and August - exactly when many homeowners are off on their summer vacations. In fact, most communities will experience a 10 to 18 percent increase in home burglaries during the summer, according to the Burglary Prevention Council. The average home loss totaled over $1,600 dollars. The most common time for a burglary to happen was during daylight hours from 6 am to 6 pm. Burglars spend no more than 60 seconds breaking into a home, so you'll want to make it as hard as possible for them.
2. Unplug your garage door
Before you pull out of the driveway, disable the electric garage door opener and make sure the door is locked securely. If you have manual lock make sure you use it. While it might be rare, you don't want someone with a universal garage door opener gaining any access to your garage and your home.
3. Make your yard burglar-unfriendly
Take a walk around the yard. If you see shrubs or trees that provide sufficient cover to a would-be burglar, you'll want to trim them. Keep these bushes far away from the house. You may also want to plant thorny bushes, like firethorns or rosebushes, closer to the windows. Pay special attention to your first floor windows. Over 60 percent of burglars come through a window that should have been locked, according to the National Crime Prevention Council. People that break into homes usually find an opening that should have been closed, says Tom Kraeutler, host of the radio show, "The Money Pit."
4. Follow the light
Burglars want to blend in as much as possible. So consider investing in motion detector lights for the outside and light timers for the inside of your home. With a motion-sensitive light, an intruder is bathed in light the instant he steps into your yard. You'll also want to use light-timers on lamps near the front and the back windows. This way you'll be able to create the impression the home is lived in. You can buy them for as little as $20 to $50.
5. It's not just thieves
While you're on vacation, the last thing you want to think about is coming home to what could be a disaster. Before you leave, turn off the main water valve, says Kraeutler. If a pipe bursts while you're away, you could return to a pool of floating furniture.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - Suntan lotion...check. Bermuda shorts...check. Now that you're packed and ready to hit the road, make sure your most valuable asset will remain safe and sound.
Here are Five Tips that will tell you how.
1. Know the stats
There were over 2 million burglaries nationally for the 2004 year, the latest year that stats are available, according to the FBI. Most burglaries happen in July and August - exactly when many homeowners are off on their summer vacations. In fact, most communities will experience a 10 to 18 percent increase in home burglaries during the summer, according to the Burglary Prevention Council. The average home loss totaled over $1,600 dollars. The most common time for a burglary to happen was during daylight hours from 6 am to 6 pm. Burglars spend no more than 60 seconds breaking into a home, so you'll want to make it as hard as possible for them.
2. Unplug your garage door
Before you pull out of the driveway, disable the electric garage door opener and make sure the door is locked securely. If you have manual lock make sure you use it. While it might be rare, you don't want someone with a universal garage door opener gaining any access to your garage and your home.
3. Make your yard burglar-unfriendly
Take a walk around the yard. If you see shrubs or trees that provide sufficient cover to a would-be burglar, you'll want to trim them. Keep these bushes far away from the house. You may also want to plant thorny bushes, like firethorns or rosebushes, closer to the windows. Pay special attention to your first floor windows. Over 60 percent of burglars come through a window that should have been locked, according to the National Crime Prevention Council. People that break into homes usually find an opening that should have been closed, says Tom Kraeutler, host of the radio show, "The Money Pit."
4. Follow the light
Burglars want to blend in as much as possible. So consider investing in motion detector lights for the outside and light timers for the inside of your home. With a motion-sensitive light, an intruder is bathed in light the instant he steps into your yard. You'll also want to use light-timers on lamps near the front and the back windows. This way you'll be able to create the impression the home is lived in. You can buy them for as little as $20 to $50.
5. It's not just thieves
While you're on vacation, the last thing you want to think about is coming home to what could be a disaster. Before you leave, turn off the main water valve, says Kraeutler. If a pipe bursts while you're away, you could return to a pool of floating furniture.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles – What They Don’t Teach You In College
Fred Harteis News Articles - The business world is another animal entirely. Politically motivated and fraught with nonsensical change, it's not a natural fit for ambitious graduates who leave school expecting results from a logical combination of education and effort. Suddenly, the tenets of success we've followed since kindergarten don't apply, because getting ahead in the business world often has nothing to do with intelligence or exceeding a set of defined expectations. Since they don't teach corporate in college, here are six tips to help you win at the business world's game:
Develop a marketable corporate person:
Think of yourself as a publicist with the task of promoting you. Learn to capitalize on your skills, succinctly assert your achievements and project a corporate persona -- or your most mature, professional and competent face.
Establish profitable relationships:
Business networking is a valuable tool to gain information, increase your visibility in your field and make connections that will help you move forward in your career. Seek out new contacts and potential mentors whom you like and admire and whose interests you share. On the home front, don't expect your boss to figure out what you're all about. Determine her priorities, find out what she wants from you, and brainstorm ways to surpass her expectations.
Master transferable skills like goal setting, effective communication and time management:
You might not know exactly what you want to do with your life, but transferable skills will serve you well no matter what future path you decide to pursue. Make your time count now by working with your boss to set specific, reasonable and attainable goals for your present position that will help you advance to the next level.
Stay motivated despite trying circumstances:
There's no doubt that the business world can be frustrating, but remember that you can choose your response to your environment. If you make a conscious decision to begin each day with a positive outlook, negative conditions at work can't take that away from you. Aim to increase your self-awareness so you can better understand your emotional hot buttons.
Get people to cooperate:
Always keep in mind that other people don't care what you want -- they want to know what's in it for them. By approaching negotiations with an attitude that allows both parties to win, you'll be more effective at eliciting cooperation and ultimately getting what you want.
Be proactive about your career growth:
Approach your performance review strategically by soliciting feedback on your progress, identifying new goals and growth opportunities and hammering out a long-term promotion plan. When asking your boss for a raise, be prepared with a list of contributions that have positively impacted the bottom line.
When you're struggling to survive in a corporate job, it might be an achievement just to make it through the day. But if at any point you feel like taking these steps is not worth the effort, just consider how much time you are likely to spend in the business world. Assuming you work from age 22 to age 65 for 235 days a year, you'll be on someone else's clock for about 80,000 hours, or one-tenth of your life. Isn't it only fair that you do everything you can to create a rewarding job experience?
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - The business world is another animal entirely. Politically motivated and fraught with nonsensical change, it's not a natural fit for ambitious graduates who leave school expecting results from a logical combination of education and effort. Suddenly, the tenets of success we've followed since kindergarten don't apply, because getting ahead in the business world often has nothing to do with intelligence or exceeding a set of defined expectations. Since they don't teach corporate in college, here are six tips to help you win at the business world's game:
Develop a marketable corporate person:
Think of yourself as a publicist with the task of promoting you. Learn to capitalize on your skills, succinctly assert your achievements and project a corporate persona -- or your most mature, professional and competent face.
Establish profitable relationships:
Business networking is a valuable tool to gain information, increase your visibility in your field and make connections that will help you move forward in your career. Seek out new contacts and potential mentors whom you like and admire and whose interests you share. On the home front, don't expect your boss to figure out what you're all about. Determine her priorities, find out what she wants from you, and brainstorm ways to surpass her expectations.
Master transferable skills like goal setting, effective communication and time management:
You might not know exactly what you want to do with your life, but transferable skills will serve you well no matter what future path you decide to pursue. Make your time count now by working with your boss to set specific, reasonable and attainable goals for your present position that will help you advance to the next level.
Stay motivated despite trying circumstances:
There's no doubt that the business world can be frustrating, but remember that you can choose your response to your environment. If you make a conscious decision to begin each day with a positive outlook, negative conditions at work can't take that away from you. Aim to increase your self-awareness so you can better understand your emotional hot buttons.
Get people to cooperate:
Always keep in mind that other people don't care what you want -- they want to know what's in it for them. By approaching negotiations with an attitude that allows both parties to win, you'll be more effective at eliciting cooperation and ultimately getting what you want.
Be proactive about your career growth:
Approach your performance review strategically by soliciting feedback on your progress, identifying new goals and growth opportunities and hammering out a long-term promotion plan. When asking your boss for a raise, be prepared with a list of contributions that have positively impacted the bottom line.
When you're struggling to survive in a corporate job, it might be an achievement just to make it through the day. But if at any point you feel like taking these steps is not worth the effort, just consider how much time you are likely to spend in the business world. Assuming you work from age 22 to age 65 for 235 days a year, you'll be on someone else's clock for about 80,000 hours, or one-tenth of your life. Isn't it only fair that you do everything you can to create a rewarding job experience?
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - Top 50: Most entry-level jobs for grads
Fred Harteis News Articles – The job market for college seniors is the best it's been in five years. But it's better at some companies than others.
The job site CollegeGrad.com surveyed 1,100 companies about their hiring expectations for entry-level workers this year, and compiled a list of those with the most positions to fill.
The companies that report having the highest number of entry-level positions to fill are Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Lockheed Martin, Walgreen Company, Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.
The survey found college seniors who majored in marketing, business, management, accounting, computer science and communication are among the most in demand.
But there's good news for liberal arts grads, too, said Philip Gardener, director of Michigan State University's Collegiate Employment Research Institute (CERI).
Almost half of the jobs he sees companies recruiting for are in sales and marketing, jobs that stress excellent interpersonal and communication skills as well as the ability to work "in an ambiguous environment," he said. More so than engineers, IT professionals and other technically oriented grads, liberal arts majors tend to do well in these positions, Gardener said.
But it's not just big companies that are hiring. Small companies are hiring a significant number of new college graduates, expanding job opportunities by about 25 percent, according to a CERI report, which notes that "while it may seem that large companies have all the jobs, small employers – and there are thousands – may actually be the best place to find employment."
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles – The job market for college seniors is the best it's been in five years. But it's better at some companies than others.
The job site CollegeGrad.com surveyed 1,100 companies about their hiring expectations for entry-level workers this year, and compiled a list of those with the most positions to fill.
The companies that report having the highest number of entry-level positions to fill are Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Lockheed Martin, Walgreen Company, Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.
The survey found college seniors who majored in marketing, business, management, accounting, computer science and communication are among the most in demand.
But there's good news for liberal arts grads, too, said Philip Gardener, director of Michigan State University's Collegiate Employment Research Institute (CERI).
Almost half of the jobs he sees companies recruiting for are in sales and marketing, jobs that stress excellent interpersonal and communication skills as well as the ability to work "in an ambiguous environment," he said. More so than engineers, IT professionals and other technically oriented grads, liberal arts majors tend to do well in these positions, Gardener said.
But it's not just big companies that are hiring. Small companies are hiring a significant number of new college graduates, expanding job opportunities by about 25 percent, according to a CERI report, which notes that "while it may seem that large companies have all the jobs, small employers – and there are thousands – may actually be the best place to find employment."
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles : Three-in-Four Workers Suffer Stress on the Job
Fred Harteis News Articles - Workers are feeling frazzled at work, thanks to a culture of heavy workloads, longer schedules, less time spent at home and fewer vacation days. More than half of workers said they work under a great deal of stress, and 77 percent said they feel burnout on the job, according to a nationwide survey by CareerBuilder.com.
What's the culprit? Workers most often blame colleagues for their office anxiety, with 16 percent citing difficult co-workers as their primary cause of stress at work. Other top workplace stressors included:
Unrealistic workload (15 percent)
Tight deadlines (11 percent)
Last-minute projects (10 percent)
Overbearing or interfering boss (9 percent)
High-pressure work environments are taking their toll on workers' morale. Twenty-three percent of workers say they frequently or constantly feel burnout at work. This can be detrimental to both workers, whose health and career progress may suffer, and employers, who pick up the tab in higher insurance costs and lost productivity.
Your job performance isn't the only thing hurting. Stress and burnout can affect your immune system and has been linked to migraines, digestive disorders, skin diseases, high blood pressure and heart disease. It causes emotional distress as well.
Here are some signs you're cracking under work's pressure:
Your co-workers are walking on eggshells around you.
You come in late and want to leave earlier.
Apathy has replaced enthusiasm.
You've lost camaraderie with co-workers.
You're feeling physically sick.
If you recognize these signs or feel overwhelmed by work, here are some ways to ease the pain:
Organize and prioritize. Tackle the more difficult and important tasks first each day to ensure you have time to complete them. Before you leave work, take a few minutes to clean up your workspace and create the next day's to-do list.
Manage expectations. Set reasonable short-term and long-term goals for yourself. When promising work to others, underpromise and overdeliver to prevent deadline crunches.
Don't neglect your health. Getting plenty of sleep, drinking water, eating nutritiously and getting exercise will help you feel in control and do wonders for your mood.
Identify the culprit. What's causing the most stress in your life? Deadlines at work? Trying to fulfill both work and household responsibilities? Pinpointing the source of your stress is the first step to combatting it.
Don't sweat the small stuff. Recognize what you can and cannot change. You're already tense. You'll make yourself crazier rushing for that 5:35 p.m. train -- simply catch the next train and save yourself some grief.
Lose those unrealistic expectations. You're not Superman or Wonder Woman -- so don't try to be. Setting unrealistic goals only dooms you to failure, which fuels your stress levels. Try splitting a larger, seemingly insurmountable goal into smaller, more reachable targets.
Have some downtime. Regularly scheduled breaks give you a chance to rejuvenate physically, emotionally and mentally. So take a moment to get up and stretch, stare out the window or go for a short walk.
Delegate. Don't try to be a hero. Effective managers delegate and don't micromanage. At home, hire someone to help with household chores or get your spouse and children to pitch in.
Eliminate distractions. If you're under an extreme deadline, close your office door and let your phone calls go to voicemail to deter interruptions. You're more likely to finish a project on time and be less harried if you focus all your attention on completing the task.
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - Workers are feeling frazzled at work, thanks to a culture of heavy workloads, longer schedules, less time spent at home and fewer vacation days. More than half of workers said they work under a great deal of stress, and 77 percent said they feel burnout on the job, according to a nationwide survey by CareerBuilder.com.
What's the culprit? Workers most often blame colleagues for their office anxiety, with 16 percent citing difficult co-workers as their primary cause of stress at work. Other top workplace stressors included:
Unrealistic workload (15 percent)
Tight deadlines (11 percent)
Last-minute projects (10 percent)
Overbearing or interfering boss (9 percent)
High-pressure work environments are taking their toll on workers' morale. Twenty-three percent of workers say they frequently or constantly feel burnout at work. This can be detrimental to both workers, whose health and career progress may suffer, and employers, who pick up the tab in higher insurance costs and lost productivity.
Your job performance isn't the only thing hurting. Stress and burnout can affect your immune system and has been linked to migraines, digestive disorders, skin diseases, high blood pressure and heart disease. It causes emotional distress as well.
Here are some signs you're cracking under work's pressure:
Your co-workers are walking on eggshells around you.
You come in late and want to leave earlier.
Apathy has replaced enthusiasm.
You've lost camaraderie with co-workers.
You're feeling physically sick.
If you recognize these signs or feel overwhelmed by work, here are some ways to ease the pain:
Organize and prioritize. Tackle the more difficult and important tasks first each day to ensure you have time to complete them. Before you leave work, take a few minutes to clean up your workspace and create the next day's to-do list.
Manage expectations. Set reasonable short-term and long-term goals for yourself. When promising work to others, underpromise and overdeliver to prevent deadline crunches.
Don't neglect your health. Getting plenty of sleep, drinking water, eating nutritiously and getting exercise will help you feel in control and do wonders for your mood.
Identify the culprit. What's causing the most stress in your life? Deadlines at work? Trying to fulfill both work and household responsibilities? Pinpointing the source of your stress is the first step to combatting it.
Don't sweat the small stuff. Recognize what you can and cannot change. You're already tense. You'll make yourself crazier rushing for that 5:35 p.m. train -- simply catch the next train and save yourself some grief.
Lose those unrealistic expectations. You're not Superman or Wonder Woman -- so don't try to be. Setting unrealistic goals only dooms you to failure, which fuels your stress levels. Try splitting a larger, seemingly insurmountable goal into smaller, more reachable targets.
Have some downtime. Regularly scheduled breaks give you a chance to rejuvenate physically, emotionally and mentally. So take a moment to get up and stretch, stare out the window or go for a short walk.
Delegate. Don't try to be a hero. Effective managers delegate and don't micromanage. At home, hire someone to help with household chores or get your spouse and children to pitch in.
Eliminate distractions. If you're under an extreme deadline, close your office door and let your phone calls go to voicemail to deter interruptions. You're more likely to finish a project on time and be less harried if you focus all your attention on completing the task.
Source: Aol.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred has a background in agriculture and has lead many successful business ventures.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles – Quick Business Quote
Fred Harteis News Articles – Brain Tracy says it best, you have to create your own success in this world.
“People create their own success by learning what they need to learn and then by practicing it until they become proficient at it.” ~ Brian Tracy
Fred Harteis and Linda Harteis are members of the IBOAI
Trade Association Facts:
IBOAI, the official trade association of Business Owners (Ibo’s), serves and protects the business interests of independent business owners. Association leadership includes Greg Duncan, Don Wilson, Billy Florence, Jody Victor.
About Diamond leadership: Billy Florence leads Team DCI International and founded Billy Florence’ Equad News . Fred Harteis owns Harteis International. Randy Haugen and Don Wilson lead Legacy Business Group. Jody Victor is founder of Markerman Productions.
Ron Puryear WWDB and Greg Duncan lead WWDB World Wide Dream Builders.
Jerry Harteis leads Harteis Associates.
© provided to Fred Harteis web blog by Esource Business News
Fred Harteis News Articles – Brain Tracy says it best, you have to create your own success in this world.
“People create their own success by learning what they need to learn and then by practicing it until they become proficient at it.” ~ Brian Tracy
Fred Harteis and Linda Harteis are members of the IBOAI
Trade Association Facts:
IBOAI, the official trade association of Business Owners (Ibo’s), serves and protects the business interests of independent business owners. Association leadership includes Greg Duncan, Don Wilson, Billy Florence, Jody Victor.
About Diamond leadership: Billy Florence leads Team DCI International and founded Billy Florence’ Equad News . Fred Harteis owns Harteis International. Randy Haugen and Don Wilson lead Legacy Business Group. Jody Victor is founder of Markerman Productions.
Ron Puryear WWDB and Greg Duncan lead WWDB World Wide Dream Builders.
Jerry Harteis leads Harteis Associates.
© provided to Fred Harteis web blog by Esource Business News
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - Cut your summer travel costs
Fred Harteis News Articles - Is expensive gas causing you to rethink your summer vacation plans? Don't worry. Here are some Tips to cut your travel costs this summer.
1. Hold on to your wallets
We'll get the bad news over with now. Taking the family on vacay is going to cost you 5.4 percent more this year than it did last summer, according to the Automobile Association of America. On average, you can expect to spend an average of $261 per day for food and lodging.
2. Stay with monks
If you don't mind a curfew and a little peace and quiet, you can bunk at a monastery for as little as $18 to $35 a night, says Pauline Frommer of the Pauline Frommer Travel Guides. To get the lowdown on where to find these places, check out guidebooks that focus specifically on convent or monastic travel or ask about accommodations at the Vatican Tourist Information Bureau. Keep in mind that there may be gender restrictions and if you're traveling as a couple, you may have to get separate rooms.
3. Hone your discount radar
It's not only accommodations you may be able to bargain for. Before you leave for your trip, make sure you contact the local tourist board and tell them to just send you buckets of coupons. Generally these local tourist boards will have two-for-one movie tickets, tour passes or theatre and meal discounts.
4. Ditch your frequent flyer card
If you are holding frequent flyer reward cards...toss 'em. These cards generally have high annual fees and fees that could be $15 for simply redeeming your miles. There is also the possibility of blackout dates, possible seating restrictions, and there's just no guarantee how valuable these cards will be when demand is high and seats are limited on most airlines' according to Curtis Arnold of cardratings.com.
5. There are deals to be had
Don't let the prices scare you away. There are still opportunities out there for last minute travelers, says Terry Trippler of Cheapseats.com. "As airlines scrutinize markets, they may think they need more help filling up seats, and you'll see prices come down," he says.
Airlines change their prices three times every weekday and once a day on Saturday and Sunday. You'll likely see large clearance sales on cruises this summer. Cruises in the Caribbean aren't selling that well, according to Banas. So you'll likely see a lot of deals on those for the summer. Some helpful travel sites you may want to check out include site59.com, 11th hour.com and gotoday.com.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in agriculture Fred Harteis has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - Is expensive gas causing you to rethink your summer vacation plans? Don't worry. Here are some Tips to cut your travel costs this summer.
1. Hold on to your wallets
We'll get the bad news over with now. Taking the family on vacay is going to cost you 5.4 percent more this year than it did last summer, according to the Automobile Association of America. On average, you can expect to spend an average of $261 per day for food and lodging.
2. Stay with monks
If you don't mind a curfew and a little peace and quiet, you can bunk at a monastery for as little as $18 to $35 a night, says Pauline Frommer of the Pauline Frommer Travel Guides. To get the lowdown on where to find these places, check out guidebooks that focus specifically on convent or monastic travel or ask about accommodations at the Vatican Tourist Information Bureau. Keep in mind that there may be gender restrictions and if you're traveling as a couple, you may have to get separate rooms.
3. Hone your discount radar
It's not only accommodations you may be able to bargain for. Before you leave for your trip, make sure you contact the local tourist board and tell them to just send you buckets of coupons. Generally these local tourist boards will have two-for-one movie tickets, tour passes or theatre and meal discounts.
4. Ditch your frequent flyer card
If you are holding frequent flyer reward cards...toss 'em. These cards generally have high annual fees and fees that could be $15 for simply redeeming your miles. There is also the possibility of blackout dates, possible seating restrictions, and there's just no guarantee how valuable these cards will be when demand is high and seats are limited on most airlines' according to Curtis Arnold of cardratings.com.
5. There are deals to be had
Don't let the prices scare you away. There are still opportunities out there for last minute travelers, says Terry Trippler of Cheapseats.com. "As airlines scrutinize markets, they may think they need more help filling up seats, and you'll see prices come down," he says.
Airlines change their prices three times every weekday and once a day on Saturday and Sunday. You'll likely see large clearance sales on cruises this summer. Cruises in the Caribbean aren't selling that well, according to Banas. So you'll likely see a lot of deals on those for the summer. Some helpful travel sites you may want to check out include site59.com, 11th hour.com and gotoday.com.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in agriculture Fred Harteis has created many successful business ventures.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - Being a mom could be a 6-figure job
Fred Harteis News Articles - Raising children to be productive members of society is an invaluable contribution. But you don't get cold cash for that kind of work - this society values only those economic contributions one makes outside of the home.
So it's worth asking just how much would a mother be paid if she did all that she did in the world of real paychecks?
Salary.com has released its annual market valuation of a mother's work. After talking with 400 stay-at-home and working mothers, it determined the 10 major jobs a mother performs at home and the number of hours she typically devotes to each of those jobs.
Researchers then tried to determine the competitive market value that an employer would pay for one person to do a blend of those 10 jobs seven days a week.
Salary.com determined that a stay-at-home mother might be paid as much as $134,121 for her contributions as a housekeeper, cook, day care center teacher, janitor and CEO, among other functions. The stay-at-home mothers surveyed said they logged a total of 92 hours a week performing those jobs.
The market valuation for working mothers – who make up close to 70 percent of all mothers with kids under 18 -- comes to $85,876, assuming a 50-hour week in the Mom role. That would be on top of whatever salary a working mother draws from her job outside the home, working 44 hours.
Salary.com's senior vice president of compensation, Bill Coleman, acknowledges that the inclusion of CEO as a function might skew the estimated pay for a mother's work toward the high end, since a CEO earns north of $600,000 a year, and while both roles involve a lot of decision-making, it's unrealistic to say that running a family and running a company are comparable in terms of size and scope of responsibility.
Running a household is more comparable, perhaps, to a top manager's job – a manager who in the workforce might make in the low six figures.
The mothers surveyed by Salary.com only reported performing CEO-like duties no more than 4.6 hours a week. That's a relatively small portion of their time -- unlike the very low-paying duties of housekeeping, laundry and janitorial work, which combined account for between 30 percent and 40 percent of mothers' time.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The Harteis International Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - Raising children to be productive members of society is an invaluable contribution. But you don't get cold cash for that kind of work - this society values only those economic contributions one makes outside of the home.
So it's worth asking just how much would a mother be paid if she did all that she did in the world of real paychecks?
Salary.com has released its annual market valuation of a mother's work. After talking with 400 stay-at-home and working mothers, it determined the 10 major jobs a mother performs at home and the number of hours she typically devotes to each of those jobs.
Researchers then tried to determine the competitive market value that an employer would pay for one person to do a blend of those 10 jobs seven days a week.
Salary.com determined that a stay-at-home mother might be paid as much as $134,121 for her contributions as a housekeeper, cook, day care center teacher, janitor and CEO, among other functions. The stay-at-home mothers surveyed said they logged a total of 92 hours a week performing those jobs.
The market valuation for working mothers – who make up close to 70 percent of all mothers with kids under 18 -- comes to $85,876, assuming a 50-hour week in the Mom role. That would be on top of whatever salary a working mother draws from her job outside the home, working 44 hours.
Salary.com's senior vice president of compensation, Bill Coleman, acknowledges that the inclusion of CEO as a function might skew the estimated pay for a mother's work toward the high end, since a CEO earns north of $600,000 a year, and while both roles involve a lot of decision-making, it's unrealistic to say that running a family and running a company are comparable in terms of size and scope of responsibility.
Running a household is more comparable, perhaps, to a top manager's job – a manager who in the workforce might make in the low six figures.
The mothers surveyed by Salary.com only reported performing CEO-like duties no more than 4.6 hours a week. That's a relatively small portion of their time -- unlike the very low-paying duties of housekeeping, laundry and janitorial work, which combined account for between 30 percent and 40 percent of mothers' time.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads The Harteis International Organization. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Fred Harteis News Articles - Allergy-proof your home
Fred Harteis News Articles - Spring is in the air...and so are millions of pollen spores and other allergens. And you don't have to be outdoors to aggravate your allergies. Dust mites, dander and mold inside your home can trigger a reaction.
These Five Tips will help you cut these household allergens down to size.
1. Focus on the bedroom - If you're trying to eliminate indoor allergies, the best place to start is the bedroom. There can be up to two million dust mites that live in your bed. The bedroom is the perfect haven for dust mites. They live in pillows, mattresses, bed springs, blankets, and comforters. Dust mites are invisible and they feast on dead skin. These mites are the number one indoor allergen and their population peaks in July and August.
What can you do to control these little pests? Wash your linens once a week in the hot cycle, which should be about 130 degrees. You should also invest in an allergen-proof pillow case and bed cover. The pillow cases may cost you about $10 and the mattress cover may cost between $50 to $100 at your local home improvement store.
2. Freeze your teddy bears - It's not just the bedroom that's a breeding ground for mites, it's the zoo of stuffed animals your child may have laying around. Waldron says she was shocked when she saw the billions of mites a teddy bear could have.
3. Control the pet dander - Our pets may be our best friend, but they are certainly not a buddy to our allergies. Approximately 10 million people are allergic to cat dander, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. The type of pet you choose makes a big difference. Cats have the most allergens, according to Waldron, followed by dogs and rodents. Light haired female cats generally cause fewer allergy symptoms than dark-haired male cats according to studies. Washing your pet at least once a week has also been shown to make a large difference in cutting down on allergens.
4. Snuff out mold - Indoor mold can cause allergies year-round. Mold spores are airborne, so they create new mold colonies wherever they land. Some of your home's biggest mold hotspots: the basement, the bathroom and your closet...even houseplants can be a hideout for mold. To keep mold from coming back, make sure you cut the humidity in your home to 40 percent or below using a dehumidifier. You may also want to use your air conditioner to get rid of the humidity. Cooling the air decreases its ability to hold water. You should also get rid of firewood and piles of leaves and weeds in your backyard.
5. Keep pollen out - Runny nose? Watery eyes? You may have pollen to blame. And this allergen can get you in almost all the seasons...from tree pollen in the Spring to ragweed in the Fall. If you are especially sensitive, when the pollen count is high either don't leave the house or keep the windows closed. That's between 5 am to 10 am. Pollen is also a very sticky traveler. You'll want to remove your shoes when you come inside the house. Washing your hair before you go to sleep is also a good way to cut down on wayward pollen spores that have collected there.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis News Articles - Spring is in the air...and so are millions of pollen spores and other allergens. And you don't have to be outdoors to aggravate your allergies. Dust mites, dander and mold inside your home can trigger a reaction.
These Five Tips will help you cut these household allergens down to size.
1. Focus on the bedroom - If you're trying to eliminate indoor allergies, the best place to start is the bedroom. There can be up to two million dust mites that live in your bed. The bedroom is the perfect haven for dust mites. They live in pillows, mattresses, bed springs, blankets, and comforters. Dust mites are invisible and they feast on dead skin. These mites are the number one indoor allergen and their population peaks in July and August.
What can you do to control these little pests? Wash your linens once a week in the hot cycle, which should be about 130 degrees. You should also invest in an allergen-proof pillow case and bed cover. The pillow cases may cost you about $10 and the mattress cover may cost between $50 to $100 at your local home improvement store.
2. Freeze your teddy bears - It's not just the bedroom that's a breeding ground for mites, it's the zoo of stuffed animals your child may have laying around. Waldron says she was shocked when she saw the billions of mites a teddy bear could have.
3. Control the pet dander - Our pets may be our best friend, but they are certainly not a buddy to our allergies. Approximately 10 million people are allergic to cat dander, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. The type of pet you choose makes a big difference. Cats have the most allergens, according to Waldron, followed by dogs and rodents. Light haired female cats generally cause fewer allergy symptoms than dark-haired male cats according to studies. Washing your pet at least once a week has also been shown to make a large difference in cutting down on allergens.
4. Snuff out mold - Indoor mold can cause allergies year-round. Mold spores are airborne, so they create new mold colonies wherever they land. Some of your home's biggest mold hotspots: the basement, the bathroom and your closet...even houseplants can be a hideout for mold. To keep mold from coming back, make sure you cut the humidity in your home to 40 percent or below using a dehumidifier. You may also want to use your air conditioner to get rid of the humidity. Cooling the air decreases its ability to hold water. You should also get rid of firewood and piles of leaves and weeds in your backyard.
5. Keep pollen out - Runny nose? Watery eyes? You may have pollen to blame. And this allergen can get you in almost all the seasons...from tree pollen in the Spring to ragweed in the Fall. If you are especially sensitive, when the pollen count is high either don't leave the house or keep the windows closed. That's between 5 am to 10 am. Pollen is also a very sticky traveler. You'll want to remove your shoes when you come inside the house. Washing your hair before you go to sleep is also a good way to cut down on wayward pollen spores that have collected there.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.
Fred Harteis. Fred Harteis, president of Harteis International a independent business owner provides commentary and business news. Harteis Case Study focuses on business success in Harteis global holdings and general good business role models.
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