We’ve warned our readers countless times about utilizing phony payment processors such as AlertPay, Tri-StarMoneychangers, CyberSpaceATM, C-Gold and most recently AlterGold. Our primary reason for warning consumers about these unlicensed payment processors being the vast majority of them spring up specifically to service ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes found at forums like Talkgold, MoneymakerGroup and DreamTeamMoney. No mattr how many times people are warned that all of the Hyip and Autosurf programs advertised at the afformentioned forums are not only illegal but they are scams, some people absolutely refuse to admit or believe that a website with phony registration information offering to pay investors in upwards of 300% per year return on investment are schemes to fleece members of their e-currencies.

It’s not bad enough that these programs and forums are alowed to thrive and form a black market that has duped online victims out of hundreds of millions of dollars in the last decade but now there are numerous unlicensed payment processors springing up in the wake of the scammer’s favorite processor, e-gold’s failure. It seems all the wonkers who refuse to believe the truth and open their eyes are up in arms with theponzi scheme payment processor Altergold’s website being supposedly under a DDOS attack. Despite the fact the site has the following message posted to the main site…

Dear Customer, We regret to inform you that the AlterGold website is currently under DDOS attack at this moment. All efforts are in place to bring the site back online as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this interruption to service. Regards, AlterGold Management

…there are still pimps and cheerleaders professing that AlterGold is a viable payment processor and not a scam, that a site under DDOS attack, while unable to resume their website, can post a message to their main site. Ok folks, face the truth, AlterGold is history. Even if they do return, only a total idiot would trust them holding any significant funds but the cold hard facts are that anybody who had any money in AlterGold can kiss their money goodbye. It’s already been cashed out and into the pockets of the scammers operating this illegal payment processor.

Most all of us use search engines on a daily basis with the majority using either Google or Yahoo! to find what we want on the internet. Experts say the average internet user makes almost 500 searches per month so why not make money while doing so? Is it possible? Absolutely.

Scour is a meta search engine which combines results from Google, Yahoo!, and MSN. Registered Scour user get points for each search that you carry out. Each search gets you 1 point and you can make money by commenting on results or voting for sites in the search results.

Once you reach 6,500 points, you can redeem it for a $25 VISA gift card. It might not be much, but at least its $25 more than any other search engine

Yes, you heard that right. Scour will give you a $25 Visa gift card if you earn 6500 points in the system. Points can be earned by searching, voting for websites in the search results as well as commenting on sites in the listings. Yes, they have voting and comments for search results which is an added feature sure to make Scour the most interesting aggregate search engine on the planet.

If you use search regularly, why not give Scour a try and who knows, maybe you’ll get one of those $25 Visa gift cards.

Join Scour and Earn From Searching

  What exactly is financial planning and why do we hear so many experts heralding it as being a cornerstone in any financial gameplan? Why is it important to undertake meticulous financial planning when considering investing in anything from the stock market to precious metals to the real estate market ?

Financial planning is the process of determining how to manage credits, debits, savings, earnings and wealth in general. It is absolutely necessary for anybody who is serious about setting financial goals for their future and it is essential for anybody who is a head of household with a family that relies on them.

Because our goals and desires change as we grow older, financial planning and investing is a task that is never finished. How we are financially able to reach these goals, and the risks that we are willing to take to get there means that any reasonable financial plan must be specifically tailored for an individual or family. Financial planning begins by taking into account the individual assets and liabilities at that particular point in time and balancing them against anticipated assets and liabilites.

An individual’s assets can include their current earnings, life insurance and all speculative investments along with any physical assets such as your home, automobiles, tangible valuable goods and other items that are of value.

Liabilities can include mortgages, car payments, personal loans, credit card debt and recurring bills such as electricity, water and other utilities that are common to household operation. Additionally, there are always hidden liabilities such as medical expenses, home repairs and other unforseen costs which may arise from normal day to day life.

Entering into the equation are other sources of ongoing income and increases in hard asset wealth earned through employment but can also include other sources such as possible inheritances and settlements from lawsuits. These factors must also be considered when calculating a financial plan. Increases in hard asset wealth, such as rising home prices, can also be affected by general economic conditions such as rises and falls in the current economy or changes in the real estate market.

Depending upon our particular stage in life, whether we are young, old or somewhere in the middle, will usually lead us to calculate a desired set of particular goals influenced by our current situation. Financial planners will often break down an individual’s life and earning cycles into several distinct phases to maximize the importance of setting time oriented goals. The particular phase that we are in is often determined by age but will also be dictated by how much risk we are willing to take on our path to prosperity.

Quite often, when speaking of younger people, they are most often described as being in a wealth accumulation phase. Their earnings have not yet peaked but at the same time they are laying ground to obtain both hard and soft assets through career advancement.

Examples here include younger couples saving for a new home or saving in anticipation of a child’s future education. Risk assumed here will be tempered by the time constraints of these goals as well as individual risk tolerance. In general, the longer the time frame, the more investments in the aggressive category may be considered because assuming risk and volatility while young gives one far more time to make up for past mistakes than assuming great risk at an older age.

Futher planning phases extend our goals into middle age and beyond into the retirement years. The middle age years often find individuals and families at the peak of earning power with many former goals already met and satisfied. This will mean a greater possibility for increased savings and as time progresses towards retirement, the tolerance for risk will diminish.

Financial planning takes all of this into account and more. Other factors, including planning for health care and other insurance needs, preparation for emergency expenses, tax and estate planning and the like will all be part of the ongoing strategy. Unexpected windfalls may also enter into the picture as an individual grows older, however, saving for retirement will always be an important aspect of financial planning for the day when the earning cycle slows down or stops completely.

All of these variables and equations will add to the importance of financial planning across all of the stages of an individual or families lifespan. Financial planning is a ubiquitous concept that encompasses your total wealth picture both in the present and for the future.

  People today are living much longer than they used to just a few generations ago which can mean that your beneficiaries might live for many years after your death. As a responsible spouse, parent or grandparent, you will want to make sure you have adequate life insurance coverage for your beneficiaries that will provide enough coverage for the duration of the rest of their lives or for however long it may take them to financially adjust to life without you being around to rely on for financial assistance.

For many older Americans, a senior term life insurance policy can be a perfect method to supplement the financial assistance you leave behind for your beneficiaries. Regardless of if you already have a whole life insurance policy or a nest egg set aside to cover this purpose, a senior term life insurance policy can assure your beneficiaries will have additional coverage to make ends meet.

If you are a senior who already has a life insurance policy, chances are you purchased that life insurance policy many years ago while you were working. The amount of life insurance coverage you purchased at that time may have seemed sufficient during that time period but the cost of living increases over the years have practically whittled away at the base of your commitment. In many cases, the amount of life insurance coverage that was purchased in the past may not be adequate coverage for your beneficiaries today or into the future. As the cost of living continues to rise for most people around the world, you should remember to keep an eye on the amount of life insurance coverage you have set aside for your loved ones.

Numerous expenses may need to be dealt with after you are gone including funeral expenses, medical expenses, financial settlements, estate settlements and much more that is normally overlooked when we are in good health. Your beneficiaries will need to pay formost of these expenses and the costs can add up more quickly than one can imagine. With the average funeral costing in excess $10,000 today and just as the cost of living continues to increase, so might the costs associated with internment. Having an additional senior term life insurance policy could help your beneficiaries deal with these expenses without the additional stress of worrying about financial issues.

So, if you are a senior who already has a life insurance policy, or savings account set aside to financially compensate your family members, take another look at the amount of coverage you have and evaluate your situation because it may be the wisest decision you ever make.

With the recent news of E-Gold founders pleading guilty to money laundering comes another shocking revelation that has the digital gold world turned upside down. Pamela Fayed, the estranged wife of James Fayed who is the principal owner of Goldfinger Coin & Bullion Sales and e-Bullion, was found stabbed to death in a Century City parking garage last week.

James Fayed was taken into custody by the FBI and his lawyer Mark Werksman, said his client was likely charged with operating a money transmitter business without a license, and he guessed the arrest involved “money laundering charges or some other federal racketeering crimes.”

The Fayed’s have been involved in acrimonious divorce proceedings since late October and Pamela Fayed complained in divorce records that her husband never properly licensed or bonded their E-Bullion electronic gold exchange service. Court records also show James Fayed accusing Pamela Fayed of embezzlement, claiming she had illegally moved hundreds of thousands of dollars from business accounts into her personal account in order to pay for licenses.

The Fayeds were the only shareholders in the business, and Pamela Fayed said the couple had bank accounts worth more than $12 million.

So much for those of you who didn’t heed the warnings we have repeatedly given about using these fraudulent digital currency systems which are primarily used to fund accounts in online ponzi and pyramid schemes. These are dark days for anybody who had funds remaining in E-Bullion or E-Gold. Maybe some might heed the warning signs that Liberty Reserve will be the next one of these black market payment processors to bite the dust.

With the state of the current economy, more and more consumers are turning to eBay to find deals on items they would normally purchase at retail outlets. As a seller, eBay can be a profitable way to test a new product, market an existing product or service or just clear out some of the clutter from your attic or garage. For a growing number of internet entrepreneurs eBay has become their sole place of business with their online storefront parked at eBay. The most appealing aspect of selling on eBay is that entrepreneurs can get their feet wet without having to set up a merchants account for credit card processing or setup a website of their own, both which can be time consuming and costly endeavors for inexperienced or first-time entrepreneurs. Hopefully these tips for selling on eBay will assist you in getting started down the path to being a successful seller on eBay.

1.) Pictures Sell Products - They say a picture IS worth 1000 words and it’s self evident that buyers will always like to see the goods before they place a bid on them. For successful eBay selling, make sure any itemss you list on eBay are accompanied by the best quality photographs you can muster. Poor quality pictures can cause as much of a negative impact as no picture at all. If you’re uncertain of your ability to take a convincing photograph, Nathan Huppatz has written an excellent tutorial Taking Great Product Photos which will help you through the process.

2.) Research is Golden - Always do some basic before you list a particular product. If you spend just a few minutes checking out history and price details of similar products on eBay, you will better know where you should set your reserve prices and starting points. eBay’s Advanced Search allows you to Show completed listings only which can be invaluable to making sure you don’t undercut yourself or over-value your item and end up without a sale.

3.) Master Your Niche - Niche mastery is an essential element for your prolonged success strategy. Find your own niche, define your market and you will come to understand the type of consumers who you will be selling to and how to specifically target them in your future acutions. Rome wasn’t built in one day and to become a power seller on eBay requies niche mastery and expertise in your given niche. These skills take time to develop but if you start out with the intention of developing these skills, you will cut out a lot of the baptismo del fuego (baptisim by fire).

4.) Avoid the Obvious - Forget about trying to sell cellphones, computers, digital cameras, iPods or plasma TVs. I’ve provided links to the first two of those afformentioned niches for you to take a look and see how stiff the competition is within those areas. Unless you have deep pockets, there is no way you can compete with the big guys who have the resources to post thousands of auctions per day and litter the listings. Also, the majority of drop shipping sites and programs which claim to have those products are mostly scams and will more than likely garner you bad reputation when they fail to deliver or ship items late (I have listed one reliable program at the end of this article).

5.) Don’t Forget Shipping - One critical aspect many novice eBay sellers overlook is packing and shipping costs. I routinely see new sellers offering free shipping or ridiculously low shipping rates. This mistake will eat away at your profits more so than any other costs involved in selling on eBay. Take the time to learn the costs involved in shipping and set your pricing accordingly. Most buyers purchase items on impulse and they are not paying attention to shipping costs when they want a product. Don’t shortchange yourself and don’t be greedy and try to turn a heft profit on shipping and handling.

6.) Use a Spell Checker - Always make sure to pay as much attention possible to your spelling and overall grammer when you’re writing up an eBay listing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve nailed a great item for a song because somebody mis-spelled the item in the title of an auction and didn’t realize their error until it was too late. Additionally, strong writing skills can be the difference between a few bids and a landslide of bids that rockets your auction into the profit zone. If you’re not the world’s greatest speller, by all means, use a word processor to spell check your copy.

7.) More Payment Options Equals More Bids - Offering as many payment options as possible can literally double or triple the number of bids on an auction. Don’t be scared to accept money orders or personal checks and don’t limit yourself to Paypal only auctions. Sometimes buyers who need to pay by check or money order will bid higher on an item than if they were using Paypal. Remember, not everybody trusts Paypal, so don’t limit yourself or your auction’s potential.

8.) Keywords, Keywords, Keywords - Always use keywords in your auction headline and description. It is a known fact that over 65% of eBay bidders find what they are looking for by using eBay’s search function. Be sure to use carefully chosen and accurate key words in your title and description. eBay gives you 55 characters in your headline. Be sure to use all of them. This will help you get more traffic to your auction. Important keywords include the brand, color, size, and model number.

9.) Feedback is King - While many people feel that feedback is a necessary evil of selling on eBay, getting positive feedback is one of themost important keys to success as an eBay seller. Merchants who have an overall positive feedback record will find an easier time finding perspective buyers who will not only bid more often but they will also be willing to pay higher prices for your offerings. It is highly recommended when starting out to first spend a few months buying items on eBay and establishing at least 10-20 positive feedback ratings before trying your hand at selling. If you do want to rush in, start with your most inexpensive items or items you’re willing to lose a few bucks on ot establish your feedback rating.

10.) Be Professional - Never forget that when you are selling on eBay, you have a responsibility to your customers to act professionally. Be courteous and provide the type of superior customer service that you would expect from any major corporation or business. This will not only build your reputation but it will bring you repeat buyers who follow your auctions to purchase time and again.

That’s my 10 best tips for selling on eBay, but I would like to add that you make sure that you’re following all the standard business rules that apply, such as registering your business and paying any applicable taxes associated with your online business. Selling on eBay is just like any other business in that success lies in customer satisfaction and fair business practices. eBay has an uncanny way of weeding out the bad eggs, so make sure you’re following the terms of service and striving for excellence and you’re success on eBay is guaranteed.

Feel free to discuss this at our forum: Buying and Selling on eBay

If you’re not already an eBay member, please click the banner below to join !!!

If you’re already an eBay member and you’re looking for a fast track to being a PowerSeller, here’s a few products that may be of interest to you :

eBay for Dummies - eBay for Dummies Auction Success Kit is the easiest way to get your share of the fast-growing $10.6 Billion eBay pie. The wide range of topics covered include : How you can start selling in under 10 minutes, How to get the highest bids and maximize profits, How over 25 successful Powersellers have generated easy profits from eBay and much more.

SaleHoo - SaleHoo is where over 50,000 other online sellers, retailers and bargain hunters have discovered the best place to find legitimate, pre-screened wholesalers, dropshippers, liquidators and manufacturers for every type of product imaginable. A great service for anybody contemplating serious selling on ebay.

eBay EZ Auction - EZ-Auction offers a free starter kit to help you get started selling on eBay right away. This program has been featured on TV, so visit the site and get your freebie from them today.