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	<title>Personal Finance Blog</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog</link>
	<description>Personal Finance blog explains how to get rid of debt, increase your income and become financially stable.</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:11:09 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>How To Register A Trademark</title>
		<link>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/business-plans/how-to-register-a-trademark.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/business-plans/how-to-register-a-trademark.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:11:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherry Tingley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coca-Cola]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elvis Presley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mickey Mouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trademark]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/?p=4368</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are in business for yourself, you might be interested in learning about trademarks and possibly registering a trademark for your company.
Owning a trademark is appealing to people because they hope that one day, their particular brand may receive universal recognition. This universal recognition can make your company become more profitable than you may [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you are in business for yourself, you might be interested in learning about trademarks and possibly registering a trademark for your company.</p>
<p>Owning a trademark is appealing to people because they hope that one day, their particular brand may receive universal recognition. This universal recognition can make your company become more profitable than you may have imagined.</p>
<p>Historically, famous trademark names like <strong>Levi Strauss Jeans</strong>, <strong>Dutch Boy</strong>, <strong>McDonald&#8217;s</strong> and <strong>Coca-Cola</strong> have made life long impressions on millions of people. There are trademarks on other things that you may not have thought of like sounds. In 1924, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer registered the sound of a lion roaring. When you go to the movies today, you&#8217;ll hear that sound and associate it with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie productions. Even the design of buildings can be trademarked. The famous McDonald&#8217;s golden arches are trademarked.</p>
<p>Images can be trademarked and they have powerful effects on consumers. The most reproduced image in the world is that of <strong>Walt Disney&#8217;s Mickey Mouse</strong>. There are over 7,500 items that have that image on it. The second most reproduced image is that of <strong>Jesus</strong>. Surely you&#8217;ve seen thousands of products with his image on them. You may be surprised to know that the third most reproduced image is of <strong>Elvis Presley</strong> and he &#8220;<em>ain&#8217;t nothing but a hound dog</em>.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-2990808-10492141?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsecure.checksinthemail.com%2Findex_promo.aspx%3Faff%3Dcj%26code%3DCJPF1%26productid%3D1809"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4373" title="mickey-mouse-pluto-checks" src="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/mickey-mouse-pluto-checks.jpg" alt="Order Mickey Mouse Checks" width="288" height="132" /></a></p>
<p>The average person knows what these symbols, sounds and words mean and  generally that is good for business because of their universal appeal. So how does that affect you and  your new business?</p>
<p>Suppose you have been dreaming of a new product or already have a great product and a very unique name for that product. You will want to make sure that you and your company are the people who benefit from your brilliance. You don&#8217;t want other people using this name to generate profits for themselves which will ultimately diffuse your profit making efforts. The best thing to do is to get a trademark for your name, idea or product.</p>
<h2><strong>Cost of Trademarking</strong></h2>
<p>This is perhaps the first question on your mind. It has a complicated answer. There are fees involved in getting a trademark and they vary. You may be able to complete the process for as low as $325.00 or if you have a lawyer handle it for you, you could be looking at several thousand dollars in fees.</p>
<h2>How To Trademark</h2>
<p>The government has a special procedure for you to apply for a trademark. Perhaps the easiest thing for you to do is to call them at 1-800 786-9199. If you want to be a bit more prepared to talk to them, you&#8217;ll need to find out if the idea you have is already trademarked. You can use a <strong>trademark search</strong> at the <a href="http://www.uspto.gov/patents/resources/index.jsp">United States Patent and Trademark Office</a>.</p>
<p>You can apply online for a trademark, but you must be able to provide information in a timely fashion. They have strict deadlines that must be met to process your application. You will need to provide the name of the applicant, name and address for correspondence, a clear drawing of your symbol or  the words you want trademarked, the goods or services you intend to provide and a filing fee.</p>
<p>Once you submit that information, a lawyer will research it and decide whether it will be approved. This procedure may take up to two months. Once it is approved, they will print a public notice in the <em>the Official Gazette.</em> The public is given 30 days to issue a protest against your filing if they can prove that your trademark will be damaging to their business. If you make it through that step, then within 3 months you will be issued a NOTICE OF ALLOWANCE. Then you have six months to notify them of your intended STATEMENT OF USE plan. Once that is sent in and approved, you will be issued a REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE.</p>
<p>Do you think it&#8217;s worth your time and effort to register a trademark? I&#8217;m sure Levi Strauss did!</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: medium none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=aade5e8d-66c1-4d86-bf45-8321b17e359d" alt="" /><span class="zem-script pretty-attribution"><script src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" type="text/javascript"></script></span></div>
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		<title>Control What You Can To Improve Your Life</title>
		<link>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/life/control-what-you-can-to-improve-your-life.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/life/control-what-you-can-to-improve-your-life.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:09:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherry Tingley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/?p=4322</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
I have been to my local gym to exercise, swim and use their public steam bath many times. One of my favorite things about this experience is to enjoy ten minutes of sitting in the steam bath. The heat and moisture make me feel good and more energetic during the rest of my day.
One of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/take-control-of-your-life1.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4321" title="take-control-of-your-life" src="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/take-control-of-your-life1.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="279" /></a></p>
<p>I have been to my local gym to exercise, swim and use their public steam bath many times. One of my favorite things about this experience is to enjoy ten minutes of sitting in the steam bath. The heat and moisture make me feel good and more energetic during the rest of my day.</p>
<p>One of the things I hate about the steam bath is that many many times I&#8217;ve sat in the steam bath when there is barely any steam at all. I&#8217;ve watched people use various methods of trying to get the steam regulator to cool down, thus triggering the release of more steam. The small regulating device is strategically placed at a height of 6 1/2 feet and must be all of about 3/4 of an inch wide. Some people are successful at getting it to restart the steam. They were either taller than I was or had a better water bottle.</p>
<p>If you have ever tried to actually squirt water out of a drinking container, you&#8217;ll know that the water doesn&#8217;t go very far and accuracy is difficult to obtain. I have thought many times in the past as I was sitting in the steam bath that I should buy a cheap water gun and see if that would work. I had the idea months ago, but today I actually went to buy the water gun  and make it part of the necessary piece of equipment for my exercise routine.</p>
<p>I walked into the steam room. There were about six people sitting there and the steam looked like it was on its way to fizzling out. I sat down and inquired about the steam. I was told that it had just stopped but had previously been fine. I took my little water gun, filled with tap water and proceeded to take aim at the regulator. My first few attempts seemed to miss the bulls eye, but I continued until I could see that it was hitting it and felt that it had been sufficiently soaked. I walked to the seating area and within ten seconds the steam started coming forth with vigor. It provided the group with the best steam bath. In fact it got so hot in there that several people left.</p>
<p>What I learned from this experience is that if there is something that you can control to improve your life, do it. Don&#8217;t just think about it. Do it. The next time I go to the gym, I feel confident that I will be able to enjoy the best steam bath possible at the time that I want it to and it cost me 99 cents. That is really sweet.</p>
<p>When you work on the Internet and devote your days to building your business, many things that you choose to do can grow your business. However there are a slew of things that you can do that will not help you in the least. You have most likely already spent hours and hours getting distracted from your main Internet goals in the past.  Choose to do something that you know will help. Are you offering people better information? Are you offering them a reason to link to your site? Are you improving anything about your services and letting people know?</p>
<blockquote><p>Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her. But once they  are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order  to win the game. ~ Voltaire</p></blockquote>
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		<title>Expect the Unexpected With Internet Startups</title>
		<link>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/life/expect-the-unexpected-with-internet-startups.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/life/expect-the-unexpected-with-internet-startups.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:27:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherry Tingley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[great expectations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internet business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet startups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unexpected]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/?p=4304</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Great Expectations
I have cut, sliced and diced hundreds of onions. So many that when I cut this onion open and saw these funny faces smiling back at me, I had to laugh. I was amazed at how perfect these images seemed. To refresh my memory of what onions normally look like, I cut into another [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/expectations.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4303" title="expectations" src="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/expectations.jpg" alt="" width="456" height="295" /></a></p>
<h2>Great Expectations</h2>
<p>I have cut, sliced and diced hundreds of onions. So many that when I cut this onion open and saw these funny faces smiling back at me, I had to laugh. I was amazed at how perfect these images seemed. To refresh my memory of what onions normally look like, I cut into another onion and found the look I usually find &#8211; one center and concentric circles. This onion produced two smiley faces. Totally unexpected! Sometimes it  is better to expect the unexpected.</p>
<p>In any business people try to predict their success and  rely on   statistics to back up their predictions. With the Internet this method doesn&#8217;t always work.</p>
<p>Many people start Internet businesses and plan to be successful. They&#8217;ve got a great business idea and they invest money and time towards building the business. They literally do everything they can do. What sometimes happens is that they don&#8217;t get enough traffic to sustain the business and they stop trying. This is not what they expected.</p>
<h2>The Unexpected</h2>
<p>On the other hand there are people who start an Internet business and have no expectations of being wildly successful, but they enjoy trying new things and testing different methods of getting their business to work. They actual stumble upon little ideas and little tricks that end up making their business earn more money. Repeating this as a regular work habit can make the site profitable.</p>
<p>Think about your expectations of your Internet business. Is it going well or is it a project that you have abandoned?</p>
<p>In a search for &#8220;websites that fail&#8221; an article was listed called <a href="http://www.websitemarketingbible.com/internet-marketing/why-websites-fail.php">The number 1 Reason Why Most Websites Fail</a>. You would expect this site to tell you about reasons sites fail, however this site was an example of failure. Mistakes on the page were causing major errors that failed to pull in the correct information in five different areas. This is the advice they give.</p>
<blockquote><p>Websites do fail. Lots of them fail. You will see          many of them every day. Some of them fail to inspire or enthuse.  Some          fail to get found at all. Some fail to get completed. Some fail  to understand          the needs of the people visiting them. But there is an  underlying common          reason for all these failings..</p></blockquote>
<p>This site expected to be an authority on why websites fail, but lost credibility because their own site was failing. That wasn&#8217;t what was expected.</p>
<h2>Finding Success With Internet Start Ups</h2>
<p>In 1969, Honeywell International Inc. developed a computer that sold for $10,600. It was advertised as a kitchen computer because back then, the engineers decided that the only reason people would want to use a personal computer at home was to store recipes. That was what they expected people to wanted to do. Not one of the computers they designed sold. Did they expect that when developing this product? I&#8217;m quite sure they didn&#8217;t.</p>
<p>When you start your business on the Internet remember to expect the unexpected. It will give you  patience while you work on your site and build it and continue to build it. Success for you may be right around the corner.</p>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 251px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;">As Alexander Smith, a Scottish poet</div>
<blockquote><p>In life there is nothing more unexpected and surprising than the arrivals and departures of pleasure. If we find it in one place to-day, it is vain to seek it there to-morrow. You can not lay a trap for it.<br />
~ Alexander Smith, Scottish poet</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p>Creativity comes from looking for the unexpected and  stepping outside your own experience.<br />
~Masaru Ibuka, co-founder of Sony Corporation</p></blockquote>
<p>Sometimes it is better to expect the unexpected.</p>
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		<title>Organize Your Financial Life</title>
		<link>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/managing-money/organize-your-financial-life.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/managing-money/organize-your-financial-life.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:23:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherry Tingley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Money Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Finance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/?p=4292</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Keeping your financial life in order is one way to get yourself on the pathway to being wealthy. When you have a pile of  bills and paper work cluttering up your office, it is likely that you don&#8217;t know what is coming in and going out. You have relinquished control when you are in that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span><a href="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/organize-your-financial-information1.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-4295" title="Organize Your Financial Documents" src="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/organize-your-financial-information1.jpg" alt="Organize Your Finances" width="387" height="310" /></a>Keeping your financial life in order is one way to get yourself on the pathway to being wealthy. When you have a pile of  bills and <span>paper work</span> cluttering up your office, it is likely that you don&#8217;t know what is coming in and going out. You have relinquished control when you are in that state.</span> If you have one huge plastic bin that you throw all your mail in you&#8217;ll want to update your system.</p>
<p>If someone needed your tax returns for the past year, could you locate them easily? If you needed your social security card, birth certificate or will, would you know where they are?</p>
<p>Have you left instructions for your family members to retrieve important financial information in case you passed away? Do they know where your life insurance policies, bank accounts or your property deeds are located? Dealing with the death of a loved one is difficult enough without putting the burden of locating your important information on the shoulders of your children, relatives or friends.</p>
<p>Create a filing system that will be easy for you to use and tell your family  where you&#8217;ve put your important papers. A filing system is important for keeping tabs on your investments, your tax returns, your will, your insurance information and other legal documents. Is your system going to help you locate the important papers when they are needed? Most people understand how helpful a filing system is once they have it working for them.</p>
<p>What do you do with your mail? There are so many advertisements and junk mail that accumulate. It&#8217;s best to deal with this trash on a daily basis. If you have mail that you want to get rid of, be sure to use a shredding machine. Important information can be on unwanted mail. There are people who make a point of rummaging through trash to get this information and that can put you in serious risk for identity fraud. You don&#8217;t want that to happen to you.</p>
<p>What about bills that come in? Where do you put them before you pay them? With the online banking services available you can simply take the bill and set up a scheduled payment for it that will be sent out when you choose it to be sent. Then destroy the bill if you don&#8217;t need it for any record keeping. If you can keep up with the mail and bills coming in  with a system that is orderly, you&#8217;ll avoid a lot of late payment fees and be able to use the money you earn more effectively.</p>
<p>No plan is going to work for you if you don&#8217;t actually do it and with money matters, some people just hate dealing with organizing this information. Even looking at a credit card bill can feel devastating. If you&#8217;ve had spending sprees that you regret, you won&#8217;t even want to open your credit card bills.</p>
<p>It may be difficult for you to imagine what is going to get you back in control of your financial life. The most important thing to do is to have the courage to create a good system that works for you. Get rid of the large bin that you toss your mail into and forget about for weeks on end. Get back on the pathway to wealth by creating a system that works for you. You&#8217;ve done much harder things in the past. Organizing your finances is one way to treat yourself well and gain back a feeling of peace in your life.</p>
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		<title>Banking with an FDIC-Insured Bank</title>
		<link>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/managing-money/checks/banking-with-an-fdic-insured-bank.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/managing-money/checks/banking-with-an-fdic-insured-bank.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:44:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherry Tingley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Checks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Deposit insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FDIC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Saving Money]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/?p=4258</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[




Image via Wikipedia FDIC eagle seal in the main lobby of the headquarters building by the White House



It is hard to trust anyone these days especially when it comes to money. Money talk is always serious talk which means that people are very stringent when it comes to where they will be putting their money. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block; width: 310px;">
<div>
<dl class="wp-caption  alignleft" style="width: 310px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img title="FDIC eagle seal in the main lobby of the headq..." src="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/300px-FDIC_eagle_by_Matthew_Bisanz.jpg" alt="FDIC eagle seal" width="300" height="292" /></p>
</dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:FDIC_eagle_by_Matthew_Bisanz.JPG">FDIC eagle seal in the main lobby of the headquarters building by the White House</a></dd>
</dl>
</div>
</div>
<p>It is hard to trust anyone these days especially when it comes to money. Money talk is always serious talk which means that people are very stringent when it comes to where they will be putting their money. In these hard times, this is already the norm since money is so hard to earn that it&#8217;s almost impossible for someone to just put money anywhere. But what if you want to put your savings in the bank? Would putting your money in the bank be a much safer choice rather than just leaving it home in your closet?</p>
<p>Established in 1933, the FDIC or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has served as a safety net for bank depositors. Ever since its inception, no depositor has lost a single dime from their FDIC-insured funds. The independent agency of the US government does not only insure US citizens, they insure other citizens from other countries as well as long as the banks they bank with are insured by FDIC.</p>
<p>An FDIC-insured account means that your bank account is backed by the US government in full credit and full faith. This reputation is something that other insurers cannot offer. Operating for over 70 years now, the FDIC is the people&#8217;s support system when or if their banks close. The insurance limit for every account you open in an insured bank is $250,000.  The agency however does not insure money invested in mutual funds, stocks, bonds, life insurance policies, municipal securities, and annuities even if the said investments are made in insured banks. The other types of accounts that the FDIC does not cover are safe deposit boxes and their contents. US treasury bills, notes or bonds are not insured by the FDIC as well but they are backed by the US government.</p>
<p>But what does this deposit insurance cover?</p>
<p>FDIC-insured accounts range from checking, savings, money market deposit, to time deposits and negotiable order of withdrawal (NOW). The depositors given this insurance are those who bank with insured banks. Banking with an FDIC-insured bank means your money is protected dollar for dollar. If you own two accounts in two different banks and these banks are FDIC-insured, it means that your two accounts also have the FDIC protection. This means that if these two banks close, you will have an insurance of $250, 000 for each account. If you have two accounts in one bank, you will not get two FDIC insurance, just one.</p>
<p>The standard maximum deposit insurance amount also known as the SMDIA allocates $250, 000 per depositor in every insured bank. This insurance will run through until December 13, 2013. By 2014, the said allocation per depositor will go back to $100,000 except for certain retirement accounts which will retain their $250, 000 per depositor insurance in every insured bank.</p>
<p>Banking with an FDIC-insured bank means that you as the depositor will receive insurance if the bank closes all of a sudden. Although this is something that most of us never imagine to happen, it is better to be safe than sorry.</p>
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		<title>Unbalanced Financial Responsibility Sinks Couple</title>
		<link>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/habits/get-rich-slowly/unbalanced-financial-responsibility-sinks-couple.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/habits/get-rich-slowly/unbalanced-financial-responsibility-sinks-couple.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:00:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>GetRichSlowly.org</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Get Rich Slowly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bankruptcy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[credit card]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Finance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=11981</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
  Image by QuiteLucid via Flickr 

This is a story about a relationship between two people and some money.

Part 1

Boy meets girl. Boy moves in with girl. Household expenses are split and all seems well. Years pass. Boy wants to change cities for professional reasons. Girl wants to finish grad school. They make a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
<div><dl class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 202px;"> <dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32109272@N00/201269129"><img title="Money" src="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/201269129_fc70b41138_m.jpg" alt="Money" width="192" height="240" /></a></dt> <dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32109272@N00/201269129">QuiteLucid</a> via Flickr</dd> </dl></div>
</div>
This is a story about a relationship between two people and some money.<p>

<em><strong>Part 1</strong></em><p>

Boy meets girl. Boy moves in with girl. Household expenses are split and all seems well. Years pass. Boy wants to change cities for professional reasons. Girl wants to finish grad school. They make a deal: They’ll move when the degree is finished.<p>

<em>Warning signs:</em> She is paying a greater share as the years go by and her career advances. He doesn’t take any concrete steps toward advancing his own career. He has sold his car ‘to save money’ and relies on her to drop him at the train station for his job. He has no real friends and his ‘project partners’ (in six years, there’s only one finished project) all seem to be women. And then:<p>

<em><strong>Part 2</strong></em><p>

The degree is finished and true to the deal, she starts organizing a move. She researches new jobs cross-country. She rents a truck, makes hotel reservations, and arranges for a friend to drive the car in caravan with them. Oh, by the way, she’ll pay the friend’s airfare home. She puts down the money on an apartment. She lands a job, but he says he needs some time off work to get things going. They make a new deal: She’ll cover the rent for a while so he can concentrate on jump-starting his career. Years pass. His career hasn’t started. The subject comes up fairly often, but she hates to fight.<p>

<em>Warning signs:</em> By the end of three years, not only is she paying all living expenses, she’s giving him an allowance to cover his “career-building” expenses. He hasn’t held a job since the move. His ‘project partners’ still all seem to be women. He has built no social or professional network and does not participate in her social life. (This didn’t bother her much when she was in grad school, but life is different now.) She doesn’t really want to live alone, and she tells herself he isn’t costing her much more than it would cost to live alone; but their relationship has become that of roommates. And then:<p>

<em><strong>Part 3</strong></em><p>

She takes up an activity she’s passionate about. He isn’t interested. She meets someone new and tells her roommate she wants to pursue the new relationship. He panics. He asks her to marry him. He argues. He threatens. He marches her into the bank and stands at her back while she takes cash advances on six credit cards, a total of $30,000. He deposits the money in his own account. She tells him that they can’t continue to live together, and she can’t afford to move because she doesn’t have the money for a deposit. He won’t move out. She starts spending most nights and weekends away.<p>

<em>Warning signs:</em> The whole situation.<p>

<em><strong>Part 4</strong></em><p>

After months of misery, she is able to finally get him out by renting a truck, packing it with almost all their possessions, and driving it to his sister’s home nearby. With the expenses of the move, her own living expenses, and the extortion debt, she is barely making ends meet. She has no savings and no assets. She talks things over with the new partner. They decide bankruptcy may be the best solution. She asks around and gets the name of a firm of attorneys.<p>

<em><strong>Part 5</strong></em><p>

The attorneys hear the story, go through all the paperwork, and agree that going after the ex in court would be both expensive and unlikely to result in restitution. A bankruptcy petition is prepared and filed, at a cost of a few hundred dollars. She has to appear in court. She feels like an idiot, a failure, a disappointment to herself. The judge hears a brief statement of her reasons for the petition, nods, signs off. That’s all. Ten years later, the bankruptcy is off the credit report. Had she not filed, she would still be making payments on the debt.<p>

<em><strong><span class="zem_slink">Author</span>’s note</strong></em><p>

This is a true story. I’ve heard similar stories from half a dozen women, and a couple of men, in my city. At least I never married him. At least I didn’t have to smuggle my belongings to my office and store them under my desk until I had all the essentials together, and leave for a new state from the office, like one of my friends did. At least I wasn’t that scared.<p>

In hindsight, perhaps I should have either moved out immediately or had the bank call the police. But I didn’t want to feel responsible if he hurt himself, I surely didn’t want him to hurt anyone else, and his behavior was sufficiently frightening that I believed one of those outcomes was possible. So I bought him off.<p>

<strong><em>What is the moral of this story?</em></strong><p>

Don’t cover expenses for another able-bodied adult without a contract, and don’t make financial deals that only favor one party.

<em><strong>Reminder:</strong> This is a story from one of your fellow readers. Please be nice. After nearly a decade of blogging, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">I</span> have a thick skin, but it can be scary to put your story out in public for the first time. Remember that this guest author isn’t a professional writer, and is just learning about money like you are.</em><p>



<em><strong>Article From <a href="http://www.getrichslowly.org">www.getrichslowly.org</a>
This guest post from Maria</strong> is part of the new <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/category/reader-stories/">“reader  stories”</a> feature here at <a title="Get Rich  Slowly" rel="homepage" href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/">Get Rich Slowly</a>. Some  reader stories contain general “how I did X” advice, and others will be  examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success — or failure.</em><p>

<em><strong>This story very much reminds me of <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/02/23/money-without-matrimony/">the  book for unmarried couples</a> I reviewed earlier this week.</strong></em><p>

Related Articles at Get Rich Slowly:
<ul>
	<li><strong><a title="Permanent Link: Reader Success Story: Debt Free on $2,000 a Month" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2009/08/09/reader-success-story-debt-free-on-2000-a-month/">Reader Success Story: Debt Free on $2,000 a Month</a></strong></li>
	<li><strong><a title="Permanent Link: Sometimes Free is Expensive: A Cautionary Tale" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/07/25/sometimes-free-is-expensive-a-cautionary-tale/">Sometimes Free is Expensive: A Cautionary Tale</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<h6 class="zemanta-related-title" style="font-size: 1em;">Other Related Articles:</h6>
<ul class="zemanta-article-ul">
	<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=2618057">Have debt, don't borrow</a> (financialpost.com)</li>
	<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://lifehacker.com/5468718/once-you-reach-your-financial-security-goals-whats-next">Once You Reach Your Financial Security Goals, What's Next? [Ask The Readers]</a> (lifehacker.com)</li>
	<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.pocketsmith.com/blog/2010/02/28/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2010-02-28/">Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-28</a> (pocketsmith.com)</li>
</ul>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: medium none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=5b88c89e-1da2-4dec-bba5-c2ae66c3f28f" alt="" /><span class="zem-script pretty-attribution"><script src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" type="text/javascript"></script></span></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>The Pursuit of Happiness Through Difficult Financial Times</title>
		<link>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/attitudes/the-pursuit-of-happiness-through-difficult-financial-times.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/attitudes/the-pursuit-of-happiness-through-difficult-financial-times.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:00:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherry Tingley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Attitudes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial prosperity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pursuit of happiness]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/?p=3974</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the pursuit of happiness, many of us believe that having lots of money will make us happy. According to Jean Chatzky, the author of the book “The Difference,” this is not always true because once you have money, more money won’t buy more happiness. The happier you are, the more money will come in.
Some [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/pursuit-of-happiness.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-3976" title="pursuit-of-happiness" src="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/pursuit-of-happiness.jpg" alt="" width="425" height="282" /></a>In the pursuit of happiness, many of us believe that having lots of money will make us happy. According to Jean Chatzky, the author of the book “<a href="http://www.oprah.com/money/Jean-Chatzkys-Book-The-Difference">The Difference</a>,” this is not always true because once you have money, more money won’t buy more happiness. The happier you are, the more money will come in.</p>
<p>Some of us have been through bad financial situations. With bills piling up, creditors calling, and the household income barely enough, life still goes on.  You can make the best of it or just plain give up and lose hope. Financial problems can  be  very stressful  for anyone but there is always room to make a change in your attitude. In such difficult times, what are the critical factors that can make a difference in your life? Jean Chatzky tells us all about the main traits that you have to be successful.</p>
<p>Happiness and optimism are two of the keys in making more money because these two traits help you solve problems and come up with great ideas. Even if you fail the first time, being optimistic will help you try again, and again.</p>
<p>Having resilience means you can overcome anything and that includes financial problems. These people never denied that their finances were suffering. They were able to concentrate on how to take control of the things that they could change and let go of the things that they could not.</p>
<p>Having passion to lift yourself up from your financial struggles is another key element to financial success. Loving what you do is very important and when you love what you do for a job then you are on the road to financial stability.</p>
<p>Social capital is acquired by seeking out advice from people who can help you get to the next level of income. Value the relationships you have and reach out to people that you can help and those who can help you. Take time nurturing these relationships.</p>
<p>Wealthy people have the funds to spend lots of money but most of them are not foolish spenders at all. In fact, they save money on a regular basis. This is a fundamental goal for anyone wanting to improve their personal finances.</p>
<p>We usually have hunches about what might happen next. These intuitions will help you make decisions about spending and investing your money. Most wealthy people have developed  good intuition and this gives  them a big advantage. Learn to listen to your intuition when you are making financial decisions.</p>
<p>Taking calculated risks in the market is a good way to make money whether in good times or in bad. Those that lost thousands in their investments are slowly beginning to see those dollars come back. Let your money work hard for you.</p>
<p>Being grateful for your particular situation is key to being able to move on and learn from the past. People who get rich and stay rich, express their gratitude by contributing to organizations and communities that they care about.</p>
<p>Use these principals of gratitude, passion, resilience and optimism to change your attitudes, set realistic goals and return to your path of financial prosperity.</p>
<blockquote><p>Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to  success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. ~<em>Albert  Schweitzer</em></p></blockquote>
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		<title>Personal Finance Give Up-Itis</title>
		<link>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/attitudes/personal-finance-plans.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/attitudes/personal-finance-plans.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:12:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherry Tingley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Attitudes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Finance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/?p=3952</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Personal Finance Plans
Have you given up trying to succeed with your financial plan? Have you gone through personal finance disasters? Do you suffer from give up-itis?
You may be wondering what give up-itis is. To explain that, let me share with you a story from Donald O. Clifton’s book, “How Full Is Your Bucket?”
U.S. Army chief [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/personal-finance-advice1.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-3956" title="Lessons from the Korean War" src="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/personal-finance-advice1.jpg" alt="" width="283" height="424" /></a></p>
<h2>Personal Finance Plans</h2>
<p>Have you given up trying to succeed with your financial plan? Have you gone through personal finance disasters? Do you suffer from give up-itis?</p>
<p>You may be wondering what give up-itis is. To explain that, let me share with you a story from Donald O. Clifton’s book, “How Full Is Your Bucket?”</p>
<p>U.S. Army chief psychiatrist, Major  (Dr.) William E. Mayer,  did a study of the lives of soldiers who were held as prisoners in the Korean War. He studied 1,000 cases of soldiers who suffered extreme psychological depravement as POWs.  These people didn’t suffer physically as in being tortured, but they were systematically deprived of the normal benefits one can receive from friendship and support.  They caught a deadly disease:  extreme hopelessness.</p>
<p>The methods used to cause this hopelessness were conniving and deceitful. The death rate in the POW camps there rose to 38%, the largest in military history. Half of those soldiers died because they had given up.</p>
<p>To break down the spirits of the soldiers, they were offered small rewards for ratting out their fellow inmates. Nothing happened to the inmates as a result of the news, but alienation soon crept into the camp. The North Koreans in charge held mandatory group meetings where the prisoners were forced to tell of all of the bad things they had done and any instances of good that could have been done, but failed to be done.  Without emotional support, the prisoners soon began to give up.  Some would go into their huts, sit in a corner, pull a blanket over their heads and were dead within two days.</p>
<p>You may have suffered from a recent financial loss of some kind, perhaps a loss of a spouse, a job or your personal health.  If you can learn from the hopelessness the soldiers  suffered as prisoners of war, you can start getting your financial life back on the right track.</p>
<p>Don’t give up and pull the covers over your head preparing to die. Seek out friendships that are emotionally supportive. Support other people in their struggles with life and you will fill that emotional bucket you need to avoid give up-itis.</p>
<p>With emotional support, you will be able to face things in your <strong>personal financial life</strong> that you never thought you could face.</p>
<h2>Five Personal Finance Tips</h2>
<ol>
<li> Be honest with yourself about what has happened to you. Find out where you are right now with your money.</li>
<li>Re-examine your living expenses and what you actually need to survive. Is there any place that you can cut back on spending? Where can you most effectively decrease spending?</li>
<li>Evaluate your income as it is now and make plans to increase it. There are many ways you might be able to earn extra income to help you through. Odd jobs and piece work types of jobs are plentiful. </li>
<li>Start tracking your expenditures if you don’t already do so. Tracking what you do is the best way to help you pinpoint the problem areas that you may be causing.</li>
<li>Set goals that you would like to reach and tell a friend about them. Emotional support from friends is really invaluable to you.</li>
</ol>
<p>What is your plan to improve your financial situation?</p>
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		<title>Smashing Barriers To Saving Money</title>
		<link>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/managing-money/saving-money/smashing-barriers-to-saving-money.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/managing-money/saving-money/smashing-barriers-to-saving-money.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:20:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherry Tingley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Saving Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[savings goal]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/?p=3914</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Saving money is not easy when you don&#8217;t have enough money coming in every month to cover your bills, so you might need to look at ways to increase your income. There are many ways that you can increase your income. Years ago, it may have been harder.
Increase Your Income
The Internet has opened up many [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/saving-money-for-vacations.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-3915" title="Saving Money For Vacations" src="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/saving-money-for-vacations.jpg" alt="" width="425" height="282" /></a>Saving money is not easy when you don&#8217;t have enough money coming in every month to cover your bills, so you might need to look at ways to increase your income. There are many ways that you can increase your income. Years ago, it may have been harder.</p>
<h2>Increase Your Income</h2>
<p>The Internet has opened up many opportunities for people to make money.  You can put items for sale quickly and easily on Craigslist or eBay and get rid of some of those items that are just taking up space. That should bring in some money, but eventually you will end up with nothing else to sell.</p>
<p>You can also offer your expertise to others through websites that will connect you with people looking for one time job offers. Perhaps you can write and get paid for doing that. Places like O&#8217;desk.com and Scriptlance. com would be a great place to start. You can bid on jobs that fit your area of expertise. They commonly have jobs for writers, programmers, web designers, graphic designers and a large variety of other services.  You can also tap into Craigslist and hunt for jobs there.</p>
<h2>Set a Savings Goal</h2>
<p>Assuming that you are diligent in your hunt for extra income and follow through with the difficult task of actually increasing your income, the next step for you is to set a goal for your savings. It&#8217;s a lot more fun to make sacrifices if you can picture in your mind being able to reach these goals.</p>
<p>For example, your goal might be to get rid of your credit card debt.  Picture how it feels to not worry about those monthly payments. Picture how it would feel if you took that same amount of money you were paying every month and saved it for a nice vacation. What is your dream destination?</p>
<p>Put pictures of the places you want to go to in your home office, on your refrigerator. Put them anywhere that you will see them every day.  Next time you are tempted to use your credit card, just remember the pictures of your vacation spot. This can help you remember why you are doing without or not using your credit card. People tend to willingly go without a lot of things in order to reach a goal that is really worthwhile to them. Set a goal that is worthwhile to you.</p>
<h2>Imagine Achieving Your Savings Goal</h2>
<p>The secret to saving money is to be able to picture how life will be when you reach the goals you have set. So often when we feel bad or when we suffer a loss of self esteem, we naturally look for ways to make ourselves feel better. That is a natural and good response.</p>
<p>Plan to do things that will make you feel better.  Make sure they will not cost you much money or cause you to gain weight.  There are a lot of activities that you can do to feel better at no cost.  Listed below are some suggested activities that cost nothing and feel good.</p>
<ul>
<li>Go for a walk in a popular park. Getting outside and seeing other people is self assuring and helps you connect to other people.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Can you smile at anyone? Smiling brings internal pleasure as well as bringing happiness to someone else. Remember what happens to you when you see a baby smile at you. You feel joy at no cost.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Exercise in any fashion that you enjoy.  Get moving and see if that doesn&#8217;t help your outlook on life.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Talk to someone you haven&#8217;t talked to in years. Connecting with people can make you feel good.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Check your local newspaper and see if there are any events you can attend that interest you and don&#8217;t cost anything to attend.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Pet a dog or cat. Pets can bring smiles to your face quickly.</li>
</ul>
<p>Whatever method you choose to do to make you feel better is fine as long as it is low cost and low calorie.</p>
<p>Save money easily by having sufficient income and by setting your savings goal to be something worthwhile to you.  You can make saving money so much easier on yourself. Start today by setting your savings goal and begin to dream again.</p>
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		<title>Learn the lessons that your money can teach you</title>
		<link>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/finance/personal-finance/learn-the-lessons-that-your-money-can-teach-you.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/finance/personal-finance/learn-the-lessons-that-your-money-can-teach-you.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:02:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherry Tingley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Personal Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/?p=3874</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Are you struggling to make ends meet? Is the personal financial advice that you hear from experts making you depressed?
Suze Orman has a television show that offers you personal finance advice. People are invited to call in and ask her the proverbial question, &#8220;Can I afford to buy this item?&#8221;
Some things that people want to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/personal-finance-advice.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-3881" title="personal-finance-advice" src="http://www.coolchecks.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/personal-finance-advice.jpg" alt="Personal financial stress " width="426" height="282" /></a>Are you struggling to make ends meet? Is the personal financial advice that you hear from experts making you depressed?</p>
<p>Suze Orman has a television show that offers you personal finance advice. People are invited to call in and ask her the proverbial question, &#8220;Can I afford to buy this item?&#8221;</p>
<p>Some things that people want to buy seem to make perfect sense.  They  may however, be outrageous to Suze.  She&#8217;s definitely on the  conservative side of spending. You need to have a gazillion dollars  saved to be able to afford to purchase an item under ten thousand  dollars.</p>
<p>Powerful, forceful, decisive and intimidating, Suze will tell you the  good or bad news about whether you should make a purchase or not.  She  always says, &#8220;Show me your money!&#8221; You will be asked to list your current income, your savings, your retirement savings and the amount of debt you have accumulated.</p>
<p>After watching a few hours of this show, you may look at your own situation and feel like a total failure and that you&#8217;ll never measure up to the standards you &#8220;should&#8221; meet. You may have been through a job loss, a divorce or a medical catastrophe and not have the assets you see other people having.</p>
<p>The ironic thing about this show is that a few experiences in Suze Orman’s past may actually make you feel better.  Recently on Oprah’s website, Suze revealed that as a young woman, she had been lured into the rich lifestyle and the feeling she needed to own things to impress other people. She frankly admitted, “I, Suze Orman, took money out of my 401(k) to pay for that pricey Cartier watch. And when I ran through all my money, I started using the bank&#8217;s. I eventually had more than $60,000 in credit card debt.” So she has been in trouble financially and knows what kind of misery it brings.</p>
<p>Dave Ramsey, popular author, radio show host and personal finance advisor had a similar brush with disaster. By the time he was 26 years old, he had a net worth of $1 million dollars. That sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?  However, he ran into some problems with borrowing money.  Soon, one of his creditors demanded that he pay his short-term notes totaling $1.2 million. On top of that he had only 90 days to do this. He was sued, foreclosed on and with a wife and baby added to the mix, the Ramsey&#8217;s were finally bankrupt.</p>
<p>It is just this type of experience that led him to develop his expertise on financial advice. He sought out every type of financial advice out there. He read everything he could get his hands on. Now he has helped thousands of people to achieve financial security.  He took to heart the admonitions of F. Scott Fitzgerald, considered to be one of the twentieth century&#8217;s greatest writers.</p>
<p>“One should &#8230; be able to see things as hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.”</p>
<p>If you are struggling financially, become determined to make things different.  You can learn your money lessons by paying careful attention to getting out of debt, building an emergency fund, and living on a reasonable budget.</p>
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<td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% #f0f0f0; border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; padding: 2px;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://toolbarqueries.google.com/favicon.ico" alt="" width="12px" height="12px" /> PR: <a style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" title="Google pagerank" href="javascript:{}">wait&#8230;</a></td>
<td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% #f0f0f0; border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; padding: 2px;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.google.com/favicon.ico" alt="" width="12px" height="12px" /> I: <a style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" title="Google index" href="javascript:{}">wait&#8230;</a></td>
<td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% #f0f0f0; border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; padding: 2px;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.google.com/favicon.ico" alt="" width="12px" height="12px" /> L: <a style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" title="Google links" href="javascript:{}">wait&#8230;</a></td>
<td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% #f0f0f0; border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; padding: 2px;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/favicon.ico" alt="" width="12px" height="12px" /> LD: <a style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" title="Yahoo linkdomain" href="javascript:{}">wait&#8230;</a></td>
<td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% #f0f0f0; border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; padding: 2px;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.bing.com/favicon.ico" alt="" width="12px" height="12px" /> I: <a style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" title="Bing index" href="javascript:{}">wait&#8230;</a></td>
<td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% #f0f0f0; border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; padding: 2px;"><a style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" title="Sitemap.xml" href="javascript:{}">wait&#8230;</a></td>
<td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% #f0f0f0; border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; padding: 2px;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.semrush.com/favicon.ico" alt="" width="12px" height="12px" /> Rank: <a style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" title="SEMRush Rank" href="javascript:{}">wait&#8230;</a></td>
<td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% #f0f0f0; border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; padding: 2px;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.semrush.com/favicon.ico" alt="" width="12px" height="12px" /> Traffic: <a style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" title="SEMRush SE Traffic" href="javascript:{}">wait&#8230;</a></td>
<td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% #f0f0f0; border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; padding: 2px;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.semrush.com/favicon.ico" alt="" width="12px" height="12px" /> Price: <a style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" title="SEMRush SE Traffic price" href="javascript:{}">wait&#8230;</a></td>
<td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% #f0f0f0; border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; padding: 2px;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://siteanalytics.compete.com/favicon.ico" alt="" width="12px" height="12px" /> C: <a style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" title="Compete Rank" href="javascript:{}">wait&#8230;</a></td>
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