Crosby Finance

BT the UK’s largest telecoms provider is using call capping as a means of attracting customers into 1 or 2 year agreements. This article intends to find out if ‘call capping’ actually benefits the average business.

The problem with trying to decide if these deals are good or bad is the difficulty in obtaining information - BTs website does not seem to give call rates up easiliy - their pricelist points visitors to 58 mult-page documents hence, information is lets just say not made easy to find. The helpless search utility provided by BT also proved equally challenging at delivering any form of digestable results - calling for information proved the best way.

The next task was to establish UK’s average call length. Telecost performed a study in 2002 of 100 UK businesses ranging from high users such as call centres to small enterprises at variuos locations. Over 2 million calls were analysed with results as shown below:

Average length of call to a mobile (07 numbers) - 110 seconds.

Average length of call to landline (01 numbers) - 112 seconds.

Average length of landline call (02 numbers) - 121 seconds.

If the average call length is 2 minutes then the following stands to reason:

A 2 Minute call through BT Standard Rate to mobile would cost 45p and to landline would cost 15p (inc call setup fee).

A 2 Minute call through BT’s ‘Business Plan’ to mobile would cost 25p (capped) and to landline would cost 8p on a 1 year contract.

A 2 minute mobile call using BT’s ‘Oneplan’ is 20p (capped) and a 2 minute landline call is 5p (capped) on a 2 year contract with additional BT services required.

A 2 minute mobile call using Westlake LCR is 18p and a 2 minute landline call is 2.5p on a one year contract.

A 2 minute call through Midland Telecom to mobile would cost 16p and to landline would cost 1.8p on a 1 year contract with a minimum spend requirement.

A 2 minute call through Gradwell Business VOIP to mobile would cost 20p and a 2 minute call to landline would be free (on all inclusive tarif else the call would cost 2.5p) on a 3 month contract.

The conclusion, based on the information above being correct therefore is:- if you own an ‘average’ business then you are better off with LCR or VOIP. If your bunsiness makes longer than average phonecalls then you are better off staying with BT, although…

The most efficient way to handle business calls is to use a telephone system such as Asterisk which is able to route calls via the most efficient methods: ie. route all national calls through VOIP hence take advantage of free calls and unlimited outbound trunks. Route mobile calls through GSM gateways to benefit from free calls to staff mobiles & mobile call rates of 4.5p. It is also not a bad idea to have a few BT lines on Oneplan to route long calls. This method also allows gives the user the benefit of mutiple failovers.

Call rates in this report were obtained in Sept 08 - some of the information above may or may not be accurate at the time you read this article hence this information should be treated as a yardstick.

By now, it’s painfully obvious that the accompanying increase in energy needs is part and parcel of lifestyle advancement. Fossil fuels, coal and gas cut both ways. While they literally power the world forward, there’s no denying they also constitute environmental, economic and even political problems. It seems like breaking point sooner now rather than later and it’s time we drastically heightened our efforts to make better use of the earth for energy!

Alongside the comforts and conveniences of modernization are the negative side-effects which form part of the bargain. The clich? these days is how energy waste is harming the eco-balance of the earth. Global warming, freak weather pattern and natural disasters, environmental pollution, wild-life and forestry threats and hazards spontaneously spring to mind at the slightest mention of energy bi-products. The fact is it doesn?t have to be like that.

It isn’t Molecular Science or Nuclear Physics. Everybody knows that conservation is the obvious way of cutting down on fuel consumption. The resultant drop in demand will of course ultimately lead to reduction in both cost and pollution. Besides that, there need to be other measures to cope with the ever-increasing appetite for fuel in this industrialized age. There need to alternative sources of energy. Not just that, they have to be green too!

Besides money, there are other costs associated with energy. Fuel wastes and the ravaging of our natural habitat as a result of non-renewable energy exploration are the prime culprits in this regard. As we increasingly consume fuel and deplete the reserves of oil, coal and gas, it will continue to get worse unless breakthrough efforts are garnered across the entire populace wherever possible to really make an impact.

The obvious answer here is renewable energy. There are a variety of ways to tap the earth for energy. The ones with the greatest reach are wind and solar power generation. They can be handily decentralized into many small-scale grids or even individual stand-alone set-ups whereupon private homes would be able to join in on the energy crusade. Yes, any home can put up its very own wind and solar power generators through DIY and it?s a lot easier than most people think.

There’s no shortage of choices and options for home-DIY wind and solar power set-ups and there must be a right one for anyone who’s ideally a landed house dweller with some real-estate compound. Guides and handbooks are widely retailed over the internet ranging from very basic units to full-fledged systems and scams have inevitably pervaded so watch out. Information is abundantly available over the internet to help sieve out the bad hats but by and large, the ones that are featured by specialty or review sites are safe bets.

There are many different forms in which alternative energy is available. One of these is solar power: Solar power is driven by photovoltaic cells, and these are progressively getting less expensive and more advanced. The Solar energy power provides a lot of helpful uses such as for generating electricity, heating and making hot water with the fact that it can cause no pollution since it is entirely dependable on the rays of the sun. Still, we are still learning better ways to capture all this power and it may be some time before it is economically viable around the world. The biggest downfall to solar power is it requires clear days so methods of storing this energy need to be found to cater for this and when night falls.

As of the moment, the most-invested-in alternative energy source favoured by many private investors as well as the government is the wind energy. Using the wind’s kinetic energy once its motion have been captured can greatly contribute to conversion of mechanical or electrical energy and this can be done through the development of “wind farms” which is the placement of great arrays of triple-bladed windmills all over the place.

Of course today’s windmills are much larger than their predecessors and much more advanced. Just like any other methods, using the wind energy has its own hitch such as having to worry what to utilize if ever the days are calm and still. When the wind doesn’t blow we have other power stations that can make up the energy deficit so we cannot, at present use wind farms as a primary source of power.

Another source of alternative energy that can generate an extensive amount of power is accessible in the form of hydroelectric energy. The concept of hydroelectricity is simple - using vast amounts of water and gravity to turn electricity producing turbines. Water is the driving source to power up hydroelectric turbines and since it is readily available everywhere, there couldn’t be much of a problem using it. The main problem with this process is the initial financial cost and the size of these dams means it is a lengthy project which does not come without it’s own issues.

Dams are often built in order to be able to control the flow of the water sufficiently to generate the needed power. There’s always a risk and hard work involved in building a dam to store and control water’s potential and kinetic energy and the complication of its operation is another factor that contributes to the growing concerns of the conservationists. If you are not in the need to supply the electrical needs of a city or an area with huge population, then building a dam for it is not that necessary. There are a number of run-of-river, hydroelectric converters available which can easily service smaller communities without much environmental impact.

Probably the most underrated and under-appreciated form of alternative energy is geothermal energy, which is simply the naturally-occurring energy produced by the heating of artesian waters that are just below the earth’s crust. Water below the earth’s surface is heated by the incredible temperatures at the planets core.

The whole process is designed to utilise the steam that is produced once the superheated water reaches the surface. The Geysers is an example of a dry stream plant located in the region of about 100 miles north of San Francisco and perhaps the best-known of all geothermal power fields.

As a young adult, when I was finally able to afford, at least some of the things I wanted and/or needed, I became a big fan of frivolous spending. I had to have that new issue of Esquire, that personal trainer at the gym (not just the gym), an office in a better location, a more trendy breed of dog or cat, live in a nicer neighborhood, and, of course, later, “My morning Starbuck’s”. I “had arrived”. The “American Dream” or at least for a short time it appeared that way. And what a letdown that was.

It seemed fun, at first, being a male version of Madonna’s “Material Girl”, but I was young, in my thirties and early forties, and was naive enough to believe that peer pressure at least ended after high school, and certainly after college. Not so. It became worse. If my friends bought a better house, I sure better call my Realtor immediately. They got a Lexus, time for a Mercedes. It all seemed like fun and games and, in fact that is all it was. We were simply male peacocks showing our feathers and attracting some pretty shallow female birds, as we were just as shallow.

The 1994 Northridge Earthquake stopped me in my tracks. . Within twenty minutes, all that I had acquired as a material consumer was gone. And insurance didn’t come close to covering my collectibles, antique furniture, family albums/videos, memorabilia from as far back as kindergarten, etc. I was left with my car, and a few boxes of clothes, and a one year old golden retriever puppy named Otis who saved my life (barked wildly before the earthquake), I thought to go out to do his business, but to alert me at five in the morning to get out of the house, which collapsed within the hour.

A lot of water under the dam since those dark years, and I have learned something I never had before, and never thought I might learn. It is called “humility”. Please do not confuse humility with sainthood, far from it. Rebuilding one’s life from scratch midlife, after “having it all” teaches a few lessons, and, I am certain I am not unique in this situation. When I say “having it all’; I don’t mean the Forbes 400. I mean I could afford what I needed and usually what I wanted as well. Times have changed since then.

So all I had left was my health. Then it started to fail me too, for a number of years. This was a motivating factor in my enrolling in college in my forties, one thing I will never regret. I continue to read voraciously, and the local public librarians and I have become very close friends.

Possibly one of the most phenomenal books I ever read was not within the genre of books I usually consume. The book is titled “Start Late, Finish Rich” by David Bach. In it, he talks at length about something called “The Latte’ Factor”. Strange name I know, but it describes how the American consumer is taught from birth to consume all he/she can in this material world, that life is short, consume, consume, and consume some more.

Then he calmly suggests ways to counteract that. Do we really need that magazine subscription, must we have a latte’ and bagel each morning at Starbuck’s. Do we have to even buy his own book if its available at the library. Must we have a car that is made to “show off” when a pre-owned Honda, Saturn, etc. does the trick. I have a wonderful eight year old 4-door Saturn now and it rides better than my old fancy German car ever did. Better gas and reliability as well.

Do the math. Nix small non-necessities, that we don’t need, or, in the case of Starbuck’s could make java at home with flavored creamer for pennies and a bagel for a quarter, nix the magazines, etc. We are talking saving anywhere from $800-2000 or more a month. If that is put into an IRA, even if you are in your fifties now, you will be wealthy by the time you are ready to throw in the employment towel.

A gift should be nice, but not expensive.I highly recommend personalized gifts that people see daily and enjoy and think of you when they see or use them. Gift-giving need not be removed from your spending agenda; gifts bond us and show people we care. Just more affordable ones, or even cards, as long as it is something memorable.

Bach recommends “plastic surgery’ on your credit cards and paying as you go, cash, check and/or debit card. I began doing that, and noticed a huge difference in my extra cash at the end of the month. Forget about budgeting. That is a thing of the past. Simply spend and invest wisely.

There is much more to the book, but the bottom line is that The Latte’ Factor need no longer be a part of our lives. Yes, at first it seems strange and a little boring, but it is a behavior modification in which, once done, we never go back. And we are happier and more prosperous in the long run for it.

There is a maximum IRA contribution and it is quite low when compared to the maximum 401k contribution that a lot of people are used to. While the maximum of 401k contribution doesn’t really matter to most workers because they never make enough money to contribute the maximum amount, when contributing to an IRA, the maximum IRA contribution is usually low enough for them to afford to whole amount and worry about over contributing.

In general, people have until April 15th to file their individual tax return and also to contribute to their individual retirement account. They have to worry about the maximum IRA contribution and if they find that they have over contributed throughout the year, they can still fix it and take some of the money out. Beware of the tax implication though.

Some people think that filing an extension means they automatically get an extension to contribute to their IRA. This is not the case. The cut off date for an IRA contribution is the tax filing date, not extension allowed. The IRS will penalize and tax the amount over the maximum IRA contribution.

If you make a contribution to your IRA after you have filed your tax return but still before April 15th, then the contribution may be counted as your previous year’s IRA contribution but only if you have not exceeded the maximum IRA contribution for the year. To include the contribution made by April 15th as your previous year’s contribution to your IRA, you must make sure that the trustee that holds your IRA reports it correctly to the IRS.

The key question about maximum IRA contribution is how much the maximum IRA contribution is. In 2007, for example, the maximum IRA contribution is $4,000 for people younger than 50. The maximum IRA contribution changes from year to year, although some years it does not change. If you are not sure how much you can contribute, check with the IRS to see what this year’s maximum IRA contribution is.

If you are 50 or older, your maximum IRA contribution is higher. You can contribute up to $5,000 if you are 50 or older. The higher maximum IRA contribution for people 50 or above is the result of what is called a catch up contribution.

Don’t be confused by the number of individual retirement account you have. The maximum IRA contribution limit stays the same no matter how many IRA you have. If you have multiple IRA then the combined contributions to all of your IRA must be below the maximum IRA contribution. To avoid taxes and penalties, make sure you know the maximum IRA contribution limit before contributing.

The recent economic downturn and banking mess has revealed something startling. Most Americans only have money in their homes and nothing beyond that. This lack of saving is a recipe for disaster as we grow older.

There are a host of reasons why we seem to have lost all financial responsibility. They almost do not matter now. Credit is tightening up as banks fail. Now we have no choice but to save money. Fortunately, it is fairly simple to do with a bit of discipline.

Setting goals sounds fairly goofy sometimes, but it is a vital step when it comes to saving money. Being generally frugal is difficult. Saving for a specific purpose, however, is pretty easy. Make sure to set some specific goals and things will go easier.

Time is cheap unless you are talking to a lawyer. With saving money, it is on your side. If you put aside $100 from each paycheck, that is $200 a month or $2,400 a year. Do this for 5 years and you have $12,000 free and clear to use as you like.

We are beings of routine. We do the same things over and over each day because it is part of our routine. Make saving money part of your routine. Put some money aside each day. It can be a tiny amount because it will add up over time.

Saving money is just one part of the equation. Cutting unnecessary expenses represents the other side. Write down a list of every expenditure you have in a month. At the end, total up all the money you spent on extraneous stuff. Shocking, eh?

It is important that you not include luxury costs as necessary costs just because they are part of your routine. Going out to eat breakfast every morning is not necessary. At $5 to $10 a pop, that is a lot of money. Cut back and save big.

Nobody likes a cheap person. Saving money is about cutting out unnecessary expenses. It is not about being a miser. If you go overboard, you will eventually tire of saving and cost cutting. This will lead you back to credit cards and problems.

When you first start out, it can be difficult to stick with your budget. Be disciplined. The first time you meet one of your goals, you will be really happy and saving more money will be no problem. Financial difficulties will become a thing of the past.

When you go shopping, isn’t it nice to have coupons with you? Especially nowadays when the price of everything from milk to butter, to clothes, to makeup products have gone up? Coupons aren’t hard to find. This includes JcPenney coupons. You just need to know where to search to find them.

If you plan on shopping, you need to find coupons that will work in your favor. If you want shop at a JcPenney retail store, you can still find coupons geared towards saving your money from pennies on the dollar to several dollars. Where can you find JcPenney coupons?

Local Newspapers - If you don’t want to search high and low for JcPenney coupons, just buy a local newspaper everyday. Lots of retailers will use their local paper to insert coupon/ad papers. However, ads/coupons are not always readily available when you need them so keep that in mind.

Mailbox - Though not near as reliable as your local newspaper, you do get coupons including JcPenney coupons. Many retailers will use the post office to get the word out about their products. Why not coupons too?

World Wide Web - The Internet is a wonderful place to find coupons. All you have to do is use a search engine like Yahoo or Google to get some hits. By using specific keywords, you can narrow down your return list and find a site that works for you. That means you can find a JcPenney coupon that is geared to your need or want.

Photography and Optical Coupons - Are you wanting new pictures of your family? JcPenny photography studios have good coupons from time to time which include no sitting fees and a free 8×10 portrait. If you need glasses, there are coupons offering 50 percent off lenses and frames. Make sure there are no limitations to the coupon before you try to use it.

Are you just looking for a run of the mill coupon such as so much money off your entire purchase? One such coupon is $10 off an order of $49 or more. Most coupons will take off a certain percentage your entire purchase, not just a dollar amount.

If you use the Internet to print off your coupons, make sure you look to see if the coupons are in date. Many sites do not update regularly so it’s up to you to make sure that the coupons are working.

“Ok. Run car on water, is this a scam or what?!” I know that’s one of the most important questions that every vehicle owner or driver would like to answer.

Truth be told, it’s REALLY possible to run car on waterany vehicle for that matter! The methods behind it are pretty simple and clear-cut. And if you’re having any doubts about the possibility to run car on water, I’ll be revealing some juicy facts that will wipe away any doubts!

Run Car On Water Proofs

- For less than $200 you can start to run car on water.

- Matter of fact, just by converting your car so that it would be water-powered IRS will give you a refund of $2,000! And that steps up to $50,000 if you convert a truck instead. Let me remind you, we’re NOT even talking about the savings of using water for your car here.

- Thousands of American families (make that 50,000!) use at least a kit to run car on water and the numbers are steadily rising.

- With millions of Americans who own cars, that may not sound much BUT when you realize that this money-saving technology isn’t promoted and covered that much, it’s not very astounding. And you’re sure to be one of the guys who use run-car-on-water technology.

- Truth is - you can safely start to run car on water with a good and detailed manual for converting your car. Not to mention they’re inexpensive. You could hardly come across a manual that costs more than $90!

- A little ounce of basic technical knowledge, which will be provided by the manual by the way, PLUS some simple-to-use tools that you can find in every household. That’s everything you need to run car on water and get it powered by HHO or Brown’s Gas.

- All of the doubts about the possibility to run car on water have now been shattered.

- Along with the advancement of batteries for trucks and cars, these manuals and guides are now easier more than ever to implement. It’s been proven through study and experience that the technology behind these kits can take your gas mileage up to 35% to 70%.

Run Car On Water - My Experience

Just like everybody else, I wasn’t very convinced about the run-car-on-water technology.

BUT I thought $300 won’t hurt if the possibility of running my car on water would save me more than 10 times the cost. So I got a manual along with the needed parts to convert my vehicle for 5 hours.

So where did it led to?

Now, I’m saving $2000 on car fuel costs PLUS my car is no longer a menace to the society with the usual harmful emissions and pollutants.

Not to mention it’s potentially a good business as people would be more than willing to get to run car on fuel and converted by someone for $500!

Relax! You can now drop your worries about oil price hikes as water powered cars will surely save you money more than any alternative fuel around can PLUS turn your vehicle to a nature friendly and pollutant-free ride.

To begin with, using a water powered car will take your gas mileage increase way up to 50%! Along with that, your car’s engine will outperform others that are still using gasoline and it will live a longer life. PLUS the tricks behind this method of saving fuel aren’t really complex!

The technology behind water powered cars is not a new one. Vehicles running on water alone are still being worked at and it will surely take some time before they’re publicly available. And there are 2 serious reasons behind this.

First, the large oil companies and tycoons want to squeeze the last dime from the fuel industry. Second, manufacturing water powered cars in bulk would be very costly and not everyone would have the means to choose such an expensive option.

Through properly combining water and fuel, your car will be free from carbon build ups, which are notoriously known for slowly killing your pistons, rings, and valves. That equates to better engine power and performance.

And that also saves you and your car from the devastating effects of fuel combustion.

Imagine if a good part of gasoline is substituted by 100% natural and safe water. That means smoother driving and your car parts will last longer than the usual. PLUS you’ll no longer be bugged by the noise by your car’s motor, too!

Not to mention the trip to your destination will be way smoother than usual. You?re saving money not just on fuel costs BUT from repairs and replacement of you car parts as well.

Anybody, even those with zero technical knowledge, can convert their wheels to a water powered car, and it would NOT cost them more than $200! Why not give it a try? Your car and your pocket will surely love it!

With the unclear financial outlook for our economy, investing makes sense like never before as a strategy to save for retirement.

With the social security system’s future in doubt, everyone is looking for ways to make sure that they have the financial security they need to retire. Making sound investments can make sure that you are protected from economic storms which can come up when you least expect them - you don’t want to be unprepared when you are looking to retire.

Perhaps you have been setting money aside for years in a low interest savings account. You’d like to see that money grow much faster. Maybe you’ve come into some money and would like to have that money grow too - in either case, investing is the way.

Investing provides you with a way to make the money you need for the things you want; a new house, a college education, or luxury items. Your particular goals will affect what kind of investment will work best in your case.

You can go for high risk investments if you find yourself needing to make a lot of money quickly. There is a risk of course, but you can make a large amount of money in a short time frame. If you want to put aside money for your retirement, you need to instead make long term, safer investments.

Increasing your wealth and financial security over the long run is what investing is all about. Keep in mind that you’ll have to retire eventually; and you’ll need a good amount of money to make your retirement an enjoyable one.

As we have seen from the case of Enron, you shouldn’t necessarily count on your company’s retirement plan and the future of social security is somewhat in doubt. To make sure that you are well provided for in your retirement, you should make the right choices with your money and invest wisely - in your future.