Check Fraud and Verification

Before buying personal or business checks you should inform yourself of the best ways to protect yourself from check fraud. Since man has written checks check fraud has existed. Like any fraud, check fraud emerged as crafty con artists discovered they could photocopy checks or alter checks to steal money from innocent victims. Thanks to technological advances and craftier con artists, check fraud is as common as a cup of coffee.

As a consumer you should concern yourself with ways to prevent or reduce the chances that checks you write will fall victim to fraud. Fortunately there are many ways to reduce the likelihood of fraud. Whether you are a fan of cheap checks, high quality business checks or personal checks that express your personality, there is security available for you. Chances are you'll find what you're looking for and the security to protect you from check fraud with a little planning.

Once you know what to look for, there s no reason you should fall victim to thieves, crafty or otherwise. Let's take a look at some common security measures check companies use to protect you from thieves.

Check Security

Many check companies including Deluxe(TM) checks now offer consumers special features to help prevent the likelihood of fraud. Among the more common measures adopted to protect consumers include:

Microprinting - micro printing is simply print on the check that is small enough to prevent someone from photocopying the information on the check. Erasure Protection - this protection prevents anyone from erasing information on the check. A white spot appears if someone tries this. Original Document - each check is printed with the words original document that can't be photocopied.

Other companies including Quicken(TM) checks and Quickbooks(TM) checks are taking measures to ensure your safety. Among the security features adopted by these companies include:

Small print. Like Deluxe(TM) checks this prevents thieves from photocopying your information. Erasure protection. Special detail including foil and embossing. This also makes it difficult for thieves to photocopy checks.

Of course the best thing you can do to protect yourself from thieves is balance your checkbook and reconcile monthly statements. This should let you know if someone is writing false checks in your name. Top stub checks provide an easy and convenient place for you to write down transaction details if you don't have time to document purchases in your check register immediately.

Worried that cheap checks won't provide the same protections? Fear not! When buying cheap personal checks find out whether the print on the checks is small. This will help prevent photocopying. Foil and embossing is also available on some styles. This, and any intricate design will help reduce the likelihood that someone will photocopy your checks. The simpler the check, the easier it may be for a thief to copy.

Lastly, if your someone steals your checkbook be sure to contact your bank immediately. There are several measures you can take to protect your identity. You can either transfer funds to a separate account or stop payment on the series of checks in the checkbook stolen. Your bank should provide you with extra information about protecting your identity.

Check Verification

Retailers are also protecting themselves from check fraud. The number one way they are doing this is through check verification. There are several check verification companies that use machines to verify whether a check will clear or not. The more common companies include:

SCAN TeleCheck Check Rite Equifax ChexSystems

If one of these machines dings your check as bad and you know you have cash in your account, it is possible someone might be passing checks in your name. You can call the check verification company to find out and correct any wrong information.

Keep in mind while most people don't intentionally write bad checks or checks they know will bounce, if you do these machines are likely to stop you cold in your tracks.

Now that you know how to protect yourself from check fraud and what security measures are available to help protect you, why not get those daffy duck checks you have been dreaming about?

Guns on Business Premise

Should you have a gun at your small business to defend yourself or blast a criminal who tries to rob you using their gun? More and more criminals using firearms are likely to shoot and kill their victims to eliminate the chance that they might get caught later due to the key witness being alive? But if you have a gun on the property you might also find yourself in a lawsuit from the robbery victim's family. Stating you should not have shot Johnny as he robbed your store, because he is only 17 years old and didn't know any better?

Either way you lose. Often when you are robbed or your car is stolen in a larger city the crimes end up with just a number. You can try to collect on your insurance but as a small business person that simply means your insurance goes up and if you do not have insurance on your business premises then the bank will cancel your loans and the land lord will find you in default of your lease. The criminals know that the police will not or cannot do anything about it. If you try to protect yourself the criminals have more rights than you do and you can lose your entire business from a junk lawsuit in some liberal court?

Sounds bad doesn't it? It gets worse, some franchise attorneys are now advising their clientele to not have guns on the property of franchisee locations, thus the franchisor is writing this into the contract, to protect them selves from being named in the lawsuit in case the franchisee shoots someone? Go figure; you cannot win. But if every business owner had a gun and shot all criminals, then no criminals would exist anymore, because they would have been shot or afraid to get shot and of course this would be the best for all concerned?

There are so many ways to get sued or screwed in business and you cannot even defend yourself anymore. If you have a gun and some crazy employee goes nuts with your gun, you get shot or sued. If you shoot someone who threatens to kill you, you get sued. If you threaten someone who has harmed you; then you get sued or go to jail or both. You cannot win, this game. I recommend every business owner have a gun on the property, tell no one and know how to use it. When a criminal robs you with a weapon; kill them. If everyone did this, no one would be ripping off America's small businesses, think about it. Pro Business, Pro Gun, Pro Freedom; anti lawyer and anti criminal.

More God, More Power - Filled and Transformed by the Holy Spirit, A Book Critique

AUTHOR Wesley L. Duewel, evangelist, pastor and missionary for more than fifty years, also author of Touch the World Through Prayer, Let God Guide You Daily, Ablaze for God, Mighty Prevailing Prayer, Measure Your Life, Revival Fire and God's Power in You specializes in revival and the deeper life. We are greatly indebted to him for this inspiring guidebook to the joy, power and effectiveness of the deeper life.

TYPE Revival

SUMMARY In the first part, the writer describes the character of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit-filled life and practically informs how the Spirit's fullness can be appropriated in one's life. The second section is a revelation of ways in which the Holy Spirit shapes one's life, equipping with the character of Jesus Christ and with power of ministerial work. Spirit-filled people are the present-day church's need. Spirit-filled people are the present-day church's needs. The church has lost its power simply because it has lost its first love. Ichabod (the glory has departed) should be written over the door of many places of worship today. The Bible teaches that there is a great crisis commitment of our souls, a deeper, higher cleansing work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts as believers. Individual sins refer to acquired depravity and original sin inherited depravity. If holiness is Christ like, it is argued, we dare not think of it as a mere label or a nominal theme. This deeper life God has for each believer is full of surrender in which the Holy Spirit is Lord of one's life. Duewel, like Wesley, asserts that after being born again, the deeper work leads to the filling oft the Holy Spirit. The apostles were truly born of God but it was not until Pentecost that they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Spirit-filled individuals do not necessarily state their doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the same terms. One is Spirit-filled so that he/she may be transfigured. This book should be in the library of every Christian.

STRENGTHS This book is seasoned with original poems and song lyrics that clearly bring out the message of the book. A truth for the divided church clearly taught by Duewel is that being filled has nothing to do with one's denomination. His far-flung spiritual and practical experience enabled him to pass what he knows with simplicity.

WEAKNESS His defence of Cornelius, his household and the eventual baptism of the Holy Spirit is weak.

RECOMMENDATION This book is a treasure for every one longing to know about the spirit-filled and deeper life in Christ. Although he writes on a difficult subject, Duewel impressively presents a balanced approached to living a life marked by the Spirit's presence.

How Memorization Can Build a Perfect Brain

Memorization is the practice of using specific techniques to learn new information and store it permanently in your long term memory. Done correctly, memorization can mean that an individual can recall information learnt years previously.

A bad memory is usually the result of poor memorization techniques. Once mastered, anyone can and is able to massively increase their potential to learn. It is not just the ability to learn that is important. Memorization also helps to improve the health of your brain.

This may seem strange, but in actual fact, it makes perfect sense. Your brain is like a sponge. The more you learn the more saturated with information it gets. But unlike a sponge which can only hold so much, your brain has the amazing ability to learn exponentially. It literally grows new neural pathways which in turn increases your brain power.

Neural pathways are the connections between the various parts of the nervous system, including the messages between the brain and the rest of the body. A healthy brain and healthy body is dependent upon strong neural pathways.

It was once thought that humans were born with a given number of brain cells and that these died and depleted over time eventually leading to a deterioration of brain function. Studies have found that this is only partially true. Learning and actively training your mind helps to rebuild the connections within the brain. This helps to delay the onset of age related memory loss.

Using memorization techniques will help to strengthen the brain and increase its capacity to learn and grow. One simple technique to use is repetition coupled with vocalization. This technique requires that you read what you are learning aloud and repeat it several times.

You may think that this is nothing special, since this is what many people do, but there are subtle differences in the way many people learn and the way that a person should learn for optimum results. For example, if you had to study a large set of notes, you would firstly need to condense your notes to the bare bones of the most important concepts and keywords.

Next, you would organize your material so that it was in point form - in other words in short sentences that you can understand and which make sense. You would then read aloud the first sentence and repeat with your eyes closed. Repeat the process and then move onto the next sentence.

When you get to the second sentence, you start with your first sentence again and then the second sentence and learn it in the same manner. Repeat through your list of points so that each time you learn a new point, it involves re-iterating loudly all the points before it and also again with the eyes closed.

Because memories are fragile, you need to consolidate what you have learnt and store it immediately. The best way to do this is to take a nap. Napping is the best way for your mind to sort through the information learnt and store it in your long term memory. You should find that once you wake up, you will find recall easy, regardless of how many notes you have learnt.

Any studying and memorization which is followed with a nap helps you to store the information and keep it there. This practice alone will help to expand your mind and help you achieve a perfect brain.

Medicare Prescription Drug - A Lifesaving Plan For Senior And Disabled Persons

There is a saying that health is wealth. But life is unpredictable, full of twist and turns and if you do not plan ahead it can spell disaster for your personal well-being and your budget. So having a Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage is vital to wellness and peace of mind.

Imagine yourself as a Senior citizen and you were driving along in a familiar street, enjoying the summer air floating inside your car; it seems like a perfect day as you passed by beautiful houses and happy looking people. Suddenly a sharp pain was felt in your chest. You become dizzy, your vision becomes blurred, and you can't even remember if you managed to stop the car.

You woke up inside a hospital. The joyous feeling was replaced by fear. Somewhere along the way, you discovered a part of you is missing. You just had a heart attack! But you thought it would not happen to you. You were after all, can be considered a health conscious elderly. Worst! What ever pain that ails you, it becomes intense as you think about the hospital bills and the drug expenses.

That is why having Medicare prescription drug coverage is as important to any individual because not having any health care coverage at all can be a drain in the Family's pocket. Since January 2006, voluntary outpatient prescription drug benefit took effect. It is available to millions of elderly and disabled beneficiaries who enroll in private plans approved by Medicare to offer coverage. Medicaid is now being replaced by Medicare as the primary source of doing coverage for disabled and low-income people.

There are two types of Medicare Prescription Drug Plans:

A) Stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDP) for people getting other Medicare benefits like the fee-service program.

B) Medicare advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans, such as HMO's or PPO's that cover drugs and other Medicare benefits.

Medicare Prescription Drug covers for the payment for both generic and brand named drugs; it also offers a choice of plans to Medicare Beneficiaries. There are four ways that Medicare Drug plans may require you to pay your share and these are:

1.Premium

2.Deductible

3.Copay

4.Coinsurance

Cost will vary depending on which plan you choose. There are some people that can qualify for extra help paying for their cost. You can also contact the Social Security Administration should you think you are not qualifying for extra help.

Most Medicare drug plans require that you used a pharmacy. It has a list of pharmacies called the "Pharmacy Network" on which you can used to get your prescription filled. While the start of 2006 is a very good year for Seniors without coverage that can now avail of the Medicare approved plan that would cut their yearly drug cost in half, in return for a $35 monthly premium while low-income Seniors will received additional help from a $600 annual subsidy.

But before getting a plan, figure out first what plan is best for you that give overall value. Consider the cost coverage, and convenience. Determine if you went a higher monthly premium, but a lower copay or coinsurance on each prescription or pay a higher copay or coinsurance on each prescription but for a lower premium.

What ever you decide, regardless of your income, illness or status everyone needs a Medicare Prescription Drug plan, it offers savings and it will ease the burden on your family expensive cost of drugs out in the market today. So do plan your health needs. It's one of your best investments which help you be prepared for unexpected medical expenses.

The Seven Deadly Tax Sins: Commonly Missed Deductions

It's that time again, the April 15 tax deadline is looming large. If youre like most people, you havent gathered all of your tax records, let alone filled your return.

Before you dig in and get started, take this opportunity to first review a list of a few tax deductions to which you may be entitled if you itemize deductions but most people overlook. Many of these deductions are subject to various limitations, so consider getting professional help from your tax advisor and accountant to determine which deductions you qualify for and which items apply to your specific circumstances. Remember, there are hundreds of deductions throughout the tax laws; many of them can be quite obscure but also quite lucrative. Here are seven commonly missed deductions to keep top of mind:

Points on Refinancing: With interest rates so low in 2003, there was a great deal of refinancing activity. Any points you pay to refinance your home can be deducted ratably over the life of the new loan. Furthermore, all unamortized points on old refinancing are deducted in the year of the new refinancing. Health Insurance Premiums: Any health insurance premiums you pay, including some long-term care premiums based on your age, are potentially deductible. Medical expenses have to reach 7.5% of your adjusted gross income before they give you any tax benefit. Self-employed people can deduct 100% of health insurance premiums paid for themselves, their spouses and their dependents. Non-Cash Charitable Contributions: If you have used your charge card for contributions to charity, remember that the deduction is allowed in the year that you made the charge, not when you actually pay the bill. Also, you may write off certain out-of-pocket expenses related to charitable activities. Appraisal fees paid to value property donated to charities may be taken as a miscellaneous deduction subject to the 2% floor on miscellaneous deductions. Higher-Education Expenses: If your adjusted gross income wasn't more than $65,000 ($130,000 for married, filing jointly) in 2003, you can get an above-the-line deduction for as much as $3,000 for any higher-education tuition and fee expense you paid. For 2004, the deduction can be as much as $4,000. For those at higher adjusted gross incomes limits ($80,000 single, $160,000 married filing jointly) the deduction is limited to $2,000 for 2004. This deduction must be coordinated with other education credits and savings vehicles. Work-Related Expenses: You can write off many work-related and work-search expenses, such as education that maintains or improves your skills, certain business tools, dues to labor unions, cell phone depreciation, certain expenses to search for job in your present occupation, including employment agency fees, resum preparation, and travel expenses (local and out of town) and cleaning and laundry bills when on a business trip. Work-related expenses are subject to the 2% floor on miscellaneous deductions. Furthermore, if you buy a new SUV for business use that weighs more 6,000 pounds, and file Schedule C or other business tax return you may be allowed to write off the full amount (up to $102,000 in 2004) in one year as a business expense subject to limitations. Clean-Fuel Deduction: If you are not in the market for a large SUV for business, you still can get a deduction for your personal car, another above-the-line deduction of up to $2,000 for 2003 ($1,500 for 2004) of the cost of buying a clean-fuel vehicle or a car that uses a significant source of energy other than gasoline. That includes hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius, the Honda Insight and the Honda Civic Hybrid. You get the deduction in the year you start using the car, and you must be the original owner. Investment and Tax Expenses: In addition to forgetting to deduct tax-preparation fees and the portion of your legal, accounting or financial planner fees that relate to tax planning, many people miss deducting investment expenses. Those include certain fees paid to your financial advisor and/or broker and certain IRA fees you may pay directly. It also may include mileage for meetings and long-distance phone calls to your advisor or broker. Dont forget to include deductions for the cost of your investment publications or subscriptions, safe deposit boxes used for investment-related documents, these deductions are subject to the 2% floor on miscellaneous deductions.