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Mortgage Brokers Make Home Buying Easier

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mortgage broker and loans

For most people, buying a home is one of the biggest investments they’ll ever make. Finding a house and making an offer are just the tip of the iceberg. The real work begins with securing the right loan and successfully making it through the closing process. Navigating those murky waters can be confusing, and finding the best deals can seem downright impossible. A great way to simplify matters is by hiring a mortgage broker.

Top Reasons to Hire a Mortgage Broker

Like many people, you may be uncertain about paying someone else to help you find a suitable home loan product. Most people find the cost to be well worth it, though. A few reasons include:

  • Get the Best Rate –
  • Even if you have impeccable credit, zeroing in on home loans with the most competitive rates is a tall order. It’s in your best interests to pay the lowest interest rate possible. Doing so can save you thousands of dollars over the life of the loan and will result in lower monthly payments too. Mortgage brokers are well-versed about the available home loan products. They assess clients’ credit reports and ratings to determine the most viable options. That’s a lot easier than sorting through them all yourself.
  • Take Your Pick from More Options –
  • In addition to being more cumbersome, taking matters into your own hands when looking for a home loan means missing out on many great opportunities. Mortgage brokers generally have access to home loan products that aren’t available to the general public. Just make sure that the one you hire isn’t committed to just a small handful of lenders.
  • Enjoy More Flexibility –
  • Because a mortgage broker acts as a go-between, he can help smooth out the inevitable bumps that you’ll hit on the road to buying your home. For instance, your mortgage broker can help negotiate better terms for you and may be able to help you qualify for loans that you’d otherwise never be considered for in the first place.
  • Get Extra Help –
  • Most mortgage brokers offer services that extend above and beyond pairing buyers with home loans. For instance, many can work with you to help you improve your credit before applying for a mortgage. Others will guide you along through the underwriting process and keep you informed about how your loan is progressing.

Why put up with the headache of finding the perfect home loan yourself when you can hire a mortgage broker? The fees can often be rolled into your closing costs or even into your home loan, so there’s typically no need to pay upfront. Hire a mortgage broker before starting your search to enjoy the smoothest process possible.

By Garry Dowd

Woolworths and Wesfarmers in GLOBAL top 250 Retailers list

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Article updated:

Australian  favourite retail giants, Woolworths and Wesfarmers ( Coles Supermarkets), are now listed in the world’s top 25 retail companies list.

Top Australian Retailer in Global Rankings

 

coles against woolworths

The report brought out by research agency Deloitte , identifies the “250 largest retailers by revenue globally” for the fiscal year 2010, lists Woolworths in 20th (26th last year) and Wesfarmers in 23rd position (28th last year).

While the global downturn and economic slowdowns have seen many  top retailers companies going down the list , The Australian retail companies both Woolworths and Wesfarmers both  have jumped up by the list by six and five places  respectively.

The global Retailers list

 

The top Global retailers rankings also included other top global retail companies like WALMART ( No .1 From USA ) , CAREFOUR S.A. ( No.2 – From France ), TESCO PLC ( No. 3 – From UK)

wesfarmers top retailer list

Among the top 30 were also other companies like Costo , Best Buy Co,  Safeway , Ikea and Amazon. Brazil another rapidly growing economy has topped the “top 10 Latin Americas retailer  list”  with its “Grupo Pao De Acucar” taking the top honours.

So what is the big giants Woolworths and Wesfarmers made up of ?

Below is a listing of  the different divisions and businesses that make up the two Goliath’s of  australia

Wesfarmers

§ Retail – Coles, Bi-Lo, Liqourland, Coles express, Coles.com.au, First Choice Liquor, Vintage Cellars, Target, Target Country, K Mart, Kmart Tyre and Auto Services

§ Home Improvement – Bunnings, Bunnings Warehouse, Bunnings Trade

§ Office Supplies – Officeworks

§ Insurance – Lumley, WFi, Oamps, Crombie Lockwood

§ Resources – Urragh, Bengalla

§ Chemicals and Fertilisers – CSBP, QNP (Queensland Nitrates) and AGR (Australian Gold Reagents)

§ Gas/Energy – Kleenheat Gas, Evol LNG, Premier Power (electricity)

§ Industrial and Safety – Blackwoods, Protector Alsafe, Bullivants, Total fasteners, Coregas, Blackwoods Protector, Packaging House, Gotstock.com.au, Safety Source

§ Others, and stakes in – ModWood wood-plastic products, 50% stake each in Gresham Partners (Barminco, Silk Logistics Group and Tasmanian Walking Company) and Westpine Industries and a 24% stake in BWP warehouse retailing properties.

Woolworths

§ Retail – Woolworths Supermarkets, Woolworths Petrol, Big W, BWS, Dan Murphy’s, Wine market, Cellarmasters, Ezibuy, Countdown, Thomas Dux.

§ Home Improvement – Masters

§ Hospitality – ALH (Australia Leisure and Hospitality) group and its brands including Great Food Great Value, Live At Your Local, 28s, Function Venue Finder and Graziers beef.

§ Finance – Woolworths Money credit cards, Reloadable MasterCards and Gift cards.

§ Others – Woolworths Mobile, Langton’s

More details  about the top global retailers can be got from the Deloitte website

Download Global Powers of Retail 2011 Read and download the full report ‘Global Powers of Retailing 2011’ in PDF format.

Selfies goes viral with oscars

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Well most certainly this selfie  has pretty much won an oscar in the online world due to going viral and becoming humongous’ly popular , as many people would vouch for.

oscar winning selfie 1

 

selfie of 2014

 

the oscar world famous selfie

This wasnt the first  time a celebrity selfie went viral  as  we can  see from this selfie  with Obama ,  British Prime Minister David Cameron and Denmark’s Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt

obama uk prime minister selfie

They are also many other me too amusing selfies

 

Pope Francis Takes a Selfie (http://parade.condenast.com/)

Have you ever snapped a selfie only to hurriedly delete if before anyone else sees it? It’s OK. We’re all guilty of it.

 

Justin bieber

(businessinsider.com)

Prepaid Credit Cards – A Better Alternative To Credit Cards?

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prepaid vs original credit cards in australia

Prepaid credit cards are becoming more popular and as they offer a lot of advantages over traditional credit cards. There is a level of convenience that is hard to beat when using a prepaid credit card. Using these prepaid services allows the card holder to set their own limits. If they want to go out but only spend a certain amount of money they can just put that amount on their card, can’t spend it if it isn’t on the prepaid card.

Credit card – Prepaid  Cr card vs Credit card

A prepaid credit card is refillable, so there is not a need to have to remember a new PIN (personal identification number) every time the card is refilled. For many of these cards adding funds to them is as simple as going to a retail store or reloading them online. These cards can be used everywhere that a Master Card or Visa can be used. There are many people who use these cards to make a purchase online when they do not want to use their personal debit cards due to a worry about security. If you are interested in you can register for a Citibank prepaid card here.

Prepaid credit cards are also a good way to give kids money as gifts. Online shopping isn’t only popular with adults; there are also many kids who with their parent’s supervision are also buying online. Many stores are starting to carry a limited inventory in the store itself but have shipping warehouses that carry a much wider selection of items. Online shopping may offer items and deals that cannot be found in a store, but the most convenient way to shop on line is with some form of credit card.

If the prepaid card information gets taken by an identity thief while shopping online the most they can get is what the card has on it for funding. This is an advantage over a traditional credit card or a debit card from a bank. If either of those where to end up in the hands of an identity thief they could run up very costly charges before the owner even realized that their card had been taken.

The advantages of using a citi prepaid credit card are numerous. These cards allow the holder the ability to run a tight budget, by only putting enough funding on them to cover expenses such as rent, gas or money to go back and forth to work. Being able to load only what funding is needed on these cards means that there will not be any extra spending like there can be when using a card that bills you after it has been used. When using this type of card you are actually paying in advance for things that you will use in the future. Using these types of cards may help the user to see exactly where they are spending money and how they can change their habits if they need to.

The 2014 Real Estate Forecast

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real-estate-australia

The Australian real estate market is currently only second in the world behind that of the US market in its activeness for investors. Last year saw plenty of strong investment conditions for home buyers and although many are predicting a burst to the Australian housing bubble in 2014, there are still plenty of reasons for prospective home buyers to be optimistic this year.

How Did We Get Here?

Last year we saw great growth across the country with home values rising substantially in nearly every major Australian city. Sydney saw a 15.1 percent increase while Perth was up 9.9 percent and Melbourne rounded out the year at 8.5 percent growth. This rise was due in large part to population growth, low interest rates and increases in consumer confidence. These factors all combined for a perfect mixture that lead to a much higher housing demand than previous years.

What to Expect

There are a few different polarizing views when it comes to the future of the housing market in Australia for 2014. First, we have American investment guru Harry Dent’s less than happy predictions. Dent has claimed credit for predicting the US boom and subsequent bust and the deflationary decade in Japan. He has recently made the rounds promoting his new book, The Demographic Cliff and is predicting a decline in the Australian market at anywhere from 30 to 50 percent. While that is an alarming prediction for most, Dent also states that there is a wildcard at play with China’s ultra wealthy investors who are in part to thank for the boom in 2013. If they keep investing it might help to keep Australia’s housing prices up.

Many other analysts like APM chief economist Andrew Wilson, are predicting a slowing in the housing market overall but nothing to the extent of Dent’s numbers. Wilson expects things to slow considerably in the market for both Sydney and Melbourne, of which both saw house price growth peak in December of last year. He also sees plenty of growth in the cards for both Perth and Brisbane. The market in Brisbane is still in the pivotal "catch-up" phase and is primed to reach new heights as Queensland sees a jump in the economy and an influx of job seekers. This is great for perspective investors in these regions.

Other market analysts are stating that Australia is still in the growing stage of the property cycle, which was bottomed out in mid-2012. This research shows that the housing market is moving into the "expansion" stage meaning more growth overall and an increase in property prices. Echoing predictions made by Wilson, this research shows that many states and cities will see different levels of growth but growing is they key factor here not a major decline.

What Does This Mean for You?

For the average home buyer this means that settling down and making that big purchase is still a good idea. Even with the possibility of the market slowing in certain urban areas this change will have little effect on the average home buyer as interest rates should stay low. If you are looking for great mortgage rates and customer service contact the expert team at State Custodians Mortgage today. As a leading non-bank lender, State Custodians Mortgage is committed to providing access to high quality home loans at market leading interest rates. They can help put you one step closer to taking advantage of the housing market while it is still on this generous uphill curve.

Know the Law: How to Start Up a New Business in Australia

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law for samll business australia

Starting any new business in Australia is a decision that requires careful planning and implementation. First of all, you will need to determine the kind of business you plan to start, and then you can begin to structure accordingly. Will you be working from your own home, or working from an office? How will you organize a system for financial dealings and record-keeping? What are the tax and superannuation requirements, and will you be required to register the business? If so, what procedure will you follow? These are the types of questions you are probably asking, and the answers will depend on the nature of the business you plan to start.

Choosing a Business Structure:

Begin by selecting a business structure that complements your needs. For example, if your business is an extension of a hobby, you will need to factor in the income you are required to declare and the losses and deductions you can claim. Start by doing some research, find out what licences (if any) you may need. At this stage it’s helpful to consult with a business advisor or financial planner who can help you to design a strategy that works for you.

Registering Your Business:

The Australian Government has recently designed and updated a checklist that covers many business considerations. Additionally, a revised National Business Names Registration System serves to replace the former territory and state register. New business registrations names are managed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC); previously existing business names were transferred to the ASICs database. Should you plan to set up an independent business, protecting your intellectual property (IP) with an appropriate trademark registration may help to increase your profit.

Managing Your Finances:

Responsible financial management will greatly influence the success of your business. When you initiate your planning, based on the structure of your business, take into account how much funding will be required and how you will manage your finances. Many small business obligations can be registered simply by completing forms. Payments, invoices, and business records can be compiled into basic systems that match the requirements of your business.

Home-Based Businesses:

Home-based businesses may also be affected by a broad range of government restrictions and requirements. Legal obligations for setting-up and operating a business from your home may be subject to specific requisites that include: planning, support, registrations, licences, taxation, and insurance, based on the type of business venture. Today, more small businesses operate from home than ever before. The internet has opened up tremendous potential for ecommerce. Many retirees and families are finding that they can work more satisfactorily within the comfort of their own home.

The Australian Government’s checklist helps to determine the specific requirements that apply to the type of enterprise you plan to initiate. Before opening for business, it is your responsibility to know the law. However, with so many excellent resources available, opening a new business in Australia can be an exciting and lucrative venture!

A Look at the Gambling Industry in Australia

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crown-casino

For all the restrictions that some parts of the world put on gambling, the Land Down Under has stood apart from the pack by having the highest percentage of citizens who actively gamble at some 80%. Gambling had a quasi-legal standing in the country prior to the 1950s, but in the 1970s the first fully-legal casinos began dotting up all around the country. The government warmed to the gambling revolution when they saw tax revenues from gaming spike twenty-fold by the early 1990s; today at least ten percent of provincial revenue comes from the gambling industry. Overall, the Economist reports that the industry is a $20 billion windfall, with two out of every three dollars in revenue generated from online poker machines or “pokies.”

Size And Scale

For all the pomp and reputation that Las Vegas enjoys, in terms of sheer gambling quantity it’s got nothing on the major Australian cities. The Australian capital of Sydney boasts mega-gambling facilities that are half a dozen times the size of a football field. In fact, there’s more slot machines per capita in New South Wales than there are in Nevada. The Crown Entertainment Complex in Melbourne is the largest in the entire southern hemisphere. An ample opportunity to test their luck has made gambling Australia’s sin of choice: it brings in more revenue than alcohol sales annually.

Sports Betting

What makes your favorite rugby team’s next win better than winning a few dollars on the side? That’s the attitude that spurs major bets on big games, and since a 2008 High Court decision that allows bookmakers to operate across state boundaries, there’s been a gold rush for fans and gamers alike to try to reap the rewards of on-field success. There are a few limits on the gaming — for instance, you can bet on whether or not Cricket Australia wins a test against South Africa and by how many runs at betsafe.com , but bets on how many players will wear sunglasses have been struck down. The amount of revenue that the leagues themselves get from gaming (a cut believed to be around 5%) is rumored to have kept the NRL afloat; had the NBL introduced pokies at the arena it may have reversed its demise. Look no further than the Melbourne Cup, which pulls in half a billion dollars from gambling, accounting for nearly three percent of the annual gaming revenue in all Australia.

The Future Of Betting

Although it’s a good time to get involved in betting in Australia, the current craze may only be the beginning. The introduction of Internet gaming may spur a second revolution in gambling Down Under, since they have the upper hand in competing with gambling sites in Europe and the Caribbean. Since Australian law allows casinos to market their services outside the country, they can pull in foreign money from gamblers on the other side of the world who want to chance a roulette ball or a blackjack card without ever needing to leave their home. It’s anyone’s guess how much foreign money might come into Australia thanks to online gaming, but it may dwarf the $1300 gambled annually by each Aussie.

Celebrations for Australia day canbera

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australia day in perth

In Canberra, people from 12 countries, including Argentina, Canada, Denmark and Kenya, were welcomed with cheers, applause on AUSTRALIA DAY.

Australia day is celebrated on 26th January  allover the country in QLD , MELBOURNE , SYDNEY , PERTH and other capital cities in australia

ScreenHunter_04 Jan. 27

In India, Republic Day  is also celebrated on 26th January  every year to honour the date on which the Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950 replacing the Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document of India.

To mark the importance of the occasion, every year a grand parade is held in the capital, New Delhi, from the Raisina Hill near the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the President’s residence), along the Rajpath, past India Gate.

Can you win the lotto 7 times

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American resident "Richard Lustwig" has beaten  the odds not one but seven times by winning the lotto.

the big lottery winner story on how to pcik numbers

Australian lotteries are subject to many regulations, which generally vary by state. The minimum age to purchase lottery products is 18. Monday & Wednesday Lotto is a lotto game played in all states and territories except Queensland. In Australia the odds for winning a division 1 , 6 winning numbers + the Powerball  for 1 game is 76,767,600:1 and this can vary with the jackpot amount

Richard has been playing the lotto or lottery for 25 years now, one of the tips he gives  is not to buy "quick picks" which in Australia is "slik picks" and suggests that punters should  start picking their numbers  as his theory is  that the odds are stacked in your favour  as you are constantly playing the same number. He says slick picks always generate random new numbers  and so  your odds  of winning will always be high  with slick picks or quick picks.

In America they have two types of lotto which are popular  which are called “scratch offs” and “quick picks” which is similar to the “slikpicks” and “scratchies” in Australia

Another tip he gives is to  not to randomly pick different  types of scratchies when you head to the shops , but pick multiple scratchies all in the same bundle and game to have a better chance of winning.

Richard Lustwig’s biggest lotto win was  his fifth win with a nice $842,000 winning. He won his first lotto in  1992 with a $10,000 payout.

Richard has not disclosed how much he has lost on trying to win lotto, however he does  recommend that people should try lotto only with money that they can afford to lose and always have priority for food and bills before the lotto. In the USA many states have different laws in relation to revealing lotto winners and not all states have the option to keep secret “the winners of the  big lotto wins”.
He has released the book "Learn how to increase your chances of winning lottery”   which is available on amazon.

He now owns a Jaguar and a Harley Davidson motorcycle with his winnings  and also bought a BMW for his son. Richard Lustig believes there’s more to winning the lottery than luck and says his seven wins prove that there is a method to the madness.

In  Australia as well there has been winners who have won multiple times  and also systems and software available to  pick winning numbers .click here to check it out

How to Choose a Video Surveillance System for small business ?

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When there is a need to keep an eye on what matters most, from anywhere and at any time, you will need the best Video Surveillance System which would allow you to be virtually present for protecting your valuable property. There are many such systems in the market but to choose among them which suits your purpose the best, you will need to do a bit of research work. There are many criteria’s that need to be judged when choosing a video surveillance security system which will allow you to view from your iPhone, iPad and other smart phones. Here are some of the features that need to be explored while choosing a good surveillance system.

small business Surveillance System

The Number of Security Cameras Needed

Question arises on whether you need more than one camera. Number of cameras depends upon the area under surveillance and the key areas which require more attention. In case of residential houses having large exteriors or multiple rooms, there will be necessity of more than one camera. Generally three to four cameras can do the job efficiently provided they are positioned at vantage positions such as entrances, crawl spaces, windows and roof.

Choosing the Capabilities of Camera Lenses

Video Surveillance System software

Proper viewing of the area under surveillance depends on the capabilities of camera lenses and depends upon the angle of viewing. In case an extended area needs to be covered, wide angle lens should be used like in workshops or factory floors and offices having an open area. For fixed and small area such as windows and retail counters, a standard lens is sufficient. Adjustable lens can also be used, choosing optimum field viewing.

Quality of Images

Quality of image and recording of details depend upon the resolution of the camera lens and the number of TV lines. Systems having over 400 TVL will need high resolution cameras. The greater the speed of frame rate, smoother is the recording and output of moving objects. While 15 fps is sufficient for objects moving at moderate speed, fast moving objects generally need a rate of 24 fps.

Locations of the Cameras

Cameras should be placed at vantage positions depending upon the field of view. In places like factories, construction site security, gated communities, utilities/sub-stations, automobile workshops and parking spaces, where large areas need to be covered, wide angle lens should be in operation. In small and fixed points, fixed camera can do the job. Camera lenses designed with zoom feature allows adjusting the field of view through remote control and respond to any emergency calls such as alarms. Feasibility of installation of cameras should also be taken into account which include easy and quick installation and dismantling and special features for protection from dust and strong wind.

Choosing the Right Security Cameras

There are many types of cameras but to choose the right one, camera features and the purpose of surveillance should be considered first. Differences between camera types should be analyzed while taking the final decision on whether to choose the Box, Bullet, Dome, Infra Red Camera or the Hidden or PTZ camera. Each has its own features which have to be studied before installation. NVR cameras can also be installed for wide area of networks where video footage is important.

Capabilities of Surveillance Software

Performance of a camera depends upon the video surveillance software installed because the better the software, the faster is the response and better recovery of data. Software allowing easy configuration and installation of camera is the best choice. Other functions enabled by the video surveillance software needs to be checked which include recording of a sudden event at areas where there is more activity, notification via SMS, an E Mail and quick search of video footages from the archives stored in the drive.
Other capabilities of the installed software which needs to be checked include remote access where online recordings can be viewed through control panel which is web based.

Other external criteria’s

Even while considering the above factors, there are some other factors that need to be considered while installing the video surveillance systems. They are intensity of light in the area under coverage and the time of recording which are decisive factors to ensure compatibility of the monitoring system and their high performance.

Having the right Video Surveillance System will help in preventing theft, identifying visitors, prevent potential accidents and safeguard of people and property.

iVIS offers wide range of surveillance services in Australia with highly qualified staff monitoring your business 24/7. Get total peace of mind, while we take care of your security.
Article by iVIS Australia Pty Ltd – Upgrade To A Safer, Smarter & Secure World!