The Debt Sentence

JUST what does the statement “Crime does not pay” mean?

“Crime doesn’t pay” is focused on the risk involved in “crime.” If you involve yourself in criminal activity, there is an inherent risk in getting caught. The higher the payout of the crime, the higher the risk of getting caught. Consequently, the higher the sentence.

Therefore if you get caught “crime doesn’t pay.” Simply put, lawbreakers do not benefit from their actions, and they always suffer the consequences later. In fact, most of the criminals get caught at the time they are nearing their golden years. The ironical thing is that due to the degree of the crime they committed, they are given life imprisonment (reclusion perpetua) or even worse, the maximum penalty which is the death sentence. Examples of heinous crimes that are punishable by death are illegal drugs trafficking, and murder,

What if the crime of a person is non payment of his debt? Is there a punishment? Sad to say there is none as of now. There is no one who has been imprisoned for not paying his debt. There are stories of people getting killed over unpaid debt. There is truth to the adage, “Debt is death to those who mismanage it.” Once I overheard one statement that goes like this, “Debt sounds like death. It might be the cause of your death.” Actually, the Bible has this to say:

Psalm 37:21 “T he wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives.”

If there is a death sentence for heinous crime against a fellow human being, there is also an equivalent penalty for no payment of debt to the creditor. It is the debt sentence.  The most accurate description of a penalty of being a debtor is found in Proverbs 22:7 “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.”

This makes sense. Years ago, a friend in need approached me and borrowed money. When it was time to pay, he was always nowhere to be found. He mysteriously disappeared. Then I realized I had power over him. He was afraid to see me face to face. Even if he is not physically my slave, mentally, he has become a slave not to me but to money. His fear of facing me has become his punishment. Worse, he just destroyed in just a short period of time the credibility he has built over the years.  The consequence of his action exceeds the value of the money he owed.

One of the most common personal finance crimes is to use the credit card and pay the minimum amount due. Credit card is a good financial tool. Used properly, it can be your slave. Abused properly, it can be your biggest problem. It is highly possible that majority does not know how credit cards can work against them. Innocence of the law excuses no one. The same holds true for personal finance.

Let us say the debt is P10,000. The minimum amount payable is P500 and interest pegged at 3.5 percent per month on the balance. Without considering other fees, it will take 33 months and P16,400 to pay off the original debt. Including the other hidden fees will result to a lifetime payment (like life imprisonment) and a never-ending accumulation of debt due to it’s compounding effect.

Most of the time, when people borrow money, they have a bad habit of using their home as collateral. According to Proverbs 22:26-27 “Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you”.

This verse makes perfect sense. I had a friend who loans out money in exchange for real estate property as collateral. Often times, the borrower would default on his payment. Then later, the borrower will be ejected  after the court judged in favor of the lender. The borrower has no choice but give up his property and look for house for rent. Instead of saving more money, he will be renting his shelter for the rest of his life, which is also equivalent to life imprisonment.

The penalty for committing a crime depends on its degree. The higher the degree, the bigger the punishment. However, all of the penalties translate to one thing: loss of freedom. With debt, one also loses his financial freedom. He will always be running after money to pay his debtors. He will, apparently be the perpetual slave of money and also of his debtors. If innocence of the law excuses no one, then the only solution to avoid the debt sentence is not to be financially innocent . If crime does not pay, then it pays to invest in financial education!

Edmund Lao is a Registered Financial Planner of RFP Philippines. To learn more about personal financial planning, attend the RFP program Batch 29 on October 13 to December 8. For more details, please e-mailinfo@rfp.ph or visit www.rfp.ph.

source: http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/banking-a-finance/31896-the-debt-sentence

7 Money Mindset Myths That Are Keeping You Poor

by VINCENT KING
source: http://moneyning.com/money-beliefs/7-money-mindset-myths-that-are-keeping-you-poor/

Budgeting and managing your money is never a happy experience – IF you’re in the red. Yet, if you’re like most people, there are 7 common money mindset myths that are keeping you that way.

Change your mind and change your numbers. This sounds simple, but it works.

Money Mindset Myth #1 – A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned

Not losing that penny by saving it is helpful, but it takes so much more than not giving that penny to the cashier to create meaningful wealth. In addition to saving, you must also multiply that those cents that you are saving to truly feel the effects. Even if the adage is accurate, it is also incomplete, and certainly not something you can base your future fortune around. Saving pennies is good, but you also need to earn more.

Money Mindset Myth #2 – I Don’t Need Money Help

Paying for people to coach you in precision pilates is a want, but if you have zero experience straightening your finances, then shooting from the hip while going solo will likely only set you right back where you started from.

Investing in a money coach will lead you down a safer road lined with superior choices, better decisions, and ultimately a finish line you’ll likely never reach alone.

Invest in a coach and train for financial success.

Money Mindset Myth #3 – Budgeting Saves Me Money

As noble as that might be, it isn’t accurate. Write everything you earn, subtract everything you spend, and allot a certain amount toward your saving. Then you’re gold, right?

No, not really. You can record your pluses and minuses all day, but if you’re not acting on what you wrote, your budget means nothing.

Carefully plot and plan, then follow through by making improvements to see optimum success.

Money Mindset Myth #4 – If I Earn More, I Can Spend More

You worked 60 hours last week. Dog tired, you came home and collapsed into bed. The exhaustion is fine, at least your paycheck will be fat.

When it’s time to reap the rewards, you happily head out, paycheck in hand to shop.

“Look at all this overtime! I deserve a ‘little’ something for working so hard!”

That’s why you’ll stay right where you are in your finances.

That “little” something extra is called overtime pay, and THAT is your reward. Stick all your “extra” earnings in a special fund or savings account, then leave it there so you can watch it grow, rather than disappear.

Money Mindset Myth #5 – If I Don’t Risk It, I Can’t Lose It

Playing a smart financial game means taking intelligent risks. You will never make a mint if you don’t make smart investments. Fail to take SMART risks with your money, and you will keep the blooms from blossoming on the branches of your money tree.

Stock valuations are volatile, but individual investors can still profit on the expansion of the economy by buying into a broadly diversified index fund that tracks the total market as long as they have a long term vision.

Know a good investment when you see it, and be smart enough to make it.

Money Mindset Myth #6 – I Make Enough

You bring home your check every two weeks. Your house payment is always made on time. And your bills are current. Yet, you have nothing left for savings, and little if any for life’s extras. You might make enough, but you’ll never reach financial independence if you can’t get ahead. You don’t want to be 50 without any retirement assets.

Assets determine your worth, and if you want to grow your financial portfolio, you must find a way to start saving while you invest to increase your assets at the same time.

Money Mindset Myth #7 – My Today Is Taken Care Of

Too many people live in the moment. In today’s economy, it’s difficult to look past now to see the promise of tomorrow. Yet, right now is when it’s essential to plan ahead. What will your reserves be like as you head into retirement? Not putting away what you can now is a near guarantee that you’ll not have enough when you need it in the future.

Start saving into a retirement fund today so you can start planning for future success.

What money mindsets are holding you back?

The Socratic Method - Most Powerful Sales Technique of All Time

By Stephen Bucaro

Socrates was a great ancient Greek philosopher who invented the most powerful sales technique of all time. His "Socratic Method" involved asking questions which would eventually compel an individual to agree with him. In this article, you'll learn how to use the powerful Socratic Method to almost force people to buy your product or service.

When you come into contact with a potential customer, you have one point of view or position (e.g. they should buy your product or service now), and they have a different position (e.g. they should NOT buy your product or service). With the Socratic Method you bring the potential customer over to your position by simply asking them questions.

Each question that you ask is designed such that the only logical answer brings the potential customer a step closer to your position. Start out with high-level questions where the answer is obvious. For example, you're a new car salesman and a potential customer walks into the showroom. You ask; "looking for a new car?". The obvious answer is yes, why else would they come to a new car showroom?

You ask; "what kind of car are you looking to buy?" The customer responds; "I'm looking for something that gets good gas mileage and has a sporty look." You show him a Toyota Yaris (assume you're a Toyota salesman). The customer responds; "I wouldn't be comfortable in such a small car". You ask; "You want a car that gets 32 miles per gallon don't you?"

The customer responds; "Yes, but I want something with a sporty look." You ask; "You like the look of the Yaris sporty front end and sporty lift-back don't you?" The customer responds; "Yes, it's very sporty, but I was thinking of shopping around a little more." You ask; "Socrates Toyota has the largest inventory and the best service department, getting the style and color that you want and having a great service department is important to you, isn't it?"

The customer responds; "For sure, getting the car I want at a dealer with a great service department is very important, but I'm not sure I'm ready to buy right this minute. You ask; "You want to buy before the best cars are gone and before prices go up don't you?" The customer responds; "Yes, I need to buy now to make sure I get the style and color I want at a good price."

Bingo! Sale made!

Another example; you're contacted by a potential customer interested in buying your business opportunity. You ask; "Are you interested in earning a substantial income?". The customer responds; "I want to earn a substantial income, but how do I know I can make money with your business opportunity?" You ask; "I provide complete step-by-step instructions. You want everything laid out step-by-step so you can't fail don't you?"

The customer responds; "Yes, but can I make substantial income with your business opportunity?" You ask; "The income you earn depends upon the effort you make. You are going to make a serious effort to achieve success, aren't you?" The customer responds; "Yes, I'm serious, but I fear it won't work out and I'll lose money".

You ask; "My business opportunity is 100 percent guaranteed, you want to buy an opportunity with zero risk of losing money don't you?" The customer responds; "If I get step-by-step instructions and no risk of losing money, it sounds like what I want, but I need to think about it a while." You ask; "You want to start earning money right away, don't you?" The customer responds; "Yes, I need to start earning money right away so I need to buy now."

Bingo! Sale made!

With the Socratic Method you convince the potential customer that they should buy your product or service by simply asking them questions. In this article, you learned how to use this powerful method to almost force people to buy your product or service.

Using his powerful method, Socrates was able to win every debate he participated in. In many debates he argued that Athens was wasting too much money and too many lives by getting involved in unnecessary wars. In 415 BC the Athenians sent an army of 27000 troops to attack Sicily. That army was never heard from again.

A few years later a traveler arrived in Athens from Sicily. He described the complete and humiliating defeat of the Greek army in Sicily. Because Socrates had debated so aggressively against the war, the defeat was blamed on him. He was convicted of being a traitor. The death sentence was carried out by Socrates drinking hemlock.

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Copyright(C) Bucaro TecHelp. Permission is granted to reprint this article as long as no changes are made and the link below is included.
Visit Bucaro TecHelp http://bucarotechelp.com to learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web.

30-Second Tip That Can Triple Your Profits

By Grady Smith

Everyone from pizza chains to video stores have used the principals of positioning to explode their business. And now, you too can use this strategy -- regardless of the size of your business -- to catapult sales.

Remember the pizza chain that had franchises cropping up like weeds because they offered to have a pie at your door in 30 minutes or less? That’s the power of positioning, and the reason this pizza chain experienced such fast growth. And in a moment I’m going to detail how you can use positioning to sell more of your product.

But first I want you to understand what positioning is...

Positioning is looking at your competition and deciding how you’re different than them. It’s finding one strong benefit that your product has that’s not available anywhere else and that your prospects will view as something desirable.

Take the pizza franchise...

When people are hungry, they don’t want to wait to get their food. Sure, they might like the corner pizza shop that makes a great pie, but if they’re really hungry they might not want to wait 45 minutes to an hour.

So in walks a pizza chain that guarantees they’ll get you your pizza in 30 minutes or less or you don’t pay. Business explodes.

And take a look at the video chain that offers guaranteed available rentals. Instead of heading down to the corner video store on a busy Friday night praying the movie you want will be available, you can drive to the place where you know it’s going to be ready for you to rent.

The question is, if you’re really hungry, or want to assure you’re getting the movie you want, where will you go?

Now before you say this can’t be applied to your business, I want you to think again. It can work, and it will work if you do it right.

Everyone has competition. Even someone offering a truly unique ebook about a business opportunity has strong competition from all the other ebooks with different business opportunities. But the smart marketer will create a unique position so that their business opportunity ebook is the obvious choice.

Let me give you an example...

I own a copywriting business where I write sales letters and ads for clients. And the competition in this market is pretty strong. But, by creating my own unique position I’ve been able to do quite well.

My unique position is being able to write copy that’s effective and gets results for about 1/4th the price of my competition. And a deeper look at my position points out that people don’t need to spend more to get the same results.

So, how do you come up with your own unique position that will let you make more sales?

Think about how your product or service is different than your competition. And think in terms of a strong benefit that your prospects will find desirable, but is only available through you. You want to be able to say, "If you want ______, then this is the only place to get it." And if you can fill in the blank with a strong benefit your prospects want then I can guarantee you’ll realize more profits because of it.

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The Most Powerful Marketing Method Ever Invented

By Marc Goldman

I want to talk about one of the quickest and smartest ways I know of to make money both on and off the net. It is called Joint Venture Marketing. Some of you may already have experience with this marketing method while to others it may be completely foreign.

For those of you who are familiar with it, bear with me, I am not going to simply recite the same facts over and over again; and for those of you with no prior knowledge of this concept, I think that you are going to be very, very pleased with what you learn today.

Joint Venture Marketing just may be the most powerful marketing method ever invented. It is the strategic use of a companies underutilized assets to make profits that they did not make before. Underutilized assets are those assets that a company has and yet does not use, the most common of which is a companies customer database or their list.

You see, most companies (if they are smart) maintain a list of the people who have bought from them. This list could also be of potential customers, those individuals who have expressed some interest in the company's products and/or services in the past.

This makes them stand out from someone who has never contacted the company before. In the Direct Marketing Business, we call these people, PQL's or pre-qualified leads. They have raised their hands and said in effect: "I am interested in what you have to offer; tell me more".

Most companies do not realize the value of "the list". It is a golden rule in marketing that once a prospect becomes a customer they should be considered a customer for life. You can sell to those customers over and over again because you have already established trust. (This is assuming that you only sell quality products, if you sell quality products and provide great customer service you will go a long way in creating a lasting relationship with your customers).

This trust is a key element in Joint Venture Marketing. JV Marketing involves the recommendation or endorsement (keyword remember that) of another marketer or their product to your customer list. Assuming that I own a list and another marketer contacts me and asks if I will endorse their new product to my customer list, we arrange a deal where I send a mailing to my list endorsing this person or their product.

This endorsement contains two key elements:

1. The trust between the list owner and their previous customers⁄prospects.

2. The product/service of the other party.

The list owner is recommending the new product⁄product owner to their list. Referrals are everything. I have seen and read examples of this kind of endorsement marketing bringing in unheard of sales percentages for the product owner.

The reason for the high sales percentage is based on the fact that this is a warm list. What that means is that the list owner has already established a relationship with the people on his/her mailing list. They trust the list owner. In contrast, you have a "cold list".

This is one that has never heard of the person mailing to the list. Most likely that person rented a list of names from a list broker and is just mailing blindly to a list that neither knows nor trusts him.

Can this endorsement really make that much of a difference? How about going from 2 percent of sales to 24 percent.

Let's explain it like this:

You rent a list of 1000 names and send them a sales letter selling a product for $40 dollars and you receive back $800 dollars (20 sales). That is a 2 percent return. That is the industry average for returns on cold lists.
You get endorsed by the person who owns that same list and has a relationship with that audience, and you receive $9600 dollars (240 sales). That is a 24 percent return. Can this happen? Oh yes, it depends on the list, the owner, the sales letter and how targeted a market the list members were.
Can you see the difference between an endorsed mailing and a cold mailing. This is extremely powerful stuff. You are leveraging the power of the list owners relationship with his mailing list to bring in insane profit margins.
Even more important, the list members who bought from you are now your customers and you have every right to add them to your own very powerful list. This is a way to grow your own customer and prospect list very quickly.

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Would you like to know how to bring your own products, services (or even your ideas) to market even if you have no money, no contacts and no resources of your own? Joint Venture Secrets Revealed 2.0 will give you the blueprint you must have.

Ten Ways to Grow Your Business With Facebook

By Laurel R. Lindsay

As a business, you are always looking for ways to reach new markets. Bigger markets. Markets full of people who will sit up and take note or your message or product. Well, Facebook is just that market. With over 600 million active users and counting, it is open for business 24⁄7 so user can play, share, network, shop and research businesses like yours. So how do you harness the potential of this huge social network? Easy. Start with these ten tips.

1. Create a Fan Page for your Business

Step one for growing your business on Facebook is getting a interesting and targeted fan page up and running. It doesn't have to be gimmicky or over the top. It just has to speak to your audience and be there. Facebook isn't about big publicity stunts; it's about using the right way.

2. Be Active on your Fan Page

Once you start getting fans, they want to see your presence on your Facebook page. Generate lots of content, make announcements, comment on their pages or posts. Let them know you're there and interested in them.

3. Offer Exclusive Offers, Discounts or Loyalty Cards to Facebook Fans

If you want people to like your page, give them a little incentive. Free swag, great contests, valuable coupons or loyalty cards that are exclusive to fans of your page will keep them searching for you in their newsfeed.

4. Generate Useful, Timely and/or Controversial Content

To grow your network, generate content that your audience will want to share with all of their friends. Whether it's a hilarious video, fascinating news article, exciting press release or controversial product, content that your fans find valuable will go viral and make your business a Facebook sensation.

5. Develop Games or Apps for your Business

Does the word Farmville mean anything to you? How about Word Scramble? A lot of Facebook users are playing the thousands of games and apps available to them as a way to beat boredom. If your business has a branded game, quiz or app that focuses on your messaging and provides a little fun, it's a unique marketing vehicle that will help grow your fan base.

6. Facebook Advertising

It's surprisingly affordable and extremely targeted. Just set your budget, pick your audience and enjoy the pay-per-click advertising that will only show up for people who may have an interest in your product or service.

7. Cozy Up to your Competition

Social networks are surprisingly friendly. It's a great opportunity for your to make friends with your competition, use them as a sounding board and have open communication with them on neutral ground. Don't worry about creating an alias to check them out. Friend them, like them and message them. They're a great place to learn what works and what doesn't on Facebook in your industry.

8. Facebook SEO Tactics

Use your Info and About pages to create keyword-rich content that will help drive web traffic to your Facebook page as well as your webpage. It's the only two places you have an opportunity to do this- make it count!

9. Give Back to your Fans

Link to and promote others that fit well with your business or messaging. It shows you are an engaged and giving member of the Facebook community, builds trust and credibility and ultimately increases your fans.

10. Use Facebook Insight for Valuable Metrics

If you're using the tool, you should be measuring it's impact. Use Facebook Insight to gain information such as who is following you, where they're from, what they're habits are and other helpful information for learning to target your messaging. It's like Google Analytics for Facebook.

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Learn how to grow your business online: Internet Marketing Calgary Learn how to get a website that works Calgary Web Design

Ten Free Things You Can Do to Start Your Online Marketing Business

By Lisa Kneller

The main hindrance to beginning an online marketing strategy is distraction. The distraction comes from a lack of knowing what to do in this crazy internet world. If you knew exactly what steps to take, it wouldn't be so difficult. You can spend a fortune buying e-books and "how to make a million" replicated websites. It can be daunting to your mind and your pocketbook to begin the process of learning without having some guidance. Here are ten free things you can do to start your online marketing business. If you do these without spending a penny, you will be working smarter and be more grounded in your daily business. Resist the urge to buy for at least 30 days.

1. Think. That's right. Thinking is free and all it takes is a dedication of time to sort through your thoughts about what it is that you want to accomplish through internet marketing. Do you want to make a lot of money? Fine; but determine what exactly you will do with it and why you chose this method to earn it. What are your gifts and talents? What can you bring to the table that will help others? What is meaningful to you? Are you willing to put a lot of work and money up front to see your results? Most people who start a traditional business need capital and a lot of planning to get started. Ask yourself if you think this is different.

2. Research - Plug this topic into the search engines and see if you find about a million different options for learning this craft. Spend time reading and absorbing the information without spending a dime. Narrow your searches to the specific topics you need to learn about how to make online marketing a success. For example, you might research how to be a good copywriter or how to write email marketing campaigns or how to understand analytics. There are many sub-topics associated with internet marketing.

3. Planning - Planning is crucial in determining how you are going to go about building your online business. Would you go on vacation without a plan? Would you build a building without a plan? This is time well spent and doesn't cost you anything. Decide if you will have a website, a blog, or both. Decide if you will incorporate social media and which social media sites you will participate in. Decide if you are willing to write articles. Decide if you are able to provide valuable information for people. Know who your target market is and how you will reach them. Create a strategy for gaining credibility and a following.

4. Study - Studying is free. There are many really good marketers out there who offer free video training series on internet marketing. It's worth signing up for them if you are "attracted" to the type of person who is making the free offer. The trainers have to resonate with you. Be choosy. Spend 20-30 minutes per day studying what they have to say. Take notes. Start identifying how you want to come across to your target market.

5. Blog - There are free blogs out there which are really great for practicing your craft. I started two blogs before my current one and practiced on them for about a year. You can build your writing and technical skills a little at a time with a blog. It's an amazing tool. I recommend using the Word Press.com blog site as your free blog. That way, when you are ready to spend some money, you can easily transfer the technical knowledge you learned there to the paid site, Word Press.org. Know your skill level. If you are not into website design, focus your efforts on what interests you, such as writing. Eventually, you can pay to have someone design a great, professional looking site.

6. Facebook - Set up a Facebook page and begin to learn how to utilize it. As popular as the site is, there are still many people who resist joining because they just don't get it. But you cannot be successful in online marketing if you don't know how to work the social media sites, so get a Facebook page, upload your picture and start sharing.

7. Join Twitter - Twitter is a social networking tool that is also referred to as a micro blog. Short bursts of information are sent out to be helpful. When I signed up for Twitter, I had no idea how to use it. I just signed up, created my profile, uploaded my picture and watched people start to follow me. Eventually, I bought a book (okay this costs money), but there is a lot of free information online about how to use Twitter, so again, you don't have to spend any money for this. There is Twitter Etiquette and techniques that you should learn about, so keep researching on the best way to utilize this free tool.

8. Start networking - I love this one. There are people all over the world who are joining social networks like Ning. Ning allows creators to set up communities of like-minded people. They are free to join and you get to load your profile, picture and make friends, pick brains and learn from some of the best. Many are new to online marketing, so you won't feel alone if you are practicing your skills there. Everyone is practicing every day. As a yoga
teacher, I like to emphasize that yoga is a practice. We never stop practicing.

9. Article Writing - This is a skill that can be developed by simply writing what you know about. If you know a lot about photography, horses, parenting, health care, motorcycles, then you can begin writing about those things. It doesn't have to be about online marketing. But you will want to start researching and writing about what you are learning in this field, because so many other people want to know how to work it.

10. Join Squidoo or Hub Pages - Squidoo is a place where you can write about what you know and actually make money! You can add your affiliate programs, pictures and all kinds of information. Joining is free and starting your first "lens" is pretty simple. Hub Pages is similar and really easy to navigate.
There you have it. Ten free things. It may seem elementary, but it makes sense. My hope is that you avoid spending money on all kinds of reports and things without knowing specifically what you are looking for. Be smart. Learn first, and then spend when you can afford to spend.

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Lisa Kneller is a writer, professional online marketer, yoga teacher and trainer. You can find her website at Lisa Kneller