Sending passwords by email

It amazes me how many sites allow you to register, and then send you an e-mail to your registered address containing your password in plain-text. There is never a warning stating that the site will email the password you use, for all to see.

Sending passwords by e-mail works when you forget a password. The site changes it and e-mails you the new one, which you then use to log in and change it to something else. The e-mailed password is not active for very long, and it isn’t something you chose.

Sending you your own password, either in a welcome e-mail once you register, or as a response to a “forgot password” request is bad security. Really bad security.

Compounding this is the fact that e-mail providers such as Google Gmail state in their privacy policy that “deleted” e-mail may be kept indefinitely on their backup servers. As soon as someone e-mails you your password in plain-text, to a Gmail account, Google are likely to have that archived forever.

You can’t tell whether a site is going to do to this, so it isn’t possible to use a “less sensitive” password for sites which will e-mail your password back to you. If you have groups of passwords; one for sites you use to pay for things, one for forums, one for other less important sites, for instance, then you may enter your “usual” password without realising it may be compromised by being sent in an e-mail, visible to anyone along the way that wants to read it.

Sites should seriously consider the security implications of sending passwords by e-mail, especially if there is no prior warning that this will happen!

The hard task of coming up with a fundraising idea

When trying to get a fundraiser set up probably the hardest decision you will encounter is trying to decide which fundraising idea will work best for you. Choosing a fundraising idea is not as easy as one may think with the variety of ideas available. Many companies do business supply products as fundraising ideas for various organizations. Not only will you have to decide which product to sell, but you have to choose one of the many ways to conduct fundraising.

Some of the fund raising ideas for the product itself range from chocolates, cookies, candy, pet supplies, magnets, candles, books, posters, and the list goes on. Your next step will be deciding how you are going to get these products to the people. Maybe your fundraising idea will be to sell from door to door. This has the advantage of talking to the people face to face about your fundraising, but be prepared that everyone you talk to will not welcome you with open arms and will close the door in your face.

Another fundraising idea you have is direct mail. This is not by selling a product, but by asking directly for donations. It can be a bit costly because letters have to be made up. To have these done properly, they should be done by a marketing firm, which can cost you more than you anticipated. This fundraiser idea will have to have self addressed envelopes included for donors to respond, and there is really no way of telling how much money your fund raising will solicit from the donors out there.

Out of all the fund raising ideas that are out there the donation boxes as got to be among the easiest and the cheapest way to coordinate a fund raiser. This is where you place containers in the businesses around town. These boxes are usually clear with the group’s name printed clearly on the container. Be prepared though, the drawback for this fundraising idea is that the boxes fill up very slowly and you can’t depend on this for your whole fund raising. This fundraising idea is a supplement for other fund raising ideas.

Another way to make a fundraising idea work is to team up with other groups. In this way you have all the fundraising help you need and the results can really pay off. Combining schools and churches for instance can make a very successful fund raiser. There are many more fundraiser ideas that you can explore. It is you that will have to decide which fundraiser ideas will work best for you and your cause.

There are lots of fundraising ideas, but you have to know what you need, plan it and do it well for it to succeed.

Get credit for making smart financial decisions

You're faced with a dilemma. It's the end of the month and you have a stack of bills due. You were hoping to go on a special weekend getaway with friends, but don't have the money to pay all your bills and enjoy the trip. You realize something has got to give, so you decide to skip a payment on your credit card to have money for the weekend. It's only 30 days, you say to yourself, and you plan to really get serious about paying down your bills after this month.

That decision could cost you thousands of dollars.

"Making late payments is really the number-one way that consumers can damage their credit report and credit score," says Chaomei Chen, head of credit risk for the credit card division of Seattle-based Washington Mutual. "Conversely, making on-time payments is the easiest way to increase a consumer's credit score over time."

Keeping Score On Your Credit Score

Credit scores are derived from information found in your credit reports, which are maintained independently by each of the three major bureaus-TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. The data is run through a mathematical formula to produce your "FICO" score. Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) invented and popularized the methodology for determining consumer credit risk. Most FICO scores run between 300 and 850. The higher the score, the better, because consumers with high scores are offered the lowest interest rates for homes, automobiles and other consumer loans.

Even One Late Payment Can Hurt

Chen pointed out that only one late credit card payment could have a negligible effect on the score of consumers who already have a dramatically low FICO score, and conversely could drop the FICO scores of people who already have very high FICO scores up to 100 points. "That difference in FICO score can add many thousands of dollars in interest payments over the life of a loan. It's in the consumer's best interest to pay bills on time each and every month."

According to Fair Isaac, for a $250,000 home loan, based on recent interest rates, a consumer with a 700 FICO score would have a monthly payment of $1,614 for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. A consumer with a 550 credit score would pay an estimated $2,094 a month for the same loan. That's a difference of $480 a month, and $173,000 in additional interest over the life of a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.

That weekend getaway has become very costly.

In addition to paying bills promptly, Washington Mutual - the only credit card issuer in the U. S. that provides its credit card customers free online access to their FICO scores-recommends other simple ways to increase credit scores, including:

• Pay more than the minimum due on credit card accounts each month.

• Keep the balances on revolving credit accounts below 50% of the credit line.

• Check your credit report at least once per year to ensure that information is being correctly reported.

Don't be late in paying your bills. Even one late credit card payment can cause a credit score to fall up to 100 points.

Gift baskets a great way to celebrate easter

Easter is such a special time of year. I can recall fond memories of Easters past when my mother and father would hide brightly colored eggs in the yard and send my sisters and I out to find them. What joy we had running around the yard, looking in every nook and cranny for the eggs we had hand decorated together as a family. As I recall, whoever found the most always received a special gift, usually a dollar or two. That was a lot of money to us kids in those days. After the hunt, we would eat dinner together and then my parents would give each of us an Easter basket.

They were smart to make sure we had dinner first, knowing full well that we would never touch our food if we were given the baskets beforehand. I can still recall the happiness we shared, eating our chocolates, jelly beans, marshmallow candies and other sweet treats. I think I always enjoyed digging through the plastic green "grass" the most. It was like discovering gold to dig through the basket and find one of the last few treats which had fallen to the bottom.

Today, I get just as much enjoyment from watching my children having the same fun I had as a child. It's wonderful to view the next generation enjoying the traditions of the past that still remain so much part of our culture. Today, however, I give Easter gift baskets to my children, my siblings, and close friends every year at this time. They're wonderful for the kids and the adults all appreciate them as well since, like me, they remember the joy of getting an Easter basket. Easter gift baskets are filled with delectable treats that both children and adults can enjoy.

I order enough for my friends and family and my extended family as well since Easter gift baskets can be shipped anywhere. I find that they make a great gift for kids or for the kid in all of us. This year, I may even order one for myself. I may be older, but I still have a sweet tooth!

Zero down mortgage loans - is 100 financing a good idea and can you get approved

Are you wondering if you can get approved for a home loan with 100% financing? Are you also wondering if its a good idea to get a mortgage loan with no money down? Here are some points to keep in mind as you apply and consider your different mortgage loan options.

To qualify for 100% financing on a purchase mortgage loan, it would be important for you to have a credit score of at least 600 or higher. If you are between 600-650 on your credit rating, you may need to go through a subprime mortgage lender in order to get 100% financed.

If your credit score is higher than 650, you can probably apply with most mortgage lending companies online and be able to get an approval.

If your credit score is between 580-600, you will probably need at least 5% down to make the loan work with a subprime mortgage lender.

Getting a mortgage loan with 100% financing can sometimes mean a higher rate. Sometimes an alternative is to get an 80/20 loan, which is a first and second mortgage, with the first mortgage being at a lower rate and the second mortgage being at a higher interest rate. The benefit to doing this type of loan is that it eliminates the need for PMI insurance, which can be $100 or more a month, depending on the size of your loan.

Also, consider getting quotes for 100% financing and then quotes for 95% financing, with you putting 5% down. See, if the savings on the interest rate is worth putting the money down.

To view our list of recommended mortgage lenders online who can provide 100% financing for good and bad credit, visit this page: abcloanguide. com/mortgageloans. shtml.

How can i stay motivated when it comes to home exercise

An exercise workout program is not going to be successful for anyone unless they can stay motivated and focused on their goal. Home exercise can be even more challenging than other types of available exercise because there are not as many factors inside the home to act in an encouraging manner for a person, which might help them to exercise and stay focused. As a result, while many people prefer working out in their own home for comfort reasons, they can find staying motivated in the actuality of this task to be more difficult. Here are some tips to help individuals stay committed to their exercise regiment and their weight-loss or muscle building goals.

Music is a great motivator. Sports teams play music in their locker rooms, during half-time shows or other game breaks and/or during events when specific players go up to perform in their games. Music is just as motivating for exercise enthusiasts as it is for professional players and training athletes. Most people prefer pulse-beating music while they exercise, but the favored or preferred music of the individual will most likely be the best music to which that person can work out. Taking your mind off the 'discomfort' of working your muscles and offering some great motivation, music is a great resource for individuals who want to exercise.

In many gyms today, individuals can find televisions. Most people have this amenity in their home as well. Television is another great way to distract the exerciser when they are performing an activity that does not require their immediate and constant attention. Such activities can include working out on an exercise bike, a total home gym apparatus, elliptical machine, stepper and/or the like. It passes the time and allows the individual to take part in a more 'pleasant' activity. At the same time, individuals can utilize the television in another way as well - as a way to play and watch exercise programs. DVDs and VCR cassettes have been designed for exercisers in order to help keep people motivated with a specific exercise program. If you need instruction to stay motivated and with a set timeframe for the program, the television and playable exercise programs can be a great help.

Exercising at home does not mean exercising alone. You can always bring a buddy to your house to exercise. Additional motivation can easily be found in an exercise partner and this is very reassuring to many people who want to stay focused, but who may not want to leave the comfort of their own home.

Lastly, consider visualization. It's easy to have a textual goal or a number in your mind. "I would like to lose twenty-five pounds". You might find yourself saying that over and over again in your mind, trying to convince yourself to stay focused. But this number repetition may not be the best thing for you. Instead, find a picture of yourself when you weighed your ideal weight. If you do not have a picture, try to visualize the way that your body would look if you lost that weight. Having a mental image can help you more than a simple number-filled phrase might.

What does it take to get a payday loan

If you have ever thought that you might need some emergency cash, then you have probably also thought about getting a payday loan. The ads are everywhere - in the mail and online. Now, though, you are wondering if it might be something you can get. Here is what you need to know about getting a payday loan.

One thing you will not need to get a payday loan is a good credit rating. It does not matter what your credit score is and they will not even check it. You could just have declared bankruptcy a week ago and it will not effect your ability to get a payday loan.

You will, however, need to be employed, and you will be required to have been there for at least three months. Besides this, there will also be an interest on how much you make each month - they will look for at least $1,000, possibly $1,500 per month. Your employer may be called to verify your employment there, or you will be asked to fax recent paystubs.

The amount of money that you can borrow will be determined by how much you make, and how many loans you have had. Many pay loan lenders will let you have the first loan for free - no interest. But, then, you may only be able to borrow up to $400, too. If you pay it off on time, then your credit limit may be raised - if your income will permit it.

After you fill in the application, and if they decide that your information looks good, the lender will usually call you. This will be to confirm information, or to request some more. You should be ready to provide more information in case it is requested.

You will also need to have an active checking account, too. This will need to have been active for at least three months, in most cases. If you are approved, you will then supply them your account information so they can put the money directly into your account. Also, you will need to approve a withdrawal on the day the loan is due. Getting the money is what it is all about. Depending on how soon you need it, it is possible to have it within 1 hour.

If, for some reason, you are not ready to make the payment when it is due, then you can roll the loan over. This will, however, require that you at least pay the interest on the payday loan. The same amount of interest will be charged again, and you will have to the following payday to pay the new loan. You will want to think seriously about that, though, because the interest on a payday loan can be rather high - as much as 30%.

As with any loan, you should shop around for the best deal. Some payday loan lenders will give you more time to repay it. Some will also let you make multiple payments, too - which makes it even much more convenient.