Money-shop

When will Britney Spears die?

2008-01-05T17:27:00.000+01:00

Are you interested in Britney and her downfall? Have a look at:
www.whenwillbritneyspears-die.blogspot.com
for uncensored pictures of Britney.

Wanna know how much celebrities earn?

2007-12-16T11:06:00.000+01:00

Donald Trump - CEO Trump Organization - Born: 1946 US - Married
• Year: € 3.8720.000
• Month: € 3.226.667
• Week: € 774.400
• Day: € 154.880

Will Smith - Actor, comedian, singer - Born: 1968 US - Married
• Year: € 22.749.700
• Month: € 1895.808
• Week: € 454.994
• Day: € 90.999

Bill Clinton - Public speaker - Born: 1946 US - Married
• Year: € 5.138.070
• Month: € 428.172
• Week: € 102.761
• Day: € 20.552

Paris Hilton - Society-girl, singer, actrice, model - Born: 1981 US- Single (at the moment)
• Year: € 6160.000
• Month: € 513.333
• Week: € 123.200
• Day: € 24.640

David Letterman - Talk show host, comedian, tv producer - Born: 1947 US
• Year: € 29.365.800
• Month: € 2.447.150
• Week: € 587.316
• Day: € 117.463

Dr. Phil McGraw - Talk show host - Born: 1950 US - Maried
• Year: € 22.022.600
• Month: € 1.835.217
• Week: € 440.452
• Day: € 88.090

Oprah Winfrey - Talk show host, actrice, publisher, CEO Harpo Productions - Born: 1954 US
• Year: € 190.886.000
• Month: € 15.907.167
• Week: € 3.817.720
• Day: € 763.544

Is your pension up to date? 9 ways to raise your pension

2007-12-15T11:43:00.000+01:00

Tip 1: Raise your income
Why wouldn't you choose to earn money with a hobby that wil earn you money? And preferably one you can keep doing for a long time. There are plenty of opportunities: writing children's books, make art, become a tourguide. If you continue to do this for a long time, you can keep on earning money after your pensionable age. Another way to save money is to find a better paid job. That won't influence your pension directly because, but a higher income will allow you to put more money on the side, so you can stop working earlier.

Tip 2: Try to think like an employer
A good starting point for every employee is to learn thinking like an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs know that their pensions are very meagre and try to put money aside. Employees often are very disapointed when they first receive their pension. Experts expect that the legal amount of pension money will go down rather than go up in the coming years. So to think as if you were self-employed has become even more inmportant.

Tip 3: Spend less money
When you have to do everything yourself, there is just one possibility: earn more or spend less. That last one is the easiest way. It's enough to spend 100 or 200 dollars/euros a month less. A survey has shown that everybody could do this. We tend to spend a lot of money buying useless and unnecessary things. The money you save by not buying as much, you can put in a savings account or invest for later.

There are many misunderstandings about investing money. It's not true at all that you have to deposit large amounts to get benefits. Surveys have shown that the so called 'rich' actually invest small amounts on a regular basis.

Tip 4: Have you savings work for you
It's a golden rule that you should invest in stocks and bonds as long as you expand your horizon and keep an open mind. And the reason for that is simple: stocks and bonds give more profits than for example a savings account. You can count on a profit of aproximately 8 % a year, measured over a period of 20 to 30 years.

Tip 5: Have your government share in the costs
This tip is country related, but in some countries the government shares in the costs of deposits in retirement pension shortfall funds or insurance companies. this could bring in up to 30 or 40 percent of your initial deposit money.

Tip 6: Don't start too early
Surveys have shown that 35 is the ideal age to start saving for your pension. An important hypothesis is that the pensionable age probably is not going to change. But if we keep in mind that in about two or three decades, we will have to work five years longer, the optimal age to start saving will rise to 40. And that's very convenient since people in their twenties and thirties often don't have a lot of savings for later. People in this age group often even have a savings deficit, because they have mortgages and personal loans. From about the age of 40, people start to get more financial breathingspace.

Tip 7: Buy property
According to experts, buying your own home is the best starting point for every pension. If you continue to rent or lease a house, you pay a lot of rental money and that's a disadvantage since rental prices follw inflation. A monthly payment of a mortgage consists mostly of a fixed amount of money. A dollar/euro you pay now, weighs a lot less than a dollar/euro twenty years from now.

Tip 8: Don't overestimate your spendings when you are retired
Many people overestimate their spendings when they will be retired. Real costs really are much lower than we think. The most important reason is that our spendings have changed. Maybe you will go out and travel less or buy less luxury items. So that's why your money could last much longer than you think.

Tip 9: Long-term planning is guesswork
The advice that financial advisors tend to give to young people isn't always correct. A tight long-term plan (thirty years or more) is not very appropriate. It's much better to make a plan for the coming ten years and renew that plan when your situation changes. Because in ten years a lot can change in your financial situation and life.

Financial crisis in the US. Can you still get a loan?

2007-12-14T22:11:00.000+01:00

A loan is a type of debt. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower.

The borrower initially receives an amount of money from the lender, which they pay back, usually but not always in regular installments, to the lender. This service is generally provided at a cost, referred to as interest on the debt. A borrower may be subject to certain restrictions known as loan covenants under the terms of the loan.

Acting as a provider of loans is one of the principal tasks for financial institutions. For other institutions, issuing of debt contracts such as bonds is a typical source of funding. Bank loans and credit are one way to increase the money supply.

Legally, a loan is a contractual promise of a debtor to repay a sum of money in exchange for the promise of a creditor to give another sum of money.

Continous credit
With continuous credit, you can borrow money at any time up to a pre-determined maximum amount known as the credit limit.

Each time you repay the loan after reaching this maximum level you can borrow funds again up to the credit limit. This means that a continuous credit can be a convenient option if you do not need the whole sum at once or do not know exactly how much credit you need.

In most cases, each month you pay a fixed percentage of the credit limit to cover the loan repayments and interest charges. For example, if you have 2,500 dollars continuous credit and the agreements states that you have to pay two percent of the credit limit each month, this means that each month you will pay 50 dollars to cover repayment and interest.

Interest rate
With continuous credit, the interest rate is not fixed, so it can rise and fall. In general, if the interest rate rises, your total monthly payment will not rise, but the interest payment component will be greater than the loan repayment component. Conversely, the loan will be repaid more quickly if the interest rate is lower.

A personal loan
A personal loan is a loan made for personal, family, or household purposes as opposed to a business loan or a long-term mortgage loan used to finance real estate purchases. A fixed interest rate personal loan that requires collateral or security of a savings account, stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, etc.

Unsecured personal loan
An unsecured personal loan is a loan that is offered to borrowers that does not require a form of security, such as a house or car being used to secure the loans. Instead the borrower’s personal credit history which is measured through a credit check is used to decide if the loan will be offered. Please note although some lenders refer to these loans solely as personal loans and some unsecured loans, they are one and the same thing.

Bank account
A bank or current account is an account which enables you to pay for day-to-day goods and services using either a card or a cheque book (a UK term for a Cheque Account.
Some accounts let you overdraw by a small amount without charging. But if you go overdrawn without agreement you'll normally be charged interest on the amount - and a fee on top. In addition, the bank may refuse to pay your cheques or direct debits and will probably charge you for 'bouncing' (refusing) them. The fees can be very high, and you may have to pay an administration fee on top.

You may have to pay an arrangement fee for an overdraft agreement, but this is probably cheaper than regularly going overdrawn without an agreement. If you're worried about going overdrawn, a basic bank account, which won't allow this, may be right for you.

Other ways to get credit
Nowadays you can get a loan almost anywhere. Cardealers, department stores and even music instrument dealers frequently offer loans to pay for their goods. Usually you lease the goods. After an intitial downpayment, you pay the rest in terms. Keep in mind that most people don't realise that they're not the owner of the purchased item until the last payment has been made. When you no longer are able to meet payments, your purchase will be sold and if the sale is not sufficient to you will have to pay for the rest as well. Another diadvantage is that interest rates are fairly high.

Credit cards
Credit cards allow you to 'buy goods now and pay later' - called 'buying on credit'. They aren't linked to your bank account. Like debit cards, they can be used to buy goods in shops over the telephone and internet, with the same details being required. You can also get a 'cash advance' by drawing money at bank cash machines.

Your bank may offer you a credit card, or you can apply for one to any institution offering one. The credit card provider will normally run checks to see if you've had problems repaying debts before offering you one (called a 'credit check').
The risks of using a credit card
Think carefully before using a credit card. If you don't repay your bill in full by the date shown you're charged interest on the whole amount of the bill for that month. The rates of interest - indicated by the APR (annual percentage rate) - can be very high indeed.

If you take cash out with a credit card you're charged daily interest from the moment you take out the cash until the credit card bill is paid in full. This is an expensive way of borrowing money.

Some credit cards also charge you an annual fee simply for having the card.

If you can't afford to repay your credit card bill you could quickly fall into debt. Find out more about what to look out for with credit cards in our related article below.

Mail order and catalog companies
Mail order and catalog companies frequently offer a system of hire-purchase or lease purchase. Even these companies now offer credits but beware! You will pay maximum interest rates.
In the United States, an advantage of this type of shopping is that the merchant is typically not required by law to add sales tax to the price of the goods, unless they have a physical presence in the customers' state. Instead, most states require the resident purchaser to pay applicable taxes. There has been periodic discussion about amending the law to make these sales taxable.

Mortgage
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage (a legal instrument). However, the word mortgage alone, in everyday usage, is most often used to mean mortgage loan.

According to Anglo-American property law, a mortgage occurs when an owner (usually of a fee simple interest in realty) pledges his interest as security or collateral for a loan. Therefore, a mortgage is an encumbrance on property just as an easement would be, but because most mortgages occur as a condition for new loan money, the word mortgage has become the generic term for a loan secured by such real property.

As with other types of loans, mortgages have an interest rate and are scheduled to amortize over a set period of time; typically 30 years. All types of real property can, and usually are, secured with a mortgage and bear an interest rate that is supposed to reflect the lender's risk.

Mortgage lending is the primary mechanism used in many countries to finance private ownership of residential property. For commercial mortgages see the separate article. Although the terminology and precise forms will differ from country to country, the basic components tend to be similar:

Property: the physical residence being financed. The exact form of ownership will vary from country to country, and may restrict the types of lending that are possible.
Mortgage: the security created on the property by the lender, which will usually include certain restrictions on the use or disposal of the property (such as paying any outstanding debt before selling the property).
Borrower: the person borrowing who either has or is creating an ownership interest in the property.
Lender: any lender, but usually a bank or other financial institution.
Principal: the original size of the loan, which may or may not include certain other costs; as any principal is repaid, the principal will go down in size.
Interest: a financial charge for use of the lender's money.
Foreclosure or repossession: the possibility that the lender has to foreclose, repossess or seize the property under certain circumstances is essential to a mortgage loan; without this aspect, the loan is arguably no different from any other type of loan.

Christmas blues? Get moving...

2007-12-14T19:23:00.000+01:00

Did you know that physical exercise makes you feel better?

Physical exercise is good for all of us. Just look at what is does to your body. By exercising, your heart- and bloodvessels increase their function, pulmonary capacity and oxygen levels increase, bloodpressure and heartrate go down, and the LDL cholestreol(the so called 'bad' cholesterol) decreases, which will help your arteries to stay clean. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the single largest killer of American women (and men). In 2001, almost 250,000 American women died from CAD.
It also helps to fight diabetes type 2 because regular exercise increases the sensibility to insulin of the body.

Get back in control
But physical exercise has another positive side effect; it makes you feel happy.
People who suffer from depressions should start an exercise program because the improved supply of highly oxygenated blood to the brain improves your mental capacity which will make you feel better. Studies have demonstrated that regular exercise can prompt feelings of eupforia and happiness. And don't you want to get rid of your anti-depressants? Regular exercise can help you to get back in contol of your feelings.

Reduced weight
Another nice side effect is that exercise will help you to reduce weight, which consequently will make you feel even better about yourself. During physical exercise, several hormones, like for example endorfins, are released into the bloodstream. These hormones are responsible for painsuppression but also for feelings of euphoria and well-being. People who suffer from a depression have a shortage of Serotonin in their brain. Exercising will help to replenish these shortages. In short; Get moving NOW!

Is Amsterdam really a paradise for drugs?

2007-12-14T11:13:00.000+01:00

As soon as you mention that you're from Amsterdam, people think that everybody in Holland is constantly stoned and that we have a big drugproblem. Actally that's not true. The tolerating policy does work and helps to control ciminal activities.

Although you can buy a lot of psychedelic stuff legally in Holland, as long as it's for personal use, but the Netherlands do have strict rules for drugs.

Legislation
In 1976 Dutch legislation made a distinction between harddrugs(drugs with an unacceptable risk to public health, such as heroin, cocain, LSD, XTC etc.) and softdrugs ( hashish, marihuana: drugs that have less risks to your health)
The use of drugs is not illegal, possession, dealing and selling drugs are.

Medicinal weed
Since September 2003 Dutch doctors are allowed to prescribe cannabis on medical grounds and pharmacies are allowed to supply them. The proces of production, supply and quality control is being regulated by a special Bureau for Medicinal Cannabis in the Netherlands.

Dutch legislation states that it's illegal to have hashish or cannabis in your possession. It's also illegal to grow cannabis plants but the Netherlands have a policy to tolerate drugs when you're of age(18+).
In reality this means that you're always punishable but won't be prosecuted within this policy.

You are however obliged to follow certain rules:

• you are not allowed to have more than 30 grams of hasjish or weed on you
• you are not allowed to buy more than 5 grams of hasj or weed a day in a coffeeshop
• you are not allowed to grow more than 5 plants at home
• dealing, possession and growing more than the allowed quantity is not allowed

Coffeeshop policy
The objective of Coffeeshop policy in Holland is to hold coffeeshop owners to certain legal stipulations which are the so called AHOJ criteria:

Ofcourse, coffeeshops are breaking these rules too, but they're not prosecuted as long as they follow the rules:

Coffeeshop holders are not allowed to advertise nor sell harddrugs, minors(under 18) are not allowed, it's forbidden to sell large quantities(more than 5 grams)per transaction. The maximum quantity for commercial purposes is 500 grams, but local governments can determine a lesser amount. Visitors should not be a nuisance to the neighbourhood and it's not allowed to sell alcohol in a coffeeshop.

Still, most people don't do drugs and have normal working lives. Scientific studies now show that alcohol is a much more dangerous drug than softdrugs.

European Central Bank is threathening to raise interest rates

2007-12-14T11:04:00.000+01:00

The European Central Bank(ECB)threathens to raise interest rates to control inflation. Chairman Jean Claude Trichet warning language had an immediate positive effect on the Euro which took off.

Are you a shop-A-holic ?

2007-12-14T10:16:00.000+01:00

Lately, psychologists are taking shopaholics more seriously. But unfortunately little scientific research has been done on this subject yet.

You can find Shopaholics in all layers of society, they're certainly not only rich women who have nothing better to do than shop until they drop.
Shopaholics can be men or women, highly educated or not, but they have one thing in coommon: they all suffer from it. People often make jokes about their spending patterns which add to their feelings of shame and suffering. Fact is that they just can't stop to shop!

Temptation everywhere
Since we're in the holiday season, many a shopaholic will have even more problems to resist all the temptations around them. We're constantly being bombarded with offers to buy presents, comercials, flyers, great advertisements and 'once in a lifetime offers'. Social pressure is enormous since almost everybody celebrates christmas with presents, you are pretty much obliged to go shopping, even if you don't want to.

It's such a wonderful time
Christmasfairs, Winterfairs, extra shop-openings, there is no end to temptation for a shopaholic. And with christmas songs in the background, you just dream away with the christmas spirit and your addiction to shop.

Sometimes an addiction has been going on for years en leads to financial and psychological problems. Like all addicts, shopaholics try to hide their behaviour and feel very ashamed. They often have money-troubles and, when they have purchased something, try to hide it from their partners or friends. Sometimes shopping's all that's on their mind. Just like people who want to lose weight are always confronted with food because you have to eat, it's also impossible to live a life without shopping. Shops are everywhere and even if you wouldn't go out, there is constant temptation from 'tell sell' programmes on television,radiocomercials, catalogue houses and so on.

Impulse contol
The brain's function that should contol our impulses, isn't functioning as it should. People also go shopping when they're not feeling good about themselves. Buying gives them a temporary 'rush' and for just a little while they'll feel better. Unfortunately this rush never lasts for long so you'll need to go and get another shop-shot to fulfill your needs, and this is exactly what puts you into a negative spiral with sometimes far stretching consquences. People lose their partners, houses, jobs and get into even more trouble because of it.

Control
An effective way to chart your shopping behaviour is to keep a diary. In it you can list all your purchases and give them colours like red, orange or green, depending on the situations. Was it an impulsive purchase? The colour in your diary would be red. Was it a normal purchase? Then it would be green. Just like a traffic light. Red is danger, green is safe. After a while you will understand your shopping pattern and maybe this will help you to keep it under control.