I got my first credit card when I was just 17 and had no idea what the value of a dollar was. I had no job at the time, and even worse, I didn’t even have a real understanding of how credit cards worked. By the time I was 20, my credit was so bad that I couldn’t get a car and I had been turned down by nearly every apartment complex in the area. I was taking all the steps needed to improve my credit, but it was slow going.

Things got even worse when I lost my job. I was going to be homeless unless I found a way to pay my bills, and that’s when a friend suggested I take out a loan. I didn’t know much about personal loans, but I knew it can make your credit even worse, so I was very hesitate.

I did some research online and found the website OneLoanSource.com. The reason I was so drawn to OneLoanSource.com is because it doesn’t check your credit score like other companies. Instead, the website takes some personal information and then matches you up with several loan companies that are the most likely to provide you with the money you need.

OneLoanSource.com is incredibly easy to use too. All you do is enter some basic information, such as the amount of money needed and your credit score, and the website does the rest. The whole process takes less than five minutes. After that, the website gives you several companies to contact, but I only needed to call one before I got my loan. Overall, I’m very happy with the website and would recommend it to anyone.

Submitted by J. Jones

For the last several months I’ve been thinking about getting back in the stock market.  However, I soon remember why I decided to exit the stock market and to never re-enter.  See “5 Reasons Why I Lost Over $300,000 in the Stock Market” to find out why.  However, lately I’ve been having the bug because the stock market has made people money over the last several months.

Looking back, at around October / November 2011, is when I should have entered the market again when everyone was fleeing and financial world looked like it was coming to an end.  There were so many bargains out there and I could have made a nice profit. Of course hindsight is always 20/20.  No one knew what would happen.  We could have entered a really bad long-term depression!

This time when I enter the market it will be short term.  No more buying stocks and holding them long term.  If I buy a stock and it goes up quickly, sell and grab my profits and don’t look back.  This time I won’t be greedy.  On the flip side, if a stock drops over a certain percentage, I’ll quickly sell it and cut my loss. No more holding a dog and hoping things will improve one day.  Let’s face it, the stock market is a gamble.  But it can be a calculated gamble if you use common sense and are lucky enough to get a little luck.

So I started looking around and stumbled on a stock that was hot, that I believe I could trade short term and make a little money.

The National Inflation Association  has been touting this one stock, Synacor (SYNC) on their site and news letter.  “Synacor, Inc. provides authentication and aggregation solutions for delivery of online content and services in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.”  You can read more about Synacor here.

I’m not one to be swayed by hype, but I started watching the stock and soon realized that the stock was having some really big daily movements with nice volume.  In some days it would be up or down 10-15%.  So I decided to ride the wave to see if I could make a little money.  I soon realized that if the stock had a nice jump over a few days, then it was a good time to sell and buy back when the profit takers came in.  See stock chart below.

The first time I purchased I make the mistake of buying after a nice run-up.  I watched it climb from about $9 to over $13 and jumped in at the top.  I purchased 200 shares at $12.795 and the next day the profit takers came in and it dropped.  I sold it $11.60 and hoped it dropped some more so I could jump back it.  Six days later I purchased 250 shares at $9.97 and watched it climb to over $14, placed a stop loss at $13.5 and sold it at $13.41.  The stock is now at $11.95.  I’m hoping it falls a little more and I’ll jump back in.  I strongly believe there is more upside potential to this stock and plan to ride the wave.

So far I’ve profited $592.86, with my 2 trades.  We shall see what happens over the next few weeks as I research other companies to trade short term.  I’ll be keeping my eye on SYNC to determine when to jump in and out to make a little money!

If you need help applying for Social Security Disability Benefits (or have ever been denied) due to physical or mental disability then you should consider contacting the Disability Benefits Alliance (DBA).

DBA operates nationwide with non-attorney representatives trained who is dedicated to helping individuals obtain Social Security Benefits. They help with the frustrating task of completing numerous forms, obtaining your medical records and working with the Social Security Administration.

DBA representatives understand all the paper work needed to give you the best chances of your benefits being approved.

DBA staff includes former a Social Security Disability Determination Examiner along with other trained and experienced professionals who have the expertise to ensure your case is presented in the proper way.

If you are seeking financial aid for college, below is a helpful guide to help you understand the complicated financial assistance maze.

Brought to You by SNHU.EDU Online College Programs

If you have bad/poor credit and want a credit card; there are a few credit cards and prepaid debit cards to consider.  Keep in mind if you get a credit card you must not abuse it and dig yourself in a deeper hole.  If you get a credit card, the goal is to also help improve your credit by ensuring that you pay your credit card bills on time.

If you cannot control using a credit card, then get a prepaid debit card.  However, a prepaid debit card will not help you rebuild your credit history because these cards just provide you a line of credit.

Many people are not aware that the cost of poor credit will cost them dearly in the long run.  Carrying debt on a credit card can cost hundreds or thousands over the years.  Additionally, getting a personal loan, car loan or mortgage will cost more because the lender will charge you a higher interest rate, if you are lucky enough to even get the loan. (Find out more about the consequences of bad debt.)

Many prime credit cards are not available for individuals with poor credit.  The few cards available are called “sub-prime” cards which typically require expensive setup fees or recurring monthly fees.  They often require cash deposits and have very low credit lines.

It’s imperative to improving your credit because it will save you money over the years.  So get started as soon as possible and don’t delay.

Below are several bad/poor credit cards to consider:

Orchard Bank Classic MasterCards
	An excellent credit card for help rebuilding credit scores; reports to 3 major credit bureaus monthly Acceptance at millions of locations worldwide, including website purchases and reservations Email and text messages are available to remind you of your upcoming payment due date Knowledgeable customer service representatives to assist you with questions or concerns Regular APR: 14.99%-24.99% Annual Fee: $0 – $59 the first year, $35 – $59 per year thereafter Balance Transfers: Yes Credit Needed: Bad Credit

Orchard Bank Classic MasterCards
	An excellent credit card for help rebuilding credit scores; reports to 3 major credit bureaus monthly Acceptance at millions of locations worldwide, including website purchases and reservations Your account information is updated and at your fingertips 24/7 so you can manage it your way Email and text messages are available to remind you of your upcoming payment due date Knowledgeable customer service representatives to assist you with questions or concerns Regular APR: 14.99%-24.99% Annual Fee: $0 – $59 the first year, $35 – $59 per year thereafter Balance Transfers: Yes Credit Needed: Bad Credit

Orchard Bank Visa Cards
	Reports to 3 major credit bureaus monthly providing you the opportunity to rebuild your credit Acceptance at millions of locations worldwide, including website purchases and reservations Your account information is updated and at your fingertips 24/7 so you can manage it your way Email and text messages to remind you of your upcoming payment due date with online enrollment Knowledgeable customer service representatives to assist you with questions or concerns Regular APR: 14.99%-24.99% Annual Fee: $0 – $59 the first year, $35 – $59 per year thereafter Balance Transfers: Yes Credit Needed: Bad Credit

Green Dot® Gold PrePaid Visa®
	$0 Activation Online – with no credit check Access over 18,000 MoneyPass® ATM’s Get a $4.95 credit on your first MoneyPak cash load (see site for restrictions) No Monthly fee for any month with at least 30 purchases No Transaction fees on US purchases No Overdraft fees No Minimum balance required Regular APR: N/A Annual Fee: up to $5.95 monthly Balance Transfers: N/A Credit Needed:No Credit Check

Orchard Bank Classic MasterCards
	An excellent credit card for help rebuilding credit scores; reports to 3 major credit bureaus monthly Acceptance at millions of locations worldwide, including website purchases and reservations Your account information is updated and at your fingertips 24/7 so you can manage it your way Email and text messages are available to remind you of your upcoming payment due date Knowledgeable customer service representatives to assist you with questions or concerns Regular APR: 14.99%-24.99% Annual Fee: $0 – $59 the first year, $35 – $59 per year thereafter Balance Transfers: Yes Credit Needed: Bad Credit

>>See more bad credit and prepaid  debit cards <<

So you want or have an iPhone but don’t want to pay the average $90 / month to use it; we’ll you are in luck.  You can cut your service bill in half and pay only $45 with Straight Talk.  You don’t even have to hack or unlock your phone to do this.

How does it Work?

You first need to purchase a Straight Talk SIM card for $14.99 (includes free shipping) and insert into any ATT compatible, T-Mobile compatible or unlocked smartphone.  Straight Talk has micro SIM cards that are compatible with the Apple iPhone 4 and 4S.

You then sign up for the $45 monthly unlimited plan which includes unlimited minutes, text and data with no contract or credit check to activate the SIM card.  With Straight Talk you will still be using T-Mobile or ATT 3G network.  You also can keep your same phone number.

Who is Straight Talk?

Straight Talk, with over 19.3 million subscribers, is a prepaid MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) and is a joint venture between Tracfone and Wal-Mart.

So to re-recap:

• Use your own compatible or unlocked GSM phone, including smartphones
• Select SIM or SIM bundle to get unlimited data, talk and text for $45/month
• No contracts, no bills, no credit checks
• Keep your same phone number
• Works with SMS, IM, social networks, email, web

For more information visit StraightTalkSim.com.

If you are in the market to find your true love, using the Internet to find that perfect match is a great way to go.  Many singles are successfully using the Internet to find their mate.  Using the Internet is a great way to quickly weed out the undesirables. You don’t have to waste time going to local bars or nightclubs to meet people or wait for someone to approach you. 

With online dating websites you can quickly learn the basics about an individual; what they look like, what type of person they are seeking, do they have children, do they want children, their religious beliefs, where they live, etc.  You can specify exactly the type of person you are interested in the meeting and the computer will match you up.  Chemistry.com and eHarmony have computer programs to help find your perfect match based on information that you provide about yourself.  

The top online dating websites have free trials, discounts, coupons to help you save money.  Below are the current offers:

Match.com (Read Match.com review)

• Free 7 Day Trial
• 20% Off Membership

Chemistry.com (Read Chemistry.com review)

• Get 14 days free
• Buy 3 months for the price of 1 month

Perfectmatch (Read Perfectmatch Review)

• Free 3 Day Trial
• Buy 2 months and get 2 months free
• Buy 1 month and get 1 month free
• 55% ($100) off 3 months
• 50% ($30) off 1 month

eHarmony (Read eHarmony Review)

• 20% off 6 months (Use coupon code: EHCODE)
• 17% off 12 months (Use coupon code: EHCOUPON)

Matchmaker.com (Read Matchmaker.com review)

• Free 3 days trial

Date.com

• Free 3 days trial

Amor.com

• Free 3 days trial