Counterfeit Chinese Coins Circulating in USA

Although the recession continues, the most popular hobby within the USA - coin collecting - especially US coins - has a revenue of a staggering $5 billion, per year.

On the downside, not all that glitters is not what it seems. Buyer beware - counterfeits abound!

A warning to American coin buyers was issued recently by respected numismatic advisory groups, advising Chinese-made counterfeit US 'rare' coins are being widely circulated throughout N America to unsuspecting consumers.

Millions of dollars are passing hands for fake U.S. old coins, mostly through online auctions like eBay, and even local via flea markets and swap meets.

Published Consumer Advisory Report-(Extract) released late 2009

"more than a million counterfeit coins manufactured in China have been fraudulently sold in the United States posing a significant financial risk for unsuspecting consumers. Consumers who buy an item based only on its perceived rarity and who have no knowledge as to how to determine whether the coin is genuine subject themselves to great risk of losing their money.

The American Numismatic Association (ANA), Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA), Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), Professional Coin Grading Service ( PCGS) and the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) urge consumers to educate themselves before making purchases: know what you are buying and purchase only from reputable, experienced rare coin dealers (professional numismatists).

"Millions of dollars already have been spent on these fakes and potentially millions more may be unwittingly lost by consumers who mistakenly think they're getting a genuine rare coin," warned Paul Montgomery, PNG President."

End of quote

In an effort to halt these activities and protect the public, these numismatic companies have been actively doing all they can to restrict the import of counterfeit coins, monitor and halt fraudulent sales via online auctions, and working with the government to set up legal actions against those who import and/or resell illegal coins.

US law requires replica coins made outside the country to have the word "copy" incised on the coin surface - none of the Chinese coins have this.

Unfortunately, on places like eBay, it is all too easy to trick potential buyers, by substituting pictures of different, legal coins.

It was reported that an individual counterfeiter in China boasted that he had already produced and sold more than one million coins in the US, though it is not known over how long a period of time...

Collectors have been advised to only buy genuine coins from reputable, professional dealers. As it is illegal to re-sell counterfeit copies, anyone doing so and getting caught risks losing their money, and possibly facing charges.

In an effort to educate the public, a one-day seminar, "Introduction to Counterfeit Detection of United States Coins," will be held on April 22, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency, in Dearborn, Mich.

The best course of action is to only buy coins that have been certified by reputable coin authentication (or grading) companies who provide a guarantee of authenticity with all their coins. Commonly used are American Numismatic Association Certification Service (ANACS), Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), and Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).

Commercial Mortgage Broker Marketing Secrets

What you know makes all the difference.

Countless surveys and articles have been written about how an independent commercial mortgage broker can market themselves. You can attend seminars, read books, listen to web broadcasts, or get the advice of your business associates. Marketing advice is everywhere, but who gets it? Who does it right? What can you do to bring clients to your doorstep? I'm not talking about leads, you can buy leads. I'm talking about real clients, the kind of clients that need your expertise, and will pay you real money to get it. I will tell you who will not come knocking at your door. Clients that don't know you exist.

Ok here is the secret to marketing. Do something. Whether right or wrong, do something. If you do nothing, it will always be the wrong thing. Don't be afraid to get your name out there. If you do something, you will be right some of the time and "some of the time" will bring you clients. It's not about a fancy ad campaign. Most of us can't afford that sort of expense and it won't work anyway. What clients need in the commercial mortgage industry is expertise and options. Options that will get their deals funded, and options that you, the expert commercial mortgage broker can offer. Educate those clients and you will reap the rewards.

Step 1- Figure out what makes you unique. Why would someone want to work with you to finance their commercial mortgage? Are you knowledgeable about the mortgage industry? Do you have multiple commercial lender contacts that make you invaluable to a potential client? If so, let them know.

Step 2- Write articles, send informational emails, write a newsletter, speak at investor events, anything to let people know who you are and why they need to do business with you. Above all educate your clients about yourself and about the commercial mortgage industry. Don't assume that they know what they are doing, assure they know what they are doing. It will make your job easier in the long run.

Step 3- Do it with a smile, self confidence, and a helpful spirit. No one wants to work with someone who is condescending or pessimistic. A lot of people have made it far with a smile and a great attitude. Know you can do it and get out there and do it. Henry Ford once said "Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right".

My time in military service taught me one great life lesson. That lesson is to control the things in your life that you can control and don't worry about the things you have no control over. There is nothing you can do to change those things. Think about that for a moment. How much time do you spend worrying about interest rates, traffic, or global warming? These are all things you have no control over, so don't worry about them. Whether your phone will ring tomorrow, next week, or next month with your next commercial deal is something you can control. Something you and only you can make happen. Take some time to decide what works best for you. What fits your style and abilities? Are you a good writer? Then write some articles and educate the commercial investors in your area on commercial finance. Are you better face to face? Join every investor or community group you can and go meet people. Having no budget is not an excuse for not marketing.

They only secret is to do something. No one knows your business better than you do. What makes you different? Why should someone do business with you? All you have to do is figure that out and let people know. Get the word out any way you can. Marketing is not magic.

Choosing a Buyer of Structured Settlement Payments

Are the biggest names or buyer of structured settlement payments the best? It certainly could be the case, depending on your circumstances. Or, are the other big or mid-size brokers better than the ones we all know and hear of?

Let's deal with facts!

Fact 1: The biggest companies have the bigger overhead

Fact 2: The bigger companies have a bigger staff (could be good, could be bad)

Fact 3. It's fact, you wouldn't want a buyer of payments who isn't smart enough to keep overhead down and money in your pocket.

Now do the accounting!

1. The advertisements and budget is coming out of the seller of structured settlement payments pocket, yours!

2. Does it add up?

Choosing a buyer of structured settlement payment company is indeed a personal decision. Use your own intuition. If it's the bigger company for you then great! If it's the other major leaders or buyer of payments companies that interest you, then great. The main thing, your biggest priority, should be getting the best offer for your structured payments or annuities.

If you are in solid need of funding, and have been considering selling off your monthly payments, do your research. The money is yours, so remember, you deserve to get the largest quote, not settling for less.

Make sure you feel comfortable that you are not being pressured or sold too quickly. Make sure that you will choose the best buyer of payments, by checking the reputation of the companies you are getting quotes from.

Once you get your quotes, talk to each of the buyers. Use your own intuition to select the best buyer. Add up all the statistics from your own personal research, the facts, and accounting so that in the end you will be sure you are making sure you are getting the most amount money instead of less.

It just makes sense to add it all up. This could be the one and only time in your life that you can get a large cash lump sum structured settlement. You could be in financial debt up to your ears, and need a way out. Like everyone we have bills to pay and need to be smart with our money.

Or, you may want your money now instead of later, for investment or a new business idea. Choosing the right buyer of structured settlements payments is a very important decision, it's also a very personal one.

Critical Areas For Credit Repair Software

As the economy gets ready for round two of the recession, there are lots of reasons why you should be involved with credit repair software. First, all of your financial transactions will be primarily based on the score that it produces. Those 3 small digits will determine if you'll be accepted for a loan and how high the rates will be. This is because that score is a mirrored image of how well you manage money. The higher your credit or FICO score is, the more loyal you are when it comes to repayment. At least, that's how banks view it. Second, even your livelihood can be conditional upon your score. If you've got a low score on your report, bosses may not see you as entirely trusty. Worse, if you want a loan to start a brand new business, you can get dropped or slapped with high rates. These are just the top two reasons why you should look into credit history repair .

There are 2 ways you can go about with the repair. You can decide to hire a company that makes a speciality of this field, or you can do it on your own. Contrary to popular belief, fixing your report isn't that difficult. It is just time consuming, as you'll need to constantly chase up with the different companies and agencies that are concerned. You'll also need to draft letters to take issue with the reports, though you can take a shortcut and look up samples on the internet. This is a process that may take weeks or maybe months. Doing it for yourself has a few benefits. You will learn how to maintain your good standing in the future, and you will see firsthand how long the process is, which should act as a discouragement in case you are nearly convinced to skip payments again. After you have repaired your credit, you'll also see the benefits of having a good score.

naturally, if you don't have the time to mend the report yourself, you can always hire somebody else to do it for you. There are lots of non-profit agencies who will help you out, or you'll find one that charges you monthly but produces discernible results. Take some time and sit down with them to elucidate how your reports are and what you want them to do. Don't take universal answers like we'll enhance your reports for you. Have them lay out the steps for you so that you can follow it up with them. It'll also enhance your financial know how and help you in avoiding typical mistakes in the future.

Credit history mend does not have to be dear. All it takes is endurance and a little know how. With the right kind of tools, you can enhance your credit report and ultimately qualify for above average rates for housing loans or charge cards.

Consolidation & Lost Super

Its not news to most people that superannuation is a complicated matter. Competently managing a super fund is not something many have the time or energy to understand how to do. If this isnt stressful enough, the choices you make in managing your super today affect your retirement.Fortunately, there are a couple simple steps you can take to make sure youre maximizing your nest egg. One is getting back your lost super.

It is more common than ever before for people to change jobs and addresses and with all the hassles that come with doing either, you may forget or not realize that your superannuation doesnt automatically move with you. Your employer contributes to your superannuation, an amount that is based on but separate from your salary or wage, placing it in a privately managed fund. Thanks to changes in the law, most employers allow their employees to invest in one of their choice, though some employers have a preferred super fund they refer on to their workers. All super funds carry ongoing investment and administrative fees that are deducted from your fund account. Even after no further money is added to your super from changing jobs, you will still incur those fees.

Unless you arent consolidating your superannuation for a specific purpose, the funds are considered lost by the Australian Taxation Office after two years of inactivity.The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) stated on their website that as of November 2008 The Treasurys data indicates there are 6.4 million accounts totaling $12.9 billion in lost super accounts. These startling figures show how common it is for Australians to lose track of this money and that lost super in Australia is an increasing issue. Its possible there are superannuation funds, perhaps from a temporary job or a position you held as a teenager, that youve forgotten about or thought are no longer relevant or lost.

Thankfully, recovering your lost super is a relatively painless process. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has set up the SuperSeeker tool to help you track down your lost or unclaimed money. All you need is your full name, your tax file number, and your date of birth.

If you believe you have unclaimed or lost superannuation money and SuperSeeker retrieves no information for you, it is possible your funds have been rolled over into an Eligible Rollover Fund (ERF). This webpage on the APRA website is a list of all ERFs in Australia and their contact details. If you believe you may have as little as a few hundred dollars in a lost super account, its probably worth chasing up.

Once youve tracked down your lost super funds, you can save yourself from those pesky multiple fees and consolidate super.One way to do this is to contact your current superannuation fund for instructions. Keep the details of all your former superannuation funds in hand. Each super has its own process to consolidate super from your old accounts, but it usually involves filling in a transfer form and producing sufficient proof of identity. Some superfunds ask you to send the form to your former funds while others do the work for you. Sometimes your former funds will also send you a form once theyve been contacted by your current one. Be sure to enquire whether transferring your funds from your old accounts will incur cancellation fees or the loss of benefits, like insurance.

Thankfully, you can also consolidate your lost super online. Another way to transfer your funds is by contacting the ATO.

By taking these two steps to chase up any lost super funds you may have, youll not only be recovering money you worked hard to earn, but increasing the financial security of you and your family for the long term.

Definitions, Dos and Don'ts of the Structured Settlement

What is a Structured Settlement? A Structured Settlement is a Settlement in which you receive "Structured" payments on a regular basis. In other words, it is a payment plan, in which, instead of getting a large lump sum, you receive smaller payments in increments. These increments go on weekly, monthly or yearly cycles. These settlements are often known as a win-win situation because the payer needs to come up with a lot less money up-front and the payee has a steady stream of income coming in at all times. This process can also be described as Annuity.

When are structured settlements used? Structured Settlements are often, but not limited to, these common situations:

1.Lottery Winnings - Often times, in the Lottery, you can opt to receive numerous smaller payments in exchange for a single larger payment. 2.Malpractice Cases - In situations where a family member is lost or left crippled due to medical malpractice, the party may be entitled to a structured settlement over the span of the victim's life or as a grievance payment. These payments don't fix things, however, they are meant to make living a little bit easier for the victims and families. 3.Insurance Cases - In many insurance cases, this form of settlement is used. This is because it is easier to make smaller payments over a longer period of time as well as the damage left behind may be better dealt with over time.

Understanding these concepts are important in the process of properly handling your income. It is important also to understand how money works over periods of time. Over long periods of time the value of the dollar is likely to decrease. This means if one was to receive, for example, $1000 a month for 20 years, that $1000 dollars could only be worth $500 at the end of the term. This is one reason some people decide to sell their structured settlement for a large lump sum.

One people decide to sell their structured settlement there are numerous reasons behind it. The first reason may be that, due to their immediate needs, they need a larger amount of money right away. A good example of this would be when buying a new car or home. Another reason people decide to sell is because they would like to invest it into something that gains equity over time and actually grows in value rather than decreases. Some people want to fight the cost of inflation and take the monthly payments and re-invest. This is the wiser choice of the two most of the time.

When selling your structured settlement or selling Annuity, it is almost always advised that you do your homework first. Don't sell to the highest bidder right off the bat. Before hand you should read up on what your options are. Seek the help of a broker, a financial advisor and a legal professional first. By doing this, you can protect yourself from scam artist to defend yourself from transactions lacking in integrity. It is always smarter to take the safest route possible. Selling Annuity can be dangerous so it is always wise to make slow and steady steps.

To learn about and , visit the website.

Competitive Pricing for Settlements

It's better for business for the buyer to be able collect on a structured settlement purchase quickly, as they will be able to then use those funds for the purchase of other annuities. With this in mind, it makes sense for competing financial institutions to offer structured settlement payment quotes based on the going rates of the market. If the majority of buyers are taking a significant portion of the settlement balance when paying out a lump sum payment to a settlement recipient, most financial buyers who are more eager to do business might offer to take a smaller percentage in order to secure the settlement recipient as a (hopefully frequent) customer.

In times of economic stress-especially in the financial sector-many structured settlement buyers are aware of the need to keep business revenue flowing. So it doesn't make much sense to remain bullish in an economy where many people would much more likely have a steady source of income (the original structured settlement offer) rather than lose a percentage of their total settlement award for an immediate payout. Buyers are always aware of the financial climate, the current market rates for settlement buys, and the nearest competition's special offers when they make a quote to a new customer looking to sell their structured settlement.

First Rule: Pick the Reputable Seller. Whenever you buy the structured settlements keep in mind, they are the long term investments & need the reputable seller. Also, it is suggested that you purchase the structured settlements from the long term & big company that is well known in industry. Structured settlements give beneficiary with the regular payout over person's lifetime for protecting victim from the economic hardships, loss as well as difficulty of sustaining them. It must be understood that the structured settlements are not at all fitting for each accident that happens. In cases of the accidents that don't involve serious injuries & victim can return to work after the treatment, and this kind of the settlement may not apply.

The structured settlements are made to compensate the severe injury needing the long term treatment requirements, and where the living costs & medical expenses have to be met over extended time period. Few of cases for which the structured settlements are likely include: Workman compensation where person is not able to work or will work in the limited capacity.

To learn much more about the different types of , visit where you'll find this and much more,including .