Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Offshore Credit Card
It is only in recent times that the standard offshore investor has been allowed the convenience of a credit card. Previously, individuals with offshore bank accounts had to withdrawal money from their banks or have money wired back to them. The advent of the offshore credit card has taken care of this problem. Now offshore institutions offer Visa or MasterCard credit cards and can give their investors more flexibility and convenience. They provide all the features of a regular credit card and are accepted at many locations around the world. Features include: insurance, car rentals, cash replacements, long distance calling cards, and cash advances. Like traditional credit cards, an offshore credit card provides investors with a monthly statement and Internet access to their account. Likewise they also require minimum payment and can carry a balance forward to the next calendar month. However, there are still significant differences between an offshore credit card and a domestic card. Most legitimate offshore institutions offer secured cards, meaning they require investors to put down a security deposit along with their application. Because of this they do not require a credit check. To increase a credit line, investors would have to likewise increase their security deposit by dollar draft or money wiring. Because of this factor, an offshore credit card is not a traditional credit card. It is a line of credit secured with the investor’s own transferable money. Most companies, aware of the differences, refer to their product as an “offshore credit card with benefits of a Visa or MasterCard.” Why all the restrictions? It can’t help that offshore banks and institutions are usually associated with islands, foreign locations, and even illegal activity such as underground economy, organized crime, tax evasion and money laundering. Following September 11th 2001, much more regulation began to fall on international finance. Usually what is required when applying is a security deposit, a completed application form, a trust agreement with a personal security code, a notarized form of identification (usually a driver’s license with a current address), a passport, some form of address confirmation like a utility bill, and a reference letter from your bank, lawyer or accountant. These credit cards are not right for everyone. There is no usual type of person that is an offshore credit card holder. Traveling individuals, corporate entities, and people with special circumstances that require international financing, have all signed up for one. If international finance is a necessity in your business then an offshore credit card might be a good investment.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Bottled Drinking Water
Have you had your eight glasses of H2O for the day? Is that the current standard or what? It's so hard to keep up with these things. First the health professionals tell you one thing then they announce something new. Regardless, we all are quite aware of water's significance in our lives. The truth of the matter is, we need the stuff to survive. Now, as far as the whole 6-8 glasses a day routine goes, I guess that's up to you. One thing is for sure, you can purchase bottled drinking water virtually anywhere now days. The stuff's practically as popular as soft drinks. Just take a look around your work place or college campus. I'll bet you spot a number of water bottles. Do you purchase a lot of bottled drinking water? Does this ever bother you? I mean the fact that we pay anywhere from 1-2 bucks for a mere bottle of water. Shouldn't it be a quarter or something? I mean come on, it's just water. I get the stuff free at my house every day. Regardless of how much large companies want to charge for bottled drinking water, the fact is we buy it. And I mean we purchase oodles of this stuff. Anything from Evion, to Aquafina, to a dozen other random brand names. We pick up a bottle almost everywhere we go. Heck, I could have built a pyramid with all the bottled drinking water I spotted on my college campus. Hundreds of students were constantly walking around with this stuff. Now, all in all, this isn't a bad thing. It does beat the massive soft drink craze that went on forever. At least water is healthy. I actually read an article on how much we require on a regular basis. This "nutritionist professional" claimed that our bodies get plenty of water from a variety of sources. It's not just about the bottled drinking water. We acquire essential fluid from fruits, vegetables, juice, and even milk. Therefore it doesn't always have to go down as 100% water. In addition, your body having to urinate it a sign that you have too much water in your system. The body always takes what it needs before it discards the rest. What is your absolute favorite bottled drinking water? Is it that rare, expensive stuff from Japan or just the no-name brand at the local grocery store? In reality all bottled drinking water serves the same purpose. It hydrates our bodies and minds. So go ahead and drink it up.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Information If you are like most health conscious adults, you notice nutrition information on your favorite foods, and make good choices based on recommended nutritional guidelines. A great site to visit that has reliable nutrition information is www.nutrition.gov, made available to consumers by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Library. This site features discussion on all the latest nutrition news, in addition to answers to the most frequently asked questions about the latest dietary guidelines for all age groups. Nutrition information is included for everyone, including men, women, infants, children, adolescents, the elderly, and for women that are pregnant or breastfeeding. The revised Food Guide Pyramid is also discussed, and describes each food group, recommended number of daily servings, and how to get these foods into your diet. Getting proper nutrition through your diet does not have to be complicated. It is important to get nutrition information from reliable sources as discussed above, and to seek additional advice from a nutritionist or health care provider if needed. Multi-vitamins, herbs, and other supplements are not intended to take the place of eating a balanced diet; it is always better to get nutrients from the natural source rather than buy a manufactured version. When looking at food labels note how many servings are in the package, calories, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and nutrients, as well as the ingredients. Nutrition information is required by federal guidelines to be on every food label, so it is readily available to consumers to use in diet planning. Many of us are not aware of what is in some of our favorite foods; maybe we just don’t want to know! We all need to be health conscious about what we eat, and what we feed our families. There are many additives and food preparation processes that are not necessarily good for the food we are taking into our bodies therefore it isn’t good for us either. The Food Guide pyramid is full of basic nutrition information, and is a good place to start planning your diet and adjust according to your daily calorie requirements and your goal weight. If you want to lose weight then physical activity should be increased and food intake decreased, without jeopardizing nutrition of course. The key to living a long healthy life is to take care of your body, mind, and spirit. Eat right, exercise regularly, reduce your stress level, and make healthy choices. It really is as easy as it sounds. Just remember, you are what you eat!
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