Simply Junior

2011 is a 4 Universal Year. ( 2+0+1+1=4) We have to look to the energy of the number 4 in order to understand the trend of global events in 2011.

The 4 Year is strongly associated with hard work and little freedom to pursue frivolous activities. It is a time to be practical, down to earth, follow the rules and be organized and efficient. Success can only be achieved through endurance and discipline. It is a Year that is instrumental for building a foundation for the future because the number 4 demands that we stabilize all areas of our life by working on the foundation upon which we live. On that note, the number 4 is strongly associated with Mother Earth.

Financially, it can be a challenging year because you have to be careful with your money in a 4 Year, being frugal and spending it wisely. There is also a warning about stress and health with the number 4.

The mood of the world is about to take a somber note and I suspect our sense of humor will be on hiatus in 2011. It is time for the world to work on our problems in a no-nonsense way.

The following are potential trends for 2011 based upon its being a 4 Universal Year and also observations on events in October.

1. Governments around the world will have to reign in their spending and you will find cuts to programs that would be considered to be expendable. It is time for our governments to be frugal. Whether it is on a federal, state or local level, budgets must be balanced and some of these budget cuts will be severe.
2. Products that are more efficient or that save money, for example fuel-efficient cars, will be invented or marketed. This would be an area to invest your money. Look for start-up companies of this nature. Also if you have extra money to invest, given the excellent buyers market in real estate, if you can invest in a rental property or something of that nature, this would be the best place to put your money rather than the stock market. It is not a year to take a risk.
3. More laws will be proposed and passed that on some level create limitations in our lives, perhaps even limiting our freedom. It will all about “law and order” in 2011. Our travel could be restricted in some way.
4. There will be a clash in ideologies where there is no middle ground. People will have strong opinions. This may cause more demonstrations or protests. People will become stressed and angry. Some incidents could potentially become violent.
5. Governments will either choose to or be forced (perhaps because of a natural disaster) to work on the infrastructures of their countries. Due to the fact the sun is in a solar maximum period, we face real danger with an interruption to our electricity for extended periods. There are plans in place to cut power in the event of a serious solar flare. This is based upon scientific facts and I encourage you to do your own research on the effects of this particular solar maximum period on you and your families. Be prepared.
6. People will feel the increasing costs of gas, food and necessities and have to make adjustments with their own budgets. There also could be protests over high prices. We can also expect shortages of products. You may want to stock up on basics and you might even consider it an investment as prices will continue to rise so you will be saving money in the long run by purchasing at a lower price.
7. Fashions and trends will be less colorful but more practical and there will be less emphasis on exorbitant spending and even Hollywood will tone down the usual “over the top” spending, glitz and glamour.
8. Companies who have been unethical by lying or misrepresenting their products will be exposed and held accountable. This would also include public individuals.
9. The increased trend in Earthquakes will continue in 2011. Because there was a 6.9 Earthquake in the Gulf of California in October, I have concern about that area. I also expect more tsunamis.
10. Industries that depend on a good economy such as the vacation and travel industry, restaurants, and high-end commerce will continue to suffer even more in 2011. People will not be as willing to part with their hard-earned dollar even if they have extra money.
11. The stock market may “flat line” in the sense that people will not be as willing to take a risk.
12. Unfortunately, job losses and unemployment will add to the financial limitations of many people in 2011. Many job losses will come from budget cuts made by the government for government funded organizations.
13. 2011 may be a difficult year for epidemics or pandemics. There is already evidence of this with cholera in Haiti, whooping cough, hand and foot disease and now news of the bird flu in China. Learn how to keep your immunity system healthy. Start taking Vitamin D and C and do some research on other options.
14. North Korea will continue to be a concern for their aggressive behavior and there will be more news which will cause alarm.
15. Weather will continue to break the records. Flooding, wind storms, tornados and “freak storms” will be in the news for 2011. Expect a few Nor’easters this year but generally a milder winter for the East and a difficult winter for the Midwest. I do not expect an active hurricane season in the Atlantic again in 2011.
16. Expect more and more unexplained phenomenon with the earth’s atmosphere in 2011 including meteorites, undiscovered anomalies, and strange behavior of the sun and yes, even UFOs.
17. Without question, the focus on a more spiritual approach to living will continue to grow and you can expect to see continued growth of this trend in TV, radio and all forms of media.

Alison Baughman

http://www.VisibleByNumbers.com

If you have an elderly relative or if you’re getting older and still want to live independently, you’ve probably heard about medical alert systems, and you might be wondering about the difference between no-fee and monitored systems.

A no-fee system is an affordable way to get the help you need if something happens to you when you’re alone.

Why you might want to get one:

This system makes a phone call for you if you’re injured or have an emergency in your house and you can’t get to the phone. You wear a button on your wrist, clothing, or around your neck. That’s how you activate the device.

This kind of system can help people who might have falls, strokes, heart attacks, and more.

They work for two reasons.

First, you don’t need to be near a phone to be able to call for help.

Second, once you press the panic button, you don’t have to do anything more. This is good if you’re injured.

How does a no monthly-fee medical alert system work?

When you press the panic button, the system starts dialing the numbers (up to four) you programmed in when you set it up. When someone answers, the system announces that there’s an emergency.

They system then hangs up. Your friend or relative can then call you back after 30-60 seconds to find out what happened. You can use the speakerphone in the base unit to talk to them .

If no one answers the first call, the system calls the next person, and so on.

Many people set the final number called to be their local Emergency Medical Service, or 911.

Problems with no-fee medical alert devices:

The big problem with no fee medical alert systems is the risk that all of your contacts will be away from the phone.

If this is a worry, you can simply set the system up to dial 911 first, and only use it in emergencies where you want an ambulance to come.

Advantages of a medical alert system that has no monthly fee:

Cost is the biggest advantage. Monitored systems charge you $15 to $40 or more per month to have trained operators waiting to help you if there’s an emergency. This is good peace of mind, but it’s expensive.

401k plans are usually the retirement plan that most employers offer. They have many advantages, however they also have disadvantages as well. These should be weighed carefully so that a person knows exactly what they are getting into.

First off, 401k plans do allow for people to withdraw money from them before retirement. However, on the downside this is expensive. Not only do you have to pay back the amount that you borrowed, but you must pay interest as well. If for some odd reason you cannot pay the money back then you risk losing your 401k plan and all the money that you have already invested.

Secondly, though many employers match what you put into the plan, it is not a requirement for employers to do. If you find yourself find yourself in this situation, your 401k will not grow as much as those whose employers do match deposits.

Since a 401k plan grows based upon the investment you choose, it can be risky if you choose the wrong investment. In addition since most 401ks are placed in the stock market. There is no real way to know how much you will receive once you retire. In fact, with the economic times as they are, many are finding that their 401k plan is not giving them as much as they need to survive.

Another disadvantage to 401k plans is that there is a limit to how much you can invest. Once this amount has been reached, you can longer put money in and your employer may stop matching your investments at a certain point. Those who just starting a 401k will find that the plan does not actually become their property for many years, instead it belongs to the company.

Though 401k plans are the retirement plan of choice for most people. It is vital to understand the disadvantages with the plan so that you can plan accordingly and know exactly what to expect.

If you own multiple websites, chances are that you are making a living on the Internet and these websites then equate to your virtual offices. It therefore becomes highly desirable that these websites remain functional, up and running 24/7/365. Running and managing multiple websites can however become a daunting task but by employing the right strategies you would be able to make the most of it.

It is advisable to host your major websites with 3 to 4 different web hosting companies. If you wish to open a reseller account, ensure that you open that with another hosting company. The only downside with this strategy would be that hosting with different hosts would increase the time and make site management a little difficult.

Cost: First thing to consider here is the cost. If you are planning to host 10 to 50 websites, it is best to open a reseller account and then host any new or small websites on these reseller accounts for as less as $15 per month as opposed to $25 per month for multiple websites. You host one or 2 major websites with one hosting company. Shared hosting account costs under $10 a month, and dedicated server will cost $50 or more a month.

Downtime Risk: If your websites generate consistent revenue (like a travel website or other shopping websites), then you cannot afford your website to experience any downtime. Even though most hosting providers offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee, in the unlikely event of a technical failure, you would end up losing online revenue. So if your website is hosted with a single host, the case would be even worse.

Backup: It becomes imperative to backup all data. If you are not satisfied with your current hosting provider and want to switch hosting companies, then a backup makes the entire process very convenient. If you have a backup or secondary copy running on another server, all you need for the switch is the transfer of the domain, which will take no more than a minute.

The user must take into consideration various aspects that come into play when selecting a web-hosting provider. There is a wide array of hosting packages to choose from ranging from Reseller Hosting, Shared Hosting, Unix / Linux Hosting, Virtual Private Servers, Windows Hosting or Co-location Hosting, ASP Web Hosting, Budget Hosting, Dedicated Servers, eCommerce Hosting, FrontPage Web Hosting, Hosting With Templates, Managed Web Hosting, PHP Web Hosting and more. When dealing with multiple websites it is advisable to compare and carefully analyze the cost, hosting features, tracking records of hosting companies and the services offered by the host. It is important to read reviews, do your research well and ascertain your website needs and budget before you make a commitment. These preliminary decisions would decide the success or failure of your online ventures. Managing websites therefore need not be a daunting task as long as you are well equipped with all relevant information and facts.

When we think about budgeting, we often think of how a well thought-out budget can help us in the short term. We might have a holiday coming up, and by being careful with our money beforehand we can make sure we have enough cash to take with us to enjoy ourselves while we are away.

Similarly, if we are on a low income we will budget our money every week to ensure we can pay our bills and not spend too much on unnecessary items when we go shopping. In short, if we learn to budget properly, we find our money is much easier to manage.

But budgeting can also help us enormously when we have long term goals to meet as well. There might be things we would very much like to achieve in ten, even twenty years time, and if we are careful to put in place good spending and saving habits now, we could well have a nice nest egg to show for it in the future.

The best way to plan for your future is to make sure you try and save a set amount of money each month. There are lots of options for how to save it, and the one you choose will depend on how comfortable you are with risk. Over the long term, the stock market has always been a good performer, but it’s a good idea to take independent advice before making any firm decisions.

If your current budget is too tight to make saving a real possibility, your first task would be to pay off your existing commitments. If you have outstanding debts, you could consider getting a debt consolidation loan to combine them. These can lead to a better rate of interest, and you could save money every month by having one.

It’s always best to pay off any debts before beginning, as the rate of interest you will pay on these will be higher than anything you could get on your savings – no matter where you put them. If you budget well, you could find you can pay off the remainder of any loans early.

When you start to build your nest egg, consider what you will want to use it for and when. If you have an end date in mind – perhaps you want to go on a world cruise for a big birthday celebration at some point in the future – and you also have an idea of how much money you will need to cover it, you can then decide what kind of savings vehicle would be best for you.

Whatever you want to save for, remember that the sooner you start, the more you will have to enjoy in the end.