Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card Review

The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card is a rewards based credit card aimed to travelers to help them save money on hotel accommodations worldwide and is provided by one of the largest companies in the hospitality industry. Starwoods Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has more than 900 properties worldwide -- including resorts, hotels and residences and the it employs almost 150,000 people. The card is offered in partnership with American Express, one of the leading credit card companies in the world, and the card is available in different countries, including the US and Canada.

What does the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card offer the customer?

As with any rewards credit card, this card is aimed primarily at those who regularly travel -- not only does it have the entire property list of Starwood hotels and resorts, but there is also rewards to be earned and redeemed with over 300 airlines across the world. Like every reward card, you get points for every dollar spent -- for every dollar you spend using the card, you received 1 Starwood point. These points can be collected a redeemed, such as an example when you reach a dollar value of $40,000 worth of purchases on your card in a year, you received a free weekend night stay at  Starwood hotel. These hotels are often luxury accommodations.

Not only does the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card offer points to be redeemed for discounted or free hotel accommodations and airfare, but it also offers other benefits such as the chance to get tickets to various show, concerts and events by advanced notice and being able to obtain prepurchased tickets. Since the card caters to travelers, it also offers all the travel insurance one could imagine with trip cancellation, medical and car rental insurance.

The card also has a business credit card option and this gives all of the exact same benefits to the customer, including benefits catering to small and independent businesses such as disability insurance and protects against the misuse of the card by company employees.

Who should get the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card?

The simple answer to this question is for anybody whop regularly travels, especially for business purposes. Not only does it greatly benefit the person who is traveling on behalf of their company -- staying at various hotels nationwide or worldwide and regularly traveling by air, but it also benefits the person traveling for their own business purposes and using the credit card to make business purchases. All purchases will collect points and be able to be redeemed towards further travel.

The card is also useful for the person who regularly travels for personal reasons, such as pleasure and visiting and who will be putting large dollar amounts for purchases on their card. If the person is making substantial purchases throughout the year, and travel is a large part of their life, this is a good card to use.

The Starwood Preferred Guest Card is aimed at all travelers, business and personal, and is meant to reward them for all purchases made on the card.

P/S: If you love to go shopping without having to take a lot of cash with you, you can consider apply for Sam's Club credit card which can be a great choice for you.

THE Economy vs. YOUR Economy

Between, email, phone conversations and appointments, my assistant and I decided that I’m talking with and advising upwards of 400 people a month in some way about their personal finances.  I have a lot of opportunities to hear about how things are going with the general public, and very often common themes emerge.

Many are asking the question about how to buy their first home.  Many are in a home and would like to move to another.  Some are interested in taking on an investment property.  Others are concerned about their investment portfolio and want to know what, if anything, they should do in light of the last year’s happenings.  One of my clients is having their fourth child in a two-bedroom home.  More and more, it’s about a job change or the desire to make a job change, or even start a business.  And most often the conversation is an overlap of two or more of these kinds of events or goals.

It’s difficult for any of us to take a non-emotional appraisal of our own situation and see it for what it is, but it’s never been as good a time to do that than it is right now.

My goal in today’s short post is to encourage my clients and readers to make one paradigm shift before approaching any of these life changing ideas and goals.

One simple change in thinking:

Look at THE economy at large through the lens of YOUR personal economy and not the other way around.  Many are coming in ASSUMING that because “things are bad out there” that their situation is bad too.  They are looking through a foggy lens steamed up with media frenzy and “get out of debt” radio ads and are having a hard time seeing their personal economy for what it is.  They look at their situation and only see a lower-value home and a lower-value 401k.  Two values that in the grand, long-range scheme of things are meaningless to most of us.

Well at least 85% of us.  Why 85%?  Well, for the 15% of Michiganders who are not employed (and want to be) their personal economy has real challenges.  But for the rest of us (and even most of you unemployed folks out there) a market like this one spells OPPORTUNITY.

Look for opportunity.  Use your personal economy to take advantage of opportunities in the greater economy.  This is an easier task now than it ever has been before.

Economic Benefits of Construction Industry

Construction work, in any form, in any country, is a sign of a thriving economy. Construction may involve building of factories, etc. However, this work will be on a limited scale. Large-scale construction, covering the entire country, will only be when building new homes. People are eager to own homes, and the mortgage scheme has helped them in the process. It means money is not stored in any one place, but is being put to productive use, giving a boost to the economy of the country.

Creation of Jobs

Any construction involves a huge amount of work, especially civil work. Constructing homes of different types, for various classes of people, involves the employment of a huge work force of different types of workers. A good percentage of them consist of skilled workers like masons, carpenters, electrician, HVAC mechanics, etc. The potential for employing all these people continuously has become possible with a booming business of house construction. Home mortgage loans have encouraged this process to gain momentum and are sustaining it.

It is not only in the case of skilled workers that the employment opportunities are good. Even white-collar workers are in great demand. Majority of home construction is done through mortgage loans. Mortgage process means going through a proper legal process. Qualified and experienced staff in the office is required for carrying out this work. Intermediaries, who help in mortgage negotiations, are also able to make a good living by using their negotiating skills.

Revenue Collection

Any improvement in the economy of the country is naturally reflected in the revenue collection of the government. House construction involves many people, who earn money, and pay taxes to both State and Federal governments. Greater the tax collection better will be the social benefits for the people of the country. Increased tax collection also involves the creation of more jobs in the Government Revenue department. Thus, job creation and revenue collection becomes a chain process.

Some studies in the matter of tax collection have brought out staggering results. On an average, every new home that is built brings revenue of nearly $90,000 for the Federal and State governments, who share it on a nearly 3:1 ratio. One can imagine the collection, if the estimated house construction of nearly 2 million homes is carried out in a year. The present estimate shows that with the type of work going on, millions of people will be working, earning money and contributing to the economy of the country.

No Faxing Required Payday Lender Loans

Payday loans are short term loans that are available for people who are out of cash and need it instantaneously. They can be obtained everyday and their range is from £70 to £750. The interest charged on these loans is high and they are secured loans. Payday loans do not require credit check that means that even the bad credit holders can apply for these loans.

The time limit within which you have to pay this loan back is between 14 to 30 days, so if you are in need of the cash soon, you should also apply for these loans. Like other loans, payday loans do not require faxing particularly. They are available online and you can obtain them just by filling a simple form on the website of a payday lender.

This procedure is simple, easier and faster. On the internet you will also find websites that tell different rates and quotes of payday loans, this opportunity provides you to make comparisons between various payday loan rates and choose a deal, that is the most beneficial for you. However, there is a proper way to search for payday lenders on the World Wide Web.

You cannot trust every website you see that offers payday loans. There are many fraudulent people available over the internet that, are very difficult to identify. They can make you fool very easily and run away with all your money. These sort of scam artists, offer attractive payday rates to gather your attention.

Do not be tricked by them however, always check for signs that show that the lender is linked with any old financial network partners and search for websites which show trust seals, contact information, etc and then select the website that is best for you. Before applying with the online payday lender, ask a few questions prior to going forward with the process.

Lenders Shouldn’t Misuse Direct Debit Facilities

Advance loans are the short term loans which can be used in the times of emergencies. A lot of circumstances in which an individual is faced by such a situation in which he or she is totally out of cash. Instead of taking the tension of borrowing it from someone that person can apply for payday loans that will provide them money on the daily basis and then they will have to pay it back with the interest charged by the lenders.

The requirements of these loans are not very restricted however the interest charged on these loans is high. Therefore, if you do not have a stable income you cannot apply for these loans. Recently, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has stated that payday lenders are misusing the direct debit facilities provided to them by the government when they do not get their lent money on time.

Direct debit facilities are given to the payday lenders to have more authority on the consumer who has taken their money. This means that if the consumer is unable to repay the payday loan the lender can cut the amount of money multiple numbers of times that is due on the consumer, himself, without any warning or making amendments in the time of repayments.

OFT warns us that these lenders do it on purpose without completely checking the ability of the consumer to payoff their money. OFT has made amendments in their laws so that it is clear to the payday creditors how they are allowed to use direct debit facilities.

Whoever will not follow the laws will be charged with a fine up to £50,000 per breach or their credit license will be canceled. OFT suggests that there are better solutions available through which consumers can get rid of their debts and they should apply for them and be distanced from payday loans.

The Benefits of Credit Counseling

There are many benefits of credit counseling. Credit counseling or debt counseling may be one of the best options for an individual or family caught in the ever-widening morass of high-interest rate credit cards and other unsecured debt. A professional credit counselor will be able to educate and coach you on how to get your debt under control, set up affordable payment arrangements, stop incurring new debt and repair your credit rating. A credit counseling agency will also help you negotiate a lower interest rate on you current credit cards, and in some cases, a lower overall balance to be repaid to the lender.

The educational component of credit counseling is critical if an individual wants to establish and maintain a higher credit rating. Good, professional credit counseling services are managed by financial experts, who can steer a client in the most advantageous direction in order to pay off his or her debt quickly and within the confines of an affordable budget. A good credit counselor will help you to track your earnings and expenses and set up a budget that works for you and your family. Credit counselors will teach you how to to develop a set of financial skills that will keep you on solid, financial ground in the future.

One of the most critical benefits of participating in credit counseling is the ability of a credit counselor to help you get your high-interest rate credit card debts under control. The credit counselor will help you to consolidate your credit card payments into one, monthly sum. Do keep in mind that you must make your monthly payment on time in order to ensure that your payment is credited to your credit card account on time and in full.

Another critical component of the credit counseling process is the ability to repair your credit score. The numerical score that you have earned on your credit report will determine if a bank or other lending institution will agree to lending you money in the future. The lending institution involved could be a mortgage company, other credit card companies or even a prospective employer. Your credit score is one of the most important financial assets you have in today's world.

Before choosing a credit counselor with whom to work, be sure to do you homework. This cannot be emphasized enough. There are many fine, credit counseling agencies from which to choose and there are also, let's just say, the less than reputable companies in the business as well. Choose a reputable company that can demonstrate years of successful experience and is willing to offer you references of past clients. You may also want to check with your family and friends to see if they have any recommendations of great credit counselors that they have personally used. Participating in the credit counseling process will offer you the opportunity of getting debt free in a relatively short period of time, re-establishing your good credit and raising your credit score.