Book Review: The Truth about the JFK Assassination Conspiracy is Finally Revealed

Author R.E. "Gus" Payne dives into the depths of truth about the JFK assassination conspiracy in his book "Falsely Accused." From the author of "The Death of Brandon Lee: The Untold Story" and "Caught in the Crossfire" comes a book that answers many pertinent questions about JFK's murder that have plagued Americans for years.

Why did the New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison and the U.S. Justice Department refuse to investigate the known Mafia leader Carlos Marcello in connection with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy? Why did Garrison, along with other U.S. Justice Department officials, deny the existence of the Mafia's part in the assassination when it was clearly a matter to be investigated? These questions and more are finally answered in Payne's eye-opening book.

Names such as Lee Harvey Oswald, Clay Shaw and David Ferrie always arouse curiosity in the minds of those who want to know what really happened on that dreaded day in history. These three men were said to have been seen together on the day of JFK's assassination, but were they really? Witnesses changed their stories. Why?

The author goes a step further and looks closely at the New Orleans FBI and those that were in charge of investigating the JFK assassination as well as the possible involvement of Carlos Marcello. He also explains in vivid detail key facts in the investigation such as the missing "BRILAB" tape recordings, the "FOGG" arrest report, and more.

EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK "FALSELY ACCUSED"

From Chapter 1:

In Marcello's case the intent of the Kennedy administration was made known even before Inauguration Day, January 20, 1961. On December 28, 1960, the New Orleans States-Item reported that Attorney General-designate Kennedy was planning specific actions against Marcello. An FBI report from that period noted:

"On January 12, 1961, a [source] advised that Carlos Marcello is extremely apprehensive and upset and has been since the New Orleans States-Item newspaper on December 28, 1960 published a news story reporting that... Robert F. Kennedy stated he would expedite the deportation proceedings pending against Marcello after Kennedy takes office in January 1961."

While the House Select Committee on Assassinations carefully examined numerous areas of information pertaining to the proficiency of the FBI in investigating organized crime during the 1950's and early 1960's, and found various areas in which Bureau performance was significantly deficient, questionable and even suspiciously so, the city of New Orleans was a special case. The FBI's outright denial of the existence of organized crime in New Orleans was unique to that city.

The facts reveal that the Bureau's conclusions on Marcello in New Orleans were attributable to a disturbing attitude on the part of the senior agent who supervised the organized crime investigations in that city, Regis Kennedy. He had been in charge of the Bureau's work on Marcello and the New Orleans Mafia for years; unfortunately, he had also directed much of the FBI investigation in that city of President Kennedy's assassination.

The Letter Writer - Book Review

I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were portrayed very well. Jack, a multimillionaire who experiences mid-life crisis and ends up finding meaning to his life - but it costs him millions of dollars and emotional pain. Adele is a heavy-drinking, free-living, multimillionaire with an independent mind and a sense of humor. Wendy, a single mother who finds the love of her life. Mixed up educators playing with their students' lives in their conquest and the retiring professor who resists this plot has a big secret. A married advisor carries on an affair with another man and when he is discovered, he thinks his world has ended.

I would say this fiction is a light comedy that is quite entertaining and has some romance elements as well. Author Robert Mercer-Nairne brings attention to common human frailties with a sense of fun. He clearly reveals the desire to 'get rich quick' in North American Society. Members of this society tend to hear what we WANT to hear and perceive the greener pasture out there somewhere -rather than in the here and now.

Readers are shown the foolishness of following others blindly and the danger of where our greed can take us. Innocents can have their life irrevocable altered by someone else's desire to climb a corporate or social ladder. The benefit of spiritual leaders to help ground the characters in this novel, helping them learn to forgive themselves and move on in life is used at several points in the story.

I recommend this book for anyone looking for a light, entertaining read.

ISBN#: 0974814105 Publisher: Gritpoul, Inc Author: Robert Mercer-Nairne

Online Auctions

Online auctions have become an increasingly accessible way of shopping via the internet. They offer a huge variety of products which are available at consumers' fingertips, and in the comfort of their own homes. Sellers can sell unwanted items that might otherwise be thrown away.

This type of consumer buying continues to evolve, and is extremely popular and successful in today's competitive marketplace.

There are two main attractions to online auctions. Firstly, the consumer is often able to secure an item at a lower price than it would be made available for in high street chains. Secondly, online auction sites offer an exciting and stimulating way of shopping. 'Bidders' enjoy the competition for products; a 'win' can be exhilarating, as well as being conveniently carried out without having to drive to an external location. In today's society, competitive online shopping is becoming ever popular.

The most successful internet auctions are those that are easily accessible, are open to as many bidders as possible, and are straightforward to follow. An online auction is often active for a number of hours, during which bidders 'bid' for the product they want. They are usually allowed to withdraw from the proceedings at any time if they desire. Bidders who are more experienced can place bids at several sites at once, and will use software that tracks their status at each online auction.

There are basically two main types of auction process: Forward and Reverse.

Forward Auctions

In forward auctions, bidders who offer the highest bid win the item. The seller will put up the items available to buy and bidders will begin competing for these, thus driving the price up. Sellers might fix a reserve price so that sales do not fall below this. These types of online auctions are well known for selling and buying collectibles but also may sell business to business.

Auction sites have their own rules, such as whether sellers need a certain business accreditation to take part and whether to set a registration fee before use. Another consideration will be how payment is made; either between the parties involved or through the site itself. Seller profiles are established and rewarded by the more they sell and the more reliable they prove themselves in terms of delivery and quality.

Reverse auctions (Dutch Auctions)

In this type of auction, bidders who offer the lowest bid wins the item (the 'item' in reverse auctions is usually a contract for business). The event itself will last for a matter of just a few hours. Reverse auctions are important for supply chains (particularly electronic) and are viewed as a money saving exercise. These reverse auctions are becoming an increasingly popular way to do business through the internet.

Auction Sites

There are numerous auction sites currently operating online.

Many of these sites are not geared towards a particular specialised area; they can be visited and used to buy and sell almost any general item imaginable. Products are stored within categories, alphabetically, or consumers have the option of using the search tool to locate an exact match. Once the product is found, information, as well as numbers in stock, will be displayed.

Some auction sites will conduct the bidding on a buyer's behalf if instructed to. They may also include a 'Buy Now' feature that allows the buyer to opt out of the auction and purchase the product immediately at the displayed price.

Dedicated sites will offer a more specialised service for direct-niche items, for example if buyers are looking for products such as artwork, guns, coins, jewellery or vintage clothing etc, these can be easily located through the internet's search engines. Again, consumers are able to search through categories or enter keywords to find a niche product quickly, which they are then able to bid on. Many direct-niche sites also offer the option to purchase items without bidding.

Penny Auctions

Also known as 'bidding fee' auctions, these sites offer an exciting way of buying and selling online, providing the consumer with a retail incentive as well as entertainment value. Penny auctions enable consumers to often get products that are very popular at low prices.

Bidders pay a non-refundable fee and receive a pack of bids before the auction begins, at a set price (a fixed step to ensure fairness). They then place their individual bids and hope to be the player with the last wager before time runs out. With each bid placed on an auction, the timer increases. When the clock stops, the last person to place their bid wins the product and pays the final price for it, which is often very low.

Many consumers enjoy penny auctions because of the competition involved in the bidding process, as well as the sealed end product, approved by a company.

Products that can be bid on in these auctions range from laptops, phones and home appliances to gift vouchers and more. Savings of 70%, and sometimes more, can be made on items.

The success of the penny auction lies within its clear competitive shopping element, and the time it takes to place a bid. Bidders may send short numbers by text message to place their bid (effectively reducing the time it takes) or they may visit the penny auction site and place their bid this way. Many of the sites offer automatic bidding systems to save further time.

By visiting different sites and watching auctions in action, as well as reading reviews on specific sites, consumers will gain a good understanding of which penny auctions are the best to take part in.

Pay-Per-Bid Auctions

These offer bidders the chance of paying for an individual bid before the auction commences, then to add additional bids if they wish, to increase their chance of winning the product. A display will let bidders know their progress within the auction and further bids can be entered. With each bid placed, the value of the product increases as well as the countdown.

Ethics in Business...A Lost Art

While watching Face the Nation one Sunday earlier this year, Bob Schiffer discussed the airline industry, his mother and ethics in business. Like Bob, I think it is a sad commentary today, that we have to police businesses. Whatever happened to going into business to provide a needed service, being loyal to employees, and keeping promises.

It seems like no one today is concerned about doing good business or being ethical in the process. Our forefathers would be ashamed at what this society has come to. I know I am.

Chuck and I teach our students how to run a good business, by being ethical, and making sure that everyone is happy. We run our business using the adage, "The customer is always right". We know, however, from looking at others in business both on and offline, that we are in the minority. For most it is all about making money. They don't care who they have to step on, how many lies they tell, just "show them the money". As I pointed out in my article regarding "The Almighty Buck", this should not be your only incentive for going into business, and if it is, you won't be in business long.

We see sites every day that you can't find a telephone number on, an address for, they just want you to take it on faith that they are on the up and up. Years ago, a business would never even think of operating this way. Their name, address, phone number, slogan etc. was very prominent on everything they did. Unfortunately today, you can't take people on faith anymore. It's very sad, but it seems if you do so, most of the time, you will get burned.

Years ago, companies were known for their honesty, their integrity, and their good products. They had to be to stay in business and keep the good image they wanted to project. This gave their company a good name. As many of you know, we come from New York. Kodak, Grumman, and IBM were major companies in down and upstate NY. If you got a job with them you had a job for life, and once you retired you didn't have to worry. Today, people are losing their medical benefits, their pensions, their life savings; due to businesses thinking of only the bottom line.

Every time you open a newspaper or watch the news today you hear about another business' unethical business practices. They cook the books, take bonuses they don't disclose, while they expect employees to work for less. There is something very wrong with this picture. It also says to our future entrepreneurs, that this behavior is alright, just don't get caught.

Like Bob Schiffer, I'd much rather go back to the time when businesses dealt with us in an ethical manner and didn't only concentrate on lining their pockets, like today. Also, like Bob, I think what we need are different teachings in our business schools. The philosophy of today's teachers, needs to re-vamped to reflect the philosophies of old. What we need is to "throw out the new, and bring back the old". As Bob said, if his mom was teaching today, students would get a completely different view...an old fashioned one. Kudos to Bob's mom!

Copyright 2003 DeFiore Enterprises

The APMP Certification Course

A course which answers the need of people with 4-5 years of project experience, the APMP course, is said to be a certification exam that fulfills the need of aspiring learners of the APM body of knowledge. This certification lays special emphasis on project planning and the consequent monitoring and control. Some of the more advanced and intricate topics like earned value management and corporate governance are excluded. The APM exam is a one hour multiple choice question examination in which candidates has to answer 10 questions out of a total of 16. This is equal to the work package a manager level candidate secures on the international project management association and competence framework.

APM training is not an easy training to administer and i have understood it based on my personal experiences in training my company employees in the key concepts of a mast construction project. APMP training is given to those individuals who wish to study the subject of Advanced Project Management Professional or APMP. This subject is not new to the field of project management and it covers mainly those areas which deal with the subject. APMP courses are not your run of the mill courses that are delivered over the counter in paperbacks, but professionally run courses delivered through special training materials.

APMP training is not a new concept in the market. Training on APMP courses has been going on for quite some time now. Not many people however know of it though as it is not well propagated in the market. APM training are administered in order to teach the courses of advanced project management processes, the 5 process groups and the 9 knowledge areas. The main 5 process groups are said to cover initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control and closeout. The practice of advanced project management is said to include the 5 process groups and the 9 knowledge areas.

The APM training provided by Association of Project Management, which is a body for professional project management based in the UK, which has almost 14,000 members belonging to this field in existence at this time. These offer a wide range of developmental activities including an annual conference, awards and a structure of regional branches, special interest groups and publications. The most significant publication, called the Body of Knowledge is its primary reference text which is used in many organizations. This body of knowledge is the only text for various qualifications including APM training, APMP, APM practitioner, APM project professional and the like.

It is not often that APMP courses are offered by such prestigious institutions like the APM or the Association of Project Management. APMP training is ordinarily offered by the administrators of the project management course. APMP courses are offered by a variety of other institutions too but the quality of education imparted by these institutions vis-a-vis is quite different than that offered by the APM or the Association of Project Management.

Insurance Concerns Associated With Equine Ownership

As a potential horse owner, familiarize yourself with the variety of insurance products that are available for equestrians. The intended use of your horse whether personal or an income generator will determine the type of insurance coverage you need to purchase. In this article, we will present a snapshot of insurance policy types that are appropriate for horse owners or horse professionals.

If you own or rent a home, your homeowner's or renter's insurance policy may or may not cover horse-related incidents. Call your insurance representative to check the endorsements on your policy. If you have a farm or ranch owner's policy then horses should be covered as long as you do not have any commercial exposures.

Some situations may necessitate additional insurance coverage. For example, if you are a regular participant in equine recreational activities, you may want to consider an Equine Personal Liability Policy. This type of policy provides liability protection to the owner or lessee of a horse that may cause bodily injury or property damage while under your control. If you board non-owned horses with your own horses, a Care, Custody and Control (CCC) policy will provide liability coverage for the non-owned horses in the event that they are hurt or cause damage while in your care.

So what are the types of policies and who needs their coverage?

Equine Personal Liability - Provides liability protection for individuals or businesses whom own or lease horses for personal use. Commercial Equine Liability - Provides liability protection for most horse-related operations such as boarding, training, instruction, trail riding, buying and selling horses. Endorsements can be made to these policies to cover specific risks such as errors and omissions or personally owned race horses. This type of policy will not cover non-owned horses. Care, Custody and Control - Extends liability protection to horse professionals such as horse trainers, riding instructors, boarding facilities, horse clubs or associations and facilities that host equine activities or have exposures related to non-owned horses. This coverage includes transport of horses within 100 miles of the covered facility. Transit coverage extending to the continental United States and Canada can be purchased at an additional cost. This coverage is not available to commercial livestock haulers. Equine Event Coverage - Obtained by a horse or facility owner to cover a specific horse show, event or clinic. It can cover the event days as well as the days of setup and takedown. Major Medical - Provides the horse owner coverage for the veterinarian and surgical expenses incurred by their horse's injury or illness. Your agent can assist you in selecting a plan that will best meet your needs.

Now that you have some basic background knowledge on equine liability products available to the horse owner and horse professional, procure protection that sufficiently meets your needs or those of your clients.

More specialized equine-related insurance products are advertised by various insurance companies. An internet search can provide you with some promising leads if you need a more personalized coverage portfolio for your equine venture.

The Benefits Of Having A Composite Door

There are clear benefits to fitting double glazing in your home and not only the windows but the doors too. The windows offer a level of safety and security that traditional wooden windows cannot match as traditional single pane windows are made from a single sheet of regular glass. The double glazing in windows and doors is tightly sealed with a dead air space in-between. The air pocket this creates is then trapped between the panes and acts as an insulator.

Most double glazing will be laminated or toughened glass which reduces the risk of shattering upon impact. With a double glazed unit often damage to one pane of glass is not always carried through the vacuum between the panes to the second pane, giving a much higher degree of safety. Even a chair thrown at a window or patio door will not break it upon a first or second strike. Intruders can also be deterred when the job of breaking in is delayed from a quick smash of a window to many attempts at entering. It becomes noisy and that will attract some very much unwanted attention.

The locking mechanisms are now also pick proof and especially the new composite doors for front and back doors which are fitted with 5 point locking and deadlocks. These do not just lock at the point of the key entering but also lock twice more at the top and bottom. A ram would have trouble to gain entry easily. The composite rock door also has an internal frame fitted that makes it even more robust.

Composite doors are now are more fashionable to, offering light and character as opposed to the old fashioned solid wood door with only one Yale lock to offer security. These doors have now been made in a variety of colours if you prefer something other than white or brown. This makes your front door more personal to you and not just for functionality. The glass can also be reinforced with plastic, making it very difficult to take the glass out if the lock is holding. This type of security leaves you with self confidence that, when no one is home, your possessions will be safe and secure at all times.

The many glass designs that can be fitted into the panels can be made very personal and bespoke giving your home a unique style. Also internal doors can be matched to your style to follow through a theme of Georgian, Tudor or Gothic to name just a few. These composite doors are also almost maintenance free.

Healthy Eating With Salads

It is a commonly known fact that the body needs at least 2 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits on a daily basis. But not everyone likes to eat fruits or vegetables. Many children as well as adults simply disliked these healthier food options. While some children will slowly learn to like fruits and vegetables as they grow older, others will continue to avoid eating them even as adults. Imagine having to cook for a household with mixed preference, it will be such a daily challenge! I have a friend whom I have known for more than 20 years who simply dislikes vegetable. Whenever we dine out, she will request for any vegetable to be excluded from her food or starts to painstakingly picking out the vegetable from her plate.

Learning to eat vegetable may be easier if one is willing to try out different vegetables, one at a time. Also, eating vegetables as a salad accompanied by a delicious dip or sauce can make the whole eating experience much more pleasant.

I have been lucky as I grew up liking to eat vegetables. Of course as a child, I was a little picky, choosing only safe vegetables like cucumber and cabbages. I was also fortunate that my mom would make a delicious sauce when she tried to get us eating raw vegetables. So here I would like to share this family recipe for a salad that has been a long time family recipe. We usually serve this salad with spicy food like curry, but it is just as delicious when eaten with other main dish.

The ingredients are simple and can be easily found at any of your neighborhood supermarkets.

Salad with Peanut Sauce

You will need: Lettuce, cut into 2-inch length 1 medium sized cucumber, sliced 1 medium sized tomato, sliced 2 Hard boiled eggs, sliced 1 cup of roasted peanuts, grounded 4 tablespoon of chili sauce 2 tablespoon of tomato ketchup ½ cup of hot water

Steps: Plate the vegetables and hard boiled eggs in a circular pattern, in this recommended order: Lettuce as the bottom first layer, then the cucumber followed by the sliced tomato and lastly the hard boiled eggs on top. Set aside.

Put the grounded peanuts in a deep bowl. Add the hot water and still well, ensuring that all the clumps are dissolved. Then add in the tomato ketchup and chili sauce. Stir until well combined. If you like more heat in the sauce, add more chili sauce. Drizzle the peanut sauce generously on the salad.

The ingredients in this recipe can be easily substituted and varied to suit your personal preference. For example, use baby cucumbers which are juicer and sweeter. Or add in some sliced boiled potatoes to make this salad a light meal.

To make it more appetizing, try serving the sauce separately as a dip instead.

So I hope you will give this recipe a try and enjoy it like I do.

Shut Up And Sing

What is it with these performers and their politics? Do they really think that people who pay $100 or more to hear them sing want to hear them utter political opinions? The audience pays hundreds of thousands of dollars to see and hear a performer PERFORM. You want to spout politics, run for freakin office, you moron! When performers use a paid venue to play politics they are abusing the paying audience, the venue, the sponsors and everyone connected to their artistic performance. It's an inappropriate venue and inapproprite behavior to voice your political viewpoint, you jerk! And they wonder why people boo.

Somebody pays a small fortune for their ticket to see them perform and ends up being subjected to a political opinion from someone who makes millions of dollars a year but doesn't have a real job, doesn't have to live in reality and doesn't have a clue about the real world! Yeah, right, tell me about your political views while I'm sitting here waiting to be entertained by you. That's why I came here and that's what I paid for isn't it, you ungrateful clueless idiot. You want to spout off, do it for free. Yes, free. Why don't you perform for free then you can say anything you want to your audience. Then it's fair and balanced. Then the audience gets what it pays for.

And what about the incident in Orange County, CA where the performer makes a comment about Linda Ronstadt and audience starts booing and the performer responds with how America used to be a place where you could openly discuss your views. Ha! Twenty thousand people and he's the only one with a microphone! Open discussion, my ass.

So, a word to the wise. You want to keep performing, keep making millions, keep living in your fantasy world? Shut up and sing.

Hot Tub: A Perfect Backyard Escape

There are few ways to better add luxury to your outdoor space than the installation of a hot tub. Too often we focus all of our time, attention and money on renovating our inside living spaces and we forget about the joy of relaxing in a peaceful outdoor setting. Of course the installation of swimming pools, especially inground pools, can be a huge investment and are controversial in how they affect the value of your home. Installing a hot tub by contrast is a much more manageable expense that can more aesthetically fit into your backyard space. A hot tub is not just a staple of luxury though; it also can provide some really nice health benefits to you and your family.

Hot tub therapy can be beneficial to people with type 2 diabetes. In fact, studies have shown that soaking for thirty minutes a day, six days a week for at least three weeks has been known to help individuals with type 2 diabetes lower their blood sugar, lose weight and improve sleep patterns. This is especially important for people who may need an alternative to physical exercise, such as people with a physical impediment from a chronic injury. Chronic fatigue symptoms can also be lessened by soaking in a hot tub or performing light stretches in the water. A much more broad benefit to the family as a whole is with stress reduction. We all know that stress reduction can have numerous health benefits. The massaging jets and soothing heat help reduce tension in the muscles which can have some real benefits to physical and also mental health. Too often in our society we seek self defeating means of stress reduction; we eat sweat treats or consume alcohol or cigarettes. It would be much more beneficial to spend some time relaxing in the outside hot tub in your own backyard oasis than to pollute your body to get the same effect.

Hot tubs are a very versatile purchase in that they can be a romantic getaway for two or a family bonding tool. Every parent to small children secretly looks forward to bed time. It's the time that peace and quiet rule the roost and the chaos of the day fades into the background. What better time for Mom and Dad to slip off and enjoy the quiet intimacy of a hot tub together? They can also be great fun for children, and a great social tool that can be used at home. It is always comforting to know that your children are right in your own backyard where you can supervise them.

A backyard renovation can add much value to your home, and more importantly can get you and your family out of the house and outside in the fresh air to enjoy the beauty of nature. A hot tub makes your backyard useable all year round and provides you with a place that you can retreat to, even during the winter months.

Tips on Caring for Antique Bookcases

Antique bookcases have a timeless appeal that is both functional and attractive. A library staple for centuries, today they are used to display everything from DVD collections to figurines - not forgetting their usefulness for books collections, of course.

Like all fine furniture, antique bookcases need to be treated with care to keep them looking their best, and with today's centrally heated homes this can be difficult. Not only is the wood liable to dry out and crack, but the dry air makes it easier for dust to settle. This is not in itself a problem - people have been dusting their shelves for years - the trouble is, modern cleaning methods often do more harm than good. An antistatic polish may be a convenient way to stop dust settling, but if the chemicals weren't around 200 years ago, there's no place for them on a 200-year old bookcase or any other old furniture.

Tip 1 - learn to love your patina

Antique bookcases have a deep, rich patina that even "distressed" reproductions don't have. Patina refers to the mellow sheen that develops through years of polishing, use and exposure. Like any piece of furniture that is used as well as admired, there will be changes in surface colour and texture; little marks will appear and the shelves may even bow slightly through the weight of many books. This is all part of the charm and value of the piece, and is best left alone unless there has been heavy damage, in which case you will need a specialist restorer.

One thing you must never do with your bookcase is attempt to "clean it up" by removing the patina. This will strip your furniture of both its value and its protective coating.

Tip 2 - Apply some elbow grease

It is possible to fill a modern home with antique furniture and still keep warm in the evenings, so long as you turn your back on synthetic chemicals which were, after all, designed for synthetic furniture. Instead, buy a good quality beeswax polish - or its vegan equivalent - and apply a small amount with a soft, lint-free cloth. You can do this at night to allow the wax to "feed" the wood and then polish the following day. Keep burnishing until the wax on the cloth goes shiny, showing the solvent has evaporated. Finish with a polish using a soft clean duster.

This method brings out the grain and colour of the wood while protecting the patina, and only needs to be done every few months. More than this can cause antique bookcases to become dull and absorb more dust. However, if the wood has become very dry or lost its patina, regular waxing will be needed to bring it back to full glory.

Tip 3 - Keep up the good work

It isn't just beeswax which keeps antique bookcases looking beautiful, but all the dusting in between. Forget antistatic cloths and use a soft, dry duster on a regular basis. This will enhance the patina by forming a hard protective skin on the surface.

Tip 4 could be to fill the shelves with a selection of beautiful leather-bound tomes which is, after all, what antique bookcases were designed for.

Getting the Cheapest Auto Insurance Through Patient Searching

There is no denying that it is important to protect your automobile when the risk of theft, or of damage is so high. The world of insurance is hugely competitive, so finding an insurance policy is never going to be a problem. Where there is some effort required is in finding the cheapest auto insurance policy that still provides quality protection.

Cheap insurance is not hard to find, but the coverage that it offers is sometimes so poor that cheap is all that it could ever afford to be. The Internet has opened up a vast market, and with some careful searching, finding insurance quotes online that are low-cost and offer good coverage is possible.

What should be remembered about auto insurance, however, is that it is law to have it. But that does not mean that it has to be expensive, and real savings can be made.

Lower Insurance

Online insurance brokers offer much better deals than traditional sources, just as is the case with most items purchased over the Internet. But it is never advisable to accept the first good deal that is come across. The most important part of any financial deal is the small print, and when searching for the cheapest auto insurance.

Websites are required by law to fully disclose all information to customers, ensuring there are no unwanted surprises after the contract is signed. And since getting insurance quotes online is so fast, it means that a selection can be made by car owners very quickly.

If there are any hidden charges, it comes easier to escape that trap through some careful reading. The auto insurance premium should be the only real expense, though if there are late payments, then it is understandable if there are penalties to face. Lower insurance costs do not translate to no punishments at all.

Significance of Comparison Websites

As already mentioned, the insurance world is hugely competitive. It means there are a multitude of options available to choose from, but sifting through them is a nightmare. Thankfully, finding the cheapest auto insurance is a lot easier with the development of comparison sites. Your only action is to type in your insurance preferences.

Still, separating the best and most suitable policies, with the lowest costs, requires a little more than looking at a table of the top five quotes. It is essential that the details are read closely before focusing on one. However, a major plus is that insurance quotes online are presented practically instantly. This saves a considerable amount of time and effort.

Remember too that despite the efficiency of comparison sites, it is important not to jump for the first low-cost offer. Take your time when considering the auto insurance policies. Then the best one for your needs is more likely to be found.

Other Considerations

Comparison sites also detail some of the best discounts that are offered by insurance brokers. This is because of the competition amongst brokers to rank highly on the search pages. This means that the chances of finding the cheapest auto insurance are really strong.

However, be sure to enter the right information on the form for insurance quotes online. If the information is not accurate, then the best quotes will not be secured. What is more, the risk of being caught out by unscrupulous brokers is fairly high.

So, before agreeing to any auto insurance policy, be sure to check out the reputation of the broker on the Better Business Bureau website.

401(K) Plans: Vesting and Amp - Withdrawals

In this three-part articles series on 401(k) plans, we've covered the basics of what a 401(k) plan is and what types of contributions can be made. In addition, there are other rules and guidelines that participants should be familiar with.

Vesting

Vesting is a term used to describe the point at which a 401(k) plan participant is entitled to 100% of the employer matching contributions in his or her retirement account. The participant is, of course, always entitled to 100% of his or her own contributions, but employer matching contributions are typically subject to a vesting schedule, ranging from three to seven years. The purpose for the vesting schedule is to encourage employees to remain with the employer. The 401(k) plan document and your employer can tell you what your plan's vesting schedule is.

Here's a brief example. Let's say Suzy Smith contributes to her 401(k) plan and her employer matches her contributions up to 50%. The employer has selected a 5 year vesting schedule for the plan, with Suzy being vested 20% each year. Her vesting would look like this:

After year 1: 20% vested in employer matching contributions After year 2: 40% vested in employer matching contributions After year 3: 60% vested in employer matching contributions After year 4: 80% vested in employer matching contributions After year 5: 100% vested in employer matching contributions

401(k) Withdrawals

Before contributing to a 401(k) plan, you want to be familiar with the ways in which you can withdraw your money. To an extent, those conditions will be dictated by your 401(k) plan document. Here are the acceptable withdrawal methods:

- Loans - Hardship withdrawals - Termination of employment - Retirement - Disability - Death

401(k) Loans

Not all 401(k) plans allow loans, but those that do will require repayment. Loan payments, including interest and principal, are repaid directly to the employee's 401(k) account. The plan document will specify if the plan allows loans, and if so, what conditions apply.

401(k) Hardship Withdrawals

Some 401(k) plans have provisions for hardship withdrawals, allowing a participant to withdraw contributions within certain limits and for specific reasons. Those reasons typically include medical expenses, the purchase of a home, college tuition for the next 12 months or to prevent eviction or foreclosure from the employee's primary residence. Again, the plan document will specify any rules that apply.

Termination of Employment

When a 401(k) plan participant leaves an employer by quitting or being fired, he or she is entitled to the vested balance in his or her 401(k) account. The plan document will specify how and when this withdrawal takes place. To avoid adverse tax consequences, the participant should speak with his or her financial advisor to determine if a rollover to another retirement plan like an IRA is appropriate.

Retirement Distributions

401(k) withdrawals made at retirement age are called distributions. Before age 59 1/2, distributions are taxable and generally subject to a 10% penalty. After age 59 1/2, lump sum distributions will be taxed and current income tax rates, but the distributions may be eligible for special 10-year averaging tax treatment. Money can also be withdrawn and rolled over to another qualified plan, IRA, 403(b) or 457 plan. For additional information about these options, participants should talk to their financial and tax advisors.

We've covered a lot of 401(k) info. in the last three articles, but there is still so much more to know. If you are investing in a 401(k) plan, or are considering it, and have questions, please contact your financial and tax advisors for recommendations based on your financial situation.

Back to School Show & Tell

One thing you can count on during the first days of school is the inevitable question of "What did you do over the summer?" Here are a few creative ways to describe your summer experiences for the first edition of Show and Tell.   1. Flip Books Create a moving picture of your summer fun with a flip book. Start out with a Post-It pad or a pocket-sized spiral notebook. Draw the first picture on the last sheet of paper and work your way to the first page by changing the picture little by little. For instance, if you learned how to surf over the summer, you might start with a picture of you lying on a surfboard in calm waters. The next picture could show the waters growing a little choppier. The following drawings could be of you slowly turning, then standing on the board as the wave grows larger, and so on.   2. Summer Collage Illustrate your summer happenings with one of my favorite forms: collages. Simply use glue to cover a poster board or even several small postcard-sized papers with magazine cutouts, sections of road maps, photographs, movie and concert ticket stubs, restaurant menus, train schedules, and any other mementos from your summer.   3. Map It Instead of just telling the class where you went and what you did, pinpoint our summer destinations and activities on a map. If you stayed close to home, use a local road map. If you were able to travel to several cities and states, use a countrywide map. Glue magazine cutouts of activities, or actual photos of your fun onto the map. For example, if you went to a dude ranch in Dallas, glue a picture of a horse onto the map in Dallas. If you visited Mount Rushmore, glue a photo of your family onto the map in South Dakota. The same goes for rock climbing, swimming, snorkeling, and anything else you had a chance to enjoy over the summer months.   4. Seashell Memories Capture every fun moment of summer vacation on seashells. If you didn't get a chance to go to the beach, don't worry-most craft and hobby stores sell bags of seashells. Use acrylic paint and a clean paintbrush to paint pictures inside the shells. My son's summer shells feature an octopus in the ocean (from snorkeling-we didn't actually see an octopus, but he wishes he had), a colorful clown from a friend's birthday party, an airplane in the clouds, and the night sky filled with stars and a bright crescent moon.

The Fundamentals of Insulin

Insulin has two critical roles in the body that we cannot live without, yet it can be the root of many health problems, including diabetes. Insulin carries sugar (glucose), fat and protein into your cells where they are used for energy and the repair of your cells. When you eat, a certain amount of the food will be converted into glucose and enter the bloodstream. As the sugar levels rise, the body senses it and the pancreas secretes insulin to lower the sugar. This is insulin's second main function.

If you eat too much of any food, especially carbohydrates (starch and sugar) the levels of glucose in the blood rise to very high levels. In turn this triggers a large release of insulin from the pancreas. Your cells will take what they need and then insulin will begin the process of converting the excess glucose, fat and protein into fat and then put it all away in your fat cells. By combining foods the right way for your body, you will maintain optimum levels of insulin throughout the day.

The best way to control insulin and fight sugar cravings is to eat protein snacks when you are hungry or when you have severe "sweet" cravings. Also, try to limit yourself to three carbohydrate-containing meals per day and try to eat vegetables with most meals and snacks.

A particularly good snack is non-fat cottage cheese and salsa. The only vegetables to avoid in the evening are corn, yellow or orange squash, peas, beets and carrots. They have high simple carbohydrate (sugar) content.

Good natural sources of protein for meals or snacks are:

Chicken breast, Turkey, Fish, Lean Pork, Lean Steak, 7% fat (or less) Ground Beef, Egg whites, Egg Beaters, Tofu, Non-fat cottage cheese, Non-fat cheese, Non-fat cream cheese, Non-fat sour cream, Fat-free low-sodium Ham or Canadian bacon.

You can also try whey protein powder and protein bars, although you must be careful when choosing these since some contain sugar in one form or another (example: dexrose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, etc.) Please read the food labels for all whey powers and protein bars. Sugars content (per serving) should be under 5 grams.

The key is to eat frequently throughout the day and also have a "real" sweet treat once a week, especially if that will help you stay away from sweets the rest of the week.

Be Well & Stay Fit

Aimee Deak Personal Trainer & Nutrition Analyst