How To Get The Best Buys

Save Time and Money-and Get the Loan That's Right for You Ever-changing mortgage guidelines . . . confusing financial forms . . . if you're buying or refinancing a home, you know all too well how overwhelming and intimidating the mortgage process can be. This revised edition of How to Get the Best Home Loan guides you through all the critical issues and demystifies the mechanics of mortgage lending-everything from disclosures and fees to closing costs, points, and making payments. Longtime mortgage banking industry insider and former realtor W. Frazier Bell helps you sidestep the risks of financing a mortgage and sheds light on many unknown aspects that keep borrowers from making intelligent, money-saving decisions. Written in clear, simple language, this comprehensive Second Edition features new information on desktop underwriting, merged credit reports, and using the Internet, as well as updated sections on verifications, qualifying, and loan types. Bell gives you hands-on access to his hard-won experience, providing the tools you need to: * Understand why lenders do the things they do * Learn what to look for when comparing loans and lenders * Head off potential problems and expensive mistakes * Navigate FRMs, ARMs, FHAs, GEMs, and TILs * Know why certain loans may be better for you than others * Save yourself hundreds, even thousands, of dollars Packed with real-life examples, sample forms, and proven advice, How to Get the Best Home Loan, Second Edition will ensure that you get the right loan, at the right price, from the right lender.

An efficient and cost-effective HR function is essential to the successful running of any organization. And yet for many businesses it is impossible or costly to have HR staff in every office. This is particularly true for companies who have many branches, such as banks and building societies. So what are they to do? Increasingly they are turning to shared services by creating a unit within the organization that typically undertakes personnel administration and basic operational support. This may be delivered to managers and employees through some combination of call centre, personal contact or intranet. Creating a shared services centre enables the HR function to redefine its relationship with its stakeholders. It can become more of a strategic player and make a more business-focused contribution. This book explains what shared services are and what they look like for the HR function. It describes why organizations opt for shared services and what activities are included. It sets out the relationship between shared services and the other HR activities, and between HR and line management. How To Get Best Value From HR outlines the process of introducing shared services, from identifying customer needs through designing the structure to implementation and monitoring. It also outlines the likely pitfalls and, importantly, offers possible solutions. In particular the book highlights the big design issues, including whether to outsource services, where a shared services centre should be located, how services should be delivered and organized, including through the option of e-HR. Crucially it features an extended case study of the Royal Bank of Scotland's experience of introducing HR shared services, providing a unique insight into the reality of this new way of working.

Guide to ever-evolving consumer culture, offering advice on how to keep current customers and attract new ones.

The facts are alarming: Medical errors kill more people each year than AIDS, breast cancer, or car accidents. A doctor’s relationship with pharmaceutical companies may influence his choice of drugs for you. The wrong key word on an insurance claim can deny you coverage. Through real life stories, including her own, and shrewd advice, CNN’s Elizabeth Cohen shows you how to become your own advocate and navigate the minefield of today’s health-care system. But there’s good news. Discover how to • find a doctor who “gets” you and listens to you • ask the right questions for the best treatment • make the most out of a short office visit • cut out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs • harness the power of the Internet for medical issues • fight back when claims are denied Combining the personal stories of patients across America with crucial advice on receiving the best possible health care, this guide will enable you to confront an often confusing and perilous system—and come out ahead.

Now is the time to make money! As the market continues to grow and reaches record highs in late 2014, you'll need to know where to put your money in order to create the largest profit. With The 100 Best Stocks to Buy in 2015, you can reap high earnings with stock picks that have consistently beaten the market average. Inside, you'll find an evaluation of the current state of the market as well as information on: Protecting your profits from the risk of a significant market correction Investing in significant opportunities, including exchange-traded funds Balancing a portfolio between aggressive and safety stocks Developing strong investment habits An essential guide for anyone investing in today's market, The 100 Best Stocks to Buy in 2015 gives you solid and dependable advice you can take to the bank.

Get smart and start saving—without sacrificing the things you love With high prices for everything from food to gas, how can you make ends meet—and still have enough for the things you love? 500 Great Ways to Save For Dummies is packed with creative ideas for cutting costs in small and big ways, in dozens of categories, ranging from groceries and healthcare to education, travel, and major purchases. This fun book helps you get into a saving mindset, know where your money goes, and whittle down debt. These quick tips are so easy you can start saving today! Reduce everyday costs of groceries, restaurant meals, gas, utilities, home maintenance, healthcare, and insurance Save money on fitness, pet care, entertainment, and all your hobbies Cut costs on big-ticket items including vacations, cars, and appliances Find free stuff, special discounts, and money-saving apps This is the only book you need to save money throughout the year!

The most trustworthy source of information available today on savings and investments, taxes, money management, home ownership and many other personal finance topics.

The editors at "Consumer Reports" show how to choose the best equipment, for the kitchen, home entertainment system, tool shed, and more, from performance differences to recommendations.

In the newly revised Second Edition of Fundamentals of Financial Instruments: An Introduction to Stocks, Bonds, Foreign Exchange, and Derivatives, renowned finance trainer Sunil Parameswaran delivers a comprehensive introduction to the full range of financial products commonly offered in the financial markets. Using clear, worked examples of everything from basic equity and debt securities to complex instruments—like derivatives and mortgage-backed securities – the author outlines the structure and dynamics of the free-market system and explores the environment in which financial instruments are traded. This one-of-a-kind book also includes: New discussions on interest rate derivatives, bonds with embedded options, mutual funds, ETFs, pension plans, financial macroeconomics, orders and exchanges, and Excel functions for finance Supplementary materials to enhance the reader’s ability to apply the material contained within A foundational exploration of interest rates and the time value of money Fundamentals of Financial Instruments is the ideal resource for business school students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as anyone studying financial management or the financial markets. It also belongs on the bookshelves of executive education students and finance professionals seeking a refresher on the fundamentals of their industry.