Payday Loans Blog

After seemingly endless months of economic recession and worry, we may finally be out of the thick of it, and on an upward slope according to economists and analysts.  Firms and businesses are now hiring again and spending is back on the rise. Even though the whitehouse is usually overly generous with their view of the economy, Obama has finally shown signs that he believes the economy could be improving. In a statement made last week, he says "The tough measures that we took — measures that were necessary even though sometimes they were unpopular — have broken this slide and are helping us to climb out of this recession." He never made mention of the recession being over. 

Later, Harvard arbiter, Jeffrey Frankel lifted heads a little higher by making the bold statement, "The recession is over."  So the question remains which of these ideas is correct, or is either?

According to an article written in the New York Times, both are somewhat right, and both may be a little off.  Yes, the recession is indeed seeing an end in sight, but that end might not result in where we left off years ago.  There may be a new standard set that is lower than what we were at before. Many consumers remain in heaping debt, and analysts say that we may not see a turn around in the devastating crash of the housing market for many years to come. 

We as Americans however need to be careful that we are not being too foolishly optimistic and be cautious and aware that because things are looking up now, doesn't mean then will still be on the upturn in the future.  We still need to aquire savings, and pay off our debts to avoid falling into these traps again. 

So how can you avoid falling into the debt trap and make realistic goals and expectations for your own personal economic recovery?  Stay on top of your finances and come to Check City for great discounts on Insurance Plans, Prepaid Phone Cards and other great financial services and discounts.  Visit us at Check City Online or in one of our many Store Locations today to get started on your own economic recovery plan. 

President Obama is attempting to revise the No Child Left Behind Act with the goal of producing more college ready high school graduates. These revisions may result in national academic standards for public schools instead of allowing for the traditional variances in schooling standards between states.

The national standards would include standards in more subjects than those defined in the No Child Left Behind Act, namely reading and math. These changes will affect over 100,000 public schools.

Obama’s plan would cost $3 billion more than what it cost to fund the No Child Left Behind act for this year, which was close to $25 billion. States that choose to accept Obama’s plan will receive $7.8 billion in grants for the educational systems.

After evaluation, the lowest 5% of public schools will receive government help in improving their performance, while the top performers will be rewarded. However, Obama will also exclude the provisions that provide free tutoring and the option for students to change schools if their school is considered one of the low performers.

Schools will not be punished for the low performance of the poor, minority, and disabled students under Obama’s proposal.  However, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers say they are disappointed with Obama’s plan.

Randi Weingarten, AFT president, said “100 percent of the responsibility on teachers and gives them zero percent authority…For a law affecting millions of schoolchildren and their teachers, it doesn’t make sense to have teachers -- and teachers alone -- bear the responsibility for school and student success.”

The potential national standard will ask the kindergarteners can read 25 words. By the time students enter middle school, they will be expected to understand “Little Women,” by Louisa May Alcott and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” by Mark Twain. When they enter high school they will be expected to understand the writings of William Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson.

By the end of first and second grade, students will be expected to know addition and subtraction. By the end of third and fourth grade, students should know multiplication, division, and fractions.  By the end of middle school, or eighth grade, students will be able to solve algebra problems.

New York is the first state who plans to accept and implement these new benchmarks by August. Massachusetts is doubtful that the standards will be a rigorous as they ones they have in place currently, and will review them thoroughly before accepting the new standard.

A variety of things can happen to your children while they are at school. Stay in touch with them throughout the school week by purchasing a pre-paid phone card. Check City offers a variety of phone cards tailored to fit where you will call, when you will call, and how often you will call. Visit one of our convenient locations to discuss with one of our friendly staff members how well a pre-paid phone card can fit your life and help you support your children.

To read more about the educational revision visit:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aF9wi8wsYgT0
   

Yesterday, Apple accused the Taiwan HTC Corp. of patent infringement in front of the International Trade Commission. Apple is hoping that U.S. imports of HTC Corp.’s phone that run Google Inc.’s Android operating system will be stopped.

By making their move now, they are hoping that HTC’s market share gains will be as low as possible. Lyle Vander Schaaf, a Washington patent lawyer, compared the move to a nuclear war.

He said, “It’s like nuclear war…If you really want to have an effective remedy to protect your rights, you go to the ITC. Once you’re there, there’s no going back.” The ITC is considered to be more effective and powerful in patent cases than going to a regular court.

The ITC can ban imports and can have huge impacts in differing competitive fields in the market. The banning of imports has a much larger impact on companies than simple fees that pay another company for damages.

However, Apple is also presenting a case before a federal court in defense of 10 of their other patents that have been infringed upon. When Apple created the iPhone it had several new features, for which Apple submitted over 200 patent applications.

One of the ten infringed patents concerns the technology of the touch screen that allows people to navigate the iPhone with two fingers.

The iPhone brought in over $13 billion for Apple last year. This was 30 percent of Apple’s total income. Smartphones created by other companies, and by Apple, are expected to see continual sales increases throughout this coming year.

Steve Jobs commented, “We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it…We’ve decided to do something about it.”

Google remains unconcerned about the legal battle over the cell phones using their Android operating system. They said they have no preferences for whoever wins the battle, “However, we stand behind our Android operating system and the partners who have helped us to develop it.”

Not all phones can adapt to their user and not all popular phones that can adapt to their user are accommodated by plans that fit the user. Prepaid phone cards provide plans that are specifically designed to fit your lifestyle, needs, and situation. Visit Check City’s website to find out about various pre-paid phone cards that will allow you to talk where you want, when you want, and without paying for extra unused minutes. Come to one of our convenient locations to talk to a friendly staff member and find a pre-paid phone card that has your name on it.

To read more about Apple's patent battle visit:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aNDOYE_XMj0o

Apple Inc., the famous producer of iPods, iPhones, and iMacs, recently informed the public that underage employees had been hired by some of its contractors. Workers’ rights groups, including Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior based in Hong Kong, believe that Apple should provide more details on suppliers and their worker’s rights.

In their “Supplier Responsibility” report Apple disclosed that eleven 15 year-olds had been hired at a few of their facilities. The facilities were situated in countries that had laws preventing the legality of hiring people below the age of sixteen.

In addition several countries reported that Apple employees worked overtime and received a wage below the legal minimum wage for the area. Among these countries were China, Taiwan, and Thailand.

Frank Parth, chief executive at Project Auditors LLC, praised Apple for their openness. He said, “It seems like Apple is being much more open about this than other companies…I’ve seen nothing on this topic from Dell or HP.”

China supplier employees working for companies such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc. complained about wages of $0.64 per hour and long hours. A few employees worked as much as 87 hours.

Others believe that Apple should do more to repair these mishaps. Debby Chan, project officer at Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior in Hong Kong, said “The suppliers are breaking the law…Apple should disclose its suppliers list to NGOs to allow more effective monitoring of the situation.”

Apple did state that they ceased working with one supplier after repeated offenses. However, many people are still disappointed by Apple’s revelation.

Check city offers trustworthy and affordable phone cards that will allow you to stay connected with the world. We have a variety of cards designed to match any lifestyle and need. Come by one of Check City’s convenient locations where one of our friendly staff members can help you find a card that will fit your calling habits. One of our unique pre-paid phone cards is guaranteed to match your personal lifestyle.

To read more about Apple’s under-age workers visit:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aUbDxIWdQCKg

Kim Yu-Na has been dubbed Queen of Figure Skating after her performance in Vancouver last night. Many believe that her world record performance will be remembered as one of the greatest performances of all time.

Kim Yu-Na earned the gold-medal easily with a score of 228.56 points. This score is a full 18 points higher than the world record that she had set before.

Kim’s win was not only a big win for her, but for her country. This gold medal will be the first to be taken home to South Korea for a sport other than speed skating. South Korea celebrated loudly at the end of her performance.

Upon the announcement of the score Kim gasped and her Coach Brian Orser victory punched the air. With a smile that spread from ear to ear she took her place on the top of the podium. Kissing both sides of the gold medal, she was only barely able to hold back the tears until the South Korean anthem began to play.

Kim said, "I still can't believe it...I waited a long time for the Olympics, and it feels like a large weight has been lifted off...Truly I still can't believe that I did what I wanted to do at the Olympics." Her coach, Brian Orser, said, “It's one of those programs that, when it's done like that, when it's perfection ..."

The score that Kim earned was so high that it would have placed her ninth in the men’s competition, even without skating the extra 30 seconds and doing another jump.

Skating under immense pressure, Kim performed beautifully. By far the most popular athlete in South Korea, she knew that her entire nation was watching her. They have nicknamed her “Queen Yu-na.” Her popularity is so great that photographers will attend her practice sessions and she has to keep bodyguards whenever she travels back home.

After her dazzling performance, people are hoping that she will bring back the glory of figure skating that Michelle Kwan and very few others were able to give the sport.

Orser commented on Kim’s performance and gave some advice about performing in the Olympics. He said, “It's not any time to hold back. It's not a time to be conservative or cautious. Be Olympic," Orser said. "We've talked about that, coming here. You've got to be Olympic. You've got to be a competitor. Yes, you're beautiful. Yes, the programs are beautiful. Beautiful lines. Great presentation and choreography...But you've got to be Olympic and you've got to be fierce. And she was."

The beauty, elegance, and grace of figure skating and Kim’s performance will set a high standard for many to come. Kim Yu-Na achieved her dream and inspired many others to pursue their dreams as well.

You can also achieve your dreams with a little dedication and through setting goals. If you are a little short on money, Check City will buy your scrap gold or give you a title loan. If you need a great phone plan so that you can do a lot of networking, try one of Check City’s pre-paid phone cards. We have phone cards that will fit every lifestyle and need. Talk with our friendly and professional staff or visit Check City’s website to find out how you can get the funds you need to pursue your dreams. They can make a plan that will specifically meet your needs help you achieve your goals.

To read more about Kim Yu-Na's glorious victory visit:
 http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=448061.html

<strong>Verizon wireless</strong> recently has extended a helping hand to those with <strong>families in Haiti</strong>.  They have waived all long distance, wireless and now prepaid phone card fees for calls made to Haiti up until February 14 (Sunday). Land lines and wireless fees had previously been waived from January 12- Jan 31 but Verizon decided that due to the high number of their customers with prepaid phone cards that they should extend the deals to them as well.  The provider wanted people to understand that they care about them, and wanted them to feel like they could call their loved ones without using all of their minutes.  This press release was made on January 25, 2010 and ran through February 14.

Verizon points to the ease and convenience of <em>prepaid phone cards</em> as one of the number one reasons people prefer them to long distance plans and we agree.  Verizon was also one of the carriers who offered the option of sending ten dollars to Haiti by texting the word Haiti to a certain number.

With a prepaid phone card you can use your minutes to call anywhere long distance or local and it costs the same.  You can substitute your high long distance bills with these prepaid phone cards in order to help reduce your monthly bills and still be able to make calls.   

Check City offers Prepaid Phone Cards that can offer a helping hand to you and match your calling situation.  We can match your phone card to when you call the most, where you call the most and how often you call.   We mold our plans to fit your needs that's why we can say with confidence that we have the <em>prepaid phone card</em> just for you.  Come into one of our many Check City locations and ask our representatives about our Prepaid Phone Cards. They can answer any questions you may have and send you on your way with a card made specifically for you. 

Saint Valentine; who exactly was he and why do we celebrate a day in honor of his name each year? Valentine's Day is a ritual that has been around for centuries. Knowing the mystery of the holiday may even make it even a little more intriguing and exciting as we plan this special day each year, to show those we care about how much we love them. You may be surprised to learn that Valentine's Day comes from both Christian and Roman backgrounds and that the Catholic church presently has three different saints with names similar to St. Valentine. Legend holds that they were all martyred.

One legend says that Saint Valentine was a priest from the early third century in Rome. The Roman emperor of the time decided that men made better soldiers when they were not tied down by marriage. Thus, the Emperor outlawed marriage for young men in the country. Saint Valentine was rumored to have helped marry young lovers in secret, since they could not marry legally.  When the emperor found out, as they always seemed to do, Valentine was sentenced to death.

Other rumors and legends exist as well about the famed Saint Valentine. Some say that he was a radical who helped Christians escape Roman prisons, where they were beaten and physically harmed, he was put to death. Still others believe that Saint Valentine was a man who fell in love with the jailor's daughter, sent her a love note before his death, and signed it Love, Your Valentine. This tradition still continues today as lovers celebrate this traditional day of love.

Some say the holiday is celebrated in February because that is the month of Valentine's death. Others claim that it was done in order to christianize an otherwise pagan holiday, Lupercalia. Lupercalia was a holiday to celebrate the coming of spring and rebirth. It was also a fertility festival in which they cleaned out their homes and dedicated the day to many of the Gods they believed were responsible for fertility. It was held on the 15th of February which is why many people believe it is linked to St. Valentine's Day.        

As for Valentine greetings and cards, there is documented evidence that they were used as far back as the 13th century (the middle ages) and that statistics suggest that 85% of Valentine's Day cards are currently purchased by women.

Cupid, the God of Love is believed to shoot his famed arrows at couples to make them fall in love. Cupid has always played a significant role when it comes to Valentine's Day and love. There are many different traditions about his parents and Roman mythology believes that he had a human lover and wife.Throughout all of the traditions, myths, legends and stories, one fact remains; Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate love and all of the wonderful aspects of it. 

Are you still looking for that special something for your special someone? Check City has Prepaid Phone Cards that can be modeled to fit you, or your loved ones. We can fit them to when you like to call, when you call most often, who you call, and where you call. This makes saving easy, and you can give them as a gift to your loved ones. We also have Prepaid Debit Cards that you can preload as a gift to someone.  When they have used up all of the money on the card, they just have to reload more money, and they can use it again!

The simple life may seem old or even out of fashion, but you may be surprised by the amount of money you can save by changing a few things around your home that could add up to big savings.  By now I am sure you realize that your parents are smarter than you think, but remember when they would always tell you to turn off the lights when you leave the room, or to not leave the water running when you brush your teeth? These are the small things, in addition to some bigger things that could add up to big savings in your bills.

Replace your regular light bulbs with energy efficient light bulbs.  You can buy them in bulk at stores such as Costco and Sam's Club for just a few bucks a pop.  You can then replace anywhere from 6-8 light bulbs in your home at a time.  They are now brighter than previously and are available for dimmers as well.  It will surprise you how much a simple change can save you on your electricity bill. Along with replacing the bulbs, turn off the light everytime you leave a room.  It may not seem like you are saving much, but it doesn't really hurt to conserve energy either right?

Turn down your water heater. You will still have hot water, and plenty of it. It is not only more energy efficient and will save you money, but it is safer as well.  Sometimes our water heaters are heating to dangerously hot temperatures, which could be a fire hazard.  Also, do your dishes by hand and let them drip dry or hand dry them. Using a dishwasher, especially for you college students with dishwashers that basically don't do anything for your dishes, will waster your money and your time, because you will either have to basically clean them anyways before you wash them, or clean them afterwards. 

Unplug your Dryer. Gasp, shocker, your clothes dryer uses a lot of energy and probably tears up your clothes faster than anything else.  Instead of always tumble drying your clothes, try hanging them on clothes drying racks or in the summer, outside on a self made clothesline.  The sun not only warms your clothes, it leaves them smelling fresh and clean.  True, it may fade them a little, but so will being outside in the sun while you are wearing them.  Save yourself some money, let your clothes dry naturally. One downside is that during the winter your house may be noticeably colder when not using the dryer, which could increase your heating bill, so weigh your options. 

Unplug appliances you don't use. Anything that is plugged in that you aren't using, unplug it. Some things use electricity even when you don't know it, especially if there is a light on it somewhere. Also turn your computers off when you aren't using them, and especially the surge protectors at night if they have an on/off switch on them.

Other small things you can do to save yourself money.  If you don't have to preheat the oven, don't.  Cover a pot until water boils, it will boil faster. Prepare 2 or 3 meals at once. Buy push-on night lights, so overhead lights aren't necessary. What it really comes down to is watching what you do. If you don't really need that extra electric blanket, don't use it. If it is dark in your home, try opening the blinds and curtains. 

Check City offers money saving tips for your financial situation as well.  We have Prepaid Phone Cards to help you save on your long distance or roaming charges. Check City can set your card to the time of day you are making calls, or even the people you are calling. We match your card, to your situation.  Check City also has Prepaid Debit Cards to help you get rid of those monthly credit card bills. You have to preload your money onto the card, so when the money runs out you will have to reload it order to spend more.  It will help you keep a better budget and provide you with the ease a card offers without the interest and other credit card fees and obligations. Visit CheckCity.com today to learn more!

This is the last weekend before Valentine's Day. That means that this may be the last chance you have to enjoy your preperation, instead of running around like crazy at the last minute.  While your family is watching the football game on Sunday, you could all sit down together and make Valentine's Day cards for that special someone in your life, whomever they may be.  Making crafts as a family is a great way to spend some extra time with the people you care about.  Family Fun offers some good ideas for easy-to-make Valentine Cards.  Getting your kids involved to create cards for the kids in their class is a great alternative to those found in stores. Growing up, there was a girl in my same class who always hand wrote and colored all of her Valentine's cards all the way through the 6th grade. Those were always my favorite to receive because they were different and everyone knew she was their friend becasue of the time she spent, versus just buying a big box and scribbling your name in them, for everyone.These days with so many great products available to the crafter, home made items don't need to be cheesy or "crafty" looking like they often used to.

Here is one of my personal favorite from the site. The Butterfly Card; It's not too girly, or mushy and is made with sticks of gum! Instructions and materials taken directly from FamilyFun.Com On their site they also have paper airplane valentines (maybe not the best idea for school), glow stick valentines and candy flowers. There are some good ideas for the classroom as well if you are a teacher looking for some ideas. 

Materials

• Sticks of gum
• Licorice strings
• Construction paper

• Scissors
• Heart stickers
• Tape

Instructions

1. Place two pieces of string licorice between two sticks of gum, taping the top and bottom closed to secure the antennae in place.

2. Next, cut two heart-shaped wings from construction paper, write your valentine message on them, and secure them to the top stick of gum with a heart sticker. Add other stickers to give personality to your butterfly.

Today Leap Wireless International Inc. fell by 7.1% on Nasdaq after JPMorgan and Chase & Co. said Leap would find it very difficult to find a buyer due to failing fundamentals and the low level of prospects that the company has to offer.

Leap Wireless had hired Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to help the find and solidify a potential sale of the company. Their evaluation to Leap was that although they are doing everything they can to find a sale, it is going to be very difficult to persuade another company to buy them given their circumstances.

Recently, Leap has reached out to MetroPCS, AT&T Inc., and Verizon Wireless as potential buyers. The most likely and logical buyer would be MetroPCS Communications Inc.

However, both Leap and MetroPCS have been facing increasing competition that threatens the amount they need to charge for their contract-free mobile phone service. In the past, Leap has been selling individual unlimited calling and text messaging for $25 a month.  In 2007, MetroPCS had made a bid for Leap Wireless, but dropped the offer after disagreements on the final price of the exchange.

Mike McCormack, an analyst stationed in New York, said “Even as a combined entity, we believe they would maintain discount pricing, as competition with Sprint Boost Unlimited, Tracfone, and T-Mobile is likely to remain fierce…A combined company is unlikely to provide pricing or cost stability to the industry.”

With this bleak outlook, Mike McCormack changed his rating of Leap from neutral to underweight today. Greg Lund, the Leap spokesman, had no comment on the matter.

San-Diego based Leap fell in the New York Nasdaq Stock market composite trading by $0.81 to $13.78. This was a 5.6% loss for the company. Meanwhile, Metro PCS remained unchanged at $5.81 in the New York Stock Exchange composite trading.

Leap Wireless is continuing to look for potential buyers even though McCormack has commented that, "We are highly skeptical that any of these parties would actually make a bid, given deteriorating fundamentals and the high-churn nature of the business model."

With so much unrest in the market, guaranteed pre-paid phone cards are an ideal alternative to worrying about changing rates and companies. Check City offers pre-paid phone cards that will fit every situation and lifestyle. Visit Check City’s website to find out which phone card was designed for you or visit Check City’s local store to talk to our friendly employees about how pre-paid phone cards can relieve the worry about payment plans in your life.

To find out more about Leap’s situation visit: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=anv93LxjAbJw