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There is nothing better than opening a high risk merchant account for businesses operating in high risk environments. It solves the purpose for such risk prone institutions and their dealers for a long term. However, the real ordeal begins after opening one such account. High risk merchant accounts are nothing less than “cash cows” for such businesses but proper management is necessary in order to avail benefits in the long run.

It doesn’t need a lot of effort to manage high risk merchant account but having a prudent strategy is a must.

Here are some tips that might help in maintenance of high risk merchant accounts.

• Easy access: High risk merchant services should try to make it really easy for the customers to get in touch. The easier it is for customers to contact the merchants the better for the business as it would increase satisfaction quotient among them. Generally, most merchants lose out on this point and maintain distance from the customers for numerous reasons.

• Communicate: The more often a business communicates with its customers, the better. It is always advised to keep them updated about the orders placed by them. In addition, any issue related to customer or his payments should be taken as a top priority. It increases the level of communique with customers and increases their satisfaction level too.

• Short response time: It is always better to solve customer query yourself than allowing banks to mediate as it would only worsen the situation. The moment banks enter the confrontation, the scenario becomes all the more complicated. Therefore, it is always recommended to deal with customers’ concerns in the beginning instead of dragging the whole issue further.

• Monitor the accounts: It is very important and should be followed religiously. Businesses should always review and keep track of suspicious orders and online credit card processing.

• Fraud protection: High risk merchants should always employ automated fraud detection systems. They can also use velocity controls on the gateway to filter out potential frauds that have been recognized by experts till now.

Most importantly, high risk merchant banks should guard against excessive charge backs. High levels of charge backs are the primary reason for termination of majority of the high risk merchant accounts. A merchant should not entertain a transaction till authentication is not accepted fully.

The most important feature that ensures high level of security in risk free merchant accounts is settlement of transactions in the form of a lot on a daily basis. This will ensure stable and fraud free mechanism. .

At times, most merchants go out of the way to please their customers and clear high ticket items without adequate proof. This practice is unhealthy as proper verification complete with signatures and other essential details can significantly eliminate the possibility of default. .

Last but not least, all the high risk merchant accounts should make it their duty to comply with merchant agreements provided in writing. .

In case of any changes in the account make it a point to contact the payment processor in advance and maintain hassle free mechanism for years to come.

Admit it. You’ve daydreamed more than once about hitting the investment jackpot. Your goals are modest. You just want to earn enough money to buy yourself an island. Or at least a second home on an island. So, what’s the secret to discovering the next big thing? Read on for some tips that’ll help you chart a course through the murky waters of investment toward big returns and the island of your dreams.

Tasty Profits: Invest in Restaurants

Consider industries where there will always be demand for the product. For example, people will always need to eat. So, restaurants, especially trendy ones in heavily populated or touristy areas, offer a sweet deal to investors.

Get your slice of the pie early and eat up the profits when the restaurant takes off. Celebrities know the restaurant business is lucrative, too: Ashton Kutcher and his Dolce Group have launched several venues including Ketchup, Dolce, and Geisha House with great success.

Don’t Forget Diversions

Just as people will always need to eat, they’ll always need diversions. Even when the economy’s bad, they still see movies, go bowling, and attend sports events to help them forget that their finances are in the toilet. Take a cue from Jay Z who invested in the Lakers, and consider how you could capture some dollars by investing in a sports franchise.

Entertainment delivery companies such as Hulu, Netflix, and Vudu are leading the way into the new frontier of time-shifted television viewing and on-demand movie watching. Investing in the early stages of these and similar companies may have big pay-offs in the future.

Follow the Big Dogs

Celebrities are making big bucks by investing in industries where there’s a reasonable expectation of success. However, expectations and a company’s size aren’t always harbingers of profit. Just look at Circuit City and Kodak. So, to avoid putting your money in a company that may become a sinking ship, garner wisdom from investment gurus who make a living by spotting the next big thing. Read an article by Fisher Investments about how Ken Fisher navigated his way toward a ginormous portfolio.

Tech is Trending

People are investing in tech companies and partying like it’s 1999. Yep, it’s cool again, and potentially profitable, to put money into online and high-tech ventures. Getting an early piece of the action on a revamped or brand new social media platform could net you profits worth tweeting about.

Let Justin Timberlake be your guide:  he and a group of other savvy investors just re-launched Myspace, making it available online and as an iPhone app.

Even if you don’t have thousands of dollars to pour into multiple ventures, leverage your dollars in the crowdsourcing movement. Considered to be the ground-iest of the ground floors of investment, crowdsourcing lets you give small amounts of money in exchange for recognition and in-kind gifts. While that may not sound lucrative, an early investment could open the door for additional opportunities in the future with a company that’s on its way to becoming the next big thing.

We pay many different types of tax during our lives. What this means is that there is the potential to claim back tax in many different ways. Your tax rebate will be dependent upon what types of tax you have overpaid on, and this will inform the process (or processes) you need to take in order to claim it back.

Healthcare Professionals

If you work as a healthcare professional you can claim tax back for your uniform, including the costs of washing or for purchasing shoes and tights. You can also claim tax back if you require specialist equipment for your job. The only proviso is that the clothes and equipment you claim for must be for work use only, and must not already be being offset by your employer.

Mileage and Travel Expenses

Another form of tax which can be claimed back is for mileage and travel expenses. If you require a vehicle for your job you can claim tax relief which will help to offset the cost of running your vehicle. As a legitimate business expense, this is something which everyone is entitled to, and a tax rebate of this nature can be very helpful for anyone who regularly travels for work related purposes. For more information about claiming back your travel expenses as a tax rebate, visit www.taxrebateservices.co.uk.

Tax Relief for Teachers

Teachers can claim tax back for a number of different reasons. If, for example, you have been required to pay fees to a professional body such as the NUT, you can claim part of these fees back as tax relief.

Teachers can also claim tax back in the same way that healthcare professionals can, if they require the use of specialist clothing or equipment for their jobs. Tax relief can also be claimed if this clothing requires laundering which is outside of the remit of normal clothes washing procedures. But this can only be claimed if the clothing in question bears your employer’s logo.

Other Types of Professional Tax Rebate Claims

There are many different types of professionals who can claim tax back according to the requirements of their job. These include:

• Mechanics
• Construction Workers
• Non Resident Landlords

For more information about whether or not you can claim back tax according to your profession, it’s always important to get the advice of a regulatory body, or from a professional tax rebate service provider.

A secured loan is a lending product which can be obtained by leveraging an asset against the value of the loan amount. They’re a great choice for people who are asset rich, but cash poor. They’re can also be very helpful in an emergency, when you need to access cash quickly. But what does taking out a secured loan actually entail? And how can you tell if it is the right product for you?

Assessing Your Needs

Before applying for a secured loan, it’s important to make sure that you are fully aware of your needs beforehand.

• Do you really need a loan?
• Are you able to make the repayments?
• Is a secured loan the right type of loan for you?
• Do you meet the criteria to qualify for an unsecured loan?

If the answer to all of these questions is yes, then a secured loan is the right option for you. But secured loans come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s a good idea to shop around before settling on one. For example, 1st Stop secured loans are the perfect choice for people with bad credit, who need to borrow any amount between £1500 and £15,000.

Finding the Right Loan Provider

If you’re thinking about taking out a secured loan, it’s important to find the right provider. There are many providers of secured loans, but not all of them are as reputable as they might first appear. When shopping for a lender, you should always check to see if they have any affiliations with regulatory bodies such as the FCA (formerly the FSA). If they do, this is a good indicator of trust.

The Risks of Taking a Secured Loan

Just as with any financial product, there are risks involved in taking out a secured loan. But as long as you are aware of these risks, and know how to manage them, you should find that your secured loan is very beneficial.

Because a secured loan requires that you leverage an asset against it as collateral, if you default on your loan this asset may become forfeit. If the asset in question is your car, or even your home, this loss can be devastating. So it’s important that, before you take out an unsecured loan, you are aware of the repercussions and fully able to make your repayments.

Responsible gambling is really common sense. It is just like responsible drinking or any other form of entertainment. Stick to these guidelines for responsible gambling and you will find that it is a great deal of fun.

These are the fundamentals:

· Don’t treat gambling as a primary or even a secondary source of income

· Set yourself a spending limit that you can afford to lose, and never exceed it.

· If you are losing, then don’t chase your losses by gambling more.

· Don’t spend an excessive amount of time gambling; set yourself a time limit and quit once you reach it.

· Avoid gambling when you are in a bad mood or if you are tired or upset; at such times you might not be completely in control of either your emotions or your actions.

· Aim to fit in your gambling with your other activities; strike a balance; we all need balance in our lives.

· Finally, avoid gambling when you have had a few alcoholic drinks. Alcohol and gambling aren’t the best of partners even though at the time it might seem that they are though you are likely to be a little sorry the next morning.

Other things to consider are:

· Make sure that you understand the game before you start betting on it.

· Learn something about the rules of chance and how they apply to the games that you like to play.

· Understand the concept of house edge which is the way in which all casinos whether online at online casino Australia or real, make their money.

· Read about gamblers folly and the law of averages. The first of these is the concept that things other that the rules of chance can apply to certain independent event games such as roulette; and there is no such thing as the law of averages, it is an entirely fallacious concept.