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Up today, down tomorrow? The fortunes of the euro are swinging widely depending on the news from Greece.

It might seem like the international political equivalent of a soap opera. Updates from Greece emerge as regularly as episodes of Eastenders, in which there is a new twist on whether the heavily indebted nation is set to receive its latest EU loan, implement crucial reforms, or just plan give up the ghost and default, abandoning the euro and returning to the drachma. Furthermore these nightly episodes have a lot of viewers, as international investors incorporate events in Greece into their decisions whether to sell the euro. It is not exaggerating things to say the future of the currency hangs on Greece in this sense! Why then is it so important? And how can you use the situation to help you?

The Musketeers of Foreign Exchange

The situation in Greece matters because the members of the euro are a little like the three musketeers: they go ahead shouting “All for one and one for all!” In this sense, the euro lives or dies according to the health of its members. If Greece or Portugal look a bit green about the gills, that has a knock-on impact on larger economies like France and Germany. In fact, it is not exaggerating to say that, though Greece is only a small country, its defaulting could plunge both Europe and the world into crisis! Commentators describe that scenario as comparable to the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008.

Turning to the present, right now the Greek situation has hurt the euro against its rivals, because Greece and the EU are at blows regarding its second bailout. For Europe, it is no longer certain Greece can be trusted, following months in which it has promised reforms and failed to deliver. This has reached the point that German finance minister Wolfgang Schlaueble is calling for Greece to give up control of its own finances, and hand them to Brussels! For Greece meanwhile, this is of course a huge insult. Hence the impasse – and the Euro weakness.

How Might The Foreign Exchange Rate Change In Future?

Turning to the future, the state of the euro depends on awful lot on the solution that emerges. For me at least, there is no serious threat of Greece leaving the euro right now. The reports in the newspapers are spats between partners, but do not represent a permanent divide. In that sense, it seems certain to me that the euro will eventually gain as Greece makes progress. But I could be wrong! And before that agreement emerges, there could yet be more ups and downs prompting euro weakness.

Money. Our world revolves around it and so does all of the entertainment within it. In fact, some of the best films ever made purely been a cinematic expression of what we all feel and experience every day, the desire or need to have money and then how it affects us when we do or do not have it.

All films take us on a different route or view, some gory, some tactical, some glamorous and others damn action packed, but in the end, the majority all lead to a closing scene with someone clutching a filthy stinking huge wad of cash. We either feel infuriated by it, or elated, but as long as we feel something, we’re happy to part with our own cold hard cash.

So with this in mind, let’s take a look at four of the very best films about money:

Scarface

“First you get the money, then you get the power, then you get the women”. If ever there were a ruthlessly honest outlook which described an outlaw’s view of America, it’s that of Tony Montana. Scarface is one of the best told ‘rise and fall’ stories in history, an embodiment of just how twisted the pursuit of money can affect someone’s life. In reality this film shows just what Notorious B.I.G spoke about so vividly, mo’ money, mo’ problems.

Glengarry Glen Ross

Another Pacino classic and another film which shows the ruthless world of businessman. Not just any type of businessman, more notably a group of real estate salesman. The film depicts a group of salesmen at various stages in their life and careers, all with one common goal, to make the most sales in an attempt to avoid getting fired. Desperate times call for desperate measures and one salesman goes just that little too f’in far.

Casino

A Martin Scorsese classic, in collaboration with writer Nicholas Pileggi and featuring actors Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. Based on a true story, the film follows ‘Ace’ (De Niro) who is one of America’s best handicap gamblers and is left in charge of a Las Vega Casino. The film follows both the street mobs and real business world intertwining in the constant hunt for more money, before the film turns full circle and ends with a much older ‘Ace’ never really being able to escape the game.

Wall Street

If ever you wanted to know how Charlie Sheen for famous, this 1987 classic is pretty much where it all started. The film shows the classic tale of a young man Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) entering the alluring but cut throat world of stock broking. In his pursuit to get to the top he soon finds himself working with notorious broker and corporate raider Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). It’s the classic tale of a young guy learning from the elder, seasoned, hardened veteran and moral conflicts this can cause.

Scott is a writer who imagines what it would have been like if Tony Montana dealt in credit card transfers rather than cash. Dealing with credit cards or Paypal isn’t quite as gangster, is it?

Throughout the state of Arizona, consumers are discovering the peace of mind that comes from knowing that they can access the cash they need if a financial emergency should occur—even if they’ve had serious credit problems in the past. In order to qualify for car title loans, AZ residents need not undergo a credit check or extensive financial background investigation; instead, applications are considered based on the value of the vehicle and the ability of the applicant to repay the loan. This new approach allows even those with seriously damaged credit ratings to borrow the money they need by using their paid-for vehicle as collateral.

Application Requirements

In general, the application process is similar throughout Arizona, and it will not vary significantly for Phoenix title loans as compared to Tucson title loans or loans from other cities within the state. Most companies require that the borrower provide the following:

• A clear title to the vehicle

• Proof of comprehensive and collision insurance with a specified deductible amount

• Proof of employment and residence

• A valid driver’s license

• References

The borrower will be approved for a specific loan amount based on the value of the vehicle and the borrower’s current ability to pay. Auto title loans are usually of extremely short duration, but in some cases, they can be extended for as long as three years in order to allow the borrower to repay the loan more easily. The lender will retain the original title, which is used as collateral for the loan and must be surrendered to the company in the event that the borrower defaults on the loan agreement.

How It Works

• Step #1: Companies determine the borrower’s eligibility for an auto title loan online through a simple computerized application.

• Step #2: Once the borrower has been approved, he or she can simply deliver the title to the brick-and-mortar location of the title company, or if the lender allows it, the title can be sent by courier service to a centralized holding facility.

• Step #3: The company will retain the title and will disburse the needed funds as soon as is practical. If the title is surrendered in person, the company typically delivers the cash on the spot. For online applicants, the loan is usually disbursed on the day the title is received in the office, and the money can be in the borrower’s bank account as soon as the next business day.

What do you spend money on that’s actually necessary? You’d surprised how much is actually a waste of money. Many people fool themselves, and they’re essentially letting their pocketbook dictate for them. This is a mistake, because you can save a lot of money on things you’re already paying for by just modifying how you pay for those “necessary expenses”.

1. Cook At Home

If you had a $300 bill each month that you could avoid, would you cancel the serivce? Well, I know how you can do this very same thing. Simply, don’t go out to eat anymore. The typical meal for two costs $30 when you include a tip. If you get desserts, drinks, appetizers and alcohol, that price can shoot up more than 200%. Plus, if you have kids, and you buy meals for them, even if you use the kids menu, you could end up spending $50 or more. That is just an unnecessary expense. So, what is the answer? Cook at home. Some people feel that cooking at home is expensive, but it’s not really if you buy a few simple ingredients in bulk and cook from those. Prepared foods are important and cooked foods are important. Just get a small bulk assortment of grains, eggs, cheese, milk, and breads, and you can get creative with cooking at home. Uses spices to mix it up, and just google recipes and cooking tips – you’ll never get sick of your own food this way.

2. Buy Generic Foods

Speaking of bulk grocery shopping, one thing you should do is buy generic. Each grocery store has their own generic brand of most ingredients, and these can be purchased for much less at the grocery store themselves. People are used to buying their favorite brands like Heinz, Starkist, and Dole, but these brands are grossly overpriced. Plus, if you add in the grocery store discount card, you could save even more. On the subject of grocery stores, try not to shop more than once a week. Make your food stretch, and if you can’t, this means more of what you buy should be purchased in bulk.

3. Water

Most people don’t like the taste of water from the tap, but they can get a water filter and bottle it at home. If you bottle your own water, you can save a lot of money in the long run. You don’t have to spend money each week on bottled water, and you don’t have to lug it in from the car (which can be pretty annoying), and let’s face it – you’re helping the environment! Furthermore, a water filter is nice to have because you know that all the water you drink is pure and fresh. When you think about it, buying bottled water regularly means you have two water bills each month, one of which is marked up something like 1000%.

New York has begun doing what any major city does when it runs out of real estate, but with great success. It has started increasing the rent for up to $5000 for a single bedroom apartment, not a better deal for an average family earning $100K a year. And to date there are no witnesses of slowing in the growth of the rental prices in this city.

The ever-taller high rises, extremely profitable to the owners relative to the forecasted construction costs, provide homes for escalating population. While single family homes that are put up for rent are typically larger, with private yards, the condos are barely 1000 sq. ft. but with views of the city and scenery to die for. Extra features such as gym, playgrounds, club house and concierges provide an interesting alternative to living here.

A two bedroom single family home in the heart of the city can cost around $6000 and as low as $750 in a suburban area outside the city, almost double the cost of what it was two decades ago. The downtown part has a rent of anywhere from $1500 to $2200 for a studio, and $3000 for a 2 bedroom, while upper east side-the affluent area where most skyscrapers are-can go as high as $10,000. Although the outskirts have seen a slight decrease in the influx of people after the recession, the very wealthy area have done very well in maintaining this price over the last ten years.

Reasons for Rent Increases :
There are various theories behind what is really causing the rental prices to increase in New York. And most prices are driven by owners and their agents convincing people to rent while justifying that they are seeing a completely rational price in comparison with the cost of owning a home. One can note that the recent rental boom has not been limited to New York but has been in full swing in other states such as California, Washington and North Carolina. The wealthiest cities and neighborhoods have experienced the greatest home appreciation recently, and these increases have outstripped rental growth in such markets.

Let us look at some of the theories that is driving the rental price here:

Theory 1: Demand and Supply:
People who are on an edge of buying houses in NY are seeing that housing and mortgage markets are imperfect, with real estate agents not representing the buyers interest and appraisers being paid to justify exorbitant prices. They are realizing that homes under this scenario are not worth what they were worth previously. Land is scarcer in the most exclusive communities and people renting would pay large premium for living in such communities.

Theory 2: Renting is Cheaper than Owning:
Renting is one way of showing that home prices cannot escape the fundamental forces that drive them in the long term-income. The housing prices have grown exponentially with respect to renting, and in this massive economy people are unable to pay large portion of their paycheck toward their house. People fearing the real trouble meeting their obligations in the future such as divorce, job loss and medical emergencies, want to post-phone buying and just rent for a while.

Theory 3: Population Growth and Immigration:

Probably the most popular reason as to why rent prices has seen an increase in recent years. Most new immigrants are renters and prefer to rent as long as they could save money to buy a home, resulting in more demand for rental properties.

Theory 4: Escalating Construction Cost:
Even though home builders are on the sell side of the market, they are unable to fair given the high cost of construction, compelling them to increase the price of houses to a level not reachable by an average middle class family- another economic reason that people are renting rather than buying. More so, builders claim that it is the zoning and building restrictions that are the culprit in higher rental prices.

Where The Current Rental Market is Heading:
Even homeowners with less leverage in their homes are now feeling relatively safe renting the houses given the current trend. Considering the shaky economy and no real income growth, people are beginning to dedicate their resources and attention to rent in an attempt to avert a real disaster from buying a house.

David Haynes is a writer who searched for the Lettings Bristol had to offer when choosing his home.