Beware of Tax Preparers Who Promise Large Refunds But Won’t Sign Your Tax Return

In my experience as President of SmartServ Solutions, I come across many new clients each year. Most new come to us as a result of my snazzy advertising or through a referral from one of our existing clients. Still others come because they are looking to get a bigger tax refund. I am all for getting the most money back from Uncle Sam. That is, the most legal money. In recent weeks, I have come across a large number of previously filed fraudulent tax returns from 2005. It is a very disturbing trend occurring in the tax preparation business. Before I explain what is going on with the fraudulent tax returns, I would like to give a brief overview of the different types of tax preparation companies. I would classify the tax preparation business into three major categories:

The large faceless tax franchises

Most of the large franchise tax places hire seasonal part time workers who are moonlighting for extra money. They receive training each year from their corporate offices on the new tax laws, but tax preparation is not their primary profession. This leads to in many cases sloppy work and missed deductions. Most of the franchise tax places close down after April 15th.

Independent tax preparation and accounting firms

Independent firms are typically small firms where tax preparers work year round and additional support staff is hired during tax season. Many of these types of firms stay open all year and supplement the rest of the year after tax season with related financial service businesses like accounting, mortgages, investments or insurance.

The “guy” or “girl” who gets big tax refunds

These people are everywhere. They typically work out of an apartment or small store. Their reputation for getting extremely large tax refunds has spread like wildfire. Everybody either knows this person or someone who goes to someone like it. Their offices or apartments are usually standing room only and people will wait hours and hours just for a chance to get their taxes prepared here. There is an unfortunate reality about this type of outfit. An income tax return can be easily manipulated to create a large “temporary” tax refund. I will get in to the reason why I say “temporarily” shortly. Some people actually get and deserve tax refunds upwards of $10,000, $15,000 or even $20,000. The right combination of children, babysitting, mortgage interest and taxes, large withholdings and education expenses will in many cases create such a large tax refund that is legitimate. However, there are many unscrupulous tax preparers in this category who illegally add some or all of the above deductions and credits to anyone’s tax return.

The sad truth is that the IRS will send you the money if you file a fraudulent return claiming an undeserving refund. The IRS is a slow moving big government bureaucracy. They may move slowly, but they do move. They have the capabilities of catching up with most of the tax fraud that is out there. It usually takes them a year or two or three after a tax return like this is filed, but they do catch those involved. What most people who utilize these types of tax preparers fail to realize is that they are completely responsible for the tax return that they file. A defense of “my tax preparer did it” or “I didn’t know” isn’t good enough for the IRS. Once you are caught filing such a tax return, you will be subject to pay back all of the money that you received illegally plus penalties, plus interest and possibly fines. And the IRS will get their money. They will use their power to place a tax levy against fraudsters which will give them the right to freeze assets like bank accounts and garnish salary. This is why I call an undeserving tax refund a “temporary” one. The IRS or State Department of Taxation also has the power to seek jail time if they find that there was fraud committed. Obviously, the unscrupulous tax preparers don’t tell this to their unsuspecting clients. I truly feel bad for these people. Most of them don’t understand the implications of filing a false tax return. I have met many people who have had their lives ruined by such circumstances. Life is too precious and it is not worth ruining your life for an extra couple of thousand dollars on your tax return that you don’t deserve. One tell tale sign that your tax preparer may be committing fraud on your tax return is that they refuse to sign the preparers part of your return. A tax preparer is required by the IRS to sign your tax return if they prepared it for you.

I want to personally caution all taxpayers of filing such a fraudulent tax return in order to receive an unjust refund. There are many legitimate deductions and credits that are available that can be found if you look hard enough. Please choose a tax preparation company who will go the extra mile for your interests while not putting your financial future in jeopardy by getting you in trouble with the IRS.

The Facts About FHA And VA Home Loans & Refinancing

Government-Backed Loans – Government loans refer to those loans that are guaranteed by one of two federal agencies. The two types of government loans are: Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, and Veterans Administration (VA) loans. The advantage of financing using FHA loans are that they are easier to qualify for and allow a borrower to finance more of the loan amount than non-government loans. Whereas with a Conforming loan a borrower may only be able to finance 80% of the loan amount, a FHA loan allows a borrower to finance 97% of the loan amount. FHA loans are recommended for those borrowers who are first-time buyers, have little money to put down, have a short credit history, or are having trouble qualifying for a Conforming loan. The two main advantages of financing using VA loans are that the VA allows borrowers to finance 100% of the loan amount, and that, the VA only requires proof of veteran status to qualify for the loan. The only drawback to government loans is that mortgage insurance is required at all loan to values (LTV), unlike Conventional and Jumbo loans where payment of mortgage insurance is determined by the amount of equity a borrower has in his home.

VA Loan Information

VA loans are designed to provide assistance in purchasing a home for United States Veterans. A benefit of a VA loan is that you can purchase a home with no down payment. In addition, it is slightly easier to qualify for a Veterans Affair loan when compared to a regular loan.

Many people for who actually qualify for a VA Loan are not aware of it.

Who qualifies for a VA Loan?

The following table shows what type of service (and for what duration is required in order to be eligible for a VA Loan:

Wartime

Service during:WWII-09/16/40 to 07/25/47 Korean-06/27/50 to 01/31/55 Vietnam-08/05/64 to 05/07/75 Persian Gulf-8/2/90 to undetermined. You must have at least 90 days on active duty. Plus, you must have been discharged under other than dishonorable conditions. If you served less than the standard 90 days, you may be eligible if discharged for a service connected disability.

Peacetime

Service during periods:-07/26/47 to 06/26/50 & 02/01/55 to 08/04/64 & 05/08/75 to 08/01/90To qualify for a VA Loan, you must have served at least 181 days of continuous active duty. Plus, you must have been discharged under other than dishonorable conditions. If you served less than the standard 181 days, you may be eligible if discharged for a service connected disability.

Other questions about VA Loans:

1) Is the spouse or children of a veteran eligible?A spouse is eligible if the veteran died as a result of a service connected disability or died while on active duty. The children are not eligible. 2) Who makes the loans?Private lenders make the loans. However, the VA guarantee protects these lenders against loss. The guaranty will allow lenders to make loans without other requirements (for example, a down payment). 3) Can I get a VA loan if I have been foreclosed on in the past?Yes. The best way to find out how to qualify for this is to contact a mortgage specialist. They can give you advice on what you can do to ensure you can qualify for a loan.If you are considering a VA Loan, remember that there are still a variety of different mortgages. A mortgage broker can be a useful tool to help find the most appropriate mortgage for your purchase. If you plan on living in your home for a long period of time, you may want to consider the traditional fixed-rate 15- or 30-year loan. Another option is to choose an adjustable rate mortgage and consider refinancing again in a few years. Short-term mortgages include balloon mortgages and one-year adjustable rate mortgages.

Is an FHA loan the best home loan for my situation?

You have many decisions when choosing which type of loan is best for your situation. Is the FHA loan the best? What about a VA loan? When is a Conventional loan better than an FHA loan?

A mortgage specialist can analyze your situation, and help you determine which loan is best for you. In many cases, there are other loans more beneficial than an FHA loan. Although in some situations, FHA loans are the best choice.

About the FHA Loan program. With an FHA Loan, your home loan is insured by HUD. The FHA Program is designed to help give home buyers the opportunity to qualify for a mortgage, when they may not otherwise qualify. HUD assumes some of the risk on the loan. The requirements are not as high for an FHA loan as they are for Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac Loans. Plus, a borrower can purchase a home with only 3% down. In some cases a borrower can qualify for gift programs which allow them to purchase a home with no money out of pocket. There are a variety FHA loan programs that you can take advantage of. A mortgage specialist can give you advice as to which is best for you.

Cheap Loans – Dirt Will Seem Costlier!

Loans culture has grown considerably in recent times. Like any growing industry, loans industry has healthy competition. This competition has furthered the cause of finding cheap loans in UK. Cheap loans are not offered on platter. There are tricks to the trade of finding cheap loans.

Though borrowing money is not always an easy decision but there are times when loans are a necessity. Cheap loans are provided for every circumstance and reason – Personal loans, secured loans, unsecured loans, mortgage, car loans…….

When looking for cheap loans pay attention on various aspect of loans – interest rates, loan term, monthly payments are all instrumental. Interest rates are an obvious way to start your cheap loan search. Find out the lowest interest rates that are offered for your particular loan. Cheap loans are not the first loan you stumble upon while searching for loans or the first loan that is offered to you. There is always a scope for finding a cheaper loan than the one you found in loans market.

You will have to research for finding cheap loans. This may not be your favorite job but will be certainly active in locating cheap loans. For cheap loans you will have to go to various lenders and ask for quotes. Quotes give an idea of the loan cost to the borrower. After taking quotes compare the loan quotes to settle on cheap loans. Online the chances of finding cheap loans are doubled.

The terms and conditions for cheap loans are quite flexible. This has lead to those with imperfect credit also qualifying for cheap loans. In fact a separate category of bad credit loan ensures that cheap loans are a viable possibility for every borrower.

Getting cheap loans also depend on collateral and equity. Secured loan will always be a cheaper option than unsecured loans. Equity will sanction the amount you can borrow. If you have ample equity than you can qualify for larger amounts at cheap interest rates.

Your employment record will also affect your chances of finding cheap loans. A borrower can qualify for cheap loans if he or she has a stable income with a good employment record. You can find cheap loans for bad credit history but a good credit score is integral in finding cheap loans. Every lender will be looking at credit score before extending cheap loans. A good credit score will make you a primary contender for cheap loans.

If you want to borrow large amounts then mortgage is the best and cheapest loans option. Mortgage will be available at the lowest interest rates and terms at all the leading finance companies. It is a cheap way of borrowing money and considerable types of mortgages exist keeping in mind the requirements of borrowers.

If you are having more than two unpaid debts then debt consolidation is a cheap loans option. Debt consolidation loans are cheap way of uniting unpaid debt at low interest rates and low monthly payments. It is a cheap way of becoming debt free.

Student loan is an extremely cheap way of paying for college education. All students are eligible to apply for student loans and it is in fact the cheapest loan in the market. The interest rate for student loan is fixed. But you obviously have to go to a university for it and there is a limit to how much you can borrow.

Another way of procuring cheap loan is shortening the loan term. Shorter the loan term is the lesser will be what you pay as interest rate and it will be prove cheaper to your pocket. A shorter loan term will be less expensive and it is always such a pleasure to pay the loan in shorter time span.

There is no single cheap loan for everyone. In fact cheap loans are in accordance to your financial condition. If you are looking for cheap loans then you can get extensive information on the net. Read it all, explore your options and then settle on cheap loans. Cheap loan is all about finding a loan and then finding another one to beat that loan.

Fulfill Your Dream of Owning a Home With the Home Loan

Staying in own home is a dream of everyone. People see dreams of owning home at their own choice, but everybody doesn’t able to afford that. Nowadays in the country like India, money is not a barrier of the dream of owning a home. Because all the government and on-government banks in India offer Home loan. These loans are specially given to those people who wants to build-up their own home or purchase a home.

Indian banks offer home loan under different categories, these include:-

Home Purchase Loans – This kind of basic loans are being provided for purchasing a new home.

Home Construction Loan: Banks provides this kind of loan for construction of home.

Home Extension Loan: One can get the loan for expanding or extending his existing home.

Home Improvement Loans: People can avail these loans if they have the requirement for implementing repair works and renovations of their existing home.

Bridge Loans: This loan is the best loan for those people who wants to sell his existing home and wish to purchase a new home. Banks help people by giving this loan to finance the new home.

Balance Transfer Loans: This kind of loan is given to pay off an existing home loan and avail the option of a loan with a lower rate of interest..

Home Conversion Loan: Banks provide this kind of loan to those people who has already purchased home by taking home loan and then wants to move on to another home and for that he requires some extra money. Under this category of loan the existing loan is being transferred to the new home and the extra amount is to be included.

Land Purchase Loans: One can avail these loans for purchasing land. The bank will give the loan without checking whether the borrower taking the loan for construction his home or using it for some other purposes.

Refinance Loans: Those who have taken loans from their friends or relative to purchase their homes, this kind of loan helps them a lot to repay that debt amount to them.

Stamp Duty Loans: To purchase a property, stamp duty is essential. This kind of loan helps people to pay for the stamp duty.

In India, banks provide home loans against fixed and floating rate of interest. Under the fixed rate home loans the interest rate remains fixed for the whole period of the loan. By taking loan under this category the borrower will get the facility of getting a fixed interest rate. But in this case they have to pay a higher rate of interest. On the other hand, under the floating rate loans the rate of interest fluctuates accordingly. The borrower will get the facility of getting a low interest rate. But the interest rate can rise any time and the borrower has to pay a much higher interest rate than the fixed rate of these loans. The repayment of home loans are to be given through Equated Monthly Installment (EMI). The home loan EMI depends on the amount and the repayment period one takes.

In this age of technology, one can apply for the home loan Online. By applying online one gets relief from the lots of hassle like visiting to the lenders, seeking for the best home loan deal, do the huge formalities and fulfill the long paper works. By availing these loans online one just has to sit on a Internet enabled computer, make a search for the best home loan deal and after choosing one just has to fill a form, that’s it. By doing some simple procedures you dreams can come true.

10 Steps to Launching a Green Business

In the summer of 1989 I was taking a subway home with some friends that I co-founded an environmental non-profit with here in Brooklyn. I remember complaining about how tired I was of having to search and buy eco products in mail order catalogs (this was pre-internet days).

Basic eco-products like toilet paper made from recycled and non-chlorine bleached paper.

Back then there were no stores in NYC that sold it. In order to get it, you had to buy a case via mail order. A case of 96 rolls.

I remember complaining, “What am I going to do with 96 rolls of toilet paper in my small apartment!”

And that is when it hit me. What about having a retail store that screened all its products for their environmental impact? The task of researching and learning about the environmental (and social) issues that go into making products can overwhelm most customers.

I asked them, “So what if we created a store that did that for the customer? And you did not need to buy 96 rolls of something to get it.”

At the age of 25, that was the beginning of Earth General, which opened two years later in 1991.

Within six years Earth General grew to being one of the largest environmental retail stores in the country with over 3,000 products all screened for their environmental impact. Things like organic cotton clothing, natural body care, green cleaning products, recycled office supplies and stationery, all natural gardening products and so on.

Yet while our stores were popular in New York City, the concept was a bit ahead of its time and my investors and I closed them in 1998. Today, 10 years later, they would probably do quite well.

In fact today, most things (authentically) “going green” are looking very promising. For example, one of the mainstream issues on everyone’s mind is energy. And of the many things being developed in the energy sector, one segment to really watch in the very short term is nanotechnology.

If you are not familiar with nanotechnology, you need to be, as it looks likely to be dramatically changing our lives within the next couple of years.

According the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (CRN) Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. It is all about building things and using materials at a very small level. From this things like new, lighter, yet sturdier materials can be built.

For example, imagine cars made from materials as light as plastic, yet sturdier than steel. Lighter materials in our automobiles mean more energy efficiency, which in turn means more miles per gallon.

For more about this as well as a sense of the many, many applications currently being researched in nanotechnology, read “GreenBiz” recent article, Sweating the Small Stuff: A Market Opportunity.

Still need convincing that going green is a wise choice? On May 12th, The Wall Street Journal published an excellent story, Does Being Ethical Pay?

While the authors found consumers would be willing to pay a premium for ethical products, they also found consumers would also punish an unethical company… to a much greater degree (by only buying that company’s products at a steep discount.)

Perhaps it’s time for you to consider ramping up your green factor?

10 Steps to Determining Your Green Product / Service:

1. Pick your passion- what about the environment are you most passionate about? What do you notice really “burns your bacon”? For help, refer to January 30th’s Power Boost: Top 10 Business Issues into Environmental Opportunities.

2. Define your target-who is your market? What customer base are you most comfortable serving?

3. Get in their head-what is the need of that customer base? What are their pains? Remember to relate this to what you are most passionate about in the environment (remember my frustration that created Earth General?)

4. Relief is on the way!-what is your solution to your target market’s pain and to their needs? Especially if they do not even know they have it! Be clear as possible on this one. Make it really stand out.

5. Support is the key-who is on your team? What expertise do you need and who will have it? What are these people’s motivations for working with you (hint: your vision on where you would like to take your business.)

6. Name the players-who is your competition? How are you better and/or different? How can you authentically show your strengths over them? No competition, then your product/service niche is too small!

7. Be a hurdle jumper-what are the barriers to entry for competition to join you down the road? Is it difficult to gain entry? If not, how can you make it difficult or how will you retain customer loyalty (hint: focus on the green/social impact of what you do!)

8. Keep clearing those hurdles-how to keep in front of the barriers to entry. As the market continues to develop, what new, cool, authentic green (and social) components can you add to the mix? Stay ahead of the pack. Stay on top of your market research.

9. It’s all in the girth-and how scalable your product/service is. Compare it with how big you want to go with this idea. Look to balance the two. It’s OK if you want to stay small, just get clear before you take off.

10. Review your passion-how do you feel about your product/service? If you feel something is off, you must address it before moving forward. If not, it will bite you in the butt later. Don’t step over this. Find solutions to what is keeping you from really playing full out.

Once you’ve worked through these 10 steps, you should be ready to rock. I’d love to hear what cool, unreasonable green business you’re ready to launch.

Action Steps for the Week:

Whether you’re working for the man or the man is working for you, it might behoove you to examine your green business game plan.

If you have one, review it again and see what of the 10 steps (from above) might need some refining. And if you’re new to the subject, really take inventory on how and what to implement into your business.

The more thought you put into this, the more likely you’ll be whistling Dixie later on.

What Kind Of Groups Operate In The North East To Encourage Business Opportunities In The UK

This enthusiastic and close knit team is working in new ways to deliver real benefit for UK wealth creation in new and emerging technologies. This network will be delivered in parallel, with both Nanotechnology led activities and strong collaborations with other leading organizations, to provide this valuable service for the benefit of the UK.

Aiding the transfer of knowledge between industry and academia, organizations offer companies dealing in small-scale technology connectivity to information on funding initiatives, existing projects, centers of excellence, new processes, patents, as well as keeping up-to-date with industry regulation. The Nanotechnology is an important part of the innovation process in the sector and has the potential to have a real impact on the fortunes of the UK economy transferring technology, facilitating innovation, ensuring the provision of suitable demonstrator facilities and the encouragement of supply chain collaborations. These organizations can provide thought leadership within the various constituent sectors o as well as contributing to the creation of regional and national UK policy.

The Center of Excellence for Nanotechnology, Micro and Photonic Systems (Cenamps) is funding research and development programs that will lead to further commercial opportunities and spin-outs in North East England.

Cenamps is an international Center of Excellence for Nanotechnology, Micro and Photonic Systems. Seeds collaborative R&D programs as platforms for near market commercialization opportunities through university spin-outs and by strengthening the knowledge base to support larger industry-linked projects in the region.

The resources that are all ready located in the North East of England are already huge. INEX is the largest and best equipped public sector micro and nano device fabrication facility in the UK. It was founded in 2002 as the business arm of the Institute of Nanoscale Science and Technology at Newcastle University, but has been an independent organization since 2004. The facility has generated millions of pounds worth of new technology since its formation, so far spinning out 11 companies in the process making investment in the UK a big player to look at.

CNBC Fast Money And The Halftime Report

CNBC Fast Money is a financial talk show in the US mainly discussing stock trading. Since 2007, it is aired every night at 5 pm or an hour after the conclusion of the NYSE. But in 2011, this financial investing TV program was moved to Mondays to Thursday to give way to special programs and forex trading on Fridays. The show is taped in NASDAQ headquarters in New York. After Dylan Ratigan, who is now the host of Fast Money?

Vibrant and dynamic, the panel referred to as the Fast Money Five and host Melisa Lee offers an interactive stock trading talk show. When the trade is closed, Melissa and the Fast five provides input about the significant financial trends and how viewers can gain profit. How can you gain fast cash with this program?

Often visited by experienced traders and panelists, CNBC Fast Money offers valuable insights for viewers who are interested in stock trading and individual or corporate investors searching for crucial information. With interesting segments and program features that provides marker for the most significant pops, drops and notable players in the stock market, this program is directed to the financial world and catered to help traders in the succeeding days. What about the program’s ratings?

The first 13 episodes of CNBC Fast Money in 2006 at Wednesdays 8 pm were very low at estimated 110,000 viewers a week. The program was moved to a new timeslot at 5 pm resulting to its better reception and higher ratings. Viewership has doubled within a few weeks. Then after this 5 pm test, the network re-launched the program back at 8 pm hoping it might have gained footing after the amplified viewership. It failed. Ratings plummeted again. Fortunately CNBC retried the program at 5 pm and had gained its intended viewership for good. What about the Halftime Report?

CNBC Fast Money Halftime Report has similar format but airs after noon. This show debuted in 2010 and was initiated from the segment on CNBC power Lunch. This special edition is hosted by Scott Wagner and airs live from Global HQ in New Jersey. Initially aired as a 30-minute talk show, the halftime Report became a one-hour TV program in 2011 and moved up to the noontime programming. This is the replacement of the cancelled show “The Strategy Session,” which suffered from very low ratings. Individual and corporate traders and investors can watch this show to monitor current trends in the stock trade and get the latest insights from the experts.

7 Tips to Help Save Interest on Your Home Loan

Here are 7 tips on to save on interest by paying your home loan faster.

Owning a home is one of the most common aspirations among people from all walks of life. No matter what his status in life is, every person will give anything just to be able to build a home for his family.

There are people who have been blessed with a fortune so they can easily build not one but even two or more homes for their families. Some people who have made it their life aspiration to own their own homes manage to fulfill their dreams by availing of a home loan.

Owning a home through a loan is not an easy task because first of all, the person has to have a good credit history. He has to find a suitable mortgage provider that can give him the amount he needs to buy or build his home. Not only that; he also has to choose the best home mortgage he can get to maximize his financial resources.

Before finalizing his application for a home loan, any borrower should evaluate his capacity to pay off his loan for a specific period. Loan providers prefer to give long term loans because this is how they make money. Every borrower should choose a pay-off period that is advantageous to him.

There are advantages and disadvantages to getting a long term home loan. A long term long can be beneficial to the borrower because he can negotiate minimal monthly payments for his home loan. This would be advantageous for him especially if he can negotiate a home loan with a fixed or locked interest. However, this can also be disadvantageous for him if the interest rates go down.

On the other hand, a long term loan can be disadvantageous for the borrower if the interest rate is not fixed and sudden economic factors cause a notable increase in interest rates. Getting a long term home loan can also be more expensive because while the repayment term is long, the total amount mortgaged can be twice or even thrice the principal amount loaned depending on the terms of the lender.

In general, paying off a home loan the soonest possible time would be more beneficial to the borrower. For one, he is assured that he owns his home without worrying about the property being forfeited and in effect losing all his investment.

1. Read and review the terms of the home loan agreement, Check all the
Financial and pay off terms to make sure the loan is not totally onerous for the borrower. Calculate the total amortizations you have to pay and choose a term that you can easily pay off in a monthly or quarterly period.

2. Always make the home loan amortization a priority when it comes to budgeting. When the family income comes in, the borrower should always deduct that amount needed to pay off the home loan amortization to make sure it is not spent on other expenses.

3. Ask the loan provider if a rebate is given for early or on time payments. Some lenders give a rebate every time the amortization is paid on or before the cut off date. The savings you will get from paying early can be given to the lender as an advance home payment. The amount may be meager but it will add up and will later lessen the paying period.

4. Allot a percentage or better yet, apply all the bonuses and other financial gains to the home loan payment. This will be considered as an advanced payment and will get you a breather in case there is an emergency and the money for the home loan is used for a more important expense like health emergencies.

5. Always be vigilant abut how the interest rates go up and down. When the interest rates fall down substantially, refinancing the home loan may just be the best option. However, make sure that the refinancing scheme will lessen the financial burden on your part.

6. Encourage family members to take on extra work or projects to add to the family income. The benefits of owning a home will redound to the whole family so it is important to make the members aware that pitching in home loan payment will always work for the benefit of the whole family. Each member who gets and extra income can allot a portion of that income to paying off the home loan. No matter how meager that extra income may be, it will add up and will help in paying off the home loan the soonest possible time.

7. Save, save and save. Owning a home is a project that requires the head of the family and even the family members to save and scrimp to pay off the loan fast. The family can help by saving on energy consumption or other household expenses. The savings from other household expenses can be used to add to the home loan payment.

For average income earners, only a home loan can make the dream of owning a home a reality. No matter how meager the monthly income is, there is always a chance of owning a home. However, the family should find ways to pay off the home loan fast so they can finally and totally own their home.

Internet Banking: Relevance in a Changing World

Surprising, but true – Internet-based activity is not the preserve of the young “digital native” generation alone. A 2008 survey says that Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1976) uses Internet banking significantly more than any other demographic segment, with two thirds of Internet users in this age group banking online.

Gen X users have also professed their preference for applications such as Facebook, to share, connect and be part of a larger community.

This is some irony in this, since online banking, as we know it today, offers minimal interactivity. Unlike in a branch, where the comfort of two way interaction facilitates the consummation of a variety of transactions, the one way street of e-banking has only managed to enable the more routine tasks, such as balance inquiry or funds transfer.

It’s not hard to put two and two together. A clear opportunity exists for banks that can transform today’s passive Internet banking offering into one that provides a more widespread and interactive customer experience.

It is therefore imperative that banks transform their online offering, such that it matches the new expectations of customers. Moreover, Internet banking must journey to popular online customer hangouts, rather than wait for customers to come to it.

There are clear indications that the shift towards a “next generation” online banking environment has already been set in motion. It is only a matter of time before these trends become the norm.

Leveraging of Social Networks

Forward thinking banks are leveraging existing social networks on external sites to increase their visibility among interested groups. They are also deploying social software technology on their own sites to engage the same communities in two way discussions. Thus, their Internet banking has assumed a more pervasive persona – customers are engaging with the bank, along with its products and services even when they’re not actually transacting online.

Heightened visibility apart, banks can gain tremendous customer insight from such unstructured, informal interactions. For example, a discussion on the uncertain financial future among a group of 18 to 25 years old could be a signal to banks to offer long term investment products to a segment that was previously not considered a target. Going one step further, a positive buzz around a newly launched service can create valuable word-of-mouth advertising for the business.

Collaborating through Web 2.0

The collaborative aspect of Web 2.0 applications has enabled banks to draw customers inside their fold more than ever before. Traditional methods such as focus group discussions or market research suffer from the disadvantages of high cost, limited scope and potential to introduce bias. Feedback forms merely serve as a post-mortem. In contrast, Web 2.0 has the ability to carry a vast audience along right from the start, and continue to do so perpetually. Thus, an interested community of prospects and customers participate in co-creating products and services which can fulfill their expectations.

The pervasiveness of Web 2.0 enables delivery of e-banking across multiple online locations and web-based gadgets such as Yahoo!Widgets, Windows Live or the iPhone. This means next generation online banking customers will enjoy heightened access and convenience

A New York based firm of analysts found that 15% of the 70 banks tracked by them had adopted Web 2.0, a number of them having done so within the last 12 months.

Standard Chartered Bank employees connect with their colleagues through Facebook and use the platform to share knowledge, clarify questions and participate in discussions on ongoing company activities.

Bank of America, Wachovia Bank and Commonwealth Credit Union have built a presence within interactive media to create awareness and keep up a dialogue with interested communities. They have employed a variety of methods, ranging from creating YouTube communities to launching campaigns on Current TV, a channel in which viewers determine content.

Personalization of Online Banking

Vanilla e-banking divides customers into very large, heterogeneous groups – typically, corporate, retail or SME, with one type of Internet banking page for each. That’s in sharp contradiction to how banking organizations would like to view their clientele. Banks are moving towards customer-specificity, almost viewing each client as a “segment of one”, across other channels, and online banking is set to follow suit. For instance, a specific home page for home loan customers and another for private banking clients could well be a possibility in future.

Interestingly, National Bank of Kuwait had the foresight to do this several years ago – they enabled customers to determine which products they would view and access, and were rewarded with a dramatic increase in online transactions.

Money Monitor from Yes Bank allows customers to choose their landing page – for example, they can set “all transactions”, “net worth” or “portfolio” as their default view. Other features include the ability to categories transactions as per customers’ convenience and the printing of custom reports.

Empowerment Online

Beyond doubt, Internet banking has created a more informed, empowered class of customers. This is set to climb to the next level once customers are allowed to proactively participate in many more transaction-related processes. The Internet has already made it possible for customers to compare product loan offerings, simulate financial scenarios and design custom retirement portfolios. Going forward, they would be able to consummate related transactions – which means, after comparing interest rates, they could originate a loan online, and once secured, they can begin to repay it online as well.

Portalization

The emergence of Web 2.0 technology coupled with banks’ desire to personalize their e-banking to the highest degree is likely to result in “portalization” of Internet banking. The idea of banking customers being able to create their own spaces online, filled with all that is relevant to them, is not that far-fetched. Customers can personalize their Internet banking page to reflect the positions of multiple accounts across different banks; they could include their credit card information, subscribe to their favorite financial news, consolidate their physical assets position, share their experiences with a group and do more – all from one “place”.

Money Monitor enables customers to add multiple “accounts” (from a choice of 9,000) to their page. Accounts could be savings or loan accounts with major Indian banks, or those with utilities providers, credit card companies, brokerage firms and even frequent flyer programs. Users can customize their pages as described earlier.

As banks seek to develop their Internet banking vision for the future, in parallel, they will also need to address the key issues of security and “due defense”. While it is every marketer’s dream to have customers work as ambassadors, adequate precaution must be taken to prevent the proliferation of malicious or spurious publicity. Therefore, before an individual is allowed to participate in a networking forum, he or she must have built up a favorable track record with the bank. The individual must be a recognized customer of the bank, having used a minimum number of products over a reasonable length of time. Qualitative information about the person’s interaction with the bank’s support staff (for example frequency and type of calls made to their call center, outcome of such interaction and so on) may be invaluable in profiling the “right” type of customer who can be recruited as a possible advocate.

Collaborative Web 2.0 applications may necessitate opening up banks’ websites to outside technology and information exchange with third party sites, raising the spectre of data and infrastructure security. A robust mechanism of checks and balances must be built to ensure that the third party sites are secure, appropriately certified and pose no threat to the home banks’ sites. Likewise, before a third party widget is allowed to be brought on to a site, it must have passed through stringent security control.

Due diligence must be exercised before permitting users to place a link to another site to guard against the possibility of inadvertent download of malicious software, which could, in the worst case, even result in phishing originating from the banks’ sites.

It is equally important for a bank to guard its customers against invasion of privacy, data theft or misuse. The concept of portalization envisages deploying technology to bring information from other banks’ or financial service providers’ websites into the home bank’s site. The home bank must ensure that its customers’ personal or transaction related information, which may be shared with the other providers, is not susceptible to leakage or outright misuse.

Banks will do well to partner with an Internet banking solution provider which has not only the expertise to translate their vision into a cutting edge e-banking experience for the user, but also the foresight to define boundaries for safety. With security concerns adequately addressed, next generation Internet banking is full of exciting possibilities. Banks that seize the opportunity may find that Internet banking can become a means of differentiating themselves from competitors, rather than a mere cost cutting tool. Clearly, providing a more powerful and interactive e-banking experience, is the way forward.

Read This If You Need Fast Money The Legal Way

If you need fast money, you must first check your resources. If you need money fast and need money now, you must first check yourself to see what you and are not willing to do. Thanks to the internet, if you need fast money, and legally, the means are ever available to you.

There are numerous ways to earn if you need fast money. One of the fastest and easiest ways to make money fast is to sell a gig on any of these popular gig sites, such as Fourerr, Fiverr, and Uphype, etc. I posted one gig and made my first sale less than two hours later, literally.

Now I do not want to come off as some salesman or turn this into some spammy brochure, nor do I want to seem like some sort of schemer, but one of the best ways to earn if you need fast money is utilize social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. The thing with these social networks is that they are familiar to everyone, and everyone who is friends has some sort of credibility with each other. If you lightly promote some sort of product, program or system to your friends on these social networks, especially those who you know need money fast and need money now like you do, you will make money fast. As it has been said though, it is not what you do it is all in how you do it.

If you need fast money, the best way to go is online. Your first step is to pick a niche. Find out what your friends are looking for. Find out who needs what. If you choose to go the gig route, you can almost create your own market for whatever you are selling. However, when dealing with the social networks, just ask. You will find that there is an existing market already at your reach that you can quickly bank from.

To be honest with you, the making money niche is a great niche to profit from, but the internet is saturated with these kinds of offers and programs. So your chance of getting enough traffic from Google to any affiliation you make with any of these offers, without knowing how exactly, will not turn you a profit fast. However, you know your own circle. You know how to speak to them. You know how to press their buttons. So do it!

If you need money fast, sift through the resources that are available to you now, and go for it. Find an offer or system that is appealing, and simply suggest them to your friend list. Them knowing you personally alone will give you a jump start in getting them to come out of their own pockets for you. The key is to not try to sell them anything, just ask them to simply check it out, and let the product or system do the rest for you. If they ask you about your own results, embellish a little. Do not blatantly lie, but stretch your truth some. You make up for this when you help them out or direct them to where their questions will be answered, and you stay in a good light.

If you need fast money and look hard enough, you will usually find that you have exactly what you need already to make that money you need now. It is a classic situation. You steadily search outward for something that you had all along. Look at what is in front of you right now!