Frontpage • DK-finder • Comments

Car Buyers to Find Better Vehicle Technology in 2006, but Fewer Special Incentives - Tips Can Help Drive Smart Loan Deals

(ARA) - Many new car buyers will appreciate the latest automotive trends expected to take shape in 2006 and beyond. A greater variety of downsized, fuel-efficient SUVs will be available. New vehicle safety features like tire pressure monitors will reach the market. And sales promotions like last summer's employee discount campaign are expected to set the stage for year-round, no-haggle vehicle pricing.

But a less-publicized automotive trend - rising interest rates - will make 0-percent car loans a rare breed in 2006. Increasingly, consumers will need to comparison shop for their car loans before they go to buy, just as they do for the vehicles themselves.

According to Bankrate.com, interest rates on new car loans rose steadily throughout 2005 and the pattern is expected to continue into 2006. The difference of just two percentage points on your APR can either save or cost you more than $1,400 over the life of a typical loan.

"Many consumers do not realize that they have other options for financing their car, outside of the dealership," said Brian Reed, vice president of Capital One Auto Finance. "There are some great options for consumers to finance their car on a direct basis, versus relying on the dealer to provide that service for you."

Because education is the key to getting the best deal when financing a car, Capital One Auto Finance offers prospective car buyers the following helpful tips:

Set a realistic budget. Choose a vehicle that won't overextend you financially. A general rule of thumb is that no more than 15 percent to 20 percent of your total monthly budget should go toward all your car-related expenses.

Verify your credit record. Order a copy of your credit report to ensure it's accurate and in good shape. Correct any errors before applying for a loan.

Comparison shop for loans. Check out credit unions, banks and online lenders to see what rates are available in the market, so that you know a competitive rate when you see one. Visit Web sites such as www.bankrate.com and www.capitaloneautofinance.com.

Arrive with financing in your pocket. Having approved, no-obligation financing in hand gives you a competitive advantage when you go to buy, giving you the power of a cash buyer. If the dealer offers a better loan rate, you can take it with no penalty.

Approach your purchase as three transactions. It's best to treat each part of the purchase separately: 1) financing; 2) trade-in; and 3) vehicle purchase. This will simplify the process and maximize your negotiating opportunities.

Match length of loan to expected length of ownership. Select your loan term based on how long you plan to own the vehicle. Buyers who take out longer-term loans can find themselves "upside down" on their loan (owing more money on the car than it's worth in trade).

Review your financing terms carefully. Make sure you know your interest rate, monthly payment, amount you are financing, the length of your loan and your trade-in value.

"If car buyers would spend just a fraction of the time researching their auto loan as they do the latest features on their new car, they'd be surprised at how much money they could save," said Reed of Capital One.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Top

Frontpage • DK-finder • Comments

Success in Job Interviews: Preparation and Presentation Are Key

Education & careers

(ARA) - Nearly everyone who has ever interviewed for a job can tell you a horror story that no amount of preparation or presentation could have avoided. But according to experts, being well-prepared, poised and enthusiastic can get you through even the most horrible job interview scenarios with your confidence intact.

Diana Graves-Sharple, director of career services at The Art Institute of Atlanta, looks back at her own personal experience with a nightmarish job interview and can now laugh. "The interviewer, a sales manager, was an ex-pro football player and conducted much of the interview by shouting at me when he disapproved of my answers to his questions. After about 45 minutes of being brow-beaten, I was just looking for a way to get out of the building," she recalls.

Ex-football player managers aside, what can you do to be prepared for the odd interviewer or unexpected questions? "Research and more research," says Kristin N. Miller, career services advisor at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. "If you've done your research, chances are you won't be thrown off guard during the interview itself, no matter interviewer's style or questions asked," she says.

Miller suggests checking out Web sites like monster.com or careerbuilder.com and printing off the commonly asked interview questions. "Practice answering the questions out loud so you can hear how you sound. This can help you structure your answers so you respond professionally and without rambling," Miller suggests.

Just as important as preparation is presentation. "How a job applicant walks in the door, the way that they address the receptionist, what they do while waiting, or even how they fill out the application form are all tests. If they do not pass these small and seemingly insignificant tests, they most likely will not get the job," she cautions. "The old adage is true -- you never get a second chance to make a first impression," Miller adds.

Good presentation also means demonstrating that you're excited about the job says Jenny Bouwman, director of career services of The Art Institute of California -- Orange County. "A job interview process is a lot like dating," says Bouwman. "Most employers say that they will hire someone with enthusiasm even if they need training. So, like on a first date, yawning is not appropriate, but being interested in what the employer is saying, and demonstrating excitement can be key to getting a job offer," she says.

Last but not least, don't forget the obvious says Carl L. Brunswick, career services advisor at Miami International University of Art & Design. "I always tell our students to stay away from outrageous or offensive clothing or jewelry, not to talk politics or religion, and never ask 'what can your company do for me?'" says Brunswick.

Anything else? Here's Brunswick's final checklist, along with his best wishes for landing the job:

* Arrive early

* Carry a few mints and do a fresh breath check

* Offer a firm handshake and maintain eye contact

* Follow up with a thank you letter

Courtesy of ARA Content

Frontpage • DK-finder • Comments

Tips for Attracting the Opposite Sex

Family & Pets

(ARA) - Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it. And don't forget the chimpanzees in the zoos or courageous kangaroos - insects, birds and animals have been "falling in love" since the beginning of time, millions of years before Cole Porter released his popular song in the 1928 musical "Paris."

Because they've been around longer than we have, these lesser forms of life also tend to have one dating advantage we humans have yet to tap into: the power of pheromones.

Coined from the Greek words phero (to transfer) and horman (to excite), the term pheromone can literally be interpreted as a means of generating excitement. Small wonder that it makes the tiniest of insects or mightiest of beasts respond instinctively and immediately - whether it's as a warning of imminent danger, a marking of territorial turf, or a "come hither" that the female of the species is receptive to advances.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute reports that the first pheromone was identified in 1956 by a team of German researchers. After 20 years of removing certain glands from the abdomens of 500,000 female silkworm moths, they were able to isolate a chemically pure pheromone that acted as a sexual attractant for male moths. Later experiments by Alan Singer and Foteos Macrides gleaned similar findings in the hamster world.

But it's only been in the past decade that researchers have been able to initially confirm what we've suspected all along. Namely, that humans - like musk deer, seals, boars, rodents and scout ants - may be responsive to pheromones as well.

"Pheromones, particularly optimized pheromones, appear to have the ability to dramatically increase sexual attraction between men and women," says Luis Lopez, president of luvessentials.com (www.luvessentials.com), a premier Web site for optimized pheromone products. "The effects of pheromones on humans are more subtle, but nonetheless, are powerful."

In a March 11, 1998 article on cnn.com, researchers at the University of Chicago announced that they had the first proof that humans produced and reacted to pheromones. By concluding that female ovulation can be regulated through the use of pheromones, biopsychologist Martha K. McClintock opened the door for further research into the role these undetectable chemical signals may play in other bodily functions and human activities. Including the study she conducted with a colleague, Suma Jacob, which confirmed men's and women's positive responses to undetectable amounts of two steroids naturally produced by the opposite gender: estratetraene (produced by women) and androstadienone (produced by men.)

Ultimately, researchers hope that pheromones -- or "biochemical bouquets," as coined by Psychology Today -- will attain "sense status" right up there with sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, eventually being recognized and acclaimed as the sixth human sense.

Call it love at first sight. Or animal magnetism. Like the other creatures that walk the earth, our instinctive desire to "meet and greet" may be triggered - and enhanced -- by pheromones whose potential we're only beginning to understand.

For more information on optimized pheromone products for men, visit www.luvessentials.com. Visit www.luvessentials.com for products for women.

Copyright © 2005, ARA Content

Top

Frontpage • DK-finder • Comments

How to Fight Breast Cancer: Early Detection and Education

Personal Wellness

(ARA) - A young mother of three and just 34 years old at the time, Janelle Hail was not prepared to get the news that she had breast cancer. "I was in complete shock. I had no family history, was relatively healthy and then like a bomb the news dropped on me. I was given few options and no educational information to make a life changing decision."

Currently a 25-year survivor, it was the initial shock and her journey to survival that inspired her to found the National Breast Cancer Foundation - a not-for-profit organization committed to increasing awareness of breast cancer through education and by providing mammograms for those in need. Now Hail works with companies nationwide on cause-marketing campaigns to raise money for research, education, awareness and most importantly early detection. The NBCF provides grants to hospitals and health care organizations that provide free mammograms to the uninsured.

"I know early detection saved my life and I know that it can save others. Mammograms are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram. There are many hard-working women out there that do not have insurance and simply cannot afford the test. We're proud to partner with companies who care and want to help women and their families," said Hail.

A cause-marketing campaign ties the sale of a product or service to a donation for a charitable cause. According to the 2004 Cone Corporate Citizenship Study, commissioned by Cone, Inc., a Boston-based research firm, 89 percent of Americans believe that corporations and non-profits should work together to raise money and awareness for causes.

When you consider that every two minutes in the United States a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, it is no wonder that companies are getting behind cause-marketing campaigns to raise the critical funds necessary to fight this disease. The NBCF notes that they have worked on successful campaigns with companies of all sizes and industries ranging from fast food giant Carl's Jr Hamburgers to Dillards department stores to VISA.

Medline Industries, Inc., an Illinois-based manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies researched different programs and causes before deciding to launch a year-round cause-marketing campaign to raise funds for NBCF and the early detection of breast cancer. The company was struck by the staggering statistic that 1 in 8 women may develop it in their lifetime.

"It seems like everyone you know, knows someone who has been affected by the disease. Let's face it, the women who are getting breast cancer are sisters, mothers, grandmothers . . . the whole family becomes a victim or a survivor. And let's not forget that men also get breast cancer," said Medline President Andy Mills. "The overwhelming positive support from our employees on this has also been a tremendous benefit. They really feel good and empowered about it."

Medline is offering Pink Ribbon lab coats with an embroidered pink ribbon on the left lapel. The company will donate $5 per coat to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. "As a company we all feel great about this program because about 10 percent of women receiving mammograms will be diagnosed with cancer, we know that NBCF is helping to save lives and we want to be a part of that," said Mills.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Top