How to Get Cheap Car Insurance For Young Drivers

Car accidents are the major cause of deaths in the United States, and the number of such accidents keeps on increasing every year. A large majority of these accidents involve young people, as they are known to have a propensity for driving recklessly. It is precisely for this reason, along with several others, that young drivers have a tough time getting insurance at cheap prices.

Rates for these drivers literally come at a premium, which in turn disappoints them badly. Having said that, it is very important for drivers to get insurance to protect themselves and their vehicles. Insurance is immensely useful, especially when your car is hit by an uninsured driver or damaged by inclement weather or fire. It is very possible to get cheap car insurance even as the competition among insurance companies continues to intensify.

The first thing young drivers must do is to educate themselves about car insurance itself. There are three kinds of car-related insurance - theft and fire, comprehensive and liability. Of the three, comprehensive is the most costly and is primarily used when financing a car. Those looking for a cheaper option can let it pass. Even a fire and theft policy, which is used in critical situations, is expensive although it is cheaper than comprehensive insurance. Therefore it is advisable to go for liability insurance under normal circumstances. Liability insurance, however, would cover the damage caused by you only.

Having a good credit rating is one of the best ways to lower insurance premium rates. Students, too, stand a chance of getting cheap car insurance by improving their grades. Those who get excellent grades may also be eligible for certain discounts. You also need to keep your driving record flawless in order to get cheap quotes. Make it a point not to get a speeding ticket or especially a DUI conviction. In this context, it might also be a good idea to enroll for advanced driving courses. Successful completion of such advanced courses would provide you with a platform to showcase your driving prowess and your commitment towards safe driving.

Another underrated method of obtaining cheap car insurance is to opt for older cars. While young drivers may not agree with this option, the fact is that the insurance premiums of brand new sports cars would be much higher than that of older cars. Parents can play a key role here by convincing their children not to be swayed by fancy cars and opt for older, but reliable models.

You can also browse the internet to seek car insurance quotes. There are an array of websites for this purpose. You can use such websites to improve your knowledge about the many different companies and their quotes. It is also important to ask plenty of questions and share your driving history when seeking quotes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Russell_Strider

Insurance - Basics ...

What is insurance?

Insurance is a means of providing protection against financial loss in a great variety of situations. It is a contract in which one party agrees to pay for another party's financial loss resulting from a specified event.

Insurance works on the principal of sharing losses. If you wish to be insured, against any type of loss, agree to make regular payments, called premiums, to an insurance company. In return, the company gives you a contract, the insurance policy. The company promises to pay a certain sum of money for the type of loss stated in the policy.

History

Insurance is thousands of years old. The Code of Hammurabi, a collection of Babylonian laws of 1700BC, is believed to be the first form of credit insurance. A borrower did not have to repay a loan if personal misfortune made it impossible to do so. Insurance as we know it today can be traced to the Great Fire of London in 1666, which devoured 13,200 houses. In the aftermath of this disaster, Nicholas Barbon opened an office to insure buildings.

Types of Insurance

Insurance generally covers situations involving pure risk - that is, situations in which only losses can occur. Such situations include fire, floods and accidents. People also buy insurance to cover unusual types of financial losses like, a dancer might insure her legs against injury. There are mainly three types of insurance policies sold:

1. Life Insurance

A life insurance policy provides that the insurance company will pay a certain amount when the person dies. This may be paid in a lump sum or in installments to the beneficiary [people named by the policyholder to receive the death benefit]. Some types of life insurance policies also enable policyholders to save money. Such policies have a cash value. A policyholder may borrow money against the cash value or surrender the policy for its cash value.

Annuities

These are savings plans sold by insurance companies to provide a fixed and regular retirement income. If the annuitant [owner of the annuity] dies before receiving the guaranteed number of payments, the insurance company must continue the payments to the beneficiary.

Dividends

Some insurance policies refund part of the premiums in the form of dividends. Such policies are called participating policies. An insurance company pays dividends if the money it collected in premiums exceeds the amount needed to pay benefits and administrative costs. Dividends may also include a share of the profits the company earned on investments made with premium funds. Dividends are most commonly paid on life insurance.

2. Private Health Insurance

Health insurance pays all or part of the cost of hospitalization, surgery, laboratory tests, medicines, and other medical care. The rising cost of medical care has increased the need for adequate health insurance. You could suffer a major financial hardship without such coverage, especially in case of a serious illness or accident.

Dental insurance is one of the fastest-growing types of health insurance. It helps pay for a wide variety of dental services.

3. Property & Liability Insurance

Individuals and businesses buy property and liability insurance to protect their assets against financial loss. Property insurance provides direct compensation if a policyholder's possessions are damaged, destroyed, or lost as a result of perils. Liability insurance protects individuals and businesses against possible financial losses if their actions result in bodily injury to others or in harm to property owned by others.

The main types of individual coverage are:
o Homeowners Insurance
This provides protection against losses from damages to an owner's home and its contents.
o Automobile Insurance
This is the most widely purchased and most important kinds of insurance. Drivers are legally responsible for any costs arising from accidents they cause. This insurance protects a policyholder against financial losses from accidents.

Financial viability of Insurance Companies

Financial stability and strength of the insurance company should be a major consideration when purchasing an insurance contract. An insurance premium paid currently provides coverage for losses that might arise many years in the future. For that reason, the viability of the insurance carrier is very important. In recent years, a number of insurance companies have become insolvent, leaving their policyholders with no coverage (or coverage only from a government-backed insurance pool with less attractive payouts for losses).

How Insurance Is Sold

Most insurance companies sell policies through agents. Exclusive agents are employees of an insurance company who sell only that company's policies. Independent agents sell policies for several companies.
David Dugan is a contributing author to the insurance information site http://insurance.divinfo.com/, a site that has information on auto, homeowners, life, pet and many other kinds of insurance as well as the retirement site http://retirement.divinfo.com

Buying and Collecting Ancient Roman Coins....

Ever wondered what Emperors like Constantine the Great, Nero or Julius Ceaser looked like and wanted to hold something in your hand that may have been held by one of these Emperors or someone living during that time.

If you are a collector with a low budget, particularly a coin collector then you should seriously consider taking up the hobby of Roman coin collecting.

There are a number of reasons why I prefer collecting Roman coins then other antiques including other ancient coins. Firstly there are a wide variety of Ancient Roman coins to suite your tastes. This is largely due to the vast time and area that the Roman Empire covered. From as early as 27 BC to 496 AD there were many millions of coins minted spanning a large area of the globe featuring coins that reflect the time from when they were created.

Also its great to have a real portrait of an Emperor in your possession. Many emperors came and went and it was customary to inscribe the portrait of the emperor on the coins that were minted during their reign.

Roman coins are the most inexpensive of all Ancient coins. Other ancient coins include for example Greek, Barbaric, Celtic, Parthian, Nabathaean, Islamic, Indian and Chinese. This can come as a surprise to many considering how ancient these coins are. Yet they can be even cheaper then some of the modern day coins that coin collectors collect. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly as already stated the Roman empire was large and so there were a lot of coins minted. Many Roman coins are therefore not as rare as many believe. Another reason is that there are few collectors of ancient coins then modern coins. This makes the demand for them lower.

There are also less forgeries of Roman coins then other coins particulary modern day coins. This is largely due to the fact that they are less rare and expensive.

Another reason Roman coins are great to collect is that they do not just have historical value but also artistic value. These coins were cleverly and beautifully crafted and tell a story from the time and area that they were minted.

Unlike most coins today Roman Coins had intrinsic value being comprised of precious metals worth many times more then their weight in that metal. These precious metals include Gold, Silver and Bronze. This can make the coins more special and increase the value of the coin should you choose to collect the more expensive Roman coins.

Factors that determine a coins worth
The price of a coin ranges significantly due to a number of factors. The two biggest factors being the condition the coin is in and the grade of the coin.

The condition of a coin can depend on how corroded the coin has become while it has been in the ground or how it was stored. The grade of the coin is determined by how the coin was minted when it was manufactured. These coins were minted by hand and so do not always entirely circular or detailed. A coin can be less detailed and of less value if it was struck by dies that were worn down. Determining the grade of a coin can be tricky and sometimes you simply have to go with how appealing and detailed the coin is to your own eyes.

Another factor that determines a coins worth is its rarity. Surprisingly rarity is less of a factor in determining an ancient coins worth then modern day coins. Modern day coins will be worth a lot if there were few minted, or few in circulation. Given the large number of collectors this is more of a factor with Modern coins. This would drive up the cost of a rare coin if collectors are trying to complete their collection.

With ancient Roman coins there were a larger number and variety created and so each collection will be different and rarity will be considered less of an issue. There are rare ancient coins of course. Some emperors were not around for long enough to have many coins minted during their reign and hence they will be harder to find and cost more.

Sellers of ancient coins will often use terms such as scarce, rare or very rare to describe a coin. Just because someone describes a coin as rare does not mean that it actually is. Unfortunately, some sellers will attach this label to ancient coins to attract novice collectors who do not know better. If someone describes a coin as rare or scarce does the person explain why the coin is rare? Does he give it an RIC number and explain the variety? If you are new to collecting ancient coins, you should not jump on a coin just because is it described as rare.

If you build up a collection of ancient coins you will be able to tell for yourself if a coin is uncommon, scarce or even rare.

Price of different Roman coins
Truly rare coins that are sort after will not sell for much less than $100, and often for much more. Hence, a coin of Constantine described as rare with an asking price of just a few dollars is very unlikely to be so. There are sellers on eBay who claim that their coin is rare, or they have only seen one in 10 years, but there is another one just like it being offered on eBay by someone else.

To give you an idea of the variation of price for Roman coins, for $5-10 you can buy decent quality coins issued under a number of the late-3rd and 4th century AD emperors.

For about $10-20, you can collect a coin from the more famous 1st and 2nd century emperors, and of many later ones in very nice condition. In fact, for $20 a coin, you can quite easily assemble a collection of more than half of the emperors (over 50) in very nice condition with clear portraits and readable legends.

On top of this, there are numerous varieties available for each emperor. Of course, just as with modern coins, you can buy ones that cost much more; ones that are in better shape or are more scarce, but if you are just interested in decent coins and history then you may not have to look any further.

Once in a while you might want to spend a bit more on a scarce emperor, or something that really arouses your interest, or a coin in truly nice condition. But then again, you might be attracted to cheaper coins that are not fully cleaned or legible, which can add to their mystery.

So, to summarize, buy coins that you find interesting and that appeal to you. No two coins of the same type will be exactly the same; choose the one that you think is better value for your money. Look around to see if a nicer looking coin might be also affordable if that is what you really want, and hence save yourself the trouble of replacing it later or regretting that you bought it in the first place. Do not worry about rarity too much!
Ashley is an avid collector of Ancient Roman coins and provides general advice on how find genuine Roman coins for sale on Online Auctions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Ashley

Stock market investment strategy ....

1.Gathering information about the broker activity with the services and  the fees charged.
2.Development of a portfolio of shares
3.The broker company will open an account in the stock market registry in the name of its new customer  where the portfolio will be maintained and the broker will operate according to customer's claim.

Money, Friend or Foe?

Is money a friend or a foe? I dare say neither. Money just is. It is a medium of exchange (nothing more and nothing less) that our society has elevated into a determination of status.
Much of western civilization has determined that the size of one's bank account determines the value of that person. You hear much to the contrary, but as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words.
Next Thursday, we in the United States usher in the start of the holiday season with our celebration of Thanksgiving. The next 30 - 45 days will be filled with good cheer and best wishes and thoughts of "Peace on Earth" and "Good Will to Men". Charities find the next 6 weeks to historically be their best season in receiving monetary donations. The homeless are given shelter as churches and synagogues seek special donations for Christmas and Chanukah gifts for children. Everyone of every faith prays for peace and understanding.
But what happens the other 46 weeks of the year? Oh, sure, the charities and foundations are still there. But how do we as a society treat them and those with less or no money? How do we as a society treat those with less status?

According to the most recent statistics I have seen, the numbers of people without any health care coverage in the United States are approaching 46 million. Why? Unemployment in the United States is officially over 6%. But what is the real figure? Millions have been out of work so long, the government doesn't even count them anymore. If one has become so discouraged in not being able to find employment and so he/she gives up for a while, that person isn't counted anymore as being in the workforce. I have seen estimates that put the actual unemployment figure at close to 10%.

And this doesn't apply to the United States alone. Different countries, different societies have different ways of handling this. But, as a general rule, Western civilization has determined money to be a determinative of one's value.

And, this is not good. Yet, contrary to where you might think I am going, money is not evil. Money is good. Some think the Bible states that money is the root of all evil. It does not say that - anywhere. The Bible does say, "the love of money is the root of all evil".

And the Bible does not refer just to "money" when it calls the "love of money" the root of all evil. "Money" serves, here, as a euphemism for material goods, selfishness, even thoughts and ideas.

When material items, such as money, and thoughts and ideas become more important than the person and people in general, we are entering upon evil. In the movie "Wall Street", Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglas, states in one scene that "Greed is good".

Gordon Gekko was wrong. Greed is evil. I am not a linguist, but I dare say that the statement in the Bible that "The love of money is the root of all evil" would be better translated as "Greed is the root of all evil".

The "love of money" being the root of all evil, and hence taken by many people as money, itself, being the root of all evil has caused many of us to have deep seated thoughts of hostility towards and fear of money and financial riches. Nothing can be further from the truth, and this underlying hostility towards money has probably caused untold heartaches and poverty and hopelessness in our world.

If you are having difficulties in achieving your financial and material goals, your attitude towards money may be what is holding you back.

Ask yourself these questions:

What does money mean to me?

What are my core beliefs about money?

What did I learn as a child about money?

What do I think it really takes to earn and acquire financial abundance?

Ask yourself these questions and ponder your answers. Do you have answers such as the following?

 Money doesn't grow on trees.

 We can't afford it.

 God loves the poor.

 I just need enough to live.

Or do your answers resemble these?
With enough money, I can give a good education to my children.
Money enables me to travel and enjoy God's creation.
Money relieves the stress from day to day living.
With money, I can help all those who are less fortunate.
If you find that your beliefs about money are holding you back from achieving and empowering your dreams, then you need to change your beliefs immediately.
Money is not the problem. As with many things in our lives, it is our attitude that is the problem.

Teaching Your Children About the Value of Money.....

We take it for granted that children know how money gets into our wallets. The tips below will guide you through teaching your children the value of money.

Now I'm not referring to the value of stocks and bonds, compounding interest, or the current market value of a U.S. dollar.

What every child should be taught at some time, is: the purpose of jobs (how we earn money), saving for goals (how to save money), limit needless spending (how to budget).

It's up to you to decide when and at what age it is appropriate to discuss the following topics. But keep in mind that if you don't teach them the skills to make educated, responsible decisions with their money, you will be holding back a valuable lesson that should be taught. Learning how to successfully manage money is a skill they will have for life.

Where To Start

Don't assume your children know the meaning or purpose of a job, bills, banks, etc...

Let them see you pay your bills. Explain to them how you have 'X' amount of dollars per month to pay for everything. Point out the dangers of getting into debt (credit cards). Explain that ATM machines are not magic money dispensers that give you as much money as you need, for free.

Learning comes from experience. Just talking about money will not get the job done. Learning how to earn, save and spend money appropriately comes from real life experiences.

If your children do not have an allowance already, think about starting one. Only when they have their OWN money to manage, can they put your lessons into practice.

When you are discussing allowance with your children, relate it to your own life. Explain to them that when you want to buy something, you must first work to earn money, then save enough money in order to purchase it ie: car, house, clothes. Tell them that if you don't go to work and earn money, there's no way you can afford to buy what you want.

You can then explain to your children that if they want to buy a new toy, they must earn the money in order to buy it.

It's Up To You

You can design your childs' allowance and chores however you see fit: weekly, bi- weekly, monthly, pay-per-chore.

One method that's effective is designating 'X' number of chores, for 'X' number of dollars per week.

For example: "Johnny. You will earn $5 a week if you do these jobs/chores: water the lawn (twice), take out the garbage, vacuum the house (twice), and feed the cat everyday."

It's up to you to develop a list of chores that can be done around the house, and an appropriate allowance amount to go with it. In other words, you shouldn't have your child painting the whole house for a quarter.

You should also be sure and make the jobs/chores age appropriate. A twelve year old will be able to do more than a seven year old, so take this into account when thinking of chores.

Now don't confuse allowance, with the basics. What are the basics? Keeping their room clean. Doing their homework. These are jobs that should be done without question. Period.

Once You Start

When your children earn their allowance for the first few times, they will want to immediately go and spend it. Fear not. This should be expected. Here is where you can start to teach your children.

Sit down with your children and talk about the "things" they want to buy. Have them prioritize their items on a list, in order of importance. This list can be considered their "Goal Sheet" - the reason they are saving their money.

Have them keep this list in their wallet/purse/piggybank, so they will always be able to look and see what they are saving for. You should also keep a copy of this list just in case they lose it, or want to purchase something that's not on it.

The next time you are in a store, and your children want to use their money to buy something, first ask them: "Do you have your wallet/purse that has the money you've been saving?".You can then ask them if that particular item they want to buy is on their list.

Asking these questions will get them thinking about the items importance. Is it more important than the other items on their list? Let your child make the decision whether to buy or not.

Regardless of what you say, more than likely your children will make the purchase even if the item is junk. That's ok! This is a lesson your child must learn. Only when the initial thrill of the toy wears off, or when your child realizes that the other items on his/her list were more important, will they begin to understand the value of their money.

Conclusion

These are only some of the possibilities you might want to look into. Regardless of what you can take from this article, adapt it so it fits into your family lifestyle.

Money management is a learned skill that comes from real experiences. It is very important that children learn the value of money and the role that it plays in our lives. Teach them how to make smart, educated buying decisions. Stress the importance of setting priorities and working to achieve that goal.

Once your child achieves one of his or her goals, they will understand what it takes to be successful. They will know how to budget their money and limit unnecessary spending in order to buy what they REALLY want or need.
Gregory Thomas has been writing effective money-saving tips for SavingSecrets.com for over six years. Hop on over and you'll find FREE money-saving articles, a monthly newsletter, and even a FREE Ebook download just for stopping by! http://www.SavingSecrets.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregory_Thomas

Stock market investing...

It is a risky way to invest your savings but gains may be large and rapidly obtained.
Anyone can invest in stock market no matter if the person is a native or a foreigner.Stock market transactions are made through a broker company which must be member of the stock association.

Have you ever asked yourself why is gold so valuable?

Gold is precious because of the following :
- is a rare metal(throughout world history have been drawn about 88,000 tonnes of gold.Annual extraction ranges around 1,500 tonnes.).If all the gold in the world would be gathered together would form a cube with sides of less than 17 meters.
- is very resistant to the action of chemicals.
- gold retains its brilliance in time.
- difficult to extract
- can be processed easily
- is malleable and ductile
- from an ounce of gold (31.10 grams) could be processed a string of 80 km or a sheet of one square meter gold.
- in the last 38 years the gold price rose continuously from $ 65 an ounce to about $ 1,300 today.Next year is estimated to grow to $ 1,600 per ounce and in a short time (approx.5 years) $ 2,300 per ounce.
Gold rated as 24 carat is practically 100% gold (pure gold) but only pure gold alone can not be used for the manufacture of jewelry because it isn't resistant enough.The alliance with nickel and silver creates white gold , or with copper and nickel creates pink gold or red.
in Europe is most appreciated the 18 carats gold and 14 carats in the U.S..

My opinion on Zeitgeist Moving Forward ...

Hello everybody , this morning was very cold here where I live (eastern Europe
) so I watched the last part or the latest edition of the film series Produced by Peter Joseph , Zeitgeist, on youtube ( link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9WVZddH9w )
"Zeitgeist Moving Forward is a film that had it's theatrical premier on January 15th, 2011. This third Zeitgeist movie was released in theatres in 60+ countries and in 30+ languages around the world with most locations selling out."
The film is exceptionally well done. The ideas presented force people to think critically about the world, which is precisely what we should all be doing.
When one looks critically at the problems that surround us, it is easy to see that our problems are not political. Our problems are all technical and have technical solutions. ZMF presents these scientifically-based solutions in a way that cannot be rationally argued with.
My only criticism is that the film is a little long and little too technical for the general public. I would like to see a "first-step" film that presents the ideas in a shorter and easier to follow form.
But in the end it is a very good documentary wich opens a new perspective on the society we are living in and presents us the outrageous and harsh reality of the corruption of the human kind.

The impact of money on the society...

At a fairly young age (6-8) I learned that money was very important because my parents would tell me about how important it is to save money and not to waste it. They also would explain monetary limits to me (like how we can't just pack up one day and go on a 3 week safari in Africa because we don't have the excess money for it). as i grew older, my parents continued to advise me to spend wisely.
I also hugely learned about the impact of money in the last several months as I'm applying to colleges. I applied to some expensive colleges. Now, the way my scholarships/financial aid work out will be one factor in deciding where I go.
Well i believe money are important for every person because they help you survive in the contemporary society , but we can t rely only on them , making the purpose of our life a run for wealth.I totally disagree with the statement that happiness means to be reach, let's just have look at how many suicides occur in the wealthier social classes , but i tend to agree that money is just a contribution to happiness.
Western society revolves around money and possessions and that is probably why people are so depressed and stressed.
You look at some African countries where they have no money and the people are so happy with their lives even though they have nothing ! It can teach us an important lesson.
I guess society is to blame, from childhood we are taught to achieve and to get good jobs so that we can have nice houses etc, but I think instead we should be taught to concentrate on enjoying life, primarily.
For most of us, money causes stress, not happiness. Unfortunately money is important, sadly, but it should never be more important than "happiness" and really enjoying our lives and helping others.

How do banks make money...

I believe everyone has asked himself at least once in their life this question.Well the the banking system is not that complicated , every person who posses at least a general education can understand it.So let me explain it to you as simple as I can.
       
In simple terms Banks make their money from lending out money to consumers and businesses in need of loans by using depositor funds such as savings accounts and checking accounts. The way the bank makes a profit is by charging an interest rate for those seeking loans. The bank offers free checking to induce more depositing customers so they can in return lend out more money ultimately making more profits.But because depositors need their money from time to time they have to keep part of it in reserve to be able to pay out withdrawal requests.. The percentage they have to hold onto in reserve varies depending on the type of account.In more simple terms banks make money by lending money at a higher interest rate than they pay on deposits. The gap is the profit margin.

International Monetary Fund

The IMF was conceived in July  1944 at a United Nations conference held at Bretton Woods , new Hampshire , USA, when representatives of 45 governments agreed on a framework for economic cooperation designed to avoid a repetition of a disastrous economic economic policies that held contributed  to the Great Depression of the 1930s.
    As a specialized agency of the United Nations system set up by treaty in 1945 , the IMF is headquartered in Washington DC and is governed now by its almost global membership of 184 countries.
    The IMF is the central institution of the international monetary system-the system of international payments and exchange rates among national currencies that enables business to take place between countries.
    It aims to prevent crisis in the system by encouraging countries to adopt sound economic policies.It is also a fund that can be tapped by members needing temporary financing to address balance of payments problesms.
    The IMF' s statutory purposes include promoting the balanced expansion of world trade, the stability of exchange rates , the avoidance of competitive currency devaluation's and orderly correction of a country's balance of payments temporary problesms.
     In order to serve these purposes , the IMF firstly monitors economic and financial developments and policies , in member countries and at the global level and gives policy advice to its members based on its more than fifty years of experience.
      For example, in its annual review of the Japanese economy for 2000, the IMF Executive Board urged the Japanese government to stimulate growth by keeping interest rate low , encouraging corporate and bank restructuring and promoting deregulation and competition.
 

Currency Appreciation explained...

Currency Appreciation means that the given currency has become more valuable with respect to another currency. For example if the rupee appreciates it means that rupee has become more valuable in relation to dollar. In case of appreciation a "downward" movement takes place. For instance if the rupee moves downwards from 50 per dollar to 40 per dollar then rupee is said to appreciate.

Inflation explained....

Savers need to take the threat of inflation very seriously because it can erode the value of deposits at startling speed. If the value of your savings does not keep pace with rising prices, its buying power will be depleted quickly - and you may not be aware of it until it is too late.

Here we explain why inflation matters and what you can do to combat it.

What is inflation?

Inflation is a general rise in prices across the economy. The inflation rate is a measure of the average change over a period, usually 12 months.

There are two main measures. The consumer prices index (CPI) was adopted as the Government's preferred measure in 2003 and is used by the Bank of England for the purpose of inflation targeting. The target is 2 per cent, which would mean that prices overall are 2 per cent higher than in the same month last year.

The oldest measure of inflation, the retail prices index (RPI), dates back to before the First World War.

What is the difference between RPI and CPI, and which is more useful?

The CPI excludes most housing costs. Rents are included, but house prices, council tax and mortgage payments are not. This usually means that CPI inflation is lower than RPI inflation, although this is not always the case.

Everyone should keep an eye on the CPI for an indication of whether interest rates are likely to rise or fall.

For anyone in receipt of a pension or benefits, though, the RPI is the one to watch because increases remain linked to the RPI rather than the CPI. Inflation-linked products, such as index-linked gilts, are also linked to the RPI.

Remember, though, that both of these official measures are calculated on the basis of an average notional shopping basket, but an individual’s spending patterns can differ dramatically. The Office for National Statistics has an inflation calculator that enables you to enter your personal expenditure patterns to calculate an approximate personal rate of inflation (see websites below).

Why does this matter to my savings?

Savings must grow by at least the rate of inflation to maintain their value. If they rise in nominal terms but fail to beat inflation, their real value will fall in terms of purchasing power.

If the CPI was at 5.2 per cent, higher-rate payers would need to earn at least 8.63 per cent gross interest before they start to make a positive return. Basic-rate taxpayers would require at least 6.5 per cent.

If your savings account does not match or beat this rate you are effectively losing money.

Here is a guide to the interest that basic and higher-rate taxpayers need to earn to match inflation

Inflation rate of 5%

Basic-rate taxpayers need 6.25%

Higher-rate taxpayers need 8.34%

Inflation rate of 4%

Basic-rate taxpayers need 5%

Higher-rate taxpayers need 6.25%

Inflation rate of 3%

Basic-rate taxpayers need 3.75%

Higher-rate taxpayers need 5%

Inflation rate of 2%

Basic-rate taxpayers need 2.5%

Higher-rate taxpayers need 3.34%

Inflation rate of 1%

Basic-rate taxpayers need 1.25%

Higher-rate taxpayers need 1.66%

Do any savings accounts provide protection against inflation?

Index-linked savings certificates from National Savings & Investments (NS&I), which are backed by the Government, are tax-free and guaranteed to keep pace with the RPI for a fixed term.

The return is made up of a set interest rate plus the RPI figure, fixed for three or five years. You can invest up to £15,000 per issue, so you could shelter £30,000 in both the three and five-year plans.

You have to tie up your money for the fixed term to receive the advertised rate.

Look out for inflation-beating savings accounts and Isas from banks and building societies, too.

A brief history of banking

In the old days there was no paper money. The accepted token of exchange was precious metal minted into coins by the Church and the Crown. Because there was only a limited amount of gold and silver available, the economic life of the nation had a certain regularity.

An even greater restriction existed throughout Christendom. This was a prohibition against usury, or charging interest. The Church held it to be a grave sin and the code was upheld by the civil powers. There were harsh penalties for those who broke the law.

The regulation of usury was to prevent the separation of money from reality. Money is not a good, it is a measure. It is fraud to pretend otherwise, and constitutes theft. Usury is making money from lending money; it is making money from nothing. This is exactly what is happening today on a colossal scale.

Several important things arose from the prohibition of usury in medieval Christendom. Firstly Jews, who had taken to wandering around Europe in the Middle Ages, began to specialize in money-lending and other practices which were forbidden to Christians. Exploited Christians, both peasants and aristocracy, found themselves being bled dry by usurers, which is why there were sporadic uprisings, imprisonments and expulsions of Jews throughout Europe. It is one reason why King Edward I expelled these perfidious people from England in 1290. Oliver Cromwell allowed them back when the moral authority of the Church was undermined and the King was beheaded in 1649.

Secondly, gold coins, jewels and other valuables were deposited with people who held strongboxes. This was usually with goldsmiths and money-lenders who, more often than not, were one and the same. These loan-sharks and scriveners realized that, without much chance of being found out, they could charge people for looking after their deposits and then use those deposits – which did not belong to them – to make loans to other people at interest. They soon became rich and powerful.

Gold coins are heavy and awkward to carry around so the custom arose whereby the money-lenders would issue credit notes to depositors who began to trade these notes between themselves in commercial transactions. Paper money had come into existence.

A new form of usury developed as the swindling money-lenders realized the immoral benefits that could be obtained from such a situation. It became apparent to these thieves that they could go one step further than dishonestly using other people’s money for financial advantage at no cost to themselves. They could invent money from absolutely nothing. They could issue credit notes with nothing to back them up and put them into circulation as interest-bearing debts. No-one would be any the wiser. They calculated that they could safely issue notes for up to ten times more than the gold deposits they held, because the depositors would never ask for their deposits back all at the same time.

The principle of modern banking was thus established: invent money from nothing, put it into circulation as "running cash notes" that have to be paid back with real wealth that is produced from our labour, sit back and become unbelievably wealthy and powerful men: hidden rulers of nations.

In England this deceitful system was officially sanctioned in 1694. The usurper of the throne, William of Orange, had overthrown the legitimate King James II with the financial backing and plotting of powerful Jewish financiers in Amsterdam. In return he gave the sovereignty of England to a group of financiers by means of a Charter allowing them to call themselves the Bank of England. The Charter made no mention of issuing the nation’s money, but within minutes of signing the new Bank officials were discussing the form of their "running cash notes." The same system was adopted in every country by a process of Masonic revolution and manipulation.
FREEMASONRY AND COMMUNISM

Socialist theorists and ideologues have never attacked the essential mechanism of capitalism. Although the injustices of the capitalist system have been attacked in volume after volume, and rightly so, they have never even hinted at the usury upon which the whole system is built and from which all the other injustices stem.

Perhaps this is because so many Communist leaders are Jewish. Most of the ‘Russian Revolutionists’ of 1917 were actually Jews from the lower east side of New York City. Two hundred and seventy-five of them were conveyed to Russia aboard the S.S. Christiana, led by Trotsky and financed by Kuhns, Loebs, Schiffs and Warburgs. This cosy circle of Jews and Freemasons financed both sides of the Great War.

Marx and Engels, two more Jews, wrote the Communist Manifesto on behalf of a secret society calling themselves ‘The League of Just Men.’ This secret society was an arm of the Illuminati, whose power and influence was the catalyst of the French Revolution. One of the founding members of the Illuminati was the House of Rothschild, the Jewish banking house which practically invented supra-nationalism for personal profit.
THE SITUATION TODAY

Nowadays banking has become extremely sophisticated but the hidden and usurious mechanism behind it remains the same. After a big enquiry, hushed up as much as possible, the Bank of England was nationalised in 1946. In theory control of the Bank of England should then have passed from a group of private individuals to the British Government, but this is still not the case. Nationalisation only added a thin veneer of respectability.

The British Treasury, in conjunction with the Bank of England’s advisers to the Government, determine how much paper money and coin will be issued each year. This has to accord with the wealth of the nation for that year. But because banknotes and coins only account for a tiny percentage of financial transactions, it makes no difference to the bankers at all. Most financial transactions are carried out with abstract figures on a computer screen that have no relationship to real wealth. Everything has to be paid for at interest though – even when it doesn’t exist!

The Government still has to pay interest on old and new loans from the Bank. Only a few years ago it was announced that the interest debt on a loan taken during the Napoleonic War had just been paid off! This is where much of our tax money goes.
THE NEXT STAGE

The next stage of development for international finance is to get rid of cash altogether. Then the token accountability of the bankers will disappear along with the cash. Their intention is that everyone will have to use credit/debit cards for every type of commercial transaction.

Electronic technology, when used this way, and when it is not merely widespread but compulsory, will give them complete control of every man, woman and child in the world. If you cannot buy or sell – food, petrol, clothes – without a card you are completely at their mercy. If you lose the card or it doesn’t work for some reason you will suffer until issued with a replacement. If you make a protest against some particular injustice they could invalidate your card. The next time you go to the supermarket your card may not work. You won’t officially exist!

Who benefits from such a scheme? The politicians or the bankers? To ask the question is to answer it. The Bank of England is the real, but hidden, government of the country. The Government and the politicians are merely puppets controlled by the Bank – or, more accurately, the international banking families. None of our cowardly politicians dare stand up to these hidden and unelected rulers of the world, so powerful have they become. Two American presidents, possibly three, were assassinated for attempting to do so. It is far easier for them to submit to the system and enjoy a rich life than expose the real tyrants: tyrants who cause high taxes, unemployment, war, famine and misery for the rest of us. But these despots of the New World Order forget that Truth is more powerful than they could ever become. And Truth brings Justice!

A short history of money and bartering.....

What is money? Money is what we use to pay for things.We use money to buy products such as food , clothes and toys.We use money to pay for services such as a train drive or a visit to the doctor.We also use money to pay debts.
Coins and bills are forms of money.Governments make coins and bills from small amounts of paper , plastic or metal.These materials are not worth much on their own so a government gives each coin and bills a value.That way everyone knows what their coins and bills are worth , and can use them to make and accept payments.Coins and bills are also called cash.
Coins and bills are not the only form of money.Sometimes people make payments with checks , credit cards or money they have in the bank.
Long ago , money as we know it today did not exist.Early humans moved from place to place following the animals they hunted.There were no shops or banks.Instead , people would exchange products and services.This is known as bartering.
Imagine that a hunter had some animal skins but wanted some fish.The hunter had to find a person who had fish and who wanted animal skins.They would then barter some skins for some fish.No money was involved.Instead the people worked out what they thought was a fair exchange of their products.
Later humans began growing their own food and raising farm animals.Groups of people built homes near each other , and villages began.Farmers were able to grow enough food to feed the villagers People who did not have to grow their own food had time to develop their own different skills , such as weaving and pottery.They bartered their products and services with each other and with people from other villages.
There were problems with bartering .Imagine that a farmer had two chickens and wanted to buy a large rug , but the weaver wanted three chickens for the rug.If the traders could not agree on the value of their goods , no exchange could take place.
Perhaps the weaver wanted a basket of fruit instead of chickens.The farmer would first have to find a fruit grower to barter the chickens for fruit for the rug.Finding a person who had what you wanted , and wanted what you had , was sometimes difficult and time consuming.
Over time people began to prefer certain products for bartering .Products that became popular included farm animals , grain , rice, salt, cloth , simple tools , and shells.People agreed on the value of these products and these products became the first types of money.
Some products were popular as money because they were useful.Farm animals gave people meat , milk , eggs , skins , wool and feathers.They could also be used to do labour and to breed more animals.Grain , rice and other foods could be eaten.Cloth could be made clothes and soft furmishings.Tools made many job easier.
Some products were popular partly because they looked good .Small colorful shells , called cowrie shells , were pretty and could be made into ornaments.
As people travelled further to barter their products and services , they had problems with using products as money.Imagine that a farmer with a horse to barter wanted products from several traders.How could the farmer divide the horse between the traders ?Or imagine that a trader came from a country where cowrie shells were common and not highly valued , and would not accept the shells in exchange for products.
Many products used as money had some disadvantages:
* They were hard to transport
* They were hard to count
* They were difficult to divide
* They were spoiled or damaged easily
* They needed to be cared for
* They were not accepted everywhere
People needed a form of money that would be easy to use , and transport.The new money also had to be accepted by everyone.