The Fever Lever Center

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. Hebrews 12:1-2a NLT

It is so easy for us to lose focus. There are so many things that are vying for our attention that we often don’t finish tasks that we begin. However, finishing projects are much more important than beginning them. When we first begin an endeavor, we are often very excited and ambitious, but as time wanes we lose our focus by concentrating on the wrong things, concerting our efforts in the wrong direction, or centering our energies in the wrong way. The writer exhorts the Hebrews by laying out a plan for them to finish the course of faith they had undertaken. The previous chapters allowed us to examine the lives of saints of old who had persevered for the cause of Christ, letting us know that we can also finish what we’ve started by laying down weight and sin that hinder us and impede our progress. God has laid out a race that we can win if we keep our eyes on Jesusin essence, stay focused!

I am reminded of the day I gave birth to my oldest daughter, Eboni. When I began to go into full labor I told myself a few things. Although there were several other people in the room, I began to internally talk to myself. I reminded myself that (1) there was nothing I could do about being in this situation but to deal with it(2) I was in labor and the baby had to be bornI had to focus on the fact that there was a task before me that I needed to accomplish. The pain would be there regardless so there was no need in screaming and acting a fool (like the lady I heard in the next room!), but rather I needed to focus. My husband, God bless him, was beside me trying his best to help by quoting scriptures! Well, you can imagine what I really wanted to say to him! However, I focused only on the task God had blessed me to accomplishto bring a life into the world. If I had concentrated on the pain, the fear and all the other emotions women feel during childbirth, it might have delayed my progress.

We often get sidetracked by concentrating on the wrong thingswe allow other things to kick us off the track . If we are trying to lose weight, we get sidetracked by the donuts and the cookies. When we say we’re going to be active in ministry, we get sidetracked by negative comments and criticism. If we want to grow spiritually and desire to go to Bible Study, we get sidetracked by the mall, the television or _______ - you fill in the blank. Whatever the task that shows up in our walkwe concentrate on the wrong things and get sidetracked! The Lord tells us to do something and we concentrate on what others might say or think, or how inadequate we feel in getting it done.

We also concert our efforts in the wrong direction. Many times God will tell us exactly how to do something, who to approach (and sometimes even who not to approach) to assist us. We, however, try to be people pleasers and seek the approval of others about the tasks that God has mandated for us to accomplish.

Finally, we center our energies in the wrong way. Sometimes the task seems daunting or impossiblewe lose vigor and even interest and begin centering our energies on something else! We drop the ball, jump the ship, whatever you want to call itwe move on without completing the task. However, the writer to the Hebrews gives us the prescription for staying on taskkeeping our eyes on Jesus! In Him our faith depends from start to finish. If we begin with Him and keep our eyes on Him, we will end with Him!! It is not in our strength that we accomplish the task.

We must remain focused. Put down the donuts, don’t listen to the criticism, get out of the mall and STAY FOCUSED! God has a job for each of us to do. Watch out for the weight and the sin of unbelief that will take you off the track! Run! Run! Run! You can do it because God has already made provisions for you to succeed! Stay focused, my sister, and don’t give up! ©2004

Candie A. Price is the editor/founder of WOW! Women of the Word emagazine. Candie is Ministry Director for WOW! Women’s Ministry at the historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL where her husband of 15 years, Rev. Arthur Price, Jr., is pastor. They are the proud parents of two daughters, Eboni Paige and Amyna Janel. WOW! emagazine can be found at http://www.wowemagazine.com For subscriptions contact Candie at ssbcwow@aol.com

Comments Off

The “Bottom Line” regarding “Whiplash Crash Facts” (accumulated during 2004 - - and including all the previous years) are as follows:

THERE ARE EIGHT SERIOUS AND ABSOLUTE FACTS IMPACTING AND REGARDING THAT WHICH IS TODAY IDENTIFIED AS A “WHIPLASH” INJURY. THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1#. The “Threshold” for cervical spine soft tissue injury becomes a reality at 5 MPH.2#. Most injuries occur at speeds below 12 MPH. #3. Crashed cars can often withstand collision speeds of 10 MPH (some even more) without sustaining damage. (THUS: The concept of “No Property Damage - No Cash” has absolutely been invalidated)! #4. A delay in the onset of symptoms has been found to be the “Norm” rather than the “Exception”. #5. Mild traumatic brain injury can be the result of a Whiplash -Type injury. (These symptoms are often referred to as, “Post Concussion Syndrome”). #6. Up to 10% of victims of “Whiplash” become totally disabled ! #7. Of the 31 important whiplash studies since 1956 (19 of them executed since 1990) regarding patients from all vectors of motor vehicle accident collision impacts (be they rear, frontal, or side) it was found that “over 60% of them” needed long-term medical follow-up. #8. In 2003 several million Americans suffered a “Whiplash-Type” injury. This figure flows into the stratosphere each and ever day at an alarming rate of speed!

TIME NEEDED TO RECOVER

Studies have proven that 45% of the victims remained symptomatic at 12 weeks and 25% remained symptomatic at 6 months. The most minor cases needed at least 8 weeks to recover. The time needed to stabilize in the more severe cases took 17 weeks. THUS: The written (and often declared) notion that “Whiplash Injuries Heal In 6 To 8 Weeks” is just not true !

CHILDREN AND THE “WHIPLASH-TYPE” INJURY: Youngsters who have had Whiplash-Type injuries display sleep disturbances and nightmares, difficulties in talking to parents and friends, mood disturbances, poor academic performance and specific fears when it came to impact related play. ANOTHER SERIOUS CONCLUSION: Children who have been involved in motor vehicle accidents are often neglected as having had “Any various types of injury”, when in actuality, they suffer from the same symptoms as adults. As a matter of fact, they’re at a greater risk for damages - - especially when it comes to “WHIPLASH” !

THE FIVE MOST COMMON MYTHS AS APPLIED TO “WHIPLASH”

#1. Low speed impact crashes don’t cause injuries. #2. Injuries heal in 6 to 12 weeks. #3. A patients pre-injury psychological makeup affects recovery.#4. The greater the vehicle damage the greater the occupant injury.#5. An “Accident Re-Constructionist” can predict injury potential. All five of these “Conclusions” have been proved to be totally incorrect !

THREE SOLID “INJURY-CRASH-FACTS” size=2>

#1. Most injuries occur at speeds below 12 MPH.#2. Rear-end impacts of 6 MPH to 12 MPH cause the most injuries. #3. Between 1 and 2 years post-injury, 22% of patient’s conditions have not returned to “Normal”.

NINE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT WHIPLASH “RISK-FACTORS”

#1. DEGENERATIVE DISEASE: Headaches and/or neck injury pain (for whatever reasons) prior to the crash. #2. PRE-EXISTING HEALTH PROBLEMS: These can positively lead to even greater pain. (For example: A solid Arthritis situation will always lead to the severity of the injury and the pain).#3. VEHICLE SIZE: Even if both are about the same size an 8 MPH impact produces two times the force of gravity. If one is greater than the size of another the Gravity-Force becomes monumental! #4. HEADREST POSITION: The injury becomes much worse if it’s too far away. It must be close enough to catch the head in time - - or about 2 inches. (Over 98% of the headrests are more than 2 inches from the head). #5. POSITION OF HEAD AT IMPACT: If not positively straight (it rarely is) all the G Forces are localized to one side of the spine, substantially increasing the severity of injuries. #6. AGE: How old one is plays a crucial role regarding a “Whiplash-Type” of injury. Why? Because as the body becomes older, ligaments become less pliable, muscles are weaker and less flexible plus there’s a decreased range of motion. #7. WOMEN AND CHILDREN: They injure more seriously than men because they have smaller necks. They may also be too close to the steering wheel, airbag and/or are wearing an improper fitting shoulder harness. #8. NON-USE OF: The motor vehicle’s shoulder harness. #9. FAILURE TO WEAR A SEATBELT !

ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR MEDICAL PAYMENTS COVERAGE

YOU MUST READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR MOTOR VEHICLE INSURANCE “MEDICAL PAYMENTS” COVERAGE: This coverage pays all Medical (and often even funeral expenses) for you, your spouse and even relatives living in your home, and/or others who are injured while operating your motor vehicle.

HERE’S A “BIGGIE” THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF: You and your resident family members may also be covered as pedestrians regarding the payment of your medical bills - - should you have been struck and injured by a motor vehicle.

PLUS: WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR MOTOR VEHICLES “MEDICAL PAYMENTS” COVERAGE - - HERE ARE TWO HUGE FACTS YOU MUST INVESTIGATE: #1. You’re usually paid (regardless of who was at fault for the accident) up to the limit of the coverage you’ve selected. #2. The coverage often extends to expenses incurred - - within he first three years of the accident !

Copyright (c) 2004 By Daniel G. Baldyga

DISCLAIMER: The only purpose of this article THE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT “WHIPLASH-TYPE” INJURY - - AS OF 2004 is to help people understand the motor vehicle accident claim process. Neither Dan Baldyga, Peter Go, nor ARTICLECITY.COM make any guarantee of any kind whatsoever; NOR do they purport to engage in rendering any professional or legal service; NOR to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance adjuster, claims consultant or the like. Whenever such help is desired it is THE INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBILITY to obtain such services.

All of the information necessary for you to deal with and handle the above issues are spelled out within the contents of Dan Baldyga’s third “How To” Insurance Claim Book AUTO ACCIDENT PERSONAL INJURY INSURANCE CLAIM (How To Evaluate And Settle Your Loss) found on the internet at http://www.caraccidentclaims.com or http://www.autoaccidentclaims.com. This book also contains BASE (The Baldyga Auto Accident Settlement Evaluation Formula). THE BASE FORMULA will tell you exactly how many dollars the “Pain and Suffering” you endured because of your accident - - are worth!

About The Author

Dan Baldyga is now retired and spends his time writing articles to assist those who are involved in motor vehicle accident claims so the won’t be take advantage of: dbpaw@comcast.net.

Comments Off

Customers’ demands have grown in Trinidad and Tobago, thanks in large part to exposure brought about by more frequent travel, the Internet and to some extent cable television. Many local businesses don’t however realise that they too can right now satisfy sophisticated demands by using technology already available here. Take for example private clinics. I recently had the pleasure of spending some time at a local private clinic and here are some simple ways I saw that they can improve their service drastically:

The fee schedule, terms and conditions, visiting hours, what to bring from home and all the Frequently Asked Questions could have been placed on a website. This would free up phone time for the nurses who could then concentrate on nursing.
Pictures of the rooms on a website would reduce the time the nurses spent giving potential patients “the tour” and showing what the shared rooms look like and what the private rooms offer.

Now here’s one that would really make a local private clinic stand out: a password-protected webcam section. If a single mother has to work during the day while her infant is in the clinic, wouldn’t it be great if she could enter a password-protected area of the website to see what’s going on with her loved one?

All of the above and more are possible right now at affordable prices. So if you know any private clinic owners, you might want to share this newsletter with them.

Now let’s look at the marvels doctors can accomplish through the Internet. You may already know that it’s happening right now in developed countries that doctors tap into each other’s expertise over the Net through teleconferencing, webinars and more. You may have even heard about “distance surgery.”

While those are great, here’s one simple way the Internet can immediately help medical doctors, dentists and veterinarians to improve their practices. Apart from adding value to their practices, the following will increase the numbers of highly satisfied patients as well as generate additional income. You know what, it could even become a long-term retirement plan for doctors. So be sure to tell your doctor about this:

Typically a patient may have a small question after a doctor’s visit that would not warrant a second visit. So how about if your doctor had a website where you could login and post your medical question anonymously. The doctor could then answer, and not only you but all patients could see the response. A sort of forum could be created for patients only and answers could be found to all sorts of doubts. Of course this would all be done in a secure online environment for which you would need a username and password and the questions can be posted anonymously by members. True, this may not work for all issues but it would definitely work for many of the trivial ones, and patients could be charged a small yearly retainer’s fee to have their questions answered on this service. So the doc even gets paid extra for the “after sales support.”

Aleem Khan, a senior partner at Breaking News, is one of the few people in the world with a four letter domain name bn.gs. He is an accredited Agent of the International Internet Authority who speaks Spanish, French and English.

Comments Off

The Western world is gradually listening, receiving and applying simple, primitive and more effective training methods from the archives of the Eastern bloc. Kettlebells (KB’s) have already become the tool of choice for ‘in the know’ strength and power athletes. Joint Mobility (JM), a combination of Qigong and dynamic stretching, has also become one of the most effective warm-ups for any athlete. How can the re-birth of these two timeless protocols benefit triathletes?

Triathletes are a special population due to the fact they are training for three events simultaneously, i.e. swimming, biking, and running. Efficiency is of the utmost importance, especially for Ironman competitors, 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run ALL IN ONE DAY!! Thus, there are many problems these athletes run into throughout the course of their training programs. The most common issues are over-training, weak core, tight hip flexors, tight low back, and stress fractures mainly in the lower leg and small bones of the feet.

This article will address some specific protocols that have been effectively used to correct some major strength and flexibility imbalances of a current client. She is 33 years old and has competed in two Ironman triathlons, as well as many shorter races. When we started working together, nine weeks prior to her second Ironman, she was rebounding from a stress fracture in the femoral head, major quad/ham imbalance, rotator cuff problems (past injuries from swimming on college scholarship), and tight hip flexors.

Through a combination of JM drills and KB’s, she was able to effectively overcome many of these weaknesses in nine short weeks. Every session began with a minimum of ten minutes of joint mobility head-to-toe and then specifically returning to problem areas. Refer to Super Joints (book or DVD) for these exercises: Belly Dance, Cossack, extended Cossack, Bootstrappers, and Split Switches. After a general mobility warm-up, emphasis was on the Wall Squat, essential to recovery and progression of imbalances, weaknesses and mobility of the hip/low back region. Within two weeks, her squat depth had improved four inches due to increased flexibility and relaxation of the hip flexors. This almost immediate improvement led to relaxed bike pedal power, relaxed running and overall increased power and efficiency.

The remainder of each training session revolved around KB training. The foundational movements apply to triathletes as they do for any athlete. Five main KB exercises were used. A healthy dose of swings, cleans, snatches, renegade rows and windmills were the focal point.

Swings teach hip and hamstring firing. Most programs neglect to teach athletes in general how to neurologically program their hamstrings which leads to efficiency in biking and running.

Cleans re-teach the hips to fire while simultaneously relaxing the shoulders…crucial during a grueling multi-sport race.

Snatches are an extension of the swing and help ‘re-wire’ the CNS to fire on demand and also adding to overall efficiency.

Renegade Rows are a full body core workout teaching the abdominals stabilize in a ‘relaxed tension’ state instead of mindlessly rowing a weight. This movement transfers to more effective hip stabilization in triathletes while building a solid core.

Windmills work the core at the same time stretching the glute/hamstring complex while maintaining mental awareness of the upper body, once again engaging the ENTIRE body to work as a unit vs. a collection of body parts.

These five exercises revolve around everything that a triathlete is looking for: increasing core strength without increasing muscle mass, and increasing work capacity while maintaining aerobic efficiency (relaxed tension).

Treating the body as a ‘unit’ vs. a collection of body parts–which leads to increased efficiency–is crucial for triathletes. Kettlebells fill the void where traditional strength training lacks, effective strength workouts in minimal time. Ask any triathlete: his/her last priority is strength training. However, every triathlete is interested and understands the benefits of “core” training and the Party knows what the MOST EFFECTIVE core-training tool is: kettlebells. Help your fellow triathlete comrades by showing them these intricate Party Protocols. They will surely thank you!

Brad Nelson is a Minneapolis/St. Paul based certified Level II kettlebell instructor and strength and conditioning coach (CSCS). Brad is unwavering about getting you results through private or team training and workshops. For additional information or to witness a demonstration on how and why kettlebells are the single most effective tool for increasing strength, burning fat, general conditioning and teaching movement visit http://www.mtxeconditioning.com or contact brad@mtxeconditioning.com.

© Copyright 2005 Brad Nelson — http://www.mtxeconditioning.com

Comments Off

Our computers have become almost indispensable ministry tools. What would you do if the worst happened and you had to function without your computers? Would your ministry survive?

This article is the second in a 3-part series on how to protect your ministry from serious computer-related loss. This time we’re going to focus on the basics of securing your network against potential inside and outside threats. In the final installment, we’ll cover what every ministry should know about software license compliance.

Good network security is an area many people in ministry neglect, simply because it can be so overwhelming. Even though there are lots of technical details involved with adequately securing your ministry’s network, if you focus on the handful of key areas presented in this article, you can prevent many of the potential threats you might face.

Passwords

The cornerstone of securing your network is to make sure you use strong, secure passwords. This is your first line of defense, and it’s often the weakest link in the chain. If someone can guess your password, they can impersonate you on the network and get to everything you have access to. Even worse, a hacker can use your password to try to “escalate” his level of access and possibly take over the whole network. Most ministries would suffer great loss if sensitive data (like donor information) was leaked out to the Internet by a hacker or disgruntled employee. Making sure your passwords are secure will help prevent this from happening.

Start by putting a password policy in writing. Some good practices to include in the policy are:

•Make all passwords at least 6 characters long, and require a mixture of numbers & upper/lowercase letters. They should be hard to guess, but still pretty easy for the users to remember.

•Require everyone to change their passwords on a regular basis and enforce a password history. This keeps users from recycling their old passwords again and again.

•Make sure no one writes their password on a “sticky note” and posts it in plain sight. This is a common security problem, and it’s almost as bad as having no password at all.

A good IT consultant can help with more suggestions, and these items can all be automatically enforced by your servers, so that everyone on the network will be protected.

Security Updates and Patches

Have you ever noticed that annoying message popping up at the bottom of your computer screen saying “New Updates Are Ready to Install”? Have you ever been tempted to ignore it? Don’t! Every month Microsoft releases security updates for many of their products, and the only way to stay secure is to install them faithfully.

As soon as software companies become aware of security problems, they release patches and updates to correct the issues. It’s your responsibility to download and install the patches so your system will stay up-to-date. I recommend configuring Automatic Updates on all your machines so this process will happen automatically. In a server environment, installing the latest updates can be automated for all your computers and managed from a central location. Just like maintenance on your car, you should plan to apply security patches and updates regularly to keep out potential hackers and viruses.

Firewall

If your ministry uses a dedicated high-speed Internet connection, make sure you have a good firewall in place. This device serves as a barrier to keep hackers out of your internal network. You would never dream of leaving your building at night without locking all the doors, and you should always make sure that the “doors” to your computer network are locked, as well. There are hardware and software firewalls available, but we usually recommend purchasing a hardware-based firewall for security and reliability reasons. Some good firewall manufacturers to check into include Cisco, SonicWall and WatchGuard.

Regular Security Audits

Another benefit of having a relationship with a good IT consultant is that they can perform ongoing security audits on your ministry network. Securing your passwords and applying all the current updates will help, but to make sure everything is locked down you should perform a thorough security audit at least once a year.

A competent, trusted IT consultant can approach your network like a hacker would, using many of the same hacker tools and techniques. He or she can try to penetrate your Internet firewall, test the strength of your passwords, verify the physical security of your data and backups, scan your whole network for security holes and vulnerabilities and provide a detailed report of the findings. They will also be able to give you recommendations and cost estimates on what it would take to fix any issues they find and thus increase the security of your ministry’s network.

Making sure your network is secure is still only another part of the solution. In the final installment of this series we’ll talk about some simple steps you can take to protect your ministry from huge fines and potential prosecution by making sure you comply with software licensing laws.

Donnie Schexnayder is a ministry technology expert. He holds industry certifications from Microsoft and CompTIA and has over 10 years experience in supporting churches and Christian ministries with technology. With a mixture of passion and expertise, Donnie helps ministries advance their mission of bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth by using cutting-edge technology. Donnie lives with his wife and 2 children in Colorado Springs, CO.

Eternitek :: Advancing Christian Ministries Through Technology

http://www.eternitek.com

info@eternitek.com

Comments Off

As we all know one of the most effective storage solutions available in the market today to store various things especially apparel and accessories are closet organizers. Often some wealthy persons or people living in apartments or working in offices might require a huge size closet organizer for a multiple persons or just for himself in case he is extremely wealthy. That makes sense, and in that case we call it building closet organizers! Building closet organizers are those that can be associated with the whole building so the most important thing about them must be their size and/or utility. Obviously, building closet organizers can’t be as desirable or common as bedroom closet organizers, but I am sure they are also getting popular gradually!

Building closet organizers have their own uses and advantages over bedroom closet organizers and no comparison whatsoever should be made between the two due to the difference in their uses. Building closet organizers are off course maybe not as common and may never be, but then how many people are extra wealthy or have wardrobes kept only in their offices and the lot! But it means that one should not forget, there are more than one type of closet organizers available, just in case if we need them…

Comments Off

Impact of curb ramps on people with mobility impairments

Curb ramps are designed to provide access to people who use wheeled forms of mobility. Without curb ramps, people who use wheelchairs would not be able to independently access the sidewalk and street. However, not all wheelchairs perform the same on a curb ramp. Common types of wheeled mobility devices include manual and powered wheelchairs, as well as powered scooters. Each type of technology will benefit from different aspects of the curb ramp design. For example, most powered mobility devices are maneuverable in small spaces due to their short wheelbase. Scooters have a longer wheelbase but have manual steering, and most can perform a three-point turn in tight spaces. Manual wheelchairs can turn on their own wheelbase but are difficult to steer on a cross slope as they tend to turn downhill.

For many people with mobility impairments, curb ramps are not critical to access. In fact, in some situations curb ramps make it more difficult for some people with mobility impairments to navigate. Crutches and canes are sized to fit the individual user so that the energy required for ambulation is minimized on a hard, level surface. Use of these types of walking aids is more difficult on sloped surfaces such as curb ramps. Cane, walker, or crutch users must lower their body forward when going downhill. On uphill slopes, the cane or crutch must be lifted higher and placed on the surface. The user must have the strength to lift his or her body up over the supporting device. Widening the crosswalk to allow people to use either the curb or the curb ramp will enhance access for cane and crutch users who are not comfortable traveling on a sloped surface.

Nicole Thomas offers wheel chair tips and advice at:
http://www.wheelchairtips.com

Comments Off

In order for you to get your best deal on a mortgage you must first understand the types of companies that are offering mortgage products. Learn how they make their money and half the battle is won! These mortgage companies can be simplified as:

Brokers

Broker/Lenders

Mortgage Lenders

Banks

Before we continue, I need to stress this single point. There ain’t no free lunch! All companies are in business to make a profit. If your intention is to get someone to work on your loan for free, you will get what you pay for.

Mortgage companies will make their money in one or more of these four categories, no exceptions.

Fees - Fees charged to the borrower, seller, builder or realtor included in the closing cost of the loan. They are often referred to as “front end fees”. These take the form of junk fees, (fees that are in excess of the actual cost of the service or are not representative at all of any service), origination fees and discount fees. More on this.

Yield Spread - Yield spread is when you qualify for one rate and are sold or closed with a higher rate. The company then makes an economic profit in the form of basis points against the loan amount from the institution they plan to sell the loan to. Incidentally, this is how “no closing cost” loans are done.

Securitization - This is when a lender packages loans as a group, FHA, Conventional, B or C grade loans and sells them on the securities market. A good example is an FHA loan. These groups of loans have a set, if you will, default rate. We know as lenders that xxx amount of these loans will go into default. We also know that xxx amount of these loans will go to term and pay all the interest on the loan scheduled to be paid. These loans as a group represent a dollar amount to other lenders who need to fulfill “money line” quotas. Therefore they can be sold at a premium above the face value of the loans they encompass.

Servicing - This is earning a profit the old fashioned way. Actually holding the loans that you originate to collect the interest that accrues on them that are above the price of the money you purchased to make the loan. Incidentally, this is the least used way institutions use to earn a profit.

This list below simplifies a large diversity of mortgage lending businesses; to a greater extent most mortgage companies will fall into one or more of these business models:

Brokers

Brokers do just what the name implies they broker. They are registered or work in conjunction with a host of different lenders in order to offer a wide array of products. Each bank, lender or correspondent that they deal with has its own niche and lends diversity to the pool of loan programs the broker can offer. It is not uncommon to find a broker with dozens of correspondent lenders. Brokers typically do better with credit challenged clients.

Pros - They can offer many more programs than most traditional lenders and banks. They are usually smaller companies and can work with consumers on a one on one basis. They can usually get you a better rate than you would get if you were to directly apply with the institution they are using.

Cons - They have no underwriting authority. They are at the mercy of the banks and lending institutions they deal with as far as lending decisions. They typically take longer for approvals and have higher fees. They are charged “broker fees” from the institutions they deal with and pass them directly to the consumer in one form or another. They pull your credit and submit it to other banks and lenders to re-pull your credit to see if you qualify for the programs their investor offers. This creates more inquiries on your bureau, which typically brings down your FICO score.

How They Make a Profit - Brokers tend to make their money in fees and yield spread. Brokers offering “no closing cost loans” are selling you a higher rate to re-capture the actual cost of doing the loan plus make a profit. They will typically have junk fees that represent profit to the broker i.e. processing fees, funding fees, underwriting fees. The reason I call them junk fees is most if not all brokers do not underwrite their loans, pay their processors by the hour and table fund in the individual investors name they used to get you the loan.

Broker/Lenders

Broker/Lenders work very much like the Broker category above. The only difference is that they possess a line of credit or have a slush fund from which they “lend” from. Like the broker, they have the loans earmarked for immediate sell to individual investors to get their money line replenished for the next loan.

Pros - They can offer many more programs than most traditional lenders and banks. They are usually smaller companies and can work with consumers on a one on one basis. They can usually get you a better rate than you would get if you were to directly apply with the institution they are using. Added “Pro”, they have the ability to close loans on their timetable, which is an advantage over just plain brokers.

Cons - They have limited underwriting authority. They are at the mercy of the banks and lending institutions they deal with as far as lending decisions. They typically take longer for approvals and have higher fees. They are charged “broker fees” from the institutions they deal with and pass them directly to the consumer in one form or another. By having “Lender Status” in some states like Georgia, they can usurp the 5% cap on fee’s and profit by not disclosing the profit they make on yield spread by selling the loan at a premium.

How They Make a Profit - Broker/lenders tend to make their money in fees and yield spread. Brokers offering “no closing cost loans” are selling you a higher rate to re-capture the actual cost of doing the loan plus make a profit. They will typically have junk fees that represent profit to the broker i.e. processing fees, funding fees, underwriting fees. These are typically the companies advertising “we are a lender” no closing cost and so on.

Mortgage Lenders

Lenders typically have their own set of guidelines and programs and may tend to specialize in a specific niche of the market. They sell their loans and service their loans respectively. Typically the average mortgage lender, Opteum Financial, Homebanc, Countrywide, will securitize their loans 2 to 5 times a year. That is, they will sell their loans on the open market in bundles such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA insured loans. Also they will usually have “portfolio products”. These are niche products that differ from conventional mortgage types and offer them market share within a certain niche of the market.

Pros - Lenders are usually cookie cutter type organizations with more protocols, guidelines and consumer protection policies in place than the aforementioned companies. This is not to say the other companies aren’t’ customer oriented, it is to say they are characteristically less automated in their procedures. Mortgage lenders are usually where the “expert loan officers” land with their career decisions. Lenders are more apt to give full disclosure, lower fees and some sort of a service guarantee. They are usually the people who have pre-arranged deals with Realtors, Builders and other real estate professionals due to their high volume and multi-state capabilities. Lenders employ their own underwriters, processors and funding departments; this usually means a quicker deal with fewer surprises.

Cons - Mortgage lenders have a higher operating cost over brokers. Typically they will employ their own underwriters, processors and funding department. This may equate in their rates they offer their clients. However, most conventional rates i.e. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA loans which represent the bulk of loans done by all mortgage companies are usually within a 1/8th of a point from each other when compared.

How They Make a Profit - Lenders make a profit all four ways mentioned above. They securitize, have fees, generate yield spread and service their loans. The advantage is they have all avenues available and tend to be below average on all of them. In other words, Mortgage Lenders do not need to make all of the profit in fees; they can hold the loan and cut the fees. Or they can sell it in a sensitization package and recoup any losses they may have incurred in the loan. In other words, they have full discretion to do any loan that makes sense.

Traditional Banks

Traditional banks are usually where all loans end up. Banks like, Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and so on. What sets them apart is they are in the business of holding and servicing loans. They are the major buyers of securitized loans from lenders on the open market. The difference is, they are banks that happen to have mortgage departments, not the other way around like lenders.

Pros - Traditional banks are just that, banks; the chance of having your loan sold is far less likely than with the other lenders. Local banks that service their loans can offer the “good ole boy ” network and can usually make loans to farmers and local citizens in small town America with extenuating circumstances. They offer a face to associate with when paying your mortgage if you happen to bank with them. They offer competitive rates, although their most competitive rates can be found offered to their correspondent Brokers to resale to you.

Cons - As mentioned above, banks are unfortunately banks, which happen to have mortgage divisions. They tend to have program A, B and C. If you do not fit one of the programs, tough! Expertise is another con, meaning you are usually speaking with a customer service person instead of a mortgage professional. I hear month after month from customers who have started the process with the “Great American Bank” only to be told they do not fit the guidelines 30 days later.

How They Make a Profit - Banks make profits exactly the way Mortgage lenders do, but the emphasis is shifted to servicing of the loan.

To sum all of this up, ALL mortgage companies are in business to make a nickel or two. The companies that say “Ill do your mortgage for free” or “zero closing cost” are hiding the fees within their rate markup. My recommendation is to work with lenders or brokers who explain this option up front and explain the advantages and disadvantages to structuring your mortgage this way.

Aubrey Clark
Editor
http://lendfast.com

Comments Off

On June 16, 1972, a security guard at the Watergate Hotel in Washington , D.C. , discovered a piece of tape on the lock of the door that led to the National Democratic Headquarters.

This foiled break-in attempt at the Watergate was part of a larger campaign by Nixon supporters to tarnish the reputation of Democratic candidates and the Democratic Party. Democratic candidates were harassed, subject to negative campaign ads, and on two separate occasions the National Democratic Headquarters were broken into.

As soon as the attempted break-in at Watergate Hotel became know, president Richard Nixon ordered the entire affair covered up. It became clear that the Nixon presidency had been involved in serious manipulation and abuses of power for years. Millions of dollars coming from Nixon supporters were used to pay for the cover-up in an attempt to hide the truth from Congress and the American people.

The investigation would introduce the American people to such people as John Ehrlichman and Bob Haldeman. Ehrlichman was the President and Chief of the Domestic Council and Haldeman was the Chief of Staff. Both would be fired in a desperate attempt to save the presidency.

The investigation would ask two questions which would forever live in political infamy.The questions were, “What did the president know?” and “When did he know it?”

The investigation into Watergate scandal revealed that Nixon knew about the break-in from the beginning and that he was involved in the cover-up as it progressed.

In the early stages of the Watergate scandal almost of the media reported the break-in as a minor story with little national significance. This was until two young reporters, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward who were working for the Washington Post began to dig deeper into the mystery.

Aided by an informant identified as Deep Throat, Woodward and Bernstein uncovered one of the significant stories of the twentieth century. They became the catalyst in forcing the first presidential resignation in American history.

As the Watergate scandal investigation began testimony revealed that there was a taping system which was installed to record conversations in the Oval Office, Camp David , the Cabinet rooms, and Nixon’s hideaway office.

Nixon argued that the tapes contained only private conversations between the president and his advisors. The Supreme Court did not agree. The court ordered the president to release the tapes.

The Nixon tapes were released in the 1970s and contained 18 minutes of silence that have never been explained.

John Parsons is founder of CorporateNarc.Com.
The mission of http://www.CorporateNarc.Com is to educate the public in consumer affairs and to provide consumers with up-to-date business information. In addition we hope to ensure better services for the consumer by exposing business fraud and corruption, as well as unfair and deceptive business practices.

This article my be reproduced as long as the author’s name and url to http://www.Corporatenarc.com are present at the end of the article.

Comments Off