When it comes down to debt, you’re going to notice that there are two different types.  You’re going to have your secured debts, as well as your unsecured.  Commonly, people tend to get the two confused.  If you’re confused about the two, I wanted to hopefully clear things up when it comes down to secured, as well as your unsecured debts.

Your secured debts

This type of debt is tied to a form of collateral.  Let’s take a secured credit card for example.  When you want to sign up for a card like this, you’re going to find that the credit card company is going to want a deposit.  This deposit can range from a few dollars to as much as $500.

Now, what they are going to do with this is hold it hostage.  If you don’t pay off your credit card bills, they are going to take the money out of your account.  This way, the bank will never lose out on their money.

These type of cards generally have higher fees and are designed for those with bad credit.  If you don’t have bad credit, you will find that you will be better off with an unsecured based card.

Your unsecured debts

These debts will not ask for any type of collateral such as the secured cards or any other type of loan.  You can picture these kind of like your credit card.  You can spend all you want and they won’t hold anything hostage from you.

Typically, your credit cards that require no deposit are going to fall under this category.  People with better credit scores are going to be able to qualify for debts such as these.

Other debts that you may run into that are unsecured are medical bills, court related bills, as well as student loans, and more.  You will find that as long as you don’t have to supply them up front with some sort of collateral.

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Wireless communication systems are pervasive these days, but if you’re running a business chances are your still running a lot of wires and plugs in your walls.  The more electronic gadgetry that’s available to business owners also means the higher demand for electricity.  According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, “office equipment directly consumes 7% of total commercial electrical energy.”

Whether desktop computers, monitors, fax machines, copiers, scanners, or other multifunctional devices, office equipment consumes a fair amount of electricity.  Even when these devices are not on, but are still plugged in, they consume power.  A recent study from the Energy Center of Wisconsin examined energy used by this kind of equipment, and offers solutions to reduce it.  Here are five suggestions for businesses looking to limit their office ‘phantom’ energy use.

1. Enabling power management settings on computers- Researches found that 75% of desktop computer electricity consumption occurs when no one is in front of the computer.  When you enable power settings your system will automatically respond to periods of inactivity by putting it into low power modes.  With respect to this study, 80% of desktop computers did not have these settings enabled.
2. Knowing the difference between Hibernate and Sleep- Hibernate mode saves the existing session to the hard drive and eliminates the risk of losing data.  But recovering from hibernate will take longer than sleep mode.  In terms of electricity usage, hibernation always reduces to near zero consumption.  Sleep mode retains data in the volatile computer memory and can be ‘reawakened’ very quickly.  But if power is cut, unsaved files will be lost.  Sleep mode will generally use more energy than hibernation mode and might not be much of a reduction at all in older computer models.
3. Using a “smart” power strip to disconnect power to peripherals when a main device (such as a computer) is turned off- A smart power strip is designed to reduce standby electricity consumption.  For example, if the main device is a computer, your periphery devices might be the accompanying monitor, printer, and stereo speakers.  In this way, the strip will sense when the main device is being turned off and will subsequently turn off the other devices it’s associated with.
4. Manually unplugging- This one is pretty self-explanatory.  But many users will find this tiresome and annoying.  If it’s an easy plug to get to and you’re not using it most of the time, go ahead and unplug it.  If you’re going to manually unplug, however, it’s a good idea to turn of the equipment before you do as a safety precaution and to save device settings.
5. Install Google’s Energy Saving Gadget- This is a software tool which allows you to easily monitor your computer’s energy use.  It sets your computer’s power management settings to EPA recommended standards and will show you how much energy you’re saving.

Michael Dykstra is a writer at Resource Nation.  He writes extensively about  purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

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() Houston – Mortgage applications rose 7% last week over the prior week’s application rate as US homebuyers moved back into the housing market thanks to record low mortgage rates, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).

Refinance applications also rose last week, up 9% over the prior week, their highest level since May of last year.  Yet the spike was offset by a 2% drop in new home mortgage applications.

For eight of nine consecutive weeks new home mortgage applications have been declining, the MBA stated.  The drop in new home loan applications was pegged to the Obama administration’s tax credit program which ended on April 30, 2010.

New home mortgage applications now stand at 35% below year-ago levels.

Refinance applications accounted for 79% of the total mortgage applications applied for last week, the group stated.

30-year fixed-rate loans on July 2, 2010 were 4.67%, compared to 4.68% during the week ending June 28, 2010.  15-year mortgage rates during the same period dropped sharply, down 0.05% at 4.06%.  One-year ARM rates were 7.05%, compared to 7.20% in the prior week.

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If you want to gather miles on your credit card, then, you can do it even without having to board flights. You can amass these points by taking up a few surveys or using your card for the various purchases you make or even by reserving your accommodation on your card.

With an increasing number of people applying for cards offering airline rewards, it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain seats on the airlines when you actually need them.

Michael Tracy, a business traveler based out of San Diego, said that frequent flyer points are being given away for just about any expenditure being done on the card.

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The problem with issuing debit cards for savings accounts is that it makes things difficult for both the financial institution and the consumer. Because of a federal law known as Regulation D, your bank can only let you make third party transactions using your savings account six times per month. This includes making purchases via debit card. If you decide you want to use your savings account to make regular purchases with a debit card, you could quickly find yourself in a bind with either your card being declined or a hefty fee being imposed. In the worst case scenario, the institution could even close your account.

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