SayEducate

Today’s mobile-high tech society means that your next door neighbor could be a complete stranger to you, an oddity of our times. We’re better connected with online “friends” in the UK and Taiwan then we are with people living in our own neighborhoods.

It is that sort of anonymity which can cause problems, particularly if there is a break-in or when some other type of vandalism takes place. A generation or two ago when a crime was reported, neighbors quickly alerted each other or sent out a warning when a strange car or person was spotted nearby.

Empty Neighborhoods = Trouble

Today, many neighborhoods are empty during the day as both the husband and wife work, with some homes empty for days on end as people travel, often without telling their neighbors that they would be gone for awhile. Empty homes are an easy target for thieves, driving up crime rates in some neighborhoods sharply.

Tracking Crime Online

There is a way for you to track local crime even if your neighbors are literal strangers. Thanks to the initiative of one website, local law enforcement personnel can share crime reports right online. CrimeReports.com is a site where registered law enforcement agencies are able to share crime details in near real-time and members of the site can log in to keep up with the latest happenings nearby. Members can also receive email alerts when local crime incidents are posted to this site.

At present, law enforcement personnel in eighteen states (including DC) are participating, with not every jurisdiction covered. Clearly, this is a new program, one that will catch on over the ensuing years. Speaking of Washington, DC, Kevin Morison, who is the Director of Corporate Communications, Metropolitan Police has been quoted as saying the following about this service:

“CrimeReports.com has been an invaluable tool for the Metropolitan Police Department to get useful information out to the community in a timely and efficient manner. Our whole philosophy of community policing is predicated on the easy and open exchange of information between police and community. CrimeReports.com helps to make that happen.“

Working With What You Have

Getting to know your neighbors is still the best way to thwart crime, but with the help of one website and the participation of your local law enforcement community, the internet can be a useful tool to keep you informed.

You can protect your home from criminals by incorporating certain security measures such as adding deadbolts, security lighting, and removing overgrown shrubs adjacent to your house. Please visit SayImprove.com to get free internet tools to protect your home.

Before you take out a loan, apply for credit or consider any other borrowing mechanism, how thorough are you in researching all of your options? With the internet, it is quite easy to make an informed choice — there is so much good stuff online — but, it is just as easy to make a snap decision. Indeed, in these days where lax lending has led to an increase in loan defaults, consumers should exercise plenty of caution before agreeing to any loan.

Our companion site, SayLending, has all of the material you need to make an informed decision before taking on debt. Whether borrowing money for a new home; refinancing your current mortgage; seeking to tap your home’s equity; applying for a credit card; looking for a loan for school, vacation, new car, etc.; we’ve developed specific guides for various life events.

Specifically we invite you to peruse the following:

• Home Mortgage Guide
• Home Refinancing Guide
• Home Equity Guide
• Debt Relief Guide
• Student Financing Guide
• Auto Lending Guide
• What’s New In Credit Cards
• Fast Cash Guide

Each guide is designed to help you decide which loans are best for you and how to negotiate the best deal. Lenders are eager to have you borrow money, particularly as credit has tightened and loan applications are down. However, don’t let their eagerness force you to take a loan that doesn’t meet your needs — you’re in control and in a position to work out a deal that is best for you.

‘Tis the season to think practical!

With less than two weeks to Christmas, have you finished your shopping yet? Maybe the more accurate question to ask would be this one: have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

Lots of people put off Christmas shopping until the very last minute, as some people hit the stores for the first time on December 24th! Their reasons vary with some saying that they don’t have the time while others claim they are at a loss for what what their loved ones really want.

This Christmas, why not think practical? Look for a gift that mostly everyone needs but not many people think to add to their list. Yes, I’m talking about a calculator — just the right gift to make someone’s new year bright.

Lending Calculators, Loan Calculators, Mortgage Calculators and Hand Held Calculators

When it comes to calculators, there are the hand held kind and then there are the online calculators. Not everyone has constant access to a computer nor does every online calculator work as thoroughly as the Casio, Texas Instruments, or HP calculator some people need.

Not sure which kind to order? Well, there are three types of calculators out there and I’ll explain to you what they are and what they do. Your job is figure out which one would work best for your gift recipient.

Financial — Just the type of device an accountant, banker, realtor or financial planner could use. Calculate taxes, run the numbers on a mortgage, or plan for your retirement with a financial calculator able to handle as many as 250 different functions.

Graphing — Your math or budding science genius could find a graphing calculator to work wonders. Just the right gift for surveying and engineering professionals especially with the ability to handle complex algebraic and textbook data entries.

Scientific — Engineers, surveyors, medical and college students can jump to the head of the class with a scientific calculator that can handle reverse polish notation (RPN) and algebraic entry-system logic. Prices this year are highly competitive as the calculator manufacturers duke it out.

If A Calculator Won’t Do

Of course, if a calculator doesn’t suit your recipient’s tastes there are host of other practical gift giving ideas of the electronic kind including: digital cameras, cell phones, iPods, MP3 players, headphones, home audio systems, DVRs, GPS navigation, web cams, two-way radios, printers, xBox, PlayStation, Wii, Nintendo, and much more.

Just don’t forget to load up on batteries, pick up a carrying case, and make sure that you have all the cords you need to download data or upload programs. And you thought gift giving was a difficult task!

Happy Practical Holidays to you and yours.