VoIP Phone Home?

The movie Extra Terrestrial (ET) coined the phrase "phone home" and each year American's look for more cost effective ways to do just that. The past 10 years have seen the development and growing popularity of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies to achieve cost savings over the traditional circuit-switched telephone networks. The two dominate technologies used for VoIP are: (1) the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and (2) Peer-2-Peer (P2P). For business and educational institutions SIP VoIP solutions have produced substantial savings. For home voice users, however, SIP VoIP is still value challenged.

A typical circuit-switched landline phone costs about $19.95 per month (plus tax). The good old American landline phone should be graphically depicted beside the word "reliable" in the dictionary. Not only does it keep working, even when all electrical power fails, but it can even provide you with a light to dial with. At $15 dollars per month SIP VoIP is still value challenged due to the lack of full support for E9-1-1 emergency services and of course the reliability issues inherent with using a real time application over a "best effort" network like today's Internet. Although few VoIP articles still reference Internet Request For Comments (RFC) 3714 "IAB Concerns Regarding Congestion Control," the technical challenges associated with VoIP are widely known. Further, even with the recent dubious edict by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that VoIP service providers will provision support for E9-1-1 within 90 days, this still leaves the reliability issues unresolved. The use of adaptive rate CODEC's to prevent congestion collapse is a swell idea if it applies to my neighbor's service but not my own. Using adaptive rate CODEC's to elicit voluntary user preemption has no appeal in the modern world. Technology is supposed to be getting better and it is clearly not better that users receive disconnects or degraded service quality in order to constrain network bandwidth consumption.

Quality of Service (QoS) has been the four letter word of the Internet for a very long time. Yet, we know that real time applications such as video and voice are a mismatch for "best effort" service models. Cost savings are important, but not if they require users to accept backward technology leaps. After 9/11 the United States should have begun standardization efforts to insure that VoIP QoS levels would be equivalent to circuit-switched networks, especially where emergency E9-1-1 calls are concerned. The recent FCC order only requires that E9-1-1 call center traffic be properly routed. It does nothing to insure QoS of the connection once the call is completed.

As for SIP VoIP in the home, there is too little incentive for savvy consumers to part with more of their hard earned communications dollars for an industry offering that simply does not meet the needs of the user. Until something concrete can be done to move SIP VoIP forward, service based on P2P such as Skype seems to be the only sensible choice on the kitchen table. Why should home users pay $15 or more per month for less reliable communications than they already have with their land line? Skype gives users the ability to experience "best effort" voice over the Internet for FREE. Could this be the reason why more than 125 million copies of Skype's P2P software has been downloaded? And for the occasions where interconnection with the existing circuit-switched telephone networks is required, Skype offers a very competitive 2 cents per minute interconnection rate. With Skype you can talk for 12 ? hours interconnected to the phone system for the same cost as a basic rate SIP VoIP service.

Until genuine changes are made to support SIP VoIP QoS there does not appear to be a convincing or compelling reason today for users to choose anything other than P2P VoIP services such as Skype to render Internet "best effort" home phone services.

You can read the complete article and view associated graphics online at: http://canon.org/VoIP_Phone_Home.html.

? 2005 Peach ePublishing, LLC

Jason Canon has authored numerous technical research papers including: photonic switching, gigabit networking, VoIP E9-1-1 and others. He is an expert author for EzineArticles.com. E-mail: Jason Canon at jmc@canon.org.

An Alternative to A Life of Healing

While I do hope to avoid arguing the merits or validity of seeing ourselves as primarily and essentially wounded and on a lifelong quest for wholeness via healing, I would like to offer another perspective on wholeness that may disagree with and/or upset some. This perspective is pointed at by the Mystical Traditions of the East and West, and one in which we begin with the understanding of our innate and eternal perfection. This view could be summarized as:

We are distracted from our always already wholeness and limitlessness, by a fundamental mistaken identification with un-wholeness and limitation (ie the idea of 'me').

This paper is a brief attempt to do 2 things: First, to outline an alternative to the plethora of approaches that focus on wounded-ness, broken-ness, and healing towards wholeness, and instead offer a way of seeing ourselves as Beings beyond healing, always already whole and perfect. I see little offered regarding this way of seeing and being, and feel a call to voice another perspective of wholeness. Second, I hope to use words as skillful 'pointers' in an effort to help you see FROM this perspective. For that to happen these words must point beyond themselves, and also beyond the realm of healing, 'you' and 'me', and toward the ever-present wholeness that is completely here and now.

*******

I wish no disrespect to those that offer their essential services as Healers, but much of what I hear passed off as 'Spirituality', is really egoic and bodily strengthening and fortification. It's about feeling good and creating a bigger and healthier 'me'. Spirituality does not necessarily make 'you' feel good or healthier. Spirituality makes the idea of 'you' transparent. While a certain amount of stability is desired prior to risking a move into the deeper realms of Spirituality, the notions of 'I', 'me', and 'mine', 'feeling good', and 'personal identity' is of the realm of ego, which itself is but a ripple on the Great Ocean of Spirit. Spirit is about Truth (not 'my' truth), Reality (not 'my' reality), may or may not feel good, and is beyond (but includes) the personal identity of 'me'.

These days I read and hear the use of many catch phrases such as 'nurture your Spirit self' and 'grow your sacred Spirit' and 'heal your Spirit', as if Spirit belongs to the realms of the personal self, growth, and cultivation. As if Spirit is some tool or possession to be manipulated by a personal 'me' to make me feel good. Actually, upon close inspection and sustained scrutiny (i.e. meditation/present moment awareness/clear seeing) this self that we mistakenly believe has a Spirit, is really a contraction IN Spirit, an expression BY Spirit, or a gesture OF Spirit. To say Spirit belongs to 'you' or 'me', is like saying the ocean belongs to the waves, the sun belongs to its light, or the sky belongs to the clouds. I don't HAVE a Spirit; I am a unique expression OF Spirit, never to come this way again.

The idea of a whole 'self' is an oxymoron. This is because the 'self', by its very nature, is merely a contraction, expression, or gesture within the whole, and can never itself be the whole. You as a 'me' can never be whole, and trying to construct a whole 'me' is like trying to create a perfect mirage to quench your thirst. Mirages are meant to be playfully recognized as such then seen through, lest we become distracted and never drink the water we are neck-deep in! Chasing the fantasy of future wholeness is to project and chase an idea in time, and thereby miss the only moment wholeness will ever be found. That moment is happening now!

With all due respect to what many say, we can not heal our Life. Why? Simply because Life is not a symptom or illness to be healed. Life is not a problem to be solved or fixed. Our idea that it is a problem, IS the problem. Our fantasy of a sanitary and hygienic Life is itself a problem, and only serves to obscure and distract us from our true identity (Spirit), which is what we are by birthright. Our true identity is also beyond the need to heal.

Now with all that said, allow me to say that I have immense compassion for those that are suffering. I work on a Dual Diagnosis unit in a psychiatric hospital, and I am surrounded by tremendous suffering. Yes, there is useful (but not essential) healing to be done. As the wounded 'me' is healed, it no longer distracts us from our True Nature. Healing the 'me' may help us to see what is, and always was the case ? Perfection!

But what are we then, if not shipwrecked and wounded on the shores of Life? Let me try to direct you to that answer by asking some questions. What is THAT, that is Aware of suffering? What is THAT, that is the silent empty space from which all thoughts, emotions, sensations, and experiences arise and fall? Look into Awareness right now, and try to find a boundary that defines your 'self', your 'me'. Let me guarantee you, you will never find one. You will only ever find more ideas and fleeting experiences arising and falling in the limitless expanse of what you truly are. What you truly are IS freedom, IS peace, IS silence, IS wholeness by Nature. What you truly are IS what you have been looking for all along, but have been missing because you look for IT in a future 'me'.

What I am is AM-NESS, before I am a 'me', right here and now! AM-NESS IS wholeness, and the 'me' is a contraction or limitation WITHIN that AM-NESS.

One of the first steps toward this kind of seeing and being is to loosen our death-grip on the idea that we are wounded, imperfect, and need to continuously heal. We might start by seeing through the delusion of a better tomorrow where the 'me' will finally be healed and whole. Tomorrow may or may not be better, the 'me' may or may not be healed, but the realm of Spirit is beyond (but includes) a 'me' that needs healing, and is always and forever whole, here and now.

I hope these words may help you to be what you truly are, and allow you to see your innate and always already wholeness and giftedness to share with the world.

Aaron McNaught is an Educator, Consultant, Author, Psychiatric Nurse and Certified Hypno-Therapist, specializing in 'De-hypnosis' & Waking Up, as it relates to healing, growth, and beyond. He is living in Red Deer Alberta Canada and can be contacted at wakingup@shaw.ca

3 Ways To Sell and Have Fun Doing It

There are many ways to sell and have fun doing it, but some times we really need to step outside the box and do something a little different if not drastic.

Listed below are the three fun and exciting ways to take that giant leap and start having fun selling your product!

? The Sidewalk Sale
? Supermarkets
? Block Party

The Sidewalk Sale

If you are looking to put a big push on your production and obtain a lot of applications in one day, then the sidewalk sale is the way to go!

Exactly what is the sidewalk sale?

Keep reading...

The sidewalk sale is when you take one full day out of the week, preferably a Friday, because people tend to be more relaxed and receptive, and set up a table on the sidewalk outside of your office and have two to three reps manning it at all times.

Tie balloons to the end of your table to attract attention, and give out freebies such as pens, and post it notes. Also have food available, this will attract people in droves, food such as cookies and lemon aid, or you can really go crazy and have a pop corn machine, or a hot dog griller, these props will definitely attract attention and put people in front of you.

Have lots of literature to hand out, business cards handy, and applications ready for the taking!

Play loud but decent music in the background, and be loud and cheerful, whatever get the attention of the public.

As cheezy as this may all sound, it works, trust me, I've done it! Besides it's a great way to spend your work day, and have fun selling your products!

The Supermarket

The next time you are in your local supermarket, take a good look around. As you walk the aisles, take a good look around. Notice how many people who are not affiliated with the supermarket are selling their product. There are usually two or three. This believe it or not, is a lot!

So why can't you sell your product in the supermarket? What is stopping you? Ask to speak with the manager, and explain that you would like to set up a small table in an out of the way place so that you could sell your product.

Make sure you are prepared to explain yourself clearly, and that your only objective is to offer the customers of the supermarket an added extra convenience!

I must admit, this is a tough go, but if you get your foot in the door, you are golden, I know, I've done it!

The supermarket I set my table up in averaged eighteen thousand customers per week, imagine the potential!

Block Parties

Keep an eye out in your weekly paper, or better yet, those free community papers all towns seem to have that come out weekly or monthly. A lot of times during the spring or summer, towns will have block parties or perhaps they call it a festival.

If you have ever been to one of these festivals, you have noticed that they close down an entire street, usually the one that runs through the heart of town. It is here that all of the vendors flock to sell their products out on the street, or from a booth or table on the sidewalk. There is no reason why you can't jump on this and get involved! All you need are the same props you used for your sidewalk sale. Trust me, this works, I've done it!

There is a down side to this however, and that is, these festivals usually take place on Saturday, and you may be subject to making a donation in order to participate. But hey! It's only once a year, so go for it! You'll have fun. I did!

Jay Conners is the owner of the on-line mortgage resource center http://www.jconners.com where you can find all of your sales and marketing needs,as well as articles and news letters. He is also a partner with http://www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company, specializing in fresh exclusive and non-exclusive leads.

Which PR? Judge for Yourself

You are a senior business, non-profit or association manager. So, chances are you call the shots for your department, division or subsidiary.

Which means you can make your decisions stick.

Like deciding whether a publicity placement is more important to you than creating external stakeholder behavior change leading directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

Like deciding to do something positive about the behaviors of those important outside audiences of yours that MOST affect your operation instead of concentrating on tactics like videos and brochures.

Or even to persuade those key outside folks to your way of thinking, and move them to take actions that allow your department, division or subsidiary to succeed.

Might be time to expand your view of public relations to emphasize the behaviors of your unit's key outside audiences rather than publicity placements.

Why? For the simple reason that the people with whom you interact every day behave like everyone else ? they act upon their perceptions of the facts they hear about you and your operation. Leaving you little choice but to deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions (and their follow-on behaviors) by doing what is necessary to reach and move those key external audiences to action.

Fact is, your very own PR blueprint can make the job a lot easier. For example, people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving- to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

Consider the possible result of such activity. Rising membership applications, community leaders beginning to seek you out; customers starting to make repeat purchases, and even prospects starting to do business with you; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; welcome bounces in show room visits; and new approaches by capital givers and specifying sources not to mention politicians and legislators viewing you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities.

But who's available to handle the assignment? Your own full-time public relations staff? A few folks assigned by Corporate to your unit? An outside PR agency team? Regardless where they come from, they need to be committed to you, to the PR blueprint and to its implementation, starting with key audience perception monitoring.

By the way, when someone describes him/herself as a public relations person you have no guarantee they've bought the blueprint. Assure yourself that the PR people assigned to your unit really believe why it's SO important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Make sure they accept the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

Review the PR blueprint with them, especially your plan for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. For instance, how much do you know about our chief executive? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Use professional survey firms in the perception monitoring phases of your program, if your budget will bear the pain. But keep in mind that your PR people are also in the perception and behavior business and can pursue the same objective: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

If you set the right PR goal, you stand a good chance of effectively dealing with the most serious distortions you discovered during your key audience perception monitoring. It could be to straighten out that dangerous misconception, or correct that gross inaccuracy, or stop that potentially fatal rumor dead in its tracks.

Here you select the right strategy, one that tells you how to proceed. Please remember that there are only three strategic options available to you when it comes to handling a perception and opinion challenge. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. Since the wrong strategy pick will taste like eggs benedict on your pumpkin pie, be certain the new strategy fits comfortably with your new public relations goal. You don't want to select "change" when the facts dictate a "reinforce" strategy.

Writing tight and strong is seldom easy. Still, you must write such a strong message and aim it at members of your target audience. Because crafting action-forcing language to persuade an audience to your way of thinking is tough work, you need your first-string varsity writer because s/he must create some very special, corrective language. Words that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to correct something and shift perception/opinion towards your point of view leading to the behaviors you are targeting.

After you run the draft by your PR colleagues for impact and persuasiveness, select the communications tactics most likely to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. There are dozens available to you. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be sure that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

As we know, the credibility of a message can depend on how you deliver it. Which is why you may decide to unveil it before smaller meetings and presentations rather than using higher- profile news releases.

You'll recognize calls for progress reports as signals to you and your PR team to get busy on a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. You'll want to use many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session. Difference this time is that you will be watching very carefully for signs that the bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

Should momentum slow, you can always accelerate matters by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies?

So, what you really want the new PR plan to accomplish is to persuade your most important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to behave in a way that leads to the success of your department, division or subsidiary.

So your choice between public relations that delivers a print or broadcast pickup, and public relations that creates the kind of external stakeholder behavior change leading directly to achieving your managerial objectives, isn't really a choice at all.

Especially now that you realize you need public relations that really CAN change individual perception and lead to equally changed key outside audience behaviors that help you get your PR money's worth.

end

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1250 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly ? 2005.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit:http://www.prcommentary.com

The Ten Things That Successful Parents Do

1. They are leaders as well as parents. They don't rely on the schools, the government, television, the movies or music to teach their children values and the difference between right and wrong. They do it themselves.

2. They have a vision for their family and its future, one that is discussed and shared often. And they support the vision with clearly articulated, clarified and communicated values and beliefs. Every action, behaviour, and decision is taken with those values and beliefs firmly in mind. They constantly emphasize the relationship between family successes and acting in accordance with the values and beliefs. They make a clear distinction between right and wrong. Everybody is clear on how things are to be done and why.

3. They are behavioural models for their children. Their behaviours reflect those that they want the kids to emulate. They are honest because they value honesty; open because they value openness; forgiving because they value forgiveness. They make tough decisions when necessary and they take responsibility for the results. They don't just tell their children what to value and believe; they show them through words and deeds.

4. They enable their children. They communicate high, but achievable behavioural and performance expectations and provide the spiritual, emotional, physical, intellectual and financial resources the children need to successfully achieve them. They know that self-esteem is a function of achievement.

5. They talk with their kids, not at them. They develop feedback loops so the children can come to understand the impact of their behaviour on others. They make sure the kids understand the relationship behaviour and consequences. And they distinguish between the child and his or her behaviour so, when there are problems, they unconditionally love the child while looking for a solution to the problem.

6. They take pains to understand how children develop. As the children are finding their way in the world these parents use a combination of maturity and skill to firmly direct when direction is needed; discuss when the circumstances merit; push the kids away when they are ready to make provisional tries when they are ready to and, finally; they set them free altogether. Through it all, the door is left open for the kids to come back if they needed to.

7. They take an active role in their children's education, both formal and informal. They are active contributors to both the schools and communities. They enrich the home environment in every way they can. They go to concerts, games, on camping trips and, unfailingly, to the ceremonies that mark the graduations from one stage to the next.

8. Although their children are outstanding in any number of ways, these parents freely admit their kids were anything but perfect. They accept and openly talk about the fact that, while good kids, their children are just as prone as others to the vicissitudes of growing up and, on occasion, their behaviour reflects that fact.

9. When the time comes, they discuss the future and provide appropriate advice and guidance regarding career and other life choices that children must eventually make.

10. Through it all they encourage independent, critical thinking so, in the final analysis, each child becomes his or her own person.

? Dr. Tom Olson 2004, all rights reserved Permission to reprint article granted as long as this signature remains intact.

About The Author

Dr. Tom Olson is the author of Don't Die With Your helmet On. Visit www.Dontdiewithyourhelmeton.com for more information about Dr. Tom, the book and his work.

onfo@dontdiewithyourhelmeton.com

Read This Before Getting A NEW Cellular Phone

It seems like these days, there are a million and one different cellular phones and service plans on the market all claiming to be the BEST. How in world do you decide on which one to signup with?

Many people sign up for a $60 a month service plan, but only end up using about 20% of the allocated minutes! Others, sign up for "across the country" plans costing $150 a month, but rarely travel outside their own state!!

Today, you can typically find quite a number of local providers offering a wide variety of services to both individuals and businesses alike. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your cellular phone experience.

*MOST IMPORTANT: Talk To Your Friends & Neighbors
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The most valuable advice that mostly everyone forgets to take into consideration is the "friend factor".

More than likely, you have a few friends, family members, neighbors who have cellular phones. The best way to learn about their particular phone and service provider is to simply ask them. Within minutes, you can find out how well they like their phone, service provider, and most importantly - the reception and clarity of calls.

Reception is THE MOST IMPORTANT factor to consider. For those of you familiar with cell phone static, garbled noise, echoing voices, and dropped calls, I think you'll agree these annoyances will make your cell phone experience miserable.

EVEN IF you have the BEST phone, with the MOST minutes, for the CHEAPEST price, if you are NOT with a company that provides a solid clear reception for both incoming and outgoing calls, you will be VERY disappointed and angry since you probably signed a 1-2 year contract.

Take my word for it. I have been with four different service providers over the past five years and the ONLY reason I kept switching was due to my unsatisfaction with the reception. It wasn't due to a lack of phone features, or even minutes provided, that can always be adjusted later or solved with the purchase of a higher end, more expensive phone. It ALL came down to the clarity of my cell phone calls, both incoming and outgoing.

Trust me, the first time you can't understand, or unexpectantly lose an important phone call, you'll remember this article and say "That guy from SavingSecrets.com told me about this!"

What can you do to educate yourself about cellular service? Talk to anyone you know who owns a cell phone. This is my best advice. Simply approach this topic by saying:

"Hey, I'm planning on getting a cell phone soon, but I'm a little unsure of which service provider to sign up with. There are so many options out there, I want to make sure I do my research before signing a lengthy contract. Could you tell me a little about your phone and service provider, and please be brutally honest."

Then, just make sure you ask these type of questions:

-How do you like your particular phone?
-What are the costs/plan/minutes provided?
-Who is your service provider?
-Do you have clarity issues ie: alot of static, echoing noise, call drops?
-What are the pros and cons, in your opinion?

Personally, I recommend speaking to at least ten different people so you not only hear different opinions, but you can compare notes and see if you can find any consistencies amongst phones/providers.

CHOOSING SERVICE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before you decide on a company/policy that best suits your needs, you MUST determine what type of cell phone 'user' you'll be. This will save you money month after month.

Take a moment to reflect on when you will be using your phone the most. Is your cell phone for business purposes? For personal use? Just on the weekends? What time of the day will you use the phone most?

Know the answers to these questions before signing any type of cellular phone service agreement. It will help guarantee you get the best deal for your money.

Other important information to know:

- Monthly Service Charge
- Number of Minutes Included in Plan
- Type of "FREE" minutes- weekend or anytime
- Per Minute Charge: Peek, Off Peak, Weekend
- Local Coverage Area
- Long Distance Charges
- Roaming Charges (when out of your designated calling area)

WHAT PHONE TO GET?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This question can only be answered by you. Do you really NEED a cell phone that can play games, store thousands of names and numbers, and get the latest sports scores?

If you just want a cell phone to make occasional phone calls, you can probably settle for a $30-50 phone. Better yet, most carriers offer FREE phones with the signing of a service agreement (generally 1-2 years).

IMPORTANT - Make sure you try out the phone before you buy it. This is your chance to test the product. Is it too small? Are the buttons a good size for you fingers? How's the clarity? etc. . .

Every service provider will let you make a call on the phone you're interested in buying. Try, before you buy! And don't just stand in the storeroom. *Make sure you ask first*, but walk around outside, go into a neighboring store, get in your car. Did the signal stay strong?

Also, have a friend call you on the phone so you can check how an incoming call sounds. If possible, have a friend call you from a cell phone to check what a cell-to-cell call sounds like.

ALREADY HAVE A CELL PHONE?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Analyze the bill over the past two or three months. Do you see a calling pattern? When do you call more during the week or on weekends?

Write down an estimate of the hours you spend during peek (7am-7pm), off peak (7pm-7am) and weekend hours (Fri 12am-Sun 12am). Once you have an idea of when you spend your time on the phone, you can then speak with a service representative about changing to a plan that might better fit your needs.

If you did happen to sign a 1-2 year contract, ask what type of switching/changing options you have. Remember to be courteous and nice. It will not help to start shouting and screaming because then the representatives will not be inclined to help you. They'll simply say "You signed the contract."

Just politely state: "I am happy with your service and would like to remain your faithful customer, but I need have something adjusted that will better suit my calling habits...."

CONCLUSION
~~~~~~~~~~~

The best advice to give to cell phone users is to educate yourself as much as possible. Find out what services are offered in your area. TALK TO people you know who have cell phones and ASK them what they think of their service. You'll be able to tell right away if they are 'happy' or 'frustrated' with their cellular service.

*NOTE* Just BE SURE you do NOT sign any contract until you have carefully thought and read through everything.

Gregory Thomas, editor of http://www.SavingSecrets.com - has written hundreds of effective money-saving tips, strategies, and articles over the past 6 years. Visit their website and you'll find FREE money-saving articles, a monthly newsletter, and even a FREE Ebook download just for stopping by!

What is the Difference Between an Unsecured Personal Loan and a Secured Personal Loan?

This is a common question that many consumers have. Many people do not realize that there are even different types of personal loans. Each type of personal loan, secured and unsecured, have different requirements.

We will look at the requirements for a secured personal loan first. The name "secured loan" pretty much sums it up, to obtain a secured loan the borrower is required to provide some kind of collateral to secure the loan.

The most common forms of collateral used to secure loans are personal property such as your home, land or automobile. When your home is used as collateral, you will often hear the loan referred to as a home equity loan or a second mortgage loan. Personal loans can also be secured with stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, a savings account, etc. Lenders tend to be more flexible when granting secured loans. Usually the borrower is given a lower interest rate and longer terms to repay the loan compared to an unsecured loan. The downside to a secured personal loan is if you default on the loan and fail to repay it, the collateral used to secure the loan can be seized by the lender.

If you do not have any collateral to put up for security, then you would not be able to qualify for a secured loan. On the other hand, and unsecured loan does not require any collateral. That is why unsecured loans are a great option for non-homeowners.

The requirements for an unsecured personal loan rely on the borrower's credit history. Since there is no collateral securing the loan, the lender has to base creditworthiness of the borrower on his or her past credit activities.

The higher a credit score the borrower has the more likely for approval they will be. A good credit score can also guarantee a higher loan amount and a lower interest rate. If you have poor credit, you could still qualify for an unsecured loan but expect to pay a much higher interest rate.

There are some really great deals and interest rates on unsecured loans these days. But all in all, usually the limit on an unsecured loan will be lower than the limit for a secured loan and the interest rates are usually higher. Visit Easy Approval Personal Loans to apply online for a unsecured personal loan today or to learn more.

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Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the authors bio paragraph at the bottom of this article is included, the article is published "as is" (unedited) and all URL's are made active hyperlinks with no syntax changes.
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This article was written by Beth Pardue who has over 10 years of experience in the financial industry assisting clients with assorted financial needs. To learn more about your personal loan options or to apply for a personal loan online please visit: http://www.easy-approval-personal-loans.com