Top Mobile Apps for Monitoring Health and Fitness

Top Mobile Apps for Monitoring Health and Fitness

Healthcare costs are rising for consumers and for companies providing health insurance to their employees. One solution many companies have explored to help mitigate healthcare costs has been to encourage individuals to focus on preventative care and overall healthy lifestyle choices. When people develop healthy habits, the need for medical care tends to go down and the amount of money spent on medical care goes with it.

Mobile applications exist for virtually every purpose, including a growing number of apps designed to help individuals monitor their personal health and fitness. Some great examples of these apps can be found for both iOS users and Android users:

• Loseit! (iOS): Loseit! is a free app designed to help users count calories. It also provides nutrition information for many popular restaurants, allowing users to make intelligent choices while dining out. This particular app also allows users to keep track of physical activity, to monitor both caloric intake and calories burned while exercising. Again, this is one of many apps for the purpose of monitoring diet and fitness, and it happens to be free of charge



• iBody (iOS): On the other end of the price spectrum at $9.99, the iBody application provides many of the same functions as the free Loseit! app, but goes much further. Space for recording heart rate and blood pressure can help users maximize the effectiveness of their workouts. These are but two example of a myriad of options available up and down the price scale, so depending on your specific goals and needs there is an app out there that will meet the cost and functionality parameters for which you are looking.



• Endomono Sports Tracker (Android): The Sports Tracker helps users map jogging routes and track distance and average speeds. It also provides audio feedback for every mile/kilometer traveled and a history of users' lap times and music playlists. This app also includes elements of gamification, allowing users to challenge friends to beat their time on routes and share the results of their workouts on Facebook.



• Food & Nutrition (Android): The Food & Nutrition Tracker is helpful when used in conjunction with the Sports Tracker if weight loss is one of your specific goals. This app provides nutrition information on thousands of foods which makes it easy to make decisions that best mesh with your physical activity level as you work to achieve your goals.



• AllSports GPS (Android): If you find using two free apps to be too cumbersome, the AllSports GPS app is $9.99 and it tracks exercise information such as calories burned, distance traveled, and average speed. It also functions as a calorie counter to help keep track of caloric intake. This app is also great for individuals who like to share goals and progress with friends and family.

There are many more apps available than can be discussed here, so rest assured that one or more exists (or will exist soon) to help anyone get healthy and stay healthy. You'll save money in the long run by avoiding many health problems associated with a lack of proper nutrition and exercise. Your body will thank you and perhaps your employer will thank you as well.

Retirement Plan Needs to Address Financial Costs and Burdens of Aging

Retirement Plan Needs to Address Financial Costs and Burdens of Aging

By the time you hit age 40 you should have saved some money for your future retirement. The problem is too many people forget to protect those retirement funds from the high costs of Long-Term Care. The US Department of Health and Human Services says if you reach the age of 65 you will have a 70% chance of needing some type extended care service. Health insurance, Medicare and supplements will only pay for a small amount of skilled services and only for 100 days. They will pay nothing towards custodial services (help with activities-of-daily living) which most people will need as they age.

Often this means crisis management. Family members become caregivers. Caregiving is hard but when a family member must be a caregiver it adds more dimensions. This usually means the responsibility falls on the lap of a daughter or daughter-in-law. They generally have their own care and family responsibilities. Not to mention the emotional hardship that ties into a family member being a caregiver.

The financial costs and burdens of aging will impact your savings and your family. Affordable LTC insurance will secure your assets and ease the burden that is placed on family.

There are very few true specialists in long-term care insurance. This means you should seek the help of a true Long-Term Care Specialist. This person should have at least three years' experience in Long-Term Care Insurance, represent the major insurance companies and have at least 150 clients with Long-Term Care Insurance.

Most financial advisors and general insurance agents do not have the skills required to design an affordable plan based on your specific needs. Plus, they usually do not understand underwriting requirements which each insurance company uses to determine if they will even offer a policy to you. They generally have never experienced a claim, so they do not have a full understanding of how these policies actually get used at the time of claim.

This is why I assist consumers nationwide using my unique process where a client views my computer screen while we speak on the phone. A number of other top specialists will do the same thing. The key here is asking many detailed questions about your health, family history, retirement plans and concerns. Most financial advisors and general insurance agents may ask only a few questions. This means the recommendations that they may give you are not appropriate and may even cost you more money than it should.

Since they do not deal exclusively in Long-Term Care planning they usually do not understand the products and the positive impacts they can have on your loved ones. They also tend to over-insure. A true Long-Term Care Specialist will make the appropriate recommendations and consumers discover that LTC insurance is very affordable and adds a tremendous amount of peace-of-mind as you plan for your future retirements.

If you are speaking to someone about Long-Term Care Insurance be sure to ask a few questions:

How long have you been working with Long-Term Care Insurance?

According to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) no less than three years is acceptable.

How many clients do you have with LTC insurance?

No less than 100 is acceptable says the AALTCI.

How many companies do you represent?

The AALTCI says no less than three.

How many claims have you been involved with?

The more the better, keep in mind a person working three years may not have had any claims yet despite having more than 150 clients. Ideally you want a person who has experience 15+ claims.

What is your general philosophy when you design a Long-Term Care Insurance plan?

Listen to how they answer the question and make a judgment if it sounds like it is well thought out.

Here are a few warning signs you should be aware of:

1. The agent or advisor sends you quotes without asking many questions. A true Long-Term Care Specialist will spend a lot of time asking detailed questions and family history, in addition to asking about your future (or current) retirement plans. If they only take five minutes or less you should run away.

2. The agent or advisor immediately starts talking about asset based or hybrid plans without asking you many questions. These are life insurance or annuities with riders for Long-Term Care. They can be an outstanding way to plan for some people but anyone who brings this type of solution to you without asking many questions should be avoided.

3. The agent or advisor does not explain the Long-Term Care Partnership Program. Not all states have active partnership plans in place but most do. If they do not mention it be sure to ask. If they can not explain it move on.

4. The agent or advisor does not have a website, or their website has very little information available, it is usually not a good sign. True LTC specialists will usually have a comprehensive website with many resources available for education.

5. The agent or advisor recommends you self-insure and put money in investments. For most people this places your money in too much risk, does not provide tax benefits and does not reduce the burden placed on family since most LTC policies have case management. It may make the advisor money but you should be more concerned how it will protect your money and reduce family burden. If they make this kind of recommendation ask them to put it in writing. Then ask how their plan would really benefit you and your family from the financial costs and burdens of aging.

Long-Term Care Insurance has become a key part of retirement planning. Seek out a specialist to help you add peace-of-mind to your plan. It is an easy and affordable way to help you have a successful future retirement.

Working with a Long-Term Care specialist will allow you to get the accurate information you seek. There are several reference websites for research:

LTC News offers articles and resources: http://www.ltcnews.com

US Department of Health and Human Services : https://longtermcare.acl.gov/

Long-Term Care will impact you, your family, your savings and your lifestyle. Long-Term Care Insurance is Easy and Affordable Asset Protection. These plans not only protect your savings but reduce the burdens placed on family members. Act before you retire to take advantage of lower premiums and your overall better health.

Home Business Opportunities and Internet Marketing

Home Business Opportunities and Internet Marketing

Internet marketing is pretty easy and anyone can do it. So it makes an ideal home business. But even though anyone can do it, most people fail at internet marketing. Why?

This answer is that there are two things lacking from many home businesses: knowledge and persistence. If you start a new business you can get by without much experience. But to do it you will have to gain knowledge and never give up in your noble quest.

Most people who start a new business do not do enough research, so they are at a disadvantage. They don''t know what they do not know. People get discouraged without immediate results, and there before many give up before their business has had enough time to be successful. Do not do this! You must make the commitment in the beginning and stick with it no matter what. You will be successful, it just takes time.

So be sure to do your research, starting right now. There are many different ways to learn about internet marketing, including researching on the internet! Here are four different ways to learn what you need to know about your new business opportunity:

1. Do research online,
2. Read books from the library or bookstore,
3. Study successful internet marketing businesses,
4. Talk to successful internet marketers and other successful home business owners.

Researching Internet marketing online can be a great source of information but there are some problems with relying just on your research:

o You will get deluged with too much information.
o You will get some information that is misleading.
o You will get some information that is flat out wrong.
o You will get information that is out of date.

This is not to say you should skip the step of online research. It's just that you must be very careful to validate what you learn from other sources. That is one reason to use all available research methods at your disposal.

Reading books is a good way to get in depth information about different internet marketing topics. This approach works best on topics where you have particular deep interest. It is easy for you to research the author and read independent reviews about the book. If it gets great reviews and is a subject you are extremely interested in, you should take the time to read it.

You do have to be careful in time management so make sure that the book is extremely worthy and will help your new business succeed.

In the next article we will discuss more ways to obtain valuable information about your new internet business opportunity.

Choosing a Financial Planner - 10 Questions to Ask

Choosing a Financial Planner - 10 Questions to Ask

There are a lot of reasons you might be considering getting help from a financial planner. Planning for retirement is usually a primary reason. Along with others like the education of your children, or buying a home or not having the know how to get your finances in order. Whatever the needs may be the right financial planner will be instrumental in securing the future.

This article is intended to help you assess any number of financial planners until find the one that is right for you. You will be looking for a qualified individual who is both professional and with what you can feel comfortable with. You can use this article to create a checklist if you would like.

1. How Experienced Are You?

Ask about how long they have been a financial planner. Ask about the types of companies that they associated with and how many there are. Ask for a brief description of heir experience in relation to their current practice.

2. What Qualifications Do You Have?

Ask the kind of qualifications they have. They are a ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant), CFP (Certified Financial Planner), PFS (Personal Financial Specialist) or a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). A lot of financial professionals can use the term "Financial Planner" so make sure to find about which designs are carried. Ask how the planner holds current with changing trends, product developments and new product releases.

3. What Kinds Of Services Are Offered?

The services offered are dependent on issues like licensing, areas of expertise and credentials. Giving investment advice requires you to be registered with state or federal authorities generally speaking. Also, in order to sell mutual funds, stocks, securities, or insurance products a planner must be properly licensed. Like me, I carry all the appropriate licenses for the insurance products I sell.

4. What Kind Of Technique Do You Use?

Some financial planners want you to have accepted a designated worth before moving ahead. Some planners like to provide advice only in the areas desired. Some financial planners will develop one scenario by bundling all facets of your financial objectives. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the financial situations the planner is most comfortable with.

5. Are You The Only Person I Will Be Working With?

Make sure to find out if the planner will pursue the plan designed for you, will the planner have assistants or will the planner refer you to other professionals.

6. How Do You Require Payment?

Payment will be included in the agreement you design. The planner will lay it out in writing how payment will be scheduled. There are usually a few different methods a planner that will use.
a. Salary. The employer of the planner will receive payments from you either in fees or awards
and pay the planner a salary.
b. Flat Rate. There will be a percentage, flat rate or even just an hourly rate.
c. Commissions. A commission paid on the products sold to you to carry out the plan designed for you.
d. Combination. Payment may be a combination of certain fees and a commission on products sold. Some may offset certain fees for purchase of certain products.

7. What Are Your Normal Charges?

A planner should be able to provide an estimated, or a ballpark figure based on having rendered these services before. Usually the estimate will include the flat fee or hourly rate for the services. It will also include the commission paid on the products you may purchase based on their recommendations.

8. Will Other Parties Benefit From The Advice You Give Me?

Ask the planner to divide, in writing, any conflicts of interest that might arise based on the business relationships that hold. Will the planner receive any business for referring you to another professional for advice or suggestions / products?

9. Have You Ever Had Action Brought Against You for Unethical Behavior?

There are several professional and governmental organizations such as the NASD (National Association of Securities Dealers) state insurance dept. and CFP (Certified Financial Planner) Board who keep records of these actions. Ask what organizations this planner is specifically regulated by. Ask for the disclosure form known as the Form ADV 2. This is a form the planner should have available upon request. This is just a simple form that identifies all the organizations he / she is affiliated with.

10. Get It In writing.

I do not care how you ask, get it in writing. Make sure all details of the agreement are spelled out and understood. Make sure to keep this document in a safe reliable place.

Marketing On Facebook: Gathering Feedback

Marketing On Facebook: Gathering Feedback

Advertising your brand on a social networking site like Facebook is a must in today's social networking frenzied world. You really can build a sustainable and profitable business by marketing your brand on Facebook. You just need to understand the principles and practices you need to apply in a few very critical area of ​​your business.

Creating Your Product:

When it comes to product creation, you must know what your market wants or you may end up spending countless hours and dollars creating a wonderful product, that nobody wants to buy. It is very risky to create before you know what will sell.

This type of risk can easily be eliminated by simply working with your niche / market by marketing with Facebook. Here are some simple steps to take to get the feedback from your market to help you create a fantastic product that people will line up to buy.

1. An awesome way to gather feedback from your target market is to launch a campaign and then gather information and suggestions from people. Take your basic idea for a product or service and run it by the general public.

For example, suppose you are interested in selling a new book on dog training. You can then ask all dog training enthusiasts what they would prefer to see in an up-to-date, brand new guide.

Offering your market something of value is a fantastic way to get people to respond to your new campaign. Often businesses will have contests to inspire people to join the discussion on Facebook about your new product. Once you have enough feedback, you can then have your fans take a vote to choose the product characteristics or features that would love to see on your new item or service.

2. Do not forget to create brand awareness through advertisements. Do not underestimate how powerful advertising on Facebook with their 500 million users can be.

To help promote your campaign send an email blast to your email list and be sure to promote your campaign offline as well. The more participants you can gather the better, more participants improve your chances of getting good, quality feedback to help your product creation efforts.

3. Be active! Do not assume that after launching your campaign that it will then run itself. You need to stay on top of things by actively participating in your own campaign.

All types of social media marketing should be regularly monitored. If you want to successfully use the feedback your campaign garners, then you have to be aware of the feedback you are getting. The only way to do this is by watching how your campaign develops through the days and weeks to come.

The Genre Of IOS Games - What Makes IOS Games For Smartphones A Must Have?

The Genre Of IOS Games - What Makes IOS Games For Smartphones A Must Have?

Be it action, adventure, family or kids, iOS games has always delivered the best in providing complete entertainment and non-stop fun.

What makes people go crazy about these games?

The games have everything say from stunning graphics, lovely characters to vibrant colors and brilliant gameplay. There is always a competition in the Appstore to top the charts, but who makes it to the top? Is it games with good gameplay, or the ones with a great subject?

You really can not judge that, can you? Then how is it that, even simple game with not so good graphics or with any theme make it to the "Top". What makes Apple to list them in Top 10?

One thing that matter's the most here is the number of downloads and the popularity of games, but again there arises a question, is it the games developed by popular game developers only top the chart?

With too many questions and confusion, many people tend to download the games with highest number of reviews, ratings and downloads, either they like it or not. There are plenty of games out there with superb graphics and excellent gameplay, which goes unnoticed.

You all like Angry Birds , but do you like Shoot the Birds , which has fabulous graphics and vivid gameplay? What is missing in Shoot the Birds, why it has not made it to the Top?

As a player, even I like some of the games which have made it say Top 50, but there are many other games too, which have not.

Some of my favorite games like Doodle Jump, Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja etc. are popular set of Games.

But Brain Puzzle, Bird's the Word, Untangled HD, Doodle Car HD, Bubble Trap, and Magic Paths HD and many others to name also fall under my personal favorites.

What makes the latter ones less popular than the initially mentioned games? No answer right? I am not comparing, but all I want to convey is, there are many such good games in Appstore, which are getting overlooked by some or the other reason. We as players can bring such games to the publics' notice either by reviewing the games or asking a friend / family member to play and review it.

Give it a second thought because there are hundreds of games out there in Appstore with great potential to offer thorough entertainment to all age group.

I am off to play some more games. See you on Leaderboard. Ciao!

Web Hosting Bandwidth - How Much Bandwidth Will You Need?

Web Hosting Bandwidth - How Much Bandwidth Will You Need?

Bandwidth in its simplest terms refers to the amount of data that sent to and from visitors across your website during a period of time, usually measured in a month. As many website newbies are confused about how network bandwidth works and many of them asked me many times about how much bandwidth will his/her website need, in this article, I will explain this technical term plainly.

What is bandwidth?

When you visit an online website, you are actually downloading a file, which can be an HTML web page, a gif image, a video files, a flash files or a combination of all of these. With the download of these files to your computer via web server, users are able to view your website through web browser. Any time when a user downloads a file, it can be translated into the data is transferred via the server. And according to the size of your web page, the data being transferred various. For instance, the size of your homepage is 1 KB, every time people view this particular page will cost you 1 KB data transfer. If there are 100 visitors get through your homepage every day, then 100 KB of data will be transferred per day, 3000 KB per month. Of course, calculate how much bandwidth will your website requires is not that simple.

How much bandwidth will your website need?

When comparing different web hosting packages from different web hosting companies, you may notice that the allotted bandwidth various greatly, from a very small amount of bandwidth to large or even unlimited bandwidth. Therefore, it may be difficult for you to choose the right solution with the appropriate bandwidth. How much bandwidth is most suitable for you anyway? Well. I think you should take these following three factors into accounts: a. how many visitors will visitor your website? b. How many webpage will the visitors view? c. The size of your web page files, especially if there is big images file or video file in your website. For example, if an average size of a web page (images included) is 50 kilobytes and each visitor to your website viewed an average of 4 pages per month, 5,000 unique visitors to your website every month, then the total amount of bandwidth will be 50KB*4*5000 about 1GB. This figure is reasonable, however, it is also a wise choice to go for provider who offers at least 2 GB and prepare for any eventuality. And this is also a rough estimate, i.e. it is not required to download images every time the visitor make a hit to your website, since the browser will store the repeat images in the computer. You should think carefully about your situation, if you expect to launch a forum, then it will cost your more bandwidth than the ordinary websites.

Website offering files download is most bandwidth consuming

Although 2GB bandwidth may be enough for average personal blog website with simple content, it will be not sufficient you are going to allow file downloads on your website. If you are planning to provide music files,.pdf files, flash files or even video files for visitors to download then you are required to provide extra bandwidth for the download process. You can calculate the bandwidth needed with the following formula: Bandwidth needed = [(Average Page Views x Average Page Size x Average Monthly Visitors) + (Average Download per month x Average File Size)] If the provided files are of huge size, then you will run out of bandwidth in a very short period of time. Take 2 gigabyte of bandwidth for example, if your website offers a video file that is of 4megabyte in size, you will be only able to serve up 5 hundreds times of download, which does not take the HTML file into account. And a video file of 4 megabyte only shows a short period of time. So you should make sure that your monthly bandwidth will be able to meet your anticipate requirements.

Hosting is more than just about bandwidth

If you are looking for a web site hosting plan, you have to consider a lot of other factors than simply bandwidth. How about the usage of the other resource, such as CPU, RAM, as well as database connection? These are also as important bandwidth capacity. As a matter of fact, without sufficient resources on these aspects, unlimited bandwidth is mere facade. In addition, you should never overlook the server stability, server uptime, and server speed etc and also put your eyeball on complete guarantee of 30 day money back to safeguard yourself if you are not completely satisfied with the service.

Final Words

Knowing what you expect to accomplish will allow you to know what you will need. It is crucial to get an idea of your website future development before shopping around for hosting packages. By knowing what you plan to do with your website, you will have a good understanding of how much bandwidth you're going to use. If you expect to establish a much more complicated and huge website with many video, music and large flash files, then you can be a good choice to go with a reliable dedicated server and have more control over your server as you may be charged a lot if you overuse the bandwidth provided by shared web hosting companies. If you are going to create a new small website that does not requires much bandwidth, then you are advised to sign up with some inexpensive web hosting packages offer enough amount of bandwidth to meet your websites.