Reference Variable

Journal of Community Guidance & Research, November 2007, Vol. 24, No. 3, p: 253-261.
INTRODUCTION

Electronic culture is of universal prevalence. The impact and ambience of electronic technology is invariably and inevitably felt by everyone throughout the world. The indisputable reality today is that individuals and organizations inextricably exist in an E-world. Today, much of human needs are gratified by the use of electronic goods and services. This fact is explicit from the numerous electronic products available and used by people in their homes, offices, public places and also those they personally carry. The emergence and rapid spread of technologies like e-commerce, e-learning, e-medicine, e-governance, e-business, e-communication, e-banking, e-entertainment, e-homes, etc, also emphasize the importance of electronic medium in the gratification of our psycho-social needs.

The information and communication technology (ICT) effectively championed by Internet has culminated in e-culture. It has resulted in the simultaneous deconstruction and reconstruction of fundamental ways of thinking about humans, worlds and technology. It has also led to shifts in attitudes, skills and behaviour (De Haan & Huysmans, 2002). Personality development from e-cultural perspective involves acquiring digital skills. E-culture is a transnational and global phenomenon; it is both technological and a social development. Internet, especially, is expected to bring in sweeping and lasting cultural transformations. The emergence of e-culture has implanted new demands upon individuals and organizations (Robbins, 2003).

The approval of e-culture concept is reflected in the keenness with which political decision-makers have taken it over at all levels- local, regional, national and transnational. More accessible and transparent information is an easy expression, something that is unequivocally good both from the point of view of social resources and democracy. According to Mitchell (2003) the ideas of an information society and e-culture have also implied expectations of economic growth and stability, opening up of new sectors of production, increased productivity and the advent of a new, fluctuation-proof economy. In the views of Marsh (2003) the emergence of e-culture leads to cultural homogenization and immense concentrations of financial power thereby cautions that "learn English and buy a computer or you're out." De Haan & Huysmans (2002) emphasize that e-culture makes it imperative to develop digital skill concerning the handling of electronic products and especially the use of computer and Internet.

Currently, studies on e-culture are at a rudimentary level. The concept of e-culture is evolving and is far from conclusive. However, today e-culture is increasingly perceived as a new digital media culture or digitalization of culture. Netherlands council for culture (2004) argues that, within the context of the 'digitizing society', e-culture should be seen as the integration of ICT into the primary processes of productivity, distribution, presentation, preservation and (re)utilization of cultural expression. According to the view of De Haan and Huysmans (2002) the term 'e-culture' is stated to refer to the diffusion of new technology, its application for various avenues such as information and communication in addition to shifts effected in related attitudes, values and norms. Patel and Rajendran (2005) have defined "electronic culture" as "increased use of electronic goods by individuals in various areas."

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

E-culture though prevalent widely, is a recent phenomenon. The scientist community has just begun to study it. The exploration of e-culture may only be the start of a long-term process of change taking place at a global level (De Haan and Huysmans, 2002). The impetus for the new interest is the realization that e-culture is widespread, inevitable and places adaptive demands upon people.

Looking around one finds a vast and versatile spectrum of electronic products used commonly by the people. In general, the indefinite progress made in the field and frontiers of electronic technology has ameliorated the quality of life of all. The e-culture scenario in India is not much different from the international one. The spread of e-culture would be influenced by a plethora of factors. Few among them may be socio-demographic factors such as age, gender, income, education, native place, marital status, etc.

The review of related literature indicates that research studies of e-culture are scarce and negligible. Since e-culture is the recent development there are no much standardized tools available and accessible to assess it both at national and international levels. In India, unfortunately, the research efforts in understanding and investigating the status of e-culture have not yet gained momentum. The research and academic community are dormant regarding the influence of e-culture. Reviews on e-culture in Indian context indicate that it has received poor attention. Deplorably, many researchers belonging to various disciplines are yet to take up this issue. In particular, from a socio-demographic perspective, e-culture still remains unexplored. A socio-demographic approach to e-culture in Indian context is lacking absolutely and is worth conceivable in the light of the modern unfathomable dimensions attained by it. Hence an attempt is made here to study, assess and evaluate e-culture in India from socio-demographic perspective. This study is a pioneering effort made to explore e-culture from a psychological perspective in India.

METHOD

Sample

The sample for this study comprised of 326 educated individual (200 males and 126 females) randomly selected from three different towns of Tamil Nadu, India, namely, Chidambaram, Coimbatore and Erode. All the respondents were between the age group of 20 to 76 years (mean age= 42.5 years). Samples were selected from the universe based on the judgement of the researcher. In this study people with above higher secondary level of education (plus 2) were considered as educated. The sample taken include persons from various occupational background like college teachers, school teachers, engineers, doctors, Government officers, psychologists, lawyers, merchants, technicians, assistants and housewives.

Tools used

The research tools used in this study for data collection were the (1) E-culture Inventory and (2) Personal Information Schedule.

(1) E-culture inventory

This inventory was developed by Patel and Rajendran (2005) to measure e-culture. The inventory consists of 42 items with 2 responses, i.e., "yes" and "no" respectively for each item. The 42 items are classified into 4 areas, namely, home=16 items, office=11 items, personal=8 items and public=7 items. The score for 'yes' in home area is 2, in office is 1, in personal area is 3 and in public area is 1 were as the score for 'no' in all the areas is 0. The maximum score possible in this inventory is 74 and the minimum score is 0. High score indicates high e-culture and low score indicates low e-culture. The reliability and validity co-efficient for this inventory were found to be highly significant at 0.001 levels.

(2) Personal Information Schedule

This personal information schedule was designed by the investigator of the present research. This aim of this schedule is to obtain relevant demographic and biographic information from the respondents. This schedule consists of 6 items such as gender, age, marital status, native place, educational qualification, and monthly income.

Procedure

The primary method of data collection was adopted in this study. The informants were contacted individually by the researcher. The data collection was done over a period of 2 month. The obtained responses were scored and statistically analyzed.

Statistical analysis

Mean, standard deviation, t-test and F-test were the statistical analysis done.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This research study is an attempt made to explore e-culture from a socio-demographic perspective. The current study investigates the influence of various socio-demographic variables such as age, gender, educational qualification, monthly income, native place, and marital status upon e-culture. The results revealed that only 4 out of 6 demographic variables studied do differ significantly in their e-culture.

It can be inferred from the results summarized in table 1 that gender differences tend to influence e-culture. The comparison of mean values indicates that females are more in their level of e-culture than males. The mean score of the males (32.57) is less than the mean score of the females (35.98) which indicates that females are more on e-culture than males. Perhaps the reason for such an outcome may be a compensatory response. Digital culture (e-culture) demands soft skills (digital skills) permitting females to easily operate electronic products, hence here they may try to compensate by dominating males for their shortcomings in those areas which demands physical stamina. Maslach (2000) observed both gender and culture influenced well-being, it was found that increases in the level of emotional inhibition decreases well-being for the females. In this regard it seems that women are involving more in e-culture than men and tend to use it as a platform for emotional expressions thereby enhancing their well-being. Roberts and Helson (1997) has empirically observed that the culture of individualism has affected the attitude of women and also shaped their personalities and adult adjustment, women showed increase in the index of individualism. The digital world may appear more conducive for women to express their individuality and establish their self-identity.

The results in table 2 and table 3 reveal that chronological age and marital status does not influence e-culture. This indicates that there is a homogeneous distribution of e-culture among both married and unmarried people. E-culture seems also equally spread across different age groups. People use electronic products irrespective of their age and their marital status.

Table 4 indicates that nativity influences e-culture. The urban group (36.42) seems significantly differ from the rural group (28.25). The differences in mean values indicate that urban people are more in e-culture than their rural counterparts. This finding is in accordance with the popular expectation that people reared in industrially advanced and technologically sophisticated urban environments tend to more exposed and accessible to electronic culture than people hailing from relatively inferior rural environments. This is congruent with the finding of Doody et al (2003) who cited 'lack of accesses as one common cause for not using Internet. Van Dijk (2001) also indicated 'possession of technology'- that is the availability of equipment and an Internet connection at home or at work, school or university and 'possession of digital skills' as two among the four conditions for the emergence of e-culture.

The tables 5 and 6 show that educational qualification influences e-culture. The entire sample classified into four groups based on their educational qualification viz., UG, PG, M.Phil and PhD were compared. The mean e-culture scores of the four groups were found to differ significantly. Presently, electronic technologies find more scope and applicability in the field of education. Internet, combining information and entertainment has evolved as a medium of infotainment. Many universities and colleges have launched their own websites offerings admissions and online courses through them. This finding is defended by Krzysztofek (2003) who observed that the number of educated people in Europe is rapidly growing; thousands of private educators compete to lure new students by offering many attractive course possibilities through digital platform. Vijay Kumar and Murthy (2001) observed the e-status of libraries in India, and found that INFLIBNET a national level library network, established by UGC (Universities Grants Commission), engages in development of national union databases and has already hosted an online database of Indian theses.

This survey reveals that monthly income of the people influence their e-culture (table 7 and 8). The entire sample was classified into five groups based on their monthly income. The mean scores indicated that there existed significant difference in their level of e-culture. Langer (2003) stated that the adoption of third generation technologies mainly depends on its affordability and availability, which in turn depends on the income of the people. He also mentioned about the digital divide, that there are two groups in society; one which has access to the new information technologies and the other which has not.

CONCLUSION

This study reveals that gender, nativity, education and monthly income influence e-culture but age and marital status does not influence it.



Table 1 Showing the Mean, SD, SEM and t-test for e-culture score of the groups on the basis of gender.

Gender N Mean SD SEM t-value LS

Male 200 32.57 16.10 1.14 1.96 0.05

Female 126 35.98 14.79 1.32

Table 2 Showing the results of One-way ANOVA for e-culture score of the groups on the basis of age level

Age N Mean SD SEM F-value LS

20 to 25 years 76 33.91 16.69 1.91 0.24 NS

26 to 30 years 105 33.71 15.07 1.47

31 to 35 years 57 32.51 15.37 2.04

36 to 40 years 32 35.66 17.98 3.18

Above 40 years 56 34.57 14.68 1.96

Total 326 33.89 15.67 0.87



Table 3 Showing the Mean, S.D., SEM and t-test for e-culture score of the groups on the basis of marital status

Marital status N Mean SD SEM t-value LS

Married 203 34.80 15.46 1.09 1.35 NS

Unmarried 123 32.37 15.96 1.44



Table 4 Showing the Mean, S.D., SEM and t-test for e-culture score

of the groups on the basis of native place.

Native Place N Mean SD SEM t-value LS

Urban 225 36.42 16.16 1.08 4.87 0.01

Rural 101 28.25 12.91 1.28



Table 5 Showing the Mean, SD for e-culture score of the groups on the basis of educational qualification.

Educational qualification Group N Mean SD

U.G. A 82 35.12 14.21

P.G. B 141 36.00 16.87

M.Phil C 62 28.39 13.35

Ph.D. D 41 32.46 15.86

Total 326 33.89 15.67

Table 6 Showing the results of One-way ANOVA for e-culture score of the groups on the basis of educational qualification.

Sum of Squares Df Mean Square F-value LS

Between Groups 2713.11 3 904.37 3.78 0.01

Within Groups 77113.68 322 239.48

Total 79826.80 325





Table 7 Showing the one-way ANOVA for e-culture score on the

basis of Monthly income.

Monthly income Group N Mean SD

Below 5000 A 118 29.32 14.37

5,001 – 10,000 B 87 36.64 14.17

10,001 – 15,000 C 59 37.29 17.82

15,001 - 20,000 D 31 34.06 16.32

Above 20,000 E 31 36.87 16.25

Total 326 33.89 15.67

Table 8 Showing the one-way ANOVA for e-culture score on the

basis of Monthly income.

Sum of Squares Df Mean Square F Sig.

Between Groups 4079.627 4 1019.907 4.32 0.01

Within Groups 75747.173 321 235.973

Total 79826.801 325

REFERENCE

1. De Haan, J and Huysmans, F. (2002). E-culture: An Empirical Exploration. The Hague: Social and Cultural Plan Bureau. pp. 145-155.

2. Doody, M., Aizlewood, A and Bourdeau, J. P. (2003). E-citizenship and civic participation in Canada. In S. Dragojevic., D. Dodd., B. Cvjeticanin and C. Smithuijsen (Ed)(2005): E-Culture: The European Perspective- Cultural Policy, Creative Industries, Information Lag (From the proceeding of the round table meeting, Zagreb, 24-27 April 2003). Zagreb: Institute of International Relations. pp. 53-64.

3. Krzysztofek, K. (2003). Will the www.e-culture be more edu or com? In S. Dragojevic., D. Dodd., B. Cvjeticanin and C. Smithuijsen (Ed)(2005): E-Culture: The European Perspective- Cultural Policy, Creative Industries, Information Lag (From the proceeding of the round table meeting, Zagreb, 24-27 April 2003). Zagreb: Institute of International Relations. pp. 73-80.

4. Langer, J. (2003). About the Cultural Texture of the Digital Divide. In S. Dragojevic., D. Dodd., B. Cvjeticanin and C. Smithuijsen (Ed)(2005): E-Culture: The European Perspective- Cultural Policy, Creative Industries, Information Lag (From the proceeding of the round table meeting, Zagreb, 24-27 April 2003). Zagreb: Institute of International Relations. pp. 65-72.

5. Marsh, J. B. T. (2003). Cultural Conflict in the Information Society. In S. Dragojevic., D. Dodd., B. Cvjeticanin and C. Smithuijsen (Ed)(2005): E-Culture: The European Perspective- Cultural Policy, Creative Industries, Information Lag (From the proceeding of the round table meeting, Zagreb, 24-27 April 2003). Zagreb: Institute of International Relations. pp. 21-30.

6. Maslach, C (2000). The Influence of Gender and Culture on the relationship between emotional control and well-being. The Berkeley McNair Research Journal. Pp. 99-114.

7. Mitchell, R. (2003). Information Society and E-culture: On the Rise and Popularity of the Concepts. In S. Dragojevic., D. Dodd., B. Cvjeticanin and C. Smithuijsen (Ed)(2005): E-Culture: The European Perspective- Cultural Policy, Creative Industries, Information Lag (From the proceeding of the round table meeting, Zagreb, 24-27 April 2003). Zagreb: Institute of International Relations. pp. 9-18.

8. Netherlands Council for Culture. (2004. English Edition). From ICT to E-culture: Advisory report on the digitalization of culture and the implications for cultural policy (Submitted to the Netherlands State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science, June 2003). The Hague: Netherlands Council for Culture Publishing.

9. Patel, J. M. A and Rajendran, K. (2005) E-culture Inventory. SCOPE- Annamalai Psychology Journal, Vol. I, pp. 1-11.

10. Robbins, S. P. (2003). Organizational Behaviour (10th Ed.). Delhi: Pearson Education, Inc. pp. 459-464.

11. Roberts, B.W and Helson, R. (1997). Changes in culture, changes in personality: The influence of Individualism in a longitudinal study of women. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 72, No. I, PP. 641-651.

12. Van Dijk, J. (2001). The accessibility of ICTs and the quality of infrastructure and services. In: Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management of the Netherlands (Ed.), People in networks: A contribution to the discussion of the Ministry of Transport to the debate about the Digital Divide. The Hague: Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management.

13. Vijaya Kumar, J.K and Murthy, T.A.V. (December, 2001). Need for a digital library for Indian thesis and dissertations: A model on par with the ETD (Electronic Thesis and Dissertations) initiatives at International level. In R. Shalini., T. B. Rajashekhar and K.S. Raghavan (Ed). Digital Libraries. Conference papers of the 4th International Conference of Asian Digital Libraries (ICADL, 2001). Bangalore. pp. 384-390.

 

Print, like Marketing, has gone online and digital. Technology makes them powerful allies!

 

Web-based Marketing

 

There is no question that the Internet has revolutionized the world of marketing. It has dramatically lowered Marketing's cost per contact and significantly enhanced its reach. It not only provides new ways to contact potential customers, online marketing also encompasses digital management of customer data and support systems that facilitate customer relationship management. Web marketing's most powerful feature, however, is its ability to provide direct and immediate customer feedback to the marketer as a driver of the Web 2.0 phenomenon.

 

Web-based Printing

 

Long time print industry veterans often cry the blues as they see many traditional print applications replaced by online and digital technologies, including "threats" like email marketing and more recently Web 2.0.  However these same technologies have driven a whole new generation of business communication opportunities, many of which still drive print.  Printing is not dead by a long shot, it has just changed format and the future of the print business now belongs to the nimble and the tech savvy – printers who understand the implications of landing pages, open rates, blogs and twitter.  Customers still have business communication challenges and still need innovative solutions, and in many cases the most effective solutions still involve ink (or toner!) on paper.  Online digital printing, or web-to-print, does not refer to a newer generation of Internet technology, but rather to the growing trend by business to take full advantage of the Internet by building applications and services around its unique features. Web-to-print applications are an integral part of this process, for both B2B and B2C markets.

 

What is Web-to-Print?

 

Web-to-print, also referred to as remote publishing, is the new typesetting and plate making – but without the typesetting and plate making! It refers to the use of a web interface to create, personalize, approve and distribute print-based marketing collateral. The promo piece can be a postcard, brochure, letter, flyer or even a large poster. The user logs into a secure online interface, chooses a specific print product from an online catalogue, selects an appropriate pre-designed template and then customizes the relevant areas of the piece by entering text, uploading personal images and graphics or selecting them from an online library (Digital Asset Manager).

 

The final piece is then approved, a delivery method selected and if a distribution list is needed it is uploaded from either a client list or an integrated online CRM platform. The job is paid for with a credit card, the shopping cart closed, sent to a digital printer for production and then delivered to the shipper, often within 48 to 72 hours.

 

How Does Web-to-Print Work?

 

Web-to-print is enabled by the web but is a result of the flexibility of the digital printing press. This print technology makes it possible for each printed impression to be unique. It dynamically merges the variable data from the client database with a digital template (Portable Document Format, or PDF) from the online library to complete the personalized document, eliminating the need for traditional printing setup (plates, films, chemicals). This variable data printing process enables thousands of individually customized pieces to be printed in one run, using digital presses such as the Hewlett-Packard Indigo, Xerox's iGen and Eastman Kodak's NexPress.

 

The power of web-enabled digital printing is its ability to support cost-effective personalization and one-to-one marketing, either as an individual personalized print project, a standalone mailing campaign or as a component of a multi-channel marketing strategy also involving web and email marketing.   Not bad for a "dying" industry!

 

Integrated Marketing That Leverages the Combined Strengths of Print and the Web

 

Printed direct mail or web-to-print can also be integrated with web response pages where recipients of print pieces produced online are provided with a unique "PURL" (Personalized URL). The PURL page can call the viewer to action in a number of ways including a request for online information or a follow-up contact, updating their contact information, answering a survey relating to the seller's products and services, registering for a promotional incentive, or even providing a link directly to an ecommerce site where they can buy products.

 

Once the online PURL form is submitted the customer contact information, "click through" path and survey data are captured by the customer database / CRM platform, used to update the customer's profile and preference records, and are immediately available to drive intelligent personalization in new printed or online marketing campaigns. Analysis of this data (Analytics) provides an unprecedented opportunity for integrated and highly personalized marketing campaigns, leading to better response rates and new revenue opportunities.

 

The "old" and the "new" don't need to be at loggerheads when it comes to communication strategies; leveraging the strengths of print and the web together in an integrated strategy actually delivers a broader reach and stronger results than the individual technologies on their own.

www.aiim.com/transpromo/

 

Annuities have received a lot of bad press recently, and much of it for good reason. Life insurance agents and securities brokers often foist annuities upon their clients without properly explaining them or ensuring that the annuities fit their clients' needs.

Why? Because annuities typically pay handsome commissions to the salespeople. But does this mean that annuities are always bad? Given the right circumstances, fixed annuities and variable annuities could be the right financial vehicle for you.

What Are Annuities Anyway?

Annuities are life insurance products designed to provide supplemental income, mostly for retired people. The term "annuity" literally means "annual payment of allowance or income."

Basically, annuities tend to work like this: Someone pays a set monthly premium, as with life insurance, for so many years. Then, when he's done paying, he waits for a while. A few years later, he begins receiving monthly income.

The amount he is to receive, usually for the rest of his life, is generally much greater than the total amount of premiums he paid in.

Fixed Annuities - The Original Version

Fixed annuities work much like the example above. The key thing is that with fixed annuities, investors are guaranteed a set pay-out. Almost no other investment product guarantees anything, and that's why fixed annuities are actually a form of insurance, not securities.

The big problem with fixed annuities is inflation. While the money you pay in premiums is generally less than you're guaranteed to receive, when you adjust for inflation, you might be losing out. This is one of the reason annuities have gotten so much bad press recently.

Variable Annuities - New and Improved?

Variable annuities protect you against inflation risk by investing your premiums more aggressively. The downside? While variable annuities guarantee lifetime income, they do not guarantee how much that income might be. In fact, you could even lose money by investing in variable annuities.

For this reason, many of the more ethical financial advisors recommend that you buy a modest life insurance policy and invest the premiums you save into solid mutual funds.

To Be Fair - The Upside of Annuities

Theoretically, annuities could be a great investment vehicle. Rather than "throwing away" life insurance premiums, annuities can provide for a death benefit while simultaneously allowing your money to grow.

Also, when compared to mutual funds, annuities offer several advantages. For one, the money you invest grows tax deferred. This means that you will not be required to pay income tax on the funds invested into an annuity until you begin withdrawing money.

Secondly, variable annuities do guarantee lifetime income, while theoretically at least, you could lose all of your money invested into mutual funds.

In practice, this is unlikely, but at least with an annuity you will be able to plan for the worst case scenario of a guaranteed lifetime benefit. The worst case scenario for mutual funds is $0.

Mutual Funds and Variable Annuities - A Side-by-Side Comparison

Maximum sales load: Mutual fund, 8.5 percent; variable annuity, no maximum. This means that unethical brokers can charge unsuspecting clients any sales charge that they want.

Pricing: Mutual fund, net asset value (NAV) calculated once per day; variable annuity, unit value calculated once per day. Mutual funds have the major advantage of being liquid - you can buy or sell them any business day of the year. A variable annuity is a life insurance product and is not liquid at all.

Share value: Mutual fund, depends on performance of the fund; variable annuity, depends on the performance of the "separate account," in which a portion of premiums paid are invested.

Make Sure That Your Financial Advisor is Looking Out for Your Interests

If you feel that your financial advisor is more concerned with her own commission revenue than your financial well-being, head for the door and never look back.

Financial advisors are supposed to be professionals, not cheap salespeople. Like doctors and lawyers, their duty is to those whom they serve, not to the company that employs them or to their own paychecks.

Older individuals are especially susceptible to hotshot young brokers who think they can score a quick buck by unloading a junk product with a big commission.

Your best defense against this is to become as fully educated as you can about each investment product that's recommended to you, and to find a financial advisor with references from people you know you can trust.

A Few Questions to Ask Your Advisor

If you're ever dubious of a product your advisor is recommending, be sure to ask him how much commission he receives for selling it. Come right out and ask if he would recommend the product if the commission were half or one-third what it is.

Ask him what are some products that he recommends that do not provide such high commissions. And if you really want to rattle your advisor, ask him what score he received on the Series 7 exam. Ask him to show you his certificate proving his score.

Tell him that you're considering a variety of advisors, and these are the criteria you're using to determine which one is right for you. It's important that he remembers that you are his boss, and that he is to put your interests ahead of his own. That's what being a professional is all about.

Universal Life Insurance

Universal life insurance is a variation of whole life insurance. It is a blend of term insurance and a savings account. It earns interest at a money market rate, the policy holder paying an annual fee for coverage, which includes a fee for managing the policy. Funds not used for paying the life insurance earn a tax deferred interest.

With a universal life insurance policy, the premium can fluctuate. The policy holder decides how much to devote toward insurance and how much toward savings. The face amount of the policy can be changed as well as the amount of premium payments and how often they are paid. However, the insured must make certain their savings are large enough to cover the monthly premiums for the insurance as well as the policy expenses. If the savings are not sufficient enough, the monthly charges will consume the cash value and the policy will be of no value.

Universal life insurance offers two options. The first option is keeping the death benefits the same from year to year if the policy holder does not request any changes. The second option is having the death benefit at any time stay equal to the original face value in addition to the policy's cash worth.

Universal life insurance can often give an elevated interest rate when inflation rises, even if the insuring company guarantees a low rate. Because of this risk, premiums are lower for whole life insurance but pricier for term insurance for younger individuals. In addition, when the price for managing the policy is added to the premium, the policy holder will receive a lower return on their investment. It is crucial to keep in mind that changes in interest rates will affect both a policy holder's yields and premiums.

Variable Life Insurance

Variable life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance that allows the holder to target their premium to one or more detached investment funds. These funds can be fixed income investments, stocks, bonds, or money market funds. Depending on the company policy, the holder can change their investments from two to five times annually. Unlike universal life insurance, with variable life insurance the insured can manage the investment of their cash value.

The policy, however, can be risky because the investment has the ability to rise or fall. The cash value and investment will differ, depending on what the investment fund does. The death benefit cannot fall below the total amount of life insurance primarily purchased. As with traditional whole life insurance, the policy holder pays fixed premiums and can borrow against the policy at either fixed or variable rates.

Because an individual decides where to invest their money and put themselves at risk, variable life insurance should be considered. Insurers must, by law, offer variable life insurance by prospectus. A prospectus is a document that gives the prospective policy holder important facts concerning the company and the policy. Variable life insurance can often cost more than other varieties of cash value life insurance. According to current laws the cash value of variable life insurance, similar to those of universal life insurance and whole life insurance, cannot be taxed until the policy holder cashes in their policy.

Universal Variable Life Insurance

Universal variable life insurance is also commonly referred to as flexible premium variable life insurance. This kind of policy combines the flexible features found in universal life insurance policies and the investment alternatives of variable life insurance. As with universal life insurance, the policy holder can choose to raise or lower their premiums in a single policy. As with variable life insurance, individuals have the right to decide how their cash worth will be invested.

The insurance company does not have to make any kind of guarantee on the policy holder's cash value. With universal variable life insurance, the value of the cash fund is in direct relation to the market worth of the assets in the cash worth fund. Therefore, a policy holder could have $15,000 in net cash worth one day and $10,000 on the following day, dependent on market fluctuation. Thus, one of the central problems with universal variable life insurance is that the policy holder can lose their insurance coverage.

Adjustable Life Insurance

Adjustable life insurance is another variety of permanent protection that allows the policy holder to change the amount of their premiums. They can also increase or decrease the face amount of the policy, or lessen the protection period. If the policy holder increases the death benefit, they must prove that they are still in fact insurable.

The Sony Ericsson W810i Quadband Walkman camera/music phone offers the latest in mobile multi-media functionality by taking advantage of high-speed data downloads.It comes with a 512MB removable Memory Stick. Sony Ericsson W810i GSM850 / GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900 Features

The Sony-Ericsson-W810i includes many features including EDGE high speed wireless data, a megapixel camera, Bluetooth connectivity and a handsfree speakerphone mode built-in. Sony Ericsson rated the W810i's 900 mAh Li-Ion battery at an impressive 8.0 and 350 hours of talk and standby times respectively. Handset manufacturers and carriers often list talk-time and standby-time ratings with disclaimers about variable performance and often refer to the times they publish as maximum times. Sony Ericsson added a larger 1.9-inch screen to the W810i Offering a 176 x 220 px resolution, the W810i provides 262K-colors for an impressive screen.

The Sony Ericsson W810i has integrated Bluetooth v2.0 that supports many popular Bluetooth profiles including DUN, Basic Image and Print Profiles, File Transfer Profile, Object Exchange Profile, Synchronization Profile, Handsfree and Handset Profiles and more. Also included are two JAVA games, MusicDJ, VideoDJ, PhotoDJ Sound recorder and calculator applications. The desktop companion CD includes software for syncing with PC, File Manager, Image Editor, MMS Home Studio and Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0 Starter Edition are included.

The W810i package includes a 512MB Memory Stick Duo card and is compatible with cards up to 2GB. It has great phone reception, a bright and colorful 1.9" LCD, integrated Bluetooth 2.0 and an FM radio. The Sony Ericsson w810 has a smaller than average weight, which is usually perceived as a plus. Please Purchase online http://www.phoneandbeyond.com

One of the most expensive financial expenses that most people will ever make is surely a home mortgage loan. For first time potential home buyers one of the hardest tasks is in all probability to decide which loan is the best for their financial resources. Between the two conventional choices: fixed vs. variable interest rate home mortgage loans – there is an huge percentage of consumers that are unable to figure out the differences between the two.

It is essential to gather as much information as possible referring to the financial choices that you are faced with. For that reason, in order to choose between fixed and variable interest rate home mortgage loan and before enquiring for loan pre-approval, you have to read every document about these two options.

Fixed interest rate home mortgage loan enables the consumer to lock into a certain interest rate till the end of the loan, or until the loan is to be refinanced. This interest rate will always stay unchanged and won't be at the mercy of the fluctuations of the financial market. If interest rates rise, then your monthly payments will not change. On the other hand, if rates drop, your loan won't be concerned and your monthly payments will stay as high as they used to be at the start of the loan.

Variable interest rate home mortgage loans are regularly reviewed according to the interest rates that are available on the current market. These rates highly subject to the activity that is being conducted within the economic sector. Simply explained; when the rate in the economy goes down a lower interest rate is charged on the home mortgage. But this works both ways; when the rate in the economy goes up, a higher interest rate is charged on the home mortgage; which involves a higher monthly payment for the borrower.

Whether you end up choosing a fixed or variable interest rate home mortgage loan, it is important to establish your choice on your personal preference for hazard associated with financial affairs and the general conditions of the market on which your home mortgage loan depends.

When selecting an adjustable interest rate home mortgage loan, there are risks associated with the decision. If there is an rise in the interest rate, you could be exposed to making a higher monthly payment. Although lenders make efforts to maintain the payments around the same number per month, these sharp increases leave them no choice but to rise the sum of the monthly payment.

Many borrowers and homeowners feel that a fixed interest rate provides them with the opportunity to add a fixed number to their monthly budget with no surprise when time has come to do the home mortgage monthly payment. If you are encountering financial problems, then a fixed interest rate home mortgage loan will make the difference of whether you are able to afford the mortgage that is bound to the purchase of your dream home.

When applying for low interest credit cards, you may think you know what you are looking for. After all, it seems pretty clear. The lower the APR, the less money you will have to pay, right? In reality, this is not always the case. In fact, one factor you will need to take into consideration is whether the APR is variable or fixed. Then, you can make a far better decision when choosing from among the available low interest rate credit cards on the market.

Low Interest Credit Cards with Variable Interest Rates

Low interest credit cards with variable interest rates are those that fluctuate with the prime rate. The prime rate is the rate top United States banks pay to borrow money from the Federal Reserve. Therefore, you will often see interest rates written as the prime rate, plus an additional percentage APR in order to provide the bank with a profit.

When the prime rate is in a downward swing, as it has been in the past few years, these cards can be quite attractive to the consumer simply because the APR is lowered. On the other hand, these cards can have skyrocketing interest rates when the prime rate is soaring. In addition, many credit card companies place a minimum APR on the cards. This means the APR will never fall below a specific rate, regardless of where the prime rate stands. At the same time, your interest rate will increase as the prime rate increases - and you won't see credit card companies placing caps on how high these rates can become.

Low Interest Credit Cards with Fixed Rates

Low interest credit cards with fixed rates are those with interest rates that do not fluctuate or change. For example, if a credit card offers a 7.99% fixed interest rate, it means the interest rate will not become higher or lower that 7.99% - no matter what the prime rate may be. A word of caution, however: credit card companies have the right to change a fixed rate to a higher fixed rate by simply sending you a 30 day written notice. These notices can be very unassuming and in small print, and simply slipped in with your monthly billing statement. Therefore, it is important for you to read all paperwork included with your bill and to keep an eye out for changes in your fixed rate.

The Introductory Rate

When you shop through the numerous cheap credit cards available, you most likely pay the majority of your attention to the introductory rate. Usually, introductory rates on low interest rate credit cards are minimal and fixed. In fact, it is not unusual to see cheap credit cards with APRs of 0.00%. What you need to look at, however, is the APR after the introductory period is complete and whether it is variable or fixed. This is particularly important if you do not foresee yourself being able to pay your balances in full after the introductory period is complete.

The post-introductory period rate is often referred to as the "go rate." With most low interest credit cards, the go rate is variable and based on the prime rate. The go rate is not always the same from customer to customer because credit card companies generally offer better APRs to the customers with the best credit history.

Deciding Which is Best

Determining which of these types of low interest credit cards is best for you depends on your financial situation. If you pay your balance in full at the end of each billing cycle, it really doesn't matter if your rate is variable or fixed. On the other hand, it can be incredibly important if you do carry a balance. The perk to a fixed rate is that you are always sure of what your interest rate will be from month to month, so long as you make sure to read all information inserted along with your bill each month. This makes it easier to plan a budget and keep a closer eye on your finances. At the same time, you might save money in the long run by taking advantage of low interest credit cards with variable APRs when the prime rate is low. If you are disciplined enough to keep an eye on the fluctuating market and to take advantage of cheap credit cards when the rate is low, variable APR cards may be your best bet.

When applying for low interest credit cards, you may think you know what you are looking for. After all, it seems pretty clear. The lower the APR, the less money you will have to pay, right? In reality, this is not always the case. In fact, one factor you will need to take into consideration is whether the APR is variable or fixed. Then, you can make a far better decision when choosing from among the available low interest rate credit cards on the market.

Low Interest Credit Cards with Variable Interest Rates

Low interest credit cards with variable interest rates are those that fluctuate with the prime rate. The prime rate is the rate top United States banks pay to borrow money from the Federal Reserve. Therefore, you will often see interest rates written as the prime rate, plus an additional percentage APR in order to provide the bank with a profit.

When the prime rate is in a downward swing, as it has been in the past few years, these cards can be quite attractive to the consumer simply because the APR is lowered. On the other hand, these cards can have skyrocketing interest rates when the prime rate is soaring. In addition, many credit card companies place a minimum APR on the cards. This means the APR will never fall below a specific rate, regardless of where the prime rate stands. At the same time, your interest rate will increase as the prime rate increases - and you won't see credit card companies placing caps on how high these rates can become.

Low Interest Credit Cards with Fixed Rates

Low interest credit cards with fixed rates are those with interest rates that do not fluctuate or change. For example, if a credit card offers a 7.99% fixed interest rate, it means the interest rate will not become higher or lower that 7.99% - no matter what the prime rate may be. A word of caution, however: credit card companies have the right to change a fixed rate to a higher fixed rate by simply sending you a 30 day written notice. These notices can be very unassuming and in small print, and simply slipped in with your monthly billing statement. Therefore, it is important for you to read all paperwork included with your bill and to keep an eye out for changes in your fixed rate.

The Introductory Rate

When you shop through the numerous cheap credit cards available, you most likely pay the majority of your attention to the introductory rate. Usually, introductory rates on low interest rate credit cards are minimal and fixed. In fact, it is not unusual to see cheap credit cards with APRs of 0.00%. What you need to look at, however, is the APR after the introductory period is complete and whether it is variable or fixed. This is particularly important if you do not foresee yourself being able to pay your balances in full after the introductory period is complete.

The post-introductory period rate is often referred to as the "go rate." With most low interest credit cards, the go rate is variable and based on the prime rate. The go rate is not always the same from customer to customer because credit card companies generally offer better APRs to the customers with the best credit history.

Deciding Which is Best

Determining which of these types of low interest credit cards is best for you depends on your financial situation. If you pay your balance in full at the end of each billing cycle, it really doesn't matter if your rate is variable or fixed. On the other hand, it can be incredibly important if you do carry a balance. The perk to a fixed rate is that you are always sure of what your interest rate will be from month to month, so long as you make sure to read all information inserted along with your bill each month. This makes it easier to plan a budget and keep a closer eye on your finances. At the same time, you might save money in the long run by taking advantage of low interest credit cards with variable APRs when the prime rate is low. If you are disciplined enough to keep an eye on the fluctuating market and to take advantage of cheap credit cards when the rate is low, variable APR cards may be your best bet.

If you have an IRA, sorting through all the investment options can be very confusing. Unfortunately, there is a lot of hype out there and, in my opinion, the financial services industry is great at selling the sizzle and delivering very little steak!

This is especially true in the area of annuities. Folks purchase variable annuities based on the belief that the principal is protected and other guarantees. Often there is a wide gulf between what the investor thinks a product does and what it really ends up doing.

These are complex financial instruments that are sold using generalities. As with anything, the devil is in the details, and the more you know the details the less important some of these guarantees become.

Take a look at a principal guarantee on a variable annuity. The ones that I'm familiar with guarantee that you can withdraw so much a year for a certain number of years, thus getting back your principal even if the market goes to zero.

Think about that for a minute. Let's say they allow you to take 7% a year. It would take over 13 years for you to get back your principal. What are the probabilities of the market being worth less over a 13 year period? Very, very small.

Or there are the guaranteed income provisions--referred to as the guaranteed living benefit. Many investors think that these living benefits guarantee that they will earn 5-7% a year regardless of what the market does. They believe that if they leave their money in and 10 years later decide to take it out that they will have earned at least the 5-7% a year.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

These living benefit riders don't apply if you surrender the annuity. They ONLY apply if you take a lifetime income stream from the annuity. Even then, if you ever cash it in, what you get is based on the actual earnings of the annuity less any withdrawals. What you get when you cash it in isn't ever based on the 5-7% guarantee.

Let me explain it this way. Picture two columns on a piece of paper. The first column is the actual value of the annuity from year to year. So if the market goes up, so does that value. If the market goes down, so does that value. The second column is the 5-7% column. This column takes your initial investment and increases it by the 5-7% each year.

So 10 years down the road, you decide to cash in your annuity. You get the value in the first column; the value in the second column meant nothing.

In a different scenario, let's say that 10 years down the road you decide to start taking the income stream of 5%. That income stream is based on the second column. So if the second column was $200,000 your income stream would be $10,000 a year guaranteed for life.

So far so good.

Time has passed and you have been receiving the $10,000 a year. Your situation changes and you need (or want) what's left of the money in the variable annuity. Here's where the surprise happens. What you get isn't based on the value of the second column; what you get is based on the first column less any withdrawals you've made.

Actually, every time you get a payment, they reduce both columns. That payment affects the growth of the first column (as it should).

What if you die? Do your heirs get what's left in the second column? No. Your heirs get what's left in the first column.

That's why I don't place a lot of value on the guaranteed provisions associated with annuities. I expect that few people will ever use them or get the benefits that they expect.

That's why an annuity should first be evaluated based on its investment potential. These benefits are designed to take your eye off of the underlying investment. Investors can have a false sense of security thinking that changes in the market won't hurt them. They will.

When evaluated as an investment, I believe that there are many alternatives that are much more attractive and that allow the investor to retain the control, flexibility and access to their money.

Your out for the evening with a group of buddies on a Saturday night and your the designated driver, so your sober. You stop in at a local drinking establishment, because your single buds want to look for some girls. In short order, one of your drunken friends comes over to you and informs you that he has met a couple of friendly girls and the four of you are going to your place later in the evening. He points them out across the bar and they are two of the fattest and ugliest females you have ever laid eyes on in your life.

A Variable Reluctance Pickup?

Are you experiencing a "variable reluctance pickup"? The fact is, that by definition, yes you are however, this is not what the term variable reluctance pickup refers to in the world of electronics. The variable reluctance pickup is an electronics device that uses magnets to determine the speed of moving metal parts.

Creating an Electrical Response

The way that they function is quite simple. The magnet in the variable reluctance pickup is focused on a spinning gear or moving metal and as the teeth of the gear pass the magnet, they of course cause the magnet to react to the ferrous metal in the gear. This reaction, in turn, causes an electrical response in the pickup that is then able to be transfered by wire to another location.

Other Uses for the Variable Reluctance Pickup

Variable reluctance pickups also come in other forms for other uses but they all function on the same principle and that is that they use magnets to detect moving metal. For instance, variable reluctance pickups are what you see being used on electric guitars. Pluck the metal string and the movement of it is detected by a magnet in the pickup and converted into an electrical pulse.

Pointers are a very useful part of efficient C programming. They are variables that store the memory address of other variables.

Pointer variables are declared in just the same way that other variables are declared but the variable name is prefixed by a *. It represents the `dereference operator`, and merely denotes that the declared variable is a pointer. The pointer`s data type must match the data type of the variable it points to.

Once declared, a pointer variable can be assigned the address of another variable using the & address of operator. The variable name should not be prefixed by the * dereference operator in the assignment statement unless the pointer is initialized immediately in the variable declaration itself.

A pointer variable name, when used alone, references a memory address expresses in hexadecimal.

When the * dereference operator is used in a variable declaration it merely indicates that the variable being declared is a pointer. However, when a * dereference operator appears before a pointer variable elsewhere in a program it references the data stored at the address assigned to that pointer. A pointer variable name, when prefixed by the *dereference operator, references the data stored at the address assigned to that pointer.

A program can get the address assigned to a pointer variable just by using its name, or it can get the data stored at that address by prefixing its name with the *dereference operator. The * dereference operator is alternatively known as the indirection operator. Once a pointer variable has been created with an assigned address it can be reassigned another address or moved using arithmetic. The ++ increment operator and the -- decrement operator will move the pointer along the next or previous address for that data type – the larger the data type, the bigger the jump. Larger jumps can be achieved using the += and -= operators.

Pointer arithmetic is especially useful with arrays because the elements in an array occupy consecutive memory places. Assigning just the name of an array to a pointer automatically assigns it the address of the first element. Incrementing the pointer by one moves the pointer along to the next element. A loop can increment the pointer to each element. The name of an array acts like a pointer to its first element.

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Pointers are particularly useful to reference the data at a particular location indicated by the pointer.

Let us define variable life insurance, also referred to as Variable Appreciable life insurance. It is a form of whole life insurance that provides the beneficiary of the plan with permanent protection. This type of policy is termed "variable" because of the root nature of the monies used to fund the policy. This plan allows the holder to set aside a certain sum of money to be invested in equity funds, money market funds, bond funds, or any combination of the said funds. These investments, just like any other form of monetary investment, will fluctuate with the movement of the market and the stock exchange. Therefore, the value of this policy will be determined by the set value of the uninvested monies plus the value of the monies invested in the market.

Many variable life insurance policies allow for a hold on the value of the policy. This hold ensures that the total value of the policy will not fall below a certain amount. This amount on hold only pertains to the death benefit and has nothing to do with the total cash value of the policy. The cash value of the policy, which is the amount of money the holder can draw upon during their lifetime, will have no cash minimum.

The Benefits of a Variable Life Insurance Policy

This insurance policy allows the holder to invest untaxed monies. These monies will remain untaxed until the life insurance policy is used. Potentially, any monies earned by the investments can be used to lower the premiums on the life insurance policy.

The Potential Hazards of a Variable Life Insurance Policy

This type of life insurance policy holds a certain amount of risk. As with any monetary investment, the cash value is not guaranteed. Thus, gambling with the cash value of the variable life insurance policy can render the policy worthless aside from the guaranteed death benefit. The death benefits as stated when the holder begins the policy may also be reduced. Variable life insurance companies will offer a guaranteed death benefit, but this amount may be significantly lower than the amount obtained at the inception of the policy.

This is a policy which holds the potential for great gains but you can also stand the chance of losing the overall value of the death benefit to the point of a minimum value as we define the variable life insurance policy.