text:
401(k): This qualified retirement plan allows eligible employees to contribute a certain amount of compensation on a pre-tax basis; earnings are tax deffered. Employers may match a stated percentage of employee contributions to the plan. In many cases, employees have general responsibilities for investment choices and enjoy the direct tax savings. The reduced cost and liability of 401(k) plans appeals to many employers.
401(k) Loan: A 401(k) loan is taken from a 401(k) retirement account. Certain plans allow an individual to withdraw a percentage of an account balance, with set minimum and maximum amounts allows. The loan is generally paid back, with interest, through payroll deductions. If an individual leaves an employer with an outstanding loan, the full amount of the loan is generally due. If the individual fails to repay the loan, it is considered a distribution, and ordinary income taxes are due. In addition, an early withdrawal tax penalty may apply for individuals under the age of 59˝.
403(b): Similar to the 401(k), this type of qualified retirement plan is available to employees of nonprofit and government organizations.
Account Balance:
Accounts Reconciliation: The beginning balance plus the sum of all entries on a ledger or in a checkbook register must equal the ending balance on an account statement. Deposits, interest received, and credits are added to the beginning balance. From this total amount, automatic withdrawals, checks outstanding, checks negotiated, and account charges are subtracted. When the resulting balance equals the ending balance on the account statement, the account is reconciled.
Active-Participant Status: This term applies to a person, or his or her spouse, who participates in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. The plans that qualify include the following: 1) a qualified pension, stock bonus, or profit sharing plan; 2) a qualified annuity plan; 3) a tax-sheltered annuity (TSA) plan; 4) a simplified employee pension plan (SEP); or 5) a local, state, county, or federally sponsored retirement plan.
Actuary: Insurance contracts and retirement plans require professional calculation of payments to be received and benefits to be paid. An actuary analyzes all probability and risk estimates based upon past experiences to confirm obligations are pragmatic and attainable.
Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM): Also called a variable rate mortgage, this mortgage has an interest rate that is adjusted periodically, usually at intervals of one, three, or five years, based on a measure or an index, such as the rate on US Treasury bills or the average national mortgage rate. In exchange for assuming some of the risk of a rise in interest rates, a borrower receives a lower rate at the beginning of an ARM than if he or she had taken out a fixed-rate mortgage.
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI): On a federal income tax return, AGI is the amount of income subject to federal income taxes. To determine AGI, subtract certain qualified deductions, such as unreimbursed business expenses or contributions to a traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA), from gross income, which generally includes employment income, interest income, dividends, and capital gains.
Advance: A services company may establish a salary advance to assist new employees with initial cash flow problems or to help seasoned employees with emergency needs. The advance represents money received before it is actually earned. In addition, some businesses will establish an employee cash advance program to provide for business-related travel expenses.
Aggressive Growth Fund: This mutual fund has the objective of maximizing long-term capital growth, rather than dividend income, by investing in narrow market segments and small company stocks. Aggressive growth funds are designed for maximum capital appreciation and generally invest in companies with high growth rates.
Allocation Formula: Employers' contributions to employee profit sharing plans are allocated to participants' accounts based on an allocation formula. The formula also governs the reallocation of funds forfeited by employees who terminate from the plan.
Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT): This tax calculation adds certain tax preference items back into adjusted gross income in order to prevent taxpayers from escaping their fair share of tax liability by taking numerous tax breaks. If AMT liability is greater than regular tax liability, the taxpayer generally needs to pay the regular tax and the amount by which AMT exceeds regular tax.
American Stock Exchange (AMEX): Located in downtown Manhattan, AMEX has the third highest volume of trading of any stock exchange in the U.S. The bulk of trading on the AMEX consists of index options and shares of small to medium-sized companies.
Amortization: This process brings gradual extinction to a debt, loan, or mortgage over a specific span of time. It can also be used to deduct capital expenses over a period of time. Similar to depreciation, it is a method of measuring the consumption of the value of long-term assets like equipment or buildings.
Annual Percentage Rate (APR): The yearly cost of credit or a loan is expressed as a simple percentage number. This also includes any fees or additional costs associated with the agreement. The Federal Truth In Lending Act requires all consumer credit agreements and loans to disclose the APR to ensure the understanding of the real costs applicable to the transactions.
Annual Report: This yearly statement describes company management, operations, and financial reports. Annual Reports are sent to every shareholder and are available for public review. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires an annual report published by any corporation issuing registered stock. A more exhaustive annual compilation of data is found in Form 10-K, which the SEC mandates from companies surpassing certain qualifications.
Annuitant: The person to whom an annuity is payable is called the annuitant.Annuity: This long-term contract sold by life insurance companies guarantees payments (based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer), fixed or variable, to the purchaser at regular intervals. Fixed annuities offer consistent, predictable returns, whereas variable annuities provide fluctuating returns based on the performance of an investment portfolio. Payments are usually scheduled to begin at a future time, such as retirement, but in certain cases, payment may begin immediately. Some annuities provide tax-deferred earnings, often as part of retirement plans.Annuity Cash Refund: The contract for an annuity offering income for life may include a death benefit for the total premiums paid. When the annuitant dies, the annuity cash refund will be the net sum of premiums paid minus the amount received in annuity payments.
Annuity Certain: This option in an annuity contract allows the annuity owner to select a future level of income covering a specified number of years, generally ten years. If the annuitant dies before the expiration of the annuity payments, the remaining obligation is transferred to the designated beneficiary in the annuity contract.
Annuity Joint and Survivor: This annuity option provides for payments for two designated annuitants. Upon the death of the first annuitant, the surviving annuitant receives prearranged, continued payments for life, based on a percentage received by the first annuitant.
Annuity Joint Life: While two or more individuals may be named annuitants, payments cease at the death of the first annuitant in an annuity joint life contract.
Annuity Modified Refund: In a contributory retirement plan, the annuity beneficiary of a deceased retiree receives the accumulated balance of the pension fund, which is referred to as the annuity modified refund.
Annuity Payout Option: Payments from an annuity may be received in a variety of ways: as a fixed dollar amount, for a fixed period, or over the lifetime(s) of one or two annuitants. The annuitant chooses one of these alternatives as the payout option.
Application Fee: A lender may charge a fee to process a loan application. Paying this fee does not guarantee loan approval. Some lenders apply the cost of the application fee toward certain closing costs.
Appraisal: This assessment of a property's value, performed by a qualified professional, is based on information from recent sales of similar properties.Asset: An asset is any property with a cash value that is expected to provide future benefit, such as real estate, equipment, savings, and investments.Asset Allocation: This process divides investments among different asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, and cash. The goal of asset allocation is to reduce portfolio risk through diversification. Asset Class: An asset class is a specific category of assets or investments, such as cash, bonds, stocks, or real estate. Assets in the same category tend to share similar characteristics and behave similarly in the marketplace.
Assignment: An assignment is the legal transfer of the entire or partial ownership of an asset, such as an insurance policy, to another person or entity.
Automatic Reinvestment: This prearranged investment plan automatically deposits mutual fund dividends or capital gains back into the fund to purchase additional shares, allowing the owner to take advantage of compounding.
Balloon Mortgage: This mortgage type has a final payment that is considerably larger than the preceding payments. Balloon mortgages are typically used when borrowers anticipate receiving a large sum of extra cash to pay the balance or when they expect to refinance before the balloon payment comes due.
Bankruptcy: An inability to pay outstanding debt, in full or in part, or declaring insolvency may lead to bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is an expensive process and may adversely affect future credit opportunities. Some more recognizable bankruptcy applications include the following:
Chapter 7: A debtor (individual) is declared bankrupt, and a court appointed trustee initiates a liquidation process and a discharge of all eligible debts. The debtor has no financial sources to attempt a reorganization. A separate taxable entity is created.
Chapter 11: A debtor (business, individual, or partnership) is declared bankrupt but is allowed reorganization to attempt debt repayment. Creditor approval is required. A separate taxable entity is created.
Chapter 13: A debtor (individual or sole proprietor) is declared bankrupt but is allowed to retain estate-related assets and to restructure debt obligations for eventual payment. No creditor approval is required.
Chapter 7: A debtor (individual) is declared bankrupt, and a court appointed trustee initiates a liquidation process and a discharge of all eligible debts. The debtor has no financial sources to attempt a reorganization. A separate taxable entity is created.
Chapter 11: A debtor (business, individual, or partnership) is declared bankrupt but is allowed reorganization to attempt debt repayment. Creditor approval is required. A separate taxable entity is created.
Chapter 13: A debtor (individual or sole proprietor) is declared bankrupt but is allowed to retain estate-related assets and to restructure debt obligations for eventual payment. No creditor approval is required.
Basis: The original cost and any additional outlays represent the cost basis in equity investments or property. The Internal Revenue Service computes the taxable gain, profit, or appreciation on the difference between the basis and the actual amount of sale. Therefore, defining basis as original price, and not as total cost, may incorrectly result in an inflated tax liability.Basis Point: Basis points measure the variation in financial instruments that often fluctuate in very small increments. One basis point is equal to .01%; therefore, 100 basis points are equal to 1%. For example, a yield that has increased from 5.46% to 5.58% has increased 12 basis points.
Bear Market: A bear market is characterized by an extended period of declining prices, usually by 20%, in the financial markets. A prolonged downturn of general economic activity is often the catalyst for a bear market in stocks, whereas rising interest rates are typically responsible for a bear market in bonds. The bear market is the opposite of a bull market.
Beneficiary: This person or entity named in a will, life insurance policy, a qualified retirement plan, or an annuity is eligible, by the terms of such a policy or plan, to receive benefits upon the death of the insured or the plan participant.
Beta: A beta is a measure of a security's price fluctuations (volatility) relative to an appropriate market index. For example, the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index (S&P 500) has a beta of 1. Stocks with betas greater than 1 are subject to more rapid and extreme price fluctuations than the market. Conversely, price fluctuations for stocks with betas less than 1 are less frequent and smaller than the market. Conservative investors generally seek securities with lower beta values, while aggressive investors seek those with higher beta values.
Blue-Chip Stock: A blue-chip stock is the common stock of a company with a reputation for quality products, services, and management, and a long history of earnings growth and dividend payments. Examples of blue-chip companies include General Electric, International Business Machines, and DuPont.
Bond: This debt security issued by a corporation, government, or governmental agency obligates the issuer to pay interest at pre-determined intervals and repay the principal at maturity. Every bond has a set face value, also known as a par value, which names the amount of money the bondholder will receive when the bond reaches the date of maturity. The face value will never change, but the market value of a bond may fluctuate. If a bondholder sells a bond before its date of maturity, he or she may receive more or less than the face value. Broker: This financial professional mediates between the buyer and seller during the trading of services or property, such as securities, real estate, insurance, or commodities. In return for services, the broker generally receives a commission.
Budget: Projected income and expenses for a given period is called a budget. A surplus budget indicates profits are expected, a balanced budget anticipates that revenues will equal expenses, and a deficit budget suggests expenses will exceed expenses.
Bull Market: A bull market is characterized by an extended period of rising security prices, usually by 20% in financial markets. A high volume of trading often occurs in a bull market, which is the opposite of a bear market.
Business Succession: Business succession is the prearranged process that addresses the future orderly transfer of a business entity and plans for every alternative contingency that would affect any transfer. Business succession broadly involves legal, financial, tax, and family concerns.
Buy-and-Hold: This investment strategy advocates holding securities for the long term, while ignoring short-term price fluctuations in the market. Unlike market-timing investors, who actively buy and sell securities hoping to turn quick profits on short-term price fluctuations, investors who buy and hold securities hope for substantial gains over time.
Buy-Sell Agreement: This written, legal contract provides for the purchase of all outstanding shares from a business owner who wishes to sell, wants to terminate involvement, is permanently disabled, or has died. A buy-sell agreement generally allows for a different, future ownership structure. The agreement may be funded with life and disability income insurance, and it may contain specific purchase arrangements.
Cafeteria Employee Benefit Plan: Also known as flexible benefit plans, cafeteria plans offer a variety of benefit options from which individual employees may select, such as health insurance, life insurance, and retirement benefits. Depending on personal needs and finances, employees may voluntarily elect benefits of their choice.
Capital Gains Distribution: A capital gains distribution is a payment to shareholders of profits realized on the sale of an investment company's securities.
Capital Gains Tax: This tax is levied on profits from the sale of securities or other assets, such as land, buildings, equipment, and furniture.
Capital Loss: A capital loss is a decrease in the value of an investment or a capital asset from its purchase price.
Cash Advance: This instant loan may be obtained from a line of credit or a credit card account. Issuers generally charge interest from the date the advance is made until it is repaid. They may also charge a transaction fee based on the amount of the advance.
Cash Basis: This accounting method recognizes cash inflows or outflows when they are actually expended or received. Accrual accounting, in contrast, recognizes income and expenses at the time revenue is earned (but not necessarily received) and liabilities are incurred (but not necessarily paid).
Cash Budget: A cash budget is used to quantify an immediate, short-term cash flow. Reviewing daily, weekly, and monthly receivables and expenditures is essential for a resolution to establish credit lines or invest short-term idle cash.
Cash Flow: This accounting statement shows the aggregate of all cash inflows and outflows. The total during any given specified time period may be expressed as positive cash flow or negative cash flow.
Cash Management: Cash management is the process of channeling available cash into expenditures that enhance productivity, directly or indirectly.
Certificate of Deposit (CD): A CD is an agreement with a commercial bank that promises a fixed interest rate on funds deposited for a specified period of time. Issued in denominations ranging from $100 to $100,000, with maturities ranging from a few weeks to several years, CDs typically earn compound interest and are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) up to $100,000. There may be a penalty if funds are withdrawn before reaching maturity.Check: This written, signed, and dated instrument allows for the transfer of money from a bank account to a payee.
Claim: A claim is a request for payment under the terms of an insurance policy.
Claims-Paying-Ability Rating: This figure provides an assessment of an insurance company's ability to pay claims, relative to other insurance companies.Closing: Closing can refer to the end of a trading session or the process of transferring real estate from a seller to a buyer.Closing Costs: Also called settlement costs, these expenses include any costs (over and above the price of the property) involved in transferring real estate from a seller to a buyer. Typically included are fees or charges for loan origination, discount points, appraisal, property survey, title search, title insurance, deed filing, credit reports, taxes, and legal services. Closing costs do not include points and the cost of private mortgage insurance (PMI).
Cloud on Title: A cloud on title is an apparent or potential claim, lien, or right on real estate. When present, the title is not clean, and a quitclaim deed must be filed to resolve the potential hindrance. For instance, a paid loan with property secured may not have been recorded, or a deceased owner may not have been removed from the deed to a house or title of a car.
Combined Financial Statement: An individual or corporation may own more than one affiliated business enterprise. Each has a complete set of financial documents. To provide a financial overview of all affiliates, a combined financial statement will present side-by-side accountings of balance and net worth statements.
Commercial Loan: Businesses in need of short-term financing will frequently bolster immediate cash flow with a commercial loan. The loan will be based on the credit worthiness of the business and/or owner and the prime lending rate.Commercial Paper: This unsecured, short-term debt instrument is used by corporations to fund short-term liabilities. Since firms must have high-quality debt ratings to secure this funding, commercial paper is usually considered a safe investment. Maturity on the investment is usually less than six months.Commission: This fee is charged by an agent for his/her services in facilitating a transaction, such as buying or selling securities or real estate, based on the dollar amount of the trade, the transaction, or the number of shares involved.
Commitment: This written agreement specifies the terms and conditions under which a lender will loan and a borrower will borrow funds to finance a home.
Common Stock: This security represents partial ownership, also called equity, in a corporation. Common stock ownership entitles a shareholder to participate in stockholder meetings and to vote for the board of directors.
Compounding: This process applies investment growth not only to the original investment, but also to income and gains reinvested in prior periods. To illustrate, if you earn compound interest on savings, you earn interest on the principle amount and the accumulated interest, as it is earned. If you earn simple interest on savings, you earn interest based only on the principle amount.
Construction Loan Note: This short-term obligation, in the form of a note, is used to fund a construction project. In most cases, the note issuers will repay the note obligation using a long-term bond, the proceeds of which can pay back the note. As an example, a city might use a construction loan note to fund a housing project to meet the demands of its growing population.Contingent Beneficiary: On most insurance applications, owners have the option to name a primary beneficiary and a contingent, or secondary, beneficiary. At the death of the insured, a death benefit may be payable to a beneficiary. If the primary beneficiary revokes, is ineligible, or is deceased, the contingent beneficiary receives the proceeds. When no individual is named, proceeds are usually payable to the deceased's estate.
Contingent Liabilities: A contingent liability is the possibility of an obligation to pay certain sums on future events. It also refers to defined obligations for which the chances of payment are minimal. Convertible Term Insurance: In contrast to nonconvertible term life insurance, convertible term insurance provides the policyholder with a voluntary right (as described in the policy) to convert the face amount coverage in term insurance to a guaranteed issued identical face amount of whole life insurance.
Corporate Bond: This debt security is issued by a corporation, as opposed to the government, and it obligates the issuer to pay interest periodically and repay the principal at maturity. Corporate bonds generally feature higher interest rates because of the possible default risk, and the interest earned is often taxable. Corporation: State and federal laws permit a group of people to act jointly for business and tax purposes. Individuals who comprise the corporation are able to incur debt and realize profit without immediate legal or taxable liabilities. The corporate entity provides the advantages of attracting outside capital by selling shares of ownership, protecting owners from liability beyond their investment outlay, providing for continuity of operations beyond the lives of current shareholder owners, and allowing change of ownership through transfer of shares.Correction: Correction is defined as reverse movement, usually downward, in the price of an individual stock, bond, commodity, or index, which brings it more in line with its underlying fundamental value. If prices have been rising on the market as a whole, then fall dramatically, this is known as correction with an upward trend.Co-Signer: This individual adds his or her signature to a loan or a credit card agreement along with the principal applicant, thereby assuming responsibility for the outstanding balance if the applicant defaults.
Covenant not to Compete: A contract to sell a business, offer employment, or form a partnership often includes a clause that obligates a party to refrain from performing similar professional or business activities. The legal enforcement of a covenant not to compete depends on the wording, compensation, duration, and situation.Coverdell Education Savings Account (Coverdell ESA): Formerly known as the Education IRA, this savings vehicle allows parents to accumulate tax-free savings on money earmarked for a child's college education. There are limits on income eligibility and on how much may be set aside per year.Credit History: A credit history is a record of how a party has paid past debts.
Credit Line: This revolving agreement allows a person to borrow any amount up to a preapproved limit for purchases or cash advances. As the outstanding balance is paid off, credit again becomes available to fund new purchases or cash advances.
Credit Rating: This formal assessment evaluates the ability of individuals and corporations to handle credit. The credit rating, which may be used by lending institutions when considering loan applications, is based on a party's history of borrowing and repayment, as well as the availability of assets and the extent of liabilities.
Debit Card: A debit card is issued by a bank to allow an individual access to his or her funds without having to physically go to the bank. A debit card can be used to withdraw cash from an automated teller machine (ATM) or to make purchases at merchant locations. At the time of use, funds are immediately deducted from the checking or savings account linked to the card.
Debt: Debt is the legal obligation, written or oral, to deliver a product, service, or cash.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio: The ratio of total debt to total shareholder equity indicates the level of capability for repayment of outstanding creditors. In addition, long-term debt as a function of shareholder equity indicates the degree of leveraged money to improve shareholder rates of return.
Decreasing Term Insurance: This term insurance policy has a death benefit that decreases over time. Decreasing term insurance is often used in conjunction with a mortgage or other amortized debt. For example, a holder of a 30-year mortgage may also hold a 30-year decreasing term insurance policy to cover the mortgage if he or she dies before it is paid off.
Deed: This document identifies legal ownership of real estate, and it used to transfer ownership from a seller to a buyer.
Deferred Annuity: This type of annuity pays an income or lump sum at a future date, as specified in the terms of the contract.
Defined Benefit Plan: This employer-funded retirement plan is designed to pay a predetermined benefit based on an employee's years of service and salary or wages. Employer contributions adjust annually on an actuarial basis, and the employer is responsible for all investment selections and decisions.
Defined Contribution Plan: Through this retirement plan, an employer sets aside a certain amount or percentage of salary each year for the benefit of employees. In contrast to defined benefit plans, the employer contribution is fixed, but the employee benefit is not. Some plans allow employees to make voluntary, individual contributions and to choose the investment mix of their individual monies. Deflation: The opposite of inflation, deflation is the reduction in the price of goods and services. Deflation can be caused by a decrease in the supply of money or credit, or by a reduction in spending by individuals or the government.
Dependent: A dependent is a person who relies on another for financial support. A taxpayer who supports a dependent is allowed to claim dependent exemptions.
Deposit: A deposit is a portion of funds used as security or collateral for the delivery of a good. It is also defined as a transaction involving the transfer of funds to another party for safekeeping, such as money put into a bank account.
Depreciation: Depreciation is the decrease in value of a fixed asset during its projected life expectancy. The Internal Revenue Service permits several processes to calculate annual depreciation amounts over asset life expectancy, resulting in certain tax consequences. Depreciation can also refer to the decrease in value of one currency in relation to another.
Derivative: The characteristics and value of this financial instrument depend on the value of an underlying instrument or asset, typically a commodity, bond, equity, or currency. Examples include futures and options.
Direct Rollover: A direct rollover is the tax-free transfer of money or property from the trustee or custodian of one qualified retirement plan or account to another.
Disability-Income Insurance: This policy pays a portion of the insured's income in the event that temporary or permanent total disability prevents the insured from working.
Discount Broker: A discount broker buys and sells securities at lower rates than a full service broker. Discount brokers generally do not offer all the services of full service brokers, such as research and advice.
Diversification: This investment strategy is designed to reduce the risk of investing in a single industry/market sector or a small number of companies by spreading the risk over several industries/market sectors or a larger number of companies. The operating assumption is that diversified investments are unlikely to all move in the same direction, allowing gains in one investment to offset the losses of another.
Dividend: A dividend is a distribution of earnings to a shareholder of a corporation or mutual fund, or to mutual life insurance policyowners, generally paid in the form of money or stock.
Dollar Cost Averaging: This method invests a fixed dollar amount in securities at set intervals, regardless of market prices. With this approach, an investor buys more shares when prices are low, and fewer shares when prices are high. This generally results in a lower average cost per share than if the investor had purchased a constant number of shares at the same periodic intervals. An investor should consider his or her financial ability to continue through all types of market conditions. Dollar cost averaging will not assure a profit or protect against loss in a down market.
Double Taxation: Double taxation is the result of tax laws that cause the same earnings to be taxed twice. Business profits and income of sole proprietors, partnerships, and S corporations receive taxation only at the individual taxpayer level. However, C corporations experience taxation at the corporate level, and shareholders pay taxes on dividends.
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA): The Dow Jones Industrial Average is the price-weighted average of 30 actively traded blue chip stocks on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The DJIA represents approximately 15% to 20% of the market value of NYSE stocks.
Early Withdrawal: An early withdrawal is the removal of funds from a fixed-rate investment before the maturity date or from a tax-deferred investment or retirement savings account before a pre-determined time. One example would be a distribution from an individual retirement account (IRA) taken before age 59˝. Early withdrawals may be subject to a penalty.
Electronic Banking: Many banking institutions provide computerized network services that provide account holders access to their accounts by personal computer. Customers may make payments directly to stores, credit card accounts, mortgage companies, utility companies, and other creditors. Individuals having two or more bank accounts may also transfer cash between accounts.
Electronic Commerce: Electronic commerce, also called ECommerce, refers to the use of the Internet by an individual or business to conduct business, buy or sell goods, or provide or purchase a service.
Electronic Funds Transfer System (EFTS): Funds may be electronically transferred between accounts of buyers, sellers, and other individuals. This service allows for direct deposits or withdrawals without processing written checks.
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA): Most pension and retirement plans became subject to government overview and the establishment of several federal limitations and practices under ERISA in 1974.
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP): This employer-sponsored program encourages employees to purchase shares of their companies, thereby aligning the interests of a company's employees with those of its shareholders. An ESOP may be part of a bonus or retirement package, and it may allow employee-shareholders to participate in the management of the company.
Endowment: An endowment refers to any assets, funds, or property that is donated to an individual, organization, or group to be used as a source of income.
Equity: Equity can be defined as anything that represents ownership interests, such as stock in a company. Equity also generally refers to the difference between an asset's current market value and the debt against it. For example, if you own a car valued at $15,000, but owe $10,000 on a car loan, your equity in the car is $5,000.
Equity Loan: This type of loan allows a homeowner to borrow against the accumulated equity in his or her home using the property to secure the debt. An equity loan may be structured as a line of credit the homeowner can access with a check or credit card.
Escrow: This independent third party agent or account assumes possession of a contract, a deed, or money from a grantor until completion of any outstanding obligations or commitments. Upon the satisfaction of all parties, the agent delivers the property held in escrow to the grantee.
Estate Planning: This process plans for the orderly administration and disposition of a person's assets after he or she dies.
Estate Tax: These federal and/or state taxes are levied on the assets of a decedent (person who dies). Estate taxes are paid by the decedent's estate rather than his or her heirs.
Excess Compensation: In a pension plan integrated with federal old-age, survivors, and disability insurance (OASDI), excess compensation is the amount above the specified amount upon which calculations for future benefits are based.
Executor: This person is named under a will to administer the distribution of the deceased's assets as directed by the will. An executor is often a family member, a trusted friend, or a bank trust officer.
Family Limited Partnership (FLP): This partnership of family members can be a valuable tool for business and investment purposes. FLPs can help arrange for generational transfers, maintain control within the general partners, and reduce potential liability to the transferor and transferee. For financial planning purposes, FLPs may help preserve wealth, minimize taxation, protect against creditors, and facilitate estate planning.
Federal Reserve System (The Fed): This seven-member Board of Governors oversees Federal Reserve Banks, establishes monetary policy (interest rates, credit, etc.), and monitors the economic health of the country. Its members are appointed by the President, subject to Senate confirmation, and serve 14-year terms.
Fiduciary: A fiduciary is an individual who provides investment advice for a fee or who exercises discretionary authority or control in managing assets. Also, a fiduciary can refer to an individual, company, or association responsible for holding assets in trust and investing them wisely for the benefit of a trust's beneficiary. Examples or fiduciaries include trustees, bankruptcy receivers, and executors of wills and estates.
Financial Aid: Financial aid refers to the financial support a student receives from federally and privately funded sources to attend college. Financial aid includes loans, grants, scholarships, and work-study programs.
Financial Statement: In terms of a business, a financial statement is a written record concerning the financial circumstances of a company, firm, or organization. Such a statement generally includes balance sheets, changes in retained earnings, profit and loss statements, cash flows, and other forms of financial analysis that are beneficial to management.
First-to-Die Life Insurance: This type of life insurance policy covering two or more people pays the death benefit when the first person dies.
Fixed Annuity: A fixed annuity is an investment contract sold by a life insurance company that guarantees regular payments to the purchaser for a specified period of time, or for life. The purchaser generally pays a premium either in a lump sum or in installments.
Fixed-Rate Mortgage: A fixed-rate mortgage has a set interest rate that will not vary for the life of the loan.
Floating Debt: Floating debt refers to the use of government Treasury bills or short-term corporate bonds, which, when continually renewed, pay off current liabilities or finance cash flow.
Flood Insurance: This insurance covers against losses that are a direct result of flood damage. Flood insurance is required by lenders if a property is located in a flood zone.
For Sale By Owner (FSBO): When the sale of a home is attempted directly by the owner, the owner assumes all fiduciary responsibilities involved with the execution of all legal contracts, documents, and transactions.
Foreclosure: A foreclosure is the legal procedure by which a mortgage holder, such as a bank, savings and loan, or private individual, can seize the property of a borrower who has not made timely payments on a mortgage. The lender must obtain a court order to seize the property, which it may then sell to satisfy the debt.
Forfeitures: Employees who terminate from an employer's pension plan are forced to forfeit nonvested employer contributions. These forfeitures may be applied as credits to remaining employee accounts or used to offset future employer contributions, depending on the pension plan.
Franchise: A license may be granted by a business or company allowing a designee to sell and market its products or services in a fixed geographic area. Usually consummated with an initial cash requirement, the agreement may offer consultation, financing, promotional assistance, or other stated benefits on an arranged percentage of sales basis.
Fringe Benefits: Fringe benefits are opportunities and services offered beyond wages or salary in compensation for employment. They are not generally taxable to the employee, but they may have tax benefits to the employer. The employer contribution may be full payment, partial payment, or merely providing the opportunity for employee involvement. Some common fringe benefits may include paid holidays, sick days, paid vacation days, insurance coverage, or retirement plans. Other less common benefits are a company car, an expense account, and stock options. Fringe benefits are important in attracting and retaining key employees.
Front-End Load: This sales fee (load) is paid up-front by investors at the time they purchase an investment. The front-end load is deducted from the investment amount, thus lowering the size of the investment.
Futures: A future refers to an agreement to buy or sell a specific amount of a commodity or financial instrument at a set price on a specific future date.
General Ledger: The general ledger contains all the financial accounts and statements of a business, including its debits, credits, and balances.
General Partner: A general partner is presumed to be the authorized agent of the partnership and of all other partners for all purposes within the scope and objectives of the business. The term general partner refers to all the members of a general partnership, as well as all general partners of a limited partnership.
Gift: A gift is a voluntary transfer of assets or property from the transferor to the transferee with no compensation. The transferor cannot retain any incidence of ownership (e.g., control, possession, enjoyment, right to income, or power to designate persons who will receive benefits of ownership) after relinquishing control in the transferred gift.
Gift Tax: This tax is levied by the federal government, and some states, on assets transferred from one person to another. The tax rate increases with the value of the gift. The donor pays the tax, not the recipient.
Golden Boot: The golden boot refers to the offering of lucrative financial incentives or an extension of benefits usually to persuade an older employee to exercise the option for "early retirement." This voluntary election by an employee helps avoid any conflict with age discrimination codes.
Golden Handcuffs: Additional benefits given to a valued and productive employee as an inducement to remain with the company are known as golden handcuffs.
Golden Parachute: A golden parachute refers to a benefits package secured by top executives if a layoff occurs due to a corporate buyout or takeover.
Government Bond: A government bond is a debt security issued by the US government. Two common types are savings bonds and marketable securities; both tend to have low default risk. Government savings bonds are not traded on any exchange; therefore, they are immune to market fluctuation. In contrast, "marketable" U.S. government securities, such as U.S. Treasury bills, Treasury notes, Treasury bonds, and Treasury Inflation-Protection Securities (TIPS), are commonly traded.
Grace Period: The grace period is the period of time after the due date of a payment during which the overdue payment may be made without penalty or lapse in contractual obligations.
Gross Estate: A person's gross estate at the time of death is the total dollar value of his or her assets before taxes and other debts.
Gross Monthly Income: Gross monthly income is the total monthly income from all sources, before taxes and other expenses.
Group Life Insurance: This life insurance policy insures a group of people. Group life insurance is often provided by employers as an employee benefit, or by a professional association for its members.
Guardian: A guardian is an individual who has been given legal responsibility for a minor child or a legally incapacitated adult.
Health Savings Account (HSA): Commonly called HSAs, health savings accounts offer individuals covered by high deductible health plans (HDHPs) tax-favored opportunities to save for medical expenses.
Highly Compensated Employee (HCE): For benefit plan purposes, a highly compensated employee receives compensation in the top 20% of all employees, is a 5% owner of the business, and exceeds certain annual compensation levels. This category is used in performing nondiscrimination tests.
Home Equity: Home equity refers to the difference between a property's current market value and the sum of all claims against it. For example, a homeowner with a house currently valued at $200,000, and carrying a $150,000 mortgage, has $50,000 in equity.
Hope Credit: This federal tax credit gives families a tuition credit per student per year for the first two years of post-secondary education.
Household Income: Household income is the combined income of all household members from all sources, including wages, commissions, bonuses, Social Security and other retirement benefits, unemployment compensation, disability, interest, and dividends.
Housing Ratio: Also called the front-end ratio or payment-to-income ratio, this ratio compares the monthly housing payment to total monthly income.
Income: Income is defined as the amount received from all sources, including wages, commissions, bonuses, Social Security and other retirement benefits, unemployment compensation, disability, interest, and dividends.
Index: An index is a hypothetical portfolio of securities that represents a particular market or portion of it. Indexes are used to measure the amount of change in a particular security by comparing it to the change of similar companies. Some well-known indexes are the New York Stock Exchange Index (NYSE), the American Stock Exchange Index (AMEX), the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500), the Russell 2000 Index, and the Value Line Index.
Individual Retirement Account (IRA): An IRA is a tax-deferred retirement savings account that allows individuals to contribute a limited amount per year. A traditional IRA may allow individuals, depending on their incomes and participation in employer-sponsored retirement plans, to deduct part or all of their contributions on their tax returns. Withdrawals made after age 59˝ are taxed at the current tax rate. In contrast, Roth IRAs allow individuals to withdraw earnings tax free, provided they have owned the account for five years and are at least age 59˝. Contributions are made with after-tax dollars.
Inflation: Inflation is the general rise in the price level of goods and services that occurs when demand increases relative to supply. Inflation is usually measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Producer Price Index. As a result of inflation, the purchasing power of the dollar decreases. For example, if inflation occurs at 3% annually, $100 in one year would be worth only $97 in the next.
Initial Public Offering (IPO): IPO refers to a company's first public offering of stock. Often, companies go public when their need for cash exceeds the amount private investors, such as venture capitalists, are willing or able to provide. Investment banks buy shares and then offer them to the public at an offering price. As the stock is traded, the market price may be more or less than the offering price.
Insufficient Funds: When a bank account does not contain enough money to cover a specific check, it is said to have insufficient funds.
Insurability: Insurability is defined as the ability of an insurance applicant to be accepted by an insurer, based on health, occupation, lifestyle, and finances.
Insurable Interest: Insurable interest refers to a potential beneficiary who has a vested financial interest in the life of another person and who might suffer loss upon their disability or death.
Insured: An insured is an individual who is covered by an insurance policy.
Intangible Asset: Intangible assets are nonphysical resources that provide gainful advantages in the marketplace. Copyrights, software, logos, patents, goodwill, and other intangible factors afford name recognition for products and services. They are all examples of intangible assets that may provide significant value to a business operation.
Integrated Plan: An employee pension plan may be included for benefit calculations with Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) benefits, also known as Social Security, or with Old-Age, Survivorship, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) contributions.
Intellectual Capital: Intellectual capital is a representation of the financial value that human innovations, inventions, and intelligence bring to a business enterprise.
Interest: Interest is the cost of borrowed money. It may be the payment you receive from an investment, such as a bond, or the amount you pay for a loan, which is generally a percentage of the total amount borrowed. For example, if you take out a $5,000 loan for a year at 9% interest, the cost of taking the loan would be 9% of the total amount borrowed—$450. Also, interest can refer to a right or share in an asset or property.
Interest Rate: The cost of borrowed money expressed as a percentage for a given period of time, usually one year, is an interest rate. Interest rates are considered by many to be key economic indicators. The Federal Reserve (The Fed) regulates interest rates. The Fed may lower interest rates—making borrowing money less expensive—in an effort to stimulate growth in the economy, or it may raise them—making borrowing money more expensive—in an effort to slow economic growth.
Internal Rate of Return (IRR): The theorem of internal rate of return is, in effect, compounding interest in reverse, or discounting. In contemplating a current investment with a proposed investment, IRR is a most efficient evaluation. The rate of return on a proposed investment should be equal to the present value of all future benefits, including revenues, as well as the gross costs associated with the (current) property investment. IRR is important in planning capital outlays, as well as in evaluating rental real estate investments.
Investment Objective: An investment objective is a financial goal of an investment. Different investment vehicles have different objectives. For example, a fixed-income fund may have outlined in its prospectus an objective of providing current income by investing in fixed-income securities, whereas a capital growth fund looks to provide long-term capital gains and high potential future income. Individual investors also have personal investment objectives, based on their own time horizons and tolerance for risk.
Irrevocable Trust: This trust cannot be altered, stopped, or canceled without the permission of the beneficiary, or trustee. The grantor, who has transferred assets to the trust, gives up all ownership rights to the assets and to the trust. During circumstances where the trustee cannot interpret or carry out his or her specific duties, the court is then asked to make legal determinations.
Joint Tenancy: Also called joint tenancy with right of survivorship, this form of property ownership involves two or more people who own an undivided interest in a property. Upon the death of one joint owner, ownership automatically passes to the surviving joint owner(s) without a court proceeding. Joint tenancy applies to property with a title or other certificate of ownership, such as real estate, mortgages, securities, and bank and brokerage accounts.
Keogh Plan: A Keogh plan is a tax-deferred defined benefit or defined contribution plan that is established by a self-employed individual for him/herself and his/her employees.
Key Employee: A key employee is an employee who possesses valued skills, craft knowledge, or intellectual and organization abilities. He or she is considered crucial to the ongoing operation of the business or company and difficult to replace. Also, the term key employee is used in applying top heavy tests for qualified referral plans under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 416.
Key Person Insurance: Companies often have employees who possess craft or scientific knowledge, leadership, and valued skills. Hiring a replacement might alter business planning, profit, stability, and management. To address the financial aspect of replacing a key employee, the corporation becomes owner and beneficiary on an insurance policy that reimburses the company for untimely loss of a key employee.
Lapsed Policy: A lapsed policy is one that is canceled for nonpayment of premiums. The term also refers to a policy canceled before it has cash or surrender value.
Lease: A lease is a contract granting the use of real estate or a fixed asset, such as a vehicle or equipment, for a specific period in exchange for periodic payments.
Leaseback (sale and leaseback): A leaseback is an arrangement where a seller of an asset leases back that same asset from the purchaser. For example, a business owner may sell all or part of the property from which the business operates to raise cash for business operations. The business owner then may agree to lease the sold property for a term of years from the new owner. The leaseback offers security to the new owner because the seller becomes the tenant with business operations remaining at its present location on a potentially long-term basis.
Lease-Purchase Agreement: A lease-purchase agreement may state that a portion of each lease payment applies to a future purchase of the leased property or that the leaseholder possesses a right to buy the property during or at the conclusion of the lease term.
Lender: A lender is one who parts with something of value for specific compensation, for a stated or open duration of time.
Letters of Credit (by a Bank): The bank, as an issuer, may substitute its creditworthiness for a recipient customer and buyer in a single or series of sales transactions through a letter of credit. The seller has little risk in default of payment by the buyer because of the letter of credit. A significant variation on a letter of credit is a letter guaranteeing performance for completion of a contract.
Level Premium Term Insurance: Level premium term insurance refers to a life insurance policy for which premiums remain the same from year to year for a specified period.
Liability: A liability is something for which one is held liable, such as an obligation, responsibility, or debt. Business liabilities may include loans, mortgages, accounts payable, deferred revenues, and accrued expenses. Current liabilities are debts payable within one year, whereas long-term liabilities are payable over a longer period.
Life Annuity: This type of annuity provides income for life.
Life Cycle: The life cycle is the time period that measures from the beginning to the conclusion of an individual, product, or business. A corporate business entity frequently has a life cycle beyond its founder or current owners; therefore, small family businesses may compute life cycles in generational terms to plan an eventual transfer or liquidation.
Life Expectancy: Life expectancy refers to the average number of years individuals of a given age are expected to live, according to a mortality table based on factors such as gender, age, heredity, and health characteristics.
Life Insurance: Life insurance is a contract wherein a premium is paid to an insurance company in return for the insurance company's promise to pay the beneficiary a defined amount upon the death of the insured. There are various types of life insurance available, including term life, whole life, and universal life.
Lifetime Learning Credit: The lifetime learning credit is a federal credit toward qualified higher education expenses, including tuition and/or other educational expenses, incurred to learn or improve job skills. This credit applies to undergraduate study, graduate school, and professional education pursuits.
Limited Liability Corporation (LLC): In contrast to the unlimited liability inherent in proprietorships as a form of business ownership, a limited liability corporation provides limited liability to each shareholder to the extent of invested capital.
Limited Partnership: A limited partnership is a financial affiliation, consisting of a general partner and limited partners, that invests in projects such as real estate, oil and gas, equipment, movies, etc. The general partner, in return for fees and a percentage of ownership, manages operations and is ultimately liable for any debt. Limited partners, who may receive income, capital gains, and tax benefits in return for their investment, have little involvement in management. They also have limited liability, which limits their maximum loss to the amount they invested.
Liquid Assets: Cash and short-term investment vehicles (e.g., commercial paper, checking accounts, account receivables, Treasury bills) are cash equivalents or liquid assets. Cash and cash equivalents maintain existing market values through the conversion period.
Liquidity: Liquidity refers to the ability to quickly and easily convert assets into cash without incurring a significant loss.
Liquidity Ratio: Liquidity ratios (cash asset ratio, current ratio, quick ratio) quantify a company's ability to discharge debt obligations maturing within one year.
Living Trust: Also called an inter vivos trust, a living trust is established by a living person and allows that person to control the assets he or she contributes to the trust.
Living Will: Also called a health care proxy, a living will is a written document that allows an individual to designate a representative to make medical decisions in the event that he or she becomes incapacitated due to accident or illness. Often, a living will identifies specific medical treatments a person does or does not wish to have in the event life-sustaining treatment is necessary.
Locking-In: Locking-in refers to the process of assuring that an interest rate, such as on a mortgage, CD (certificate of deposit), or fixed-rate bond, has been set. In the case of a mortgage, there may be a fee for locking-in the rate.
Long-Term Care Insurance: Long-term care insurance covers the cost of long-term health care expenses, such as nursing home care, in-home assistance, assisted living, or adult day care.
510 Bering Dr. Suite 490 , HOUSTON, TX 77057Phone: 713 877 1717 Fax: 713 877 1719 Email: email@example.comemail@example.com offered through Parkland Securities, LLC.A registered broker/dealer. Member FINRA & SIPC.


text:
You are about to enter a website that may contain content of an adult nature.
Hello everyone, this is Indian cam girl PrivateLola here. I'm 32 year old Female speak English in the Indian live sex chat action. Hottest girl is willing to perform to u to make u scream from pleasure. I am mature girl with innocent and young look. Lets take adventure of me!. toys, outfits is my expertise and also what I will do in Indian live sex private show. I have Brown eyes, Medium Blonde hairs and my measurements are 35-30-35. For Turn ons: Playing and watching u play for me. For TurnsOff: rudeness. If you prefer kinks, then Shaved, are mine. I'm just hungry for a HARD cock, can't wait to see u in my Indian webcam sex chat room! :)
Show more models
This website contains indian nude cam, desi webcam, online hindi girls webcam and tamil sex cams related sexually explicit content.
You must be at least 18 years of age to enter this website. © Since 2012 myindiansexcams.com Indian Sex Chat Network All Rights Reserved
AllHosts1 - AllHosts2 - AllHosts3 - AllHosts4 - AllHosts5 - AllHosts6 - AllHosts7 - AllHosts8 - AllHosts9 - AllHosts10 - AllHosts11 - AllHosts12

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Rating Scale Breakdown:
- 0 – 0.5 – Abysmal
- 1.0 – 1.5 – Terrible
- 2.0 – 2.5 – Poor
- 3.0 – 3.5 – Average
- 4.0 – 4.5 – Great
- 5.0 – Excellent
- Undetermined – Too soon to tell or lacking evidence to provide a solid answer
- Not Tested – Has yet to be requested or there is some limitations to prevent accurate test results
- N/A – Not Available and or Not Applicable to this program
V. 7.5 – "AVG FREE Tablet AntiVirus Security for Android" Review Template
Tested On A: Asus Nexus 7 (2013) (Model: ME37OT)
Operating System: Android (V5.1)
Price: Free (Google Play App Store)
A. Installation AVG Mobile Anti-Virus Free – 5.0 "Excellent" – Very easy just click on AVG Anti-Virus Free App icon and press Install.
B. Uninstalling AVG Mobile Anti-Virus Free – 4.5 "Great" – It could be a little easier to remove. Just follow the steps below to un-install your AVG App.
B1. Go to your "Settings"
B2. Then go to "Applications".
B3. Then choose the "Anti-Virus App".
B4. The press and hold your finger on the app
B5. There should be a screen that appears where you can uninstall the AVG App.
B6. Wait a few seconds till the App is fully uninstalled
B7. Then your good to go
C. Stability Of Program – 5.0 "Excellent" – No crashes or freezing. Since I downloaded the app.
AVG FREE Tablet AntiVirus Security – Protection
D1. App(s) Protection – 5.0 "Excellent" – AVG will tell you is the app is rouge and not affiliated with the Android App store. It does an excellent job at this. Thus far it has warned me 3 times.
D2. Settings Protection – 5.0 "Excellent" – This option is very simple yet very important. It makes sure in your options to install and download apps of "unknown sources" will not be allowed to occur. Other then that super important job. I saw no other reason for this Protection option.
D3. Content Protection – 4.0 "Great" – This feature is by no means outstanding. But I have had a few "AD" detection's. I'm assuming that means "AD"-ware. But I can't be sure at this point.
E. Real Time Scanner – 5.0 "Excellent" – This feature works like a charm. You can ever see it in action.
E1. SD Card Scanner – 3.5 "Average" – Nothing special here. This is pretty much an external drive scanner. In this case your SD card.
E2. File Scanner – 5.0 "Excellent" – This feature works like a charm.
E3. Safe Web Surfing – 3.5 "Average" – Nothing special here. No detentions or warning. I'm still unclear as to what this protection is suppose to do.
E4. Deep File Scanner – 3.5 "Average" – Nothing special here. No detentions or warning.
AVG FREE Tablet AntiVirus Security – Performance
F1. Task Killer – 3.0 "Average" – This option is exactly what you would expect and nothing else.
F2. Battery Consumption – 3.0 "Average" – This option could of been so much more then. Here your tablet is at ##% left.
F3. Data Usage – 4.0 "Great" – Great, if you are on a set data plan.
F4. Storage Usage – 4.5 "Great" – A really great option to check on both your Internal Memory and your SD card memory stats.
AVG FREE Tablet AntiVirus Security – Privacy
F. App Locker – N/A – Not available in Free version
FF. App Backup – N/A – Not available in the Free version
F1. Wipe Device (Factory Re-set) – 4.0 "Great" – Great tool for people who unwittingly corrupted their device.
F2. Wipe SD Card – 5.0 "Excellent" – Great for when you are upgrading your devices memory or if you wish to trade or sell your SD card.
AVG FREE Tablet AntiVirus Security – Anti-Thief
G. Anti-Theft – Not Tested
H. Speed of Scan – 4.0 "Great" – A little slow. But what do you expect with very limited Smart phone system resources.
I. Updating – 3.5 "Average" – It needs to be updated manually and it won't always update. The first time.
J. AVG Support – Not Tested
My Overall Score: 80/95
My Final Verdict –Part 1– The main difference between AVG 2013 for the PC and AVG for the Android Tablet. Is that is it setup into 4 different layers of protection.
The 1st layer would be your – Protection
1. Apps -This is where the scanner will pick up any rouge apps. That are not certified via the Google Play Android App store.
2. Content – This is where you'll find out if you downloaded or transferred a virus on to your tablet. Via Wi-Fi, USB or Bluetooth.
3. Settings – Is also very important and often overlooked when people first get their phone. Often there are settings with in setting that make your smart phone less then secure. Such as letting unknown or un-certified apps (We Are Talking About Non-Google Play App Store Certified/Approved) to your private data, or transmitting your location without your permission..
The 2nd layer is the AVG Anti-Virus FREE for Android – Performance
1. Task Killer
2. Battery Consumption
4. Wipe Personal Data
5. Data Usage
6. Storage Usage
The 3rd layer is the AVG Anti-Virus FREE for Android – Anti-Theft
1. Device Locator
The 4th layer is the AVG Anti-Virus FREE for Android – Privacy
1. App Locker – Only 10 day limited trial
2. App Backup – Only 10 day limited trail
3. Wipe Device
4. Wipe SD Card
My Final Verdict –Part 2– Now performance wise. This is no watered down version of the full blow PC version. Yes, there are less options and scanning is a little slower. Due to tablet limitations. But other then that you get what you would expect. A rather good free Anti-Virus program.
**As per the norm it is highly recommend that you upgrade to the newest version of AVG FREE Tablet AntiVirus Security for Android when available / prompted. Also important is to update your AVG virus definitions as often as possible. Which in the case of this app there are new virus definitions everyday.
Here is a link to download AVG FREE Tablet AntiVirus Security
for Android
1. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.antivirus.tablet&hl=en (Google Play Store)
Return To The Main Reviews Page
Till The Next Review,
Remy "Se7en"


text:
#1 Traverse City airman killed by IED01-13-2012, 10:39 PMTRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - A Michigan man was one of three U.S. airmen killed when a vehicle they were riding in was struck by an explosive device in Afghanistan.
The Department of Defense confirms Saturday that 34-year-old Tech. Sgt. Matthew Schwartz of Traverse City died Thursday in Shir Ghazi in Helmand Province.
Schwartz had been assigned to the 90th Civil Engineer Squadron at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.
Senior Airman Bryan Bell of Pennsylvania and Airman 1st Class Matthew Seidler of Maryland also were killed.
The 23-year-old Bell was assigned to the 2nd Civil Engineer Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. The 24-year-old Seidler was assigned to the 21st Civil Engineer Squadron at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.
Please take a moment to honor this mans sacrifice. He was the third Airman my father recruited. This one was close to home.
In most sports, cold-cocking an opposing player repeatedly in the face with a series of gigantic Slovakian uppercuts would get you a multi-game suspension without pay.
In hockey, it means you have to sit in the penalty box for five minutes.
|« Previous Thread | Next Thread »


text:
Trump inquiry may spur sanctions on China
US to determine whether any Chinese laws, policies or practices discriminate against or harm American innovators and tech firms
The US president Donald Trump will sign a memorandum Monday that could lead to sanctions against China over its intellectual property practices, administration officials said.
Mr Trump will direct the US trade representative Robert Lighthizer to determine whether any Chinese laws, policies or practices discriminate against or harm American innovators and technology companies, the officials said.
If so, Mr Lighthizer would have "broad powers" to seek remedial action.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, bluntly accused China of "stealing our intellectual property" - long a concern of western companies seeking a share of the enormous Chinese market.
The new measure comes amid high tensions between Washington and Beijing. Mr Trump has accused China of failing to rein in the nuclear ambitions of its ally North Korea, even as he makes ever sharper threats against Pyongyang.
The officials said that matter, and the trade issue, are not linked.
Read more:
UAE to benefit from China's One Belt, One Road programme
India builds highway to Thailand to counter China's silk road
World stocks shrug off slowing China trade growth to hit record
The process Mr Lighthizer will initiate, under Article 302b of the US Commercial Code, could take as long as a year to yield its findings.
The latest step follows the opening by the Trump administration of several other investigations into Chinese commercial practices, notably in the steel sector.
On Tuesday, Washington announced preliminary sanctions against imports of Chinese aluminum foil.
The US officials said "Chinese commercial policy has a major goal, the acquisition and the absorption of the intellectual property of the United States and other countries around the world."
"Most Americans are fully aware that China is stealing our intellectual property," they added. "What they may not know is that China is also forcing and coercing American companies that operate in China to turn over their technologies."
US officials will particularly examine the role of joint ventures, the mixed foreign-and-Chinese companies whose establishment is required for any outside business wishing to sell its products in China.
"China also funds and facilitates the acquisition of US firms that possess advanced technologies," the officials said.
"If Americans continue to have their best technologies and intellectual property stolen or forcibly transferred off-shore, the United States will find it difficult to maintain its current technology leadership position," they added.
US and European companies have long complained of Chinese rules that force them to turn over their industrial secrets if they wish to do business in China.
Apple, which has a turnover of more than US$30 billion a year in China, is currently subject to several measures taken by Beijing that hinder its activities in the country.
The manufacturer of the iPhone was forced in late July to remove certain apps that would have allowed users to circumvent extensive online restrictions imposed by the Chinese government.
Among the other big names in US technology, Facebook and Google are currently sidelined in China. Although they are largely missing out on the giant consumer market, they also fear their technologies being stolen.
Car makers as well as aeronautical giants Boeing and Airbus have been able to enter China via joint ventures, even as the Chinese seek to penetrate global markets.
Updated: August 13, 2017 10:36 AM


text:
Welcome to Arrowhead Golf Course
Attention: New Mixed Doubles League Forming,
Contact Us Now
Visit us in the rolling hills in southeastern Pennsylvania. We are conveniently located between Philadelphia, Lancaster and Allentown in Douglassville, Pa. We are open seven days a week. Our two different courses, the nine hole Blue Course and the eighteen hole Red & White course, will challenge golfers at all levels of play.
The Blue course is a regulation par 35 course, at 2,505 yards, with one par 5 and two par 3's.
The Red & White course is a par 71, 6,002 yard course, with four par 5s and five par 3s, one of which is 245 yards.
We offer a snack bar, rentals, leagues, golf outings and a top of the line Pro-Shop for all your golfing needs.
Call For Your Tee Times Today!


text:
A window should have lasting durability, but that doesn't mean it can't be easy on the eyes. Our windows stay strong despite the weather and offer customizable options to reflect your home's design.VIEW ALL WEATHER WINDOWS
A stunning door showcases your home's personality, making a statement that will leave an impression. From classic to modern, our doors deliver exceptional performance with impeccable style.VIEW ALL WEATHER DOORS
We're proud to be an ambassador for the ENERGY STAR® program and we continue to strive to build energy efficient window and door products. At All Weather Windows, we're comitted to lean, green living.READ MORE ABOUT ENERGY STAR
Front doors are a statement piece, meant to reflect the personal style and the unique personality of a home. Introducing the new line of modern and contemporary doors from All Weather Windows.Explore our Modern Door Series
We do not have any dealers in New Brunswick. For more information, please contact our head office in Edmonton, AB at 1-800-232-9407


text:
Simply Lists SEO Errors on Your Web Page in Seconds!
Make Your Website Compliant!
SEO Analysis CriteriaInternal Links
Meta Tags
Title Tag
Heading Tags
status code
URL Redirect
Java Content
Dynamic Content
Contact me: SEO Consultant
SEO Analysis of cheapjuice.dealsWe found 4 Critical Error, 5 Little Error, 3 Mild Error.
Your seo score : 75%
On-site Linking
10 / 10
Meta level
4 Error Found
Critical Error <META> Description character length is under the recommended minimum of 25 characters
Change the <META> Description content to be between 25 and 150 characters
Search engine crawlers can analyze between 25 and 150 characters of the meta description tag. Thus, use the meta description efficiently to give a proper idea about your website.
Critical Error META DESCRIPTION tag does not exist in the   of the source code
Add META DESCRIPTION tag into the header of the source code eg: <meta name="description" content="Descriptive, keyword rich snippet of page copy goes here"> The META DESCRIPTION is under your control for the "Call to Action" in the SERPs.
The META DESCRIPTION tag plays three roles: First, the META DESCRIPTION is used in the algorithm so it is evaluated in page rank for the words that were contained within it. Second, it elaborates on what the title text provides for a web page and includes keywords that reflect the contents of the page, which should read well for the human eye. Third but not last, the META DESCRIPTION is under the author's control to describe the content of a page for the search engine results pages (SERPs) with the intent of the text to elicit a response from the end user - a click through, referred to as "Call to Action!"
Detail: The META DESCRIPTION tag is a snippet of HTML code that belongs inside the   section of a Web page. It usually is placed after the Title tag and before the Meta keywords tag.
Important: META DESCRIPTION is helpful because it differentiates you from your competitors in the SERPs and improves the number of click-throughs to your site.
Little Error Meta Keyword tag does not exist in the   of the source code
Add META KEYWORDS tag. eg: <meta name="keywords" content="keyword1, keyword2, keyword3">
Although this tag has lost value, some Search engine crawlers may use the META KEYWORDS tag to identify keywords relevant to a page's contents. Include keywords that you are targeting and related terms that represent the content of the page. DO NOT repeat a keyword more than 4 times within the set. You may also include misspellings for your target terms.
Critical Error No content found witin the <meta name="description" content=" " > tag
Write copy for the <META> Description whereby the text is to be between 25 and 150 characters that is human readable, actionable and keyword rich
Search engines use META DESCRIPTIONs to determine page relevancy. When multiple pages utilize the same description, search engines have a more difficult time differentiating those pages, leading to poorer relevancy scores for those pages. All pages should have a unique META DESCRIPTION.
Recommendation: utilize goal keywords near the beginning of the description text.
8 / 12
Title tag
9 / 9
1 Error Found
Little Error Inline CSS found in source code within the body or head
Move all inline style definitions to external files
Search engine crawlers ignore inline CSS. Excessive inline CSS can push actual content down in the HTML. Since search engine crawlers analyze only the first 100 Kbytes of the page, it is possible that the inline CSS will prevent the crawlers from analyzing any content. It is recommended that CSS be externally referenced.
9 / 10
heading tags
3 Error Found
Critical Error

 tag does not exist in the source code
Add H1- header tag. eg:
text for the title of an article or a headline for the page copy - precise and descriptive

An H1 tag is an indicator of what the body copy is about. Search engine crawlers use the H1 tag (almost as important as the Title tag) as a major component for determine the page's relevancy to given keyword(s). The H1 tag reinforces the core keyword(s) found in the <TITLE> and META DESCRIPTION, which improves page relevancy and search engine ranking. Recommend: Use an H1 tag that includes keywords that reflect the contents of the page. Recommended character length, including spaces: 150 characters.
Little Error More than 5 in total of
,
,
,
 and
 tags exist in the source code
Only H2-H6 tags are valid fo indicating content segregation
Search Engines treat the H2-H6 tags as an indicator or content seperation. For example, the H2 tag could be used for sub-sections of an article and H3 for sub-sub sections of the same content.
Mild Error There are less than 5 characters in the
 no enough content found witin the

 tag
The H1 tag is recommended to be within 150 characters, including spaces. It is to act like the headline of the copy - precise and descriptive.
An H1 tag is an indicator of what the body copy is about. The H1 tag should be a precise description of what is to be expected in the body of the page. Try not to exceed 150 characters in the H1 since it is a headline (title) for the page text. Recommend: Use an H1 tag that includes keywords that reflect the contents of the page and keep it within 150 characters.
7 / 10
2 Error Found
Little Error Anchor name links detected on page
Remove all instances of anchor name links, i.e. "/something.html#content"
Search Engines can only follow links that are complete and anchor names not only confuse crawlers but can lead to duplicate content issues
Mild Error No www in the URL
Choose www vs. non-www. 301 redirect one to the other (mysite.com to www.mysite.com)
Ignore this if your domain name is always used without www. Never get backlinks or use navigational links on your site if your domain is known to start with www.
6 / 8
1 Error Found
Mild Error No sitemap file found on your website
Make sure you have a site map. This is an xml file that describes the structure of your page. Make one, and give it to Google.
A sitemap file will contain a collection of links of all your pages. You should define priority levels depending on how often you update different parts of your website. You can generate the xml sitemap file and add it to robots.txt file. For more information on how to generate an xml sitemap, please visit http://www.sitemaps.org/protocol.php
5 / 6
1 Error Found
Little Error Image Alt attribute has no content or there is no image alt tag.
Add ALT content to  tag. eg:
A search engine crawler is able to interpret and evaluate only text and links. Crawlers are unable to interpret image files, so the ALT text enables the web author to provide relevant information to the crawlers and the end user. Alt text is helpful to end users if they have images disabled or if the image does not properly load. In addition, the Alt text is utilized by audio readers for the visually impaired. The Alt text provides a description of the image. Recommend: Make sure that your Alt tag text is descriptive and accurately reflects what the image represents.
3 / 4
Status Code
3 / 3
URL Redirect
2 / 2
Content in Java
1 / 1
dynamic content
1 / 1
1 / 1
1 / 1
Free Website SEO Analysis Tool
Our free SEO report tool is a simple and effective way to analyze your website's compliance with the 78 rules which are the widely-accepted onsite elements of Google's algorithm to rank websites. This simple analysis tool creates a free seo report listing the on-page search engine optimization issues on your page. This SEO report will be a good starting point to optimizing your website for search engine crawling, indexation and better ranking. You won't need to download any seo analysis software or register an account to have your website's SEO analysis report.
Recent SEO Analysis Reports:
cheapjuice.deals , Www.Bestgaymovies.com/cgi-bin/rb4/cout.cgi?url=blogwritingpamper.postbit.com , filmapik.id , Www.Bestgaymovies.com/cgi-bin/rb4/cout.cgi?url=blogwritingpamper.postbit.com , bookmarkdais.com , www.walraven.com/de , zulu-bet.com , www.gocrazyfitness.com , ymbbs.com , ymbbs.com
HTML Forms powered by Wufoo.© 2011-2015 Free SEO Analysis


text:
Are you familiar with Tom Margenau? He has written the "Social Security and You " column for national syndication since 1997. His column appears in the Sunday edition of the Arizona Daily Star. I discovered the column several years ago and I look forward to my second cup of coffee with Tom on Sunday. Mr. Margenau worked for 32 years in a variety of positions for the Social Security Administration before retiring in 2005. Before he moved to SSA's headquarters, he worked for 12 years in Social Security field offices around the country, where he processed Social Security claims while writing Social Security columns for local newspapers.
Tom answers questions from readers about anything to do with Social Security. Some of the questions are almost like reading a Dear Abby column. Life is complicated and so is Social Security. Tom has a way of simplifying even the toughest questions so we can better understand SSA benefits. I so enjoyed this story he wrote a few weeks ago that I want to share it with you.
In 1973, I was working in a Social Security branch office in a small farming community in central Illinois. Congress had recently passed the Supplemental Security Income program. As I've explained many times in this column, SSI is not a Social Security benefit and is not funded by Social Security taxes. It is a federal welfare program for low-income elderly and disabled people that happens to be managed by the Social Security Administration.
So, anyway, in the early 1970s, SSA employees were sent on a mission to help as many people as possible to apply for the benefits of the new program. But those "benefits" weren't really all that impressive. At the time, the Supplemental Security Income program could supplement someone's income up to $160 per month. In other words, if a person was getting a $120 monthly Social Security check, and had no other income, he or she could get an additional $40 from the new SSI program. (Gosh, it may seem that I am writing about the Depression era. I even find it hard to believe people were living on $160 per month, or less, during my lifetime!)
Well, one of the folks I came across in our efforts to find people potentially eligible for SSI benefits was an old man living all alone in a three-room house on the outer fringes of our little town. I'll call him Don. Don was about 70 years old. (You can tell Tom was a young man , he thought 70 was OLD) Don was single and living on an $80-per-month Social Security check. That was his only income in the world. His little house, which he had inherited from his mother, was paid for. And with the help of food stamps and some assistance with his utility bills from a local government agency, Don managed to get by on that small amount of income.
When he came into the office to see me, I explained that the new SSI program would double his monthly income. Instead of receiving just $80 per month from Social Security, he would get an additional $80 per month from SSI. His monthly income would go up to a whopping $160! But surprisingly, Don was reluctant to sign up. He explained that he was getting by just fine without the extra help. However, what convinced him to apply for SSI was the added bonus of automatic eligibility for Medicaid benefits. (Medicaid is the federal health insurance program for poor people, as opposed to Medicare, which is usually tied in with Social Security eligibility and is available to both rich and poor Americans.)
So, Don applied for the new program, and within a few weeks, his monthly SSI checks started to roll in. After he got his first check, I went to his home to visit him. He proudly showed me the used TV he bought with his first SSI check. He said he was sure glad I talked him into signing up for SSI benefits. The next check came in, and I learned that Don bought a toaster oven.
Fast-forward about two months. On a pretty spring day, Don parked his bike next to the big picture windows that fronted our little Social Security branch office and walked in. I noticed his bike was festooned with a new basket and bell, and he even added some of those colorful plastic streamers you see attached to the handlebar grips of kids' bikes. (One of the ways Don got by on such a small amount of income was by walking or riding his bike to most places he went. He hadn't owned a car in years.)
He came up to my desk looking a bit sheepish and said, "Tom, I want you to take me off this gosh darn SSI program." When I asked why, he told me he just didn't need all that money. I tried to point out that $160 per month really wasn't all that much money.
But to Don, it was. He said, "Tom, look at my bike. I bought that bell and those silly streamers because I had the extra cash. I look like a damn fool riding around town now." And then he went on: "And that stupid TV. I used to sit around at night and read. Now I'm glued to that darn contraption, and I waste my time watching 'Love Boat' and 'Laugh-In'!"
I pointed out to Don that the extra money was one thing, but that the potential benefits of the Medicaid program could be invaluable to him. He thought about it for a minute and finally said: "I just don't want it. I've gotten along just fine for years now on my Social Security checks and Medicare. I simply don't need SSI and Medicaid."
I had to do a bit of digging through our rulebooks because I had no idea how to take someone off of SSI. But found the instructions, located the right form needed to withdraw his application, and helped Don fill it out. He signed it and walked out the door a satisfied man. As he got on his bike, I saw him pull the streamers off the handlebar grips and stuff them into his pocket.
Later that evening, I dropped by Don's place. I wanted to confirm that he was sure about stopping his SSI checks before I submitted his withdrawal form. But as I walked onto the porch of his modest little house, I could see through a window that the TV was gone. Don was sitting in a chair reading. I didn't even bother knocking on the door. I knew he was happy!


text: So I don't have any idea what these guys are talking about, it's in Italian I'm guessing, but the apartment is pretty cool! Apparently this is an excerpt from a comedy film. One thing that jumped out at me is how tiny that shower was, I don't think you could stand facing the shower head, it almost looks like you have to shower sideways.


text:
Just weeks after her fiance revealed she was pregnant once again, Teen Mom 2 star Leah Messer was photographed smoking while pregnant.
The 19-year-old mother of 2-year-old twins (Ali and Aleeah) was photographed above, with her fiance Jeremy Calvert, exactly a week ago trying to go incognito while smoking in West Virginia.
According to the photo agency which snapped Leah on January 12, she had just gotten into a car accident, crashing her brand new Chevy Suburban and was looking stressed.
Reports came out last week that Leah was pregnant again with twins, but she quickly took to Twitter to deny the report. She, however, continues to remain mum on her pregnancy and engagement.
Jeremy confirmed the pregnancy news earlier this month, also revealing he proposed to her over the holidays after just five months of dating. It's safe to assume the pregnancy came before the engagement.
Leah has been receiving a ton of backlash from fans of the MTV hit show, rightfully so, who feel having baby no. 3 at the tender age of 19 isn't the smartest choice.
Unfortunately, Leah isn't the first reality star to be caught smoking while pregnant as back in Nov. 2010, TMZ published a photo which showed Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kim Zolciak smoking while expecting.
As we reported back then, there are major risks associated with smoking while pregnant. Below are some according to WedMD:
- Lower the amount of oxygen available to you and your growing baby.
- Increase the chances of miscarriage and stillbirth.
- Increase the risk that your baby is born prematurely and/or born with low birth weight.
- Increase your baby's risk of developing respiratory (lung) problems
In addition to the above risks, smoking while pregnant can also result in lifelong effects on a baby's brain. Children of pregnant smokers are especially likely to have learning disorders, behavioral problems and relatively low IQs.
[Photo Credit: Jae Donnelly/INFphoto.com]


text:
Adobe Reader
Note: PDF documents on this site were created using Adobe Acrobat 5.0 or later. If you are using an earlier version of Adobe Acrobat Reader (4.x or less), document functionality may be reduced.
Click Here
Currently, the demand for H1N1 vaccine is outweighing local and national supply. That's why some Public Health vaccine clinics may reach capacity earlier than expected and need to close earlier than the posted hours. If you are not in an H1N1 Priority Group, please wait to get vaccinated until vaccine supplies increase. More H1N1 vaccine will be available in the next several days and weeks at some chain pharmacies, private health care providers, and community clinics. The most recent information is available on the Public Health Homepage. If you have questions about H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccinations or services, or need more information call 2-1-1.
Air Quality
Beaches and Fresh Water Swim Areas
Body Art
Chemical Hazards
Climate Change
Community Events
Community Resources
Drowning Prevention
Emergency Preparedness and Response Program
Exide Contamination
Land Use
Lead Hazards
Public Pools
Recycled Water
Septic Tanks
Water Wells


text:
Mark Gee
Mark Gee is an award winning photographer & digital visual effects artist based in Wellington, New Zealand. He has worked on many high profile and Oscar award winning feature films. His love of the New Zealand landscape is a big part of the inspiration for his photography.
Wholly self-taught, Mark's style of photography is influenced by his many years of experience in the feature film business, & with an eye for detail he strives to produce creative images of exceptional quality, no matter what the subject. Since he began to seriously focus on developing his photography skills over a decade ago, Mark has continuously worked on improving his craft, thriving on setting the bar ever higher and challenging himself to do better yet every time he sets out to shoot.
While his images portray a wide variety of subjects, in the past few years astrophotography in particular has captured Mark's imagination and interest. He often ventures out to the darkest, most remote skies all around the country, enjoying the challenge of combining New Zealand's striking landscapes with the ethereal beauty of the night sky in new, creative ways. This has led to international success with Mark being short-listed in the 2012 & 2014 Astronomy Photographer of the Year, a finalist in the 2012 World Open of Photography, and 4th place in the 2014 International Earth and Sky Photo Competition, as well as having images published in various books and magazines.
Marks recent short film, 'Full Moon Silhouettes' also gained him international acclaim after going viral online, and has been broadcast all over the world by the likes of CNN, The BBC, NASA and various other main stream media.
In 2013, Mark won the prestigious Astronomy Photographer of the Year. Not only did he win it overall, but Mark also won the Earth and Space category, and the People and Space category which had never been done before in the competitions history.
Since then, Mark has gone onto to sharing his passion and knowledge on the public speaking circuit. One of the highlights of that was his well received TEDx talk in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2014.
- 78,080 Affection
- 6,022,825 Photo Views
- 8,717 Followers
- 123 Following
- Wellington, New Zealand


text:
Start here to find everything you need to handle your toughest storage and organization challenges. Akro-Mils manufactures a wide selection of material handling products from plastic storage bins, totes and containers to platform trucks, steel carts, dollies and more!
©2019 Akro-Mils / Myers Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. A Myers Industries, Inc. Company
Site Policy / Terms & Conditions of Use / Site Map


text:
A most recent update of mine would tell you that I'm still working on the book (almost finished.. just procrastinating a bit lol) and I have started my own home based business. Yes, it is as scary as it sounds. So, this post is really going to venture away from my writing for a bit and I'm going to talk about my other creative love: making jewelry and accessories.
With the economy the way it is, it's hard to really find a decent paying job. I live in a rural area so it's really difficult even with my college degree. It just wasn't happening. So, I needed to be able to get some money in and be able to write at the same time (okay, not at the same exact time, but you get my point… I hope haha).
When I was growing up, my mom made beaded jewelry and sold it in a local shop. She actually did pretty well until she had to quit because her eyes were getting bad (cataracts). I guess you could say I'm carrying on the tradition of making jewelry now. It's something I've done for awhile just for myself and I find it fun. I like to make things for people that they enjoy. It's sort of like writing. If I can make people happy with what I create, then I'm successful.
I started my online shop on etsy in December. To be honest, business has been pretty slow. Okay, very, very slow. I guess I just don't have the online presence/promotion yet. People haven't found my shop and I want them to. So, I'm leaving you all with the link and a few photos of some of the stuff I have made. I think it's all fun stuff. I've made a lot of guitar pick jewelry and flower hair clips. I get a lot of compliments on the hair clips. Whatever money I do make off my store, I put aside so I can self-publish my book when it is finished, so it's going to a good cause! 🙂
So I would love it if you checked out my store, Glittering Treasures, on etsy! Click this to go to it! Also, if you could maybe spread the word and let others who you may think would be interested in my stuff, that would be nice, too. Oh, and I just made a facebook page for my store so go check that out, too and "like" it if you will! The more who likes it, the more my store will get out there in the world.
Here are a few photos of what I have made:
And one more:
There's a lot more in the shop, so please check it out and let me know what you think. I do make customs if I'm able to get the right colors and stuff, so contact me if there's something you like and want in a different color. Again, whatever money I make out of this is helping me self-publish my novel! Thanks everyone!
My etsy store, Glittering Treasures!


text:
Pakistan's Media-Muzzling Judiciary
Pakistan's judicial system has won plaudits for taking on military dictatorships. But it's increasingly receiving flack for overstepping its powers.
More In Pakistan
- Who Is Hafiz Saeed? - The Short Answer
- Pakistani Minister Criticizes Trump's Travel Ban Amid Concerns Country Could Be Added to List
- Pakistan's Gen. Sharif Faces Speculation Over Next Moves
- Pakistan TV Host Banned by Media Regulator Over Comments About Activists
- Indian Army Tells Soldiers to Stop Complaining on Social Media
- Rights Groups Ask Pakistan to Probe Disappearance of Activists
Earlier this year, the International Commission of Jurists, a Geneva-based nongovernmental organization of judges and lawyers, criticized the Supreme Court for launching too many of its own investigations rather than responding to plaintiffs' cases.
The courts' activism risked destabilizing the balance of power between the judiciary and government, the commission said in a report.
Now, Human Rights Watch, the U.S.-based rights advocacy, has criticized Pakistan's courts for using their powers to muzzle media reports that are negative about the judicial system.
Human Rights Watch cited a number of recent examples of cases in which Pakistani judges have ordered Pakistan media regulators to stop television stations from airing criticism of the judiciary.
Last month, the organization said, the Islamabad High Court ordered regulators not to air material that defamed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry or other judges. This month, the court issued a contempt of court notice to the chief executive of ARY, a private television channel, for broadcasting a show that criticized Mr. Chaudhry, Human Rights Watch said.
"No branch of government, including the courts, should be immune from public opinion in a democratic society," said Brad Adams, Asia director for Human Rights Watch. "Pakistan's judges have demonstrated the independence to hold the government accountable. But their credibility will be lost so long as they fight against scrutiny and accountability of the judiciary itself."
Mr. Chaudhry could not be reached. A spokesman for the Supreme Court declined to comment.
Pakistan's judiciary led protests that toppled an unelected military president and brought democracy back to the country in 2008, winning it praise. Since then, it's been locked in a struggle with the democratically-elected government of President Asif Ali Zardari.
The court earlier this year ordered the dismissal of the country's prime minister over his refusal to reopen graft investigations into Mr. Zardari. The new prime minister this month followed the court's order to restart the corruption probe.
Mr. Zardari denies wrongdoing and his supporters claim the judiciary has become politicized. The court and its backers say they are only fighting against widespread corruption in government.
Another new report – by the World Justice Project, a U.S.-headquartered nongovernment group – also paints a negative picture of the rule of law in Pakistan.
The report, which will be formally released Wednesday, scores Pakistan among the lowest-ranked countries in the world for eight areas of the rule of law.
Pakistan was ranked 91 out of 97 countries for the quality of its civil justice system and placed 80 for its criminal justice system. The country came 90th on corruption and placed last globally for order and security, largely due to an ongoing Taliban insurgency.
"Pakistan shows weaknesses in most dimensions when compared to its regional and income group peers," the report says.
"Low levels of government accountability are compounded by the prevalence of corruption, a weak justice system, and a poor security situation, particularly related to terrorism and crime."
Follow Tom and India Real Time on Twitter @TomWrightAsia and @indiarealtime.