US Finance World

There are different options when it comes to saving your money. You can open a conventional savings account and earn interest on your savings. Today, you can also open a fixed rate savings account – also known as a fixed rate bond – to earn more interest and benefits. What are fixed rate bonds exactly? Let’s have a look, shall we?

As the name suggests, a fixed rate bond or a fixed rate savings account is a form of savings account that comes with a fixed interest rate over a predetermined period of time. If you open a 6-month fixed rate bond with an interest rate of 2.5% p.a., for example, you will enjoy the same interest rate over the course of 6 months.

Fixed rate bonds are perfect for those of you who simply want to save your money over a certain period of time. Inste Read more…

Davis & Warshow, the high-end Manhattan bath-fixtures showroom, is the kind of place that sells flat-panel TVs for your shower, bathtubs deep enough to drown a killer whale in and sinks so precious they’re displayed in glass cases like treasures from King Tut’s tomb. But these days, the store’s real show stopper, displayed atop a 2-foot pedestal, is a toilet.

Make that a “smart toilet.” The Kohler Numi, a toilet/bidet, comes with a touch-screen pad that controls everything from the built-in stereo’s treble output to the seat temperature and rear dryer pressure. The lid rises in greeting as you approach, and a floor heater keeps your toes toasty on a cold winter morning. The price: $6,390.

Smart toilets have long been the rage in Japan, where 70 percent of households have commodes that play music, heat your seat and flush themselves. So far, Americans have resisted the trend, preferring to stick with 19th-century toilet technology. But the U.S.

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America has five days to fix its finances. Robert Powell reports on the possible impact on British consumers if politicians in the States are unable to hammer out a deal…

In the first of a new series of reports, Robert Powell takes a look at how UK consumers will be affected if America is unable to pay its bills by the crucial August 2nd deadline…

We show you five insurance cutbacks you shouldn’t make.

As household budgets are stretched to breaking point, many of us are making cutbacks here, there and everywhere.

However, beware these five economies – they could prove to be false on a disastrous scale!

I know a couple who tried to save a few pounds by not taking out travel insurance the last time they went on holiday. They convinced themselves they didn’t need it – because they had a European Health Insurance card (EHIC) instead.

In fact, take this approach and you’ll be risking financial disaster. Here’s why:

The EHIC scheme only operates in European Economic Area countries, and Switzerland. It doesn’t provide any cover in other parts of Europe, or the rest of the world.

Even in these areas, the EHIC only allows you to access state-provided healthcare at a reduced cost, or sometimes free of charge.

While it’s definitely worth having, it doesn’t provide any of the other cover that makes travel insurance worthwhile. What happens,

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In 10 Things That Make a Blog Stink, I shared my strong opinion that every blog post should have an accompanying graphic that illustrates the main points of the post. I also told you about Fotolia, one of the best resources for reasonably priced stock images.

One of the reasons people tell me they dont blog much is because its hard to find quality images for their posts without spending a fortune. Of course, I think the best images are pictures you take yourself, but since even they are not always available, a good stock image site can be a bloggers best friend. INDIE Business Blog to the rescue, right?! Thanks to my friends over at Fotolia, I have 20 coupon codes for 42 free Fotolia images to give away.

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