10. “Everyone’s doing it!”

Marketing professional understand that no matter how many times our mothers asked “If they all jumped off the cliff, would you jump off the cliff?” it would never be a truly rhetorical question because we would always want to know more about what was at the bottom of the cliff. Consumers know that following the lemmings isn’t a good idea, but they’re always open to a suggestion.

The basic aim of demonstrating consensus is to expose consumers’ insecurities and then work on them. When they’re told that everyone loves a particular song, most consumers will start listening more closely to find what it is that everyone loves. Or they’ll just bluff. When a visiting dignitary is going to be “given a pop star’s welcome”, the crowds at the airport swell with supporters. Or it swells with people hoping to be seen there.

We all like to think of ourselves as discerning and savvy, the average consumer yearns for the approval of their peers. So next time you read or hear a sentence that starts “We all like to think of ourselves as discerning and savvy”, take a moment to ask if you really do or if you’re only agreeing because “everyone” else does.

9. Greed Is Good

Some marketing executives would like to have made a chant of Gordon Gekko’s principle belief that, “Greed is good”. Not only is it the driving force behind their work and the desires of the companies they promote, but it is a terrific tool to turn back on the consumer. It is fanned into flame at the prospect of the common man gaining a little of the “luck” that the rich have had heaped upon them.

Lotteries or gaming machines are the most obvious examples of the “little guy” looking for the life-changing twist of fate. But there are more subtle incidents of the “Greed” phenomenon that hide the distasteful word neatly beneath the gauze of honest “labor”. Consider the opportunity to earn hundreds of dollars without leaving your own home and the perennial story of the mother of four, who has become a property millionaire from her own living room.

The enticement of good money for so little effort that you don’t even have to disturb the impression you have created in the couch, has drawn many consumers into party plans, direct selling and internet trading. Often they don’t even realize that the outlay to get the game started and the pressure to maintain their turnover has actually made them the consumer as much as anyone to whom they sell.

8. Scarcity

There’s an old saying about products that sell quickly, “They’re moving so fast you’d think they were going out of season”. The basis of this idea is that something good is scarce and will soon be gone forever. Consumers then feel that they don’t want to miss out and they’re driven to make a purchase.

The “Scarcity” strategy has two ways of working. The first is the obvious suggestion that the consumer doesn’t want to be caught out without the product that is becoming scarce. Time is running out, there won’t be any after this, time is running out, once these are gone there are no more, time is running out, don’t be the one to miss out. Anxiety turns to panic and the hope is that the consumer will be prepared to make purchases hurriedly to “beat the rush”.

However, the other way that the strategy works is a little more cynical. Everyone loves a bargain and everyone knows that bargains are to be found in the last throes of a business or season. So the suggestion that something is coming to an end arouses the bargain hunter and they start to circle. Some will be prepared to wait it out, but most will charge headlong into a purchase because it’s a “bargain”.

Whether the motivation is to avoid disappointment or to take advantage of someone else’s ill fortune, the use of a suggestion of scarcity is a potent marketing tool.

7. “We Won’t Look If You Want To Advertise For Us”

The principle behind this strategy seems obvious, but it is remarkable how many consumers think that they are the ones benefiting from downloading the image or logo of a company. In actual fact, while the consumer thinks they are “getting away with” using the image without permission, they are becoming an extension of the company’s marketing department.

Everyone from teachers producing worksheets to psychologists exploring the functioning of the human psyche will make use of images and logos of major brands. Most of them will do it with the full knowledge that they should have asked first. Only the foolish companies will try to take action to stop this use.

The preparedness of the company to allow the sharing of their symbols is an interesting game of cat and mouse, where the cat isn’t just watching the mouse; he’s really stopping the mousetrap from closing so the mouse can share the cheese around. His hope is that it will bring more mice to the larder.

6. “Nine Out Of Ten …”

Have you ever wondered which ten dentists they asked to try out the toothpaste? Which miserable old tooth-puller, even after the free lunch and theatre tickets, still said it wasn’t the best? Perhaps all were won over but claiming ten out of ten dentists endorse a product was a little too much of a good thing, so they just made up the one that didn’t like it.

Manipulation of statements by authorities is a tried and true marketing trick. It involves meeting the distrust of the consumer with an endorsement that they are prepared to believe. The expertise of the authority can be debatable, but as long as the consumer can make the connection the trick works.

A single child saying that they like the toothpaste may work on an emotional level, but nine dentists have logic and learning behind them; nine dentists may work at a cognitive level, but a female movie star with a dazzling smile is talking about her livelihood. The movie star works at a personal level.

The authority that supports a product doesn’t have to be as obvious as the American Cancer Society to have clout. Effectively, the authority simply needs to be someone that consumers will trust more than the salesperson.

5. “You Move Me …”

According to psychologists and other experts on memory, it is most effective when the incident, idea or object to be remembered is linked to an emotion. For people who found school difficult a red pen can draw a negative feeling, for the victim of a road accident a certain point on a road can evoke sadness and for consumers a product can evoke feelings of love or happiness.

This association with an emotion is used in marketing to create a positive connection to a product. The simple message is that if you can make them feel something, people will remember the product. The intensity of the feeling will add to the effectiveness of the marketing, so a soft duckling being cuddled gently by a smiling child will make consumers feel safe and cared for when they see a particular brand of toilet paper.

The desire to arouse a response doesn’t have to be positive.  In the seventies there was an advertising campaign that screeched the catch-phrase “Where did you get it?” It was accepted as the most annoying sound on television, but the marketers had done their job because, even though the advertisement made people cringe, almost everyone knew the supermarket chain to which it was attached.

The claim is often made that any publicity is good publicity and a similar tenet holds for emotions; any emotional response is a good response.

4. “Who Says We’re Scared of Commitment?”

Recently a financial advisor went to some lengths to organize a life insurance assessment for his customers, a husband and wife. The assessment hit a minor snag and the couple decided not to pursue the idea. But when the next bank statement came they had been charged a month’s premium. They raised this with the financial advisor who was astonished by their insistence that the assessment was not a commitment to buy.

The marketing trick in play here was that of commitment. Once the financial advisor had gained the commitment of the couple to undergo the assessment, he assumed they were committing to the purchase. This case, sadly, is the exception rather than the rule. Most consumers will accept that they have made a commitment once they have accepted some form of service from the vendor.

It was once said that if a car salesman could talk a customer into taking a car for a test drive, the job was done. Once a consumer has taken the liberty of driving the car, the weight of commitment would tilt the scales to the side of the salesman. While consumers may have no formal, legal or even ethical obligation, the deep seated sense of responsibility to fulfill a commitment will often be enough to make the sale.

3. “Surprise Me”

Laughter may be the best medicine, but it is also a terrific marketing tool. When people laugh endorphins are sent to work, the muscles used to frown are relaxed and, often, the experience is shared. The audience feels good and makes a small subconscious link between product and the feeling.

Most humor is based on the unexpected nature of an event or comment. The simplest joke works by twisting our expectations through a play on words or an unbelievable circumstance or both. An empty bottle walks into a bar and the barman says, “Weren’t you drunk in here last night?” For the sake of the joke the audience will let the bottle walk and groan at the pun of the punch-line; all it needs is a brand name for the bottle and the joke becomes a successful marketing trick.

As well as attaching a very pleasant emotion to the product, the joke often provides the basis for conversation about it. At its best, this can send the tag to the product into common usage and every time the tag is acknowledged the marketing tool is active again.

2. “You scratch my …”

A certain charity regularly sends out free gifts to everyone on its mailing list. They are not shoddy or useless items, but they are cheap to produce and easy to post; tastefully decorated return address stickers for the backs of envelopes, pretty labels for Christmas presents and simple “Thinking of You” cards that are blank inside, ready to be addressed to someone who needs a lift.

In many ways these gifts are not only practical, but they allow the receiver to enjoy the thought of sharing their warmth with others through letters, gifts or kind thoughts. What is more encouraging is the fact that they are genuinely free. No transaction occurs to make the receiver eligible; they simply need to have made it on to a mailing list.

But, naturally, the grateful receiver feels obliged to “reciprocate” the charity’s generosity and will probably send a small donation in reply. The reciprocation is never requested and this makes it even more effective and satisfying. The success of reciprocity as a marketing tool is in the establishment of a relationship that reeks of generosity. Eventually that generosity will be repaid in a purchase, donation or booking.

1. “Let’s Call It Marketing Day!”

One of the most cynical of marketing ploys is only effective on a large scale and with plenty of support. It is to pick a day when there seems to be a lull in the marketing world and create a holiday. It doesn’t matter what the fact is about the day, as long as it doesn’t interfere with other “recognized” holidays its fair game.

Father’s Day was established as a remembrance for the loss of a large proportion of a town’s fathers in a mining accident in Fairmont, West Virginia. But once the Greeting Card companies discovered the market, the day became an international feature of the calendar.

Mother’s Day had a series of starting points, but was eventually recognized as a holiday in 1914. It didn’t take six years for its founder to be saddened by the commercialism that took hold of the concept.

There are many aspects of life that deserve recognition including, Mothers, Fathers and Romance. But one only has to look at the financial windfall retailers enjoy when celebrating the day before All Saints Day, Halloween, to realize that the creation of such festivities is more of a marketing strategy than a genuine celebration. The use of these days to create obligation and guilt must be the Number One marketing trick in play.

Credit unions can be chartered under state or federal law. Some credit unions are chartered under both. The National Credit Union Administration currently oversees and charters all credit unions both state and federal.

Credit unions have become a major force in the economy. Credit unions have approximately 100 million members and employ nearly 300,000 employees that manage assets of over $900 billion. Read on to find out more about the top ten federal credit unions in the United States.

10. American Airlines Federal Credit Union

American Airlines Federal Credit Union was founded by a small contingent of American Airlines employees in 1936. The founding member’s vision was to create a member owned institution where fellow employees could help each other.

Today AA Credit Union has grown to become one of the largest federal credit unions in the country managing assets of over $5 billion. The credit union has a net worth of $526 million and over 225,000 members.

The credit union has expanded to include all airline employee and government employees. The relationship with American Airlines remains strong but the performance of the credit union is not tied to the fiscal health or profitability of the airline.

American Airlines Federal Credit Union offers a wide spectrum of financial services such as checking, savings, new and used vehicle loans, home loans, and credit cards.

The organization has more than 40 branches throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. They also offer online banking for customer convenience. Online banking services include free online bill pay and transfers.

9. Security Service Federal Credit Union

Security Service was founded in 1956 with a total of eight members and $25 in deposits. The original membership qualifier was being a member or family member of someone in the United States Air Force Security Service.

Today the credit union offers over 2000 different ways to qualify. Security Service currently has over 825,000 members and 70 locations throughout the United States making it the eighth largest credit union in the world and largest in Texas.

Security Service offers certificates of deposit, credit and debit cards, investment vehicles and insurance, online banking, home loans, business banking, and special events for members. The organization is led by Chief Executive Officer and President David E. Reynolds. SSFCU was chosen as the Federal Credit Union of the Year in 1999.

8. Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union

Suncoast was chartered January 31, 1994 under the name Hillsborough County Teachers Credit Union. Today they are one of the top ten largest federal credit unions in the United States and serve over half a million members in 15 different Florida counties.

As of March 31, 2011 the total assets of the credit union was over $5 billion. The organization also has loans in the amount of $3.8 billion and membership equity of $286 million.

Suncoast offers a wide range of financial products and services to its members such as mortgages, savings and checking accounts, vehicle loans, credit cards, student loans, investment accounts, health savings accounts, small business accounts and more. Membership is open to virtually anyone and not limited to teachers.

From its humble beginnings Suncoast has excellent educational products and services for children and teens that promote healthy financial habits. Children and teens can open checking accounts under the supervision of their parents or guardians. There are always kid’s contests and giveaways happening that promote financial literacy.

7. Digital Federal Credit Union

Digital Federal is based in Marlborough, Massachusetts and features a membership base of over 350,000 members. DCU as it is commonly referred to, has 20 branches in Massachusetts and New Hampshire but has members that live in all 50 states. DCU was chartered in 1979 for the employees of Digital Equipment Corporation.

Digital offers members all of the great services that the largest for-profit banks for less. One of the main advantages of federal credit unions are they can do business for less and pass the savings onto their members.

DCU provides savings accounts, checking accounts, CD’s, retirement accounts, and a long list of consumer loans. The credit union’s main goal is to help all of their members reach their individual financial goals. They do this by operating under the company principles of putting people first, doing the right thing, and making a difference.

To help educate consumers the credit union adopted the financial education program StreetWise in 2001. Members learn about identity protection, credit reporting, home buying, and how financial products operate. DCU has adapted this program for teens and teaches these skills in local high schools.

6. Kinecta Federal Credit Union

Kinecta Federal Credit Union has blossomed into one of the country’s largest credit unions with over 225,000 members and $3.5 billion in assets. The idea for the credit union came about because Hughes Aircraft employees had to drive through the busy California traffic on their lunch time to handle the financial business.

Lou Merandi, the credit union founder and former aircraft tool designer simply went into the office of the Hughes Aircraft president and told him of the problem and asked if they could organize a credit union. Hughes replied with a simple yes and asked that things be run with integrity.

Kinecta changed its name from Hughes Aircraft Employees Federal Credit Union in 2001 to reflect its broader membership base. Membership is open to any immediate family member of an existing member, anyone who works for their list of preferred employers, and anyone who lives, worships, works or attends school is certain Southern California counties.

5. Alaska USA Federal Credit Union

Alaska USA was founded in 1948 before Alaska had achieved statehood. Membership was exclusively for federal personnel who had been transferred to the area. A group of 15 people were responsible for starting the credit union. Today the credit union has over 400,000 members with branch locations in Alaska, California and Washington State. Alaska USA Federal has assets totaling more than $4 billion dollars. There are 60 full service branches most of which are open seven days a week for customer convenience.

The credit union offers exceptional financial products and services to its members including interest bearing checking and savings accounts, consumer, business and personal loans, a wide variety of mortgage products, home, auto and life insurance, and credit cards.

The online banking portion of their website features encrypted SSL security that safely allows members to conduct banking online. They also have a mobile app that works with most internet capable cell phones and PDA’s. The mobile app is free to download and use. Features include bill pay, credit card payment capability, ATM and branch location, balance inquires, and money transfers.

4. Pentagon Federal Credit Union

Pentagon Federal Credit Union is one of the largest credit unions in the United States with over one million members worldwide. It currently serves employees and family members in all branches of the military, Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and defense related organizations.

PenFed offer their members with an array of services such as:

• High interest-bearing checking and savings accounts
• Some of the lowest auto loan rates in the United States as low as 2.49%
• No-fee ATM machines with a network of over 32,000 nationwide locations (All-Point Network)
• Online banking featuring bill pay
• Financial resource center
• Insurance
• Student loans

PenFed was founded in 1935 and has grown into one of the strongest financial institutions in the world with assets totaling over $15 billion. Each member is also a partial owner of the credit union which has instilled a sense of pride and community among its owners. The board of directors is comprised by volunteer members that are lead by Chairman James F. Quinn.

PenFed does a great deal to reach out to armed forces members and their families. The Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation was founded in 2001 as a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization. The foundation provides monetary support and personal money management counseling and tools.

3. America First Federal Credit Union

America First Federal was founded in Utah by 59 people. Legend has it that a tobacco can was big enough to fit all of their finances. The organization was founded in 1939 in Salt Lake City. The credit union moved to Ogden in 1947 but would not hire its first employee until 1954. That first employee worked as the credit union manager and treasurer – a rare combination in today’s world.

America First Federal is regulated by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). The credit union’s leadership board is comprised of volunteers that are elected to three-year terms. The current chairman is James Wendler. The Chief Executive Officer is Rick Craig.

America First has grown from its tobacco can beginnings to become the 11th largest credit union with the 6th largest membership base in the entire country serving people from all 50 states and around the world. All member finances are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Federal Government up to $250,000.

Most people fit the criteria to join America First. Their website has a full list of the eligibility requirements. Services include several checking and savings account types, money market accounts, loans, education savings plans, insurance and investing products, online banking and a network of 28,000 no-fee ATM machines.

2. Desert Schools Federal Credit Union

Desert Schools Federal Credit Union is a federally chartered credit union founded in 1939. The organization is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona and has over 50 branch locations throughout Central Arizona. Desert Schools is the largest credit union in the state and one of the largest in the United States with an impressive membership base of nearly 400,000.

The organization began with a group of 15 teachers who wanted to create an organization that would help people meet and exceed their financial goals. The first member was teacher Jewell Mitchell. Within six months the total assets grew to nearly $1,000 and membership reached 54 people.

Desert Schools is lead by their guiding principles that employees refer to as “The Big Four.” These core values are as follows:

• Build valuable member relationships by providing solutions
• Create a fun environment that fosters employee satisfaction
• Be positive force in the community by getting involved and making a difference
• Achieve solid financial growth through sound financial decision making

The credit union offers great financial services and products common throughout the credit union industry including low interest loans, interest-bearing checking and savings accounts, business solutions, and safe online banking.

The credit union is lead by nine appointed members who serve three-year terms. All board members are volunteers that are overseen by a supervisory committee. Board members set policies and work together with management and the supervisory committee to make the credit union better. Each of the nearly 400,000 members has equal voting power to elect board members.

1. Navy Federal Credit Union

Navy Federal Credit Union is the largest credit union in the world in terms of assets and membership base. As of the first quarter of 2011 Navy Federal Credit Union had over $44 billion in assets, $32.7 billion in member savings, $30.5 billion in outstanding loans, $4 billion in reserves, and a membership base of 3.6 million people.

The credit union is not only known for its sheer size and economic influence but it also serves as one of the best companies to work for in the United States. Fortune named Navy Federal one of the top 100 companies to work for in 2008.

The organization was founded in 1933 with membership open to Navy employees who were members of the Federal Employees Union. The original credit union was dissolved in 1947 and became a federal credit union. Membership is now open to Navy contractors which resulted in the large membership increase.

Navy Federal has several services including online and mobile banking that allows members to conduct transactions from their smart phones.

Some of the first online banks started to pop up around the year 2000. Most were laden with ridiculously high fees, low interest rates, and poor service. Perhaps the biggest stumbling block was that people were used to walking into a traditional bank and conducting their financial transactions in person.

Online security was, and still is, a major concern for people. But research shows that online banking is actually safer because all of the transactions online are encrypted. Many people think that identity theft is perpetrated by some genius super-hacker when in fact the most common way for thieves to get your information is old-fashioned dumpster diving.

Online banking has improved greatly since its inception. Banks and customers finally seem comfortable with it. Statistics show that approximately 75% of homes with internet access bank online. Read on to find out which online banks are rated best.

10. Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the big banks that rates high in online banking and customer satisfaction. Their online banking system is intuitive to most people, even computer novices. One advantage of choosing a large national bank is the huge network of chains and ATM machines.

They offer free online management software called Bank of America My Portfolio that can be accessed from any computer with an internet connection. This feature allows people to bill pay online, order checks, transfer funds between accounts, and sign up for email and text alerts.

All of their transactions are encrypted and they have a zero liability guarantee that provides peace of mind for fraudulent transactions. Unlike other banks they require no minimum balance or special requirements.

Bank of America also has a mobile banking app for mobile devices such as iPhone and iPad. The application is free to use and download and is only 2 MB. People can conduct the same banking functions that are available on the website plus locate branches and ATM machines.

9. Wells Fargo

Here’s another big bank that has cracked the top ten. Wells Fargo is one of the largest financial institutions in the world. They do it all from personal banking, home loans, insurance and more. Wells is #1 in the United States in banking locations and mortgage lending. They have assets totaling $1.3 trillion and nearly 300,000 employees that serve 70 million customers.

Wells Fargo online banking is quite extensive because of its options and tools. Some of the free online tools for customers include their online financial planning tools My Money Map, Budget Watch, and My Spending Report. Wells offers online features such as bill pay, transfers, a mobile banking application and text banking. People can also set up customized text and email alerts to go directly to their phone or computer.

One unique feature is the vSafe online storage where customers can safely back up and store important messages, financial files, and data. Statements can automatically be archived which cuts down on paper waste and record keeping at home. The only drawback is that the service comes with a monthly fee.

Wells offers a 100% guarantee where customers can get all of their money back should unauthorized charges show up on their account.

8. Chase

Chase certainly lives up to their online banking slogan of “More ways to bank whenever, wherever.” Their website is very well organized and clean. Most online banking websites are too full of clutter and can be overwhelming. Their online banking feature includes an on-time guarantee that your bills will be paid when they are due.

Chase has an app that can be downloaded for free on Androids and iPhones. Their texting application is interactive allowing you to text them regarding balance inquiries and due dates and you’ll receive a text back within seconds.

One of the cool mobile banking features is their QuickDeposit that allows you to deposit a check into your account right from your phone. All you have to do is take a picture of the front and back of your signed check and send using the mobile app and it will be deposited into your account. This is a great feature because it allows you to skip the long lines at the drive thru and get money into your account faster.

Chase also has a person-to-person pay system called QuickPay. Chase customers are able to send money to anyone with an email address even if they are not Chase customers. It’s completely safe and no account information is needed by either party to complete the transaction.

7. PNC Bank

You may not have heard of PNC but it has been around since the 1850’s. It was first established as Pittsburgh Trust and Savings. Today it is a Fortune 200 Company that was named “Best Bank” by The Banker Magazine in 2010.

PNC calls their online banking “Virtual Wallet” which is a combination of a checking account, savings account, and a reserve account that keeps money in it in case of overdraft. PNC virtual wallet is free of charge to sign up for and only costs $25 which is deposited into your checking account.

Everyone hates paying those annoying ATM fees and PNC knows it. If you keep at least $2,000 in all of your combined accounts PNC will reimburse 100% of your ATMS fees. They understand how ridiculous it is to have to pay a fee to get access to your own money. This applies to ATM machines outside of their network of 4,000 ATMs.

Their mobile banking app is available for free download on all smart phones. Features include balance review, free bill pay, money transfer, and text/email alerts. You can also send money to people using their email address. PNC virtual wallet is also configured to work seamlessly with Quicken and QuickBooks. Financial records can be imported to Quicken or exported from Quicken to PNC.

6. Citibank

Citibank claims to offer “award-winning online banking” although by whom and when they received the award seems to be a mystery. Nevertheless the financial services company offers some outstanding online banking features. Citi offers the standard online features such as free online bill pay, mobile phone banking, text banking, online statements and check images, transfers and fraud protection.

Citi also does a good job of encouraging people to save their money by offering an online service that allows you to set up a recurring savings plan that automatically transfers money from your checking account into your savings account.

One of the advantages of using a large financial services institution such as Citi is the ability to link all of your accounts using their online banking and mobile apps. Customers can link their checking, savings, home mortgage loan, equity loan, and credit cards with the click of a button. This feature allows people who have Citibank credit cards to link their checking account and pay their bill with a single click. You can also track your rewards points you’ve earned by making credit card purchases.

5. First National Bank of Omaha

FNBO started out as a local bank that served the Omaha, Nebraska community. The first branch opened in 1857. First National has grown into a financial services company with over $17 billion in managed assets and 5,000 employees that serve nearly 7 million customers.

If you’re an online shopper then First National Bank of Omaha is one you’ll want to check out. They have the same features such as free bill pay, money transfers, linking of accounts, and text banking as the big banks, but where they shine are their MyDeals and First Shop programs.

MyDeals allows customers who use their FNBO debit and credit cards to get automatic discounts when they shop online using of the banks partners. The partner list is very extensive and includes large national retailers from all sectors of the economy. The savings show up on your statement and there is no coupon cutting and clipping.

First Shop is a similar program but is run by a third-party provider. Customers who use one of the merchants automatically receive up to 15% off of goods and services. Stores include Home Depot, Old Navy, Barnes and Noble and Office Depot.

4. E-Trade

E-Trade offers online banking services that are simple, effective and forward thinking. E-Trade is known mainly for its equity trading programs but has made a good name for itself in the personal banking world by offering fast service and some of the highest interest-bearing checking and savings accounts in the country.

Their free Quick Transfer program allows customers to move money back and forth from their E-Trade accounts to any other financial institution with just a few clicks. They also reimburse all ATM fees when you use a cash machine outside of their vast network.

3. Ally Bank

Ally Bank is not new to the banking industry as many people think. It started out as GMAC, but renamed itself in 2010. Money Magazine named their online savings account the best in the nation because of its zero minimum balance requirement, 1% APY interest rate, daily compounding of interest for maximum earning, and no fees.

Ally keeps its costs down because they have no physical branches. This is uncomfortable for some people, but if you want a 100% online bank this is a great choice. Your money is still FDIC insured just like the other banks.

Their online checking accounts come with free online banking and free bill pay. You’ll get unlimited check writing and a free debit card. You also will never pay an ATM fee at any ATM machine. The savings they experience because of no overhead are passed down to the customer in the form of higher interest rates.

2. HSBC Direct

HSBC prides itself as being the world’s local bank. What sets them apart is their customer service. They offer the same online banking features that are industry standard but they treat their customers like royalty. You’ll still get free bill pay, encrypted and secure internet banking transactions, and the ability to do the same things online as you would in a branch.

Since HSBC offers a myriad of financial services you can link all of your accounts together into one interface for easy money management and online banking. With their $0 liability guarantee you’ll never have to be responsible for unauthorized purchases.

1. ING Direct

ING has been a pioneer in the online banking industry. They were one of the first companies to do banking completely over the internet and have offered their checking, savings, and money market accounts online for years. They have very loyal customers and have somewhat of a cult following, which is a huge feat for a bank.

They offer higher rates than the competition on their savings and checking accounts. For example, and Electric Orange online checking account earns 1.15% interest. They don’t have traditional branches they have ING Cafes that are actual coffee shops with free internet. They offer free money management seminars and other fun and informative events.

ING has free money management tools and online bill pay, free ATM usage, kid’s savings accounts, person to person payments, and customer service second to none. One of the great aspects of their bank is they charge virtually no fees for an overdraft on an account. While most banks charge $30 for overdrafts ING Direct charges a measly 20 cents.

Their mobile app works for iPhones, iPads, Black Berries and Android phones. The app also lets you find the nearest café and ATM machine. All deposits are FDIC insured up to $100,000. The free app is like having a bank branch in your pocket.

ING Direct continues to be on the cutting edge of online and mobile banking with a flair for doing things different and customer focused.

People will generally do anything to make a buck, but when it goes towards helping your fellow man, the crazy things we do just might be justified. Here is the Top 10 oddest, but sometimes effective means money has been made for causes worthy of it.

10. Bras/Panties/Underwear for Charity

Relatively common in media-centric cities is the practice of auctioning off one’s unmentionables so that the sale money can go towards philanthropy. Celebrities such as Lost’s Evangeline Lilly have done this, and while most people who donate don’t disclose whether they’ve actually worn the auctioned item, there are undoubtedly many people who would pay a healthy sum just to hold a pair of panties that Evangeline Lilly even touched.

9. Joe the Plumber’s “Secure Our Dream”

Anyone who paid attention to the 2008 American presidential elections knows who Joe Wurzelbacher, AKA “Joe the Plumber” is, but some may not know that this convenient pal of John McCain has started his own charity since the election ended. What some also don’t know is exactly what Joe the Plumber’s “Secure Our Dream” actually does, and as Joe told the Toledo Blade the purpose of his charity was “for all sorts of charities and causes for fellow Americans,” Joe may not know, either. The Secure Our Dream website at secureourdream.org is filled with opportunities to read on Joe’s public appearances, understand some of his political views, and buy his newest book. Still not too much mention of what his charity does, though.

8. ISPCA Dog Sledding

The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has decided to take a slightly uncouth approach to raising money for its pro-animal cause: allowing dogs to be whipped and run to the point of exhaustion in the freezing Norway weather by hosting a 60km dog sledding race scheduled to take place in 2010. The Alliance of Animal Rights as well as several online animal rights groups have responded in near outrage to the race while those who defend the ISCPA’s stance point out that dog sledding does not constitute animal abuse. Animalperson.com may’ve had the best opinion on the situation when one of their representatives stated “If you want to help huskies, and I assume the Irish SPCA does, adopt one from a shelter, give him a loving home and plenty of stimulation and opportunities to exercise. Using a dog for your own gain–or to raise money for other dogs–is bizarre conceptually.”

7. Welfare Group Disabled and Sexuality

Why just rouse the spirits of the physically disabled when you can rouse…other things. The Swedish-based Welfare Group Disabled and Sexuality, also known as FAB in Swedish, arranges services such as “erotic massage” for the physically disabled for the around 65 Swedish dollars. FAB became noteworthy in 2006 when they decided to expand their services by providing full intercourse. The Swedish government doesn’t just allow this charity to exist, the majority of FABS funding comes from a Swedish government grant in addition to charity donations.

Even FAB’s critics are hard-pressed to find an argument against this form of prostitution, as psychologist Peter Wehrli told a Swiss online publication “I have nothing against prostitution as long as it is between two consenting adults.”

6. Eddie’s Kids

As stated on eddiekids.org, Eddie’s Kids is a “charitable trust that gives kids the opportunity to connect with their families and take part in something as exciting as live sports events.” Through ticket and cash donations, Eddie’s Kids is able to reward academically and civically responsible children with a single remarkable night at fantastic sporting event, sometimes the sporting event of their choice. What’s so bizarre about this?

The founder of Eddie’s Kids, Eddie Wedelstedt, is also one of the top producers of pornography films in the US.

For obvious reasons, there isn’t too much mentioned about Wedelstedt’s occupation on his website, but Wedelstedt and his company Goalie Entertainment were indicted in 2005 on obscenity charges and tax evasion. However, no charges of fraud were ever placed against the Eddie’s Kids charity and it is still endorsed by both athletes and Colorado law enforcement.

5. Business Executives for National Security

This couldn’t possibly be a way subtle way of soliciting the American top 5% for military and intelligence dollars. “BENS members use their business experience to drive our agenda, deliver our message to decision makers, and make certain that the changes we propose are put into practice. BENS has only one special interest: to help make America safe and secure.”

It’s hard not to consider BENS a special interest group given the basis of some of their events. Some of the BENS-sponsored events include dinners with senators and other politicians as well as tours of prominent government locales, such as the Department of Homeland Security’s headquarters. BENS unquestionably provides a valuable service to national security as they’ve been associated with disaster assistance, prevention of cyber crime, and helping wounded Iraq/Afghanistan veterans transition to civilian life. Why not petition the wealthy for the money; they can donate more, and there is no human venture more expensive than war.

4. Marijuana Policy Project Foundation

If there was ever a charity that you WOULDN’T want to claim on your taxes, this would probably be the one. The MPP is a well-funded though non-profit organization that among many things, seeks to provide the public facts about marijuana rather than PSA-propagated myths, lobbying for legislation protecting the right to use medicinal marijuana, and “lobbying Congress to reduce the White House drug czar’s budget for his deceptive ad campaigns.”

The MPP is possibly the best-known of all the charities on this list, as celebrities such as Montel Williams, Kurt Loder, Michelle Phillips, and John Stossel have publically supported and funded MPP’s cause. The Marijuana Policy Project Foundation also stays rather active, having led the charge to decriminalize marijuana in Nevada on at least three different occasions through 2002 and 2008, with another planned petition in 2010.

One wagers that MPP has a very interesting lab research team.

3. The Naked Clowns

The dress code of these multiple sclerosis research fundraisers has been very lax; the hosts have taken to wearing birthday suits. With a goal of raising $1,000,000 for donation to the cause of finding a cure for MS, the Naked Clowns have been performing across America from 2008-2009, and for each member of the Naked Clowns troupe, the disease of multiple sclerosis hits home because of one common link: their beloved role model.

Throughout the 1960’s and 1980’s Judy Finelli established herself as a masterful juggler and performer, making appearances everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Sesame Street. In 1984, Judy Finelli founded the prominent San Francisco School for Circus Arts, which is currently one of the best schools for aspiring young circus performers besides Ringling Brother’s own “Clown College”. Ms. Finelli was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1989, and by 2004 she became quadriplegic. The 2008 graduates of the Clown Conservatory formed the Naked Clowns, jovially intent on donating 100% of the proceeds from their performances and the Naked Clowns calendar to the Judy Finelli Fund.

Despite the attire of the Naked Clowns during their performances, the shows themselves are completely harmless and enjoyable for all ages. The Naked Clowns take great efforts to ensure that neither their calendars nor their performances contain any instances of real nudity, and the shows are of a nature one would find in any circus or clown street show. Overall, the Naked Clowns seem to have mixed their inherent need of expression with marketing, the result being a virtuous cause to put an end to one of the world’s worst diseases.

Recently, the Naked Clowns began “the Naked Dream” program, which every month will award a cash grant to a single MS-afflicted child that wishes to pursue any given dream. This enterprise seems to be expanding quite a bit, as the Naked Clowns appear to have a booked performance calendar through 2009 and have even performed in New York’s Time Square.

Bizarre, but brilliant.

2. The Institute of Noetic Sciences

I wasn’t quite sure what ‘Noetic Sciences’ meant when I heard of it, either. The IONS motto is “Advancing the science of consciousness and human experience,” which at first sounds somewhat legitimate, until one takes a closer look at a line in their mission statement which states: “IONS explores phenomena that do not necessarily fit conventional scientific models, while maintaining a commitment to scientific rigor.” That’s a little broad, no?

The Institute of Noetic Sciences is located in Southern California, and if their general setup is any indication, they’ve been successful in raising money thus far. The IONS headquarters has an area that is used as a retreat, and also grants tours to people interested in seeing the compound. They also hold events where instructors teach some very useful things, such as meditation, how to participate in global philanthropy, and yoga for pregnant women. However, some of the classes offered by IONS would definitely qualify as odd, such as teaching people to understand the thoughts and behaviors of extraterrestrials, and one class called “The Mystery School”. What the Mystery School is was not readily available; obviously it wouldn’t be a mystery then. IONS website, located at http://www.noetic.org/, has no shortage of information and even “psi games” where you can literally put your psychic skills to the test.

IONS also runs the publication Shift Magazine, which further aids IONS enthusiasts in exploring the three principles of which IONS is founded upon: investigating consciousness and Healing, emerging world views, and extended human capacities. At first glance, IONS may seem like a cult, but the sincerity of the organization and its desire to find the “gray area” in our black and white world makes IONS quite an interesting an advantageous charity.

Unfortunately, The Institute of Noetic Sciences may not have as much substance as it does style; it was rated with a “one-star” on charitynavigator.org.

1. The Chilean Charity Prostitute

This 2007 event was as strange as it sounds, was absolutely real, and I can’t make any jokes about it that haven’t been made already. High class Chilean escort Maria Carolina, poised to donate to the cause of handicapped children, claimed she would accept 27 hours worth of sex for which she’d donate the proceeds. “”I am going to contribute with my work to a purpose that touches me deeply,” as she was quoted from an online publication that later described her as “spreading her message.”

Is that what the kids are calling it now?

Reuters reported that while the campaign organizer initially refused to be a part of Ms. Carolina’s auction in any way or accept the money, he later said that his organization did not encourage “immoral” activity, but they would accept Ms. Carolina’s money. Smart man.

Ms. Carolina proceeded to auction her 27 hour love-fest in media outlets and the internet, especially her own website of http://mariacarolina.com, to which there were many respondents but one person quickly won the auction with a bid of $4,000. Ms. Carolina soon defended her position when she told Reuters “”There are people who are going to be donating money that’s a lot more questionable than mine, the only thing I did was publicize it.”

Before you think it was a scam, it wasn’t. Ms. Carolina donated every cent of her day’s work to the Teleton charity, which heartily thanked her. In addition to becoming an internet celebrity due to her efforts, she also brought attention to the charity to which she was donating to. While Ms. Carolina has not auctioned off her services for charity since 2007, she continues to operate out of Chile and through her website.

Ms. Carolina’s fundraising technique was unsavory to say the least, but she remained honest and raised a great deal of money for a worthy cause doing the thing she was best at. To that end, Ms. Carolina’s charity may’ve been bizarre, but Ms. Carolina herself did quite the amazing deed that few others are willing to do. Ms. Carolina is the living “prostitute with a heart of gold” through making Chilean handicapped children (and one lucky Chilean man) smile.

Toast to to Maria Carolina, the woman that gave the gift that keeps on giving.

Hope.

Unfortunately, something’s got to give. When you’ve got a limited income, and there are essentials like rent, or a mortgage, food and schooling, among other expenses to cover, sometimes, that give has to be in other bills. The choice is difficult for most, but when it comes down to it, survival comes first, and if it’s a choice between putting food on the table, and paying your store card, we all know what the result will be.

Most people don’t want to default on debt. They intend to pay their bills, and of course, having a good credit rating is very important to most of us, so we all try to pay our bills on time, but, when things get so bad that you just can’t do it anymore, when financial worries are mounting, the last thing you want is to be harassed on top of it all. You might have to move for some reason, or you might have lost your job. Escaping the harassment, and having time to regroup leads many people to avoid their creditors, to preserve their sanity.

This means that debt collectors are busier than ever. They’re hot on the trail of millions of defaulters all over the world, and because they are who they are, and they do what they do, they don’t actually care what your situation is. They get paid when you pay, so even though there are some tight controls on the debt collecting industry, many resort to illegal tricks to get their clients money out of you.

Here are a few of the sneakier tricks they may try on you to do just that.

10. Harass Your Family and Friends

Usually, when you sign a credit agreement, you’re asked to provide the details of at least one member of your family, who does not live with you.

If you default on payments, and if you cannot be reached, because you’ve moved, or for any other reason, debt collectors may decide to begin harassing those family members, in the hopes that they will reveal details about you that will help them track you down and claim money or goods from you. If you don’t want to be found for one reason or another, be aware of this, and take the necessary precautions, advising family and friends not to provide any personal information to anyone who calls them without first checking with you.

Make sure your family is aware of the tactics listed in this article, and if anything suspicious happens, have them get the details of the person calling them. Remember, debt collectors will use the same wearing down tactics on your loved ones, calling them at work, keeping them out of their job, emailing them or interrupting their dinner to try and find you, and collect their client’s money.

Of course, a good idea for your loved ones would be to calmly tell them that they have no idea where you are, but that if they continue to be harassed, they will press charges. They don’t have to talk to these people, or endure their harassment.

9. Go After Your Kids

It sounds terrible, but one of the easiest ways to find someone who does not want to be found is to find out where their kids are in school.

Once they’ve discovered where your kids are in school, these debt collectors may attempt to extract information from your kids, about where you live, work and so on. The younger your kids are, the more likely they are to innocently answer questions from a nice man or lady that talks to them.

Your kids should not be speaking to strangers anyway, but reinforce the idea that if anyone asks about mom or dad, they should refuse to answer, or say they don’t know. Better yet, make sure that your kids don’t wait around for you after school, giving these vultures the opportunity to extort information out of them.

8. Threaten to Tell Your Boss / Co-workers / The Public

When it comes to dirty laundry, or skeletons in the closet, financial trouble ranks pretty high on most people’s list. For some reason, we don’t want anyone to know when we’re having money trouble. We’ll blithely accept the airing of many other private matters, but keeping up appearances is important to most of us.

Debt collectors may exploit this desire for financial privacy by threatening to reveal details of your debt publicly. The truth is though that this is illegal, and, aside from enforcing a court debt collection order by garnishing your salary, in which case they would have to contact your employer, these companies are not allowed to provide any personal financial information to anyone, and certainly not publicly!

If anyone threatens to publicize your financial situation, inform them that you will refer the matter to your attorney, and will seek advice regarding defamation charges.

7. Pose as Medical Professionals

One way or another, debt collectors sometimes manage to access your medical records, usually by committing fraud, and lying to your doctor or hospital to access your history.

Oftentimes, they will use this information as a means to extract information from you, or your loved ones. For instance, if you had recently had a baby, they may find out which hospital you delivered in. They would then call you, or your family or friends, claiming to be from the hospital, and asking for your details.

This approach tends to work well for debt collectors, since they can claim, when speaking to your family or friends, that they cannot reveal the reason. Your loved ones are also likely to be more concerned, and reveal information they would not normally.

Our advice? Avoid the issue, then call the hospital or doctor in question yourself to find out if there is anything to any calls relating to medical issues that you get.

6. Claim You Are Owed Money

Another classic trick of debt collectors is to pose as someone from a company or organization that owes you money. We all love the idea of getting money we aren’t expecting, so this might make you excited, and cause you to divulge details you would not ordinarily.

They may call you up stating that XYZ corporation owes you money, or even that you have won a contest, and request your address and details to send you a check. Of course, that check will never come, and once you’ve given them your details, they will turn up on your doorstep shortly thereafter.

Again, the best advice is to find out where they claim to be calling from, check that the company really exists, and then call them independently.

5. Find You Online

There’s no denying the internet is a great resource (you found this list didn’t you) but people have been lulled into a false sense of security online, and will blithely reveal details they would never give out in real life in chat rooms or social networks.

Be wary of where you post your personal details, and make sure your Facebook and MySpace pages are set to private, and that only people you know can view your information. Even better, never include your address or phone number on those types of pages, and set up a separate email account.

If you sign up for any online offers or give your details to any sites, make sure they will be secure, and not divulged to anyone else, or avoid it altogether. It’s becoming easier and easier to find people thanks to the internet, and that one online offer could lead you to a world of trouble. No one likes having debt collectors on their doorstep every day, but that may be just what could happen if you’re free and easy with your information online.

4. Wear You Down Over Time

Ever wondered why debt collectors spend so much time and money calling and harassing you? Every day, maybe even several times a day, they will call you up to demand money.

What they’re really doing is trying to wear you down, in the hopes that you’ll get so sick of their calls, that you will ignore your budget, and pay them money that is allocated to more important expenses to them, to get them off your back.

After a while, of explaining your situation, trying to reason with them, or explaining that you cannot talk because you are at work, or trying to feed your kids, or whatever else, only to be ignored, you will probably get tired of the harassment. Unfortunately, your only choice here is to change your number. Debt collectors do not give up!

3. Use Guilt

Debt collectors know that most people really do intend to pay the money they owe back. That they would be paying if they had the spare cash to do so.

A common tactic therefore is to use your own guilt at being a bad payer to prompt you to repay the money you owe their client. They may be nice about it, or accusatory, but the desired result is the same – to break you down, make you feel guilty enough to take the money out of your budget to pay them, to the detriment of your own well being.

Remember the bottom line though – pay what you can afford, but make sure that your family’s needs are met first. Don’t let guilt trips make you sacrifice their well being for the benefit of a large corporation.

2. Lie

Debt collectors will lie to you, they will lie to your family, and they may even call utility companies to find out if you have municipal accounts to find you. They will lie to your cell phone company, your kids’ school, and anybody else in order to find you, and get the money you owe their client.

Of course, doing just that is their job, and they don’t get paid unless you pay, so you sort of have to understand why they do it. However, using lies to collect money owing to a company is illegal, and the debt collector, and the company they work for, as well as their client, can get in a lot of trouble for this sort of behavior.

If you speak to someone you suspect may be a debt collector, and they use any of the tactics we’ve described in this list, try to get their details, name, company and so on. You can report them for their behavior, and hopefully save someone else from this kind of persecution.

1. Convince You to Sign an Acknowledgement of Debt

For one reason or another, there may be some aspect of your credit agreement that makes its ability to stand up in a court situation dubious. In cases like these, debt collectors may try to have you sign an acknowledgement of debt.

What usually happens is that a nice representative of the company turns up on your doorstep, commiserates with you, sympathizes with your situation, and tells you that they understand. They’ll probably tell you that they understand your position, and that you don’t have to pay anything at the moment, but ask that you sign an acknowledgment of debt. They may just ask you to sign without showing you what it is that you are approving.

Once you’ve done that though, you’ve taken away any legal loophole or standing you may have had in court. In fact, you may have agreed to repay the full amount, plus charges, in a lump sum.

Bottom line? Debt collectors don’t want to help you. They want your money. Never, ever sign anything that a debt collector brings to you, without first seeking legal advice.

Advertising icons are the cartoons, animals, or inanimate objects that are the faces of brands. They sell their company’s products and, sometimes, provide a good deal of entertainment along the way. Usually, these silly characters appear on packaging labels, commercials, and billboards, promoting their goods with trademark tag lines. But the sell, sell, sell mentality keeps making the ad icons cuter, funnier, more entertaining, and, in many ways, more annoying. Sometimes, it just seems like too much. Why spend all that energy just getting people to buy?

Fortunately, there are a few companies who have harnessed the power of their ad icons for the greater good. These mascots do more than just lure customers to the cash register. A few of them actually make a difference for real people through community involvement, sending powerful messages to kids, and even “authoring” influential books related to their brands. Check out the following list of 10 such ad icons that have done more than sell.

10. The Burger King

Burger King’s mascot, the king, has taken has taken many forms since his birth in 1955. At first, the king was a simply drawn cartoon character who was often found sitting atop a Whopper sandwich. In recent years, however, the Burger King has been depicted as a life-size costumed character. He frequently dances and plays pranks on people in his most recent incarnation and the smiling, plastic-faced king, which was launched in 2003.

Okay, so the Burger King hasn’t given back much to the community. But his parent company, Burger King (the restaurant), is a frequent supporter of local events and big-time charities worldwide. And the Burger King himself has made his mark beyond simply selling fast food. He’s been featured in a variety of video games, made an appearance on an episode of The Simpsons, and even appeared alongside football players in NFL commercials. The King is also rumored to be the star of an upcoming feature-length film. So although the King himself hasn’t contributed to charities or given life-changing messages, he has become an entertainment icon outside of the realm of his restaurant.

9. The Coppertone Girl

Coppertone is the brand name for an American sunscreen, and its mascot, the Coppertone Girl with her puppy, is one of the most recognizable images in pop culture. The picture shows a cartoon blond toddler with tan lines, which are revealed when the puppy pulls down her bathing suit bottoms. Unlike some icons, the Coppertone Girl doesn’t make cameos at events or host her own charities. But she did make a difference in the world all the same. The Coppertone Girl helped make Jodie Foster famous.

Foster’s first acting gig was an appearance as the Coppertone Girl on a commercial when she was three years old. She has since become one of Hollywood’s most esteemed actresses. We can’t credit Coppertone with all of her fame, but her appearance as the Coppertone Girl surely helped her out in her early days. Coppertone also helped a young model get her start in the 1990s, when it sponsored a pageant to find the next Coppertone Girl. The winner was featured on billboards and ads for the sunscreen the following year.

8. The California Raisins

A group of walking, talking clay grapes, the California Raisins were once one of the biggest pop phenomena to hit the market. And it was all a fluke. The Raisins were originally created by the California Raisin Advisory Board as a last resort for a commercial idea. They were meant to be part of a short ad spot to sell raisins, singing a funny parody of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It through the Grapevine.” No one knew how popular the Raisins would become. After their debut in 1986, the California Raisins went on to star in two TV shows and released four albums. They also were featured in a cartoon series and were recreated in numerous toys and games.

The Raisins made the big shift from ad icon to cultural icon, and that’s why they’ve made a big difference. At the height of their success, most people didn’t associate the California Raisins with the Raisin Advisory Board, but they probably still sold more raisins in the long run. The Raisins haven’t been seen officially since 2001, when Hardee’s restaurants released a series of figurines to promote a new product.

7. McGruff the Crime Dog

McGruff the Crime Dog is the advertising icon for the National Crime Prevention Council in the United States. He’s used by American police departments for getting across messages about crime prevention to kids, and his trademark catch phrase is, “Take a bite out of crime.” McGruff’s whole reason for creation was to help reduce criminal activity, and he’s made a big difference since his debut in 1980. Currently, he gets involved with kids in schools as the spokes-dog for anti-crime programs; he also stars in commercials and occasionally appears in costume at police stations.
One of the biggest contributions of this ad icon was the creation of the McGruff House system, which began in 1982. McGruff Houses are safe havens for kids who feel threatened at home. Currently, there are 700 McGruff Houses in the United States, and the Crime Dog lends his image to all of them.

6. Buzz

Buzz, also known as Buzzbee, is the honeybee mascot of Honey Nut Cheerios, the breakfast cereal made by General Mills. He’s been around since 1978, when the cereal was first spun off from original Cheerios. The supersized, talking bee’s main job is to sell his cereal to kids, which he does in regular commercials that are featured in prime Saturday-morning-cartoon time slots. But Buzz also helps kids learn to spell. He’s the star of the board game called “Honey Nut Cheerios Spelling Bee,” a trivia game that simulates a classic spelling competition. He’s also been used to increase interest in balanced eating habit. In recent years, Buzz has been promoting good health for families. He’s usually found quoting the health benefits of Honey Nut Cheerios on the cereal’s boxes.

5. The AFLAC Duck

That annoying white duck that’s featured on AFLAC commercials was created to give the insurance company more of a presence in the public mind. The nameless duck has become famous since his 1999 debut as the mascot of AFLAC, an insurance giant. When the duck was created, AFLAC was a large, successful company that no one had ever heard of. The duck’s done a good job of increasing AFLAC’s visibility (and its sales) through regular TV commercials, some of which feature celebrities.

Like most advertising icons, the duck’s main purpose is to sell. But he’s got another end in mind too–the AFLAC duck actually helps fight cancer. His popularity prompted AFLAC to created plush dolls in the duck’s likeness. The AFLAC ducks are sold at Macy’s stores and online, and proceeds benefit the AFLAC Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Since 2001, the AFLAC Duck has raised almost $2 million to fight cancer. Now that’s impressive.

4. The Chick-fil-A Cows

Chick-fil-A’s stubborn bovines support the restaurant by encouraging consumers to “EAT MORE CHIKIN.” The cows often wear signs with this message, and they can be seen on billboards and in front of the many restaurants. They were created in 1994, and since then they have become very popular figures. They even have their own annual calendar!

Besides providing comic relief and smart advertising, the Chick-fil-A Cows actually do a world of good deeds. They appear at many charity events sponsored by the restaurant chain. One of their most prominent community service appearances is at the yearly Chick-fil-A Classic, a basketball game featuring some of the best high school players in the country. During the game, the cows often present trophies to the featured players and checks to the restaurant’s charity groups.

3. Smokey Bear

As the mascot of the United States Forest Service, Smoky Bear’s job is to help prevent forest fires. Since his creation in 1944, Smokey has been seen in National Forests throughout the country with his signature saying, “Only you can prevent forest fires.”

Like McGruff, everything Smokey does is meant to help the community. He’s been featured in numerous ad campaigns aimed at preventing fires. But despite Smokey’s good intentions, he has still managed to become a pop culture icon and sell a few products. In the 1950s, he had his own band, the Sons of the Pioneers, which was frequently featured on radio programs. The first of many Smokey Bear doll s was released in 1952, and since then there have been countless Smokey figures, toys, and books available for sale. Smokey was even given his own zip code in 1964 because so many children wanted to join his junior forest ranger club.

In the end, Smokey has made a big impact despite his becoming a cultural icon. All of the proceeds from sales of Smokey products have gone to forest fire educational programs. So although Smokey sells, he does it with the greater good in mind.

2. Morris the Cat

You’ve probably seen lots of cats grace the labels of cat food containers, but one is particularly special. That’s Morris the Cat, and he is the mascot for the 9Lives brand of cat food. Since the 1970s, the stout orange tabby has been famously finicky in his food choices. In television commercials, he always claims to eat nothing by 9Lives brand, turning up his nose at the other brands that are given to him. In fact, every can of 9Lives features a picture of the cat and is “signed” by Morris himself.

Morris has become a very well-known icon in the 30 plus years of his advertising tenure–he even starred in Shamus, a movie with Burt Reynolds–but it’s his philanthropy that has made Morris truly stand out from the pack of brand ambassadors. He has become the “spokescat” for animal adoption campaigns and pet health, having “authored” three books on the subjects. He’s also regularly used to promote pet adoptions at local animal shelters. There have been multiple Morrises over the years, but one overriding, humane message that cats need to be treated fairly. So although Morris star power started with his picky preference of 9Lives, he now uses his popularity to do good things. Way to go, Morris!

1. Ronald McDonald

Hands down, the most community-service oriented ad icon for a large corporation is Ronald McDonald, the familiar clown who represents McDonald’s restaurants globally. Ronald McDonald made his first appearance in 1963 on television commercials for the restaurant. Since then, he has appeared in countless TV commercials and has even starred in a few direct-to-video animated films. Kids meals at the restaurant are covered Ronald depictions. Also, a statue of Ronald welcomes guests to each McDonald’s restaurant worldwide. All this exposure has paid off. One study shows that Ronald McDonald is the second most recognized figure in the world, following only Santa Claus.

With all his publicity, Ronald McDonald sells a lot of burgers. Billions every year, in fact. But he does a lot more than convince people to buy a Happy Meal. The clown also is used to represent McDonald’s’ many charitable operations. In fact, his name and image markets the Ronald McDonald House Charities, a group of 271 organizations that provide free or reduced lodging to parents of children who are hospitalized. There are Ronald McDonald Houses all over the world. Ronald McDonald also takes it upon himself to visit sick children in hospitals. With his commitment to kids, Ronald McDonald makes the most difference of any advertising icon. Bravo, Ronald. Job well done.

10. Law Enforcement

Although it is totally understandable and makes perfect logical sense, it is a bit sad to know that the brave men and women whose job it is to protect the public have such a dangerous occupation. (We can comfort ourselves a bit by noting that it is number 10, not number 1.) You might like to think of Chief Wiggum (from The Simpsons) looking for his next doughnut, but don’t ever forget that there is a reason that police have firearms and bulletproof vests. When your job description is confronting criminals (often in unsavory locations), you definitely face perils more serious than most other occupations.

9. Sanitation Workers

Wait – what??? The folks who pick up our garbage and refuse have a more dangerous job than police officers? Strangely enough, that is the case. The fatality rate for sanitation workers is 22.8 per 100,000 (a shade higher than the rate for law enforcement), but there is a bit more to the story. This category covers a lot of ground, including: heavy machinery operators (often in construction zones), manual laborers handling hazardous materials, and also your garden-variety sanitation worker who picks up your residential refuse (which is a very physical job). Never forget that the weather conditions play a role, especially with the larger items in commercial locations, and some of the collected materials often create fumes that make them difficult to handle. Safety has become a bigger concern for the industry, but the dangers are still there.

8. Drivers (Truckers, Traveling Sales People, etc.)

If you don’t use per capita figures, but just go off of the raw numbers, this category should be number 1 on our list. More people die on our nation’s highways than in any other location (and we’re not fudging numbers by including recreational drivers here). Everyone who has ever gotten behind the wheel of a car can tell you why this employment category is on the list: unsafe (and often drunk) drivers on the road, weather conditions, road construction (or lack of repair), etc. The list of contributing factors could go on forever, but the biggest reason is driver fatigue (often because of the long periods of time behind the wheel). This job has become safer over the years, primarily due to automotive advances such as air bags and better seat belt restraints. However, because the biggest reason for highway fatalities is driver fatigue (and we all know that the additional factor of Mother Nature isn’t going anywhere soon), it seems clear that this one will likely be on the list for a long time to come.

7. Roofers

Again, this one is not much of a surprise, as the job description entails one to work for many hours on top of a house (those slanted roofs are just an accident waiting to happen). Taking both commercial and residential work into consideration, the people who repair and install roofs have one difficult job. We’ve already mentioned the dicey working place (your cubicle looks much nicer now, eh?), but don’t forget that they are working with pneumatic tools, potentially hazardous materials (like tar and asphalt), and sitting out in the sun for hours on end is not the best way to avoid a heat-related illness. The current slowdown in the new housing market might affect the injury and fatality rate going forward (fewer workers means fewer injuries), but it makes the list right now.

6. Electrical Power Line Workers

Once again, a no-brainer. Look at the picture, for crying out loud! You combine frequently being very high in the air with your work being the installation and repair of high voltage lines, and you have a job that few have the guts to attempt. Like most jobs on this list, the industry has responded by instituting a great number of safety measures. However, there are some things that are difficult to make safe about this job. Want an example? These guys almost always have to go through cable and phone lines (which are lower) to get to the power lines – you almost expect them to go up blindfolded next time just to make it even more dangerous.

5. Farmers and Ranchers

We know you are wondering how Old McDonald is higher on the list than the guy works around high voltage lines. Well, the statistics don’t lie – roughly 38 deaths per 100,000. The primary cause of all of these deaths? The exact reason you would expect — the heavy machinery that is used to cultivate the land and to harvest crops. We’ve all heard about the farmer who lost a finger (or worse), but sometimes those machines can take a life as well. Think about that next time you complain about food prices.

4. Iron and Steel Workers

This category is pretty broad, encompassing both the individuals who install iron or steel items (like girders, columns, etc.) in the course of construction of a bridge, building, and other structures, as well as the factory workers who create the iron and steel beams that the construction-site workers install. If you have ever seen a building going up, then you know exactly why these guys are on the list – they work at ridiculous heights! The biggest reason for injury or death is, unsurprisingly, because of falls from those great heights. Fortunately, the vast majority of these workers wear harnesses, and a great many construction sites provide safety nets. Nevertheless, the combination of working at incredible heights and working with molten metal (including the lousy fumes) makes this a job that puts those cubicle jockeys to shame.

3. Pilots and Flight Engineers

You might be thinking to yourself – wait a minute, I always heard it was safer to fly than to drive! Remember, this list is based upon per capita deaths, not simply the raw numbers. Also, when you add in helicopter pilots (who are often sent in rescue missions, not always in the easiest location or in the nicest weather conditions), it begins to make more sense. Further added into the group are pilots transporting cargo, crop dusters, and test pilots (whose job appears to be taking incredibly perilous risks), so now the rank of Number 3 is not a mystery. As with so many others, weather conditions are a big factor here, but you also have the crop dusters handling toxins (and not having a traditional landing strip, either). Although full crashes of commercial airplanes are relatively rare, “pilot” is not limited to that crowd.

2. Timber Cutters/Loggers

When the reality show Ax Men came out, you were probably wondering why anyone would want to watch a show about guys cutting down trees. Shame on you (and we are surprised you didn’t figure out that the combination of huge chainsaws and gigantic trees was a recipe for workplace disaster). With factors such as high winds, hidden roots, and the fact that they are often high up in the air (usually at heights of 100 feet), the rate of injury for timber cutters is THIRTY TIMES that of a regular workplace. Oh, and don’t forget the fact that they are using ginormous gas-powered chainsaws. Oddly, that is still not enough to be number one, which only goes to show you how dangerous the number one job really is (and we think its reality show gets better ratings).

1. Commercial Fishermen

They don’t call it Deadliest Catch for nothing, you know. The most dangerous job in America has given us a bona fide hit of a reality show….although it seems kind of morbid when you look at the numbers. For every 100,000 fishermen, roughly 112 will die each year. That doesn’t sound like much, until you realize that a normal workplace has 4 deaths per 100,000. Commercial fishermen often work in harsh conditions, many times dozens (or even hundreds) of miles from shore. From getting tangled in the nets to falling on a slick deck to even being thrown overboard, this is not the job for the weak of heart. It’s pretty rare that you have a job in which the Coast Guard keeps tabs on you, just in case something goes wrong. Serious injuries are frequent, but the reward for those who do survive can be very, very lucrative. Hell, you might even become a reality show star!

Most people have heard of the Big 3 Credit Bureaus: Experian, Equifax and Trans Union Corp. These companies provide credit scores to indicate the chances of an individual paying back a loan. But there are a number of other Credit Bureaus, or Consumer Rating Agencies (CRA’s) that are hired to provide ratings based on other factors, and most people are blissful unaware of how much of their lives is open to employers, landlords, and credit agencies. All these rating agencies come under the same regulation, that of the Fair Credit reporting Act (FCRA). Credit reports then, are just one better known aspect of Credit Bureaus.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy a list of companies you have never heard of who have a surprising amount of influence on your life.

14. MIB (Medical Information Bureau)

The MIB provides information to insurances companies on their applicants. They are a membership company, meaning only insurance agents signed up with MIB can get the information, if requested. But they are insistent that no private information is ever revealed. Few people have an MIB record, but they are one of the most important agencies in the medical insurance field. In a sense MIB is looking for people who are potentially seeking insurance fraudulently, and thus trying to save the companies money. They would want to point out that doing this helps keep premiums low as excessive and unwarranted claims cost insurance companies money that they recover by raising the premiums on everybody. But they do assigned a rating for applicants looking for medical insurance and this particular field of consumer rating has come under fire in a number of Lawsuits recently. After all f they give a high risk factor to a person who has a lot of past medical activity it would essential stop them from being able to obtain medical insurance from any one of its 470 members.

13. Moody’s (global CRA)

This is a global company with a 40 per cent stake in the Credit Rating Market. Moody’s, a CRA, will give an investor or company a good idea of if an investment will pay off as well as it should but it has recently started to give creditors a likely assessment of if a person is likely to pay back a loan or keep up with an investment. This Credit Bureau offers long term ratings for the likely hood of a fixed income being able to pay back a loan and short term ratings and short term tax exempt ratings, for debts no longer then 13 months. For an individual it is no different than Experian, Equifax Trans Corp or Innovis other than you can hire them to asses you potential investments. But for a small business this is a global player that might have a say in you future ventures.

12. IntelliScript

This company is used by insurance agents to get a history of consumer’s prescription drug purchases. Just like with MIB this information is used when assessing the risk of taking on a new client on for medical insurance. The database includes information of dosage, refills as well as what drugs have been used. As such our past prescriptions are being used by these companies to form an opinion of us even though they have been issued legitimately. This kind of practice went largely unknown and in 2007 several lawsuits were filed. The result is that if anyone is turned down on the basis of one of these reports the individual is allowed to request a copy to find out why. The responsibility for regulation Credit Bureaus rests with the government and this is done through the Federal Trade Commission, (FTC.) The standard to which Credit Bureaus are held, and CRA’s as well, is known as the Fair Credit reporting (FCRA.) But it still doesn’t stop them from turning you down because of the prescriptions you have used in the past.

11. PRBC (Payment Reporting Builds Credit)

This company is known as the 5th Credit Bureau. But it does things differently. At PRBC customers, you and I, can sign up and repot personnel recurring non-debt payments. This means you can report when you pay the gas bill, electric bill, rent and so on to help build good credit. This is not ordinarily reported by Experian, Equifax, Trans Union Corp or Innovis. It was originally named ‘Pay rent, Build Credit’ but in 2002 it was renamed to highlight the fact that any recurring bill can be used to build credit, and credit scores, for people and small businesses. In short the company enables you to build a good credit score without having to take out a credit card or loan: something that could be very helpful in these uncertain times.

10. Innovis (CBCinnovis)

Not as well known as the ‘Big 3’ it is often referred to as the 4th credit bureau. In fact you will be lucky to hear about it from anyone handing out advice about credit repair. It was bought by CBC in 1999, (though it still claims the history, saying it has been active for over 50 years on its website.) Unlike the Big 3 Innovis doesn’t sell customer credit history to lenders, instead it focuses on helping creditors decide who to put on their mailing list. Literally deciding who gets the mail promising ‘rock bottom interest rates’ on brand new credit cards, etc. But it does use the same basic information as Experian, Equifax and Trans Union Corp that tells them who has been late on loan payments to do this. While it is a new company it seems to be doing well and has been reported providing more accurate credit reports on occasion then the Big 3. While you could be quick to judge a firm responsible for credit card offers falling on your doorstep, you might want to consider if new blood isn’t what you really want in a time of failing old businesses.

9. TeleCheck

You are probably beginning to get the idea. Credit Bureaus do not stop at credit scores or even loan payments and credit card bills. Insurance and loan companies have a variety of information available to them if they contact certain CRA’s. Telecheck is one that tracks checks. This company reports on an individual’s recorded check writing history. TeleCheck also has a lot of stored information listing returned checks and fraudulent checks. There is also a verification tool for its members. It is a merchant Credit Bureau that tries to gather and purchase information on the public so as to better predict and alert sellers to fraud. However at this point it seems like another faceless company that spends a lot of time and money to make more a living selling consumer ratings based on personnel information available in a digital age.

8. Medpoint

Essentially a Credit Bureau is a company that records vast amount of information about people in order to assign a risk assessment to mollify insurance and loan companies. In a sense everyone is an unknown risk to the sellers and these companies try to decide the extent of that risk. But there are a number of other companies that work to assess other risks. Medpoint is another CRA database that provides prescription profiling for insurance companies. These companies like IntelliScript and Medpoint provide consumer ratings to assess what kind of risk we are to the insurance company. Since 2007 people have noticed this kind of profiling and several lawsuits have resulted in individuals being able to request copies of the reports if they are turned down because of them. This was mandated because of the regulations contained in the FCRA, which also governs the Big 3 Credit Bureaus.

7. SCAN

SCAN is short for “Shared Check Authorization Network”. In a nutshell, SCAN is largest database of known bad check writers. If you have ever bounced a check, SCAN is aware of you. This credit reporting agency boasts processing over 7 million check transactions a day, and 150,000 updates every night from its retail clients. Their client list is massive. Just about every national chain you have ever heard of from Wal-mart and K-mart to Home Depot and IKEA as well as almost every small retailer in the USA today. They also collect information from Chexsystems to help “red-flag” potential bad check writers. If you have handed a check to a teller and had it denied despite having the money in your account to cover the check, you may want to call SCAN at:
(800) 262-7771

6. First advantage SafeRent

Finally, though I have found it impossible to decide on an order of importance for these companies, we have an example of a CRA working for employers and Landlords. This is one of the many companies landlords and employers can use to get a risk assessment and rating for their applicants. First Advantage SafeRent also advertises that it looks into Renters insurance claims and criminal background checks. It may be frustrating to get a copy of your employment assessment rating because there are simply so many companies that do this. Fortunately under the regulation of the FCRA job hunters do have some extra rights. For instance an employer has to inform you that they are going to run a background check. So it might be a good idea to ask what agency they use, so that you can obtain a copy of the report. The assessment of a renter or employer for criminal charges is more than understandable, but as we have seen there is a lot more information available, and given the rating system it seems likely that more than one person has lost a job or an apartment because of a CRA’s risk rating.

A rating score can never tell the whole story, but there seem to be enough of ratings about all of us to fill an entire book.

5. C.L.U.E Auto

• Specialty: Auto insurance claims history

CLUE auto is also a subsidiary of Choicepoint. Instead of property insurance claims, this reporting agency collects information on…You guessed it, auto insurance claims! Insurance agencies share information. If you have made auto insurance claims in the past, from a total write off to a minor repair in the last 7 years, CLUE auto can have a detailed report about it. The report will include information such as the model and serial number of the car involved, your insurance issuer at the time of claim and claim amounts paid to you.
They can be reached by phone at: (866) 312-8076
Or online at: www.choicetrust.com

4. ISO Insurance Services

• Specialty: Risk Management

This is the big one. ISO has a whole family of companies under it that collect and analyze data about, well…Everything. Including you. They use this enormous and varying amount of information to calculate risk for insurance companies and anyone else who is willing to pay for it. Much like many of the other reporting agencies mentioned in this list, ISO is able to put together a report for you or about you. From drivers license reports to employment history’s and credit reports. They can also formulate risk analysis for natural or man-made catastrophes. Evaluate your individual risk for health, property and auto insurance. As well as tools for Background checks, employment screening, and drug-testing products. They even have a company that specializes in preventing mortgage fraud. If there is a red flag alongside your name in any type of credit or data collection agency, ISO can probably locate all of it and put it altogether in a nice little package and sell it to whatever entity is asking about you including one of their biggest clients, the Unites States Government.
They can be reached by phone at: (800) 709-8842
Or online at: www.iso.com

3 Certegy

This company is a leading supplier of electronic check payments on the web. Their job is to maintain a database for consumers and make sure that the details the consumer is supplying on the web match what they have compiled. Web merchant signs up with Certegy for the e-checking service and all of their payments are processed through them. Certegy then guarantees payment to the merchant after the consumer has been authorized. The information that they collect is name, address and driver’s license numbers as well as details on customers mortgage, car, student loan history and credit cards. They also check for returned checks and fraud. These processes protect the merchant from accepting false credit cards or bad checking information.

To obtain a copy of your free annual disclosure from Certegy you can write them at:

Certegy Check Services
P.O. Box 30296
Tampa, Fl 33630-3296

Or you can call them on their toll-free telephone number:

Certegy Check Services is 866.543.6315

This is an automated service and you will have to enter your driver’s license or state ID number, date of birth, checking account number, and zip code using the keypad on your touch-tone telephone.

2 Central Credit

This company is quite surprising. They collect data on millions of gaming patrons. Using their databanks, casinos can get credit reports on their gamblers, social security number verification, bank ratings, and updates on marker activity. This also helps the cage operations with the decisions for casino credit or markers.

Visit their website: http://www.globalcashaccess.com./Cash_Access/Central_Credit.html

To contact Central Credit call 1-888-814-7544. It has not been verified that they will supply you with a personal report as I have not received an answer from the company or found anything on the website stating so.

1. ChexSystems

A daughter company of eFunds ChexSystems was a check verification service that became designated a CRA, (Consumer Rating Service), in 1999. This meant that it was now governed by the FTC and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA.) It specializes in assessing new applicants to commercial banks by judging their persons banking activity instead of credit lines. In other words instead of basing its rating on how well you are keeping up with your car payment it looked at the deposit activity of your bank accounts in the past. It reportedly serves over 9,000 banks including local branches. A high number of commercial banks and credit unions use ChexSystems when considering applicants for checking and savings accounts. Most institutions will not let you open an account if you get a negative report from ChexSystems. To begin with, unlike most CRA’s who report both positive and negative information, ChexSystems tended to report on only negative activity. It did not consider a risk assessment, like a FICO score, but whether an applicant had any negative activity in their past. As such people found they could end up blacklisted, essential cutting you off, for a single banking error 10 years before. Scary! But in 2000 there was reform after a considerable amount of complaint. Now customers can enjoy a number of improvements including a background check limited to 3 years by ChexSystems, workers trained to gauge risk as well as negative activity, and the customer will not be reported until several attempts have been made to contact them. So it’s a little better now. Being turned down for a bank account, let alone having a bad Credit rating from ChexSystems, does nothing to help your overall credit score!

Final Thoughts

And we all thought there were just 3 credit report bureaus!
Some of these business’s may seem like a stretch when talking about credit bureaus, but when you really think about what in fact a credit bureau or CRA’s (Credit reporting agency) is, it is simply a place that gathers information about a specific persons history to help the creditor/lender/leaser/insurer determine how much of a risk you are.

If you have managed to get this far in life without missing a payment of any kind for everything from a mortgage payment to the water and utilities bills we all see every month, then you will be noted as a much sought after customer from credit to cars to a rental apartment in Manhattan if you so desire. However, if you have ever totaled a car in a drunk driving accident, information is posted, shared and sent. Then gathered, collected and compiled to describe what a risk you may be for money, job’s, insurance and even a roof over your head.

Although it does seem daunting to know that there are all these various reporting entities diligently gathering every little fact they can legally get their hands on about you, you don’t have to worry. You have the truth on your side. These companies are only allowed to gather information deemed “Public” by our government. They simply specialize in finding it.

As with the big 3 credit reporting bureaus most, if not all of these information gathering specialists have grant you access to any information they have on you at least once every 12 month’s upon request, and have methods in place for you to dispute any misinformation about you that they may be reporting.

10. The Oil Crisis of 1973

Gas lines. Really long gas lines. In October 1973, the members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OAPEC (consisting of the Arab members of OPEC plus Egypt and Syria) proclaimed an oil embargo “in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military during the Yom Kippur war.” Essentially, OAPEC declared it would no longer ship oil to the United States if they supported Israel in the conflict. Independently, the OPEC members agreed to use their leverage over the world price-setting mechanism for oil in order to stabilize their real incomes by raising world oil prices. This action followed several years of steep income declines after the end of the Bretton Woods (which took the U.S dollar off of the gold standard, ending up devaluing the dollar worldwide), as well as the failure of negotiations with the “Seven Sisters” (the seven biggest oil companies) earlier in the month. Without question, the “oil shock” of 1973 showed the potential power of Third World energy suppliers in dealing with the “developed world,” and made the Middle East an area of primary world focus that remains to this day.

9. Panic of 1837

This is the first “Panic” on the list, but certainly not the last. These “Panics” are named after the first year each started; for this one, it began in 1837 when every bank stopped payment in gold and silver coinage (after a run on the banks due to the closure of the Second Bank of the United States). What made this one so frustrating was just two years earlier, the government was able to pay off the national debt (the Treasury’s coffers were stuffed from government sales of land in the West). The Panic of 1837 was followed by a five-year depression, and included a large number of bank failures, the bursting of a real estate bubble (sound familiar?), and record-high unemployment levels.

8. Kennedy Slide (1962)

When President John Kennedy took office in January 1961, the stock market had been on a steady rise that began in the late 1940s. In fact, many spoke of the “soaring Sixties,” believing that the bull market would last. It didn’t. The bear market that began in December 1961 caused a 22.5% drop in the S&P 500 by June 1962. The name “Kennedy Slide” comes from the fact that many blame this bear market on Kennedy’s domestic difficulties in getting legislation through Congress, as well as his foreign policy difficulties (read: Bay of Pigs).

7. 2001-2002 Recession

In 1999, the growing use of high-speed internet by individuals and businesses meant that if you had “dot com” at the end of your business name, you didn’t need no stinkin’ business plan. Get a catchy name and the venture capital would follow, and you’d make a ton of money on the IPO. That was, of course, until potential investors started demanding silly things like actual business models. Beginning in March 2000, the stock market began wising up, and the “dot com bubble” fully burst in 2001. Ultimately, this wiped out a whopping $5 trillion in market value of technology companies from March 2000 to October 2002. What made this recession go deeper were the massive layoffs and “jobless recovery” in the time after the attacks of September 11, 2001. What stopped it? The dropping interest rates and freely available credit that fueled the housing bubble of the 2000s – see number 2 on this list.

6. Panic of 1819

Our second “Panic” of the list, this was the first major financial crisis faced by the United States (although the previously-mentioned Panic of 1837 was the first actual financial depression, technically speaking), and marked the end of the economic expansion that had followed the War of 1812. There are different schools of thought as to what caused this Panic. Some say it was simply the first “boom and bust” cycle experienced by a young country, and was inevitable. Others refuse that explanation, taking the position that it was a combination of inflation and public debt (from the War of 1812 and the Louisiana Purchase). No matter which school is right, one thing was for sure – whatever caused it made a gigantic mess. Banks throughout the United States failed; scores of home mortgages were foreclosed and property values dropped. In addition, the falling commodity prices severely hurt agriculture and manufacturing, which had the effect of triggering widespread unemployment, which rose as high as 75% in some parts of the East Coast (to put this one statistic in perspective, the Great Depression’s peak unemployment rate was about 25%). The country did not recover from this one until 1824.

5. Panic of 1873

Sometimes called the “Crisis of the Gilded Age,” this Panic had much of its start in Europe, where cheap mortgages spurred a residential real estate bubble (what is it with these recurrent real estate bubbles??) that, as with all bubble bursts, did not end well. When the bubble did burst, bankers in London tightened their credit terms, which triggered a financial crisis in the United States. The European credit tightening meant trouble for U.S. banks, which were already overextended because of the many speculative loans that had been made to railroads and railroad-related real estate. As a result, more than 10,000 businesses failed, and the U.S. endured a three-year financial depression.

4. The Bankers’ Panic of 1907

The Bankers’ Panic of 1907 (also known as the “Knickerbocker Trust Panic”) began with the lack of regulation that culminated a severe Wall Street crash. A loss of confidence among bank depositers , combined with the retraction of market liquidity by a number of New York City banks, ended up resulting in a 50 percent drop in the stock market from where it had been in 1906. To put the effect of this one in perspective, just remember that this Panic was the reason that the Federal Reserve and the modern system of financial regulations were created. Some would argue that, 100 years later, we did not learn from the lack of regulation of financial markets and “creative” financing vehicles.

3. Panic of 1893

This Panic was the worst economic crisis in American history to that point (and you’ve seen all the previous Panics listed already, so this is really saying something). Some argue that this was just a continuation of the Panic of 1873 (with the era being known as the “Long Depression”). However you look at it, there is no question that the 1880s had been a period of significant economic expansion, but it was driven heavily by speculative investment in railroads. In a nutshell, an ever-growing credit shortage created panic, which resulted in a depression. The result? 15,000 businesses, 600 banks, and 74 railroads failed. In addition, there were incredibly high levels of unemployment.

2. Mortgage Crisis of 2007

I think we’re all pretty familiar with this one, so let’s not over-discuss it just yet. It would be nice if this current crisis were not so high on the list. Let’s just hope it stays at number 2, eh?

1. Crash of 1929/Great Depression

This is the granddaddy of them all – the one that sent the entire world into financial crisis. The stock market crash of 1929 had several causes: an unbalanced world economy, European nations that were staggering under tremendous burdens of debts and taxes, and a speculation boom in the late 1920s that moved the prices of corporate stocks to levels ridiculously far above the real values. At the height of the Great Depression in 1933, 24.9% of the U.S. workforce (a total of 11,385,000 people), were unemployed. Moreover, even though farmers were not technically “unemployed,” the extreme drops in farm commodity prices resulted in farmers losing their farms and homes to foreclosure. Despite the efforts of the federal government through the New Deal, it wasn’t until World War II that the U.S. finally pulled out of this one. Many are comparing the current crisis to the Great Depression, but others say that we are nowhere near the troublesome Depression levels (such as unemployment). However, it can be noted that the 1929 Crash was preceded by the bursting of real estate bubbles in Florida and Southern California. You can draw your own conclusions.

10. Crossing Guard

When it comes to jobs for lazy people, you have to love a career that only requires you to work twice a day for 45 minutes to an hour at a time. Sure, crossing guards have to get up early and work in inclimate weather, but we suspect that they also go back to bed immediately thereafter. Additionally, as you only need one hand to hold up the “stop” sign, you can use the other hand to hold your coffee. The only real requirement for this job is that you arrive on time and that you are able to identify a situation in which a car might slam into/run over a child. If you can manage to hold your “stop” sign up in the face of such danger, crossing guard might be the career for you.

9. Celebrity Blogger

Sleep all day and hit the clubs at night with your camera in an effort to catch celebrities at their worst. Or don’t. You can also remain in your pajamas all day and night, simply waiting for others to send you photos and gossip to include on your blog. Since lazy people generally don’t like to get dressed and do like to spend all day lolling around online, celebrity blogger is the perfect career for those of us who are indignant that people have such high expectations of us: such as expecting us to get out of bed each day and take showers.

8. Secret Shopper

It’s hard to believe that people get paid to do something they we probably planning to do anyway, but this seems to be the racket secret shoppers have managed to set up for themselves. Check your email a few times a week to get your shopping instructions and hit the mall at your leisure. With someone else’s money. Afterwards, fill out an online survey about your shopping experience, sit back, and wait for the money to roll in.

7. Librarian

We realize that library science is an actual area of study that people earn degrees in, and that most libraries require their employees to have degrees in library science. Presumably, librarians know all kinds of things about the Dewey Decimal System and organizing information that the rest of us don’t. That doesn’t change the fact that, every time we go to a library, we see the librarians engaged in one of two tasks: looking bored behind the circulation desk while they check out books, or reading to groups of small children at story time. Both tasks can be easily done while sitting down and without moving around much. Any job that doesn’t require you to stand, and provides you with a chair with wheels to help you avoid standing, is recommended for lazy people.

6. Gold Digger

We have a lot of respect for gold diggers. Gold digging, after all, can be a lot of work. You’re appearance is important, so that means endless hours at the salon and health club, as it’s difficult to dig for gold successfully with bad skin and cellulite on your thighs. Then there are the countless hours spent actually gold digging: pretending to be interested while a homely man, twice your age, tells you all about his business, his role at the local Elks Lodge, his bratty grandchildren. But once you’ve gotten past all that and successfully bagged an elderly millionaire, you’re in for a life of luxury. Go to bed early, sleep late, completely let yourself go. After all, you’re bound to come out of the divorce far better than you went into the marriage.

5. Babysitter

When we say that babysitter is a great job for a lazy person, we don’t mean that nanny, au pair, or day care worker are good jobs for lazy people. Those jobs are the OPPOSITE of good for lazy people, as they involved a lot of chasing small people around and, presumably, a daily budget for painkillers. By “babysitter,” we mean just that: the kind of babysitting where you go into someone’s house while the parents are out to dinner and watch their children for three to four hours until they come home. First, you can sleep late, as most people don’t want the babysitter to show up at least dinnertime. Additionally, if you can swing a job babysitting for very young children who go to bed early, you might be able to go the entire evening without actually seeing the children. Either way, once the children are off to bed a very early hour, you have the rest of the night free to watch t.v., talk to friends on your cell phone, and cruise around on the internet.

4. Video Game Tester

If you’re going to sit around in your underwear playing videogames all day, you might as well get paid for it. Rumor has it that a select few lazybones who live EXTREMELY charmed lives have managed to figure out a way to get paid for playing video games all day. No one knows how one sets oneself up on such a career path, other than by the grace of God. If you find out, please let us know.

3. Plasma/Sperm/Egg/Blood Donor

It’s hard to find a job that requires less work than simply being alive, but that’s really all you have to do if you want to be one of many Americans raking in the dough by donating body parts and bodily fluids to those who really need them. Not only does this career allow you to avoid work hours, deadlines, and co-workers, but the companies that harvest your precious body fluid will actually insist that you take some time off in between donations.

2. Lifeguard

Work on your tan all summer long, without having to do much of anything other than sit in a large chair, occasionally blow a whistle, and remind children to stop running every once in a while. There’s a reason why lifeguard is one of the most coveted jobs of all time. “Baywatch” drama aside, have you ever seen a live guard spring into action in real life? Probably not, especially if you can manage to get a lifeguard job at a local pool rather than an actual beach. Rather, this job consists largely of applying sunscreen to your nose, flirting with the opposite sex, and, in some cases, being in charge of the DVD collection at the pool.

1. Beer Taster

It sounds like a job forged in the depths of Homer Simpson’s dreams, but, believe it or not, there are people who are actually paid to taste beer. All day long. Most work in breweries or bottling plants under the moniker “quality control specialist,” because simply calling themselves a “beer taster” would undoubtedly earn the wrath of their friends, family, and co-workers, leaving them alone and miserable. If there’s a greater job on the planet than showing up for work each day, drinking beer until the 5:00 whistle blows, and then returning home, we don’t know what it is.

10 Bank Cash Advance

Your bank can be very sympatheic at times and they can lend you the money at a less expense then a payday loan company. As of this date there are very very few large or medium size banks that offer payday loans. On the other hand they will expect you to borrow not hundreds but at least $1000 to make the loan profitable. And, the bank can you the loan at the same speed any payday loan can.

9. Military Emergency Loan

For those of you in the military you do not have the uption to take out a payday loan instead the military has put in place a program to help military personnel overcome financial disasters. Of course, this assistance must be approved by your chain of command and they must physically verify that you are indeed in financial need. The loan is interest free and in extreme cases where the military person is not able to pay the loan back it is converted into a grant, in other words the borrower does not have to pay it back. That is a good deal, the military cares about its personnel.

8. Employer Cash Advance

Many large and small employers offer cash advances for their employees and some employees don’t know it or too embarrased to ask. In some companies staff can apply for a cash advance without their boss knowing and it is totally free. This is the least expensive way to get money in a hurry and in some companies the money borrowed comes out of the persons paycheck.

7. Pawn your Belongings

You can pawn your belongings to local pawn shops or better yet if you don’t need the money immediately you can sell items on craigslist or Ebay. Selling items online is not the fastest way to get money but you will get what the item is worth. Pawn shops will give you below wholesale price of your item or even worst if they think they can’t sell the item. Many pawn shops have title loans too which is worst then payday loans because the title of your car is at stake. if you don’t pay the loan off they will take your car. pawn shops do give you chances to pay the loan off as long as you pay at least the weekly interest on the loan.

6. Work Online or Work from Home

Roll up your sleeves and go to work for your community or the internet. Many individuals are hiring quick labor for quick money, they are available all over the internet and in the gigs section of craigslist. Many individuals and companies sometimes encourage their workers to stay working for longer periods of time if the worker does a really good job and chances are if you really need the money you will do a great job. You can clean someones garage, cut grass, be a babysitter, write articles, wash clothes, grocery shop for elderly, walk pets, etc. There are many things that need to be done in your community and the world wide web. here are some links to get you started.

• Do My Stuff – Everyone
  
• Craigslist – Everyone
  
• Elance – Technical people and writers
  
• Scriptlance – Technical people and writers
  
• Service Magic – handyman, cleaners, gardners, etc
  
• Onforce – Computers, telecommunications, electronics, etc.

5. Donate your Liquids and Stuff

You don’t have to pay the money back and at the same time your are helping some in need. This method does not pay much but in emegencies it can really pay off. In the evnts you need a little more money and you have the guts to go to a sperm bank you can donate sperm. For the girls you can donate your eggs for a hefty price in the thousand of dollars. Healthy female eggs are not as plentiful as the males sperm so you may want to really think about it before you donate your eggs.

4. Recycle

There are many things you can around your home and in your community. If you have a truck you can recycle cardboard, aluminum, pallets (High Payout), old phone books, metal, plastic, etc. This best way to go about this is to pick a recycable such as cardboard or aluminum and stick with it. For example, in any one day collect only plastics or aluminum don’t try to recycle both types of recycables in any given day. it will make you life a little easier. considering that gas is a little high you may want to keep your search radius low.

3. Borrow from a Social Lending Service

Social Lending (also known as person to person lending and peer to peer lending) is the idea of borrowing from many different sources instead of borrowing from one entity. For example, if you want to borrow $500 many people or companies would contribute to your loan, company 1 would contribute $100, individual 2 would contribute $300, individual 3 would contribute $50, and company 4 would contribute $50. So after everyone contribute their money it will amount to $500 and the parent organization would send you a check or direct deposit the funds in your bank account. Social lending is not limited to small loans you can get any kind of loan and it is even open to individuals with not so perfect credit. After you have overcome you financial obstacle you may want to become a lender yourself and help other people get loans. The most popular website that offer social lending services are below.

• Prosper

2. Credit Union Payday Loans

Many credit unions across the nation are noticing the financial impact payday loan companies are putting on american lives. Most credit unions have established cash advance programs of their own with reasonable fees and no hidden charges. They also give the borrower adequate time to pay off the loan without creating hardship on the borrower. This is a solid alternative to traditional payday loans because you get the money quickly and sometimes the same day you apply for the loan. Taking this route is the cheapest if you don’t want to borrow from your employers, friends or family. The first chance you get a checkings account at your local credit union because some credit unions require that you have an account for at least 6 months.

1. Return Recent Purchases

This is the safest way to get money very fast. When you need money quickly returning your recent purchases can help in a financial emergency. Most of the time when people enter a financial emergency it is because they have overspent. You can recover 100% of the money you spent on a particular item instead of selling it on ebay or craigslist. This is the reason its crucial that you retain all receipts and never spend money non-tangible things when you can’t afford it, such as eating out, pedicures, haircuts, etc.. In the event that an emergency pops up you can always return stuff or if you don’t have the receipt you can always sell it on craigslist or in a yard sell.