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	<pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:05:10 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>OCI Analytic uncovers duplicate billing in over 4% of workers comp claims</title>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:05:10 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[An analytic study by OCI found that over 4% of all workers&#8217; comp claims have a duplicate bill sent to a group health plan. OCI conducted the analyses on a large employer from their proprietary Reference Database on duplicate workers&#8217; compensation and healthcare payments. 
The purpose of the study was to determine how frequently and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>An analytic study by OCI found that over 4% of all workers&#8217; comp claims have a duplicate bill sent to a group health plan. OCI conducted the analyses on a large employer from their proprietary Reference Database on duplicate workers&#8217; compensation and healthcare payments. </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The purpose of the study was to determine how frequently and how much greater costs occur if and when providers are billing both workers&#8217; comp and healthcare for the same services, patient or claimant.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The results of the study were presented at a recent meeting of the Fraud Assessment Commission, under the California Department of Insurance Fraud Program. <strong>The study found the following:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>4.2% of ALL workers&#8217; comp claims have a duplicate healthcare claim</li>
<li>Over half of the duplicate claims filed received payment</li>
<li> The employer paid over $1.2 million dollars in duplicate payments</li>
<li> One-third of the duplicate claims filed were paid more than what was billed</li>
<li>The employer paid over $100,000 in overpayments on duplicate claims</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;There is an occurrence of duplicate billing on the exact same workers&#8217; comp claim, same date of service, same ICD-9, same billing codes, same provider also billing to group health,&#8221; says Archie Anderson, President of OCI. &#8220;This was an aged claim analysis, meaning all the payments have been made. This particular employer was not even aware.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The cause of duplication cannot be determined from the data, however the claim set is easily identified for follow up. To prevent duplicate claims, an employer or organization must commit to integrating its workers&#8217; comp and healthcare billing and claims data to identify where the duplicate billing and payments occur.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span class="label">Source: </span>OCI </em></p>
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		<title>Nine-year lending low forces businesses to cut investment</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Jul 2009 07:02:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Market Digest</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Business lending lowest in 9 years - Weak bank lending could hinder economic recovery, says BoE chief - Business lending down to 7.9 billion in May, down from 12.6 billion in March - Squeeze on business lending has a knock-on effect for consumers 
The Bank of England&#8217;s (BoE) quarterly review of lending trends found that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Business lending lowest in 9 years - Weak bank lending could hinder economic recovery, says BoE chief - Business lending down to 7.9 billion in May, down from 12.6 billion in March - Squeeze on business lending has a knock-on effect for consumers </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The Bank of England&#8217;s (BoE) quarterly review of lending trends found that many firms are still experiencing the effects of the credit crunch, with business lending suffering its biggest drop in nine years.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Thinking Money highlights that net lending to private non-financial corporations also fell by 5.4 billion pounds in April - its biggest fall since June 2000.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Eight out of ten firms included in the Bank&#8217;s survey reported that lending had become scarcer and more costly over the past year, while two thirds said that they responded by cutting back on investment.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Weak lending could delay economic recovery</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Thinking Money vindicates the authority of the BoE report, which draws on long-established official data sources, such as the existing monetary and financial statistics collected by the Bank of England.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In the wake of the findings, BoE Governor Mervyn King warned weak bank lending could hinder the hoped for economic recovery.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;Banks&#8217; ability to finance a sustained recovery remains impaired by low levels of equity capital,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The BoE&#8217;s Deputy Governor Paul Tucker reiterated King&#8217;s concern, saying the credit drought could tempt banks to hoard money until the dark clouds pass.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;If all banks were to adopt such a strategy, recovery might end up being anaemic at best, which would feed back into the banking system itself - increasing defaults and depleting banks&#8217; capital,&#8221; Tucker said.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Thinking Money notes that the weakening of credit flows to cash-poor firms has taken place despite record low interest rates and a 125 billion pound asset-buying programme aimed at boosting the economy. It&#8217;s for this reason why business credit card companies, such as MBNA, are increasingly likely to be the provider of credit to aid cashflow.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Scarcity of lending forces businesses to overpay</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Businesses finding difficulty in sourcing bank finance are often forced to pay a higher rate for the finance they are able to secure, thus exacerbating existing cash-flow issues.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The BoE said that lenders report a fall in the average maturity of their loans to businesses, and also report that many businesses are negotiating &#8220;forward start agreements&#8221; under which they are able to extend their loan when it expires.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Knock-on effect for consumers</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Thinking Money believes the squeeze on business lending has a knock-on effect for consumers, with consumer lending - credit cards and personal loans - having also fallen substantially in recent months and lenders resorting to retrenchments in order to recover losses.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The BoE report found that the quarterly rate of growth of unsecured lending was the lowest since 1992.</p>
<p><strong>References</strong><br />
<em>http://www.thinkingmoney.org/<br />
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/other/monetary/trendsinlending.htm<br />
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/other/monetary/TrendsMay09.pdf<br />
http://www.mbna.co.uk/business/</em></p>
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		<title>Latin America’s Smartphone market to grow to 150 million handset units through 2014</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarketDigest/~3/RYM-turk6fs/latin-americas-smartphone-market-to-grow-to-150-million-handset-units-through-2014.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:44:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Market Digest</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Given the growing interest by operators in smartphones, intensified competition among vendors, and the greater potential for growth in Latin America compared with other regions, the region&#8217;s smartphone segment will represent an opportunity of 150 million handset units over the next five years &#8212; 48 million handsets units in 2014 alone, according to a new [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Given the growing interest by operators in smartphones, intensified competition among vendors, and the greater potential for growth in Latin America compared with other regions, the region&#8217;s smartphone segment will represent an opportunity of 150 million handset units over the next five years &#8212; 48 million handsets units in 2014 alone, according to a new report from Pyramid Research (www.pyr.com), the telecom research arm of the Light Reading Communications Network (www.lightreading.com). </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Smartphones in Latin America: Big Opportunities for Operators and Suppliers examines the potential for growth in Latin America&#8217;s smartphone market, as well as the factors driving this trend, by analyzing operators&#8217; and vendors&#8217; strategies. The 14-page report provides Pyramid Research&#8217;s five-year forecast on smartphone adoption in Latin America and looks at vendor positioning, focusing on three cases, Nokia, Research in Motion, and Apple, while also examining relevant moves by operators and the strategies of the major handset vendors in the market, including marketing campaigns and bundles. Download an excerpt of this report here: http://www.pyramidresearch.com/downloads.htm?id=5&amp;sc=PR070209_INLA1.5. Handset Forecasts are also available for 18 markets in Latin America, tracking handset sell-through by technology, feature set, price tier, and vendor, providing market share for 5 to 6 vendors per country. Learn more here: http://www.pyr.com/mhfcst.htm.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The smartphone segment will become one of the most important sources of data revenue growth over the next five years in Latin America, notes Omar Salvador, Senior Analyst at Pyramid and author of the report. &#8220;The market is still in its infancy, representing only 3 percent of total handset unit sales in 2008; globally the figure was 12 percent,&#8221; he says. &#8220;However, Pyramid predicts the segment will grow from 7 million smartphones sold in 2009, representing 5.4 percent of total handsets sales, to 48 million in 2014, or 30 percent of the total,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;Given that Latin America&#8217;s mobile subscriber growth rate declined from 24 percent in 2007 to 19 percent in 2008, operators are more interested than ever in increasing their ARPS and encouraging smartphone uptake is an excellent approach to reaching that goal,&#8221; Salvador says. &#8220;Vivo, the leading player in Brazil, recently highlighted how crucial the smartphone base is to its data revenue growth, while smartphone vendors are stepping up competition in the region with aggressive tactics, including handset bundles, new models, expanded entry-level portfolios, and close cooperation with operators,&#8221; he adds.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">If competition intensifies among vendors and operators, service bundling becomes more aggressive, the prices of entry-level smartphones fall below US$100, and touchscreen phones become available in the midlevel price category, Pyramid believes smartphones can capture up to 39 percent of total handsets sales in 2014. &#8220;These growth drivers, supported by the growing 3G availability in Latin America, will push the Latin American smartphone market up toward the global average of smartphone handsets as a percentage of total handset sales,&#8221; concludes Salvador.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Smartphones in Latin America: Big Opportunities for Operators and Suppliers is part of Pyramid Research&#8217;s Latin America Telecom Insider report series. Telecom Insiders are packed with trend analysis, industry best practices, market sizing and forecasting, competitor analysis, and case studies, providing you information you can leverage to make better business decisions.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Download an excerpt of this report here: http://www.pyramidresearch.com/downloads.htm?id=5&amp;sc=PR070209_INLA1.5.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span class="label">Source: </span>Pyramid Research</em></p>
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		<title>Employee Confidence Index virtually unchanged in June</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MarketDigest/~3/jBWCFjX45XA/employee-confidence-index-virtually-unchanged-in-june.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:00:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Market Digest</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[The Spherion Employee Confidence Index was virtually unchanged in June, decreasing 0.3 points to 48.0. The Index, which measures workers&#8217; confidence in their personal employment situation and optimism in the economic environment, reveals that although slightly more workers believe the economy is getting weaker and fewer jobs are available, more workers are confident in the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Spherion Employee Confidence Index was virtually unchanged in June, decreasing 0.3 points to 48.0. The Index, which measures workers&#8217; confidence in their personal employment situation and optimism in the economic environment, reveals that although slightly more workers believe the economy is getting weaker and fewer jobs are available, more workers are confident in the future of their current employer.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;Although our latest Index shows little change from last month, it still remains 1.9 points higher than its reading one year ago. With talks of the worst of the recession being behind us, more U.S. workers seem to be taking a middle-of-the-road stance in our latest confidence survey,&#8221; said Roy Krause, president and CEO of Spherion Corporation. &#8220;While there may be signs of a light at the end of the tunnel, a turnaround will not be felt quickly. We are advising our clients that the time to prepare for a rebound is now. Companies that have cut deep into both their front and back office staff will find it incredibly challenging to source, select, and onboard talent quickly in order to grow their business in the recovery. Another factor to consider is the potential number of currently employed workers likely to look for new employment once the economic situation improves. In fact, according to our latest survey of U.S. workers, 47 percent of workers age 18-34 are likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months. This should serve as a message to employers that clear communication and retention efforts should not only be of high priority during good times.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Confidence in Overall Situation:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The Spherion Employee Confidence Index was virtually unchanged in June, decreasing 0.3 points to 48.0. The Index, which measures workers&#8217; confidence in their personal employment situation and optimism in the economic environment, reveals that although slightly more worker believe the economy is getting weaker and fewer jobs are available, more workers are confident in the future of their current employer.</p>
<p class="list" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Confidence in Macroeconomic Environment:</strong></p>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li> Forty percent of workers believe the economy is getting weaker compared to 38 percent in the previous month. Twenty percent of workers believe the economy is getting stronger, showing no change from May.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>Seventy-two percent of workers surveyed believe there are fewer jobs available, increasing one percentage point from May. Conversely, only seven percent of U.S. adult workers surveyed believe there are more jobs available, down one percentage point from May.</li>
</ul>
<p class="list" style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Confidence in Personal Employment Situation:</strong></p>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li> More workers reported confidence in the future of their current employers. Specifically, 66 percent versus 63 percent seen in May.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>Forty-two percent of U.S. adult workers reported confidence in their ability to find a new job, showing no change from the previous month.</li>
</ul>
<p class="list" style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Job Security:</strong></p>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li> Sixteen percent of workers say it is likely they will lose their jobs in the next year, unchanged from May&#8217;s reading.</li>
</ul>
<p class="list" style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Job Transition:</strong></p>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li> Thirty-five percent of workers are likely to look for a new job in the next twelve months, increasing one percentage point from the previous month.</li>
</ul>
<p class="list" style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Confidence by Gender:</strong></p>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li> In June, more men than women (22 percent versus 17 percent) believe the economy is getting stronger.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li> Thirty-four percent of women are likely to look for a new job in the next year, compared to 35 percent of males. When measured against last month&#8217;s results, the percentage of females workers indicating a likelihood to do so increased by one percentage point.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li> More men are confident in the future of their current employer in June. Specifically, 67 percent versus 62 percent in May.</li>
</ul>
<p class="list" style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Confidence by Age:</strong></p>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li> Workers age 45+ were the only age groups surveyed that did not report more confidence in the future of their current employer in June. Workers between the ages of 34 and 44 showed the biggest increase in optimism, rising seven percentage points from May.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li> Only workers age 55+ showed an increase in perceptions about the overall strength of the economy, with 24 percent indicating that they believe the economy is getting stronger in June (compared to 19 percent in May).</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li> Forty percent or more workers across all age groups are confident in their ability to find a new job.</li>
</ul>
<p class="list" style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Confidence by Income:</strong></p>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li> Forty-five percent of workers earning between $50K-$74.9K report that they believe the economy is getting weaker, compared to 34 percent indicating this in May.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li> With the exception of those workers earning more than $75K, the percentage of workers across all income brackets indicating that they are likely to look for a new job in the next year increased from May.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>Approximately one-quarter (24 percent) of workers with incomes less than $35K believe that they are likely to lose their jobs in the next 12 months. This is the highest reading across all income cohorts.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span class="label">Source: </span>Spherion Corporation </em></p>
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		<title>Dump your advertising, get online &amp; save UK jobs</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:12:41 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[UK firms have been advised to dump their advertising and take their brands online to slash costs, reduce job losses and improve competitiveness. 
&#8220;The UK advertising industry sucks GBP18 billion annually from firms to make ads that are increasingly being ignored and deliver no value,&#8221; said Tim Hunt, who has advised firms on marketing for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>UK firms have been advised to dump their advertising and take their brands online to slash costs, reduce job losses and improve competitiveness. </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;The UK advertising industry sucks GBP18 billion annually from firms to make ads that are increasingly being ignored and deliver no value,&#8221; said Tim Hunt, who has advised firms on marketing for more than 25 years.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;With British companies desperate to save money, I&#8217;d advise them to dump their TV, magazine and junk mail advertising immediately and go online,&#8221; said the 45-year-old MD of Flexile http://www.flexile.co.uk - a company that has launched a dynamic press kit http://www.dynamicpresskit.co.uk to help firms get global online visibility.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;The Internet is where buyers now flock to find products and services. However, ad agencies still perpetuate the myth that it&#8217;s an immature environment because they see their easy money disappearing. With good advice, British firms can compete on a national and global scale using the internet &#8230; something a 30-second TV commercial can&#8217;t do,&#8221; said Tim.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">He continued: &#8220;UK firms can&#8217;t afford to foot an GBP18 billion advertising bill. This money must be used to create productive jobs and advertising agencies must adapt or go away,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Last week, Maurice Levy - CEO of Publicis - which owns Leo Burnett and Saatchi &amp; Saatchi - admitted that search engines can deliver more results than a formidable advertising campaign.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Said Tim: &#8220;If he&#8217;s prepared to admit this, then self-serving advertising agencies and old-school marketing managers should also admit to their bosses that they&#8217;ve got it wrong.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Tim also issued a warning to British bosses that their foreign counterparts are &#8220;getting it&#8221; and getting online at a lightening pace. Research by Forbes Insights &amp; Google showed that US business executives now class the internet as their most important information source &#8230; more than personal recommendations, advertising or conferences.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;Fact is, UK firms need to get their brands noticed by search engines if they want to compete. If you can&#8217;t be found on Google, it&#8217;s unlikely you&#8217;ll be found at all,&#8221; said Tim.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In summing up his advice to companies, Tim said: &#8220;Fire your advertising agency and your marketing manager if they don&#8217;t understand blogging, Twittering or Social Networking. It&#8217;s what your customers are doing and getting online with them will be the best saving and investment your company will make this decade.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span class="label">Source: </span>Tim Hunt,Flexile</em></p>
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		<title>Consumer Reports Survey: Over half of homeowners plan remodel projects this year; 65 percent will do some of the work</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:22:59 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[Top 5 Remodeling Headaches and How to Avoid Them 
Consumer Reports latest poll on home remodeling reveals that over the next 12 months, 54 percent of homeowners are planning a remodeling project and nearly two-thirds (65%) plan to do at least some of the work themselves. The most popular types of work include painting (56%), [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Top 5 Remodeling Headaches and How to Avoid Them </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Consumer Reports latest poll on home remodeling reveals that over the next 12 months, 54 percent of homeowners are planning a remodeling project and nearly two-thirds (65%) plan to do at least some of the work themselves. The most popular types of work include painting (56%), designing (39%) and flooring (34%).</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The recent economic downturn has forced 67 percent of homeowners to rethink their plans, with the biggest changes including doing work themselves (42%), fixing or sprucing up what they already have (39%) and remodeling in phases (36%). The biggest reason consumers are cutting back on remodeling is because they simply do not have the money (42%).</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Funding for home remodeling stems from a variety of places, but two out of three (66%) homeowners support their projects with their savings. Others plan to cut back on travel and entertainment (29%), while one out of five (21%) are using a home equity or other loan.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Ninety-one percent of homeowners have already gotten their hands dirty with either a repair or remodeling project. But not all repairs or remodeling projects went smoothly for DIY respondents, with over one third (34%) having at least one regret stemming from trying to fix a broken appliance, installing tile, floors or cabinets.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;Whether homeowners are venturing into a project themselves or plan to hire a professional, you need to lay out a budget, decide what you want most at the end of the project &#8212; and decide what you can live without,&#8221; says Bob Markovich, senior home editor at Consumer Reports. &#8220;The more homeowners know what they&#8217;re getting into, the more money they&#8217;ll save.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Consumer Reports Readers Reveal Top 5 Remodeling Headaches</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">According to the poll, the most popular remodeling projects for homeowners are kitchens (19%) and bathrooms (17%). In another survey, Consumer Reports asked 6,000 readers to reveal what went wrong when they remodeled their kitchens and baths and how much those mistakes added to the overall cost of their projects. Here&#8217;s how to avoid their mistakes and save:</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">1. Don&#8217;t rush in.  Changing plans is the most common, but costliest remodeling gaffe, adding $1,500 to kitchen projects and $650 to bath remodels. Be sure to leave time for research and create a comprehensive plan, listing every product.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">2. Prepare for the unexpected.  There&#8217;s a lot going on behind the walls. Unexpected water damage was an issue with 17 percent of bathroom remodels, while structural problems caused headaches for 10 percent of kitchen projects. A good contractor will be able to anticipate, allowing the homeowner to budget accordingly.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">3. Don&#8217;t chase the low ball.  Contractors are lowering their profit margins due to the tight market, but they often make up their costs in labor or other areas. Readers who went for the lowball ended up spending a median of $1,500 extra for labor on their kitchens and $1,000 extra on their bathrooms. Don&#8217;t sign a contract with a lot of open-ended amounts for products and materials &#8212; these are called &#8220;allowances,&#8221;  in contractor speak.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">4. Get the paperwork in order.  Have the contractor attach copies of his up-to-date license, insurance, and workers&#8217; compensation policies to the written contract. He should also get permits and provide a lien waiver when the job is done; this will keep suppliers from contacting the homeowner for unpaid bills.</p>
<p>5. Focus on the boring bits.  Specifying lighting and placement of trash cans are not much fun, but are critical to the process. For example, the proper exhaust fan will prevent mildew in baths and vent odors in kitchens.</p>
<p><strong>Consumer Reports Remodeling Poll Methodology</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a telephone poll of a nationally representative probability sample of telephone households. 1,002 interviews were completed among adults aged 18+. Interviewing took place over April 16 - April 19, 2009. The margin of error is +/- 3.2% points at a 95% confidence level.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span class="label">Source: </span>Consumer Reports </em></p>
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		<title>U.S. beer sales rank #1 on 4th of July</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:19:58 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[Industry Continues to Generate Billions in Economic Activity Despite Weak Economy 
July 4th continues to be the biggest beer-selling holiday of the year, with sales at supermarkets across the country in 2008 topping 24 million cases during the holiday period, according to The Nielsen Company. These sales, when combined with the activities of distributors, retailers, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Industry Continues to Generate Billions in Economic Activity Despite Weak Economy </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="size-full wp-image-1118 alignleft" style="margin: 10px;" title="beer" src="http://www.marketdigest.biz/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/beer.jpg" alt="beer" width="180" height="241" />July 4th continues to be the biggest beer-selling holiday of the year, with sales at supermarkets across the country in 2008 topping 24 million cases during the holiday period, according to The Nielsen Company. These sales, when combined with the activities of distributors, retailers, and related industries nationwide, help support nearly 1.9 million jobs and generate $190 billion to the U.S. economy annually.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;Independence Day is the perfect time to recognize the contributions our industry makes to the national economy,&#8221; said Jeff Becker, President of the Beer Institute. &#8220;The beer category also offers consumers a broad array of quality products at affordable price points.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">According to an economic impact study commissioned jointly by the Beer Institute and the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA), the beer industry also pays over $41 billion in business, personal and consumption taxes, including $5.4 billion in excise taxes.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Nick Lake, Vice President and Group Director of The Nielsen Company, remarked on the beer industry&#8217;s strong sales throughout the year. &#8220;In these difficult economic times, beer sales have remained relatively steady. July 4th, and the summer months in general, have traditionally been the highest selling period for beer around the country.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Beer&#8217;s retail partners are important contributors to the economy. According to Nielsen, there are over 521,000 beer-selling retail establishments in the United States. The industry&#8217;s economic ripple effect benefits many other industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, construction and transportation whose livelihood depends on beer.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The beer industry also invests significant funds in alcohol abuse prevention programs throughout the year and especially around important holidays like Independence Day. In the past 25 years, brewers and beer importers have invested more than three quarters of a billion dollars on proven, targeted measures that help prevent alcohol abuse.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The complete Beer Serves America Economic Impact study, including state-by-state and congressional district breakdowns of economic contributions, is available at the Beer Serves America Web site, <a class="release-link" href="http://www.beerservesamerica.org/" target="_newbrowser">http://www.beerservesamerica.org/</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span class="label">Source: </span>The Beer Institute </em></p>
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		<title>Companies stockpiling cash, credit access still tight, AFP survey shows</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:05:07 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[42% increase short-term holdings; most move to more conservative vehicles 
With little easing in access to credit, U.S. organizations are continuing to stockpile cash, according the Association for Financial Professionals&#8217; 2009 Liquidity Survey. Almost three-quarters (72%) of companies had increased or maintained their U.S. cash balances during the first part of 2009.
According to the new [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>42% increase short-term holdings; most move to more conservative vehicles </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">With little easing in access to credit, U.S. organizations are continuing to stockpile cash, according the Association for Financial Professionals&#8217; 2009 Liquidity Survey. Almost three-quarters (72%) of companies had increased or maintained their U.S. cash balances during the first part of 2009.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">According to the new AFP survey, 42% of organizations increased their U.S. cash and short-term investment balances between December 2008 and May 2009, while 30% saw no significant change in short-term cash balances. More than a quarter (28%) of organizations saw their U.S. cash and short-term investment balances deteriorate over the six-month period. Organizations with non-investment grade ratings were more likely to have seen their cash and short-term investment balances shrink.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;Despite unprecedented government action, the lack of any significant thaw in short-term credit access is extremely troubling and many companies are reacting by stockpiling cash,&#8221; said Jim Kaitz, President and CEO of AFP. &#8220;While, many organizations with their strong cash positions will be well-positioned once the economy begins to improve, overall economic conditions will not improve until organizations can begin using their cash in activities that foster growth.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The fourth annual AFP 2009 Liquidity Survey was underwritten by The Bank of New York Mellon.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Despite reports of an easing in the corporate credit markets, over half (59%) of respondents indicated that their organizations&#8217; access to short-term credit had not changed significantly since the beginning of 2009. A larger percentage of organizations reported that credit was less available (27%) than those who indicated that credit access had improved (14%). Two-thirds expect their access to short-term credit to remain the same over the next year.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Overall, only one-quarter (27%) of organizations expect to decrease their U.S. short-term cash and investments balances over the next year.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;The turbulence of the present period has had no small impact on the liquidity needs and practices of individuals and corporations worldwide,&#8221; said Eric Kamback, the Bank of New York Mellon&#8217;s CEO of Treasury Services. &#8220;The survey also revealed that many believe the tightening of available credit will persist in 2009, so conservative, safety-based investment strategies can be expected to continue.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Organizations have moved to a more conservative investment strategy for their short-term balances and have reduced the number of vehicles they use for short-term investments, allocating 78% of their short-term investment balances to three safe and liquid vehicles: bank deposits, money market mutual funds and Treasury securities. The use of commercial paper, separately managed accounts and auction-rate securities declined significantly over the past year. While investment policies allow for the use of four or more investment vehicles, on average, organizations use 1.6 investment vehicles compared to 2.4 options in 2008.</p>
<p class="list" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Liquidity Resources:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li> AFP 2009 Liquidity Survey: www.afponline.org/liqreport</li>
<li>Interpretive video: www.afponline.org/liqvideo</li>
<li>More on cash and liquidity management: www.afponline.org/cashsessions</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span class="label">Source: </span>Association for Financial Professionals </em></p>
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		<title>The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index Retreats</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:59:59 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index(TM), which had improved considerably in May, retreated in June. The Index now stands at 49.3 (1985=100), down from 54.8 in May. The Present Situation Index decreased to 24.8 from 29.7. The Expectations Index declined to 65.5 from 71.5 in May.
The Consumer Confidence Survey(TM) is based on a representative sample [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index(TM), which had improved considerably in May, retreated in June. The Index now stands at 49.3 (1985=100), down from 54.8 in May. The Present Situation Index decreased to 24.8 from 29.7. The Expectations Index declined to 65.5 from 71.5 in May.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The Consumer Confidence Survey(TM) is based on a representative sample of 5,000 U.S. households. The monthly survey is conducted for The Conference Board by TNS. TNS is the world&#8217;s largest custom research company. The cutoff date for June&#8217;s preliminary results was June 23rd.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center: &#8220;After back-to-back months of strong gains, Consumer Confidence retreated in June. The decline in the Present Situation Index, caused by a less favorable assessment of business conditions and employment, continues to imply that economic conditions, while not as weak as earlier this year, are nonetheless weak. Looking ahead, Expectations continue to suggest less negative conditions in the months ahead, as opposed to strong growth.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Consumers&#8217; appraisal of present-day conditions was less favorable in June. Those claiming business conditions are &#8220;good&#8221; decreased to 8.0 percent from 8.8 percent, while those saying conditions are &#8220;bad&#8221; increased to 45.6 percent from 44.5 percent. Consumers&#8217; assessment of the labor market was also less favorable. Those stating jobs are &#8220;hard to get&#8221; increased to 44.8 percent from 43.9 percent. Those saying jobs are &#8220;plentiful&#8221; decreased to 4.5 percent from 5.8 percent.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Consumers&#8217; short-term outlook also waned in June. Consumers anticipating an improvement in business conditions over the next six months decreased to 21.2 percent from 22.5 percent, while those expecting conditions will worsen increased to 20.2 percent from 18.0 percent in May.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The job outlook was also more pessimistic. Those anticipating more jobs in the months ahead decreased to 17.4 percent from 19.3 percent, while those anticipating fewer jobs increased to 27.3 percent from 25.6 percent. The proportion of consumers expecting an increase in their incomes declined to 9.8 percent from 10.8 percent.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em>Source: June 2009 Consumer Confidence Survey, The Conference Board </em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="label"></span></p>
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		<title>SHRM reveals the 50 Best small and medium employers to work for in America</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:06:26 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Great Place to Work Institute, Inc. (GPTWI)  announced the nation&#8217;s top 25 small and top 25 medium-sized companies to work for in America. The winners and their rankings were revealed in New Orleans at SHRM&#8217;s 61st Annual Conference and Exposition, the largest gathering of HR professionals [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Great Place to Work Institute, Inc. (GPTWI)  announced the nation&#8217;s top 25 small and top 25 medium-sized companies to work for in America. The winners and their rankings were revealed in New Orleans at SHRM&#8217;s 61st Annual Conference and Exposition, the largest gathering of HR professionals in the world.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Taking the top spot in each category this year are two Wisconsin-based companies: Badger Mining Corporation in the small category, and for a second year in a row, Ultimate Software in the medium-sized.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The annual rankings of the &#8220;50 Best Small and Medium Companies to Work for in America&#8221; are conducted by GPTWI, and are the most comprehensive and authoritative ratings of employee satisfaction and workplace culture. This is the sixth year SHRM and GPTWI have collaborated on the list.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;Top companies know how critically important it is to have a culture that empowers and motivates employees, particularly in this tough economy,&#8221; said SHRM President and CEO Laurence O&#8217;Neil. &#8220;Knowing how to align and engage your employees is an essential part of keeping productivity high and your organization open for business. That&#8217;s why these winners deserve our applause, now more than ever.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&#8220;Companies who are part of the process learn a lot about themselves and a whole community has developed over the years,&#8221; said Dr. Michael Burchell, GPTWI&#8217;s Vice President of Global Business Development. &#8220;The more an organization can leverage the talent of its people and tap into the potential of its culture, the more successful and efficient it will be.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The 50 winners range in size from 50 to 999 workers, with &#8220;small&#8221; companies employing 50-250 and &#8220;medium&#8221; companies employing 251-999 workers. This year, more than 550 companies participated in the selection process, which includes a 57-question survey sent to each organization&#8217;s workforce and a separate questionnaire for management. GPTWI also reviews annual reports, employee handbooks and other materials.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Employee-survey responses counted for two-thirds of each company&#8217;s score. The remaining one-third came from GPTWI&#8217;s evaluation of the company in five areas: credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Full coverage of today&#8217;s award ceremony in New Orleans is available online at www.shrm.org. A list of the winning companies can be viewed at www.greatplacetowork.com. Articles about the winning organizations are available in the July issue of HR Magazine, SHRM&#8217;s flagship publication; in the June issue of Fortune Small Business; and on CNNMoney.com.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Top 25 Small Winners</strong></p>
<p>COMPANY NAME/                    INDUSTRY/                CITY/         ST.</p>
<p>1.  Badger Mining Corporation   Mining and Quarrying    Berlin       WI<br />
2.  Dixon Schwabl Advertising   Advertising &amp; Marketing Victor       NY<br />
3.  SnagAJob.com                Professional Services   Glen Allen   VA<br />
4.  Heinfeld, Meech &amp; Co.       Financial Services &amp; Insurance    Tucson       AZ<br />
5.  McMurry                     Advertising &amp; Marketing Phoenix      AZ<br />
6.  Johnson &amp; Johnson, Inc.     Financial Services &amp;    Insurance Charleston   SC<br />
7.  AutomationDirect.com        Industrial Services     Cumming      GA<br />
8.  Root Learning               Professional Services   Sylvania     OH<br />
9.  Professional Placement      Resources Professional Services   Jacksonville Beach FL<br />
10. DAXKO                       Information Technology  Birmingham   AL<br />
11. Studer Group                Professional Services&#8211; Consulting   Gulf Breeze  FL<br />
12. Navigator Management        Partners Information Technology  Columbus     OH<br />
13. ENGEO Incorporated          Professional Services   San Ramon    CA<br />
14. Seventh Generation          Manufacturing &amp; Production         Burlington   VT<br />
15. Moody, Famiglietti &amp;        Andronico Professional Services   Tewksbury    MA<br />
16. MAYA Design                 Professional Services   Pittsburgh   PA<br />
17. TerpSys                     Information Technology  Rockville    MD<br />
18. Landrum Human Resource Companies      Professional Services   Pensacola    FL<br />
19. InsureMe Financial Services &amp; Insurance     Englewood    CO<br />
20. Clark Nuber                 Professional Services   Bellevue     WA<br />
21. Paramount Staffing          Professional Services   Northbrook   IL<br />
22. Kahler Slater               Professional Services   Milwaukee    WI<br />
23. Bridge Worldwide            Advertising &amp; Marketing Cincinnati   OH<br />
24. McDonough Bolyard Peck      Professional Services   Fairfax      VA<br />
25. RedBrick Health             Health Care             Minneapolis  MN</p>
<p><strong>Top 25 Medium Winners</strong></p>
<p>COMPANY NAME/                    INDUSTRY/                CITY/         ST.</p>
<p>1.  Ultimate Software           Information Technology  Weston       FL<br />
2.  ACUITY                      Financial Services &amp;    Insurance Sheboygan    WI<br />
3.  Holder Construction Company         Construction &amp; Real Estate     Atlanta      GA<br />
4.  Integrity Applications      Incorporated Professional Services   Chantilly    VA<br />
5.  SAGE PRODUCTS, INC.         Health Care             CARY         IL<br />
6.  Development Dimensions International      Professional Services   Pittsburgh   PA<br />
7.  Freese and Nichols, Inc.    Professional Services   Fort Worth   TX<br />
8.  Hoar Construction, LLC      Construction &amp; Real Estate     Birmingham   AL<br />
9.  The Integer Group           Advertising &amp; Marketing Lakewood     CO<br />
10. 4imprint, Inc.              Advertising &amp; Marketing Oshkosh      WI<br />
11. Triage Consulting Group     Professional Services   San Francisco          CA<br />
12. EILEEN FISHER               Retail                  Irvington    NY<br />
13. AMX                         Electronics             Richardson   TX<br />
14. Bowen Engineering Corporation           Construction &amp; Real Estate     Fishers      IN<br />
15. Hilcorp Energy Company      Manufacturing &amp; Production         Houston      TX<br />
16. Ehrhardt Keefe Steiner &amp;    Hottman PC Professional Services   Denver       CO<br />
17. Robins &amp; Morton             Advertising &amp; Marketing Birmingham   AL<br />
18. City Bank                   Financial Services &amp;    Insurance Lubbock      TX<br />
19. Advanced Financial          Services, Inc.               Financial Services &amp;    Insurance Newport      RI<br />
20. Pinnacol Assurance          Financial Services &amp; Insurance   Denver       CO<br />
21. Nevada Federal Credit       Union Financial Services &amp; Insurance    Las Vegas    NV<br />
22. Noblis                      Professional Services   Falls Church         VA<br />
23. Rothstein Kass              Professional Services   Roseland     NJ<br />
24. Parkway Properties, Inc.    Construction &amp; Real     Estate Jackson      MS<br />
25. Minitab Inc.                Information Technology  State College        PA</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span class="label">Source: </span>Society for Human Resource Management </em></p>
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