The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act

If you have been considering a short sale for your home, you?ll be excited to know that the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 was extended through the end of 2013.

The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act extends mortgage cancellation relief for home owners and sellers through disallowing taxes on the portion of their mortgage debt forgiven by their lender.

As short sales have represented a large sector in the housing market of late, the extension is seen by many as key to a continued recovering housing market. According to the U.S. Foreclosure & Short Sales Report? complied by RealtyTrac, the last quarter of 2012, showed short sales as representing 19 percent of residential home sales in the United States. See the full report by clicking here.

According to RealtyTrac Vice President Daren Blomquist, the increase in short sales and distressed properties showed that ?both lenders and at-risk homeowners are realizing that short sales are often a better alternative than foreclosure.? Blomquist went on to explain that had the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act expired, homeowners would have seen their income tax increase since the unpaid loan balance created by the short sale would have been considered taxable income for many home sellers.

With this recent extension, if you are a home owner interested in a short sale for your home, you now have until December 31, 2013 to benefit from the reduced taxes provided by Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act.

Source: http://1sandiegohomesales.com/the-mortgage-forgiveness-debt-relief-act/

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Avis buying Zipcar in $500 million all-cash deal

2 hrs.

Paul A. Eisenstein , The Detroit Bureau

The car-share business has just gotten a big vote of confidence from rent-a-car giant Avis, which is buying Zipcar for $491.2 million.?

The move is the biggest deal yet in the nascent market for alternatives to traditional automotive rental?systems where users might seek a set of wheels for trip of as little as an hour. Founded in 2000, Zipcar is generally seen as the leader in the car-share market and now claims 760,000 members.??

The Detroit Bureau:?Ford Focus Expected to Be #1 Best-Seller for 2012

?By combining with Zipcar, we will significantly increase our growth potential, both in the United States and internationally, and will position our company to better serve a greater variety of consumer and commercial transportation needs,? Avis Chairman and CEO Ronald Nelson said in a statement accompany the Wednesday morning announcement.

The car-sharing concept has begun to revolutionize the rental business, attracting young and often affluent buyers, especially in urban areas and around college campuses. Ford Motor Co. last year announced a partnership that placed hundreds of new Ford Focus models on campuses around the country, an alliance the maker hoped would eventually convince students to buy the car once they graduated.

The challenge for many of the new competitors in the field has been to raise capital to expand, industry experts note.? Zipcar has so far spread into 20 metropolitan markets in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

?It?s a fact of life in those places that people want the convenience of a car but don?t want the hassle of owning one,? noted Dr. David Cole, chairman emeritus of the Center for Automotive Research, or CAR, based in Ann Arbor, ?so, I think the carsharing concept is going to work.??

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The most significant difference between a car-sharing service and a traditional rental company like Avis Budget Group Inc. is in providing community-based access to vehicles that can be rented on a short-term basis, rather than by the day or week.

?We?re targeting a generation that only knows how to buy music by the song so paying for a car by the hour is a natural for them,? Scott Griffith, Zipcar?s chairman and CEO, told TheDetroitBureau.com in an earlier interview.

Several key executives, including Zipcar Chairman Griffith and Chief Operating Officer Mark Norman, are expected to remain with the firm, though they will relocate to new headquarters in Boston.

Zipcar went public in 2011 and in November said it anticipated ending its fiscal year with its first annual profit of $4 million. It had ended the third quarter with a 15% jump in revenue, which climbed to $78 million.

Observers were not entirely surprised by the announcement, especially in light of the consolidation in the overall rental industry.? Rival Hertz just last month locked down a takeover of the Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group.?

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Avis said it expects significant ?synergies? as part of the deal.? It could ease pressure on Zipcar on weekends and other occasions when it struggles to maintain a large enough fleet to meet demand. It could lead the car-sharing company to expand into other metropolitan markets.

Avis itself sees the opportunity to save between $50 million and $70 million through the acquisition ? for which it will pay $12.25 for Zipcar shares, a 49% premium over the December 31, 2012 closing price of $8.24. ?That is still a significant decline from the strike price of $18 a share for Zipcar stock during its April 2011 IPO.

Under Avis, Zipcar will face a number of other car-sharing services, some looking to take even more radical approaches, such as RelayRides.? That services concept not only skips the traditional busy rental counter but allows individual vehicle owners to put their cars, trucks and crossovers on the market for short-term rentals.?

Last summer, RelayRides announced a partnership with General Motors? OnStar service that lets a renter access a vehicle without having to first connect with the owner to get the keys.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/avis-buying-zipcar-500-million-all-cash-deal-1C7785094

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Poland seeks probe of Warsaw stock exchange chief

WARSAW, Poland (AP) ? Poland's treasury minister has asked state officials to investigate the suspended head of Warsaw's Stock Exchange for allegedly abusing his position by trying to secure funds for a movie featuring his girlfriend.

Ludwik Sobolewski was suspended as head of the Warsaw bourse on Dec. 21 following reports that he and a subordinate were involved in soliciting funds for a commercial movie from companies listed on the stock exchange. An extraordinary general assembly of those who have shares in the exchange is to decide Sobolewski's future on Jan. 17.

Treasury Minister Mikolaj Budzanowski said Wednesday the investigation will look at whether Sobolewski used his position to solicit money for purposes unrelated to the stock exchange. The ministry asked the country's main Anti-Corruption Office to investigate.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-02-Poland-Stock%20Exchange/id-45bc320cf10547feb73ab534f0ebdcd1

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Kroger sued over manager's treatment of disabled worker - Business ...

The Kroger grocery chain, headquartered in Cincinnati, is being sued for disability discrimination by a former employee in Texas.

Karl has attention-deficit disorder and is partially deaf. Even so, he had worked his way up to assistant bakery manager by the time he was transferred to a new store. According to an EEOC complaint, Karl?s new manager began a campaign to get him to quit. He demoted Karl and subjected him to a steady stream of abuse, calling him a ?f***ing retarded idiot ... too stupid to live.?

Despite reading and writing at the third-grade level, Karl didn?t back down. In fact, he became the youngest union steward in Kroger history.

After Karl filed grievances, the manager allegedly responded by yelling at him in the grocery aisles, filing a false customer complaint against him and forcing him to work alone on many projects. On one occasion, the manager confiscated his cellphone because he believed Karl was recording the manager?s violations of corporate and union policies.

Karl was fired in December 2011, and filed suit in federal court, alleging disability discrimination. Absent a settlement, this case will go before a jury.

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Nuggets end Clippers' team-record win streak at 17

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin watches from the bench during an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, in Denver. The Nuggets won 92-78. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin watches from the bench during an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, in Denver. The Nuggets won 92-78. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro, right, looks at Chris Paul during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, in Denver. The Nuggets won 92-78 to break the Clippers 17-game winning streak. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul reacts in the final minutes of their 92-78 loss to the Denver Nuggets in an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (8), of Italy, shoots against Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) loses the ball against Denver Nuggets center Kosta Koufos (41) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

DENVER (AP) ? Even the NBA's hottest team can have a bad night.

The Denver Nuggets took advantage of the Los Angeles Clippers' shooting woes Tuesday night, getting 17 points from Danilo Gallinari in a 92-78 victory that snapped the Clippers' franchise-record, 17-game winning streak.

Poor shooting, particularly from 3-point range (5 of 29, 17.2 percent) and the free-throw line (13 of 29, 44.8 percent) doomed the Clippers' streak, the longest in the NBA since the Boston Celtics won 19 in a row from Nov. 15-Dec. 23, 2008. The Clippers avoided matching their season-low in points when Eric Bledsoe hit a jumper in the final seconds.

"Throughout the course of the game, it's tough when you're missing shots, but at the same time you have games like that and you have to figure out how to get around it, which we didn't do," said Blake Griffin, who had 12 points but shot less than 50 percent from the field (4 of 11) for the first time in 18 games.

"That's the result of a game like this. We did a poor job defensively and that carried into our offense with missing shots. It snowballed and just went downhill."

The Nuggets, of course, had something to do with that and Andre Iguodala said the victory against the Clippers, who built their streak in part with a Christmas Day win against Denver in Los Angeles, would help the Nuggets build "our confidence, our swagger.

"The Clippers have been playing with that the last 18 games. That builds into them winning. They have the mentality every night they're going to go out there and win. We've got to build the same thing and try to string along the same type of win streak."

The loss was the first for the Clippers since a 105-98 setback against New Orleans on Nov. 26. It also marked the end of a franchise-record seven-game winning streak on the road.

Kenneth Faried added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, who won their eighth in a row at home.

Bledsoe scored 12 points, DeAndre Jordan had 11 and Chris Paul 10 for the Clippers.

"Maybe two or three of the 3's that we missed, they had a hand in our face," Paul said. "But we got all the shots that we wanted. There are going to be nights like that. It just hasn't happened for a while."

Andre Miller had 12 points and 12 assists for the Nuggets starting in place of point guard Ty Lawson, who has been bothered by tightness in his left Achilles' tendon for the past week and missed a game for the first time this season.

"We don't win this game without Andre," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "He just got us easy baskets, got a lot of guys involved, gave our team a lot of confidence."

Miller wasn't taking all the credit.

"It was a good win against a good team. We beat them every quarter," he said. "It was a weird game, kind of slow. Both teams want to get up and down the court. It was one of those nights where we fell into some easy baskets. We controlled our turnovers and had the energy on our side."

Iguodala helped out at point guard and chipped in with 12 points and eight assists for Denver, which lost 112-100 to the Clippers in Los Angeles on Christmas Day.

After Bledsoe hit a 3-pointer to pull the Clippers within 65-58 with 1:54 left in the third quarter, the Nuggets scored eight of the next nine points, including JaVale McGee's first career 3-pointer at the buzzer to take a 75-59 lead into the fourth quarter. McGee, who had a dunk off an alley-oop from Miller on Denver's previous possession, hadn't even tried a 3-pointer in a game all season until then. He blew on his shooting hand after making the 3 as if to cool it off.

The Clippers got within 87-73 with 4:02 remaining when Griffin made one of two free throws, but the Nuggets, as they did throughout the game, had an answer with Iguodala getting loose in the paint for a slam. The Clippers didn't threaten the rest of the way.

The Nuggets took a 12-point lead with 3:01 left in the second quarter when Faried buried a short hook shot before settling for a 48-43 halftime advantage.

Los Angeles closed the period with a 9-2 run, starting with Paul converting a three-point play followed by Jordan's dunk off a lob from Paul.

NOTES: Clippers PG Chauncey Billups, a former Nugget and native of Denver, missed the game as he continues to recover from a foot injury that has kept him on the sideline this season. ... The Clippers began a stretch of four games in five days that resumes Wednesday in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors. ... The Nuggets improved to 5-1 on New Year's Day. ... Miller had a double-double for the 204th time in his career and the first time this season. ... The Clippers' 17-game streak was the second-longest ever snapped by the Nuggets. The Chicago Bulls were on an 18-game run when the Nuggets beat them on Feb. 4, 1996.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-02-Clippers-Nuggets%20Folo/id-755699f1496143dcb861f1577be2d4df

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Career: Business: Career Advice Articles from EzineArticles.com ...

Is It Realistic to Pursue Your Dream Job Today?

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Are you contemplating changing careers? Mary's story warns us that we need to be thoughtful and cautious when making a dramatic change like this. But there is another way, the way Rhonda took. May we all be Rhonda's!

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You can write yourself a story to figure out what you really want from your job and career. This article tells how Rick did just that. You can too.

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Posted: 28 Dec 2012 09:55 AM PST

Limo and taxi companies want to be know for their prompt, reliable, comfortable and courteous service. This is the heart of the business. There is a great deal of competition in most cities and having great customer service can help a company achieve a good market share. GPS tracking systems can help give a company an edge in customer service.

You Can Do Smart Goal Setting

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 08:49 AM PST

In setting goals, this article will show you how to set goals in a more focused way. Goals should be challenging and encourage one to strive and to make one really push themselves to the next level.

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Do you often find yourself locked out of the opportunities and pay you deserve? If progress toward the career results you desire is slow - you may be following all HR's rules, but doing the exact opposite of how business actually thinks and moves forward.

Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling - How Coaching Can Help Women to Boardroom Success

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 08:02 AM PST

If you're a woman in business with boardroom aspirations the latest figures on female directorships are not encouraging. Despite big strides in the equalisation of both opportunity and pay across the workplace, the number at the top of UK business is still embarrassingly small.

Source: http://golek-enem.blogspot.com/2012/12/business-career-advice-articles-from_28.html

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Top 5 Kids Apps: Best Games

1. Bugs and Bubbles

Ages 3-up Overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars Why we like it: Fun, fast and good for building emerging math skills, Bugs and Bubbles contains 18 leveled sorting, classification games set in Uncle Bob's Bubble Factory. The goal is to collect stickers by harvesting bubbles, requiring kids to apply skills of counting, sorting and remembering patterns in an elegant fashion. Need to know: The better you do, the greater the challenge, and progress can be saved over time on different devices. Watch a video review of this app here. Ease of use: 10/10 Educational: 10/10 Entertaining: 10/10 $2.99

Click here to view this gallery.

[More from Mashable: 7 Bad Moves That Hurt Facebook in 2012]

Chris Crowell is a veteran kindergarten teacher and contributing editor to Children's Technology Review, a web-based archive of articles and reviews on apps, technology toys and video games. Download a free issue of CTR here.

While you're at the grownup table this holiday season, the kids could be eating their vegetables and sitting quietly -- what's more likely is they'll be playing on their smart devices.

[More from Mashable: 40 Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed]

So we've rounded up the best 5 games that were included in this year's Top 5 Kids Apps. All these games are not only a lot of fun, they're also educational for your kids. The top game, Bugs and Bubbles, got 5 stars out of 5 for its perfect mix of entertainment and math teaching. There's also room for pure fun with games like Build and Play and Rush Hour.

SEE ALSO: Mobile Apps Under Scrutiny: Is Your Kid's Privacy at Risk?

Our friends at Children's Technology Review shared with us these 5 top apps from their comprehensive monthly database of kid-tested reviews. The site covers everything from math and counting to reading and phonics.

Check back next week for more Top Kids Apps from Children's Technology Review

Photo via Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/top-5-kids-apps-best-games-165504126.html

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