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I’ve been to some European snowboarding fields for example Les Contamines-Montjoie, Bessans, La Chavanette and Tignes-les-Brevieres, however altogether through all the group’s ski holidays Chamonix Mont Blanc has to be my favourite resort to go for ski holidays Europe.

The place of birth of French Alpine history and dwelling to the mind boggling Mont Blanc - at 4807m European Unions’ loftiest point - Chamonix village vaunts a unmatched snow register, a endless skiing season (Dec-May), unmatched extreme telemarking, and sights to die for. Moreover Chamonix town has an multinational renown since it has a few of the most outstanding, intriguing, and elating alpine skiing on hand anywhere in the Earth.

Chamonix town is big as well as disconcerting, and that is before we figure in the close skiing fields; for example Val-d’Isere, Hautacam, Super Besse, Luz Ardiden and Val Thorens.

The Mont Blanc Unlimited skiing pass includes nine local, and twelve territorial skiing towns; on pistes as high as 3844 metres, over 200 snowboarding lifts, and 750 km of ski pistes - with the bulk of the snowboarding domains above 2050 metres. It caters for each grade from novices right through to experts. Visit our skiing mountains page for detailed look at each of the main mountains: Les Menuires, Grand Massif, Brevent, La Plagne, Verchaix and Les Houches.

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Turning the television world flat on its head, The Flintstones became the first animated hit series in prime time history. Set in the Stone Age town of Bedrock, the show explored the lives of ancient cave dwellers through the lens of a modern lifestyle, with bird beaks acting as phonograph needles, elephant trunks as vacuum cleaners, and fireflies as light bulbs. With its measured use of top-grade humor and clever visuals, The Flintstones became an instant smash hit - spawning decades of syndicated re-runs, spin-offs, and thousands of derivative products…

The Flintstones (Season 3) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “Dino Goes Hollyrock” in which Fred hears about a tryout for a new animal star on a hit TV show. He trains Dino for the part, but gets more than he bargained for when the director gives Dino the lead… Other notable episodes from Season 3 include “Baby Barney” in which Barney pretends to be Fred’s baby after Fred tells his rich Uncle Tex he named his son after him, and “The Surprise” in which Fred is jealous of Barney’s attention to his visiting nephew, at least until Wilma reveals to Fred that a baby of their own is on its way…

Below is a list of episodes included on The Flintstones (Season 3) DVD:

Episode 61 (Dino Goes Hollyrock) Air Date: 09-14-1962
Episode 62 (Fred’s New Boss) Air Date: 09-21-1962
Episode 63 (Invisible Barney) Air Date: 09-28-1962
Episode 64 (Bowling Ballet) Air Date: 10-05-1962
Episode 65 (The Twitch) Air Date: 10-12-1962
Episode 66 (Here’s Snow in Your Eyes) Air Date: 10-19-1962
Episode 67 (The Buffalo Convention) Air Date: 10-26-1962
Episode 68 (The Little Stranger) Air Date: 11-09-1962
Episode 69 (Baby Barney) Air Date: 11-09-1962
Episode 70 (Hawaiian Escapade) Air Date: 11-16-1962
Episode 71 (Ladies Day) Air Date: 11-23-1962
Episode 72 (Nuttin’ but the Tooth) Air Date: 11-30-1962
Episode 73 (High School Fred) Air Date: 12-07-1962
Episode 74 (Dial S for Suspicion) Air Date: 12-14-1962
Episode 75 (Flash Gun Freddie) Air Date: 12-21-1962
Episode 76 (The Kissing Burglar) Air Date: 01-04-1963
Episode 77 (Wilma, the Maid) Air Date: 01-11-1963
Episode 78 (The Hero) Air Date: 01-18-1963
Episode 79 (The Surprise) Air Date: 01-25-1963
Episode 80 (Mother-In-Law’s Visit) Air Date: 02-01-1963
Episode 81 (Foxy Grandma) Air Date: 02-08-1963
Episode 82 (Fred’s New Job) Air Date: 02-15-1963
Episode 83 (The Blessed Event) Air Date: 02-22-1963
Episode 84 (Carry On, Nurse Fred) Air Date: 03-01-1963
Episode 85 (Ventriloquist Barney) Air Date: 03-08-1963
Episode 86 (The Big Move) Air Date: 03-22-1963
Episode 87 (Swedish Visitors) Air Date: 03-29-1963
Episode 88 (The Birthday Party) Air Date: 04-05-1963

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of The Flintstones (Season 3) DVD.

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The Office of Fair Trading has issued a demand for a change in the law restricting the use of credit card cheques. These cheques have been around for about 10 years and are designed to allow people to transfer funds into another of the cardholder’s accounts or make payments using their credit card accounts without the use of the card itself. They have however come under fire for a variety of reasons and are widely disliked by both financial watchdogs and the public alike.

Last year, Richard Brown the chief executive of credit card comparison site Moneynet, warned, “We have always advised consumers to avoid credit card cheques like the plague. Many people have no idea that these cheques carry extra charges and do not work like the credit card in their wallet. It’s unethical and irresponsible.”

Which? has welcomed the comments from the OFT which called credit card cheques a rip-off. Which? is particularly critical of the widespread industry practice of sending out unsolicited credit card cheques in the post whether they are wanted by cardholders or not.

Mike Naylor of Which? said, “We want unsolicited credit card cheques to be banned, especially as we have found that companies use them to encourage indebtedness, for example cheques have been sent out with marketing literature suggesting they can be used to pay for holidays or gifts.”

Richard Brown stated, “Many people will be feeling the pinch as all the bills start to roll in, and will be tempted to use these cheques - but they could find it an expensive option,” he also added, “At four times the base rate, consumers may want to think twice before using these cheques. And don’t forget, users also forfeit the benefit of the lengthy interest free periods available on standard credit card spending.”

Financial information site - Motley Fool, pointed out that, “You also don’t get the same degree of protection as you do when you use the actual credit card where card providers are equally liable for a breach of contract by the supplier in respect of items worth between £100 and £30,000.”

Many users do not know that interest starts to be accrued straight away, according to recent research, and many people are unaware that the interest rate is higher than the standard charges for using their credit card in the conventional manner.

The OFT agrees with Which? in calling for the law to be changed and suggests that the cheques should not be sent out without the card holder’s explicit consent.

Action does appear to be starting on this issue however. In November a Department of Trade and Industry discussion paper noted that a “Treasury Select Committee recommended an end to the unsolicited issuing of credit card cheques so that they would not be issued unless the customer specifically requested the cheques.”

The Association of Payment Clearing Services (Apacs) who represent the credit card industry told BBC News that the lenders were already in the process of putting their own house in order.

Apacs spokeswoman Sandra Quinn said, “The new banking code requires lenders to be more transparent about charges, the OFT research pre-dates this initiative,” and that, “the only area that the industry disagrees with what the OFT says is over its proposal that consumers should have to actively sign an opt-in if they want to receive credit card cheques”.

Disclaimer:

All information contained in this article, is for general information purposes only and should not be construed as advice under the Financial Services Act 1986.

You are strongly advised to take appropriate professional and legal advice before entering into any binding contracts.

Useful resources:

Credit card comparisons - Moneynet ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk/credit-card/credit-card.shtml )
Financial information site - Motley Fool ( http://www.fool.co.uk/decisioncentre/creditcards/transfers.aspx )

Richard lives in Edinburgh, occasionally writing for the personal finance blog - Cashzilla, and talks to himself a lot.

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In my previous article “Establishing Credit - What You Need To Know Part 1″ I discussed the need for a good credit history and what lenders were looking for prior to loaning an individual money or additional funds based on their credit history. This article will go into the necessary steps someone needs to take in order to initially establish their credit history.

The first and easiest step is to show any potential lenders that you actually know how to handle money. This can be easily achieved by opening either a savings or checking account (opening both would be better) in your name. As you successfully use these accounts you will prove to a lender that you can handle money and are ready for the increased responsibility that comes with having additional credit.

Another means of establishing credit actually involves borrowing funds and then paying them back over time without any late payments. Although this method to establishing a good credit history is quicker and very effective when compared to the long drawn out procedure of making withdraws and transfers to your savings/checking account it comes with the drawback of the cost associated with obtaining the loan in the first place. If you’re having trouble obtaining a loan but still wish to use this method to establish your credit history then seek out a friend or relative with known good credit and have them cosign on a loan for you. Remember this is asking a lot from that individual so please don’t abuse the trust they put into your ability to repay the loan on time and without problems.

Other popular methods of establishing credit include applying for credit cards or department store cards. Again, although this method is very effective for establishing credit (provided you make your payments on time) it could be costly if you start to carry a balance on these cards. Always check to see that there is no annual fee and make sure you are aware of the financial charges imposed against you if you should decide to carry a balance on any card you have. Obviously the best plan is to always pay your balance off in full each and every month. This allows you to build your credit history and avoid being buried under a mountain of high interest debt.

A word of caution - identity theft and credit theft is a very real and dangerous problem in today’s society so you want to make sure you do everything you can to protect your newly established credit history. Always make sure to secure your credit cards and never let anyone obtain your personal identification number (PIN). If you have numerous credit cards avoid carrying them all at once. Instead just carry the card you normally use and file the rest away in a safe place. Always make sure to keep information such as contact numbers and account numbers of the cards you have been issued. This will help you if you ever lose or have a card stolen.

If you find that you have lost a card or had it stolen simply contact the company that issued the card and report your situation. If the card hasn’t been used prior to your reporting it lost or stolen then you’re relieved of any future financial liabilities against the card. If it has been used prior to your reporting then you may be held accountable for up to $50. Finally, always be cautious about who you give your account number to and remember to keep all receipts and records that are associated with that particular card.

Establishing a good credit history isn’t that difficult if you start small and work your way up. It will take some time but if you do it right it will definitely pay off in the future and allow you the opportunity to obtain credit for the items you really want to purchase or may really need.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Debt-Relief-Solutions.com He provides more debt relief, consolidation and free credit counseling information that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

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Unfortunately, this is the case for many graduating students.
You may have seen recent reports and news stories about enormous student credit card debt. Or worse, you may be experiencing it firsthand! You are not alone.

According to Nellie Mae, a leading provider of higher education loans, a study of last year’s student loan applicants showed:

Graduate Student Credit Card Debt

- Students with no Credit History 1%

- Students with a Credit History having no Credit Cards 4%

- Student with a Credit History and had Credit Cards 95%

Of the 95% who have credit cards:

- Average number of credit cards = 4

- Average credit card debt = $4,776 (median=$3,068)

- 20% have credit card debt between $6,000 - $15,000

- 6% have credit card debt greater than $15,000

Undergraduate Student Credit Card Debt

- Students with no Credit History 12%

- Students with a Credit History having no Credit Cards 10%

- Student with a Credit History and had Credit Cards 78%

Of the 78% who have credit cards:

- 32% have four or more cards

- Average number of credit cards = 3

- Average credit card debt = $2,748 (median=$1,236)

- 13% have credit card debt between $3,000 - $7,000

- 9% have credit card debt greater than $7,000

So what’s the lesson? It’s doen’t necessary mean that you spend too much money, that’s your own private issue. It’s about beeing aware and spend sensibly, with a wise use of your credit card. Debt can sneak up on you quickly. Below are a few tips to keep your debt in check.

Use cash instead of plastic whenever possible. A lunch at the student union here, a night on the town there…it all adds up. Keeping your credit cards in your wallet will prevent a nasty surprise at the end of the month and when you graduate.

Debit cards and “secured” credit cards are good alternatives for college students. Debit cards allow retailers to deduct the amount of a purchase immediately from a bank account; they also work at automated teller machines if a student needs cash. Secured credit cards require that the student set up a savings account of several hundred dollars as a backup against a default.

Make sure you understand how fast the penalties for late payments and interest charges can add up on credit cards. For example, if you were making just the minimum 2.5 percent monthly payment on a $1,000 outstanding balance with 19 % interest, it would take seven years to repay and cost $730 in interest.

Don’t forget your huge student loan. You may have a hard time paying off your loan if you’re too busy paying off your Visa or MasterCard accounts.

Establish a sound credit history by clever usage and investigate thoroughly the credit cards that are especially intended for students, or maybe even choose a debit card!!!

Be smart - use credit card wisely.

Thomas Lindstrom is author and researcher on buy tips and use advice for different kind of credit cards
available on today’s market.

Url: http://www.greatestcreditcardsite.com

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The PLATAMON Bed & Breakfast is very closed to the famous “Riviera di Chiaia” area, the Castel dell’Ovo and exclusive shops and renowned nightclubs, the ideal for tasting neapolitan dishes.
Crossing the pedestrian island in Piazza dei Martiri and Via Chiaia, where you will find high fashion shops and interesting antiquarian boutiques, you arrive at the Palazzo Reale and the Teatro San Carlo: from here it is possible to reach both the historic centre and the Vomero hills.

It’s a few steps from the Molo Beverello and Mergellina from where you can enjoy pleasant trip to Capri, Procida, Ischia, Amalfi and Sorrento.

The name Via Chiatamone derives from the Greek "Platamon" for its numerous coves, today become garages and botteghe, and to the time of the Roman used like reserviors and bathtubs for allevemento of the fish. In the seven hundred a road celebre in all Europe for its villas and its lodges.

The rooms, all very large and with internal bathroom, are comfortable and relaxing. They have extremely vivacious colours and are provided with TV, air conditioning and heating. The rooms are all doubles with the possibility of adding a third and fourth bed.

Where we are:
Arriving by car with the tangenziale highway come out at Fuorigrotta, go through the homonymous gallery, drive along the seafront "Lungomare Caracciolo" then Partenope street, turning left after the hotel Royal you’ll find our B&B in Chiatamone street n°55.

Quality at a cheap price in Naples? Book online and save your money: browse our list of Naples cheap hotels, or compare price for Naples hotels, or make a reservation for a tour in Naples

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Your credit report is a very important piece of the puzzle in your financial picture. It contains a historical record of your personal and financial information including a listing of your current and past debts and the timeliness of your payments. The information contained on your credit report is looked at by many people including lenders, credit card companies, landlords, telephone and cable companies just to name a few. These companies use your credit report to evaluate your reliability and creditworthiness.

With all of these people knowing what is on your credit report - shouldn’t you? Knowing what is on your credit report can save you from unexpected surprises the next time you apply for a loan. Insuring the accuracy of your credit report is also very important. All too often people have found errors on their credit report that were damaging their credit score. Many times people have even been alerted to attempted identity theft by keeping an eye on their credit report.

There are several options when it comes to obtaining a copy of your credit report. For a fee, you can request a copy directly from the credit bureaus. However, with so many free routes that can be taken, there is really no need to pay to receive a copy of your credit report. There are many companies available that will provide you with a copy free of charge. Visit http://www.credit-report-credit-score.com to get a free copy of your credit report and to learn more about managing credit and debt.

Here is what you can expect to see on your credit report. There are four basic sections to the report which are broken down below:

1. Your personal information such as your name, social security number, date of birth, drivers license number, address and telephone number,br>
2. Your credit history which contains a listing of all open and closed credit lines including the original amount of the loan as well as the current balance on the loan, the type of loan (credit card, department store credit, mortgage etc.), the status of the loan whether it is active or closed, and the timeliness of your payments
3. A public records listing that includes any tax liens foreclosures, bankruptcies or judgments filed
4. A listing of inquiries made on your credit report by potential lenders who pull your credit report when considering issuing you a loan or credit card.

If you do find errors on your credit report they can be disputed and corrected. Be aware that this may take some time. That is why it is always recommended to stay on top of things and know what is on your credit report. Being alert and informed will help insure that nothing sneaks its way on to your credit report.

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Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the authors bio paragraph at the bottom of this article is included, the article is published “as is” (unedited) and all URL’s are made active hyperlinks with no syntax changes.

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This article was written by Beth Pardue who has over 10 years of experience in the financial industry assisting clients with assorted financial needs. To learn more about credit reports or to get a free credit report online please visit: http://www.credit-report-credit-score.com

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If you begin foaming at the mouth once a month when you receive your credit card statement, join the millions of Americans that are foaming along with you. There is a growing outrage at the seemingly endless journey towards eliminating the balance on your credit card and that is due primarily to the extravagant interest rates charged by credit card companies.

Your bank is probably touting the super rates it offers on Certificates of Deposit or CDs. “Just deposit $5,000 for 6 months and we’ll give you a ‘whopping” return of 2.83%.” Yet, in contradiction to the low rates banks are willing to pay you for the use of their money, the interest on credit card rates can be 10 times the amount offered on a CD. Why?

The interest rates on savings accounts and CDs are based on competition, the cost to the bank of borrowing money and the expected return on investment to the bank for the use of your money. Because a savings account is liquid, the bank does not know from day to day how much of your money will be available for its use. A CD, on the other hand, requires that you place your money in the bank for a specific amount of time. The longer the time period, the higher the return. That is because the bank has greater flexibility with your money and knows exactly how long they have to work with it.

Credit card companies have been highly successful at convincing government regulators that they need higher interest rates to protect themselves. As opposed to a mortgage loan or home equity loan, credit card companies claim that they do not have any collateral to “secure the loan” they provide to consumers that use their credit cards. If a customer defaults or files for bankruptcy, a credit card company had little recourse to recover the balance due on a credit card account. But a recently passed law now makes it much harder for individuals to eliminate all of their credit card debt by filing personal bankruptcy. Many think this is an unfair advantage for the highly profitable credit card companies.

These companies can be their own worst enemy. Every day consumers throughout the country receive an avalanche of credit card offers that make promises of low interest and high spending limits. Many of the recipients are already strung out with other debts but the credit companies still offer and then provide these high-risk individuals with the desired credit. Talk about using gasoline to try and extinguish a fire.

The practice of paying with plastic can be seductive and addictive and the credit card companies are well aware of it. It is obvious that these companies are doing quite well. They use loopholes to gradually increase interest rates and capitalize on the deceptive “minimum monthly payment” scheme to string consumers along. If you have an ounce of wisdom, you will pay close attention to the credit card offers you receive and the progress of your interest rates as you go month-to-month. It is a quite simple matter to let things get out of control and find yourself at the mercy of Visa and MasterCard.

Terry McDermott is the administrator of a variety of specialized websites. Two of these websites are focused on financial issues. They are Investing and Finance Central at http://www.investing-and-finance.com and Advantage Payday Loans at http://www.advantagepaydayloans.com

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A credit score is most commonly known as a FICO score. FICO stands for Fair Isaacs Corporation. It’s a company that developed the credit scoring software used to evaluate your credit worthiness.

Most lenders use the FICO score to determine whether they should extend to you a mortgage, car loan, credit cards and any other type of credit. The higher your score, the more credit worthy you are. Lenders will know that more than likely, you pay your bills on time. The lower your score, the more risk the lender takes on, guessing that you might not pay the loan on time.

The FICO score ranges from 300 to 850. More than likely, you’ll end up paying a larger monthly payment on your mortgage if your score is below 650. Your credit score, according to MyFico.com, is determined by:

If you don’t have any credit, your credit score can be lower than someone who has had a credit history for several years. When you personally check your credit often, this will not affect your credit score. When existing creditors review your credit, these inquiries are not counted in your score.

Since payment history is 35% of your score, you want to make sure you don’t have a history of late payments on your credit report. The longer your credit history, the better. Having too many new credit accounts open can affect your score negatively.

The bottom line is that a higher FICO score means you are more credit worthy to potential lenders. The lower your score, the greater a risk you are to lenders and therefore, your monthly payments might be higher.

Michelle Roebuck provides mortgage and home buying advice for people with bad credit at http://www.find-bad-credit-mortgage-loans.com.
Sign up for her newsletter at http://www.find-bad-credit-mortgage-loans.com/newsletter.html.

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General operative Manzar Hussain, was injured while working at Lynwood Products at Hopwood Lane, Halifax. Mr Hussain was emptying some rubbish into a skip while balancing on the forks of a fork lift truck to give him the extra height he needed to reach the top of the skip.

After he fell a container he had been emptying fell on top of him causing him further injury. Mr Hussain had been instructed to separate non-recyclable from recyclable rubbish and dump the non-recyclable waste in the skip.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, in the two years that Mr Hussain had worked at the company he had never received any training or instruction on how to empty rubbish into the skip and had improvised his own way to reach the additional ten feet to the top of the container.

He collected the waste placed it into neither a cage or rubbish container, he then raised the full container or cage by using the fork lift. He then climbed up the fork lift to tip the rubbish directly into the skip.

The company admitted that he had never been shown how to empty rubbish into the skip and had never received any formal training for diving a fork lift truck. The company subsequently received a £12,000 fine when they appeared at Calderdale magistrate’s court.

This kind of incident is all too common. Avoid falling into the untrained employee trap by contacting the training experts Workplace Law and find out about their NEBOSH distance learning course.

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