Hard Drive Data Recovery

Ref : http://www.datarecovery.net/hard-drive-recovery.aspx

ACE Data Recovery provides hard drive recovery on a full range of hard disk drives including internal and external hard drives of all sizes, makes and models. Never assume that data on your hard drive was lost forever, no matter what it has been through. We can retrieve any data even from storage devices that other data recovery companies deem “unrecoverable”.

No matter what type of hard disk you have, we’ll perform an initial diagnostic for free. After the evaluation of your media and determining what steps are necessary to complete your hard drive recovery, we will contact you with an all-inclusive quote. No work will be done without your approval.

Hard Disk Recovery - Different Systems, Different Techniques

Hard Drive Recovery Hard drives with different architectures can be similar, but each type also has its own "favorite" failures and different techniques to handle:
Desktop Hard Drive Recovery
Laptop Hard Drive Recovery
Enterprise Hard Drive Recovery
External (Portable) Hard Drive Recovery
Retrieving Data from Physically Damaged Hard Disk Drives
If a hard disk is inaccessible, we first test the components and closely examine drive platters to determine the extent of physical damage. These steps enable us to layout a course of action for each individual drive.

Hard Drive Recovery

ACE Data Recovery engineers perform free evaluation and all hard drive recovery procedures in our Class 100 Clean Rooms. They are designed to maintain exceptional air purity, containing less than 100 airborne particles larger than 0.5 microns in each cubic foot of air. Such an environment is vital for protecting the sensitive internal components of hard drives.

We follow only non-destructive hard drive data recovery processes that include drive sectors cloning. This means that we’ll pull data from your drive on a sector by sector basis and work directly on the clone. This procedure ensures that the drive is not damaged any further and that a second image of the original structure can be acquired if needed.

Inaccessible data might be experiencing logical and/or physical hard drives failures. The process of getting data back from a logically damaged file system requires the use of data recovery software. Our Research & Development team has developed its own software to salvage our clients’ data. No special physical equipment or environment is required in such situations.


Windows (any flavor!)
Any Apple MAC OS
Linux
DOS
UNIX (select families)
VMware
Novell

How to sell annuities

Have an annuity payment that you want to trade in for cash now? Well today you can cash in your annuity with “CIYA” the leader in fast payouts for annuitants. Are program designated to purchase your annuity payments are facilitated and limited to residents of the United States so if you are in Canada, Mexico, or Central America then we are not easily able to facilitate a deal for yourself.

When you decide it’s time to raise money for a quick lump sum payment we are here to help at CIYA. Whether it’s money being used to help your family get their first home, starting a new business to become the next Donald Trump, or paying off student debt we are here to help you with the best solution and highest payout possible. You can sell part or all of your future annuity payments.
A Deferred annuity payment is not helpful to our clients who need cash now. While the asset grows and is tax deferred and distributes payments as a periodic payment, lump sum pay out, and or annuitization.

Some of the benefits of keeping your annuity is that your money can continue to grow tax deferred, is almost always AAA rated paper backed by the biggest insurance companies in the world, is guaranteed against losses and hedging your downside on your investment portfolio, income lasts and is reliable.

Why You Should Sell Your Annuity Payments

Some of the big drawbacks far outweigh the benefits and thus why we offer to purchase annuity payments from clients to help them when they need it most. The complexity of these financial instruments come with very expensive fees and are hard for most individuals to understand, you end up giving up the lump sum payment option if you purchase an immediate annuity or decide that you want to annuitize your deferred annuity contract, your cash is tied up and you can’t get to it unless we help you to facilitate a sale, Surrender charges and IRS do cause big penalties if you want to take money out before you turn 60 years of age.

How to Find a Buyer for Your Annuity

Evaluating Your Annuity

Determine whether or not your annuity is transferable.

If your annuity is not transferable, then you cannot sell it under any circumstances. Check your contract to see if it is transferable. If you are trying to get immediate funds, list your nontransferable annuity as an asset or form of income and apply for a bank loan.

Determine if your annuity is a structured settlement.

Check your contract or consult your accountant to learn about the laws in your state. Most states have laws that protect people trying to sell their structured annuity. If your state has a Structured Settlement Protection Act, your transaction will have to be approved by a state court. The Periodic Payment Settlement Act protects claimants, who received a cash sum as a result of personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits, from quickly depleting their assets, and turning to public assistance to meet their needs.

Don’t try to sell a structured annuity by yourself, especially if you are living in a state that does not have a structured annuity protection law. Talk to a trusted broker and attorney before you proceed.

Evaluate your annuity.

Before you shop around for annuity buyers, find out what the resale value of your annuity is. Hire an accountant if you are unclear on the details of your investment and its relative worth. Keep in mind that selling your annuity always result in your receiving a lower amount of money from your annuity. You will get a lump-sum payment that is adjusted with a discount rate, meaning that you'll get about 8 to 14 percent less than you would if you waited for the payments

Understand the tax implications of selling your annuity.

All annuities offer tax-deferral from the time of your initial investment. Your distributions, however, are taxable. This means that your annuity grows tax-free in the accumulation phase, but is taxed as distributions are made to you. These payments are taxed as ordinary income.

Gains made by selling your annuity before it matures are taxable as ordinary income. However, losses on the sale are not tax-deductible as investment losses.

If you withdraw from an annuity before age 59.5, you are also charged a 10% tax penalty. However, exceptions are made in various cases, such as the death or disability of the annuity holder.

You can also trade your annuity for another qualified annuity contract without paying taxes on the first annuity. These "1035" exchanges can be tricky, so check with a tax accountant or investment adviser before proceeding

Deciding What Kind of Sale to Make

Decide what type of funding you are trying to get from your sale. Investigate the various ways annuity buyouts are made. Remember that no matter what kind of deal you make, the buyer will get the better deal in the long term. You will likely be offered anywhere from 60% to 85% of the value of your annuity. With this in mind, consider alternatives to selling your annuity.

If you are just selling your annuity to free up some cash, taking out a loan might better serve your purposes.

Consider selling as a straight purchase. If you sell as a straight purchase, the buyer will give you one lump-sum payment for your annuity. You will not go on to collect future payments. Choose to sell as a straight purchase if you are trying to get the largest immediate sum possible, or if you have determined that your annuity is not serving its purpose.

If you sell an annuity contract, you will have to pay ordinary income tax on your annuity's earnings.

Consider selling as a partial purchase. In this case, the buyer purchases your immediate annuity payments for a set period. At the end of that time, you once again collect your annuity payments as scheduled. Consider this option if you have a temporary shortage of cash, but would like to continue investing in your retirement.

Consider selling as a reverse purchase. Sell several years of your annuity. For example, if you are now receiving $1,000 per month for the next 15 years, sell your payments from years 5 through 10 only. You will get a lump sum for those years, but still receive your current payments up through year 4. You will then receive no monthly payments in years 5 through 10, but they will resume in years 11 through 15.

Know that this will result in a lower overall payout from your annuity. You will get the money for the sold years up front, but it will be lower than the total value of the payments from those years.

You also need to be sure of the value of the future payments before any deals are made.

This might be a good option if you need money now, but know you will be able to support yourself during an upcoming time period.

Consider selling as split purchases. If your buyer makes a split purchase, they will receive part of your monthly payment. If you only need $500 a month and your annuity payment is $1,000, sell half your annuity; you will get an immediate lump sum for the half you don't need, and continue to receive monthly payments of $500.

Even though you've only sold half the annuity, you will still pay ordinary income taxes on the deferred earnings and any gains made on the sale.

Making the Sale

Search for potential annuity buyers. Try to obtain offers from at least five companies before you choose. Ask your insurance agent for recommendations. Search online for reputable companies. When you find companies online, use their quote form to get a free quote from them. A quote is not necessarily the amount you would receive, and it may not include the fee that may be deducted when a settlement is reached.

When you fill out the free quote form, give them only the standard information. Your name, email address and the name of your annuity should be the only information they ask for.

Do not give your social security number, bank information, or pay any fees to obtain a free quote.

Give yourself as much time as you can to make the sale. A rushed sale is less likely to get you a good deal.

Hire a broker.

If you are having trouble finding potential buyers, or if you can't find the price you think is reasonable, hire a broker. You’ll have to pay a brokerage fee, but you may stand to gain from the expertise of the broker's negotiations. Choose your broker carefully. Check their certifications to ensure that they are licensed to negotiate the sort of sale you want to make.

Ask the broker you want to hire for a quote. If they quote you a percentage, calculate it before you agree.

Look up the name of a broker you haven't worked with before. Any violations or complaints they have might be online.

Pick the best offer. Getting an offer of about 80% of the value of your annuity would be considered a good deal. Do not take a deal in which your buyer expects you to pay fees out of pocket before a settlement is agreed upon. Once you have finalized your agreement, all agreed upon court costs, legal fees and commissions should be deducted from the final settlement.

Gather your paperwork. To sell your annuity, you will need copies of your original annuity application and your annuity policy. If you are already collecting on your annuity, you will need your most recent disbursement check and tax return. If you have a settlement agreement, you will need a copy of that. Bring your valid government issued id, such as a passport or driver's license, and a written declaration that you are selling your annuity of your own free will.

Gather any other documentation your buyer requires, such as a copy of a court judgment for a structured annuity, or copies of any release agreements.

How Do Tax Deductions Work When Donating a Car ?

Donating your car to charity can result in significant tax savings if you include it in your charitable contribution deduction. However, doing a little planning will ensure that you maximize the tax savings of your donation. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires you to calculate your deduction in one of two ways, depending on how the charity uses your donation. Deductions for cars the charity sells are limited to the sales price. In all other cases, you can use the car's fair market value.

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Step 1: Find out how much the charity sold the car for

Use the price the charity obtains for your car in a sale as the amount of your deduction. For example, if the charity sells the car at auction for $3,000, your deduction is limited to $3,000, even if the fair market value is $4,500. However, if the charity sells the car at a discount to a needy individual or keeps the car for its own internal use, then you can claim a deduction for its fair market value.

Step 2: Determine the car's fair market value

The IRS suggests that you use a reputable used-car price guide to calculate your deduction when using fair market value. For example, go to your local library and obtain a recent copy of the Kelley Blue Book. Search the private party prices for your vehicle based on its make, model and overall condition. This type of search can be done on the Internet as well.

Step 3: Claiming the deduction

Report the amount of your deduction on line 17 of Schedule A. Since you can only claim a deduction for your car donation if you itemize, the total of all your eligible expenses on Schedule A must exceed the standard deduction amount for your filing status.

If you use TurboTax to prepare your taxes, we’ll help you determine which filing status will get you the biggest tax savings.

Step 4: Additional forms you'll need

Complete Form 8283 if your car donation deduction is more than $500. If your deduction is between $501 and $5,000, you must complete Section A. If your deduction is greater than $5,000, you must complete Section B. If you complete Section B, you must also obtain a written appraisal as documentation.

Again, if you use TurboTax, we’ll ask simple questions and fill in all the right forms for you.

Tips

• If the charity sells your car sells for $500 or less, you can deduct $500 or your car’s fair market value, whichever is less. For example, if your car is valued at $650 but sells for $350, you can deduct $500.
• Most charities will report the sales price of your car to you on Form 1098-C.

Warnings

• You must have documentation of your donation. At a minimum, the documentation you receive from the charity must include your name, the vehicle identification number, the date of your donation and a statement describing the goods and services you received, if any.

TIPS DONATE OLD CARS TO CHARITY

A charity that uses a donated vehicle for transportation or hauling goods obviously benefits directly from such a donation. However, in many cases donated cars will be sold en masse, either by the charity itself or by a dealer to raise funds for the charity. In the case of a dealer, the charity generally receives a flat fee per car, sometimes as little as $45 per car.

Listed below are tips for donors who would like to donate a car to charity. Beware that the donor's tax deductions for car donations may be limited to the price at which the charity sold the car.

To receive the maximum tax deduction on your car donation, and to receive the satisfaction that the full value of the car benefits a charitable purpose, give it to a charity that will use the vehicle in its operations or will give it to a person in need. Otherwise, your tax deduction will not be based on the fair market value, but will be limited to the amount of money the charity receives from the sale of your car. If the charity you are donating to does sell the vehicle, ask what percentage of the proceeds they receive. See Car Donations: Taking Taxpayers for a Ride for more.

Ask if the charity accepts car donations directly, without involving a third party. If possible, drive the vehicle to the charity instead of using a towing or pickup service. This will allow the charity to keep the full amount of any proceeds from selling the car.

Make sure the charity is eligible to receive tax deductible contributions. Ask for a copy for your records of the organization’s IRS letter of determination which verifies its tax exempt status.

Be sure that you get a receipt from the charity for your car donation.

Be aware that non-cash donations are one of the most common triggers to an audit by the IRS, so you’ll want to document the value of the car and keep records of it.

If the car is worth more than $500, the donor must complete Section A of IRS Form 8283 and attach it to their tax return. Donors are required to file with his/her tax return a written acknowledgement from the charity. If the charity sells the car, the charity must provide the donor with a certification that the car was sold at "arms length" between unrelated parties and the sale price of the car within 30 days. In this case, the donor's tax deductions will be limited to the total amount the charity sold the car for. If the charity does not sell the car, it must provide the donor with a receipt within 30 days of the contribution. The charity may also be required to provide certification to the donor stating how it plans to use or improve the car and stating that it promises not to sell or transfer the car. Penalties are imposed on charities that provide fraudulent acknowledgements to donors.

If the car is worth $5,000 or more, an independent appraisal is necessary. The donor must also fill out Section B of IRS Form 8283. For cars worth less than $5,000, use the Kelley Blue Book, the Hearst Black Book, or a guide from the National Auto Dealers Association (NADA) to determine the market value. Make sure you use the correct figure for the date, mileage, and condition of your car. Picking the highest figure for your car model and year without taking into account other factors may not pass muster with the IRS.

Take pictures of the car and save receipts for new tires or other upgrades to verify its value.

Remember, it is the donor, not the charity, who is obligated to value the car and who will pay the penalties if an IRS challenge finds your figure inaccurate.

Give monthly to end the preventable deaths of children

Every day, children die needlessly from preventable causes—and they don’t have to. UNICEF takes proven, low-cost methods that save children’s lives and makes them available regardless of income, ethnicity or location.

Donate to Operation USA
Countless children and families at home and abroad benefit from Operation USA's long-term health, education and youth development programs following disasters and during times of extreme need. Together, we're building a better future for vulnerable communities worldwide. Thank you for your meaningful gift today!

By making a tax-deductible monthly donation of $5, $10, $15 or any amount to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF today, you can provide children with:

Lifesaving vaccines and insectide-treated bed nets
Emergency relief following natural disasters
Educational opportunities and School-in-a-box kits
And much more

Ref : https://www.unicefusa.org/donate/give-monthly-end-preventable-deaths-children

How Mortgages Work in the US

The mortgage industry works a little differently in the US than it does in many other parts of the world. Mortgage loans are treated as commercial paper, which means that lenders can convey and assign them freely. That results in a situation where financial institutions bundle mortgage loans into securities that people can invest in. The purpose of this system is to quickly free up money for the financial institutions to lend out in the form of new mortgages. The US also has a number of government-sponsored enterprises, such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, that exist to facilitate this system. Most mortgages have fixed rates, which is also a departure from the variable rates that are commonly found in Europe and elsewhere.

 How Mortgages Work in the US
Applying for a Mortgage Loan in the US
When you apply for a mortgage loan in the US, you will typically deal with an underwriter. Most underwriters work for banks, but you can also choose to work with a brokerage. Mortgage brokers don't provide loans directly, but have relationships with a number of lenders. Regardless of the type of underwriter you work with, you will typically be required to:

• submit to a credit check.
• verify your employment and income.
• list your places of residence over the past two years.
• document your savings, checking, and other financial account information.
• provide a copy of your purchase and sale agreement.

In some cases, you may not be required to provide all of that information. Some loans are referred to as low doc or no doc because they don't require you to prove any of the statements that you make to your underwriter. These loans are normally more expensive, but can be easier to obtain. Additionally, you can obtain a preauthorization before you submit an offer on a home you would like to buy. That can speed up the process, and also shows the seller that you are serious about the purchase.

Most mortgage loans in the US require a significant down payment. Traditional mortgages often call for down payments of 20 percent, but larger amounts are usually required for low doc and no doc loans. It's also possible to obtain 100 percent financing if you qualify for it.

Taking Advantage of a Competitive Marketplace
If you're interested in buying real estate in the US, the most important point to remember is that the mortgage lending market is extremely competitive. The overall interest rates are similar to those found in many European countries, but there is a lot of competition between different banks and brokers. That's why it's vital to shop around before you settle on a lender.

One of the easiest ways to obtain a mortgage loan is to work with your existing bank. If you already have a relationship with a bank in the US, the process of applying for a mortgage is relatively painless. However, you may find that your bank can't provide you with the best possible deal. It can pay off to speak with underwriters at different financial institutions. In addition to mortgage rates, you should also ask them about their origination fees and various closing costs and fees.

Mortgage brokers deal with many different lenders, so they can often find the best deals. However, it's sometimes less expensive to deal directly with a bank. When dealing with an underwriter at a mortgage brokerage, it's especially important to ask about the additional fees they charge.

Fixed Vs. Variable Mortgage Rates
Most loans in the US are fixed-rate mortgages. That means you're locked into a single mortgage rate for the entire duration of your loan. If interest rates drop, you'll have to refinance to take advantage of the situation. Variable-rate loans are available, but it's important to make sure you understand the terms of that type of mortgage.

Variable-rate loans are typically referred to as adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) in the US, and they are often available at lower interest rates than fixed-rate mortgages. However, the interest rate associated with an ARM can increase quite drastically. In exchange for a low initial rate, you assume the risk of any potential increase.

Building Equity
After you have obtained a mortgage loan, you will start to build equity in two different ways. A portion of each mortgage payment will go toward the principal, which decreases the amount you owe to your lender. You can also build equity if the value of the home increases. In either case, you can access that money through a special type of loan.

Home equity loans are also referred to as second mortgages because you use your equity as collateral. If you obtain a home equity term loan, you will receive a lump sum and will have to make a monthly payment. You can also apply for a home equity line of credit, which provides you with access to a revolving account. That allows you to withdraw and repay money over the course of a specific period of time.