#step 2.2. find job to earn money before getting an actual job | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

weekendwarriorblog · 4 years

Text

The Weekend Warrior February 28, 2020 – THE INVISIBLE MAN, GREED

Welcome to Leap Weekend (if there is such a thing) as we get that one extra day of February for the first time in four years before we leap (get it?) headlong into March’s proverbial lion on Sunday.

This past weekend, 20th Century’s Call of the Wild did far better than anyone had projected as it benefited greatly from being one of the most Disney-friendly movies produced by the former Fox-house, as well as the solid reviews. Even though I probably had one of the highest projections for the weekend at $17 million, it ended up blowing that away with $25 million, coming out just below Sonic the Hedgehog. This coming weekend it might surpass it. Brahms II fell short of my already-low prediction. (Also, Impractical Jokers: The Movie ended up making $2.6 million in 357 theaters last weekend, just missing the top 10. Makes me curious how many more theaters it will expand into this weekend... but we’ll get back to that in a bit.)

Thankfully, this weekend we only get one new wide release, and it’s a good one, as Saw and Insidious co-creator Leigh Whannell takes on HG Wells’ THE INVISIBLE MAN (Universal) with Elisabeth Moss playing the unseen killer’s primary victim, one who believes her toxic and abusive ex Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen from “The Haunting of Hill House”) is dead, but in fact, he’s just invisible! I know, it sounds cornier than it actually is. By the time you read this, I’ll have probably already written my full review so you already know that I kind of dug what Whannell did here.

This will be an interesting test to see if Moss can bring her popularity from shows like “The Handmaiden’s Tale” and “Mad Men” to the big screen since she really hasn’t been the lead in many big studio releases. Obviously, she had a fairly big role in Jordan Peele’s Uslast year, which was also produced by Jason Blum for Universal, and that did decently by opening with $71 million. (That movie got a huge boost by being Peele’s follow-up to the Oscar-winning Get Out with the amazing Lupita Nyong’o.) A few months later, Moss’ co-starring role in the WB graphic novel-based crime thriller The Kitchen tanked even with support from bigger stars like Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Haddish. The Invisible Man will be a good test to see if Moss can carry a major wide release, already having a strong fanbase, especially among critics thanks to last year’s indie Her Smell.

There’s a pretty long history of Universal’s Classic Monsters being brought back to the screen with Dracula and Frankenstein getting the most iterations -- some more successful than others. Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula was one of the bigger hits for the time, grossing $82 million after a $30 million opening, and this was 1992 money, mind you.

Just ten years ago, Universal’s The Wolf Man opened with $31.5 million over the Presidents Day weekend and ended up grossing $61.9 million, the name value of its title character helping quite a bit but only for that opening weekend. Even though it was universally (ha ha) panned, Tom Cruise’s The Mummy reboot also opened with $31.7 million (in the summer) although it failed to kick-start Universal’s planned “Dark Universe” shared universe of films. The lack of quality for those projects may hurt The Invisible Man with moviegoers who have felt like they’ve been burned too many times before, but we’ll have to see how the critics feel about it. (Reviews so far are mostly positive, at the time of this writing.)

Going back further, the Paul Verhoeven thriller Hollow Man, starring Kevin Bacon, opened with $26.4 million on its way to $73.2 million, so I can’t see any reason why 20 years later, The Invisible Man can’t find similar success.

Sure, there’s been a serious downturn on horror over the past two months with so many pretty mediocre horror movies getting released, few of them doing well. The name brand of The Invisible Man and the Blumhouse branding (not to mention Universal’s marketing, which has done a decent job with the trailers and commercials) should allow it to make $26 to 30 million (maybe more?) – it won’t have a problem being the #1 movie at the box office this weekend regardless.

My Review of The Invisible Man

My Interview with Leigh Whannell over at VitalThrills.com

The Invisible Man shouldn’t have a hard time taking #1 whether it ends up on the low point of projections or breaks out with something closer to $30 million or more. Even more interesting to watch is the bottom of the top 10 and whether last week’s Emma or Impractical Jokers: the Movie might break into the top 10 depending on their respective expansions. The latter might have a slight advantage since it might be targeting 700 to 800 theaters or more while Emma is only expanding into about 100 theaters before its nationwide release next week.

Also, apparently the popular manga series “My Hero Academia” is coming to the big screen starting tonight with the nationwide release of My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, but since I know almost nothing about the series or how many theaters it might open in, there’s not much more I can add. Maybe it’ll do well enough to break into the top 10, but who really knows? The previous movie grossed $5.5 million domestically with an August ‘18 opening, and presumably, its sequel can do even better with the series being even more popular. I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt that it could end up with $3 million over the weekend if it opens in 500 or more theaters, but it’s really a stab in the dark here.

1. The Invisible Man (Universal) - $30.6 million N/A (up $2 million)*

2. Call of the Wild (20th Century) - $15.4 million -38%

3. Sonic the Hedgehog (Paramount) - $14 million -47%

4. Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (Warner Bros) - $3.5 million -48%

5. Bad Boys for Life (Sony) - $3.5 million -40%

6. My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (FUNimation) - $3.1 million N/A* (based on 550 theaters - note that this opens Weds i.e. today)

7. 1917 (Universal) - $2.6 million -38%

8. Brahms: The Boy II (STXfilms) - $2.5 million -57%

9. The Impractical Jokers Movie (TruTV) - $2.2 million -15%* (based on 750 theaters)

10. Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony) - $2.1 million -35%

11. Emma. (Focus Features) or Parasite (NEON) - $1.7 million (down .3 million)

*UPDATE: Giving Invisible Man a little boost since it’s opening in about 600 more theaters than my earlier projection plus the reviews have mostly been positive which will definitely help. Still no actual theater counts for My Hero Academia and The Impractical Jokers movie, so I guess we’ll have to see when numbers come in Saturday where they end up.

LIMITED RELEASES

This week’s FEATURED MOVIE is GREED (Sony Pictures Classics), the new collaboration between Michael Winterbottom and Steve Coogan, whose earlier films, 24 Hour Party People and “The Trip” movies (a fourth one coming out this summer!) are some of my favorite British comedies. In this one, Coogan plays Sir Richard McCreadie, the “King of High Street,” who has earned a reputation for his billion-dollar fashion store empire by negotiating wholesalers’ prices down, even when it means the already poorly-paid workers overseas are deprived further of anything close to a fair wage.

The film is told through a pseudo-doc format as McGreadie’s family and staff are preparing for his lavish 60th birthday soirée in Greece, complete with a facsimile version of Rome’s Colosseum so that “Greedy” McCreadie can fulfill his fantasies of being Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. What could possibly go wrong? The story is told through McGreadie’s biographer Nick (the amazing David Mitchell from Peep Show in a rare movie role!) who is going around the world talking to those who know McGreadie to get interviews for a video profile to be shown for the event.

Greed takes on a fairly standard mockumentary format with Winterbottom (who also cowrote this screenplay himself, another rarity for the filmmaker) putting together an impressive cast that includes Isla Fisher as McGreadie’s wife Samantha and Shirley Henderson as his mother (despite her being the same age as Coogan). Much of the humor comes from the comedy-of-errors surrounding this celebration with one thing going wrong after another but things getting progressively worse whenever McGreadie steps in to try to fix things.

The funny thing about watching Greed is that I spent most of the movie convinced it was a biopic about a real person ala 24 Hour Party People, vaguely remembering certain events as something I remember hearing about. Thanks to my old Beat editor Hannah Lodge for pointing out that the movie was in fact loosely based on the true story of billionaire Sir Philip Ross Green, someone I wasn’t even remotely familiar with but clearly was enough in the public consciousness to make me realize this film was loosely based on fact. (I’m sure that many will touch on the toxic masculinity clearly displayed by McGreadie which lines up with accusations about Green, who has repeatedly had his knighthood in danger of being repealed for his behavior and actions.)

I found Greed to be very funny but with a clear and poignant message about what the likes of “Greedy” are regularly getting away with at the expense of beleaguered workers in poverty-stricken countries. In that sense, it doesn’t hit the viewer too hard over the head with its message but still gets it across as well as any actual doc might. There’s also a great Knives Out style turn that will appeal to those who have gotten tired of the wealthy doing whatever they want and getting away with it.

There are other movies I’ll probably be watching this week and a few others that I won’t have a chance to watch.

Andrew Heckler’s BURDEN (101 Studios) premiered over two years ago at the Sundance Film Festival, but it’s finally being revived and released. It involves a Ku Klux Klan museum opening in a small racially-diverse town in South Carolina in 1996 and how it affects the people of the town. The story mainly revolves around Garrett Hedlund’s Mike Burden, a top soldier for the local KKK head Tom Griffin, played by Tom Wilkinson, who is odds with the local preacher, Reverend David Kennedy (played by Forrest Whitaker) about that museum. When Mike falls for a single mother (Andrea Riseborough), he has to start deciding whether he can leave the KKK despite his inbred hatred for blacks, including Kennedy, who helps him when Griffin turns the town against Mike. This is a decent drama that I wanted to like more because it deals with a really important message about allowing love to overcome hatred. It’s a strong story (based on true events) that features some amazing performances, but particularly from Riseborough (once again virtually unrecognizable!), but also Hedlund and Whitaker, both playing very difficult roles. I guess the problem is that Mike’s inevitable road to redemption is so bumpy with so many ups and downs, you love him, you hate him, he’s good, he’s bad… it really created quite an erratic tone whereas a tighter script could have made this a movie as good or better than Spike Lee’s BlackKklansman. It’s a shame, but I still it’s worth watching since it does deal with issues like racism and hatred that seem to constantly raise their ugly head even when we think there’s hope for a better world. It’ll open in select cities this Friday.s

Speaking of Sundance, Benh Zeitilin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild was all the rage at the festival all the way back in 2012, eventually getting four Oscar nominations, and he finally releases his follow-up WENDY (Fox Searchlight), a re-envisioning of the classic Peter Pan mythos. It once again features a group of no-name non-actors with Devin France in the title role and Yashua Mack playing Peter Pan.

Albert Shin’s moody thriller DISAPPEARANCE AT CLIFTON HILL (IFC Midnight) stars Tuppence Middleton (“Sense 8”) as Abby, a young woman who witnessed a kidnapping at Niagara Falls when she was a girl, who decides to return to home there to see if she can figure out who was responsible.

Apparently, John Turturro’s THE JESUS ROLLS, in which he reprises his bowling character from the Coens’ The Big Lebowski,is opening in select theaters this weekend. Turturro directed the movie that co-stars Bobby Cannavale, Audrey Tautou, Susan Sarandon and Sonia Braga, and for some reason, I thought it was opening on March 20 but apparently, it will be at the IFC Center starting this weekend!

Matthew Pope’s feature debut, the thriller Blood on her Name (Vertical), stars Bethany Ann Lind (from “Ozark”) as Leigh Tiller, a woman who discovers a body of a dead man with his blood draining out onto the floor, and she decides to cover it up while also feeling like she needs to return the body to the man’s family. It will get a special screening at the Nitehawk in Wiliamsburg on Thursday night with Pope, Lind and co-writer Don Thompson doing a QnA, and then will be On Demand (and other select cities) on Friday.

Next up is The Whistlers (Magnolia), the new film from Romanian filmmaker Cornelio Porumboiu (12:08 East of Bucharest, Police Adjective), and it’s a rare Romanian film that’s less than two hours long! It’s a policeman trying to free a crooked businessman from a Romanian prison, first travelling to Gomera, one of the Canary Islands, where he has to learn the local dialect that includes hissing and spissing. Bummed I missed this one. It will open at the Film Forum downtown and Film at Lincoln Center uptown, plus other cities.

Alex Thompson’s Saint Frances (Oscilloscope) is written by and stars Kelly O’Sullivan from “Sirens” as 34-year-old Bridge, who finally catches a break and gets a much-needed job taking care of a six-year-old (Ramona Edith-Williams) and also meets a nice guy but when she gets pregnant, it avoids to unexpected complications with her young liege.

Opening Thursday night at the IFC Center is James Sweeney’s rom-com Straight Up (Strand), starring Sweeney as Todd, an obsessive compulsive gay twenty-something who suddenly gets the existential feeling that maybe he isn’t gay after all. Meeting Karen Finlay’s Rory, a struggling actress, the two form a bond around their conversations. Sweeney and some of his cast will be doing QnAs at the IFC Center on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Lastly, D.W. Young’s doc The Booksellers (Greenwich) looks behind the scenes at the world of rare books with appearances by Parker Posey, Fran Lebowitz and Gay Talese. It opens at the Quad in New York and other cities.

Also screening at the IFC Center Weds night is Stuart Sweezey’s excellent music doc Desolation Center, which looks at the efforts by an L.A. concert promoter to hold indie rock/punk shows in the Sahara Desert in the early ‘80s featuring the likes of Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Red Kross, Swans, Einstürzende Neubauten and more! The special screening will include a QnA with Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley, and having seen it at Rooftop Films last summer, I highly recommend it to fans of any of those bands.

LOCAL FESTIVALS

The big regional film for the New York area, and it’s one that I have yet to be able to attend, mainly since it takes place so far uptown, is the 10thannual Athena Film Festival, which is quite an amazing achievement for my friend Melissa Silverstein and her Women and Hollywood for putting this on for ten years.

This year’s fest runs from February 27 (this Thursday) through March 1 (Sunday), kicking off with Unjoo Moon’s I Am Woman, a biopic about Helen Reddy, who famously wrote that song in the ‘70s. It closes on the 1stwith Suffragette director Sarah Gavron’s Rocks, starring newcomer Bukky Bakray as a teen girl trying to take care of her younger brother and herself. The centerpiece films are Liz Garbus’ Lost Girls, starring Amy Ryan; Haiffa Al-Monsour’s The Perfect Candidate and the Oscar-nominated documentary For Sama. The festival includes a mix of new and already-released films including Harriet, Toni Morrison: the Pieces I Am and lots more. Click on the link above for the full schedule and program of films.

REPERTORY

METROGRAPH (NYC):

Metrograph wraps up its month-long “To Hong Kong with Love” this weekend with the fictional anthology Ten Years (2015), James Leong’s 2018 film Umbrella Diaries: The First Umbrella (chronicling the recent revolution in Hong Kong) as well as a work in progress screening of Leong’s If We Burn. “Climate Crisis Parables” continues with Lars von Trier’s Melancholia (2011) shown again, as well as Bong Joon Ho’s Snowpiercer from 2013, Antonioni’s cRed Desert (1964) and Tarkovsky’s Stalker (1979). Also this weekend, Welcome To Metrograph: Redux will screen the ‘80s classic Beverly Hills Cop (1984), starring Eddie Murphy, as well as Abel Ferrara’s equally classic Bad Lieutenant (1992), starring Harvey Keitel. Also screening Saturday evening is Jeff Kanew’s Black Rodeo (1972) as well as Vincent Gallo’s Buffalo ’88 (1998) and then Claude Chabrol’s 1960 film Les Bonnes Femmes on Monday night. This weekend’s Late Nites at Metrograph is Ingmar Bergman’s Persona (1966) while Playtime: Family Matinees is David Lynch’s The Straight Story (1999) a good introduction of Lynch for the kiddies?

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE BROOKLYN (NYC)

Tonight’s “Weird Wednesday” is 1985’s softcore gladiator film The Perils of Gwendolyn (hosted by my pal, the wonderful Heather Buckley!). Showing earlier this evening (but sadly sold out) is the Tom Cruise/Brad Pitt classic Interview with the Vampire (1994). Thursday begins the Alamo’s “VHStival” with a screening of the 1987 flick Video Violence, and then next Monday’s “VHS Vortex” movie is Evil Spawn, also from 1987. Next Tuesday’s “Terror Tuesday” is the 2005 movie House of Wax and then next week’s “Weird Wednesday” is the classic Robocop 2 (1990) plus there’ll be a screening of William Friedkin’s Sorcerer from 1977 earlier next Weds, which more than likely will also sell out.

Over on the West Coast, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Downtown Los Angeles (which would earn you 4,256 points in Scrabble if you could even fit it on the board) is playing Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1984) as its “Weird Wednesday” tonight (it’s sold out) and then Thursday night is the J-Horror Bloodbath double feature of Demon Within and Biotherapy that New York got earlier in the month. (Also, sold out! Sorry!) Also on Saturday, the appropriate Amy Addams comedy Leap Year will screen in the afternoon. Sunday is a double feature of Destin Daniel Cretton’s movie Short Term 12, starring Brie Larson, is paired with Brett Haley’s new film All the Bright Places with Haley and writer Liz Hannah on hand to answer questions. You can either choose between that or Pawel Pawlikowski’s 2005 film Summer of Love, starring a very young Emily Blunt. Monday’s already sold-out “Out of Tune” hosted by my buddy Jeremy Wein (who keeps forgetting to tell me about these before they sell out!) is the Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Newton-John collaboration Xanadu from 1980. Next week’s “Terror Tuesday” is Brian Yuzna’s Society from 1989 with the director in attendance.

THE NEW BEVERLY (L.A.):

Wednesday’s Afternoon Classic is Vincente Minelli’s An American in Paris (1951), starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, while the Weds/Thursday double features are Freebie and the Bean and Busting, both from 1974. 1992’s Candyman will screen as this week’s “Freaky Friday” and then Friday’s midnight movie is True Romance (again) and the Saturday midnight movie is Arthur Hiller’s The Hospital (1971) starring George C. Scott. This weekend’s Kiddee Matinee is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix from 2004 and the Monday’s matinee is Wesley Snipes in Passenger 57 (1992).

EGYPTIAN THEATRE (LA):

Friday is the rescheduled Retroformat 2020 screening of 1913’s Traffic in Souls while Saturday begins a series of “Weinmar Variations” (free with RSVP!), German films made between 1919 and 1933 with musical accompaniment. Pandora’s Box from 1929 will screen on Saturday night and then Sunday’s “Sunday Print Edition” is Vincent Minelli’s The Clock (1945). Lav Daz will appear in person on Sundayfor a screening of a restoration of his 2001 film Batang West Side with a series on the Philipino filmmaker shared with Aero.

AERO (LA):

Thursday’s “Antiwar Cinema” matinee is The Mouse That Roared (1959), starring Peter Sellers and then Thursday night is a double feature “Salute to Kelly Reichardt” with Old Joy and River of Grass with Reichardt in person. Saturday is a series called “The End of History: The Cinema of Lav Diaz,” screening 2013’s Norte: the End of History with Diaz in person. Sunday evening’s double feature continues the Kelly Reichardt series with two of her picks: 1953’s Ugetsuand 1970’s Little by Little.

MOMA (NYC):

Modern Matinees: Jack Lemmonwraps up this week with 1954’s It Should Happen to You on Weds, Blake Edwards’ 1962 Days of Wine and Roses on Thursday and 1968’s The Odd Couple on Friday. (The next series will focus on the great Cicely Tyson!) The “Theater of Operations” film series also continues with Werner Herzog’s Lessons of Darkness (1992) on Sunday. The “It’s All in me: Black Heroines” series will screen David D. Williams’ 1993 film Lillian and All by Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story (1982) on Wednesday and more running through the weekend. “Television Movies: Big Pictures on the Small Screen” also continues through Friday.

NITEHAWK CINEMA (NYC):

Out in Brooklyn the Nitehawk in Williamsburgwill show the 1998 horror sequel Bride of Chucky on Friday night at midnight and Allison Anders’ 1993 film Mi Vida Loca as part of its “California Love” series on Saturday morning. (Not rep but another option for Saturday morning is seeing Rashaad Ernesto Green’s Premature which will screen at the Nitehawk on Saturday with the amazing Zora Howard and cinematographer Laura Valladao doing a QnA. (Also on Monday, the Nitehawk will screen the incredible 2018 doc Varda by Agnès, which I highly recommend. Meanwhile, Prospect Park will screen Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain from 2005 on Saturday morning and then IT will screen Premature on Monday, again with Howard and Valladao doing a QnA in case you have to miss the event on Saturday.

BAM CINEMATEK (NYC):

Starting Friday, BAM is doing a special series “Kelly Reichardt Selects: First Cow in Context” which will offer screenings of movies that inspired the indie filmmaker’s upcoming film, First Cow, which opens March 6. This weekend’s offerings include Agnès Varda’s The Gleaners and I, the 1953 Japanese film Ugetsu, Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali (1955), the 1978 Italian film The Tree of Wooden Clogsand more, as this runs through Weds with Melville’s Le Cercle Rougefrom 1970.

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE (NYC):

This weekend’s “See It Big! Outer Space” offerings including Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi classic Alien and John Carpenter’s 1974 film Dark Star, which was said to be an inspiration for Scott’s film. As usual, Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey will screen on Saturday afternoon as part of the exhibition.

FILM FORUM (NYC):

Elem Klimov’s Come and See will continue through the weekend, as will Visconti’s L’Innocente, while the weekend’s “Film Forum Jr.” is Barbra Streisand’s Yentl from 1983 and then keep an eye out next week a new series called “The Women Behind Hitchcock,” which should be fairly exciting.

ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES (NYC):

Dušan Makavejev’s 1971 film WR: Mysteries of the Organism screens tonight and Sunday, as part of “Dušan Makavejev, Cinema Unbound” (that should really pull people in) while “Dream Dance: The Films of Ed Emshwiller” runs through Friday. To be perfectly honest, I know nothing about either of these filmmakers and if their films interest you, you’d be better off clicking on the links and doing some reading. Sorry.

IFC CENTER (NYC)

This week’s Weekend Classics: Luis Buñuelis Diary of a Chambermaid from 1964, while the Waverly Midnights: Hindsight is 2020s is Tim Burton’s 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes, starring Mark Wahlberg, and Late Night Favorites: Winter 2020, it takes the weekend off.

QUAD CINEMA (NYC):

Pandora and the Flying Dutchman will run through the weekend to next week but with only one or two screenings a day, but then on Friday, the Quad will pick up the new 4k restoration of Horace B. Jenkins’ Cane River (1982) that has been playing at BAM the past couple weekends with the filmmaker’s son Sacha Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.

ROXY CINEMA (NYC)

Thursday’s Nicolas Cage movie is Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans from 2009.

LANDMARK THEATRES NUART (LA):

Friday night’s midnight movie is WilliamFriedkin’s Cruising (1980), starring Al Pacino.

STREAMING AND CABLE

This week on Netflix, we get Brett (The Hero, Hearts Beat Loud) Haley’s romantic drama All the Bright Places, starring Elle Fanning and Justice Smith, on Friday, as well as the first season of I’m Not Okay with This, a new series from the Stranger Things team, starring Sophia Lillis from It, and the South African spy thriller series Queen Sono, as well as the second season of Altered Carbon with Anthony Mackie.

Next week, it’s March, and the latest Disney-Pixar movie Onward takes on Ben Affleck in Warner Bros’ sports drama The Way Back. I’m not sure if I’ll be given a chance to see either.

By the way, if you read this week’s column and have read this far down, feel free to drop me some thoughts at Edward dot Douglas at Gmail dot Com or send me a note on Twitter. I love hearing from readers!

#Greed TheInvisibleMan ElisabethMoss Movies Reviews Streaming Festivals Repertory TheWeekendWarrior

0 notes

housebuyers4u · 4 years

Text

How to Negotiate the Best Offer for your House (Step by Step Guide)

Let’s face, Haggling sucks! Too high? Too low? Am I being taken for a ride? When it comes to negotiation on house price, most of us have woefully little experience.

That’s where we can help. We share our industry expertise on our top tips for negotiation – applicable for buyers and sellers – to ensure you hold all the cards when it comes to settling on the final house offer.

Let’s get started.

Negotiation via Estate Agents

Low Bids: Cheeky Or Worth a Try – What Should you Offer on a House?

Alternative Buying & Selling Scenarios

What Happens After a Home Offer is Accepted?

A Final Word

Interesting Facts about House Negotiations

Source: Thisismoney

1) Negotiation via Estate Agents

In this section we’ll look at 3 key areas:

Pre-planning: The house offer strategy

How to make a house offer

Negotiation: The house offer process

Pre-Planning: The House Offer Strategy

According to recent government figures, 83% of homes in the UK are sold via estate agents. Agents traditionally work for the seller – a contract is drawn up between the two parties, and their job is to negotiate the best offer for their client.

For buyers this means the home buying offer strategy begins with that crucial first contact with an agent.

Meeting an agent: The first question agents understandably want to know is your budget. Downplaying this a little is key, as agents are notorious for their ability to upsell, showing you properties that are a little overbudget. If you’ve hinted that you could go higher than your original quota this effectively lowers your bargaining power.

Do your research: Online resources such as Zoopla and Right Move make it easy to see what similar properties in any area have sold for, and that of those on the market today. The Land Registry website is also a reliable source to search average house prices in any given area.

Have you got buyer appeal? Perhaps you’re a chain free or cash buyer. If so, be sure to make this information is known to the agent as some vendors might be more open to accepting a house offer lower than the asking price for a hassle-free transaction.

Don’t use an agent for financial services: According to the Home Owner’s Alliance, a major source of complaints from both buyers and vendors is that of an agents conflict of interests. This can occur when buyer’s use the seller’s agent as a mortgage broker. When this happens the agent earns commission – and such a situation can lead to both buyers and sellers losing out financially. The Money Advice Service recommends shopping around to get the best mortgage advice, including that of your bank and independent mortgage brokers.

After the groundwork is in place, the next step is to find your dream property. When viewing this should be considered as the first step in your house buying negotiation strategy, so take care to ensure the following:

Research the property carefully

View more than once (different times of day, during inclement weather if possible, make notes of work that will need to be carried out, etc.)

Get sight of the EPC

Promote your buyer appeal (first time buyer, chain free etc.)

Even if you love the house try not to appear too keen

How to Make a House Offer

Once you’ve found the right property the next step is to make your offer. This is where those all-important house negotiation tactics begin to come into play. You put in the offer through the estate agent who then communicates this to the vendor.

It’s recommended that you put the offer in writing to the agent (an email following a phone call will suffice, and you can easily set up a house offer letter template prior to the time, filling in the relevant details). Doing this negates the risk of any confusion further down the line.

The seller then has three choices:

Accept the offer

Refuse the offer

Begin the dreaded house sale negotiation process

If your initial offer is in the right ballpark, the latter is the most likely scenario. The haggling process takes place through the agent. For buyers this might represents a disadvantage, because the seller has a professional working on their behalf. It’s possible to appoint a buyer’s agent, if you’re really concerned, but this isn’t necessary (plus it adds further costs to the house buying process).

Negotiation: The House Offer Process

Can you negotiate on a house offer? The short answer is yes and here’s how.

As a buyer, your opening gambit (AKA your first offer) should be considered the start of an exploratory process. The key factor here is to determine how flexible the seller is. To this end, the following tips will help direct you towards understanding what your first house offer should be.

The first offer should be below what you’re willing to pay: This gives you flexibility to increase it, should it be necessary. This is a key psychological aspect of house offer negotiation, as upping your offer will appear attractive to the vendor.

Give the reasons for your offer: Mention any work that needs doing (installing double glazing, roof maintenance, new boiler, etc.) and state estimated costs.

Use other properties as examples: If similar properties in the area have sold for less, this is a valuable bargaining tool.

Imply interest elsewhere: Even if this property is ‘the one’, there’s no harm in implying that there’s another property you’re interested in. Estate agents routinely use the ‘there’s lots of interest in this house’ trick to get you to make or up an offer. Telling them you’ve got options is a cheeky way to stop this tactic in its track.

Even if a seller refuses to budge on their asking price, all is not lost. Asking for extras is another strategic move in how to win a house negotiation. Such requests could include:

Asking the seller to contribute towards purchasing fees

Requesting that certain items are included in the sale (curtains, appliances etc.)

2) Low Bids: Cheeky or Worth a Try – What Should you Offer on a House?

Clues that a low offer might be accepted

How low can you go on a house offer?

How to respond to a low offer

Clues that a Lower Offer Might be Accepted

There are many reasons a vendor might accept an offer lower than the guide price, the key is to be aware of what they are. Spotting the signs is vital part of how to get your house offer accepted as well as knowing how much less you should offer to maximise your savings – the following are clues to whether or not the seller might be, to put it bluntly, pretty damn desperate to sell.

The house has been on the market for a long time: Reasons for this include being overpriced or that there’s an issue with the property, such as needing major structural work).

The house has been reduced in price multiple times: Apart from probably having too high of an asking price in the first place, constant reductions in price show a desire to sell ASAP.

The seller is stuck in a long chain: Property chains are a necessary evil when it comes to selling a property. However, they can cause indeterminable delays. If the seller has found their next property and is keen not to lose it, they may well be open to a lower offer for a quick sale.

The house is advertised with multiple agents: In such a case, the estate agent will be keen to clinch the sale in order to get their commission.

Related: Why your house isn’t selling & how to fix it step by step

How Low can you go on a House Offer?

According to This Is Money houses in the UK sell for an average 3.5% less than the original asking price. The image below shows the percentages for a number of the UK’s largest cities.

This, naturally, varies around the country.

From the above image we can learn that the lowest average properties are sold in Bristol and Manchester (2.2%) and the highest average property is Edinburgh (8.3%).

Houses in London on average are 4.8% lower than the asking price.

A rule of thumb would be to go in at around 10% below the asking price. There’s a fine line between negotiation and insulting a vendor. What is a cheeky offer on a house that’s worth consideration to one person could completely undermine your credibility as a genuine buyer to another. Take into account the reason the house is on the market – the owners of a treasured family home that’s just been offered for sale are not likely to be impressed by a derogatory offer.

How to Respond to a Low Offer?

If you’re the seller, receiving a low offer can bring about many reactions – most of them emotional. Of course, you’re perfectly within your right to refuse. But before you do so, consider the following:

You've Actually had an Offer!

Take time to reflect

Consider the Buyer

Review the Market Again

Would you be Better Off Using a House Buying Service?

Someone is interested in your property, and this is the starting point from which the house negotiation can begin.

No matter what, always remember that as a seller you’re the one in control. If you don’t like an offer, you don’t have to accept it.

3) Alternative Buying & Selling Scenarios

In this section we’ll take a look at a couple of alternative buying and selling scenarios and they are:

Auctions and negotiations

New builds

Open negotiations

Sealed bids

While estate agents remain the more common sales route, other alternatives don’t necessarily mean you can’t negotiate a better deal.

Auctions & Negotiations

Regular house auctions, as in where bidders (either in a room or online) bid until the hammer falls, are only open to negotiation if the property fails to sell. In such cases there might be a case for the vendor accepting a reasonable house offer post-sale.

More common scenarios are that of open and sealed bids.

Open negotiations: In the same way as negotiating a house offer through an agent, make your opening gambit lower than the price you’re prepared to pay (by around 5-10% is a good guide). You’ll usually be informed if a higher offer is received, giving you the opportunity to increase a second or even third time.

Sealed bids: Although you might be desperate to clinch a deal, do not be tempted to bid more than you can afford. The vendor will usually accept the highest bid, so a top tip is to not offer a round number. Offering £255,075, as opposed to £255,000 could mean you trump a bid close to yours.

The key approach with both open and sealed bids is to carry out the same due diligence as when buying in a more conventional manner.

New Builds

Many people mistakenly believe that there’s no room for negotiation on the house price of a new build. Nothing could be further from the truth, and buyers often have more wiggle room in such a case.

The following are our top house buying negotiation tips for purchasing not only new builds but also standard properties too.

4) What Happens After a Home Offer is Accepted

When is an offer legally binding?

Gazumping

When is an Offer Legally Binding?

Agents are legally obliged to pass on any offers right up until contracts are exchanged, the point at which an offer becomes legally binding in England and Wales (different rules apply in Scotland). Up until that point either party can pull out. However, according to Co-op legal services, doing so may still leave buyers and/or sellers liable to various fees.

When this occurs due to the vendor accepting a higher offer, it’s known as ‘gazumping’. If you’ve managed to negotiate a particularly low sale price the chances of this happening are, naturally, higher.

Gazumping: Is Gazumping Illegal?

No and being gazumped can be extremely costly, with the potential risk of losing large amounts of money in solicitor’s fees, search fees and survey costs. If it happens to you, the only choice you have is to increase your offer over and above that of the gazumper. One way to lower the risk is to request that the vendor removes the property from the market. If they refuse, consider whether or not it’s worth the risk of losing out should another buyer make a higher offer than yours.

A Final Word

The majority of house buying negotiations take place through an estate agent, removing the need for awkward face-to-face haggling. Research is the most crucial aspect of the negotiation process, providing you with the necessary knowledge as to how to make the best house offer.

Despite your best efforts, a vendor might not accept your final offer on a house. If this is the case, and it’s the maximum you can afford, then it’s time to look elsewhere. However, by following our key tips for house negotiation, we’re confident you’ll be well-placed for securing your chosen property at a truly realistic price.

This article was brought to you by http://housebuyers4u.co.uk/

#Property #real estate #estate agent

0 notes

jobsearchtips02 · 4 years

Text

Why the USPS is in a financing crisis and what it suggests for the election

A USPS worker using a mask puts envelopes in a mailbox while driving past.

Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images.

The decline in Americans utilizing the Postal Service due to the pandemic sped up the years-long reductions in superior mail volume, and financial troubles which were produced in part by Congress.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is carrying out cost-cutting procedures including decreases in overtime and late trips that are triggering service disturbances and delays in mail shipment in parts of the United States.

Check out Service Insider’s homepage for more stories

The United States Postal Service, an important service millions of Americans use every day, is currently suffering a financial crunch worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding shortage has actually increased service interruptions and increased worries that voters’ ballots may not get delivered on time in November.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump triggered alarm by stating he would decline a $25 billion emergency financing grant to assist the USPS survive to deliberately screw up mail-in voting. He later walked back his remarks and stated he would accept sign a costs that consisted of immediate funds for the service.

In addition to election mail and tallies, the United States Postal Service likewise provides vital documents, medication, and is a key service for small companies to run and send plans.

As the carrier providing plans to the last mile where it isn’t profitable for other personal business to deliver, the post office is especially key in rural areas. The Postal Service is also among the most popular government companies, with an April Bench Proving ground study finding that 91%of Americans have a favorable view of it.

The US Constitution vested in the federal government the power to produce “to establish Post Offices and Post Roadways,” with Benjamin Franklin designated as the first-ever postmaster general in 1775.

While the Postal Service is a federal government agency, it does not run off of taxpayer money, and operates completely off of earnings from mail and bundle delivery as well as the other services it provides.

Plan delivery is a progressively important and economically successful part of its design, and it has contracts with online sellers and e-commerce business like Amazon to provide “last mile” shipping for its plans.

The service saw its yearly net losses double to $8.8 billion in 2019, and it currently has $160 billion in unfunded liabilities to those pre-paid pension and health plan commitments, according to the Washington Post.

United States Postal Service provider Henrietta Dixon delivers mail to Alvin Fields in Philadelphia. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Postal Service is urging citizens to request their tallies a minimum of two weeks prior to election day.

AP Photo/Matt Rourke.

How has the pandemic afflicted USPS?

The sharp reduction in mail shipment brought on by the pandemic initially threatened to plunge the company into a lot more alarming straits, with the Postal Service reporting $2.2 billion in bottom lines in 2020’s 3rd quarter.

Trump, who has been hostile to the concept of expanding vote by mail, is opposed to any measures to help the Post Office.

Picture by JASON REDMOND/AFP by means of Getty Images.

What are the recent policy changes affecting mail delivery and the election?

In June, former Postmaster General Megan Brennan retired and the Postal Service Board of Governors selected Louis DeJoy, a North Carolina-based shipping and logistics executive and Republican political donor, as the next postmaster general.

DeJoy’s absence of experience within the Postal Service itself, his profile as a Trump donor, and his significant holdings in the post office’s rivals instantly raised suspicion that his leadership might even more weaken the firm.

In remarks to the Postal Service Board of Governors, DeJoy has emphasized that he’s dedicated to keep supplying prompt mail shipment, including of election mail, while warning that “without timely legislative and regulatory reform, we will be forced to take aggressive procedures to cut expenses and bridge the divide.”

Still, congressional Democrats and some Republican Politicians are expressing issue to DeJoy about the sweeping changes and plain brand-new delays occurring ahead of the election.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on DeJoy to “quickly reverse his functional changes that have actually resulted in delays and service decreases for a lot of Americans and threaten to weaken our democracy” in a Friday statement.

On Friday, CNN reported that the Postal Service’s inspector general has actually opened investigations both into the brand-new modifications and DeJoy’s possible financial conflicts.

Here are some of the recent changes DeJoy has actually executed to the Postal Service’s operations to help the agency minimize expenses, a few of which are contributing to mail delays in numerous parts of the country. DeJoy and other top authorities have said the changes are not implied to undermine the service, however rather to reduce unnecessary transport expenses.

The USPS is limiting overtime hours for mail carriers, according to assistance reported on by the Associated Press and the Washington Post. The limit will reduce just how much mail providers can provide on a given day and will lead to undelivered mail being left at warehouse.

USPS is also reducing “late trips” after-hours to deliver the optimum quantity of mail every day and leave as little possible, the Post and Federal government Executive reported, which could further delay prompt delivery.

The Post Office is eliminating around 15%of its total high-speed processing letter devices from numerous areas, Motherboard reported.

The firm has said the reduction in sorting makers, a now long-term process which started years prior to DeJoy took over, remains in action to the total yearslong decrease in mail volume. But postal workers informed Vice that despite the fact that mail volume has actually fallen, the removal of such sorting makers might impede their ability to rapidly process ballots.

For many years, the Post Workplace enabled state and local election officials to pay a discounted bulk rate of 2o cents per envelope, rather of the usual cost of 55 cents per envelope, to have election mail be categorized as first-class mail, which is provided at a much faster rate than marketing mail. Now the firm is encouraging authorities to pay the full 55 cent rate to make sure mail is provided at a first-rate rate, which might put a stress on cash-strapped state and city governments.

DeJoy just recently significantly reshuffled the agency’s leading leadership, getting rid of or reassigning 23 magnates, carried out an employing freeze, and asking staff members to retire early if possible, the Post reported.

An employee processes mailed-in ballots from Tuesday’s primary election, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, at the King County Elections headquarters in Renton, Wash., south of Seattle.

Ted Warren/AP.

What does it suggest for my vote in November?

Lots of states have broadened the accessibility and ease of voting by mail in action to the COVID-19, however the recent cost-saving steps at the Postal Service and ensuing mail delays have actually triggered severe concerns that citizens may not get their tallies in time.

Officials at the top of the post office have actually ensured authorities and the public that the company is prepared to manage a substantial uptick in mail ballots, noting that it will still make up a total small part of their mail volume.

” On any given day, the Postal Service delivers more than 425 million pieces of mail, and our best quotes are that election mail will account for less than 2%of all mail volume from mid-September until Election Day,” USPS executives David Williams and Thomas Marshall composed in U.S.A. Today

On Friday, The Washington Post reported that the post workplace has cautioned 46 mentions that their tight due dates to request and return ballots increase the likelihood of voters not getting theirs back in time, a problem that election specialists have been alerting about for years

If you’re sending your tally back through the mail, the post workplace advises providing your tally at least a 15- day round journey to get from your local election offices to you and back.

All 50 states allow voters to return mail tallies in-person to their regional county elections workplace.

39 states have some form of early voting before election day, either in-person at a routine polling location, or by casting the equivalent of an absentee tally in-person at your regional elections office.

Loading Something is loading.

USPS 2020 election

%%.

from Job Search Tips https://jobsearchtips.net/why-the-usps-is-in-a-financing-crisis-and-what-it-suggests-for-the-election/

0 notes

anthonyekoehler · 5 years

Text

CornerStone Credit Services

Debt collectors like CornerStone Credit Services, LLC cannot harass you over a debt. You have rights under the law, and we will stop the harassment once and for all.

THE BEST PART IS…

If CornerStone Credit Services violated the law, you will get money damages and they will pay your attorney’s fees and costs. You won’t owe us a dime for our services. Plus, some of our clients also receive debt relief and cleaned-up credit reports. You have nothing to lose! Call us today at 888-572-0176 for a free consultation.

Who is CornerStone Credit Services, LLC?

CornerStone Credit Services is a debt collection and credit card processing agency based in Anchorage, Alaska. Founded in 1999, CornerStone is also a registered ISO of Wells Fargo and has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) since its founding.

CornerStone Credit Services’s Address, Phone Number, and Contact Information

CornerStone Credit Services is located at 1835 Bragaw St Suite 500, Anchorage, AK 99508. The main telephone number is 907-770-8100 and the main website is www.cornerstonecredit.com/.

Phone Numbers Used by CornerStone Credit Services

Like many debt collection agencies, CornerStone Credit Services may use many different phone numbers to contact debtors. For an advanced search, visit www.agrussconsumerlaw.com/ and click “Number Search” in the “Lookup” dropdown menu. Here are some phone numbers CornerStone Credit Services may be calling you from:

877-375-8100

907-456-4300

907-770-8100

907-770-8122

907-770-8157

CornerStone Credit Services Lawsuits

If you want to know just how unhappy consumers are with CornerStone Credit Services, take a look at the lawsuits filed against the agency on the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (“PACER”). PACER is the U.S.’s federal docket which lists federal complaints filed against a wide range of companies. A search for the agency will display 14 lawsuits filed in the U.S., and these typically involve violations of consumer rights and/or the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

CornerStone Credit Services Complaints

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is a federal law which applies to everyone in the United States. In other words, everyone is protected under the FDCPA, and this Act is a laundry list of what debt collectors can and cannot do while collecting a debt, as well as things they must do while collecting debt. If CornerStone Credit Services is harassing you over a debt, you have rights under the FDCPA.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) protects you from robocalls, which are those annoying, automated, recorded calls that computers make all day long. You can tell it’s a robocall because either no one responds on the other end of the line, or there is a delay when you pick up the phone before a live person responds. You can receive $500 per call if CornerStone Credit Services violates the TCPA. Have you received a message from this agency that sounds pre-recorded or cut-off at the beginning or end? These are tell-tale signs that the message is pre-recorded, and if you have these messages on your cell phone, you may have a TCPA case against the agency.

The Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) protects electronic payments that are deducted from bank accounts. If CornerStone Credit Services took unauthorized deductions from your bank account, you may have an EFTA claim against the agency. CornerStone Credit Services, like most collection agencies, wants to set up recurring payments from consumers; imagine how much money it can earn if hundreds, even thousands, of consumers electronically pay them $50 – $100 or more per month. If you agreed to this type of reoccurring payment, the agency must follow certain steps to comply with the EFTA. Did CornerStone Credit Services continue to take electronic payments after you told them to stop? Did they take more money from your checking account than you agreed to? If so, we can discuss your rights and potential case under the EFTA.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) works to ensure that no information reported to your credit report is false. In essence, it gives you the right to dispute those inaccuracies that you find on your credit report. We’ve handled many cases in which a debt collection agency reported debt on a consumer’s credit report to obtain leverage over the consumer. If CornerStone Credit Services is on your credit report, they may tell you that they’ll remove the debt from your credit report if you pay it; this is commonly known as “pay for delete.” If the original creditor is on your report rather than the debt collector, and you pay off the debt, both entities should accurately report this on your credit report.

Several states also have laws to provide its citizens an additional layer of protection. For example, if you live in California, Florida, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, or Wisconsin, you may be able to add a state-law claim to your federal law claim above. North Carolina, for example, has one of the most consumer-friendly statutes in the country: if you live in NC and are harassed over a debt, you may receive $500 – $4,000 in damages per violation. We work with a local counsel in NC and our NC clients have received some great results in debt collection harassment cases. If you live in North Carolina and are being harassed by a debt collector, you have leverage to obtain a great settlement.

How do we Use the Law to Help You?

We will use state and federal laws to immediately stop CornerStone Credit Services’s debt collection. We will send a cease-and-desist letter to stop the harassment today, and if CornerStone Credit Services violates the FDCPA, EFTA, FCRA, or any state law, you may be entitled to money damages. For example, under the FDCPA, you may receive up to $1,000 in damages plus actual damages. The FDCPA also has a fee-shift provision, which means the debt collector will pay your attorney’s fees and costs. If you have a TCPA case against the agency, we will handle it based on a contingency fee and you won’t pay us a dime unless you win.

THAT’S NOT ALL…

We have helped thousands of consumers stop phone calls. We know how to stop the harassment and get you money damages. Once again: you will not pay us a dime for our services. We will help you based on a fee-shift provision and/or contingency fee, and the debt collector will pay your attorney’s fees and costs.

What if CornerStone Credit Services is on my Credit Report?

Based on our experience, some debt collectors may credit-report, which means one may mark your credit report with the debt they are trying to collect. In addition to or instead of the debt collector, the original creditor may also be on your credit report in a separate entry, and it’s important to properly identify these entities because you will want both to update your credit report if or when you pay off the debt.

THE GOOD NEWS IS…

If CornerStone Credit Services is on your credit report, we can help you dispute it. Mistakes on your credit report can be very costly: along with causing you to pay higher interest rates, you may be denied credit, insurance, a rental home, a loan, or even a job because of these mistakes. Some mistakes may include someone else’s information on your credit report, inaccurate public records, stale collection accounts, or even being a victim of identity theft. If you have a mistake on your credit report, there is a process to dispute it, and my office will help you obtain your credit report and dispute any inaccurate information.

REMEMBER…

If a credit reporting agency violates its obligations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you may be entitled to statutory damages up to $1,000, and the credit reporting agency will be required to fix the error. The FCRA also has a fee-shift provision, which means the credit reporting agency will pay your attorney’s fees and costs. You won’t owe us a dime for our services. We have helped hundreds of consumers fix inaccurate information on their credit reports, and we’re ready to help you, too.

Complaints against CornerStone Credit Services

Based on 71 reviews on Google, CornerStone Credit Services receives a 2.2-out-of-5 rating. Here are some of the reviews on Google:

“Accounts paid in full over 1 yr ago and still not reporting paid on my credit report. These people don’t try to help you and they don’t report properly when collections have been paid in full!”

“If I could give negative stars, I would. I was told when I paid my account that it would be reported to credit bureaus at the end of the month. When I called today to see why it hadn’t been reported as paid, I was told they have no idea when anything gets reported, and that they have no way of finding out. “Unprofessional” is the most polite word I can think of.”

“Claimed I owe money even though the original debt had been paid. If you have a legitimate problem with them I recommend trying to work it out first. If that doesn’t work, file a complaint with the BBB, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Attorney General. They have to pay attention to those agencies.”

What Our Clients Say about Us

Agruss Law Firm has over 825 outstanding client reviews through Yotpo, an A+ BBB rating, and over 110 five-star reviews on Google. Here’s what some of our clients have to say about us:

“Michael Agruss handled two settlements for me with great results and he handled them quickly. He also settled my sister’s case quickly and now her debt is clear. I highly recommend Michael.”

“Agruss Law Firm was very helpful, they helped me solve my case regarding the unwanted calls. I would highly recommend them. Thank you very much Mike Agruss!”

“Agruss Law Firm was very helpful to me and my veteran father! We were harassed daily and even called names for a loan that was worthless! Agruss stepped in and not only did they stop harassing, they stopped calling all together!! Even settled it so I was paid back for the problems they caused!”

Can CornerStone Credit Services Sue Me?

Although anyone can sue anyone for any reason, we have not seen CornerStone Credit Services sue consumers, and it’s likely that the agency does not sue because they don’t always own the debt they are attempting to collect, and would also need to hire a lawyer, or use in-house counsel, to file a lawsuit. It’s also likely that the agency collects debt throughout the country, and it would be quite difficult to have lawyers, or a law firm, licensed in every state. However, there are collection agencies that do sue consumers; for example, Midland Credit Management is one of the largest junk-debt buyers, and it also collects and sues on debt. Still, it is less likely for a debt collector to sue you than for an original creditor to hire a lawyer or collection firm to sue you. If CornerStone Credit Services has threatened to sue you, contact Agruss Law Firm, LLC as soon as possible.

Can CornerStone Credit Services Garnish my Wages?

No, unless they have a judgment. If CornerStone Credit Services has not sued you, then the agency cannot get a judgment. Barring limited situations (usually involving debts owed to the government for student loans, taxes, etc.), a company must have a judgment in order to garnish someone’s wages. In short, we have not seen this agency file a lawsuit against a consumer, so the agency cannot garnish your wages, minus the exceptions listed above. If CornerStone Credit Services has threatened to garnish your wages, contact our office right away.

CornerStone Credit Services Settlement

If you want to settle a debt with CornerStone Credit Services, ask yourself these questions first:

Do I really owe this debt?

Is this debt within the statute of limitations?

Is this debt on my credit report?

If I pay this debt, will CornerStone Credit Services remove it from my credit report?

If I pay this debt, will the original creditor remove it from my credit report?

If I pay this debt, will I receive confirmation in writing from CornerStone Credit Services for the payment and settlement terms?

These are not the only things to consider when dealing with debt collectors. We are here to help you answer the questions above, and much more. Whether it’s harassment, settlement, pay-for-delete, or any other legal issue with CornerStone Credit Services, we at Agruss Law Firm are here to help you.

Top Debt Collection Violations

Debt collection laws provide a laundry list of what collectors can and cannot do while collecting a debt. Based on our years of experience handling thousands of debt collection harassment cases, here’s what collection agencies most often do to violate the law:

Called you about a debt you do not owe.

Called you at work after you told them you cannot receive calls at work.

Left you a message without identifying the company’s name.

Left you a message without disclosing that the call is from a debt collector.

Called third-parties (family, friends, coworkers, or neighbors) even though the collection agency knows your contact information.

Disclosed to a third-party (family, friends, coworkers, or neighbors) that you owe a debt.

Contacted you after you said to stop calling.

Threatened you with legal action (such as a lawsuit or wage garnishment).

Called you before 8:00 AM or after 9:00 PM.

Continued to call you after you have told the collector you cannot pay the debt.

Communicated (phone or letter) with you after you filed for bankruptcy.

Failed to mark the debt on your credit report as disputed after you disputed the debt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to pay your fees and costs for helping me with my consumer rights case? No. We handle consumer rights cases based on a fee-shift provision and/or a contingency fee. That means either the other side pays your fees and costs, or we take a percentage of your recovery. Whether it’s a fee-shift case or a contingency-fee case, we don’t get paid unless you get paid, and you’ll never owe us a penny for our time.

What are the damages I can get under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act? If a collection agency violates any section of the FDCPA, you are entitled to damages up to $1,000.00. You may also be entitled to actual damages if the violation caused you out-of-pocket expenses. For example, if a collection agency threatens you with legal action to induce you to pay the debt, you may be able to get your payment back as actual damages.

What are the damages under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act? You can get $500 per robocall, or $1,500 per robocall if the robocalls were willful. In any type of settlement, Defendants often pay much less than $500 per call. However, if there are 50 calls at issue, even at $250 per call, your case could settle for $12,500.00.

What type of debt is covered under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act? Only consumer debt, such as personal, family, and household debts. For example, money you owe on a personal credit card, an auto loan, a medical bill, or a utility bill. The FDCPA does not cover debts you incurred to run a business, or debts regarding unpaid taxes, or traffic tickets.

Does the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act apply to banks or credit card companies? No. Only third-party debt collectors are bound by the FDCPA. Original creditors, such as banks and credit card companies, are not bound by the FDCPA.

Are there state laws that protect me from original creditors? Yes! Several states also have laws that provide its citizens an additional layer of protection. If you live in California, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, or Wisconsin, you have additional state-law rights.

Are mistakes on credit reports common? Yes! Are you one of the 40 million Americans who have a mistake on their credit report? Mistakes on your credit report can be very costly. Along with causing you to pay higher interest rates, you may be denied credit, insurance, a rental home, a loan, or even a job because of these mistakes. Some mistakes may include someone else’s information on your credit report, inaccurate public records, stale collection accounts, or maybe you were a victim of identity theft.

What do I do if I have a mistake on my credit report? If you have a mistake on your credit report, there is a process to dispute them. My office will help you pull your credit report and dispute any inaccurate information. If a credit reporting agency violates its obligations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you may be entitled to statutory damages up to $1,000.00, plus the credit reporting agency will be required to fix the error. The FCRA also has a fee-shift provision, which means the credit reporting agency pays your attorney’s fees and costs. Therefore, you will not pay me a penny for my time. To speed up the process, please get a free copy of your credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com. You can also learn more about the FCRA and your rights at http://www.agrussconsumerlaw.com/practices/common-credit-report-errors/.

Share your Complaints against CornerStone Credit Services Below

We encourage you to post your complaints about CornerStone Credit Services. Sharing your complaints against this agency can help other consumers understand what to do when this company starts calling. Sharing your experience may help someone else!

HERE’S THE DEAL!

If you are being harassed by CornerStone Credit Services over a debt, you may be entitled to money damages – up to $1,000 for harassment, and $500 – $1,500 for illegal robocalls. Under state and federal laws, we will help you based on a fee-shift provision and/or contingency fee, which means the debt-collector pays your attorney’s fees and costs. You won’t owe us a dime for our services. We have settled thousands of debt collection harassment cases, and we’re prepared to help you, too. Contact Agruss Law Firm at 888-572-0176 to stop the harassment once and for all.

The post CornerStone Credit Services appeared first on Agruss Law Firm, LLC.

CornerStone Credit Services published first on https://agrusslawfirmllc.tumblr.com

#Debt collection law #consumer law #Debt relief

0 notes

agrusslawfirmllc · 5 years

Text

CornerStone Credit Services

Debt collectors like CornerStone Credit Services, LLC cannot harass you over a debt. You have rights under the law, and we will stop the harassment once and for all.

THE BEST PART IS…

Who is CornerStone Credit Services, LLC?

CornerStone Credit Services’s Address, Phone Number, and Contact Information

CornerStone Credit Services is located at 1835 Bragaw St Suite 500, Anchorage, AK 99508. The main telephone number is 907-770-8100 and the main website is www.cornerstonecredit.com/.

Phone Numbers Used by CornerStone Credit Services

877-375-8100

907-456-4300

907-770-8100

907-770-8122

907-770-8157

CornerStone Credit Services Lawsuits

CornerStone Credit Services Complaints

How do we Use the Law to Help You?

THAT’S NOT ALL…

What if CornerStone Credit Services is on my Credit Report?

THE GOOD NEWS IS…

REMEMBER…

Complaints against CornerStone Credit Services

Based on 71 reviews on Google, CornerStone Credit Services receives a 2.2-out-of-5 rating. Here are some of the reviews on Google:

What Our Clients Say about Us

Agruss Law Firm has over 825 outstanding client reviews through Yotpo, an A+ BBB rating, and over 110 five-star reviews on Google. Here’s what some of our clients have to say about us:

“Michael Agruss handled two settlements for me with great results and he handled them quickly. He also settled my sister’s case quickly and now her debt is clear. I highly recommend Michael.”

“Agruss Law Firm was very helpful, they helped me solve my case regarding the unwanted calls. I would highly recommend them. Thank you very much Mike Agruss!”

Can CornerStone Credit Services Sue Me?

Can CornerStone Credit Services Garnish my Wages?

CornerStone Credit Services Settlement

If you want to settle a debt with CornerStone Credit Services, ask yourself these questions first:

Do I really owe this debt?

Is this debt within the statute of limitations?

Is this debt on my credit report?

If I pay this debt, will CornerStone Credit Services remove it from my credit report?

If I pay this debt, will the original creditor remove it from my credit report?

If I pay this debt, will I receive confirmation in writing from CornerStone Credit Services for the payment and settlement terms?

Top Debt Collection Violations

Called you about a debt you do not owe.

Called you at work after you told them you cannot receive calls at work.

Left you a message without identifying the company’s name.

Left you a message without disclosing that the call is from a debt collector.

Called third-parties (family, friends, coworkers, or neighbors) even though the collection agency knows your contact information.

Disclosed to a third-party (family, friends, coworkers, or neighbors) that you owe a debt.

Contacted you after you said to stop calling.

Threatened you with legal action (such as a lawsuit or wage garnishment).

Called you before 8:00 AM or after 9:00 PM.

Continued to call you after you have told the collector you cannot pay the debt.

Communicated (phone or letter) with you after you filed for bankruptcy.

Failed to mark the debt on your credit report as disputed after you disputed the debt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Share your Complaints against CornerStone Credit Services Below

HERE’S THE DEAL!

The post CornerStone Credit Services appeared first on Agruss Law Firm, LLC.

#Debt collection law #consumer law #debt relief agency

0 notes

bizmediaweb · 6 years

Text

24+ Instagram Statistics That Matter to Marketers in 2019

Are you using Instagram to connect with your audience?

And if not, should you?

Okay, that’s a loaded question.

Statistically speaking though, it makes business dollars and sense.

Scan these Instagram stats that show its breadth and depth worldwide. Then use them to shape your Instagram marketing strategy.

Bossy aren’t I?

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps an adventure photographer used to grow from 0 to 110,000 followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.

Instagram user statistics

Who’s using Instagram? So nice of you to ask.

Well, over an eighth of the 7.6 billion people on the planet (and counting). A look at some Instagram user statistics to keep close to your marketing cuff.

1. 1 billion people use Instagram

Of the social networks, only Facebook and YouTube have more people logging in. With 500 million of them using Instagram—every day. Want (some of) them to ‘like’ your brand? Here’s how.

2. 80% of users are outside the U.S.

That’s a whole lot of global ad revenue for your products and services. With estimates of almost $7 billion in mobile ad revenue in 2018. Interested in doing business in India, Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey, Russia and Japan? Go for it. Tens of millions of active users for your global products.

3. 39% women, 30% men, for U.S. Instagrammers

See for yourself. Women more than men are using this photo sharing app. But the gap has decreased slightly the past couple years.

4. 59% of U.S. users are under 30

…between 18 and 29 years old. Conversely, 33 percent of Instagram users are between 30- and 49-years-old. Another thing, 70 percent of U.S. users have a post secondary education. Now go slice and dice your marketing campaign accordingly.

5. 72% of teens use Instagram, every day

Only second to Snapchat. Yet, 63 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds use Instagram daily, compared to 54 percent for Snapchat. Less users, more engagement on Instagram. All there for you to influence these young-uns with your t-shirts, bracelets, songs, videos, or whatever they like these days.

6. 95% of U.S. Instagrammers use Youtube

…followed by Facebook at 91 percent, and Snapchat at 60 percent. So what, you say? Tell a coherent story for your brand across these platforms. A nice bundle waiting to hear from you.

7. 35% of online adults use Instagram

…with 28 percent of them in the U.S. And they have money to buy your stuff. The right products for the right income earners. For those adult Instagram users:

30% earn up to $30K/year

42% earn $30K – $50K

32% earn $50K – $75K

42% earn $75K+

8. Quick view stats

Quite a few user stats so far, eh? Some more, consolidated. To keep things simple.

34% of Instagram users are millennials

22% of all Instagram users log in at least once a day

38% of users check Instagram multiple times a day

25% of smartphone owners use Instagram

That’s some of the who’s, now on to some of the how’s…

Instagram usage statistics

How are people using Instagram? Another great question.

Let’s learn some of the hows with these Instagram user statistics.

9. Under-25-year-olds use Instagram 32 minutes a day

Compared to 24 minutes per day for 25 and older. This is more than before. Why? Instagram stories. They make it easy to add a creative flair to any photo or video. You can do the same for your business.

10. Users ‘like’ 4.2 billion posts per day

…making Instagram the happiest place on the internet. And that was in 2016 when there were only 500 million Instagrammers. Is your brand feeling lonely? Get on the ‘like’ band-wagon to make new business friends. Again, here’s how.

11. 95 million posts per day

And that was in 2016. Surely, a (large) portion of that action is open to your products. What are you waiting for?

12. 400 million Stories a day

Up from 300 million in October 2017. Most brands (2 million of them) are telling their stories with Stories. Over 50 percent one month in 2017. With a third of the most viewed Stories created by businesses. It’s pretty obvious Stories work for brands, unless you’re not telling any.

13. 80% increase, year-by-year, for videos

…while the number of videos created each day quadrupled from 2017. Yup, users love their video posts, right from the start. When they launched in 2013, 5 million videos were uploaded in the first 24 hours. Create and run a campaign to feed these video-carnivores. Like Lionsgate UK did for their flick.

14. 143M followers for Selena Gomez

With Christiano Renaldo, Beyoncé, and my fav, Dwayne Johnson, the Rock—all between 141 and 115 million Instagram groupies. The most popular Brand on Instagram? National Geographic, with over 91 million fans. Shoes, soccer, space, and underwear, too. Clearly, brands of all kinds are appealing to their people on Instagram.

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps an adventure photographer used to grow from 0 to 110,000 followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.

Get the free checklist right now!

View this post on Instagram

Alright. Speaking from my heart for over an hour to someone who puts those thoughts into paid words can be hard for me. The older I get the more I want my voice to be mine. This is all apart of my work within an industry that’s been around longer than all of us have been. The purpose of my interview was three fold. My work with A21, my new collection with Coach, and some new music. As I’m aware there will always be interests in one’s personal life because that’s the pace of our ‘social’ generation. I’m grateful for my position and I will always find ways to make my job more about others and giving back— all while having the best time with my music, fashion, film and my love for learning about the world that I’m eager to tap into more and more. Church is a name for something far more personal. There’s always agenda seeking information on such a subject and I understand why. Rarely do I mention church (and I didn’t) but I’ll always feel comfortable talking about my values and beliefs. I respect that from everyone and anyone. I understand that reporters are working to grab the attention of a reader, however I will always work to ensure that what is public represents my truth. I’m a bit bummed but rarely surprised. Y’all know me and my heart. I can’t help it. So I’ll post some of MY photos from the collection and work with A21. My heart. And maybe edit my actual lyrics as you will all hear it soon ???? I love you guys to the moon and back. For more information on the work I do with A21 please, please visit link in my bio. So much more on that soon!

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on Sep 4, 2018 at 9:05am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Photo by @stephenwilkes | Hungry grizzlies enjoying a freshly-caught snack while we scouted for our newest Day to Night. To see more photos from my travels near and far, visit me @stephenwilkes. #DayToNight #StephenWilkes #BellaCoola #Canada #Grizzly

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Oct 5, 2018 at 12:30am PDT

15. Quick view stats

More quick mentions for how people are using Instagram:

72% of users have bought a product they saw on Instagram

Facebook bought Instagram for $715 million

Users spend on average 53 minutes a day on the Android Instagram app

Instagram for business statistics

Why use Instagram for business? Because it’s already proven to be business-worthy. As noted by these Instagram business statistics. Whether for the global enterprise, or for your mom-and-pop business.

16. 71% of U.S. businesses use Instagram

…edging out Twitter, which has plateaued. But not Instagram. Things are still and will continue to heat up for this personal and business platform.

17. 25 million business profiles

And over 200 million users visiting at least one business profile every day. From clothing to concerts, lingerie to linguine. Including fashion brands, 96 percent of them are on Instagram. Got something to sell? Instagram has people to target.

18. 2 million monthly advertisers on Instagram

This is a great opportunity for businesses to connect with their audiences, whether on-the-go or in the moment.

19. 80% of users follow at least one business

They ain’t shy about following brands. Yet another stat proving Instagram means business.

20. 60% of users discover products on Instagram

More reason for B2C companies to get on the platform.

21. 75% of users take action

…like visiting a website after looking at a brand’s post. Got good looking products? Instagram is the place to show them off.

22. 70% more likely to buy via mobile

Over a third of Instagram users have used their mobile to purchase a product online– making them 70 percent more likely to do so than non-users.

23. Instagram has 2.2% interaction rate

…dwarfing the other networks, including Facebook with its 0.22 percent rate. Instagram is the engagement king.

24. 90% of the top 100 brands are on Instagram

How many more reasons do you need to hear, to engage on Instagram? Don’t answer that. Rhetorical question.

Other Instagram statistics

50% of businesses on Instagram have produced a Story

50% of Instagrammers follow brands, making them the social networkers who are most likely to do so.

With these stats in mind, it’s time to put a successful Instagram strategy into action. Use Hootsuite to schedule and publish Instagram posts, engage with your community, and track the success of your efforts. Try it free today.

Learn More

The post 24+ Instagram Statistics That Matter to Marketers in 2019 appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

24+ Instagram Statistics That Matter to Marketers in 2019 published first on https://themarketingheaven.tumblr.com/

0 notes

unifiedsocialblog · 6 years

Text

24+ Instagram Statistics That Matter to Marketers in 2019

Are you using Instagram to connect with your audience?

And if not, should you?

Okay, that’s a loaded question.

Statistically speaking though, it makes business dollars and sense.

Scan these Instagram stats that show its breadth and depth worldwide. Then use them to shape your Instagram marketing strategy.

Bossy aren’t I?

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps an adventure photographer used to grow from 0 to 110,000 followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.

Instagram user statistics

Who’s using Instagram? So nice of you to ask.

Well, over an eighth of the 7.6 billion people on the planet (and counting). A look at some Instagram user statistics to keep close to your marketing cuff.

1. 1 billion people use Instagram

Of the social networks, only Facebook and YouTube have more people logging in. With 500 million of them using Instagram—every day. Want (some of) them to ‘like’ your brand? Here’s how.

2. 80% of users are outside the U.S.

3. 39% women, 30% men, for U.S. Instagrammers

See for yourself. Women more than men are using this photo sharing app. But the gap has decreased slightly the past couple years.

4. 59% of U.S. users are under 30

5. 72% of teens use Instagram, every day

6. 95% of U.S. Instagrammers use Youtube

…followed by Facebook at 91 percent, and Snapchat at 60 percent. So what, you say? Tell a coherent story for your brand across these platforms. A nice bundle waiting to hear from you.

7. 35% of online adults use Instagram

…with 28 percent of them in the U.S. And they have money to buy your stuff. The right products for the right income earners. For those adult Instagram users:

30% earn up to $30K/year

42% earn $30K – $50K

32% earn $50K – $75K

42% earn $75K+

8. Quick view stats

Quite a few user stats so far, eh? Some more, consolidated. To keep things simple.

34% of Instagram users are millennials

22% of all Instagram users log in at least once a day

38% of users check Instagram multiple times a day

25% of smartphone owners use Instagram

That’s some of the who’s, now on to some of the how’s…

Instagram usage statistics

How are people using Instagram? Another great question.

Let’s learn some of the hows with these Instagram user statistics.

9. Under-25-year-olds use Instagram 32 minutes a day

10. Users ‘like’ 4.2 billion posts per day

11. 95 million posts per day

And that was in 2016. Surely, a (large) portion of that action is open to your products. What are you waiting for?

12. 400 million Stories a day

13. 80% increase, year-by-year, for videos

14. 143M followers for Selena Gomez

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps an adventure photographer used to grow from 0 to 110,000 followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.

Get the free checklist right now!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on Sep 4, 2018 at 9:05am PDT

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Oct 5, 2018 at 12:30am PDT

15. Quick view stats

More quick mentions for how people are using Instagram:

72% of users have bought a product they saw on Instagram

Facebook bought Instagram for $715 million

Users spend on average 53 minutes a day on the Android Instagram app

Instagram for business statistics

16. 71% of U.S. businesses use Instagram

…edging out Twitter, which has plateaued. But not Instagram. Things are still and will continue to heat up for this personal and business platform.

17. 25 million business profiles

18. 2 million monthly advertisers on Instagram

This is a great opportunity for businesses to connect with their audiences, whether on-the-go or in the moment.

19. 80% of users follow at least one business

They ain’t shy about following brands. Yet another stat proving Instagram means business.

20. 60% of users discover products on Instagram

More reason for B2C companies to get on the platform.

21. 75% of users take action

…like visiting a website after looking at a brand’s post. Got good looking products? Instagram is the place to show them off.

22. 70% more likely to buy via mobile

Over a third of Instagram users have used their mobile to purchase a product online– making them 70 percent more likely to do so than non-users.

23. Instagram has 2.2% interaction rate

…dwarfing the other networks, including Facebook with its 0.22 percent rate. Instagram is the engagement king.

24. 90% of the top 100 brands are on Instagram

How many more reasons do you need to hear, to engage on Instagram? Don’t answer that. Rhetorical question.

Other Instagram statistics

50% of businesses on Instagram have produced a Story

50% of Instagrammers follow brands, making them the social networkers who are most likely to do so.

Learn More

The post 24+ Instagram Statistics That Matter to Marketers in 2019 appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

24+ Instagram Statistics That Matter to Marketers in 2019 published first on https://getfblike.tumblr.com/

0 notes

clusterassets · 6 years

Text

New world news from Time: These Meghan Markle Lookalikes Are Making Thousands Per Gig — And They’re Booked Into 2019

Has anyone ever told you that you look just like Meghan Markle? If so, that might be more than a compliment — it could be a royally weird job opportunity.

Business is booming worldwide for anyone who can believably impersonate Markle, the 36-year-old American actress set to wed Britain’s Prince Harry on May 19. Talent agencies in both the U.S. and the United Kingdom say Markle lookalikes are in high demand due to skyrocketing interest in the soon-to-be newest member of the royal family. If you can walk and talk like Markle, you can earn hundreds of dollars an hour.

And judging by the continued success of Duchess of Cambridge doubles, the cottage — or should we say palace? — industry isn’t going to die out anytime soon.

“It’s a bit of a frenzy,” says Dot Findlater, the founder of California-based celebrity lookalike agency Mirror Images.

courtesy of Mirror ImagesMeghan Markle lookalike from Mirror Images

Finding That Markle Sparkle

Landing a job as a Markle impersonator isn’t as easy as you might think.

At Findlater’s company, for example, she says the first step is submitting photos of yourself (if you’re selling yourself as Markle, you’ll need almond-shaped eyes, long brown hair and freckles, among other attributes). The Mirror Images team will set up a phone call or a Skype interview with you, and if you pass muster, you’ll be professionally photographed. Only then will the firm start promoting your availability for bookings, which can include anything from a photoshoot in a tea shop to a British Invasion corporate event.

Mirror Images has two Markles, one in the U.S. and one in the U.K. Both joined the agency within the last year.

“It’s hard. Lookalikes aren’t on every street corner,” Findlater says, ticking off deciding factors like height, weight and posture. “Our business is illusion — not to trick anybody, but to make sure if a client is hiring a lookalike that they get the closest thing possible.”

Authenticity is critical for Markle doppelgängers like Lukwesa Morin, a 26-year-old graduate student who recently won a Markle lookalike contest on beautifulpeople.com. Morin says she often gets stopped on the street in Washington, D.C., by people who mistake her for the actress — and that has been a deciding factor for her to try and jump into the world of Markle lookalikedom.

For Olivia Marsden, a 22-year-old who lives near London, nailing the Markle look involves dressing almost exactly like her. The daughter of a Madonna impersonator, Marsden says she’s assembled a second wardrobe modeled after ensembles Markle has worn.

“I have the engagement outfit pretty much down to a T,” adds Marsden, of Ofavision Talent Management.

Marsden used to have blonde highlights, but she dyed her hair back to its natural color so she’d look more like Markle. Perhaps the biggest challenge for her is mimicking Markle’s American accent, which she says can be “a little bit tricky.”

courtesy of Lukwesa Morin

Interest in an American Idol

Findlater says she’s seeing more requests for Markle than she did for Kate Middleton ahead of her 2011 royal wedding to Prince William. And she has a theory as to why.

“There’s a lot more interest in the U.S. now because Markle’s American,” Findlater says. “They’re feeling closer to the royal family because of that.”

In the U.K., where much of the public is already obsessed with the royals, Helena Chard tells MONEY she’s getting up to 20 calls a day from clients who want to book Markle doubles.

As the casting director for Susan Scott Lookalikes, Chard says many customers are artists hoping to see “Markle” from a certain angle or social secretaries planning mixers. The agency offers up its talent for bachelor parties, bar mitzvahs, movie nights, conferences, anniversaries, reality shows, weddings and more.

Some companies even use doubles to stage PR stunts: “They’ll have Harry and Meghan [lookalikes] in front of the palace and film them walking through, and everyone goes completely mad and swarms them and takes photographs,” she adds.

Her agency’s website boasts 18 Markles, as well as 20 Harrys. If you want to complete the set, you can choose from seven Queen Elizabeths, 22 Kate Middletons, 19 Prince Williams, 9 Prince Georges and two Princess Charlottes.

Meghan Markle lookalike from Mirror Images

The Princess and the Gs

Posing as Markle can be a lucrative gig.

Findlater says her lookalikes generally earn between $800 and $1,200 for up to three hours of local work. If the client wants the talent to travel out of town, fees start at $2,000, and customers are generally responsible for hotel, transportation and meal costs. In some cases, the price can reach $20,000.

Findlater’s agency typically takes 20% of whatever the Markle clones make on a gig.

Chard says her Markle impersonators usually make about £400, or about $540, for a few hours, but it depends on the booking.

“I think more people are realizing there’s a market in being a lookalike, especially of the royals,” she says. “These events are such fun that the artists go to. It’s more than the money. They can go along, they actually have a good time, and they meet some incredible people on these high-profile jobs.”

Lookalike Marsden declined to discuss her rates, but she did say she has Markle events booked into 2019 — a solid indication that the fervor won’t die off once the royal wedding is over. Marsden jokes that hiring her for lookalike work is “not cheap, but it’s a lot cheaper than the real thing.”

For people like Marsden, whose day job is being an airline cabin crew member, capitalizing on the Markle mania is an ideal way to make extra cash.

“Before I became a Meghan lookalike, I would sit at home, thinking like, ‘I need another job,'” Marsden says. “It’s great to have a side job I really enjoy doing, and I get something out of it.”

May 16, 2018 at 08:45PM ClusterAssets Inc., https://ClusterAssets.wordpress.com

#Time #world #news #ClusterAssets #ClusterAsset #Cluster Asset Inc.#ClusterAssets Inc.

0 notes

numberonetrashcollectorus-blog · 6 years

Text

Does it show on your medical insurance bill?

"Does it show on your medical insurance bill?

I took a blood test recently and apparently my medical insurance covered it and all I had to do was pay the co pay. my mother pays for the medical insurance. Does the visit show up on the medical bill that I went in for a blood test? or do you just pay for the insurance as normal? How does it work?

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://averageinsurancecosts.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr

RELATED QUESTIONS:

Health insurance for diabetics in Ohio?

I guess Ohio is one of 4 states which is not required for it's insurance companies to cover diabetes. I am a type 1 diabetic, and as of now I no longer have insurance. Does anyone know of any insurance companies who do cover diabetics in Ohio....I'm feeling kind of scared about not having insurance right now.""

How much would my car insurance cost for under 25 for a multi car insurer?

i am 19 and want to start driving but insurance is a big issue and i don't have any knowledge in that department. So how much would my insurance be on the cheapest car (what car would that be?) as a multi car insurer?

What's the car insurance requirements in GA?

I need to know what is required and is not required and what falls under full coverage and liability in the state of GA.

What is the cheapest insurance company for a 17 year old driving a bmw?

I'm a 17 year old girl an my parents are buying me a 2011 328xi awd BMW and I was wondering where it would e cheepeat to ensure

""My family has health insurance but, no dental where can we go to get low cost dental insurance?""

My family has health insurance but, no dental where can we go to get low cost dental insurance?""

Does a driver under 25 in the state of NH need car insurance? if they live with parents?

i know nh drivers don't need car insurance, but does a driver under 25 that lives with parents need car insurance?""

Can you have auto insurance without a car?

I recently had my car repossessed and with the amount the finance company was asking I could not afford to get it back. I am wanting to know if you can have insurance without having a vehicle listed on the policy? I occasionally drive my partners vehicle and I need to have insurance and I do not want to terminate my current policy I am with Nationwide Insurance

Car insurance for provisional license?

I have a Peugeot 807 2.2 and want to insure someone that has only got a provisional does anybody have any idea how much i would be looking at.The person is 35.

Why do I need car insurance?

Ok, i have my permit and will get my driver's liscence soon, but i am not going to buy a car for a while. If i am just going to borrow one of my parents' cars, to go shopping and stuff like that, do i need car insurance if i never borrow it overnight or anything like that?""

What is all the car insurance and extra costs?

what is everything you have to have for a car like the insurance and all that and how much does it cost?

Do you still have to be added to your parents car insurance if you just borrow their car?

I don't have my own car yet, so ill occasionally be borrowing the car. Do I still have to be added? We have All State if that helps.""

""People that live in miami only, car insurance problem :(?""

me and my boyfriend r trying to move out, its really necesary because my parents r moving far and if i go with them i cant see him again, anyways we have enough money, we both have ...show more""

I'm a first-timer with cars and insurance?

I was trying to research car insurance and taxes but came up with no clear answer. My probem is that I am looking to see how much it would cost for me to buy a cheap car (preferably a Mini or a Beetle) and what the insurance would cost. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I'm trying to work out how much I have to earn this summer so I can own my first car.

What steps are needed to obtain a license to sale Insurance in the State of California?

I have a college degree, but just had a baby and I'm looking to obtain a license to sale Insurance for when my son gets older so I can have a flexible schedule. What is the process in the State of California to obtain a license to sale Insurance? (car insurance, business insurance, home insurance, etc.) Is there a seperate license for each kind of insurance? or does one license cover all of them? Also, what are the steps to obtain a license? Any information would be great! (also, how long is the process of obtaining a license?)""

Is the lack of affordable health insurance so bad people have to come on yahoo for advice?

i'm very concerned about the people who come on here for medical advice. some of it is very general, but some of the stuff here should be checked out by a doctor. should yahoo remove this section? i think it's a bit dangerous for people to rely on laymans for medical advice. last time i checked you had 7 years of school to deal with. not to mention the people that have been to the doctors and still come here and ask questions. it's like, why did you even go to the doctors. to me, this seems a bit nuts. or is it just me?""

""On average, how much does a speeding ticket cause insurance to go up?

About how much would a speeding ticket for 85 in a 65 make your car insurance go up?

Please help. Is it a must to get a car insurance in order to use and drive my car?

Hi guys, I wanna buy a car, but I wanna be sure if I have to get a car insurance in order to drive my car legally on the streets. Thanks XD""

Will the insurance company cancel my car insurance after a DUI in VA?

i got a dui in VA, is offence, .08 bac, well i got convicted of yesterday. i have to do a DWI Education classes and have a restricted licence to drive to work. my insurancce is still valid for a good 6 months. do i have to inform the insurance company, will i lose my insurance, do i need a sr22 or not. please advice..""

When is the correct time to drop her from my insurance?

Here's the situation. When the divorce papers were filed she had a job. She has since been laid off. The divorce does not require me to insure her. If i drop her though she has no insurance and no affordable way to get any. I have the financial means to cover her for month, but I'm concerned about the consequences. If something happened could the insurance company come back and charge me for everything since we weren't actually married?""

Any tips on how to avoid paying full coverage insurance on a motorcycle while financing it?

My friend has been financing a motorcycle and he just did his policy online and put down that he owned the motorcycle..and only put liability on it.. Is this a good way to get around the system?

Where can i find cheap car insurance on a honda civic type r?

im 23 and these will be my first car im driving...i will put my dad name as the main driver his 53..jus need 2find really cheap car insurance

Insurance for less than 3 months?

Is it possible to get car insurance for just a few months, before i dissapear off 2 uni? Which Insurers do this?""

Question re: insurance premiums and taxes?

I've read that health insurance premiums can be itemized deductions. Any others? What about accident insurance I pay for out of my pocket? I pay for both accident and sickness premiums to the same company and pay for all my policies out of my pocket. Any help is appreciated.

Best insurance quote website?

I dont want to call 10+ companies and telling them the same info over and over. What is the best insurance quote website that allows me to get the most accurate quotes from the most companies?

Insurance in someone else's name?

Hey everybody! Ok, here is my situation... I am ready to buy my first car, but I am only 22 years old. I am also the only one in my family capable of getting a Auto loan, but the Insurance companies are giving me quotes off $700 a month, and I have 0 points!! Is it possible to get insurance in my mothers name? Will the bank accept full coverage under her name? She has already agreed to it. I live in the state of MI. Thanks in advance!""

Does it show on your medical insurance bill?

""When people turn 25, should they just kill themselves?""

College is over, you're no longer young and you have to worry about decreasing in health, plus you get taken off your parents health insurance (if you went to college) because society expects you to be paying for it by working now for the rest of your life. You no longer can be immature. Marriage starts to happen, and then kids...blah 100 other reasons more, etc. Source: 17 Year Old, (18 in April) Senior in High School""

Average cost of auto insurance for a truck per month?

What are the upsides/downsides to a LPG/Autogas conversion.?

With auto gas being roughly 60% of the cost of petrol, investigating a conversation is attractive but not if it is just simply an exchange of costs and the whole deal just is a contra entry. Much lower mpg , increased service costs, insurance, more wear and tear are just some of my thoughts. Also how does auto gas effect performance ? Hence what are your experiences (in the UK please), costs, regrets and pleasures concerning the topic.""

""What are some good, reliable cars that don't have super high insurance?""

I'm 18, responsible driver, clean record which will stay clean. Looking for another car still. Will almost positively be under 2005 and not a sporty one. I was looking into Acura Integra. But, kinda like maybe something like a Jeep Liberty (if insurance isn't high!) I will be on my parents insurance and both of them have clean records so that should lower it anyways. Would Audi A4 or a Suzuki or Kia sedan be fairly cheap?""

Car insurance for teens... cost?!?

im 17 years old and im getting a miata 93. how much will insurance cost be around. by the way i have good grades

Best car insurance companies?

I am 22 and needing to get car insurance for a 1996 Ford Escort. I only want Liability. Any suggestions?

Getting Car Inspected Late - will insurance go up?

If you let your car inspection sticker in Massachusetts expire before and then you go to get the car inspected late, will the Massachusetts RMV find out that you let it lapse and then hit you with points on your license and/or increased car insurance rates? Would if your car doesn't pass inspection, will that raise your car insurance also?""

Cheapest florida car insurance?

i only want liability and im looking for really cheap car insurance please help

HOw much does PIP insurance cost in miami florida?

does anyone know how much would PIP insurance cost for a 18 year old female driving a white 2002 SATURN SL2 in miami florida

""Got a speeding ticket, how can I make sure my insurance doesn't go up?""

I'm 19 and I just got my first speeding ticket. If I pay for a lawyer to plead not guilty and get my demerit points removed, will that guaranty that my insurance rate will stay the same? (I live in Canada)""

Pregnant with health insurance but no maternity coverage?

Would I qualify for Medicaid for pregnant women if I have cigna health insurance without maternity coverage? I live in Florida. If not does cigna offer maternity coverage?

How much would it cost to get insurance on these mopeds?

Separately, how much would it cost (roughly)? I am doing this for an E-Consumerism project, but I may also want to actually buy the Duke Touring. Can anyone give me a rough estimate, in dollars, for the cost of each? Please leave some sort of source so I know you didn't just make it up.""

Citroen saxo car insurance?

How much would this cost for a 17 year old male who has just passed his test?

Car insurance in massachusetts?

how much does it cost??? i hav a project where i have to buy car insurance for a Mercedes Benz 2010 C300 Sport Sedan...... help.......??

Has anyone used e-suarance for a car insurance quote. I called them a few hours ago & they gave me a good...?

quote but they Hadn't run my driving record yet. And they said they can use ur credit report but, Otha than seeing if u hav paid ur car insurance/bills on tym I Don't see Why they need That info, otha car insurance companies I called Didn't want to check my credit history & Every check on ur credit report can make ur credit score lower & my credit's not that gud rite now tho I pay my utilities, rent, my current credit card & my cell bill on tym & my auto insurance in the past was always paid on tym. (I haven't had car insurance for 3 1/2 yrs cuz I haven't had a car.) Also, they were telling me if I call back the quote mite not stay the same cuz I was tryin 2 get the quote number & No Other insurance companies said that, the otha 1's gave me a quote # so I can deal wit the quote later if I decided 2 go wit them. E-suarance (was tryin 2 get me 2 put a down payment down today & then the insurance would kick in automatically but I told them I want to pay for 6 months at once & I don't hav the money now cuz I hav 2 deposit it in the bank tomorrow, it's a postal money order & will clear Tues. & I Don't Need the insurance 'til Tues. &, then I'll need proof of insurance Tues. to take 2 the DMV wit the papers from the dealer 2 register the car & get the license plates. E-saurance said they could send an e-mail upon payment that I could use 2 show proof of insurance at the DMV or if I Can't print that out I could download their app & show them my proof of insurance thru their app. But that sounded fishy 2 me. Also the guy on the phone from e-suarance wanted a credit card # 2 run my driving record but I was like None of the Otha car insurance companies needed that 2 run my driving record. I Don't want 2 get charged for them 2 run my driving record or 4 any Otha charges. Which is making me suspicious now of the low rate or of paying by credit card ova the fone wit them. Since they're backed by Allstate can I go 2 an Allstate office 2 pay cash & get proof of insurance?""

Can I sue someone with auto insurance?

I live in Las Vegas and I was involved in a car accident in November. There were 6 cars involved and this process is being UNUSUALLY long. It is impossible to get in contact with one of the claimants so we can not settle for our car damages. Can I sue the individuals that were held respoinsible for the auto accident?

""Young married couple, low cost health insurance with Rx?""

I'm going to get married soon (not RLY soon but i have to start thinking about some things in advance) and I have to get health insurance. I'm really confused by it but I've been doing some reading about it and some figures about the kind of finances we are going to have and all I really know at this point is that we can't afford more than 200 dollars per month and that has to include prescriptions and everything. My soon to be husband is really healthy, only real issue is near-sightedness. I'm a little more sickly, I have asthma and allergies and the same eye problems. I keep them all pretty much under control but I need my meds. What plan would be best for us so that we can keep costs low and still get me my Rx?""

Really really cheap drift car with cheap insurance?

I'm soon going to be buying a car to do up with a good mate and his grandad who owns a garage, my friend already owns a car and we've decided that one day we're going to take them out and learn to drift (dw this wont be on the roads). We're going to be doing it often and so it has to be atleast half decent and its going to be my everyday car. So i'm looking for a good drift car to do up for under 500 (obviously going to be breaking and second hand) to do up and drift better than my mates car. Oh and insurance under 2000 would be best considering i'll Only be 17! Thanks alot Bilbo baggins""

How much would car insurance be for a 17 year old girl?

i have a 1999 honda accord. im 17 years old, and i live in california. how much would my insurance be? please help me out?""

About how much does insurance cost for BudgetTruck Rental?

Can someone give me a ballpark on how much insurance would cost for Plan 2 Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI) on budgettruck.com I need a 16' moving truck in a Columbus, Ohio suburb up to Toledo area""

What is a good looking and cheap running car for a 17 year old british man hoping to pass soon?

i would prefer a hatchback but dont actually mind lol...need it too look good, be cheap to run and cheap on insurance""

I need a job to save for college and driver's ed?

I'll be 16 next month and I need a job badly. I'm saving up for driver's ed, a car, insurance, and an apartment for college. I've tried restaurants, burger joints, etc. But everyone seems to be on hiring freezes or is only hiring adults. I need to start saving indepently because my parents can't support me forever. What are some job options for a 16 year old f in ma?""

Insurance on a Civic Si?

Alright so im pretty sure that answer is going to be high but im thinking of buying a '06/'07/'08 civic si, but i was just wondering if any other si drivers could give me how much they pay for insurance. im 20 live in s. cali and have one ticket so i bet thats gonng drive it up but still want to know like an average. will it make a difference if i but a civic si sedan instead of the coupe?""

Where can i find affordable life insurance for my 81 yr old granmother?

I live in Illinois, and I work for the UI, but im not sure if I can add my grandmother on my insurance...So Im trying to find somewhere that will take senior citizens, but something i can afford..""

How much do you pay for car insurance?

Does it show on your medical insurance bill?

""Life Insurance, Add to or buy another policy?

I bought 50K worth of life insurance when I was in my 20's. Now I'm 45 and thinking I need another 50K more. Would i be better off to buy another policy and keep this one. Or should I cash this one in and buy one 100K whole life policy? The policy is currently whole life and there is about 7K in there.

What is the difference between private and public insurance?

I'm doing a report on Japanese economy, and I read something about it having mostly public insurance? What does this mean, and what is that difference? What does having a public insurance do for Japan? Like how does it effect the country?""

Education determining car insurance...?

Here in NJ (USA) auto insurance differs by your level of education. I have an associates degree but if I were to put on my insurance that I have a bachelors for cheaper insurance would that be alright? I have been in an accident once and used insurance once and they never asked to see my degree or transcripts.

Honda CBR 125r... Insurance price for a 17 year old?

(UK!) I'm really interested in motorbikes, and in 18 months - the painful wait - I am looking at buying my first bike, a Honda CBR 125r. Due to the low horse power of the bike, I can ride it with just a CBT after my 17th birthday if I'm not mistaken, which will reduce my costs as I won't need to take lessons and a test. With leathers, helmet, boots, gloves, CBT, as well as the bike, I worked out I would need to save at least 2200... However, I have no idea what insurance would be. I understand insurance prices fluctuate according to location etc, but I have no idea at all. So even a completely rough estimate, even if it could be out by 150 would be useful. Thank you for reading, hope you can help. :-)""

Cheapest car to insure for new driver aged 17?

I looked for a quote on a 1994 renault clio 1.4 RT, which came up as 1059 per year, and also for one of the older eary 90's golfs, which was even higher at over 2000, for a 17yr old driver. I then looked at a 1.4l vauxhall corsa, 1993, which was still at least 1000 to insure. yet my friend managed to get insurance on her own policy for the same 1.4l corsa, at around 700 a year, and she had only been driving an additional 2 months more than me. and thats on the same insurance company too. Whats one of the cheapest cars possible to insure (within reason, preferably a half decent car haha) now, so i can see what my cheapest quote could be?""

What if i don't have car insurance and i don't drive the car?

i wanna buy a car but not drive it for a while but i can't afford car insurance....can i not register until i am ready to drive it is that legal?????

Which car insurance company allows you to make the cheapest one year payment?

I have esurance but they force you to make 2 payments a year,and the second payment AWAYS shows up at the worst time lol""

If i report my car stolen will the insurance company ask for the keys?

My car was tolen... But i lost the keys to it. Does either the police or the insurance company ask for the keys?

""Whats a cheap car to buy, insure, Tax and repair?

i live in kent and i am getting close to getting my full licence. I am 20 years old so i know insurance is going to be expensive no matter what car i have. I don't mind the car being second hand and i don't really want to spend over 1500. I don't care what the car looks like but i need it to be as cheap as possible to insure so like the lower insurance bands and lower tax bands. It also needs to be cheap for the MOT and any repairs that need to be done. I understand that it may be cheaper to have the car in a older persons name and me as a third person but i want to start getting my no claims bonus so its cheaper for me in the long run.

When can I drop full coverage insurance?

I have a 2010 nissan versa I have full coverage I wanted to know how long until i can drop the full coverage and will my insurance rate be lower?

Why is it mandatory to buy car insurance?

I understand if it's on a leased car but why on 100% paid off private cars? Mortgage companies make borrowers buy home insurance as a condition to get the Liam but once the mortgage is paid off you're free to not insure your property. Why is it legal for insurance companies to force all car owners to buy coverage? It's not constitutional no different than forcing them to buy health insurance.

How much is the average car insurance per month?

Ok so im 18 years old, i still live with my parents and im looking to get a car. SO how much would insurance be per month? I plan to get the car in my name so i am wondering if i can get the insurance in my name or will i go under my parents insurance? My parents don't have a car at the moment so if i get my own car under my name can i get insurance in my name even though im still living with them?""

What year vehicles require full coverage insurance?

im looking for a cheap insurance for the state of louisiana. im with progressive and pay 88.00 for liability uninsure motorist and road side assistance. i want an 08 or 07 car but cant afford to pay for full coverage(mean over 90.00) for insurance. By law are 07 and 08 vehicles required to have max coverage or just liability. only drvie veh to work and local shopping and bring mom to medical appointments. and are what kind of cars get low insurance rates(cars verses suv, two door verses 4 door red verses white)? any company suggestions looking to by chevy colbalt or suv kia sorrento.""

What is car insurance for a first time driver?

Okay i am 18 and have never had my license before and am going to be getting it at the end of this month...soon we are going to start getting insurace quotes for my car, we have been talking about what would be the best way to go about getting the cheapest insurance...so would it be best to put the car in my name but then just be added to my parents insurance and have me as the primary driver OR would it make a difference if we put the car in one of my parents name and then had me listed as the secondary driver for the car ? OR maybe you know a better way to go about this please give me all the advice you know about this! thanks""

Is there a group health insurance I can join?

My husband left his job and we lost our health insurance. Are there organizations I can join to become part of their group health insurance? Who are they? I know I can buy health insurance any time but I can generally get it cheaper as a group insurance.

Do I need to keep insurance on a broken down car?

My son's car is not working and seemingly not worth repairing. Do I need to continue insuring it until we get rid of it?

""How much, on average, is car insurance?""

How much, on average, is car insurance?""

Test driving a persons car if you dont have car insurance?

I live in Texas. I want to buy a used car from a private party (i.e. another person). Ill obviously want to test drive it before I buy it, but I dont have insurance. If the other person has insurance, is it legal for them to let me test drive it?""

Is it up to age 26 or through age 26 for insurance coverage on parent's plan?

With health care reform, young adults can now stay on their parent's insurance longer. Is it UP TO the day they turn age 26 or through the age 26 that they are able to have the coverage?""

Do insurance companies operate on bank holidays?

I wouldn't mind getting some insurance for my moped tomorrow, but I heard its bank holiday monday...Will this stop me getting through to them?""

How much would it cost to insure a Dodge Stealth?

I was looking at Dodge Stealths but I am afraid it would cost to much money to insure being I am 17. I'm not talking about the Twin turbo version, I mean the base (which has about 125hp), the ES (about 222hp), or the R/T(same as ES but also has a turbo charger). The car weighs about 2500lbs i believe (if that even matters), also I would not be getting any upgraded body kits for it. Please don't just say a lot or something to that extent. Thank you for your time.""

Who pays my car insurance?

As a Christmas gift my boyfriend bought me an X6. I didnt ask any questions because he and my parents got into a fight about it because they didnt think it was appropriate so I dont know anything about whos name its under or insurance or anything, anyways. Im almost positive the car is under his name, but will the insurance be under his name since the car is under his name or would the car insurance be under my name since it was a gift to me?""

Is This Right? (Retinal Detachment/Cataract/Lens/Insur... Question)?

Let me make a very long story short and get right to the questions. I have moved across the United States by myself at the age of 20 with no insurance covered by my parents, nor will they ever if they could. I had a retinal detachment in my left eye. Paid out of pocket for an eye doctor appointment, he freaked out and told me to go straight to the emergency room for emergency surgery since my entire retina was detached. After my surgery, half unconscious too, a social worker got assigned to me because I was under 21 and legally dependent on the state. So the state paid for my surgery. I had a 2nd one too because the first failed. During my 2nd surgery I had cataracts in my eye so they removed the natural lens. And they never replaced the natural lens since they feared the retina may detach again like the first time. But it stay together and I turned 21. So therefore, legally independent by the state. My check up appointment was after my birthday which the front desk of the eye section declared I must pay $80 for every check up visit, which they wanted me to come in every other week. And if I did not pay, I could not go in. Due to my 6 months of surgeries and recover time I had no money, and was not working. I live with my in-laws, and they were taking care of me, but they are certainly not going to pay my medical bills. So here I am now, age 22 and I have been working for about a year. My job does not offer health insurance until you worked for a year, and even then, there is a certain month you can sign up. I have been walking around for over a year without a natural lens, or ANY lens in my left eye. This is in no way like being blind. My doctor had told me that if I got my license and drove, if ever in an accident, I would get in serious trouble because you are not supposed to drive this way. Not that I do, I cannot see correctly so it is wicked dangerous. Having no lens in one eyes messes with your other eye. Hard to explain unless you have literally had this situation before. Sunlight glares into my bad eye, then into my good eye. Same with darkness or bright lights in general. I am actually very blind at night because of this. This is literally ruining my life. I have no money to pay for insurance, or the surgery which can be easily be 10,000 dollars. Is this legal for a county hospital to do? I have never heard of anyone in my situation. Even the thousands of times I have googled and searched. Never heard of anyone in my shoes. What are my rights here? Is there some way I can fight this? Where is my justice? This is holding me back so badly in life. Please someone with real help and not a crappy site they copy and pasted, help! I need some real human help!!""

Need advice on qualifying for subsidized health insurance?

I'm an older full-time college student and my husband works full-time at Walmart. In the past three years, I've been through 4 cancer related surgeries, which were paid for by the breast/cervical cancer Medicaid program. Unfortunately, follow up care and monitoring aren't covered and I was dropped from Medicaid. I'm now on my husband's health insurance, which is basically worthless because our income is under $20,000/yr and the policy has a $4500 deductible plus 20% after. I haven't seen my oncologist for over a year because we can't afford the expensive scans, biopsies, and lab work associated with cancer follow-up with a deductible that high. I thought my situation would change in 2014 with Obamacare. I recently learned from the healthcare.gov website calculator that our income is low enough to qualify for expanded Medicaid (which our state decided not to expand), but I don't qualify for the health insurance subsidies I desperately need because the outrageous deductible health insurance from my husband's job covers spouses. How can a couple with an income so low they would qualify for expanded Medicaid be ineligible for subsidies? I am completely devastated over this and I don't know what to do. Not being able to afford cancer follow up care is putting my life in danger. Even if my husband's employer (Walmart) quit covering the spouses of full-time employees, I think that would only apply to new hires because of the grandfather clause. If getting subsidies was based on income alone the way it should be instead of access to employer provided coverage, I would qualify for a zero deductible policy and $3 co-pays with a monthly premium of around $60. I could then afford the expensive health care I need. We live in a college town so if my husband got a different job, he'd make even less than he does now and we would probably end up homeless. If my husband transfers and we move to a state that's expanding Medicaid, I'll have to quit school and get rid of my German Shepherd and Siberian Husky since it's almost impossible to find a landlord that allows them. We thought another option might be to get a divorce on paper and co-habitate until our situation changes (completing my degree and getting a good job so I can afford the deductible), then re-marry. When I asked about that, someone actually accused me of wanting to commit fraud! How can anyone think of something like fraud when a situation is endangering someone's life? I am desperate to somehow qualify for health insurance subsidies without lying, which could get us in trouble. Any ideas?""

Life insurance thc test?

Does anyone know if country companies tests for thc for their life insurance policies?

Does it show on your medical insurance bill?

Question about unemployment Insurance In california?

I have to send my form on the 12 of december. If i dont send it by that time.say about a week later will it be a problem? when is the latest i can send it through the mail? anyone know?

What medical insurance is cheap in California? ?

Is there medicaid n Cali ? Or just Oklahoma

How much would insurance be for a 17 year old male in Alabama?

Please only educated, backed-up answers.""

16 year old first car - Camaro?

I just turned 16 a few days ago and am looking to buy my first car. I really want a 2010 camaro ss with the 6 speed manual, but i am open to any suggestions. I'm a really responsible kid and i get all A's and B's in school. Plus i own my own business and can definitely pay for a new car, insurance, and gas on my own. Your thoughts and any suggestions would be great. Thanks.""

Car insurance for teens... cost?!?

im 17 years old and im getting a miata 93. how much will insurance cost be around. by the way i have good grades

""Thanks To Democrats, I Can't Afford Health Insurance?""

I live in New Jersey. But, Democrats refuse to allow me to buy a health insurance plan based in Pennsylvania, where insurance is cheaper. Why do Democrats make life so hard on ...show more""

How to switch car insurance in New York State?

I'm currently with geico! I'm thinking to switch to progressive. But my geico police expires on octobre 2013, It this an issue? if I choose to switch car insurance provider do I have to notify the DMV about the Change? Thank you""

What papers do you need for car insurance?

Alright I don't know too much all I know is I'm determined, I want a car with car insurance on it. My dad has a car in which he is going to let me have and I am going with him next week to get car insurance. What papers do I need to present in order to get the car insurance because I want to be ready. I'm not sure what insurance I want yet but I believe he might be putting the insurance in his name and mine being that I am a young driver.""

How much is flood insurance in texas?

Car Insurance question! please help confused. SR-22?

So I just purchased a new car, its in my name only. I live with my girlfriend who has to have SR-22 insurance and she does. She will drive this car periodically. Do i need to list her as a driver of this car? It really raises my rates! If she is paying for her own SR-22 insurance, and its unnamed so it covers her in any vehicle she drives do I need to list her??? Need some experienced information please! Thanks!""

Motorbike and car insurance?

With fuel prices in the uk soaring and having to drive 120 miles a day I am seriously considering buying a motorbike to save both time and money. Thing is I'm gonna still need a car for the winter months when we have to deal with increasingly heavy winters... So my question is do i have to pay 12 months insurance for both a car and a bike or is there any way of having a policy that I can put on hold for the months that either vehicle isn't being used?

Who offers the cheapest car insurance in the Uk?

Ok im 22 years old and have have been driving for 4 years. Only one crash 3 years ago. Just got my renewal notice through the post. It has gone from 56 to 81. That is a alot for me. Whats the point in a NO CLAIMS BONUS?

Renters insurance?

What is a good company to have renters insurance through, that is still pretty cheap?""

Is there an afforadable health insurance you can find for self-employed people?

Auto insurance question?

I had full coverage on my auto policy. My car is at a point where I'm not going to fix it because it would cost more to repair then to replace. However, I'm not going to replace it at this time. My question is, since I will be renting cars at least twice before I get a new car, how do I handle my auto insurance? The policy currently covers rental cars, and is cheaper than the insurance the rental company offers, so I'd like to keep it. should i go ahead and cancel my auto policy, even though I will be driving other cars before i purchase another?""

Where can I get a great health insurance for a student?

""Should I wait until after I turn 25 next month to buy a car, since insurance will be cheaper?""

Basically, I'm wondering if I should wait until I'm 25 to buy a car, since then the insurance would be cheaper when I have to insure the car. Or does it really matter?""

How much is the insurance for having an average motorcycle?

I'm 19 years old and living in Santa Monica, CA. I have driver's license and sometimes I drive my parents' car but i don't have an insurance and car yet. I just want to know how much it will be payed for a year for like Harley Davidson or something.""

Any reccomendations for a good dental insurance??

i have health insurance through my job, but they do not offer dental.""

Insurance help???!?!?!?

right, im a 17 year old male who passed my test in may 2010, however i now have enough money for a cheap car and insurance, but why is it so expensive?? cheapest i have found is like 4k so please if anyone can help what is the best cars to get cheap insurance, i have tried putting myself as a second driver but is still really expensive, i need some help where is the best place, what is the price you have? i just need helpp!!!! pleeasssee""

Good low cost medical insurance for a 20 year old female working through a temp service?

I am 20 years old and I have no medical insurance and I really need to go to the dentist and have a check up at my doctor. I haven't been to either in probably 4 years. I am very uneducated on insurance so any help is greatly appreiciated. I want to make sure it's someone that my doctor and dentist will accept. I have a good job but it's a temporary service that doesn't have insurance benifits. Any suggestions?

Average yearly car insurance cost for a new driver?

In Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Average yearly-term for a new driver? For: A) A 60's car B) A 90's car Both in good, but no perfect condition.. I just want to know the price range I'm looking at for a standard insurance.. $500? $5,000?""

Insurance Problems for my Teenage Self?(;?

So I found out that insurance for the car I was going to get (Honda Civic EX-L 2010) was way too much since I'm only 16. So I'm planning on getting a cheaper car, around $5,000. 1. Will insurance be much cheaper? They told me $1,500 for the Civic. 2. When I do turn 18 and purchase my dream car, will the insurance drop? If so how muh?""

Whats the cheepest car on insurance for a 17 year old and how much?

whats the cheepest car on insurance for a 17 year old and how much

Any Car insurance in boston open past 5pm?

any Car insurance in boston open past 5pm

Does it show on your medical insurance bill?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/does-your-insurance-go-up-after-getting-speeding-ticket-barksdale"

0 notes

ophirgottlieb · 7 years

Text

Shopify's Short Narrative - Where it Fails and Perhaps Misleads

10-5-2017 LEDE Spotlight Top Pick Shopify stock has fallen nearly 20% in two-days on the heels of toxic accusations from a well known short seller, Andrew Left of Citron research. He may have stepped too far, this time. STORY Hello, all. This is Ophir writing. Rather than summarize Citron Research's short thesis, here it is, straight from Andrew's mouth in a seven minute video:

youtube

THE ACCUSATIONS A lot of these accusations are quite serious and toxic. Let's take them one at a time with objective data that will help you decide if you agree or disagree. I. GET RICH QUICK SCHEME Just 19 seconds into the video Andrew says Shopify has mastered "the good old get rich scheme." At minute 1:10, Andrew tells us to "Google Shopify & Millionaire." He says, "sure enough, we see about 27,000 results." So let's start here. Baird analyst Colin Sebastian was the first to take issue with this narrative, and here is what he wrote in a note to clients:

[T]he firm's survey of Shopify ads today indicate very few (1 out of 20) contain the word millionaire, whereas the vast majority of the marketing campaigns are focused on easy online store set-up, building a brand, selling on Facebook, or creating an online shop. [] Moreover, reviewing Shopify’s Facebook posts since the beginning of the year, we could find no references or promises to prospects of becoming a millionaire

Just to take this point further, I did my own Google search, but this time it wasn't for Shopify, it was for: "proof that superman is real" Here is what I found:

The point here is not to be tongue-in-cheek, it is actually to echo yet further sentiment from Baird which read:

In fact, in order to find references to “millionaire ads,” even the short report suggests needing to search Google very specifically with the keywords "Shopify Millionaire" to uncover such ads, since they are not very apparent otherwise.

You can Google almost anything to find a result, so this first attempt at uprooting evil appears to be off base, based on both on Baird's research and a simple understanding of Google search proper. II. PYRAMID SCHEME At minute 1:49, Andrew Left brings up Herbalife and that Shopify is a pyramid scheme and how an FTC settlement by Herbalife is proof that "this will impact Shopify sooner rather than later." That's sounds damning, and we will get to the false claims of a pyramid scheme right after this one little fact. If you zoom into Andrew's video, here is that smoking gun headline that proves "this will impact Shopify sooner rather than later."

I am no supporter of Herbalife, please don't get me wrong, but we can see that the settlement was for $200 million. Here is the link to the FTC's website for that settlement: Herbalife Will Restructure Its Multi-level Marketing Operations and Pay $200 Million For Consumer Redress to Settle FTC Charges. Note that is was dated July 15, 2016. To put that $200 million into context, Herbalife has generated $4.4 billion in revenue in the last year and has a market cap above $6 billion. And if you're wondering how this smoking gun FTC settlement affected the stock, well, here you go, objectively:

Yes, Herbalife stock, when the FTC decision was rendered, rose 10% on the day. Obviously the FTC news wasn't good, but the fact that it had so little bite was in fact a bullish push for the stock. But, with that FTC reality out of the story, this is the real problem -- the original claim is false. Shopify is not a pyramid scheme and any argument to the contrary is in error. Shopify is an e-commerce platform builder and ecosystem. In fact, Left says that at the start the video. Further, Shopify has created such a powerful ecosystem that it has now partnered with Amazon, eBay and Facebook's Instagram. Further yet, it generates revenue from software as a service (SaaS), which is a fancy way of saying recurring software fees and as a payment provider. Many people felt that the 'Shopify Pay' initiative was worth trying but likely would not gain traction, but it has. This is from the last earnings call: * $2.2 billion of GMV in the quarter or 38% was processed on Shopify Payments. This compares with $1.3 billion or 38% in Q2 of 2016. For the record, this how Shopify describes Shopify Pay: Shopify Payments is the simplest way to accept payments online. It eliminates the hassle of setting up a third-party payment provider or merchant account and having to enter the credentials into Shopify. ... You’re automatically set up to accept all major cards as soon as you create your Shopify store. Whether you believe in the short thesis as presented by Andrew Left or not, or if you even feel that the whole thing is a fraud (which he did not claim), whatever you feel, there is nowhere in this entire narrative where Shopify has built a business on a pyramid. What we mean to say is, if you take the worst possible scenario, that Shopify is making up numbers by throwing darts at a number line, even that fraud is not about a pyramid scheme. I did another Google search that I would like to share: Is Citron Research Committing Securities Fraud?

This is where opinion comes in: I believe that unless Andrew Left backs away from this one claim in particular, that he will be investigated by the SEC and potentially fined or imprisoned. He takes a position in these stocks before he releases his research, which is fine, but even the most fantastical bear on Shopify doesn't believe this is a pyramid scheme. Call it many things -- but this is patently false. III. RESIGNATION LETTER At minute 2:10 Left says "when you see what Shopify does its to a level that you cannot even imagine." He makes reference to the fact that Shopify has a page on its website on how to write a resignation letter. I found two posts on Shopify surrounding this subject here is the first, written on May 1, 2017: Ready to Become a Full-Time Entrepreneur? Here's How to Quit Your Job. Since there is so much misinformation floating around, I'm not even going to copy and paste the article, I am just taking a screenshot for you to read.

So, I won't comment here. You decide if that sounds toxic. Now, here is the other post that Andrew referred to:

Again, I'll refrain from subjective analysis and let you decide how disturbing this is to you. IV. CREATING A BUSINESS At minute 3:20 Left discusses some dubious opportunities that Shopify offers clients -- namely to buy goods from other vendors, like Alibaba (Ali Express), and then re-sell them in the United States for more. For those that aren't familiar with this practice, which Andrew Left appears not to be, this is actually quite a popular approach and is most used on Amazon -- yes, that Amazon. On June 15th of this year, Yahoo! Finance actually penned an article "Think you’re buying on Amazon? It’s actually from Alibaba". The article goes onto explain how people do this, with great regularity. Now, if the argument is that this is an odd business model, or that it violates FTC rules if promoted by the reseller (like Amazon or Shopify), then he may have an argument, I'm not a lawyer. But, to call out Shopify as some special case is incorrect. Illustrating that Shopify has a special service to help this type of business get started is either bullish if it's legal, or it could be problematic if the FTC thinks this goes above and beyond what is allowed. When it comes down to it, Left's final proclamation here is at minute 3:56: "This is a business opportunity and this will require the same business opportunities disclosures that other have in this country." What? V. Partners Finally, at minute 4:10, Left discusses Shopify's partners: "On their last conference call I think they may have had 13,000 partners. And you might ask, who are these partners? Well a few thousand of them, maybe a thousand of them might be technology developers, but the rest of them are bloggers and influencers [] and are actually being paid by Shopify." Left's issue here again is with FTC rules. He notes an FTC page where it reads that "FTC Staff reminds Influencers and Brands to Clearly Disclose Relationship." If you care to actually go to that post and read it, which it appears Andrew Left has not, it has very little bite at all. It is in fact, as the title alludes to, "a reminder." It's primarily focused on social media stars:

After reviewing numerous Instagram posts by celebrities, athletes, and other influencers, Federal Trade Commission staff recently sent out more than 90 letters reminding influencers and marketers that influencers should clearly and conspicuously disclose their relationships to brands when promoting or endorsing products through social media.

It's definitely possible that this is happening at Shopify, and yes, if so the influencers are already or will need to soon, disclose that relationship. This FTC note was written on April 19th, 2017. Without further analysis, I'll let you decide how egregious any kind of poor disclaimers are. Interestingly, at minute 4:52, Left says "if you go to the Shopify website it discusses the affiliate program. It says the Shopify affiliate program includes bloggers, publishers, educators, and other inspiring affiliates."

Then at minute 5:20 Andrew Left says, "Shopify is not only teaching you how to run a store but how to make money writing a blog about Shopify." From that statement Left says at minute 5:30, "This is not an $11 billion company." At Stake With Partners Just to be perfectly clear, even if what Andrew Left is revealing is true, this is not a false business, it's simply noting a requirement of a disclaimer. Something to the effect of: "The author of this post was compensated by Shopify for this content." I don't exactly know what the right wording is, it is, after all, legalize, but this is the accusation, that blog posts don't have this notification, not that using influencers is somehow illegal. The very basis of worldwide advertising rests on influencers (read: celebrities). Again, this really started with influencers on social media, say someone showcasing a beauty product while getting compensated by the brand. The FTC "reminded" everyone involved that a disclaimer was required ("I'm going to show you this new great face wash, and I want everyone to know that [fill in brand name] has compensated me for this review.") So those are Andrew Left's statements. Again, you can watch the whole 7 minute video above. Here is a reminder of what Shopify is, to the rest of the investing world: WHAT IS SHOPIFY? Retail e-commerce sales worldwide from 2014 to 2020 are pegged to grow from $2.3 trillion in 2017 to over $4 trillion by 2020. Here's the first chart from our friends at Statista:

We can also focus on the United States, looking at the same data:

In this case, we are looking at growth from $354 billion in 2017 to 459 billion by 2020. But, the real gem here is that even in today's world, the share of commerce that is done online is still tiny, even in the United States.

That chart comes to us from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED). You're reading that right -- even in the US, we're still at less than 9% of retail sales done online. eMarketer projects that number rising from 8.7% today, to 14.6% in four years. While all of that seems huge -- and it is -- there is a dirty little secret about e-commerce that no one likes to talk about: being the platform for selling goods online doesn't make money. Yep, while the world marvels at Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN), its $120 billion (ish) in e-commerce revenue turns a smaller profit than its relatively small cloud computing (AWS) business. In fact, AWS is 1/10th the size of the Amazon's e-commerce, but generates more operating profit than that mountain of e-commerce. So, why do we even care about Shopify? SHOPIFY -- THE STORY Shopify isn't just an investment in e-commerce -- that would never make our Top Pick's list -- it's an investment in the guts of the online shopping trend -- the part that's actually growing. Shopify is the leading cloud-based commerce software for small- and medium-sized businesses. But the company makes money from more than e-commerce sales, it makes money from businesses coming online. Remeber that chart from the Federal Reserve plotting e-commerce as a percentage of total retail sales and how it is supposed to go from ~9% to ~15% -- that's what Shopify is after, the influx of new e-commerce businesses. As of the last earnings call, more than 500,000 businesses now rely on Shopify for their sales and back-office software needs. That's up from 325,000 in the third quarter and 243,000 in the fourth quarter of 2015. Here is the revenue trend:

As an aside, Andrew Left never makes any claims that Shopify is fabricating financial results. LAST EARNINGS CALL We can also look at some snippets from the last earnings call -- and none of these facts are being questioned by Andrew Left: * Revenue rose 75% to $151.7 million versus estimates of $144.3 million. This was the ninth time in nine quarters since its May, 2015, initial public offering that Shopify had beaten analyst forecasts. * Revenue forecasts were raised for the full to $642 million - $648 million, up from $615 million - $630 million. * GAAP operating loss forecasts were reduced to a $62 million - $68 million loss from a prior range of $69 million - $73 million. * Subscription Solutions revenue growth accelerated from last quarter to 64%, coming in at $71.6 million. This strength was driven by the monthly recurring revenue growth of 64% to $23.7 million, as we had another record number of merchants join Shopify in Q2. * Merchant Solutions revenue grew 86% to $80.1 million. * Gross merchandise volume (GMV) rose 74% to $5.8 billion. * The value of GMV processed through Shopify Payments rose 69% to $2.1 billion. * We recently announced that we'll be adding eBay as a channel, making it the second large e-commerce marketplace, natively available to Shopify merchants. * More than a quarter of Shopify merchants that are shipping from the U.S. and nearly 20% of those shipping from Canada use Shopify Shipping in Q2 * Scale makes a difference here. The number of submissions to our App Store in Q2 doubled over last year * Gross profit dollars once again grew faster than revenue in the quarter. * We continue to expect to achieve operating profitability on an adjusted basis in the fourth quarter of this year * The company now has 500,000 merchants using its platform up from 300,000 in the year ago quarter. * With more than 0.5 million merchants and more than 1 million staff accounts now in the Shopify platform, it is clear we are extending our lead as the go-to platform for sellers. Conclusion We can't say what will happen with these new acquisitions from Citron Research. I think it's fair to assume we will soon see a headline in the news that reads something like: "FTC Investigates Business Practices at Shopify," or something along those lines. So, be prepared for that. Generally speaking, we maintain our Spotlight Top Pick status on Shopify but do note, while Andrew Left was wildly wrong on many shorts including Nvidia and Mobileye, he is famously right for his call on Valeant Pharma. As always, control risk, size appropriately and use your own judgement, aside from anyone else's subjective views, including my own. Thanks for reading, friends. The author is long shares Shopify at the time of this writing. WHY THIS MATTERS It's understanding technology that gets us an edge on finding companies early, the gems that can turn into the 'next Apple,' or 'next Amazon,' where we must get ahead of the curve. This is what CML Pro does. Each company in our 'Top Picks' has been selected as a future crown jewel of technology. Market correction or not, recession or not, the growth in these areas is a near certainty. We are Capital Market Laboratories. Our research sits next to Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Barclays, Morgan Stanley and every other multi billion dollar institution as a member of the famed Thomson Reuters First Call. But while those people pay upwards of $2,000 a month on their live terminals, we are the anti-institution and are breaking the information asymmetry. The precious few thematic top picks for 2017, research dossiers, and alerts are available for a limited time at an 80% discount for $19/mo. Join Us: Discover the undiscovered companies that will power technology's future. Legal The information contained on this site is provided for general informational purposes, as a convenience to the readers. The materials are not a substitute for obtaining professional advice from a qualified person, firm or corporation. Consult the appropriate professional advisor for more complete and current information. Capital Market Laboratories (“The Company”) does not engage in rendering any legal or professional services by placing these general informational materials on this website. The Company specifically disclaims any liability, whether based in contract, tort, strict liability or otherwise, for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or special damages arising out of or in any way connected with access to or use of the site, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages, including liability in connection with mistakes or omissions in, or delays in transmission of, information to or from the user, interruptions in telecommunications connections to the site or viruses. The Company makes no representations or warranties about the accuracy or completeness of the information contained on this website. Any links provided to other server sites are offered as a matter of convenience and in no way are meant to imply that The Company endorses, sponsors, promotes or is affiliated with the owners of or participants in those sites, or endorse any information contained on those sites, unless expressly stated.

#$shop

1 note · View note