December 5th, 2009 by

We all know that having a regularly serviced and tuned car leads to savings on gas with enhanced fuel economy but what many fail to realize is they can help save on gas and money by performing a few, simple and easy car care steps themselves.Tighten Up the Gas Cap

Every time we fill up at the pump we slap the gas cap back on and give it a turn usually until we hear the “click” and then forget about it. Make sure you have the cap on firmly and tightly so it as airtight as you can make it without threading the plastic cap itself. The reason is simple, gas evaporates and even a slight failure to provide an airtight seal with your gas cap will result in wastage for no value whatsoever.Screw the cap on firmly and tightly and check it every day.

Don’t Top Off the Tank

Many people do this when they are at the gas pump – the nozzle clicks off but they insist on putting in the last few drops of gas to get the tank literally full to the brim.This is a complete waste of gas as most of it will slop over the brim, running down the paintwork (helping cause discoloration and damage) as well as over your hands which is dangerous and no good for them.

When the gas pump nozzle clicks off, you are safely full – put the gas nozzle back in its holder and do not top off your tank.

Use Lower Octane FuelEvery gas station has higher octane fuels offering better engine and car performance or less wear and tear on the engine.

This is a myth – ignore these claims and fill up with the cheaper lower octane fuels; unless you have a very high performance vehicle you will never experience any material difference in performance or engine wear and for the average motorist this is a waste of money.

Park in the ShadeMany drivers do this automatically because they have children or pets or quite simply do not like coming back to a vehicle that feels like a sauna, but there is another good reason for making sure you park your vehicle under cover.
The hotter the car is the faster the gas in your fuel tank will evaporate!Always park in shade and keep the vehicle cooler which will lead to more comfort for you and your passengers as well as less strain on your wallet.

Use Your Garage

Parking the car in the garage helps keep the vehicle cool in summer and warm in winter. This helps reduce your use of the gas-chugging air conditioner or defroster and results in less gas consumption as well as enhanced security for your vehicle and less likelihood of dings and dents caused by the neighborhood kids playing ball nearby.As you can see, these are all very simple and easy to do tips – there is no extra effort or money involved and the savings are immediate – star them today!

Ryan Draving is the VP of Empire Covers, a leading provider of car covers, truck covers, boat covers, and other vehicle covers. Empire Covers can be found online at: EmpireCovers.com

December 3rd, 2009 by

ATT Cell Phones No Contract and Apple are currently in talks with Microsoft to change the default browser on the iPhone from Google to the Microsoft powered Bing. They now make No Contract Cell Phones as well. Who would have thought that the two rivals would one day come together for a mutually beneficial relationship such as this? It seems the competition, at least in the smartphone world, between Google and Apple is much stronger than that of Apple and Microsoft. How strange indeed.

This comes as a bit of shock because it was not long ago, 2007 to be exact, when AT&T Cell Phones and Apple decided to make the iPhones default browser a Google one. At the time it seemed an obvious choice with Google as the number one used search engine and iPhone having little competition in the multimedia rich smartphone department. But fast forward a few years ahead and we have Google coming out with the Nexus One and suddenly there is direct competition between the two companies.

Still, the most amazing part is seeing Apple and Microsoft in a possible team up, essentially against Google. Certainly this will favor Microsoft not only with Bing in general but it will be an enormous help to Bing in the Mobile Search field. And because there are already so many iPhone users today, that the changing of the default browser and search engine should not discourage current users nor new users, however only time will tell for sure.

What should be speculated is that if this goes through will this begin a partnership, at least in the cell phone industry, between the long time competitors? If it is successful there is a strong possibility the partnership will continue. But in what way? Will Microsoft office and other Microsoft specific programs now be available on the iPhone in the form of apps or something else? Will iPhone help Bing become bigger than Google? What will long time loyalists of Apple and Microsoft think of the heated rivalry suddenly becoming a blossoming partnership? Will either company care?

It is hard to say at this point but the very idea is intriguing. Many will likely be upset however the possibilities of what can be done if ATT Cell Phones and Apple were to put their best people together could bring incredible results to the table. Certainly that is still off in the future, but it is a future that is no longer so distant. And speculation is deserved as these two companies have been driving forces in the computer, internet and now mobile handset era.

December 1st, 2009 by

For people that are independent contractors, as well as for those that work for themselves, a W9 Form is needed to report their Social Security Number or Business Tax Identification Number to their customers. This is a pretty cut and dry scrap of paper when it comes to government forms. You will just need to provide your name, your address, as well as your Social Security Number (or your Employer Identification Number, for people that are contractors and are thus considered a new business entity all their own).

Besides the above info, an IRS W9 Form will also ask whether or not you are subject to backup withholding. What’s “backup withholding,” you may ask. Well, that’s withholding at a flat rate of 28 percent on payments made to you or your business under certain circumstances. There are two standard reasons for using backup withholding. One reason is if your name and Social Security Number does not match the name and Social Security Number the IRS has on file for you. A different reason would be if you have outstanding tax debt. In this example the IRS would have told you that you’re subject to compulsory backup withholding until the outstanding tax debt is totally paid for.

During the tax season of the year, contractors will be getting W9 forms to complete. Since in that time of the year, clients are getting ready to send out their 1099 forms. The 1099 Form is used to report self-employment earnings.

Other places you may be getting a W9 from are brokers and financial institutions. They’d ask for a W9 if you’ll earn interest earnings, dividends, or trading stocks and other instruments. As well as the usual places a few people may receive requests for the W9 form from more strange places such as landlords and other folks or companies. This is employed to ask, officially, from an individual or business their name, address, and taxpayer identification number for the requesting party to properly issue tax documents to the IRS.

As a general rule, any type of business that requests a W9 Form is one that pays you interest, in general, the sorts of businesses that request Form W-9 is any business that pays you reportable earnings. However if you should happen to feel that you have received this form from a unusual source you should ask them why they are asking for the form and what they’ll be using it for.

What about foreign subcontractors? With foreign contractors A W9 is not required, it’s just needed to gather info from US people and businesses. However if you’ve a foreign contractor that’s working for you, they will most likely be required to fill out one of the various W8 Forms.