CURRENT TOPICS

A WELCOME SIGN IN THE RETAIL GAME: STRIP MALLS ARE MAKING A STRONG COMEBACK

Strip malls are picking up the business the internet can't and they are making a comeback in a big way. Dave Henry, CEO of Kimco Realty, told Fortune recently that these community shopping centers are becoming stronger and more varied than ever before. Kimco is the largest public owner and operator of strip centers in North America.

Food, pet care, gyms, salons and day care are just some of the business types that are going to strip malls in a big way. As long as you can't get your nails done online, strip malls will thrive becoming entertainment centers as well as shopping centers, Henry says.

His optimism is welcomed by anyone in the retail business. The recession hit retail development hard in 2009 and dried up all demand for expansion. Since then, the population grew by 2 million people a year resulting in 10 million new shoppers since the recession began.

WHY HOME MAINTENANCE IS BIG BUSINESS RIGHT NOW

There are many personal reasons why homeowners decide to upgrade their homes or to spend more on maintenance. But these are the top three:

• With home prices rising last year, and still appreciating but not in double digit figures, some of them want to sell. Upgrading a kitchen floor or installing a new countertop could allow them to ask a higher price for the home.
  
  
• Going all out on general maintenance is another factor in selling. Every light bulb has to work and the home has to be totally clean looking which might mean painting a room or two. If a prospective buyer sees one maintenance problem it could create a whole negative feeling about the place.
  
  
• The third reason for spending more on upgrades and maintenance is to make the home more attractive and comfortable for the homeowners themselves. Instead of spending a great deal on a down payment for a different place, their expectations about staying on the property have changed. Between 2007 and 2009, homeowners spent about $2,000 a year, adjusted for inflation, on their homes, say economists at the University of Texas at Dallas.
  

THE LEAST EXPENSIVE ROOM TO BUILD

When the family is growing, and the house is not, you could be wondering where to expand. The experts at CNN Money say the number of bedrooms is often the biggest factor motivating a move to a larger place. Fortunately, it's the least expensive room to build.

Because bedrooms don't require the plumbing, tiling or appliances other rooms do, they can be comparatively inexpensive to add on. And, they could significantly increase the value of your home. Forget finishing a room in the attic or building a room over the garage. These are very expensive projects.

LIKE PREPAID CREDIT CARDS? ASK ABOUT FEES BEFORE YOU BUY ONE.

Many American households used to have checking accounts but they were turned off by bank charges and unexpected fees. Instead, the popular choice for these customers is now the "general purpose reloadable" card or GPR, commonly known as a prepaid debit card. It's a 65 billion dollar market today, according to Fortune.

Using them is simple. Load money onto the card, use it and reload again. No need for a minimum balance. No checks to buy or monthly bills to shock you, and no ability to inadvertently overdraw the account and be hit with big fees.

Customers are also attracted to the card because they feel it gives them control over their money.

Surveys by Pew Charitable Trusts show that the cards have become popular with households earning $30,000 or less. But there are lots of fees associated with the card some of which are hidden. You have to pay to get the card, to add money to the card, and one even charges for calling the provider to ask a question about the card.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed clearer fee disclosures and certain limits on fee. The CFPB hopes this will encourage more competitive rates.

The rapid growth of prepaid cards, without fee reaping features like overdraft protection, shows they can be profitable to the sellers without having to charge cash strapped customers, according to Sheila Bair former FDIC chair.

EVERYONE KNOWS CREDIT CARD DEBT IS EVIL. BUT COULD IT POSSIBLY BE TRUE THAT SOME DEBT IS GOOD, EVEN CREDIT CARD DEBT?

Financial advisor and author Jane Bryant Quinn thinks so. In fact, she says that if you do not use your credit card your credit score could actually disappear and you will be unscorable.

Lenders rely on a credit score to make a decision about whether a person is likely to pay back a loan. A person with no debt might have no credit score. High credit scores are essential to getting a mortgage or the best rates on loans. They even are important to basic needs such as car insurance rates or starting utility service. Without a good credit score, your car insurance will cost more and the utility might ask for a higher deposit.

Even if you used credit cards in the past, you could still lose your credit score if you do not have any activity on a loan in six months. Quinn advises people with mature credit habits to maintain one credit card and use it at least once a month and then pay off the balance. One active credit account is all you need to maintain a credit score.

If you have a credit card that you never use check to see that it is still active and then use it occasionally for small purchases that you can pay off at the end of the month. If you're married and your credit cards are in both of your names, the cards might be canceled if either of you dies. So, get a credit card in your own name now.

TENNIS ASSOCIATION CHOOSES ORLANDO FOR ITS NEW HOME

In the next two or three years, the 750,000 members of the United States Tennis Association will have a huge new facility to call home. The association has announced a $50 million project in Orlando.The new facility will be a place promising new players and pros can come for training and tournaments.

All the various player development groups will now be part of the new facility. The new facility is situated on 63 acres, boasting 100 courts.

The project also includes:

• A tournament and league area with 40 hard and clay courts, player pavilions and offices.
  
  
• 12 courts for intercollegiate play that will be the home court for the University of Central Florida.
  
  
• 16 courts for player development.
  
  
• Lake Nona will be home to more courts than any other facility in the country.
  

NEW PUTTERS PROVIDE BALANCE, STABILITY

They're not cheap, but when that ball rolls smoothly into the hole you'll know the putter was worth every penny. Now that its illegal to stabilize a putter against the body, the new counterbalanced putters have filled the stability void.

The most expensive counterbalanced is Titleist Future XDual Balance at $399.99. The experts at Golfweek say the Taylor Made Daddy Long Legs at $199.99 is a good choice as are the Ping Scottsdale TR Senita B, at $229.99, and the Nike Method Core MC11W at $159.99.

Putter advisor James Achenbach says this is why they work: Balance is everything with the new putters. Additional weight is added to the head, and that weight is balanced by more weight in the butt end of the putter. It has a substantially heavier grip, and a dense material installed inside the shaft.

The counterbalanced putter is already altering the putter landscape. TaylorMade has four counterbalanced models. Callaway Golf has introduced its Odyssey brand adjustable counterbalanced putter. The weight can be adjusted in the head and the back section.

Today's putting instructions: Concentrate on stability without extra hand or wrist movement. Create smooth flow to prevent explosiveness of the putter head.

DON'T BE POLITE WHEN IT COMES TO SECURITY

One World Trade Center in New York City has a security system that cost $20 million to purchase and install in 2008. Nonetheless, this year a New Jersey teenager managed to get in and roam about for two hours before being caught. Few have to be reminded of the security dangers in that scenario. However, maintaining secure areas is a problem everywhere and mainly because people are so nice.

The most common causes of unauthorized entry into a building are piggybacking or tailgating. Tailgating occurs when one person properly enters a secure door but another follows unbeknownst to the first person.

Piggybacking is a bit different because the piggybacker gets permission. Either the piggybacker actually asks for access (Hey! Hold the door!) or he gets access as a courtesy. Holding the door for someone is a deeply ingrained habit. If that person is carrying something large, like computer equipment, it is virtually seen as a requirement to hold the door. But the latter is a typical ruse.

"If you ever used your access card to get into a building, then held the door open so someone who looked like he might work there can enter, you have participated in a security breach," says Mark Borto, CEO of Boon Edam, the leading manufacturer of security entrance solutions in North America.

Quoted in Bloomberg Businessweek, Borto also says, "The best access control systems in the world can be defeated by exploiting the fact that people are nice and will allow others to follow them through doors." They have put
themselves, their colleagues, and the business at risk.

It's also not just doors that can be tailgated or piggybacked. Computers are at risk. When you sign in on a secure computer be sure you also sign off when you leave the desk.

There are many hacking situations that the average user can't control, but the one thing every user can control is basic sign-on and sign-off security.

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

Ancient peoples suffered during July 3 through August 11, the famed Dog Days of Summer, as heat and humidity made daily life miserable. The Romans associated the hot, sultry weather to the star Sirius. They called it the Dog Star because it was the largest and brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog), and because that's what the Greeks called it.

Dog Days were considered to be an evil time when "the sea boiled, the wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing man burning fevers, hysterics and phrensis," according to Brady's Clavis Calendaris published in 1813.

MORE OLDER EXECS BECOME ENTREPRENEURS

Last year, 5.5 percent of jobless managers and executives launched a business which is a 31 percent increase from 2012 according to out placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, reporting in CNNMoney.

People 45 and older started 48 percent of the firms in one Kauffman Foundation study, and they ran 64 percent of firms surviving four years. Older entrepreneurs have more experience, contacts, and financial resources, says Kauffman researcher Dane Stangler.

WHEN IT'S TIME TO MOVE OUT OF THE HOUSE

There comes a time when it's time.

We hate to think about moving from the home we love, surrounded by familiar streets and neighbors, but there might come a day when once again, it's time to leave home. One of the top emotional problems with moving out of the homestead is the idea of abandoning years of love, care and investment in a home. How hard it was, and how satisfying to plant that rose garden. And now... it's so beautiful. Who could love it more?

But according to helpguide.org, there is a time when many people must give up the rose garden and the home where the kids were raised.

There are good alternatives: Just moving to a smaller apartment might be the solution or to an assisted living facility.

To make that important decision consider if the old homestead is accessible once a person ages. Stairways and long driveways make navigation a hazard. Fear of falling is a sign that the environment could be better.

It is possible to make a home elder friendly with ramps, railings, grab bars and stair lifts. That can be a good transitional solution. However, other considerations might make a move preferable.

Home maintenance can become a problem. Yard work becomes impossible, expensive or annoying. Just fixing a faucet seems impossible and finding a good pro to do work seems more difficult. Isolation is an issue. If one person is left without a spouse, he or she can find themselves alone, their circle of friends gone. But in this season of life, a move to an apartment or assisted living facility could mean new friends and new vitality.

HOUSING OPTIONS FOR SENIORS

Aging in place is a fantastic solution for some seniors. With a little home modification and support, many people can remain in their homes, even with medical and personal issues. Even if you need help with cleaning, grooming, and medications, home health care aides can be the solution to staying in your home.

However, aging in place is not always possible when a person is isolated, in a bad neighborhood or without transportation, friends or relatives.

In that case, independent living is a great solution. These are small retirement communities made up only of senior apartments or smaller homes.This is a great solution for seniors who want to live independently, but without major concerns of keeping up a home. It can also be the solution to concerns about loneliness and boredom since these communities frequently have activities and groups. In addition, seniors can also have home health aides help with living tasks.

Assisted living is a residential solution that offers more support in terms of 24 hour staffing, medical care, and emergency care. Some arrangements afford seniors an apartment situation and most offer rooms with group dining and social opportunities.

Finally, nursing homes are for those who need 24 hour care and intense medical care. These days, nursing homes are often a short term option after surgery with many people going home to be cared for by home health aides.

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