In today’s world, it’s impossible to get away from data. Bits of data are everywhere – in the grocery store and in historical crime data. They are also behind the gadgets we use each and every day.

In fact, there’s so much data, it’s hard to know what to do with it all.

But there is a silver lining on the horizon. There’s a Big Payoff when you learn how to analyze the Big Data that’s out there for your benefit.

So what exactly is Big Data? In short, the phrase refers to dynamic trends in technology that help the world make better decisions.

Think of the microscope – a tool that allowed the world to measure things like never before, says Erik Brynjolfsson, an economist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management. Learning how to analyze and measure data is the equivalent of the profound effect and opportunities the microscope created.

Twitter hashtags, Facebook wall posts and Google queries are all types of data now being used to measure people’s behaviors, feelings and desires in real time.

For example, chains like Wal-Mart analyze everything from sales to demographic and weather data in order to tailor the kinds of products they put on the shelves at individual stores.

Some police departments now use data such as historical arrest patterns and weather forecasts to gauge how many officers to send out in advance to so-called crime “hot spots.”

And this is just the beginning. Our data universe is doubling every two years, and the not-so-distant reality is one in which decisions in business, economics and a variety of other fields will be based on the analysis of data rather than on experience and intuition, says Brynjolfsson.

Big Data is a large task, but the gains appear to be just that … big.

Unemployment remains high and the housing market is still in the doldrums. Although the stock market improved in late 2011 and early 2012, it remains volatile. So it’s no wonder some investors are considering selling their life insurance policies for cash.

But is it a good idea?  First, let’s review how one sells a life insurance policy.

Selling a life insurance policy is referred to as a life settlement transaction. Under such a transaction, someone buys your life insurance policy for a lump sum. The new owner of the policy continues paying your premiums until you die, at which point the new owner collects your death benefit.

This can provide immediate income, which may be beneficial in difficult times. But taking cash in exchange for your life insurance policy may not make as much sense as it used to, thanks to two factors.

1. There has been a steep decline in the price life settlement investors are prepared to pay for life insurance policies, so you might not get as much cash as you had hoped for your policy.
2. Thanks to a 2009 Internal Revenue Service ruling that raised the tax bill for many individuals who sell their life insurance policies, you may end up being heavily taxed.

These two factors point to the fact that the current life settlement market favors buyers.

If you’re interested in selling your life-insurance policy and are concerned about whether it’s the right approach for you, why not consult a financial advisor? He or she can help you determine if there are better options than selling your policy.

For example, if it’s cash you need, you may be able to withdraw or borrow funds from your life insurance policy. You also may be able to make premiums more manageable by restructuring the coverage.

Considering Annuities? Ask Your Advisor

When finances get tight, as they do in economies and markets like these, you may wonder if you should move a portion of your retirement savings to annuities. Depending on your individual financial circumstances, it may make sense to talk to your advisor about the topic of an annuity.

An annuity is a contract with an insurance company. In exchange for making a payment to the company now (either as a lump sum or in installments), you are guaranteed a stream of income at some point in the future.

Annuities offer many benefits. For example, if you pay a lump sum to the insurance company for your annuity, not only will you be guaranteed monthly checks for life but you will start receiving those checks immediately. Best of all, your checks will arrive regardless of how markets perform.

That’s not to say annuities don’t have drawbacks. For example, your advisor may tell you once you’ve made a lump-sum payment to the insurance company, you may not be able to get it back.

One compelling option is to leave part of your retirement savings in traditional retirement-savings vehicles for growth potential and invest another part in an immediate income annuity for guaranteed income. That way you obtain the benefits of an annuity but avoid the drawback discussed above.

Whether you want to convert a portion of your retirement savings to an annuity depends on the type of retirement savings you have.

Social Security and pensions already provide assured income for life, so if those are your primary retirement-savings vehicles, you may not need an annuity.

On the other hand, Individual Retirement Accounts and 401(k) plans may fluctuate in value with the market, so if the bulk of your retirement savings is in those vehicles, you may want to consider asking your advisor about an annuity.

Your advisor who specializes in the topic of an annuity can help you determine which strategy is right for you.

All businesses need an online storefront that shifts visitors into customers with a decisive call to action. A call to action shakes your site visitor from a passive web surfer to an active participant interested in your business.

And with online shopping positioned as one of 2011′s market success stories, despite the tough economy, it’s clear that competitive businesses need a solid online strategy that includes a call to action.

Engage customers proactively

A call to action isn’t just about selling online. It’s about understanding that most customers research their purchases on shops’ websites before they buy, either online or offline. Small businesses can take advantage of this by engaging prospective customers proactively.

Instead of just having an informative website, have your site work for you 24/7 by baiting customers with irresistible hooks.

People are attracted to free items (even if they don’t want what’s offered). Tap into this desire by offering visitors a free trial membership or a free newsletter subscription.

You can also offer free 15-minute consultations and let visitors book you then and there with online tools such as SuperSaas, Clickbook or BookingPad. Even if something is already a gratis service, adding a sidebar feature with the word “FREE” draws in visitors and gets you one critical step closer to a sale.

The same principle also holds true for coupons and special deals. The rule is: give them something and ensure that they recognize its value. You also risk losing a sale if your website has poor navigation. So use an easy-access FAQ page and a live chat feature such as that offered by top-rated Volusion.

No matter what route you take, offering multiple calls to action does work to secure offline sales.

As a business owner, you may have been asked to add an Additional Insured to your insurance policy. But what does that mean and how does it work?

When you run a business, you form relationships with your customers, vendors, landlords, bankers and subcontractors. In some of these relationships, you enter into contractual agreements with these parties. There are instances when the other parties want to limit their liability. To do that, they ask you to share your liability coverage by adding them as an insured on your policy. This will give the other party status as an insured on your policy, which allows them a certain amount of rights and coverage in the event of a claim.

This is most often seen when “the big guy” asks “the little guy” to take on this additional risk.

In the construction industry, a general contractor (GC) who builds new residential homes needs to hire many types of subcontractors to get the job done. These include carpenters, electricians, plumbers and any other specialty trade needed for a particular job. When these subcontractors are hired, the GC asks to be named as an Additional Insured on the sub’s policy. If someone goes onto a job site and is injured due to negligence, the injured person would sue the GC and the subcontractor because they are both at the location. The GC would want the claim handled on the sub’s policy, and as an “Additional Insured” this can happen because the GC has the rights of an insured on that subcontractor’s policy.

Vendors and landlords are a few other groups that also routinely request “Additional Insured” status to protect their interests.

Many small-business owners feel if they don’t agree to such terms, they won’t get the job. However, this can and should be negotiated at the time the contract is being created. Many large corporations use standard contracts whether they are dealing with another large corporation or a one-man operation. A good rule is never sign a contractual agreement without knowing the amount of liability you are asked to take on.

This is where your insurance agent can be worth his or her weight in gold. Your agent can review the terms of the insurance section of the contract and advise you on your options. You can then make an informed decision about the job.

The good news is that insurance carriers realize that adding “Additional Insureds” to your policy is part of the cost of doing business. The coverage is approximately $50 to $100 per “Additional Insured.” Endorsements are also available that allow you to add as many “Additional Insureds” for certain relationships for a higher one-time charge. Nonstandard requests can be reviewed by your insurance company, and the company may charge a bit more, depending on the contract requirements. If the insurance company agrees to take on more liability, the company will want to charge appropriately for it. Typically, business owners then pass that additional charge on to the person they are contracting with as part of the cost.

The prospect of adding third parties to your liability insurance can be scary. Having a trusted agent to rely on can give you the peace of mind to make the business decisions that are right for you.

Studies have shown that more than 30% of Americans do not visit a dentist regularly.

While that may save them a few dollars, nearly 60% of these individuals are likely to have untreated tooth decay.
In addition to giving you pearly white teeth, properly caring for teeth and gums is important for a variety of health-related reasons.

For example, regular dental care can help in reducing the presence of infection-causing bacteria. Proper care of your teeth can also help to prevent tooth decay or loss, gingivitis, and plaque. An excessive buildup of plaque can cause pain and even bleeding. Left untreated, infection could potentially move into your jaw and become a very serious condition.

Similar to regular health insurance policies, dental insurance requires the payment of a premium in return for covered services.

Most dental plans typically cover annual teeth cleanings and checkups as well as certain types of X-rays.

There are two specific types of dental insurance:

Indemnity Plan: An indemnity dental insurance policy is a traditional fee-for-service type of plan. These policies usually allow the insured to choose his or her dentist from a large list of providers.

Managed Care: In a managed care dental plan, policyholders pay a set amount of co-payment for their services. In most cases, there will be no deductible to pay, but the insured will need to pick his or her dentist from a certain network of dental service providers.

Having a dental insurance plan is definitely worth the cost.

The annual premium is normally well below what would be charged out of pocket for the services that are covered. In addition, if you have regular cleanings and checkups, major dental conditions and issues may be prevented or detected and treated before they can cause more serious damage.

The latter part of 2011 and early part of 2012 have been dominated by what investment pros call risk on/risk off, which is just another way of saying volatility.

The markets have been up and down like a roller coaster. And in this kind of environment, fixed annuities may be particularly appealing.

As you probably know, an annuity is a contract with an insurance company. It can be purchased with a lump-sum payment or on a periodic basis. Either way, the money that is invested in the annuity is guaranteed to earn a fixed rate of return throughout the so-called accumulation phase of the annuity. Later, often when you retire, the annuity pays you back.

Fixed annuities – which are often used by people who are about to retire and need help stabilizing income from their investments – can be very appealing in volatile markets.

First, your capital is safeguarded by the insurance company because federal law stipulates that insurance companies must hold a reserve that equals the value of each annuitant’s policy.

Additionally, by offering a guaranteed rate of return, the insurance company assumes all market risk, insulating you as the annuitant.

Fixed annuities aren’t suitable for all investors. Additionally, insurance companies offer many types of fixed annuities, and that means it’s a good idea to consult your advisor before purchasing one.

Your advisor can help you determine if a fixed annuity is appropriate for your portfolio. It might be appealing to you in today’s volatile market.

Running a business in Orange County is stressful enough. Any kind of loss only adds to the problem. Your comprehensive insurance policy should include coverage for just such an occasion. This is called Business Income with Extra Expense coverage.

The Business Income portion of coverage will provide the amount of income you would have made had you not had a loss. The Extra Expense portion of coverage will provide a limit of insurance for new expenses due to the loss.

A typical policy in Orange County says that the amount of Business Income loss will be determined based on the net income of the business before the direct physical loss or damage occurred; the likely net income of the business if no loss or damage occurred; the operating expenses necessary to resume operations with the same quality of service that existed before the loss or damage; and other relevant sources of information.

In Orange County a policy says that the amount of Extra Expense will be determined based on all expenses that exceed the normal operating expenses that would have been incurred by operations during the period of restoration if no direct physical loss or damage had occurred (deductions will be made for the salvage value that remains on any property bought for temporary use during the period of restoration, once operations are resumed, and any extra expense that is paid for by other insurance, except for insurance that is written subject to the same plan, terms, conditions and provisions as this insurance); and all necessary expenses that reduce the Business Income loss that otherwise would have been incurred.

After weeks of parties, baking, extravagant dinners and holiday-themed cocktails, many people wake up  to find they’ve added a few extra pounds.

According to several studies from the last 10 years, the average adult gains at least one pound during the holiday season. A study by The New England Journal of Medicine indicates most people don’t ever shed that weight.

Following are some tips and tricks to help you sensibly shed weight:

Trade Sugary Juice and Soda for Water: Drinking water will help your body flush out toxins and can stop you from overeating. If you overindulged in seasonal cocktails, try eliminating all alcoholic beverages for a while.

Eliminate Starch and Sugar From Your Diet: This can help kickstart your weight loss. Refined sugars and starches – like those found in candy and white bread – can add to waistline bulge.

at Small Meals: Celebration meals usually involve long, sit-down meals with several courses. Try eating five small meals instead of three large ones, with no snacking in between. Aim to include protein, whole grains, and fruits or vegetables in each meal.

Snack Responsibly: Have a container of washed and cut vegetables and fruit in the fridge so that an easy and healthy snack is always available.

Eliminate Processed Foods: Highly processed items such as potato chips, some granola bars and frozen meals are often high in sugar and sodium.

Your long term health is often a reflection of what you eat. In summary,  common sense and moderation will go a long way in controlling your weight and staying healthy.

Online invoicing applications offer many features that make accounts receivable quick and hassle-free. Today’s invoicing tools are sophisticated, offering both transactional capability and intelligence, with dashboards and analytical tools that let you see where your money is coming from and where it’s going.

There are hundreds of products on the market, many targeted to the needs and budgets of small businesses and some specifically designed for certain industries or niche businesses. Most providers offer mobile device apps to complement their web-based products.

Many vendors offer free or very low-cost solutions to lure you into buying a subscription or introduce you to other products. When choosing an app, consider its capabilities, ease of use, ability to interface with other programs you use, training and support, along with cost. Following are a few of the top online invoicing apps for your bookkeeping:

Freshbooks: This is easy to use and integrates with other accounting and project management systems such as QuickBooks and Basecamp. In addition to standard features, it offers time-tracking and some other bells and whistles.

Invoices Made Easy: This is designed for small service trades, such as tax consultants, plumbers and landscapers. Standard features include an EasyMail service that sends invoices out by snail mail.

PaySimple: This targets merchants and focuses on recurring online payments, both invoices and payments, using credit card payments, e-checks, and online payment forms.

Simply Invoices: This is just what it says: simple.

Time59: This is designed specifically for attorney practices.