The Need for Improved Disclosures for General Purpose Reloadable Prepaid Cards

The Pew Charitable Trusts introduced a model disclosure box today for general purpose reloadable prepaid cards that provides information on terms and conditions in a concise and easy-to-read way to make it easier for consumers to compare the cards and avoid unexpected fees

A Critical Assessment of the Traditional Residential Real Estate Broker Commission Rate Structure

While real estate brokers have long set their fee as a straight percentage of a home's sale price, this formula is an anomaly and a primary reason why such fees may be inflated by more than $30 billion annually. Although competitive pressures ordinarily produce a fee structure reflecting costs, real estate broker commissions are strangely unrelated to either the quantity or quality of the service rendered or even to the value provided. Rather, this fee has been based solely on the price of the home. (It is as if divorce lawyers set their fee as a flat percentage of a client's net value, irrespective of whether the divorce was amicable without kids or involved bitterly contested custody and other issues . Oddly, not only is there no evidence that it is any more costly to sell higher-priced homes than median-priced properties, but it is possible that the opposite may be true! Furthermore, the straight percentage fee formula creates little incentive for real estate agents to provide home buyers or sellers with additional value. The article analyzes five elements of the traditional residential real estate broker rate structure, the most important of which are: 1) setting fees as a percentage-of-sale-price, 2) letting the seller's broker set the fee received by the buyer's broker, and 3) refusing to unbundle the price of a full package of services. After explaining the conditions under which such rate elements would be justified, this article finds that those conditions do not generally exist in the real estate brokerage market. Moreover, it identifies more than a half dozen harms that the rate elements cause to home buyers and sellers. For example, buyers are often not alerted to attractive homes because the rate structure leads traditional agents to intentionally avoid showing them. Meanwhile, many buyers do not even consider negotiating the fee paid to their broker because the rate structure causes them to believe their brokers' services cost them nothing. After this criticism, the article suggests that consumers would benefit most from a fee-for-service approach, combining flat fees, hourly fees, and bonuses, including percentages of extra value created, and it identifies currently available examples of some of these options. After reviewing eight reasons why incumbents are able to protect the current structure, the article suggests four questions that consumer media should teach consumers to ask to help undermine the industry's protectionist practices.Other Topics

Are we still cooking with gas?

Is gas still a cheap energy to use at home? Under what circumstances should you consider switching from gas to efficient electric appliances? These are some of the questions posed and answered in this new report on the use of gas for Australian households. The aim of the national report, funded by the Consumer Advocacy Panel, is to understand the impacts of anticipated retail gas prices on households and to identify cost-effective alternatives. The new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export market from eastern Australia is pushing up retail prices for domestic gas, a situation that is expected to worsen in coming years and make gas less affordable for many people. At the same time, improvements in the efficiency of some electric appliances, particularly for space heating and hot water, now make them cheaper to run than efficient gas appliances. Among the findings, the report concluded that it was not cost-effective to connect a new home to mains gas when efficient electric appliances were an option, while in existing homes the economics of switching from gas appliances to efficient electric was best in warmer states like South Australia, Queensland and parts of NSW. In Victoria, despite the State Government’s $100 million program to roll out the gas network in regional and rural areas, the report found homes would be better off with electricity and efficient electric appliances. This major report is the first detailed research that considers the impact of future gas price rises on residential households in Australia

A business plan: TCM health-preservation club

This master project has the objective to develop a Business Plan which will enable the launch of a TCM health-preservation club which will offer TCM method servicess for modern female consumers in Anyang area, Henan Province, China. The health problems of modern females are rising rapidly due to the unhealthy lifestyle and environmental problems and the TCM in this area has highly potential market, especially targeting for females. However, based on a ground study, we quickly realised that all clinic or club look alike and propose the same local specialties with less professional and services level. By catching the markt opportunities, we analyse the current market with macro data and comparing them with field data I acquired with a questionnaire and a field trip, I decided to launch a TCM club - the new serves intends to change female relationship with TCM consumption providing them a solution specifically designed to satisfy their needs. It is aiming to use TCM therapy to not only solve females’ health problems, but also improve females' life quality, even achieve longevity. We show in this business plan that our business are low capital requirement business that become quickly profitable and we do not need to have a loan. It should reach a turnover of 47,617€ and a profit of 4,130€ the first year.O objetivo deste projeto de mestre é desenvolver um Plano de Negócios que poderá abrir um clube de preservação da saúde da Medicina Tradicional Chinesa (MTC), que oferecerá os serviços de métodos da MTC para as consumidoras femininas modernas na área da cidade de Anyang, Província de Henan, China. Devido ao estilo da vida pouco saudável e aos problemas ambientais, os problemas de saúde das mulheres modernas estão a aumentar rapidamente, por isso, a MTC nesta área tem um grande mercado potencial, especialmente direcionada para as mulheres. No entanto, de acordo com um estudo preliminar, percebemos rapidamente que todas clínicas ou clubes locais são parecidos e consideram que eles faltam as especialidades e têm um nível mais baixo. Para aproveitar as oportunidades do mercado, analisamos o mercado atual pelos dados macroeconómicos e comparamos os dados macroeconómicos com os dados adquiridos pelo inquérito e pela viagem de campo, decidi organizar um clube da MTC - os serviços novos que pretendem mudar o relacionamento entre as mulheres e o consumo da MTC a qual lhes fornecerá especificamente as soluções projetadas para satisfazer as suas necessidades. O Clube visa utilizar a terapia da MTC para não só resolver os problemas de saúde das mulheres, mas também para melhorar a qualidade de vida delas, até mesmo prolongar a vida. Manifestamos neste plano de negócios que o nosso negócio é capital baixa, ganha rapidamente o benefício e não precisa empréstimo. No primeiro ano, deve atingir um volume de negócios de 47.617 € e um lucro de 4.130€

Advancing Community Health Worker Practice and Utilization: The Focus on Financing

There is a growing interest in the use of community health workers in various roles in the US health care system. These workers go by various titles and names -- including promotora and community health advisor -- but all assist members of the communities they serve. As the role of these workers becomes more accepted and desirable in the overall system of care, they face the challenges of moving from being an exceptional add-on to the system to being more a part of the mainstream. Issues such as educational preparation, formal credentialing, licensure and compensation are all part of this process. In particular, various organizations are interested in but challenged by the need for sustainable financing of the CHW position. It is time to explore and develop viable financing arrangements that go beyond short-term grants.To address these concerns, this research was undertaken to study sustainable financing mechanisms for community health workers. The focus is on existing and emerging funding, reimbursement and payment policies for community health workers. The study seeks to identify promising examples and models of payment programs for community health workers generally in the United States. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first national project with this exclusive focus.The audiences for this report include community health workers, directors of programs that employ or work with community health workers, and administrators of public and private coverage programs such as health plans, insurance companies and state Medicaid programs seeking options for improving health care access and quality at the same or lower costs. Businesses, non-profit organizations and consumers exploring the possibilities of using the services community health workers could provide might also be interested in the findings

Developing and Implementing Self-Direction Programs and Policies: A Handbook

Provides a guide to designing, implementing, and evaluating service delivery models that allow public program participants to manage their own care services and supports. Outlines elements of employer and budget authorities, enrollment, and counseling

Mobile telecommunication networks and mobile commerce : towards its applications in chinese market

La télécommunication mobile connecte les personnes de n'importe où à tout moment. La transmission de la voix et des données à travers les réseaux de télécommunication mobile permet d'envoyer des informations et de diriger des transactions d'une manière nouvelle. Cela crée un nouveau domaine d'affaires qui s'appelle du commerce mobile, une affaire étendue basée sur l'Internet avec de nombreux des caractéristiques uniques ajoutés. Comme un soutien fondamental du plate-forme, les réseaux de la télécommunication mobile joue un rôle essentiel dans le commerce mobile. Leurs caractéristiques techniques et le déploiement déterminent l'essence pour le commerce mobile. Dans cette mémoire, nous étudions et présentons les caractéristiques techniques des technologies communications mobiles du réseau 1G à 3G et au-delà. Nous étudions également les technologies WLAN et WAP qui sont courantes dans le commerce mobile en Chine et dans le monde. Le commerce mobile est en train de se développer, le nombre d'utilisateurs de téléphones mobiles sont de plus en plus en Chine et dans ce monde. Les utilisateurs mobiles énormes en Chine ainsi que la maturité des technologies 3G affichent un fort potentiel pour offrir et d'adopter plus les nouveaux services mobiles. Après réviser l'évolution du commerce mobile et l'histoire du succès i-mode au Japon, nous nous concentrons sur le mobile du marché chinois de manière à découvrir son marché, l'infrastructure du réseau mobile, et le modèle d'affaires. Fondé sur la base de notre enquête sur le commerce mobile chinois, nous présentons, selon notre jugement, les services mobiles et des applications que sont convenables pour la Chine. Parmi eux, nous pensons qu'il y a la tendance sur les services basés sur la localisation et services orientées de l'architectures. Cette tendance peut attirer plus d'attention à offrir de nouveaux services. En plus, elle peut offrir des services d'intégration et de personnalisation qui viennent de fournisseurs de services mobiles et des utilisateurs finaux. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Gestion intégrée et écosystémique, Principe de précaution, Communication entre acteurs, Risques sur l'environnement et la santé