PHOTOGRAPHERS: Being a good business man/woman is just as important as being a good artist. If you don’t know how to handle your money, it doesn’t matter how talented you are. You will never be able to fully showcase it. There are broke very talented artists. If you’re booking jobs, you need to keep good business practices to protect your reputation, your images and your money.

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FAN MAIL VIA FACEBOOK: Obvious, with the surge of NEGATIVE tweets about President Barack Obama‘s re-election, I’ve noticed you guys have kept quiet. Is there a reason for it? I love your magazine and what it stands for. -Sarah A. -Paris, France.

ANSWER: Sarah, thanks for sending us this message and supporting us in France. This means so much to us. We’ve decided to refrain from such negativity because we believe you get what you put out. The negativity via Twitter was small compared to what

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You may be planning to buy your next car, but there is another option that is immensely popular and can put you behind the wheel of a new car every few years. And that would be car leasing. Car leasing is especially popular among luxury brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, with car shoppers more often choosing to lease a car than to buy one. That’s because a car lease is more affordable than monthly payments, not universally so, but especially so with certain luxury brands.

If you plan to lease your next car, there are certain things to keep in mind including its depreciation, mileage and lease terms. By leasing, you enjoy the same new car warranty car buyers get, plus whatever maintenance plans are available.

1. Shop around.  Just as you would with any new car, you will want to shop around for a lease. Often times, consumers are under the impression that a lease deal is set in stone. However, you can negotiate the lease to meet your needs — you aren’t required to accept the dealer’s or the manufacturer’s published lease offer.A lease contains numerous financial and legal terms, and your monthly payment is based on several factors including your anticipated mileage, its projected residual value at lease term and the interest rate you are being charged for the lease. Familiarize yourself with these terms and be prepared to strike the best deal you can.
2. Dig deep.  Lease agreements can be confusing, especially if you are not familiar with some of the terms used. The residual or resale value of a car is what the manufacturer predicts it will be worth at the end of your lease term. Its capitalized cost represents the recorded expenses of an asset’s cost.Be mindful that your lease deal may include additional fees, including some that you can challenge. A disposition fee is a charge that can add several hundred dollars to your costs and covers the dealer taking the vehicle back from you. Similarly, an acquisition fee does the same thing. You may be charged for one, but you should not be charged for both. A purchase option fee may also be listed, in the event you want to buy the car at the end of lease term. These fees are negotiable, but taxes and government fees are fixed.
3. Leave no “gaps” in your insurance coverage.  Consumers that choose to lease can find themselves in for a rude awakening if their new car is totaled following an accident or is stolen and never recovered. Your lease should include “gap” insurance, known in the industry as guaranteed asset protection. What this does is pay off your remaining lease payments, leaving you with no additional expense.You can also buy gap insurance from an auto insurer. Talk with your current insurance company and ask if gap protection is offered. Regardless where you get gap coverage, this plan will protect you against “negative equity” or what most every consumer faces when buying a new car.
4. Trade-in or cash down.  Once you are satisfied with your car lease deal, then you’re ready to negotiate your down payment, if one is required. You may be asked to put a certain amount down and make both your first and your last monthly payment. Your dealer may accept your trade in lieu of a downpayment, but you should first confirm the vehicle’s value before discussing a possible trade.One option is for you to head to the Kelley Blue Book website at kbb.com and enter in the information about your car including the make, model, model year, trim level and mileage. From there you will be asked a few more questions before its book value is listed. You will want to obtain both its private market value and its trade-in value — the price you get for your car will likely fall between those two numbers. Ask for the highest possible value and apply that amount to your lease to lower your monthly payments or take the remaining funds as a check.

Lease Considerations

Leasing is important option for consumers and is prized by business’s for its tax deduction features. For consumers, a lease can provide a new car every few years, but that also means that you’ll always be making car payments. If you drive beyond the mileage limitations, you will pay a few of up to 25 cents per mile. You’re also responsible for excess wear and tear, and any damage to your car that is not fixed by you.

Resources

U.S. News: Better to Buy Cars New, Used, or Leased? — http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2010/09/29/better-to-buy-cars-new-used-or-leased

Kiplinger: Five Myths on Leasing a Car — http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/car/archive/2008/car0107.html

Nolo: Leasing a Car — http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/leasing-car-29967.html

Jeff Foster has been blogging and writing about automotive related topics since 2009. He is currently working with AutoFair Hyundai.

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When you think of the word doctor, what usually come to mind is a person that helps others get better in a hospital setting in uniform.

This doctor does just that but times 20. Dr. Shellie Hipsky has a very lengthy resume which includes teaching students from kindergarten, all the way to the doctoral level in the U.S And Rome, Italy. As a graduate of Duquesne University’s IDPEL doctoral program she has a research methodology she created called the pre-conceptual map that is currently being taught in a Harvard University Ethnographic Research Methods course.

She has over 100 published works and is a contracted author with Pearson Education. With motivational speaking and her work with The Homeless Children’s Education Fund (www.homelessfund.org), it’s safe to say she does it all except fly…

All Or Nothing: Dr. Shellie Hipsky

Derrick Smith: What’s the most motivational thing you’ve learned that you share with your students?

Dr Shellie Hipsky: To make a global impact we must work together.  Everyone has skills and gifts to share. It is vital that we discover them, seek out mentors, and utilize our strengths. My latest book, which was co-authored by Dr. Bavaro-Armani, Mentoring Magic: Pick the Card for Your Success shows how to find, form, and sustain mentoring relationships and how to network.  Seek out people who have done what you want to accomplish and pair up with them as you achieve your own goals.

DS: You’re writing your fifth book, tell us about it.

DRH: I partnered with radio personality Ray Leonard of Ordinary People Extraordinary Planet (www.kmr-media.com) to bring to my readers around the world stories of everyday people who have conquered extreme obstacles in life and have risen above them.  Some of these amazing people include Shannon McNamara, a 17-year-old from New Jersey who through her “SHARE” program has created 4 libraries in Africa, and Roy Juarez, Jr. who is doing the “Homeless By Choice Tour” speaking to 100,000 students about when he was homeless when he was 14. It is an honor to be able to tell these incredibly inspirational stories.

DS: With already having so much accomplished, what’s something you wish to accomplish that you already haven’t?

DRH: I would love to someday write a best-selling book and/or host a television talk show featuring the lives of everyday people doing positive acts.

DS: You are very involved with The Homeless Children’s Education Fund. What was the motivation to become so involved?

DRH: I adore this charity which serves the needs of over 3,000 children a year. For my most recent event, I headlined and coordinated “A Taste of Broadway” (www.tasteofbroadway.net) for HCEF. We are also seeking corporate sponsors for our “An Extraordinary Evening” event. I hosted this dinner and cabaret-style show that featured actors and dancers from Pittsburgh, LA, and NYC. I raised approximately $15,000 last year through these types of events and was recognized by the organization for my volunteer efforts.

DS: When it’s all said and done, what would you like to be remembered for?

DRH: I would like my tombstone to read “Mother, Wife, & Teacher.” I was an elementary school teacher and Assistant Principal and now I teach undergraduate to doctoral students how to educate and meet the needs of their students. I also work with school districts and universities nationally to meet this goal. At the heart of all that I do, I am simply a teacher who wants to educate others through my public speaking, webinars, writing, performances, and classroom teaching.

For more information about Dr Shellie Hipsky, visit: www.mentoringmagic.net

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