Making Money Easy

A 401(k) plan has lots of fees, and savvy investors may be aware of various investment-related charges – such as a management fee to a mutual fund manager's or the sales commission paid when making a transaction.



What most people don't know, however, is that 401(k) plans also include several other hidden fees that can eat away at their investments.



These include so-called "12b-1 fees" (which are marketing fees passed along to investors) and administrative costs of various types imposed by retirement plan sponsors.



Finding these fees isn't easy. In fact, you have to pore over a fund's prospectus and an annual report to ferret out exactly what charges are imposed by a 401(k) retirement plan.



Perhaps this explains why, according to an AARP survey, more than 80% of retirement plan participants have no idea what their 401(k) charges. Even worse, some people mistakenly think that investing in their 401(k) plan on the job is "free" and that no fees are charged.



In reality, in 2009, 401(k) investors in stock funds paid an average expense of .74% of their assets, while the typical bond investor paid an average of .55%, according to a report from the Investment Company Institute.



Think small numbers don't make a big difference? Think again. A GAO report found that a typical retiree will lose about $100,000 when their 401(k) plan has fees of 1.5%, instead of .5% in fees. That's just a one percentage-point difference, but it has a huge impact.



Fortunately, there is some good news on this topic and change is soon coming. Under new guidelines issued by the U.S. Labor Department, by January 1, 2012 retirement plans will have to do a better job of clearly disclosing their fees and charges. Right now, disclosure is murky at best.



In the meantime, until disclosure improves, there is an easy way to see what your employer-sponsored retirement plan is costing you.



A company called BrightScope rolled out a free service in 2009 that will rate your 401(k) plan. BrightScope has analyzed 50,000 retirement plans, which represents about 90% of the $3 trillion held in 401(k) plans.



BrightScope offers a free analysis called a Personal 401(k) fee report. It's a tool that breaks down exactly how much you're paying to have that 401(k) – in terms of a fund's overall expenses, administrative charges, marketing fees and so on.



Based on BrightScope's data, fees are all over the board, ranging from as little as .20% to as much as 5%. Small plans typically charge more than large plans, mainly because the smaller plans can't achieve the same economies of scale.



Curious to know what fees you're paying to invest through your company's 401(k) plan? Visit BrightScope's site and find out in about three minutes.

As part of the ongoing Mashable Awards, we’re taking a closer look at each of the nomination categories. This is “Best Social Media Service for Small Business.” Be sure to nominate your favorites and join us for the Gala in Las Vegas! Sponsorships are available. Please contact sponsorships@mashable.com for more information.

Throughout the year we’ve spoken to many small business owners, asking them about their best practices, recommendations and success stories in the social media space.

Pulling from their experiences, we’ve learned that choosing social platforms should be based on what type of content your company produces, where your audience is already active, what your goals are, and how you plan to add value for your business’s followers.

While every social platform isn’t fit for all businesses, there are quite a few standout services that can be utilized throughout many industries. Here are our top picks for social media services for small businesses — many of these may not be surprising, but that’s because the success stories we’ve heard have proven them over and over again.

Which social media services do you recommend for small businesses? Add your thoughts in the comments below.

1. Communications Service: Twitter

When you ask business owners about their social media strategies, Facebook and Twitter are generally among the first words that come up. These two platforms have become the go-to, entry-level platforms for business owners looking to get more social.

For quick, effective communication, though, our vote goes to Twitter. The micro-blogging service enables businesses to quickly and effectively enhance customer service, business development, public relations and even lead generation. Through these types of communication, businesses humanize their brands, making them seem more friendly and approachable.

Not only that, unlike many other social sites, Twitter is easy to set up due to its minimalist approach. While setup and growing a following entails a bit of a learning curve for new users, maintaining a Twitter presence is simple once you’ve got it together. In short, Twitter is a big win for small businesses.

Also noteworthy: Facebook

2. Video-Sharing Service: YouTube

From speeches and tours to tutorials and documentaries, small businesses are using web video in a lot of creative ways — even CEOs are getting involved. Businesses are using a number of services, but our top pick for small businesses is still the video king, YouTube.

In November 2008, YouTube surpassed Yahoo as the second largest search engine in the U.S., only next to Google. It has maintained that spot ever since. While business owners may be able to benefit from better aesthetics and revenue models on other video-hosting sites, YouTube offers visibility, familiarity and a massive audience.

Also noteworthy: Vimeo, Blip.tv

3. Twitter Photo-Sharing Service: Twitpic

There are a lot of Twitter photo-sharing services to sift through, but the most popular one is TwitPic.

Photo-sharing on Twitter can be a great way to showcase products and give a behind-the-scenes look at your business. Really, you can’t go wrong with most of the Twitter photo-sharing services out there. The majority are easy to use, only require users to sign in via Twitter oAuth, and showcase photos in a timeline. TwitPic adds the extra value of being recognizable within your Twitter stream.

Also noteworthy: Plixi, yfrog

4. Location-Based Service: Foursquare

Social media adoption rates among small businesses have grown dramatically this year, and location-based services are high on the list of emerging platforms of interest. While there are a handful of quality location-based services out there, including the recently launched Facebook Places, we believe that Foursquare still offers the best small business experience.

In the coming year, SCVNGR may give Foursquare a run for its money because of its innovative approach to the space, but for now, Foursquare wears the crown for being accessible to both the biggest brands and the smallest companies.

Also noteworthy: SCVNGR, Gowalla

5. Blogging Platform: Tumblr

Corporate blogs are catching on with companies of all types and sizes. To build an excellent corporate blog, you need compelling content, dedicated writers and, of course, a blogging platform.

Tumblr makes blogging almost as easy as tweeting, and puts a heavier focus on the social aspects of blogging than most platforms. The interface is easy to use, there are a ton of great themes, and the re-blogging feature makes it easy for users to share content.

Also noteworthy: WordPress.com, Blogger, Posterous

6. Social Media Dashboard: TweetDeck

Dealing with multiple social media accounts across various platforms is a total downer, but luckily there are lots of social media management tools to help, and TweetDeck seems to be a top pick among small business owners that we’ve spoken to. It’s free and enables users to connect across Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Foursquare and Google Buzz.

The dashboard is clean, customizable and easy to use, allowing users to organize feeds, mentions, messages and searches across multiple columns.

Also noteworthy: HootSuite, Seesmic, CoTweet, Postling

7. Funding Platform: Kickstarter

For startups and small businesses looking for funding, we recommend Kickstarter, a service for crowd sourcing funds for “creative ideas and ambitious endeavors.”

Kickstarter operates on an all-or-nothing model. Project owners choose a goal and a deadline, and if the project isn’t fully funded when time expires, then no money changes hands.

Small businesses can benefit from such a site by starting projects for business goals of all sorts — the most successful projects on Kickstarter are often out-of-the-box undertakings, though, so get creative. One recent project, for example, has a goal of buying equipment to make sheep’s milk soap. The farmer already herds sheep but is looking to raise funds to pay for an expansion of her soap production business. The project has already attracted 16 backers to fulfill the $500 goal, and it still has a few weeks to go.

Also noteworthy: IndieGoGo, Invested.in

What’s Your Take?

Which social media services does your small business use and recommend? Let us know in the comments or nominate them for the Mashable Awards.

The Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity (Vegas)/>

In partnership with Cirque du Soleil, The Mashable Awards Gala event will bring together the winners and nominees, the Mashable community, partners, media, the marketing community, consumer electronics and technology brands and attendees from the 2011 International CES Convention to Las Vegas on Thursday, January 6, 2011. Together, we will celebrate the winners and the community of the Mashable Awards at the Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage in the beautiful New York New York Hotel. The event will include acts and performances from our partner Cirque du Soleil Zumanity. In addition, there will be special guest presenters and appearances.

Date: Thursday, January 6th, 2011 (during International CES Convention week)/> Time: 7:00 – 10:00 pm PT/> Location: Cirque du Soleil Zumanity, New York New York Hotel, Las Vegas/> Agenda: Networking, Open Bars, Acts, Surprises and the Mashable Awards Gala presentations/> Socialize: Facebook, Foursquare, Meetup, Plancast, Twitter (Hashtag: #MashableAwards)

Thanks to our sponsors:

Mashable Awards Gala Partner:

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a global entertainment organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has over 5,000 employees, including more than 1,200 artists from close to 50 different countries.

Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to nearly 100 million spectators in 300 cities on five continents. In 2010 Cirque du Soleil, will present 21 shows simultaneously throughout the world, including seven in Las Vegas.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com

Mashable Awards Online Partner:

Have you ever wished for your own personal gourmet Chef?

The Fresh Diet is like having a Cordon Bleu chef prepare your meals in your own kitchen. There’s no cooking, cleaning, shopping – just fresh prepared delicious meals, hand delivered to your door daily! Whether you want to lose weight or just want to eat healthy, The Fresh Diet can help you meet your goals. The best news, we’re giving away a FREE week of The Fresh Diet every day on our Facebook page. Just click here to become a fan and you could be the next winner. Join now!

Mashable Awards Partner:

Join us at the 2011 International CES®, the global platform for inspired ideas and innovation. With 2,500 exhibitors, CES continues to be the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow and always reflects the dynamic consumer electronics industry. The International CES is not open to the general public and all attendees must be in the CE industry to be eligible to attend the show. Register FREE for the 2011 CES with priority code MSHB, an exclusive promotion for Mashable Readers.

Mashable Awards Gala VIP Lounge sponsor:

Influxis specializes in the deployment of creative streaming solutions. Services include large scale deployment, mobile streaming, turn-key applications, and enterprise support with custom network options. With the unique combination of a worldwide network, knowledgeable developer support and nearly a decade of streaming media experience, Influxis is an essential partner to businesses, advertisers, developers, educators, and others who seek expertise in innovative streaming.

Sponsorships are available. Please contact sponsorships@mashable.com for more information.

Image courtesy of DaddyDesign

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VA. Man Arrested For Plotting DC Attacks « Liveshots

A Virginia man has been arrested for allegedly trying to help Al Qaeda plan multiple.

Fantasy Football <b>News</b> Roundup, Week 8: Does Jon Kitna Have Value <b>...</b>

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property management atlanta ga

VA. Man Arrested For Plotting DC Attacks « Liveshots

A Virginia man has been arrested for allegedly trying to help Al Qaeda plan multiple.

Fantasy Football <b>News</b> Roundup, Week 8: Does Jon Kitna Have Value <b>...</b>

Checking in on the fantasy news of the day for Week 8.

Halloween Candy: The Not-So-Sweet <b>News</b> - Slashfood

Photo: mandaloo, Flickr No one is going to claim they eat Halloween candy because it's good for them. But the Daily Beast ran the numbers on.

A 401(k) plan has lots of fees, and savvy investors may be aware of various investment-related charges – such as a management fee to a mutual fund manager's or the sales commission paid when making a transaction.



What most people don't know, however, is that 401(k) plans also include several other hidden fees that can eat away at their investments.



These include so-called "12b-1 fees" (which are marketing fees passed along to investors) and administrative costs of various types imposed by retirement plan sponsors.



Finding these fees isn't easy. In fact, you have to pore over a fund's prospectus and an annual report to ferret out exactly what charges are imposed by a 401(k) retirement plan.



Perhaps this explains why, according to an AARP survey, more than 80% of retirement plan participants have no idea what their 401(k) charges. Even worse, some people mistakenly think that investing in their 401(k) plan on the job is "free" and that no fees are charged.



In reality, in 2009, 401(k) investors in stock funds paid an average expense of .74% of their assets, while the typical bond investor paid an average of .55%, according to a report from the Investment Company Institute.



Think small numbers don't make a big difference? Think again. A GAO report found that a typical retiree will lose about $100,000 when their 401(k) plan has fees of 1.5%, instead of .5% in fees. That's just a one percentage-point difference, but it has a huge impact.



Fortunately, there is some good news on this topic and change is soon coming. Under new guidelines issued by the U.S. Labor Department, by January 1, 2012 retirement plans will have to do a better job of clearly disclosing their fees and charges. Right now, disclosure is murky at best.



In the meantime, until disclosure improves, there is an easy way to see what your employer-sponsored retirement plan is costing you.



A company called BrightScope rolled out a free service in 2009 that will rate your 401(k) plan. BrightScope has analyzed 50,000 retirement plans, which represents about 90% of the $3 trillion held in 401(k) plans.



BrightScope offers a free analysis called a Personal 401(k) fee report. It's a tool that breaks down exactly how much you're paying to have that 401(k) – in terms of a fund's overall expenses, administrative charges, marketing fees and so on.



Based on BrightScope's data, fees are all over the board, ranging from as little as .20% to as much as 5%. Small plans typically charge more than large plans, mainly because the smaller plans can't achieve the same economies of scale.



Curious to know what fees you're paying to invest through your company's 401(k) plan? Visit BrightScope's site and find out in about three minutes.

As part of the ongoing Mashable Awards, we’re taking a closer look at each of the nomination categories. This is “Best Social Media Service for Small Business.” Be sure to nominate your favorites and join us for the Gala in Las Vegas! Sponsorships are available. Please contact sponsorships@mashable.com for more information.

Throughout the year we’ve spoken to many small business owners, asking them about their best practices, recommendations and success stories in the social media space.

Pulling from their experiences, we’ve learned that choosing social platforms should be based on what type of content your company produces, where your audience is already active, what your goals are, and how you plan to add value for your business’s followers.

While every social platform isn’t fit for all businesses, there are quite a few standout services that can be utilized throughout many industries. Here are our top picks for social media services for small businesses — many of these may not be surprising, but that’s because the success stories we’ve heard have proven them over and over again.

Which social media services do you recommend for small businesses? Add your thoughts in the comments below.

1. Communications Service: Twitter

When you ask business owners about their social media strategies, Facebook and Twitter are generally among the first words that come up. These two platforms have become the go-to, entry-level platforms for business owners looking to get more social.

For quick, effective communication, though, our vote goes to Twitter. The micro-blogging service enables businesses to quickly and effectively enhance customer service, business development, public relations and even lead generation. Through these types of communication, businesses humanize their brands, making them seem more friendly and approachable.

Not only that, unlike many other social sites, Twitter is easy to set up due to its minimalist approach. While setup and growing a following entails a bit of a learning curve for new users, maintaining a Twitter presence is simple once you’ve got it together. In short, Twitter is a big win for small businesses.

Also noteworthy: Facebook

2. Video-Sharing Service: YouTube

From speeches and tours to tutorials and documentaries, small businesses are using web video in a lot of creative ways — even CEOs are getting involved. Businesses are using a number of services, but our top pick for small businesses is still the video king, YouTube.

In November 2008, YouTube surpassed Yahoo as the second largest search engine in the U.S., only next to Google. It has maintained that spot ever since. While business owners may be able to benefit from better aesthetics and revenue models on other video-hosting sites, YouTube offers visibility, familiarity and a massive audience.

Also noteworthy: Vimeo, Blip.tv

3. Twitter Photo-Sharing Service: Twitpic

There are a lot of Twitter photo-sharing services to sift through, but the most popular one is TwitPic.

Photo-sharing on Twitter can be a great way to showcase products and give a behind-the-scenes look at your business. Really, you can’t go wrong with most of the Twitter photo-sharing services out there. The majority are easy to use, only require users to sign in via Twitter oAuth, and showcase photos in a timeline. TwitPic adds the extra value of being recognizable within your Twitter stream.

Also noteworthy: Plixi, yfrog

4. Location-Based Service: Foursquare

Social media adoption rates among small businesses have grown dramatically this year, and location-based services are high on the list of emerging platforms of interest. While there are a handful of quality location-based services out there, including the recently launched Facebook Places, we believe that Foursquare still offers the best small business experience.

In the coming year, SCVNGR may give Foursquare a run for its money because of its innovative approach to the space, but for now, Foursquare wears the crown for being accessible to both the biggest brands and the smallest companies.

Also noteworthy: SCVNGR, Gowalla

5. Blogging Platform: Tumblr

Corporate blogs are catching on with companies of all types and sizes. To build an excellent corporate blog, you need compelling content, dedicated writers and, of course, a blogging platform.

Tumblr makes blogging almost as easy as tweeting, and puts a heavier focus on the social aspects of blogging than most platforms. The interface is easy to use, there are a ton of great themes, and the re-blogging feature makes it easy for users to share content.

Also noteworthy: WordPress.com, Blogger, Posterous

6. Social Media Dashboard: TweetDeck

Dealing with multiple social media accounts across various platforms is a total downer, but luckily there are lots of social media management tools to help, and TweetDeck seems to be a top pick among small business owners that we’ve spoken to. It’s free and enables users to connect across Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Foursquare and Google Buzz.

The dashboard is clean, customizable and easy to use, allowing users to organize feeds, mentions, messages and searches across multiple columns.

Also noteworthy: HootSuite, Seesmic, CoTweet, Postling

7. Funding Platform: Kickstarter

For startups and small businesses looking for funding, we recommend Kickstarter, a service for crowd sourcing funds for “creative ideas and ambitious endeavors.”

Kickstarter operates on an all-or-nothing model. Project owners choose a goal and a deadline, and if the project isn’t fully funded when time expires, then no money changes hands.

Small businesses can benefit from such a site by starting projects for business goals of all sorts — the most successful projects on Kickstarter are often out-of-the-box undertakings, though, so get creative. One recent project, for example, has a goal of buying equipment to make sheep’s milk soap. The farmer already herds sheep but is looking to raise funds to pay for an expansion of her soap production business. The project has already attracted 16 backers to fulfill the $500 goal, and it still has a few weeks to go.

Also noteworthy: IndieGoGo, Invested.in

What’s Your Take?

Which social media services does your small business use and recommend? Let us know in the comments or nominate them for the Mashable Awards.

The Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity (Vegas)/>

In partnership with Cirque du Soleil, The Mashable Awards Gala event will bring together the winners and nominees, the Mashable community, partners, media, the marketing community, consumer electronics and technology brands and attendees from the 2011 International CES Convention to Las Vegas on Thursday, January 6, 2011. Together, we will celebrate the winners and the community of the Mashable Awards at the Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage in the beautiful New York New York Hotel. The event will include acts and performances from our partner Cirque du Soleil Zumanity. In addition, there will be special guest presenters and appearances.

Date: Thursday, January 6th, 2011 (during International CES Convention week)/> Time: 7:00 – 10:00 pm PT/> Location: Cirque du Soleil Zumanity, New York New York Hotel, Las Vegas/> Agenda: Networking, Open Bars, Acts, Surprises and the Mashable Awards Gala presentations/> Socialize: Facebook, Foursquare, Meetup, Plancast, Twitter (Hashtag: #MashableAwards)

Thanks to our sponsors:

Mashable Awards Gala Partner:

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a global entertainment organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has over 5,000 employees, including more than 1,200 artists from close to 50 different countries.

Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to nearly 100 million spectators in 300 cities on five continents. In 2010 Cirque du Soleil, will present 21 shows simultaneously throughout the world, including seven in Las Vegas.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com

Mashable Awards Online Partner:

Have you ever wished for your own personal gourmet Chef?

The Fresh Diet is like having a Cordon Bleu chef prepare your meals in your own kitchen. There’s no cooking, cleaning, shopping – just fresh prepared delicious meals, hand delivered to your door daily! Whether you want to lose weight or just want to eat healthy, The Fresh Diet can help you meet your goals. The best news, we’re giving away a FREE week of The Fresh Diet every day on our Facebook page. Just click here to become a fan and you could be the next winner. Join now!

Mashable Awards Partner:

Join us at the 2011 International CES®, the global platform for inspired ideas and innovation. With 2,500 exhibitors, CES continues to be the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow and always reflects the dynamic consumer electronics industry. The International CES is not open to the general public and all attendees must be in the CE industry to be eligible to attend the show. Register FREE for the 2011 CES with priority code MSHB, an exclusive promotion for Mashable Readers.

Mashable Awards Gala VIP Lounge sponsor:

Influxis specializes in the deployment of creative streaming solutions. Services include large scale deployment, mobile streaming, turn-key applications, and enterprise support with custom network options. With the unique combination of a worldwide network, knowledgeable developer support and nearly a decade of streaming media experience, Influxis is an essential partner to businesses, advertisers, developers, educators, and others who seek expertise in innovative streaming.

Sponsorships are available. Please contact sponsorships@mashable.com for more information.

Image courtesy of DaddyDesign

For more Business coverage:

class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Businessclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Business channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

VA. Man Arrested For Plotting DC Attacks « Liveshots

A Virginia man has been arrested for allegedly trying to help Al Qaeda plan multiple.

Fantasy Football <b>News</b> Roundup, Week 8: Does Jon Kitna Have Value <b>...</b>

Checking in on the fantasy news of the day for Week 8.

Halloween Candy: The Not-So-Sweet <b>News</b> - Slashfood

Photo: mandaloo, Flickr No one is going to claim they eat Halloween candy because it's good for them. But the Daily Beast ran the numbers on.

VA. Man Arrested For Plotting DC Attacks « Liveshots

A Virginia man has been arrested for allegedly trying to help Al Qaeda plan multiple.

Fantasy Football <b>News</b> Roundup, Week 8: Does Jon Kitna Have Value <b>...</b>

Checking in on the fantasy news of the day for Week 8.

Halloween Candy: The Not-So-Sweet <b>News</b> - Slashfood

Photo: mandaloo, Flickr No one is going to claim they eat Halloween candy because it's good for them. But the Daily Beast ran the numbers on.

foreclosure search

The game was to move
money under a scheme of deceit and fraud. First sell the bonds and
collect the money into a pool. Second take your fees, third take what’s
left and get it committed into “loans” (which were in actuality
securities) sold to homeowners under the same false pretenses as the
bonds were sold to investors. By controlling the flow of funds and
documentation, the middlemen were able to sell, pledge and otherwise
trade off the flow of receivables several times over — a necessary
complexity not only for the profit it generated, but to make it far more
difficult for anyone to track the footprints in the sand.

If the loans had actually been securitized, the issue would not arise. They were not securitized. This
was a mass illusion or hallucination induced by Wall Street spiking the
punch bowl. The gap (second tier yield spread premium) created between
the amount of money funded by investors and the amount of money actually
deployed into “loans” was so large that it could not be justified as
fees. It was profit on sale from the aggregator to the “trust” (special
purpose vehicle). It was undisclosed, deceitful and fraudulent.

Thus
the “credit enhancement” scenario with tranches, credit default swaps
and insurance had to be created so that it appeared that the gap was
covered. But that could only work if
the parties to those contracts claimed to have the loans. And since
multiple parties were making the same claim in these side contracts and
guarantees, counter-party agreements etc. the actual documents could not
be allowed to appear nor even be created unless and until it was the
end of the road in an evidential hearing in court. They used when
necessary “copies” that were in fact fabricated (counterfeited) as
needed to suit the occasion. You end up with lawyers arriving in
court with the “original” note signed in blue (for the desired effect on
the Judge) when it was signed in black — but the lawyer didn’t know
that. The actual original is either destroyed (see Katherine Porter’s
2007 study) or “lost.” In this case “lost” doesn’t mean really lost. It
means that if they really must come up with something they will call an
original they will do so.

So the reason why the paperwork is all
out of order is that there was no paperwork. There only entries on
databases and spreadsheets. The
loans were not in actuality assigned to any one particular trust or any
one particular bond or any one particular individual or group of
investors. They were “allocated” as receivables multiple times to
multiple parties usually to an extent in excess of the nominal
receivable itself. This is why the servicers keep paying on loans
that are being declared in default. The essential component of every
loan that was never revealed to either the lenders (investors) nor the
borrowers (homeowner/investors) was the addition of co-obligors and
terms that neither the investor nor the borrower knew anything about.
The “insurance” and other enhancements were actually cover for the
intermediaries who had no money at risk in the loans, but for the
potential liability for defrauding the lenders and borrowers.

The result, as anyone can plainly see, is that the typical Ponzi outcome — heads I win, tails you lose.

***

So
the paperwork was carefully created and crafted to cover the tracks of
theft. Most of the securitization paperwork remains buried such that it
takes search services to reach any of them. The documents that were
needed to record title and encumbrances was finessed so that they could
keep their options open when someone made demand for actual proof. The
documents were not messed up and neither was the processing. They were
just keeping their options open, so like the salad oil scandal, they
could fill the tank that someone wanted to look into.

Folks, check this out!

 

 

http://www.usagold.com/goldtrail/archives/another1.html

ANOTHER ( THOUGHTS! ) ID#60253:

All: I ask you, why did the world go off the gold standard in the early 70s? You have an answer, yes? For all the problems this created, could the countries not just revalue gold upward, to say $300 ( back then ) ? What was the real reason the world entered a period of "freely traded" "managed gold"? "

This question has more impact on the gold market of today than it did then! In days past, it was held as good knowledge that the US stopped gold backing to protect the dollar and keep gold from leaving to other shores.

But, in the same time frame, all central banks did sell gold to all persons, even the US. All treasuries held gold and dollars as reserves. To what end did the world financial system gain with the dollar off gold backing, and then allowed to "dirty float" against all currencies? Would the world not have been better off to find gold revalued to, say $300 and then begin a "dirty float"? Noone would have lost, and the inflation would have , at best, not have been worse!

Truly, I tell the reason for this action. The US oil companies knew that the cheap reserves were found. The governments knew this also. The only low cost oil reserves in the world at this time were in the Middle East, and their cost to find and produce was very low. It was known, that, in time, ALL oil would come from this land. As much higher US dollar prices were needed to allow exploration and production of other reserves, worldwide. But, how to get crude prices, up, when the Gulf States were OK to pump and produce in exchange for "gold backed dollars"? I will not name the gentlemen that brought this thinking to the surface in that era, but it was discussed. It was known that oil liked gold. It was known that "local oil" would be used up without higher prices. What if, the US dollar was taken off the gold standard, and gold was managed "upward" to say, $208 per ounce? The dynamics of the market would force oil to rise and allow for much needed capital to search for the higher priced oil that was known to exist! The producers would find shelter in gold even as the price of oil was increased in terms of a now "non gold dollar"! Price inflation would rise, but gold and oil would also increase. The dollar would continue to be used as the only payment for oil, and in doing so replace gold as the backing for this "reserve currency". All would be fair.

The war in 1973 and the Iran problem did make markets "overshoot", but all did work to the correct end. The result was "a needed higher price for a commodity that was, as reserves, in much over supply by the wrong countries"! It was known that the public would never have accepted this "proposition" as fair. To this end, we have come.

Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media Secrets

Pssst. We've got something important to tell you about a new tool that can totally transform your business. In terms of upfront investment, there is no cost,

Lujiazui Breakfast: <b>News</b> And Views About China Stocks (Oct. 27 <b>...</b>

Investors and traders in China's main financial district are talking about the following before the start of trade today: Shares in automaker Hong Kong-listed BYD tanked by 9% after the company said profit fell by 99% in the third ...

Telefuture | Old <b>News</b> Report | TVs Merging with Computers | Mediaite

Well, print media, you were warned. A 30 year old news report from NBC news, archived by Vortex Technology, discusses the future of television in a segment creatively entitled Telefuture. In it, they spend a lof of time examining the ...

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Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media Secrets

Pssst. We've got something important to tell you about a new tool that can totally transform your business. In terms of upfront investment, there is no cost,

Lujiazui Breakfast: <b>News</b> And Views About China Stocks (Oct. 27 <b>...</b>

Investors and traders in China's main financial district are talking about the following before the start of trade today: Shares in automaker Hong Kong-listed BYD tanked by 9% after the company said profit fell by 99% in the third ...

Telefuture | Old <b>News</b> Report | TVs Merging with Computers | Mediaite

Well, print media, you were warned. A 30 year old news report from NBC news, archived by Vortex Technology, discusses the future of television in a segment creatively entitled Telefuture. In it, they spend a lof of time examining the ...

bench craft company complaints bench craft company complaints
The game was to move
money under a scheme of deceit and fraud. First sell the bonds and
collect the money into a pool. Second take your fees, third take what’s
left and get it committed into “loans” (which were in actuality
securities) sold to homeowners under the same false pretenses as the
bonds were sold to investors. By controlling the flow of funds and
documentation, the middlemen were able to sell, pledge and otherwise
trade off the flow of receivables several times over — a necessary
complexity not only for the profit it generated, but to make it far more
difficult for anyone to track the footprints in the sand.

If the loans had actually been securitized, the issue would not arise. They were not securitized. This
was a mass illusion or hallucination induced by Wall Street spiking the
punch bowl. The gap (second tier yield spread premium) created between
the amount of money funded by investors and the amount of money actually
deployed into “loans” was so large that it could not be justified as
fees. It was profit on sale from the aggregator to the “trust” (special
purpose vehicle). It was undisclosed, deceitful and fraudulent.

Thus
the “credit enhancement” scenario with tranches, credit default swaps
and insurance had to be created so that it appeared that the gap was
covered. But that could only work if
the parties to those contracts claimed to have the loans. And since
multiple parties were making the same claim in these side contracts and
guarantees, counter-party agreements etc. the actual documents could not
be allowed to appear nor even be created unless and until it was the
end of the road in an evidential hearing in court. They used when
necessary “copies” that were in fact fabricated (counterfeited) as
needed to suit the occasion. You end up with lawyers arriving in
court with the “original” note signed in blue (for the desired effect on
the Judge) when it was signed in black — but the lawyer didn’t know
that. The actual original is either destroyed (see Katherine Porter’s
2007 study) or “lost.” In this case “lost” doesn’t mean really lost. It
means that if they really must come up with something they will call an
original they will do so.

So the reason why the paperwork is all
out of order is that there was no paperwork. There only entries on
databases and spreadsheets. The
loans were not in actuality assigned to any one particular trust or any
one particular bond or any one particular individual or group of
investors. They were “allocated” as receivables multiple times to
multiple parties usually to an extent in excess of the nominal
receivable itself. This is why the servicers keep paying on loans
that are being declared in default. The essential component of every
loan that was never revealed to either the lenders (investors) nor the
borrowers (homeowner/investors) was the addition of co-obligors and
terms that neither the investor nor the borrower knew anything about.
The “insurance” and other enhancements were actually cover for the
intermediaries who had no money at risk in the loans, but for the
potential liability for defrauding the lenders and borrowers.

The result, as anyone can plainly see, is that the typical Ponzi outcome — heads I win, tails you lose.

***

So
the paperwork was carefully created and crafted to cover the tracks of
theft. Most of the securitization paperwork remains buried such that it
takes search services to reach any of them. The documents that were
needed to record title and encumbrances was finessed so that they could
keep their options open when someone made demand for actual proof. The
documents were not messed up and neither was the processing. They were
just keeping their options open, so like the salad oil scandal, they
could fill the tank that someone wanted to look into.

Folks, check this out!

 

 

http://www.usagold.com/goldtrail/archives/another1.html

ANOTHER ( THOUGHTS! ) ID#60253:

All: I ask you, why did the world go off the gold standard in the early 70s? You have an answer, yes? For all the problems this created, could the countries not just revalue gold upward, to say $300 ( back then ) ? What was the real reason the world entered a period of "freely traded" "managed gold"? "

This question has more impact on the gold market of today than it did then! In days past, it was held as good knowledge that the US stopped gold backing to protect the dollar and keep gold from leaving to other shores.

But, in the same time frame, all central banks did sell gold to all persons, even the US. All treasuries held gold and dollars as reserves. To what end did the world financial system gain with the dollar off gold backing, and then allowed to "dirty float" against all currencies? Would the world not have been better off to find gold revalued to, say $300 and then begin a "dirty float"? Noone would have lost, and the inflation would have , at best, not have been worse!

Truly, I tell the reason for this action. The US oil companies knew that the cheap reserves were found. The governments knew this also. The only low cost oil reserves in the world at this time were in the Middle East, and their cost to find and produce was very low. It was known, that, in time, ALL oil would come from this land. As much higher US dollar prices were needed to allow exploration and production of other reserves, worldwide. But, how to get crude prices, up, when the Gulf States were OK to pump and produce in exchange for "gold backed dollars"? I will not name the gentlemen that brought this thinking to the surface in that era, but it was discussed. It was known that oil liked gold. It was known that "local oil" would be used up without higher prices. What if, the US dollar was taken off the gold standard, and gold was managed "upward" to say, $208 per ounce? The dynamics of the market would force oil to rise and allow for much needed capital to search for the higher priced oil that was known to exist! The producers would find shelter in gold even as the price of oil was increased in terms of a now "non gold dollar"! Price inflation would rise, but gold and oil would also increase. The dollar would continue to be used as the only payment for oil, and in doing so replace gold as the backing for this "reserve currency". All would be fair.

The war in 1973 and the Iran problem did make markets "overshoot", but all did work to the correct end. The result was "a needed higher price for a commodity that was, as reserves, in much over supply by the wrong countries"! It was known that the public would never have accepted this "proposition" as fair. To this end, we have come.

bench craft company complaints

Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media Secrets

Pssst. We've got something important to tell you about a new tool that can totally transform your business. In terms of upfront investment, there is no cost,

Lujiazui Breakfast: <b>News</b> And Views About China Stocks (Oct. 27 <b>...</b>

Investors and traders in China's main financial district are talking about the following before the start of trade today: Shares in automaker Hong Kong-listed BYD tanked by 9% after the company said profit fell by 99% in the third ...

Telefuture | Old <b>News</b> Report | TVs Merging with Computers | Mediaite

Well, print media, you were warned. A 30 year old news report from NBC news, archived by Vortex Technology, discusses the future of television in a segment creatively entitled Telefuture. In it, they spend a lof of time examining the ...

bench craft company complaints bench craft company complaints

Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media Secrets

Pssst. We've got something important to tell you about a new tool that can totally transform your business. In terms of upfront investment, there is no cost,

Lujiazui Breakfast: <b>News</b> And Views About China Stocks (Oct. 27 <b>...</b>

Investors and traders in China's main financial district are talking about the following before the start of trade today: Shares in automaker Hong Kong-listed BYD tanked by 9% after the company said profit fell by 99% in the third ...

Telefuture | Old <b>News</b> Report | TVs Merging with Computers | Mediaite

Well, print media, you were warned. A 30 year old news report from NBC news, archived by Vortex Technology, discusses the future of television in a segment creatively entitled Telefuture. In it, they spend a lof of time examining the ...

bench craft company complaints bench craft company complaints

Small Business <b>News</b>: Social Media Secrets

Pssst. We've got something important to tell you about a new tool that can totally transform your business. In terms of upfront investment, there is no cost,

Lujiazui Breakfast: <b>News</b> And Views About China Stocks (Oct. 27 <b>...</b>

Investors and traders in China's main financial district are talking about the following before the start of trade today: Shares in automaker Hong Kong-listed BYD tanked by 9% after the company said profit fell by 99% in the third ...

Telefuture | Old <b>News</b> Report | TVs Merging with Computers | Mediaite

Well, print media, you were warned. A 30 year old news report from NBC news, archived by Vortex Technology, discusses the future of television in a segment creatively entitled Telefuture. In it, they spend a lof of time examining the ...

bench craft company complaints bench craft company complaints

about internet marketing

Overall, about 4% of Internet users now participate in a video call on any given day. While that is not a huge number yet, it is important to note that this is up from 2% in April 2009.

Sadly, the Pew study did not ask users about their sentiments towards video calling. There is some anecdotal evidence that many people prefer voice calls and don't feel comfortable being on video. Qualcomm's senior vice president for Global Marketing Bill Davidson, for example, told us last week that he does not believe that video calling will be a killer feature for the next generation of wireless data networks as users simply aren't that interested in it. It would have been nice to see some data to either back this up or bust this as a myth.

Instead, the Pew survey focuses on the demographics of those who use video calls. There are no major surprises there. More affluent and younger users tend to use video calling more than others, for example, and urban users are far more likely to participate in video calls than users in rural regions (27% vs. 12%).

Digital marketing budgets are expected to increase steadily during the next few years, according to Datran Media’s Annual Marketing & Media Survey, which reaches out to more than 5,000 marketing executives from Fortune 500 brands, top publishers, and leading advertising and media agencies.

This is good news for those of you hoping to break into the digital marketing industry. Whether you’re passionate about search, affiliate, social media, or another area of marketing, there are a few things you can do to prove your worthiness to prospective employers.

We asked five industry insiders about their top tips for aspiring digital marketers. Find their suggestions below and add your own in the comments.

1. Get Hands-On Marketing Experience

A degree in marketing or communications can take you a distance, but most employers are looking for candidates with marketing experience, whether that’s from a previous job, internship or side project. If you already have work experience in the marketing world, congratulations. For the rest of you, internships or other projects will be key.

“Any hands-on involvement with campaign creation, analytics, or optimization can be extremely beneficial to aspiring digital marketers,” says Traci Kuiphoff, online marketing manager at BareNecessities.com. “If you’re in school or a recent grad, the best way to gain experience is to do an internship at a company or agency that has a department or focus in online or digital marketing. Not only do you get real world hands-on experience, but it’s also great to put on your resume when you’re ready for a full-time position.”

If you are in college, look for paid or for-school-credit marketing internships at your college’s job fairs, via job search sites, and on social media sites. You could even land your next gig through Twitter.

If you don’t land an internship or find a position of interest, create your own project or enter a marketing contest. While studying marketing and international business at NYU Stern’s Undergraduate School of Business, a classmate and I entered the John Caples Student Campaign of the Year contest and created a digital marketing campaign for Pentel. Our campaign included a mix of digital, social and direct marketing communications, along with thoroughly gathered success metrics. Not only did we win first place, which included summer internships and a cash prize, but we also met industry experts who have acted as mentors to us.

2. Know the Lingo

Being able to analyze marketing campaigns and understand what worked or didn’t is the key role of a digital marketer — in order to do that, you’ll need to know (and love) the industry jargon.

“Understanding metrics on the web is key,” says Naishi Zhang, assistant marketing manager at Barnes & Noble. “The Internet provides so many ways of analyzing user behavior, and knowing how to gather and interpret data is important for success. Read widely and learn the lingo, so when someone asks about the CTR of a banner ad or the number of page views a landing page received, you’ll be ready.”

Mastering marketing terminology and metrics, and knowing what they mean, will take time and practice, but you can get a basic knowledge by picking up a marketing 101 textbook or attending an introductory course. Check out local college or continuing education courses. If that isn’t an option, the Internet is at your disposal. About.com’s glossary of marketing terms and HubSpot’s glossary of social media marketing terms are both very useful for beginners, and you should also read some of the top marketing blogs to get your daily fill of information.

3. Nurture Your Personal Online Presence

Rick Bakas, director of social media marketing at St. Supéry Vineyards and Winery said he believes a person’s online presence can be a major deciding factor on whether an aspiring digital marketer makes the cut for a job. “If an employer is deciding between two candidates,” he notes, “they might go with the person with the strong following online. Build your personal brand online. You have to show you can build your personal brand if you’re going to build someone else’s.”

Your personal brand is value-added in the job market.

“Your online clout is sometimes referred to as ’social currency,’” he continues. “In other words, there’s a value associated with your online personal brand. Increased value carries as much weight as a great resume. A high Klout.com score for example, will help you stand out and validate what your resume says about you.”

Your Klout score is a number between 0 and 100 that measures the size of your engaged audience, the likelihood that they will amplify your messages, and your overall influence within your network. Bigger isn’t always better. Bakas explains, “Aspiring marketers would do well to grow an engaged online following, not necessarily a large online following. Again, Klout.com is a great tool to evaluate the strength of your online presence.”

4. Dabble in Everything, Specialize in Something

There isn’t just one career path in marketing. You can choose to work for an agency, with an in-house team, or start your own firm. There are multiple marketing disciplines, including affiliate, search, social media, e-mail, mobile, and display marketing, to name a few. Teams come in all sizes — some in which teammates specialize in certain areas, and others where a team can be composed of just one stellar know-it-all.

The best way to get a taste of all of the options is to dabble in a bit of everything. “Digital marketing agency experience can be extremely valuable — at an agency you can be exposed to all avenues of digital marketing from paid search, social media, mobile and everything in between,” Kuiphoff advises. ”Most likely, you’ll touch a number of different accounts which can help you choose a vertical focus or specialty.”

Once you have a base knowledge in each area of marketing, you’ll be better equipped to choose a more specific path of focus. Having a specialty enables you to hone your skills in that area and become an expert, which is a valuable asset to potential employees.

5. Attend Industry Meetups and Conferences

“Put the ’social’ in social media and spend time engaging with people in the real world,” Bakas says. “Go to lots of events to create or nurture quality interactions that can later continue online. Use plancast.com to see which upcoming events are worth going to. These experiences are ripe with opportunities to meet other digital marketers. The strongest relationships are the ones nurtured online and offline.”

Kuiphoff adds, “Digital marketing conferences not only provide a great networking opportunity, but most offer in-depth workshops that can enhance your skill set.”

Some worthwhile conferences to consider include SXSW, Search Marketing Expo, Web 2.0 Expo, Ad Age Digital Conference, ad:tech, Search Engine Strategies and Pivot.

If you’re not into the hustle and bustle of industry conferences, you can consider a more toned-down approach by attending or organizing your own Meetups. There are thousands of marketing Meetups around the world. The NY Entrepreneurs Business Network and San Francisco Entrepreneur Meetup are two of the largest.

6. Keep a Pulse on the News

Because of the nature of the Internet, digital marketing is ever-changing. If you don’t keep up with the latest trends and news, it shows in interviews and on the job. Sarah Hofstetter, SVP of emerging media and client strategy at digital marketing agency 360i, says it well:

“Remember that standing still is going backwards. Yes, it’s an adage that has been used for years to inspire ambition, but it is blatantly obvious in the digital landscape. Not only does that technology evolve at a lightening pace that transcends Moore’s law, but consumer behavior is shifting at a radical pace, and media consumption becomes more and more fragmented.

“Being on top of consumer behavior –- understanding what they’re doing online, what motivates them and their social and mobile behavior –- and staying ahead of that by learning what’s in the market and what’s on the come, will help ensure you don’t get stuck on the sidelines when interviewing for jobs in digital marketing.”

Kuiphoff recommends subscribing to industry blogs and newsletters to stay on top of the latest news. Some of my personal favorites include Ad Age, ClickZ, eMarketer, BrandWeek and AdWeek.

7. Get Technical

You won’t be coding programs or building full websites as a digital marketer, but you will need to work with developers and designers or other web specialists to communicate your marketing design needs. A basic knowledge of how the web works, HTML, and one or two programming languages, such as PHP, JavaScript, CSS and Ruby, will help you understand the current boundaries and opportunities that will affect your marketing campaigns.

“It’s important for anyone working in the digital world, whether it’s marketing or designing features for a product, to have a basic understanding of coding,” suggests Dharmishta Rood, a research assistant at Harvard Business School and fellow at the Center for Future Civic Media at MIT. “There are great experiential benefits from understanding the underlying technologies that shape what we do online — it’s easier to understand how users can interact with content, what is possible for design with things like CSS and JavaScript, and understand the nuances of basic technical terminology.”

8. Perfect Your Resume

Everyone needs a resume; what you do with it is up to you. To help you stand out, here are a few tips from our digital marketing experts:

• “Demonstrate that you can produce results and work in a fast-paced environment, whether you’ve had previous digital experience or not. Don’t be afraid to include things about yourself that may not be directly related to the job. Resumes get scanned quickly, so it always helps to inject something creative and clever.” — Naishi Zhang, assistant marketing manager, Barnes & Noble
• “One way you can make your resume stand out is to get certified. Google has a certification program for Adwords. If you have a paid search marketing focus this can help assure a client/employer that you’re proficient in the system.” — Traci Kuiphoff, online marketing manager, BareNecessities.com
• “I’m a big believer in making sure your resume is on LinkedIn, and to have recommendations on LinkedIn. Start asking for recommendations soon. LinkedIn is like your digital resume. Make sure the facts match up. Also, Google your name to see what comes up — your prospective employers will.” — Rick Bakas, director of social media marketing, St. Supéry Vineyards and Winery
• “Use keywords to describe your previous experience that make sense for the specific job you’re applying for — if the job description or department does ’social media outreach’ and your description of all those Twitter @replies, Facebook messages and moderated blog post comments is currently called ‘customer service,’ this does not play up your strengths as a digital marketer. Use common sense though. If their keywords don’t match your experience, don’t write anything untruthful, and consider doing things to get the types of experience for the jobs you want, such as volunteering to help with the social media of a non-profit whose cause you support.” — Dharmishta Rood, research assistant, Harvard Business School

To showcase your skills alongside multimedia and other online assets, check out some digital alternatives to the paper resume, including video resumes, VisualCVs, social resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

9. Let Curiosity and Passion Drive You

“Sure, it’s great to know about Facebook, iAds and whatever is coming next from Silicon Valley,” Hofstetter points out, “but when we’re looking for key talent at 360i, nothing matters to us more than intellectual curiosity and passion…In a business where answers and solutions aren’t always obvious, you need to be innately curious (about everything) and obsessed with the ‘why’ behind the ‘what.’ ”

It may sound cheesy at first, but she has a point. Without inquisitiveness and zeal, we’re just work drones on a mission to take over the Internet. Plus, these traits have a positive effect on the way we work, Hofstetter says:

“People who have these qualities can innovate and identify trends from seemingly ordinary data — they’re the first to try new things (platforms, tools, technology) and think about how marketers can benefit from them. They don’t always have the answers, but when you’re being asked to do never-been-done-before things, there isn’t a rulebook. That’s why when we’re recruiting, we look for people who know how to ask the right questions.

10. Unplug for Your Sanity

Staring at a computer screen all day long can take a toll on your body, mind and social life. Get away from that monitor and breathe for crying out loud!

Bakas advocates getting out every once in a while to work on who you are as a person outside of work. “Because transparency is important, it’s important to be a good person in the real world,” he says. “It’ll translate into the digital world — you can’t fake being a good person if you’re a jerk in real life. Unplug for your own sanity, but also to continue growing as a person in life.”

I second that. Now, get out of here and get a job.

Digital Marketing Job Listings

Every week we put out a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we post a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the best digital marketing jobs from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!

• Digital Strategist at Vladimir Jones in Colorado Springs, CO.
• Brand Manager at sweetgreen in Washington, DC.
• Director of Digital Strategy at DeVries Public Relations in New York, NY.
• Marketing Manager/Director at BreakoutBand in Brooklyn, NY.
• Sr. Marketing Manager at WOWIO in Los Angeles, CA.

More Job Search Resources from Mashable

- 5 Tips for Aspiring Social Media Marketers/> - 10 Tips For Aspiring Community Managers/> - 5 Tips for Aspiring Copywriters and Art Directors/> - HOW TO: Land a Career in Digital Public Relations/> - Top 5 Tips for Aspiring Music Bloggers

Image courtesy of RICEinteractive; iStockphoto, track5

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Overall, about 4% of Internet users now participate in a video call on any given day. While that is not a huge number yet, it is important to note that this is up from 2% in April 2009.

Sadly, the Pew study did not ask users about their sentiments towards video calling. There is some anecdotal evidence that many people prefer voice calls and don't feel comfortable being on video. Qualcomm's senior vice president for Global Marketing Bill Davidson, for example, told us last week that he does not believe that video calling will be a killer feature for the next generation of wireless data networks as users simply aren't that interested in it. It would have been nice to see some data to either back this up or bust this as a myth.

Instead, the Pew survey focuses on the demographics of those who use video calls. There are no major surprises there. More affluent and younger users tend to use video calling more than others, for example, and urban users are far more likely to participate in video calls than users in rural regions (27% vs. 12%).

Digital marketing budgets are expected to increase steadily during the next few years, according to Datran Media’s Annual Marketing & Media Survey, which reaches out to more than 5,000 marketing executives from Fortune 500 brands, top publishers, and leading advertising and media agencies.

This is good news for those of you hoping to break into the digital marketing industry. Whether you’re passionate about search, affiliate, social media, or another area of marketing, there are a few things you can do to prove your worthiness to prospective employers.

We asked five industry insiders about their top tips for aspiring digital marketers. Find their suggestions below and add your own in the comments.

1. Get Hands-On Marketing Experience

A degree in marketing or communications can take you a distance, but most employers are looking for candidates with marketing experience, whether that’s from a previous job, internship or side project. If you already have work experience in the marketing world, congratulations. For the rest of you, internships or other projects will be key.

“Any hands-on involvement with campaign creation, analytics, or optimization can be extremely beneficial to aspiring digital marketers,” says Traci Kuiphoff, online marketing manager at BareNecessities.com. “If you’re in school or a recent grad, the best way to gain experience is to do an internship at a company or agency that has a department or focus in online or digital marketing. Not only do you get real world hands-on experience, but it’s also great to put on your resume when you’re ready for a full-time position.”

If you are in college, look for paid or for-school-credit marketing internships at your college’s job fairs, via job search sites, and on social media sites. You could even land your next gig through Twitter.

If you don’t land an internship or find a position of interest, create your own project or enter a marketing contest. While studying marketing and international business at NYU Stern’s Undergraduate School of Business, a classmate and I entered the John Caples Student Campaign of the Year contest and created a digital marketing campaign for Pentel. Our campaign included a mix of digital, social and direct marketing communications, along with thoroughly gathered success metrics. Not only did we win first place, which included summer internships and a cash prize, but we also met industry experts who have acted as mentors to us.

2. Know the Lingo

Being able to analyze marketing campaigns and understand what worked or didn’t is the key role of a digital marketer — in order to do that, you’ll need to know (and love) the industry jargon.

“Understanding metrics on the web is key,” says Naishi Zhang, assistant marketing manager at Barnes & Noble. “The Internet provides so many ways of analyzing user behavior, and knowing how to gather and interpret data is important for success. Read widely and learn the lingo, so when someone asks about the CTR of a banner ad or the number of page views a landing page received, you’ll be ready.”

Mastering marketing terminology and metrics, and knowing what they mean, will take time and practice, but you can get a basic knowledge by picking up a marketing 101 textbook or attending an introductory course. Check out local college or continuing education courses. If that isn’t an option, the Internet is at your disposal. About.com’s glossary of marketing terms and HubSpot’s glossary of social media marketing terms are both very useful for beginners, and you should also read some of the top marketing blogs to get your daily fill of information.

3. Nurture Your Personal Online Presence

Rick Bakas, director of social media marketing at St. Supéry Vineyards and Winery said he believes a person’s online presence can be a major deciding factor on whether an aspiring digital marketer makes the cut for a job. “If an employer is deciding between two candidates,” he notes, “they might go with the person with the strong following online. Build your personal brand online. You have to show you can build your personal brand if you’re going to build someone else’s.”

Your personal brand is value-added in the job market.

“Your online clout is sometimes referred to as ’social currency,’” he continues. “In other words, there’s a value associated with your online personal brand. Increased value carries as much weight as a great resume. A high Klout.com score for example, will help you stand out and validate what your resume says about you.”

Your Klout score is a number between 0 and 100 that measures the size of your engaged audience, the likelihood that they will amplify your messages, and your overall influence within your network. Bigger isn’t always better. Bakas explains, “Aspiring marketers would do well to grow an engaged online following, not necessarily a large online following. Again, Klout.com is a great tool to evaluate the strength of your online presence.”

4. Dabble in Everything, Specialize in Something

There isn’t just one career path in marketing. You can choose to work for an agency, with an in-house team, or start your own firm. There are multiple marketing disciplines, including affiliate, search, social media, e-mail, mobile, and display marketing, to name a few. Teams come in all sizes — some in which teammates specialize in certain areas, and others where a team can be composed of just one stellar know-it-all.

The best way to get a taste of all of the options is to dabble in a bit of everything. “Digital marketing agency experience can be extremely valuable — at an agency you can be exposed to all avenues of digital marketing from paid search, social media, mobile and everything in between,” Kuiphoff advises. ”Most likely, you’ll touch a number of different accounts which can help you choose a vertical focus or specialty.”

Once you have a base knowledge in each area of marketing, you’ll be better equipped to choose a more specific path of focus. Having a specialty enables you to hone your skills in that area and become an expert, which is a valuable asset to potential employees.

5. Attend Industry Meetups and Conferences

“Put the ’social’ in social media and spend time engaging with people in the real world,” Bakas says. “Go to lots of events to create or nurture quality interactions that can later continue online. Use plancast.com to see which upcoming events are worth going to. These experiences are ripe with opportunities to meet other digital marketers. The strongest relationships are the ones nurtured online and offline.”

Kuiphoff adds, “Digital marketing conferences not only provide a great networking opportunity, but most offer in-depth workshops that can enhance your skill set.”

Some worthwhile conferences to consider include SXSW, Search Marketing Expo, Web 2.0 Expo, Ad Age Digital Conference, ad:tech, Search Engine Strategies and Pivot.

If you’re not into the hustle and bustle of industry conferences, you can consider a more toned-down approach by attending or organizing your own Meetups. There are thousands of marketing Meetups around the world. The NY Entrepreneurs Business Network and San Francisco Entrepreneur Meetup are two of the largest.

6. Keep a Pulse on the News

Because of the nature of the Internet, digital marketing is ever-changing. If you don’t keep up with the latest trends and news, it shows in interviews and on the job. Sarah Hofstetter, SVP of emerging media and client strategy at digital marketing agency 360i, says it well:

“Remember that standing still is going backwards. Yes, it’s an adage that has been used for years to inspire ambition, but it is blatantly obvious in the digital landscape. Not only does that technology evolve at a lightening pace that transcends Moore’s law, but consumer behavior is shifting at a radical pace, and media consumption becomes more and more fragmented.

“Being on top of consumer behavior –- understanding what they’re doing online, what motivates them and their social and mobile behavior –- and staying ahead of that by learning what’s in the market and what’s on the come, will help ensure you don’t get stuck on the sidelines when interviewing for jobs in digital marketing.”

Kuiphoff recommends subscribing to industry blogs and newsletters to stay on top of the latest news. Some of my personal favorites include Ad Age, ClickZ, eMarketer, BrandWeek and AdWeek.

7. Get Technical

You won’t be coding programs or building full websites as a digital marketer, but you will need to work with developers and designers or other web specialists to communicate your marketing design needs. A basic knowledge of how the web works, HTML, and one or two programming languages, such as PHP, JavaScript, CSS and Ruby, will help you understand the current boundaries and opportunities that will affect your marketing campaigns.

“It’s important for anyone working in the digital world, whether it’s marketing or designing features for a product, to have a basic understanding of coding,” suggests Dharmishta Rood, a research assistant at Harvard Business School and fellow at the Center for Future Civic Media at MIT. “There are great experiential benefits from understanding the underlying technologies that shape what we do online — it’s easier to understand how users can interact with content, what is possible for design with things like CSS and JavaScript, and understand the nuances of basic technical terminology.”

8. Perfect Your Resume

Everyone needs a resume; what you do with it is up to you. To help you stand out, here are a few tips from our digital marketing experts:

• “Demonstrate that you can produce results and work in a fast-paced environment, whether you’ve had previous digital experience or not. Don’t be afraid to include things about yourself that may not be directly related to the job. Resumes get scanned quickly, so it always helps to inject something creative and clever.” — Naishi Zhang, assistant marketing manager, Barnes & Noble
• “One way you can make your resume stand out is to get certified. Google has a certification program for Adwords. If you have a paid search marketing focus this can help assure a client/employer that you’re proficient in the system.” — Traci Kuiphoff, online marketing manager, BareNecessities.com
• “I’m a big believer in making sure your resume is on LinkedIn, and to have recommendations on LinkedIn. Start asking for recommendations soon. LinkedIn is like your digital resume. Make sure the facts match up. Also, Google your name to see what comes up — your prospective employers will.” — Rick Bakas, director of social media marketing, St. Supéry Vineyards and Winery
• “Use keywords to describe your previous experience that make sense for the specific job you’re applying for — if the job description or department does ’social media outreach’ and your description of all those Twitter @replies, Facebook messages and moderated blog post comments is currently called ‘customer service,’ this does not play up your strengths as a digital marketer. Use common sense though. If their keywords don’t match your experience, don’t write anything untruthful, and consider doing things to get the types of experience for the jobs you want, such as volunteering to help with the social media of a non-profit whose cause you support.” — Dharmishta Rood, research assistant, Harvard Business School

To showcase your skills alongside multimedia and other online assets, check out some digital alternatives to the paper resume, including video resumes, VisualCVs, social resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

9. Let Curiosity and Passion Drive You

“Sure, it’s great to know about Facebook, iAds and whatever is coming next from Silicon Valley,” Hofstetter points out, “but when we’re looking for key talent at 360i, nothing matters to us more than intellectual curiosity and passion…In a business where answers and solutions aren’t always obvious, you need to be innately curious (about everything) and obsessed with the ‘why’ behind the ‘what.’ ”

It may sound cheesy at first, but she has a point. Without inquisitiveness and zeal, we’re just work drones on a mission to take over the Internet. Plus, these traits have a positive effect on the way we work, Hofstetter says:

“People who have these qualities can innovate and identify trends from seemingly ordinary data — they’re the first to try new things (platforms, tools, technology) and think about how marketers can benefit from them. They don’t always have the answers, but when you’re being asked to do never-been-done-before things, there isn’t a rulebook. That’s why when we’re recruiting, we look for people who know how to ask the right questions.

10. Unplug for Your Sanity

Staring at a computer screen all day long can take a toll on your body, mind and social life. Get away from that monitor and breathe for crying out loud!

Bakas advocates getting out every once in a while to work on who you are as a person outside of work. “Because transparency is important, it’s important to be a good person in the real world,” he says. “It’ll translate into the digital world — you can’t fake being a good person if you’re a jerk in real life. Unplug for your own sanity, but also to continue growing as a person in life.”

I second that. Now, get out of here and get a job.

Digital Marketing Job Listings

Every week we put out a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we post a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the best digital marketing jobs from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!

• Digital Strategist at Vladimir Jones in Colorado Springs, CO.
• Brand Manager at sweetgreen in Washington, DC.
• Director of Digital Strategy at DeVries Public Relations in New York, NY.
• Marketing Manager/Director at BreakoutBand in Brooklyn, NY.
• Sr. Marketing Manager at WOWIO in Los Angeles, CA.

More Job Search Resources from Mashable

- 5 Tips for Aspiring Social Media Marketers/> - 10 Tips For Aspiring Community Managers/> - 5 Tips for Aspiring Copywriters and Art Directors/> - HOW TO: Land a Career in Digital Public Relations/> - Top 5 Tips for Aspiring Music Bloggers

Image courtesy of RICEinteractive; iStockphoto, track5

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