I’ve even seen items advertised as “free after rebate”. Do these rebates come under the heading of “too good to be true”? Some of them do and there are “catches” to watch out for but if you are careful, rebates can help you get some really good deals.

The way a rebate works is that you pay the listed price for an item then mail in a form and the bar code to the manufacturer and they send you a refund thus reducing the price of what you paid for the item except with a time delay of several weeks.

Rule #1. Rebates from reputable companies are usually just fine.

You can be pretty sure you will get the promised rebate from Best Buy, Amazon or Dell but you should probably not count on getting one from a company you’ve never heard of. If you really want the product and are OK with paying the price listed then buy it but don’t count on actually getting the refund.

Rule #2. Check rebate expiration dates.

Many times products will stay on the shelf of a retailer after the date for sending in the rebate offer has expired so check that date carefully.

Rule #3. Be sure you have all the forms required to file for the rebate before you leave the store.

Rebates will almost always require a form to be filled out, a receipt for the purchase and a bar code.

Rule #4. Back up your rebate claim.

Make copies of everything you send in to get your rebate including the bar code. Stuff gets lost in the mail all the time and if the rebate is for $50 it’s worth the trouble to back up your claim.

So who else has an envious collection? 

Wayne Rooney While most 22-year-olds are happy with a supermini or hatchback, Wayne Rooney isn’t – but then again most 22-year-olds don’t earn more than £100,000 a WEEK. The Manchester United and England star has a Lamborghini Gallardo, Bentley Continental GT, Range Rover, Aston Martin Vanquish and BMW M6 in his motoring stable. But now Wayne Rooney wants a Mercedes McLaren SLR convertible - with red seats. He’ll need to fork out more than £350,000 for the 207mph Mercedes – and according to press reports, he’s struggling to get his hands on one… Money spent:  £750,000 + Claude Makelele Defensive midfielder Claude Makelele (above) – who cost Chelsea £16 million to buy from Real Madrid – has one of the most expensive motors in the Stamford Bridge car park – a £350,000 Mercedes McLaren SLR. The SLR hypercar will hit a colossal 207mph. Other cars in his stable include a Ferrari 360 supercar and a Mercedes SL65 AMG (above) - a £150,000 convertible with a more-than-adequate 612bhp and 737lb/ft of pulling power. Money spent:  £600,000 + Steven Gerrard The man who has helped Liverpool out of so many sticky situations is doing his best to help the UK new car market too. Steven Gerrard – the Champions League-winning attacking midfielder – has owned a Porsche 911 Turbo, Mercedes SLK, Aston Martin Vanquish, BMW X5, Bentley Continental and Range Rover Sport HST. Money spent:  £530,000 + Rio Ferdinand The Manchester United and England central defender is as famous for his cars as he is for his hairstyles. Ferdinand loves American motors, and has owned a Cadillac Escalade 4×4 and a Ford F150 pick-up truck. Rio Ferdinand’s Chrysler 300C was for sale on Auto Trader, a stark contrast from his European cars such as the £190,000 Bentley Arnage, £120,000 Bentley Continental and the obligatory BMW X5. Car collection: £480,000 + John Terry Chelsea and England captain John Terry isn’t afraid to splash the cash, once forking out £80,000 on a watch. He’s owned a £130,000 Ferrari F430 Spider, Range Rover Sport, BMW X5, Porsche 911 Turbo and a Bentley Continental. Money spent: £450,000 + William Gallas A former colleague of Claude Makelele at Chelsea, Arsenal captain William Gallas also counts the Mercedes McLaren SLR hypercar as one of his cars. But unlike Makelele, Gallas also owns a Mercedes ML63 AMG 4×4 – an off-roader which will still accelerate from 0-60mph in five seconds. Money spent: £425,000 + View more images of ultimate footballers’ cars Frank Lampard Chelsea’s high scoring midfielder has a penchant for luxury tourers. Over the past couple of years the England international has had a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and Aston Martin DB9 parked on the drive of his million pound Surrey home. The Ferrari 612 is a £182,000 four-seat beast with a top speed of 199mph, while the £110,000 DB9 will top out at 186mph. Lampard bucks the BMW X5 trend, opting for a £75,000 Mercedes ML63 AMG 4×4 instead – an off-roader which hits 60mph from standing in five seconds. Money spent:  £375,000 + Michael Owen Liverpool’s past hero and international football star Michael Owen owns a cool collection of cars, including a Jaguar X-type (above), Range Rover V8 Vogue and a Chrysler Voyager. Michael Owen’s garage was also home to a jet black Jaguar XKR 460 Typhoon, extensively modified by Jaguar specialists Racing Green Cars. To top off his collection, an Aston Martin DB7 Vanquish sits outside the Newcastle striker’s home. Money spent: £300,000 + Jermaine Defoe Portsmouth striker Jermaine Defoe owns a couple of top-of-the-range SUVs, including a BMW X5 and Range Rover Sport. The ex-Tottenham lad also owns an Aston Martin V8 Vantage and Mercedes ML63 AMG. Money spent: £250,000 + Cristiano Ronaldo Ronaldo is arguably the world’s best footballer, so fittingly he’s after the world’s ultimate car - the 253mph Bugatti Veyron. Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo raced a Veyron in a recent commercial – and has now got his name down on the list for the £830,000 hypercar, but he’ll have to wait a year before he can show up at the training ground in the 1,001bhp. In the meantime he’ll have to make do with his Audi R8 supercar, which will only manage 187mph. Ronaldo has also counted a BMW X5 and Ferrari 360 among his cars. Money spent:  £250,000 + (+ £830,000 for the Bugatti) But that’s nothing against a particular England legend plying his trade in Los Angeles… David Beckham David Beckham, Goldenballs himself, has had an almost perfect football career, winning a cluster of trophies with Man United and Real Madrid, while picking up 99 caps for England. And David Beckham’s car collection is just as mind-bogglingly brilliant. His motors include a Ferrari 575, Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, two Bentley Arnages, a Porsche 911 Turbo, Rolls-Royce Phantom and the retro Aston Martin V8. If he wanted to go off-roading he could take his armour-plated BMW X5, Range Rover and practically every American 4×4 and pick-up built over the past decade from a Ford F150 and Lincoln Navigator to the GMC Yukon Denali and Cadillac Escallade. Plus he owned an Aston Martin DB7 with the registration plate DB7 – saluting not only the car but also his initials and shirt number at Manchester United. Tally in the BMW M3, Mercedes S Classes, Bentley Continental, TVRs, Audi Q7 and Hummer and it’s a hell of a figure. And Beckham’s Mercedes S500 was for sale on Auto Trader last year. But how did David Beckham start his motoring career? In 1991 with a Ford Escort. Money spent: £2 million +

The following is a list of tips to help you protect yourself from identity theft. Search around for the best price on these services, to make the most out of your money.

1. Monitor your credit report often. The U.S. government suggests that you check your credit report yearly to prevent identity theft. Every person is entitled to one free credit report a year though http://www.annualcreditreport.com. I would suggest checking your credit report several times a year for the highest level of protection. Look for unexplained charges or activity on your report. You can often sign up for a credit monitoring service for a few dollars a month. They will watch your credit report for you, for signs of foul play. For a good deal, look for a credit monitoring service, you should be able to get a good discount on various services online.

2. Bank with a credible bank. Stick with a financial institution that is well known. No only will they offer you the highest level of protection, but they often have the best interest rate deals around. Get your credit cards through reputable companies as well. Be weary of small companies, with little credentials.

3. Don’t give out your personal information to anyone. A good financial situation will never ask for your login information or passwords. Be weary of anyone that asks you for your mother’s maiden name. This is one of the most common items used for identity theft. Use your birthplace or pets name whenever possible. It will be harder to steal your information.

Protecting yourself online doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. By looking for deals and promotions at coupon websites, you can save a great deal on the services that you need. I would recommend using the free credit report option, coupled with a credit monitoring service for the best protection. The earlier you catch criminal activity, the less damage they are able to do.

Warren Buffett is known for his economical and plain lifestyle. Buffett still lives in the same Omaha, Nebraska house that he purchased in 1958 for $31,500 with a current value of $700,000. In 1989, Buffett spent $9.7 million of the Berkshire’s funds on a corporate jet. He jokingly named it “The Indefensible” because of his past criticisms of such purchases by other CEOs. (Wikipedia, 2007)

Warren Buffett decided to make a commitment to give his fortune to charity back in June 2006. Buffett’s charity donation is approximately $30 billion, which is the largest donation in the history of the United States. The donation was enough to more than double the size of the foundation with 83% of it going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffett believed that his family had enough money to get started in life so Buffett decided to give his fortune to charity. Buffett’s annual salary in 2006 was only $100,000. In 2007, Buffett was listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. (Wikipedia, 2007)

What makes Warren Buffett a good business leader? This is what everyone wants to know because Warren buffet is so successful. It all starts with leadership. Warren buffet is a true leader where his leadership makes a difference in the world. Leadership is very much related to change and Warren Buffett has the capabilities of leadership change to fit the changing world. Warren Buffett has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to map read in the irregular waters of change. Is Warren Buffett born a leader? The authors of this paper believe not. Experience and research has shown little evidence that an individual who comes to power is a “born leader.” Warren Buffett took the falls that any other leader has to take. Warren Buffett learned from his mistakes and turned his mistakes into a positive thing. Warren Buffett shares his leadership at all organizational levels and Buffett is empowered to share leadership responsibilities. In the world of business, many titles related to leadership roles are actively used in business and Warren Buffett wears those titles to make him effective in multiple leadership positions in business. Distinction between good leadership and good management is made often. Managers are made to be organizational, controllers and budgeters. Warren Buffett has leadership in all three departments and one must have these traits to be a good business leader.

Another important trait in Today’s business leadership is communication. Warren Buffet is a skilled communicator in all aspects of life. Communication is the real key of leadership. Skilled communicators have an appreciation for positioning in the business world. Warren Buffet is experienced at positioning himself at the right place at the right time. Warren Buffet has the understanding of the people he is trying to reach and what he can and cannot hear from the people. Knowledge of audiences’ needs and wants gives the orator the ability to listen. Warren Buffett is an excellent listener with the ability to convey his understanding.

When Warren Buffett talks, people listen. Warren Buffett can send a message through an open door and does not have to push the message through a wall.

Leadership is crucial to any successful business and good leadership is what Warren Buffett is all about. This is what makes Warren buffet a good business leader.

Mr. Warren Buffett’s investment strategies and course of leadership are shining examples of characteristics shared by cognitive theorists. Cognitive theory is an approach of explaining behavior through perception, anticipation, and thinking. Mr. Buffett’s continual approach of analyzing both possible investment choices, market trends, and the ability to place management resources of the right caliber in the right position has consistently brought this investor to the forefront amongst peers and the marketplace. At the core of every sound investor is a creative innovator.

Innovation demands creativity. Creativity in turn draws on our cognitive faculties, across the full amplitude from emotion to reason. In the number-heavy world of global investing, innovative thinking is critical. Innovative investors decipher future trends, spot likely winners by combining science (financials) with art (acuity and perception) and continuously mitigate risk. They assess user needs, product features, the proper deployment of money, professional organizational structures and risk management. (Kore Kalibre, 2006)

Mr. Buffett’s instinct and ability to interpret market trends is also held by tight reigns. Despite over 50 years of growth, Mr. Buffett always adheres to one of the most basic business principles: “…only compete where you have a competitive advantage. Warren Buffett refers to staying within your circle of competence. Social psychologists tell us, though, that we are prone to overconfidence when it comes to assessing our abilities…” (Arthridge, 2006) A man of Warren Buffett’s position and track record could easily be derailed to a sense of over confidence. The principle of only competing within your range of competitive advantage is a principle that can be applied to many other areas in life, and Mr. Buffett’s ability to work and live by this idea has allowed him to continue forward with minimal bruising.

By establishing the previous examples, the authors can reinforce the principles of cognitive theory in that Mr. Buffett behavior patterns are clearly dictated by thought processes, which include interpretation, analysis, and foresight. “As experiences and events gain meaning and value, the process becomes increasingly top down as the mind in (a) attempt at an orderly process influences perception though beliefs, goals and external process” (Gardener, 2007)

Warren Buffett’s is a self empowered leader, because he is loyal, sets goals, plans a strategy for achievement, and stays committed until he accomplishes his purpose. Up to date, he is the greatest stockbroker of all-time. He is a very conservative investor that prefers to invest in companies that sell name brand products that he uses. For example, Coca-Cola, Gillette Razors, See’s Candy, Gulfstream Jet, and GEICO are the major companies he invested in. In the nineties his assets quadrupled in less than five years. He is a smart investor that usually does not take big investment risks. For example, he will not invest in internet stock, because the return is unpredictable. He likes to invest in companies that he is sure will be successful 20 years later. He buys the company with the intentions of keeping it forever. Usually, the management team of each company is the same staff that sold it Warren Buffett from the beginning. He stays loyal to his partners, and the team workstheir best to keep him happy.

After Warren Buffett’s wife died, he decided to donate 85% of his money to charity. However, “he wants his money to be used the same year he donates it”.(Harris, 2006) The requirement will accelerate the process to help the world. According to Fortune magazine, five-sixths of his money will go to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This foundation which focus on finding cures for diseases that are common in poor nations. The rest of the money will be split among four other charities, that are each run by his three children and one that is in his late wife’s name.

Warren Buffett is not a huge spender. In fact, he still lives in the same house he bought 40 years ago. Warren “told ABC News “Nightline” that being born into wealth did not entitle his children”(Harris, 2006). In addition, he told Fortune magazine that, “A very rich person would leave his kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing.”(Harris, 2006) In other words, he wants his children to work earn their money and value hard work and smart choices.

In the year 2006, Warren’s first annual donation to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was $1.5 billion and the rest was divided among the four charities. He was the first person to make a donation better than Bill Gates, the richest man in the world. It seems as if Bill Gates and Warren Buffett set a good example and lead others to be more generous, because now the Barron Hilton has committed to donating half of his fortune to charity also. Barron Hilton is the founder of the Hilton Hotels and is worth $2.3 billion. Hopefully, a trend started among the fortunate to give to the less fortunate.

The personality of Warren Buffett ties to the Social Cognitive Level, because he tries to understand and make sense of other people. He observes the differences in social knowledge when dealing with people. Social cognition refers to making sense of ourselves, others, and how the information is used. In the sixties and seventies Albert Bandura and Walter Mischel were psychologists, studying personality development. They found that social learning and cognitive principles improve ones abilities to self-regulate and to follow goals. Warren investment choices were successful, because he conditioned his the way he processed information, choices, and expectations.

References -

Gardener, J. (2007). Cognitive Behavior Theory. Retrieved December 26, 2007, from http://www.cognitivebehavior.com/theory/index.html

Harris, D. (2006, June 26,). Warren Buffett’s Unprecedented Generosity. Retrieved December 31, 2007, from http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=2118501

Kore Kalibre (2006, March-April 2006). Warren Buffett’s Innovation: Staying away from Rapid Product Innovation. Retrieved December 26, 2007, from http://www.korekalibre.com/index.php?option=com_magazine&task=show_magazine_article&magazine_id=26

Legg Mason Value Trust (2006, October 26). Legg Mason Value Trust (LMVTX) Letter to Shareholders. Retrieved December 26, 2007, from http://markets.kiplinger.com/kiplinger?GUID=323448&Page=MediaViewer&Ticker=LMVTX

Wikipedia (2007, December 25). Warren Buffett. Retrieved December 18, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett

About The Author

Michael J. Spindler – http://www.localmusichits.com – A Musicians Community for Fans and the Bands to promote hits in local music on a national stage.