Are your Christmas gifts insured?

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3 epic fails involving credit cards

to pay it off without interest like you do with normal purchases. Additionally, card issuers charge a higher APR for cash withdrawals than for purchases.

Using the

Why graduates need life insurance

13,000 in student loan debt. Additionally, many recent graduates have credit cards and overdrafts to their name. If the unthinkable happens, what could a graduate’s untimely death do to the finances of the surviving family?

While there really isn’t a specific life insurance niche just for students, many students are deciding that they want to protect their families in the event of their untimely death. Fortunately, most university students and recent graduates are young and healthy, and eligible for inexpensive term life insurance policies. Such a policy could ensure that accumulated student debts are paid off in the event of death. This can prevent surviving family members from having to take on additional financial hardship.

Life insurance for recent graduates might include a sum adequate to pay off school fees, student loans, and other debts, mortgage protection for recent graduates who have purchased a home, or a family income benefit in the form of regular payments to the family in the event of death. It always pays to shop around and compare life insurance policies, even for young, healthy people who generally pay low premiums.

3 people for whom Instant Decision Credit Cards could be perfect

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3 tips to avoid overdraft charges

and Mint.com let you easily input expenses and balances from bank accounts and track them by category. WAP-enabled phones can use the Moneybasics Spendometer, which tracks spending and lets you set spending limits and easily create reports of your spending.

2. Arrange for overdraft protection from your bank.

This is an agreed borrowing limit you arrange with your bank, and it can help you manage cash flow better. It gets you out of a jam when, for example, you have an urgent bill but your pay cheque doesn’t go in the bank for a few more days. You have to arrange for this with your bank, and some banks allow you to do this online or over the phone.

3. Arrange text alerts from your bank.

Some banks, including Lloyds TSB, will send you a text message when you’re nearing your account limit so you can avoid unplanned overdrafts. Plus, with Lloyds TSB, if your account goes overdrawn, you are given until 3:30 p.m. UK time to pay in the money or arrange a planned overdraft so you can avoid overdraft fees. You can also arrange texts alerts for when your account nears a low balance limit that you set.

4 reasons why car insurance is cheaper for women

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Prevent winter breakdowns with these 5 tips

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Not what he had bargained for

Newer: An iPhone/iPad App to Search for (U.S.) Federal Jobs October 20, 2010 It's often said that people with IT degrees can really clean up in the job market, but few do so quite as literally as Sam Fanning.  Earning his bachelors last year in network and IT administration from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, yesterday's Chronicle of Higher Education reports, Fanning unsuccessfully sought work is his field.  Finally, he accepted the only thing he could find, a position with his alma mater as a custodian--not of a computer network, as he had hoped, but the kind that cleans the campus buildings.  
The benefits provided by his unionized full-time night-shift janitor job include free tuition, which Fanning is reportedly considering using to pursue graduate work.  His greatest frustration, he tells the Chronicle, is that he is not using his technical skills and potential, which he believes may be hurting his applications for jobs in his field. He hopes to get further education to improve his chances.
Fanning's situation is so iconic of these times that it seems that if reporter Don Troop hadn't found him, someone would have had to make him up. It may be, of course, that Michigan's exceptionally bad economy is responsible for Fanning's inability to find more suitable work.  But across the country these days, large numbers of technically trained Americans, both recent graduates and older people with years of experience, lack opportunities to use the skills and abilities they developed at considerable cost in time, work and tuition.  For Fanning, making the $500 monthly payments on his $35,000 student debt takes a sizable chunk of his hourly $13.01.
Despite the continuing drumbeat from many political and educational figures that technically trained people have highly marketable skills, and, indeed, that the country needs many more such workers, that clearly is untrue not only for Fanning but even for many who have credentials far more prestigious than his.  To take just one admittedly anecdotal example, this reporter recently attended a small funeral for a very elderly emeritus professor at which the 30 or so mourners included two men with science degrees from top-tier universities--one of them a high school math teacher recently laid off because of budget cuts and the other a university lab worker let go when a grant was not renewed.  Neither lives in an area with especially high unemployment.
The bottom line for policy makers: getting people to train in science and technology is not enough.  Those who follow that educational route must realize that they have no guarantee of employment that uses their skills.  Ant the nation needs to give real, serious attention to seeing that more of them can translate their training and education into viable careers that use that hard-earned knowledge.

By Beryl Benderly on October 20, 2010 6:00 PM

An iPhone/iPad App to Search for (U.S.) Federal Jobs

Newer: A More Level Playing Field for Students with Disabilities in the Medical Sciences October 21, 2010 I've just learned about an app for the iPad and the iPhone that allows users to locate and apply for federal jobs. And once you've applied for a job, you can receive status updates through the app. USAJobs.gov says that currently more than 30,000 jobs are posted, and searchable via the app. You can also be notified via the app about new jobs that match your search criteria.

I own an iPhone, so I gave it a try. I didn't apply for any jobs, so I can't report on the status updates, but I can report on the search capability. First, it's very easy to use -- easier and less confusing than the USAJobs Web site. Search results appear almost instantly, and there are lots of them, though the total number is not reported. Searching on the word "editor" yielded 102 positions, mostly technical writing/editing positions including dozens at Navy field offices nationwide. Searching on "microbiologist" yielded 34 results, all from the Army, the Navy, or the Food and Drug Administration. Searching on "physicist" yielded 108 jobs -- again, many of them at U.S. Navy field offices.  You can refine your search based on salary, grade, location, and 9 other criteria. And once a list of jobs is displayed, you can click on a button to display them on a map. A nifty feature.

The app seems pretty robust, though it did crash on me once. Users rate it 3 starts out of 5. Commonly reported flaws include crashing and problems signing in. (I didn't try signing in.)

If you're interested in government employment, this could be a useful tool.



By James Austin on October 21, 2010 1:29 PM

A More Level Playing Field for Students with Disabilities in the Medical Sciences

Newer: New ERC Starting Grant Awardees October 21, 2010 Timothy Cordes graduated as valedictorian of his class at the University of Notre Dame. He was admitted to the University of Wisconsin (UW) where he recently earned an M.D. and a Ph.D. in biomolecular chemistry. He is currently a resident physician in the psychiatry department while fulfilling his role as a husband and father. Tim is blind. That this uncommon constellation of accomplishments can occur is notable. Ten or twenty years ago, it would have been impossible.

Twenty years ago, while serving as a faculty pre-med advisor at Harvard College, I was assigned a candidate for medical school admission: a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, an outstanding student, a basketball player, personable, and impressive in every way. He was a "dream" candidate with one exception: He had been born deaf. Our efforts to gain his admission to medical school were a nightmare. Despite personal communications to medical school deans and admission directors, as well as letters from his professors attesting to his abilities, all doors were closed. He entered a Ph.D. program in pathology at the University of Pennsylvania and, following postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), now does exciting research in the field of congenital deafness.
    
Recently, I was reminded of this experience when I sat down for a mentoring session with a second year medical student here in Madison. "I'll need to see your lips," the student cautioned me as we began our conversation, "I'm congenitally deaf."
    
Why has the situation regarding the admission of students with disabilities to medical schools altered - and how completely has it altered? What was the rationale for excluding blind or deaf students, students with dyslexia, or students in a wheelchair, and how justified was it? Can students with disabilities be successful in medical careers? And what are the costs and benefits to society? Let's first  consider the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 forbids denying access to education on the basis of disability alone. This law requires the clear definitions of "basic qualifications" required of all applicants, "essential elements" of the curriculum, and clarification of whether admission would alter the "fundamental nature" of the learning experience or impose "undue burden." In 1993, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) responded to the ADA with guidelines for medical schools entitled "The ADA and the Disabled Student in Medical School," which stated that "all students must possess the  intellectual, physical and emotional capabilities necessary to undertake the required curriculum in a reasonable independent manner, without having to rely on intermediaries, and that all students must be able to achieve the levels of competence required by the faculty."
    
From my standpoint as a pre-med adviser, it was clear that following enactment of the ADA, medical schools had two major concerns regarding the admission of  students with disabilities. One was their ability to function adequately as physicians. The second was the need for additional resources and personnel during their training. Even then, I believed that the standard set by AAMC was unnecessarily high, and, hence, presented an unnecessary burden to students with disabilities.

During my medical school years in the 1960s, at the University of Pennsylvania, the chief of endocrine services was Dr. Edward Rose. An outstanding clinician and teacher, Dr. Rose had become blind in adult life. With the assistance of his wife, a distinguished pediatrician, Rose effectively taught hundreds of medical students and supervised and participated in the treatment of patients in the endocrine clinic. Another faculty member in the public health department had been a "rubella baby" with profound hearing loss since childhood, but he also was outstanding in his field.

Examples such as these impressed upon me and my class members the unfairness of the existing admission criteria and prejudices that prevailed then (and until quite recently) for applicants with disabilities to medical school. The medical school admission criteria reflected the widespread stereotypes and negative attitude toward people with disabilities in general. Admissions decisions were made by small committees of faculty who tended to choose students having traits similar to those who had been successful in the past; these committees ignored the potential that vision-, hearing-, and mobility-impaired people had for a medical career.
 
Why have attitudes changed? It has became clear that physicians who acquired  physical disabilities after medical school, like Dr. Rose at Penn, can continue to be effective in many forms of medical practice. The ADA was a very big factor, changing attitudes toward people with disabilities in other fields and demonstrating that their training does not impose "undue burden." Medicine took the example, eventually coming to believe, as I do, that we have a moral obligation to consider for admission all students who have the intelligence, character, and ability to become highly qualified physicians.
    
Michael J. Reichgott at Albert Einstein College of Medicine writes, "With respect to clinical training, it is important to consider whether personal, hands-on experience is required for adequate learning to occur. Because most physicians limit the scopes of their practices and do not perform all procedures, . . . and because technologic advances allow for the substitution of imaging and diagnostic testing for the more conventional approach to the physical examination, the requirement for hands-on capability becomes less compelling." (Reichgott, M. J. "Without handicap": issues of medical schools and physically disabled students. Academic Medicine: Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges. 1996; 71: (12): 1275-6.)
    
This is not to imply that every pre-medical student with physical disabilities should be admitted to medical school. And for those who are admitted, it must be recognized that most will require additional assistance, support, and career advice to succeed.

When I was at Harvard, I was a faculty adviser to a pre-medical student who had severe dyslexia. He could not learn from written sources, so he was provided with a reader. He excelled as a student. Upon applying to medical schools, he elected not to mention his disability, and by law it could not be mentioned in the material supplied by Harvard to the schools he applied to. He was accepted at an outstanding medical school, which initially expressed displeasure when they learned of the disability and the need for a reader. Yet, this student graduated near the top of his medical school class and has had an outstanding career as a physician.

Other examples of medical students with disabilities succeeding both in school and in their careers are numerous and can be found in the literature (e.g., Maughan, D. Disabled as medical student, enabled as doctor. BMJ: British Medical Journal. 2005; 330: (7505): 1455.) and the press (e.g., Linda Villarosa, Barriers Toppling for Disabled Medical Students, NY Times, November 25, 2003.).
    
A more enlightened policy toward applicants with disabilities is prevalent today. The stated policy of the University of Maryland Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) is representative:
 
The MSTP values diversity, inclusion and welcomes students with disabilities.  We encourage people with disabilities to apply and make every effort to ensure that all qualified applicants can take full advantage of the programs available here on campus. The MSTP gives full consideration to all applicants for admission . . . We provide reasonable accommodations as needed to those with disabilities and determinations are made on a case-by-case basis.
The benefits of such a policy to society are many. The gifted, disabled physician can have a rewarding career and benefit medicine and science. Patients and society benefit from these efforts. Meanwhile, classmates of the disabled student gain empathy and learn a lesson in courage.

This leveling of the playing field has come slowly. Tribute should be paid to the efforts of those in medical education who played a role in bringing it about. So, I'll end this post with an anecdote communicated to me by Dr. Alan Morse, the CEO of the Jewish Guild for the Blind:
In the early 1980's, Ephraim Freidman and I were having a discussion about medical school curriculum. At that time, Eph was the dean of Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Because Eph was an ophthalmologist, I thought that he was in an ideal position to improve the curriculum and add more information about eye disorders and visual impairment. That seemed important to me since so many of the individuals we were seeing at The Guild were diagnosed too late to save much of their vision, most often due to lack of appropriate referral and follow-up. After concluding that there was scant space in the curriculum to add anything, Eph then asked me a question. Knowing of my interest in expanding opportunities for individuals with disabilities, he asked whether, presented with a blind medical school applicant, with obviously excellent grades, MCAT scores and everything else, would I admit him? I reasoned that in a perfect world, sure, but with the limited resources, the small number of positions, the intense competition, etc., it didn't seem right to waste one position since there would be severe practice limitations for this individual should he ever graduate and complete his training. We talked about how visual medicine was, from clinical observation of skin color, body language, tremor -- even in specialties like psychiatry -- to the laboratory, to virtually everything in medicine. He agreed, but added, "we admitted him." He reasoned that there would never be a better opportunity to educate 130

Doctoring admissions standards

Newer: National Labor Relations Board signals possible change in ban on grad student unions at private universities October 24, 2010 How can we get more members of the underrepresented gender into selective science-based educational programs?  One Canadian medical school re-adjusted its admission criteria to de-emphasize the area where the underrepresented gender does not perform as well. Correcting a former "over-emphasis on grade point average," admissions committee chair Harold Reiter of McMaster University medical school told the Toronto Globe and Mail, made it possible to admit more men.
Yes, more men.  North of the border, where the majority of medical students and of doctors under 35 are women, female med school applicants outnumber males by more than a third.  But because medical schools seem to want to maintain a gender balance in enrollment, men reportedly have an easier time getting in despite apparently lower grades. 
After all the decades of studies explaining the neurological, endocrinological and evolutionary roots of females' natural inferiority in science and math studies, women applicants' inconvenient propensity to outperform their male counterparts in pre-med courses has galvanized the attention of Canada's educational leaders, according to the newspaper.  Medical planners reportedly worry about a looming labor shortage caused by women doctors' tendency to work fewer hours than men, at least during the child-rearing years.  Education experts also fear that female majorities will make the medical profession unattractive to men.  "If it looks like a woman's program, you'll have trouble attracting both men and women," says Paul Cappon, president of the Canadian Council on Learning, quoted in the Globe and Mail.
Here's an alternative proposal: Men could assume more household responsibilities so that female physicians with families could work longer days.  Another: Encourage young people to disregard the gender makeup of professions in making their career choices.  No word yet on whether educational authorities will push for these solutions, too 
By Beryl Benderly on October 24, 2010 6:25 PM

In October, Online Job Ads in Science Surge

Newer: Adjuncts, et al: Take This Survey on Non-Tenure-Track Appointments November 1, 2010 October was an excellent month for online job ads in the core scientific categories, suggesting a healthy employment market, according to the Help Wanted Online report from The Conference Board. In the Life, Physical, and Social Sciences category, the number of ads was up 8.6%, or 7,500 ads. That's the biggest month-over-month gain in this category -- and the largest total number of online ads -- since we started tracking in June 2009. From September to October a year ago, the number of ads fell by 2.4%. This October's online ads were up 26,900 ads -- 38.5% -- over last October's 68,600 ads.

Totaling all categories, online ads were up 2.6% (113,700 ads) over September, the biggest monthly jump since April. There were 4,409,797 ads in October, the most in any month since August 2008, before the financial crisis sent the job market into a meltdown.

In all science-related categories, ads were up 4.3% compared to September, the biggest gain since March. The number of ads increased in every science-related category.

A more thorough analysis of the new report from the Conference Board will follow soon.

By James Austin on November 1, 2010 11:21 AM

Adjuncts, et al: Take This Survey on Non-Tenure-Track Appointments

Older: In October, Online Job Ads in Science Surge November 2, 2010 The Coalition on the Academic Workforce, a coalition that includes the American Association of University Professors and a dozen or so other academic and higher education groups, has developed an online survey of non-tenure-track faculty members, the Survey of Contingent Faculty Members, Instructors, and Researchers. You can learn more about the coalition and  the survey at http://www.academicworkforce.org/.

Because the Department of Education does not track these positions, data is hard to come by. So far, the coalition has recieved about 20,000 responses to the survey so far, but the sciences underrepresented, so they're hoping to hear from more scientists.

They've also made a cute video:



By James Austin on November 2, 2010 5:13 PM

How to arrange an overdraft with your bank

even for overdrafts of just a couple of pounds. In addition to the high fees you can save, you can save yourself the hassle of dealing with each instance of going overdrawn, on an individual basis, if you arrange for an authorised overdraft with your bank.

Can you still get free gym memberships with health insurance?

a great choice for those who aren’t sure they can commit to a monthly membership.

So even though the days of free gym memberships with health insurance policies appear to be over for the present, there are still many options for saving money on getting fit.

Broadband, TV and Phone bundles increasingly popular, says major provider

triple-play penetration’ – the proportion of subscribers who take out three products – now represents just under 63 per cent of its total customer base.

With a wide choice of different bundles all including a different range of broadband, TV and phone services, it is not surprising that more and more people are choosing to buy their products through the same company.

Shop around for the best broadband

There are two main reasons why nearly two thirds of Virgin’s customers buy their broadband, TV and phone from the provider:

Convenience

Warning: If you don’t compare savings accounts it can cost you hundreds

12 billion each year in lost interest.

Look for the best savings accounts

If you want to maximise the returns you are getting on your money, your first step is to find out what interest rate is being paid on your savings account.  This is particularly true if you stash your savings with a big high street name.  According to financial information firm Moneyfacts, Halifax, Nationwide, Barclays, HSBC and Santander all have accounts paying just 0.1%.

Speak to your current savings provider to see if they have a better account.  And, make sure you shop around to find out if there are better homes for your hard earned cash.

Head online to find the best high interest savings accounts

Many of the best savings accounts can be found online.  Lots of providers now offer web-based accounts which can pay up to twenty or thirty times the interest rates available on high street passbook accounts.  Use a savings comparison website to research the rates that are available, remembering to check whether quoted rates include bonuses and what access you will retain to your money.

Using savings data from the Bank of England, Which? estimates that leaving your money in poorly paying accounts rather than switching to high interest savings accounts costs

Can you travel alone and use your couples multi-trip travel insurance?

Generally speaking, couples’ multi-trip travel insurance covers both named partners traveling separately, so that you can enjoy the benefits of your couples’ policy, even if you are traveling alone.

Of course, you should specifically ask your insurer before striking out on your own, but in most cases you’re covered when traveling separately. This is one of the many benefits of buying multi-trip travel insurance. Such policies often include extra features that single trip travel insurance does not. For example, some couples’ multi-trip policies offer the option of buying wedding cover to ensure cover for the extra risks that can arise for couples marrying overseas.

Some policies are customisable, allowing you to increase cover for specific aspects of the trip. For example, you may choose to increase lost baggage cover if you are taking more baggage, or are carrying more expensive items and you want to ensure they are covered. You can easily compare travel insurance policies online to find the cover that suits your situation best.

What everyone ought to know about prepaid travel cards

2,092.  It is all too easy to overspend while you are away.

Prepaid credit cards allow you to limit the amount of money you spend while you are abroad.  It is easy to monitor your spending by using the card and you can make sure you don’t return home to face a crippling credit card bill.

They may get you a better exchange rate

Many hotels and foreign exchange bureaus abroad offer poor exchange rates.  So, carrying traveller’s cheques and sterling may not be getting you the best deal.

However, if you use prepaid travel cards, you can often find that you benefit from a better exchange rate when you come to withdraw cash from an ATM in the foreign country.

Employers: Mind Your Attitude (A Rant)

Newer: Helping a Troubled Colleague - a Writer Query October 12, 2010 Recently, I applied for a job online. No, I'm not looking for a change. I was following up on a tip from an online acquaintance who had described her own experience applying to this organization. The process of applying, she wrote to me in an e-mail, squelched any enthusiasm she might have had about working there. I was curious, so I tried it.

When I talk about applying online, I'm not talking about registering on a Web site then uploading a cover letter and CV in pdf or Word formats. I'm talking about a Web app where you fill in several pages of forms and answer multiple-choice questions. It took me a couple of hours to complete the application.

My conclusion: I agree completely with my online acquaintance. The process was disheartening. Even though I'm not looking for work, there's always a little thrill that comes from new possibilities. But by the time I was finished, I knew I didn't want to work for that organization. Here's why.

Looking for a job is a stressful and difficult business, but it has its rewards. It encourages you to think hard about your capabilities and to reinvent yourself. You're called upon to present yourself at your honest best, which can lead you to look at yourself in new ways. When applying for a particular job, you have to think hard about how you might fit the position, an exercise that allows you to see how useful your skills could be in a new context. It's a creative process. It can all be very encouraging, and it can make you more productive and employable.

Dave Jensen has often encouraged job applicants to customize their applications to match particular openings, and I concur. This may mean rejiggering a CV or resume, but mostly this work happens in the cover letter. The cover letter is where you put on your best face. It's an opportunity for reinvention, to reintroduce yourself to the world (OK, strictly speaking, to reinvent yourself for a particular employer). And a cover letter, of course, is not a work of fiction: It's a genuine rethinking of your capabilities, an honest attempt to bridge the gap between the work you've done before and the work you'd like to do. It's a creative act.

As I worked my way through this online application, I kept wondering: When do I get to the point where I submit my cover letter? When will I have the opportunity to make my best case, to present myself on my terms?

That opportunity never came. There was no cover letter. First, I filled in some personal information. Then I described my educational experience, and then my work experience, via a series of multiple-choice questions and online forms. The core of the application was a series of very specific questions aimed at discovering whether I had ever done precisely the kind of work the new position would require me to do. The cumulative effect was skeptical and severe. When I was done I felt I had been raked over coals.

Have you ever had an interview with the interviewer didn't seem to respect you -- who seemed suspicious about all of your claims and challenged everything you said? Just replace the human being on the other side of the desk with a Web app, and that'll give you an idea of what it felt like. I was being called on to justify myself, not on my terms as I would have done in a cover letter, but on theirs. To a Web app. 

Hey, I get it. I can see the advantages for the employer. It's probably a rather efficient way of screening out applicants who don't have the necessary education or experience, and they probably get lots of those. It may also screen out people who don't really want the job. There's something to be said for hiring motivated, job-seekers, but read on.

What they don't seem to realize -- or perhaps they just don't care -- is that they do not hold all the cards. Job-seekers have some say in the matter. Just as employers decide who they want to hire, job-seekers decide where they want to work. Smart, creative scientists have opinions and options. If you use an alienating online job app, the desperate will still apply, and perhaps take the job if offered. But those with alternatives and self-respect will look elsewhere for work. This organization is likely to lose its best candidates.

Furthermore, the application process sets the tone for all that follows. I understood clearly from this exercise that if I were to go to work for that organization, I would be expected to stay in line, to do exactly what I was told to do. I understood -- or at least inferred -- that creative work would be discouraged. I doubt that's a message they want to send to their future employees. 

This online job app sent me a very clear message: We do not respect you or your experience. We are going to dictate the terms here. If you have a problem with this, work elsewhere.

Which is precisely what I intend to do, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that.
 
By James Austin on October 12, 2010 11:57 AM

Online Job Ads: Better Overall in September, but Not in Science

Newer: Following a "crooked line" to achievement October 14, 2010 In August, the number of job ads online in all employment categories increased significantly but modestly, while the number of ads in science-related categories declined, but very slightly.

And  in August -- the last month for which detailed unemployment data is available -- an increase in the number of unemployed people looking for work, coupled with a decline in the number of online job ads, resulted in an uptick in the ratio of job-seekers to online job ads, overall and in all science-related categories combined. That means that, in terms of competitiveness, the job market got slightly worse for job seekers.

This August performance is consistent with a steady upward trend, lasting about 15 months so far, in the strength of the job market for scientists. That, anyway, is our interpretation of the numbers from the Conference Board, released earlier this month.

The Conference Board, a private business and economic research institute, provides these data, which are tracked monthly by Science Careers.

Online job ads

In September, the number of online job ads posted in the science-related categories we track declined by 5300 compared to August, a much better performance than last month's 42,600 decline. In percentage terms, this decline is very small, just 0.4% month over month. 

Taking a longer view reveals progress. In all the categories we track, 219,700 more job ads were posted in August 2010 than were posted a year earlier, an increase of about 18%. Keep reading to learn how the numbers break down by category.

In percentage terms, the best performing category last month was architecture and engineering, which showed a 5.4% increase in the number of posted ads -- 9200 more ads in September than in August. Compared to September 2009, the increase was an impressive 57%.

Also having a good month was computer and mathematical science, which added 15,200 ads, an increase of 2.7%. Year over year, this is a 46% increase in the number of online ads.

It was a down month in the category of greatest interest to most Science Careers readers: life, physical, and social science. Ads in this category declined 5.2%, or 4800. That's 25% higher than a year earlier. 

The category health-care practitioners and technical had its third straight bad month, with online job ads falling 4.8%. This is the only category where the number of ads this month is smaller than it was a year earlier, and the difference is substantial, about 14.6%.  

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Job market competitiveness

The Conference Board computes a job-market competitiveness measure, the ratio of online ads to the number of unemployed workers in the job market for various categories. But because the most up-to-date unemployment data, taken from Bureau of Labor Statistics' reports, are a month older than the numbers for online job ads, the ratios calculated below are from August 2010, so they're a month older than the numbers for online job ads described above. We report the ratio of job seekers to job ads in each category, so a lower number means better opportunity. 

In August, in the number of job ads in all categories dipped, as did the number of ads in science-related categories. The new Conference Board report reveals that these gains were accompanied by an increase in the the number of unemployed job seekers. The result: Combining all science-related categories, the ratio of job seekers to job ads got a little worse, climbing back to 0.7 job seekers per online employment ad after one month at 0.6. In all these categories, there were, in August, approximately 2 job seekers for every 3 ads.

In August, as measured by changes in this ratio, the best performance was in the category Science Careers readers care most about, life, physical, and social science. Here, an increase in the number of job ads (remember, these numbers are from August, not September, when the number of ads declined), coupled to a decline in the number of unemployed people looking for work, resulted in a ratio of 0.7 job seekers per job add, fully two tenths better than July's 0.9.

In contrast, education, training, and library had a very bad month in August thanks to a huge increase -- 32% month over month -- in the number of unemployed people seeking work. This took the ratio of job seekers per ad all the way back up to 4.7, from 3.6 a month before. 

Another category that made a notable move in July is computer and mathematical science, which saw the ratio of job seekers to online ads decline from 0.4 to 0.3. With 3 ads for every job seeker, that starts to look like a pretty tight market; then again, this is the category where job ads are the most likely to be posted online.

There was no change in the ratio of job seekers to job ads in any of the other science-related categories.

Except for education, training, and library (which includes science-related jobs but also jobs with nothing to do with science), the ratio of job-seekers to ads in the science-related categories we track remains far better than the average across the whole economy. In July, the average for these science-related categories was 0.7 job seekers per online job ad. For the economy as a whole, the ratio was 3.5, which is slightly worse than July's 3.4. It may seem like a very tough job market, but over all in these science-related categories the odds of landing a job were nearly 5 times better in August than the odds the average job seeker encountered.

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National Labor Relations Board signals possible change in ban on grad student unions at private universities

Newer: In October, Online Job Ads in Science Surge October 28, 2010 In a 2004 ruling affecting Brown University, the National Labor Relations Board voted not to permit unions for graduate assistants at the universities under its authority -- that is, the nation's private campuses.  On Monday, a 2-to-1 majority of NLRB members dominated by Democrats -- the 2004 board had a Republican majority -- voted to grant a hearing to graduate assistants attempting to unionize at New York University (NYU). The hearing will determine whether their unionization drive can go forward.  The majority cited differences in the circumstances at Brown and NYU, reports Inside Higher Education. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the authors of majority opinion wrote that there were "compelling reasons" to reconsider the 2004 decision.

The so-called Brown University decision of 2004 covered private universities across the nation and found that graduate assistants are primarily students, not employees, and therefore ineligible for unionization.  Public universities are governed not by the federal NLRB but by state laws covering public employees.  Some states permit graduate students to organize unions.
Union proponents consider Monday's vote a promising sign of a possible change ahead. The decision was praised by the UAW, the national union that is working to organize the NYU graduate assistants, and the American Federal of Teachers, which is also active in campus organizing.  Of course, NYU, which opposes unionization of its grad assistants, disagreed with the decision.  Stay tuned for what could be a long legal battle resulting in a decision that, anyway, some future board could later overturn.

By Beryl Benderly on October 28, 2010 9:50 AM

3 of the weirdest events causing people to use breakdown cover

light.

Another RAC patrol responded to a pregnant motorist who insisted that the patrolman fetch her a Big Mac before allowing him to repair her car.

Here’s an incident that must have been interesting to describe to the dispatcher: a car at a safari park in the UK was rendered inoperable when two mating giraffes fell on to the bonnet. Certainly makes it less embarrassing to have to report you’ve locked yourself out, doesn’t it?

Then again, you never know when nature and the laws of physics will combine to prevent a callout altogether. One motorist, while attempting to retrieve locked-in keys experienced the happy coincidence of a rogue vegetable rolling out of a shopping bag and hitting the unlocking mechanism. But, it’s best not to count on vegetables to come to your aid. If you compare breakdown cover, you’ll find it’s an affordable option that can keep an unfortunate situation from getting worse.

Does Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act apply to Business Credit Cards?

Consumer Credit Act’ (which section 75 is part of) that stops the rule applying to business credit cards.

So, if you own and regularly use a business credit card, you will not have an equal claim against the issuer of a card if you do have to make a claim against a supplier for breach of contract.

When the Section 75 credit card legislation does apply

If your credit card is a personal, not a business credit card, you may still be able to claim under the Section 75 rules.  For section 75 to apply:

3 reasons you should give prepaid cards as gifts

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Why loans and credit cards are the same, but different

679 the next and you may then choose to stretch payments out or pay it all off at once. With loans, you typically have a fixed amount per month that you pay back over a specified period of time. Some loan companies allow you to pay off loans early without applying a penalty charge, but some don’t.

In addition to comparing APRs, be sure to compare loan fees. In a surprising number of cases, fees can take a low rate loan and make it more expensive over the term of the loan than a higher interest loan with lower fees. Also, consider any other fees you may incur, such as those for late or missed payments. There are a number of loan calculators available online into which you can enter a loan amount, time period, and interest rate to find out exactly how much you’ll pay back over the term of the loan.

Before signing the papers for any loan or credit card, consider the amount of money you need and the payments you can afford. Using comparison tables, make a list of top 10 loans and credit cards for your consideration. Once you narrow that list down to two or three best loans, ask the lender about such things as whether the interest rate is variable or fixed and whether there are any hidden fees or charges.

3 ways to make money by using a credit card

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5 features that are shared by the Best Bank Accounts

foreign’ ATM charges.

Good credit interest rate

Bank accounts do not necessarily have tiny interest rates.  Many of the best bank accounts now pay a good rate of credit interest, particularly if your salary is paid into the account every month.  Compare bank accounts to find one that rewards you for remaining in credit.

Low fees/charges

No-one likes paying bank fees and charges.  Whether it is ATM fees or overdraft charges, we resent being charged fees by banks.  So, when you compare bank accounts, find an account which has a fair and reasonable charging policy.  Don’t pay more fees than you have to.

Secure internet banking

Getting to your bank during office hours can be difficult.  So, access to round the clock banking is increasingly important.  A good internet banking service is worth its weight in gold, and the best bank accounts will have a secure, easy to use online system.

Fee-free overdraft

We have all been in a situation where we have a short term cash flow problem and need to dip into our overdraft.  The best bank accounts will offer a small, interest-free overdraft for precisely these occasions.

Why savings accounts are better than Christmas savings clubs

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