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	Even the hardest-hitting corporate executives sometimes need to punch up their presentation skills. Nick Paulus, an executive and business coach who offers online articles on effective business presentations, recently recounted his observations during an event sponsored by a highly esteemed investment bank. According to Paulus, "Although it was a big event, it was still lacking some of the basics." At the event, Paulus found four mistakes that are all too common in today's business presentations: 1. The presenter - who was the company CEO - stood behind a conference lectern. While this traditional approach provides the speaker with a certain image and level of comfort, a conference lectern places a barrier between the speaker and his audience. It's much more effective - particularly when using PowerPoint presentations - to have a headset microphone or a wireless lapel microphone, and engage your audience by utilizing the entire area of the stage. 2. Adorning the wall behind the CEO was a giant banner trumpeting the name and logo of the investment bank. If the event were being covered by the media, you'd want the company's name and logo broadcast and photographed. In the absence of media coverage, though, such banners are so common that they lose all effectiveness. The guests know where they are, and the space behind the speaker can be used for a more creative purpose. 3. The screen was huge, but the projector was poor. If you are using a large screen for your business presentation, the projector must be up to the job. Using a 2000-lumen projector in daylight conditions and at a distance that commands 3000 or 4000 lumens takes the punch out of a business presentation and reflects poorly on the presenter. 4. The slide quality would be considered acceptable for a junior communication team, but was unacceptable for the international audience in attendance. Two-dimensional, poorly contrasted graphs, small text that is difficult to read, and limited graphical creativity can spell doom for even the most compelling information. If you want to deliver substantive materially professionally, use graphics and animate your PowerPoint presentations.

Reverse Mortgages can now give you more funds than ever before with a nationwide lending limit elevation on January 1st of 2006. Now borrowers can utilize more of their home’s equity without the burden or risk of making monthly payments, and still leave enough value in the home for your heir’s legacy.

The Reverse Mortgage is a product that will usually make available around 30-60% of the homes appraised value in the form of a lump sum, a monthly disbursement, a line of credit, or a combination of the three. There are only six Reverse Mortgage variants across the nation, you can get comparisons at ReverseMortgageNation.com. Each of these products are designed to perform for different home values or dispersement options. The most common Reverse Mortgage product, the FHA Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) is the Reverse Mortgage that is being updated with these new lending limits. This is the Reverse Mortgage that is most commonly used because is designed to provide the most funds possible while still using the formulas that are used with all Reverse Mortgages in generating a dollar figure in accordance with the available equity. These variables include the age of the borrower, the value of the home, the interest rate, the county the home is in, and the lending limit.

The minimum lending limit prior to January 1st, 2006 for almost 75% of the country, was around $172,000, while the maximum for any FHA HECM was $312,000. This meant that for most HECM applicants, no matter how much the home was valued over $172,000, the Reverse Mortgage generated an amount based on 30-60% of the that limit. Now that the limits have been looked at and viewed as obsolete and unsuitable, the Reverse Mortgage lending limits to a minimum of $200,160 and a maximum of $362,790. In most cases of individuals applying for a Reverse Mortgage, these increases will add up to and above $25-30,000 dollars more to your Reverse Mortgage estimate. Many individuals who currently have a large mortgage on their home and have looked into doing a Reverse Mortgage, but were unable to efficiently pursue one due to the low lending limits, can now do a re-assessment with a Reverse Mortgage Calculator and have the opportunity to pay off their current mortgage in full.

This also means that for every person applying for a Reverse Mortgage, the amount of tax-free funds available are 10-20% percent higher. That will mean thousands of payment free dollars to be used for retirement, medical bills, and investments. Most senior’s largest asset is their home, and the Reverse Mortgage was created to allow seniors a safe way to activate that investment without having to sell their home and move. As of January 1st, the Reverse Mortgage will now be a much more effective way to do that.