You've found it: the house of your dreams. In fact, you went home last night and played a little game of Where Does the Sofa Go? But before you can call that sweet home your home sweet home, there's a little matter of making an offer. And getting it accepted.

No matter what the market conditions, Trulia has a few suggestions that can take you through the offer process with flying colors. While we can't guarantee that your offer will be accepted, we can help you be in the most competitive position possible so you're one step closer to landing your dream home.

How much should I offer?
Before you get all excited in thinking that your dream home's listing price is just a place to begin negotiations, think again. The first conversation you should have is with your real estate professional. Begin by looking at comparables in the area for similar homes and recent sales. You can even do a little sleuthing on your own by searching on Trulia for sold homes in your area and choosing a time frame in the past three months for the most accurate results. Comparables will give you a better idea about the seller's asking price in relation to similar properties and help you shape your offer based on property-specific amenities and location.

Next, your offer should take into consideration how you're paying for your purchase: cash or financing. Cash offers can sometimes command a lower selling price since there aren't mortgage folks to deal with and the closing should go faster. If you're using financing but can offer a quick close (less than 30 days), take that into consideration in your offer. Your real estate agent might even want to call the listing agent to see if a quick close could sweeten the deal.

If you're thinking of submitting a lowball offer, have a candid conversation with your real estate agent. They'll know the market well and might even know a thing or two about the listing agent through previous sales. There are certain times when a lowball offer might start a favorable negotiation process, but there are many others where it can kill your dream home dreams. If you decide to submit an offer substantially below the listing price, be prepared for a negotiations process — or a flat-out "no."

When you're ready to make your offer, whether it be lowball or right at the listing price, back it up with everything that the seller needs to know that yours is the one offer they should look at twice. This means completed offer paperwork, signatures where they belong, and making sure that you're asking for seller concessions that make sense for the market.

Recap: Check comparables, take your financing into consideration, and establish a price range with your agent that will be reasonable and in-line with current market conditions.

How about those seller concessions?
Maybe you're looking to have some of your closing costs covered. Perhaps you just want the carpeting replaced because it's seen better days. Asking for seller concessions is a normal part of the offer process, but it helps to know what you can reasonably expect. If you're in a competitive bidding situation, odds are that the seller is going to choose the offer with the least amount of work on their part. Work with your real estate professional to make a list of "musts" and "would like tos" for seller concessions. Then, you can put these side by side with your offering price and see what makes for the most compelling deal. Bottom line? If you're entering into a negotiation and something's gotta give, your requested concessions might be the first place you're willing to bend in order to stay competitive.

Anything else I need to know?
One aspect of the offer process that many buyers forget from the get go is to set a maximum price. When markets, or even individual properties heat up, listing prices can fade away to mere suggestions. Sit down with everyone involved in the offer process, from your family to your real estate professional, and set a max price. If you're financing, you will have a purchase ceiling from your mortgage lender, but when the perfect home comes along, it's easy for heart strings to overrule good financial sense. How much can you comfortably carry as a mortgage payment each month? How much is that home really worth? How long do you plan on staying in the home, and does that justify a higher than asking price?

Don't put yourself in an uncomfortable financial position because there are multiple people who want to call your dream home...home.

And finally, the tips we're including here are for traditional sales, not short sales or bank-owned properties. Those types of transactions have nuances all their own.

Happy house hunting, think strategically, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

This article 3 Tips for Crafting Tempting Offers that Sellers Will Love originally appeared on Trulia Tips.

The iWatch rumors are back -- this time more vigorously than ever before. What was once speculation is now turning into a well-informed prediction: One of Apple CEO Tim Cook's pledged products in "new categories" will almost certainly be the iWatch, and it will launch this year.

Motorola's Moto 360 smartwatch. Many manufacturers look poised to make big bets on the nascent wearables category. Can Apple launch it into the mainstream? Image source: Motorola.

Wearables on steroids
When it come to inputs for cables and storage devices, Apple lead the charge with a huge emphasis on going as as cable- and slot-free as possible. That's why it was no surprise when The New York Times reported in February that the iWatch is likely to utilize inductive wireless charging technology.

But when it comes to sensors, on the other hand, Apple's approach seems quite the opposite: the more, the better. The Wall Street Journal's most in-depth report so far on the iWatch, which surfaced sometime around o' dark thirty this morning, asserts that the new wrist device from Apple will include "more than 10 sensors including ones to track health and fitness."

"Apple aims to address an overarching criticism of existing smartwatches that they don't provide functions significantly different from that of a smartphone, said a person familiar with the matter," WSJ's Eva Dou and Lorraine Luk explained.

Such critiques are common for Samsung's Galaxy Gear 2, which seems like more of an extension of the smartphone than its own device.

The rest of the latest iWatch rumors
The latest WSJ report also confirmed and added to previous rumors. Again citing sources "familiar with the matter," here is a summary of the latest key predictions.

• The device will be launched "as early as October."
• iWatch production will take place at Taiwanese manufacturer Quanta Computer, not Foxconn as previously thought.
• The device will come in multiple screen sizes.
• The exact specifications of the device are still being finalized.
• Citing "a component supplier," shipments are estimated to total between 10 million and 15 million by year-end.

With Apple's year-over-year growth rates in iPhone and iPad sales slowing in the past few years, investors are eager to see just how popular the iWatch will be with consumers.

Industry predictions for the wearables category are increasingly bullish. As Dou and Luk pointed out, IDC is predicting that sales of wearable devices will explode from around 6 million units in 2013 to 111.9 million to 2018.

Several sources are even predicting Apple will sell more iWatch units in the device's first year of availability than Apple sold iPad's in its first year.

Suppose a loved one or child approaches you and asks you to cosign on a loan.

Maybe he or she needs help purchasing a car or home and promises never to miss the monthly payments. Your loved one explains that he or she doesn't have an established credit record or has experienced problems with credit in the past.

Would you cosign for the loan? It's a difficult position to be in, but one that many Americans face. You want to help your loved one out, but you know there are risks involved. What do you do?

For millions of Americans, the answer is to cosign the loan and hope that your loved one stays true to their word. But for people who agree to cosign a loan, there can be severe consequences if the borrower misses a payment or defaults.

Before you agree to cosign a loan, understand the risks and repercussions that could arise. The Federal Trade Commission says that as many as three out of four cosigners are requested to make payments on loan. Those are incredible odds that you might be called upon to pay money for your loved one.

Cosigning a loan is a risky proposition.

Doing so means you are essentially taking on all of the legal obligations and responsibilities for the account. That means the loan will appear on your credit report. If the borrower you are cosigning with misses a payment or defaults on the loan, your credit report will show the delinquencies and you might be required to pay.

Even before cosigning for the loan, understand that the lender (also known as the "creditor") must spell out your obligations in a cosigner's notice. The notice will spell out the risks that you could be getting yourself into, which according to the Federal Trade Commission are:

• You are being asked to guarantee this debt. Think carefully before you do. If the borrower does not pay the debt, you will have to. Be sure you can afford to pay if you have to, and that you want to accept this responsibility.
• You may have to pay up to the full amount of the debt if the borrower does not pay. You may also have to pay late fees or collection costs, which increases this amount.
• The creditor can collect this debt from you without first trying to collect from the borrower (note: this depends on the laws in your state). The creditor can use the same collection methods against you that can be used against the borrower, including suing you or garnishing your wages. If this debt is ever in default, that fact may become a part of your credit record.
• This notice is not the contract that makes you liable for the debt.

Here are five reasons why you should avoid cosigning a loan:

1. You can't afford to pay if your loved one defaults.
Suppose that your loved one defaults and you are asked to pay the loan. Can you afford to do that? What impact might cosigning have on your own personal finances? If you can't afford to make the loan payment, you need to think twice before cosigning on the loan.

If you don't pay for the loan when your loved one defaults, you could be sued or your credit rating could be damaged. You might want to ask the lender to estimate the amount of money you would owe if the borrower defaults. The creditor isn't obligated to do this, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

2. You want to take out other loans.
The cosigned loan is considered one of your obligations, even if you are just doing it to help out a family member or close friend. Depending on your liability for the loan, you might be prevented from getting other credit. So if you are thinking about taking out a loan for yourself, then you might not want to cosign just to help out another borrower.

3. You aren't organized.
If you already have trouble organizing your own finances, what will it be like if you have to keep track of your loved ones? You can't just blindly believe he or she will make the payments on time all the time.

Even if you trust your loved one, for your own bookkeeping purposes, you should check to make sure the payments have been made online or by calling customer service. In fact, even before cosigning, you might want to ask the creditor to notify you in writing if the borrower misses a payment or makes any changes to the terms of the loan.

4. You don't trust the borrower.
How much do you trust the loved one asking you for a loan? You could potentially be forming a long-term commitment to him or her. Do you truly believe he or she can make payments on time? Is it likely that the borrower could become ill, unemployed, or might find him or herself in a position where they can't pay the loan off? If there is any hesitancy about the trustworthiness about your loved one, it might be a sign that you need to decline cosigning a loan with them.

5. It will ruin your relationship.
Financial trouble is a quick way to ruin any relationship. What impact might co-signing the loan have on your relationship with your loved one? Will you be able to forgive them if they miss a payment or default? If cosigning a loan might irreparably damage your relationship, it might not be worth the trouble.

If you do agree to cosign a loan, you want to make sure that you get copies of all the important papers, such as the loan contract, the Truth-in-Lending Disclosure Statement, and warranties. You might have to get copies of these documents from the borrower. These documents could protect you from paying fees or penalties down the line, should your loved one default on the loan.

In addition, when you ask the creditor to calculate the amount you might owe in case your loved one defaults, you might also see if you can negotiate terms of your obligation on the loan. You could potentially limit your liability to just the principal on the loan before cosigning — making sure a statement of your obligations is included in the contract. Also, check your state laws for your cosigner rights.

This article 5 Reasons Why Cosigning for a Loan Is Always Bad News originally appeared on My Bank Tracker.

General Motors headquarters in Detroit. Source: General Motors

General Motors has just been slapped with a staggering lawsuit that could cost the automaker more than $10 billion. The lawsuit claims that General Motors is liable for a loss of resale value on as many as 15 million vehicles, some of which aren't even involved in the ignition switch recall debacle, due to damaged brand image. With all the negative publicity about General Motors and its ever-growing pile of recalled vehicles -- 17.7 million vehicles in the U.S. and counting -- how will the company respond to this suit? Will it fork over the cash to its customers? 

Don't count on it. It appears that America's largest automaker could use a loophole that formed when it emerged from its bankruptcy in 2009.

Here's where it gets tricky
Make no mistake, this massive recall saga has ballooned into a very complex situation. It has been made especially tricky because the bankruptcy General Motors emerged from in late 2009 enables "New" GM to avoid responsibility for accidents that originated during the "Old" GM era, in its pre-bankruptcy days. 

GM CEO Mary Barra during an update on ignition switch recalls. Source: General Motors

Apparently, when you're America's largest automaker, this defense works perfectly. That's the kicker in this tragic case -- because many of these ignition switch accidents took place almost a decade ago, "New" GM can, in theory, avoid responsibility. 

Toyota, while avoiding bankruptcy through its entire recall saga in 2009 and 2010, unfortunately did not have that same defense available and ended up settling a very similar lost-value lawsuit under terms valued between $1 billion and $1.4 billion. 

To be very clear, General Motors has said that it will absolutely take "Old" GM's responsibility, and rightfully so, for those people directly affected by the ignition switch defects through crashes, injuries, or tragic deaths. Currently, it appears "New" GM's assumption of "Old" GM's responsibility will end with the 300 individuals identified as having been directly affected.

In reality, this lost-value lawsuit is but one piece of the entire situation surrounding General Motors. Here are a few more things to consider, and a mystifying lack of a response from the taxpayers that were left on the hook paying to save the once troubled Detroit automaker.

Does anybody care?
General Motors has recalled over 17.7 million vehicles in the U.S. this year. That amount is more than the entire automotive industry is expected to sell in the U.S. this year, an estimated 16.1 million vehicles. Furthermore, General Motors is currently on pace this year to top the entire auto industry's record of 30.8 million vehicles recalled, set in 2004, single-handedly.

After the American taxpayer helped fuel General Motors' unique bankruptcy and bailout process roughly five years ago, our thank-you note was an $11.2 billion tab. After all of that, is General Motors really going to try to shrug off a $10 billion lawsuit that alleges that as many as 15 million American car buyers lost value on their vehicles?

Surely the American consumer would respond to either the massive recall debacle or this new lawsuit?

If Americans responded, it certainly wasn't in terms of purchasing competing vehicles, rather than General Motors' -- the company's sales are up 13% through the first five months of the year, and May was the company's best monthly sales performance since August 2008.

"It's remarkable how disconnected the buying public is from this story," said Jack Nerad, executive market analyst at Kelley Blue Book, according to Bloomberg. "It doesn't seem to have affected sales at all."

Bottom line
Despite ballooning recalls, massive incompetence, and tragic deaths linked to ignition switch defects, it's possible that General Motors could emerge from this entire recall debacle relatively unscathed. We know that General Motors will take a $2 billion charge on its financial reports through the first two quarters, and that it plans to set up a massive fund to compensate victims' claims. But is that enough?

If General Motors emerges, after all is said and done, paying roughly the same amount Toyota did for its massive recall a few years ago, roughly $3 billion, wouldn't that seem like a slap on the wrist? Wouldn't that be insignificant compared to the tab GM left taxpayers on the hook for, to the tune of $11.2 billion? Before you answer, consider that General Motors ended the first quarter with $27 billion in automotive cash and marketable securities. Maybe it's time consumers and investors spoke up.

If Tesla stock is in your portfolio, you had better be a believer in solar power. If the grid is dirty, electric cars are only a small step, and not a giant leap, toward a greener future. And Tesla's energy storage business, too, would have limited potential. Fortunately, however, it only takes a few minutes of examining some facts about solar power and the trends propelling the technology forward to realize it is an inevitable part of the future.

Image source: Tesla Motors.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk understands that solar technology will be one of the major drivers for electric cars. In addition to his chief executive position at Tesla, he happens to be the chairman of SolarCity .

So, why does Musk believe in solar? On Twitter he gave his followers a straight answer. Linking to a blog post by engineering company ABB Group's Zachary Shahan, Musk said, "This is why I think solar power will be the primary long term solution."

Combining some of Shahan's curated points with some other developments, consider the potential in solar power.

1. Solar energy dwarfs any other source
The above statement can't be emphasized enough. The disparity between the potential energy from sun and other sources is simply astounding.

Consider Shahan's explanation.

The annual energy potential from solar energy is 23,000 TWy [Terra Watt years]. Energy potential from total recoverable reserves of coal is 900 TWy. For petroleum, it's 240 TWy; and for natural gas, it's 215 TWy. Wind energy's yearly energy potential is 25-70 TWy.

2. Prices for solar photovoltaics, or PV, panels are plummeting
Between 1997 and 2012, the price of PV panels has "dropped about 100 times over," Shahan says. And the decline more recently is still steep. Since 2008, the price of solar PV panels has declined about 80%.

Image source: SolarCity.

When solar PV panels will really become competitive, Musk has said, is when the unsubsidized cost of solar power is less than the cost of grid electricity from coal or fracked gas. This is the goal Musk says he had in mind when SolarCity announced this week that it had acquired PV panel maker Silevo. SolarCity said in the press release announcing the deal that it plans to utilize the acquisition to help it build the world's largest advanced solar panel factory in upstate New York, which will help it achieve "massive economies of scale to achieve a breakthrough in the cost of solar power."

3. Paired with batteries, the technology is convenient
Consider this excerpt from SolarCity's Silevo acquisition announcement.

The sun, that highly convenient and free fusion reactor in the sky, radiates more energy to the Earth in a few hours than the entire human population consumes from all sources in a year. This means that solar panels, paired with batteries to enable power at night, can produce several orders of magnitude more electricity than is consumed by the entirety of human civilization.

Of course Musk's Tesla is also at the center of the battery storage business.

Tesla chief technology officer JB Straubel emphasized the opportunity in battery energy storage as a keynote speaker at the annual energy storage symposium in May held by the Joint Venture Silicon Valley.

"I really love batteries. I might love batteries more than cars," he said.

But his love for batteries goes far beyond the way they effortlessly thrust a Model S performance model to 60 miles per hour in just 4.2 seconds. His love for batteries extends into the energy business.

Model S battery, built into the floor of the vehicle. Image source: Tesla Motors.

"We are an energy innovation company as much as a car company," Straubel said. In fact, he believes that stationary energy storage will scale faster than automotive energy storage.

The stationary battery storage will also be helped by continued improvements in batteries.

GreenTechGrid's Eric Wesoff recounted Straubel's bullish outlook on the current rate of battery innovation:

He noted that in the five years between the launch of the Roadster and the Model S, battery performance had improved by 40 percent. He said that battery energy density has doubled over the last ten years and that the curve is not starting to plateau.

The source of battery improvements in the next five to 10 years? It will come from better anode and cathode material, he says.

Considering these developments in solar power and batteries, combined with the squanderable abundance of energy that radiates from the sun to the earth, it's possible that Elon Musk's SolarCity and Tesla are positioned at the center of two of the biggest revolutions we'll see in the next several decades.

WebMD recently launched a new program within its iPhone app, known as Healthy Target, which pulls biometric data from compatible fitness trackers and medical devices into a unified app. The feature works in a similar manner as Apple's  recently unveiled HealthKit and Google's  Google Fit, which has yet to be formally announced.

Healthy Target. Source: WebMD

Healthy Target is a bit different from other health monitoring apps because it reorganizes steps taken, heart rate, hours slept, and other data into personalized health advice. If you don't get enough sleep, for example, the app displays ways that sleep deprivation could adversely affect your health. It also displays medical articles related to the user's activities, and presents weekly progress reports.

The app is specifically designed for patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes or obesity, but anyone can use it to work toward six primary goals: to lose weight, eat healthier, be more active, control blood sugar, feel better, and sleep better.

WebMD's Healthy Target vs. Apple's HealthKit
Healthy Target certainly seems like it's competing for the same market as Apple's HealthKit.

But David Zeigler, director of product management at WebMD, stated that Healthy Target will "be working with HealthKit -- not against it" in an interview at Mashable. Ziegler pointed out that Apple's wanted to bring all the data together onto a single visual dashboard, and "not to provide its own content."

While that statement makes sense, it's also obvious that Healthy Target could make WebMD's mobile app, which currently has roughly 20 million users, an attractive all-in-one alternative to Apple's Health. In fact, both companies share similar partners, including FitBit and Jawbone. Moreover, both Healthy Target and Health pull step recording information from the motion-sensing capabilities of the iPhone 5s' M7 chip.

Apple still has the upper hand
But for now, Apple's HealthKit offers a more complete package. HealthKit is already integrated with electronic health records (EHRs) giant Epic Systems, which reaches more than half of U.S. patients, and the prestigious Mayo Clinic.

But WebMD is likely to announce more partners in the fitness trackers, medical devices, and possibly other fitness apps in the future, which could considerably broaden its appeal. It could also add Healthy Target to its Android version as well and reach a larger market than HealthKit, since Apple holds a 41% share of the U.S. smartphone market, compared to 52% for Google, according to comScore's most recent numbers.

Could Healthy Target for Android derail Google Fit?
If WebMD releases Healthy Target on Android, it could pose yet another problem for Google Fit. Google's plan for a unified Android health dashboard already faces three key challenges: a fragmented universe of hardware, security and privacy issues, and Samsung's own fitness projects.

Samsung's U.S. market share, most comprised of Android phones, currently stands at 27% -- accounting for more than half of all Android smartphones in the U.S. Samsung has approached the fitness market from all angles -- with its Galaxy Gear smartwatches, the Simband modular reference design for third-party manufacturers, and S Health, its own health dashboard for Samsung Galaxy phones. It even launched its own open-source OS, Tizen, on smart watches, TVs, and phones, in a bid to slowly detach itself from the Android ecosystem.

If Samsung defects from the Android army and WebMD swoops in with Healthy Target, Google Fit could quickly fade away as a mere afterthought for fitness device and app developers.

The Foolish takeaway
In conclusion, WebMD's Healthy Target is an interesting new contender in the upcoming battle for supremacy in unified health dashboards, but it's no HealthKit killer.

Healthy Target will likely appeal to current users of WebMD's mobile app, but it might seem redundant to many iPhone users when Health is released with iOS 8 in the fall. Nonetheless, Healthy Target is still a unique way for WebMD to generate fresh interest for its main portal site. Higher traffic could boost WebMD's advertising revenue, which accounted for 82% of the company's top line last quarter.

What makes a dividend stock a good fit for a retirement portfolio? The answer is that it must have a healthy yield and it must be less risky, or volatile, than the average market.

It's for these reasons that McDonald's and ExxonMobil fit the bill. In McDonald's case, it yields 3.1% and has a beta of 0.34, meaning that it's 66% less volatile than the overall market. And in Exxon's case, it yields 2.7% and has a beta of 0.92.

Both of these stocks, in other words, yield more than the 10-Year Treasury -- which currently pays 2.61% -- while being less volatile than the general equities market. As Motley Fool contributor John Maxfield explains in the following video, these are the exact qualities that most retirees desire for stocks in their portfolio.

Source: Amazon

On June 12, Amazon.com announced a new feature to its Amazon Prime membership called Prime Music. Although some investors might find the development of the company's flagship product exciting, the market reacted by sending the business's shares down nearly 3% to $325.91. Is this a sign that Amazon's add-ons to Prime are diluting shareholder value, or will the company's service be so successful that it could threaten the existence of companies like Sirius XM Holdings and Pandora Media ?

Amazon's new service rocks... literally!
By paying the $99 yearly fee, individuals can become members of Amazon Prime. Included in the service is free two-day shipping on over 20 million items, access to over 40,000 movies and television shows via the company's Prime Instant Video service, and the ability to "borrow" more than half a million books through the company's Kindle library.

Source: Amazon

With over 20 million subscribers at last count, Amazon Prime can be expected to generate at least $2 billion in sales for Amazon this year. As a percentage of sales, this part of the business's operations is surprisingly small at 2% of forecasted revenue for the current fiscal year. Margins have yet to be disclosed on the service because it's too small relative to revenue for Amazon to have to disclose, but more likely than not, the company is using the service as more of a marketing tool designed to bring buyers to its website than anything. 

Now, with the addition of Prime Music, Amazon is bringing more than 1 million songs from top artists to its platform. On top of listening to the music you want at no extra charge, Prime Music allows users to create their own library and playlists, listen to the company's pre-set playlists, and receive song recommendations... all with no advertisements. To make things even sweeter, Amazon has made it possible for listeners to play their music on most any device and to download the music for offline listening to avoid data charges.

Will Amazon put Sirius and Pandora out to pasture?
One potential consequence of Prime Music is that it could mean trouble for Sirius and Pandora. Over the past five years, these streaming services have seen their sales soar and, in the case of Sirius, profits rise. Can these businesses stand up to a player whose market power surpasses theirs combined?

SIRI Revenue (Annual) data by YCharts

Between 2009 and 2013, Pandora saw its revenue soar 674% from $55.2 million to $427.1 million. At the same time, Sirius's top line grew a more modest, but still impressive, 54% from $2.5 billion to $3.8 billion. During this timeframe, Pandora reported a net loss that widened from $16.8 million to $38.1 million as higher sales were offset by the soaring cost of content and growth initiatives. Sirius, however, saw some nice results, with its net loss of $352 million in 2009 turning into a net gain of $377.2 million.

Although Amazon has not provided official subscriber data related to its Prime memberships, the company's statement that its user count has surpassed the 20 million mark means that it's on par with Sirius' 25.6 million base (21.1 million or 82% of whom are paid users.) What's more is the fact that Amazon's service, which includes all of its other perks, is far cheaper than the $119.88 to $199 per year charged by Sirius. Possibly the only positive note for Sirius is that the company has its radios installed in over 50 million vehicles, which may serve as a deterrent from switching to Amazon's platform even in spite of cost-savings.

Source: Sirius, Pandora, and Amazon

Because of its revenue composition and the fact that the business has yet to turn a profit, Pandora might be even more susceptible to Amazon's entry into the music space. Currently, the streaming service charges just $36 per year for its Pandora One subscription but at just 18% of sales (versus the 82% of revenue it generates from advertisements), even it could be negatively affected by Prime Music's decision to avoid advertisements.

Foolish takeaway
Right now, Amazon is trying to be everything to everybody. While this is a noble ambition, shareholders appear to see the company's attempts as a distraction from value creation. In the long run, management may prove itself right but it's also possible that shareholders will end up with less money in their pockets if the company cannot use services like Prime Music to generate attractive returns. In the event that investors are wrong about Amazon's move, it could mean trouble for other streaming services like Sirius and Pandora because of the company's market presence and the cost and convenience factors at play.

Dividend stocks are a powerful way to invest for both income and growth. But many go searching for ways to boost their income even more, with the dividend capture strategy designed to have you move quickly in and out of stocks right as they're making their payouts. Stocks in the Dow Jones Industrials are especially popular candidates for the dividend capture strategy because of their high dividend yields. But does dividend capture make sense for you?

In the following video, Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool's director of investment planning, looks at the controversial dividend capture strategy with an eye toward debunking some common misconceptions. Dan notes that at least in theory, a stock that pays a dividend has its intrinsic value drop by the amount of the payout, and usually, the share price follows suit. Yet another reason to proceed with caution is that the IRS has made dividend capture a less profitable strategy, requiring investors to hold shares for 61 days surrounding dividend payments in order to get qualified-dividend tax treatment. The difference in tax can be especially high for high-yielding stocks Pfizer , Merck , and Verizon , and so Dan concludes that in general, sticking with a long-term buy-and-hold dividend strategy will be more lucrative than following short-term dividend capture strategies.

If you thought the Affordable Care Act, known better as Obamacare, was a touchy subject, then wait till you feast your eyes on the minimum wage debate unfolding in Seattle.

As a resident of the very outer suburbs of Seattle, I've been keeping a keen eye on the events as they've unfolded over the past couple of months, because what happens in Seattle could serve as a precursor for the rest of the country.

As you might imagine, the minimum wage debate has huge implications for workers and businesses throughout the country. Two weeks ago I weighed in with how the soon-to-be-phased-in law could be both a positive and a negative for businesses.

Source: Grant Baldwin, Flickr.

The minimum wage debate bifurcation
In the plus column, the $15 minimum wage that was voted in unanimously by the Seattle City Council two weeks ago could instill a higher sense of pride in currently sub-$15 workers, creating a more cohesive team of workers for businesses and reducing turnover. Less turnover means less training, which can actually improve efficiency and save companies money over the long run.

Also, higher wages could mean the possibility of more disposable income for Seattle-based minimum wage workers. Since consumer spending is the basis for GDP growth in the U.S., this could wind up being great news for Seattle businesses.

However, I also saw plenty of paths the new minimum wage law may take Seattle's minimum wage workers and businesses that I wasn't particularly fond of. To begin with, a higher minimum wage could push prices up for all businesses, hurting nearly all levels of consumers and potentially deterring tourists from visiting the city.

The second point is that higher wages may just deter new businesses from setting up shop in Seattle altogether. Seattle, just like any major city, needs new and innovative businesses to drive job growth, and this new law may wind up having the opposite effect.

Most important, though, a $15 minimum wage for all workers, which is more than double the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, would likely kill the drive of most minimum wage workers to learn new skills that higher-paying businesses are looking for. Once again, it could reduce innovation, and that's a key intangible factor that'll help determine the ultimate success or failure of this law.

But what a deeper dive into this debate has shown me is that there could be a really sneaky winner hiding right under our noses.

This sector could be a big winner
Much of the minimum wage debate (at least in the mainstream media) in recent months has centered specifically around the fast-food industry and workers at restaurant chains like McDonald's that are itching to earn a living wage. On one hand you can't help but empathize with these workers, as a living wage should be available to all citizens willing to work hard for a living. On the other hand, simply handing out $15 per hour, more than double the federal average, could wreak havoc on fast-food costs and push prices at McDonald's and a number of other Seattle fast-food chains markedly higher. 

So my question is this:

Will consumers really opt to continue heading to McDonald's and other fast-food establishments when they can get higher-quality food and an entertaining experience for just a fraction more in price?

Without beating around the bush any longer, I'd surmise that casual-dining restaurants such as Applebee's, owned by DineEquity , and Chili's Bar & Grill, owned by Brinker International , could see an incredible surge in business within a few years created by the ensuing hike in the minimum wage.

Source: Author. 

Now let's get a few things out of the way right off the bat. Fast-food does serve its purpose of providing fast and convenient food because, let's face it, we don't all have an hour to sit down and grab a bite to eat. Therefore, it's not as if a minimum wage phase-in hike to $15 is magically going to cripple the fast-food industry.

However, we also have to consider the starting point for our price basis when factoring in minimum wage price hikes. By comparison and perception, fast-food restaurants offer us a cheaper meal, which is often one of its greatest draws fast-food restaurants use to drive traffic into stores. However, an increasing minimum wage could make price increases in these traditional value strongholds very noticeable whereas price increase at casual-dining chains may not be as noticeable. If consumers are suddenly faced with the perceived sticker shock of rapidly rising meal prices at fast-food restaurants, they may be less likely to head to these establishments, which for a company like McDonald's would be bad news. You might refer to this as a shrinking price gap of perception, but I call it a viable reason that casual dining could shine. 

I've also considered in my analysis the opinion of those who oppose this law who have claimed that they would refuse to tip a server who's suddenly making $15 per hour. Having worked in the service industry for a decade, and as a customer who regularly dines out at casual-dining restaurants (code for "can't cook"!), I understand that one of the greatest objections over and/or dilemmas of dining out for consumers is doling out a tip to their server. Personally, having worked for near minimum wage previously in a service sector job, I enjoy tipping well; however, that's not the case for some consumers.

A minimum wage boost may wind up alleviating this burden for certain consumers and encourage them to dine out more often with the assumption that they simply don't have to tip as much. In other words, you can equate this to paying $15 for an item and $5 for shipping or $20 for an item and free shipping. Although the cost is the same, the allure of "free" shipping often draws in consumers. By a similar token, the ability to get a free pass on tipping might encourage consumers to flock into Seattle-based casual food chains.

Presto tablet for Applebee's. Source: E la Carte.

Perhaps another overlooked point here is that both Applebee's and Chili's are on the precipice of introducing consumer-facing tablets in their restaurants. While not targeted at replacing servers, these tablets should help facilitate drink, appetizer, and dessert orders while also expediting customers' ability to pay their bill. The end result should be a more satisfied customer and more rapid table turnover, which is better for both parent companies, DineEquity and Brinker International.

Yet even more so, the improved efficiencies created by these tablets can be used to offset the higher costs of paying their employees, allowing Applebee's, Chili's, and other casual-dining chains to keep their prices relatively unchanged compared to fast-food restaurants, whose prices could soar.

Time will tell the tale
Of course, as I said two weeks ago, these opinions are merely based on my perspective as a Seattle suburbanite and the fact that I've worked on both ends of the pay scale. The truth of the matter is that only time is going to determine if any of my projections come true and whether the $15 minimum wage phase-in is going to be good or bad for business.

What I can say for certain is that with a $10.10-per-hour federal minimum wage proposal stalled out in Congress, the eyes of the nation are squarely on Seattle. What happens in the immediate future could shape minimum wage rules in multiple states throughout the country and have critical business and socioeconomic indications.

"A 5-5-inch iPhone? No way," many Apple fans would have responded several years ago.

But the market has shifted. "Phablets" are, indeed, faring incredibly well with consumers. In fact, it has been rumored that Apple is working on both a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch version of the iPhone 6 -- both meaningfully larger than the 4-inch iPhone 5S display.

MacRumors renderings, by Ferry Passchier, of the potential 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch sixth-generation iPhone lineup. Photo used with permission.

Until today, however, the lack of leaks of the larger alleged iPhone 6 made the 5.5-inch device seem less likely than its smaller counterpart. But the first leak has finally arrived.

In the wee hours of the morning, Sonny Dickson exclusively shared with 9to5Mac photos of an alleged LCD component of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6. The images show a ruler confirming the diagonal length of the leaked part.

9to5Mac's well-connected Mark Gurman explains the implications of the photos.

While these photos do not provide us with any breakthrough information about the new iPhone, the photos, at best, do show that Apple is already producing components for the larger sized phone and this means that production is likely nearing.

Apple wants in on phablets
An internal Apple slide deck that surfaced in a Samsung-Apple trial earlier this hinted that Apple was considering the hot phablet market.

One slide in the deck, titled "Consumers want what we don't have," broke down 2013's incremental smartphone market growth of 228 million units. Unit growth of 91 million could be attributed to smartphones with displays larger than 4 inches, according to the slide.

But 5.5 inches -- really? While I could imagine there is demand in the U.S. for a 4.7-inch iPhone, it's more difficult for me to picture the potential for a 5.5-inch phablet. Until, that is, I consider China.

Apple Store in China 

In the less developed Chinese market, where phablets can serve as a replacement for a wide-screen TV, desktop computer, laptop, and tablet all at the same time, a 5.5-inch smartphone makes a lot more sense. In fact, four out of 10 smartphones sold in March had a screen size larger than 5 inches, according to a report from Kanatar WorldPanel ComTech. "In China, phablet growth continues unabated," the report said. And China, as the world's largest smartphone market, is incredibly important to Apple.

Apple is expected to launch the smaller iPhone 6 this fall alongside iOS 8. But the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will allegedly come later in the year, reports have suggested. The phones are speculated to sport thinner, all-aluminum encased form-factors. Apple may also be ditching Gorilla Glass for sapphire crystal.

Analysts have big expectations for the device.

This article was written by Oilprice.com -- the leading provider of energy news in the world. Also c heck out this recent article:

•  Obama's Climate Plan Is Leaking Methane

Honeywell's Lyric is pretty much exactly like Google's Nest -- and that's a good thing. A few years ago, if you wanted to make a great smartphone, the best thing to do was copy the iPhone. The same is probably true for companies looking to secure their place in the burgeoning home-automation industry: Refine what already works and what consumers like.

Honeywell's home-automation division has $16.6 billion in sales, which is about 42% of the company's total. The Lyric's $280 price tag is a bit steep, but if Honeywell can use it as a more upscale offering to groups like homebuilders, that's a lot of potential sales. And even if the Lyric is just a small part of Honeywell's offerings, it's good to see the company taking a leap into home automation.

In this episode of The Next, Motley Fool tech analyst Eric Bleeker and Rule Breakers analyst Simon Erickson talk about the future of home automation, and why "borrowing" some ideas from products consumers are rapidly adopting isn't such a bad strategy. 

T-Mobile has been relentlessly attracting subscribers with its Uncarrier branded strategy since early 2013. The company's latest Uncarrier 5.0 event was held this past week with the intent to continue the company's effort to relieve customer pain points and catch up to industry behemoths AT&T and Verizon .

T-Mobile's Uncarrier strategy began under the leadership of passionate, although sometimes brash, CEO John Legere. At previous events, Legere announced initiatives such as doing away with two year contracts, paying early termination fees to switch carriers, and unlimited free international data.

The plan is working thus far as T-Mobile added 6.2 million net subscribers in 2013, 2.7 million and 1.7 million more than AT&T and Verizon, respectively.

Uncarrier 5.0, once again, focused on relieving pain points with value-added services including a free 7-day test drive of Apple's iPhone 5s and free data for music streaming from companies such as Pandora, Spotify and Beats Music.

In the below video, Fool Tech & Telecom Analysts Nathan Hamilton and Jamal Carnette discuss what was announced at the event and what it means for T-Mobile shareholders going forth.

Communication testing and networking equipment company JDS Uniphase is an epitome of inconsistency. It exited 2013 on a negative note, but started the New Year on a high. However, when it seemed as if everything was going right, Uniphase came up with shocking third-quarter results recently, missing Wall Street estimates.

Earlier this year, it looked like Uniphase is all set to benefit from the roll-out of TD-LTE in China by China Mobile , along with growth in gesture recognition solutions. The company said that it was seeing strong demand for fiber-optics components and testing equipment back in January, but changed its tone in April. What might be the reason behind this sudden change in Uniphase's forecast?

A surprising slowdown
Uniphase attributed its weak performance to a delay in orders and carrier spending budgets. Orders came in later-than-expected and this hurt the company's performance in the third quarter, and forced it to issue a shallow outlook. 

In fact, Uniphase guided for revenue between $425 million to $445 million, significantly behind the $459 million Wall Street estimate. Its earnings forecast left a lot to be desired as well. The company expects earnings in the range of $0.10 to $0.14 per share, but consensus estimates called for $0.17. 

What's surprising is that Uniphase put in such a pitiful performance even as its rival, Finisar has gained solid traction in the fiber-optics components market of late

Competition from Finisar
It might be possible that Uniphase is losing market share to Finisar, and it won't be the first time if this is indeed the case. Finisar seems to be riding positive trends in the telecom and data communications industry with confidence. The company had issued a robust outlook the last time it reported earnings.

This doesn't come as a surprise since Finisar is on track to benefit from network upgrades by several telecom players, both in the U.S. and abroad. In addition, it might be in a better position to profit from the roll out of fiber services by the likes of AT&T and Google as compared to Uniphase. According to Raymond James and Associates, Finisar has the highest exposure to optical-network spending among peers, counting customers such as Ciena, Cisco, and Huawei. 

In addition, Finisar is seeing strong adoption of its 100G switches, and its focus on product innovation should ensure robust sales going forward. After launching new 100G transceivers, such as its CFP2 LR4 product, earlier this year, Finisar started working on the next-generation CFP4 product. Given its rapid product development moves and a base of solid customers, it is likely that Finisar might be outpacing Uniphase.

A benefit of doubt?
Uniphase bulls might consider giving a small benefit of doubt to the company. Management says that the company was a victim of "magnified seasonality," but things should improve going forward. Uniphase saw lower orders from a couple of customers in North America, but this might be a blessing in disguise. 

The company believes that the delay was due to the metro build-out. Telcos such as AT&T are planning to deploy high-speed networks across the U.S. and this could lead to better times for Uniphase going forward. In addition, the company's bookings have also improved. At the end of the third quarter, Uniphase's order book was up 7.5% from the year-ago period.

It is seeing strong demand for some of its products, such as location-intelligent software solution and 100G products. In fact, Uniphase started shipping its 100G products to China for the build-out of the LTE network. Now, this is a long-term opportunity.

China Mobile, the country's biggest telco operator, is building the world's largest LTE network, with a planned expenditure of $13.4 billion by the end of the year. The bulk of this expenditure is slated for the second half of the year, according to Barclays.

The LTE roll out in China is still in its early phase. China Mobile is still in the process of building 500,000 base stations to cover 350 cities with its LTE network. Once the deployment is complete, China Mobile will continue investing to make the network more efficient, which will open up more opportunity for Uniphase.

Final words
Uniphase's last quarterly report was bad, but there were a few silver linings. However, it would be wise to watch the company from the sidelines. Uniphase is trading at an identical earnings multiple to Finisar, but the latter is a better pick considering its consistence performances. As such, investors should steer clear of Uniphase until and unless it puts up a couple of consistent quarterly results.

Although the idea of 3-D printed food may sound a bit gimmicky, 3D Systems has been working to improve its image. Last September, 3D Systems acquired The Sugar Lab, a 3-D printing company that specializes in customized 3-D printed edibles made from sugar. Later this year, 3D Systems will begin shipping the ChefJet and ChefJet Pro, two professional quality food-grade 3-D printers capable of producing 3-D printed chocolate and sugar creations. With these products, 3D Systems is essentially betting that 3-D printed edibles is likely an emerging and growing trend that will continue to take hold in the coming years.

In the following video, 3-D printing specialist Steve Heller asks Liz von Hasseln, co-founder of The Sugar Lab and creative food director at 3D Systems how the company plans on improving the novelty nature of 3-D printed food that exists today. Going forward, 3D Systems investors should monitor how the ChefJet and ChefJet Pro are preforming by listening to the company's upcoming conference calls. If these products prove successful, it could suggest that 3D Systems is establishing a first-mover advantage in a segment of the 3-D printing industry that has significantly less competition.

SolarCity , a leaser of solar panels to residential and commercial consumers, has underperformed other major solar companies, even after the company jumped by 30% over the past week, SolarCity's stock is up by 19% since the beginning of the year. In comparison, solar panel manufacturers such as First Solar and SunPower  have spiked by over 25% and 33%, respectively, so far in 2014. So what's holding back SolarCity?

SolarCity, unlike First Solar or SunPower, is mostly engaged in the business of leasing solar panels. This business, however, is facing ongoing falling solar panel prices, which could make, over time, leasing a less attractive option. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the average price of a photovoltaic installed system dropped by 15% during 2013.

But for now the company continues to increase its client base, revenue, and retained value. As of the end of last quarter, SolarCity estimated its retained value from all contracts at $1.291 billion -- nearly 220% higher than last year; its number of contracts increased to over 100,000 -- a 97% growth. This sharp growth in number of contracts and future cash flow was accompanied by a higher outlook for 2014: SolarCity expects to deploy between 500 megawatts and 550 MW -- around a 5% bump from its initial estimate. In 2015, the company expects to increase its guidance to 950 MW deployed.

Despite these impressive numbers, SolarCity didn't reach its goal in terms of megawatts installed during the quarter. The company's guidance was for 100 MW but only deployed 82 MW. This puts into question its ability to reach its annual guidance.

Moreover, the company's gross profitability dropped by 2 percentage points to around 25% in the first quarter of 2014. Most of this fall in profit margin is due to the sharp rise in operating expenses. Another way to look at the rise in operating expenses is to consider the following: Back in 2013, its retained value per watt forecast was $1.51/W. Its annual operating expenses per watt were $0.59 -- this comes to a profit margin of 60%. As of the first quarter of 2014, its retained value per watt forecast grew to $1.56/W, but its operating expenses per watt were $0.82. This comes to a 47% profit margin. This very crude calculation only demonstrates the drop in profitability, which could remain low if SolarCity doesn't bring down its operating expenses.

Therefore, the company's narrower gross profitability may have eclipsed the rise in number of clients and revenue and dragged down the company's stock.

Another reason that may have pulled down SolarCity's stock is the recent decision of the Department of Commerce to raise tariffs on solar panels made in China. This news is likely to affect SolarCity, which also imports panels from China. Following this announcement from the Department of Commerce, SolarCity stated it has signed a contract with REC Group to purchase at least 100 MW and up to 240 MW for 12 months starting the beginning of the last quarter of 2014. This means that the contract could fulfill up to a quarter of its 2015 guidance, but it could still increase its costs. The company earlier this week announced the acquisition of Silevo in order to build a solar panel factory in New York in the coming years, which may bring its operating costs down in the coming years. But until this project comes to fruition, the Department of Commerce's decision could have a negative impact on SolarCity's cost structure, which may reduce its valuation.

Final note
SolarCity is facing challenges in bringing down its operating costs, especially now with the higher tariffs on solar panels made in China. Perhaps its last couple of agreements (one with REC Group and the other with Silevo) may reduce, down the line, its operating expenses. In the meantime, if the company doesn't bring down its costs and pick up the MW installed in the coming quarters, these challenges could further cut into the company's value. 

The Dow Jones Industrials finished the week up more than 170 points, or about 1%, culminating in the average's 11th all-time record closing high of the year on Friday. Investors have been content to ignore any warning signs about a possible correction, instead relying on steady progress in the economy's recovery to buoy the Dow higher. Yet a few stocks didn't manage to follow the Dow upward, with Travelers , Visa , and IBM being the primary culprits among the 30 stocks in the average this past week.

Travelers fell almost 1%, with most of the losses coming in Friday's session despite the stock's having touched an all-time record high earlier in the day's session. The property and casualty insurance specialist has seen impressive performance for more than a year now, as a particularly favorable period with few extraordinary casualty loss claims has pushed earnings sharply higher. So far in the just-started hurricane season, we still haven't seen any major storms emerge, but investors appear to be preparing for what they see as an inevitable resurgence of catastrophic losses at some point in the future. On the other hand, with the Federal Reserve having reaffirmed its commitment to keep rates low for the foreseeable future, Travelers' bond portfolio could hold up better than some had feared.

Visa nearly matched the same 1% drop on the week, with events in Russia dominating the credit card giant's news. Fears of economic sanctions from Western nations against Russia because of the recent conflict in Ukraine led to the possibility of retaliatory action against Visa and its major rival in the Russian electronic-payments market, but Russia recently delayed new requirements for large capital investments that amount to security deposits for the right to do business in the nation. For its part, Visa would prefer not to deal with the need for making the deposit, yet Russia itself is looking at getting Asian competitors to vie for its electronic-payments business. Russia isn't a critical part of Visa's profit picture, but Visa needs to demonstrate its ability to grow internationally if it wants to support its current valuation.

Source: IBM.

IBM declined roughly half a percent. News from rival Oracle that growth in its enterprise business wasn't as strong as many had hoped during its most recent quarter likely weighed on IBM as well, as both companies have made initiatives like cloud computing and data analytics important parts of their overall business strategies. Yet IBM has suffered longer-term sluggishness as well, with investors remaining uncertain about the broader vision of reducing revenue in favor of a higher-margin mix of business. Until IBM can prove the profitability of the latter approach, some shareholders will likely remain on the sidelines.

As a result of the changing times, refraining from online banking activity is growing increasingly difficult — many physical retailers are being phased out by competitors like Amazon.com, and banks are pumping money into mobile banking endeavors in order to stay ahead of the curve of their competitors.

Luckily, cardholders are now equipped with a variety of credit card security features that make online shopping (and shopping in general) a safe experience. From dealing with hackers, identity theft, or shady merchants, here are seven forms of consumer protection credit card issuers offer to alleviate your very valid worries.

1. Get justice with a chargeback
Consumers who experience online purchase difficulties, such as being scammed, can file a complaint regarding one or multiple purchases on their statement in order to have an investigation initiated.

A chargeback is a forcible demand by a credit card issuer for a merchant or retailer to settle a debt and make good on a fraudulent loss or disputed transaction.

The threat of a chargeback and the possibility of a forced reversal of funds is incentive for merchants to provide customers with quality customer service and timely refunds when valid.

This form of credit card consumer protection is specified in Regulation Z of the "Truth in Lending Act," with debit card users being protected under Regulation E of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. In the U.S., these reversal rights allow consumers to have funds returned to their bank account, line of credit, or credit card.

2. Don't be held liable
In the U.S., liability limitations for fraudulent charges made in the case of credit card loss or theft are excellent. Under The Fair Credit Billing Act, your liability for unauthorized charges made on your card is limited to $50, but if you report the loss before charges appear, you are not responsible for any of them. Also, if you have your credit card, but the credit card number is stolen, you are also not held liable for unauthorized use.

As soon as you report your ATM or debit card missing, you cannot be held liable for unauthorized debit card charges, according to the Electronic Funds Transfer Act. However, the longer it takes you to report the loss, the more liable you will be in paying for the unauthorized debit charges made.

• If you report the loss before any unauthorized charges are made, you are responsible for $0.
• If you report the loss within two business days, your maximum loss is $50.
• If you report the loss more than two business but before 60 calendar days after your statement is sent to you, your maximum loss is $500.
• If you report the loss more than 60 calendar days after your statement is sent to you, all the money in your ATM/debit card account will not be reimbursed to you, and possibly more if you have additional accounts linked to your debit card.

3. Guarantee security against unauthorized access
Some, but not all banks guarantee the money in your account if someone hacks in. One example is Charles Schwab's promise on their website to customers: "We want you to have the highest level of confidence when you do business with Schwab. So we offer you this simple guarantee: Schwab will cover 100% of any losses in any of your Schwab accounts due to unauthorized activity."

Other banks that deliver this promise are HSBC, Ally, SunTrust, and First Tennessee Bank.

4. Shop with a single-use card number
Certain banks offer one-time use virtual account numbers cardholders can use to shop online, which means never having to supply their actual credit card number. Though this service comes at a price, customers may be able to take advantage of free trials if they call customer service. Banks that offer this service are Citibank and Bank of America, and major credit card issuer MasterCard also offers it.

5. Do you use MasterCard?
MasterCard recently announced its new "Identity Theft Resolution" assistance program, which launches in July 2014. It is creating a buzz in the banking industry for its pioneering endeavors in heightening credit card holders' protection and security against theft:

• Extends its zero liability policy to extend to cover all MasterCard pin-based and ATM transactions (debit cards).
• Provides assistance in canceling missing cards.
• Alerts credit reporting agencies when a card is reported missing.
• Targets searches in order to detect whether a cardholder's stolen personal and confidential data appears online.

6. Block and unblock your misplaced debit card
Many banks have a protocol in place for customers that report a missing debit card that allows them to deactivate and reactivate their missing card. This security feature is helpful for cardholders who may have simply misplaced their card for a period of time. They can reactivate the card later, rather than ordering a new one. This feature is also inherently helpful in blocking thieves from accessing their checking account.

7. Plaster your face on a photo credit card
This one isn't an online feature, but, a thief would have a hard time using a credit card with a photo on it. Photo credit cards are exactly what they sound like — credit cards with a photo of you on the front. For the extra cautious, picking a bank that offers this feature might not be a bad idea. Bank of America, Capital One, Citibank, and Wells Fargo offer this delightful feature.

As technology evolves, credit card issuers and financial institutions are tightening the credit card security features available to ensure cardholders are protected from the multitude of scams, theft, and hacks that can be a nightmare for consumers.

Many banks have round-the-clock customer service and websites in which you can get in touch with a representative who can help you take care of any and every catastrophe that comes your way. Remember you can review your bank or credit card on MyBankTracker and share your experience with fellow cardholders and consumers.

This article 7 Solid Credit Card Security Features That Will Help Keep More Money In Your Pocket originally appeared on My Bank Tracker.

Apple's widely anticipated iWatch is reportedly entering mass production in July

At this point, few people are questioning whether Apple  is actually working on an iWatch device. But according to new sources, we now have more details than ever on the specifics of its arrival.

To be sure, a Reuters report yesterday cites sources "familiar with the matter" as saying Taiwan-based Quanta Computer will start mass production of Apple's smartwatch in July. What's more, a second source said the iWatch is currently in trial production at Quanta Computer, which will serve as the the device's primary manufacturer and account for at least 70% of the final assembly. In addition, Reuters reports the iWatch's commercial launch could come as early as October, and Apple expects to ship roughly 50 million units in the first year following its release.

But wait, there's more...
The sources also noted Apple's iWatch face will likely feature a slightly rectangular touch display which measures 2.5 inches diagonally, include wireless charging capabilities, and will create an arched shape by protruding slightly from the band.

A flexible OLED prototype from LG Display, Credit: LG Display

And yep, I know what you're thinking: This means the iWatch will have a curved, flexible OLED display. Sure enough, a third source chimed in to state LG Display is indeed the exclusive supplier for the iWatch's screen -- that is, at least for the initial batch of production. If true, this confirms rumors from January stating as such, and meshes well with LG Display's ambitions to lead the charge in fostering applications for flexible OLED technology.

This is also great for Universal Display Corporation , from which LG Display both licenses OLED-centric patents and buys OLED materials necessary for producing its flexible displays. Of course, the amount of OLED material required to build even 50 million iWatches annually pales in comparison to that for larger smartphones and televisions, so the deal may not significantly boost Universal Display's top-line. But at the very least, finally bringing Apple on board would serve as fantastic validation for Universal Display's flagship technology, and could open doors for continued expansion of its use in other consumer electronics.

Finally, the iWatch also contains a sensor to monitor the wearer's pulse, with Singapore-based Heptagon listed as a supplier for the feature. Of course, you can bet this single sensor likely isn't the iWatch's only health-related feature, but it does speak directly to Apple's recent introduction of its new Health app and HealthKit developers' toolkit. As it stands, both new products make no mystery of Apple's ambitions to effectively redefine the way we use consumer electronics to interact with the health care industry.

Unsurprisingly, all of the aforementioned companies declined to comment on the report. But with each passing day, it seems the pieces of Apple's iWatch puzzle are gradually coming together.