Study Finds Top 50 Free Lance Jobs

No. 1 is still writing iPhone apps, Android not so much

By Daryl Nelson, ConsumerAffairs.com

The way people work nowadays has totally changed.  Once, it was guaranteed a person would be in an office cubicle from morning to evening if they were employed.  And just as recently as 10 years ago, a person working from a remote location was quite rare.

Now it seems that more and more people are freelancing to make a buck, and a lot of companies are hiring employees on a contractual basis in more specialized areas of work.

In 2012, working from home or freelancing is rather normal, and with the constant growth of technology, more jobs are created as companies have increasing needs.

A survey conducted by the job site Freelancer.com showed that companies and brands that utilize technology for expansion are hiring freelancers in the largest numbers.

"The most lucrative [jobs] are those where specialist technical knowledge is required in high demand areas, at the cutting edge of technology and very few freelancers," said Freelance.com's Chief Executive Matt Barrie in an interview with ConsumerAffairs.

"For example, at the cutting edge of mobile phone apps, there's a premium.   Where there is not a premium are areas like data entry etc. i.e. jobs anyone can do," he said.

Read the entire article here.

Getting Divorced? What Should You Do Now?

Divorce is unpleasant but planning and discretion can make it less so

By Daryl Nelson, ConsumerAffairs.com

It can happen to any couple, not just Tom and Katie.

When people get married and utter those famous vows of matrimony, most convey those words with heartfelt sincerity.

Sure it's all good when the rice is being thrown, and the soda cans are dangling from the car's rear, but for some, it goes completely downhill from there.

It doesn't take much research to find that consumers generally regard divorce as being on a par with death and taxes. We surveyed nearly 7 million comments posted on social sites like Twitter and Facebook over the last year and found divorce trending barely above a zero percent approval rating.

Aside from a few who said the experience was "worth it," most of those commenting saw more bad than good in the divorce process:

How many?

And just how many U.S. marriages end in either separation or divorce?

It's actually hard to pinpoint specific figures as there are conflicting statistics from both surveys and government reports, but according to the National Center for Health Statistics, one-third of new marriages will end in divorce within ten years, and 43 percent within 15 years, but those numbers vary and heavily depend on the couple's age.

Read the entire article here.

FTC: Health Care Scammers Out In Force

Supreme Court's Affordable Care Act ruling brings them out of the woodwork

By James Limbach, ConsumerAffairs.com

It's enough to make you sick!

No sooner had the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the Affordable Care Act – also known as “Obamacare” -- than scam artists began working the phones. They say they're from the government and that, using the Affordable Care Act as a hook, they need to verify some information.

Various approaches

They might have the routing number from your bank, and then use that information to get you to reveal the entire account number. Or, they'll ask for your credit card or Social Security number, Medicare ID, or other personal information.

Read the entire article here.

Ford Recalling 2013 Escapes

Positioning of carpet padding could lead to the risk of a crash

By James Limbach, ConsumerAffairs.com

Ford is recalling 8,266 model year 2013 Escape vehicles in the U.S. manufactured from March 8, 2012 through June 7, 2012.

Due to mis-positioned carpet padding, the center console trim panel may be pushed outboard of the intended position, reducing clearance relative to the pedal package.

The reduced clearance may result in the driver’s foot contacting the side of the brake pedal while transferring the foot from the accelerator pedal to the brake pedal, increasing stopping distances and the risk of a crash.

Read the entire article here.