Archive for the ‘Tips’ Category
Friday, January 25th, 2008 |
Everyone knows adults should have life insurance. But what about buying term life insurance for your child? Can you find an affordable term life policy for children - and do children even need life insurance? Well, that depends on who you ask. The Pros and Cons of Life Insurance for Children
Some financial experts believe you should never buy life insurance for children. Children, they state, are not breadwinners and have no income to replace. The money spent on a policy for children could be better invested elsewhere.
Other financial experts take the opposite opinion. They believe that child life insurance can provide security for families. Should the unthinkable happen, it can help families pay for …
- Medical and funeral expenses
- Counseling for parents after a child’s death
- Time needed off from work
They find that the minimal expense of a term life insurance policy is worth the peace of mind it provides.
Finding Term Life Insurance for Children
If you decide to buy life insurance for your child, your first step should be to check your own policy and see if you can add a child death benefit rider. Many companies offer this feature, although you may be limited to $5,000 or $10,000 worth of coverage.
If adding a child death benefit rider to your policy is not an option, or if you want higher limits of coverage, you’ll need to purchase a separate policy. The exact rate you’ll pay depends on: * The company you choose
- The age of your child
- The coverage you want
The best way to find a cheap policy is to visit an insurance comparison website. On this type of website you complete a simple online application, after which you’ll begin to receive rate quotes from multiple A-rated companies. You can then compare those quotes and choose the cheapest policy with the coverage you want.
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Posted in Life Insurance, Tips | 1 Comment »
Monday, December 17th, 2007 |
Do you know that skyrocketing health care costs have been draining the federal government and employer’s exchequers over the last couple of years? The health care costs account for 15.5 percent of U.S GDP and is the most expensive benefit paid by employers, seriously affecting their competitiveness in the global market. Health care spending is projected to top $1.9 trillion in 2005, about twice the amount being spent on education. According to the Employment Policy Foundation, employers have spent $331 billion last year for health insurance, a 50 percent increase since 1998. All of these never-improving alarming statistics did result in designing the Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP), making the insured person an active member in controlling the costs, rather than being passive and relying on the managed benefit program. The idea was pioneered by Definity Health in Minnesota in the year 2000 and has seen a rapid adoption by the employers/employees over the years due to its inherent cure-for-all strategy.
CDHP is all about transferring the reins of health-care costs to the participating individual, thereby making him an active and informed decision maker for his/her heath-care needs. Consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) are typically a combination of a high-deductible medical insurance plan coupled with an employer sponsored reimbursement account (HRA) or a health care savings (HSA) plan that consumers access to pay for eligible medical care expenses. Unutilized funds may be carried over for health care expenses for future years, encouraging the participants to use the accumulated asset in a wise manner. The plans would also include coverage for any preventive care services such as annual health-checkups, immunizations and childcare. The money from the savings plan can also be used for tax-free reimbursement of post-retirement insurance premiums. In the HRA version of the plan, the employer sets aside a pre-defined set of dollars for usage by the employee. The HRA plan is not transferable between employers. When the amount is exhausted, there is some out-of-pocket expenditure incurred by the participant. Employers are now able to control the health-care costs, and the member is encouraged to wisely utilize the money using the annual rollover feature to save for possible major future expenses.
The HSA based plan, involves contribution to a savings account on a pre-tax basis, by the employer and/or employee and is portable as the participant changes employer / plan. The member also has the flexibility to select the investment options for the savings account. In either of the plans, the participant has to pay the pre-defined level of annual deductible and the remaining expenses are reimbursed by the plan on a co-payment basis, subject to a maximum level of out-of-pocket payment. The member’s incentive of maintaining the assets in the account encourages proper scrutiny of health-care related bills, costs and/or evaluation of the necessity of visits to the doctor. Inherent to the design of the plan, the participant is rewarded through increased savings by judiciously controlling his/her medical expenses.
HSA is a comparatively newer development in the insurance industry, resulting in a usual time lag of adoption by the employers. As per a recent survey conducted by America’s Health Insurance Plans, 79 percent of the HSA adoptions were by individuals. Even though the number of employers offering HRAs outnumber those that offer HSAs, but in the long-run it is estimated that the latter will take over due to its simplicity and popularity among the consumers as they have more control on the accumulated medical dollars.
Another recent survey of employers conducted by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, reveals a preference of HSAs being offered by as compared to the other plan by the year 2006. According to Charles Koser, Infinisource Vice President of Business Development, 40 percent of businesses with less than 10 employees do not offer health insurance based on a recent study done by the National Federation of Independent Businesses [ NFIB ]. He further states that, HSA is a very affordable option for these employers and probably proves the point when the study also reveals that 32 percent of HSA adopters were uninsured.
Proper Communication is probably the key factor in ensuring adoption of CDHPs in an organization. According to Sara Taylor, national leader for annual enrollment at Hewitt Associates “Employers aren’t going to see much enrollment in consumer-driven health plans, if it’s only one option out of 15 plans….Having a choice between a consumer-driven plan and a traditional health plan is a better way to drive employee enrollment to HSAs and HRAs”. Also, the initiatives must stress on building a healthier and health-care-cost-conscious workforce with cheaper access to preventive care with a CDHP. Over the next couple of years, we are probably going to see more adoptions of CDHPs by the major corporations, giving the employees direct control of the medical dollars and controlling the investment opportunities for the accumulated assets. A recent survey was conducted by Aon Consulting and International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS), in January and February of this year. The survey of 208 benefit managers revealed that 22 percent of the businesses offered a CDHP to their employees. To indicate that CDHP has gained significant popularity in recent years, the survey also mentions that 74 percent of the corporations offering a CDHP started doing so in 2004 and 2005, with over half that group having started in January this year.
As per a Forrester Research study, about $88 billion of insurance-premium dollars are estimated from adoption of CDHP model by 2007. With a gradual adoption of CDHP model among the employees - an organization of about 10,000 employees, incurring about $8,000 per employee annually – can save up to $10 million over a period of four years.
At the same time, consumer needs to make sure they at least get a PPO style negotiated price through their health insurance carriers before they meet their deductibles – otherwise savings of the affordable health insurance may go way. More and more doctors and hospitals are getting it in writing from the patients that they will be paying usual and customary charges instead of lower PPO negotiated prices. This trend itself can make Consumer Driven Health and Medical Insurance unattractive.
To sum it up, CDHP seems to be offering a reliable antidote for the raging health-care costs in corporate America and create a new pool of cost-conscious consumers.
Posted in Healh Insurance, Insurance, Tips | 2 Comments »
Saturday, December 15th, 2007 |
If you have only been able to rent property in the last few years due to poor credit, you may feel the time is right to buy a property using an adverse credit home loan. However, buying a home can be a daunting prospect, especially if you have had credit problems in the past.
This should not deter you though, because even with poor credit you can still find the house that you want. All you need to do is find and secure the right home loan. Before looking for a property you should find out more about securing an adverse home loan. It pays to know about how much you can borrow before house hunting, because otherwise you will face disappointment when you find the house of your dreams but you are unable to afford it. However, if you follow a few simple steps then finding an adverse credit loan can be much less troublesome than you might think.
Finding a lender The very first step on the path to finding an adverse loan is to find yourself a lender who is willing to offer you a loan. This may seem like a near impossible task to you, but in fact there are a fair number of lenders who might be able to help you. Property is an attractive item for lenders because if they need to take possession then it will be relatively easy to sell. Take the time to look around to find a lender you are happy with.
One of the best ways of finding a lender is by using the Internet. This saves you the time of travelling to lenders who cannot help you, and also allows you to search specifically for those lenders who specialise in offering adverse credit home loans. As well as searching online you should visit mortgage lenders and banks in your area. The more research you do, then the more likely you are to find the first adverse credit home loan for your needs.
Getting pre-approval Once you have found the lender you think is right for you, then you need to get pre-approval if possible, Pre-approval means that the lender carries out a number of the credit checks necessary to approve you for a loan, so that they can offer you a guaranteed amount that they will lend you. This allows you to begin looking for a property with a budget in mind, as well as showing sellers that you have the correct finance in place to purchase the property.
If a specific lender will not give you pre-approval, then try and find one that does. Buying a house Now that you have your pre-approved adverse credit home loan, it is time to find yourself a property. You can look for properties being sold by individuals, or consult a realtor who can help you find a property. Whichever method you choose, it is important to remember that there is more to buying a house than the initial cost.
Although your adverse credit loan will cover the costs of the property itself, you might need to find the money for items such as closing costs and down payments. It is worthwhile consulting a professional who will be able to help you with the property transaction and keep you aware of any extra costs involved.
Posted in Home Loan, Tips | No Comments »
Saturday, December 15th, 2007 |
There are a number of ways that you can lower your used car loan rate. All it takes is just a little resourcefulness and knowing how the loan rate works. One way to reduce your auto loan interest rate is to have a good credit record. Generally, people with good credit history are considered low credit risk and therefore pose low risks to the lenders money.
That is why they are allowed to enjoy a lower used vehicle loan interest rate. To increase your credit rating, you need to do the following: pay off any current debts, make monthly payments for debts that you can fully pay off and put money into your savings account. Your savings deposit will help your credit score since this serves as your pool of funds in case of emergency. Another way to reduce your car loan rate is to pay a bigger down payment on your used vehicle purchase.
The lesser amount you borrow, the lower car loan interest you will have to pay. Still another way to lower the used vehicle interest rate is through refinancing. Refinancing a car loan is for people who already have a car loan. Refinancing companies pay your current balance. In turn, you are expected to make monthly payments to the refinancing company for a lesser interest rate. Another thing to consider in used car loan rates is the Federal Funds Rate. Although direct correlation between Federal Funds Rate and used car loan rate could not be proven but changes in short-term cost of money do affect the used car loan rate.
Although short-term loans are affected by the higher Federal Funds Rate to a certain degree what actually fund these loans are the locally-gathered deposits. The local deposits in the form of time deposits are where the lenders obtain funds or are called the cost of obtaining funds. These costs of funds are the interest you get for time deposits. As the lenders cost of funds increases, the rates on short-term loans also increases.
Lenders need to attract both depositors and borrowers in order to make money. The drifting of rates is the cause why Federal Reserve moves are made from six months to a year to be fully realized in the economy which could contribute to an increase in the used car loan rate. Since used car loan rates vary from lender to lender, you should scout around for the best interest rate before choosing a lender.
You have a variety of choices among banks, credit unions, dealerships and online used car loans. Taking advantage of a used car loan is actually a good way to establish a good credit reputation. You can build credit through your car loan. A good credit standing will qualify you to buy more expensive things such as a brand new car or a house in the future. Not only that with the good credit you have established in your used car loan, you will also be able to avail of lower interest rates should you apply for a loan again.
To have your used vehicle loan approved you need to get a credit report check done, meet requirements for the used car like mileage, good appearance and road worthiness. These factors will enable the lender to determine the worth of the used car.
Posted in Car Loan, Tips | 1 Comment »
Saturday, December 1st, 2007 |
If you have watched countless shows on television about flipping houses and making tons of money in a very short amount of time you’ve probably thought to yourself that you could do that and possibly wondered why you haven’t. If you are considering entering into the world of real estate investing through the role of one who flips houses there are a few pros and cons that you might want to carefully consider before taking the plunge.
Pros
Potential profits that are large and relatively quick. Those who flip properties as a sole source of income can make in a few months what the average worker in this country makes in an entire year. The potential profits are great in this line of work for the successful house flipping team.
Being your own boss. This is within certain limits of course are some areas have strict zoning ordinances and code requirements that must be respected and adhered to when working on a house. Even so you maintain a large degree of control over all the decisions having to do with the flip.
Getting to work with power tools. There is that little kid in most of us that really loves the idea of playing with power tools. In fact, that is the deciding factor for many who have gone into this particular field of real estate investing in the past.
It’s hands on. There are all kinds of different investments that you can put your money into but very few allow you to pour your heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears into them the way that flipping a house does.
Cons
Risk. Real estate is a risky business in its own right. When you add the skills that are needed in order to flip a house, the wide variety of things that may go wrong during a flip, and the volatility of the market in general there is so much that can go wrong when it comes to flipping a house. You must be prepared to walk away with less than nothing in order to make the high dollar profits that a successful flip can bring to the table.
No easy out. If you invest in stocks that go bad it is possible to pull your money out of that stock and go somewhere else. It is a little more difficult to do this when it comes to a house flip. You need to be prepared to see it through to the finish if you begin flipping a house.
Expenses. It’s expensive to flip a house. You will need to come up with no small investment of your own in order to do this. It will take careful planning and diligent adherence to those plans in order to successfully flip a house but the rewards for your significant financial investment are most often well worth the effort.
Physical labor. For many first time house flippers who are accustomed to office jobs the aches and pains and inexperience of muscles and hands to certain jobs prove painful both physically and financially. Not everyone is as skilled as the next guy when it comes to physical labor, carpentry, painting, installing floors, hanging cabinetry, and countless other skills you will be called upon to perform while in the process of flipping a house. You will occasionally need the help of skilled professionals and on occasion need large doses of your favorite muscle ache ointment.
Despite all the pros and cons many people around the world embark on their first house flipping adventure each and every day. The allure of quick rewards often outweigh the need for cautious prudence. But for many of these people their efforts will pay off. Are you ready to take the plunge or have you decided that a safer difference between you and the power tools just might be the best bet? If you decide to go the distance and flip your first house I wish you the best of luck.
Posted in Real Estate, Tips | No Comments »
Thursday, November 15th, 2007 |
In today’s mass-market media world, everybody is trying to get something for nothing. One very old saying says to never look a gift horse in the mouth. This is as true today as it was when it was first coined. Whenever something is offered for free, there is almost always a catch to it. Granted there are many free grants and scholarships available, but if something doesn’t look quite right, investigate thoroughly before signing on the dotted line. Some of the things to look for include hidden fees and up-front monies to be paid.
Among the junk mail are letters that look legitimate but are in fact a scheme to con a person into paying for something that is nothing more than a scam. Some of these are obvious uses of a legitimate fund name but with one or two letters changed. By reading the text of the letter and the fine print it is usually easy to spot the phony offers. However, if there are any questions, have the school financial aid officers look it over. There is a book published each year listing available scholarships.
Students with less than stellar academic records are easy targets. Offers that state things such as ‘First come, first served’ are never true. This kind of deadline may be true for furniture sales, but never true for scholarships. Another favorite line is “You’ve won!” If you have not applied for this scholarship, you cannot just win it. A scholarship must be applied for. These two types of scams almost invariably ask for credit card information for verification, or a bank account number to hold the winnings. This is never asked for with legitimate scholarship grants. One other catch phrase to watch for is “It’s guaranteed”. A scholarship search cannot guarantee getting a person scholarship money.
Posted in Student Loan, Tips | No Comments »
Thursday, November 8th, 2007 |
Even if you have little credit or no credit rating at all, you can still get a student loan. Student loans are a good way to build credit as well, so once you obtain one, be sure to repay it.
Wonderful student loans for those with little or no credit are government-backed loans or loans offered through your university. One such option is the Stafford loan. When the student borrows these loans, most lenders do not look at the student’s credit history. You can apply for a Perkins loan as well, which also does not look at your credit history. The government supplies the money for this type of loan, but it is reserved those who are most in need, so this option is not available for everyone.
Because Perkins and Stafford student loans are often limited to a particular amount each year and in total, there are also government-backed student loans for parents of students, called PLUS loans. Because these are government-backed loans, lenders - whether a financial institution or the government itself - do not look at anyone’s credit score. These lenders do, however, take a look at your credit history to decide if you are late on any payments or in default. If so, you will not be able to receive a loan.
One thing to remember with government-backed loans is that, though you can defer payments and you may have very low interest rates, you must re-pay your loans. The government cannot only hire a bill collector, but they can confiscate your federal tax refunds or even deduct the payments from your wages. Also, if you declare bankruptcy, more often than not, your student loans will not be forgiven. If you have bad credit or no credit, student loans can be a good option for you.
Posted in Credit Rating, Tips | No Comments »
Thursday, November 8th, 2007 |
Federal student loans have the lowest interest rates and the best repayment options. If you need to apply for a loan and you can qualify for federal loans then make this the top choice. As a way of limiting your loan responsibilities, only get the funds that you will need and refuse any other offers to raise it. Parents can opt to help their children pay off the loans after graduation.
Federal parent loans or PLUS loans (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students) can be considered as another option in getting a loan that offers lower interest rates. Parents that have dependent children who are going to start their university education and have a good credit history can apply for the PLUS loan. PLUS loans are not needs based so you can draw up a loan up to the total cost of your undergraduate education expenses with the other financial aids that you have received deducted from the actual total. One peculiar characteristic of a PLUS loan though is that the first payment for the loan starts about 60 days after the loan is granted. This is different from a student loan where the first loan payment is deferred until after graduation. PLUS loans also require an application fee.
The big decision to be made is to determine which kind of loan will be the best option for the individual. When deciding on which loan to get you should first determine the amount of debt that your child will need in order to graduate from his studies. You should also ask yourself the level of responsibility you want your child to assume in paying off the loan. Finally you should sit down with your child and try to work out a repayment plan in paying for the loan.
Posted in Student Loan, Tips | No Comments »
Thursday, November 1st, 2007 |
General Insurance Tips:
1. Have your current insurance policy with you when requesting your insurance quotes.
2. Consider a higher insurance deductible.
3. Place all of your insurance policies with the same company to qualify for a multiple policy discount.
For Car Insurance Quotes
1. Be sure all vehicle discounts are applied (Anti-lock brakes, Alarm system, daytime running lights, vin-etching, etc.).
2. Take a defensive driving course.
3. Be very accurate about your mileage to and from work.
4. Ask about affinity discounts.
For a Homeowners Insurance Quotes
1. Be sure that your home is insured to its value
2. Be sure all home discounts are applied (Alarm, smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, dead bolt locks, etc.).
3. If your older home has been renovated, tell your agent.
For a Life Insurance Quotes
1. Consider level premium term insurance.
2. If you are a smoker, quit for at least 13 months and request that your insurance company consider you for a nonsmoker insurance rate.
For a Health Insurance Quotes
1. Consider a higher co-payment or deductible.
2. Join a group health insurance plan.
For a Long-term Insurance Quotes
1. Consider a longer elimination (waiting) period.
2. Purchase coverage when you are young (premiums are lower).
3. Pick a daily benefit based on where you live.
[Via HTQ]
Posted in Tips | No Comments »
