It's a Good Time to Become a Teacher

- Are you looking for a rewarding career?

- Have you ever thought of becoming a teacher?

Turn your love of learning in to a love of teaching and experience the joy of helping students discover their potential.

Teaching today requires more than just caring about students and knowing one's subject well. It is the job of an educator to know what motivates students, how to diagnose their strengths and weaknesses, and how to create and atmosphere in which students thrive. Being a teacher is a rewarding and demanding profession and it has the power to shape America's future. If you want to change lives for the better, pursuing a teching career can be the right choice for you.

Teacher Responsibilities

Teachers help students learn and apply concepts in subjects such as English, Science and mathematics. They take action using interactive debate or a practical approach to help children understand conceptual ideas, use problem-solving skills and build up critical thinking processes. Teachers will prepare students for the future by

To encourage collaboration in solving problems, students are increasingly working in groups to discuss and solve problems together. Teachers prepare students for the future by having them interact with others in group settings. Teachers will prepare their students further by training them to understand new technology, and lean logical thinking. It is the ultimate responsibility of a teacher to provide the proper environment in which to teach and practice these skills.

Work Environment

Teachers often work more than 40 hours per week. There is a great deal of time spent outside of the classroom setting where teachers prepare the lessons for their students. Teachers do, however, only work 9-10 months out of the year. Teachers can find their working conditions to be frustrating at times. Students are sometimes disrespectful and unmotivated, leaving a teacher to cope with the strain of unmanageable behavior and students who exhibit unsatisfactory performance. Additional factors such as classroom overcrowding, and lack of school funding can make a teachers work environment even more stressful.

Education and Training

Every state requires teachers to be licensed by the state in which they work, and those requirements vary from state to state. All states do, however, require that all teachers hold at least a Bachelor's degree and to have completed an approved teacher training program with an approved number of education credits, as well as supervised practice teaching. Many states require continuing education for teachers to maintain licensure. Teachers may also study further to become board certified which gives them higher status and pay in their position. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards offers this voluntary national certification. To become nationally accredited, skilled educators confirm their ability to teach by collecting a portfolio showing their effort in the classroom and by passing a written assessment and evaluation of their teaching knowledge.

Employment Outlook is Good for Teachers

Job Opportunities for teachers are excellent ? and will continue to be. There is currently a shortage of qualified teachers in many areas across the country, and there is expected to be a great deal of current educators retiring over the next 10 years. This will ensure many available opportunities for those wanted to earn their degree to become a teacher.

* According to the American Federation of Teachers,

Which Online Learning Program is Right for You

Which Online Learning Program is Right for You?

--Are you looking for an education plan to fit your busy schedule?

--Do you have family obligations that keep you from attending campus-based programs?

You might want to consider getting your education online with a program that is flexible enough to meet the demands of your busy life.

Before attending a traditional university, you will want to visit the campus and see if you might fit in there. With a traditional campus based university program you will spend the better part of your week on campus attending classes. Because of this you will need to be comfortable with you surroundings and professors.

When looking for and online program, you will want to think about several things such as which one ? or how long do you expect it to take. Many factors can greatly impact your course of study. You will need to get a feel for online programs as well to see which one will be the best fit for you. There are several key things you need to consider before making any decisions about online programs. The following will give you some insight on how to visit virtual campuses and what to look for in an online learning program.

What to look for in online programs

Selecting an online program needs to be carefully chosen as with any university program. When deciding on the right program of study for you, one needs to find out the focus of the program and whether that focus is on course content or learning activities etc. Most schools will display samples of course descriptions on their website which can give you a better idea of what is expected. This will often be a list of topics and course descriptions, as well as classes you will be able to take after completion. Programs will vary by how research and inquiry are integrated into the program, and what kinds of relationships will be formed with others in the program.

Interaction with other students is a major part of traditional university programs. Even you don't interact physically with students in online programs, you do interact in discussion boards or collaborative projects. You often find a community of distance learning students who share their own experiences and insight with others. Many online schools have resources for students learning online to have online community support networks.

DeVry University , University of Phoenix Online, and Strayer University Online for example, offer comprehensive degree programs that will give you the top-notch education you are looking for, and have many great programs to offer for distance-learning students. Which program is best for you depends on the benefits you want to achieve from your program of study. You have to ask yourself what is right for you, both in the short term and over the long term as well.

Getting your Bachelor's Degree

A bachelor's degree is the traditional 4-year degree awarded by undergraduate colleges and universities. Though it generally requires at least four years to complete, students often find that 5 years is more realistic. Online Bachelor Degrees are a great way to earn an online degree when you cannot attend a traditional campus based bachelor degree program, or are looking to complete your coursework in a shorter time.

The two most common classes of bachelor's degrees awarded by schools are the Bachelor of Science degree or B.S. degree, and the Bachelor of Arts degree, or B.A. Most institutions of higher learning offer both the B.A. and the B.S. degrees. Most students enrolling in college pursue a bachelor's degree. The Bachelor of Arts is awarded for broad and liberal education in humanities, arts, social sciences, and sciences. The Bachelor of Science is awarded for directed curricula that highlight critical thinking and the understanding of sciences and social sciences. B.S. degrees usually require students to take a majority of their in the sciences, namely life sciences, physical sciences, or the mathematical sciences.

All students pursuing a bachelor's degree need to declare a major by the completion of their second year. Undergraduates must complete a required number of courses of class credits within their major area to earn their bachelors degree and graduate. There is other course work that needs to be completed in related areas to meet the certain requirements to receive a bachelor's degree. Additionally, students will have to complete a number of courses outside their majors.

Individuals holding a bachelor's degree earn substantially more than those who don't. Adults with a bachelor's degree earn over a million dollars more in their lifetime - on average - than people without a degree. In the workplace today, more employers require applicants to posses an accredited bachelor degree.

Low Rate Car Loans: Get The Best Deal

The best way to haggle for the best fair profit in car loans is to get one with low rates. Interest rates depend on several factors. If your lender charges you low rates, then that means that you have met the criteria needed in order to get good rates on car loans. So what factors can contribute to being charged low rates? Below are a few things you might want to consider if you want to get the best car loan deal available in the auto financing market.

Low Rates Car Loans: Obtain a copy of your credit report.

Approving applications for car loans is a rigorous process and involves a myriad of variables. One of the first things that your lender looks at when evaluating you for car loans is your credit report. If you have good credit, then your chances of getting low rates are high. However, if your credit is bad, there's every chance that you won't get low rates for your car loans. Borrowers with good credit usually get car loans for low rates that range from 1 to 1.9% APR.

If you want to improve your chances of getting approved for car loans with low rates, then it's always a good idea to obtain a copy of your credit report first. In this way, you'll know beforehand what you're facing with when you apply for low rates car loans. You can get your credit report from online credit agencies, such as Experian, Equifax, TrueCredit, or ConsumerInfo.

Another thing that you need to remember with your credit report is that the more times your credit gets pulled out; the greater your chances that your credit rating will drop. With this in mind, it's never a good idea to go around the country applying for car loans here and there in an effort to get low rates. It's better if you get your own credit report and just simply fax a copy of that to a dealer. Any lender or dealer can pre-approve you for low rates car loans using the fax copy. Of course, before finalizing anything, they would perform one last check on your credit and they would have to pull out your file to do this. But this shouldn't be reason for panic. That's just one credit check on your record and the damage is considerably less.

Low Rates Car Loans: Get them from Prime Lenders.

A good way to get low rates is to get your car loans from prime lenders. Examples of prime lenders are banks, credit unions, and other large lending institutions. Banks often charge low rates for their car loans, thereby saving you thousands of money in monthly repayments. Credit unions also offer low rates for their car loans, lower even than those offered by banks. If you're a member of a credit union, you enjoy even more incentives, such as special low rates, additional features, and more.

Low Rates Car Loans: Look at Tiers.

If you want to get low rates for your car loans, then you should be prepared to do a good amount of research. If push comes to shove, you can always go to your bank and speak with any of their loan officers regarding their credit tiers. These are usually rated as follows: A, A-, et cetera.

Deciding Whether A Payday Loan Is Right For You

Payday loans are often touted as a quick fix for a bad financial situation, letting you bridge the gap between running out of money and your next wage or salary coming in. The basic idea is that you can borrow a small amount of a few hundred dollars for a short period of a week or two, and repay the debt next time you get paid.

This sort of service can indeed be very useful if you've run out of cash for living expenses, or if you're faced with an unexpected bill or expense that you simply can't cover when you need to, but are payday loans always the good choice they're presented as?

First, we'll take a look at the undeniable advantages of these loans, before looking at the disadvantages, and possible alternatives you may be able to use if you decide a payday loan isn't right for you.

The lending criteria for payday loans are very generous indeed, and almost anyone who's employed and has a suitable bank account will likely be approved. This means that even people with terrible credit ratings should be able to get a payday loan, despite being rejected for nearly any other form of finance.

They are also easy to arrange, and you can often get the money in your account in a matter of days. Some lenders can even arrange an overnight transfer of the loan straight into your account the very next day, which is obviously very useful when you need cash in a hurry.

Finally, once you've been approved for your first loan, it's usually a very simple matter to 'refresh' your loan again if you find you need to make use of the facility if funds are again short in the future.

There are, however, two major downsides to payday loans which you rarely see mentioned in the advertisements and web sites promoting them. Firstly, they're very expensive compared to other forms of credit. Because the term of the loan is so short, a fee of 20% of the amount you borrow - which is about standard - will work out to be an eye-wateringly high APR.

The second problem is closely related: because they're so expensive, you can easily be left short of money the next month once you've cleared the loan and paid the fee. In this scenario, it's just too easy to refresh your loan again to cover the shortfall, resulting in more fees, and a never ending cycle of borrowing.

So, if you decide that a payday loan isn't a good choice for you, what alternatives do you have? The first one is making use of a credit card, if you have one. While credit cards are usually also pretty expensive forms of finance, they do allow you to spread the debt over a number of months rather than needing to be repaid straight away along with a fee.

Many bank accounts now offer an overdraft facility, which can also be used to cover a short term lack of money. The interest rate on an agreed overdraft is likely to be better than that of a credit card, but your bank may not approve your application. Beware of going ahead and overdrawing without your bank's agreement, as the charges they will levy in this case will be very expensive.

If neither of these options is available to you, and you have no other way of getting hold of money such as borrowing off family, then a payday loan may be the best option. Just ensure that you use it properly, and heed the warning sign it's giving you about the longer term state of your finances.

Choosing the Best Type of Lease for Your Business

When it comes to leasing equipment, understanding what it can do for your business is only part of the equation. Understanding and choosing the best lease for your business is another matter altogether. The market is primed for the use of equipment leasing to expand, grow and hone a businesses assets, but at the same time there is little material out there to help a business judge what's a good lease and what isn't.

What You See Is What You Get

There is an old truism that says you get what you pay for. When it comes to equipment leasing, you want a lease that clearly defines your responsibilities versus the lessor's responsibilities. You really want it to be what you see is what you get. So how do you go about choosing the best type of lease for your business?

Shop the options is the best way to get started. If you know what type of equipment you need, then comparison-shop the options with different companies. Some key figures to make sure are included in any lease option are:

• Cost Per Month
• Maintenance Contract
• Cost of Maintenance Contract
• Training Available
• Customer Service
• Availability for Software and Hardware Support
• Obsolescence Upgrades
• Term of Contract
• Renewal Terms

When it comes to long-term leases, it's better to set the terms from the outset to deliver the best possible results to the company overhead. When it comes to maintenance, many leasing companies package that as a separate component. If a piece of equipment fails altogether, it's likely the leasing company will replace it. But what if the piece of equipment goes down? Will there be a 2-hour, 4-hour or 24-hour response time to getting a service technician on-site and the equipment back into operation?

This information is critical because when a piece of equipment is operable, it's just a piece of junk taking up room and preventing the business from operating normally. Upgraded maintenance contracts will have to be negotiated. But there's also the concern about what happens when a newer, better model of equipment becomes available? Does the lease terms support an upgrade to this model of equipment or will it require waiting until the contract is up for renewal

Beware Hidden Costs

By getting the information up front, a business can avoid hidden expenses. They can plan budgetary requirements and potentially for long-term leases, bring up training requirements for their staff. This is another concern that some companies don't consider when negotiating a lease. Will the operator of the equipment receive training from the leasing corporation? Do they have representatives that understand the operation of the equipment and provide certified instruction? If not, how is that handled?

While this will not be a concern for every piece of equipment leased, for those businesses that require certified training it's good to know if it will be available. Also in the case of leasing computer equipment, how is software licensing handled? Is packaged into the hardware lease or do those licenses need to be obtained separately?

Finally, understanding the renewal terms can help circumvent a rise in cost for renewing an equipment lease. Some contracts will allow locking a price for a period of five years. The lease may only last two years, but at the renewal point the cost is locked in for that particular piece of equipment. When it comes to a long-term budgetary forecast, every piece of information can help.

Clearly defining what an individual contract delivers from a leasing company can provide a business with the opportunity to comparison shop. By comparing the different options, price levels and services from one leasing company to the next, a business will be choosing the best equipment lease for their business.

Workflow automation in the leasing industry creates efficiencies

Lease management software provider Odessa Technologies contends that automated workflow processing accelerates lease processing times, effectively manages related processes, and optimizes workforce efficiencies in any decision making environment. Any workflow process, whether it be for the decision on lease applications or vendor payments (check requests), can be accommodated by an automated workflow system that is built with adequate versatility. In fact, the automation of decision making can fundamentally change the way an organization works, forcing it to confront its bottlenecks and find new ways to create efficiencies.

Workflow model applied traditionally
A standard workflow that can be managed through an automated workflow system is the lease application process. Typically, a lease application traverses through various departments or stages before an approval or rejection decision is made. An application may, for instance, first go to the credit department, then funding, and finally to the legal department before getting approval. Moreover, certain applications (i.e. those which exceed a certain pre-defined dollar limit) may have to make two (or more) stops in the credit department before moving forward. Workflows such as these can be easily modeled in an automated system; further, based on certain user-defined conditional logic (such as a credit limit), the application can even move through different paths within the same workflow.

Extending the workflow concept beyond the traditional
With the advent of sophisticated leasing software applications, it is now possible to automate entire workflow processes within an organization. Workflow automation in the leasing environment lends itself to a high degree of control over the typical processes followed by companies with tight security controls and access rights of users and roles. It also lends itself to planning, based on the data that is maintained by the system. At any given point, managers can, for instance, accurately assess where applications stand, which payments need approval, their stage in the approval process, and any related impact on cash-flow planning, etc. Performance can be appraised based on approval rates, the quality of applications, the number and type of credit checks made, the length of time a particular role/user took to make certain types of decisions, etc. Therefore, an automated workflow system not only allows for greater efficiency, but given its data-richness, also serves as a natural control and planning tool for the entire organization.

Workflow software functionality
Automated workflow software provides businesses with unparalleled flexibility and functionality. Users can easily perform a range of functions such as:
-Replicate real-world workflows for efficient management of front and back office processes
-Receive applications online or through any source desired
-Set up vendor programs, unique to each vendor
-Automate credit decisioning
-Apply pre-determined price matrices
-Automate decisions based on one or many variables
-Set up unlimited workflows to process decisions
-Define unique conditions and tasks for each stage in any workflow
-Comprehensively generate and manage all related documentation
-Process complex decisions that exactly represent the needs of each situation
-Manage and control the overall system with extensive levels of control

Benefits of Leasing Equipment

Leasing equipment provides the lessee with all the following benefits of utilizing the equipment without having to pay the up-front costs or assuming the risk of ownership. A lease is one of the best ways for businesses to stay on top of the development curve. With so many new developments that occur (particularly in the technology areas) equipment leasing is less financially expensive. Running a business means making sound financial decisions that improve the condition and quality of a business. Equipment leasing provides such a benefit along with:

• Minimal Cash Outlay
• Overcoming Budgetary Limitations
• Avoidance of Obsolescence
• Flexibility in Terms and Equipment
• Conservation of the Business' Working Capital
• Increased Opportunities
• Tax Benefits
• Fast Applications
• 100% Financing

The minimal cash outlay allows a business to conserve their own capital. A lease also provides for servicing equipment failures. When managing a large computer room, owning all the computer equipment would place not only the upfront cost of purchasing the equipment, but also maintenance and repair as needed. Businesses that conserve personal business capital and lines of credit can handle the more mundane day-to-day expenses and unexpected events.

Budgetary concerns over new equipment purchases can be circumvented through equipment leasing. Operating budgets tend to be more flexible than a capital budget. The lease terms can be as flexible as required and are often negotiable on an individual basis. Lease terms are usually much longer than a standard bank loan, which makes their payment terms even better.

The ability to upgrade remains one of the best benefits of equipment leasing. Businesses grow; technology changes and the needs of both can change year to year. Equipment leasing allows businesses to benefit from developments on both sides of the aisle. Lease terms may also be structured to handle these changing situations.

Considering this multitude of benefits for equipment leasing, it's not surprising that more and more businesses are reaching out to lease their equipment rather than purchase it. The benefits of leasing are not limited to the computer industry or to large corporations. Small businesses can benefit even more from equipment leasing than a large corporation may.

In a contest of leasing versus buying, leasing wins most of the time. Imagine the small business that houses only two employees. Their working capital may afford a couple of PCs and some exterior accounts to host a website. When a PC in the office goes down, if they are not leasing they will need to replace the machine. In general, the cost of replacing a standard PC is significantly lower than repairing one.

Small businesses need the ability to remain flexible, to upgrade and to keep their machines in maintenance and up to date. Even more than their corporate big brother, they need to know they will remain on the cutting edge of the industry in order to make better business decisions. A small construction company that has no access to certain types of equipment will not be able to take on more challenging jobs. The graphic's designer that doesn't have the equipment to support the latest software will find himself or herself less competitive. An accountant that doesn't have the disk space to maintain growing accounts will have to turn away business.

Leasing equipment makes sense on a variety of financial levels, but also on levels addressing future growth. The business that takes advantage of these benefits are planning two steps ahead of their own niche market and will likely avoid being trumped by their competition. So whether a business is large or small, thinking ahead provides them with opportunity. What is the best benefit a business can receive from leasing their equipment? Opportunity.

What Are Podcasts And How Can They Help Your Business

So what exactly is a Podcast?

The word Podcast gets thrown around a lot these days but what exactly is a Podcast? Think of a podcast as a radio show that you can subscribe to or download at any time. It may help to think of it kind of like TIVO for audio programs. In fact, a podcast is a web feed of audio or video files placed on the Internet for anyone to subscribe to, or download. Search online and you'll find a range of Podcasts available on nearly every topic imaginable. They range from entertainment focused to educational to business oriented and everywhere in between.

A podcast differs from a simple download in that new content may be automatically delivered. Users need not click into your website for important specials since all of this information may be automatically downloaded. A podcast show consists of a series of individual episodes that you can listen to and view on-line or offline whenever and wherever you want.

While podcasting has been around for about five years now remarkably, the term itself, has only been around since 2004. It's a contraction of IPod (The most popular MP3 player) and broadcasting. However, you don't even have to have an MP3 player to listen to programs. You can 'subscribe' to an entire podcast series using software on your PC or listen to a single episode at a time by using a web browser. Subscribing to a podcast ensures that all new shows are automatically downloaded to your computer as they are published, and even better subscribing is generally free.

If you do happen to have an MP3 player, the next time you sync your device, your podcasts will be downloaded for listening on the go. If you don't want to subscribe, but rather just want a copy of a particular episode, you can just click the "Download" button to save to your hard disk. Once downloaded you can then manage it and play it like you would any other audio file. What distinguishes podcasts from other audio or video media is that the content is accessible to its audience(s) whenever, wherever, and however they want.

What are the business applications of Podcasting?

The podcast is a real advantage for business travelers and salespeople who are constantly on the go. Since they are frequently in transit they can learn about what a company is offering while they travel. They're able to stay in the loop about changes that are occurring in the industry or a particular company while on the way to their next meeting.
Whenever a business wants to change its marketing emphasis, their podcast will change with them. Podcasts enable potential customers to find out more about a particular company and its range of products and service without feeling pressured by a salesperson. Rather, a friendly voice explaining what makes the company unique will better serve to convert a potential client into a customer.

Podcasts also save on manpower. An extensive sales force is typically required to detail a company's newest offers and innovations. With a podcast, visitors click in and are directed to any new information the company wants to present.
The other really great thing about podcasts is that they have an incredibly wide reach. Clients from across the world can access information on companies or products and learn about them in a simple, direct manner at any time, and without having to be tied to a computer.

Especially important is the utilization of pod cast directories which list podcast shows along with the links to their original websites. These directories publicize the available podcasts. Among the more popular of the podcast directories are Yahoo Podcasts, Odeo, Podcast Alley and Podcasting News. When using directories it's important to select genre and content categories that make it easier for listeners to find your podcast. Once you are listed with a directory, you will begin to get visitors from these directories to your website.
In order to encourage visitors to listen your podcast you'll need to start by creating an enticing title that tells them just enough about your product to intrigue them.

More important than having a great title though is having even better content. An outline for your podcast will enable you to be sure you don't lose your audience, and cover all the points you want to hit. How long your podcast will be is directly related to how much news you have to share and the extent to which you can keep that news fresh and exciting. Frequency of updates is also an important issue to address. This will likely depend on the nature of what you're discussing and how quickly things change in that industry.

So to sum up: Podcasts are basically like online radio shows that can be downloaded, or subscribed to. When used effectively they can be a powerful marketing tool for any sort of business.

Budgeting: The Critical Flaw That Causes Most Budgets to Fail

Budgeting. It's a word we're all familiar with. Everyone knows what a budget is, right? Yet how many of us actually make and stick to a solid monthly budget? The truth is that most of us start out with the best of intentions, but an unexpected expense comes up and busts our budget. Then we give up and go back to juggling our finances and worrying about having too much month left at the end of the money. However, if you are striving to create a budget for the purpose of systematically paying off your debts or to start a savings and investment program, then it's critical to develop a workable and realistic budget.

So what's the problem? Why do most of us fail at the simple task of creating a budget so we can live within our means? The simple truth is that most budgets don't work because they fail to account for irregular or variable expenses. Everyone knows how much their rent or mortgage payment is. It's the same amount month after month. If your rent is $1,000 per month, that's a no-brainer. The same is true of many other fixed expenses, such as auto loan payments, cable TV subscriptions, insurance premiums, and so on. It's easy to budget for these expenses because the amounts don't change from one month to the next.

Besides expenses that are the exact same figure each month, there are numerous types of expenses that vary a little from one month to the next, yet we still have a pretty good idea what we spend each month. A good example is our grocery bill. Most of us have a fairly clear picture of how much we spend each week at the supermarket. So, we can insert a realistic figure into our budget-in-progress and not be too far off the mark. The amounts may go up or down slightly each month, but we usually know the range we're dealing with. Other examples of this category include telephone bills, utility bills and gasoline (when prices are stable, that is).

The real culprit in busted budgets is the variable or irregular expense. How much will you spend on car repairs over the next 12 months? What about medical bills? Home maintenance costs? It seems that bills for these types of expenses hit us out of left field, and there goes our budget. Before long, we're using food money to cover a new set of tires for our car and the whole budget comes crashing down.

So what's the solution? There is no perfect answer to this problem. But we can come to a close approximation by using the simple technique of monthly averaging. Start by gathering 12 months' worth of checkbook registers, bank statements, and credit card statements. Write down (or enter into a spreadsheet) how much you spent each and every time your money went toward something that was not a fixed expense. Group these expenditures into categories, such as auto, home maintenance, clothes, etc. Don't try to break it down too far. What you want is a handful of useful categories. Then keep listing each of these expenses under their relevant categories for the full 12-month period.

When you are done with this exercise, you should have an excellent idea of your total annual expenditure for these variable expenses. For example, if you add up all the automobile repair or maintenance expenses for the year, and the figure comes to $1,200, then divide by 12 to get the result of $100 per month average. That's how much you need to allow in your monthly budget in order to build up enough reserves to handle an auto repair when it comes up. Again, this method isn't perfect, because an expense may come up that exceeds your estimated outlay, but at least it takes into account a closer approximation to reality than simply guessing, or worse, ignoring auto maintenance in your budgeting.

The trick here is to set up a separate savings account in which to set aside these "extra" funds. Let's say the "extra" $100 goes into the savings account for six months, and then you get hit with an auto repair for $400. You pull the money from your $600 savings that was purposely built up for this type of expense. This way, you're automatically setting aside amounts intended to cover each type of irregular expense that you encountered over the previous year.

Most people are shocked when they perform this 12-month analysis of irregular expenses, and it immediately becomes clear why their budget is always breaking down. This technique leads to the discipline necessary to recognize that "extra" money is seldom really extra. If we think we have our bills covered, and there is some cash burning a hole in our pocket, our tendency is to spend it on something fun. But if we know that there really is no cash left over, because we haven't yet set aside the extra $100 needed to keep our car on the road, then we'll be less inclined to spend it on pizza, beer, and movies.

Budgeting can be successfully accomplished by this technique of monthly averaging, especially if we consistently apply it year after year. As we move forward, our understanding of our true expenses becomes clearer and clearer, and we are no longer surprised by the occasional unexpected expense.

The best way to implement this approach is to set up a regular savings program, where the amount you're setting aside to cover irregular expenses gets automatically deducted from your paycheck and forwarded to your savings account. If the money is deducted from your paycheck before you even see it, then you will be less tempted to skip this critical part of the budgeting process, and you will greatly increase the chances of making a budget work over the long term.

How Is Your Budget For The Holidays?

How Is Your Budget For The Holidays?

Most people have tried it – spending more on the holidays than intended. I comes as a surprise again an again. What is it with money and budgets that do not work? People split up because of money. It is an invisible force from our subconscious mind that tricks us to buy stuff we can not afford at a given moment.

The best way to stop spending too much money over the holidays, is to set a budget for how much you can spend, especially for gifts, and then stick with it, no matter what. Even if you subconscious mind tells you it is okay.

Do it outside the holidays too, people should keep a rein on their spending there as well. If you do it at all times it should be no problem in the holidays as well.

Sixty-one percent of Americans either does not have an annual household budget or feel it is difficulty to stick with it. Out of those who have tried to keep a household budget, fifty percent gave up trying to follow it. Your subconscious mind is doing its thing even if you do not like it.

The best way to maintain financial discipline might be to stop using credit cards. If you know you do not have enough money to buy something and pay for it this month, then maybe you should not buy it at all. Without a credit card in your pocket, you can not be tricked by your own mind to buy anything.

Maybe you have doubts whether you should spend anything on the holidays or not. Is it not just an industry game that is way too expensive for regular people? I think not, don't be afraid. You can get tons of great stuff that is not too expensive and that will bring joy and smiles in the house.

Have fun and thank you for your time.

Selling Your Vehicle Fast and Cheap

Since the internet arrived many years ago it has brought with it endless time and money saving opportunities. This is certainly true for those selling vehicles.

It was not so long ago that all vehicles being sold privately were done so using the traditional method of print advertising. Although this is of course still very popular, the attractions of internet advertising are many.

The potential audience reach alone should persuade a vehicle seller to consider the internet as a valuable advertising method, but then when you add to that the cost saving opportunity; it really should be the first choice method.

More than likely you will find that print advertising is more expensive than online, and also much more limited too. A typical newspaper for example, may provide a limit of around 20 words and a space for one photo (if you're lucky!). Take on the other hand an automobile classified site. A page dedicated solely to your vehicle with multiple photos and virtually unlimited description length is not uncommon for a fraction of the price.

So what about the audience reach of both methods?

Let us take print advertising. A more common scenario of print advertising is in a local newspaper or possibly a shop window, but this most certainly has its limitations in terms of audience reach. Some may argue that car selling and buying mainly occurs locally. However, I would argue that this isn't in fact the case, but rather that the seller is within a reasonable distance from the buyer. This reasonable distance is determined by the buyer, but a buyers desire to have a particular vehicle can often cancel out distance affecting a sale.

The internet, however, is available throughout the world, and more relevantly in this situation, in homes across the country that the seller resides.

With this comes the potential to obtain the full worth of the vehicle. Whereas with print advertising, the amount of responses that you receive may be small, advertising online may provide a much greater number of responses. This allows the seller to hold out for a sale of higher value, rather than to be haggled down because of lack of interest or lack of responses from a print advert.

Response times are also very fast when advertising online. Search facilities allow this to be true. Buyers that are searching for a certain vehicle with certain specifications (colour, engine size, etc.), can do so in a matter of minutes. This is much faster than looking through a list in a newspaper or magazine, and also provides many more results due to the distance that the searches can span.

Curing Yourself from Leaky Wallet Syndrome

Financial stewardship of a business empire or $100 bill require a particular psychology if they are going to survive over time in the same hands. The lack of this same psychology is why most lottery winners cannot hold onto the giant sums of money they receive; and I call this psychological mind-set the "Leaky Wallet Syndrome".

The difficulty with holding onto money is that it only takes a single weakness to lose it entirely. By weakness I mean that something has caught your eye that is so desirable that you will buy it spite of the fact that you cannot afford it. Whatever this purchase or payment may be, it psychologically reaches your personal threshold where having something right now is more important than having something tomorrow. There is a trigger that sets aside your normal, balanced decision-making with instant gratification. In my opinion, it is similar to dieting in that you have to eat food, but there are consequences if you continually eat even a little too much. Likewise you need to spend money, but there is a predictable consequence if you continually spend even just a little too much.

Let me list some of the common categories where people could have financial weakness: vacations, clothing, cars, shoes, personal electronics, charities, collections of any kind, books, Christmas gifts, watches, pets, jewelry, relatives, dining out, boats, hobbies and sports activities. And these are only single leaks in your wallet, if you have many of them your wallet could be in more serious trouble.

If you've never felt like you've had much "extra" money, you may not be aware of what your financial weaknesses may be. They may not show up until you receive a sudden windfall (annual bonus, tax refund, pay raise, inheritance, lottery winners), and you are not familiar with or prepared for your psychological pressure to spend money. If you want to know a few of your weaknesses, think about some of the items at the top of your list that you would buy if you had the money. How many of these items would seem like reasonable purchases to friends and family vs. how many would seem like ridiculous extravagances?

If you are still not sure if you suffer from Leaky Wallet Syndrome, your checking account may tell you: Do you have money leftover at the end of every month? Are you unable to payoff your entire credit card balance each month? Do you have any past due bills? Do you hide your checking account or avoid balancing it

Let me give you a couple examples. An acquaintance of mine has three children, and in my view, is financially prudent in all matters except for one. And this single weakness has caused her to continually have trouble with high levels of credit card debt. She's had this debt problem as long as I've known him and his only weakness is a particular self-help seminar. At least once a year, if there is room on her credit card, she attends one of these seminars and charges it all to a credit card. I don't see her do anything with the information that she learns, and she feels it is so important, but I fear that she is sacrificing her family's financial future.

I'd rather not see any more exposés about non-profit organizations spending their donations on supercomputers to analyze direct-mail campaigns instead of their stated cause. In another example, an acquaintance's grandmother has a weakness for requests that she receives from left-wing political organizations. If a direct-mail piece lands in her mailbox, then they are guaranteed to receive some donation from her – no matter that she can't afford it. And like a good poker player sensing weakness, the fund raisers now flood her mailbox with donation requests.

Leaky Wallet Syndrome doesn't only afflict individuals. A family-friend is a business turnaround consultant for private companies. He says that the majority of the time his services are called during the third-generation from the business founder. The founder builds a successful business and the second-generation coasts on this success, and is mentored by the founder. But by the third generation, the business is supporting so many family members on the payroll that don't contribute value and family infighting prevents any efficiency or reform, that only Herculean effort from an outsider can save the business from so many forms of overspending.

You don't have to look far from home to find Leaky Wallet Syndrome (has anyone seen my Ferrari? I mean my Ferrari keychain with a used Honda key?), but all the leaks in your psychology need to be plugged before you can successfully move toward your financial goals. And this effort also helps prepare you for any windfalls that would quickly leak from your wallet.

Where Did My Paycheck Go

The typical scenario is that you get your paycheck. After you recover from the shock at how little is left after taxes, you proceed to divvy it up among all your outstanding bills, intending to put whatever is left over into your savings.

But there never seems to be anything left over and your savings don't grow.

A better plan would be to pay yourself first. Don't let the money get into your hands.
You might find that you actually begin to grow your savings much quicker this way.

If you work for an employer with a 401K plan, the first thing you should do is to fund it to the max. If you can't afford that, at least put enough in to get the full matching contribution form your employer.

This investment is made before taxes. Your investment is larger and with the employers contribution grows quickly.

Next have a brokerage or mutual fund company debit your banking account monthly. This money should first go into an IRA – if you have five years or more to go to retirement, make it a Roth IRA.

Next have a few dollars more be debited to go into a no-load, low cost mutual fund. The younger you are, the more aggressive your choice of fund can be.

After that is done, then figure out how to pay your bills and living expenses. If money is tight, cut back on your living expenses and use the extra money to pay down your debt.<

Start with the lowest balance first. Once that debt is paid, take the amount of money you were paying on that debt and add it to the payment on the next lowest balance debt. Continue doing this and you can be totally debt free within 5 to 7 years.

Another version of this method is paying the highest interest rate debt first. The principal is the same, you just see more progress with the first method, although it could be more costly based on how your debt is distributed.

(If you don't believe me, get the premier version of Microsoft Money or Quicken and use the "Debt Reduction" module. You will be shocked at how much money you will save and how fast you can eliminate debt this way.)

The idea is to scrimp at the expense of your current lifestyle, while leaving your savings to grow and you debt to shrink.

I know many of the people reading this will scream that this is an impossible plan.
But it is quite doable with a little will power and the ability to delay gratification for a while.

The problem is that if you don't do this, your future might turn out to be very bleak.

Profiting From A Personal Finance Checkup

Making sure that you're on the road to financial security can start with a personal finance checkup. A financial checkup allows you to periodically review how you're doing in light of your finance goals.

Taking the following steps can help put you on the course to financial wellness:

• Evaluate your goals. How are you measuring up to the goals you set for yourself? Are you successfully putting money toward saving and investing? Are you saving enough in your 401(k) to get your company match contribution? Where are you falling short and why? Are there changes taking place in your life that will affect these goals, such as a healthy bump in your salary or the birth of a baby? For better or worse, it may be time to adjust your goals.

• Assess your investments. Look at the return on each of your investments and make sure they are rebalanced. Are you satisfied with the performance compared to what the market is doing? Consider getting some advice.

You can also find free investment advice tools online, such as ShareBuilder's PortfolioBuilder (www.sharebuilder.com). The service provides a customized portfolio based on your budget, investing goals and risk tolerance.

• Set your investments on autopilot. Regular investing is a key to reaching your goals. If you're serious about a saving and investing strategy, but find it is the last thing on your mind every month, start an automatic investing plan. You don't need a big lump sum to get the ball rolling. Services such as ShareBuilder have no account minimum and allow you to set up a program and contribute a set amount of money, such as $100 per month, on a regular basis. The money will be automatically transferred from your checking or savings account so it can be invested.

• Just do it. People often hesitate or postpone their investments because they don't think they have enough to start or it's just not the right time to invest. In reality, it's always a good time to start investing. The first step is to develop a long-term saving and investing habit as early as possible. The value of compounding over time is irreplaceable.

Once you get started, it's a good idea to review your investments at least every six months.

Estimate your request with a free health insurance quote

Health insurance is an important aspect in life and should no longer seen as just because you do not have proper knowledge about the topic and how to deal with it. Now even less that is your problem solved both with health insurance offers for free.

A free health content is something that will help you estimate how much and what you should do, while can be used for health insurance.

With so many different options in terms of electoral politics, which at times difficult to predict what might be ideal for us are. That's where we are free health insurance rates for optimal use. Health insurance also allows users to save content uses a lot of money when it comes to pay a monthly premium.

Policy, users are able to this time as follows:

The cost for this service is the traditional type of health insurance. Where you pay a percentage of the cost and have a higher monthly premium. Sun Health Insurance content will certainly help people in choosing a better plan.

There are also other management care plans as HMO (Health Maintenance Organizations) here means the user pays a monthly premium and pay a small number of so-called Co, if you use the policy. Lower premiums, but health insurance quotes can help you better understand the policy and can offer even better deals

There are other policies such as COBRA, where you can take help health insurance sources to better understand movement.

A free health insurance is almost like a blessing for people who pre-existing condition. It means that they also have health problems or other things that they can choose one of the policy.
• During the reporting
• HIPAA
• State Requirements
be a health insurance quote that will be useful to people with pre-existing conditions.

A free health insurance quotes can be taken either by registering online or by taking the services of brokers to complete. A broker will recommend not only a lot of good, but he will also go through the process of health plans. You do not have all your questions about health insurance process clear. You can also get some valuable tips from the brokers, is an extended make health insurance more attractive.

It is always better to have good health insurance for you or a family member. What can help you understand a policy or at least better that provides free health insurance quote. So if you are recommended for health insurance on the search for the first time you log in for free health insurance website.

Does life insurance increase over the years

relative has had a life insurance policy with Shell Canada with his employer from which he retired 20 years ago. (he worked there 30 years before retiring. would the base amount $20,000 have increase over these years for interest etc as he would have contributed.

You don't provide enough information to give you a definitive answer. Don't know about Shell Canada but in general the death benefit on employer provided life insurance does not increase over time. Very often these policies are structured where the death benefit goes down upon reaching certain ages.

Is this insurance policy legal

I was recently involved in a crash with a hire car.
The company i went through demanded that before they gave me the car they would require a cheque off me for £500 which they would cash in assuming i broke the car.

However when signing for the car i saw no paperwork to state as and when this would be used. The only paperwork i signed (and saw) was for details regarding myself, how many points i've had etc.

And now after i'm contesting the case (as the reason for the crash was what i thought to be a blowout, but they're saying it isnt), they're saying that if i pursue it any more i could find myself paying for all the court fees and perhaps the cost of the entire vehicle if i lose.

First, this is extremely hard to follow, the way you wrote it. Second, you don't actually reference or mention any policies.

Third, when you hire a car, you are responsible for ALL the damages that happen to it, regardless of fault, while you have the car.

yes, this is legal. You hired the car, it was damaged in your posession, you need to pay for the damages to the car.

If I surrender and cash out my life insurance policy, how can I have it not reported on my taxes

I want to surrender my life insurance policy and received a check for the surrender value. The interest accrued over the years will be reported to the IRS. I'm willing to pay the taxes. I just don't want it reported for personal reasons. Can the insurance company withhold the taxed portion of the accrued interest instead

It's GOING to be reported by the IRS. Even if they withhold the tax, it gets reported.

However. You only have to pay TAXES on it, if the total amount you get out, in cash surrender value, is MORE than you paid over the years, for the life insurance.

If you've had the policy a very, very long time, it's possible. If you haven't had it very long, it's not likely at all. And you only pay taxes on the 'gain'.

That means, if you've paid $1000 a year for 10 years, if the surrender value is less than $10,000, no taxes. But you'd pay tax for every dollar OVER $10,000.

When you surrender the policy the distribution is taxable. The amount your taxed on is limited to the “gain” in the policy, which generally equals the policy’s cash surrender value less the premiums paid. No way around that.

Is there any cash value in the policy? If so you could take out a loan up to the cash value without having to surrender the policy and pay income tax.

If I surrender and cash out my life insurance policy, how can I have it not reported on my taxes

I want to surrender my life insurance policy and received a check for the surrender value. The interest accrued over the years will be reported to the IRS. I'm willing to pay the taxes. I just don't want it reported for personal reasons. Can the insurance company withhold the taxed portion of the accrued interest instead

It's GOING to be reported by the IRS. Even if they withhold the tax, it gets reported.

However. You only have to pay TAXES on it, if the total amount you get out, in cash surrender value, is MORE than you paid over the years, for the life insurance.

If you've had the policy a very, very long time, it's possible. If you haven't had it very long, it's not likely at all. And you only pay taxes on the 'gain'.

That means, if you've paid $1000 a year for 10 years, if the surrender value is less than $10,000, no taxes. But you'd pay tax for every dollar OVER $10,000.

When you surrender the policy the distribution is taxable. The amount your taxed on is limited to the “gain” in the policy, which generally equals the policy’s cash surrender value less the premiums paid. No way around that.

Is there any cash value in the policy? If so you could take out a loan up to the cash value without having to surrender the policy and pay income tax.

What is the best life insurance policy

What is the best health insurance and life insurance policies? I am recently out of the military and need to purchase an individual health ins policy. However, I am not sure which ones are the best. I am a student, do they offer any good student policies? Also, is the SGLI to VGLI conversion a good change to make? If not, which is better term or whole life insurance policies

You cna get quotes online from a number of sources...Also, USAA is available for military only, and sometimes their rates are more competitive than what is available elsewhere.

I am self-employed in California. How do I pay into unemployment insurance

I use quicken to do my taxes but their isn't any place to add payments for unemployment insurance. I pay self-employed tax but how do I pay into unemployment insurance for CA and federal programs

As a self-employed individual you are not eligible for unemployment benefits and don't pay in to the system.

If your business was organized as a corporation you would pay in to the unemployment system but still would not be eligible for benefits. The principals and officers of a corporation are not eligible for UI benefits.

check with the state of Calif. about a plan for your own unemployment
years ago there was a program available for self employeds but I am not sure it is still available, it was very rarely used and may have been abandoned

Any ideas about good life insurance plans in the Chicago area

I am about 27 years old and need to start some sort of a financial planning. So i was looking for some good life insurance plans and advice. I stay in the Chicago area so help would be greatly appreciated. Also are there any sites through which i can increase knowledge on financial planning since i am a newbie at this whole thing

AXA, Banner, John Hancock, West Coast Life, Genworth are all available in Illinois.

Will Progressive insurance cover an accident if the driver of the vehicle has a suspended license

I was in an accident yesterday, and the owners of the vehicle at fault (the other people) have Progressive insurance. The driver of the vehicle, who was not on the insurance policy, had a suspended license. Will Progressive still cover the costs of the accident?

Additional info: Both cars were totaled and my passenger and I went to the hospital for neck and back pains. The driver of the Progressive vehicle and her two kids are/were fine and needed no medical attention. Both vehicles are totaled.

If the driver that had the suspended license then it was his responsibility to info his insurance carrier of this and depending on why it was suspended he would have had to get an SR22 and if not then no, they would not cover this at all because in his insurance eyes this would be considered fraud...

Do car insurance companies consider education/income/occupation in determining the price of a policy

To add to the ever-growing pile of insurance questions... We all know insurers consider things such as driving records (claims, accidents, tickets, etc...), age, characteristics of the area in which the car is parked/garaged, type of car, credit history (I BELIEVE I have named all of the most salient measures). However, other information is also collected such as your education, income level and occupation. Seems to be quite a lot of excess data for an auto insurance company. So, are any of these ever used in determining the cost

Different companies consider different factors and give them different weights in calculating premium. Credit record matters to many companies. Usually they are only interested in your occupation if it might affect your risk (someone who delivers newspapers has a different risk than a real estate agent, who has a different risk than a regular commuter, etc.) I've never heard education or income being considered, but anything's possible.

All children should have a right to a quality education. College is expensive. Therefore, education insurance

...is necessary. You are a responsible person and should not rely on government financial aid (state or federal loans and grants). That's why you will buy education insurance for your kids--because you know tuitions will skyrocket by the time they graduate from high school. There needs to be a government mandate for this so that no child is left behind.

Yes they should. Children deserve the right to be all they can be.

I have to tell you! My 13 yr old granddaughter received a scholarship for the summer program at Duke University! I am so excited.

Why should I bother investing in a child education insurance plan for my baby

Well, I think that insurance as an investment tool is mostly a bad idea - you'll do better investing the money on your own.

As far as how important is education, to some people, not at all.

Personally, I feel that food, clothing, shelter, and medical care are more important than education. But education is more important than a trip to Disney (which would pay for a full year of college at a state school, instate, on average).

Is education insurance the best way to save for a child's education

Investing in education insurance is the best way to save?

Education Insurance is same as Child Plans. It helps you invest for the future of your child's education. I would recommend that you are looking to invest in a child education plan, dont hesitate. Education insurance also helps parents to concentrate on other aspects of education other than the finances.

I would personally suggest that you check out Aviva New Young Scholar Plan if you are looking to invest as its quite detailed and give you benefits in terms of attractive returns and loads of other stuff which you can find on their website.

Education of a child is the most important thing which parents should not take it easily. And only by saving at the earliest can you ensure that no financial troubles happen in the future.

Understanding Health Insurance Deductible

I need help understanding the Health INsurance Deductible? What do I want? A higher one or a lower one? And what do they mean. I pay into the deductible when? Also I have a wife and 2 little girls under 5. So they go to the doctor alot. Please give me some advice.

Your deductible is the amount you agree to be immediately payable by you to doctors/hospitals etc. A high deductible will (all other things being equal) cause your premium to be lower. A low deductible will generally cause your premium to be higher.
Example with a 500 dollar deductible : The first 500 of any allowable charges you will have to pay on your own. AFTER you have paid out the 500, then the insurance company will begin to pay the co-insurance rate against subsequent bills. It's as if your "insurance doesn't "kick-in" until you reach the 500 deductible.
Obviously if you have a 1000 or 2000 or 3000 deductible the insurance doesn't pay anything until you have completed your deductible.
No, you don't "pay in" to your deductible... actually you pay it out to doctors etc.
What do you want?... Depends on what you think you can afford.
All other things being equal, with a wife and two preschoolers, I'd want as low a deductible as I could afford with the monthly premiums.
Good question and Good Luck to you ... stay healthy!

I need help understanding Health Insurance Deductibles

Ok, so I'm going to get health insurance and I'm Having a challenge trying to understand the deductible situation. The Health Insurance I'm looking into is Blue Shield of California and they have many plans, and it seems that the prices get a bit higher when the deductible gets lower. What does the annual deductible mean? Is that the amount that I have to pay off first before my insurance can cover me

It will depend on the plan. Generally, if the plans have a doctor co-pay listed as a $ amount you do not have to pay the deductible first. If they have a percentage as the co-pay it is usually after you pay the deductible. If it is an HSA plan you pay the deductible first.

They do have several choices ranging from a basic budget plan with limited coverage up to a comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plans have a higher premium than the basic plans because they have better coverage. The lower the deductible with any plan will have a higher premium.

You also have to consider the co-insurance and maximum out of pocket cap. The budget plans will have a higher maximum and you'll also need to pay a higher percentage.

Visit a local agent that works with Blue Shield as well as the other major plans in your area for help picking the best plan for you. The premium you pay using an agent is the same as you'd pay buying over the internet plus they can answer all your questions.

Why is home insurance limited to each and every different type of disaster

The home is either livable or NOT livable...it matters NOT what disaster ruined the home..

Why then is it that you have to pay extra for each different type of circumstance? An accident is an accident.... a disaster is a disaster... the home can only be burned, flooded, distroyed by earthquake / tornado / hurricaine ONCE.. why pay for all the different ways insurance-wise?

How covered is covered? And WHY !!!! Why?? Is it if you Never have any type of claim you aren't refunded some of that money you spend year after year after year?

Again, once you've paid in insurance the amount of the home value.. what difference does it make if you replaced the home 'money-wise' already in insurance premiums? Why not spend those premiums on a second home instead?

Just shooting in the dark here of the many complaints I have heard ranted from my elders recently.. their solutions were hysterical.. I'd love to hear more solutions.

You used the words paid, pay, money, spend, and they are all correct. It is all about the money, yours specifically, and how much of it the insurance industry can get (steal).

Home insurance

i live in southern california and my home value is 600,000. I pay 2,200 for insurance every 6 months. i think this is a little too high but would like to know if this is average. When i bought the house i was too excited that i didnt even talked to my insurance agent, who is located in Fresno, Ca. I do live near a school could that also be the reason why my home insurance is so high? Could the location make any different? Can i also change insurance or will there be a penalty? I have no clue? My insurance is through Farmer.

You may have the HO-5 policy which is a good policy if you live in an area where the temperature drops way below freezing. It covers things like frozen pipes and damage from weight of snow or ice. The basic policy, HO-1, is for people who live in warmer climates. It's the best value in a policy if minimum premiums are your goal. So get out your homeowner's policy so that you can check coverages and make any possible changes.

Also, see what your deductible is. You can save money by raising your deductible to $500 or $1000. But be sure you check with your morgage company for the minimum required coverages.

Check to see if you have replacement value coverage, not market value coverage. Replacement value coverage will pay whatever it cost to replace your home. Make sure your fire insurance is also replacement value coverage. You can also ask for an appreciation clause in your policy that will automatically raise your coverage limits each year for inflation.

And, check your policy for gimmick insurance that may be attached to your policy. Examples are:

Credit Life Insurance
Credit Disability Insurance
Morgage Life Insurance
Automobile Service Contracts
Extended Waranties on Appliances and Electronics
Chargegard

And finally, check all options to your homeowners's policy. None of these are a good value.

1)Removal of debris
2)Damaged-property removal
3)Fire department surcharges
4)Temporary repairs to prevent further damage to property
5)Trees, shrubs, and plants - since windstorms are excluded, this insurance is of little value
6)Stolen credit cards

Home insurance

i live in southern california and my home value is 600,000. I pay 2,200 for insurance every 6 months. i think this is a little too high but would like to know if this is average. When i bought the house i was too excited that i didnt even talked to my insurance agent, who is located in Fresno, Ca. I do live near a school could that also be the reason why my home insurance is so high? Could the location make any different? Can i also change insurance or will there be a penalty? I have no clue? My insurance is through Farmer.

You may have the HO-5 policy which is a good policy if you live in an area where the temperature drops way below freezing. It covers things like frozen pipes and damage from weight of snow or ice. The basic policy, HO-1, is for people who live in warmer climates. It's the best value in a policy if minimum premiums are your goal. So get out your homeowner's policy so that you can check coverages and make any possible changes.

Also, see what your deductible is. You can save money by raising your deductible to $500 or $1000. But be sure you check with your morgage company for the minimum required coverages.

Check to see if you have replacement value coverage, not market value coverage. Replacement value coverage will pay whatever it cost to replace your home. Make sure your fire insurance is also replacement value coverage. You can also ask for an appreciation clause in your policy that will automatically raise your coverage limits each year for inflation.

Is education insurance the best way to save for a child's education

Investing in education insurance is the best way to save?

Probably Yes. Education Insurance is same as Child Plans. It helps you invest for the future of your child's education. I would recommend that you are looking to invest in a child education plan, dont hesitate. Education insurance also helps parents to concentrate on other aspects of education other than the finances.

I would personally suggest that you check out Aviva New Young Scholar Plan if you are looking to invest as its quite detailed and give you benefits in terms of attractive returns and loads of other stuff which you can find on their website.

Education of a child is the most important thing which parents should not take it easily. And only by saving at the earliest can you ensure that no financial troubles happen in the future.

Could health insurance be tied to education

Two matters that are identified as important to voters are health insurance and education. In Chicago, the drop out rate for high school students is nearly 50%. If health insurance were provided to all students, would it be sufficient incentive to keep teenagers in school. Also, since life-long education would benefit society as well as individuals, wouldn't it be a good idea to provide insurance as part of every college and university program? Perhaps the cost of health insurance to the taxpayers would be offset by the benefits to society of having an well educated population and keeping young people in school rather than allowing them to become burdens on society

As a former teacher in a low income area there is sufficient evidence that many of the woes are students deal with are due to lack of sufficient medical care. I think real preventative medicine, especially with access to vision and dental care, would help many issues in the classroom (particularly in the younger years).

All children should have a right to a quality education. College is expensive. Therefore, education insurance

You are a responsible person and should not rely on government financial aid (state or federal loans and grants). That's why you will buy education insurance for your kids--because you know tuitions will skyrocket by the time they graduate from high school. There needs to be a government mandate for this so that no child is left behind.

Yes they should. Children deserve the right to be all they can be.

I have to tell you! My 13 yr old granddaughter received a scholarship for the summer program at Duke University! I am so excited.

Is education insurance the best way to save for a child's education

Investing in education insurance is the best way to save

Probably Yes. Education Insurance is same as Child Plans. It helps you invest for the future of your child's education. I would recommend that you are looking to invest in a child education plan, dont hesitate. Education insurance also helps parents to concentrate on other aspects of education other than the finances.

I would personally suggest that you check out Aviva New Young Scholar Plan if you are looking to invest as its quite detailed and give you benefits in terms of attractive returns and loads of other stuff which you can find on their website.

Education of a child is the most important thing which parents should not take it easily. And only by saving at the earliest can you ensure that no financial troubles happen in the future.

What does convertible term insurance

1. What does convertible term insurance mean?

2. Is there a term insurance that allows you to pay the same premium forever? Example: My age is 25, my premium at this age is $80/year. Can I still pay the $80/year even if I already 65 years old and older?

Yes there is a term insurance company that'll alow you to pay your premium at the rate you are at age 25 for 35 years so you'd be 60 before you'd have to renew.

So you would pay for 35 (only company offering 35 is Primerica Financial Services) years the same premium as if your were still 25.

We all know with age comes sickness so you want to lock in your premium at a young age.

BTW....with Prmerica its automatically approved if you decided to renew your policy at the age 60 (35 years)

You will be charged for the going rate of a 60 year old without any medical questions. Covering you up to the age of 95.

But if you start to invest your money now, which your young enough to do, you wouldn't need life insurance at 60 years old.

Rule of Thumb: Life Insurance doesn't have to be paid FOR YOUR WHOLE LIF

Where can I find good homeowners insurance for rental property in Mobile

I have a contract on a home in Mobile, AL that will be rental property. For some reason, I can't find too many agencies to get homeowners insurance in this area. Any good names, numbers, websites, contacts

I had trouble finding insurance after Katrina. Only 2 companies were willing to write: State Farm and AIG Direct. Give those two a try and see what you can get. Unfortunately, we're not in a place that insurance companies really want to sell policies.

How do you find good medical insurance in the USA if you are 70+ years old with pre-existing med conditions

My mom is 70+ years old and has pre-existing medical conditions.

How can I find medical insurance for her in the USA?

She is not eligible for Medicare since she is not a US citizen, but she is a green card holder.

Is there any Medicaid program available for Texas or New Jersey which she could qualify for?

She would be eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare after being a permanent legal resident of the USA for 5 years; she doesn't need to be a citizen. For Medicare she would have to pay both Part A and Part B premiums.

There are few plans available to anyone over 65. Those that are available are more lenient with regards to pre-existing conditions because they won't cover those conditions for 24 months. Call a local agent to see what plans may be available in her area. Most agents don't work in this market so you may have to make many calls before you can find someone knowledgeable.

I just purchased a new Maserati Quattroporte. I use this car reguarly. Where can I find good insurance?

I have looked around for high end insurance plans, but all of them require a second vehicle and do not cover this vehicle for regular use (daily commute or errands). I need a good insurance policy that will cover OEM parts, and will cover the full value of the car.

I'm going to assume that maybe you've paid for the car, but you haven't taken possession yet, because a dealer who follows the rules won't let you drive the car without proof of insurance.

Anyway, it shouldn't be a hardship to have to own a 2nd vehicle to get this insured, for two reasons:

1. If you can afford a new maserati, you can afford a 2nd car.

2. You'll need a 2nd car for when your maserati is in the shop, which will happen (this isn't a Toyota!)

I guess the best place to start is go to Google and type in "luxury car insurance" and see what comes up...

What is the correct name of an insurance license?

I'am looking to obtain my license to work at an insurance company such as Allstate or State Farm.

Is there a name for the license or is it just "insurance license.

In order to stay compliant with the law you have to have at least a P & C license to do 99% of anything to do with insurance. Having your license before you apply for a job will help you get the job almost instantly, but at the same time you may be able to get the new employer to pay for your classes and license(s). Here is the best school to take classes at to get your license. I have been to a few different schools for different licenses and this school was by far the best.

Is my unemployment insurance correct

I filed for unemployment on Dec 18. I just got my first check on the 28th of Jan 2010.

But the amount of the check was only for 376. Am i going to receive more? Or is that it

The Unemployment benefits are based on the last 4 quarters of your earnings,
and they use the quarter with the highest earnings to base the benefits on........all of this info is on their website

How to find good life insurance

My husband, 32 and I, 30 are looking into life insurance. Can anyone tell me which company or websites I can use to get information. There are so many out there... wouldnt know where to start. Who do you personally use? Is there a medical exam involved? What type of premiums are you paying? Is it fixed or does it go up every few years? We live in Florida also. Any help would be appriciated.There are two types of Insurance; Permanent and Term.

Permanent Polcies remain at the same monthly cost for the rest of your life.

Term policies remain fixed for a set number of years. After the set number of years the policy either terminates or can be rewriten for the same length of time, but you'll now be evaluated at your new age, not the age you are now.

Permanent Policies are similiar to buying a home. The policy builds Cash value and could potential increase your death benefit. You can take a loan out against your own cash value or should you cancel the policy at a later time, you will get the cash value paid out to you at that time.

Term policies are like renting. After the set term (5, 10, 20, 30 years) each party walks away. You don't get any money back, but you'll have paid less over the course of the 10 years.

If you were to get a 20 yr term policy now, at age 50 your policy would end (unless you had already died). You could then get another policy, but they'd rate you as a 50 year old, not a 30 year old. and at each of these 20 year renewals, you'll have to go through medical screening again.

If you were to get Permanent Policy now, you'll have a higher premium now, but at age 50 you'll still be paying the same amount as you are now. At age 70 you'll still be paying the same amount as you are now. At age 90? Same amount.

To figure out how much coverage you'll need, here's a handy tool: L.I.F.E.
L: Liabilities: mortgage, car note, student loans, credit cards
I: Income replacement: 5 to 10 times your annual income (though in your case, each of you have another 30-35 years working life in you, you might want more)
F: Final Expenses: Typically $10-25 k
E: Education: Education for your spouse, should they need to change careers to maintain their standard of living after you pass and/or college tuition for any childre you may leave behind.

So, with a $200k mortgage, $25k car loan, and $15k Student Loan, your "L" is $240k.
If you're making $50k annually, you'll need $500k for "I."
Let's call "F" at $15k
"E"? Well, 2 kids at $20k per year for 4 years each translate to $160k.

This mean you'll need $915,000 worth of Life Insurance. Try this site to find the best life insurance

Anyone know where I can find good insurance rates?

It's time for me to renew my insurance. I want to see if I can get better rates this time. Anyone

have any suggestions. A friend of mine said to never accept a company's first quote as the best one.

I recommend you this site where you can compare quotes so you can find the best option for you

I just purchased a new Maserati Quattroporte. I use this car reguarly. Where can I find good insurance

I have looked around for high end insurance plans, but all of them require a second vehicle and do not cover this vehicle for regular use (daily commute or errands). I need a good insurance policy that will cover OEM parts, and will cover the full value of the car.

I'm going to assume that maybe you've paid for the car, but you haven't taken possession yet, because a dealer who follows the rules won't let you drive the car without proof of insurance.

Anyway, it shouldn't be a hardship to have to own a 2nd vehicle to get this insured, for two reasons:

1. If you can afford a new maserati, you can afford a 2nd car.

2. You'll need a 2nd car for when your maserati is in the shop, which will happen (this isn't a Toyota!)

I guess the best place to start is go to Google and type in "luxury car insurance" and see what comes up...