Financial Planning

Do you remember the Blues Brothers? They were unstoppable. They were “on a mission from God”. Seems like almost everyone standing behind the counter in the rental agency is a Blues Brother when you come into collect the vehicle. They always want to sell you something, usually additional insurance. The most common special offer is loss damage waiver (LDW). It sounds such a good idea to have complete cover against any loss caused to the vehicle while under your control. The magic word is “waiver”. You are excluded from liability even if you drive the vehicle off the end of a pier and it sinks without trace (hopefully without you still inside it). The only problem is this good idea can seriously damage your bank balance when the final bill comes in. That hourly or daily rate just got heavy. So when should you add LDW? The answer is deceptively simple. If you do not own another vehicle and have no insurance cover in place, it may be a good buy. But most insurance policies on your own vehicle cover you while driving a rental. So it all comes down to the extent of that cover on your own vehicle.

To get the maximum discount in these hard economic times, most people have been pushing up the deductibles. In many cases, the potential losses can be managed to keep to the low end. It’s your vehicle. You can talk to the repair shop and get all the work you want done at the best price. But when it’s a rental vehicle, everything is out of your hands. The rental company has no interest in protecting your bank balance. It pays top dollar to get the vehicle repaired and sends you the bill. No searching around to find the cheapest replacement parts and lowest price body shops. Everything is top of the range and then comes the kicker. It’s called the “loss of use” charge. You are expected to cover their estimated loss of profit while the vehicle is off the road. And guess what. If you are paying their loss of profit, they have no incentive to rush the repairs. They can take their own sweet time and, in most cases, you pay – most private policies do not cover loss of use charges. Some credit card companies offer limited cover, but read the small print before relying on it. Limited cover means very little actual money will ever be paid out.

If you are only renting for a few days, it’s probably worth paying for LDW. It may not be cheap auto insurance, but it protects you. But if the end bill is going to be too high, trust to luck and your own insurance policy. Hopefully, your own cheap auto insurance policy will give you enough of a buffer against claims Remembering, of course, that only the best private policies cover you against the dreaded loss of use charges. If nothing else, all this bad news should give you the incentive to drive like your wheels are passing over egg shells. Drive as safely and carefully as possible. If you are going to break some eggs, make sure the damage is minor and the losses are small.

Debt relief is a topic on a lot of consumers’ minds these days, and with good reason. American credit card debt in 2001 was $692 billion, triple the amount from 1989. In that same time period, the average credit card increase for a middle-class family was 75%. The amounts were even higher for low-income families and senior citizens. At one time, such a high amount of credit card debt would seem frivolous as buyers spent money they didn’t have on luxury items such as electronics or jewelry. Today, however, in less stable economic times and a poor job market, more people are turning to credit cards as a way to extend their income. More and more debt is being rung up for everyday items such as groceries and medical bills. How can people get real help with debt relief?

Credit counseling services were originally established by credit card companies who wanted to get at least some of their money back before a client decided to declare bankruptcy. While that may seem shady to some people, for others it is a legitimate way to pay the debt they owe.

When seeking debt relief, however, be wary and be an informed consumer. Do your research before signing on with any one service. Here are some questions to ask:

* How much does it cost? Many less-than-reputable services charge hundreds of dollars to start up, money that doesn’t go to any of your creditors.

* Does the service notify credit bureaus about your enrollment in their program? Some do and some don’t. Creditors may still elect to put a bad mark on your credit report, but the agency you are looking at for debt relief shouldn’t.

* What services are offered? Do they offer a range of solutions from trouble-shooting before finances are a big problem to debt management. Beware of companies promising too quick a solution or promising to “fix” your credit report.

* What are the benefits of belonging to one particular group over another? For example, some services offer newsletters and budgeting tips, all to help you become more stable when your debt is paid off.

* Are they a member of the Better Business Bureau? If that is not advertised, check them out with BBB first.

With time, patience and diligence, you can become debt free.

Today’s troubled economy has left millions of people barely able to make ends meet. Most people are now searching for ways to trim their budgets. Whether the economy is good or bad, insurance is something we can’t afford to cut from our budgets. Insurance is particularly important in tough economic times as it provides an extra layer of financial protection against unforeseen events that can affect one’s financial status. Fortunately, there are ways to find cheap insurance quotes online that will help you cut down on the cost of your insurance premiums.

Technological developments have resulted in the creation of online insurance comparison applications that allows one to find the cheapest insurance policy quotes. There are now a number of insurance information websites that offer a free search tool that allows users to request quotes quickly. You just have to enter a few details about your particular personal situation, and in a matter of seconds, you will receive a number of cheap quotes from different insurance companies. Instead of going from insurance site to insurance site which can take hours, you only have to submit your information once and you will receive the cheapest quotes. You can take your time to compare each quote which includes the coverage and premium quotes, and then choose the best quote that meets your needs. You do not have to worry about dealing with any high pressure sales tactics from insurance agents.

The best part of using online insurance comparison sites is the convenience. Each state permits the purchase of insurance online. When you visit an insurance quote comparison site, you just have to enter your zip code so that the appropriate companies in your area will be identified to offer the cheapest quotes. As well, receiving quotes from insurance providers in your state ensures that the quotes include any state mandates such as a set minimum coverage. The best convenience feature is that you can receive the cheapest quote and then purchase the best policy for your particular needs without leaving your computer. You can find the cheapest quote any time of the day or evening, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A legitimate online insurance comparison service will not ask for payment to use their online quote comparison tool.

An insurance quote service provides valuable information so that users can make the best choice at the best price. Online insurance quote sites now offer a variety of different types of insurance quotes such as auto, health, life, and homeowners insurance. Comparing quotes online is beneficial for those looking for flexibility, no sales pressure, fast service, and cheap premium rates. To find an insurance quote site, you just have to google ‘insurance quote service’ or similar keywords. You will then find a list of legitimate quote sites that offer free comparison quotes.

The decline in the economy has had a negative financial impact on millions of people causing them to cut back on their expenses. Using an online insurance quote service will help people lower their insurance premiums and put more money back in their pockets.

Personal Finance Tips for You includes twenty-four topics covering an array of areas. The author states in the introduction “it is important to know as much as you can about managing your personal finances in these economic times.” Some of the areas covered are credit card traps, keeping on track to pay your bills, handling your checkbook, the price of gas, identity theft, catching up on retirement planning, what to do if you receive a lay off notice from your job, checking your credit report and talking about finances if you are planning to get married. These are just a few of the topics. There are many more.

The first topic covered is Don’t Get Caught Up in The Credit Card Trap, Stop Yourself Before That Happens. This is a very important chapter for everyone to read because it is so easy for this to happen in tough economic times. The author offers several excellent tips to help anyone who has this problem. It is clearly explained why it is so important for you to pay down the credit card debt.

Another important topic covered is How Do I Keep On Track to Pay My Bills on Time. The author gives the reader some tips on creating a budget and keeping track of your income and expenditures.

How do you survive the high cost of gas? We all know, not long ago the price of gas kept soaring. The author gives us many tips on how to save money by doing some simple things like consolidating trips just to name one of the pointers. There are many tips mentioned that I never thought of myself.

How do you establish your credit if you are young and just starting out on a job? Nocita Carter tells you exactly how to go about doing this.

Do you think you can save any money by just saving your change? This is one of the tips made by the author. I can personally vouch for this one because each day when I purchase an item, I take the change and add it to an old coffee can. After a few months, it gets quite full. I am always surprised by the amount of money I saved from my loose change.

I could go on and on with each chapter because there are so many good points in this book but I think you get the message and would get more out of Personal Finance Tips for You if you purchase it and read it yourself.

There are several aspects of this book that I really liked. It is written in language that is very easy to understand. It is not like some of the other books on finance that require you to have a dictionary by your side as you read. The book is very organized. Each chapter starts with an introduction to explain the topic. Once that is done, the author lists several tips to help the reader accomplish these tasks. Nocita Carter has written this book in a manner that makes the reader feel like they have a personal finance expert right there beside them. Personal Finance Tips For You is recommended for any age. It will be a valuable tool for younger people who are starting their first job. On the other hand, one is never too old to find something they did not know in this book. After reading this book, I learned quite a few tips to help me with my finances. You will find this an excellent resource guide to keep by your side at all times.

Online insurance refers to the transaction for selling and buying insurance on the net. Insurance is a matter of utmost faith which makes it convenient and easier for people to conduct the insurance business online. The convenience is due to the duties of both the parties to discuss all the material facts or else the contract becomes void.

There are many companies which have made their websites on the net to make it easier for the consumers (and the company) to handle the transactions. By checking the insurance quotes on the net, it is easier to gain knowledge regarding the policy differences, different insurance types offered and most importantly the information regarding the pricing.

Nowadays, the economic times are tougher and a person has to look around for a lot of deals on services and goods to find the best one. Insurance also is included in these deals as they provide protection to a person and his/her personal belongings. A user can check insurance information online after typing search tags like online insurance quote, insurance quote on the web etc. on search engines to see a list of all different companies and agencies which provide insurance services.

This helps the customers in finding the best insurance rates and deals without even leaving the comfort of their desks. A person can call up to five different agencies for getting insurance price quotes as compared to visiting the insurance office. And one can look up thirty different quotes in the same time as compared to calling three different agencies. It also helps in preventing the negotiation talks which the companies try and also make an unaware person accept whatever offered.

One should learn regarding the offers of different companies, compare the quotes and rates of different insurers and also consider all the different factors prior to deciding to buy the insurance. The different coverages for which the insurance quotes are available online are mortgages, commercial auto and property, pets, dental insurance, critical illness, health insurance, life insurance, property and home and vehicles including recreational vehicles, scooters, motorcycles and cars (also known as auto insurance). There are also several tutorials and guides available on the net which allow for better understanding regarding insurance (live as well as online).

Website visitors can also sign up for articles and newsletters to gain new information regarding insurance every week. This allows for a more depth in the understanding of insurance quotes and the company’s workings. Many websites also provide additional information such as least expensive online insurance quotes for home and auto, how to save money on insurance or additional information regarding different types of insurances. A user can also visit the local office of the company he/she likes to ensure further negotiation between the agent and the customer.