Buying your first home can be an exciting experience, but if you’re not careful, you could fall victim to the extreme plunge in the real estate market, like too many homeowners have already witnessed.
According to The New York Times, seven rules should be followed when shopping for your first home:
- Start with the basics – Put 20 percent down so you have less of a chance of owing more than you house is worth if real estate prices drop again. Als
Full Article…
As life insurance has evolved over the years, more people have begun using it in retirement planning. Of course, we’re referring to forms of permanent life insurance here, not term policies. Term life insurance provides no savings vehicle for the insured, meaning it really has no investment opportunities. With permanent life insurance, there is an abundance of investment options, allowing you to plan for retirement while protecting your family’s future should anything happen to you.
Although the initial premiums on a permanent insurance policy are usually higher than those of term life insurance, they can even out over time since you can lock in a permanent policy’s rate for the rest of your life. While
Full Article…
On Friday night, I was transported back in time to Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001. The History Channel marked the eighth anniversary of 9/11 by airing â??102 Minutes That Changed America.â? It was a minute-by-minute account taken with the cameras of nine eyewitnesses to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. I turned the program on by accident and didnâ??t move from that spot on my hotel room bed until the program was over. The anguish and anger I felt then welled up in me all over again.
Two days later, I met someone with a much closer connection to that day, a woman named Peg Ogonowski. Her
Full Article…
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently released some very alarming statistics. Outlays for the mandatory government programs of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid during fiscal year 2009 (i.e., the 12 months that end 9/30/09) are expected to total $1.36 trillion or 37% of the total U.S. budget. Outlays for the these same programs during fiscal year 2019 (i.e., the 12 months that end 9/30/19) are expected to total $2.48 trillion or 47% of the total U.S. budget.
The nationâ??s anticipated deficit for fiscal year 2009 (i.e., the 12 months that end 9/30/09) is $1.58 trillion.
Full Article…
Have you ever the heard the phrase “I’m a poor college student?” I think most people who went to college have said or have heard their peers mutter these words a time or two, especially in today’s economic condition where money is tight for everyone. Fortunately, there are ways to cut back on spending and help your college student enjoy their college experience without financial frustration.
To help cash-strapped college students spend less on added college expenses, check out the top 10 tips that the ABA Education Foundation recommends:
- Be responsible – Create and stick to a realistic budget.
- Watch spending – Cut unnecessary spending, such as dining out or shopping.
- Limit credit use – Don’t let credit card debt get out of hand. It could be hau
Full Article…
Nearly half of all Canadians over the age of 65 will need some sort of long-term care.
While the government will cover some of these costs, there are limits not only to how much they will cover, but also the types of expenses they will cover. This is compounded by increasing government cutbacks on health care. In B.C., 4,400 MRIs will be cut in Victoria to cover a $45 million shortfall, while Vancouver is considering cutting more than 6,000 surgeries to make up for its own $200 million deficit. It’s only a matter of time before Ontario residents will be feeling the pinch.
Full Article…
Getting declined for life insurance can be a frustrating and discouraging event. However, the first thing to assess the moment you get declined is why you got declined.
Most insurance companies will not release this information to your agent or broker and will request that you sign a letter allowing them to release the information to your doctor. Once you find out why you were declined, speak to a broker who specializes in insuring the hard to insure. Some conditions, such as elevated blood sugar levels or high blood pressure can be declined on a temporary basis, i.e.once the condition is improved and stable, the insured will likely qualify for traditional coverage.
In the event that traditional life insurance coverage is unavailable, there are a variety of Simplified Issue insurance policies.
Full Article…
According to JournalStar.com, the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles recently launched a new driver’s licensing system, which has led to 41 investigations into identity theft or fraud.
DMV director Beverly Neth says that the facial recognition system implemented when the system changed has been reviewing every picture in the DMV system every night, comparing former ID photos with ones taken since the system changed. Staff members are also now checking new pictures against old ones when new photos are being taken.
These changes have led to 41 investigations. “The technology we’ve installed is a powerful tool that can help combat fraud and identity theft in Nebraska,” Neth said.
For instance, the nightly system searching found one person who was using three different Social Security numbers, one belonging to a dead person. Another resulted in the DMV fraud unit contacting the person whose identity had been stolen, only to learn the identity thief had “racked up a $100,000 bill for unpaid taxes with the IRS,” Neth said.