Sticky, smelly Bag Balm: Problem-salving for all (AP)

AP - Winter is most definitely here. It must be. The phones are ringing at Bag Balm headquarters.

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Finding Affordable Health Insurance

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The Great Health Insurance Odyssey

Deciding upon a particular health insurance plan for you may seem like a difficult task. You can find different quotes from many providers online. Just give some basic information, and you can start getting quotes at home. The reality is that this process does not take as long as you may think it does. Going online for quotes has made this process very easy. Certain people may consider this process too easy and fear that there may be strings attached. They are more comfortable talking to a person on the phone because they think they will get a better quote. This is a wrong idea. There is no need to sign up for their services just to get a quote online.

Convenience at your Fingertips

Changing times have made the internet a viable option for conducting financial transactions. Customers of the banking and insurance companies can now go online to take care of their business. Take the time to understand that these institutions are regulated by certain laws and standards. There is no reason why you cannot safely look for the best available deals online without having to visit or call an insurance agent. To find these deals, all you need is an internet connection. Waiting for an entire week to get your quotes is not necessary anymore. You will have your quotes within a few minutes or hours.

Making the Purchase

One of the first steps you need to take when purchasing health insurance online is to conduct a thorough research. Many bargains and discounts are offered by several companies to tempt you into doing business with them. It is in your best interest to choose the best deal for you. Health insurance is just like any other major purchase, so shop around until you get the best deal. You must do your due diligence and research before buying, so you can save money. When choosing a company, do your research to make sure they will fit your requirements. This will help you see what the company is about. You will save yourself several headaches later by doing this.

Final Advice

Do not hesitate to seek advice from your friends or relatives about the company and the plan that you are looking to invest in. Consider every aspect before you make a final decision. Take the time to do this, and then submit your information. Take note of the prices and coverage they provide. Do not forget to read the fine print as it may contain things that are confusing to you. Get answers from the insurers about any and all questions that you may have. You need to know what you are getting, since it is your money on the line. All details of the form should be understood before you sign on the dotted line.

How to Save Money Moving

When you finally make the decision to move, the process can seem overwhelming. Packing up an entire household with furniture, clothes, toys and everything that goes with it is daunting, but turning the job over to the professionals is painfully expensive. There are some relatively simple ways to cut costs and still get the job done right, so let me list them out below.

Know where you are going

This sounds simple, right? Yet, not many people take the time to measure out your new floor plan and make sure they know exactly where everything is going. The sofa that fit in this home may not fit in the next, so why move it? Get your floor plan, figure out what fits and what doesn't, and sell, give away or donate anything you won't need in the new house.

Once you know where everything is going, put a big numbered sign in each room in the new house. Label all your boxes and furniture with the same number and you won't have to haul things around the house when the movers leave.

Get Rid of It

I admit I'm a bad wife. Before my family moved cross-country, I started a surreptitious plan to get rid of my pack-rat husband's collection of “we might need it someday” junk. We got rid of anything we hadn't touched for more than a year and donated or sold about a third of our stuff. The cash paid for moving the big items we didn't want to handle.

Books, toys, exercise equipment, planters and clothes all add weight very quickly. If you are paying movers, the less you move, the cheaper it is. Even if you pack yourself and just pay for the shipping, every box adds to your cost.

There are things you need to get rid of because moving them costs more than buying new. Toiletries, swing sets, pianos, rugs, pantry staples and plants are expensive to move and are just as available in your new home. If you are moving locally they may be worth moving, but with a long distance move everything should be considered with an eye to replacement.

The Nitty Gritty
Many moving companies will sell you used boxes for a lot less than new ones, so call around first. Don't use liquor store boxes and grocery store boxes if you can avoid them. They come in odd sizes that don't pack well into a truck. Purchase some newssheets from the moving company since regular newspaper is dirty, and some bubble wrap from your local office supply warehouse for fragile items.

Use your linens and towels to wrap fragile items, that way you don't have to pack them on their own, and you provide additional protection to special things. Pack heavy items like books in small boxes and light items in larger ones. Label every box.

Take out the trash!

Friends of mine moved from New Jersey to California and took 3 weeks to travel during the move. Imagine their surprise when they started opening boxes and found month old trash inside. The moving company was told to move everything and they did.

Trucking Along

If you are renting a truck make sure you reserve it for enough time to pack up, move and unpack. Shop around for deals on one-way fees and mileage, but always check out the company with the Better Business Bureau before you sign a contract.

If you are hiring movers, packing on your own saves a lot of money. Only work with reliable companies and insist upon a weigh in before and after they load your stuff. That way you only pay for what you put on, not an estimate.

Hit the Road

Nothing is left to do once everything is packed up but hit the road. Make sure you arrive first and are there to let the movers in. In a long distance move they will just leave after a certain amount of time and store your stuff, as yours is not the only house packed on that truck and they have a schedule to keep. You don't want the extra fees anyway. Make sure you have an old phone book with you in case you need those numbers, and drive safely.

Another week, another snippet from the How to Save Money on Everything ebook. Get your free copy by signing up for the free newsletter here.

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Definition of Car Title Loans

How to define Car Title loans, and just how can you use them for your benefit?

Urgent Cash

What do you do in a situation when you need funds urgently? People approach a bank for the loan, in most cases, and may even get one. However, they will have to complete the lengthy paperwork that the bank requires. They may be rejected for the loan if they do not qualify. Payday loans are expensive, but available from the local loan store, and this may be the only thing left for people to do. There is another option, which assures you that you will never be rejected for the loan and even get the money quickly. Such loans are known as Car Title Loans.

Instant Approvals

Car title loans are approved almost instantly. Since you are handing over the title of your car to the lender, they are assured of the money that they agree to loan you. They may also be referred to as a secured loan. You should be aware that by handing over the title of your car, you risk losing it in case of a default. Lenders approve such applications for loans without any hesitation as they are aware about the facts. Lenders transfer the money to your account within hours. You will not have to run around trying to complete large amounts of paperwork. Your borrowings will depend upon the resale value of your car. Having a new car with a clear title, will make you eligible for an higher amount than with an old one.

Necessities

The only aspect that lenders look for when approving a car title loan is whether or not you have a clear title on the car. This means that you will be ineligible for the car title loan if you have an unpaid debt on the car. The title of your car will be with the lenders of your car loan in such cases. Therefore make sure that you have a clear title on the car before you can fill out an application.

Time Frame of a Car Title Loan

Car title loans are usually offered for very short periods. The money has to be repaid within 15 to 30 days. It is correct, if people feel that this sounds more like a payday loan. Car title loans come with lower interest rates as they are considered secure, unlike payday loans. Exorbitant charges towards interest and other fees will not be recovered from you.

Guidelines Stay the same

Just because you have offered the title of your car against the loan, you are not entitled to delaying payments when they are due. Make sure that you do not fail to meet your repayment schedule. You will become liable for heavy rollover charges, if you do not make payments in time. There is a possibility that your car may be taken away from you against overdue payments, in certain cases. Remain careful by keeping ahead of the repayments and return the money before the due date. After all, the paltry loan pales in comparison with the title of your car that is more valuable.

State of the Union punctuated by tough talk, odd reaction

In a State of the Union address that focused on the economic challenges crippling America and the political challenges that face Washington, President Barack Obama declared: “Despite our hardships, our union is strong.”

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Do you have a dog, no, I really mean do you have a dog?

Because this one makes me wonder on how we could feed him so much and in five minutes later he would start whimpering as if he was sad, and he would never get big. He outlived my grandma, who got the dog when it was a puppy ,and he was forty, and my grandpa died of heart failure due to cholesterol, and plus he was a diabetic. Every time I would spend my peaceful and graceful nights in my backyard after dinner it was like I had chicken in my pocket, he would do the same whimper, and you know I couldn’t resist. I would go in the house, and my mama would and my mama would say ” Are you feeding that greedy dog, I just not gave it a porkchop?”

And I would say ” I’m going in the fridge.” Not directly addressing the point. But I would go back out and give him his extra porkchop and he would lay and look up at the stars with me afterwards. Considering the fact that he just finish ravishing a fried porkchop, and was finally satisfied. And I would stare, glare, and beam my eyes upon him, with disappointment. And he would look at me with those cute baby eyes even though he’s like almost 80 in dog years, but who could resist?

Recession made borrowing money even harder

The housing market

Back in February of 2009, President Obama addressed a group of high school students about borrowing money and the housing market. At the time, the market was in crisis and the President decided to fix the foreclosure problem with a program set to turn it all around. Unfortunately, that turnaround never came. One year later, an Economy.com survey shows that only about 750,000 homeowners will have received help since that time. It was projected that between 3 and 4 million would be saved from foreclosure.

Borrowing is the issue

According to Mark Zandi of Economy.com, "The more borrowers who can't be helped, the more foreclosed properties will be flooding the market. And that means the nation's housing market, which appeared to recover last summer, could soon take another turn for the worse."

The predictions for the housing market are not good. Many are looking at signs of how the housing plan by the White House didn't work as the reason. According to RealtyTrac Inc., a record 2.8 million households were in default last year and that's up by 20% from the year before. This year they should continue to go up.

Home prices in the mix

Home prices are down by about 30% across the nation, and they are predicted to fall even lower as foreclosures continue to bring neighborhoods' values down. Zandi added, "It is a very serious threat to the housing market, and still one of the most significant risks to the broader recovery."

It's not that Obama doesn't have time to implement the plan. The goal still is to help homeowners in trouble by modifying their mortgages. So far, by using lowered interest rates and longer repayment periods, the average monthly payment has decreased by $500. The modifications require that homeowners have to make three on-time payments in the temporary modification process, and then they can move to a permanent modification. However, only about 7% of the people who signed up for the program has completed it, according to the Treasury Department. … click here to read the rest of the article titled “Recession made borrowing money even harder“

Car Title Loans a Definition

How can car title loans work to my advantage?

Emergency Funds

What do you do in a situation when you need funds urgently? Approaching a bank, in many cases, may help people get the loan. Banks have lengthy paperwork, which they will be required to complete. They may even be rejected for the loan if they do not qualify. Making an application with the local loan store for an expensive payday loan will be the only thing left for people to do. Here is an option that will assure that you will never be rejected for the loan and give you the money quickly as well. These loans are called Car Title Loans.

Instant Approvals

Car title loans are approved almost instantly. Lenders in this case are assured of the money that they agree to loan you, since you are handing over the title of your car to them. These are also known as secured loan of sorts. Beware that you are handing over the title of your car, you risk losing it in case of a default. Lenders are willing to approve such applications for loans without any hesitation as they are aware about the facts. It will only be a matter of hours before the money is in your account. You do not have to run around completing large amounts of paperwork. The resale value of the car will be taken as the amount that you will be allowed to borrow. Ownership of a new car with a clear title will get you a higher amount than with an older one.

Requirements

The only aspect that lenders look for when approving a car title loan is whether or not you have a clear title on the car. If you carry a debt burden from another financer on the car, you will not be eligible for the car title loan. In this case the lenders of your car loan will be holding the title of your car. Fill out an application only after making sure that you have a clear title on the car.

Duration of the Car Title Loan

Car title loans are usually offered for very short periods. The money has to be repaid within 15 to 30 days. This may look similar to a payday loan, which is true. A car title loan is available with a lower interest because the loan is considered secure, unlike a payday loan. You will not be required to pay exorbitant charges as interest and other fees.

Rules Remain the Same

Just because you have offered the title of your car against the loan, you are not entitled to delaying payments when they are due. You are still required to stick to the repayment schedule without fail. You will be liable for heavy rollover charges, if you don't. Your car can be taken away by the lenders against any overdue payments, in extreme cases. You should always remain extra careful about this and be sure to return the money on or before the due date. After all, the title of the car has more value to you than a paltry loan.

Life insurance advice

What needs to be done

Most people have really expensive life insurance policies. This policy we call whole life insurance. This scam will make you spend more money in the end than you should. The best way to go about getting life insurance is to get term life insurance and invest the difference. Chances are that you will probably pay less money for a shorter amount of time. You will also be investing your money so that you will get a great return for it in the end.

How to do this

When you are buying insurance you will be buying it at a fixed rate. Since the chance that you will die goes up as you get older, so does your insurance rates. While you are still healthy and young you will pay much less than when you are old. Everybody will buy a contract with a fixed rate for twenty five years. Then you will have to pay more for a new contract. The charges from whole life insurance are between the low and high of term. You will pay less than you need to for the first half but less than you need to for the rest of your life. Instead of paying a lot of money for whole, look at another option.

What else is wrong with whole life insurance?

Whole life insurance will take some or your money and put it in a savings account for you. Luckily, instead of making them look better as they would hope, this makes them look worse. When you die, your family will need to decide between the death benefit or savings account money. Instead of allowing you to use your own money, they will charge you interest to take it out. You will lose all of your money to them and won't be able to see it unless you take out a loan with it.

What now

The contract you should sign should be for twenty five years of term. The difference between the two prices you should invest. It is like having a savings account except you will make more money. Between you and your spouse you will probably pay around forty dollars a month. With whole you can spend up to five hundred a month. With the extra money you should invest it every month so by the time your term insurance is up you will have enough that you don't need to have life insurance anymore. You should be able to figure out what the best thing is to do with your life insurance. If you do it on your own then you have more money in the end. Finally, you will have figured out why term insurance is better than whole.

I wish that I could sing really well.

I have tried every so often. I heard of this guy who had a bunch of money. Everyone told him that he couldn't sing and there was no chance for him. He decided that he was going to hire someone to teach him how to sing.

This was at the end of his life. He had this guy coming to his deathbed and teaching him the technique needed to be able to sing well. He worked really hard at trying to get a beautiful note to come out of his voice. The very last thing that he did before he died was sing a beautiful note that proved his abilities. It was a great story.

Save Money on a Vacation

Vacations Cost Money

Any vacation worth its salt costs money. Vacations are supposed to cost money and it is no big deal. Many people are able to take vacations every year, while others may not be that fortunate. Please bear in mind that vacations cost money, regardless of your position. People going on vacations regularly have many ideas they can share that will help you save a little money. These ideas would have come from the many vacations they had taken. Some of these tips may be useful if you want to save some money when you are on a vacation.

Take a Trip During the Off Season

If you want to take a vacation, there is no reason why you should do it during the prime tourist season. You may end up spending more money for anything you want to do at this time. Consumers face the prospect of extra charges during these times at tourist destinations. You will benefit in many ways if you can arrange to take your vacation during the off season. Do not forget to ask for any offers that may be available when you make early reservations. If you are visiting a small town that is a tourist area, you are likely to find less hotels located in the area. It is in these places that local people will look to rent out accommodations for tourists. Looking around you, are likely to find such places. These places will have enough parking places available if you are driving. This in turn means a reduction in spending on parking charges.

Meals While on Vacation

Food is a necessary expense that everyone has, whether they spend a lot or a little on it. If you attempt to eat out for the entire duration of your vacation you will find yourself left with a hole in your wallet. There are accommodations that allow you to cook your own meals and you should look out for these. The money you would have spent for meals at a restaurant would be saved. Not a master chef? If you look online, you will be able to find recipes, how to articles, and other resources to help you while on vacation.

Two's Company and Three's a Crowd

If you are a serious believer in the above adage, we suggest you leave it in cold storage for the duration of your vacation. When you have more people in the group with you, you may be able to find huge group discounts and rates. You will have to make do with a bigger set of people in the group. This will also give you the opportunity to make a lot of friends while having a great time as well. Off seasons are the time when promotions and offers are plentiful. Research the destination you have in mind thoroughly, until you have enough information. Do not forget to plan your vacation well in advance. Things planned in advance always cost less than the ones planned at the last minute. Try these ideas and you may well end up saving some money on your next vacation.

I love going to iTunes and downloading all the free music for the week.

Sometimes I delete the music immediately because it doesn't sound very good to me. Sometimes I keep the music forever. Sometimes they have really good music that is free that week. Occasionally there will be a really good one.

Most of the time they are just artists that want to get themselves out there. They usually aren't all that great. I usually end up deleting them. There's nothing wrong with getting the free music at first and then deleting it if it isn't something you are really interested in.

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What is a Personal Installment Loan Versus a Payday Loan?

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Which Loan is Right for Me?

Just about everybody has heard of a payday loan. Some of what you've heard may be good, or bad. But, regardless of what you've heard, millions of payday loans are made each year. And, with all those payday loans being made, there will inherently be good stories and bad stories and stories in-between.

In a nutshell, a payday loan is a short-term loan based on your paycheck. If you don't have a paycheck, you cannot get a payday loan. Needless to say, in order to have a paycheck, you must be employed. Typically, you get a payday loan and you pay it back within two weeks or whenever your next paycheck is. There are exceptions and some lenders are willing to offer extensions under some circumstances. The maximum amount of a payday loan is typically $1500.

Typical qualifications for a personal installment loan and/or a payday loan:

• Must be at least 18 years old; and
• Must be employed; and
• Must have a checking account

A payday loan and a personal installment loan are similar and the qualifications are the same. But, the way you pay the loans are different. … click here to read the rest of the article titled “What is a Personal Installment Loan Versus a Payday Loan?“

Avoid These Five Investment Mistakes

You know that investing is necessary if you want to efficiently grow your wealth, but the recent stock market volatility caused you to be wary of investing. However, it is folly to avoid investing altogether, and even though you might be concerned about it. Look. There is no way to completely protect yourself from the risk of loss, but there are things you can do to reduce losses. Here are five investment mistakes to avoid:

1. Time the market: This is especially tempting. You might want to try to time the market, pulling money out when things start looking shaky, and trying to enter the ground floor. However, there are disadvantages to this tactic — one of the biggest being that the market is notoriously hard to predict with high accuracy in the short term. On top of this, you have to pay transaction fees, and if your timing leads to short-term capital gains, you could pay more in taxes. While you might not get a big score by keeping with a long-term strategy that includes dollar cost averaging or buy and hold or others, you are more likely to earn solid and reliable returns over time.
2. Give in to market hysteria: Whether it’s the hysteria to buy or the hysteria to sell, giving in to market crazes can be a huge mistake. While you might feel safe going along with everyone else, you are probably making a huge mistake. Buying hysteria creates bubbles that can be suddenly devastating when they burst. If you sell because everyone else is, you might find that you are taking a loss on a fundamentally strong investment that will recover in a couple of years. The bottom line is that you need to base your investment decisions on reasoned research, not hype, and consider buying, even when everyone else is selling.
3. Overconfidence in your abilities: During a bull market, chances are that your gains aren’t due to your genius stock-picking abilities, but probably due to the fact that everyone is up. Unfortunately, many amateur investors (and that’s most of us) get an idea that they have more ability to pick stocks than they have. This overconfidence can lead them to take bigger risks, thinking that their crack insight will ensure a big payday. In reality though, most average investors are better off with a strategy of regular investing in solid stocks, funds and other instruments that help them see solid — if boring — returns over the long haul.
4. Too much trust in someone else: Whether it’s a stockbroker or a “hot source”, too much trust in someone else can land you in investment trouble. A stockbroker is actually looking to make money for him or herself. A financial adviser that gets commissions from recommending certain financial products and investments isn’t thinking about your best interests. Who knows why a “hot tip” is given. In the end, it is important to consider where your advice is coming from, and do some of your own research. A healthy balance between getting advice from a professional, and figuring things out on your own is a good thing. (Editor’s Note: for some reason, I keep thinking about “hot sauce” when I read “hot source”. Like the former, a hot source is good in moderation, but the more you add, the more you think you need. It’s not because they are good for your body, but because your tongue became i! nsensitive.)
5. Pay too many fees: You want to be careful of the fees you pay. Fees eat into your returns. Frequent trading racks up the transaction fees, commissions take money from your pocket and put it into others’, and tax inefficiency results in the government getting more than its fair share. Consider the types of funds and other investments you have, and try to find those with low fees, low turnover for added tax advantages.

In the end, you want to maximize the money that you keep, using it to work for you, and build your wealth. If you are careful to avoid the worst investment mistakes, you are likely to do well in the long term.

I can never stress this enough. Long term people. ALWAYS think long term!

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