The Christmas card, as we know it, originated in England in the year 1843. An artist named John Calcott Horsley was commissioned by Sir Henry Cole, a wealthy and successful London businessman, to create a card that could be sent out to his friends and clients to wish them a merry Christmas.
Sir Henry Cole was very well known at the time, for a number of reasons. He had a helping hand in helping to modernize the British postal system. He played a prominent role in the creation of the Royal Albert Hall, and acted as the construction manager on this massive project. He also arranged for the Great Exhibition of 1851, and he oversaw the inauguration of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
One of Sir Henry Cole’s greatest aspirations in life was to beautify the world around him. He owned and operated a wonderful art shop on Bond Street, which specialized in decorative objects for the home. His shop was hugely popular with the British upper class, and he earned a tidy sum from his business.
The Christmas card he commissioned was fashioned in the form of a triptych, which is a three-paneled design that allows for the two outer panels to be folded in towards the middle one. Each of the two side panels depicted a good deed. The first showed an image of people clothing the poor, and the other side panel showed an image of people feeding the hungry. The center piece had an image of a well-to-do family making a toast and surrounded by an enormous feast.
The inscription on the inside of the card read "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you." Of the one thousand cards printed for Sir Henry Cole, only twelve exist today in private collections. The printed card became highly fashionable in England during the years that followed. They also became very popular in Germany. It took quite a long time for the idea to catch on in America, then popularized by a German expatriate named Louis Prang in 1875. Today, more than 2 billion Christmas cards are exchanged each year. Merry Christmas, all!
Monday 19 January 2009
Prenuptial Agreements: Protecting Your Financial Security
The decision to get married is a big one in anyone's life. Nowadays, it is common for people, men and women alike, to secure themselves a career and a stable financial background. No one wants to be poor, and everyone wants to provide for their family. This method of thinking is very positive, producing quality families that are self-reliant and responsible.
With the responsibility of marriage comes the forethought to the marriage. No, I'm not talking about rings and wedding receptions, I'm talking about financial security for both the parties involved. If you are one of these forward thinking people who are entering into marriage only after having secured a good career with a solid income and a secure financial portfolio, then you need to consider the other securities about marriage.
Think of marriage as being similar to a contract you sign with your employer. You sign this contract promising to provide certain services, different levels of employment and responsibility, things you can do, things you can't and won't do. This is common in the workplace to sign these types of contracts. Marriage should be entered into in much the same fashion, with forethought and planning about who is responsible for what and when, where, how and why. If you enter into the contract with x-amount of assets, you should be entitled to leave with the same number that you came with, plus half of whatever you and your spouse accumulated together.
This may sound like you are splitting hairs with your spouse and you're probably afraid that your spouse will think that you don't trust them. It's not about trust. It's about responsibility for yourself, your actions and protecting yourself from the actions of others. Likewise for your spouse, a prenuptial agreement will cover their assets as well as yours. Everyone wins, no one loses what isn't rightfully theirs and your marriage starts out with the boundaries set regarding these sticky financial issues.
The real truth is that your spouse will likely be happy that you brought up the idea of a prenuptial agreement; chances are they are thinking of the same thing. It's only fair to protect 'what's mine is mine', especially when you have worked so hard to achieve these things.
As a fiscally responsible married couple, or couple about to be married, it's only fair that you are both upfront and honest with each other about your full intentions before you say I do. These discussions do, at some point, have to include finances. Who exactly is going to be responsible for the payments on the mortgage? Are they to be made equally? Who is going to front the money for the down-payment? If only one person is fronting the money to purchase a house, is that money considered a 'marital asset' or does that money essentially belong to the spouse who originally fronted the money? This is only a very slight glimpse at the questions you and your spouse should answer before the 'do you promise to honor and keep her…for richer or for poorer…until death do you part' question comes up.
Notice that "for richer or poorer" is mentioned in wedding vows. When the person performing your wedding ceremony asks this question, you and your spouse can both honestly answer "I do" if you have a prenuptial agreement, because you have already talked about the tough stuff. You can now sit back and enjoy your marriage to it's fullest without any of the worries that will have been washed away with your prenuptial agreement. Both of you can sleep easy, and live fully, by signing an agreed upon prenuptial agreement.
With the responsibility of marriage comes the forethought to the marriage. No, I'm not talking about rings and wedding receptions, I'm talking about financial security for both the parties involved. If you are one of these forward thinking people who are entering into marriage only after having secured a good career with a solid income and a secure financial portfolio, then you need to consider the other securities about marriage.
Think of marriage as being similar to a contract you sign with your employer. You sign this contract promising to provide certain services, different levels of employment and responsibility, things you can do, things you can't and won't do. This is common in the workplace to sign these types of contracts. Marriage should be entered into in much the same fashion, with forethought and planning about who is responsible for what and when, where, how and why. If you enter into the contract with x-amount of assets, you should be entitled to leave with the same number that you came with, plus half of whatever you and your spouse accumulated together.
This may sound like you are splitting hairs with your spouse and you're probably afraid that your spouse will think that you don't trust them. It's not about trust. It's about responsibility for yourself, your actions and protecting yourself from the actions of others. Likewise for your spouse, a prenuptial agreement will cover their assets as well as yours. Everyone wins, no one loses what isn't rightfully theirs and your marriage starts out with the boundaries set regarding these sticky financial issues.
The real truth is that your spouse will likely be happy that you brought up the idea of a prenuptial agreement; chances are they are thinking of the same thing. It's only fair to protect 'what's mine is mine', especially when you have worked so hard to achieve these things.
As a fiscally responsible married couple, or couple about to be married, it's only fair that you are both upfront and honest with each other about your full intentions before you say I do. These discussions do, at some point, have to include finances. Who exactly is going to be responsible for the payments on the mortgage? Are they to be made equally? Who is going to front the money for the down-payment? If only one person is fronting the money to purchase a house, is that money considered a 'marital asset' or does that money essentially belong to the spouse who originally fronted the money? This is only a very slight glimpse at the questions you and your spouse should answer before the 'do you promise to honor and keep her…for richer or for poorer…until death do you part' question comes up.
Notice that "for richer or poorer" is mentioned in wedding vows. When the person performing your wedding ceremony asks this question, you and your spouse can both honestly answer "I do" if you have a prenuptial agreement, because you have already talked about the tough stuff. You can now sit back and enjoy your marriage to it's fullest without any of the worries that will have been washed away with your prenuptial agreement. Both of you can sleep easy, and live fully, by signing an agreed upon prenuptial agreement.
Paoers for Divorce
Paoers for your divorce are very important as they deal with legal matters. You should always have the right paoers for divorce to prevent any legal complications in the future. Your paoers for divorce should include provisions for child support, custody and property settlements. You need to focus on protecting your future by making sure that your divorce paoers are drawn up carefully.
As many legal technicalities are involved in most of the divorce proceedings, it is wise to retain a qualified Divorce Lawyer to prepare your paoers for divorce. When a Lawyer prepares your paoers for divorce, you need to have documents relating to Insurance, Tax Records, Birth, Marriage License, Loan Accounts, Pension Accounts, Vehicle Titles, Property Deeds and Titles and Mortgage Accounts.
Once your paoers for divorce are drawn up, you need to take them home and read them very carefully. You must know that your paoers for divorce are legal documents. Any stipulations in your paoers for divorce will affect you for a long time. If you feel uncomfortable with anything, or don't understand something contained in your paoers for divorce, discuss it with your lawyer before you sign anything.
After you sign your paoers for divorce, give it to the lawyer, so that he can take care of presenting it to the judge. He will file your paoers of divorce at the courthouse. If you have any received property, ask your lawyer to draw up a Quit Claim Deed; or a Title Change Claim, if you have a vehicle. This process of filling up the paoers for divorce may take time. But remember paoers for divorce can get you out of problems in the future.
As many legal technicalities are involved in most of the divorce proceedings, it is wise to retain a qualified Divorce Lawyer to prepare your paoers for divorce. When a Lawyer prepares your paoers for divorce, you need to have documents relating to Insurance, Tax Records, Birth, Marriage License, Loan Accounts, Pension Accounts, Vehicle Titles, Property Deeds and Titles and Mortgage Accounts.
Once your paoers for divorce are drawn up, you need to take them home and read them very carefully. You must know that your paoers for divorce are legal documents. Any stipulations in your paoers for divorce will affect you for a long time. If you feel uncomfortable with anything, or don't understand something contained in your paoers for divorce, discuss it with your lawyer before you sign anything.
After you sign your paoers for divorce, give it to the lawyer, so that he can take care of presenting it to the judge. He will file your paoers of divorce at the courthouse. If you have any received property, ask your lawyer to draw up a Quit Claim Deed; or a Title Change Claim, if you have a vehicle. This process of filling up the paoers for divorce may take time. But remember paoers for divorce can get you out of problems in the future.
Organize Your Move With A Moving Checklist
Moving is a chaotic and stressful time. There’s so many things to arrange, having utilities switched, signing up the kids for a new school, scheduling the movers, packing the house. With all the other things you do it’s not easy to find the time to get everything done!
Using a checklist of tasks, can help keep you organized and make sure you don’t leave out an important moving task. I suggest that you start the list well in advance – a month or more before the move. Just jot a few things down and then leave the list on the kitchen counter or fridge where everyone can see it. As you think of new things to add, write them down right away or it might be too late when you think of them again!
As the time for the move grows closer, you may want to transfer the list to a calendar format. Some of the items like notifying the phone company, will be things you can do in advance so you can assign those a date and then each day check the calendar to see what tasks need to be done. Cross off those that you have accomplished and you can easily see what is left to do. This method also works well if you are delegating some of the items on the list – you can add the name of the person responsible next to the task and this will avoid any last minute “but I though you were going to do that….” problems.
When the day of the move comes, you’ll probably still have plenty left on your to do list so make sure that it’s the last thing you pack up on your way out and the first thing you unpack at your new home. You’ll probably need to add tasks that are specific to your situation, but some common items on your to do list might include:
o Rent crates, buy boxes and get packing material – this can be done in advance
o Pack unnecessary items like knick knacks and anything you can do without until after the move – getting this stuff out of the way ahead of time will make moving day easier
o Get your new house inspected
o Put your pay stubs, bank statements and other documentation in a folder for your loan officer
o Arrange for utility shut off / reconnect for phones, lights and gas
o Notify business associates, friends and family of change of address and new phone number
o Put your new address and phone on checks and business cards
o Schedule a final walk through to inspect your new house
o Fix any items that came up in final walk through for your old house
o Get a certified check to bring to your closing (most banks require this and you’ll really screw up the works if you show up with a personal check)
o Rent a moving truck (and movers unless you are moving yourself)
o Schedule move out cleaning so your house is clean for the new owners
o Schedule your pets to go to a friend or kennel on the day of the move
o
Having a moving checklist won't magically make everything happen right but it can help to make things run a little more smoothly!
Using a checklist of tasks, can help keep you organized and make sure you don’t leave out an important moving task. I suggest that you start the list well in advance – a month or more before the move. Just jot a few things down and then leave the list on the kitchen counter or fridge where everyone can see it. As you think of new things to add, write them down right away or it might be too late when you think of them again!
As the time for the move grows closer, you may want to transfer the list to a calendar format. Some of the items like notifying the phone company, will be things you can do in advance so you can assign those a date and then each day check the calendar to see what tasks need to be done. Cross off those that you have accomplished and you can easily see what is left to do. This method also works well if you are delegating some of the items on the list – you can add the name of the person responsible next to the task and this will avoid any last minute “but I though you were going to do that….” problems.
When the day of the move comes, you’ll probably still have plenty left on your to do list so make sure that it’s the last thing you pack up on your way out and the first thing you unpack at your new home. You’ll probably need to add tasks that are specific to your situation, but some common items on your to do list might include:
o Rent crates, buy boxes and get packing material – this can be done in advance
o Pack unnecessary items like knick knacks and anything you can do without until after the move – getting this stuff out of the way ahead of time will make moving day easier
o Get your new house inspected
o Put your pay stubs, bank statements and other documentation in a folder for your loan officer
o Arrange for utility shut off / reconnect for phones, lights and gas
o Notify business associates, friends and family of change of address and new phone number
o Put your new address and phone on checks and business cards
o Schedule a final walk through to inspect your new house
o Fix any items that came up in final walk through for your old house
o Get a certified check to bring to your closing (most banks require this and you’ll really screw up the works if you show up with a personal check)
o Rent a moving truck (and movers unless you are moving yourself)
o Schedule move out cleaning so your house is clean for the new owners
o Schedule your pets to go to a friend or kennel on the day of the move
o
Having a moving checklist won't magically make everything happen right but it can help to make things run a little more smoothly!
Not Every Debt Negotiation Company Is Right For You - And That's The Truth
For those outside of the ‘wide breadth of consumer and credit card debt knowledge’ inner circle, the debt negotiation truth is this: not even the best debt negotiation companies may be right for you.
For starters, debtors have differing situations – one may be falling behind on his monthly mortgage payments, while another debtor is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy after seven renters moved out of his eight-unit rental property. Deciding on fine debt negotiation companies depends on your situation.
Have Debt Negotiation Companies Meet Your Own Criteria
Selecting a proven debt negotiation company is a part of the selecting a debt negotiation company truth. Notice their track record and verify their credentials by phone and in person regarding the number of negotiation clients they´ve served, rather than through the Internet chockful of potential debtor related scams.
In addition to a solid debt negotiation plan, the Grade A debt negotiation companies also throw valuable literature at you educating you about the intricacies of the game. The true companies should also offer credit counseling as well – planting you on the right pivot foot presenting you with a myriad of ways to control and manage your finances by exploring ways to negotiate debt.
The most bona fide way to pinpoint a debt negotiation company´s effectiveness is by finding out its reputation. If the company has been featured in a host of debt publications and newschannels, that is a plus.
Servicing a wide range of debtors nationwide (not limited to a couple of states) is also a criteria of the best companies. Find out the in & outs of all of the debt negotiation companies – and the truth shall come separating the scams from the real.
For starters, debtors have differing situations – one may be falling behind on his monthly mortgage payments, while another debtor is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy after seven renters moved out of his eight-unit rental property. Deciding on fine debt negotiation companies depends on your situation.
Have Debt Negotiation Companies Meet Your Own Criteria
Selecting a proven debt negotiation company is a part of the selecting a debt negotiation company truth. Notice their track record and verify their credentials by phone and in person regarding the number of negotiation clients they´ve served, rather than through the Internet chockful of potential debtor related scams.
In addition to a solid debt negotiation plan, the Grade A debt negotiation companies also throw valuable literature at you educating you about the intricacies of the game. The true companies should also offer credit counseling as well – planting you on the right pivot foot presenting you with a myriad of ways to control and manage your finances by exploring ways to negotiate debt.
The most bona fide way to pinpoint a debt negotiation company´s effectiveness is by finding out its reputation. If the company has been featured in a host of debt publications and newschannels, that is a plus.
Servicing a wide range of debtors nationwide (not limited to a couple of states) is also a criteria of the best companies. Find out the in & outs of all of the debt negotiation companies – and the truth shall come separating the scams from the real.
Mortgage Tips from Me to You
At some point in your adult life, you are likely to purchase a house of your own. Whether you are sick of renting, or you have decided to settle down and start a family, purchasing your first home can be an exhilarating and nerve-wracking adventure. In researching the best practices for new home buying, we decided to give you three of the most important tips.
Our first suggestion is to save, save, and save some more. The idea behind this is to enable you to make the largest initial down payment on your new home as possible. We know how difficult it can be to save, but this could save you thousands of dollars in the long run. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to save thousands of dollars to use for your own ends, instead of paying it to some faceless bank in interest payments?
Secondly, try to educate yourself about the types of financing available. Shop around, or speak with a mortgage broker who can act on your behalf. In my opinion, your best bet is to lock into a fixed rate mortgage. A new home is very expensive, and you are likely to be short of cash for the first couple years. A fixed rate mortgage will provide you with the peace of mind that comes with knowing exactly what your mortgage payments will be each month. Remember, you can always renegotiate the terms of your mortgage at a later date. Ensure you have the stability you need to get off on the right start.
Lastly, be sure you have a proper home inspection done before you complete the transaction. If you feel the price of the house you are about to purchase is too good to pass up, it is probably is too good to be true. It is worth taking the time to ensure things are done properly. If you have to move fast for fear of missing out, make an offer, but ensure that your offer is conditional on upon a successful home inspection. Far too many first time home buyers have gone broke fixing repairs that should have taken care of by the previous owner. And, please, do yourself a favor and find an independent home inspector that doesn’t have a relationship with the real estate agent!
Our first suggestion is to save, save, and save some more. The idea behind this is to enable you to make the largest initial down payment on your new home as possible. We know how difficult it can be to save, but this could save you thousands of dollars in the long run. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to save thousands of dollars to use for your own ends, instead of paying it to some faceless bank in interest payments?
Secondly, try to educate yourself about the types of financing available. Shop around, or speak with a mortgage broker who can act on your behalf. In my opinion, your best bet is to lock into a fixed rate mortgage. A new home is very expensive, and you are likely to be short of cash for the first couple years. A fixed rate mortgage will provide you with the peace of mind that comes with knowing exactly what your mortgage payments will be each month. Remember, you can always renegotiate the terms of your mortgage at a later date. Ensure you have the stability you need to get off on the right start.
Lastly, be sure you have a proper home inspection done before you complete the transaction. If you feel the price of the house you are about to purchase is too good to pass up, it is probably is too good to be true. It is worth taking the time to ensure things are done properly. If you have to move fast for fear of missing out, make an offer, but ensure that your offer is conditional on upon a successful home inspection. Far too many first time home buyers have gone broke fixing repairs that should have taken care of by the previous owner. And, please, do yourself a favor and find an independent home inspector that doesn’t have a relationship with the real estate agent!
Mortgage Refinance: 4 Ways To Know Its Time to Refinance Your House.
1)Mortgage Rates might be lower now. The biggest reason that people refinance their mortgages is to save money. No matter what has happened to you, there is always a good reason to start saving money. A lower rate on your mortgage can help you stretch out the payments so that every month you are paying less to live in your house than the previous month. When interest rates are low and you had previously locked your mortgage into a higher price, it might be a good idea to shop your rate around to see how low you can get it. The early 2000's have been an environment of very low mortgage rates which make it a good idea to shop around to see if you can refinance your mortgage.
2)You need money and need to stretch out your payments. Maybe you've recently filed for bankruptcy and therefore need more money to get back on your feet. Maybe you've switched jobs and therefore need to refinance your mortgage in order to make your monthly payments lower. No matter what people say, it's always a good idea to have more money in your pocket than less, isn't it? Refinancing your mortgage might be a good idea in this situation.
3)There may be better deals out there than you think there are. Finding a new mortgage company or bank to refinance your mortgage might be a good idea just to kick the tires of the industry and see if you could get a better deal. If you've been spending a lot of money and paying off the balances on your credit card on a monthly basis there is a significant chance that your credit score has increase recently. An overall better credit score is better for everyone including your lenders. If a new lender sees that your credit score has increased recently, she might be in a much better position to give you a better deal on your mortgage than you think. She could refinance your mortgage by shopping the deal around at more banks and finding the best one for you. Shop your refinancing around, it can't hurt.
4)Mortgage refinancing as a sound business decision. If you own a small business of any sort and need a capital infusion, then investigating mortgage refinancing might be a very smart thing to do. If your business is truly small and you run it out of your house, then the line between your personal and business expenses might be thinner than you are reasonably comfortable with. Clearing up a little extra capital, through refinancing your home, every month might be the difference between investing in some new small equipment and not investing. Everything that is an expense should be lowered if possible. Refinancing a mortgage might be a fantastic idea to increase capital reserves and to plan for future investments. Many business owners who work out of their homes constantly try to decrease their monthly payments so that when it comes time to pay their business bills, they have a little extra capital. Always check with a CPA or attorney to determine what is deductible and what isn't. But, more money is more money, even if you are lending it from yourself to your business
2)You need money and need to stretch out your payments. Maybe you've recently filed for bankruptcy and therefore need more money to get back on your feet. Maybe you've switched jobs and therefore need to refinance your mortgage in order to make your monthly payments lower. No matter what people say, it's always a good idea to have more money in your pocket than less, isn't it? Refinancing your mortgage might be a good idea in this situation.
3)There may be better deals out there than you think there are. Finding a new mortgage company or bank to refinance your mortgage might be a good idea just to kick the tires of the industry and see if you could get a better deal. If you've been spending a lot of money and paying off the balances on your credit card on a monthly basis there is a significant chance that your credit score has increase recently. An overall better credit score is better for everyone including your lenders. If a new lender sees that your credit score has increased recently, she might be in a much better position to give you a better deal on your mortgage than you think. She could refinance your mortgage by shopping the deal around at more banks and finding the best one for you. Shop your refinancing around, it can't hurt.
4)Mortgage refinancing as a sound business decision. If you own a small business of any sort and need a capital infusion, then investigating mortgage refinancing might be a very smart thing to do. If your business is truly small and you run it out of your house, then the line between your personal and business expenses might be thinner than you are reasonably comfortable with. Clearing up a little extra capital, through refinancing your home, every month might be the difference between investing in some new small equipment and not investing. Everything that is an expense should be lowered if possible. Refinancing a mortgage might be a fantastic idea to increase capital reserves and to plan for future investments. Many business owners who work out of their homes constantly try to decrease their monthly payments so that when it comes time to pay their business bills, they have a little extra capital. Always check with a CPA or attorney to determine what is deductible and what isn't. But, more money is more money, even if you are lending it from yourself to your business
Mortgage after Bankruptcy - Bankruptcy Discharged Yesterday? Purchase a Home Today
So you have been through a bankruptcy and surely have been told to wait at least two years before applying for a home loan. Waiting two long years without any guarantee of being approved for a mortgage after bankruptcy can be disheartening. Fortunately, this advice no longer holds true.
Today, there is a growing realization of the need to offer home loan products that are specifically designed for borrowers with an imperfect credit or financial history. Mortgage programs have been created especially for borrowers who have gone through a bankruptcy. In fact, those with a bankruptcy discharged for even one day may apply for a home loan. That's right, if your bankruptcy was discharged yesterday, you can qualify for a mortgage today!
Now you are probably thinking that although you are eligible, it will be difficult to qualify. The truth is that qualifying is much easier than you think. The fact that you have been through bankruptcy is not even considered in the evaluation of your credit. Any liens, collections or judgments that appear on your credit report will also not be used in the evaluation of credit and will not need to be paid off.
What is important and what will be looked at is your credit score. Now here is the good news: with a minimum FICO score of 500, you are qualified to purchase a home with a 20% down payment. Having a credit score between 550 and 579 will allow you to borrow up to 95% of the purchase price; and with any score above 580, you are qualified for 100% financing.
With the competitive rates that are available on mortgage after bankruptcy programs, you are able to realize the dream of homeownership with a mortgage payment that is affordable and fits easily within your budget. Along with the traditional benefits of owning a home, such as equity building and tax benefits, you will most importantly be rebuilding your credit profile. Additionally, you may also benefit from the current strong housing market and its appreciating home values.
So now you know the following: that you can qualify for a home loan today, what the credit requirements for a mortgage are, and that you can rebuild your credit and financial life through homeownership. Gone forever are the days of waiting two years and living with the dim prospect of obtaining a mortgage after bankruptcy. You have worked hard to discharge your bankruptcy and have the fresh start that you were looking for.
There is empowerment that comes with the knowledge that you can purchase a home today even if your bankruptcy was discharged yesterday. So get qualified for a home loan, start searching for a home and begin packing those boxes!
Today, there is a growing realization of the need to offer home loan products that are specifically designed for borrowers with an imperfect credit or financial history. Mortgage programs have been created especially for borrowers who have gone through a bankruptcy. In fact, those with a bankruptcy discharged for even one day may apply for a home loan. That's right, if your bankruptcy was discharged yesterday, you can qualify for a mortgage today!
Now you are probably thinking that although you are eligible, it will be difficult to qualify. The truth is that qualifying is much easier than you think. The fact that you have been through bankruptcy is not even considered in the evaluation of your credit. Any liens, collections or judgments that appear on your credit report will also not be used in the evaluation of credit and will not need to be paid off.
What is important and what will be looked at is your credit score. Now here is the good news: with a minimum FICO score of 500, you are qualified to purchase a home with a 20% down payment. Having a credit score between 550 and 579 will allow you to borrow up to 95% of the purchase price; and with any score above 580, you are qualified for 100% financing.
With the competitive rates that are available on mortgage after bankruptcy programs, you are able to realize the dream of homeownership with a mortgage payment that is affordable and fits easily within your budget. Along with the traditional benefits of owning a home, such as equity building and tax benefits, you will most importantly be rebuilding your credit profile. Additionally, you may also benefit from the current strong housing market and its appreciating home values.
So now you know the following: that you can qualify for a home loan today, what the credit requirements for a mortgage are, and that you can rebuild your credit and financial life through homeownership. Gone forever are the days of waiting two years and living with the dim prospect of obtaining a mortgage after bankruptcy. You have worked hard to discharge your bankruptcy and have the fresh start that you were looking for.
There is empowerment that comes with the knowledge that you can purchase a home today even if your bankruptcy was discharged yesterday. So get qualified for a home loan, start searching for a home and begin packing those boxes!
Life insurance – wise investment in personal finance or excessive caution
Life insurance is typically taken out to offer valuable financial protection for your family in the event of your death, upon which a payment is made to your financial beneficiaries, heirs or family members. The extent of this payment will depend on your insured sum and earnings. Life insurance and life assurance may be interlinked in advertisements, though bear in mind the two policies are different. Life assurance is a form of financial protection which is also an investment, as you should always get a pay-out at the end of the term of the policy. Life insurance on the other hand is simply financial protection for your family, avoiding the issue of debt in the event of your death.
According to an article by the Fair Investment Company, the British life insurance industry shrank to almost half the size of the pensions industry last year and according to the Association of British Insurers, less than 50% of UK households hold a life insurance policy.
In their most recent newsletter about this issue, the Association of British Insurers found that 25% of mortgage holders had insufficient life insurance to cover their debt. The ratio of new life insurance policies to new mortgage loans was apparently 68% in 1994, but by 2004 this had dropped by half to 33%.
The absence of mortgage life coverage poses a serious risk for the dependants of homeowners. If banks were to embark on wide scale repossessions as a result of this absence of life insurance, this would impose a risk on their loan books and reputations. The Association of British Insurers also state that one of the main reasons behind the increased gap between mortgage loans and insurance is the emergence of people remortgaging their property to take advantage of equity release through a rise in value, without insuring their borrowing. In their report it was stated that around 63% of new mortgage loans were remortgages or further advances, compared to 34% in 1994. Egg reported at around the same time, that three out of four of these new loan homeowners had no intention of insuring this additional debt. This is particularly worrying if couples are remortgaging their property later in life – towards retirement, given that should anything happen to the breadwinner, the partner would be left with significant debts without the capability of paying the loan back.
Reasons for the downward trend in life insurance take-up include:
* Relaxation in lending policy – increased competition in the mortgage market means that lenders are not forcing life insurance policies on their customers
* High house prices have stretched homebuyers, in particular first time home-buyers, in terms of their mortgage repayments, that the additional costs of a life insurance policy are deemed too expensive
* There are more households with no dependents
If you’re interested in researching a life insurance policy, make sure you shop around. UK websites such as moneynet ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk ) provide life insurance and life assurance information guides, as well as providing price comparison research for the different products. In the states, the website LowerMyBills.com also offers a similar service.
Because of the various factors listed above, people have also become less familiar with the term life insurance and without the awareness there is little recognition of the importance of this type of insurance. However as speculation increases that UK households are not coping with their debt, so should the awareness of life insurance as an essential product in the personal finance portfolio.
According to an article by the Fair Investment Company, the British life insurance industry shrank to almost half the size of the pensions industry last year and according to the Association of British Insurers, less than 50% of UK households hold a life insurance policy.
In their most recent newsletter about this issue, the Association of British Insurers found that 25% of mortgage holders had insufficient life insurance to cover their debt. The ratio of new life insurance policies to new mortgage loans was apparently 68% in 1994, but by 2004 this had dropped by half to 33%.
The absence of mortgage life coverage poses a serious risk for the dependants of homeowners. If banks were to embark on wide scale repossessions as a result of this absence of life insurance, this would impose a risk on their loan books and reputations. The Association of British Insurers also state that one of the main reasons behind the increased gap between mortgage loans and insurance is the emergence of people remortgaging their property to take advantage of equity release through a rise in value, without insuring their borrowing. In their report it was stated that around 63% of new mortgage loans were remortgages or further advances, compared to 34% in 1994. Egg reported at around the same time, that three out of four of these new loan homeowners had no intention of insuring this additional debt. This is particularly worrying if couples are remortgaging their property later in life – towards retirement, given that should anything happen to the breadwinner, the partner would be left with significant debts without the capability of paying the loan back.
Reasons for the downward trend in life insurance take-up include:
* Relaxation in lending policy – increased competition in the mortgage market means that lenders are not forcing life insurance policies on their customers
* High house prices have stretched homebuyers, in particular first time home-buyers, in terms of their mortgage repayments, that the additional costs of a life insurance policy are deemed too expensive
* There are more households with no dependents
If you’re interested in researching a life insurance policy, make sure you shop around. UK websites such as moneynet ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk ) provide life insurance and life assurance information guides, as well as providing price comparison research for the different products. In the states, the website LowerMyBills.com also offers a similar service.
Because of the various factors listed above, people have also become less familiar with the term life insurance and without the awareness there is little recognition of the importance of this type of insurance. However as speculation increases that UK households are not coping with their debt, so should the awareness of life insurance as an essential product in the personal finance portfolio.
Life insurance: why there’s no need to be a desperate housewife
Contemplating what may happen to your wife (or husband) and children if you die is not likely to be a thought you wish to contemplate. However, avoiding the issue may make life more difficult for your family after your death.
Life insurance looks set to make a comeback in the UK, after a period of neglect by consumers who were simply occupied with affording a home. The stabilising of the UK house market has made many consumers take a broader view to their personal finances.
LifeSearch (a life insurance broker), in the September issue of Money Observer, highlighted a few common mistakes people make when buying life insurance:
* Believing life insurance is relevant to everyone
Life insurance is only relevant to people who have financial dependents. If you have no financial dependents, it might be more appropriate to consider income protection or critical illness insurance.
* Paying too much for life insurance
According to Money Observer, research for Sainsbury’s Bank Life Insurance revealed that many people take life insurance policies from their mortgage providers and as a result could be paying too much.
* Opting to buy joint life insurance policies instead of single life insurance policies
The advice to married couples is to avoid taking out joint life insurance policies which pay out when the first spouse dies over the term of the policy, but not on the second. Single policies could provide additional cover by paying just an extra £3-4 a month.
* Missing out on a trust
The Tax Man can claim up to 40% of your life insurance payout as inheritance tax. According to Money Observer, those with assets totalling £275,000 or more (including a house) are especially prone to tax inspection. Writing your policy in trust is a way to avoid this and as a trust does not have to go through probate, beneficiaries of the policy will receive the payment without delay.
* Only insuring the main earner
Whilst it is important to cover the main breadwinner, by neglecting to additionally insure the housewife or househusband may result in extra child care costs. Family income benefit (FIB) may be an appropriate policy to put in place.
* Opting for a lump sum over income
If your dependents are likely to require an income, then buying a policy that pays out a lump sum is a mistake. Many people invest lump sums for an income, but when they invest it, they have to pay tax. Family income benefit provides a larger payout – tax free, though the majority of banks and building societies do not offer FIB, so ask an Independent Financial Advisor for recommendations.
* Not proving full medical records or detailing comprehensive medical history
Failure to disclose a complete picture of your health, no matter how trivial, could invalidate a claim later on.
There’s no excuse for not conducting your own homework, as there is an abundance of information available online. Sites such as moneynet, provide not only price comparison research on difference life insurance products, they also offer downloadable consumer product guides. Lowermybills.com proffers a similar service stateside.
Life insurance looks set to make a comeback in the UK, after a period of neglect by consumers who were simply occupied with affording a home. The stabilising of the UK house market has made many consumers take a broader view to their personal finances.
LifeSearch (a life insurance broker), in the September issue of Money Observer, highlighted a few common mistakes people make when buying life insurance:
* Believing life insurance is relevant to everyone
Life insurance is only relevant to people who have financial dependents. If you have no financial dependents, it might be more appropriate to consider income protection or critical illness insurance.
* Paying too much for life insurance
According to Money Observer, research for Sainsbury’s Bank Life Insurance revealed that many people take life insurance policies from their mortgage providers and as a result could be paying too much.
* Opting to buy joint life insurance policies instead of single life insurance policies
The advice to married couples is to avoid taking out joint life insurance policies which pay out when the first spouse dies over the term of the policy, but not on the second. Single policies could provide additional cover by paying just an extra £3-4 a month.
* Missing out on a trust
The Tax Man can claim up to 40% of your life insurance payout as inheritance tax. According to Money Observer, those with assets totalling £275,000 or more (including a house) are especially prone to tax inspection. Writing your policy in trust is a way to avoid this and as a trust does not have to go through probate, beneficiaries of the policy will receive the payment without delay.
* Only insuring the main earner
Whilst it is important to cover the main breadwinner, by neglecting to additionally insure the housewife or househusband may result in extra child care costs. Family income benefit (FIB) may be an appropriate policy to put in place.
* Opting for a lump sum over income
If your dependents are likely to require an income, then buying a policy that pays out a lump sum is a mistake. Many people invest lump sums for an income, but when they invest it, they have to pay tax. Family income benefit provides a larger payout – tax free, though the majority of banks and building societies do not offer FIB, so ask an Independent Financial Advisor for recommendations.
* Not proving full medical records or detailing comprehensive medical history
Failure to disclose a complete picture of your health, no matter how trivial, could invalidate a claim later on.
There’s no excuse for not conducting your own homework, as there is an abundance of information available online. Sites such as moneynet, provide not only price comparison research on difference life insurance products, they also offer downloadable consumer product guides. Lowermybills.com proffers a similar service stateside.
Is There Any Such Thing As Affordable Life Insurance?
Do you need affordable term life insurance? This seems to be the million-dollar question. When you want to purchase life insurance you often do not know how much you need or if there is such a thing as having too much life insurance. What constitutes affordable life insurance and how much you need is totally dependant upon your own situation.
Don't be fooled into determining the amount of insurance you should have to what your best friend or neighbour has. Remember, every situation is unique and your needs will be unique. Your need will be determined by what you wish to see happen in the event of your death. You do have to look at the life insurance cost of the premiums and decide how much you can afford from your monthly budget. There is affordable life insurance available at very low premiums and that will help your family out in the event of your death.
When considering what affordable life insurance is needed in a family situation, you need to do a life insurance comparison. This will help you get the most affordable rates and there are countless life insurance companies able to help you in this regard.
In order to determine how much life insurance you should have, a number of factors need to be considered. For a person with family needs, these may include such things as:
· Do you have dependants? If so, how long will they be dependant upon you?
· Do you have children? If so, how old are they?
· Do you want to insure your children have a post secondary education?
· Will your household income be greatly reduced upon your death? If so, how much income do you need to replace so your family maintains their standard of living?
· How long will you need to replace your household income?
· What taxes may be incurred upon your death?
· Do you need to cover debt obligations such as loans or a mortgage?
When you try to determine whether or not you can afford life insurance, think about whether or not your family can afford to be without affordable life insurance.
You can find affordable term life insurance, but you need to establish exactly what you need first.
Don't be fooled into determining the amount of insurance you should have to what your best friend or neighbour has. Remember, every situation is unique and your needs will be unique. Your need will be determined by what you wish to see happen in the event of your death. You do have to look at the life insurance cost of the premiums and decide how much you can afford from your monthly budget. There is affordable life insurance available at very low premiums and that will help your family out in the event of your death.
When considering what affordable life insurance is needed in a family situation, you need to do a life insurance comparison. This will help you get the most affordable rates and there are countless life insurance companies able to help you in this regard.
In order to determine how much life insurance you should have, a number of factors need to be considered. For a person with family needs, these may include such things as:
· Do you have dependants? If so, how long will they be dependant upon you?
· Do you have children? If so, how old are they?
· Do you want to insure your children have a post secondary education?
· Will your household income be greatly reduced upon your death? If so, how much income do you need to replace so your family maintains their standard of living?
· How long will you need to replace your household income?
· What taxes may be incurred upon your death?
· Do you need to cover debt obligations such as loans or a mortgage?
When you try to determine whether or not you can afford life insurance, think about whether or not your family can afford to be without affordable life insurance.
You can find affordable term life insurance, but you need to establish exactly what you need first.
Three Rules of Thumb for Mortgage Refinancing
You might think that deciding to refinance a mortgage requires only a quick comparison of loan interest rates. Unfortunately, that’s not really true. Refinancing is trickier than that! Fortunately, three useful rules of thumb can often help you make sense of refinancing opportunities.
Rule 1: Don’t Ignore Total Interest Costs
You really want to use refinancing as a way to reduce the total interest cost you pay. While that sounds simple in principle, it is sometimes difficult to do. The interest costs you pay are a function of the interest rate, the loan balance, and the loan term period.
When people refinance, they tend to focus solely on the loan interest rate. But they often don’t pay as much attention to the loan term or the loan balance.
When you use refinancing—even refinancing at a lower interest rate—to increase your borrowing or to extend the time over which you borrow, you often aren’t saving money.
Rule 2: Trade Expensive Money for Cheap Money
For refinancing to make economic sense, however, you do need to swap higher interest rate debt for lower interest rate debt. This calculation, however, is tricky. To make an apples-to-apples comparison, you must look at the annual percentage rate that will be charged on your new loan—this is the best measure of the new loan’s interest rate cost—and then compare this to the loan interest rate on your old loan.
You don’t want to compare interest rates on the two loans nor do you want to compare annual percentage rates on the two loans. Again, just to make this perfectly clear: You want to compare the loan interest rate on the old loan to the annual percentage rate on the new loan.
When the annual percentage rate on the new loan is lower than the loan interest rate on the old loan, then you are truly paying a lower interest rate.
Comparing annual percentage rates with loan interest rates seems confusing at first. But note that you would pay only interest on your old or current loan, so that’s all you need to look at in terms of its costs. With a new loan, however, you would pay both interest and any origination or closing cost fees. The annual percentage rate wraps the interest rate charges and setup charges, origination charges, and closing cost fees into one interest rate-like number.
Rule 3: Don’t Lengthen the Repayment Period
Be careful that you don’t extend the length of time you borrow by continually refinancing. For example, one common rule of thumb states that every time interest rates drop by two percentage points, you should refinance your mortgage. However, there have been times in recent history when following this rule would have had you refinancing your mortgage every few years. This could mean that you would never get your mortgage paid off. If you refinanced every few years, you would suddenly find yourself still 30 years away from having your mortgage paid.
Rule 1: Don’t Ignore Total Interest Costs
You really want to use refinancing as a way to reduce the total interest cost you pay. While that sounds simple in principle, it is sometimes difficult to do. The interest costs you pay are a function of the interest rate, the loan balance, and the loan term period.
When people refinance, they tend to focus solely on the loan interest rate. But they often don’t pay as much attention to the loan term or the loan balance.
When you use refinancing—even refinancing at a lower interest rate—to increase your borrowing or to extend the time over which you borrow, you often aren’t saving money.
Rule 2: Trade Expensive Money for Cheap Money
For refinancing to make economic sense, however, you do need to swap higher interest rate debt for lower interest rate debt. This calculation, however, is tricky. To make an apples-to-apples comparison, you must look at the annual percentage rate that will be charged on your new loan—this is the best measure of the new loan’s interest rate cost—and then compare this to the loan interest rate on your old loan.
You don’t want to compare interest rates on the two loans nor do you want to compare annual percentage rates on the two loans. Again, just to make this perfectly clear: You want to compare the loan interest rate on the old loan to the annual percentage rate on the new loan.
When the annual percentage rate on the new loan is lower than the loan interest rate on the old loan, then you are truly paying a lower interest rate.
Comparing annual percentage rates with loan interest rates seems confusing at first. But note that you would pay only interest on your old or current loan, so that’s all you need to look at in terms of its costs. With a new loan, however, you would pay both interest and any origination or closing cost fees. The annual percentage rate wraps the interest rate charges and setup charges, origination charges, and closing cost fees into one interest rate-like number.
Rule 3: Don’t Lengthen the Repayment Period
Be careful that you don’t extend the length of time you borrow by continually refinancing. For example, one common rule of thumb states that every time interest rates drop by two percentage points, you should refinance your mortgage. However, there have been times in recent history when following this rule would have had you refinancing your mortgage every few years. This could mean that you would never get your mortgage paid off. If you refinanced every few years, you would suddenly find yourself still 30 years away from having your mortgage paid.
How To Get Your Your Money And Debt Under Control
If you are struggling with money and debt here are some
things you can do to help. Admit to yourself that you have
to much debt. It is very easy to strugle on each month
robbing Peter to pay Paul without getting to grips with the
problem. If you are spending more than 10%-15% of your
income (excluding a mortgage) on debt repayments you are
probably financially stretched. List out how much you owe
on credit cards and loans etc. It will come as a shock so be
prepared! Also list out what the repayments are on each.
Check if your spending on debt servicing is higher than 10-
15 % of your income.
If it is, here are some options to sort out the problem. If
you can, increase your income. You may be eligible for
government money such as tax credits or help with council
tax or rent if you are on a low income. Alternatively you
may be able to get a part time job or rent out the spare
room.
If it is not possible to increase your income you need to
look at ways of reducing your spending. Are there things you
can cut down on? Start buying cheaper products at the
supermarket. It is amazing how much your grocery bill can be
reduced by buying "own brands".
If increasing your income or reducing your expenditure is
not possible or insufficient then write to the people you
owe money to and explain the situation and ask them to
suspend the interest so that you can start to reduce what
you owe them. This is known as an informal arrangement.
More formally you can arrange for a legally binding
agreement with your creditors called an Individual Voluntary
Arrangement. This will often reduce the total amount you owe
by a considerable amount. The other main way of getting rid
of uncontrollable debts is bankruptcy, this has been made
easier and simpler of late. You should get some advice about
these options from the local Citizen's Advice Bureau.
The main thing to do if your are struggling financially is
to do something about it, before it gets worse.
things you can do to help. Admit to yourself that you have
to much debt. It is very easy to strugle on each month
robbing Peter to pay Paul without getting to grips with the
problem. If you are spending more than 10%-15% of your
income (excluding a mortgage) on debt repayments you are
probably financially stretched. List out how much you owe
on credit cards and loans etc. It will come as a shock so be
prepared! Also list out what the repayments are on each.
Check if your spending on debt servicing is higher than 10-
15 % of your income.
If it is, here are some options to sort out the problem. If
you can, increase your income. You may be eligible for
government money such as tax credits or help with council
tax or rent if you are on a low income. Alternatively you
may be able to get a part time job or rent out the spare
room.
If it is not possible to increase your income you need to
look at ways of reducing your spending. Are there things you
can cut down on? Start buying cheaper products at the
supermarket. It is amazing how much your grocery bill can be
reduced by buying "own brands".
If increasing your income or reducing your expenditure is
not possible or insufficient then write to the people you
owe money to and explain the situation and ask them to
suspend the interest so that you can start to reduce what
you owe them. This is known as an informal arrangement.
More formally you can arrange for a legally binding
agreement with your creditors called an Individual Voluntary
Arrangement. This will often reduce the total amount you owe
by a considerable amount. The other main way of getting rid
of uncontrollable debts is bankruptcy, this has been made
easier and simpler of late. You should get some advice about
these options from the local Citizen's Advice Bureau.
The main thing to do if your are struggling financially is
to do something about it, before it gets worse.
How Much Credit can you Afford?
Before making the decision to add more debt, you need to make sure that you:
*Allocate sufficient money for your essentials.
*Borrow only for items that you need and can afford.
*Borrow only if you're spending less each month than you take home.
1. Start with your monthly take-home pay.
This is the amount you have left after taxes and other deductions have been made.
2. Subtract the amount you need for necessities and fixed expenses.
This includes savings, your mortgage or rent payment, utilities, food, transportation, child care, medical care, clothing, and recreation. Include payments made on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis, such insurance and taxes.
3. Subtract monthly payments for existing loans and credit cards.
4. The balance is the amount you can safely apply to debt repayment.
Avoid thinking you can spend all this amount, since emergencies do occur, and you may not wish to use your regular savings account to cover small, unexpected expenses.
Monthly Take Home $ _______________
Fixed Expenses ---- $ _______________
Loans/Credit Cards ---- $ _______________
Amount Available For Additional Debt $ _______________
Moral of the Story: If you’re planning to buy a new house or car, pretend you have already done so and start “making the payment” but to yourself. Within a few months, you’ll know whether or not you can really afford it and you’ll have some money set aside for repairs, etc. when you actually do make the purchase. If you can’t make the pretend payment, you certainly won’t be able to make the real one consistently. Time to go back to the drawing board and figure out what else you’re willing to give up in order to have the new debt.
HOW TO MANAGE CREDIT CARD USE
Many people find themselves with credit problems because they don't keep track of purchases they make with their credit cards. A simple method of keeping track of monthly credit card charges is to:
1. Determine the total amount you can responsibly charge on all your credit card accounts during that month.
2. Keep track of your credit spending in the same way you maintain a running balance of your checking account.
3. Subtract each amount charged from the monthly charge limit you set.
4. Stop using your credit cards if you draw this balance down to zero.
*Allocate sufficient money for your essentials.
*Borrow only for items that you need and can afford.
*Borrow only if you're spending less each month than you take home.
1. Start with your monthly take-home pay.
This is the amount you have left after taxes and other deductions have been made.
2. Subtract the amount you need for necessities and fixed expenses.
This includes savings, your mortgage or rent payment, utilities, food, transportation, child care, medical care, clothing, and recreation. Include payments made on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis, such insurance and taxes.
3. Subtract monthly payments for existing loans and credit cards.
4. The balance is the amount you can safely apply to debt repayment.
Avoid thinking you can spend all this amount, since emergencies do occur, and you may not wish to use your regular savings account to cover small, unexpected expenses.
Monthly Take Home $ _______________
Fixed Expenses ---- $ _______________
Loans/Credit Cards ---- $ _______________
Amount Available For Additional Debt $ _______________
Moral of the Story: If you’re planning to buy a new house or car, pretend you have already done so and start “making the payment” but to yourself. Within a few months, you’ll know whether or not you can really afford it and you’ll have some money set aside for repairs, etc. when you actually do make the purchase. If you can’t make the pretend payment, you certainly won’t be able to make the real one consistently. Time to go back to the drawing board and figure out what else you’re willing to give up in order to have the new debt.
HOW TO MANAGE CREDIT CARD USE
Many people find themselves with credit problems because they don't keep track of purchases they make with their credit cards. A simple method of keeping track of monthly credit card charges is to:
1. Determine the total amount you can responsibly charge on all your credit card accounts during that month.
2. Keep track of your credit spending in the same way you maintain a running balance of your checking account.
3. Subtract each amount charged from the monthly charge limit you set.
4. Stop using your credit cards if you draw this balance down to zero.
How Christmas shopping online better your Christmas
Christmas shopping online is not for you? If you are one of those that share this thought, you probably like to enjoy the atmosphere of physical shopping. Doing your Christmas shopping online despite all its convenience, lack the festive mood. The convenience of online shopping has reduced the shopping experience to a browse and click mode, no mood and very little atmosphere.
So, you might think that despite the staggering numbers that shows how many people are actually doing their Christmas shopping online, they are just a minority out of the entire Christmas shopping population. Well, while I do not have the statistics to back this up –this thinking is likely to be true
To ascertain the fact that the Christmas shopping online folks are really a sub-set of the Christmas shopping crowd, just visit Marcy’s, Barnes and Noble or one of the large departmental stores during the pre-Christmas period, and the crowd you see would highlight the fact that a very large proportion of shoppers are still doing their shopping offline.
And of course, it is this crowd that give rise to the Christmassy feelings. Never mind that you have to wait an hour to find a parking lot or half an hour to pay for your purchases, this feeling enhanced by the jingles that flood the stores is something that doing your Christmas shopping online would never be able to offer.
Having said so much about the value of shopping physically, are there any merits to doing your Christmas shopping online? Yes, from my own experience there are at least two major contributions that doing your Christmas shopping online can provide.
First, Christmas shopping online eliminates the hassle of browsing and deciding at absolutely ground zero on the spot. Imagine you are doing shopping with only a vague idea of what to buy for whom and your only reference is some scribbling on a post-it note.
Enter online Christmas shopping, and you are able to browse online and zero in on the category of items that you would like to get for your love ones. One of the biggest value of Internet is it allows you to conduct your research and craft a comprehensive list of items that you would like to get for your love ones. So that, when you are doing it physically, all you have to do is to choose from the different brands and decide on the ones that have the best value. Thus, saving time and allowing you to buy for more people in lesser trips.
The other contribution of online Christmas shopping is that it is able to take care of your ‘bulk purchases’. What I mean is during this festive season of giving and sharing, there would be lots of gifts exchange, and gifts giving to acquaintances.
So, for this group of people, you would probably be getting something that is nice but would not invest too much thought into it, and then you would buy plenty of it to last through the season. Doing your Christmas shopping for these folks online frees out more time for you to choose something special for your love ones. It also takes care of the inconvenience of bringing a lot of stuff home (online shopping would have the purchase deliver right to your door steps).
There you have it! Online Christmas shopping allows you to do a thorough research on the gifts to get for your love ones and it also gives you more time in physically shopping for those gifts by allowing you to buy the generic stuff online. So, using technology allows you to enjoy the magic feeling of shopping under the thick Christmas atmosphere provides by shopping malls with lesser things on your mind to worry about.
Having said all these, I hope you folks would integrate (what a word!) online shopping to brighten your overall Christmas shopping experience and
So, you might think that despite the staggering numbers that shows how many people are actually doing their Christmas shopping online, they are just a minority out of the entire Christmas shopping population. Well, while I do not have the statistics to back this up –this thinking is likely to be true
To ascertain the fact that the Christmas shopping online folks are really a sub-set of the Christmas shopping crowd, just visit Marcy’s, Barnes and Noble or one of the large departmental stores during the pre-Christmas period, and the crowd you see would highlight the fact that a very large proportion of shoppers are still doing their shopping offline.
And of course, it is this crowd that give rise to the Christmassy feelings. Never mind that you have to wait an hour to find a parking lot or half an hour to pay for your purchases, this feeling enhanced by the jingles that flood the stores is something that doing your Christmas shopping online would never be able to offer.
Having said so much about the value of shopping physically, are there any merits to doing your Christmas shopping online? Yes, from my own experience there are at least two major contributions that doing your Christmas shopping online can provide.
First, Christmas shopping online eliminates the hassle of browsing and deciding at absolutely ground zero on the spot. Imagine you are doing shopping with only a vague idea of what to buy for whom and your only reference is some scribbling on a post-it note.
Enter online Christmas shopping, and you are able to browse online and zero in on the category of items that you would like to get for your love ones. One of the biggest value of Internet is it allows you to conduct your research and craft a comprehensive list of items that you would like to get for your love ones. So that, when you are doing it physically, all you have to do is to choose from the different brands and decide on the ones that have the best value. Thus, saving time and allowing you to buy for more people in lesser trips.
The other contribution of online Christmas shopping is that it is able to take care of your ‘bulk purchases’. What I mean is during this festive season of giving and sharing, there would be lots of gifts exchange, and gifts giving to acquaintances.
So, for this group of people, you would probably be getting something that is nice but would not invest too much thought into it, and then you would buy plenty of it to last through the season. Doing your Christmas shopping for these folks online frees out more time for you to choose something special for your love ones. It also takes care of the inconvenience of bringing a lot of stuff home (online shopping would have the purchase deliver right to your door steps).
There you have it! Online Christmas shopping allows you to do a thorough research on the gifts to get for your love ones and it also gives you more time in physically shopping for those gifts by allowing you to buy the generic stuff online. So, using technology allows you to enjoy the magic feeling of shopping under the thick Christmas atmosphere provides by shopping malls with lesser things on your mind to worry about.
Having said all these, I hope you folks would integrate (what a word!) online shopping to brighten your overall Christmas shopping experience and
Getting a Mortgage Quote Online
If you are interested in buying a home then you are certainly shopping for a mortgage quote from a variety of different lenders. This is important because when you have more than one mortgage quote you can compare the different lenders and find the one that is best for you. Frequently, the average mortgage quote online will be lower than the average mortgage quote from your neighborhood bank. Since every penny counts and you want to save as much money as possible, get a mortgage quote online as well as from your neighborhood lenders to find the best deal for you. The following suggestions will help you find a mortgage quote online as well.
Mortgage Quote Tip #1 Bid for Quotes
The best way to get a mortgage quote online is to visit the sites that ask for some general personal financial information and then submits it to various lenders. Then, all of the lenders respond with a mortgage quote for your personal financial situation. Once you receive the mortgage quote it is up to you to forget it or contact the lender that provided you with that particular mortgage quote.
Mortgage Quote Tip #2 Professionals
You want a professional and real mortgage quote, so make sure you are dealing with a professional company that will provide you with a legitimate mortgage quote online. If not, you will be wasting your time and risking your investment by dealing with a sketchy company.
Mortgage Quote Tip #3 Realistic
While you want the lowest mortgage quote possible, you need to make sure the mortgage quote is realistic within the scheme of things. If you receive a mortgage quote that is several percentage points lower than the lowest mortgage quote you have seen, you might want to question it. While there are many reputable online mortgage quote companies, there are those out there that are not professional.
Mortgage Quote Tip #1 Bid for Quotes
The best way to get a mortgage quote online is to visit the sites that ask for some general personal financial information and then submits it to various lenders. Then, all of the lenders respond with a mortgage quote for your personal financial situation. Once you receive the mortgage quote it is up to you to forget it or contact the lender that provided you with that particular mortgage quote.
Mortgage Quote Tip #2 Professionals
You want a professional and real mortgage quote, so make sure you are dealing with a professional company that will provide you with a legitimate mortgage quote online. If not, you will be wasting your time and risking your investment by dealing with a sketchy company.
Mortgage Quote Tip #3 Realistic
While you want the lowest mortgage quote possible, you need to make sure the mortgage quote is realistic within the scheme of things. If you receive a mortgage quote that is several percentage points lower than the lowest mortgage quote you have seen, you might want to question it. While there are many reputable online mortgage quote companies, there are those out there that are not professional.
Financial Back-to-School Basic for Mom and Dad
(ARA) - Each fall, millions of moms and dads spend countless hours purchasing back-to-school necessities for their children. While some parents equip their child with the latest gizmo -- a personal digital assistant (PDA) or cell phone, for example -- most know that “the basics” like paper, pencils and folders are essential learning tools to secure their children’s future.
Unfortunately, many parents ignore a simple financial back-to-school basic. They often buy the latest gadget for their kids but then fail to carry a critical component for their family’s future and their children’s education -- namely, adequate life insurance coverage.
“If a parent is worried about his or her child’s education, he or she should also worry about having the financial protection underpinning those plans that life insurance can offer,” says Todd Gillingham, JD, CLU, ChFC, a partner with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. “Without adequate insurance protection, every parent’s best laid education plans will fall apart under the financial burden left on their surviving children.”
Regardless of your income or assets, life insurance is the key to protecting the financial future of your loved ones and “should be the foundation on which other goals are built,” says Gillingham.
Surveys show that roughly one-third of American adults have no life insurance protection and, of those with coverage, nearly one-third have coverage that is less than one time their annual income -- not nearly enough for long-term family protection. Four in 10 single parents have no life insurance coverage of any kind. Perhaps this is why the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education found that nearly half of Americans (48 percent) say they are worried that if they die tomorrow their loved ones would not be financially secure.
“Various funding vehicles such as 529 plans and Coverdell education accounts can often grab the headlines,” says Gillingham. “While these are important ways of saving, they can lead parents to mistakenly ignore their life insurance needs. Such an oversight can be financially devastating.”
Without the protection life insurance offers, financial security is often illusory. In the case of premature death, life insurance helps families pay for living expenses -- including mortgage and education payments -- when the income of a loved one is lost. Without this protection, the resulting financial stress frequently undermines all other goals.
Beyond daily expenses, life insurance protects against sharp reductions in future pension and social security payments by replacing assets cut short by premature death. For example, anticipated assets in an individual’s retirement plan may be reduced by 50 percent or more simply because the individual’s death interrupts the long-term growth of the assets within the individual’s plan. Business owners and those with significant assets also use life insurance to pass those assets to their children in a tax-efficient manner or as a vehicle for charitable gifts to nonprofit organizations. Without life insurance’s special tax privileges, many families would lose the family business or not be able to leave a lasting legacy to the cause or organization of their choosing.
“These benefits aside, the fundamental reason for life insurance remains the protection of your family and your financial programs,” says Thrivent Financial’s Gillingham. “Death often strikes when we don’t expect it, so goals that require continuing funding such as a child’s education are especially vulnerable to death’s effects.”
While shopping for school supplies this fall, remember this back-to-school lesson -- the essentials come first. Says Gillingham, “adequate life insurance is one back-to-school basic parents should simply not live without.”
Unfortunately, many parents ignore a simple financial back-to-school basic. They often buy the latest gadget for their kids but then fail to carry a critical component for their family’s future and their children’s education -- namely, adequate life insurance coverage.
“If a parent is worried about his or her child’s education, he or she should also worry about having the financial protection underpinning those plans that life insurance can offer,” says Todd Gillingham, JD, CLU, ChFC, a partner with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. “Without adequate insurance protection, every parent’s best laid education plans will fall apart under the financial burden left on their surviving children.”
Regardless of your income or assets, life insurance is the key to protecting the financial future of your loved ones and “should be the foundation on which other goals are built,” says Gillingham.
Surveys show that roughly one-third of American adults have no life insurance protection and, of those with coverage, nearly one-third have coverage that is less than one time their annual income -- not nearly enough for long-term family protection. Four in 10 single parents have no life insurance coverage of any kind. Perhaps this is why the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education found that nearly half of Americans (48 percent) say they are worried that if they die tomorrow their loved ones would not be financially secure.
“Various funding vehicles such as 529 plans and Coverdell education accounts can often grab the headlines,” says Gillingham. “While these are important ways of saving, they can lead parents to mistakenly ignore their life insurance needs. Such an oversight can be financially devastating.”
Without the protection life insurance offers, financial security is often illusory. In the case of premature death, life insurance helps families pay for living expenses -- including mortgage and education payments -- when the income of a loved one is lost. Without this protection, the resulting financial stress frequently undermines all other goals.
Beyond daily expenses, life insurance protects against sharp reductions in future pension and social security payments by replacing assets cut short by premature death. For example, anticipated assets in an individual’s retirement plan may be reduced by 50 percent or more simply because the individual’s death interrupts the long-term growth of the assets within the individual’s plan. Business owners and those with significant assets also use life insurance to pass those assets to their children in a tax-efficient manner or as a vehicle for charitable gifts to nonprofit organizations. Without life insurance’s special tax privileges, many families would lose the family business or not be able to leave a lasting legacy to the cause or organization of their choosing.
“These benefits aside, the fundamental reason for life insurance remains the protection of your family and your financial programs,” says Thrivent Financial’s Gillingham. “Death often strikes when we don’t expect it, so goals that require continuing funding such as a child’s education are especially vulnerable to death’s effects.”
While shopping for school supplies this fall, remember this back-to-school lesson -- the essentials come first. Says Gillingham, “adequate life insurance is one back-to-school basic parents should simply not live without.”
Cure Autism Now with a Silver Charm
Purchasing a silver charm is just one of the ways that you can help support autism research. Autism is a brain disorder that affects one’s ability to communicate and associate with others normally. Symptoms are usually detected in the first three years of life. Autism affects about 1 out of every 166 people in the United States; however, there is currently very little information about autism. Cure Autism Now (CAN) is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to increasing the quantity and quality of autism research in order to find better treatments. If you are searching for a way to help, there are several different ways, including: purchasing one of the organization’s silver charm bracelets, participating in a WALK NOW event, becoming a corporate partner, starting your own fundraiser, or making a monetary donation.
Silver charm bracelets are now available through the CAN website to raise more money for autism research. Each silver charm bracelet comes with a silver charm heart. For an extra donation, you may also receive five additional silver charms with different designs (a boy, a girl, a cross, a peace sign, and a Star of David). This silver charm bracelet was designed by actress Rene Russo, an honorary board member of CAN. The charm bracelet is also available in gold along with other accessories that will help benefit CAN with your purchase.
In addition to the silver charm bracelet, one can support CAN by participating in a WALK NOW event. WALK NOW is a 5 K (just over 3 miles) walk to raise money and provide awareness for autism. At each WALK NOW event there is an information center where parents and others can learn more about autism and what the current research has found. There are also arts, crafts and other activities to keep the children entertained. There are several WALK NOW events every year in different locations to give a chance for everyone to participate.
Another way to help CAN is to become a corporate partner. CAN is always looking for corporate sponsorship. Some of CAN’s current corporate partners include Johnson and Johnson, RBC Mortgage, and MBNA America. If you have a company that would like to become a corporate partner, CAN would truly appreciate any help you can offer.
You can also help out CAN by creating your own fundraising event or campaign. This method takes a great deal of planning and organization, however, it is a way that you can let your imagination run wild. One of the more creative fundraising events for CAN was the “Express Your Love” Motorcycle Ride in Chicago. However, there are some guidelines and procedures from CAN that must be followed if you want to create your own charity event.
Lastly, if you would like to make a cash donation but are not interested in a silver charm bracelet, there are several other ways to make a monetary donation. You can do it online, by mail, or through United Way. You also have the option to donate appreciated stocks and mutual funds or you can even include CAN in your will. CAN will appreciate any way that you can possibly help them out financially so they can continue to provide quality autism research.
Purchasing a silver charm bracelet, participating in a WALK NOW event, becoming a corporate partner, creating your own fundraising event, making a donation are all ways that you can help support CAN in the goal to find suitable treatments for autism. With this research, there is hope for tens of thousands of people to find decent treatment or possibly even a cure for autism. CAN works to bring hope.
Silver charm bracelets are now available through the CAN website to raise more money for autism research. Each silver charm bracelet comes with a silver charm heart. For an extra donation, you may also receive five additional silver charms with different designs (a boy, a girl, a cross, a peace sign, and a Star of David). This silver charm bracelet was designed by actress Rene Russo, an honorary board member of CAN. The charm bracelet is also available in gold along with other accessories that will help benefit CAN with your purchase.
In addition to the silver charm bracelet, one can support CAN by participating in a WALK NOW event. WALK NOW is a 5 K (just over 3 miles) walk to raise money and provide awareness for autism. At each WALK NOW event there is an information center where parents and others can learn more about autism and what the current research has found. There are also arts, crafts and other activities to keep the children entertained. There are several WALK NOW events every year in different locations to give a chance for everyone to participate.
Another way to help CAN is to become a corporate partner. CAN is always looking for corporate sponsorship. Some of CAN’s current corporate partners include Johnson and Johnson, RBC Mortgage, and MBNA America. If you have a company that would like to become a corporate partner, CAN would truly appreciate any help you can offer.
You can also help out CAN by creating your own fundraising event or campaign. This method takes a great deal of planning and organization, however, it is a way that you can let your imagination run wild. One of the more creative fundraising events for CAN was the “Express Your Love” Motorcycle Ride in Chicago. However, there are some guidelines and procedures from CAN that must be followed if you want to create your own charity event.
Lastly, if you would like to make a cash donation but are not interested in a silver charm bracelet, there are several other ways to make a monetary donation. You can do it online, by mail, or through United Way. You also have the option to donate appreciated stocks and mutual funds or you can even include CAN in your will. CAN will appreciate any way that you can possibly help them out financially so they can continue to provide quality autism research.
Purchasing a silver charm bracelet, participating in a WALK NOW event, becoming a corporate partner, creating your own fundraising event, making a donation are all ways that you can help support CAN in the goal to find suitable treatments for autism. With this research, there is hope for tens of thousands of people to find decent treatment or possibly even a cure for autism. CAN works to bring hope.
Make Your Own with Beads and Pipe Cleaners
Christmas ornaments made from ordinary pipe cleaners and inexpensive acrylic beads are very pretty and easy to make. They look quite impressive yet are easy enough for small children to make. This is one Christmas craft idea to use again and again. Older people will enjoy making this Christmas craft, too, which can be varied to make a number of different sparkling ornaments for your Christmas tree.
To make the bead and pipe cleaner ornaments, you need common pipe cleaners in desired colors and acrylic beads. Two types of beads are particularly effective when strung on pipe cleaners. One type are called sunburst beads, but are also known as paddlewheel beads, snowflake beads, or starburst beads. These beads have six faceted paddles spaced equally around a center that contains the hole for stringing. When several of these sunburst beads are strung consecutively, they fit against each other in an interlocking pattern.
The other type of bead that is also effective for this Christmas craft is called the tri bead or propeller bead. It has three rounded bumps arranged around the stringing hole. Like the sunburst beads, the tri beads interlock when strung consecutively. For the most sparkly and attractive Christmas ornaments, get tri beads and/or sunburst beads in translucent colors of red, green, and clear. The tri beads can also be found in metallic gold and silver which can be used in this Christmas craft as well.
Pipe cleaners can be found in silver and gold tinsel as well as chenille of all colors. For the Christmas craft, the best colors to use are the metallics and Christmas colors. The beads cover the pipe cleaners, but the ends will need to be twisted together and made into hangers, so they show.
Anyone, even small children, can string these beads on pipe cleaners. Bend up the end of the pipe cleaner so the beads don't fall off. The pipe cleaner works like a needle, making a needle unnecessary. For best results, show the children how to alternate colors when stringing, or start a pattern of three colors. When the beads are strung on the pipe cleaners, they can be bent into different Christmas shapes. For instance, string red and clear beads alternately, then bend down one end of the pipe cleaner for a candy cane shape. Or alternate red and green beads and form a circle for a wreath. Use red pipe cleaner to form a small bow to decorate the wreath. Form a hanger for the Christmas craft or simply slip the circle over a branch of the tree.
If you experiment with clear beads and silver pipe cleaners, you can make some beautiful snowflake or star ornaments. Snowflake designs can be twisted of silver pipe cleaner only, without the beads for a simple but pretty decoration.
Bead and pipe cleaner ornaments are a Christmas craft you will find yourself using every year. Children and their parents will both appreciate this simple yet pretty Christmas craft.
To make the bead and pipe cleaner ornaments, you need common pipe cleaners in desired colors and acrylic beads. Two types of beads are particularly effective when strung on pipe cleaners. One type are called sunburst beads, but are also known as paddlewheel beads, snowflake beads, or starburst beads. These beads have six faceted paddles spaced equally around a center that contains the hole for stringing. When several of these sunburst beads are strung consecutively, they fit against each other in an interlocking pattern.
The other type of bead that is also effective for this Christmas craft is called the tri bead or propeller bead. It has three rounded bumps arranged around the stringing hole. Like the sunburst beads, the tri beads interlock when strung consecutively. For the most sparkly and attractive Christmas ornaments, get tri beads and/or sunburst beads in translucent colors of red, green, and clear. The tri beads can also be found in metallic gold and silver which can be used in this Christmas craft as well.
Pipe cleaners can be found in silver and gold tinsel as well as chenille of all colors. For the Christmas craft, the best colors to use are the metallics and Christmas colors. The beads cover the pipe cleaners, but the ends will need to be twisted together and made into hangers, so they show.
Anyone, even small children, can string these beads on pipe cleaners. Bend up the end of the pipe cleaner so the beads don't fall off. The pipe cleaner works like a needle, making a needle unnecessary. For best results, show the children how to alternate colors when stringing, or start a pattern of three colors. When the beads are strung on the pipe cleaners, they can be bent into different Christmas shapes. For instance, string red and clear beads alternately, then bend down one end of the pipe cleaner for a candy cane shape. Or alternate red and green beads and form a circle for a wreath. Use red pipe cleaner to form a small bow to decorate the wreath. Form a hanger for the Christmas craft or simply slip the circle over a branch of the tree.
If you experiment with clear beads and silver pipe cleaners, you can make some beautiful snowflake or star ornaments. Snowflake designs can be twisted of silver pipe cleaner only, without the beads for a simple but pretty decoration.
Bead and pipe cleaner ornaments are a Christmas craft you will find yourself using every year. Children and their parents will both appreciate this simple yet pretty Christmas craft.
Buying your First Home
can be exciting but there is a lot to know. Buying a home will depend on real estate laws and customs where you are located but there are basic steps that every first homebuyer needs to accomplish.
Step 1- Your Finances
Establishing credit is very important especially when you are looking to purchase a large investment like a house. Your credit reports reflects how you manage your finances. Study your credit report and your financial history so you are familiar with it before applying for a mortgage. These reports will be needed for the mortgage approval process in finding out the interest rate and other loan terms.
Step 2- Familiarize Yourself with the Mortgage Industry
Do your research. Finding the right loan and lender is extremely important to your home buying success.
Choose the lender that is best for your needs but be sure to understand the loan process as much as you can before talking to a lender so you don’t feel completely lost.
Step 3- get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage
Once you talk with a lender, you should be given an estimate of how much you can afford for a house.
Being pre approved can help you in a variety of ways. So if a home seller gets two offers, one being yours with a pre approved letter from your bank saying you have been approved for the amount offered, and then there is the other person with no letter, your chances of getting the house are much better.
Step 4- Determine what you Want and what you need
Buying a home isn’t as challenging as most think. If you familiarize yourself with the real estate market and narrow down what you want and need before buying house the process will run a lot smoother.
Be sure to understand agent duties and devotion because some real estate agents represent buyers, sellers, or both or depending on the state they can work as neutral facilitators for either party.
Step 6- Start Searching for your New Home
Your agent will most likely give you multiple listing sheets to review. You might have also picked up a real estate magazine in your area and found a house through that, shop online, or find ads in the newspaper. Other ideas can be driving around the neighborhoods that have houses for sale. Either way you look, consider these home buying search tools in your search.
Home Buying Search Tools
1. Consider houses that others may overlook
2. Get out there to see what’s out there
3. Look into public versions of multiple listing service web sites
4. Search for real estate agent web sites
5. Browse real estate search engines and networks
6. Find for sale by owner properties
7. Look at magazine and newspapers in print
8. Find foreclosed homes
Step 7- Handle Pre-Offer Tasks
When looking at houses be sure to look at its structure and features which can help determine if its something you want or not.
Step 8- put in an Offer
There's no one specific set of instructions that cover all the differences in real estate laws and customs that exist throughout the United States, so when putting in an offer on a house, it will depend on your location.
Step 9- House Inspections and Other Tests
Some states allow home inspections before the final contract is signed where as in other states inspections take place after the contract is signed. No matter when you have to do them, it's very important to decide which inspections and tests you want done.
Discuss with your real estate agent or if you don’t have one, then an advisor to find out when inspections should happen and if additional types of testing are needed for a specific area.
Step 10- Avoid having to Correct Last Minute Problems
Step 1- Your Finances
Establishing credit is very important especially when you are looking to purchase a large investment like a house. Your credit reports reflects how you manage your finances. Study your credit report and your financial history so you are familiar with it before applying for a mortgage. These reports will be needed for the mortgage approval process in finding out the interest rate and other loan terms.
Step 2- Familiarize Yourself with the Mortgage Industry
Do your research. Finding the right loan and lender is extremely important to your home buying success.
Choose the lender that is best for your needs but be sure to understand the loan process as much as you can before talking to a lender so you don’t feel completely lost.
Step 3- get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage
Once you talk with a lender, you should be given an estimate of how much you can afford for a house.
Being pre approved can help you in a variety of ways. So if a home seller gets two offers, one being yours with a pre approved letter from your bank saying you have been approved for the amount offered, and then there is the other person with no letter, your chances of getting the house are much better.
Step 4- Determine what you Want and what you need
Buying a home isn’t as challenging as most think. If you familiarize yourself with the real estate market and narrow down what you want and need before buying house the process will run a lot smoother.
Be sure to understand agent duties and devotion because some real estate agents represent buyers, sellers, or both or depending on the state they can work as neutral facilitators for either party.
Step 6- Start Searching for your New Home
Your agent will most likely give you multiple listing sheets to review. You might have also picked up a real estate magazine in your area and found a house through that, shop online, or find ads in the newspaper. Other ideas can be driving around the neighborhoods that have houses for sale. Either way you look, consider these home buying search tools in your search.
Home Buying Search Tools
1. Consider houses that others may overlook
2. Get out there to see what’s out there
3. Look into public versions of multiple listing service web sites
4. Search for real estate agent web sites
5. Browse real estate search engines and networks
6. Find for sale by owner properties
7. Look at magazine and newspapers in print
8. Find foreclosed homes
Step 7- Handle Pre-Offer Tasks
When looking at houses be sure to look at its structure and features which can help determine if its something you want or not.
Step 8- put in an Offer
There's no one specific set of instructions that cover all the differences in real estate laws and customs that exist throughout the United States, so when putting in an offer on a house, it will depend on your location.
Step 9- House Inspections and Other Tests
Some states allow home inspections before the final contract is signed where as in other states inspections take place after the contract is signed. No matter when you have to do them, it's very important to decide which inspections and tests you want done.
Discuss with your real estate agent or if you don’t have one, then an advisor to find out when inspections should happen and if additional types of testing are needed for a specific area.
Step 10- Avoid having to Correct Last Minute Problems
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