Financial Help and Financial News for Your Financial loans

Has the gold bubble burst?

Fresh fears that the “safe haven” aspect of gold investing could be over hit investors last week with the news as “large institutions” began selling off their gold as February came to an end.

Commentators and financial advisors (as reported by a blogger for The Telegraph) think gold prices have started a downward trend and will eventually dip to around $1,000 per ounce.
This caused gold to dip in price by $100 in less than a day.

Key figures such as Brian Dennehy from Dennehy Weller speculate that there could be a final spike in gold prices and then a “large correction” in the gold price will begin, taking gold down to $1,000 an ounce. He thinks gold could even get as low as $700 an ounce.

Hope for gold prices

Of course, with every financial commentator saying that gold will fall, there is a bullion seller to say that no, the gold market is not over and that any dips in price are only temporary.

Ben Yearsley at Hargreaves Lansdowne says: “The gold price has remained high and gold shares haven’t really moved; therefore the disconnect between their profits and share prices remains.
“The world is still in an uncertain place; therefore the demand for gold will remain strong, underpinning the gold price and underpinning gold miners’ profits. So the outlook for gold shares remains good.”

Sell your gold while you can still profit

So who is right? Is Yearsley right with his optimistic view or is Dennehy right when saying that the boom is over for gold? Whoever is right, the message to investors seems to be very clear: sell, sell and sell some more.

If gold is booming, then selling makes sense; if only to avoid the dramatic fall in price that occurred last September. If gold is about to dip dramatically then the same rule applies. In this financial climate it does not make sense to hold onto a valuable, profitable commodity that changes in price daily.

How to get the best price for gold

Who knows if cash for gold prices will drop suddenly? Current market indications and subsequent research indicate that such a dip could happen. However, with the financial problems of the world still unresolved, gold could still climb back up to that $2,000 per ounce figure or even higher.

If you’re uncertain, and wish to still get a great price for your jewellery, the onus is on you to take control and sell gold now. Don’t wait for the market to change suddenly; which could leave you out of pocket.

Use our excellent gold price comparison service to find the best gold buyers for you.

5 Ways to get the best Hospital Cover Quote

To get the best hospital coverage quote, you need to do some checking of different features. There are 5 great ways you can get the best deals and the coverage that you really need.

#1 Look Online at Sites

When you checkout sites online, you can quickly compare what different hospital coverage plans offers. You can submit your information to get no obligation quotes. You can also see information online that helps you to find out what other companies have to say about a given provider. You can get the pros and cons from those that have had to rely on their services. Make sure you read the fine print too on what they state they offer so that you don’t get mixed up with coverage that is lacking.

#2 Be Honest

Even though you don’t have to do a physical exam to get a hospital plan, you do need to be honest about the information you share. You need to declare any lifestyle choices that you take part in such as drinking or smoking. Be honest about your weight, your physical activity, diet, and any health concerns you may have. You also will be asked about your family history and you should be honest with that information based on the knowledge you currently have.

#3 What is your Budget for the Monthly Price?

You need to know what the amount is you can reasonably pay for each month with your hospital coverage. Try to get a dollar amount that is less than what you can afford to pay. That way you don’t get into a bind where you fall short. Never agree to a price that you can barely afford or that you know will be an ongoing struggle for you. Don’t say you can’t afford any coverage at all though. You need to make more money, cut expenses, and do what you have to so that money is free to pay for this coverage. It is too risky to be without it.

#4 Identify the Coverage you Need

Assess your needs and make sure what you pay for offers you the coverage you need. If the cost is too much, start taking out those coverage elements that are nice to have but not necessary. When you have more money to work with later on, you can increase the amount of coverage that you have. If you are married or you have children, look for coverage that has everyone included, not just you.

#5 Benefit from Discounts and Special Offers

Many of the providers out there are doing all they can to entice people to get their hospital coverage from them and not from a competitor. They offer discounts that allow you to get the coverage you need at a lower price. Look around for such offers so you can stretch the money you do have to pay for your coverage. You can find such offers online but most of them have an expiration date you need to be aware of.

How a Cell Phone Contract Works

You can get a lot of value out of a long-term cell phone contract. Long-term phone contracts provide more than simply a refreshment of minutes every month. Perks include being able to call other members for free who are in contract with the same carrier and free texting , depending on the carrier. In addition, a previously unaffordable cell phone can become affordable if purchased with a contract; it's a lot like the cell phone company is offering you a credit card to purchase the phone. Higher priced phones generally have better parts and are engineered better which allows them to last the duration of long contracts.

You typically do not get phone insurance with pay-as-you-go routes. Also, when you acquire a higher quality phone with more features with a long-term contract, you have a lot of extra time to experiment with extra features far beyond the bounds of the two to four week trial period. Phones are so complex these days that many people feel that trial period is not long enough.

Cell phone contracts also have the benefit of allowing users to track their call usage over a long period of time. This can be an essential component of the relationship between the cell phone company and a consumer who meticulously tracks their own usage to micromanage it. Viewing your usage history in a big picture view gives you the benefit to track such things as trends in your calling. For instance, if your usage becomes free at 7:00pm and you are making a lot of calls beginning at 6:45pm, you can try to train yourself to wait the extra 15 minutes. Long term contracts also provide you with the ability to see just how many text messages you are sending. If you happen to be going over your limit of text messages for the month, and there is no higher package for text messages, and you are finding that you have excess voice minutes remaining at the end of each month, you can opt to phone certain people you text message frequently instead of texting them.

Many people switch to cell phones from landlines. They can get the same reliability a landline provides while having the ability to use the phone wherever they go. It's a great option for those on the go, people on business trips, and for those who are in between homes. A lot of people begin with pay-as-you-go contracts when switching over to cell phones from a landline. This provides them with time to give cell phones a good trial before they commit to something longer term.

So, as you can see, a long-term contract offers a lot of perks that a pay-as-you-go arrangement may not. You typically have better phones to choose from, and added benefits written into the contract such as insurance and customer service over the phone. What's more is that you have statements with detailed phone usage to help you gauge how you should use the phone most wisely in the future. There are a plethora of advantages.

How to Lower Auto Insurance Costs

Is lowering auto insurance costs a move that is worth the effort? Fortunately, you can accomplish that in many ways. Following are some tips that can make you save more money in auto insurance:

Ask Someone to Evaluate You

Let your current provider of auto insurance know if you are satisfied with their services. They will go at lengths to make you stay with them and keep you happy. However, in some cases you may ask them to evaluate your premium anew. Let them know that your driving record is flawless, your credit has improved, and include more stuff that will make them understand that more changes are in order.

Let them know about current life changes too, such as marriage. That is a legitimate ground for evaluation. You can also include someone else in your policy. Making two separate policies won't make much sense when one will do, so it is recommended that you keep the policy that does the best work. There are also auto insurance providers that give married couples discounts.

A significant date, such as a birthday, can also be a good reason for evaluation. For example, insurance costs for 21-year-olds should be smaller than those for 19-year-olds. Having taken any driving lessons can also allow you to garner more discounts. Thus, never forget these events when you are being evaluated.

Go For a Greater Deductible

If you never needed to file an auto insurance claim for long, you will be noticed as a safe driver. Now, you can save money by making the deductible amount greater. The deductible is the money that you pay from your wallet when filing a claim. Though the deductible could be some hundred dollars more than its current amount, it is possible for you to save 15-30% on monthly premiums if you increase your deductible.

Devices that Analyze the Way you Drive

Many providers of car insurance place devices on vehicles of policyholders. The purpose of that is to examine the way you drive for a specified length of time, which could be at least 30 days. With that, you can save money as long as the reports indicate that speeding isn't your thing, you don't make sudden stops, and even if you do not seem like that you drive very long distances with your automobile. You can keep more money in your pocket if you drive 20 miles per day compared to if you drive 50 miles per day.

Snap Off Coverage for Roadside Assistance

In auto insurance, roadside assistance can sound like a brilliant idea. However, if your vehicle is working well, you will need it very, very rarely. So pull out the roadside assistance of your coverage so that you can save money. If you'll ever need help, a tow truck or many other roadside assistance services are only one mobile phone call away. It won't cost that much as you think, and every year, you will end up paying less for them than the amount that you pay for roadside assistance on your coverage.

Five Tips to Choosing the Best Home Loan

Buying a house is a major decision, and obtaining a home loan can be a complicated and stressful process. Because the housing industry has expanded so much over time, the lending services offered to home buyers have grown increasingly complex. To avoid being left in the dark or otherwise feeling like you’ve lost control of the process, check out these five tips that will help ease the stress of choosing the right home loan for you and your family.

1. Understand your finances – Before going into any lending situation, it’s extremely important to know how much you can pay for a home. Purchasing a house you cannot afford runs the risk of foreclosure so choose the house you can afford now rather than the one you think you can afford later and borrow accordingly.

Know your credit score, reduce your debt – Knowing your credit score is crucial to this process because the score indicates how much you’ll be lent and the interest rate. There are plenty of free credit report offers and it’s in your best interest to take advantage of them. Similarly, the way to increase your credit score is to reduce your debt. You want to go into this process as close to debt-free as you can to receive the lowest interest rate possible.

3. Research different types of loans – Go in confident by understanding the different types of loans that a particular lender offers. Similarly, be aware of the different fees and penalties that different lenders charge, such as late fees and closing costs.

4. Be wary of the cheapest option – This concerns fixed versus adjustable rate mortgages. A fixed rate may not the be cheapest option at the time, but it’s fixed meaning that it won’t change. An adjustable rate mortgage is only fixed for a certain period of time and then is ‘adjusted’ sometimes as often as monthly.

5. Utilize online comparison websites –There are several mortgage lending sites online that ask basic questions about your yearly income, the size of the home you want, and so forth. These sites will provide a realistic idea of the type of home you can afford and what your payments will be like if you decide on this home or that. Choose a rate and payment schedule you’re comfortable with.

Generally speaking, choosing the home loan that suits you best comes down to understanding your finances as thoroughly as possible. And like any other product you purchase, researching ahead of time is always a smart move. Know your finances, know your lender, and go into this process confident and as worry-free as possible.

Northwest Georgia Bank is a leading Chattanooga bank that offers Chattanooga loans and Chattanooga mortgages with an unbeatable level of customer service.

Steps To Take To Develop Money-Saving Habits

People aren't born from birth to be savers. It takes time to develop money-saving habits. Follow these tips and you'll be saving hundreds of dollars a month in no time.

Budgeting

The first thing you need to do before you can develop your money-saving habits is to decide realistically how much you can save. To accomplish this, you must first devise a budget that lays out all the money you earn and your essential spending. This tells you how much discretionary income you have that you could be saving.

Don't Pay Too Much

The first money-saving habit you should develop is a paranoia about prices. Assume you are paying too much for everything from groceries to car insurance. Then test that assumption. Go to online price comparison sites to see if you can get lower prices on insurance, loan rates, rates for TV, Internet and phone service, and many other services and products. If you can get a lower rate, don't be shy about switching, as long as the new product or service meets your needs. Make sure to take advantage of any chance to lower your prices. This includes bundling insurance policies and cable, TV and Internet services to get discounts.

Spend Money to Save Money

Making impulse purchases is not a good thing, but that doesn't mean its always bad to buy more than you need. If your local supermarket is having a huge sale on products you need and use regularly, buy large amounts and stock them away for future use. If you have a freezer or extra refrigerator, you can buy large amounts of meat and vegetables when they are on sale and freeze them for later use. You can compound your savings by using supermarket coupons or vouchers during these sales. When buying clothes and shoes for your kids, take advantage of really good sales by buying extra items in larger sizes for use a year or two down the road.

Don't Be Brand Conscious

The best savers out there don't get hung up on the names on their labels. To save money, buy the store brand for food and household purchases. And stay away from designer clothes and shoes. Most of the time they are not better quality than off-brands, they simply cost more because of their name.

Don't Pay for Something You Can Get for Free

If you like to read books, get them from your public library instead of buying them. Read newspapers and magazines online instead of paying for subscriptions. Trade services with friends and neighbors.

These are just a few of the ways you can get started on your way to becoming a saver. There are many more. Follow as many steps as you can and you'll be a much richer person.

How to get a 100% home loan

How to get a 100 % home loan? This a question that many would like to here the answer to. Is there really such a thing? Is there even just a small percentage of a possibility that the answer to this mythical question could be a positive one? To understand more on how to get a 100% home loan we must first understand the facts behind this so-called witches brew for the new families of tomorrow.

Banks, this is the first word that would also play the most important role in your quest of finding the holy grail to a 100% percent home loan. Banks offer a lot of different plans to help you achieve that house that you always wanted. Most often than not if you have a stable income you will be granted a housing loan applicable to your monthly salary capability. Interest, accrued payments and monthly amortizations are all part of the formula. But is getting a 100% home loan part of the banks plan in pursuing your hard earned salary. Hate to burst your bubble but almost 90% of the world’s banks in different counties would say it is impossible. There is no such loan nowadays in the U.S. and neighboring countries by banks alike that would give you a 100% home loan, with no down payment and collateral required.

Banks have reviewed the possibility of giving 100% home loans to their clients time and time again, and as the ball goes around the answer always came to same old conclusion. The banks would be at a loss if ever they implement such a risky deal on their part. There are a few banks that practice the 80-90% rule when it comes to home loans. This means that they are willing to lend you 80-90 % of the loan to value ratio (LVR) provided that you have a stable flow of income. Still this means that the client will be needing to shoulder the remaining 20 or 10 percent from his own savings.

Now you would ask me I mentioned only 90% percent of banks worldwide will not allow you this kind of loan, what about the remaining 10 percent? The best answer to this question is Australia. Why Australia you ask? There are still some banks and real estate lenders down there that would offer you 90 – 95% loan able value in regards to LVR. Still not the 100% value that we all are looking for, but it is surely the closest you can get to acquisition of the reality. You just have to look really hard for legitimate banks and real estate lenders.

The next time you ask the question of “How to get a 100% home loan?” with no strings attached, you might as well kiss your dreams goodbye. The banks don’t see this as a possibility unless you have tons of collateral which will still end up as down payment to that home you always wanted. There is no such thing as 100% free nowadays, but there is something called hard work and savings; and maybe the next best thing “Australia”.

Thinking of Starting a Business – Think Capital Allowances

Since 2008 when the economic climate changed a lot of people have seen the entrepreneurial side to themselves rise to the surface and used this time as an opportunity to start their own business. There are many considerations you will need to look into when deciding if this is the right option for you with money usually being a fairly big consideration.

A recent study showed that few people knew what capital allowances were or understood them, when starting a business it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with incentives available such as capital allowances and tax relief and how your start up could benefit. As capital allowances can offer up to £100,000.00 of tax relief in the first year.

Firstly let’s look at what capital allowances are and who is eligible for them :-

When a business is thinking of investing in an asset, which can vary depending on the industry, but the overall areas to look at are:-

Enhanced capital allowances – environmental based tax relief.

Disposal of assets

Acquiring new assets

Ongoing fixed assets

They may be able to claim capital allowances (tax relief) to reduce the financial burden for the company, which early on in a company’s life can help the business grow, develop and be competitive.

Capital allowances, as the recent study demonstrated are a fairly complex subject and having an

understanding of how your business could benefit requires specialist knowledge to your specific situation and requirements together with looking at your specific investments/assets.

Also it is worth pointing out that from April 2012 the tax relief currently available is significantly reduced from £100,000.00 to £25,000.00.

At any time a business should be aware of when it can benefit financially and in this case from tax relief and capital allowances it should look at the above areas and identify whether any assets they have fall into these areas.

Chris Simons recently decided to set up his own business and found the possibility of capital allowances and tax relief to be a huge financial relief.

Life annuity brings Peace & Happiness Unlimited for Retirees

After the successful completion of our working era, we head to another life dominated by security and peace. Well, it’s quite obvious for an individual to expect a hassle-free life where there will be no work responsibilities and unavoidable tensions. Despite, a certain way has to be adopted that can ensure monetary stability till your last breath. So, if you have already bid farewell to your work and therefore looking for extra income, why don’t you go for a long-term investment? People nowadays are going for life annuity policies for sustaining regular income for lifetime. So, let’s see the factors that are making retirees go for such long term investment policies.

· A life annuity policy certainly scores higher when it comes to financial stability and monetary security. No matter what the market condition stands, you will get your deserved income according to your set time period.

· Fixed annuity is the best life annuity policy that can let you enjoy a steady income. This means that the rate of interest initially set by you in the contract remains same despite any sort of monetary turbulence in the current market.

· Life annuity policies are much safer. The annuitant needs to sign a contract with an insurance company. Here in the contract, the applicant is asked to state each and every detail including the series of payments, mode of payments, time period of the contract and of course your personal details.

· There are no chances of facing duplicities. Remember, everything will be mentioned in a contract. In case of any convenience, you can easily catch hold of your insurance agent since he will be signing the agreement papers.

Now, what if the annuitant dies prior to recovering the actual value of the investment? In this respect, an annuitant can enjoy a superb advantage. If he/she had earlier mentioned the name of any beneficiary, the latter would start receiving the same amount after the death of the former. However, there are certain life annuity policies where the beneficiary gets lesser amount than the one the former used to receive earlier.

Joint Life Annuities

This is one of the top life annuity schemes that can benefit the couples. In case of the life and joint survivor annuities, the payments stop once the annuitant or both the annuitants die. However, in case of a joint-survivor annuity plan, the first annuity will get a lesser amount than usual only after the death of the second spouse.

Annuity Payments for the Impaired

In case of severe medical problems, if the life expectancy of an annuitant gets reduced, the payment terms can be improved. For this, it’s always advisable to talk to an annuity expert who can help you understand all life annuity schemes other than this.

4 Smart Decisions that Save on Car Insurance

The high cost of getting and keeping up with auto insurance can be a big hit on anyone’s budget. Fortunately, for anyone in the car insurance market there are a lot of different ways to save on this insurance. Follow these four tips to start saving hundreds of dollars a year.

1. Start your search for insurance by shopping around.

Be sure to compare car insurance prices at several different auto insurance companies. During your search, you’ll probably realize that car insurance rates can vary a lot between companies. In addition to just the normal market differences, auto insurance companies typically vary their rates based on a variety of factors, all of which differ among different companies. For example, the driver’s age and gender can be among the biggest factors in determining someone’s premium at one company, while another company may give more weight to a person’s driving history. Additionally, credit history and where the car is kept at night are also used by some companies to determine premiums.

2. Explore the possibility of bundling your insurance policies.

Many auto insurance companies offer their most significant discounts to customers who have more than one policy with them. This can mean insuring multiple cars, or switching over policies such as homeowner’s, life, or renter’s insurance to your auto insurance company.

3. Ask about how increasing your deductible could save you money.

With many companies, increasing a deductible by as little as $500 can save a consumer a lot of money on their premium. This lower cost to the consumer is a result of the insurance company decreasing their liability. Of course, it is critical to make sure that you have enough cash in a savings account to make up the difference for a higher deductible in the case of an accident. In general, though, since it is likely that you would not claim small damage amounts to your vehicle, increasing your deductible won’t really affect your budget much.

4. Finally, ask your insurer about discounts you already qualify for or could start doing.

Many insurance companies will offer their clients discounts for a variety of safe and normal activities. For example, auto insurance companies currently offer discounts to their customers who regularly wear a seatbelt, have a car alarm system installed in their vehicle, have airbags installed in their car, change their oil on a regular basis, and/or are considered by their state licensing board to be good drivers.

Saving on car insurance doesn't have to be an annoying nag by commercial after commercial. It can be achieved in these four simple steps with the added comfort of saving online.

Author Bio: Brittney L. is a freelance writer and car insurance expert. She enjoys traveling the New England area with her husband and compares travel car insurance rates online to help save money.

Getting Started in Forex Trading

Read on for 3 great tips to help you getting started in forex trading and well on your way to becoming a successful foreign exchange trader.

1) Before you enter a market, you need to know your market :

Think of the world of forex as a virtual casino. What’s the first thing you do upon entering a casino for the first time? You assess the behavior of each of the tables before placing a bet, so you have a good idea of what sorts of odds you are facing and become aware of any potential high-risk and high-loss games, as well as those with potential high-winnings to be had. It’s much the same with the foreign currency markets; some currencies are volatile while others ensure solid returns. You should study the forex market and get a feel for patterns and stay ahead of market activity by reading the financial news, keeping a wide-angle view of international news and their economic consequences on the currency market.

Pick a currency pair that suits your trading hours

Your success as a currency trader is of course dependent on skill and chance, but there are some choices you make that can heavily influence the tenor of your trading volume. If you know you are only available to trade during certain hours, perhaps because of other commitments such as a “day job” or childcare duties, select the currencies that are open during the hours of your trading session so that you are able to follow the movements of that pair as and when it happens, rather than relying purely on advanced trading and risky predictive strategies for currencies whose trading sessions will be open once you have stopped trading for the day.

Limit your exposure to risk

Apply effective stopping measures to control your risk exposure. By having a watchful eye and implementing practical risk limitation measures, you are doing the smartest thing a trader can do to protect profits and minimize loss. Two examples: Position Sizing; this is a strategy which varies trade sizes according to the current trend; and Stop Placement; this marries indicators to stop loss placement and uses the two in tandem.

Rick Silver is a Financial Writer and contributor to Everest Forex. She spent many years working at leading U.S. investment firms and banks, within the fields of foreign exchange, commodities, structured finance, asset finance and corporate finance.

How to Save Money While Attending College

College is pricey. From costly textbooks to the constant hikes in tuition rates, going to college requires a significant financial investment. The prospects of a good career ahead of you should make this investment worthwhile, but you still won’t want to graduate with astronomical debt. An overwhelming amount of debt can haunt you for decades and some people never manage to fully pay it off.

Truth be told, college is more expensive than ever before. However, the good news is that there are many simple ways you can save money and still get a great education. By incorporating just a few money saving tips and adjustments into your lifestyle you will be able to make big savings.

Here are a few of our top tips for saving money while attending college:

Go Online

You won’t get the exciting social life you will likely find at a traditional brick and mortar school, but studying online will definitely save you a lot of money! An online university degree program generally offers significantly lower tuition rates in comparison to regular four-year schools. What’s more, you won’t have to re-locate or have to commute to class. Many of your textbooks will likely be downloadable and thus more affordable as well. Furthermore, many online degrees allow you to make your own hours and study at your own pace, so you can easily still hold down your regular day job while you study online!

Look for Grants and Scholarships

Most schools offer substantial amounts of grants and scholarships which essentially equates to free money for the awarded students. Explore any grants and scholarships available and also look into needs-benefits such as veterans education benefits. If you have difficulty understanding what benefits are available to you, most schools have representatives at their financial aid office that can assist you and walk you through the process of applying for grants and any benefits you may be entitled to.

Buy Secondhand

Aside from tuition and accommodation, perhaps the next most expensive aspect of college is textbooks. Buying textbooks brand new can prove to be extremely expensive, so you may want to buy secondhand when you can. Many campus bookstores sell used copies of books as well as new ones and often the used ones are significantly cheaper. In addition, you can usually find even cheaper secondhand books for sale online and there are even online stores where you can rent books per semester. Therefore, always look for potential secondhand copies when possible.

Attend Community College

We all want to go to a prestigious school, but you may want to try attending a community college at first and transferring to your dream school later. Virtually all universities accept transfer students from community colleges and in some cases it has even been reported that it is easier to transfer to a prestigious school as a community college student than it is to get accepted as a freshmen. Community colleges generally offer very affordable course rates and classes can be surprisingly small. You can also find them in all major towns and cities, so you can probably remain living at home which likely means paying no rent!

Prepare for Your Future Career

You are more likely to be crushed by college debt if you are unable to get a solid job shortly after graduation. Interest rates will start to gather and if you are unemployed or earning minimum wage you will unlikely be able to pay your debts back anytime soon. However, there are various ways you can prepare yourself for a prosperous and financially rewarding career while you are still in college. One excellent way to prepare yourself is to complete several internships while in college. Employers are always impressed if you have real world work experience and internships also allow you to build up contacts that you can call upon when you are looking for work as well as for references in the future.

As you can see, college doesn’t have to completely drain your financial resources. It is pretty likely that you will graduate with some level of debt, but this debt doesn’t have to be crippling if you make wise financial decisions while in college. Whether you decide to attend an online university or simply only buy secondhand books the savings you will accumulate have the potential to help you stay further out of the red. Be cautious with your spending and always keep an eye out for thrifty ways to complete your education. Good luck!

What to Do Should Your Insurance Claim Ever be Denied

Insurance is such a strange product in that you buy it hoping you never have to use it, sort of like a fire extinguisher. However, unlike a fire extinguisher you can’t just take your home insurance policy out into the yard and play with it on a whim. It’s devastating then if your property is damaged and the insurance you were otherwise relying on denies your claim. That there even is the perennial joke that insurance companies are tight-fisted indicates that claim denials are common enough, so what do you do when you’re claims denied—certainly not roll over (at least not yet anyway).

Make Sure You Understand Your Policy

Before ever leaving you insurance agent’s office, make sure you understand the details of the product you are buying. It can be difficult to ask specific questions, so instead simply tell your agent when you don’t fully comprehend anything. Equally feel free to take notes. Naturally you are going to forget exactly what the policy says, but you’ll have a more substantial gist of what you are entitled to. Now when your property is stolen or damaged take a little bit of time to review your policy (assuming it hasn’t been destroyed) so that when you do contact your insurance you have not only had a refresher course on your policy, but you are able to describe the nature of your claim in the context of your policy.

Contact Your Agent

Before making your claim officially, be sure to discuss it with your insurance agent. On some policies there are serious repercussions for making a claim and being denied. For example you can lose your no-claims bonus, which is worth it if you have to rebuild your home—but certainly not worth it if your insurance agent thinks that a denial is unavoidable.

Keep a Paper Trail

In the event your claim is denied make sure you receive proper documentation along with an explanation of the reasons for denial. This will make the process of checking the denial against the actual terms of your policy infinitely easier. Equally make sure you document the costs of all out-of-pocket costs including, repairs, nights in a hotel, rental cars etc. Though requiring a bit of foresight, keeping close records of preventative maintenance and the like can help disprove accusations of policy violations.

Appeal

The numbers appear to indicate that only about 1% of denials are ever appealed—and half of appeals see some sort of relief from their insurers. Fill out the appeal using the explanation of denial and your policy to set forth a cogent rebuttal.

Lawyer Up, Contact a third-party Agent

Should your appeal be rejected, there are private insurance agents out there who will assess the damage and your claim independently and will give you some sort of realistic grounding as to the viability of suing your insurance company. Equally, there are lawyers who also specialize in this sort of litigation, lawyers who will also likely be open to free consultations to discuss your claim against your insurance company. Though be aware that litigation can often take years to produce any results, so if you have gotten to this point be prepared for a long fight.

Getting Your Finances in Order with New Year's Resolutions

With the New Year here, many people are trying to quickly recover from recent holidays by getting their bank accounts back in the black and paying down those credit cards. However, keeping a strict budget isn't always easy in the New Year. While it may be time for a fresh start, it is also winter, which leads to higher utility costs and generally more driving as colder temps prevents many from walking or biking to work.

Trying to get your financial household back in order doesn't necessarily mean that you need to refuse entertainment and crank down the thermostat. By simply sticking to those New Year's resolutions you made a little over a week ago, you can save yourself several hundred dollars this year alone. A few of the most cost-effective resolutions include:

Shedding Pounds

Perhaps the most popular resolution of 2012 and years past is losing weight. Being overweight has become common in the U.S. leading millions to take the oath to shed extra pounds each year, and sticking to that new diet and exercise regimen can be one of the best ways to get your finances in order.

In addition to saving on food costs, as you will be less inclined to eat out often, can save nearly $10,000 in lifetime health insurance costs. Overweight or obese individuals on average have higher insurance premium costs and higher medical bills due to related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. So if you want to save yourself money this year and in future years, dedicate yourself to losing any unhealthy pounds.

Going Green

Green is on everyone's mind these days, and to ring in the New Year right, many have chosen to live life a little more sustainably. While some sustainable practices, such as solar paneling or geothermal units, are a substantial investment, there are a few easy and inexpensive measures that can be taken that will also save you on your utility and gas bills.

So in your endeavor to go green this year, consider becoming a one family car, biking more, turning down the thermostat, caulking those windows, or weather stripping those doors. All of these options are either free or only a couple of bucks, and can save you a few hundred dollars a year depending on which you choose.

Giving Up Vices

Whether it be cigarettes, alcohol, or that morning mocha you have to have from your favorite coffee shop, there is no denying that these vices are expensive habits. By simply making your coffee from home or giving up that evening night cap, you can save yourself $100 or more a month, and if you choose to give up smoking you can save yourself over $200 a month or over $1,200 – plenty of extra cash to pay off that credit card.

Making your morning coffee at home is easy and much cheaper, and by giving up alcohol or cigarettes, you can save even more than just the product cost alone. Both have detrimental effects on your health, and by ending smoking now, you can save yourself additional health insurance and medical bill costs in the future.

If you want to get your spending and saving under control this year, creating a budget and adhering to it are great ways to get off on the right foot. However, if you want to further increase your cash flow this year, stick to those resolutions. They'll not only leave you feeling better about your physical or mental well-being, but they will also leave you feeling better about your wallet too.

Maya Szydlowski is a community manager and blogger for Veterans United Home Loans, the nation’s top dedicated VA lender.

5 Innovative Ways to Use Your Pocket Change

Pocket change is often such an inconvenience that we can easily forget that it is actually still currency. More than that though, there are a number of innovative ways to put your pocket change to use which don’t always involve spending or saving your coins.

1 – Exercise your brain :

There exists a money counting game called Pocket Change http://www.memory-improvement-tips.com/money-counting-game.html which helps you exercise your brain by quickly counting combinations of coins which appear on the screen. The game is designed to help you practice how to quickly count American coins, and so displays combinations of pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and half dollars.

However, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have access to the game because you can use your own pocket change to exercise your brain and sharpen your mathematics skills. You will be surprised by how quickly you can enhance your speed adding skills when you practice regularly, so whenever you find yourself with a pocket or purse full of spare change, pull it out and challenge yourself to see how quickly you can count it. You can then further challenge yourself by working out how much change you will receive when you pay for your purchases, which is also a good way to make sure you’re not short changed.

2 – Check for valuable coins :

You can also use your pocket change to make you a bit of extra money, all you have to do is look a little closer. How often do you put your coins straight in your wallet or purse without even looking at them? Well you could be passing on a valuable coin, which could be worth much more than its face value. A coin could be valuable for a number of reasons, for example, by simply checking the dates on your coins you could find an exceptionally old coin which may be valuable, or you could find an error coin.

An error coin is when the die minting the coin miss-strikes and a coin is left blank, or with an unusual imprint. Normally a mint will correct an error as soon as they find it and try and recover the error coins, as a result, an error coin which finds itself in circulation and in your wallet can be quite valuable. For example, a double die coin is when the image has been doubled, either slightly or entirely. A coin with an axis rotation error is when the images on the front and back don’t line up – in countries if you hold a coin with the front image right way up, if you flip it 180 degrees the back image should be upside down.

3 – Pocket change arc welder :

An arc welder uses a power supply to create an electric arc between an electrode and a base material to melt two metals at a welding point. You can buy an arc welder, but you can also make one using a car batter, jumper cables and two coins. All you need to do is connect the number cables to the battery and each clamp to one coin. The electric current passing from the battery and into the coins reaches 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit, which is enough to melt the coins so you can weld them two each other, or weld two different types of metals together.

4 – Value your pocket change :

Those things which are innovative and unique are the things which not many people do, or think about doing, so when it comes to being innovative with your pocket change, why not simply value it. When you can pay for just about anything, anywhere with a swipe or tap of your card, coins seem to have lost their place in our spending habits, and when we do throw a note at something, the change we receive in return is put aside as something which simply takes up space.

However, as soon as you come to value your money more or less depending on the form it takes, the less seriously you are taking your finances. In order to be in control of your financial situation you should know where all of your money is, all of the time and if you are discarding your change in the car, leaving it to fall down the back seat of the sofa, or not stopping to pick it up when you drop it, then you are losing touch with the value of your money and the effort you have put into making it, and only when you value your money can you make the right purchasing decisions.

5 – Pay off your credit card :

An innovative way to use and value your pocket change is to use it to pay off your credit card. That may sound like something which will take years to achieve, but again, you are undervaluing your pocket change. For example, whenever you pay for something with cash and you receive change, put it into a piggy bank and save it up. Then at the end of the month, take your pocket change to the bank and pay that amount as an extra payment towards your credit card bill, on top of the minimum you would usually pay. Even if you save just $1 a w

eek in coins to make an additional credit card payment, you can save over $3,000 a year in credit card interest.

Alban has been writing on personal finance for the last 3 years. When he is not blogging, Alban develops term deposit calculators.

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