Choosing Types Of Credit Cards
July 12, 2009 Leave a Comment

Choosing Types Of Credit Cards

Credit cards used to be simple.  There was one rate, one feature and really only a handful of issuing companies.  Those days are long gone and now you need to know about the different types to determine which is right for your lifestyle.

Standard credit cards are the most common and are available in most financial institutions.  They are unsecured, which means you do not have to put down a security deposit.  There are several different interest rates handled by these cards.  There’s the balance transfer rate, which allows you to transfer a balance from another card to a lower rate on the credit card.  There is the regular interest rate for purchases, which usually starts at zero percent for a set amount of time.  And the cash advance rate, which is used when you use the card at an ATM to get cash.

There are credit cards with rewards programs. Finding a good credit card guide can help  Typically these have a slightly higher interest rate than standard credit cards but only by about a percentage point or two.  These cards allow you to earn incentives by using the card.  Some credit cards will offer a certain percentage of your purchases and give you cash back for it.  Some cards use reward points, usually at one point per dollar spent, and these points can then be redeemed for other prizes.  Other cards earn rewards that can specifically be redeemed for discounts on airline tickets or hotel reservations.

Bad credit or credit repair cards are a good solution for those who cannot qualify for a standard credit card.  Most often the interest rate is a few percentage points higher than any other card.  These come in two types: secured credit cards and prepaid credit cards.  Secured credit cards require collateral in order to be used.  Typically this means putting a security deposit on the card as proof that you can pay the money back, this is usually an amount equal or greater to the credit limit.  Prepaid credit cards are technically not credit cards but they are accepted and used like them.  The biggest advantage of them is the lack of finance charges and the lack of any debt.  With these cards you determine your own credit line by paying for any purchases beforehand.

Filed Under: Credit Cards
Find The Most Affordable Car Insurance
December 14, 2011 Leave a Comment

Find The Most Affordable Car Insurance

You know you need car insurance to drive, but if you are like most people, you are tired of paying a fortune each month for coverage right?  As you will discover in this article, there are ways to find the most affordable car insurance without spending an abundance of time or feeling frustrated.  The two things you need to keep reminding yourself as you start the search to find the most affordable car insurance is that this industry is highly competitive, meaning you have tons of opportunity and second, you are the customer and your business is what pays salaries to the people at the insurance company.
One of the most obvious ways to find affordable car insurance is to spend a little time online scouring through companies.  This is actually an excellent option but the one downside is that with literally thousands and thousands of companies, it can be a daunting task.  Remember, while you might be trying to find the most affordable car insurance for the state where you live and drive, insurance companies online do not necessarily have to be in your state, which multiplies the possibilities.

In addition to conducting our own research, you might also use an online car insurance quotes service that takes a little bit of information you provide and based on this criteria, the system finds a list of options for you to review.  The benefit is that the system does the majority of work for you so as you look at companies provided, you would compare the type and amount of coverage, as well as the premium and any extras, as well as exclusions to narrow your choice down to three to five companies.  Then to find the most affordable car insurance from those, you would request a quote.

Another possibility when you are ready to find the most affordable car insurance would be to visit your state’s “department of insurance” or “division of insurance”.  Each state has this type of organization, which is connected to the government.  The primary function of these organizations is establishing, monitoring, and enforcing all regulations on the state and federal levels so as a consumer, you have protection, but you also gain immediate access to an abundance of information on insurance companies in general or for a specific company.

Of course, when trying to find the most affordable car insurance company, it never hurts to ask family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers for recommendations.  If any are extremely happy with the coverage and premium they have, as well as the service provided by the agent, broker, and company representative, this would be a great starting point.  Just remember, that no matter where you end up going to find the most affordable car insurance, all premiums will be based on certain things, many of which you have control.

As an example, driving record has a huge impact on how much a person pays for car insurance.  Therefore, avoid getting tickets for traffic and non-traffic issues, never drink and drive, slow down, make sure you drive a car with safety features such as dual airbag, and so on.  In other words, in addition to choosing a reputable insurer when you try to find affordable car insurance, take action to control the things you can that would help keep your monthly premium down.

Filed Under: Insurance
Budgeting – Where to Find Free Stuff
October 27, 2011 Leave a Comment

Budgeting – Where to Find Free Stuff

After hearing friends brag about all the free things acquired, you have decided to get in on the same great deal. While it might sound too good to be true, in all honesty, there are many resources where to find free stuff. In addition, the types of things that companies and people offer free can sometimes be surprising. Because there are several great places to find deals, we wanted to provide information where to find free stuff that is worth owning.

Free Sample Websites

Because the internet is rated as the number one place for finding free stuff, we wanted to start there. As far as how to get free stuff online, you have a number of possibilities. For starters, you could use any of the larger search engines such as Google.com, Yahoo.com, Bing.com, or Lycos.com and in the search field, type in keywords such as “free stuff for babies”, “free stuff for moms”, “free stuff for teachers”, and so on. In return, multiple pages of search results would be provided and available for you to investigate.

Now, along with finding actual free samples that would be mailed to your home, you would also find an array of printable coupons, discount offers, and more. The great thing about using the internet where to find free stuff is that the process is extremely convenient and easy. From the privacy and comfort of the home, you can conduct searches and then choose the types of samples most interested in.

Free Stuff On Craig’s List

Most people think of Craig’s List as an online site where something in particular could be searched for and then purchased. While this is a large part of the Craig’s List community, there are also free things. In fact, on this site is a link on the home page that is listed as “Free Stuff”. Many of the free stuff on this site are in the form of furniture, appliances, and home decorum that comes from homes where people have been evicted or experienced foreclosure.

Property owners and banks will list items such as televisions, stereos, refrigerators, furniture, washing machines, dryers, and more, followed by the address where these items are sitting curbside. Because of this, choosing free stuff at curbside close to where you live would allow you to get there before another party. Of course there are times when the stuff is in bad condition but often, it is perfectly fine.

Private Advertising

Another tip where to find free stuff would be looking at private advertising in a local or community newspaper. Usually, smaller towns with papers have the best selection although finding free stuff in a larger newspaper is also possible. In this case, an individual might be giving away a free bed, television set, workout equipment, and more for a variety of reasons.

For example, if someone had upgraded with the purchase of a new washing machine that came from a company that does not provide take-away service, rather than pay to have a working machine hauled off, it would be listed as free in the local paper. There are also items given away free after an estate sale or auction. Again, if there is a large expense in having good items taken away, a family will post free items in the paper and then anything left would be hauled. This saves the family money but also provides an opportunity for someone else to benefit from items in great shape.

Filed Under: Budgeting, Family Finances, Personal Finance, Saving Money
How to Pay for Your Child’s College Education
July 14, 2011 Leave a Comment

How to Pay for Your Child’s College Education

It can cost more than $100,000 for one person to gain a college or university education. This thought alone can make all parents nervous. In today’s world getting a college education is important which is why parents need to sit down when their child (or children) are young and figure out how best to come up with the money they will need to send their kids off to college.

Often combining one or two financing methods works best for most families. If there are any methods that are tax-deductible for you make sure to consider those from the very start. Here we look at some of the methods of financing that are available to you.

A Roth IRA is a good choice as a form of investment if you will be 59.5 years of age or older when your child is attending a post secondary institution. As long as you have had the Roth IRA for five years or more all of the withdrawals you make from it will be tax free.

If you will be younger than 59.5 when your child is attending college then a Roth IRA can still be of use to you. You are still permitted to withdraw the contributions you have made without being charged taxes and any type of penalties. The earnings you make from a Roth can be put towards a college education without being subject to a penalty. However in this case you will have to pay the taxes for the amount you have withdrawn. It is still worth it though.

Many parents look to state college savings known as 529 plans to pay for their child’s college expenses. These plans make it possible for you to earn stock-market returns on savings for higher education that will not be needed for many years to come. The way it works is that the contributions grow tax-deferred until the point at which the money is needed to pay for school costs. Once this happens the earnings on the account are taxed at the tax rate for the student, not at the tax rate of the parent.

However the 529 plans are meant to be used for college expenses and nothing else. If you choose to use the money for some other purpose then you may be subject to a penalty of 10 to 15 percent of the earnings you have accumulated. In other cases the penalty may be one percent of the total balance of the account. Besides the state college savings there are other kinds of 529 plans known as pre-paid tuition plans. These plans are useful when tuition rates are going up approximately 10 percent per year. However this plan limits the growth to whatever the rate of the public-college tuition increases happen to be in the state your child is attending school in

Filed Under: Education