Category: General Articles

Five Ways to Spend Less on Your Car

Our cars make up a large portion of our weekly budget, and when you think about how much you spend on petrol, car registration, car insurance, repairs and maintenance you begin to realise how it all adds up. Our cars are a necessary part of our daily lives, some people using them more than others depending on where they live, but there are few people who get through the week without travelling by car. Petrol prices are constantly increasing along with the cost of other living expenses, like electricity and gas, and today people are looking to ways to reduce how much they spend on their cars.

Car insurance

Car insurance is important to have, but often it costs a lot more than people can afford. Sometimes people are under insured simply because they lack the funds. In reality you really can’t afford not to take out insurance. If you are involved in an accident and damage your car or someone else’s, or even if you damage property, you could find yourself faced with a bill that will cost you thousands. A few hundred dollars once a year is a much better option that a damage bill that could destroy you financially. To spend less on your car insurance make sure you shop around before taking out cover. An insurance broker can help you find the best deal or do some research of your own.

Cheap petrol days

Take note of petrol prices in your local area and compare them with prices a little further afield. You will find that the price of petrol varies quite dramatically. You will also find that each city has a cheaper petrol day, and it is not necessarily ‘Cheap Tuesday’. Take a note of the daily petrol prices for a few weeks and you will begin to see a pattern. Fill up on those days it is cheapest. Also hang on to your shopping dockets that offer money off petrol, but check that the value off they are giving is going to make it cheaper than other petrol stations that are not connected with this specific supermarket. You could find that the supermarket petrol station has a petrol price that works out the same as other stations, once you take off the discount.

Smart driving

When you are driving long distances use your cruise control. On a straight stretch of road you are much better off switching on the cruise control as it will use less petrol. It will also stop you from speeding, which is easy to do on a straight bit of road when you have a long way to go. Another good tip is to go easy on the accelerator. When you take off from the lights go easy and don’t accelerate too hard.

Keep your car serviced

Keeping your car serviced regularly will help save money in the long run. If you leave it go too long when you finally do get …

Cheap Car Insurance For Young Drivers

Cheap car insurance for young drivers can be difficult to find, especially for males. If you are willing to put in some research online, there are still some bargains to be found. Some auto insurers specialize in providing cover for motorists who are young and inexperienced. In this article we will examine some of the options which are available to you if you are under 25 and looking for your next policy.

It can be frustrating to be a young driver. Most insurers consider them to be a high risk group, especially younger males. Because they are considered high risk insurers can be reluctant to offer a competitive quote. Some companies may even refuse to do business with you at all based on your age. Luckily some providers are available which will be able to offer you more affordable cover.

The usual advice for younger motorists is to take advanced driving courses so that you can prove that you are a safe driver. Get yourself added to your parents car insurance and to drive a safe model of car which comes under one of the cheaper insurance groups and has a high safety rating. This advice is very good and may make you some great savings on your next policy, but there are other options which you should also consider.

Some insurance companies will provide you with a free tracking device. If your car should be stolen then the tracker will make it much easier to get the car returned safely. This reduces the risk from the insurers point of view, reduces your premiums and also gives you greater peace of mind.

Many companies will also offer cheap car insurance for young drivers who are willing to drive less miles each year. You may be able to further reduce your premiums by agreeing to drive only between certain hours.

You should certainly consider whether taking these measures will be suitable for your individual circumstances. If you are willing to drive less miles and at safer times than you may be able to reduce your insurance premiums significantly.

Online insurance providers frequently offer a saving to customers who purchase online. Get a variety of quotes from online comparison websites. Also get some quotes from firms who specialize in cheap car insurance for young drivers. If you are willing to shop around you should be able to find an affordable policy which is well suited to your individual needs.…

Dental Insurance For the Self Employed – Common Questions

Being self employed has many advantages to it. You have the freedom to make your own schedule and to be your own boss. Of course, with this freedom comes different responsibilities and compromises. There are also certain conveniences and comforts that you’ll have to be without, one of those being paid dental insurance. However, just because you don’t have an employer to provide this for you, doesn’t mean you should be without it. Dental insurance for self employed individuals is available for this very reason. Many plans and options are available so that you can keep your independence, while keeping your beautiful smile at the same time.

The first thing you might ask yourself is, do you really need dental insurance? Sure, your teeth are healthy, and you have relatively few problems with them, however without regular maintenance over a period of time, those problems can increase. So, if you want to keep all your teeth, the answer to the above question might just be yes. You may no longer have an employer, but that doesn’t mean you should have to give up certain necessities, such as health insurance. Fortunately dental insurance for self employed people exists for this very reason and with proper research you can find a plan that’s just right for you.

When looking for dental insurance for self employed workers, there are a number of routes you can take. Do you already have some type of health insurance? If the answer is yes then you can contact your current insurer to see what plans they offer for dental insurance. Does your spouse have insurance through work? If so, you could see if you can go onto his or her plan. Do you have other friends who are self employed? You can use these friends as a resource to see what plans they have and with which company they have their insurance. Any of the above recommendations will give you a good starting point.

Another great resource is the Internet where you will find every insurance company imaginable and a full range of plans and packages to choose from. When looking for insurance there are a number of factors you will need to review. Is there a deductible, and if so, what is the amount? What is the cost? Will the plan cover pre-existing conditions? Your search for dental insurance for self employed individuals online will pull a lot of information, so the more knowledgeable you are with the types of plans that exist the easier it will be to determine the type of coverage you need…

Insuring Your Teen Driver

So, you have gone to driving school, you have taken the test, and now you officially have your license to drive. It can be super exciting but very overwhelming all at the same time because there are so many different components in the process. After finding the right car, there is also the matter of getting insured, because it is required to drive. Cheap auto insurance is always the hopeful result when searching for it, but it is very difficult to find low cost auto insurance as a teenager. Teenagers are driving at a higher risk with less driving experience, more assumed distractions, and cars that are much older and less expensive.

That was all of the bad news, but the good news is that car insurance comes in two different forms and you truly only need one as a teenager, unless your parents buy you a very nice new car. Older cars that only cost you about a thousand dollars to purchase do not really need full coverage if they are damaged, but other people’s cars, on the other hand do need full coverage if you accidentally hit them. For those kinds of accidents, you can purchase what is called liability insurance. This type of insurance is required for everyone to have, but you do not have to have the other type of insurance that covers your car.

Having insurance is not only required but it helps to make your driving experience much more enjoyable because you know that you are insured. Driving without insurance can be a very big mistake, because, if you are pulled over by a police officer and they ask for your license and registration, they will see that you are not insured, and you will be arrested and you will lose your license for not driving with insurance. It has become such a problem that these precautions had to be made to ensure that drivers were driving with insurance.

Driving with insurance and even paying for it, if you can, on your own makes a very big difference when it comes to driving responsibly. Driving well, from the start, often gives you a very good reputation on your driving record that carries over into your adulthood. Things that you do on the road as a kid do not change after you turn eighteen and become a legal adult. This means that driving safely is a must because a driving record never goes away. Therefore, you should always drive safe even when you first get your license.

Driving can be a lot of fun, especially as a new teenage driver, just learning the rules of the road, but driving can also be dangerous, not only because you are a new driver, but because of other people on the road as well. Driving safely and taking all necessary precautions is the smartest thing to do when first driving and it should be that way for all of the years that you spend …

Debunking the Myth of Women As Bad Drivers

Since forever there has been the age-old debate and battle of the sexes. Is there really ever a winner? What exactly does it mean when people say that men are from Mars and that women are from Venus? Is there any truth behind the claims that one sex is superior over the other, or is it just pride? We may never know the real answer but this article looks at one crucial argument in this debate. Are women really worse at driving than men? We will look at the research that has been done and attempt to answer the question once and for all.

First of all, I think that it is important to understand that age plays a major role in how a person drives. Your teenager tends to think that they are invincible and they want to show off. This is why they receive more tickets and get in more accidents than any other age group. Now that we know the importance of age we can dissect it even further and see what this means for the sexes. It has been proven that males aged from 20-24 were more likely to die in an accident. For females, their highest risk is when they are 16-19. This can be seen also in your insurance rates. Depending on the company, rates for female drivers drop when a driver reaches the age of 18 or 21. However, most companies keep the higher rates for males until they are 25.

However, on the flip side it seems that men seek to better their driving more than women. Whatever their reasoning behind it, more male drivers take driver safety courses compared to their female counterparts. This could be because males get more citations, or maybe because they are looking to save more on their car insurance. Like we said, the reason doesn’t really matter because they are taking the courses at a higher percentage to females.

Now in a sad finding, it does appear that women cause more car accidents per mile then male drivers. Now since this is a statistic, what does it really prove? Some suggest that it only proves that women report more accidents than their male counterparts or are more honest about an accident in general. How is this measurable? Some research even suggests that women wreck more in accidents because they are shorter and it may be harder for them to see oncoming traffic.

So how can we really know that the research we are getting is an accurate depiction of what happens on the road ways? It appears that you cannot definitely say one sex is worse than the other when you factor in age and location and any other factor. All you can do is really look out for yourself on the road and understand your car insurance coverage. If you feel that your rates may be too high, it may be time to do more research. By …

Which Kind of Individual Health Insurance Should You Buy?

Do You Need To Buy Individual Health Insurance?

If you need to purchase your own individual or family major medical plan it can seem intimidating. You will probably find yourself learning about lots of new new things like deductibles, copays, and yearly maximums. But if you take a few minutes to educate yourself about the types of plans on the market, it can make your search much easier. Remember, there is not one best individual health insurance plan, but there may be a best plan for you and your family!

Preferred Provider Organizations

Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO) are popular today. People like them because they are fairly simple to use, but also allow some flexibility.

When you join a PPO plan, you will get a list of network providers. You can find different types of doctors, therapists, etc. on the list. To get the best coverage, you must use these network providers. However, you are free to leave the network and still be covered, but at a lower level. This allows plan members the freedom to choose between paying less in the network or paying more outside the network..

There are usually some exceptions to the network rules. These exceptions include urgent medical needs and care that is not provided by the network. If you need care outside of the network, but it is not an emergency, always be sure to get it approved before your appointment. You will have to read your individual policy, or get it explained to you by an agent, for the exact details.

Heath Savings Accounts and High Deductible Major Medical

A new type of health plan comes with two parts. One part is a health savings account (HSA). Deposits into this account are tax deductible up to IRS limits. You can use the account to pay for medical expenses. Any money you do not use will roll over from year to year. If there is any money left in the account at retirement, you can withdraw it with no penalty.

The second part of the plan is a high deductible health insurance plan. Because the deductible is fairly high, premiums should be kept in check and underwriting rules may be more lax.

The idea behind this plan is that you can control your costs and save money. You can save money on taxes because contributions to the HSA are tax deductible. You can use the money in this account to pay for many different medical expenses, and this includes some that are not covered under major medical plans. You can also save money because higher deductible plans are cheaper than lower deductible plans.

These types of plans only work well for disciplined savers though. People who do not save money to fund their HSA account will not be happy with the plan when they do need to get medical services. If they have to pay for services from their checking account because there is no …

Self Builder

To build your own house is a dream of many. To actually design and build your own home is in fact a most rewarding experience. It can however be a total nightmare if it is not properly planned out, fully considered from the “cash to the crop”. Never for one moment think that it is going to be easy, if it were so then everyone would be doing it would they not?

A self builder has to have the ability to plan ahead, to see possible problems before they arrive at their door, and also to have an imagination! Some things are obvious like the funding of the project. Others may not be quite so obvious, like where will the drains run to and is there electricity and water near by? Here is a short list of things to consider before the first batch of cement is mixed.

Planning: Make sure that all your warrants are in place before you start anything. Local authorities can be seriously overloaded with work and permits usually take a lot longer than expected. Once you have your plans drawn up and approved it is the turn of the building warrant department to have their say (In the United Kingdom at any rate), this can be an even slower process as they must agree that your proposed dwelling complies with a myriad of regulations such as Standard Assessment procedure (SAP), Energy performance certificate (EPC) and a host of other regulations depending on the regional authority. Before you start to build your own house then all these permits must be in place.

Funding: This is another of these things that usually require a lot of time and lengthy phone calls. Lenders such as build-store (you’ll find them on Google) are one of the few left that specialise in self build homes. Be sure you are aware of the procedures for collecting the stage payments from them, these are usually in the form of a series of down payments at or before each stage of the job is complete. This takes time and can easily lead to needless delays if the builder is left waiting at a crucial part of the job for the next payment.

Finding a builder: Although termed as a self build, most “self builders” will in fact employ the services of a local builder. In fact this is recommended, as they will hopefully be NHBC registered. If they are not then you must be sure of their reputation, even if it means doing a bit of investigative work and checking out their previous jobs with a few knocks on doors. If you are happy to proceed then have your engineer sign off the various stages of the job as this will be needed to purchase a 10 year guarantee from an insurance specialist in self builds like Build Zone. Photographs of the various stages also helps in this respect. Failing that, you can of course ask your engineer to provide a …

Cheapest Car Insurance For Young Drivers – Tips and Advice

Often due to perceived high cost of car insurance, young drivers either do not take car insurance, which can be proven to be a costly mistake, or spend more than required on automobile insurance, which may tighten their budget further. By carefully planning the car insurance young drivers can significantly cut down their car insurance expenses. Here are some easy ways to secure the cheapest car insurance for young drivers.

If your parents have a auto insurance policy, it is a wise idea to get added on their insurance policy as an additional driver than to get an altogether separate insurance policy. Although there are age limits to the same, check with your insurance company representative about this option.

If you drive a cheap or a second hand car which does not have a high maintenance cost, you can save a lot on auto insurance by only getting the liability coverage. The liability coverage pays for the damage done to another vehicle but not for yours in case of an accident.

Try to avail the discount that auto insurance companies offer. Checkout if you qualify for students discounts or the good grades discount.

Young drivers can cut out the extras in the insurance policy that they may not need. For example you may be paying for road side assistance or car rental add on which you might not use ever.

Most importantly get your auto insurance from a company that not only gives you the cheapest quotes but also is an established one. Best auto insurance company is one that has strong financial backbone and good track record of serving its customers. Don’t hesitate in calling up or meeting a automobile insurance agent in order to clarify any doubts that you have regarding the policy, but make sure do not cave in or feel pressurized with their sales pitching.

Young drivers usually have lesser disposable income than the older drivers therefore being able to secure a cheap automobile insurance policy can ease the pressure on their budget.…

New York Car Insurance Requirements

Owning an automobile in New York City can be a very expensive proposition, due to expenses such as registration costs and the fees involved in monthly parking. These costs are so high that many residents choose to go without an automobile altogether and instead rely on the famous New York public transit system. If you do decide to purchase an automobile in New York, however, and have managed to find a place to park your car, you’ll still need to purchase insurance. New York, like many large metropolitan cities, has their own unique car insurance requirements, as does the state of New York.

Minimum Coverage

There is a minimum amount of insurance coverage required in New York in order to register your car and obtain license plates. This coverage includes No-Fault (Personal Injury Protection) to pay medical expenses and lost earnings for a driver, pedestrian or passenger injured by your car. This coverage must cover up to $50,000 per person (“basic No-Fault coverage”), for the driver and all passengers injured in your car as well as any pedestrians. Liability insurance is also required to protect against the harm your car or any car you drive might do to people and their property. Another required type of insurance is for uninsured motorists. This type of insurance protects against the injuries you, your family or your passengers might suffer in a hit-and-run accident or in an accident with an uninsured or under-insured vehicle.

No-Fault Laws

New York is a “no-fault” state. The purpose of No-Fault insurance is to restore individuals hurt in auto accidents to health and productivity as quickly as possible without their having to endure large out of pocket costs. Therefore, lawsuits due to auto accidents can be brought only for economic losses that exceed No-Fault benefits and for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering only if a “serious injury” is sustained. The definition of “serious injury” is defined by New York law.

No-Fault does not pay for auto body repair of your car or damage to any other party’s motor vehicle or property. It isn’t required, but you should also purchase collision insurance which covers accidents and pays for vehicle repairs. Comprehensive coverage is another item you should purchase, as it covers causes other than a collision such as theft, fire, flood, windstorm, glass breakage, vandalism, hitting or being hit by an animal, or by falling or flying objects.

Other Coverage

Other optional coverage which isn’t required by the state includes bodily injury liability, which is a good idea for people seeking to protect themselves from lawsuits resulting from an auto accident. The amount of coverage you require is based on the value of your personal assets. Several different levels of coverage are available. Property damage liability is another optional coverage. If you car costs more than $10,000, you may need to purchase additional coverage equal to the replacement cost of your car. You can also purchase additional PIP (No-Fault) benefits above the …

iPhone 3GS Insurance – A Few Things To Be Aware Of When Owning An iPhone

If you own an iPhone 3GS, getting an insurance for it might be a very good idea. All of us have very busy lives nowadays and we often forget things. These things are keys, phones and money usually. In fact, phones are getting lost so often that some companies have started insuring them for those who want it. However, there are some things you can do to make sure that you won’t need an iPhone 3GS insurance any time soon.

The Apple iPhone is pretty big, be it the later models or the newest ones. Their size and shape are pretty much their undoing. I too owned two models of the iPhone, the first one and this one, the 3GS. When I got the original iPhone, I had a hard time adjusting to it as I had a way smaller phone before it. I also started noticing how difficult it was to use it when walking and the sorts. I got the iPhone 3GS after I dropped my first one on the ground. That is why I came up with some tips on how to handle your iPhone so that you won’t need to resort to an iPhone 3GS insurance.

1. As I was saying, I dropped my first phone because I was texting while walking. You can manage it if you use both hands, but even then. If you trip on something you will most like drop it. Getting a cover for it works because it won’t be so slippery and it will also help if you do drop your phone. But it is best to just not text as you walk.

2. Since the iPhone is so big, it can easily be stolen from a pocket. I mostly wear jeans so it barely fits in the pockets. If you don’t use a cover, it can slide right out of there without you feeling anything. If you do use a cover which will prevent it from sliding from your pocket, you will have trouble getting it out all the time. So try and put your iPhone 3GS in front pockets all the time or in pockets that close.

3. Don’t leave your phone on the tables when going out at night. Since the screen is so shiny, it can camouflage on the table very easily in dark places and you will leave without it. It happened to me many times because I just didn’t see it on the table when I took a quick look. Keep it in your pocket and have it vibrate if you want to know when you are being contacted.

These are just the things that I had to learn to be careful with. There are also other “dangers” out there so it is best to take precautions. After I got my iPhone 3GS, I kept feeling uneasy. I feared that if I dropped this phone too, I couldn’t afford …