Most Americans nowadays are struggling due to the current global economic status wherein the prices of goods and services are extremely high. To protect one’s asset in this time of crisis, one way is to get an auto insurance coverage for your car.An auto insurance plan is one of the legal requirements of car ownership so if you want to avoid expensive rates, here are some tips that will help you get lower premiums:1. Shop for insurance rates. Never settle for less, always go for more. The more you shop for available insurance plans in the local and Internet market, the more chances you have to land on a cheap but comprehensive auto coverage. Ask friends, colleagues, other family members or work acquaintances about auto insurance deals that are applicable for you. You can also consult your local insurance agent or broker so you can be provided with a list of insurance offers that fit your needs. Better yet, why not use the Internet as there are certain promos and discounts from insurance providers that apply to people who purchase their auto insurance online.2. Compare quotes. When shopping for auto insurance online, by phone or through personal inquiry it is important that you list down all auto insurance details so you could have data to help you decide which deal is most advantageous for you. Take note that you should compare coverage plans that are exactly the same in parameters – that is, compare the “same apples” so you won’t get price inaccuracies. Create a shortlist of the top car insurance deals that are applicable for you. Choose the insurance deal that offers the widest coverage plan at the lowest premium rate so you can save money and get prime protection at the same time.3. Ask for discounts and promos from the insurance support agent. The customer representative of insurance companies will surely lead you to discount rates that you can apply for. Always ask them what other options you can do to be able to get lower premiums so they can give you expert advice. There are insurance companies who give lower premiums to those who purchase auto insurance by group or family and for those who purchase all types of insurance coverage from one service provider. Also check for discount rates that are applicable for your gender, age or type of car that you use.Here are some of the ways you could find and purchase a cheaper and more extensive auto insurance plan for you. Remember to always get updated on current insurance plans and always shop for new lower discount rates that might be available in the market.When you decide to sign a contract with a certain insurance provider, always check that they have excellent reputation and comes highly recommended by unbiased third party insurance review sites. Protect your asset and save money, get your perfect auto insurance plan right away.
How Can You Make Money Investing in 2014 and 2015?
The puzzle in 2014 and 2015: where to invest to make money investing if you can’t make money in stocks or bonds without taking undue risk? I’m not playing the role of cheerleader here; because finding where to invest money if stocks and bonds both get hit will be a challenge. This could happen, so let’s look at our options.For the past 30 years or so, investors both large and small could make money investing most of the time, if they simply invested in both stocks and bonds (about equal amounts in each). How will investors make money if both stocks and bonds are taken out of the equation? Let’s look at both how this could happen and where to invest if it does.In the late 1970s through the early 1980s investors did not make money investing in bonds or bond funds. In fact, losses of 40% to 50% were not uncommon in long-term bond funds. Why? Interest rates climbed – peaking in 1981. Since then rates have fallen, hitting record lows. Memorize this: you make money investing in bonds and bond funds when rates are falling. You lose money when rates climb. With interest rates threatening to go up in 2014, the question is where to invest money without taking on considerable risk.Since the early 1980s, stock losses have often been offset, in part, by the steady performance of bonds. Don’t expect this to happen if interest rates continue to climb in 2014 and beyond. Looking at stocks, you might make money investing in stocks going forward, but not without accepting considerable risk. Look at the stock market’s record since the year 2000: two brutal bear (down) markets produced 50% losses. Since the end of the last bear market (about 5 years ago) the stock market has since gone up over 150%. That begs the question: where to invest money when (or before) the next bear market hits.Believe it or not, the average investor has more latitude in terms of where to invest money than the giant investors (like pension funds and insurance companies) do. For example, a pension fund must make money investing (about 8% a year on average) in order to meet certain obligations. So… what are your choices if you decide to lighten up in stocks and bonds?Unlike some giant investors, you can play it safe with a large part of your money; and wait for future opportunities in both the stock market and bond market. You will hardly make money investing safely at current interest rates, but you shouldn’t lose money. Keep in mind that each of the last two bear markets in stocks produced losses of about 50% and lasted for less than two years. Then stocks rallied and went on to make all-time highs. When stocks get cheap, that’s where to invest money.Another option is to invest money in alternative investments like gold, natural resources like oil and natural gas, other commodities like copper and aluminum, or foreign investments while cutting back a bit on stocks and bonds. If you don’t know how or where to invest in these markets, look for stock mutual funds that specialize in these areas. Let them handle the investment details for you.If you want to be proactive, there is a third way to make money investing or to offset losses if or when stocks and/or bonds turn sour. Where to invest money to offset bond losses: an exchange traded fund like TBT (stock symbol) is designed to go up in value as bonds fall. Where to invest money to offset stock losses: inverse exchange traded funds (like stock symbol SDS) are designed to go up when the stock market falls. Both of these examples offer financial leverage of 2 to 1.The truth of the matter is that it is not always a given that you will make money investing. Frankly, I think that 2014 and 2015 could be a real challenge, and your first goal should be to avoid heavy losses. The answer to where to invest isn’t that simple when neither stocks nor bonds look attractive. At least now you know your options.
Prepaid Credit Cards And Student Credit Lessons
Prepaid credit cards for teens do not have interest charges or monthly payments, but be aware that they are not normally free and there are fees levied by the service provider. These cards are perfect to help your teenager learn money management skills that they will benefit from for the rest of their lives, which means that they are not only almost a necessity these days when so many outlets expect payment by plastic card. Prepaid credit cards for teens allow parents to curb their teen’s expenditure, as the cash has to be put up upfront. While advance payment credit cards are not free, they can be an affordable alternative to borrowing their parent’s credit card.Credit card debt can so often become a vicious tightening noose, and many young adults have been forced to file for bankruptcy because they have overused their cards. We would even go so far as to suggest that this type of card is possibly the best way to teach your children about credit card use and the avoidance of debt. This in itself would be a good reason for the use of these payment cards.Credit Card RequirementsCredit checks are not required for prepaid credit cards.There are often credit card offers available for teenagers and some of the most popular are for prepaid cards that have the Visa logo and can be used exactly the same way as a regular credit card. But, of course the difference is that your teen can’t spend more than the prepaid amount funded on the card.Cards that are accepted like credit cards, but function as debit cards, with each purchase coming from the prepaid amount loaded onto the card are so useful for teenagers in high school, when otherwise having a credit card generally means asking Mom or Dad if they can borrow one. If a parent’s card is lost or stolen there is no danger of money being spent by the thief beyond the prepaid amount either, which means that both parent and offspring can relax about any money loss from credit card theft or other abuse.As with any credit card, pay the entire monthly budget balance every month, and keep the card as a convenience for your child (speak to your bank to confirm this). Just predict the amount that will be needed and set up a monthly or weekly (say) transfer that automatically transfers the agreed amount into the student or child’s card.You won’t receive the same protection against unauthorized purchases as you would with a credit card, but most of us will consider this unnecessary, as the loss is very much limited to the balance in the account at that time.If you Fail to teach your children the pitfalls of credit card debt it can lead to serious financial problems in their future. According to Metro-Bankruptcy Credit Card Info the major cause of divorce and bankruptcy stems from too much credit card debt.Learning how to handle money as a teenager may just keep them from becoming a slave to credit card companies. The proverb says that “the borrower is the slave to the lender”. But this quotation is strictly limited for the prepaid cards to the amount which is sitting in the card account balance at any time.Once you have decided how much credit you want you child to use and then decide how much you want to pay each month, experts can do the research for you, however, it is much better if you make the comparisons and present the options necessary for sound financial decisions regarding the use of credit.Because there is no line of credit attached to the prepaid card the user can’t go over the prepaid limit. For Parents there are no risks when offering their teens their very own visa prepaid credit card as the money is already preloaded into the visa prepaid card. The ‘upside’ is that until recently Upside Visa stood out amongst all other credit cards for teens because there are no activation fees nor are there any monthly or annual fees involved with the card offer. (This offer may no longer be current when you read this – so always check this information with the supplier first before making any decisions.)You are not going to get charge horrendous fees with this card, the Upside Visa is the perfect tool to teach your kids about money, plus it gives you the peace of mind that your teen has a credit card in case of emergency. Prepaid credit cards for teenagers are more and more popular so companies such as Visa must be offering a service which is meeting the demand.Card SecurityTheft protection, which is available on most prepaid credit cards, keeps parents and teens from being responsible for purchases made if the card is stolen. With no credit checks or minimum age requirements, prepaid cards are an excellent way for teens to prepare for financial responsibility and the world of credit cards.ConclusionA perfect solution for both teens and their parents is a prepaid credit card for your teens.