Monthly Archive for April, 2007

Mortgage Protection Insurance

Published
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admin
on April 23, 2007
in Insurance and Mortgage
. 0 Comments

The majority of homeowners never stop to consider what would happen if they suddenly didn’t have the ability to make their mortgage payment. Yet everyday people find themselves facing sudden illnesses, a death in the family or a natural disaster that prevents them from having the necessary funds to pay their mortgage. With mortgage protection insurance all homeowners can have the extra protection they need.

Many of those who buy a house and finance a mortgage are young and very healthy. They really don’t foresee anything happening that could interfere with their ability to hold a job and make money. However, illness and accidents to happen and unless you have mortgage protection insurance in place, you are likely still responsible for making your full mortgage payment even if physically that’s not possible.

A common problem that people find themselves facing is being hurt in a car accident. Auto accidents can be very serious and depending on the job you do, you might not be able to go to work for several weeks or months. Although you are likely to realize a monetary settlement from the accident if you weren’t at fault that can take years. In the meantime you have a mortgage to pay and no job to do that. If you have mortgage protection insurance that includes accident coverage, your mortgage payments will be made until you can return to work.

Illness is much the same. Cancer, heart disease and strokes strike people of all ages, all the time. Serious illnesses typically prevent a person from working in any capacity. Without a regular salary coming in, they can face the reality of losing their home to foreclosure. With mortgage protection insurance, they can apply for coverage once they can no longer work. Typically a doctor is assigned to the case and his or her findings will help determine how long coverage will be extended for. For a family already facing the hardship of a life-threatening illness, having to worry about losing their home shouldn’t be a concern at all.

Most companies that offer funding for homes will have these types of policies available. The representative that you work with during the loan process will usually initially ask you about whether you are interested in mortgage protection insurance. Many homeowners turn it down because they are concerned with saving the few dollars a month it would cost. It’s certainly a personal decision but it’s incredibly important to weigh the benefits of having mortgage protection insurance against what could possibly occur if you didn’t. Think about the long term effects of a serious illness or accident and just what your family may risk losing if you don’t have the mortgage protection insurance in place.

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Credit Card Payments

Published
by
admin
on April 23, 2007
in Credit Cards and Debt Consolidation
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So I was checking the mail yesterday, and I noticed three different envelopes addressed to me personally. I knew right off the bat that each concerned a credit card. One was obviously my statement for the month, and the other two were likely pitches for cards I didn’t have; nor do I want. I began tearing the three open. The two new pitches from Visa and Discover card companies got shredded immediately. However, my MasterCard statement left me flabbergasted. What happened to my 7.99% fixed annual percentage rate (APR)? I had already spoken with this company on two previous occasions about changing the APR. They had raised it twice and I had to call and make them drop it back down to what they originally said was FIXED. Ha, the fixed spiel is such garbage. Once again I had to call the stupid credit card company. Will this routine ever end? I hate monthly credit card payments and APR increases!

The <a href=”http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/choose.shtm”>Federal Trade Commission</a> has a lot to say about this in their advice on choosing credit cards.
I called immediately regarding my credit card APR increase, which was hiked up to 12.76% by the way. As if I wouldn’t throw a fit about this. The monthly credit card payments are already hard to handle. After waiting for about 15 minutes for an operator to assist me, I was then fed some BS line about a bad mark on my credit report that caused it to go up. Yeah right! I requested a copy and there was no such mark. Credit card companies will look for any excuse to raise the APR. I think they just hope you don’t notice. Like I won’t notice a raise in my credit card payments due! Who wouldn’t notice this? The interest rate makes a huge difference in the amount of cash you’re throwing out the window each month.

I’ll be willing to bet you’re sick of dealing with hefty credit card payments every month. Hey, join the club! A possible solution is to consolidate your debt and get rid of the credit card payments altogether. This way you can drastically reduce your monthly bills into one single payment due. Stop struggling with high APRs. Consolidate and toss the credit cards. Besides, if you’re sending the minimum credit card payments each month, you’re probably getting nowhere. The interest alone will leave you stagnant. If that sounds like your situation, maybe you need some suggestions fr a solution, such as the book: Talk Your Way Out of Credit Card Debt!: Phone Calls to Banks That Saved More Than $43,000 in Interest Charges and Fees

Healthy Kids Insurance

Published
by
admin
on April 23, 2007
in Health Insurance
. 0 Comments

I live in a state that offers healthy kids insurance, and I have to say that I have mixed feelings about my experiences with them. My husband and I have insurance through his employer, but because we have not adopted my niece yet, we are not allowed to have her on our insurance policy. Until the adoption is done, we have to rely on our state’s insurance program. It does cover many of the things that she needs, and for that I am grateful, but the process leaves much to be desired.

I guess when you are getting help for something that is going to save you money like healthy kids insurance, you really have no right to complain. My complaints are not about the service or the coverage, I was very happy with that, it was more about keeping the policy in place. The paperwork is pretty standard, but is very confusing. They have people who can help you when you have questions, but they are hard to reach when you need them.

Once you submit the application for healthy kids insurance, you have to wait for the paperwork to come though. The first time I applied I waited and waited, but nothing ever came in the mail. After a month had gone by, I called to ask them what was going on. They said her policy for healthy kids insurance had been approved, but had then been cancelled because the cards were returned to them by the post office. I don’t know what happened, because I asked them what address they had used, and it was indeed correct. I was upset that they did not make another attempt to contact me even though I know they had my phone number. They could have easily followed up to see why the cards may have been returned. Instead, they just cancelled her.

I went through the application process for healthy kids insurance all over again, and this time the cards came in the mail. We used it for a while, and it was very good. Again, I have no complaints about the coverage, and I am grateful that it was there when I could not have her on my own family health insurance policy. This time they lost my payment, and again cancelled her insurance without notice. The money order was cashed, but they say they have no record of payment. It is enough to make you pull out your hair. Now begins the long process of getting it straightened out. It shouldn’t be this hard.

Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich Book

Published
by
admin
on April 23, 2007
in Accounting
. 0 Comments

One of the hottest topics right now is the relatively new movie and self-help book, The Secret. This program has been featured on Oprah among other daily talk shows. The basic principal behind The Secret is the power of positive thinking. Before the conception of this particular version of this theory was Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich!: The Original Version, Restored and Revised

The power of positive thinking has always been in use throughout history. Usually this philosophical approach to using the mind was used by the elite. There is good reason that these individuals were so successful, as the Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich Book illustrates. The author lists a number of individuals who were believed to be proponents of the power of positive thinking.

One of the most outstanding individuals among the group is Andrew Carnegie. This entrepreneur and philanthropist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is credited in the Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich book as the inspiration for the book. Those who are from the Pittsburgh area know Andrew Carnegie’s name very well.

Carnegie was an industrial mogul who founded schools, museums, the aviary and the science center among other great additions to the city. This Scottish philanthropist has made a mark on the Pittsburgh area but he also had an impact on people in other regions, too. The Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich text is proof of that.

Hill first published the Think and Grow Rich book back in 1937 which comes as a real surprise to many of us who are just now reading and viewing The Secret. His basic principle of using the mind to gain wealth (both spiritual and physical) focuses on the power of positive thinking.

First and foremost both The Secret - which also comes as a DVD The Secret (Extended Edition) - and Think and Grow Rich discuss the idea that thoughts become things. This philosophical principal is the driving force behind the power of positive thinking. They illustrate that setbacks often change our way of thinking and this damages our overall vision of success.

One thing that I have taken away from both of these programs is that we have control over our lives. I also learned that perception and thoughts are the foundation for happiness. Many people look to books like the Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich for material gain. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The power of positive thinking, The Secret and the Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich book all teach us that we create our own realities. We can choose to focus on debt, sadness and illness or we can take control and begin to think our way into happy, healthy lives.