Category Archives: Uncategorized

Home Buying Costs You Don’t See Coming

Posted on by

Buying a house is expensive—but it might cost even more than you think, especially for first time home buyers who are dipping their toes in the real estate market for the first time. There’s a lot more to the final costs than the mortgage and down payment. The transitional period from renting to owning is a costly one, no matter how you look at it. It’s easy to quickly see that a monthly mortgage for X amount might be the same or lower than your rent, but don’t count on that as the only factor when considering your finances.
Don’t forget about the cost of inspections, which is an absolute must when buying property. As a potential home buyer, you’re the one responsible for this sometimes high cost—not the seller. This is often required before any lender will even approve a loan, so there’s no getting around it. It’s frustrating, because you’re not 100 percent sure you’ll even get the loan, and home inspections can cost up to $500. That’s a lot of money, especially in cases where that might be a big chunk of your current monthly rent. However, know that those inspections are comprehensive and include the foundation, electrical system, roof and other key areas. But the downside? If the house turns out to have a major flaw and you decide to walk away, that’s money down the (probably rusty) drain.

You’ve got the Keys! Now What?

Don’t think that the actual price of the home is the only real fee associated with it. Closing costs can easily run into the multi-thousand dollar range. They encompass a variety of things like credit checks, attorney fees for filing paperwork that transfers property, notary fees and other incidentals. Generally speaking, closing costs range from two to four percent of the home cost, so plan accordingly. Many times, closing costs can get encompassed into the actual mortgage. That means fewer up front costs, but it also means you’ll be paying interest on it.

Immediately upon purchasing a house, homeowners insurance is crucial. This is often required before you’re legally allowed to move in. Just like car insurance, homeowners insurance is required because you’re now a liability in the eyes of the lender. Insurance costs vary from company to company, so comparison shop and get as many quotes as possible. You may need more insurance, such as flood or earthquake, if you live in a high-risk zone (or simply if you want more protection). Start with your current renter’s insurance company, since they might give you a competitive rate to keep your business.

After the Housewarming Party

It’s been a few months since you moved in. Surely you’re in the clear now, right? Wrong—don’t forget about property tax. Unlike renting, you have to pay an annual tax just for owning property. The rate varies widely from state to state and city to city, and is designed to pay for nearby services such as sewers, roads and schools. To know what your future tax will be, contact the local tax office. It’s possible that the property is being overvalued, and it’s always worth a shot to challenge the assessment.

Finally, don’t forget maintenance. There’s no more landlord to call for a clogged sink, burst pipe or when that tree falls onto the roof. You’re 100 percent responsible for everything. Independence comes with a price, but many homeowners think it’s worth it. After all, you want to keep the “sweet” in your home, sweet home.

Talk to Your Insurance Agent About Options for Your Business

Posted on by

Starting a small business can seem like a good idea. Due to high unemployment rates, many job seekers resort to accepting the first job they are offered. This often results in worker dissatisfaction due to not liking co-workers, supervisors, or the work itself. By starting a company and working for yourself, you set your own hours and provide a service or product in which you have an interest. Plus, if you do not like your boss, you have only yourself to blame. A common mistake that people make when planning to start their own business is failing to take into account the need for specific safety measures. Sit down with an insurance agent before opening a business to find out what types of insurance you may need.
One very good reason to have insurance for your small business is that people are litigious. Slipping and falling in a big box store is the ideal situation for an opportunistic plaintiff, but any company will do just fine when it comes to collecting on an alleged personal injury. A general liability policy will protect you from possible bankruptcy resulting from legal fees, judgments, and settlements stemming from an injury at your business. Obtaining a general liability policy is probably less expensive than you think, and an insurance agent can help you find coverage for only what you need based on your location and the type of organization you are operating. Another strategy used by the professional plaintiff is to file a lawsuit if they are involved in an accident with a company vehicle. If your business transports employees, products, or equipment in its own vehicles, those vehicles should be insured. Alternatively, non-owned auto liability coverage will offer protection in the event that employees using their own cars on company business are involved in an accident and lack adequate insurance coverage.

A business owner’s policy may be a good option for you if you are concerned about premium costs. This type of policy bundles together some of the most popular types of coverage into one package at an affordable premium. An owner’s policy often includes business interruption, property, vehicle, liability, and crime coverage.

Finally, you may want to consider a new type of coverage known as data compromise. Given the very public data breaches that occurred during the 2013 holiday season, it might be a good idea to discuss with an insurance agent whether or not you could benefit from this type of coverage. If you have non-public information about your clients or employees, you are responsible for protecting that information from being stolen. Some policies allow you to quickly respond to a breach by informing affected customers, credit monitoring services, and good faith advertising expenses, which can help restore your reputation following any unwanted attention.

Starting a business is a significant investment, and having appropriate insurance plays an important role in protecting that investment. Not insuring your company can be far costlier than annual premiums in the event of an accident, crime, or other disaster.

One Simple Step Towards Affordable Life Insurance

Posted on by

Buying life insurance can be expensive, so if there’s an easy way to cut costs it makes sense to take advantage of it. After all, we’re only human.
One of the easiest ways to shrink the size of your premiums is to source insurance through a commission-free broker.

Simple? Yes. Obvious? Perhaps. Well-known? Unfortunately not. It’s a simple money saving strategy that so many fail to take advantage of, but here’s why you should…

Commission is the money-maker for brokers, the main culprit that drives up the cost of what should be an inexpensive product. The inflated price of the policy often forces people to sacrifice quality in order to afford the premiums, meaning that you don’t get the deal you deserve. Going with a commission free broker, however, means that your hard-earned cash will be getting you the best quality product possible.

An example

To put this into perspective, here’s a real example using Best Price FS’s comparison service. Henry is a 33 year-old non-smoker who’s after individual, level term cover of £125,000 for 30 years. If this policy was bought directly from the cheapest insurer charging commission, a guaranteed £125,000 payout would cost:

Per month: £8.90 Per annum: £106.80 Life of term: £3204

If the same was purchased with a commission free broker it would cost:

Per month: £7.02 (£2.88 saved) Per annum: £84.24 (£22.56 saved) Life of term: £2527 (£677 saved)

Savvy savings

As the example shows, you can save a considerable amount from buying through a commission free broker. Although Henry’s £2.88 a month saving doesn’t seem like that much, the worth of savings made over the full term (£677) is indisputable. What’s that saying again – ‘look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves’? It couldn’t be more evident here.

The general public have been particularly slow on the uptake regarding this money-saving tip. A recent YouGov survey reported a significant misperception of commission rates by consumers, perhaps explaining why so few factor it in when buying. On average 24% of the product’s price goes straight to the broker, but it doesn’t always have to be this way…

Where can I find commission free brokers?

Finding commission free brokers providing cheap life insurance is easier than you think. Next time you go to compare life insurance quotes, why not try searching ‘commission free life insurance’ instead? With your new policy in place and the savings stacking up, you’ll be happy you did. And this is a disposable income you wouldn’t have otherwise had, so a great use for this extra cash could be on something for all the family. This way, you can still enjoy the best, even if you’re planning for the worst.

The Common Coffee Machine Problems and Their Solutions

Posted on by

Let us face it. Regardless of what kind you decide to acquire the coffee machine available on the current market or what brand, you’re certain to experience some issues. Since the day begins with coffee machine problems, it will limit you from enjoying a cup of java. Before you begin feeling overwhelmed by the manufacturers, concentrate that everybody must face at any point in time. Proceed through the problems and prepare those to be resolved by yourself.
Filter coffee machines aren’t likely to use problems as this, however for preventing complications whenever 30, you’ve got to keep your focus. In the majority of the areas, we neglect to take out the coffee pot after brewing in the plate. Because of this, they wind up burning off the java. The plate becomes damaged In case it will become a constant process, and the replacement is expensive.

Option: The remedy for this issue is to elect for a mechanism which turns off automatically after the brewing is completed. The temperature drops. What’s more, the temperature can be detected by it every time a pot of java is put.

Regular upkeep hints: make sure that your appliance operates nicely by cleaning the floor basket for legumes every day. If you can’t use paper filters you wash it to stop the coffee beans and have to eliminate of the components.

Espresso coffee machines problems

When your espresso machine ceases massaging the shots properly it’s fairly upsetting, or so the grind has turned rough. Moreover, another problem happens when water is leaking manage is found out by you.

Option: in the event the situation is outside of your hands, then phoning the specialists is your wisest step you may take. It suggests you have to alter the blades, as your java machine fails to generate java that is rightly-ground. Water leakage around the team manage indicates that the seal isn’t intact. You need to stay sure regarding pipes that is loose or problems. If upkeep can’t be ensured by you, then is going to be the optimal solution in this instance.

Capsule coffee maker issues

Since it’s the easiest of all about surgeries the majority of the dwellers elect for coffee packs that are capsule. On the other hand, if you do not give appropriate care, the issues can become acute. The issue about tablet computers is their cup sizes’ programming.