How to Save Money on Car Insurance

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Car insurance can be a really expensive part of our lives. We have to have insurance for our life, car, boat, disability and home. Insurance companies must compete with each other so there are ways to get good deals . One of the ways is discounts.

If you have noticed, there seems to be a car insurance office on almost every corner. With all this competition, each office knows that to get your business they have to give you a good price and good service. Car insurance has it's share good discounts. But if your not aware of them you'll miss out on saving money.

Here are a few of the discounts available to you:

Vehicle Equipment

Air Bag

You could save up to 25% for driver side air bags and 40% for full front seat air bags. These discounts apply to the medical payments or pip portion of your car insurance premium.

Anti-lock Brake System

Does your car have a factory installed anti-lock brake system? You could receive a 5% discount on the collision portion of the premium.

Anti-theft System

Cars with a built in anti-theft system could earn a discount of up to 25% on the comprehensive portion of your premium.

Daytime Running Lights

Vehicles equipped with daylight running lights as standard equipment could earn you a 3% discount on certain car insurance coverages.

Driving History & Habits

Five Year Accident Free Good Driver

If your driving record is clear for five years you may save up to 26% on coverage.

Plus if your insurance company carries accident forgiveness, your rates won't go up.

Seat Belt Use

If you and your passengers always wear seat belts you could receive up to 15% off the medical or personal injury protection portion of your premium

Drivers Education

Defensive Driving Discounts

If you have completed a defensive driver education course you may be eligible for some discounts depending on the state where you live.

Driver's Education

If your a young driver and you have completed a drivers education course you may earn a discount on most coverages.

Good Student

Full time students with good grades can receive up to a 15% discount on their coverage.

Drivers Affiliation

Emergency Deployment

As a member of the armed forces fighting in wars overseas you are eligible for discounts of up to 25%.

Military

If your in the military on active duty, retired from the military, or a member of the National Guard or Reserves, you may be eligible of up to 15% of your premium.

Partnering Organizations

Some insurance companies have partnered up with various clubs and organizations to give discounts on your auto insurance premium.

Senior Level Federal Employees

If you have a senior-level job in the government, some companies give up to 8% discounts on your premium.

Customer Loyalty

Multi-Car

There is a discount if you insure more than one car on your policy and it may be up to a 25% discount.

Multi Policy/ Multi Line Discount

When you insure your car and also have your homeowners, renters, condo or mobile home policy with your car insurer you could get a discount.

Renewal Discount

For having multi year renewal with your insurer you can receive a loyalty discount.

With increasing demands on our incomes we must find ways to save some money. Make sure you have all the discounts coming to you that you qualify for. Today it's so easy to buy car insurance, there is an auto insurance store on every corner. With all the competition and discounts, the consumer wins. Why can't health insurance be bought so easily.?

With a little phone work and visiting your local car insurance office you will get a very satisfying deal. Go Here

How Reverse Mortgage Calculator Makes Your Retirement Life Easy

Mortgage (Photo credit: 401(K) 2012)

A lot of homeowners have opted already for reverse mortgage and there are many who are following the same direction. If you belong to the group of those who face immense problems while they return the existing home loan then, I must tell you, that reverse mortgage is the best option. It is usually given to senior citizens who are above 62 years old for converting one of the home equity’s part into cash. This step not only helps in improving living standard of the senior citizens after their retirement but also makes their life tension free. Once you convert a part of your equity into cash there is no need of any further payments to repay the mortgage loan. In this case, a reverse mortgage calculator can even give you a brief idea about the reverse loan.

With an options like buy to let mortgages, making use of a reverse mortgage calculator is also one of the best options of getting an idea of the amount that one may get from their reverse mortgage. It is an estimate and should not be mistaken with the actual amount. In order to use this calculator, seniors need to input their home value, age, mortgage balance(existing one) and the interest rate(estimated).The calculator uses all the information for determining whether any individual can be considered for a loan and the amount he will receive.

Make Use Of A Reverse Mortgage Calculator For Determining The Right Time For A Loan

In order to qualify for any reverse loan, seniors must have a home or any mortgage balance. Many seniors already know about this but there are still few who are not aware of the exact equity they would require to get a loan. This is where a reverse mortgage calculator comes to their rescue. These calculators make use of every information related to the senior and calculate the amount of equity that one needs to pay. Once the equity is already known, more research can be made using the calculator and one can even calculate their individual payouts.

In order to find the impact of age as well as equity on their payout, this calculator can be used for seeing that what amount of money can be received if the seniors wait for a few more years and then apply for this particular loan. There is even a chance for prospective borrowers to explore other options if they calculate potential payout by considering a high property value, small mortgage balance and various interest rates. This even helps the borrowers to finally reach a decision that whether they consider a particular time to the best for taking a loan or they prefer to wait.

Reverse mortgage calculators are considered great tools that can be used by potential borrowers before they apply for a loan. The different options that are available to a consumer before getting a loan makes them more confident and they come to know what they keep at stake for getting their respective loans. Moreover these calculators make the consumers realize how they may benefit from a reverse mortgage loan. After they start using these calculators, borrowers seem to have much better understanding about reverse loans and the possible eligibility's.

The best part about a reverse mortgage calculator is that the tool is available for free online. They are basically designed for educating seniors about reverse loans so that they can opt for them confidently. Though these calculators cannot provide accurate results but they prove to be quite helpful for seniors in determining the correct time for a reverse loan. Their retirement life becomes completely hassle free with no worries about money.

Author bio:

Jonny Pean is a financial consultant. He manages to take out time in writing blogs covering topics like mortgages, debt, saving money and recommends to use mortgage calculator from emortgagecalculator.co.uk.

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• Are You Tempted To Refinance Your Mortgage Again? (savealittlemoney.com)

Tax Lawyers Are Going To Be Very Busy

The United States Tax Court Building, in Washington, D.C., headquarters of the United States Tax Court. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The recent news concerning the ruling on health-care legislation, handed down from the Supreme Court, has made some angry and some glad. The Congress of the United States passed a law saying that all citizens are mandated to carry health insurance and if you did not carry insurance you would be fined. The case went to the Court and they determined that the penalty was just a tax and would be allowed under the U.S. Constitution.

In life they say there are only two certainties, death and taxes, with the recent ruling government will be wanting more of your tax dollars. As long as governments want a piece of your income, tax experts will be needed for legal advice on tax implications for disputes concerning property, estates, trusts, and finances. The kind of lawyer you need for tax disputes is one with a llm in tax law.

Tax law is its own distinct and separate legal area but it is also a companion legal area. By a companion legal area I mean, knowledge of tax law is necessary if you practice other types of law like business & corporate law, estate planning, and probate law. Tax law can also be integral to other areas of law like family law, bankruptcy law, guardianship law, real estate law, and securities law. Having a knowledge of the intricacy of tax laws can be an advantage. Without this kind of knowledge, the client will be missing out on vital knowledge that could make the difference.

Tax Law is a companion to other types of law but it is also a distinct legal area all to itself. A person that needs help can seek legal counsel concerning specific tax situations. Having a knowledge of  U.S. tax laws is only part of the solution. Each state also has their own specific laws and practices concerning tax law and that can be a challenge that a tax lawyer can help you with. 

Tax law has become such a specialized area of the law that many law schools have offered separate legal degrees above and beyond the basic law degree. This special degree is called a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in taxation. Many law schools have started llm tax programs in response to the rise in the specialty of a law practice and its higher knowledge requirements.

Tax law is even thought by the court system to be so highly specialized that there is a specific court that only hears tax cases. The U.S. Tax Court only hears cases that concern tax law disputes. Additionally, there is the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts and the Court of Federal Claims and all have jurisdiction in hearing federal tax cases. All this is guided by a separate body of laws which is the Internal Revenue Code. Add to that Treasury Regulations, Revenue Rulings, Revenue Procedures, Technical Advice Memoranda, and Private Letter Rulings.

Having to face the overwhelming tax laws we have in this country without a knowledgeable tax lawyer would be foolish. If you have a tax question or tax problem it's best to seek out a tax lawyer.

Understanding the July 2012 Credit Card Reform in Five Simple Steps

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is a guest post by financial writer Paul Groberts. His post is about big changes going on with financial reform in Australia. 

We’re living in a day and age in which an increasing number of consumers are choosing to liquidate their debt and do away with their credit cards. However, recent developments in local credit card policies and regulations are heralding a new age in the use of plastic. Authorities have had the credit card reform in the making for quite some time and it eventually came into force on July 1, 2012. Official information on the precise prescriptions and implications on the reform can be easily accessed online, at BankingReforms.gov.au. However, no matter how clear-cut and straightforward it all may appear there, further explanations are always in order and welcome, for the day-to-day credit card user. If you want to learn what this recent development entails and how it will affect you, the regular holder of a banking credit card, read on, to understand the reform in three simple points.

First off, the much-touted reform is essentially geared at improving handling conditions and transparency on the part of the end-user. This means that the key fact sheet you receive when you sign up for a new credit card will have to use a standard format, making essential information easier to follow, grasp and understand. No more fine-print, no more tricky wording, in a nutshell.

Secondly, there are major changes afoot with respect to going over your credit card limit. Specifically, the lending institution will have to receive your expressed agreement on being charged a fee for over-limit services. What is more, the bank or financial service provider will be mandated by law from now on to inform you when you surpass your credit limit. At that point, you will be presented with two options: either continue to use the card or pay off a part of the debt first.

The third point is perhaps the most hotly debated, since it refers to direct repayments. According to the new rules, these will be directed to the most expensive part of your credit card debt. The Government website states that this will make it easier for users to reduce their debt and it will allow them to do so at a speedier pace. It’s worth noting that this particular rule strictly applies to new users, who have had their cards issued post-July 1. Check the issuing date on your card, to make sure whether or not this applies to you as well.

Fourth on the list, control over the credit limit has now been entirely turned over to the user. You can decide for yourself what that limit is and then inform the bank of it. We searched for various types of credit cards online, in order to understand this change and ran an online comparison on those types at BankWest.com.au (http://www.bankwest.com.au/personal/credit-cards/compare-credit-cards). What has changed since July 1, is that providers now have to inform you of the exact workings of their interest-free initial offer, making the whole process of signing up for a credit card much more transparent and unpleasant surprise-free down the line.

Finally, one of the most welcome changes in credit card regulations refer to one’s monthly statements. From now on, these statements will include the period of time required to repay your current debt, if you only continue to make minimum payments. The main consequence of this change is that you’ll have an easier time planning your debt reduction, as well as balancing the rest of your expenses.

All in all, credit card ownership seems to have gotten a whole lot more user-friendly and easier to handle. As with anything, transparency and clarity are surefire ways to improve on an existing situation. Besides, since credit is one of the fueling forces of any economy, this might just spell better times for Australia’s personal finance sector.