How to Financially Prepare for Unexpected Injuries and Illnesses

English: Ambulance 5 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Life is full of unexpected delights and sorrows – it would be very boring otherwise. Though the delights bring high points that really make life worth living, the sorrows can often bring burdens that are difficult to bear. Nobody knows what’s around the corner in terms of potential injuries or illnesses, so the sensible thing to do is plan for adversity before any unfortunate events potentially occur and become overwhelming. 

Talk with family about finances and the future 

It’s easy to put off financial discussions time and again, while it’s never easy to go into detail about what should happen if an unexpected illness or injury occurs. Yet being prepared is the best way to cover all bases and ensure that there is financial security in the event that the worst happens. Ostrich syndrome, burying one’s head in the sand and hoping everything will simply go away, doesn't work.
Talking with a spouse or partner about financial options in the future helps to break down the understandable reluctance to address the issues. Nobody wants to think they are going to have problems, either unexpected ones or in the long term. Yet inevitably, there are certain unavoidable aspects of life, such as growing old, which will likely present future problems, meaning that putting everything off until the last minute is not going to help when difficult situations occur. 

Serious illnesses 

There are always risks of serious illness, such as cancer, heart attacks and strokes, so taking out appropriate insurance will assist with covering the costs of treatment, recovery and loss of income through not being able to work. A good life or trauma insurance policy will help defray the expenses involved, paying for hospital treatment and specialist backup, providing an income to meet mortgage repayments or even paying off a mortgage and other debts completely in the event of the death of a breadwinner.

 
The earlier a policy is taken out to cover these types of issues, the less expensive it is likely to be, and though it may seem like worrying too much, the resulting peace of mind is worth it, as is the potential financial security this can provide. 

Accidental injuries 

One of the most common injuries experienced by car drivers and passengers is whiplash, where the neck is damaged as a result of an accident. For this reason, whiplash compensation normally features in every motor insurance policy; it is widely acknowledged that this can be a very debilitating injury, sometimes causing medical problems for a number of years. However, because bogus whiplash claims simply push up the price of insurance for other motorists, it is important that a whiplash claim is validated and substantiated by a medical professional. 

Automotive insurance will also cover the hospital bills for other injuries experienced in an accident, so it is essential to look at the small print of an insurance policy to check if it will provide the right level of cover. Auto insurance can also cover legal fees – because legal costs can be very expensive, it is worth paying an additional insurance premium in the event that lawyer fees are required. 

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Mis-sold Credit Card PPI: Things you must know

In the past 18 months claims against banks for mis-selling PPI(Payment Protection Insurance) has rocketed, with the Financial Services Authority reporting that 2.2m PPI complaints have been made against the banks between January and June 2012 alone – an increase of 129% on the previous six months. However, whilst the numbers of people claiming back PPI on loans and mortgages rises steadily, fewer PPI claims being made against credit card providers. This is despite the fact that, according to the Competition Commission, credit card PPI accounts for one quarter of the PPI market. 

To make sure you aren’t missing out on reclaiming PPI on your credit card, here is how to check if you have PPI on your credit card, how to tell if you were mis-sold PPI and how to claim back your PPI.

How to check your credit card for PPI

There are several ways to check if you had credit card PPI. Start by finding your Credit Agreement – this shows if you signed up for PPI. If you no longer have it and your account is still active you have a legal right under the Consumer Credit Act to get a copy from the lender for £1.

You can also look at your statements – any PPI you were paying will be itemised under 'payment cover', ‘card insurance’, 'protection plan', 'ASU’ (Accident, sickness and unemployment) or similar.

As PPI claims increases, most lenders now have a PPI customer number. They should give you answer over the phone or within a few days. By law credit card companies have to keep details of accounts for six years after it was active so they will still have this information, even if it’s been bought by another credit card company – such as Egg who are now owned by Barclaycard.

If you no longer have your account details but your card was still active in the past six years, you can find them on your credit report. Equifax and Experian have free 30-day trials.

If your credit card account was close over six years ago and you no longer have the credit agreement, statements or the account number, it’s unlikely you will be able to make a PPI claim as that information probably will no longer be held by the company. 

How to tell if you were mis-sold PPI

If you answer yes to these questions you were probably mis-sold PPI:

• Were you self-employed, working part-time, unemployed, retired, in the civil service or a student? 
• Were you told that you were more likely to have your application approved if you bought PPI? 
• Did you feel pressurised into buying PPI? 
• Have you found PPI on your statement but were never sold the product? 
• Did you have any pre-existing medical conditions such as back problems, diabetes or a heart condition? 

How to make a claim on mis-sold PPI

Once you’ve established that you have had PPI on your credit card you can start a claim either yourself of by using a PPI specialists such as Gladstone Brookes. In 2011 Gladstone Brookes dealt with 44,600 claims for mis-sold PPI and claimed back over £108m. To start your claim call 08000 469 144 or complete their online PPI claim form.
Author Bio :

This post was written and supplied by Gladstone Brookes, a PPI claims company in the UK. They have helped tens of thousands of happy customers reclaim their mis-sold PPI's on their credit cards, loans and mortgages since 2006. Regularly writing and sharing personal finance and money saving advice.

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Saving Money and Getting your Personal Finances in Order

Budget (Photo credit: Tax Credits)

At this time of year with Christmas on the horizon, every penny counts. Kids are demanding all kinds of expensive gifts and you’re trying to save money for next year’s summer holiday, as well as needing a new coat before the weather takes a turn for the (even) worse this winter. 

The main issue that people have when it comes to getting their finances in order is budgeting, especially when you have to factor in how much you’re going to spend on Christmas presents. One of the best methods of budgeting is to sit down at the start of each month, when you’re fully aware of what expenses you’re going to have and roughly when they’ll be, allowing you to establish a rough figure as to how much you can spend each week until the next glorious pay day. 


If you can establish just how much you have available as what is effectively “disposable income”, then you can work out whether or not you can afford to go out and buy that new winter coat you need, or the pair of football boots your son wants or maybe even the One Direction tickets for your daughter, (secretly you – admit it). 
To make this even easier on the wallet there are a number of online discount sites on the Internet that can provide you with some substantial savings. For example, search for specific promotional codes and you’ll be presented with a series of discounts ranging from free delivery to 10% off the final bill. 


These discounts will prove to be extremely beneficial in the long run – especially in the run up to Christmas – allowing you to save up money for presents and the all-important dinner! 


If you can learn to budget, you’ll soon find that you’re much better off financially. It’s amazing how just sitting down and working out how much you NEED to spend each month, and how much “disposable income” you have can help to keep funds in the bank. You’re never too old to learn either, you just need a pad, a pen, all of your bills and a calculator. 


This article was written by UK-based author Matt Rawlings. With more than ten years of freelance writing experience, Matt is an expert in consumer advice content, providing details on how to use KGB promo codes to make significant savings on your online purchases.

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Grow your Business With a Merchant Account

English: A typical credit card terminal that is still popular today. visanet (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you're a small business owner, you can’t act like a Mom and Pop store in a worldwide economy. Some of us over 50 business owners, with established businesses or starting second businesses are learning the importance of accepting credit and debit card payments. 

Today the pockets of today’s consumers are filled with more plastic than paper. How many times have you walked into a small business and saw a sign that read “We only accept cash or checks”, Did you walk out without purchasing anything? 

No matter if you’re a small or large business you need some type of credit card processing so that you don’t lose customers to your competitors, who are more prepared to handle all kinds of transactions with credit card machines.

Start a with a merchant account and see your business grow.

If you are looking for ways to grow your business, you need to consider a merchant account from a reputable credit card processing company. The ability to handle various transactions shows your clients that you mean business, that your payment options go beyond “cash or checks,” which can help build a customer base that will keep patronizing your goods and services for years to come. With a merchant account, you can easily accept most major credit cards. 

Portability of credit card processing.

You may be on the traveling a lot, going to conferences, seminars and trade shows to promote your products. Just because you aren't in your store it doesn't mean you should lose out on a sale. With mobile or wireless credit card processing, you can accept plastic at a kiosk or vendor booth. A reputable credit card processing company will provide merchant support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in addition to electronic billing and account management.

Know who your dealing with.

It makes good financial sense to research a merchant account service provider to ensure that you’re getting the best rates. A credit card company’s fee structure, including how long you've been in business, the percentage of wireless sales you make each month, the type of business you have and your credit score all determines the fees you pay. It makes sense to shop around. Other things to consider when securing a merchant account is whether or not the processing company offers encryption and secure payment gateways. You need to partner with an enterprise that will keep your information safe. 

If you're not accepting credit or debit payments you're losing business. Your clients are leaving you for other businesses that have credit card acceptance. Most of these virtual terminals pay for themselves in the long run. Grow your customer base and make money by setting up your account soon.

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