Affordable Technologies to Help Watch Your Senior’s Safety

When we get to a certain age, determining the living situation that would be best for us and our relatives can be a painstaking process. Nursing homes and in-home care are popular choices, though they can be costly for individuals with low retirement savings. Additionally, they might not be entirely necessary if an individual is physically independent and able to take care of their own daily needs.

This leads many seniors to opt for a third option: living independently or with only a spouse. Not only is this the most cost-efficient arrangement the great majority of the time, but this also allows those who dislike professional care to watch after themselves. However, even physically capable seniors can succumb to certain risks when there is no form of oversight keeping an eye on their well-being.

Whether you are a senior in such a position yourself or merely have a loved senior relative in this situation, there are a few affordable ways that you can keep an eye on elderly residents without sacrificing their independence or breaking the bank.

Home monitoring services

While home security systems have always been favored among homeowners as a convenient solution to monitoring a home, they’re particularly useful for residents living alone. This is for two reasons; first, properties with fewer residents have statistically demonstrated higher chances of being burglarized or invaded. Second, fewer residents results in fewer incidents involving false alarms and a greater chance of not compromising passcodes (or other sensitive security-related details of your property.)

Due to the great number of retirement communities and retired individuals in the area, ADT in Fairfield, California is a popular option for seniors. In addition to having flexible affordability, their Pulse app (usable via Smartphone) allows residents and family members to program their systems to send messages whenever a property’s alarm is triggered. Using this technology, residents can also deactivate and reactivate their systems remotely – which is a great feature if you have a particularly forgetful resident.

In addition to home security systems, you can also gear the property to detect fire, gas leaks, and a variety of other environmental hazards depending on where your residence is situated.

Medical alert systems

In addition to securing their house, you can also help keep an eye on seniors with a medical alert system. These are particularly useful for seniors suffering from heart disease, advanced stages of cancer, asthma, or other terminal diseases with sporadic instances in which medical assistance is required. These are practically a must for these individuals who still want to retain their independence despite their condition.

Advancing technologies in these services have given them a level of affordability and versatility that allows even the most active seniors to go about their days unimpeded. Among the most popular of options for these programs include a fall detector, which can help bring medical assistance even if a senior in incapable of reaching a help button. There is also a feature that some services provide which provides GPS location of the senior in case they ever become lost without a means of communicating others.

For decades, choosing between in-home care and a nursing home style facility seemed like an impeachable dilemma for homeowners who were advancing in age. Fortunately, we live in an age where technology allows everyone to maintain the independence they desire without sacrificing their safety. Best of all, these options are generally far more affordable than what professional caregiver services and residences offer.

Life Insurance for the 50+ Crowd

If you are over the age of 50, chances are you have been bombarded by insurance brokers and salespeople trying to sell you a life insurance policy. They come at you from all angles – on TV, in the mail, over the Internet -- telling you every possible reason why you may or may not need certain features within a policy.

But what does all of it mean? Do you even need to buy these policies? Is it worth it? You want to make sure that if you do end up buying a life insurance policy that it makes financial sense for you. This means taking your time and choosing the right insurance plan based on your lifestyle and financial situation. 

Help Protect Your Loved Ones’ Future

The biggest reason most seniors carry life insurance is that they want to help provide money for expenses and debts so that their kids or grandkids won’t be left to pay for them. A home mortgage, funeral expenses and other large expenses can surface after a person dies and add to the suffering of surviving loved ones. The bottom line is, you do not want your loved ones to experience a financial loss after you die.

Cover Funeral Expenses

As much as most of us hate to think about it, there will be a day when we are no longer on this Earth. Chances are there will be some sort of post-life ceremony in your honor, be it a memorial service or funeral. We often underestimate the cost of such an event, but for those who are unaware how much money it costs, it can be an astronomical fee. According to some estimates, an average funeral today costs about $6,000. So be sure to factor in burial or final expenses into your life insurance policy decisions. 

Provide a Financial Safety Net

If you are in still earning a decent income when you suffer an untimely death, it may be difficult for your loved ones who depend on you financially to live. Your surviving spouse may not be able to comfortably retire and your children or grandchildren may not have enough to go to college. This is when having a good life insurance policy is very important.

Even if you are older and living the retired life without earning a big income, your family finances should be stable. If you had a life insurance policy in place from earlier in life when you were earning more money and your expenses were higher, it may be time to adjust your life insurance policy to see that it fits your current needs.

Find the Right Type of Coverage

There is such thing as term life insurance, which covers you for a specific amount of time, usually 20-30 years. Or, another option may be a whole or universal life policy, which is a form of permanent insurance that does not end after a specific number of years.

Consulting with a trusted financial planner or insurance agent is a good way to find out what type of coverage, how much and for how long you need. Having a life insurance policy in your back pocket can help ensure that your golden years are comfortable, secure and enjoyable.

By Samantha Rivers
Samantha Rivers is a freelance writer and editor who covers insurance, finance and related topics both online and in print. She is an editor for UpwardOnward.com and can be found on Twitter @sassysammybee.

How To Spend A Lump Sum From Your Retirement Plan

As we approach the twilight years of our lives, millions of Americans will be given the opportunity to take a lump sum from their retirement plans, especially those who don’t have a significant amount of capital tied up in the schemes. This is because providers stand to make less profit from you compared to people with a significant investment in their plan, and so it’s much easier for the firms involved to get you off their books as quickly as possible. Although this might sound like a bad thing (and in some cases it certainly is), those who understand how to use this cash advance wisely could benefit tremendously in the long term. 

The average amount accepted as a lump sum by American citizens is around $15,000 and is usually obtained at the age of 55, although admittedly some people do wait until their working lives are over. Still, at 55 you’ve still got ten years or more to work out what you want to do with this money, and could well increase it tenfold if you obtain the right advice and the most up-to-date information, which is why I’m taking the time to write this short post today. 

Taking A Long Holiday

Though this isn’t going to provide you with any extra funds, taking a long holiday (perhaps a round the world cruise) can be a fantastic way of enjoying the fruits of your labor and investing in yourself for a change. After 40 years of hard work and with 10 more still to go you deserve a treat, and what better way is there of accomplishing this than taking a nice relaxing break where you can check out some of the most beautiful sights on earth?

Providing For Your Family

By this time you should be reasonably comfortable in your life, but some younger members of your family group may not be so lucky, which is why you might consider helping them out with your cash lump sum. Getting a deposit for a mortgage has become increasingly difficult, so perhaps you could help out others around you who are struggling. 

Investing In Gold

Presuming you’re pretty content with the quality of life you’ve obtained and your family members are well looked after, I’d advise that you to look into different investment opportunities and attempt to increase your funds before retirement age. There are some fantastic firms out there who deal specifically with helping people to purchase gold and other precious metals, and as these items tend to increase in value steadily, perhaps you should give them a shot. I recently read a real review of regal assets and discovered they’re the industry leaders, so try them out. 

Purchasing Land

Regardless of the amount you have to spend, land in the US is always going to increase in value. So, whether you can afford to buy 10 acres or even just a single plot, using your cash in this way is guaranteed to keep it safe until you know what you want to do with it long term.

Anyway, it’s time for me to go now. I’ve got to do some serious research into the gold market as I’m actually considering making a small investment myself. I’ll let you know how I get on.

Until next time my friends…

Link to image author

How To Get A Loan With No Credit Checks In 24 Hours

An example of a cheque. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most of us are always facing a lot of issues that demand input of money to meet them. We all have lots of expenses to meet on a daily basis and it is never easy for many of us, especially during the middle of the month in case of an emergency. Your friends might not help and your bank might not be ready to give you a loan or it might simply take a long time more than you have to meet the emergency. Essentially, what you are looking for is a chance to access money fast through a loan whose paperwork, if any, takes the shortest period of time to deal with the issue at hand while pledging to repay the amount within the shortest time period or within the agreed time spread over a number of months.

A Way Out

There is no reason why you should let things go out of hand while there is a way out. Most individuals today think accessing a loan still takes long time for all lenders but this is hardly the case. Some take a day at most to process your loan and put money in your bank to use immediately. There are many ways of accessing a loan today but the best is perhaps the use of your car logbook. A logbook loan is a loan pledged under the papers of the vehicle logbook against the amount of money you want to borrow. It is the amount secured and provided against your car logbook documents. In an exchange with the money, the individual is given the amount of money he or she needs and the lender keeps the car logbook as security until the loan has been repaid. 

Nothing To Fear

Many people might fear the repayment period or even the interest rate but the truth is that the lender does not dictate to the owner of the car and everything is agreed one on one. Basically, you have a source of income such as a business or employment and the amount to be deducted on a monthly or weekly basis should be enough to repay the entire loan over a given period of time. 

Do Not Be Gullible

The important thing is not to be gullible and ask for money you might not have planned for, such as the entire value of the car. If you have a genuine emergency you can ask for a specific amount you are ready to pay back easily without any problem. At the end of the day, the most important thing is meeting the needs you have today, service the loan as agreed and keep driving the vehicle until you have repaid the entire amount and you get your vehicle logbook back. Across the UK, those with logbooks registered in their names can apply for loans against the car’s logbook. The logbook is the certificate given to the owner of the vehicle with a vehicle and driving license agency.

The most fascinating part of a logbook loan is that bad credit is a thing of the past since it hardly matters as a result of having the loan secured on the borrower’s logbook. It does not get better than that.

About Author
Michael is a finance broker who advises individuals on raising funds and getting loans. He recently reviewed services of Log Book Loan Experts, a company offering logbook loans in UK.

Making Plans For Your Retirement? Here's How To Get Your Finances In Order

Everyone dreams of the day when they can throw away the alarm clock and stay in bed for as long as they like. No, I’m not talking about Sunday, I’m referring to your retirement and all the benefits it will bring. The only trouble is, most of us have absolutely no idea how long we’ve got on this planet, and so it can be somewhat tricky to determine the amount of cash we’ll need to survive. It wouldn’t make much sense to save hundreds of thousands only to pass away at the age of 70 now would it?

With that mind, I’ve written this post in an attempt to help you work out exactly what level of saving is appropriate, and to highlight some of the measures you can take to ensure all your finances are in order before the big day comes. So take a moment or two to read through the advice relayed below, and I’m certain the position I’ll leave you in will be much more favorable. 

Identifying Pension Schemes

Anyone who’s worked lots of different jobs could realistically have enrolled in numerous different pension schemes over the years, and although most providers should contact and inform you about the money they hold, some less than reputable companies will avoid this at all costs, meaning you’re going to have to chase them up. Employing the services of a respected financial planner is usually the best way forward, as they often specialize in helping people with matters like this. Luckily, the industry has been experiencing a significant boom over the last few years and so you should have no trouble locating financial planners in Perth, London, Kingston or any other major city within the commonwealth. 

Cashing Your Investments

People who’ve done well during their working lives may well have invested some of their earnings in the stock market or in some cases even property. If this applies to you, the chances are you’ve done very well for yourself over the years, but now is the time to cash those investments and live off the outcomes. Again, a financial planner can help you with this, and might even be in a position to suggest alternative methods of utilizing the funds to create a stable income, but regardless of their advice, unless the capital is lower than the amount you need, I’d take the money and run. 

Paying Of All Debts

Debtors and creditors are the last thing you want to deal with at a time in your life when relaxation is supposed to be your main pastime. This is why settling all your debts during the early stages of your retirement (or even before) is definitely a good move. Upon completing this task, you’ll know for certain that all the money in your bank is spendable, and this will help you to construct your monthly budgets.

So there you have it my friends. You should now have a much more accurate view of the tasks ahead and what you need to do to get your finances sorted in order to achieve a happy and stress free retirement.

Image source

5 Tips for Getting the Most Money Out of Renting Your Home

Renting out your home is a great way to earn some extra money and even lower your mortgage payments. Whether you are looking to rent out your home while you are on vacation, or maybe just rent off a wing of your home to a college student, there are plenty of different thing that you can do to get the most money from your rent. Here are five tips that, with a bit of effort, will give you an extremely profitable rental home that is a valuable source of income.

Modernize The Home

Having a home with a modern bathroom and kitchen will not only look more appealing to potential home owners, but it will also justify a higher listing price than your competition. Yes, the home may look great on the outside, but most renters care about what is in the interior. They want a home that not only looks nice, but that will be able to provide them with all the comforts that they might want. Luckily, it doesn't have to take a great deal of money to modernize a home. Consider getting new handles and heads for your showers and sinks in the home. You might also want to consider investing in some new appliances that you can find on sell, or that might even look good but are still cheap.

Offer The Right Rent Amount

When it comes to renting your home, you more than likely will find that a lower rent is often better than nothing. Before you set a price for your home, make sure that you research how much other rental units of similar quality are charging. Sites such as Zillow.com and CraigsList can allow for you to search listings and the different prices that are associated with homes that are going for rent. Kind of like offering free shipping, you might want to offer to pay the utilities for the home or offer specific appliances if you want to charge a higher rent for your home.

Do The Dirty Stuff

No one wants to live in a home that has even the most minor of problems. While you might think that the small drip coming from the sink or the occasional sound of mice behind the walls is no big deal, this can destroy your reputability and it can drive away possible renters. For this reason, every time when you are trying to find a new renter, you should have all of the essential services come into your home and inspect for problems. For example, my local Interstate Pest (http://www.interstatepest.com) advised that leaving out a regular inspection and treatment of the home would render all of my past pest prevention efforts completely useless, since even the smallest lapse can allow for harmful insects and rodents to enter into a home and begin an infestation.

Hire A Management Company

If you don’t have the time, or you simply don’t trust in your abilities to manage your home, then consider renting out a management company to do it for you. They will do all of the work, such as find people to live in your home and keep up whatever work needs to be done. Management companies also come with a larger and more reputable name, and therefore they can ask for more money. The only problem with using a management company is that you will lose a share of the profit that comes from the rent, but this is definitely the perfect option if you don't have time to manage all of the aspects of renting a property.

Screen Your Applicants

Be sure that you are putting the right people in your home. After all, you don’t want to have someone in there that you can’t trust. Before you rent out the home, you should make sure that you have an interview with the applicants. It is also important to run a background check on the people to make sure that there are no problems that you might need to worry about. While these things can take both money and time, this simple step can prevent your home from being trashed or possibly misused.

Renting out your home can sometimes seem like a scary task, however, by following just a few simple hints, you can avoid a lot of common issues. Consider the tips here to make sure you find the right resident and that you can make the most money out of renting your home.