4 Ways to Involve Your Kids When Buying a New Home

Buying and moving to a new family home is a process that incites a mix of emotions - excitement, joy, stress, and fear, among other things. For children, it is oftentimes fear of the unknown that overpowers the other positive emotions when it comes to the reality of buying and moving to a new place. 

The idea of them leaving behind their favorite parks, close friends at school, and the whole routine make it harder for them to accept this life-changing decision. Involving your children in the buying process can help minimize this sense of fear and make it a more pleasant transition for the entire family. Here are four ways to do that:

Have Them Write Down a Wish List

If your kid is old enough to talk, he/she probably is old enough to have preferences. Although they might not be bringing it up, your children probably have some ideas and suggestions about the spaces and features they'd want for their potential new home. 

Have them write or voice out what they want in terms of their living space. And while you might get unacceptable requests, such as a bouncy castle or an indoor swimming pool, you may also get doable items, like a racing car bed frame or a backyard with a tree where they can build a treehouse on. 

Giving them this assignment serves as a distraction from their perceived fears about the move and may also yield clever ideas in terms of property features that you should be looking for in your list of prospects.

Bring Them to Open Houses

Parents might decide not to bring their kids to open houses as it's not exactly an environment that children are naturally fond of. That being said, it's a great way to get accurate input from your children regarding which house to buy. 

And while their input likely won't extend beyond cosmetic preferences, such as what colors they prefer the walls and carpets to be in and how big their rooms should be, seeing the options for themselves makes them more invested in the decision-making process. 

When you do bring your kid/s to an open house, go at the right time. You want to make sure they are well-rested and well-fed lest they become cranky and throw a tantrum. If your kids are old enough, you should also prepare them to behave in someone else's house. Layout some ground rules, such as a no-touch policy on any fragile items and no running around the property.

Take a Tour Around the Community

Drive around or take a leisure walk around the neighborhood. Check the local schools, libraries, parks, and other public facilities that are close by. Before you buy homes for sale in Temecula, do thorough online research and ground recon on what a typical day is like in the area. Is it too cold or too warm? 

Is there a strong presence of sketchy neighbors or drifters roaming around? Are the parks maintained? What public transportation options do you have? Again, since you are scanning the area with a child, you should plan ahead of your tour. It's best to do it during the daytime and when weather conditions are permitting.

Take Them Shopping

Arguably the most exciting about buying a new home is decorating it with new stuff, which means you'll have to go shopping. Even before you go out to shop, sit down with your family and do some online research on home decorating websites, social media platforms, i.e., Pinterest, and magazines. 

Once you have a clearer picture of what you want your new home to look like, visit furniture and hardware stores to buy some paint, fabric, and other materials, you'll need. Doing your shopping and decorating as a family not only makes them feel involved in the whole home-buying process, but it's also an excellent way to strengthen the bond between parents and children.

Buying a new family home affects the entire family as well as their life trajectories in the future. It is a slow path to take whenever taking the entire family’s feelings into consideration, you can call it an investment process so to speak. It's only fair that you involve them in the decision-making process as they will live in this new space for years to come.

3 Ways To Outsource Your Billing Services Quickly

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The world of medical billing is continuously changing and will be under a great deal of stress in 2024. If your medical practice is just starting or your medical billing department struggles to keep up, it may be time to move to a billing assistant quickly.

A medical billing assistant can be instrumental in managing the billing processes of your healthcare practice. They will effortlessly fit into your daily operations and efficiently handle routine tasks, including verifying patient insurance, responding to patient inquiries, updating medical billing software, establishing patient payment plans, and more.

Communicate Clearly

If you have a medical billing team in your office, announcing a move can create a great deal of stress. If you're going to let someone go, prepare them before announcing it to the rest of your staff. Knowing the core of the job is knowing how to do the job right.

If you've been thinking about outsourcing payroll, billing, accounts receivable, or accounts payable, and someone is retiring, resigning, going part-time, or undergoing any other massive life change, now is your time to move to an outside provider.

Whenever jobs change or go away, the folks still in the office will get nervous. Gossips can gain a lot of power if you don't get on top of the information flow, so make sure that your team knows what's going on as soon as you've made a decision; you will take away the power of the rumor mill.

Also, be ready to consider other forms of outsourcing. If you've got someone doing payroll in-house, be aware that outsourcing can increase your privacy, information security and reduce tension in the office. Again, watch for significant life changes among your staff. Payroll can be quite contentious depending on the personnel, so finding a good time or reason for the switch can smooth the waters.

Choose a Billing Service with the Expertise You Need

The world of medical insurance is continuously changing and shifting on a state-by-state and company-by-company basis. There are medical billing companies in California that can support you effectively, no matter where your office is. Still, a medical billing company elsewhere may need some training to get up to speed.

Furthermore, in medical billing, understanding and using CPT insurance codes correctly is essential for healthcare providers to ensure accurate reimbursement for the services they provide. These codes play a critical role in communicating the details of medical procedures to insurance companies and facilitating the billing process. Ultimately, you should outsource to a company that understands the intricacies of efficient billing practices.

Do your best not to become a test case. You need professionals who have skills in your state and specialty. The cheapest billing service may not be a bargain if you face upset clients or a disrupted cash flow.

Discuss your concerns with others in your chosen field. Review articles produced by professional organizations to see who is advertising their billing services in your industry. You need expertise specific to your field and your insurance challenges, if applicable, so be ready to check in with your colleagues to discuss how they have handled this challenge.

Do Your Homework

Study the reports provided to you. If possible, look for a company that can give you an up-to-date dashboard of services rendered by date and the billing status. If you notice a considerable slow-down in collections, track down whatever is causing the delay and strive to stay on top of the information transfer.

Be prepared for some resistance in-house, especially if your in-house billing team will be transferred over to other work. In your medical billing services contract, carefully review what information transfers are your office’s responsibility and what needs to be done by the biller. 

If there's a spot in the information flow that's consistently breaking down, get on the phone with your sales rep and not give up until the problem is ironed out.

Once you know where the breakdown is, consider setting up a scheduled check-in with your billing services provider. Create a weekly calendar reminder that features an email between

• your billing services provider
• your in-house coordination team
• your office manager

That lets everyone know that you're monitoring this personally and striving to get things right. If you find that there is resistance from one area of the department, be ready to move people around to overcome this issue. You may also have to let people go if they are actively fighting the change.

As things get up and running with your new billing services provider, keep an ear out for any patient concerns. New billing providers may change your invoices’ format and look, which may surprise some of your older patients. If anyone has any issues with customer service, be sure you address it with your new provider.

4 Financial Investments That Help You Do Some Good in the World

When you invest your money, it's important to put it into investments that will offer you good returns. At the same time, most investors also find it important to allocate funds in ways that make the world a better place. Here are four of the best investments you can make if you want to do some good in the world while earning a solid return on your money.

Invest in Green Energy Stocks

The move away from fossil fuels and toward greener forms of energy will likely produce enormous amounts of value in the coming years and decades. Companies operating in the renewable energy sector are well-positioned to produce large returns while solving one of the fundamental problems of the climate crisis. 

Consider exploring stocks in these companies, as well as those that supply the raw materials required for new energy technologies.

Invest in Small Agriculture

Providing startup money to a small, local farm is one of the best things you can do to make a difference in the world with your investment. Local farms offer nutritious food at reasonable prices, often while practicing more sustainable methods of agriculture. If you're really feeling ambitious, you might even consider buying some land and farming it yourself as a business opportunity.

Buy a Campsite

Although everyone is aware of the merits of real estate investing, most people overlook the potential of campgrounds as sources of income. Owning a campsite allows you to collect tent or RV parking fees on a property that requires minimal hands-on involvement. 

Best of all, campsites allow you to help people get away and relax in nature during their leisure time. These properties can be a bit difficult to find, but a good campsite or RV park broker should be able to help you select the right site.

Get Into Peer-to-Peer Lending

One of the most direct ways to make the world a better place through your investments is to fund loans through peer-to-peer lending. These small loans allow people to fund projects, pursue education, consolidate existing debts, or even start their own small businesses. 

As a peer-to-peer lender, you can personally select the loans you choose to fund, allowing you to help make the lives of others better. This form of lending offers decent returns, often competing with or even slightly exceeding the broader stock market.

These are just a few of the ways in which your investment activities can help make the world a better place. Although it's always important to earn a good return on your investment, you can also gain the satisfaction of doing good while increasing your wealth.

How to Make Running Your Business's Finances Smooth and Simple

Business owners must strive not to complicate their money. It is easy to mismanage money in your own bank account, but the results are disastrous if you're running a company. The following are tips to simplify the running of your business's finances.

Focus on Problem Areas

Every company has one or more problems that are ruining their finances. For one company, the main issue is collecting on unpaid invoices, but for another, it's the purchase of expensive equipment that is not earning returns of investment. Pinpoint the exact causes of your financial problems in order to increase your chances of finding the right solution.

Use Cloud Accounting Software

When you download software onto a computer, you must use that particular computer to access your financial records. It's even worse if the records are kept in an accounting book. You must carry that book around and risk the confidentiality of your business if it's stolen.




The solution to this problem is cloud accounting software that allows you to manage your information online. Work conveniently in any location in the world without having to use the same book or computer.

Hire a Financial Expert

Have at least one person on your staff who is an expert on business finances. This could be an experienced bookkeeper, accountant, or manager who has handled taxes, accounting, loans, or investments. This is the professional that you and the rest of your staff will go to if they have financial questions.

Monitor Your Records Daily

Make a daily habit of monitoring the finances. At the end of each day, review the accounting records to check for discrepancies that could be honest mistakes or the early signs of fraud. You prevent a financial disaster by fixing small mistakes that are usually easy to spot.

Resolve Your Debts

Reduce the debts that are dragging your company down. There are debt consolidation or settlement options that allow you to combine numerous debts into one reduced, affordable monthly payment. Review all of the refinancing and payment plan options available to debtors.

Every business needs a smooth plan to prevent financial problems and grow the company over time. Find simpler ways to pay your business's taxes, manage expenses, pay creditors, and other tasks. Avoid borrowing more loans until previous debts are paid off. Monitor your financial information on a regular basis. Apply your common knowledge to improve the running of your finances.

How to Find the Best Business Credit Report

When you provide a service or sell a product to a customer, you want to be paid promptly. When you place an order with a vendor, you want to be assured they have enough financial stability to buy the raw materials they need to produce the goods you have purchased. 

When other companies have underlying financial problems, it can hurt your business and your cash flow. This is why it is important to know the financial health of companies you do business with.

It is also important to know how lenders and other companies view your financial health. Your credit history can make a difference when it comes to getting approval for a business loan, negotiating repayment terms, or getting credit from a vendor or supplier. 

All of this information is available in a business credit report. But how do you know which is the best business credit report for your business?

The Best Business Credit Report

The best business credit report is the one that provides you with the information you need to make good business decisions. Three major credit reporting agencies provide business credit reports:

1. Dun & Bradstreet
2. Experian
3. Equifax

Unlike consumer credit reports that use similar standards for measurement and reporting, each business credit report agency uses different information and metrics for reporting financial health.

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Dun & Bradstreet Business Credit Report

Dun & Bradstreet produces a score, which they call Paydex, that measures the payment history.

D&B gathers information from trade references. It bases Paydex scores solely on information from companies that report your payment history. Scores range from 0 to 100.

PAYDEX SCORE	PAYMENT TIMING
100	30 days before due
90-99	20 days before due
80-89	Pays by the due date
70-79	15 days past due
60-69	22 days past due
50-59	30 days past due
40-49	60 days past due
30-39	90 days past due
20-29	120 days past due
1-19	120+ days past due

Experian Business Credit Report

Experian gathers information from both suppliers and lenders. The credit reporting bureau also uses public records, such as liens, judgments, and bankruptcies. Experian examines payment history and available credit as part of its calculation. Scores range from 0 to 100, with a score above 80 considered to be excellent credit.

EXPERIAN INTELLISCORE	RISK
0-10	High Risk
11-25	Medium to High Risk
26-50	Medium Risk
51-75	Low to Medium Risk
76-100	Low Risk

Experian’s Intelliscore risk dashboard includes a Financial Stability Risk Rating along with a rating for repayment risk. The Financial Stability Risk rating is on a 1 to 5 scale. A low score lets lenders and suppliers know there is a low risk that a business will default or face bankruptcy during the next 12 months.

Equifax Business Credit Report

Equifax also gathers information from both suppliers and lenders. They also review public records such as liens, judgments, and bankruptcies. Equifax also evaluates business payment history and available credit.

EQUIFAX PAYMENT INDEX	PAYMENT TIMING
90-100	Pays bills by the due date
80-89	Some bills paid 1-30 days past due
60-79	Some bills paid 31-60 days past due
40-59	Some bills paid 61-90 days past due
20-39	Some bills paid 91-120 days past due
1-19	Some bills paid 120+ days past due.

Equifax produces a Credit Score risk report that ranges from 101 to 992. A high score indicates a low credit risk. Scores over 556 generally indicate a good business credit history. 

The Business Failure Score uses a scale between 1,000 and 1,710, and a score in the lower range indicates a company is more likely to go out of business or seek bankruptcy within the next 12 months.

Finding the Best Business Credit Report

If it sounds complicated, it can be because the agencies report things differently. To find the best business credit report, you need to compare the different reports and choose the one that provides the information you need while considering how the information will be used.

If you are considering applying for a business loan or need to negotiate credit terms with a vendor or supplier, you should pull a credit report on your business. 

If you are extending credit to a new customer or considering working with a new business partner, you should pull their business credit report to ensure you manage risk responsibly.

Whether you are checking on your business or evaluating another business, a business credit report will arm you with the information you need to make better business decisions and negotiate with confidence.

Accredit allows you to find the business credit report you need without signing up for any long-term subscriptions.

The 2020 Quick Guide To Solve Debt Quickly

Struggling with debt has reached epidemic levels in America. According to recent data, there is massive growth in consumers' ratio approaching credit card companies to declare a debt settlement. 

The majority of these consumers have been facing many problems because of non-response from their credit card companies, making them more pessimistic about trusting banks and lenders.

Where To Turn?

Today, the U.S. economy has a severe problem, with millions of families facing many issues due to their increased dependency on lines of credit. However, they are facing financial issues and a lot of mental and physical stress, due to which they have resorted to bankruptcy. 

With this, it is a common practice among consumers to choose debt settlement programs because this process of debt elimination can help them avoid many problems in the future.




Now, if you consider these facts, you will see a clear picture. Debt settlement programs are a legitimate solution to these issues, and consumers can easily avoid many financial problems, such as having precious personal items repossessed. 

These programs help consumers consolidate their loans into a single loan amount that can be manageable and paid down quickly, which can be done by approaching a legitimate relief service.

Who to Trust?

First of all, do your homework and know which companies are sincere and yet another parasite out for your blood. That might be dramatic, but it's shocking how many of these companies prey on struggling families and individuals.

Not only will a lot of credit card or lending companies refuse to negotiate or settle a debt with you, but a lot are also unwilling to deal with individual debt relief companies as well. This is because of their dubious dealings in the past. 

It's crucial that you study up on these companies. Read any reviews you can online, look them up in the Better Business Bureau, and ask any friends or colleagues if they have dealt with any companies like this in the past.

There are also simple red flags to look out for. Like promises or "guarantees." Debt settlement companies can't promise to settle all of your debt for a certain reduced percentage (no one can). There is no "new government program available" that helps bail people out of their credit card debt. 

It would help if you also were wary of any company charging fees before they settle any of your obligations. This is important because you shouldn't have to pay anything until you reach a deal that you agree to. They also can't stop all debt collection phone calls or lawsuits. And a reputable debt collection company will never tell you to stop communicating with all your creditors.

What Can Debt Relief Companies Do For Me?

Once you do settle (so to speak) on a company you know you can trust, they can help you sort out exactly what you need and don't need depending on your specific situation. They should know which loans or debts should be tackled and which should be left alone (for now).

When consolidating what you owe, a company may be able to get your interest waived altogether, reducing your principal balance, having monthly payments reduced into a single payment that you can manage, and only have you pay off a fraction of the total amount you owe.

While some drawbacks can include your credit score is affected and possibly getting approved for credit in the future, the positives most likely outweigh these. You can avoid filing for bankruptcy and the looming prospect of repossession. Not only that, but did you know it also costs you money to file for bankruptcy? 

You can save thousands or tens of thousands of dollars that you otherwise would have had to pay not only in your balance but in interest, and you also get the added benefit of ending those harassing phone calls and emails every month or every few weeks.

The burden of debt settlement can be a long and scary road, but these are things you can do and avoid to make the journey easier. Remember that your debt does not define you, and you can always take your debt back into your hands and settle it the way you need to.