Debt Management: 7 Things You Should Be Considering Before Filing For Bankruptcy

Thousands of people file for bankruptcy each year when they find that the financial rut overwhelms them. Bankruptcy sometimes leaves a consumer with a poor credit score and file for up to seven years. If you are currently considering bankruptcy, you can consider these seven alternatives before you move forward.

Debt Settlement

One thing that you may want to consider before you file for bankruptcy is a debt settlement. You may be able to get an experienced counselor to negotiate a "pay in full" balance on some of your accounts that could render them as paid. 

If you can get that “pay in full” balance, then you essentially have a clean slate and you will be able to move on. With that said, you don’t want to go back into debt and you will want to be more careful about how you invest and spend your money in the future.

Debt Consolidation

Debt consolidation is a very common practice. You may just need to consolidate your bills so that they will be clearer to you. You can do a consolidation with a credit card, consolidation loan or a debt management plan. 

All three alternatives will allow you to make one low monthly payments. This should also help lower the interest rate on these payments making the burden of your debt a little easier to bear.

Debt Negotiation

Debt negotiation is the act of trying to persuade the creditors to give you a break on your debt. You can do that through an experienced attorney or counselor. You may be surprised at the leniency you receive if you make an effort to negotiate. 

However, you do not want to enter these negotiations without that attorney or counselor on your side. This will give you a better chance of getting some breaks on your debt payments.

Budget Consulting

Budget consulting is an educational course that a seasoned financial specialist like the ones at the Law Office of Barbara B. Braziel provide. Such lessons can teach different aspects of your financial profile and how you can avoid some of the most common pitfalls. 

If you go through such a program, you can learn how to cut your expenses so that you can have more funds for your savings and debt.

Debt Management Program

A debt management program can get you back on track without making you file for bankruptcy status. 

A counselor can help you to develop a monthly repayment plan that fits into your budget, and the counselor can even pay the bills for you each month for a small fee. Some consumers find such programs to be quite helpful.

Credit Monitoring

One of the best ways to keep track of your credit and how it has been impacted by debt is to monitor it. Monitoring your credit can keep you out of the bankruptcy court. 

You can dispute things that are making your credit report look poor and keep an eye on new developments. Monitoring software costs approximately $10 a month.

Credit Counseling

Sometimes it is just too difficult to manage your debt and budget all on your own. Sometimes you really do need the assistance of a professional. 

It may cost many to have a counselor or financial advisor on your side, but if it ultimately helps get you out of debt in the long run, then this is worth looking into.

Now you know of some alternatives to bankruptcy. Consider them and whether they can serve you well. If not, you can always speak to a bankruptcy expert.

Best Healthcare Technologies to Invest in as You Get Older

As you age, it’s not uncommon for simple tasks to become more of a struggle and the loss of independence can be quite hard to swallow. 

Technology is constantly advancing, and now there are different devices and systems that can assist with everyday tasks and improve the quality of everyday living. 

Here are some of the best healthcare technologies to invest in as you get older. 

The Tabsafe

The Tabsafe is a device that assists with medication consumption. It is a fully medication management system that can do everything from sending reminders on when to take medication and how much to take, to sending information to doctors when prescriptions are running low. 

This technology essentially assumes the role of a medication nurse and eliminates the need for any added fussing. One of the most useful features on this devices, is the fact that all information regarding medication and consumption can be accessed through a portal on any smart device or desktop – so loved ones, family members and healthcare professionals have easy access to any important information they may need in a case of an emergency.

The Grandcare System

The GrandCare device is a home system that has countless adaptable features. The system is a large tablet face with user friendly touch-screen buttons, which delivers instructions, reminders, medication prompts, social communications with friends and family and even videos. 

One of the most popular features is the Care Portal, which allows family members to stay connected with ease, by allowing them to exchange messages, and to access important information on things such as upcoming events, health indications and medication renewals. This technology is so versatile and user friendly that anybody could use it.

GPS

GPS technology systems are tracking devices operated by satellite locators. They are able to pin point the location of any receptive device, which can be extremely useful for the elderly. 

For example, this technology would be great in the event of an emergency, where a senior is suffering from a mental health problem, memory loss or confusion and leaves the house unattended. 

GPS tracking is easily accessed through smartphone devices and applications and can therefore allow the user to be situated and helped quickly. Technologies like sensors, GPS tracking systems and even senior focused social networking sites often mean that seniors can live at home and maintain a level of independence. 

Pest-Proof Your Home

Few things can ruin your peace of mind as much as finding pests in your home. Whether it’s a mouse running across the kitchen floor, wasps setting up shop in your rafters, or a spider in your bedroom… an unwelcome guest in your home can ruin your month! And exterminating them can ruin your pocketbook, too.

Rats and cockroaches are some of the biggest contributors to allergens and disease in the home. Wasps and spiders can threaten our safety. Termites undermine the foundations of your home. Moths and mice ruin food stores and treasured property. 

Bed bugs are just straight-up creepy. Pests also tend to thrive more in houses with elderly residents, since there are big areas that are largely neglected, and so we miss the signs of infestation. 

Luckily, there are measures that you can take to minimize the likelihood of having pests in your house. Not only do these improvements raise your quality of life and safety, but they also have a great ROI on the value of your home. Read on to learn more…

Keep tidy outsides

The best thing you can do to reduce your risk of pests is to keep your front and back yard clean and unattractive to pests. Do regular sweeps of your yard to ensure that you don’t have standing water that can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. 

Store garbage far away from your house and keep a lid on it so that you don’t attract scavengers and flies. Having stacks of wood by your home can draw termites, especially when it gets wet over the winter. 

Check for beehives, wasp’s nests, and anthills around your yard and in surrounding trees.

Minimize habitats for pests around your yard by installing soffits on your house’s rafters so that birds and wasps can’t build nests there, as this article argues. 

Trim back trees and hedges, especially around the bases, and keep them well-groomed so that pests can’t get comfortable there.

Keep inside tidy too

Don’t feel discouraged: if you have pests in your home, it doesn’t mean that you’re a slob! 

Even a squeaky-clean home can become subject to an infestation. However, careful cleaning can greatly decrease your chances of attracting bugs and rodents.

• Clean all crumbs from the counters and floors. 
• Avoid clutter. The fewer places pests have to hide, the better. 
• Speaking of clutter, raise things off the floor. This can be especially smart for your garage, where letting your boxes and sporting equipment congregate on the floor can create an ideal living space for spiders and raccoons. 
• Keep a cover on your trash can. The smell can attract flies and ants. 
• Seal up your food in airtight containers, even dry goods like cereal and flour, which can be wonderful habitats for moths. 
• Vacuum really regularly. Many professionals recommend once a week, in order to lower the risk of bed bugs, which are on the rise clear across the United States. 

Keep dry

Moisture is one of the biggest siren calls to pests. Termites love wet wood. Cockroaches thrive in moist areas, which accounts for their alternative name, water bugs. 

Flies find breeding ground in wet, warm areas. Simply eliminating reasons for excess water can go a long way in preventing an infestation in your home. 

Take swift action to correct causes of excess water in your home. This might mean checking for leaks in the plumbing, which includes watching for spikes in your water bill and checking creaky floors and stains in the walls and ceiling. 

Look under your sinks regularly to make sure that everything is sealed up tight. Be on guard against leaky sprinklers in the yard, especially if they run the risk of leaking into your house. Install fans in your bathrooms, or crack the windows to let the humidity after a bath or shower dissipate.

Keep all holes sealed and cracks repaired

Sometimes, no matter how clean your home and yard is, insects and rodents will climb into your house, just for the sake of shelter and warmth. You can minimize the entry points that they have, though.

Our homes are riddled with more holes than we realize. Some are tiny cracks in the walls and baseboards that insects creep into. 

Others are large vents and holes that were side effects of a utility installation, perhaps in order to wire in the internet or satellite. In order to keep your house snug as a bug in a rug (excuse the expression) take these measures:

• Put a mesh barrier over ventilation holes and large pipes. 
• Treat cracks with caulking. 
• Weatherproof doors and windows. Install weather stripping around the borders, and a door flap at the base of the door in order to keep bugs from creeping in. 

Call in the pros

Home remedies can’t do everything, which is why we have professionals. A home inspector or pest control technician can notice signs of infestation that you don’t. 

Get regular checks, especially for termites, and if you have a high risk of infestation, or children that could get hurt by stowaways, consider pest barrier treatments around your home. Although it requires regular maintenance, it’s often worth it for the peace of mind.

Wreck Recovery: How to Limit the Financial Impact of an Accident

After a car accident, you might be afraid that you won't be able to make it in terms of supporting your family. Time taken off of work will decrease the amount of money that is coming into the home. 

With a little planning and careful thinking about the future, there are ways that you can limit the financial impact that an accident has on your life. 

New Budget Details

Once you are settled at home after the accident, it's time to rework the budget for the home. You need to determine what needs to be paid and what can be put off until later. 

Contact the people who you can work with who will accept a payment at a later time or who will take a smaller payment until you get back on your feet. Another aspect of the budget that you want to think about is the money spent on food and extras for the home. Consider using coupons or using emergency funds that are available. 

Getting Professional Help

If things get to where you can't handle them financially, then consider talking to an attorney like Speers Reuland & Cibulskis, P.C., or someone you recognize and trust in your area, about filing a personal injury claim. 

The attorney can often get compensation for medical bills, time lost at work and pain and suffering for everyone who was in the vehicle. You can also seek professional help in the way of getting assistance for medical visits and paying for the bills that you owe. 

Credit Protection

One of the things that you might want to do is take out a loan. While a small loan might be beneficial for getting you through the first few weeks, it's often not the best option for long-term as the interest rates are likely high, and it can begin to ruin your credit if you can't make the payment. 

You can protect the credit that you have by making payments as you can so that something is sent in to show an effort instead of not paying anything at all. 

Side Work

If you're not able to go back to your full-time job, consider finding side work that you can do to make money. It could be babysitting, writing for an online company or baking items to sell. While performing your work, you might find that you like doing these jobs more than your full-time position.

Any time lost from work can put a dent in the budget. If it's because of an accident, there are some things that you can do to keep the family on its feet, such as asking for help when it's needed. Stay positive as you want to maintain a good demeanor until you're ready to work again.