Financial Planning: How to Get a Home Insurance Price Quote

Shopping around for home insurance coverage can be enough to make you feel confused and tired to the max. If you want to make the process as simple as possible, however, you should begin by comparing quotes. Getting your hands on home insurance price quotes is a lot easier than you may believe at first.

Work with a Qualified Home Insurance Broker

If the process of searching for a home insurance plan on your own seems like more trouble than it is actually worth, you can do yourself a favor and seek the assistance of a qualified broker. 

Experienced home insurance brokers can help you find price quotes that can assist you with the decision-making process. They can save you effort, stress, and time as well. Look into brokers who are known for diligence.

Turn to the Internet

You can rapidly and easily request a home insurance quote on the Internet. If you want to ask for a quote, you can do so by filling out hassle-free forms online. You can usually initiate the request process by providing your zip code. 




If you’re interested in home insurance price quote information that’s a bit more in-depth, you can try to locate a nearby agent via the Internet as well.

Call Home Insurance Providers Directly

Some people prefer not to have to deal with the Internet. If you’re the kind of person who prefers to talk to a living and breathing human being, you can call insurance providers directly to ask about quotes. 

Once you get a representative on the line, you should be good to go. Answering several questions can in many cases get you a quote that you can completely trust.

Ask Around

The thought alone of trying to find home insurance plans can make many people feel uneasy and exhausted. If you want to secure quotes that are reasonable and that make sense, you should ask fellow homeowners if they have any good suggestions on hand for you. 

This may help you kick things off. It may help you steer clear of providers that may not be the best as well. Patience is always a desirable quality. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a renovation company, or for home insurance coverage. 

You need to conduct searches that are detailed, thoughtful, and as comprehensive as possible. If you do so, you should have ample success. Accessing dependable home insurance price quotes is easier than ever.

Best Careers for People Over 50

There was a time when the average person could simply work until retirement age, collect retirement and call it quits. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for a lot of people in today’s economy, which means people who are at or near retirement age are finding creative ways to jump back in the workforce.

If you’re going to work from the time you’re 50 until you’re 65, you may as well choose a good career. At an older age, this means something that isn’t too taxing physically but that provides a good salary and numerous job opportunities. Here are some of the best careers to choose from if you’re over 50.

Writer

When you were a kid, you probably thought of writers and authors as the same thing for the most part. After all, the only other writers in these times wrote for newspapers, magazines and other similar media. 

However, the rise of the internet and the prominence of small-to-medium sized business websites means you can find a career in writing no matter what kind of content interests you.




While writing can be a competitive field to break into, it can be very rewarding once you’ve found a niche that works for you. 

Your best bet is to find a topic that’s both interesting and familiar to you and focus on writing about that; people are always looking for an expert on any topic.

Tech Engineer

As has been the case for quite some time now, just about any career you can find that relates to technology is a good one. We rely on technology for nearly everything we do, and tech engineers are the experts tasked with making sure our technology works the way it should and lasts for a reasonable amount of time.

A tech engineer might work in either production or manufacturing engineering, maintenance, field engineering, technology design, technical supervision, quality control and testing. These jobs are all in relatively high demand, too, which is evident from looking at a tech engineering salary directory.

Finance

Everybody needs to keep their finances in order, from individuals to small and even large businesses. There are numerous careers you can find in finance to make ends meet at an older age, including being an accountant for local businesses in your area or providing personal financial advice to individuals. 

Whatever you choose to do, a career in accounting or finance can be both rewarding and easy to break into as an older worker.

Marketing

A career in marketing or advertising can also be very lucrative for older individuals. This type of work requires you to use your brain and be creative more than anything, so as long as your mind is still sharp you can be a marketing pro at any age. 

This is also a great career because marketing and advertising are a part of every business plan, so you could find yourself working for a small business or a Fortune 500 company with tons of employees. Either way, there will be plenty of benefits.

How to Get a Personal Loan When You Have a Low Salary?

Financial emergencies may crop up unannounced in anybody’s life. At such times, all you want is a hassle-free source of funds to tide over the crisis at hand. The easiest solution lies in availing a Personal Loan. 

But what if you have just begun your career and do not have a handsome pay packet yet? For people facing such a dilemma, a low salary Personal Loan is the answer. So even if you do not draw a very high salary, you can try to apply for a Personal Loan for a 20k salary.

How to get a Personal Loan for low salary

While traditional lenders may shy away from granting low salary Personal Loans, you can apply for a Personal Loan for low salary from other leading, full-range financial service providers. 

For instance, if you are drawing a salary for at least six months you can upload your KYC documents such as Aadhaar card, PAN card or passport, an address proof, your salary slips for the past three months, a passport size photograph and then submit your application.

After document verification, you can be eligible for an instant approval on a Personal Loan in spite of a low salary. Some financial services providers also provide the facility of an instant loan without too many documents.

Collateral-free loan

If you are contemplating applying for a ow salary loan, you have little reason to worry as there is no security or collateral required for such a loan. Further, low salary Loans are instant loans without too many documents and do not require you to provide any security or collateral. Once your eligibility is verified by the bank, the loan amount is disbursed to your account within 24 hours.

Competitive rates of interest

The interest rate on a Personal Loan for a 20k salary varies between 15-24%, with an additional processing fee of 1.5-2%, depending upon your eligibility. You can choose a repayment tenure of 12 to 60 months depending on your convenience. 



With such easy terms and conditions for repayment, a low salary Personal Loan can be a shot in the arm if you are in a financial bind, such as a medical emergency or clearing your debt. It can also come to your aid for a variety of other reasons.

Personal Loan uses

For instance, if there is a wedding in your family or home renovation work, a low salary Personal Loan can come to your aid. You may even take a loan if you have been planning to take a vacation. 

In fact, it is always wiser to take a Personal Loan for a vacation rather than burdening your credit card, as a Personal Loan is a more economical form of credit with the leeway to make repayments over a longer period.

Your credit score matters

While there is no dearth of low salary Personal Loan products, you may need to check your eligibility criteria for such loans. A Personal Loan like any other form of credit is disbursed after a lender is assured of your repayment capabilities. 

One criteria to assess creditworthiness is your credit score, assigned to you by a credit bureau. This is a three-digit score in the range of 300-900, assigned to you based on your credit behaviour or credit repayment patterns.

To avail credit including a Personal Loan for low salary, you need to ensure your credit score is at least 750 and above. A high credit score can be maintained by following basic financial discipline such as timely repayment of your existing credit lines such as credit cards, keeping your credit utilisation (or the amount of credit you use, as against the total credit limit made available) under 30% and not applying for too much credit in quick succession.

Plan your repayment

If your credit score is satisfactory, you can be reasonably sure of accessing a Personal Loan for low salary at competitive rates of interest. You can also check your eligibility for such a loan by using online tools such as a Personal Loan EMI calculator to plan your repayment schedule. Opting for a low salary Loan, can help you to not only take care of your financial need at hand, but enhance your credit as well.

Why You Should Read Your Credit Card Terms and Conditions Carefully

A credit card is a plastic card which helps to buy merchandise on credit and pay for them later on. Credit cards come with enormous benefits like welcome gifts, reward points, cashback etc. 

 You may know all of the advantages the Credit card offers, however you most likely don't know everything about the terms and conditions of credit cards. 

While you may have avoided the information boxes when you applied, you'll get a cardholder agreement after the approval of your credit card application.

In case you are among those who don't read their card's terms and conditions and throw it in the junk without understanding it, you're not the only one. 

This is a major error. A great deal of helpful information is found into the cardholder terms and conditions You must read it carefully before applying for the card. 

Given below points will help you in understanding why you should read your credit card terms and conditions carefully:

Annual Interest Rates

If you always pay all your credit card outstanding bill before the due date and never withdraw cash using a credit card, then interest rates are not that important. But imagine a situation where you are unable to pay your credit card bill on time due to any reason like a medical emergency, you lose your job or any other reason. 




In such a situation interest will be applicable on your credit card outstanding if it is paid after the grace period. So, reading your credit card terms and conditions is important, as it includes details relating to the interest rate applicable.

Grace Period

Grace period refers to the time period between the end date of the billing cycle and your bill due date. During this period, you have to pay all your dues, you will not incur any interest or late payment charges during this period. 

Different cards come with a different grace period. Usually, it is between 18-21 days. So, it's better to read your credit card terms and conditions to avoid any confusion at a later stage.

Minimum Payment

Minimum payment is the amount you pay when don't have sufficient funds to pay the entire credit card bill. Paying minimum amount helps in keeping your credit score unaffected. Read about the minimum amount you are required to pay.

Joining Fees and Annual Fees

There are many credit cards which come with nil joining fees. But after the first year, you are charged an annual fee on it. Reading about different fees and charges applicable is very important. Credit card terms and conditions contain all the required information relating to it.

Welcome Bonus and Reward Points

Credit card issuers offer a host of benefits to all its customers like welcome gifts and bonuses. Then you earn reward points on all your purchases made using a credit card. 

But at a times you can redeem those points only after a fixed minimum level of spending and at select partner stores only. Therefore, reading terms and conditions is important to know the actual benefits attached to the credit card.

Hence, always read your credit card terms and conditions before selecting a card to know the interest rate, annual fees and other charges applicable. Then select a card as per your requirements. You can read terms and conditions, and then apply for a credit card through different online aggregators.

RELATED:Credit card application denied – tips to follow before you apply

How to Manage Your Investment Income With FD for Senior Citizens

Most people’s lives are spent in working their days off to save money for the future. However, as the future comes near they are faced with an important question – how to manage all the income coming from their lifelong investments? 

Another important question that arises in their minds is – do we have enough money which would be able to give a decent amount of returns? Also, as they age, there is a certain feeling of independence that becomes stronger as well. 

As we grow, our financial situation changes and may or may not worry us – depending on the way in which your money is invested. 

However, but the savings and returns you have accumulated can grow by investing in investment instruments including FD for senior citizens, special saving schemes, mutual funds etc. Before investing your income, keep some of these tips in mind:

Come up with an expenditure plan for yourself and then plan a pay-out strategy which would offer a safe option to keep your funds flowing.

Diversification of the investment income is extremely important, so that you can withdraw liquid cash if any emergency or unexpected circumstances arise.

Regularly reviewing and revising these diversified investments is an important pre-requisite to keep a check on the amount of returns you are earning.

Here are some ways in which you can manage the income from your investments:

Saving Schemes

There are many investment schemes for senior citizens like Senior Citizen Saving Scheme (SCSS), Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (POMIS), Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY), The Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PNVVY), Rashtriya Vayoshri Yoajana (RVY) that offer steady monthly income to senior citizens. 

All your money from provident funds, small savings accounts and employee provident fund can be transferred to these schemes. POMIS offers a fully taxable interest rate of 7.8% per year which can either be invested by a single person or in joint ownership. 




The capitals for both types is Rs. 4.5 Lakh and Rs. 9 Lakh respectively. SCSS is another great investment for senior citizens whose maximum duration is 5 years with an annual interest rate of 8.6% per annum – extendable up to 3 years once matured.

Fixed Deposits

Fixed Deposits for senior citizens offered by many banks and companies provide them the liquidity of easily available funds whenever they want to withdraw money. This advantage of having a FD for senior citizen helps them to invest in various different FDs, instead of parking all their funds in just one. 

Companies offer an interest rate of 8.75% - higher than the rate provided by banks. The tenor of these FDs ranges from anywhere between 12 months to 5 years divided in cumulative and non-cumulative interest rates. 

The cumulative interest rates for a period of 24-35 months at a minimum amount of capital Rs. 25000 is 8.50%, whereas, the non-cumulative interest rates for monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly range from 8.23%, 8,28%, 8.35%, and 8.50%, respectively.

Investing in Fixed Deposits gives you flexibility of distributing your investments in multiple FDs that you can choose based on tenor or interest rates. 

If you are not sure about the amount of returns or interest you are going to earn with an FD, you can compute it through an FD interest calculator which would show you the exact amount at the maturity and the interest you would be earning. Based on that, you can plan out your investments starting with the short durations and re-investing as they mature.

On a Tight Budget, Are You? Here's How to Rock Your Content Marketing

How do you succeed in content marketing while squeezed for cash? Use the following tips to rock your content strategy without letting your budget slow you down.

Focus on Profitable Content Types

Ideally, you might want to publish content in a variety of formats to appeal to the largest audience possible. However, your tight budget means that you have to be more selective in your activities.

Find out what types of content resonate the most with your website visitors and focus on those to maximize your ROI. To do this, use a combination of analytics and trial and error data. Also, monitor your competitors to see what content formats they use.

As part of the process, calculate the time and money you must spend to create each type of content. When you find a format that consistently gets results that justifies its cost, stick with it. Such a focus will help you avoid wasting your resources while maximizing profitability.

Prioritize Quality Over Quantity

Do you have to publish a certain amount of content during a period of time? Such a practice may keep your website fresh, but it can lead to low-quality, “thin” content that fails to impress your visitors.

As a general rule, quality matters more than quantity. Still, you need to avoid over optimizing your content to control costs. After you reach a minimum quality level, additional efforts will have diminishing returns. 




Your limited budget means that you can’t afford to insist on total perfection. Using the 80/20 standard as a rule of thumb, the majority of your quality will come from a minimal amount of work.

Improve Your Efficiency

You may sometimes feel as though your limited resources will prohibit you from achieving the growth your business deserves. Rather than becoming discouraged, look for ways to do more with what you have.

For instance, you can save a lot of time by grouping similar tasks from multiple projects in batches that you complete in a single sitting. Rather than researching a topic for just one blog post, prepare a couple dozen topics before exiting your research mode.

Other ways to improve efficiency include outsourcing work to freelancers, repurposing outdated content, and optimizing your processes. Also, cloud-based software for time and project management can also help you work smarter rather than harder.

Take a Holistic Approach

Rather than focusing only on online marketing channels, create a wholesome marketing strategy that includes both online and offline tactics. By extending your reach via traditional methods, you can reduce your overall expenditures while increasing your ROI.

Try ordering business cards and passing them out at community events. Also, remember that printed media such as billboards, magazines and newspapers can help you achieve your goals. Other tactics, such as giving free public lectures at libraries and schools cost you nothing while establishing yourself as an industry and community leader.

By incorporating multiple channels in your strategy, you can create a synergy that extends the usefulness of your limited funds. For example, your printed business cards, books and flyers should include your URL and can boost your website traffic.

Utilize Free Content

Content creation takes time and, therefore, it costs money. However, you can find ways to get content for free that can dramatically extend the usefulness of your budget. Start by providing guest-blogging opportunities.

Rather than paying cash for content, you compensate your guest bloggers by giving them access to your audience. On the other hand, they can increase the authority of your brand while exposing it to some of their loyal followers.

To increase your access to free content, publish a page on your website that announces guest-blogging opportunities. Be sure to specify available topics and outline your quality requirements.

Always Deliver Value

You might feel pressured to reduce your quality standards in order to accommodate your small budget. Such an approach may reduce your production costs, but hurt you in other ways. To begin with, poor-quality content may not meet the needs of your shoppers and customers. Additionally, poor content can also damage your page rank in search engine results. 




Instead, if you emphasize quality over quantity, you can create content that meets the real-world needs of your audience. As time passes, people will begin to trust your site and brand to get the information they need.

In the end, your readers will begin to regard your brand as the natural choice when they get ready to buy. So, emphasize quality and see your content marketing budget accomplish more than you ever thought possible.

Build Content Libraries

Rather than discarding your research after using it, archive it on a shared folder on your server. As you build your content library, you will have tons of videos, articles, illustrations, templates and snippets at your fingertips.

After a while, you will have a huge repository of all the factual and creative content that covers all the topics you cover. Rather than designing and creating all your content from scratch, use items from your content library as building blocks.

In other words, you retain the value of your work by extending its usefulness well into the future. Meanwhile, you gain additional cost savings by speeding your content creation processes.

In summary, by taking an intentional approach, you can rock your content marketing operation. While emphasizing creativity, quality and efficiency, you can publish the content you need to grow your business without going broke.

Jasmine Williams covers the good and the bad of today's business and marketing. When she’s not being all serious and busy, she’s usually hunched over a book or dancing in the kitchen, trying hard to maintain rhythm, and delivering some fine cooking (her family says so). Tweet her @JazzyWilliams88