Getting a Car Loan with Bad Credit

A new group of borrowers

The recession was difficult for everyone.  In particular, it created a new group of borrowers who have tarnished credit. Despite bad credit, many people still need to buy cars. Many believe that if they have bad credit buying a car is impossible, but that's not true. Especially today, when car dealerships are willing to work with all credit levels to increase sales, it's possible to find reasonably priced vehicles with reasonable financing terms. Here are some tips o! n how to find a lender if you have imperfect credit.

Don't be desperate

Consumers are warned to not act desperately just because their credit scores are low. Don't feel that you need to grab the first financing offered to you no matter how unfavorable the terms may be. There are still good deals out there to be had and now is a good time to start searching for a car loan. In a Bankrate.com article, Jack Tracey, executive director of the National Automotive Finance Association, confirmed that lenders are relaxing their lending guidelines in the post-recession economy! . Tracey said, "It's become easier than it was late last year. The economy is improving, and some of the financing sources are coming back into the market." ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Getting a Car Loan with Bad Credit"

Three Ways Your Home Loses Heat and How to Stop It

Saving money on your heating bills

Most people understand the notion that heat escaping from your home means your heater has to work much harder, and this results in larger heating bills. As a consequence, most prudent people will change their furnace filter or have their boiler serviced, will apply some weather stripping to doors and windows, and take other similar precautions before winter really gets started. However, many people completely overlook the three biggest ways their homes lose heat and completely fail to take any measures to prevent this. Recognizing these three ways that heat escapes your home can literally save you a trip to your local payday loan store and hundreds of dol! lars once it gets cold enough to keep your heater on constantly. Best of all, most of these remedies are fairly simple and inexpensive.

Folding attic stairs

Most attics are accessible by a thin plywood door that has a folding ladder attached to its inside; you pull down the door and the ladder unfolds to the floor allowing you to climb up into the attic. This attic door amounts to an enormous hole in your ceiling, and since heat rises, it can come as no surprise that this is a major escape point for heat during the winter. As the ladder is attached directly to the plywood door, there is usually little, if any, insulation. As most attics are ventilated from outside the house, this means there is little more than a piece of plywood between the inside of your home and the outdoors. Further, it is very difficult to add insulation to these doors while keeping the ability to use the door and the ladder to access the attic. So what can be done? Luckily, many people have come to recognize this problem and you can now buy attic stair covers at most large home improvement stores. Depending on the size ! of your attic entrance, these covers usually cost between $50.00 and $150.00, however you are likely to save at least that much on your heating bill in the first season. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Three Ways Your Home Loses Heat and How to Stop It"

$15 billion jobs bill passes Senate 70-28

13 Republicans and two Independents cross the aisle

Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) calls it "investing in America."  After a 70-28 vote in the Senate, the $15 billion Democratic jobs bill to stimulate job creation has passed with 55 Democrats, 13 Republicans and two Independents saying yes. Considering just how far the American workforce and their pay day loans have to come, that $15 billion is considered to be "modest in scope," as the ! New York Times puts it.

What will the jobs bill do?

Our recent coverage of the jobs bill referenced Fox News, which broke down the $15 billion bill into $13 billion in payroll tax breaks for employers who start hiring workers unemployed for 60 days or more; $35 million for "small business depreciation"; $2 billion for infrastructure bonds; and a highway bill extension.

Bipartisan support suggests it could speed through the House

This is turn would mean that the jobs bill gets to the president's desk quickly. The only way Americans will be able to stimulate the economy long-term is if they are employed, so the current jobs bill comes at just the right time. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "$15 billion jobs bill passes Senate 70-28"

February 24 is National Tortilla Chip Day

The salt, the crunch – load 'em up!

Today is National Tortilla Chip Day, and I'm feeling fine. Once I start crunching those crunchy chips, strips, rounds and triangles, I get on the salt flow and thunder ahead. Just like pretzels at a bar, I can never eat just one. Thankfully, I don't suffer from Addison's disease. Then I'd need to get a personal loan to cover all the consults. There are limits to the amount of salt I can intake.

And what about all the colors?

You've seen white, red, blue, yellow (and sometimes green) tortilla chips out there. They're all tasty. I prefer to eat mine straight, as opposed to going the Doritos route of having artificial flavor injected into my beloved snack. If I'm in need of greater nacho stimulation, I'll go for the salsa (something spicy, or even some nice salsa fresca), queso, sour cream or – and here's where I start to wig out in taste nirvana – guacamole! I say ole!

Tortillas are a staple in numerous countries

Originally named by Spanish conquistadors, tortillas are thin cornmeal or flour pancakes. Their popularity has spread far beyond the Spain-Mexico cradle, and the world is better a place as a result. According to MyPunchBowl, tortilla chips were created by Rebecca Webb Carranza in Los Angeles during the 1940s. Some tortillas came out of the automated tortilla machine misshapen, but Carranza knew that a lack of pleasing roundness wasn't enough reason to let good food go to waste. Cut them into pieces, fry them and sell them for a dime a bag. That's what El Zarape Tortilla Factory did. By 1994, Carranza had won a Golden Tortilla Award for her contribution to Mexican food. ... click here to read the rest of the article titl! ed "February 24 is National Tortilla Chip Day"

HMO Investors and The New Health Plan

Update on HMO investors concerning new Health plan.

Many health industry analysts are blowing off President Barack Obama's health care reform bill passed Monday. This reform is expected to yield a higher percentage of stocks because it is expected that government payments to privately run Medicare plans will be on the rise, according to one Lewis Krauskopf writer for Reuters.com website. Late Friday it was announced that, indeed, a higher-than-expected payment rate will be in effect for 2011. For this reason, health care share value for health insurance companies with heavy Medicare t! ies was elevated.

Can reform win approval in Congress?

Obama's proposal is not the favorite bill amongst many middle and high class citizens who have to rely on short term loans online. Analyst actually expects the bill to fail. Sadly, these people haven't had the experience of being too rich for state aid, but remaining too poor to afford health insurance. Wall Street was definitely paying close attention to any clues revealed during a bipartisan White House summit held Thursday. Realistically this reform will start off as a subtle change, but anything astronomical is unlikely. Mark the words of analyst Tim Nelson about how sooner or later a health care reform bill will be passed because the ones who advocate for the change simply won't give up. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "HMO Investors and The New Health Plan"

Tricks to make Auto Accident Claims

Reasons to be concerned during Holidays and Winter

Holidays can be a time when people are on the roads more often, while winter is probably the opposite. There is a common thing between both these seasons. The impending dangers of an accident waiting around the corner and a rise in traffic. People without a doubt have made sure that they have insurance for their vehicles. The truth is, many states employ a law in place that state you should possess at least liability insurance. But, are all people aware about the right way to proceed with a claim with their insurers? This subject is the cause for most disputes with insurers. People making claims, have seen the figure either being reduced or rejected by the insurers in many cases. What can you do to get a claim processed without trouble?

This is Not a reason to Panic

The important things you should do if you are involved in an accident is avoid some kind of panic. Panic after an accident can lead you to more trouble than imagined. You have to remember that you are involved in an accident and need to make a claim for it from your insurers. Collect information that will help process your claim smoothly by using the following tips but also stay calm.

What should you Look out for?

When you are involved in an automobile accident, report the matter to the police instantly if someone is injured. The extent of the injury does not matter. Damages to property and car also needs to be reported. Move the vehicle towards a safe place away from the flow of traffic. You should write down the license numbers of the vehicles involved, apart from taking pictures if possible. The police will present you with a driver information exchange form. You should have all details of the other party associated with the accident. If you see witnesses around, make sure you collect their names, numbers, addresses and phone numbers. Do not accept fault for the accident or any money from the other party to stay away from reporting the accident. This could affect your claim. Contact your insurer right away after the accident and be sure you file a claim. This form should be completed in all respects. Before you move your car to a mechanic shop of your choice, have a word with y! our insurers about any preferred repair shop that they may have. If the insurers appoint an adjuster, make sure they agree to pay for all repairs before you get the work done. Report any supplementary damages that you see at the time of the repair and get approvals for their repair. Make sure that the car is back in good condition by checking all repairs that have been carried out. Get a receipt for any work completed using the name and address of the repair shop clearly visible. Your insurers will demand this out of you. Issues that people have with insurance claims for auto accidents have more to do with a lack of knowledge of the rules. Without compromising any of the rules, insurers will just follow the rules as they are bound to.

You Need a Budget

Time Well Saved

These days, it is harder than ever to find time to do the little things, let alone handle your finances. If your finances are a mess, chances are you have not taken the time to get organized. Organization can happen when you create a simple budget. A budget does not need to be elaborate or time consuming. A simple budget can help you save time by knowing what bills you have to pay. When you must pay the bills, you will have all the information in the same place. You can see when and where your money is going by using a budget.

Budgets Save Money

All the experts seem to agree that when you create a budget, you will save money. You can see where your money is going by creating a budget. Grocery or gas spending will be curbed with a budget. It also shows you where you are not taking responsibility in your finances. This will help show the way out of debt for you. You will need to stick to this budget if you want to save money. If you do not stick to the budget, you cannot save money. The budget is only as strong as your choice to stick with it. Saving money and being debt free will depend on you sticking with a budget.

Stress Free Budget

If you have a financial mess on your hands, you will end up being very stressed. You will have more health issues because of the stress. Because of the health problems, you will miss work. Your earnings will do down if you miss work. As a result, your debts will begin to go up. As a result of not having a budget, you can really destroy your finances by giving yourself a lot of undue stress.

You can reduce this stress by creating a budget and seeing where your finances are at. You can take back your financial power by knowing this information. By taking back your financial power, you will be able to be debt and stress free. You will not be sick as often if you are not stressed about money. Earning more money depends on you being well. Earning more money can help you be debt free. By creating a budget, you will save yourself a lot of stress and money.

You Can Live Well By Creating a Budget

As you have seen, creating a budget is a good idea if you want to live well. You can enjoy your family and friends. This will also allow you to save more money for a rainy day. And you will be healthy enough to enjoy your extra time and money. Is there something in the way for you to create a budget? By creating a budget, you can plan for life’s crippling emergencies. You can have all your needs met, with a little time and money left over for some fun.

Finding emergency money to pay taxes could be a charity away

Understanding the process of charitable contributions

For consumers looking to build emergency money funds, giving to charity can help. Taxpayers can either donate cash or goods, but each one comes along with some rules via the IRS. For example, if a consumer donates money, they have to have paperwork and documentation to prove it. On the other hand, donating household goods has even more legwork attached. It’s important to know the rules and then use them, but wise consumers who do can, find considerable savings by donating to charity.

Using an IRA direct rollover

For consumers who are 70 ½ or older, they can have money directly moved from an IRA to the charity of their choice. Both traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs allow the move, but it is more beneficial to do it via a traditional type. The reason is that the money in these accounts is taxable, and lowering the balance lowers the tax liability. Money that goes straight to the charity is not considered taxable income when it comes to the IRA owner. The only drawback is that when money is moved directly to a charity from an IRA, it is not deductible by the consumer. It’s a small drawback though, and the difference may be negligible. In order to take advantage of the charitable donations, taxpayers have to itemize their filing. If a taxpayer does a rollover to the charity, the standard deduction still applies.

Household goods donations and taxes

Many charities accept household goods donations and taxpayers are allowed to claim the market value of donations on their taxes. In 2006, a new law was set in motion that requires items to be in “good or better” condition. The reason for the new law was to dissuade consumers from donating their junk and then trying to claim it on their taxes. The other reason is that too many consumers were valuing their items at too high a value and filing for a higher tax break than rightfully they should have. Finding emergency money to pay taxes is possible with the donating goods option, but the goods have to be valuable or the IRS can deem them “minimal monetary value” items and deny the claim. … click here to read the rest of the article titled “Finding emergency money to pay taxes could be a charity away“

Paczki not enough for you? Try some king cake this Fat Tuesday!

New Orleanians have been scarfing down king cake for 40 days

There's a buried baby in that king cake, just so you know.

Where have you been? If Fat Tuesday has just sprung itself on you like a new Tiger Woods mistress, then you probably haven’t been partaking of the cake and buried baby.

Buried baby? OK, here’s the deal, thanks to The Guardian. King cake has its origins in the French settlers of New Orleans, who celebrated the coming of the three kings with a similar bun-like confection. It’s all part of the feast of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, or King’s Day. As you’ll see in the photo, the icing is colorful, which is significant: purple signifies justice, green signifies faith and gold signifies power.

Speaking of gold, if your coffers are a bit short and you crave king cake, short term loans might help. Please use discretion.

The buried baby is little Jesus

It used to be that a woman who got the slice of king cake that contained the buried baby was crowned the queen of Mardi Gras. Thus, king cake has a great deal of ritual significance. They also take a lot of time to make and are by all accounts quite yummy.

Haven’t the Saints Super Bowl victory and the current popularity of the new Disney movie The Princess and the Frog got you thinking New Orleans already? If not, king cake should do the trick. … click here to read the rest of the article titled “Paczki not enough for you? Try some king cake this Fat Tuesday!“

Consumers Start Saving Quick Cash for Christmas 2010

The Christmas 2010 season

Though it may seem early to start thinking about saving quick cash for Christmas 2010, many people are already considering the cost. The recession of 2009 made people think twice about their finances. Credit card lenders proved to be unreliable throughout the economic downturn and people had to rely on their cash reserves to make their monthly expenses. Christmas 2009, overall, was a bleak one with many consumers having to cut back drastically on their spending. To avoid the crunch, many consumers are looking for saving options and start! ing their plans now.

Budgeting in advance

According to Alison Southwick, BBB spokesperson, “Budgeting wisely can greatly reduce the holiday hangover that many overextended families’ experience. A Christmas Club account is a great tool for gradually socking away money throughout the year to spread the financial burden of holiday spending.” The Christmas Club account is the latest tool consumers are turning to as they try to ease the pain of holiday spending.

In the past the Christmas Club account was offered at credit unions or community banks. It's a savings account that allows holders to deposit small amounts over the year and then withdraw the funds in the fall. There are 78% of credit unions in the US that offer the accounts, according to the Credit Union National Association. … click here to read the rest of the article titled “Consumers Start Saving Quick Cash for Christmas 2010“