July 8, 2012
Do you have RV insurance? If not, then, it is important that you must seriously ponder about getting one to get an optimum level of financial protection from events such as theft, fire, accident, etc that may crop up involving your RV.
Many people have an impression that RV insurance is just similar as conventional car insurance. What they fail to realize here is that a RV is just not any other kind of a common vehicle. It is loaded with all the amenities and luxuries that you may find in your home. It is absolutely not wrong to say that a RV is just like a second home for many people and by taking a best RV insurance, they can ensure that the RV as well as their valuable personal contents such as clothing, jewelry, TV, camera, laptop, etc are quite adequately covered.
A good motor home insurance policy is very much critical because if a problem occurs in some parts of a RV, then it is fully replaced in a hassle free manner. If any items have been destroyed because of the theft, natural disasters or any kind of unforeseen events, then it will be totally replaced. The vital benefit of taking RV insurance is that in case you happen to meet with an accident, then it is guaranteed that you as well as all the occupants in the RV will be provided with the best medical coverage. To the top of it all, you will not be required to pay the cost of repair of your damaged RV as it will taken by the RV insurance. A standard RV insurance plan also provides various kinds of the coverage also such as personal content coverage, emergency expenses, roadside assistance and towing.
A very important point of consideration that should not be forgotten here is that insurance for RV must always be taken from a best insurance company because they will be quite able to provide the right type of the insurance at the best rates. With many companies in the market dealing in this particular kind of an insurance, it is imperative that you shop around little bit to find out the right insurance company that specializes in the RV insurance.
You can get a best RV insurance policy that guarantees a significant amount of protection and security is from the financial companies. Those companies that provide finance for RV have an excellent alliance with many insurance companies and they can certainly negotiate help you to get the suitable plan with the better rates that too within your affordability levels.
Therefore, if you have figured out the need of RV insurance, then it is pivotal that you buy out some time from your busy schedule and get insurance for your RV today and guarantee a great peace of mind.
Robert is a financial blogger primarily focuses on Recreational Vehicle Financing. He has written many interesting and informative posts on RV insurance, RV loans and many more finance related topics.
Tags:
Coverage,
financial planning,
insurance,
investments,
money,
personal finance
July 4, 2012
When it comes to getting a good deal on your car insurance quote, there are a few neat tricks that you can use to ensure that the price stays low. A lot of people will stay with the same company when it comes to car insurance for years, and while this is often a great option, there are also many other great deals out there. Here are a few of the best tips to ensure that your car insurance premium doesn’t break the bank.
#1 – Try not to claim for small amounts
Let’s say that you have an accident; the first thing that you will probably do is call your insurance company and let them take care of everything. Now, this isn’t always the best thing to do and in fact, we recommend that in a lot of cases you don’t do this if at all possible. Making claims on small amounts when it comes to car insurance can often pump up your quote for the following year. In fact, we’d say that anything up to a cost of £500, you should ideally fix without claiming through your car insurance company.
The reason for this is that you will just be charged a higher premium when it comes to renewing your insurance the following year. You can also make sure to keep your excess high when you apply for the insurance to get a lower quote.
#2 – Be specific when it comes to your occupation
When you are filling in the forms on the comparison websites or even the insurance websites themselves, you will often be asked for your occupation. You might not have realised, but there are a handful of occupations that insurance companies don’t favour at all. If you have one of these occupations, your insurance premium might skyrocket. For example. many insurance companies don’t like sales reps or estate agents. This is usually because they will be traveling quite a lot.
By being more specific, you can lower your insurance premium. For example, let’s say that you do work for an estate agent but you only usually work at the office and do the admin work, you might put “administrative assistant” instead to lower your premium. Little things like this can add up to a big difference in your costs.
#3 – Don’t modify your car
A lot of people like to add extras to their cars these days, especially those that are young. However, adding a state-of-the-art surround sound system or colour neon lights to your car is only going to increase your insurance premium even more; and this is far from what you want, especially if you are young and have a high premium already.
By ensuring that you don’t modify your car too much with accessories, you can ensure that your premium stays as low as possible.
#4 – Add an extra driver to your policy
This might seem like a bit of a strange tip but in a lot of cases, this actually lowers your insurance costs. By adding another driver to your policy, you might see a reduction in your costs and it also means that a friend or family member can drive your car (should you allow it of course).
This is something to be careful with as it really does depend on a variety of factors. Age, relation and many other factors are taken into account by the insurance companies so make sure you explore this option before you go ahead with it.
#5 – Buy a used car
Again, this is a neat little trick to ensure that your premium is as low as possible. By purchasing a used car, you will be able to make sure that the value of the car your are insuring is much lower than if you purchased a brand new car. This means that should you opt for fully comprehensive insurance and the insurance company has to pay out should your car be stolen, they won’t have to pay out as much.
In effect, the cost of your car will be part of the algorithm used by insurance companies when it comes to calculating your premium. Used cars can be reliable and cheap too so this is actually a plus point for a lot of people.
Tags:
Assets,
Car,
Car insurance,
Claim,
Coverage,
financial planning,
insurance,
investments,
personal finance
July 1, 2012
Using the term “budgeting” can sometimes be off-putting because people think it’s a way to deprive them of something. Budgeting is actually a way to find out how much money you need for living expenses so that you can control how your pay is used and have something to set aside. Here are a few effective budgeting strategies you can use to meet your financial goals.
Tip #1: Record everything
You may list down your essential expenses like utility bills and insurance payments, but do you also record the smaller ones, like the little purchases at the convenience store or even your vending machine jaunts? Remember, these seemingly trivial expenses do add up, and they can mess up your budget. The trick is to keep all your receipts and write everything down, so that when you work on your budget, it’s accurate, down to the last cent, allowing you to better manage how your hard-earned income is spent.
Tip #2: Select your platform
If your finances are really simple, then maybe a pencil and paper are all you need to plan your expenses. However, if your budget is a bit more involved, you’d need a platform that can make things easier for you. For instance, you can use spreadsheets to map out your budget from scratch or download templates for something more specific.
You can also look for online personal finance services like ClearCheckbook and Money Strands or any other similar websites. Such services have useful budgeting features like generating a spending plan and chequebook balancing.
Tip #3: Spend less than you earn
All your efforts at budgeting would be ineffective if your expenses are larger than your income. What you need to do is spend less than what you earn. Take note that if you use up more than your income, you will accumulate debt. If your income and expenses are pretty much equal, you need to spend less or earn even more. If this is the case, go for spending less it’s much easier than getting a second job. Spending less than your income allows you to accumulate wealth.
Tip #4: Pay yourself first
Think of putting money in savings like a bill to be paid to yourself. Indicate the savings as part of your budget and withdraw it before spending your funds on bills, groceries or any other expenses. See to it that you deposit your savings budget immediately in a separate account so that you won’t mistakenly spend it. If possible, set up a way for your savings to be deducted automatically from your salary. You won’t even realise you’re accumulating wealth.
Tip #5: Reduce entertainment expenses
There’s probably an allotment for “entertainment” in your budget, which could cover expenses like watching a movie, going on dates or even buying video games. Play close attention to these costs because it might cause you to overspend. To reduce entertainment expenses, consider:
- Getting bundled packages for phone, television and internet service.
- Borrowing audio books, movies and even video games from public libraries.
- Visiting free art exhibits or movie festivals for dates.
Tip #6: Prepare your own meals
It’s more expensive to eat out than to prepare your own meals. Consider that having a meal for two people at a mid-priced restaurant would cost around AU$77 to AU$80. Groceries for two people, on the other hand, would cost around AU$150 to AU$200 per week. You can eat at inexpensive restaurant (i.e. fast food) to save on costs, but that’s not good for your health. To save money on food, learn to cook healthy meals. That way, you cut down dining out costs and possible doctor visits.
Tip #7: Overestimate when allotting funds
If you’ve been budgeting for a while, then you probably know that many expenses have variable costs due to fluctuating prices. To prepare your budget for this unpredictability, look over the last year’s worth of receipts/bills and pick the most expensive you ever paid as your guide until an increase is announced. Here’s another tip: When allotting your funds, make sure you don’t use the exact figure. Instead, round off to the higher number, so that you won’t be short on funds.
Tags:
budgeting,
economy,
financial planning,
money,
personal finance,
savings
June 29, 2012
Not so long ago, ‘debt’ would have been a dirty word for many people. The financial crisis in Britain presently has led to people speaking about it candidly. Many will use an IVA to help extricate themselves from debt.
Debt has long been regarded as a taboo subject and people were decidedly reticent to talk about it. The current financial climate, however, has led to record numbers experiencing debt problems of one form or another. As a result of this, it is no longer considered controversial to discuss our debt problems with our friends and family. Debt management can be a particularly difficult due to spiralling living costs but many are beginning to see an IVA (individual voluntary arrangement) as a viable means of tackling financial arrears. Debt management in the UK is becoming increasingly difficult and the Citizen Advice Bureau views the current situation as ‘worrying’. Many in debt will use an individual voluntary arrangement with licensed insolvency practitioners to tackle their debt arrears.
Why are We in Debt?
There are a number of contributory factors to the current financial crisis that grips the nation. From the credit crunch to spiralling living cost, all are having a profound impact upon consumer’s finances and financial experts predict that insolvencies will hit record levels. One of the primary reasons that debt management is proving so tricky for many consumers across the UK is spiralling living costs. Energy bills, cost of food, petrol prices and all sorts of price hikes are hitting consumers in the wallet and those threatened with insolvency or bankruptcy are turning to an individual voluntary arrangement to help them out of their financial hole. Teresa Perchard of the Citizen Advice Bureau stated, “These latest figures paint a worrying picture, suggesting a significant number of households are struggling to meet their most basic living costs.”
IVA – A problem shared
Part of the problem with debt is the loneliness that is associated with it but many are finding that the increasingly accepting attitude surrounding debt is making it easier to get their finances back on track. Many financial experts believe that, when it comes to debt management, an IVA is an excellent means of tackling debt problems head on. An IVA is a legally binding contract between creditors and those in debt and it allows them to pay back their outstanding arrears at a level that is financially feasible for them. Research conducted by Alliance & Leicester found that people are now more likely to talk about debt issues than they are about sport or celebrities.
IVA – Growing debt concerns
The primary reason that people are seemingly more amenable to discussing debt is the fact that money matters and financial concerns are on the mind of the majority of consumers in the UK. Ewan Edwards of Alliance & Leicester states, “Our survey reveals money matters have a firm place at the forefront of people’s minds at the moment.” With insolvency set to reach record levels, many consumers who are swamped in debt are looking for a financial solution to appease their creditors and increasing numbers are opting for an IVA in order to do this.
Tags:
budgeting,
debt,
Debt Consolidation,
economy,
financial planning,
money,
personal finance
June 25, 2012
It might seem counterintuitive to some, but having a few credit cards in your wallet to be used in a smart manner is an excellent way to improve your credit score. As you know, having a high credit score is one of the keys to a financially successful life, if your score is mediocre to low then you will have a harder time acquiring loans, and the payments that you will make will pretty much always cost you more in the long run.
Millions upon millions of people get trapped by credit card debt every year, simply because they do not use the cards in a fiscally responsible way, and this not only causes a large debt, but it also can have quite a few personal implications as well.
The first way a credit card can help is that it shows a credit history. Always try not to cancel any credit cards because you have decided not to use them anymore, a long credit history, even for a card that has little use is far better than one that is only a few months or a year along because you decided to close all your old cards from five years ago. Anything that is new will show up with an inquiry on your credit report, which will bring your score down a bit for at least a few months and maybe up to a year, so try to hang on to as many older cards as you can.
If you do have some of these old credit cards, focus on using them every few months to buy something, for example fill up your tank with petrol using one of these cards every 2-3 months. This way the card appears to be active on your credit history, but it will not cause you any sort of undue burden to pay off when the bill comes due.
Another way you can use a credit card to your advantage is to ask for higher limits. Especially on those cards that are older. Higher unused limits will always help increase your score, especially if you keep your credit card debt at or below about 35% of the limit amount. It also shows that the credit card company has found you to be a trustworthy customer who is capable of paying bills and not racking up large amounts of debt.
The most important thing, however, is to always pay your bill on time. The very best option is to pay your bill in full and on time, but at the very least always aim to pay above the minimum balance and before it’s due. Nothing will be able to improve your credit score if you have consistently late payments each month; that will actually hurt your chances of getting any sorts of loans or other credit cards in the future.
Tags:
budgeting,
credit,
Credit Cards,
Credit Schore,
Debts,
financial planning,
money,
personal finance
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