Personal Finance Advice

When it comes to getting life insurance, most of us tend to shy away from really thinking about why we need it. It doesn’t matter whether you fall into the low risk or high risk life insurance category, we’d all rather ignore the reason that it’s purchased in the first place. For this reason, most [...]

Many years ago I worked in a municipal permits and inspections department. Builders came in and applied for permits, we issued them and then took care of the inspections to make sure that homes and business were being built according to the current building codes. You wouldn’t think there would be too many money lessons [...]

Most people only consider the cost of cigarettes when they calculate how much smoking is costing them. It’s easy to calculate this cost as you know exactly how much you are handing over in cash for each pack of cigarettes you purchase. The truth, however, is that the cost of cigarettes is only a small [...]

The daughter of a friend of mine is getting married in a few weeks. While the guy seems very nice, I’m worried about the match. The daughter isn’t, in any way, prepared for financial independence. She just finished college and hasn’t had a “real” job yet. She only makes a few hundred dollars per month [...]

With the nation’s still-struggling economy continuing to make headlines women need to know some facts about divorce. High unemployment rates, bank closures, skyrocketing foreclosures and other grim financial news are commonplace. It’s enough to make us all run screaming for the hills – or some idyllic paradise in which money isn’t a problem. (If you [...]

You may have seen commercials on TV advertising a “vanishing deductible” (also commonly called a disappearing deductible) and thought it was a great idea. The concept is pretty straight forward and seems easy to understand: If you are accident and moving violation free for a year, your car insurance deductible is reduced by a certain [...]

A friend of mine told me a sad story yesterday. Her parents are going to have to move in with her sister who lives in a different state. I assumed that the reason was because the parents had become frail or because they wanted to be nearer to their grandkids. But, no. The reason the [...]

Normally I write about ways to save and make money. It’s a necessary part of life, particularly if you want to live responsibly and well. But today I am reminded that, while money may matter, it is far from the most important thing in life. My area was hit by deadly tornadoes this week. The [...]

No one (at least not anyone sane) wishes for awful things to happen in life. Death, illness, fire, floods and disasters are things no one likes to think about. We dread the day when we get that phone call telling us someone we love has died, or that our house is on fire. As bad [...]

Life insurance is one of those things that many of us know we should have, but often don’t get. You need life insurance if you have people who depend on your income. It’s designed to provide money in the event of your death so that your surviving spouse and any children can continue to cover [...]

If you ever face a medical crisis, you’ll be amazed at how quickly the bills mount up, even with great insurance. You could argue about whether insurers are inherently evil, coldhearted, or callous, but the bottom line is that insurers are businesses that want to get the most money they can out of you. Sometimes [...]

Health care costs continue to skyrocket. You’ve probably noticed your health insurance premiums jumping up every year. That’s bad news, but unfortunately the hit to your wallet doesn’t stop there. If you drive a car and have auto insurance, you can expect your auto insurance premium to jump every time your health insurance goes up. [...]

Class this week was about insurance. You could hear the groans and sighs around the auditorium. Insurance is boring and it isn’t fun. Plus, I think people don’t like to talk about it because it means thinking about your mortality (in the case of life insurance), catastrophe (home and auto insurance), illness (health, long term [...]

In the last week I’ve gotten pretty peeved at the controls that my state and local governments have put in place to keep me from saving money. The first came when I called my homeowner’s insurance company to increase my deductible. I have enough in savings now to cover all but the largest problems, so [...]

By Jeff Apton In today’s healthcare debate nobody seems to be talking much about the high cost of dentistry, or the lack of insurance coverage. Maybe you’re lucky and squeak by with a few cleanings and a filling here and there. For those who are not so lucky, the cost of dentistry can be devastating, [...]

A couple of weeks ago we got the news that the company my husband works for is cutting pay by twenty percent for all employees, for an indefinite period of time. Once I got past the anger and frustration, I took stock of our situation and worked on damage control. While we do have a [...]

These days you have to be really wise, especially when it comes to your finances. Spending on your car and its insurance coverage is no exception to this. Wouldn’t it be great if you can get the cheapest auto insurance possible? To do this, you must shop around. You can ask for help from people [...]

When thoughts turn to getting more cash every month, many people assume that they’ll have to take a second job. That may be true. If your financial situation is dire or if you have your heart set on some big ticket item, a second job may be the only way to get to the necessary [...]

A friend recently got a bit of a shock when his auto insurance came up for renewal. He discovered that his new rate was $400 higher than his old rate. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong until he remembered: He filed a minor, one person accident on his insurance. The total claim was for [...]

Many people cut corners on insurance in an effort to save money. They don’t buy policies that they should have, or they are underinsured on the policies they do have. They think that paying a smaller premium is a way to save money and do better financially. Technically, this is a way to save money. [...]