East Stroudsburg artist draws from spirituality

"I try to create art where most of the characters I draw don’t have faces because I want them to not focus on faces."

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Should You Buy No Exam Life Insurance?

Getting life insurance is not easy for everyone. For some – especially those who may have an adverse health issue – qualifying for the life insurance protection that they need can be difficult. This is because the underwriters at life insurance companies will review the health condition of an applicant to ensure that the carrier is not taking on too much risk.

 

The same will often hold true for those who are seniors. Because life insurance applicants are evaluated based on life expectancy, those who fall into the older age brackets are typically considered to be a higher risk to insurance companies. Therefore, the likelihood of them having to pay out a life insurance claim will be higher.

So, for those who are seniors or those who have health conditions and who still need life insurance protection, what are the available options? One alternative is to apply for a no medical exam life insurance policy.

What is No Medical Exam Life Insurance?

No medical exam life insurance is a type of life insurance coverage that does not require an applicant to undergo a medical examination as a part of the underwriting process. Typically, when applying for most types of life insurance, an applicant will be required to meet with a paramedical professional (or “paramed”).

During this meeting, the paramed will usually ask some in-depth health questions. They will also usually take a blood and a urine sample from the applicant for life insurance. These samples are then tested for various health conditions that could be deemed as risky for the insurance carrier.

Because of this, those who have health issues such as diabetes and other serious conditions may not qualify for what is referred to as “medically underwritten” life insurance coverage. But, without having to take a medical exam, qualification for coverage can be much easier.

Also, because there is no medical underwriting to contend with, a no medical exam life insurance policy can also often be approved much more quickly than a medically underwritten policy. Therefore, someone who applies for no medical exam coverage may have his or her policy approved in as little as 48 hours – or possibly even sooner.

Types of No Exam Life Insurance

There are a couple of types of life insurance you can get without the physical.  There are several other classifications under these but the main two types of no exam life insurance are:

Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance

This is sometimes referred to as guaranteed accepted life insurance. This is by far one of the most expensive types of life insurance you can get.  It doesn’t require a medical exam and also does not require to view your medical records.  Most guaranteed issue policies will have you answer about 12 questions, but one carrier will only you require you to answer the four simple questions:

• Do you smoke or use tobacco?
• Are you currently residing in a hospital or long-term-care facility?
• Do you have AIDS or HIV?
• Have you been declared terminally ill (defined here as having less than 24 months to live)?

Guaranteed issue policies for life insurance often have what’s called a “graded death benefit”.  Typically, that means that if the insured were to pass away in the first 2 or 3 years of taking out the policy, the beneficiaries would only get the premium plus interest.  As you can see, in addition to cost, guaranteed issue is not the most affordable option.

Simplified Issue Life Insurance

Simplified issue is one of the more common types of no medical exam life insurance. Simplified issue allows you to bypass the medical exam, but they will ask you some medical related questions and may also pull your medical records. If the questions or your medical records don’t jive with the insurance company, the chances are you won’t get approved.

Here’s a sample of more questions that a Simplified Issue Policy would ask:

1. Is the annual premium at least $300?
2. Are you currently employed and have you actively and continuously participated in the duties of your regular occupation on a full time basis (at least 30 hours per week) for the past 6 months? Or,
3. If retired or currently unemployed, are you physically and mentally capable of being employed on an active full time basis?
4. Have you been disabled for 30 days or longer during the previous 12 months, and has said disability prevented you from performing your normal daily duties or activities, or are you currently receiving disability benefits?
5. In the last 5 years, have you been diagnosed by a member of the medical profession as having, or have you been tested positive for or been treated by a member of the medical profession for any of the following: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), AIDS Related Complex (ARC), HIV virus, or any other disease or disorder of the immune system?
6. Within the past 24 months, have you used or are you currently using narcotics, amphetamines or any controlled substance, other than on the advice of a physician?
7. Are you now receiving or within the past 12 months have you received chemo or radiation therapy for cancer or have you ever been diagnosed as being terminally ill?
8. Do you require any assistance with two or more of the following activities: bathing, dressing, toileting, indoor or outdoor mobility, or eating or do you use oxygen for a medical condition?

These types of policies can be more specialized and have names like burial life insurance or final expense insurance.  In reality they can cover much more than just your final expenses.

How Does No Medical Exam Life Insurance Work

In many ways, no medical exam life insurance policies work the same way that other life insurance policies do. For example, these plans will offer the payment of a death benefit in return for the payment of a premium. The premium amount, however, on a no medical exam policy will usually be higher than that of a comparable medically underwritten policy. That is because the applicants for no medical exam coverage are usually considered to be riskier to the insurance company.

How Much Coverage Can You Purchase?

One of the down sides of obtaining life insurance with no medical exam is that the amount of coverage you can secure is far less than what you can get with a traditional underwritten term policy.

With guaranteed issue policies, the largest amount you can get is $100,000, and that’s with a company named Guaranteed Trust Life.

For simplified issue, the most that you can obtain is $350,000 of coverage, and that’s only if you’re under the age of 50. Currently, Assurity is an insurance company that offers a simplified issue product that allows you to get this coverage.

Another carrier, Fidelity Life Association allows you to get up to $250,000 of coverage. As you can see, if you’re an individual that needs to buy $1 million of life insurance, going the simplified issue route won’t work. If you need $500,000 of life insurance coverage, it is possible to combine two of the simplified issue carriers together. You could get $350,000 of coverage with Assurity and the remaining $150,000 with Fidelity.

The Cost of No Medical Exam Policies

Regarding all the ads you see talking about getting cheap life insurance with no medical exam, that’s not exactly the case, at least when you compare it to traditional underwritten term policies. Any time that you are bypassing getting a medical exam, it’s going to cost more. Think about it.

Since the insurance company does not have to go through the traditional underwriting procedures, they are taking a higher risk by insuring you. Because of that, they are going to have to charge a little bit more for the coverage. That being said, simplified issue insurance products aren’t super-expensive, but there’s no question that going the traditional underwritten route will save you money.

Here is a cost comparison of a 30-year-old male and female applying for $250,000 of life insurance between Assurity and the cheapest life insurance company.

Sex	Age	Policy Face Amount	Assurity's Non-Med Term 350	Cheapest Term Insurance
Male	30	$250,000	$34.76/mo	$18.92/mo
Female	30	$250,000	$28.38/mo	$15.66/mo

As you can see, going the non-medical route is MUCH more expensive.  If you have the time and thought of needles doesn’t make you queasy, then a traditional term life insurance policy is much more affordable.

How Is No Exam Life Insurance Different from Medically Underwritten Coverage

While there are some similarities between no medical exam life insurance and medically underwritten life insurance, there can also be some differences. Certainly, the biggest difference is in the way in which the plans are applied for. There are different types of no medical exam life insurance.

With a simplified issue policy, there will be some health questions that the applicant must answer in order to be considered for the policy. The answers that the applicant provides to these questions will also help the insurance company with coming up with an amount of premium to charge for the coverage. These questions will typically include:

• Do you smoke?
• Have you tested positive for HIV / AIDS?
• Are you living in a skilled long-term care facility?

A no medical exam policy may also be what is referred to as a guaranteed issue policy. In this case, there will be no health questions on the application – and, given that the premium for the policy is paid, it will remain in force.

No medical exam life insurance can also differ from other types of life insurance coverage in the way that the death benefit is paid out. This is because there may be circumstances where not all of the stated amount of a policy’s death benefit will automatically be paid out upon the death of the insured.

For example, if the plan has graded death benefits, then it may pay out only a certain percentage of the total if the insured passes away within the first few years of policy ownership.

Who Should Purchase No Exam Life Insurance Policies?

If you have the ability to wait four to six weeks to get a life insurance policy, you should bypass any of the no medical exam policies. If you’re in need of a life insurance policy fast, the simplified issue might make the most sense. We’ve had individuals that have needed to get life insurance coverage, either to secure a loan for a business, to satisfy the collateral assignment of a life insurance policy,  to honor a divorce decree or, as mentioned above, just can’t stand the thought of getting their blood drawn. In these types of cases, it can make total sense.

Another potential candidate for a no medical exam life insurance policy is someone who may have either a “risky” occupation and / or who participates in a risky hobby. For example, there are certain occupations that life insurance companies deem as being too risky to insure with traditional life insurance coverage. These can include firefighters, window washers, and race car drivers. Likewise, people may participate in risky hobbies such as rock climbing, scuba diving, or sky diving. Because of this, these individuals may be forced to apply for alternate forms of coverage such as no medical exam life insurance – even if they are in good medical health.

Still others who may wish to apply for a no medical exam life insurance policy are those who have a fear of needles. There are some people who do not like medical procedures – including giving blood and having blood drawn using a needle. Because of this, the paramedical examination that is required for a medically underwritten life insurance policy may be too uncomfortable for them – and therefore, in certain instances, may even force some people to go without life insurance coverage.

What to Look for in a No Medical Exam Life Insurance Policy

When shopping for a no medical exam life insurance policy, you will want to ensure that you have the best policy for you and your specific needs. Therefore, you will want to make sure that you have the right type and amount of coverage.

In doing so, there are some important things to look for in a no medical exam life insurance policy. These include the following:

• Death Benefits – When you apply for your coverage, you will want to ensure that you know whether the benefits will be paid out 100% to the named beneficiary, regardless of when the insured passes away, or if they will be graded and only be paid out as a percentage for a certain period.
• Premium Amount – You will also want to know how much you will be paying in premium. In comparison to medically underwritten life insurance policies, a no medical exam policy will typically cost more – sometimes three to four times more – in premium due to the added risk that the insurance carrier is taking on. Therefore, it is important to have a good understanding of the amount that the coverage will cost. Depending on the situation, it may make sense to first apply with a medically underwritten policy and if you do not qualify, then go the no medical exam route. If you are applying via a no medical exam policy, it is still wise to compare several different no medical exam policies in order to determine which will offer the best premium. In doing so, working with an agency or a company that has access to multiple carriers is wise.
• Insurance Carrier – It is also a good idea to review the financial strength and the claims paying reputation of the insurance carrier that you are purchasing the coverage through, as you will want to ensure that the company will be there to pay out the claim if and when the time should come. Checking the ratings that are provided by Standard & Poor’s, A.M. Best, Fitch, and / or Moody’s is a good way to determine this. Checking the information provided through the Better Business Bureau can also help to get an idea of whether the insurer has had many complaints.

How and Where to Obtain the Best No Medical Exam Life Insurance Quotes

When shopping for the best premium quotes on no medical exam life insurance coverage, it can help to compare multiple carriers. That way, you can determine which of the companies, benefits, and premiums will work best for your specific situation and needs.

When shopping for no medical exam life insurance coverage, you may have some concerns as you go through the process. There are several variables to know as your construct the ideal policy for you – and you want to ensure that you have the right type and amount of protection. The good news is that we are on your side. We have a wide array of life insurance carriers here and are able to help you find one that can best suit your coverage requirements. So, contact us today – we’re here to help.

So yes, getting a no medical exam life insurance policy is a reality, if you want to pay for it.

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Is Your Job Bad for Your Health? 10 of the Most Stressful Jobs

Driving up to a construction zone one day, I watched a worker listen to music and drink some Gatorade.

After a couple cars passed, he casually turned the sign from “Stop” to “Slow,” so I could proceed. “Now there’s an easy, low-stress job,” I thought.

I needed an occasional job, so I spent two hours getting certified as a flagger and went to work. This was 25 years ago.

But I didn’t get the quiet, six-cars-per-hour highway I’d hoped for. I was assigned to the busiest intersection in the county, directing non-stop lines of traffic through chaotic road work.

Correction: Trying to direct traffic.

My lack of experience made it difficult, but the unexplainable (and inexcusable) lack of two-way radios made it nearly impossible.

The other flaggers were a mile away in three directions, so they couldn’t tell me which car they let through last. So I never knew for sure when to let traffic flow the other way.

I spent eight hours watching near-accidents and tolerating obscenities and honking horns directed at me. That was my first loooong day as a highway flagger. It was also my last.

How Stressful is Your Job?

You can’t always predict how stressful a job will be. It depends on the particular assignment, and also on your employer’s decisions (seriously, no radios?!).

But some jobs are more predictable, and we can rate them according to how stressful they are.

CareerCast.com uses various “stress factors” for their ratings. The site says work demands like deadlines, competitiveness and being responsible for other people’s lives “can reasonably be expected to evoke stress.”

If these are a big part of the job, they contribute more points to the stress score. Based on this methodology, CareerCast put together a list of the most and least stressful jobs.

The 10 Most Stressful Jobs

Here are CareerCast’s 10 most stressful jobs, starting with the highest stress score, and including the median annual salary — your reward for putting up with all that stress:

1. Firefighter ($45,600)
2. Enlisted Military Personnel ($28,840)
3. Military General ($196,300)
4. Airline Pilot ($98,410)
5. Police Officer ($56,980)
6. Actor ($46,070)
7. Broadcaster ($60,070)
8. Event Coordinator ($45,810)
9. Photojournalist ($42,530)
10. Newspaper Reporter ($37,090)

The 10 Least Stressful Jobs

Here are CareerCast’s least stressful jobs, including the median annual salary, starting with the job that got the lowest stress score:

1. Hair Stylist ($22,770)
2. Audiologist ($69,720)
3. Tenured University Professor ($95,000)
4. Medical Records Technician ($34,160)
5. Jeweler ($35,350)
6. Medical Laboratory Technician ($47,820)
7. Seamstress/Tailor ($25,590)
8. Dietitian ($55,240)
9. Librarian ($55,370)
10. Forklift Operator ($31,150)

The ratings are based on reasonable assumptions, which may not be applicable in all cases.

And with so many different jobs out there (the BLS tracks more than 800 occupations), there is the question of which ones to include in the ratings.

For example, how did “event coordinator” make the most-stressful list, but not “air traffic controller?”

It seems the latter employees “coordinate events” with much more frequency, and always with potential life-and-death consequences. Now that’s stressful!

And, regardless of holding the top spot as least stressful, I would find cutting people’s hair very stressful, which brings us to…

What Makes a Job Stressful: Personal Factors

I was totally stressed out as a real estate agent.

I hated having any responsibility for the biggest financial decision of people’s lives. But some of my fellow agents were the most relaxed people I knew.

We’re all different, so it makes sense to consider your own personality when determining which jobs might be more or less stressful.

Maybe you’re at ease making decisions alone, but stressed out when making decisions as part of a group. You might love working with numbers or be completely uncomfortable with them.

The physical requirements of some jobs are refreshing exercise for some and stressful for others.

When considering a job, list all the tasks and situations that are a regular part of the workday (as far as you can tell). Then consider how each will make you feel.

And before you get tempted to take a stressful job just because it pays well, consider…

The Health Effects of Job-Related Stress

“Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life stressor — more so than even financial problems or family problems,” says a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report on stress at work.

They list these “early warning signs” of work-related stress:

• Headache
• Sleep disturbances
• Difficulty concentrating
• Short temper
• Upset stomach
• Job dissatisfaction
• Low morale

The report also says research shows stress at work may increase the risk of…

• Cardiovascular disease
• Musculoskeletal disorders
• Psychological disorders
• Workplace injuries
• Suicide
• Cancer
• Ulcers
• Impaired immune function

The NIOSH report doesn’t mention an increased risk of divorce due to work-related stress, but it seems like a reasonable assumption. The Penny Hoarder’s previously reported on careers with the highest divorce rates, and the list includes some pretty stressful jobs.

Create Your Own Stress Ratings for Jobs

A list of stressful or less-stressful jobs is interesting, but it’s just a starting point.

When considering a job, you have to look at its working conditions, including your supervisors.

Then you have to take those personal factors into account.

Finally, you have to consider how much stress you’ll tolerate for how much pay.

I get stressed just thinking about the whole process, so I think I’ll stay home and continue to avoid jobs.

Your Turn: Which were your most and least stressful jobs?

Steve Gillman is the author of “101 Weird Ways to Make Money” and creator of EveryWayToMakeMoney.com. He’s been a repo-man, walking stick carver, search engine evaluator, house flipper, tram driver, process server, mock juror and roulette croupier, but of more than 100 ways he has made money, writing is his favorite (so far).

The post Is Your Job Bad for Your Health? 10 of the Most Stressful Jobs appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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From Dollars to Dinars: The World Currency Quiz

How much do you know about the currencies used around the world? Test your knowledge with this quiz at HowStuffWorks.

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From Dollars to Dinars: The World Currency Quiz

How much do you know about the currencies used around the world? Test your knowledge with this quiz at HowStuffWorks.

Source Business & Money - HowStuffWorks http://ift.tt/1VV1v1w

Take Your Kids to the Movies This Summer — for Just $1

Taking the family to the theater is a wholesome good time — but it certainly ain’t cheap.

Even with cheap movie tickets for kids, if Junior convinces you to snap up even one box of Junior Mints and/or a small popcorn, you’re looking at something like a $40 expenditure for a three-person family outing.

Since Penny Hoarders like me think $40 is enough to spend on a day of exploration, transportation and exotic bites while on vacation, it’s a little hefty for two and a half hours in front of a screen.

Even a really big one.

But this summer, you can see 18 different kids’ films for just a buck a ticket. Yes, please!

Summer Movie Express at Regal Cinema

This summer, Regal Cinemas will offer family movies on Tuesday and Thursday mornings with a ticket price of just $1.

The films range from “Shaun the Sheep” to “Goosebumps,” but they’re all recent, relevant movies your family will actually want to see.

Plus, a portion of the proceeds goes to the Will Rogers Institute, which researches asthma, tuberculosis and other pulmonary diseases.

Save money and do good? That’s what I’m talking about.

The program runs for nine weeks starting in June, and all the films begin at 10 a.m.

The exact date each theater starts running the special depends on its location, so call your local theater to check. However, the schedule of films will be the same no matter where you live.

Want to Save Even More at the Theater?

Even if these movies aren’t for you — or you have to work at 10 a.m., summer or not — you can still save money at the movies.

Here are 22 ways to make the most of your movie money, from hitting the matinee to using your Sam’s Club membership.

Betcha didn’t know about that perk, huh? Here are a few more membership perks you might be missing out on if you have AAA, AARP or Amazon Prime.

And if cheap tickets still aren’t cheap enough? Try getting them for free instead.

Enjoy!

Your Turn: Will you attend Regal’s Summer Movie Express?

Jamie Cattanach (@jamiecattanach) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Her creative writing has been featured in DMQ Review, Sweet: A Literary Confection and elsewhere.

The post Take Your Kids to the Movies This Summer — for Just $1 appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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How BHS administration affects staff pensions: what you need to know

Rachel Lacey

BHS_logo.png

The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has started to assess the BHS pension scheme, following the retailer’s collapse this week, in a move that is likely to see it take responsibility for the final salary pensions of some 20,000 existing and former employees.

The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has started to assess the BHS pension scheme, following the retailer’s collapse this week, in a move that is likely to see it take responsibility for the final salary pensions of some 20,000 existing and former employees.

The BHS pension scheme currently has a deficit of £571m.

read more

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Our Nine Biggest Missteps on the Road to Financial Independence – and How We Are Fixing Them

Over the past 10 years, my wife and I have paid off literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt on salaries that, except for one exceptional year, were well below $100,000 annually. We had three children as well, moved into a house that we now fully own, and currently have zero debt. We’re also well along the road to financial independence, where our investments produce enough income to pay all of our bills and expenses.

Without a lot of good choices, this kind of turnaround would have been utterly impossible. Sarah and I worked incredibly hard to make this happen. We drastically cut our spending. At the same time, we worked very hard to improve our income as I started side businesses and Sarah worked to earn a masters degree to improve her earning potential.

Still, along the way, we made a lot of mistakes. We were far, far from perfect in terms of our spending, saving, and investment choices.

Here are nine big missteps we’ve found ourselves making along this path to financial independence. I’m sure that we’ve made others and we’re probably still making others.

Along with each of these missteps is a description of what we did to fix the problem.

Misstep #1: We Underutilized Retirement Savings Options

As we dove into the path to financial independence, we were very concerned about financial flexibility. We did not want our money tied up in a place where could not access it. We wanted the flexibility to use it for things like buying a new home or launching a family business. We had a long list of dreams and retirement was only one of the items on the list, so we chose to hedge our bets and utilize an ordinary taxable account for our investments.

With those investments, the dividends earned go into our pocket (we actually just reinvest them) and we have to pay taxes on them. Similarly, when we sell those investments, we have to pay taxes on the gains on those investments. Not only does that eat up some of our gains, it takes some accounting work to keep track of everything (such as how long you’ve owned the investment, which can change your tax rate) though most investment firms help with this a lot.

The problem with this plan is that it’s shortsighted. First of all, if our goal is financial independence and we do plan on retiring as soon as we’re able, retirement plans make a ton of sense. We can start withdrawing from them at age 59 1/2, so if we retire early at, say, age 50, we only need to live for 9 1/2 years from our taxable accounts before we can start using the retirement accounts and their tax benefits. There are even some loopholes that allow us to start doing it early, though I am not confident that small loopholes will remain open through our retirement.

The only drawback that might occur from putting at least some of our investments into a retirement account is that we want to use all of it for some purpose prior to retirement age, and when we sat down and really looked at things, we quickly realized that we would never do that. We simply aren’t going to sacrifice our future in that way.

In short, in our desire to be flexible, we cost ourselves a few years of IRA contribution windows.

Solution #1: We Are Now Fully Funding Our Roth IRAs and Downshifting Other Options

Our solution was simple. We started fully funding our Roth IRAs and, to come up with that money, we cut back on the amount we were investing into taxable investments. My wife also contributes to her plan at work. I have also been studying 401(k) plans for self-employed people, but I haven’t been really satisfied with the options.

In short, we’re now putting much more money into retirement plans and less money into taxable investments. With reasonable investment growth, we look to be in pretty good shape from here going forward.

• Related: Four Ways to Use a Roth IRA That Have Nothing to Do With Retirement

Misstep #2: We Made Awkward Choices About Child Guardianship

When we first had children, much of our focus in terms of deciding who would be the guardian for our children centered around money. We were very concerned about who would be able to financially care for our children should we be unable to care for them ourselves.

That viewpoint caused us to settle on one option. It wasn’t the ideal culture we wanted for our children, but we were very sure our children would be loved and well cared for and supported financially in whatever they might do.

Over time, however, we began to look differently at our financial situation. I have a pretty healthy term life insurance policy on me that would serve Sarah very well in the event of my death, and she has a smaller but still pretty healthy one. What we hadn’t really considered is that the money from those policies would care for all of our children in the event of our death, and care for them very well.

Once we realized that money wasn’t really a consideration, we began to rethink things.

Solution #2: We Focused on the Best Guardians, Not the Money

After some careful thought, we ended up changing our guardianship choice and selected a couple who we knew shared our values and would share a lot of our parenting style. Their career choices somewhat self-limit their financial resources, but with our life insurance, that would become a non-issue for our children.

Now, in the event of our death, our full estate becomes a trust for our children, with money coming out of that trust to ensure their care well into adulthood and money left behind to help them get started into adulthood. We now feel as good as we possibly can about the possibility of our children growing up without us.

Misstep #3: I Personally Dive Too Hard Into New Hobbies

Whenever I get into a new interest, I tend to really obsess over it. I dig in very deep for several months, discovering new things about the hobby, meeting new people, and so on.

And then, at some point… the bloom is off. I eventually move onto something else.

It happens over and over again with me. I’ve done it with more than a dozen hobbies over the last decade.

On the surface, there’s no real problem here, but if you look a little closer, there really is a problem. The problem is that I tend to overspend on those hobbies when I’m really getting into the groove, convincing myself that this hobby will be a really long-term one. I’ll find every reason and every excuse possible to buy the stuff I think I need to really sink my teeth into a hobby.

It is my worst personal buying habit and it has been since we started this journey to financial independence.

The thing is, I can’t fight this with one single move.

Solution #3: I Now Actively Try Things First Using Several Smart Techniques

My strategy for handling this problem is actually made up of a handful of loose tactics.

First, I join social groups that are related to my interest. These are mostly online, but if I can find a face-to-face group via Meetup, I do that, too. I want to meet people and interact with people who are into this hobby.

I self-consciously dabble. By this, I mean that I intentionally don’t start buying things for the first month or two that I’m interested in something. Instead, I learn what I can from the outside, by reading things and listening to people and meeting them.

During that “dabble” period, I focus on the minimal stuff I would need to try out a hobby. I don’t look for the high-end gear. I look for just enough things so that I can actually participate in the hobby, but not the expensive “quality” stuff. My passion in the moment is going to overlook the low-end stuff and my common sense tells me that I’ll probably burn out.

The best part? I try to buy this “starting gear” from more experienced people. What I’ve learned is that people who are really into the hobby often have lots of beginner gear that they’ll sell to you for pennies or even lend or give to you at no cost at all. I’ve had people recently loan or give me things for making mead and for practicing calligraphy, just because I participated in the group for a while first and asked around when I was ready to buy.

Since I started following this, I’ve yet to try a new hobby where the startup expense has been significant. In fact, I’ve paid for all of my hobby “dives” with proceeds from selling equipment from older abandoned hobbies. This is a much better way to go as I get all of the thrills of diving in without all of the budgetary excuses and spending mistakes.

Misstep #4: We Kept Emergency Funds in Our Checking Account

Sarah and I are big believers in a cash emergency fund. Sometimes, life hands you lemons and you need to be prepared to do the best you can in those situations, and cash is the ultimate tool.

Many people advocate using a credit card for emergencies, but Sarah and I stick with cash because cash wins out when you’re dealing with a natural disaster, internet outages, identity theft issues, bank problems, and other things where credit cards can completely fail you. Cash is king.

Our problem was that we kept our emergency fund sitting in our checking account. Our emergency fund is roughly six months of living expenses for our family, and it sat in our checking account earning zero interest when it could have been earning at least a little bit with just a single simple move.

So we made that simple move.

Solution #4: We Moved Our Excess to Savings Except for a Reasonable Buffer

We moved our emergency fund to a proper savings account that earns a little over 1% interest on our money. While that’s not a lot of income, it is enough over the course of a year to take our family out to a few very nice dinners if we were to choose to do so.

In our checking account, we left behind a buffer that’s big enough to handle any check writing mistakes that we don’t notice, such as one of us writing a check while the other used an ATM card or something like that.

• Related: Best Savings Account in 2016

Misstep #5: We Overspent on Our Kids

Like most parents, we want our children to have the best life we can give them. Usually, that manifests itself through quality time spent with them, but when it comes to birthdays and holidays, we are both prone to opening up our wallets a bit too wide.

We don’t buy them a ridiculously large pile of presents. Our problem instead is that we buy them several very nice presents – nice sports equipment, game consoles, and so on. We sometimes run into similar issues when traveling when our children want some vacation treat.

During the rest of the year, we’re pretty good with sticking to an allowance policy, but there are times where holidays seem excessive, both in terms of our finances and the message it sends to our children. We are very cautious about having our children’s expectations raised too high.

Solution #5: We Locked Down Allowances and Minimized Gifts

Our solution to those problems is an integrated one. First of all, we stick pretty hard to our allowance policy, but we essentially “split off” a portion of their allowance for them to save for travel, so that they have money to spend on interesting things on vacations. We’ll give them a couple of dollars a week in ordinary allowance and put aside a dollar each week for their vacation spending money.

As for gift giving occasions, we’ve scaled back the number, not the quality. Our goal is usually to cap our children with three gifts per gift giving occasion with our previous standard of giving them something they actually want that’s of reasonable quality and provides some value to them.

• Related: Five Weekend Adventures That Teach Your Kids Frugality

Misstep #6: We Stayed in a Rut with Child Care Options

In 2008, I made the decision to leave my “nine-to-five” job and become self-employed. It was a tough decision, one that Sarah and I discussed quite a lot.

Initially, we tried several different strategies for child care. I was working from home and had quite a lot of flexibility with regards to my time, but I still needed to work a pretty healthy number of hours per week to fulfill all of my contracts. Meanwhile, Sarah continued to work at a job with pretty regular hours.

We eventually found an arrangement that worked fairly well and we stuck with it.

And stuck with it.

Rather than sitting down and asking ourselves whether this arrangement was really still working, we just left it in place. The best solution for us would have been for me to wake up extra early each day to write and only use child care a day or two a week, but instead we stuck with a heftier (but not full-time) schedule.

That schedule ended up costing us quite a bit of money over the years.

Eventually, when our children started reaching school age, we re-evaluated everything and came to a much better plan.

Solution #6: We Re-Evaluate Our Needs Regularly and Revisit Them Twice Annually

At this point, we’re essentially child care free except that we’re on an emergency list with one child care place. We sit down a couple of times a year – usually around the end of the calendar year and at the start and end of their summer break – and talk about what works and what doesn’t. We should have done that from the start.

Simple communication. It’s so easy to do. The trick is simply doing it, and making it meaningful and action-oriented.

• Related: An Experienced Frugal Parent’s Guide to Child Care

Misstep #7: We Were Overly Aggressive with Investment Choices

When we first made our decision about what investments to put our money into, we made the mutual decision to invest in a pretty risky fashion. We stuck to our principles of using low-cost index funds, but we intentionally selected index funds that really pushed the risk envelope.

Namely, we invested a healthy portion of our money in index funds that included international stocks.

For a long time, we contributed according to our initial plan – a 50/50 split between funds. Since 2008, though, the international funds have lagged far behind the American ones because, believe it or not, America has rebounded spectacularly well since the global financial crisis of 2008.

We’re not really worried so much about whether America or the rest of the world is the best investment, but whether America’s stability, economy, and governance really do stand out in the world.

What did we do?

Solution #7: We Reconsidered Things and Rebalanced with Later Contributions

Eventually, we sat down and had a long discussion about whether or not we wanted to invest in international funds. Did we do it simply to chase the dollars? Or did we do it for other reasons?

What we basically decided, after a lot of talking about our investing philosophy, is more of a 75/25 split, weighted more toward domestic stocks.

Rather than rebalancing by selling investments, however, we are rebalancing through further contributions. We’re basically lifting the domestic part of our investments up to 75% of our overall portfolio.

• Related: How to Choose the Right Mix of Investments for Your Personal Goals

Misstep #8: We Started Our Youngest Child’s 529 a Little Late

With our first two children, we started their 529 college savings accounts as early as we possibly could. In fact, we started it prenatally by changing the beneficiary on the account from me to them when they were born.

With our third child, however, the task of setting up the 529 account just slipped through the cracks. With two toddlers at home at the time, the pregnancy and birth and first year or so of life of our third child was very harried and the 529 setup was just something we failed to get done.

We had to make up for those lost years. How did we do it?

Solution #8: We’re Accelerating His Contributions to ‘Catch Up’

It’s pretty simple. Now that he does have a 529 account, he’s receiving contributions at a faster rate than his siblings and will probably do so for the foreseeable future. We hope to catch him up to the approximate level that his siblings were at the same age, then slow him down. We anticipate reaching that level in about two years.

For the moment, he’s receiving double the 529 contributions as his siblings.

• Related: Six Biggest Myths About 529 Plans

Misstep #9: We Kept Riding a Long-Term Goal Even as We Changed

As I alluded to earlier in this post, as Sarah and I began walking along the road to financial independence we had a lot of big plans in mind. We talked about owning a big house in the country with a huge front porch. We talked about all kinds of ideas for businesses we could run as a family. We had a lot of dreams, and those dreams steered a lot of our early choices.

But things change quietly, even as you think you’re paying attention.

Over time, Sarah came to truly love the place where we live now. She loves that our children have established some very close friendships nearby – and she has a few friendships of her own. Sarah loves the area and the sense of community that she has around here. She loves our actual house, too.

On the other hand, my feelings have moved away from a big home toward a much smaller, more minimal home. The house I would want to build would be quite small and would minimize both our stuff and our time devoted to upkeep.

The thing is, we kept talking about our big country house goal as something we still shared, even as we both drifted away from the idea.

What will we do?

Solution #9: We Question Our Big Goals Regularly, Together

For starters, we’re now talking about goals in a new way, looking at whether or not our big shared goals are still things we each individually value and not being afraid to walk away from them as we change.

This involves recognizing that I married Sarah for life, even as she changes and grows as a person. She might not have all of the same contours as the woman that I married, but the backbone inside of her, those truest of values, remain the same.

At this point, we’ve backed up a bit and don’t have a real strong goal for our future other than financial independence, so that’s what we’re working towards as quickly as possible.

Final Thoughts

Over the years, we’ve made mistakes and missteps both big and small. That’s to be expected – as humans, we do fail an awful lot. Everyone does.

The question is whether or not you pick yourself up from your mistakes, learn something from those mistakes, and move on with life in a better direction with lessons truly learned under your belt.

All I can do is hope that we’ve learned enough along the way to guide us to a good place.

Related Articles:

• 10 Money Mistakes Most 20‑Somethings Make
• 20 Common Investment Mistakes and Five Simple Steps to Avoid Them
• The Single Biggest Money Mistake People Make

The post Our Nine Biggest Missteps on the Road to Financial Independence – and How We Are Fixing Them appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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Four Best Credit Cards to Take to the Grocery Store

You may not care much about credit card rewards or think you spend enough to justify using them, but the truth is most people could benefit from a really solid rewards card. Even if you just spend money on groceries and other basics each month – and actually, especially if you buy a lot of groceries, you could rack up a ton of easy cash back in a hurry.

The best rewards credit cards for groceries let you earn anywhere from 1% to 6% back for every dollar you spend up to a certain limit, and many don’t even charge an annual fee. Unlike rewards based on travel spending or other hit-or-miss categories, we all buy food year-round — so you have little to lose by signing up for one of these cards, using it to buy your groceries, and paying it off every month before interest accrues.

The Four Best Rewards Cards for Grocery Shopping

Want to see how much you can earn? Check out these top cards for grocery spending and compare them to your average food bill. What you could be earning might surprise you.

Chase Freedom®

If you’re looking for a no-fee grocery card, the Chase Freedom® card is where it’s at. With this card, you’ll earn one point per dollar spent on all purchases, and 5 points per dollar on your first $1,500 spent in categories that rotate every quarter. Best of all, this year’s 5x bonus categories include grocery spending from April through June. By signing up for the card now, you could earn 5% back on your grocery spending until mid-summer.

With the average American family of four spending roughly $700 to $1,000 a month on groceries, you could easily end up hitting the quarterly $1,500 cap on bonus spending in just two months — and that’s a cool 7,500 in points, worth $75. It may not be a lot, but it’s free money! Here are a few of this card’s benefits you should know about:

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Another awesome grocery card is the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. With this card, you’ll earn an amazing six points per dollar on your first $6,000 in grocery spending each year. If you max that out, that’s a $360 benefit! In addition, you’ll get three points per dollar at gas stations and department stores and one point per dollar on all other purchases.

While this card does charge a $75 annual fee, it offers a $150 signup bonus after you spend just $1,000 on your card within 90 days. And if you spend a ton on groceries anyway, the fee is well worth it. A family of four spending $1,000 a month on groceries would earn $360 back on their first $6,000 spent at the grocery store, plus another $60 on the rest of their annual grocery spending. That’s more than $300 in rewards, even after the annual fee, on grocery shopping alone — not to mention the additional money back earned on gas and department store purchases.

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a no-fee rewards card that is truly ideal for grocery spending. With this card, you’ll earn three points per dollar on your first $6,000 in grocery spending each year, two points per buck spent at gas stations and select department stores, and one point on all other purchases. Plus, there’s a signup bonus.

You can redeem your points as a statement credit, and use them to purchase more groceries – or anything else your heart desires. Best of all, this card will never charge an annual fee. More details to consider:

BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Credit Card

The BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Credit Card is another card with easy-to-earn rewards on grocery spending, a healthy signup bonus, and no annual fee. By signing up, you’ll earn two points per dollar at grocery stores and three points per dollar at gas stations — on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter — plus one point per dollar on all other purchases.

You can redeem your points for cash back in the form of statement credits, and there is no need to keep track of rotating bonus categories. Here are some more details to know before you sign up:

The Bottom Line

While not everyone is interested in credit card rewards, everyone has to buy food. And if you’re spending a bundle at the grocery store each month anyway, why not earn some cash back in the process?

The best cash back cards for grocery stores make the process easy, offer a ton of rewards, and don’t charge fees or make you jump through a bunch of hoops. As long as you pay your bill in its entirety each month so you never pay interest on your purchases, this is the closest thing to “free money” you’ll ever find.

What’s your favorite credit card to use at the grocery store? Why?

Related Articles:

• Six Simple Changes to Your Grocery Routine That Can Save You a Lot of Money
• We Gave Eight Households $100 to Spend at the Grocery Store
• Best Rewards Credit Cards

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How Facebook Can Hurt Your Job Hunt (It’s Not Because of Racy Photos)

When’s the last time you Googled yourself?

The practice may feel vain and self-indulgent. But if you’re in the market for a job, it might be as necessary as updating your resume and polishing your cover letter.

You need to know the story your online presence and social media tell about you — because potential employers are probably reading it.

Over the past decade, however, that story’s importance has grown exponentially.

Employers are Checking Your Social Media

Sixty percent of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates, according to an annual CareerBuilder study. That’s up from just 11% in 2006.

Almost as many — 59% — look you up on search engines you when you apply for a job.

“Tools such as Facebook and Twitter enable employers to get a glimpse of who candidates are outside the confines of a resume or cover letter,” said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer of CareerBuilder.

We’ve heard about these practices from career professionals for years. As a result, many job seekers have dramatically limited their online presence.

The Biggest Mistake You Might Be Making Online

But if you’re hiding your personal life by guarding your online presence entirely, you could be hurting your chances with potential employers.

A surprising 41% of employers say they’re less likely to interview you if they don’t find any information about you online.

So you could be better off sharing too much than too little.

Before you panic and start reposting your Facebook photos, there’s some good news.

Most employers — 60% — are looking for information that supports your qualifications for the job… not seeking ways to incriminate you.

And the results can be positive. About one-third of employers who said they screen candidates via social networks have found information that prompted them to hire someone, including:

• Background information that supports your job qualifications
• Professionalism
• Personality that fits company culture
• Proof of a range of interests
• Great communication skills

However, 21% admit they’re looking for reasons not to hire you. And half the hiring managers who use social media to screen candidates have found something that kept them from hiring a candidate. Yikes.

But the things hiring managers cite as turn-offs in your online presence aren’t shocking:

• Provocative or inappropriate photos, videos or other information
• Drinking or drug use
• Discriminatory comments
• Talking badly about fellow employees or former company
• Poor communication skills

How to Create an Online Presence Employers Will Love

So, hiring managers are almost definitely looking you up online, and you better make sure they find something when they do.

How do you ensure they like what they find?

1. Tailor Your Online Presence to the Type of Company You Want to Work For

First, there’s no magic formula for the perfect social media presence.

It’s a reflection of your personality, so it has to fit who you are and what kind of job you want.

I, for one, wouldn’t want to work for anyone who didn’t appreciate my online candor.

Other employers lean the opposite way, you might guess, and don’t want employees who flaunt their less-professional side online.

2. Focus on LinkedIn

If you’re unsure, stick with LinkedIn for now.

Being present and active on that network can show potential employers you’re serious about your job search without revealing too much.

And there’s little chance of a tactless friend or angry cousin sullying your profile with provocative photos or comments.

3. Use Privacy Settings Strategically

If you’re more certain of your personal brand and want to let potential employers vet you on more personal sites like Facebook and Instagram, get to know their privacy features.

For example, on Facebook, you can choose post-by-post who will see your content. Be smart about the content you make public and with which groups of friends you share the most revealing posts.

4. Make Sure You’re Sharing Something

You’re probably better off being choosy and making some content public than hiding everything.

Thirty-six percent of employers who screen via social media want to get to know you so badly they’ll send you a friend request even if your account is private.

Deciding whether or not to accept could become awkward! Avoid it by keeping strategic posts public.

5. Google Yourself — Often

The best way to know what someone will find when they search your name online is to — can you guess? — search your name online.

Facebook lets you view your profile as anyone you choose. So you can see what your mom sees, what your friends see and what the public sees when they land on your profile.

Google yourself in a private or incognito window to find out what strangers might see.

You can also set up Google Alerts for your name and get a daily or weekly report of where you show up online, or search your name at IceRocket to see who’s talking about you on blogs and Twitter.

Social Media Vetting Continues to Grow

“With more and more people using social media, it’s not unusual to see the usage for recruitment to grow as well,” said Haefner.

And usage has grown year after year. The share of employers vetting through social media has gone from 11% in 2006 to 22% in 2008 to 52% just last year.

As we all pour more of our time, personalities and history into our online presence, we can only expect those numbers to continue to grow.

Whether you’re actively seeking a job now or not, stay aware of the story you’re presenting — so it doesn’t come around to bite you when it’s too late.

Your Turn: Have you been accepted or denied from a job opportunity because of social media?

Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s written for Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer’s Digest and more, attempting humor wherever it’s allowed (and sometimes where it’s not).

The post How Facebook Can Hurt Your Job Hunt (It’s Not Because of Racy Photos) appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Slowdown in annual house price growth

Hannah Nemeth

lower-house-prices.jpg

House price growth in the UK slowed down in the year April, according to the UK’s largest building society.

House price growth in the UK slowed down in the year April, according to the UK’s largest building society.

Nationwide found that house prices in April rose by 4.9% year on year - down from an annual growth of 5.7% in the year to March.

read more

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3 Smart Money Moves to Make After You Get a Raise

Did you just negotiate a killer raise? Or receive a long-sought-after promotion?

First, congratulations!

Second, kudos on the boost to your bank account. That can be a game-changer, if you manage it wisely.

Third, we’ve got a little homework to give you. Sorry, not sorry; you’ll thank us later.

After you’ve properly celebrated — you deserve to! — take a moment to look at your new and improved finances, and make these smart money moves recommended by Wise Bread.

They’ll ensure you continue to make the most of every dollar, even as those dollars increase.

1. Revisit Your Taxes

Take a look at whether or not you should update your W-4 to adjust your tax withholding with your new salary.

Use the IRS Withholding Calculator to ensure your withholding covers the taxes you owe, so you don’t end up with a surprise bill next April.

2. Budget for Additional Costs

If you’ve earned a promotion, your workload may shift considerably — which could come with increased costs.

If you lose flexibility in your workday or need to work longer hours, you may need to spend more money on food while you’re away from home.

You may have to pay more for child care, transportation or parking. Factor these new costs into your budget along with your increased income.

Also consider which new costs may be tax-deductible!

3. Request a Credit Limit Increase

Your higher income could make you eligible for a higher credit limit. Contact your credit card issuer to request the increase.

Avoid increasing your actual spending on your credit cards, and the credit limit increase will have a positive impact on your credit score.

For more tips on what to do about money after you receive a promotion, read the full list.

Your Turn: Have you recently gotten a raise? Did you consider any of these money moves?

Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s written for Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer’s Digest and more, attempting humor wherever it’s allowed (and sometimes where it’s not).

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Find out how to save thousands with the May edition of Moneywise

Helen Knapman

June_mag_fan.jpg

Grab a copy of the May edition of Moneywise, which is on sale in WH Smith stores now, for the latest tips and tricks to save thousands.

Grab a copy of the May edition of Moneywise, which is on sale in WH Smith stores now, for the latest tips and tricks to save thousands.

For £3.95, we rundown the 10 cost cutting apps that can save you £3,000 a year, and fill you in on eight easy ways to earn an extra £1,000.

read more

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The Ultimate Guide to Saving Money at Meijer With mPerks

In many ways, clipping coupons is a hobby like any other.

It’s a learned skill that gets better with practice. Some people don’t bother with it at all, while others make it into something like an extreme sport.

The thing is, couponing is maybe the only hobby — at least the only legal one — where the sole purpose is to get you free money.

Yes, you can sell your knitted goods on Etsy or take your figure skating passion pro… but coupons are free money. It’s a waste not to at least try to take advantage of them.

How Meijer mPerks Helps You Save Money Every Time You Shop

No matter where you fall on the couponing spectrum, it’s always nice when a store makes saving money just a little bit easier.

So we love Midwestern superstore Meijer’s mPerks system, which tracks in-store rewards, coupons and savings with just the click of a mouse or flick of a smartphone screen.

Here’s how to use Meijer mPerks.

1. Sign Up

Signing up is quick and easy — just input your name, email address, password and zip code.

You’ll give the system your phone number and create a PIN to make it easy to access rewards in store — no complicated password memorization necessary!

P.S.: We love that mPerks leaves their email and text alert subscription options UNCHECKED by default! We see your respect toward our Inbox Zero aspirations, Meijer, and thank you.

Prudent Penny Hoarders should go ahead and check at least one of those boxes —  signing up for store newsletters is a surefire way to land exclusive savings, deals, and freebies.

2. Personalize Your Rewards

Meijer offers a unique savings opportunity to shoppers in its personalized rewards.

It’s simple, really: Just choose one of the personalized rewards options.

If you spend the set amount on the category within the reward’s time parameters, you’ll receive a coupon for goodies like percentages off your next shopping trip.

For instance, I chose the Fresh Fruit personalized reward.

If I purchase $25 worth of fresh fruit over the next four weeks, I’ll earn $3 off my next shopping trip.

Since I’ll probably spend $25 on produce THIS WEEK alone, this reward is basically guaranteed cash back — just for buying what was already on my shopping list.

You can choose up to three rewards categories, which span everything from electronics to brand-specific rewards — current campaigns include Purina and Unilever.

There’s even a “total purchase” reward: Spend $200 in four weeks to get $7 back.

You spend $50 per week on groceries, right?

Bam. Free money.

3. Fill Your Prescriptions

Under the “Rewards” category of mPerks, you’ll notice a pharmacy sub-tab.

If you regularly fill prescriptions, you’ll definitely want to click on that to get more free stuff.

When you fill five prescriptions at Meijer, you earn a credit you can apply toward a variety of valuable rewards.

For instance, two credits are good for 10% off your grocery, health and beauty product total, or $20 off your entire shopping total next time you come into the store.

Looks like your medicine is good for you… and your wallet.

4. Clip Coupons

Put the scissors down.

Using mPerks, you can now digitally clip coupons. When you enter your mPerks rewards number in the store, the coupons automatically apply to your order.

The digital clipping system itself is awesome — the site recommends coupons based on your shopping habits, and you can also search for coupons by name.

If you see a coupon you’re not interested in, you can let the system know it’s not for you with the “No Thanks” button.

So, you’ll optimize which coupons you see and save time you would’ve spent raking through extraneous deals you don’t want to clip.

5. Pay the Smart Way

Penny Hoarding advice worth repeating: You can make any deal better by stacking it.

Even if you don’t hold Meijer’s proprietary mCard, pay for your groceries with a cash-back rewards credit card to automatically make back a fraction of each dollar you spend.

You can also use sites like Raise to find discounted gift cards that shave just a little bit more off your total purchase price.

But if you are an mCard holder, you’re in luck.

Cardholders accrue points as they spend with their mCards, and you’ll eventually unlock awesome rewards like 15% off total general merchandise and 5% off grocery, health and beauty care.

The card has other rewards, too, like saving you 5 cents a gallon at every Meijer gas station and granting you access to special event days with exclusive savings.

You’ll also get 10% off your first purchase on your new card — so save it for a big one!

6. Stay Organized and Up to Date

Since you’ve already set aside the scissors, it’s time to wave goodbye to the coupon binder, too. And your clunky handwritten shopping list, while you’re at it.

Keep track of your clipped coupons, rewards you’ve earned and rewards in progress in your mPerks digital wallet.

There’s even a built-in shopping list app, and you can either print your list or share it via email.

You can even enable digital receipts to generate digital copies of the shopping receipts you accrue over time, so you can keep tabs on your spending without accumulating a bunch of paper.

The system will also track your total Meijer spending — and savings. Just look for your to-date savings in the upper right corner of the interface.

7. Save Money… AND Time!

MPerks makes it easy to save money every time you shop at Meijer — and you don’t have to factor in an extra hour a week to search the circular and cut along the dotted lines.

Heck, you can even retroactively apply your mPerks rewards toward purchases if you accidentally forget your rewards number in the store.

Clearly, Meijer WANTS to help you save…

And why should you deny them?

Your Turn: Do you use Meijer’s mPerks system?

Jamie Cattanach (@jamiecattanach) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She also writes other stuff, like wine reviews and poems.

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How to Combat Work-at-home Stress

By Robert Parmer April is National Stress Awareness Month meaning that stress and its occurrence in our lives should be at the forefront of our minds. While working from home can equate to desired levels of flexibility and autonomy, it typically requires a careful balancing act. Many people love the opportunities associated with working from home […]

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