Mount Airy slots show gains in April

Pennsylvania slots revenue inched up by 1.5 percent in April.The state’s 12 casinos brought in $209 million last month, $3 million more than in April 2015.Mount Airy exceeded the state gain, with revenues rising 3.75 percent to $16.5 million last month.Four of the state’s casinos were in negative territory in April, led by Harrah's Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack, down 1.8 percent to $18.8 million. Harrah’s has a Category 1 “racino” [...]

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This Simple Strategy Could Help You Make a Huge Career Change

Ready to kick off a new career?

Whether you’re finishing school, returning to the workforce or just really need to shake things up, a part-time job on the side of your classes or regular gig could be your ticket to ride.

But how can you leverage a side job into a meaningful experience?

About 5% of Americans have more than one job, and the reasons are as varied as snowflake shapes. Sometimes, it’s a matter of making ends meet. If you’re taking on a second gig to earn more spending money or as a path to pay down debt, you may as well have a good time.

But more often than not, a second job can help boost your career prospects just as much as it puts extra money in your pocket.

If you have larger career goals, put on your thinking cap before you start filling out applications.

What Should You Do as a Second Job?

“The key to finding a lucrative side-gig is really to tap into what you’re good at, and it doesn’t have to be something traditionally professional,” said Kimberly Palmer, author of “The Economy of You” and the recent “Smart Mom, Rich Mom: How to Build Wealth While Raising a Family.”

One way to figure out a good option for you, she advised, is to think about what people often ask you for advice about — then tap into that skill.

Starting a Career? Kick Butt in Your Part-Time Job

“I started part-time with a furniture company while in college, literally sweeping floors,” explained Mike McCann, a South Carolina-based marketer and strategist.

He eventually became VP of operations at the same small furniture company.

How? A little luck, and a lot of hustle.

“I had no clue what I wanted to do when I got to school,” said McCann, who majored in business and played football. “I didn’t have much vision beyond what my four years on the field would be like.”

His job as a small-business assistant, “Was simply what was available to me, and I had no intentions of going into that industry.“

As McCann developed various skills, the husband-and-wife team who ran the company noticed he had a knack for the business.

“I told them I wanted to be a part of the company and be a part of it in a big way,” McCann said, recalling dreaming of leaving the floor-sweeping task behind.

After he graduated, they created a role just for him.

Taking ownership can be a major key to career development, even if the boss at your part-time job doesn’t realize you’re in it for the long haul.

“I stuck close to my bosses… and did my best to prove to them that I could handle whatever was thrown my way,” McCann said.

I acted as if I was an owner of the business even though I wasn’t.

He showed he could be trusted with increasingly complex tasks, even though he was young.

“Where I made a name for myself was doing things that weren’t in my job description,” McCann said. “I didn’t wait for someone to tell me what to do.”

He progressed through the ranks, becoming sales manager, store manager, director of corporate expansion, general manager and VP of operations, before eventually leaving the company to start his own marketing business.

And remember, even the least glamorous of jobs — like sweeping floors — can have benefits, even if they’re not a perfect career fit.

“There is almost always an opportunity to learn and grow as a person and discover more about yourself and the kind of work you want (and don’t want) to be doing,” Palmer said.

“Even your worst jobs can usually end up teaching you something, or at least motivating you to move in a different direction.”

Trying to Hop Careers? Look to Part-Time Work as a Stepping Stone

A part-time gig can help you ease into a career transition without having to plan for time lost in “funemployment.”

The closer you can get to your desired field while taking on a side hustle, the better. If you want to work in fashion design, a retail gig is a natural fit.

Waiting tables, for instance, isn’t as ideal for building skills in visual merchandising (although it may be great for tips).

But if your ideal part-time job isn’t available, you can still make the most of the experience.

Monster.com contributor Susan Kennedy reminds those looking for a full-time career not to undersell the skills they’ve refined in a part-time job.

A retail job, where you need to excel at communication, customer service, sales and problem solving, translates nicely into a career in accounting or finance.

Have you worked as a landscaper? You have attention to detail, and you can probably rattle off examples of teamwork. It’ll be easy to translate those skills to customer service, advertising or sales jobs.

You may have to start at the bottom when you look for a full-time position in your newly chosen career path. But any chance you have to remind potential employers of applicable skills can help you advance more quickly.

A word of warning: Don’t get lazy about it.

Keep your day job, moonlighting gig and your long-term career dreams separate, for the security of all three.

“One big risk is spending so much time on your side gig that you start to focus less on your full-time job, which can mean you end up losing it before you wanted to,” Palmer cautioned.

“It’s important to avoid conflicts of interest and to focus on work when you’re being paid to be there.”

Want to Start a Business? Here’s What to Do First

“A side gig is such a great way to test out your new career move,” Palmer said.

“If you want to be a full-time entrepreneur, you can start selling your product or service on a small scale while still holding onto your regular job. A side gig helps ease that transition.”

When I got laid off from a job and decided I wanted to open a vintage clothing shop, I turned to a local boutique owner I knew for advice.

She offered me a part-time role in her shop, where I performed typical tasks like ringing up sales, assisting customers, and yes, sweeping the floors.

Working in the shop was more than just a paycheck to keep me afloat as I figured out my plans: It was like small-business boot camp.

I learned about how to select merchandise to cater to different types of customers. I saw firsthand the challenges of running a popular neighborhood shop. And I just started dipping my toes into the world of business regulation.

You can read business books all day, but until you see the type you want to start in action, the knowledge doesn’t really click into place.

Your Turn: What benefits have you leveraged from a part-time job?

Lisa Rowan is a writer, editor and podcaster living in Washington, D.C.

The post This Simple Strategy Could Help You Make a Huge Career Change appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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The Top 10 Best Life Insurance Companies in the United States

Determining who offers the best life insurance is not always a black and white answer. While you can get quotes from all of the top rated life insurance companies you may never know if you are getting the best company for your specific situation. At Good Financial Cents we pride ourselves in connecting people with the insurance company that best meets their specific needs.

The purchase of life insurance can be one of the biggest decisions you ever make. Having this important coverage, and getting the right type of life insurance, can ensure that those you love and care about the most will be able to move forward financially – even in the event of unexpected and emotional circumstances.

Not having to drastically change their lifestyle or go into deep financial debt is one of the best gifts you can give your family in the event of your death. As a result, choosing the right amount of coverage and the best life insurance company for your needs is essential. With so much on the line, you don’t want to buy an insufficient amount of coverage, or purchase a type of coverage that isn’t ideal for your family.

Deciding on the Best Life Insurance Company for Your Coverage

Today, there are literally hundreds of insurance companies to choose from – and each may have its own unique blend of products and services. So, how can you best narrow down which of these are the very best companies for your specific coverage needs and goals?

Without being directly involved in the insurance industry on a regular basis, it can be difficult to determine which insurers are sound, and which should be avoided. The good news is that we work with numerous insurers, and we’ve done a great deal of the research for you – so you don’t have to. This can save you a considerable amount of time in deciphering which insurers to lean towards.

Good Financial Cents Top 10 Life Insurance Companies

Given the numerous facts and figures, there are many good companies active in the market. However, from our experience there are ten that seem to stand out the most in terms of product offerings, customer service, and overall financial strength and stability.

The best life insurance companies usually offer a wide array of products to choose from and exceptional customer service, and have flawless reputations built on years of experience and positive results.

Although the best company and policy will vary from person to person, we have poured through some of the details for you to come up with a list of our top picks. These companies, while diverse in their offerings and history, offer some of the most affordable, helpful and best life insurance products on the market. Among all the competition, here are the companies that stand out:

Click on the company links to go to a corresponding short review

• Banner Life
• AIG
• Prudential
• MetLife
• Voya Financial
• Mutual of Omaha
• Genworth Financial
• New York Life Insurance Company
• Transamerica
• Lincoln Financial Group

Best Life Insurance Companies to Consider in 2016

Without being directly involved in the insurance industry on a regular basis, it can be difficult to determine which insurers are sound, and which should be avoided. The good news is that we work with numerous insurers, and we’ve done a great deal of the research for you – so you don’t have to. This can save you a considerable amount of time in deciphering which insurers to lean towards.

Want to know more about each of the companies we work closely with? Here is a rundown of some of the important details about all of our top picks:

Banner

One of the top insurers includes Banner Life Insurance. This company is a leader in the area of both products offered, as well as its stellar customer service. The company has been operating since 1949, and it currently holds approximately $415 billion in premiums in force.

Although Banner Life offers predominantly term and universal life products, the unique features that are inclusive within these offerings make this a company to pay attention to. For example, with Banner Life Insurance Company’s term policy, individuals can apply up to age 95. This is a far cry from most other insurers that make the cut off age 65 or 75.

Banner Life possesses high ratings from the various agencies, including an A+ from A.M. Best, an AA- from Standard & Poor’s, and an A from Fitch Ratings. The company also has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Get more information on the history and offerings with our review of Banner Life Insurance Company.

AIG

Strengths

AIG is great at rating people who are borderline for pushing into a different rate class, due to their weight.

Here is a real life example of a 37 year old male who weight 215 lbs and is six feet tall. With Banner he was rated as a preferred policy, but AIG rated him as preferred plus saving him $3,312 over the life of the policy he chose.

$1,000,000 Policy	20 Year Term	30 Year Term
Banner	$64.22/month	$107.97/month
AIG	$47.92/month	$87.71/month
Annual Savings	$195.60	$243.12
Total Policy Savings	$3,312.00	$7,293.60

AIG, or American International Group, is generally considered the world’s largest insurance organization. The company has more than 90 million clients in more than 100 countries, many of whom hold life insurance policies with the oganization. The firm has been in operation for more than 95 years, beginning its operation in 1919.

This insurer offers a wide variety of insurance products to choose from, including term, whole, universal, index universal, and variable universal life insurance. AIG’s term policies typically range in length from 10 to 30 years, and frequently increase in 5-year increments.

AIG is very strong when it comes to financial stability and claims paying reputation, having been granted high marks from the ratings agencies. AIG Life and Retirement, the division responsible for the company’s life insurance policies, has obtained an A+ from Standard & Poor’s, an A2 from Moody’s, an A+ from Fitch, and an A from A.M. Best. Get a better understanding with our review of AIG and their history.

Prudential

Strengths

Prudential is the top company for people who use chewing tobacco. This is because they do not rate chewing tobacco users for smokers rates.

Here is a real life example of a 37 year old male who is six feet tall. He saved a HUGE amount of money by being placed with the best life insurance company for his needs.

$1,000,000 Policy	20 Year Term	30 Year Term
AIG	$214.00/month	$366.24/month
Prudential	$103.05/month	$147.15/month
Annual Savings	$1,331.40	$2,629.08
Total Policy Savings	$26,628.00	$78,872.40

Another of the long-standing top life insurance companies is Prudential. This large insurer and financial company has been in operation for almost 140 years, and has helped both individual and business clients to grow and prosper financially. The firm has customers worldwide. At present, Prudential has approximately $1.160 trillion in assets under management.

The company offers a number of different policy options to choose from, including both term and permanent coverage. Permanent coverage from Prudential includes universal, indexed universal, variable universal, and survivorship universal life insurance.

Prudential possesses very high ratings from the life insurer ratings agencies, obtaining an A+ from A.M. Best, an AA- from Standard & Poor’s, an A1 from Moody’s, and an A+ rating from Fitch Ratings. Get a better understanding the company and their products with our Prudential review.

Met Life

MetLife is considered to be one of the leading global providers of life insurance and annuities. The company holds a leading market position in both the United States, as well as across the globe. This firm also has a long history, beginning its operations more than 140 years ago.

The company provides a number of different policy options, including term, whole life, universal, variable, and survivorship plans. MetLife also offers a simplified issue term life insurance option whereby there is no medical exam required for underwriting. This can be a good option for those who have health related issues, or who fear needles and wish not to undergo a blood test for underwriting purposes. MetLife has very positive ratings from the ratings agencies, including an A+ from A.M. Best, an AA- from Fitch, an Aa3 from Moody’s Investors Service, and a AA- from Standard & Poor’s. Learn more about Met Life and their services in our MetLife Review.

Voya Financial

Formerly known as ING, Voya Financial is a very strong insurance and financial contender in today’s industry. The company is made up of premier insurance, investment, and retirement companies, and it serves roughly 13 million individual and business customers in the United States. Voya provides a wide array of coverage, including term life, universal life, indexed universal life, variable universal life, and survivorship policies.

The company currently has approximately $519 billion in total assets under management, and it is considered to be one of the top five retirement plan providers based on the number of plans, participants, and assets. Voya is also considered to be a top tier provider, according to LIMRA’s second quarter 2014 Final Premium Reporting.

Voya Insurance and Annuity Company has received very high marks from the insurance company ratings agencies. These consist of an A from A.M. Best, an A- from Fitch, an A3 from Moody’s, and an A- from Standard & Poor’s. Learn more about their history and financial stability in our Voya review.

Mutual of Omaha

Mutual of Omaha has been serving customers in the life insurance arena for more than a century. Not to be outdone by the others on this list, it too provides a wide variety of products to choose from, including term, whole life, universal life, and accidental death.

The company provides easy to follow steps on its website to help consumers determine how much coverage they may need, as well as how long they may expect to live. There are also calculators to help in determining how long life insurance proceeds may last. Mutual has earned it best life insurance company status from the ratings agencies due to its financial strength and claims paying history. Learn more about the company in our review of Mutual of Omaha.

Genworth Financial

Genworth is yet another of the financial giants that can be relied upon for coverage if or when it may be needed. The company has been in operation since 1871, and at present it possesses more than $100 billion in assets. Genworth has a presence in more than 25 countries worldwide.

The firm’s life insurance product selection includes term life, whole, guarantee universal, and index universal life plans. Term policies can range between 10 and 30 years in length. Due to its past stellar claims paying ability and tremendous financial strength, Genworth has earned top ratings from the ratings agencies, including an A from A.M. Best. However, in more recent times, Genworth has had some policy rate increases, and is currently under review by some of the ratings agencies. Learn more in our review of Genworth Financial.

New York Life Insurance Company

New York Life Insurance company began its operation almost 170 years ago. Since that time, the insurer has built up its assets under management to more than $425 billion. It serves policy holders in both the United States and around the world. The policies that are offered by New York Life includes term, whole life, universal life and variable life.

New York Life Insurance is extremely strong financially, obtaining an A++ from A.M. Best, an AA+ from Standard & Poor’s, a AAA from Fitch, and a Aaa from Moody’s Investor Services. Get a more detailed review of New York Life Insurance Company.

Transamerica

Strengths

Transamerica will issues 30 year term polices up to age 58. Most companies will not issue a 30 year term policy on an person seeking life insurance who is over 50.

Transamerica began its operation more than 111 years ago, and today it has grown substantially into a financial and insurance powerhouse. It’s life insurance company boasts an A+ rating from A.M. Best, an A1 from Moody’s, an AA- from Fitch, and a AA- from Standard & Poor’s. Get free quotes by using the form on this page or learn more with our Transamerica review.

Lincoln Financial Group

Lincoln Financial Group has a more than 100 year history of serving its customers. The firm provides numerous coverage options, including term, universal, and variable universal life insurance coverage. The company also has a combination life / long-term care option whereby a policy holder can use a universal policy as an alternative to purchasing a stand-alone long-term care insurance policy.

The Lincoln Life and Annuity Company possesses very high ratings from the insurance company rating agencies. These include an A+ from A.M. Best, a AA- from Standard & Poor’s, an A1 from Moody’s, and an A+ from Fitch. See our detailed review of Lincoln Financial Group.

Best Life Insurance Companies Honorable Mentions

The companies here didn’t make our list of top 10 for various reasons, but they do deserve to be mentioned because they represent some of the strongest names in the industry.  The truth is that, for any individual, any of the insurance companies that have good financial ratings and customer service could offer the best life insurance policy for that individual.  Each link will take you to a review of the individual company.

• AARP – Works with New York Life to provide coverage to seniors.
• American National – Top provider of no medical exam policies
• Gerber Life Insurance Company – Great at offering affordable guaranteed issue policies
• Globe Life Insurance – Offers the best small simplified issue policies
• John Hancock Life Insurance Company –
• Minnesota Life – Awesome at rating people who have recently stopped smoking
• Principal Financial Group Life Insurance Company – One of the few that will offer a no exam policy up to $1 million
• Sagicor Life Insurance Company – Offers great no exam term policies and guaranteed issue universal life.
• SBLI – Great for annual premium prices and variety of lengths of term life insurance
• State Farm – If you already have homeowners/renters and auto insurance with them they offer great bundling of policies.

How to Determine a Company’s Strength

In order to determine how strong an insurer is financially, you’ll want to do some basic research and view each provider’s insurance “report card.” If you’re wondering what an insurance report card is, it is jargon used to describe the ratings that are assigned to an insurer by the insurance ratings agencies. While there are five major insurance ratings agencies, each insurer must be rated by at least one of these entities.

As you conduct your research, you should know that the ratings agencies to check with include A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, Fitch Ratings, and TheStreet.com. While each of these agencies ranks insurers using their own set of criteria, they all use a letter grading system that is similar to a report card grading system.

Rankings are based upon an insurance company’s overall financial strength, as well as its history of claims paying ability to its policy holders. In many ways, this data can be indicative of an insurer’s future ability to pay claims going forward. In most cases, it is best for consumers who are considering the purchase of an insurance policy to stick with insurance companies that are rated with a grade of A or better.

After all, you want to purchase the best life insurance you can find with a company that will be solvent ten, twenty, or even thirty years from now. The best way to identify companies with a solid future is to investigate their past and compare their ratings to other companies that offer similar products.

Best Life Insurance Companies by Category

One of the most important factors in finding the best life insurance policy for your needs is getting matched up with a company that will treat your specific case the most favorably. Beside working with an independent agent, here are the companies that tend to treat a specific category more favorably.

Best Life Insurance Companies for Smokers

Banner Life AND Prudential (Pruco) – Banner Life tops our list of the best life insurance companies for smokers. But not far behind Banner is Prudential.

Banner Life is an excellent company to purchase term life insurance through in general. They are usually among the least expensive on premiums, and often THE least expensive. And writing policies for smokers seems to be their niche.

Banner has been around since 1949, and is a part of Legal & General Group Plc, a UK-based financial services company. Banner is also the parent company of its often better-known subsidiary, William Penn Life Insurance of New York. The company has more than $5.7 billion in assets and over $587 billion of life insurance in force.

Banner offers you both preferred tobacco and standard tobacco ratings on their policies. So while you will pay a higher life insurance premium as a smoker than a non-smoker will, you’ll still pay less for a policy with Banner than just about any other top 10 life insurance companies.

Company Ratings:

A.M. Best: A+ (Superior)

Moody’s: N/A

Fitch: N/A

Standard & Poor’s: AA- (Very Strong)

Best Life Insurance for Diabetics

American General – Part of the AIG family, American General gets our vote at the top of the list of diabetic friendly carriers. But also on the list is Banner Life.

American General has been in business since 1850 and serves more than 12 million customers in the US, and more than 88 million worldwide. Based in Houston, the company also includes United States Life Insurance Company in New York City.

In general, American General is one of the very best insurance companies for high-risk applicants. But they are especially strong in underwriting policies for those who have type 2 diabetes.

The company offers term policies of the longer term nature, running as long as 30 years. They also offer an accelerated death benefit rider that enables you to receive at least some of your insurance proceeds while you are still alive, and if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness. This can help to provide you with important living benefits that will help you to pay at least some of your medical bills and other expenses.

Like many of the top life insurance companies that offer more liberal underwriting guidelines with certain high-risk applicants, American General is tougher if your profile involves other risks. This is particularly true with certain non-health related risks. According to Insurance4Diabetics.com, American General can be a difficult company to work with if you have a recent bankruptcy or DUI/DWI episode. They are also tough on anyone with a felony charge, particularly if the charge is related to either sexual assault or drugs.

Overall, however, American General offers competitive pricing, flexible underwriting, and a well-deserved reputation for excellent customer service.

Company Ratings:

A.M. Best: A (Excellent)

Moody’s: A2 (Good)

Fitch: A+ (Strong)

Standard & Poor’s: A+ (Strong)

Best Life Insurance Carrier for Cancer Survivors

Prudential (Pruco) – Prudential takes the top spot on our list for the best life carriers for cancer survivors.

Prudential is one of the best-known of all insurance companies, and that’s for good reason. The company works to be a top performer in different market niches, the kind that other insurance companies prefer to avoid. Prudential not only tends to be more liberal in underwriting policies for cancer survivors, but also for people with diabetes and DUI histories. This makes sense because there are tens of millions of people in the US who have one of those situations in their histories.

As you would expect, premiums will be higher for cancer survivors than they will be for people who have not experienced the disease, even with a policy issued by Prudential. The type of cancer, as well as how long it is been in remission are also factors. But if you are a cancer survivor, looking to get best life insurance premiums possible, Prudential is the place to start your search.

Company Ratings:

A.M. Best: A+ (Superior)

Moody’s: A1 (Good)

Fitch: A+ (Strong)

Standard & Poor’s: AA- (Very Strong)

Best Life Insurance Company for Five Year Term Policies

Minnesota Life – We consider this to be the top life insurance company when it comes to five-year term policies.

Minnesota Life is part of Securian, which was founded in 1880 and is one of the most highly rated insurance companies among the third-party rating services. Securian is the fourth largest direct writer of group life insurance, which may help to explain why the company is so price competitive when it comes to five-year term policies.

Including Minnesota Life, the company provides services for over 15 million people and have over $1 trillion of policies in force.

Minnesota life is one of the few companies that will even write a five-year term policy, or even offer a quote for a price. Consumers can save money with a five-year policy, compared to what they would have to pay out on a ten year policy when they only need five.

This can also be the perfect kind of temporary life insurance to cover a loan with a duration of five years or less, including and especially business loans.

Company Ratings:

A.M. Best: A+ (Superior)

Moody’s: Aa3 (Excellent)

Fitch: AA- (Very Strong)

Standard & Poor’s: A+ (Strong)

Best Life Insurance Company for Overweight/Obesity

Genworth – We consider this company to be the top source for policies on people who are overweight or obese – a.k.a., larger build. With 69% of the US adult population classified as overweight, including 35% as obese this is one of the most important specializations.

Genworth is a large, diversified financial services company that writes a lot of policies, but it isn’t exactly well-known among the general public. However, the company has been around since 1871 and now has more than $100 billion in assets and more than $700 billion or premiums in force.

Genworth tends to take a more liberal stance in regard to weight than most other companies do. This is important because weight, often measured by body mass index or BMI, is one of the most important underwriting criteria. Genworth has a history of assigning a “preferred plus” rating to people who are overweight, and “standard risk” to many people who are obese. This is not typical outcome throughout the industry.

A 55-year-old male – 6 feet tall can get a preferred rate weighing as much as 242 pounds. Once the man hits age 65, he can weigh as much as 258 pounds with the same rating. With most other insurance companies, the weight limits would be significantly lower than these in either case.

Company Ratings:

A.M. Best: A- (Excellent)

Moody’s: Baa1 (Adequate)

Fitch: N/A

Standard & Poor’s: BBB- (Good)

Best No Medical Exam Life Insurance Company

American National Insurance Company (ANICO) – ANICO gets our vote as the top company on the list of the best carriers for no medical exam policies.

Founded in 1905 and based in Galveston, Texas, ANICO provides services for more than 5 million policyholders in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia.

The company offers several of the best life insurance policies with no medical exam, including a term life policy and a whole life policy. This includes the Freedom Term Life Insurance plan, that offers policy amounts up to $250,000 and terms ranging from 10 years to 30 years.

They also offer the ValueGuard Whole Life Insurance plan, with face amounts of up to $150,000.

And if you are looking for a policy that provides a death benefit, and not only has no medical exam requirement – but also doesn’t ask any health questions at all – they have their Legacy Whole Life Insurance plan. This is a guaranteed issue whole life policy that provides coverage for a face amount of up to $25,000. It is available for those between the ages of 50 and 80, and offers a fixed death benefit, with fixed premiums.

One downside to this policy – though it is common for the policy type – is that it has a two year graded death benefit. This means that if you die within the first two years after the policy is issued, you will be entitled to a return of the premiums paid (up to 110%) but not the death benefit itself.

No medical exam policies are an excellent choice if you would prefer to avoid the exam for any reason. But they do cost more in premiums on a per thousand basis than fully underwritten policies do. In addition, they usually have strict limits on the amount of the death benefit. So for example, if you decided you need a policy with a death benefit of $1 million, a no medical exam policy probably will not work for you.

But if you want this kind of policy, ANICO is the best life insurance company to get it through.

Company Ratings:

A.M. Best: A (Excellent)

Moody’s: N/A

Fitch: N/A

Standard & Poor’s: A (Strong)

Types of Life Insurance to Consider

Once you realize the importance of life insurance, your next step is figuring out which type of coverage to buy. Although individual life insurance products can run the gamut, most life insurance policies are offered in one of four ways – either as term life, whole life, universal life, or variable life. Although there are many variables that can occur within each of these insurance “types,” each can be described as follows:

Term Life Insurance

A term life insurance policy works exactly how it sounds; after purchasing coverage, or committing to pay for coverage on a regular basis, you receive life insurance for a certain number of years, or a “term.” Most people buy term life insurance to cover their working years, or any term between ten years or thirty years. It all depends on their needs. Because term life insurance doesn’t include an investment component, it is almost always the most affordable coverage you can buy. One major benefit of term life insurance is that your premium shouldn’t change while your policy is in force. Once you “lock it in,” you can count on those premiums for the duration of your policy.

The ideal customer for term life insurance is:

• Someone who wants to protect their family from financial losses during their working years
• An individual who only needs coverage for a specific length of time (i.e. thirty years)

Who should pass:

• Individuals who want life insurance that will never expire
• People who want to purchase a life insurance policy that will build cash value

Whole Life

Whole life also works similarly to its namesake; after you purchase a plan or commit to funding one, you receive life insurance coverage for your entire lifetime. This coverage, which is commonly referred to as permanent life insurance, adds an investment component as well. Where your plan secures life insurance coverage meant to provide for your family in the event of your death, your plan also builds cash value from investments made by your life insurance company. While your monthly premium usually won’t change with whole life, you can generally borrow against the cash value of your policy with favorable terms.

The ideal customer for whole life insurance is:

• Someone who wants to purchase life insurance coverage that will never expire
• Someone who wants a policy that will build cash value they can borrow against

Who should pass:

• Someone who wants the most affordable premiums money can buy
• Anyone who only needs life insurance for a limited term, or length of time

According to BurialInsurancePlans.org, a whole life policy helps you be the most certain that you will have coverage no matter what. Even if it is a smaller burial policy instead of the full blown large death benefit.

Universal Life

Universal life works similarly to whole life insurance in the fact that it provides permanent life insurance coverage that will never expire. However, it combines this coverage with in an investment component as well. Adding complexity to the way universal life insurance works is the fact that this type of coverage offers flexible premiums – as in, the amount you pay into your policy can fluctuate from year to year. Because of the way the investment component of universal life insurance works, however, your policy may build more cash value some years than others.

The ideal customer for universal life insurance is:

• Anyone who wants flexibility in their premiums and death benefit
• Someone who wants a permanent death benefit that will never expire

Who should pass:

• Someone who wants fixed premiums and a fixed death benefit
• Someone who wants to keep their premiums on the affordable side

Variable Life

Variable life insurance is another form of permanent life insurance that offers an investment component that builds cash value. Because variable life insurance allows you to allocate a portion of your premiums to a separate investment account, this type of life insurance is generally more expensive than other types of coverage. Due to the way these policies are set up, consumers can decide when to pay higher premiums for a higher death benefit within certain limits. Since you can generally choose from a variety of investments within the investment component of your coverage and returns are never guaranteed, variable life insurance is regulated under federal securities laws.

The ideal customer for variable life is:

• Someone who wants to participate in various investment opportunities without being taxed on their earnings
• Anyone who wants the potential for higher returns, but doesn’t mind the risk of losses

Who should pass:

• Individuals who just want life insurance for a fixed length of time, usually ten, twenty, or thirty years
• People who prefer not to take on any risk

Your New Life Insurance Policy: How and Where to Purchase Coverage

If you are ready to buy a policy from one of the best life insurance companies or haven’t reviewed your life insurance in a while, we can help. I have partnered with Root Financial, a top independent agent who works with all of the top insurers in the market place today, and can get you all of the information that you need in order to make an informed buying decision.

You can obtain pertinent details on policy features and premium price, as well as compare the plans of various carriers. Best of all, any information you need can be obtained quickly and easily, directly from your computer and without the need to meet with an insurance agent.

Ready to get started? Let us take care of the details. All you need to do is:

• Scan the left side of this page to find the form that says “compare quotes.”
• Fill out the form to the best of your ability, adding your personal details along with the type of coverage you’re interested in.
• Include accurate contact information so that an agent can get ahold of you if absolutely necessary.

If you have any additional questions regarding which of the best life insurance companies might be best for your needs, or about how you can obtain life insurance quotes, start by filling out the form on this page. If you need to discuss a specific medical condition with an agent, on the other hand, you will be contacted and receive answers to any of the questions or concerns that you may have.

Purchasing life insurance can seem absolutely overwhelming at times, and that’s especially true when you’re considering different types of coverage with more than one provider. By highlighting the best life insurance companies on the market today, we hope to minimize your research and help you find the best company for your needs.

With your family’s financial security on the line, reading through these crucial details and conducting some research on your own is an excellent use of your time. And if you need help, all you have to do is ask.

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The Genius Way This 10-Year-Old Made $10K on Instagram

When I was 10 years old, my piggy bank wasn’t exactly flush with cash.

It contained approximately $8 in random change, a few flattened pennies from the state fair and three beloved Susan B. Anthony dollars.

For my financial needs, a glass pig was sufficient… but for Jani, a 10-year-old from Finland, it’s probably not going to work.

Because he recently earned $10,000 for finding a bug on Instagram.

Jani uncovered a “vulnerability that allowed him to delete any comment on the photo sharing application,” reports Forbes.

And thanks to Facebook’s bug bounty program — which applies to seven of the company’s properties, including Instagram — he was handsomely rewarded.

What’s a “Bug Bounty”?

In case you’re as clueless as I was about what that actually means, here’s a primer: Big tech companies like Facebook want “white-hat hackers” (the good guys) to find and report flaws on their platforms.

“We recognize and reward security researchers who help us keep people safe by reporting vulnerabilities in our services,” Facebook explains.

So if you find something important, you might get a reward.

“We determine bounty amounts based on a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) impact, ease of exploitation, and quality of the report,” it says. “If we pay a bounty, the minimum reward is $500.”

Since its launch in 2011, the program’s received “2,400+ valid submissions and awarded more than $4.3 million to 800+ researchers around the world,” according to its most recent report.

Jani, the young Finn, “discovered he could alter code on Instagram servers to force delete users’ words,” reports Forbes.

Or, as he explained to a local newspaper, “I would have been able to eliminate anyone, even Justin Bieber.” (God forbid we lose Bieber’s eloquent prose. Society would crumble!)

Jokes aside, that’s a pretty huge vulnerability — which is why Jani received such a big reward.

He’s the youngest recipient of a Facebook bug bounty, and “plans to spend his earnings on football and a new bicycle,” according to Forbes.

Adorbs. And kind of depressing, since at 10 years old, this kid is far more technically talented than I’ll ever be.

Ways to Make Money

If you’re naturally techy, then you might want to start your own hunt for bugs.

To up your skills, you could attend a coding bootcamp or go to school for computer science. Because, even without bug-hunting, coding interns make BANK.

And if you’re not a tech genius, no worries — we have 19 other ridiculous ways you can make 10 grand.

Your Turn: Have you heard of the Facebook bug bounty program before?

Susan Shain, senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.

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Umbrella rental idea has not dried up

Despite Shark Tank rejection,inventor continues with plan

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4 Causes for Search Traffic Plateaus (and How to Fix Them)

Every marketer and business owner would love to see a search engine traffic graph that never stops rising.

And if you’re an expert SEO, you can manage that in many cases.

But likely, your search traffic will plateau at some point or another.

Month after month, it’ll stay about the same, rising or dropping an insignificant amount.

Sometimes it is your fault, but sometimes, it may be out of your control—at least initially.

At that point, you have two options:

1. Find additional sources of organic traffic besides the standard search result listings.
2. Determine the root cause of your traffic plateau, and take corrective action.

I’d recommend using both options, but since I’ve written about the first one before, this post will focus on the second.

I’ll go over the four main reasons why search traffic plateaus and how you can get your content and business back on the right track. 

Possible cause #1 – Fluctuations in keyword volume

The first thing you want to do is make sure you’re not having a knee-jerk reaction.

It’s fairly common for rankings to improve but for overall traffic to decline because of seasonal fluctuations in keyword volume.

Here’s how you check for this.

Start by heading to either your analytics or Google Search Console (former Webmaster Tools). Look for the top 5-10 keywords that send you organic search traffic, and write them down.

In Search Console, you do this by going to the search traffic, search analytics section, and sorting by clicks.

With that list, head to the AdWords Keyword Planner, and enter those keywords (you can do all at once or one at a time).

Once you click “Submit,” you’ll get the standard search volume for each keyword. Make sure you have the right country and language selected if it’s different from the default.

Next, hover over the little graph icon beside each keyword to reveal the search volume of the term over the past 12 months:

This tells you whether there are significant variations from month to month for your main keywords.

If most of the keywords indicate that search volume should be expected to be low during the previous few months, your search traffic probably hasn’t actually plateaued, and it’ll pick up in the more popular months.

What if those keywords didn’t reveal any significant fluctuations? There’s still one more possibility to consider.

Next, consider trends: If you’re getting 30% of the search traffic in your niche, what happens when your niche becomes less popular?

Even if you increase your share of the search traffic, your overall traffic may stay the same.

To check this, head over to Google Trends.

Type in a keyword that describes your niche and content. I suggest trying more than one if possible.

That will generate a graph showing whether more people or fewer people in general are searching for terms in your niche compared to previous time periods.

If the terms’ popularity is going down fast, you’re actually doing a great job if you have a plateau in traffic.

If the trends are fairly stable (not going up or down) or trending up, there is a problem that needs to be fixed if you want your traffic to start rising again.

Let’s move on to other possibilities…

Possible cause #2 – Plateaued rankings (near the top) or declining rankings

Now it’s time to examine your existing content—more specifically, your older content.

New content from the previous month, sometimes two, isn’t expected to drive a ton of traffic (it’s always a nice surprise when it does).

Instead, there’s often a 2-6 month delay, depending on a bunch of different factors.

I’m assuming you’re tracking your keyword rankings; otherwise, this is going to be difficult. If you aren’t, find a good keyword tracker, and start as soon as possible.

For all the main keywords of your older content, note whether or not rankings have increased, stayed the same, or declined over the course of the plateau plus a few extra months.

For example, if your plateau has been going on for 2 months, look at the rankings over a 4-month period.

A decline in a single keyword doesn’t mean anything, but if you see a decline in more than 25% of your keywords, that tells you that your old content is losing its rankings, and it’s a trend.

There are three common reasons that cause this type of loss.

Reason #1 – Link decay: In an ideal world, when you earn a link to some of your content, it stays there forever, and you can just build upon it.

But the Internet goes through a lot of change on a regular basis. Domains go in and out of registration, and pages are continuously created and destroyed.

Even huge websites go through big re-designs that involve merging and deleting content.

All of this leads to one thing: link decay. Links become dead or missing.

You can see this by using a tool such as Ahrefs. Enter just about any URL with links pointing to it, and you’ll see that in addition to gaining links, that URL also loses links.

That’s what my advanced guide to content marketing looks like.

And this is how you’ll check for this cause.

Enter your content URLs that have lost rank, one by one, and see which links they lost in the weeks leading up to any drops they’ve had.

If you notice that most of them lost important links, it’s likely the cause (or at least part of it) for the traffic plateau.

Reason #2 – Algorithm change: Google is constantly updating its algorithm, and these updates can cause small (or big) shifts in the search results.

Big sites aren’t usually affected by these too much, mainly because of link diversity.

One of the things that Google is constantly tweaking is ways to discern between high quality and low quality links and ways to weigh them correctly.

To speak in very general terms, forum links are low quality, while blog post links are high quality. Although there are many situations where that’s not true, accept it for this example.

So, if Google is able to detect forum links better, or at least the spam forum links, it can devalue them. As a result, content that relied on forum links will tank.

Link diversity refers to the number of different types of links you have. Ideally, you want a healthy mixture. In that case, even if Google devalues a specific type of link, it will only affect a small portion of your links.

Big sites build up a healthy diversity naturally.

However, if you’re dealing with a smaller site, you may have purposely gone after certain types of links, which leaves you vulnerable in case Google makes a tweak that targets those links.

If you’ve done that (targeted specific links) and saw consistent drops across most of your keywords, this is likely the problem.

You’ll need to expand your SEO skill set to build a more diverse and reliable SEO strategy.

Reason #3 – More competition: Sometimes, losing rankings doesn’t have anything to do with you; it has to do with someone else doing better.

If your average ranking drop was pretty small (a spot or two), there’s one final likely reason: someone created better content.

Pull up the current search rankings for each of the terms that dropped a few spots. Next, look for the date when each one was published.

If it’s not in the search results, check for the date on each page itself. If that’s not an option, enter it into the wayback machine to find the earliest recorded version.

Like I said before, it usually takes at least a month or two for a page to start ranking highly (and stay there) on any somewhat competitive term.

That’s why you’re looking for a page that was created just a month or two before your first ranking drop.

If you’re using a really good rank-tracking tool, you may be able to see the SERPs from before and determine which pages surpassed you.

If you establish that this is the issue, you need to step up your SEO. Put more effort into link building (perhaps learn more while you’re at it), or edit and improve your content so that it’s clearly better than the results above yours. Ideally, do both.

Possible cause #3 – New content is not driving traffic

The next scenario is that your old content is ranking just fine and is still driving traffic.

However, you might be able to see that your fairly recent content (1-4 months old) is not ranking well or driving much traffic at all.

That may or may not be a serious problem, and the question then becomes “why?”

Reason #1 – You’re going after more competitive terms: I highly recommend starting any SEO campaign with trying to rank for easy terms and getting quick wins.

If you do it well, you will see impressive growth in your search traffic.

However, this naturally leaves you with harder keywords to go after. These may take more link building work than before, which will, of course, take longer.

If this is the case, having plateaued traffic for a few months isn’t a big deal because if you keep up the work, you should break through and see some big spikes as you start to rank for those harder keywords.

Reason #2 – Your SEO strategy has become less effective: If you typically do the same promotion for all your content, that means you’re consistently getting the same type and quality of links.

In the past, those links may have ranked your content with no problems.

Once you were ranked highly, you naturally gained other links from people seeing your content on the first page and referencing it. That’s why your old content may still be ranking fine.

However, if those links are not sufficient anymore, in quality or quantity, you’re not going to find success.

Take this opportunity to upgrade your SEO strategy and improve your link building skill set.

Reason #3 – Have you been slacking? Quality is always an important part of SEO, but so is quantity.

If you’re not publishing as much content as you have in the past, of course your new content won’t produce the same growth that your old content did.

There’s no special solution here. Take an honest look at how much you’ve been publishing in the past few months. If it’s not enough, revise your content schedule, and start publishing more to get on the right track.

Possible cause #4 – You’re nearing a limit for your specific niche

It’s the right idea to target a very specific niche with your content marketing.

If you target one with low competition, you might be able to rank #1 or #2 for all your main keywords.

After that, most marketers start targeting long tail keywords.

This is fine, but you need to understand how it affects your search traffic.

If you’re ranking for a term that gets 4,000 searches a month with one piece of content, it would take 100 pieces of content ranking for searches that get 40 searches a month to equal the search traffic you get.

So, if you rank for bigger terms quickly, your traffic is going to explode. However, since you can’t keep targeting terms with the same level of search volume, your growth rate will decline.

Your traffic may not have even plateaued; it may just be increasing at a much slower rate.

If this is the case, you’re doing an excellent job at SEO.

However, your growth rate will continue to be slow if you target keywords only in this specific niche because there are only small ones left.

What you need to do now is branch out to a closely related niche and repeat your entire keyword research and SEO strategy.

Continually keep broadening your scope as you dominate each new niche.

Conclusion

A plateau in search traffic happens to all SEOs and marketers and one point or another.

What’s important is how you respond to it.

By now, you should understand the four main causes for a plateau, ways to fix them, and the next steps to take.

If you have a unique situation that you have a question about, let me know about it in a comment below, and I’ll try to clear things up.

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The 10 Best States to Live in if You Want to Work From Home

Remote workers can answer the question “Where do you work?” with just one word: “Home.”

OK, maybe from a coffee shop on some days. Everyone needs a change of scenery!

But surprisingly, employers may start demanding a more detailed answer from work-from-home hopefuls: In which state is that home of yours?

States With the Most Work-From-Home Jobs

FlexJobs analyzed the job-posting activities of more than 40,000 companies in their database to identify the top 10 states where companies recruited the most in-state telecommuters in 2015.

Before we get to the list, let’s address the burning question: Why does it matter where you work if you work from home?

Well, for a variety of reasons.

If your position benefits from putting in some occasional face time (think sales or staff meetings), your employer might want everyone nearby for when the moment strikes.

Plus, having employees based in specific states can help business owners simplify their taxes, since laws vary by state.

No matter why your employer chooses to hire remote workers residing in specific states, if you’re longing to work from home, you might want to consider moving to one of these:

1. California

2. Texas

3. New York

4. Florida

5. Illinois

6. Pennsylvania

7. Georgia

8. North Carolina

9. Virginia

10. Massachusetts

Luckily, it’s a pretty good spread. Whether you’ve got a West Coast vibe or are more of a northeasterner, there’s a state for you on the list.

Check out the full details at FlexJobs, where they also list some employers who’ve recently been hiring in each location — or are hiring now.

And if a move’s not on the table for you, don’t worry. There are definitely tons of ways to make money from home… no matter where you live!

Your Turn: Do you live in one of the top 10 states with the most telecommuting jobs?

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.

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Love Comics? Here’s How to Get Them for Free This Weekend

This weekend is the annual celebration of the heroes who nurtured and empowered you throughout your childhood.

Are you prepared?

It’s time to come together to thank these inspiring characters who ushered you into adolescence and eventual adulthood.

No, not your mom — I’m talking about comic book heroes.

(But, in case you forgot: Mother’s Day is also this Sunday, May 8.)

Get Ready for Free Comic Book Day

This Saturday, May 7, more than 2,300 comic book shops around the U.S. and beyond will give out more than 6 million free comic books to celebrate the 15th annual Free Comic Book Day.

Special FCBD editions of 50 comic books will be free on Saturday.

Check with your local comic book store, or locate one here, to find events in your area. Free titles will be available to anyone who asks on a first-come, first-served basis.

Events run the gamut from celebrity appearances and book signings to family fun and games — costumes welcome!

Some of this year’s most anticipated free titles include:

• “Archie #1 FCBD 2016 Edition” (Archie Comic Publications)

• “Bongo Comics Free-For-All FCBD 2016 Edition” (Bongo Comics)

• “Boom! Studios Summer Blast FCBD 2016 Edition” (Boom! Studios)

• “Dark Horse Serenity/Hellboy/Aliens FCBD 2016 Edition” (Dark Horse Comics)

• “DC Comics Gold Book  – FCBD 2016 Edition” (DC Comics)

• “Bob’s Burgers FCBD 2016 Edition” (Dynamite Entertainment)

Many stores will give away swag, movie posters and other freebies, too. You might want to get there early!

Not Just for Comic Book Guy

Free Comic Book Day is more than just a second Christmas for comic book fans.

It exists to support local comic book shops, as well as help new readers find awesome comics and graphic novels.

If you like “The Simpsons,” “Doctor Who,” “Bob’s Burgers” or other non-superhero stories, you’ll be delighted to find there’s a little something for everyone.

The celebration is a fun way to introduce your kids to the comic book community — or discover it yourself.

You might just find a new hobby the whole family can enjoy together.

Your Turn: What will you pick up this Free Comic Book Day?

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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The Power of Cutting a Goal in Half

One of the big problems with setting a big, life-altering goal for yourself is the sheer size of it. Often, the distance between yourself and your destination can seem so enormous as to feel impossible, and that sense of impossibility can often leave you feeling hopeless which can lead you right toward abandoning that goal.

Perhaps the best single strategy I’ve found for making a goal feel more reachable and approachable is to cut it in half. In other words, I redefine the goal by using half of what I want to achieve with half of the timeline involved. This simple move makes the goal feel more immediate and also makes it feel much more achievable.

So, let’s say I want to save $100,000 in the next ten years. Cutting that goal in half is simple – save $50,000 in the next five years.

Not all goals are that easy, of course, so let’s walk through some example goals, using my own future plans as an example. I almost always have a big handful of projects and goals that I’m working toward, so I’m going to use these as an example of what I’m talking about in terms of cutting a goal in half.

Here are four such goals that I’m working toward over the next year or so.

I hope to launch a Youtube project. I have a good idea for a Youtube channel that I don’t think is met by anything that’s out there and could potentially be quite popular. A friend of mine is also interested in working on it, but his interest is more along the lines of handling the technical aspects of it. We’d like to turn this into a full-fledged channel with a bunch of videos over the next year.

I hope to design and publish a mobile app. I have a design for a productivity timer that I’d love to see for smartphones and tablets. While I’m an experienced programmer, I have never written a mobile app, so this is in part a learning project for me.

I hope to finish my study of The Art of Computer Programming. One of my favorite things to do is to find thorough but complex foundational books for various fields – the types of books that are highly recommended but may be difficult to dive into or fully absorb for a layperson without some dedication – and read through them very slowly, making sure that I understand them. I’ll usually have a notebook out in front of me as well as some sort of advice with which to look up terms, and I’ll go through two or three pages in an hour, making sure I really understand everything that’s said. Right now, I’m working through Donald Knuth’s The Art of Computer Programming in this way. My estimate is that it will take a year to get through all of the volumes.

I hope to get in the best shape of my life – or at least since college. Not too long ago, I recreated a walk that I used to do every day when I was in college, a rather long loop with a backpack that usually had some weight in it. I was able to do it just fine, but I was slow and I was definitely perspiring and a bit out of breath at the end. That made me quite sad, and I decided after that walk to get myself in the best shape of my adult life by the time of our 2017 family summer vacation.

I also have three longer-term goals – ten years or so – that make sense to share here.

I hope to reach “near” financial independence. For me, that means reaching financial independence if I were to make significant cutbacks on my lifestyle. For example, if we chose to eat every meal at home, minimize our family vacations, cut back on our hobby spending, and grow a lot of our own food, we would be able to make it work at this point.

I hope to prepare my children to leave the nest. Ten years from now, my two oldest children will be in college and my youngest child will be ready to follow them there. I want to make sure that they’re as ready as they can possibly be for a full and independent life.

Write and publish the first books in my fantasy series. I’ve had a rough idea of a great fantasy series for a long time, chronicling the tale of two people over the course of their lives in a land that’s in the very earliest stages of the industrial revolution except… well, I’ll leave that to the novels. I have this overarching picture in my head as well as a lot of specific scenes.

The question I need to ask myself is this: if I’m on the right path with each goal, where would I be at the halfway point?

Six months from now, I will have made some test videos and given them out for feedback while also assembling a standard operating procedure for videos. These are tasks that are quite doable. I can certainly create some test videos that explore the ideas I’ve been working on and, along the way, figure out a good standard procedure for making them.

Six months from now, I want to how to write a simple mobile app. By writing a simple mobile app that does something like displaying the time, I’m already halfway to my goal of writing a great timer app.

Six months from now, I will have studied the first two volumes of The Art of Computer Programming. That will take me halfway through the series, which means that it’s a good “half” goal.

Six months from now, I will have reached rung 35 on lifetime fitness ladder. I use the “lifetime fitness ladder” as a powerful tool for home exercise and, six months from now, being around rung 35 of that ladder would put me where I want to be in terms of my fitness pace.

Five years from now, I will have reached “minimal” financial independence. By this, I mean that if I were to live like a monk, I could be financially independent and no longer have to work for a living. My free time would be taken up with a lot of activities like gardening and other things to cover the minimum needs of my family, but I would no longer have to work to keep a nice roof over our heads and take care of our basic life needs.

Five years from now, I will have embedded some core adult life lessons into my kids. There are simply some topics in life that it doesn’t make sense to cover with them right now, but over the next five years, they will mature greatly. Over those years, there are some key lessons I want them to learn about life.

Five years from now, I will have sketched out my full book series in detail, drafted and redrafted the first book, and given it to test readers. This is a very doable goal. I just need to actually sit down at a keyboard and make it happen.

What do all of these “half-goals” have in common? They take something very big and intimidating and make it seem much more approachable. Because I’m also cutting the timeline in half, I’m still going to be on pace for the bigger overall goal, but now it looks more realistic and achievable than before.

Need some ideas for how to apply this idea to your finances? Here are three common personal finance goals, along with suggestions for how to chop them in half.

Paying off all debt becomes paying off your two highest interest debts. Rather than tackling all of your debts, you can instead focus on the ones with the highest interest rate and get them out of the way first. Then, when that’s done, you’ll have the breathing room you need to make some giant payments to the remaining debts.

Saving for a down payment becomes saving up half of that amount. A full down payment on a house can be most of a person’s salary for a year. Half of a down payment looks more like the income you might make in a few months. It becomes small enough that you can see how frugal choices can actually make a real dent in it.

Buying a car becomes researching a car and saving half of a down payment. Again, when you chop a down payment in half, it begins to feel like a goal that’s approachable. Also, front-loading research onto a goal can make it seem much more engaging while also helping you figure out exactly what you’re looking for.

What if cutting a goal in half still doesn’t make it seem approachable? Cut it in half again – and again, if necessary. The goal is to divide and conquer, and the first part is dividing up the goal until the pieces are small enough that you feel like you can really do this.

Are you ready to tackle some big goals today? Good luck!

If that’s not enough, cut it in half again

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No deposit? No problem. Barclays relaunches 100% loan-to-value mortgages

Tom Wilson

barclaysbank.jpg

Barclays has today become the first high street lender to offer a 100% loan-to-value (LTV) mortgage since the financial crash, allowing first-time buyers to borrow the full value of a property.

Barclays has today become the first high street lender to offer a 100% loan-to-value (LTV) mortgage since the financial crash, allowing first-time buyers to borrow the full value of a property.

Buyers earning at least £50,000 will be able to borrow up to five and a half times their income, while those on lower salaries can borrow up to 4.4 times their annual earnings.

read more

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Yardwork Gone Wild: How to Tame Your Landscape for Less

Most of us have at least one neighbor who takes yard care to the extreme. They’ve got the perfect lawn, pristine hedges, healthy plants, and an outdoor living space that puts every other house on your block to shame.

When a neighbor’s yard looks better than all the rest, it’s tempting to spend, spend, spend in an effort to keep up. But the arms race for the best backyard can get extremely costly.

If you’ve ever popped into Home Depot or Lowe’s to look at flower pots, mulch, grass seed, fertilizer, and landscaping supplies, you already know what I mean. If you don’t keep track of what you really need, there are an endless number of products and extras just waiting to make your landscaping budget explode. And once you start coming up with new projects, it’s hard to stop.

Seven Ways to Tame Your Landscaping Expenses This Year

There’s nothing wrong with wanting your yard to look as nice as your neighbor’s, but that doesn’t mean you should jump into this year’s landscaping to-do list without a plan. Plus, there are a lot of ways to get more bang for your buck when it comes to the products and services meant to beautify your outdoor space.

Want to tame your landscaping expenses this year? Here are seven strategies that could help your yard be the best it can be – on a budget, of course.

1. Take a minimalist approach.

While a nicely decorated yard catches the eye, we’ve all seen people take their yard decor a few steps too far. Either they have a few too many planters or yard gnomes, or their yard decor is so dense that you can barely see the lawn underneath it all.

While a certain level of yard decor is normal, you don’t want to be too over the top. Plus, you can save a bundle by taking a minimalist approach to lawn care. Ignore most of the yard kitsch you see at the stores and focus on keeping your lawn kept up and tidy instead. Edging your flower beds and keeping your lawn free of leaves and trash is an extremely cost-effective way to make a lasting impression.

The bottom line: Buying more stuff for your yard won’t automatically make it “better.” But, keeping your yard clean and cared for will always make you look good.

2. Consider mulch alternatives.

A few bags of mulch may not seem like a big expense — after all, they sometimes sell for as cheap as four for $10 — but if you’ve ever added mulch to your flower beds, you know it rarely takes just “a few bags.” Plus, this is a cost that must be repeated year after year (or at least every other year) if you want your beds to look fresh.

According to Green Pal Lawn Care CEO Bryan Clayton, a lot of people have begun moving away from mulch for this very reason. Instead, he says, they have turned to large pebble rock, which is often referred to as “river rock.” Why? Because, unlike mulch, it doesn’t decompose or break down over time.

Some people even love river rock so much they cover large parts of their lawn with it. “This will save you money week after week, because you have to mow less of it, and you’ll also save money on not having to remulch those areas every year,” says Clayton. If you’re someone who waters their lawn frequently, replacing grass with rock can help you save water, too.

Of course, river rock isn’t the only alternative to consider. If you’re determined to get the mulch look, you could also go with rubber mulch, a recycled rubber product that looks similar to traditional mulch but lasts up to 10 years. Dina Gibbons of Rubberecycle says rubber mulch is weather resistant, durable, and the most cost-effective mulch around.

Whichever mulch method you choose, the most obvious way to save is to only buy as much as you need. This mulching calculator can help you figure out how many cubic units (or bags) to purchase – saving you trips to the home improvement store and money.

3. Use plants that thrive naturally in your area.

While it’s common to crave exotic plants that help your home stand out, maintaining them can be expensive and time-consuming in the long run. And if a certain type of plant really isn’t meant to thrive in your home soil or environment, trying to force the issue can be a lost (and costly) cause.

That’s why Cassy Aoyagi, LEED AP and president of FormLA Landscaping recommends sticking to plants that grow well in your area already. “Plants native to your region – including native grasses – adapted over millennia to thrive in your local soils and climate,” she says.

By sticking to native plants, you can generally avoid expensive and toxic chemical fertilizers, and cut down on watering costs as well. “Natives also tend to be perennial, meaning you can reallocate your yearly flower bed budget,” she says.

If you don’t really know what is native in your area, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has you covered. By entering your state and region into their plant database, you can find which plants are ideal for your local climate and soil.

4. Go big – and bright!

If you have a limited budget, you might benefit from buying larger plants that will take up more room as they age, says Mindy Jensen, community manager for real estate site, Bigger Pockets.

Jensen’s favorite is Purple Fountain Grass which costs around $6 per plant at Lowe’s, she says. “Within a month, they’re four feet tall, beautiful dark purple color with fuzzy blooms or seed heads. They make a statement, and I get compliments on them all summer long.”

Another cheap way to make a statement is to go big when it comes to color, says Jensen.

“Adding a bright pop of color – in the form of flowers or brightly colored bushes – can really make your yard look amazing,” she says. “Wave Petunias come in some pretty intense colors, are super-easy to take care of, and are almost perpetually on sale.”

5. Invest in perennials (instead of annuals).

A lot of people rush out to their home improvement store every year to buy new flowers without worrying about whether they’ll last from one year to the next. By buying perennials, Jensen says, you can invest in plants that will come back year after year.

In addition to the financial benefit, you can spend less time planting every spring as well. Since perennials naturally return on their own, one planting season can last for years.

“I used Salvia in my yard three years ago, and they all pop back up like clockwork every spring,” says Jensen, adding that they look like gorgeous green foliage with brilliant purple flowers.

Snapdragons are another favorite, she says. “Both are drought resistant, which means little water.”

Once again, the EPA’s plant database is the best place to find out which perennials might work best in your area.

6. Shop around when hiring help.

If you’re overwhelmed at the thought of landscaping on your own or have a true “black thumb,” there’s nothing wrong with hiring some professional help. Still, you can save on professional services by shopping around, says Ryan Farley, co-founder and chief operating officer of LawnStarter.

Get quotes for the same or similar services from several landscapers and then compare them. “Don’t forget to check online reviews and to ask friends, neighbors, and co-workers for their recommendations,” he says.

Sometimes you can save money by locking into a long-term deal, Farley adds. “Some landscaping businesses might be willing to offer a discount if you commit to six months or a year’s worth of services rather than a month-to-month arrangement.”

• Related: Four Signs It’s Time to Hire Help Around the House

7. Manage your own expectations.

While there are plenty of ways to save on landscaping and yard care, you can still overspend if you don’t know when to stop. Just like anything else in life, there will always be people with a nicer lawn or better flower garden than you have.

While it’s reasonable to want to do the best you can, you don’t have to beat yourself up, either. And you definitely don’t need to spend your weekends worrying whether your yard is up to par.

I speak from experience here. My next door neighbor owns a landscaping company and his yard is something right out of a storybook. His grass doesn’t even look real, and his plants are the kind that never die. Then again, he has workers who come to his yard to water and maintain it every single day.

The vast majority of people don’t have that kind of time – or a staff – to invest into their yard, and that’s perfectly okay.

The Bottom Line

Just as it’s tempting to keep up with our neighbor’s new cars and vacation habits, it’s easy to fall into the trap of coveting their immaculate yards. While there’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition, you shouldn’t let yard spending spiral out of control.

The best way to save money on landscaping is to take on as much of the work as you can possibly do yourself. After that, look for cheaper alternatives to products you normally buy, and invest in plants and products that last – requiring less water and maintenance.

How are you saving on lawn care this year? Do you have at least one neighbor with a perfect yard?

 

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• Why You Should Stop Spending Money to Impress People
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