Producer from Delaware Water Gap coordinates benefit concert, recalls events of shooting
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الخميس، 5 أكتوبر 2017
This Mind-Blowing Papa John’s Deal Gets You 3 Pizzas for the Price of 1
As if I need another reason to eat pizza, October is National Pizza Month.
It’s also National Sausage Month and National Pretzel Month. I’d say our football weekends are set!
Papa John’s tips the chef’s cap to this celebration with a buy one, get one free deal through the rest of the month. But if you play your cards right, you can do even better.
How to Get a Second Free Pizza From Papa John’s
The BOGO deal is simple. Just click on the “Specials” tab on Papa John’s website, click on the “Add & Customize” button next to the deal, and choose or create the pizzas you want. Boom. Two pizzas for the price of one.
At least one of them should have sausage on it for the sake of National Sausage Month, right?
But the deal gets even better. There’s also a promo for a free large one-topping pizza when you use Visa Checkout through the rest of October.
Simply order your BOGO pizzas and use Visa Checkout when you cash out, and Papa John’s will send you an email with a promo code for another free large one-topping pizza. You won’t get the promo code until the day after you order, so you won’t get all three pizzas at once.
Are you a Papa John’s rewards member? If so, you can also rack up double points by ordering one of its new Philly Steak pizzas.
So that’s three pizzas for the price of one, and you can earn double points by ordering Philly Steak pizzas. What a deal.
It’s National Pizza Month, so don’t feel bad about stockpiling pizza deals to keep the cheesy, saucy joy flowing throughout October.
Tyler Omoth is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder who loves soaking up the sun and finding creative ways to help others. He truly believes that every month should be National Pizza Month. Catch him on Twitter at @Tyomoth.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.
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This Money Move Will Make Holiday Dinners Awkward for the Whole Family
Who hasn’t borrowed money from a family member? Family is one of the first places you might turn if you find yourself in a financial jam.
But if you’ve ever been on the lending end of this family meeting, you know how hard it is to get your cash back in a timely fashion — if ever.
LendingTree recently surveyed more than 1,000 Americans about their experiences with borrowing or lending money among family members and found that more than 25% of those who have lent money to a family member said they would never do it again.
Why are they feeling so stingy? Probably because almost one-third of the people who told LendingTree they had borrowed money admitted they never paid back the loan.
We’re not talking huge loans, either. More than 42% of respondents said the largest loan they took from family was between $1,000 and $5,000. About 36% said the largest amount they borrowed was $1,000 or less.
But consider this, too: More than 37% of those surveyed said a loan of less than $500 is still significant. Genetics aside, lending money to a family member is still a big decision to make.
Lending Money to Your Family: Nice, but Potentially Dicey
Turning to the Bank of Family can cause drama, even if the loan gets paid back. Of those who had borrowed money from or lent it to family members, frequent results included resentment, hurt feelings, verbal arguments, decreased contact and, perhaps the most difficult of all, uncomfortable holidays or dinners. Yikes!
But sometimes family means making sacrifices to help the ones you love, even if there’s a big chance you’re not going to get that money back for a while (or ever).
If someone asks you to borrow cash, remember never to lend out more than you can afford. Ask yourself, “If I never saw this amount of cash again, would it make it harder to reach my own financial goals?” If the answer is yes, tell your loved one it’s just not going to happen.
If you’re in a good position to help, consider making a contract to spell out the details of the loan. Having a written agreement can help keep repayment on track — and hopefully will prevent you from having to nag.
Thinking of asking a family member for some cash? Propose a plan that details what you need the money for and how you plan to pay back the loan.
Promising not to make Thanksgiving dinner awkward might help your case, too.
Lisa Rowan is a senior writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.
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FEMA Is Hiring Residents of Puerto Rico to Assist With Hurricane Relief
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is hiring residents of Puerto Rico to help with relief efforts on the island following the devastating Category 4 strike by Hurricane Maria.
“FEMA is looking for individuals to work in customer service and logistics. If you are interested and a current resident of Puerto Rico, email fema-workforce-caribbean@fema.dhs.gov your resume and include ‘Puerto Rico’ in the subject line,” reads the brief job posting.
According to CBS News correspondent David Begnaud, the agency plans to hire 1,000 people to fill the positions.
Although FEMA’s call for applicants contains limited information, the agency’s website sheds a little light on what the jobs entail.
And if you don’t meet the requirements for this job, keep an eye on our Jobs page on Facebook. We post new opportunities there all the time.
FEMA Customer Representative
Customer service representatives serve as the agency’s point of contact for people who have questions about disaster relief assistance or need help filing claim requests.
Job responsibilities include:
- Providing information about disaster assistance to people over the phone and in person
- Verifying applicant eligibility for disaster assistance
- Providing information and explanations of Housing Assistance and Other Needs Assistance grants and other programs
- Processing applicant cases, recertifications, audits and recoups, and lodging reimbursement
Note: FEMA has a separate job listing for temporary, full-time customer representatives to work in Caguas, Puerto Rico. The pay is $11 per hour.
FEMA Logistics Specialist
Logistics specialists manage equipment for task forces during incident operations.
Typical assignments include:
- Moving and transporting good
- Loading and unloading trucks
- Reconciling bills of lading, shipping documents, inventory lists and property transfer reports for accuracy
- Maintaining the supply room
- Conducting inventories
- Receiving, inspecting, and distributing equipment and materials
- Providing mail services
These appointments are temporary.
Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She loves telling readers about new job opportunities, so look her up on Twitter @lisah if you’ve got a tip to share.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.
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Hyundai Will Give You $40 Just for Test-Driving a New Set of Wheels
What would you get with a $40 gift card?
You could buy this decorative aluminum octopus from Target. The description even calls it “lively.”
Or you could drop by Amazon and grab a nice boyfriend body pillow. You know, because sometimes you just need a good snuggle.
No? Fine. Maybe you can take your favorite person out for a nice lunch. In any case, you can easily get that $40 gift card just by test driving a Hyundai vehicle.
Want to Get a Free Gift Card From Hyundai?
Hyundai has a wide array of vehicles to choose from, ranging from the small and inexpensive Accent to the more upscale Azera. All you have to do is figure out which vehicle you think would be right for you, navigate to the test drive offer microsite, register online by clicking on the green “Get Your Test Drive Reward” tab on the left of the screen, take your test drive and figure out what to spend your free $40 gift card from Target, Amazon or Visa on.
I personally recommend the 30-pack of Top Ramen. Food for a month with money left over to buy a bowl and spoon!
There is no mention of how long it’ll take to get your gift card, but a free $40 now is the same as a free $40 in a few weeks.
Tyler Omoth is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder who loves soaking up the sun and finding creative ways to help others. Catch him on Twitter at @Tyomoth.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.
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Here’s How to Make Money Off the Leaves Changing Color in Your Backyard
I don’t care where you live, who you are or how old you are: When the leaves start changing colors, that’s pretty darn exciting.
It’s a sign the brutal heat might let up soon, football is in full swing and the most beautiful, warmest colors will take over your commute.
Unless you live somewhere where the leaves don’t change.
That’s me, here in Florida. When I was a kid and we’d road trip to North Carolina in the fall, it was a dream. Or if we weren’t able to, my grandma sometimes mailed me a pressed vivid red leaf from South Carolina as compensation.
If you’re one of the lucky ones and live in an area that showcases the beautiful in-between colors of summer and winter, you’re in luck.
You could be in the perfect position to make some extra money.
’Tis The Season for Colorful Roadtrips
According to a new AAA survey, the classic summer-road-trip season is seeping into the fall this year.
More than 1 in 4 Americans plans to hit the road sometime between Labor Day and Thanksgiving.
Why? Many people cited favorable conditions: fewer crowds and kids; weather is A+ and the cost of their trip is more reasonable (than that of summertime spikes).
And of the folks who responded, 26% say they’re taking a trip to view the fall foliage across the U.S.
Do You Live Among the Best Fall Foliage Routes?
Last year, popular travel resource Fodor’s Travel shared its picks for the 10 best fall foliage trips across the U.S.
See if your area made the list:
- Aspen, Colorado
- The Catskills, New York
- The Berkshires, Massachusetts
- Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
- Green Mountain Byway, Vermont
- Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, New Mexico
- Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina and Tennessee
- Upper Peninsula, Michigan
- Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
- Glacier National Park, Montana
Of course, you can have grade-A fall foliage even if you don’t live in these areas. Fodor’s Travel is just saying these are the best.
How to Make Money As Folks Flock to See Your Fall Foliage
Road trips are fun and all, but these people are going to need a place to sleep, right? (Unless they have one of those really cool on-top-of-the-car camper things.)
That’s where you can come in handy.
If you have a spare room, a garage apartment, a vacation home, an RV or even a backyard tent or a couch, you could list your space on Airbnb.
Here’s some inspiration for you: John Potter set up a four-person tent in his parents’ Mountain View, California, backyard. It was originally a joke, he admits, but he made $1,380 in one month — from a tent.
If you want to get paid to have guests stop in, sign up as an Airbnb host.
If you don’t have any clue where to start or what to charge, its website has a built-in calculator. Just type in your information, and it’ll let you know how much you could get for your room or house per week.
You can also select your availability, so if you don’t want to be binded to, say, a whole month of visitors, you can pick and choose what works best. You can set your own house rules, too. So if you don’t want pets, for example, then that’s just fine!
Pro tip: If you sign up to be an Airbnb host now, you’re in the perfect position to make more money from holiday travel, too!
Now, please go enjoy that foliage for us Floridians.
Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She loves Florida, but seasons would be nice.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.
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Flooding case a ‘stark warning’ to sellers, say legal experts
A couple whose new home was repeatedly hit by flooding are to sue the previous owners, claiming that the problem was deliberately hidden from them before they bought the property.
Paul and Hazel Edwards, who bought the £750,000 Newcastle property in 2014, claim a Facebook post from two years earlier proves that the previous owners were aware that the property was prone to flooding, despite declaring that there were “no flooding problems” on the legally required property information pack’.
The couple have now applied to the High Court to force the previous owners to take back the property, refund the full amount paid and reimburse the Edwards for mortgage repayments, plus damages.
Experts have suggested that the case serves as a ‘stark warning’ to sellers.
Natalie Bradley, a solicitor and conveyancing expert at the national law firm, Stephensons, says that anyone selling a home has a legal obligation to provide certain information about the property to the prospective buyer.
“The majority of that information is contained in the seller’s property information form,” she explains. “This document must be provided to the prospective buyer before they make a formal commitment to purchase the property.”
This form’s main function is to make sure that the buyer has a comprehensive understanding of the details relevant to the property, including any alterations, any invasive species on the property – such as Japanese Knotweed, issues with neighbours and information about boundaries and any disputes. Flooding is also covered.
Ms Bradley says: “In short, the form gives the buyer the opportunity to get a more thorough impression of any problems with the property which they might have missed during viewings. It allows the buyer to make an informed decision as to whether they will proceed with the purchase or not.
“Equally, it is designed to prevent sellers from deceiving any potential buyers by disguising serious or underlying problems with the property.”
As part of the conveyancing process, sellers are asked to disclose details of any flooding, covering both the house and any gardens. This covers all types of flood, whether caused by a burst water pipe, a flooded bathroom, extreme weather or a river, which has burst its banks.
Ms Bradley adds: “As we have seen in the case of Mr and Mrs Edwards, where a homeowner is caught unawares by an underlying issue with the property, the cost of putting the problem right can run into the thousands of pounds.
“If a seller provides inaccurate or misleading information in the seller’s property information form, it could well be construed as misrepresentation, and the buyer could pursue financial remedies.”
What happens next?
Dispute resolution - a separate area of law - deals with the question of what happens next in cases of misrepresentation.
Liam Waine, a solicitor and specialist in dispute resolution at Stephensons, explains that the template for handling problems with the sale and purchase of residential property is set out by the ‘Standard Conditions of Sale (Fifth Edition), which can usually be found, or referred to, in the contract of sale.
“This sets out what happens when it is found that there have been inaccuracies in the contract, or the negotiations leading up to it”, he says. “It covers the rights of the buyer and - importantly in this case - the obligations of the seller.
“The first step is to determine whether the inaccuracy was deliberate deception on the part of the seller, rather than an error or a mistake. When you have an answer to this question, you can look at what remedies are available,” he adds.
Mr Waine explains that at the most basic level, where something can be found against the seller, the buyer is entitled to damages.
“Damages can include the difference between the value of the property when it was sold and actual, lesser value of the property in light of the problem which was found.
“However, if it can be proven that the seller has acted deceitfully - that is, by ‘deliberate concealment’ - then the buyer could be entitled to rescind the contract, declaring it ‘null and void’. In this instance, the property would be returned to the seller and the purchase price returned to the buyer.”
Where the contract is rescinded, Mr Waine says that the buyer may be entitled to other damages, including stamp duty, conveyancing fees, mortgage penalties and broker fees. Damages might also be awarded for distress and inconvenience, removals fees and the wasted cost of decorating the property.
However, getting to such a stage isn’t always straightforward and requires some persistence from the buyer. This includes passing five key ‘tests’ to prove that the seller actively set out to deceive the buyer.
“Unfortunately”, says Liam, “much of the ‘burden of proof’ lies with the buyer, including the process of gathering information and plenty of evidence.
“This could include having discussions with neighbours and - where possible - asking them to provide statements. Other evidence can include documents relevant to the sale, photographic evidence that might prove the previous owners were aware of the issue and the opinion of experts, such as an independent surveyor.”
Time is also an important consideration for anyone looking to rescind the contract. Evidence must be gathered as quickly as possible and, Mr Waine says, seeking legal advice at an early stage is a must.
“The first legal step is making contact with the seller to highlight the issue, with relevant evidence and to request a full, formal response. This provides an opportunity for dialogue and negotiation between the two parties, perhaps avoiding a costly and lengthy legal battle.
Ultimately, however, should the dispute not be resolved, taking the matter to court may be the best option available.
Mr Waine says: “After issuing a claim at court, it will be up to the buyer and their legal representation to prove that deceit or negligent misrepresentation has taken place and that the buyer is entitled to some form of remedy.”
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Five key tests to proving ‘misrepresentation’
1. That the seller made a ‘representation of fact’.
2. That the representation is known to be false or was ‘reckless’ in its truth.
3. That the representation made by the seller was designed to be relied upon by the buyer.
4. That the buyer relied upon this representation.
5. That the buyer suffered a loss as a result.
Section
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When It’s Too Costly to Retire
A few days ago, the Washington Post published an amazing article by Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan entitled The New Reality of Old Age in America. Right off the bat, the article sets the tone for what’s to come:
“I’m going to work until I die,” says one 74-year-old in a generation finding it too costly to retire.
That quote comes from Richard Dever, who works for $10 an hour as a temporary maintenance worker at a campground. His job, at age 74, requires him to mow grass, empty trash bins, swab shower stalls, and all of the other types of manual labor tasks that are needed to maintain a nice campground.
As the article discusses, Dever is doing this because, without that $10 per hour, he and his wife wouldn’t be able to live:
In addition to their $10-an-hour paychecks, the couple receives $22,000 a year from Social Security, an amount that has barely budged while health-care and other costs have soared.
“If we didn’t work, our money would run out real quick,” Richard said.
How did they get there?
In 1960, when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were running for president, Richard started repairing homes and Jeannie made root beer floats in a drugstore back home in southern Indiana, near the Kentucky border. Later, they ran a business that put vinyl siding on homes and a little start-up called Southwest Stuff that sold Western-themed knickknacks.
They raised two children and lived well enough but never had much extra cash to put away. After a lifetime of working, they have a small mobile home in Indiana, a couple of modest life insurance policies and $5,000 in savings.
The thing is, this isn’t an unusual story. According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, 19.7% of Social Security recipients 65 or over receive 100% of their income from Social Security, and another 33.4% receive over 90% of their income from Social Security (meaning they have a very tiny nest egg).
There are no pensions. There is no 401(k). There’s nothing other than Social Security.
It’s worth noting that Social Security is less income than a full time minimum wage job. A person working 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year makes more than a person solely relying on Social Security. What’s worse is that Social Security benefits are growing at a rate that’s slower than the cost of living for people in that age bracket, meaning that each year, the Social Security checks buy less and less.
Even with Medicare, once you figure in the cost of health care for people in those groups, there’s not enough money to go around to keep food on the table, a roof over their head, and clothes on their back. So, they work.
I was perhaps even more stunned by the story of Joanne Molnar later on in the article:
A few miles up the road from the Devers, Joanne Molnar, 64, and her husband, Mark, 62, live in their RV and work at another campground.
For 21 years, Joanne worked as a manager for a day-care company in Fairfield, Conn. She said she paid regularly into a 401(k) account that, at one point, was worth more than $40,000.
By the time she left the company in 2008, however, its value had fallen to $2,000.
Molnar said the company’s owner thought he was doing his 100 employees a favor by managing their retirement accounts. “But he didn’t know what he was doing,” she said. Instead of being angry with him, she’s furious with the 401(k) system.
“It stinks,” she said.
A final quote, from Joanne’s husband:
“Forget the government. It’s got to be ‘We the People,’ ” he said. “We’re on our own. You have to fend for yourself.”
I strongly encourage you to read the whole article, as it’s a great piece of journalism – very readable and clear, mixing real-life stories with the data that shows how widespread and serious the challenges really are.
Let’s start unpacking this.
What If You’re in This Boat?
Let’s say you’re in that 50% of 65-and-older Americans who receive 90% or more of their income from Social Security. What exactly do you do?
Obviously, you’re probably going to have to work to supplement your income unless you forego some very basic things, like health care. The money simply isn’t there to keep up with health care, keep food on the table, keep a roof over your head, keep the power on, keep clothes on your back, and so forth. If you want to make ends meet just with Social Security, a job is probably going to be a part of the picture for you. There’s no way to escape that picture.
Again, stating the obvious, but frugal living is absolutely essential. If you’re in this situation, frugality is already a big part of your life, but make sure that you’re really maximizing it. Do you need that cable or satellite service? Do you need that cell phone service? Do you need that home internet service? Do you need your car? Could you move to a smaller place with fewer expenses? Those are serious questions to be asking yourself.
You should also find out if you’re eligible for any additional community and local services. It is highly likely that, if you’re in this situation, you qualify for usage of a local food pantry or clothing pantry. Use it. That’s what a local food pantry and a local clothing pantry are there for. It’s there for you. It’s there to make sure that no one has to make a choice between eating and having heat in the winter. It’s to make sure no one has to choose between having warm clothes and being able to afford a doctor’s visit. Your community wants to help you, but you have to go there and get the help. You have to take the final step to bring it to your door. Do it.
While you’re visiting such places, ask the staff about additional resources. People working at food and clothing pantries care deeply about your situation and will help you in any way they can. If they don’t know of any services, they will know of people to direct you to who can help you find additional services. It’s often hard to find what’s available at low cost and what’s available for free for seniors with low income in an area, so you can start this journey by simply finding a local food pantry, going there and signing up, and asking them what the next step is.
Beyond that, there’s not much you can do. It’s very unlikely that there will be significant enough changes in federal and state programs in the next few years to really help with your situation. It’s really up to you, unfortunately. Live frugally and take advantage of the services available to you now.
What If You’re Afraid of Heading There?
I want you to stop right now and scroll back up and re-read the section above that relates to those who are 65 and older who primarily have to live off of their Social Security benefits. No matter how you spell it out, that’s a challenging situation. There simply isn’t enough money to go around, and the typical options of improving income by going back to school or angling on your career path really don’t work at that point.
If you’re on a financial path that’s going to likely put you in that situation, you need to do what you can now to change that path. Here’s what you can start doing right now.
If you’re not saving for retirement, start. The reality is that you simply cannot rely on the government to provide you with adequate resources to live in retirement. Social Security, as it exists right now, isn’t enough for most people to cover Medicare costs and basic living expenses. You’re going to have to supplement it with either additional work or savings, and the only one of those two you can handle right now is savings. So, get started.
Your best bet in most situations is to simply open up your own individual retirement account. For most Americans, the best option is to simply open a Roth IRA at a large, reliable investment firm – I use Vanguard for my own Roth IRA. Sign up there, select a straightforward investment (I suggest choosing a Target Retirement Fund for a year that’s somewhere around your 70th birthday), and then choose to start automatically depositing money into it. All of that can be done online, quite easily.
If your employer offers a 401(k) or 403(b) or TSP plan and matches your contributions, then you should choose that over the Roth IRA and get every dime of matching money. Sign up for that plan and contribute enough to at least make sure that you’re getting the matching funds your employer offers.
Start now. Start socking away something. It is the best thing you can do for yourself.
If you are saving for retirement, save more. What if you’re already saving? Save more. Suck it up, cut out a few expensive things, and bump up your savings to the next level. Raise your 401(k) contributions by another percent or two. Add another $25 a month to your Roth IRA contributions.
Whatever you’re saving, it is very likely that more savings will be a big positive down the road. It’s going to help you avoid a situation like the people in that article. It can make the difference between working because you have to when you’re 75, or working because you want to at a meaningful job of your choosing.
You have the power to choose to save more now, and in doing so, you give yourself the power to choose a better life later. Do it.
Understand your retirement savings. It’s not enough just to save, either. You should never, ever fully trust someone else’s knowledge or decisions regarding your retirement savings. This is your future. You owe it to yourself to put in the work to actually learn about retirement savings.
Here’s your homework: Go to the local library and check out a copy of The Bogleheads’ Guide to Retirement Planning. In my opinion, it’s still the best single volume on practical retirement savings out there. Get it. Read it.
When I say “read it,” I don’t just mean shuffle through the pages and skip any sections that seem “hard” or that aren’t clear to you. Those are the important sections. What you should do is get out a notebook and a pen, read the book slowly, write down anything that seems remotely important that you may want to remember, and, most important of all, if you hit something you don’t fully understand, stop and write it down, and then go to the computer or your smartphone and figure out what it means. This is an absolute must. If you hit something you don’t understand and then keep on trucking, all you’re going to do is get more and more and more lost, and thus the rest of the book is a waste of your time.
Yes, this will take a while. I often spend 30 or 40 hours processing a book that is challenging to me. I take tons and tons of notes on books I’m trying to understand and incorporate into my knowledge of the world. I stop constantly to look up words and ideas and understand them. It’s really okay to do that – in fact, it’s the best way.
If you can tackle the entirety of The Bogleheads’ Guide to Retirement Planning that way, you’ll have a pretty strong understanding of your retirement savings options. You’ll know what pitfalls to look out for. You’ll know what choices are before you. You’ll know how to allocate your money (we’ll get to that more in a second). In short, you’ll be able to steer your retirement savings away from some of the pitfalls discussed in the Washington Post article above.
Diversify your retirement savings. One of the big lessons that a good retirement book will teach you is the need to diversify your retirement savings. This is so important that I’m actually mentioning it here as a bullet point. You have to diversify.
You absolutely should not have all of your money in one individual stock investment. If your company’s 401(k) puts your money just into company stock, that’s a very, very risky move. You absolutely need to have most of your money in other things, so you need to make that happen by whatever means you can.
It’s okay to have most of your money in a single index fund or mutual fund, because those investments are at least somewhat diversified within themselves. A Target Retirement Fund, for example, is already diversified, so it’s a good place to put most or even all of your money.
Just avoid having all of your retirement savings in the stock of one single company or in one specific real estate investment. That’s a giant flashing danger sign.
Plan ahead now for the kind of work you might do as a second act in the first years of retirement. It’s likely that even with more retirement savings, you may still be in a position where you have to work in what you may consider your “retirement years.” That’s okay, but you should come to terms with that now and plan for it now.
What might your second act look like? Would it just be working at a campground or greeting people at Wal-Mart? Or are there ways you can continue to ply some of the skills you have from your main career or skills that you might have from hobbies or side gigs?
Take a look at what you’re good at, what skills you have, and what things you enjoy doing. At the same time, take a look at people in your life who are in their 70s and seem to be doing interesting things. Talk to them. See how they got there. See if they have any advice for you as to how you could prepare yourself to be in a similar situation when you reach that age.
Even if retirement is closing in, you can still prepare yourself so that the landing is a lot less rough. You just need to start now.
What If You’re Young?
Now, what if you’re young? What if you’re young enough that the idea of old age and retirement seems incomprehensibly far off? (To tell the truth, I’m still in this boat to an extent. Even with all the long-term thinking and planning that I do, I still struggle to visualize myself in my 70s.)
The first thing you can do is follow most of the advice from the preceding section for people moving toward retirement. Start saving now. The earlier you start saving, the better. If you’re already saving, see if you can save more. Learn about retirement savings – and don’t just “learn” about it, actually learn. Those are the biggest steps you can take to ensure your own future.
What else?
I think the most important step is to be aware of what the government is doing on both the state and national level with regards to your future. I’m not going to suggest a political stance that you should have – everyone has an opinion, and most of them are wrong, right? What I am suggesting is that you become aware of what actions the government is taking (or considering taking) and how your representatives on the state and national level are participating in the decision-making process behind those actions.
Along with that, make sure that you understand the facts about what is going on. Don’t rely on the opinions being served up by your media source of choice. Read about bills and changes being considered from a variety of sources, even ones that you may not fully agree with in terms of their editorial stance. Get lots of angles before you make up your mind.
Along with that, do some thinking on your own. What do you think the role of the government should be in helping people in retirement? How do we pay for that? Is that truly a fair way of doing things? Don’t just latch onto an easy opinion. Think it through. It’s important, not just for you, but for everyone.
Being involved does require some effort. Being involved beyond simply being on “one side” of the issues requires even more effort. It’s worth it. You’ll not only be able to vote sensibly in the future and pick people that really reflect your views, but you’ll also be able to talk sensibly to others regardless of their opinions, find common ground, and perhaps even change some minds.
Final Thoughts
I think we can all agree that finding yourself in retirement age without the means to actually retire is a difficult tragedy. It often means that a lifetime of hard work has simply led to even more years of hard work, and it often means that people are in situations where they are struggling with the basic essentials – food, water, clothing, and shelter.
Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to that problem. Given the current state of public retirement support in the United States, people absolutely have to supplement Social Security and Medicare with additional income in order to be able to avoid working (or, at least, avoid extremely difficult choices) in their final years.
If you’re younger than retirement age, you have a chance to take action and avoid this situation yourself. If you’re substantially younger, you can get involved with figuring out a better solution for us all, because you have time to shape the system that you’ll be using when you arrive at that age.
It’s your future. It’s our future. Take action.
Good luck.
Related Articles:
- Why Save for Retirement If You Have Social Security?
- Six Fresh Ways to Think About Retirement Savings
- What to Do When Your Retirement ‘Number’ Seems Impossibly Big
The post When It’s Too Costly to Retire appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
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50 ways to make money: Cash in on cashback
Household bills have risen 10 times faster than incomes have grown since the start of the financial crisis, research by price comparison website uSwitch has found.
But if you have already fine-tuned your household finances by cutting energy and food bills, as well as remortgaging, and are still struggling to find spare cash, what can you do?
Here are two ideas to earn extra money from cashback.
Find more money-making tips on our 50 ways to make money page.
49. Use cashback credit cards
If you pay off your credit bill in full each month, a cashback credit card could be the way to go. These offer you money back on purchases in certain shops or on goods such as petrol. For the best deals updated every week check our guide.
50. Use cashback sites
You can earn money from shopping online. Cashback websites will automatically pay you every time you buy a product or a service from selected retailers, from your weekly groceries to switching your utility provider. Websites include: topcashback.co.uk, quidco.com and Swagbucks.com
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50 ways to make money: Income from entertainment
Household bills have risen 10 times faster than incomes have grown since the start of the financial crisis, research by price comparison website uSwitch has found.
But if you have already fine-tuned your household finances by cutting energy and food bills, as well as remortgaging, and are still struggling to find spare cash, what can you do?
Here are six ideas to earn extra money from entertainment.
Find more money-making tips on our 50 ways to make money page.
43. Go on a game show
A handful of TV game shows such as The Million Pound Drop, The Cube and Deal or No Deal offer six-figure sums but plenty of others have prizes of a few thousand pounds.
To find out which shows need contestants and how to apply, visit Be On Screen (beonscreen.com).
44. Be a TV stand-in
Some TV production companies pay people to take part in ‘run-throughs' of new quiz shows. They do this to finely tweak a show's format, see how contestants would behave in real life situations, or record a pilot episode to pitch to TV stations.
A paid run-through can be a fun way to earn some cash. Participation could also potentially increase your chances of eventually getting on the show.
Shows looking for run-through contestants list their requirements on beonscreen.com. Expect to earn about £20 for a couple of hours.
44. Be a pub quiz whizz
A crack team of experts with knowledge of everything from 1980s music to the monarchy could see you triumph – and cash in – on the pub quiz circuit.
Cash prizes vary and often depend on how many teams enter but many offer rollover jackpots to keep quizzers coming back week after week. You'll normally need to pay an entrance fee – and a few drinks – but quizzing can be a money spinner if you're clever enough.
Visit quizbritain.com to find quizzes in your area.
46. Write letters to magazines
Many magazines, especially women's weeklies, pay for readers' letters and the odds of the editor choosing your submission for publication are good.
Your letter might be a comment on a previous article in the magazine, a funny story or just your opinion about something in the news.
Take a Break compiles ‘brainwaves', which are generally household tips. It pays £50 if it publishes your tip and photo, or £25 for just a tip. Rival magazine Bella pays £50 per ‘star letter'. Moneywise pays £50 in Marks & Spencer vouchers for its star letter of the month, and for the best question submitted to its panel of experts in the Ask the Experts section. You can email your letters to editorial@moneywise.co.uk and questions to advice@moneywise.co.uk.
47. Have a hit on YouTube
Google-owned YouTube.com is the world's biggest video-sharing site.
To encourage users to upload videos it operates a profit- sharing system where video uploaders receive a cut of the revenue raised from ads shown next to their content.
To monetise your videos, you need to become a ‘YouTube Partner' and sign up to the site's rules. A handful of people have made six-figure sums by uploading seemingly trivial videos.
Howard Davies-Carr made more than £100,000 when he posted a clip called ‘Charlie bit my finger – again!' featuring his sons Harry and Charlie. The video's been viewed more than 850 million times.
48. Get paid for ads on your website
If you have a website or blog, whether business or personal, you can add adverts for other companies. The ads are in the form of 'affiliate links'.
Rather than approach individual companies to negotiate affiliate marketing deals, it's best to join an affiliate marketing scheme such as Google AdSense (google.com/adsense) or Amazon Associates (affiliate-program.amazon.co.uk).
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50 ways to make money: Income from your skills
Household bills have risen 10 times faster than incomes have grown since the start of the financial crisis, research by price comparison website uSwitch has found.
But if you have already fine-tuned your household finances by cutting energy and food bills, as well as remortgaging, and are still struggling to find spare cash, what can you do?
Here are seven ideas to earn extra money from your skills.
Find more money-making tips on our 50 ways to make money page.
36. Sell photos of news events
If you're in the right place at the right time and have your smartphone to hand, you can make money by selling pictures of breaking news to newspapers and websites. You can either approach the news outlet directly or go via an agency that will negotiate with the press for you – and take a cut of the money.
Featureworld.co.uk, talktothepress.co.uk and cavendish-press.co.uk all deal with general news, while thesnitcherdesk.com specialises in celebrity pictures.
A picture of an A-list celebrity behaving badly can pay thousands of pounds.
37. Sell photos online
Budding photographers can upload their work to a stock library – this is where newspapers, magazines and advertisers go to buy images.
The biggest stock library is alamy.com. It's free to list photos, Alamy sets the prices and you get 50% commission on each sale. Prices for buyers start at £15 for a photo to use in a presentation up to £149 to use it as part of a big marketing package.
However, you'll need both a decent camera and good photography skills to pass Alamy's quality control tests.
Other stock libraries include istockphoto.com and gettyimages.co.uk.
38. Grow and sell vegetables
If you have green fingers and a big garden or an allotment, you could make extra cash selling fruit, vegetables and flowers to passers-by, shops or at farmers’ markets. How much you can make depends on how much you sell, and of what. Some people will attract customers by simply advertising in front of their house or selling to friends.
Alternatively, gardeners can join Big Barn’s Crop for the Shop (bigbarn.co.uk) programme. It connects people with surplus stock to sell with independent food retailers.
39. Sell your crafts
If you enjoy knitting, woodcarving, pottery, making jewellery or other similar arts and craft type activities, you could make good money selling your wares on craft websites like etsy.co.uk and folksy.com. These websites have small fees for selling items.
40. Design an app
Apps are big business – in 2013 teenager Nick D'Aloisio sell the Summly news summary app to Yahoo! for an estimated £18 million.
Once you've had a unique idea for a useful app, or game you need to get it designed and made. FanStudio.co.uk says hiring an app developer to do this costs from £1,000 upwards.
The app will need to be submitted and approved by a mobile operating system such as Apple App Store, Google Play, or Windows Phone Store.
Once it's listed and people start downloading it, there are several ways to make money: charge each user to download it (from 79p on the App Store), sell in-app purchases or subscriptions, flog space on the app to advertisers, or sell the entire app to someone else.
41. Write an ebook
You no longer need a publishing deal to publish and sell a book – you can do it for free online. Writers such as EL James, who wrote 50 Shades of Grey, and Amanda Hocking, whose novels include Switched, have become millionaires this way.
Although you can publish for free, there are various services you can buy to increase your chances of success: for example, an 80,000-word novel will cost about £2,600 to copy edit, proof-read, format, design and advertise.
Next, you need to get it listed on Kindle Direct Publishing (kdp.amazon.com). There are other publishing platforms but Kindle is the biggest one.
Kindle allows you to set your own sale price and royalty level. Authors receive 70% of the sale price providing the cover price is between roughly £1.80 and £6. So if you set a sale price of £3, you'll receive £2.10 per download.
42. Start a blog
Blogs make money by attracting lots of visitors and then using visitor numbers to convince companies that buying advertising space on the blog is worthwhile. The more popular your blog is, the more advertisers will want to get involved and the more they'll be willing to pay.
As well as ads, blogs also feature 'sponsored links', which means the advertiser pays the blogger to publish a post in which there is a link to their website.
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50 ways to make money: Income from possessions
Household bills have risen 10 times faster than incomes have grown since the start of the financial crisis, research by price comparison website uSwitch has found.
But if you have already fine-tuned your household finances by cutting energy and food bills, as well as remortgaging, and are still struggling to find spare cash, what can you do?
Here are four ideas to earn extra money from your possessions.
Find more money-making tips on our 50 ways to make money page.
32. Rent out items you own
Have you got a tent you only use once a year? Or a largely redundant wallpaper steamer? Sites such as rentnotbuy.co.uk and rentmyitems.com are part of the so-called ‘sharing economy'. They enable owners to list items that they own and are willing to lend out in exchange for a fee. For example, you can rent out a leaf blower or lawn mower for £10 a day. Taking a deposit can help protect against theft.
33. Sell your stuff online
Car boot sales are old news – these days it's all about selling unwanted possessions online or via smartphone apps. Ebay.com is the best-known auction site. It gives users 20 free listings a month and takes a 10% cut of the final sale price. Ebay's payment system, PayPal, charges UK sellers a fee of 3.4% of the total sale plus 20p per transaction within the UK.
Other sites are product specific: ASOS Marketplace (marketplace.asos.com) for clothes, Music Magpie (musicmagpie.co.uk) for CDs, DVDs, and games, and We Buy Books (webuybooks.co.uk) for books.
If you want to sell items via your smartphone, download Shpock for free from either the App Store or Google Play.
34. Recycle your old mobile
Numerous companies offer cash for old mobile phones and, sometimes, other gadgets too. You'll get the most money for smartphones in full working order with little or no cosmetic damage.
Sites such as envirofone.com, mazumamobile.com and fonebank.com enable you to enter your phone's make and model and get an immediate quote. If you accept it, most will send you a freepost jiffy bag to send it in – then you get your cash.
You can compare what 38 different sites will give you for your phone at comparemymobile.com.
35. Sell police auction goods
Police forces end up with lots of ‘recovered property' they are unable to reunite with owners, so they sell it off cheaply at auctions. The most popular police auction site is bumblebeeauctions.co.uk. You don't need to pay to join but you need a nochex.com account to pay for items.
Common items are bikes, cameras, vehicle accessories and tools. You can make money by bidding for cheap items and selling them on elsewhere. Bikes in particular go pretty cheaply – from about £10 upwards.
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Yahoo Admits That Your Account and 3 Billion Others Were Hacked in 2013
If you think Equifax screwed up with its data breach, you’re in for a rude awakening.
Remember back in 2016 when Yahoo announced that a 2014 data breach affected 500 million people? If not, maybe you can recall when, three months later, it informed us all of a separate 2013 breach that affected 1 billion users.
In case that didn’t sting enough — or wasn’t sketchy enough — how would it sound to you if 3 billion user accounts were actually compromised? Like a nightmare, right?
Well… it happened. And we’re just now finding out about it.
3 Billion Accounts? Damn, Yahoo!
Verizon, Yahoo’s new owner, has finally come clean about the severity of the situation, and it doesn’t look good.
The company announced that every single Yahoo account was affected by the initial 2013 breach. That means about 3 billion accounts had data stolen from them, according to The New York Times.
The breach allowed criminals to gain access to encrypted information, such as names, birthdates, phone numbers and passwords.
The company will alert users whose accounts were not previously reported breached, according to CNBC.
Ultrasensitive information, such as bank and credit card data, were not included in the breach, but The New York Times says the stolen data could make it easier to hack into the bank accounts of those who use the same password across multiple platforms.
So what should we — as in, those of us associated with the billions of compromised accounts — do? As always, closely monitor your personal accounts, and report any fraudulent activity to your bank.
As for changing your Yahoo password — well, it’s safe to say it’s a little too late for that. But consider updating your passwords on other accounts, though, just to be safe.
Kelly Anne Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist at The Penny Hoarder. Catch her on Twitter at @keywordkelly.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.
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50 ways to make money: Income from your vehicle
Household bills have risen 10 times faster than incomes have grown since the start of the financial crisis, research by price comparison website uSwitch has found.
But if you have already fine-tuned your household finances by cutting energy and food bills, as well as remortgaging, and are still struggling to find spare cash, what can you do?
Here are three ideas to earn extra money from your car. Find more money-making tips on our 50 ways to make money page.
29. Have an advert on your car
Have you ever wondered why some people drive about town with an advert emblazoned all over their car? It's for one reason – to make money. Vehicle ‘wrapping' means having a vinyl graphic advert displayed on your car. Companies such as carquids.com match your driving habits and car up with an advertiser, arrange for your car to be wrapped, and pay drivers a monthly fee.
Depending on how much of your car is covered, you can earn up to £100 a month.
30. Share your car
Easy Carclub (carclub.easycar.com) puts car owners and drivers who occasionally need to hire a vehicle in touch with one another. Drivers hand over their car keys to a stranger for a set time in return for a fee – from £40 a day upwards – and hope they don't crash.
If that seems like too big a leap of faith, blablacar.com enables drivers making a particular journey to advertise for passengers to split the costs.
31. Be a casual courier
Anyvan.com puts people who need a man (or woman) with a van, or car, in touch with people that need things moved.
It works like this: customers say what they want moved and where – for example, a sofa moved from Reading to Guildford – and drivers bid for the job. The customer then picks the offer that sounds cheapest or best.
Our researcher received quotes of £40 to £55 to take an old futon to the local rubbish dump.
The secret to making money as a courier is bidding for jobs on journeys you were planning to make anyway, or combining several jobs on one journey.
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Should You Use an Auto Repair Shop Recommended by Your Insurance Company?
When your car has been damaged in an accident, one of the most important things you can do is find a quality auto repair shop that will make it truly roadworthy.
Your insurance company may offer to relieve you of the burden of finding a reputable repair shop by giving you a list of its own preferred providers. This is a tempting offer when you’re in a hurry to get back on the highway and not eager to check out repair shops on your own.
Insurers typically tell policyholders that they have carefully checked out these businesses to make sure they do quality work at reasonable prices. Your carrier may offer to guarantee any work that is performed by shops on its preferred list.
But although these shops may be fully qualified, they do have a business relationship with your insurance company. And by sending you to these shops, insurance companies are gaining more control over their costs. Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS), a nonprofit consumer group, says motorists usually are better off finding their own auto shops.
“What you want to do is find the repair shop that does the best job,” she says. “That isn’t necessarily the one they would recommend because they’re into cutting costs. In general, it’s a good idea to pick your own place. Do your own shopping. Look at reviews and decide on your own where you want your car to go.”
Harvey Rosenfield, an attorney and founder of the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog organization, says many consumers don’t realize that state insurance regulations around the country typically allow them to choose their own repair shops following accidents.
Because insurance-affiliated repair shops depend on insurance carriers for their business, in some cases they may more concerned with how much they’re costing your insurer than how well they’re repairing your vehicle, Rosenfeld says.
“You’re at a disadvantage when you’re dealing with a car repair facility whose principle allegiance is to the insurance company,” he says.
Not everyone says you need to be worried about finding your own repair shop. John Espenschied, the principal with Insurance Brokers Group, says shops recommended by insurance companies “are under constant review for quality, workmanship and customer service.”
Many people choose preferred provider auto shops for greater convenience, says Jim Armitage, a longtime insurance agent in Arcadia, Calif. Preferred providers typically bill insurers directly, and the policyholder doesn’t have to deliver a check, he noted.
“They do everything electronically,” he says. “The shop gets paid directly. It’s a more streamlined process.”
If you decide to accept an insurer’s offer to back up the work of a preferred provider, it’s a good idea to get the guarantee in writing to avoid misunderstandings later. Rosenfeld says it’s also important to make sure the repair shop you choose uses original auto parts provided by the manufacturer. He holds that using parts that aren’t original could pose a safety risk.
Tips for choosing the right auto repair shop
If you decide to find your own auto shop, here are steps you can take to improve your chances of having your car repaired properly:
Get recommendations. Ask friends and family members if they can recommend a repair shop that has done good work for them.
Do your homework. Armitage suggests using online consumer-review websites such as Yelp to see what other consumers have to say about the repair shops you’re considering. Another good source of information is your local Better Business Bureau. If you encounter a lot of complaints, consider going elsewhere.
Get several estimates. You won’t be certain of the full scope of the work that needs to be done unless you get repair estimates from several repair shops. The idea is to make sure that you don’t take your car back on the highway until it’s completely repaired and safe to drive.
Check for cleanliness. The nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence recommends finding a tidy, well-organized shop with modern equipment. This may seem unimportant, but the institute holds that it reflects the level of the shop’s professionalism.
Always follow your instincts
It’s important to find an auto repair shop that you trust. If you aren’t comfortable with a shop for any reason, don’t use it. If someone is disrespectful or uncommunicative when you’re seeking an estimate, don’t count on them to repair your car and stand behind the work. There’s usually another repair shop just down the road.
Related Articles:
- What to Do After a Car Accident
- Here’s How Much Your Car Insurance Goes Up After an Accident
- Best Car Insurance Companies of 2017
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A $9K Dental Bill Got Me to Check Out Medical Tourism. Here’s What I Found
Even with medical and dental insurance, the out-of-pocket expenses for surgeries and treatments can cost a fortune.
For instance, I’m about to complete an extensive series of non-cosmetic oral surgeries. The only thing less fun than the procedures themselves are the price tags that come with them.
$9,000.
Yep, that’s three zeros.
Since I don’t have nine grand in loose pocket change lurking in my sofa cushions, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I was going to pay for this periodontal joyride.
Medical and dental tourism kept coming up in my research, and, I admit, I was intrigued.
What Is Medical and Dental Tourism?
Medical and dental tourism is a catchall term referring to travel outside of a person’s home country for medical or dental care and treatment.
For American citizens, medical travel can be as logistically simple as popping across the U.S./Mexico border for a quick afternoon procedure.
But depending on the type and extent of work someone needs done, it could also involve a faraway visit to somewhere like Thailand or India.
International health travel website Patients Beyond Borders estimates that in 2017 about 1.4 million Americans will cross the border to spend an average of $ 3,800 to $6,000 per visit to seek medical or dental care.
Some of the most popular destinations include:
- Costa Rica
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Turkey
How Much Money Can Medical and Dental Tourism Save?
With so many variables, it’s tough to pin down exactly how much money medical travel can potentially save you.
First, it depends on what you have done and in what country. Then there’s how much of the money you save is offset by the cost of travel and lodging.
To get a rough idea of the savings involved (or not), I did some calculations based on a dental crown replacement I had done earlier this year.
- The total cost of the procedure by my local dentist was $1,115 before my insurance benefits were applied. My total out-of-pocket expenses after insurance came to $453.
- The price at a randomly chosen dentist in Mexico rang in at $180.
To get a feel for how much a more invasive procedure would cost, I ran some numbers on the costs involved in getting a hip replaced.
- Healthcare Bluebook estimates the “fair price” of a total hip replacement is $27,918.
- The price at a randomly chosen medical facility in Mexico is roughly $16,300.
From cost to safety concerns, there are a lot of things to consider before investing your money and health into medical or dental tourism.
While it may save you a considerable bundle of cash or wait-time, the option isn’t right for everyone.
Advantages of Medical and Dental Tourism
According to the World Health Organization, people choose medical travel for several reasons, including:
- Access to the most advanced technology: 40%
- Better quality care for medically-necessary procedures: 32%
- Quicker access to medically-necessary procedures: 15%
- Lower cost care for medically-necessary procedures: 9%
- Lower cost care for elective procedures: 4%
“Medical tourism has its advantages in that you have access to better technology and faster medical care at a lower cost than what you may have available in your own proximity,” said Dr. Constantine George, who is a dual board-certified doctor of internal medicine and pediatrics. “However, be sure your doctor or specialist follows up with you or your local primary care doctor to ensure there are no possible complications.”
Disadvantages of Medical and Dental Tourism
The Center for Disease Control says that while “the specific risks of medical tourism depend on the area being visited and the procedures performed,” people who are considering medical tourism should keep a few general issues in mind, including:
- Language barriers and communication difficulties for patients visiting countries where they don’t speak the local language
- Medication may be counterfeit or of poor quality
- There is a greater risk of being exposed to antibiotic-resistant bacteria in some countries
- Flying after surgery can increase the risk of post-surgical problems
“Being away from the specialist who performed the procedure may be a disadvantage in that they can’t assess the follow up as accurately, and this responsibility will fall into the hands of your doctor at home,” noted Dr. George.
Tips and Strategies for Medical and Dental Tourism
Whether you’re traveling abroad for an elective or medically-necessary procedure, keep these tips in mind.
1. Cheaper Isn’t Always Better
“Patients should always do research before deciding where to get treatment, not base it just on the cheaper option,” said prosthodontist Dr. Simon Flikier of the Flikier Dental Institute in Costa Rica.
Dr. Flikier recommends asking lots of questions and requesting a complete breakdown of prices for the procedure from every medical office you speak with to “make sure you are comparing apples to apples.”
2. Choose Your Location Well
Don’t try to combine your medical travel plans with your bucket-list vacation dreams. Sure, you may end up with time to check out the local scenery and get to know a new country, but your medical or dental needs take precedence over that far-off beach getaway you’ve always wanted to take.
In fact, you may be better off closer to home. ‘You want to choose a doctor that is relatively close to where you are,” noted Dr. Flikier. “Keep in mind some treatments require more than one visit,” so costs may add up quickly.
3. Double-Check Credentials
Be sure to check the licensing requirements in the country where you’re considering traveling. Look for organizations that aren’t affiliated with any particular hospital or medical practice for objective information about checking doctor credentials (similar to the American Medical Association and American Dental Association in the U.S..)
“In Costa Rica, all dentists have to be registered in the Colegio de Cirujanos Dentistas (National College of Dental Surgeons),” explained Dr. Flikier. “This guarantees that a doctor has an active license, [and] it also shows if they are trained and qualified to practice a particular specialty.”
Be sure to check out the CDC website for even more tips and advice on going abroad for medical and dental care.
A Word of Caution
From lower costs to shorter wait times, there are plenty of reasons to consider medical and dental tourism as a treatment option — but the risks can be significant.
Dr. Mark Burhenne, a family dentist and creator of AskTheDentist.com, acknowledges the potential financial benefits of medical travel but also offers some words of caution.
“The dentist knows that you’ll never be back. It’s such a great distance and cost to travel. If you can see them once and everything gets done properly the first time, then great — there’s a savings — but that’s rarely happening in my experience.
“In the U.S., the threat of malpractice is a great deterrent, lawyers are everywhere, and if work isn’t done correctly, chances are the dentist will get caught,” he adds.
Dr. Burhenne offers a final recommendation to anyone considering traveling outside of the U.S for a procedure.
“If you were to do it, I would stay in the country for six-plus months so that you can build a relationship with the dentist and go back for follow-ups.”
$9,000 Later…
Long before I dove into the research for this story, I made the decision to get my dental work done locally.
I was sorely tempted to head across the border, but between the travel expenses and multiple visits the treatment would require, it simply made more financial sense for me to stay put (plus, there’s something to be said for recovering on your very own couch).
I was fortunate to be able to put the payment on a credit card with a fairly-low interest rate (something we don’t generally advise) because I anticipate being able to pay it off quickly.
If that’s not an option, you may need to come up with other ways to deal with unexpected medical bills.
I won’t discount medical travel in the future if the need arises, but I plan to have perfect health and live to be 120 so hopefully it will never come up. (Right? Right.)
If it does, though, I’ll take the advice I got from these medical professionals to heart to make an informed — and smart — decision.
Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She had to be on a liquid diet for a few days after the procedures and had grown to detest soup. All the soup on the planet.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.
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