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الثلاثاء، 17 يناير 2017

DO NOT PUB: Santander Example

Introverts have been getting a lot of buzz in the past few years. Everyone wants to tell us how to survive in what is, apparently, an extroverted world.

But what if you just want to live in an introverted world?

Luckily, we love to find ways to make money working for yourself or working from home, so you can keep your interaction with the outside world to a bare minimum.

Here are 15 jobs for introverts that don’t compromise your very-real need to just be left alone sometimes.

Take Surveys While You Stay Home on Saturday Night

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We know surveys aren’t going to make you rich quickly. But if you’re just vegging out on the couch avoiding Facebook event invites, why not use the time to make some extra cash?

Point Club and Ipsos Panel are two legitimate paid survey companies we love.

Sign up for these sites, and you’ll get notified when you qualify for a survey. You’ll answer a few qualifying questions, complete the survey and earn points you can cash in for gift cards to major retailers like Amazon.

Plus, when you sign up for Point Club right now, you’ll earn bonus points worth $5!

Shop Online So You Never Have to Go Outside

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You know what it’s like out there. Stores are full of people, crammed into aisles, holding up the line, chatting you up for no good reason.

Skip it, and shop online. You can find everything you need without talking to a soul. Plus, we’ve got a secret tool to help you make some of your money back.

This secret weapon is called Paribus. It’s a tool that gets you money back for your online purchases.

Paribus is free to sign up and takes less than a minute. Once you do, it scans your email archives for receipts. If it discovers you’ve purchased something from Amazon, Target or one of the other participating retailers, it will track the item’s price. Anytime a price drops, it’ll refund you the difference.

There’s no fee to use the service. It just charges 25% or less of what it saves you.

Improve Your Fitness Routine Instead of Spending More Time With Friends

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Avoiding people doesn’t have to mean you’re cooped up inside all the time.

Go for a run in the park, do yoga at the beach, take a walk downtown — and get paid for it! How’s that for motivation?

The health app Achievemint lets you earn money for completing healthy activities.

Connect Achievemint to workout apps like Apple’s Healthkit, Fitbit, MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper, Rundouble C25K or any other app you already use to track your health and fitness goals. You’ll choose which data to securely share with Achievemint to earn cash for your activities.

You can even get paid for tweeting about your activities.

For example, you can earn points for logging your weight with MyFitnessPal or hitting step goals with Fitbit. You’ll earn points towards cash or Amazon gift cards (10,000 points = $10).

Plus, you’ll earn 10 points just for signing up with Achievemint and connecting an app.

Do Your Banking Online, So You Never Have to Talk to Anyone

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Have you had enough with the small talk at the bank? For goodness’ sake, no one cares what you’re doing this weekend.

Open an account with an online bank, and never talk about the weather with a teller again.

Aspiration’s Summit Checking Account is an online-only bank account with no fees, no minimum balance, no minimum monthly deposit and no chatty Cathys.

It also yields 1% interest — about 100 times a typical interest rate. You’ll get a debit card, so you can access your money at any ATM in the world, and it reimburses 100% of your fees.

Sell Your Stuff Without Inviting People Into Your Home

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Negotiating and bartering are tough for anyone. For introverts, they can be agonizing.

Decluttr lets you skip the trip to the record store or the awkward liaison with a Craigslist buyer.

You just scan your stuff with the app, and it makes an offer.

Decluttr buys your old CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and video games, plus hardware like cell phones, tablets, game consoles and iPods.

To get started, just download the app and start scanning barcodes of the items you want to sell. You won’t pay any fees. Decluttr even sends you a prepaid shipping label, so you don’t have to go to the post office.

Earn Money From Credit Card and Bank Bonuses

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Did you know a lot of credit cards and banks will give you money just for signing up? Instead of getting a toaster, they’re getting straight to the point these days: cold, hard cash.

These bonuses usually come with a few requirements. Typically, you’ll have to spend a certain amount on the credit card or deposit a certain amount into the bank account within the first few months of opening.

Switch your typical spending to these accounts, at least temporarily, and you could earn hundreds of dollars in bonuses a year!

Here are some of the best bank bonuses and the best credit card sign-up bonuses we’ve found — earn from $100 to $500!

Get Paid for All the Time You Hide Out Online

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You’re probably doing it right now: browsing the internet at your desk, in your bedroom or in the bathroom at a party… It’s a great way to escape and clear your head.

You could also be getting paid for this. Digital Reflection Panel is a research company that will pay you more than $200 a year for connecting a device to your wireless router.

The device anonymously gathers information about how you use the internet, in hopes of helping companies improve online experiences.

To qualify, you have to have wireless internet service and live in a single-family home (no apartments, sorry!).

And don’t worry, you don’t have to talk to anyone to install the device (though they’re available if you need help). The set-up kit comes in the mail with instructions, and you’ll earn your first $25 for installing it within four days.

Then you’ll earn $60 after you’ve kept the device installed for two months, and $10 a month after that.

Stay Behind the Camera: Sell Your Smartphone Photos

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Occupy yourself on nights out or at parties by snapping photos of other people. It’s a great way to join in on the fun without really interacting with people.

Plus, we found an app called Foap that allows you to turn your smartphone photos into cash.

To use it, you’ll download the Foap app on your Android or iPhone, upload your photos and make them available for purchase on the Foap Market.

You’ll make $5 for each photo you sell, and you can sell the same photo an unlimited number of times.

Be a Freelance Blogger

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Everyone is doing it these days, but it’s a safe bet to say introverts were probably the first bloggers.

Carefully composing your ideas before presenting them to people far, far away is pretty much an introvert’s ideal form of interaction.

As a freelance blogger, you can work as much or little as you want, so this makes a nice side gig or full-time job.

Pay varies wildly for writers, so make sure you’re compensated fairly for your time. Check out these seven blogs that pay $100 or more per post.

Use This as an Excuse for Those Nights You Just Want to Stay in

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Have you run out of excuses for turning down invitations to go out with friends? Tell ‘em you’re working!

Through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk), you can earn an extra $10 to $50 a week or so by completing small tasks online.

You’ll sign up as a “Turker” with your Amazon account and accept tasks (called “HITs”) like data entry, writing, research or taking surveys. The work won’t be crazy exciting, but it’s not a bad way to pass the time, especially when you’re getting paid.

Take Care of Houses

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House-sitting is kind of like babysitting, except you don’t have to be around kids all day. Sometimes, you don’t have to talk to another person at all.

The best bonus, really, is you get to stay in some pretty nice houses. You can get paid to look after them while the owners are out of town.

House-sitting can be a smart way to find free lodging when you travel, or you can actually turn it into a business and get paid for your service!

To learn more, read our full guide on how to find house-sitting jobs here.

Hang Out With Dogs, Instead of People

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Yes, you can get paid to hang out with dogs. We know you’d be happy to do it for free, but why not make a little side hustle out of it?

Find dog-sitting or dog-walking jobs in your area by reaching into your network or signing up through a service like Rover, Wag! or DogVacay.

You’ll set your own rates and availability, so you have control over how often you work and how much you can earn. This stay-at-home mom earns $6,000 a year walking dogs.

You can even decide which dogs you’ll accept, based on size, age and medical needs. (See? They’re already easier than people.)

Write About Food and Wine

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If you prefer the company of a good bottle of wine, try getting paid to write about it.

Turn your knowledge of body, fruit, tannin, acidity and sweetness into education and recommendations for other wine-lovers.

If you have writing skills and experience, pitch your ideas to magazine editors. Check out these 10 wine magazines to get started.

Also think about how your culinary prowess could apply to other topics. Maybe you can share cooking tips for families? Pitch these parenting blogs and magazines.

Even Penny Hoarders can recommend a good wine! TPH contributor Jamie Cattanach has shared several recommendations for great wine on the cheap (even the best boxed wines).

Work at a Cat Cafe

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Yeah, if you work in a cat cafe, you’re going to have to deal with people. But they’re cat people, so you can probably handle it.

We found three cat cafe jobs that pay up to $13 an hour, plus tips. If you have barista experience, your main job could be taking and preparing drink orders and helping customers. If you only want to hang out with cats, they have “cat wrangler” positions just for you.

Either way, if you’re a cat-lover, it’s a pretty great way to meet some new feline friends.

Who knows? You might even connect with some cat-loving humans while you’re at it!

Write Book Reviews

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Spending another Saturday afternoon reading? Yeah, we thought so.

You ought to get paid for that time.

Lots of sites will send you free books and/or pay you to write book reviews. Here are 18 of them. If you’re an avid reader, it’s a great way to save money!

Some sites will publish your review in their magazine or blog. Some will ask you to publish at your own blog or on Amazon. Most ask for your honest review, but a few will only pay for positive reviews.

Your Turn: What independent ways have you found to earn extra money?

Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. We’re letting you know because it’s what Honest Abe would do. After all, he is on our favorite coin.

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

The post DO NOT PUB: Santander Example appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.



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Preparing For Your Annual Tax Meeting

Preparing For Your Annual Tax Meeting

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Savings update: easy-access deals continue to improve

Rates on easy-access accounts continue to edge up marginally. Nottingham BS has launched its eSaver Instant issue 6 at 1.02% before tax. RCI Bank has also pushed its Freedom Account rate up to 1.02%.

Rates on easy-access accounts continue to edge up marginally. Nottingham BS has launched its eSaver Instant issue 6 at 1.02% before tax. RCI Bank has also pushed its Freedom Account rate up to 1.02%.

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Don’t Quit Your Resolutions Yet! Try These 8 Free Ways to Get in Shape

If no one has told you yet, let us be the first: That gym membership is not a guarantee you’ll meet your fitness goals this year.

I know. You made a New Year’s resolution to work out more. Paying for a membership is your first step — your “motivation.”

Unfortunately, that motivation doesn’t seem to be enough. Only 9% of people succeed at achieving any kind of resolutions by the end of a year, according to the University of Scranton’s research.

About 32% of people abandon their resolutions within two weeks. By the end of a month, 42% give up. After six months, less than half — 44% — of people are still working on their resolutions.

Promise, we’re not trying to discourage you!

Please, be the minority, and succeed. But don’t waste your money in the process.

Here are eight ways to get healthier and accomplish your fitness goals this year — all completely free.

1. Get More Sleep

Want to know the real secret to success? If you’ve asked Arianna Huffington in the past year, she’ll tell you: It’s sleep.

“People who average fewer than six hours of sleep per night are four times likelier than those who get more than seven hours to come down with a cold,” the self-proclaimed health and wellness expert told Oprah.

Even if you don’t care about keeping a sound mind or your general well-being, lack of sleep could affect your New Year’s resolutions.

“The stress hormone cortisone increases when you’re sleep deprived, which can affect weight,” Huffington said.

One of the best ways she touts for getting better sleep is to turn off your devices at night and keep them away from the bed.

Then, she says, “I have a hot bath — I love a hot bath.” And she says sleep in pajamas, not the same clothes you wear to the gym, so your brain knows it’s time to sleep.

I’ll add one more, from personal experience: Stop drinking coffee.

If you don’t want to make the change on your own, check out these free apps to help you sleep better.

2. Drink More Water

Still focused on losing weight?

Drinking more water can help with that, too. Plus, it’s virtually free!

“As part of a prudent, low-calorie weight-loss diet, adding water may help with weight-loss success,” Brenda Davy, Ph.D., the lead author of a Health.com study about water and weight-loss told CNN.

The study found those who drank 16 ounces of water before a meal lost an average four and a half pounds more than those who didn’t.

Want to take it one step further (and save more money) this year? Stop drinking alcohol.

3. Do Yoga

Yoga is my favorite way to stay in shape. It’s fantastic for flexibility, strength and stamina, as well as peace of mind.

Plus, contrary to what your yuppie friends may tell you, it’s completely free to practice!

I’ve been doing yoga at least a few times a week for about five years, and I’ve almost never paid for a class. I do it at home, using my favorite free yoga apps.

If you’re more inspired by the company of other yogis, try these six ways to find free yoga classes in your area.

4. Work Out at Home

You don’t need a monthly gym membership or hundreds of dollars in home gym equipment to experience an effective workout.

You can find workout videos or apps online that guide your routine for free. You don’t need a ton of space, either!

My partner uses an app he downloaded for free, and works out in the living room of our one-bedroom apartment.

And don’t let January’s cold weather keep you from reaching your goals. Check out these 11 free (or cheap) winter workouts.

If you do want to bring equipment into your home, do it frugally. Read these tips for building a home gym for less than $100.

5. Meditate

I know people who use meditation to fend off panic attacks, some who use it to relax during a stressful workday, some who use it to achieve higher spiritual awareness and some who use it simply to find peace and quiet.

Several studies have shown meditation to help with aging, treating depression and anxiety, fighting addiction, and improving concentration for things like work and school.

Clearing your mind through meditation could even be a key to more success this year!

Meditating can also help you stay healthier and fit, so it could boost your fitness-related resolutions.

If you’re not sure where to start, check out these five free meditation apps for iPhone and Android.

6. Stop Eating When You’re Full

This is definitely easier said than done. But at least it’s free!

It seems that we miss this simple point, especially in American food culture. You don’t have to clear your plate at every meal. If you pay attention to when you’re actually full — or better, not hungry — you’ll probably eat a lot less food.

Food guru and author Michael Pollan even recommends you leave the table a little hungry…

Without changing what you eat — or buying more expensive foods — you can make an impact on your health by changing how you eat.

I’ve been practicing this to varying degrees of success over the past seven or so years, and I can vouch for feeling healthier and even losing a few pounds (in combination with other habits).

The toughest part is knowing when you’re full. I recommend eating slowly, so you can pay attention to your body.

And by the way, keeping leftovers is a simple way to stretch your grocery budget!

7. Go Outside

Want to be happier, more energetic and generally stronger and healthier? Get some sunlight.

When you expose your skin to direct sunlight, it can naturally produce Vitamin D.

This vitamin helps you absorb calcium, which will strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis. It may also help protect against cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

I know January is not a great time to hear you should get outside more. Will you be motivated by money? Use this app to get paid to shovel snow. Or get out of your winter wasteland altogether, and sign up for one of these four jobs for snowbirds.

Plus, everyone looks a little more fit with a tan.

8. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Don’t worry. I said these steps would be free, and I intend to follow through on that promise.

You don’t need to spend extra money to eat fresher food. You just have to shop smart!

Start with coupons to keep your grocery bill down. Here are six places to find coupons for fresh fruit and vegetables.

Next, try this trick in the spring to get your fruits and vegetables for free: Skip the middle man, and harvest it yourself. Check FallingFruit.org to find public fruit trees in your city, and stop by for a snack next time you take a walk.

Bonus tip: If you’re interested in found food, take some tips from this couple, who ate food waste for six months and saved $20,000 on groceries. This guy even forages for food.

Earn Money While Getting in Shape

Want to take it a step further — not just saving money, but actually making money while you work out? Check out these 17 ways to get paid to exercise.

Here’s to a richer 2017, Penny Hoarders!

Your Turn: What frugal steps are you taking to achieve your health and fitness goals this year?

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

The post Don’t Quit Your Resolutions Yet! Try These 8 Free Ways to Get in Shape appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.



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Using Mini-Games for Financial and Personal Improvement

Let me tell you three little stories about myself from the last few months.

* * *

I was invited to a party with about 25 other people in attendance, all of them roughly my age. I knew about four of them prior to this party; the other 20 or so were strangers. After being greeted by the host, I was largely left to my own means, so I did what introverts usually do in that situation: I tried to sink into the woodwork. I grabbed a beverage, found a spot that was somewhat out of the way, and sipped my beverage without saying anything.

Somewhere, a voice in the back of my head spoke up. What was the point of coming to this if I’m just going to stand here and sip a drink? I eventually decided that I was going to talk to some people, but how? How could I do that?

What I eventually did is invent a little game for myself. I simply decided that my goal was to introduce myself and get the names of every single person in the room, along with three interesting or noteworthy things about each of them. That was my goal, plain and simple.

This goal worked very well with my introverted state because it allowed me to just ask questions. I know quite well that it’s far easier for me to dip into a conversation if there’s a question being asked, so I just used that as a starting point.

I started walking up to people. “Hi, I’m Trent, what’s your name?” And then I’d ask, “So, what do you do?” And, “How do you know Jeff?” (Jeff was the host.) I would then mine the last two questions for some follow-up questions.

Almost every time, I learned quite a bit about the person I was talking to. I usually learned that person’s name, their job (or how they filled their time), whether they were married and had kids, their connection to Jeff, and, quite often, much more than that, including some of their hobbies and even, in a few cases, their political beliefs and religious values. I learned that one guy was a board game designer. I even managed to learn something that two people had in common and actually introduced them to each other, as they didn’t know each other.

From that night alone, four different people added me on social media and I’ve had follow-up conversations with three of them, and I’ve done things with two of them. I also ran into two other people I met there at a grocery store, where we learned that our sons were actually decent friends in school and we made some tentative plans for the future.

All of that came from a simple game I made up for myself at a party to convince myself not to be an introverted weirdo standing in the corner.

* * *

Not too long ago, I started carefully counting calories in an effort to lose weight. I’m using My Fitness Pal to record calories; most items are either obviously listed or can be scanned in with a UPC to make it really easy to count calories.

Each day, I have a calorie goal. My objective is to fit a lot of foods I like into that goal each day without feeling hungry at the end of the day.

It ends up being a game of sorts. You end up figuring out which items are really efficient in terms of calories and feeling full and having a lot of nutritional value, and then you start thinking about which of those that you really like to eat.

For example, I figured out that having an orange and two poached eggs for breakfast really hits the spot and leaves me feeling full until lunch time, as does a small bowl of oatmeal with a banana chopped up in it as an alternate choice. There’s roughly the same number of calories in both, give or take a little.

It’s fun to figure out how everything actually fits, but it’s also kind of fascinating to really notice my body’s response to various foods and calorie levels.

* * *

I decided about two months ago to save up and purchase a nice fountain pen – a Lamy 2000, to be specific. I use fountain pens with some beautiful inks every once in a while when writing nice note cards or other items. I mostly just use a TWSBI 580 fountain pen that I received as a gift years ago, but I want to have another piston-filling fountain pen and the Lamy 2000 is beautiful and very well constructed.

I started shopping around for one. I found a reasonable price. Then I found a better price. And a little bit better price. And I’ve kept shopping and shopping, trying to find the absolute best price I could on a Lamy 2000.

It’s turned into a game, really. How low can I go? I’ve found what I think is the lowest regular price I can possibly find for one… but will one go on sale somewhere soon? Where do I watch for a sale price on one? Can I find one on an auction site?

The “magic number” I’m looking at now is way lower than what I had budgeted for and saved for originally. The thing is, it really has turned into a game. Can I possibly find that low price?

* * *

These three stories all have one big common thread running through them. In each case, I took something about myself that I was unhappy with – being quiet at parties, eating too much, spending too much on frivolous things – and transformed overcoming those things into a personal game.

I went all introverted at a party – and I overcame it by making up a question game for myself and played it.

I ate too much during (and before) the holidays – and I overcame it by inventing a calorie counting game for myself.

I decided to spend a lot on a non-essential item – and I overcame it by playing a game where I sought a lower and lower price.

These games are actually similar in a lot of ways.

They all involve a goal or a high score…

  • The socializing game’s goal was to learn something about everyone at the party.
  • The calorie counting game’s goal is to keep my caloric intake below a certain number without feeling hungry.
  • The cheap pen hunting game’s goal is to find a particular item below a particular dollar amount.

They all involve little tiny steps toward success, like taking turns in a game…

  • The socializing game breaks down to nothing more than a brief conversation with a person.
  • The calorie game breaks down to nothing more than using a smartphone tool to see how many calories are in a meal.
  • The cheap pen game breaks down to doing a handful of web searches.

They all lead to a “win” that’s not only a victory at the game, but has results I’m happy with in my life…

  • The socializing game involves meeting and getting to know a bit about everyone in the room, which results in a few new friends and more people I know in my broader social circle and community.
  • The calorie game results in weight loss and better health outcomes, which provides me with more energy, a better body image, and less money spent on food and on health care.
  • The cheap pen game finds me the item I want at a very low price, which leaves me more money to spend on other hobbies.

* * *

The idea of changing something about yourself that you don’t like into a “game” of sorts is called gamification, and it’s a pretty hot area of study in psychology and related fields. In short, gamification seeks to transform difficult elements of self-improvement into some kind of structure that feels like a game and provides those same little bursts of pleasure that you get from completing a level in Candy Crush Saga or winning a round of a board game or finishing a level in Super Mario Brothers.

I find that, time and time again, gamification works well for me, but only when it’s on my terms. There are lots of different tools out there that try to turn new habits and other initiatives into a formal game of some kind, like Habitica or SuperBetter or into a tool like Streaks, but while those apps are fun, they can feel a lot like trying to fit a framework onto my life that doesn’t perfectly fit.

For me, gamification works best when I devise my own games and only use apps to track the results. There isn’t an “app” that encourages me to socialize in a game form; that’s something I invent myself and think about each time I go to a party. The same thing is true for other little games, like the “grocery store game” (which I’ll talk about in a bit) or other games I mention above.

In the same vein, gamification also works well when I choose really tiny steps to accomplish. When the next step is going to take a lot of effort or a big block of time, it’s very easy to say “nope” and give up. But look at the above examples. They’re pretty simple. Eat only two pieces of pizza instead of four – it’s easy. Walk up to somebody and ask them a couple of friendly questions – easy. Do whatever you want today, just don’t spend any money – easy. These aren’t insanely difficult things, but doing them consistently really adds up.

In other words, a good “game” needs specific clear rules, real time feedback, and clear constraints. In other words, what do I need to do, how am I doing, and when/where can I do it? Those questions need to be able to be easily answered at any point during the “game” to make it useful and repeatable and successful.

What about rewards? Rewards can help with motivation for some, but I usually am much happier with the results of my efforts rather than any rewards I’ve tied to it. If the results of the effort aren’t enough to motivate me and I need an additional reward, it’s very likely that the effort isn’t meaningful enough for me to stick with it. At best, I view it as a nice perk. There are a few specific exceptions to this, but they’re usually just a result of the output of the game rather than a separate reward.

With that being said, here are 12 more “games” I’ve successfully used for my own personal improvement over the last few years, separated into finance-themed games and other games.

Money-Themed ‘Games’

The “grocery store” game is a game I play at the store to keep myself from putting unnecessary items in my cart. I go into the store with a grocery list and I let myself put $20 of items that aren’t on the list in my cart. A kicker: If I don’t use up that full $20, I can add the remainder to my hobby budget for the month. This turns shopping into a game; if I see an item not on my list that I want to add, do I want to do that? Or would I rather have something else? Or an extra $20 in my budget?

The “money free” game is a simple game that’s really easy to play during a long stretch of “ordinary” days. Just see how many days you can string together without spending any money, excepting paying bills before their due date. No groceries – just eat what you have on hand. No entertainment expenses. No new hobby items. Nothing. How long can you do it? My record is 15 days, done during a summer stretch where we had a lot of fresh produce coming in from the garden.

The “net worth” game boils down to trying to continually set a new high score from your net worth (your net worth is simply the total value of everything you own and the value of your various accounts minus the total of all of your debts). Recalculate your net worth each month, then strive to set a new high score the following month. Better yet…

The “net worth change” game is the same as the “net worth” game above, except that your goal is to maximize the change in your net worth. You calculate your net worth in January, then again in February, and your actual score in February is the February net worth minus the January net worth. The higher you can get that number in a month, the better.

The “drugstore” game revolves around using a combination of manufacturer coupons, store coupons, flyer sales, and frequent shopper cards at drugstore chains like Walgreens or CVS to get items for free (or close to it). Can you find a perfect combination of two coupons and a sale to get the cost of a tube of Crest toothpaste down to a quarter at CVS? You can if you plan, and that’s the fun of it.

The “pantry” game is where I attempt to make as many meals as possible using solely the items in our pantry, supplemented only with some fresh produce as needed from the store. This game forces me to be creative with the items that we already have in our cupboards, using them up to make delicious new meals. This cuts down on our food costs, allows us to more freely buy in bulk, and makes sure that we use items before we go bad. I love doing this once every couple of months for an entire week’s worth of meals, so that the grocery trip during those weeks consists of just a stop in the produce section and perhaps $20 or $30 at the checkout.

Other Self-Improvement ‘Games’

The “socializing” game is a powerful one for introverts such as myself. It’s easy – all you have to do is have a conversation with a new person each day. It can be at the bus stop, the store, anywhere else. All you have to do in this conversation is learn the person’s first name and three things about that person. For me, it’s a game to see whether or not I can actually “click” with someone, which means I have to work on being social and overcoming my nervousness, and regular success at that game improves my social skills and potentially my social circle.

The “one more exercise” game involves choosing a particular exercise that you enjoy and then increasing the size of your set by one each day so that it’s more difficult than before. For example, if you do squats, start off one day by doing 10, then move to 11 the next day, then 12, and so on. Eventually, switch to a harder form and start over. You can do it with burpees or pushups or whatever. You can do it with time, too, by measuring the length of a wall sit or This is basically progression exercise, but it’s a great way to start off with an exercise routine that feels easy and not overwhelming and gradually builds as you get stronger, plus you get a great sense of accomplishment over the long haul.

Geocaching literally is a game that you can play that turns moderate exercise and exploring one’s environment into something you can keep score with. My goal in 2017 is to discover 20% more geocaches than I did in 2016, for example. Geocaching is basically a real-world treasure hunt, where you use GPS coordinates to find a treasure box that someone has stowed in the real world somewhere (usually in a park). Finding new ones usually means going further from home, going on hikes, and so forth, so not only does it encourage exercise, it also encourages exploration of the environment around you and finding out about new places and locales.

The “meditation or prayer” game is what I like to call a “chain” game. The goal of the game is to make a chain of days in which I do one simple thing every day. I find that meditation or prayer (things I consider very similar, in that the only difference between them is the focus of the activity) is a very powerful technique for helping with my focus and sense of calmness, so I try to do it every day and extend that chain. Because this is something I can literally do anywhere whenever I have ten or fifteen free minutes, it’s easy to make a very long chain.

The “learning” game is simply taking a step to learn something new every day. A great example of this comes from Duolingo, which makes learning a new language into a game. You “win” the game when you achieve some level of mastery, like completing a full language track in Duolingo or you complete all of the sessions in an online course or you finish reading a complex book.

The “journaling” game is simply filling up an entire notebook with journal entries. I’ve found that whenever I take the time to write out a journal entry, particularly when I’m wrestling with a problem in my life, I tend to feel better about the challenges I’m facing and I often have a plan and a brighter attitude about things. I usually strive to write an entry every day that includes a few things I’m grateful for, along with some extensive thoughts on the thing that’s troubling me the most at that moment. I delve into why it’s troubling me by using the “five whys” method (asking “why?” at every response, as if I were a curious five-year-old, and doing it at least five times in a row) until I come to a really sharp truth. Then I deal with that truth. I used to try to make “streaks” of this, but I actually find journaling to be more valuable when things are weighing on my mind or I want to think through something memorable or important rather than an every day routine, so instead I tend to value filling up entire notebooks. I keep them with pride, as I have quite a few of them full, and I get a lot of positive value out of reflecting on my life changes over the course of a journal. The “game” comes from sticking with it and using it as a regular tool, and the “reward” comes from a better life and a collection of journals that I love to leaf through.

Final Thoughts

All of these “games” are strategies that I use to improve almost every aspect of my life – financial, spiritual, intellectual, physical, and so on. Whenever I can couch things in terms of a personal challenge and then make the steps of that challenge small ones that I can tackle constantly, I get that little burst of pleasure from each step, like completing a stage in a game, and I sometimes get that big blast of victory that one gets from finishing a game.

The advantage here is that the game exists in real life and the process of completing the game makes my life better, personally, financially, spiritually, and otherwise.

Add some games to your life. You might just find it makes things better.

The post Using Mini-Games for Financial and Personal Improvement appeared first on The Simple Dollar.



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Is an Annual Credit Card Fee Ever Worth It? The Answer Will Surprise You

For years, I had a rule about credit cards: Never get one that has an annual fee.

There are so many great cards with no fee, after all. But sign-up bonuses and better rewards finally changed my mind.

It started with the Hyatt Credit Card. A sign-up bonus convinced me to apply, but I’ve kept the card for years, happily paying the $75 annual fee. Aside from various other benefits, the anniversary award night (a free stay at a category 1 to 4 Hyatt each year) makes it well worth it, because my wife and I typically spend more than $75 for a room in hotels that aren’t nearly as nice.

Since I signed up for the Hyatt card, I’ve applied for a number of credit cards with annual fees — and sometimes large ones. Very few of them are worth keeping beyond the first year, at least for me.

So how do you decide whether a credit card with an annual fee is a good deal for you? Let’s look at some of the factors by starting with an example of a card I just received…

Is This Card Worth the $95 Annual Fee?

I recently applied for and received an American Express Blue Cash Preferred card as an upgrade from my Blue Cash Everyday card. One of the primary benefits is the incredible 6% cash back you earn on grocery purchases. No other card offers that, as far as I know.

The reason I’m happy to pay the $95 annual fee for the first year is the bonus it offers: After spending $1,000 on the card in the first three months, I’ll get a $150 statement credit. That will leave me $55 ahead, plus I will earn the usual cash back on those purchases (as much as $60 if they’re all grocery purchases).

Clearly, a good sign-up bonus is one reason to get a card with an annual fee.

Interestingly, until a few days ago, the bonus was $250 for the Blue Cash Preferred, at least for new cardholders. (I qualified for only $150 because it was an upgrade of an existing card.) These bonuses go up and down, so watch for a deal.

At the moment, the Blue Cash Preferred card also pays 10% cash back (up to $200) on Amazon purchases for the first six months. That could be worth a lot if you regularly shop on Amazon.

And that 6% cash back on groceries — wow! So, will I keep the card and continue paying the $95 annual fee? Probably not. The math gets more complicated once you get beyond that initial bonus and the temporary benefits.

That 6% on groceries sounds great, and even with a $6,000 purchase limit per year, you could get up to $360 cash back. That more than covers the annual fee. Then, there is the 3% cash back you earn on gasoline. That might add another $45 to your cash back haul (based on annual gas purchases of $1,500).

But that’s not the end of the story. For example, I get 3% back on gas with one or two of my other no-fee cards (and 5% back at the moment with my Discover card), so this benefit is of no additional value. And then, there is the fine print and other considerations when it comes to those grocery purchases.

And what, exactly, counts as a grocery purchase? Even a look at the explanation offered by American Express doesn’t make it all that clear. What is clear is that purchases at Walmart Supercenters do not qualify. That’s where I buy most of my groceries! And it certainly doesn’t make sense to pay 10% or 20% more elsewhere just to get 6% cash back.

When I take a closer look at where I shop and how much I spend, I estimate that, at most, about $1,500 of my grocery purchases annually will qualify for the 6% cash back. That would make me $90 — not enough to cover the $95 annual fee.

But there’s even more to it than that. Suppose you project $2,000 in qualifying purchases, earning you $120 in cash back (the 6% reward, not the bonus). It would seem that the card is worth it then… until you consider the cash back you can earn with a no-fee card.

For example, you can get 2% cash back with a Citi Double Cash card, which has no annual fee. That would net you $40. Subtract that from the potential $120 you might make with the Blue Cash Preferred card and you would be only $80 ahead on cash back rewards (not counting the bonus) — not worth a $95 fee.

You can see why I’ll drop the card before the next fee is due (but it was worth having temporarily thanks to the $150 bonus — more on that consideration in a moment).

You can boost the value of the card with tricks like buying gas station gift cards in grocery stores to get 6% cash back on those. Strategies like that can make a card worth the fee, and I’ve used them often. But in my experience, there are usually better options with fee-free cards. For example, I’m getting 5% cash back this quarter with my Discover card, so buying gas cards to get 6% with the Amex card would result in an additional value of just 1%, which might not change the calculations enough to justify the extra work (but if you drive a lot, maybe it works for you).

Here’s how to analyze credit cards to decide which are worth the fee after you’ve earned any one-time bonus:

1. Calculate what you’ll make with the new card.

2. Subtract what you would earn with a no-fee card you already have or could easily get.

3. Your total should be more than the annual fee for the card; otherwise, you should cancel it.

When you do the math the right way, based on your normal spending patterns and taking into account the existing benefits on your no-fee cards, most cards with an annual fee are not worth keeping. But “keeping” is the operative word here. Many of them offer sign-up bonuses that make them a great deal to have for less than a year. For example…

I Just Collected a $500 Credit Card Bonus

My American Express Premier Rewards card has a $195 annual fee. That’s pretty expensive — so what are the benefits? Well, the best one seems to be that it pays three points per dollar on airfare. Hmmm… I use other cards to get free flights much of the time. And two points per dollar for gas stations? I get 3% on a fee-free card.

It does offer an airline fee credit of “up to $100 per calendar year in statement credits when incidental fees, such as baggage fees and other incidentals, are charged by the airline to your Premier Rewards Gold Card.” But I never have baggage or other incidental fees; I travel light.

The bottom line is that I can’t imagine any way to get $195 in value annually from this card. So why do I have it?

It offered me 50,000 points for spending $2,000 on the card in the first 90 days, and American Express waived the annual fee for the first year. I finished off the spending requirement last month and had a total of 52,450 points in my account.

Now, the calculation can get tricky here, once again, because these are points with various redemption options. For example, many of the $25 gift cards offered cost 3,500 points. Fortunately, the Home Depot cards are one penny per point, and we just moved to a new home that needs things like a bedroom door, screen door and patio pavers.

I’m almost through spending the $500 in gift cards I received. Since we shop at Home Depot regularly, it was almost the same as getting $500 cash. I’ll charge another $50 on the card to round my remaining points up to $2,500, which will get me another $25 Home Depot gift card before I cancel the account.

Of course, that $2,250 or so in normal spending that I put on the card, which earned me a total of $525, would have netted me $45 in cash back on my Citi Double Cash card. So my real net benefit from the new card is only $480 ($525 minus the $45). That’s still a pretty good haul.

It would have been a good deal even if Citi didn’t waive the fee for the first year (in which case, my net benefit would have been $285). So here’s a basic formula for analyzing the benefits of getting a card with a fee to earn a sign-up bonus:

1. Start with the cash value of the bonus.

2. Add any additional cash value earned by meeting the spending requirements.

3. Subtract the cash value the spending would have earned on cards you already have.

4. Subtract the annual fee (if not waived for the first year).

The result is your net cash value benefit.

When It’s Time to Cancel Your Credit Card Over the Fee

And then, of course, if you don’t want to lose much of that benefit, remember to cancel the card before the next annual fee is due. There are also two alternatives to canceling the card.

First, you can threaten to cancel, making it clear that you’ll do so because of the annual fee. The fee may be waived for another year. This tactic used to work well in years past (I had several fees waived), and it might still be worth trying.

If the credit card issuer won’t drop the fee, you might be able to downgrade to a fee-free version of the card, sometimes keeping the same account number and some of the benefits. For example, instead of canceling my Blue Cash Preferred card, I might ask for a downgrade to the fee-free Blue Cash Everyday card, which still pays 3% cash back on groceries.

Yes, it can be great to have credit cards with big annual fees… at least for a little while.

Your Turn: Do you have any credit cards that have an annual fee? Are they worth it?

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

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UK inflation rises to 1.6%

The UK’s inflation rate increased to 1.6% in December 2016 - the highest rate seen for two and a half years, according to figures published today.

The UK’s inflation rate increased to 1.6% in December 2016 - the highest rate seen for two and a half years, according to figures published today.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) says an increase in food costs and air fares contributed to the rise in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).

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7 Guilt-Free Fast-Food Menu Hacks That Work at Any Drive-Thru

Have you ever rolled up to the McDonald’s drive-thru window and ordered a double cheeseburger, minus the ketchup and mustard — but with added special sauce and lettuce?

You’d wind up with what’s essentially a Big Mac, although its bun would lack those classic sesame seeds and the piece of bread splitting the two beef patties. It would also cost you $2.58 less, according to this website’s estimate of Florida fast-food menu prices.

You could also order a $1.29 Sausage McMuffin with an a la carte fresh-made egg instead of a $3.19 Sausage McMuffin With Egg. Boom: Some shuffled syntax just saved you 61 cents.

And maybe you’ve heard how easy it is to save money at Starbucks by not mentioning your favorite iced latte by name.

Instead, order however much espresso you can handle over ice, then add milk at the bar. Voila — a caffeine buzz by another name and a couple more bucks for your pocket. (Or the tip jar.)

Listen, I get it. As a Penny Hoarder, I’m not above these tactics.

But I also know that when I’m hitting the drive-thru, it’s usually in a last-ditch effort to fill my belly without spending too much time. Which means I’m in no position to carefully examine every menu item and figure out how to cobble together a cheaper version by performing mathematical acrobatics.

Plus, as cool as these fast-food menu hacks can be, franchise prices vary by market, as do menu items. There’s no way to create a definitive list of these tricks.

To say nothing of the fact that — let’s be real — they’re a little sneaky.

Sure, the restaurant set it up so that certain button presses on the register add up to a lower price for the same meal, but do you really feel great about trying to hack the system to save a few cents?

OK, maybe you do. But either way, it’s not gonna be feasible every single time.

These seven tips, however, will work no matter what fast-food joint you frequent — and they aren’t even a little bit nefarious.

7 Fast-Food Menu Hacks to Save You Money at Any Speedy Eatery

Whether you’re standing in line at Chipotle or at the drive-thru of your local McDonald’s, these surefire tips will save you money every single time.

1. Take Advantage of Kid-Size Portions and the Dollar Menu.

OK, so the kids’ menu thing will only work if you don’t have a particularly voracious appetite.

But you might be surprised how much food you get: Chick-fil-A’s got a six-piece chicken nugget option, and it comes with a side and drink. Besides, who doesn’t want a toy with dinner?

And who doesn’t want to build their own quesadilla at Chipotle?

If it’s just not gonna cut it, that’s cool — but the dollar menu’s hard to argue with. It’s like the dollar store of the fast-food world: You know exactly what everything costs and can add up items in any combination.

Most combo meals cost over $5, and you only get a sandwich, an order of fries and a drink. Why not double up on your favorite of those elements and add in a dessert to boot for that same fiver?

2. But Beware That “Extra Value” Meal.

This just in: Marketing is crappy sometimes.

That’s why this man sued a Chicago-area McDonald’s franchisee for false advertising when he discovered his “extra value” meal would actually be cheaper if he’d ordered its items individually.

If a combo is your go-to, it’s pretty quick and simple to compare its price to the a la carte menu right beside it on the billboard. And besides, do you really need two cheeseburgers? Or maybe you don’t actually want fries today, but you’ll eat them if they’re there.

Making sure your combo is actually a value could save you money and help you make healthier choices.

3. And the “Secret Menu”? Totally Not a Thing.

I’m not saying you can’t have a cotton candy butterbeer frappuccino.

I’m saying the person behind the counter likely doesn’t actually have that item on their register, which means you’re going to have to order it with the specific substitutions and changes it requires — and which you’ll need to memorize yourself or annoyingly pull up on your cell phone in line.

By the way? All those extra button presses might mean lots and lots of upcharges for you. Most fast-food joints have a totally adequate number of options. Sticking to what’s in front of you will earn you thanks from your wallet, the cashier and the line of folks queued up behind you.

4. Skip the Soda — or at Least Go for a Small.

Most places will give you a free cup for water if you ask for it.

And if you must go in for a fountain drink, get the small, unless you’re leaving right away.

When you can get free refills, even a tiny cup is bottomless.

5. Get the App.

Just like literally everything else in our lives, for most fast-food brands, there’s an app for that. And it’s usually tied in with a rewards or loyalty program that can save you money over time if you visit a certain chain often.

You might want to hide the icon back a ways in your app drawer or cloister it in an obscure folder, however.

There’s nothing like having a visible shortcut to your Dunkin Donuts membership to raise some concerned family members’ eyebrows.

I can stop anytime I want to, OK?

6. Follow Your Favorite Chains on Social Media.

And not just because many fast-food joints hire hilarious people to manage their Twitter accounts.

Following your favorite guilty pleasure joint on Facebook and Instagram can alert you to cool promotions.

Chick-fil-A in particular is great at these. Franchisees serve up freebies on the restaurant’s famous Cow Appreciation Day — or tempt customers to get off their cell phones and into conversations by way of free ice cream.

Other brands release annual deals that can save you money all year long… if you get them in time. (Psst: You’re probably not too late for this year’s Krispy Kreme calendar or the Wendy’s Frosty key tag!)

If you’re connected to these brands on your social channels, you’ll be in the know — and first in line.

7. Be Nice.

Obviously, this one should go without saying.

But if you need an extra reason to be kind to whomever’s behind the counter, don’t forget what your mom always told you: You get more free stuff with honey than vinegar.

Or something like that.

Bon appetite, Penny Hoarders!

Your Turn: What are your best tips for saving money on fast food?

Jamie Cattanach is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Her writing has also been featured in the Ms. Magazine blog, The Write Life, Word Riot, Nashville Review and elsewhere. Find @JamieCattanach on Twitter to wave hello.

The post 7 Guilt-Free Fast-Food Menu Hacks That Work at Any Drive-Thru appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.



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A 12-Month Plan to Raise Your Credit Score in 2017

Are you ready to finally gain control of your credit scores in the new year? Working to improve your credit is an admirable resolution, and a very wise use of your time and energy. And it’s more than simply scoring points in some kind of game. There are real financial benefits to boosting your credit score from, say, 670 to 800. So, let’s get started: Here’s a 12-month game plan to lift your credit score this year.

January – March

Check Your Credit Reports and Create Your Plan

The first months of your credit improvement year should be spent preparing your plan. Step one in any effective credit renovation plan is to gain a clear understanding of where you’re beginning from. In other words, you need to check all three of your credit reports, reviewing each one from top to bottom with a fine-toothed comb. You can claim free copies of your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com.

Once you’ve checked your credit reports, make a list of any errors or questionable information you discover. This is going to take some time, because you may not immediately recognize all of the accounts on your reports, especially if you have an extensive credit history. These are the items you’ll want to address as part of your strategy.

Dispute Any Errors

If you discover any errors or suspicious information on your credit reports, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you the right to dispute any such items with the three credit reporting bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian). There’s no charge to dispute questionable credit report items on your own. However, some consumers prefer to hire and pay a reputable credit repair company to handle disputes on their behalf.

Either way, credit reporting errors should not be ignored, because they can be unnecessarily damaging to your credit scores. Any communication method you choose is fine, whether it’s online, via the mail, or over the phone.

Consider Automating Some Bills

The number one factor influencing your credit scores is how consistently you pay your bills –and whether you pay them on time, every time. Missed or late payments are a credit-score killer.

To that end, it may be worth setting up automatic minimum payments for some or all of your monthly obligations, so you never let a bill slip through the cracks. Just make sure you’re not putting yourself in a position where you risk overdrafting your checking account.

Cut Spending and Tackle Credit Card Debt

One of the most effective ways to improve your credit scores — and quickly — is to reduce your credit card balances. Look for areas to cut your monthly expenses, and use those savings to pay down your balances more aggressively.

You can use the ‘Debt Snowball’ method to pay down your credit card debt: List your credit card balances from highest to lowest and begin by aggressively paying down the card with the lowest balance first, while making the minimum payment on your other accounts to keep them current.

Once you pay off a card completely, you can climb the list to the next account and repeat the process. This method produces tangible, motivating results more quickly than tackling larger debts that will take much longer to eliminate.

April – June

Check Your Progress

As you’re working hard to achieve better credit, keep an eye on your progress by checking your credit reports from time to time. The above referenced website can only be used once every 12 months, but there are numerous websites which currently offer free credit reports.

You can tell if you’re getting legitimately free credit reports by choosing the sites that do NOT require you to give them a method of payment. If they’re asking for a credit card, then you’re not getting free credit reports.

Consider Establishing New Credit

Depending on your credit situation, it can sometimes be beneficial to establish new, positive credit accounts as you work toward improving your credit. If you have little to no current credit, this step may be especially worth considering.

Even with credit problems, you may be able to qualify for a secured credit card or a credit builder loan from your local credit union. Additionally, if a loved one is willing to help you out then you could be added as an authorized user to an existing, positive credit card account as well. You can’t have too much good credit on your credit reports.

July – September

Check Your Progress

During the third quarter of your credit improvement plan, it’s a good idea to check all three of your credit reports again (if you’re not already reviewing them monthly). You can also take a peek at your latest credit scores to see if your efforts at paying down your credit card debt and/or establishing new, positive accounts have paid off in the form of a higher score.

Consider Settling Defaulted Debts

Paying off or settling derogatory accounts such as collections, tax liens, or judgments may or may not improve your credit scores, because many credit scoring models are more concerned with the fact that negative items occurred at all rather than the actual balances on such accounts. However, ignoring those negative items could be a mistake.

If you ignore unpaid collections, for example, you could be faced with some very unpleasant consequences, such as being sued or even wage garnishment. Additionally, it can often be difficult to qualify for a loan with outstanding defaulted balances.

October – December

Check Your Progress – and Celebrate Your Success

In the final stretch of your credit improvement year, it’s still important to review your progress by re-checking your three credit reports and credit scores. Routinely checking your credit is a good habit you should carry with you into the future as well.

Continue to follow through on your plans to eliminate credit card debt and establish positive credit management habits on all of your current accounts. Great credit takes time, and there is no silver bullet — but each baby step will bring you a little closer to your goals of better credit scores.

Remember, even if you fall short of your overall credit goal in 2017, that doesn’t mean you failed. Any improvement in your credit scores is a good deal for you and will likely pay financial dividends.

Now the goal is to lather, rinse and repeat. Time generally heals credit wounds, and paying your bills on time and continuing to pay down credit card debt will always lead to higher credit scores.

Related Articles:

John Ulzheimer is an expert on credit reporting, credit scoring, and identity theft. He has written four books on the topic and has been interviewed and quoted thousands of times over the past 10 years. With time spent at Equifax and FICO, Ulzheimer is the only credit expert who actually comes from the credit industry. He has been an expert witness in over 230 credit related lawsuits and has been qualified to testify in both federal and state courts on the topic of consumer credit.

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Small deposit mortgages cost £300 more a month

Homebuyers with a 5% deposit are paying almost £300 a month more for their mortgage than the equivalent purchaser with a 25% deposit.

Homebuyers with a 5% deposit are paying almost £300 a month more for their mortgage than the equivalent purchaser with a 25% deposit.

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Equity release lending hits record high in 2016

Equity release lending in the UK surpassed £2 billion for the first time in 2016, marking a landmark year for the sector, according to the new figures from the Equity Release Council.

Equity release lending in the UK surpassed £2 billion for the first time in 2016, marking a landmark year for the sector, according to the new figures from the Equity Release Council.

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Mixed picture for expats thanks to sterling's slump

The fall in the strength of pound sterling has had a mixed impact on the fortunes of British people living abroad, with many suffering due to a decline in the currency.

The fall in the strength of pound sterling has had a mixed impact on the fortunes of British people living abroad, with many suffering due to a decline in the currency.

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5 Lessons I Learned on My Journey from $5 to $150 per Hour

By Oleg Starko Here’s an idea: Your hourly freelance fee should be twice what it is right now. How do I know? Because most freelancers undercharge – and chances are, you are one of them. I mean it in the nicest way possible. The fact that you are undercharging is good news. It means that […]

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Money issues 'damage worker productivity'

Around one in four people are finding it difficult to do their job because of serious money worries.

Around one in four people are finding it difficult to do their job because of serious money worries.

A survey of more than 1,800 UK employees, also suggests that almost a third of 18-24 year-olds and a third of people living in London are struggling with financial issues.

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الاثنين، 16 يناير 2017

Instant Term Life Insurance Without an Exam – Haven Life Insurance Review

Historically, life insurance has been a taboo subject. As humans, we’re hardwired to think we’ll live forever. Since discussing life insurance means we’re addressing our own mortality, far too many of us choose to avoid the situation altogether.

haven life insurance reviewFortunately, the tide appears to be turning as more and more families choose to buy coverage for their families. As a 2016 study from life insurance research and development agency (LIMRA) showed, around 70 percent of American adults have some type of life insurance coverage. Further, the number of households with life insurance coverage grew by 5 million from 2010 to 2016 – showing an increase of 6 percent.

Parents under 45 with children in the home are buying coverage at higher levels than ever. From 2010 to 2016, individual coverage for millennials under the age of 35 also grew by a whopping 48 percent.

While this is all good news, far too many families still don’t have enough life insurance coverage in place. As a 2015 study from Bankrate showed, nearly half of respondents said they had less than $100,000 in coverage, while 21 percent noted they had $21,000 in coverage or less. While some coverage is better than nothing, for most families, this isn’t nearly enough.

Introducing Haven Life

review of haven life insurance agencyFortunately, there’s a new – and easy – way to purchase the right amount of term life insurance coverage for your family. With Haven Life, you can apply for a tailored life insurance policy online and get coverage in a matter of days – or even hours.

Better yet, you can purchase a Haven Life term life insurance policy on top of the life insurance coverage you already have. So, if you have a life insurance policy through your employer, you don’t have to give it up. Best of all, term life insurance typically coverage costs a lot less than you think.

But, why Haven Life? First off, Haven Life only sells affordable term life insurance. With Haven Life, you’ll never have to endure a long sales speech about whole life insurance that costs an arm and a leg. Since Haven Life only sells term coverage, you can shop for the coverage you want without worrying about cheesy salesman or absurd pricing. Keep in mind, a 35-year-old man could buy $500,000 in term life insurance coverage for as little as $21 per month!

Another huge reason to shop for life insurance with Haven Life? You can apply entirely online. By clicking through to Haven Life’s online application page, you could be on your way to affordable life insurance coverage in minutes. Simply fill out the application with your personal details, health information, and life insurance needs, and you’ll quickly find out how much you qualify for – and how much it costs.

And if you’re in perfect health, the news could be even better. Because Haven Life offers InstantTerm – a type of policy that doesn’t require a medical exam – those with excellent health could apply for life insurance coverage and have a policy in place within hours. You don’t have to apply for an  InstantTerm policy separately, either. Once you fill out Haven Life’s application, you’ll find out whether you qualify for  InstantTerm right away.  If you do not qualify,  you will have 90 days to go through the standard medical exam procedure that most other term life insurance companies employ.

Where you once had to sit in a stuffy insurance agent’s office to buy life insurance or get contacted by a bunch of agents through an online form, the online application process created by Haven Life has made buying a policy that much easier. Better yet, you’ll get the same quality of coverage you would buy through a normal agent and you get coverage that is competitive with the rest of the industry, even those that require a medical exam.

With Haven Life, you can count on receiving:

  • A simple online application process
  • No medical exam for qualified, healthy applicants
  • Easy price and policy comparisons
  • An immediate decision with InstantTerm
  • Backing of Mass Mutual, an insurer with 160 years of experience
  • A plain language no commission policy

The Haven Life Online Application Process

Since you’re reading this review, you’re probably aware you need more life insurance coverage. While you’ve taken a positive first step in the right direction, you’re not done yet. In order to receive the coverage your family so desperately needs, you need to move forward with the application process.

The good news is, the Haven Life online application process is simple – and with no strings attached. To get started, you’ll simply head to HavenLife.com and fill out some basic information on the home page. From there, you’ll select the prompt that says “begin application.”

life insurance quotes from haven life

Once you begin your application, you’ll need to fill out some basic information about yourself, your income, your family, and your health. Before you get started, here are some details you’ll need to have ready:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Income
  • Net Worth
  • Employment Status
  • Military Status
  • Criminal History
  • Driving History
  • Travel Plans
  • Tobacco Use
  • Alcohol Use
  • Health History
  • Social Security Number
  • Driver’s License Number

Once you submit the required information, you’ll get an answer immediately on whether you’re approved or not and how much your monthly premium will be. In some cases, you’ll need to complete a medical exam to get coverage, but will still have coverage while the underwriting process takes its course. Fort those who qualify with the best rate class, however, will likely qualify for an InstantTerm policy with no medical exam required. With Haven Life’s InstantTerm, you can apply for coverage in the morning and have a life insurance policy in place by afternoon.

haven life insurnace company review

How Much Does Term Life Insurance from Haven Life Cost?

While whole life insurance coverage can be prohibitively expensive, term life can be downright cheap. I filled out a few applications to work up some examples, and here’s what I found:

  • A 35-year-old woman in excellent health can buy a 20-year term policy with a death benefit of $500,000 for as little as $18.50 per month.
  • A 47-year-old man in excellent health can buy a 20-year term insurance policy for $500,000 for as little as $58.50 per month
  • A 26-year-old man can buy a 30-year term life policy for $250,000 for as little as $19.75 per month.
  • A 36-year-old woman can buy a 20-year policy for $750,000 for as little as $28 per month.

At the end of the day, the cost of your policy depends on factors such as your age, your health, and how much coverage you want to buy. That’s why filling out a preliminary application with Haven Life is the best way to get started – you don’t know how much you could save unless you apply. Even if you hope to buy a larger policy, it may be more affordable than you think.

On the other hand, Haven Life does have the right to deny applicants who have poor health or a higher risk of early death. And even if you’re quoted an affordable monthly rate, the true monthly premium of your policy could change once your medical exam results are read. Fortunately, you are not required to purchase a term life insurance policy from Haven Life – even after you submit an application and complete a medical exam.

Also keep in mind that Haven Life offers quotes from competing insurers as well as their own. If you could find a better deal on term life insurance elsewhere, Haven Life will let you know. Since term life insurance all works similarly, the best thing you can do is shop around among different issuers or at least compare prices before you buy. Haven Life makes this part easy by offering competing quotes directly on their own site.

haven life insurance company review

What are People Saying About Haven Life?

Although Haven Life launched in May of 2015, they have already built an excellent reputation among both consumers and life insurance ratings agencies. This is partly because Haven Life is owned by MassMutual, an insurer with 160 years of experience in the life insurance business. As of September 2016, MassMutual and its subsidiaries C.M. Life Insurance Company and MML Bay State Life Insurance Company were rated by A.M. Best Company as A++ (Superior; Top category of 15).

Of course, ratings aren’t nearly as important as firsthand reviews and experience. Fortunately, I know one person who saved almost 50 percent on her premiums when she bought a 20-year term policy for $750,000 last year. Where another company quoted her $60 per month for coverage, a policy with Haven Life came in at just $28 per month.

Trust Pilot also offers a range of ongoing reviews from new Haven Life customers. Here are some of the reviews consumers have left:

“The experience with Have Life was excellent. The process was very easy and not burdensome. The response was quick and not drawn out like I experienced with other life insurance companies.” – Tiffani

“Can’t say enough good comments about this product and the ease , no hassle experience with this company. Their website is very easy to use which made it easy to decide exactly what I wanted. A couple of emails back and forth, a 20 minute visit by the nurse to for the medical checkup and that was it. No pressure, no trying to steer me to a different product, can’t beat it!” – William

“The process of buying life insurance through Haven Life was great. I dreaded going to see a financial advisor who would try to sell me on products I didn’t want or need. This was a perfect alternative to that process and took less than 30 minutes to complete. If you know what your looking for and don’t want the hassle of a salesman trying to upsell you, Haven Life is perfect.” – Benjamin

How Much Life Insurance Should I Buy?

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who have some life insurance coverage, you might wonder whether buying more is a good investment. Keep in mind that most experts suggest buying at least 5-10x your income in life insurance coverage. If you earn $50,000 per year, for example, you’ll want to have at least $250,000 – $500,000 in place.

While this is a good place to start, many experts believe you need a whole lot more. Fortunately, Haven Life offers a life insurance calculator you can play around with to get an idea of how much coverage to buy. Based on your answers to a series of questions, you can get a general range of coverage that will adequately protect your spouse and kids.

While there are numerous reasons to load up on life insurance coverage, here are some of the main life expenses your policy needs to cover:

  • Income Replacement – If you or your spouse were to pass away early, you would need to make sure your life insurance policy was adequate to replace your income during your working years.
  • College Tuition – If you have children and want them to attend college, it’s important to consider this expense when you buy life insurance. With enough coverage in place, you could get your kids through college debt-free.
  • Mortgage Payments – Whether you have the typical thirty-year mortgage or a loan with a shorter term, it’s important to consider how this loan will be paid off if you died. Consider adding enough life insurance to pay for your mortgage in its entirety upon your death.
  • Funeral Expenses – Passing away before your time is both tragic and expensive. Depending on the type of funeral your family plans, they might need to spend $10,000 or more. Make sure your life insurance policy is large enough to coverage funeral expenses in addition to everything else.
  • Children’s Expenses – Kids are expensive, and they only get more expensive as they age. If you have children at home, make sure you have plenty of coverage to pay for daily living expenses, college tuition, sporting events, weddings, and more.

Who Can Get a Haven Life Policy?

If you’re thinking about getting a Haven Life term life insurance policy, you’re in luck. Currently, the insurer sells affordable term life insurance in 48 states plus the District of Columbia. They’re not yet available in California or Montana, but they hope to change that soon.

To qualify for a policy, you must meet medical standards or pass a medical exam set up by Haven Life. You should be at least 18-years-old but younger than 65. You also need to meet the following qualifications:

  • Be a non-military U.S. citizen
  • Have a valid driver’s license
  • Not intend to use the policy for business purposes or to replace another policy

havenlife term life insurance review

Conclusion

If you’re thinking of buying a term life insurance policy, don’t delay. The younger you are when you buy a policy, the more affordable your monthly premiums will be. And if you should happen to become sick, you’ll have peace of mind knowing you already have the life insurance coverage you need.

To get started, visit Haven Life’s home page to begin the quick and simple process of applying online. Within a matter of minutes, you should have a general idea of whether you’ll qualify, how much coverage you can buy, and how much your monthly premiums will cost.

You may not want to talk about life insurance, but you do need to act. Buying an inexpensive term policy is the best way to protect your family today, tomorrow, and always.

Do you have term life insurance coverage? How much did you pay?



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Worried About Affording an EpiPen? This New Alternative May Ease Your Mind

We all know that 2016 was a mess. There were a lot of things that just seemed to go so wrong.

But 2017 holds the potential for redemption, and it’s already on the right track. This month, CVS Pharmacy began offering an EpiPen alternative — and it comes at a (much) lower cost than what we saw last year.

The Rising Price of the EpiPen

Back in the summer months, the now-infamous EpiPen manufacturer, Mylan, raised the price of the lifesaving EpiPen Auto-Injector to more than $600 for a pack of two.

And while a few tricks aimed to make the EpiPen more affordable, this news still left allergy sufferers anxious about whether they would have the lifesaving care they needed in the event of a severe allergic reaction.

And that’s a scary way to live.

Several months later, in an attempt to quell the outrage following the original price hike, Mylan announced it had released an “authorized generic” version of the EpiPen which costs somewhere around $300 for a pack of two. (OK, better. But not quite good enough!)

That’s why this news is so great: CVS Pharmacy is now providing a more affordable alternative to the epinephrine auto-injector — the generic version of the EpiPen’s top competitor, Adrenaclick.

This new FDA-approved alternative features the same active ingredient found in other epinephrine auto-injector devices, meaning there’s no reason not to take advantage of CVS Pharmacy’s awesome price point.

Get Some Peace of Mind That’s Affordable

Here’s the deal: you can’t put a price tag on saving a life. Well, unless you’re Mylan, but we see how well that went. (Can you see me rolling my eyes from all the way over there?)

And while we could stand to see the price of the epinephrine auto-injector drop even lower — experts estimate that each device costs as little as $20 to manufacture — CVS Pharmacy is certainly the hero that 2017 deserves.

This new epinephrine auto-injector device will go for a cash payment price of $109.99 for a pack of two. That’s about $55 each!

And while this in itself is huge news, there are ways to bring this number down even further. If you have insurance, use this card to get your epinephrine auto-injector for as little as $0 out of pocket.

As a bonus, you can rack up points on each pharmacy purchase using CVS Pharmacy’s ExtraCare Card to spend throughout the store — and while you’re there, check out some other ways to save while shopping at CVS.

Your Turn: Have you been affected by the EpiPen price hike?

Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s not a huge fan of the big guys taking advantage of the little guys.

The post Worried About Affording an EpiPen? This New Alternative May Ease Your Mind appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.



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