Insurance

Finding a good insurance company can be a very hard task since there are very many companies that are usually out there to exploit people without giving them the help they need. This however does not have to be a problem with AXA PPP as individuals are guaranteed to get the best cover in the market to ensure they can sleep in peace. This is the 2nd largest insurance company in the UK and it has been offering high quality services since it was founded in 1940. AXA PPP has very many policies including UK personal, UK business and international covers where you can choose the one that will be most beneficial to them.

AXA insurance also provides information on the latest fitness and health news to enable an individual to live a longer life without having too many visits to the hospitals. The company understands the need people have of saving money which is one of the main reasons they offer competitive prices so that one can get a bargain and save money at the same time. AXA PPP treats all individuals in a special and unique way to ensure you get the appropriate cover that will work best for everyone.

AXA PPP has a dedicated team of personnel that is usually ready to provide individuals with all the information they need. Everyone who signs up with the company is allocated an account manager who stays with you for the entire membership period. The professionals help you out with any questions you might have on the process to ensure that everything runs smoothly. The company has had vast experience in offering health care services mastering the art of offering the best services in the industry. AXAPPP has developed a strong network with numerous scanning centers and hospitals thus you can be sure to get one that is close to you.

In today's modern world it seems like there is a reawakening holistic health, which is based upon the interrelations of mind, body and spirit and the use of more natural methods to heal.

Holistic heal is not intended to serve as a band-aid or a one time fix. It is an ongoing journey of discovery in search of more answers and ultimately; living better, being healthier, and striving for wholeness. People who seek out alternative therapies take more responsibility for their own physical and mental health.

If there could be one definition to wellness that would be complete health - body mind and spirit. Holistic comes from the word, whole, and what holistic health does is treat you as a whole. An important factor to remember when looking at health is this approach of healing asks you to take responsibility for your own health because in holistic health, it is believed that when you take personal responsibility for your health, you will benefit from true healing.

Most people taking a holistic path understand that healing in part, is up to them. Holistic healing is really a lifestyle approach. Taking a holistic approach involves seeking the tools that will help us attract our desires and find personal power.

Although some alternative approaches have a long history, so many of them remain controversial and will continue to be so because we tend to resist what we simply cannot explain. However, it is important to know that people are finding that a holistic health works and now is being used for mental health. It certainly has fewer side effects, and can be somewhat cost effective.

Using holistic approach for mental health is important for those who do not want it to show up on their insurance later making you uninsurable if you suffered a little bout of depression. If you are on an antidepressant for as little as 6 months, it can show up op your insurance as a reoccurring illness and some insurance companies wont insure you. This is not to say you should never take medications for mental health concerns, it means you have choices and that is what holistic health offers mental health.

In the past, mental illness once occupied the harsh frontiers of allopathic medicine. In today's world, mental health patients are often treated with disregard for their whole person which is the mind-body and spirit. Physicians go right after their symptoms, hoping to mask their symptoms strong drugs and studies show that current mental health patients are still receiving substandard care.

Natural health, with an emphasis on holistic mental health, focuses on helping a person find their own strengths and use them to encourage and empower them to create a healthy and whole way of life. Therefore, holistic health and treating common mental health issues can be a useful and safe treatment option.

If you have a heart attack or stroke, or if you suddenly discover that you have a life-threatening illness such as one of the many forms of cancer, it's unlikely that your medical aid scheme will go far enough in providing the extent of critical cover you need at such a time. The same can apply to HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, kidney failure... Dreaded disease cover, critical illness insurance or trauma cover, call it what you will, good critical cover is an essential component of a person's insurance portfolio - ideally providing a lump sum pay-out to ensure you won't be denied access to the best doctors and hospitals, medication and technology.

For the most part, treatment for a critical condition is very costly - think open heart surgery involving a team of doctors and hours of surgery time, for example - and the need to have extra money to meet these expenses is compounded by the loss of income resulting from not being able to work for what might turn out to be an indefinite period of time. Even if you can resume working again, it's quite possible that your lifestyle will have to change and that there will be costs associated with such changes - changes that may last as long as it takes to recuperate or for the remainder of one's life. The implications of all of this can be devastating, running into millions of rand and resulting in financial ruin if there isn't sufficient critical cover.

Comprehensive medical aid, medical insurance, critical illness cover... These benefits are each crucial in themselves and shouldn't be seen as alternatives or substitutes for one another. If you have all of them in place and if the insurance provider you've chosen is a good one, you can then feel confident that you'll receive the best medical attention when you need it most.

There's a big difference between some knives kicking around the house and a knife Collection with a capitol C. Here are 10 tips to take your collection up a notch.

1.Organize your Collection: If you collect knives, you ought to know a little about them, right? Use this knowledge to organize them. It's really up to you how to do this, but give it some thought. Appoint yourself resident expert. Pick some categories, and some sub-categories. For example --and it totally depends on your collection-- fixed blades and folders. Then divide these categories into American and foreign, and then maybe categories based on the material used to make handles. This might seem silly, but then you...

2.Arrange it Lay your knives out on the table per your categories, and get all artistic. But use the arranging to support your organization. This is the challenge --combining logic with artistry. Imagine yourself as a museum curator -a type of expert after all. How can arrangement, (and origination) tell a story.? How can it help other people --or your wife-- finally understand what a wonderful collection you have? It might help to...

3. Label it Labels may be the single biggest difference between the fore mentioned pile of knives rattling around the house and a collection with a capital C. The maker and when & where you acquired it at a minimum. Remember you are the expert and as such, a little compulsive behavior is only to be expected.

4. Tuck it away safely Truth to tell, all the above connects with the where and how of how you store &/or display your collection. Safety is important --knives have edges after all-- and if you aren't concerned about people and their skin, carelessness might damage the knife!

A nice walnut drawer case with lots of shallow drawers or a custom built-in display on the wall with concealed spot light would be very nice indeed, but not cheap. Not ready to stand the cost? Drop by the container or local cardboard-box store and make a small investment in some appropriate boxes --with lids. Or is there one or more drawers in your world where your knives live? Well and good, but take it up a notch, and...

5. Use Fabric. About half the world is made out of women and they do the fabric thing with style and grace. If you are intimidated my fabric stores, (as was your author until he actually went into a few), find yourself a women, be nice to her, and have her take you by the hand. Learn about fleece, velvet, chamois, and such. Use it to line the drawers where your knives live. But you MUST be on guard against tarnish -especially if you have silver or silver plated knives. Unbleached cotton is best. Ask the fabric story lady to show you quilt batting. Heavy synthetics like ultra-suede are the most problematic. The later give off curious gasses that can tarnish --or worse-- shiny metal. If your collection deserves it, Google 'tarnish cloth,' learn about it, and make the investment.

6. Documentation / Reference Materials Once again, you are the expert on your collection, but not so expert that you don't rely on the odd reference book. Make them a part of your collection --or an adjunct off to the side of it anyway. Get yourself a nice little notebook or blank journal and keep track of your collection. While a little record keeping is an important part of being a Collector w/ a capitol C, it may also serve the more important function of getting the insurance company to pay-up it you suffer a loss.

7. Assemble a Collector's Tool-box Put this in the same drawer -or on the same shelf-- as your reference material. What do you use when fiddling about with your knives? Oil? polish cloth? 0000 steel wool and shoe-polish? (Shoe polish is easier to find, cheaper, and comes in more colors than the snooty carnauba stuff. And steel wool and shoe polish is a museum curator's tricky little secrete.) Add a little bottle of paint thinner, (or turpentine if you don't like the smell), and you have the where-with-all to clean and pretty up a funky old knife from the flea market..

8.Insure It Once again, it depends on the value of your collection, Very valuable to you after all, but be honest with yourself, just how valuable is it to the other guy? But if it is that valuable, it may be worth a chat with your insurance agent. It may end up costing you a few bucks more a month. Or it may not. Insurance is a complicated subject. (Remember the bit above about documentation.)

9.Learn about desiccants & ultra violet light It's doubtful you will need to worry about bugs eating your knives, but if you have a problem with tarnish or --heaven forbid-- rust, looking into a desiccants might be worthwhile. UV light, (sunlight), will degrade anything organic --bone handles for example. It may not happen quickly --particularly if you keep your collection in a drawer, but displayed on the wall in a sunny room? There are ways to slow the degradation down to almost nothing, Learn them.

10. Take a kid along Consider all the academic stuff in your collection. The history of this knife --or knives like it. Who (what profession), uses it, and why is it shaped he way it is? The metallurgy that makes this knife different from that one. Why did you organize things the way you did? Wouldn't it be great if your passion rubbed off on your kid or grand-kid? But what if he or she thought knives were dull, but was ga-ga for bugs, or rocks, or whatever? Review the list above and see what you can do to help the young collector become a Collector.

If you are driving down the highway and you have a break down or an accident you will require urgent assistance. But before you get a mechanic to help you out you will be required to get your vehicle to the auto shop. To do so you will need to hire a tow truck from a towing agency. The number of tow truck operators that might turn up can be quite overwhelming making it impossible to choose from them. But making the right choice is essential. Having a tow truck pull up at just the right time can make you feel like you are being rescued but the operator's intentions may not necessarily be honorable. There are a few guidelines and laws you must keep in mind when being assisted by a tow truck. You may find yourself in more trouble than before if you put your trust in the wrong or an illegitimate towing company.

Tow trucks are paid by commission. Their income depends on every vehicle they tow. This payment is calculated on a per kilometer basis with a flat rate for the actual labor done. This can become extremely expensive for you if it not covered by your vehicle insurance. What you need to know is that these operators are like blood hounds. They can quickly find out where and hen an accident occurs and so they can be on the scene in fie minutes or less. But not all of these trucks that turn up in such a short time are good Samaritans. There are a number of rogue companies that will urge you to avail their services before you can figure out that they are probably illicit companies. It is better to just keep to calling reputable companies.

Another way to ensure that your vehicle that does not get towed away inadvertently by a rogue company is to have a 'Do Not Tow' sticker on it. When you apply for vehicle insurance your agent will supply you with a list of towing companies that are affiliated to the insurance company. If you use any other company you will not be able to use your insurance benefits. Your agent will provide you with the mentioned sticker so there are no mishaps. You should stick the sticker in a place that can be easily seen by the operator.

Tow trucks can be a true Godsend when you meet with an accident or have a breakdown. It is an extremely stressful situation. But calling the right and trustworthy company will help ease your stress.

Anyone can go for a lease purchase agreement who wish to live in a home of their own but neither has sufficient money nor a good credit score to apply for a loan. This agreement is a beautiful way to own a home even if you do not qualify to become an owner now. As there are some disadvantages associated with anything that looks well, so same is the case with the Lease Purchase Agreement also.

Natural problems

The Lease purchase deals may be worse if the leased house burns down and the seller has not insured it then the buyer will not have anything to purchase and nothing can be claimed from the insurance company also. So in this type of condition renting could be better than leasing. If the home is insured then also it may not be a good deal for the Lessee because it may take time to get claim from the insurance company and this condition must also be mentioned in the agreement otherwise the Lessee will not get any benefit of this.

The home you leased near the seaside may face problems like Tsunami and in such cases the Lessee will be helpless. So take these factors into considerations before you sign a lease purchase agreement.

Problem of mortgage payments

If the seller has built his home by taking mortgage and he is not paying the mortgage payments then it is a risk for the buyers because if the seller has not paid mortgage payments then the foreclosure notice may arrive at the front door anytime and the buyer will be again helpless in such a situation. Again renting is better than leasing so first get confirmed about this fact with the help your real estate agent and sign the agreement only if there are no mortgage payments that the homeowner has not paid yet.

How to hire a real estate agent?

You must take some measures in selecting a real estate agent. These measures could be to check the reputation of the agent. Knowing that the agent is a company or individual will also be useful. These measures are necessary to get assured that the best industry people are working for you.

So in some conditions, the lease purchase agreement might not work well and to avoid such situations you must a hire a real estate agent who will be expected to present an offer to you only after knowing the facts such as mortgage payments on the house and the possible rise or fall of the real estate market.

It would be difficult to argue that sending your time-sensitive letters, documents, or merchandise via USPS Express Mail is the best value there is for your money. It is the Postal Service's fastest service with overnight guarantee delivery to most cities or your money back. In addition tracking mail and insurance of $100.00 are included in the prices which are inexpensive compared to FedEx or UPS.

If you are an individual that sends important documents or valuable presents to your special someones during special occasions, stop by your nearest Post Office for your free forms and envelopes. You can get your free express mail supplies online if you are a business or a frequent mailer.

Let's breakdown the features of this type of mail service:

• It's the fastest way to send packages with overnight guarantee to most cities.
• Has delivery service to most destinations 365 days a year, even on holidays and Sundays.
• There's no additional delivery charges on Saturdays nor residential or fuel surcharges.
• It has a free tracking information through USPS website or 800 telephone number provided.
• A $100.00 insurance against loss or damage is included in the price; free of charge.
• It is the only overnight delivery available to P.O. Boxes.
• If the delivery guarantee is not met, amount of postage paid is fully refunded.

In addition to the above features there are extra services available for this kind of mail. A Return Receipt is one of them where the mailer gets a postcard signed by the person who accepted the package. You can also add extra insurance over the one hundred dollars already included in the price. A cool service called Collect on Delivery (COD) is also available, the postal delivery person will collect the postage and merchandise fee for you upon delivery of your item.

Also you can request your mail be held up in any of the post offices for you to pick up at your convenience. It will be held securely in the PO, however, you have only 5 days to pick it up before it will be returned to sender.

There's no question that sending letters, documents, or merchandise via USPS Express Mail is the best value your dollar can get. It is the Postal Service's fastest service with overnight guarantee delivery to most cities or your money back. In addition tracking mail and insurance of $100.00 is included in the prices which are inexpensive compared to their competitors.

HOW SEPTIC TANKS WORK

Tanks are designed to allow waste liquids to flow through the tank and enter a percolation area without causing damage to the environment. Waste waters enter the tank and the solids to sink to the bottom. Smaller particles float to the surface creating a scum. Most of the waste decomposes through natural aerobic and anaerobic processes. Solids in the tank are normally emptied every year.

Emptying Frequency.

There is no hard and fast rule, but for a tank to work efficiently the sludge (solids) needs to be removed based on the capacity of the tank and the use it is subjected to. The frequency of "de-sludging" will depend on size of the property and the number of occupants. However, most will require emptying at least once a year are in the case of modern biocycle system or secondary treatment systems according to the manufacturers specifications.

Surveyors tips in improving efficiency of tanks.

• Don't dispose of chemicals, disposable nappies or hygiene products down the toilet.

• Don't use large quantities of biological cleaning agents and bleach.

• Don't clean down internal areas of the tank. Bacterial should be allowed to remain to continue the biological process.

• Do have the tank de-sludged at least yearly.

Common Problems and Solutions

Smells / Odour

Problem, waste particles leaving the septic tank and entering the percolation area can block the exit allowing the septic tank to overflow.

Solutions: Have the tank and pipes emptied at least yearly.

System backing-up

Problem, blockage in the septic tank pipes, percolation area blocked.

Solution: Clear tank pipes. Remove and replace percolation area.

Septic Tank refilling immediately after emptying

Problem, high water table. Ground water enters into the septic tank from the percolation area.

Solution: No easy solution. (possible solution is to increase the height of the area were tank and percolation area are located-expensive and not always a solution)

Septic Tank refilling immediately after emptying

Problem, High water table: Tank cracked / damaged allowing ground water to enter the tank.

Solution: Clear and clean tank, repair or replace tank.

Differences between tanks and biocycle (secondary treatment systems).

A tank does not have any movable parts. its basically a two chamber concrete tank that uses anaerobic bacterial action to break down effluent waste.

Biocycle and other secondary treatment systems have movable parts such as maceraters, aerators etc to aerobically break down the effluent and need a source of electric power to operate.

Biocycle / secondary treatment systems have shown to breakdown a higher percentage of solid waste and have safer effluent than septic tanks as the sludge decomposes through a mechanical assisted aerobic and anaerobic process. This can be twice as efficient as a non-mechanical assisted aerobic and anaerobic process in a traditional tank.

The requirement to use a septic tank or secondary treatment system is usually dependent on the site conditions, however most Local Authorities (following a site assessment), will now require the use of a treatment system fitted by an approved contractor with appropriate professional indemnity insurance. Always check with your Local Authority before carrying out any renewal works to an existing septic tank.

An occupier of a property can be subject to substantial penalies if their tank or secondary treatment system is found to be polluting the environment.

General Information and Running Costs.

The tank's main function is to remove solids from the effluent, allowing a liquid effluent to soak into the soil through the percolation area.

The efficiency of septic tanks can vary significantly, frequent desludging of ineffective septic tanks can prevent anaerobic digestion of waste materials further reducing the efficiency of tanks.

A biocycle system or a secondary treatment system, is a more efficient and effective treatment system that incorporates a tank and a submerged aerated filter for secondary treatment within a single tank. The desludging intervals can also extend up to seven and more years according to some manufacturers. These secondary treatment systems will normally require to be serviced by an approved contractor on a yearly basis according to manufacturer's specifications

A properly designed and installed secondary treatment system, can be up to twice as efficient as a traditional tank system in breaking down waste and discharging a cleaner effluent to the environment.

A secondary treatment system should have all paper work including design and installation assessments, site assessment and planning conditions available for inspection to confirm that it has been installed to standards and complies to planning permission requirements.

Running costs, depending on the type of secondary treatment system in use, a secondary treatment system runs on electricity continuously and would be expected to consume at least as much power as a fridge.

The treatment system will also require to be desludged as per manufacturer's specifications.

There is also an annual service charge for the inspection of the secondary treatment system plus the cost of labour and parts if they need to be replaced or repaired.

Pending Legislation on the Licensing and Regulation of Tanks.

The European Court of Justice has ruled against Ireland for failing to have a proper system of licensing and regulating individual septic tanks.

It is estimated that there are over 400,000 tanks in Ireland.

It is accepted that many septic tanks and percolation areas have been constructed in areas not suitable for same and their maintenance is often ignored.

Ireland is required to introduce a scheme to insure that septic tanks and waste water disposal are in compliance with EU Regulations and to maintain compliance into the future.

It is expected that the proposed scheme would include a

i) scrappage remit to facilitate the replacement of inefficient / polluting septic tanks and treatment systems,

ii) an inspection schedule to ensure ongoing maintenance and monitoring of tanks,

iii) a licensing system that is renewable

iv) an enforcement element.

Operation of Tank inspection scheme.

Some commentators consider that a system similar to the NCT (National Car Test) would work, in that each property owner would be given a date when an Inspector is to call to their property. The property owner would allow for access to the septic tank including relevant documentation and maintenance records. The costs of the inspection would likely be carried by the property owner.

If the tank is found to be working correctly, then a certificate would be issued and remain valid for a limited number of years.

Peter Sweeney FBEng, Building Surveyor

If you were injured at work, now you can choose acupuncture as your form of rehabilitation for a workers compensation illness or injury. The California Department of Industrial Relations made revisions to current workers compensation laws in 2007 stating, "Acupuncture is used as an option when pain medication is reduced or not tolerated, it may be used as an adjunct to physical rehabilitation and/or surgical intervention to hasten functional recovery." This was a huge step for the acceptance of acupuncture in the Western world and a blessing to patients wanting to use natural medicine to heal. California law also requires covered treatments to be "scientifically based, nationally recognized, and peer-reviewed." It's comforting to know acupuncture has met all those standards in the Western community and been accepted as not just a preventative form of health care, but a true form of healing.

There are three ways can you elect to use acupuncture for a workers compensation case. These options are: (1)in-network provider, (2)predesignate of provider and (3)waiting for 30 days.

Your first option will depend on your employers insurance company having an acupuncturist within their Medical Provider Network. The insurance company has a group of health care providers they have already selected to be a part of their health care network. If you get injured, your employer will send you to a provider within this network. If you don't like that provider, you can select another provider from within that network.

Option two requires you predesignate your acupuncturist as your provider in case of a work injury. You must have seen the acupuncturist previous to the injury, the acupuncturist must have medical records for you (as long as they've treated you, they should have them) and a form, stating you want to predesignate, must be filled out prior to the injury or illness. Also, for this to be effective, your company must offer group health insurance.

Your third option requires waiting for 30 days. While your employers insurance company requires you see someone within their network for the first 30 days, you are entitled to visit whatever health care practitioner you want, as long as it's recognized by the California Department of Industrial Relations. Now that acupuncture falls under this category, feel free to start using acupuncture on your road to recovery.

Remember, there are three ways can you elect to use acupuncture for a workers compensation case. These options are: (1)in-network provider, (2)predesignate of provider and (3)waiting for 30 days. If you've already used acupuncture in the past and know how powerful this medicine can be, predesignate your acupuncturist as your workers compensation provider as soon as you can.

Are you controlling spending... Really?

Do you have expenditure limits? Really? Think for a moment about the system most companies use to control spending. Each level of management has a limited authority and expense limit. Field level employees usually have no ability to spend company funds. At the management level, the limit increases with position within the company. Even employees at the vice-president level have limits. Beyond that limit, it may require approval by a president, CEO/CFO, or even a board of directors or owners group. This makes good business sense. It allows due scrutiny, responsibility for expenses, and accountability for decisions made.

Risk Managers properly identify workers compensation insurance as the financing of losses rather than insurance in the true sense. Thus, in simple terms, it is a loan. Unfortunately, with the standard insurance policy carrying up to 30% loads for administrative and service fees, this loan carries a 30% (or more) interest rate. What a great deal! Current loss runs are reflected on the policy cost for three years via the Experience Modification Rate (known as EMR or "E-Mod"). So, how many loans do you want that have a three-year term at 30% APR (or up to 68% according to multiple sources)? How large would you like said loan? What could make less financial sense? How are we controlling this expense?

The foreman that ignores the employee working without proper fall protection 30 feet in the air just approved what could be a multi-million dollar loan. Silence is consent at all levels! Think about the first scenario and the approval system. How would a CEO/CFO react if (s)he had a loan of just $50,000, approved only by the signature of a field supervisor at the foreman, superintendent, or even project manager level? Remember, there is no possibility of declining the expense. The product has been delivered, the terms set, and the company must honor the debt. In most (if not all) cases, there would be serious consequences to this action. But, in the case of employee injury, there may be an incident report, or even a re-enactment of events, but does the management approach mirror that of other areas of the business?

Considering the depth of expense, the terms of finance, and the duration of impact, injuries and incidents must be managed as any other aspect of the business. There must be levels, limits, and accountability. Accountability must impact the bottom line of not only the company as a whole, but the individual manager as well. It must be an impact of sufficient magnitude to deter those that may consider poor performance acceptable. The CEO/CFO must place a formal structure to address this issue that mirrors the approval structure of expenditures. There must be upward review and accountability at each level. In the end, it is the CEO/CFO that will create, drive and support the control of this expenditure. With this system in place, the safety department becomes a resource to assist in improving performance for this component of the bottom line. With no system in place, insurance companies continue to write as many high interest loans as possible.

All the processes and inventions have both advantages and disadvantages, even our own life is composed of a mixture of both pros and cons. It is very rare to see a service or product without any disadvantages and today, we will see the pros and cons of the car transport services. Fortunately the car transport services have only few negative points on it and that too it depends upon the company and their services. Let us start analyze regarding the car transport service in a simplest way.

The pros of auto transport:

Vehicle moving is not so easy and if it is of short distance, it's ok, but when it comes to long distance, we need to utilize the help of car shipping companies because they are the one who provide this service in a most efficient way. Once you book the car shippers, they come to your place and pick up your car and also they transport your car to the required destination in a proper way. They provide you the facilities such as email and toll-free enquiry, online estimate, insurance quotes and more for your benefit. The auto transport companies provide you all the modern facilities in a best way and they provide you the bill of lading so that you can claim amount by using this bill once you find any damages to your car when receiving.

Auto insurance is very useful to you in many ways because it is unpredictable about the accidents and if your car had incurred any accidents, you can use this auto insurance and can claim the required amount of money. The car shipping companies will provide you the auto insurance facility when you avail their service. You can also watch your car movements and where it's going exactly. The car shippers will enable the gps car tracking facility in your car and you can watch your car from the remote locations. They use two types of method to transport your car such as open and enclosed method and it's your choice of decision and you can select any type of method for moving. You can easily search this service in internet, local telephone directories and through the car transport websites. You can read some tips on vehicle transport and also can see some reviews about the auto transport companies.

The cons of auto shipping:

Open method of transportation is subject to some environmental risks and hazards. As your car is transported along with other cars, there is a chance of getting scratches and damages. If the concern you choose do not have a well experienced driver, you car is in risk. And if the companies do not have proper gps facility, you may not be able to watch the movement of your car.

As said above, selecting the wrong vehicle transport company may lead you in trouble and if you selected the appropriate one with good reputation and experienced drivers, you are sure that the car reaches to your destination safely.

When we mention bad credit, it actually refers to credit history or credit scores of an individual or company. As the ways of lending money has undergone dramatic changes, the consumers are today considered nothing more than numbers. These numbers are reflected in our credit scores, and our insurance scores. The credit or insurance that any consumer can get, depends on their credit score. If you have a bad credit score, you will have many terms and conditions associated when you ask lenders for money.

Thanks to credit rating, we can now distinguish how bad the history of a person or company is. In other words, we can distinguish if the credit history is bad, very bad, or horribly bad. Taking this into consideration, lenders and insurance companies have devised products and services for people with bad credit. In case of consumers with a low score, lenders and insurance companies have offers specifically for them that are associated with low limits, higher rates of interest, higher premium, and less attractive terms.

There are consumers that will be flatly denied any credit by lenders because of the many risks associated in lending money to these people with horribly bad credit scores. Consider a consumer who has recently declared bankruptcy. you will not come across any lender who is willing to give this person a credit card or any kind of credit with their company. This is because the consumer has to first discharge all the debt to get rid of the bankruptcy on their record.

We need to know that consumers with serious delinquencies will have poor credit ratings, compared to consumers with lower amounts that are owed out. Moreover, your credit score will lower if your credit report mentions of recent delinquencies. Also, your credit rating gets adversely affected if you have several cases of late payment in your history.

Knowing your history will help you greatly in your future. It is very important to understand that what you do when you are young will affect you greatly later on in life. Unfortunately, young adults aren't educated when it comes to their credit and how it is rated. Companies go after those young people who are uneducated, because they know that young people like to spend, and rarely have the funds to back-up their spending. In this case, it will take a long time to pay back the amount that they have accrued. This is good for the companies, but not for the spender.

Of late, the incidents of pedestrian car accidents in Canada have significantly increased. There is an excessive threat for severe or critical injury occurring, every time there is an accident involving a car and a pedestrian. Most of the time car drivers just can't see pedestrians or drive hastily that leads to injuring pedestrians. These injuries normally consist of disturbing brain and spinal cord injury on account of the pedestrian hitting their head against the car or road or harsh orthopedic injuries leading to amputation of limbs.

Car drivers have to focus particularly as soon as they are driving in regions of high pedestrian traffic for instance close to a school or shopping center. Mostly, car accidents occur when turning because driver takes no notice of a pedestrian crossing because most of the time the car driver will be more distressed about negotiating other vehicles and overlook to check for pedestrians. Pedestrians too must watch out while crossing the road and must regularly follow the traffic or pedestrian signals and not at all walk carelessly because this increases the likelihood of becoming one more casualty.

It in fact appears that in the winters, people are prone to be in rush and are less cautious to assure their own security when crossing roads. There are several rules relating to civil actions engaging pedestrian car accidents. As maintained by Canadian vehicle accident laws, once an injury or loss is incurred by any person because of a car accident, the job of providing proof that the loss or injury did not happen as a result of lack of care or offensive activities of the car driver.

That inherently connotes that if someone is knocked down by a car it will be duty of the car driver to establish that he/she was not the careless person. The moment a pedestrian in Toronto is injured they would typically get insurance benefits to be had to them to retrieve the damages. Nevertheless, if they do not have their personal accident insurance cover, they can claim this sum from the insurance company that insured the car that knocked them. At this point you will require a specialist personal injury lawyer to deal with all the legal tangles that are associated with it. Look for a specialist personal injury lawyer through referrals, perhaps by asking your few friends or by browsing internet. Nevertheless see that your lawyers has managed comparable cases earlier since complex medical cases for instance brain and spinal cord injury takes a high level of skill to represent the case and getting the full benefits.

It is everyone's duty to confirm that the streets in Canada are secure. Both drivers as well as pedestrians must confirm that the road in front is secure ahead of advancing. Pedestrians are required to regularly cross at the distinct pedestrian crosswalks and ought to constantly be watchful to the approaching traffic ahead of crossing the street. Car drivers as well must take note of pedestrians more vigilantly and not only of the other cars on the street. In this way, we can make streets in Canada secure for everybody to walk and drive car too.

When you are shopping for the best extended car warranties, one of the biggest decisions you will face is whether to purchase from the manufacturer or a third-party provider. Extended warranties can be costly, but the benefits are worth it if you are purchasing a product that meets your needs and expectations and delivers on its promises.

Commonly referred to as "automobile extended warranties", when sold by a third-party, the product is considered a vehicle service contract or mechanical breakdown insurance depending upon the state in which you reside. For simplicity, we will continue to use the terms "extended car warranties", "mercury extended warranties", etc., for the remainder of this article.

Although some manufacturer warranties are good, you may find that other coverage options offer more flexibility so you can tailor your policy for your specific needs. Mercury extended warranties, are becoming more and more popular due to the company's reliability and impeccable reputation. When considering extended car warranties, it would be advisable to compare those offered by the manufacturer with the options available through Mercury Insurance Group.

1. Rating and Reliability.

Mercury has consistently received an A or A+ from reputable national rating agencies and has been named by Forbes as one of America's most trustworthy companies for three years in a row. Having been in business since the 1970s, this company has issued hundreds of thousands of contracts or policies and can claim financial stability since it works with more than 4 billion dollars in assets. In a time when many dealers are going out of business, you may find that your manufacturer's warranty will become invalid should they go bankrupt and the money you spent on extended coverage may be lost. By choosing a reputable insurance company with a good track record, you will have peace of mind knowing you can get the help you have paid for when you need it.

2. Cost and Customer Service.

Purchasing mechanical breakdown protection from a private company is usually much more reasonable than manufacturers' extended warranties. Basically, dealers are middlemen and receive high commissions for selling warranties. If the dealerships are making money on the transactions, then you can guarantee the cost of your coverage will increase. By purchasing the Mercury product (sold via authorized agents) you can save up to 50% and receive exceptional customer service from employees who actually work for the company. Mercury does not outsource contract administration to a third party, but provides its own service and handles its own claims, using accredited professionals that have been certified by the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence. With Mercury you can be assured that you will get immediate attention and your claim will be dealt with professionally and hassle-free.

3. Flexibility and Convenience.

Mercury will allow you to have repairs done at any licensed facility, whereas most manufacturers' warranties require work to be completed at a dealership. Dealerships are usually readily available so you may not find this inconvenient; however, if you like the flexibility of being able to choose the shops you use or the mechanics you prefer, then a private insurance company such as Mercury is probably the best option.

4. Limits and Restrictions.

When comparing manufacturer extended car warranties with the coverage offered by private companies, it is important to consider the limits stipulated in the contracts. Are there limits to the number of claims that can be made, a cap on the amount of money that will be paid out for specific items, or the possibility of being charged multiple deductibles per visit? While these factors may vary with manufacturer warranties, you can be assured that Mercury does not put a limit on the number of claims you can make and you will only have to pay one deductible per visit regardless of the number of repairs being completed.

5. Benefits.

When considering extended warranties for your vehicle, you should look at the benefits or advantages offered by each policy. Mercury provides roadside assistance, towing, rentals, and even payments for lodging and food should you be stranded away from home. While some manufacturers' warranties will include specific features, you should make sure to check what is actually covered in the standard agreement since many of these extras must be purchased separately. Also, most manufacturers will not reimburse for such things as hotel costs, telephone charges, or meal expenses.

6. Options.

When comparing extended car warranties, one of the main considerations should be the flexibility of available plans and your ability to choose what is best for your situation. Does your manufacturer's warranty offer more than one option or must you agree to whatever terms they stipulate? Mercury offers multiple levels of coverage with various costs so you can purchase the policy that fits your needs and budget.

Extended car warranties can be a great investment, but you must choose wisely to ensure that you are getting the best policy for your money. Mercury extended car warranties offer many benefits and are backed by a company that is reliable, secure, and known for making its customers a priority.

What is Meant by "Retiree Medical" Benefits?

Also known as "post-retirement health insurance," these benefits are typically employer-sponsored benefit plans for retired workers 55 and older.

In an earlier article titled "Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB)," this author discussed the fact that certain specified non-pension benefits are offered after the employee retires or leaves a company in exchange for their current service. Retiree medical benefits represent the vast majority of these OPEB obligations.

How Does ERISA Apply to Retiree Medical Benefits?

If a plan is sponsored by an employer or union (other than a government employer or public employee union, or non-profit employer), it is governed by ERISA.

ERISA governed benefits plans typically contain a "reservation of rights" provision in both the Summary Plan Description ("SPD") and the more technical official plan document, which allows the plan sponsor to change or terminate all or parts of the plan. Plan changes must be implemented and communicated in accordance with ERISA guidelines.

Where Can a Beneficiary Learn More about their Retiree Medical Benefits?

Every beneficiary of an ERISA-sponsored benefits plan should have a current copy of their Summary Plan Description, which outlines the benefits offered by the plan.

A plan sponsor is required to provide this SPD when a new plan takes effect; when an employee becomes eligible to participate in a plan; or upon written request of a plan participant or beneficiary. There are also updating requirements if significant plan changes are made. If a beneficiary has lost a copy of their plan, they can contact the plan sponsor for a replacement copy.

The customer service department of the plan sponsor, or its third party administrator, should also be able to help a beneficiary understand the benefits to which they are entitled under a plan.

What is the Risk Associated with Retiree Medical Benefits?

Retiree medical benefits represent an unfunded financial liability that must be reflected on the sponsor's financial statements. Given the economic pressures facing corporations today, many employers are taking steps to reduce or eliminate this costly obligation.

When retiree medical plans are terminated, the beneficiaries who are not yet Medicare eligible must find individual coverage in the private health insurance market. As the cost of healthcare accelerates, these benefits become increasingly expensive to replace.

What Should a Plan Participant Do?

If a beneficiary discovers that their plan includes a "reservation of rights" provision, there is very little action that can be taken. Many plan participants do not read or fully understand their plan documentation, and learn of their exposure only after a benefit is withdrawn.

Union plans operate under different terms, although unions typically do not represent people who are already retired.

When Have Retiree Medical Disputes Resulted in Litigation?

There have been many cases where unexpected changes to post-employment pension and medical benefits have resulted in lawsuits. Examples include:

• Rexam Inc., v. US Steelworkers et al., United States District Court, District of Minnesota. This retiree medical plan class action involved plan amendments, reservation of rights language, and the intersection of several collective bargaining agreements.
• Romero v. Allstate. This lawsuit was triggered when Allstate insurance agents were reclassified as "independent agents." In the conversion process they lost their company pension plan and post-retirement medical-insurance benefits.
• In re Unisys Corporate Retiree Medical Benefits ERISA Litigation, the court held a plan sponsor liable for breach of contract despite the fact that the plan sponsor included specific "reservation of rights" language in its Summary Plan Description ("SPD"). Here the sponsor's other benefit communications, including retirement counseling, were not consistent with the reservation of rights language.

Beneficiaries who have questions about their retiree medical benefits should speak with their plan sponsor to learn about the specific benefits available to them and have a contingency plan for bridging their medical coverage to Medicare, if they are considering early retirement.

Plan sponsors should be clearly and consistently communicating both the benefits provided to their employees and retirees and the potential duration of those benefits.

A quick peek inside a yellow page directory proves that there is no shortage of cleaning related businesses. The choice between most cleaning services typically comes down to price. It makes sense that the best choice is the cheapest choice, right? Wrong! Here's a few guidelines, tips and warnings on how to select the right kind of maid service. Plus, we'll explain the key differences between a real cleaning service and a fake cleaning company.

Check Google for a list of cleaning companies or scroll through some recent junk mail. Cleaning companies are dying for new customers and the competition for the new business is fierce. Before we can explain how to pick the right kind of cleaning service, let's first determine the difference between a real, legitimate cleaning service and a fake, less than credible cleaning company.

Bonded, Licensed & Insured
Real cleaning services are certainly licensed, bonded and insured. It's the minimum requirement for every professional cleaning service. In addition, real cleaning services also provide workers' compensation on all employees. Each of these insurance policies protect customers and the business. In case of injury, a workers' compensation policy will reimburse in case of injury inside a home. The bond protects against theft. The license proves that the business pays it tax bills. And the general liability insurance policy protects customers in case of breakage inside a home.

Nationwide Criminal Background Checks
Real cleaning services conduct nationwide criminal background checks on all employees. The search should detail any criminal activity associated with a person's social security number. The background check is not cheap and it's not quick. Never, ever hire a cleaning service that doesn't promise to conduct these background checks!

Legal U.S. Citizens Only
Real cleaning services only hire legal U.S. citizens. This is crucial because a homeowner needs to have security that their home is safe and secure. A homeowner can't feel that safety if the maid isn't even legally working in this country. Of course, the labor is much cheaper if the employee isn't legal. So, the cleaning rate will probably be just as cheap as the labor. But the few bucks in savings could cause literally cause thousands of dollars in damage to a home.

Is It Really A Company?
Real cleaning services typically have more than one employee. Of course, just having more than one employee doesn't mean that a company is legit. But a homeowner should raise their red flag if the maid works alone. With unemployment soaring right now, finding work in the house cleaning industry is a sure bet. Put a free ad on Craigslist, offer services for next to nothing, get access to a home. It's that easy and it happens all the time. Keep in mind that some individual cleaning professionals are awesome, hard working people. But also know that the majority of individuals are not serious about the profession. Some may just quit cleaning until they locate a permanent job. Some may just get sick of cleaning every day and quit. And some may use the freedom inside a home to steal jewelry, money or other valuables.

It's a tough economy right now. And saving money has never been more important for a family. But saving an extra $20 could wreak havoc on a family if the wrong maid service is hired. But the decision to hire a maid can be made simpler by following just determining if the service is legit or not. Think about it in this manner... As a homeowner, how ridiculous does it sound to open the door to a stranger at midnight? If that's the case, then why should it be OK to let that same stranger inside during the day?

Getting in a car accident, even a minor one, can be a shocking experience, and it's easy to get caught up in the rush of adrenaline and confusion that follows. But it's important, in these moments, to handle the situation the correct way in order to ensure you get fair treatment by the insurance companies-or by the courts, should things go that far. Unless you have the misfortune to be seriously injured, it is upon you to take action immediately.

Here are 5 things you should always remember when you are involved in a collision on the road.

1. Traffic

The first thing you should never forget about is that there are still other cars on the road, and as long as the damaged vehicles remain in their path, there is a very real danger of the accident becoming much worse. If neither you nor the other driver is severely injured and the cars are still functioning, you need to get them out of the path of traffic before someone else gets hurt.

While this is happening, bystanders should be doing everything they can to flag, divert, slow, or stop passing vehicles.

If the vehicles cannot be moved because an injured victim is inside or the damage is too great, the flaggers should control traffic until the authorities arrive and take over. Nothing is more tragic in a situation like this than additional vehicles making a bad accident worse.

2. Take Photos

It is extremely important to take photographs during a vehicle collision when possible. This becomes even more important if the vehicles are to be moved. If possible, take a photo of the original accident before the vehicles are moved. Then, make sure to document all damages to both vehicles and any other variables that may or may not have come into play.

Leave no visual stone unturned - in the heat of the moment you may easily miss a key piece of visible evidence that could explain what happened later.

3. Contact Info

Never leave the scene without getting all the other driver's contact and insurance information. This is crucial. While you're at it, get the names and contact information for all witnesses or innocents involved as well, so you can give these over to the police or your insurance company. Third party testimony is a huge asset in an automobile case.

4. Never Admit Guilt

The most important thing you must never forget is that you should not admit guilt, no matter what-even if you are certain it was, in fact, your fault. This applies to all legal matters, but in the case of automobile accidents, it is an especially essential point because of the complexity and speed of these incidents.

There are often multiple contributing variables, so it's hard to immediately see why it happened the way it did. For this reason, you might be jumping into the blame without fully realizing what it was that occurred.

Another reason is that even if you are guilty, delaying and admission of guilt can often put you in a better position to get lesser charges in court or play less to the insurance company by exercising your rights.

5. Call Your Lawyer

Finally, don't forget to call your lawyer, and you should have the number of a reliable car accident attorney on file just in case something like this happens. Call them immediately if that is possible and let them know what happened so they can give you the best advice about how to proceed.

Sure, car accidents don't happen every day, but most people will be involved with one at least once-if not multiple times-throughout their lives. It' good to be prepared, and at the very least, you should know what you need to do when it does occur.

Summer is coming and you have long anticipated the season. There's no better time to enjoy surfing holidays! While it is great to hit the waters, there are some things you should prepare before then. This way, you will be able to enjoy the holidays as long as is lasts.

One of the most important things that people often forget to prepare for their surfing holidays would be a budget. It may seem as though there will not be much expenditure playing around on the beach, but in fact, there are a number of things to consider in your budget calculations so that you can enjoy a worry-free holiday. Do not let the lack of money stop you from enjoying the holiday.

Another thing one can prepare would be their health and fitness. No one would like to feel shy to play in the open when they are worried about their health or fitness. Make sure you keep your body in great shape so you spend your days having fun, and not being obsessed with getting fit. Eat well and exercise much.

If you are thinking of travelling abroad for your surfing holidays, remember to get yourself a surf travel insurance. You can never be able to predict what could happen when you are in a foreign land, so it is always good to be insured in that sense. Apart from that, you should also enquire about your accommodations and classes that you might need to take. Make sure you book in advance if it is possible so you do not end up without a place to stay.

Lastly, if you do not have them just yet, you should prepare the necessities which you will need for the holidays. Prepare your swim suit, surfing equipments, surf board, umbrella, and so on. Do not forget about your body's protection as well. Get products like sun block, lip balm, hat, and umbrella so that you can enjoy yourself for a long period of time in the outdoors. With all that prepared, you are ready to have the time of your life.

Home improvement projects are great unfortunately it's usually the finding and hiring of a good contractor to do the job that typically puts a damper on our mood to forge ahead with the project. But finding and hiring a good local contractor doesn't have to be the nightmare and disaster it's depicted to be online and by some of our friends and family members. The fact is that finding a good local contractor is difficult and there is a bit of work involved but it's not the nightmare that many make it out to be.

To borrow some old clichés finding a good local contractor for your next home improvement project is not rocket science and it's akin to finding a needle in a hay stack. You're basically going to hire someone temporarily to work inside your home so it's best to visualize yourself as an employer hiring someone to do a job.

What does that mean?

All it means is that you should probably check out the applicants (in this case a contractor) work history, qualifications and references. You'd be amazed how many homeowners hire a contractor based on a referral or even worse they just pick the first name out of the Yellow Pages...

If you to find and hire a good local contractor it is recommended that you put together at least three good bids from three comparable contractors. To ensure that you're looking at comparable bids it's essential that you pre-screen or pre-qualify the contractors prior to having them bid on your project.

To pre-qualify the contractors it's a good idea to start by checking to see if the contractor has a license. To obtain a license a contractor is fingerprinted, has his background checked and takes a competency test administered by the state. You can check to see if a contractor has a license by doing a Google search for your state's licensing board. You can check online in most states and all you'll need is the contractor's name, business name or license number.

To continue with the pre-qualification process you want to look for reviews, feedback and complaints for the contractors you are pre-qualifying. You can begin by doing a search in Google, Yahoo or Bing for the contractor's name or business name and add words like review or complaint. More and more homeowners are sharing their opinions of contractors online so this can be a great way to find general feedback on contractors.

You'll also want to cover the basics like checking for a local business address and a local phone number. A contractor with a long history is also a sign of a good contractor. The last thing you want to do is hire a contractor who's going to leave town with your hard earned money!

At this point some of the contractors should be looking better than others. It's probably a good idea to contact the best contractors and have them bid on your project. While communicating with them you'll want to go over a couple of more things.

First and foremost you'll want to gets some references from the contractors. Any good local contractors should have at least a few recent references that you can speak with. Speaking with past clients and actually seeing a contractor's past work is the best way to determine what kind of work a contractor is capable of. If at all possible ask the contractor to help you set up meetings with past clients. You can also ask if the contractor is working on any existing jobs so you can stop by to check out his handy work and evaluate how he maintains a job site.

You also want to make sure that the contractor you hire is properly insured. Insurance is critical when hiring a contractor particularly if they have employees. It is essential that the contractor you hire have General Liability insurance and Worker's Compensation insurance if he has any employees.

When a plaintiff is awarded an out-of-court settlement, there are two ways that the defendant can pay it: as a lump sum or a structured settlement, which is basically an installment plan that can be arranged in a number of ways. It's possible to set up the structure so that a large portion is paid up front, followed by a schedule of smaller payments. A uniform set of small payments can be made on a yearly schedule, or a set of large payments can be scheduled to occur every few years. Insurance companies often establish structured settlements by purchasing annuities that make sure regular payments are disbursed to the claimant.

One of the main reasons plaintiffs will consider structured insurance settlements is that they're tax-free, though there may be federal restrictions on this tax break of the structure is purchased by a third party. Another reason is that the recipients may know that they lack the fiscal self-discipline to leave a lump sum alone. By having a settlement award distributed over recurring payments, recipients can't overextend themselves beyond each payment period.

However, there are disadvantages to structured settlements that may require selling them. If the claimant suddenly wants to make a large purchase, and they're locked into receiving smaller payments, there's no way to go back to a lump sum settlement; so he or she needs to sell the structured settlement.

Settlement buyers will offer a lower amount than the lump sum settlement would have been, but the seller gets access to faster cash than the scheduled payments. While it would have been ideal in many cases to opt for the lump sum settlement in the first place, sometimes sudden large expenses come up that could not have been foreseen. If you're interested in selling your structured settlement, it's important to thoroughly research the companies that buy them, so refer to this list of settlement purchasers.

Some people make a decision and immediately set out to execute it. They forget that before you put out a lot of money and time you always need a solid plan. Any construction project requires planning which may be extensive. If any step of that plan is ignored or not thought of it can cost the owner a lot of money to basically start over. If the green roof leaks it may have disastrous results.

One error is to consider a living roof as a short term project. Once you have properly installed a green roof you will have changed your environment. Anything that impacts your environment on a long term basis deserves some consideration. You will have to think about water management both runoff and retention. A green roof will make the building more energy efficient and allow better control of heat and cooling usage. You might consider a roof top solar system. An intensive green roof may allow a park like setting on the roof.

Don't ignore the load capacity of the roof structure. Whether this is a new construction project or a remodel you have to insure you have enough structural support to handle the additional weight of a green roof. Without a certified structural report you may be heading to serious trouble.

Don't think the roof will be self supporting. It won't. It requires maintenance. To have adequate maintenance whether it's an intensive or extensive roof requires access. Every step should be taken to insure anyone walking on the roof to provide maintenance should be safe. They can't be expected to wear a safety harness and hard hat to go up on the roof to maintain it.

Every living roof requires water and proper drainage. You can't ignore this fact. An extensive roof may require less water than an intensive roof but it still requires initial watering and in periods of low rainfall, some form of ancillary watering. In addition to insuring adequate watering you need to insure the water doesn't pool up and cause root rot. Roots don't like to sit in standing water for long periods of time. Water build up may also damage the various layers of the green roof and cause a roof leak into the building. A proper green roof will have a proper ratio of water retention and water runoff. This also affects the storm water runoff during the year. So the local climate needs to be a consideration in your plans.

Where you live physically is also a factor in how and what goes into your green roof design. Do you have long periods of sun or long periods of wind? Which way will the plants face? Will it get a lot of shade? Are there other tall trees surrounding the roof that may overshadow it? Lower profile plants may not get enough sunlight. Taller plants with a shallow root system may not survive a wind storm. All of these need to be considered during the planning process.

Traffic accidents are classified as the number 1 cause of death to young people in the United States. It is really a terrible statistic. All mothers and fathers feel nervous when their teenage kid starts driving on it's own and even more so when its raining.

Statistically, young drivers are more likely to cause a car accident in a poor driving condition. Inexperience could be fatal. That's why teen drivers must be prepared and given correct instructions regarding how to drive when its raining.

As a parent, its your responsibility to make your kid aware how bad weather and fog influence driving. The two most significant factors are road surface and visibility. Most teens don't realise that in rainy conditions the breaking distance is 3 times longer than on a dry road. Breaks must be used much more cautiously, specially when skidding and aquaplaning happens. It is better to allow more driving time in the rain and avoid rushing. Driving slower is the key.

Keeping toward the middle lanes helps as well, due to the fact that water has a tendency to pool in the outside lanes. Driving in the tracks of the vehicle ahead may appear natural to a good driver, but young motorists might need a few pointers.

Visibility is quite often reduced and all necessary measures should be taken. The windscreen should be clear and use of defrosters is advised. Its a great habit to turn on your front lights, even when there is a light sprinkle. A particular attention must be paid to people on the streets and people who are cycling.

Its a wise idea for teens to be accompanied the first few times when driving a car while it's raining. Promoting safety and protecting against poor driving habits can prove invaluable in the future. Even the smallest car accident can leave a black mark on one's driving record, which could make obtaining affordable car insurance a nightmare.

Make certain the car is in a very good condition, including the four tires and windscreen wipers. Recommend to your teenager taking part in an advanced driving course.

If you have recently moved to a new city, you are probably in need of a new dentist. If you know plenty of people near you, such as family and friends, it may be easy to get a recommendation to a good one. However, most people do not know many people when they first move, requiring them to rely on other resources to find new doctors. Consider a few ways to locate a good dentist near you without having to talk to people you do not know very well yet.

You can usually start by using your computer at a resource, or more specifically, the internet. If you have dental insurance, the first place to start is the company that insures you. Most providers have a website that lists the doctors and dentists that they cover under their policies, so put in your zip code to find some near you. This type of search usually also allows you to see which dentists speak difference languages, whether they are accepting new patients, and whether they have any specialty areas, such as pediatrics. You should write down the contact information of a few near you who are taking new patients.

Some dentists also advertise by sending direct mail to houses near their office. Most offer special deals and coupons to new patients, so look for such ads, as these can save you hundreds of dollars in some cases. They also often let you know which services they offer, which insurance providers they accept, and their contact information, of course. If the advertisement provides a website, considering checking it out before calling to find out more information, such as office policies and the background of the dentist.

Of course, one easy way to find a new practitioner is to type your city's name into a search engine, along with the title that you are looking for. You can usually specify, for example, whether you want a family dentist or one who specializes in cosmetic dentistry. This type of search should provide you with a list of practitioners near you, and many may also have reviews attached to the contact information.

You may have to use trial and error to find a good dentist near you. However, calling each office first to get some information upfront, such as policies, fees, and whether your insurance is accepted, can help you weed out the dentists that will not work well for you. These steps should result in you finding a new practitioner despite not knowing anyone in your new city.

Has this question ever run through your mind? Is it real estate, stocks, options? Well, there are many answers to this; different people will have different views on this, which is quite normal.

I recently learned something from a good friend of mine, Weili; he shared with me a quote or statement you can call it, which it's on investments. The best investments are actually things that provide you the most when you need it the most, agreed?

For some of you; it will be stocks or real estate but in my case it will be courses and insurances that I have invested in, as I can't get my hands on real estate yet. I know some of you might be thinking, shouldn't investments come back in terms of monetary value? So how do the courses or insurances pay back when they don't give dividends or cash value?

Like what I've said, they will only pay you at the point of time when you need it the most. For example insurances, when a person requires money for medical or living expenses after he met with an accident or contracted an illness. It can also be when a person signed up for a course which he couldn't put it to use now, but get to apply the knowledge in the future.

Not all investments returns must be monetary; personal success, business success or even in relationships. As long as something you have 'invested' in and gave you 'returns' when you need it, that is the best investment.

If you are in the market for financial investments that will make your retirement secure and comfortable, you may have come across fixed annuity as one of those investment options. Buying a fixed annuity can indeed give you something solid to rely on as you live through your golden years without a lot of fuss and bother about money.

Fixed annuity plans have attracted a lot of people who are looking for stable retirement plans ever since it was first introduced in the insurance market. The beauty of this form of annuity is that no matter how bad the economy is or how unreliable market movements may be, the payments will remain the same. With a fixed annuity, you can count on getting the same amount of money every pay period regardless of current economic conditions.

Not All Annuities Are the Same

If you are thinking of buying a fixed annuity, you should know beforehand that not all such annuities are the same. There are actually two basic types of fixed annuities: the deferred type and the immediate type.

When you get a deferred annuity, you pay the premiums for this annuity within a designated period of time, usually until you reach your retirement age. Once this designated period is up, you can start withdrawing or getting payments from your plan. Taxation is also deferred on the investment until you start withdrawing from it, which means your investment can grow even more until it has matured.

An immediate annuity plan, on the other hand, requires you to pay a single lump sum for purchasing the annuity. Once the money has passed hands and the contract has been signed, you can then begin benefiting from your investment on the next payment cycle.

It All Depends on Your Needs

So which is better, the deferred type or the immediate type? Truth be told, it all depends on what you need for your retirement. Both types of annuities have their own advantages and disadvantages, and it is up to you to find out which one suits you most.

One thing you must do before you buy a fixed annuity, though, is to ensure that you are purchasing your plan from a highly rated insurance company. An insurance company with a high rank in ratings agencies like Moody's and AM Best are likely to stand with you for the long haul. They are not likely to leave you high and dry when the economy forces them to close doors. It won't be unheard of for lower-rated insurance companies to lure you with higher rates, but this would be too risky and you shouldn't bite the bait. You will not want to jeopardize your future with mistakes in buying your fixed annuity.

There is no place in today's business world where you will lack lookouts for any experts who are skilled in the prevention areas. Any student who is pursuing an MBA in risk management will definitely guarantee employers -of future of getting a person who has the potential and the skills required in ensuring that the company has a stable future. Studying and having MBA in management of risk will open understanding to issues that are very essential among them issues regarding general and legal insurance, estimation in property and environmental issues.

Laws on labor, insurance for casualties and health, planning of pensions, employee benefits and their rights, insurance underwriting, liability among the related issues will no longer be a problem to them. The student can plan different carrier plans in fields among them; research, auditing, budgeting, environmental aspects and many more. Degree in management of risk will give the learner knowledge on matters concerning the law along with tools for preventing and reducing risk damages.

Further stimulus is provided to the risk management due to the fact that it is relatively new and growing field. The regular MBA's are no longer popular as they are not prestigious as compared to past years. Thus, a student doing an MBA in risk management should thereby be knowledgeable of the specialized fields and the ones that hold extra benefits. You will agree that one of the major roles in today's business is calculation of risks. Equipping yourself with this degree will guarantee a successful career in whichever administrative positions which is in relation to this area. In addition to the skills, the student will get benefits of obtaining theory of business as well as business management theories.

Students who have completed degree in risk management will have option of choosing whether work as managers or as consultants. According to the statistics indicted in Bureau of Labor Statistics, insurance underwriters are paid forty nine thousand dollars, claim investigators paid forty eight thousand dollars and financial investigators paid seventy five thousand dollars, which is a good pay for any student coming from university.

The lump sum or multiple payments you make to an insurance provider can give you guaranteed returns for a set period, such as your entire life; this is basically how a retirement annuity works. While the payments you are set to receive are guaranteed by the federal government, how much you get and how long you will be paid depends mainly on when you start receiving payments and when you made your initial investment towards the annuity. You may also make multiple payments to receive money from a retirement annuity, and will have to pay up to the end of the payment period in order to generate yields from this type of insurance product.

The issuer of the annuity, typically an insurance provider, will determine the number of payments to you based on average life expectancy and other data, which they will arrive at through research. In general, living longer than your expectancy will result in the generation of payments beyond the actual worth of the annuity, while passing on earlier than expected will result in less overall payments. For instance, you may buy into an annuity with a lump sum payment of $50,000 while the insurer estimates that you have a couple of decades more to live. If you live beyond twenty years, you will still get annuity payments even if all payments go beyond the worth of the additional investment.

Annuity Types

There are numerous kinds of annuities, each of which may be adjusted to some extent to suit the needs and financial capabilities of the annuity buyer. In a nutshell, the most common annuity types are deferred and immediate annuities, which are defined by the payment structure of the product.

Deferred annuities are the more popular annuity of the two. The average investor typically buys into this kind of annuity, which requires the holder to put in his or her investments over a certain period, after which he or she will receive monthly payments after finishing that period or reaching a certain amount of money invested.

Immediate annuities are a good investment for individuals who have gained a considerably large amount of money and want it distributed over a period of time in increments. For example, you may be able to ensure that a million-dollar inheritance will last you for the rest of your life after putting the million dollars in an annuity, which can then result in monthly payments with specific return rates.

If you are in the market for a low-risk product to help preserve wealth in retirement, consider the various kinds of retirement annuities. Depending on your financial capabilities and requirements, an immediate retirement annuity or deferred retirement annuity may be right for you.

To be able to succeed with collar, you need to know how to manage it. In other words, what do you do after you have it on. There are 3 scenarios that could happen after your collar trade is live:

One, for some reason, the stock just falls asleep and stays where it is for the entire the life of the puts and calls insurance. You end up losing your insurance premium because put expires worthless and so does call. Your position now includes only naked stocks. Either place another put-call combination for the current month to replace the expired, or sell the stocks to liquidate the whole position.

Two, stock crashes hard below the put strike. You should just let it crash and not panic because you have your insurance in place. However, if stock falls around 20 to 25%, consider rolling your put-call pairs down. What this means is sell the put and buy back the call and place another same pairs but on lower strikes (where the stock falls to).

If you don't do this, when the stock starts to recover you won't make any money. Stocks falls hard and fast is the best you can expect for this type of trade. Unless it is because of a horrific news like Lehman Brother blowing-up, you get to make a whole lot more money when it starts to move up again.

Last, if stock moves up pass the call strike, you will make near your max reward. It is not actually the max reward unless it is the last day of the options' life. But if you don't do anything and it continues to move up, you will not make any more reasonable money.

What should be done is rolling the insurance up. You could use the current options month but I don't recommend anything less than 14 days. 45 days is a little bit long but it is better to use in that case. Make sure you follow the 10% rule for the distance between two strikes (distance between the put and call is 10% of the stock price) and the third rule for the short call to long put premium (the premium collected from the call is at least one-third of the cost to purchase the put).

Happy Trading.

More often than not, we go see a dentist when we want to check out a bad tooth. Don't think that it's too late, because it's definitely not.

One of the important health preventive practices one should do aside from getting health insurance would be getting a dentist. Good oral health will help you go a long way with all the activities you intend to do. Now, how do you find a dentist that is best for you?

Here are very practical and sound tips to follow.

Research

Make a research to find out who are the top dental providers in the area. In this way, you can narrow down your list to at least top five. Then you can initially compare the services they can give to their customers and expertise on specific fields in Dentistry.

Do Clinic Visit

The first thing you might want to do is to take an office visit. It lets you see how the clinic looks, its set up and it shows you how they value hygiene. Also visually, you can see specific accreditation and certifications that these clinics have. It will assure you of their credibility as an oral health provider. In most instances, clinics display before and after pictures of the different procedures they have done with their clients.

Ask the Provider

As a part of your visit to the dentist, you can directly ask the type of cosmetic dentistry that the dentists specializes in. You can ask how long they have been in business as an oral health provider. Asking your provider can enlighten you with your different oral health concerns and you would know if the provider is capable of doing most of your concerns in a safe manner. Talking to them, can make you feel how they are advocates of patient's rights.

When asking your provider, you might want to ask them their cost of different treatments. If you plan to visit at least three dental offices, you can compare their prices and their services, which would make choosing an office easier. You have to remember though, that quality does not come cheap. It should be reasonably priced, considering the intricacy of procedures and technology that the provider will be working with.

If you happen to have dental insurance, check if the dentist you were talking to before is part of the health providers that your insurance covers. It would be advantageous if it is covered with your insurance because it would save you a lot of money.

Validate with other Clients

In connection with your visit, you get to mingle with other clients and can ask them personally about their experience with the dental provider. In this way you get an honest and unbiased review straight from those who have experienced all the same services you will be.

Employees or workers are the backbone of every workplace be it a small business firm or a multi-national company. For proper functioning of these organizations it is essential to keep the workers satisfied and happy to motivate them for better performance. And to satisfy the workers it is the responsibility of the employer to take care of all their demands which also comprises of their health. A proper health guide has to be arranged for every worker for their complete protection.

The current recession has changed the work culture in the organizations drastically. They are now recruiting lesser number of people capable of multitasking. As a result of which the work pressure on a single person has increased a lot. Night shifts, overtime, street foods, indiscipline lifestyle has an adverse effect on the workers' health.

To achieve their career goal, to earn more and to be successful workers often have to compromise with their health.It is the responsibility of the employers to extend their helping hand to create a better work environment workers which will help them to stay motivated for better performance.
There are different ways which would help the employers take care of their workers' health. Some of the tools for proper employee health care are as follows

Different Ways to maintain good health of the Workers

1. Maintain a healthy environment in the workspace with proper sanitation and cleanliness
2. Make the workers feel comfortable with necessary arrangements like proper sitting place, air supply,healthy foods in canteen or cafeteria etc
3. Assigning a suitable place where they can relax during breaks
4. Suitable health insurance for every worker
5. Try to show individual care for every worker by sharing their problems to give them mental support to handle the work pressure

Often purchasing a health insurance for individual workers might become impossible for the employee to stay within their budget. To avoid such problems you can get hold of full health insurance for selected workers, group insurance benefits etc. It is better to improve the quality of health care with right treatment at the right time, better diagnoses,regular check-up etc which will help the minimize the health complications and reduce cost of treatments. Referring to the different online health resources can be beneficial to incorporate more useful ways for this purpose.

It is also the responsibility of the worker to take proper personal care. Proper time management, healthy eating, adequate amount of sleep, regular exercise, releasing stress can help them to maintain a good health and keep them energized throughout the day.

The most important you can do online is preventing identity theft. Hackers don't care about taking your family pictures or even your files you have saved. What the hackers really want is access to personal information like birth date and social security number. If you have account numbers on your computers then they hit jackpot. So it is no surprise that the best thing to protect yourself is identity theft shield protection. Think of it as an insurance policy on your identity.

Think of an identity theft shield as monitoring your credit activity for you so you can sleep better at night. The way it works is that the service pays attention to your social security number and activity that occurs. Your credit reports will be monitored and if there is something going on that's suspicious, you will be notified so that you can take care of it accordingly. The benefit for you is that you don't have to keep manually monitoring your credit report. You will be notified automatically if there is any activity

Another benefit of having identity theft shield is that you have insurance. So if anything fraudulent happens, they pay for that for you. If somehow an account is open using your social security number then you are responsible for activity on that account. Of course you would have to check what the specific limits are set on this just like any other insurance. The great thing is you won't have to worry about losing your credit cards because you will be covered anyway. What is that peace of mind worth to you?

Often, identity theft shield services are part of other packages. For instance, you may find that you can get this type of protection for free when you buy pre-paid legal services. Pre-paid legal is a relatively new concept that allows you to pay for the expertise of a network of legal advocates in advance so that you can take advantage of their services as your need arises. This is exactly the same way that medical insurance works, where you pay monthly and then use your benefits whenever you need to. Since your financial security is often a legal matter, coupling these two premium services just seems to make the most sense.

I know you are realizing the benefits of having an identity theft shield because it is an easy way to protect yourself from someone stealing your identity. The real question is not whether you need identity theft protection but which protection plan is the best for you. You can decide to go with one that has other prepaid services attached to it or you could just go with the credit monitoring.

Identity theft is one of the fast growing cyber-crimes in the world, but you don't have to let it happen to you.

Nobody really checks medical bills and even if families do, it's not nearly enough. The US Government Accountability Office says that 9 in 10 hospital bills have erroneous data. If that's true (and there's no reason to believe it isn't), then the margin of error is too great. It's difficult to suggest malice on the part of the hospitals but whatever the intention is, the inefficiency in the system is a cause for alarm. The onus is still on the family to take the time to review their papers and seek medical bills help immediately after finding a misplaced entry.

The EOB (explanation of benefits) sent by your insurance company in the mail does not say much so you need to demand for an unbundled and itemized bill. In that way, you can keep track of all the procedures, laboratory tests, medicines, nurse and room rates, or any syringe they stuck n you. Looking at all the entries will determine if there were redundant or erroneous postings.

Once you spot a mistake, ask for a copy of the ledger from the hospital's billing department or your medical chart to make sure what your doctor ordered was actually followed by the hospital. You can actually seek medical bills help from your insurance provider who is only too willing to go over your records. It's also in your health care servicer's interest to review your medical bill to prevent their company from overpaying the hospital.

You should also review the manual to find out your insurance coverage. Cross check the EOB statement with your health policy and make sure all the "covered" procedures are paid for.

It helps to ask for a conference call with your billing department and the hospital's billing department so all of you can work together to discuss each of the items in the document.

If you don't think you can do it alone, seek medical help from a professional. There are individuals who make it their business to review hospital bills. They can decrypt all the codes in the bill and make a determination to the accuracy of the bill. With the statistics stacked against you, it's too much to hope that you are one of the 10 who is billed correctly by the hospital.

With the natural disaster that has happened in Queensland, Victoria and northern Western Australia, the amount of stress and the need for money to rebuild damaged homes or buy the necessities of life are ever more critical and urgent.

However, early access to superannuation is more of a "medium-term assistance" measure as people need to demonstrate they are in longer-term distress including, for example, has been on Centrelink benefits for 26 weeks. At this early stage of the flood disaster, it is unlikely that people will meet some of the longer-term criteria for the early release of superannuation.

What The SISR Rules Says

A member's benefit may only be cashed in accordance with division 6.3 of the SISR -
a. Retirement;
b. Death;
c. Temporary or permanent disability;
d. severe financial hardship;
e. approval from APRA;
f. compassionate grounds;
g. temporary resident's permanent departure overseas;
h. member over 55 transition to retirement pensions.

In Simple English
Based on the above criteria, the most relevant section would be "d. severe financial hardship". However, to demonstrate "severe financial hardship", members and or trustees of a super fund must have at a minimum received Commonwealth support payments, such as unemployment benefits, continuous for a period of 26 weeks, and is unable to meet reasonable and immediate family living expenses, including mortgage repayment.

Both "e & f" are criteria designed to allow judgment in really extreme and severe circumstances. Yesterday evening, Assistance Treasurer Bill Shorten has ruled out the exercise of the above two judgment, as there are many government programs out there currently that are designed to provide assistance for immediate and short term. Members who are in distress because of the recent floods should first access government assistance packages and any insurance cover, including that offered by their super funds. Such government assistance programs are designed to provide immediate assistance. Early access to super is more of a medium to longer term assistance measure.

Where Then Can We Get Money
Money can be released in any of the following sources:
1. Access your home flood insurance if there is one;
2. Release for mortgage repayments in extreme circumstances but again the conditions are very restrictive. Currently all the major banks are offering emergency relief to flood victims - including allowing them to defer mortgage repayments for three months, restructure business loans, and delay credit card payments without incurring penalties;
3. Borrow from family members and friends;
4. Sale of assets. May it be saving deposits, term deposits or investment assets (ie, listed shares) or an extra car or a property. Realizing assets at this time would help meet the immediate family needs;
5. For members whose super fund has insurance policies, check with your financial planner on the type of coverage the insurance policies are for;

In Simple English Continue....
In order to gain access to super fund under extreme circumstances (again the conditions are very restrictive), people must get permission from the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority ("APRA") and from their super fund to withdraw money on these grounds. APRA will only allow people to access money to cover a mortgage if the loan payment is overdue and the lender has written that it plans to foreclose.

What The Officials & Experts Say
In the medium term (in a couple of months time) it is predicted that some scheme members would be able to apply for early access to their super over the medium term if they have been out of work for a long time or if they encountered severe difficulties with mortgage repayments. The Assistant Treasurer's department said that experience from other disasters, such as the Victorian bushfires, was that only very limited early access to super was granted, as other forms of assistance were more appropriate at this time.