If you are interested in acquiring discount auto insurance, it is very important that you have to know and understand how the providers think. Having the right knowledge and information from the discount auto insurance companies will absolutely help you have big savings. Getting a great discount is not bad after all it is your own money. As you familiarize with the essential information you are surely on the right path in choosing the correct provider.Just like in any industry of course discount auto insurance companies are here to have a profit. Providers have their own goal and that is to make as much sale as possible. Although these companies will surely provide the best service and value to each in every customer to get a great profit.The type of services offered by these companies is to sell certain coverage if you encounter a problem on the road like for example a car accident. Even though you want to avoid these possibilities, it is still important to have a discount auto insurance for your own good. It serves as your protection and fall back in case some trouble occurs. For these companies to keep profitable they are developing or setting up a required plan or coverage that still earns them a profit. To sum it up they will compute and calculate the claims that will both benefit the holder of the policy as well as the company. The best discount auto insurance companies are the ones that value the customer more than the profits that they can get.Understanding discount auto insurance is just an easy thing if you have already the idea. It also means that the provider is the one who will decide which coverage is best for you. They will be the one who will provide you additional charges or discount based on your claims. In the event that you will be involved in a road accident, vandalized car or stolen car, it is more likely ideal to get discount auto insurance. In addition, if years have passed and you have not filed a claim, it follows that you cannot get any bonus because there are no certain claims that are good for such a long period. By using your commonsense and think also about the viewpoint of this insurance company, you will surely get a big slice of discount off your insurance fee.Lastly, the most important way on how you can truly understand the discount auto insurance company is to go on line. By that you can research various car insurance companies that provides detailed information, benefits, coverage and of course the agreement between you and them. Visiting sites that offer quotes is the best thing that you can do to be able to find the best car insurance just for you. Discount auto insurance is just easy to understand and learn as long as you are willing to spend your time researching on the web for the best company that will provide your needs.
The Best Mutual Funds Vs. Best Investment Strategy for 2014 and Beyond
Millions of Americans own mutual funds and see them as their best investment options. Consider this question: would you rather own the best funds or have the best investment strategy for managing your funds in 2014 and beyond? With history as my guide, I offer an opinion here, as well as a plan you might want to consider.Within a 10-year period (2000 to 2009) investors experienced two bear (down) markets where stocks lost 50% or more of their value while bonds did just fine. Both times stocks recovered, and by 2014 were again at all time highs. Bonds were the best investment options and the funds that invest in them were the best funds in both bear markets. Even the best funds in the diversified stock department left their investors little to cheer about in that 10-year period of time. The best investment strategy since early 2009: be heavily invested in diversified stock funds. Who could have known they would be the best investment options available to average every-day people?The truth is that NO ONE knew this, and in 2014 it would be extremely risky to assume this was still the best investment strategy. The last two major bull (up) markets before this current one (2009 to 2014) were followed by the above bear (down) markets. In each case even the best funds in the diversified stock arena took big losses, and often the best funds in an up stock market are the worst to hold in a down market.The previous bull market lasted about 5 years, and as of early 2014 this last one was 5 years old. Maybe it’s time to start looking for the best investment strategy for three different reasons. First, the bull market in stocks is 5 years old and stocks are not selling cheap. Second, even the best stock funds will be losers in a bad market. Third, with interest rates rising, bond funds are not relatively safe or dependable anymore. For 30 years (until recently) they were the average investor’s best funds and were among the best investment options out there. Problem: if interest rates continue to rise, bond funds will lose money. That’s the way bond funds work.Sometimes the best investment strategy is to be aggressive in stocks, if you have the stomach for it. For most of us with long term goals, the risk that goes with that strategy far outweighs the prospects for higher returns. After all, if you take a 50% loss in a bad market, you then need to earn 100% (double your money) just to cover your losses. In the bond funds area, the vast majority of conservative investors still hold on to the belief that they are the best funds and that the best investment strategy is to just hold on and everything will be just fine.If history tells us anything, it makes two things in the investment world crystal clear. One: you will never find the best investment or the best funds on a consistent basis. And two: the best investment strategy is to never put yourself into a position where you are open to heavy losses that are difficult to overcome. So, it’s time to make a plan and put together the best strategy in case stock funds and/or bond funds stumble in 2014 and beyond.Virtually all mutual fund families offer a safe investment option called a money market fund. Reallocate your portfolio so that you are invested equally in a money market, stock, and bond fund. Then set it up so that an equal amount of money flows from the money market fund to the two others each month. The monthly amount should be such that in two to three years the money market fund will be down to almost nothing. Example: $90,000 portfolio, starting with $30,000 in each fund and $1000 flowing monthly from money market fund… $500 to stock fund and $500 to bond fund. In about 30 months the money market fund will be about depleted.Even if you don’t hold the best funds, this could be the best investment strategy for the middle-of-the-road investor who wants to basically be invested about half in stocks and half in bonds ultimately. You will be less exposed to stocks and bonds over the next couple of years; hence your potential for big losses is diminished in the event the markets turn ugly. If stocks and/or bonds fall you will be picking up more and more shares as fund prices fall. This is called dollar cost averaging and is a time-tested investment strategy. If fund prices don’t fall during this time period you’ll earn a respectable return, with peace of mind, because you lowered your level of risk. At that point consider going through the same process again.Remember that bull markets are always followed by bear markets sooner or later. Bear markets are generally shorter in duration but they can be brutal. Don’t be overly concerned with finding the best funds for 2014 and beyond. Focus on having the best investment strategy. This way you can stay invested without the fear of taking big losses in stocks or bonds if things turn sour.In the best funds vs. the best investment strategy for 2014 and beyond debate, I suggest you focus on strategy. Unfortunately, most investors ignore investment strategy. That’s why most average investors have not done well for the past dozen or so years.
Bad Credit Credit Cards – Who Needs Them
United States without credit cards. You won’t be able to rent a car or a hotel room, and very many merchants will not accept a personal cheque without a credit card. Now such persons as those who migrated to the United States, college and university students who have very little or no credit history, or persons who did not do too well at managing their credit history, should apply for credit cards that cater for this.There are three basic types of bad credit credit cards. These are:
Prepaid – Very similar to the standard debit card. You open an account and place a deposit in it. This deposit will become your card limit. With this type, you are not extended credit by the bank since any purchases made come directly from your deposit. When you have exhausted this, you can no longer use the card until you make another deposit. This type of card can be likened to the training wheels on a bicycle, and are excellent in helping you to budget and to live within your means. The major downside of such a card however is that they cannot help you to rebuild your credit. This is because no credit is being extended to you, and as such, these accounts are not reported on by banks to the credit bureaus.
Secured Bad Credit Credit Cards – With this type of card, you will have to open some type of savings account and deposit a sum of cash in it. This will be held as collateral by the bank that issued the credit card to you, and for as long as you have the credit card, you will not have access to those funds. You can deposit more to be held as collateral for the card as you go along. Now the amount deposited will normally represent the credit limit on the card. It can be a little more. If you default in the payment on this card, the bank will deduct from your savings to pay it. The interest rates and charges on this card will normally be more that the typical credit card. This type of card should be reported on by the issuing bank. This is great card for learning money management and savings.
Unsecured Bad Credit Credit Cards – This will be similar to the normal credit card. The interest rates and fees may however be significantly higher than the current market rate. In some instances, you will be charged a fee upfront as the cost of extending the credit facility. This fee is separate from the annual fee. The credit limit that is extended to you on such a card will generally be low and depending on how well you manage it, the issuing bank may increase it as time goes by. This type of credit card should be reported on by the issuing to the various credit bureaus.
Bad credit credit cards are generally designed to help these persons build or repair the credit record. Most of them would generally incorporate some feature that will encourage the cardholder to save. Now because these cards are used as training wheels, it is very important that you ensure that they are reported on. You may not want to use this type of card for too long a period of time. So exercise your right to free credit reports and ensure that they are being accurately reported on.Orchard Bank has a few bad credit credit cards that cater for the needs of persons with bad credit history. These include:
Orchard Bank Platinum MasterCard®
Orchard Bank Classic MasterCard®
Orchard Bank Secured MasterCard®
This card allows you to establish or repair your credit. Anywhere you go, it guarantees acceptance and buying power. It will help you manage everyday finances – from unexpected expenses to opportunities you can’t pass up. Some of the benefits include:
Monthly reports to all three credit bureaus – Helping you to create a strong credit history
24 hour online account access which allows you to keep on top of all transactions made with your card
Use your Orchard Bank MasterCard card for online shopping knowing that you will not be responsible for unauthorized charges
Periodic reviews of eligibility for credit limit increases
Free online bill pay
Other recommended bad credit credit cards include:
New Millennium Bank Platinum Visa® or MasterCard®
Horizon Gold Credit Card
Some of the features of these cards include:
Guaranteed approval
The report to all the major credit bureaus
High introductory savings rate.
It is important that you choose the right card that is most suited to your needs from the list of bad credit credit cards that is available. Repairing or establishing you credit rating is very important and this particular card selection may be the key. So choose wisely.