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priyanshusharma10 · 5 years ago

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IS BLUEHOST WORTH BUYING? COMPLETE GUIDE

Did you know that Bluehost is home to more than 2 million websites?

Bluehost is a top option to consider if you’re in the market for a web host. They power more than 2 million sites across the globe.

But web hosting services are not created equally.

I see so many new webmasters make the mistake of just going with the cheapest web host or the web hosting site that appears first in their Google search results.

For something as important as web hosting, weigh your options in order to find the best web hosting plan for your needs.

Since so many of you will likely come across Bluehost during your search, I want to give you the best information you can to make a decision.

I’ll explain all of their hosting plans, pricing, and discuss the best parts about using Bluehost. I’ll even tell you about a couple of cons associated with Bluehost, just to make sure you have all the facts before you sign up.

Let’s look in to some of the benefits of bluehost webhosting!!

Benefits of Using Bluehost Web Hosting

While Bluehost offers a lot of great features, some of them are really stand out.

Low pricing options

Bluehost allows you to spend much less on web hosting. That’s great especially if you’re looking to build a site on a budget.

As you’ve already seen, the introductory rates for Bluehost shared web hosting starts at just $3.95 per month. Being able to host your site for less than $50 is a great deal.

All Bluehost shared hosting plans come with a free SSL certificate and free marketing credits. When you factor in the storage and bandwidth you’re getting, that’s a fairly decent value for the price.

Overall, this is one of the lowest prices you’ll see for a legitimate web host.

Great security

Even though Bluehost has some inexpensive pricing options compared to other web hosts on the market today, it doesn’t mean that they’re inferior when it comes to crucial security features.

I’ve already mentioned that an SSL certificate comes standard, regardless of which plan you choose.

Furthermore, their plans have a feature to hide the personal information that you used when signing up for a private domain. Lots of times hackers will target this information from website owners.

Bluehost has features to prevent malware attacks, as well as tools used for automatic daily backups. You’ll also get a security tool that offers spam protection for the email address associated with your website.

Again, this is all a great value considering how much these plans go for.

Top loading speeds

Page loading speed is something that always needs to be taken into consideration when you’re shopping around for the best website host.

If your site takes too long to load, it’s going to kill your engagement metrics. People will abandon your site, and you won’t be able to drive conversions. It’s as simple as that.

The average response time for Bluehost in 2020 is 352 ms. To put that into perspective, refer to my SiteGround web hosting review. SiteGround’s average response time over the same period of time was 662 ms, which is still fast.

Bluehost nearly cuts that time in half.

Easy to use

You don’t need to be a tech expert to host your website with Bluehost. Nearly anyone, regardless of their experience level, can find a beginner hosting plan from this platform.

That’s definitely not the case with all web hosting providers on the market today. There are plenty of web hosts out there that are specifically designed for advanced webmasters.

Whether you’re using WordPress or taking advantage of the Bluehost website builder, everything will be pretty straightforward and easy to follow.

Excellent support

Even though Bluehost is easy to figure out, you may still find yourself in a situation where you need some help or guidance.

In most cases, you should able to find an answer through their knowledge base page. This is essentially a support center that has how-to guides, tutorials, and articles with instructions for troubleshooting and FAQ. Simply search what you’re looking for, and there will likely be a resource to help you out.

Furthermore, Bluehost has 24/7 phone support, which is great for those of you who like to be talked through problems.

If you’re like me, you’ll probably just take advantage of their live chat agents. It’s a fast and easy way to get an answer without having to leave their website.

High uptime

You can’t give a web hosting review without referring to uptime rates. Take a look at where Bluehost stacks up compared to other web hosting providers in this recent study.

Bluehost ranked second on the list with a 99.991% average uptime for the year. That percentage is identical to MidPhase, which ranked first on the list.

Furthermore, you can see that Bluehost only had seven total outages on the year, which was the lowest for all hosts in the top five, including the top-ranking provider on the list.

It really doesn’t get much better than that. So if you host your website with Bluehost, you can rest assured knowing that your site isn’t going to have much downtime throughout the year.

Money-back guarantee

Like most web hosting services, you won’t get a free trial to try them out. But with that said, Bluehost does offer a 30-day money-back promise.

So if you’re on the fence about using Bluehost, it’s comforting to know that you’ll get refunded if you’re not ultimately satisfied in the first month.

But with that said, it’s worth noting that the refund only applies to web hosting costs. So if you use Bluehost for a domain name or other add-ons, those purchases are final.

WordPress hosting

If you’re using WordPress hosting, Bluehost is definitely a top option for you to consider. That’s because this web host is just one of the three “official” recommended choices from the WordPress website.

Hostgator and interserver are the other two recommended web hosting services on this WordPress resource.

With that said, you can still use nearly any other web hosting service on the market to create your WordPress website. But it’s definitely a positive sign that Bluehost is recognised as a WordPress partner.

Compare Bluehost Web Hosting Plans

Not every website has the same web hosting needs. Bluehost knows this and has three different types of web hosting options for you to choose from.

• Shared

• VPS (virtual private server)

• Dedicated server

Choosing which kind of web hosting plan to go with will vary based on how much you want to pay, your expected site traffic, and the type of website you have. Below I will give you a more detailed description of the differences between these hosting options.

Shared hosting

If you have a new website and you’re on a tight budget, shared hosting might be your best option. Bluehost offers four different pricing plans for its shared hosting services.

• Basic — $3.95 per month

• Plus — $5.95 per month

• Choice Plus — $5.95 per month

• Pro — $13.95 per month

I know what some of you are thinking. If Plus and Choice Plus are priced the same, wouldn’t you automatically go with Choice Plus?

All Bluehost plans go up in price once you renew. The advertised prices above are just the introductory rates. It’s worth noting that Plus renews at $10.99 per month, while Choice Plus renews at $14.99 per month.

Bluehost has managed shared hosting platforms, meaning you won’t have to worry about managing servers or anything like that

VPS hosting

VPS hosting from Bluehost is the middle-tier option of the three plans. There are three pricing options for a Bluehost virtual private server.

• Standard — $19.99 per month

• Enhanced — $29.99 per month

• Ultimate — $59.99 per month

The biggest differences in these plans are the cores, SSD storage, RAM, bandwidth, and IP addresses.

With the Standard plan, you’ll get 1 core, 30 GB of SSD storage, 2 GB of RAM, 1 TB of bandwidth, and 1 IP address. Cores, SSD storage, and RAM double at each tier for the Enhanced and Ultimate packages.

Using Bluehost for a VPS gives you dedicated server resources. You’ll be able to use your RAM, CPU, and disk space, no matter what other users on the same server are doing. VPS hosting also has increased security, since you won’t be sharing an operating system with any other Bluehost users.

Dedicated hosting

Picking a dedicated server plan from Bluehost means you’ll be taking advantage of their top of the line services. These plans are made for those of you who are tech-savvy and want complete control over your server.

• Standard — $79.99 per month

• Enhanced — $99.99 per month

• Premium — $119.99 per month

As you can see, top-tier plans come at higher price points. With VPS hosting, you’re maxed out at 120 GB of SSD storage, 8 GB of RAM, 3 TB of bandwidth, and 2 IP addresses. But dedicated servers from Bluehost go all the way up to 1 TB of storage, 16 GB of RAM, 15 TB of bandwidth, and 5 IP addresses.

These plans will probably exceed the needs and uses for what most of you are looking for. But with that said, as your website grows and your traffic scales, you might want to consider a dedicated server in the future.

Conclusion:

With all said, I definitely recommend Bluehost as a web hosting option among various services in the market with it’s leading uptime and fast loading characteristics in the market.

It also has hosting types, plans and options to meet the needs of any website. From these options, I’m sure, you’ll able to find an option that best fit for your online business and hosting needs and plans.

#wordpress hosting #web hosting #shared hosting #dedicated hosting #vps hosting #bluehost #bestwebhosting #website #best hosting #affordable

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hotforharrison · 6 years ago

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His Service ch 4: It’s the destination, not the journey

Chapter 3 <-- His Service Masterlist --> Chapter 5

Pairing: Tom Holland/Reader, eventual Harrison Osterfield/Reader

Summary: A series of memories of memories relating to the love of your life, Tom, and his service in the Army.

Word Count: 3,023

Warnings: Language and smut, my usual go-tos.

A/N: Longer than usual chapter! Poor reader!

You walked up to the ticket counter at the airport, wheeling your suitcase behind you, giving her your ID. “I’m heading to the Lawton Fort Sill airport.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, your connecting flight to Dallas Fort Worth has been canceled due to the weather. Would you like to take a later flight or receive a full refund?” the ticket agent told you.

“How much later?” you asked. “My boyfriend is graduating from basic training, and Family Day starts tomorrow morning.”

“We’re pretty booked up right now. Looks like the earliest open seat I have is at 11:30am, with a connecting flight to Lawton Fort Sill at 6:00pm, arriving at 8:40pm,” she said.

“I’d miss the entire Family Day!” You felt tears burning hot in your eyes. “Fine, though. I’ll take it. Since it was the weather, I take it there’s no free hotel room?”

She booked your new flight. “No, there’s not. I’m sorry again, ma’am.”

“It’s okay. Sometimes stuff happens,” you responded, with a shrug, before you turned around and headed back to the airport entrance.

Your ride was long gone already. You’d chosen an airport a few hours away from home to save significantly on your plane tickets, which was now pointless because you were going to have to pay for an extra hotel room for the night.

No one from London was able to make the trip for his graduation, so Tom was going to be alone for Family Day now. Lovely.

You used your phone to find a last minute hotel room near the airport and get an Uber to take there. Since that was done, you opened your messenger app to text Tom.

You: Not sure when you’ll have your phone back, but my flight got canceled, and they weren’t able to get me on a flight until tomorrow afternoon. I won’t be getting in until tomorrow night. I’m so sorry I’ll be missing Family Day, but I should hopefully be there for graduation.

With a heavy sigh, you went to wait for your Uber.

----

The hotel you went to was overbooked. In fact, all the hotels within a reasonable price range in the area were booked up due to the flight cancellations.

You spent over two hours trying to find somewhere to stay so you could be a functional human being for traveling the next day.

It left you over half an hour away from the airport in a motel that had seen better days, and cost entirely too much for what it was, but at least it was something.

You settled down in your room, ready to take a shower and head to bed.

After being used so much, your phone really needed to be charged, but you quickly discovered that you’d only packed the USB cable half of your charger.

You were so exhausted that you decided to just take a shower and set the alarm clock in the room for early enough that you could go buy another power adapter at the nearest store.

Tom probably wouldn’t get his phone back that early, so you had plenty of time to charge yours for when he got in touch with you.

The bed was uncomfortable, but you eventually drifted off to sleep.

----

Daylight was streaming through the edges of the curtains when you woke up, and you immediately panicked.

It was after 11am, and you weren’t even out of bed. Your flight was supposed to take off in about half an hour. Your hotel was over half an hour away. That flight was not going to happen.

You checked the alarm clock and found you’d set the alarm for 6PM instead of 6AM.

Even though you were missing that flight, you still hurried to check out of the motel so you could head to the airport via a taxi you called from your room, since your phone was dead.

The taxi was late, and you didn’t get to the airport until almost 1pm. Then, you waited in line to go to the ticket counter once again.

“I’m late for my flight, which was entirely my fault, and I’d like to book a new one to Lawton Fort Sill, as soon as possible,” you said.

“I can get you to Dallas Fort Worth today, but you’d be on stand-by for the last two flights to Lawton Fort Sill,” the ticket agent replied.

“Thank you. I’ll do that,” you told him, handing over your card to pay for another plane ticket and to check your bag. It would be worth it to see Tom again.

You had slightly over two hours before your flight took off. At least there would be a shop in the airport to buy a new power adapter after you got through security, and somewhere to plug it in.

Security was relatively painless, since you hadn’t brought much with you that wasn’t in your checked bag.

Before you headed to your gate, you quickly walked around trying to find a shop that might have a power adapter, eventually finding one with a drastically overpriced charger for your phone.

Your gate had some power outlets, and you plugged your phone in to charge, powering it on as soon as you could.

You had unread messages from Tom.

Tom: It’s not your fault the flight was canceled, sweetheart. I have my phone back for a bit now, so I’m going to call.

Tom: Is everything alright? It went straight to voicemail. Are you on an earlier flight?

Tom: Well, Family Day is starting soon, and we have to give our phones back. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. I can’t wait to be with you again, love.

For the second time, you’d missed talking to him. You wanted to curl up in a ball and cry again, like you had when you missed his phone call before, but you settled for just the crying part. You’d pull yourself back together before your flight to Dallas.

----

Your flight to Dallas was long, but you made your way to the gate for the flight to Lawton Fort Sill. Both of them were booked up, but you did get on a morning flight. Unless the flight defied the laws of physics, you were going to miss the ceremony, but you'd definitely get to see him for his 36 hour pass off base after that. You couldn’t wait.

You’d already talk to the hotel you booked to let them know you still intended to stay for the next two nights, and that you wanted them to give a keycard to Tom if he showed up before you did.

You pulled out your phone to text Tom to let him know.

You: I’m so sorry I missed your call again. Fuck the universe right now. This trip so far has been a complete shitshow. I’ll tell you all about it later. I won’t be at the airport until early tomorrow afternoon, and I’ll head straight to the hotel. I’m attaching the confirmation page with all the booking info, in case you get there before I do. I already called and told them you might be there first. Hopefully, they made a note of it somewhere.

You put on your headphones and decided to watch some YouTube videos to decompress, since you were spending the night in the airport at the terminal.

You’d already set a dozen different alarms. Oversleeping was not going to be an issue again.

-----

You thought the flight to Dallas had been long, but the flight to Lawton was infinitely longer, the seconds until you would get to see Tom again passing by slower than molasses.

Even though you’d been up for almost 24 hours, sleep wasn’t going to happen when you were so keyed up. You wouldn’t be able to relax until you were in Tom’s arms again.

You did everything you could to help pass the time. Reading took too much focus. You hated every single song that came up on shuffle on your mp3 player. You’d turned off your phone to preserve battery life, paranoid another incident would happen with your phone dying at the worst possible time.

“I hate to be nosy, but are you okay?” the woman seated next to you asked.

“Yeah, I’m just seeing my boyfriend for the first time in a couple months. We haven’t even been able to talk on the phone. He’s graduating from basic training this morning,” you explained.

“I figured as much. I’ve been there and done that. My husband’s been in for over 9 years now. I’d recommend checking out online groups for military girlfriends and wives for support. I’m part of some on Facebook, and it’s been really helpful, especially during deployments.”

“Thank you for the advice. I’ll keep that in mind,” you told her.

“You look like you could use a distraction. So, tell me about your boyfriend,” she said.

“Well, his name is Tom,” you started.

----

The flight landed smoothly, and you turned on your phone as soon as the flight attendant said it was allowed.

You’d found a new friend in the Army wife seated next to you, Hannah, and you added each other on Facebook.

“Have fun seeing Tom, honey,” she told you as you exited the plane.

“I definitely will. Thank you for earlier,” you said.

She pulled you into a hug. “Anytime. Don’t hesitate to message me if you want to talk.”

“I won’t,” you agreed as you parted ways and went to baggage claim to grab your suitcase.

Tom hadn’t messaged you again yet.

You headed to the hotel, fidgeting the entire ride there. It wouldn’t be long now.

After you checked in and got your key card, you headed up to the room, annoyed at how slow the elevator seemed to be moving.

Ideally, you’d be able to take a shower before he arrived and make yourself look cute.

You opened the door and walked in, heading straight for the shower.

The bathroom door opened, and you immediately startled.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I think they gave me a room that was already taken. I’ll go back to the front desk now,” you babbled as you grabbed your suitcase.

“Darling, it’s me. I wanted to surprise you,” Tom said he as he stepped into the room.

“Tom!” you cried out, abandoning your suitcase and launching yourself into his arms. “I’ve missed you so much.”

His arms wrapped around you. “Me too.”

You knew how tightly you were clinging to him was probably uncomfortable, but you couldn’t bring yourself to stop.

He pulled away slightly and looked at your face with concern, thumb coming up to wipe away your tears. “Are you alright?”

“Overwhelmed and happy tears. I haven’t slept in over 24 hours, and I’m kind of all over the place, too,” you admitted.

“Oh, sweetheart.” He moved to kiss you, but you stopped him.

“Let me brush my teeth and take a shower first?” you requested.

He stroked your cheek instead of kissing you. “Of course. Do you mind if I join you?”

You leaned into his touch. “Not at all. Want to turn on the shower to warm up while I brush my teeth?”

“Sure.” He was quick to shed his clothes and head into the bathroom while you got your toothbrush, toothpaste, and shower supplies out of your suitcase.

The shower turned on before you brushed your teeth, and you were as quick as possible while still being thorough.

Your clothes joined his on the floor, and you found that he’d already gotten in and was cleaning himself off.

You slipped in next to him, immediately noticing the water pressure wasn’t the best, and there wasn’t a ton of space for two people. It was still workable, though.

Now that you could see him without a hat, the first thing you noticed was his new buzzcut. As much as you’d loved his gorgeous curls, he definitely still looked good, as devastatingly sexy as he always was, just a little different.

You ran your fingers lightly over his head, enjoying the feel of the short hair on your fingertips. Your thoughts wandered to what it would feel like against your thighs. Knowing Tom, you’d find that out soon enough.

The second thing you noticed was that he was leaner and more muscular than he had been. He put in time at the gym before he enlisted, but his workouts weren’t nearly as intense as basic training would be.

“Damn, you look really good, babe,” you told him, sincerely. “I was a little nervous it would take some getting used to, but I love it.”

He smiled brightly. “I was a bit worried, too, that you wouldn’t like my new look. I do plan on growing my hair out some, though. There’s plenty of regulation haircuts with a little more length.”

“It’s up to you. I like you fine just the way you are,” you promised.

He kissed you again, longer and wetter, and slid his hand down your body.

You laughed softly. “Let me get clean before we get dirty.”

“Of course, love. I’ll help,” he offered, reaching down to grab your shampoo, knowing how much you loved when he washed your hair.

You got under the spray until your hair and body were wet, then turned around.

His fingers worked the shampoo into your hair, slowly and thoroughly massaging your scalp, just the way you liked.

You clenched your thighs together. His touch was intensifying the arousal pulsing insistently between your legs. You slipped your hand between your legs.

He noticed and pushed it away. “I know, darling, I know. After you’re clean, I’m going to make you cum so hard you won’t remember what century it is, and then I’ll do it again, and again, and again.”

You whimpered, and were very grateful that he sped up the process of bathing you. The last place he cleaned was between your thighs, quick but thorough, and just left you wanting even more.

“Alright, we’re done.” He turned off the shower. “Just need to get dried off, and then I’ll take such good care of you.”

Instead of letting him dry you off like you normally would, you snatched the towel from him. You were still a little damp when you were done toweling yourself off and may have raced to the bed, but he didn’t say anything.

You plopped down with your legs spread, waiting for him to move between them.

He didn’t hesitate, positioning your legs over his shoulders. His tongue licked a broad stripe from your entrance to your clit. He lapped at your clit, pushing two slender fingers into you and pumping them in and out.

His buzzcut tickled a bit against your thighs, but you found that you liked it, a new sensation to add to the others.

“More,” you begged, squirming against his face.

He worked you faster with his tongue and pressed a third finger in next to the other two.

That was exactly what you needed, and you moaned, loud and long. Your hands scrambled to find something to do as you grew closer to your first climax, since the curls you usually gripped were gone.

His free hand reached up to grab yours, intertwining his fingers with yours.

You squeezed his hand, and moved the other hand onto the bedspread below you, finding that was enough.

“God, Tom, I’m so close. Please,” you groaned.

He knew exactly what to do, sucking your clit into his mouth and working his tongue over it just the way you liked.

Your orgasm hit you hard, sparks of pleasure igniting throughout your body. He didn’t stop, and neither did your orgasm. Eventually you disconnected from awareness, feeling like you were floating in a sea of fireworks.

“Sweetheart?” you heard Tom ask from far away.

“Tom?” you asked, your voice sounding weird in your head.

“Are you alright? I kind of lost you there for a minute,” he said, concerned and closer.

You opened your eyes, to see him at face level instead of between your thighs. “Jesus, I’ve never cum like that before.”

He softly laughed. “I broke you.”

You grinned. “You did, but it was amazing. You’re an orgasm wizard. But now, it’s your turn.”

“I’ll need a minute. Seeing, and hearing, and feeling you like that already got me off,” he admitted, sheepishly.

“That’s really hot. Also, this is your side of the bed,” you teased.

He grinned. “Worth it.”

Now that you were relaxed in your post-orgasmic bliss, you found yourself yawning.

It was contagious, Tom yawning louder and longer than you had. “Fuck, I’m knackered. We’ve both been up for a long time.”

“Yeah. I don’t want to miss out on time together, though,” you complained.

“We still have.” He glanced over at the alarm clock. “Over 32 hours. I’m not going to be awake for the next 32 hours when I have to head to my next duty station right after I get back. You’re also not staying awake for four days straight.”

“I guess you’re right,” you conceded, sighing.

“I’m always right,” he said, playfully.

You laughed. “Hardly, but I’ll give you this time.”

Both of you moved to get under the covers, and you moved into his arms, where you belonged.

“I missed you so fucking much,” he told you softly. “Missed this. Thought about you all the time, especially when it was rough. Your letters were everything during that 9 weeks of hell. Sorry I didn’t write back more.”

You pressed a kiss to the nearest skin you could reach, his chest. “Don’t be. I understand. I just wish there was more I could have done to help. Really, it was the least I could do for you. God, I love you.”

“I love you, too, darling. So much. I wish we had more time together, but we’ll make the most of what we do have,” he promised. “Now, sleep. I can tell how exhausted you are.”

You closed your eyes and listened to his heartbeat against your ear, quickly drifting off to the familiar rhythm.

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blessed-but-distressed · 7 years ago

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Blindspot 3/3

A short CS AU three-parter based on a prompt by @shady-swan-jones. A mutual pining, roommates kind of prompt. And who am I to deny?

also on ff.net

“Don’t you think you should, I don’t know, talk to her? Clear the air?”

This wasn’t the first time Emma had suggested this. Not by a long shot. But their kitchen was now about 90% peony, and something had to give. Preferably the peonies.

Ruby grimaced. “Emma, I love you, but if we couldn’t bring ourselves to talk on a nine-hour non-refundable train ride through the alps, do you really think we’re going to start now?”

She had a point. But Emma could think of at least twenty newly delivered reasons why it might be worth giving it a shot.

Whatever had happened before The World’s Most Awkward Non-Refundable Holiday, clearly someone was eager to make amends. Unless of course Dorothy was under the mistaken impression Ruby suffered from hayfever, and was attempting slow torture, one arrangement at a time. Somehow Emma doubted it.

“You sure you don’t want to try, like, actual healthy adult communication? It seems to be working for Killian and Belle.”

“Why do you do that?”

“Do what?” Emma asked.

“Get that pinched look whenever you say her name. With this crease right between your eyebrows. Right here.”

Emma slapped her hand away.

“You don’t like her, do you?” Ruby said, as though this somehow confirmed a long-held suspicion of hers.

“What?” Emma blustered. “Of course I like her. What’s not to like? She’s sweet and nice and god, her pancakes. It’s just…”

“She’s sleeping with the guy you’re carrying a torch for?” Ruby finished, all innocence.

Nail. Head.

But it wasn’t like she was going to tell Ruby that. Ruby, who regularly came home tanked. Ruby, who had always been a very honest drunk. Ruby, who liked to sit up with Killian at all hours on the weekends, playing cards and gambling away household chores.

It was not a good combination.

“A torch? Me? Hey, no one’s carrying any torch here!”

“Oh, c’mon!” Ruby snorted. “You’ve had a raging Maglite for the guy as long as I’ve known you. And look, I get it, okay? He’s got that whole tall, dark and broody thing going on, and it’s working for him. And we’ve all caught him leaving the bathroom in that towel that’s just a little too small on him. But if you didn’t like seeing him with his girlfriend, don’t you think maybe you should have, I don’t know, told him how you felt? You had three whole years do to it in!”

Not. Helping.

But Ruby was on a roll now. “No, instead you chose to go out with that jerk from the furniture store. The one I thought looked kind of like a monkey. And that writer guy…”

“August,” Emma supplied.

“Right,” Ruby continued. “You keep going out with all these deadbeats you don’t even really care about. Because when it ends, and with those guys it’s definitely just a matter of when, you get to just brush yourself off and go, ‘oh well, I tried,’ and you never actually have to risk getting your heart broken again.”

Any way you sliced it, Ruby was ruined as a waitress. With those kind of insights, she should’ve been sitting in a fancy office, charging $250 an hour to see into people’s heads.

But no, Emma wasn’t going to tell her that. Not when Ruby was so right. Not when denial, her old friend, was so readily available as an easy out.

“I liked August!” Emma protested.

“Uh huh. So when he sold that script and moved to California, approximately how long did you spend considering going with him?”

Of course she hadn’t considered it. Los Angeles, was, well… Los Angeles. And her life was in Boston. Her job. Her friends. Killian-

Shit.

Ruby had her dead to rights, and she knew it. And that self-satisfied smile wasn’t helping.

“You know what I did after my first date with Dorothy?” Ruby said suddenly, interrupting Emma’s shame spiral.

“Text me all of the gory, gory details?” Emma supplied, remembering just how gory.

Ruby waved her hand dismissively. “I mean after that. You know what I did?”

“What?”

“I went on Pinterest and started looking at wedding themes.”

Emma opened her mouth, but nothing came out. That is, that was…

“So unlike me, right?” Ruby said, rolling her eyes. “But I just knew, you know? She was it. Still is it.” She made a face. “I should call her, huh?”

“Uh, yeah,” Emma said, stretching her hands wide to take in the peonies that now occupied every available surface of their apartment.

“Fine,” Ruby relented. “I’ll call her. But you have to tell Killian how you feel.”

“Rubes! That’s not anywhere near the same thing. For one thing, we live together. And let’s not forget he has a girlfriend.”

“Actually,” came a deeper voice from the doorway, “He doesn’t.”

Please don’t be, please don’t be… It was Killian. Leaning oh-so-casually against the door jamb, his thumbs hooked in the belt loops of his jeans.

Did he have to look like he’d just stumbled out of an ad for Levis right now?

Ruby had never exactly been one for subtlety. Between the hair and the cleavage and the everything, you somehow knew not to expect it. But when she made a big show of getting up and leaving the two of them there, alone, Emma still kinda wished she could have one friend who could be chill for like, two seconds.

The one saving grace was that when Ruby slipped into the hallway, she already had her phone in her hand. If Emma had to meet her humiliating end, and that was a dead certainty, at least it would be in service of making their apartment peony-free.

Only once Ruby’s footsteps had died away did Killian finally heave himself up into a standing position, his attention still keenly fixated on her.

There was only one thing for it, Emma had to go on the offense.

“So I hope you’re not going to miss living in a greenhouse, because I give it three hours and Ruby and Dorothy are back on. Goodbye apology flowers, hello having to announce yourself before you walk into rooms, because you know what they’re-”

“Swan-”

“Which I guess is better than the flowers. In some ways. I mean, it’s gross, obviously. But at least I’ll be able to get to the coffee maker without-”

“Swan.”

He’d taken Ruby’s empty chair now, and Emma felt herself bite her lip, to stop even more of the babble from spilling out.

“How much did you hear?” Emma asked, her voice a lot more shaky than she’d like.

“Raging Maglite?” he repeated. His amused tone was reassuring enough, but his words? Not so much.

Shit.

“You and Belle broke up?”

“Aye,” he said, one hand reaching up to scratch behind one ear. “A few weeks ago now. You might’ve noticed, but you’ve been hard to pin down lately. Extra hours and what not.”

An intentional choice, on her part. Sure, she needed the money. But there was also only so much domestic bliss one person could accidentally walk in on. Taking a few extra diner shifts seemed like the more responsible choice than dragging her sorry ass to the nearest bar and drowning her sorrows, night after night.

“You okay?”

It wasn’t what Emma really wanted to know. Sure, she cared about the guy. About his well-being. That’s what had started this whole mess, after all. But the larger part of her was just dying to know why? Had he broken it off? Had she? Did Belle think scruffy, intelligent, piercing-eyed Brits just grew on trees?

“Aye. Just not meant to be.”

The smart thing would have been to leave it alone. Change the subject right quick, and then get all the details off Ruby later. Emma Swan was not all the smart.

“So it was a mutual decision, then?”

At this, Killian made a noise. A not exactly kind of noise. “It was mutual in that she pointed out, quite rightly, that she could do a lot better than a guy who’s completely hung up on his flatmate. And I agreed.”

If there was any oxygen left in that room, it sure didn’t feel like it. Emma felt dizzy. Lightheaded. He didn’t- He couldn’t-

“You’re hung up on Ruby?” she managed, her jokey tone taking a brittle turn half way through.

“Don’t you know, Emma?” he said, reaching across to take her hand in his.

It was everything she’d ever wanted, and also everything she was deathly afraid of, all in one innocuous gesture. She wanted to throw up. Or cry. Mostly cry. She settled for keeping her hand steady, even as he drew it up to his mouth. Even as he pressed his lips to the skin above her knuckles. Even as every cell in her body turned to liquid.

“Me?”

He was still holding her hand when he smiled again, his thumb rubbing small circles into her palm. “Aye, love. It’s always been you.”

“Always?”

“Well, at least since the first time I accidentally drank one of your fancy beers, and you nearly took my head off. Or the time you forgot your towel coming out of the bathroom. That was also a particular highlight.”

Stupidly in love with him or not, he still got a whack on the arm for that. And it was just that little shot of normality that gave Emma the courage to form her next words.

“You’re not kidding about this? I mean, you’re serious. About us?”

“Deathly serious. And I know, I know I should have said something sooner, but you always had some perfectly average bloke hanging around, and I figured you weren’t interested. And when I met Belle at the library I thought you were still with that Walsh fellow and-

He didn’t get further than that. Not with Emma’s hands rough on his collar, dragging her towards him. It was bad enough she’d practically climbed up onto the table to eliminate any remaining space between them, but he didn’t seem to mind, not when she ducked her head and kissed him for all she was worth.

Three years was a long time to think about kissing someone. Emma had plenty of ideas up her sleeve.

When they did eventually break apart, breaths ragged and Ruby’s excitable squeals kind of ruining the mood, she stayed close, her forehead pressed to his.

“You’re not gonna hurt me, right, Jones?”

“Are you kidding, Swan? Ruby would kill me if I did.”

The both looked across to where Ruby stood by the stove, her FaceTime conversation with Dorothy still in progress, a smug smile pasted across her face. “Yep. What he said.”

#cs ff #cs au #cs fic #cs roommates au #blindspot

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cloudytep · 5 years ago

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focusontheeasternlightning-blog · 6 years ago

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A Hairdresser’s Testimony: Doing Business With Integrity Is Blessed by God

By Zhuiqiu

I Go With the Flow to Make a Living

The hairdressing business could be considered one with ridiculous profit margins.

A lot of business owners sell low-cost hair care products at prices more than ten times higher than their actual cost, and then recommend that their customers get membership cards, ostensibly for the sake of getting discounts, which guarantees them a flow of customers. Some hair salons even add on additional services, like sexual services under the guise of a “massage,” earning ill-gotten gains. These kinds of tactics to cheat customers really do keep the money pouring in. However, I operated my business according to my conscience, and ever since the very first day my salon was open, I did very honest business on the tenets of dealing with every single person straightforwardly and selling things at fixed prices. I never cheated customers. I also put real effort into every single haircut I did, plus my prices were lower than other hairdressers’. I got a lot of return customers that way.

I was working day and night, but after a year, I was only left with 2,000 yuan after paying rent, business expenses, utilities, heating, etc. I also saw that there were a few salons across the street that didn’t have as much business as I did, but they made several times what I did. I was really envious, but I knew very clearly that they were ill-gotten gains. I didn’t want to ignore my conscience in doing business. As the old saying goes, “poor but proud.” No matter how poor I was, I felt I couldn’t lose my dignity and character. So, I continued on doing business with integrity as I had before. Three years later, other hairdressers who had opened up shop at the same time as me had all upgraded to larger shops and some had even gone into doing big business or had bought a car. But everything for me was just like it had been three years prior; my life was the same as it had been, and my wallet hadn’t gotten any fatter.

One day, my mom became ill and had to stay at the hospital—treatment alone was really expensive. I scraped together and borrowed as much money as I could, but still only had enough for half of her medical bill. Thinking of how much money I had borrowed and how I had no idea when I’d be able to pay it back made me a bit anxious. Just then a friend of mine came to my salon to hang out, and when she learned about my situation said to me, “Other salon owners size up their customers, fawn on and flatter them. They get taken in, and then they’re happy to spend more money. They can earn tens of thousands in just a year by doing that. But all you earn is a little bit for your services and you don’t say nice-sounding things to them and then bump up product prices. Earning money that way, who knows when you’ll be able to pay off your debts….” Hearing her go on about that stirred something within me. Right after I had seen her off a hairdresser from across the way came by, and the second she stepped in said sarcastically, “You’re really so good at running this salon! Business is good and you have a great reputation, it’s just it’s not very profitable. You seem to want to make yourself a modern-day Mother Theresa. You have so many customers—if it were me, I would have gotten rich ages ago. How many times have I told you? In business you have to think of special methods, some tactics. When are you going to get it? Running a business this way, you’ll die of exhaustion before earning much money!” With that, she just left. After hearing what she and my friend had to say, I felt like I had been kicked in the gut.

That night I lay in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The words of my friend and that hairdresser were echoing inside my head and I was locked in an internal battle. “It’s true, I do business totally honestly, so when will I earn some money? Like they say, ‘Money isn’t everything, but without it, you can do nothing.’ It doesn’t matter how good you are if you don’t have any money! And now I need to pay for my mom’s treatment plus pay back my debts—all of that takes money. Maybe I should raise my prices a bit, and whenever someone with money comes in I can charge them a higher price? Anyway, some of them are pretty free with their money and they don’t care how much it costs as long as they like their hairstyle. Besides, isn’t that what everyone else is doing? Doing that would be totally understandable….” I thought and I thought, and decided to let go of the integrity I’d upheld for three years and start trying it out on wealthier customers.

Following Evil Trends, I Lost My Conscience

Midday the following day, a customer came in who wanted her hair permed. I saw that she was dressed really nicely and looked quite well-off, so I thought I’d charge her a little more. When I was done, she asked me how much it was. Normally I would charge 120 yuan, but that time I said 200. I was really nervous after saying that, and my heart wouldn’t stop thudding. I didn’t dare look at her face, afraid that she’d see that I had bumped the price up. She just readily handed over the money and as she was leaving, said, “You’re really skilled. I love the new style you gave me with this perm—it’s worth any amount of money. I’m going to recommend to my colleagues and friends that they come here to get their hair done.” After she left I felt unsettled for quite a while. I thought of how much she trusted me, but I had cheated her. I felt like I had violated my conscience. But when I saw that I had earned more money than before I felt satisfied with it and that the money would come in much faster that way. Faced with those pangs of conscience, all I could do was stuff that guilt deep down in my heart.

From that day forward, I just single-mindedly focused on how to earn more money. Whenever I saw a well-off customer come in I’d welcome them, full of smiles, and warmly greet them, and I’d recommend some particular services and products. One time a customer said that she wanted to get her hair washed and styled, and I thought, “A hair wash is less than 10 yuan, that’s not enough. I need to find a trick to get more money than that.” So I told her, “Your hair is too dry. If you don’t start taking care of it soon you’ll start losing a lot of hair, and hair is like a second face for women. If you develop issues with your hair, it’ll be too late for regrets.” I made some recommendations which had an effect on her; she spent 300 yuan on a set of anti-hair loss nourishing products and became a long-term customer for hair care. I felt a little uneasy after she left and thought, “I have the money in my hands, but I don’t even know how effective that product is. If I talk up products this way, what will I do if she doesn’t get a good result and comes back to start some trouble?” But worrying can’t accomplish anything and the product had already been sold, so there was nothing to be done about it.

Then a few days after that, I sold a 25-yuan bottle of shampoo to a customer who wanted something for her dandruff for 68 yuan, and she thanked me over and over. I had never imagined it was so easy to earn money—no wonder other hairdressers had gotten rich so long ago. Even though I thought that doing business with lies and cheating wasn’t moral, the money was coming in fast and I would be a person of means in no time. Plus, now there was a source for my mom’s medical expenses. When I thought of all that, the uneasiness in my heart gradually disappeared and I became even more certain that only relying on lies and cheating in business could earn any money.

To my surprise, that customer who I had recommended regular haircare to came back to the store to complain. She said that she’d been using the product for more than a month but her hair hadn’t gotten thicker, and on the contrary, it had continued to get thinner. I was afraid she’d demand a refund and no longer get any care, and that money I had gotten would be gone. Plus her saying that could have an impact on other customers using that product. I rushed to say something to smooth things over. “I can see that your hair seems to have gotten much better lately. Anyway, it takes a long time for hair to grow out. There are some customers who keep doing it for a year or more before their hair slowly starts to get thicker. It’s just like treating a disease—you have to take it slowly.” Hearing me say that, she no longer complained, and kept coming to the salon as usual for hair treatments.

Several years passed in the blink of an eye. I had earned some money, all my debts were paid off, and I had even bought a house and a car. I didn’t know why, but I was just never happy. I always felt guilty toward my customers and didn’t have any sense of peace. The old saying goes, “God can see every little thing that we do.” How could my conscience be at rest when I was cheating customers that way? I really wanted to go back to the way things were before, facing each and every customer with true integrity, no need to lie or cheat, and I particularly didn’t need to rack my brains to cover things up and lie. Even though I wasn’t earning much money, I was at ease, at peace, and it wasn’t such a tiring way to live. But by then, it was as if I had a gambling addiction—living in a world of lies, I wanted to stop but was powerless to do so. The emptiness in my heart and the uneasiness in my conscience often left me sleepless, but I also wasn’t willing to go back to my old way of doing business. I felt very conflicted and really didn’t know how to escape from that life of suffering.

Accepting the Gospel and First Tasting the Sweetness of God’s Words

Where man ends is where God begins. Just as I was struggling painfully, caught in a mire of sin, a friend shared God’s gospel of the last days with me. She told me that God’s words are all the truth and that they can resolve all of our difficulties, that they can treat the suffering within our souls. She later took me to the church, where I saw that the brothers and sisters were all really genuine, and no matter who had a confusion or a difficulty, they would find words of God for fellowship and resolution. And when there was friction between people, they were all really simple and open; they would communicate with each other. Nobody was hiding things. There weren’t any prejudices or barriers between people. All the brothers and sisters in the church conducted themselves according to God’s words—they had the work and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and were in completely different circumstances than people in the outside world. I integrated into the life of the church very quickly, attending gatherings and reading God’s words with everyone, singing hymns and praising God. I felt incredibly at ease and at peace—that kind of spiritual peace is something that money absolutely cannot buy. I saw hope in life and set my resolve to practice my faith well.

In a gathering, I read the following passage: “You ought to know that God likes an honest man. God has the substance of faithfulness, and so His word can always be trusted. Furthermore, His actions are faultless and unquestionable. This is why God likes those who are absolutely honest with Him. Honesty means to give your heart to God; never to play Him false in anything; to be open with Him in all things, never hiding the truth; never to do that which deceives those above and deludes those below; and never to do that which merely ingratiates yourself with God. In short, to be honest is to refrain from impurity in your actions and words, and to deceive neither God nor man” (“Three Admonitions”). Mulling over God’s words, I saw that God is faithful; He likes honest people and detests deceitful people. We have to be honest people according to God’s requirements: Call a spade a spade, not play tricks or engage in cheating, and be completely frank. That’s the only way to gain God’s approval. I then thought of how the brothers and sisters are generally simple, open, and work at being honest people; they are practical and realistic in their words and deeds, and don’t engage in cheating. Even though there are times that they protect their own face or status, or tell a lie, they’re all able to reflect upon and know themselves, and after that they practice being clear and opening themselves up in accordance with God’s words. Their lives are really free and relaxing and their faces are often full of happy smiles. It’s really enviable. After understanding all of this I also wanted to become an honest person, to be someone who brings God joy, and to live with a conscience that is at ease and at peace. But then I thought about how I’m a businesswoman, and in this materialistic society where money is valued above all else, doing business honestly not only means you can’t earn money, but will be taken for a fool by others—there’s just no way to keep a foothold in this society like that. But I knew that if I continued to lie and cheat, even if I could cheat people, I could never cheat God—God sees into the depths of our hearts and He knows all of our thoughts. I had already accepted God’s salvation, so if I didn’t become an honest person according to what He requires but continued to play tricks in my business, wouldn’t that be disgusting to God? I thought and I thought, and ultimately decided that in my future business dealings I would act according to God’s words and practice being an honest person.

One day when I was cutting a customer’s hair, she asked me, “Do you think my hair is dry? If it is, give me a hot nourishing oil treatment while I’m here.” I thought, “I can only make ten yuan from a haircut, but an oil treatment would mean at least another hundred. The customer herself asked for it—I certainly wasn’t pushing anything extra on her to get more money out of her. That doesn’t count as cheating, right?” I took another look at her hair and saw that it wasn’t dry at all and didn’t need an oil treatment, but if I were honest and told her the truth, she definitely wouldn’t want to have it done and I’d hardly make anything. Just as I was feeling at a loss, these words of God occurred to me: “To be honest is to refrain from impurity in your actions and words, and to deceive neither God nor man” (“Three Admonitions”). God’s words gave me a timely reminder that honest people seek the truth from facts in their words and deeds: One is one, and two is two. Whether it’s in front of God or in front of others, they don’t deceive or cheat, and only that kind of behavior is in line with God’s will. Since I wanted to be an honest person, I should accept God’s scrutiny and tell the truth. So, I told the customer frankly, “Your hair isn’t dry. Don’t waste your money.” She responded, surprised, “I never would have thought that a business owner would have such professional courtesy. There really aren’t enough people like you anymore. I’m definitely going to send everyone in my family here to get their hair done.” Hearing this was really exciting for me—I thanked God over and over. I was surprised that the first time I acted as an honest person I’d get that acknowledgement from a customer. Being an honest person truly is sweet.

In the days that followed, I did my best to be an honest person in accordance with God’s requirements, and before I knew it, I had less and less of that feeling of unease, and I was no longer worried that someone would come back to the store, upset. I slept soundly every night.

Going Back to My Old Ways and Realizing How Deeply Satan Has Corrupted Me

After some time like this I was beginning to think that I was doing business in line with God’s requirements and that I had already become an honest person. But when faced with the temptation of larger gains, I went back to my old ways …

One afternoon, five women came into the salon. They had just come back from a trip and had heard from their taxi driver that I was a good hairdresser, so they came right over. One of them said forthrightly, “Money isn’t an issue as long as you make sure to give us good perms!” Hearing her say this, I thought to myself, “They all seem pretty well off. As long as they like the way I do their hair it’ll be no problem if I ask for a little more money. There’s no reason to refuse money to put in my pocket.” But then I thought better of it. “Wouldn’t that be cheating again? But when you put all five of them together, that’s no small sum. This kind of opportunity doesn’t come along very often! Besides, they don’t care about a little money, so I’ll make an exception just this once and charge a little more. God won’t blame me for that.” After I was done with their perms, I saw that they were all really happy with them, so I bumped the 160 yuan fee up to 260 yuan, and they didn’t say a word. I made an extra 500 that way—I was thrilled.

But that night in bed, I was tossing and turning and could not get to sleep. I felt really upset and I didn’t know why, so I kneeled down to pray. While praying it suddenly occurred to me that I had lied that day, and I suddenly felt a pain in my heart as if it had been pierced by a knife. I felt that I was a real scammer, that I could force myself to be honest when small profits were at stake, but when faced with a larger profit I caved in. I knew that doing that wasn’t in line with God’s will, but I still lied and cheated. Wasn’t that knowingly committing an offense? Once I reflected and realized all of this, I regretted my actions and tearfully prayed to God. “God, in the face of a large profit, even though I was clear on Your words, I still didn’t put them into practice. I can’t seem to be an honest person—it’s so frustrating. Oh God, I don’t want to violate Your requirements by lying and cheating, but why can’t I resist the temptation of money? God, I beg You to guide me to understand this aspect of the truth.”

I sought answers in God’s word, “‘Money makes the world go round’ is the philosophy of Satan and it prevails among the whole of mankind, among every human society. You could say that it is a trend because it has been instilled into the heart of every single person and is now affixed in their heart. People went from not accepting this saying to growing used to it so that when they came into contact with real life, they gradually gave tacit approval to it, acknowledged its existence and finally, they gave it their own seal of approval. Isn’t this process that of Satan corrupting man?” (“God Himself, the Unique V”). “People in the past ran their business in a way that cheated neither old nor young, and which sold items at the same price regardless of who was buying. Is a hint of conscience and humanity not conveyed here? When people used this kind of credo when conducting their business, it shows that they still had some conscience, some humanity at that time. But with man’s demand for ever increasing amounts of money, people unknowingly came to love money, love gain and love enjoyment more and more. So did people come to view money as more important? When people view money as more important, they unknowingly neglect their reputation, their renown, prestige, and integrity, don’t they? When you engage in business, you see others using various means to swindle people and get rich. Although the money earned is ill-gotten gains, they get richer and richer. They engage in the same business as you, but their whole family enjoys life more than you do, and you feel bad, saying: ‘Why can’t I do that? Why can’t I earn as much as they do? I must think of a way to get more money, to make my business prosper.’ You then ponder this through. … Afterward, once man has been contaminated by this cheating, it is the same as someone who gets involved in gambling and then becomes a gambler. In unawareness, he approves of his cheating behavior and accepts it. In unawareness, he takes cheating to be a legitimate commercial behavior, and takes cheating to be the most useful means for his survival and his life; he thinks that by doing this he can get rich quick. At the beginning of this process, people cannot accept this type of behavior, they look down on this behavior and this way of going about things, then they experiment this behavior personally, and try it out in their own way, and their hearts begin to gradually transform. So what is this transformation? It is an approval and admission of this trend, an admission and approval of this idea instilled in you by the social trend. In unawareness, you feel that if you do not cheat in business then you will suffer losses, that if you do not cheat then you will have lost something. Unknowingly, this cheating becomes your very soul, your mainstay, and also becomes a type of behavior that is an indispensable rule for your life. After man has accepted this behavior and this thinking, does the heart of man undergo a change? Your heart has changed, so has your integrity changed? Has your humanity changed? Has your conscience changed? (Yes.) Man’s entirety undergoes a qualitative change, from their heart to their thoughts, to such an extent that they are changed from the inside out. This change puts you further and further from God, and you become more and more in conformity with Satan, more and more similar to it” (“God Himself, the Unique VI”).

God’s words fully reveal the truth of our corruption by Satan. In the past, the vast majority of people used to conduct their businesses with integrity, upholding the belief of cheating no one no matter who they were, and selling everything at a fixed price; they relied on their conscience in doing business. But with the temptation and corruption of Satan, satanic philosophies such as “Money is first,” “Money isn’t everything, but without it, you can do nothing,” and “Money makes the world go round” have all deeply sunk into people’s hearts and have become their basis for survival. Once they accept this kind of outlook, people see money as above all else and believe that having a lot of it is the only way to enjoy a great material life as well as be envied and looked up to by others. But without money, you simply can’t gain a foothold or live in this society; this is why everyone adulates money. Fewer and fewer people are willing to dutifully do their business every day and only earn conscionable money, so they start to use all sorts of other tactics. They lie and cheat for their own profiteering, becoming more and more selfish, despicable, slippery, deceitful, greedy, and evil. They lose the conscience, reason, character, and dignity that a proper person should possess and give up the principles of being a good person. This is how they are led by Satan into an abyss of depravity, step by step, and they become farther and farther from God. I have also been tempted and corrupted by Satan that way, gradually giving up on the baseline of being a good person. I thought back on when I had just started my business, when I relied on my conscience and operated with integrity, but ever since my mother became ill and there were so many medical bills to pay, I started to feel that not having money was a real hardship. Urged by my friend and that hairdresser, I also started to follow the evil trends of society. I started to rely on lying and cheating, and even though I earned some money, the debts were paid off, and I had a really comfortable life, I wasn’t experiencing any happiness. Instead, I felt even more emptiness and pain and I often felt really guilty. After gaining my faith, through gatherings with brothers and sisters and reading God’s words, I came to understand that God likes honest people and detests deceitful people who lie and cheat, so I resolved to be an honest person in line with God’s words. However, when I faced the temptation of a large sum of money, I couldn’t put the truth into practice even though I was totally aware of it. I just couldn’t help but be dishonest again. Only through what is revealed in God’s words did I realize that living by satanic philosophies and principles was the root of failing to practice God’s words. After that experience I really deeply experienced how deeply rooted in my heart those satanic philosophies and principles are, and that they have made me incredibly selfish, despicable, and self-seeking. I was capable of forsaking the truth and morality just to earn some money, and though I was clear on the truth I intentionally sinned and went against God. I realized that satanic philosophies and principles do nothing but corrupt and harm mankind, that they are all negative things, and they can only lead us to do evil and oppose God. If I live by those principles and continue to lie and cheat for my own benefit, I will only get farther and farther from God’s requirements and standards, and ultimately I’ll lose my chance at God’s salvation. After realizing all of this, I prostrated myself in prayer before God: “God, I was wrong! I know You require us to be honest people and I was able to do that when faced with a small gain, but as soon as I faced a large gain I once again chose to lie and cheat. I’ve seen that I’ve really been deeply poisoned by the satanic concept that ‘Money makes the world go round’ and I can’t consistently put Your words into practice and live out proper humanity. Oh God, I’ve seen how deeply corrupted by Satan I am, that I am so deceitful and rebellious. God, I wish to repent to You and I beg You to guide me to escape the shackles of Satan’s philosophy and principles so that I can put the truth into practice, be a good person, and live out proper humanity. Amen!”

Being an Honest Person, My Heart Feels Free

Afterward, I saw this passage of God’s word, “My kingdom requires those who are honest, not hypocritical, and not deceitful. Aren’t the sincere and honest people unpopular in the world? I am just the opposite. It is acceptable for the honest people to come to Me; I delight in this kind of person, I also need this kind of person. This is precisely My righteousness” (“Chapter 33” of Utterances of Christ in the Beginning). I understood from God’s words that He is faithful and righteous, and He does not allow those who frequently lie and play tricks to enter into His kingdom. Only those who practice the truth and are honest people can attain God’s salvation and get into His kingdom. This is determined by God’s righteous disposition. The heart of an honest person is free of deceit and trickery. They have no need of racking their brains to come up with an even bigger lie to cover up the lie that they initially told, and they certainly don’t live on tenterhooks, afraid of being exposed by someone for a lie that they’ve told. There’s no darkness in the hearts of honest people, and there’s no suffering. Others can depend upon what they say, they are candid; they are open and aboveboard. Only they live out a human likeness. It was then that I realized how significant, how valuable being an honest person is. Thanks be to God! After understanding these things I had even more motivation to seek to be an honest person, and so I set my resolve that I absolutely would do that.

The following day around noon I was in the middle of cutting someone’s hair when the woman I’d recommended the hair thickening treatment for the previous month walked in, pulling a long face. I thought, “It looks like she’s going to cause some trouble. What if she says that the product was no good and other customers hear it? Wouldn’t that have an impact on my business? What can I do to get rid of her?” Just as I was trying to figure out how to deal with her, I thought of the words of God I had just read. I realized that if I continued to play tricks and cheat people for the sake of my own interest, this would just disgust God. I should be an honest person that is loved by God; I could no longer lie or cheat, and no matter what that woman had to say and no matter what other customers thought of me, I had to be an honest person and deal with her complaint correctly. Just as that was going through my mind, I heard her say angrily, “Didn’t you say that I would grow new hair with this hair thickening treatment? I haven’t grown a single new strand of hair. You were cheating me, weren’t you?” While calling to God for His guidance to help me tell the truth, I told her sincerely, “Some customers have said that this product is somewhat effective, and others have said that it isn’t. I haven’t used it myself, so I couldn’t say. If you feel like it’s not working, then don’t use it anymore and I’ll give you a refund.” Hearing me say this, she actually wasn’t angry anymore and said with a smile, “I just wanted to know the truth of the matter. Since you’re willing to be honest, there’s no need for a refund. But still, even though my hair isn’t any thicker from using this product, it is softer and shinier than before.”

Once she had gone I thought over what had just happened, and I felt that practicing the truth and being an honest person not only wins others’ respect and trust, but it also provides internal peace and ease, allowing me to live with dignity and character. I personally experienced what a treasure it is to put God’s words into practice. From then on, I started consistently reading God’s words every day and focusing on seeking God’s will in all things I encountered in my life, whether big or small; I started consciously forsaking my own deceitful disposition and no longer lied or cheated for the sake of money. Instead, I started working hard to be an honest, trustworthy person according to what God requires. My heart came to feel more and more free and light, and I gained even more confidence in being an honest person.

Doing Honest Business and Being a Happy Person

A customer came into my salon one day who wanted a perm. In the past, I would without a doubt have done as she asked because I could earn more money from that kind of treatment, plus it was fast and easy to do. Even though it wouldn’t end up looking good, it was the hairstyle that the customer wanted so she couldn’t blame me. But I saw that this customer had really thick hair, was on the short side, and wasn’t very slim, so I was certain that curly hair wouldn’t look good on her. Straightening it would certainly look much better than perming it, but not only did straightening hair take more time, but I couldn’t charge as much. Plus, if she didn’t like it, she’d make a fuss. Just as I was caught in this dilemma, I thought of God’s words: “But let your communication be, Yes, yes; No, no: for whatever is more than these comes of evil” (Matthew 5:37). It’s true. God likes honest people and requires us to say what’s really in our hearts. On top of that, I’m in the business of hairstyling, of bringing more beauty to each and every customer. For a customer getting a perm, ugly is ugly and beautiful is beautiful, and even if I didn’t earn much money that day I still had to be an honest person and be upfront. So, I said to her very genuinely, “Ma’am, you have a lot of hair and it’s really thick. If you get a perm, it’ll look like an explosion. It won’t look very good and it’ll be difficult to manage. I recommend against getting a perm. I recommend thinning it out a bit and straightening it—that’ll look a little better than a perm.” To my surprise, not only was she not upset, but she happily accepted my suggestion and said, “I went to quite a few other salons before coming here and all the other hairstylists said that a perm would look good on me and were even pushing for me to get one. I personally felt that my hair is too thick and it wouldn’t look good with a perm, but I just couldn’t decide. Then a friend of mine said that you’re really good with hair, you’re honest, and affordable, so I particularly sought you out. It turns out you’re just like my friend said. There aren’t many good businesspeople like you anymore!” Hearing her say this I felt both thrilled and ashamed, thinking of how I had deceived and cheated people in the past just to earn a little more cash. The fact that I had been able to say something honest without being bound by the thought of money was entirely the strength and courage given to me by Almighty God. It was the fruit of God’s words within me, and there was nothing for me personally to brag about. May all glory be to God!

One weekend my older sister came to the salon to get her hair washed and it just so happened that another customer was coming to get her hair dyed. When I looked at her hair, I told her frankly, “Your hair was dyed pretty recently and it’s a really nice color. I think you should wait a little while before getting it dyed again. Dyes have all sorts of chemicals in them, and getting your hair dyed often is not only bad for your health, but bad for the hair itself.” The customer responded with some surprise, “I just can’t believe that there are people like you doing business in today’s society! No wonder you have so many customers—with such good character, you’re obviously going to have a successful business!” After she left, my sister gave me a funny look and said, “Do you have a fever or something? That money was practically in your hands but you didn’t take it. How are you going to earn anything this way?” I knew this was one of Satan’s tricks and that God also uses these things to test whether I am willing to practice the truth and be an honest person. I refuted her by saying, “You know, we’re not just business people, but we’re people. If we can’t be good people, how could we be good businesspeople? Stopping at nothing to earn money will make it come in fast, but what about the long term? I’d rather stick to my professional ethics and have some integrity. I can only be at ease and at peace if I earn more for my conscience.” My sister smiled and said, “That wasn’t your approach to doing business before at all. You’ve really changed. You’ve really changed!” Happily, I replied, “It’s thanks to God! It was God’s words that changed me.”

After that I continued to get more and more customers coming into my salon—every day was pretty much packed. Many of them were referred by someone else. My business grew by the day, and my salon is now the best one on the street.

I thought back on this road I’ve taken, and saw that with the guidance of God’s words, I gained some understanding of the truth of Satan’s corruption of mankind and I also saw into the damage and the consequences of living by Satan’s philosophies and principles. I understood that only by practicing the truth and being an honest person can I receive God’s praise. When I base my practice on God’s words, when integrity is my foundation and I act according to my conscience in my conduct, I can gradually escape a life of lying and cheating just to earn money; I live out a bit of a proper human likeness, and I also gain God’s blessings. I gave thanks for God’s salvation for me from my heart and a hymn, “It’s Such a Joy to Be an Honest Person,” rose up from within me: “Understanding the truth frees my spirit and makes me happy. I am filled with faith in God’s word and harbor no doubts. … I act according to principle in all things and satisfy God’s will. I practice the truth, submit to God, and try to be an honest person. I am open and upright, without deceit, living in the light.”

#Christian Testimonies #Christians in the Workplace #Christian Life #Honest Person

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fear-god-shun-evil · 6 years ago

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A Hairdresser’s Testimony: Honesty at the Workplace Is More Important Than Money

I Go With the Flow to Make a Living

The hairdressing business could be considered one with ridiculous profit margins. A lot of business owners sell low-cost hair care products at prices more than ten times higher than their actual cost, and then recommend that their customers get membership cards, ostensibly for the sake of getting discounts, which guarantees them a flow of customers. Some hair salons even add on additional services, like sexual services under the guise of a “massage,” earning ill-gotten gains. These kinds of tactics to cheat customers really do keep the money pouring in. However, I operated my business according to my conscience, and ever since the very first day my salon was open, I did very honest business on the tenets of dealing with every single person straightforwardly and selling things at fixed prices. I never cheated customers. I also put real effort into every single haircut I did, plus my prices were lower than other hairdressers’. I got a lot of return customers that way.I was working day and night, but after a year, I was only left with 2,000 yuan after paying rent, business expenses, utilities, heating, etc. I also saw that there were a few salons across the street that didn’t have as much business as I did, but they made several times what I did. I was really envious, but I knew very clearly that they were ill-gotten gains. I didn’t want to ignore my conscience in doing business. As the old saying goes, “poor but proud.” No matter how poor I was, I felt I couldn’t lose my dignity and character. So, I continued on doing business with integrity as I had before. Three years later, my colleagues who had opened up shop at the same time as me had all upgraded to larger shops and some had even gone into doing big business or had bought a car. But everything for me was just like it had been three years prior; my life was the same as it had been, and my wallet hadn’t gotten any fatter.

One day, my mom became ill and had to stay at the hospital—treatment alone was really expensive. I scraped together and borrowed as much money as I could, but still only had enough for half of her medical bill. Thinking of how much money I had borrowed and how I had no idea when I’d be able to pay it back made me a bit anxious. Just then a friend of mine came to my salon to hang out, and when she learned about my situation said to me, “Other salon owners size up their customers, fawn on and flatter them. They get taken in, and then they’re happy to spend more money. They can earn tens of thousands in just a year by doing that. But all you earn is a little bit for your services and you don’t say nice-sounding things to them and then bump up product prices. Earning money that way, who knows when you’ll be able to pay off your debts….” Hearing her go on about that stirred something within me. Right after I had seen her off my colleague from across the way came by, and the second she stepped in said sarcastically, “You’re really so good at running this salon! Business is good and you have a great reputation, it’s just it’s not very profitable. You seem to want to make yourself a modern-day Mother Theresa. You have so many customers—if it were me, I would have gotten rich ages ago. How many times have I told you? In business you have to think of special methods, some tactics. When are you going to get it? Running a business this way, you’ll die of exhaustion before earning much money!” With that, she just left. After hearing what she and my friend had to say, I felt like I had been kicked in the gut.

That night I lay in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The words of my friend and my colleague were echoing inside my head and I was locked in an internal battle. “It’s true, I do business totally honestly, so when will I earn some money? Like they say, ‘Money isn’t everything, but without it, you can do nothing.’ It doesn’t matter how good you are if you don’t have any money! And now I need to pay for my mom’s treatment plus pay back my debts—all of that takes money. Maybe I should raise my prices a bit, and whenever someone with money comes in I can charge them a higher price? Anyway, some of them are pretty free with their money and they don’t care how much it costs as long as they like their hairstyle. Besides, isn’t that what everyone else is doing? Doing that would be totally understandable….” I thought and I thought, and decided to let go of the integrity I’d upheld for three years and start trying it out on wealthier customers.

Following Evil Trends, I Lost My Conscience

Then a few days after that, I sold a 25-yuan bottle of shampoo to a customer who wanted something for her dandruff for 68 yuan, and she thanked me over and over. I had never imagined it was so easy to earn money—no wonder my colleagues had gotten rich so long ago. Even though I thought that doing business with lies and cheating wasn’t moral, the money was coming in fast and I would be a person of means in no time. Plus, now there was a source for my mom’s medical expenses. When I thought of all that, the uneasiness in my heart gradually disappeared and I became even more certain that only relying on lies and cheating in business could earn any money.

Accepting the Gospel and First Tasting the Sweetness of God’s Words

Going Back to My Old Ways and Realizing How Deeply Satan Has Corrupted Me

God’s words fully reveal the truth of our corruption by Satan. In the past, the vast majority of people used to conduct their businesses with integrity, upholding the belief of cheating no one no matter who they were, and selling everything at a fixed price; they relied on their conscience in doing business. But with the temptation and corruption of Satan, satanic philosophies such as “Money is first,” “Money isn’t everything, but without it, you can do nothing,” and “Money makes the world go round” have all deeply sunk into people’s hearts and have become their basis for survival. Once they accept this kind of outlook, people see money as above all else and believe that having a lot of it is the only way to enjoy a great material life as well as be envied and looked up to by others. But without money, you simply can’t gain a foothold or live in this society; this is why everyone adulates money. Fewer and fewer people are willing to dutifully do their business every day and only earn conscionable money, so they start to use all sorts of other tactics. They lie and cheat for their own profiteering, becoming more and more selfish, despicable, slippery, deceitful, greedy, and evil. They lose the conscience, reason, character, and dignity that a proper person should possess and give up the principles of being a good person. This is how they are led by Satan into an abyss of depravity, step by step, and they become farther and farther from God. I have also been tempted and corrupted by Satan that way, gradually giving up on the baseline of being a good person. I thought back on when I had just started my business, when I relied on my conscience and operated with integrity, but ever since my mother became ill and there were so many medical bills to pay, I started to feel that not having money was a real hardship. Urged by my friend and colleague, I also started to follow the evil trends of society. I started to rely on lying and cheating, and even though I earned some money, the debts were paid off, and I had a really comfortable life, I wasn’t experiencing any happiness. Instead, I felt even more emptiness and pain and I often felt really guilty. After gaining my faith, through gatherings with brothers and sisters and reading God’s words, I came to understand that God likes honest people and detests deceitful people who lie and cheat, so I resolved to be an honest person in line with God’s words. However, when I faced the temptation of a large sum of money, I couldn’t put the truth into practice even though I was totally aware of it. I just couldn’t help but be dishonest again. Only through what is revealed in God’s words did I realize that living by satanic philosophies and principles was the root of failing to practice God’s words. After that experience I really deeply experienced how deeply rooted in my heart those satanic philosophies and principles are, and that they have made me incredibly selfish, despicable, and self-seeking. I was capable of forsaking the truth and morality just to earn some money, and though I was clear on the truth I intentionally sinned and went against God. I realized that satanic philosophies and principles do nothing but corrupt and harm mankind, that they are all negative things, and they can only lead us to do evil and oppose God. If I live by those principles and continue to lie and cheat for my own benefit, I will only get farther and farther from God’s requirements and standards, and ultimately I’ll lose my chance at God’s salvation. After realizing all of this, I prostrated myself in prayer before God: “God, I was wrong! I know You require us to be honest people and I was able to do that when faced with a small gain, but as soon as I faced a large gain I once again chose to lie and cheat. I’ve seen that I’ve really been deeply poisoned by the satanic concept that ‘Money makes the world go round’ and I can’t consistently put Your words into practice and live out proper humanity. Oh God, I’ve seen how deeply corrupted by Satan I am, that I am so deceitful and rebellious. God, I wish to repent to You and I beg You to guide me to escape the shackles of Satan’s philosophy and principles so that I can put the truth into practice, be a good person, and live out proper humanity. Amen!”

Being an Honest Person, My Heart Feels Free

Doing Honest Business and Being a Happy Person

#Honest People #Christian at Work & School #Christian Testimonies

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bookswithmissingpages · 8 years ago

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The girls aren't supposed to do drugs when they're working, for example, but I know it happens all the time. In fact, I offer this bit of advice to all the clients of one girl who works for me semi-regularly: "I have a little secret for you about this particular girl. If you don't mind the smell, let her smoke a joint before you start. You'll have a much better time, I guarantee it." The clients, without exception, have appreciated that tidbit. My official policy is that everyone must follow all the rules. In reality, however, drugs are more of a don't ask, don't tell kind of thing, as long as they're controlled. If I don't get any complaints, then I don't care. But if a girl overdoes it and a customer lets me know that she passed out or was acting crazy or partook in some- thing in front of him that made him uncomfortable, I fire her for getting out of line. I can fire girls when I need to because I have a large pool of girls to draw from. In fact, I try to use different ones every week. Most of my girls don't live in the area but instead fly in from wherever they live—Florida, California, Canada, sometimes Europe—and stay in the hotel where they're working for a week, sometimes two at a time. There are two good reasons for using out-of-town talent. First, using a different set of girls—girls who live all over the country, sometimes the world—each week makes it much harder for any- 119 one to bust my agency, because it's much more difficult to use a girl to get inside my organization and get to me. Second, variety is the spice of life. From a marketing perspective, every time a new girl comes in from somewhere, I've got a reason to send out an e-mail blast advertising my new merchandise. Besides, I have clients who use our service on a regular basis, as often as once or twice a week, and if I offered them the same girls week after week after week, they'd soon get bored with us. "Donations" are $300 to $350 an hour for experienced girls, as I've said before, but when I get a new girl who needs some experi- ence, I will often offer her services for $250 an hour until she's built up a reputation. I have lots of clients who are happy to break someone in at a discounted price and then report back to me on whether she's worth keeping. We also run specials on the Web site, for Valentine's Day, for example, and give clients a break on their birthdays along with "a nice complimentary bottle of red or white wine or some bubbly to celebrate your special occasion!" Of course, I have several clients who claim it's their birthday every few months, so I make sure to note in the birthday special announce- ment that "IDs will be inspected on your arrival." We offer special lunch-hour half hours at a lesser rate for guys who are crunched for time but want to get in a quickie before getting back.

We offer $50 discounts for referring a friend to our service, a $500 discount for recommending a qualified entertainer. I also have a "frequent flier" program for our best customers. In addition to accepting donations, I'm a big believer in barter theory. On my site I say it this way: "Are you interested in barter- ing with us? Are you an accountant? A computer tech? Car mechanic? Doctor? Lawyer? Internet security specialist? Health insurance agent? (I'm looking to get medical and dental coverage for al of my girls.) We may be able to work out a special arrange- ment with you!" I like doing business this way because it allows me to get goods 120 and services without having my name attached or recorded. I've gotten a new Mercedes, a couple of apartments, al my legal work done, and some of my Web work, not to mention some badly needed medications from a pharmaceutical rep and even therapy, all by trading free or discounted appointments for what I wanted or needed. I allow my girls to do the same and make arrangements with clients for what they need, but I do that only with the girls I know well and trust. If you work for me, you have to earn privileges by being a good employee. Before a girl can work for me, she has to sign a contract and agree to the rules. All this is explained to her up-front. In fact, the first thing I do when anyone calls me looking for a job is send over the employee handbook. Many potential employees drop out after reading my rules, but that's fine with me. Those who are still interested are more likely to be professionals who are good at their jobs. Of course girls in this business aren't always the professional types, so I have to check up on them as best I can. Take Serena, for example. She was an Eastern European model who was referred to me by a client. The agency she was working for at the time was one of those $l,500-an-hour outfits in New York City, but she wasn't getting enough work there, so despite the drastic pay cut, she decided to come work for me. At first, she wanted me to charge more for her, to sel her as a special, premium-priced offering, but I told her it was my policy not to treat one girl like she was worth more than any of the others. (I wasn't always like that; that's a business principle I had to learn.) My philosophy is that there is somebody for everyone out there and so every girl costs roughly the same, even the fat ones or the older ones or the flat-chested ones or ones who aren't that pretty. Some of my top earners over the years would surprise you—like Bette, who has kind of a pig nose, or Jill, who is rounder than most—but they always get excellent reviews from customers for their uninhibited behavior. If you saw girls 121 like them across the room, you wouldn't be all that impressed, but behind closed doors, they're good at what they do. Serena finally agreed to my terms, and so I put her to work. Serena was an easy sell. Based on her pictures and her pedigree, lots of guys were anxious to get an appointment with her. But just like with anything else you'd buy at a severely discounted rate, there was reason to be suspicious. Her first week she did extremely well. We filled up every avail- able hour with appointments, close to three dozen in all. She was very happy with the money she made, and so was I, so I booked her in for another week of work about a month later. By that time, however, her reviews had come out, and they were dismal, some of the worst I'd ever seen. The next time she came around, she booked about half as many appointments. At that point, I hadn't caught on to what was happening yet, so, fig- uring it was just a fluke, I had her back for a third time. By then, word had spread far and wide, and I booked three appointments for her all week. I've never had anyone do so badly before or since. I couldn't even give her away to a regular client who had seen her once before and felt he deserved a refund. Finally I asked that client if he would confide in me about the problem. Well, when the floodgates opened, he couldn't say enough bad things about her. "First of all," he said, "she looked nothing like her pictures, which is not to say that she wasn't reasonably attractive, but when you're expecting one thing and something else answers the door, it can definitely kill the mood. It would have been better if she had just taken new pictures and shown herself as she really is now instead of using outdated and airbrushed model pictures, which just didn't represent her at all. Second, and this was even worse, the place was disgusting. I don't think she did a thing to clean up all day, and the last thing I wanted to be thinking about was all the other guys who had been in that room before me. But I couldn't help it. It was so 122 obvious. The evidence was all over the place. Third, she wasn't very wel groomed. Being European, I guess she's more comfortable with body hair and all that, but if you ask me, the full bush-hairy pits thing went out of style in the seventies! And finally, her service was horrible. She didn't seem to be having fun. She didn't talk much. It was like, let's do this and get it over with. I don't need to pay for atti- tude like that. I can get that at home!" I thanked my client and gave him a discount on his next appointment in exchange for his honesty. And then, since she had violated a whole bunch of my rules and was basically offering clients the exact opposite of the girlfriend experience, I told the $l,500-an-hour girl she could never work for me again. I worked hard in the beginning, but the payoff was worth it. I made good money from the very start. Since I was living just across the water, I went into Manhattan a lot when I wanted to play and let off steam. I started dating this boy named Austin, who was a traveling stripper and sometimes worked at The Gaiety, the notorious male strip club in Times Square that was featured in Madonna's Sex book. He was a gorgeous boy with the prettiest eyes I've ever seen. Our relationship didn't last long, but my relation- ships with some of his friends did. He hung out with this model- esque group of guys who were a lot of fun. One of them, Jano, lived in Miami, and somehow we got it in our heads that I should move down there too. The business was working out well in New Jersey, so I wanted to keep it going but I also wanted a change of scenery. I talked to Colonel Ed about it, and he told me to go ahead. This was a new era for me business-wise, when everything was done remotely, via Internet or cell phone, anyway. There was no reason, as the Colonel pointed out, that I couldn't do exactly what I was doing already, only from the beach in Florida. I was psyched that I didn't have to be chained to my desk. I 123 found a phenomenal apartment in Miami that I was dying to live in, but I somehow had to convince the managers of the apart- ment complex that I could pay the rent even though I didn't have a credit history or anything like that. I finally decided to send them nine months of receipts from the upscale hotel I'd been liv- ing in in New Jersey, and they took that as proof enough that I'd be a responsible tenant. I also made a deal with Jano. He was always having money problems, so I told him he could be my roommate if he would lease a car we both could use. (I hadn't had a license since my purse was stolen when I was living in Montreal, and without one, I couldn't lease a car myself.) I guess I was far too trusting then about letting people into my life and business. In the end, both Jano and the Colonel screwed me. It all started when I got pulled over for running a stop sign. It shouldn't have been that big of a deal, but when I finally went down to the courthouse to pay the ticket some time later, I found out that I was too late. If you don't pay your tickets in Florida within a certain number of days, then you have to straighten things out directly with the police.

#ma ling lee

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topratedwhittier-blog · 7 years ago

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Utilizing An Reverse Mortgage to Cover Long Maintenance and Steer Clear of A Nursing-home

Yet another cost factor is of course, the rate of interest. The FHA Reverse Mortgage rate of interest is situated upon the main one (1) year United States Treasury note instead of the prime rate, which many conventional mortgages utilize as their base. This provides the FHA Reverse Mortgage an interest LOWER than many flexible traditional mortgages. Probably the most popular misconception is" Should I obtain a reverse mortgage I would lose my home". I often hear this when I'm advising seniors about intending options related to long-term care. The fact is the national government requires that the home has to remain in the name of their borrowers just. Since the Reverse Mortgage is a loan, a lien is placed on the property like all other mortgages. This assures that the lender will sooner or later be repaid however also for the total amount owed which is principle, interests, and also closing expenses, just as with every other mortgage. "We've discovered that seniors who are good candidates for a reverse mortgage may easily get, normally, $72,128. These funds could be used to cover a broad array of direct services that help seniors age in place, including home care, respite care or for retrofitting their homes," explained Project Manager Barbara Stucki, Ph.D."Applying reverse mortgages for most often means the difference between staying at home or going to a nursing home." According to the analysis, of the 13.2 million who are candidates for reverse mortgages, roughly 5.2 million are either already receiving Medicaid or have reached financial risk of having Medicaid when they were up against paying the high price tag of long-term maintenance at home. This economically susceptible part of the state's older people will be in a position to earn $309 billion in total in reverse mortgages which might help pay for longterm care. These results are all based on information from the 2000 University of Michigan Health Insurance and Retirement Study. A frequent presenter on aging issues, Bob has contributed chapters to two books on senior care and medical care management difficulties and has written a lot of articles on the delivery of senior care from the private market place. Yet another misconception is a Reverse Mortgage is non refundable and affects Social Security and Medicare. That is NOT true. ReverseMortgage proceeds aren't taxable because they are not considered income however is, in reality, a loan. Since the Reverse Mortgage can be a brilliant and safe alternative to Elderly Americans, it's important to improve the major misconceptions associated with them and invite senior homeowners to create an educated decision regarding whether or not a Reverse Mortgage makes sense for them. Such loans are ensured the full security of the United States Government through use of a two (two ) percent insurance commission paid on all FHA Reverse mortgages. Seniors can opt to spend the cash from a reverse mortgage as a lump sum, at a credit line or in monthly obligations. Should they prefer a lump sum, by way of instance, they can pay to retrofit their home to create kitchens and baths safer and more accessible - especially very crucial to those who are getting fragile and in danger of falling. Should they pick a credit line or monthly payments, then an average inverse mortgage agent may make use of the funds to cover nearly three years of daily home medical care, within six decades of adult day care five days per week, or to help family practitioners with out-of-pocket expenses and per week respite care for 14 decades. They could also use it in order to purchase long-term care insurance should they're eligible. A reverse mortgage is a way of borrowing money from the total amount you have already paid for your property. You are freeing up money that will otherwise just be offered for you if you bought the home. You're able to remain in the house till you perish, without making monthly payments. The loan is try this web-site repaid when the borrower dies or sells your home. The remainder of the equity in the house will visit the homeowner's estate. What could it be all about Reverse Mortgages that instills apprehension in some Old Americans? Since the ReverseMortgage is a"non-recourse" loan that the most the estate will be asked to pay to the lender could be your value of the house at that time of repayment. This holds true even though your home worth dropped or the debtor lived to a old age. Payments are available monthly, at a lump sum or so the money may be applied as a line of credit. The capital received from the reverse mortgage are all taxfree. Use Your Home to Stay at Home Program In 2000, the nation spent $123 billion per year on long term care for those age 65 and older, with the amount likely to double within the next 30 years. Almost half of those expenses are paid out of pocket by individuals and only 3 percent are paid for by private insurance; government health programs pay the rest. Each one the equity left after payment on the lender, goes to the heirs or estate of their borrower. This is exactly the identical procedure followed by regular conventional mortgages. A major reason is very likely to function as the fact a great deal of misinformation has been circulating concerning this very attractive monetary tool for those who qualify. Older Americans regularly consult friends and family members that are inclined to be misinformed themselves. In the event that you would really like to acquire special details on a Reverse Mortgage for yourself or a relative, contact Bob O'Toole at 1-800-375-0595 or send me an e-mail to [email protected] It should be mentioned that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid might be affected in the event that you exceed certain liquid strength amounts. We can explain to you the way you can structure the loan that a Reverse Mortgage will not affect these advantages. Still another myth concerning reverse mortgages is that the home would go into the lender after the loan becomes due at death or when the last herd permanently leaves the home. Within my own experience, the loan amount of approved is generally roughly 1 / 2 of their appraised value of your house. (The older the homeowner, the more the total amount available for borrowing as it's assumed that the funds will be designed for a shorter period. "Up until now, though, most of these seniors have not tapped the equity in their homes -- projected at a $1.9 trillion -- to cover for either preventive maintenance or for services at home," noted Peter Bell, executive director of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association. Noting that the average salary of men aged 65 and over is $28,000 and $15,000 for women, he added,"This analysis proves that http://www.fontspace.com/profile/reversemortgagewhittier unlocking those resources can help an incredible number of'house rich, cash poor' seniors choose the long term care services they feel best suit their needs." Yet another attractive aspect of the financing application will be that the requirement for a Reverse Mortgage are not quite as restrictive as other loans. Since no re-payment is made as long as one (1) surviving borrower remains in the house, there are NO credit or income conditions. Yet another condition is that both spouses should be sixtytwo (62) or older without upper age restriction. The only other condition is that the creditors must have the house or apartment without others on the deed. The house could possibly also be in a revocable trust provided that the borrowers that are eligible are the sole trustees.The ABA passed a resolution supporting Reverse Mortgages in August of 1995. Because long term care insurance takes you to maintain good health, this preparation option is not available to everyone, particularly older applicants for the premiums may also be prohibitive. If you are at least 62 decades old and you have your house, you might use a reverse mortgage to cover care at home or to get a long-term maintenance insurance policy which otherwise can be unaffordable.

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According to the research, out from those nearly 28 million households age 62 and older, a few 13.2 million have been candidates for reverse mortgages. The great advantage of this kind of mortgage is that -unlike conventional mortgages-there are no monthly premiums. Perhaps not needing to worry about regular bills has to be among the best presents one could wish for in retirement.As the eligibility age is 62, it's ideal to wait before your early 70's or later. The older the borrower, the bigger the quantity of equity available. There are maximum limits determined by the federal government each year as to how much of the equity might be borrowed. Usually just about 50 percent of the worth of your home is offered in the kind of a reverse mortgage. Yet another misconception is that Reverse Mortgages are more expensive than other mortgages. The fact remains that closing costs average only around one (1) percent more than the usual traditional FHA mortgage will be on precisely exactly the same property. The Reverse Mortgage may even be lower in cost due to the fact that conventional mortgages may charge more than the two (2) percentage origination fee enabled on all Reverse Mortgages. "There's been a good deal of speculation if reverse mortgages might be part of the solution to the nation's long-term maintenance financing issue," said NCOA President and CEO James Firman. The National Council on the Aging, with the support of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is laying the groundwork for a highly effective public-private venture to increase the use of reverse mortgages to help pay for long-term care. The ultimate objective of the Use Your Home to Stay at Home(TM) program will be to augment the right use of reverse mortgages so that countless homeowners can tap home equity to pay for long term maintenance services or insuranceplan. A new study from The National Council on the Aging (NCOA) suggests that using reverse mortgages to cover longterm maintenance in home has real capacity in fixing what remains a severe problem for most elderly Americans and their own families. Alternatives to Long Term Care Insurance: With a Reverse Mortgage and Other Procedures to Cover Longterm Care Costs Now that the fables of Reverse Mortgage are removed, a professional homeowner can ask, how to obtain more comprehensive info? Is your regional bank the clear answer? Most regional and local banks usually do not provide Reverse Mortgages. Coops are expected to be eligible in the future when FHA issues final approval. Homes with existing mortgages that could be paid out of the equity can obtain Reverse Mortgages. It's possible to use the funds in the reverse mortgage to cover the cost of home-health care. As the loan must be repaid if you cease to live in your house, longterm maintenance outside your house can't be paid to get a reverse equity loan unless a co-owner of the home who qualifies continues to reside in your home.

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otcsocialnetwork · 7 years ago

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$COOP – WaMu Seesaws On M&A Speculation

WaMu Seesaws On M&A Speculation Tony Racki Mar. 23, 2014 12:33 PM ET | 3 comments | About: WMIH, Includes: JPM, KKR Disclosure: I am long WMIH. (More…) Summary $5.97B NOL assets with 273M shares. WaMu may become “KKR special purpose acquisition vehicle”. KKR’s Head of Financial Services joins WaMu board. Expect high volatility. 6-month target: $4.30. March 19th marked the two-year anniversary of Washington Mutual’s (OTCQB:WMIH) emergence from bankruptcy, signaling a possible new future for the 119-year-old former banking giant and its diehard shareholders. Brought down in September 2008 by tightening credit markets, poor mortgage investments, short sellers, and now accusations of LIBOR price fixing, the FDIC seized the bank in a controversial move in which JPMorgan (JPM) profited by some $28B, but left WaMu shareholders with nothing. The company’s 41-month bankruptcy itself was not without its fair share of conflicts including claims of insider trading, the company’s own legal team accusing shareholders of milking the system, creditors receiving hefty interest payments, and over $1.1B in reorganization costs. At the end of the day, carving up WaMu’s remains proved quite profitable for most parties involved. JPMorgan walked away with $5.3B in tax refunds, cash, and securities, the FDIC $844M in tax refunds, over $325M went to WaMu’s attorneys, and up to 125 cents on the dollar was awarded to WaMu’s corporate creditors. Meanwhile common shareholders received just 3 cents per share of equity in the reorganized WaMu, shares that once sold in the analyst Kool-Aid days of 2007 for $45. While most institutional investors bailed out long before the judge signed off on the company’s POR, diehard retail shareholders doubled down, hoping to recover some of their losses. A New Beginning, Old Habits In December, WaMu’s new beginning started in earnest with the announcement of a commitment for strategic investment with KKR & Co. L.P. (KKR), in which shares surged some 50% on the first day alone. Since then shares have returned over 290% on speculation that WaMu may soon merge with another company in order to start utilizing its $5.97B in NOL tax assets. While its NOL usage possesses a number of restrictions — making utilizing them quickly a difficult task — by surpassing its two-year mark WaMu can now look outside the financial arena at possible targets whereas before it could not. WaMu may not have to look far however. Some have speculated that KKR may have taken on WaMu with a bigger play in mind. Stephen J Errico of Locust Wood Capital Advisers has characterized WaMu as a “KKR special purpose acquisition vehicle,” and to, “expect acquisitions to be announced sooner rather than later.” With over $90B of assets under management, KKR certainly has the size and the rolodex to make a deal happen. It may very well already have a plan in motion, though shareholders will be the last to find out. At WaMu’s June 2013 annual meeting, information disseminated by the company’s board to shareholders was exceptionally vague, leading many to believe little was happening, even though the KKR deal had been brewing at least a month prior, a detail was not released until January 2014. At the time, shareholders questioned what caused shares to pop up 47% in May 2013 for reasons unexplained. Indeed, on May 17, 2013, WaMu shares experienced over a 2400% increase in average volume, leading some to question if insider information was still leaking out. In WaMu’s most recent annual report, the company states that as of the end December 2013, no definitive acquisitions had been determined, though more than 20 potential target companies had been considered. However, shares have still climbed 20% in the past month alone without any material information. It is fair enough to reason that if insider activities were engaged in during bankruptcy (settled without admission of guilt) and again in May 2013, those unseen hands may again be tipping as to the company’s prospects. Reading Between the Lines March has been a high volatility month with shares seesawing some 39%. With the announcement of a merger or buyout able to occur at any time, volatility will likely persist. The expectation is that a deal is soon to come. In a recent straw poll amongst shareholders in a closed forum, 54.1% predicted an announcement by May 18, with only 6.5% after September 7. Whenever it does occur, upon such an announcement WaMu shares will likely surge, akin to the December 10 KKR announcement. With the continued limited information, the best conclusions as to WaMu’s future can only be gathered from what is read between the lines. For example: KKR would only invest in WaMu if there was an adequate risk vs. return to be made. With 61.4M warrants blended at $1.38/share, the securities have only appreciated 235% based on WaMu’s March 21 close. In a high speculation stock such as WaMu, KKR would certainly expect more of a return than that. KKR’s 7.5% PIK notes indicate how much they view the speculative nature of WaMu shares. Tagar Olson, KKR’s Head of Financial Services, has been appointed an observation seat on WaMu’s board of directors. Mr. Olson would not be on the board unless plans were in motion. KKR’s investment will eventually add 71M additional shares, or a 26% dilution. During bankruptcy proceedings, Steven Zelin of Blackstone Advisory Partners stated that WaMu’s NOLs would likely be discounted by 25% to 35% for transaction risk were the company merged in an all-stock transaction with another entity. Is KKR signaling that it will eventually consume WaMu in its entirety? In December, KKR made a bid to take over its KKR Financial (KFN) affiliate. The KKR deal was seven months ahead of shareholder knowledge. They know more than anyone else does at this point. KKR has the right to participate in future WMIH equity offerings, up to an aggregate of $1B. Such a number indicates that KKR sees a future value in WMIH of at least that amount. Hard Numbers At this time, WaMu lacks hard numbers in order to put a future value on shares, forcing one to resort to a large amount of guesswork and reliance on past results to predict future outcomes. As it currently stands, WaMu has about $65.1M in equity, a number relatively unchanged in the past year because projected losses by its subsidiary reinsurance arm have been less than expected. This is a good thing because its subsidiary still owes $105M on notes paying 13%. The better-than-expected losses have negated interest payments, resulting in a $338K profit for the year, verses a $12.4M loss in 2012. If the housing market continues to improve or tread water, WaMu may be able to eventually profit off its reinsurance arm, which had been left for dead by JPMorgan. With $65.1M in equity, $10.6M from the sale of preferred stock to KKR, and an eventual $84.7 in cash from the sale of warrants to KKR, WaMu’s total hard equity rises to $160.4M based on 273M shares, or $.59/share. After that, the math gets fuzzy because it becomes a matter of valuing the company’s NOLs. If WaMu is able to use them in their entirety, they will be able to save $2.1B in cash. With 273M shares, the NOLs could be worth up to $7.65/share. However, using up the NOLs will likely take years, or at least three based upon KKR’s warrant agreement. This NOL value coupled with hard equity creates a total market value of $2.24B. While such a valuation seems pie in the sky, it is supported partially by KKR’s right to participate in future WMIH equity offerings, up to an aggregate of $1B and including a cap in ownership by KKR of 42.5% of WMIH’s common shares. Based on the $1B for 42.5% ownership valuation, WMIH’s market cap would weigh in at $2.36B, a differential of just 5%. While this is no way an assurance of future value, it does lead credibility to the $2.24B value, otherwise why would KKR request such a right. Under this evaluation, KKR’s 26% interest in WMIH for $95M would reap $620M for KKR’s equity — a tidy 650% return — a number in line with the speculative nature of WaMu (see #1 above). For those of a more conservative mind, if KKR’s rights offering states they view the company having at least $1B in value (see #4 above), then shares should reach between $3.66 and $4.95 depending on the future 273M or the current 202M shares. Under this projection, it assumes either half of the NOLs expire unused or the company takes on further dilution. However, because of IRS Section 382 limitations, WaMu’s current shareholders need to maintain at least 50% ownership of the company, which limits dilution. Based upon this $1B valuation and blending the price ranges, a $4.30 six month price target is a projection within reason but likely to change once WaMu and KKR announce their first move. http://seekingalpha.com/article/2103953-wamu-seesaws-on-m-and-a-speculation?source=yahoo http://dlvr.it/QtSHfV

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kennethherrerablog · 7 years ago

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19 Life-Changing Money Moves to Make Before You Turn 40

The big 4-0.

Thatâs right. Youâre old enough to remember the VHS versus Betamax war, and you kept your school papers in a Trapper Keeper. So rad.

But you know what? Fortyâs not so bad. You worried about 30, but then it passed, and you started to find yourself. Now you know exactly who your are and where your life is headed. OK, maybe not exactly, but the picture is a lot clearer.

Milestone birthdays are a great time to step back and assess your life.

Before you turn 40, take a quick look at your finances. Youâre doing OK, but weâve found a few tips that can help you get your finances in the best shape of your lifeâ¦ even if your midsection isnât.

1. Give Your Retirement Fund a Boost

Remember when retirement seemed like some concept set for the far, far distant future?

Yeah, that futureâs coming up kinda fast, isnât it?

You have a 401(k) â kudos for that, but is it doing what you need it to?

If youâre like most people, you have no idea whether your 401(k) is on pace for your retirement or just sputtering along.

Chances are, it could be doing a lot better. Take control with help from Blooom, an SEC-registered investment advisory firm that can optimize and monitor your retirement account for you and keep it speeding toward retirement.

It just takes a few minutes to get a free 401(k) analysis that will show you whether your investments are allocated properly and whether youâre losing money paying hidden investment fees. Itâll even tell you just how much more money your account could earn by the time you want to retire.

After that, if you sign up, itâs just $10 per month to have Blooom monitor and maximize your 401(k). Bonus: Penny Hoarders get the first month free with the code PNNYHRD.

Itâs like giving yourself a birthday present for a future birthday.

2. Youâve Built a Great Life. Now Protect It

Chances are, by the time you reach 40, youâve established a life. That could mean you own your dream business. Or it could mean little ones who look up at you with awe as you read them bedtime stories. It could mean that house on a few acres with the big porch you always wanted.

Youâre building your dream life. If that includes a family, the last thing you want is to leave them without any financial support once youâre gone.

Maybe itâs time to think about life insurance. It doesnât have to be the uncomfortable experience you might expect. Some newcomers in the industry are updating the old model.

Ethos, for example, can get you term life insurance in less than 10 minutes â with no medical exam â for coverage up to $1 million. Ethos offers a digital application, and customer service is available if you have questions.

It partners with a major life insurance carrier to quickly offer policies as low as $6 a month. Itâs helped thousands of folks access term life insurance, including independent contractors who use Uber, Postmates, TaskRabbit and other gig apps.

Donât think about a life insurance policy as preparing for death; think about it as a birthday gift youâre giving yourself. Peace of mind.

3. Start Investing for the Price of a Cup of a Coffee

In your 20s, you didnât even really think about investing. You were too busy trying to establish yourself. In your 30s, you just never quite felt like you had enough money to get started.

Donât let your 40s slide by the same way. Hereâs the key: You donât need a big chunk of cash to get started.

You can start small with Acorns and stack up change over time with its âround-upâ feature. That means if you spend $10.23 at the grocery store, 77 cents gets dropped into your Acorns account.

Then, the app does the whole investing thing for you.

The idea is you wonât miss the digital pocket change, and the automatic savings stack up faster than youâd think. For example, we reviewed how Penny Hoarder Dana Sitar was able to save at a rate of $420 a year!

The app is $1 a month for balances under $1 million, and youâll get a $5 bonus when you sign up.

4. Finally Tackle That Debt â With a Lower Interest Rate

Credit cards were your best friends. Then, those bills began to haunt you. Now, you may be so used to those old credit card balances that you tolerate them like your spouseâs smelly cat.

Keep the cat, but get rid of that debt..

A lot of us are being crushed by credit card interest rates north of 20%. If youâre in that boat, consolidation and refinancing might be worth a look.

A good resource is online lending platform Upstart, which can help you find a loan without relying on only your conventional credit score.

Unlike traditional underwriting models that use only the common FICO scoring model, Upstartâs technology looks at factors like your education and employment history to determine your creditworthiness (though it does require a 620 credit score).

It can help you borrow up to $50,000, potentially with better terms (e.g. lower interest or lower monthly payments) than traditional lenders. If managing many different bills and credit lines is a hassle, you can also use an Upstart loan to streamline all of your loans into one.

Fewer payments and less interest to pay. Simple is good.

5. Get a Piece of the Real Estate Action

What did your dad always tell you about real estate? âItâs the way to go. Theyâre not making any more land!â

Want a cool way to celebrate entering your fourth decade? Invest in real estate.

At just 35 and 29, Christopher and Meghan Miller are semi-retired because of this kind of investment.

In addition to four rental properties, the couple has invested in a diversified portfolio of real estate projects across the country â from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles â through an automated investment experience.

âI donât have to manage them; I donât have to do the work to improve the properties; I donât have to find tenants, evict tenants,â Christopher says.

Unlike traditional real estate investments, the Millers back these national building projects through an online platform called Fundrise*. Since 2016, Fundrise has paid dividends each quarter. (Note: As with any investment, past performance isnât indicative of future results.)

How much fun will you have over the next decade or two keeping an eye on your investment properties? Finally, something to talk about at neighborhood cookouts.

6. Make iTunes Your Friend Again

You grew up with mix tapes. CDs? They were cool. Then the whole world turned digital, and it was a tough transition, but you did it. You have an iTunes account. But, now youâre seeing all of these random charges for subscriptions you donât recognize.

Weâve all fallen for it. âSign up for a free trial!â Then, the next thing you know, youâre getting billed for something you forgot all about.

Download TrueBill, an app thatâll negotiate your bills, cancel unwanted subscriptions and refund your bank fees.

After downloading the app, create an account and link your bank account and/or credit cards. Turn on the bill negotiation and outage protection features. Boom. TrueBill is already searching for potential refunds â it might get you a refund even when you didnât know an outage occurred.

On average, Truebill says it helps customers save more than $700 a year by lowering their bills, canceling necessary subscriptions and getting refunds.

The app will also remind you of all those sneaky subscriptions youâve signed up for through the years, so you can cancel what you donât use.

Mixed tapes never treated you this way, did they?

7. Donât Just Wish for Better Car Insurance

You have car insurance. Good job. Itâs a part of adulting youâve become accustomed to. But donât you wish you could pay less for the same coverage?

Before you blow out those candles and waste that wish, thereâs a better way.

One way you could save money is by shopping around and comparing rates at least once a year. Less than 50% of us do that, according to this survey from The Zebra, though 81% of us report wanting lower rates.

So, just like you compare the prices of flights, shoes and laptops before purchasing, why not compare car insurance?

The Zebra, an online car insurance search engine that offers âinsurance in black and white,â compares your options from 204 providers in less than 60 seconds.

8. Get a Grip on Your Credit Score

File this next to ârun a half marathon.â Youâve been meaning to get around to it, but it just never quite made the top of your âto-doâ list.

Put it there now.

Your credit score is important. The better your score, the better deal youâll get on a mortgage, car loan or credit card. Weâre talking big money here.

Even if youâre not buying a house anytime soon, a lousy credit score means youâll get hit with a high security deposit whenever you rent a car or struggle to get a better credit card.

But did you know your credit score could be inaccurate? One out of five credit reports have an error, according to a study by the Federal Trade Commission.

To keep a closer eye on your credit, get your credit score andÂ a âcredit report cardâ for free from Credit Sesame. It breaks down exactly whatâs on your credit report in laymanâs terms, how it affects your score and how to address it.

Because it simplifies everything, you should be able to spot any errors. For instance, if you find an âunpaidâ credit card that you know you paid, or a bill in collections you know never existed, you can dispute the incorrect information and raise your credit score.

Who knows? There may be some incorrect charges to your Montgomery Wards card on there that you need to clear up. Yikes.

9. Start a Budget. All the Cool Kids Are Doing It

Budget. There. We said it, and it wasnât so bad, was it? Budgeting can be a little scary, but it doesnât have to be. Andâ¦ we all need it.

The first step is to find out how youâre doing now. Luckily, you can have a financial assistant right in your pocket to help you out.

The Empower app is a powerful budgeting tool that can help you figure out how youâre spending your money and develop a budgeting plan to keep you on track.

Link the app to your bank accounts, and it will track your spending. It will also categorize your spending so you can see exactly where you are overdoing it. Thatâs right: It will show you just how many times you went out for dinner because you didnât want to do the dishes.

Set a monthly spending limit and the app will show you a graph that can tell you in one snapshot just how youâre doing for the month. Are you over the line or under it? Itâs that simple to see how youâre doing so you can adjust your spending accordingly.

How can your 40s not be great with all of this cool technology?

10. Save for a Rainy Day or a Leaky Roof

By now, youâve run into an unexpected expense. Your car breaks down. One of the kids breaks an arm. The roof started leaking.

When life throws you a curveball, it can wreak havoc on your finances. Donât leave yourself your family vulnerable to a setback like that again. Start a savings account to protect you from ugly surprises.

Digit makes that possible.

This innovative app automates saving for you. Simply link it to your checking account, and its algorithms will determine small (and safe!) amounts of money to withdraw into a separate, FDIC-insured savings account.

Additionally, savers will receive a 1% bonus every three months.

Digit is free to use for the first 30 days, then itâs $2.99 per month afterward.

Besides, if you donât need it for an emergency, you can use it for one of the kidsâ weddings, right? Too soon?

11. Start Saving to Send the Kids to College

If you already have kids, you know just how expensive they can be. If you think that itâs bad now, just wait until tuition, rent and all of the other bills that come along with college start rolling in.

Whatever your situation, itâs time to start thinking about saving for your kidsâ futures.

Itâs important to think about all the ways you can save for your childâs future, such as a low-risk savings bond or a 529 plan to cover college expenses. Why?

Because if they donât go to college they may still be living with you. Forever. For. Ever.

12. Get Your 34-Year-Old Body Back

What better gift can you give yourself than better health and fitness?

In 2016, Teresa Suarez was frustrated by the thought of a possible future in which she continued to ignore her health â and by her own lack of motivation.

âI knew I could be at 300 pounds within months,â she recalls.

So Suarez signed up for HealthyWage â a company that will literally pay you to lose weight.

She bet $125 per month that she would lose 60 pounds in six months. When she achieved that goal, she won a whopping $2,415.28 â more than tripling her initial investment in herself.

Betting on herself and knowing she would lose the money if she didnât follow through was the kickstart Suarez needed to actually make lasting lifestyle changes.

Depending on how much you have to lose, how long you give yourself to do it and how much money you put on the table, you could win up to $10,000!

Be like Teresa, and give yourself an awesome birthday gift. Then go ahead and have a piece of cake. Youâve earned it.

13. Get a Better Mortgage

If youâre still paying interest on your mortgage at an old rate, refinancing could help you take advantage of better interest rates and save thousands of dollars over time.

But getting a new mortgage can take months and can be a hassle â and itâs enough to make you throw your hands up in defeat and just go on living with the uncomfortably high interest rate from years ago.

Andâ¦ you might find out in the end itâs not even worth it.

Before you take the leap, we found a company that wants to help you avoid a common mortgage mistake.

Or, if you are thinking about buying a different home, let technology work for you and find you the best mortgage possible.

Better Mortgage bills itself as an online mortgage lender thatâs built like a tech company â fast and innovative. It emphasizes speed and efficiency.

It can quote you an interest rate in seconds, once you type in your ZIP code, credit score range, down payment amount and the price of the house you want to buy. Better can get you an initial pre-approval for a loan within minutes, without affecting your credit score.

14. Negotiate Everything â Especially Your Bills

When you bought your car, did you settle for the sticker price? How about your house? At your age, youâve seen enough to know that everything is negotiable.

That doesnât mean that you want to go through the hassle of negotiating it all yourself. Thatâs why itâs time to call in a robot.

The negotiation bot Trim will negotiate your cable or internet bills down for you.

It works with Comcast, Time Warner, Charter and other major providers.

You can sign up simply with Facebook or your email address. Then, upload a PDF of your most recent bill, and Trimâs AI-powered system gets to work. If at first it doesnât succeed, itâll keep negotiating until it can save you some money.

Also, if you have any outages, Trim believes you deserve a credit, and itâll handle that for you.

Trim takes 25% of the savings tab, and you get the rest.

Your 30-year-old self would never believe this is possible. Being 40 rocks!

15. Get Rewarded Just for Paying Your Bills on Time

Your mom probably gave you an allowance for washing the dishes and sweeping the floor when you were a kid. Now all you get for doing it is a kitchen thatâs clean for, like, 15 minutes.

As an adult, you donât typically get rewards for doing things that are expected of youâ¦ until now.

This app kind of rules them all: MoneyLion, a free all-in-one app for managing your personal finances.

MoneyLion offers rewards to help you develop healthy financial habits and will literally pay you for logging onto the app.

You can earn points in the rewards program by paying bills on time, connecting your bank account or downloading the mobile app.

You can redeem those points for gift cards to retailers like Amazon, Apple and Walmart.

If credit cards arenât your thing, MoneyLion is like having a rewards credit card without the temptation to overspend.

The app also connects with all your bank, credit card, student loan and other financial accounts. Based on your income and spending patterns, it offers personalized advice to help you save money, reduce your debt and improve your credit.

16. Protect Your Home and Cool Stuff

Youâve worked hard and for a long time to create your home. The stuff youâve accumulated, whether you rent or own a home, is worth protecting.

If you have homeowners or renters insurance, you might be paying too much for it. Try shopping around.

If youâve never looked into it, start by getting a free quote.We recommend the online insurance company Lemonade, through which homeowners insurance starts at $25 a month.

Beyond affordable rates, Lemonade adds a layer of transparency you donât often see in the insurance world. Instead of profiting extra when it doesnât have to pay out claims, the company keeps a set 20% of your premium for itself, and 80% goes into a pool for paying claims. Money left over after paying claims each year goes to a cause of your choice.

That also means Lemonade isnât going to be super stingy about granting customers the claims they deserve â âcause the money isnât going into its pockets.

Lemonade is available in Arizona, California, Connecticut Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C.

OK, so now that you know Lemonade has your back, hereâs how to get a free quote. Itâs easy â and you can do it all online. (Nope, it wonât hurt your credit score!)

Click âCheck Our Prices.â

Get to know Maya, Lemonadeâs chatbot. Sheâs nice and will ask you a few questions.

Once you complete the application, youâll receive a quote within a minute or two.

Plus, at the end of the day, youâll feel better knowing your hard-earned belongings are insured. Now that youâre turning 40, itâs time to squeeze the most out of life and your finances!

17. Scour Your Emails for Money

If youâre turning 40, you remember a time before email. Can you imagine life without it now?

It turns out deleting your emails could be costing you money. Intrigued?

One of our secret weapons is called Paribus â a tool that gets you money back for your online purchases. Itâs free to sign up, and once you do, it will scan your email for any receipts. If it discovers youâve purchased something from one of its monitored retailers, it will track the itemâs price and help you get a refund when thereâs a price drop.

Plus, if your guaranteed shipment shows up late, Paribus will help you get compensated.

Weâve come a long way from waiting for AOL dial-up internet to connect. Cue irritating noise.

18. Get a Better Credit Card

At your age, you know enough to know that credit cards arenât necessarily evil. You just have to be smart about how you use them. Oh, and isnât it time you got one that gives you something back?

If youâre not using a rewards credit card for everyday purchases, youâre missing out on free money.

You just have to be sure you donât get too carried away with those purchases â and that the card is paid off at the end of each billing period.

Hereâs an option we like: Itâs the Chase Freedom Unlimited card**. Its claim to fame? Youâll earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all your purchases. Plus, if you spend $500 in your first three months of opening the card (hi, groceries), youâll pocket a $150 bonus.

Thereâs no annual fee, and the cash-back rewards donât expire. Get signed up â and 0% intro APR for 15 months â here.

19. Get Some Passive Income

If thereâs anything you know at nearly 40 years old, itâs that passive is OK. No, itâs better than OK. Passive is great. You know, like a nap.

Passive income is exactly what it sounds like: income that comes to you without you lifting a finger â at least, after the initial setup.

While you canât expect free money to just appear in your bank account, you can take steps to set yourself up with a cash flow that comes in automatically with little to no upkeep.

Why is it important to have a source of passive income? Well, Brad Hines, who estimates 10 to 15% of his income is passive, puts it this way:

âWhen zero of your money is passive income, that inherently means every minute youâre not working, youâre not making money.â

Yikes.

To make the most of your down time â like that big trip youâll take to celebrate turning 40 â set up a passive income stream of your own.

Passive income sources can range from really big (think: owning a business) to really tiny (think: owning a gumball machine).

If you donât mind the initial work of setting up your passive income streams, the payoff and peace of mind can be sweet. Letâs face it, you donât really want to work any harder than you need to anymore.

40 Is the New 40

What? You thought weâd say 30? Come on, you donât want to be 30 again! Youâve accomplished too much and learned so much since then. Youâre not getting older, youâre getting smarter. These smart money moves will prove it.

Just watch. Over the next 10 years, these moves will make your life easier and help set up your finances to be looking pretty when you reach that *gulp!* 50-year-old mark.

Just donât go and spend your savings on a mid-life crisis hot rod.

*Fundrise Disclosure: Redemptions are subject to certain restrictions. See Full Disclosures for more information.

The publicly filed offering circulars of the issuers sponsored by Rise Companies Corp. (parent company of Fundrise), not all of which may be currently qualified by the Securities and Exchange Commission, may be found at fundrise.com/oc.

**Chase Disclosure: The information for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card has been collected independently by The Penny Hoarder. Opinions expressed here are the authorâs alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. The Penny Hoarder is a partner of Credible.

Tyler Omoth is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder who loves soaking up the sun and finding creative ways to help others. His 40th birthday is still visible in the rearview mirror of his midlife crisis baby stroller. Catch him on Twitter at @Tyomoth.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

The Penny Hoarder Promise: We provide accurate, reliable information. Here’s why you can trust us and how we make money.

19 Life-Changing Money Moves to Make Before You Turn 40 published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

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the-fitsquad · 7 years ago

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The Pros and Cons of refurbished computers uk

Refurbished Laptop Questions And Answers

Much like with anything else, you can usually save a fantastic chunk of money when purchasing used computers VS brand-new ones. All of the refurbished desktops and laptops on our website are in stock and prepared for shipping. We ship all products with another day courier services. But when a computer is refurbished and reused, nothing is sent to landfill as well as the demand for new laptops is reduced. Win-win. The key to any refurbished computer program would be the warranty. These are products that typically have been returned or rejected due to a flaw. While this flaw may have been corrected and no further issues may develop you ought to ensure some coverage is included for potential flaws. The problem is that warranties are generally altered for refurbished goods.

By the conclusion of the’90s desktops had grown in popularity and need. The most popular being the IBM PC, the Apple Macintosh and the Commodore Amiga. Desktop PCs from this age were put within a desktop instance –a casing laid out horizontally upon the display screen sat. This type of design fell from favour as the’90s improved, and were eventually replaced from the tower instance which could be left to the floor under or alongside a desk. We had some reservations about purchasing refurbished IT equipment; since they are refurbished we’re unsure what the grade would be like and if they’d meet our customer’s expectations.

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Your refurbished laptop purchase should come with an assurance that the vendor guarantees the item. It is not like you purchased it out of the trunk of a car downtown (where I once purchased an excellent used Apple laptop ). Make certain that the equipment has a good guarantee — a year is deemed standard nowadays, but it is not universal. With over 25 years experience, Encore is the secure choice for buying cheap, quality, professionally refurbished desktops, notebooks and accessories from brands such as Apple, Lenovo, Dell, Toshiba and HP.

With our principal operation being refurbished computers, AST produces quality refurbished goods (Offering four major brands of products from HP, DELL, IBM and LENOVO) using a fantastic degree of technological material and added intrinsic value. Our quality refurbished computers not only satisfy North American need, but in addition they get exported via our worldwide marketing and advertising network to a lot of distinct countries and regions including Europe, Asia, etc., to be widely used in industries including school boards, home appliances, and businesses, retail stores, manufacturing, digital instruments, home businesses etc..

Our entry level, affordable Gaming PCs may be designed for people that are only starting out or who are looking for a more affordable means to game, but our reduced costs don’t mean that you have to compromise on quality or performance. Fierce PC offer a vast selection of strong gaming computers for gamers beginning with PC gaming and looking for a cheap gaming PC, or even the hardcore gamers looking to play a budget, but at precisely the exact same time not compromising the gambling experience. There are a lot of websites that specialize in selling these types of laptops. Your best bet to get a working unit that comes with a decent warranty is to buy one from a manufacturer’s website. The businesses that sell their laptops refurbished straight from their site are: Apple, Dell, Toshiba, Sony, HP, and Lenovo.

1. Cell phones. If you are disgusted by the high price of upgrading to a new mobile phone, just secure online and get a daily bargain on an unlocked or refurbished telephone. You may find all the top brands and the goods are analyzed for quality and dependability. You can save even more cash if you opt to gain from our asset management service; our experts can review your current computers and purchase themreducing the costs to cover your new purchase. This is a very popular service and helpful for businesses and schools working to a tight budget. To stay up to date with technology, it is fantastic to replace computers after every 2 years, meaning that your older machines will still have financial value you are able to utilise.

If you’re searching for affordable computers in the UK it can be hard to locate a merchant that you can trust. Regardless what sort of computer you are interested in buying, be it a laptop, a desktop or a tablet device; it can be difficult to locate an excellent machine with a price tag which does not break the bank.However at Eflex Computers, you can browse a selection of refurbished computers (like both laptop and desktop computers). Our variety of computers are offered in a vast array of different specifications, brands and prices, so if you are searching for a notebook or a desktop with favorable price tag browse through the numerous products that available on our site now.

If your budget won’t quite stretch to a brand new computer or notebook, then why not take a peek and consider a refurbished version? We tackle the refurbishment of ourselves, on site in our workshop, so that we can be certain that each of the parts and work completed is to the highest quality. We stock a large assortment of refurbished Dell, HP, Lenovo and Stone computers along with a variety of recased computers in most of our 3 shops. Nowadays computers are much like cars, Ken. The majority of them are great machines so it really just boils down to personal preference. Personally, I like HP and Dell.

Notebook computers, conversely, offer portability that desktop programs (like small form factor and all-in-one desktops) can’t due to their compact size and clamshell design. The notebook’s all-in-one design gives a built-in keyboard and a pointing device (like a trackpad ) for the user, and can draw power provided with a rechargeable battery. Laptops also generally integrate wireless technologies like WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G, providing them a wider range of alternatives for connecting to the world wide web, though this tendency is changing as newer desktop computers come integrated with one or more of these technologies.

Sure it’s the idea that counts, but the gift of a previously owned piece of equipment may still conjure “cheapskate” to get some, regardless of its superlative quality and ensured performance. If you’re concerned that a loved one can secretly scorn a refurbished laptop, think about your receiver and what matters to them. If you or a loved one wants the very latest, cutting-edge laptop in flawless cosmetic condition and packaged to artistic perfection — and partner refurbished with icky, used and old — a pre-owned unit will be a tough sell.

Whilst they are incredibly useful tools, in our electronic society; computers have become more than mere machines. They’re no longer simply tools to be utilized, but instead they have become one of the primary procedures of communicating. Social networking and online gaming bring us nearer to our family and friends, and also allow us to branch out and create new connections with others. The very best thing about a refurbished notebook is the price tag, offering a branded, quality computer that’s one of the latest models at a cut retail cost with guaranteed high standards of performance. Frequently manufacturers include extra customizations meaning you get a machine using additional add-ons that weren’t on the first model.

Allowed if you purchase a new or refurbished notebook or desktop PC from eBay you need to check their organization score and client feedback score, but to purchase from a private individual that builds or refurbished notebook or desktop computers, then you’re receiving hands-on or firsthand expertise rather than a wholesaler who only peddles a item. Purchasing refurbished or repaired computers could be a hugely beneficial experience that delivers a fantastic return on investment and access to state of the art technologies. A number of the top companies that refurbish notebooks are IBM, Dell, Compaq Armada, Toshiba, Panasonic, Acer, and Fujitsu are a number of the major firms. There are a few resellers which concentrate on the refurbishing of laptops such as Used, USA that are focused in too the refurbished laptop market.

Don’t be reluctant to try refurb computers. 99 times out of a hundred, the a replaced component is totally new, with only the situation being first. The cost savings can be modest or large, but certainly well worth it. I normally search for refurbs when I shop for something, and I am writing this on a refurb Toshiba notebook, which I obtained for almost half the cost of a brand new one. On eBay, a great deal of refurbished equipment may be purchased with an optional SquareTrade guarantee, if you choose. At EuroPC we offer a vast range of manufacturer refurbished Dell products, complete with a three year on-site warranty for your peace of mind.

A refurbished laptop is’as good as new’ because when their were any deficiencies with the notebook, repairs may have been forced to correct the notebook, though some laptops do not even need fixing, for example they may have been sent back to the factory unopened. All of the notebooks are re-packaged and awarded extra tests to show their functionality and reliability, which effectively makes the laptops’as good as new’. Help save the environment. Refurbishing keeps functioning computers from landfills, storage or outside of countries where equipment might be dismantled under dangerous conditions.

Examine the guarantee and returns policy – One of the most significant things to consider while purchasing refurb is your guarantee it includes, as this provides you protection when it develops a fault. If you store from eBay’s refurbished hub all things come with a 12-month warranty from the seller, so if anything does go wrong in the 12 months you can ensure you will find an exchange or a refund. Even more, you’ll also be able to take advantage of flexible storage options with MacMall’s refurbished laptops since they come with a variety of hard drive configurations that can satisfy your house or office storage requirements without breaking the bank. If you don’t require local data storage, small 80GB systems are ideal for you. Refurbished PCs with ample 1TB drives can hold a massive music library or information base.

Most manufacturers offering immediate refurbs do this through an internet outlet store. Dell offers the best classification, tagging socket PCs”refurbished,””previously ordered new” or”dent and scratch ” One refurbished Inspiron 14R – 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 chip with 3MB cache; 14-inch WLED screen; 4GB DDR3 memory; Intel integrated graphics; 500GB hard drive; and Windows 7 Professional – sells for $599. Dell’s main website delivers exactly the same model for $699.99 after an immediate discount from $883.99. However, Dell’s outlet store is currently conducting a 20 percent reduction through coupon code. Entering the code during checkout reduces the refurbished 14R price to $479.20 with free shipping. That is more than 30 percent savings.

Sometimes, you can even acquire mint-condition apparatus on eBay to get a little less cash than from Apple’s Refurbished Mac store. And some sellers throw in Apple’s $380 extended coverage plan, known as Apple Care Plus, which expands the typical one-year warranty that all new and refurbished devices include. Yet after a quick search on eBay for the same MacBook Pro model, I found that the prices did not stray too far from the ones from Apple’s Refurbished Mac store, and a few were even more expensive.

One – Refurbished laptops operate just as well as a brand new computer, at a tiny fraction of the price. They undergo numerous assessments to check for error and ensure quality. If any faults are found with any part of the laptop, they the issue part is replaced with a fresh new one. They’re rechecked again before they’re sent out available, ensuring that the one you purchase will be ready to go. With even new computers, glitches may occur that impede work, however with refurbished laptops, your actually getting a whole lot on a computer that’s been checked and rechecked many days before it has reached your hands. Additionally, it benefits from brand-new operating systems and application software. Many men and women worry about hidden viruses in their own refurbished computer. This isn’t a problem in any way, since your getting a totally clean system.

2nd hand (or refurbished) PC’s is a hard one to call. I get people all the time requesting a secondhand one, however they want to cover very little for it. Another normal question I get is’can you sell mine ?’ – they usually need #700 for something which cost them 1200 in PCW a number of years ago (not that it was worth this , they probably got captured for the extended warranty etc). I can usually build a new one of better spec for #250. Purchasing a refurbished laptop can help save you a few hundred dollars depending on the model and make and gaming pc refurbished Kelsusit.com where you shop. But you are unlikely to find the latest-generation laptops available as refurbs, unless the model in question was available for six months or more.

Computers come in a huge selection of sizes, specifications and prices and it’s important to differentiate what’s right for you. As opposed to giving an off the shelf” price we establish your requirements and quote to get a computer that meets your needs and budget. As well as an excellent computer for a reasonable price you can depend on good after-sales support. We also offer you a computer maintenance and upgrade service for computers, tablets and laptops. Desktop chips are a bit bigger in size, but this also means the desktop chips can be stronger than notebook processors. New, advanced processors on the market are typically accessible desktops first.

However, a negligible part of reconditioned computers sold on the marketplace comes from desktops or laptops which were returned because they didn’t work well or else they had a few problems. But you don’t need to worry about buying reconditioned cheap computers since most of our desktop computers and laptops are checked thoroughly before being sold. Components which aren’t functioning properly are substituted by elements that are working well. In reality, we buy new components to ensure abundant performance of the reconditioned PC’s.

There is loads of horror stories of Terrible Frankenstein refurbs composed of nasty components. Alwaysuse premium, guaranteed resellers of second-hand gear. Check for certificates, warranties and if all the kit (wires, cords, mice, etc.) will come together with your refurbished product. We don’t want to toot our own horn too much, however in regards to refurbished goods we’re a Microsoft registered refurbisher in addition to a Dell registered spouse. These refurbished desktop computers are ideal machines for work surroundings and also people looking for a inexpensive desktop computer for easy office, internet jobs etc.. Comes complete with a Flat LCD screen and whatever you want to use straight from the box.

Cost: You can form the Dell scratch and dent deals by low to highhigh to low. They’re highlighted in blue. This will make buying your next cheap refurbished background, while remaining within your budget, much simpler. That is where Apple’s Refurbished Mac store comes in. It is a lesser-known outlet for certain older Apple devices, and from my experience, it’s certainly worth a look if you’re in the market for a new Apple device. You can find more economical older versions — such as Macs, iPads, and iPhones — a few of which the firm does not market anymore in its retail outlets.

Big name companies such as IBM, Dell, HP and others recondition laptop computers, but they don’t put forth a lot of energy into selling them. Rather they concentrate on the newest and latest technology computers. In addition they devote a lot of money doing it. That’s a large part as to why new laptops cost more than refurbished. Warranty: All of the refurbished PCs come with a 1 year guarantee. We deal with refurbished desktop PCs in small form factor or tower; we’ve been reconditioning computers and printers for the last 15 years.

We are NOT a store that stocks a lot of items BUT we DO have good DEALS on Used Computers, Laptops and other equipment. Microsoft maintains an extensive network of authorized refurbishers for people and companies to link you up with a refurbished notebook. Whilst this is true of new and second-hand computers, it is well worth taking into account that it is no more challenging and just as secure to transfer your current data to a refurbished pc. This can be done by downloading data onto an external hard drive or via the cloud and transferring to your new computer after stage of purchase.

We have hundreds of desktop and laptop computers, and complete transparency is part of this offer. We provide detailed information regarding its attributes, imperfections, operating system and some other recent updates. You will know exactly what to expect. Support electronics recycling and buy one of our refurbished computers now. In EuroPC we aim to deliver high-end refurbished Dell goods at bargain prices to business customers throughout the united kingdom. Make sure it is reasonable to purchase refurbished over brand new; always check the specifications in your refurbished buy and make sure that they match the similar new merchandise before comparing pricing.

If you’re looking for a cheap Blackberry, try out a refurbished one. Here are a few things you have to think about before purchasing. Get in touch with your mobile phone provider to assess if they’ve some refurbished Blackberries out there. You will be astonished the amount of refurbished Blackberrys are obtainable for less than full cost. Some may be discounted as much as 50%, and if you’re eligible for a device upgrade, your provider may send you a refurbished phone at no cost. Remember, based upon your service provider, you might have to sign up for a brand new, two-year contract.

Refurbished laptops are a good value as the consumer gets updated models with faster speeds, more memory, and much more features at an affordable price. Refurbished laptops are great choice if you are genuinely on a budget do not forget to look in Acer, and Averatec, as such to manufacturers strive to supply the customer with vary nice and trustworthy laptop at a few of the best prices you will discover. Shop around and I am confident you’ll see a notebook that is ideal for your needs and at an inexpensive price. If you are trying to find a laptop and wondering what your manufacturer of choice should be, your first decision should not be the brand it should be looking for a laptop that is capable of doing the task you want. After all the reason your purchasing another notebook is to be effective or for enhanced performance, so make sure it will handle the task and search for an acceptable price.

Welcome to our page for Affordable Desktop Computers, cheap laptop computers, computer accessories, software, components, memory, monitors, keyboards, printers and more. In reality, everythign to do with your computer or laptop. We’ve got a detailed list of stores for purchasing discount computers on the internet in the UK so you can compare prices and shop online for your computer or discount laptop. We partner with reputable well known retailers like Adobe, Currys, Dell, Dixons, MacWarehouse, PC World, Comet, HP, Apple Store GB and other

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#KelsusIT.com – Refurbished laptops #desktop computers #servers

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weholyperfectioncollectorme-blog · 7 years ago

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Will my insurance cover my totaled motorycle?

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I have a suspended license and hit a car resulting in my bike being totaled. I have full coverage and I had a license when I got the insurance will progressive pay for my bike?

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Will I still be able to make a claim if I have my own insurance, he's not on my insurance, and we live together. I know there is some sort of household rule, but is that just for having kids? What if he's my dad? Will I still be able to make a claim if we live in the same household, and he's not on my insurance? I'm 21, own the car myself, and the insurance myself, basically renting a room but can't prove it. He's only insured with his business car.""

What are the things affect car insurance premium?

As far as I know, engine size is considered for insurance. Is it true or not? Second, I like to know is the make and model of the car effects the insurance? For example, does an old car have more insurance or the new one?""

""After the insurance adjuster gives an estimate on the damages on my car, whats the next step?""

My car was hit by a van and the vans insurance company is paying for everything. I recently got a call from a body shop saying they received the estimate cost for the damage of my car. My question is: if I find another body shop to fix my car for less then the insurance company estimated, what happens with the left over money? Do they keep it or I do?""

I need a job to save for college and driver's ed?

I'll be 16 next month and I need a job badly. I'm saving up for driver's ed, a car, insurance, and an apartment for college. I've tried restaurants, burger joints, etc. But everyone seems to be on hiring freezes or is only hiring adults. I need to start saving indepently because my parents can't support me forever. What are some job options for a 16 year old f in ma?""

""I am 19 and in need of cheap insurance in michigan, any help?""

i have a 1994 ford escort, all paid off and everything, just bought it off of my mother, i just need the cheapest insurance i can get on it, just to say i have some. Thank you""

On average what is the rough price for bike insurance ?

its more just curiosity at the min as I've not settled on a bike I want I'm more that likely gonna get a ninja 250r, does anyone know or guess what the insurance wud be , I've ?[A class provisional] thanks for ur time guys""

Let's not have universal health care but just make health insurance more affordable?

and have the insurance companies take out take all these pre existing condition clauses. Then we don't have to worry about giving health care to illegals or higher taxes. Does anyone agree with me?

Car insurance? Audi a3? Finance?

I'm 17 and looking to pass my test by October when I will be 18. Now I went into an Audi garage and they said I could get a a3 on finance when I've passed my test and I'm 18. But I'm just wondering how much would the insurance be? Would they give me a deal or could it be cheaper on my dads? Thanks. Btw I've never had a car or insurance before

Do I need insurance for one time poetry event in Chicago?

I'm looking to rent a church Rectory to artists for events like open mic's, gallery showings, and other small (20 people max) one time events. Do I need insurance outside of the home insurance the Rectory already has?""

What is the average cost of car insurance?

Optional insurance from Hertz in USA?

Hello, I'm from Australia and will be renting a car from Hertz in Los Angeles. Included in my hire charges is: - Airport concession fee recovery - Loss Damage Waiver - Taxes - Liability Insurance Supplement - Vehicle license fee recovery - Customer Facility Charge - MISCELLANEOUS LOCATION TAX - California Tourism Commission Assessment - Unlimited Free Miles I've previously been duped into buying extra insurance or unnecessary insurance. I'm told this is not included: - Personal Accident Insurance / Personal Effects Coverage - PREMIUM EMERGENCY ROADSIDE SERVICE Can someone help? Do I require these extra insurance options? What do they actually cover? Thanks!""

Will my insurance go up for this charge?

Ok so last night me and my buddies were in mcdonalds parking lot, they were drinking beer and i wasn't. i had consumed 1 beer about 1 and a half hours before a started driving. One of my buddies threw a beer bottle out the window and some old lady called the cops. the cops then came when we were sitting in the parking lot eating or burgers and asked me if i have had anything to drink tonight and i said i had 1 beer about 2 hours ago and he said that he's not going to put me under a breathlyzer because he knows i will fail. I had one beer ffs! i am 16 btw. So the two charges i got were underage drinking and having unclosed alcohol in my vehicle for a total cost of $340. So now i have 2 questions do you think the cop was far? and will my insurance go up with those charges""

""Moved out of state, Can I still be on my parent's car insurance?""

I just graduated college and moved to California. I bought a new car in Iowa before I left and my parents cosigned the loan. We registered the car in Iowa, saying my name first or my father. Since then, they have brought the car out here. Am I able to stay on my parents insurance (Farm Bureau) even though I am no longer a resident of Iowa or their house? Also, am I required to register the vehicle in California even though he is on the loan and the current provider of insurance?""

What is the Cheapest Car Insurance For Young Driver?

18 Year Old, Male, Vauxhall Corsa 16V (1.2) Worth 1000, Full License Held for 2 Month, Access To Company Vehicle (Ex Personal Use), Mileage up to 5000 per year, No PASS PLUS, Social Use and kept on a public road.""

Do insurance rates vary on the type or model of car?

Car insurance for young drivers?

im 21 and i passed my test in july i just wanted to no if anyone no,s good reasonable priced insurance companies for new drivers.thanks""

Why insurance agent do not market term insurance?

I am working in an IT company & agent comes to our company for marketing ULIPs. By reading various articals on ULIPs, I now understand the charges & I wonder how these agents hide the charge story partially or completely. Some of my teammates blindly sign on the policy parers & get trapped in the ULIP trap. I asked all agents for Term Insurance & most of them clearly refuse that they only sell ULIPs.I want to know that why Agents & insurance companies have a single point agenda of selling ULIPs & not market term insurance.""

Cheapest auto insurance company?

Car insurance premium question UK?

OK, my question isn't nothing serious I paid 800-ish for my 1st year and 795 for 2nd year of me passing my test (I am 22yr old) and lived in the same year. Obviously in the two years I have changed my 1998 clio to a 2003 fiesta. Both my policies were TPFT. However my car insurance is due to expire in 2 months time and I have went on several insurers as well as gocompare etc and getting quoted 1495 cheapest and up to 3400 for my 2003 fiesta 1.4 why??????""

What Car Insurance Company will offer the Cheapest Insurance for an 18YO Male?

Looking for the least expensive.

Proof of insurance?

Hello I just bought a new car and called my insurance company to insure my new vehicle they have yet to send me my card my question is I need to drive cross country do you have to have an insurance card or can the police tell if you have insurance even if you do not have a card

What is the average cost to deliver a child without insurance?

Will my insurance cover my totaled motorycle?

I have a suspended license and hit a car resulting in my bike being totaled. I have full coverage and I had a license when I got the insurance will progressive pay for my bike?

""Can a car insurance provider cancel your insurance quote, without giving a refund?""

I recently renewed my car insurance with the Cooperative, I was charged and thought I was insured. After a few days I received a letter from the cooperative saying they have decided to terminate the insurance quote. If i want to know why I have to write a letter. After noticing Ive been charged and not given back a refund, I called and asked why this is. They said they wont refund the money, and all I could do is appeal for the money! They said the appeal has to be a letter sent to them, not email. Can they do this? Not only did they refuse to insure me (when they have done for so many years now), then they sent a letter saying they've decided to terminate it, without giving a reason, and they dont even mention anything about the money theyv charged me, I had to call in, and they tell me they wont refund the money?????""

I need help finding an affordable health insurance plan!! I am a young adult!?

I need help finding an affordable health insurance plan!! I am a young adult! I currently am 20, and I am on Medicaid. Full coverage. I am a former foster youth. Being a former foster care youth I get medicaid until I am 21. I turn 21 in October...I need some sort of affordable health insurance plan. I take ADHD medication, it really works and helps me focus. My work ethic has improved SIGNIFICANTLY, and I can actually focus. Its great, I am about to start college and am worried I am no longer going to be able to take this ADHD medication. I support myself for the most part, and no, I can not be on my parent's health insurance. I make about 16,000 a year, and pay half of rent and some bills etc. I need to find a health insurance plan that either A. will pay for all my my 198.00 a month prescrption cost, or B. pay for most of it. Will someone help me out? Direct me to any insurance company you know that can help me? Thank you so much. And please..real answers. Thank you for your time!""

How much money will the insurance pay for a stolen car?

Someone stole a family member car. The car is a total lost. How much will the insurance pay for the car. Is a Honda Civic 2006.....if i go to Edmund.com, or one of those sites I saw the car is worth about 12,000 dollars....... How will he know how much money he will get from the insurance company...thanks..bye""

Do you get motorcycle insurance before or after you buy it?

My insurance and how it'll go up in September?

I just received insurance. I am a brand new driver 18 in about thirty days. Just now bought myself a car and just now got insured on my Grandparent's insurance.Currently now, it's only $48 a month, but the insurance man said that it'll go up in September. It makes sense, considering that right now I'm only paying a part of the package. So I understand that. With me being a new driver, how much will this all go up? Are we talking about $150? I did not take driver's ed, but I am eligible for the Good Student discount. I know you can't tell me directly, because neither could he. It all changes. But can anyone give me maybe a ballpark? I'm female. Good student. New driver. Thank you!""

Does getting a Health Insurance quote run your credit?

I wanted to know if getting a quote from a health insurance provider (not through a job) runs a credit check? I never actually filled out the application, but I answered some questions to get quotes.""

Which company health insurance policy is best?

How long before insurance premiums start to drop?

My family health insurance premiums are about to go up to $800 per month. I don't think we can afford that kind of premium on a $65K household income. Will it get better once the insurance exchanges kick in? Talking to friends, they're also seeing their premiums double in some cases.""

Question about insurance liabilty when driving a drunk friend home in his car?

My friend asked me to drive his car for him to pick him up because he was drinking. I picked him up and on the way home got into a fender bender at my fault. His insurance paid for the damages done to the other vehicle, but he does not have complete coverage for his car and wants me to cover 800 dollars in damages done to his vehicle. I do not feel responsible for this. I have minimum coverage. Will he be able to take me to claims court? Am I liable for his damages?""

Car insurance for 16 year old boy in Bay Area California under parents?

I have good grades (above a 3.5), and I'm looking for cheap insurance for either a 2003 Honda Odyssey LX or a 2002 Lexus RX300. As of now, I am 16 and 4 months.""

Who do you think has the best car insurance rates?

Can You get Insured for a car thats not yours?

My girlfriends car is un insurenced and she got her L's suspended can i get insurence if im driving her car now?

How much do i need to save for a motorcycle?

I have my g1 and will be attending a motorcycle safety course soon then getting my m1. Then i can drive motorcycles. But I want to wait till next year..I am first buying my car. (03 crown vicotria) After the winter. I am 6'2 and weigh 140lbs. (17 and male) is a kawa ninja 250r a good first bike for me?? how much do i need to save for the bike itself? but also insurance?? what is your opinions?

Can there be two different auto insurances on the same car?

Im a new driver, im 17 and im in the state of illinois. I dont have a license yet, just a permit. My parents only have one car and i cannot afford my own at this time. My parents have allstate and their rates are too high for me. So i contacted another insurance agency and their rates for liability were lower. So, can one car be insured with two different insurances?""

How do you go to the doctor if you do not have health insurance?

I am working but I do not have Health Insurance. How do you go and where do you go to the doctor if you do not have health insurance?

I need advice on car insurance?

OK. Heres the history. I have 3 tickets on my record, two for speeding, and one for running a red light. I'm 18 years old and I am male. So i know I'm already ******. But i need to know is it possible for me to get car insurance again? Oh and technically I've had two accidents. And **** everyone who says Im a bad driver because Im not. I was just a dumb 16 and 17 year old. Quite frankly Im a greater driver than probably everyone who answers this. so shutup. REAL answers please. Thanks.""

Can a car insurance company ask you if you have health insurance when you make a claim?

I was in an accident recently and the other insurance company asked me if I had health insurance. I was not at fault. Can they do that?

Individual health insurance plan?

I'm trying to find an individual plan that covers all my needs. I do have a routine medical problem that requires a few prescriptions every month, it's not a big and costly issue like cancer or HIV. Should I disclose this as a preexisting medical condition if asked, will I be denied coverage if I'm honest? If I obtain the insurance after denying my condition could I be denied the care/specialty visit/meds from a very routine medical condition?""

How much is it to get car insurance at 16?

What are the consequences of switching to cheaper car insurance company? As in what would you lose out on?

""When changing auto insurance companies, am I bound by law to show the new policy to the old insurance company?""

Say, today is 1st Feb'09. I had an auto policy (from Farmers) that expired on 1st Jan'09. Today, I buy a new policy from a different insurance company(AAA). When I discontinue service with Farmers, am I bound to show the new insurance policy to them? Also, will I get charged for the period from 1st Jan'09 to 31st Jan'09 by Farmers?""

I need affordable dental care.?

I am a college student without any kind of health/dental insurance. I really need to have several root canals done. Is there anyway I can get affordable dental care without insurance?

Can I pay my car insurance monthly through parents?

I am 17 just learnt to drive and I have my own car and will be able to afford my car insurance IF i pay it monthly, I know they do not let under 18's pay it monthly, so can I say ...show more""

What insurance company is best for self employment health insurance?

I am thinking about becoming self employed. What company offers the best insurance policy for self employed people?

Car insurance for UK female age 21 Peaugout 206??

Anyone any rough idea how much id pay?? And any good, cheap insurers? Also, is it better to get comprehensive, 3rd party fire and theft or just 3rd party????""

Will my insurance cover my totaled motorycle?

I have a suspended license and hit a car resulting in my bike being totaled. I have full coverage and I had a license when I got the insurance will progressive pay for my bike?

Anyone know of any cheap insurance companies for a 17 year old on a renault clio 1.2 dynamique...?

in england that is and i am lookin at the premium being around 1000

Cheapest young driver car insurance?

i done endsleigh, i-kube, go compare, zura (or w/e), aa, swift, any i havent heard of that specialise i have googled specialist young driver insurance (had licence 3 months and im 18) Male""

How much is insurance for a 17 year old in NY???

I'm thinking on getting a honda prelude 98-2001.

Can you get your license in California without buying insurance right away?

I have had my permit since last June and have taken two behind the wheel lessons. My mom just told me that she cant get me my license because of the cost of insurance. I was wondering ...show more

Is there any auto insurance that is affordable for college students?

Best medical insurance for gastric bypass?

I have struggled with being overweight my whole life and I have decided I want gastric bypass. I currently do not have insurance and I want to buy insurance to cover the surgery. I'm not really sure how to go about purchasing insurance and which ones deny weight loss surgeries. I am 22 and in perfect other then being overweight, so I figure getting health insurance shouldn't be too hard to get approved for. Like I said just wondering which insurance is best for the surgery and any suggestions you have for purchasing health insurance would be great. Thanks!""

I'am 16 and does anyone has an idea how much would be my car insurance. i live in toronto?

16 yr old and wondering

Understanding my Co-Pay Insurance?

This is my co-pay insurance plan 90/70 (in network doctors/other doctors): Co-insurance 90% Out of pocket $4000 Deductible $4000 Here is one example of what they cover: Plan Network Co-pay for physical visits to the office Co-insurance 100% Co-payment $25 Co-insurance preventive 100% Out of Plan Network Deductible $12,000 Co-insurance 70% So, does this mean that I just pay $25 for a physical? Nothing more, unless something additional is done at the visit? When the co-insurance is 80%, does that mean I pay 20% of the bill? and... Is there a difference between Out of pocket and Deductible? Thanks!""

I am new to car insurance so this may sound simple.?

If I have fully comp insurance on my car , can any person with a current driving licence and, with my permission drive my car? Or must they have some form of personal car insurance to cover them or be a named driver, Thanks miguel""

Who has the best & affordable dental and medical insurance?

I need a lot of work on my teeth and I will know it will be expensive. I'm trying to find a good and affordable insurance for dental and medical. I would like my copay to be no more than 20% and my deductible to be no more than $3,000 & doctor visits no more than $30. Can anyone help me out? I'm also looking for not only me but my child as well.""

""I'm about to take my driving test & want to buy a new car, any recommendations for cheap purchase & insurance?""

I'm about to take my driving test & want to buy a new car, any recommendations for cheap purchase & insurance?""

Sued for Auto Accident Above Insurance Limit in NJ?

One year ago my wife was taking our daughter to pre-school turning left out the end of our road in to traffic, this road has a speed limit of 35 mph. Traffic had to stop to let her cross the first lane since it was solid cars, vans and small trucks. As she approached half-way, before getting a good view of oncoming traffic, another car took off the front bumper. Note that the center line is interuppted at the cross-junction. The bumper was torn from the front of the car with damage more evident on the non-impact side of the car than where initially hit, hence my wife had not initiated a turn, just edging forward to see. The radiator was in-tact, but damaged, still mounted to the front of the car. I walked to the site with our other child and took my daughter home; she is fine and I took her to school but still talks of the incident today. My wife stayed at the incident, and was fine (no later issues) keeping real calm and cooperating with police. It took about 2 hrs with police debating which town the incident took place (middle of the road is the divide) and the other driver was concerned about getting home to take a pot off the stove, but seemed medically fine. The driver asked me and the police to drive them home to get the pot off the stove and used my wifes cell phone more than once. They also wanted to drive their car home and leave the scene with a flat tire at one point I presume to attend to the pot. No tickets were issued, no air bags deployed. The other car had a flat front left tire and side damage so the drivers door was stuck shut. Both cars were old, so written off. Over a year later we received a court summons from their attorney and we are being sued for $750,000. Our limit is $100,000 on insurance. The plaintiff is claiming herniated discs and loss of bowel control. We have a 2006 no money down mortgage, so total equity is very much in the red since our home value plummeted. I have no umbrella policy. I am sole income, but was owner of the car my wife was driving. My wife is stay-at-home mom. The remaining $650,000 would be a big problem. Interestingly, we heard that the other driver called our insurance and asked for a >100-fold lower amount of money to just go away! Our insurer recalls this very clearly and did not pay. Questions: Should I invest in an attorney to work with our insurers attorney to cover the $650K over our limit? Do we have any case given the car the other driver may have been in a rush (as all were aware of the pot on the stove), would have settled for far less, and in reported safety tests should avoid an obstacle at 55mph let alone at the speed limit of 35 mph? Their case, as I understand, is to actually prove my wife was negligent, she was just trying to see. Reality and the law are complicated I understand. Our insurer is looking in to the validity of their medical claims. I believe for spinal and neck injuries plaintiffs have to follow careful insurance approved treatment plans in NJ. I know that such a condition may not be permanent with curative surgery possible to release the nerves that may be causing the bowel issue. The plaintiff has claimed the injury as permanent, do they need to prove this? Should we ask experts? The plaintiff lives in our town and their house is on my running route every other day. I have not noted anything at all and plan to stay away from all other parties. Should I change my running route? Thanks for any advice. Our 30 day clock is ticking.""

Is a smart car cheap to insure for a 17 year old?

My girlfriends has insurance for her vehicle but if she drive my car will he be insured?

I just got a new car and i chose esurance for my provider and she has statefarm for her car. According to esurance every driver i add to my insurance with cost me $40 more a month. so my question is if she drive my car will she still be insured by her insurance or do i have to add her to mine?

How can i get cheap car insurance?

is there anyway i could reduce my insurance costs

Tell me how it is right that insurance companies charge young adult males more than female for car insurance?

The answer I seem to get is it can be statistically proven that males are more aggressive,speed and get into more accidents. That may be the case, but I am sure you can prove that a particular ethnicitiy gets into more accidents too, or that people with a particular eye color get into more accidents or that people with an IQ below 100 get into more accidents. So why don't they charge them more for car insurance too? You can say insurance companies have the right to charge more if an event is more likely to happen, like Earthquake insurance is more expensive in California than it is in Michigan. The difference there is that when you charge Californians more there, you are basing it on an uncontrollable act of nature that is almost certain to happen, but when you charge that male more for car insurance you are making judgements about a person's character, making assumptions about his future behavior and financially punishing him for it before he has even done anything. Tell me where I am wrong""

Auto insurance for a 16 year old female?

*im adding some details i forgot to add last time, sorry for the question repost I was trying to do the online quote thing but i cant because its asks for a phone in order to generate the rates , and im most certainly not about to give them my phone number. No way jose.thats why im asking. -Im a 16 year old female -Dont have a license (yet) -im single -I would be driving a 2001 kia... i think sephia? Idk but it looks like a very basic car. -I have good grades -i have never gotten tickets or DUIS -I live arizona -I would only be driving to school which is approx. Seven minutes away fron where i live -I would only also be driving to work which is about 15 min away -I work part time So do any of u have an estimate??? Also please dont comment something irrelevant or pointless""

Can anyone tell me about Motor insurance card systems?

I need to know about the Orange, Blue, Pink, Brown, Yellow and White card systems. I found some goof info on wikipedia but i now need something to back it up. all i can find on internet searches is info on the generic green card. can anyone help?""

Would my insurance company consider a Datsun 280zx to be a sports car?

I'm looking to find a cheap car and I was looking through craigslist and found this Datsun. I'm only in high school though and my parents say I will have to pay for everything including insurance. As you can imagine I want to try and keep the insurance cost as low as possible but I also want to have a car that has some personality to it (no old people cars like crown vics or buicks). I don't know much about cars so I was wondering what else should I check out before I buy anything and it's too late.

How much does roofers insurance cost? I'm a one-man show for residential work looking for the cheapest policy?

Rough 125cc insurance?

hi, im just considering buying a 125cc bike, not sure on the make or anything yet, still looking. Im 18, can anybody tell me a ROUGH insurance cost? i know theres lots of things to be taken into account, but im just after a rough price. cheers :)""

Fast cheap automatic sedan?

Im looking for a first car. I need a 4 door sedan because insurance is cheaper, I need an automatic car because manual seems hard. How long would it take to learn stick shift by the way? Price rage is $12,000 at the most! I've been looking at the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, MazdaSpeed Proteges, and Volkswagen GTI. I realize that some of them are manual.""

My job doesn't offer me any insuance - what's the best affordable health insurance I can get?

How can you get medical insurance in the State of Va.?

I have been turned down by medicare because My daughter makes to much money. Turned down by private insurances because of preexisting illness.

I am moving to Alaska and driving through canada what will I need to cross the border?

Will my insurance cover my totaled motorycle?

I have a suspended license and hit a car resulting in my bike being totaled. I have full coverage and I had a license when I got the insurance will progressive pay for my bike?

Insurance Increase for a newer car Regal to Focus?

I had a 1999 Buick Regal Supercharged and switched to a 2002 Ford Focus SE. This resulted in my insurance going from 750 to 1000$ for the year. Any ideas why this may be, as far as I see the Focus should be safer and have more features resulting in lower insurance. According to my insurance company apparently it was rated as being less safe. (no coverages were changed on the insurance just the price increased) Any ideas would be much appreciated.""

Young driver car sports car question? (insurance)?

Im 17 years old. Im on a budget of 15k for a new car. Im looking at 2003 350z's, a 2003 Mitsubishi lancer evo, or a subaru wrx (non sti). All of these are ridiculous on insurance, i know, but thats the sacrifice that must be made because i refuse to drive an economy sedan and be like every other kid my age. Im not a wanna be fast-and-furious driver, i have loved cars all my life. What do you guys think would be the most practical sports car for me, either listed above or in your own eyes. Dont suggest anything with less than 230 to the wheels or more than 6 seconds to 60. Thanks.""

What is the best and most affordable auto insurance company?

I have a 1997 geo metro, I don't drive much everything is around me and I work out of my house, I just want basic coverage at a cheap rate.""

Insurance costs between 1.0 and 1.4?

i just got my driving licence and im trying to buy used car.. im looking at insurance prices and was wondering how much difference i would have between 1.4 engine and 1.0. im in my mid 20's and was wondering if u could get a car with bigger engine then 1.0 and still pay reasonable price im looking for only few years old small car.. nothing flashy.

How Much for a 17 year old to have full coverage on a car?

I REALLY dont wanna be on my dads insurance anymore, because i want to get a car of MY own in MY name and im not sure what to do because of how much full coverage would cost for myself. Any suggestions. Can i have my car in my name and be on somebody elses insurance? or what? i just cant pay 350 a month for full coverage!""

Car insurance and more than one car?

I don't know much about car insurance but I do know it's pretty expensive. What if you have more than one car, would you have to buy insurance for both of them? If that's true how can anyone afford more than one car... and do they have discounts if the same family have more than one car? If you don't mind can you tell me how much you are paying for you're car insurance?""

Car Insurance Renewal?

I currently have a 8 years no claims bonus and I am due to renew my car insurance at the end of this month. The quote is 520. However as the current value of my car is about 900-1000 and I only do about 3000 miles a year, I dont think its worth insuring this car for this year and plan to get rid of it. I plan to get a newer car next year or the year after. If I dont renew my car insurance this year and say there was a gap of 1 year or 2 between renewals, would I lose all of the benefit of my 8 years no claims? Would i have to start from 0 years no claims again? Any body help? Cheers!""

Is it Ok to buy insurance for me and let other people buy the car?

It is cheap to buy me insurance, so I am just wondering if I can buy the insurance and let other people to drive the car.""

Insurance company is denying me insurance.. can anyone help out?

well i was driving alone on a learners permit, got into an accident where i was not at fault. the insurance company denied the car claim and now they called and said they refuse to cover me unless my ticket is found not guilty. The problem is my court date is in 3 months. Is there any other way i can get insurance coverage?""

Car Insurance Price..........?

I have a question on Car Insurance price.. In the state of Virginia If I get my license at 16, and not drive till I'm 18, meaning I let my license sit, is my insurance going to be cheaper when I turn 18? So basically, is my insurance going to be cheaper if I get my license at 16, than 18?""

Can i swap my car insurance when i still have a claim going through?

i need to change my insurance because of outgoings, but i have aclaim for compensation still going on because a man hit the back of my car. Can i still cancel my insurance and go with a better quote.""

Can a person get medicare Insurance at 62 years old? What are the options?

I work with a guy who can retire this year because he will be 62 years old. And although he has a good retirement pension plan. He tells me the drawback is that he will not be eligible for medicare until he is 65 so he will probably have to work until then. Because of this I being much younger will more then likely will get a pink slip this year and be looking for work. This guy has way more seniority . Does this man have any affordable options? He really wants to retire.

Which is the cheapest 50cc moped to insure?

Looking at getting a 50cc moped to get to work and back at the lowest price possible. im 20 and still getting high insurance quotes. i was originally looking at the Honda CBR 125 but the insurance was 2000.

Will 1 speeding ticket make insurance companies deny you coverage for a job?

I know my question was a little confusing, but I wasn't sure how to word it. In other words, about a week ago I got a job with a local company called Rental City. It's like a ...show more""

Health insurance for geriatrics.?

My mom is going to be 64 years old in December and has being diagnosed with high blood pressure. She doesn't qualify for medicaid yet; which insurance company should I contact in Florida, so she can get an individual health insurance?""

""Young married couple, low cost health insurance with Rx?""

I'm going to get married soon (not RLY soon but i have to start thinking about some things in advance) and I have to get health insurance. I'm really confused by it but I've been doing some reading about it and some figures about the kind of finances we are going to have and all I really know at this point is that we can't afford more than 200 dollars per month and that has to include prescriptions and everything. My soon to be husband is really healthy, only real issue is near-sightedness. I'm a little more sickly, I have asthma and allergies and the same eye problems. I keep them all pretty much under control but I need my meds. What plan would be best for us so that we can keep costs low and still get me my Rx?""

Health Insurance for an Eighteen year old Graduate?

Alright. I am in desperate need of some knowledge. I just graduated from high school and live in Idaho with my boyfriend and his parents. The house includes 2 parents, 3 kids under the age of eighteen and 2 adults that are exactly of the age of eighteen years (7 total). I used to live with my father, who does not have any health insurance (he's a Veteran). And even before that I lived with my mother in California who although does have health insurance, I was never a part of. My boyfriend's mother wants to take me to the Department of Health and Welfare so that I could maybe get with Medicaid or something to help me out. I haven't had a job yet (still trying to find one) and I really am quite lost in the world. I am behind on immunizations, have not visited a dentist...in a while. I do have terrible eye sight and will need more exams in the future and have not yet received any type of check up from a doctor or a physical. I was wondering if there was a way that I could get on my mom's insurance even though she lives in another state and maybe if welfare was all I could really do now. I'm not very educated about insurance and was hoping if there was a wise person out there who could help me. I appreciate any help at all and thank all of you for taking the time to read my cry for help.""

""Thinking about buying individual health insurance in georgia, 22 years old?""

in the beginning of feb my dad passed away so i they dropped coverage on 2/28. i get health insurance through my employer but it isn't good. can i still apply online for individual health insurance even though i can get insurance through my employer? i plan on quitting in two months so i figure it would save me the hassle if i get individual health care now. i have asthma and need medicine regularly/monthly. i'm planning on going on vacation in the summer and then when i get back, i plan to get a job with health benefits, so i would only need insurance until then. would that be considered short term (now-august/september)? does the price differ from short term and long term health insurance? i was looking up some plans online and i was thinking of applying for this one. http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/ehi/ifp/plan-details?planKey=3002:200067&productLine=IFP&noSelectedPlan=true&ifpUIState.planDetailsBackUrl=/ifp/all-plans so what this means is that i pay 115 dollars a month and since there is no separate prescription deductible, i can buy my prescriptions which is tier 2/3 for the copay only. also there is a 2500 maximum out of pocket for my part. right? and is this a good plan for me? im 22 and dont smoke/drink and live in georgia, my only health concern is that i have asthma. can they reject my application because i have asthma and that's a pre-existing condition? and when i get a job with health benefits i can just cancel this or is there a contract that states i have to be with them for a certain amount of time? thank you very much for your time!""

Do insurance companies operate on bank holidays?

I wouldn't mind getting some insurance for my moped tomorrow, but I heard its bank holiday monday...Will this stop me getting through to them?""

Can a dying person get life insurance?

I found out recently that my terminally ill father-in-law has no life insurance, or only a tiny policy. How can we pay for a funeral?""

A question about car insurance in California?

The other day I recieved a letter in the mail that said I need to go get my car insured or it could be suspended. I want to get the cheapest insurance possible (state minimum). What company has the cheapest insurance and how much can I expect to pay per month?

Should the young pay the same for health insurance as the elderly?

Why or why not?

Health and travel insurance for the US?

Hi, I am a British student undertaking an internship in the U.S for 6 weeks this summer. I need Health insurance that complies with the requirements for the J-1 Visa, and though I have found a company that can help me (http://www.isoa.org/compare_plans.aspx) with Health insurance, they don't offer any travel insurance. The companies that I have found for travel insurance don't tend to provide the level of Health insurance that I require. Do people normally take out 2 seperate policies when travelling to the U.S? (e.g. one health, one travel?) If so, can anyone find me somewhere that provides travel insurance to the U.S without health insurance included? Thanks!""

Rebuttel for car insurance?

I just got this new job getting info for a insurance agent so they can do a quote for a person. I was wondering what is a good rebuttel when ppl say they are not interested in the quate. Its free and they get the quote mailed to them.

If I finance a new motorcycle do I need full coverage?

I live in Texas, 19 years old. I am going to buy a new 2011 ninja 250. I have the cash to pay for it. But I'd rather have payments. Does Insurance in the state of Texas REQUIRE you to have full vehicle coverage on a FINANCED vehicle? Thank you!""

Will my insurance cover my totaled motorycle?

I have a suspended license and hit a car resulting in my bike being totaled. I have full coverage and I had a license when I got the insurance will progressive pay for my bike?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/house-car-insurance-quotes-ontario-christine-delgado/"

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onenationprinc-blog · 7 years ago

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Meet the British whiz kid who fights for justice with a robo-lawyer sidekick

Joshua Browder/Facebook Joshua Browder/Facebook There’s a line in Shakespeare’s Henry VI in which one character offers his take on how to improve life for everyone in England. “The first thing we do,” he says, “let’s kill all the lawyers.” Jump forward 400 years and 21-year-old British computer whiz kid Joshua Browder doesn’t want to kill all the lawyers — but his robot lawyer may just help delete them. A few years ago, then-18 year old Browder created an A.I. chatbot called DoNotPay, designed to help anyone who needed it to appeal parking tickets for free. In his own words, it was a “side project just to impress a few friends.” But it became something more than that. After receiving a series of parking tickets himself, Browder was shocked by the lack of available free resources to help him. Even worse, he discovered an underclass of lawyer who would help complete the necessary forms, but wanted half the cost of the ticket in order to do so. Shortly thereafter, a new project was born. “I’m just doing this from my dorm room.” His hacked-together robot lawyer works by guiding users through a series of questions, like whether or not parking signs were clearly visible when they parked, as part of the appeals process. When DoNotPay launched online, it went viral almost immediately. Within a short space of time, it had helped successfully appeal $4 million worth of tickets. Today, Browder pegs that figure at around $12 million. “I’m just doing this from my dorm room,” Browder, now a computer science major at Stanford University, told Digital Trends. “It’s not like it’s something that’s got a big corporation behind it. I just love coding, and I’ve coded something I’m lucky enough is now being used by hundreds of thousands of people.” Know your rights The problem, he says, is that most people have no idea about their rights. That’s a big issue because most of us turn out to be very compliant: we’ll complain about a parking ticket to our friends or partner, but we’ll ultimately pay it because… well, surely the people issuing the fines know what they’re doing! Since launching DoNotPay, Browder has expanded the service, working with a small team of volunteer lawyers to do so. The DoNotPay chatbot can now help people get access to government housing, dispute an airline charge, resolve problems with landlords, and hundreds of other use-cases. Recently, Browder launched an update that helps people in the U.S. get the absolute cheapest airfare. To do this, it continually searches for lower-priced tickets, even after you’ve made a purchase, and then finds a legal loophole to help you cancel the old one and rebook at the lower price. The difference in cost gets refunded straight to your bank account. “It’s really exciting to give access to justice for people,” he continued. “In the U.S., and I think a similar statistic is true in the U.K., over 80 percent of those who need lawyers can’t actually afford it. By making this service free I can help people to access the justice that they need.” An update helps people in the U.S. get the absolute cheapest airfare. Browder comes from a dauntingly high-achieving family. His father, Bill Browder, is an American-born British financier, previously CEO and co-founder of the largest foreign portfolio investment firm in Russia, before being banned from the country for allegedly exposing corruption. His grandfather, Felix Browder, was an American mathematician known for his work in nonlinear functional analysis, who at one time served as president of the American Mathematical Society. However, it’s his great grandfather that Browder cites as perhaps his biggest source of inspiration. Earl Russell Browder was an American political activist who was leader of the Communist Party USA during the 1930s and first half of the 1940s. “In the 1940s, he actually ran for President of the United States on the communist ticket,” Browder said. “He was like the Bernie Sanders of his day. There were big problems with exploitation and worker rights. He used to do these huge campaigns to help people fight for their rights, mailing out thousands of letters to people.” Using modern technology, Browder says that he believes it’s possible to scale “those same great principles to help make the world a slightly better place.” The ‘Mark Zuckerberg house’ Which brings us to DoNotPay, circa 2018. After going it alone for a few years, Browder has now accepted some venture funding. Last summer, he moved out to Silicon Valley for a couple months and rented the “Mark Zuckerberg house,” a five-bedroom home in Palo Alto, depicted in the movie The Social Network as the nerdy frat house that served as Facebook’s first unofficial HQ. Is there any conflict between the noble mission of helping people achieve justice, and a desire to latch onto the legend of a fraternity-style home that once saw a young Mark Zuckerberg ride a zipline into the swimming pool? “Silicon Valley is getting worse and worse in the eyes of the public. However, there’s one thing that I think is really good, and that should be transferred to the rest of the world, and that’s that lots of people who start [businesses] don’t do it just to make money,” Browder said. “I can’t read Mark Zuckerberg’s mind, but don’t believe that he started Facebook to make money. He did it because it’s a cool product that helped lots of people.” “I’m not against lawyers in general — just the ones who exploit people.” Does he worry about the effect that DoNotPay might have on lawyers? After all, while lawyers aren’t always painted as the world’s most sympathetic bunch, they’re just as much at risk of automation as the rest of us. In the book Failing Law Schools, law professor Brian Tamanha points to U.S. government statistics suggesting that, through 2018, there will only be 25,000 new openings available for young lawyers — despite the fact that law schools will produce around 45,000 graduates during that same timeframe. This might one day turn out to be the “good old days.” It is quite possible that one day law firms will hand many jobs over to A.I. systems, and retain only a few high-earning human lawyers at the top of the pile. “I’m not against lawyers in general; just the ones who exploit people by charging huge amounts of money for copying and pasting documents,” Browder said. “I don’t think my software will be arguing in the high court any time soon, but one day my dream is to give everyone representing themselves in court a personal robot lawyer that can advise them on what to say to help them with their issues. In the long run, hopefully everything a consumer would ever need a lawyer for can be made free for them. That’ll be true access to justice.” The automation of law Not everyone is convinced that A.I. robots such as this will necessarily disrupt the legal profession in a profound way. In a Quartz article, the legal journalist and scholar Ephrat Livni disputes the description of DoNotPay as a “robot lawyer,” pointing out the complexity of what a real lawyer does. Livni isn’t wrong. Applying the law to a case isn’t just about knowing how to call up the right rule at the right time. The judicial process, for instance, is less about mechanical objectivity than it is about a high level of intersubjective agreement. Lawyers have to be creative in their arguments. It’s also hard to imagine large companies ever laying off their slickly suited legal team in favor of recruiting the A.I. law firm of Siri, Watson, & Alexa (or whatever such a firm might be called.) But if advances in legal A.I.s continue to develop at the rate of other artificial intelligence applications, our understanding of what is “standardized” and “bespoke” legal advice will almost certainly shift. In 2004, serious academics thought A.I. would never be able to drive a car. A few years ago, the board game Go was considered a no-no for machine intelligence. Both of those are now demonstrably incorrect. What job that currently requires a human lawyer is the equivalent of either of those? Even if DoNotPay only continues to carry out lower level legal work, though, Browder is convinced that his service is making a difference. “I get about 100 emails a day,” he said. “People sometimes assume that because I create these technologies, I can personally help them with random legal issues. That can be exciting when it gives me new ideas for products. But on the other hand I’ve heard some really sad stories. Just in terms of parking tickets, I’ve heard from people who are homeless, who live in their car, and just keep getting new tickets every day. I’ve also heard from people whose banks made one minor mistake on their credit report, which ruins their life. This makes me realize how terrible the world can be — and how important it is to try and do something to help.” Editors’ Recommendations https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/robot-lawyer-free-acess-justice/ https://blog.cyberprosocial.com/2018/03/25/meet-the-british-whiz-kid-who-fights-for-justice-with-a-robo-lawyer-sidekick/

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christophergill8 · 6 years ago

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6 tax tips for divorcing (or divorced) couples

Photo by Kumar's Edit via Flickr

I've been married a long time. To the same guy.

Marriage is not always easy and we don't even have a boss stirring up trouble between us.

But we've made it through the tough times. And now as we patch things up when we do have our differences, we joke that we're staying together because it would be a bigger hassle to divorce.

Sometimes, though, couples can't work through their troubles and decide to officially end their marriages.

When that happens, among all the other issues, there are tax matters to consider.

Here are 6 tax tips that could come into play if you and your current better half decide to go your separate ways.

1. Alimony is no longer a factor. Before enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), when the end of matrimony led to the start of alimony, each parting partner felt tax effects. No longer.

The new tax law says that for divorces granted in tax year 2019 through 2025, alimony is not a good or bad tax factor.

The payer of alimony can no longer deduct the payments. That's too bad for that ex-spouse.

However, the recipient of the spousal support gets better TCJA news. Those payments are no longer taxable income.

you can't deduct the interest.

Child support unchanged The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) did not alter the treatment of child support granted when couples divorce. Those amounts remain non-deductible for the paying parent and nontaxable to the parent receiving the payments on behalf of the divorced couple's children.

Note, too, the effective date of the formal matrimonial split.

If your divorce agreement was finalized by the court and/or formal divorce decree issued before the end of 2018, the pre-TCJA rules are grandfathered. That means both alimony deductions and taxes due on received payments remain in effect for you and your ex unless your divorce arrangement is specifically modified to comply with the new law.

2. Your filing status will change. The calendar also controls your filing status. It is based on your official marital status as of the last day of the tax year. So if your divorce is finalized on Dec. 31, even though you married the other 364 days, you are a solo taxpayer for that full year.

If you have no children, then both ex-spouses will file that year's tax return as single taxpayers.

However, if children are involved, the parent who gets primary custody generally can file as head of household and take advantage of more beneficial tax brackets and claim a larger standard deduction.

3. Exemptions have ended, but tax credits remain. The TCJA eliminated personal and dependent exemptions. However, the parent with whom the kids live for most of the year can claim a variety of child-related tax breaks.

The most popular one is the child tax credit that's worth $2,000 per child, with up to $1,400 of that being refundable. If a dependent child is too old to qualify for this credit — that's the case when the youngster is 17 or older — the custodial parent can claim the related $500 credit for each qualifying dependent.

When splits are amicable, parents often agree to share tax breaks even when the kids spend most of their time with mom or dad. The noncustodial parent, for example, can claim the child tax credit for the minor children when the other parent signs a waiver agreeing not to claim the tax exemption for the same children. To let the Internal Revenue Service know of this deal, the noncustodial parent will need to file Form 8332 with his or her return.

Be careful here. When a child is claimed as a dependent on more than one tax return, those filings get flagged by the IRS. That means you and your ex-spouse will likely share one more post-marriage experience, an audit.

4. Decide what to do with the house. Selling your residence is a great tax shelter, especially for jointly filing married couples. That didn't change under the new tax law.

A legally wed duo still gets to exclude up to $500,000 in home sale profit from taxable income. A single homeowner, however, only gets half that tax-sheltered savings.

So if there's a likelihood that neither spouse wants to keep the house long-term, look into selling it before the split or making compensatory arrangements for the spouse who'll keep it and get the smaller tax break when finally selling.

5. Assess other assets. When divorces are nasty, sometimes one partner tries to hide income and assets before the process of breaking up begins. In these cases, you — more appropriately, your lawyer and forensic accountant — might need to use taxes to uncover hidden assets before the split.

Even when the property to be divided is clear, you need to carefully weigh the tax implications. Take, for example, a couple that has a tax-deferred retirement account and a regular investment account, both worth $100,000 each.

Spouse A gets the retirement money. Spouse B keeps the regular account. Fair, right?

Not so much when you look at the taxes.

When A starts taking money from the retirement account, taxes will be due at ordinary tax rates on the earnings that have been accruing tax-deferred for years. B, however, will be able to pay generally lower long-term capital gains tax on that account's withdrawals.

In this situation, the A might argue for additional assets to cover the expected higher tax costs.

6. Don't forget state taxes. There are 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, and those jurisdictions will have final say over the end of a marriage. They also could have some tax matters that a divorcing couples needs to consider.

A prime example here is what your state's laws say about your married if you live in one of the community property states — Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.

Your divorce attorney no doubt will be up to speed here, but make sure you also consult a tax professional as to what state laws will mean to your taxes as you consciously uncouple.

I hope you and your spouse remain as happily married as the hubby and I. But just in case, make sure you consider taxes when it's time to finally call it quits.

You also might find these items of interest:

Dec. 31 wedding and divorce tax matters

6 signs married couples should consider separate tax returns

Dealing with Divorce Dollars + Cents, Austin Woman Worth column