Type Of Mortgage Loan

Homebuyers and homeowners need to decide which home Mortgage loan is right for them. Then, the next step in getting a mortgage loan is to submit an application ( Uniform Residential Loan Application ). Although we try to make the loan simple and easy for you, getting a mortgage loan is not an insignificant process.

Insurance Set

Below is a short synopsis of some loan types that are currently available.

CONVENTIONAL OR CONFORMING MORTGAGE Loans are the most common types of mortgages. These include a fixed rate mortgage loan which is the most commonly sought of the various loan programs. If your mortgage loan is conforming, you will likely have an easier time finding a lender than if the loan is non-conforming. For conforming mortgage loans, it does not matter whether the mortgage loan is an adjustable rate mortgage or a fixed-rate loan. We find that more borrowers are choosing fixed mortgage rate than other loan products.

Mesothelioma

Conventional mortgage loans come with several lives. The most common life or term of a
mortgage loan is 30 years. The one major benefit of a 30 year home mortgage loan is that one pays lower monthly payments over its life. 30 year mortgage loans are available for Conventional, Jumbo, FHA and VA Loans. A 15 year mortgage loan is usually the least expensive way to go, but only for those who can afford the larger monthly payments. 15 year mortgage loans are available for Conventional, Jumbo, FHA and VA Loans. Remember that you will pay more interest on a 30 year loan, but your monthly payments are lower. For 15 year mortgage loans your monthly payments are higher, but you pay more principal and less interest. New 40 year mortgage loans are available and are some of the the newest programs used to finance a residential purchase. 40 year mortgage loans are available in both Conventional and Jumbo. If you are a 40 year mortgage borrower, you can expect to pay more interest over the life of the loan.

A Fixed Rate Mortgage Loan is a type of loan where the interest rate remains fixed
over life of the loan. Whereas a Variable Rate Mortgage will fluctuate over the life
of the loan. More specifically the Adjustable-Rate Mortgage loan is a loan that has a
fluctuating interest rate. First time homebuyers may take a risk on a variable rate for qualification purposes, but this should be refinanced to a fixed rate as soon as possible.

Loans
A Balloon Mortgage loan is a short-term loan that contains some risk for the borrower. Balloon mortgages can help you get into a mortgage loan, but again should be financed into a more reliable or stable payment product as soon as financially feasible. The Balloon Mortgage should be well thought out with a plan in place when getting this product. For example, you may plan on being in the home for only three years.

Despite the bad rap Sub-Prime Mortgage loans are getting as of late, the market for this kind of mortgage loan is still active, viable and necessary. Subprime loans will be here for the duration, but because they are not government backed, stricter approval requirements will most likely occur.

Refinance Mortgage loans are popular and can help to increase your monthly disposable income. But more importantly, you should refinance only when you are looking to lower the interest rate of your mortgage. The loan process for refinancing your mortgage loan is easier and faster then when you received the first loan to purchase your home. Because closing costs and points are collected each and every time a mortgage loan is closed, it is generally not a good idea to refinance often. Wait, but stay regularly informed on the interest rates and when they are attractive enough, do it and act fast to lock the rate.

A Fixed Rate Second Mortgage loan is perfect for those financial moments such as home improvements, college tuition, or other large expenses. A Second Mortgage loan is a mortgage granted only when there is a first mortgage registered against the property. This Second Mortgage loan is one that is secured by the equity in your home. Typically, you can expect the interest rate on the second mortgage loan to be higher than the interest rate of the first loan.

An Interest Only Mortgage loan is not the right choice for everyone, but it can be very effective choice for some individuals. This is yet another loan that must be thought out carefully. Consider the amount of time that you will be in the home. You take a calculated risk that property values will increase by the time you sell and this is your monies or capital gain for your next home purchase. If plans change and you end up staying in the home longer, consider a strategy that includes a new mortgage. Again pay attention to the rates.

A Reverse mortgage loan is designed for people that are 62 years of age or older and already have a mortgage. The reverse mortgage loan is based mostly on the equity in the home. This loan type provides you a monthly income, but you are reducing your equity ownership. This is a very attractive loan product and should be seriously considered by all who qualify. It can make the twilight years more manageable.

The easiest way to qualify for a Poor Credit Mortgage loan or Bad Credit Mortgage loan is to fill out a two minute loan application. By far the easiest way to qualify for any home mortgage loan is by establishing a good credit history. Another loan vehicle available is a Bad Credit Re-Mortgage loan product and basically it's for refinancing your current loan.

Important Insurances you must have

Auto Insurance:
         This one is apparent because it is illegal to drive vechicle in the USA without some form of auto insurance. People advice on auto insurance if you are looking to save some money is to do your homework and go to an independent agent whom can shop different companies to find you the best rate.  Save money on the premium by opting for a higher deductible or cutting out collision coverage if your car is more than 7 years old.  Check cheap on the liability portion of auto coverage.  If you cause an accident and someone becomes paralyzed for your negligence, an attorney will take you to the cleaners without proper liability insurance.

Get Auto Insurance Quote

Health Insurance:
          In my point of view there are plenty of people between the ages of 18 – 30 whom do not have health insurance. One semi-major accident or illness and you will be paying medical bills for the next 10 years.  I know that there are plenty of universities that offer a plan that is catered toward students and the premium is reasonable.  If your employer offers a health plan in their benefits package, PLEASE sign up for it.  Usually they fit the bill for most of the monthly premium.

Get Health Insurance Quote

Property Insurance:
          This coverage applies to renters and homeowners.  If you own a home or a condo/townhouse, then you NEED to have a homeowner’s policy.  The standard homeowner’s policy is the most bang for your buck in terms of what it covers as an insurance policy.  I know that many people think that homeowner’s insurance is lousy (especially if you live in Florida), but it offers quite a bit of coverage.  First, it covers your home for everyting unless specifically excluded like flood,  it covers your personal property ANYWHERE in the world, and it gives you liability coverage if someone sues you for being liable for something that happened to them.  It’s your biggest asset, you NEED to protect it.  If you rent, you NEED to have a renter’s policy.  It covers your stuff for things like theft, water damage, fire, and lightning. It also has some liability coverage built into it as well.  A renter’s policy is literally $10 – 15 per month. Cut out two pizzas per month and you can afford it.

Get Property Insurance Quote

Long-term Disability Insurance:
            This is the one that most people do not think about, and therefore, seldom purchase.  This especially goes for younger people, because we like to think we’re invincible.  Well, the fact is that accidents happen all the time, and you need to protect yourself if something tragic happens, and you are unable to work any longer.  Long-term disability insurance kicks in when you injure yourself and are unable to go back to work for an extended period of time or never.  it supplements the income you would have earned.  This insurance is rated largely on your occupation, so if you have a desk job, your premium would be really cheap. But if you are in the construction business, your premium would be pretty expensive.

Get Disability Insurance Quote

Mesothelioma Lawyers And Lawsuits

Mesothelioma attorneys are committed to acceptable those afflicted by Mesothelioma blight in accomplishing the better banking recoveries possible. As acquaintance has developed about the ache and the numbers of victims has risen, companies that were lax about authoritative asbestos in the abode accept faced action from victims represented by law firms and mesothelioma attorneys specializing in bringing mesothelioma cases to court.

Workers who developed mesothelioma afterwards years of asbestos acknowledgment began filing lawsuits adjoin companies that abominably apparent advisers to asbestos fibers. Asbestos-mesothelioma attorneys will analysis the accomplished of the asbestos victims and acquisition out if any aggregation is accountable for the mesothelioma cancer. Your mesothelioma case will be filed in the accompaniment that one of your mesothelioma attorneys determines will accommodate you with the best affairs of convalescent the a lot of compensation.

The bulk of advantage for your mesothelioma injuries will depend on a amount of factors, such as the ad-measurement of your exposure, the articles you were apparent to, the dates and locations of your asbestos exposure, and the acquaintance and assets of your mesothelioma lawyers.

Mesothelioma lawsuits filed by workers accept helped prove that abounding companies advisedly put their advisers at accident for mesothelioma by acceptance them to plan in environments with a top accident of asbestos exposure. If you are a victim of acknowledgment to asbestos and accept been diagnosed with any blazon of mesothelioma, it is actual important that you acquisition a accomplished mesothelioma advocate to handle your mesothelioma lawsuit. You charge the appropriate analysis as anon as accessible and the appropriate asbestos advocate or mesothelioma advocate to action for banking help.

However, some humans accept abused the system. Motivated by greed, arrant attorneys as able-bodied as biologic companies accept resorted to misinformation and absolute fraud. Responding to what abounding are alpha to call as a crisis (the National Association of Manufacturers cites asbestos action as a top priority, alongside such big issues as taxes, activity and trade), attorneys for the companies getting sued, as able-bodied as some attorneys who represent alone actively ill patients, alternate that a lot of such apparel are bottomless and an corruption of the courts. Over the years, abounding humans accept been analytically of the ascent lawsuits; now, even some plaintiff attorneys are abutting those critics in an accomplishment to advance for a alder manic reform.

Attorneys who represent mesothelioma patients are able to alternate your affairs with you and admonish you of your acknowledged rights. Finding accomplished acknowledged representation can accordingly be a challenge, but just as you would seek an accomplished doctor or oncologist to amusement your medical needs, it is important to acquisition a mesothelioma advocate who has acquaintance successfully aggravating mesothelioma lawsuits. From acknowledged to medical advice, asbestos victims can absolutely acquisition advantageous methods of advancement a accustomed way of life.

Check out: Mesothelioma Lawyers

Cheapest Car Insurance in Virginia

Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state located in the South Atlantic region of the United States. Anyone living in Virginia who is extremely wealthy may not be that afraid with finding cheapest car insurance in Virginia. As a rough count there are approximately 176 insurance companies and agencies in Virginia, each company has its own prices and benefits. And After all, Virginia Law states that Occupants who own their own business or firm or Organization can post their own insurance through a security bond that gives cheapest car insurance in Virginia. Car Drivers usually find that while the smaller companies has lower rates, while the larger companies offer the best package plans with house owner insurance and more.

Virginia is also a tort state. This means that anyone will be found at mistake of any accident and will held responsible for all damages. And obviously If you live in this state, it may be advised when looking for cheapest car insurance in Virginia to research a bigger coverage plan. Finding the right insurance company takes a little time and research, Mostly car drivers will want to find a company that offers everything they need at a price that they can be comfortable and afford. There is one approach that many people never consider is to look for cheapest car insurance in Virginia online.

Eligibility and Requirements for Virginia Car Insurance

It is a law to keep a valid proof of insurance in your vehicles at all time. And most important thing is you must show this when asked failure can result in Penalty. For cheapest car insurance in Virginia you are also required to maintain some type of uninsured motorist coverage. Virginia state law requires minimum Bodily Injury Liability limits of $25,000 per injured person. And up to a total of $50,000 per accident, and Property Damage Liability coverage with a minimum limit of $20,000 to get cheapest car insurance in Virginia. There are some rumors that you can pay 500.00 to the state of Virginia and not have to carry insurance. While this plan may sound cheap, it is not a wise decision.

The rules and regulation of Virginia state law also consider a minimum Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage of $35,000 per person up to a total of $50,000 per accident for bodily injury caused by the uninsured or underinsured car driver, this is to help protect against damages cause to drivers and their passengers by uninsured drivers. Cheapest car insurance in Virginia rates fluctuate a great deal. Never predict that one company’s quote will be similar to their neighbor. Moreover small or large Insurance companies and agencies do not have fixed rates, so drivers may find prices extremely lower, depending on the company, driving history, and the type of cheapest car insurance in Virginia the driver wants.

In order to fit for cheapest car insurance in Virginia you can consider upgrading some features on your car. Safety belts, airbags, theft devices, and other similar items may be inexpensive to have installed and can make a huge difference in your price quote.

How to invest in gold below are some options.

Gold has been one of the most impressive asset classes over the last few years. The extraordinary return of above 20% generated during this period has attracted investors from all segments. Although Indians consume gold more for sentimental reasons, the current volatility in equity markets and a phenomenal rise in gold prices have seen investors vying for their share of returns.

Gold is one asset class which is consumed in many forms. But each one is suited in different scenarios. For instance, a simple gold bar is different from jewellery and investing through gold ETF has its own advantage. "At times it's difficult for an investor to make a choice. So before making any investment decision, you need to analyze your requirements and then weigh the various options of investing in this asset class to identify which one will match your objective," says Jitendra P.S. Solanki, a SEBI-registered investment adviser and founder of JS Financial Advisors.

Here we take a look at the different options of investing in gold and also when should they be considered:

1. Jewellery

Traditionally Indians like flaunting this assets and that's one of the reasons why gold is so popular here. But buying gold in the form of jewellery has its own costs involved. The primary one is the making charges, which can be to the tune of 10%. There are costs associated even when you sell jewelry, especially when it is to a different jeweler. More than that the change in designs and other factors over the time does not hold good for investing though this mean in the long term. It may be a viable option if it's for immediate use or it has to be gifted. If you are looking at holding the asset for a very long term, other options will be more cost effective and liquid.

2. Bar, Coin or Biscuit

Gold bar is one of the oldest forms of preserving gold. There is less cost involved than buying gold in the form of jewellery. Where you incur higher charges is the preservation of the physical asset when you have to keep it in a safe custody. Most banks and financial institutions are selling gold coins. In fact, it has become a most lucrative form of gifting during festival or promotions. But the price of buying a gold coin is higher than the market rate so that the institution selling it can earn profit. Also, banks only sell it and are not allowed to trade by the regulator. So, "if you do buy a gold coin, you will have to sell it to a jeweler only who will deduct charges then. With all these costs involved, holding gold physically will not be cost effective. Knowingly if you decide to invest through these means, buy it from a reputed jeweler as there is always a purity issue. This will also help you avoid the cost during selling it when in need," says Solanki.

3. Gold ETF

Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) have been gaining slow acceptance in India and gold ETF has emerged as one of the favorite investments. This is primarily due to a few reasons. Firstly, these are traded on a stock exchange providing high liquidity to investors. Every unit of ETF is equivalent to 1 gram of gold. Secondly, investors do not have to bear high cost unlike physical gold and the underline gold held by institution is also of high purity. Thirdly, the gains are treated as long term after one year and there is no wealth tax like in physical gold. However, one need to manage a demat and trading account to invest through ETF. Also, there are expenses within the fund (.5-1%) which one need to be aware of. The ease of investing and high liquidity are the main drivers for attraction towards gold ETF. Overall investing through ETF is the most viable option when you want to take exposure in gold.

4. E-Gold

After the NSEL fiasco, e-gold has lost its sheen. They were similar to gold ETF with a major difference that e-gold is traded up to 11.45 a.m. This provides much higher liquidity than gold ETF. Also, it's the only option where units can be converted to physical gold and unlike ETF, there is no difference in prices. "But the long-term capital gains arise after 3 years and wealth tax is applicable. Also, opening a separate demat and trading account may be cumbersome for some people. Have been a good option only if you don't mind operating extra demat account. Moreover, after the NSEL scam, it will take time for e-gold to gain interest," says Solanki.

 5. Gold Funds

Unlike gold ETF, gold mutual fund schemes are not traded on any exchange. These are identical to mutual fund schemes which a common man is conversant with. There are two categories of gold funds -- Gold Fund of Fund and Gold Funds. An FOF invests in gold ETF while gold funds invest in mining companies. Although these have easier option to invest, gold FOF have higher expenses and gold funds have higher risk associated as they invest in stocks. One needs to be aware of these factors before availing this option.

Whatever be the case, gold is an ideal investment avenue to hedge inflation. But you should not invest in gold only based on the past performance of any option, as there is no guarantee of the repetition of that performance again. Therefore, look at the long-term results and expect reasonable returns from the avenue in alignment with your objectives. Before availing any option, you should look at your requirements and then decide. From financial planning perspective, however, keep the exposure in gold within certain limits.

Insurance Ads in Newspaper

In recent years, the insurance sector in India has given us some brilliant television commercials. It is now time to highlight some of the best ones.

1. Max Bupa Family Health Insurance – A young woman introduces the man in her life to five successive generations in her family, with each family member quoting the catchphrase, “Mere liye okay hai… par Papa?” The ad targets the large Indian family, offering a family floater plan that goes beyond the nuclear family and covers up to five generations.

2. L&T Insurance – The ad shows people making tall claims in daily life. For example, a mother tells her son that he can top his class if he eats the greens on his plate; the boy retorts, “Likh ke doge kya?” The ad highlights L&T’s promise to respond cashless claims within six hours, and yes, they will give it in writing.

3. Reliance Life – How things go wrong when you least expect it. The whistle of a traffic cop who has just acquired the winning lottery ticket from a traffic violator flies into Sharmaji’s bowl of popcorn. As Sharmaji chokes on the whistle, the ad highlights Reliance life insurance. Since there is no guarantee that Sharmaji will indeed choke to death, Reliance’s major critical surgery rider adds another level of security.

4. Tata AIG Life – A father teaches his son the importance of saying “Thank you” to the household help. The ad for the Gyan Kosh insurance plan promises to protect the child’s future while the parents focus on the more important things like teaching him the right values.

5. Max Life Insurance – The popular “Aapke Sachche Advisor” campaign features a representative of the Max Life who is visited by a devil-like character. The devil constantly exhorts the agent to mis-sell the policy. But despite the devil’s best efforts, the agent is ethical always; he is “a sachche advisor”.

6. Bharti Axa – This TVC distinguishes Bharti AXA from other insurance companies in terms of the former’s smooth claims process. The ad suggests that while other insurers hassle the customer during his time of need, the Bharti AXA agent esteems the customer and works hard to simplify claim settlement.

7. PNB MetLife – PNB and MetLife are both trusted brands in India. Thus, when they team up, the customer can be doubly sure of the life insurance he is buying. The advertisement highlights this aspect by showing a regular person double-checking the cash he receives from the teller.

8. SBI Life Insurance – SBI Life Insurance brought out a series of television ads showing how many questions Indian customers ask when buying regular items- in this case, a toy car. The ad then exhorts customers to show as much concern when buying life insurance plans.

9. Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance – In this humorous advertisement, a wife complains to her husband that he has not fulfilled any of the promises that he made before they got married—including taking her on foreign trips, buying her diamonds, etc. The scene shifts to the wife talking to an Edelweiss Tokio agent, who will only make promises that can be delivered.

10. Aegon Religare Life Insurance: Irrfan Khan adds star power to this life insurance ad. He warns a random working professional about the dangers of “kam insurance lene ki bimari”. The advertisement focuses on under-insurance and on how Aegon Religare can help.

Preparing for Tomorrow

In the event of death, how much income would your beneficiaries need? If you are single, there may only be a need to pay any outstanding debts and funeral expenses. If others depend on your income, you need enough death benefit to replace that income for a period of time, perhaps indefinitely.

Life Insurance
The primary purpose of life insurance is to pay your bills and provide income for the people who rely on you financially.

One simple way to calculate your life insurance requirements is to estimate income needs by category and add them up:

• Ongoing household and beneficiaries' living expenses; and
• One-time expenses — such as funeral expenses, estate taxes, children's education, mortgage, and other large debts you may want to pay off.

Subtract your estimated Social Security death benefit paid to your survivors, any additional household income, and other liquid assets. (Be sure that you don't include the family heirlooms as assets unless you intend for your family to liquidate them.)

The bottom line should give you a general idea of your life insurance needs. Be sure to evaluate coverage your employer offers, if any. It may be a small amount, but every little bit counts.

A rule of thumb: A death benefit should be five times your gross annual income, if your family is completely dependent on you. (If you have young children, some experts suggest raising that to seven times your annual income.) It is also important to make sure your spouse has appropriate coverage, whether he or she is a homemaker, or brings additional income into your home.

What Kind of Life Insurance?
Evaluating which type of life insurance to purchase can be difficult. There are several types — and it pays to understand the differences before you buy. The most familiar types of insurance today are term insurance, straight (or whole) life insurance, and universal life.

Term Life Insurance: Term life offers temporary insurance coverage with no "cash value," which means you buy only the death benefit — no savings accumulate in the policy.

Term policies are issued for a period of years, after which the insurance coverage can be renewed at a higher rate. The older you get the more expensive the premium becomes.

Term insurance can work well for younger families because it allows them to purchase substantial coverage at a time when other life insurance products may be too costly.

Whole Life Insurance: Whole life offers a specified death benefit with an unchanging premium. You select the size (face amount/death benefit) of your policy, then premiums are calculated using your age at the time of purchase. The younger you are, the lower your annual premium. You pay the same amount throughout your life. Your beneficiary receives the "face amount" upon your death. Whole life insurance has a higher initial premium requirement than term life insurance.

In addition to insurance protection, whole life also has a saving feature. Part of your premium payment earns a fixed rate of interest over time. As the years continue, your savings grow from your payments and earned interest. This growth is known as your policy's "cash value." If you decide to cancel (cash surrender) your policy, you can receive the cash value as a lump sum. In contrast, if you cancel term life insurance you have nothing. You can also borrow against the cash value of your whole life insurance policy. But, an outstanding policy loan will reduce the benefit your family would receive in the event of your death.

Universal Life: Universal life is like whole life in that it allows you to accumulate a cash value in addition to providing insurance protection. With universal life you have the flexibility to increase or decrease the amount of coverage and vary your premium payments. You may even be able to skip premium payments. You may cancel your policy and receive your cash value or borrow against it. You may also be able to take partial withdrawals. The interest paid on the cash value is set by the insurance company. (The interest rate is set for a period of time with a guaranteed minimum interest rate.) The flexibility of universal life allows you to adjust your policy to accommodate your changing needs.

Health Is More Important Than Money

Some people believed that health is more important than money, I also have the same concept as them. Money cannot buy health despite having the ability to acquire the best medical system however; money is earned through hard work. If our health is affected, how would we be able to concentrate on our work to bring back the bacon home? Therefore is it vital that we remain healthy so that we can focus on our work to put food on the table.

Health can also bring joy in our life for an example, imagine that you were overseas doing all sort of crazy thing while you being healthy but all of the sudden you fell ill not being able to spend your last few day in this wonderful trip

. Wealth is on the wish list for many people through out the world but having a healthy longevity is their top wish. To grow to a ripe old age to see your family tree grew is a memorable memory.

Money is also known as the source of evil, it can cause dispute among family member when a sum of money is left behind without a will. Unlike money, it can do quite the opposite effect when a love one is gravely ill family member instead of quarreling over the asset instead show love, concern finally yet importantly Care. Our ancestor being able to live to 60 years old is consider a sage and above all better than being wealthy.

Nowadays there a rapid growth of competition in the market as the world is constantly changing thus people are fighting to keep their jobs and solve their bread and butter issue forgetting how important their health in a stressful environment. Being Overworked can lead to health problem such as fatigue, increase chance of having hypertension and other health problems. But there are some health problem that is incurable take Human immunodeficiency Virus(HIV) despite nation pouring money into research it have yet find a cure. Money can be use for one personal lifestyle such as building a mansion with a swimming pool but if one is in poor health how would he be able to use it?

Therefore, I conclude that health is more important than money although money can bring joy to some people life but greed will one day overcome them turning them into a demon.

Take Care of your Skin 9 Things You Need to Do to Your Skin

1. Pick a skin care line -- And stick with it when you do. Each line's products are made to work together, so it's a good idea to stick with a brand instead of mixing and matching too much. I've always gotten better results when I stay with one line.
2. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate -- If you aren't using a mild scrub once or twice a week, then you have dead skin cells building up a layer of ick on your face. The longer you go without exfoliating, the more the layer grows. Ew. And at least once a month, use a deeper exfoliate, like microdermabrasion, to reveal fresh, new skin cells.
3. Use toner -- Toner does more than get rid of excess dirt and makeup your cleanser left behind. It also balances out the pH level of your skin, which makes it easier to absorb moisturizers, anti-aging creams, and the like.
4. Moisturize twice a day -- OMG. If you are washing your face and not applying moisturizer afterwards, you're basically asking for your skin to dry up like a raisin. Even if you don't think you need it, you do. And the older you get, the more you need.
5. Invest in a good eye cream -- Even if you aren't keen on using other anti-aging products, get yourself an eye cream and apply it every night before bed religiously. The skin around your eyes is the first place you show signs of aging, and it needs moisture and regeneration just as much as the rest of your face, if not more.
6. Steam your face regularly -- Whether you use an actual steamer or just run the hot shower in your bathroom, steaming opens up your pores so toxins and impurities can be released.
7. Clean up your diet -- Believe it or not, simply choosing whole, healthy foods can have an impact on your skin's radiance. You can never eat too many fruits and veggies!
8. Up your vitamin intake -- Something as simple as taking vitamins C and E supplementscan have just as big a benefit on your skin outside as they do for your whole body inside.
9. Get out of the house or office -- Oxygen is essential to keeping your skin looking beautiful, and without enough of it, skin cells start to die. It can be so tough, especially in the winter months, to get outside, but by venturing out even for 20 minutes a few times a week, you'll notice a difference in the mirror.

Health Care Benefits

Companies with health care benefits offer assistance with medical costs. Depending on the company’s policy for health care benefits, employees can pay a fee to opt into the health care plan, while the company pays the bulk of the premium, or the company may pay for all health care related costs.

Employers often provide employees with some sort of group medical insurance, with the level of coverage depending on the status of the employee. Part-time employees often receive fewer benefits than a full-time employee.

With group medical insurance, there are a variety of health care plans that employees have access to. Most companies offer managed-care health coverage through HMOs and preferred provider organizations, PPOs.

An employee benefits package includes all the benefits provided by an employer. Employers are required by law (federal and state) to provide some types of employee benefits like unemployment, workers compensation and disability.

Other benefits are provided by companies because they feel socially responsible to their employees and opt to offer them more than is required by law. Depending on the company, these benefits may include health insurance, dental insurance, vision care, life insurance, paid vacation leave, personal leave, sick leave, child care, fitness, a retirement plan, and other optional benefits offered to employees and their families.

Review Your Employee Benefits Package

Whether you are job searching, deciding on a job offer, or happily employed, it's important to review what benefit coverage is provided by the company and to decide whether the employee benefit package is one that fully meets your needs. It's also important to take full advantage of what the company provides to employees.

5 Investing Tips to Improve Your Returns

It certainly was a banner year for the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, which gained more than 30 percent in 2013. If you are one of the investors whose portfolio lagged these returns, don’t despair. There are sound reasons why your portfolio should not consist solely of the stocks that compose this index. 

The S&P 500 is too risky for most investors, who need to allocate between stocks and bonds to cushion volatility. It’s also not really representative of the U.S. stock market because it excludes smaller capitalization stocks. A more representative index of the U.S. domestic market is the Wilshire 5000 Total Market index. This index is the best representative of the entire U.S. stock market and includes all U.S stocks with readily available prices. A well-diversified stock portfolio would also include international stocks. Many experts believe the optimal allocation to international stocks ranges from 30 to 50 percent.

Even with a globally diversified portfolio, investors can still underperform the markets by engaging in self-destructive behavior. Stock picking, market timing, trying to select the next hot fund manager or investing in alternative investments are examples of such behavior.

Here are some tips to help correct this behavior and improve your expected returns. I obtained them from an article privately posted by Dimensional Fund Advisors. Full disclosure: Buckingham, with whom I am affiliated, uses Dimensional funds in portfolios offered to its clients.

1. Rewire your brain. Disciplined investing means adopting a plan based on the science of investing and sticking to it. Unfortunately, our brains work against this goal. Among the examples of faulty logic used by investors are:

I should have foreseen the market crash.

My criteria for picking winning mutual fund managers is “proven” to work.

I can’t let myself sell at a loss.

I pick stocks based on my research.

Dimensional regards these thoughts as “mental errors,” which are not supported by sound data.

2. Control your emotions. We all know markets move in cycles. When the markets are up, we feel elated with our investment decisions. When markets start to move down, we are consumed with nervousness and fear. According to the Dimensional article, “Following a reactive cycle of excessive optimism and fear may lead to poor decisions at the worst times.”

3. Don’t bounce in and out of the market. As I have explained, it’s not prudent for most investors to have their entire portfolio invested in stocks that make up the S&P 500. The following example is intended to demonstrate why bouncing in and out of stocks is a dangerous strategy.

If you invested $1,000 in the S&P 500 in January 1970 and kept it in there until December 2012, your initial investment would have grown to $58,769, representing a 9.94 percent annualized return. I should note that you can’t invest in the index, but you could invest in an index fund with a low management fee that tracks the index, like the Vanguard 500 Index Fund, which has an expense ratio of only 0.17 percent.

If you missed the single best day of returns, your annualized return dropped to 9.66 percent. If you missed the 25 best single days, your annualized return dropped to 6.33 percent. Bouncing in and out of the market makes it highly likely you will miss some or all of the best days.

The financial media and many brokers and advisors encourage trading based on their views of the direction of the markets. The data is very compelling in proving that doing so is harmful to your returns.

4. Reap the rewards of discipline. It is not easy to be a disciplined investor. Financial news is filled with genuine, and sometimes invented, crises on a daily basis, many of which encourage short-term thinking and short-term trading. For the past few decades, investors were confronted with some of the following news:

Business Week story announcing the “death” of equities

The dot-com stock crash

The terrorist attacks

The subprime mortgage crisis

Concerns over the fiscal cliff

I suspect most investors believed some of these events were a call to action to do something about their investments.

If you had the discipline to ignore this temptation and simply invested in a globally diversified portfolio of stocks that tracked the MSCI Global Equity index (which tracks returns for more than 75 countries in the developed, emerging and frontier markets) in January 1970, every dollar you invested would have grown to $34 by the end of 2012.

That’s the power of discipline.

5. Change your focus. There is no credible evidence that anyone has the ability to predict the direction of the markets or the expertise to pick outperforming stocks or fund managers. Focus instead on capturing the returns of the global markets, using a well-diversified portfolio.

You can control expenses and turnover. You can stay disciplined.

THE CREDIT CARD ADVANTAGE

> Helps budget expenses (provided we pay our bill on time)
> Useful in tracking expenses as the lender sends a monthly statement listing things that you have spent on
> Extra insurance for air travel, free car insurance and extended warranties on certain items bought on the card
> Redemption of reward points
> The free-credit period gives one enough time to pay up
> Relief from carrying cash
> Redemption of reward points
> Cash-back, frequent-flier miles and other rewards. Credit card companies also tie up with retailers to offer discounts to customers

What does typical life insurance cover?

For a typical term life policy, the death benefit fully covers the policyholder for any cause of death, including by disease, accident, injury and natural causes.

If you have an ongoing medical condition or enjoy dangerous hobbies, such as extreme sports like skydiving, you’ll want to make sure your policy specifically covers those situations, but generally, a life insurance policy will pay benefits for any form of death.

What does life insurance cost?

A common misconception is that life insurance is more expensive than a law degree. This is a major turnoff for recent graduates and young professionals who may not have the money saved up for large investments.

Luckily, as a young person, you can actually find term life insurance coverage at decent rates. Here are examples for $500,000 worth of coverage for a healthy 25- to 35-year-old male (women’s rates will typically be lower):

• 25-year-old: 25-year term = $26/month; 30-year term = $30/month
• 30-year-old: 25-year term = $28/month; 30-year term = $32/month
• 35-year-old: 25-year term = $34/month; 30-year term = $37/month

These policies provide a lot of coverage for less than most monthly Internet bills. If you don’t need as much coverage for your beneficiaries, the cost will be even lower. It’s also important to realize that your rate will be locked in whenever you buy the policy, even if you become sick in the middle of the term. This makes it even more beneficial to choose a policy while you’re young and healthy.

If I have employer coverage, am I good to go?

Your new job might come with some sweet benefits, but don’t let the glitz and glamour blind you to the fine print. Many employers offer group life insurance policies that you can join for free or for a small fee. It’s easy to stop and think “Well, that’s something I never have to think about again,” but beware!

Employer-based group policies usually don’t provide anywhere close to the coverage that an individual policy will, and they’re more likely to have clauses that stop or limit benefits from being paid. That’s not to say they’re a bad thing; they’re great as a supplemental policy for extra coverage, but it’s usually not wise to rely on group policies for your main form of life insurance.

How should freelancers handle life insurance?

As a freelancer, you’re less likely to buy life insurance, especially if you’re just starting out, because you’re avoiding any additional costs. But ignoring important cushions like health or life insurance is a great way to forget about them entirely until it’s too late. Term policies are a lot cheaper than you might think, and you’ll be able to find a company and policy that works for you. For more on life insurance as a freelancer, check out this post on Budget Blonde.

Ultimately, you need to decide for yourself whether life insurance is right for you. Taking the time to consider your options now will help protect those you love in the future.

Foods that Will Boost Your Mood

1. Raw chocolate

When you’re feeling down, believe it or not, eating raw chocolate has the ability to make you feel better, says Samantha Peris, a holistic nutritionist and owner of Nu Roots Nutrition in Canmore, Alta. Raw cacao is high in phenylethylamine (the love chemical) and anandamide (the bliss chemical) as well as theobromine, which give you a pick-me-up without any negative side effects—like what you would experience from coffee.

Peris recommends mixing raw cacao nibs with trail mix or in breakfasts, using the powder form for smoothies, breakfasts and desserts, or trying a raw chocolate bar.

New to raw chocolate? Your local health-food store will be able to help you out.

2. Fruits and vegetables

Ok, this is a no-brainer. We all know fruits and veggies are good for us. But who wants a piece of fruit when you hit that 3-o’clock wall? Well, with a little creativity and planning, you can make it work. Try baking kale into chips or yams into fries, dip carrot sticks into hummus or tahini and incorporate all your fruits for the day into a delicious shake.

Fruits and vegetables are high in phytochemicals, which improve the health of our brain cells. “If you reduce the inflammation in your body, you feel better,” says Kleiner. “Everything functions more clearly.”

When it comes to fruit, Kleiner says we should be eating fruits that are high in vitamin C every day, like citrus, berries or kiwis. She also recommends at least one deep orange or red vegetable from the carotinoid family per day, such as carrots and yams; one from the brassica family, like broccoli or cabbage; and one from the allium family, such as garlic, onions or leeks.

3. Fish

Research has shown that depressed people often lack DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid). Peris points to a 2002 study featured in the Archives of General Psychiatry where participants took just a gram of fish oil each day and noticed a 50 percent decrease in symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disorders, unexplained feelings of sadness, suicidal thoughts and decreased sex drive.

“DHA is a very potent anti-inflammatory fat,” adds Kleiner. “It shuts down inflammation in the brain and shuts down inflammation that is about to occur.”

You should eat about 600 to 1,000 milligrams of DHA and EPA per day. Incorporate oily fishes, like salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel, into your diet. You can also find lower doses of these two marine oils in fortified eggs and milk.

4. Milk

“Milk is one of my favourite feel-great foods,” says Kleiner. Milk contains proteins high in tryptophan, which is a building block in the bloodstream for serotonin in the brain. It’s a source of carbohydrates and vitamin D (low levels have been associated with depression), which is required for the production of serotonin. Milk is also a source of calcium, which has been shown to reduce anxiety.

5. Brazil nuts

Brazil nuts are high in selenium. In fact, they have 2,500 times more than any other nut. Selenium, a powerful antioxidant, has been proven to boost mood and mental performance. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating just one Brazil nut a day provides you with more selenium than your body needs.

Do away with these mood-busting foods

Overall, we should be eating primarily whole foods that come from the earth and haven’t been processed or refined, says Peris. Here’s what you should be avoiding:

• Alcohol in small amounts is a feel-good food, says Kleiner. But not surprisingly, too much can bring you down as it is a central nervous system depressant.
• Fried foods, fatty meats and fatty snack foods make you feel full and sluggish, explains Kleiner. In the short term, they put the body into a stress response that causes protein breakdown, which ultimately leads to lower levels of serotonin in the brain.
• Refined sugars and starches are also feel-bad foods.
• Caffeine is a stimulant, but in large doses it has a rebound effect.

How to Take Control of Your Health

The amount of time you revel in wonderful moments of joy, contentment, inspiration, laughter, love and learning will be directly proportional to your health, happiness, success, satisfaction, productivity and fulfillment! Maintain a healthy outlook through the power of a positive thought!

1 Cleanse the Soul. For the same reason you wouldn't go a week without a shower, you shouldn't keep a week's worth of mind clutter stored up in your grey matter. Do easy meditations daily in the shower to clear your mind, open yourself up to new opportunities and prepare for a simply fantastic day!

2

Brush Up. Do a daily affirmation twice a day in the morning and at night when you are brushing your teeth. Say it aloud through toothpaste suds or silently in your mind, "I am masterfully creating my ultimate life. Success and health (or sub in what you desire) comes naturally to me."

3

Be Active. Don't just stand around and let life happen to you. Every time you walk to the car, think about tiny actions you could take to move you closer to achieving what you truly desire. Keep a notebook to jot them down before you start up the engine. Watch each baby step start to exponentially propel your life forward.

4

Dress Up. Just as you might think ahead or lay out your wardrobe for an important meeting or date, prepare your mind for important events. Focus on how you want to feel and set your intentions and be very specific on what you'd like to accomplish.

5

Buckle Up For Safety. It's the law. Expect that you will experience life's mishaps, tragedy, injury and unfairness. You can safeguard against emotional distress by getting in touch with your true self. Choose how you want to feel, how you would like to handle difficult situations and think before you let fear, worry or panic creep in. It's your choice.

6

Martin Luther King Jr. said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

7

Preventative Prescription. A vitamin a day keeps the self doubt away. Honor yourself and recognize all that you are. When something has gone well, applaud yourself and enjoy it! Don't dwell on what you could have done to improve it or what you would do differently next time. We all make mistakes. Learn and grow from them but remember to enjoy and relish in even your smallest achievements too!

8

Bless Your Meals. Just as you might say grace or spend an extra moment going around the Thanksgiving table to express what you are thankful for, find the good in your life and be thankful for it. Adopt an attitude of gratitude at dinner time.

9

Sleep Tight. Take your last waking moments before you drift off to sleep to focus on something that inspires you. Read inspiring literature, listen to soothing music or breathe in a delightful aroma. You will feel happier and wake up more content when you close your day with inspiring thoughts and feelings.

10 Health is Wealth, Concentrate on your body parts if you feel something is going wrong you should take care of that part without ignoring.