Most of us have heard our grandparents grouse about the high cost of goods these days. We’ve all heard phrases like this one: “In my day a cup of coffee was five cents!” Now we pay as much as $5 for our daily cup o’ joe at Starbucks. Of course, an argument could be made that your Grande Mocha Frappuccino should cost more than a plain cup of coffee, what with all the milk, sugar, and other ingredients added in. But even that plain old coffee will cost you more than $2 today at Starbucks, a pretty big increase from 1950 (when the price of a cup of coffee rose from one nickel to two at automats). And we have inflation to thank for these increases in the cost of goods and services over time. In case you hadn’t noticed, inflation occurs without fail. And it can have a major impact on your finances.
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If you’ve heard the term “structured settlement” before and you’ve always been curious about what it is, basically it’s an amount of money that’s awarded to someone who has experienced a personal injury. Only, rather than getting a large sum all at once, they are given regular tax-free payments over a certain amount of years.
The reason why some people opt to sell their structured settlement is because sometimes their monthly amount is not enough to cover a bill or expense. When that’s the case, they tend to use the following five steps to get more money from the settlement into their hands:
Do some research on structured settlements. When an individual is thinking about selling their structured settlement, the first thing that they tend to do is read as much as possible on the topic. Thankfully, there is a lot of information online that can help you to better understand the pros and cons that come with making this kind of financial decision. One of the websites that offers this kind of information is StructuredSettlement-Quotes. Go to the site and put “pros and cons when you sell structured settlements” in the search field. If you also have any additional questions, it’s always a good idea to speak with an attorney, too.
First of all, congratulations! You graduated from high school and you are ready to begin a new chapter in your life. Whether you have decided to attend college and work part time, or work full time for a year after high school, these financial tips will help you to establish yourself and ensure that you will achieve your goals.
Develop a positive relationship with money. That may sound really strange, but you need to realize that money itself is simply neutral. It’s how you handle it that determines whether money is going to serve you or you are going to serve it. The way to develop this positive relationship is to make sure that you are always in control of your money. The key to staying in control is to never spend more than you earn and to get into the habit of saving wisely.
Think before you spend. You are now on your own. No one is looking over your shoulder and asking you how you are spending your money. It is up to you to be responsible with your money and only buy the things you really need. Sure, you can treat yourself once in a while, but remember, only spend money you actually have, and never buy things on credit that you can’t afford to pay back.
Have you ever thought about what would happen if you lost your job? Would you be able to maintain your existing standard of living, or would you feel the pinch of loss right away?
There are some things you can do now, while you have a job that will help you in the event that you lose your job for some reason. Here goes:
Tuck away at least 20% to 30% of each paycheck. Put these funds into a savings account. A great account to use is the Tax Free Savings Account. Just make sure that you select an investment type that is easily accessible should job loss occur. If you’re not good at saving on your own, ask your employer if you can have deductions come directly off your paychecks.
If you’re someone who is currently looking for an insurance broker, this means that you’re in search of the kind of insurance agent who works independently with numerous insurance companies in order to find just what their clients need.
Being that insurance brokers tend to play a significant role in the type of coverage that you get and how much you will end up paying for it, it’s important that you know the steps that you should take in order to find the one that is just right for you.
If you’d like a few tips that can help you choose the best insurance broker, here are five things to consider before making your final selection.
Keep in mind what to look for in a broker. There are several reasons why it’s beneficial for you to work with an insurance broker. For one thing, they have the reputation for finding you coverage at a cheaper price than what you would pay if you were to work directly with an insurance company on your own. Secondly, insurance brokers are able to reduce the amount of time that it takes to find the right coverage due to the fact that they are experienced in the insurance field. And finally, being that they are highly-knowledgeable when it comes to different types of coverage, you can be rest assured that they will provide you with the kind of policy that is just right for you. So when you’re on your search for a broker, be sure to keep their job description in mind. Money and time savings along with thorough coverage are what a reputable insurance broker provides.