Today’s post is a guest post from Marty Weiss – Weiss Ratings. Marty is an expert on Medicare and has some really interesting information to share with you.
————————
If you or a loved one signed up for Medicare Advantage during the recent open enrollment period, and are now regretting the decision, we have good news … you have until February 14 to reverse your decision!
That’s right: You can get out of your Medicare Advantage plan and switch back to Original Medicare.
Of course, if you’re considering doing this you might also want to add a supplemental “Medigap” insurance policy, too.
By using this combination, you can get solid overall coverage ANDstick with the doctors and other caregivers that you already know and trust.
And we can certainly help you learn more about all the various options available to you right now — including the cheapest (and best) Medigap plans for your particular circumstances.
Just read this article from our company’s founder, Dr. Martin D. Weiss to learn more right now.
Its that time of year again — we have until December 7th to find or change our Medigap policy.
Consider this:
Right now, for example, a 71-year-old woman living in Dayton, Ohio will have to pay an exorbitant $3,372 per year with Humana Insurance Company for a Medigap Plan C. But if she goes with Gerber Life Insurance Company, she’ll pay only $1,585 for the exact same policy.
Can you believe that? With Humana, she’ll wind up paying more than DOUBLE the premiums she needs to pay. In contrast, with Gerber Life, she’ll save a whopping $1,787 per year, and still get the same benefits!
Her 82-year-old husband can save even more — $2,927 per year, for a total of $4,714 in savings between them.
That’s just for one year! Over the next 10 years, the couple could save $47,140 with Gerber Life. And at 3% interest, those savings alone would pile up to $61,997!
THAT’S A LOT OF MONEY !!!
Like you I have been to those websites that allow you to compare policy coverage and costs –and I still ended up paying over $900 to much last year for exactly the same coverage I have elected this year. When my wife turns 65 that will double.
Not exactly penny change!
This is just one case. So don’t take this as a recommendation for Gerber Life — because in YOUR particular case, they could be the MORE expensive option.
But also consider the case of a 76-year-old male smoker living in Flagstaff, Arizona.
With Standard Life & Accident he’d pay $4,580 for a Plan C Medigap Policy. But simply by switching to Government Personnel Mutual Life Insurance Company of Omaha, he can get the same policy for just $2,280.
That’s not just a 15% savings like some auto insurers rave and rant about all the time on TV. It’s a savings of 50.2%!
How to save money on Medigap Insurance
One of the people I respect and follow is is Marty Weiss who runs Money and Markets. Marty is a financial guru and adviser. I have subscribed to his advice for about 4 years now and he has both made and saved me a ton of money. Marty has just come out with a new report and service that can help you save hundreds –or even thousands of dollars a year on your Medigap plan. And the best news of all. If he can’t save you money he will give you a free refund –good for one full year.
Go here to read about Marty’s report and his own family’s experience with insurance plans. You won’t regret it. Remember, Marty’s report comes with a 100% guarantee. And while you are there, be sure and sign up for his free Money & Markets Newsletter. You won’t regret that either.
One of the neatest programs on the web for total beginners who need to make extra money is called Wealthy Affiliate University (WAU). WAU is a highly legitimate program aimed at total beginners. So if you are quite experienced at online business and have pretty good computer skills then this may NOT be for you. But if you are a total rookie, then WAU will literally take you by the hand and show you how to make money online.
This isn’t some internet fast money scheme. These guys have been around since 2002 and they have trained thousands of satisfied clients.
Since 2005 WAU has created the top training facility for “building an online business” and they have been in the Internet Marketing business since 2002. No, Wealthy Affiliate is not a “get rich quick” scheme, and no, they will not guarantee that you will be driving a Ferrari within the next six months.
Who Exactly Will Wealthy Affiliate Work For?
You need to understand that anyone can succeed online. This is because you have a storefront available to you where you can connect with over a billion people, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Anyone who takes action and works hard can earn money online. We know this because we have worked with all types of people from the unemployed, to successful doctors, to work at home moms and dads.
Since 2005 (the inception of Wealthy Affiliate) they have helped tens of thousands of people build an income online. The people who have succeeded are:
People that are not fulfilled with their job
People that hate their boss
Individuals simply looking for extra income
Work at Home Moms and Dads
People that want to change their life path
Unemployed (or people who were hit hard by the global recession)
Retired Veterans
Grandparents
Affiliate Marketers
Online Business Owners
Online Merchants Looking to Expand Business
College and University Students (even high school students on occasion)
Bankers, Lawyers, Doctors, and Dentists
Offline Business Owners
If you fit into one or more of these categories, THEY CAN HELP!
Wealthy Affiliate university has the most advanced Internet marketing training facility online and they cater to anyone looking to start an Internet business, improve their existing business, or stop the endless loop of failing to succeed in earning profits online.
Learning how to buy and sell scrap gold jewelry is a perfect home business for seniors. No heavy lifting, quick profits (avg 1 week) and very low risk. See the next post below for some great info on this business.
My latest book, Make Money Buying and Selling Gold is now available on ClickBank. If you are a ClickBank Affiliate, just use this hoplink to buy or promote the book:
Be sure and replace the XXXX’s with your ClickBank affiliate ID. If you are not a ClickBank affiliate, click here to learn how the ClickBank program works and how to join.
One question I always get is: “Can I join the affiliate program and then buy the book and earn a commission on my own sale?” The answer is yes! Get a ClickBank ID, replace the XXXX in the link above with your ID, and you will earn a 40% commission on your sale. Then send out the link to your friends on Facebook or post it on your blog and you will earn 40% on each sale you make.
Buying and Selling Gold is Fun and Highly Profitable
If you just want to get the book and not mess around with Clickbank – then just click on this link:
Today we have a guest post by Jason Holmes is a regular writer with Debt Consolidation Care.
+++++++++++++++++++
5 Common Retirement Planning Mistakes That You Should Avoid
by Jason Holmes
You should understand that it is never very early to put away money towards your retirement plan. Three are various options available that you can opt for such as the 401 (k) plans and the IRA’s plan. You may know these, but may not be aware of some common retirement planning mistakes that you should avoid if you want to have a peaceful retired life. These mistakes may slow down your retirement planning process and you must be careful to avoid them.
Some of these common retirement planning mistakes are as follows :
1. Taking out a loan: If your plan allows you to take out loans, then you may start taking it as a savings account. Do not do this even if you are doing it for the purpose of debt management, as this could be a big mistake. This is because the money that would grow if left in the retirement fund is not going to, if you take it out. You may pay yourself the interest but this in no way will make up for the time that is lost. Thus, it is not very advisable for you to take out money from your retirement plan as that may cause unnecessary problems.
2. Not taking advantage of retirement accounts that are tax free: If you want to be tax free, then you must put more money towards your tax-free retirement accounts. You should thus; put into your retirement accounts the maximum contribution. This is to be done every year.
3. Not allocating your assets intelligently: You may not be able to build the amount of money that you want to have for the years after your retirement, if you invest too conservatively. On the other hand you may lose a lot that you had saved, if you are close to retirement and invest in high risk investment vehicles. Thus, it is very important to allocate your resources wisely.
4. Retiring very early without adequate financial resources: If you do not prepare for your after retirement years in advance you may have a great deal of difficulty. Do not be completely dependent on your 401(k) plan as this is far from sufficient, when it comes to fulfilling your lifetime needs. You must consider all sorts of expenses such as medical expenses that may lead to the drainage of a lot of finance and plan accordingly.
5. Not having a diversified investment portfolio: You should never invest all your money in one place. Try to diversify and invest in various sectors. This will limit your risk as, if you incur losses in one sector, you may recover it by the profits that you incur in the other sector. If you do not go for diversification, then you are putting yourself under a lot of risk with only the hope of getting better returns. A well diversified portfolio will ensure risk minimization and profit maximization.
These are a few common mistakes that could ruin your retired life. So you should take extra precautions to ensure that you do not make these mistakes, when planning for your retirement.
Jason Holmes is a regular writer with Debt Consolidation Care and is also a contributory writer with other financial sites. His expertise is woven around various aspects of the debt industry and with his e-books he tries to impart to people the different situations and simple solutions to get out of difficult situations. Some of his works include e-books like ‘Credit Score The Quintessential Therapy for a Happy Pocket’, Take Creditors and Collection Agencies to Small Claims Court’ and, My Story- From Depression To a Smile’.
I am all about saving money and staying out of debt. Now that the summer is over its not only time to get back to work at work, but its time to get back to work managing your money. Here are some tips to reduce expenditures and increase earnings.
1. Get rewards and cash back from your purchases — Although I hate debt, I am a big fan of credit cards that pay rewards.
As long as you buy only what you can afford, and pay off your balance in full every month, rewards cards can really stretch your budget.
For maximum effectiveness, I suggest choosing just one single card and using it for all your purchases. For example I have a Visa card for our personal purchases with Wells Fargo Bank. I like their plan because I can use the points for products, gift cards, travel or elect to get cash back at the end of the year. We do the same thing with an American Express Card for our business –we can’t get cash back, but the points can be used for any airline or hotel chain, dozens of resorts, products from large chain stores and we get a free companion ticket to anywhere in the world once a year. Last year we managed a ten-day vacation that only cost us about $400 as all of our airline and hotel charges were covered by points. And we had enough left over to buy about a dozen gift cards that became Christmas presents.
The card companies have become stingy, especially because of recent legislation changes. But look around — There are still a few no-annual-fee cards that offer good rewards.
The key here is to pay everything off in full each month. As an added bonus, when you pay for everything with a credit card, you also get a monthly inventory of all your spending. This can be a great help if you are budgeting (and you should be), and if you have a business it really simplifies your bookkeeping.
2. Have a late season garage or yard sale – Most yard sales happen in the summer and for that reason they are very competitive. But September and October can also be great months for sales. If you didn’t have on this summer, take a look around your house and plan one now.
It all depends on where you live and how much stuff you have, but I rarely earn less than $500 when I do a garage sale. One of the facts of life of getting older is that you just don’t need as much stuff. So I am pretty brutal about going through the house and getting rid of stuff. And my wife is even tougher than me. After I did my run through, she cam along behind me with even more stuff than I had found. The result – We generated just over $700 from our last sale and found three fairly expensive items we sold on eBay for another $322. So that was over $1000 than went right into an extra mortgage payment on our house (only 33 payments to go –less if we accelerate them).
3. Sell stuff on eBay — Garage sales are one way to make money, but we also sell on eBay. We have our regular eBay business where we sell new products, but we also like to visit garage sales, thrift shops and small country auctions where we find things to sell. We don’t do this very often, but it adds up. I looked back through last year’s sales and we earned an additional $7300 just doing that occasionally.
If you want to learn how to sell on eBay, here is a book I wrote that is very basic and will get you started:
4. Use Ebates for up to 25% cash back: Ebates is a free online coupon site that offers up to 25% cash back from top online stores like Target, eBay, Barnes & Noble, and the Gap. Registering on Ebates is free and takes just seconds. You can get more details at the Ebates website.
5. Combine your cable, Internet and telephone service. Cable and Satellite companies now offer combined services that not only cost less, but also offer the convenience of a single bill. These combined service deals can save you a bundle.
6. Try Skype to reduce your phone costs — I was pretty slow to adopt Skype, but now I am hooked on it and even got my 87 year old mother using it. Just last week she had a video conference with her great-granddaughter. Mom is in Virginia and can’t travel and our kids are in San Diego, so this was a real treat for both of them. And we have some friends who live overseas and can talk to them for 3Ë a minute.
7. Use Your Senior Discounts – I am always amazed when I go to buy something and see a senior discount. Last week I even learned that my city gives a discount on my trash and recycle hauling because I am a senior. OK – Its only $2.00 a month less but hey –I’ll take it. Be sure and ask everyone. Even some cell phone companies now give senior discounts.
8. Improve your credit score. A good credit score can save you thousands of dollar in interest on everything from a home loan to a car loan, and from school loans to credit cards. If you’ve never focused on your credit score before, the place to start is to get your free FICO score. Once you know where you stand, you can begin to improve your score and lower your interest payments.
9. Convert to a gas water heater. If you have an electric water heater convert to gas. They are more efficient and will save you money in the long run. And you may want to look into the instant-on tankless water heaters that only heat water when you need it. The most popular brand is Rinnai –which is heavily advertised, but there are several other cheaper brands. Here is a link to a Tankless Heater Guide.
10. Look into refinancing – Home interests rates are at 20-year lows; just over 4% for a 30-year loan and as low as 3.5% for a 15-year loan. The breakeven point is 1.1%. If the new rate is at least 1.1% lower than your current rate, you will save money by refinancing.
11. Request a reduction in the interest rate on your credit cards — As with home equity loans, credit card companies sometimes are willing to reduce the interest rate. It can’t hurt to ask. If your credit card company won’t help you, switch to a low interest credit card or a one of several 0% APR credit cards.
12. Get rid of Private Mortgage Insurance. If your down payment was less than 20%, you are probably paying PMI. Once you have a 20% cushion through reducing your debt and home appreciation (yes, prices do go up from time to time), contact your mortgage company to start the process of removing the PMI.
13. Read magazines at the library or online — Magazines today cost a fortune. And how many times have you bought a magazine based on the cover and been disappointed by the lack of substance. At the library you can read magazines for free. And many magazines now offer their content for free online. And while you are at the library check out their DVDs. My local library doesn’t have as many DVDs as NetFlix, but they have a lot including lots of instructional (how-to) DVDs and all the classic movies.
14. Drive your car longer. Cars made in the last ten years are far more reliable than they used to be. We drove our last car 236,000 miles before selling it. The new versus used debate often overlooks the most important factor–how long you own your car. Drive it as long as you safely can for substantial savings. And when you buy a car, you can save a ton of money by purchasing a low-mileage one-year-old car, rather than a new one.
15.Pay your life insurance annually. Insurance companies charge you more if you pay monthly, quarterly or semi-annually. Pay once a year and you’ll pay less. My savings from doing this is just over 6% a year –more than I can earn in a savings account.
16. Pay car insurance semi-annually. At least with my car insurance, they offer quarterly and semi-annual payment options. It costs more to pay quarterly, and twice a year is more convenient anyway.
17.Increase insurance deductibles. Most of us don’t need to be insured for all losses over $100 on our car, for example. Although we wouldn’t want to pay a $250 or even $500 deductible, we could. If that’s you, find out how much you’d save from raising your deductible. I’ve raised my deductibles on my auto insurance and home owner’s insurance and saved a considerable amount.
18.Think before submitting an insurance claim. My rule of thumb is that I won’t submit a claim on a loss that is less than twice my deductible. So for a $250 deductible on an auto loss, I’ll pay out of pocket any loss up to $500. Why? The $250 I’d receive from my insurance company is not worth the increased premiums I’m likely to pay. You may want to call your insurance agent to find out how a claim will impact your premiums before filing the claim.
19. Pass on extended warranties — A $139 two-year extension on a $400 product is just not worth it. Warranties are insurance, and we rarely need to insure such a small amount. Computers may be the exception, as they seem to crash and break frequently. My current computer is on its 3rd hard drive –all paid for by warranty.
20. Create a budget and stick to it — And while you are at it, get organized and avoid missed payments. I’ve missed a payment or two because the bill got buried beneath a stack of papers. Get organized and avoid those late payment penalties. If you do miss a payment, call your creditor and ask to have the penalty removed. They’ll usually accommodate the request if you have a good payment record.
So that is 20 fairly painless tips you can use to save money. Click on the comments below to leave your tips.
Here is a great article by Amber Dakar from Money & Markets about 5 unconventional ways to cut your daily living expenses and save money.
5 Unconventional Ways to Save
by Amber Dakar
Federal income tax returns are due in eight days. And as you’re scrambling to get yours finished, how you’ve spent your money in 2009 should be fresh on your mind. That’s why this is a great time to start (or revisit) your personal savings plan for the rest of this year.
Now, we all know about the “conventional” ways to save — including opening a traditional savings account, starting a Christmas club account, accumulating debit card rewards or bank points with our everyday purchases, and setting up monthly automatic deposits to savings accounts.
So, today I’d like to explore five unconventional methods for socking away a little extra cash each month …
Savings Strategy #1: Separate your long distance phone carrier
Instead of bundling all your phone services, consider separating them. There are several long distance phone carriers that charge you cheap rates for only the long distance calls you make.
How it works: They charge about 3 cents or 4 cents per minute with six-second billing increments and no minimums or monthly fees.
For instance, if you call someone out of state and talk for an hour or so, your bill can be as low as $5 or $6, including taxes and fees, for the month. And if you don’t talk to anyone in a month, your bill is zero!
Pioneer Telephone is one example of a company that offers this type of service. But there are plenty of others with similar services. Just do a quick Internet search and you’ll find lots of choices.
Savings Strategy #2: Enroll in your local utility company’s budget plan
By enrolling in a budget plan, participating customers pay about the same amount each month, no matter what the temperature does.
Your utility company’s budget plan might not save you money, but it could make budgeting each month a whole lot easier.
How it works: The utility company looks at your energy usage for the previous 12 months. Then, your monthly budget billing amount will be based on the average of your actual bills during the last 12 months.
While it may not actually save you money, the predictable nature of this payment system makes it much easier for you to budget. And that means it will be far easier for you to find ways to regularly plan and save.
Savings Strategy #3: Switch to a cash-back gas credit card
If you haven’t done so already, consider applying for a gas-company credit card that offers cash-back rebates with your purchases.
For example, BP Plc has the following program for their customers: If they buy Amoco Ultimate gas they will earn a 2 percent rebate on every $1 of net purchases made at BP locations with no limit on the number of rebates they can accumulate in the program.
Then, for every $25 earned in rebates they can receive a $25 BP gift card … receive a check for the amount … or donate the rebate to an environmental charity.
And there are plenty of other gas companies offering similar rebate programs. A simple Internet search will yield plenty of choices.
Savings Strategy #4: Review your auto insurance bill
We’ve all seen the commercials telling us to shop around for a better rate because we may be paying more than necessary with our current carrier. And in some cases it can be true!
You may find you’re being overcharged by a company you’ve been loyal to for years. So, it’s best to at least shop around to see if you’re getting the best rate possible. A couple of phone calls or web searches can really pay off.
It also makes sense to revisit the individual line items on your current bill. You may find overlap with other insurance plans you have — such as the policy from your healthcare insurance provider — or pieces of coverage that no longer apply to your current situation. Cutting a few superfluous options will yield big savings without sacrificing your overall protection.
Savings Strategy #5: Download coupons online
If you’re looking for discounts on your purchases, they’re probably just a mouse click away.
Taking the time to search for online coupons could mean big savings on products you regularly buy.
One popular website is coupons.com, and all you need to get started is your zip code. The site will tell you which coupons apply to your area. Another website I like is SmartSource.com, the self-described “#1 Website for Printable Grocery Coupons.”
Plus, if you buy items online, it almost always pays to do a quick search for coupons that apply to the particular online store or product you’re looking at.
And if you have an iPhone, an application like Yowza can also help you save money while on the go. The app finds deals and coupons in your geographic area … then, at the cash register, you show the clerk the Yowza deal on your mobile device and they’ll simply scan the barcode on the screen!
One word of warning: When visiting these websites or downloading mobile phone apps, some stores you patronize may not honor online coupons or deals. So before you run out the door with your online coupons in hand, please check with your local store to see if they accept them.
Best wishes,
Amber
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
This investment news is brought to you by Money and Markets. Money and Markets is a free daily investment newsletter from Martin D. Weiss and Weiss Research analysts offering the latest investing news and financial insights for the stock market, including tips and advice on investing in gold, energy and oil. Dr. Weiss is a leader in the fields of investing, interest rates, financial safety and economic forecasting. To view archives or subscribe, visit http://www.moneyandmarkets.com.
Could a flashlight save your life? If it’s an ordinary flashlight –probably not. But I recently came across the Lightening Strike, by Brite Strike. Brite Strike is the maker of the Blue Dot series of Tactical Flashlights used by police and law enforcement.
Most seniors dislike Tasers or Pepper Spray. There have been lots of cases where they didn’t work and were even turned against them. But blinding light does work –giving you the time to run away or call for help.
Unlike an ordinary flashlight, the Brite Strike is small, fits in a woman’s hand, and is about ten times as bright. Police use them to disorient suspects and assailants when the lighting is dim or dark. The beam is pure white light and a touch of the button fires off a strobe that will temporarily blind an attacker for minutes. Unfortunately these tactical lights are very expensive –over $150 each.
Recently, Brite Strike came out with a consumer model, called the Lightening Strike which sells for $69 and includes a 120 decibel personal alarm. It’s more than a light –it’s a complete protection system.
I loved this product so much we tracked down the manufacturer and started selling them on eBay. Here is a link to the listing. We hope to have them available on Amazon in the near future.
The Brite Strike is perfect for the personal safety of:
Senior Citizens
College students
Joggers
Business and vacation travelers
Boaters (its waterproof)
Campers
The Lightning Strike ™ Personal Protection System offers protection that you can count on in a potential assault or attack situation. It is perfect for the senior citizens, college students living on-or-off campus and joggers. The Lightning Strike ™ Personal Protection System was developed by police as a safe, simple, and easy to use, economical personal safety and protection system. The personal protection system includes two self defense products – a tactical flashlight and a personal safety alarm.
The slim tactical flashlight is made with the same high-quality and precision craftsmanship as higher-priced models used by law enforcement and military agencies and utilizes 65 lumens of brilliant, flawless white light to momentarily blind and disorient an attacker.
It is small enough to hold comfortably in one hand for use as a defensive weapon in case of attack. Unique “Tactical Touch ™” end cap switch allows the user to switch from high to low to blinding strobe settings, all with a light touch of your finger.
The flashlight comes with a leather quick deployment fashion holster with a “writsty” so the light can be carried on your wrist, or be clipped on the outside of a purse, briefcase or clothing.
The personal safety alarm is small and rugged, yet loud enough to scare off an attacker and alert others.
Besides using for your own personal safety, this is the perfect gift for a college student going back to school. Especially if their campus is in a high-crime area like a lot of urban campuses are.
I have a few on eBay right now. If you get there and they are gone, I have more on order. So just shoot me an email to be notified when they are in. You can also see a video of the Brite Strike in action in my eBay Listing here.
Here is a video that shows how the Brite Strike works:
Other spellings tags: britestrike, bright strike, brightstrike,
You must obtain written permission to use any content on this page. Official Geezer Guide, Inc. sells both copyrighted and non-copyrighted information. Non-copyrighted information may be quoted, adapted or resold. Please check the material you receive for a copyright notice. Copyright and trademarks of companies such as Amazon, eBay, PayPal, Google, Yahoo and others mentioned on this site are their property and no interest is claimed. Official Geezer Guide is not affiliated with Amazon, eBay, PayPal, Google, Yahoo or any other online company.
