will Archives - Page 1186 of 2971

Apache is functioning normally

April 29, 2023 by Brett Tams

Financially-minded people sometimes throw around a figure called “net worth.”

Perhaps you’ve heard of celebrities (like Jay-Z 0r the Kardashians), politicians (like Donald Trump or Mitt Romney), or business owners (like Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg) talk about their net worth.

So what is net worth anyway?

Great question. In this article, I’m going to explain exactly what net worth is and how to calculate your net worth (and, why you’d want to do so in the first place).

But first, a quick disclaimer about net worth . . . .

You, my friend, are not valuable because of your net worth. You are intrinsically valuable.

You are a human being who can contribute much to this world, and that’s just one reason you’re much more valuable than your net worth. So if you find that your net worth is a negative number (yep, it happens), don’t be discouraged.

Alright, are you ready to learn about net worth? Let’s do this.

What is Net Worth?

Net worth is a figure that is calculated by subtracting the sum of your liabilities from the sum of your assets.

In other words, it’s would be left over if you were to pay off all of your debts with what you own outright.

Here’s what the formula looks like: Assets (What You Own) – Liabilities (What You Owe) = Net Worth.

Now, you might be asking which assets and which liabilities to include in this calculation. That’s simple: everything.

This includes everything from your mortgage (a liability) to the pen in your desk drawer (an asset). Many times, people and institutions don’t put a value on the smaller items individually, but they simply provide a rough estimate of their assets of lesser value.

Examples of Net Worth Calculations

Perhaps one of the best ways to understand net worth is to look at a few fictitious examples. Here are a few for your consideration.

The Smith Family

The Smith family is pretty poor, and doesn’t have much in the bank. In fact, they only have $1,250 in their checking account.

They have $1,000 in a 401(k), a mortgage on which they owe $160,000, and a decent house that’s worth $140,000 (it fell in value over time).

They also have two cars. Thankfully, one is paid off (it’s worth $3,400) but the other they still owe $10,100 – its value is $12,200.

Finally, they have a few assets (furniture, trinkets, and the like) that are valued at around $5,000.

Let’s go ahead and calculate their net worth using the figures above, shall we?

One of the best ways to do this is to make a list of their assets and their liabilities.

Assets

The Smith family has the following assets:

$1,250 – Checking Account
$1,000 – 401(k)
$140,000 – House
$3,400 – Car 1
$12,200 – Car 2
$5,000 – Furnishings and Trinkets

The above assets total $162,850. Wow! That’s looks amazing, right? Not so fast . . . .

Liabilities

The Smith family has the following liabilities:

$160,000 – Mortgage
$10,100 – Car 2

The above liabilities total $170,100. Not so good.

Net Worth

Remember our formula for net worth? Assets – Liabilities = Net Worth.

Let’s run that calculation . . . .

$162,850 (Assets) – $170,100 (Liabilities) = -$7,250 (Net Worth)

This means that the net worth of the Smith family is a negative number: -$7,250. Now, that’s not actually a horrible net worth. Things could be worse! But there’s certainly a lot of room for improvement.

The Jones Family

Let’s take a look at one more example.

The Jones family is doing pretty well. They have a checking account worth $6,500 and an emergency fund valued at $35,100. Interestingly, they rent a small apartment, so housing doesn’t come into the equation for them.

Now, they do have one small student loan on which they owe $2,000. They also have quite a few furnishings and trinkets valued at $15,300. Additionally, they have two Roth IRAs, one valued at $10,400 and the other valued at $3,650.

Both of their cars are paid off with one valued at $10,500 and the other valued at $16,700.

Let’s calculate their net worth.

Assets

The Jones family has the following assets:

$6,500 – Checking Account
$35,100 – Emergency Fund
$15,300 – Furnishings and Trinkets
$10,400 – Roth IRA 1
$3,650 – Roth IRA 2
$10,500 – Car 1
$16,700 – Car 2

The above assets total $98,150. Whoa. Wait a minute.

Their assets total less than the total of the Smith family’s assets!

But remember, assets don’t tell the whole story . . . .

Liabilities

The Jones family has the following liabilities:

$2,000 – Student Loan

Wow. Their liabilities total – you guessed it – only $2,000.

Net Worth

Let’s use the formula again and take a look at their net worth.

$98,150 (Assets) – $2,000 (Liabilities) = $96,150 (Net Worth).

This means that the Jones family has a positive net worth. Fantastic!

Comparing the Families Net Worth

By comparing these two examples, we learn that looks can deceive. If, for example, someone were to compare the homes of both families, they might assume that the Smiths are wealthier than the Jones family.

After all, the Smiths live in a house and the Jones family lives in an apartment. But the truth of the matter is that the Jones family has a higher net worth than the Smith family.

Still, if someone were to compare their vehicles, they might conclude that the Jones family is better off. While this is true, comparing the vehicles of both families does not necessarily indicate the net worth of each family.

For that, everything must be taken into account.

Why Calculate Net Worth?

As you can see from the examples of the families above, somebody’s net worth is something that is hidden from the view of the public unless, of course, that someone chooses to reveal their net worth.

Even still, what’s the point in revealing one’s net worth to others? There really isn’t a good reason, unless you’re trying to prove something.

However, there is one good reason to calculate your net worth. Have you guessed it?

It’s worthwhile calculating your net worth because you can compare your current net worth to your previous net worth. Okay, so maybe you can’t go back in time and calculate your net worth (although you might be able to find a paper trail).

Big deal. Start now!

By tracking your net worth over time, you can get a feel for your financial progress (or lack thereof). It might encourage you to get another job, pay off some debt, or put a budget together so you can save some more money!

Net worth is a powerful figure because it takes into account both your assets and your liabilities.

In other words, it forces you to not only consider one factor in the equation, but rather the whole equation.

Instead of looking only to your assets (which may look and feel appealing) or only to your liabilities (which may seem overwhelmingly burdensome), calculating your net worth lets you take a look at the balance between these two figures – a balance that can be tracked over time as a reliable measure of financial health.

How to Calculate Your Net Worth Over Time

Alright. You know it’s a good idea to calculate your net worth.

How should you get started?

If you have spreadsheet software on your computer, you can make a really simple spreadsheet to keep track of your net worth over time. Create two columns: one column for your assets and one column for your liabilities.

List out your figures respectively in each column, and if you’re fancy, program it to total the columns and subtract the liabilities total from the assets total.

This will give you your net worth.

But you can do more than this – and perhaps you should. Recalculate your net worth every single month.

Over time, you’ll be able to see your net worth go up or down in value. This is a fantastic visual aid in understanding how you’re doing with your finances.

Once you’ve calculated your net worth and have a few months of data, don’t just stare at the numbers – do something! If your net worth is increasing, ask yourself why and keep doing those things.

If your net worth is decreasing, ask yourself why and change something!

If you’re in that second camp, or your net worth simply looks grim, here are a few articles you need to read:

Thanks for learning about net worth. If you haven’t calculated your net worth yet, get to it! What you find just might be the fuel you need to make positive changes in your life.

Source: goodfinancialcents.com

Apache is functioning normally

April 29, 2023 by Brett Tams

I’ve been a full-time professional blogger for more than a year now. It has been a fantastic experience, a sort of dream come true. But blogging for dollars is not without its drawbacks. As I’ve shared before, I feel socially isolated. I spend most of my time in this office, writing about money.

Also, the income can be irregular. For some bloggers, it is very irregular. One month you might have record earnings — and the next you might experience your own personal financial crisis. Bloggers aren’t the only folks who struggle with the fluctuating incomes, of course. Many self-employed people face the same issue, as do those whose pay is tied to commission.

Creating a budget when your income fluctuates can be a frustrating experience. I am sure that each of us finds our own ways to cope. Today, I want to share the method that I’ve developed.

Projecting Income

Most articles I’ve read on this subject suggest basing your budget on your average monthly income from the past 12 (or six or three) months, but I don’t recommend that unless your income has wild swings — $12,000 one month and $0 the next. As this past year has demonstrated, incomes can and do decline. A prolonged decline wreaks havoc with the “average income” budgeting method.

When I project my cash flow, I base it on my minimum monthly income from the past 12 months. Using my minimum monthly income instead of my average monthly income gives me a safety buffer. And when you have an irregular income, a safety buffer is vital.

Note: If your income is variable, but you know that you will always make at least $X,XXX, then it makes sense to base your budget on $X,XXX. Anything you earn above this amount is gravy.

A Hypothetical Example

For the sake of illustration, I constructed a hypothetical example of the monthly income a freelance designer might have earned in 2008:

Hypothetical 2008 income

The “actual” column shows the designer’s actual income by month. The “average” column shows the average for the entire year. Using the standard advice, this designer would then construct her 2009 budget based on the average monthly income from 2008. Her 2009 budget would be $3,891.67 per month. But what if her income declined in 2009, as has happened to many freelancers? Here is a plausible scenario:

Hypothetical 2009 income

In this instance, the designer’s average monthly income for 2009 was $3,600, or nearly $300 less than she budgeted. And because her first few months were fantastic, she might have been tempted to splurge beyond her budget. That would have been a mistake. If, instead, she had constructed a budget based on her lowest month in 2008, she would have done okay.

Now, obviously I fabricated these numbers out of thin air in order to make a point. But based on recent conversations with a variety of people who earn irregular income (bloggers, designers, contractors, entrepreneurs), many folks are facing this sort of situation in 2009. Their incomes have dropped, and their budgets weren’t ready to cope with this.

Building a Budget

Projecting cash flow is only part of the battle. After finding a basis for my budget, I followed a simple system to manage my money. I recommend using two different bank accounts to make this work:

The first is your “business” account (without quotes for those of you who actually own businesses), which is where you deposit all of your income. My business account is a high-yield savings account with ING Direct. (You might use FNBO Direct or some other bank. Just choose something with a high interest rate.)
The second is your personal account, and it is from this that you will pay your ongoing expenses. There is no need to open a new account if you already have one that will work. I just use my existing credit union checking account.

Every month as you earn income, receive it (and leave it) in your business account. This is where you accumulate your cash. Because it’s in a high-yield account, it earns interest as it waits for you to use it.

From this money, pay yourself as if you were an employee. Your monthly salary is whatever you calculated as your monthly budget, your minimum monthly income from the past 12 months. On a set date each month, write yourself a paycheck. Leave the rest of the money in your business account. (Here’s more on the “virtual employer” concept.)

At I’ve Paid for This Twice Already, PT writes that “the key to budgeting with irregular income [is to] make it mimic regular income as much as possible.” I agree.

At the end of each year, three things happen.

First, you reset your salary. Based on the previous year’s numbers, your income might increase — or it might decrease.
Next, you use the “extra” money you have been accumulating in your business account to pay taxes. I could write an entire article on budgeting for taxes with an irregular income, but for now let’s just note that it is very important that you remember to account for them, especially if nobody else is withholding them from your paycheck.
Finally, if you have anything left after paying taxes, you pull this money out of the business account as personal income. It is, in essence, a year-end bonus. You can use it for whatever you see fit: debt reduction, long-term savings, a Mini Cooper.

Reading through this, my system seems complex. It’s not. It is actually very easy. To summarize: I base my budget on my lowest monthly income from the previous year. When money comes in, it sits in a high-yield savings account. Each month, I write myself a paycheck based on my budgeted amount. The rest of the money is saved to pay taxes. If there’s any left over at the end of the year, I get a bonus.

Note: The first year is difficult. You generally don’t have the ability to base your budget on averages or on the lowest income from the last 12 months. (I was able to do this because I’d been earning money before I quit to blog full-time.) Instead, you’ll have to use some other method to project your income. Whatever you do, remember: It is easier to deal with a budget surplus than it is to deal with a budget deficit!

Tips and Tricks

There are few other things that make living with an irregular income go more smoothly. The following tips and tricks build on the core personal finance skills we discuss often here at Get Rich Slowly:

Establish a foundation of thrift. The number one thing that helped me cope with an irregular income was adopting a lifestyle of thrift. I took steps to slash my spending. I decreased my recurring monthly expenses. I found cheap or free alternatives to the things I used to spend money on (Hulu instead of cable television, the public library instead of the bookstore, etc.).
Prioritize spending. Many of the budgeting guides I’ve read suggest creating a list of prioritized expenses. Financial guru Dave Ramsey, for example, recommends listing all of your expenses in order of importance. (“Importance, not urgency,” he says.) When you get paid, start at the top of the list and work down. This is an excellent method for those who are struggling to make ends meet.
Build a buffer of savings. Before I quit my “real” job to become a full-time blogger, I began to set aside a large sum of money as an emergency fund. I figured that if my income dropped below the minimum I needed to get by, I could tap the emergency fund to provide supplemental cash. With luck, I’d be able to ride out any rocky storms. (I’ve been fortunate to not have to do this.) When you have an irregular income, the bigger your emergency savings, the better.
Tap your business account only as needed. As money accumulates in your business account, you will be tempted to draw from this pool for fun and games. Don’t do it. Remind yourself that this money is for taxes — and for your monthly salary.
Resist lifestyle inflation — especially during the good months. Lynnae at Being Frugal writes: “One of the biggest downfalls of having a variable income is the tendency to overspend on good months. Believe me, I understand. Your money is stretched to the limits in the lean months, so on a good month, you’re tempted to spend a little bit more on fun stuff. But when the next lean month comes, there’s no extra money left to help ride it out.”
If possible, live off just one income. If you have an irregular income but you have a partner who makes steady money, explore the possibility of living solely on her income. Use your partner’s money to meet the necessities, and use yours to pay for savings and extras. This isn’t an option for most people; but if you can manage it, it is a great way to budget.

Do you have irregular income? If so, how do you budget for the fluctuations? Can you offer any additional tips? I am especially interested in tips for those who are just getting started with self-employment or variable incomes.

Source: getrichslowly.org

Apache is functioning normally

April 29, 2023 by Brett Tams

As investor interest in peer-to-peer (P2P) lending grows, a number of automated investment services that act something like robo-advisors to P2P investors are springing up to help investors manage their portfolios of notes. One of them is BlueVestment.

This is becoming increasingly important. Diversification on a P2P lending platform can involve hundreds or even thousands of individual notes, since those notes can be purchased in denominations as small as $25. If it’s difficult to manage a portfolio of 30 or 40 individual stocks, it’s infinitely more difficult to manage a portfolio 500 or more loan notes.

Here’s what BlueVestment has to offer in the cause of automating your P2P investment activities.

Who Is BlueVestment?

Founded in 2013, BlueVestment is a P2P account management service. It gives you the ability to configure automatic management of your investments on Lending Club.

The platform actually has two primary components. The first is the BlueVestment website, which you use to configure the second component, which is the BlueVestment engine. The BlueVestment engine runs on the platform’s servers and is not something that you need to install yourself.

BlueVestment is a third-party service that only interacts with Lending Club, but is not directly affiliated with Lending Club. However, you do need an account with Lending Club in order to use BlueVestment.

BlueVestment performs your investing activities on Lending Club on your behalf. For that reason, you will need to provide the platform with your Lending Club API. The information will be securely stored on BlueVestment servers. The service then runs continuously throughout the day to take advantage of investment opportunities as they arise.

Here is a summary of just some of the tools and features that BlueVestment has to offer investors in the P2P space:

Multiple account support. If you have two or more accounts with Lending Club, BlueVestment can manage them all for you. Best of all, the account will be combined to determine the fee that you will pay. This is good news because BlueVestment uses tiered pricing, with lower fees charged for a higher volume of account activity. See the BlueVestment Pricing section below for more details.

“Lightning quick investing.” Since investor participation in P2P lending, particularly with Lending Club, is increasing rapidly, speed becomes ever more important to investor success. An automated system like BlueVestment can give you the speed that you need to get access to the most attractive notes to invest in, before they’ve been scooped up by the growing pool of P2P investors.

Automatic investing. You create simple loan filters, or use advanced loan filters which enable you to filter on over 90 different metrics. You can also prioritize your loan filters, if you decide that certain filters are more important than others. You can also specify the dollar amounts to invest in each note, and even invest in multiple notes on the same loan. The platform enables you to maintain a minimum available cash balance, beyond which no additional funds will be invested.

Fee refunds on charged off notes. If BlueVestment acquires a note for you and charges you a fee, and the loan is charged off, the fee will be refunded to you.

Security. BlueVestment uses industry-standard SSL encryption to protect all data transmitted between your web browser and the BlueVestment servers. All sensitive data is encrypted, using the same encryption methods used by banks. In addition, your payment information is stored off-site in BlueVestment’s PCI compliant payment processor.

BlueVestment Pricing

BlueVestment has four separate pricing tiers, based on your account activity (not account size).

Less than $1,000 invested per month – Free – the fee is based on notes issued only
Between $1,000 and $5,000 – 0.45%
Between $5,000 and $20,000 – 0.30%
Over $20,000 – 0.20%

The fees are applied to the investments made each month in loans that are actually issued that month, and not to your total account balance. As an example, if you were to invest in notes totaling $50,000 in one month, the fee structure would look like this:

On the first $1,000, no fee
On the next $49,000 – 0.20%, or $98, since $50,000 in total investments for the month is over $20,000, and therefore qualifies for the 0.20% fee rate
Total fee – $98

There is a $2.00 minimum of all monthly non-zero fees. In addition, the fee is based on the sum of all of your P2P accounts managed by BlueVestment. This is similar to other investments like Betterment or Wealthfront.

It’s also important to understand that notes invested into in one month may not be issued until the following month. In that case, the fee will be applied when the notes are actually issued.There is no annual fee, and no charge for un-invested cash. In addition, fees do not apply to notes that have been charged off at any point. That means that if a note is charged off at any time that you own it, and you paid a fee to BlueVestment to acquire it, the initial fee charged on the acquisition will be refunded to you.

Will BlueVestment Work For You?

Let’s start this part of the discussion with the obvious strike against BlueVestment – it only applies to Lending Club. If you invest through Prosper, Funding Circle or any other P2P lending platform, BlueVestment will not be available.

But assuming that you have one or more accounts with Lending Club, then BlueVestment is definitely a service worth investigating. Not only does the platform offer lightning-fast investing, but they also provide support for multiple accounts, and fee refunds on charged off loans. That last benefit is almost unknown in the investing universe.

But the basic fee is another area where BlueVestment stands out. Not only is the free investing of up to $1,000 per month attractive to new and small investors, but the tiered fee schedule, that lowers the fee to 0.20% retroactively on all of your investing for the month in excess of $20,000, is a real bargain compared to competing services.

And just as important, the fee is applied only to notes that you purchase in a given month, and not on your cumulative note portfolio. This means that BlueVestment is acting primarily in a broker capacity for the purchase of your loan notes, rather than in complete management of your portfolio. That’s a fee structure that would make traditional investment managers extremely nervous.

Given the level of service that BlueVestment provides, as well as the fee structure that is more than fair, this is a service that you need to check out. Seriously.

Source: goodfinancialcents.com

Apache is functioning normally

April 29, 2023 by Brett Tams

Save more, spend smarter, and make your money go further

Even as interest rates approach lows last seen in, oh, 50,000 BC, U.S. savings bonds are still a great deal.

I’m an obsessive fan of savings bonds, particularly Series I, or I-bonds, for short. Since I wrote about them last year, a few aspects of buying and giving them have changed, but the basic message hasn’t: if you aren’t buying savings bonds, you’re missing out on a safe, simple, and relatively high-yielding investment available to anyone with a social security number.

Let’s recap briefly what is so great about I-bonds:

– They pay an interest rate tied to the rate of inflation. You won’t lose purchasing power, and if you’re concerned about high inflation in the future, I-bonds will protect your savings. Most savings accounts, CDs, and other Treasury bonds pay less than the prevailing inflation rate. Right now, for example, I-bonds are paying 2.2% APY, which is more than almost any 5-year CD.

– Each person can buy up to $10,000 per year.

– You can set up an account in minutes and start buying I-bonds online at TreasuryDirect.gov.

– You can cash them in after one year or hold them for up to 30 years. (There’s a small penalty for redeeming I-bonds before 5 years.)

– I-bonds are tax-deferred and can be used for a child’s college education tax-free.

The way I always sum it up is: nobody regrets buying I-bonds.

The gift of aaaargh

The big change in bonds since last year: they got rid of paper savings bonds. If you’re buying bonds for yourself, no big deal. Buying online is easy — all you miss out on is the cool pictures of Einstein and Chief Joseph and Helen Keller.

If you want to give a savings bond as a gift, however, the process is about to get a little awkward, because the recipient of the gift has to have their own Treasury Direct (TD) account. For example, say I want to give my niece a $25 I-bond. I can buy the bond right away and keep it in the “Gift Box” section of my TD account. To transfer it to my niece, however, I have to:

– Call or email my brother and tell him to open a TD account for himself, then a subaccount for his daughter (oh, and another subaccount for his son, if I want to give him a bond, too).

– Have him give me the kid’s TD account number. Yes, it is safe to share your TD account number. No, this is not intuitive.

The Treasury has produced a YouTube video, complete with that reassuring “Welcome to your first day at work”-style voiceover, to explain how to give electronic savings bonds as gifts. Honestly, I would rather call my grandmother and ask her if she has any tech support questions for me.

Instead, I called Jerry Kelly, director of the Treasury’s Ready.Save.Grow campaign. His response, in short: Believe me, we know. “There are a lot of things we’re looking at to simplify the process,” said Kelly. “One of the things we keep in mind for simplicity is PayPal, or, for example, or iTunes. We want to get there eventually. It’s going to take us time.”

I asked Kelly whether anyone is using the gifting feature. “It’s certainly not as robust as paper was, and we knew that that would happen,” he replied.

This isn’t good enough for Mel Lindauer, a Forbes columnist, coauthor of The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing, and a man even more into savings bonds than I am. “The answer is simple,” said Lindauer by email. “Bring back paper I-Bonds and give investors an option. Prior to the elimination of paper I-Bonds, investors overwhelmingly chose paper I-Bonds over TD.”

Stay safe out there

Lindauer ticked off a variety of objections to Treasury Direct, most damningly the fact that, unlike your bank’s website, TD doesn’t promise you’re off the hook in the event someone fraudulently cleans out your account.

“There is an element of truth to that,” said Kelly, but in over ten years and hundred of thousands of TD accounts, no customer has lost a dime to fraud. “We have had people who’ve had problems, but we have not held them accountable for it, because we haven’t deemed them to be negligent with their access information.” He mentioned the guy who put his Social Security number on the side of his truck. If someone did that with their TD password, “we probably would not have a whole lot of sympathy for them.”

And a TD account is not like a checking account: it’s designed to be easier to put money in than take it out. In order to steal my I-bonds, you’d not only need access to my password and my email account (TD sends a one-time passcode via email when you log in on a new computer), you’d then have to link my account to new bank account, which would leave an obvious trail.

In short, it would be even more work than convincing my brother to open a TD account for my niece. Please do not take this as a challenge.

To sum it up

– I-bonds are still an awesome, flexible, safe investment.

– The process for gifting them is too complicated, and no one blames you if you wait until they fix it.

– Buying them for yourself is a snap.

– I’m probably about to get a call from my grandmother asking if she can treat computer viruses with ibuprofen.

Matthew Amster-Burton is a personal finance columnist at Mint.com. Find him on Twitter @Mint_Mamster.

Save more, spend smarter, and make your money go further

Previous Post
Facebook Fan Q&A: How to Choose Investments for Your Retirement…
Next Post
MintLife Reader Q&A: 401(k)s, 457(b)s, and IRAs — Oh, My!

Source: mint.intuit.com

Apache is functioning normally

April 29, 2023 by Brett Tams

For most people, their health tends to get pushed to the back burner. The older that we get, the more money that we spend at the doctor and on our health care needs. As a senior, the largest part of health care insurance is Medicare. The government program has provided health care coverage to millions and millions of people across the United States. For a lot of these seniors, they wouldn’t be able to afford this protection if they applied for a policy through a private company.

The problem is that Medicare doesn’t cover everything that seniors may run into as they get older. Those coverage gaps could leave you with a mountain of hospital bills and medical fees. Those bills could quickly drain a retirement account and leave seniors with too little money in their retirement age.

Luckily, there are several ways that you can get some additional coverage against rising medical bills. It’s vital that you have the health care coverage that you need. One of the best ways to do that is to purchase a Medigap policy.

What is a Medicare Supplemental Plan?

These Medigap plans are sold by private insurance companies and are separate from the government Medicare program. The goal of these plans is to fill in the gaps that Medicare leaves behind. If you have one of these plans, then you’ll still be required to pay the premiums for Plan A and B, and you’ll also pay a private insurance company every month for the additional coverage. Some Medicare enrollees assume that these Medigap plans replace original Medicare, but that is not true.

There are ten different supplemental plans that you can choose from, depending on where you live. Not every state allows all the plans. These plans are denoted by a letter of the alphabet, from A to N. The different plans are going to cover different expenses or a portion of expenses. Some of them are going to provide more comprehensive coverage, like Plan F, while others are going to be more basic, like a Plan A.
#ap71886-ww
font-family: Archivo, sans-serif;
#ap71886-wwpadding-top:20px;position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:12px#ap71886-ww #ap71886-ww-indicatortext-align:right;color:#4a4a4a#ap71886-ww #ap71886-ww-indicator-wrapperdisplay:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:flex-end;margin-bottom:8px#ap71886-ww #ap71886-ww-indicator-wrapper:hover #ap71886-ww-textdisplay:block#ap71886-ww #ap71886-ww-indicator-wrapper:hover #ap71886-ww-labeldisplay:none#ap71886-ww #ap71886-ww-textmargin:auto 3px auto auto#ap71886-ww #ap71886-ww-labelmargin-left:4px;margin-right:3px#ap71886-ww #ap71886-ww-iconmargin:auto;display:inline-block;width:16px;height:16px;min-width:16px;min-height:16px;cursor:pointer#ap71886-ww #ap71886-ww-icon imgvertical-align:middle;width:16px;height:16px;min-width:16px;min-height:16px#ap71886-ww #ap71886-ww-text-bottommargin:5px#ap71886-ww #ap71886-ww-textdisplay:none#ap71886-ww #ap71886-ww-icon imgtext-indent:-9999px;color:transparent

Ads by Money. We may be compensated if you click this ad.Ad

What Does Medigap Plan K Cover?

Now that we’ve looked at the foundational information of supplemental plans let’s take a deeper look at Medigap Plan K. For a lot of applicants, Plan K is a great policy, but it’s important that you compare all of your options before you decide which one is going to work best for you. Plan K is not the most popular option, but there are several advantages of this plan that you should be aware of when you’re shopping for additional coverage.

Plan K is one of the smaller policies that is going to provide basic coverage (which means lower monthly premiums). Unlike other plans that pay 100% of categories, Plan K is only going to pay for a portion of those expenses. For most of the categories, it pays 50% of these expenses. I’ll discuss those categories later in this article.

One of the unique advantages of Plan K is the yearly out-of-pocket limit that it includes. With Plan K, the out-of-pocket limit is $5,120, but that number can change every year. Once you’ve reached this threshold, your Medigap plan is going to cover 100% of your Medicare-covered costs for the remainder of the year. This is a nice safety net to have for your supplemental coverage, especially if you have a drastic health condition that could rack up a massive amount of health care costs. Plan K is only one of two plans that have an out-of-pocket limit, the other plan is Plan L, which has a much lower limit. With Plan L, the limit is half of Plan K’s limit.

If you purchase a Plan K, you’re going to get 50% coverage for these categories:

Medicare Part A deductible
Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
Skilled nursing facility coinsurance
Part B copayment or coinsurance
First three pints of blood for medical procedures

Until you reach the out-of-pocket limit, you will have to pay half of all of the categories. For most people, 50% coverage is enough to give them the financial protection that they need, but for others, they would like to have those expenses completely coverage. This is one of the most unique traits about the Plan K, is that it only pays for half of the categories.

These are the main coverage categories for your Plan K. There are a few key areas that you won’t get any coverage at all. The two main ones are the Part B deductible (which no plans are allowed to pay for anymore) and the Part B excess charges.

When you go to the doctor or have any medical services done, there is a pre-determined amount that they are going to pay for those treatments. Legally, the doctor is allowed to charge 15% more than that pre-determined amount, and everything above that is considered excess charges. With a Plan K, you’ll be responsible for paying for all of those excess charges out-of-pocket. In most cases, these are not going to be huge bills, but depending on the treatments or services that you get, it could end up draining your bank account before you know it.

Choosing the Plan That Works Best for You

Is a Plan K right for you? Plan K is a specific Medigap plan that scares a lot of applicants away. The half coverage keeps a lot of Medicare enrollees from choosing this plan, even though they could save money by picking this plan. If you don’t think a Plan K is best for you, there are several other excellent options that you can choose from. I know that picking a plan can be difficult, but there are several key factors that you should look at when you’re shopping for supplemental coverage.

The first thing that you should look at is your finances. The goal of your Medigap plan is to protect your savings account from being hit with thousands and thousands of dollars of medical bills, but you shouldn’t have a plan that’s going to stretch your budget every month. Before you apply for any of these plans, take a long hard look at your finances and see which one is going to fit comfortably.

The next thing that you should consider is your health. The purpose of your Medigap plan is to ensure that you’re getting the proper health care coverage without having to foot that bill yourself. If you’re in excellent health with no serious health complications, then you can consider purchasing a smaller plan, like a Plan K, which leaves more gaps in your coverage. On the other hand, if you’re in poor health and have several red flags on your medical history, then you should consider enrolling in a more encompassing plan that fills in all of the gaps left behind by Medicare.

Medigap Open Enrollment Period

Once you’ve decided which plan that you want to buy, Plan K or one of the nine others, it’s important that you take advantage of your Medigap Open Enrolment Period. This is a six-month window that starts the month that you turn 65. During this window, the insurance company can’t decline your application, regardless of your health or any pre-existing conditions that you may have. If you have some drastic health problems, this could be your only chance to get supplemental coverage.

If you apply during your Medigap Open Enrollment period, the insurance company can’t increase your premiums before of your health. If you purchase one of these plans outside of the open enrollment date, then your application will have to go through the underwriting process. That means that you could get drastically higher rates for your supplemental coverage. If you want to save money, it’s important that you apply during this time frame.

If you’ve already missed your Medigap Open Enrollment date, don’t worry, there is still a good chance that you can get affordable supplemental coverage.

Questions or Concerns?

This is the basics of Plan K coverage. If you still have questions about Plan K or supplemental coverage in general, please feel free to contact me or an experienced Medigap insurance agent today. Your health care coverage is one of the most important factors, especially as you get older.

It can be difficult keeping up with all of the changes to Medicare and supplemental coverage, but that’s why I am here to help. It’s my goal to give you the information and resources that you need.

Source: goodfinancialcents.com

Apache is functioning normally

April 29, 2023 by Brett Tams

Shutters offer an easy way to upgrade the look of your home’s exterior, adding a splash of style and even color to your windows.

Keep in mind that these are not just window treatments. Exterior shutters protect your windows and offer you privacy. During summer, they’re a great way to control the amount of light that enters your room, and during winters, they provide extra insulation.

Of course, you’ll want to consider their actual design and color, but since the shutters will constantly be exposed to wind, heat or humidity, you’ll want them first and foremost to be resistant. Select the wrong material and you may find your investment falling apart in just a few years.

Let’s look at the most common materials used for shutters and the qualities of each.

Vinyl shutters

Vinyl shutters are the least expensive option when it comes to exterior window blinds. They are made by molding vinyl over a form. Once the material cures, the mold comes out. This leaves the vinyl shutter with a hollow interior. They come in a wide variety of colors and styles, making it easy to match almost any exterior.

Trending stories

The downside of these particular shades is that the color will start to fade within a few years. Vinyl is a difficult material to paint, and you shouldn’t expect long-lasting results. As the sun beats down on it, it will start to deteriorate and can crack or warp. Some vinyl shutters need to be replaced in just a few years.

The hollow design makes it impossible to hinge so that it opens and closes over the windows. That makes this type of blinds impossible to use for security against intruders or inclement weather.

Wood shutters

Classic wood exterior shutters are the top choice for many. They are made from solid natural wood, often with a beautiful grain pattern, and you can find them in any number of styles and sizes. The wood can be finished with stain or painted any color you desire. It can also be repainted or re-stained as needed.

The problem with natural wood is moisture. The grain of the wood can start to absorb moisture, swelling the shutter and making it warp. If the wood dries out too much, it can start to crack and split. Nonetheless, this type will last longer than most vinyl shutters, but they may need to be replaced in less than a decade.

As a plus, natural wood shutters can be hinged. This makes them useful for protection against inclement weather or against potential intruders.

Wood composite shutters

Wood composite has changed the world of outside window shutters. It’s a combination of wood and plastic materials, molded to look just like natural wood shutters. It even has graining to make the product look as close to natural wood as possible. Since these shutters are made from solid materials that are hefty, they can be painted and repainted as needed.

The downside to wood composite exterior shades is that they are not impervious to moisture. While they last longer than natural wood, they will eventually absorb moisture and start to warp. Then, as they dry out, they will crack and split. You can expect this type of shutters to last up to 15 years with proper care and maintenance.

Composite wood shades can take hinges like natural wood. They can be closed to protect against intruders or storms.

PVC composite shutters

PVC composite outdoor shutters are a definite step up when it comes to long-lasting beauty. They are made from solid architectural cellular PVC over a stainless steel frame. They have the beauty of natural wood without the problems with moisture and rot. You can order them in a number of standard colors or paint them on site to the color of your choice.

The PVC composite material makes these shutters impervious to weather. They won’t warp or rot due to moisture penetration. They also won’t dry out and crack or split.

This type of shutters are hingeable and can be mounted to open and shut. This makes them good for protecting the home from storms and thieves.

For high-quality exterior shutters for windows, check out the selection at Flower Window Boxes. They offer PVC composite shutters in several styles made to your specifications. Due to the quality of the material, the manufacturer offers a lifetime warranty. You may order a sample to see for yourself.

Author’s bio: Matt Buquoi works at FlowerWindowBoxes.com, a company that offers premium-quality, no-rot flower window boxes, exterior shutters, cedar gables and outdoor planters at affordable prices.

More tips for your fancy home

7 Great Ways to Bring More Light into Your Bedroom: A Guide to Bedroom Lighting
16 Easy Decor Hacks to Make Your Home Look More Fancy
Decorating Your Small Apartment: 9 Best Design Ideas to Make Smaller Spaces Pop
10 of the Most Stylish Minimalist Wall Clocks You Can Buy on Amazon

Source: fancypantshomes.com

Apache is functioning normally

April 29, 2023 by Brett Tams

April 15th may be a few weeks away, but I’m guessing some of you have already filed your tax return. We, as a matter of fact, just finished our tax return last week. For the second year in a row, we are getting a small refund. (As an aside, we have a large nonrefundable tax credit that is taunting me. Our tax liability wasn’t high enough to use much of it, so there it sits…)

Whether you are getting a large or small refund this year, you are probably anxious to receive it — I know I am! Did you know you can check with the IRS to find out what the status of your federal tax refund is?

How? I am so glad you asked….

Simple, web-based IRS tool lets you check your federal tax refund’s status.

Considering the complicated tax code, I think it is amazing that this tool is called, quite simply,”Where’s my refund?” Anyway, you will need to provide your social security number, filing status, and exact — please note “exact” — refund amount in order for your request to be processed.

You can even use the official smartphone app of the IRS (IRS2Go) to check the status of your refund AND find free tax preparation assistance (if you qualify). You will need to provide the same information to check your refund status whether you use the app or the online tool. The app also provides various hotline numbers to call for various tax issues.

Don’t have a computer or a smartphone? You can also call the IRS to check the status. However, the IRS phone representatives can only research your refund status if 21 days have passed since you e-filed, or six weeks since you filed a paper return, or if their web-based tool directs you to call them. Plus, they might be a little busy around tax time.

Our tax refund will be direct-deposited, but even if you are getting a regular check, this method still works.

When can you start checking the status of your tax refund?

If you e-file, you can check after 24 hours. If you do a paper-based return, wait four weeks. The IRS states that the online tool is only updated once every 24 hours, so there is no need to check it more often. In general, you can expect your refund about 21 days after you e-file. As I mentioned above, if you haven’t received your refund within this time frame, it’s time to give the IRS a call.

If you’re using direct deposit, check with your bank regularly to confirm the refund has been deposited. The IRS will not notify you that the check has been deposited.

Want your money more quickly next year?

To receive your tax refund more quickly, the IRS recommends e-filing and direct deposit. Even if you choose to do a paper return, make sure your return is free of errors and has your correct mailing address, so the return can be processed — and the money deposited to your checking account! — as soon as possible.

Want a refund next year? Or not…

If you have always received a refund but want to see if you now have the discipline to save on your own, consider adjusting your W-4 so that less is withheld from your paycheck. (The IRS withholding calculator can help you calculate how much you should have withheld.) This will, in essence, spread your refund out over the course of a year. If you have the discipline to use this money wisely, you will have use of it much earlier than if you had waited for a refund.

On the other hand, if a tax refund is a method of forced saving you can appreciate, consider having more withheld from your paycheck.

As always, do what works for you. And may your check arrive soon!

[Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article appeared on March 10, 2010.]

Source: getrichslowly.org

Apache is functioning normally

April 29, 2023 by Brett Tams

From pillows and baskets to geometric accent rugs, these brands have what you need to dress your home in sustainable style. So grab the popcorn, cue up Netflix, and slip into your jammies. It’s time to get comfy under your new favorite throw. Ahhh—welcome home!

Note: Not all brands are 100% vegan. When shopping, be sure to check materials for things like leather, wool, etc.

This Black-owned furniture brand not only carries the furniture you need, but they also stock the perfect accompanying design pieces. Find everything from lumbar pillows and candles to square pillows in colors like Indigo, Amber, Seafoam, and more. Their 18 x 18 Square Pillow boasts 100% recycled water bottle filling and a recycled and upcycled fabric cover. Now that’s sustainable home decor!

Courtesy of Sabai

Nothing says sustainable design like an upcycled cotton throw from Hilana. The Fethiye Striped Blanket Throw is perfect for tossing over a chair or storing in a basket beside your sustainable sofa. Hilana also stocks tablecloths—like the Andana Striped and Kayseri.

Courtesy of Hilana

We love AmourLinen for their waffle design pillow covers and throws. Choose from muted shades like Sage, Cream, Mustard, Dusty Lavender, and Charcoal. If you like the drapey look, go with the blanket instead of the throw, and use it as a boho-style sofa cover. While you’re there, check out their sheet sets, duvet covers, and more.

Courtesy of Amour Linen

Take a look at Korissa’s accent rugs boasting natural or renewable materials. These eco-friendly designs are perfect for siding up next to the kitchen sink while you cook up all those delicious vegan culinary creations. The brand also stocks matching pillow covers. And that’s not all! You’ll find plant baskets, woven bowls, hampers, and more. While Korissa is working on phasing them out, please note that some products still contain leather tags.

Courtesy of Korissa

First, grab a good book. Next, choose a super-cozy, slub cotton pillow from Pillowpia. Lastly, enjoy the rest of your afternoon. You’re welcome. Select from the Minerva, Linus, Gemma, and others. The brand offers a variety of sizes, designs, and colors to fit your needs. They also stock baskets, wall art, and macrame plant hangers.

Courtesy of Pillowpia

Prepare to get your cozy on at Zuahaza. Find pillow covers, throws, rugs, and baskets that add a stylish, elegant, comfortable touch to your design. Try the Manglar Euro Pillow Cover, the Sumapaz Large Throw, the Bagotá Area Rug, and the Monserrate Basket Tray. And that’s just for starters! Next, we’re headed to the brand’s kitchen collection for placemats, table runners, and more.

Courtesy of Zuahaza

When it comes to sustainable home decor, find what you’re looking for at Variously. Toss a couple of their pillows on your sofa (like the Chokor Nira Brown), add a throw (Reyti Ochre Organic Cotton, maybe?), and you’re good to go.

Courtesy of Variously

This vegan-friendly brand stocks a good selection of recycled plastic and cotton rugs. Find runners and area rugs in addition to both indoor and outdoor designs. Some also have the convenience of being machine washable!

Courtesy of Fab Habitat

From throws and pillows to candles and diffusers, Sunday Citizen has what you need to complete your design look. Choose pillows in lumbar, mini, body pillows, and more. As for throws, we’re crazy for the Faces Throw in Grape-Lavender.

Courtesy of Sunday Citizen

Will & Atlas is the place to go for jute rugs, baskets, and storage. We suggest filling the Rectangle Tray Baskets with a collection of vegan cookbooks or adding some fresh fruit to the Palm Leaf Woven Bowl. Sustainable home decor for the win!

Courtesy of Will And Atlas

At Indego Africa, you’ll find everything from placemats and coasters to pillows and floor baskets. Check out their Ikat & Indigo Pillow, their Tall Banana Leaf Floor Basket, and others. All designs are handcrafted by groups of artisan women in Rwanda and Ghana.

Courtesy of Indego Africa

Celebrate color and design at Casa Amarosa! From their Aakar Modern Tiles Accent Pillow to their Celestial Throw Blanket, they have what you’re looking for. Need rugs? They’ve got those too! We’re looking at you, Triangle Jute rug.

Courtesy of Casa Amarosa

Keep your shelves cute with storage bins and baskets from Open Spaces. These work great in the bathroom for towels and toilet paper, in the bedroom for books, and in the living room for just about anything! We love this brand for sustainable home decor.

Courtesy of Open Spaces

Head to Azulina Home for bathroom design. The Cali Olive Bath Mat pairs nicely with your favorite plush towels and fluffy slippers. These handcrafted rugs look great and feel nice underfoot. The brand also offers pillows and door mats.

Courtesy of Azulina Home

At VegOut, we curate the best of the best vegan products, so you don’t have to. Our picks are all selected by our amazing team of writers and editorial staff. We may earn commission if you purchase one of these great products by clicking the links above.

Source: vegoutmag.com

Apache is functioning normally

April 29, 2023 by Brett Tams

Running and maintaining a home can be a costly business while juggling the many necessities of life.

Purchasing your home is one thing, but making sure it is always in good running order is quite another. Before you even realize it, expenses can quickly mount up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Upon taking out a mortgage, your lender may have a requirement that you also take out a home insurance policy to protect the building from theft or a naturally occurring disaster, such as a fire, flood, or earthquake.

While this preserves the physical structure of the house, it offers no protection for the things contained inside the building—the essential systems and appliances we use on a daily basis.

If your washer breaks down, or your air conditioning fails, you are potentially looking at hefty repair bills, time spent calling the best technician in town, and a sizable financial hit if the entire appliance needs replacing.

Luckily, there is a practical solution to this issue: welcome to the world of home warranties.

What is a Home Warranty?

As the name suggests, a home warranty or service contract is an insurance policy taken out to protect your home.

First-time home buyers and existing homeowners alike are encouraged to look into a comprehensive home warranty.

Since homes are often considered a huge investment, purchasing a home warranty ensures your valuable piece of property is safeguarded for generations to come.

Unlike a traditional home insurance policy, however, a home warranty is not restricted only to the building. Instead, home warranties cover major elements, such as heating and hot water systems, dryers, and ovens, among other essential items.

Choice Home Warranty is an ideal solution to your warranty woes, offering two plans to provide the best option for your home.

What Are the Benefits of a Home Warranty?

A home warranty works by exchanging a regular monthly payment for protection.

This offers a cheaper solution to the headache of having to pay the total replacement cost of an item at a moments notice.

This type of policy provides homeowners with an extra layer of protection whenever unexpected issues occur.

What Are Choice Home’s Warranty Plans?

There are two plans currently offered by Choice Home: the basic plan and the total plan.

Basic Plan

The basic plan provides standard coverage on the following items:

Electrical system
Heating system
Plumbing system
Plumbing stoppage
Whirlpool bath
Oven, range, or stove
Water heater
Dishwasher
Built-in microwave
Cook top
Garbage disposal
Garage door opener
Ceiling and exhaust fans
Duct work

Total Plan

As the name suggests, the total plan is a comprehensive warranty designed to protect all aspects of your home.

In addition to everything covered by the basic plan, the total plan also covers the following items:

Air conditioning system
Clothes washer
Clothes dryer
Refrigerator

Add-Ons

As a bonus, Choice Home offers clients “add-ons”— extras that can be added to an existing plan for a specific item but not included in either of the standard plans.

Those items covered here are:

Well pump
Sump pump
Pool and spa
Limited roof leak
Central vacuum
Septic system
Standalone freezer
Second refrigerator
Septic tank pumping

These extras allow you to personalize a warranty to focus only on those things you will really need to save money.

Get A Choice Home Warranty Quote

Why Choose Choice Home Warranty?

A Choice Home Warranty offers a variety of benefits, all designed to help make your life easier:

Pros

Free First Month: This is a definite bonus if you are browsing providers. Choice Home Warranty offers the first month of service at zero cost to you when a single-payment and one-year warranty plan is purchased.
24/7 Service: One of the benefits of a home warranty plan is guaranteed peace of mind. Choice Home Warranty offers a 24/7 approach to customer service, allowing customers to call or submit a claim when it’s most convenient for them. Claims can be filed via an online form on their website, making the process quick and easy.
No Home Inspection Required: Some providers require a full home inspection before providing you with a warranty, and this can make the sign-up process a long and drawn out affair for both parties. This is not necessary with Choice Home, and coverage starts as soon as the policy is activated, with no prerequisites.
Benefits for Real Estate Agents: Choice Home provides plans and packages specifically designed for real estate agents. A home warranty can prove a fantastic incentive to a potential buyer, giving you a chance to stand out from the crowd.
Knowledgeable Team Members: Choice Home representatives are thoroughly involved in the claims process and are knowledgeable about the products and services offered. This allows customers to obtain thorough and accurate information tailored to their individual needs and requirements.
Completion Date: In the event of a delay, technicians can provide a completion date for any work carried out. This offers customers total peace of mind along with a realistic time frame.
Informative Website: Choice Home’s website is not only easy to navigate, but is also divided into sections for buyers, sellers, homeowners, realtors, and contractors, making information extremely accessible. A FAQ page helps potential and existing customers answer questions quickly, and their regularly updated blog gives readers the opportunity to learn about recent business developments.
Extensive Coverage: Choice Home prides themselves on comprehensive coverage, and the choice of two separate plans helps potential and existing customers find a solution that best fits their needs.
No Policy Gaps: Coverage will begin 30 days after the homeowner is enrolled, and continues for 365 days. If a customer provides proof of prior coverage with Choice Home or another provider, then a new policy can be activated as soon as the old one expires. This ensures customers are always protected.

Cons

There are also some cons to Choice Home’s policies that specifically relate to pre-existing damage or appliance misuse:

Pre-Existing Conditions: Any damage occurring as a result of pre-existing conditions, whether known or unknown, will not be covered.
Appliance Misuse: Policies do not cover damage from misuse, abuse, or failure to clean and maintain a system or appliance.

Alternatives

#ap84837-ww
font-family: Archivo, sans-serif;
#ap84837-wwpadding-top:20px;position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:12px#ap84837-ww #ap84837-ww-indicatortext-align:right;color:#4a4a4a#ap84837-ww #ap84837-ww-indicator-wrapperdisplay:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:flex-end;margin-bottom:8px#ap84837-ww #ap84837-ww-indicator-wrapper:hover #ap84837-ww-textdisplay:block#ap84837-ww #ap84837-ww-indicator-wrapper:hover #ap84837-ww-labeldisplay:none#ap84837-ww #ap84837-ww-textmargin:auto 3px auto auto#ap84837-ww #ap84837-ww-labelmargin-left:4px;margin-right:3px#ap84837-ww #ap84837-ww-iconmargin:auto;display:inline-block;width:16px;height:16px;min-width:16px;min-height:16px;cursor:pointer#ap84837-ww #ap84837-ww-icon imgvertical-align:middle;width:16px;height:16px;min-width:16px;min-height:16px#ap84837-ww #ap84837-ww-text-bottommargin:5px#ap84837-ww #ap84837-ww-textdisplay:none#ap84837-ww #ap84837-ww-icon imgtext-indent:-9999px;color:transparent#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2
margin: 0 auto;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .d-none
display: none;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .text-center
text-align: center;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .ml-1
margin-left: 0.5rem;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mb-1
margin-bottom: 0.5rem;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .btn
display: inline-block;
font-weight: 400;
text-align: center;
white-space: nowrap;
vertical-align: middle;
-webkit-user-select: none;
-moz-user-select: none;
-ms-user-select: none;
user-select: none;
border: 1px solid transparent;
border-top-color: transparent;
border-right-color: transparent;
border-bottom-color: transparent;
border-left-color: transparent;
padding: .5rem .75rem;
font-size: 1rem;
line-height: 1.25;
border-radius: .25rem;
transition: all .15s ease-in-out;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .btn.disabled, .btn:disabled
opacity: .65;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .form-control
display: block;
width: 100%;
padding: .5rem .75rem;
font-size: 1rem;
line-height: 1.25;
color: #495057;
background-color: #fff;
background-image: none;
background-clip: padding-box;
border: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.15);
border-radius: .25rem;
transition: border-color ease-in-out .15s,box-shadow ease-in-out .15s;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .indicator-loading
display: none;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 [aria-busy] .indicator-loading
display: inline-block;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 [aria-busy] .indicator-label
display: none;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 header
padding: 15px;
font-family: Montserrat, Verdana, sans-serif;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 header h3
font-size: 21px;
line-height: 21px;
font-weight: 700;
overflow-wrap: break-word;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper
font-family: Montserrat, Verdana, sans-serif;
background-color: #f8f8f8;
text-align: center;
margin-bottom: 15px;
border-radius: 8px;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper form
width: 100%;
position: relative;
padding: 1rem;
display: flex;
flex-direction: row;
justify-content: center;
align-items: center;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper.has-sort form
justify-content: end;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper.has-sort.has-zip form
justify-content: space-between;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper form .loading
position: absolute;
z-index: 20;
display: none;
position: absolute;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
top: 50%;
left: 50%;
background: #fff;
transform: translate(-50%, -50%);

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper form .loading .loading__indicator
display: flex;
align-items: center !important;
justify-content: center !important;
border: none;
position: absolute;
left: 50%;
top: 50%;
opacity: 1;
transform: translate(-50%, -50%);
background: none;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper form .loading .loading__indicator div
margin-right: 8px;
width: 6px;
background: #1261C9;
animation: mg-loading 1.2s cubic-bezier(0, 0.5, 0.5, 1) infinite;
animation-delay: 0s;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper form .loading .loading__indicator div:nth-child(1)
animation-delay: -0.24s;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper form .loading .loading__indicator div:nth-child(2)
animation-delay: -0.12s;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper form .loading .loading__indicator div:nth-child(3)
animation-delay: 0s;

@keyframes mg-loading
0%
top: 0px;
height: 36px;

50%, 100%
top: 6px;
height: 24px;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper form[aria-busy] .loading
display: flex;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .zip-filter
display: flex;
flex-direction: row;
align-items: center;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .zip-filter input
width: 120px;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu
display: flex;
flex-direction: row;
align-items: center;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .zip-filter .title,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu .title
margin-right: 1rem;
font-size: 16px;
font-weight: 700;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu .action-group
position: relative;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper summary
padding: .5rem .75rem;
font-size: 14px;
line-height: 1.25;
color: #495057;
background-color: #fff;
background-image: none;
background-clip: padding-box;
border: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.15);
border-radius: .25rem;
transition: border-color ease-in-out .15s,box-shadow ease-in-out .15s;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: space-between;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper summary::marker,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper summary::-webkit-details-marker
content: “”;
display: none;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu .action-group__dropdown
position: absolute;
top: 100%;
right: 0;
z-index: 1001;
min-width: 100%;
background-color: #fff;
border: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.15);
border-radius: .25rem;
box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
padding: 0.5rem;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu .action-group .action-group__item
display: flex;
align-items: stretch;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu .action-group .action-group__item a
display: flex;
flex-wrap: nowrap;
white-space: nowrap;
align-items: center;
justify-content: space-between;
padding: 0.35rem 0.5rem;
background-color: #fff;
color: #333;
text-decoration: none;
border-radius: 4px;
pointer: cursor;
width: 100%;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu .action-group .action-group__toggle:after,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu .action-group .action-group__item a:after
content: “”;
display: inline-block;
width: 0.75rem;
height: 0.75rem;
margin-left: 0.5rem;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
background-size: contain;
background-image: url(‘data:image/svg+xml;utf8,’);

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu .action-group .action-group__toggle[aria-sort=”ascending”]:after,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu .action-group .action-group__item a[aria-sort=”ascending”]:after
background-image: url(‘data:image/svg+xml;utf8,’);

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu .action-group .action-group__toggle[aria-sort=”descending”]:after,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu .action-group .action-group__item a[aria-sort=”descending”]:after
background-image: url(‘data:image/svg+xml;utf8,’);
transform: rotate(180deg);
-webkit-transform: rotate(180deg);

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu .action-group .action-group__item a:hover
background-color: #f5f5f5;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .btn-primary
color: #ffffff;
background-color: #ff7207;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table-wrapper
box-shadow: 0 10px 27px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);
border-radius: 8px

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 *
box-sizing: border-box

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 p,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 span,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 ul,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 li,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 ol
font-family: Montserrat, Verdana, sans-serif;
font-size: 12px;
line-height: 1.4em;
letter-spacing: normal;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .primary-color
color: #3750DC;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table-header .col-1-header
width: 20%;
min-width: 200px;
padding-left: 15px;
font-size: 1.3em;
font-weight: 600

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table-header .col-2-header
flex-grow: 1;
padding-left: 15px;
font-size: 1.3em;
font-weight: 600

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .ranking
color: #5C5C5C;
position: absolute;
font-weight: 400;
font-size: 14px;
text-align: center;
line-height: 24px;
display: inline-block;
background-color: #E8E8E8;
height: 24px;
min-width: 30px;
left: -2px;
top: -2px;
z-index: 1;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item.rank-1 .ranking
background-color: #1261C9;
color: #fff;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item.highlight .top-partner-banner
background: #3750DC;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item.highlight .top-partner-banner span
color: #ffffff;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2.shadow-none .company-table-wrapper
box-shadow: none;
border-radius: 0px

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table-header
display: flex;
flex-direction: row;
text-align: left;
padding: 12px 0;
border-bottom: 3px solid #F0F5F9;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table-header .col-1-header
width: 20%;
min-width: 200px;
padding-left: 15px;
font-size: 1.3em;
font-weight: 600

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table-header .col-2-header
flex-grow: 1;
padding-left: 15px;
font-size: 1.3em;
font-weight: 600

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table
display: flex;
flex-direction: column

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item
width: 100%;
min-height: 150px;
display: flex;
flex-direction: row;
align-items: center;
justify-content: space-between;
border-bottom: 3px solid #F0F5F9;
position: relative;
padding: 10px 0

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .company-rating
display: inline;
color: #ff7207;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .company-rating .fa
display: inline-block;
font-size: 14px;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .company-rating .five-stars i
margin: 0 2px;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .company-rating .five-stars i svg
width: 16px;
height: 14px;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .logo-container
width: 20%;
min-width: 200px;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .logo-container .logo-wrapper
padding: 5px 15px;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
align-items: center

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .logo-container .logo-wrapper .company-logo
position: relative

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .logo-container .logo-wrapper .company-logo a.logo-link
width: 100%;
height: auto;
display: block;
text-align: center

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .logo-container .logo-wrapper .company-logo a.logo-link .fixed-container
position: relative;
width: 150px;
height: 130px

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .logo-container .logo-wrapper .company-logo a.logo-link .fixed-container amp-img.contain img
object-fit: contain

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .logo-container .logo-wrapper .company-logo a.logo-link img
max-width: 150px;
max-height: 130px

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview
padding: 0 24px;
order: 2;
flex: 1;
transition: max-height .3s ease;
font-size: 1em;
font-family: inherit;
line-height: 1.4em

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview .p1-highlight
font-weight: 700;
font-size: 1.1em;
line-height: 1.6em

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview p
text-align: left;
margin: 0;
font-size: 1em

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview ul
padding: 0;
margin: 0;
list-style-position: outside

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview ul li
list-style-type: disc;
text-align: left;
margin-top: 5px;
margin-bottom: 5px;
font-size: 1em

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview ul li p,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview ul li span
font-size: 1em

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview hr
margin-top: 0.5rem;
margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
border: 0;
border-top: 1px solid #F0F5F9;;
width: 100%;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview .attrs-list
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap !important;
justify-content: space-between;
margin-bottom: 0.75rem;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview .attrs-list .attrs-list__item
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
margin: 0.5rem;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview .attrs-list .attrs-list__item__value
font-size: 14px;
margin-top: 0.5rem;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .cta
order: 3;
min-width: 200px;
text-align: center

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .cta a.btn-primary
min-width: 120px;
border-radius: 100px;
font-size: 1.3em;
line-height: 1.3em;
font-weight: 600;
text-align: center;
padding: 12px 30px;
text-decoration: none;
display: inline-block;
transition: background-color .2s ease, border-color .2s ease, color .2s ease;
word-break: break-word

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .cta a.btn-primary:hover
opacity: 0.92

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .mobile-p1-highlight
display: none

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .cb-item-toggle
width: 0;
height: 0;
opacity: 0;
overflow: hidden;
position: absolute;
pointer-events: none;
bottom: 0

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .cb-item-toggle:checked~.overview
max-height: 150vw

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .cb-item-toggle:checked~.overview-toggle::before
content: “See Less”

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .cb-item-toggle:checked~.overview-toggle::after
transform: rotate(0)

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview-toggle
display: none

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item.highlight .top-partner-banner
padding: 6px 40px 6px 10px;
overflow: hidden;
flex: 1 1 auto;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
position: absolute;
top: 8px

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item.highlight .top-partner-banner::before
position: absolute;
content: “”;
width: 0;
height: 0;
border-style: solid;
border-width: 20px 30px 20px 0;
border-color: transparent #fff transparent transparent;
right: 0

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item.highlight .top-partner-banner span
font-size: 1.3em;
font-weight: 600;
line-height: 1.2em;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
text-align: center;
position: relative;
width: 100%;
hyphens: auto

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item.highlight .top-partner-banner::before
display: block

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item.highlight .logo-container
margin: 52px 0

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item:last-of-type
border-bottom: none

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2.shadow-none header
padding: 15px 0px;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2.shadow-none .company-table-header
border: 2px solid #F0F5F9;
border-bottom: none;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2.shadow-none .company-table .company-item
border: 2px solid #F0F5F9;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2.shadow-none .company-table .company-item:not(:first-child)
border-top: 0px;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2.shadow-none .company-table .company-item:last-of-type
border-bottom: 2px solid #F0F5F9;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .our-partner
margin-top: 12px;
display: block;
font-size: 1em;
font-weight: 500;
color: #9B9B9B;

@media screen and (max-width: 768px)
body
padding: 0;
margin: 8px

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper form
flex-direction: column;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .zip-filter
margin-bottom: 10px;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .zip-filter .title,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu .title
min-width: 80px;
font-size: 14px;
text-align: right;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .zip-filter,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu
width: 100%;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .zip-filter input,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu,
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .mg-widget-filter-sorting-wrapper .sorting-menu .action-group
width: 100%;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table-wrapper
box-shadow: none

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table-header
display: none

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item
border-radius: 8px;
box-shadow: 0 0 4px 0 #9AAAB9;
margin-bottom: 18px;
flex-wrap: wrap;
align-items: stretch;
padding: 0

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .logo-container
flex: 1;
width: 50%;
min-height: 140px

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .cta
margin: 10px 0;
order: 2;
flex: 1;
min-width: auto;
width: 50%;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .cta a.btn-primary
min-width: 120px;
font-size: 1.1em;
padding: 16px 10px

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .mobile-p1-highlight
padding: 0 8px;
order: 3;
width: 100%;
display: flex;
justify-content: center;
font-size: 1.2em;
font-weight: 600;
color: #333;
text-align: center

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview
order: 4;
display: block;
line-height: 1.4em;
font-size: 1.1em;
overflow: hidden;
transition: max-height .3s ease;
max-height: 0

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview .overview-inner
padding: 8px 15px 20px

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview p
line-height: 1.4em;
text-align: left;
margin: 0

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview .p1-highlight
display: none

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview ul
padding: 0;
margin: 0

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview ul li
text-align: left;
line-height: 1.4em

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview-toggle
padding: 6px;
width: 100%;
max-height: 24px;
order: 4;
cursor: pointer;
font-weight: 700;
line-height: 1em;
font-size: 1em;
color: #7C92A7;
background-color: #F0F5F9;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
align-self: end;
border-bottom-left-radius: 8px;
border-bottom-right-radius: 8px

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview-toggle::before
margin-right: 8px;
content: “See More”

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .overview-toggle::after
content: “”;
width: 12px;
height: 12px;
background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxMiAxMiI+PHBhdGggZmlsbD0iIzdDOTJBNyIgZD0iTTExLjcgOEw2IDIuMy4zIDhjLS40LjQtLjQgMSAwIDEuNC40LjQgMSAuNCAxLjQgMEw2IDUuMWw0LjMgNC4zYy4yLjIuNC4zLjcuM3MuNS0uMS43LS4zYy40LS40LjQtMSAwLTEuNHoiLz48L3N2Zz4=);
transform: rotate(180deg);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center center;
background-size: contain

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item.highlight .logo-container
margin: 45px 0 0 0

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item:first-of-type .logo-n-cta .logo
margin-top: 20px

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2.expand-bullets-on-mobile .company-table .company-item .overview-toggle
display: none

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2.expand-bullets-on-mobile .company-table .company-item .overview
max-height: 150vw

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .company-table .company-item .ranking
border-top-left-radius: 8px;
left: -2px;
top: 0px;

#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 header h3
margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
margin-top: 0.5rem;

@media (min-width: 576px)
#ap84837-w-placement-top10-v2 .d-sm-inline
display: inline;

Ads by Money. We may be compensated if you click this ad.Ad

Final Thoughts

A home warranty plan is an ideal way to provide additional peace of mind while saving money on expensive repairs or replacements down the road. You never know when that extra hedge of protection will come in handy.

Choice Home keeps it simple with just two plans to choose from, along with the option to supplement any of their policies with “add-ons” or extras.

There are also options to pay monthly or annually, allowing customers to delegate home management to the experts.

Choice Home’s exclusions are similar to competitors. Nonetheless, homeowners should always read the fine print carefully to understand what is and is not included in a specific coverage plan.

Taking these extra action steps can save customers from any potential disappointment later on when filing a claim. No matter what home warranty under consideration, it’s important to always conduct your own research and analyze competitor offerings before making any significant financial purchases.

With a range of attractive benefits, including ongoing coverage, 24/7 customer service, and a host of benefits for real estate agents, Choice Home warranties take the stress out of a sudden appliance failure or system emergency.

Source: goodfinancialcents.com

Apache is functioning normally

April 29, 2023 by Brett Tams

By Peter Anderson 17 Comments – The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links (at no cost to you!). Learn more about how we make money. Last edited September 5, 2018.

For most people, buying a used car will be the 1st or 2nd most expensive purchase that you’ll make – depending on whether you own a home.

Unfortunately far too many people just don’t do their research, and don’t try very hard to find the best deal because they just feel intimidated when going to a car dealership or talking with a car dealer.

In my opinion that’s a big mistake.

If you do your research, and make sure to have your financing (or cash) lined up and ready to make the purchase, you’ll have more power when you go out to make a deal. Here are some sites to do that research:

My wife and I are currently shopping for something a bit bigger than my wife’s Honda Civic now that we’ve got a baby at our house. We want something with a little bit more room for the baby and the baby’s things – so we’re looking for a small SUV or something similar. (Any suggestions? Let us know in the comments!)

Here are some tips that we’ll be trying to remember when we go out to negotiate with dealers to buy our new (to us) car.

Tips For Negotiating With A Car Dealer

Here are some things that can help you when negotiating a price with your local car dealer.

Set a hard price you won’t go over: Before you even go to the dealership and start negotiating with the dealer, you’ll need to sit down and figure out what your budget is for your new car. Do you research on the particular makes/models you’re considering, set a firm price you won’t even consider going over – and have that number in your head when you negotiate. And for heavens sakes, don’t start negotiations at that price.
Try shopping when salespeople need to make a deal – at the end of the month: Because most dealerships will have monthly sales goals for their salespeople, the end of the month is often the time that they’re most willing to offer a deal and get you into a car. If they’re 2 cars short of meeting their sales goal, do you think they’re more likely to give you a better deal?
Don’t fall for the old “what can you afford for a monthly payment” trick: When you talk to the salesman about a certain car, they may try to distract you with low monthly payments, financing offers, and other incentives. Don’t give them the control by allowing them to price your car by the monthly payment or by a good finance rate. Be in control of the situations and explain to them you’d only like to discuss total price first, and then talk about how you’ll pay later on. You don’t need to tell them if you’re financing – or if you’re paying cash – as we are.
Don’t be desperate, have walkaway power: When you start negotiations you can stress with the dealer that if the price is satisfactory – you could sign and drive today. However, you can tell them that you’re certainly in no hurry. Always keep open your options and ability to walk away from the deal if you’re not happy with it. If the dealer knows you are desperate or that HAVE TO HAVE this particular car, he will take advantage of that. (That means you’ll be paying more!)
Make an offer and shut up: Sometimes the easiest thing you can do to get a better deal is make your offer, and then just be quiet. Don’t get uncomfortable if the dealer doesn’t say something or make a their own offer right away. Just wait for them to make a counter offer. If you decide to counter their deal, never go over your firm price.
Work up from dealer cost, not down from MSRP: Quite often the dealer will try to get you to negotiate the price down from the sticker price, trying to make you feel like you’re getting a deal. The only thing is, nobody except for suckers pays MSRP. Instead, work your way up from the dealer’s actual cost of the vehicle. Allow them a fair (and small) profit, and you’ll both come out ahead. According to Carbuyingtips, on a 5% profit a dealer can still meet operating costs and come out ahead.
If you’re come to your firm price – stop: When your last offer has been put on the table, and you can’t go any higher because you’re reached your firm price, politely tell them that you’ve put your best deal on the table. Once your best deal is out there, they’ll either have to accept it or turn it down. If they turn it down, be ready to walk out the door.
Follow up with a call the next day: If they didn’t accept your best offer, try calling the dealership the following day with a last chance offer. They may take the deal just to move inventory and meet their monthly goal if they’re desperate enough.
It isn’t in the deal if it isn’t in writing: Make sure everything you agreed to in your negotiations with the dealer are stipulated in the sales contract. If it isn’t, it’s like it never happened. Don’t rely on the salesman’s word – make sure to have it in writing.

Shopping for a car can be a stressful process. However, if you do your research, come prepared and understand how the sales process works, you’ll end up paying a lot less money than the next guy.

Do you have your own tips for buying a new or used car? What things do you do when negotiating with a salesman? Tell us how you get the best possible deal in the comments!

Source: biblemoneymatters.com

What is Net Worth?

Examples of Net Worth Calculations

The Smith Family

Assets

Liabilities

Net Worth

The Jones Family

Assets

Liabilities

Net Worth

Comparing the Families Net Worth

Why Calculate Net Worth?

How to Calculate Your Net Worth Over Time

Projecting Income

A Hypothetical Example

Building a Budget

Tips and Tricks

Who Is BlueVestment?

BlueVestment Pricing

Will BlueVestment Work For You?

The gift of aaaargh

Stay safe out there

To sum it up

Browse Related Articles

What is a Medicare Supplemental Plan?

What Does Medigap Plan K Cover?

Choosing the Plan That Works Best for You

Medigap Open Enrollment Period

Questions or Concerns?

Vinyl shutters

Wood shutters

Wood composite shutters

PVC composite shutters

More tips for your fancy home

Simple, web-based IRS tool lets you check your federal tax refund’s status.

When can you start checking the status of your tax refund?

Want your money more quickly next year?

Want a refund next year? Or not…

What is a Home Warranty?

What Are the Benefits of a Home Warranty?

What Are Choice Home’s Warranty Plans?

Basic Plan

Total Plan

Add-Ons

Why Choose Choice Home Warranty?

Pros

Cons

Alternatives

Final Thoughts

Tips For Negotiating With A Car Dealer

Related Posts