Monthly Archives: March 2023

Use Your Manners and Save on Your Car Insurance

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How many times would you say your parents told you to mind your manners when you were little? A hundred? A thousand? Too many to count? The more things change, the more they stay the same when you become an adult. Blind obedience can get you into trouble (unless you decide to join the military), but you still need to mind your manners. The difference is, this time you’re minding your manners behind the wheel of a car, and it’s going to have a direct and immediate impact on your car insurance.

Yes, that’s right ladies and gentlemen. Minding your manners is, in fact, the real secret to learning how to save on your car insurance. Have you ever sat in a mall parking lot at Christmas time? If you sit there long enough, just staring at the cars around you, there’s an excellent chance you’re going to find yourself staring at the carnage left behind by dozens of fender benders. When people are in a hurry to get where they’re going they’re not paying attention to anything else, and the results can be devastating.

Believe it or not, local authorities actually issued a warning to drivers last year to mind their manners and watch out for other drivers when they were out running their holiday errands. Here are a few other tips from the driving masters regarding roadside etiquette and how dotting your “I”s and minding your “P”s can save you a fortune when it’s time to pay your car insurance bill.

1) Use your turn signal. Visitors to the Washington D.C./Northern VA area constantly complain about the fact that no one seems to know how to use their turn signal. They just go flying into the lane in front of you, cutting across four lanes of traffic to get to their exit and forcing you to ram into them. Clearly signal your intent, and not only will you be able to get where you’re going that much faster (you won’t have to wait for all the red tape that goes will calling the authorities) you’ll also be able to save someone else a couple of bucks from NOT watching their insurance go up!

2) Check your rearview and side mirrors when you’re pulling out of a parking space, and creep out slowly. You never know who’s going to be flying through the lot without paying a lick of attention to what’s going on around them.

3) Yield the right of way to cars pulling into your lane, even if you’re in the right. It’s not going to hurt you to add a couple of seconds onto your trip, and you could be single-handedly stopping the ten car pileup that follows when they decide they’re tired of waiting.

You’ll find that minding your manners out on the road doesn’t cost you a thing, but tossing them aside can cost you thousands in repairs and car insurance deductibles (not to mention premiums) before it’s all said and done. It’s up to you.

What is Forex Trading and How Can it Help You Earn Money?

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How do people get rich? Other than making savings in every month of doing hard work and determination, people get there by doing investments. The really rich people get involve in the foreign exchange market or better known as the Forex.

So what is Forex Trading and how does it help you earn fast money? Forex is basically about making trading of buying and selling of the currencies in the world. A currency of a country has difference in values than another country’s currency and also a value of money today is different than the value of money tomorrow. Therefore, it is from this money value that we can do buying and selling and later earn profits.

In the Forex trading, there are the highest trading currencies which come in four pairs. They are the major business traders in the world, namely the Euro with US Dollar, the US Dollar with Japanese Yen, the US Dollar with Swiss Franc and the US Dollar with British Pound. It has an amount of over $1.9 trillion being traded daily, making the Forex Trading as the largest financial market in the globe. However global this money trading is the Forex trading works without having a physical location and not even there is a central exchange. It runs within a huge network of banks all over the world, corporations and individuals who does trading of a currency for another. Whatever the time is, there will have trading going on in different parts of the world. Thus, unlike the domestic stock markets that only operates on working hours, Forex currency trading operates in a 24 hours a day basis. As long as every country involves in the forex market trading, the market will open all day.

In the earlier times before Forex is introduced and widely used by many, currency trading is difficult to enter because of high barriers. The foreign exchange market could only be accessed by the retail investors through banks that do large amounts of currency transactions for the purpose of commercials or investments. That makes only the large banking organizations and institutional firms that could trade in forex. Then, in 1971, the exchange rates were let to float freely and have made the trading volume increased tremendously. Up until today, the forex market is used by importers and exporters, multinational corporations, speculators, international portfolio managers, long-term holders, and day traders to do their payments for all kinds of goods and services that make businesses running. They also make transactions in financial assets.

It is well-known by Forex traders that the rule of earning money through Forex is by buying low and selling high. However, there is a trick on earning smart money by knowing the right time to buy and to sell. It is a matter of speculation. Graphs are often used to help traders make decisions. Business trends and strategies are also being released in the news every day. But making decisions for the next step is always by predictions based on the previous performance and activity. The politics of a country and how it is running can also be a good measuring aid for analyzing the currency value patterns. Therefore, to be an active trader with smart guesses, one must be aware of the current issues in the national news of the country.

It sure is exciting if you are able to earn a huge amount of money over Forex. But still, the system can be very complex and it may also be risky. It is recommended that a beginner in Forex reads a lot and finds information before opening an account for Forex.

Choosing an Auto Insurance Agent

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Whether you’re protecting your personal home and auto or your business and employees, choosing the right agent can make the difference between getting the best value for your insurance dollar and getting taken for granted… or worse.

Exclusive or Captive Agents

There are three main types of insurance agent to consider when you are looking for insurance. The first, called an exclusive or captive agent, is someone who represents only one insurance company (a company who uses these types of agents is known as a direct writer). Looking at a captive agent is like going out for ice cream and finding only one flavor… vanilla. It raises the question, “What happens if this particular company doesn’t offer what I want or need?” The answer: tough.

You have to seek a different carrier and a different agent in order to get more personalized coverage. What if the insurer that agent represents offers products that are not competitive? Too bad. A captive agent simply does not have the ability to offer other carriers as an option. If you don’t fit the mold or meet the criteria of that particular company you have to seek coverage elsewhere.

But perhaps the biggest question regarding captive agents is loyalty. When push comes to shove or when there is a problem will the agent side with you or with the insurance company – essentially his/her employer? Will the agent risk alienating his/her only carrier – and potentially jeopardize their livelihood – by going to the wall for you?

Semi-Independent

Then we have a host of so-called “quasi” independent agents. These agents represent two or three carriers. Even though there is more variety with a semi-independent agent, drawbacks remain. An agent’s lead carrier requires the majority of that agent’s business to be placed with them; the carrier automatically gets the “first look” at any potential client. When searching for a semi-independent agent, take a close look at his/her yellow page ads or web sites. Seeing a particular insurance company predominantly shown reveals that the agent is beholden to that insurance company; the agent essentially functions as a captive agent, complete with conflicting loyalties. He/she may claim to shop around for the best price for clients, but what does that really mean? Agents may compare one or two other insurance companies. With hundreds of insurance companies out there, that’s simply not a good representation of the marketplace.

Passionately Independent

This brings us to the truly independent agent. Being committed to independence, this agent has connections with dozens upon dozens of insurance companies. This type of agent also develops relationships with wholesale brokers, making available hundreds of other insurance companies and underwriting syndicates around the country and around the globe. The truly independent agent is not pressured by or obligated to any particular insurance company. If your particular situation presents a risk Company A doesn’t like, or if for some reason you don’t like them, this agent is ready and able to shop with Company B, or C, D, E or heck, all the way to Z if necessary.

An independent agent has the freedom and flexibility to get the best combination of coverage, service, and price. In working with an independent agent, you have the ability to maintain that relationship even if you are dissatisfied with your carrier – for any reason. Simply switch over to a different insurance company. In fact, the best independent agents trouble-shoot for their clients and will proactively reach out to them recommending a change. Additionally, if a problem or coverage issue arises, you can be confident this agent is going to battle fiercely to make sure the issue gets resolved promptly and fairly. The independent agent willingly takes on the insurance company on behalf of the clienf as the client holds the highest priority. Now that is the power of choosing a truly independent agent.

Go ahead…ask your agent when they last went shopping on your behalf. Ask him/her to show you two, three, four or even five different insurance company quotes. You may then begin to see the difference between the contenders and the pretenders. Choose the agent who represents many quality insurance carriers and uses that competition to your advantage. After all, insurance is about protection for you.

3 in 1 Credit Report – Getting a Copy of Your Credit Report and Seeing What Needs To Be Improved

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If you are concerned about identify theft or regular credit monitoring,
you likely understand the importance of obtaining a copy of your free
personal credit report. Neglecting to monitor your credit may prove
damaging in the long run. It does not take long for a person to access your
information and begin opening accounts in your name. For this matter,
consumers are advised to obtain a 3 in 1 credit report every six months.

Benefits of a Credit Report

Aside from protecting yourself against identify theft, credit
monitoring is essential for improving your credit rating. Although lenders use
credit reports to judge a loan applicant’s creditworthiness, credit
reports are also beneficial because they keep us informed of our credit
standing. Thus, we can know our odds of obtaining a home loan, auto loan,
etc.

How to Get a Copy of Your Credit Report

Getting a copy of your 3 in 1 credit report is simple. Furthermore,
because reports are viewable online, there is no valid reason not to check
your report at least once annually. Every city across the country has a
local credit agency which will issue copies of your credit report from
all three bureaus. However, if you prefer the convenience of the
internet, there are various websites offering 3 in 1 reports for a small fee.

To obtain a copy of your personal reports, you must provide information
such as name, address, social security number, etc. Once your
information is verified, credit reports are either sent via email, or viewable
from the website. Your entire credit history will show before your eyes.

Why Obtain Copies of a 3 in 1 Credit Report?

If you are hoping to improve your credit rating, obtaining a 3 in 1
credit report should be the first step you take. This way, you know
exactly what needs improving. The report will list all creditors, current
balances, and account standing. Moreover, you should review your report
for errors. If inaccuracies are present, contact the bureau and discuss
clarifying the matter.

In addition, credit reports include a credit score. This 3 digit number
carries a lot of weight. Low scores indicate bad credit, whereas high
scores equal good credit. If the goal is to improve credit score, it may
be wise to improve in certain areas. For example, avoid late or skipped
payments, reduce debt to income ratio, settle collection accounts, and
limit your number of credit inquiries.