insurance

4 Tips to Save on Car Insurance

Posted October 2, 2009 - 07:00 by Sarah Winfrey

Cars and Transportation

Car Crash

Auto insurance is one of those pesky, nagging things, almost like a tiny leech. It sucks money away and we're not even always aware of it, at least until we have to write another check. The bad news is, car insurance isn't avoidable. Most states have minimal amounts that you're required to carry in order to drive legally. But the good news is that there are some easy ways to save money on your car insurance.

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Can cheap AppleCare on eBay be trusted?

Posted February 8, 2009 - 05:39 by Torley Wong

Shopping

AppleCare

Getting peace-of-mind protection for your Mac or iPod for less — in some cases over $150 less — looks tempting. But is it for real? Read on and find out.

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Five calls you can make now to save hundreds to thousands of dollars

Posted October 24, 2008 - 13:27 by Xin Lu

Frugal Living, General Tips, Consumer Affairs

In the current economic climate, everyone is trying to save a buck. I know some families that have budgets so tight that there is no room for saving, but I think it is possible for most of us to cut our expenses by negotiating with the vendors we deal with everyday. For example, here are five places anyone could call right now to possibly save hundreds to thousands of dollars.

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Deposit insurance for money funds

Posted September 19, 2008 - 04:12 by Philip Brewer

Investment, Consumer Affairs

Early this morning, the Treasury announced deposit insurance for money market mutual funds, provided that the fund pays a fee. The money to provide the insurance will come from the Exchange Stabilization Fund (the government account holding the profits that the federal government realized when they seized everyone's gold in 1934).

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Health insurance: Two other numbers to look at

Posted August 31, 2008 - 11:05 by Philip Brewer

Personal Finance, Health and Beauty

Caduceus: Detail Of Giuseppe Moretti's 1922 Bronze "Hygeia" Memorial To World War Medical Personnel

Most people, of course, have almost no control over their health insurance: They get what their employer provides (if they have a good job) or else they get nothing. Whether they pick their own policy or not, the first two numbers everyone looks at are the premium and the deductible. Well, here are two other numbers that are at least as important.

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Not free to be poor

Posted July 7, 2008 - 13:25 by Philip Brewer

Personal Finance, Lifestyle

Bench in herb garden

Nobody wants to be poor. It's a dangerous and constrained position to be in. But there are people out there (me, for instance) who are relatively happy to live at a fairly low standard of living. Choosing to live at a low standard of living means you don't need to earn as much money--which opens up a huge range of possibilities that ordinary people don't have. The way society is organized now, though, that's not a safe option.

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Things to insure, things not to insure

Posted June 6, 2008 - 03:16 by Philip Brewer

Personal Finance

Dentist extracting tooth circa 1943

Insurance is all about spreading the risk. A bunch of people buy insurance against the risk that a few of them will be the ones who get hit with a big bill that they couldn't pay. The model works fine for house fires and car crashes. However, it's a terrible model for ordinary, predictable expenses. Here's some tips on picking what to insure and what not to insure.

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The Costa Rica Lesson: Awwwwwww They Got Me

Posted June 3, 2008 - 22:49 by Jabulani Leffall

Life Hacks, Art and Leisure, Lifestyle

All Aboard?

Get Travel Insurance before you go anywhere. Have and not need it. No really trust me.

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Refactor your budget categories

Posted May 17, 2008 - 08:02 by Philip Brewer

Budgeting

Budget pie chart

There are a lot of budget templates out there. Any will serve the purpose, and if you've got one that's working for you, that's a good enough reason to stick with it. If you don't have a budget, though, or if you're going to be changing your budget categories around for some other reason, I've got some thoughts on what makes a good category.

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Rebuilding After A Disaster: Create A Home Inventory Now

Posted March 18, 2008 - 06:13 by Thursday Bram

Real Estate and Housing

House destroyed by Hurricane Katrina

It seems like, every other week, there is some natural disaster threatening people’s homes. Worrying about that sort of thing has lead me to be a little more prepared than I might be otherwise. I’ve got an emergency plan, I’ve backed up my hard drive, and my cats’ carrier is easily accessible. Now, I’m starting to focus on what might happen after a disaster. The key to starting over again seems to be knowing what you might need to replace. Insurers will insist on such a list, for instance. So, I’ve been developing my own home inventory.

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