Sunday, February 21, 2010

Have Renter's Insurance For When Things Go Wrong

Renter’s insurance coverage is an essential step towards protecting your belongings. The simplest way to keep your stuff safe when you live in a condo, apartment, or dorm may be to have renter’s insurance.

It really is astounding how fast everything can go up in smoke

I had never considered getting insurance until I almost lost it all. When I was in my first college apartment, my downstairs neighbors left a candle unattended. A passer-by luckily noticed the flaming curtains and called 911. In just another five minutes, my apartment might have gone up in flames. The very next day, I went out and purchased renter’s insurance. If you do not own the place where you reside, purchasing renter’s insurance is very important.

Why have renter’s insurance?

The condo association, landlord, or homeowner in all likelihood has insurance for the building. Should something disastrous happen, though, your individual damages will not covered. Protect yourself no matter where you live – in a condo, an apartment, a dormitory, or even renting a room in a friend’s house – get renter’s insurance.

What emergencies are covered?

Renter’s insurance usually covers fire, smoke, theft, snow, plumbing breakdown, vandalism, and more. There are some things, such as floods and earthquakes, that are not usually covered by renter’s insurance. In case you live in a place that is at risk of either of these, you will have to purchase an additional rider or policy. Keep natural disasters that will usually happen in your areas in mind while you are policy shopping. When there is major damage or your home is unlivable, insurance will usually cover it.

What might be covered by insurance?

Replacement cost is one type of insurance, actual cash value is another. Actual cost value (ACV) pays you simply what the items lost or damaged are actually worth. The goal of replacement cost insurance is to actually replace the items lost or damaged. To illustrate, if you had an ACV policy, you would get just a few hundred dollars on a $ 1500 TV purchased a few years ago. You would get paid what a new TV would actually cost using a replacement cost policy.

What to make of costs I need to keep in mind?

When buying renter’s insurance, there are some major numbers to keep in mind. You do have to pay something before the insurance kicks in, and that amount is the deductible. Your premium is the cost of the insurance you pay each week or month. It is very useful to have an inventory of the items in your residence along with their values. That list will help you in getting full value for the items you lost. Lastly, you should inform the insurer if you have a particularly expensive or valuable item that you’ll need covered.

Protecting your investments is important, no matter where you live. My college apartment almost went up in flames when my neighbors ignored a candle. That first semester in school taught me many things, but getting renter’s insurance was one of the most valuable lessons.



Friday, February 19, 2010

Hot Deals & Cool Movies to Beat Cabin Fever

I live in the Mid-Atlantic and, as you may have heard, we've had a bit of snow recently. Now that we're beginning to dig out and life is starting to get back to normal, I'm really looking forward to getting out of the house this weekend! First up on my list is a trip to the Gap to take advantage of a great 25% off coupon. It's good on most regular-priced merchandise so I'll definitely be stocking up on new shirt dresses and other spring basics. If you don't want to shop in the store, the coupon can be used online, too, but either way, you have to hurry: the offer expires on Sunday.

I'm also planning to grab my discount movie passes and check out 'Shutter Island' which opens tonight. This film was directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Leonardo DiCaprio in an adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel of the same name. It's a spooky psychological thriller about an investigation into the disappearance of an inmate from a mental health facility, and from the movie trailers it looks reminiscent of 'The Shining,' another Scorsese flick and one of my all-time faves.

And, much as I hate to do it, I'm finally going to buckle down and do my taxes this weekend, too. I have my tax prep software insta! lled and my paperwork ready to go so I'm hoping it won't take too long. If you're anything like me, you want to make sure you take advantage of all of the tax credits available to you. Have you checked to see if you are eligible for the Making Work Pay credit? This credit is available for working and middle-class individuals and families, and will take up to $800 off your total tax bill. That's a deal that's hard to beat!

What are your plans for the weekend? Leave us a note below to let us know what you're up to.

Hot Searches for February 19, 2010

1. Joseph Stack - Pilot penned manifesto before Austin, TX plane crash
2. Evan Lysacek - Upsets Plushenko in figure skating final
3. Please Rob Me - Website raises awareness of online security
4. Tiger Woods - Says in public statement that he will return to rehab
5. Shutter Island - Scorsese flick premiers today; find tickets near you!
6. AT&T - Olympic speed skating ad launches British band 'xx'
7. Chuck E. Cheese - Arrests made after birthday party bra! wl
8. Gap - Offers coupon for 25% off regular-priced merchandise
9. Court Yard Hounds - Exclusive new video from Dixie Chicks duo
10. Making Work Pay - Are you eligible for this tax credit?

For more on today's hottest stories, check out our top searched list. Also check out AOL News Search for breaking news around the world. What other big stories happened today? Let us know! Come back for tomorrow's Hot Searches and follow us on T! witter and Facebook for daily updates.

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How to build savings and move away from payday loans

Today's world and the payday loan

In today's world, payday loans have become a reliable funding option. Many people find themselves at a shortfall when it comes to paying their monthly bills. Since the recession, credit cards have proven to be not as reliable as once thought. Credit lenders closed their doors sharply when they faced huge losses due to the overwhelming number of defaulting accounts. Interest rates skyrocketed, credit limits were slashed and lending companies altered their ru! les to make it difficult for even their best customers to use credit like they used to. The credit market is still leveling itself off and only time will tell what the future holds. In the mean time, consumers have gotten creative with how to pay their bills.

One option many people have used successfully is the payday loan option. These loans are built for people in need of quick cash. Normally the requirements include having a job, being over 18 and having direct deposit. The loans are helpful for those who qualify, and they can save applicants from over-limit fees and late fees that a late payment can trigger. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "How to build savings and move away from payday loans"



Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Lindsey Vonn wins gold in women's downhill

Bruised shin can't keep "America's Sweetheart" from the medal ceremony

My first question is, "Was Lindsey Vonn playing possum?"

My second question is, "Is Lindsey Vonn that much better than everyone else in the world at women's downhill?"

The answers to these questions, in my mind, are "likely" and "resoundingly, yes." That is not mean to denigrate the talent of American teammate Julia Mancuso or Austria's Elisabeth Goergl, who took silver and bronze in the event. Lindsey Vonn won the women's downhill by more than half a second, according to AP reports. When it comes to skiing talent, Vonn is of the mind to cash in now on the gifts at her disposal.

An injured right shin had kept Vonn out of practice

That injury dates back to a pre-Olympic practice on February 2. Despite the setback, Vonn was considered the overwhelming favorite in women's downhill in Vancouver. She'd won five of her past six women's downhill events, so I suppose the victory should come as no surprise.

But the pressure must have been tremendous. As coach and husband Thomas Vonn exclaimed, "She had the weight of the world on her… People were basically hanging the medal around her neck before the start."

Playing possum? Blame the media

Olympic competition is extremely demanding physically, and it's difficult to gauge how the body will respond in that moment of pressure, performance and adrenaline fire. Lindsey Vonn was definitely concerned over the condition of her right shin, but she wanted to compete. The intense media coverage magnified every move she made before her event, and it could have lulled the competition into a false sense of security, I'd wager. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Lindsey Vonn wins gold in women's downhill"



Top 10 Olympic Games trivia | Olympics older than Jesus

Olympic fever takes over the world

Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps image from Flickr.

It’s that time again: No one can talk about or think about anything other than the Olympic Games. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is about the Olympics that keeps so many people so completely fascinated, but it is true that once you start watching it’s hard to stop.

So, as a run-of-the-mill American citizen, I decided to learn more about the Olympics, even though I have never even considered getting a personal loan to actually go to the Olympics. Here are some of the tidbits I found out.

1. Olympics as old as dirt

Many people know that the Olympics originally started in Ancient Greece. The first recorded date for the Olympic games was 776 B.C. That means, as far as we know, the Olympics have been around for nearly 3000 years.

2. Religious element

The Ancient Olympic games were not just for sport. Even then, the games were held every four years, and a four-year period was known as an Olympiad. Also the ceremonies included ritual sacrifices honoring Zeus and Pelops, divine hero and mythical king of Olympia.

3. Taking a break

For hundreds of years the Greeks held the Olympic Games, but that was before the Romans took over. The date they stopped holding the Olympics is disputed. Some records say Theodosius I banned the Olympics in 393 AD, when he banned pagan practices. Others say the Olympics ended under Theodosius II when he ordered the destruction of all Greek temples in 426 AD. They weren’t held again for nearly more than 1,000 years. The modern Olympic games began in the late 18th century. … click here to read the rest of the article titled “Top 10 Olympic Games trivia | Olympics older than Jesus“



Monday, February 15, 2010

Cheap Baseball Tickets Now on StubHub

Walletpop had a good article last week about cheap major league baseball tickets being available on StubHub.com. The season hasn’t started yet, so planning ahead and grabbing $2-$10 tickets can make for some reasonably cheap fun. I also found an upgrade to some nice box seats for only $40.

Stubhub’s service fee equals 10% of the full price of all the tickets in your order ($5 minimum per order), and there is also a $4.95 delivery fee (per order). Yes, it’s a bunch of fees, but just look at the total price and you can still find some deals. I’d like to see all the baseball stadiums someday, although I’m falling behind as the Astrodome and old Yankee Stadium have already been replaced! Fenway Park is my current favorite, although Wrigley Field is the next one I most want to visit.

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10 Presidents Day facts I bet you didn't know

President’s Day history

Presidents Day, Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday

Image of the Lincoln Monument from Flickr.

Most Americans celebrate the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12) and George Washington (Feb. 22) on the third Monday in February. But it hasn’t always been that way — and in some states, it still isn’t. Just as some states have different laws governing short term loans for bad credit, some follow their own rules about Presidents Day.

1. Washington’s Birthday

The official name of the federal holiday that falls on the third Monday in February is Washington’s Birthday. According to Wikipedia, “A draft of the Uniform Holidays Bill of 1968 would have renamed the holiday to Presidents’ Day to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln, but this proposal failed in committee and the bill as voted on and signed into law on June 28, 1968 kept the name Washington’s Birthday.”

2. Showing Lincoln some love

Though the official federal name of the holiday is still Washington’s Birthday, 12 states have officially renamed the day Presidents Day. Newspapers nationwide also use this term, as do most schools, and thus Presidents Day is actually the more commonly used and accepted name.

3. Massachusetts mania

In Massachusetts, the holiday is still called Washington’s Birthday. However, each year the governor issues a proclamation honoring all of the presidents from Massachusetts: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Calvin Coolidge and John F. Kennedy. … click here to read the rest of the article titled “10 Presidents Day facts I bet you didn't know“