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Month: January 2019

  • Smart Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund

    Smart Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund

    If you’re expecting a tax refund this year, you’ve probably got a few ideas as to how you’re going to spend it. Maybe you’re looking to get a new tattoo, or maybe you want to buy some video games or new rims for your car. Maybe before you get your sights set on a frivolous purchase, however, you should start thinking about smart ways to spend your tax refund. There are better ways to spend a sudden windfall than on something frivolous and goofy!

    Smart Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund

    Set Up an Emergency Fund

    Do you have a savings account with $1,000 in it? No? Okay, here’s the first thing you need to do with that money. Take your tax refund, set aside $1,000 and save it. If you have money leftover after that, pay bills with it. Easy! See, having a savings account with a good little chunk of money in it is a good way to insulate yourself against those dumb, random things that are going to happen and drain your checking account.

    Your car is going to break down. Your heater is going to stop working in February. Or, your AC is going to bust in July. No matter what it is, some stupid happenstance will come along and smack you with a huge bill. Be ready for these frustrating moments by having money set aside to deal with them when (not if) they show up.

    Pay Down Debt

    That debt you have hovering over your head like the Sword of Damocles isn’t going anywhere until you do something about it. Kick that debt to the curb by paying your tax refund into it! The sooner you start paying down those big debts, the better. The longer your let those debts float by with minimum payments, the higher and higher the interest gets.

    That means that by focusing a large sum, like your tax refund, you buy back all the money that interest would have eaten up down the road. Why let interest compound and cause you issues down the line when you can buy back your money now? It’s the definition of a win-win scenario.

    Fix Up Your House

    You spend a lot of time at home. Make sure it’s a place you like being. By making your house nicer, you’re actually helping yourself in two ways. The first way is pretty straightforward: you like living in your house, so make it a nice place. The second is a bit more financial in nature. If you invest in your home, it’ll be worth more down the line!

    This especially goes for homes in areas that have ever-increasing property values. If your home is always going up, up, up in value just because of where it is, you can multiply this value a lot by just doing a bit of work on the place. A new roof, repairs to older sections of the house, a kitchen remodel: all of these things can add a ton of value to the place. What better time to do this kind of work than when you have the money free at hand?

    Travel Somewhere

    Rather than spending your money on something like a new TV or a down payment on a car, you could instead opt to go on a trip. There’s nothing quite like traveling to a new place and enjoying the scenery! Whether that’s some beautiful tropical island, a mountain ski lodge or just a city you’ve been dying to visit.

    See, when you buy “stuff,” the fun of buying the new thing wears off sooner rather than later. Then, you find a few months down the line wishing that you hadn’t spent all that money on something you’re just going to replace next year anyway. If you pay for a trip, however, you’ll make memories that will last you a lifetime.

    Donate the Money

    Do you have a hard time figuring out what to do with a sudden windfall? Maybe you’ve got a good bit of money in savings and you don’t really have the time to go out of town for a long trip. Maybe your house is already up to a great standard and you’re at a loss for what to do with the money.

    Well, good news! You can donate that money to a good cause. If you’re passionate about a social issue of some kind, like homeless shelters or cancer research, you can donate that tax refund money and make a difference in the world! You can even write it off on next year’s taxes and repeat the cycle of giving.

  • Get Tax Help for Seniors

    Get Tax Help for Seniors

    There’s a reason most people get help filing their taxes: taxes are really, really complicated. Between social security, tax credit, exemptions, deductions, property taxes, there are a ton of complex things to keep up with. It’s no surprise that a number of seniors get intimidated when it comes to filing their taxes. There are changing technologies, changing tax rules, and fixed incomes can all make tax season difficult for seniors. Here are some of the best ways to get tax help for seniors.

    Get Tax Help for Seniors

    AARP Tax-Aide

    Whether or not you already have an AARP membership, or know someone who does, this is a great way to go. The AARP Foundation has tax aide services that can be a lifesaver for seniors. The best part is that you don’t even need to be an AARP member to take advantage of this great service! It’s available for anyone over 50, free of charge. You can meet with these tax professionals free of charge online or in person, whichever you prefer! That way, if you would rather talk face-to-face, or if you prefer to file form the comfort of your home, you’re set either way!

    The volunteers who work for the AARP Tax-Aide program are also IRS-certified tax professionals. These aren’t amateurs who are going to mess up your taxes, these are people who are certified and know what they’re doing! That way, you can rest assured knowing you’re getting the help you need with your taxes and the peace of mind that includes.

    If you go for an in-person session, you’ll be glad to hear that they’re available all throughout tax season, from January to April 15th. Generally, these visits occur in convenient and public locations. Community centers, public libraries, banks and shopping malls are all common locations for these visits, so you need not worry about meeting in person. These locations are in public, well-lit and easy to access, so you don’t have to worry about getting to the meeting location.

    Best of all, the online side of this tax service is available year-round to answer your questions about taxes. If you have any burning questions you need answered and want to be ahead of the curve, this is a great way to go! That’s what happens when you go through an organization as helpful as the AARP.

    Federal Government Tax Assistance

    There are two tax services offered by the IRS. There’s the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program. If you go through the IRS website, you can find in-depth information on both of these programs. Both the VITA and TCE programs have physical locations throughout the country you can visit to receive direct, in-person help with your taxes.

    Firstly, the VITA is a good program for those seniors who still earn some income, such as through a part-time job or perhaps through owned property. The VITA program typically helps those who do not speak English fluently, disabled people, people under a certain income level and the elderly. These services are primarily geared at seniors who make an amount of money under a certain threshold. Generally, those seniors who make more money than this threshold should consider going with professional paid tax services.

    The TCE, for its part, is geared more for seniors who aren’t sure where to turn for tax help. The service is specifically for seniors of age 60 or older who are on a fixed-income. These types of people are the exact ones that the TCE was created to help. If you or someone you love lives on a fixed income and needs income tax help, the TCE is the right call to help. They help seniors with things like retirement income and pensions, as opposed to traditional income methods. The free service is also volunteer-based and offers help during tax season. The volunteers are all IRS-certified professionals.

    State Taxes

    Both the VITA and TCE programs offer help with state taxes as well as federal taxes, so this usually shouldn’t be a huge concern for seniors. However, beyond this, some states do offer a state-specific tax program to help seniors if they have state-specific tax questions. While such situations would be rare, if a senior needs help with complex aspects of their state taxes in particular then they should look into whether their state offers a tax program.

    In the event it doesn’t, don’t panic! The bar association of your state may provide pro-bono legal help to seniors seeking tax advice. Local CPAs or other professionals may also offer help for seniors at no cost, so consider looking into these avenues!

  • How to Live Your Best Life on a Fixed Income

    How to Live Your Best Life on a Fixed Income

    This is it: the years you’ve been preparing and saving for your entire life. You’re retired, you’ve got Social Security, your retirement fund, and maybe a pension. You’re on a fixed income, as you’ve been preparing for since you entered the work force. And it’s really scary, isn’t it? This is the part that people don’t often talk about. You’re retired, your money is fixed, and you don’t think you’re as prepared as you wanted to be. Now what? How do you live your best life on a fixed income?

    How to Live Your Best Life on a Fixed Income

    Make a Budget

    One of the first thing you want to do when you retire and begin living on a fixed income is make a budget for yourself. There’s no way you’re going to be able to just wing it. If you’re looking to live a comfortable life and not run out of money, a budget is going to be necessary.

    Before you even get your money, you need to have a job set aside for each and every dollar. You need to set back what goes to bills, what goes to food, what goes to gas for your vehicle or money for your insurance. If you simply try to play it by ear with your funds, odds are good that those funds will rather rapidly deplete as you spend without thinking.

    If you instead make a detailed budget that includes all of your expenses, you’ll have a detailed document to show yourself how you’re going to spend the money you get each month. This allows you to not only keep track of where your money goes but make adjustments as needed when you see how much you have left over after bills. You’re going to want spending money, of course, whether that’s to spend on yourself, your spouse or your grandkids.

    Prioritize Your Health

    If you want to seriously make your money last and keep your quality of life high, focus on your health. Walk every day if you can, eat fresh food, cut junk food out of your diet. A low-fat, nutritious diet will go a long way in saving you tons and tons of money in long-term care. Statistics show that heart disease is one of the most common (and expensive) types of chronic disease that people over 60 struggle with. You don’t want to burn up your entire nest egg just trying to stay at a neutral level of health!

    Schedule Your Shopping Trip

    Try to schedule your shopping as best you can. Try to stick to one designated shopping trip for week. This way you’re not as likely to make impulse purchases. When you make random trips to the store just because, your odds of making impulse purchases goes up dramatically. These impulse purchases are a bad idea: your income will remain fixed even as you make purchases on a whim. Each impulse buy you make simply reduces that much more money from your set funds.

    Try to Pay Annually

    When it comes to insurance, the best way to save money is to pay for your coverage annually. This goes for car insurance, health insurance and most other types of insurance. If you pay your plan in full for the year, you’ll find it much less expensive than paying month-to-month. When you’re operating on a fixed budget, this could free up a not-inconsiderable amount of money throughout the year for you! Dodging administration fees is a great way to make your money go longer.

    Buddy System

    If you’re single, consider buddying up on expenses with a friend. There are a few things you can save on when you have a buddy system in place. For instance, when you go to buy groceries, buying in bulk is often less expensive. If you split half of a larger pack of something with a friend, you’ll save a ton of money. Not to mention, less things will go bad when you’re splitting them with a friend!

    Likewise, you could buddy up on travel to save. If your plans for retirement include travel, consider traveling with a friend to save. When you go together, you can get a room together, get discounted rated on tickets and more. Not to mention, isn’t it more fun to go on trips with a friend than going by yourself? This way you not only save on your room and travel, you can also make great memories with a friend and enjoy your time on vacation that much more!

  • Best Gym Memberships to Get Healthy in 2019

    Best Gym Memberships to Get Healthy in 2019

    One of the most common New Year resolutions that people make is that they’re going to join a gym and begin to live a healthier lifestyle. This is an admirable goal, though not one that many people stick with in the long term. Determination is hard to come by! If you’re serious about getting healthy in 2019, though, this article is for you. Let’s talk about some of the best gym memberships to help you get into better shape this year!

    Best Gym Memberships

    Equinox Fitness Club

    Our first entry is on the list because it’s just so very upscale and fancy. If you get a membership with Equinox, you can expect nothing but the finest of equipment and amenities. If you enjoy the finer things in life and have a bit of money to spend on a gym membership, Equinox is for you. Equinox not only sports incredibly high-quality equipment for workouts, they also have great amenities for members.

    Deep, in-depth personal training is a huge draw for members of Equinox. Having the personal touch of a trainer to help you hit your fitness goals is that extra step a lot of folks need to stick with their new plan of getting fit. If no one is holding you responsible, it’s easy to slip up. With a personal trainer, however, you not only get structure and guidance, but someone to hold you accountable to your ongoing fitness plan.

    Group classes, such as dance-style workouts, are also a popular aspect of Equinox’s high-scale experience. The community aspect of a gym is often overlooked but having that extra layer of togetherness can make fitness that much more fun. It’s one thing to work out by yourself and just feel tired and sore. When you’re working out with a group, though, it’s much more fun!

    Finally, following your workout, you can use Equinox’s top-tier spa area. This will help you to relax and recover from a tough workout, allowing you to recharge and go back out into the world reenergized. If this sounds like the place for you, though, be ready to spend a bit of money. The membership starts around $200 per month.

    Crunch Fitness

    If you’re looking for positivity and community, Crunch Fitness is a popular choice for many people. For one thing, they’ve got membership options that start as low as $10 per month, meaning they’ve got something to fit every budget. Beyond that, they’ve also got a great community that is always dedicated to putting positivity and result first. Their workout area is tailored to be judgment-free, and the trainers do a great job of engaging members.

    Motivation is one of the biggest hurdles newcomers to working out have to overcome. Often, it’s easy to feel discouraged, especially early in your fitness journey. However, the trainers at Crunch Fitness really care about keeping you engaged and motivated. It’s important that you hit your fitness goals. Heck, you wouldn’t have joined a gym if it wasn’t important to you! The trainers are more than happy to remind you of this while they help you hit your goals.

    Group classes are a big focus of Crunch. Cultivating a community based on togetherness and workout positivity is a big part of this gym’s culture. It makes it feel like everyone is working together to hit their goals! If you want a comfortable and welcoming gym where you can get fit while making new friends, Crunch is the right place for you!

    Blink Fitness

    With memberships from $15 to $30 per month, Blink’s got a little something for everyone! While Blink doesn’t offer group classes, members of a certain tier and up are allowed to bring a guest with them an unlimited number of times. This is a great option for workout buddies! If you’ve made a resolution with another person, like a significant other or best friend, and want to be able to work out with them without both of you getting memberships, this is the option you should go with.

    Blink’s interiors are upscale, bright and optimistic. While it’s not the highest-tech gym around, it’s got everything you need for a good workout! The space is clean, well-lit and welcoming, and the staff is friendly and helpful. One-on-one sessions with personal trainers are available for those looking for a more hands-on approach to their workout, too!

    In all, the biggest thing you need to start your fitness journey is to get with a program and stick with it. There’s nothing standing between you and your goals except for you! Get out there and kick some butt!

  • Signs and Symptoms of Eosinophilic Asthma

    Signs and Symptoms of Eosinophilic Asthma

    Asthma has baffled doctors for ages. Until recently it was widely accepted that asthma was just one disease. That is no longer the case. Asthma is now being thought of as a collection of conditions. Each individual case is being evaluated by age, onset, and symptoms. This is letting doctors create a case by case treatment plan with highly effective results. Eosinophilic asthma is one of these asthma conditions. Eosinophilic asthma is a subtype of asthma. Doctors and researchers are still hammering out the details and how to best categorize the different subtypes, which will, in turn, lead to better and more advanced treatments.

    In the past eosinophilic asthma was just a way of saying “increased asthma attack frequency”. It was considered a level of asthma. Now with a more in-depth understanding of the subtype, we know it is its own type. With separate conditions, symptoms, causes, and treatments. This deeper understanding of subtypes has led to new medicines that are revolutionizing how we treat eosinophilic asthma.  Eosinophilic asthma is a form of asthma associated with high levels of a white blood cell called eosinophils.

    Eosinophils can cause inflammation in the lungs. The sinuses and nasal passages become impacted and an asthma attack is triggered.  Eosinophilic asthma is similar to standard asthma in that it inflames airways that are in turn blocked by fluid and mucus. This causes spasms in the lungs making it very difficult to breathe.

    Symptoms

    Symptoms of eosinophilic asthma mock asthma symptoms, with very key differences. Some are more likely to be prevalent only in people with an eosinophilic type of asthma. These symptoms start with wheezing and shortness of breath. It will sound like a slight rasp when taking a small to medium breath. A tightness in the chest will signal a significant asthma attack, followed by coughing and the blockage of airflow. This sounds like a classic asthma attack. Where Eosinophilic asthma differs is the chronic symptoms of sinus infections, such as stuffy nose, nasal drainage, and a reduced sense of smell.

    Add in nasal polyps and a greater increase in the frequency of the attacks.  There can also be cases of Eosinophilic Otitis media. This is only diagnosed occasionally. It’s an infection of the inner ear caused by eosinophilia and resulting in thick yellow effusion and gradual loss of hearing. sadly it is very resistant to traditional medicines used to treat otitis media, making it a severe condition of eosinophilic asthma.

    This can be diagnosed and separated from the standard asthma diagnoses by a blood test. The results in an eosinophilic asthma sufferer will be higher than normal levels of eosinophils in the blood. Eosinophils, the major inflammatory cells involved in asthma pathophysiology, is considered a biomarker for asthma.

    Treatments For Eosinophilic Asthma

    While the majority of patients with asthma can be treated effectively with the proper use of maintenance medications, an estimated 10% to 20% of patients are obstreperous to current standards of treatment. This includes oral corticosteroids for patients that are considered to have severe eosinophilic asthma. The treatment now with the advancements made, still is not that different than one would expect. There is a two-phase attack on eosinophilic asthma, rescue, and maintenance. The goal of this 2 front attack is to set up long-term symptom control, maintenance of normal activity levels, all while minimization of the risk and frequency of asthma attacks. This method will allow a reduced risk and effect to asthma attacks as well.

    Treatment is individualized to fit the patient asthma subtype. This is done by severity and the goals of the patient. Let’s start with the rescue medications. Rescue medications are employed infrequently for quick relief of asthma attacks. As the name infers this is designed to “rescue” the patient from obstructed breathing and asthma attacks.  The most effective and widely used rescue medication is a short-acting beta-agonist. The most widely used and prescribed of these drugs is albuterol. This would be in conjunction with Oral and injectable corticosteroids for a  short-term rescue, typically for 3 to 10 days.

    The next phase of attack is maintenance. Maintenance medications are used regularly and continuously for effective long-term control of asthma. They are used to control symptoms and reduce the risk of future exacerbations only. They do not provide any type of immediate attack relief. Early initiation of daily maintenance medication has been associated with improved clinical outcomes. Based on the asthma severity,  your doctor will set up a maintenance program for you. This is all based on the eosinophilic asthma severity at the time of diagnosis. Therapy can be subsequently stepped up if the disease is uncontrolled. At the same time,  stepped down to the lowest level that achieves the goal of your doctor.

    Causes

    While we have no real cause for eosinophilic asthma, and nothing that stands out has been identified, we do know other forms of asthma are triggered by allergic responses to environmental factors. These factors include a range of things such as pollen or pet hair. We do know eosinophilic asthma does not develop in this way. High levels of eosinophils can develop when the body is fighting off parasitic infection.

    Scientists are still unsure of what causes these levels to spike in cases of eosinophilic asthma or the natural link with asthma. The two disease act very much the same but perform in vastly different ways.

    The Final Thought

    This is not a pleasant disease. It is more complicated and much more severe than standard asthma. You should seek emergency care if your quick-acting medication provides no relief after 15 minutes of your attack.

    If you are having difficulty speaking or walking at a normal pace, your lips or nails are turning blue, if you are taking more than 30 breaths a minute or if breathing causes nostrils to flare and the throat and ribs to feel stretched, don’t take the chance and just seek urgent care.

  • Reduce the Cost of Pre-Medicare Health Insurance

    Reduce the Cost of Pre-Medicare Health Insurance

    If you retire early, or you are self-employed, and you’re looking for health insurance, you might find it difficult to save money. A lot of people who retire before 65, when they become eligible for Medicare coverage, may find themselves spending an arm and a leg for insurance. If you feel like you’re paying way too much for your pre-Medicare health insurance, you’re not alone. Many people have felt the squeeze of rising inflation rates with insurance lately. Here are some ways you can save and reduce the cost of your health insurance.

    Reduce the Cost of Pre-Medicare Health Insurance

    The Problem

    Many people who are retirement-age, or who work for themselves, are finding it difficult to get affordable health insurance. These people who need pre-Medicare health insurance find that it is incredibly difficult to get coverage with a decent deductible that doesn’t cost an exorbitant amount. While the ACA has helped some people in this boat, there are others who don’t qualify for the subsidies on ACA plans.

    Instead, these people have been experiencing ballooning costs for premiums and watching as deductibles are slashed as health insurance companies try to squeeze more and more money out of them. The future hardly looks bright for the ACA marketplace: the current administration has vowed to stop protections for those with preexisting conditions and next year the penalties for having no insurance will fall away. This means that many healthy people may ignore the marketplace altogether, making premiums that much higher for those who use ACA plans.

    Who This Effects

    This situation disproportionately effects people in their 50’s and 60’s who have yet to reach Medicare eligibility. These pre-Medicare health insurance plans are increasingly failing people in their 50’s and 60’s as they develop more serious medical conditions and have to pay more and more every year to keep getting medicine and treatment they need to survive.

    For many of these people, even those who don’t currently have any serious health issues, the ballooning premiums and absurd cost of healthcare makes them nervous. They can’t opt for coverage with bare-bones provisions as they may develop serious medical conditions sooner rather than later. However, they also can’t afford the existing plans. So what do they do?

    Check the Marketplace

    While you might think there’s no good coverage on the Marketplace, you’d be wrong. For some people there are great pre-Medicare health insurance plans available through the marketplace. According to some industry analysts, people over 50 who use the Marketplace to find health coverage are actually saving more money now than in the past three years. Since 2015, premiums for people over 50 have dropped nearly 40%, down to an average of about $60 per month!

    As for those dramatic increases in premiums, you need not worry about them if you get subsidies through the ACA. For people who receive subsidies, these increases won’t actually hit you. For a single-person household, if the income is below around $48,000, you’ll receive these subsidies. For two-person households, this threshold is roughly $66,000.

    Even if you’re only just above this threshold, speak to a tax advisor. There are some ways you can qualify for the subsidies even if you make a bit more than these thresholds if you do something like making an IRA account contribution or some similar method.

    Consider Direct Payment

    This isn’t suggesting you simply pay for your treatments outright. Instead, some people are sidestepping insurance altogether and opting instead to engage in “direct primary care.” This method sees the patient paying their doctor a flat fee, usually around $70 per month, that tends to cover some portion of typical doctor’s visits, check-ups and preventative care.

    Doctors who engage in direct primary care often take steps to make sure their patients pay less overall for most basic medical services. This may include buying medications from pharmaceutical companies at wholesale prices and then selling them at cost. Another common cost-saving method is through direct contracts with labs, allowing for less expensive lab results and radiology, passing those savings to customers.

    Those who choose to use direct primary care are often advised to get insurance with high deductibles so that they have an option in case they become seriously ill or otherwise take on some large hospital bill. Generally this method is advised for people who have found relatively affordable high-deductible pre-Medicare health insurance. While this might not work for everyone, for many patients it results in them saving more money in the long run compared to getting a high-premium, low-deductible plan.

  • Top Questions to Ask Your Financial Advisor Today

    Top Questions to Ask Your Financial Advisor Today

    The start of a new year offers a great opportunity to step back, look at your finances and see how things are going. There are a lot of really great questions to ask your financial advisor in this period to see how your investments are shaping up. While the new year is just an arbitrary date, it makes a nice clean break and gives us a chance to think about our finances in a new light. What are you financial goals for 2019? How can you make them realities? Let’s get into the top questions to ask your financial advisor today.

    Top Questions to Ask Your Financial Advisor Today

    How High are the Fees You’re Paying?

    The new year is a great time to reexamine your investments and see how high the fees you’re paying are. After all, your advisor is here to help you. If their cost is higher than their usefulness, it’s time to think about getting a new financial advisor. What better time to examine these costs than at the start of the year? If the advisory fees are satisfactory, move on to the fund fees, transaction fees and account fees you’re paying.

    It’s important to know where your money is going. You don’t want a ton of fees piling up and eating away at the money you’re trying to invest. If some products you’ve got in your portfolio aren’t winning you back enough money to merit their costs, it could be time to think about cutting them loose. Make sure your advisor knows this is a serious concern of yours!

    How Much Risk Should You Be Taking?

    The general rule of thumb is that the younger you are, the riskier and higher-return your investments should be. Then, as you grow older, your investments should be transferred more and more to safer, lower-return funds that won’t put you at risk of losing your nest egg.

    Other considerations, like your income, your financial goals, your risk aversion and your comfort level can all affect this advice. Your financial advisor should have a good grasp on what kind of saving you prefer, and what type you would rather stay away from. Maybe your risky investments have been paying dividends, but the climate for them is shifting so you transfer to safer funds. Or, maybe your safe investments are moving too slowly to get you where you want to be in time for retirement, so you should diversify.

    Whatever the case, the beginning of the year is a great time to examine your finances and your saving strategy. Maybe it’s time to shift into high gear and double down on your plan of attack. Or, maybe it’s better if you ease off the throttle and get more cozy with saving in slower increments. In either event, your financial advisor will have advice tailored to your situation.

    What Employer-Sponsored Benefits Could You be Taking Advantage of?

    Set aside a plan for how you can make the most of your employer-sponsored plans. If your employer offers plans like 401 (k) retirement matching, medical savings accounts and the like, these could be great ways to maximize your finances. Medical savings accounts offer a great way to save money for medical expenses without incurring the usual income taxes on your wages. Similarly, 401 (k) accounts offer a great way to let your money grow without being taxed at the usual rate.

    If your employed offers any type of matching, make sure you’re hitting the maximum amount that you can afford. For instance, if they offer 6% matching, it’s in your best interest to put the full 6% into your savings if you can afford it. This matching plan is essentially free money for you when you go to retire, so you should absolutely be taking full advantage of it!

    What Else Can You Get?

    Make sure you have a good understanding of what your advisor’s firm offers you in terms of services. Most firms offer a robust suite of financial services, such as estate, banking or tax planning. If you’re leaving behind a sizable amount of money and assets when you go, you might be interested in making sure these are properly taken care of. Likewise, your taxes may be very complex due to your investments and holdings. These are things your advisory firm might be able to help you with!

    Your advisor will surely be glad to help you discover which of their firm’s services you’d benefit from. You may even find some services you didn’t realize you needed help with!

  • Is an AARP Membership Worth it?

    Is an AARP Membership Worth it?

    Maybe you’ve heard about AARP membership and the benefits that entails. Whether online, through advertisements or on TV, you may have heard about the upsides of AARP memberships. Today we’re going to explain some of the upsides to an AARP membership and discuss whether it’s worth it or if you’d be better off not spending the money for the membership. Let’s talk AARP memberships!

    Is an AARP Membership Worth it?

    Travel Deals

    A notable benefit to AARP membership is the kinds of deals you get on travel. If you’re a retired person, odds are good that you’re looking to travel some. However, you’re likely also looking to save money on any given trip you take, since funds aren’t unlimited when you’re retired. The AARP offers a number of great deals to help in this regard!

    Hotel deals up to 20% off are available and chains like Wyndham Hotels and Days Inn. In addition, there are 35% off deals available through Endless Vacation Rentals. Similarly, members of AARP also get access to deals on rental cars. Notably, there’s a 30% discount on memberships with Zipcar rental service. That’s in addition to percentages off of various car rentals from other chains.

    Another perk is through the AARP Travel Center, which is an Expedia service. The Travel Center posts great deals on flights, and the deals are only available for members. Additionally, the Travel Center offers exclusive deals on cruises through Windstar, Norwegian and other cruise lines.

    Travel Deals Without AARP

    It’s worth noting that if you are considering joining the AARP strictly for the travel discounts, there are other discount you can consider that don’t require you join the AARP. For instance, you could go with the base senior discount you get at the Marriot, with is 15% off of your stay for people over 62. Best Western, likewise, offers 10% to people over 55!

    Airlines often offer discounts for seniors over 55, too. Southwest is one example of such an airline. Similarly, many flight booking sites will offer discounts for seniors as well. Examples include OneTravel and Travelation, though these aren’t the only ones.

    Further, you can often find even better rates than these for some flights. Just keep your eyes peeled when you’re comparing prices online. You never know what kind of deals you might find! There’s no point in shopping at a site with a discount if the base price somewhere else is lower for that same ticket. Just make sure to do your research!

    Auto Insurance

    Members with AARP cards can also get discounts on their auto insurance. The AARP offers a discount on auto insurance through The Hartford. Their website claims that, on average, members who use this discounted car insurance can save as much as $404 per year on their auto policy! This, of course, depends on your current insurance provider, age, driving history and location. However, it’s worth looking into if you’ve got an AARP membership and want to find out if you could save on your insurance.

    Pros and Cons of AARP Membership

    The first thing to consider when asking yourself if an AARP membership is worth it is to consider the price. Membership is only $16 a year, so if the membership saves you 17 bucks before the year is out, then it’s paid for itself, right? Well, sort of. Savings can only be calculated this way if they are savings on things you would otherwise be doing. If you’re going out of your way to spend money on something just because you have a discount for it, you aren’t actually saving.

    Case in point: let’s say you’re getting ready to go on a vacation and feel like the price is going to bit a bit high. Then, you compare your vacation’s rates with the discounts you could receive through an AARP membership. If the discounts through a membership would save you more than $16, then perhaps you should consider signing up! If not, maybe you shouldn’t.

    A big plus for the AARP is that you only need to be 50 to sign up. That’s well before many establishments begin to offer senior discounts. Most places require you be 55 at the youngest before you’re eligible for any kind of discount. The AARP, on the other hand, lets you get started saving on various things a full five years ahead of the most generous senior discounts.

    So, is an AARP membership right for you? That’s up for you to decide. However, there are a number of great upsides to it that make it appealing for most people over 50!

  • Time for a New Car Battery? Our Top Picks

    Time for a New Car Battery? Our Top Picks

    Regardless of what kind of car you have or how you prefer to drive and get around, your car needs a battery. If your current battery is giving you trouble then it may be time to start looking for a new car battery. Today we’re looking at some of the best batteries on the market to make sure your car keeps running even in the most extreme conditions! No one wants to try to turn their car on just for it to sputter and stop. Don’t let that happen to you.

    Best Options for a New Car Battery

    Car Batteries

    Your car’s battery is the heart of its engine. No matter what type of engine you have, your vehicle needs a battery to get started. The battery also provides the electricity for your stereo, headlights an cab lights, as well as any other electrical appliance in your car. Remember, extreme weather such as cold and snow can be a huge drain on the lifetime of a given car battery.

    So when it comes to picking a good new car battery, you need to make sure it’s of the highest quality. After all, you don’t want to wake up one morning with a dead battery and no way to get to work!

    Odyssey PC680-P

    This deep-cycle battery will last you for a very, very long time. While it works in any car, it’s particularly useful when used with electric cars. The AMG is non-spill and highly rated for protecting the vehicle from the strongest shocks and most persistent vibrations. While these types of wear-and-tear normally work to break down a battery, the Odyssey PC680-P is rated to resist this type of breakdown.

    Thanks to its rechargeable cells, the Odyssey can be recharged in a short 4 hours. This makes it one of the most efficient batteries on the market! The 170 CCA battery is rated for up to 70% longer lifespans than the majority of deep-cycle batteries in its category. The Odyssey is also highly rated even in extreme climates, not losing its effectiveness even in the face of extreme cold.

    The best part of this battery, on top of how durable and efficient it is, is the reasonable price. You can make this your new car battery for just $106, making it an incredible value.

    DieHard Advanced Gold 50778

    This battery is a unique absorbed glass mat style battery made to perform well in any and all extreme conditions. If you live in a region that is extremely hot or cold, this is a great pick for you! If you’re a more forgetful type, this is a great pick due entirely to its amazing longevity. Many users reviews have remarked on how excessively long the battery lasts, even when left on. Some users have reported that they’ve left their headlights on overnight on accident only to find the DieHard battery was still able to crank their engine the next day.

    This no-frills, easy-to-maintain battery also sports a unique design that makes it last much longer than the average battery. You’ll never need to replenish the water thanks to this design, and it’s the unique design that allows it to stay strong even through extreme temperatures and for long periods of time. If you’re looking for the most rugged battery out there, this is a likely pick.

    While the price is little higher than some, coming in at $165, you really get what you pay for! The battery even sports a 3 year warranty, so, even if it does go out on you, you can get a replacement to make up for it.

    Optima D35 YellowTop

    The Optima D35 YellowTop is a powerful battery, sporting a 12-volt design and double-wall that makes it exceedingly durable. The dual-purpose battery has a design that resists shock and vibration better than most, and it is marketed as one of the most durable car batteries on the market today. It sports a very sleek design that makes it surprisingly durable to normal activity.

    The Optima battery is also very resistant to leaks, sporting a low discharge rate and having very little overall maintenance to worry about. Even if you leave it in a vehicle for a while, you can trust that it will still crank and run just fine. Coming in at $169, it’s a bit pricier than some batteries on the market, but it’s well worth the investment. If you want a tough battery that won’t let you down, look no further than the Optima D35 YellowTop.

  • Top Outdoor Cameras to Catch Porch Pirates

    Top Outdoor Cameras to Catch Porch Pirates

    You’ve definitely seen those hilarious videos where someone sets up an elaborate goof for package thieves. Everyone who has ever had a package stolen wishes the thief had snagged one of those glitter-spewing booby traps from YouTube instead of their actual merchandise. However, not everyone is an adept prankster, and not every package on your doorstep is a decoy for online shenanigans. There is something you can do to protect yourself, though: invest in one of the top outdoor cameras. These outdoor cameras give you a way to catch package thieves in the act and help you to alert authorities to these annoying nuisances.

    Top Outdoor Cameras

    Best Value

    If you’re looking for the best overall value in an outdoor camera, then you’re looking for the Amcrest UltraHD 4MP HD camera. If you’ve got Amazon prime, you can scoop this bad boy up for just $40, and it’s going to outperform pretty much every other camera in that price range while it’s at it. Installation isn’t exactly breezy, though, as it requires an ethernet cable in order to send the images it’s capturing anywhere.

    This isn’t exactly a bad thing, though! Many security experts urge homeowners to use cameras with hardwired connections instead of wireless cameras. Hardwired connections won’t go down due to wireless interference, weather conditions or dips in internet service. If you’re looking for a good storage solution for the UltraHD images this camera captures, Amcrest has you covered on that front, too.

    Amcrest sells both 4 and 8 channel DVR boxes that can track and record multiple camera signals at once. If you’re looking to keep a close eye on what happens in and around your home, these are a great option. After all, a camera alone won’t help you if it’s not recording any images! This way you can ensure the images are recorded and can be given to authorities should someone break the law in front of your camera.

    Best App

    If you’re looking for an outdoor camera with a stellar app, look no further than the Ring Floodlight Camera. You might know Ring for their doorbell technology that has a built-in motion-sensor camera and communications features. The Floodlight Camera is similarly excellent, easily sporting one of the best and easiest-to-use apps on the market.

    The camera itself is great, as it is both motion-activated and equipped with a microphone. That’s in addition to the camera’s speaker, which allows it to also double as a motion-sensor alarm. You can set it up to blare loudly if it detects motion to scare off potential ne’er-do-wells. The microphone and speaker also allow you to speak to anyone you see through the camera.

    The communications angle is great, as it uses the stellar Ring app to allow you to talk to people you catch on camera. If it’s just the mailman or someone you know, you can chat for a moment and see how things are going. If it’s a thief, you can tell them they’re on private property and are being recorded and to get the heck away from your stuff. In either event, this is a great camera for lovers of high-tech apps!

    Best Video Recording Quality

    The LaView 4K UltraHD Bullet Smart IP Surveillance Camera has the best recording quality of any outdoor camera you can find today. When you really, really need to make out the images your camera is detecting, image quality can be the biggest factor. That’s why a lot of security professionals recommend that those people who are serious about security should go with the absolute highest resolution cameras they can find. These high resolutions make it easier to make out features of thieves and intruders, making finding them after the act more likely.

    The LaView 4K camera offers incredibly sharp images, clear pictures and great quality that makes it well worth the price. While you may be paying a bit more for 4K image resolution, it’s important that your images be as clear and easy-to-read as possible. It won’t help investigators find someone if the footage you capture of them is blurry, soft and out-of-focus. Unlike on TV, you can’t zoom and enhance an image after it has been captured!

    LaView offers a package deal for security enthusiasts that includes 4 of the bullet cameras and 2 dome cameras, as well as a 3TB storage device to store the video your cameras take. This is a good thing, as 4K images tend to take up a lot of storage space, and 3TB is a ton of storage!