Author: Admin

Here’s What You Need to Know About Online Investing

Online investing tools have made it faster, easier, and cheaper to buy investing products, and have opened up the world of investing to a whole new group of people.

These tools are popular — 73 percent of investors around the world use them. But if you’ve never used online investing tools before, you shouldn’t just rush to your computer and open a brokerage account without understanding the basics of how online investing works.

There are different types of online investing accounts, like IRAs or custodial accounts for children. You’ll need to know what you’re investing for, and you’ll need to know what kinds of investment products you’re interested in purchasing. When you invest online, you’ll be the one in charge — you’ll be the one making all the decisions about what to buy and sell and when to buy and sell it. If you think you can handle the responsibility, you’ll need to know where to find a reputable online brokerage, how to find stock information, how to place orders, and what to do if you have a complaint.

Find a Good Online Brokerage

Online brokerages are just like any other type of business — some are trustworthy and dependable, while others are less so. Naturally, you want to choose a brokerage of the reputable stripe. But where do you look for such a brokerage, especially if you’ve never invested online before?

Luckily, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) offers a free tool called BrokerCheck that can tell you if the brokerage you’re considering is legit. BrokerCheck can give you information about brokerages and investment advisor firms, and can also help you find online background reports and other resources for investors. If you don’t even know where to find brokers to run through BrokerCheck, try asking friends who have invested online, or simply search “online brokerages.”
Once you find a brokerage, open an account and put in some money. You don’t need much, and many brokerages allow you to open an account with no minimum deposit. Keep putting money in your brokerage account regularly so you can continue to grow your wealth.

Find Stock Information and Choose Investments

Once you’ve found a brokerage and opened an account, it’s time to start looking at stocks. You don’t have to start buying and selling right away; in fact, if you’re new to investing, you should practice first. Go to the Investor Simulator Center to practice conducting online trades. Use paperTrade to improve your investing strategies. If you run into terms you don’t understand — and you probably will — look them up on Investopedia.
To find stock information about companies that interest you, look up their stock symbols on Google or another search engine, or use the Wolfram Alpha search engine, which is specific to stock information.

Placing Stock Orders in an Online Brokerage Account

If you’ve never placed stock orders in an online brokerage account before, there are a few things you need to know. For example, your orders may not always go through right away; things like faulty equipment or heavy Internet traffic can delay your orders. There’s no law that says an order has to be executed within a certain time frame. Other important things to know include:

• You should make sure an order is cancelled before you place another order. If your order was already placed, it might have gone through anyway.
• You should always verify that your order didn’t go through before trying to place it again. Many people accidentally buy more stock than they wanted or more than they can afford.
• When you trade on margin, the brokerage can sell the stock without telling you. They’ll usually do this if the market tanks.
• If you’re trading in a cash account, you have to pay for any stocks you buy before you can sell them again. Your brokerage could freeze your account if you try to buy stock you can’t afford and then sell it again in order to pay for it, a practice called “freeriding.”

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) maintains a number of helpful investing tips on its website.

Know How to Make a Complaint

If you feel you have to file a complaint against your brokerage, do it as soon as possible, since you only have a limited amount of time to file such complaints. Call and ask for an explanation of the problem. If you don’t get one, or you’re not satisfied with the one you do get, write to the firm’s compliance office explaining the problem and what you want done about it. Request a written response within 30 days. If that doesn’t work, contact the SEC and forward copies of your complaint and any correspondence you may have exchanged with the firm.

Online investing is an easy and fast way to expand your portfolio and increase your wealth. With a little practice using online tools, you can soon learn to research your own investments and conduct your own trades. Then you can join the growing majority of folks who are taking control of their own financial freedom.

If I am a senior can I be Refused Health Insurance?

Under the Affordable Care Act you have to be covered by health insurance or risk paying a penalty. So how does this work if you are a senior; is there a chance that an insurer will reject your application because of your age?

The Affordable Care Act, and the changes that have occurred around it, is actually intended to make things easier for seniors; if this applies to you then you should definitely not be rejected for health insurance.
Although there is a chance that your premiums will be higher as there is more of a chance of you having to claim against the policy. Of course the Medicare provision has been extended and action has been taken to reduce the “donut whole” coverage gap for Part D Medicare.

So how can you benefit from the Medicare System?

There will be a closer look at the individual parts of the Medicare program but suffice to say that the provision has been expanded to provide a better service for you if you are a senior and qualify. As part of the Medicare provision those who qualify can have access to some preventative services without having any out of pocket expenses. You can learn more about the various options on the HBF health insurance page & get protection for you & your family.
Some of these services include flu shots, and screenings for conditions such as diabetes and cancer. Over 37 million seniors received one or more of these services in 2013, with no out of pocket expenses.

How does Medicare work if you’re a senior?

As you get older you will probably need help with medical care more than ever. This makes it all the more important for the Medicare provision to be successful.

• Part A Medicare

This part of the Medicare system applies to costs for hospitalization and convalescence. You will not get full cover, and you are still likely to encounter high costs if your hospitalization is lengthy. It is intended as a safety net for people who need help to meet at least some of these costs. You do not have to pay any premiums to receive part A Medicare.

• Part B Medicare

Part B Medicare is intended to cover 80% of outpatient visits costs and therapy costs. Premiums for this type of Medicare are applicable and they are taken straight from social security checks. You shouldn’t think that this will necessarily mean you will escape high charges depending on what type of care you need.

• Part D Medicare

This type of Medicare helps with the provision of prescription costs. You’ll need to check with your pharmacist to discuss what level of part D Medicare you need. You need to make sure that you apply for this cover as soon as you become entitled when you are 65. If you don’t do this you may be penalized by having to pay higher premiums for the rest of your life. It is this part of the Medicare system where the Affordable Care Act is helping to reduce the “donut whole” coverage gap.

3 Places to Find Wedding Decor and Items

If you read my other blog or my spotty, not so weekly updates, you know that I got married back in July and am gearing up to go on my honeymoon just now.

I was planning my wedding all the way from September, 2013. I remember a time when I felt that I couldn’t do any of the fun planning because the wedding was too far away.

where to get stuff for wedding

Little did I know that there is no FUN in wedding planning, in the slightest.

Planning out decor and activities seems like a light hearted, fun activity, until you start seeing the price tags on supplies that you need.

Case in point: Renting tablecloths from a local rental place cost $10.00 per tablecloth. You can find them, as I did, through various vendors for $8/tablecloth.

The better deal, apparently, is to buy the table cloths because you can then sell them after. But even so, the initial cost of buying 20 table cloths at $8/piece (and then thinking about all the other things just in the linens category that you have to shell out for) is enough to make a bride and groom shudder.

I saved a lot on our wedding by finding various things through different channels. Here’s what I mean:

Facebook Wedding Groups

I was not a very active user on Facebook when I got engaged, but since then, I’ve spent more and more time on Facebook, all for the wedding buy/sell/swap groups.

There are a few of which I am a member, and they are a goldmine for good advice and discounted decor items. For instance, I got some great decor for my popcorn bar on a Facebook group.

Now, be aware that many of the brides on those groups are shady. I once saw somebody post 50 brown paper bags for $10, then saw the exact same bags at the dollar store for $1. So do your research! Don’t fall into the trap.

This is also a great place to sell the things that you don’t need when your wedding is over and done with, although with a lot of headaches and annoyance as people fail to pick things up.

Craigslist

I’m a huge fan of Craigslist and have been for years. It has helped me save hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on household items, electronics, and various other things, including wedding stuff.

I bought all of the flatware and dishes that we needed for the wedding on Craigslist. A dinner theater was closing down in the area so was selling everything for around $300 – including plates, bowls, flatware, glasses, wine glasses, ice buckets, and so much more.

Renting these things would have cost far more than $300, and we got to sell them after, too.

The Dollar Store

It’s funny how few people clue in when wedding planning that the dollar store is a great place to buy a lot of the stuff they need for a wedding. 

I bought ice buckets, vases, and even electric tea lights at the dollar store. Then, I’d log onto that Facebook group and people would be selling those things for $5 instead of the $1 that they bought it for.

Not everything from the Dollar Store is plastic, and I got some really good deals on a lot of stuff.

For free wedding stuff you may also check this post.