About B&B

This is a guest post.

It is amazing how many advertisements we see in the media everyday claiming how much we can save on our car insurance.  Geico is claiming savings of 15%, State Farm is saying we can save hundreds of dollars.  Why are we missing out on these savings?

There are 3 good reasons why we end up being over charged for car insurance, and put in the position to save hundreds of dollars on car insurance:

Our Cars Get Older

There is a good chance the last time we received a quote on car insurance our car was worth a lot more money.  Edmunds claims your car loses almost 10% of its value when you drive your car off the lot.  After 1 year the value of your car drops about 20% and after 3 years about 40%.

As your new car drops from $20K to $12K after 3 years how much have you seen your car insurance premiums drop? It is likely your car insurance company is not calling you every 6 months offering you the reduction of saving you should see.

To match the drop in the value of your car it is good idea to keep your current company honest by asking if your premiums are in line with the value of your car.  Another good way to save money as your car gets older is to increase your collision and comprehensive deductibles.  To learn more about the right level of coverage visit full coverage auto insurance.

The Amount We Drive Changes

We all have changes with how much we need to drive on a monthly basis.  Maybe we have changed jobs where our commute is shorter or possibly we are working from home a few days of the month.

With the increase in gas prices some of us have decided to take care of our errands more efficiently by lowering our daily trips.  The mileage we drive is an important factor in setting our car insurance prices.

Has your car insurance company been checking up to see if your mileage has changed?  Car insurance companies are adopting usage based car insurance programs where they advertise savings as much as 50%.  By looking at car insurance as a variable expense based on miles driven car owners can drop the cost of auto insurance.

Some Companies are More Cost Effective

A third area we don’t hear much about is how car insurers are able to more effectively manage their cost.  This can relate to different types of cost.

For instance, if a car insurance company has aggressively taken in new customers they may see an increase in claims where their expenses go up.

Another common area is the cost of doing business increases.  This can be from inflationary pressures or a pickup in overhead.  A company like Geico who has a direct business model and less overhead in the form of offices and fixed cost is better able to keep their cost low and maintain competitive pricing.

A good way to find out which car insurance company is effectively managing cost is to receive multiple quotes from several different companies.

This is a guest post.

This is a guest post.

Trading on the financial markets seems like something that only those at the top of the business pyramid can take part in. While you need a certain amount of knowledge to trade in any market, trading forex can be done by just about anyone, and it offers potentially great opportunities to make profits from trading.

However, you might wonder what forex is. Short for “foreign exchange,” forex trading is where you trade on whether one currency pair e.g. GB Pound will strengthen or weaken in value against another currency such as the US dollar. All forex prices are quoted in terms of one currency versus another i.e. GBP/USD or sterling vs US dollar.

By going long on a currency pair, you are essentially buying the first currency (i.e. GB Pound) and selling the latter (i.e. US dollars) on expectations that the GBP Pound will strengthen or the US Dollar will weaken. Alternatively by going short a currency pair, you are selling the first currency (GB Pound) and going long the latter (US dollar) on expectations that the GB Pound will weaken or the US Dollar will strengthen.

There is a how to trade Forex guide on City Index if you want to learn more.

If you want to start trading forex, you should read the guide first, and do some research on the currency markets to help identify any trends in price movements. Then, you should find a currency pair you want to trade with.

Next, you decide whether to ‘go long’ or ‘buy’, which means you expect the first currency of the pair to strengthen in value, or ‘go short’, which means you expect the first currency to weaken in value. If you make the right decision, you stand to make a profit from the price movement from the start of the trade to the time you decide to close it, in your favour. Alternatively, if the opposite happens, you lose money.

Forex trading is a leveraged product and as such, there is the potential to lose more than your initial deposit. There are risk management tools available to help curb losses to acceptable levels dictated by you.

Forex trading is very risky but if done right, could help you to make a secondary income, which you could put to good use. it could go towards paying off your mortgage, be spent on a week’s holiday abroad, buy a new car, fund home improvements or even be set aside for any emergencies or to replenish your savings account.

The possibility of sizeable trading profits, not to mention 24-hour trading, availability of specialist websites and smartphone apps and access to various financial news sources make forex trading an attractive proposition to people who want to dip their toe into the currency markets.

This is a guest post.

This is a guest post by Amanda Bruns of Military Spouse Central.

Finding employment after military life can be difficult for a military spouse who has spent the past years serving alongside their veteran. Deployments, TDYs, PCSs and other demands for flexibility don’t always lend themselves to establishing a steady job or continuing education—two areas of attention on a resume.

Luckily employable skills can come from other sources, including the military spouse lifestyle. Consider the following:

Skills of a Spouse

Given the variety of locations a spouse may live in, the roles he or she may take on and the circumstantial conditions a spouse may be dealt, there are a lot of opportunities for growth. For instance:

• Flexibility/Adaptability: Spouses learn quickly to keep plans tentative. Assignments may be extended or completely changed last minute. Given the possibility a service member can be called away on duty, spouses must develop the skills to manage the home, kids, pets, finances, and more. Employers are attracted to employees that can adapt and take on challenges that arise.
• Diversity: The military can expose a spouse to multiple locations, which can mean they see different cultures, climates, size of community and different paces of lifestyle. The gained perspective and insight can offer employers a fresh set of ideas, strategies and practices.
• Stress Management: Anyone that says a military life isn’t stressful is just plain silly. Whether it’s single parenting, managing budgets, preparing logistics for relocations and/or maintaining a home, spouses develop stress-management skills. (That is before the emotional stressors are taken into consideration). Employers will be able to trust that a spouse can take on multiple tasks and handle them effectively.

Ways to Expand

A consistent career may not always be realistic, but there are some flexible, travel-friendly programs a spouse can look to for developing experience and skills. Consider:

• Volunteering: No matter the location, chances are there are opportunities to be a volunteer. A spouse can show off their leadership skills with coaching a team or leading a scout troop. Tutoring or mentoring can develop educational and communication skills. Other volunteer opportunities can expand the competency in organization, time-management, writing abilities and interpersonal skills.
• Home-based Business: An entrepreneurial spirit can lend itself to some major proficiency in management, self-motivation, organization, customer service, sales and marketing. Perhaps he or she can turn their favorite hobby into a profitable business or explore the realm of a virtual work-from-home job.
• Utilize Military Resources: There are educational courses offered by the military that educate in the fields of computer technology, foreign languages, leadership, health and wellness, finances, relationships and more.

If you’re a military spouse, take advantage of the opportunities you have and be ready to sell your qualities to employers when the time comes. You have a lot to offer.

This is a guest post by Amanda Bruns of Military Spouse Central.