Monday, May 30, 2011
How To Find The Best & Most Reliable Charities
Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator, works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of over 5,500 of America's largest charities.
Are You Being Owed Money By The State of California?
Are you being owed money by the state of California? You may be one of millions of Californians owed money by the State!The State of California is currently in possession of more than $5.7 billion in Unclaimed Property belonging to approximately 11.6 million individuals and organizations.
The State acquires unclaimed property through California's Unclaimed Property Law, which requires "holders" such as corporations, business associations, financial institutions, and insurance companies to annually report and deliver property to the Controller's Office after there has been no customer contact for three years. Often the owner forgets that the account exists, or moves and does not leave a forwarding address or the forwarding order expires. In some cases, the owner dies and the heirs have no knowledge of the property.
The most common types of Unclaimed Property are:
The State acquires unclaimed property through California's Unclaimed Property Law, which requires "holders" such as corporations, business associations, financial institutions, and insurance companies to annually report and deliver property to the Controller's Office after there has been no customer contact for three years. Often the owner forgets that the account exists, or moves and does not leave a forwarding address or the forwarding order expires. In some cases, the owner dies and the heirs have no knowledge of the property.
The most common types of Unclaimed Property are:
- Bank accounts and safe deposit box contents
- Stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and dividends
- Uncashed cashier's checks or money orders
- Certificates of deposit
- Matured or terminated insurance policies
- Estates
- Mineral interests and royalty payments, trust funds, and escrow accounts.
The Unclaimed Property law was enacted to prevent holders of Unclaimed Property from using your money and taking it into their business income. This law gives the State an opportunity to return your money and provides California citizens with a single source, the State Controller's Office, to check for Unclaimed Property that may be reported by holders from around the nation. To find out if any of this money belongs to you, visit http://scoweb.sco.ca.gov/UCP/.
How a Health Care Advocate Can Help You
A medical issue can come up without warning, and even savvy patients can find themselves overwhelmed when trying to navigate care and insurance. Private health-care advocates can help you and fight the outrageous bills, typically for a fee.
They help resolve medical-billing problems, fight insurance-coverage denials, aid in complex medical decision-making, and find the right specialist or hospital for a particular condition.
Many health-care advocates charge individuals a flat fee, an hourly rate or take a percentage of whatever money is recovered. But some perform the work for free or on a sliding scale or reserve a portion of their workload for such cases.
Advocates typically charge $50 to $200 an hour, says Joanna Smith, president of the National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants, a professional group in Berkeley, Calif. Consumers looking to hire one can search online directories run by the NAHAC and a company called AdvoConnection.
Advocates are often nurses, social workers or people who've navigated their own challenges with the medical system. No license is needed to practice, but there are several credentialing programs. And the NAHAC has designed a code of ethics. So be sure to ask about those when interviewing an advocate.
Elisabeth Russell, founder of Patient Navigator (PatientNavigator.com) in Vienna, Va., says people looking to hire a health-care advocate should expect a written estimate of costs and services and feel comfortable with the advocate's style, experience and expertise before signing on. Patient Navigator charges an hourly fee, typically $125.
The bulk of cases at Philadelphia-based HealthCare Advocates (HealthCareAdvocates.com) are insurance disputes, decisions about medical treatment and billing snafus. A lot of people are too busy to handle all the paperwork that comes in and they don't know what to do with it. Most cases cost consumers $300 to $400 and last a few weeks or months, depending on the problem.
The Patient Advocate Foundation of Hampton, Va., (patientadvocate.org) offers free help to patients whether or not they have health insurance.
They help resolve medical-billing problems, fight insurance-coverage denials, aid in complex medical decision-making, and find the right specialist or hospital for a particular condition.
Many health-care advocates charge individuals a flat fee, an hourly rate or take a percentage of whatever money is recovered. But some perform the work for free or on a sliding scale or reserve a portion of their workload for such cases.
Advocates typically charge $50 to $200 an hour, says Joanna Smith, president of the National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants, a professional group in Berkeley, Calif. Consumers looking to hire one can search online directories run by the NAHAC and a company called AdvoConnection.
Advocates are often nurses, social workers or people who've navigated their own challenges with the medical system. No license is needed to practice, but there are several credentialing programs. And the NAHAC has designed a code of ethics. So be sure to ask about those when interviewing an advocate.
Elisabeth Russell, founder of Patient Navigator (PatientNavigator.com) in Vienna, Va., says people looking to hire a health-care advocate should expect a written estimate of costs and services and feel comfortable with the advocate's style, experience and expertise before signing on. Patient Navigator charges an hourly fee, typically $125.
The bulk of cases at Philadelphia-based HealthCare Advocates (HealthCareAdvocates.com) are insurance disputes, decisions about medical treatment and billing snafus. A lot of people are too busy to handle all the paperwork that comes in and they don't know what to do with it. Most cases cost consumers $300 to $400 and last a few weeks or months, depending on the problem.
The Patient Advocate Foundation of Hampton, Va., (patientadvocate.org) offers free help to patients whether or not they have health insurance.
Best Coupon Sites
An explosion of coupon sites is actually making it harder for bargain-hunters. But here's where to find the best deals.
http://www.coupons.com/http://www.couponcabin.com/
http://www.couponnetwork.com/
http://dealnews.com/
http://www.dropdowndeals.com/
http://www.retailmenot.com/
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Banks Stand To Face Over $17 billion in Lawsuits Over Foreclosure Errors
If five of the nation’s largest banks can’t reach a settlement with state and federal regulators over illegal foreclosure practices, they stand to face at least $17 billion in civil lawsuits, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The banks’ liability could be even more. Banks also owe billions of dollar in possible claims to federal agencies, such as the Justice department and Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In over two months of settlement talks, banks and state attorneys general and federal officials have been unable to reach a settlement stemming from allegations of abuses in mortgage services.
So far, banks have proposed a $5 billion settlement, which would go to compensate borrowers who faced errors in the foreclosure process as well as provide transition assistance for home owners who were wrongly evicted from their homes. However, federal and state officials have said that’s not enough; some have asked banks for more than $20 billion.
The banks’ liability could be even more. Banks also owe billions of dollar in possible claims to federal agencies, such as the Justice department and Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In over two months of settlement talks, banks and state attorneys general and federal officials have been unable to reach a settlement stemming from allegations of abuses in mortgage services.
So far, banks have proposed a $5 billion settlement, which would go to compensate borrowers who faced errors in the foreclosure process as well as provide transition assistance for home owners who were wrongly evicted from their homes. However, federal and state officials have said that’s not enough; some have asked banks for more than $20 billion.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
You Will Spend Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Health Care Costs During Retirement
If you think Medicare will take care of all your medical expenses in retirement, you’re wrong.
Men who retired last year at age 65 will spend $65,000 to $109,000 on health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket health care expenses, according to a study released by the Employee Benefits Research Institute in December , and that is assuming all they want is a 50% chance of having enough money. If you’re that retiree and you want to be 90% certain that you’ll have enough cash, you’ll need $124,000 to $211,000.
The statistics are even worse for women due to their longer longevity. If you’re woman and you retired at age 65 in 2010, you’ll need $88,000 to $146,000 for a 50% chance of having enough money, and $143,000 to $242,000 for a 90% chance.
If you’re married, add it up: You and your spouse combined will need as much as $388,000 in retirement just for medical expenses. That includes co-payments, insurance premiums and other nonreimbursed medical expenses. It doesn’t include the cost of long-term care.
Why so much? The reason, EBRI determined, is that Medicare covers just 64% of health care costs. Private insurance and other government programs cover 22%, and the rest, 14% is paid directly by you. If yu don't save now, you'll have to find a solution to pay for it.
The best way to get prepare is to BUILD WEALTH NOW!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Walking Away From Your House, Not Always a Good Idea!
An estimated 11 million home owners owe more on their mortgage than their property is currently worth. That’s made more home owners consider walking away from their mortgage and their home, even those who can still comfortably afford to make their payments (known as “strategic default”).
Walking away from a mortgage usually results in either a short sale or foreclosure. So what are the consequences of walking away? There may be far more consequences than what most home owners ever considered if you do not know everything yu should know.
The consequences include everything from badly affected credit to potential tax consequences and deficiency risks. Home owners' credit scores will be badly hit regardless of whether they attempt a short sale or have their property foreclosed on.
There also could be the potential for deficiency judgment, when walking away from a home, which largely varies from state to state. In some states, lenders may sue you for the difference between what you owe and what your short-sale or foreclosure proceeds are.
A deficiency judgment is an unsecured money judgment against a borrower whose mortgage foreclosure sale did not produce sufficient funds to pay the underlying promissory note, or loan, in full. The availability of a deficiency judgment depends on whether the lender has a recourse or nonrecourse loan, which is largely a matter of state law. In some jurisdictions, first mortgages are non-recourse loans, but second and subsequent ones are recourse loans.
Being sued for a deficiency judgment after foreclosure seems to be one of the greatest worries of homeowners in danger of losing their homes. Not only are they behind by thousands of dollars on their mortgage payment and facing a public auction of their house, the ordeal may continue even longer. If they are sued for a deficiency judgment for the amount that the bank does not recover from the sale, then they may have to pay tens of thousands of dollars years into the future for their one financial hardship that led to foreclosure.
Walking away from a mortgage usually results in either a short sale or foreclosure. So what are the consequences of walking away? There may be far more consequences than what most home owners ever considered if you do not know everything yu should know.
The consequences include everything from badly affected credit to potential tax consequences and deficiency risks. Home owners' credit scores will be badly hit regardless of whether they attempt a short sale or have their property foreclosed on.
There also could be the potential for deficiency judgment, when walking away from a home, which largely varies from state to state. In some states, lenders may sue you for the difference between what you owe and what your short-sale or foreclosure proceeds are.
A deficiency judgment is an unsecured money judgment against a borrower whose mortgage foreclosure sale did not produce sufficient funds to pay the underlying promissory note, or loan, in full. The availability of a deficiency judgment depends on whether the lender has a recourse or nonrecourse loan, which is largely a matter of state law. In some jurisdictions, first mortgages are non-recourse loans, but second and subsequent ones are recourse loans.
Being sued for a deficiency judgment after foreclosure seems to be one of the greatest worries of homeowners in danger of losing their homes. Not only are they behind by thousands of dollars on their mortgage payment and facing a public auction of their house, the ordeal may continue even longer. If they are sued for a deficiency judgment for the amount that the bank does not recover from the sale, then they may have to pay tens of thousands of dollars years into the future for their one financial hardship that led to foreclosure.
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