Adding Your Children Onto Your Insurance Policy: Pros and Cons

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Many parents in their forties and fifties have older children who are ready to buy their first car, graduate or enter college, and/or getting prepared to live on their own for the first time. 

At a time when parents seek to save for retirement, costs for older children are taking a chunk out of their savings: Buying their teenager a vehicle, paying for college expenses, helping with costs of the child’s new living arrangements, and car insurance. 

Navigating finances at this stage is quite the juggling act. After all, parents who are fast approaching retirement need to find the balance between their budgetary expenses, saving for retirement, and contributing to an older or adult child’s expenses and needs. 

Sometimes parents have to draw the line and give their child the entire responsibility of providing for themselves. When it comes to car insurance there are advantages and disadvantages for both parents and teenagers of sharing an insurance policy. Let’s break it down. 

Pros for Parents 

· If the parent’s name is on the title of the vehicle or on the loan, they should be cognizant of proper protection against major unexpected loss. By having control over the amount of coverage on the vehicle, parents can be assured of proper coverage. As long as a parent’s name is associated with ownership, they will have a legal responsibility for any liable losses.

· The child’s cost for their portion of the car insurance will likely be far less, which may mean that parent’s won’t have to help them out as much financially. 

Cons for Parents 

· The cost is obviously the biggest drawback if parents are the ones who have to be responsible to pay the premium.

· In the same way that a parent can be liable as a co-owner named on a title or loan, as a policyholder, a child may cause an accident and the injured party may try to go after the parent as one of the policyholders, even if their name isn’t on the vehicle. If the parent’s name isn’t on the title or loan, they might want to consider having a separate policy for the child. 

Pros for Children 

· The most obvious benefit to adult or older children listed on their parent’s policy is that the cost of the car insurance they are responsible for will be typically far less than if they had to pay for a car insurance policy on their own.

· Older and wiser parents often carry better protection for liability. Younger drivers who often pay the highest premiums will try to get by cheap and cut coverage as low as possible.

· The good thing about having the child start out on their parent’s policy is that they can “spin off,” taking valuable discounts from their parents to their own policy. 

Cons for Children

· On the rare occasion that the parents have a poor driving history, the child might be paying more for insurance than if they were on their own policy.
· If the parents find themselves in a large lawsuit for auto liability, the child could be pulled into it if the parent isn’t covered for the judgment award. 

Parents don’t often find the silver lining in their car insurance premiums doubling by adding an adult or older child as a driver or co-owner of one of the vehicles. However, having the child/children covered on the parent’s insurance policy does have its advantages, too. 

Carefully weigh the options and discuss with the agent and insurance company all the possibilities before making a snap decision. Your retirement income and investments depend on smart financial decisions you make now. 

Steven Weinberg is licensed insurance and expert writer at Car Insurance Calculator where he covers typical consumer questions as well as a weekly blog on insurance news for US consumers from all states. 

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Give a Home a Fresh Look Without Breaking the Bank

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Even newer homes lose their luster over the years; flooring shows wear in high-traffic areas, chrome bathroom fixtures that looked so smart and modern fifteen years ago, now look plain and utilitarian, better suited for a cheap roadside motel. The era of pink bathtubs has come and gone, and 1970s wall paneling is best left in the last century.

Homeowners can update the look, function and value of their homes without the expense of a total renovation. A room-by-room assessment will identify the specific areas that need addressing. Assuming a home’s structure and mechanical systems are sound, most homeowners will find they can update their castle without emptying their wallets.

The Front Door

High-end homes often feature ornate oak doors with etched-glass inserts, making the half-lite steel doors found on so many homes seem a poor relation. Repaint that steel door with a color similar to wood. Once the paint has dried, swipe the surface with a coat of wood stain; this will add a faux wood-grain texture. Complete the project by applying a decorative window film to the door lite to get the etched-glass look.

The Kitchen

Revamping a tired kitchen will improve a home’s value and make life more pleasant for the cook in the house. Replacing dated cabinets is expensive and usually unnecessary. Sometimes a coat of paint and new hardware is all that is needed to bring a kitchen into the 21st century. A more expensive route is to replace the cabinet doors and the surrounding veneer. This may be the best approach when dealing with hopelessly outdated cabinet styles.

Replacing countertops requires carpentry skills that are beyond the reach of most homeowners, but money spent on hiring a contractor to replace that old, speckled laminate will increase the home’s value more than the cash out-lay.

The Bathroom

A few quick changes in the bathroom — a new toilet seat, new lavatory and tub faucets, new shower doors — can make a big difference is the room’s appearance. Homeowners with outdated or stained bathtubs may wish to investigate resurfacing kits. These epoxy-based products apply like paint and can cover that dated tub with a resilient finish similar to porcelain.

Flooring

A steam cleaning can often bring wall-to-wall carpeting back to life, but there are many other options for homeowners seeking a cleaner look. New laminate flooring are relatively inexpensive and often can be a do-it-yourself weekend project.

Older homes are often hiding solid wood floors under worn and stained carpeting. Lifting the carpet in one corner of a room may reveal a hidden treasure of wide pine boards. Light sanding and a coat of polyurethane will give the room a clean look, suitable for country or modern décor.

Homeowners that find plywood under their old carpet may discover, with smaller rooms, a coat of stain over the plywood, followed by polyurethane, creates a warm, rustic look. The lack of texture in plywood makes it unsuitable as a floor covering for larger areas.

Wall Paneling

Removing wall paneling is a major chore, and often adhesives applied to the paneling at installation has marred the sheetrock underneath. An easier way to update these walls is to paint. The grooved paneling, covered with a fresh coat of paint, will have the look of expensive wainscoting or beadboard without the price. For homeowners that wish to wallpaper, the grooves in old paneling can easily be filled in with joint compound to give the wall a smooth surface.

Author’s Bio: Jeff Hall is a freelance writer, professional blogger, and social media enthusiast. His blog Homeownersinsurance.org focuses on insurance. You can follow him on Google+

Mediterranean Cruises – The Thrill of a Lifetime

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If you have never cruised the Mediterranean then you are missing the thrill of a lifetime. Each morning you awake to a new world while enjoying the comforts of your hotel on the sea with all your meals, accommodations, and all kinds of entertainment available to you. 

If you love to sample different cuisines, study interesting cultures and tour historic locales then a Mediterranean cruise is a travel adventure that you cannot pass up. You can explore this beautiful region on cruise ships departing ports in Greece, France, Italy or Spain. 

When Is The Best Time To Go 

Even though the traditional season for Mediterranean cruises runs from May through October, it may sometimes begin earlier in March and end in November. Should this be the case, some cruise ships may sail south to the Canary Islands. Only a few ships sail all through the year, however, if you happen to book a large cruise ship, and you like swimming be certain that the ship's pool can be covered by a glass dome so that you swim no matter what time of year you happen to be sailing. 

Many cruise ships sail out Europe all year, while others change ports depending on the season, for example sailing the Caribbean in the winter and the Mediterranean in the summer, where the prices and operating costs are usually higher. Even though several of the resort vessels are quite large, most vessels sailing the Mediterranean are generally mid-range (with capacities of 600 to 1,600 passengers) or small (with capacities of 200 to 600 passengers), depending on the port's size. If you happen to select a large cruise ship (housing from 1,600 to 5,000+ passengers) you will be restricted to the larger, busier ports. 

If you plan on bringing the kids along a large cruise ship has will have more facilities and activities for kids, but if you want a more relaxed experience a mid-sized ship is your best bet. It’s easier to get off and on as you visit each port and the quality of the food is usually better. 

Mediterranean Ports of Call 

Many high-end cruise companies have Mediterranean cruises available originating in Monte Carlo, which is found between the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps. Cruises from Rome leave from a port town called Civitavecchia. From this port it is about an one hour ride by bus into Rome, an engrossing trip you won't regret. Nearly every cruise line departs from Rome then going anywhere in the Mediterranean region. 

Another popular route, cruising into Venice by way of the Giudecca Canal, is an happening you will not want to fore go. The cobblestone thoroughfares, criss-crossed by water channels, and numerous historical bridges, sets this city apart as a delightful place to see on foot. 

The Mediterranean is a fabled region full of unending treasures and history just waiting to unfold before you. No matter what piques your interest, it could be the stark ruins of Athens and Rome, or the Holy Land with its sacred locales; or even the beautiful sun-drenched beach fronts of the Greek Isles, it is not an experience to be missed. Traveling on a Mediterranean cruise should be on everyone's bucket list.

Some Useful Strategies for Hard Drive Recovery Software

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Isn't it always the way . . . you start looking around for hard drive recovery software as soon as a disaster happens. Your hard drive crashed and you lost all your data. Unfortunately, there is no magic keystroke or built in process for recovering your data so you need to decide the best strategy for recovering your lost data. 

Doing Your Own Hard Drive Recovery 

When you're hard drive crashes how do you find the best recovery software? Researching software reviews online is a good way to start. As you read through the reviews be sure they have some useful information about the product. PC World reviews are generally pretty helpful to readers. Their reviews give you a good idea about the quality of the product and don't try to be very promotional. Other good websites to consult for dependable reviews are Softonic.com, CNet, Tucows and Computer World.

Make sure the software has the ability to retrieve data from a formatted drive, and FAT or NTFS file systems. The data recovery process should give you the ability to move the data and store it on a removable drive or other type of storage system. 

There are also other helpful features to look for in hard drive recovery software like disk imaging, preview mode, and cloning. These particular benefits will make the retrieval of data more effective. Be certain the product you choose retrieves data by reading rather than writing to your formatted drive. Some software products incorporate writing into the process which tends to put your lost data at great risk. If you can, try to get your hands a trial version of the software in which you are interested so that you can evaluate its effectiveness. 

Using a Hard Drive Recovery Specialist 

If you are feeling overwhelmed with the task of data recovery, or you have no clue what to do next, then it's best to take your machine to a recovery specialist or computer shop. Even though this is a very dependable strategy for retrieving corrupt data, it can be very expensive. Many data recovery specialists charge high rates, oftentimes with extended turnaround times. If you happen to be in a situation where you need super fast data retrieval you may have to pay a rush charge to get the task done quickly. 

Never Disassemble Your Hard Drive 

No matter how you choose to proceed, never disassemble your hard drive unless you have experience. You could accidentally destroy all the data you were trying to save. 

Unfortunately, hard drives fail for all kinds of reasons, the most common of which tends to be human error. Typical of these errors are accidental file deletions, dropping laptops, or the dreaded “spilled cup of coffee.” Another culprit is sudden electrical spikes that may occur often enough to put your means of data storage at risk. 

Fortunately, there are hard drive recovery specialists available who can retrieve data from these devices 95% of the time. Sometimes they can even restore the disk drive as well. But of course, the best way to guard against drive failure is to back up all your data and be certain it is securely protected. However, it's good to know that if disaster strikes there are reliable hard drive recovery pros who can help.

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Have You Considered Retirement Living Communities?

West Palm Beach (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With my retirement still over a decade away I have been considering where I would like to eventually live when I retire. I have to consider a place where I might live another 20 to 30 years. It's difficult to know what your wants and needs will be so many years away. But one thing I have been considering is retirement living communities. 

What I am looking for in a retirement community is someplace not to far away because I still want to remain close to my children and family. I am considering a place about one hours drive from where I live now. It's in West Palm Beach. West Palm Beach is a lovely quiet city with a mostly retirement population. It has all the necessary requirements for an interesting city. It has an international airport, many cultural facilities, and a great economy. 

When looking for a retirement community it's important to consider your needs today and ten years from today. You can find such a place at DevonshirePGA.com 

The first thing that you must decide upon is the type of housing that you would want to be living in. There are different types of housing that are being offered depending on the individual your needs. 

Look for a place that is convenient to visit. This will make it easier for you and other family members to visit while living in these communities. It should be near those important places like the public transportation system, grocery stores, and even hospitals.

Since you will be living there for good, it is best that you look for a place that offers good meals. This may be one of the most important aspects that you should be looking into. There are many people who have a hard time in deciding because of this factor.

There are communities that are really not that expensive. Look for a place that your budget can afford. It is very important that you stay within the budget, as this can be a lifetime concern, and not just for the present.

You have to get detailed information about the certain facility and check their background information. You have to know the kind of services that they offer to their clients. This is very important, so you will know how good or bad their services are. 

One of the important things that are to be considered is the kind of life that the residents have inside the retirement living community they should be able to live in a social and comfortable environment. Also, they should be able to feel like they are in their own home.

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The Importance of the Right Platform in Forex Trading

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Choosing the right Forex trading platform  can help reduce the risk of losing money in the financial markets. There are many things which should be given careful attention, in order to make money. If you are ready to invest money in the Forex trading market, then your first priority should be, to learn how the trading system works. If you learn correctly, you will succeed in this market.
You should be very careful in your choice of the trading style, since this is a very important factor for the determination of success in Forex trading. Apart from the trading style, the individual also needs to pay careful attention to the term of trading and also the approach, in order to generate maximum benefits. 

Since there are many Forex trading platforms, you need to understand all of the platforms in order to make the right choice. After learning about all available platforms, choosing the right platform will also become easier and at the same time compare all the other trading platforms, too. Be sure that the platform you choose must have good support and services. The trader should have a very good understanding of all the tools in order to decrease the risk of losing money.

The financial market is basically about risk analysis and probability. There is not any single method that gives you a guarantee to make a profits. It is therefore essential for the trader to understand the importance of managing the risk allocations effectively. It takes time to learn proper technique, you should keep trying, have faith in yourself and you will succeed.

Author's Bio – Philip is a guest blogger writing informative content related to Finance and Forex trading. For more information about the basics of Forex trading, especially for beginners please visit http://www.freeforextrading.org/