Sunday, November 18, 2012

Why Choose Seat Car Leasing?

If you are looking into car leasing then there are a huge number of different options available to you and it can be hard to decide which type of car is best for you. Well, many people would agree that it is certainly worth checking out Seat car leasing as this manufacturer has really started capitalising on car leasing and has established itself as a great brand that offers some fantastically competitive lease options which could see you driving a brand new car in the class that you’re looking for at a fraction of the price you would have expected. 

The great thing about Seat car leasing is that they have a range to choose from that will cover pretty much any need, for any person. Whether you are simply looking for a small and economical city car to nip around town in or whether you are looking for a quality people carrier for the growing family, Seat have it covered.

One of the most popular cars in Seat’s range is the Seat Ibiza. This fantastic little car has been with us for many years and has evolved to be trendy, safe, economical and a great little looker. It also comes in a number of different engine options and even an estate option, allowing you to find the perfect model for you.

The Ibiza’s bigger brother is the Seat Leon which is ideal for anyone looking for a bit more power and loads of style. The Seat Leon really is a class act that manages to deliver a thrilling drive while also being great around town and has plenty of room for the shopping and the kids.

It’s not all about small cars though as Seat has a range of larger vehicles that still offer amazing pricing. Take the Seat Alhambra for example. This is a large and sturdily built people carrier that has the option of their ecomotive diesel engine to give a great mileage per gallon yet still plenty of power and torque to get the family around in style. Or, if you’re looking for something more on the executive travel side of things then the Seat Exeo (which also comes as an estate) is an incredibly stylish and luxurious vehicle that boasts all the modern upgrades and creature comforts that you could hope for from names such as BMW and Mercedes but at a fraction of the price! 



Saturday, November 17, 2012

Types of Life Insurance and How They Work

Life insurance has become increasingly popular, but there are still many individuals that are reluctant when it comes to buying life insurance. Whether you want to ensure that your loved ones don’t encounter any financial difficulties after you are gone, or you want to pay off debts so that you won’t force others to do that for you, life insurance comes in handy. There are two main types of life insurance you can buy and we are going to look at each and see what the pros and cons are so that you can decide on your own what the best is for you. 

1. Term Life Insurance


A term policy offers only life coverage – the moment the insured dies, the company pays the amount of the policy to the rightful beneficiary. You can buy these types of insurances for a period of one year, 5, 10, 15 or even 30. While it is rare to buy life insurance for year, it’s not unheard of. Let’s say you’re starting a new job that requires you to do a lot of traveling, driving your car a lot at night or in cold and icy locations. You could think of buying a 1 year life insurance to make sure your loved ones are taken care of if you were to die in a crash. We suggest you invest in a 20 or 30 year insurance and choose a company that offers good premiums. 

2. Whole Life Insurance


On the other hand, whole life insurance is a combination of term policy and an investment section. This policy builds cash value and the insured can borrow against it. It sounds better, doesn’t it, but wait, there’s a catch. Whole life insurance is much more expensive than term life one, because you’re not only paying for your actual insurance, but also for the investment part. These are being marketed as retirement plans but they’re not very good investments, as plenty other investment plans are much more affordable.

So, now that we’ve seen what each does for you it is easy to make a choice. If we do a quick comparison between the two, term life vs whole life, we can safely say that term life insurance is better. We suggest you do a little research on your own, find a good and reliable company and ask them all the questions you feel need answering. They’ll be more than happy to help and clarify things for you.


Friday, November 16, 2012

Mortgage Life Insurance - Why You Should Have It

mortgage document
mortgage document (Photo credit: TheTruthAbout)

When you sign up for a new mortgage or a refinance one of the things your offered by your mortgage holder is mortgage life insurance. I find most people either sign-up for the product or disregard it entirely. Both of these choices are fine but I believe they really haven't taken the time and thought their decision through. 

If they do take the coverage, they see an additional item on their monthly mortgage statement indicating the purchase but they really don't know what they are getting. It makes most people feel a lot better knowing that in case of their death, the mortgage will be paid off. This gives them piece of mind that their surviving spouse won't have the burden of paying off the mortgage or maybe losing the home because of a lack of funds to make the payment. 

If you want to have mortgage life insurance it is best that know exactly what you are buying. There are many different companies offering many different types of policies it's important you know the specifics and benefits of your policy.

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to mortgage life insurance, buying from your mortgage company may work out fine but isn't better to work with a licensed insurance expert to verify information. Most mortgage reps are not licensed and educated in insurance. It's best to check with a licensed insurance expert before you buy.

The basics on Mortgage Insurance:


  • There are several different coverage you can apply for including life (that typically pays off the balance of your mortgage if you pass away), disability (that can either pay the balance of your mortgage, or make mortgage payments for a pre-determined amount of time if you become disabled), or critical illness (that can either pay off your mortgage balance or make your payments for you, if you become critically ill).
  • Any mortgage insurance that pays off the balance of your mortgage only pays that, the balance of your mortgage. So the coverage that you're provided with is a declining balance (as you pay your mortgage down over time). There is no remainder amount paid directly to you typically.
  • Any benefits paid, are paid directly to the lender
  • There are several different types of coverage (as with any insurance), that can include lender policies, brokerage policies, private policies. Any coverage has its benefits and drawbacks, so it's important to be informed on what you're signing up for.
  • Mortgage insurance is different from term insurance, as it covers your mortgage balance only, compared with term insurance that provides you with a set amount of coverage for a specific term.

One of the benefits of buying through your mortgage company is that there is no physical check up involved. If you went the route of securing term life insurance to do the job, it is a good chance you could be turned down because of poor health. It's something to think about for those over 50 years old.



Thursday, November 15, 2012

Egypt, An Ideal Place to Retire?

Egypt: Gizeh
Egypt: Gizeh (Photo credit: Brooklyn Museum)
There are almost six million elderly people living in Egypt, many of them expatriates from the United States, Britain and the rest of Europe, according to the latest government figures. The figure represents almost one in 14 of the population. Three out of every 200 marriages last year and one out of every 14 divorces in Egypt also involved the elderly. 

There are lots of good reasons to move to Egypt either to work there or to retire. Friendly people, low cost of living, wall-to-wall sunshine, history at every turn – the list goes on and on. And, of course, excellent banks to look after the pension and the investments, too. Egypt's banking system is thoroughly modern offering a complete range of financial services. No problem then applying for a loan or a credit card. Why not click here for more information on Egypt credit cards.

You'll also find all the usual credit card promotions and loans at competitively low rates. So it's worth spending a little time checking it all out. Some of the largest multinational banks are to be found in the country, offering the sorts of personal banking experience you'd find back home. Applying for a MasterCard in Egypt, for example, is much the same as applying for one elsewhere, but do shop around for the ubiquitous no fee and other card promotion deals we've all come to love!

Names you've probably heard of are likely to include Barclays, HSBC, Citibank, BNP Paribas. They've all got a long and illustrious association with Egypt. Banque Misr may not be one you're completely familiar with. It's an Egyptian bank of some note which has branches across the major towns and cities. It also has currency exchange and work permit offices for expatriate workers. One of the oldest banks is the National Bank of Egypt (NBE). It's the largest bank, too, accounting for some three out of every four credit cards issued and four out of every 10 debit cards issued in the country. The Bank of Alexandria, which has hundreds of branches, is also one of the major banks operating in Egypt, as is the Commercial International Bank (CIB) which holds the largest market capital of any of the banks.

If you need to, opening a personal bank account shouldn't represent too much of a problem. Fair enough, you'll probably have had to live in the country for at least six months. Anything less and an application will be unlikely to succeed. Naturally, you'll have to prove who you are, which means providing the bank with official documentation

This will undoubtedly include passport, work visa and residence certificate. It will certainly help move the application process along if you also provide a couple of passport-size photographs. Some information about previous banking history – a letter from your previous bank and a couple of recent statements – should also prove useful. The more information you provide the quicker the application process will be completed.

And make sure you go with a bank with a wide network of cash machines. That way you won't be charged for using a machine belonging to a different bank. Be aware, too, the amounts of money you can withdraw from ATMs in general do actually vary, anywhere from EGP 2,000 and EGP 4,000 (about GBP £220 - £440, USD $330 - $660).



How to Reduce Your Home Insurance Costs

insurance
insurance (Photo credit: Alan Cleaver)
When you receive a home insurance renewal reminder from your insurance company, do you ever question it? The likelihood is that you’ll do what most of the population does and just file it away with the other insurance papers. There’s nothing for you to do; the direct debit will keep on being taken and you will remain covered. 

However, if you take the time to look at the reminder, you’ll probably notice that the premium is more than you paid last year, whether or not you’ve made any claims. So, instead of just filing it away, it’s a sensible idea to take the time to get a few different comparison home contents and building insurance quotes to make sure you’re still getting the best deal available.

Although this can be a bit tedious, you may end up saving quite a lot simply by switching insurer. Price comparison websites make the process a lot easier than it used to be as you only need to put in all your details once. If you don’t like doing things online, you can call insurers directly for a house insurance quote – and this is sometimes easier as the person on the end of the phone can clarify any queries you may have.

If you find the quotes are still coming in as high as your current policy, there are ways to reduce the premiums including offering to pay a higher voluntary excess than the standard required excess and reducing the contents cover to the minimum level (provided that it still gives you adequate cover for the contents you have). You can also expect a discount if you have a security alarm fitted, security locks on the windows and doors and smoke detectors fitted in every room.

And remember, if you get a lower quote from another insurance company, you could always try going back to your current insurer and asking if they will match the lower quote to keep you as a customer.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Get Help to Get out of Debt

Debt Mummy Art
Debt Mummy Art (Photo credit: Brad_Chaffee)
Being in debt can be really bad for your mental health. The stress and pressure that it adds to your life can affect your relationship, your sleep and your general well-being. 

Too often, people who are in debt don’t seek out help soon enough, instead they bury their heads in the sand and hope that the problem will somehow go away. Of course, it doesn’t. The problem with debt is that if you do nothing about it, the amount you owe just grows as each missed payment will mean that more interest is added onto the amount that you already need to pay back.

If you are ready to admit that you need help with debts, then there are some different ways to go about finding that help.

First, be honest with your partner. As the old adage goes, a problem shared is a problem halved, and while this might not actually do anything to change the amount of debt you have, it will ease some of the guilt and pressure if you have been trying to hide the debt from your partner. They may also be better at managing the income that you have and help you begin to pay the debt back through careful budgeting.

If this isn’t the case, you can always talk to a friend or relative who is ‘good with money’. They can help you go through the list of your expenses and debts owing, and look at your income and then see the best way to start reducing your living costs and clearing the debt.

Your debt levels may be so significant that self-help is not enough. In this case you can contact one of the many debt management companies that are now in operation. They will help you devise a debt management plan or if necessary, organise a debt consolidation loan – where you borrow a lump sum in order to pay off all the individual creditors who you owe money. This means you will still be in debt, but only to the debt management company and you’ll only need to find one monthly payment. Although this may cost you more overall than paying off the individual debts separately, it will take a lot of the stress and pressure out of the situation as you won’t have different creditors chasing you.

Whatever step you take to start clearing your debts, it’s positive that you are taking the decision to tackle the problem and move forward, and that in itself is very motivational
.




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