3 Tips to Avoiding Bankruptcy with Credit Card Usage

Every day, millions of people all across the globe us a credit card. Credit cards can be used for anything from shopping to business expenses. A credit card makes it easy to purchase the items we need or want now, without having to pay any of our hard earned money upfront. 

However, credit cards can be a mean tricky devil. It is important for every credit card owner to be mindful of their expenses and usage so that they do not end up in debt. Many credit card users can fall behind on payments very easily and eventually have to file for bankruptcy to avoid the large sum of money debt they now owe credit card companies. It is best to avoid this situation and below is three helpful tips to allow you to do just that!

Set Credit Card Limits/Usage

It is important for every credit card holder to set a limit or usage amount. If you have one credit card that you use for gas purchases, then make sure you use the card only for that purpose. If you have a card that can only hold $1,000 then do not go over this amount. Be sure that the amount your card holds is an amount that you can pay. If you cannot make the credit card payments then do not make the purchase. Too many times, credit card holders will see an item they want and purchase it, with no thought to how they will pay for the item later. Think out each purchase so you are sure that you will not go into debt.

Emergency Only

A smart idea for credit card holders is to have one card that is for emergency use only. And by emergency use, I do not mean late night pizza and beer runs. One credit account should be open that allows you enough credit if your vehicle breaks down, you need an emergency flight to a loved one, etc. you need a line of credit that is good and upstanding so you have an option if something comes up that you cannot afford. However, be sure that you consider this card as an emergency option only.

Pay Your Debts

If you are going to use your credit card on a regular basis, then be sure to Pay Your Debts!!! It is essential that you never miss a payment. If you miss one payment, a fee is tacked on to the amount you owe. If you miss again, another fee is added. This can cause your bill to continue to rise and since you already owe a large amount of money, added debt is not something you want! This is why it is so important to be sure that you can pay the debt you owe. Make sure the monthly payment is something you can handle and always add extra to your payment, if you can, so the amount will be paid off quicker.

The basic goal is to use your credit card only when you need to and make sure you can make and do make your payments. If you stick to this golden rule then you will be able to have a successful line of credit and stay away from monster debt or bankruptcy.

Visit the author’s suggested site  CreditCardColumn.com for Small Business Credit Cards.

Top 3 Identity Protection Services

While there may be hundreds of identity protection services available on the market today, you may not know what you should be looking for in way of protecting yourself. One of the best ways to decide on which service may be best for you is to compare several companies and read reviews so that you can be properly informed and be confident that you will be well looked after. In this article we will share the top 3 identity protection services that are available for you to choose from. 

Lifelock 

This is an affordable plan that only costs $9 a month. This service is perfect for protecting your bank account information and you can contact them at any time of day or night regardless of the time of year. The only problem with this coverage is that they cannot protect your vehicle registration plate or any of your insurance records. On a recent poll taken though, 9.33 people out of 10 voted that this was still the best service for protecting both you and your family from identity theft protection. 

They have recently added a new protection to their line-up. For an extra $15 a month you can be covered for up to a million dollars if you find yourself in trouble. Lifelock will be there to act as power of attorney on your behalf. They also guarantee that they do not under any circumstance sell your data to third party firms as trust is one of their prime concerns. 

Lifelock has a dedicated identity alert system that sends you notifications if it detects that anyone is trying to use your personal information to apply for payday loans, mortgage loans, ordering new checks, paying for utilities, auto loans, purchasing items from a store, applying for a credit card, or paying for wireless services. Lifelock also offers assistance in keeping your children's identification safe as well. 

Identity Force 

This service is still affordable at $12.95 a month. This company boasts that they offer real identity theft insurance and not just a simple service guarantee. 

The disadvantage to using this company is that it does not offer family coverage or protection for your vehicle registration. 

This company too offers a $1 million dollar coverage and is a great competitor to other leading companies such as Lifelock. The Department of Homeland Security and the FAA have been clients of this company for many years as the company has been in existence since 1978. The security system used within this company is industrial strength protection using an ID Analytics engine to search for stolen information across the internet including in chat rooms and on criminal websites. If detection of fraudulent activity occurs, you are immediately notified which allows you to take action before too much damage can happen. Many other identity theft protection services will not offer coverage for people who live in New York, Identity Force prides themselves on taking care of these neglected citizens. 

While some other companies such as Lifelock do offer one million dollar coverage, their stipulation is that coverage is only if you fall victim to identity theft while under their protection. Identity Force will cover up to a million dollars to you even if it is with no fault of their own. 

Protect My ID 

This coverage is a little more expensive and comes in at $15.95 a month. This service is known for their superb help and support features although it could have more additional features included within their policy. 

While many people are satisfied with this company's service, it only rates an 8.78 out of 10 due to needing help in some areas. 

Things they can boast about though are keeping a constant eye on your sensitive information and resolving any case of identity theft in top notch time and will guarantee you a reimbursement of your lost wages, stolen funds not replaced by credit card companies or bank and any legal fees. This company keeps track of all of your credit reports and lets you know if anyone has tried to get a line of credit or open up a new account under your name. It can also detect if someone is trying to add a new address or redirect your mail to a new place. 

Fraud Resolution Agents will also work closely with you if you do become a victim of identity theft. They will help you clear your name, talk to your creditors and resolve any other issues you may have regarding this fraud. If you need help cancelling any credit or debit cards when you wallet is lost or stolen, they are available to help when you contact their website. 

There are pros and cons for most identity theft service companies out there today on the market. It is up to you to determine what is the most important to you and pick the company that can give you that protection, help and peace of mind. If you are still unsure of what to do after your research, be sure to talk to other family members to see what choice they have made and why. 

Author Bio: The author of this post is interested in writing about travel and technology. If you are still curious on what more steps to take in preventing identity theft? Visit GuestDoor To know more about Traveler's Guide to Preventing Identity Theft.

Making the Insurance Issue Tolerable

Like everyone else, going to dentists and visiting with an insurance salesman are not two of my favorite things to do. However, when the new grandchild arrived, my wife and I decided that it would be good to look at some insurance as a way to plan for college expenses for her. 

It has been 20 years since we shopped for insurance and decided to check and see what we could learn online. After a bit of searching, we found Accuquote. Instead of just providing some quick quotes, they have a learning center that let us get up to speed on the options and types of insurance available. 

We even found that we could also take out insurance on both our kids and granddaughter at very low prices. Instead of just the regular whole life insurance policy, we opted for some term policies that provide great benefits over the next 20 years at very low prices. 

Instead of the process being difficult and intimidating, it actually made us happy that we added this coverage for the kids when it might be difficult for them to do so. We smile every day when we think about that protection being in place. 

If anyone is thinking about life insurance, and all of us probably should, we highly recommend starting with Accuquote.com. 

They not only give you the information you need, they can then provide quotes from the best insurance providers in the market. Everything is easy after that.

Saving Money Can Become an Interesting Hobby

The idea of saving money is something which we often look on as being a bit boring but does it have to be like this or could you spend less while having a good time?

A good place to start looking at saving money is around the home. Houses can eat up a huge amount of our wages if we aren’t careful so any little tips or tricks to help us spend less are more than welcome, especially if they can turn into exciting hobbies. The following are a few of the best ideas to get you started.

Grow Your Own Vegetables

One of the simplest ways of cutting back on your monthly food budget is to set up a vegetable patch in your garden.  There are some other great benefits to be had from doing this as well. For example, you will be eating more healthily if you grow your vegetables in a completely organic way. If you have children then this can also be a terrific way of showing them how to live a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. This method isn’t a huge money saver on its own but if it encourages you to eat more home cooked meals then it may have a knock on effect of helping you spend less on takeaway food and ready meals.

Do Your Own Repair Jobs

Perhaps a bigger and more impressive saving will be made when you start carrying out all those little repair jobs around the house. Every property needs things done to it now and then but calling in the experts can be a hugely expensive business. Instead of doing this you could get, for example, some plastering training carried out. Learning how to do jobs like this can be a great boost to your confidence and it can also save you a lot of cash in the long run. The exact skills you look to pick up will probably depend upon what you feel most comfortable with the idea of doing. However, you should also bear in mind the sorts of problem which you think that your house could be most prone to. If you know that it has had problems with dodgy plasterwork or badly installed pipes in the past then you might already be half expecting the next problem to come from those areas.    

Make Your Own Furniture

The idea of making your own furniture might sound terribly adventurous but it isn’t as difficult as you might think, and it could save you a fortune as well. The making of a new table or chair is a relatively long project and you will want to take it one step at a time, though. Thankfully there are plenty of internet sites and YouTube videos which will help you get going. If you learn it well and really enjoy doing it then this could even up some business opportunities for you if you feel confident enough to sell some of your furniture to other people.

How Can You Get Low Cost Auto Insurance After a DUI

After being convicted for driving under influence even once, can make getting low cost auto insurance a difficult task. In reality there exist two tiers of auto insurance companies, the big corporations and the standard-policy companies. While the renowned auto insurers would prefer having a long list of clientele with clean records, the non standard would certainly accept a client who has been found guilty with DUI. This primarily because the law states that all cars must be insured. However once a person is convicted, the auto insurance premium is bound to increase. 

Negotiate with you present carrier:

The two threats that circumscribe a car owner after being charged with DUI are: cancellation of policy or refusal for renewal. In order to find coverage, several things are necessary: 1.) making an appointment with the present car insurance agent, 2.) talk with your DUI attorney about your options with car insurance, 3.) after talking with your attorney make an appointment to talk with your insurance broker in depth about the incident. Atlanta DUI attorney, Tom Rowsey, advises his clients on how best to answer questions about an incident with an insurance agent, in the hopes of preventing or delaying an insurance policy cancellation. However, in case the insurance company is not willing to negotiate, it would be best to research options. 

Varying policies of auto insurance company:

Policies of the different auto insurance companies vary. While the niche companies would deny insuring your car, there also exist a large number of non standard company who will readily cover your car at increased premium rates. The rate of increase is totally dependent on your previous record as well as the policy of the particular company. Every case is reviewed by the insurance agents and various factors will be considered like gender, age, profession, driving record before quoting a premium rate. So make sure to get quotes from different companies.

Compare the policy prices:

Search on the internet for auto insurance companies that will cover your car even with DUI. Many sites won’t give you quotes without know more information. Fill out their applications, provide absolutely exact and in depth information on your driving license, accident charges, other driving offenses. Be as thorough as possible, because the insurance company will research all the information for accuracy. This will help you getting precise premium quotes and help you in making a better decision. 

Check for the coverage:

Getting the minimum quotes is not the only thing. You should check whether the coverage is compatible with your requirements or not. Some of the companies might offer you a reasonably lower quote, but the coverage might be very minimal which is definitely undesirable. So read each and every term in the policy carefully before making the final decision. In case you are unsure about a particular statement, contact the agent and make sure you fully understand all of the terms and conditions before signing anything.

An exhaustive search will definitely provide you with cheaper options in auto insurance with a DUI on your record. However, be prepared for the extra premium costs after being convicted for drunk driving. In most cases the rates will reduce as the age of your conviction increases. Furthermore, it is best to avoid driving even after consuming alcohol, to safeguard against increased premium rates. Can you really afford to have that “one more drink for the road”?

Save Money By Buying Your Tickets Online

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today the easiest and most convenient way to buy concert or sport tickets is to shop online. Shopping online for special event tickets saves you time and money because it allows you to compare prices. Almost two-thirds of all ticket buyers use the Internet to get their tickets. The convenience of buying online and having your tickets delivered by mail or having them printed on your home printer has become the norm.

Finding your tickets from online vendors still has its problem. Events can be sold out quickly. The secondary market buys up huge quantities looking to charge a premium. Still, bargains can be had with a little luck and strategy. But be prepared to do some aggressive shopping and to be astounded by the difference in prices so compare tickets for the same event.


To find a  good deal, wait until the week before the event. Ticket prices may drop daily and could fall below face value. However, selection decreases at the same time, so you might not be able to get the seat you want. If unsold VIP packages are released at the last minute, you might pick up a front-row seat a day or two before the event.

Be wary of sites that claim to offer discounts. Those generally exist only for less-popular events or for last-minute purchases. Rare bargains usually come from people who cannot use their tickets or brokers stuck with tickets they haven’t sold.

Here are two types of markets where tickets are sold: 

Primary Ticket Market - The primary market includes initial sale tickets sold from box offices, team or venue websites, and primary authorized resellers.


Pros

• First access to tickets
• Ability to get tickets at face value

Cons

• Tickets--especially for popular events--often sell out quickly
• High “convenience” and service fees
• Can't get a bargain (no tickets below face value)

Secondary Ticket Market - The secondary ticket market includes resale tickets in a variety of forms such as P2P selling, scalping, secondary ticket websites, and ticket search engines/aggregators.

Pros

• Vast inventories almost guarantee you can find the tickets you are looking for--even when they are sold out on the primary market
• The ability to find ticket deals well below face value

Cons

• Tickets are available first on the primary market
• There is price uncertainty because ticket prices fluctuate significantly on the secondary market; but savvy consumers can use price fluctuations to their advantage by buying when tickets prices are at their lowest

In the secondary market who are you dealing with? Most of the time it's the ticket owner acting as the broker or a ticket wholesaler that imported its inventory onto the site. That’s why you can find the same tickets advertised on several different Web sites. There are sites where fans buy and sell, they offer thousands of tickets that are owned by wholesalers as well as fans who are trying to unload their tickets.

Watch for fees when shopping for tickets. Some sites have a service charge along with the shipping or delivery fee. Some sites don't give you the fee total till it's time to use your credit card so read the fine print before spending your money. Tickets are nonrefundable so make sure you know the total price before you buy.