Should We Live in Fear of Natural Disasters?

We live in a great country, which has afforded many people the opportunity to excel and to make goals which have a realistic chance of becoming reality. On the flipside, so to speak, we in live in a country that appears to have more than its share of natural disasters. It seems that every few months, if it's not an avalanche in one of the mountainous regions in the West, it is tornadoes wreaking havoc in the Plains; add to that wildfires out in the West and, somehow without exception, hurricanes hitting the Eastern seaboard, often targeting Florida and the rest the Gulf States. It's almost as if the calendar is set up so that every few months, we get hit with some unpleasant natural phenomena.

How Have We Been Doing?

Perhaps not surprising for a country which prides itself on law and order, as well as statistics, there have been those that have been keeping track of the types of disasters that we have been subject to, how many people been involved in even the economic cost related to them. Everyone recoils in horror when they see on the news the latest information about a hurricane or a tornado. But the numbers are actually quite startling when one starts to compile the big picture, so to speak. Ready?

A Quick Tour through the Last 30 Years

It is worth bearing in mind that sometimes, the damage and suffering caused from events such as hurricanes are not just the initial impact of the winds themselves, which can obviously level entire buildings. The ensuing flooding takes its additional toll that can often be far worse than the initial event itself. One comprehensive study identifies 640 individual events in the last 30 years. Of these, almost 400 of them were related to storms. The next most frequent disasters are floods, which occurred over 130 different times. In third place, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, are wildfires, with only 24 major recorded occurrences. What's really surprising is the fourth-place contestant: earthquakes. Earthquakes? One hardly ever hears about them on the news these days. It would be interesting to know exactly where they are occurring, and who is affected by them.

The Real Cost

Understandably, the main concern is loss of human life. The same study indicates that over 12,000 people were killed by natural disasters during the last three decades, which is a shockingly large number. Perhaps also surprisingly is the number of people affected by these disasters: 27 million! The other metric which many would find relevant is the economic cost to the US economy. Here the numbers really start to jump off the charts, with the total economic impact estimated at over $540 trillion. No wonder we pay ever greater attention to the weather reports: there's real danger lurking out there.

Keeping Your Home Protected

It's worth bearing in mind that a closer look at the statistics above indicate that over 70% of the damage caused over the last 30 years has been related to storms or floods. This is why it is very important that residents in Florida have the very best Florida homeowners insurance coverage possible. Unfortunately, it's not really a question of if, but more of when the next natural disaster will strike. A responsible homeowner will want to make sure that their insurance adequately covers their property and all their possessions at their full replacement value.

In the best case scenario, such an insurance policy will not have to go into effect, but given the statistics, chances are it will at some point. It's better to be prepared than sorry.

How Long Does Settlement Funding Take Now that The Judge Has Awarded My Money?

There is no easy answer to the question of how long settlement funding can take. But there are some basic things that you can know to help you get your money as fast as possible. Once your court case is decided, the judge will award your damages. This award will be stated as a lump sum, however, if you are reading this article then most likely the judge also determined that you should receive your settlement through a structured settlement, paid out over some lengthy term. This type of settlement funding can take weeks or months to complete. 

Understand the Basic Process

While the exact method of settlement funding can vary from case to case, jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and even change based upon the parties involved, the basics are relatively simple. It all starts when the judge makes the award and determines that the damages should be paid out with a structured settlement. From there the judge will likely set terms under which the defendant must fund an annuity in the name of the plaintiff. This judgment can include restricting the time that the annuity must be funded within. You should talk to your lawyer prior to this point and ask him if his recommendations to the judge can include some time frame for this decision within his judgment.

Once the order for a structured settlement is made, the defendant and his lawyer will find an annuity company to work with. This is where it is best if the judge ordered this to be done within a set period of time, because as you can imagine the defendant could really drag their feet and stretch this out. Likely, you can count on them to take up the full amount of time that the judge allows them. This will probably take anywhere from four to twelve weeks, but it could go much longer. Of course, if the defendant appeals the judge’s original decision, this can take years.

Settlement Funding in the Hands of the Annuity Company

After the defendant chooses an annuity company they will have a lot of paperwork to fill out, and then they have to actually fund the annuity account with the amount of money ordered by the judge. This can take time depending upon the internal processes of the annuity provider. By the time they mail you your first check it could now be a number of months since your original award by the judge.

Accessing Your Lump Sum

Now if you decide that your settlement funding plan is not working out for you, that is you want a large lump sum of money instead of the smaller monthly payments, you can call an annuity settlement company who can purchase your annuity payments in exchange for a single, large payment. In this way you can cash in your entire settlement funding amount, or just a portion of it – whatever suits your financial needs at the time.

You can work with a settlement funding company, like. Here, we do all the footwork, including handling legal issues and paperwork; all you do is answer a few simple questions and sign some papers when the time comes. And, of course, you must decide how best to use that lump sum of cash that we can deliver to your door or bank account in four to six weeks.

So call Strategic Capital now. We are happy to answer all your settlement funding questions, even if you are not quite sure what decision to make yet.

Invest on Something Big: Aviators’ Guide to Spending a Meaningful Retirement

Retirement. To some, it is something to dread because it means to sever themselves from their everyday duties and habits. But to many, it is fulfillment. Consider it the prize of your hard work. It’s time for you to enjoy the fruits of your long years of uphill battle.

Finally, you are ready to hang up your boots. You have done enough flying and have seen almost every corner of the globe. And upon checking on your coffer, you have enough to survive the rainy days ahead. Besides, you are entitled to pension benefits that will help boost your finances. Now, you will no longer worry about ETD or ETA and the possible risks of your critical missions and flights. The only thing that you are going to think about and hammer away is how to save, invest and enjoy your retirement.

A lot of retirees would like to spend their retirement basking under the sun on white sandy shores, travel around the world, meet different people, taste different cuisines, and discover new cultures. That’s wonderful! But eventually, they waste their money without any investment. That’s awful. Now, you have to make a concrete plan. Consider incorporating the following ideas into your plan and surely, your retirement will not only be fun and exciting, but fulfilling and meaningful as well.

Buy a plane

Flying is your passion. You can’t get that desire to fly out from your system, and even when you retire, you will ache for it. This may sound expensive for you. But having your own aircraft is the best reward you can give to yourself. This is not wasting of money, but putting your money into something important and useful to your financial exploit ahead. Having a plane means having the medium to do big business in different places. At the same time, you will be making beautiful memories and enjoying the thing you love most.

Invest on something big

Aside from buying a plane, invest on something remunerative. You have already mastered how to Trade-A-Plane, so why not do something along that line? Open a shop showcasing aircraft-related products. Or, start a flight training school to fire up your interest. Consider preserving your passion without losing your coffer to expendable ventures. You must enjoy all things about aviation and keep your wealth safe at the same time.

Go on a promotional cruise

Try something new and refreshing. You are now your own boss and you are free to go anywhere you like. Check out the best cruising promotion available and go on an memorable adventure. Cruising is something you will surely find interesting and enjoyable. See the world in a different perspective, in an expedition that will take you to some of the world’s most magnificent islands where various cultures and lifestyles meet. This could mean finding business opportunities too.

retirement (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)

Travel to the most beautiful cities in the world

Expand your financial network. Why not enjoy an enchanting walk in Venice? The romantic air of Paris could be life-changing. Or, try discovering something new in Prague. In these places, great and productive entrepreneurs exist. Discover new business insights and fresh ideas you could use to help you put your money on. Besides, there are so many things to see in these cities and you will surely treasure your finds. This time, you will not be flying to these cities on a mission, but as a retired aviator who deserves spending a valuable time in the best places in the world.

Enjoy a cup of coffee

Treat yourself to a soothing cup of coffee and enjoying the magnificent sunrise while tracking the flow of your money and the fruits of your investment. Or, you can enjoy it with your wife or partner while planning on how and where to spend your next adventure together to make your retirement more meaningful and purposeful.

Brandon Peters is an entrepreneur, foodie, writer, and aviation enthusiast. He enjoys few things better than a good takeoff and he loves to check out on Trade-A-Plane.

Save Heating Costs by Using the Sun

English: Solar panel installation at an information center adjacent to Ögii Lake (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Heating costs are soaring these days due to the increasing costs of fuel. What if you could reduce those costs easily by simply adding a glass conservatory and creating a means to funnel that built up heat from the glass encased room to the other parts of the home. You can harness the natural power of the sun with technology.

Add Solar Panels to the roof

You may want to consider adding solar panels to roof of the glass extension to store heat to be used later on cloud covered days. These solar panels can then be channelled to the rest of the house as a source of heating energy. Why pay for natural gas to heat your home when the sun can provide ample energy in solar panels?

Use open space between your garden room and the rest of the home

The garden addition to your home need not be blocked off to the rest of the home with walls or heavy doors. You can use the heat from that room to heat the other nearby rooms. Another way to use the heat from the glass room is to have glass walls between the conservatory and the rest of the home. Look into manufacturers who make double glazed glass that will use the heat of the sun more efficiently. 

Consider using Argon Gas windows

Some manufacturers build double or triple paned glass windows or walls that have argon gas between the panes that will help the plant life within your garden get a steady source of heat. They can also be used to provide renewable heating for the rest of the home.

You can enjoy the beauty of a garden full of flowers and other vegetation and gain the added advantage of using the sun’s wonderful rays to heat your home with a little forethought and careful planning. When you plan your addition study the way the light plays on the part of the home where you want to add a garden. Make sure that there will be ample lighting for the plants. Check the climate information to learn the average number of days with full-on sun in your area. You want to gain as much advantage from the sun as possible to heat your garden and your home.

Isn’t it amazing how improvements in technology have helped us gain power from the sun in our lives? Learn how you can harness nature to heat your home.

The Alpine Group in the UK specialise in bespoke Orangeries, Glass Verandas, Conservatories, Pool buildings for residential and commercial properties. Check out their website www.thealpinegroup.co.uk for inspiration and advice.

Affordable Golf is Easy

Golf has a reputation for being an expensive sport, and this isn’t entirely unwarranted. Between clubs, balls, bags, clothes, food, beverage, and travel, you can end up spending quite a pretty penny on a sport that is supposed to be your recreation, your form of unwinding and forgetting about your worries. It is hard to forget about your worries when you are paying $500 to tee off at many courses, though.

Fortunately, as easy as it is to spend far too much on golf, you can still play golf on a very affordable budget and do so with skill, style, and enjoyment. The tips you need to follow to enjoy golf affordably are quick, easy, and mostly common sense, but sometimes that same common sense can elude us when it comes to our favorite obsession.

The Essentials

First, you need to consider your clubs. It’s easy to look at what some pro golfer is carrying in his bag and try to replicate what is there, but that won’t necessarily make you a better golfer. The fact is that those professionals are paid to endorse and carry those clubs around, and the quality of their game is much more about their skill and knowledge of the game than about whatever club they’re using.

To that end, you can find affordable, quality clubs used on eBay, Craigslist, or other websites where a golfer may be putting his year-old clubs up for sale. Many golfers think they need a new set of clubs every season or so, which is blatantly untrue, but some people are a bit on the obsessive side when it comes to the game!

With your clubs taken care of, you need to consider your golf balls. Buying new golf balls is, frankly, unreasonably expensive. They will become lost in the rough, in water hazards, or in other treacherous elements of the course, and then you’re stuck shelling out more money for the same balls. Instead, when you go into the rough to retrieve one of your balls, keep an eye out for balls other golfers may have hit into the same rough in the past. You’d be surprised at how many high quality, practically new golf balls you’ll find, and you may never have to buy another golf ball again.

The Lifestyle

Many golfers seem to think they need to wear expensive “golf attire” on the golf course, but that is certainly not the case. For most golf clubs across America, the only real rule is that you wear a collared shirt, and perhaps no jeans either. Beyond that, the sky is the limit, which means you needn’t invest in expensive clothing just for the green. Whatever is in your closet will certainly do just fine. When it gets cold out check out a video from Huffington Post on how to layer golf clothing.

Now that you’ve got your clubs, balls, and clothes together, you need to consider when and where you’re going to play. Obviously, you’d like to play when there are few other golfers on the course; fortunately, this goes well with a desire to play affordably. Most golfers play on weekend mornings, which also happen to be the most expensive tee-off times.

Speaking of tee-off, it is important to keep an eye out for more affordable green fees as well. Many golf courses charge exorbitant fees to play, but there are almost certainly courses – many of them public – that are just as high-quality as those expensive country club courses, and which charge a far lower green fee. If that doesn’t appeal to you, consider contacting a course you’d like to play at and haggling with them; you’d be surprised at how many clubs will allow you to play at lower fees than are listed on the fee-comparison websites. (Which you should also be checking!)

These are just some of the ways you can transform golf into a game for the wealthy into an affordably relaxing past-time. There is more advice all over the web – you just have to look. Don’t be afraid to apply lessons from other elements of your life to golf as well, though. How do you save money on a car? How do you save money on your bills? Look to your philosophies there, and you’d be surprised how many are applicable to golf!

Author Bio: Michael Juba is a writer and marketer from Lititz, Pennsylvania, which was recently voted the coolest small town in America. He enjoys writing about sports, technology, health, home improvement, travel and just about any topic in between.

Small-Scale Outsourcing: Lucrative?

Early on in his first term, President Obama’s administration made some claims that they will be bringing the jobs back home and putting some pressure on outsourcing by ending tax breaks to US companies that engage in heavy outsourcing operations.

A lot of companies didn’t agree with clamping down on outsourcing as a means to get our people back to work once again; if anything it could even work against the small entrepreneurs and startups by making the financial barriers to profitability that much harder to scale.

Further examination of this issue doesn’t make it any more sensible. We all belong to a wholly global economy now, and utilizing manpower and resources overseas to accomplish business goals on your home country is a practice that isn’t going away.

Inevitable and Profitable

One way or the other, we have to outsource, and the solution to getting people employed here once again is not to prevent outsourcing, but to create new ways to do business that take advantage of the rich availability of offshore manpower and resources.

For the small entrepreneur such as myself, I have had some moderate success in farming out tasks and even entire projects to contractors outside the country. It has gotten to a point that I have decided to expedite forming an LLC that offers outsourced services to my fellow small entrepreneurs.

For as long as they have stable internet connectivity and have a solid command of the English language (either that, or you yourself know how to speak their native tongue), this could be the way to grow your business without getting mired in overhead costs. Below are some distinct points that highlight the advantages and dispel some negative myths on small-scale outsourcing.

Competent Professionals are Available

Just as there are incompetent people in just about every nook and cranny all over the civilized (and even uncivilized) world, there are those who exhibit excellence in their work. You, as a business owner, would like to be able to get the best talent you can afford. To compromise on that by getting a higher paid, less-qualified individual because he/she just happens to be from the same country isn’t good business sense.

No doubt, you’ve heard of some horror stories of outsourced projects going awry thanks to people who don’t know what they’re doing, but the reason for these failures aren’t mainly due to the fact that the work or tasks were outsourced, but because they were outsourced to the wrong people, or ill-managed by the project managers that were in charge of monitoring their progress.

Not Everything Has to be Outsourced

This is something most alarmists aren’t considering when they proclaim the evils of outsourcing and how it takes food away from the American family’s dinner table and provides some terrorist the funds to buy their bombs. You’d think this is an overly gross exaggeration of some people’s sentiments, but look around the internet for a bit and you’ll see this kind of thinking being propagated.

As I mentioned, the key is to utilize the offshore resources to create even better jobs for the local professionals. It takes some out-of-the-box thinking and a broad perspective on what is possible, and that’s something that makes a pioneering entrepreneur stand out amongst his/her peers.
With these insights, I enjoin all the aspiring entrepreneurs out there to partake of the best of what the world has to offer, and grow their dream businesses using the power of outsourcing!

About the Author

Stacey Thompson is a professional writer, marketer, entrepreneur, and a lover of weird little animals. She is based in San Diego, California, and maintains a blog with her gal pals, Word Baristas.