General Finance | Greater Than 10%

Get More Value: Drive That Rust Bucket Forever

List of car audio manufacturers and brands

Image via Wikipedia

Once you’ve finished paying for a car, it doesn’t make financial sense to trade it back in for a fresh car payment if it’s in good running condition. The problem is making sure it lasts for a long time without costly repair bills that add up to more than a car note on their own. To make your car last as long as possible, follow these tips:

Daily Check-ups

Before each trip out the driveway, do a quick check to make sure fluid levels are at the right level and the tires are full of air. The quickest way to engine problems is to run a car without enough oil or coolant. As the motor heats up and metal begins to grind against metal, severe wear occurs, and the engine can even crack or lock up. At this point, it’s time for either a new engine or a new car. While low tire pressure won’t necessarily damage your engine, it will make your car work harder and burn more gas.

Periodic Maintenance

If you’ve lost your owner’s manual, it’s time to pick up a new one. There’s a very good reason car makers recommend a specific car maintenance cycle; changing fluids and making other adjustments on a regular basis can help extend the life of your car. In addition to regular oil changes, all other fluids should be changed according to the manual. At least twice a year, check your hoses and belts for any cracks, breaks, or rotten spots. Most states require annual inspections that will check most important components including the brake pads, but you shouldn’t wait for the next scheduled exam if you notice anything that seems wrong about your car.

The Correct Start-Up

A cold engine has little or no oil left in the engine to lubricate the moving parts because most of it has drained into the pan. Although it only takes about 30 seconds for the oil to recirculate through the motor after the car is started, many people don’t even give it this much time before sinking the gas pedal to the floor. If this sounds like you, letting your car idle gently for 30 seconds to a minute before shifting into drive and hitting the open road can extend its life.

The Value of a Good Mechanic

While you can do a lot of maintenance at home, some tasks need to be left to the professionals. Having a mechanic who is both honest and knowledgeable will save you money and keep your car on the road longer than you ever expected. As your car ages, the mechanical problems will become more complicated and harder to troubleshoot. While anyone can simply change parts, it takes true expertise to find many automotive problems. Without this, you might find yourself fixing the same problem several times before finding the right solution. This is one of the biggest reasons car owners retire an older vehicle.

By taking proper care of your older vehicle, you may be able to drive for years without an expensive car payment. What’s the longest time you’ve kept a car?

Preparing for the Worst Case Scenario: Knowing Your Financial Options for a Medical Emergency

Being one of the millions of uninsured people in the United States can be risky. Should you face a medical emergency that causes you to have to go to the hospital, you’re looking at a situation where you will be facing thousands of dollars in medical bills. That is why it is important to plan ahead and know what your options are should you face a medical emergency that requires you to get emergency cash quickly. Here is a look at some ways that you are able to get money quickly should you be facing a situation that requires it.

Emergency Cash Loans

Emergency cash loans are the most popular way that people get money to pay for medical emergencies. Companies such as GreatPlainsLending offers specific emergency cash loans that can be used to cover any medical expenses that you might incur. The best part about using an emergency cash loan is that the time it takes for the company to approve you for the loan can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or two. This quick approval time allows you to receive the money quickly and seek the medical help you need.

Friend or Family Loans

Another option to help you pay for medical emergencies is to seek out the help of friends or family—many friends or family members are willing to help should you be facing a medical situation where you need to have money quickly. While this type of situation might seem ideal, the problem is that not all friends or family members have the financial means to loan money and that can make this loan unreliable in emergency situations.

While you may not be facing a medical emergency right now, it is important to know what options are available should you face a medical emergency in the future and need to get cash quickly.

Using a Payday Loan for Emergencies

Financial emergencies do happen, and so the most common way to respond to them is to have some form of a backup plan to which you can turn.

It is not surprising in this tight economy that many people have depleted their savings accounts, leaving them with no emergency fund. For some, the only option in an emergency situation is a payday loan. A payday loan is a short term loan that typically is based on a borrower’s ability to repay instead of credit history. These loans require the borrower to have a regular income to cover the loan and an active bank account. These loans come in different amounts but are always small amounts such as $300 to $1,500.

While paydayone.com and other lenders can be helpful in handling emergency situations, make sure you understand all of the terms before you take out the loan. Knowing the terms of returning the funds is a vital part of making sure that you can repay the debt in the agreed upon time frame. Borrowing money to handle an emergency knowing that you won’t be able to repay the money will only prolong the problem. Weigh your options carefully before you decide.

The quick approval process is one of the reasons loans are so attractive. Once the loan is approved, the funds are deposited directly into the borrower’s bank account the next day. These loans are more expensive than other loans; they have a high rate of return and steep penalties for not repaying the debt on time. Some of these loans require an extension fee to be paid if you should need additional time to repay the debt. This does not make them a bad choice, just something that should be considered only in an emergency or when you need to pay an unexpected bill. The key to being successful with your payday loan is only taking the money that you can afford to repay.

Auto Finance Loans, Explained at Last

Cars are a funny business. With most kinds of things, you just take them up to the counter, pay for them, and then take them away to do as you please with them. But with a car, everything just has to be that much more complicated. In most people’s cases, they have got to take out some kind of a loan, if they are going to ever afford an automobile. However, for some people, the original rate at which they take out their auto loan is very high, which causes their payments to be ridiculously high. Because of this, they have to apply for secondary loans, also known as auto refinance loans.

Granted, there are a lot of occasions in which taking out a loan of this nature is not a good idea. For example, if the finance charges are very high, it might just be best to stick it out for the duration and build your credit this way. Another time when it is not worth the effort is when your payments would not change very much. Often times, when you have been paying on a car note for a few years, your credit score has gone up, and much lower payments are accessible to you. However, this is not always the case, and you should carefully review this before you even bring up the idea.

If your credit has gone up dramatically, and you are dealing with a high interest rate (more than three percent, considering how eagerly the automakers have been handing out auto loans over the past few years) it is most definitely worth your time to take out auto refinance loans. These are the kinds of loans you want to get when your life is getting better, and you want to save a good deal of money every month. Bad credit beats you up every month, but better credit gives you an equally large treat.

Fantasy Football is Big Business

: Image via Wikipedia

You’ve probably heard the term fantasy football or fantasy basketball in the last couple of year. If you’re a big sports fan, you likely know exactly what those terms mean. If you’re a casual fan or not a sports fan at all, you’re about to hear more about these items as the world of fantasy sports is growing by leaps and bounds.
Fantasy sports defined : Essentially fantasy sports involves a group of people competing in a league where their favorite players decide who wins. In Fantasy sports, the owners draft players and then keep track of the points they score in leagues across the world. For example, a running back scores one point for every 10 yards he gains. A basketball player might get one point for every rebound, assist or blocked shot.
The Business spending involved in fantasy sports continues to grow as the events gain in popularity. As the month of December concludes, fantasy football players from across the United States will be playing in their league championships and the advertising dollars will be flowing to attract visitors to the various websites that promote fantasy sports.
Think this whole idea is ridiculous? The next time you tune in to a CBS football preview show on Sunday, keep track of the fantasy sports talk. The announcers have a whole segment dedicated to the expected top fantasy football producers of the day. Even the tickers (the information scrolled at the bottom of the screen) keep track of player’s outputs – yards gained, yards lost, who scored. If you think this information is not related to fantasy sports, think again.
Some leagues are free, others cost money. So imagine three million leagues pay $100 apiece to get their league started – suddenly CBSsports made 30-million just off league entry fees. Add the amount of advertising banners that go on these websites and the business spending involved will blow your mind.

Consider Consolidating the Money You Owe

When the post holiday financial crunch hits, many Americans will struggle to dig their way out of debt after overspending. If you’re in this category and staring up at a mountain of debt with no hope in sight, debt consolidation might just be the relief you’re searching for.

It’s no secret that charging purchases on your credit cards—whether necessary or not—can quickly get you into trouble. When you max out a credit card, you’re options are few. You can either borrow money from someone (which is difficult for many people to do) or you can pay the minimum payment and forever look at an unchanging balance that requires you to struggle on a monthly basis to keep paying that bill.

Debt consolidation gives you the option to lump all of this debt into one sum. While credit cards sometimes have high interest rates, debt consolidation plans have lower interest rates, allowing you to pay more of the balance more quickly. Essentially, you are paying more of the balance of your debt instead of chipping away by barely making minimum payments.
Debt consolidation companies often offer their customers additional interest rate discounts for having their bill automatically debited from their account, which gives people the opportunity to save a significant amount of money over time. With that, the overwhelming benefit of going the debt consolidation route is that you are paying far less money in the long run and cutting down the time it takes to pay the bill.

You’re credit history is the vehicle to purchasing “dream” items like a car and a house in the future. If you are failing to pay your bills because you are bogged down in debt, ultimately your purchasing power is going to suffer.

If the post holiday financial crunch has you down and out, it’s time to seriously consider debt consolidation as a means to a better financial future.

The Technology Needs of a Start-Up

: Image via CrunchBase

Starting a new business in today’s economy almost always means including an investment in technology in your business plan. Even the smallest operation usually requires at least a PC and some simple accounting software. Before you decide you can just do everything by hand, think about how much time and money an electronic support system can save. As your customers become more and more technologically savvy, their needs will definitely convince you to add some automated processes to your operation. Let’s take a look at some technological considerations to keep in mind with a start up.

Plan Your IT Department

If you’re a fairly small business, a PC and your own knowledge could be the extent of your IT department. As your business grows, so will your staff and your technology needs. As a stop-gap measure between a one-man IT shop and a full-blown IT department, you may decide to outsource your needs to a third-party consulting company. This is a very cost-effective solution for small to mid-sized businesses. As you grow to a larger corporation, you’ll probably find that it’s more affordable to bring these tasks in-house. At this point, it’s important to only purchase reliable equipment and experienced professionals for your IT department. Once this area is established, you can branch out and experiment with questionable hardware and entry-level programmers.

Don’t Neglect the Power of the Internet

When starting a new business, don’t forget to establish a healthy online presence. Because many customers look first to the Internet when deciding where to shop, an easy-to-find and easy-to-use website with valuable information is one of the best ways to find new customers and promote customer satisfaction whether you’re strictly an online retailer or you have a brick-and-mortar location. Take full advantage of the advertising and marketing potential of electronic media by emailing special offers.

By investing in technology and leveraging the power of the Internet, you new business is destined for success!

Baseball Business Spending is out of Control

: Image by johnlew123 via Flickr

Professional baseball pitcher Cliff Lee just signed a 6-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. The contract was for $138million.
Are you kidding?
The type of contract the Cliff Lee just signed is just one example of the business spending that goes on in professional sports. It’s also the type of contract that is one day going to put baseball ticket prices out of the reach of normal fans.
If you haven’t been to a major league ballpark in a while, taking your whole family is going to be an abrupt shock to your bank account. Family of four, ticket prices $600. Parking, concessions and a little baseball memorabilia purchased at the park could equate to spending a thousand dollars in one day.
Who has that kind of money to throw around?
Baseball is one of the few professional sports that does not have a salary cap for each teams.
In professional basketball, each team is given the same salary cap (the allowable money you can spend on your players). In basketball, if you go over the salary cap you pay a hefty luxury tax.
In professional baseball, the New York Yankees can spend as much as they want. The Yankees business spending is greater than any other team, and they can afford it. Smaller market teams like the Kansas City Royal’s can’t afford to pay as much as the Yankees, and are often terrible because they just can’t pay the players. Don’t pay the players and they go to a team that can…aka…the Yankees.
Seems like a terrible circle where the rich get richer and the poor stay poor.
Professional basketball and professional football are both on the verge of lockouts entering their next seasons. It is going to be very interesting to see if the two sports even have games next year as their business spending is going to be gone over with a fine tooth comb.

How to Finance Adult Education

: Image by Lower Columbia College via Flickr

Education is a valuable asset at all stages of your life. Although many people are unable to afford a college degree when they are in their youth, they find that they want to go back and complete a course when they become an adult. However, education is expensive and it can be difficult to find the money to pay for it. There are a few things you can do if you are looking to find ways to finance additional education.

One way forward is to ask around at work and talk to your bosses. If you work for a big company then you may find that the firm has some sort of financing program for workers who want more qualifications. Companies often finance initiatives like this as it benefits them if they have a work force with more skills.

Going to a community college is also a great way to go. These organizations often offer the same kinds of courses that the more prestigious universities do, but for a fraction of the price. If you are still unsure which kind of course you want to study, you can use services like educationforadults.com to point you in the right direction.

You might also be able to get a scholarship to a university. These scholarships offer a great chance for people of limited funds to go to school and get a degree. You may have to submit an essay or a project first to be able to qualify, but it is time well spent. Similarly, go to your local banks and financial organizations and inquire about securing a student loan. These can be paid back after you have finished your course and nearly always have a very competitive rate of interest, so you won’t be losing out on too much money and will be able to fund your education in the meantime.

Business Spending is Killing Professional Sports

: Image via Wikipedia

The National Football League and the National Basketball Association are on the verge of striking. Both leagues do not have contracts for next season, and the worst case scenario of play stoppage seems to be the reality.
No football and no basketball in 2011-2012 is going to kill business spending as advertisers scramble for ways to popularize their products. If there is no football game to watch, the beer sponsors and the potato chip sponsors are going to have to find another vehicle to advertise their products.
The fans are going to have it the worst! Professional sports fans pay thousands of dollars per year to see their favorite products, and losing ticket price admissions, concessions and parking is going to hurt teams and owners in the long run.
So why would anyone strike?
Professional sports is all about money, for all parties involved. The owners would like to reduce business spending and pay players less money to ensure they make money. The players want more money, health benefits and long-term security.
Seems it’s all about money.
When big money contracts first appeared in the early 1990′s, paying a player 3-million per year seemed to be way too much. Baseball pitcher Cliff Lee recently signed a 6-year,38-million contract. Lee will make well over 20-million dollars per year, while playing approximately once every five days.
Good for him and his family, but that’s a lot of money to play a game.
Professional sports has undergone work stoppages in the past. This one seems like it might last awhile as business spending from all parties will be investigated in fine detail. Finding a balance between players and owners best interests will surely take time as the almighty dollar is fought over.
The real loser in this whole thing is the fans. The people that pay for those big contracts have no voice in any decisions, and no choice but to wait to watch their favorite teams.