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Archive for October, 2010

How to Avoid Identity Theft by an Ex-Spouse

Posted by Patrick Howard on October - 25 - 2010 0 Comment

Maintaining a good credit score can be a challenge, especially in America – the land where plastic fuels the retail industry. Yes, we all know the temptation to buy that unattainable item. And most of the time, we create our own debt. But what happens when an ex-spouse takes control of your identity and places red marks on your credit report?

According to recent statistics, this is an all too common scenario, and in many cases, an ex steals a spouse’s identity as a way to get revenge. If an ex knows your Social Security Number, he can easily get hold of your identity and obtain credit cards in your name. If your ex-spouse was the secondary card holder on your credit card, it makes theft that much easier. He can buy whatever he wants. And when the bill is due, the credit card company will come after you – the primary card holder.

As a result, your credit score can take a hit. While

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Budget Stretching Casserole Dishes – My Top 5 Favorites

Posted by Patrick Howard on October - 24 - 2010 0 Comment

You already know that I’m a huge fan of casseroles as a convenience dish. I love the fact that I can make up several different casseroles over the weekend and freeze them for use during the next week or two. The whole process is a real life-saver during particularly busy weeks.

What you may not realize, though, is that using casseroles in your meal plans can also help you stretch your food budget. By using inexpensive ingredients or even leftovers from another meal you can put entrees together for next to nothing. Here are some of my favorite options:

Beef and Macaroni Bake I think of this casserole as a home-made version of hamburger helper. Begin by cooking a bag of your family’s favorite pasta. We like macaroni, but you can also use shells or bow-tie pasta. Then combine the pasta with brown hamburger (we use leftovers from the previous night’s taco night) and your favorite spices. You c

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EU threatens 20% increase in outsourced claims handling costs

Posted by Charles Hughes on October - 22 - 2010 0 Comment

EU threatens 20% increase in outsourced claims handling costs

529 Plans: Investing in Your Kid’s Future

Posted by Patrick Howard on October - 22 - 2010 0 Comment

How 529 plans can help you face those dreaded college bills

The economy is weak. Unemployment is high. And with universities projecting price increases of 10 percent or more per year, just the thought of your child’s future college bills is enough to make your head spin. According to recent articles, the average state college bill is now approaching $40,000 for a four- to five-year degree. And that same $40,000 is about the average for just one year at the top private universities. Ouch!

But don’t send those kids off to bartending school just yet. 529 plans, if you haven’t heard of them, offer some great tax incentives and even ways to collect ‘free money’ to save for your children’s higher education.

What are 529 plans?

A 529 is a state-managed college savings account with benefits – really great benefits. Congress origin

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Foreclosures And Tips On Delaying The Process

Posted by Charles Hughes on October - 22 - 2010 0 Comment

In case you are someone struggling with foreclosure on your home, you might be prone to ask yourself, what transpires during a foreclosure? Individuals dealing with a foreclosure would want to know the duration of time necessary by this complete procedure, along with the choices accessible when undergoing a foreclosure. This article acts to elucidate things and offer you a few guidelines on how to delay the foreclosure process.

What happens during a foreclosure is that the lender hand you notification that the home is about to be foreclosed. This usually occurs roughly two to three months once you have passed over on your monthly payments. Then again, you will need to understand that this differs form one lender to the next.

Normally, you will get an order or foreclosure notice concerning the proceedings being taken by the bank. Read more…

Short news : Severn Barrage abandoned

Posted by Charles Hughes on October - 21 - 2010 0 Comment

Short news : Severn Barrage abandoned

What Is The Credit Score Chart?

Posted by Charles Hughes on October - 20 - 2010 0 Comment

A credit score chart is what creditors look at to see if you are in good standing or not. This helps them decide whether or not to lend you money that you need to buy a car, a house or pay for tuition.

Because it does not take into account gender, race, religion, marital status or national origin, it is fair. What they use as basis is your behaviour over the past few years. They will look into your credit history to see if you have any debts or outstanding loans, lines of credit and how long have you been given credit.

There is a certain percentage on each of them so if you don’t do well in one, there is a chance that you could improve on this in the others. The one that is used by credit agencies is the FICO score and this information is available to you and to the lender.

The credit score chart is from 300 to 850. M

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How To Document Your Assets For Insurance Purposes

Posted by Patrick Howard on October - 19 - 2010 0 Comment

Everyone tells you that you must have homeowners insurance or renter’s insurance to protect your assets. After all, the property coverage in these insurance policies will replace any lost or damaged items in the event of a catastrophic loss. What everyone doesn’t talk about, however, are the steps that you need to follow to ensure that you can document your loss.

For the most part, insurance companies will give you some leeway when it comes to replacing generic items like clothing or kitchen goods. The problem comes when you own something special. Perhaps you have a state of the art Kitchen Aid mixer, rather than a standard hand mixer. Maybe you have a massive collection of CD’s that make your local radio station’s archives pale in comparison. Anytime you own something that is out of the norm, you really take the steps to document that asset.

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