Understanding your health insurance policy can be tricky, but knowing the terms of your policy before a medical professional treats you is the key to helping you avoid unexpected and often hefty bills. The staff members at eHealthInsurance.com, a website that helps consumers find health insurance, frequently field questions about health insurance policies. They have [...]
According to the Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38 percent of Americans who make yearly resolutions make health-related resolutions. If you’re among them, your health insurance company may be able to help you out. More and more insurance companies are offering wellness programs and discounts to customers willing to commit to a healthy lifestyle or to [...]
Meeting an insurance agent and buying an insurance policy for the first time is sort of like going on a blind date. You’re hoping to find someone who makes you happy and fulfills your needs. But while you know a little bit about what you want, you’re not quite sure what you’re actually going to [...]
January 15 is the due date for the final payment on estimated 2012 IRS, state, and city income taxes. (You may have already paid the state in December to snag that extra deduction last year). Generally, if you’re going to owe more than $1,000 to the IRS on April 15, you’re going to be on [...]
A tip I often read in “Save 50 percent off your grocery bill!” types of articles is to buy in bulk. The article might suggest buying a 50-pound bag of rice, a whole butchered cow, or a year’s supply of toilet paper. Is this saving money? There are certainly times when it makes sense to [...]
When you think of your house in terms of what needs to be insured, it’s easy to think only of the physical structure outside. However, your homeowners insurance policy doesn’t just cover the cost of rebuilding your home; it also covers the value of the items inside. But filing a claim can get dicey if [...]
I recently received this question from a reader: “I’m 17 and I’m going to be getting my first job. What kind of tax forms do I need? Do I claim myself as a dependent?” A first job is pretty exciting. You start out feeling a little bit hesitant because you’re not entirely sure what to [...]
After the spend-spend-spend frenzy of December, you may be worn out. Shopping might seem like a chore rather than a pleasure. You may be yearning to do something more meaningful than add “stuff” to your home and wardrobe. And your wallet may be raising a white flag, too, begging you to let your credit cards [...]
Kaizen is a Japanese business term that has been popularized in the United States, and it basically means “continuous, small improvements.” I recently read an excellent book on this topic, One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way and immediately realized that Kaizen could be a great way to tackle improving our money [...]
2012 is coming to a close, thank goodness. It’s been a turbulent year. Perhaps, like me, you’ve gotten so absorbed in everyday trivia that you’ve lost track of time. Well, it’s time to look up and do some last-minute things to clear our heads, homes, and tax issues. 1) Do winter house-clearing. Empty out closets [...]
