Credit Card Counseling And Debt Consolidation In California Credit Card Counseling And Debt Consolidation In California

Become 100% Debt Free in 3 to 5 Years

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Travel Insurance Gi

By Roc Selly

Travel insurance can be simple and affordable and there is no need to let it daunt you as it is a necessity if you are travelling abroad and it can really help to recover any money owed to you throughout your vacation. Travel insurance is designed in such a way that it provides you with compensation for anything that could go belly up while you are away on your holiday or business trip.

Travel insurance can be simple and affordable and there is no need to let it scare you as it is a necessity if you are travelling abroad and can help to recover money owed to you throughout your vacation. Travel insurance is designed in such a way that it compensates you for anything that could go wrong while you are away on your holiday or business trip.

Travel insurance can make a traveller feel more secure and confident that if anything did happen to go wrong, there would be a safety net to catch them. Spending time in a city where you don't speak the language or know directions, in itself, can make a person a touch nervous so why add to it by not getting travel insurance while you're away?

Having medical cover with your travel insurance should be top of your list as different countries have completely different health systems and their medical specialists can vary dramatically when it comes to levels of skill and education.

No matter how long your travels or where you travel to, it is advisable to always ensure you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy which covers you for being flown back to your home country.

For example, if you need medical care while in Africa, it is worth noting that medical providers may not accept payment through your insurance company. In circumstances such as these you will have to pay in full following your treatment and thereafter file a claim with your insurance company for reimbursement. You should, therefore, have access to cash from either a credit card or by wire transfer. If you are in need of assistance contact the country's local embassy or a representative thereof.

When determining the importance of travel insurance in your case, ask yourself the following basic questions: Can I afford the financial risk of losing my travel investment if something goes wrong due to illness, weather, or other unforeseen circumstances? With accidents or illness often unavoidable, the correct travel insurance is very important.

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How To Make Good Money With Currency Trading

By Steve Halladay

If you're looking for a great way to make some extra money from home, one of the ways you can do this is by something known as "Forex trading." Forex trading stands for "foreign exchange trading," and it means that you buy and sell foreign exchange currency so as to turn a profit. However, is this really a good way to make money?

As I'm sure you know, foreign exchange rates fluctuate. As a hypothetical example, one day each US dollar may be worth $1.10 Canadian dollar while the next day the US dollar is worth $1.12 Canadian dollar. People who are able to accurately predict the movement of currencies and buy in and out of them accordingly can make a lot of money.

What currencies do you buy and which do you sell, then? That's quite a difficult question to answer, because in fact, the foreign exchange market is pretty complicated. There are several basic reasons why a currency might go up or down in value, sometimes quite frequently. Let's use the Canadian dollar as an example again. The Canadian dollar moves up and down in response to the price of oil. Canada is a major exporter of oil, so that when oil prices go down, the demand for the Canadian dollar, too, goes down; because of this, the Canadian dollar drops in value. This is just one way to illustrate how certain factors can determine the value of a particular currency.

You can do a lot of research about Forex trading, but just the sheer volume of information can knock you for a loop. Today, though, you can turn a profit in Forex trading without having to do a lot of research.

There are quite a few software programs out there that have been developed to spot signals and trends in the Forex markets so that you can determine profitable trades with what they tell you. In fact, many professional traders have developed their own software programs with computer programmers' and mathematicians' help. These programs use real-time data from the Forex markets to spot patterns and trends and let you know when it's time to get in on a trade. These programs have had a lot of work put into them and they can generate some pretty amazing results.

Most people who earn extra income by trading in Forex use this type of software, which is also known as a "Forex robot." A lot of these programs exist, and again, they're great. However, he should know a few things before you use any of them.

The first thing you should keep in mind is that you should always try out a "demo" account so that you don't have to risk any real money before you know what you're doing. And of course, you should be able to try out the system to see if it works and if you like it and understand it. It should be easy to use, and you can see whether or not it will make you money before you commit to it.

Second, keep an eye on the pricetag. There are a number of software programs that cost thousands and thousands of dollars! For the most part, these programs are in the business of ripping people off. That's not to say the really expensive ones aren't any good, but there is no sense in spending that much especially at the start. For less than $100 you can find reputable programs that have been proven to generate remarkable profits.

Lastly, look for a money back guarantee. The companies that produce reputable programs aren't afraid to back up their softwares with a guarantee. They know they work so providing a guarantee makes good business sense.

If you have been searching for a way to make a few extra bucks take a good look at forex trading to see if it works for you. It's an exciting way to make some extra money online.

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Government Properties & Surplus - Great Investing Opportunities

By Nolan DeMarko

Seized and abandoned properties as well as government surpluses are offered to the public through government auctions. There are many government auctions being held across the country every single week. The deals you'll find here are unprecedented and could be used for personal investing or to start a business.

The government surplus items sold at government auctions are items not required by the federal, state, and local government. These items can come from the government purchasing more than they needed, or technological equipment that has been updated.

Quite often many of the government auction items come from businesses declaring bankruptcy. These items can be virtually anything from existing inventory to general assets including furniture, equipment, jewellery, antique items, fur coats, computers, etc.

The seized properties offered at these auctions can include foreclosure homes, bankrupt commercial properties, properties owned by convicted criminals, and more. Police have the right to seize a property if the owner is convicted and has to serve time in prison. The most common reason for property being seized is because their owners have neglected to pay their mortgage and/or taxes.

A property is considered abandoned if the owner dies and has no known relatives alive to inherit, or if the owner walks away from it for whatever reason. This can happen if the owner feels the house is worth less then he currently owes. This has been happening quit often lately in a declining housing market.

So how can you attend government auctions? You can find out where and when they will be held in your area by searching the Internet. There are numerous government auction membership sites that will offer you details on the abandoned/seized properties, and government surplus items that will be offered in your area.

To determine which sites are legitimate it is highly recommended that you visit a government auction review site beforehand. This will educate you on which sites provide the most opportunities that government auctions can provide.

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Ten Reasons for Invoice Factoring In

By Ada Denis

Present is our peak 10 number as to why you should consider factoring as your backing
solution:

1.Cash In IN AS Small AS 24 HOURS
Factoring allows for you with the ability to meet your CASH Run NEEDS
At Once!

2.NO DEBT Produced
Loans ask collateral particular by your hard pluses. Factoring In is NOT a loan, so
there is no debt to reward. A factoring company buys your accounts at a
price reduction. This enhances the financial ratios often used to determine your credit
worthiness in holding other types of financing. Your balance sheet is more
catchy and your financial position is strong.

3.HIGH Promote RATE
Our active factors provide Higher Advanced Rates which means you factor
fewer bills to meet your cash stream needs, which also means YOU WILL SAVE
MONEY!

4.NO Fiscal Instructions REQUIRED
In many causes, no business or personal financial instructions or tax returns
requested. Clean personal credit is not required.

5.Master Assembling
Factors In embrace collections in a professed way. Factors In are not collection
agencies. They realise the importance of business relationships and care for each
debtor as though it is your best client. Factoring In companies SPEED the assembling
of bills and shorten your collection cost. You can get rid of the overhead cost
linked with having someone internally handling collections.

6.Bill PROCESSING
You can greatly shorten your cost of processing invoices because factors handle
much of the work.

7.Heighten YOUR Recognition
Once you start factoring, the exaggerated cash flow will put up the liquidity to pay
your venders on time. Making timely payments to vendors positively makes your
mention rating and provides you to get credit from other marketers and financial
institutions.

8.Exaggerated Productiveness
Business proprietors frequently expend more than half of their time on responsibilities they do not find
prosperous, such as assemblages, organisation, bookkeeping, warding off creditors
and looking for additional capital. Factoring helps eradicate this wasted time.

9.Cut ACCOUNTING COST
You will experience selective information seeing essential and paid accounts on a daily,
yearly, and monthly basis.

10.NO Departure OF Concern EQUITY
Possession parts rest same with a factoring arrangement (unlike
taking getting in new cooperators with capital).

Debt Problems And Effects

By Eric Jilson

Debt has both a human side and a financial side.

It is easy to work out the financial aspect and it is incredibly large.

Statistics from the Federal Reserve reveal that there was a staggering $972.5 billion in revolving charges as of the end of 2007. People are literally being smothered by the level of debt.

It is estimated that the average American household has a credit card debt in the vicinity of $12,000. The actual debt figures are skewed because of the numbers of people who are not carrying debt - the actual debt levels are much higher than they appear. Overall debt is around $17,000.

Approximately 20% of households are behind on their payments or over the limit on one or more of their accounts.

To give you a clearer picture, for $17,000 debt, the interest and penalties add up to $400 a month. This $400 is not making any impact on the debt.

Beyond the numbers

It is impossible to isolate the human consequences of debt. it is simply not possible to put the effects into categories as they often impact on each other, blurring the dividing line.

Consider the human effects in this extreme example. A school bus driver had been increasing her debt burden and was concealing it from her partner. When this deception was no longer possible, she arranged a meeting with a credit counselor and the partner was also invited. He, the partner, was a physically imposing man and was becoming increasingly agitated, making for a very uncomfortable meeting. A few months later, whilst watching a news story on TV, the counselor realizes that the bus driver who has been arrested for robbing a bank was his client. She had driven right up to the door of the bank in the bus and away again after the robbery. Such was the pressure to meet the debt in that family.

Debt can cause many problems in our daily lives.

Opportunity cost

Freshman year at college is all about getting out and enjoying all the new things around us. Some of these may be credit cards. Lenders give out free T-shirts and water bottles in return for our "loyalty". "Easy" credit is available and before they know it, many students have scored poor results for their credit rating - and they have yet to leave university. They may even have to leave before they complete their degree because of their debt burden.

This impacts just as much on the students whose parents have paid their way to college, unless they have learnt how to manage credit. Debt experts see many students who have found themselves in the situation where they have had to drop out. Many of these students never manage to return to their studies, which in turn has the potential to negatively impact on their future lifestyle.

People in the financial world refer to this sort of debt as "opportunity cost", because they have lost the opportunity to gain an education that will help to get them a better job as a result of being tempted by the easy money.

Job prospects Your credit score can either make or break your future. It is like a branding mark; one that can prevent you from acheiving your goals. The longer a bad credit rating stays with you, the harder it is to get out of the cycle.

A student that drops out to find a job to pay off the debt may find to their shame that they cannot get a job because of that very debt. Even for those students who manage to obtain their degree, it is sometimes not enough to counteract the negativity. So, it is clear then that if you rack up a large debt on college it may cost you a good job.

This situation is not restricted to students - anyone with a bad credit rating who finds themselves in a position where they have to look for another job will be affected, as employers check out credit ratings, not just work history and personal references.

Even if you have a good job, a bad credit rating will cost you in other ways, for example higher insurance premiums and inflated interest rates on car loans and mortgages.

Worker productivity If you are constantly worried about your debt it is going to affect your performance at work and hinder your chances at promotion, further affecting your concerns about debt and the cycle continues.

The biggest stressor in America today is the concern that people have about paying off their debts. Many people are living from paycheck to paycheck, not managing to save at all and worrying about ever getting out of the mess.

This is a concern for people on a personal level, but it also has ramifications for the national economy because it impacts upon the ability of a business to make a profit.

The biggest loss of income in corporate America is a result of lack of production, caused by employee stress.

Peace of mind People who contact credit counselors are embarrassed and ashamed about their situation. They are struggling to understand how they ever got into so much debt. They do not deliberately place themselves in this situation.

These people are not abusive or aggressive - they are confused and very worried about the effects both now and in the future and they need answers and reassurance.

Collection agencies and their actions often add to this desperation. Collection agents who lie to people and claim that the police will be called and they will be sued only make things worse.

Partner relationships Debt can most definitely result in relationship problems. Couples blame each other for the problem and this is compounded if they view debt differently. Marriages end as a result and families are torn apart.

Future generations Children also suffer from their family's burden of debt in many ways. Their parents' depression and anxiety has the power to affect the children in turn.

Sometimes debt is so severe that families have to move, so children have to make new friends and get used to a new school. Sometimes if parents move their families in with the grandparents, there is the stress of finding space and peace, even if it means that they can save money.

Parents often pass on the problem to their children, not necessarily deliberately, because they cannot save for their children's college education. This can mean that they either don't receive this education or they in turn have to go into debt to achieve it.

The challenges of facing parenthood with an existing debt are immense. With children comes further expense and less of a chance to get out of debt. With this is the added concern that, with people choosing to have their children later in life, there is less of a window of opportunity to clear the debt before retirement.

Achieving goals The attitude of many people tp have everything now on easy credit will in reality prevent them from having the nicer things in life in the future. People used to save to buy things, but now we don't save at all.

The task of dragging yourself out of debt can result in the loss of your home, even if it isn't from bankruptcy or foreclosure. You may have to consider downsizing your home to manage your debt.

Spending power When you have to pay off a debt it restricts your ability to spend, so before you decide to use the plastic to make a purchase, check your previous bills and you might be surprise to see that it actually ended up to you paying close to twice the original price. In this case, why not use a charge card and try transferring credit card balances to your charge cards and use the latter during shopping.

For example, if you make $1,000 purchase with a credit card that has an average interest rate of 16 percent, and then make only minimum payments, then it is not a good deal.

In fact, if it were a $1000 TV, it is really costing you $1600!

The only reason why we are offered "teaser" rates around 1.9% is because the lenders are sure that we will not be able to pay it off before the offer expires. When we fail to pay off the card, we then have the attitude that we may as well spend more. This gets us further into debt.

Even special lower interest rate cards may not be forever, because if you miss a payment you are back to the higher rate.

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Items to present to Appraiser at Inspection

By Marten W. Davis, SRPA

When you arrange for a new mortgage, refinance or purchase, it is important that you have things ready for your appraiser's inspection. If you have some important items ready for the appraiser it will make his job much easier.

All items might not be available in all cases, but those that are available will be extremely helpful to your appraiser.

These items that you should look for are: Mortgage Survey which is a small piece of paper with a drawing of the lot with the building outline. This document is usually prepared by a surveyor and has his stamp on it. The information on this document includes the specific measurements of improvements and lot, the legal description and the flood zone specifics.

Any previous appraisal for some physical characteristics information. If the dwelling is newer, any floor plan drawings (blueprints) is extremely helpful to the appraiser.

A list of recent improvements, date and cost. These will be helpful to itemize those items that have been upgraded and modernized. If you have a recent home inspection report, that would also be very helpful.

Any current listing information such as listing agreement, any easements for items like shared driveways, etc.

If you present these items to your appraiser, they will be very helpful to him/her and will assist the appraiser in getting the specifics of the property detailed.

Marten W. Davis, SRPA

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What Does T Harv Eker Think He Knows?

By Joey Palinza

In short, T Harv Eker is a millionaire, but more than that he is an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of people - and counting. With that said I didn't think he had anything new to teach me when I went to check out his Millionaire Mind Intensive seminar, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

This guy is big on making big changes to achieve what you want in life, and I'm still reeling from what I discovered when I turned up for the seminar. If you're wondering whether this offering from Peak Potentials Training really delivers, the answer is definitely yes. It's an absolute must see that you will kick yourself for if you never go see it yourself.

"Secrets of the Millionaire Mind", T Harv Eker's book on the same subject, gives you a lot of the knowledge you need, but it doesn't beat attending the seminar. Harv shares everything he knows with enthusiasm and real passion.

So what did I learn? I learned that you don't go on the Millionaire Mind Intensive seminar without having your entire life blown apart and then put back together again. But more than that, I learned that it's your mind that shapes your future.

If you want to stick with what you're doing, then forget about using T Harv Eker's teachings. You'd better go prepared because he leaves no stone unturned to get you to the truth of money blueprints and how they work, and that means you'll be saying goodbye to your current blueprint.

This isn't just T Harv Eker standing on stage talking to you; he goes into real detail and works with you to help you realise why you've failed to make vast amounts of money up until now. He doesn't offer individual tuition which is a shame, but he'd have no life left for himself if he did!

You need to be open minded for this Peak Potentials Training seminar to work, and if you are then changes will start happening the minute he starts talking. T Harv Eker revealed exactly why I never earned what I wanted to while I sat right in front of him. All the answers were revealed to me on the spot and my opinions are now very different from how they used to be.

To get the best out of this Millionaire Mind Intensive seminar you need to pay attention to what Harv tells you. You really can earn whatever you want to and T Harv Eker will help you make that a reality.

By all means read his book, "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind". But you cannot afford to miss the seminar. If you thought you knew a lot about money, think again! Even if you are earning a good income now, you can do so much better.

T Harv Eker knows how money blueprints can make or break lives - yours included. I'm already earning more money, and my new improved money blueprint is still developing! My previous money blueprint would have kept me from real success - but it won't now.

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Drivers Advised To Get A Loan Before Buying A Car

By Mark Dawson

A cheap personal loan may well be an effective tool for drivers bargaining on getting a favourable price when trying to get a new set of wheels.

Such is the assertion of Alliance & Leicester which states that getting a cheap loan can be a effective bargaining tool for motorists requiring a brand new set of wheels. By having the required cash ready in hand, it was suggested that people might be able to barter with care salesmen quickly and effectively as they are now able in a position to make an immediate purchase and drive home with the car that very day. This could also mean that not only do people negotiate a significant saving on the price of the car but the financial services company commented it might also help to land 'extras' for their vehicle such as an extended warranty, higher spec or other goodies.

Indeed, not only could getting a quick car loan help drivers to purchase the vehicle of their dreams, the financial assistance which is provided by such a form of borrowing could also assist people to keep tabs on other constraints on their spending.

Mark Boyle, personal loans manager for Alliance & Leicester, said: "Having the money to hand means motorists can concentrate on buying at the best price, without being enticed into taking out pricey vehicle dealer fund that can see them lumbered with double-digit interest rates. It might also swing things in the buyer's favour when thrashing out a deal for part-exchanging an old motor. Getting finance arranged before going shopping for cars is essential if you want to hold the balance of power in negotiating a good deal."

He went on to say that as a motor vehicle is usually one of the most expensive items they will purchase, it is a good idea for consumers to carry out some "research before heading to the showroom and be prepared to haggle when you are there. It could save you hundreds of pounds or more". The personal loans manager additionally reminded that those on the search for a car may well be likely to find themselves in "a battle of wills with the salesman", with the garage dealer said to be wanting to sell for the highest price possible, whilst it is important for a consumer "to side-step the patter and make sure they do not pay over the odds".

Additionally the financial services firm urged those on the hunt for a brand new vehicle to make sure that they keep an eye open for any undisclosed costs - such as number plates, administration costs and delivery charges - which they may have to meet. Going for a test drive was also recommended to make sure that there are not any problems with the car before parting with any money.

Those wanting financial help with purchasing a vehicle may want to bear in mind getting some car finance allowing them to bargain with car salesmen on obtaining a good price on their dream car. And in obtaining a cheap car loan, buyers might find that they may well be left with easily affordable repayments to make. This might be especially helpful for women as a recent Experian report showed that 40 per cent of females feel that the initial outlay needed is a major consideration when buying a new car.

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Online Stock Trading: Learn to Make the Best Stock Pick

By Zachary Riff

When it comes to the theory, online stock trading and making the best stock pick is easy to learn. Even beginners with no background in finance can do it. Learning how to trade online is easier nowadays, because of the many sites that offer trading services and applications that enable beginners like you to know how to trade stocks. Online stock firms are your best bets for learn the tools for making the best stock pick on the lot.

Online Brokerage Firm - Start by surfing for an online brokerage firm that offers start-up accounts that are easy to use and understand. There are many sites that offer turnkey applications and solutions for beginners like you to learn quickly about making the best stock pick. So choose one that you're most comfortable with when you sign up. Many sites will also show the steps and ways for you to manage your stock and keep track of your stock investments. That way, not only are you learning something new, you'll be able to guarantee your investments yourself, and make the bst stock pick you want.

These sites also offer online stock services to aid stock trading neophytes who want to make the best stock pick. Many online brokerage sites offer real-time stock quotes so you can stay informed of the current trends and shifts in the stock market. Other financial and market online news sites may also offer information about the stock market, and specifics stocks and options you may be looking to buy.

Firsthand-Information - To be on the safe side, try searching for sites that offer the best ways for you to get firsthand information from the market. When making stock decisions and determining the best stock pick, key information about the trading is your edge to buying or selling stock. Asides from online stock trading sites, there are also sites that keep track of the various stock markets all over the world and provide information about the best stock pick, new stocks, and other developments, to professional stock traders, brokerage firms and non-professionals like yourself.

Stock pick developments, stock quote data, are just some of the information these sites can provide you with. These information may be delivered in delayed or real-time or real-time formats. Getting real-time stock information is a requirement if you're interested in making the best stock pick. On the other hand, delayed stock quotes (that can be "delayed" from ten minutes to twenty-four hours) like after hours stock quote reports are often used for stock analysis and market projections.

These reports also include information on stock performance, as well as trading speculations and other news that may influence the value of your stock during the next trading day, week, or even month. You can also use these information in developing your own stock trading strategy, while earning the experience to make the best stock pick.

The Difference - However, trading stocks online is not as instantaneous as it is on the floor. The lag time from the moment you make the best stock pick of your choice and elicit a buy offer for it, till that offered is closed, twelve or even twenty-four hours, may have elapsed. Thus, if the stock you're interested moves rapidly, your best stock pick could be the worst on the floor. This is because, the Internet cannot duplicate the market hours.

Be sure to keep a pulse on what's happening to your stock trading and investments so you can make the necessary adjustments. Keeping updated with the latest stock information is the best lesson to learn about online stock trading and making the best stock pick.

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Get Free Help After a Non-Fault Road Traffic Accident in the UK

By Paul Manning

There are over 3 million road accidents in the UK every year, ranging from simple car park bumps to multi car pile ups with multiple fatalities.

Although most accidents scenarios differ in some small way, there are really only 2 ways of handling the vehicle repair aspect of any accident that involves more than 1 vehicle and for which you believe; somebody else was at fault.

You either:

Make a claim through your own Insurance Company (assuming you are comprehensively insured)

Or

Make a claim directly against the other driver's insurance company.

With each scenario there is both upside and downside. In the first scenario (claiming from your own Insurance Policy) you are guaranteed that subject to parts, your vehicle will be repaired within a reasonable time frame.

Errrr.that's it actually, we can't think of any more!

To be honest, we believe there is far more downside than up!

The accident was not your fault, yet you have to spend 40 minutes on hold or talking to a call centre 5000 miles away, that yes, can speak English, but doesn't really understand English.

The accident was not your fault, but your NCD is going to be affected immediately, until you can prove absolutely that the accident was not your fault.

The accident was not your fault, yet you STILL have to pay your excess and let's face it, who has got 250 just lying around waiting to be spent on an Insurance excess? Before waiting 6 months to get it back.

The accident was not your fault, yet you are not guaranteed a courtesy vehicle, and if you are then it will be the size of a postage stamp, irrespective of whether you usually drive a Range Rover and have 5 children. You are bang out of luck.

That's why we believe that making a claim directly from a Third Party Insurance Company is much more preferable to the average man (or woman) on the street.

Firstly, the downside:

Errr, ummm, well, errrr.no, we can't think of one!

If the accident was not your fault, then we will authorise an approved repairer to order parts and give you a booking in date, usually within 7 days of the accident occurring. We then pay the garage for the repairs within 30 days.

Of course we then recoup those monies directly from the negligent driver's insurance company. Simple really!

We will provide a replacement vehicle on a like for like basis, whilst yours if of the road, whether it's undriveable immediately, or just when it goes in for repairers.

Of course we then recoup those monies directly from the negligent drivers Insurance Company. Simple really!

Our call centre is in South Wales, not New South Wales, so there is no time difference to worry about, no language difficulties, no translation required, no spelling required (well not usually anyway!)

Your vehicle has been repaired and you've had a proper sized vehicle to get around in. You haven't spent half your day on hold to half way around the world. Your NCD is in tact, your 250 is still sitting in your bank account and the whole process hasn't cost you a penny!

Possibly best of all, our industry leading claims management software allows you to access your claim file via a broadband internet connection, at any time of the day or night!

So, no need for a sleepless night worrying about when your car is going to be fixed, no need for a 40 minute telephone call to find out what's happening. Just log on and find out!

All in all, we believe that making your non-fault claim directly against the negligent driver's insurance company is far easier and more cost effective than claiming on your own policy and of course we believe that making that claim with Evolution Legal is making the whole process easier again.

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What does it mean to "buy term, invest the difference" ?

By Zigfred Diaz

I am sure that some of us has heard of the saying "Buy term, invest the difference" when buying insurance and investment products. However do we really understand what this means? So why do most financial planners recommend that we should "buy term and invest the difference" while some insurance agents keep on bugging you to get their recommended product ?

Most financial planners would tell us to stay away from whole life insurance products as they are considered rip offs. These kinds of products are not so popular anymore in the United States. In order to fully understand "whole life" versus "term" they are differentiated as follows: Term insurance refers to life coverage only while "whole life" refers to term policy with an investment scheme. Insurance agents usually present whole life insurance as something that will help you save for your retirement. Forcing you to save is probably something that is good for you, however the bad thing about this is that the returns for the investment in whole life insurance is very low. It is a pity that these type of products are still sold in the Philippines. Sadly, people still buy them because of inadequacy of financial knowledge.

To drive home the point, let me give you an actual situation. Sometime last week, my mother asked me if she should continue paying an insurance product she got for my sister. The total price for it was about P 400,000.00 (Philippine Peso). Half of it is already been paid leaving a balance of P200,000.00.

I asked her what the benefits of the insurance product were. She said that after 20 years, my sister who is still 18 years old will receive P 40,000.00 per year until she reaches the age of 65. At the age of 65 she can choose to receive P400,000.00 lump sum. If she chooses not to receive the P 400,000.00 lump sum, she can choose to continue receiving P 40,000.00 for the rest of her life. Plus she is also insured for two million pesos for the rest of her life.

I told her that we in order to determine whether she will continue paying the P200,000.00 we have to evaluate the benefits of the insurance product versus the "Buy term, invest the difference" scheme as suggested by most financial planners.

The total money that my sister will be receiving under the insurance scheme is around P3,520,000.00. This is derived from the P 40,000.00 she will recieve per month until she reaches 65. Add to this the P 400,000.00 she will recieve lump sum during that age. We should also take into consideration that she is insured for P2,000,000.00 hence giving us total benefits of around P 3,520,000.00

Under the "buy term invest the difference scheme" since she has already paid partially for the insurance product she will convert what she has already paid into "term insurance" (That is if the insurance company allows it) This is usually good for only 20 years. The P 200,000.00 will then be invested at a vehicle of investment that gives about 10 %+ return per annum. The profits derived from the ivnestment will also be re-invested in order to take full advantage of compounded interest. If she faithfully does this until she reaches the age of 65, she will get an estiamted P17,639,497.05.

Now do you see the difference? What is P 1,500,000.00 vs. P 17,000,000.00+. Even if you add the insurance coverage that is only a mere P 3,500,000.00, it still cannot compare to the P 17,000,000.00.

Insurance protection is no problem. Term insurance is very cheap. In order to be protected if ever her investments will suffer losses, she will just buy term insurance an renew it every now and then.

You might be wondering what investment vehicle would give you 10 % return per annum? There are several of them out there. You can invest in mutual funds where returns can run from 10 % to 70 % or more. However these returns are not guaranted but historically the rate of return does not fall below 10 % per annum. (that is if they are invested in equities) You can also invest in the stock market. In the Philippines, a bullish stock market gives a high rate of return that even the most conservative investors in the stock market earns more than 10 % per annum.

Buying term and investing the difference certainly does make sense !!!

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