Making Sense Of Debt Consolidation

By Calvin Patel

Cases settled out of court usually involve an agreement for a predetermined amount of cash to be paid out to one party for a fixed length of time. These recurring payments are called structured settlement annuity. This is usually the alternative to lump sum settlements.

It is important to make sure that the annuity provider is capable of making the payments. This is because it is not uncommon for the annuity to be made for the duration of the life of the claimant. The payments are usually made in installments of equal or varying amounts.

The claimant's monthly expenses, present age, extent of hazard in occupation and retirement plans are considered in determining the start date, duration and frequency of the payment. In some cases, the insurance company making the payment is allowed to transfer its obligation to a third party. All these should be specified in the settlement agreement.

Periodic payments from a structured settlement are tax-free, but only if the structure of payments is not altered once both parties have agreed upon it. While this may give recipients a sense of security, some are concerned that the payments will lose their value over the term of the payout because of inflation. It is also possible that their financial situation has changed, so that they need money sooner rather than later to meet expenses or they find that the payments no longer fit their budget.

These are some of the reasons why people sell structure settlement payments. They have the option to sell in part or in whole, but either way, the lump sum they will receive makes them more financially flexible. They can use it as capital for a business venture or make real estate purchases.

There are many institutions that buy structured settlements, with transactions running in the tens of thousands up to millions of dollars. In choosing a settlement purchaser, it is important to look into the past payment records and working relationships with insurance companies. A consistently good payment record and working relationship with various insurance companies means a good chance of the transaction being approved quickly.

It is also important to do business only with purchasers that are licensed, insured and bonded. With this, clients get their cash even if the company goes out of business. The free consultations offered by settlement purchasers are also good opportunities, not only for evaluating their suitability, but also for getting financial advice.

The decision to keep a structured settlement intact or to sell the payments is a major one. A structured settlement annuity can be a source of great comfort for retired individuals or people with impaired earning ability, since it offers the advantage of a regular income without having to worry about managing it. On the other hand, people who sell structured settlement payments gain control of their own finances, and can use the money from the sale for an alternative investment plan that could earn them more than what they were getting from the settlement. Ideally, however, the latter should be resorted to only if the individual is confident of managing his own finances in a competent manner. - 31884

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Free Life Insurance Quotes May Lead to Investing

By John Bellafonte

Investing when the economy is suffering can be a risky choice to make. Only the very wealthy can afford to risk losing money by investing in companies on the stock market. Not many of the common Joe's can afford to put hard earned money into risky prospects. What is the alternative for those who want to invest but who do not want the risk? The best opportunity for these people is being getting free life insurance quotes and investing in it.

Life insurance is not only for those who are beneficiaries of the policy after the holder is dead. There are some policies that can be cashed out prior to death when cash is greatly needed. The monies that are had are going to be in direct correlation with how much has been paid into the policy and is never going to be the full amount.

Free life insurance quotes can also assist in family planning in the case of your demise. This is the best way to ensure that your loved ones will be financially secure after a tragedy. You do not want to leave your family wondering how they are going to afford the costs of a funeral and burial. This investment is for your family.

It is not common knowledge that this type of insurance can be considered investing as well. It is assumed that taking care of the beneficiaries after death is the most common way to use it. Having a payout that is large enough at death can ensure the financial stability of the family after the main breadwinner passes away.

Free life insurance quotes should be completely read and understood. This can insure that the policy is offering what is wanted. This can ease the financial strains after the policy holder is no longer around.

For the future of the family, this is vital for any person of any economic standing. In the event of a financial necessity, monies can also be borrowed against the amount of the policy up to a certain percentage. This loan amount is going to be paid off first before any beneficiaries receive any monies from it so it is important to pay off the loan as soon as the ability to do so is achieved.

The monthly payments are going to be low enough that even those who are not very wealthy can afford them. These payments can be made even when the economy is at its lowest. The insurance companies are going to have the pay off available in any economic climate.

When times are as rocky as they are now, having some security is not a luxury but a necessity. Having a solid life insurance plan in place can allow for financial stability during tough times. When receiving free life insurance quotes, read them completely and understand them before deciding on the one that is right for you. - 31884

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Annuity Payment Advice: Receiving a Lump Sum vs. Keeping Your Payments!

By John Pulaski

Are you truly better off investing or just keeping the payments? Getting the right annuity payment advice can be hard to find. We need it now especially during this time with the economy in the gutter. Although the economy is bad this is truly the best time to sell your annuity if you like to invest because prices are low right now. You can find a deal in just about anything and everywhere.

To be honest, there's no one shoe fits all answer to whether you should invest or keep your annuity payments. It depends on what's going on in your life at the time. For some people the steady payments shields them from spending on unsafe investments and thus keeps the security aspect there.

However, not every person faced with a lump sum will be tempted to spend the money foolishly. There are people out there that know about investing or have been investing prior to the annuity payments so they've invested successfully. If you haven't had any success investing in things in the past then you might want to proceed with caution when cashing out your annuities.

Here are some pitfalls others have made when cashing out their annuity for large amounts money.

* What has been discovered is that some people have became overwhelmed by the ideal of lump sums of money and become careless with it once they sell their annuity.

* Some have had very little investment knowledge. So when they start investing they go for high risk or speculate on their investment choices. What is speculating when it comes to investing? It's a mere guess. You don't want to guess on your investment options, you want to be sure.

* Some have become overly generous to family, friends, and spouses buying cars, homes, and other materialistic things. I know you've heard this before but you'd be surprised on how far forgotten this concept becomes once the money is in your hands.

* Annuity owners have experience business people that have talked them into business adventures that seem good on the surface but only to find out that the deal was a complete failures at the core.

* If there was a bad additive behavior in the person prior to selling the annuity it can be magnified with the lump sum.

* You won't believe this but it's true. There have been times when some charity institutions would start calling you more then often once you sell your annuity. They will be asking you to donate. They even will send out a representative to you to convince you to donate.

I'm not saying don't donate because I donate all the time but what I am saying is be smart and be wise. Don't loose it all because you weren't wise enough. Learn at all cost before selling your annuity to invest.

I hope at least one thing has helped you today in your decision making when it come to selling your annuity vs. keeping the payments.

Thanks... John - 31884

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Cheap Insurance Quotes to Get Your Own Peace of Mind

By John Bellafonte

Has the thought ever occurred that maybe too much is being paid out monthly for the family's insurance coverage? There is a simple and no fuss way to find this information out. Go online and get cheap insurance quotes or two and compare them to the current family coverage.

There was a time, where insurance shopping was done either by phone or taking a trip down to the local agent's office. This took up not only time but put everyone in the precarious position of being face to face with a salesman that made his living from commissions and pressure was not even a good word to describe his sales tactics. By using the Internet to get cheap insurance quotes, all the pressure is relieved and this may be done on your schedule with no hassles.

When searching for cheap insurance quotes online, there are a number of options that are available. Visiting websites of individual insurance companies is one way to go. However, there are also sites available that provide cheap insurance quotes from multiple companies to make comparison shopping even easier. This is a great way to get a quick snapshot of the prices and options that various companies offer.

It is not very prudent to shop for insurance by price alone. This can be a huge drawback as the coverage needed may not be provided at an extremely low rate. Cheap insurance quotes should not only contain a low premium price but adequate coverage for all of your needs.

Cheap insurance quotes do not mean that the coverage you want cannot be provided at a low rate. It means that the lowest rate for the coverage you need is being searched for from many different companies. These providers will offer bargains and discounts for coverage just to take your business away from your current provider and that may be used to your advantage.

Many providers will give you the opportunity to tailor a particular policy to your specific needs and budget considerations. This lets you get the right amount of coverage at an affordable price without sacrificing quality and service. This option is offered by a few of the major insurance carriers on the market today.

Whichever direction is chosen, be sure to be very specific regarding the coverage that is being sought. The more detailed the request is for the cheap insurance quotes, the more accurate it will be in both price and coverage. Basing this decision on just the cost of the policy could spell disaster later on when it is actually needed and it is found out that the coverage needed simply is not there.

Low cost insurance does not mean having to sacrifice quality and coverage. This is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make so be sure to take your time. If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to contact an agent for more clarification. Being an informed consumer is one of the best ways to get a great policy while saving a ton of money. - 31884

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Long Term Care Insurance

By Barb Davies

At the time a person needs care at home or in a residential or nursing home, the question that is uppermost in the minds of their family is how are they going to afford the cost of the fees for the care. With average costs being over 30,000 per annum, at this point, any hopes of leaving an inheritance for their family disappear as funding their care needs becomes uppermost and they have to fund this care with the sale of the family home.

It is important to remember at this point that individuals will not qualify for free care if they have assets, including their home, above 23,000 in England and Northern Ireland, twenty two thousan pounds in Wales and twenty two thousand five hundred pounds in Scotland. People usually have to pay for their own care as they are above the local authority funding limits (Tax year 09/10). There are some exceptions to these rules, but they are limited for everyone else. The next port of call would be to seek help from charitable sources but this is unlikely to be a permanent solution as charities have restricted funds.

A care fees annuity - otherwise known as an Immediate Needs Annuity(INA) is a very effective way of planning for the future costs of care fees. The lump sum premium is determined by how old a person is, if they are mail or femail and their health condition. Underwriting is done by receipt of medical information from a client's doctor and the care home. The greater the degree of frailty and illness, the lower the premium as the cost as is dependent upon the insurance company's view on the person's expected longevity.

Care fees Plansare a very effective way of protecting a family's estate against the danger of care fees running away with future inheritances. They allow a family to plan for the expenditure needed then plan for the future with confidence.

When a person is in care, as long as the monthly payments are paid to a registered care provider ie one registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), these payments do not affect the care recipient. These very practical plans are flexible as well as tax-efficient as, should the care recipient recover and be well enough to return home, the net payments can be paid to them directly to help them pay for any care they need to cope in their own home. If the benefits are then paid to a person directly, as with any other pension arrangement, they will have 20% tax deducted at source by the annuity provider. But only on a tiny element of the income.

As well as providing for the cost of care fees, these plans are also a tax efficient way of reducing an inheritance tax liability because, whilst securing a 40% discount on the cost of the care fees annuity, the cost of the lump sum can also be deducted from the estate as long as this excludes the costs of any capital protection.

Finally, it means that the following aims have been attained:-

Any remaining monies are preserved for the estate and the person receiving care can achieve their wish to leave an inheritance.

Any remaining monies are preserved for the estate and the person receiving care can achieve their wish to leave an inheritance. The costs of care have been dealt with thus protecting the balance of assets.

Savings are at the lowest level when the lump sum has been paid. Once this has been done, all future care fees are then covered, thus giving any monies left the chance to grow and replace savings.

In order to achieve the above objectives, ensure that you get the correct advice from an expert financial planner who has the necessary experience in the area of long term care. - 31884

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Insurance Quotes are Important to Get Before Purchasing Insurance?

By John Bellafonte

Those who want to get insurance should always ask for insurance quotes on different policies before they make the decision on which policy to purchase. This is important as there are clauses to each policy that might not include what you want the policy to cover. It is vital that you look over each insurance quote so you know exactly what you are paying for and what coverage you have.

No matter what type of insurance that you want to purchase, you need to read through the insurance quotes completely to make sure that you are getting what you want out of your insurance. Insurance quotes are going to have all the information that you need to know to make an informed decision on your insurance. This information submitted for the insurance quote needs to be complete before purchasing and signing any new insurance policy.

All insurance quotes that are collected will have all of the details that will be put into the actual policy. Those who are trying to insure a new house may need to have special protection that would not normally be offered. Homes in fire zones should have protection from fire damage coverage.

The same can be said for any person who lives in areas of natural disasters. This can bring the price of the insurance up, but it is going to be worth it should the worst happen. In this way, you know for sure that you are protected when you have full insurance quotes on your home.

Those who are looking to insure their vehicle should get multiple insurance quotes. Depending on the type of vehicle, you may want to get full coverage or perhaps you only feel limited liability is enough. Make sure that your vehicle offers the best protection that you want for it. No state is going to let anyone drive without insurance so this is very important for all drivers.

When looking for health insurance, you want to check into the all the co-payments as well as the premiums that you are going to have to pay in order to get the appropriate amount of coverage. Health insurance is important and should never be done without if possible. Some may feel that paying a higher premium and a lower co pay is going to work best while others may want a lower premium and a higher co-pay.

When purchasing medical coverage, it is vital that each page of the policy is read and understood by the purchaser. This is going to keep any mistakes from surfacing at the time that the insurance is needed. Make sure the fine print is gone over with a fine tooth comb. The worst thing that can happen is to find out that the family is under covered when there is an illness or injury in the family.

There are not going to be many surprises when you read through any insurance quotes the company gives you. You can be assured that you are totally covered in the way that you want to be. Ask your insurance company about any discounts that are offered in order to save additional money. - 31884

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Any One Can Get Cheap Life Insurance Quotes

By John Bellafonte

Most people don't want to think about what will happen to their loved ones when they're gone. It's a difficult topic to broach, but it's very important. Funeral costs are expensive and can cause financial devastation if the proper preparations haven't been made, but many are worried that life insurance is too expensive for them. Fortunately, there are plenty of companies that offer cheap life insurance that will cover all end-of-life expenses for a low monthly or annual rate.

Those who are looking for cheap life insurance quotes need only go to their computer and conduct an Internet search. There are many different types of coverage that are going to meet most people. Do some studying to find the right policy as there is a wide assortment to choose from.

Term life is typically the best option for those who are on a budget. There are many clauses to this type of insurance so it is important to know exactly what the terms are before purchasing it. There is no investment involved with this type of insurance so those who are looking to invest are going to want to look at different insurance types. Term is simply going to pay off within the time prescribed in the policy.

Whole life insurance, also known as permanent life insurance, is a popular option because it covers the entire lifespan of the consumer without him or her having to worry about renewals. The premium typically doesn't change and it builds cash value or equity that can be used as an additional source of funds should an emergency situation ever arise. Whole life insurance is a little more expensive than term life insurance, but most people think the benefits are worth it since an entire family can be covered under one policy.

A less common, but still to be considered cheap life insurance, is universal life insurance. This is going to require an account that is for saving money and for building interest up. This account is going to pay for the premiums and other costs. As the money increases, it can be used in times of emergencies. This is not the most stable of all the types of insurance as it is solely dependent upon the economy at the time of the investment.

A less common type of insurance is no load insurance. This is not considered one of the cheap life insurance types as it can get quite costly. The upside is that the customer sets the limits and terms of the policy which is going to need to be paid as soon as it is issued along with any commissions that are going to the agent. In many cases the fee is going to be a good chunk of this price.

Joint life is a rare type of insurance but is offered by some agencies. Couples who do not have children or other beneficiaries are the main people who purchase this type of insurance. This is a policy that insures more than one person and only pays out once to the person who survives the others.

There are many types of coverage that can be had for very little money and risk. These can cover any expenses that may be left behind at the time of the policy holder's demise. It is important to read through each quote before deciding on any type of insurance policy. - 31884

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