New Car Financing

What You Need To Know When Getting That New Car?

Most people go shopping for a new car and then consider their financing options. While this is the standard method it may not be your best option. Just like shopping for your new car, you need to carefully research your financing options and be prepared for it. Being prepared will ensure that you get the best possible solution and rates, thus saving you possibly thousands of dollars in interest over the term of your loan.

When it comes to financing, tiny differences can mean a lot to how much you pay. Consider a $20,000 loan for 5 years at 11% and 9% interest rates. At 11% your monthly payment will be $434.85 and you will pay a total of $5,879.70 in interest. However, at 9% your monthly payment will be $415.17 and you only pay $4,740.98 in interest. Over the term of your loan you will save more than a $1,000 by getting a 2% break in your interest rate. For this reason it makes sense for you to research your financing options before finding a vehicle you wish to purchase.

The first step to researching your financing options is to examine your credit file and score. One in four credit reports contains information that is wrong and could result in you paying a higher interest rate than you should or perhaps even being denied your loan. Another important aspect of your credit file is your FICO score. This score will determine the interest rate the lenders will give you. It is important to know what interest rate is fair for you to be paying for two reasons. First it will allow you to know when you are getting a good deal thus making the negotiating process easier for you. Second, it will help you to make sure the lenders are being fair and honest. It is not uncommon for lenders to misrepresent your actual credit score or to add a few percent to your loan in order to increase their profits.

Just as different cars have different features, different lending companies have different options too. Banks generally offer the best rates and terms for loans but sometimes third party lenders can be a better choice. You may find more favorite interest rates from an online lender who has less over head than a storefront business. You may be able to get other financial products from a third party lender at the same time that are of value to you.

The process of shopping for a new car should be your model for how to shop for a financing solution. Take the time to consider your situation and the services that various lenders will provide before you settle on a vehicle. You may even find it prudent to have secured your loan before your even go out to look at vehicles.

By Credit Plus Health

Choose Healthy Foods to Fit your Lifestyle

A Healthy Lifestyle

There are several diets that all lead to successful weight loss if you follow them exactly as they are designed. That doesn't mean every food that fits into a diet is healthy, and it does mean you have to change your eating patterns to fit the diet's rules. We feel like failures because we lose weight and then return to our old eating patterns. The weight we worked so hard to lose comes back and we return to a diet. We lose the weight once more, and go up and down and up and down. We become slaves to the diets.

Rather than worry about the mirror and the scale, let's think about our lifestyle and our health. Being healthy doesn't mean you have to be a size 4 or a size 2. It means feeling good physically and emotionally. It means having energy and enjoying every day. It isn't difficult to lead a healthy lifestyle, feel great, and still have room for the occasional treat. Let me show you how.
Good Foods To EatThe closer a food is to its natural state, the better it is for you. Fresh fruits and berries are great and will satisfy a craving for sweets. Whole vegetables have lots of vitamins and minerals, so choose more green, orange and yellow vegetables. Steam them to retain the most nutritional value and be careful with sauces, they may be high in calories and fats that aren't good for you.

Any pasta or baked goods should be made from whole grains. Avoid white breads and noodles because they are made from flour that has had much of the nutritional content removed and the high starch content in white bread will affect your blood sugar as quickly as regular sugar. Avoid sugary snacks and pastries as well. An apple is good for you, an apple pie really isn't.

Shop for lean meats and don't forget the fish. The omega 3 oils in ocean fish are often deficient in our diets, so serve seafood 2 or 3 times per week. Baked fish and chicken are healthier than fried, and lean meats like bison or venison are healthier than higher fat beef. Processed lunch meats, hot dogs, bacon, and sausages have a lot of junk in them you don't want in your body, but if you love these meats, find healthier versions sold at health food stores.

Remember to eat a variety of foods because some people become sensitive to foods they eat frequently. Try different grains, such as spelt, as a substitute for wheat and try rice milk or almond milk in place of cow's milk. Eat new foods you think you may not like...it can be a lot of fun.

Stick to water as your main beverage, and avoid sodas (both sugary and diet). If you get tired of plain water, add a slice of lemon or lime to add a touch of flavor. For kids, try some fruit juice jazzed up with carbonated water. Some herbal and green teas may add great benefits to your health, but avoid too much caffeine.

Assess Your Lifestyle

Once you learn which foods are good for you, you need to look at your eating habits. If the foods you eat are not healthy, you might want to work within your habits and current lifestyle conditions, since they are usually tough to change. Consider these questions, then read on for tips to help you add healthy foods:

Do you eat because you are bored, sad, or happy?
Do you snack in front of the TV without even giving it much thought?
Are most of your meals eaten at home or in restaurants?
How often do you eat fast food?
Do you like to cook?
How often do you grocery shop?
Do you skip breakfast or lunch, then overeat later in the day?
How big are the portions you consume?
Do you crave sweets?
Are there foods you won't give up?

Solutions For Snackers

If you are an emotional eater, keep the junk food like potato chips, tortilla chips, ice cream, and candy out of the house. Keep healthy snacks like fruits, crunchy vegetables with dips, or nuts handy. If you absolutely feel the need for a treat, then purchase a small piece of high quality chocolate or your favorite treat and enjoy it, just don't buy any to bring home.

The same tips are helpful for those who enjoy TV snacking at home. If you don't want to give up nibbling while while watching your shows, keep low calorie foods close by, because it is very easy to eat too much when you are entranced by your favorite drama, football game, or cooking show.

Tips For Eating Out

It is difficult to maintain good health if you eat out a lot. Those salads might not be as appealing as a greasy cheeseburger and fries. Restaurants frequently serve huge portions of food too, much more than you need. If you can't hold your resolve to stick to the salads, compromise; pick out an appetizer that you love, combine it with a salad or a cup of soup, and skip the larger entrees. You can also share a meal or take half of it home. Dying for desert? Order as small a size as possible, or maybe just one scoop of ice cream, rather than a larger, heavier desert. Try a dish of mixed berries topped with nuts and a small bit of whipped cream. Be careful with the after-dinner drinks as well. Maybe just one glass of wine with your meal. If you eat a lot of fast food, you have found out how difficult it is to feel good and stayhealthy.Some places have added salads and some better choices, but it really isn't a good way to eat. Keep fast food dining to a minimum, don't go with the super sizes, and choose places that offer more fresh ingredients.

Eating At Home

If you hate to cook, all that fresh produce you bought may just rot in your refrigerator. Depending on your budget, you might prefer to purchase prepared foods from markets that specialize in healthy, whole foods, or even hire a personal chef to prepare meals that only need to be heated and served. If you have a tighter budget, perhaps you can set aside some time on weekends to prepare meals and freeze them to be reheated later that week.

It is important to be prepared if you are going to eat good foods at home and not run out for fast food after work. Unfortunately grocery shopping can be very tedious. Set aside enough time to do your shopping for a few days' worth of healthy food and ingredients. Make a list and stick to it. Don't go shopping when you are hungry, and once you are at the store, stay away from the junk and the processed food aisles. Buy lots of fresh produce and choose lean meats and fish. Stay away from processed meats, fake cheese products and avoid the snack aisle. Better yet, shop for organic products whenever possible. If you have no choice but to shop infrequently, choose frozen fruits and vegetables over canned, as they retain more of their nutrients.

Don't Skip Meals

If you skip breakfast, you may find that you lose energy by midmorning. Rather than skipping breakfast completely, split it in half. Eat a small breakfast early, such as an egg, small serving of oatmeal, or some yogurt. Have a small snack on hand such as raisins and 10 or 12 almonds to eat at midmorning. This split breakfast is a much better solution than reaching for coffee or candy bars to perk yourself up.

Control Portion Size

Our stomachs really aren't that large. Without stretching, the stomach will hold about 2 cups of food, but because the stomach will stretch, it can hold considerably more food than we need at any given meal.

When you eat at home, serve your meals already dished up on individual plates rather than family style at the table. You will be less likely to reach for "seconds" that way. At restaurants, ask for "take home" containers and take half of your meal home. Avoid buffets, unless you are very disciplined. It is way too tempting to load up 3 or 4 plates plus dessert!

Tame Your Sweet Tooth

Curb your cravings for sweets with fruits and stay away from sugary snacks and pastries. These treats have lots of calories, are loaded with unhealthy fats, plus some people seem to become addicted to these high carb foods. If the fruits and berries aren't sweet enough for you, add just a bit of Splenda, or stevia, but try to wean yourself off of these products. Your taste buds can learn to love fresh fruit without the added sweeteners. Avoid sodas and try iced herbal teas, or ice water with lemon or lime. If you miss the carbonation, add some fruit juice to carbonated water, as I mentioned earlier.

Things You Won't Give Up

Do you feel like you can't live without your chocolate, or your mornings just can't begin without a cup of coffee? If there are foods you won't give up, enjoy them in smaller amounts. Buy one tiny high quality piece of candy and enjoy it, but don't buy a bag full of snacks to take with you. Love your coffee? Stick with just one regular sized cup, instead of a giant 20 ounce cup. You can also switch to decaffeinated coffee, or at drink a blend of half regular coffee and half decaffeinated coffee. Limit other treats or favorite foods that aren't healthy, try to limit them to one time per week, or search for healthier versions at natural foods markets.

Rome Wasn't Built In A Day

If you can't transform your unhealthy diet over night, don't despair. Most people can't. Start implementing some of these ideas, even just one at a time. Every change you make will be one step in the right direction.

Keeping It Simple

Poor Eating
Battered and deep fried foods.
Sugary treats.
Processed meats.
Greasy snack foods.
White bread and refined pasta.

Good Eating

Green and brightly colored vegetables.
Fresh fruits.
Lean meats and fish.
Nuts, raisins, and healthy snacks.
Whole grain breads and pasta.
Cook with healthy oils like canola and olive oils.

Great Eating

Raw or lightly steamed vegetables with no heavy sauces.
Organic fruits and vegetables.
Organic, grass fed beef, bison, and poultry.
Cold water oily ocean fish.
Variety of foods including fruits, vegetables and different types of whole grains.
Add even more healthy oils like walnut or flax seed oils.
Get more of your proteins from plant sources like nuts, seeds, and legumes.

By Health Fitness InfoCentre

Life Insurance – Money Saving Top Tips

Save Some Money From Your Life Insurance

More and more people are buying life insurance online and the numbers seem to be doubling every two years. The reasons are clear. Prices are lower on the Internet and life insurance is fundamentally a simple insurance product.

Despite the underlying simplicity of life insurance, most web sites channel their online clients through a telephone based help and advice service manned by experienced personnel. They represent your safety net so if a little technical knowledge is called for, help is at hand.

But it’s always a good idea to have a few Top Tips in your back pocket when you’re shopping online for life insurance. They’ll help you ask the right questions and find the best policy.

1. Always have your Life Insurance policy “Written in Trust”.

This means that in the event of a claim, the money goes directly and immediately to the person(s) you nominate when you first take the policy out. It also avoids all possibility of your estate having to pay Inheritance Tax on the proceeds of your policy and that could represent a 40% tax saving !

All you have to do is tell the online brokerage organising your policy that you want your policy “Written in Trust” and the names of the people who the life insurance company pay in the event of a claim. They will then sort it all out for you. The extra good news is that this service is invariably free of charge. So it’s a win win situation and there aren’t many of those around these days !

2. In the early years a Reviewable Life Insurance Policy will be cheaper but a Guaranteed Policy will work out a better buy in the longer term.

With a “Guaranteed Policy” the insurance company guarantees never to increase your policy’s premium.

With a “Reviewable Policy” you agree that your insurance company can review the cost of your policy at regular intervals. But don’t be kidded – in our experience a “review” is just another word for a price increase. After all, who’s ever heard of an insurance company passing up a chance to charge you more! The review intervals are usually between 2 to 5 years but this does vary between insurance companies. You will find the details of the review intervals on the documents sent to you before you accept the insurance – these are called The Key Features Documents.

So, comparing otherwise like for like policies, in the early years the premiums for a “Reviewable Policy” will undoubtedly be lower than the premiums for a “Guaranteed Policy”. Thereafter, the premiums for a Reviewable Policy increase eventually catching up with and overtaking, the premium for a “Guaranteed Policy”.

In our experience, you can expect the monthly premiums for a Reviewable Policy to exceed those of a Guaranteed policy in about 7 to 10 years and then within the following 10 years, more than double again. If your budget is currently tight then by all means choose a Reviewable Policy - after all your salary may increase in coming years and ease the strain. On the other hand, if the premiums for a Guaranteed Policy are affordable, we think they represent your best buy.

A footnote. Many insurance companies have stopped offering “Guaranteed” rates for standalone critical illness insurance policies. This because they have experienced much higher claim rates than they initially expected. However, you may still find a Guaranteed life insurance policy that also provides critical illness cover. As we have explained, “Guaranteed” rates are especially good value and if you can get a quote for a Guaranteed life policy that includes critical illness cover, you may have a real bargain.

3. Thinking about a Joint Life Insurance Policy?

A Joint Life Insurance policy is usually written on a first death basis. This means that the policy will pay out on the death of the first policyholder, subject to the policy being in force at the time. This leaves the second person uninsured and older. Older people can struggle to get life insurance at an affordable premium, so rather than a Joint Policy consider taking out separate policies now. Overall it will work out a little dearer - but you get twice the cover and double the peace of mind.

4. Taking out a Life Insurance Policy? Now would be an ideal time to include Critical Illness cover.

Are you likely to need Critical Illness Insurance in the future? Yes? Then consider adding it now to the life insurance policy you’re arranging. Why? There are three reasons.

Firstly, a Life Insurance policy combined with Critical Illness cover will work out significantly cheaper than buying two separate policies. Secondly, as we have already explained in the footnote to Tip 2, you may be able to buy a combined Life and Critical Illness policy with a guaranteed premium. That could be a real bargain. Finally, premiums for critical illness cover increase rapidly as you get older – so the sooner you take it out, the cheaper it will be.

5. Don’t confuse Terminal Illness cover with Critical Illness cover.

There’s world of difference between Terminal Illness and Critical Illness cover so it’s important to understand the difference.

Terminal Illness cover pays out the insured lump sum if a Medical Doctor diagnoses you with an illness from which the Doctor expects you to die within 12 months. Most good life policies automatically include Terminal Illness cover at no extra cost. It’s basically an early, and welcome policy payout.

A Critical Illness policy pays out the insured lump sum if you are diagnosed with one of a wide range chronic illness and there is no life expectancy criteria. Indeed, with many of the insured illnesses you could expect to survive for many years. For example: certain cancers, heart disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, loss of speech, sight or hearing, onset of Parkinsons or Alzheimers disease, third degree burns etc. Say you were an engineer aged 40 and you lost your sight. A Critical Illness policy would pay out immediately and that money could well be vital in helping you and your family through many difficult financial years ahead. If you just had Terminal Illness cover there’d be no chance of a payout.

So as you can see, Critical Illness cover is far more comprehensive than simple Terminal Illness cover and for that reason critical illness cover always costs you extra.

By Credit Plus Health

Getting Educated At Condomania Asia - Negotiating Safer Sex

You musn't force sex to do the work of love, or love to do the work of sex.- Mary McCarthy

Communicating with your partner is the best way to insure that you both have a pleasureable sexual experience and that you protect yourselves from exposure to sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy. But communication is often more difficult than it sounds. Let's face it: talking about sex can be awkward and embarrasing. But these days not talking about sex can be dangerous. It is important to remember that your health and safety are worth whatever feelings of fear and awkwardness a conversation might bring up.

One way to start is by introducing a safer sex conversation during a low-key moment: while on a walk, during dinner, over the phone. Try not to wait until you are between the sheets to bring up safer sex. You can start small. Mention a news story about condoms or a magazine piece on STD's. If you are involved in a on-going relationship you can tell your partner that your desire to use condoms is based on your growing awareness of safer sex, not a lack of trust in your relationship.

Begin to develop a sexual vocabulary that you are comfortable with. Some people enjoy slang or "talking dirty" while others prefer a more formal terminology. Use bedtime word games to teach each other your languages for sex. Remember that everyone has different words for what they enjoy — "doing it" for one person can mean "forplay" to another.

Say what you want very clearly so that there will be no misunderstanding. Hopefully, the person you are with will want to share that desire with you. A good, loving partner will want to know what makes you tick. In fact, sharing your desires with your partner can be an exiting, pleasurable part of any experience.

By Condomania Asia