July 2012

When Does Your Frugality Become Unethical?

What’s the meaning of frugal? Can frugality become unethical? Can we take things too far? Where is the line we cross when pinching your pennies is no longer morally acceptable? Are some cases of being frugal borderline illegal too?

Potentially Unethical Frugality

Using your employer’s internet for personal use
Personal phone calls on company time
Personal use of the copy machine
Taking home ink pens, paper, and other office supplies from the office
Eat the free samples more than once at the grocery store instead of a real meal
Taking toilet paper from a restroom
Taking home extras like condiments from a restaurant
Bringing home the extra shampoo and toiletries you don’t use from a hotel – even if you’re living in a hotel

What You Need To Know About Parties And Your Homeowners Insurance Policy

by Hank Coleman

What you need to know about house parties

What You Need To Know About Parties And Your Homeowners Insurance Policy

You may need house party insurance when you're the host.

Your house parties can be extremely fun events. You get to have a bunch of friends over, chat about old times, maybe you have a band, and you do some dancing! However, whenever you have events at your home, you open yourself up to more liability. It can come in many forms, but you need to make sure that you protect yourself from liability.

House Parties Increase Your Liability

By having guests in your home, you expose yourself to liability. This can come in many forms. For example, someone could slip and fall and injure themselves at your home. If you have catering, someone could get food poisoning. Finally, if alcohol is served, you could be liable for injuries even if someone gets injured on their way home because they were driving drunk.

Reader’s Question: Is It Better To Save For Closing Costs Or Pay Down Loan?

by Hank Coleman

Here is the next installment in our Reader’s Questions Series which highlights questions emailed to me by you, the readers of Money Q&A, we talk about how to save for closing costs. Be sure to find out at the end of this article how you can receive a free copy of Dave Ramsey’s book, The Total Money Makeover if your money question is chosen to be featured on a future week’s blog post. If you’re not familiar with Dave Ramsey’s book, you should run right out and get it. It is one of my top ten best personal finance books that everyone should read. Now….on to our reader’s question. Is it better to save for closing costs when you are trying to sell your home? Or, should you … Read more

Learn The Home Improvement Projects That Add Value

by Hank Coleman

Find out about the home improvement projects that add value to your home’s value when I was interviewed by Ben Brashen on the Brashenomics Radio Show last week. Hear how you can get the best return on your investments that you make in home improvement projects and which projects are the best to tackle from a return on investment perspective that will increase your home value. Check out the radio interview below… The Top 3 Home Improvement Projects That Add Value 1. Upgrading your kitchen = 70% to 80% return 2. Upgrading an existing or adding a bathroom = 70% to 80% return 3. Adding energy efficient windows = about a 50% return The Top 3 Home Improvement Projects That … Read more

What Is A Cafeteria Plan For Health Insurance?

by Hank Coleman

What is a cafeteria plan for health insurance? A cafeteria plan is a type of employee health insurance benefit plan offered in the United States.

Its name is derived from the fact that these plans allow employees to choose from different types of health benefits, similar to a customer choosing items to eat in a cafeteria. You can pick and choose what you want to insure and subsequently what you want to pay for with your limited health insurance funds.

Features Of A Cafeteria Plan

Cafeteria plans can offer employees such benefits such as health insurance, group life insurance, flexible spending accounts, and more. Some plans (although less now than there used to be) still offer an explicit choice between cash and benefits. This meaning if you want to opt out of getting health insurance, the employer will pay you a dollar amount equivalent to the cost of insurance.

The Four Of The Best Car Insurance Discounts

by Hank Coleman

Do you have the best car insurance discounts? Car insurance is a highly competitive business that is great for individual consumers. Most car insurance companies will keep their rates low to attract and keep consumers. They fight against each other because customers are so fickle and hard to come by, and the insurance companies offer generous discounts to both new and existing customers. Here is a list of the most common types of car insurance discounts and what you need to do to qualify for them. Remember, every car insurance company maintains its list of the best car insurance discounts offered, but these are some of the most common ones from across most insurance carriers. They are also some of the … Read more