Sadly, it is a fact of life that things go wrong. Any shrewd business owner knows they need to protect themselves and their livelihood against possible accidents or crime. If you are in charge of a shop, whether it’s brand new or well established, you need to make sure you are properly covered against all eventualities. Government statistics report that last year, 7.7 million crimes were committed against wholesale and retail businesses, the most of any business sector, which shows just how important the right cover is. Here are 4 things that you’re looking out for when taking out shop...

Going to graduate school can be expensive, especially when it comes to medical or law school. There is a reason why only a select few have gotten the position they have: either they were wealthy enough to afford graduate school or they got lucky. However, you can get lucky too, provided that you stumble upon and get accepted for a grant – that’s free money that you don’t have to pay back to a lender. Some of these grants might cover part of, or subsidize your tuition, and some of them might give you a full ride. Sure, getting a...

Garage sales are great for ridding yourself of old belongings and putting extra money in your pocket, but only when they’re done right. You want this to be a productive and profitable use of your time and energy, so take the necessary measures to maximize your garage sale profits. These tips will help you to stage a successful garage sale every time. Price Items to Sell One of the most common mistakes that people make when putting their old belongings up for sale is setting their prices too high. Remember to detach sentimental value from monetary value, and price your...

If you’ve got a used car to sell, you might want to think twice about bringing it to a dealership as a trade-in. For the most part, you aren’t going to get what the vehicle is actually worth in this situation. The dealer must be able to turn around and resell your used car for a profit. And that means buying it for at least 15% under its true value. If you’re in a real money pinch or need to move and sell the vehicle quickly, you might have no other choice. But if time and finances aren’t as pressing,...

Usually, when we look out over our lawns and decide that there is some landscaping that needs to be done, it’s usually for aesthetic purposes more than anything else. After all, being that people see the outside of our homes before they step into the inside of them, it would make sense that we’d want the grass cut, the trees and shrubs trimmed and some flowers planted. Yet, did you know that there are certain landscaping things that you can do that will also help to reduce your monthly energy bills? If you’re about to do some yard work and...

When a young person has gotten the acceptance letter that they are accepted into the college of their choice, not only does it mark a new season for them, but it also can be one of the most exciting times in their entire life. There are so many new people to meet, classes to take and experiences to have. And to tell you the truth, perhaps the only real downside that they have to consider is just how much a college education costs. If you are preparing your own child for school, one of the best ways to do that...

If there is one thing of absolute certainty, it is that college is expensive. If you think about it, it doesn’t really make much sense. You spend upwards of $30 thousand dollars a year on tuition, you won’t have an income from a regular job and you might even put yourself in debt with student loans. Yes, college is a crazy gamble, but if you work hard and deal with the stresses of having no money whatsoever, chances are that you will make it out on top in the end – you might even laugh about the experience later in...

Although college is basically looked at as a necessity these days, affording your tuition is more difficult than ever. All of the costs of attendance continue to rise, from class credits to books to a cafeteria meal plan, while available financial aid dwindles. You’ll almost always be able to get at least some sort of federally funded loan, but that leaves most college students with a mountain of debt after graduation. It’s hard enough getting by in a difficult job market and a recession economy, but it can be next to impossible when you also have to pay off five...

Desperate times often call for desperate measures. And while that may sound a bit dramatic, the recession that’s gripped the global economy over the past several years has left millions of families in that exact sort of situation. Unemployment has hovered around double digits for quite some time now, while most of a family’s regular monthly expenses continue to rise. Even highly qualified and motivated individuals often found themselves asked to cut hours or hunt for work for months and even years, forcing many people to empty their savings account and dig into emergency funds. You can only lean on...

Medical expenses can be overwhelming. If you have been diagnosed with a serious illness or require some type of surgery, it might be worth it to spend some time before hand to devise a plan to pay for it all. This is especially important if you don’t have medical insurance. If you have some type of life threatening illness, your plan should include a way so that you aren’t left in a massive hole of debt with interest building up and the possibility of paying the loan back getting slimmer and slimmer each day. However, in this day and age,...

Let’s face it – home security can be incredibly expensive. Moreover, home security specialists say that most of the high-end security systems aren’t entirely effective and thieves usually know how to bypass a lot of the modern alarm systems that are on the market. Yet, whether we are trying to protect our valuables or, more importantly, our family, it is crucial that we have an alarm system that works and doesn’t take a huge hit on your wallet. They say that there are over 2 million burglaries a year that could be prevented by a simple and effective home security...

Small businesses need company insurance, as failure to do so can prove to be catastrophic. Taking out business insurance policies will also offer peace of mind to small businesses, as they will be thoroughly covered if and when a claim is made against them. This is particularly true of small business liability insurance and business indemnity insurance. Public Liability Insurance This is a type of major to small business insurance that offers legal protection in the instance of claims for negligence. For instance, a claim may be made against a business if an injury has occurred on business premises. A...

Lots of people in the medical world today are talking about cord blood banking. This emerging trend in medicine involves the collection and storage of umbilical cord blood and tissue following childbirth, and its benefits are being touted from doctor’s offices, yoga studios and everywhere in between. Studies indicate that the blood stem cells found in the umbilical cord could be used to treat a number of diseases as this medical discipline grows, but many parents-to-be are wondering if it is worth the cost. Umbilical cord blood can be banked publicly, and many mothers donate their cord blood to public...

They say that children that complete high school can make up to $35,000 a year, those who complete college will make up to $50,000, and children who complete an advanced degree or receive a doctorate can make up to $100,000 a year or more. However, in order for your child to reach a six-figure salary you need to make a serious investment in their education. This can be done early in your child’s life by sending them to a great school with great teachers, or instilling in them the merits of working and studying hard to accomplish their dreams. For...

As your college days go on, you’ll likely find yourself accumulating more textbooks than you’d ever imagine owning. Some of them may be useful to you in the future, but many are likely just going to take up space. Why not make a little extra cash by selling them? College textbooks are some of the most expensive books you’ll ever find yourself buying, and they’re designed to be that way. New editions are constantly coming out to replace the old, which means you need to be quick about selling your textbooks if you want to fetch a good price. Many...

 

@rild / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND Energy costs have been on the rise for years, leading millions of people all over the world to look for ways that they can save on heating and air conditioning at home. Staying comfortable indoors can be difficult, especially if you live in a climate of hot summers and harsh winters. Follow these 5 easy tips to start saving on air and heating costs by making your home more energy efficient. Insulate the Attic Think back to your elementary school science classes. Hot air rises above cold air, which means that your heat is...

 The net profit of the global banking corporation HSBC dropped by about 17 percent in 2012, in comparison to the previous year because of many reasons. Chief amongst them are the hefty fine it had to pay to for money laundering case, as it squared off a large amount of bad debt, selling some financial policy in an in appropriate way and dropping of its share prices. The net profit of the biggest banking house in the year 2012 was about $ 14.03 billion, whereas in 2011 it rose up to $ 16.2 billion. Therefore, not meeting up with the...

Caesar Sebastian / Music Photos / CC BY-NC-ND If you have ever been to a big concert or event, chances are that your ticket cost you a small fortune. Unfortunately, due to the rise of music piracy, more and more musical artists are getting their main source of revenue from touring and concert sales, which has jacked up the prices for ticket sale, sometimes 10 fold. Yet, there are a number of ways that you can find cheap tickets, inexpensively and legally. Here are 5 tips to help your save money on concert and event tickets. It is highly recommended...

marcp_dmoz / Car Photos / CC BY-NC-SA Although the timing is not great to buy a new car, you might be surprised to learn that it’s an even worse time to purchase a used vehicle. If you’re scratching your head over this one, just consider that in a recession economy, people in need of a new vehicle are far more likely to go for a used car than a brand new one. And when the demand for used cars goes up, so does the price. However, the prices of new cars have remained relatively stable and many brands have started...

Life insurance policies are popular safety nets for those who worry about the future. If something were to happen to you, would your family be able to handle the financial changes to come? Things as simple and standard as funeral expenses are placing large financial burdens on families everywhere. Some individuals, however, are looking at life insurance as an investment opportunity. If you’re considering investing in life insurance, be sure to ask yourself these important questions. Do You Really Need Life Insurance? Sales agents won’t tell you this in their pitches, but not everyone needs life insurance. You might have...