SCAM: Beware of Online Paluwagan!

It is horrible to hear the story of a housewife who is a victim of this online paluwagan system in Facebook. According to the ABS-CBN news video below, she invested 500,000 pesos of hard earned money from her OFW husband to this online paluwagan scheme without her husband’s knowledge and even permission. At first she received money from this online paluwagan and because she was happy with the profits she received, she invested 500,000 pesos with the promise of getting huge returns. Just after investing the money, the online paluwagan administrator just disappeared or could not be reached. I think they did not even meet each other in person. Because of the scam she had difficulties paying her children’s tuition fees as well as paying utilities and house expenses. This led to her eventual separation from her husband. It is clear that this new online scam is destroying families.

Another lady, sold her jewelry and properties (at a lower price) to invest in this online paluwagan system. She even used her family savings only to find out she has been duped. As of the moment, 15 people have sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Cybercrime division. In my opinion, it is impossible for these victims to  get their money back judging  from past cases of investment scams like the Aman Futures scam. These cases may also take years in courts until the victims are  no longer interested to pursue  the cases.

The online scam is all done online. Members communicate through Facebook chat and groups. Members are asked to deposit their investment in a bank account provided by the paluwagan administrator. They received promises of  100% return which will be deposited to their bank accounts after few weeks. The investors did not receive any proof of investment like receipts or investment certificates. Everything is done based on trust and false promises. Unfortunately, the paluwagan admins could not be trusted from  the start but the victims had no idea how bad are the people they are transacting with.

There are many investment instruments in the market that are legal including mutual funds, UITFs, stocks, bonds and VUL products.  Returns are not guaranteed and may take time to get a good return of investment but you are confident that you are not being scammed! Study first before you invest to avoid being a victim of scams. Expect that there would be more related scams in the future with the popularity of social media and internet technologies.

Source: http://www.moneytalkph.com/scams/beware-of-the-online-paluwagan-scam/

The Importance of Having an Emergency Fund

Whenever I do financial planning to my clients, I always discuss the importance of building an emergency fund, which is the money set aside to cover emergencies or life’s unexpected events such as unemployment, medical expenses, home repairs, natural disasters, vehicle repairs etc. The fund should easily be accessible, meaning it can be withdrawn from the bank or kept at home.  The recommended amount for emergency fund is at least 3 months worth of expenses. For me,  the ideal is 6 months to 1 year worth of expenses.

It surprises me that many of our fellow Filipinos don’t have emergency funds. Their emergency fund is their credit cards, money borrowed from friends/relatives, money from loan sharks (5-6 loans), etc. Borrowing money for emergencies is not an ideal practice because of the big interest rates. It also destroy relationships when you borrow from friends/relatives then you did not pay the loaned money back.
When a person becomes unemployed, it may take few months before he could find another job. Of course, bills don’t stop coming in when a person becomes unemployed. With adequate emergency fund, his bills and other expenses will be paid up until he finds a new job.
Many Filipino families commonly face medical emergencies and majority of them do not have money set aside to cover the expenses. Borrowing money is inevitable; finding people to lend money is another problem. With adequate emergency fund, medical expenses could be easily covered and no need to borrow money from other people. It is a painful reality that many hospitals require downpayment before they will admit a patient. With no money, where do a sick person go?  Many sick people in the Philippines die before they even meet a doctor or admitted in a medical facility. It is really sad to hear stories of sick people dying because they do not have money to pay medical expenses.
I am the type of person who cannot sleep at night when my emergency fund go below a minimum level. I fear that an emergency could happen anytime and as the bread winner of the family I am obliged to pay the expenses. I always feel that I should have enough money to cover unexpected expenses.
I always tell my clients that before they get an investment or insurance plan, they should have at least an emergency fund. Without an adequate emergency fund, they will sacrifice their investment or insurance plan when they face a financial emergency. They will be forced to prematurely sell their investments at a loss or they will be forced to surrender their life insurance policies resulting to loss of coverage. When clients surrender their life insurance policies, they would not only lose coverage but also they will not get all their money back because of the insurance fees collected by the insurance company.
Start building your emergency fund today. If you already have an emergency fund, I recommend you even increase it to cover more months.  I suggest you have a separate bank account to put your emergency fund. Do not mix it up to your regular bank account. Also, with will power, fight the temptation to use your emergency fund to pay for unnecessary things. Remember that your emergency fund is intended for emergencies only. Using it for travel expenses and mall shopping is a big NO!


Source: http://www.moneytalkph.com/money-management/the-importance-of-having-an-emergency-fund/

Over 40 Ways to Decrease Your Auto Insurance Costs

There are multiple articles titled "7 ways to save on car insurance" or "5 Tips to lower your auto insurance costs" etc, but would it not be great to have all those saving tricks and discounts at one place? Below you will find such a list for Auto insurance. This list is a comprehensive overview of all opportunities to save on car insurance in Canada, and was compiled based on the results of numerous discussions with insurance brokers and through analyses of different insurance offerings.

1. Shop around: Search, Compare, and switch insurance companies. There are many insurance providers and their price offerings for the same policies can be very different, therefore use multiple online tools and talk to several brokers since each will cover a limited number of insurance companies.

2. Bundle: Do you need Home and Auto Insurance? Most companies will offer you a discount if you bundle them together.

3. Professional Membership: Are you a member of a professional organization (e.g. Certified Management Accountants of Canada or The Air Canada Pilots Association)? Then some insurance companies offer you a discount.

4. Students: Being a student alone can result in a student discount.

5. Alumni: Graduates from certain Canadian universities ( e.g University of Toronto, McGill University) might be eligible for a discount at certain Insurance providers.

6. Employee / Union members: Some companies offer discounts to union members.

7. Seniors: Many companies offer special pricing to seniors.

8. Direct insurers: Have you always dealt with insurance brokers / agents? Getting a policy from a direct insurer (i.e. insurers working via call-center or online) often can be cheaper (but not always) since they do not pay an agent/broker commission for each policy sold.

9. Annual vs. monthly payments: In comparison to monthly payments, annual payments save insurers administrative costs (e.g. sending bills) and therefore they reward you lower premiums.

10. Loyalty: Staying with one insurer longer can sometimes result in a long-term policy holder discount.

11. Annual review: Review your policies and coverage every year, since new discounts could apply to your new life situation if it has changed.

12. Welcome discount: Some insurers offer a so called welcome discount.

13. Benchmark your costs: Knowing how much other consumers similar to you pay for their insurance can help you identify the most cost-friendly insurance providers.

14. Car Insurance Deductibles: Increase your car insurance deductibles if you believe that you are capable of incurring higher payments for damages in case of an accident. This is especially suited for more experienced car drivers.

15. Being a second driver: Driving a car only occasionally? Become a second drive instead of being a principal driver

16. Minimal coverage: Driving an old car without large value? Get a minimal coverage required by law (mainly liability) w/o collision damage (you are still protected if you damage somebody's car but damages on your car will not be covered)

17. Minimal Coverage: Driving an old, inexpensive car? Then only get a minimal coverage plan which is required by the law (mainly liability) without collision damage coverage (does not cover damage costs for your vehicle)

18. Leverage your Credit Card: Check if your credit card insurance includes rental car protection. Paying with a card that has insurance for rental car protection can you save you around $20 per day in Collision Damage Waiver fees.

19. Leverage rental car coverage: If you frequently rent cars and have an auto insurance policy, you should check if your own auto insurance policy actually covers the rental car. If it is the case, you can save on all Collision Damage Waiver costs for rental vehicles.

20. Rental car rider: If your existing auto insurance policy does not cover your rental car, you can often add it as a rider (policy extension) for $20-30 dollars a year. Compared to $20/day you would pay when renting a car, it's not a bad deal!

21. Location, location, location: Car insurance costs are different from one province to another (e.g. moving from Ontario to Quebec will surely reduce your insurance costs by half). If you move within a province, you should check for any changes in car insurance costs, and ideally you should move to where costs are lower (e.g. Burlington, Ontario has one of the highest car insurance rates in Ontario)

22. CAA member: CAA Members: Are you a member of the CAA? Some insurance providers will reward you with lower insurance premiums, including, of course, the CAA.

23. Dashboard camera: Get a dashboard camera for your vehicle. Even though installing a dashboard camera does not result in direct savings (insurance companies do not offer any insurance discount related to dashboard cameras) but it can prove you not-at-fault when it is the case in an accident. It results in you avoiding unfair premium raises.

24. Driving Course: Successfully completing a driving course is sometimes recognized by some insurance providers and could help you reduce your premiums.

25. Improving your driving record: Do you have a bad driving record? Every three years previously incurred tickets are removed from your insurance history and your insurance premiums can go down.

26. At-Fault Accidents: Have you been in a couple of accidents in the past where you were at fault? With a little patience (six years with no accidents), your risk profile will improve allowing you to once again enjoy reasonable insurance premium rates.

27. Age: Senior drivers enjoy lower auto insurance premiums. Thus in several years your premiums can go down.

28. Car Make and Model: Wisely choose your car, as some car models are more susceptible to theft or even have a history of more risky drivers (e.g. Toyota Camry, Acura MDX, Toyota RAV4, and Honda Civic are usually quite expensive to insure)

29. Good Student: Yes, having good grades can have many positive impacts, and even on your auto insurance rates! E.g. one insurance company rewards students who are younger than 25 and have good grades (grade average of B or higher) with a discount up to 25%.

30. Multiple-cars-bundle: Bundle several cars on one policy and your rate can go down

31. Anti-theft system: Installing a certified anti-theft system in your car results in a lower risk of theft and thus can lead to insurance discounts.

32. Winter Tires: Having winter tires is important for driving safety during the winter, but can also help reduce your insurance premiums.

33. Repair costs: Choose a car that would cost less to repair in case of damage. The repair costs for certain cars (e.g. Mini Cooper or BMW) are higher than other (e.g. Ford Focus) and insurance providers are aware of that.

34. Claim History: Keeping a clean claims history can sometimes be more financially feasible than submitting claims for small damage repairs which could result in increased premiums. Contacting an insurance provider/broker could help you find out what makes sense.

35. Being married: In most provinces your marital status affects your insurance premiums (except in Nova Scotia)

36. Short distance to work: Finding a house close to your place of work reduces the distance that you need drive daily to work and thus results in lower insurance premiums.

38. Drop glass coverage: For cars with inexpensive windshields, it can be more economical to drop the glass coverage since in combination with the deductibles to be paid in case of an accident you'd pay more. It is up to you to calculate.

39. Retiree Discounts: Some insurance companies will offer different retirement discounts for drivers.

40. Disabilities: Some companies offer discounts for people with disabilities.

41. Hybrid vehicles: Many companies award driving a hybrid vehicle with lower insurance premiums.

42. Private Garage: Parking your car in a safe location (e.g. private or secure garage) normally results in lower insurance premiums with auto insurance providers.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7422169

40+ Home Insurance Savings Tips

Your dwelling is often your most precious asset that you need to protect. We created a list of all savings opportunities associated with Home insurance. This list is the most complete perspective on home insurance savings tips. Numerous insurance brokers contributed to this list. So, let's start!

1. Change your content coverage: Renting a Condo? You can often lower your content coverage. No need to insure your belongings to up to $250,000 if you only have a laptop and some IKEA furniture!

2. Renovations: Renovating your house can result in lower home insurance premiums, as home insurance premiums for older, poorly maintained dwellings are usually higher. Additionally, renovating only parts of your dwelling (e.g. the roof) can lead to insurance savings.

3. Pool: Adding a swimming pool to your house will likely lead to an increase in your insurance rates since your liability ( e.g. the risk of someone drowning) and the value of your house have increased.

4. Pipes: Insurers prefer copper or plastic plumbing - maybe it is a good idea to upgrade your galvanized / lead pipes during your next renovation cycle.

5. Shop around: Search, Compare, and switch insurance companies. There are many insurance providers and their price offerings for the same policies can be very different, therefore use multiple online tools and talk to several brokers since each will cover a limited number of insurance companies.

6. Wiring: Some wiring types are more expensive or cheaper than others to insure. Make sure you have approved wiring types, and by all means avoid aluminum wirings which can be really expensive to insure. Not all insurers will cover houses with aluminum wirings, and those that would, will require a full electrical inspection of the house.

7. Home Insurance deductibles: Like auto insurance, you can also choose higher home insurance deductibles to reduce your insurance premiums.

8. Bundle: Do you need Home and Auto Insurance? Most companies will offer you a discount if you bundle them together.

9. New Home: Check if insurer has a new home discount, some insurers will have them.

10. Claims-free discount: Some companies recognize the fact that you have not submitted any claims and reward it with a claim-free discount.

11. Mortgage-free home: When you complete paying down your house in full, some insurers will reward you with lower premiums.

12. Professional Membership: Are you a member of a professional organization (e.g. Certified Management Accountants of Canada or The Air Canada Pilots Association)? Then some insurance companies offer you a discount.

13. Seniors: Many companies offer special pricing to seniors.

14. Annual vs. monthly payments: In comparison to monthly payments, annual payments save insurers administrative costs (e.g. sending bills) and therefore they reward you lower premiums.

15. Annual review: Review your policies and coverage every year, since new discounts could apply to your new life situation if it has changed.

16. Alumni: Graduates from certain Canadian universities ( e.g University of Toronto, McGill University) might be eligible for a discount at certain Insurance providers.

17. Employee / Union members: Some companies offer discounts to union members ( e.g. IBM Canada or Research in Motion)

18. Mortgage insurance: Getting mortgage insurance when you have enough coverage in Life insurance is not always necessary: mortgage insurance is another name for a Life/Critical Illness / Disability insurance associated with your home only but you pay extra for a convenience of getting insurance directly when lending the money. For example a Term Life policy large enough to pay off your home is usually cheaper.

19. Drop earthquake protection: In many regions, earthquakes are not likely - you could decide not to take earthquake coverage which could lower your premiums. For example, in BC earthquake coverage can account for as much as one-third of a policy's premium.

20. Wood stove: Choosing to use a wood stove means higher premiums - Insurance companies often decide to inspect the houses with such installations before insuring them. A decision to get rid of it means a lower risk and thus lower insurance premiums.

21. Heating: Insurers like forced-air gas furnaces or electric heat installations. If you have an oil-heated home, you might be paying more than your peers who have alternative heating sources.

22. Bicycle: You are buying a new bicycle and thinking about getting extra protection in case it is stolen when you leave it on the street e.g. when doing your groceries? Your Home insurance might be covering it already.

23. Stop smoking: Some insurers increase their premiums for the homes with smokers as there is an increased risk of fire.

24. Clean claim history: Keep a clean claim record without placing small claims, sometimes it makes sense to simply repair a small damage rather than claim it: you should consider both aspects: your deductibles and potential raise in premiums.

25. Rebuilding vs. market costs: Consider your rebuilding costs when choosing an insurance coverage, not the market price of your house (market price can be significantly higher than real rebuilding costs).

26. Welcome discount: Some insurers offer a so called welcome discount.

27. Avoid living in dangerous locations: Nature effects some locations more than others: avoid flood-, or earthquake-endangered areas when choosing a house.

28. Neighbourhood: Moving to a more secure neighbourhood with lower criminal rate will often considered in your insurance premiums.

29. Centrally-connected alarm: Installing an alarm connected to a central monitoring system will be recognized by some insurers in premiums.

30. Monitoring: Having your residence / apartment / condo monitored 24 hour can mean an insurance discount. e.g. via a security guard.

31. Hydrants and fire-station: Proximity to a water hydrant and/or fire-station can decrease your premiums as well.

32. Loyalty: Staying with one insurer longer can sometimes result in a long-term policy holder discount.

33. Water damages: Avoid buying a house which may have water damage or has a history of water damage; a check with the insurance company can help to find it out before you buy the house.

34. Decrease liability risk: Use meaningful ways to reduce your liability risk (e.g. fencing off a pool) and it can result in your liability insurance premiums going down.

35. Direct insurers: Have you always dealt with insurance brokers / agents? Getting a policy from a direct insurer (i.e. insurers working via call-center or online) often can be cheaper (but not always) since they do not pay an agent/broker commission for each policy sold.

36. Plumbing insulation: Insulating your pipes will prevent them from freezing in winter and reduce or even avoid insurance claims.

37. Dependent students: Dependent students living in their own apartment can be covered by their parents' home insurance policy at no additional charge.

38. Retirees: Those who are retired can often get an additional discount - since they spend more time at home than somebody who works during the day and thus can prevent accidents like a fire much easier.

39. Leverage inflation: Many insurers increase your dwelling limit every year by considering the inflation of the house rebuilding costs. Make sure this adjustment is in line with reality and that you are not overpaying.

40. Credit score: Most companies use your credit score when calculating home insurance premiums. Having a good credit score can help you to get lower insurance rates.

41. Stability of residence: Some insurers may offer a stability of residence discount if you have lived at the same dwelling for a certain number of years.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7422262