A Guide To Life Insurance For Policy Holders Over Age 50

Health & Fitness

Life insurance is something back can be a complex issue for some individuals. This differs from other types of insurance because it is providing security for those people who are dependent on your income; in the event that you are gone and can no longer provide for them. Many people wonder about the different guidelines when it comes to purchasing life insurance. Two of the biggest influencers when it comes to getting a policy at 50 or above are the amount of people who are financially depending on you, and the amount of fiscal responsibility you hold for each of these individuals.

Those persons who may be fiscally dependent on you might include children, siblings, and your spouse. When you have multiple people who look to you for financial support, you can name multiple beneficiaries to your life insurance policy. This allows for each dependent to receive a specific amount; while alleviating any confusion about the matter during a hardship. Adding numerous beneficiaries to your life insurance also saves the policy holder from needing to purchase more than one policy.

There are also cases where a person may not have anyone who is financially dependent on them. In these situations, the life insurance policy holder may still want to bequeath a financial sum to a specific person. An example of this may be a person that is over 50 who has children that are adults. Those children may not be financially dependent on their parents, but the parents may want to leave them money in the case of their passing.

In order to initiate the life insurance policy over the age of 50, the policyholder must begin the underwriting process. This involves a physical exam, and an extensive health screening. Individuals who are over 50 and in good health normally go through this process with no issues. Those who are over 50 and have health problems may have to pay a higher premium. A good example of this would be a policyholder who smokes cigarettes versus a policyholder who does not smoke at all.

Figuring out the appropriate amount of life insurance is a key factor in building your policy. The higher the policy, the more it will cost. Life insurance agents normally are paid on commission; and may provide incentives for you to purchase more life insurance than you need. For this reason, it is a good idea to seek out a financial advisor who is not paid on commission. By taking this approach, the life insurance policy you choose to purchase will align with your overall financial circumstance.

Term life insurance is similar to other insurances in the aspect that premiums are paid annually. There are no specific cash amounts correlating with a policy that is considered term insurance. These types of policies takes the paid premium and adds it to the account that will be paid to the beneficiaries. Whole life insurance differs because the premium that is paid covers the expenses of the life insurance policy as well as puts money in a separate savings account.

This savings account can be used for the policyholder later in life; or added to the amount that the policy’s beneficiary will receive. Both types of life insurance have specific guidelines, so your overall goals and needs will influence which type of policy you choose to purchase. No matter what your plans are for selecting a life insurance policy, it is recommended to seek proper guidance and don’t delay.

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Why Environmental Issues Should Be a Part of the School Curriculum

Education

Children go to school to prepare themselves for the bigger battles in life. They need to study math and science so they can become future doctors and engineers. They have to learn the basics of reading and writing so they can communicate well. The school is a training ground for kids as they aspire for bigger things in life.

We’re teaching them a lot of things, but we forget about the problem they need to prepare for most – global warming. It used to be a simple and irrelevant issue but is becoming more alarming these days. Even adults keep denying the existence of climate change. They dislike conversations in regard to environmental protection. The problem is that they didn’t grow up learning about these issues. We kept placing environmental problems on the sidelines. 

Since we’re now facing the wrath of nature, it’s important that kids understand the importance of global warming at a young age. They have to see the relevance of these problems in their lives. The schools need to create a curriculum that gradually explains the complexities of the issues to kids of different grade levels. It might be challenging, but we have to trust kids to grasp these issues. If they can survive complex mathematical problems, there’s no reason for them to fail in understanding issues related to global warming. 

Schools need to be practical

The reason why a lot of educational institutions are failing is that they don’t prepare kids for life. The curriculum seems outdated. They still teach unnecessary subjects that children don’t use when they grow older. When they decide to take a career path that doesn’t utilize the knowledge learned at school, it’s a huge waste. 

However, global warming is an issue that affects everyone now, and will be even worse in the future. Therefore, all children have to understand what the problem means to them and their future. Teachers have the responsibility to instill environmental awareness among children. In fact, it shouldn’t only be at school. At home, children have to learn how to save the environment. Segregating waste materials is a good start. If they see you do it, they will emulate you. It also helps if you hire the services offered by Evergreen Junk Removal, so they will know that their waste items get thrown away in the right places. 

They will lead the battle soon

Right now, leading environmental activists are adults, but it’s only a matter of time before things start to change. Children are eventually going to lead the fight. They’re also going to be our next political leaders and heads of big corporations. If they understand the importance of environmental responsibility at a young age, they will do well when it’s their turn to take the lead. 

We keep complaining that the world is hopeless, and the environment is damaged beyond repair. The truth is that if we take the right steps, we can still put an end to these problems. 

We also have to trust our children to be smart enough to take the lead. It’s their future at stake, so they need to understand what’s going on.

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Too Stressed In Life? Here’s What Bonsai Tree Can Do for You

Health & Fitness

According to the Chinese culture, miniature objects are believed to hold mystical and magical powers. That is how miniaturization took place in flora and fauna in 700 AD leading to the art of “pun-sai” that ultimately gave birth to the cultivation of one of the most fascinating plants, Bonsai.

The word Bonsai is a Japanese term which, literally translated, means “planted in a container”. It paved its way from the Chinese horticulture and developed under Japanese Zen Buddhism. There are various types of bonsai like Semi cascade Bonsai style (Han-kengai), Literati Bonsai style (Bunjingi), Multi Trunk Bonsai style (Kabudachi) and so forth.

Bonsai trees have been cultivated for thousands of years, and till date they hold prominence as amazing house plants because of their various health and mental advantages. Here’s what makes bonsai a must-have plant in your home or office space

  1. It is A Stress Reliever

Stress has a strong presence in a modern man’s life. Bonsai is known to relax breathing and cures anxiety. Caring for bonsai and tending it everyday will help achieve a great sense of accomplishment by driving away negative thoughts and ill feelings. It is a natural therapy that helps in psychological relaxation. Viewing the miniature landscape, that is bonsai, lends to “forest therapy”, a technique in Japan that gives the effect of walking through the forest.

  1. It Takes Very Little Space

Bonsai is a tree in a miniature form and that is what makes it so fascinating. They do not need a lot of space as well. You can place it at the corner of your room or keep it as a centerpiece. Note that the optimal spot for bonsai depends on a lot of factors like the time of the year, climate etc. For an indoor bonsai, it must be kept on a South facing window with lots of light and constant temperature throughout the day. An outdoor bonsai as well, the thumb rule is to place it at a spot with maximum light.

  1. It is A Lifelong Friend

If taken care properly, a bonsai can grow very old and live up to hundreds of years, becoming an heirloom passing generation after generation. The biggest factor for the longevity is the care given to the bonsai. The oldest known bonsai in the world is the Sandai-Shogun-no-matsu in the Tokyo Palace collection in Japan and is nearly 500 years old.

  1. It Cures Illness

Bonsai is a healing indoor plant that can prove to be therapeutic. It helps balance the humidity and carbon dioxide level. It is a proven fact that indoor plants increase the comfort level at home and reduce the chances of falling sick. Overall, it also accelerated the recovery rate.

  1. It Requires Less Care

Bonsai is not a very high maintenance plant. Apart from the basics like sun, water, fertilizer and your attention, bonsai tree will not demand a lot from you and continue to add beauty and life to your home. An important thing to note, however, is that you should never let the soil dry.

  1. It Acts As An Air Purifier

Having a bonsai will add a green charm to your space while purifying the air around. The miniature Jade tree is an easy-to-care bonsai effective in carbon absorption. It has minimal watering requirements and is known to absorb carbon from the air more efficiently than many other plants.

  1. It Helps Your Brain Exercise

Bonsai helps greatly in giving your brain a good exercise and boosts memory, creativity and awareness. Bonsai is cultivating a living form. So, the cultivator has to be mindful of how to take care of the plant to boost its longevity and aesthetic appeal. It is a beautiful work of art that cannot be practiced if the person is not sensitive, resilient and patient to the living bonsai and is taking a very precise care of its needs as per the season and ambiance it is kept in.

Bonsai tree is perfect to include in your living space or gift someone dear. It holds a lot of meaning and is still a very popular art and not just an aesthetic symbol.

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Why Your Credit Score Matters

Finance

Your credit score might seem like a minor detail in the grand scheme of your life. But it can play a big role at certain points—namely when you need to borrow money. These are a few reasons why your credit score matters. 

Your Credit Score Determines Your Interest Rates

Interest rates are arguably the most important thing to consider when it comes to your own debt. While it might just feel like a number that’s there when you take out a loan or get a credit card, your interest rate can be a massive determinant in how much you pay on a loan.

Along with interest rates set by the Federal Reserve, your credit score is going to help determine the actual interest rate you’ll receive on a loan. Why does credit score matter for this? Because lending institutions don’t see all consumers in the same way. 

If you’re someone who has never missed a credit card payment and has consistently held a credit score in the 700s or higher, you’re typically considered pretty low risk for receiving credit. Banks and other lenders typically want to attract people who they think will pay them back in a timely manner, with a little bit of interest added on top. 

People who, on the other hand, have a history of not making payments on time or having debts go to collections will receive much less favorable rates. This is because the people lending the money can’t be as sure they’ll get it back. The higher interest rate is essentially a way for them to hedge their bets in case the consumer doesn’t repay the loan. 

Over the course of a mortgage, a few percentage points in your interest rate can make a huge difference in the amount you pay on the loan. This is the case with any kind of debt, but especially the longer you owe money. Keeping a high credit score will get you more favorable interest rates, and let you pay less in interest on your balances. 

Your Credit Score Determines Whether You Can Borrow Money

Do you need to take out a loan in order to buy a house or car? Your credit score is going to make a big difference in how smoothly the process goes for you. 

People with good credit typically don’t have trouble getting approved for a loan assuming it’s within their ability to pay it back. Those with poor credit, however, might not even be able to borrow money at all. When your credit is too low, some lenders might decide it’s not worth lending money even with a high interest rate.

People struggling to get a loan due to poor credit should look for ways to boost their credit score over time. Paying bills consistently and on time is the most surefire way of doing this. But what about if you’re at the point where you don’t think you’re going to be able to pay back what you currently owe?

People in this situation might want to get in contact with a debt relief organization like Freedom Financial Network. If settlement can bring your debt down to a more reasonable level, it tends to be easier to pay it off and start rebuilding your credit. 

You Never Know When It Might Come in Handy

It’s important to have your credit in a place that makes it possible for you to borrow money at a reasonable interest rate. You don’t know what the future holds for you. Someday, sooner than you might think, buying a house or car might be a real possibility for you. Having to settle with high interest rates because of a low credit score can make that dream much less achievable. 

It’s wise to take steps now that will help you get to a place where you can easily borrow money when you want or need to. Having a good credit score is a key part of that process. 

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Importance of a Building Inspection in Adelaide

DIY / Home Improvement

Anything new is deemed to be perfect in every possible manner. This is the most common perspective of humans. Whether you talk about a new car or a new piece of machinery or a brand-new electrical appliance or even a new home. You naturally think that anything new is error-free and suitable for you. Well, this may not be true all the time.

Take the example of a newly constructed home. You may think that since it was built from scratch and also customized as per your requirement, it does not require a home inspection. However, a timely home inspection or even an inspection of any other building can give you valuable information about a property’s construction and also avoid possible expenses in the long run due to repair work.

What Do You Mean by Home Inspection?

When you talk about a home inspection from keypropertyinspections.com.au, it basically involves a third-party evaluation of a home based upon its systems, appliances, and structure. The inspector will conduct a thorough evaluation of the property and also give you a detailed report of the same. The report will state the inspector’s findings clearly. You can go to the builder and also get any major problem fixed before you finally close the deal on the property. In other words, it can be said that a home inspection helps you get a safe and absolutely hazard-free property. It will ensure that you make a good investment and prevent you from incurring large expenses on various repair work in the days to come.

How Many Inspections Are Normally Required?

When it comes to a brand-new home that was recently constructed, it is normally recommended to go for 2 or 3 inspections on the entire property. The first of the inspections is generally known as the foundation inspection and it normally takes place right before the foundation is poured on the home. The sole purpose of this inspection is to ensure that the site has been graded and excavated properly. It also makes sure that the anchors and footing are nicely spaced out and are in place. The first inspection also checks to see whether the stage is all set for the home to be built on it or not.

The second inspection is known as the framing inspection and is carried out after all the frames of a house have been built with the roof in place and the windows installed. However, this inspection is carried out before the walls and sheetrock are put up. This inspection is to ensure that the posts, beams, studs, and various other structural components are in place properly. The wiring, window flashing, plumbing, and other elements are also checked during this second inspection.

The third and final inspection is normally the one you would generally have on any resale property. It ensures that a property is safe for occupancy and has been completed as per building standards and local code. If any defect is found during this inspection, it has to be rectified before the property sale deed is closed.

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Auro Hotels – Tips On Picking a Great Hotel Online

Travel

Recent figures show that 83% of all hotels which are booked are done through the web, and that figure is growing each and every year. With so many hotel booking websites it makes sense to use this medium to pick the perfect hotel for your vacation. Sometimes however hotels are not all they seem, and sometimes they can really surprise you, I had a fantastic experience last year with Auro Hotels which I stumbled on by chance and they really impressed. When booking hotels online there are some things which you need to consider to make sure that you get the right hotel for your needs. 

Location 

Location is one of the most important aspects of booking a hotel so once you have picked your destination you should research the area and see where the best place is to base yourself. Do you want to be in the city center? By the beach? Or perhaps further out from the action? These are the first things to consider before you book a hotel, sometimes you can find delightful hotels which are far from where you want to be. Continue reading at Mysterious Heartland to explore some old abandoned houses.

Price

Once you start searching the wide range of options available it can be easy to get tempted into spending over the top for a hotel which looks amazing. For this reason it makes much more sense to work out your budget first and then search for a hotel which falls within your budget. Now you may find that you are unimpressed with the hotels that do fall within your price range, so you may have to make a decision to spend a little extra to secure the best one for you. Nonetheless you need to begin this search with a price in mind. 

Reviews

It is important that you invest some time in reading the online reviews which people have left. For example you may find a hotel which has a customer rating of 4.5, which is obviously very positive. If however the customers who have left these reviews were looking for something different in a hotel than you are, these reviews become irrelevant. Read the reviews to see what the customer thought of the hotel and its facilities, to see if they are commenting on the same thing that you are looking for in a hotel. 

Where to Book

Very often 3rd party sites have much better prices on hotel rooms than if you were to book directly, but not always. For this reason once you have found a hotel which you want to stay in, you should always check out the hotel website directly to see how their prices fare. Given that 3rd party websites take a commission, you can often find lower prices by booking directly on the hotel website or by calling them to discuss pricing. 

Instead of just booking the first hotel which takes your fancy, it is far better to spend some time and energy on this to make the right choice.

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Alexis Fecteau – How to Improve Your Pool Playing

Entertainment

During college my buddy Alexis Fecteau and I used to spend hours upon hours playing pool, and we both thought that we were at a pretty good level. In our final year there was a new pool place which opened up by the college and we joined the league that they started there. Both Alexis and I were pretty confident going into this league, but we soon learned that we were way off the pace. We both decided to put the work in and became far better players as a result. If you want to improve how well you play pool, here are some tips which will help. 

Practicing Alone

Playing pool on your own gives you the chance to try out all kinds of different shots and try out different things, without it costing you a game if things go wrong. If you are really committed to this then you’ll find that you improve very quickly, especially if each time you focus on different types of shots and try to nail them. One week try and practice your cuts, the next try to practice your long potting, positioning etc. You will get better if you practice like this. 

Play Better Players

Something which really helped me to improve was playing against different and better players than myself. When you do this it really forces you to up your game and find new ways of getting out of sticky situations. Because I had played Alexis so much I knew his strengths and his weaknesses and I probably got a bit complacent. Once I started playing in the league however, I was facing a range of opponents, many of whom were better and all of whom were different from the last. 

Focus on Pace

The big mistake which many pool players make is thinking that they have to smash the ball each time, this in fact is very rarely called upon. The key is soft and steady pace, understanding just how hard or soft you need to hit the ball to make the pot and to keep your position. The only time where you need real pace is if you are trying to add some serious spin on the ball, but in truth that is not required very often. 

Picking Your Game

Playing 8-ball and 9-ball are very different games and so it makes sense if you pick one and focus your efforts on that. In 8-ball there are more positions to navigate and smaller pockets for the balls, conversely 9-ball has heavier balls and there is a lot more focus on playing plants and long range shots. The best advice would be to focus on 8-ball pool and then if you fancy trying out 9-ball later you can use the skills you’ve learned in 8-ball to enjoy a game with just 9. 

Work hard and keep practicing, I guarantee you that you will continue to get better! 

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James Haidak – Top Sights to See in Mexico City

Travel

After college my buddy James Haidak and I made the decision to move down to Mexico City for a few months with the aim of improving our Spanish. That was 5 years ago and whilst James moved back up north a couple of years ago, I decided to stay down here, and I have a feeling that James may wish to come back down to, we both love it so much here. Mexico City is a great place to live and a great place to visit and I would recommend it to anyone. Should you come down here, these are the best things to do and see. 

Xochimilco 

In the south of the city there is a place called Xochimilco which has an expansive canal network to explore. The boats that take to the water are called trajineras and they are these long crafts which are all decorated with bright colors and quirky names. If there is a group of you then you can load up on snacks and supplies and privately rent one of these boats for less than $20. This is a great way to see a different side to the city. 

Zocalo

Zocalo is also called the Historic Center of the city and it is a great place to spend an afternoon, as well as being a great base during your time in Mexico. Here they have the famous Plaza de Constitucion square, which is where major events take place, political demonstrations, artisan markets and it is also where President goes when he gets sworn in. The cute little streets around Zocalo are packed with great places to go shopping and eat, as well as many small museums and art galleries. Music on the streets, old buildings to see and plenty of opportunities to get some authentic souvenirs. 

Anthropology Museum

If you like museums then this is the perfect city for you as there are over 150 throughout the capital. The most famous of them all is the anthropology museum which is home to a plethora of ancient artifacts from Mesoamerica. Discover the history of Mexican civilizations from the Olmecs, the Toltecs to the Mayans and the Aztecs. This is a fascinating place where you can spend hours learning about the history of this incredible country, and how it got to be where it is today. 

Chapultepec 

Chapultepec is one of the largest urban parks in the world, even bigger than Central Park in New York. This is a lovely place to pass your time in the city and there is a boating lake, a zoo and huge areas of open space where you can relax and people watch as you eat some local cuisine. There is a castle in the middle of Chapultepec which has been perfectly preserved and offer a great little place to visit. 

If you don’t do anything else during your time in CDMX, make sure that you visit these four places. 

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Dearborn Heights Pharmacy – Quick Action When You Feel a cold Coming On

Health & Fitness

You know the feeling, skin starts to get sensitive, your nose starts running, maybe your head starts to ache, the early indications of a cold. This is where I was last month ahead of a business trip, I simply didn’t have time for a cold. I ran to Dearborn Heights pharmacy to try and find something to stave off this onslaught which was coming. The staff at the pharmacy were amazing and offered me a range of options to help me, naturally I tried them all and that cold never really showed its teeth. If you feel a cold coming on, here is what you can try. 

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is excellent for boosting your immune system and when you first feel the effects of a cold you need to try and fill up with as much Vitamin C as you can. This may not get rid of the cold altogether, but it will ensure that your body is fighting fit and it will minimize how much the cold affects you. Oranges, satsumas, orange juice, broccoli, all packed with Vitamin C and perfect to give you the boost you need. 

Hot Toddy

A hot toddy is a drink which is made with hot water, whisky, tea, honey and ginger and it is an old wives’ tale which really works. To prepare this make a cup of black tea and add a shot of whisky, half a table spoon of honey and grate some fresh ginger. The whisky is to help you sleep, the hot water will help you to sweat out the infection, the ginger and the tea have great anti-oxidants which will help the body to flush out and the honey is helpful to soothe the throat and the body. Take this on a night time and you’ll feel great the next day. 

Anti-Flu

The best time to start taking any anti-flu tablets is as soon as you feel the cold coming on. If you begin to take these once you are in the grips of cold they will be far less efficient. The symptoms are at their worst once the infection has grown, taking anti-flu medication prior to this is a great way to minimize the growth of the infection and ensure that the cold passes without the symptoms becoming too bad. 

 

Sweating 

Another option which is great for the early stages of cold is to go to a steam room and sweat it out. The mixture of the heat and the humidity will encourage your pores to open up and flush out your system, which will help you to get rid of the infection. You may still feel some symptoms of cold but because of how much you will sweat out, the effects will be minimal. 

My advice would be to try all of these tips when you first feel those symptoms starting up, just to be sure that you can get rid of the beast. 

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Misha Kaura – Top Tips To Help You Get Into The Textiles Industry

Business

If you have a passion for textiles and you want to break into the industry with your very own business then this is a post for you. I was inspired to write this by my very good friend Misha Kaura who started from nothing and grew her textiles business into very successful company. Misha always loved fabrics and textiles and I always had a feeling that this would be the career path which she took. Misha had to learn it all on her own and I am very proud of the textile guru that she has become. If you want to follow in Misha’s footsteps then here are some tips which she has shared about getting into the industry. 

Getting to Know

The first step before you even think about launching a business is to get to know the industry and how it operates. As simple as this sounds, this is going to be your foundation for building your business and you must gain an understanding of fabrics, textiles, and what designs people are looking for, as well as pricing structures. 

Understand the Market 

You are also going to have to invest some of your time in learning about the market which you are about to enter into. This involves losing at customer trends and logistics of an operation. A great idea here is to try and get a position within a textiles company so that you can learn the ropes and see how it operates. You have to understand both the market and how a business can succeed within it. 

Speaking to Sellers

Aim to speak to as many raw product vendors, designers and sellers of fabrics who you will be buying from in the future. Learn about lead times, order sizes, contracts and try to make as many contacts as possible. Your business is going to rely heavily on buying at great prices which is why now is the time to focus on forging relationships. 

Location 

Once you have done your homework and decided that you are going to launch your business it is time to start thinking about location. Given that you won’t require a high street shop you can look for more out of the way locations here, which will help to reduce costs. Consider the utilities which you will need such as strong electrical currents and water, as well as accessibility. 

Cash Flow 

There is little point in launching your business and tying up all your cashflow with the purchase of a single fabric so you need to start trying to learn how to keep production going without putting all of your capital in one place. Which fabrics will sell quickest? Can you use a credit system with suppliers? Key questions which you have to answer that will help you to keep more liquid cash in the business. 

These are just  the starting points of getting yourself into the textiles industry. 

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