Personal Financial Tips

Archive for January, 2012

As a single mom with little time on her hands and even less mechanical ability, I could not believe it when I actually built and installed an on-demand hydrogen generator to run my car on water and cut my gas bill in half.

Actually, I’ve created a hybrid of sorts. I still use gasoline but only half as much by supplementing regular gas with hydrogen gas I create with my own home built, on-demand hydrogen generator.

I always new that big business and even our government really could care less how much we all struggle to make ends meet. They will push and push to the point of a revolt and then get on their high horse and claim they are going to help the people.

Take for example the gas crisis. It is unbelievable how expensive a gallon of gas is. It is also unbelievable what we have done to the environment. In rides the government on a white horse claiming they are here to help.

Here is what that help boils down to. If you want to get better gas mileage then you need to fork out $25,000 for a new hybrid vehicle. Or you can wait until they develop hydrogen fuel cell technology, which is not only dangerous but we will still be strapped to the pump.

Did you know there is already a technology that exist that can cut your gas bill in half? It is so simple, inexpensive and effective that it is a crime that every car in the world does not utilize it.

But simple, inexpensive and effective are not going to generate huge corporate profits or billion dollar tax revenues so why pursue it? Yes, the big guys are willing to help us little folk but only if they get richer doing it.

I’d had enough so I got myself a set of plans for a DIY hydrogen generator that I could build myself, with parts found locally and for under $65. And, I actually built the darn thing in a couple of days in between diaper changes and soccer matches and improved my gas mileage.

Now, I started out with a pretty simple model that got me about a 25% increase in gas mileage. I then expanded the system and installed an inexpensive device that tricks the computer in my car to allow for the increased gas mileage and am now at about 45-50% increase in fuel mileage.

Yeah, I had to trick my car’s computer because the clever auto-makers, who seem to be in a partnership with the oil companies, decided they needed to install a device on our cars that makes sure we get really bad gas mileage no matter what we do to try increase fuel efficiency.

Did you know that you only use about 25% of the power in a gallon of gas for forward motion? The other 75% goes unburned, leaving harmful deposits in your engine thus shortening its life.

Where does all this unburned fuel go you may be asking yourself? Well, the government in all of its infinite wisdom decided that it would mandate expensive catalytic convertors to cook all this unburned fuel.

Yeah, hide the evidence instead of requiring the auto-makers to remove the device 9the oxygen sensor) that regulates the air to fuel mixture that ensures an inefficient burn and bad gas mileage.

Everything I have said here is well documented and I’m only repeating what experts around the world have been trying to say for years now. I’m not into conspiracy theories but documented proof no longer makes it a conspiracy.

Actually, it does not matter because this is the way the world does, and always will, operate. But I’ve now built my own hydrogen generator and cut my gas bill in half and I did it all by myself. I did not rely on the government to help me out; I took matters into my own hands.

Are you a lady looking for car insurance? Are you finding problems with getting good prices? Don’t car insurance companies understand your needs? There needs to be some solutions, and luckily you will soon find them. In this article, we will look at the best methods to find ladies car insurance!

There is no doubt that insurance companies discriminate women drivers. Often you will find that a female gets charged more. Why is this?

Well, woman drivers for some reason are held as not as reliable with driving, but we know this is not true.

So, what can you do to get a more fair insurance quote? There are some options, and remember that each different insurer will have different ways to calculate how much they will charge you.

So, with some research, you can find some great options. You can find options that are cheaper than others, and this can mean a lot of savings for you.

So, how do you find these options?

There are many different insurers, and finding them is a simple process that needs research. The billboards around town can give you some ideas of different firms.

Auto magazines are another option, which can bring up many options.

Next, you want to remember that there are 2 main differences in the insurer.

One insurance company will be a general company that sells insurance to everyone, whereas another company will specialise to a specific group of people.

One thing that we are seeing more and more of, is the specialist company. Fortunately, there are more ladies car insurance companies, and these can be a great way to find the insurance quote you need, that is right.

If you want to save, then you want to make sure that you research all these options, as it can make all the difference.

Homeowners insurance covers your home against damage from fire, vandalism, theft, and Vermont storms and winters. Without it, you risk losing everything you own. Here’s how to get low cost Vermont homeowners insurance.

What Homeowners Insurance Covers

Homeowners insurance covers:

Your home – Homeowners insurance will pay to repair or rebuild you home after its been damaged or destroyed by a fire, by a plumbing leak, by vandalism, or by snow or storm damage. Standard policies do not cover flooding, but you can get it from the Federal Insurance Administration (fema.gov).

To estimate the amount of home coverage you need, multiply the square footage of your home by local building costs per square foot. You can get the local building costs in your area from an insurance agent, a real estate agent, or a builder.

There are two types of homeowners coverage – 1. Actual cash value coverage, which pays to replace your home or personal possessions minus a deduction for depreciation, and 2. Replacement cost coverage, which pays the actual cost of replacing your home or personal possessions.

Your possessions – Homeowners insurance will pay to replace your personal possessions after they’ve been stolen, or damaged. Standard policies provide personal property coverage equal to 50% to 70% of your home insurance coverage. To determine if this is enough coverage, add up the value of all your possessions. If you need more coverage you can purchase it from your insurance company.

Standard policies limit the amount of coverage on expensive items like jewelry, furs, and computers. Check your policy to see what the limit is and purchase more coverage if you need to.

Additional living expenses – Homeowners insurance will reimburse you for your living expenses – hotel, motel, and restaurant bills – when your home is being repaired due to a fire, a plumbing leak, vandalism, or by snow or storm damage. Standard policies provide additional living expense coverage equal to 20% of your home insurance coverage. If you feel you need more you can purchase additional coverage.

Personal liability – Homeowners insurance will pay your legal fees and court costs when you’re found liable for injuring someone or damaging their property. Standard policies provide $100,000 worth of liability coverage, but you can purchase more coverage if you feel you need it.

Where to Get Low Cost Vermont Homeowners Insurance

The best place to get low cost Vermont homeowners insurance is at an insurance comparison website. It only takes a couple of minutes to get rate quotes from a number of insurance companies.

How will having a dog affect your homeowners insurance rates? What kind of dogs will cause your home insurance rates to increase or even possibly cause you to be ineligible for coverage? Is it possible to find cheap homeowners insurance even with a dog?Across the U.S. owners of certain breeds of dogs are being told by homeowners insurance carriers that they need to give up their dogs or risk having their homeowners insurance policy canceled or not renewed at the end of their contract period.

In most states it is also legal for homeowners insurance companies to charge higher premiums based on the breed of the dog. While there is no standard list of ‘high risk’ dogs among different insurance carriers, some of the breeds that are most often targeted are Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, Pit Bulls, Huskies, Malamutes, Chow Chows, Great Danes, and Saint Bernards.

With one third of all homeowners liability insurance claims being filed as a result of dog bites, insurance carriers are becoming increasingly reluctant to insure owners who have breeds that statistics have shown to cause the most personal injury. In 2006 insurers spent 35.14 million to cover the costs of dog bites alone.

STATISTICS CONCERNING DOG BITES

- Of all childhood hospital emergency room visits, dog bites rank second as the most common cause of injuries.

- 60% of all dog bites involve children. This includes the family dog as well as dogs not known to the child.

- Annually, the number of Americans that suffer dog bites exceeds 4.7 million.

- Rottweilers and Pit Bulls account for over 50% of all dog attacks. (A male dog is 80% more likely to bite than a female dog.)

- Surveys show that about 40% of households own a dog or dogs, and that the majority of dog bites occur in or near the house where the dog lives.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO FIND AMONG VARIOUS HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE COMPANIES IF I’M AN OWNER OF A ‘DANGEROUS BREED’?

Some home insurers will have a list of breeds and cross breeds that are banned from coverage and you will not be able to get a homeowners policy from them as long as you own that breed of dog. This is their policy regardless of how long you’ve owned the dog or how sweet its temperament.

Some insurance carriers will consider dogs on a case by case basis and not automatically ban insuring a dog based on its breed. Their homeowners insurance questionnaire may include questions such as, “Has your dog bitten anyone?” or “Has your dog been trained to bite or attack?” Also, the issue of whether a dog was provoked into biting or attacking may be taken into consideration. If in the past a dog has had an incident of attacking someone unprovoked, most insurers will not offer coverage and in many cases not renew a policy.

Some insurers will offer liability insurance coverage but require higher premiums if you are the owner of a ‘high risk’ dog. With liability claims sky rocketing in the area of injuries incurred by dog bites and by “dangerous breeds”, insurers have increased their premiums to offset the cost in much the same way as homeowners are being required to pay higher premiums in areas where wind has caused so much damage.

Some home insurers will require those seeking a homeowners policy with them to sign a liability waiver for dog bites. All of which means that if the homeowner desires liability coverage for his dog he will have to purchase a separate policy, and of course, that means more money paid out in premiums.

WHAT IS GOING ON IN LEGISLATION CONCERNING “DANGEROUS DOGS”? Laws on dangerous dogs and homeowners insurance differ from state to state. In the state of Illinois Bill, H184 established a definition for “dangerous dogs’ and ‘vicious’ dogs. It also outlines certain requirements for owning these dogs and lays out the penalties for violating these standards. In addition, all dogs are now required to be vaccinated against rabies. Inside the bill H184, certain jurisdiction was also given to county governments that they did not formerly have. This bill now allows counties to require micro chipping dogs, and they are also given the power to require animal and litter registration fees.

In Palos Heights, a city in Cook County, Illinois a micro chipping requirement was put into place. The City Council approved an ordinance that not only required owners with dogs classified as “dangerous” to micro chip their dogs, but in addition they are required to take out a $100,000 liability insurance policy for their pet. Under their definition, a “dangerous dog is one that “Exhibits extremely aggressive menacing behavior toward humans or domestic pets and must be confined to prevent injury or death to human or pets.” As a result of this definition, ‘dangerous dogs “must be kept in their home or in a secure enclosure. Outside trips are banned, unless a veterinary visit needs to be made. A muzzle is also a requirement for the dog to visit the vet.

On the insurance end, legislation is pending that would prohibit insurers form canceling or denying coverage based solely on the breed of a dog. Several others states, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Vermont, and Washington also have similar legislation in the works. Michigan and Pennsylvania already have a law in place that makes it illegal for homeowner insurance companies to deny coverage based on breed.

HOW DO I FIND HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE TO COVER MY DOG?

Call around. This will take some diligence on your part, but there are still some insurance carriers that offer coverage on a case to case basis and do not discriminate against a breed. These would seem to hold to the American Kennel Association position of “Punish the deed, not the breed.” Shopping around is key to finding cheap homeowners insurance.

If your dog has completed some kind of obedience training program, make that documentation available to the insurers. If your dog has not participated in an obedience program, as if that would help you obtain liability insurance or even give you a better rate.

Finally, if your dog has less than a stellar dog history, you might have to purchase a separate liability policy to cover your dog.

Whatever you decide to do – be sure that you shop around and compare homeowners insurance quotes from multiple companies. Shopping around is key to not only find the coverage for your pet and home that you need but also to save money in the process.