Employer Benefits

       
 

Track Your Spending

       
 

 

 

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Money Saving Minute #034 – Track Your Spending

 

Tracking your spending will save you money.  Sounds pretty obvious, doesn't it?  But consider this, the same number of people that say ‘I already know that’ are equal to the same number of people that will say ‘where did all of my money go’?

 

So let’s get back to basics.  Tracking spending is not about self punishment.  Tracking is about looking at where your money goes and finding ways to comfortably keep more of it in your pocket.

 

Tracking starts with a 30 day snap shot.  For the next 30 days keep all of your receipts for cash purchase and make note of any incidental purchase such as vending machines.  Next take a look at your bank and credit card statements for the same time frame.  Examine all of your documentation to see where your money is going.  Again, this might seem obvious but once you take a good look you might be surprised at where your money is going.

 

 

 

Money Saving Minute #030 – Mortgage Insurance Options

Mortgage Insurance Options.  FHA is changing their mortgage insurance requirements.  Now is the time to have your mortgage reviewed to see if you are in the best position.  Click play for more information.

 

 

 

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Money Saving Minute #030 – Mortgage Insurance Options.  Last week we talked about the changes that FHA will be making to their annual mortgage insurance premiums.  It was mentioned at the end of the video that there are other options available.  Mortgage insurance is available for conventional loans for borrowers with less than 20% equity.  The difference is private mortgage insurance carriers have competition so the rates are often better than FHA.  Private mortgage insurance is also prorated to the amount of equity that you do have in a home.  Finally, private mortgage insurance will have payment options such as monthly, onetime payment or split premiums.  If you are currently paying mortgage insurance or have been in an FHA loan for several years now is a good time to have your mortgage reviewed.  Take a look at all of your options and make sure that you are in the best loan product before rates and programs change.

 

FHA Mortgage Insurance Changes

Money Saving Minute #029 - FHA Mortgage Insurance Changes
No joke, folks. It's coming and it's 28k big. There are other lending options and we should explore them all for you. For now, however, be aware of the deadline for the FHA annual premium changes.

 

 

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Money Saving Minute #029 – FHA Mortgage Insurance Changes

 

There are two changes on the horizon for FHA borrowers. The first went into effect on April 1^st. The annual mortgage insurance premiums on all FHA mortgages went up one tenth of one percent. This equates to about $8.34 per month per $100,000 borrowed.

 

The second change will go into effect on June third of two thousand thirteen. This change is a much more significant so listen closely. For case numbers requested after June third the mortgage insurance on all FHA loans with less than 10% equity will continue for the life of the loan. In plain English, if you are planning on buying a home with the minimum 3.5% down payment on a thirty year term you will be paying over $26,000 per $100,000 borrowed more in mortgage insurance over the life of the loan. 

 

The moral of the story my friends is if you are holding off on buying that new home in hopes that the price will come down stop thinking and put in an offer. Waiting until after June third is going to be extremely costly.



The Slow Cooked Truth

Money Saving Minute #025: The Slow Cooked Truth. The average American eats out five times a week. After a long day it's just too easy to stop and pick up dinner vs standing in the kitchen for an hour cooking for the family. But there is an alternative. Check out this weeks video and see how you could save your family money (and calories) but not spend all that time in the kitchen at the end of the day. By the way, I read a report this week that said that home prices have bottomed out. If you know anyone that is thinking about buying but is waiting for the "right time", have them call me. I would be more than happy to share this information with them. And remember, home buying starts with the loan. Call me today to get preapproved.

 

 

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Money Saving Minute #025 - The Slow Cooked Truth

 

If you have been waiting for home prices to bottom out before you pull the trigger, now is the time to act. The B H V I Home Affordability Index is reporting that home prices have bottomed out and are beginning to rise. Buying a home starts with the loan. Call today to get preapproved.

 

Raise your hand if you are the person that comes home after a long day and enjoys spending the next sixty plus minutes cooking dinner.

 

That must be why average American eats out five plus times each week. For a family of four this can really add up both the cash and the calories.

 

A money and calorie saving alternative is to dust off the slow cooker and start searching the net for recipes. With a quick search I found recipes for lasagna, ribs, sweet and sour pork, white chicken chili and a whole lot more. Most of these have prep times of only five to fifteen minutes and cost per serving as little as a couple of dollars.

 

If your slow cooker is not equipped with a timer consider using a programmable light timer. This will ensure that your dinner is ready when you walk in the door but not over cooked.

 

This has been Money Saving Minute number zero two five, it’s your money and watching the Money Saving Minute each week will help you keep more of it. Subscribe to the right, share below and as always your comments are welcomed.

 

 

 

10 Habits to Get the Best Online Price

Do you know how to get the very best deals when shopping online? Check out this week's video and learn more. Note: one thing that we forgot to mention in this video is when you are shopping online make sure that you take into account the cost of shipping. If one site is offering a cheaper price than another for the product check the shipping cost on both to make sure that it's really the best deal. And for the best deal on your mortgage give me a call.

 

                       

 

 

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Money Saving Minute #021 - 10 Habits to Get the Best Online Price

According to Money Talks News and Yahoo! Finance when you’re shopping online, prices on everything from toilet paper to TVs could fluctuate several times a day. Dynamic pricing, a strategy that the travel industry has been using for years, is now being used online for many consumer goods. While dynamic pricing makes online shopping more complicated, there’s a silver lining: By following a few simple steps, it’s easy to find the best prices.

1. Use price-tracking apps

An iApp, such Price Tracker, can help you stay on top of Amazon dot com price changes. The Decide app, also for Apple products, helps to determine whether now is the right time to buy a particular product. For Andriod Smart Phones, try The Price Tracker Platinum app. This app provides price tracking for Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, and eBay.

2. Use price-tracking sites

Check out CamelCamelCamel.com to receive Amazon DOT com price drop alerts, price history charts, and price watches. Also follow CamelCamelCamel on Twitter to stay informed of additional sales and promotions. Decide DOT com is another useful site that tracks products and determine whether now is the right time to buy.

3. Comparison shop

It’s easy to compare prices by visiting multiple sites. But to save time, there are a variety of price-comparing sites to help find the lowest prices in one place. Consider PriceGrabber.com, Pricewatch.com, and Shopping.com.

4. Watch for price reductions after you buy

If you purchase an item online and very soon after find the retailer offering it for a lower price, take a screenshot and email it to the retailer. While there are no guarantees, you may be able to get a refund for the difference. This is also something to try if you find the same product on another retailer's site for less. If you email the retailer that you purchased the item from and tell them that you are considering returning the purchase and buying it from the competitor at the lower price they might refunding the difference...especially if the retailer is paying for return shipping.
http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html

5. Clear your cookies before shopping

Sometimes retailers attract NEW shoppers by offering lower prices. Trick a retailer into thinking you’re a new shopper by clearing your cookies before your next visit. Websites use cookies to track your visits, spending habits, and past purchases. Sites can offer you higher or lower prices based on this information.

6. Abandoned The Shopping Cart

If you fill up your shopping cart on a retailer’s site but don’t buy anything, you may receive a reminder, discount, or other incentive as a follow-up. Here’s how it works: Shop the site and add anything you want to your cart. Proceed to check out and fill out enough of the form to enter in your email address. But don’t complete the sale. Wait a day or two and see if you get a special deal or discount in your email inbox.

7. Look for career discounts

Some pages, such as Dell, offer different pricing for certain professionals such as teachers and government employees. When shopping on a website look for any discounts that may apply specifically to you.

8. Check all of your options

On Amazon dot com, scroll down to see similar products at cheaper prices; the featured or sponsored products at the top may cost more. This applies to other sites as well. Some sites list search results by price from high to low or most popular. Be sure to adjust the way the results are presented and view all available options.

9. Search for promotional codes

In addition to finding the lowest available price online, there may also be additional coupon codes available. Go to your favorite search engine and type the product name and the words “coupon code” and see what comes up. Also, check out RetailMeNot.com, CouponCodes.com and Coupons.com for coupon codes, printable coupons, grocery coupons, and free shipping offers. For more information see Money Saving Minute #014.

10. Look for shipping discounts

Never pay full price on shipping unless you absolutely have to. You might come across free or discounted shipping offers during your search for coupon codes. Also check out FreeShipping.org for additional deals.

This has been Money Saving Minute number 021. It's your money and watching the Money Saving Minute each week will help you keep more of it. Subscribe to the right, share with your Facebook and G plus friends below and as always your comments are welcomed.

Holiday Lights



What is the difference between C9 and C7 bulbs, incandescent bulbs and LED holiday lights?  Price, energy use and most importantly, safety.  This week we take a look at how LED's will save you money in the long run as well as up your safe level a notch or two.  And speaking of safe, are you locked into a safe rate on your mortgage?  If you are still working with an adjustable rate mortgage now is the time to lock in, before rates go up. 

 

       

 

 

 

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This installment of the MSM is a continuation of an article from my upcoming December newsletter.  Each month my newsletter is filled with fun and informative articles as well as a couple of puzzles, a recipe or two and a bit of trivia.  Wisconsin residence can email me for a free one year mailed subscription or subscribe from anywhere to the email PDF version.

Money Saving Minute number zero one nine – Holiday Lights

There are many holiday light options and it may get a little confusing. There are the large C9 and C7 bulbs, incandescent bulbs and now LED lights.

While the LED lights are going to be a little more expensive than the incandescent light bulbs, they will save you money in the long run. LED lights have a three-to-five year warranty and the money saved in energy costs will allow the bulbs to pay for themselves in just a couple of years. 

LED lights end up using 80 percent less energy than regular bulbs. In addition, LED’s give consumers the ability to run multiple strands together without fear of blowing a fuse. They also don't heat up like traditional bulbs so there is less risk of fire.  Another great safety feature is unlike traditional incandescent bulbs which are glass and LEDs are plastic, so they are more shatter-resistant.

There are also LED lights that change color, giving consumers the options of going from white to color and back again. There are even solar-powered strands available for outdoor use.

Also don’t forget to look for the UL mark when purchasing new lights. A red UL mark indicate indoor and outdoor use while a green UL mark indicate the lights are for indoor use only.

Finally, watch for recycling and trade in promotions from area retailers.  Not long ago Home Depot was offering a discount on LED's when customers brought in strands of incandescent bulbs for recycling.  The promotion was a reported success so watch for other retailers to do the same.

This has been Money Saving Minute number zero one nine - it's your money and watching the Money Saving Minute each week will help you keep more of it.  We are always looking for new ideas to share.  Tell us how you save on your purchase in the comments section below.  Subscribe to the right and if you like what you see please tell a friend.