Automobile Insurance Claim - How to File an Auto Insurance Claim
by: David Ackland
Filing an auto insurance claim is one of these things everyone hopes they never have to do, but unfortunately some of us will have to do just that on occasion. It is never easy to deal with the aftermath of an automobile accident. Many automobile insurance companies advertise that their claim process is the easiest and that they will help you through the entire process. Now is the time you hope your car insurance company will stand behind those statements.
After an accident it is recommended that you call the police. Even if the other driver is pressuring you it is a good idea to have an officer come to the scene. They are an impartial witness that can be invaluable when it comes time to deal with the car insurance company.
Exchange all of your information with the other driver. It is essential to make sure you have their auto insurance information, license plate number, and a copy of their driver's license. This way there can be no confusion or deception later as to who was driving the other vehicle.
Ask the officer at the scene if your vehicle is safe to operate. If it is you should drive home immediately and call your car insurance company. If it is not you should call the insurance company from the scene and ask if there is a specific repair shop it should be towed to. Auto insurance companies often have relationships with certain garages. This will save you the aggravation of having to have the car towed to a certain shop after it has already been towed somewhere else.
When you call your auto insurance company be sure to have your policy number handy. Explain exactly what happened, even if it was your fault. Telling the truth is always preferable to hiding something that will probably come to light later anyway. If the other parties insurance company contacts you it is best to refer them to your insurance company and not to comment further.
Your car insurance company will likely send someone to assess the damage to your vehicle. The insurance company will pay your claim based on the assessment. If you believe your auto insurance claim was denied unfairly you can appeal with the car insurance company itself. If this does not resolve your dispute you should file a complaint with the state division of auto insurance or your Attorney General's Office.
Read also:
Home based Business
Wealth Connection
Bussines safety
Monday, April 13, 2009
Home Based Business
Home Based Business: Your Ultimate Tax Shelter
By: J. Stephen Pope
Starting and operating your own home based business is
the ultimate tax shelter.
Although this article has been written from a Canadian
income tax perspective, the principles should be
practical in other tax jurisdictions.
1. Non-Deductible Personal Living Expenses
All of us have expenses that we incur in everyday
living.
Either you rent an apartment or house or you own your
residence. Utilities, insurance, rent, mortgage
interest, property taxes, and maintenance and repairs
are typical costs of operating your home.
Likely, you have a vehicle which also consumes large
amounts of cash.
Add to this, dining out, entertainment, gifts,
alcoholic beverages, office supplies, telephone and
many other expenditures, and you have a significant
cash outflow.
In most cases, as an employee, retired person,
investor, student, or homemaker, few of these
expenses are tax-deductible to you.
This means that you must earn a considerable income,
pay your income taxes first, and then use what is
left to pay all your expenses.
Some employees may be able to write-off some of
their employment related expenses, if such are
required by their contract of employment. However,
even in this situation, the tax deductions are very
limited.
2. Your Own Home Based Business Means Tax Deductions
Now consider the situation where you decide to start
your own home based business.
Suddenly, many of your everyday expenses are now being
used for business purposes and are now tax-deductible.
If you use one quarter of your home exclusively for
business use, you will be able to deduct (or write-off)
one quarter of all related occupancy costs. These
expenses may include maintenance and repairs (that are
not capital in nature), rent, mortgage interest, house
or apartment insurance, power, heat, water, and
property taxes.
As well, your vehicle expenses used for business
purposes are another tax write-off. If you use your
car ninety percent for business purposes, you can
deduct ninety percent of your vehicle insurance, gas
and oil, maintenance and repairs, car washes, license
and registration, auto club, loan interest (within
certain limits), and other costs from your income.
You may also write-off one hundred percent of your
business related parking. Capital Cost Allownance
(C.C.A.) on your vehicle is also allowed for income tax
purposes; depreciation is the accounting term for this
tax deduction.
The Canadian government also allows as a deduction,
fifty percent of your business related entertainment
expenses.
Also tax-deductible are business related telephone
expenses, Internet access, office supplies, travel,
books, memberships, and a host of other expenditures.
3. Income Splitting with Your Home Based Business
If you have a high paying job, you will pay higher
taxes because the rates of tax increase as your income
does.
With your own business, you can pay reasonable wages to
your spouse and children. In this way, you can legally
divert income taxed at your higher rate to your family
members that are in a lower tax bracket.
This tax saving technique is called income splitting.
It is another good reason why your own home based
business is the ultimate tax shelter.
4. Even a Part-Time Home Based Business Works
Even if you have a full-time job, running a part-time
business can be advantageous.
Of course, you must actually run a real, moneymaking
business. Any attempts to write unprofitable hobbies
off will ultimately fail with the taxation authorities.
If you earned eight thousand dollars during the year
from your part-time business and were able to deduct
eight thousand dollars in car expenses, home office
expenses, entertainment costs, office supplies, and
other business related expenditures, you would have a
net business income of nil. You would pay no tax on
this additional income.
Don`t miss this important point! Although these tax
deductions are actual, legitimate business expenses,
these are expenditures you would probably have made
anyway, whether you had a business or not.
Thus, by rearranging your affairs to start and operate
a home based business, you have been able to convert
non-deductible personal expenditures into legally
deductible business expenses. You have successfully
sheltered your income from tax and have split your
income with family members in lower tax brackets.
Yes, indeed, your home based business has become
your ultimate tax shelter.
Read also:
Wealth Connection
Bussines safety
By: J. Stephen Pope
Starting and operating your own home based business is
the ultimate tax shelter.
Although this article has been written from a Canadian
income tax perspective, the principles should be
practical in other tax jurisdictions.
1. Non-Deductible Personal Living Expenses
All of us have expenses that we incur in everyday
living.
Either you rent an apartment or house or you own your
residence. Utilities, insurance, rent, mortgage
interest, property taxes, and maintenance and repairs
are typical costs of operating your home.
Likely, you have a vehicle which also consumes large
amounts of cash.
Add to this, dining out, entertainment, gifts,
alcoholic beverages, office supplies, telephone and
many other expenditures, and you have a significant
cash outflow.
In most cases, as an employee, retired person,
investor, student, or homemaker, few of these
expenses are tax-deductible to you.
This means that you must earn a considerable income,
pay your income taxes first, and then use what is
left to pay all your expenses.
Some employees may be able to write-off some of
their employment related expenses, if such are
required by their contract of employment. However,
even in this situation, the tax deductions are very
limited.
2. Your Own Home Based Business Means Tax Deductions
Now consider the situation where you decide to start
your own home based business.
Suddenly, many of your everyday expenses are now being
used for business purposes and are now tax-deductible.
If you use one quarter of your home exclusively for
business use, you will be able to deduct (or write-off)
one quarter of all related occupancy costs. These
expenses may include maintenance and repairs (that are
not capital in nature), rent, mortgage interest, house
or apartment insurance, power, heat, water, and
property taxes.
As well, your vehicle expenses used for business
purposes are another tax write-off. If you use your
car ninety percent for business purposes, you can
deduct ninety percent of your vehicle insurance, gas
and oil, maintenance and repairs, car washes, license
and registration, auto club, loan interest (within
certain limits), and other costs from your income.
You may also write-off one hundred percent of your
business related parking. Capital Cost Allownance
(C.C.A.) on your vehicle is also allowed for income tax
purposes; depreciation is the accounting term for this
tax deduction.
The Canadian government also allows as a deduction,
fifty percent of your business related entertainment
expenses.
Also tax-deductible are business related telephone
expenses, Internet access, office supplies, travel,
books, memberships, and a host of other expenditures.
3. Income Splitting with Your Home Based Business
If you have a high paying job, you will pay higher
taxes because the rates of tax increase as your income
does.
With your own business, you can pay reasonable wages to
your spouse and children. In this way, you can legally
divert income taxed at your higher rate to your family
members that are in a lower tax bracket.
This tax saving technique is called income splitting.
It is another good reason why your own home based
business is the ultimate tax shelter.
4. Even a Part-Time Home Based Business Works
Even if you have a full-time job, running a part-time
business can be advantageous.
Of course, you must actually run a real, moneymaking
business. Any attempts to write unprofitable hobbies
off will ultimately fail with the taxation authorities.
If you earned eight thousand dollars during the year
from your part-time business and were able to deduct
eight thousand dollars in car expenses, home office
expenses, entertainment costs, office supplies, and
other business related expenditures, you would have a
net business income of nil. You would pay no tax on
this additional income.
Don`t miss this important point! Although these tax
deductions are actual, legitimate business expenses,
these are expenditures you would probably have made
anyway, whether you had a business or not.
Thus, by rearranging your affairs to start and operate
a home based business, you have been able to convert
non-deductible personal expenditures into legally
deductible business expenses. You have successfully
sheltered your income from tax and have split your
income with family members in lower tax brackets.
Yes, indeed, your home based business has become
your ultimate tax shelter.
Read also:
Wealth Connection
Bussines safety
Sunday, April 5, 2009
The Wealth Connection
The Wealth Connection
By: Debra Novotny
Estimated
Most of us between the age of 35 and 50 years hope to be retired to some degree in 15 to 20 years or less. We see ourselves living on retirement funds enjoying life and family. I have never had a client tell me they see themselves penniless or sick. Yet, these same clients fail to have a full plan.
They may have a retirement fund at work and other investments but how are these performing? Did you plan a financial foundation? What does your Wellness Investment program look like?
Many people tell me they don’t have a financial foundation program or Wellness Investment program in place. Regardless of age and health it is never too late to start planning. It is better than no plan at all. In this article I will give you 2 of the 21 most important Wealth Connection Steps I offer in my online course.
Ask yourself, how does wealth connect to your health? Does it at all? Today most people would agree that finances play a part in how we feel. Lacking funds can add stress to one’s life and play a major part in your health. Ill-health can rapidly eat away at savings if you do not have a wellness plan other than health insurance.
In fact, I advise you rethink health insurance. What I mean by this is that it is what it says it is. Health insurance is for ill-health issues. Only a few “health insurance” programs are wellness insurance.
Health insurance also dictates the kind of care you can receive. Wellness insurance on the other hand is still an emerging system. A few companies do offer these types of plans and we do not endorse any insurance company as my job is to educate you a bit and you must look at what is right for your specific needs.
The wellness insurance programs I have seen work like this. The self employed or business can purchase these programs. They have major medical benefits for hospital and sometimes prescription drugs. They also have a “fund” where part of your premium goes that earns interest. That’s right interest. You can use this money for any type of care you desire including alternative medicine of your choice. Any funds you don’t use in a given year stays in your personal account earning interest year after year. At a certain age you can take this money out and use it. I have seen accounts that reach 30k and more. Why buy health insurance you do not use?
Step One
Look into Wellness Insurance programs. Only purchase from a known insurance company. One whose name you have heard of in the past that offers regular polices as well. It is buyers beware market so do your research.
Step Two
What amount do you personally put into your saving account each week? Most people say I have it drawn from my paycheck. This is not what I mean. Think about how much you spend each day on simple things like coffee or food. Can you spare $5.00 per week? I have only met one person who said they couldn’t even save this much. Six months later this person who didn’t become a client phoned me and said they had been doing it and it really worked. Here’s the plan short and sweet – I go into more detail in my online program. Contact my office for more details of how to receive a free 7-part on line e-course.
Each week whether you have your paycheck direct deposited or not; have as much as you can afford withdrawn from your account and placed in a savings plan at an investment firm like Charles Schwab. Use who you wish and make sure they have an automatic withdrawal program and that the funds go into a savings program.
Every quarter double the amount you are putting in. If you find you really aren’t missing this money from your daily life; double it every month. Don’t be surprised if you start looking forward to saving and adding more to how much you ‘put away’ each week.
Once this account is equal to 6 months income we move this money into a different type of account I go into future foundation steps in the online program. But we keep putting funds into the savings.
What happens is we have at the base a 6 to 9 month savings account earning a bit better than a bank savings account. Next level is a certain type of money market with the same amount of funds earning a slightly higher interest rate, and so on up through Our Wealth Mastery program.
Point in fact, recently “Today on MSN” offered a glance at the habit of millionaires. Simple foundational planning won hands down.
Bonus Tip
Invest in your wellness. Visit an alternative doctor like a NCCAOM licensed acupuncturist. This ensures you are seeing someone who has completed an accredited program at an
Or if you own a Porsche would you take it to a Honda dealership just because you also own a Honda. No, we take our loved ones and possessions to the experts. Do the same with your health.
Why do I suggest an acupuncturist? They are trained in wellness care and health care. Oriental Medicine practitioners know how to work with all types of illness and keep you well. Plan ahead even if you feel great get an evaluation now and follow a wellness program so that you continue to feel great into your golden years.
A wellness program may simply mean visiting your acupuncturist and massage therapist one time each month. Add up the dollars you save by not getting sick.
Invest this savings in your financial foundation.
If you have health issues, think how you will be in 10 years from now if you keep ignoring and minimizing your health, using drugs or having surgery without exploring other options. Acupuncture is virtually painless and offers greater relaxation than even massage.
Is Your Business Safe
Is Your Business Safe?
By: Sue And Chuck DeFiore
Well, is it! Do you back up your files on a regular basis? Do you have a back up plan in place? What’s important to your business and what isn’t? What happens if you get hurt, who will run your business? Do you have customers come to your business? What if they get hurt, are you covered? What about all the equipment you have, is it covered?
These are all questions a home based business owner, (in fact, any business owner) should have answers to and plans in place for.
You must have a system in place to back up your files. Since most of us use computers today, be sure you back up at least once a week. If you really want to be efficient and make it easy on yourself, get a Maxtor hard drive with the one button back up feature. For less than $200, you can not afford to be without one if you have a lot of files. If you don’t have that many files then a Zip drive will suffice. We have an I-Omega that cost us only $70.
Ok, you say what should I back up? Anything that is important to you. Your customer database, templates you use on a consistent basis. If you are like us and sell e-manuals, and books, you need to have them backed up. We have all of our products backed up on disk, CD, and a mirror copy of our hard drive. We back up once a week. We use the Maxtor drive with one button back up. However, if I am working on a project, I back it up every time I make a change. In fact, whenever I am working during the day I use a working disk that I save to in addition to saving on my hard disk. When I save a document I am working on, I then go to save as and save it on my disk drive. This avoids not having an up to date document if my computer crashes. So your backup would consist of files you use a lot, customer database, your products, and anything else that is imperative to keeping your business up and running.
Now what do you do with these back ups. Well, if you are smart you have a Safe that is fireproof, and you put your disk and hard disk back ups in the Safe. When you do your weekly back ups you pull them out and just overwrite them. If you haven’t made any changes on your product disks then you don’t have to do them. You want to be sure your Safe is fireproof for at least 2 hours. We have a Sentry Safe. While not an inexpensive business expense, it is a very important one. Depending on how much you need to put in a Safe cost will vary. In addition to having back ups in your Safe, you should also have a set of back ups that are located off site. For example, a safety deposit box is a great place for back up copies, important papers etc.
As a business owner you also need to have disability insurance. So if you get hurt you are covered until you are up and running again. There are number of companies that deal specifically in disability insurance. I would suggest however you check them out carefully, and ask to speak to long time customers for references. You want to be sure they pay when you need them to without having to go through hoops, or canceling your coverage afterwards.
And most important is an insurance policy. The best home business policy we have found is by Hartford Insurance. They have a policy specifically for home based businesses. They cover everything. Obviously cost will depend on the limits you set. This is the best policy we have found out there. For those of you who are AARP members you can call 1-888-466-9675 to inquire about this program. By the way, if you are 50 and over becoming a AARP member is a must.
If you want to keep your business and yourself safe be sure to implement the procedures outlined. Believe us, you will be glad you did.
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