Business

Who should join a Medicare Advantage plan?

Should you join a Medicare Advantage plan?

You are eligible for Medicare. Now what? You have some choices to make. Insuring yourself with Medicare is an option, but it will be subject to some potentially high unpredictable costs. Or you could buy a Medicare supplement, if it’s affordable. Your third option is to join a Medicare Advantage Plan.

Enrolling in this type of Medicare plan is a popular choice for many people for a number of reasons. But it is not the best option for everyone. Who joins a Medicare Advantage Plan is largely determined by individual circumstances. And don’t expect to find a plan that is necessarily considered best for everyone. You may want to consider an Advantage plan if you meet any of the following criteria.

you have a limited budget

Having a limited budget comes into play in two ways. First, you may want to consider signing up because you’ll receive all the benefits of Original Medicare, but you’ll have the benefit of a maximum out-of-pocket amount. If you get your coverage through Original Medicare, there will be no cap on your share of the costs of covered services. Just 20% of outpatient costs could leave you with some budget expenses.

Another reason your limited budget might draw you to a plan is the high cost of Medicare supplement premiums. Supplemental premiums are typically much higher on average than premiums for Medicare Advantage plans. Some Advantage Plans have premiums as low as $0 per month.

You want extra benefits

Medicare Advantage plans include all the benefits of Part A and Part B, but the private insurance companies that offer these plans may include benefits beyond what would normally be available in original Medicare.

It is common for plans to include Part D drug coverage and some plans may include extras such as; dental, vision, hearing, gym memberships and transportation. Medicare supplement policies rarely include these extras, and supplement policies are not currently offered with drug coverage built in.

You want an all-inclusive plan

If you want a plan that includes your Part D drug and medical benefits, you should consider an Advantage plan. If you join a Medicare Advantage Plan with drug benefits (MAPD), you will only interact with one insurance company, which may limit interaction with multiple member services departments.

You may not qualify for a Medicare supplement

Unless you are in your Medigap Open Enrollment Period or entitled to Guaranteed Issue Rights, you will generally be subject to medical underwriting when you purchase a Medicare supplement. Some pre-existing conditions or recent hospitalizations could result in a denial of coverage.

Some states do not require insurance companies to offer Medicare supplemental coverage to Medicare beneficiaries under age 65. And in those states that do, premiums can be much higher for beneficiaries under 65.

Those are some of the reasons you may want to join a Medicare Advantage plan. And for some people, it’s the only option besides Original Medicare.

Home Kitchen

Five most common types of floors

Flooring for homes and commercial establishments comes in various types to suit different tastes and needs. The choice of flooring depends on many factors. Some of them are the budget, the use of the room and the amount of maintenance that the floor requires. Five types of flooring have become the most popular for different reasons.

1.Carpet. Carpet is and has always been a favorite among home and business owners. Carpet is warm and gives any space a very comfortable and welcoming look. If you have children, they are also the safest option. People used to install carpet throughout their house. But now, people tend to install rugs only in their bedrooms and living rooms. Carpet maintenance is easy, thanks to modern anti-stain treatments. Carpet flooring deals make rugs very affordable and are a good option for people considering this flooring option.

2. Hard wood. A genuine wood product made from wood, hardwood is the stylish choice. The hardwood floors give it a certain sense of elegance. They also add value to your home. Hardwood floors can be prefinished or unfinished. It comes in different varieties like bamboo, hickory, maple, or mahogany. Hardwood can be quite expensive. Discount hardwood flooring sales provide various deals on hardwood that are the best opportunity to invest in hardwood flooring.

3.Laminated. Laminate flooring is one of the most popular substitutes for hardwood. The quality has improved over the years. Laminate flooring can be manufactured to look exactly like real hardwood flooring. Laminate flooring is suitable for areas such as kitchens. With proper installation, laminate can be quite resistant to stains and scratches. They are an ideal option for families with children and pets. However, it is more difficult to replace than real wood and cannot be restored.

4. Tile. Tile is a popular and very low maintenance flooring. Tiles are highly durable and one of the most waterproof floor coverings. Areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms need a moisture-resistant floor like tile. Tiles are also the most versatile. They do not need to be used only for the floor. They can also be used for walls, countertops, stairs, and even fireplaces. They are also most preferred for exterior projects. There are many types of tiles, such as porcelain, granite, ceramic, and marble.

5.Vinyl. Vinyl flooring is something found in most homes. It is considered best for moisture-prone areas like kitchens and bathrooms. Vinyl flooring can be easily installed without professional help. Lately, manufacturers have drastically improved the quality of vinyl flooring.

The above are the five most common types of flooring that people install. Without a doubt, they are one of the best and most affordable options for all types of homes and businesses.

Auto

HHO car conversion

HHO car conversion has become incredibly simple since 2004. Now, in 2009, there is a boom in the number of people turning their cars into water. With plenty of convenient and easy-to-implement instructions available, no one should miss out on getting their car running for half the cost of filling it up with gas each week.

The HHO car conversion is still a hybrid system. It consists of a kit that adds a form of hydrogen and oxygen to gasoline in a standard gas or diesel engine. It is perfectly legal and safe. But before I get into how it all works, a few other benefits of converting to hydropower in cars should be noted.

HHO Car Conversion Facts

Important to many people is the fact that a system using a combination of hydrogen (Brown’s gas, to be precise) and gasoline extends the life of engines by up to 70%. It also makes the engine run more quietly.

Warranties are not affected by adding an HHO kit. The structure and function of the engine is not affected at all by the introduction of this apparatus.

Due to the way the oxyhydrogen is burned, the performance of the vehicle is improved. That doesn’t refer to efficiency. It means that acceleration and torque increase.

While you will still have harmful emissions from the gasoline used, the only byproduct of the hydrogen and oxygen combination is water, making that part of your fuel consumption green and clean.

Savings on the purchase of gasoline range between 25% and 60%. This is the main reason most people opt for an HHO car conversion.

Tax incentives are offered if you convert a car to HHO power. $2,000 for a standard car and up to $50,000 for a truck over 26,000 lbs.

A HHO kit manual is required. It must be less than $70. Materials cost less than $150. If you’re not mechanically minded, a mechanic could charge around $200 to build and tune the kit. Alternatively, you can opt for an off-the-shelf kit, but these start at $5,000 and are no more effective than making your own.

How HHO Car Conversion Works In Simple Terms

A hydrogen cell is created, often using CPVC as the casing. An electrolyte, often platinum or stainless steel, is inserted. More frequently, what is known as a proton exchange membrane is used. A small amount of water is introduced into the cell. An electrical current passes through the water, drawn from the car battery. H2O converts to HHO. The hydrogen atoms then split into negative electrons and positively charged protons. Brown’s gas is produced and induced, with an oxygen mixture, into the engine for use as fuel.

The chemistry may sound complicated, but physically making the cell is not. Anyone can start saving money today, instead of paying extortionate gas prices, by doing their own HHO car conversion.

Digital Marketing

Find hypnotic words

Change, invent and adapt words

The art of songwriting includes the art of methodically changing and inventing words for both aesthetic and communicative purposes. One thing you should consider doing when writing songs or in conversations with others is to form or shape words to suit your own purposes. Because the English language, like many other languages, grew through the contribution of invented and (through translation) adapted words, it is not limited by a “proper” use of “specific” words. All you need to communicate a lyrical message is the use of root words. For example, when the time signature of a song does not allow an extra syllable or limits you to a certain number of syllables, what you should do is try to alter the word, so that the root word is preserved as in turn that transforms to turn. Or base a “new” word on the root word and use it as a substitute so that run becomes run Prayed careers on the same line and context even if it is “grammatically” incorrect.

This is a very important linguistic approach as it provides us with numerous ways in which we can structure and design words and letters to give our listeners carefully crafted messages with which to associate their own memories, be they pleasant or unpleasant. In effect, what we can achieve is a fusion in the mind of a listener with his specific memories and our music. But the trick is finding the right words to communicate to them in order to invoke those memories.

Google Trends and AdWords for songwriters

Here’s another set of tools to help you find the right words. It’s a keyword research tool like the one many online marketers and website designers use to drive traffic to any location in cyberspace. An example of this tool is Google Keywords. Along with a dictionary, thesaurus, idiom dictionary, and word derivation book, Google Keywords lets you search for words or phrases that people around the world search for on Google. It’s easy to use and really all you have to do is type in a keyword or phrase and the results you receive indicate how popular your keywords or phrases are relative to similar words and phrases. The results also display a world map that tells you where in the world the word or phrase is most searched for. There are many more features available to you when you use this tool, but this is essentially how it works.

This is such a powerful tool because the popularity or lack of interest in a particular keyword or phrase gives you a kind of snapshot into your fellow man’s deeper thought processes and interests. The real power behind this tool and why it will add power to your lyrics is that you can tailor your message to people who are already online searching for information, products, services and other content related to the keywords and phrases you are searching for. Have Researched Just with this information, you can easily capture small amounts of attention or a larger amount of attention from targeted traffic to your song or music website simply by using the right words in the lyrics, song title, or song description.

Google Trends is a tool similar to Google AdWords, except that results for keywords or topics are ranked graphically in terms of their popularity, not the number of searches. Below you can see a graph that compares the popularity trends of the words “money, love, war, freedom, and sex.” As you can see, “free” and “sex” are extremely popular terms all over the world, even more so than “money” and “love”.

Many writers already use these 3 techniques (word alteration, change and adaptation, Google AdWords and Google Trends) for different purposes, but to achieve the same result. In almost all cases, all writers seek to generate attention and elicit responses from readers. These are not the only tools you should use, but they are very powerful tools that give you an edge over other writers and artists because you can consistently and scientifically drive relevant online traffic – traffic that already exists for your message. Even if your post is slightly removed from a top searched word or phrase, you can easily tilt your original word, phrase, or topic toward the top search results.

Having the right words and the ability to use them effectively in your songwriting is a professional trait that puts you in a league similar to experienced marketers, marketers and songwriters.

A sample list of hypnotic words

The following list is a sample of a number of words (denoting actions, descriptions, objects, emotional states, persons, bodily organs, directions, and more) that have been found to possess tremendous value in life, mind, and language. of humanity. These words contain part of the key to the hypnotic power of a communication. All of these hypnotic words can be used in your composition in the following ways: in combination or groups to create multiple phrases and sentences, as embedded commands strategically placed throughout your lyrics, as individual themes for a song theme, or as words key in its lyrical hooks.

I share them with you so that you become familiar with some of the words that are used against you in life and commerce to provoke emotional reactions. As you read this list, try to think of songs, book titles, topics of conversation, and interests that you are familiar with or involved in and how these words serve as part of the verbal component of these things.

You, yours, unlimited, last, reliable, amazing, thank you, stop, sensational, secret, take, realize, love, luxurious, imagine, exciting, connection, attractive, at last, because, emergency, comfortable, future, face, moon, complete, deserve, energy, heal, help, awesome, stars, dirt, irresistible, last chance, bed, power, blood, animal, promise, have, refreshing, normal, night, take, come, waste, door, time , relax, eat, problem, satisfaction, keep, stay, calm, try, rich, betray, lose, confusion, hands, elegant, true, wall, kiss, drink, everything, courage, god, never, amazing, mouth, imagine , obey, possession, games, hair, hope, sun, attention, wet, steal, machine, action, bye, need, gold, fire, move, sound, change, happy, noticeable, hide, hot, parents, create, different , doll, explode, ugly, escape, survive, judge, return, hold, day, agree, always, admire, pleasure, please vor, hate, cry, perfect, new, asleep, now, money, water, magic, intimate, anger, important, waiting, thi nk, protect, arms, bored, work, wrong, fun, easy, forget, remember, help , idea, incredible, sea, tears, drugs, look, finally, touch, cigarette, doubt, available, be ____, beautiful, best, easy, scared, fantastic, write, lies, influence, free, clouds, shadow, concern , beg, revenge, magic, accept, smoke, flower, home, danger, alone, opportunity, benefit, fast, eyes, receive, prove, correct, reveal, want, faith, toy, special, mirror, no, children, destroy , faster, cold, air, dead, invisible, apart, silence, men, women, strong, body, strength, people, sad, cruel, nothing, feel, act, pain, speak, believe, play.

Relationship

Consider the specific needs of your children when planning your estate

More than likely the reason for establishing your estate plan is to ensure that your family is financially secure after you are gone. Estate planning for families with minor children can present challenges and difficult decisions for parents. The challenges stem from the minor’s legal restrictions on ownership of the property and from the parents’ desire to gift assets to a minor, but deferring actual possession of the minor until the minor reaches a certain level of maturity or at least the coming of age. In addition, planning for minors also involves planning for the custody of the minor in the event that both parents die before the minor reaches the age of majority.

The guardian of your minor children can be named in your will. In the absence of a compelling reason not to do so, the court will generally accept your choice of guardian. Once appointed, the guardian has a significant impact on the value system, religious beliefs, education and, in general, the development of the child into adulthood. Accordingly, you should carefully consider your choice of guardian and discuss the prospect of guardianship with the persons you appoint.

Once a guardian is chosen, the most effective way to ensure that each of your children receives the financial support necessary to ensure they are well cared for is to establish your Revocable Trust and draft a provision that would create separate share Trusts upon your death. . A “separate stock trust” is so called because a separate trust is created for each of your children. This can make it easier for parents to take into account the differences in the needs and propensities of each child. If a child has special medical or educational needs, or if there is a large difference in the ages of the children, the parents can set the appropriate share of the estate and can set the terms of the distribution accordingly. Therefore, by using the separate participation trust, you can ensure that each child is cared for according to her specific needs.

In Separate Share Trust the parent/grantor can decide under what circumstances and at what age each child is mature enough to take possession of the assets. This will ensure that children do not recklessly waste funds when they turn 18. However, one drawback to using “separate share” trusts with multiple children is difficulty in administration. Depending on the provisions of the trust agreement, the trustee (who does not have to be the legal guardian) may be required to account to each beneficiary separately and may be required to maintain records of the net distributable income attributable to each beneficiary for tax purposes. about rent.

A grantor does not need to have a large estate to create a trust. The assets you leave your children may add up faster than you think. If she adds the equity in her home, savings and investment accounts, she may have more than $75,000. In these cases, a trust is usually the best solution. In addition, the trust could be financed with life insurance policies that can increase the value of your estate much more. Once established, the trust would provide for the care and education of the children and make money available to them as they reach certain indicative ages of maturity 18, 21, 25, 30, 35 or any other ages you specify. You have worked hard to provide your family with a bright future. Plan accordingly and make sure your work creates the best opportunities imaginable for your children.

Health Fitness

Caffeine withdrawal and migraines

When it comes to migraines, caffeine is a strange drug. The headache associated with a migraine must be activated. This trigger can come in many forms: certain foods, weather conditions, lighting. One of the triggers is excessive caffeine consumption. And yet, the pain of migraines can also be reduced by ingesting caffeine. Talk about your two-way streets!

The number one cause of caffeine-related migraines is caffeine withdrawal. The good news is that it presents two methods of using caffeine to prevent migraines. The first method is the least difficult in theory, but probably the most difficult in practice: reduce the amount of caffeine you ingest. If you don’t ingest a lot of caffeine, you won’t experience many withdrawal symptoms. It sounds easy because all you have to do is cut back on caffeine. But saying you’re going to cut back on caffeine and stick with it are two different things.

There is another method and although it sounds more difficult, in practice it is probably much easier than reducing it completely. The second method is to ensure that withdrawal never becomes a problem. You can do this by timing your caffeine intake over time. If you ingest a certain amount of caffeine at specific intervals throughout the day, your body will be satisfied and keep migraine at bay.

Some migraine sufferers have been tempted to quit smoking and abstain from caffeine altogether. This sounds like a very good idea. But let’s face it, abstinence always sounds better than it actually does. Theoretically, there is absolutely no downside to the withdrawal program; it’s only when you start applying it to the real world that you get into trouble. For one thing, caffeine is addictive. The more you get, the more you want. And many times this urgency is too overwhelming.

An even bigger hurdle is that it’s nearly impossible to completely abstain from caffeine unless you’re detail-oriented to the point of psychosis. If you plan to abstain from caffeine as a way to avoid migraines, you’ll need to do more than just give up coffee or soda. Caffeine is everywhere in today’s society. You’ll need to keep a close eye on the ingredients in chocolate candies, pain relievers, and diet pills. And that is just the beginning. You can also add things like spirits, energy drinks, and even pudding to the list!

By now, you may be rethinking the whole idea of ​​keeping track of your intake. The schedule seems more difficult, but consider this: would you rather track how often you ingest caffeine over the course of the day, or track the thousands of products that contain caffeine?

The caffeine infusion method simply means that you keep track of how often and how much caffeine you put into your body. Once you figure out how much you need and when you need it, your migraines should become a memory. Provided, of course, that you have determined that caffeine is the migraine trigger. There are some tips to make this process easier.

First of all, if your main caffeine supply system is coffee, bad news awaits you. Determining how much caffeine you’re getting in a single cup of coffee is nearly impossible, and you really want to be precise with this method. So calculating caffeine numbers is easier if you get your caffeine through soda or caffeine tablets. Which one you prefer is up to you. Some people don’t like soft drinks, so the tablet is a better way to go.

On the other hand, most people probably prefer to take their caffeine along with some refreshing liquid. Whichever medium you choose, here’s what to do next. Keep a small diary in which you write down when and how much caffeine you had, along with information about any headaches you’ve had; things like the time of day, how long the headache lasted, how severe it was, etc. This information will be your guide to determining when and how often you need that caffeine to keep migraines away.

Legal Law

How Google Posts Could Affect the Future of SEO

In recent months, Google has undergone some interesting changes. Penguin 4.0 had its final phase implemented, which means it’s now in real time. The search engine also displays official Twitter profile feeds for entities to all English search engines around the world.

There is a clear emphasis on providing current content to users so that search engines receive the most up-to-date and relevant results first. Google is now going one step further in providing real-time updates by introducing Google Posts, also known in the past as Your Podium on Google.

This “experimental new podium” will allow individuals and businesses to produce content directly on the search engine. When people search for a particular business or name, the content will rank highly in search results. In a way, it seems to be the new Google+ for brands and celebrities.

How does it work?
Google has been relatively quiet about the new feature, but has been experimenting with it for some time. In January 2016, it was launched as a way to allow political candidates the opportunity to post lengthy debate rebuttals.

The goal is to give people the opportunity to hear directly from the companies and people they care about. At this stage, it’s by invitation only and only verified people and organizations will be able to use the feature.

Those with an invite will be able to communicate directly on Google through images, videos, and text. The content creation process is meant to be quick and easy, just like on social media. Once you’ve published your content, it will instantly become visible in search results related to your name or that of the organization you represent.

Entities also get their own profile, which looks a lot like your average social media page. It displays a profile picture above their name, above what appears to be a cover image, along with their post.

Clicking on one of the posts opens a dedicated full-screen webpage displaying the full text and accompanying images. You can also share the posts on popular social networks quickly. All you have to do is click the social sharing icon to share the post directly to Facebook, Twitter, email, or Google+.

It’s a lot like the carousel Twitter profile feeds you see on Google today, with a card-like format. However, while you can share the content, you cannot currently like or comment on it. These options may be something that will be introduced in the future as it is currently in its early stages.

We know that Google has had problems in the past with the development of its own social network; only time will tell if this new platform will perform any differently than Google Buzz and Google+.

Manage a one-way content feed
For Google users, the new feature will allow them to receive up-to-date information directly from their favorite brands and people. But what will it mean for public figures and organizations? Well, it puts a one-way content feed that builds right on top of search results pages under your full control.

The fact that the feature isn’t available to just anyone helps instill a sense of trust. Google verifies everyone first, so you know the information and messages you see come from a trusted source.

There are several ways you can take advantage of the new feature, now that you have a podium where you can reach your customers instantly. Users will be able to access the content you post directly from the search pages., without having to navigate any other links. They will see all this, even if they only write their name.

You have the opportunity to drive relevant content to Google, increase user interactions through the use of text, images, and videos, and encourage social sharing. Higher engagement will also help you increase conversion rates. How do you know that the reader has specifically searched for you; there is a higher chance that they will be interested in what you have to say.

You can instantly post lightweight content with fast loading results, just like on social media. However, the fact that you get a dedicated webpage means you have a bit more control over the amount of information you post and the corresponding images.

What does all this mean for SEO?
With brands and people being offered the opportunity to directly control the content that appears on Google when you search for their names, you can see some pretty significant implications for both organic and paid brand searches.

The carousel appears below the paid ads, but above the organic listings., so it ranks high in the results. If you do it right, there’s a lot to gain. While it may subtract clicks from your other results, it could end up saving you money that you would have otherwise spent on pay-per-click ads.

You just need to make sure that you make the most of the opportunity and include links within the posts that take your users to your website. Since we’re talking real-time, it’s the perfect way to draw attention to current sales or promotions you’re running, and therefore increase conversions.

Like we said, it essentially puts you in the driver’s seat. You can steer the content in any direction you want, so you could even use it to distract users from any negatives that show up in search results for your brand.

While the feature is currently invite-only, you can join the waitlist if you’re a public figure or represent a brand or business. While we have yet to see how this new feature will pan out, it’s worth joining the waitlist to find out.

It’s a great opportunity to control what people see first when they Google your name, so make the most of it. One day it could become a very powerful and useful tool to deliver the desired content directly to the consumer.

Lifestyle Fashion

How to remove makeup?

We all have those lazy moments when we’d rather skip this important part of our daily skincare regimen. However, removing your makeup before bed is important to keep your skin clean and healthy-looking, letting your skin “breathe” while you sleep, and preventing smudges and foundation stains from reaching your pillow.

1. Pull bangs and long hair back with a headband, clips, or ponytail.

2. First remove your eye makeup with a suitable eye makeup remover.

3. Apply the remover to your washcloth or cotton ball and gently rub over your eyes, making sure to cover the lashes, eyelids, brow line, and under-eye area.

4. Use a Q-tip to remove any traces of makeup you may not have been able to reach (particularly eyeliner).

5. Rinse with warm water.

6. Apply your facial cleanser to your washcloth or directly to your face and neck, and massage in circular motions until your entire face and neck are covered in a nice, foamy lather. Make sure to avoid the eye area.

7. Leave the cleanser on your face and neck for several minutes to work its “magic.”

8. Rinse your face and neck with warm water and pat dry with a towel.

9. Apply a light layer of facial moisturizer to your face and neck before going to bed.

How to remove eye makeup and mascara

Do you use lotion, bar soap, or your regular facial cleanser to remove eye makeup and mascara? The delicate skin around the eyes is 7 times thinner than the skin on the rest of the face. It should be gently cleaned with the use of a make-up remover designed to care for the eye area. Follow these simple steps to keep your eye area healthy.

Choose the eye makeup remover that best suits your overall skin type. We love Maybelline’s Bi Phase makeup remover for lips and eyes. If you’re prone to oiliness, choose an oil-free makeup remover. If you have sensitive skin, look for a makeup remover made for sensitive skin. You don’t have to spend a lot to get a good product. Many drugstore brands are very good makeup removers. Before your nightly cleansing routine, you should first cleanse the eye area. This way, when you wash your entire face, you won’t run the mascara into your eyes. Start by reading the instructions for your chosen eye make-up remover. Always use the recommended amount.

Lightly dampen the eye area to dampen the mascara, this will allow the remover to penetrate the mascara more thoroughly. Start with the eyelid, start at the top with a very light pressure cloth from the outer corner from top to bottom. Wipe away from the corner of the eye. This should leave a small amount of remover on the lid. Moisten a cotton ball or round ball with water and follow the same motion to remove excess makeup remover. Repeat if necessary with new cotton if any product remains. Now make the second eye. To remove mascara, add a small amount of makeup remover to the swab. Close your eyes and roll the q-tip over your lashes in a downward motion to apply the remover. You can follow up with another swab moistened with water or a cotton ball. Do not saturate the cotton. Gently glide over lashes in a downward motion. It may take a couple of cotton balls to remove mascara depending on the type and how many coats you apply. To remove any mascara that has gotten under your eye, use a small amount of remover on a cotton pad to remove it. Now that you’ve removed your eye make-up and mascara, you can complete your nighttime skincare routine.

How to remove the base

When you put on your foundation in the morning, it’s a given that you need to remove it that night before you hit the sheets. But removing foundation is not a one-time task. It all depends on the type of foundation you have on your face as to what cleansing concoction you should take to remove it.

Water-Based Foundation – If you have a water-based foundation covering your face, you are in luck. A special remover is not necessary in this case. You can keep your cleaning routine extra simple, because the foundation you use dissolves easily. With a gentle soap-free cleanser and a full tap of warm water, your foundation will be a mere memory in moments.

Oil-Based Foundation: It’s time to bring out the heavy artillery, that is, in makeup remover. Oil-based foundation must be dissolved with a special makeup remover for oil-based foundation formulas. Go the water route and the cleaner will get you nowhere fast. Apply the makeup remover to your face to cover it, leave it on for the recommended amount of time, and then wipe it off with tissues, cotton pads, or a soft, clean cloth. Follow up with a toner that matches your skin type to leave it super clean.

Helpful Tools: Keep your makeup area well-stocked with a gentle cleanser or makeup remover and toner. If you have dry skin, stay away from toners that contain drying alcohol. Also keep clean cotton pads, tissues, or soft cloths nearby. This will prevent you from having to search for things to clean your face. Being organized will also help you implement a routine each night that won’t take more than a few minutes of your time. Bonus Tip Whatever you do, always remove your foundation before slipping between the sheets. Leaving makeup on your face can wreak serious havoc on your complexion. The layer of dirt, oil, and makeup from the day before will grind down into your pores and cause clogging, which can turn into pimples. Pre-moistened facial cleansing cloths can be used in a pinch. Just make sure to follow up with a toner to remove all residue.

Pets

California is cracking down on uninsured motorists

The older brother no longer plays. The State of California has implemented a new system whereby, effective October 1, 2006, the DMV begins a systematic review of the 22.4 million private cars, trucks and motorcycles registered in the state.

If your motorcycle, car, truck, or other motor vehicle is found to be uninsured, you will receive a 30-day warning letter. If you don’t get insurance after that, the state will suspend your registration. If you are found to be driving without a proper record, your car can be impounded by the state and you can face fines of up to $1,000.00.

This is not a joke friends. If you drive without insurance, you will eventually be ticketed.

Additionally, the state now requires insurance providers to notify the DMV if your insurance is canceled or expires.

what does this mean to you? It means if you drive without insurance, you’re screwed. The state will eventually catch up with you. Gone are the days of buying insurance to get your license plate and plates out, only to cancel a month later.

If you are in a motorcycle, car, or other motor vehicle accident and do not have insurance, you face the loss of your driver’s license for up to one year, fines of up to $2,000.00, and the possibility of being hit with a civil judgment that requires you to pay for the damage it has caused.

The minimum liability insurance requirements in the state are currently $10,000.00 for property damage, $15,000.00 per person, and $30,000.00 per incident.

The purpose of the law is supposedly to make it fair to the people who pay for insurance and lower insurance rates. I agree that it is not fair for law abiding citizens to pay for insurance while 15% of people in the State do not, however, and as usual, the insurance companies will get by as bandits with this new law. I seriously doubt insurance rates will go down.

As a personal injury attorney, I can tell you that it pains me to see someone get hit by an uninsured motorist, so it’s a good thing the State is cracking down on this problem. However, to be really fair, the State should force insurance companies to lower their rates in exchange for this law.

There is another thing to keep in mind; If you are uninsured and have an accident that is not your fault, you will not be able to recover your out-of-pocket losses and that’s it! To add insult to injury, you could lose your driver’s license for 1 year and have to pay up to $2,000.00 in fines for driving without insurance.

The bottom line; obtain liability insurance. The cost of not having insurance is much higher than the cost of getting insurance. If you can’t afford liability insurance; do not drive!

By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq. © 2006

Real Estate

6 tips for buying a house right now

1. Get pre-approved for a loan.

Most sellers require a pre-approval letter along with your written offer. You need to have it ready so that when you find the right home there is no delay in submitting your offer. There is a lot of confusion about pre-approved vs. pre-qualified… even real estate agents sometimes use the terms interchangeably! But pre-approval is the real deal. With pre-approval, the lender has executed your credit and will typically have completed a loan application and provided documentation to the lender, who will then inform you of the amount for which you have been approved. With prequalification, you will usually have verbally provided the lender with some information about your credit, income, and assets, and the lender will give you an approximate amount for which you are likely to be approved. Sometimes a prequalification letter will suffice; The main thing is to talk to a lender before you start looking for houses.

2. Decide if short sales and bank holdings are for you.

Don’t waste your time looking for properties that don’t meet your home buying needs. Each of these types of sales has its own challenges for the homebuyer, so it’s important to learn the basics of each and decide if one fits your game plan. For example, if you need to move into a new home within a relatively short period of time, a short sale may not work for you, as it often takes many months to complete. And bank properties often need work, which can increase the total cost or make it difficult to obtain certain types of loans. If you can be patient with a short sale, or have the ability and/or resources to fix up a bank-owned home, these could be great avenues to explore. If not, tell your Realtor® to skip short sales and bank-owned homes.

3. Check out the neighborhoods ahead of time.

One of the best things to do at the beginning of your home buying project is to take a weekend or two and browse through various areas and subdivisions, especially if you are new to the area. Tell your real estate agent which neighborhoods are most attractive to you; It will really help her understand the type of house she wants and her taste in houses. Some buyers look for newer homes in areas with lots of families and children; others prefer quieter, “mature” neighborhoods. Fortunately, there is something for everyone, and a real estate agent who has a lot of experience and knowledge of the local area will be a great help in finding those neighborhoods that are hidden gems.

4. Take time to house hunt.

Don’t plan to go to the shows alone on the weekend; in this market, that is not a winning strategy. In reality, there is a shortage of affordable homes in good condition, and those that are also in a desirable location sell almost immediately. If you really want to find your dream home, clear the decks and be ready to jump when your real estate agent tells you a new listing just came on the market that fits your requirements. And most importantly, be prepared to make an offer if it’s the right house. It could easily be gone in a day or two.

5. Don’t waste time on houses that are already sold!

Do you spend your free time house hunting on Zillow, Realtor.com or Trulia? Or driving around and calling out houses with signs out front? So, you’ve probably already learned that a lot of those houses, which appear to be for sale, are actually not available. Very often they are “under contract”, which simply means that another buyer made an offer that was accepted by the seller. These are often still listed as available on public real estate websites, but in most cases the sale will close within a few weeks. Work with a Realtor® who will set up a custom search for you so you can zero in on only those homes that meet your criteria and are still available.

6. And of course, the most important thing is to find a truly professional and customer-oriented real estate agent!

A great agent will make your home buying experience smoother and more enjoyable. Get references from friends or family who have recently had a good home buying experience, or call or email a few local agents. See which ones are responsive and return your call or email right away, and get a sense of how professional and knowledgeable they are about the local area and current market conditions. Also check out their commitment to their clients in terms of training beyond that required to obtain a real estate license. Realtors® who work diligently on behalf of their clients have often invested in advanced training and designations such as:

  • GRI – Graduate Realtor Institute, only 19% of Realtors®
  • ABR – Accredited Buyer Representative, only 15% of Realtors®
  • CRS – Certified Residential Specialist, only 10% of Realtors®

______________________________________

We hope these tips are helpful and we wish you success in your home search!