With the introduction of personal unsecured loans, it has becomes possible to avail loans without placing collateral. Personal unsecured loans are for those who do not have or not willing to offer property as collateral. Both tenants and homeowners will find such loans suitable to meet their ends. In other words, personal unsecured loans require no collateral for approval which means property of borrowers remains safe from being repossessed.

As loans are approved without using collateral, so the risk factor of lenders is high. Thus, such loans carry a slightly high rate of interest. But due to the prevailing competitive rates, borrower can find rates according to one’s repayment ability and financial status.

You can avail personal unsecured loans, to meet your miscellaneous purposes. Debt consolidation, vacation, weddings, higher education of children is some among them. Borrower can approve personal unsecured loans through online application process, which is simple and available at cost free. The online procedure provides instant details of various quotes proffered by lenders.

The amount that one can borrow in personal unsecured loans starts from £ 1,000 to £ 25,000. The loan repayment term is short and extends from 6 months to 10 years which depends upon the loan amount. In case, if borrowers falter from making repayments within the stipulated time, lenders can obtain their money through legal procedure.

Creditors provide personal loans to all sorts of credit score holders after speculation of their credit details provided. So, bad credit record holders can take the advantage and use loan amount to recover their financial position. So, if you have any CCJs, defaults, arrears and such credentials of bad credits, just relax and apply for availing loans with proper documentations.

Personal unsecured loans can be said to be the best deal for all sort of credit score holders because demands can be fulfilled without placing collateral against loans.

Alex Jonnes is associated with Secured Unsecured Loans UK. He has a Masters in Business Administration and writes on various finance related topics. To find bad consolidation secured loans, personal secured loans, Personal Unsecured loans, bad debt secured loans visit http://www.securedunsecuredloansuk.co.uk

Everybody wants a high-end computer with monstrous speed, which enables you to open up to several applications at the same time, without even lagging for a single second. So what are some of the ways to increase your computer speed? One of the most common questions is that, does adding more RAM to your computer makes it faster?

Up to some point, adding RAM (Random Access Memory) does make your computer feel faster. RAM is important because of an operating system component called VMM (Virtual Memory Manager). When you run applications in your computer, those applications that you run will take up a lot of space, depending on the size your application. Some application may take up 2MB of memory, while the others may take up as much as 30 MB of memory to run. Beside all these applications, the operating system itself is taking up quite a bit of space.

Therefore, your computer needs to have extra space which will be created by the VMM. The VMM looks at RAM and finds sections of RAM that are not currently in use. It puts these sections of RAM in a place called the swap file on the hard disk. If I have a Words document opened up, and does not use it for let say about 30 minutes, the VMM will move all the bytes making up the Words document, out to the hard disk. This is called swapping out.

The next time I click on the Words document, VMM will then swap in all of its byte from the hard disk back to the document itself. This swapping in and out process may cause delays as the hard disk is slow relative to RAM.

If you have a very small amount of RAM (say, 16 megabytes), then the VMM is always swapping things in and out to get anything done. In that case, your computer feels like it is crawling.

If you were to put 512 MB of RAM in your computer, the VMM would have plenty of room and you would never see it swapping anything.

Some applications (things like Photoshop, many compilers, and animation packages) need tons of RAM to do their job. If you run them on a machine with too little RAM, they swap constantly and run very slowly.

RAM is just like a pair of running shoes to a computer. Let your computer wear the right size of the shoe and you can definitely see a drastic change of speed performance from them.

Keeno Gregory is a computer technician who is in the computer industry for the past 5 years, and used to write articles about computer and Internet performance.

Do check out a site that he strongly recommends, which provides insights on how to double the speed of your computer and internet connection, even without any technical knowledge.

Do visit http://www.homebizgears.com/doublePCspeed.html for more information.

Please feel free to republish this article on your website, or distribute it to your friends or clients, as long as you leave the resource box intact.

Keeno Gregory

Selling your items on Ebay is really very simple once you have mastered the technical aspect of posting your items and filling the orders. It’s much harder to convert your Ebay sales efforts into a consistent, and viable business. Putting the technical aspects of selling on Ebay aside, there are a few key areas that every serious Ebay seller needs to master if they are going to consistently profit from this type of business venture.

The first area you should be concerned about is customer service. This is an important aspect that many serious sellers seem to neglect. If you are serious and you want your Ebay business to succeed your going to need repeat buyers. If you really want to get a buyer’s attention provide them with excellent customer service that goes above and beyond your competition. This means that you need to promptly answering emails, and when your shipping packages to your buyers keep them updated concerning the shipping of their items. When you receive a payment, send the customer a email acknowledging that you have received their payment. You should also send the customer an email when you have shipped the package. If you follow these simple steps the chances of you having a buyer return, and making a future purchase are greatly increased.

The second area that hurts Ebay sellers the most, is failing to pay attention to the costs involved in an Ebay business. It is very important to keep a record of all of the costs that are involved with every transaction that you make. You need to Know how much it costs to acquiring your product, along with the cost of completing the transaction. Keep a journal that contains information about all of your sell through rates, and prices realized. This can be very simple or extremely complex the choice is up to you. The more factors that you are able to track concerning your business. Being informed about your business will allow you to make informed decisions concerning your business.

The third area that you need to be concerned about is the reputation that you develop the niche category that you are consistently selling in. Buyers that see you and your products, over and over again are more inclined to buy from you. The niche market that you decide to dive into should be one that you are familiar with and have done extensive research on. It is a proven fact that buyers who see well written ads by the same seller in a specific category, regard the seller as a reputable knowledgeable dealer. This doesn’t mean that you should limit yourself to selling only one item in one categories. This simply means that you want the buyers to make an association with your name in the specific category they are shopping in.

Are you serious about starting a Ebay business? Learn the five things you need to do before you can start selling on Ebay by visiting: http://www.AuctionBullet.com

Want to join in the fun craft of needle felting but not sure where to start?
This guide will tell you what you need to begin your dry felting adventure.

1. First of all, exactly what is needle felting? It is a dry method of felting
animal and other fibers. Using special needles, you punch the fibers
down locking them together and forming felt. Pretty simple.

2. Supplies needed are few. You will need a dense foam pad (not
styrofoam) at least two inches deep. You should be able to easily find some at a craft or material
store. Start off your felting hobby with some clean, carded raw wool.
You can find some by searching on the internet. A bamboo skewer (you
can get a package of 50 or more at grocery stores for a couple of
dollars) and/or toothpicks are good for helping form shapes if you are
making three dimensional characters. Lastly, a small pair of scissors for
trimming.

3. What kind of felting needle should you buy? The most basic needle is
an inexpensive 36 gauge triangle needle. This needle is used for general
felting and is a good starting needle.

Gauge is the thickness of the needle. The lower the number the thicker the needle and the larger the hole it leaves. So a 36 gauge is thicker than a 38 gauge needle. The higher the number, the finer the needle and the smaller a hole it leaves. A 40 gauge needle is much finer than a 36 gauge needle and will be good for finishing because it leaves smaller holes.

The triangle shaped tip has three sides with barbs. The barbs tangle the fiber as you push down but not as you pull back out. You can, also, get a star needle. The star tip has 4 edges and a concave groove between the four edges. It has more barbs than the triangle and felts faster than the triangle.

As you advance, you will want different gauges and shapes to take your needle felting to new heights.

4. The last thing you will need is an idea of what to felt. You can felt flat
pieces or three dimensional characters. Beginners might want to try a flat
piece first just to get the feel of punching the fibers. A search for needle
felting on the internet will provide you with some free projects to start.
Once you get the hang of it, your own imagination will bring you many
unique ideas.

To begin needle felting you need a few simple supplies, a special barbed
needle, and an idea. What are you waiting for? It’s a fun, creative, and
inexpensive hobby so go ahead and give it a try.

Visit http://www.owning-alpaca.com/alpaca-fiber.html for free needle felting projects and information. Debby McCandless raises alpacas and uses the fleece to needle felt three dimensional characters.

Tax-Sheltered Annuity (TSA), also known as a 403(b), is an alternative retirement savings plan. Not everyone can participate in this plan, and it is restricted to those who are employed by educational, cultural, or non-profit organizations such as religious groups (also known as 501 (c)(3) organizations).

TAX-SHELTERED ANNUITY BENEFITS

Contributions to a Tax-Sheltered Annuity are done through a payroll deduction and are therefore taken out pre-tax. This feature of a Tax-Sheltered Annuity is very beneficial since your contributions are not seen as income and you may pay less federal tax at the end of the year. A Tax-Sheltered Annuity is also tax deferred during the accumulation phase. This means you will not pay any taxes on the amount you contribute or the interest earned until you begin the withdrawal phase.

If your plan allows, you may elect to contribute post-tax money to your Tax-Sheltered Annuity by using your paycheck. Any money you contribute post-tax must be declared on your income tax return and is not subject to the tax-deferred exemption. When selecting a Tax-Sheltered Annuity you may choose between fixed and variable, or a combination of the two.

It is possible to take loans from your Tax-Sheltered Annuity, but these loans are limited to the lesser of $50,000 or fifty percent of your vested amount. Another feature of a Tax-Sheltered Annuity is the ability to rollover funds into other investment options. For example, it is possible to use your 403(b) to fund your 401(k), Individual Retirement Account (IRA), or another 403(b).

It is important to check any contribution limits or rules established by the new plan administrator before committing to a rollover. If you die before receiving payments, your beneficiaries are entitled to similar options using your Tax-Sheltered Annuity. A spouse is entitled to all of the aforementioned options, while a non-spouse is prohibited from using your annuity money to fund an IRA. A non-spouse beneficiary is only able to transfer funds from one 403(b) to another.

CONTRIBUTION LIMITS OF A TAX-SHELTERED ANNUITY

Unlike a regular deferred annuity, there are maximum contribution limits determined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for each year. Beginning in 2006 the maximum personal (elective) contribution limit was increased to $15,000 per year, up from $14,000 in 2005. Also in 2006, your employer (non-elective) may choose to contribute to your Tax-Sheltered Annuity with a combined maximum contribution limit of $ 44,000.

You may be able to contribute up to $5000 more per year if you are age 50 or older and an additional $3000 per year if you have been with the same company for more than fifteen years. Failure to comply with these contribution limits can result in additional taxes and penalties for both the employee and contributing employer.

TAX PENALTIES OF TAX-SHELTERED ANNUITY AND AGE REGULATIONS

As with the deferred annuity, a Tax-Sheltered Annuity is used to supplement retirement income. If you decide to withdraw money prior to age 59 ½ you will be subject to a ten percent penalty by the IRS in addition to the standard income tax. There are a few exceptions to paying this penalty, although specific criteria must be met.

If you leave the service, encounter extreme and immediate financial hardship, or become disabled you can avoid paying the ten percent penalty. Although the ten percent penalty is not enforced in these cases, you are still responsible for paying income tax on the money you withdraw. You must begin taking minimum payments from your Tax-Sheltered Annuity in either the same year as your retire or by age 70 ½, whichever comes first.

Failure to do so will result in a fifty percent excise tax on the money you should be receiving. The only exception to this age restriction pertains to all contributions made to a Tax-Sheltered Annuity prior to January 1, 1987. Anyone who paid into a Tax-Sheltered Annuity before this date is allowed to defer withdrawal until age 75. If you die before the withdrawal period your beneficiaries may receive payouts from your Tax-Sheltered Annuity without paying the ten percent penalty, but they are still responsible for the income taxes.

Regulations on tax compliance change every few years to accommodate inflation rates, and it is important to familiarize yourself with these changes to avoid penalties from the IRS. Helpful resources including articles, worksheets, and an updated FAQ page can be located at www.irs.gov and search for keywords “tax sheltered annuity.”

Author bio - Rocco Beatrice, CPA, MST, MBA
Award-winning estate planning & trust expert
MS - Taxation, Master of Science Taxation
MBA - Management / Taxation
BSBA - Management / Accounting
CPA - Certified Public Accountant
—–
Irrevocable Trust Asset Protection, Offshore Asset Protection
Charitable Gift Annuity
71 Commercial Street #150, Boston, MA 02109
tel: +1.508.429.0011 fax: +1.508.429.3034

Do you have a Living Will? To Living Will or to not to Living Will. These questions lend themselves to more questions: How well do you know and trust your loved ones? How confident are you that they understand your core values and views on what your final wishes are? Are you really sure they will respect the passing comment you made regarding your wishes in the case of terminal illness or vegetative state?

LIVNG WILL: WHAT IS IT?

The answer to these questions can often be resolved with a Living Will. A Living Will is a type of Advance Directive that outlines your treatment wishes should you become terminally ill or fall into a persistent vegetative state. While you have the option of making your Living Will oral or written, it is advised to have a written Will in case you are unable to communicate at the time when the Living Will is to be carried out.

A Living Will outlines to a healthcare professional which services you do and do not want. You can state that you do not want cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or a respirator, but you do want feeding tubes to provide you with necessary nutrition and you want to die at home.

Living Wills are often written in vague terms because you are trying to cover a variety of circumstances which are unknown to you when the Will is drafted. You may choose to sign a more restrictive Living Will, known as Do Not Resuscitate which prohibits the use of cardiopulmonary techniques to keep you alive during cardiac arrest.

It should be noted that unless you are wearing a special identifier such as a bracelet, your Living Will does not apply to the efforts of an Emergency Medical Team (EMT). There has been much debate in the news involving contrasting views on Living Wills, and most people will remember the Terri Schiavo case as an excellent example for debating the issue for drafting a Living Will.

PROS OF A LIVING WILL

A Living Will, as with a standard Will, is a legal document and must be signed in the presence of witnesses and notarized. The importance of having a Living Will is that it clarifies to family and healthcare professionals which treatments you do and do not want if you are unable to speak for yourself. Although the wording in a Living Will is often ambiguous to cover a variety of situations, you might be surprised what can happen without one.

In the absence of a Living Will, most states will elect someone close to you (usually a family member) to make decisions for you. This person (sometimes referred to as the surrogate) may have no idea what your personal beliefs are regarding artificial nutrition and resuscitation, but if you are unable to speak for yourself this individual must act in what they feel is your best interest.

In some states the appointment of this surrogate will only occur when you are determined terminally ill, and all treatments leading up to this diagnosis are up to your doctor who has taken an oath to preserve life. If you have a Living Will you can alleviate indecision in your family by outlining the terms of your treatment.

You are never too young to draft a Living Will, and you may want to consider writing one “just in case”. The future can be unpredictable and it is better to be prepared than suffer an accident and leave others to decide your fate, especially if your religious beliefs conflict with artificial medical treatments such as feeding tubes.

CONS TO A LIVING WILL

There are limitations associated with Living Wills. A Living Will is often written in vague terms. What “heroic measures” mean to you may not be the same as what it means to your doctor. Your definition of “heroic measures” might mean that you do not want feeding tubes used to sustain your life if you are unable to eat unassisted, but your doctor may not feel that use of a feeding tube is a “heroic measure”.

In addition, a Living Will is often not enacted until a person is deemed terminally ill. Doctors may disagree on when your condition falls into this category, and you may receive treatment which goes against your values as outlined in your Living Will. It is possible to be as specific as you want when drafting your Living Will, but keep in mind that the more specific wording you use, the greater the chance of excluding a wide range of scenarios in which you would want your Living Will applied.

One of the more common downsides to a Living Will is that it is not readily accessible to your healthcare provider. Some people choose to keep their Living Will locked up in a safety deposit box or another secretive location in their home. If you fail to provide your doctor with a copy of your Living Will, and you become unable to communicate, they will treat you as if you never had a Living Will drafted.

FREE LIVING WILL FORMS: HOW TO DRAFT A LIVING WILL?

Although you may be uncomfortable talking to your doctor about drafting a Living Will, your healthcare provider has access to free living will forms which are state specific. The Internet can also be used as a source for finding free living will forms, although it is wise to check with an attorney when using these forms or if you move to a different state to ensure your Living Will is in accordance with state laws.

A Living Will is revocable and you can change your mind at any time. You can obtain new forms from your doctor or attorney and change your mind whenever you want by completing a new free Living Will form. Once you have completed your Living Will it is important to provide a copy to your doctor, a potential surrogate, and other family members so there is no doubt what your final wishes are if or when a situation arises.

Author bio - Rocco Beatrice, CPA, MST, MBA
Award-winning estate planning & trust expert
MS - Taxation, Master of Science Taxation
MBA - Management / Taxation
BSBA - Management / Accounting
CPA - Certified Public Accountant
—–
Irrevocable Trust Asset Protection, Offshore Asset Protection
Will Contest: What is it?
71 Commercial Street #150, Boston, MA 02109
tel: +1.508.429.0011 fax: +1.508.429.3034

The prospect of saving for a special event can be a daunting task, especially if you are not used to saving at all. Many of us find ourselves in the position of cutting back on some of the little extras we enjoy each day, to save up for events such as weddings and vacations. While it is very worthwhile to save up for these events, we often return to our ‘old ways’ once the event has come and gone. Much like dieting, when we deprive ourselves we cause a sling shot effect once we no longer ‘need’ to save. Once the event has passed, not only do we revert back to enjoying our little daily extras, such as lattes and dinners out, we might find we are spending money on things, just because we went ‘without’ for a few weeks or a few months.

In order to be successful with a savings plan; it has to become a life habit. It requires taking a look at the big picture and determining not only what near-term events we would like to participate in, but also where we want to be financially 3, 5 and 10 years from now. When you plan for the long-term, many of the near-term events are automatically funded. It’s true!

Our wealthiest clients tell us, they were taught how to plan their expenditures at a very young age. Their parents advised them they could immediately have whatever their hearts desired, but if they were patient, they could have much more in later years. They admit planning and saving for the future seemed surreal at first. However, their early planning habits led them to better things in the future. They tell us, when it came time to buy their first car, they did it with ease. There was no struggling to buy the car because they had saved more than enough. Of course, my first question for them was “Did you buy a new or used car?” “Used, of course!” they tell me. You see, they had even bigger things they were planning to acquire in the future, such as purchasing their first home or starting their own companies.

In nearly every case, the wealthiest clients we have came from modest beginnings; they were not handed their fortunes. So, as they grew up, their savings grew with them and they became more and more adept at handling their finances; planning their finances to be exact. I point this out because so many people wish, with all their might, they could win the lottery. That would be nice wouldn’t it? What would you do with the money? What steps would you take to make sure it lasted you the rest of your life? Or, were you even thinking that far ahead. No matter how your money comes to you; be it through inheritance, lottery or dollar by dollar, you must learn how to manage it. Statistics show most people who inherit large sums of money or win the lottery have lost most of the money within 2 years. Just a little bit of financial planning could prevent this every time. When you don’t have a plan, you plan to fail.

My partner Jerry and I work with a number of real estate investors. They have confided that they wish they had met us when they started investing. They tell us the first few years of investing were much like hitting the lottery; they were flush with cash and they could buy anything they wanted. Then, sadly, the real estate market ‘turned’ on them and they could not weather the storm. They either lost many of their properties or they were forced to borrow heavily on credit lines just to keep their heads above water. Some of them came through all right and others suffered setbacks that would take years to recover from. They all agree that with a little planning, they could have avoided all this drama. These individuals are some of our most devoted clients as they know the power of financial planning; and they won’t be caught trying to run their savings and investment businesses with out it; ever again.

If you want to learn how to amass wealth quickly and safely, with little impact to your current lifestyle, you will enjoy reading our financial planning book, “Create Wealth On Auto-Pilot”. Let us show you how to save in layered time frames - long-term, mid-term, short-term so your dreams of wealth can be brought to reality with ease. When you plan with us, you win!

Raleigh Makarechian RFC® FMM™, founder and co-owner of Wealth2020, Inc., obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Ms. Makarechian has been in business and financial planning for over twelve years. As an alternative investment specialist, she reviews an investor’s entire portfolio and maps out a strategic plan to maximize investment returns and minimize tax consequences, during the entire life of the plan. She lectures on a regular basis to other professional investment groups and community social groups throughout the US.

She and her partner Jerry Gallegos have just completed their

Warning: As of October 18, 2006 Private Annuity Trusts (PAT) are no longer recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as legal means for managing assets tax deferred! The Private Annuity Trust has been replaced with The Ensured Installment Sale (Structured Sale), which will be discussed later. The following information applies only to Annuity agreements funded prior to October 18, 2006, which are still honored by the IRS.

PRIVATE ANNUITY TRUST: WHAT IS IT?

A Private Annuity Trust works very similar to an Immediate Annuity, although you will use assets other than money to fund this Annuity. Typically, you transfer ownership of a home or land with high value to a Trust. The Trust agrees to make lifetime payments to you, and can then sell the asset you gave them and use the money to fund this Annuity agreement through investments.

You cannot use other retirement funds such as a 401k to fund a Private Annuity Trust, but you can add multiple properties to increase your tax break and Annuity payment. If you decide to add an additional property to your Private Annuity Trust you must create a new Annuity agreement for each property, unless your original agreement contained a provision to include additional assets at a later date.

Each new agreement will have a different deferral period which creates an added benefit to you by providing both immediate and long term income. The withdrawal period from a Private Annuity Trust must begin by age 70 ½, but you can always choose to receive payments sooner.

When structuring a Private Annuity Trust, you must name a Trustee who will be responsible for controlling the investments of your assets in the Private Annuity Trust. The Trustee can be an adult child, relative, close friend, attorney, or anyone else other than you or your spouse. By law, the annuitant is not allowed to have any direct control over the investments of their Annuity. You may make council to the Trustee but cannot have any direct contact with the assets once they are transferred into the Private Annuity Trust, and your transfer of ownership is irrevocable.

ASSETS TRANSFERRED TO A PRIVATE ANNUITY TRUST: HOW TO ESTIMATE THE ANNUITY PAYMENTS

It is fairly easy to estimate what your Annuity payments will be for the asset transferred into a Private Annuity Trust. The IRS uses the following factors to determine your payment:

1. Your life expectancy

2. The selling price of your asset

3. The Annual Federal Mid-Term Rate (AFMR) effective when your property was transferred (this rate will be the rate used for the duration of your Annuity)

4. The length of time you defer payments

Using these factors, the amount you will receive from an Annuity is a fixed amount and you cannot start and stop payments from a Private Annuity Trust. Once the withdrawal period begins you will continue to receive payments for life.

The “life expectancy” factor is only used by the IRS to help determine what your payments should be and is not to be confused with a payment “cutoff” age. If you live beyond what the IRS factored as your life expectancy, you will continue to receive payments for life.

JOINT ANNUITY FOR SPOUSE TO RECEIVE PAYMENTS

Owning a joint annuity will allow your spouse to continue receiving Annuity payments should you die first. After your spouse dies, payments will cease and your beneficiaries will inherit any surplus money remaining in your Private Annuity Trust created by wise investment options of the Trust’s reserve.

By law there must be enough money set aside for the Trust to fulfill its Annuity agreement with you, and there will usually be a reserve account established of five to ten percent of your asset’s value as a safety precaution. Remember, your Annuity payment is fixed and will not increase regardless of profit your assets create via the Private Annuity Trust.

NO ESTATE TAX, INCOME TAX OR GIFT TAX ON PRIVATE ANNUITY TRUST TRANSFER

When you establish a Private Annuity Trust, you are not subject to estate, income, or gift taxes. The transfer of ownership of an asset to a Trust is “paid for” by the Annuity agreement. The IRS cannot accurately determine your life expectancy, and therefore cannot determine how many payments you will actually receive.

Taxes will be deferred on the transfer until you start receiving payments, and a portion of your payment will be taxed based on your income amount. The transfer of ownership involving your assets is not considered a gift to the Trust because they are agreeing to pay you for the asset at a later date, and as a result you will not have to pay a gift tax.

Once your asset is transferred to the Trust, it is removed from your taxable estate. This is of particular benefit to your beneficiaries who will not be held responsible for paying estate taxes when they receive excess funds from your Annuity. After your death it is the responsibility of the Trust to cover any unpaid taxes due on the assets.

ENSURED INSTALLMENT SALE (STRUCTURED SALE)

The Ensured Installment Sale was developed by the Allstate Insurance Company in 2005 and works in a similar manner to the Private Annuity Trust. The major difference between the two is that when you sell your assets, the Annuity is purchased directly from an insurance company. The insurance company, and not the Trustee for a Private Annuity Trust, is responsible for making investment decisions and ensuring you receive Annuity payments for life.

Author bio - Rocco Beatrice, CPA, MST, MBA
Award-winning estate planning & trust expert
MS - Taxation, Master of Science Taxation
MBA - Management / Taxation
BSBA - Management / Accounting
CPA - Certified Public Accountant
—–
Irrevocable Trust Asset Protection, Medicaid Asset Protection
Charitable Gift Annuity
71 Commercial Street #150, Boston, MA 02109
tel: +1.508.429.0011 fax: +1.508.429.3034

Most movers are so happy to finally arrive in their new home that they are able to overlook chipped dinner plates or a scratch on the dining room table. But there’s no reason your household goods should become casualties of the move. With a little care and planning your household goods will both arrive in mint condition.

Following are packing tips to consider when packing large items, packing small items and packing awkward items.

Packing Large Items:

• Tie bed frames together with tape or rope then label the pieces so they are easy to reassemble.

• Fill drawers with clothes or fragile, well-wrapped items. Cover them with a blanket or with furniture pads and rope securely.

• Remove table legs, pad and tie together. Put nuts and bolts in a bag and tape them underneath the tabletop.

• Empty, defrost and drain the refrigerator, freezer and dishwasher. Clean the interiors and put accessories in bags. Stuff towels between washer sides to prevent rotating and tape down any moveable parts. Cover with blankets and tie.

• Use the original packaging for computers, televisions and electronics, or buy electronic-specific boxes.

Packing Small Items:

• Put your microwave, VCR and other small appliances into boxes and cushion with wadded paper.

• Pack books flat in small cartons, alternating bindings. Try to keep each box under 30 lbs.

• Pack hanging items, such as clothing and drapes, in wardrobe boxes. Leave small items in drawers.

• Wrap fragile collectibles in bubble wrap and tape them securely.

• Pack CD’s upright and cushion with them newspaper.

• Stack pots and pans and cushion with them paper.

• Place any kitchen items you will need immediately in a separate box and label appropriately so you know which one to unpack first.

• Wrap dishes individually in bubble wrap and never stack them flat. Pack plates on saucers on edges and place cups and bowls around them.

Packing Awkward Items:

• Wrap chair arms and legs with bubble wrap. Place slipcovers on chairs or buy chair bags for protection.

• Loosen the handlebars from bicycles and turn them sideways. Cover chains and pedals to keep grease off other items.

• Wrap small items, such as mirrors and artwork, in newsprint and pack in mirror boxes. Cover larger pieces with cardboard, tape them securely and stand them along the sides of the truck or inside wardrobe boxes.

• Disassemble heavy lawn furniture. Put nuts and bolts in a bag and tie together.

• Roll up rugs and secure with rope or tape.

• Place plants in plastic bags with air holes then in boxes. Water them before you leave.

• Wrap sharp edges of tools and use plenty of cushioning to prevent injury. Tape long-handled tools together and place smaller ones in boxes.

• Empty gasoline from all tanks of lawnmowers and edgers and check for oil leaks.

• Use medium-sized boxes for garage and attic items, such as spray paints, brushes and car waxes. Throw away oily rags or anything combustible.

• Keep pets in a pet carrier up front with you. Ask your vet for suggestions on how to make their move less traumatic.

Use these packing tips for packing large items, packing small items and packing awkward items.

Hilary Basile is a writer for MyGuidesUSA.com. At MyGuidesUSA.com (http://www.myguidesusa.com), you will find valuable tips and resources for handling life’s major events. Whether you’re planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, you’ll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com Find moving and relocation tips and resources at http://www.myguidesusa.com/movingandrelocation

For some people, a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) is a convenient way to donate funds to an educational, religious or other charitable organization. A Charitable Gift Annuity works very similar to other annuities you might purchase through your insurance company, but in this case you will receive an annuity payment directly from the organization. Typically, you donate a monetary amount to the organization of your choice and then begin receiving payments either immediately or at a predetermined date in the future.

Donations to charities are subject to the charitable tax deduction, and you are entitled to make this deduction on your income tax return for each year you make a new donation. You can choose to receive your annuity payments yearly, quarterly, or monthly, although most people choose quarterly payments. Quarterly payments from a Charitable Gift Annuity are received on the last day of the quarter, not the first.

Similar to other annuity options, Charitable Gift Annuities are subject to state and federal regulations. The American Council on Gift Annuities (ACGA) sets uniform gift annuity rates for use by charitable organizations. These rates set the recommended limits for payout rates to the donor.

If a charity stays at or below these rates, they are not required to justify that their rates are within state regulatory laws. If the charity chooses rates above those set by the ACGA then an actuary is necessary to ensure compliance to the individual state laws. Rates are determined by the age of the annuitant and when the withdrawal period for the annuity begins.

A charity may spend a portion of a donation immediately but must retain enough money in its reserve to satisfy its annuity agreement with the donor. The agreement for Charitable Gift Annuities states that the annuitant will receive fixed payment amounts for their lifetime only and not an additional period of time thereafter for their beneficiaries.

This means that once an annuitant dies, payments cease and the remainder of the annuity is absorbed by the charity. The donor can opt to extend the annuity agreement to an additional annuitant, as with the joint and survivor or two lives in succession options, but the annuity payments will be split between the two individuals and will cease after both parties have died.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES:

IMMEDIATE GIFT ANNUITY

1. If you choose an Immediate Gift Annuity, payments will begin in the payment period immediately following the final contribution date. As mentioned previously, the annuitant can choose to receive payments annually, quarterly, monthly, etc. Depending on when the contribution was made, you can request your first payment to be for the full, and not prorated amount.

DEFERRED GIFT ANNUITY

2. With a Deferred Gift Annuity, the annuitant is allowed to receive payments at a future date predetermined by the donor. The date chosen must be at least one year from the contribution date, but the payout schedule offers the same flexibility as the Immediate Gift Annuity.

COLLEGE ANNUITY

3. A parent or grandparent may want to establish a college fund for a child to offset the rising cost of higher education. In this case, they would donate money for a College Annuity which will only pay out over the lifetime of the child (annuitant). Payments usually begin at age eighteen, or when the child/annuitant is old enough to attend college. The annuitant may choose payments for life or receive larger payments spread out over the number of years they attend school.

FLEXIBLE ANNUITY

4. A Flexible Annuity allows the annuitant to decide the starting date for payments. Usually the annuitant chooses retirement or another date of importance to begin receiving payments. Keep in mind that one factor for the annuity payment rate is age, so you will receive larger payments if you wait until you are older.

HOW DOES A CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY WORK?

You may be asking how this works in a real life example. Let’s assume you just turned seventy-five and have $25,000 that you would like to donate to your alma mater as a Charitable Gift Annuity. You opt to receive immediate annuity payments on a yearly basis, and your calculated annuity rate is eight percent. Based on your annuity agreement with your alma mater, you will receive a payment for $2000 every year for the rest of your life, and an immediate tax deduction of over $9000!

This is only an estimate, and your actual deduction will vary according to changing tax laws and changing rates established by the ACGA. You should always consult with a knowledgeable financial advisor such as Estate Street Partners before donating or investing large sums of money to guarantee your rights are protected.

Author bio - Rocco Beatrice, CPA, MST, MBA
Award-winning estate planning & trust expert
MS - Taxation, Master of Science Taxation
MBA - Management / Taxation
BSBA - Management / Accounting
CPA - Certified Public Accountant
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