Moneywise home

Recent Entries

• Federal Tax Credits for Home Solar Energy and Other Energy-Efficiency Systems • Medicare choices can be overwhelming • Making that holiday job permanent • Coping with underwater mortgages • Dealing with a family member with disabilities is not easy

Recent Comments

• By Insurance reviews from the entry 'Stopping gadget hysteria from draining your bank account'
• By no fingers from the entry 'A success story shares his business sense'
• By Tax Preparation from the entry 'Getting the most out of your taxes'
• By 2gb micro sd  from the entry 'Taking the stress out of the holidays'
• By Fred Doleac from the entry 'Sharpen your social networking senses'
• By Mark Ewans from the entry 'Understanding health insurance options'
• By motor accident claim from the entry 'Understanding health insurance options'
• By Charles C. Widner from the entry 'Keeping employees engaged'
• By Insulation Manufacturer from the entry 'Getting the 'green seal' of approval'
• By john from the entry 'Keeping employees engaged'

Blog Roll

• Bacon's Rebellion
• RVABlogs
• Virginia politics blog roll
• Raising Kaine
• Too conservative
• Not Larry Sabato
• Rick Sincere
• Virginia Politics
• The Shad Plank
• Virginia Public Access Project
• Who's my legislator?
• The Contemporary Conservative

Syndicate

• RSS 2.0

Monthly Archives

• October 2010
• September 2010
• August 2010
• July 2010
• June 2010
• May 2010
• April 2010
• March 2010
• February 2010
• January 2010
• December 2009
• November 2009
• October 2009
• September 2009
• August 2009
• July 2009
• June 2009
• May 2009
• April 2009
• March 2009
• February 2009
• January 2009

Consumers who install solar energy systems (including solar water heating and solar electric systems), small wind systems, geothermal heat pumps, and residential fuel cell and microturbine systems can receive a 30 percent federal tax credit for systems placed in service before Dec. 31, 2016.

The previous federal tax-credit cap no longer applies.

For more information on ways to save money by using federal tax credits for energy efficiency improvements, go to:

Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency

—Peter Bacque

Post a Comment (0) | Permalink

Medicare is an alphabet of choices seniors struggle to understand.
Parts A covers hospitalization.
Part B covers medically-necessary services like doctors’ services, outpatient care, home health services.
Part C are Medicare Advantage plans, health plans offered by private companies approved by Medicare.
Part D is prescription drug coverage.
There are also Medigap (Medicare Supplemental Insurance) polices for people with original Medicare who want help paying co-pays and deductibles.
Open enrollment for next year’s Medicare choices kicks off Nov. 15 and continues through Dec. 31.

Seniors will be receiving the Medicare & You 2011 handbook in the mail soon if it hasn’t arrived already.
They need to look through it and select the health plan and drug plans best for them.
Some may decide to stick with the plans they have and not make any changes.
Other don’t have that option as some Medicare Advantage health plans and Part D plans are not being renewed, meaning enrollees have to make new choices (or have choices made for them).

Weldon Hazlewood and David Blanset, volunteer insurance counselors with Senior Connections—The Capital Area Agency on Aging, answered questions about Medicare last week at a program at Corinth United Methodist Church in Sandston.
One thing they emphasized is that folks should sign up for Medicare when they become eligible, around their 65th birthday.
If they miss the initial enrollment period, perhaps because they are healthy and don’t want to pay the premiums for Part B, bear in mind there are penalties when signing up later.

Here are some other tips from the federal Medicare program.

8 Things to Consider When Choosing or Changing Your Coverage
1. Coverage - Are the services you need covered?
2. Your other coverage - If you have other types of health or prescription drug coverage, make sure you understand how that coverage works with Medicare. If you have employment-related coverage, or get your health care from an Indian Health or Tribal Health Program, talk to your benefits administrator, insurer, or plan before making any changes.
3. Costs - How much are your premiums, deductibles, and other costs? How much do you pay for services like hospital stays or doctor visits? Is there a yearly limit on what you could pay out of pocket for medical services? Make sure you understand any coverage rules that may affect your costs.
4. Doctor and hospital choice - Do your doctors accept the coverage? Are the doctors you want to see accepting new patients? Do you have to choose your hospital and health care providers from a network? Do you need to get referrals?
5. Prescription drugs - What are your drug needs? Do you need to join a Medicare drug plan? Do you already have creditable prescription drug coverage? Will you pay a penalty if you join a drug plan later? What will your prescription drugs cost under each plan? Are your drugs covered under the plan’s formulary (drug list)?
6. Quality of care - The quality of care and services given by plans and other health care providers can vary.
7. Convenience - Does the plan include the doctors you see and the pharmacies you use? Can you get your prescriptions by mail? Do the doctors use electronic health records or E-prescribe? 
8. Travel - Will the plan cover you if you travel to another state?

 

Post a Comment (0) | Permalink

For many people out of work, a holiday job is a good way to make some money. But it can also be the first step to a permanent position.
Here are some tips from the website Quintessential Careers on how to turn the short-term job into a long term career.

-Be dependable. Know your schedule and always show up on time. Tell your supervisor that you are available in a pinch if there’s a need. Retail managers are constantly struggling to find reliable workers, so as long as you are dependable, this tip should be an easy one to master.

-Do the work. Show that you are not just working the job to make some holiday cash, but instead there to help the company. Workers who are just putting in their “time,” are easy to spot – and managers know who those folks are. Instead, show your value by always trying to go above and beyond what is asked of you.

-Network within the company. Get to know all the managers—and make sure they know your strengths. The more managers who know who you are and what you’re capable of will give you multiple opportunities to shine and land one or more permanent openings.

-Look the part. Companies like Abercrombie even admit to hiring people who look like their customers (like they belong at the store). Even if you wear a vest or coat, or some other type of uniform, if you are dealing with customers, you should always try to look and dress your best. Good grooming and hygiene are essential.

-Be the problem-solver. Whenever there is a problem that needs to be resolved, volunteer to help solve the problem. Managers love workers who are not only self-sufficient, but who think proactively, taking care of little problems before they become major catastrophes.

-Avoid the grapevine. Spending too much time gossiping about fellow co-workers is one of the sure ways to make a name for yourself—in the totally WRONG way. Now, this tip doesn’t mean you should not be friendly; quite the opposite. You should be friendly with all co-workers (as well as customers)—just stay away from talking about other people.

-Don’t overdo the employee discount. Sure, the discount is there for you to use—and it’s a great win-win to have the extra income AND get a discount, just don’t go crazy with it. Share the discount with your family members, but don’t have the whole neighborhood coming to the store to get your discount.

-Express your interest. There is certainly no harm to talking with all the managers—once you’ve established some rapport with them—that you are interested in a full-time position should one become available.

Post a Comment (0) | Permalink

Much of the housing crisis has focused on foreclosures and short sales. But what about people who don’t want their credit ruined? Many want to avoid that unpleasant situation at most any cost, if at all possible.

Most Realtors advise people to sit tight if they are thinking about selling but have little or no equity in their houses. But if you need to sell for a job or lifestyle change, how are you coping and how much financial loss are you willing to take to protect your credit?

Post a Comment (0) | Permalink

The greatest fear for a parent with a special needs child is one day leaving that child to fend for him or herself. Here’s a touching, and frank, story about one sibling left to care for her brother.

My Brother’s Keeper (Assembly Required)

TEN years ago my mother died in my arms, propped up on plush, monogrammed Laura Ashley pillows with Frank Sinatra singing “My Way” through Sony Walkman earphones strapped to her head. The Walkman didn’t fit the décor, and neither did I. My mother and I were not close, and it was somewhat ironic that, of her four children, I would be the one rubbing her spongy forearms and kneading her ice-cold feet as she prepared to lay her burden down.

She would leave me a house full of furniture, some family jewelry and — whether I liked it, wanted it, understood it or was prepared for it — John, my 42-year-old mentally challenged brother. Because that’s what happens. People die. Their burdens don’t.

For the rest of the story, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/fashion/22Love.html

Post a Comment (0) | Permalink