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This is the time of year when many companies let employees change their health plans or health plan options. A story in the Moneywise section of today’s Times-Dispatch talks to human resource officers and health plan representatives about trends in health benefits.
Left unsaid is the fact that many Americans don’t have any health insurance. Instead, they rely on the safety net system of public hospitals, charity care, free clinics, etc. to get care. These agencies do good work, but even they realize they are only putting a bandage on the problem.
But that’s another topic. Click here to see the Times-Dispatch’s series of stories on health care reform.
If you have health insurance, you need to know what your plan covers and what it costs you. Many plans have online tools that help you compare plans and options. Here are some Web sites and resources to help you understand your benefits:
•Free download or print copy of Navigating Your Health Benefits for Dummies .
•Virginia Health Information health insurance consumer guide.
•The federal government’s Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality .
More than half of all Americans are worried they won’t have enough money to live the lifestyle they want when they retire, according to a Gallop Poll and FeedThePig.org.
How much are you worth?
Use this Retirement Estimator Calculator from The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants to find out your Social Security earnings.
Social Security isn’t the only income source you can have.
A look at some of your other income options:
Stocks or mutual fund investments
Savings accounts or CDs
Annuities or insurance plans
Home equity
Pension plans
More information about retirement planning.
Today’s Moneywise is about making the decision between reparing and replacing home appliances. Here are some more tips on what to look for when buying an appliance to reduce power costs.
Refrigerators: When buying a refrigerator, look for models with the freezer on top. Refrigerators with freezers on the side use 10 to 30 percent more energy, and icemakers and through-the-door ice dispensers add even more to energy consumption. Consider a small model, as refrigerators under 25 cubic feet of space use significantly less energy than larger models.
Dishwashers: Consider a washer with several different wash cycle selections, which enables you to set the water use for a particular load. Consider buying a washer with an energy-saving, no-heat drying feature, which circulates room air through the washer by fans instead of electric heat. Also, to save water when washing your dishes, scrape the excess food off first, but don’t rinse them, and wash only full loads.
Clothes washers: In general, front-loading washers are more efficient than top-loading washers because they don’t have to fill the tub completely with water. Choose a machine that lets you select energy-saving cycles and lower water levels when you are doing smaller loads.
More information is available from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy at http://www.aceee.org
Virginia is looking for career switchers.
If you like kids, teaching and holidays off, Virginia’s Community Colleges is offering a fast-tract alternative licensure program.
Through EducateVA, qualified individuals can make it through a teaching certificate program within 16 weeks, using a combination of online and on-site instruction. The program requires 30 hours of classroom time.
The college system has already helped engineering, medical, manufacturing and sales professionals become teachers.
To qualify you must have:
—Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
—Five or more years of full-time work experience
—Content area expertise, with a GPA of 2.5 or better in applicable courses
—Required assessments
—Criminal background check
You also can not currently have a provisional license or expired provisional license from the Virginia Department of Education or a teaching license from any other state.
If you’re a gadget freak, that habit can waste money. Even small purchases add up.
Feed the Pig offers some tips about how to trim down your gadget budget.
First, take a month or two of gadget receipts and add them up to show what you are really spending. Set a budget number that seems acceptable, and start working on how to reduce your spending.
Feed the Pig, a joint venture between The Advertising Council and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, has some tips, ranging from easy to hardcore.
Cut off subscriptions—e-mail, magazine, listserv—that advertise new electronics or hot gadgets.
If you MUST have some gadget, shop for coupons online and for brick-and-mortar stores.
If you want to make a purchase of more than $100, take a week to think it over. Is it something you really need once you’ve had some time away?
Don’t get swallowed in by brand names. Buy what you need, forget the bells and whistles.
Before you go out to buy something, read product reviews to make sure it’s a worthy investment.
If you really want the latest gadget, create a fund and drop money into it occasionally. Even pocket change adds up.
