How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
How much life insurance should you buy? The answer to that question is as individual as your circumstances. You'll need to evaluate the reason you're buying life insurance in order to properly answer this question. Once you can specifically answer the question “Why am I buying life insurance” you should be a long way towards determining a proper amount.The biggest pitfall most people make in deciding how much life insurance they need is in treating this purchase as an emotional decision. Life insurance is a financial product and should be treated as such. Looking at an amount of life insurance and thinking 'that's too much' can leave you drastically underinsured, and worse, leave your dependents without enough coverage in the event of your death.The second most common pitfall in determining the amount of life insurance you need is using insurance to cover debt. While initially one might be tempted to 'cover your mortgage' this goes against the premise of insurancce which is to insure against a loss. Instead you should be looking at what you loose financially upon your death.As noted above, the first question you need to ask yourself is 'why am I buying life insurance?'. For most of us with dependents and a debt load the re

Words of Wisdom from MY Mentor
When I started title repping in 2002, I was coming off being a geeky computer software trainer, with very little experience on the outside in sales. In Southern CA, title sales is mostly about reputation, first impression, and long-term relationships. I had none of these things. So, my boss sat me down and said, "I broke my sales territory in 6 months, and this is what I did. You can, too, if you do as I say."1. Wear business shoes and shine them daily.2. Keep hair cut and groomed.3. Look fresh and crisp. Shower every morning before work and wash hair.4. Be physically fit. Trim and energetic is attractive.5. Wear a dress shirt only one time before washing and ironing.6. Wear only white dress shirts.7. Wear coats into offices.8. Don't talk politics, religion, or sex.9. Don't monologue. Ask leading questions and listen and remember.10. Talk you, me, and us. It's a one-on-one relationship business.11. Always encourage, recognize, and compliment.12. Don't overstay your visit. Get in, get your response, and get out! Repetition has greater value.13. Make 30 calls a day.14. Know who directs the business; the manager, loan rep, or processor.15. Always look f

Low APR Balance Transfer Credit Cards - Help You Save Money on Interest Charges
Balance transfer credit cards help you consolidate your credit card debt into one card, which enable you to save money on interest charges. The concept is simple enough, but you need to know how to move money owed from high interest credit cards to low APR balance transfer credit cards. These credit card companies also market these as a credit card with 'zero interest on balance transfer' as well as a 'cheap balance transfers credit card.'First, assess your current credit situation. If your credit history has a consistent pattern of timely payments, you may well qualify for any of the low APR balance transfer credit cards. Transferring all or some of your outstanding balances to this card can help you to save thousands of dollars, annually, in interest charges. With planning and exercising discipline, you can bring down your large credit card balance. You can take advantage of the low APR, and apply all the money you save on the interest to the principal.Many low APR balance transfer credit cards offer zero interest on balance transfers for a period ranging from six months to one year. They start to charge interest after the expiry of this period. It is imperative that you find out what interest they will be charging a

Series 66 Exam
People who are already working in the finance industry or people who are looking to get in, will consider the Series 66 exam very closely. The benefit is that it is a combined license. Passing the Series 66 is the equivalent of passing the Series 65 and 63. The Series 63 is a state law exam. The 65 is the RIA exam.The 66 exam is more of a rules test than the Series 65. It is comprised of 100 multiple choice questions. A grade of 71% is considered passing. If the examination is failed, you must wait 30 days before you can sit for the Series 66 again.The topics covered include:Registration and Licensing for AgentsSecurities RegistrationBusiness PracticesSecurities EvaluationRules and RegulationsThe NASD authorized this exam some years ago so that Series 7 representatives could become investment advisors without having to sit for the Series 65. The 65 is a larger exam and it covers a wider array of securities concepts. Since someone who already has the Series 7 license does not need to re-learn much of the basic covered in the 65, the NASD allows those people to take the combined test. Do I need to have a Series 7 before I take the Series 66?No. You can take the Series 66 first. H

Advantages of a Pre-Approved Car Loan
You can afford yourself a great deal of flexibility and savings by getting pre-approved for a car loan before you shop. Consider these benefits:1. Pre-approval puts you in the driver’s seat. When you know how much and what terms you can expect with your loan you eliminate the expense and confusion of dealer financing.2. You will not have to sacrifice dealer rebates and/or discounts to get a lower interest rate because your loan is already pre-approved.3. You will know how much car you qualify for before you even visit the dealer.4. You can avoid having to come up with a large down-payment.5. You have only to deal with one issue at a time – the money, then the car. Car dealers are trained to close the deal by getting you so excited about the car that you abandon reason and good judgment during the application/negotiation phase. Don’t let this happen to you.Getting pre-approved for a car loan is fast, easy and simple (in many cases you can expect an answer in as little as a day or two) but there is an important step that you must not skip.• Know your credit historyAs with all loans, rates and terms vary. You can get a general idea of what terms you can expect, or even if you will qualify for a loan i

Austin Culinary Arts School
Austin is one of the centers for culinary arts in Texas. Almost a hundred restaurants, hotels and resorts are already operating throughout Austin, each serving specialties prepared by professional cooks or chefs. The culinary style found in the area is said to be diverse and a number of culinary arts training opportunities are now available for aspirants to consider. Several reports also revealed that in Austin, Texas the hospitality industry has nearly doubled in the past decade, supporting more than 130 hotels and resorts. Well, it is this condition actually that makes Austin an ideal place to study culinary arts.The Austin culinary arts schools now come in great number. They can be found all throughout the area and each offers degrees and programs in culinary arts that are designed to help prepare people in finding job possibilities in the culinary field. What is nice to know about the Austin culinary arts schools is that all of their programs are handled and conducted by professional culinary artists. They are even offered with a good balance of hands-on trainings and theoretical instructions.If you are wondering what particular Austin culinary arts schools are popular in Texas and in the United States, read on. Below are two o