How To Hire A Moving CompanyWritten by Lee Dobbins
Moving can be a stressful time especially if you are moving to another state. One of most challenging aspects of moving can be choosing a moving company. Since most of us don’t move very often we have little experience in this area. The information below may help give you an edge on this aspect of your move.When choosing a moving company, try to get an estimate from several companies at same time. In a long distance move, charge is usually determined by weight of your household items and distance you are moving. Therefore, it is imperative that you give mover an accurate account of everything he will be moving. There are a couple of different kinds of estimates so you should make sure you know what kind you are getting. A “Non Binding” estimate is basically just a best guess. It may actually end up costing more or less depending on final weight of your household. A “Binding” estimate is binding and you will be expected to pay that amount whether your goods weigh more or less. You can also get a “Not To Exceed” estimate in which you will never pay more than binding price, but you may pay less if your items end up weighing less than estimate. When you are comparing estimates from different movers, it is best to compare same type of estimate.
| | Beware Of Falling Minimum PaymentsWritten by James Dimmitt
If you opened a credit card statement recently and were pleasantly surprised to find that your minimum payment due was lowered, don’t be so quick to “jump for joy”. What may appear as a small boost to your monthly budget is actually rock that can weigh you down in debt for a lifetime.More and more credit card companies are moving to requiring a minimum payment of 2% of your total outstanding balance. Consumer Action, a consumer advocacy group out of San Francisco, found that number of card companies with a 2% minimum payment reached 53%, up from 43% just a year ago. Some creditors have even gone so far as to call this a “consumer friendly” move claiming it will assist consumers faced with today’s economic woes. In reality, a lower minimum payment causes you to take longer to pay off your debt to creditor while winding up paying them more money in interest payments. For example, let’s say you have a credit card debt of $2500.00 @18% annual percentage rate (APR). Your monthly minimum payment based on a 2.5% pay back rate would be $62.50 per month. Oh and by way, here’s what credit card company really doesn’t want you to know - it will take you 20 YEARS to pay off your $2500.00 balance paying minimum monthly due. And you will have paid credit card company $3,365.51 in interest!
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