Buying a Car

Our reader, Ms NeuMann left a comment at our site on Sunday saying,
"Well... I have to buy a new car, I'm dreading the car salesman~.
Advice?" Here are some advices for you, Ms Neumann and thank you for
visiting our site:

Step 1: Determine Your Budget and What you Want: We had several
postings on our site about rankings of 2005 cars determined by
JD Power's Survey, AAA's survey of cars and trucks and AAA's survey for
best family cars, Posting about Hybrid cars like Toyota Prius. This might
help you to know if your choice tallies with that of experts.

Step 2: Get your credit report AnnualCreditReportand verify that your
credit score is above 675. Otherwise be prepared for a higher APR if you
are buying it on loan.

Step 3: Internet Research: Get free car Price Quotes and car dealer
invoice prices from these car buying services:
Edmunds.com, Cars.com InvoiceDealers CarsDirect Autoweb, AutoUSA.
It takes only a few minutes to fill out these forms and more sites you use,
more idea you gather about the price range and the lowest available price.

Step 4: Step into a dealership. In order to receive an accurate picture of
the dealer's offer, request a quote for the out-the-door cash price
excluding rebates, incentives or trade-in's and including all dealer-added
fees. Even if you are interested in trading in your old car and determined
to buy it on loan, tell the dealer that you will purchase paying cash and
you will be selling your existing car on your own. This allows you to have
a clearer picture for the price of the car itself setting aside your trade-in
or financing. Later you may start talking about those two factors as parts
of your negotiation but doing this will help you to know where exactly you
stand in terms of the price of the car and lets you to compare with the
quotes you got from internet in Step 3.

Other useful sites for financing and warranties:
o You may get low APR car Loan Approval online (and you may do this
even before buying a car) from these sites:
Capital One Auto Finance, E-Loan, AutoCreditFinders
o You may get extended warranty (sometimes you may get it even 50%
cheaper than what you get from dealers) from these sites:
1SourceAutoWarranty Warranty Direct.

Buying House: Interest Rates & Mortgages

The Long term interest rate has gone down again after creeping up a little
for some time. The recent rise in mortgage rates was, however, not
significant enough to dampen the demand for housing. One can still get a
30-year fixed mortgage for about 5.8% (Fraddie Mae report last week),
near its multiyear lows and at levels consistent with strong demands
observed in recent years.

Also, with a plethora of creative financing available for buyers of all types,
home buyers and investors alike are realizing that the standard 30-year
fixed mortgage is not necessarily the perfect solution for their financial
needs. Many have opted for some excellent alternative programs. Here
are two of those that offer some of the best interest rates available. Both
these programs are good for first-time home buyers or investors:

Option ARM: It has a start rate as low as 1%. It is an adjustable rate
mortgage based on either of two indexes. It is a loan program that
provides both stability and flexibility. The stability comes from the fact
that the indexes are based on a 12-month rolling average or weighted
average. The flexibility gives you four payment options every month:
(i) minimum, (ii) interest only, (iii) principal and interest based on a 30
year schedule, (iv) principal and interest based on a 15-year schedule.

Interest-Only Programs: These ARMs feature interest-only
payments for a set period, the first 3, 5 or 7 and even upto 10 years. You
can qualify for more of a loan and more of a house with these arms.

Working From Home?

If you are getting bored with 8-to-5 jobs and are planning to be at home
and starting some business, you need some capital but more importantly
some knowledge, some advice and some exposure to the issues related to
how people before you could walk that path. Here we present some
websites that you may find helpful to orient you mind toward that effort:

Score.org : Provides counsel from real business veterans on writing a plan
and launching a business. This site is managed by the Small Business
Administration's Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE).

WorkingSolo.com : Tips and advices for those who want to start working
for themselves.

RileyGuide.com : If you are switching jobs, this site presents lot of useful
links for work-related resources

Wahm.com & SlowLane.com : Parents who are planning the transition from
a regular job to working or staying at home may benefit a lot from advices
provided at these sites.

Auction without Garage Sale

Summer is coming and probably it's the right time of the year to clear out
your closets. If you are too busy to hold a garage sale, you may take the
service of these organisations who will sell your items at online auction:

Trading Assistants: This eBay service matches customers with
individual sellers on the auction Web site. Search for a trading assistant at
Ebay.com/ta by ZIP code or specialty. Commissions vary by seller
and so do guidelines for pickup or delivery.

Auction Drop: This service works with UPS for a commission of 20% to
38% of an item's selling price. To sell your items, fill out a form at
AuctionDrop.com . Drop your unpackaged items off at a participating UPS
store and 'Auction Drop' will take care of listing and selling the items. You'll
receive a check -- minus Auction Drop's take and e-Bay selling fees. If
your item doesn't sell, it will be returned to you at no charge.

Snappy Auctions: This service works through a team of franchisers who
are located throughout USA. Simply drop off your item at the nearest
location and 'Snappy Auctions' will take care of the rest, from pricing the
item to shipping it out. The commission fee is 35% for items selling at up
to $500 and slightly less for pricier items. You'll also need to make a
refundable deposit of $15 to $20 if you want to start the bidding at more
than $1. Visit their site: SnappyAuctions.com.

Before you choose a service, shop around for the following: commission,
shipping, fees, etc. What happens if the item doesn't sell? What is required
on your part? Will you need to be home for the item to be picked up or will
you need to drive somewhere to drop the item off? If your sale items are
valuable collectible, do some research before putting it for sale. Who
knows you may be loosing a fortune without ever realizing it.

College Financial Package

If you have a college-going child, this is the time you may be thinking hard
to select a good and affordable college for your child and might have
already received financial packages from a number of universities. To
evaluate the financial aid packages, you may take the help of
Lunch-Money.com 's Financial Aid Award Evaluator or CollegeBoard.com's
Aid Comparison Tool.

Packages vary from each other and some are better than others because
they offer more grants and fewer loans. You may get tempted to choose a
school based only on its financial aid package. But if you really like some
other college, donot succumb to your fate so early. You can always try. In
some cases, you can use the better financial package of the school you do
not want as a bargain for a better package at the school of your choice.
But the possibility of winning such a bargain is brighter with a private
school with a large endowment (Ivy League, Caltech, MIT, Stanford) than
with a State University.

You can write a letter to the financial aid office stating your concern over
the package your child received, and include a copy of the other school's
better offer. Explain that your child and you are much interested in this
school but the financial aid package you received won't make it affordable.
If you feel your family's ability to pay for college has changed over the
past year due to reasons like job loss, an illness, a death or divorce, you
can also make an appeal with the financial aid office for a better package offer.

AnnualCreditReport

Equifax, Experian and Transunion - All three credit reporting agencies
have joined forces to offer a one-stop free credit report center. This
initiative was taken under terms of a new law that, among other things,
guarantees every consumer a free yearly look at his/her credit record.
But if you live in the East part of our nation, alas, you need to wait for
some more time to make use of this facility. Southern States will get it
from June 1 and Eastern states and all U.S. Territories from September 1.

Residents of Western states have had access since December 1, 2004
and Mid-Western states joined the list on March 1 this year. The site is AnnualCreditReport.com which allows you to request, view and print one,
two or all three of your credit reports via a secure internet site.

You can also request the report by phone or mail (these will be processed
within 15 days). Their toll-free telephone number (877) 322-8228
Mailing Address: Annual Credit Report Request Service,
P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

JD Power's 2005 Car Survey

Lexus IS
In J D Power's survey of 2005 cars, for the fifth year in a row, Lexus has
taken the top spot, the GOLD AWARD. Toyota’s luxury brand has retained
its title thanks to impressive reliability – hardly anything ever goes wrong
mechanically – and top-quality materials in the cabins.
Snapping at Lexus’s heels is Skoda (SILVER)– miles apart in terms of
price and prestige, but extremely close when it comes to customer
satisfaction.
Honda has risen from its fifth-place showing last year to take the BRONZE
medal in this year’s survey. Four of its cars are among the top 15 models
overall, with the Jazz in first place for an impressive second year running.
Here are top 3 cars in various categories:

Executive and luxury cars:
Lexus IS200/300 Rating 85.5% Overall Ranking 2nd
BMW 5 Series Rating 84.3% Overall Ranking 6th
BMW 3 Series Rating 82.9% Overall Ranking 14th

Roadsters and coupes:
Porsche Boxster Rating 83.8% Overall Ranking 10th
Toyota Celica Rating 82.1% Overall Ranking 20th
Toyota MR2 Rating 81.8% Overall Ranking 24th

Small cars
Toyota Corolla Rating 83.9% Overall Ranking 8th
Honda Civic Rating 83.2% Overall Ranking 12th
Audi A2 Rating 81.3% Overall Ranking 30th

Superminis
Honda Jazz Rating 88.1% Overall Ranking 1st
Toyota Yaris Rating 85.1% Overall Ranking 3r
Skoda Fabia Rating 84.7% Overall Ranking 4th

Family Cars
Skoda Octavia Rating 84.7% Overall Ranking 4th
Honda Accord Rating 83.9% Overall Ranking 8th
Mazda 6 Rating 83.6% Overall Ranking 11th

MPVs
Nissan Almera Tino Rating 81.1% Overall Ranking 33rd
Mazda Premacy Rating 81.0% Overall Ranking 35th
Hyundai Matrix Rating 79.7% Overall Ranking 53rd

4X4s
Kia Sorento Rating 84.0% Overall Ranking 7th
Honda CR-V Rating 83.1% Overall Ranking 13th
Hyundai Santa Fe Rating 82.7% Overall Ranking 15th

College for Food

Caltech, Harvard, MIT, Princeton - Where will you send your junior
Genius? Will that depend on the food quality of the canteens of those
great universities?

This is probably the time when you are sitting with your (High School
leaving) kid to select a college for his/her future. Probably you are taking
into account pros and cons of financial matters, quality of education,
closeness to home etc etc. But do not forget about 'food' that your son or
daughter would have to eat day after day.

Here is a link to Nacufs Loyal E. Horton Dining Award site. Visit it and
you may find interesting information about one of the most important
things of college life - Food!
http://www.nacufs.org/awards/hortondining/awards.html

PlayStation 3 & 'Revolution'

Only 2 days after Microsoft announced Xbox 360 for this year's holiday
season in December, Sony also announced PlayStation 3 but it is set for
Spring 2006 launch. PS3 boasts 35 times the power of the PS2.

Nintendo also kicked off its next-generation video game machine named
'Revolution' that will combine the compact size of the Game Boy, the
online functionality of the Nintendo DS and the company's vault of games
and again, just like Playstation 3, it will take 1 more year to launch itself
into the market.

College: An Investment

College isn't going to come cheap. According to the College Board, tuition,
fees, room and board during the 2004-2005 school year cost $11,354 at a
four-year public institution, and $27,516 at a four-year private university
on average. Some top-tier and Ivy League schools are charging more than
$40,000 a year.

The price tags can be very overwhelming for any average American
family. But remember that most families don't have to pay that full price.
Nearly 70% of students attending a 4-year school pay less than $8,000 a
year for tuition and fees. The rest of the money come in the form of
Financial aid: grants and loans - which you need to manage properly. You
can also look for scholarships outside the University. CollegeBoard offers a
free scholarship search tool that searches nearly 2,300 sources, offering a
total of $3 billion in free college money. If you still fall short, you might
utilize your home's equity, or take a private loan with a bank.

Planning your college finances can seem overwhelming and stressful. But,
as an investment it is one of the best with (nearly) guaranteed returns.
According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, people with a bachelor's
degree earn more than 70% more on average than those with just a high
school diploma. In dollar terms, the student will earn more than 1 million
dollars in his lifetime because of his college degree.

For useful information, visit CollegeBoard.com and Lunch-Money.com

Xbox 360

Microsoft announced launching of its new high-definition Xbox 360.
Although Microsoft has not formally announced an official launch date or
price point, analysts estimate the new console to be available by
November at a price between $300 and $400.

The market of video game consoles is dominated by Sony Playstation 2
which has an install base of 30.8 million units in North America, compared
to 12.1 million units for the Xbox. Only 40% to 45% of US households
own a video game console. So, the price range of $300-$400 represent an
attractively low entertainment option for kids (and adults too) associated
with High Definition television sets.

Student Loan: Move Fast

After June 30, Federal student-loan interest rates are going up a lot.
Each summer the interest rates on both Stafford and PLUS (Parent Loan
for Undergraduate Students) loans are set based on the yield on the three
month treasury bill.

As we are well aware, over the last year interest rates have increased
quite a bit and, specifically, the yield on the T-bill has risen nearly two
percentage points.

However, if you move fast, you can consolidate your loans now and can
lock in current low rates: For Stafford loan, the rate is 3.37%, whereas
for PLUS loans the rate is 4.25%. You can consolidate your government
loans (Stafford, Perkins, PLUS and others) directly through the U.S.
Department of Education's Direct Consolidation Loan program, or
through any govrnment-approved private lender.

For moving fast by knowing more, visit the following sites:
U.S. Department of Education
LoanConsolidation.ed.gov
FinAid.org
SallieMae.com

Highest-Ranked Cars & Trucks

Mazda3
Last week we posted the annual list of 15 best cars for families for the
year 2005 released by AAA, the Auto Club, in collaboration with Parents
magazine. Today we post AAA's selection of top cars and trucks for 2005.
These cars and trucks were judged on acceleration, braking, cargo
capacity, comfort, fuel economy, ride, handling, value and, last but not
the least, the 'wow' factor. Here is that list:

Under $15000: Mazda3 (picture above)
$15000-$20000: Honda Accord
$20000-$25000: Chrysler 300
$25000-$30000: Infiniti G35
$30000-$35000: Volvo S80
$35000-$40000: Lexus GS300
$40000-$50000: Aura RL
$50000 plus: Jaguar XJ Long Wheelbase

SUV under $30000: Ford Escape Hybrid
SUV over $30000: Volvo XC90
Minivan: Honda Odyssey
Truck: Honda Ridgeline
Cool Car: Ford Mustang GT

Beware of Credit Card Offers

Example Case: You get a credit card offer of a credit line upto $20000
with 1.99% APR interest for the lifetime of the loan or balance transfer.
That is great! You may take it and use it for buying a car or having a
vacation. Some other smart guys may keep it in high interest savings
account like Emigrant-Direct Bank, NY to enjoy 3.25% APY rate (which
may increase soon) to earn the difference months after months. One may
also lock it in High yield CDs now being offered by so many banks.

Now comes another letter from the Credit card company with a typical
heading like "For our valued customers like you, we are giving free gifts
in the form of discount coupons valid in 1000s of restaurants throughout
the country. Just use your card and enjoy the discount" or may be you
will receive a large envelope with checks with no transaction free and for
use wherever you want to purchase anything you want.

Remember: As soon as you use these checks or use the credit card to
purchase anything, those purchases will be charged much higher interest.
Your monthly payment first offsets your loan or transferred balance (on
which the credit card company offered the low rate).

Unless you pay that off, you do not reach your purchase amount and
so you continue to pay more and more interest months after months.

Be sure you do not fall in this trap. On the other hand 1.99% for the life of
the loan is a great offer. So, accept it but lock your credit card deep inside
your locker and tear apart any lucrative offer of purchase that arrives in
your mailbox from that Credit card company. Also, do not forget to make
your minimum payment every month!

College Aid application

College acceptance letters are coming soon to your mailbox. It's about
that time when parents and students begin to get nervous about the final
step to the college application process: financial aid. In March we had a
posting informing parents about the college financial aid application
process. Here we discuss that again to remind parents what they need to
go through during these final days.

If you have not done so yet, begin the process of financial aid now, fill out
a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Department of
Education, which processes these forms, has been accepting them for the
2005-2006 school year since January 1 and be sure that most of the
parents have already finished application. You can find the form at the
website of FAFSA or by calling toll free number 1-800-4-FED-AID.

Documents you will need for the application include: a W-2 form from the
parents and student, mortgage and investment statements, and bank
statements. About two to four weeks after submitting your child's FAFSA,
you'll get your Student Aid Report (SAR). You'll want to look at your
Expected Family Contribution or EFC, that's the amount your family is
expected to pay out of your own funds towards annual tuition. If your EFC
says you must contribute $10,000 and the college's tuition is $30,000, your
child's financial need is $20,000.

When the student applies for financial aid with the school, the institution
will try to design a package that can meet that financial need. The aid
package may contain a mix of loans, grants, and work-study. Most
packages are made up of federal loans. Grants can be federal and
institutional -- possibly from university endowments. Work-study allows
students to pay part of their tuition by working in programs subsidized by
the federal government.

Mom's Salary

Mother's day was yesterday but let us do not stop being grateful to mom.

According to a recent study by Salary.com, if stay-at-home moms had
received a salary for their work, they would have earned an estimated
$131,471 per year.

We must appreciate that being a mom is probably the toughest and most
responsible job of all. Long hours, a multitude of job skills and tasks, no
days off. Moms are still on the clock even on sick or vacation days - right
there to provide us very reliable service which sometimes we just forget
to acknowledge.

Salary.com uses figures from human resources departments to analyze
average salaries, bonuses and benefits by job field, position, experience
level and geographic location. The study took into consideration the
average salaries of people who do some mom duties full-time:
day-care center teacher ($26,891), van driver ($30,762), housekeeper
($18,750), cook ($31,099), chief executive officer or CEO ($612,623),
nurse($56,113) and general maintenance worker ($29,656).

Considering that mom spends about four hours a week as the family CEO,
she'd earn anestimated $32,673 per year for that "job" alone. Working as
the family daycare for about 72 hours a week, she'd earn an estimated
$48,403 per year - including overtime. Moms would receive a base pay of
$43,461 for 40-hour weeks, and a walloping total of $88,009 in overtime
for the additional 60 hours spent performing various mom duties!

So, next time when some of non-Moms like us grudge about salary at
work, we must at least remember the service-with-a-smile that our
Moms continue to provide without any demand.

Best Family Cars of 2005

AAA, the Auto Club, in collaboration with Parents magazine has released
its annual list of 15 best cars for families for the year 2005. The judgement
was based on reliability, value, style, convenience, comfort, safety and
road performance.

Here is the list:
Economy Cars: Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Scion xB
Sedans: Chrysler 300, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry
Station Wagons: Ford Freestyle, Mazda 6, Subaru Legacy
Minivans: Chrysler Town & Country, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna
SUVs: Dodge Durango, Volvo XC90, Nissan Murano

College Costs: Invest Wisely

Many people think that the more you save, the less likely you are to
receive any financial aid. That's simply not true.

A big chunk of financial assistance actually comes in the form of loans.
So, the more you save the less likely you'll need to borrow.

As long as you save wisely, you can minimize any reduction in your total
aid package. One important key is to save in your name, not your child's.
The aid formulas count only 5.6% of parental assets vs. as much as 35%
of money saved in the student's name. This makes tax-advantaged
programs like Coverdell ESA and 529 college savings plan especially
useful. Federal Aid Rules regard those accounts as parental assets.

If you have already set up a college fund in your kids' name, you may
consider spending the money on your child's behalf well before college
(of course, if it's not a very high amount). For example, you may spend
the money for SAT preparation or music lessons. At the same time you
may deposit a comparable amount in one of those tax-saving programs
in your name.

Used Toyta Prius Prices Like New

Toyota Prius is the most popular hybrid car of America. With recent hikes
in oil price, the demand for the gas-electric hybrid Prius turned out to be
so great that some used Priuses are selling for more than the list price for
a new one. Buyers who want to avoid the typical two-month waiting period
for the hot Toyota model are willing to pay the premium, according a study
conducted by Kelly Blue Book and Harris Interactive.

Waits at some dealerships can be considerably longer. The market for the
used Prius is so strong that some owners are trying to sell them for more
than they paid for them. The survey said that 8 percent of the consumers
considered hybrid vehicles in March, twice as much as 4% in February.
It also said if gas prices reach $3 per gallon 77 percent of car shoppers
will seriously consider a more fuel efficient vehicle.

The Prius, which uses an electric motor in addition to a gasoline engine, is
estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency to get 51 miles per
gallon on the highway and 60 mpg in the city. (Because of its hybrid
drivetrain, the Prius gets better mileage in stop-and-go city driving than
on the highway.) The 2005 Prius also had the highest owner satisfaction of
any 2005 model, according to an owner survey by Consumer Reports
magazine. The new car lists for $20,975 to $26,640, Toyota says.

Credit Score: Important for Jobs

Even before you face the interview board for a new job, there is a strong
possibility that the interviewer has already formed an opinion about you
– through information contained in your credit report. Increasing numbers
of companies are requesting credit reports to assist them in the job hiring
process.

Essentially, your credit report is your financial resume and employers use
it as an indicator of your personal integrity and how you conduct your life.
With that in mind, it's alarming that 79% of all credit reports contain
errors. In the competitive job market, an accurate credit history may turn
out to be the decisive factor in gaining a job interview. Inaccurate credit
reports can negate the most impressive of resumes, and you won't have a
second chance to make a first impression.

Many companies are more interested in your financial patterns than your
employment background. They want to know if you pay your bills
promptly and lead a normal life ... whether or not you would come to work
with lots of anxieties inside. So, credit report gives them an idea of how
the individual might be expected to behave, if hired.

Rather than getting worried about it, you must try to utilize this recent
trend of employer credit checking to your advantage by repairing and/or
maintaining a clean credit history and wait 'fully prepared' for jumping
into the dream job you are aspiring for.

An Important Insurance for Vacationing Abroad

This time, like all other time before, bears uncertainty in all aspects of life.

So, if you are planning a vacation or tour abroad, it is good to have an
insurance that can bring you back home in case of any emergency.
In case of an emergency your regular health care insurance may provide
only the medical cost but they donot bear the cost of bringing you back to
the comfort of your home or hometown. Even though you go on a vacation
with a round-trip ticket, in case of an emergency, you may not find any
seat in the earliest possible flight. This may sound too panicky but in these
days of terrorism or tsunami and frequent break-outs of things like bird
flu you never know what you might need.

"International SOS" is the world's leading evacuation and assistance
company for business and leisure travelers as well as expatriates. It
provides at a reasonable price international medical assistance,
emergency services, healthcare, evacuation and repatriation services.

It basically offers an international 911 line by providing critical medical and
security help to those in need while away from home. Their emergency
and day-to-day medical, security, personal and travel assistance services
are globally supported by their staff at service throughout the world with
the help of a global infrastructure and 20 years of expertise. So, next time
you go abroad, you may seriously consider carrying their membership
card in your wallet.