Go for Generic Drugs

As retail prescription prices have risen at nearly triple the inflation rate
for most of the past decade, companies have been passing along more of
those costs to their employees. Since 2000, for instance, employee
co-payments for drugs on a health plan's nonpreferred list (usually
expensive brand names) soared 94%.

Alarmingly, many consumers are responding to these increases in ways
that endanger their health. Many avoid going to the doctor, some do not
get prescriptions filled, and some people take less than the recommended
dosage. If their out-of-pocket drug costs continue to go up like this, people
may sharply increase such risky behaviors.

To cut the cost of medication, going for generic drugs must be your first
step and, believe it, it is a safe way if you take care to check one thing or
two. If your doctor prescribes a brand-name drug, always ask if there's a
generic equivalent -- that is, a drug usually known by its chemical name
that is virtually identical to the better-known drug.

Generics retail for 70% less on average than brand names and carry
average co-pays of only $9 vs. $20 for brand names (and nearly $100 for
some top-tier brand names) -- yet you give up nothing in quality.

Generics must meet the same Food and Drug Administration effectiveness
and safety standards as their brand-name counterparts. Half are actually
made by the same company that puts out the brand-name version. A new
crop of generic drugs comes to market every year as the patent protection
on the brand-name version expires. Among the drugs expected to go off
patent in the U.S. either this year or next are commonly prescribed brand
names such as Zocor (cholesterol-lowering) and Zoloft (antidepressant).

Pet's Health Insurance

Do you know that veterinary care is an 18 billion dollar (per year)
industry catering to more than 71 million U.S. households who have
a cat or dog? As more and more prescriptions for pets are being written,
the related business of pet health insurance is growing fast.

Pet policies are similar to our own health insurance with all familiar terms
and phrases like annual premiums, deductibles prevalent in the trade.
Depending on the company, you can get plans for different species of
varying ages and lifestyles i.e., animals kept indoors vs. outdoors. Some
also allow for pre-existing conditions.

Policies can cover annual checkups, vaccinations, routine office visits,
preventive medications (such as for heartworm), spay/neuter surgeries,
treatments for accidents or illness, diagnostic tests, lab fees and flea
control. Most policies cost $7 to $10 a month per animal. Some offer
discounted rates if you insure multiple animals.

The American Veterinary Medical Association endorses the idea of pet
health insurance and recommends looking for a company that allows
you to choose your veterinarian, can offer referrals and is supported by
professional organizations, individual veterinarians and other groups and
individuals concerned with animal welfare. For more information, speak
with your veterinarian. He or she should be able to tell you what options
are available in your state, and offer information on discount programs.

You may visit the websites of following pages to get price quotes for
policies PetInsurance, PetsHealthPlan, PetCareInsurance.

Rental Car Insurance

Most of us don't give much thought to insurance aspect of car rental until
we're offered coverage at the rental car counter. It can be a costly
mistake if there's an accident and the driver doesn't have adequate
coverage. At the same time, drivers shouldn't have to pay for insurance
that duplicates coverage on their personal auto policies or is available via
some credit cards.

The two most important types of coverage for drivers are a collision
damage waiver, sometimes called a loss damage waiver, and liability
insurance. The collision damage waiver relieves the driver of financial
responsibility if the rental car is damaged or stolen, while the liability
insurance covers costs if the driver is in an accident and is sued.
Accepting the collision damage waiver and liability coverage from a car
rental agency can add between $16 and $33 to the daily cost of the car,
according to the Insurance Information Institute.

You should check your personal insurance policies to see if you already
have coverage. In the vast majority of cases, whatever coverage you
have on your own personal auto policy is going to extend to your rental
car. But the big caveat is that the car is being rented for pleasure, not
business. So drivers who have comprehensive and collision coverage as
well as liability coverage in their personal policies can decline coverage
offered by rental car agencies. If you're not sure, call your (insurance)
agent and ask what coverage you have on a rental car.

This isn't an option for families who don't own a car or who have dropped
the comprehensive and collision coverage on an old car. In these cases,
an alternative is to use a credit card such as Visa, MasterCard or
American Express, that provides insurance protection as a benefit. The
insurance benefits can vary depending on the credit card issuer and
whether the card is basic or premium, so it is better to check the card
issuers' Web sites or call the card companies to confirm coverage.

Consumers who take advantage of these credit card-related collision
damage waivers may want to supplement it with the liability insurance
offered by the rental agencies. Rental car companies also offer other
insurance options to customers, some of which may duplicate personal
coverage. These can include personal injury insurance, which provides a
one-time payment if the driver or a passenger are maimed or killed, and
personal property insurance, which covers the theft of goods from a car.
However, most people don't need to buy either. If you have a health
insurance policy, the odds are you're covered for personal injury.
The theft of personal property often is covered in a homeowner's or
renter's insurance policy and likely isn't necessary.

Hot Hot Housing Market!

According to a report released today by The National Association of
Realtors, sales of existing homes came in at an annual pace of 7.33 million
homes in June, compared with the revised 7.14 million pace in May. The
forecast from www.Briefing.com who suveyed a number of Economists
was that sales would remain little changed at the 7.15 million pace in June.
The previous sales record was set in April, when sales had hit the 7.18
million pace. The second quarter therefore has seen the three strongest
sales months.

The national median existing-home price for all housing types has hit a
record of $219,000 in June. That was up 14.7% from a year earlier, the
biggest year-over-year jump since November 1980. The June price was
up 6% from the reading in May. [The median price is the point at which
half the home sell for more and half sell for less].

The average housing price, which is typically higher due to the weightage
of upper-end home sales, was $268,000, again another record. This is up
9.4% from a year ago and up 4% from May.

Tight supply of homes and low mortgage rate are two driving forces
behind this hot housing market. The group's data shows that there is a 4.3
month supply of homes on the market, the same as in May, and low by
historical standards. The average supply in 2004 was also 4.3 months,
and it was higher in 2002 and 2003.

The average 30-year mortgage rate in June was 5.58%, according to
Freddie Mac. That's the lowest average since March 2004, and could spur
more sales that will be reported in July and August reports. Rates moved
up in July but they are still below the April and May averages that fed into
June's strong report.

Is it wise to buy a home now? If you have a long term view (10 years or
more), probably yes. If you think you'll move in 3-5 years, probably not!

Extension of Daylight Saving

Lawmakers are hoping to complete the energy legislation this week.
One interesting consequence of this would be the extension of daylight
saving time by one month in an effort to conserve more energy. In April
the House approved a proposal to add a month in the spring and another
in the fall. However, some senators reported about complains from
farmers that a 2-month extension could adversely affect livestock. Also,
airline officials said it would complicate scheduling of international flights.

Finally, House and Senate negotiators agreed to begin daylight-saving
time 3 weeks earlier, on the 2nd Sunday in March, and extend it by 1
week to the 1st Sunday in November.

As one member of the House pointed out, the extension means daylight
saving time will continue through Halloween, adding to safety. Kids across
the nation will soon rejoice because they'll have another hour of daylight
trick-or-treating!

Resources: Health Care

The best place to get lot of healthcare information is the website of
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). You will get
information about almost all health-related issues and facilities there.
Toll Free: 1-877-696-6775

For specific financing questions Medicare, Medigap, and Medicaid,
and other financing issue, you may also visit the website of
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) which is a Federal
agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its
former name was Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA).
Toll-free number: 1-877-267-2323

Medicare hotline [800-MED-ICAR or 800-633-4227] is operated by CMS.

The JointCommission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations
offers information on accrediting of nation’s hospitals, home health care
agencies, and mental health care facilities. (708) 916-5800

Association of Claims Assistance Professionals
Members Assist consumers with health claims paperwork (708) 963-3500

National Alliance for Caregiving (Resource center for caregivers)
(301) 718-8444
National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers
(602) 881-8008

National Hospice Organization (800) 658-8898
Visiting Nurse Association of America (800) 426-2547

Computer: Time to Update

The following updates are critical for your computer. Get those as soon as
you can to keep your system safe and secure.

Windows Users: Microsoft released three critical security patches which
can be downloaded from here. All three flaws could potentially allow an
attacker to take control of a personal computer and steal data or launch attacks.

Macintosh Users: Apple computer also released some security fixes for
Mac OS X which can be downloaded from here.

Firefox Browser: Throughout the world the number of people using
Firefox browser is increasing day by day. The reason is a good one -- no
doubt it is the most secure and safest browser to use. Microsoft's Internet
Explorer somehow could not keep pace with these developments and are
slowly but steadily losing ground to Firefox. Users of Firefox are urged to
update their web browser software following the discovery of a slew of
security vulnerabilities. Version 1.0.5 of this popular web browser
addresses nine security bugs while also incorporating stability
improvements. Security notification service Secunia rates the cross
platform update as "highly critical". The Mozilla Foundation promises to
release a related sub-set of patches for its Thunderbird email client. A
security update for Mozilla's internet software suite covering a separate
group of security vulnerabilities is also promised for later this week.

Child's Study Resources

Summer is here and you may like your kids to pick up some new things
in their knowledge base before schools open again. While specialized
courses offered by summer camps are good ways to learn new things,
it costs money and driving efforts. Today we present some FREE
internet resources that may help your children to improve their general
level of learning a lot and help them in their homework too when school
opens.

For English grammer, Merriam Webster provides several PowerPoint
presentations within the Guide to Grammar and Writing. You may get
those here .

PinkMonkey offers free online chapter summaries, notes, book notes,
study guides, chapter plot notes for hundreds of titles and authors.
These are essential for understanding complex literature.

SciFair is the premiere resource for help with science fair projects,
science fair ideas, tips on carrying out science experiments, and creating
winning science fair projects.

PhysicsClassRoom is a very good resource for High School Physics topics.
One can learn basic physics concepts and review them in the Physics
Tutorial.

Destroy Those Spywares!

You know these problems with your computers -- sluggish performance,
a new home page or search engine for your internet browser, or persistent
modem activity even when you're not sitting at the computer!

The number one reason for computer repair these days is not hardware
but software, in particular, what is known as spyware. Spywares are
uninvited guests to your computer, who just sneak in without your
permission when you visit certain websites or have certain pop-up ads
appear on your desktop, or download free software. The Internet is
littered with spyware. These are tiny applications that live on your hard
drive and either direct you to advertising sites or record your Internet
surfing activities to download even more advertising.

Particularly, you should be beware of computer games sites that your
children visit often. Those sites are regular suppliers of spywares. It is
also a good idea to switch over to Firefox browser which is gaining more
and more popularity and provide advanced security features and can
stop many of the spywares from invading your computer.

Fortunately, a number of applications are available that can diagnose
and quarantine spywares. The one we like best is Spybot Search and
Destroy . It's completely free. Even its periodic file updates come free.
Spybot offers both basic and advanced modes and includes the widest
variety of customization. Other available anti-spyware applications can
be downloaded from these links (some are not free and we must say that
all are almost equally good so better go for the free ones)
Spybot Search and Destroy 1.4
Lavasoft Ad-aware SE
Microsoft AntiSpyware (Test beta version)
Webroot Spy Sweeper 4.0
Norton Internet Security 2005 Antispyware Edition (Test beta version)

College Savings

Many people think that the more you save for your kid's college education,
the less likely your child will 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. The 529 plan is a great savings program with tax advantage.

Insurance Resources

Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) is the information arm of the
insurance industry including auto, home, life, health, disability insurance.
The I.I.I. is mainly geared toward consumer queries and each year, it
answers nearly 50,000 questions from consumers.
Their telephone number: (800) 942-4242 or (212) 669-9200.

Here are some insurance quote companies. For lowest rates, call:
INSurance INFormation (800) 472-5800
Insurance Quote Services (800) 972-1104
SelectQuote (800) 343-1985
TermQuote (800) 444-8376

For information about insurance for the terminally ill:
National Viatical Association (800) 741-9465

GM's 'Employee Discount'

General Motors has extended its U.S.
program that gives all customers the
same steep discounts that it offers
employees until August 1. Earlier,
GM announced the unprecedented
offer on June 1. However, dealers had
been asking that the special incentive continue.

U.S. new car sales figures for June showed sharp sales gains for GM as a
result of the programme to clear out excess inventory. Number-2 U.S.
automaker Ford Motor Co. also responded by offering its U.S. workers
and retirees up to $1,000 to get their friends, family and neighbors to buy
vehicles with special employee discounts in a bid to boost sagging sales.
GM, which saw U.S. vehicle sales slip 5.5% in May, has led Detroit's profit
eroding price war since it launched interest-free loan deals to draw buyers
to showrooms after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

However, both GM and Ford had seen their U.S. market share slip this
year amid an onslaught from Asian rivals especially Toyota with its Hybrid
and fuel-efficient fleet of models. The rising oil price has also contributed
to slump in sales of GM and Ford.

Google Earth

The way we look at yellow
pages on the internet has
changed forever last week
with the Internet search
leader Google Inc. unveiling
a new satellite based three
dimensional (3D) mapping
product -- Google Earth.
This free service uses
broadband streaming
technology and 3D graphics to show an aerial view of a user-requested
location. The software can zoom in from space-level close enough to see
streets and buildings, and overlays the search location on the picture. The
view itself can be tilted and rotated. The service includes local search for
finding businesses, residences, points of interest and other places. Driving
instructions are also overlaid on the aerial view, and are available in text
format, which is printable.

The software for the service can be downloaded free from the search
giant's Web site. Google Earth is "much like a video game, enabling users
to interactively explore the world — either their own neighborhood or the
far corners of the globe," said Keyhole general manager in a statement.
"With many ways to access geographic information, Google provides a
very rich local search experience for users worldwide."

For an annual fee of only $20, you can also use Google Earth Plus, an
optional upgrade adding GPS device support, the ability to import
spreadsheets, drawing tools and better printing. And for professional and
commercial uses, for an annual subscription of $400, Google Earth Pro
provides the ultimate research, presentation and collaboration tool for
location information.

US passport

Summer is here. If you're planning to travel abroad, and already possess
a passport -- you may feel you need not worry about anything else. But
beware of the fact that some countries require not only a valid passport,
but one that will be valid for up to 6 months after you leave that country.

U.S. passports are valid for 10 years and you might not remember exactly
when your passport is going to expire. So, open your closet, look at your
passport and, if needed, apply for a renewal. Passport renewals can be
done either by mail, or in person at a passport agency.

Application by Mail: if you have an undamaged passport that was issued
to you in the past 15 years and you were at least 16 years old when that
passport was issued, and you still have the same legal name, you can
apply by mail. You'll need to send: (i) completed application form
(available here) (ii) Your most recent passport (iii) 2 color passport
photos taken in the past 6 months (iv) Fees for processing the application
($67), payable to the Department of State (v) If your name has changed,
you'll need to include a certified legal document specifying the change.

Apply in Person: If you do not meet the criteria to apply by mail, you must
apply in person. Also if you have lost or damaged your passport, or need
expedited service to receive your renewed passport, you need to do so.
You must present the same materials as for a renewal by mail and the
(i) Proof of U.S. citizenship, in the form of a certified U.S. birth certificate
or your expired passport, as long as it is not damaged.
(ii) Proof of identity, such as a driver's license or government or military
ID. You may also present an expired passport if it is not damaged.
(iii) Your Social Security number.