Happy 2006

Today's posting is our last one for this year. We wish all of our readers a very happy and safe new year. We thank all of you for your continuous support.

Preparedness: Lesson 2005

2005 was a good year for many of us but for many others it was a year that brought misery to a sizable population through some major natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. The year 2005 is also telling us that there should not ever be a place for complacency about safety. This is a time we all should make a resolution to check regularly in future how prepared we are for such time of disaster. However hard we try, we cannot avoid natural disasters but we can avoid a lot of misery and distress, if we are ready for it to arrive at any time.

Here are a few tips for disaster preparedness:

Pick a day that's easy to remember, such as the first of the month, to test your home's smoke detectors and flashlights and radiobatteries.

Keep your emergency food and water supply fresh by consuming and replacing items before their expiration date.

Store your emergengy prepardness plan and disaster supplies kit in the same place.

Include books and games in your emergency supplies kit. You'll want something to do and keep your mind away from unnecessary anxieties.

Always have at least a half-tank of gas in your car, so you'll be prepared to evacuate.

Involve Children in emergency prepardness. they'll react better during a real-life emergency if they've practised beforehand

Hold a fire drill at night, to practise finding your way out of the dark.

Conduct a "household hazard hunt." look for furnature that needs securing, flammable products that require safe storage, and other items that could fall or cause a fire. Then fix problem areas.

Eat Healthy: MyPyramid

Holidays and Food go hand in hand. Great that you are enjoying your days but before 2006 knocks on your door, you'd probably try to make a new-year resolution of eating and living healthy. All of us know that nothing gives more pleasure than being and feeling healthy. Here we present a website that'll help you correct your food habit and decide on a better diet.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides a useful website MyPyramid.gov where you will be able to know the amount of each food group you need daily. You need to enter your information like age, sex, activity level etc and you will be able to find out and receive a customized food guide.

You can receive an estimate of what and how much you need to eat and a detailed assessment of your food intake and physical activity level. This also will help you make smart choices from every food group, find your balance between food and physical activity, and get the most nutrition out of your calories.

The above-mentioned website is managed by the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, an organization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture which was established in 1994 to improve the nutrition and well-being of Americans. Toward this goal, the Center focuses its efforts
on two primary objectives—
1. Advance and promote dietary guidance for all Americans, and
2. Conduct applied research and analyses in nutrition and consumer economics.

The Center's core products to support its objectives are the following:
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, MyPyramid Food Guidance System, Healthy Eating Index, U.S. Food Plans, Nutrient Content of the U.S. Food Supply, Expenditures on Children by Families.

FICO: Your Credit Score

In several of our past postings we discussed the importance of having a good credit score. Today we want to remind our readers some basic facts about FICO scores, the number that determines your credit-worthiness:

FICO credit scoring system was developed by Fair, Isaac and Co. It ranges in between 350 to 850. More the better. The score tells lenders how likely you are to pay a credit obligation or repay a loan on time. If you have higher scores, you are likely to get lower interest rates in mortgages and sometimes even in credit cards and you'll be more in a position to demand some favors from your creditors.

The following criteria (in order of importance) determines your score:

1. Payment history (if you pay in time)
2. Total amount currently owed (One important criteria is what percentage of your total credit limit you are using currently. As you approach your limit, your score sinks)
3. Length of credit history (established in USA)
4. New credit application (newly opened accounts lower your score)
5. Types of accounts in Use (whether your mix of credit accounts, i.e. mortgages, installment loans (like car loan) and credit cards, is a healthy one. Having too many accounts of one type goes against you.

Hybrid Car Tax Credit

Starting Jan. 1, 2006, buyers of some hybrid vehicles can get a hefty tax credit. The Internal Revenue Service has not yet officially specified what the tax credits will be, but the officials of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) have completed an analysis based on their current knowledge about 2006 vehicles and the wording of the law. The amount of the credit for each vehicle is based on 3 factors:

(i) Size of the vehicle: The amount of the credit is based on the vehicle's fuel economy as compared to a similar 2002 model-year vehicle. To get any credits at all, a vehicle must get at least 25% better fuel economy than a similar 2002 vehicle.
(ii) Fuel saving: A vehicle could also get a smaller credit if it is estimated to save at least 1,200 gallons of fuel over its lifetime.
(iii) Emissions standards: Vehicles also must meet certain emissions standards to qualify for a tax credit. Note that no diesel vehicles will get tax credits in spite of the fact that some get extremely high gas mileage.

In past years some hybrid vehicle purchases have been eligible for tax deductions. The new credits, however, are subtracted directly from the total tax amount you owe the IRS. That makes these credits much more valuable than just deductions.

So, if you are planning to present yourself a hybrid vehicle during this holiday season, be patient and wait a few days more!
[photo: Toyota Prius]

Happy & Safe Holiday Travel!

Happy and Safe Holidays to all readers of LiveInUSA! Thanks to you for being with us all the year.

Most of you must be travelling now or planning to start soon. Here we are giving a few tips that you must consider in these days of identity theft and other kinds of frauds:

Book your trip with a trustworthy company. If you're not sure about a company's reputation, check it out with the Better business Bureau ( BBB) or the Attorney General's office in the state in which it's based.

Leave your Social Security Number at home. Don't pack any ID that has your number on it. If it's on your medical insurance card, or other document you must have, keep the card very secure.

Be telephone Smart. Don't give out your credit card number over.

Tame the Internet. Don't feel obligated to fill in every part of a website form. If you can't access the site without providing personal information--such as a home address, your age, or your credit card number -- go to another site.

Pay by credit card. Not only does this protect you financially-- if you don't get travel product you were promised, you can request that the charges can be removed -- it also protects your identity better than payment by check or debit card.

Prune your wallet. You don't need all your credit cards on a trip. Take just two. Leave one Locked in the hotel safe and carry the other in a front pocket, secured with Velcro or some other pick-pocket-deterring fastener. Also, don't bring checks or a checkbook with you

Educate yourself. To learn about the latest scams, check out the Identity Theft Resource Center's website at www.idtheftcenter.org or call the center at (858) 693-7935.

Use passwords. Protect your cell phone, PDA, and laptop computer with passwords. If the objects are lost or stolen, your data will remain hidden.

Travel: Stored Value Cards

Stored value cards are one of the most dynamic and fastest growing products in the financial industry. Anyone who makes purchases with a merchant gift card, places phone calls with a prepaid telephone card, or buys goods or services with a prepaid debit card is using a stored value card. Stored value cards use magnetic stripe technology to store information about funds that have been prepaid to the card.

In recent years Traveler's checks have fallen out of favor with Americans travelling abroad. We now tend to use more versatile credit and debit cards. But if you still like the security benefits of traveler's checks (for which the funds are unconnected to your bank or credit card accounts and the issuer can replace them in 24 hours) and you do not mind paying a little extra, you may consider carrying stored value cards. You can use stored value cards at ATMs to get local currency.

American Express offers a stored value card named TravelFunds (888-412-6945) which can be used in stores just like an ordinary Amex card. The sign-up fee is $15 and it can be reloaded by phone for $5.

Visa's TravelMoney cards (available through Travelex at 877-394-2247) cost about the same, work at more ATMs and are available at a discount to AAA members. Unlike the Amex version, however, it can not be used in stores as a charge card.

The cards may change rules and fees often. So, when you purchase, read their brochures with attention and ask them about your concerns and pros and cons of all types of transactions.

Vacation Travel Tips

Holiday travel is going to be rough this year and with airline bankruptcies and possible weather-related woes, we can expect more delays and other airport annoyances. Here are a few advanced tips ... just in time before you start your well-deserved Christmas vacation:

Get the traffic report
Find out what's happening at the airport on fly.faa.gov, which lists real-time flight delays. For security lines, check out waittime.tsa.dhs.gov, which lists security line wait times by hour for any terminal at any U.S. airport.

Park online.
Airport parking lots fill up fast during holidays. Book a spot early at parknflynetwork.com . Most lots give a 10 to 25 percent discount to online bookers.

Surf for free
Before you leave the house, find free airport Wi-Fi hotspots at wififreespot.com/airport.html so you can easily get online during long flight delays and spend some quality time.

Medical Billing

If you need to deal with too many medical bills yourself, here is some solution for you. Decoding your hospital bill is too daunting a task. Now you may consider doing what some peeved patients are doing: Pay someone else to do it. A growing group of so-called medical billing advocates will wade through your hospital invoices for you. While still a small group, they've fought to make insurers cover out of pocket expenses and hospital overcharges, like a $12 "mucus recovery system" payment for a box of tissues in one case and a 1,004.50 toothbrush fee in another.

There's no certification process for these consultants, many of whom come from the insurance or medical fields, but the Medical Billing Advocates of America (www.billadvocates.com) requires members to adhere to a code of ethics. Keep in mind these hired guns aren't for minor billing aches: Most charge $30 to $150 an hour or a 10 to 50 percent cut of whatever they win for you in savings.

Travel: Dollar Exchange

If you are going abroad in the forthcoming holidays, here are 6 tips for getting good exchange rates for dollar:

First for credit cards and checks:

1. Before you go abroad, check out what fees your credit-card company will charge you for international transactions.
2. For traveler's checks, try to exchange them at a branch of the bank that issued them.
3. Check the back of your ATM card or credit card for symbols of international ATM network companies like Cirrus and Plus. If those are on your card, then your cards will be accepted at their international ATM networks. You can get very good exchange rates --sometimes even the best rates -- simply using your credit card or debit card.

Then for actual Forex dealing to be done by you:

1. Foreign exchange dealers in USA tend to charge more than those in other countries. So, it is better to make most of your exchanges at your destination country.
2. Change only enough money for your immediate expenses (i.e. taxi fare, coffee and snack, tips, etc) either in USA or at your port of entry to the country you are visiting. Some of the worst exchange rates are usually found at airport and train-station booths.
3. The best rates are usually found at banks and post offices. For example, in France, you will get the best rate with almost no exchange fee at La Poste. The worst are hotels and the "tourist" exchange bureaus found on every street of Europe.

Travel & Identity Theft

Schools will be closed for next two weeks and many of you are planning to board a plane for a vacation today or tomorrow. Here we are giving a few tips that you must consider in these days of identity theft and other kinds of frauds:

Book your trip with a trustworthy company. If you're not sure about a company's reputation, check it out with the Better business Bureau ( BBB) or the Attorney General's office in the state in which it's based.

Leave your Social Security Number at home. Don't pack any ID that has your number on it. If it's on your medical insurance card, or other document you must have, keep the card very secure.

Be telephone Smart. Don't give out your credit card number over.

Tame the Internet. Don't feel obligated to fill in every part of a website form. If you can't access the site without providing personal information--such as a home address, your age, or your credit card number -- go to another site.

Pay by credit card. Not only does this protect you financially-- if you don't get travel product you were promised, you can request that the charges can be removed -- it also protects your identity better than payment by check or debit card.

Prune your wallet. You don't need all your credit cards on a trip. Take just two. Leave one Locked in the hotel safe and carry the other in a front pocket, secured with Velcro or some other pick-pocket-deterring fastener. Also, don't bring checks or a checkbook with you

Educate yourself. To learn about the latest scams, check out the Identity Theft Resource Center's website at www.idtheftcenter.org or call the center at (858) 693-7935.

Use passwords. Protect your cell phone, PDA, and laptop computer with passwords. If the objects are lost or stolen, your data will remain hidden.

Vacation & Home Defense

Christmas holidays are one of the peak periods for U.S travel and also for break-ins, with about 400,000 burglaries each year. But there are simple steps you can take to boost your defenses.

Delete old voice mails and call home while you're away to collect messages. If your voice mail gets full, that's a sign you're traveling.

Advertise your alarm system. Yard signs are far more effective than window decals. Burglars can't see decals from the street, and once they approach your house, they're far more likely to attempt a break-in.

Never put your home address on luggage tags. You're announcing the location of yur empty home to everyone in the airport. Use a business address or P.O. Box number instead.

Don't stop deliveries. Information left with the post office may fall into the wrong hands. Instead, enlist neighbors or friends to collect the mail -- and to take out the trash. You may not beieve it but would-be intruders really look for garbage cans that aren't by the curb on collection day.

Last but not the least, count your children before boarding an aircraft. Make sure you are not leaving one of them in 'home alone'!

Fuel & Fitness

Two useful sites:

Gas price may go up again and it's certainly going to affect your holiday budget. You may find out which gas station in your town has the best fuel prices by searching the handy state-by-state list at GasBuddy.com .

Determinded to finally get fit this year? Kick-start your hunt for a club with GymPost.com, a nationwide directory of over 5,000 fitness centers. It narrows your search by 10 facility types, ranging from racquet clubs to women-only gyms, and offers direction through links to online maps. You still may have to make a phone call: Many postings don't include memberships dues.

[Note: LiveInUSA has no relationship whatsoever with the websites mentioned above. We are recommending those to our readers only because we feel these could be useful for them]

Return Policy

If you are currently on a shopping spree and you have just no time to think, beware of the return policy of the shops at least. Retailers are getting tougher than ever when it comes to returns (Sears is the latest chain to charge a 15 percent "restocking" fee).

If the shop is too tough on this, you may consider selling your unwanted or unliked stuff on line. As many people are now convinced that selling is the new returning. Here's how to get the best price for your castoff loot:

Don't go straight to eBay... For books, CDs and DVDs, consider Amazon Marketplace instead. Titles sold here often command a higher price. For in-demand items like the latest electronics and toys, though, eBay is your best bet. On hot items, you may get more than the original price. Days after its release, the new $399 video iPod was fetching $450. If you have no-name clothes, you may as well forget about them. Unless it has a desigher label, you may find it very difficult to sell. You might be better off donating that reindeer sweater you got for christmas to a charity and taking the tax deduction.

Home Value & Trees

Did you know trees and shrubs can dramatically increase the value of your home? Many specialists now say not to remove any mature tree or shrub before considering it's worth today and tomorrow.

What to Consider: Trees are the most valuable plants in landscape because they are the most useful. For example, they may function as energy savers, air conditioners or wildlife havens. Shade trees can reduce the cost of heating and cooling your home by10 to 50%.

Values: Landscape appraisers are in the best position to determine the most accurate value for the trees and shrubs in your yard. When seeking the value of your landscaping, take these into account:

Size: A mature oak is more valuable than a fast-growing poplar because it is more difficult to replace. Generally, large trees provide more benefits (and have more value) than small ones
Type: Some kinds of trees have a higher value due to their hardiness, durability, adaptability and overall desirability (sturdy, low-maintenance or attractive). Japanese maples and dwarf conifers are among the most highly valued trees.
Condition: Healthy, well-formed trees and shrubs have more value than malformed, poorly maintained or storm-damaged plants.
Location: The Plant's value to the property arises from both functional and aesthetic considerations. Trees and shrubs that form a focal point, frame the house or stand in a hedgerow represent high-value specimens.

Frequent Flyer Miles

In post-911 era airlines have been squeezed hard by high labor and jet fuel costs. In addition to that, each has lots of long-term debt hanging over its head, including underfunded pension plans. And after Oct. 17, changes in bankruptcy law have made it harder for companies to cancel their debts. To take advantage of the old laws, Delta and Northwest had already filed for bankruptcy.

Probably their passsangers will not get much affected by such moves. Both airlines promised to honor all tickets already issued. But the airlines are free to change schedules and cut routes and there could be some service disruptions too.

Probably nothing will affect their frquent-flier miles. In cases of past bankruptcies, the airlines have done their best to honor frequent-flier plans. But, there is no certainty about bonus and promotion programs. Due to the need to cut costs, that is something that will no doubt be
examined and probably modified to some extent.

In this era while airline perks keep disappearing, and fares keep rising, there's however some good news for frequent fliers: American Airlines and United Airlines are slashing the miles needed to book free shorter domestic flights, from 25,000 to 15,000 only. The moves are due to pressure from low-cost carriers like Frontier Airlines and American West that award free trips after 15,000 miles .

But do your reservation soon: The United deal expires on Dec. 31; American will run the reduced-mileage rate through Feb. 28.

Safe Cars 2006

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has announced 10 cars (2006 models) that win its first ever Top Safety Pick award. The awards recognize car designs that afford the best protection for people in front, side, and rear crashes, based on performance in Institute tests.

In each size-based category, two types of winners are selected: Gold and Silver. Winners of the gold award have earned good ratings in the Institute's frontal offset and side impact crash tests, and their seat/head restraints are rated good for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. Silver awards go to vehicles with good performance in the front and side crash tests plus acceptable seat/head restraint ratings.

Large Cars: Gold: Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego (Twin vehicles) ; Silver: Audi A6
Midsized Cars: Gold: Saab 9-3, Subaru Legacy; Silver: Audi A3, Audi A4, Chevrolet Malibu with optional side airbags, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat
Small car: Gold: Honda Civic 4-door

Note: No minivans meet the Institute's criteria to earn a Top Safety Pick. Pickups and SUVs weren't included in this round of awards because side impact tests of most of these vehicles haven't been conducted yet.

Auction Services

We are finishing this year within a few days and probably it's the right time of the year to clear 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 losing a fortune without ever realizing it.

Shop-lifting

Shopping season is here. Shops are full of people. Cashiers are busy. And our posting today starts with a special word -- Kleptomaniac -- people who feel compelled to steal at any opportunity. According to an estimate, every year US retailers loose about 10 billions due to shoplifting. The ratailers, of course, make sure that the amount is extracted from average consumers like you and us through higher prices for their merchandise.

People steal things that they want to have but cannot afford like fancy cosmetics or apparels or the latest CD/DVD or things that they are forbidden to purchase like cigarettes. Some do this just out of fun. However, survey says that majority (about two-third) of shoplifters resort to this simply because they see the opportunity of doing that, even though they were not predetermined when they entered the shop.

Some retailers like Walmart takes quite tough stand about this. Many retailers keep plain-cloth security people in aisles and exit. Walmart, for example, charges a high amount from the arrested person irrespective of the outcome of the court. The high cost of the procedures in court and complexity of expunging the act from the criminal record may take peace away from the arrested person's mind. So, never get into such a temptation and make your friends and family members, especially young people, aware of this. One evening's temptation may haunt them and their career for a long time.