Credit Score Club

In response to my article about HSA contribution limits for 2013, a reader named Stephanie asked the following:

Is there any good way to calculate which health plan is right for you? I’ve been having trouble the past few years deciding between the regular PPO and the HDPPO, but my health care costs are usually pretty high (I reach my deductible mid-year).

I’ve actually talked about how to approach this decision in the past, but today is as good as any for a refresher…

When choosing between a high deductible health plan and a more traditional PPO or HMO plan, you need to consider factors such as the monthly premiums, the difference in deductible, possible differences in the co-pay levels once you meet your deductible, the annual out-of-pocket limits, possible differences in the types of care that are covered, etc.

If you go with an HDHP, you also need to consider your ability to meet a fairly major financial obligation (the deductible) in a short period of time. This

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TMW: Five years flies when you are having fun. During that time, I had the great privilege of having people read my blog and the great privilege of interacting with other bloggers such as the both of you; we are such a walking stereotype- Canadian personal finance bloggers are so polite to one another! For all three of us, we begun blogging pre credit crisis and lived mostly to tell tales of our survival. What do you think are the largest changes you have seen in the last 5 years?

PB: I will start first. Near the top of that list would be the impact and growth of social media.

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A loan workout plan presents the borrower with an opportunity to repay a debt and avoid default. Loan workouts are an option once a borrower has decided he or she cannot repay the debt according to the original terms. Loan workouts can be refinancing opportunities, but they are usually a mix of multiple strategies to reduce a debt.

Default Avoidance

In the case of an unsecured loan, meaning that there is no collateral at stake, a loan workout usually involves some type of refinancing to a payment plan that represents only part of the remaining owed sum.

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Sourcing professional, Mike Smith, recently spoke with The Offshore Group concerning his four and one half year experience developing a Mexico supply chain for a major aerospace OEM.

When visiting the site of each of Mexico’s principle aerospace manufacturing clusters, Smith took note of a young, Mexican workforce eager to acquire the skills necessary to work for companies that are taking their places in Mexico’s aerospace supply chain.

He noted that, “Mexico graduates several thousand engineers a year. They are enthusiastic young people, and are looking for the opportunity to qualify for jobs in the Mexican aerospace industry. Full Post…

The SEC brought federal charges on May 1 in Massachusetts against Arnett L. Waters of Milton, Mass., broker-dealer A.L. Waters Capital LLC and advisory firm Moneta Management LLC. Mr. Milton is the chief executive of the broker-dealer and owner of Moneta.

Janet Lee Waters, Mr. Waters’ wife, and Port Huron Partners LLP, a firm controlled by Mr. Waters that purportedly did business in rare coins and bullion, also were named as relief defendants in the case. Ms. Waters was the compliance officer of Waters Capital and a partner with Moneta.

According to the SEC, Mr.

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On Earth Day, much press is given to all the altruistic reasons we should watch our energy consumption and carbon footprints.  From those baby polar bears stranded on icecaps to visions of our grandchildrens grandchildren living on the Atlantic Coast of Montana, the unselfish reasons for going green, so to speak, abound.

Reality check: greening up your home does not have to be a pious experience, or a lifestyle downgrade. You dont need to cut back on showers or go all Birkenstock, all the time. (Although, hey I went to Berkeley. Ive got nothing against the occasional sporting of the stocks.)

In fact, Ive realized over the last few years that there are some rather fabulous, somewhat selfish perks to making green changes to your home and your lifestyle.  

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