Auto insurance rates vary wildly depending on the age of the driver as well as any previous tickets or accidents. The car insurance can also vary by the make and model of the vehicle, whether it is a sedan versus an SUV and any safety information. When you check instant car insurance quotes there are many basic rules that you can use when looking for a vehicle to make sure you get the best deal.

Smaller sedans with good safety ratings are the best bet when looking to keep your auto insurance payment as low as it can be. 2 and 4 door sedan, hatchbacks, or even small SUVs tend to have the lowest ratings, but some small sedans don’t have the best safety ratings, so it’s important to make sure you get a model that’s been around for a year or two and has great safety ratings to get the lowest insurance payment each month.

There are several other factors that go into your auto coverage and it’s total cost. You’ll want to check and make sure that the replacement parts for your car are not incredibly expensive. You’ll also need to make sure that the replacement parts are easily found and that there are repair places that can work on your vehicle. This can be true of foreign vehicles or cars that are no longer being made but being sold used. Another thing to look for to save money on your auto insurance is to make sure your vehicle has several different safety features. Things like an alarm system for both the radio and the car, as well as auto locks can help reduce the cost of your insurance premium.

Getting the best deal on auto coverage doesn’t have to be a guess. Just narrow your search to a few vehicles that you are interested in and call insurance companies to compare quotes. While the coverage and cost may vary slightly, by getting a smaller sedan or SUV will significantly reduce your insurance costs versus getting a luxury vehicle or a large SUV.

Recently I purchased a tablet from a top brand and pretty quickly it was integrated to being a pivotal part of my everyday life.  Whether it was saving me from running up and down the platform for a paper to read on the train, or helping my keep on top of emails in between meetings on the move – the tablet made my life that little bit easier.

Until it went missing somewhere between Moorgate and Barbican that is.

At this point, not only was there the panic that I was logged into emails, I also realised I had no gadget insurance – something I have come to regret.

How much are you paying for gadgets?

The tablet in question originally cost me just over £300, a present to myself to make the working day easier and the evening commute a little more enjoyable with films I’d never been able to watch.  Without gadget insurance that was £300 down the drain that I could do nothing about.

For around £6 a month I could have insured up to £750 worth of gadgets – which would have covered my phone and eBook as well, although using the latter became less relevant with the tablet.

For the four months I had the tablet gadget insurance would have been £24 – with an excess for claiming I would have been back to working my way through the latest series of Dexter for under £50, instead of saving what I could for the following months to get my tech life back on track.

What are you doing with them?

Although the makers of gadgets claim their product can withstand some of the harshest environments on the planet, the reality is very different – just think of how many people you’ve seen on the train with cracked smartphone screens.  Someone with insurance could have this mended.

Now, I lost my tablet out of negligence, which would have been covered under accidental loss.  However, if you’re on the move more than I am and there’s a greater risk of seeing your gadgets – whether it’s a phone or camera – run into a bit of wear and tear. Accidental damage can cover for any mishaps you might have.

Make sure they are insurable

Finally, you need to ensure your gadget is insurable.  Some companies will specialise in certain gadgets to a certain values and there is a possibility that other companies will not insure gadgets that are over six months old.  This is because they feel they are more likely to crash and the user more likely to cash in.

In the end, having gadget insurance would have saved me a lot of hassle and although it pains me to admit it, a lot of heartache as well. Not to mention the £300 I would have saved by seeing my tablet replaced.

I’d strongly recommend putting just the smallest amount of money a month towards insuring your technology – it definitely pays to be prepared.

 

Keith Hodges is a financial journalist writing for whatismoney.co.uk offering advice and tips for people looking to make the most of their money.

Finding a restaurant in which the whole family loves and is affordable is something in which most people never successfully find. However, with the numerous deals out there, it can be a fun challenge to try out different restaurants located in London to see just which ones are winners with those in your family, and these deals allow you to save a ton of money on dining out.

Why use Deals?

There are several reasons why people are searching for deals at London restaurants, and people are going to find the main reason is value. The value of the restaurant with a deal is tremendous when taking into consideration these types of restaurants are going to offer five and four star quality food. For those who are interested, they can find eating out to be one of those ventures they no longer have to save and save for in order to do with the entire family. With these types of deals, it also makes trying something new a fun experience, and if the person decides they do not like the restaurant, they are not going to have spent their entire quota of entertainment funds on going to this place.

Restaurant Deals

There are several deals at London restaurants in which a person can find. For example, Strada carries a few deals each month, which allows people to get a certain percentage off their food. Strada is known for their modern take on Italian food and those who go here often recommend the person try the fire-grilled pizza, a favorite among kids who visit the restaurant with their families. The service has been known to be outstanding in the area and combined with the price of food the person can get with the deals; it makes for a winning combination.

How to Find Deals

Through the use of the website, people can find deals. However, they are going to find there is more to this than just finding great deals on places they want to eat. They are going to find they can also get their reservations immediately from the website, which decreases the stress of having to make these separately. This is one reason why so many people prefer to use these deals out there to find the price they want for the restaurant of their choice. With this being said, the choice of restaurants could prove to be a problem. However, with the deals the person is getting, they are going to find they have enough funds to try more than one restaurant throughout the month, a huge incentive for those who are trying to save money.

If you are someone who is making a conscious effort to save money on those things you consider to be extras in life, then the use of these types of deals at random restaurants is one of the best ways to ensure you are taking this savings to the extreme. In addition, these are going to help you to enjoy more meals without having to stress about cooking on your own.

Using the services of an umbrella company can prove to be incredibly useful for contractors working through agencies, as they work towards taking the hassle out of contracting.  Among the many areas that you will be able to get assistance with is managing expenses. To find out more about how to receive tax relief on any allowable business expenses that you incur, read on.

First of all, it’s worth looking at the benefits that come with using an umbrella contractor service. The process of calculating PAYE, National Insurance contributions, invoicing clients and collecting and filing claims can prove to be time-consuming, especially if you are trying to do it all by yourself. However, making the decision to use an umbrella company means that you become an employee of the umbrella company and as with any employer they calculate your PAYE and National Insurance contributions for you, at source.  They also help you to claim allowable business expenses to ensure you get the best possible take home pay.

Using an umbrella company will free up more time that can be devoted to other professional responsibilities, for instance attempting to secure future contracts and working on current projects, so it is an option well worth considering.

Once you have registered, you will need to submit details of the expenses you incur on a regular basis, along with your timesheets to show how many hours you have put in, to the umbrella company. From here, your clients will receive an invoice and your income will be paid into your bank account.

However, what precisely counts as an allowable business expense? Although you’re already likely to have an idea of what these are, it is worth having a firm understanding well in advance to avoid confusion and to ensure you are filing everything that can be classed as an allowable business expense. After all, you don’t want to find out that you have been spending significant sums of your money on things to discover at a later date that you could have been claiming tax relief on them.

For clarity, expenses for contractors are defined as being “incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily in performing their duties”. Common expenses include travel costs and hotel accommodation used on business trips.

There are some cases where you might not need to submit some receipts as part of the dispensation scheme offered by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to obtain the tax relief, however you must always get receipts for every expense you will be claiming for and keep them safe.

This means National Insurance does not need to be paid on certain expenses and benefits, while you might also not have to enter it on to the P11D or P9D forms that you may have to submit to the tax body at the end of the financial year. However, you should always keep hold of these receipts, as HMRC may still request that you send these out at a later date.

Your ability to make such claims, however, will vary depending on the value and type of expense that you wish to file for. As a general rule, it is a good idea to speak to either your umbrella company or accountancy service provider for advice about what is permissible for you to claim based on your particular circumstances. In doing so, you will have the confidence of being able to handle all your tax commitments in an efficient, cost-effective manner.

What are your experiences of claiming expenses when using an umbrella company? Leave a comment and let us know.

I’m currently trying to navigate the financial maze that is buying a property, and there’s no doubt about it – it’s an expensive process! Not only is there the price of the actual house or flat to consider, but also the associated expenses like mortgage interest rates and fees, legal costs and insurance.

The good news is you can save money on all of these things by being a little savvy and doing your research. Not to mention that you can view online resources and helpful guides that talk about the process, which can save a lot of your time by pointing you in the right direction and eliminating unnecessary worry. Check out the top tips I’ve learned along the way and see if they can help you too!

1) Compare, compare, compare

We’ve all had the importance of comparing prices and quotes drummed into us by now thanks to marketing campaigns by various comparison websites (including a certain meerkat), but it’s surprising how easy it is to forget this simple rule when you get swept up into the complications of buying a house.

However, it is not just that we forget to compare prices and quotes, many potential buyers do not remember comparing the conditions of the houses that they might have selected. Yes, it is true that buyers get swept by the complications of the buying process. But it is prudent that they compare building inspection reports (perhaps provided by professionals like the best building inspectors auckland or similar places). These comprehensive reports often contain details about the conditions of properties, which can help buyers to decide which could be the most profitable purchase.

Anyway, remember, if you need to obtain something that is provided by several companies, you should always take the time to research different aspects of the product to ensure you get the best deal. Whether it’s for buildings insurance (which most mortgages require you to have in place before completion), solicitors, surveyors or the mortgage itself, comparing costs will go a long way towards helping you save money.

2) Consult the experts

Even if you’re buying on your own, you’re not alone when it comes to dealing with the intricacies of property purchasing. A good mortgage broker can be invaluable when you need to find a home loan (that’s how I managed to locate one myself), and can also provide help with insurance.

This might be an especially suitable route to go down if you have any concerns about your ability to get a mortgage for, say, credit history reasons, as brokers have some clout with lenders and will work hard to get you an adequate deal.

Similarly, a financial adviser can assist you at the start of process by getting your finances in order and looking at specific issues like stamp duty charges for residential properties. A decent solicitor/conveyancer will also explain exactly what the legal side of things involves and keep you up to date with their work on your case.

3) Gauge your offer carefully

If you’ve read up on the process of buying a home already, you’ll probably have seen advice relating to putting in an offer on your dream property. A friend of mine recently found some gorgeous Collegeville PA new construction homes and she was desperate to buy one. She managed to negotiate a higher mortgage rate with her broker and she was able to purchase her dream home! If you’re buying an older property, it’s definitely worth submitting an offer below asking price. I was quite surprised when I found out some people advocate going in as low as ten per cent under the asking prices, but it seems this is quite a common practice now the housing market is very much in the doldrums.

I think the wisest course of action is to assess whether the property is actually worth the asking price and then decide how much lower you want to go. To be honest, some homes are probably worth the price if they are in a good condition and hardly need any work (this was the case for me), but it’s best to research recent local sales and gauge the state of the house or flat anyway.

Going in lower can’t hurt; either the seller will accept and you’ve got yourself a bargain, or they won’t and you simply go back to them with a higher offer.

Have you bought a property and have some wise words to impart to fellow buyers? Let us know in the comments below.