Month: April 2021

Categories
Career & Education Children Education Family

Help Your Child Succeed in Elementary School

elementary school

Wondering how you can help your child to succeed in elementary school? If so, here are some tips and ideas to help your kids.

1.    Make Your Child’s Learning Important

Teach your children that learning is important. Of course, children learn better and quickly if they love a particular subject. However, learning other things that they don’t find interesting is also important. It helps them to know and explore different things.

2.    Aim High

You don’t need to pressure your children; just teach them to aim high. You must realize that your expectations can significantly impact your child’s performance in elementary school. So, don’t expect your children to score 100% in every subject but encourage them to do their best.

3.    Prioritize Your Child’s Study Time

Playing and interacting with other children is important for your kid’s social and intellectual skills. But that doesn’t mean to give them a free hand. Make it clear from the beginning of their school life that they have to study before playing. This will help them understand the importance of studies over other things.

4.    Stay Up to Date

It’s important to stay informed about your children’s school. You can check the school’s website and see the calendar for the upcoming events and tests. You can also check what new posts they have published on their site for annual exams.

5.    Meet your Child’s Teacher

You need to meet your kid’s teacher whenever you get time. You can discuss your child’s performance and ask the teachers to guide you on what you can do for the betterment of your children.

6.    Help them Prepare for Tests

It’s important to prepare your kids for class tests and discuss their studies. The more you will involve with them in the preparation process, the more they will feel motivated to study.

7.    Stick to a Routine

Many parents don’t understand that having a proper routine for their kids is crucial even on holidays. Having a routine will prevent them from getting off the track. You need to give them breakfast, lunch, and dinner on time. They should give time to their studies and also get to play with their friends. Also, make sure they sleep on time.

8.    Talk Often

You need to know how your children feel about their teacher, classmate, and classroom. Ask them what they like and dislike about their school. Give them a chance to express their excitements, anxieties, or disappointments every day. Moreover, support and encourage them by praising their efforts and achievements.

9.    Show Your Interest

Don’t only ask about your children’s day or what they think about school. You need to listen to them carefully and show interest. Guide them on what they can do to solve a certain problem. Also, teach them how they can improve themselves even more.

10.  Designate a Space For Your Child’s School Work

Like adults want a workspace to complete their tasks without any stress and distractions, children also need a study room. You need to designate a place in your house with ample light, enough room to work, and lots of supplies. This will encourage your kid to study without being distracted.

Bottom Line

If you want to make your kid succeed in elementary school, you need to give time to your children. But make sure to avoid putting a lot of pressure on them, as it can negatively impact their performance. Try to be their friend with them while discussing studies.

Categories
Children Family

20 Memorial Day Activities for the Whole Family

memorial day

Memorial Day is a day when you have a chance to honor those soldiers who sacrificed their lives while serving in the US military. Here are some Memorial Day activities for your whole family to show that you acknowledge and remember the service members who died to protect us.

1. Go for virtual Tour of the White House

If you live far from the capital, you can still visit the White House. You can use Google Arts and Culture for a virtual tour of the White House with your family.

2. Listen to Veterans’ Stories

While celebrating Memorial Day, you can also honor the living veterans. You and your family can sit together in the living room and watch some documentaries highlighting the services of veterans.

3. Craft Memorial Day Poppy

This is one of the best Memorial Day activities. You and your family can make them together to wear them as a sign of remembrance of the deceased soldiers.

4. Say a Prayer

Memorial Day is all about appreciating the services of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives while serving in the military. Take some time and say a prayer for those who have served your country.

5. Phone a Veteran You Know

If you have veterans in your family or friend, call them to say thanks for their dedicated services. They will feel appreciated and happy.

6. Visit a Veteran’s Cemetery

You can visit a cemetery with your family to pay your respect to the men and women who died in service to our country. You can place flowers and flags on their graves to say thank you.

7. Volunteer for Others

The best way to understand their services is to spend a day serving others. You and your family can join an organization to help people.

8. Try a Craft

You can make your children understand the importance of this day by involving them in a patriotic craft session. Make a couple of decorative items in the color of blue, white, and red as a Memorial Day activity.

9. Handmade Patriotic Shirts

This is the best activity to perform with your entire family. You can paint blue and white flowers or the flag of our country on a T-Shirt. After that, you can wear them and do other activities of the day.

10. Popsicle Stick Flag

It is a clever and easy idea to involve your kids in a Memorial Day fun activity. Once they make these flags, you can place them anywhere visible in your house.

11. Read and Discuss American History

Before doing any activity, teach your kids about our nation’s history and the reason to celebrate this day.

12. Attend a Parade

Attend a Memorial Day parade with your family. It will be the best experience for your entire family.

13. Visit the Family of a Fallen Soldier

You can visit a family who has lost someone in the war and thank them. It is a good way to show that you remember and acknowledge their sacrifice.

14. Take a Moment of Silence

It does not matter where you live, take a moment of silence with your family member at 3 pm. After this, you can send your thanks to the fallen.

15. Watch the Memorial Day Concert

Another way to celebrate this day is to watch the Memorial Day concert with your family. You can watch it on TV or attend the concert personally.

16. Watch a Patriotic Movie

If you want to know more about the stories of brave men and women, you can watch a patriotic movie. Make sure to pick the one that is based on actual stories.

17. Throw a Themed Zoom Potluck

You can throw a Zoom potluck to meet your extended family by maintaining social distancing. Ask everyone to show their preparations for the day and pay your respect to the fallen.

18. Host a Patriotic Party

If you have veterans in your neighborhood, you can host a virtual patriotic party. Ask them to join you on Zoom and remember the sacrifices of the soldiers who died while serving our country, and know their stories.

19. Fly a Flag

You can show your respect and gratitude by hanging Old Glory in your front yard. Make sure to follow the US Flag Code guidelines.

20. Create Patriotic Chalk Art

Create chalk art with your kids. You can chalk our flag or just write “thanks to veterans” using sidewalk chalk.

Bottom Line

No matter what Memorial Day activities you do, just make sure to involve veterans’ families. This is the best way to celebrate this day. You must also make sure your whole family participates in these activities and appreciate the services of the fallen.

Categories
Children Family

It’s Father’s Day! 20 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate

celebrate father's day

If you are wondering how you can celebrate Father’s day in a meaningful way and show how much you love him, then you need to read the article. The following are some tips and ideas to make this day memorable and amazing.

1. Have a Family Game Night

Let your father show his competitive side with the best indoor games. You can go for fun games like Jenga, monopoly, and charades.

2. Host a Wine Tasting

If your dad loves wine, then it is the ultimate treat for him on Father’s Day. Select some best wines and add some cheese and grapes to your wine tasting platform.

3. Book Spa Appointment

On this special day, you can pamper him by booking a relaxing spa session for your father. Make sure to pick the best place, and ask them to add your dad’s favorite candles and music to the session.

4. Learn About Your Father’s Family Tree

The best way to make him feel special is to take some time and try to know about his family more. Ask about your dad’s family and his childhood memories.

5. Solve a Puzzle Together

Having a fun day with your dad is the best way to make him feel good on Father’s Day. Bring a new and challenging puzzle and gift it to your dad. Make sure to play with him to add excitement to the day.

6. Share Beautiful Memories

Share some beautiful and unforgettable memories of your father with him. It will make him feel appreciated and loved. You can make a collage of his pictures and gift them to him.

7. Host a Friendly and Family Competition

Arranging an exciting and enjoyable competition between your family and Father’s friends is a wonderful way to make the day memorable for everyone.

8. Make a Hand-Made Gift

If you are good at arts and crafts, then make a small beautiful gift for your dad. You can create a card or a decorating item for your father.

9. Explore Ancestral Locations

If you know about any particular sites that belong to your Father’s ancestors, you can spend a day with your father and revisit that place.

10. Bake a Treat or Dinner

You can bake a delicious cake for your dad. Or you can make some cookies, lasagna, or anything your father likes.

11. Participate in Your Father’s Favorite Hobby

What is your Father’s favorite hobby? Do they love gardening or cooking? Whatever they like, participate in their hobby for a day.

12. Set Up a DIY Sushi Night

It is an amazing activity to do with your father. Go for buying different fishes and food ingredients you want to add to your DIY sushi. Then, prepare delicious sushi with him.

13. Arrange a Picnic For Your Father

If you and your siblings want to spend some time together with your father, arrange a picnic at a local park.

14. Celebrate with Fireworks

Fireworks are the best way to celebrate Father’s day. Just make sure to take precautions while playing with these things.

15. Head to a League of Baseball

If your father loves to enjoy a baseball game or has a wish to watch a live baseball match, purchase two tickets for the game and surprise your dad.

16. Plan a Road Trip

Pick a place to go with your father and get on the road trip. Make sure that the chosen site is best to surprise your dad.

17. Make Your Father Brunch

Yes, it’s kind of a Mother’s Day thing. But if you are good at cooking, your father will feel great pleasure eating something you make.

18. Take him for Dinner Night

You can pick your Father’s favorite restaurant to enjoy a meal together. Make sure to pay the bill.

19. Fly a Kite Together

Make two kites with your father and fly them together to have a pleasant daytime. You can purchase one if you don’t want to make it yourself.

20. Go Camping

Camping is the best way to enjoy a bonfire and nighttime together. Just make sure to purchase all the equipment necessary for your camping.

Bottom Line

So these are some ideas to celebrate Father’s day and make it a memorable day for your father. You can choose any one activity or do all of them to show your love and make your dad happy.

Categories
Health & Home Media Recreation & Leisure Tech & Media

10 Movies of 2021 to Look Forward to

movies of 2021

Have you been desperately waiting for cinemas to spring into action and your screens to come back to life? 2021 is looking like an excellent year for movies, and we’re excited at the promising projects that are lining up backstage.

Here are the top ten movies you can look forward to this year:

1. Coming 2 America

This is a sequel to the American Classic ‘Coming to America.’ Arsenio Hall and Eddie Murphy will be starring in it, while the movie promises to be a worthwhile hilarious ride.

2. Raya and The Last Dragon

An animated original since Moana, Disney is all set to light your screens with a dramatic-looking adventure movie. Get ready for a thrilling ride with warriors and monsters this summer.

3. Justice League

Zack Synder will be releasing his new version this summer, with a completely new take on his superhero story.

4. Cherry

Cherry promises a much more intimate feel with Tom Holland as the young lead. Set in Iraq, this story is all about the army medic’s experiences and his opioid addiction.

5. Spiral

Chris Rock brings a glossy sheen to Saw horror’s relaunch titled ‘Delayed.’ You will get to see elaborate torture traps and Rock playing detective in this movie. Ultimately action and suspense-packed, this movie promises to be a captivating one.

6. Godzilla vs. Kong

This movie’s title is all the attention it needs. Yet if you want some more incentive, Godzilla, the King of Monsters from 2019, is returning for the crown. This one promises to be a jaw-dropping monster-mash, and you better now miss it.

7. Cruella

Disney will be lining up another of its animated classics, and Cruella promises to be as dramatic as Maleficent. We’ll be seeing Emma Stone’s obsession with the Dalmations in this one.

8. Mortal Kombat

This video-game series will release in a movie form this year. Producer James Wan is preparing to impress the audience with a couple of screen tricks this year, and who knows, we might just like the fighting saga this time around.

9. Fast & Furious

We can surely expect this one to be another blockbuster, with actor Sung Kang and Justin Lin’s return.

10. In The Heights

This is a Tony-winning adaptation that will be releasing somewhere in the summer of 2021. If you’re fascinated with outstanding choreography and high-energy dance numbers, then this film might live up to your expectations.

Categories
Children Family Senior

8 Ways to be a Fabulous Grandparent

fabulous grandparent

Grand-parenting is just as necessary in shaping a child’s life positively as parenting is. Here are 8 ways to be a fabulous grandparent:

1.    Recognize Your Value

Grandparents often fail to recognize and acknowledge the monumental importance they have. You are even a more prominent source of wisdom, education, and experience for your grandchildren. Devote more of your time to them, such as offering childcare or scheduling time at least once a week with the kids.

2.    Devote Unconditional Time

As a grandparent, you probably have lesser social and work commitments, so you must devote as much time as possible to your grandchildren. Teach them things their parents cannot make time for, such as taking them to construction sites to watch from a distance, talking about life under the water, and your experiences of traveling to other countries.  

3.    Refraining from Appearing Fearful

Grandchildren often seek validation and approval for their experimental projects from grandparents. So, the next time a child comes to share his/her plans with you, refrain from voicing out how you dread the idea.

Lend unconditional support, enthusiasm, and encouragement while keeping a watchful eye as the little ones embark on their journeys and passions. As a grandparent, you can pretend to be thrilled about whatever excites them (of course, only if appropriate).

4.    Ponder Over Books

As a grandparent, the greatest gift you can give the grandchildren is by transforming them into book lovers. They’re from the age of technology, and most likely, their parents are too. So, you have the unique gift of sharing the love of books with them and introducing them to a whole new world of learning.

5.    Encourage Spirituality

If you follow a reticular faith, then be a spiritual inspiration for your grandchildren. Spend time meditating, praying, reading your Holy Book, and teaching all the little ones spiritual values.

6.    Good Manners

If anyone hopes to teach the importance of manners, values, and traditions to the little ones, it is you as their fabulous grandparent! So, teach your grandchildren the art of manners, courtesy words, family values, and others.

7.    Do Not Over Indulge

Many live under the perception that grandparents are selfless. While pampering your next generation is a great thing, overindulging them will only have unfavorable effects in their future. Lavish them with love and whatever you can afford while teaching them to be grateful. Also, never hesitate to say no to your grandchildren when they make unreasonable demands.

8.    Avoid Jealousy

Those who face being a grandparent prematurely are often unable to cope with the conflicting emotions. Hence, you may feel bouts of jealousy over your daughter/son-in-law and may intentionally or unintentionally criticize him/her, which your grandchild can pick up.

Speak only positive words of your grandchild’s parents and other family members, so that they learn to respect everyone and never indulge in bitter feelings in any way.

Categories
Children Family

It’s Good Friday! 30 Seafood and Meat-Free Meals

good friday meals

Wondering what you can cook this Good Friday? If so, then you have come to the right place. We have mentioned some mouthwatering and flavorsome seafood and meat-free meals that children, elders, and others in your family will love. Let’s take a look.

1. Sweet-and-Smoky Cedar-Planked Salmon

It is a blend of light brown sugar and smoked paprika, which offers you a tasty grilled flavor.

2. Bulgur and Cashew Stuffed Eggplant

This meal is free from meat and dairy and allows you to experience a completely different taste of spices and sweet.

3. Spring Pasta with Salmon

Pasta and salmon is the perfect combo that everyone in the family would love. The peas and spices make this meal super appetizing.

4. Thai Scallop Curry with Shiitake Mushrooms and Zucchini Noodles

It gives you an exceptionally earthy experience with fresh ginger, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and curry powder.

5. Pesto-Topped Grilled Swordfish Steak

It’s your chance to enjoy grilled flavors by incorporating them in the pesto and swordfish. You will lick your fingers for sure.

6. Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Salsa Verde

It’s another sumptuous dish that offers you a fillet of grilled fish. You can enhance the taste by adding sizzling salsa to your menu.

7. Pasta with Walnut Pesto

This is a unique dish in our list of meals. You can enjoy the flavors of pasta, walnut pesto, herbs, and vegetables, all in one dish.

8. Shrimp Scampi

You need to add garlic butter on top of it for a lip-smacking aroma. A squeeze of lemon and crusty bread on the side will boost its flavor and appearance.

9. Panzanella with Marinated Chimichurri and Chickpeas

Panzanella is a salad that combines with bread to offer you a delicious main course. Herbs, oil, and vinegar are used to make it rich and tasty.

10. Salmon Wellington

On this Good Friday, have wellington on your table that contains spinach, salmon, and parmesan. Your family will surely love your efforts.

11. Wild Mushroom and Potato Burrata Pizza

How can we forget to add a pizza to our list? This veggies and herb pizza is a superb way to celebrate Good Friday.

12. Portobello Pot Roast

Pot roast is one of the classic holiday meals. This is slightly different, as you will use mushrooms for heft instead of meat-laden.

13. Trumpet Mushroom Calamar

You may know that mushroom is the best substitute for meat. This is why you need to use mushrooms instead of squids in them. It will have a delicious texture and taste.

14. Tempeh Fish n’ Chips And Tartar Sauce

This dish offers you mouthwatering flavors of lemon, flakes, and Old Bay Seasoning. The tender and crunchy fish will force your guest to admire your cooking skills.

15. Vegan Fish and Chips

Chips, vegan, and fish are a flavorful combo that is pretty easy to make without any mess and has exceptionally great taste.

16. Battered Hearts of Palm Crab Cakes

The battered heart of palm crab cake is fried until it gets crispy. Then you will need to serve it with beamy tangy homemade tartar sauce.

17. Black Bean and Carrot Crispy Tacos

Craving tacos this Good Friday? Add this to your menu to have a crunchy meat-free treat.

18. Vegetarian Chili with Beans and Grains

This is the quickest, easiest, and tastiest meal you can make for the entire family. It is best to serve children, elders, and youngsters.

19. Mississippi Catfish Gumbo

This stew is made with catfish and okra. It is the best way to skip sausages and yet cook a classic dish for your family.

20. Cucumber-Salmon Panzanella

This healthy and simple greens and bread salad is the best food item to serve in your lunch and dinner, giving you mouthwatering and smacking flavors.

21. Cauliflower Mac ‘n’ Cheese

This is the best cheesy option, which is also healthy, to have on your dinner menu this Good Friday.

22. Smoky Tempeh Black Bean Burgers

Your guests will be surprised after taking a bite that this juicy burger is actually vegan. You can make it for your friends who are vegan.

23. Broiled Flounder With Lemon Cream Sauce

This is a simple fish dish that has a sour and spicy flavor. The creamy sauce is the primary tastemaker in this recipe.

24. Vegan Cioppino

This is an Italian-style fish stew with lots of vegetables, herbs, and tomato broth.

25. Adobong Pusit

If you love the natural rich flavors of squid, you need to try this. It contains soy sauce, garlic, and vinegar.

26. Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Instead of using tuna, you can use chickpea in your salad sandwich to get a simple yet flavorsome dish.

27. Vegan Nicoise Avocado Salad

This delicious dish has an intense flavor that will tantalize your taste buds at the first bite. It contains green beans, potatoes, and avocado.

28. Tuna Noodle Casserole

It is best for people who love tuna. Cooking a meal with tuna, noodle, and casserole, you can enjoy three separate flavors in a single dish.

29. Sriracha Tofu

Even meat-eaters will fall for this tangy tofu. It has a spicy and sweet taste that is perfect for adding to your Good Friday dinner.

30. Sheet Pan Pistachio Crusted Salmon and Glazed Carrots

This is a one-pan meal that is exceptionally great for every type of family. Even your children will love its intense and rich flavors.

Bottom Line

You can pick a few dishes from this list to serve to your family and guests this Good Friday. They will surely love and appreciate your cooking skills.

Categories
Family Senior

10 Discounts Seniors Didn’t Know About

senior discounts

Many seniors remain in ignorance of the multiple discounts they can avail when they’re out spending money. You could save a significant amount on several purchases if you knew what discounts you’re entitled to.

Here are the top 10 discounts:

1.   Groceries

Several grocery stores offer senior discounts, which you must ask for while paying for your purchases. For example, Farm Fresh offers 5% discounts for fifty-five-year-olds and above on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while New Seasons Market offers a 10% discount for seniors every Wednesday.

Remember to verify the next time you’re out buying the groceries.

2.   Mortgage Rate Reduction

There is a free mortgage program that offers up to $3,120 savings for seniors annually. It would be best if you found out about the validity and eligibility of this program from your bank the next time you’re paying.

3.   Home Alarm Savings

Many Home Alarm companies offer a 10% discount for senior homeowners. The idea is to encourage every senior citizen to safeguard their property and lives with a reliable alarm system, more so because of their age-related vulnerability.

4.   Restaurant Meals

A lot of dine-outs offer discount deals and a certain percent of the entire bill for senior customers. From steak restaurants to fast food joints, there is usually a discount at the majority of places if you’re fifty-five years and above.

5.   Cruise Discounts

From all-inclusive travel options to exclusive deals for fifty-year-olds and above, many cruising companies worldwide offer discounts for seniors. You can luxuriate in the splendors of the sea at great deals as a senior, but only if you ask for your discount when you’re booking your trip next time.

6.   Medical Bill Discounts

Seniors require more treatments and doctor visits as they age, and many insurance companies offer discount cards. As a senior, you also receive hearing, vision, prescription drug, and dental coverage, all with a supplemental insurance plan.

You can avail some incredible medical benefits as a senior but do remember to ask for those.

7.   Brand Discounts

Stein Mart, Marshall’s, Kohl’s, Banana Republic, and Ross offer discounts for seniors. You need to be fifty years and above to shop on discounts at these fabulous places on designated days. However, it is best to verify each of these stores’ age eligibility before you go shopping with your old pals.

Many stores also offer a monthly Senior’s Day where you can avail 20% discounts on your membership cards, shop online, or other features.

Categories
Family Financial Insurance Senior

When Can I Change My Medicare Insurance Plan?

medicare insurance plan

We know that Medicare insurance is complicated. There are restrictions, open enrollment periods, and so many different plans from which you can choose. It’s easy to find yourself with one hundred different questions.

One of the most common questions we see is, “when can I change my Medicare supplement insurance plan? While we’d like to say the answer is simple, much like Medicare, it’s complicated. In this guide, however, you’ll learn more about when you can change your supplement plans and how to do it.  

What are Medicare Supplement plans?

It is important that you understand the difference between your Medicare insurance and Your Medicare Supplement plan. Your Medicare plan is provided by the government, but a Medicare Supplement Plan is a private health insurance policy.

The purpose of a Supplement plan is to supplement the coverage you get with your original Part A or Part B Medicare plan. For a monthly payment, Medicare Supplement plans usually cover your coinsurance, deductible, and copays. They help to fill in the gaps that you would otherwise be required to pay out of pocket. For that reason, they are sometimes referred to as Medigap insurance plans.

When Can I Change My Plans?

The simple answer is that you can change your Medicare Supplement plan anytime, but of course, there’s a catch. Since supplements are private health insurance policies, the insurance company can choose to turn you down for health reasons.

Supplements are not the same as your Medicare Part C or D plan. Therefore, they aren’t eligible for changes during the Annual Election Period, which occurs in the fall.

There’s only one time when you can enroll in any supplement without being rejected, and that time is six months after you turn 65 or enroll in Part B, whichever comes later. Once this period passes, you can still apply, but the decision is ultimately up to the provider.  

How Do I Change My Plans?

If you would like to change your Medicare Supplement plan, all you have to do is fill out an application with questions related to your health. Many states also require you to pass a medical underwriting.

What does that mean?

It is the process of examining your medical history in order to determine any risk factors that could affect your health insurance coverage. If you are found to be too much of a risk, the private insurance company can deny you or charge you a higher rate. However, there are also many situations that could be covered under your guaranteed-issue rights.

Reasons to Change Your Insurance

Though the application process isn’t always easy, there are several reasons that seniors choose to switch their Medicare Supplement plans. You should consider changing your plan if you:

  • Found the same plan for less money from a different insurance company
  • Need more benefits than what your plan currently offers
  • Don’t use all of the benefits that you currently have
  • Wish you buy your plan from another insurance provider

Request a Quote for a Medicare Supplement Plan

Your best chance to get the coverage you need is within your one-time enrollment window, but you can change your supplement plan at any time! If this is something you’re interested in, we recommend that you do your research and request a Medicare insurance quote from different companies.

Once you have found your ideal plan, you can start the application process. Many companies offer a “free look period” for 30 days. That means you can take 30 days to decide if your new plan is the best Medicare insurance plan for your needs.

Categories
Financial Tax Services

Which Tax Software is Best for You?

tax services

Tax season is upon us and for many people, that means stress and worry about filing their taxes correctly. You want to be sure to file your taxes correctly while still getting all of the deductions and refunds that you qualify for. Using tax software can help you achieve that goal.

Tax software leads you through the entire tax process by asking questions to know what forms you should file. They will also tell you what information you need and where to find it on your tax forms. They also make it easy to file electronically so that you can get your refund quickly.

There are different tax software available and each kind of tax software is best for certain people and situations. Which one you want to use will depend on your situation and what taxes you file.  

TurboTax

TurboTax is one of the leading tax filing software companies. Their software asks you questions about how you’re filing taxes this year, how you made money, and what your year looked like financially to get you to the right places to file correctly and get the right deductions. They also account for federal and state taxes in the same filing. 

This software is easy to use whether you’re an individual or business filing taxes. It will automatically include home purchases, dependents, and other deductions so you don’t have to worry about including them. By answering the questions it asks you, you can be ready to file electronically and know that they will be filed correctly. 

H&R Block

If you want free software to file your taxes, H&R Block can help with that. They provide ease of filing without having to pay for anything. It covers federal and state taxes for many filing options without any additional charges. 

Many individuals do not have complex tax forms, they have a W-2 form and some deductions. In these situations, having a free option for filing taxes is the best option. When your taxes are easy to file, they should come with a corresponding price tag.   

Tax Slayer

As more people become reliant on the gig economy or self-employment for either a portion or for their entire paycheck, having tax software that understands that can help ensure that your taxes are filed correctly. These kinds of jobs have different tax forms and deductions that you want to account for.

Tax Slayer is affordable and will help you account for all of the ways you made money and the different deductions that you qualify for. They provide options for state and federal taxes so you can be assured that all of your tax needs are met.     

Conclusion

Filing taxes requires different needs depending on how you’re filing taxes. Some taxes are easier to file than others. There are several kinds of tax software available so you can find the right one for your situation. Filing taxes with the help of tax software makes filing taxes easy, no matter how you made money.

Categories
Financial Insurance

Life Insurance: What You Need to Know

life insurance guide 101

In order to know which life insurance policy is best for you, you must first understand its function. What is life insurance? It is a contract between you and an insurer to provide your beneficiary with death benefits based on your payment of premiums.

Still sounds complicated?

In this guide, you’ll learn all of the basics that you need to understand—no matter your stage of life. Whether you’re shopping for the first time or switching policies, we encourage you to read on to find out more about life insurance 101.

Types of Life Insurance

The two primary types of life insurance are term and permanent. With term insurance, you are covered for a set amount of time. It typically lasts 5-30 years, whereas permanent insurance covers your entire life or up to 100 years old.

For the most part, providers sell term policies with level premiums, so you never have to worry about the rate going up as you get older. However, you may have the option to convert your policy to a permanent insurance after the life insurance term is up. With permanent policies, you can choose between whole life and universal plans. Whole life means that you pay the same premium throughout your entire life while universal life insurance gives you flexible premiums.

The biggest difference between term and permanent policies is the ability to build value. A term plan has no value at the end of the life insurance term, but permanent insurance increases cash or loan value. That means you can withdraw, invest, or even borrow against that value. If that’s a feature that is important to you, a permanent policy would be your best option.

Calculating Life Insurance Rates

Your health and age are two of the biggest factors determining your premium rate. In fact, policies are issued either simplified issue or fully underwritten. The former often comes at a higher price because it is based on simple application questions. The latter typically offers lower rates if you show good health through a thorough medical exam and lab work.

Those aren’t the only factors that insurance companies consider, however. They also base your premium on:

  • Your Gender
  • Family Medical History
  • Location
  • Lifestyle

What Does It Cover?

You might be thinking that if your young and healthy, you don’t need insurance at all, but that’s simply not true. It is especially important for young people with families to get insured. A good life insurance policy can help your loved ones with:

  • Funeral Expenses: Did you know that the average cost of a funeral is over $7,000? Add to that the cost of a cemetery plot, headstone, or vault, and it’s even higher. These high end of life expenses are the biggest life insurance selling points for a majority of people.
  • Replacement Income: If your income plays any role in your household’s finances, you need life insurance. When you leave behind a spouse and young children, it helps them maintain their standard of living.
  • Mortgage Payments: It is also crucial that you have life insurance to cover mortgage payments. Nothing could be worse than losing a loved one and your home all at once. Your insurance policy could help with monthly payments or pay off the remaining balance entirely.

How Much Coverage Do You Need?

The answer largely depends on your family and financial needs. Typically, young married couples with children and single parents need the most coverage for the items we mentioned above. We suggest that you take a look at your mortgage or other loans, the cost of your funeral, and your income to choose an amount that best fits your needs.

On the other hand, empty nesters and retirees typically need fewer death benefits. You may not need life insurance at all if you’ve paid off all of your debts and saved accordingly. A financial advisor can help you determine how much coverage you will need.

Get Your Life Insurance Quote

Every policy is different. What may be best for you could be entirely different from what is best for your neighbor. For that reason, we recommend that you do further research and shop around for the best life insurance quote for your needs. There are plenty of agents and online tools ready to help you choose a life insurance policy.