Mortgages for contractors

admin ♦ March 15, 2012 ♦ Leave Your Comment

Mortgages for contractors aren’t that hard to get, but people get lost in the mire of trying to navigate their mortgages in a world that is particularly suited to mortgages for people with salaried jobs. Contractor mortgages fall by the wayside, and there is no way for these poor folks to find any of the mortgages they need to get their homes paid for and bought. Even though contractors may work harder than most people with salaried jobs, they are still discriminated against because of the nature of their work. There are some that say it is inconsistent, lousy, and hard work compared to what a salaried job can provide. However, that stigma is changing. People are now focusing more on what contractors earn versus what their nature of their job description makes it out to sound like they are doing. It used to be that banks and mortgage advisers would dismiss them out of hand based on the nature of their work. A contractor mortgage was just not good for business, they would say. But a lot of hard work has been done in the last ten years to ensure that contractors get just the same level of quality treatment as regular people with salaries do. This has been a big achievement for contractors all around the world, but especially in the U.K.

 

Organic Skin Care – Are Organic Products Always Safe to Use?

admin ♦ January 27, 2012 ♦ Leave Your Comment



Organic skin care products might not be as safe as you think. It’s hard for most of us consumers to tell. I’ve done a lot of research and I still have to look a lot of things up. Right now, one of the biggest problems is sunscreen.

The use of sunscreen is one of the many important steps you can take to minimize your risk of skin cancer. But, while some sunscreens provide ample protection and are completely safe, others do not provide protection and are hazardous to your health.

Some organic skin care products have an SPF rating, which means they contain sunscreen. SPF means sunburn protection factor. Broad spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays is recommended. If you expect to spend more than 15 minutes in the sun, you should look for an SPF rating of 30 or more for use on any exposed areas.

On the other hand, you should not use skincare creams or cosmetics that have an SPF rating on a daily basis. They can inhibit the production of vitamin D, causing a chronic vitamin deficiency that is a factor in osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure and many other diseases that are often thought of as “age-related”.

Many organic skin care products contain oxybenzone and have an SPF rating because of it. Oxybenzone is a naturally occurring compound. It is “organic”, but it is not “safe”. It provides no protection from UVA radiation and minimal protection from UVB.

It has actually been shown to increase free radical production when it is exposed to sunlight. Since free radicals are the underlying cause of cancer, the substance is referred to as a “photocarcinogen”, a substance that causes cancer when exposed to light. Sunscreens are supposed to help protect us from cancer, right?

It took over two years for the information about this cancer-causing compound to even begin to reach the public and it is still being used in organic skin care products, today. We think “organic means natural and safe”.

We think, “Nothing organic could possibly harm us.” Yet, here we are with a 100% organic product that causes cancer, but, only when it is used for its intended purpose. Doesn’t that sound a little crazy?

What concerns me, and many consumer safety advocates, is that people don’t understand what they are buying. We have a tendency to rely on a company to protect our safety. Or, at the very least, not put our health at risk.

There is one company that I do trust. They don’t use sunscreens in their products. They don’t use hazardous chemicals or even naturally occurring compounds that might not be safe.

Their company philosophy is based on improving our health, not destroying it. They provide a wonderful line of skincare solutions, as well as vitamins and nutritional supplements.

So, maybe instead of organic skin care products, you should search for health supplements for your skin. But, that’s just a thought I had. You probably wouldn’t get any results, anyway.

Health Coverage For Children 25 And Under And The Health Care Reform Act

admin ♦ January 27, 2012 ♦ Leave Your Comment



If you have kids who are 25 years and under and you are wondering how they are going to take care of their health coverage, you are in the right place. Quite possibly your child, or young adult is just starting out in life, is college bound or getting out of college, and bouncing between jobs, better and worse jobs, especially in this economy. He has no idea how and where to get proper health coverage to protect himself financially. Many jobs do not offer insurance, colleges demand it, and health coverage prices keep going up.

But there is good news when it comes to baby and health coverage for children under 25. Included in the new health care law of 2010 there is a provision that will give many young adults a reprieve from needing to seek their own insurance in the individual health insurance market, but allow them to stay signed on with their parents on the family health insurance plan until the ripe age of 26. And there are a few other helpful provisions and new health and medical insurance options too.

In this article we will go over all the possible choices for a young adult, ages 19 to 26 to get health insurance for protection at this formative, critical, and risky age. We’ll consider getting health insurance benefits from their own employer at work, from their parent’s employer, in the private health insurance marketplace, from Medicaid, from the state based on income, and through the new federally instituted PCIP, pre existing condition insurance plan program.

Let’s look into the possibilities.

Getting health and medical insurance plan through a job. Even with employer’s costs rising this year for health insurance, getting an employer sponsored health insurance is still the best possible alternative for a young person. Likely, the employer will contribute part of the cost of the insurance, and offer choices between PPO, HMO and possibly other types of coverage. Despite the possible relatively high monthly premium, this is clearly choice number one for a young adult. The insurance can kick in within weeks of person’s employment.

Getting health insurance through parents work. The new health care law has extended the eligibility for children to sign on to the parents job-based health insurance till the age of 26. Also, the conditions for a parent to claim the child are very mild, so this is a viable option for young adults whose parents are working in a job with benefits. A child will be able to sign on any time during the year. An interesting benefit of any insurance obtained through work is that it can not be declined due to the pre-existing condition of the child.

Getting individual insurance policy. A young adult without pre-existing conditions can likely get a quite inexpensive insurance policy on an individual health insurance market place. However, chances are that a health questionnaire will have to be answered, and perhaps even a medical exam will be required as a condition for application. Despite the new health care law, persons ages 19-26 can be denied individual insurance if they have what an insurance company deems a pre-existing condition.

State or federal government sponsored insurances, including PCIP. Medicaid and other income-based state insurances have been available for a while and the eligibility is mostly based on income of the applicant. A good time to apply is therefore at the time between the jobs. If, due to income, or otherwise, a young adult does not qualify for Medicare in their state, and they have been declined individual coverage due to pre-existing condition, there is a way out: the new state, or federally run PCIP, or Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan. Implemented following the new health care law of 2010, this plan provides an option whereby, at least until 2014, a person will be accepted into a reasonably-priced, high deductible, low copays health insurance plan which will not reject an applicant due to a pre-existing condition.

While long term costs and effects of these new plans are uncertain, young adults should take advantage of all of the above options that are available right now.