(NewsUSA) – This holiday season, contributing to a child’s college education can be the gift that lasts a lifetime. Parents and grandparents alike want to give their children and grandchildren the tools to succeed in life, and a college education can do just that.
However, post-secondary education is becoming increasingly less affordable.
According to the College Board, today’s newborn is expected to pay $180,000 to attend a four-year, public university. Coupled with the difficult economy, college is slipping beyond reach of many families. However, by giving a College Illinois! Prepaid Tuition Program contract to a child or grandchild, you lock in a price for their future education today, staying a step ahead of tuition inflation.
“The price of college for one child is steep, and we have five to worry about,” said Cindy Wisniewski of Naperville, Ill., a College Illinois! Prepaid Tuition Program contract holder.
“College Illinois! lets us save for college for our kids over time in a way that makes sense financially for us.”
Wisniewski said the flexible benefits and array of payment options attracted her to the program.
“Each of our children can choose to attend just about any school they want,” she said. “We love being able to give them this unique opportunity to build their future.”
A college education is a gift that will never go out of style, and the holiday season lets purchasers take advantage of tax benefits before year-end.
To give a prepaid tuition contract to a child, Andrew Davis, executive director of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the agency that administers the College Illinois! Prepaid Tuition Program, suggests combining it with another gift such as a piggy bank to help a child gain a better understanding of money.
“A children’s book such as ‘The Penny Pot’ would be an appropriate gift for young readers,” said Davis, a contract holder himself. “For older children, ‘Money Sense for Kids’ might be a good choice.”
For more information, visit www.529prepaidtuition.org/gift or call 877-877-3724 for program information, materials and enrollment guidelines.
Prepaid College Tuition — The ?It’ Gift This Holiday Season
Gift Trends This Year? Give Experiences, Not Goods
(NewsUSA) – As the holiday season approaches, shoppers face the annual challenge of finding the perfect gift in the right size at the best price. Shopping online can save both time and money, but can also overwhelm consumers with the endless list of options to choose from.
This year, experts recommend harnessing the national trend of collective buying to ease shopping woes and save money in the process.
“Collective buying sites streamline the holiday shopping process by connecting users with creative gift suggestions at unbeatable discounts,” said Andrew Mason, founder and chief executive officer of Groupon.com, a shopping website that offers daily deals on the best local goods, services and cultural events in more than 250 markets around the world. “It’s become just as easy to give someone the gift of a great unique experience as it is to send them a sweater.”
Groupon provides some top picks for 2010 gifts, proven to be best-sellers this year:
Health and Beauty: Pamper loved ones with a trendy no-chip manicure or relaxing massage package. Sites like Groupon.com provide incredible deals — sometimes as high as 90 percent off — that make it possible to be extra generous this holiday season.
Cultural: For a thoughtful option that can be reused, gift an annual membership to a favorite museum. Some of the country’s top institutions are discounting their individual and family memberships by half-off this year.
Fitness: Give a friend’s New Year’s resolution a boost with the gift of fitness. Popular deals, including gym memberships and yoga classes, are conveniently packaged and allow the recipient to start their trial when they’re ready.
Dining: Need a gift for a foodie? Many high-end restaurants offer discounted packages worth $50, $75 or $100 towards the final bill.
Experiential: While a traditional gift is wrapped neatly in a box and tied with a bow, gifts like rock climbing, skydiving or wine-tasting classes provide one-of-a-kind experiences that recipients won’t soon forget.
By consolidating the best gift options at prices that beat out door-busters, daily deal websites are a smart choice this holiday shopping season. Deals are redeemed with printable vouchers that only show the actual service value, not the discounted price paid for the gift! Not a subscriber? Visit www.groupon.com to sign up for free and start receiving your daily deals.
Keep Pests From Crashing Your Holidays
(NewsUSA) – For many Americans, colder weather means seasonal decorations and holiday baking -; but if you’re one of those who set out gourds and holly or cookies for Santa, you might be opening your home to some unwanted guests.
“Mice, rodents, spiders and other pests find their way into homes by hiding in boxes of holiday decorations that have been stored in attics, basements and garages since last season,” says Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). “They create homes in these undisturbed items and then find new places to infest once these boxes are moved into family living quarters.”
The holiday season may also bring out pantry pests, which make themselves at home in pantry foods like flour, cereal, dry pasta, spices, nuts and dried fruit, as well as in decorations made from dried flowers and potpourri. The most common pantry pests are beetles, ants, weevils and Indian meal moths.
So, what can you do to deter unwelcome holiday guests? The NPMA offers the following tips:
* Store seasonal decorations in airtight containers. Items like dried foliage, potpourri and Indian corn should be carefully stored in the off-season. Keep them in a dry environment, such as a closet or office, and unpack them outside.
* Inspect fresh decorations before you bring them indoors. Look over wreaths, Christmas trees and garlands to make sure you’re not bringing insects into your home.
* Store food properly. All food should be stored in plastic or glass containers with sealed lids. Keep cabinets, pantries and countertops clean and free of crumbs.
* Examine pantry items before you use them. Check packages before you bring them home from the store. Never buy any item that appears damaged. Throw out expired ingredients. If you have any ingredients that haven’t been used in the past year, inspect them before use.
If you do find pests, contact a pest professional. They will know the best way to treat an infestation. For more information on preventing pests from crashing your home this holiday season or to find a licensed pest professional, visit www.pestworld.org.
Keep an Eye Out For Unique Watches
div img class=”category-img” src=”http://ftper.newsusa.com/Thumbnail/GreenWatches.jpg” alt=”Five words or less” width=”180″ //divdiv class=”category-listcontent”div class=”category-body” id=”ArticleBody” style=”display: block” (a href=”http://www.newsusa.com”NewsUSA/a) – Watches are a traditional gift for a reason. They’re one of the few accessories appropriate for both men and women, they serve a useful function …/div/div
Keep an Eye Out For Unique Watches
(NewsUSA) – Watches are a traditional gift for a reason. They’re one of the few accessories appropriate for both men and women, they serve a useful function and they’re classic enough to become family heirlooms.
But modern consumers don’t want gifts that appear generic — they want gifts that appeal to their lifestyles and personalities. So, how can you acknowledge their interests while still giving them a timeless, classic gift?
If there’s a technophile or environmentalist in your family,
finding the perfect watch might be easier than you think. Citizen Eco-Drive (www.citizenwatch.com) offers watches so technologically advanced — and eco-friendly — you’ll never need to change a watch battery again.
Citizen Eco-Drive technology converts light from any natural or artificial source into energy. The watches store the energy in a permanently rechargeable lithium-ion cell that starts recharging the second it is exposed to light — this means that the watch can run forever. The watch contains a power reserve so it can run continuously for at least six months, even in the dark.
Because the battery is permanently rechargeable, it never needs to be replaced or thrown out. Citizen Watch Company estimates that, over the past 15 years, it has prevented over 15 million batteries from being manufactured and subsequently thrown out.
The technological advances don’t begin and end with the
battery. The newest Citizen Eco-Drive radio-controlled analog world timer, the World Perpetual A-T, has radio-controlled accuracy perfection in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Japan and China. Both sport and dress models are available.
The Citizen Eco-Drive Paladion features 26 diamonds and is water resistant to 100 meters. Citizen’s Ladies’ watches appeal both to environmentalists and fashionistas, as mother-of-pearl dials, diamond-embellished cases and sport chronographs are all available.
For more information, visit www.citizenwatch.com.
New iPad? Don’t Forget the Apps
(NewsUSA) – In terms of technology, Apple’s iPad is this year’s gadget of choice. If you’re planning to purchase, or receive, an iPad this year, you’ll first want some applications (apps). Be forewarned, this can get addictive, and expensive.
Here are suggestions to get your initial fix — enough to show-off without draining your bank account just yet. All are downloadable from the iTunes App Store.
* Food. The beauty of the iPad is that it can go anywhere with you, like the kitchen, and has a large-enough screen to make reading easier, even with flour on your hands.
For the wannabe Julia Child, consider Epicurious, a free app from Condé Nast, the publisher of Bon Appétit and Gourmet. It offers colorful photos, a shopping list function and the ability to search by main ingredient, cuisine and dietary restriction.
Martha Stewart has her own application, by the way.
* Music. Set a mood with Pandora, a free Internet radio app that allows you to search by a particular artist, song or composer. When you do, it will build an entire station populated with songs and artists that match.
You can also choose the genre of music from Bluegrass and Doo-Wop to Lullabye. The application displays and plays the occasional ad, so an ad-free experience will cost $36 per year.
* TV/Movies. If you love Netflix already for catching up on movies and seasons of your favorite television shows, the company has a free iPad app. To use it, you will need an unlimited membership, starting at $8.99 per month.
* Geek. If you are the person everyone comes to for tech help, or if someone in your family is, LogMeIn Ignition for iPad allows you to remain on the couch when the phone rings.
The app, which costs $29.99, lets you view and control all of your computers from the iPad. Use it to fix a friend’s PC or Mac miles away, access files on the computer you forgot in the office, or turn your new iPad into a lightweight laptop.
* Games. Most of the best games for iPad and iPhone cost money. If you’re willing to invest, there are great ones, including classics like Tetris ($7.99), Scrabble ($9.99) and the top-grossing Angry Birds ($4.99).
Tips for Safe and Timely Holiday Shipping
(NewsUSA) – Finding the perfect gift is a pleasure, but shipping it can be a hassle. You want your gift to arrive in one piece, but sometimes the perfect gift is oddly shaped or overlarge, making it difficult to pack for shipping. You want your gift to arrive on time, and with everyone mailing packages this time of year, you’re not sure how late is too late to avoid rushed shipping fees.
If you’re one of the many people shipping gifts this holiday season, know that there’s no need to worry. Pak Mail (www.pakmail.com), full-service packing and shipping centers with locations locally and worldwide, knows all the latest packaging requirements and holiday shipping deadlines that will get your gifts to their destinations safely and on time. Pak Mail offers the following tips:
* Ship your gifts early. Packages going overseas to the military should be mailed no later than Friday, November 12. Parcel Post to destinations within the United States should be mailed no later than the second week of December. Send Priority Mail by the third week of December and Express Mail by the 22nd of December. If you are traveling over the holidays, try shipping gifts ahead to your destination to avoid enhanced security and baggage fees at the airport.
* Pay attention to size restrictions. UPS, FedEx Ground and DHL set a maximum of 165 inches in length and girth and 150 pounds. The U.S. Post Office allows a maximum of 130 inches in in length and girth and a maximum weight of 70 pounds. Pak Mail enforces no size or weight restrictions. Try consolidating your gifts. One 20-pound box costs less to ship than two 10-pound boxes.
* Pack your gifts properly. Always use proper packing materials like bubble wrap and peanuts, and use tape that is designed for shipping, such as pressure-sensitive tape or nylon-reinforced tape. Put the delivery and return addresses on only one side of the package. Enclose an extra address label inside the package that contains the sender’s address and the recipient’s address along with a list of the contents. That way, if the package is damaged, it can be repackaged and sent to its final destination. If your gift is especially fragile, large or oddly-shaped, think about custom packaging.
* Get the best deal. Different carriers offer different rates. Pak Mail uses a variety of carriers to offer customers options when it comes to finding the most economical and efficient gift shipping solution.
For more information, call Pak Mail at 1-800-778-6665 or visit www.pakmail.com.
The Flip Side of Foreclosure
(NewsUSA) – In so many ways, foreclosure is an end. It’s a bank’s last resort, and the sad final chapter for a family sold on the American dream of home ownership.
But in another sense, foreclosure is also a beginning — a never desirable, but often useful, tool that can help stave off neighborhood blight and create a path toward rejuvenation.
As much as everyone wants to avoid foreclosure, it does provide cities — especially older ones with declining populations — the legal means necessary for acquiring property that would otherwise become vacant or abandoned.
The trouble is that there’s a stigma associated with foreclosure, and legislators can be swayed to impose restrictions on the process that make it more difficult for municipalities that want to reclaim and reuse property that has been left to decay.
So, from a policy perspective, what can be done to create better legal tools for clearing titles that don’t depend solely on the self-interest of debt collectors? Here are some ideas proposed by Mary Helen Petrus, a researcher at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland:
* Quiet title actions, in which governments go to court to “quiet” any and all claims to a property’s title.
* Laws to facilitate nuisance abatement through receivership (giving courts the power to assign repairs or improvements to an overseer of a vacant property).
* New rules making it easier for willing homeowners to forfeit their properties so that governments can take stewardship.
* Processes for tax foreclosures that don’t have to go through the courts.
This is not to say that foreclosure is always the best option. In viable neighborhoods, the most beneficial course of action is generally to focus on improving the quality and affordability of housing for the people who still live there. But when there’s a breakdown, and there’s no hope of rescuing properties from becoming vacant or falling into disrepair, foreclosure is often the most viable option.
This is especially true in American cities where joblessness is high, or the population is dwindling. In these situations, where there simply aren’t enough homebuyers to purchase the number of homes available in a market, foreclosure can actually help begin the process of revitalizing neighborhoods. For more information on this subject, visit www.clevelandfed.org/pr/foreclosure.
Three Helpful Tips for Renting Out Your Home
(NewsUSA) – Home ownership has always been a part of the American dream, but that may be changing. Uncertainty in the housing market has led many would-be buyers to believe that renting’s the better option.
According to a May 2010 online survey commissioned by the National Apartment Association, 76 percent of consumers think that renting is preferable to owning a home in today’s market.
Likewise, some homeowners believe it’s better to rent out their home than to sell it for less than its worth, if they can sell it all. Those considering renting out their property shouldn’t make a hasty decision. Neglecting to weigh the costs and potential risks could put first-time landlords in a poor situation. Moco, Inc., a company that provides screening services to property owners, managers and employers throughout the United States, offers the following tips:
* Look at the numbers. Renting might not be the best option. If you’re going to lose money each month, it might make more sense to sell, even if you won’t get your asking price. Consider all potential costs, including property taxes, income taxes on your tenants’ rent, maintenance, and the normal wear and tear your property will experience. Remember that you won’t be able to pocket all of the rent money; you will have to put a portion of it back into the property.
* Find quality tenants. Nightmare tenants can be, well, a nightmare. Prepare for a careful screening process. Many private landlords can’t access the quality screening products available to larger businesses without going through a lengthy certification process. However, you can avoid time and expense by asking your applicants to visit MyScreeningReport.com. The report includes a consumer credit report, SSN verification, comprehensive criminal search, eviction search, national sex offender registry search and an OFAC (federal terrorism database) search — everything you need to determine whether a potential tenant meets your standards.
* Use an all-encompassing lease. Whether you use a template or hire an attorney to write your lease, make sure that the lease clearly states your expectations. The lease should state who is responsible for what, when you expect rent to be paid and what penalties you will impose if it is late.
For more information, visit www.MyScreeningReport.com.
Need a Hot Holiday Gift Idea? Try Steam Cleaners
No matter what gift you give a loved one – a new set of golf clubs, a gold necklace, a teddy bear – it’s going to need proper care and cleaning. So why not give your loved one a way to care for their present?
Whether you give a stylish sweater or a new recliner, a steam cleaner or steam iron will clean, deodorize and disinfect without using harsh chemicals. Steam cleaners generally produce steam that is 220 degrees Fahrenheit or more at the tip. When the steam meets a surface, it penetrates its pores and breaks the bond between the surface and any dirt. Because the steam is so hot, it also kills mold spores, dust mites and bed bugs and bacteria.
