More Earthquakes in Japan

April 13, 2011

Many travelers are looking into travel insurance after the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear problems in Japan last month.  Airlines have cancelled flights, cruises have adjusted itineraries and many people do not feel safe traveling to the region.  The situation is compounding, as another earthquake struck Japan this morning.  The following is an excerpt from a CNN article with more detail on the disaster.

At least six people were killed when a magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck Japan Tuesday morning, a local fire department said.

The six were killed when a landslide triggered by the quake buried three homes in Iwaki, the city’s fire department said. Thre

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2011 income taxes: How to file an extension with the IRS

April 9, 2011
Tags: Irs

April 18 is the deadline for filing your 2010 federal income tax return to the Internal Revenue Service this year. But do you need to file for an extension beyond the IRS’s gift of an extra three days? Maybe you need more time because of late 1099 reports from your financial institutions or perhaps you’re just a habitual procrastinator?

Thankfully, it’s now pretty easy to get an extension for filing an income tax return.

The IRS’ Free File system online allows you to prepare and file electronic Form 1040s as well as Form 4868, the form needed to file an extension.

Those not using Free File can use commercial tax preparation software, such as TurboTax and H&R Block At Home (formerly TaxCut), to electronically fill out and file IRS Form 4868.

But be careful.

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How to Get Affordable Pet Insurance on a Budget

April 8, 2011

According to the American Pet Products Association, cat and dog owners in the U.S. spent nearly $12.8 billion on veterinary care in 2010. Pet insurance can help with these medical costs by offering coverage on routine and emergency visits, as well as treatments.

If you’re a pet owner, consider what coverage options you really need and which you can skip to find affordable insurance for your pet without sacrificing quality care.

Must-have pet insurance coverages At some time in its life, your pet may need additional care, like surgery or hospitalization. I

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IRS: Your audit notice is in the mail

April 6, 2011
Tags: Mail

More than 1.6 million Americans were audited last year, and the majority of them got that news by mail. The IRS is relying more on mail than phone calls (or a surprise knock on the door) to query taxpayers about their returns. Almost 80 percent of audited taxpayers received notice by mail last year.

The latest figures represent a rise in mail audits by 13 percent over the previous year, continuing a long-term trend; mail audits are up 93 percent since 2003.

Auditing by mail costs less and the IRS states that on their end of things it is also more efficient. Depending on the complexity or details needed to explain your paperwork, however, you might find speaking with someone is easier than responding in writing.

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Advantages of hiring a home insurance online

April 4, 2011

Today we will discuss the possibility of hiring a home insurance online, via the Internet, in contrast with the other options available to us.

Hiring a home insurance even today may seem a daunting task, and sometimes heavy, because although we do not understand the terms or concepts of coverage, we do not know how to calculate the continent.

So we turn to the banks, and savings of our mortgages, and trust to give us good advice, but we forget that these people are working for an entity, and perform their work in favor of this, and there are consultants hired by So there are three factors that can lead us astray:

1 With financial skills but no insurance.

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