For most people they do not have the time or knowledge to invest properly.  One of the best investment companies is Vanguard.  Vanguard provides very low cost Mutual Funds and ETFs.  They never got into the Mortgage mess and are consistently rated very highly by clients.   The key though is the low cost which allows you to keep more of your  own money.

Here is my Simple Portfolio of only 4 Mutual Funds–I would invest 25% in each.  However, what is generally recommended is to invest your age in bonds.  So if you are 40 years old you would invest 40% in bonds and then 20% in the remaining 3 funds.

1) Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund: this fund invests in Large Cap companies that pay a Dividend.

2) Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund:  this fund invests in Small Cap stocks that tend to have more risk but better growth.

3) Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund: this fund gives you International Stock exposure.

4) Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund: this fund gives you exposure to the stability of bonds.  It is a mix of all types of bonds and pays a monthly dividend.

Disclaimer: Material presented on Bacigirl.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is the opinion of the author and should NOT be relied on or taken as investing advice. The information and content should not be construed as a recommendation to invest or trade in any type of security. Neither the information, nor any opinion expressed, constitutes a solicitation of the purchase or sale of any security or investment of any kind. Before acting on anything you read on this site, you must do your own research and you must come to your own conclusion which you will ultimately be responsible for, including any loss you may incur.

While I do not know how good other insurance companies maybe.  VPI is truly excellent.  Customer service is very helpful and friendly.  The process of being reimbursed is very simple–you simply fax them the receipt from the Vet and about 2 weeks later you get a check in the mail.

We have needed the insurance for 2 lipomas (benign), spaying, dental care, as well as all our pets vaccinations/boosters.  Recently our Vet heard a heart murmur and we had to take our dog to a Veterinary Cardiologist.  Thankfully everything turned out to be ok. But having the insurance was really lucky–the bill for the Cardiologist was over $850!!

So I would highly recommend getting Pet Insurance.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – God, family,
children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff.” he said.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are
important to you…” he told them.

“So… pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

Please share this with other “Golf Balls”

So lets say that you are flying on United Airlines.  One the Home Page on the Left Side there is a listing of Airlines.  So you would choose U-V-W.  Click on United. Then you will see

Now just enter your flight number and airline.  It will let you know what type of plane you are on.  It is important to realize that just because United flies for example from New York to Los Angeles each day they may not use the same plane type for each flight.   For those of us hoping for an upgrade you may want to select a flight with more Premium Economy or First Class seats.

Seat guru will show you the seat that you are in on a seat map.  it will also tell you if you have a Good Seat or a Bad One.

With 5 year arms below 3% it is very tempting to think about refinancing.  Just remember re-financing also can involve a lot of fees.  This is why it is usually only worth it in the long run because it is only with time that those fees are saved through a lower payment.

There is however an easy way to accelerate payments and reduce interest.  The best way to reduce your home mortgage quickly is to participate in a 26 Payment Plan. Usually these plans are free and offered by all mortgage companies. In this plan instead of paying your mortgage once a month you will pay half the amount every 2 weeks. Since you are paying every 2 weeks you will end up making 1 extra monthly payment per year or 26 payments (13 monthly payments) per year.   By paying every 2 weeks interest does not build up all month long since you are paying more frequently.

I know that paying 1 extra payment per year can be difficult but the upside is that it will generally take 7.5 years off a 30 year fixed mortgage. If you use a mortgage calculator you will see that it will save you 10,000s of dollars.

So are some rules:

• I am an investor–I do not trade my investments frequently.
• I am also a saver–I routinely invest each month using my savings.
• I know every asset has risk and I consider the risk before buying.    I accept the risk by owning a diversity of assets.
• I have an investment plan and plan for allocation.
• I invest regular amounts each month in both falling and rising markets.
• I spread out my investments among stocks and bonds.
• My share of bonds equals my age.
• I rebalance once a quarter.
• I know that stocks are risky in the short run but not so risky in the long run.
• I force myself to sell high and buy low.  Patience is the key here.
• I put at least 20 percent in international assets.
• I stick to my plan and try not to check my stock balances every day (this one is not easy).