car ins

Workers doubt health info from employers

The millions of dollars and countless hours employers spend on health and wellness campaigns may be falling on deaf - and distrusting - ears, according a survey released today by J.D. Power and Associates.

The firm, generally known for its auto rankings, released today its first-ever National Health Insurance Plan Satisfaction Study, which surveyed 10,552 consumers on their satisfaction with their health plans.

Among the questions asked: Which of the following do you trust the most when it comes to advice about how to stay healthy and how to get the best healthcare? Not surprisingly, a large majority cite their doctors, with 70% naming their primary care physician and 31% saying the specialist they see the most. However, just 2% trust employers most -- well behind online health articles (22%), their health plan (12%), the government (8%) and even none of the above (6%).

car repairs

Racin' Roddin' And Restorin' Pays Off

According To The Specialty Equipment Market Association (www.sema.org), the automotive aftermarket is a $34 billion per year industry. Racing, hot rodding, customizing and restoring classic and vintage automobiles are strong revenue sources for thousands of machine shops all over the United States, but money is not the only payoff. For many, being able to work on some of the best autos and bikes ever created is more satisfying to them than their paychecks. Building a top fuel dragster, restoring a 1920-something luxury car and painting a mural on the side of the family van require different skill sets, but one thing most of the people doing this work have in common is a passion for the work.

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streamline refinancing

Congress urged to use FHA to help with Mortgage Lending Crisis

A leading consumer group involved with lending practices and community rebuilding is lobbying congress now to use the FHA and arrange more realistic refinancing for all the people with "sub prime" loans who are facing bankruptcy and loss of their homes right now. The estimates of the numbers of now questionable loans exceeds a million, and they say this would be intolerable to have this many families out of their homes in such a short time period and would have devastating ripple effects across the economy as a whole."Homeowners with subprime mortgages struggling under payments need federal government help to ease them through the crisis, a leading consumer advocacy group said on Wednesday."..more thereed:they certainly need something. Affordable low end housing* is fast disappearing, and with zero employment guarantees anymore (jobs disappearing overseas, etc), it is going to keep creeping up the ladder into the middle classes even worse.

home equity loan payment calculator

Shared equity loans expensive way to buy

THE new shared equity mortgage allows borrowers to buy property they traditionally couldn't afford – but this privilege isn't cheap, particularly if house prices jump.

The new product has sparked fears it will add to the growth in house prices because of the extra flow of liquidity to the market.

The loan has been launched as an equity finance mortgage (EFM) and is issued by Adelaide Bank and funded by Rismark International.

Brian Jones, managing director of non-bank lender Homeloans, which recently wrote the country's first EFM loan in Perth, said the product was designed to overcome poor home affordability in NSW and Victoria.

"It's had that original foundation in that there was a problem with, particularly younger people and affordability in high-value markets, possibly having to move away from family and look for employment elsewhere rather than having free access to the markets and the geography that they were accustomed to," he said.