Good morning Dinks. We are all working hard, living on less, watching our budget and saving money – but let me ask you a question, what are you saving for? This week I discovered that one of my co-workers – who is married with three kids – does not have a Last Will and Testament.  He has a house and a family but he doesn’t have a Will in case something happens to him or his wife. As a financial planner I told him that he should have a Will to make sure that his last wishes are followed and his response was “having a Will is bad luck”.

Making final plans is good financial sense

I don’t think that having a Last Will and Testament is bad luck; actually it’s a smart financial strategy to ensure that all of your hard earned money is disbursed according to your wishes. When you think about it, not having a Will isn’t bad luck – it’s a really bad idea.

I tried to explain to my co-worker that having a Will can take care of his family if something bad happens to him.  My co-workers response was why do you have a Will? You don’t even have kids. That is true, I don’t have kids – but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have a family. Kids or no kids my boyfriend and I still have final wishes.

Where do you keep your Will?

Some of us go the traditional route and visit our Notary to create a Will. Some of us write our own Will on a pen and paper and some of us are moving into the digital age with an electronic record of our personal information.  Wouldn’t it be nice to have all of your assets in one place along with permissions to your accounts and other legacy information, just in case something bad happens? Allow me to introduce BestBequest.com.

Best Bequest is the world’s first digital legacy vault. It’s a website that allows you to safely store personal documents, pictures, videos and more. BestBequest.com allows you to determine who has access to your digital assets, including social media and email accounts, especially after any life-altering events. If something bad should ever happen to you or your spouse it’s important to make sure that your personal information is safe and that your last wishes are carried out.

Best Bequest can help you and your spouse prepare for any life-changing events if one of you should get sick or pass away.  BestBequest.com is easy to use – it’s like using online budgeting software, but instead of tracking your spending you are organizing your personal, legal and financial life.

In an age when we are all moving towards digitally storing our personal information leaving a virtual legacy with Best Bequest is a safe and sound idea.  If ever you have a flood or fire you don’t have to worry about your information being lost or damaged, it will all be safely stored online. Now doesn’t that sound like a service you want to have?!

Time for the Best Bequest Giveaway – that’s a $150 value

Use the Rafflecopter link below to enter.  You can win a bronze membership to BestBequest.com – that’s $150 value – and get your finances (and your life) in order.

Good luck to everyone who enters. The winner will be announced Friday with our weekly roundup.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Photo by FlowersLover

{ 0 comments }

(Guest Post by T. Williams)

If you have a need for a significant amount of money in a short amount of time, you may want to consider applying for an auto title loan. An auto title loan is a loan that uses your vehicle as collateral that you will repay the money that is loaned to you. Many people use these loans when they are facing an unexpected hardship and do not have the money available to handle the issue. With many auto title loans, you can have the money that you need the same day that you apply for the loan.

Many people choose to obtain their auto title loans online because the process of applying for the loans is quick and simple. Many loan companies have an online application form for you to fill out that includes the make and model of your vehicle, the year it was built, your employment information, and the loan amount that is being requested. After you have filled out the online application, you may need to submit additional documentation for verification of the information that was added to your application. You will also need to provide your title to the loan company and your name must match the name on the title. For more detailed information about auto title loan requirements, you can click here.

In most cases, your credit score has little to do with your ability to obtain an auto title loan. The loan amount is based on the value of your vehicle, with newer models with minimal damage commanding higher loan amounts. This means that even those with poor credit or many delinquencies on their credit report can still qualify for an auto title loan. It may also be possible to obtain an increase on your title loan after the loan has been issued if you qualify for the higher amount than what was originally taken.

During the period that you are repaying the loan, you will retain possession of your vehicle and can drive it as needed. In some cases, the title loan company will require a copy of your car keys and/or having a GPS device installed on your vehicle to ensure that they will be able to access the vehicle in the event that you default on your loan. Once the loan has been repaid in full, the title to the vehicle and the keys will be returned to you and the GPS device will be returned to the loan company. In many states, you can receive another auto title loan as soon as you have paid off the current loan.

If for any reason you neglect to repay the loan in a timely manner, the title loan company will have the option of repossessing your vehicle as payment for the loan. This guarantees that they will receive something in return for the money that they have loaned you. In most cases, repossession is the last option available to the lender to recover their money. The lender would much rather have you repay the loan because repossession is a costly and time-consuming process.

{ 0 comments }

Good morning Dinks and happy Friday. Well, I am back from my weekend in New York City and I have been for almost a week. I have to say that I am still a little bit sad. I love New York City so much and I always get a little bit sad every time I come home. That’s why I try to hang out in NYC as often as my schedule – and bank account – permit.

Do you have a favourite city?

Today is the start of a long weekend up here in Canada and I am so excited. Having an extra day off in the week makes a huge difference in my life, in my attitude, in my sleep and of course in my relationship.

I love having an extra full day to spend with my boyfriend Nick. Of course we do have the weekends together but having that extra one day off lets us just sleep in and spend the day doing whatever we want – usually we spend it in our pjs. A long weekend is an extra day to spend together, without having to run errands and without watching sports all day – which is how my boyfriend usually spends his Sundays.

A long weekend is also a great way to take a weekend road trip.  Once again an extra free day is just enough time to get in the car and drive to your favourite closest city.

What is your favourite way to spend a long weekend?

Enjoy these posts from our personal finance friends:

- Budgets are Sexy – My New Non-Spending Tracker!

- Modest Money Want to Save Money? Haggle Like This…

- So Over This – Why Don’t People Know How to Dress Appropriately?

- Money Beagle - Why It’s Very Often Important To Follow A Routine

- Take Our Stuff is giving away a Light Blub Flash Drive

 

Photo by Moyan Brenn

{ 4 comments }

Save money and be healthy at the same time

May 16, 2013

Good morning Dinks. I am happy to say that the warm weather has finally arrived up here in the Northeast. With the warm weather comes the need to spend as much time as we can outside in the sunshine. When people know that bikini season is upon us they have a need to eat healthier [...]

Read the full article →

Insurance secrets that we should not keep

May 15, 2013

Good morning Dinks. So often we talk about how to save money, how to spend money wisely, how to invest our money and how to live on a budget. But today I would like to discuss insurance. When I first moved away from home I purchased my home and auto insurance with my financial institution [...]

Read the full article →

Is Diversification Really That Great?

May 13, 2013

Like many of you, my web surfing has taken me to many corners of the personal finance blog world. As I’ve been surfing, I’ve noticed that sometimes there is a bit of tension between the relative merits of diversification and focused investing. Having tried both styles, I thought I’d share my thoughts with you. On [...]

Read the full article →

Is there such a thing as easy money?

May 13, 2013

Good morning Dinks. I keep hearing about get rich quick schemes of people who are frauding other people and trying to make millions without working hard. Every time I hear about a new scam or get rich quick venture that failedI always think to myself…do people really do that? I come from a family where [...]

Read the full article →

Finances When You Relocate

May 11, 2013

(Guest post by Kirsten) For many occupations the Middle East is considered to be an attractive destination for a relocation due to the many opportunities that are available in some of the sectors. If you are currently in the planning stages of a relocation to the Middle East after you have secured a job and [...]

Read the full article →

Weekly roundup: 8-Tracks, $100 Gift Cards and Auctions

May 10, 2013

Good morning Dinks. As you read this I am in lovely New York City for a fitness event hosted by SELF Magazine and Crunch Gym. I am going to SELF Workout in the Park which is being held in Central Park tomorrow afternoon.  Every year SELF hosts an all day fitness event in both NYC [...]

Read the full article →