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Archive for September, 2009

09 27th, 2009

Right now there are many companies all trying to get you to buy their particular insurance plan for your car. From quacking ducks to talking lizards, there is an overabundance of advertisements, all done with the intent to get you sign up for their company.

But which one is right for you?

One of the better solutions that I found is to go online and compare the different automotive insurance policies. That way, it is easy to find one that fits your particular situation. In addition, I have found that utilizing the Internet is the best way to save money.

Before you go out and buy from the first company that offers you a car insurance policy, it is important that you understand which items are important for protecting you and your assets.

As you probably know most insurance policies look the same. So it is important to understand both the company and your unique situation.

First you should decide the maximum amount that you can use to pay for your insurance. This step means a careful analysis of your budget. It is a question of how much you can afford.

This leads to our second item for consideration. How much do you need to cover? For people that have a lot of assets, it is vital that they get enough insurance to personally protect their money in case of a catastrophic accident.

Many penny pinchers elect to get the lowest coverage. While it important to save money, it is equally important to prevent one accident from wiping you out. The funny thing is that even if you do elect for lower coverage, you wind up not saving that much money.

The next step is to check out the individual car insurance companies. As a result, it is vital that you get quotes from at least five different auto insurance companies. The method that I use is to go online and compare some of the top companies that show up. Here is a brief list of companies that offer top-rated car insurance:

? 21st Century Insurance
? Geico
? USAA
? Safeco Insurance
? MetLife Auto
? Liberty Mutual
? AllState
? Unitrin Direct
? eSurance
? Progressive
? State Farm
? AIG Auto Insurance
? GMAC Insurance
? Nationwide
? Eastwood
? Amica
? AAA

Once you find quotes from different companies, you should create a strategy of the various costs involved with purchasing car insurance. This includes deductibles, collision, comprehensive, and the total costs. For each company, try to get quotes on different levels of coverage. That way, you can develop an accurate portrayal of the price for each car insurance quote.

The final step is to understand how much each company will cover. While you might save money from one particular company, they might offer little to no coverage in case you get into an accident. While you might save some cash in the short term, the long term consequences could be disastrous.

When you have done your analysis, you will have a list of companies that offer quality insurance at an affordable price. With a little effort and research, you can properly cover yourself within your budget requirements.



Isn’t That Illegal?

Yes, using credit cards fraudulently is illegal. This article is absolutely not suggesting that you make up and use a credit card number. You should also never use credit cards belonging to other people.

Below is a summary of new services the credit card companies have created to make online credit card use more secure.

How Does It Work?

It is more appropriate to use the terms “temporary credit card numbers” or “single-use credit card numbers” rather than “fake credit card numbers.”

Some credit card issuers allow customers to generate and use a credit card number that is different from the number on their plastic credit card.

Current Online Security Measures

Security-conscious online buyers should only submit their credit card numbers to web sites that are secured by Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption. You can tell if a web page is secure by looking for the following signs:

1. The page address in the browser address bar begins with https. The extra “s” means secure. Normal web page addresses begin with http.

2. The browser will usually display a closed lock or a complete key symbol when you are at a secure page.

3. Clicking or double-clicking the closed lock symbol (or the security symbol your browser uses) will usually show the security information for that website.

4. Secure (https) web pages will encrypt (scramble) your credit card information before sending it across the public internet. Chances are that a human being will never even view the information.

That Sounds Secure Enough. Why Do We Need Single-Use Credit Card Numbers?

It is a bonus to the consumer any time a vendor can provide an extra layer of security. Online credit card consumers can generate a separate credit card number for each online purchase, if they wish.

This easy-to-use extra security measure makes consumers more confident about buying with credit cards over the internet. Anyone who did view your information in transit would see only your encrypted information. Encrypted information looks like gibberish to everyone except the credit card company’s computer.

Additionally, it is no longer necessary to submit online the credit card number imprinted on your physical credit card.

Will They Run Out Of Credit Card Numbers?

No! Assume that Earth’s population is about 6 billion people. Most credit card numbers have 16 digits in this familiar pattern: nnnn-nnnn-nnnn-nnnn. Assume that each digit in a credit card number can assume any value between 0 and 9.

That works out to be almost 1.7 million credit card numbers available to every man, woman, and child on Earth!

Even if the first 4 digits are reserved for some reason, there are still about 170 credit card numbers available for every person on the planet. In short, the credit card companies will not run out of single-use credit card numbers.

How Are They Different From My Real Credit Card Number?

They are as valid as your plastic credit card to online merchants. Each single-use credit card number is linked to your primary credit card account. Purchases made with single-use numbers appear on your monthly statement. Refunds made to single-use numbers will appear as credits on your monthly statement.

OK, What’s The Bad News?

There are certain circumstances under which you should not use a single-use credit card number to make an online purchase. This author learned from experience not to use a single-use number at home to purchase movie tickets from a popular online ticket vendor.

The problem occurred because the machine at the movie theater that dispenses the online movie tickets requires the insertion of your real plastic credit card. If you did not use your real credit card number to buy the tickets, the machine will not release your tickets.

Any online purchase that requires you to present your physical credit card at the venue should only be made with the number on your physical credit card. Web sites that sell movie and other tickets will warn you of this.

Furthermore, your online ticket purchase will come with a confirmation number. Write or print that number and take it with you in case of problems.

Conclusion

Single-use credit card numbers are easy to generate, make online buying safer and more secure, and give consumers extra confidence when making online purchases. Call your credit card company or visit their website to learn if it offers this extra peace of mind on your credit card account.

Use the links following this article to learn more about cash rebate credit cards and gas credit cards.



Chances are, if you are buying a diamond ring for someone, you want your diamond to be special, durable, and most of all, authentic. With all of the imitation diamond jewelry on the market today, it is wise to know a few helpful hints on how to determine a real diamond from a fake.

Learn the tools of the trade and gather a few of these easy tricks up your sleeve. It is time to put your diamond to the test.

1. Real Diamonds are flawed; fakes are not.

While some might think that the goal in purchasing the perfect diamond is to find one that is virtually flawless-that is not always the case. Carefully crafted Cubic Zirconia sports absolutely no imperfections, making it easy to label as fake. Real, pure diamonds contain tiny ‘flaws’ which oftentimes creates a brilliance that cannot be seen in fakes.

2. Look inside your Diamond.

Much like looking inside a crystal ball, looking inside your diamond will reveal the truth about its true components and its authenticity. The key is: Real diamonds always have something inside. If you look into your diamond with a 1200x microscope, you should be able to see tiny inclusions within the stones infrastructure. If you hold the diamond in front of your eye and look through its side, you should not be able to see through it, nor should it look to be one clear, unified color. If the stone exerts zero degrees of brilliance, and if you can see through it from the side, then it is definitely fake.

3. Look at the Setting & Mount.

Since stones made up of imitation substances such as Cubic Zirconia and Moissanite are so much cheaper than diamonds, they are usually set in less expensive metals. Chances are, a fake diamond would not be set in real gold.

4. Check the Wear and Tear of the Stone.

Real diamonds have remarkable durability and a hardened sharpness that is strong enough to scratch glass. If there or any scratches or nicks on the surface of your Diamond, or if you can make them, then your diamond is not real.

Simple Two-Minute Tests

1. The Reading Test.

If your diamond is not mounted, set it on a newspaper. If you can see through it at all, even if you just see distorted black smudges instead of clearly-marked letters, than your diamond is a fake. Real diamonds have so many intricacies in their infrastructure that it is impossible for light to pass all the way through them without being first refracted.

2. The Sandpaper Test.

Diamonds are the hardest known substance. That being said, it is impossible for real diamond jewelry to be scratched. Using either wet or dry sandpaper, test your diamond by scratching it vigorously on the brittle surface of the paper. If it becomes nicked, it is surely a fake.

3. The Sparkle Test.

View your diamond from the top, then from the side. Compare the shiny, reflective qualities that you may have noticed when looking down onto the face of your diamond, with the way your diamond shines and reflects when being viewed at a side angle. Imitation diamonds are purposely crafted to look like real diamonds from a birds-eye-view, but are less commonly apt to carry those same characteristics throughout the rest of the stone.