In recent years, the birth rates have more than doubled for older women in their late thirties and early forties. However, advances in medical care have led more and more women to the decision to have a baby later for many reasons—including because they may be healthier and more financially sound at this point in their lives. However, as women’s bodies’ age, greater issues may arise anytime during the pregnancy, delivery and post-birth stage that can put thier health and finances at risk. And even though the majority of women over 35 experience healthy pregnancies and deliver healthy, happy babies—age can leave older women at heightened risk of certain medical complications during and after pregnancy that will cost them throughout their lives, and that their younger counterparts don’t experience quite as frequently. For instance, older mom’s need to be concerned with things like:

• Low fertility rates: which can cost upwards of $24,000 out-of-pocket for in vitro fertilization (IVF)
• Miscarriage: which can incur costs for counselling and depression
• Fetus placement during pregnancy
• Problems associated with cesarean births: which can delay the return to work and every day activities
• Neural tube defects e.g., Spina Bifida
• Still born babies
• Down Syndrome

These financial risks highlight why monitoring by a qualified physician should be maintained consistently throughout conception, pregnancy and even post-delivery. Regardless of age, every single woman should consult with their doctors if they are planning to get pregnant. This is especially true for women 35 or older with preexisting health issues, such as diabetes, anemia and high blood pressure that can affect pregnancy, delivery and even healing in post-pregnancy bodies. Your doctor will also prescribe the 6 following essential nutrients and healthy habits for older pregnant moms to keep you healthy as well as financially secure:

1. Prenatal vitamins

Upon learning that you are pregnant, your doctor will immediately prescribed a prenatal multivitamin as part of your pregnancy supplement regime to support calcium, iron, folic acid and magnesium intake, which are all vital for keeping your bones strong, skin elasticized, and baby happy and nourished. These are also worth the cost if you consider paying later in life to cover medical costs for osteoperosis or iron deficiency. Once you have been prescribed a certain brand and dosage of prenatal vitamin from your physician, you can chose to fill the prescription via an online through a Canadian pharmacy, where Canadian drugs are about half the price of those you’d buy from your local pharmacy in the U.S. Plus, your order will be conveniently shipped to your address.

2. Folic acid

Your doctor will likely also recommend a separate folic acid supplement, 3 months prior to conception (if you’re trying to have a baby), which you’ll take up to the 12^th week of your pregnancy. Folic acid has been linked to lowering the risk of neural tube defects, like Spina Bifida, which can cost approximately $52,000 in medical costs and treatments for the first year of a child’s life. You can also get a healthy daily dose of folic acid by incorporating leafy green vegetables and green organic produce into your diet.

3. Zinc

Medical research shows that inadequate levels of zinc can lead to lowered fertility, especially in women over the age of 35. This means that while you try to get pregnant, your doctor may tell you to eat foods rich in iron as well as take an iron supplement to lower the risk of Anemia and costly medical treatments associated with concieving.

4. Adequate hydration

Water is important to keep your body functioning for two at the optimal level. The recommended daily intake of water should be 8 glasses of water or more each day for pregnant women, which will keep your skin healthy, and flush away sodium retention that results in that dreaded swelling in the feet, hands and legs, and lead to more serious and costly sprains and muscle tears later on.

5. Consume a health, balanced diet

A healthy diet is the perfect balance of fresh fruits, leafy green vegetables, lean proteins, calcium-rich dairy products, heart healthy fats and complex carbohydrates that feature whole grains. Pregnant moms really “are what they eat”—that goes for you and affects your baby too. And of course, this includes cutting your fatty food and caffeine intake, and quitting drinking and smoking, which can cause significantly lower fertility rates and exposes a developing fetus to toxic carbon monoxide and nicotine as well as cut off vital oxygen.

6. Yoga and other exercises

Ensuring your body is in healthy shape, without putting undue stress on you and baby, can help prime your body for pregnancy, birth and recovery post-pregnancy, as well as the costs associated with troublesome births and post-pregancy recovery. Gentle, low impact exercise—including brisk walking, swimming and stretching exercises will put less strain on your joints. Yoga is one form of exercise that serves as beneficial form of activity during pregnancy by gently stretching the pelvic floor and core to help ease back and joint pain throughout pregnancy and aid delivery with minimal discomfort. Yoga is also helpful during the post-natal phase, which new moms can start approximately six weeks after the birth to help strengthen the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor, and help the body restore its pre-pregnancy shape.

Post by Brenda

How much you qualify for when obtaining a mortgage for your primary residence largely depends on your income, and, to some degree, your expenses as well as your credit score.  (Take advantage of an online calculator mortgage to determine how much you qualify for.)  In contrast, buy to let mortgages, while they do consider your income, also focus on how much rent you can obtain.  Typically, the property must be able to bring in 125% of the average monthly mortgage payment.  To determine how much rent you must collect each month from the property, you can utilize an online buy to let mortgages calculator.  In addition, you will likely need to have a 25% down payment and excellent credit.

If you are able to obtain a buy to let mortgage, your rental income will be taxed at the same rate as regular income, but you will be able to deduct expenses related to the property such as the interest paid on the loan.  These deductions can help minimize your tax burden, ultimately putting more money in your pocket.  In addition, as the property value increases and you are able to ask for more rent, your return becomes higher.

Buy to let mortgages, if you can qualify for one thanks to tightened restrictions since 2008, offer a way to get into real estate investing.  However, they are not without risk.  Yet, if you know the neighborhood you are buying in and feel confident that the market will continue to rise, you could have a profitable investment.

The survey, by Checkatrade.com, says that Londoners are most at risk and people in Northern Ireland are safest.

It’s easy to panic in a home emergency and pick up the phone to the nearest handyman without seeking a recommendation. If you have a good Home Insurance policy, your provider may give you the option of a 24-hour Home Emergency helpline, and they’ll send someone reputable out to help you.

Of course, you don’t have to be in a panic to fall prey to the charms of a “cowboy builder”. Here are a few things to check before you agree to let them work on your home:

Avoid cold callers. If a tradesman is reputable, it’s unlikely that they’ll have time to tout for business door-to-door. They’ll be so busy that you need to hunt them out. Beware if anyone comes to your door and suggests jobs that need doing, or tells you they’ve been working in the area and just happens to have some materials left over that they could use on your house. Also beware the builder who can start tomorrow!

If a tradesman tries to give you the hard sell, or quotes a price and then quickly reduces it to try and get you to agree to having work done, walk away.

Ask for recommendations from friends and family who’ve already had work done, and use a website such as Checkatrade.com to see if they’ve already been recommended. Don’t be afraid to ask for references – if they become evasive or vague when you ask them about work they’ve done in the past, they’re best avoided.

Get contact details before they start the job – and make sure you have more than a mobile number. You’ll need a landline number and trading address, which might be their home address, but at least you’ll know where they’re based if anything goes wrong.

Keep an eye on progress every day and if at any point you’re unhappy with the work, say so. A good tradesman will want to do the best job possible, and should be happy to change things or compromise if you tell them you’re not happy with how things are going.

# – www.checkatrade.com

Company Profile:

John Lewis Insurance offers a range of insurance services selected by the John Lewis Partnership. These include car, life, travel, wedding, event, pet and home insurance products.

For more information about John Lewis Home Insurance please visit the website here – www.johnlewis-insurance.com/homepage/home-insurance.html.

John Lewis Insurance is a trading name of John Lewis plc. John Lewis plc is an appointed representative of AXA Insurance UK plc which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions and eligibility criteria apply. A full copy of the policy wording and the insurance complaints procedure are available on request.

Demand side economics is a school of macroeconomic theory that argues that economic growth can be achieved most effectively by creating incentives for people to purchase goods and services, effectively encouraging consumers to spend more. This school of thought resounds clearly with the clever people over at Groupon, who have embraced this idea. At Groupon you can find some amazing discounts on everything from Spa treatments to Dog collars and anything in between, so cutting back won’t mean missing out! There’s no need to worry about your budget when you’re making savings this good. The best thing is, savings on luxuries are not the only thing that is offered. Oh no!

At Groupon you can find discounts on all those staples of modern life that we just cannot do without. No need to start using old newspapers, or worse still your old clothes. At Groupon you can get a plethora of vouchers for discounts on toilet paper, food, clothes, home ware, sports equipment, services, pet supplies, you name it. Be amazed at the multitude of grandiose savings on offer. Be dazzled by the myriad of marvelous great value vouchers. Have you been made redundant
because your old employer had to make cutbacks?

Did you have to close your own business because you couldn’t get enough customers? Business isn’t booming as you had hoped? Perhaps you’re a graduate who just kind find that elusive first job. Don’t sweat, make that emergency budget go that little bit further by utilizing all the great deals on offer at Groupon. Make that unpaid internship a walk in the park with discounts on travel. Honestly, the savings are fantastic. You won’t believe your inbox! Worried the world might end with this recession? After all, the Mayans may have predicted that the world will end in on December 21, 2012. Stock up on discount tinned food for your bomb shelter whilst you still can. Don’t perish! Grab great savings on imperishable food.

1. Have a game night. If you want to keep it a simple affair, arrange a game night with your spouse and kids and play some of your favorite board games. If you are looking to take this up a notch, consider hosting a game night at your house. Have friends bring a dish to pass and their favorite game and enjoy an evening of free food and entertainment. If enough people come, you can break into several small groups of 4 to 6; each group plays a different game, and then you can rotate throughout the night.

2. Play games online. There are many free game sites that allow you to play online bingo or other games such as solitaire or mahjong. Some sites even let you test your online trivia such as the Bingo Olympics, which shares fun facts about bingo as they relate to the Olympics. There are even online trivia games for kids, if you search for them.

3. Go to a free concert. If you live near a university, college, or community college, check out some of the free entertainment. Many colleges offer free musical concerts as do some towns in the summer. You may also find a free book reading, which could be a good experience for teenagers and adults alike.
4. Attend festivals. Many festivals offer free music and other performances. Sure, they probably would also like you to buy their overpriced food, but you don’t have to. Or, you could set a small budget for yourself to sample the food, and then spend the rest of the time enjoying the free festival activities.

5. Go to the park. Many kids crave more time with their parents. You can go to the park with them and toss a ball together, fly a kite, or have a picnic. Chances are your kids will have fun just spending time with you.

6. Host your own sports party. Have friends over to play a game you all enjoy. You could pitch a
volleyball net in the backyard and play volleyball for a few hours and enjoy a potluck afterwards
or organize a round of touch football. Just pick something that is easy to learn and that most
people enjoy.

In today’s fast-paced society, we are used to thinking that entertainment is expensive, but if you take a step back, you will find plenty of inexpensive ways to enjoy spending time with family and friends. Best of all, you will be able to use the money you save to pay down debt or further your financial goals.

Central system

One of the main benefits of a CRM system is that it allows you to store valuable information in a single, central system. This can help to coordinate information and the actions of your business, helping to make sure that different departments all
know what’s going on right across the company. This is important for ensuring good, company-wide communication so is definitely a good reason to look into establishing a CRM system.

Contact database

At its most basic level, CRM software acts as a comprehensive customer database, which means you’ll always know vital information about your clients. You can update your customer list quickly and easily and make sure you have all the information you need to create good, long-lasting and effective relationships with them.

Track sales leads

Another key feature of CRM software is that it allows you to track leads as they progress. This can be useful for sales teams when they are working on new leads as it allows them to update their actions. This not only gives management an overview
of what’s going on but it can also provide a good way of sharing best practice and important information with colleagues. This sort of information can also be used in company audits and when reviewing procedures to make sure they are as effective and efficient as they can be.

Customer communication

You can also use CRM solutions to aid your customer communications. For example, you can utilise your customer database to send regular email newsletter updates to make sure everyone is informed about what’s going on in your company. This is very useful for marketing campaigns and you can also make use of templates that come with the CRM software so that you can standardise your communication forms and grow your professional image.

Integrated services

CRM systems often also allow you to integrate other services with the software to make it as useful as possible. For instance, being able to sync online maps and email accounts with your CRM software is a good way of making sure you always have up
to date contact information for your clients. You can also integrate calendars so you know what needs to be done and when.

Performance information

Finally, your business’s management team will be able to use your CRM system to view and analyse performance information. They will be able to set up reports so they can see at a glance what is going on and areas where more attention needs to be given. They can also produce graphs, which can be very useful for internal analysis as well as communications. This can also be a good way of reviewing different aspects of the business so the management team always knows what’s going on at every level of the company.

During December the days get darker and more people are travelling, going out for Christmas parties, or out doing their Christmas shopping, which means homes are more vulnerable to break-ins than ever before. Make sure your curtains are drawn when you’re out of the house, and if you know ahead of time that you’re going to be out at night, draw them before you leave in the morning. You don’t want anybody from the outside to be able to tell that you’re out. Leaving a light on for the same reason is always another good precaution. Homes with no lights on, and curtains open symbolise to burglars that there is no one home. And, if you’ve also left your Christmas tree lights on it’s only going to illuminate the many brand new things a burglar can gain from breaking into your house.

If you’re away for any period of time over the run-up to Christmas, have a friend or a neighbour you trust pick up your mail and turn lights on and off at regular intervals to make it seem like you are still at home. Don’t make your house a target.

Storing presents in the boot of your car is also no guarantee they’ll be safe – car theft is just as rife at this time of year, and if you leave presents visible inside your car then that’s a definite invitation to thieves. Plus, you won’t be covered by your home insurance if someone breaks into your vehicle.

These suggested precautions are not to say you should stuff all your presents in a cupboard until Christmas morning – but if your Christmas tree is on the ground floor and visible from the street, always make sure you keep your curtains drawn, that windows are secure, and that anything particularly valuable is not put out too far in advance. If you have children who are desperate to see gifts under the tree, maybe add them gradually – it will also help build the excitement!

It’s definitely important to get a home insurance quote at Christmas time so that you can be sure all your contents – and Christmas shopping – is covered. Damage to homes from breaking and entering is only going to make your holidays more stressful and expensive, and this is where insurance can also help. Don’t let the criminals be the Grinch in your Christmas. Get your home and contents insured.

Guest Post by Adam

A cash advance should be considered a last resort. They come with very high interest rates and the repayment schedules of many companies are severely strict. Customers could end up paying hundreds of dollars over the cost of the amount that they originally borrowed. For those who are already financially stressed this can prove to be quite a heavy burden. This method of obtaining funds should only be used when all else fails and there is confidence that the money can be repaid quickly.
One way to test if it is appropriate or not to get a cash advance is to question what it is used for. They should not be used to cover regular, everyday expenses. It is inappropriate to use them for items such as groceries or other basic necessities. It is also inappropriate to use them for items that are not considered vital. For example, it would be better to wait until money is saved up rather than use a cash advance to purchase a new stereo system. Using a loan for this purpose does not represent smart financial thinking.

There are, however, some instances where it would be more appropriate to get a cash advance. Suppose, for example, the car breaks down and it is the only mode of transportation available. The owner of the car must attend work or they will lose their job and there is no other way for them to get to work other than get the car repaired. However, they do not currently have the cost of the repair in their account. Next pay period the check will be more than enough to cover the expense, but it will not come soon enough to have the car fixed and so stay employed. In this scenario, getting a cash advance would be acceptable. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to have money saved up in case these kinds of emergencies occur.

Cash advances can prove to be lifesavers when they are used appropriately. Anyone can come to the point of needed some temporary financial help. It is this need for which these loans were designed. The last thing that anyone wants is to be in default on their payments. Yet, when the reasons for getting a cash advance are not proper, being in default may prove to be inevitable. It is much better to take the time and consider the available options wisely before making a decision. It is possible that taking out a cash advance will prove to be the best option

Guest Post by David 

When we are younger, we do not realize the importance of money and how it can ease life in our older years. Life seems long and endless when in our youth, and sometimes we fail to see or plan for when we won’t be able to work as hard. Not all young people get the proper education on economics and what to do with their money. Sadly many of us don’t realize some of the basic economic values that could save us from financial doom. Money, or what to do with money is not something that is taught to our young people in schools and there for they never learn the value of it. Today the world has changed drastically so, my grandchildren little understand the concept of having your own company.

In this age of technology, things happen much quicker and possessions are acquired with credit cards rather than cash. I like to think that I instilled proper values and financial education to my kids, but they are as stubborn as many other people out there, and want everything they want, NOW! I’ve witnessed it too many times, they are unable to deny their kids, what all their friends have, it’s like it has become somewhat of a competition. It’s almost as if. “Well, if his friend Jimmy has it, then he has to have it”. I personally don’t understand it, and I’m sure many of you more modern people are thinking that I need to accept this new way, but it’s hard to watch people go in debt, and they think nothing wrong with it. Sometimes I think the government wants it that way, there is no other explanation for why economics is not a mandatory class in schools, when 80% of the people in this country are in credit card debt!!??

To be financially secure, it takes time and effort. It requires a plan of action for your own business. It goes in this order. Plan, budget, renovations, save, invest in new equipment for your work, and reap the rewards. It’s as simple as that. It’s all about spending less money than you make. The sad thing is that many people cannot live by this very simple rule. If you chose to live your life without rules when it comes to money, you will unfortunately live with the financial implications. It comes down to one thing!! Your choice!!!!!!