I can’t believe I just said that.  Well if you asked me a month ago if I thought it would be 90, sunny and no rain  in Massachusetts for two days in a row I would have said no there as well.  It’s not that I don’t agree with some things she says it’s more about the way she makes blanket recommendations to people after them talking for two minutes.  I also don’t really like that her recommendations always support her advertisers but I understand that.  I just hope other people do as well.

The article I read was in the Sunday MetroWest Daily Newspaper.  Anyone out there still read the newspaper?  Suze Orman was on the cover of USA Weekend and her article was titled “Suze’s top 6 tips“.  Go read the article.

So from her article I am going to give you three things to do to find money.

1. Save a couple thousand dollars a year on property taxes  The rules vary from town to town.   So visit the assessor’s office and ask for your property record card.  Also ask for the process to get your house reassessed due to declining market value.  There is usually an application that is due by December 31st and decisions are made in January.  Now that you have the property card review it to make sure the information on your house is correct.  Then go on zillow.com and see how the assessed value compares.  If you feel the two are different, the next step would to be to hire a real estate broker to do a sales comparison or a licensed appraisor.  The simply follow the process of your town.

2. Save a few hundred dollars a year on your insurance  Dig out your homeowners and auto insurance policies.  Call up your insurance broker and make an appointment.  If you don’t like or trust your own agent, ask your friends and family for the name of a good broker and schedule an appointment with them.  Don’t waste your time by meeting with someone you don’t think will help.  Now you want to ask about how much you can save by having both policies with the same company.  Then look into raising your deductibles to $1,000.  (side note: if you get in a lot of accidents or dents and dings on your car this might not be good for you)  Have the broker review your policies and shop them around for you.

3. Stop giving the IRS an interest free loanDo you get a large tax refund?  If so, contact your human resources or payroll department at work and ask to increase your exemptions.  Instead of getting a lump sum back next April you will see an increase in your paychecks that will allow you to save this money and earn interest on it rather than letting the IRS do it.  This is also a great way to help pay down some outstading debt you might have.  Don’t spend this money though, save or pay down debt.

There are three easy ways for your to find money.  This could easily result in you having a $2-3000 extra each year to keep and enjoy.  I also want to commend Suze Orman for telling people to not max out their 401(k).  I think this is great advice and couldn’t agree more.  What do you think?

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I saw yet another Progressive Insurance commercial.  You know the one with the bubbly, some may say annoying, lady.  I think her name is Flo and she wants the tricked out name tag.  As I’ve watched early commercials from Progressive they really seem to say ‘we give up on quality, we just want to make it as easy as possible to buy from us.’  Do these commercials make you feel the same way?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHaWB9f5bfw&feature=related]

The new commercial that is out really jumped out at me though.  It is based on a naming your price.  They say you name the price and Progressive builds a policy to fit your price.  Let me say that again, a policy to fit your price.  Imagaine if everyone did this.  Isn’t that what two of the little pigs did?  I’m thinking straw and sticks where the easier cheaper way not necessarily the best.

I want my auto insurance to do two things: 1. protect my family’s wellbeing if I hit someone and 2. protect my family’s wellbeing if someone hits me.  I would guess that is standard so then what might vary is what wellbeing means.  For me, I would put that as the insurance should cover all my bills should an accident occur.  Those bills would include but not be limited to; medical, rental, towing, auto repair, etc.  I also want to make sure those bills are covered whether I hit a guy that makes a million dollars a year or get hit by an illegal alien with no insurance.  My family is something I don’t want to risk.  How do your views differ?  What do you expect from you auto insurance?

Now if I were going to buy from a commercial I’d own Allstate.    What are your thoughts on their style?  No, I don’t own Allstate car insurance because they are not available in Massachusetts but they should be soon.  I know I’ll look at them.  Better yet I’d own a Jetta…[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqcdt6A8A54]

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