Health bill may impose ‘marriage penalty’

Some married couples would pay thousands of dollars more for the same health insurance coverage as unmarried people living together if the health insurance overhaul plan pending in Congress is passed.

The built-in “marriage penalty” in both House and Senate versions of the health care bill has received scant attention. But for scores of low- and middle-income couples, it could mean a hike of $2,000 or more in annual insurance premiums the moment they say “I do.”

The disparity could come about in part because subsidies for purchasing health insurance under the plan from House Democrats are pegged to federal poverty guidelines. That would have the effect of limiting subsidies for married couples with a combined income, compared with if the individuals were single.

People who got their health insurance through an employer wouldn’t be affected, but people who bought subsidized insurance through new exchanges set up by the legislation would.

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Court Summons for Debt – What Do I Do?

Being in debt is tough enough, but if you received a court summons at your door for the debt you haven’t paid yet, your life is going to be a little rougher.  Today, I received an e-mail from an anonymous reader.

I just received a court summons to show up in court, and it’s in a few weeks.  I have no lawyer, I don’t have any money, and frankly, I’m scared! What do I

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TradeKing Review: Top Discount Brokerage

Getting started with an online broker can be a challenge, thanks to the competition out there. Let’s take a look at TradeKing, which is one of the popular online brokers for stock and options trading. I happen to like this broker quite a bit, mainly for its tools and pricing.

TradeKing Review: Top Discount Brokerage

TradeKing has a top discount brokerage designation, given that they have won several awards of late. Some awards include:

  • #1 Online Discount Broker by Smart Money (for 2006 & 2007)
  • 4 out of 5 Stars, according to Barron’s (in 2009)
  • Top-Rated Customer Service, according to Kiplinger’s (in 2008)

But before proceeding with online stock trading, it’s also a good idea to find out how much their trades will cost you.

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Real-Life Monopoly Money (Tough Customer)

Last year, two Detroit tavern owners were sitting at the bar, sampling their own beverages and bemoaning the local economy—no one in the city has cash, and if they do, they spend it in the ’burbs. Then they hit on a solution: They could print their own money. It is, after all, perfectly legal for anyone to issue currency, as long as it doesn’t look too much like a U.S. dollar. Thus was born the Detroit Cheer, a local scrip accepted by a handful of city businesses, including a pizzeria, an electrician and a doggy day care. Residents can exchange it at a few local bars for greenbacks, but the Cheer is vastly more colorful. It features a chiseled, naked Greco-Roman superhero (the “Spirit of Detroit”) towering Godzilla-like over the city skyline, cupping a tiny family in one hand and a sunburst representing God in the other. He’s a lot more fun than George Washington.

Detroit isn’t the only city sporting its own currency. Since the mar

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What mortgage? Many pay plastic first

Alaskans run up big credit card bills and pay them off fast. People in Michigan keep up their on auto loans even when all else is going to hell. Nevada debtors — and, increasingly, the rest of the country — will let the mortgage slide before skimping on a credit card bill.

No two people pay their bills the same way, of course, but it’s likely that your neighbors face many of the same economic and social pressures as you do. That results in distinct patterns reflecting local shopping habits, regional employers, even how often people move.

Those patterns show distinctly in data gathered by TransUnion, one of the three major U.S. credit-reporting companies, on loan delinquencies in the third quarter of 2009. The numbers draw a picture of Americans trying cunning new bill-paying strategies, ditching old wisdom and money taboos as they struggle to stay afloat and decide which accounts to pay first.

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Hughes Communications Sees Hot Spots

IN NEXT FEW MONTHS, Southwest Airlines, which transports more passengers than any other U.S. carrier, will begin equipping its 540 Boeing 737 jetliners with high-speed wireless Internet systems, similar to what can be found at a Starbucks, McDonald’s, malls and many other earthbound “hot spots.”

Travelers with Wi-Fi-enabled computers and smartphones will be able to browse the Web, play online music, games and podcasts, and send and receive e-mails while flying over land, water and international borders

Developed over the past three years, the new aircraft-to-satellite service, called Row 44, is the brainchild of a small southern California engineering firm of the same name. It’s supplying the equipment and technology for high-speed mobile broadband via a subsidiary of Hughes Communications (HUGH), the world’s largest provider of broadband satellite services.

Pricing for the new service hasn’t been fixed yet, but passengers were charged $2 to $12 per flight during trial runs on four Southwest Airlines jetliners last year.

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Tips for Managing Credit Card Debt

Credit card debt is a very common thing.  Whether someone has just $10 on their credit card or $10,000 it’s still considered debt if it’s not paid for.  The scary thing about this kind of debt is that it just keeps adding up.  It takes a long time to go away, and can easily stay with you for years if you don’t manage it wisely.

If you’re looking to get rid of your credit card debt for good, I would recommend you consider a few of these tips!

Tips for Managing Credit Card Debt:

Lower interest rate – First of all, you should try calling your credit card carrier to see if they can lower your interest rate if it’s high.  Sometimes all it takes is that quick phone call for you to start saving money.

Pay in full – Try to pay your payments in full (although this can be impossible), or pay more than the minimum payment.

On time – Make sure you pay your credit card payments on time.  If you don’t your score will drop tremendously and very quickly.  You want to have an organized schedule as to when your credit cards need to be paid off.

Limit credit cards – Try to limit the amount of credit cards you have open.  Before you open anymore make sure the ones you have now are paid off first.

Spend wisely – Once you get paid think about how much you’re going to save, and how much you’re going to put towards your credit cards before you start thinking about leisure spending.

If you don’t have the money to spend on the things you want, make sure you spend your money on the things you need.  Knowing the difference between these two is crucial.  If you want to get serious about paying off your credit cards, consider a few of these tips!  Only you can get rid of it!

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Seven ways to get fit on the cheap

Unless you’ve been struck deaf and blind over Christmas, you’ll be aware that the country’s gyms have launched their annual attack on your post-holiday flab.

The evil forces behind corporate gyms know that the dark days of January are when we all pledge to get slim and fit, so that’s when they start advertising with a vengeance. But don’t get sucked in.

The average gym membership in 2009 was £442 according to Mintel – that’s around £37 a month. So if you only go twice a month you’re paying £18.50 a session, and no gym is fancy enough to justify that. There are plenty of ways to lose weight without your wallet getting slimmer.

How to lose weight for free

The cheapest way to work out is in your own home. Sit-ups, crunches, lunges and squats are all simple and effective ways of getting in shape that are also completely free. Just look online for descriptions of the basic techniques. Once you are ready for a slightly tougher work out, raid your store cupboard. Wate

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Battling the system: A patient’s tale

James Mannett rarely thought about medical bills or insurance during 41 years of near-perfect health. Then he got cancer and became an expert.

Mannett was a fitness buff during his decades as a sales executive for General Electric and other companies. He owned a four-bedroom home in Southern California’s tony Laguna Niguel, three cars and a Cessna plane that he flew for fun. After moving to Phoenix, he quit GE in early 2004 and used his savings to get into real-estate investment.

The next year, he was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cancer that affected his small intestine and liver. Mannett, now 45, has so far had six surgeries and dozens of pricey lab tests and imaging scans. He’s been to three hospitals and seen experts at several more. He estimates that his treatment so far has cost around $600,000, including travel and other expenses, with about $100,000 of that coming from his own pocket.

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