The need for a more secure and comfortable senior living community has intensified in recent years. Thankfully, older adults now have more option as it seems there has been an expansion of wellness programs and health care facilities available for the elders. With an increasing need for quality senior living, it is therefore important to examine how the current trends are going for living communities designed for seniors. This will help elders have an idea on what to take into consideration when choosing a place to retire.

According to surveys conducted on senior living communities, there will be a significant amount of improvement on the type of services made available for the older folks. Aside from the usual facilities you would expect from a senior health care facility, there are also focus now given towards “green” designs and aging services.

Research on retirement communities have also shown a few top trends that seniors can expect to become available to them in the coming years. One of the most prevalent trend is the possibility of maintaining resident independence within the community. The addition of modern features such as wireless connectivity and smart home technology will become a standard in senior residences in the future. But the advancement in technology is not only designed to provide comfort and independence to senior residents, but it is also meant to improve the ability to deliver health care to them. After all, the main concept of a senior living community hinges on quality life.

Also, seniors living in retirement communities can also expect an expansion of the services provided to them outside of their community. This means that elders can partake in services via adult day or health care facilities to make those services available to everyone who might need them. Some would even be able to deliver services right to the homes of these elders.

Of course, the most important feature that is expected to become a trend in the senior living community is the promotion of wellness and longevity. Most senior homes will therefore incorporate services designed to promote wellness amongst these senior folks. Those amenities or services can range from any of the following: indoor aquatic centers, healing gardens, therapy pools, and health spas, to name a few. Meanwhile, there will be coaches willing to guide them throughout this process in order to make this a sustainable learning experience for all seniors.

Paying for senior living communities might not come cheap. But the monetary value of your investment is nothing compared to the quality life that your senior loved one will experience, especially with fellow seniors, throughout the remainder of their lives. This is why it pays to research on your option and to understand what facilities are included to make it worth every penny spent.

There are plenty of reasons to justify a sizeable credit card purchase; the instant gratification, the convenience, the offered rewards. But the glow of a purchase well made will always lose its shine when it’s time to foot the bill, and you happen to come up short. Here are just a few expenses better left untouched by plastic.

1. Mortgage and loan payments. Some credit card companies have started trying to downplay the inherent risks of tackling mortgage and loan payments with plastic, but the fact of the matter is that all the sugar coated reward points you can stomach won’t mean much if your interest costs are shooting through the roof. Even if your current credit card interest is substantially lower than normal, it’s probably still higher than your loan or mortgage interest. The result is you’ll be shelling out more money for interest until the card is paid off, even after your mortgage or loan payment has been made.

Covering large payments like this also put you at risk for exceeding your credit limit. When that happens, expect nasty over-the-limit charges each month until your balance is brought back under control. If your credit card sees a lot of use, mortgage and loan payments are just too sizeable to justify payment.

1. College. It’s a hefty expense, plain and simple. Between tuition, books, lab equipment, transportation…it all adds up and it adds up fast. But it’s not necessarily the best problem for a credit card to solve. Students seeking higher education have access to a wide range of scholarship and grant opportunities. All it takes is a little resourcefulness and dedication. It may not be as easy as swiping a card, but at the end of the day free money for school is always better than a credit card bill.
2. Weddings. One of the worst ways to kick off a happy marriage is by drowning in miserable debt. Wedding costs can reach small beach house equivalency in costs with no time at all. And once the ball starts rolling, it becomes harder and harder to say no to frivolous purchases without hard money actually being transacted. Try to keep things practical and only pull out the plastic for items when absolutely necessary.
3. Tax bills. Paying off a tax bill with a credit card is hands down one of the best ways to throw away money on costly interest rates. Besides increasingly high rates for large bills, you’re also dealing with a processing fee at a percentage of whatever you paid by card. Believe it or not, the IRS is very accommodating when it comes to payment strategies for those who owe. In fact they offer some of the lowest interest rates around.

The game of life gets expensive, sure, but the moral of the story is plastic doesn’t solve everything. And if you’re already on a tight budget, credit cards more often than not are only going to plunge you deeper into debt. The best game plan is to stick to routine, lower cost necessities such as gas or rent. When the cost is great, you can be sure the risk is even greater. Jamie Cranston a contributing writer for Merchant Maverick where you can check out Charge.com reviews and read reviews and comparisons of other merchant account processors.

The most notorious thieves in our world today don’t wear masks, rob banks, or pick pockets. They sit behind computer screens, stealing and trading in other peoples’ identities. They find ways to hack your credit card transactions, both online and even when you use your card in a retail or ATM environment.

If you want to keep your credit cards safe, here are 5 things you need to do:

1. Watch out for skimmers. Skimming refers to the process of obtaining your credit card information by reading it from your card. This can happen through a device that someone attaches to the card reader at an ATM machine, or it can even happen when a server at a restaurant scans your card with a handheld skimming device. Don’t let your card out of your sight, and don’t swipe your card at a suspicious-looking terminal.
2. Control your financial paper trail. While your credit card receipts no longer contain all 16 digits of your card number, the final four digits that it does list may be enough for an identity thief to work with. Using known numbers, they can often piece together the information from your card. Destroy your credit card receipts, and consider going paperless for your statements, as well.
3. Only use secure websites to make purchases. At a minimum, you want to see that any website where you make a purchase is using SSL. You can tell that’s the case by the “HTTPS” at the beginning of the address. Also, your browser should have a little lock symbol somewhere indicating that the site is secure (this varies from one browser to the next).
4. Learn how to spot a scam website. Many online identity thieves rely on the fact that some people just don’t do much consumer legwork. They find a website with a product they want, and they plug in their credit card numbers. Instead, you need to be a little more diligent. Be a good consumer; do some research on the site. Look for reviews, and not just one or two. Try to get a feel for whether the site has truly been doing business for a while, and how satisfied its customers are. (In addition to protecting you from identity theft, this can also help save you from buying a substandard product.)
5. The moment you suspect identity theft or credit card scams, contact your card company. They’ll put a hold on your account so that no additional fraudulent charges can be made. You’ll also want to contact the credit bureaus to have them put a freeze on your account, so that no new credit can be taken out in your name for the next few days. Contact law enforcement, your bank, and any other relevant parties. The sooner you do these things the less damage the identity thief can cause.

Protecting your identity is your responsibility. These steps, while they won’t stop every criminal, will help significantly to secure your identity and your credit cards.

David Rodwell is a distinguished writer in business and economics, taking a particular interest in payment processing. You can find more of his articles located at CreditCardProcessing.net.

Valentine’s Day is one of those strange holidays that allows for quite a bit of latitude when it comes to gifting. Although there are traditional cues to help you out if you’re not particularly creative in this arena (anything with hearts or flowers will do the trick), the day geared towards love gives you free rein to express your feelings for that special someone in your life in any number of ways. And while personal gifts are often the most treasured, not everyone has the talents of Shakespeare, Van Gogh, or Mozart to create something truly personal and unique for a partner. But that doesn’t mean you want to waste your money on a fancy dinner that neither of you will remember after the bottle of wine, or dozens of flowers that will only wilt in a week. You want a gift that’s going to last. So here are just a few purchases that will retain their value long after the holiday has passed.

1. Precious gems. Is it ever wrong to give something sparkly? The answer is NO. This item is universally appreciated, and there are a ton of options for how to present this gorgeous gift (to a woman or a man). The obvious setting is in jewelry, such as a necklace, a ring, a bracelet, or earrings. But it could also arrive via a specialty cell phone, a money clip, a watch, or cuff links, just for example. And those that really want to do something unique could attach diamond, ruby, or emerald studs to any number of objects, like photo frames, shoes, or even the lid of a toilet (who knows what people will do when they have a lot of money to spend). In any case, precious gems tend to retain their value no matter what they end up adorning.
2. Stocks and bonds. Okay, so these aren’t terribly romantic, despite their obvious value. But it’s all about how you spin it. When you talk about the romantic things you will do with the dividends you earn (dining at the restaurant where you had your first date, couples massage sessions, or a second honeymoon in Bali, for example) your sweetheart might be a little more apt to accept the gift as an indication of your true intent (to plan for future romance).
3. A classic car. Your average modern car only stands to depreciate in value over time, but if you want to get your honey a set of wheels that is likely to hold its value, opt for a classic (along with a comprehensive insurance policy if you actually plan to drive it).
4. A house. This wise investment not only retains value, it is very likely to appreciate over time, making it both romantic and the most valuable gift you might give the person you love. Implied is the promise of a lifetime together spent building memories in a happy home. Inherent is the promise of a hefty return should you choose to sell at some point.
5. Engagement ring. Okay, so we already mentioned gemstones, but this one is special. While the average person will make a dinner reservation, arrange for a limo from a cheap car hire service, and maybe even stop on a street corner to pick up some flowers at the last minute, these hallmarks of the holiday are overpriced and easily forgotten. So if you want to make this Valentine’s Day truly memorable and show that special person in your life how you really feel, present your loved one with a proposal, and an impressive rock to go with it.

A lot of people these days are finding themselves out of work and with few job prospects thanks to the ongoing recession, rampant layoffs, and little growth in the job market.  But for those willing to forego the traditional concepts of employment and head into virtually uncharted territory, there are plenty of alternatives in the online arena.  Okay, so you’re not alone these days in looking for work via worldwide web, but if you have previously discarded the idea of starting your own business, perhaps now is the time to revisit it with a virtual twist.  In case you didn’t know, you can open a business online even with limited startup funds.  And here are just a few ways to launch for less.

You really have to adopt a can-do attitude if you want to cut costs, even online.  Like most small-business startups you’ll have to do a lot of the legwork yourself in the beginning if you want to save some money.  This could mean taking some simple programming tutorials or even opting for online courses in order to learn the basics of web design, online marketing, and SEO (search engine optimization).  If your business is only in operation online (at least in the beginning) it is essential that you create a virtual store that is appealing to customers, that you find ways to let consumers know you’re there, and that you do everything you can to increase your stature and bring in targeted visitors to your site.  While larger companies might pay contractors for all of these services, you probably don’t have that luxury, which means you’re stuck doing it on your own.

Of course, there are going to be areas in which you simply lack aptitude.  Perhaps you pick up HTML, Java, and Flash in no time flat, but you simply don’t have the artistic eye for layout and design – or maybe it’s just the opposite.  Luckily, there are inexpensive or even free options out there that you can take advantage of.  For example, if you are struggling with web design, why not check out the programs at local college campuses to see if you can find students interested in helping you out?  In many cases they will work for free just to earn credit or beef up their portfolios.  Even those seeking payment will likely offer highly competitive rates (as opposed to professionals).  So that’s one option you should definitely explore.

And believe it or not, there are tons of free services online.  You may have to tackle SEO on your own (try SEO for Dummies as a starting place), but you can get free help in other areas.  For example, a site called Score.org offers free legal advice and document templates for business startups.  And you can call or email the IRS to ask questions about your taxes.  You can even design your own logo at LogoYes, totally free.  Great online business ideas may not launch themselves, but with all of the inexpensive and even free options out there to help small business startups, you can quickly bootstrap your virtual venture into a real-world success.

Should you find yourself with the financial flexibility to consider investing during today’s uncertain economic environment, you should consider yourself very lucky. With available capital on hand to fund potentially lucrative ideas, concepts and companies, you can put yourself in the position to profit immensely from the right partnership. Investing in a startup can yield significant returns; however, there are several critical factors which you must consider before putting your hard earned money on the line. Everything from the investment industry’s insider lingo, office management ability, and mathematic acumen should be carefully researched and dedicated to memory before you embark on the path of investing in startup companies. By keeping the following list of considerations to remember before investing in a startup at the forefront of your mind, you can avoid the most common pitfalls and, perhaps even clear a tidy profit from your financial prudence.

Depending on the particular industry you wish to invest in, a certain level of working knowledge which is applicable to the field is required to make proper investment decisions. If you think you may have discovered America’s next great energy company, it is definitely a good idea to study the latest scientific and political literature regarding solar power development and alternative energy subsidies. By continually expanding your base of knowledge regarding the industry you seek to support, you greatly reduce the chance that you will be conned or deceived by unscrupulous businesspeople. The information you gather should not be limited to only industry wide practices and trends. If you are looking to invest any amount of your personal savings to fund a startup firm, do everything you can to acquaint yourself with the principal players. The company’s founders, accountants, marketing agents and office staff are all integral components in achieving success for your investment, so it is definitely in your best interest to get to know everyone involved.

If you are serious about investing in startup companies for the sake of mutual profit, you should probably take advantage of the financial advice provided by a monetization expert. No matter how great an idea or product concept happens to be, your investment will prove fruitless if the company does not have a legitimate monetization policy in place. Look before you leap and do not commit any capital to a company without examining its potential for future monetization through online marketing and sales, social network advertising and other modern financial techniques.

Finally, do your footwork and examine the competition which may affect your startup’s potential market share. Scour the neighborhood for custom signs which advertise similar products or services and research these future rivals thoroughly. Visit competing companies and study their methods to determine the best possible approach should you decide to move forward. If it appears that the market for your startup investment is already saturated, make the right choice and back away from the investment until things change in your favor, because a bad investment can never be erased from the ledger of life.

As the ongoing recession has crippled the finances of so many families, millions of Americans have watched their savings evaporate and their dreams of retirement vanish overnight. In this desolate economic climate, many people who hold individual retirement accounts (IRAs), through their employer are wondering if they can access these funds before their retirement without incurring penalties. Amidst the nationwide legislative wrangling over banking regulations, taxation codes and other financial intricacies, this question may seem unanswerable but there are actually straightforward answers which you can take advantage of. If you are searching for a way to withdraw money from your IRA early without incurring penalties, pay close attention to the following description of the requirements for this prudent financial maneuver.

First of all, when you eclipse the age of 59.5 years you are automatically eligible to make an early withdraw from your IRA account. If you have not reached this age plateau, however, you will be subjected to a 10% tax on any IRA deductions. As is usually the case with tax law, there are a few key loopholes to the early IRA withdrawal rules which you should be mindful of should you elect to tap your retirement funds early. If you are paying college expenses for yourself, your children or your spouse, an early IRA withdrawal is deemed acceptable. Medical expenses which total in excess of 7.5% of your gross adjusted income, as well as the first purchase of a home up to $10,000, also fall under the non-taxation provision of the IRA codes. If you experience a sudden disability which requires substantial financial outlay, you may utilize your IRA funds early no financial penalties.

Most IRA accounts contain so called “take back” provisions which allow you a onetime only withdraw of any funds you have willingly added to the retirement account. When you elect to “take back” a portion of your IRA account, the withdrawal must be made before the federal deadline for filing taxes in order to avoid penalties for early deduction. Before considering this move, be sure to consult a qualified financial consultant or certified tax professional to determine that you meet the Internal Revenue Service’s strict early withdrawal requirements.

If you desperately need to tap into your IRA account early, but cannot afford to forfeit 10% of your funds in penalty taxes, you might consider the “substantially equal periodic payment” process. This risky financial decision directly involves the IRS to determine the exact amount you should receive, based on a number of factors including life expectancy. You then must withdraw this predetermined amount each year, no matter if your financial circumstances improve, which means you are locking yourself into a payment plan for life. This controversial process has its merits, but for anyone under the age of 50 it is not preferable because there is no going back. When it comes to withdrawing from your IRA early, there a several avenues to consider, so take your time and make the best decision for your situation.

Danielle Mont is a contributing writer for PayWeb, which handles all payroll related services online for business of all sizes. Check out Canadian Payroll Services for additional information.

When it comes to playing the stock market, the average person may hold back because they think it is too difficult, too risky, or both.  Or perhaps they simply don’t want to entrust their hard-earned cash to some cocky, young stock broker or an even an experienced investor that could be padding his retirement account with his clients’ money.  Of course, there are never any news stories about the many industry professionals who have a long track record of helping investors make wise decisions that earn them a tidy profit; we only hear about those that make off with the money (like Madoff).  But the idea here is to find a financial planner you trust and then learn what you can on your own in order to make informed decisions.  And when it comes to low-risk ventures like mutual funds, you have every reason to move forward with an investment.  So here are just a few tips to help you get started.

First, you need to understand the main principle of wise investing: never put all your eggs in one basket.  Although it can be tempting to target one type of investment you will best serve your overall interests by spreading your money out over several markets.  However, mutual funds provide for a good springboard simply because they tend to be safer than other alternatives while still offering the potential for decent and sustained earnings over time.  But even within the arena of mutual funds you should create an investment strategy that calls for diversity.  This is the key to protecting yourself from devastating losses in the investment market.

The most basic investment strategy when it comes to mutual funds is called “core and satellite” and it involves selecting a core fund in which to invest the major percentage of your money.  This is generally a large-capitalization (or large-cap) fund, and it is so called because the companies that comprise the mutual fund must be large (lots of shares on the market, high share price, etc.), usually with a market value upwards of $8 billion.  This creates stability, although there is limited potential for growth.

Then there are the satellite mutual funds.  You will choose several to flesh out your portfolio simply because this portion of your investment strategy involves higher risk, which you can alleviate by spreading it out.  Your satellite investments could include small- or mid-cap funds, which have the potential to earn more, faster because they are made up of growing companies, but you should also consider money market funds (including low-risk securities like CDs), fixed income funds (which could deliver monthly dividends thanks to the fact that they’re comprised entirely of bond investments), and even foreign stock.  And there’s your basic mutual fund strategy.

Investing in any portion of the stock market is a much more complex way of getting cash than hitting the ATM or taking out a payday loan.  You’re actually going to have to do some work if you want your money to work for you, and that means learning as much as you can (and continuing your education) in order to make informed investment decisions.  But when it comes to mutual funds, you stand to earn a decent dividend over time with far less risk than stocks.  So investing in this area is a great way to start building a diverse portfolio that will turn your savings into an investment in your future.

Times continue to be tough as the economy fails to resuscitate, and small and medium sized business owners are feeling the heat.  If you’re turning any kind of profit, you will ultimately help your business to grow and prosper if you reinvest some of your earnings back into your business, effectively helping it go grow.  Here are five reasons why you should invest, and some suggestions on how you might do it:

Efficiency. Increasing the efficiency of your business by investing in new or state of the art (or as state of the art as you can afford with what you have to invest) technology is one of the smartest investments you can make.  Sure, technology is growing and changing more quickly than most ordinary people can keep up, but if you invest now, you’ll be able to work more quickly and smartly to build your job or client base and thus increase your profits, which will, in the future, allow you to invest in more technology.

Education. You’ll be more capable of handling the day to day stress of running your own business if you invest some of your profits into classes that will give you more of a grip on the type of market you’re cornering.  You might also considering wiggling into a related field that is currently outside your own – invest some money into training yourself to take on those responsibilities.

Networking. Invest some money into networking and build your connections and client base.  Plan to attend trade shows or conferences related to your area of expertise – you may even be able to present.  Any connections you make and the relationships you will eventually forge will allow you expand your business and increase your revenue.

Advertising. Investing money in marketing spreads the word about your business.  Spend a little extra on redesigning your logo.  Advertise via your business vehicle through appliques on the side that effectively transform your ordinary car into a moving billboard.  Spending money to create a memorable brand makes sure that your potential customers or clients will think of you first among all your competition.

Spend money to make money. The most convincing reason you need to invest money in your own business is simple:  why should anyone else spend money on you if you’re unwilling to spend it on yourself?  Remember that it is always easy to spend money when you are successful, but in order to gather that success, you need to be willing to spend a bit.  The more successful you are, the more you’ll enjoy running your business, and that sort of enthusiasm is contagious … plus, people are drawn to other successful people.

As you continue to expand your business, you can begin to investigate and then invest in alternate forms of best business practices, such as invoice discounting.  And the more quickly you become successful, the easier a time you’ll have running your business, and, ultimately, the more you will find that you are in control.  Focus on revenue!

A home mortgage loan is likely the biggest financial investment a consumer will make in a lifetime. With the tough economic times and the recent history of mortgage loan crisis across the country, mortgage lenders are no longer taking application information for granted when you apply for a home loan. Every detail of your financial history is now being analyzed and set up against the highest of standards.

The criteria for getting a home mortgage loan are much stricter than ever. This means applications must contain what the lenders want to see in order for them to feel there is little risk involved in loaning you such a large amount of cash. If there is data on your application or credit report that makes a lender think twice, you are at risk for being denied the loan.

If you barely pass inspection for an acceptable financial profile, the lender may be willing to loan you the money necessary for a home purchase but they will do so at significantly higher rates and even stricter terms than consumers with better credit will need to pay. In other words, you may get the loan, but you are going to pay for it for the rest of your life.

A Few Points Does Matter

When you apply for a mortgage loan, the lender will order a credit check that includes your score. Since lending standards have tightened, your credit score will need to fall in the good to excellent categories if you want approval at the best interest rates. Make no mistake that a few points in APR can make a big difference in how much you pay over the life of a loan.

As an example of just how much you can save over the lifetime of a loan, here are some numbers to show your potential extra expenses if applying for a loan with a credit score under the lender’s standards:

Loan Amount: $250,000 at 5% fixed interest rate for 30 years gives you a monthly mortgage payment of $1,476.26. Total amount of interest paid over the course of the loan equals $256,453,41 for a grand total of  $506,453.41

Loan Amount: $250,000 at 7% fixed interest rate for 30 years gives you a monthly mortgage payment of $1,829.58. Total amount of interest paid over the course of the loan equals $383,649.47 for a grand total of $633,649.47.

Total amount of savings with a 2% APR difference equals $127,196.06.

Imagine what you can do with extra hundred thousand dollars in the bank.

Trick to Improving APR

The only real trick there is to getting the best options in mortgage products and interest rate is your ability to work on improving your credit prior to applying for your home loan. Good credit is a factor in many financial decisions these days, even for industries outside financial sectors. Insurance companies, landlords, and even cell phone providers will check your credit before agreeing to offer you services or provide you with products. Negative credit information from your past can haunt you for up to seven years, even longer with a bankruptcy on your record. In order to increase your credit score, you’ll need to know first where you stand by ordering copies of your credit reports and paying for your credit score.

Review the details contained in your credit profile and be sure to dispute an inaccurate piece of information with the credit bureaus and your creditors. Up to 80% of the nation’s consumer credit reports contain at least one mistake. These errors can result in a lower credit score than you deserve.

In addition to checking in on your past, you need to watch how you handle your financials in the present time. Be sure to pay all of your bills on time each month and don’t overextend your credit limits. While you can’t erase what you’ve done before, you can work towards a much better report in just a few months.

What is crucial to remember is that if you are considering a home loan in the near future, you need to start making some headway now because there are no overnight fixes for bad credit. It takes time, follow up and follow through in order to score a better credit profile. Don’t wait until the last minute to care about your credit. Make it a priority on your monthly list of money to-dos.

J.D. Roberts is a seasoned writer in personal finance, specializing in credit repair. You can find more of his articles located at CreditRepair.org.