How to Use Your Credit Card Rewards Points

How to Use Your Credit Card Rewards Points
Competition among credit card companies is a great
advantage for consumers. Credit card rewards are made
bigger and better by credit card issuers to make sure that
consumers would choose them over their competitors. How can
you use your credit card points effectively and get the
most out of your rewards credit cards?

The first thing to consider would be what type of rewards
credit card do you currently have? If you're still on the
process of selecting a rewards credit card, which one
should you choose?

Because rewards credit cards come in a variety of classes,
it is best to choose the one that best suits your
lifestyle. For instance, there are travel rewards credit
cards, gas rewards credit cards, or cash rewards credit
cards. You'll be able to get the most benefit if the type
of rewards credit card you have is that fits your needs.

Travel Rewards Credit Card

Travel Rewards Credit Cards are especially designed for
people who frequently travel. Whenever you use your credit
card for purchasing, you automatically receive points that
are equivalent to travel mileage points. The minimum
mileage points you need to collect in order to qualify for
a free travel will depend on the credit card issuer.
Usually, credit card companies have partnership with an
airline that sponsors free travel tickets. Thus, you may
consider getting the Travel Rewards Credit Cards that is
affiliated with the airline you must often fly with.

Gas Rewards Credit Card

If you're frequently on road trips, you can get the best
deals out of gas rewards credit cards. Gas Rewards Points
are also collected each time you make a purchase using your
credit card. These points allow you to get full tanks of
gas at no charge at affiliate gas stations. Imagine how
much money you'll save in a month if you often get full gas
tanks for free.

Cash Rewards Credit Card

Most people prefer to get cash rewards credit cards.
Usually, you'll be given a point for every dollar you spend
on your credit card. However, some credit card issuers give
2 points or more for every dollar spent on the card. You
can use these points to make new purchases or these points
can be added on your credit. Some credit card companies
have their own exclusive online store where customers can
shop to redeem their points.

Choose Wisely

Make sure that you will be able to use the points you'll be
collecting. For example, even if you earn a free travel
rewards, what if it includes restrictions, or what if you
can only claim it for a limited time period? Be sure to
check out all the terms and conditions that apply when
claiming the reward. If you don't, the rewards you earned
may simply be thrown out the window. Also, make sure that
the credit card allows unlimited time for collecting
points. If not, then you'll always be trying to earn enough
points in time which is a very risky way of using your
credit card.

Lastly, see to it that you'll be paying off your balances
before the due date ends. Otherwise, you may end up paying
for very high interest rates which defeats your purpose of
purchasing to earn rewards. Also, some credit card issuers
disqualify a card holder who has an outstanding balance in
their account.

----------------------------------------------------
RewardCreditCardSite.com - Travel, Cash Back, Gas,
Business, Hotel, or Airline Credit Cards Reward Programs
provides consumers with valuable reviews and information on
the best credit card reward programs. Earn hotel rewards
for free hotel stays, gift certificates and enjoy special
benefits. See full review of the popular hotel credit card,
Hilton Honors Rewards Card:
http://www.rewardcreditcardsite.com/hotel-reward-credit-card
s/hilton-hhonors/

How to run a FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN Part 8

How to run a FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN Part 8
How to Request a Grant or Get a Renewal for Your
Organization

Once you have found a grant that your organization may be
eligible for, the next step is to write a grant proposal.
If you think this sounds simple then you need to look into
it more carefully, because many grant applications fail due
to a poor or incomplete proposal. All the rules that apply
to your grant proposal must be strictly adhered to. They
are there for a reason that, while it may not be apparent
to the applicant, is certainly needed for some specific
reason. So if you are meant to email it in, don't fax it,
or it will not even be read. Don't risk your application
being disqualified before it even reaches its destination.

Funders don't just fund anything that comes along. They are
not delighted to throw money at all sorts of proposals just
because they land on the desk. Make sure you apply for the
right kind of grant. If the funder loves the environment,
they may not be kindly disposed towards big business. If
they usually fund pet shelters or animal welfare, they may
not be interested in education or sporting needs. Funders
can be extremely specific in their choice and that's their
prerogative.

When writing your grant proposal, start with a one-page
outline in logical steps, then expand each step fully - and
don't leave anything out. Be specific in your reasons for
applying. 'To help the community' or 'for adult education'
is not specific enough. Also be specific about your
expenses. Research them thoroughly. Don't just estimate
what you think they will be. Itemize each need and cost
carefully and make sure you think of it all, don't leave
half out because it doesn't seem that important. Grants
committees think all costs are important - it's their money
that is paying, after all.

After writing your proposal, ask at least two other people
to read it and explain to you what your goals are. They
should be people who don't know about your cause. Ask them
questions to facilitate the process. If they can't
understand it properly, it's back to the drawing board for
you, because the grants committee most likely won't be able
to either.

Never hurry the process of writing a good proposal. It
takes time to get it right, especially if this is your
first, and it will show if you rush the process. If there
is a deadline for the grant that you cannot meet without
rushing, then it may be wise to wait and go for it the
following year instead.

If you think the task is too much for you, consider hiring
a professional grant writer, but they will need to know a
lot about the organization, so be prepared with lots of
information.

How to Suggest Inheritance Giving from Supporters

Inheritance giving plays quite a large part in the
fundraising processes. It may be that a person has been a
loyal supporter of your organization's cause for some time,
but now that they are retired, they are unable to give the
amount that they used to when a good wage was coming in.

This is the time to suggest they may be interested in
inheritance giving - leaving something in their will to
your cause. If you leave it too late, they may not be able
to remember you, since forgetfulness and dementia seem to
play such a large part in elderly life.

To suggest inheritance giving requires a great deal of tact
on the part of the fundraiser. You don't want the person to
feel that they are about to die or anything so unpleasant.
Remind them that their heirs could well benefit from their
loyalty to your cause by not having to pay out a great deal
of tax. Who would they rather be the beneficiary of their
money, Uncle Sam or your cause?

The most common way to leave money to a charity by will is
called specific bequest. This is a specified amount of
money or an asset, or it could be a specific percentage of
the estate. A contingency bequest could be set up even if
the person is younger, with young children. Other gifts
that can be left to a fundraising organization are
life-insurance policies, stocks and bonds, or even real
estate.

It is best that the supporter should see a solicitor or
lawyer to facilitate the bequest. At the same time, this
may motivate them to get their will written up legally if
they have not done so. The lawyer will help them to assess
the value of their estate and so find out how much tax is
due on it. If they have a will already, then they need only
add a codicil to be able to leave your organization a
legacy. It must be done in a professional manner; otherwise
it may be open to question or legal proceedings.

They will then be able to see where they stand with regards
to taxes on their estate, and how much tax will have to be
paid on it. Suggest to the supporter that they be open
about the amount of the gift - and the tax savings - to
their heirs. This will prepare them in advance and prevent
any bad feelings.

----------------------------------------------------
If you'd like to get this article, plus all previous and
future articles on How to Run a Fundraising Campaign on an
Interactive CD-Rom, Please visit:
http://bigimpactaudio.com/fundraising

Equity Indexed Universal Life Insurance: The Best of Both Worlds?

Equity Indexed Universal Life Insurance: The Best of Both Worlds?
Although equity indexed annuities have been around for a
number of years, equity indexed universal life (EIUL)
insurance is a relative newcomer to the life insurance
marketplace. EIUL is a spin on universal life (UL)
insurance, a popular policy type because you can increase
or decrease your death benefit as your needs change and
your premiums can be adjusted accordingly. UL policies also
build a cash value against which you could borrow or even
use to pay your premiums.

The equity indexed concept is relatively simple: the amount
of interest credited to your policy's cash value is tied to
the performance of a particular index (the S&P 500 is one
of the most popular), so that in years where the index
performs well your interest crediting rate will rise, and
in years where the index performs poorly, your interest
crediting rate will fall.

Most policies guarantee that your interest crediting rate
will never fall below zero so that you won't lose money
(you just won't make it). They also have a cap as to how
high a crediting rate they will pass on to you. This range
of possible rates is often described as offering "upside
potential with downside protection."

How It Works

Typically, the big choice facing life insurance buyers is
whether to go with a "safe" universal life policy that
offers a minimum guaranteed rate but limited potential for
cash accumulation or to go with a more "risky" variable
life policy that offers greater potential for earnings but
no protection against losses in the market.

EIUL insurance is an attempt to fill the gap between these
two approaches. EIUL is universal life insurance in which
the cash value is linked to a certain index. If the index
is higher at the end of the year, your cash value may go
up. If the index stays flat or goes down, your cash value
earns the minimum guaranteed interest rate (say, 2
percent). You should note, however, that when your index
goes up it doesn't mean that your cash value increase will
reflect the full index increase, due to fees, and dividends
and capital gains aren't included in the cash value's
calculation.

But are these new products the best of both worlds? Let's
take a look at both sides of the coin.

The Pros and Cons

One advantage of EIUL is the potential for higher interest
crediting rates than a traditional universal policy.
Another advantage is that it offers greater protection from
market downturns than a variable life insurance policy.

Stephan Mitchell, product & competition analyst for Pacific
Life Insurance Co., based in Newport Beach, Calif., points
out that while these products are not a cure-all, they can
offer "an attractive middle ground for buyers who saw the
market downturn of 2001-2002 and are looking for some
guarantees." These products can offer some peace of mind to
buyers looking for a mix of guarantees and some potential
for cash accumulation.

However, there can be disadvantages to having an equity
indexed product. The chief disadvantage of an equity
indexed product is that it comes equipped with slightly
higher risk than a traditional universal policy. Also, the
cap rate — the maximum rate you may earn —
limits the upside potential compared to a variable policy
and may be changed periodically by the insurance company.

Steven Weisbart, economist for the Insurance Information
Institute, also cautions that "the crediting rate system in
these products is probably not familiar to would-be buyers
and agents." Since there are so many "moving parts" to one
of these products, it is sometimes difficult to figure out
what the product actually does at first.

EIUL insurance policies do fill a void between the
traditional bookends of the modern insurance marketplace,
but it would be an overstatement to term them the best of
both worlds. EIUL has neither the appealing guaranteed
rates of universal life nor the true market participation
of variable life insurance. However, EIUL does offer an
attractive third option for buyers and may be ideal for
folks whose needs have been overlooked by existing
insurance choices.

Is It Right For Me?

Equity indexed universal life insurance may be right for
you if you fit the following criteria: The potential cash
accumulation of variable life insurance is enticing to you
but seems too risky and the guarantees of universal life
are comforting to you but the potential for cash value
accumulation seems too low.

If these conditions describe you, then an equity indexed
universal life insurance policy may be an avenue for you to
explore. But before deciding on a particular product, be
sure to research the insurance company behind it.

After all, the amount of interest you are credited is in
the hands of the company and whatever guarantees the
product offers are only as solid as the insurer itself.
Just as with other types of insurance, always check into
the insurer's ratings (A.M. Best, Moody's, Standard &
Poor's, etc.) to get a better picture of how strong the
company is financially.

Visit Insure.com for a free universal life insurance quote.

----------------------------------------------------
Amy Danise is a staff writer for http://insure.com . Visit
http://insure.com for a comprehensive array of comparative
auto, life and health quotes, including a vast library of
originally authored insurance articles. Insure.com is
dedicated to providing impartial insurance information to
consumers. Visitors can obtain instant quotes from more
than 200 leading insurers, achieve maximum savings and have
the freedom to buy from any company shown.