Loan against LIC policy or Life insurance policy. How you can apply for the LIC policy Loan and what is the document for Loan Against LIC Policy or Life …
Keeping your car running at its best begins by performing routine car maintenance. From oil changes to tire replacements, regular service enables your vehicle to get from point A to point B safely. And although some jobs are best left to the professionals, you can perform plenty of repairs at home with just a few simple tools. Regardless of your mechanical experience, these DIY car maintenance projects will help you better understand your vehicle and help you save money.
Regular Car Maintenance You Can Do at Home
1. Check Your Tire Pressure
If you’ve replaced your tires before, then you already know it can be costly. To prolong the life of your car’s wheels, regularly monitor your tire pressure. By performing this routine preventative measure, you’ll also help improve your vehicle’s driving performance.
Once a month, use a pressure gauge to monitor your car’s tire pressure. For accurate readings, take measurements in the mornings or when your car has been stationary for a few hours.
You can find your car’s recommended tire pressure within your owner’s manual or inside the driver’s door pillar. It’s best to follow the pressure listed on your vehicle’s manual, as the number listed on the tires themselves are not vehicle specific. Most passenger cars typically require tire pressure to be between 32 psi & 35 psi.
2. Maintain Your Car’s Battery Connections
If you begin to experience battery issues, you may quickly assume you need a battery change. Before replacing your battery, however, it’s good practice to see if it is “leaking” or if the terminals are corroded.
When battery terminals begin to corrode, they can affect overall battery performance. If you see a material that appears like white or blue dust around your battery terminals, that means your battery is leaking acid. While this does not indicate that your battery is dead, it could signify that it is on its way out. Cleaning these terminals is a simple DIY car maintenance task you can do at home.
To clean your terminals:
Put on gloves and remove the battery cables starting with the negative (typically black) line.
Use a wire brush and corrosion removal fluid (baking soda and water) to neutralize and remove the corrosion build-up.
Rinse and dry with a rag and reinstall your battery cables, this time beginning with the positive (typically red) line.
You can typically find a battery cleaning kit at your local auto store that will include all required materials.
3. Check Your Fluid Levels
If you’re confident working with your car, changing your vehicle’s oil at home can be highly beneficial as it will help you save time and money. However, if that feels a bit too technical for you as a DIY car maintenance project, it’s recommended to at least periodically check the oil and other fluids that your car requires.
Some cars will have easy-to-read level gauges, while others will use dipsticks. Be sure to refer to the owner’s manual to find the location and best way to check your car’s various fluid levels, such as your oil, transmission fluid, coolant, windshield cleaner, and more.
4. Keep Your Lights Shining Bright
If one of your car’s lights is out, it’s crucial to replace the bulb immediately for your safety and to avoid a ticket. Luckily, most lights are simple to replace at home.
Your car’s owner manual will have specific instructions on how to access each light, but remember, not all bulbs are the same. Pay careful attention to the type of bulb your car needs in order to purchase the correct one at your auto parts store.
Are your headlights foggy/yellowing? Over time, it’s normal for headlights to fog due to exposure to the elements. Thankfully, restoring your headlights is a simple DIY car maintenance project that doesn’t require much besides a bit of elbow grease. Visit our How to Restore Headlights at Home blog to learn more.
5. Replace Wiper Blades
When your wiper blades leave streaks behind, they significantly reduce your ability to see during harsh rain or snow. While not an issue on a sunny day, the last thing you want is to be trapped in a storm with low visibility.
To keep your windshield streak free, consider replacing or cleaning your wiper blades every 6 to 12 months. If you notice streaks, first use a microfiber cloth to clean off any dirt that may be stuck on your wipers. If streaks continue appearing, it’s time for a quick change. Again, you’ll need to refer to your owner’s manual to know what size wiper blades you need. Most cars will have two different sizes.
Begin replacing your wipers by lifting the wiper arm and placing a thick blanket or towel over your windshield. This will prevent accidental damage should the bare wiper fall onto the glass. Installation directions will vary depending on your car’s wiper design, but most replacements will simply need to be snapped into place. Detailed installation directions should be included on the back of each wiper’s packaging.
6. Change Your Air Filters
A car’s engine is designed to intake air to burn fuel and push the car forward. To prevent dirt from entering the engine, your car has an air filter that should be replaced every 15,000 miles or so. If your air filter isn’t replaced, it could affect engine performance and efficiency.
To replace, locate your engine’s air filter housing underneath your hood. The air filter housing typically has a large pipe connected at one end that runs to the engine. Most filter covers will be attached by either two clips or screws. After removing any clips, carefully pull back the filter hood to expose the air filter. Swap the old filter for the new one, then close the housing unit and reclip to finish the job.
Keep Your Car Protected No Matter Where You Are
Having car troubles and being stranded without knowing what’s wrong is never a pleasant experience. Thankfully, most insurance providers offer coverage types such as roadside assistance that can help you when you have mechanical trouble. This coverage add-on may cost less than you expect and can protect you from many situations, such as lockouts, dead batteries, flat tires, and more.
To learn more about the insurance coverages available to you, call one of our insurance specialists today at (888) 772-4247.
The information in this article is obtained from various sources and is offered for educational purposes. Furthermore, it should not replace manuals or instructions provided by the manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional. No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.
As a small business owner, you’re responsible for every aspect of your business – including your retirement plan. Often, many companies think they are too small to offer a retirement plan for their employees or that they won’t be able to contribute much to their accounts. But no matter what size of your business, you shouldn’t miss out on the valuable benefits of starting a retirement plan. In this article, we’ll share some tips on why you should set up a retirement account and the difference between the top four plans.
Why Contribute to a Retirement Plan?
A retirement plan provides you with income for your post-retirement needs and helps you live a stress-free life. It should be a critical part of your financial planning early on. Without a retirement plan, you will most likely have to continue working past the “traditional” retirement age or, worse have no income. Here are a few reasons why you should consider contributing to a plan.
Social Security benefits aren’t enough. The average monthly benefit paid by the Social Security Administration in 2022 was $1,550 per month, which isn’t nearly enough for a comfortable retirement.
You won’t have to worry about being a burden to your loved ones. A comprehensive retirement plan can include savings for long-term medical costs. When you know your expenses are taken care of, you won’t have to rely on your family to fill the gap.
Enjoy tax savings and advantages. No one likes paying more taxes than necessary. Luckily, retirement plans have significant tax advantages. For example, in a traditional 401(k) plan, contributions are taken directly from your paycheck before federal income taxes are withheld. This lowers your total taxable income and may even put you in a lower tax bracket.
The power of compound interest. The biggest advantage of investing in a retirement plan is compound interest. The earlier you start investing, the more time your money has to grow since you can gain cumulative earnings over your previous earnings.
4 Types of Retirement Plans for Small Business Owners
Self-employed or sole proprietors can choose between four main retirement options. The right plan for your business will depend on your company’s structure, size, and how much money you can afford to contribute. As with all major financial decisions, consult your accountant and/or tax advisor to help select the right plan for you and your business.
Plan Type
Description
SEP-IRA (Simplified Employee Pension IRA)
Under a SEP-IRA, you, as an employer, contribute an equal percentage of your salary directly to a traditional IRA. SEP-IRAs are usually easier to maintain since there is limited paperwork, and you are not required to file financial reports annually to the IRS. However, note that if you have employees, they are unable to contribute to this plan.
Best for: Self-employed people or small-business owners with no or few employees.
Contribution limits: No more than 25% of the employee’s compensation or $66,000 in 2023
SIMPLE IRA (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees)
A SIMPLE IRA plan is the only IRA plan that allows you and your employees to contribute towards retirement. However, your business must have no more than 100 employees and not also maintain another type of retirement plan. In this plan, you can match the contributions of participating employees or contribute a fixed percentage of each employee’s pay. Usually, a bank or financial institution will handle most of the paperwork and filing for your company.
Best for: Larger businesses with up to 100 employees.
Contribution limits: Employees can contribute up to $15,500 with a catch-up amount of up to $3,500 for those aged 50 or over in 2023. Employers are generally required to match dollar-for-dollar basis up to 3% of the employee’s compensation.
Traditional or Roth IRA
The easiest way for a self-employed person to start saving for retirement is with a traditional or Roth IRA. There are no special filing requirements and you can use it whether or not you have employees. The difference between the traditional and Roth IRA is how and when your money is taxed. In a traditional IRA, you contribute pre-tax dollars and in Roth IRA, you contribute money that’s already been taxed.
Best for: Anyone looking to start contributing to retirement, especially if you’re leaving a job to create a new business.
Contribution limits: The total contributions you make each year to your traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs can’t be more than $6,500 ($7,500 if you’re age 50 or older) in 2023.
Solo 401(k)
A Solo 401(k) is perfect for self-employed people with no other employees. When you contribute to a Solo 401(k), you can add funds as an employee and employer, which greatly increases your contribution. The maximum contribution amount for 2023 is $61,000, and if you’re 50 or older, you can contribute an additional $6,500, bringing the maximum to $67,500.
Best for: Self-employed with no employees
Contribution limits: As an employer, you can contribute up to 100% of your income up to the annual contribution limit ($22,500 in 2023 or $30,000 if age 50 or over)
Make Business Insurance Part of Your Financial Plan
No matter which retirement plan you choose, a key component of retirement planning is protecting your assets. You’ve worked hard to build your business and protect it by having the right Business Insurance coverage. A lawsuit against you or your company could end up putting you, your business, and your retirement accounts at risk. Speak with one of our Commercial Insurance Specialists today at (855) 919-4247 for a quick and easy free quote.
The information in this article is obtained from various sources and offered for educational purposes only. Furthermore, it should not replace the advice of a qualified professional. The definitions, terms, and coverage in a given policy may differ from those suggested here. No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.
Thanks for watching. ?SUBSCRIBE: (????)? https://goo.gl/qubjEN In this new Gas Station 2 Highway Service game you can select a sports car, a limo, a bus, …
CLICK HERE: http://www.medicarehealthinsuranceoptions.com/ For a Medicare Supplement premium quote. Or call us for a Free no obligation consultation: …
Life insurance in your 60’s. When you reach your 60’s a lot changes in life: your kids have their own kids, you are getting close to retirement, and you may have …
We want to talk to you about Dental Insurance and Braces. Chelsea has over 15 years of experience dealing with various dental insurances. Her knowledge is …
Now more than ever, prospective employees are considering workplace culture when applying for jobs.
Note: The application for Alberta Top Employer 2023 was submitted by Rogers Insurance in spring 2022 before the merger with CapriCMW to become Acera Insurance was announced.
When I think about the past few years and how the world has shifted, I’m proud that a key priority at Rogers Insurance has always been to maintain our human connections.
At Rogers Insurance we believe that company culture needs to be nurtured and celebrated. In fact, we value the idea of fun in the workplace so much that “FUN IT” is one of Rogers Insurance’s core values.
While competitive wages and benefits are still reported as the top priorities that prospective employees consider when job hunting – it’s important to recognize that to really draw (and retain) staff, employers have to prioritize their peoples wellbeing. For us, this includes:
Focusing on meaningful employee connections
Promoting mental health and wellness
Fostering a culture of transparency
We are committed to maintaining an outstanding workplace culture that creates valuable opportunities and support for both new and long-term employees. As one of Alberta’s Top Employers (this year marks our 15th recognition as Rogers Insurance), we strive to make our team feel valued and supported through a variety of initiatives.
Focusing on meaningful employee connections
People are not robots – they need to feel supported and connected to thrive both personally and professionally. The past year has been spent figuring out what a “new normal” looks like when it comes to a hybrid model of work and our workplace culture.
Our employee-run Fun Squad does a fantastic job of providing engaging activities for employees to connect and have fun throughout the year. This has included events like our legendary Halloween costume contests, a St. Patrick’s Day pizza party, a summer adventure challenge and an office pyjama day.
We also have our annual Kananaskis Christmas Party for our Alberta-based teams where we treat our employees and their families to two nights in Kananaskis to celebrate and recognize their hard work throughout the year. It’s an opportunity to bring people together to have fun and connect with all their colleagues.
What makes the Christmas party extra special is the Dream Program which awards four employees with up to $10,000 to fulfill a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
We want our employees to be engaged and happy – providing opportunities to have fun, make friends and truly get to know each other is what makes our workplace culture so special.
Promoting mental health and wellness
With burnout being reported on the rise globally, focusing on our team’s mental health and wellness has been a top priority as we continue to navigate the changes that were sparked by the COVID pandemic.
Work-life balance is something we value and everyone who starts a full-time position with our organization receives a minimum of three weeks vacation, plus flex days and their birthday off. We believe that employees should be able to do things like take a mental health day, go to a doctor’s appointment or attend a child’s school play without using up their vacation time.
Our Wellness Team also plans initiatives throughout the year that are focused on addressing mental health issues and providing employees with information about how connect with the services they need. We also offer an Employee Family Assistance Program to provide support to our employees and their families.
We offer fun in-person wellness incentives such as quiet rooms, a Peloton bike and e-scooters for our Calgary team. This allows our employees to step away from their desk and give themselves a mental break from their workday.
Fostering a Culture of Transparency
With the September 2022 announcement of our merger with CapriCMW to become Acera Insurance, we were confident in our team’s ability to manage the continuing transition process.
We’ve had a two-decade long relationship with CapriCMW, and our similar award-winning workplace cultures were a key part in deciding to merge companies to become Acera Insurance.
We have remained committed to transparency and keeping our team members updated on the transition and merger processes. This has included an anonymous question portal, an ask us email, updates on our employee intranet and webinars in which the senior leadership team provides information on the integration processes throughout the company and answer staff questions in-person.
We are continuing our uniquely employee-controlled model through the Acera Insurance Equity Purchase Program which provides our team with the opportunity to purchase equity within the company. We currently have over 350 employee shareholders who share in the company’s success that they helped build.
As we move towards being a united company under Acera Insurance, we remain committed to being an employer of choice within our industry and maintaining an outstanding workplace culture.
By prioritizing employee wellbeing and workplace culture, we are letting our people know that we care about them as human beings. We want our staff to feel supported, informed and that they can bring their best selves to work everyday.
Lindsay Scammell is the Vice President of Human Resources at Rogers Insurance. She is passionate about creating HR initiatives that contribute to a positive, productive and fun culture that benefits the organizations and encourages employees to be successful.
