Maybe you are dropping paid cable channels, lowering your cell package minutes, driving less, eating out less... all this in the name of savings at a time when the economy is demanding it from many households to stay above water.
One area you may have not considered though, insurance, should not be overlooked. Nearly all of us have it in one form or another. We're required by law to have auto insurance, nobody should ever be without health insurance, and most of us are covered by life and/or home insurance as well.
Here is a question for you to ask yourself: how did you pick your insurance company to begin with? Was it a "cute" TV commercial that appealed to you? If so, sounds like their marketing worked and now you've become another source of income for them to produce more of these cute commercials to convince others. Was it a random cold call you received convincing you they were the best and cheapest? Remember sometimes your actual savings comes from tweaking the policy to have less coverage or a higher deductible. It's easy to work the numbers when they have you on the spot. Combine that with a little sales pitch and your pocket book is as good as open to them.
So now you must wonder: are they giving you the best price out there for the coverage you need? You hope so. Will they provide the best service when you need them? You hope so, but you hope even more you DON'T need their services.
Assuming the best is great in most situations, but in this one it isn't. You need to check into it and verify. You need to compare rates and coverage to ENSURE you are getting the best bang for you buck. Maybe this is something you already did when initially getting coverage and you are confident you got the best possible deal for the coverage you wanted. That's great! However it doesn't mean it's the best choice for you still. Are you a few years older? Do you fit into a different class for health, auto, home, and/or life? A change in health conditions, the type of auto you own, your driving record, credit rating, and just general price structure changes within the companies all come into play with the options and premiums available to you. Staying on top of this can save you a lot of money with very little effort.
A good thing to do to make sure you are always getting the best rates and coverage is to yearly check your options. This doesn't involve spending days calling around or driving around to all your local agencies, all you need to do is fill out a short form online to get free quotes and make them EARN your business. Compare the quotes you're given and decide if it's time to make an adjustment or transition to a new agency to keep your premiums as low as possible while keeping your coverage at your minimum personal requirements set by YOU.
Source: adam-alter.blogspot.com
A push for table-game gambling in Pennsylvania
Given the rousing success of Pennsylvania's fledgling slots-only casinos, it is no stretch to wonder what the added benefits might be if the full array of table games - blackjack, poker, roulette, and others - were available.
Harrisburg's recession-driven $3.2 billion budget shortfall also summons the thought.
State Rep. William DeWeese (D., Greene) made a case for full-blown casinos last year, and he is actively pushing for table games again. He says he believes it makes even more sense now.
"I really feel I have more wind behind my back this time, " DeWeese said today. "Revenues are down, taxes are not bringing in as much.
"The physical challenges for the Keystone State are so achingly difficult that any new possible revenue has to be considered. Gaming has been one of the elements of our state revenue stream that remains robust."
DeWeese confirmed that he was putting the last touches on legislation that would allow table games. If House Bill 21 - get it . . . 21 . . . like Blackjack? - were to pass, Pennsylvania's casinos would offer all of the same gambling available in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
DeWeese made his case last night in a private meeting with Rendell's chief of staff, Steve Crawford.
The state Revenue Department has not done estimates on how much revenue table games would generate, according to Stephanie Weyant, department spokeswoman. But DeWeese's staff has.
DeWeese said he believed table games could produce an additional $200 million to $300 million in revenue each year, on top of the $1-billion-plus that slot machines brought in last year. He said that figure was extrapolated from other states that introduced table games after having opened strictly with slot machines, such as West Virginia.
"Once Pittsburgh and Philly are online, I think Gov. Rendell's projection of $1.5 billion a year in slots revenue will look low, " DeWeese said. "With the addition of table games, we would be approaching $2 billion."
Even if his math is right, the proposal will face stiff challenges. Rendell's spokesman, Chuck Ardo, said the governor wanted all 14 of the planned slots parlors to be in operation before considering table games. There are eight operating right now, the latest being the large and plush Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, which has its grand opening next Tuesday.
"The governor will consider all the options available to him to close the budget gap, " Ardo said, "but again, he believes it is too soon to consider the expansion of gaming to table games."
Table games would have to compete with another gambling proposal, video poker. Rendell urged in February to legalize video-poker gambling in taverns and clubs in the state. He estimated the machines would provide $500 million in state revenue - money that would go toward tuition relief for students at Pennsylvania's state-owned universities and community colleges.
The thinking in Harrisburg is that both proposals will not pass at the same time, even in a staggering budget environment. Some lawmakers say they believe that if video poker is defeated, adding table games to casinos would be more likely.
Rep. Paul Clymer (R., Upper Bucks), who is opposed to any expansion of gambling, believes the prospects for table games would improve if video poker were defeated.
The governor "asked that we go one step at a time, " DeWeese said. "But with our neighboring states moving toward table games, Pennsylvania must have this debate and must have it in the near future."
DeWeese, who is House minority whip, made the same points at the Democratic Budget Caucus today.
His last table-games bill never came out of the House Gaming Oversight Committee for a vote, and opponents are hoping for more of the same.
"This administration is really big on trying to find free money. They don't care about the ramifications, " said Steve Miskin, spokesman for Rep. Sam Smith (R., Jefferson, Indiana), the House minority leader who is opposed to expanding gambling.
Clymer said adding table games would "magnify the social problems" brought on by the industry.
"We both know there is a downside to the economy, " he said, "so why take people with less income and take their dollars and have them spend it in a casino? What we are creating are more welfare clients because they are taking their money and hoping they will strike it rich."
The easy money of table games can also be easily arranged. All eight of the slots parlors currently operating have space reserved for table games, as do those being built.
"If table-game legislation were passed, we could be up and operational within a matter of months, " said Dave Jonas, PhiladelphiaPark Casino & Racetrack president and chief operating officer.
The two casinos planned for Philadelphia are being constructed to accommodate gaming beyond slots.
The casino operators in Bethlehem, Bensalem, the Poconos, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia agreed table games would allow them to offer a richer customer experience and appeal to a wider audience.
Table games almost certainly would attract bigger-spending players and prompt consideration of hotel development connected to the casinos.
Lastly, full-blown casinos would make Pennsylvania an even greater threat to beleaguered Atlantic City, which has reported a 16.5 percent decrease in slots revenue this year.
"Adding tables to Pennsylvania slot houses will make them full casinos much like Atlantic City casinos, " said Andrew Zarnett of Deutsche Bank AG in New York. "Atlantic City is the clear loser given their lack of convenience to Pennsylvania casinos."
The good news of table games is they typically bring an additional 30 percent in revenue for a full-service casino, such as Atlantic City's.
The bad news? Experts say it takes about eight people to staff one table game round the clock, seven days a week.
The industry remedies that by lowering the tax rate on table-game revenue. That is the case in West Virginia, which taxes table-game revenue at 35 percent vs. 57.8 percent for slots.
Pennsylvania taxes slots revenue at 55 percent.
"The table tax has to be lower because labor costs can eat up to 40 percent of a casino's table-games revenue, " said Joe Weinert of Spectrum Gaming Group L.L.C., of Linwood, N.J. source>>>
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A push for table-game gambling in Pennsylvania
Given the rousing success of Pennsylvania's fledgling slots-only casinos, it is no stretch to wonder what the added benefits might be if the full array of table games - blackjack, poker, roulette, and others - were available.
Harrisburg's recession-driven $3.2 billion budget shortfall also summons the thought.
State Rep. William DeWeese (D., Greene) made a case for full-blown casinos last year, and he is actively pushing for table games again. He says he believes it makes even more sense now.
"I really feel I have more wind behind my back this time, " DeWeese said today. "Revenues are down, taxes are not bringing in as much.
"The physical challenges for the Keystone State are so achingly difficult that any new possible revenue has to be considered. Gaming has been one of the elements of our state revenue stream that remains robust."
DeWeese confirmed that he was putting the last touches on legislation that would allow table games. If House Bill 21 - get it . . . 21 . . . like Blackjack? - were to pass, Pennsylvania's casinos would offer all of the same gambling available in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
DeWeese made his case last night in a private meeting with Rendell's chief of staff, Steve Crawford.
The state Revenue Department has not done estimates on how much revenue table games would generate, according to Stephanie Weyant, department spokeswoman. But DeWeese's staff has.
DeWeese said he believed table games could produce an additional $200 million to $300 million in revenue each year, on top of the $1-billion-plus that slot machines brought in last year. He said that figure was extrapolated from other states that introduced table games after having opened strictly with slot machines, such as West Virginia.
"Once Pittsburgh and Philly are online, I think Gov. Rendell's projection of $1.5 billion a year in slots revenue will look low, " DeWeese said. "With the addition of table games, we would be approaching $2 billion."
Even if his math is right, the proposal will face stiff challenges. Rendell's spokesman, Chuck Ardo, said the governor wanted all 14 of the planned slots parlors to be in operation before considering table games. There are eight operating right now, the latest being the large and plush Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, which has its grand opening next Tuesday.
"The governor will consider all the options available to him to close the budget gap, " Ardo said, "but again, he believes it is too soon to consider the expansion of gaming to table games."
Table games would have to compete with another gambling proposal, video poker. Rendell urged in February to legalize video-poker gambling in taverns and clubs in the state. He estimated the machines would provide $500 million in state revenue - money that would go toward tuition relief for students at Pennsylvania's state-owned universities and community colleges.
The thinking in Harrisburg is that both proposals will not pass at the same time, even in a staggering budget environment. Some lawmakers say they believe that if video poker is defeated, adding table games to casinos would be more likely.
Rep. Paul Clymer (R., Upper Bucks), who is opposed to any expansion of gambling, believes the prospects for table games would improve if video poker were defeated.
The governor "asked that we go one step at a time, " DeWeese said. "But with our neighboring states moving toward table games, Pennsylvania must have this debate and must have it in the near future."
DeWeese, who is House minority whip, made the same points at the Democratic Budget Caucus today.
His last table-games bill never came out of the House Gaming Oversight Committee for a vote, and opponents are hoping for more of the same.
"This administration is really big on trying to find free money. They don't care about the ramifications, " said Steve Miskin, spokesman for Rep. Sam Smith (R., Jefferson, Indiana), the House minority leader who is opposed to expanding gambling.
Clymer said adding table games would "magnify the social problems" brought on by the industry.
"We both know there is a downside to the economy, " he said, "so why take people with less income and take their dollars and have them spend it in a casino? What we are creating are more welfare clients because they are taking their money and hoping they will strike it rich."
The easy money of table games can also be easily arranged. All eight of the slots parlors currently operating have space reserved for table games, as do those being built.
"If table-game legislation were passed, we could be up and operational within a matter of months, " said Dave Jonas, PhiladelphiaPark Casino & Racetrack president and chief operating officer.
The two casinos planned for Philadelphia are being constructed to accommodate gaming beyond slots.
The casino operators in Bethlehem, Bensalem, the Poconos, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia agreed table games would allow them to offer a richer customer experience and appeal to a wider audience.
Table games almost certainly would attract bigger-spending players and prompt consideration of hotel development connected to the casinos.
Lastly, full-blown casinos would make Pennsylvania an even greater threat to beleaguered Atlantic City, which has reported a 16.5 percent decrease in slots revenue this year.
"Adding tables to Pennsylvania slot houses will make them full casinos much like Atlantic City casinos, " said Andrew Zarnett of Deutsche Bank AG in New York. "Atlantic City is the clear loser given their lack of convenience to Pennsylvania casinos."
The good news of table games is they typically bring an additional 30 percent in revenue for a full-service casino, such as Atlantic City's.
The bad news? Experts say it takes about eight people to staff one table game round the clock, seven days a week.
The industry remedies that by lowering the tax rate on table-game revenue. That is the case in West Virginia, which taxes table-game revenue at 35 percent vs. 57.8 percent for slots.
Pennsylvania taxes slots revenue at 55 percent.
"The table tax has to be lower because labor costs can eat up to 40 percent of a casino's table-games revenue, " said Joe Weinert of Spectrum Gaming Group L.L.C., of Linwood, N.J. source>>>
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Florida-Seminole gambling deal in jeopardy
The Seminoles aren't likely to approve a gambling deal under terms set by the state Legislature, citing provisions that could increases costs and competition, the tribe's attorney said Thursday.
Billions in funding for public schools are on the line at a time of severe deficits.
The key sticking points, tribe attorney Barry Richard said: an increase in the annual payment to the state -- to $150 million -- and a provision dealing with the tribe's exclusive right to offer blackjack and slots outside South Florida.
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What's next
Legislators, who approved the gambling deal in May, built in wiggle room for future gambling expansion. Voters or legislators can give racetracks or other facilities games similar to those offered at tribal casinos, without voiding the state's deal with the Seminoles. And even if new competition cropped up, the tribe would still be required to make payments, albeit at a potentially reduced rate.
"I feel firmly that the tribe couldn't live with it and the [federal] Department of Interior wouldn't approve it, " said Richard, referring to federal regulators who oversee state-tribal negotiations. The annual minimum payment, an increase over the $100 million negotiated by Gov. Charlie Crist and the tribe in 2007, also "throws the economics out of whack, " he said.
Richard said he hoped representatives from the Legislature, the governor's office and the tribe would sit down and negotiate new terms.
"We're hopeful we can correct those things and send it back, " Richard said. "Hopefully we can come up with something that everyone will be happy with."
The 15-year, $2.3 billion gambling deal crafted by top legislators is now on the governor's desk, awaiting his signature. After Crist signs the bill, as expected, the tribe and governor's office have until Aug. 31 to finalize the details under the parameters set by the Legislature. Then, the Legislature would meet in special session to ratify the final language.
The bill gives the tribe blackjack, baccarat and other table games at two Hard Rock resorts in Hollywood and Tampa, as well as two other casinos in Broward. Three Seminole casinos elsewhere in the state would be limited to slots.
Reaching a gambling deal not only has major financial implications for education funding, but is atop Crist's list of accomplishments as governor. Crist, now a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010, spent months pressuring the Legislature to sign off on blackjack at Seminole resorts, after his original 2007 deal was tossed out by the state Supreme Court.
"I think we'll come to a resolution, " said George Lemieux, Crist's former chief of staff who negotiated the original deal. "My experience has been the Seminoles are extremely professional in these negotiations."
The tribe's spokesman, Gary Bitner, said the Seminoles wouldn't add to Richard's comments until negotiations resume with the governor. "There's no date set for that, " he said.
But trying to force changes on a Legislature dominated by Republicans reluctant to embrace gambling is politically treacherous.
The leading legislator on the issue, Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said overhauling the gambling deal is not an option. He said the $150 million minimum is reasonable, given how much the tribe has expanded its gambling operations.
Rather than reopen the gambling discussions, Galvano said he'd advocate a hardball route if the tribe balks at the Legislature's deal: lobbying the federal government to enforce the state's current gambling laws, which ban blackjack. The tribe continues to offer the games at several casinos, including Hard Rock, under a legal cloud.
"If we're talking about filling in details or making a policy tweak, that's not going to be very difficult, " Galvano said. "But if the tribe expects that we would come back to the Legislature with major structural changes, I think the more appealing route would be to just let the feds enforce."
For his part, Richard said neither side should make a "take it or leave it" demand. But he said the Legislature has an incentive to craft a deal that's acceptable to the tribe: money.
"There's another side to this story: If we don't work it out, the Legislature won't get anything at all, " he said. "That's the worst thing for the state of Florida." source>>>
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Health Insurance
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Online Poker No Game To Justice Department
Online poker players recently took what in their parlance would be called the ultimate bad beat.
When they went to cash checks that had been issued to them from poker Web sites, the checks bounced. It turns out that the Department of Justice had seized more than $30 million in assets related to online poker.
Legal Gray Area
Online poker exists in something of a gray area of legality, though just how gray depends on what cards one is holding.
Former New York Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, wants everyone to know that playing poker online is not illegal.
True enough, but last week the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York added a little addendum: You can play poker online, you just can't legally collect your winnings.
The seizure of assets controlled by such banks as Wells Fargo and Citibank is a new gambit in anti-gambling enforcement. Until now, the federal government relied on the Wire Act, which prohibits certain types of betting in the U.S., to go after offshore bookies, says Joseph Kelly, a professor of business law at Buffalo State College.
"Most lawyers would say that the Wire Act only applies to sports betting and not other types of gambling, " Kelly says. "This is going to be one of the arguments that all the payment processors will be using -- that this is poker, it has nothing to do with sports betting and, therefore, the Wire Act is inapplicable."
'A Terrible Law'
Three years ago, Congress did pass the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, but gambling experts such as Kelly, who is co-editor of Gaming Law Review and Economics, say that despite the tough-sounding name, the law is a bit toothless. It also doesn't seem to be coming into play in the latest seizure. More likely, the Department of Justice is relying on a few different federal statutes, like the Wire Act, but also laws designed to stop money laundering.
The Justice Department has always maintained that any form of online gambling is illegal, even if it never went after the assets of poker players themselves.
Benham Dayanim, a lawyer with the Washington firm of Paul Hastings who has represented online poker sites, says he believes the U.S. attorneys have legal backing in defining poker as gambling, and online gambling as illegal.
"Most poker aficionados and professional poker players would tell you that skill really determines the outcome over the long term, " he says. "Nonetheless, if you look at the court decisions that have examined this question, they almost uniformly determine that poker is a game of chance for purposes of gambling, and therefore is considered gambling."
Not that Dayanim agrees with the courts, or even agrees with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.
"It's a terrible law, " he says. "Absolutely terrible."
The Poker Players Alliance thinks so, too, and says a better one is needed. It wants a law that legalizes and regulates a potential source of tax revenue.
New Measure In Congress
Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) has authored a bill that would legalize online poker. D'Amato supports the bill even if he hasn't always seen eye-to-eye with Frank on issues that don't include one-eyed jacks.
"These kinds of prosecutorial tactics sometimes gain great headlines for those who are pushing them, but doesn't really advance the cause of justice, " D'Amato says.
"To try to stop people playing poker on the Internet should be one of the last considerations of government."
Dayanim predicts that the issue will be resolved when the poker sites find a way to quietly reimburse their customers and establish more elaborate payment methods far outside the reach of U.S. authorities.
Until then, the Justice Department has pushed its chips forward and is daring anyone to call. source>>>
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Life Insurance
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