Planning a vacation can be stressful and sometimes frustrating. But of course, it is important to plan your vacations to make it the most enjoyable and least stressful. Especially if you are planning to travel outside of the country or you are planning to have a cruise, then you must be able to give time in preparing for the trip to avoid any disappointments in your travel.If you are particularly planning to have a cruise for your vacation, here are a few cruise travel tips that you may find helpful. You would surely want a perfect vacation, thus invest in a little time to research and learn from those who have been there. Most especially if it is your first time in going to a cruise for a vacation, here are ideas that may be of help.- Know what you want in a cruise. You can actually have lots of choices and different cruise ships can have different services, facilities and amenities. To help you choose the perfect cruise for you, then you should first consider what you want to do in your vacation. Cruise ships may have casinos, spas, swimming pool, theaters – so you have to make sure you know what you want to do so you can fully appreciate and enjoy your cruise.- Determine the destination that you want to go and visit. Whether you want to go to the Caribbean or tropical islands or some luxurious cities, or beaches, you have to make sure what you want. There are a lot of destinations, so make sure you also know where you want to go.- Check your budget. Of course, the biggest factor that you have to consider is your budget. For sure, you don’t want to go on a vacation and take the burden of having heaps of credit card payables when you come back. You also have to make sure you have enough budget for the activities you want to enjoy as well as your destination choice. You may want to prioritize your preferences as well, depending on your budget as well.- Study the weather beforehand. The weather is one important factor to consider as well if you want to go on a vacation. Of course, you can’t enjoy the beaches more when the weather is stormy. You may not also enjoy the activities that you want to do outdoors if you are going on a cruise on a not-so-favorable weather.- Spend wisely. Enjoying your vacation does not always mean having to spend too much. You can learn a few cruise travel tips to help you make the most out of your budget. A little research can be very helpful in making your vacation enjoyable with the budget that you have.- Start with short cruises first. Especially if it is your first time in a cruise, get on a short cruise such as those that will last for 3 to 4 days. Get those 10-day cruise only if you already have experience or you know what to expect in the cruise.These are just a few cruise travel tips and things that you may find helpful in planning your trip.
When It Comes To Life Insurance, Less Is More
Let’s face it, not everyone needs life insurance. Determining whether you really need it is the first step towards making the right decisions regarding the types and amounts of coverage to choose. And, to be blunt, life insurance is really meant for your family and loved ones, or anyone else who relies on your income. That being said, the type of insurance that you need the most just happens to be the least expensive.Reasons You Buy Life InsuranceLife insurance was originally created so that, if you die, your loved ones could continue to live the same kind of lifestyle that they currently have. That being said, life insurance is simply a means of replacing your income if you die. Period. That is all it is really meant to do. If you don’t have anyone who depends on you to provide for them, or you don’t have earnings, you don’t have nearly the same need for protection as someone who is working and might be supporting a young family for example. The need may still be there due to other financial obligations, but again, it is not necessarily so great.Two Flavors To Choose FromOnce you have decided that you need coverage, you have to select the type that best suits your needs. Life insurance comes in two basic forms: term and permanent (also called “whole life”). The overwhelming majority of cases that I write consist of term coverage as it is the type of protection that fits most people’s needs.Keep It Super SimpleTerm life insurance is insurance against the risk of your dying during the term of the policy. As a policy holder, you pay your premiums regualrly and if you die during the time frame, or “term”, that your insurance is in force, your beneficiaries will receive a payout equal to the face amount of insurance you bought. The ‘term’ is the length of time the policy is guaranteed to remain in force at the premium you have been approved for. Policies are typically issued for 10, 20, or 30 year terms. At the end of the guaranteed term period you can renew your policy, let it lapse, or buy another policy. The major benefit of term insurance is that it’s very inexpensive in most cases and is very simple to understand.Permanent, or cash-value insuranceThe other choice is cash-value insurance. People are initially attracted to cash-value insurance because it can allow them to save a small amount of their premium and can ultimately be “paid up,” which means the insurance will have enough cash value that the policy will remain in force without further premium payments. The theory behind this type is that, if you pay for life insurance for 20, 30, or 40 years, you might as well get some of your money back.Sounds good, right? The problem is that cash-value insurance usually isn’t a very good investment, even if you hold the policy for many years due to the higher fees associated with it and the relatively low rates of return you will earn. It’s and even worse option if you only keep the policy for a few years and have to drop it due to job loss or some other financial hardship. These policies build value very slowly and it takes years to amount to much.While permanent policies do have their place in financial planning on rare occasions, they do not suit the needs of most people. If your financial planner is recommending you to take this type of coverage I suggest that your financial planner not be the same person from whom you are buying the insurance.The Bottom LineThe bottom line is that you need to simplify your financial plan as much as possible, and cash-value insurance is complex and is not properly suited for the needs of the vast majority of people. Instead, opt for an affordable term life insurance policy and use the money that you would’ve otherwise spent on he high premiums of a cash-value policy to invest in an option that’s tax favored. Investment accounts such as your employer’s 401(k), or an IRA are good options to consider.Hopefully you consider my advice when it comes to shopping for your life insurance, and you will consider a term life policy. Be sure to verify with your agent that the policy cannot be canceled as long as you are current on your premiums. Also, only choose policy that is guaranteed renewable. You have no way of knowing what your health will be like at the end of your term and it is comforting to know that you can keep the policy should you need to, without having to under go a medical exam.
How To Identify An Unethical Employer
It is very difficult for a job applicant to judge a prospective employer for adhering to ethical standards and providing a positive working environment. Especially, since, an interview, most questions are being asked by the future employer.This article lists the two extremes types, at opposite ends of the psychological scale, with most superiors and bosses placed somewhere between. Like in most facets of life, nobody is entirely bad or good – most are somewhere between.THE BENEVOLENT EMPLOYER.There is a group of bosses who resume a fatherly and benevolent position towards those who work for them. Work is fairly distributed and the boss himself does not mind pitching-in and helping out. The tempo of work is guided by his own good example, as is quality, and the general prevalent mood in the workplace.Should there be a sudden over-demand or a surge of workload, this employer will recognise this and take steps that nobody overworks and that the workload is evenly and fairly distributed with the boss himself sharing an extra duty. His temper is very even, with a reassuring calmness that uplifts everybody working around him. He has no sanctuary that is off-limits to employees and his own office or workplace would not be distinguishable from that of his co-workers.He is genuinely concerned for his staff and workers and, should some body be ill, the pay cheque gets delivered home punctually and regardless of the length of illness. In one case I know of personally, an employee had a heart-bypass operation with a lengthy stay in hospital and the boss himself called on the wife regularly with the pay and enquired whether she would need anything else done around her house.For the duration of this employee’s sick-leave, this boss worked on the shop floor in person, mingling with the other employees and being practically indistinguishable in work and manners from anybody else.All this is done with the before-mentioned even temper and an air of teamwork. When this employee finally returned from his long sick leave, he resumed his position with ease, whilst the boss returned into his office to resume his task of running his business. Little weaknesses and transgressions are overlooked or, at it’s worst, the person is reprimanded a day later in a fatherly fashion.They do not seem to have the misfortune of employing a bad worker as they either instinctively select the right person or simply lead with positivism and good example. There is a noticeable absence of fear or working-anxiety as each employee knows that he or she is a member of a smooth-running team!THE IMTIMIDATORThis type of person is basing the smooth-running of his business on fear. His demeanour is reserved to the point of haughtiness, his appearance is impeccable, his voice is artificially low andstentoric. He has an on-stage personality, geared to impress. His common phrases are peppered with ‘however’, ‘furthermore’, ‘if you only knew what we know!’ ‘I thought of that!’ is the common reply to a valuable suggestions put forward by a willing employee. Reports by an employees are interrupted with: ‘I know exactly what you want to say!’ or a ‘We know all about that!’ are uttered with a reprimanding stare.When real problems arise, he would give the harbinger of bad news a penetrating look and bark: ‘I thought that has been taken care of!’ When in a difficult situation, he has the habit of staring straight ahead, at a spot on the opposite wall as if in deep concentration and utters words like: ‘that is not on!’ ‘No, we don’t do that!’ instilling fear and intimidation in his workers.Without the presence of the fear factor, he believes, an organisation has no incentive to work efficiently and to achieve things for him. He feels, he must constantly instil this anxiety by destabilising people around him!For example, when conversing with people who speak fast and have a quick mind, he slows down in his speech to the point of unnerving the other person. This is done with the help of slowly uttered phrases like: ‘What I said was…’ when, in fact, he had said nothing before on this particular subject. Therefore, this sentence is invariable followed-up by the biggest lie possible, putting the other person hopelessly in a depressed mood and increasing his fear of working for him.Alternatively, with people who are taciturn in their speaking manner, he rattles-off his question fast and furiously. By the time this good worker answered one question, he has already asked him two more, throwing that person out of his concentration and ending with stammering and stutter. Upon which this employer leaves with an attitude of total satisfaction of having fear and the feeling of inadequacy re-enforced in a worker.Should such an employer meet with an employee who is not afraid of him or at least an honest worker with a clean conscience, this is unacceptable to him. A situation will then have to be created where this decent worker becomes afraid of something……In one case, such a worker received the constant warning: ‘If you make us the slightest trouble……’ Often this tactic is then perpetuated by the top boss’ immediate underlings who then continue to talk to this person in a manner of ‘If you think you can get away with……’ There are other repercussions for honest persons. When it is found out that an employee, for example, studies evenings, he is then considered an open threat. ‘You are wasting your time….’ He is then told often.Alternatively, high achievements are being downgraded with disparaging remarks till such a person feels totally inadequate despite his achievements whilst the instilled fear keeps him in excellent performance. We have now dealt with two diametrically opposite type of employers and in subsequent articles more and different bosses and their operations will be illuminated.By researching the company we are trying to join, a lot of shortcomings are being identified and frustration, hardship and overwork can be avoided.Peter Frederick