A Lumpy Deal When it Comes to Lottery Winnings
Who can explain the joy of winning big bucks in a lottery? The thrill of seeing the numbers pop up on those little balls as you look at your ticket is indescribable. Some people find out they won by reading the numbers reported in the newspaper or on the internet. The thrill is still the same. Until…..
Yes, winning a $1 million is fantastic. But it loses some of its appeal when you find out the annual payment is $22,000 plus or minus some dollars and is paid out over 20 years. Isn’t that less than poverty income level? The annual lottery payment is nice, but a lump sum would be much better.
Though you could have taken a lump sum payment at one point, once you choose the annuity, you’re stuck. Or are you? You can sell your lottery payments through a structured settlement broker and get the lump sum payment you now want. You are not stuck with that lumpy deal any longer. You can take the money and re-invest it or buy some real estate or pay college tuition or do a hundred other things that the annual payment the lottery is paying you won’t accommodate.
You can turn a lumpy deal into a smooth one that works for you.
Hard Come and Easy Go….Protecting Structured Settlement Cash
It really hurts to lose cash when you’ve worked so hard for your money. When you go to the grocery store or pay a bill, handing cash over is tough even if the price is right. It’s impossible to not think about all those hours you put into earning that cash and it only takes a minute to spend a good chunk of it.
When you have a structured settlement, the checks roll in each month. Just like the cash you earned through hard work, these payments are deserved. You may have a personal injury settlement or some other kind of settlement, but the fact is that it’s your money and you deserve it. So when you decide to sell part of your structured settlement, the last thing you want to do is sell to a company that is not reliable.
This means you need to make sure you only sell to a dependable company that will be in business when it comes time to pay the cash. This is especially true if you sell your settlement and accept cash up front and a revised payment schedule. You may not have worked for that structured settlement….but then again you may have if the settlement is due to an injury at work. Either way, you want to know you are protected throughout the entire settlement selling process. So only use a settlement broker that is licensed and bonded and insured.
When you get right down to it…there is no easy way to lose cash that belongs to you. It’s too hard to come by to lose it too easily.
Using Resources Wisely - Part 8 The Higher Gas Gets, The Smarter I Get
I was so excited by the gas saving tips I found on the internet by Joe Stronsick I ordered his book: How To Get $7 Worth of FREE Gas Every Time You Fill Up. And, arrived today. Woo Hoo. I am excited.
Last week I put a fuel additive into my tank, as recommended by Joe Stronsick’s book. Wow, I am so pleased about this. I spent less than a $1 on a generic additive. Well for goodness sakes it has been worth every penny. This is the one tip I noticed made a difference in my gas consumption right away. Instant gratification is always nice.
Tip #36 “When you use overdrive gearing, your car’s engine speed decreases. This reduces both fuel consumption and engine wear. On most automatic transmission cars, it is circled D on the gear box. 5th gear is the over drive in stick shift. Only use when car has reached 40-45 mph. Using it at low speeds can cause engine damage by “lugging” in too high of a gear”.
I just discovered I have an overdrive option on my car. I have used it a few times recently. Just think I have had this option all this time and I didn’t know it. I will keep an eye on my gas records to see how using the overdrive effects my gas usage. How many things are right here under your nose and you are not taking advantage of them because you don’t see them.
Out of a desire to save money, I have been learning about how my car works, how energy consumption works and how to take conservation to the next level. It seems to me the higher gas gets the smarter I get. I wish I would have paid attention twenty five years ago when I started driving. I can imagine how much money I would have saved by now.
See you next post!
Prosperity Partners has been providing cash solutions for 15 years. We are always available to answer your questions to help you make the most informed decisions regarding selling or keeping your structured settlement payments. Use our years of experience to your advantage.
Using Resources Wisely Series – Part 7
New technology allows us to communicate faster and more often. As a result we feel connected to each other even though we spend less real time together. There is a fine line between staying on the cutting edge of innovation and running ourselves in circles. As the economic crunch affects us more and more, we all need a little help. I see an increase in people reaching out to give and get support. They are driving less and staying near home during holidays and vacations. If high gas prices and economic woes are what it takes to slow people down, ask for help, stop working so hard, visit with our friends more, borrow a cup of sugar, then GREAT, all the better, it is about time. I am thrilled!
In Norway, they pay the highest gasoline prices in Europe and the country is the world’s fifth-largest oil exporter. (That right there is something to think about.)
Stine Nore, a 28-year-old logistics manager in Norway says There have to be incentives for people to drive less. Driving is a luxury. People should only drive a car when it really is necessary.
These are definitely not American sentiments. Americans expect things fast and instantaneous. Most people feel driving is a right not a privilege. Even though many people are kicking and screaming about being inconvenienced by high gas prices, I believe Americans will eventually find the balance between technology and lifestyle.
If you have come to PPI to cash out your structured settlement in these trying times, remember we are all in this together. As we get a time frame on funding of your structured settlement just know it is a process that can rarely be sped up. We must cross the t’s and dot the i’s on all your paperwork. Court dates are out of our hands. We immediately notify you of your court date as soon as we hear from the clerk of court!
Things are hard enough lately without getting false promises. So you will always hear the truth from Prosperity Partners. We are here for you. We are certainly happy to have you as a customer. Since we are all in this together, this makes YOU a part of our team. Team PPI.
Using Resources Wisely - Part 6 Having Fun Pinching Pennies & Stretching Gasoline
In my last post I posed the question, “Can you really save money on gas, without driving less?” Guess what! I found someone who says yes we can. Joe Stronsick wrote a book out of frustration from high gas prices in 2001called, How to Get Up to $7 Worth of Free Gas Every Time You Fill Up. I wonder what he would have to say about $3.99/gallon. As a result of uncovering research and test data on fuel economy from car and oil manufacturers he discovered state-of-the-art techniques for getting more miles per gallon.
In an interview on CNN Stronsick reveals some of these gas saving techniques and surprisingly they have measurable results.
Tip #1 Add four to six extra pounds in each tire… it equals two to three more miles per gallon without any tire degradation.
Tip #2 Spark plugs such as a Bosch or a Halo will give you better fuel economy by 10 percent. They last 100,000+ miles. Wow 10% is a big jump and 100,000 miles is a lot of wear.
Tip #3 Make a better choice in motor oil. Synthetic oil with the key words “energy-conserving” on the back logo, will give you an increase of fuel economy of five percent, and … A synthetic oil can last 10,000 to 15,000 miles before you have to change it.
Tip #4 Stronsick says during summer oil companies use less crude oil and add their own aromatic chemicals to the gas to save money and give you less fuel economy (because we drive more). He calls it “watered down” gas. I always thought this was an urban legend. He goes on to say watered down gas is harmful to car engines because cars are not able to burn these aromatic properties efficiently. It clogs up fuel injectors and builds up carbon and varnish in the engine. As a result all cars require a fuel-injection clean out at 30,000 miles. To combat the “watered down gasoline,” use a quality fuel additive. That will also give you more miles per gallon.
This information got me so excited I ordered the book yesterday. I am especially interested in any tips that cost little or no money. You know, I am always looking to make the best use of what I have at any moment (link to part 1).