Economics Finance

More and more wills are being contested. The number of court cases in relation to will and inheritance disputes rose by 175 per cent in one 12 month period recently. Most disputes are settled without actually getting to the court stage, so the actual figures are very much higher than those published.

The reason for this surge in disputes seems to be a change in the way of living. Family structures are much changed from the old one partner for life and 2.5 children. It’s not unusual for people to be married two or even three times and to have children from each relationship, plus stepchildren. Many people co-habit without any legal partnership and the value of people’s estates is very much higher than in the past, even allowing for the credit crunch in recent times. People are living longer and are also much more likely to get involved in helping with charities and this may lead to charitable giving.

Solicitors report that they see increasing numbers where complaints crop up from previous spouses and partners. Even more complications can be expected where their offspring are involved. The results of the will may have not lived up to their expectations and it’s not uncommon to seek legal advice if they feel their treatment has not been fair.

Where a person has been co-habiting for an appreciable time he or she may regard their partner as the person they should make provision for. The person’s family may look at this in a very different way and may make their objections known. In a similar way, if the family is left the whole estate, the co-habiting person may feel some provision should have been made for them. If there are stepchildren or illegitimate children who have been supported in the past, but left out of a will, there could be grounds for contesting a will that does not continue to provide for them. Continue reading ‘Don’t Leave a Mess – Leave a Valid Will’ »

One of the most interesting philosophical questions about money is whether having more money makes you a happier person. It can be argued that the old adage ‘money doesn’t buy happiness’ is something that was propounded by those with no money as a validation for their monetary status. In other words, if you have no money, one way of feeling better about that is to say that you are happier than those who have a lot of money. There are two ways of interpreting the concept that money doesn’t buy happiness. The first is to consider that it implies that those with a lot of money often find themselves in a state of unhappiness and the second is to consider that it implies that happiness comes from something other than money. In either case, the adage contends that there is really no direct relationship between money and happiness.

Wealth is nothing more than a state of mind. Whether you describe yourself as wealthy or not will depend on how you feel about your current circumstances and who you are comparing yourself to. Wealth is a relative concept. Some people feel wealthy even if they have a small amount of money because they have more money than what they need to live the life they want. On the other hand, others can feel poor even though they have a large amount of money because they don’t have enough to live the life they want. The difference between these two groups of people is that the first group, who feel wealthy even though they don’t have a lot, get their enjoyment in life from things that don’t require a lot of money.

Being happy is being accepting of what you have already. Happiness is not about having it is about being. Just like wealth, it is a state of mind and it has very little to do with tangible possessions that are bought. In saying that though, there are basic necessities that everyone needs in order to meet their physical needs and to feel secure. People who don’t have enough money to feel secure will worry and will therefore be unhappy but beyond security, true happiness comes from relationships, friendships and simple enjoyment of life. Those who focus on money for its own sake will find they are never satisfied with how much they have and as we know, dissatisfaction creates unhappiness. Happy people place less emphasis on income and wealth and more emphasis on relationships. They are content, without being complacent. Continue reading ‘Be Happy, Be Wealthy’ »

If you were to ask people what three letters of the alphabet they most feared, chances are you would hear IRS. The Internal Revenue Service gives most people nightmares if they think they must deal with this agency. However, you will not make your bad dream go away by merely ignoring the problem. You must face it head on and be prepared with the knowledge ahead of time so that you can fight for your case.

If you are afraid that you might owe back taxes, the first step to take is to contact the IRS and try to make arrangements to pay. Because they want your money, they are usually willing to work out a payment schedule with you. However, you need to know that your penalties and interest will continue to build until the tax is paid in full. So it does make sense to make as large of payment as possible. Sometimes it may even be to your advantage to charge the tax because your credit card interest rate may end up being lower than the penalties and interest charged by the IRS.

Continue reading ‘Obama Urges You to Pay Off Your Tax Debt – Pay Less Than You Owe Through Tax Settlement Programs’ »

Unsecured loans are provided without placing any collateral for acquiring money. So the short term unsecured loans provide you with money for a short duration of time. This loan not only facilitates you with money but also safeguards your assets that you need to keep as collateral in case of secured loans.

They are free from any kind of collateral pledging and are granted for time period of 6 months to 10 years. The loan amount can range from £1000-£25000 and it can depend as per the needs of the borrower. However the rate of interest is kept slightly high as there is no collateral kept to assure the lender that he would get his money back. They provide you assistance when you run out of budget. They have many advantages and disadvantages attached to it. This loan prevents the borrower to keep any type of security and grants loans easily. The credit history is not a major issue in this. But you need to be cautious while making use of such loans. They are subjected to high rate of interests. You need to provide certain documents along with the application like your income proof, identity proof, employment and address proof. The process of repayment is quite easy. You are required to provide your lender with post dated cheques so that the lender could deduct the installment amount from your account. Continue reading ‘Short Term Unsecured Loans – Providing You Financial Assistance’ »

Filing bankruptcy is not always the answer to your financial woes. If you can employ less drastic measures, why not do it?

One way to settle your debts without resorting to filing bankruptcy is debt negotiation or debt settlement. This approach involves having a settlement agreement with your creditor so that they will be able to decrease the size of your debts. In turn, you also have to come up with a prompt repayment plan, which usually involves a lump sum. If you are able to do a debt negotiation successfully, you might even be able to reduce your debts in half, making it easier for you to pay back your creditor.

One of the major decisions that you have to make is if you want to do this settlement on your own, or you will need the help of a debt settlement company. Ideally, you should ask for the assistance of a debt settlement company, especially if you are not very knowledgeable in this area before. Doing debt settlement all by yourself can be very tricky, if not downright difficult. But if you are experienced in debt negotiations, then you can give it a try so as to save fees in hiring a debt settlement company.

If you choose to hire the services of a settlement company, they will appoint a knowledgeable debt negotiator to your case. This debt negotiator will be the one to talk and deal with your creditors. This is actually easier for you since you will not have to deal with your creditors yourself. Moreover, most debt settlement companies have established relationships with most creditors, making your debt negotiation more likely to be successful. In other words, their connections can help you, so make sure that you choose a debt settlement company with a good reputation and track record. Continue reading ‘Debt Negotiation – Bankruptcy Lawyers That Can Help’ »