When was the last time you inspected your roof?

Did you know that some people inspect their roofs before winter sets in for good reasons. A neglected roof can cost much more than what would normally do if roof boards and studs have to be replaced or interior ceilings and walls repaired.

Typically you will want to inspect either annually or bi-annually unless your area went through extreme weather events such as extreme heat, violent storms, large quantities of snow, etc. In these cases, inspecting your roof as soon as possible after the event can save you thousands of dollars. Consider

Where To Start When Looking for Problems With Your Roof
Prevention is Best The basic thing to remember regarding your roof is this: look for trouble before it looks for you. This may mean venturing up into your attic’s overhead hatch or your home’s crawl space once or twice a year and battling cobwebs and goodness knows what other creepy things that may be up there. But roof leaks are sneaky — they often show the bad taste of being subtle for a long time, dripping only a bit at a time so that the damage remains largely invisible if you don’t bother to look. Over time, the drip leads to damage, including rot and mold, that will grow quietly worse until you suddenly have a swimming pool in the middle of your bedroom.

Look For Trouble After a nasty downpour, go up into the area of your home just under the roof and look for signs of wetness, rot or mold. Note that wet spots may not be directly under your faulty shingle: water travels down to its lowest spot before it drips, thus you may need to trace it upward to locate the source.

If you’re lucky enough to spot where the leak has occurred and intend to repair it immediately, drive a 16-penny nail directly into the center of the leak so that you’ll be able to find it once you climb onto the roof. If that isn’t practical, you’ll have to measure vertically from the roof’s interior peak and horizontally from a landmark like the wall or chimney.
Chimney If you have a chimney, particularly a brick one, pay special attention to the area where it meets your roof. If you find water seeping or draining from your chimney, that is usually a sure sign that you have a leak.

Inspect Your Roof From Outside Of course, investigating problems from the outside (which is also important as a preventive measure and should be done once a year before the weather turns ugly), requires you to ascend a ladder and climb on the roof itself. You may reasonably not want to do this, especially if your roof has a steep pitch (upward angle). If heights give you the creeps, there is no shame in hiring a pro to do inspections for you. In fact, four out of five people surveyed considered it less embarrassing than be rushed to the emergency room.
Once up there, look for cracked, torn, bald or missing shingles (if you have binoculars, you can use them to help limit your need to climb all over the roof). Really inspect those areas where the roof meets corners, such as chimneys, dormers, angled sections and roofing and vents, because they are by nature the most prone to leaks.

I am not mechcaniclly inclined so If the challenge or weather is too miserable for me or you to fix the leak now, call a roof professional. Start by spraying the suspect area with a garden hose, beginning from the bottom of the area and working his way up toward the roof ridge, while you crawl around in your attic crawl space and wait to get dripped on.

Most insurance contracts won't cover wear and tear, never the less, if your roof looks fine after inspection, remember that wind and rain in combination wreak havoc on your home, because wind can easily force rain under your shingles, where only the felt is left as protection. Once the felt gets wet enough, it will leak. Gee, that old apartment is seeming better all the time...

How to Cut you Auto insurance cost 11.24.09
(Part 2 - 5)
















1)Shop around for the best price

2)Keep your driving record clean
No convictions, fewer accidents, no fault accidents, DUI's don't drink and drive, The biggest penalty you'll face is to have a DUI on your driving record.

3) what's in your credit report can also affect your insurance rates.
Credit reports, credit history to keep a good credit history will certainly help you to get the best rate you can

4) combining coverage. Insuring all your vehicles with the same company you have a homeowners or renters policy with can save you money.
By putting the policies together you might be able to receive a signifigant discount.
Be sure to ask about any special discounts that may apply to your situation.

5) Look for other discountsThere's some discounts if your college student for example.

6) Taking a higher deductible can save you cash too, a higher deductible means you pay less for coverage.

7)As your car gets older you may consider dropping the collision coverage. If your car's only worth $2,000 and you could save $500 a year by dropping your collision coverage you may want to take that risk.

8) Most companies' rating plans consider how you use the car so be sure your agent knows if you car pool or use public transportation. Usually the less you drive the vehicle, the less you pay for coverage.

9) Check with your Department of insurance in your state to if there's other ways to save on insurance.

4 Reasons Your Retirement May Be Delayed
(2nd in a four part series)

Stock Market Slump
The $7 trillion decline in stock holdings between 2007 and the second quarter of 2009 is also contributing to retirement unpreparedness, primarily among higher-income households. The disappearance of traditional pensions for private-sector employees in favor of 401(k) plans means workers are directly exposed to stock market shocks. Members of generation X, who are more likely to have only a 401(k) retirement plan, are at a higher risk of having to cut their standard of living in retirement (56 percent) than early (41 percent) or late (48 percent) baby boomers, many of whom still have traditional pensions. "Almost no gen X-ers in the private sector are going to be covered by a defined benefit pension, and they are going to live forever," says Munnell.

4 Reasons Your Retirement
May Be Delayed
( 1st in a four part series )

Housing Market Decline
The spike in households unprepared for retirement is largely due to the housing bust. Almost three quarters of the increase in Americans at risk of being unable to maintain their current standard of living in retirement was the result of the decline in house prices, the Boston College study, underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., found. "Even though people lost a lot of money in stocks, stocks tend to be held by the top portion of the income distribution, whereas everyone owns a house," says Munnell. Even people who don't plan to sell their home in retirement are affected by lower housing values. If they need extra cash and opt for a reverse mortgage, they'll extract less equity. And many Americans who have not paid off their home will need to continue making mortgage payments after leaving the workforce