Posted on July - 21 - 2011
How likely do you think you are to become disabled at some point in your career?
The statistics aren’t pretty. According to the Social Security Administration, one in four of today’s 20-year-olds will become disabled before they retire.
That’s a problem, because your biggest asset isn’t your house or even your retirement portfolio; it’s your income. And if you become disabled, there’s a good chance you won’t be able to work – at least not in your present occupation.
Yet 100 million workers – about two-thirds of the work force – are without private disability insurance, according to Barry Lundquist, president of the Council for Disability Awareness (CDA).
Why? It’s expensive. But there are ways to overcome those obstacles.
Understand the basics. Many employers offer and pay for disability insurance for employees.
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Posted on July - 20 - 2011
Janitorial workers or janitors are cleaning employees or housekeepers of offices, schools and homes. Imagine our life without their services! Janitorial job description is all about keeping our working and living environment clean and hygienic. Their contribution to the society, in leading a healthy life is much appreciated. People often consider their job easy but only a person serving as a janitorial worker will know how difficult and hazardous their job is. As janitors put in all their effort in providing us a clean living space, it is the duty of the employers to take care of the safety needs of the workers. Janitorial workers are subjected to various physical and chemical hazards. Physical hazards include use of heavy equipment for cleaning, constantly lifting things, bending often etc., while chemical hazards are due to the use of strong chemicals for cleansing purposes. Full Post…
Posted on July - 20 - 2011
Sales of existing homes fell slightly in June, apparently due to an unusually large number of sales cancellations, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
Total sales were down 0.8 percent from May, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.87 million, the NAR reported today. The news is another setback for the beleaguered housing market, where many had been counting on the traditional summer selling season to help boost the market out of its doldrums. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said NAR members reported an unusually high level of sales cancellations in June, with 16 percent of members reporting a sales contract cancellation, compared to 4 percent in May, which is closer to the norm. Yun said it wasn’t clear what caused so many pending sales to be canceled, but said problems with obtained credit approval and appraisals coming in lower than anticipated appear to be factors. Sales of existing homes had been gradually increasing in recent months until now. Yun Full Post…
Posted on July - 20 - 2011
Demand for mortgage refinancing jumped last week, as homeowners sought to take advantage of rates that have settled back down after a brief spike earlier in the month.
Applications to refinance existing mortgages increased a seasonally adjusted 23.1 percent over the previous week, according to figures from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), which were seasonally adjusted. On an unadjusted basis, refinance applications were up nearly 50 percent over the previous week, which included the July 4 holiday. Michael Fratantoni, MBA vice president of research, said borrowers with high-value mortgages may be seeking to lock in low rates before the limits on conforming mortgages drop this October. Though the maximum conforming rate for high-value areas will only decrease to $625,000, from $729,750 currently, changes in the way the limits are calculated for individual communities could produce much bigger declines, in some cases reducing the current ceiling by $200,000 or more. Full Post…
Posted on July - 19 - 2011
Media magnate Rupert Murdoch, his vast empire rocked by phone-hacking charges, now faces investigations on both sides of the Atlantic.
The FBI is probing whether Murdoch’s News Corp. tried hacking into the phones of 9/11 victims, while Murdoch and son James agreed Thursday to answer questions from Parliament about the mushrooming scandal.
The pair had initially refused to show at the July 19 hearing before caving into pressure tied to the scandal at their shuttered tabloid, The News of the World.
“We think it’s important to absolutely establish our integrity in the eyes of the public,” Murdoch said in an interview Thursday with one of his papers, The Wall Street Journal.
“I felt that it’s best just to be as transparent as possible.”
Murdoch wants to counter some of the allegations – which he called “total lies” – made in England.
He also told the newspaper he was planning his own investigation – and predicted the fallout for his company would be minor.
“The damage done to the company is nothing that will not be recovered,” he predicted.
Asked about the continuing bad press, the 80-year-old Murdoch said he was “just getting annoyed.
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