This is where your finance takes place

In order to look deeper at Brip Blap’s point of view, I decided to watch Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko. I knew his point was to show the horrors behind America’s healthcare system.

I watched the entire movie and I was shocked. Even thought I was well aware that Mr. Moore is probably only showing what he wants us to see in order to prove our point (there are several place in Canada where you need to wait way more than 45 minutes as the movie suggests), there must be a part of truth.

I was quite surprise to find out that insurance companies were investing so much money in order to not pay their customers. I know that insurance companies are evil (it the essence of the industry, just as banks, right? LOL!), but I never came across such things on my side of the border. The very few times I called my insurer (for car or house), everything went well and I was reimbursed according to the contract I signed.

This is where I realized that we are living in a good country. We don’t need to wonder if we are insured or not. Even better, we don’t need to worry about the possibility of our insurer not paying for our medical bills. We have free medical care; period.

The other thing I didn’t realize was the enormous cost of operations hospitals were charging. 60K for a finger??? I never thought I had the equivalent of 10 BMW’s when I was looking at my hands! I thought that by paying $50 buck for a visit to the clinic, I would be covering a good part of the cost. That is probably what it costs to only open my file and read through it!

So I now realize how lucky we are to not to have to worry about our healthcare system. In the end, as long they can take care of us for free, waiting a few hours doesn’t seem to be catastrophic anymore.

Who would want to leave a place where medical care is free and where their hockey team will win the cup this year? That’s decided; I am staying in Montreal for good!

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The boiler’s clapped up, the lights don’t work and you’re a few bricks short of a house – but who do you call? With programmes such as the BBC’s Rogue Traders broadcasting horror shows around the home, it’s little wonder that some people are scared of making the call to any old company listed in the phone book. Also, if you think it’s just your wallet that will be thumped by the appearance of a cowboy, then think again, the work they do could also pose serious health risks. Your gas and electricity are not to be trifled with, or you’ll potentially pay an even higher price than money for – so how do you avoid the arrival of a cowboy?

Word of Mouth

If you’re friend or relative has called out someone before, and they’ve done a good job, then they’re probably going to do the same for you; if you have a friend who is a tradesman, then this could also benefits. Personal recommendations are often more helpful than advertisements in the Yellow Pages or the local paper. There are also websites out there, such a Trust a Trader that claim to be ‘the net’s easiest way to find reputable tradespeople.’

Get Someone Local

If someone’s recommended someone who lives in a different town, then bear in mind that they may charge for travel time. Also be aware that tradesmen can charge a flat 60 minute call out fee even if it’s just to replace a washer on a tap. Ask about the call out policy before you have them round. Also get a collection of quotes from a range of tradesmen if your problem isn’t too urgent.

Get Covered

You don’t have to have insurance for your various things around your home, but it can certainly give you peace of mind in case things go wrong. There are various ways to take out cover, and you could be paying as little as £9 a month for plumbing and drainage homecare insurance with British Gas – this will also provide boiler maintenance. You’ll also be safe in the knowledge that you won’t have to fork out for a dodgy job. Many insurers also offer cover as part of their home insurance package. Both Norwich Union and ASDA Finance offer home insurance that contains cover that get professional tradesman to repair your home if things go wrong. Just make sure you check the small print on your policy to see exactly what is covered.

If you have decided to pull up stakes and move into a new home, you need to make an informed decision about whether or not to bring in an estate agent to do the work for you or are you capable of handling it on your own.

In general, an estate agent will cost you about 5-6% in commission brokerage fees based on the selling price of your home. While that amount seems like it is worth your time and energy to hang on to, the reality is you are more likely to only save 1-2% of that fee. There are several reasons why and situations will vary for individuals. If you already have an interested and qualified buyer however, these factors may not be relevant for you.

1. Some of the money you will be “saving” will actually need to be spent on advertising. You will need to pay for postings in the local newspaper, on the internet (on a property website like Fish4), or in other property related magazines. The longer it takes to garner interest and sell you house, the more money you will need to put out for marketing expenses.

2. Home buyers who are shopping without an agent themselves may expect to benefit from the saving not using a professional will bring. Educated buyers are aware of the money you will gain by doing it by yourself and may not be shy about wanting to split the savings.

3. A prospective buyer may choose to use a real estate agent to negotiate the price of the home. If the agent does in fact bring a qualified and interested buyer to the table, you may be responsible for paying the commission fees to the agent who presented a buyer, an expense that may end up costing you have of your expected savings.

5. You will need to invest a lot of time and energy involved in the do-it-yourself approach. You must be available to show the house at the convenience of potential buyers which may mean lost time at work or disruption of your household at odd hours. You must be available by phone to answer questions and to schedule appointments. If you plan on holding an open house, you may need to employ the services of a professional decorator to make the house as appealing as possible for potential buyers if you do not have them time. Additionally, your home must be presentable at all hours of the day, which is not always easy for busy people with a young family.

You must also consider the time it takes to fully understand contract terms and the ins and out of selling your property, including the legal aspect. Plus, negotiation skills are a very important factor in the ability to save money when selling on your own. If you can not get an interested party to pay a large enough amount of money to sell, you may actually lose more money than you would have ended up saving.

If you’re looking to move house, then you’ll need to get the best mortgage deal available. Take a look at the mortgage rates available with Alliance and Leicester, which are currently some of the best available on the UK market.