Picking the right upgrades can help set your home apart and above the competition in a hotly contested real estate market. Moreover, kitchen upgrades are the sorts of improvements that you and your family will benefit from and enjoy, given that the kitchen serves as the nexus for many families. You cook in your kitchen, you eat there, you talk there, and you even play there, so why not make it the best it can be?

When you pencil things out, the numbers of a kitchen upgrade are quite compelling in terms of adding value to a home while giving you upgrades that you will enjoy throughout the use of your kitchen. A major kitchen upgrade with a budget of $57,500 can recoup 66 percent of its cost when the home is sold, according to Remodeling magazine’s “2011-12 Cost vs. Value Report.” If you want to give your home a competitive edge while adding to its enjoyment, here are some great kitchen improvements to consider:
• A professional-style sink that helps you prepare food in addition to cleaning dishes. Many options offer features such as removable trays for cutting food and racks for knives and other cutlery so that you can chop veggies and quickly clean up.

• A hands-free faucet you operate by tapping it with your arm or elbow. This is a great way to prevent cross-contamination by keeping hands that have been cutting food from spreading germs to your faucet.

• A pot-filler above your stovetop. This lets you fill up cooking pots while they sit on your range, which obviates the need to toddle back and forth across the kitchen balancing full pots while trying not to suffer a major spill.

• A kitchen island that incorporates both a sink and electrical outlets along with the extra countertop, drawers and cupboards. This gives you additional workspace that you can truly use for food preparation.

• A kitchen wine cooler to properly store your wine collection so that it is at the right temperature and well preserved. This will motivate you to collect and reserve unique bottles to highlight special occasions.

• New countertops that buck the dominant trend. Sure, granite has been the trendy counter material, but there are some new options, such as recycled wood, bamboo, recycled glass, and unique tiles, that not only give your kitchen a custom look, but are also friendly to Mother Earth.

• Kitchen cabinet replacements that focus on functionality. Don’t just go for looks. Add kitchen cabinets that deliver storage and organization features that emphasize efficient use of space and that truly improve your kitchen efficiency.

What is identity theft?

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal identifying information, like your name, Social Security number or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.

How can you find out if your identity was stolen?

The best way to find out is to monitor your accounts and bank statements each month, and check your credit report at least once per year from each of the three major credit bureaus. You can request a free credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com.

You can minimize your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft by making it more difficult for identity thieves to access your personal information. Here are some tips from the Federal Trade Commission to help protect you from becoming a victim.
• Shred financial documents and paperwork with personal information, before you discard them.

• Protect your Social Security number. Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your Social Security number on a check. Ask to use another identifier, if possible.

• Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet, unless you know whom you are dealing with.

• Never click on links sent in unsolicited emails. Use firewalls, anti-spyware and anti-virus software to protect your home computer; keep them up-to-date.

• Don’t use an obvious password like your birth date, your mother’s maiden name, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

• Keep your personal information in a secure place at home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help or are having work done in your house.

• Purchase an identity theft insurance policy to recover stolen funds or to pay for legal and/or other fees associated with recovering your identity.

By using these simple tips as a precaution you can greatly reduce the chances of having your identity stolen. Be sure to share them with your friends and family!

No one ever wants to consider estate planning. (Mulling over your mortality doesn’t posses much appeal, as a rule.) However, properly ensuring that your loved ones will benefit from your estate while having to deal with as little trouble as possible is critical.

One key estate planning document you should consider is a revocable living trust (RLT). An RLT is akin to a will in that it describes and controls how your estate goes to your beneficiaries, but it differs from a will in many ways.

A primary difference is probate. A will essentially dictates to whom your estate should go to upon your death and how, but wills are typically held up in the process know as probate. Probate allows a judge to review and confirm the will, to ensure that that your last wishes are indeed being carried out to your specifications, and then your assets are moved to your beneficiaries. In some states, that process can last as long as two years and can require your beneficiaries to pay statutory fees before some assets, such as real estate, can be transferred to them.

But an RLT avoids this. An RLT is established by a person referred to as the grantor or trustor, and is managed by someone called the trustee, who is often the grantor, but not always. The trust could have multiple co-trustees, such as a husband or wife, or even an institution. A successor trustee is also established. This is the person who will manage the trust when the grantor dies or becomes unable to manage the trust due to some incapacity.

That is an important element to an RLT, because unlike a will, your beneficiaries are taken care of by an RLT even if you do not pass away. If, for example, you were rendered comatose, your loved ones would still be taken care of. Because of this RLTs are worth considering not just in cases of classic “what will happen in the event of my death” types of estate planning, but even for young married couples with children, and other individuals who have people depending on them.

This is another difference between an RLT and a will – the trust holds your assets while you are alive. When an RLT is established, you “fund” the trust by putting your assets into the trust, but you still have full control of your assets while you are alive and have your faculties. You are simply now controlling them as a trustee of the trust.

If you were to pass away, the assets are already part of the trust, and can then be transferred to your beneficiaries without having to go through probate. This is also helpful if children are involved. The trust can be set up in such a way to administer how they are benefited by the estate, so that the assets can’t be squandered or mismanaged. This also helps you avoid the need to establish a guardianship or conservatorship.

There are other benefits to an RLT, as well, such as being able to get the full benefit of estate tax exemptions, and keeping your estate out of the public view that would otherwise occur in probate. That said, RLTs are typically more expensive to establish than drawing up a will, because they involve more planning.

If you’re interested in learning more, make sure to contact an estate planner who can take you through the steps of establishing an RLT in greater detail. Making informed decisions about how your estate is managed might be a tough task to face, but you’ll rest easy knowing that you did.

As winter weather and quickly fading sunlight bring an end to exterior home projects and landscaping, homeowners must turn their attention to the inside of their homes. While the holiday hustle and bustle might seem like a difficult time to schedule in any household projects, it’s a great opportunity to address smaller scale home maintenance and repairs that don’t gobble up too much schedule space. Here are 10 great ways to keep the home humming in fifth gear during the holiday season:

1.Consider wrapping your hot water heater tank to help keep water temperature high and drive down your utility bills. Make sure to get proper instructions on how to install, and pay close attention to all safety requirements.

2.Similarly, get some duct tape and pipe insulation from the local home store and wrap your hot water pipes. Not only will you save money, but you won’t have to wait all morning for your shower to warm up.

3.Inspect and clean your laundry appliances. First, unplug them from any outlets. Then start with the washer by disconnecting the water hoses and see if the fiber or rubber washers need replacing. Disconnect the vent hose from your dryer and clean any built-up lint.

4.Clean underneath your refrigerator, and clean off its coils, and change your fridge’s water filter if it features water dispenser.

5.Inspect the grout on your kitchen and bathroom tiling around sinks, showers and tubs and clean and repair where necessary.

6.Remove the drains from your sinks and clean them thoroughly. Also, remove the lower, u-shaped “trap” under your sinks and remove any clogs. Similarly, remove showerheads and any removable faucet heads and soak them in vinegar to clean off mineral build-up.

7.Tighten things up by going from room to room with flat-head and Phillips-head screwdrivers, as well as some Allen keys, securing any loose hardware on furniture, cupboards and similar fixtures.

8.Have any banged up wooden furniture? Sanding down and re-finishing dings and scratches is something that can be accomplished out of the way and on a manageable scale. Make sure to do any refinishing in a well-ventilated area.

9.As the season winds to a close, make sure to take down any holiday lights. If you staple your strings of lights to your home’s exterior, make sure to fully remove the staples with a pair of pliers to prevent them from rusting and spoiling your home’s trim.

10.Make sure to mulch any Christmas trees and similar decorations, such as wreaths and garlands. Most home stores and tree sellers provide mulching services, and your city or county trash service might do so as well.

We read a lot about job losses and unemployment rates in today’s economic headlines, but there’s another element to many Americans’ employment situations: income loss. Perhaps you lost your job and had to take another for lower pay, or maybe your employer announced pay cuts throughout the organization, or has called for work furloughs. Whatever the reason, there are a number of Americans grappling with the issue of income loss. If you’re one of them, don’t worry; you can weather this storm. Here are some ways to get out in front of a reduction in your pay:

•Seek better opportunities. Believe it or not, many people actually don’t start looking for another job when they undergo pay and benefit cuts. Perhaps it’s out of loyalty, perhaps it’s out of a hope that their current employer will do better, or perhaps it’s because they take one look at 9 percent unemployment rates and conclude there’s no hope of finding something else. Whatever the reason, you should look. An employer cutting salaries today could be cutting jobs tomorrow. Also, whatever your employer might say, pay cuts are ultimately open ended. Your employer can promise to reestablish your original pay rate, but who’s to say it actually will?

•Look for replacement income. If you have a marketable skill, consider finding weekend or evening work that would allow you to drive home some more income. Obviously, working extra hours is not an ideal situation, but it might be necessary for the short term. If you do this work on a contract or freelance basis, make sure to cover your bases in terms of Federal and state income taxes. Your tax rate on self-employed income will be higher, and you might need to pay on a quarterly basis. But the flip-side is that you will also have some additional deductions. Consider involving a certified public accountant that can help you from a tax-planning perspective.

•Slash recurring expenses. Start to get crafty when it comes to utility, food, transportation and other regular outlays. Do you need all those cable channels? Can you ratchet down your Internet service to something with lower-bandwidth? Have you explored bundling utilities? Are you clipping coupons? The old saying that if you take care of your pennies your dollars will take care of themselves is very true. Grab your recent receipts, start building a budget, and look where you can cut.

•Nuke your revolving debt. If you have credit cards, you need to focus all your attention on eliminating that kind of debt, and guarding against any future run-ups in that kind of revolving debt. At the same time, unless you are in trouble with your mortgage, car payments or student loans, leave those alone. Those forms of non-revolving debt are some of the cheapest money you can borrow.

•Lastly, remember that your salary does not equate to your worth as an individual. Americans are a career- and success-driven people, but don’t permit your resume or your salary to define your value as a person. Instead, focus on the ways that you can not only survive, but thrive despite any cuts to your income.

Winter fast approaches, and as colder temperatures begin to chill your home, chances are you’re bracing yourself for another unwelcome seasonal spike in your home heating costs.

The average U.S. household spends more than $2,200 on home heating costs each year, and obviously a home’s gas and electricity consumption shoots skyward as the temperature drops. That said, there are a lot of great ways to cut your heating costs as the days grow shorter and the weather becomes colder. Let’s take a look at 10 great ways to do that:

1.Use a programmable thermostat. These can save $100 a year in energy costs by giving you control over when you heat your home and by how much, as well as being able to have it shut off when you’ll be out.

2.You might have heard it before, but replace your heating and ventilation system’s air filter on at least a bi-monthly basis in order to ensure it doesn’t have to work overly hard and consume too much power.

3.Similarly, keep vents and baseboard heaters and registers clear of any blockage due to furniture and similar impediments to ensure smooth airflow.

4.Consider replacing your heating system if it is older than 15 years. A newer, more efficient system might quickly pencil out in terms of energy savings and any possible rebates for offerings such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s and Department of Energy’s Energy Star program.

5.Seal things up. Check for heat leaks in typical places, such as doors, windows and fireplace dampers. A great way to do that is by holding a lit candle near the seams on these fixtures. If the flame flickers, you have a leak, and it’s time to get out the caulk and weather stripping, and go to work.

6.Light switch plates and outlet plates can also cause drafts. Check them, as well, and use pre-cut foam gaskets to help seal up any of these items that have a leak.

7.Ceiling fans can help move heat around your home. If you have one, set it for its slowest speed in reverse to help draw warm air down from the ceiling to the floor, without causing a breeze.

8.Instead of cranking the heat up prior to going to bed, opt for the old fashioned technique of using a hot water bottle to pre-heat your bed. Water does a better job of retaining heat and will give you a comfy snooze.

9.Consider using insulating paint or an insulating additive to your paint (such as those available from Insuladd® or Hy-Tech®). Using special ceramic additives, these paints and additives help seal cracks and other imperfections that can cause heat loss, and can deliver as much as a 20 percent savings on heating costs, according to manufacturer claims. They also can help dampen noise and offer a more even coating.

10.For your holiday decorating, try to use LED holiday bulbs to add sparkle to your home without gobbling up electricity. Believe it or not, but 12 old style, incandescent bulbs use the same wattage as 2,000 medium-size LED lights.

If you’re having trouble determining when is the best time to make a proposal to a client, chances are you are not approaching your sales with a process-driven methodology. More than likely, the sales you are engaged in are far more consultative than simply taking orders, so you need to have a process. Consider collaboration.

You’re probably dealing with a range of customers, each with their own needs of varying complexity. That’s why it is important for you to consult and collaborate with your clients to help them determine what they want and then help them attain it. Stick to that mission – help your client understand his or her needs and then help fill those needs – and your sales process will always be moving toward delivering a proposal.

So how do you implement that collaborative, consultative approach? The key is to ask questions, and then actively listen to what your clients have to say in response.

Start by querying a client on his or her situation, goals, plans, the challenges he or she faces or expects to face. Then start asking about factors that could impact the ways in which that client could reach his or her objectives. You want to help organize these considerations to help the client arrive at a plan. The more you empathize with and seek to understand your customer’s situation, the more you will be able to present a solution (i.e., your proposal). Moreover, along the way, you’ll be developing trust and positioning yourself as an advisor and expert resource for that client.

To be that expert, you must make sure that you understand your product and services offerings backwards and forwards. You want to ensure that as you are asking questions and learning about your client’s needs that you can start envisioning the various products or services that can help him or her. Also, ensure that you have the right referral partners in place. You might need outside help, and you want to be able to put together a package deal, even if it involves a third party.

When you finally feel confident you know what your customer needs, then you can present the client with your solution – this is the moment you are asking for the business. You tell the client that you have developed an optimal set of offerings to help them solve the problems they are facing or help the customer achieve the goal they want. You want to put together a complete solution that you can describe inside and out.

If you’ve done your job extremely well, then you might be able to convince your client to approve and sign the deal right there and then, but chances are that the customer will want to revise or change the deal. That should not bother you.

In fact, it is part of the collaborative process. True, your first proposal might knock it out of the park, but chances are, you might need to work your way around the bases before you get to cross home plate. So, don’t balk at any resistance. Instead, expect it and work with the client to more finely tune the solution. Ask more questions and keep striving to better understand the client’s needs and situation.

If you keep working with the client in a collaborative fashion, not only will you ensure that you get the business, but position yourself as a valued and trusted resource that client will want to return to, again and again.

These days, many people are taking their retirement into their own hands. While it’s nice to rely on an employers 401(K) plan – let alone the largely bygone benefit of a pension – many individuals are feeling like they don’t have the control they once had.

For instance, of the many companies that reduced or stopped their fund matching for their 401(K) programs in 2008, only 49 percent of them had resumed those contributions by 2010, according to researchers at Towers Watson. As a result, some might consider seeing what they can do with their own retirement account management.

And even then, that assumes full-time work. Many individuals who were laid off by employers have transitioned to part-time or freelance/contract work status in the face of an extremely difficult job market. Those self-starters must find ways to manage their retirement investing all by themselves.

Enter the Roth IRA. A Roth IRA is an individual retirement account that lets people invest up to a certain amount each year with the earnings gained on those investments coming to them entirely tax-free. While their wealth accumulates, they do not pay taxes. And when they cash out, they do not pay taxes.

The trade-off is that they can only invest so much in those accounts. The yearly cap on what investors can put in Roth IRAs depends on the investor’s filing status (individual; married, filing jointly; etc.), but for a typical person filing individually earning under $107,000 annually, the Roth IRA contribution limit is $5,000. The caps hinge on income in order to ensure that normal, everyday working folks are able to fund their retirement, while at the same time preventing extremely wealthy people from being able to capitalize on a government-created tax shelter. (The IRS publication 590, available online, provides complete guidelines on income caps for Roth IRAs.)

Once you invest in a Roth IRA, you’re given the option of putting your money in various growth vehicles, just like any other retirement account. You can invest in funds, stocks, CDs, bonds and money markets, as well as mix your investments to come up with a balanced retirement account.

Unlike some investment accounts, you can withdraw your contributions at any time without incurring a penalty. This can be a huge relief in case of financial emergency. That said, you cannot withdraw any earnings made on those contributions without incurring a penalty. If you withdraw your earnings you will get hit with not only taxes on those earnings, but a 10 percent fee as well. Again, Roth IRAs are set up to be retirement accounts, and their rules encourage that.

You can also withdraw up to $10,000 in both contributions and earnings, tax- and penalty-free, from a Roth IRA to invest in a home. For couples this can be a boon, as they can both withdraw from their Roth IRAs, meaning they now have $20,000 to put to a new home. The key is that the account must have been active for at least five years.

If you encounter financial difficulty, federal law exempts Roth IRAs from bankruptcy claims of up to $1 million. Plus, most states protect Roth IRAs, up to a certain amount, from creditors.

To get started, you can reach out to any investment firm. It’s best to define what types of investments you’re considering making, such as funds or money markets, and then contact a firm that specializes in those investments (or a firm that offers an array of investment services). Many of them require a minimum deposit to get started, which will average roughly $2,500, depending on the firm.

In today’s challenging economy, more and more people are opting to nix expensive vacation stays at top-tier holiday retreats with some quality time at home, and what better a way to do that than with a home sauna.

As the weather starts to cool down, it’s not hard to imagine the warm luxury you can enjoy through soaking up some heat, while icicles dangle from your eaves and rain gutters. The snow might not be melting, but you’ll be able to feel your cares and stress dissolve away. And believe it or not, home saunas are actually attainable. Here are some considerations:

•First off, talk to a doctor to ensure you don’t have any medical conditions that could be exacerbated by exposure to a home sauna’s prolonged heat. You don’t want to invest time and money only to find you can’t enjoy it.

•There are two main types of home saunas, steam and infrared. Steam saunas are along the lines of your classic Finnish style sauna. You sit inside a chamber and hot water is poured over rocks heated by a heating element. The water turns to steam and this warms the air and helps clean out your pores and soothe aching muscles. An infrared sauna heats the air using an infrared heating source to create radiant heat. Radiant heat is actually preferable, some argue, because it penetrates much deeper into the body, having a more therapeutic benefit where aching joints and muscles are concerned. Moreover, infrared saunas typically consume less electricity and thus have lower operating costs.

•Home saunas are available in various designs and sizes and can be ordered as prefabricated unites, kits that you build on your own, or as professionally installed items. There are various sizes and formats available for any of these options. Similarly, home saunas are available as both outdoor and indoor options. So, if space is limited indoors, but you have some room in the yard, deep heating relief could be a few yards away from your back door.

•The cost is not immense. Home sauna kits start at roughly $1,250 for a pre-cut, two-person model that you assemble, and ramp up from there with prefabricated units and custom-built items costing much more. The price all depends on the quality, size, format and layout of the home sauna.

•Don’t be afraid to hire a professional. Even if you are considering ordering a pre-cut sauna kit, there are home sauna firms that will assemble and install the kit for a fee. Obviously there are safety concerns such as fire risk that go into installing a sauna that might keep you from wanting to do this as a completely DIY project, so don’t be afraid to call in the experts if needed.

•Ensure you maintain proper safety in and around the sauna. You always want to avoid all metal and anything that comes into contact with your body that can heat up. Items such as glasses, jewelry and even contact lenses can burn you. Also, make sure to install raised wooden walkways to prevent slips and falls.

•Kids are an especially important concern. Children under 12 should not be allowed to operate a sauna without an adult as there are too many risks for falls and burns. Also, because they cannot regulate their body temperature the same way as adults, children should spend no more than 10 to 15 minutes in the sauna at a time.