The Allstate Blog » Thomas McMahon

Top 10 Cars From Your Favorite Movies

Thomas McMahon — Mon, 02 May 2011 20:34:36 +0000

Remember that beautiful car from a movie that just made your heart melt? Well, AutoWeek came out with their List of Top 10 Movie Cars. Is your favorite movie car on the list? While I agree with most of their list, I was surprised that neither the Batmobile or any of the Bond Cars did make it on to the list. What do you think of their list of top 10 movie cars? What is your all time favorite car from a movie?

Bullitt’s Mustang from Bullitt
Milner’s Coupe from American Graffiti
The Bluesmobile from The Blues Brothers
The Minis from The Italian Job
The Deathmobile from Animal House
Lightning McQueen from Cars
Harry’s Dog Grooming Van from Dumb and Dumber
Eleanor from Gone in 60 Seconds
Porsche 917 from Le Mans
The DeLorean DMC-12 from Back to the Future

Finding a Good Rewards Card

Thomas McMahon — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:55:17 +0000

In addition to helping you establish your credit history, credit cards can be a way to reap significant benefits from your everyday habits. These days, most credit cards offer some type of rewards program ranging from miles for an airline to gifts and even cash back. Although most rewards cards come with an annual fee, most of us usually spend enough to make the small fee worth the price. Recently, I began looking for a new rewards card and was overwhelmed with the number of options. From airlines to cash back cards, most major credit card companies have several options--Capital One and Citi even offers cards affiliated with MTV! Because all credit card companies have differing rewards structures and earning percentages, trying to compare similar cards can be quite a daunting task. So after doing some research, I've found some resources and tips to help you easily figure out if the credit card that will maximize your rewards.

1. Consider your spending habits

Because rewards cards usually have an annual fee attached to them, you should always make sure the rewards you receive are more than the amount you are paying to maintain the card. Also, certain credit cards can help you maximize your rewards if you spend a significant amount of money in areas such as entertainment or travel.

2. Find your credit score

Regardless of how responsible of a person you are, credit card companies often determine your interest rate and the type of card you qualify for based on your credit score. Knowing your credit score before you begin applying for a credit card will minimize surprises and potential disappointments once you know what your credit score does and does not qualify you for. Checking your credit report is also a good way to make sure your information is correct and there are no false claims against you.

3. Compare similar awards

Sites such as CreditCardTuneUp.com can make recommendations for cards based on how much and where you spend your money each month. Although CreditCardTuneUp.com only compares cards based on their awards, you should also consider the card companys late payment-forgiveness policy, its fraud policy and also its interest rate.

4. Check the fine print every year

Rewards programs usually tweak the fine print every year and different types of rewards can be added or taken away without notice. To protect your earnings and rewards, it is always a good idea to understand the changing policy and keep track of your rewards so that they dont expire.

Term Life Insurance – A Simple Explanation

Thomas McMahon — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:58:18 +0000

Life insurance can be confusing. Have you heard people asking questions like these?

What is life insurance?
Why do I need life insurance?
What do I get with life insurance?
How much do I have to pay for life insurance?
How can I trust a life insurance agent?

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month. We are writing simple posts to explain life insurance. Also, you can ask questions about your situation. Term Life Insurance

What is it?
- Term means a period of time.
- This could be 5, 10, 20, or 30 years.
Why do people buy it?
- To replace their income if they die
- Less expensive than other insurance policies
How do I decide how much I need?
- Try one of these calculators
  - How much do I need?
  - Estimator From MSN Money
Dave Ramsey says, A rule of thumb is 8 10 times your income
- Multiply your yearly salary by 8 and by 10
Suze Orman says, $120,000 in insurance for every $500 of monthly income
- Divide your monthly income by $500
- Multiply that number by 120,000
How much does it cost?
- It depends on things like
  - Age
  - Health History
  - Tobacco Use
  - Amount you want
  - Term (or Time) of Policy
How can I get a quick estimate?

Heres a quick term insurance estimate
- 6 Steps
- Takes about 60 seconds
- Easy to understand
- Dont have to talk to an insurance agent

Related Resources

Life Insurance – Reasons to Consider It

Thomas McMahon — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:14:22 +0000

Life insurance can be very difficult to understand. Especially the costs and benefits. Take term insurance as an example. To some people, it is frustrating to have to send a check every month and never get anything back! So why would anyone buy this stuff?

Some Humorous Reasons to Consider Life Insurance

Your brother-in-law sells insurance
You want the local college to name a building after you
You want to set up a trust fund for your dog after you die
You want a fancy funeral
You hope your children will visit more often if they are beneficiaries

Some Better Reasons to Consider Life Insurance

All kidding aside, there are some good reasons to consider life insurance including the following:

You want to leave money to your favorite charity
You want cash to help transfer your business to family or a partner
You want some cash so your family doesnt have to sell a business or farm
You want to pay off your debts
You want to take care of your loved ones if you die too soon

Regardless of which reason is important to you, you should consider what you want to protect. No one can tell you what the right amount of life insurance should be. However, a good insurance agent can help you quantify how much coverage you may need and how much it will cost.

Getting the right mix of term and permanent is important

Some needs, like taking care of your children, only last for a certain period of time. When they are grown, the need will be gone, so term insurance can help with that need. Other needs last for life so you may want to consider some types of permanent insurance The key is to take action and get started now. Even if you cant afford to buy the entire amount, starting today can help protect your family in the future.

Need to Know More?

Investing in Life Insurance

Featured Blogger Matt Easley is Vice President of Life Products at Allstate Insurance. His views are his own and do not necessarily represent the positions, strategies, or opinions of Allstate.

All Things Wheels Digest – Volume 2

Thomas McMahon — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:05:13 +0000

Every few weeks we will surface links from blogs and news sites around the web to highlight interesting links for our community members. Here are some great articles for this digest of All Things Wheels.

The best-selling car of 2008: Cheap and plastic!

Who had the best selling car in 2008? No, not GM, Toyota, Ford, or BMW. The answer? The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe.

Is Pay As You go Car Insurance Right For You?

Many drivers are currently looking into pay as you go car insurance as a solution to cheaper auto insurance. Weigh the pros and cons before deciding.

Car Talk

Could cars directly talk to each other to make the streets safer? An Australian based company is designing a Wi-Fi chip for your car that can communicate with other similarly designed cars to warn drivers of oncoming danger.

How to Help Protect One of Your Most Important Assets, Your Home

Thomas McMahon — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:18:46 +0000

A home is often the biggest purchase you will ever make. To help protect it, you should make sure your mortgage is “protected”, keep up on preventive maintenance, make sure your home is adequately insured, and keep an eye on the future resale value.

Here are four simple ways to help protect your home for the future.

1. Protect Your Mortgage

Thirty years is a long time, and life is full of surprises. Do you know how you’d make your mortgage payment if you were out of work for several months, if a health crisis drained your savings, or if you or your spouse were to die? Make a back-up plan now, and you’ll thank yourself later.

Many families rely on life insurance or annuities to help make sure the mortgage gets paid. They factor in the mortgage balance when deciding what level of benefits they need. You can also use savings accounts and money-market funds to make sure funds are available for short-term needs.

How about your home equity loan? If you have a line of credit, you can use the money for anything you want—to fund vacations, pay off credit cards, or cover other shortfalls. But keep in mind that you’re putting your house on the line. Decide ahead of time how large a monthly payment you can afford, and make sure you stay below that amount.

2. Learn to Love Preventive Maintenance

Cleaning out air filters and testing smoke alarms are no one’s idea of fun, but they could save you big bucks (and headaches) in the long run.

The biggest hurdle is often organization—knowing what to do and when to do it. There are recommendations for how often to do most repair and maintenance tasks. (Clean your furnace or air filter every three months. Test your circuit breakers twice a year. Drain the sediments from your water heater once a year. You may need more or less maintenance depending on your situation.)

A good home-maintenance guide will tell you what you need to do and how often each task should be done. Browse through a couple books at the library or bookstore. Then grab your calendar, and you’re ready to get started. Mark down the date you do each task, then count forward and mark the next “due date.” Follow the schedule and your house will stay in great condition for decades to come.

Here are three popular books to get you started: How Your House Works, The Ultimate Guide to Home Repair & Improvement, and Home Maintenance for Dummies.

3. Don’t Skimp on Insurance

If you haven’t taken a close look at your homeowners insurance policy, now is the time. Homeowners insurance is required whenever you have a mortgage. Your house is collateral for the loan, so your lender wants to be sure it’s insured. But you should make sure that the policy fits your needs, too.

See whether and to what extent your belongings and your valuables are protected, not just the home itself. Clarify exactly what the insurance does and doesn’t cover. Take note of the coverage limits on your current policy, and be sure they’re still appropriate. While you’re at it, see if you might qualify for new discounts—especially if you’ve had a theft-protection system installed.

4. Keep the Home’s Resale Value in Mind

Buying a home opens up all kinds of exciting possibilities, but unless you plan to live out your days in that house, you’ll need to keep its future market value in mind.

Watch out for hot housing markets whose prices could plummet suddenly. Be honest with yourself about how much house you can afford. Use a mortgage calculator to help you see how much you can afford. And later on, keep future owners in mind when you renovate. (They might not love that aquamarine kitchen tile as much as you.)

Make This Work for You

…in 15 minutes or less
- Pick a home maintenance reference book to keep handy
- Check out month-by-month maintenance tips at ManageMyHome.com
- Set up your maintenance calendar (on paper, online, or at your computer—wherever you keep your daily calendar)
…in 1 hour or less
- Look over your homeowner’s insurance policy (or call your agent); make sure you understand what is and isn’t covered, and increase your coverage if needed
- Learn how life insurance and annuities can help cover your mortgage balance if you should die
…in the long run
- Mark maintenance tasks on your calendar in advance, and do each one as soon as the date rolls around
- Establish guidelines for what you will and won’t charge to your home equity loan, and decide how high a balance you can afford

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