Lock the Door on Theft – Home Security Tips

Did you know that one home is broken into every 14.6 seconds? Home break-in crimes may be more common than you think, but taking certain precautions before you leave the house (and while you’re in it) can greatly reduce your risk of a burglary attempt. The infographic below shows a few surprising stats about break-ins and essential home safety tips and security information that can help you protect what’s important to you.


Provided by Nationwide

Why You Need a Financial Planning Date Night

Aside from the yearly reminder sometime before April 15 you need to gather up your financial documents and actually look at them, it’s easy to forget they exist the rest of the year.

One way to keep it at the top of your mind is to schedule a financial date night with your partner. Make it after you’ve filed your taxes; you’ll have a better idea of where your investments stand then, and you’ll be motivated to keep your financial house in order for the rest of the year.

To keep the tax-season momentum going, make a plan about what you need to discuss and analyze regarding your personal finances. Enjoy an evening out over dinner or cocktails to discuss your finances.

Here are some personal finance areas to put on the list:

IRA beneficiaries

Your IRA beneficiaries are not covered by a will. You have to name beneficiaries on the designation form. Each year, it’s a good idea to see who is on that form. Did you name the sibling you’re no longer talking to? Did you forget to remove your ex-spouse after the divorce? Did you have kids in the last year and you want them to receive the IRA proceeds? Would you rather support a charity with a portion of the money?

“You can name a charity as the beneficiary of your IRA, regardless of the account size,” said Dan Mathews, CFP in a post for the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. Talk to your partner during the date night about who you want to receive your IRA, and make any appropriate changes.

Life insurance

 Life insurance protects the living and ensures that your family can survive – and thrive financially — if one of the main providers dies. Life insurance proceeds can be used to pay for housing, school tuition, outstanding debt, household expenses, taxes, funeral costs and childcare.

It’s helpful to analyze your life insurance needs each year, because circumstances can change. Perhaps you’ve moved into a more expensive home or a city with a higher cost of living. Maybe the kids are now in private school. Your income might have increased. All of these affect your family’s financial needs. Talk to your insurance agent about what you should have in life insurance, or check a financial life insurance calculator online.

Disability insurance

 According to the Social Security Administration, slightly more than one in four Americans who are currently 20 years old will be disabled before they’re 67. Disability insurance provides a portion of your salary should you become unable to work due to illness or an accident. Without disability insurance, could you cover your living expenses if you couldn’t work? Check to see if you have disability insurance through your employer. Find out how much it covers and whether you should supplement it.

Loans

The yearly check-in should include a look at your outstanding debts. It’s helpful to know what you owe, whether it’s student loans, mortgage, car loans, credit cards or anything else. How much of your debt are you paying off each year, and is there a way to pay off the loans with the highest interest rates first? Or perhaps you can adjust your budget to cut back on spending, applying that savings to pay off your debt.

Mortgage

 If you’ve had your home for a long time, it’s possible that your mortgage rate is higher than it needs to be. See what you’re paying now and what the current rates are for refinancing. You might be able to save money by refinancing to a different, lower-priced mortgage.

Investments

 A yearly review of your investments will help you understand how your investments are doing and whether you need to rebalance them. Make a spreadsheet to discuss during your date, noting your retirement account balances, investment accounts and available cash. Are your investments diversified? Do you have a good mix of stocks, bonds and cash, depending on your age? Make a plan with your partner about what you need to change in your investment mix in the next year.

Credit report and credit score

 Every year, it’s a good idea to look over your credit report and make sure it’s accurate. You can get a free credit report from all three major reporting agencies from AnnualCreditReport.com. It’s helpful to look at your credit score, especially if you’re planning to make a big purchase requiring a loan, such as a car. This gives you time to make adjustments to improve your credit score.

Going over the finances each year with your partner can be a bonding experience. By making it a date night, you enjoy each other’s company along with some food and drink. Prepare all the paperwork ahead of time to ensure that it will be productive as well, understanding your joint finances and what you can do together to improve your financial future. Visit the Nationwide Bank Resource Center and use our helpful calculators to help you and your partner plan your savings, credit card payments, mortgage and more.

20 Spring Cleaning Hacks to Simplify Your Life

Spring has arrived – which means it’s time to get your home in shipshape. Check out the creative spring cleaning tips and tricks below to make your house sparkle with the least amount of elbow grease.

1. Remove water stains with lemon halves.

Make faucets sparkly clean by rubbing a lemon half on the stains. The citric acid helps remove hard water marks.

2. Organize your fridge and cabinets with rotating turntables.

Rotating turntables and Lazy Susans don’t have to be limited to your tabletops. After discarding old condiments and spices, organize your pantries and refrigerator with this useful storage hack.

3. Use coffee filters to clean screens.

Does your TV screen or computer monitor show fingerprints, smudges and dust? The fiber in coffee filters may be gentle enough to rub them away.

4. Clean dirty keyboards with cotton swabs.

Cotton swabs can clean more than just your ears. Use them to sweep the dust and grime lodged between the keys on your computer keyboard.

5. Cover your showerhead with a plastic bag containing white vinegar to remove buildup.

Mineral deposits accumulate in showerheads over time, causing reduced pressure and water flow. Fill a plastic bag with white vinegar, secure it over the showerhead with a rubber band and leave it overnight to get rid of buildup.

6. Use a butter knife to clean air vents.

Don’t let that dust build up for another minute. Use a butter knife for easy access. Simply wrap the knife in a rag and wipe between the crevices of the vent.

7. Unpack and stack your spring/summer clothes vertically.

Are your dresser drawers a mess? Instead of putting away folded clothes flat, stack them vertically for easy access.

8. Use cream of tartar to clean toasters and tea kettles.

Combine 1 tsp of cream of tartar with just enough water to create a milky paste. Rub the solution onto your stainless steel appliances and wipe away to reveal their original shine.

9. Clean stainless steel sinks with baking soda.

Simply wet your sink and faucet, sprinkle baking soda, and scrub with a sponge. If you need more heavy-duty scrubbing power, add salt to the baking soda.

10. Wrap a towel over a broom to clean hard-to-reach places.

Cobwebs and dust can collect in room corners and on ceiling fans. Brush them away by securing a towel over the bristle end of a broom with a large rubber band. The dust and cobwebs stick to the cloth.

11. Use a window squeegee to scrape pet hair from your carpet or rug.

12. Use Velcro strips to keep drawer organizers in place.

Attach the grippy strips to one end of your drawer and the other to your drawer organizers. This keeps them in place, but lets you remove the organizer when needed.

13. Know your couch or rug before cleaning it.

Don’t ruin your upholstered furniture by using the wrong cleaner. Not all manufacturer labels state what type of solvent to use. Familiarize yourself with the cleaning codes below.

Upholstery Cleaning Labels:
W: Use water-based cleaning solutions.
S: Use dry-cleaning solvents. Do not saturate. Do not use water.
S-W: Use water-based cleaners or dry-cleaning solvents.
X: Use a vacuum or brush only.

14. Clean your grill with an onion.

Get your grill cleaned up and ready for the warm weather. First, heat it up and spray some white vinegar onto the grates to help loosen the residue. Then, scrub the area firmly using half an onion. The acid from the onion will rid your grill of any leftover remnants.

15. Use newspaper to clean dirty windows and mirrors.

Mix ¼ cup of white vinegar, 2 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of liquid soap into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture onto the glass and scrub with newspaper for a streak-free window or mirror. The ink acts as a mild abrasive and allows you to make use of old newspapers.

16. Place clean towels under furniture to avoid scratching hardwood and tile floors.

Looking to freshen up your home by rearranging furniture? Slide things around easily without damaging floors by placing folded, clean towels under each end of the furniture.

17. Soak a dryer sheet in water and place on your ceramic stovetop to remove gunk.

Dryer sheets are non-abrasive and a great way to remove burnt-on food from your stove. Place the wet dryer sheet on your stovetop at least 15 minutes before rubbing the gunk away.

18. Use a dustpan to help fill a large mop bucket.

Not all mop buckets fit in bathtubs. If yours is too large, try using a dustpan as a spout by placing it flat on your sink to transfer water to the bucket. This handy hack is also helpful for other large containers you want to fill.

19. Clean your microwave by heating lemon juice and rinds in water.

Cut a lemon into halves, squeeze the juice into 1/2 cup of water and drop the rinds into the mixture. Microwave for 3 minutes and let it stand for 5 without opening the door. The trapped steam will loosen the grime, so you can wipe the microwave clean.

20. Recycle old socks to use as dusting mitts.

Eager to try these hacks? Here’s a spring cleaning plan with more tips to help get you started.

3 Ways to Save on Teen Car Insurance


For parents, having a teen driver in the house can be cause for mixed emotions. On the one hand there’s the added freedom of having another driver who can run errands and no longer needs to be driven to school or extracurricular activities.

On the flip side, many parents worry about the extra expense of adding a teenager to the insurance policy, as well as the accompanying expenses of gas and perhaps even an additional car.

Several factors affect how much the cost of insurance increases when a teen driver is added, including geography and gender. Insuring teen male drivers is more expensive than females, and certain areas are simply more expensive than others. While you can’t do much to change those two factors, there are many ways for parents to cut insurance costs. The good news is that, in addition to improving the bottom line, these options could help your teen become a better driver or even become more conscientious about his or her grades.

Here are three things you can do right now to start saving money on your teenager’s auto insurance.

1. Look into a good student discount

The grades your teen earns can lower the amount of insurance you have to pay. This is something you may have to ask for, so if your student driver is earning a minimum of a B average, contact your insurance agent. Before you call, make sure you have proof of the student’s academic prowess. It may be in the form of a report card or a form signed by a school administrator to verify those grades. The discount is also valid for homeschooled teens, who will need to provide results from a standardized test (PSAT, SAT, ACT, etc.) and must be in the top 20 percent of the student scores nationwide. Even better news – this discount continues when your driver goes to college and it’s offered up to the age of 24. Click here to learn more about getting a good-student discount.

2. Consider telematics

Telematics are electronics that record and report on a driver’s habits. That information can be used in many ways; it allows insurance companies to reward drivers for good behavior, and it also lets drivers (or their parents) receive feedback on their driving, which can help them make better decisions behind the wheel. Nationwide’s program SmartRide gives drivers an automatic 5 percent break on the teen’s insurance just for signing up, then offers additional discounts – as much as 40 percent – based on a driver’s habits. They provide a device that is easily installed, tracking four factors: hard braking, fast acceleration, miles driven and nighttime miles.

3. Don’t buy new

While most teens dream of a shiny new car to begin driving, it’s not the best financial move. The reason teens cost more to insure is these inexperienced drivers tend to have more accidents, so buying a new car is going to mean higher repair costs if they have a fender bender. Buying an older car that has good safety ratings won’t just mean lower repair costs and lower monthly car payments, it will cost less to insure.

Having the right car insurance is extremely important, even more so for a young driver. Find out how Nationwide can help you save money on teen car insurance while keeping you covered.

Link to original article

Casa del Barco restaurant opening second location with rooftop tequileria in Short Pump Town Center

BY KARRI PEIFER Richmond Times-Dispatch

Casa del Barco, the Mexican restaurant that Richmond restaurant Kevin Healy opened on the Canal Walk in 2013, is planning a second location in Short Pump Town Center.

The restaurant will join its sister restaurant The Boathouse, which opened its third location in the mall in 2015. The new Casa del Barco will be in the former Tara Thai.
This location will be 8,400 square feet and include an "open-air rooftop tequileria" with a menu of 200 tequilas or mezcals. There will also be a private dining.
“We wanted to find the right fit for our second Casa del Barco location and when the opportunity to open at Short Pump Town Center was available, we knew we couldn’t pass it up,” Healy said.
The new Casa del Barco is expected to open this summer and will create 85 jobs, according to a news release. The restaurant will serve lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch.

The Boathouse restaurant group is also working on a The Boathouse restaurant location in Hopewell. That spot is slated to open in April or May.

Original Article

Need to save a little money for the Holidays?! Energy efficiency may be one of the ways to do it!

7 Ways to Stop Drafts in Your Home

Drafts, or air leaks, can come into your home through windows, fireplaces and even electrical outlets, making your house feel several degrees colder and driving up your heating bills. The potential energy savings from reducing drafts can range from 5% to 30% per year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Here are seven ways to find and fix drafts in your home before winter’s frigid temperatures hit.

Windows and doors

Most people automatically think to check for gaps around their windows and doors, and many will opt to use self-sticking weather stripping or a decorative draft stopper to stop air leakage. Others will caulk around their doors and windows. Caulking, however, isn’t as easy as it sounds.

“Caulking seems easy until it’s coming out of the end of the tube and you can’t control it, it goes all over the place and it doesn’t go where you want it to go,” says Mark Clement, co-host of a home improvement radio show. The problem, he says, is there are so many different types of caulking to choose from. The best choice is to use a high-quality latex caulk that cleans up with water.

You should also check for cracked caulking around your doors and windows. If you find any cracks, you will need to re-caulk those areas to prevent cold air from seeping in. If you want to add an extra barrier between the outside air and your home, you could also install an insulating plastic film over your windows to provide an airtight seal.

An easy way to stop air leakage, says Clement, is to lock your windows. Sometimes a window will look closed but, until it is locked, it’s hard to tell if the window is shut tight, he says. If you can’t lock your window, try opening it all the way and closing it again to make sure the window is still on its track. If that doesn’t work, you might need to call a professional to check your window.

Floors

If you have an unfinished basement, there is a good chance your floors feel cold when you walk around in bare feet and even when you wear socks, Clement says. The best way to stop cold air from penetrating the floor is to add insulation under the flooring.

Cable lines and wires

Anywhere a cable, wire or pipe goes from inside to out, there is typically an air leak. If the hole around the wire or pipe is a quarter of an inch or less, you can use caulk to seal it, Clement says. If it is larger, use foam insulation to close the hole.

Electrical devices

Contractors often under-insulate light switches and plugs, says Clement. As a result, they can become wind tunnels. If you remove the electrical wall plate around your light switch or plug, you may see a gap between the device and the wall. You can fill up the cavity with low-expanding foam insulation. This video explains how to do it (but when in doubt, consult a professional).

Attics

Make sure your attic is properly insulated. It’s important to seal areas where exhaust fans, attic stairs and small holes allow cool air to seep into your home. Foam insulation and weather stripping can be added to the plywood or drywall in your attic to help seal up those areas.

Fireplaces

The damper inside your chimney is meant to keep the cold air out but since dampers are typically made of cast iron, they don’t entirely keep the cold away. One way to stop drafts from fireplaces is to insert a piece of thick foam insulation covered with decorative fabric at the fireplace opening when you aren’t using the fireplace.

Buffer your home with landscaping

Shrubs and trees planted around your home can help protect it from the wind in the winter and provide shade in the summer. For instance, says Clement, if you plant an evergreen tree in front of your house it will protect your home from the wind, keeping the cold air from hitting your house and windows directly.