• Tweet

• Tweet

Currently, flu season has been replaced with warm and sunny days for most Americans.

Yet, the financial impact on those who sought medical attention due to influenza outbreaks this past winter has given penny pinchers a case of mysophobia as they attempt to avoid expensive medical bills.

Reports from Frugal Dad state businesses lose an average of $16.3 billion annually due to flu related illnesses compared to the average American’s $92 loss per year.

The reported $87.1 billion taken out of the U.S. economy every year due to influenza is enough to supply every American with vaccinations for eight years!

While you may not be a germaphobe, the cost you may incur if you or a loved one becomes infected may persuade you to wear rubber gloves until you get your finances in order – or at least a reliable health insurance plan.

Here is a cool infographic from our friends at Frugal Dad illustrating the true cost of catching the flu.

Source: FrugalDad.com

• Tweet

• Tweet

The birds are chirping, the weather’s heating up, and the days on the calendar are turning to dust. For me, this time signals my need to figure out whose boat I’m going to be claiming temporary residency on this summer. For you, however, it might mean you’re starting to wonder how you’ll entertain your out-of-school kids for three straight months. If yours are perpetually bored with the Slip-n-Slide in the backyard, check it: 7 U.S. destinations that’ll knock your kids’ socks off and educate them at the same time. I don’t think you can ask for much more, besides the occasional bit of peace and quiet from endless iCarly reruns.

Ellis Island, New York

I went to Ellis Island when I was 13 on my first and only trip to New York City. It was part of a pretty unbelievable experience that included standing atop the World Trade Center that fell just four months later. With more than a million immigrants passing through between 1892 and 1934, it’s not hard to see why Ellis Island is a perfect attraction for history aficionados. Show your curious-minded little ones around the place that kick-started the American dream for so many people, some of which might be in your family tree!

Grand Canyon, Arizona

I love, love, LOVE the Grand Canyon. Of all the places I’ve seen and natural wonders I’ve experienced, it’s the one place that made me really put things into perspective. I’m truly racking my brain wondering how to explain the grandeur, splay of colors, and vastness of it all, but I really can’t. It’ll blow you away and make you realize life is preeeeeeeetty awesome. Just don’t fall in!

Redwood National Park, California

Since I’m all about seeing places that make me feel really small (like the Grand Canyon), visiting Redwood National Park is vying for a top spot on my list of places to see in the U.S. Take a scenic drive through the mammoth redwoods, then visit the Klamath River Overlook to try and spot migrating gray whales!

Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Parents, know this: There’s at least a 90% chance your kid has seen the Space Camp flyers making a regular appearance in your mailbox, and trust me, they’re dying to go. If Space Camp is a wee bit too pricey, why not grab some tickets and experience Cape Canaveral instead? They’ll get to see the launch and landing facilities, stand next to massive rockets, and even have a little fun on a simulator! Another great place for a science lesson or two!

Niagara Falls, New York

If your family stays clear of Splash Mountain at Disney World for fear of soggy shoes and – my biggest worry – hair that resembles a stray dog in a rainstorm, this might not be for you. But if you’re up for getting soaked and wearing the single most fashionable blue rain poncho on this planet, take a ride on the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls. The sheer volume of water will fascinate your kids, and it’s a perfect place for a little science lesson on glaciers.

Shedd Aquarium, Illinois

Chicago’s chock full of culture, historical landmarks, and museums, but it’s the Shedd Aquarium that’s packing in fun to the gills with over 25,000 fish! With just about every species of swimmers under the deep blue sea, it’s a great place to take the tots for a day of fun! Since a place like Shedd Aquarium will really get your kids’ curiosity flowing, you might want to be armed in advance with an answer as to how a whale got through the front door. Pretty mind-boggling if you ask me.  

The Everglades, Florida

Come on, what kid isn’t fascinated by alligators? I’m pretty averse to anything that slithers and makes its home in mud, but there’s just something intriguing about those creepy-eyed creatures. Grab the family and hop on an airboat for a spin through the swampy wetlands, just keep the kids’ hands inside and away from the sharp sets of chompers lurking below! 

While this list is AWESOME and I advise you to keep it in mind as summer break kicks off, it’s just a tiny fraction of all the mind-blowingly beautiful and educational locales across the U.S. that your kids will enjoy. Get planning and brace yourself for a fun-filled summer!

FHA announced that it will lower up-front and annual mortgage insurance premiums for streamline refinancing of FHA loans endorsed on or before May 31,2009. Effective June 11, 2012, the up-front mortgage insurance premium rate paid at closing will be reduced to .01 percent and the annual mortgage insurance premium rate will be reduced to .55 percent for qualified homeowners. Endorsement dates for FHA mortgage insurance can differ from actual mortgage closing dates. Homeowners interested in streamline refinancing can call their mortgage servicing companies for determining FHA endorsement dates for their loans. Acting FHA commissioner Carol Galante remarked that lowering the insurance premium rates for streamlining FHA mortgages “is one way that FHA can help homeowners who are doing the right thing, paying their bills on time and who want to take advantage of today’s low interest rates.” Homeowners whose home values have fallen and cannot refinance their FHA mortgage loans elsewhere may benefit from this program.

FHA: Streamline refinancing could help millions

FHA estimates that there are approximately 3.4 million households with qualifying FHA mortgage loans with mortgage rates over 5 percent. The average household could save about $250 per month or $3000 annually using streamline refinancing. Providing homeowners with underwater mortgages an inexpensive method of refinancing can prevent foreclosures and provide homeowners with additional cash for paying bills or meeting essential household expenses. FHA asserts that lowering the MIP rates for streamline refinances will not incur taxpayer expenses or jeopardize its mutual mortgage insurance fund.

Low mortgage rates boosting refinance affordability

Refinancing to a lower mortgage rate provides benefits including lowering your monthly payments paying off your mortgage loan faster, as more of each mortgage payment is applied to your mortgage balance. FHA programs also provides refinancing options for homeowners wishing to refinance their non-FHA mortgage loans. Homeowners without enough equity for conventional refinancing options may qualify for refinancing through FHA, which allows for rolling allowable closing costs into the new mortgage amount and will approve refinance mortgages for up to 97.5 percent of your home’s current value. Contact your mortgage lender or FHA approved lenders for more information about FHA loans and current mortgage rates. Comparing multiple quotes assists with finding your best deal on FHA refinancing.

This entry was posted
on Friday, May 18th, 2012 at 2:05 pm and is filed under .
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

• Tweet

• Tweet

Wouldn’t it be nice to say you woke up in the morning and by the end of the day you had $20.3 billion more than when the day started?

How about turning a $500,000 investment into $1.7 billion over a 10-year span?

In case you didn’t hear, Facebook hit the stock market today, and let’s just say a lot of people just got Scrooge McDuck-type money.

You all remember Scrooge McDuck from Duck Tales, right? He was the old duck that would swim around in pools full of gold coins, spitting coins out of his mouth like a water fountain?

Well, according to CNNMoney, there are at least a half-dozen new billionaires who could do that if they wanted to.

Leading the pack is Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who owns 534 million shares worth $20.3 billion. Don’t worry – if you think that’s too much money, he’s going to be selling off 30 million shares to raise $1.1 billion for Facebook to sit on.

Hey Mark – feel free to send around 30 million shares my way if you’d like. Let’s be honest, you would still have 474 million shares even after selling off the 30 million of your own. I’m a nice guy. What do you say?

To check out the rest of Facebook’s new billionaires, click here to view the slide show.