Buying life insurance as a cancer patient presents several challenges.
We advise you not to stop your search though. It’s still imperative that you get coverage for your family to protect your current financial situation and to make your family more comfortable in the future.
For many cancer survivors, it is still definitely possible to buy an insurance policy.
Whether you get insured is contingent upon several issues and how advanced your cancer is and on the way, you handle your application.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the life insurance underwriting specifics for cancer patients. With this information, you’ll have a good idea what to expect once you start applying.
Life Insurance Underwriting for Cancer Patients
When you first meet with an advisor they want to get to know you better. And one of the ways they’ll accomplish this is going through a list of questions to understand your health more thoroughly. Here are examples of topics that will be discussed:
What year was your diagnosis?
Type of cancer you have/had?
How long did your cancer treatment last?
Have you needed to receive any cancer treatments like chemo or radiation therapy in the past 5 years?
Have you been disabled in the past year because of your cancer or for some other reason?
Do you have a family history of cancer and have any close family members died of cancer?
Make sure your application clearly answers everything regarding your medical history. The underwriters tend to get worried when they see an application that skips mentioning certain information, especially when the person applying is a former cancer patient. By submitting a complete application, you give yourself the best chance at getting a fair rating and avoiding a rejection.
Life Insurance Quotes for Cancer Patients
Are you applying for life insurance after cancer, the type of cancer you had is incredibly important. Serious cancers like leukemia could be uninsurable whereas mild forms like non-melanoma skin cancer could have no impact on your classification.
To get the best possible rating, it helps to wait at least five years since your last cancer treatment before applying. Insurance companies want to see this long break to make sure new problems don’t come up. From there, your quote depends on a variety of factors. While each insurance company, such as Banner Life or MetLife, have outlines for, we can estimate (to a degree) on what you can expect.
Preferred Plus: Possible but unlikely for applicants that only had non-melanoma skin cancer. Cancer treatment must have ended at least 5 years ago and applicant must be in perfect health otherwise.
Preferred: Also possible for applicants that only had non-melanoma skin cancer. Cancer treatment must have ended at least 5 years ago and applicant must be in very good health. Standards are a bit easier than Preferred Plus.
Standard: Ideal situation for cancer patients that had breast, thyroid, testicular, and prostate cancer. Applicants need to be cancer-free for at least 5 years. Applicants should also have good health.
Table Rating (substandard): Most cancer patients fit in here, except applicants with non-melanoma skin cancer. Table rating will depend on the applicant’s health at the time of application, the severity of the illness, and the applicant’s family history of cancer.
Declines: Most applicants that haven’t been cancer free for 5 years. Insurance companies also tend to decline applicants that had more serious forms of cancer like leukemia, colon cancer, or a cancer that metastasized.
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Life Insurance Case Studies for Cancer Patients
As a cancer patient, you need to handle your application properly to avoid unnecessary problems. Read over these examples that show the importance of a well-handled application.
Case Study: Female, 55 year old, non-smoker, with non-melanoma skin cancer at 47, only needed 1 year of treatment and had been healthy and cancer-free since then.
This applicant only had a mild case of non-melanoma skin cancer that had cleared up without any problems. Despite waiting the appropriate five years before applying and also being in very good health, but only got a substandard rating. It seemed insurers overweighted her past cancer history.
We suggested she reapply with a note from her doctor vouching for her good health and strong recovery. With our suggestion, she was able to qualify for a Preferred rating and got a price discount for her policy.
Case Study #2: Male, 62 y/o, had prostate cancer at 56, ended cancer treatment at 57, applied that year and was rejected
This applicant was treated for prostate cancer when he was 56. The treatments went well and the applicant fully recovered a little over a year afterward. Right after his treatment ended, this applicant decided to apply for coverage. He was rejected and gave up on ever trying again.
After reviewing our website, this applicant realized that he applied too soon after his cancer treatment to get a policy. We reviewed his application and also realized he left out some information on his past cancer treatments. Now five years later, this applicant tried again with an application that completely described his medical history. With these adjustments, he was able to receive a Substandard 1 policy, the best rating below Standard.
Getting Better Life Insurance Rates
As a cancer patient, you’ll be considered a “high-risk” applicant, which means that the insurance company is going to charge you higher premiums for your life insurance protection. Assuming you can’t get good rates is going to hinder your chances at getting covered sooner. Companies know that cancer is a part of life, and there are carriers in some instances that will still cover you!
Most likely you’re going to pay a higher premium than applicants who do not have cancer, but don’t add on top of that by using tobacco. Studies show that you might be charged double or more if you’ve smoked cigarettes or used chewing tobacco within the last year before you apply. So quit! There’s never been a better time than now.
The next thing to work on is the rest of your health. As a cancer patient you’ll need to improve the other areas of your health before you apply for coverage. It’s important to start working on eating better and getting physical exercise. These two things will shed those extra pounds, less blood pressure, and lower your cholesterol. The culmination of this leads to less of a monthly premium.
Getting life insurance as a cancer patient is definitely possible; you just need to be smart about your application. If you’re not sure what to do next, it might be a good idea to work with a qualified life insurance broker.
When my husband and I were first married we were on an extremely tight budget. We relocated from Ohio for him to go to a very expensive graduate school, and I had no job!
Eventually, I got a job as a career counselor and student affairs administrator at San Diego State University.
His tuition was about 1/3 of my gross salary. Fortunately, we had some savings to help with expenses.
This story explains how we managed to invest on a small salary, and ultimately grew our initial investment over 6 times.
The Investing Crucible
My first introduction to the 403(b) was through my employer. I made the decision to contribute the maximum allowed by law, even though I knew we couldn’t live on the rest of my salary.
I’d be lying if I said we didn’t miss the $800 per month retirement plan contribution, because we did.
And we couldn’t have done this had we not saved up a bit during the previous years to help tide us over.
Was this crazy or not?
My thinking was, I would dip into savings in order to meet our living expenses if necessary, and we would live as cheaply as possible.
We didn’t borrow for my husband’s tuition and we paid our credit card off in full every month. During those first two years of graduate school, before my husband started working part time, times were tough. (Side note; one year we were on a game show and won enough to pay for one year’s tuition)
Our entertainment consisted of pot luck dinners with our friends or happy hour at the local Tio Leo’s where one drink entitle you to a nice buffet of chicken wings, tacos, and snacks. That was our dinner. We rented movies for $1.00 at the video store (yes, back in the day, you had to go to a store and rent a movie).
There were plenty of months where we dipped into our savings because we transferred $900 per month from my salary into our TIAA-CREF 403(b) and my gross salary was only about $3,000 per month. As my salary increased, I increased the account contribution to the maximum allowed by law.
The Investing Payoff
My employer did not contribute to this account at all.
Since the early 1990’s until today, the account increased 6.38 times. Every dollar I contributed 20+ years ago is now worth $6.38.
After I left this job, I never contributed to this account again. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even change the asset allocation of this account which was 25% invested in a TIAA fixed return annuity and 75% in the CREF stock fund.
Notice the 14.4% return from January to September, 2013. That was lower than the return we would have earned had the asset allocation held more stock investments and less fixed. But for us, I like to keep a percent of our overall portfolio diversified into cash and bonds to smooth out the volatility, even if that hampers long term returns.
The Power of Investing Now
During the previous 20 years since I left this job, there have been times when the value of this account went down and other periods when it went up. As John Bogle recommends, I didn’t pay much attention to the value, because I had no intention of withdrawing the funds.
Had we not made the decision to struggle financially during those years, there is no way we would have the available assets we have today.
Personal Disclosure
To be perfectly honest, moving from Ohio to Southern California was a bit of a culture shock. As a “down to earth” girl, not overly obsessed with fancy cars etc., the So. Cal. environment was a shock. Everywhere you turned there was another luxury car. Appearances were very important!
This didn’t make me feel bad, while I drove my Chevy Cavalier, but it surprised me.
I knew I wanted to become wealthy eventually , and I understood that saving and investing was the way to get there. Well, saving, investing, and of course building up our earnings.
I enjoyed our lifestyle and realized how lucky we were to live in beautiful Southern California. I’d be lying if I said there weren’t times when I wished we had more disposable income:). But overall, I appreciate our former financial choices as I see the great payoff today.
That said, I don’t think we could have met our financial goals as easily had we not decided to move to a more affordable place to live while raising our daughter.
The Real Secret to Wealth
This simple chart shows the power of leaving your money in the markets and letting it compound. This is the value of 1 penny doubling every day for a month. On day 31, the doubling of the prior day’s funds equals over $10 million.
Although you won’t find a 100 percent return anywhere legitimate, notice how it took quite awhile for the true benefit of the compounded growth to be realized.
We continued to contribute the maximum to our workplace retirement accounts, IRA’s, Roth IRA’s, and 529 College Savings account. Nothing deterred us from our aggressive saving and investing. As our income grew, our lifestyle improved, but never went “over the top”. Not until recently have we experienced the explosion of growth from our compounded investing.
All of our older accounts show the same type of growth as that initial TIAA-CREF workplace retirement account. Although, I wouldn’t have believed it at the time, the longer you leave your money in the markets to compound, the greater the growth.
Time in the markets, even more than investment returns, is the greatest predictor of wealth from investing. In fact, Albert Einstein once commented that compound interest is one of the greatest wonders of the world.
Investing Rules for Wealth Building
Time in the markets is the most precious commodity when it comes to investing. By leaving money in the markets to grow, the initial account contributions can multiply. Keep the money invested for a shorter period and there’s less time for the sum to compound. Even if you choose to expand into other investing, like p2p lending with lending club or with M1 Finance make sure you have time on your side when you are doing it.
Decide whether you are willing to make a tradeoff. You can’t have everything now and later. Ask yourself if you’re willing to sacrifice a bit now for the likelihood of having more later.
This is a guest post from Barbara Friedberg, MBA, MS, is a portfolio manager, former university finance instructor and publisher of the investing website, Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance.com.
Medicare is an excellent program that allows seniors to get health care coverage that they wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise. While it’s a great way for Americans to get insurance coverage, there are plenty of expenses that it doesn’t cover. Those coverage gaps can leave people with massive hospital bills and medical fees that put a severe strain on a bank account.
One of the best ways to fill in the coverage holes is to purchase a Medigap policy. These plans are one of the best forms of supplemental insurance. When you’re shopping for Medigap protection, there are several different policies that you can choose from.
Medigap Options
There are ten different Medicare supplement plans that you can choose from, and all of them have different benefits and advantages. It’s important that you find the best possible supplemental plan for you, and to do that, you will need to compare all of your options.
All of the plans are denoted by a letter of the alphabet, Plan A, B, C, D, etc. and there is a broad range of expenses and gaps that they could cover. Plan A is the most basic of the options, and it leaves more holes than the other policies. Which means it’s also going to be much more affordable. One important thing to take note of when you’re shopping for supplemental coverage is that these plans are standardized by the government. That means that regardless of which company that you purchase the plan from, the coverage is going to be the same.
The only difference between companies is going to be any additional extras that they offer and the price of the coverage. Depending on the time of plan that you buy and the company that you choose, your premiums could vary drastically. The plan that you choose is going to be one of the biggest determining factors in how large your monthly premiums are. One of the most popular plans is a Plan F.
Medicare Supplement Plan F
Plan F is by far the most attractive option for supplemental coverage. There are several reasons that Plan F is the most common choice. Plan F is considered the Cadillac of Medigap plans. It fills in all of the leftover holes from traditional Medicare. If it’s legally possible to pay for any medical expenses, then a Medigap Plan F will cover it.
One of the first categories that Plan F covers are Part A coinsurance and any hospital costs for an extra 365 after your traditional Medicare coverage ends. This is a category that all ten plans cover. Plan F is also going to include the Part B coinsurance or copayment.
One of the most notable areas where Plan F stands out from the other policies is the Part B excess charges. Part B excess charges are exactly what they sound like. When you go to the doctor and get any services or treatments, Medicare has a pre-determined amount that they are going to pay for that particular service. Hospitals and doctors are legally allowed to charge up to 15% more than the Part P approved amount. That 15% would be your responsibility to pay for, but that’s where your Medigap plan comes in. Instead, of having to pay for those bills out-of-pocket, your Medigap plan will pay for it. In most cases, excess charges are not going to be a massive bill that you’re responsible for, but depending on the services that you get, it could easily cost you thousands and thousands of dollars.
Previously, Plan F covered the Part B deductible as well, but because of recent changes from the government, Medigap plans are no longer allowed to cover those deductibles. If you had a plan that covered the deductible, then it will continue to do so, but if you enroll in a plan today, your policy will not be allowed to pay for that portion.
There is also a high-deductible Plan F option that you can choose. With this option, you will have to pay all of the costs until you meet the deductible amount. The deductible limit can change every year, but in 2017, it’s $2,200. After you’ve reached that threshold, then your Medigap plan will start to pay for their portion and the plan will operate normally.
Enrolling in a Medigap Plan F
The next step in getting additional coverage is enrolling in a Medigap plan, which is easier than you may think. The best time to buy a Medigap insurance plan is during your initial open enrollment period. This open enrollment is a 6-month window that begins the month that you turn 65.
During this enrollment period, the Medigap companies are not allowed to decline your application for coverage, regardless of your health or any pre-existing conditions. If you’re in poor health or have severe health complications, this could be your only chance to purchase one of these supplemental plans.
Additionally, during the open enrollment period, the insurance company can’t charge you more for your coverage. If you apply outside of the open enrollment window, then the insurance company is going to look at your medical history and your current health, and they are going to use those records to determine how much they can charge you every month for your coverage. In some cases, applying during the open enrollment date can save you thousands and thousands of dollars every year.
During open enrollment, it’s a guarantee acceptance. There is no chance that you will be declined for coverage. If you apply outside of that window, the insurance company is going to review dozens and dozens of different factors to determine how much of a risk you are for the additional coverage. It’s important that you take advantage of your open enrollment. If you’ve already missed that opportunity, don’t worry, there is still a good chance that you can get the Medigap plan that you need.
Which Medigap Plan is Best for You?
When you’re trying to decide which policy is best for you, there are several factors that you will need to account for to ensure that you’re getting the best plan possible. It’s important that you look at all of the relevant categories and get the supplemental health care protection that you need.
Plan F is the most comprehensive plan that you can purchase, but all of that additional coverage is going to come at a higher price. One of the most important factors to review before you apply for any Medigap plan is your finances. The purpose of your Medicare supplemental policy is to protect your savings account from being drain by hospital bills. It’s vital that you don’t stretch your budget too thin to get that coverage. In most cases, Medigap plans are more affordable than you may think, but you should still look at all of the available options to ensure that you are not spending more for that coverage than you can afford.
Another factor to consider is your health history. If you have a past that is filled with health problems, like heart attacks or other severe complications, then investing in a more compassing Medigap plan is a wise purchase. On the other hand, if you are in good health and your family history doesn’t have a trend of poor health, then you can apply for a smaller plan that will save you money every month.
Need Help?
If you have any questions about Medigap plans or you need help in enrolling for coverage, there are several resources that you can use. You can visit the official Medicare.gov site, and they have dozens and dozens of articles about traditional Medicare and Medigap plans. You can also contact any Medigap insurance professional. There are plenty of agencies across the United States that will be more than willing to help you through the process and ensure that you’re getting the best coverage.
You’ve finally reached a stage of life where you can retire, kick back, and enjoy all of your hard work. Retirement is a special time of life, where you can reap all of the of the benefits, but expensive medical bills and destroy that. There is nothing that you can do about the rising cost of health care in American, but there are a few ways that you can offset those fees to ensure that you aren’t left under the weight of thousands and thousands of dollars of hospital bills.
When we were in the process of building our dream home, we pretty well expected to go over budget. Knowing this we tried to cut expenses as much as we could. The one expense that we knew that we absolutely had to avoid was PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance). Recently, I had a reader question also pertaining to PMI: Joe A. wants to know:
I’ve had my mortgage for 2 years and want to get rid of my PMI. The lender told me that I must get a home appraisal to prove that I have at least 80% equity. Well, I got the appraisal and then paid the loan down to 80% of my home’s value. But then the lender sent me a letter saying I need a loan-to-value that’s 75%! Now I’m worried that I’ll pay the loan down to 75%, but they’ll just have another excuse not to remove my PMI. What should I do?
Before I tell you the best ways to get rid of PMI, let’s take a step back and make sure you know what it is.
What Is Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)?
Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI is a product that protects a lender in case you default on a home loan and they’re forced to foreclose. It’s a downright irritating expense because it’s like having to pay for your neighbor’s health insurance each month—it doesn’t benefit you in the least.
Nonetheless, lenders typically require you to pay PMI when you borrow more than 80% of the value of a home. In other words, if your down payment is less than 20%, they have more at risk and require you to help them mitigate that risk.
Paying PMI allows you get a mortgage when you can’t come up with 20% down, but it’s also an added monthly expense. That’s why Joe and many homeowners are itching to get rid of monthly PMI payments so they can keep more money for themselves.
How Much Does Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) Cost?
The cost of PMI varies based on various factors, like the amount and term of a mortgage. But it could be in the neighborhood of 0.5% up to 1.5% of the mortgage amount per year. For example, if you have a $150,000 mortgage, your PMI premium could cost about $65 per month. You can check your annual mortgage escrow account statement or contact your lender to find out how much you’re paying for PMI.
5 Ways to Get Rid of Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)
There are 5 ways to avoid or to get rid of PMI:
Make a 20% down payment: The best way to make sure you never have to pay PMI is to avoid it altogether by paying a minimum of 20% down on your home. That means you may have to delay a home purchase while you continue saving up.
Automatic cancellation based on your home’s original purchase price: For a conventional mortgage that you took out on or after July 29, 1999, your PMI must be canceled automatically once you have 22% equity in your home. Once you’ve paid your mortgage balance down to 78% of the original value of your property, federal law requires a lender to cancel your PMI. However, this rule only applies if your mortgage payments have been current for a full year, or they’re no more than 60 days late within the past 2 years, and you have no liens on the property. Additionally, the lender can require evidence that the value of your home hasn’t dipped below its original value. They may also require that you don’t have a second mortgage or a home equity line of credit. For a mortgage you signed before July 29, 1999, it’s up to you to contact your lender and request that they remove PMI once you reach 20% equity. Different states may have laws that affect PMI cancellation for older mortgage, so contact your lender for more information.
Request cancellation based on your home’s original purchase price: If you pay down your mortgage balance to 80% or less of the original price—or the appraised value at the time of the sale, whichever is less—you can request that your lender remove PMI. This request doesn’t force a lender to remove it, but is subject to regulations under federal and state law. Again, they can require evidence that the value of your home isn’t lower than its original value.
Request cancellation based on your home’s current value: If you pay down your mortgage to 75% or less of your home’s current value (as determined by a licensed residential appraiser), you can request that your lender remove PMI.
Midpoint termination: PMI must be canceled when your mortgage reaches the midpoint of the term. For instance, for a 30-year loan with 360 monthly payments, the midpoint is after you make the 180th payment. This cancellation only applies if your mortgage payments are current.
So, getting back to Joe’s question, I’m guessing that the lender first gave him instructions based on number 3 above. They wanted to find out if Joe had a loan-to-value of at least 80% of the original value of his home. Since the real estate market has declined over the past several years, it’s likely that Joe’s home value has dipped since he bought it 2 years ago. That’s probably why the lender gave him new instructions based on number 4 above, requiring that his loan balance be 75% of his current home value.
You Have Rights Under the Homeowners Protection Act
As a homeowner, Joe is covered by the PMI provisions in the federal Homeowners Protection Act of 1998. If he does pay the loan down to 75% and his lender doesn’t follow the rules for canceling his PMI, Joe can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ftc.gov.
By Peter Anderson35 Comments – The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links (at no cost to you!). Learn more about how we make money. Last edited May 6, 2019.
Christmas time is one of the most joyous times of the year at our house, but if you’re not careful it can also be one of the most expensive times of year. If you’re trying to cut down on spending, like we are at our house, it can become a challenge to find creative gifts to give.
Today I thought I would try to put together a list of ideas for some good frugal gifts that you can give this Christmas. (The frugality of the gifts vary from gift to gift, but I’ve linked some possibilities on Amazon. You can probably find some cheaper ways to put these things together yourself if you try.)
Check out the newly expanded list: 100 Frugal Christmas Gifts
50 Frugal Gifts
Baked goods: I don’t know any guy who wouldn’t love to get a box full of cookies, banana bread and pastries! (Hint: not good for someone on a diet)
If you’ve got an old laptop, make a frugal digital picture frame out of it!: At 14-15″ it’ll be bigger than most you buy at the stores, and cheaper since you’ll be using old parts!
Personalized Calendars: Most photo processing places will have these personalized calendars you can buy, or pick up pre-made ones in Target’s dollar bins. Get photos of you and the person you’re giving the gift to in each season, and place them in the appropriate month/season of the year!
Themed gift baskets: Give a themed gift basket. For example, a movie night theme basket with microwave popcorn, a movie or two, and some cheapo popcorn buckets from Target dollar bin.
Custom t-shirts: Create your own custom t-shirt for a family member on Cafepress. It’s cheaper than you might think!
Scrapbooks: Make a scrapbook for a close friend showng moments you’ve shared together. My wife did this for a friend’s wedding. Very meaningful.
Donation to a local charity: Give to a local charity in someone’s name. Make sure it’s a charity that they would actually give to.
Handmade Christmas ornaments: make personalized Christmas ornaments for your friends and family!
Board Games: buy a board game, a gift that gets the family together and keeps on giving all year long! Even better, if you can find some board games at garage sales or on ebay, create a themed game night gift basket (see above)!
Family history DVD: Put together a family history DVD with photos, writtten family histories, video and anything else you can think of.
Framed family picture: Take a picture at a family event, frame it, and give it as a gift!
Coupon Books: Make a personalized coupon book with such favorite coupons as “back rub”, “dinner” or “clean the house”.
Make a blanket: make a nice fleece blanket. Instructions here.
Make some custom painted wine glasses: Make some custom painted wine glasses, and then give them along with a bottle of wine. Instructions here.
Give a magazine subscription: My brother loves reading National Geographic and the Economist. We gave him subscriptions as a gift.
Romantic evening gift set: Candles and fake flower petals! Cheap and fun!
Keeping warm gift set: Give a gift set of hat, scarf and gloves. Add long underwear as well if you wish!
Leatherbound journal: buy a nice leatherbound journal at your local Borders or Barnes and Noble. They make for a nice gift. Add a nice pen if you want to pay a little more.
Craft Kit: Put together a crafting kit with things like markers, glitter, scissors, clay, crayons, glue, paper, etc.
Photo Collage: If you’re handy with Photoshop or another image editing software, create a photo collage/montage, print it out and frame it! Or if you don’t have Photoshop, print separate pictures and create a collage.
Movie Tickets: Buy a pair of movie passes or a movie gift card for someone to go see a movie. Not as cheap as it used to be :).
Buy a single stock: Buy a family member a single stock to get them started, and give them a copy of a finance book like Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover (although you may want to stress that you’re giving it because it has helped you. People can get touchy about money related gifts)
Flannel Sheets and PJs: Buy a keeping comfy gift pack with flannel sheets and pajamas!
Coffee Lovers Gift Pack: Buy some gourmet coffee and a personalized coffee cup for the coffee lover on your list.
Set of soaps, towels and soap dish: Put together a nice matching set of hand towel and soap dish, and then give some handmade soaps.
Big breakfast gift pack: Put together a gift pack with pancake mix, batter dispenser, syrup and pancake mix-ins.
Puzzle day: Give a gift pack of a puzzle and snacks to eat while you do the puzzle!
BBQ Kit: Get some BBQ sauce from local source, and add it to a nice BBQ Utensil kit.
Basket of spices and seasonings: Put together a basket of seasonings and spices from a local spice or grocery store. Make sure to get a good mix for cooking, BBQs, etc.
Netflix subscription: Pay for someone to have netflix for a couple of months. If they have a connected device, they can even stream movies!
Deck of cards and book of card games: Buy a cheap pack of cards, and a book listing the rules of different card games. Good for hours of fun!
Cheap keychain digital picture viewer: Buy someone a cheap digital picture viewer keychain (around $20?) and fill it with pictures.
Bath time gift pack: Buy a nice wash clothe, some bath oils/beads and even some lotions at your local bath store.
Mix tape: Make a mix CD from Itunes with some of the person’s favorite music on it.
Botanicals: buy a nice low maintenance plant to brighten up their day, along with a small watering can.
Make a recipe box: If you’re good with wood, make a nice recipe box, and fill it with blank recipe cards.
An appreciation book: Get a nice journal, and write in it to the person about how much you appreciate them, things you love about them, shared moments and experiences and general encouragement. Even add a few photos.
Book gift pack: Find some books on your own shelf that you’ve already read, and put together a gift pack of books
Chocolate attack!: Put together a gift pack with all kinds of chocolate. Hot chocolate, chocolate bars, truffles, etc.
Car wash kit: Put together a kit for washing the car. Can include things like sponge, tire brush, bug remover, car soap, etc.
Regifted items: Did you get a 2nd crock pot last Christmas that you haven’t used? Give it away this Christmas (to someone other than who you received it from)
“That’s a spicy meatball” gift pack: Give them a nice italian dinner with a pasta bowl, pasta, strainer, fancy olive oil, pasta utensils and even some sauce.
Give your service: Good at cooking? Offer to come over and cook a gourment meal. Are you a designer? Offer your design services for free. Good with computers? Offer free tech support. You get the idea.
Wine and cheese gift pack: Buy a variety of specialty cheeses, crackers and a bottle of wine. Put it together and you have one gourment evening!
Picnic pack: Put together a picnic pack with a blanket, a basket, some cheap utensils and plates.
Sewing Kit & lessons: put together all the sewing essentials (thread, needles, pins, etc) and then give the person lessons on how to sew.
Gardening gift pack: Buy the person gardening gloves, gardening tools and some seeds. Put them all in a small bucket or waterging can.
Handmade jewelry: Make a handmade necklace or bracelet at a local bead or craft store. Give it as a meaningful gift.
Music lover’s delight: give an itunes gift card, along with a book about their favorite artist or band
Beer afficionado gift pack: Give a beer mug, snacks and gift card from a local brew pub.
A Birdhouse: Give your loved one of these bluebird houses so they can relax on the porch and watch the colorful avians.
Now that I’ve given you some ideas for some frugal Christmas gifts, why don’t you give us your own ideas! Leave a comment with your idea for a good frugal Christmas gift below!
More Ideas
50 ideas not enough? Here’s some more ideas for a frugal Christmas!
Last Updated on February 25, 2022 by Mark Ferguson
Flip2Freedom is a real estate wholesaling and flipping program put together by investor Sean Terry. I was able to provide a Flip2Freedom review and check out all the features and benefits of the program. The program or system is full of information. To be honest I could not get through all of it, because it would have taken weeks of my time without doing anything else! The program is based on wholesaling and flipping with a focus on finding deals, especially off-market deals.
I try to review as many real estate programs as I can for many reasons. I like to inform people on how good a program is and what is really included in the program. I never review a program I have not tried out myself and I don’t post reviews on bad programs. I don’t post reviews on bad programs, because I do not want to give publicity to programs that are a rip off or not worth the money. I have reviewed a few programs that I never posted anything on because of this.
*Please note I may receive an affiliate commission on some programs I link to on my site.
Should you pay for real estate coaching?
You will find a lot of varying opinions on if it is worth it to buy real estate programs. Some people feel you should never spend any money on a real estate product because you can find information for free online. It is true you can find a lot of free information online, in fact, I have over 300 free articles on my site. One problem with free information you find online is knowing how accurate that information is and if the person posting that information has any idea what they are doing.
I also think there is a place for buying products and spending money to save time or learn faster. I spend a lot of money on products that reduce my learning curve or will prevent costly mistakes. When I started out in the REO business I bought a $400 REO kit that taught me a lot about the business and helped me get more listings (I have my own REO kit as well). I have spent over $5,000 on a personal coach to help propel my business and I have spent much more than that on a paid mastermind group. It is tough to spend a lot of money just to talk to someone or a group, but it has all been well worth it and made me much more money than the cost of the group or coaching.
There are a lot of real estate programs online and it can be tough knowing what is legit and what is not. I will get into Sean Terry’s program soon, but it is legit and affordable. Some programs will charge you $40,000 before everything is said and done and teach you almost nothing! Here are a few things to watch out for if are considering a real estate investing course.
Free seminars
Most free seminars lead to a $300 boot camp, which then lead to a $20,000 to $40,000 coaching program. Stay away! If they don’t teach you anything in the free seminar or the boot camp, they won’t teach you anything in the coaching program either. It is all a sales tactic. Buy a house or hire a local investor to teach you with that money.
Money back guarantee
I offer guarantees on my programs and most good programs will as well.
Free information
Many gurus refuse to teach anything until they are paid. If you have to pay to get any information at all, there is a good chance they don’t have any good information.
Current programs
Try to work with investors who are doing deals in today’s market, not 20 years ago or who have never done a deal.
What is Flip2Freedom?
One of the perks of running a blog is I get to try out many products for free. I was able to go through Flip2Freedom and see everything it has to offer and if it would be useful to investors. I have to say I was impressed with the sheer amount of information provided in the program and the topics he covers.
His program is focused on wholesaling by finding off-market properties. He uses direct mail and many other tactics to find off-market properties. Sean himself is a wholesaler and a very successful wholesaler. He not only preaches these techniques, but he uses them himself (last I saw he does about 10 deals a month). You can also use direct marketing to flip houses and this program talks a lot about flipping as well. Here are a few of the topics covered
What is wholesaling
How to find distressed sellers
How to buy HUD homes cheap
How to use a website, bandit signs, direct mailing, Google ad-words and many other techniques to find off-market homes.
How to write contracts
How to talk to sellers
How to negotiate with sellers
How to close on a property
How to find buyers and build a buyers list
How to hire staff and build the business
And even how to sell your wholesaling business
How to flip houses instead of wholesale them
I actually learned a lot from this program myself on how to improve my direct mailing program. I have bought one flip and listed three houses as an agent with direct mail (much more since I first wrote this).
What is in Sean Terry’s coaching program?
The sheer amount of information in Flip2Freedom is a bit daunting, but it is worth going through it all. There are multiple learning channels included.
Videos: If you like videos you are going to love Flip2Freedom. There are close to 150 videos included in the program that help guide you through the entire process of wholesaling and flipping.
Coaching Calls: Every month they have a coaching conference call and you can listen to previous calls dating back to 2010.
Buying houses: They will buy your deals of they are good enough and they have partnership opportunities.
Supplemental information: With every video comes documents and forms to supplement the training. Many come with word docs or PDFs if you don’t like video training.
Software: The program comes with excel software to help you analyze deals and even project the number of deals you have to do to make the money you want to make.
Facebook and community: There is a discussion board for members and a private Facebook page to discuss investing.
Additional materials: The program has motivational videos, articles on attitudes and goals and teaches people how to think successfully, not just the actions to take investing in real estate.
Here is a link to Flip2Freedom.
My Flip2Freedom review: What are some of the downsides to Flip2Freedom?
Flip2Freedom takes an investment of time and money. It will take time to get through the training and you have to commit yourself to completing it and taking action if you want to be successful. That is true for anything as there is no program that will do the work for you. The program is more expensive than my investing program, but it covers completely different material than mine.
The program is based on videos so if you don’t like videos it may be tough to get through. I used to hate watching videos, until I realized I could listen to them while driving or working out. If you still don’t want to watch videos you can read the supplemental information, but you may not get as much out of it.
When you visit the sales page for the program it will look like every other sales page you see online. A lot of crazy colors, videos and other tactics are used to sell the program. Many people are put off by this sales technique, but the sad truth is it works. I have resisted using any sales tactics like this for a while, but the stats and research shows this is the best way to sell products. If you can get around the hard sell, it is a great product and I recommend trying it out.
Conclusion
Flip2Freedom is full of great information from an investor doing deals in today’s market. I would love to put together a fix and flip or wholesaling program myself, but it takes a ton of work to create these products. I am also not a wholesaling expert, although I think I know a little bit about flipping. If you are looking for a program that can walk you through the process of flipping, finding off-market properties and wholesaling I highly recommend Flip2Freedom.
Inside: You are wanting to work from home. Here are the best non phone work from home jobs. Exactly what you wanted to find.
Are you looking for a work from home job but don’t want to deal with people? You’re in luck!
There are plenty of non-phone jobs that allow you to work from the comfort of your own home.
This is becoming more and more popular because it allows you autonomous work without the influence of talking to others.
Plus we will cover the best non phone work from home jobs! There are many options available.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of the 35 best non-phone jobs for you:
Can you work from home without talking on the phone?
Yes, you can work from home without talking on the phone.
More and more jobs are transitioning away from the use of a phone. So, there is no better time than to transition yourself.
Best non phone work from home jobs
Here is a comprehensive list of the best non phone work from home jobs.
You will find a variety of part-time, full-time, and contract opportunities in a wide range of fields. Also, the opportunity to become your own boss.
1. Stock Trader
Stock traders must have a good understanding of market trends, economic forces, and have the ability to make quick decisions based on their analysis.
The benefits of working as a stock trader include high pay, job security, and the potential to make a lot of money if the stock market is performing well.
Additionally, stock traders are able to work from home and have flexible hours, meaning that they can plan their working day around other commitments.
Personally, this is one way I make money is by trading stocks and options. Join the $1000 in a day club.
2. Video Editor
A video editor is someone who works with audio and visual content to create cohesive and engaging visuals for either commercial or creative purposes.
They use various software programs to manipulate video clips, sounds, and images in order to create a compelling story. The role of a video editor involves careful attention to detail and the ability to utilize a wide range of software and hardware.
The advantages of a job as a video editor include the potential to work from home and create a flexible schedule, as well as the potential to make great money, depending on the level of experience.
Additionally, it can be a great way to express creativity and further develop important skills.
On the other hand, one of the major disadvantages of working as a video editor is the high stress level that comes with the role.
Video editors are often under pressure to deliver projects under tight deadlines, which can lead to increased pressure and stress. Additionally, there is often a steep learning curve, as video editing requires a lot of technical knowledge and experience.
3. Proofreader
Proofreading is a non-phone work from home job that involves reading and carefully reviewing written documents for errors of spelling, grammar, syntax, and punctuation. It also involves making sure that the text makes sense and is consistent with the document’s purpose.
Proofreaders are expected to identify and correct errors as they appear in the text.
The pay for proofreaders is typically between $44k and $58k per year.
To make the job easier, I would take the Proofreading Anywhere course to understand what is expected of you.
4. Data Entry Jobs
Data entry clerks are often required to sort, organize, and verify the accuracy of data before entering it into the computer system.
Additionally, this type of job does not require any prior experience and can be learned quickly.
Data entry clerks can usually make an hourly wage, which makes it a great option for those looking for a side income. Furthermore, data entry clerks are often hired for short-term or part-time projects, allowing them to pick and choose their hours.
5. Writer
Typically, the role of a writer is to produce content, such as blog posts, articles, product reviews, press releases, and more, for various companies.
Writers must have a good command of the English language and demonstrate great grammar and spelling in order to be successful. Additionally, writers must have the ability to create content that is search engine optimized and persuasive.
Many people have found the Earn More Writing course helpful to bump start your freelance writing potential.
All in all, freelance writing is a great way to make a living and offers flexible hours, the potential for long-term growth, and higher pay rates.
6. Web Search Evaluator
Search engine evaluators have the important job of ensuring that search engine results are relevant and accurate to the user’s intent.
For example, a user might enter the search query ‘chocolate cupcake recipes’, and the search engine should return relevant results such as recipes. If the search results are irrelevant or inaccurate, the search engine evaluator is tasked with rating them accordingly.
Search engine evaluators typically earn around $20 per hour and can make up to $40k a year if they take the job as full-time professional.
7. Virtual Bookkeeper
A virtual bookkeeper is a professional who can provide bookkeeping services to businesses from remote location.
Most people choose to work for themselves as a bookkeeper with a bookkeeping side gig (or full-time business).
One of the main benefits of working as a virtual bookkeeper is that no college degree or qualification is needed to get started. Generally, bookkeepers charge around $80 an hour or more for their services.
Finally, you can learn more about getting started with Bookkeeper Launch to help you become a freelance bookkeeper.
8. Image Reviewer and Photo Editor
Similar to a video editor, a photo editor’s duties include, but are not limited to, ensuring that images display the desired quality, accuracy, and clarity; checking for visual consistency across all images; editing images to make them look more appealing; and providing feedback on the images.
Additionally, they may be responsible for curating collections of images, creating new content, and managing projects.
For those looking to sell on Shutterstock, this is a great side hustle.
9. Create and Sell Printables on Etsy
With a little creativity and the right software, you can create unique printables that customers can purchase and print out themselves.
This can be a great way for you to make passive income with minimal effort.
In fact, my friends Cody and Julie did so well selling printables; they now teach others how to make a living creating and selling printables.
10. Selling on Amazon (FBA program)
This is a way to make money by reselling products you find online or in brick and mortar stores on Amazon for a higher price.
Amazon will ship the products to your customers, handle customer service, and even provide storage for the products.
With the right amount of work and dedication, you can make quite a bit of money with FBA.
11. Blogger
With blogging, you have the ability to work from anywhere in the world with just a computer and an internet connection.
You can write about whatever topics you are passionate about and be your own boss.
You can also make money blogging through various income streams such as affiliate marketing, paid sponsorships, ads, and more.
12. ESL Instructor
The job of an ESL (English as a second language) instructor is to provide English language instruction, usually via webcam, to those who are not native English speakers.
The benefits of this job are numerous: it allows for flexible hours, can be done from anywhere in the world, and offers an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of learners from all over the world. Additionally, being an ESL instructor allows one to learn about other cultures, stay up to date with language trends, and gain valuable professional experience.
To get the job, you need to have a thorough understanding of the English language and pass any certification tests.
This is a great type of job that pays weekly.
13. Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant (VA) is a professional who provides administrative and technical support to clients remotely. They help with a variety of tasks like answering emails, data entry, blog management, bookkeeping, editing, proofreading, marketing, research, filing documents, and customer service – to name just a few.
The type of services you offer will depend on your skills, experience, and education.
The biggest benefit of working as a VA is that you can work from home and set your own hours.
And the pay can be quite lucrative, with rates ranging from $25 to $100 an hour.
If you’re interested in becoming a VA, Kayla Sloan offers a free workshop that teaches people how to become Virtual Assistants and makes up to $10,000 a month. Download her Virtual Assistant checklist.
14. Accountant
An accountant is a professional who is responsible for tracking financial records and preparing financial statements for a business or individual. They ensure that their clients’ finances are accurate and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
One of the primary benefits of working from home as an accountant is flexibility. You are able to work your own hours and set your own schedule. This allows you to create a better work-life balance and also gives you more time to spend with your family.
15. Freelance Jobs
A freelancer is someone who does work for themselves and not for a company.
This is typically contract-type work.
You can find freelance jobs on sites such as Upwork, Fiverr, or People Per Hour.
The best way to freelance is to know your own skills and how to monetize them.
16. Editor
An editor is a professional who is responsible for reviewing and improving documents, whether that be in print, online, or even on video.
Editing involves ensuring accuracy, flow, grammar, and style. This is a great non phone work from home job because it allows for great flexibility and does not require a college degree.
Most positions are freelance which means that you can work on your own schedule and take on as much work as you can.
17. Social Media Manager
Social Media Managers are in charge of maintaining a client’s presence on a variety of social media sites, such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Twitter, and Google Plus.
They are expected to respond to comments, manage brand partnerships, create posts, photos, and videos, and track analytics to come up with an effective marketing strategy to promote their client’s accounts.
In addition to creating content, Social Media Managers typically monitor and moderate what is posted on the client’s social media accounts. They are usually responsible for ensuring that the content is appropriate and that the rules and regulations of the platform are followed.
The potential salary range for Social Media Managers can vary, but they can typically make $78000 per year.
18. Transcriber
A transcriber’s role is to convert audio recordings into written documents. They listen to audio files and type out what they hear.
Transcribers have the advantage of being able to work from home and can earn up to $21 per hour or more if they start their own business. They also have the potential to increase their wage upon gaining more experience.
Additionally, transcribers do not need to interact with other people, making it an ideal job for those who are more introverted or prefer working alone.
Finally, there are various resources available to help transcribers get started, including free mini-courses and companies that hire experienced and beginner transcribers.
19. Marketing Associate
As a Marketing Associate, you’ll be responsible for a wide variety of tasks, including developing and executing marketing campaigns, conducting market research, creating content, and managing and optimizing paid search, video creation, and other digital marketing efforts.
Additionally, you may be asked to support customer service via live chat, social media, text, and email.
The ideal candidate for this role will have excellent communication skills, be proficient in typing and have excellent spelling and grammar, and be passionate about social media platforms.
20. House sitter
A house sitter is someone who stays in a home while the homeowners are away and provides care for the premises and any pets that the homeowners may have.
The job of a house sitter includes tasks such as watering plants, taking out trash, and performing general maintenance of the property.
House sitters can benefit from the opportunity to experience different places, save money on rent, and have some extra time to explore their surroundings.
Platforms such as TrustedHousesitter.com make finding house-sitting jobs easier than ever before.
21. Online Tutor
The role of an online tutor is to guide students in their studies and help them understand a particular subject or skill virtually, through video chat or online software. Plus you have the opportunity to work with students from different countries.
Online tutoring jobs vary in requirements, but typically a bachelor’s degree or current college enrollment is needed.
They provide instruction and guidance, assist students with assignments, answer questions, and give feedback on their progress. The tutor also has a responsibility to motivate and encourage their students to stay on task and reach their academic goals.
22. Pet-Sitting Jobs
Pet sitting jobs can be a great way to make some extra money from home while spending time with animals (and not people)!
With Rover, you can earn anywhere between $10 and $20 an hour for dog walking, $20-30 for overnight stays, and some people are even making $1000+ a month in metro city areas. As a pet sitter, you have to stay at home with someone else’s pets and they pay you for taking care of their pets.
Rover.com is a great platform to find pet sitting jobs as they offer a wide range of services such as dog walking, pet sitting, and pet care.
23. Personal Stylist
Personal styling is an exciting and relatively new job that offers the opportunity to work from home. The role of a personal stylist is to help clients express their individual style through the selection of clothes, accessories, and other items.
It involves curating a set number of clothing items and accessories based on the client’s fashion profile. This job requires an eye for detail, an innate sense of style, and creativity.
It’s perfect for creative individuals who are passionate about fashion and have an eye for details.
24. Website Tester
Website testers are typically paid to assess the overall user experience on a website and provide feedback on how to improve it. W
You do not need a phone to complete your tasks; they only require a laptop with a webcam and microphone to record your observations.
Website testing is a non-phone work from home job that pays good money to ensure that websites are user-friendly. It is a flexible and straightforward way to make some extra cash.
25. Closed Captioner
A closed captioner is a person who transcribes audio into text for specific use on video.
This is a great job for those who learn and work better visually, as well as those who can type quickly and accurately. This type of work allows for a very flexible work schedule, meaning you can work when you are most productive and there is no need for any phone interactions.
You get the freedom to work on your own schedule and make a decent amount of money doing something that doesn’t require phone conversations.
26. Online Test Scorer
An online test scorer is responsible for scoring assessments such as tests, exams, and essays from students of high school or college. This job requires a certain level of expertise, as the test scorer must be able to interpret and evaluate the quality of the assessments accurately and fairly.
The test scorer must also be able to maintain the confidentiality of the students’ answers and grades and be able to provide feedback that is relevant and constructive.
This job typically requires a bachelor’s degree, and it is often seasonal with part-time hours.
27. Translator
The role of a translator is to take a language and convert it into another language, be it oral, written, or audio.
Translators not only have to be multi-lingual and have a good command of grammar and spelling, but they also need to be able to convey the meaning of the words they are translating accurately. They can work on a variety of projects, from subtitling to full-length books.
There is a wide range of online platforms on offer, so translators can pick the one that best suits their skill set and desired pay rate.
28. Graphic Designer
A Graphic Designer is someone who is skilled in using platforms like Photoshop, Canva, and other software to create visual and graphical designs.
Typically, these designs are used for things like logos and branding materials, websites, social media content, or clothing.
You must have a creative flair, as well as knowledge of graphic design and the required software. In order to be successful, they must have a computer with a good internet connection and the programs necessary to do the job.
29. Medical Coder and Biller
A medical coder and biller are responsible for translating a patient’s symptoms, diagnosis, and medication prescribed by a doctor into codes.
These codes are then entered into a database for the biller to use, who will turn them into a bill to be submitted to the patient’s insurance company.
The average pay scale for medical coders and billers can range from $45k – $65k per year, and they can find many remote positions on job sites like Indeed.com.
30. Instructional Designer
The role of an Instructional Designer is to research, write, design, and create training courses and manuals for a variety of people, such as educators, students, and employees.
Instructional designers need a degree in the subject being written about, or a degree in education, and should enjoy writing and editing. Working from home as an Instructional Designer has many benefits.
Working from home in an Instructional Designer role gives you the freedom to explore new methods and techniques to create the best possible course or manual.
31. Non-Phone Remote Nursing Jobs
With more and more companies offering remote work opportunities, there are many non-phone remote nursing jobs available.
The type of work ranges from utilization review nurses, clinical research associates, and data abstractors all work with data and compliance, ensuring procedures are being followed correctly and that they are medically necessary.
Companies such as Cigna, CVS, Flatiron, PPD, and UnitedHealth Group are just some of the many hiring companies offering these types of remote nursing positions.
32. Fraud Investigator
Fraud investigators are in demand in many industries, including financial institutions, e-commerce stores, healthcare companies, and insurance companies. As a fraud investigator, you’ll be tasked with looking for fraud, abuse, and irregularities in financial transactions.
If you have an eye for detail and like doing research, this could be a great non-phone job opportunity for you.
Companies usually require customer service experience or a criminal justice degree and/or a CAMS certification (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist). It’s a great way to make a good income without having to pick up the phone.
33. Community Moderator
A community moderator is a person who oversees online forums, groups, and social media accounts to ensure that rules and regulations are being followed, questions are being answered, and spam and junk content are being removed.
It is an online opportunity where moderators can be employed to manage and moderate comments on various social media sites and chat rooms.
The benefits of working as a community moderator include the opportunity to work from home and a flexible schedule. Additionally, moderators will gain experience in digital engagement, such as moderating forums, chatting with customers, managing communities, and buzzing on social media.
34. Netflix Tagger
The Netflix Tagger is a real job opportunity that allows individuals to work from home watching movies and tagging them with the appropriate keywords, genres, and descriptions.
This job is ideal for those who have a passion for movies and experience or education in radio, television, and film.
Working as a Netflix Tagger (also known as Metadata Analyst) is not only rewarding but it is also beneficial for those who want to work remotely without having to make phone calls or talk to customers.
35. Provider Enrollment Specialist
A provider enrollment specialist is a non-phone work-from-home job that involves researching, reviewing, analyzing, and managing provider enrollment applications to ensure they are in compliance with guidelines.
Provider enrollment specialists usually require prior experience in medical terminology, appeals, claims, or customer service, and may also require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
36. Survey Taker
By completing surveys, survey takers are able to share their opinion and help inform companies and brands on how to provide better products and services that meet customer needs and expectations.
Benefits of working as a survey taker from home include the flexibility of being able to work at your own pace and the ability to earn extra income while working whenever and wherever you choose.
Additionally, survey takers can take advantage of cash, rewards, and sweepstakes entries as compensation for their time.
It is not a way to get rich, but it is a great way to make extra money on the side.
Here are the top legit survey platforms:
37. Chat and Email Support
Chat and email support workers provide customer support and assistance via email and online chat. They are responsible for responding to customer inquiries and resolving customer issues.
This customer service-oriented position does not require the use of a phone.
Chat and email support workers must be able to answer customer questions and respond to their inquiries quickly and accurately. They must also be able to use active listening skills and type quickly.
Companies often provide chat and email support workers with guidelines for providing customer support, and they may also require workers to understand their products in order to provide effective customer service.
Are non phone work from home jobs legitimate?
The answer is yes! In fact, there is a growing number of non-phone work from home jobs for those who don’t want to be on the phone all day.
Whether you’re a mom with kids and pets running around, or if you find customer service work draining, there are good options out there for you to make money from home without being on the phone.
In conclusion, non-phone work from home jobs are legitimate and provide a great opportunity to make money from home without being on the phone.
FAQs
Ultimately, the skills needed to succeed in non phone work from home jobs will depend on the type of job you are pursuing.
More than likely, you’ll need excellent typing skills, excellent spelling and grammar, and the ability to troubleshoot and solve issues, among other skills.
However, many of the jobs mentioned above pay between $15 an hour to $50 an hour.
Some companies may also offer a base salary plus bonuses or incentives.
Fortunately, there are plenty of non-phone jobs available for remote workers that don’t require a diploma.
However, you may have to take some online courses to excel faster in your field.
Many on this list are great low stress jobs that pay well without a degree.
Yes, there are software or tools needed for non-phone work from home jobs, depending on the type of job.
More than likely, you will need a computer and a reliable internet service.
Are you Excited to Work from Home Job No Phone?
Working from home has become increasingly popular over the years, as it offers flexibility, comfort, and the ability to work from anywhere.
All of these jobs that offer the best comfort and increased focus is working from home on the laptop. The advantages of this job include flexibility in schedules, the ability to remain in control of your own workspace, and enhanced focus as there is less noise and distraction.
With the number of remote job leads that are available, you are sure to find the perfect work from home job that suits your needs.
In addition, working from home gives you the freedom to work in a location of your choice. You no longer have to commute to an office or be bound by office hours.
Also, you can take breaks when you need them and work in a comfortable environment.
Which career choice are you going to look into?
Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!
Right around now, most consumers are laying plans to intensify their spending frenzy for the final month of the year. After all, what better way to celebrate the holidays and the accompanying temporary freedom from work, with additional financial bondage to that very job?
Since you and I generally don’t participate in the games of the retail industry, I thought we could celebrate US Thanksgiving and its spendy neighbor Black Friday in a different way: by renewing our vows to lead a more meaningful, vigorous, innovative, and generally awesome life. Badass Friday is what we could call it, and it should be an annual tradition.
Gifts and Traditions
Around this time of year, I start getting emails from thoughtful readers with questions about the holidays: “What does the MMM family do about the Christmas gift exchange tradition? What about birthdays and other holidays?”
The answer to this one is just what you’d expect from Mr. Money Mustache: We skip the whole retail aspect of it entirely. In the wise words of Grandpa Money Mustache: “A Simpler Christmas is a Grander Christmas“, and you can read more about it in the holiday MMM Classic entitled Happy Buy Nothing Day.
Little MM tends to make his own gifts for giving: these handy notebooks for his parents were big hits.
In our old age, we’ve become much more interested in using surplus cash to help others. We have committed not to inflate our own lifestyle beyond its already-cozy level, and also believe in letting our son earn his own way to financial independence when he grows up, rather than leaving a large estate. This should leave several million dollars free throughout our lifetimes to do other things, and I basically follow the ideals of the Gates Foundation* when it comes to efficient charity. Other favorites include Charity Navigator, DonorsChoose.org, and GiveWell.org.
But we’re still big on tradition in our family. Not the traditions prescribed in ancient texts and scrolls, but generally sillier ones we invent ourselves and carry on just because they are fun.
Every Friday, the arrival of the weekend is celebrated with Family Movie Night. Every meal, even breakfast, is served by candlelight. And self-imposed blackouts are frequent: besides our our ongoing freedom from TV (a tradition which started in 1999), we also have a weekly No Computer Day, and even occasional No Electricity Nights. That last one came about two years ago, when I received a power failure for my birthday and we all enjoyed it:
Mr. Money Mustache Receives the Gift of Hardship for his Birthday
Preparation for a New Season
For the roughly 60% of MMM readers who live in Northern climates, winter means cooler weather and a time when those of weak constitution turn to automobile travel and indoor recreation. Not the Mustachians: we simply brush up on our winter survival skills and apply them with renewed gusto:
How to Ride your Bike All Winter – and Love it
MMM Challenge: Try Getting your Groceries with a Bike Trailer
First Understand, Then Destroy, Your Home Heating Bill
The Oil Well You Can Keep in Your Pants
So Happy Thanksgiving to all, when we will give thanks for all the good things that we have, and equal thanks to all the unnecessary ones we don’t crave.
*The Gates Foundation: The ruthlessly efficient businessman applies infinite wealth and intellect towards the problem of saving the world. In a nutshell: our biggest problem is too many humans, because of the famines, wars, and environmental problems that happen when you greatly exceed the productive capacity of the planet. Solve this, and all the other problems start to solve themselves. The solution is to give us the strength to reproduce less. Most of the population growth currently comes from the poorest countries. But quite counter-intuitively, the way to reduce the birth rate in these countries is to improve health, prosperity, and education. See the amazing (and short) video called “The River of Myths” for why this works.
All I have to do is turn on the news to be reminded of that.
I think it’s easy to go about our day-to-day lives and forget that bad things can happen – until suddenly they do.
Speeding down the highway. Smoking cigarettes (or anything else). Driving after one too many drinks. All of these are examples of risky behavior. Could you do it and be fine? Maybe. But each of these behaviors carries an element of risk of harm to yourself and others.
The sad truth is that risky behavior sometimes ends in tragedies – some worse than others.
And sometimes, we don’t even realize how much risk we’re taking until something unexpected happens that changes how we think about what we’re doing.
The truth is, whatever you do in this life carries a degree of risk.
But there’s another side to this coin.
Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained!”
That’s true. I get up in the morning and work hard because I believe and hope that I can make a difference in the world. I take risks, just like you do – and that’s okay.
Some of those risks turn out in my favor; others do not.
And when it comes to investing, believe me, there’s a lot at stake.
It’s possible that your retirement may last not 10, not 20, but 30 years. Think about it. Life expectancy in the United States is going up; that’s a good thing, but you better have some dough in your portfolio before you can’t work anymore.
One might be able to – barely – live on Social Security benefits right now, but if you’re years and years away from retirement, you surely don’t want to count on the government to solve your financial woes.
It’s better to have a plan.
And yes, that plan will come with a serving of risk – whether or not you dish up a generous helping of it is up to you.
The Former Difficulties of Assessing Risk Tolerance
Here’s the all-too-common scenario that played out in my office.
I’d sit down with a new client and we’d discuss their risk tolerance. I’d simply ask something like, “On a scale of one to ten, how much risk do you normally like to take – ten being a lot of risk and one being very little risk.”
The problem is that not everyone has excellent self-reflection capabilities and sometimes, in real-world scenarios, the way they behave differs from how they thought they would behave.
That’s troubling, because if I put a person’s money in risky investments – investments that have a high potential to do very well or very poorly – and they actually can’t stomach that risk and pull out of the market early because of a drop in value, they’ll probably lose money permanently.
Conversely, if I put a person’s money into stable investments and they don’t see the results they’re after, they might choose to walk out the door.
So the question is, how can I get past what people think they know about themselves and to the core of who they really are? How can I determine their true risk tolerance?
It eluded me for years. Thankfully over time, I’ve gotten much better at objectively assessing my clients’ risk tolerance – but a new tool I recently found is taking my ability to a whole new level.
The Simple Way to Find Out How Much Investing Risk You Can Stomach
It’s called Riskalyze, and it rocks.
In a nutshell, Riskalyze measures your degree of risk tolerance using carefully-chosen questions and gives you a Risk Score. The higher your Risk Score, the more risk you’re willing to take.
And here’s the cool part: it only takes less than two minutes to get your Risk Score.
Oh, and did I mention it’s free?
Your Risk Score can be used to compare your risk tolerance with your current portfolio. And guess what? We’re happy to do that for you – no charge there, either.
If you ever have questioned if you’re on the right track with your investments, take this opportunity to find out. It is by far the easiest method I know of to get the information you need to make the very best investment decisions.
In the report, you’ll learn the following (and more):
How long your nest egg will last
How risky your portfolio is
How inflation might impact your retirement plan
How buying a second home would affect your retirement goals
How conservative or aggressive your portfolio is
How likely you are to have the ability to retire by a certain age
How your current savings rate will affect your retirement
Ironically, you can avoid taking bad risks by finding out your Risk Score. Should we find that your portfolio doesn’t align with your retirement goals and risk tolerance, we can help find the right investments for you.
Many times, we’re taking risks and we don’t even know it. I’ve seen people take huge, unwise risks simply through inaction.
Remember, what you don’t do can be just as risky as what you actually do.
But one thing is certain . . . .
There’s nothing wrong with gathering information and looking at the facts.
Should you find all is well, great! Should you not, we’ll give you a plan.
Wanna see how this works? I created a short video here that will walk you through exactly how Riskalyze and the Retirement Map Analysis operates so you know what to expect. No gotchas – just free, customized information so you can make the best investment decisions for you and your family.
And hey, if you decide you need some help with your portfolio, we’re always happy to offer assistance.
Ready to Get Your Free Risk Score?
Just click to button below to begin the process. After you complete this very short questionnaire we’ll need to get a bit more info to complete your personalized Retirement Map Analysis.
Either click the button above or you can click HERE to get your free Risk Score.
Life insurance is important to have for your entire family.
When you are insured, you can make sure your family is well protected in the case of an accident that results in your death.
Being insured gives the ones you love some financial stability when faced with expenses that are more difficult to manage when losing your paycheck along with the extras that must be paid, like funeral costs.
While the benefits of this type of insurance are major and nothing to be overlooked, it does offer far more. When you have life insurance, you may also receive life insurance dividends. These give you money for your time, which you can then use; however, you want.
Life Insurance Dividends Pay You
When you buy one, you can receive a certain amount of money over time, which may not always be the same. The important thing to remember with these, though, is that you cannot get money all the time. How much you get and whether you do get them is determined by how much you invest in your policy. If you would like to earn more, you have to invest more. You will be paid the difference when it is time to pay out, helping you to make more money that you can use on several things, including your life insurance.
If you are paying more than you should, you can receive dividends. No matter the reason more money is being paid, this can help you to get some out of the situation. After you have spoken to someone about it, you can learn what to do to increase dividend amount as well as talk about ways to be paid yours.
You have several options available when trying to figure out what to do with them. One of the best things to do is to put them back into this. Since this is for your life, you need to make sure it is something that pays off. Lowering premiums, investing in more life insurance and lower rates are just a few things to consider when looking into your options.
When you’re looking at your dividends, you have four choices, we already mentioned two of them:
Take the money
Lower your Premiums
Put it in a savings portion in the insurance company to earn insurance
Increase your insurance
As we mentioned, we usually recommend adding additional insurance or lowering your premiums with the cash. It’s a great way to give your family additional protection without having to pay more out-of-pocket for the coverage.
When it comes to taxes, life insurance dividends can be tricky. Dividends earned off of a life insurance plan are not taxable by the IRS. They are not the traditional “dividend.” Basically, the IRS looks at them as refunds for your insurance policy.
In most cases, you only earn dividends on whole life insurance plans. The downside to these whole life insurance plans is the rates are higher. Sure, you get the dividends, but are those dividends going to outweigh what you’re paying in additional rates?
For some people, instead of paying the higher premiums, a better idea is to buy a term insurance plan and then invest the rest of money you save. Term insurance coverage is going to be half as expensive as a whole life insurance plan.
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Of Course, You Can Always Just Get Cash
This is something you must ask for, though. If you do, you will receive a check instead of the alternative, money you can use on anything. With this, you can use the money to pay off bills or simply invest it into something else. This is your money to use however you please, no matter what.
Having higher amounts is possible if you invest more over time. This will raise up your dividend amount and even make payments a lot easier on you.
With this, you can also bring in cash at a certain point regularly, considering you make it possible for you to receive life insurance dividends. They offer a lot for what you put in, especially when you are putting in large amounts of money. This can help to lower rates and premiums while having more for investment, regardless of what type of investment you are making.
Most people assume life insurance is only used for one thing, insurance protection, but there are several other ways that you can use life insurance coverage, and dividends is an excellent example of that. Every year, we get a lot of questions about dividends and the different aspects of life insurance coverage, and we are happy to answer those questions.
Life Insurance Dividends
Life insurance dividends are a mystery to most people. The majority of policyholders don’t fully understand them. Hopefully, this article has given you all the information you need to get the most out of your policy.