2 Pros and Cons of the Health Care Reform

Health care reform is among the most highly controversial topics in society today. Whether you're satisfied with your health care, hate your health care, or have never given a thought to your health care coverage, the information overload may have prompted you to take a closer look at your health care plan and perhaps ponder what you would change and what you'd hate to have taken away.

Of course, those choices aren't necessarily in your hands, as the recently passed health care reform legislation have etched public preferences - as seen through the eyes of politicians - into law, at least for the time being. Depending on who you talk to, the health care reform laws fall somewhere between the greatest and the worst government actions in recent memory. The reform regulations provide something different for everyone, so the only way to truly assess the value of the reform's effects on you are to research and judge for yourself.

One of the primary complaints of the health care reform legislation is that it is unconstitutional - obviously a pretty big concern. Specifically, critics claim that the individual mandate, a provision requiring uninsured Americans to buy government-approved healthcare, violates the freedoms provided by the Constitution. According to George Mason School of Law professor Ilya Somin, giving the authority to force decisions on individuals could lead to "unlimited congressional power to mandate personal behavior." This would be a troubling trend to promote, as limiting government power over individuals is a cornerstone of the American Constitution.

Another apparent flaw in the health care reform legislation is that despite its claims to reduce the federal deficit, it may actually expand it. One NewYork Times editorial noted that the purported savings were merely "fantasy," because the Congressional Budget Office has to take

5 My Trip to London – Portobello Road

London is known for its antiquities market. In fact, London has the largest antiques market in the whole world and this is just something that I had to visit. I’m not a fine antiques collector, but I do appreciate fine works of art so the city was at the top of my list of places to visit during my weekend away.

The world’s largest antiques marketplace is Portobello Road in London. I heard that there were dozen’s of antique shops there selling all sorts of things that date all the way back to the Roman times. Fortunately, my guidebook said that Portobello Road wasn’t that hard to find. Unfortunately, I wasn’t too confident in my way-finding skills and felt it would be better to take a taxi - the tube or bus would have been cheaper, but I wanted to be sure I could get there early and preferred to spend my time browsing the shops instead of trying to find my way around the labyrinth that is London.

It didn’t take me very long to get from my hotel to Portobello Road. Taking a taxi wasn’t such a bad idea after all since I did get the chance to take a look at different parts of the city

2 Is Signing Up for Your Free Credit Report Really Free?

Introduction

You’ve seen the commercials with good looking young men in various scenarios – on the beach, in an airport lounge, riding around in a fancy car – singing about how getting your free credit report can prevent financial problems and allow you to live the good life. But are the credit reports offered by these services really free? Unless you’re careful about where you go to request your credit report, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise when you’re asked to pay for it.

(Not So) Free Credit Reports

Several commercial services claim to offer not only free credit reports, but free credit scores as well. What they don’t tell you is that you may have to sign up for other services along with your credit report or credit score. Or you may have to sign up for a trial membership in a credit guard service or some other service only marginally related to obtaining your credit score. If a website or service requires a credit card number before you can obtain your credit report, be skeptical and read the fine print.

Really Free Credit Reports

According to federal law, each individual is entitled to one free credit report each year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. In addition, if you are turned down for credit based on a report from a credit

1 Credit Cards that help you Save Money

Credit cards have long been responsible for many of the financial pitfalls many people find themselves today. But credit cards do not make purchases, people do. This article does not promote the use of credit cards but only serves to inform people that there are other types of credit cards that reward people who use them with each purchase.

If you can’t stop yourself from getting a credit card then choose those that offer you discounts with every purchase. You can’t stop the banks from charging you with interest rates but if you can shave a few dollars then at least you’re not losing too much of your money.

Cash Back Credit Cards

CashBack Credit Cards are similar in principal to reward cards. The difference however, is that purchases should be made with partner businesses in order for you to qualify. People save on money by having discounts from selected retailers or