Financial Security

Does a home warranty seem like a scam to you? Many people associate a home warranty with paying a monthly premium and then when an appliance breaks, the technician comes and “fixes” it. Then, a week later it’s broken again. Not all home warranties are like this. The Home Service Club (HSC) was previously in our top three for Best Home Warranty and had one of the best reputations in the warranty business. But what happened that made us remove the company from our top three? Learn more about this company’s pros and cons in The Home Service Club Reviews.

Home warranties can be difficult to compare since they can vary by city and state. The coverage and technicians’ work depends on your specific situation. When we compared First American Home Warranty vs American Home Shield we looked at them side by side and we think you’ll be surprised to read what our research uncovered. This is an ever evolving category and company reputations can change quickly, as we’ve learned in our research for this article. So make sure you re-evaluate your home warranty company regularly to make sure you are happy with your purchase.

Is your dishwasher in dis-repair? Have a wobbly washer? Or maybe your microwave is waving goodbye. Not to worry, we’re here to help with some useful and cost-effective ways to repair your home appliances, no tools (or experience) required. Avoid spending hundreds of dollars to hire a repair person or purchase a new appliance and learn how to fix it yourself with our tips.

You want a home warranty you can count on, right? One that services your state, where the technicians do what they say they’ll do and cover what they say they’ll cover. Sounds easy, right? Believe it or not, home warranties can be complicated so it’s important that you do your research well and read every character of your contract or you may be signing for something you don’t want.

America’s 1st Choice Home Club jumped from servicing only 2 states to servicing all but 2 states in the matter of 1 year. The company quickly moved up in our rankings due to this transition as well as for other reasons. America’s 1st Choice Home Club covers a large number of appliances and systems and has a service call fee starting at $75. The company is transparent in its offerings, which makes us ask, “Are they too good to be true?”

American Home Shield (AHS) has a well-known reputation. Depending on where you live you may receive good or bad service. However, this is true for most home warranties since the service can vary based on location and technicians sent to your home. As always, we recommend calling AHS and ask to speak with an existing customer to hear about their experience with AHS.

When choosing a home warranty company, you need to do one thing: READ THE FINE PRINT. Many customers find themselves frustrated with a company for not paying claims for appliance repairs or the replacement of systems. If the company refuses to pay for it, then there is most likely a written exclusion in your contract. Our experts have gone the distance to find out which home warranty company provides the best service and the least deceptive contract. We’ve reviewed over a dozen providers and counting! You’ll find out what’s covered, the average cost of repairs, pricing plans, one-on-one comparisons, real user feedback, and more.

Who will take care of your children if you and your spouse meet an unexpected demise? What will happen to your assets, like your home, savings, family heirlooms and investments? No one wants to think about end-of-life issues, but it’s up to you to protect your family the way you see fit; otherwise you’re taking a huge risk. If you die without a will, the state will step in to settle everything from child custody to the distribution of your assets, and may do so in a way that’s not what you would have wanted. If you don’t have a will, you should — and it’s not as daunting a task as you might think.

Estate planning sounds like something only rich people should do, but that’s not the case at all. You don’t have to own a ton of assets to consider estate planning, and there are many other elements to a comprehensive estate plan other than just making sure your assets pass on to your beneficiaries. Our experts have compiled a beginner’s guide to help you determine everything you should be considering for you and your family’s future.

Credit card fraud is the most common form of identity theft, and the incidences of this type of fraud have been steadily increasing. Anyone who has a credit card should be aware of the fraud that can occur and how to handle it when it happens.