Deciding to get a bank loan is a big decision, and one should know details about what to expect when applying for a loan. Decide if a bank loan is a good form of investment and what type of loan to look at withtips and advice from an experienced financial adviser in this free video.

Home Owners Insurance Tips

Good ways to get out of credit card debt include not using cards and quickly paying down cards with smaller balances. Stay out of credit card debt by throwing away enticing low interest-rate offers received in the mail with advice from acertified public accountant and credit counselor in this free video on debt management.

You should know these tips on life insurance

Insurance may be necessary, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Our money reporter Stacy Johnson has been giving us ways to save on insurance all month. Today he explores homeowners insurance.

Once you’ve decided which car you want to buy, do some research online so that when you go into the dealership or speak to the vendor you are in a strong position to haggle. Look to see if there are any similar vehicles for sale elsewhere and see how the prices compare. Even if you are buying a brand new car, the dealer will have room for manoeuvre on the price.
Tip two: Decide how much you want to pay

Remember there is always room for negotiation when it comes to car prices, especially in the current climate, so decide how much you are prepared to pay for the vehicle (but be realistic) and stick to your guns. Be prepared to walk away though if this price isn’t agreed – with a bit of luck you’ll get a phone call from the seller or dealer agreeing to your terms.
Tip three: Use the internet to your advantage

As with many consumer goods, you can often find the best deals on new and used cars by shopping online. With fewer overheads and no commission to pay to salesmen, there can be extensive reductions in price if you pick up a car through an online dealer. However, even if you don’t buy outright on the internet, print off some quotes and take them into a local dealership with you – you could even ask a dealer to match the internet price. This is even more effective for used cars – if sellers think you are looking at other options they will be more willing to negotiate.
Tip four: Try and uncover the invoice price

The invoice price is the amount the dealer paid to the manufacturer for the vehicle and it should be your target to get as close to this as possible – the dealer will obviously expect to make some profit. Some car buying websites will list their invoice price so if you can point this out to a dealer you stand a better chance of lowering the retail price. Similarly, look for information on manufacturer rebates as some companies offer cash incentives to dealers to promote certain vehicles.

Tip five: Buy at the right time

If you’re not too worried about having a 2009 registration plate, then try and time your purchase well. Many dealerships look to shift excess stock ahead of the introduction of new registration plates in March and September so now could be a great time to pick up a bargain. If you’re not quite ready to make a purchase, then consider holding off until August as the ‘59′ registration is launched in September. In terms of used cars, keep track of how long they have been on the market – most websites will carry a ‘date posted’ mark on used car advertisements – so you get an idea of how eager the seller is for a deal.
Tip six: Let them know you’re serious

Dealers will work a lot harder if they think they’re going to get a deal so let them know you’re there to buy a car if the deal is right. However, don’t come across as desperate to buy as this could reduce your chances of picking up a bargain – play it cool.
Tip seven: Take a test-drive with a knowledgeable friend

Just as you wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes without trying them on first, you shouldn’t buy a new car without taking it for a spin. If you’re buying a used car it’s definitely worth taking someone along with you who knows a thing or two about cars and can point out any unusual sounds or movements. Even if the problems are nothing to be concerned about it could help you when haggling for a better deal. It’s also worth checking the vehicle has a clean history – vehicle checks are available online for as little as £3.95.
Tip eight: Get the most for your current vehicle

If you have a car to sell, work to get the best price for it. Trading it in as a part exchange on your new vehicle is the easiest option, but make sure the sales adviser contacts a number of dealers for bids on it so you get the best deal possible. However, if you sell it privately, you’ll probably get even more for it.
Tip nine: Shop around for car finance

When talking at a dealership you should only negotiate on the sales price – don’t be lured in by attractive finance offers. Dealers often bamboozle prospective buyers with figures and they know how to make a car deal sound tantalizingly good, but don’t just focus on the monthly repayments. Find out how much the finance package will cost over the term of the deal. And how flexible is it? For example, what happens if you want to get rid of the car before the end on the term.

Once you are armed with all the answers, compare the cost of the dealer’s finance package with that of a standard personal loan. Use our car loans comparison tool to see what you could get from a traditional provider.
Tip 10: Shop around for extras

Many dealers throw in incentives such as car insurance and breakdown cover. On occasions their deals for these products can be attractive – several dealers even offer a year’s free car insurance with some purchases. However, you should check that the cover is adequate and ask to see examples of repayment plans without these extras. You could potentially save a significant sum of money if you shop for car insurance and breakdown cover independently.

Finally, if you need some more tips or recommendations check out our motoring forum and see if our users can help.

Try consumer organisations, such as Bank Charges Hell and Consumer Action Group

forbes-rich-2008

Listings include rank, name, home country or state, age where known, wealth in billions of dollars and source of the money.

1. Bill Gates, Washington, 51, $56bn, Microsoft
2. Warren Buffett (pictured), Nebraska, 76, $52, Berkshire Hathaway
3. Carlos Slim Helu, Mexico, 67, $49, telecom
4. Ingvar Kamprad and family, Sweden, 80, $33, Ikea
5. Lakshmi Mittal, India, 56, $32, steel
6. Sheldon Adelson, Nevada, 73, $26.5, casinos, hotels
7. Bernard Arnault, France, 58, $26, LVMH
8. Amancio Ortega, Spain, 71, $24, Zara
9. Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong, 78, $23, diversified
10. David Thomson and family, Canada, 49, $22, inheritance
11. Lawrence Ellison, California, 62, $21.5, Oracle
12. Liliane Bettencourt, France, 84, $20.7, L’Oreal
13. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, Saudi Arabia, 50, $20.3, investments
14. Mukesh Ambani, India, 49, $20.1, petrochemicals
15. Karl Albrecht, Germany, 87, $20, Aldi
16. Roman Abramovich, Russia, 40, $18.7, oil
17. Stefan Persson, Sweden, 59, $18.4, Hennes & Mauritz
18. Anil Ambani, India, 47, $18.2, diversified
19. Paul Allen, Washington, 54, $18, Microsoft, investments
20. Theo Albrecht, Germany, 84, $17.5, Aldi, Trader Joe’s
21. Azim Premji, India, 61, $17.1, software
22. Lee Shau Kee, Hong Kong, 79, $17, real estate
23. Jim Walton, Arkansas, 59, $16.8, Wal-Mart
24. Christy Walton and family, Wyoming, 52, $16.7, Wal-Mart inheritance
24. S. Robson Walton, Arkansas, 63, $16.7, Wal-Mart
26. Sergey Brin, California, 33, $16.6, Google
26. Larry Page, California, 34, $16.6, Google
26. Alice Walton, Texas, 57, $16.6, Wal-Mart
29. Helen Walton, Arkansas, 87, $16.4, Wal-Mart
30. Michael Dell, Texas, 42, $15.8, Dell
31. Steven Ballmer, Washington, 51, $15, Microsoft
31. Kirk Kerkorian, California, 89, $15, investments, casinos
31. Raymond, Thomas and Walter Kwok, Hong Kong, ages unknown, $15, real estate
34. Francois Pinault, France, 70, $14.5, retail
35. Suleiman Kerimov, Russia, 41, $14.4, stocks
36. Vladimir Lisin, Russia, 50, $14.3, steel
37. Jack Taylor and family, Missouri, 84, $13.9, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
38. Vladimir Potanin, Russia, 46, $13.5, metals
38. Mikhail Prokhorov, Russia, 41, $13.5, metals
40. Oleg Deripaska, Russia, 39, $13.3, aluminum
40. Michael Otto and family, Germany, 63, $13.3, retail
42. Carl Icahn, New York, 71, $13, leveraged buyouts
42. Abigail Johnson, Massachusetts, 45, $13, Fidelity
44. Adolf Merckle, Germany, 72, $12.8, drugs
45. Barbara Cox Anthony, Hawaii, 83, $12.6, Cox Enterprises
45. Anne Cox Chambers, Georgia, 87, $12.6, Cox Enterprises
45. Mikhail Fridman, Russia, 42, $12.6, oil, banking
48. Vagit Alekperov, Russia, 56, $12.4, oil
49. Charles Koch, Kansas, 71, $12, oil, commodities
49. David Koch, New York, 66, $12, oil, commodities
51. Silvio Berlusconi and family, Italy, 70, $11.8, media
52. Nasser Al-Kharafi and family, Kuwait, 63, $11.5, construction
52. Leonardo Del Vecchio, Italy, 71, $11.5, eyewear
54. Alexei Mordashov, Russia, 41, $11.2, steel
55. Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor and family, Britain, 55, $11, real estate
55. Spiro Latsis and family, Greece, 60, $11, banking
55. Birgit Rausing and family, Sweden, 83, $11, packaging
58. Forrest Mars Jr., Virginia, 75, $10.5, candy
58. Jacqueline Mars, New Jersey, 67, $10.5, candy
58. John Mars, Virginia, 70, $10.5, candy
61. Viktor Vekselberg, Russia, 49, $10.4, oil, metals
62. Serge Dassault and family, France, 81, $10, aviation
62. Charles Ergen, Colorado, 54, $10, EchoStar
62. Michele Ferrero and family, Italy, 80, $10, chocolates
62. Naguib Sawiris, Egypt, 52, $10, telecom
62. Kushal Pal Singh, India, 75, $10, real estate
62. Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, France, ages unknown, $10, Chanel
68. Susanne Klatten, Germany, 44, $9.6, BMW, drugs
69. Philip Knight, Oregon, 69, $9.5, Nike
69. Sunil Mittal and family, India, 49, $9.5, telecom
71. John Kluge, Florida, 92, $9.1, Metromedia
71. Vladimir Yevtushenkov, Russia, 58, $9.1, telecom
73. Rupert Murdoch, New York, 76, $9, News Corp.
73. Hans Rausing, Sweden, 81, $9, packaging
73. Reinhold Wurth, Germany, 71, $9, manufacturing
76. Ernesto Bertarelli, Switzerland, 41, $8.8, biotech
76. Pierre Omidyar, Nevada, 39, $8.8, Ebay
78. Maria-Elisabeth and Georg Schaeffler, Germany, ages unknown, $8.7, ball bearings
79. Rafael del Pino and family, Spain, 86, $8.6, construction
80. Donald Bren, California, 74, $8.5, real estate
80. George Kaiser, Oklahoma, 64, $8.5, oil and gas, banking
80. George Soros, New York, 76, $8.5, hedge funds
83. Nikolai Tsvetkov, Russia, 46, $8.4, oil, banking
83. August von Finck, Germany, 77, $8.4, investments
85. Dan Duncan, Texas, 74, $8.2, energy
86. Mohammed Al Amoudi, Saudi Arabia, 61, $8, oil
86. Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair and family, United Arab Emirates, 53, $8, banking
86. Kumar Birla, India, 39, $8, commodities
86. German Khan, Russia, 45, $8, oil, banking
86. Iskander Makhmudov, Russia, 43, $8, mining, metals
86. Sumner Redstone, California, 83, $8, Viacom
86. Shashi and Ravi Ruia, India, ages unknown, $8, diversified
93. Philip Anschutz, Colorado, 67, $7.9, investments
93. Galen Weston and family, Canada, 66, $7.9, retail
95. Enrique Banuelos, Spain, 41, $7.7, real estate
96. Stefan Quandt, Germany, 41, $7.6, BMW
97. Maan Al-Sanea, Saudi Arabia, 52, $7.5, construction, finance
97. Edward Johnson III, Massachusetts, 76, $7.5, Fidelity
99. Sulaiman Al Rajhi, Saudi Arabia, 87, $7.4, banking
100. Donald Newhouse, New Jersey, 77, $7.3, publishing
100. Samuel Newhouse Jr., New York, 79, $7.3, publishing