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  • 6 tips to combat allergies & asthma

    6 tips to combat allergies & asthma

    April flowers bring May spring flowers which bring more allergies.  Now’s the time many folks suffer from allergies.  I’m a sufferer from several chemicals including fragrance which is in everything or it seems.  Forced to change all my household supplies, heed these tips to avoid suffering and feeling like you’re sick:

    1. Look for the Asthma & Allergy Friendly Mark: Being selective what you buy can prevent doing this to yourself.  Look for the AAFA mark and go to www.AAFA.org/certified for more information.
    2. Avoid trouble cleaning product ingredients: Removing allergens at home requires cleaning regularly.  Avoid products that have strong odors and perhaps wear a mask when cleaning.
    3. Buy breathable bedding for better sleep: Spending almost 1/3 of life in the bedroom, it’s important to purchase products that won’t trigger allergens.  Read labels and consider an allergen-free mattress cover.
    4. Consider air cleaners & humidifiers: Good indoor air quality is critical for all families!  Read independent testing reports before buying air cleaners and humidifiers.
    5. Use a high-quality vacuum: Cheap vacuums redistribute the allergens during use and when changing the cleaning bag.

    Gift toys that inspire smiles, not sniffles: Obviously brain stimulating toys are best for kids.  Try and avoid stuffed animals as some are stuffed with filled bedding products

  • 7 Facts About the Forest Hills Tennis Center

    For many years the Forest Hills Tennis Center also known as the West Side Tennis Club stood dormant!  For all intents and purposes, it was rotting away waiting for the wrecking ball to put it out of it’s misery.

    1- The FHTC has history on it’s side: Built in 1923 and renovated in 2013 the FHTC has hosted legendary tennis players such as Arthur Ashe, Billie Jean King, Rod Laver, Chris Evert BJ-Kingand Bjorn Borg to name a few.

    2- Rock and Roll hall of fame bands have played the FHTC: Bob Dylan is coming this summer after his 51 year hiatus as well as Paul Simon.   Iconic bands to play the FHTC include; The Beatles(64’), Rolling Stones(66’)and Jimi Hendrix(67’).  Other bands who also played “back in the day” were The Cars, Asia, Wang Chung, Yes, The Talking Heads and The Doors!

    3- The US Tennis Open left Forest Hills in 1977: After the 1977 tournament the US Open left the West Side Tennis Club and moved to Flushing Meadows, also in queens. There were small tennis tournaments held there and lesser known bands into the 1990’s until the costs to maintain the building become too high and the building was shuttered for almost 20 years.

    4- It reopened in 2013: for the Mumford & Sons concert.

    5- Now the FHTC is on the upswing: There are more renovations in store and it was just announced that the “NY Empire” world tennis team will be playing in Forest Hills.

    6-The FHTC was almost converted to condos: Many people don’t know that the West Side Tennis Club membership voted down 2 separate condo proposals.

    7-Unique to the venue: Other than being walking distance from my house there’s no parking lot or street parking in the immediate area.  It can be accessed by train or bus.

  • 6 Questions to ask yourself about Travel Insurance

    6 Questions to ask yourself about Travel Insurance

    Planning will save you headaches

    insurance, New York, travel

    Summer is upon us which means another exciting travel season! 

    Crazy things can happen like a heart attack while out of the country.  It happened to my client after a Bermuda scooter accident.  Most travel insurance policies are confusing so ask yourself the following questions before buying anything:

    1. Does my health insurance policy cover me? Good question as most traditional Obamacare policies offers zero overseas coverage.  Ask your broker.
    2. What about my medicare supplement or Medigap policy? Some Medicare supplement policies like AARP & United Healthcare plans will cover injuries up to $50,000.  It depends on which plan between C-N you have. 
    3. Does my credit card cover anything? It depends on your card.  The Amex platinum card, for example, will cover emergency transportation if you need to be airlifted or flown to a special hospital.
    4. Do I take dangerous risks? If you go to 3rd world countries with poor medicine, do extreme sports, high-level kayaking, zip-lining or hiking perhaps you are a candidate.
    5. What about policy pre-existing conditions? If you are diabetic and/or have chronic conditions like bad knees then you should consider a policy.  Call your broker and/or go to www.InsureMyTrip.com for policy comparisons.  Read closely the limitations and waivers for pre-existing conditions before making any purchases. 
    6. Do I need to buy travel or cancellation insurance? It depends on your answers to questions 1-5! 

    Feel free to reach out to us if you’re going away and need to figure this out, you’ll be glad you did!

  • 8 Reasons to Eat Blueberries this Summer

    Blueberries are considered one of the “Super foods”. I’ve been eating them every day for a few years now and here are 8 facts and reasons why you should consider doing so as well:

    1. Blueberries can reduce cancer: The color of blueberry’s skin comes from the presence of anthocynanins, a family of antioxidants thought to reduce the risk of cancer.blueberry
    2. They are grown close to home: Blueberries are grown across the USA with New York and New Jersey being two of the top producers in the nation. This ensures fresh berries all summer.
    3. They are naturally blue: Blueberries are one of the only naturally blue foods and were used as dyes by early colonists.
    4. Protected by the bloom: Blueberries display a pale, waxy coating on their skin called “the Bloom”. The bloom serves as a protective barrier from bacteria while sealing in moisture. Though safe to eat, you should always wash the outside of the berries before eating to prevent spoilage.
    5. Can feed to pets in small amounts: Not only are blueberries a sweet treat for humans, pets can enjoy them too! The occasional fresh blueberry makes an excellent low-calorie treat for both cats and dogs.
    6. Good alternative for diabetics: Blueberries are great for fruit-loving diabetics because they boast a low glycemic index and are packed with vitamins and fiber!
    7. Size matters: The size of the blueberry can indicate how they are best served. For instance, large blueberries are best when eaten fresh and smaller sized berries are ideal for use in cooking or baking.
    8. Wild is a good thing for summer ice cream: Wild blueberries have about half the sugar of regular blueberries and a more concentrated flavor. Mixing them with sweet cream makes the perfect combination for this summer’s blueberry ice cream!

  • 5 Tourist Traps to Avoid

    There are so many fabulous places in the world to visit. Avoid the hype as these 5 tourists traps that are a waste of time!

    1. Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England: This mysterious site may date as far back as 3000 bc. More than 1.3 million visited in 2014. It takes hours to get there and you can longer go into thetourist-traps central ring of stones. It’s a ton of tour buses with tourists walking in circles aimlessly!
    2. Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota: Receives over 40 million visitors from around the globe each year. Expect heavy crowds and over-priced goods. Unless you are going on rides it’s a waste of time!
    3. La Boca, Buenas Aires, Argentina: It’s a brightly painted neighborhood that attracts tourists looking to take tango lessons and photograph crayola-colored houses. It’s basically 1 fake-looking street painted to get tourists to visit the over-priced coffee shops, bars and restaurants.
    4. Walk of Fame, Hollywood, California: It’s comprised of 15 blocks of Hollywood blvd and marked by commemorative stars in the sidewalk. Seedy sin city type crowds tourist-trap-linkedin-Dec42015with hookers, dirty streets and solicitors everywhere.
    5. Manneken Pis, Brussels, Belgium: Manneken Pis depicts a naked boy urinating in a fountain. For some this 17th century sculpture is a work of art. For most this is a small statue that’s a waste of time!Are you prepared for your financial journey? Avoid the traps by contacting Robert today.
  • 10 Reasons to Stay at the Bogota, Colombia BNB Inn

    10 Reasons to Stay at the Bogota, Colombia BNB Inn


    Colombia has an old stigma as a beautiful yet dangerous place to visit.  Tourism is booming as there is so much culture and depth to this country.  I strongly suggest staying at the Bogota Bed & Breakfast Inn.

    1. Location: Nestled in cozy middle class Teusaquillo near the airport, downtown and the Bogota Botanical Garden.  Downtown is 15 minutes and a $2-3 Uber ride anywhere.  Easy one-hour flight to Medellin or Cartagena.
    2. Safety and Security: 16 high-tech security cameras and a 500 lb. steel front door with remote, nice residential area.
    3. Family-owned by a wonderful couple: Rick Estrada and Beatriz (Aunt B to me) Leon.  Rick was born in Manhattan and grew up in Florida.  Ex-military (USAF) he’s also a historian and runs the best tour.  Bea, born in Cali (Colombia) and helped transform the community.  They both speak fluent English and Spanish.
    4. The Price is Right: The only true BNB in Bogota is under $100/night including breakfast, a briefing and fast free internet, business services and so much more…
    5. Food: Omg the food is so good, they make breakfast to order.  They cook traditional American, arepa with eggs and specialty dishes like Tamel.  Also, excellent pizza and burgers as well as upscale restaurants are blocks away.
    6.  Clean and neat: They won the TripAdvisor Green Leader award for eco-friendliness.  This place is spotless!
    7. Sight-seeing galore:  A plethora of options, Monserrate mountain, Nemocon salt mine (“Los 33” Antonio Banderas Chilean minor’s movie was filmed there), graffiti walking tour, gold museum and Guatevita the flooded city.
    8. People and the scene: Cosmopolitan capital Bogota is home to warm, welcoming people who appreciate a small effort to speak Spanish.  The city offers culinary, art and live music scenes that rival Buenos Aires or Mexico.
    9. The “Rick Special Tour”: I suggest taking this tour the first 2-3 days in Bogota.  Rick can customize the trip based on your interests.  An encyclopedia of knowledge, he will give you a great picture of Colombia’s history past to present.
    10. Feels like home: Unlimited library of music, I felt comfortable for 9 days wearing my PJ’s (pants only) around the house.  Where else can you text the owners on WhatsApp and get prompt answers?  Click the website above for video on each room and book the reservation!
  • 10 Things You Should Know About Credit

    10 Things You Should Know About Credit

    Did you know that making small changes on a credit report and how you use your available credit lines can make BIG differences in your scores? Here are 10 things every consumer should know about credit:

    1. Paid Tax Liens can be Removed
    Paid (Released or satisfied) federal tax liens can be deleted from a credit report and all other public records within 30 days. insurance, New York City, financial services

    2. Some Unpaid Tax Liens can be Deleted
    Federal tax liens can also be deleted if they have balances of less than 25k with on time payments to the IRS.

    3. Add Authorized Users to Increase Scores
    Adding authorized users can increase credit scores in as little as 3 weeks for free! No fees and no credit checks. Best of all, they cannot be denied.

    4. Fix Inaccurate or Additional Personal Information
    90% of credit reports have additional personal information that is either inaccurate or dated. I’ve seen scenarios with 6 different names, 2 social security numbers and several addresses. We can update this pretty quickly while working on other credit related issues. This helps us remove inaccurate information that’s reporting on the credit file.

    5. Add Secured Cards
    Adding secured cards can help improve the credit profile and ultimately help a borrower get a loan approval. This needs to be structured a certain way but is extremely effective within a couple months.

    6. Keep Balances Below 30% of Available Credit
    Credit card balances should be below 30% of credit all the time. If you need more credit, get more trade lines (lenders like to see 3-5 trade lines).

    7. Consolidate Student Loans
    If student loans are in default, they can be consolidated and transferred to the U.S. Department of Education.  This will make a huge difference in score and overall approval strength.

    8. Put Burden of Proof Back on Creditor
    Collections and charge-offs are deleted at roughly 70%. They generally don’t have the documentation to support the account properly and our system puts the burden of proof back on the creditor.

    9. Limit Credit Inquiries
    You should only have 7 inquiries a year. Anything more than that can effect the score.

    10. Setup Automatic Bill Pay
    If you’re not good at paying bills on time on a monthly basis, set up direct withdrawal of the fixed payment accounts. Every creditor offers this option and it can turn a terrible payer into a perfect credit consumer for the rest of their lives.

  • 5 Tips for Raising Money-Smart Kids

    Most children are now in the middle of the school year. Unfortunately, most schools don’t teach kids how to budget, spend or how to grasp the value of money.  kids-lemonade

    1. Start early: A 2013 Cambridge U. study found that by the age of 7 (1st grade) most children grasped how money works and ‘core behaviors” they take into adulthood. Teach them the “rule of 72” (amount of time it takes a lump sum of money to double based on a known/fixed interest rate) as early as possible.

    2. Utilize an allowance to teach them: Using an allowance as early as possible helps teach them the value of money and the difference between luxuries vs necessities.

    3. Talk openly about money: Kids learn about money faster than you think. Talk to them about how many weeks of allowance it takes to buy that new lego set and you will be surprised how fast they understand. Not comfortable on this topic refer to Parents.com

    4. Let them make their own mistakes: This can be the best way to learn when the stakes are low. When your child sees this great commercial on tv let them buy the toy with their allowance money. When they realize it was a bad purchase the lesson is invaluable.

    5. Set a good example: Your children see what you are doing and will emulate it good or bad. Let them see you save up for a luxury and put back goods that you don’t need while at the check-out counter.

    Parents often say “I want my kids to be better than me”. Utilizing these 5 tips will help ensure this happens with regards to saving and responsible spending.

    For your own ‘money-smart’ plan or financial review contact Robert here today.

  • 5 Tips to Get Free College Endowment Money

    5 Tips to Get Free College Endowment Money

    Free money? Seems to good to be true but when it comes to funding your child’s education it can be reality. Colleges control over 95% of the money that students receive every year.

    1. Apply to at least 10 schools: We have students apply to 10, get into 6 then leverage one school versus another.
    2. Go back and visit your top 2-3 schools after acceptance: More often than not you will receive a letter offering more $$ after your second visit.
    3. Don’t accept their first offer: Just like buying a pre-own car don’t pay “sticker” price. Schools have billions in their endowment funds just waiting for you to extract it.
    4. Apply to the competitors of your top choices: Admissions officers know where you are applying. They will give more $$ just to not let their competition win.
    5. Do volunteering and community service: This is one of the most important tips! Schools give money to those students who are most likely to give $$ back after graduating. They call it “the give back gene”.

    For more information visit our websitewww.InsuranceDoctor.us and fill in the intake sheet if you want to be contacted for professional advice or college endowment coaching.

  • 6 Tips to Get Your Financial House in Order

    6 Tips to Get Your Financial House in Order

    The year’s end is hectic between the holidays, parties and kids being home from school.  It’s easy to get off track during the 4th quarter.  Follow these 6 tips and with a little time and effort your 2019 finances will be more organized and less stressful.inset2

    1. Organize your paperwork: It’s hard to feel in control when you can’t find anything.  Gather all papers, shred duplicates/old statements and put them all in a box or accordion file.
    2. Go Paperless: Wherever possible create electronic files.  See if you can receive e-bills instead of paper.  Use a flash drive as a back-up and keep it off-premises.
    3. Protect against identity theft: You can request a free copy of your credit report once/year from all 3 credit bureaus.  Go to www.AnnualCreditReport.com
    4. Put your finances on autopilot: Use EFT direct deposit for all checks, pension and social security received.  Set up automatic payments for recurring bills.
    5. Create your 2016 tax file: Most people have to scramble to pull together all tax forms etc.  Start now by setting up a 2016 file and stashing forms/receipts etc as needed.
    6. Review your insurance coverage: Protect your nest egg and family by regularly reviewing your life, health disability, and long term care insurance.  If this is confusing to you contact us for a 2nd opinion.

    Your financial house needs regular upkeep.  Putting in a little time and organization will decrease clutter and help you focus on your goals and objectives. Contact Robert today to get your financial house in order in 2016.