Legal Forms and Issues

Gone were the days when preparing legal forms was totally a hassle. Using a manual typewriter in preparing multiple copies the document is really tasking. You need a carbon paper and a correction fluid always ready every time you have to prepare for a legal document. If you are preparing the document for a client, it is either you will ask them to come back for the documents, but what if the client came from a distant place from the law office, they may prefer to wait for the document to be finished rather than come back for it?

Preparation of legal forms was then made a bit easier when electronic and electric typewriters came out and was later followed by a photocopying machine. But can you imagine if on those days, you are preparing a legal form and then there was a typographical error? Really burdensome, cause you need to make correction, on each and every page and at times becomes untidy because of the carbon paper accidentally got in contact with the still wet correction fluid? If at all the legal forms you are preparing, does not look presentable anymore, you will have no choice but to start typing all over again in a new set of bond papers, but still cannot assure that there will be no more mistakes.

When computers were introduced, preparation of legal forms became much easier. When you need to execute a legal document, you just go over, see a lawyer, just explain your purpose and the lawyer will handle everything and of course it goes with the certain amount of fees for the assistance and the preparation of the document you needed. After the documents have been prepared, you need to affix your signature and again a notary public will be in charge of notarization of your documents. In some cases, not all law offices can notarize documents. If that is the case you need to bring your documents to an authorized notary public to have it notarized.

Today, in this computer era and the continuing advancement in technology, preparation of legal forms depending on one’s need, has been made easy through the internet. All you need to do is search the internet for the kind of legal forms you need and in an instant it appears on your screen. You need not see a lawyer to prepare the document for you. Just have it copied and then alter or fill-in the vital information needed to complete the form and suit your need. May it be a power of attorney, a deed of absolute sale, a lease contract, etc., just name it and you will have it in an instant over the internet. Once done, you can just have it signed and then have it notarized and for just a less effort your legal document is ready.

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Real Estate Market Analysis – What’s Best For You?

As a homeowner, in a changing market it is important to know your home’s value. The value of your home is dependent on many different factors, some in your control and some out of your control. Factors that are out of your control in determining the value of your home include supply and demand, market conditions, interest rates, and the economy. Other factors in which you have some control over include, location, style, size, condition and amenities of your home. To determine the value of your home a market analysis can be conducted.What is a Real Estate Market Analysis?
A Real Estate Market Analysis is a report of current and past market activity comparing your home with other similar homes in your area. The analysis enables you to easily compare the features of your home with others and to determine the best pricing strategy for the market.Why get a Real Estate Market Analysis?A Market Analysis is a very handy tool to use in a number of different situations:1. Are you considering selling your home?2. Have you invested or thinking of investing money in your home with expensive renovations and improvements and want to know if the value of your home has increased or will increase to reflect the changes?3. Have the changes in the real estate market made you uneasy about the value of your home?
If you answered yes to any of these questions then you should have a Market Analysis completed on your home.Who conducts Real Estate Market Analysis?The best person to conduct a Market Analysis on your home for you would be a licensed real estate agent who is familiar and lives in and or does business in your neighborhood. In order to produce an effective market analysis the agent would need a tour of your home and know specific details of your home. Some basic questions they will need to know include:1. Style of home (i.e., Ranch, Colonial etc)
2. Number of Bedrooms
3. Number of Kitchens / Eat in Kitchen
4. Number of Bathrooms
5. Dining Room
6. Living Room/Den/Family Room
7. Basement – Finished or Unfinished
8. Size of lotBased off of the information on your home they will assess your neighborhood and compare similar homes in your neighborhood with houses currently on the market, recently sold or expired from the market. Based off the information they will compute the best pricing strategy for your home.Most agents do not charge a fee for this service. They conduct the analysis as a courteous in hopes of getting your listing in the event you choose to sell your home. If you own a home call a local real estate agent and have a market analysis completed on your home today!

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Life Insurance: Smart Returns, Tax Savings

As a well-aware, net savvy professional, you must be conscious of the need of the life insurance coverage you require to secure your family’s financial life. Today, the provisions of the Income Tax Act offer you provisions under which you can buy life insurance coverage, generate returns and save on tax too.A large number of people today research for insurance plans online and zero-in on a life insurance plan which is providing best returns, at present. Is that the right approach? Well, it is okay to research and come to know about the best possible life insurance plan.But, here is the trap. Many people just put all of the insurance money into one single policy. Some insurance agents can urge you to do this. They can show you an online account of one of their clients who has generated returns to the tune of Rs 25-40 per cent in a year. Beware – these are mostly fake accounts which are used to dupe customers. Unfortunately, many insurance buyers fall into this trap.People buy life insurance policies with a premium amount of as much as Rs 1 -1.5 lakh and then expect that this will bring great returns to them.It is not advisable at all. You must spread your risks and get different types of policies. Since section 80C of the Income Tax Act provides for tax deductions of up to Rs 1.5 lakh, you can easily buy multiple policies. Here are some useful tips to diversify your insurance investments.Get a mix of public and private sector insurance companies: Public sector insurance companies are known for their good claim settlement ratios. At the same time, they have a notorious image of producing very low rates of returns. Do not be surprised if an LIC policy gets less than 4-5 per cent returns in a year. Assuming that you are a young professional in the age between 25-40 years, you can buy a policy of not more than 25 per cent of your total insurance corpus.Prefer leading private sector life insurance companies like HDFC Life, ICICI Prudential, Reliance Life, etc. These companies offer Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs), which can fulfil your need for financial growth.Select your funds carefully: If you have decided to invest in ULIPs, good. But that is half job done. Under ULIPs, you have to select funds. An insurance company can suggest you default allocation of funds but you can always apply your mind to it.Broadly, insurance companies have funds which invest in equity markets and debt instruments. Within these two categories, you have several options. Equity based funds generally have blue chip funds, mid cap funds, so on and so forth. Debt funds invest in bonds and government securities, which offer very low returns but do not carry any risks.There is also a Balanced Fund under which you funds are equally invested in equity and debt markets. Thus, you have three different options to optimise your insurance portfolio returns.If you have a traditional life insurance policy from a public sector undertaking, you must prefer minimum allocation to bond funds. You can allocate some 5 per cent in bonds and rest in equity based funds.You can go for a mix of blue chip and mid cap funds. This strategy automatically balances your risks and generates superior returns in the long run.Buy the policy online: Today, most life insurance companies offer online buying option. What is the advantage? There are several advantages. First, if you buy online insurance, the insurance company does not have to pay commission to sales agent. Thus, you will have an indirect saving since the life insurance company will be able to invest this amount on your behalf.In the long run, you will realise that your friends who bought the same policy from an insurance agent is generating lesser returns than the one you bought online. Yes, do not be surprised. It is a market reality.There are thousands of such cases where insurance companies have to shell out commissions in the range of 10-40 per cent. Naturally, this commission is paid out from the premium you pay. The returns are bound to be low in this case because the insurance company will invest less amount and allocate more funds in the name of expenditure.Therefore, you must buy life insurance online. If you are facing any issues or have any queries with regards to the plan, you can consult their customer care centres through a telephonic call or online chat.Even in the worst case situation, there is a free-look period of around 15 days you receive the policy. If you are not satisfied with any of the features, you can return the policy to the company.Isn’t it a win-win situation for you?

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