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No area of residential property insurance is more complicated or litigated than condo owner's insurance policies. This fact has recently become more complicated for Maryland condominium owners. Insurance problems often arise when two or more insurers are involved in a claim. In this case it would be the condo association master insurance policy and the unit owner's personal policy (HO6).

In response to the problem, The Maryland Condominium Act was amended effective June 2009 stipulating that condominium master property insurance policies must cover both common elements and individual units. Additionally, unit owners can be held liable for up to $5,000 of the master policy deductible if the cause of the damage originates in the unit.

Will that owner have any coverage under their HO6 condo unit owner's policy to pay the $5,000 deductible for which they may now be responsible? That question will no doubt be tested extensively. The $5,000 will not be paid under the "Loss Assessments" coverage. It should come from the Coverage A "Dwelling" part of the unit owner's policy. Many condo unit owners, knowing that the master policy covers the building, choose a low limit or don't insure themselves at all for which is a big mistake.

If you own a condo unit in Maryland, you should take the following steps to protect yourself. Check your policy for the Coverage A "Dwelling" limit. Ensure it is enough to cover the association deductible, your improvements, any other building or property that you are required to cover by the association agreement. Ensure that you have a "Special" or "All-Risks" coverage form.

Most condominium losses are related to water damage from leaky or damaged pipes. The basic condo unit owner's policy will not cover such water damage. Ask your insurer or agent if there is an Extended Coverage Endorsement that can be added. These endorsements, when available, offer very broad coverage at an affordable rate.

If you serve on the Board of Directors for your condominium association, ask about a non-profit Directors and Officers endorsement to cover you personally from errors and omissions complaints against the board. Submit a copy of the association agreement to your agent or insurer for review. Condominium agreements are often unclear about insurance requirements and deductible assessments. However, it is essential that all legal liabilities of the unit owners be spelled out in detail.

Take the time to ensure that your association is taking the steps that they need to take to clarify all ambiguities. This new Maryland law clarifies that the master policy is responsible for losses and that the unit owners can be responsible for part of the deductible. No matter how much insurance is carried, the unit owner's insurer may not cover the $5,000 deductible unless the association contract clearly establishes a legal responsibility to do so.

Don't leave yourself exposed to an uninsured expense after a large loss. Check your coverage and ask questions. If you do not have unit owners insurance, contact an agent to obtain a quote. It is better to be safe than sorry.

In our final article in this short series about wedding insurance claims we should just spend a little time clearing up some loose ends.

We have already mentioned about the main cause of wedding insurance claims being problems with the venue, so we should just take a closer look at some of the types of things that can happen that are covered by your insurance.

Probably the number one eventuality that can happen with your wedding venue is that the owners go out of business. This happens more often than you would think. Even some of the biggest hotels and venues have their own financial constraints especially in these dark austere times, so do not think that just because your venue is a big chain, or the owners are very nice and sociable when you contact them that they can not possibly have any financial worries. The size of the venue is irrelevant when it comes to going bust!

Of course there is also the possibility that the place could suffer some sort of catastrophe. It could burn down or have some sort of structural problems necessitating its closure.

There have even been claims reported by insurers because one of the owners had fallen ill and can not continue with your event.

One area that you will need to clarify with your wedding insurance company is how their policy will deal with any legal action resulting form the venue maybe not supplying what was offered. You would be surprised at how often this situation arises. You would be well advised to get a written list of the requirements you have counter-signed by the owners of the venue to ensure that they have accepted responsibility for supplying those services. This will make life so much easier for you and the insurance company of there should be any sort of dispute about this.

We have spent a little time in these articles looking at the most common types of wedding insurance claims and how you can deal with them. We have looked at cancellation of the event due to unforeseen circumstances. We have looked at the problems involving a myriad of suppliers and the chances that one of them will fail. We have checked the possibilities of the wedding attire, especially the wedding dress being lost, stolen or damaged before the event. We have looked at the consequences of the photographer either failing to turn up or that the photographs are substandard in some way, and we have taken a closer look at venue problems.

One last area we have not mentioned is that weddings are stressful occasions. The last thing you want to have on your mind during the day is the fear that something dreadful will happen or go wrong. Let's face it, you have made one of the most important decision of your life, so you do not want to have the additional worry about whether it all goes well or not.

Moreover, weddings today are expensive affairs. The days of booking some room in the back of a pub are long gone. People expect a reasonably lavish do to remember their day. Taking out wedding insurance will spare you from all these worries, financial or otherwise.

Recently, a number of horror stories circulated in the media about foreign doctors messing up a surgery or mis-diagnosing a patient have led to apprehensions among Americans towards medical treatment abroad.

However, the high costs of weight loss surgery in the U.S often make it difficult for many Americans to avail surgery in their home country. Those who are not covered by a medical insurance to cover their surgery find it even tougher to afford the expensive surgery in the U.S.

So, is there a choice for the many Americans who are queasy about going to another country for a surgery and are scouting for a cheaper option in their own country for a self pay Gastric Sleeve?

For patients who need a weight loss surgery such as Gastric Sleeve, traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada, I learn from an acquaintance, could be your way to getting an affordable sleeve surgery in the U.S.

Benefits of Undergoing Gastric Sleeve in Las Vegas, Nevada

Getting a gastric sleeve surgery in Las Vegas, Nevada is a tempting option on many counts as the Sin City is very attractive for anyone with a taste for fun.

It is the most populous city in the U.S state of Nevada. It is a famous resort city, internationally renowned for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city is popularly termed as The 'Entertainment Capital of the World'.

Besides the active night life that Las Vegas has to offer, it also boasts of a pleasant weather that is sure to help facilitate the recuperation. The city enjoys abundant sunshine year-round. It has an average of about 300 sunny days per year.

The major attractions are the casinos and the hotels. Most of the hotel casinos are in the city's downtown area, the focal point of the city's gaming industry. The gambling and entertainment industry is mostly focused in the Las Vegas Strip, in the surrounding of Paradise and Winchester. The largest and most notable casinos and buildings are also located there.

The medical tourists can enjoy the grandeur of the Bellagio fountains, renew their wedding vows in the beautiful Chapel of the Flowers or the Elvis Chapel and admire the colorful rock formations on the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. For the fun loving tourists, the Las Vegas Boulevard, aka The Strip, is the place to visit for its shops, topless bars, tattoo parlors and wedding chapels. A walk down the Fremont Street, a five-block pedestrian covered mall with kiosks, carts and a nightly light-and-sound show, is a pleasurable experience.

The city also provides an efficient public bus transportation system throughout Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, and other suburban areas of the valley. This makes it convenient for the medical tourists to travel around the region. An Inter-city bus service is also provided by several charter services.

There are several other attractions for the medical tourist who wishes to explore the city. Every business stays open for 24 hours. Internet access is easily available. A local Internet service provider chain has a full-service location in the Hawaiian market place gift shop at Polo Towers.

Affordable weight loss surgery in Las Vegas, Nevada

Many bariatric surgery centers offer significant savings to patients for a gastric sleeve surgery. Not only are the people traveling to Las Vegas for self pay Gastric sleeve able to save a significant amount of money, but also avail the services of specialist Gastric sleeve surgeons within their own country.

With affordable surgery options available in Nevada, Las Vegas, many people feel more assured that they will be dealing with well-qualified surgeons from their own country and will have access to the healthcare facilities they are used to dealing with.

Traveling to another city for any treatment is great, because usually the prices are lesser (you wouldn't be going there, if they were higher), and the little vacation that you get, always helps in recuperation. However, it is advisable to check with your doctor to see how much you can let yourself indulge without adversely affecting your health.

Many websites also offer 'web only' special discounts for people who are looking for affordable options for a weight loss surgery in the U.S. Other cities in the U.S with lesser population may also offer services that are even cheaper, but you must be astute enough to know that they are not compromising on quality.

Where to go for weight loss surgery in Las Vegas, Nevada?

There are several weight loss surgery centers in Las Vegas, Nevada that have gained a formidable reputation over the years due to their proven results in weight loss surgery. The weight loss centers are equipped with the latest bariatric technology and experienced bariatric surgeons perform this procedure laparoscopically. Some of the well-known weight loss surgery centers in Las Vegas, Nevada are;

1. Mayo Clinic

2. Nevada Medical Weight Loss Center

3. Surgical Weight Control Center of Las Vegas

4. Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center

5. WhyDiet

The procedure for the surgery will usually involve several consultations with a surgeon to ascertain if you are a good candidate for weight-loss surgery. The doctor will assess your overall health is assessed to see if surgery is medically viable. The weight loss clinic will then offer a choice in procedures to the patient.

What else to do?

Here are a few things that people seeking sleeve surgery in Vegas can do to turn their quest for an affordable weight-loss surgery in Vegas into a concrete reality.

繚 Join forums to know all about getting sleeved in Vegas, seek references and know the costs involved

繚 Talk to the surgeon and ask for discounts. Provide references of people who have undergone surgery before you. Ask about the expenditure in advance and ensure there are no hidden costs.

繚 Openly talk to your doctor and clear all concerns. Make sure you know what the surgery entails and how much effort is required from your end to make it a success.

For Americans who do not feel comfortable traveling to other countries to look for inexpensive bariatric surgeries, getting a lap band or gastric sleeve in places like Las Vegas, could be the right choice. Affordable gastric sleeve in the States will take a little patience and much research. If you're ready to put that in, you can easily find the right destination for your bariatric surgery.

When planning your wedding, the last thing you want to think about is all the things that could go wrong on the big day. It hardly seems like a very romantic or optimistic train of thought in the run-up to a day full of celebration and love but, with the average wedding costing in excess of 瞿10,000, it would be imprudent not to seek some kind of safety net.

In current financial times, there is little job security and the investment required for a wedding can be a daunting undertaking. More and more businesses are suffering under economic pressures and whispers about downsizing or restructuring can cause incredible stress for those looking at investing thousands into their forthcoming wedding.

Like pre-nuptial agreements, wedding insurance can seem a little like looking at the glass half empty when it is close to overflowing, but a little time spent considering the potential catastrophes that could tarnish your day will quickly convince you that some kind of wedding insurance is a good idea.

Inevitably, there are many different wedding insurance policies available, and the majority cover the basics as well as the worst case scenario - having to cancel or postpone the whole event. While it is not possible to insure against a groom's absence on the big day or the bride running off with the best man, policies do offer cover for cancellations to due illness or bereavement in the immediate family.

One cost that is often overlooked when planning for a wedding is the prospect of having to pay legal fees as a result of a dispute with a supplier. For example, the catering company fails to arrive on the specified day or the florist sends black carnations instead of white lilies. While there is little that can be done on the day, afterwards there might a potentially expensive legal case against them for their failure to supply. Having wedding insurance will ensure you do not have to scrimp on your honeymoon in order to scratch together the finances to cover the legal proceedings.

As with any insurance policy, it is important to shop around and find the right wedding insurance policy for you. Some may be more suitable for couples marrying at an international location while others may just cover the basics. While it may be tempting to opt for the first or cheapest policy you see, make sure you read the fine print before committing to a policy to ensure you know exactly what is and is not covered. For example, some policies may cover wedding presents for the duration of the ceremony but then will not cover any loss or damage that occurs as the presents are being transported home.

The most comprehensive wedding insurance policies actually come with a stress counselling helpline that you can call when the burden of balancing work, home and wedding preparations all becomes too much. Research from a prominent insurance company indicates that planning a wedding is almost as stressful as buying a house, so this option may become more appealing as the process gets underway and the challenges become more apparent.

Wedding insurance is a great way to make certain that the money you have invested into your big day does not go to waste if fate decides to throw more than one hitch your way.

Thinking about the possibility of a theft or loss of a favourite piece of jewellery is certainly not pleasant, however the possibility cannot be ignored. So often victims of a theft or loss find that claiming on their insurance is complicated and unsatisfactory. Insurance companies have an extraordinary ability to 'wriggle' when it comes to claims and the small print all of a sudden becomes far more important than it seemed at the time of signing the original contract.

How often do we hear that a victim of theft has been unable to claim compensation for a loss because the circumstances did not qualify the 'terms of the insurance policy', or that the amount paid out was not nearly enough to find a comparable replacement for the item lost. Then there are the insurance companies who refuse to pay out for the loss in cash, instead insisting that the customer must purchase jewellery to the value of the loss from 'associated' jewellery stores - many of which may stock jewellery that the claimant feels is inferior to the treasured item that was lost.

Much of this frustration can be avoided by taking a few simple, precautionary steps in advance of any unfortunate incident which may result in the necessity of making an insurance claim. Firstly, when purchasing jewellery, always ensure that you are provided with a purchase invoice or receipt. Check that the store selling you this jewellery provides a clear and detailed description of the goods purchased. This should include the type and grade of precious metal used including its weight. Any gemstones should be detailed with the quality, grades and weights. Finally the price must be stated preferably also showing the original shop price if a discount was given. This receipt must be safely retained in a filing system at home so that it can easily be found if a claim should become necessary at some date in the future.

It is not sufficient simply to have an original purchase invoice to identify and prove the value of a treasured item. As the years roll on the value of that item is likely to steadily increase. In order to maintain a clear idea of the value of the jewellery to be insured it is vitally important to maintain a current valuation. The value of the insured jewellery should be updated regularly every three to four years by a qualified jeweller. In the case of a loss the insurance valuation will have two important purposes:

• Firstly the detailed description will enable the police to clearly identify your lost jewellery if it is recovered. Without this proof the police are sometimes unable to return jewellery to 'a rightful owner' because it cannot be proved that the jewellery is actually theirs. The detailed weights and measurements, along with photographs, contained in a valid valuation leaves no room for doubt when identifying recovered items.
  

• Secondly a current valuation will enable you to check you have adequate insurance cover and that in the case of a loss the insurance company pays you out an amount that is realistic and up to date.

Unfortunately not everybody is as well prepared as this. What happens if you incur a loss and can't find the original purchase receipt or what if you never obtained a valuation certificate for the item?

All is not lost .. but be prepared to act quickly before submitting your claim to an insurance company! Find whatever information you DO have for the lost jewellery including any family snapshots etc that may help. Then approach a qualified jeweller and ask for a 'post loss valuation'. With the information you are able to supply the jeweller can build up a picture of the lost item and in this way produce a detailed valuation certificate based on the details you can remember. Insurance companies will normally accept a carefully constructed post loss valuation, produced in this manner, and it means that you do not leave yourself open to an unrealistically low valuation when your claim is eventually settled.

One of the biggest frustrations for insurance claimants is when insurance companies issue 'vouchers' for replacement jewellery. This imposes a serious restriction on finding a suitable replacement for the item lost. For example how can a treasured antique heirloom be replaced in a 'High Street' jewellery store belonging to one of the large multiples? Quite simply it cannot and for this reason the Insurance Ombudsman has made a ruling stating that, in principle, this is wrong. I can quote from the Insurance Ombudsman Bureau Report (1987 and restated in 2003):

"The option to replace jewellery is not properly exercised by offering a policy holder an authority to buy jewellery up to an agreed value at a particular jeweller's shop. That is wrong in principle, although it seems to have become a hallowed practice. It is in fact a denial of true indemnity."

AR(87) p.31

In a great many cases in which I have been asked to help with a claim, the claimant has received more favourable treatment once this ruling had been pointed out to Insurance Companies offering 'vouchers'. It is worth retaining a copy of this ruling should you need to quote from it in the future!

It is hoped that, with some forethought and a little planning, at least some of the distress and frustration of sustaining a loss can be avoided. The simple steps outlined in this article will prevent much of the pain and hopefully result in a more suitable jewellery replacement should the worst happen. When in doubt always seek the advice of a professional.

Why Bother to Take Home Inventory Pictures for Home Insurance?

There are several reasons that we should all take the time to snap pictures of our possessions in case we need to make a insurance claim later. Keep in mind that you purchased the coverage because you wanted to cover your most valuable assets. This includes your actual home, and it also includes the things you have inside your home.

Do You Really Remember Everything You Own?

One of the biggest reasons to take pictures, believe it or not, is just so you can remember what you have. Right now, you are probably calmly surfing the internet. If you close your eyes, can you list all of the valuable things in the room you are sitting in? Did you remember the computer you are using right now, your grandfather's clock, and the pair of glasses you set on a shelf? If you cannot remember everything in one room, how will you remember everything you have in your whole house? And if you have just had some disaster which caused damage, you will be even less likely to be in a frame of mind to remember what you had in your home.

So one of the main reasons for taking photos is that it is part of the process of taking a home inventory and recording the things you actually have in your house. In fact, insurers report that their customers will add possessions to their claims months after they file because they forgot about things in the beginning. It will be a lot more efficient for you and your insurance company if you have a proper home inventory.

Help To Prove Value

Just in case you haven't saved every receipt for every item you purchased, it will help to have a picture to prove the true value. If your laptop is burned up in a fire, it may be hard to convince your insurer that it was a top model instead of a basic one. A picture of your extra wide screen or the label may help after the actual PC has been reduced to a pile of melted plastic.

And if you only have some fragments of your grandfather's clock, you need a photo to establish the fact that it is a genuine antique. Otherwise the claims adjuster may just look at some metal scrap and wood fragments, and he or she would just want to reimburse you for an ordinary clock

If you own anything of particular value, like an expensive wedding ring, you will want to photograph it too. One example where this is particularly useful is if the item is just damaged, but not really ruined. If the diamond falls out of your wedding band it would be very helpful to be able to show your insurer that the ring used to be intact.

Store Your Home Inventory and Photos In a Safe Place!

So even though you may be able to show your claims adjuster some fragments of your damaged items, a picture will help you to establish their quality and type so you can get a fair settlement. It will also help you take a. home inventory. One important thing to think about is where you where you want to store your home inventory and photos. If you keep it at home, it could get damaged too.

You could put it in a safety deposit box. There are a number of online home inventory services you could use too. They accept digital images, scanned receipts, and your comments. It is really handy to have online access to this important information.

Planning your wedding is one of the most exciting times of you life, however the thought of it can also be one of the most daunting. Knowing where to start and what you should aim to do by when will ease you through the process and keep you feeling in control each step of the way.

When it comes to a wedding, everyone is different and every bride wants to make her day unique. It is therefore advisable to ensure that you get the essential items under control in order to leave yourself time for the finishing touches that really do make your day. Here we explain how and when to go about taking some of the all important steps that lead to a fabulous day!

Set a Budget

Firstly plan your wedding budget making a pact with your other half that you won't exceed it. Do your homework beforehand so that you know what some of the more costly items are likely to be and agree that if you want to go over budget on one item, you need to save money or another. Many wedding websites have handy budget calculators and hints and tips on how to save money on your big day. Some even offer discounts with wedding suppliers local to you, be sure to Google wedding planning and see what you can find! Once the budget is set, this is where the fun really begins as the next vital step is to find your venue.

Choose Your Venue

Choosing the right venue can sometimes be easy, however if there's nowhere that immediately springs to mind, this can take a little time and often a little patience from both parties! Decide what it is that is important about the venue, is it a fantastic view, the bridal suite, the customer service, the food or a combination of many factors? Start visiting venues with a notebook to hand and make sure that you ask as many questions as you need to. If you are getting married outside of your local area or simply need some help in finding venues, again use wedding websites with venue directories or magazines to direct you to some fabulous local venues.

Word of mouth can be of great help here, so be sure to ask around friends, family and anyone else you can get your hands on! Remember to also check out websites where guests can review and rate hotels as this will sometimes uncover valuable information both good and bad. Aim to secure your venue with at least 18 - 24 months to go as you will find that venues are often booked up years in advance so some flexibility with your dates will help here. If you are having a church wedding, be sure to check the dates with the church before paying a deposit at the venue and vice versa.

Wedding Insurance

Before you start spending on the essentials for your day, consider wedding insurance. For a relatively small cost of around on average thirty pounds this usually covers you for eventualities such as illness or injury or one of your suppliers letting you down or worse, going bust. Unfortunately, in the current credit crunch climate, the latter is something to think about. You are sure to have researched your suppliers before you book them, however you won't have had the opportunity to see their bank account so it makes sense to consider your options. If insurance is for you then many websites offer price comparisons so check these out and find the best deal.

The Wedding Dress

Now that you have your venue and you have considered insurance, you will no doubt be itching to finalise other arrangements. The wedding dress needs to be chosen well in advance and something that the bride to be certainly will need no reminders about! Be aware however that some designers have waiting lists of over twelve months so as a minimum try to order your dress twelve months in advance. If you see a dress that you love in a magazine then Google the bridal gown designer and then simply search for your local stockist. Again some wedding planning websites will have already done this for you so check out those with a wedding dress directory.

Photographers, Rings & Cars

At around the same time, consider the wedding cars, the photographer and the rings. These are all important and in most cases essential items that can take some time to find. For this reason, you should start looking early, if possible aim to have the wedding rings, photographer and cars chosen with around eighteen months to go. If you are struggling for ideas or not sure who comes recommended in your area, ask around and check the wedding forums, these are a great place to share ideas and experiences with other brides to be. Take care when booking your photographer, wedding photographs are with you forever and aside from the dress have been described as the single most important factor so make sure you are happy with your chosen supplier!

Colour Co-ordination

You can now start thinking about the bridesmaids dresses, the Groom his Best man and the Ushers and the venue decoration as these items tend to go hand in hand in order that the colours chosen compliment each other and the bridesmaid dress colour usually sets the colour scheme. Once you have decided on this colour, it is handy if you are able to take a swatch of the bridesmaid fabric colour as this can be used to co-ordinate venue decoration such as seat covers or even flowers. If you are set on your flowers co-ordinating and don't want to compromise on shade, it is worth knowing that florists are now able to spray flowers in almost any colour under the sun and fairly cheaply as well! At this time you should also get your invitations ordered as again, these are often chosen to compliment the colour scheme of the bridal party.

The Guest List

With the invitations in progress, you can now move on to the guest list! You will have an idea of your approximate ideal number of guests, so now all you have to do is get to this number! Compromise is important here but after all, this is your day and your day alone so don't be swayed by the opposing opinions of other family members if possible. Aim to have your guest list finalised and be ready to send invitations with around nine months to go. If you have chosen to get married on a day other than a Saturday it is worth sending out Save The Date cards or magnets 12 months or more in advance.

Now that you know roughly how many guests you will have on the big day, and have ordered your invites, you can look at finalising any numbers for the venue dresser for items such as seat covers and favors and arranging items such as chocolate or drinks fountains and the all important wedding entertainment. Don't forget to actually send your invites at this point as well and to ensure that your RSVP date fits in with the deadline for finalising numbers with your venue or any deadline that you have been given by suppliers.

Just Six Months To Go

The last 6 months or so before the wedding tends to be a time for dealing with the nice to have extras or less urgent items such as table plans and place settings, final decisions about the food and the wine and of course the dress and suit fittings. Remember to set aside time to get together an emergency box for the bride to be on the morning of the wedding and to include both fun items such as champagne as well as practical things such as spare hair pins and tissues!

Most weddings will end up costing more than a car, and would you drive your car without insurance? but most future husband and wife will risk their wedding plans without any insurance. If you compare the cost of house,car and personal insurance you will see wedding insurance costs far less. So a relatively small amount of money for your wedding insurance premiums will bring peace of mind.

Wedding insurance policies will cover you against certain circumstances that will affect your wedding day, if weather is to affect the wedding or the reception until it needs to be cancelled then your covered. The same policy will cover you against the car supplier or caterer not turning up and even if bride or room as an accident that makes attending impossible you will be happy to know your covered too. For a low wedding insurance premium your policy will cover all of your wedding day suppliers and events and compensate which can leave you in a difficult situation.

When you start to plan your special day one of the first thing that you should do is get wedding insurance, this is too ensure before you put deposits or pay in full for anything you have the insurance policy in place to cover you if the other party lets you down.

A good wedding insurance policy will cover you for the following items:

* Cancellation of wedding (it won't include cold feet)

* wedding attire-including rings and dress including groom, brides maids and best man

* Cancellation of wedding venue and reception

* Suppliers- caterer,flowers, photographer etc

* Personal accident liability for bride and groom

* gifts

Planning and organising your wedding can be a very enjoyable and fun experience as it leads up to one of the most important days of our life's. We don't except anything to go wrong and normally it does not, but it's very reassuring to know if anything ever does go wrong you have wedding insurance to give you peace of mind. When you start to plan your wedding day and confirm the suppliers, take out your wedding insurance policy at the same time. This will give you the maximum period of cover and you can now focus on your special day knowing you have insurance for your wedding.

Seeing Thailand on two wheels for me has to be one of the most exciting things to do with your clothes on! It's great when you get off the tourist trail, head into the countryside away from the hustle and bustle of the city and pass through small villages or deserted beaches.

Here are some handy tips and hints for hiring a scooter and how to avoid some pitfalls.

Scooters can be hired all over Thailand every man and his dog will have one to rent. Most tourist places especially in the big cities and around beach locations will have shops where you can hire; your hotel might even be able to rent them to you. For a 125 cc scooter such as the ubiquitous Honda Wave you can expect to pay anywhere from 150 baht to 300 for a 24 hour hire. For a week you will be looking at 1000 baht and around 3000 for a month. You will probably find a 50cc scooter not powerful enough if you are going anywhere where there are hills. A tank of fuel will cost you somewhere in the region of 90-120 baht. It's worth speaking to your hotel first even if they don't rent as they can give you great advise on reputable shops they normally send their customers to, what the going rate to rent is and how much petrol costs in the area.

So you are in the shop about to hire, what can you expect? You may have to show a licence, but if you don't have one a bit of sweet talk will get you by, they really aren't that strict, you will see pre pubescent kids riding scooters in Thailand all the time! Be honest with yourself though if you have never ridden a scooter as its yours and other people's lives you might be messing with. You will probably be asked to leave your passport as a deposit, this is the norm and some people are reluctant to do this. You might be able to get away with them taking a photocopy if you tell them you need your passport to cash traveller's cheques. Alternatively you may be able to leave a cash deposit of say 2000 baht. You will most likely be asked to pay for the hire time when you return the scooter, so you could hold onto it for a couple of extra days if you wanted without having to pay a fee for returning it late. You will probably have to leave details of the address you are staying at too. Make sure you check over the scooter you are being offered, point out any damage and take photos of any damage in front of the owner (you don't want to be paying for someone else's damage when you return the bike). If bits are hanging off ask for another one. Ask the shop owner for the phone number of the shop in case you break down, so they can come out and help you. It's unlikely you will be able to take insurance out with the shop, or it won't be worth the paper it's written on, so it's worth looking at your travel insurance to see if you are covered to rent scooters and if so up to what cc. Should the worse happen and you are involved in an accident it's likely that you will pay any damage that needs fixing to the scooter to the shop owner or risk not seeing your passport again. If a third party is involved you may end up paying out damages there and then, cost wise this would be a fraction compared to the UK. It's unlikely it will ever get to court though unless you decided to peruse it with your travel insurance company if you are covered.

Before you get on, make sure you get a quick lesson from the owner and ask about any quirks of the model. Some scooters use a clutch whilst others are just twist and go. Find out the range of the tank as well and if there is a reserve tank light when does it come on? How many miles can you get from the reserve tank? I would also insist with the shop on hiring a helmet, which will most likely be the open face type. Wearing trainers is also a good idea; it's far too easy to stub a toe in flip flops!

It's worth watching the locals on the road before you start riding. See what they do at junctions, how they overtake, does the colour of traffic lights mean anything to them?! In busy areas the horn will undoubtedly be used frequently. It's also likely they won't be following the letter of the law like we do in the UK. They do however drive on the left like the UK.

If it is your first time on a scooter make sure you are in the right frame of mind. If your friends are doing it, you may feel pressurised, just go at your own pace it's not a race. Get them to wait for you now and then. It might sound obvious, but don't ever drink and ride, this happens far too much with tourists in Asia. Most are lucky and get away with a few scrapes, but it's just not worth the risk to you or others on the road.

If you are going to carry a pillion (passenger) make sure you instruct them on what to do. So you get on the scooter first, then when settled, your pillion will hop on, remind them to look out for the exhaust, it may be hot. Get them to hold on to the grab rail if the scooter has one, if not they may need to put their arms around your waist, tell them not to give you a bear hug though! If your pillion is inexperienced give them a signal for you to slow down if they get worried, maybe tapping their knees against your thighs. Also tell them not to move around too much when you are moving as this will upset the movement of the scooter. When it's time to stop, they get off first.

Things to look out for whilst on the road would be potholes, man hole covers, grates and even the odd dog in the middle of the road basking in the sun! Allot of the roads on the small islands aren't paved so just take it easy until you can feel how the scooter reacts to the loose surface, if you do find the scooter losing traction, try to go with the flow to let the scooter stabilise itself and keep your hands loose on the bars, a death grip on the bars and sudden movements will destabilise the scooter even more. Also remember that where you are looking is where the scooter will go, so detach your eyes from that pothole and look to the side of it and in front of it. Looking far ahead also gives you more time to react to unexpected things and you don't get that 'ground rush' sensation that will make you feel less confident.

If you are going out for a whole day, make sure you fill up before you head out, get a map, be realistic as to how far you can go and find out where you can fill up on your way. It's also worth wearing sunglasses as a bee hitting your eye when you are doing 30mph is going to hurt! Carry a day sack too; a bottle of water, some sun cream, map and money can all go in it.

It may sound a bit scary to hire a scooter in Thailand, but with a bit of common sense, and hopefully taking on some of the tips I have given, you will have a great laugh, with many a tale to tell when you get home!

Under what circumstances should a prenuptial agreement be considered in Rhode Island?

Premarital agreements are not right for every couple! Prenuptial agreements are most prevalent in second marriages. They are especially prevalent in first or second marriages when one or both of the parties have children of a prior marriage or relationship. They are also prevalent when a future spouse has a child or children from a prior relationship.

This article only pertains to prenuptial agreement drafted in Rhode Island or that will be interpreted by Rhode Island law.

Is there any difference between a prenuptial and a premarital agreement?

Premarital agreement, antenuptial agreement and prenuptial agreement are all different terms for the same document and are used interchangeably.

Preserving assets for children.

When a person has a child from a different relationship and is considering a marriage, he / she often wants to insure that his / her child will inherit hard earned assets. A person wants to insure that their assets will go to their children rather than their new spouse or the new spouses' children.

Many parents fear that their hard earned assets that were acquired before the marriage will go to their new spouse or his / her children upon divorce or death rather then their own child.

Estate planning can be a crucial element of a good prenuptial agreement!

Without protection through estate planning, will, trust or a prenuptial agreement, a substantial portion of your separate assets may go to your new spouse upon divorce or upon your death. Estate planning can also be a very important element in premarital agreements. I strongly advise that you retain a Rhode Island (RI) Divorce and Family law attorney / lawyer to draft or represent you concerning the execution of the premarital agreement.

Prenuptial agreements are often entered into when either husband or wife has acquired significant premarital "separate" property / assets. In many cases, one of the spouses will have a more substantial estate then the other spouse.

Be careful! The suggestion of a Prenuptial can be an emotionally charged issue!

Tread very carefully when suggesting a premarital agreement with your future spouse especially in a first marriage!

Often, your future husband / wife will be very upset with the suggestion that they should sign a premarital agreement. This is a very delicate subject. It could potentially imperil the entire relationship. Some people feel that premarital agreements run contrary to the marriage covenant. Others are against prenuptials because they believe that in essence, it is planning for divorce when marriage is ideally forever.

Negotiate the prenuptial well in advance of the wedding!

It is a very bad idea to suggest a prenuptial at the last minute. You should propose the prenuptial well in advance of the wedding. The last thing you want to do is negotiate a complex contract a week or two before the wedding. It can be unseemly to be contacting a lawyer / attorney right before the wedding and can put unfair pressure on your spouse.

What are standard provisions put into a simple prenuptial agreement?

The most standard prenuptial agreements simply protect a person's separate premarital property. In many instances the parties waive all right title and interest to the premarital property of the other party. The prenuptial agreement should also address issues concerning the appreciation in value of premarital property during the course of the marriage. The prenuptial should address additions to the premarital property after the wedding. The prenuptial should also address when premarital property is used to purchase other property during the course of the marriage.

The most simple, prenuptial agreements simply state that all property that the parties owned prior to the marriage would be their separate property free and clear of all claims of the other party. In this scenario any property acquired after the marriage would be marital property subject to equitable distribution. This type of prenuptial should also address the issue of the increase in value of premarital property.

Some prenuptial agreements go even farther and state that property acquired in an individuals name during the course of the marriage would be separate property that the other party would have no rights to upon divorce or death. The enforceability of such a provision is tenuous at best.

Prenuptial agreements can essentially state any provisions that the parties desire and the law allows.

What are the most important elements of a good antenuptial agreement?

The most important facet of a good premarital agreement is clarity. The second must important facet of a prenuptial is complete and full disclosure.

Both parties must disclose all assets and liabilities.

If the parties have not disclosed material and substantial assets and liabilities, the prenuptial may not be enforceable. Husband and wife should attach a financial statement as an exhibit to the prenuptial. If the parties do not properly disclose their assets and liabilities, then it is questionable whether the parties agreed to anything because they do not know what they were agreeing to.

Are both the prospective wife and husband required to get an attorney / lawyer?

No. The parties are not required to have an attorney / lawyer to review the prenuptial in Rhode Island(RI). Prenuptial agreements are still valid and enforceable even if one of the parties had an attorney draft the agreement and the other party did not have a lawyer review the agreement.

Defining Separate Property:

The parties need to define what constitutes separate property and whether separate property includes additions, increase in value (appreciation) of separate property. The parties need to address the reinvestment of the separate property into another asset during the course of the marriage.

Retirement Accounts, 401k, 403(b), pensions

You may consider a provision concerning 401k, 403(b), Stock Options, Pensions, Retirement Accounts as well as the increase in value, additions and or reinvestments of such retirement accounts after the marriage. In order to waive marital rights to certain retirement accounts you may need a provision under IRS guidelines agreeing that your spouse will sign appropriate forms to waive or relinquish spousal benefits.

Waiver of Alimony

Some premarital agreements require one or both spouses to waive their rights to alimony or temporary alimony. This can be a crucial portion of a prenuptial agreement. This is often also the most contentious area of negotiations.

Real estate

Some premarital agreements address issues concerning Real Estate especially separate real estate of the parties. You want to discuss with your lawyer whether or not your spouse will be agreeing to waive their right to elect against the will of the other upon death and waive the statutory life estate. This is very important in Rhode Island. You may want to consider putting the real estate in trust. This is all very complicated and should not be done without an attorney

Jointly Held - Marital property.

You need to consider whether you want the agreement to include how marital property will be divided upon divorce. Some people agree that all marital property will be divided 50/50 upon divorce or separation. Other agreements are silent on this issue.

Choice of Law:

The parties should state under which law the prenuptial agreement should be interpreted. If the parties reside in Rhode Island then they should have Rhode Island law apply in the future.

Debt

Will each party be responsible for separate premarital debt. Who will be responsible for joint premarital debt? Will the parties agree to split joint marital debt 50-50? Who will pay individual / sole debt incurred during the marriage?

Life Insurance

Is either party agreeing to maintain a life insurance policy for the benefit of the other spouse? This is often done as a way to make sure the spouse will collect upon death even if the person's estate plan otherwise excludes the spouse. Will the life insurance be required to be maintained after the divorce or separation?

Gifts

Who will get to keep gifts between the parties? What will happen to joint gifts or gifts given to one person but not the other. Who will get the engagement ring, wedding band, jewelry, art etc?

Severability clause

Most good premarital agreements contain a severability clause such as the one set forth here: "SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a Court of competent jurisdiction, this Agreement shall be construed as if such illegal, invalid or void provision were not a part hereof and the validity of the remaining provisions shall be unaffected thereby."

Legal fees upon divorce. Will either party be required to pay the others legal fees as part of the divorce?

Some prenuptial agreements address the issue of legal fees in a potential divorce.

Acknowledgments of counsel or the opportunity to retain a lawyer and acknowledgment that agreement is freely and voluntarily entered into.

It is important that the parties acknowledge that they carefully read the agreement, that they signed it freely and voluntarily and that they believe that the agreement is fair and equitable to them.

Many agreements contain a paragraph similar to this: ACKNOWLEDGMENT. The parties have, during a series of conferences between themselves, mutually agreed upon the arrangements set forth herein. Each party hereto declares that he or she has had the opportunity to seek independent legal advice by counsel of his or her own selection and that each is satisfied as to this agreement's fairness. The wife has retained Attorney X to represent her. The provisions of this Agreement and their legal effect have been fully explained to the parties and each party acknowledges that he and she believes the Agreement is fair and equitable, and is freely and voluntarily entered into.

Integration and modification provision.

It is crucial that there are no side agreements or verbal agreements outside of the four corners of the documents. An integration clause is an important facet of a prenuptial agreement.

Cooperation provision

A Cooperation provision is essential to a good antenuptial agreement.

"COOPERATION. The parties hereto shall at any time, and from time to time, execute and deliver all such deeds and other documents as may be necessary, and do all such things as the other of them, his or her heirs, executors or administrators shall reasonably require for the purpose of giving full effect to this Agreement. Each of the parties hereto shall release and quitclaim unto the other, or to such others as he or she respectively may request, all of his or her rights of courtesy or of dower. It is the intention of this clause to permit and empower each of the parties hereto to deal with his or her own separate property now owned or hereafter acquired, in all respects, except as limited by this Agreement, as if each party hereto were single."

Disclosure Provision

"DISCLOSURE. Each of the parties has made a full disclosure to the other of all property, assets and liabilities owned or otherwise held by each respective party, as listed in Exhibits "A," "B," "C," and "D" attached hereto. The parties hereby acknowledge that they are aware that in the future the financial circumstances of either or both of them may be altered in some way, whether substantially, directly, indirectly or otherwise."

Notary and Attestation of Counsel.

The agreement must be signed in front of a notary and if the parties both have attorneys they may want to include an attestation of counsel paragraph that both lawyers sign.

Article by David Slepkow 401-437-1100

Rhode Island Attorneys legal Notice per RI Rules of Professional Responsibility:

The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all lawyers in the general practice of law, but does not license or certify any lawyer or attorney as an expert or specialist in any field of practice.

Planning your wedding is a whirlwind time in your life which is capped off by the thrill of the wedding itself and then the excitement of a honeymoon. After all the fun dies down, though, you will realize that there are some practical things that must be addressed. Here is a to-do list that all newlyweds should read.

Thank You Notes. If you haven't done them already, you really need to get on top of your thank you notes immediately after returning from your honeymoon. This is one of those tasks that only gets harder as time goes on, so do not procrastinate. Get some pretty stationery (perhaps personalized with your new monogram), a good black pen, a book of stamps, and start writing. The notes do not have to be long nor particularly original, as long as they are gracious and heartfelt. If you really have a big pile of notes to write, get your husband to sit down with you and write some too. It is a really small thing to do for all those well-wishers who spent the time and money to buy you gifts.

Update Insurance. Does your current homeowner's policy have enough coverage for all those aforementioned gifts? Is your new spouse the beneficiary on your life insurance policy? (Do you even have a life insurance policy?) Have you asked your agent to add your wedding rings and bridal jewelry to your policy? Many insurance companies require separate riders to cover your valuable articles, like fine bridal jewelry or original artwork. It may also be worthwhile to transfer all of your policies to one insurance company, if you and your new spouse previously had them in different places, because you can take advantage of large multi-policy discounts that are often available.

Change Your Name. If you have decided to take your husband's name, you will need to go through a few steps to get this done. Check with your local agencies to be sure of their requirements before beginning the process. In general, the place to start is by getting a new Social Security card with your married name. Be sure to bring along all of your I.d. and documents in your maiden name, as well as your marriage license. Once you have your new Social Security card, you can work on changing your name on your driver's license, at the bank, on your credit cards, utilities, and so forth.

Clean and Store Your Wedding Gown. Don't leave your wedding gown hanging in the plastic bag from the bridal shop for an extended length of time. Within a few weeks of your return from the honeymoon, you should have it professionally dry cleaned by a company that specializes in wedding gowns (most do not). Even if you do not see any stains or marks, it is wise to have the gown cleaned, because invisible spots from perspiration or Champagne will oxidize and turn brown or yellow over time, causing irreversible damage to the gown. After it has been thoroughly cleaned, your bridal gown should be loosely stored in an archival quality acid free box and tissue, never sealed in plastic in one of those boxes that some dry cleaners still offer.

Establish a Date Night. Once the wedding is past, it can be so easy to slip into a routine. Don't let the romance in your relationship die! Make a plan to have a set date night with your new spouse on a regular basis. Most couples will either do it once a week or once a month. A few hours spent together watching a movie or sharing a nice dinner is a great way to maintain the connection that brought you together in the first place.

With these five tips in mind, you will be on your way towards being a happy and organized new husband or wife.

This may be a really lame question but I got to thinking. When you have a wedding ring or engagement ring do you wear it ALL the time? What about in the shower, doing dishes or doing yard work? I don't have a ring yet, but I'm already nervous about losing it or damaging it. I guess thats what insurance is for, but it still wouldnt be fun to have to go through the pain of losing a ring you love.

I never take mine off. I was in the hospital for 4 weeks and had to have some surgery and they had to tape my ring to my finger cause I would not take it off. I wear gloves when I do the dishes but with my luck if I took it off I would lose it.

I just take off my ring when I take a shower or when I am doing something messy like washing dishes because junk gets built up on your ring. But that it!

I wear it all the time except for when I shower. I get it cleaned once a month though. Plus I clean it myself everyday after I shower. My ring gets loose in the winter when the weather is cold, but it never slips past my knuckle. It spins a lot, but doesn't come off. If your scared it might fall off, they have these new plastic, flexible wraps that you can put around the bottom of your ring, kind of like a rubber grip to stop it from coming off. Then at least you don't have to have it sized. Make sure whoever your FH buys your ring from, sizes it right. It should feel a little tight going over your knuckle and should not be easy to come off. You should have to push your ring up to go over your knuckle.

I take it off before bed & put it back on after I take my shower in the morning. I forgot to put it on today because I was rushing out of the house this morning, and that's happened a few times since I got the ring. I also take it off if I'm cooking something that I have to stick my hands into. Also, if I'm not leaving the house (and therefore, putting myself together, etc.,) I may not even wear it.

It's a personal choice. For me, I'm clumsy and if I slept with it I'd probably be all scratched up by now. For that reason, too, I don't really want to wear it all the time. It's an heirloom and I know my Mom chipped the stone a little & I don't want to do that - or knock it out! Also, I don't want to have to have it professionally cleaned very often because, personally, I think it's a frivolous expense.

When I have a wedding band, I will probably just leave it on all the time and may not wear the e-ring on an everyday basis. They won't be soldered together so that I have the flexibility to wear what I want when I want to.

According to official statistics the average wedding in the UK last year cost 瞿20,000, yet the average wedding insurance policy in the UK provided only 瞿14,000 of cover, meaning that on average couples are under insuring by around 30%. This is effectively gambling 瞿6,000 on a wedding, which seems very strange since these are the people who have already decided that wedding insurance is a good idea.

Each year there are still some couples who decide to gamble their entire wedding, and choose not to have any wedding insurance at all. Clearly this is extremely risky given the vast number of weddings each year which experience anything from a slight problem to a major disaster, and which result in unexpected additional expenses ranging from a few hundred pounds to several thousand pounds.

Few people have 瞿6,000 to casually throw away, so why is it that couples who have already chosen to play it safe and take out wedding insurance are still happy to risk such a large sum of money? Remember, this is only an average shortfall - some people are still prepared to take out wedding insurance, but risk even more than 瞿6,000. What's going on?

Findings would suggest that there are two main reasons why couples are under valuing their wedding insurance by around 30%. In the first instance it is that many couples feel that they don't need to insure the whole of their wedding as they may have other insurance policies which they feel covers them in certain areas already. This includes home insurance which may cover goods and items in the home, health insurance which may cover any emergency health care requirements, travel insurance for problems which may happen during an oversees wedding or honeymoon, and credit card protection for items or services purchased using a credit card.

To a certain degree there is an element of truth to this, but there's also a great big caveat. Because the problem is with all of these policies, they only cover certain aspects under certain conditions, and often will fail to provide the speed of response usually required when a wedding is jeopardised.

Home insurance will for example cover certain items only up to a maximum limit, which may exclude certain items of jewellery and items such as the wedding dress. Hired goods such as suits and outfits may not be covered, and damage caused due to wedding guests visiting may be excluded. Once the items leave the house to go to the wedding they won't usually be covered, and in any case, getting compensation for any loss or damage could take several days or even several weeks.

The second reason is that many couples overlook some aspects of their overall wedding costs, simply miscalculating the true value of their wedding. For example, the average cost of a wedding of 瞿20,000 includes the honeymoon, and this may often be 瞿2,000-瞿4,000, which may not be covered. Other overlooked aspects include the engagement rings, and issues such as wedding gifts, the value of which may not even be known in advance.

By undervaluing a wedding by so much couples are leaving themselves wide open to the very real possibility of either having to find the shortfall out of their own savings, or postpone the wedding until they're able to make up the money lost. For some this could mean being unable to put a deposit on a home for several years, and not having appropriate wedding insurance can easily result in long term consequences.

With all of the online jewelers out there, it is hard to know who has the best selection and best reputation. Blue Nile Jewelers was started in 1999 and has since developed into the largest online retailer for certified diamonds and fine jewelry. They have been recognized by Forbes and The New York Times for their excellence. They have even received the Circle of Excellence Platinum Award from Bizrate.com for the best online customer service for six years running starting in 2002.
Aside from their excellence in business practices and customer service, they offer educational information to buyers. Some of these topics include:

o Types of jewelry
o Diamond characteristics
o Finding the perfect engagement ring or wedding ring
o Metal comparisons

As you browse their site, you will find a section that allows you to build your own ring. This section allows you to select the size, color, clarity, cut, and price of your desired diamond. After the diamond selection process, you are taken to a page that offers different metals available for your ring; from yellow gold, white gold, titanium, and platinum. This page also gives you options such as solitaires, solitaires with accent stones, 3-stone rings, and eternity bands. Once these selections are made, you will be shown a variety of rings that match your criteria.

Blue Nile Jewelers has teamed up with Bank of America to offer consumers financing options.
o Three months same as cash- No payments or interest if the balance is paid off within three months.
o Line of credit- Payment plans available to pay for your purchase over a specified period of time.

Both Blue Nile Jewelers and Bank of America know how important it is to consumers to keep their personal information secure. You are able to review their privacy policy before entering into a commitment to assure yourself that you are safe in purchasing or transacting with them.

You also have insurance options available to you through Blue Nile's website. When purchasing expensive jewelry pieces, it is always important to have an insurance policy in place to protect against loss of stones, damage, among other things.

By shopping with Blue Nile Jewelers on-line, you can do so at your own leisure. There are no sales people hovering over you pushing you to make a purchase. Granted, a sales person is only trying to earn a living like the rest of us, but when considering one of the most important purchases of your life, no one wants to feel pressured.

No matter what kind of social event you are planning, you should check out local banquet halls for a place to host it. There are plenty of reasons to pay to have it anywhere other than your house. Find out the most helpful advantages of this kind of plan, whether you are having a wedding or large birthday party.

When you host an event at your house, you have a lot of cleaning up to look forward to. Even the cleanest homes often need to be cleaned even better before guests come over. You know a lot of people will be checking out your house, so you will want it to be spotless. This means you either have to do it yourself or spend the money on a cleaning service, so you might as well let local banquet halls do the work for you instead. Plus, hosting the gathering at your home means you have to clean afterward, too, which a hall does not require of you.

In addition, most banquet halls supply at least some furniture. They might have chairs and tables at minimum, and some even offer packages you can pay for to have additional furniture and decorations. If you do not have these items at your house, you will need to either rent or buy it, so you might as well leave it to a local hall to do this job. This way, you will not have to figure out a way to get several large tables to your property and arrange them properly. Instead, hall employees will do this for you.

Another issue you might not think of involves insurance. When you have lots of people at your residence, there is a chance one will get hurt and sue you to pay for medical bills. Your homeowners insurance may cover some of this, but it is not usually much, which is why some people have lost their house because of a lawsuit. By contrast, most banquet halls have higher insurance limits, so they are more likely to be able to afford it if someone gets hurt on their property. They might also have lots of experienced lawyers to fight the suit when possible, and you likely lack this advantage.

Clearly, banquet halls are often even more cost effective than your home for events. If you did not take these details into consideration, you should do so now before you calculate final costs. Then decide what is truly the cheapest choice.

While most guests are already convinced on the practical reasons why it is ideal for guests to give newlywed couples a present, the next most likely thing that bothers them is how to make their presents among the perfect presents for the couple. Here are some tips on how to give the perfect present for the newlywed.

First, you need to think of those that the couple would need. Say for example, do they have a house, a car or appliances and furnishings at home. If they do have those, perhaps you might consider other options but then if they don't have those yet, then find out which of those you can afford to give with all sincerity. You don't have to give items that are too expensive just because you know you have to attend a matrimony of people who belong to the affluent and most affluent guests of the couple will surely give out expensive items. Just think of presents that you can sincerely offer to the newlyweds.

Second, if you can't think of items to give them as presents, perhaps you might want to offer to them interesting packages such as an overnight stay in a particular hotel with a pre-paid dinner, or health packages such as massages and sauna treatments. Or if you are too generous, perhaps you might want to shoulder their honey moon and give them a special cruise or fun jet vacation or a tour to their favorite destination.

Third, if you are generous but then you want to give the couple a present that could live through time and you are not inclined to the above mentioned options, it would be good to give them something that would certainly be a good start for their family life, perhaps you might want to buy them or their children an insurance plan such as education plan or house insurance perhaps.

Lastly, if you want to give presents that are practical and you know they certainly need, perhaps you might consider just giving them cash. You know couples may not ask and it may look awkward but a cash gift is one of the most practical presents that you can give a couple for them to decide what to do with it considering the many finances that come after the marriage. It is just important to do it properly and to make sure that it is given and accepted with sincerity.

You have planned all the details of your wedding down to the chairs the guest chairs. It is a huge day and because of this, you decide to have it outdoors since you live in an area where it is sunny most of the time. The wedding day arrives and it is storming with monsoon rains, and your wedding has to be rescheduled. This is not an uncommon event, unfortunately, but if the couple have wedding insurance, they can reschedule the event and will not be out the money for a full reschedule.

Everyday people get married and everyday many go smoothly with no problems, but many people can tell you of misfortunes they had at their weddings such as the photographer not showing up or the church has been double booked.

Wedding insurance covers many of the unfortunate events that can take place on your special day. Couples can select a specified insurance plan or they can customize it to their specific needs. Planning weddings are very expensive and time consuming and many people either do not know about wedding insurance or simply do not see a need for it. However, if something happens on that special day, having the insurance helps you recoup some of your losses.

Wedding insurance overall is not terribly expensive because it is temporary insurance until after the day of the wedding. Interestingly, this form of insurance has been very popular in Great Britain for a number of years, but it only began to make an impact in America about ten years ago.

If you have a wedding you are planning, you probably need to include the wedding insurance in the plans. The larger the wedding, the more you need the insurance since many people have outdoor weddings and even the large indoor weddings are very expensive. If everything does not go smoothly on the wedding day or you have to reschedule, it can cost you literally thousands of dollars. A wedding insurance plan includes the cost of rescheduling so that if a mishap were to take place, you are covered.

If you are thinking about breaking your engagement - be prepared for a chorus of confusion and disapproval from the important people in your life. One of my readers asked, "Why is a broken engagement seen as worse than a divorce?" Good question! Unfortunately, friends and family typically respond to the person who's not sure about following through with their marriage -- as "just having cold feet." This perspective minimizes the importance or legitimacy of that person's feelings.

It's not uncommon for friends and relatives to try to shush or suppress the doubting person's fears. Often they fail to explore this person's reservations. They mistakenly assume the person's "second thoughts" or last minute "jitters" are normal and temporary.

I believe there are social taboos against breaking an engagement. We admire engaged couples. They symbolize our romantic hopes, dreams and expectations. There is something in all of us that hopes, "these two will make it." We project our own unmet hopes and expectations on the newly engaged person. If that person begins to experience serious reservations about getting married, their fears stir up our own feelings and hopes about marriage coupled with the disappointing awareness that many marriages don't work

In addition, social status accrues from being engaged. Friends and family admire the prospective bride's ring. They get involved and excited about planning showers. They anticipate looking for dresses, shopping for flowers, etc. It's not uncommon for the wedding to become more important than the marriage!

The engaged person who begins to have reservations about moving ahead with the wedding usually worries that they will disappoint not just their romantic partner but their friends and family. Sadly and often accurately, they anticipate a lack of support or anger from these people regarding the money and time spent preparing for the wedding.

Many brides and grooms know, prior to their wedding that their relationship is in trouble. Some seek premarital therapy hoping to improve their relationship. However, many of these couples enter therapy after they've begun planning their wedding. Not often but occasionally I've recommended that couples in troubled relationships wait to marry until they are on firmer ground. These couples usually ignore my suggestion - mostly because their wedding plans are already in the works. Weddings tend to take on a life of their own. Couples typically feel once the "train has left the station" there's no going back. Unfortunately, I often see these couples for therapy shortly after their wedding or a year later when their relationship is in even deeper trouble.

Every relationship has challenges but two people who are thinking about getting married should be able to make major decisions in a manner which both feel good about. They should both feel comfortable and happy with their physical relationship. Each should be able to count on the other emotionally, especially during illness or crisis. There should be a good capacity for resolving problems and communicating openly. If any of these elements are missing, they need to be worked on prior to getting married.

The most common causes for breaking an engagement are:

1) One or both have been ambivalent about the relationship for a long time but felt pressured into getting engaged by their partner's expectations, coercion or ultimatums, by the norms in their peer group or by their families.
2) One of both realize they got engaged for the wrong reason,.e.g it seemed like the right time in life to get married, the woman got pregnant, one partner was facing visa problems which could be solved by getting married, someone needed health insurance which the other had through work, it was an impulsive decision fueled by alcohol.
3) The relationship has been problematic for some time but one or both realize getting married won't magically make the relationship better.
4) There's a big fight and one breaks off the engagement and walks out.
5) One partner meets someone they love more.
6) Neither feels their needs for closeness, affection, intimacy or understanding are being met.
7) One partner experiences the other as unreliable when it comes to money, emotional availability or support.
8) The engaged person observes behavior in their partner that seriously concerns them. This might include drinking, partying, spending money, or engaging in infidelity.
9) One partner feels the other is too involved with their family of origin.
10) A couple who has gotten engaged during a long distance relationship, move to the same city and begin to experience difficulties.
11) One of the partner's realizes they don't love the other enough to want to marry them.

This list is by no means comprehensive but it's a pretty good starting point. It's my belief that couples should feel married before they get married. Ideally, there should be sufficient closeness and satisfaction with the relationship that getting married feels more like an afterthought - the period at the end of the sentence, the icing on the cake.

Too many couples mistakenly think getting married will take their relationship to a new level of closeness. In a good relationship this is certainly true. But in a troubled relationship, marriage often amplifies the problems that already exist.

Marriage is complex. There are many opportunities for a relationship to veer off course. If either one or both of you have any reservations about getting married, sort them out ahead of time. If you've made efforts to work out the problems in your relationship and this has not been successful - think again. If you're meant to be together - you will be. Take time to develop your relationship to a point where getting married feels natural and right.

If you are seriously considering ending your engagement, get support from friends and family. Tell them why you are feeling the way you are. Don't compromise on what's best for you. Be brave. Your friends and family are not going to live in your marriage - you are. Marriage more than any other relationship has the capacity to impact your day-to-day happiness. Make sure your relationship is one you believe in for the long haul.

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A diamond is a type of gemstone which is often believed to be everlasting in nature and unable to be damaged in any way. Although this is a nice notion to have, the truth of the matter is that diamonds can be damaged if not treated in a careful manner. It is important to note what can happen to a diamond if not treated properly and ways to safeguard against damage to one's diamond ring, diamond necklace or other type of jewelry item in which this beautiful gem is part thereof.

How Can a Diamond be Damaged?

A diamond has an extremely hard consistency to it which is one of its many wonderful attributes. However, there are ways for this lovely gemstone to be broken, scratched or otherwise damaged. Damage to a diamond can occur by dropping it on a hard surface, scraping it roughly against concrete or other similar matter or simply repeatedly storing it in a place where it is not properly contained. Although damaging a diamond is not an easy thing to do, it is something which can occur from time to time.

Ways to Safeguard Against Diamond Damage

Many pieces of diamond jewelry are worn on a daily basis, such as a diamond engagement ring, which makes the occurrence of damage highly possible due to frequent wear. In order to safeguard against damaging one's ring, bracelet or other diamond jewelry piece, there are a few steps one can take in their daily wear and storage of such an exquisite item. When wearing the diamond, one should always be cautious when doing so and try not to bang into any walls or other fixtures which may put a chip in the diamond or even break it if the contact is hard enough.

Another way to carefully wear one's diamond jewelry piece is to ensure a tight fit on the ring or complete closure of the clasp. If one's diamond jewelry item does not fit right or is not closed properly, they are more likely to drop the jewel and have it be stepped on or crack upon hitting a hard, unforgiving surface. In order to ensure that the diamond jewelry item fits well and closes properly, it is a good idea to have a jeweler look at it from time to time to ensure that it is in tiptop shape.

Damage in the form of scratching can also occur to the diamond if it is not stored properly. The best place to store one's diamond jewelry is in a felt covered jewelry box where each jewelry item has its own separate compartment. This will help to ensure not only that the item is in a spot where it will not bang up against other jewelry items but that it is in a place where one will not lose sight of it. In order for a diamond to be scratched it must come in contact with another diamond which has the same hardness.

Insure Your Jewelry Items

An additional safeguard to have in place involves insurance on the diamond jewelry item. Since diamonds are often pricey in nature, it makes sense that one would want to insure the jewelry item in case it were to be lost, stolen or damaged. Although most insurance companies will not insure loose diamonds, there are many which are more than happy to offer insurance policies which will cover your diamond once the gem is placed in a fixed setting. An insurance policy which covers this precious stone is a great way to cover your losses should it be damaged in any way.

What is A BOB personal loan?

A BOB or Bank of Baroda personal loan is an unsecured finance. The bank offers loan for your vacation, wedding and other household expenses.

The benefits of a BOB personal loan at a glance -

Loan for your wedding, honeymoon, medical and other miscellaneous expenses.

Special finance scheme for defense pensioners

Loan with the lowest interest rate offer for senior citizens and people with excellent financial background

Easy documentation, no requirement of collateral and credit history

Loan Approval in one day

BOB Personal Loans - Terms And Conditions

Government employees must have a minimum of 1 year employment experience

Self-employed professionals must have a minimum of 1 year business experience

Government employees and self-employed professionals should substantiate their monthly income with documents like bank statement, Income Tax Returns and others.

Insurance agents must have 5 years experience in insurance Industry to qualify for Bank Of Baroda personal loan. The finance is not approved if the employment tenure is not properly substantiated.

Approval or rejection of the finance is subject to discretion of BOB

BOB offers Rs 200000 loan for borrowers with excellent credit history and good financial background. The maximum tenure for which the loan is offered is 36 months. However, it entirely depends on borrower's repayment capacity.

In case the loan is not repaid within the specified tenure, the borrower is penalized with nonpayment charges. A penalty interest rate of 2% is also charged on total outstanding amount.

Eligibility for BOB unsecured loans

To qualify for BOB unsecured loans, a borrower has to substantiate his/her financial condition, credit history and repayment capacity. Borrowers below 18 are not eligible for the finance.

Is BOB personal loan available for bad credit people?

Bank of Baroda offers bad credit personal finance. The interest rate payable on such finance may range from 15% to 30%. Borrowers are supposed to pay charges like processing fees, legal fees and stamp fees to qualify for BOB bad credit personal finance.

Where to apply BOB unsecured loan?

Potential borrowers can download application form from official website of Bank of Baroda. The application form should be filled in properly as per the instruction provided by the bank. Submit the form to the website of the bank. You will be reverted regarding pre-approval of the unsecured loan in one day.

Before submitting, make sure that the application form is cross checked. BOB can reject if the necessary information is not provided in the application form.