legitimate beatify: March 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Cantina della Casa | James Ridenour

One of the great things about Melbourne is that you don?t have to pay a fortune to eat well. ?Enter Cantina della Casa, open only two weeks this cafe/bar is already one of my absolute favourites. ?The cantina is the newest brainchild from the same people who brought you Bar Lourinha in Lt Collins Street (one of my favourite wine bars for great food, wine and service) and the restaurant?Casa Ciuccio (located next door to the cantina).

The cantina (which can be loosely translated as ?refreshment room?) is amiable from the word go. ?Super friendly staff, lots of choices for food and drink, indoor/outdoor seating and a ?modern decor with a whimsical latin influence, all situated on one of the hottest culinary streets in Melbourne; Gertrude Street, Fitzroy.

The menu comprises of beautiful salads (you can have your choice of three salads for a very reasonable $11), empanadas (pastry with filling), artisan sandwiches and home-made sweets to finish. ?Of course there are several libations to enjoy along with the excellent food.

On my first visit I had my choice of three incredibly beautiful salads comprising of tomato ricotta and basil, a chickpea and s?lish salad and a couscous cashew and parley combination. ?The staff mentioned that there are always several vegetarian options on offer so no worries for carnivore/vego groups of friends. ? The salads impressed me so much I returned the next day to sample a divine goat empanadas with aioli and the tomato salad as an encore. ?If you haven?t tried goat it is a wonderful meat extensively used in Caribbean and Latin cuisines. ?It is beautiful and well worth a try. ? The empanadas did not disappoint with flakey pastry and a rich meaty filling, perfect with the aioli.

This cantina can be easily tried without maxing out your credit card. ?It?s a perfect place to head out with friends for something to eat, some great wine or a few drinks. ?I know I will be back again and I am also certain I will be trying Casa Ciuccio?which is the cantina?s sister restaurant located next door.

Cantina della Casa is open Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm and weekends from 10am to 5pm. ? The cantina is located at 13 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy and can be contacted on ?03 9090 7870 or on Twitter @Casa Ciuccio.

Enjoyed reading my post? ? Please subscribe to my blog by placing your email in the subscription box on the home page. ?Once subscribed you?ll automatically receive an email notifying you of each new post. ?Your subscription will always remain spam free. ? Thank you!

Source: http://jamesridenour.com/2013/cantina-della-casa/

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Michigan To Final Four: Nik Stauskas Leads Wolverines In 79-59 Rout Of Florida

John Beilein, Jon Horford

Michigan head coach John Beilein and players including Jon Horford (15) react against Florida during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. Michigan won 79-59. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Casey Prather, Scottie Wilbekin, Will Yeguete

From left, Florida's Casey Prather, Scottie Wilbekin and Will Yeguete, watch action against Michigan during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Billy Donovan

Florida head coach Billy Donovan watches action against Michigan during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Michael Frazier II, Spike Albrecht

Florida's Michael Frazier II (20) and Michigan's Spike Albrecht (2) go after a loose ball during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Spike Albrecht

Michigan's Spike Albrecht (2) reacts against Florida during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Casey Prather, Michael Frazier II, Glenn Robinson III, Will Yeguete

Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (1) dunks as Florida's Michael Frazier II (20), Casey Prather (24) and Will Yeguete (15) look on during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Will Yeguete

Florida's Will Yeguete pauses between plays against Michigan during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Mike Rosario, Kenny Boynton

Florida guard Mike Rosario (3) and Kenny Boynton (1) pause between plays against Michigan during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tim Hardaway Jr., Casey Prather, Trey Burke

Michigan's Trey Burke (3) passes the ball to Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) in front of Florida's Casey Prather (24) during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tim Hardaway Jr., Casey Prather, Trey Burke

Michigan's Trey Burke (3) passes the ball to Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) as Casey Prather (24) defends during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Casey Prather, Trey Burke

Michigan's Trey Burke (3) grabs a rebound as Florida's Casey Prather (24) defends during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Casey Prather, Nik Stauskas

Michigan's Nik Stauskas (11) misses the pass as, Florida's Casey Prather defends during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nik Stauskas, Scottie Wilbekin, Glenn Robinson III

Florida's Scottie Wilbekin, right, shoots as Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (1) and Nik Stauskas (11) defend during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

John Beilein

Michigan head coach John Beilein reacts on the sideline against Florida during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Billy Donovan

Florida head coach Billy Donovan reacts on the sideline against Michigan during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Mitch McGary, Nik Stauskas

Michigan's Nik Stauskas (11) celebrates his three-point basket as Mitch McGary (4) joins in against Florida during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Mike Rosario

Florida's Mike Rosario (3) shoots against Michigan during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Michael Frazier II, Casey Prather, Scottie Wilbekin

Florida players Michael Frazier II (20), Casey Prather (24) and Scottie Wilbekin (5) watch the big screen during the first half of a regional final game against Michigan in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

John Beilein

Michigan head coach John Beilein reacts against Michigan during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Mike Rosario, Erik Murphy, Scottie Wilbekin

Michigan's Trey Burke (3) drives against Florida's Mike Rosario (3), Erik Murphy, second from left, and Scottie Wilbekin during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Nik Stauskas, Scottie Wilbekin

Florida's Scottie Wilbekin (5) passes around Michigan's Nik Stauskas (11) during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Erik Murph, Mitch McGary

Michigan's Mitch McGary (4) knocks the ball away from Florida's Erik Murphy (33) during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Jordan Morgan, Will Yeguete, Tim Hardaway Jr.

Florida forward Will Yeguete (15) shoots between Michigan's Jordan Morgan (52) and Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. (10)during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nik Stauskas

Michigan guard Nik Stauskas reacts after making a 3-point shot against Florida during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nik Stauskas

Glenn Robinson III, Casey Prather

Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (1) shoots as Florida's Casey Prather (24) defends during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Florida and Michigan compete during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tim Donnelly)

Patric Young, Mitch McGary

Florida's Patric Young (4) and Michigan's Mitch McGary (4) fight for possession of the ball during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

John Beilein

Michigan head coach John Beilein makes a call from the sideline during the first half of a regional final game against Florida in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Jordan Morgan, Patric Young

Michigan's Jordan Morgan (52) and Florida's Patric Young (4) fight for possession of the ball during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

John Beilein

Mike Rosario

Florida's Mike Rosario (3) grabs a loose ball against Michigan during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Billy Donovan

Florida head coach Billy Donovan works the sideline against Michigan during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Billy Donovan

Florida head coach Billy Donovan watches action against Michigan during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Scottie Wilbekin, Glenn Robinson III

Florida's Scottie Wilbekin (5) shoots as Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (1) defends during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nik Stauskas, Scottie Wilbekin, Glenn Robinson III

Florida's Scottie Wilbekin (5) shoots as Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (1) and Nik Stauskas (11) defend during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Kenny Boynton, Jon Horford

Florida's Kenny Boynton (1) shoots as Michigan's Jon Horford (15) defends during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Caris LeVert, Scottie Wilbekin

Michigan guard Caris LeVert (23) blocks a shot by Florida guard Scottie Wilbekin (5)during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Casey Prather, Tim Hardaway Jr.

Florida's Casey Prather (24) shoots as Michigan guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) defends during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Casey Prather, Kenny Boynton, Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke

Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) shoots past Florida's Kenny Boynton (1) and Mike Rosario (3) during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. Florida's Casey Prather (24) looks on. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Casey Prather, Kenny Boynton, Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke

Billy Donovan

Florida head coach Billy Donovan reacts to action against Michigan during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nik Stauskas

Michigan's Nik Stauskas reacts after making a three-point shot during the first half of a regional final game against Florida in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Erik Murphy, Glenn Robinson III

Florida's Erik Murphy (33) shoots past Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (1) during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Mitch McGary, Scottie Wilbekin, Patric Young

Michigan's Mitch McGary (4) shoots past Florida's Scottie Wilbekin (5) and Patric Young (4) during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Mitch McGary, Scottie Wilbekin, Patric Young

The opening jump ball is tossed between Florida and Michigan during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Fans cheer before a regional final game between Florida and Michigan in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Michigan senior Kayla MacLennan cheers before a regional final game against Florida in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Wichita State players celebrate their 70-66 win over Ohio State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/31/michigan-final-four-florida-ncaa-elite-eight_n_2989574.html

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Seattle Real Estate - Blogs

Moving into a new place can be stressful in itself, but searching for a new home from across the country can seem like a mountain too massive to tackle. When you don?t know much about the city you?re moving to, it can be difficult to find the right resources and search tools, but here are a few tips that should ease the process.

Photo Courtesy of Flickr_Vincepix

First, utilize your network. Do you any friends colleagues, or family living in or around the new city? There is usually someone within your reach, who at least knows someone who knows something about the city and can offer some free advise. Using social media to expand your reach is also a good resource; it can?t hurt to ask the Facebook realm if they have any advice on where to start, or who to reach out to to seek assistance. It is also important to do your research on the best neighborhoods that suit your needs. Before you start randomly browsing rentals, and it will help to know which neighborhoods make the most sense for you; are they close to schools, parks or work? What is the crime rate? How does the transportation look? All good things to look into prior to searching actual listings.

If you can afford it, flying in to scope out the neighborhoods in person is really the best way to determine if you?ll feel at home there. One weekend is a very short period of time to try and fit in apartment hunting, but if you contact the right real estate management company, someone should be available to show you around town. Your local real estate expert should also be able to work with you remotely to find the right place for you, and your family. If you plan enough time in advance, your agent should be able to fit a variety of showings into your weekend, that should at the very least give you a better idea of what is available, and what is within budget for your family?s needs. For more information on relocating, contact a local real estate expert today.

Source: http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlerealestate/2013/03/29/searching-from-afar-tips-for-the-long-distance-home-search/

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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Loeb's Third Point outperforms hedge fund rivals again

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss

BOSTON (Reuters) - Hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb outperformed his rivals again in the first quarter with returns that kept pace with the stock market's recent rally, a person familiar with Loeb's returns said.

The New York-based manager told investors late on Thursday that his flagship Third Point Offshore Fund rose 2.8 percent in March while the Third Point Ultra fund, the leveraged version of the Offshore fund, gained 4.2 percent.

For the year to date, the Offshore fund, with $5.6 billion in assets, is up 9.2 percent while the Third Point Ultra Fund gained 13.3 percent.

During the same time, the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index climbed 10 percent while it rose 3.6 percent during the month.

A spokeswoman for Loeb's fund declined to comment.

Low cost index funds, which oversee roughly $1.3 trillion worldwide, have been a hit with investors with the Vanguard 500 index, for example, gaining 10.57 percent this year.

Loeb, whose firm oversees roughly $11.6 billion, is traditionally among the first in the super secretive hedge fund industry to tell clients how he did during the month, carrying on a friendly rivalry with David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital to see who can be the first to inform investors. Hedge fund returns are rarely made public by their managers.

The Third Point numbers stand in contrast to many other hedge funds where returns have been tepid. Many investors have questioned why they should pay hefty management and performance fees for hedge funds at a time when straight stock investments are performing so well.

Einhorn also shared his returns with investors late on Thursday, reporting a 2.3 percent gain in his Greenlight Capital fund in March, leaving it up 6.1 percent for the year.

A spokesman declined to comment.

Star stock picker Leon Cooperman's Omega Advisors was up 6.55 percent during the first two months of the year and his son Wayne Cooperman's Cobalt Offshore fund was up 3.63 percent through February. John Paulson's Advantage fund lost 2.63 percent in the first two months of the year.

Loeb and Einhorn calculated their returns very quickly, sending their monthly numbers out even before the month ended just hours after trading concluded on Thursday and before Friday's holiday when U.S. stock markets and most European markets are closed.

Most hedge fund managers take a few business days to calculate their numbers and longer to pen their quarterly letters, which are expected to be released later highlighting trends in the first three months of the year.

Early indications show that 2013 is not starting on a strong note for the an industry that used to pride itself in making money in all markets. Hedge Fund Research data show most funds nearly flat for the month with only a 0.69 percent gain, leaving them up only 3.11 percent for the year.

Loeb has won praise from investors in recent weeks for moving in and out of trades more quickly than some rivals, for example, making money as nutritional supplements company Herbalife and for his so-called Japan macro trade where he was betting against the currency.

Einhorn has a more U.S.-focused portfolio, with Apple remaining one of his biggest bets. Even though the stock was tumbling late last year, Einhorn stuck with his bet and this year squared off against the computer maker first by suing it and later convening a public conference call to suggest Apple should adopt perpetual preferred shares to send more cash back to investors.

(Reporting By Svea Herbst-Bayliss; Editing by David Gregorio)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-loebs-third-point-outperforms-hedge-fund-rivals-155616304--sector.html

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Drones over America: How unmanned fliers are already helping cops

Nidhi Subbaraman , NBC News ? ? ? 5 hrs.

It was getting dark, and the sheriff of Nelson County, N.D., was in a standoff with a family of suspected cattle rustlers. They were armed, and the last thing anybody wanted was a shoot out.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which monitors police radio chatter, offered to help. Their Predator was flying back to its roost at the Grand Forks Air Force base and could provide aerial support. Did the sheriff want the assist?

Yep.

"We were able to detect that one of the sons was sitting at the end of the driveway with a gun. We also knew that there were small children involved," Sheriff Kelly Janke told NBC News, remembering that tricky encounter in the early summer of 2011. "Someone would have gotten seriously injured if we had gone in on the farm that night." He decided to wait.

The next day, the drone gave them an edge again by helping them choose the safest moment to make a move. "We were able to surprise them ? took them into custody," Janke said. They also collected six stolen cows.

Rodney Brossart, the arrested farmer, sued the state, in part because of the cop's use of a drone. But a district judge ruled that the Predator's service was not untoward.

When advocates express concern about government drones threatening people's privacy, the Brossart case is one they bring up. It's one of the first instances of a flying robot doing a cop's dirty work, and this kind of intervention is likely to be more and more commonplace, as the FAA fulfills a congressional mandate to increase its granting of drone permits ? certificates of authorization, or COAs.

Cops and flying robots
At the moment, there are only 327 active COAs, all held by these organizations, and all for unarmed crafts, of course. A tiny sliver of these permits are in the hands of law enforcement agencies, and from them, we're seeing the first glimpses of drone use in policing and emergency response.

"The FAA has approved us to cover a 16-county area," Sheriff Bob Rost of Grand Forks County, N.D., said of their COA. "To look for missing children, to look for escaped criminals and in the case of emergencies." In the spring, they will use two mini-copter drones ? a trusty DraganFlyer X6 and an AeroVironment Qube ? to check on flooded farms.

The police department in Arlington, Texas, also recently got FAA clearance to fly their drones after two years of testing. The two battery-powered Leptron Avenger helicopter drones won't be used for high-speed chases or routine patrol, the department explains. In fact, the crafts will be driven in a truck to where they're needed, and when they're launched to scope out incidents, local air traffic control will be informed.

In Mesa County, Colo., the police department has used drones to find missing people, do an aerial landfill survey and help out firefighters at a burning church. For them, it's seen as a cost-cutting technology.

"It's the Wal-Mart version of what we'd normally get at Saks Fifth Avenue," said Benjamin Miller, who leads the drones program in Mesa County, comparing drones to manned helicopters that would otherwise give police officers help from the sky.

In Seattle, the police department received an FAA permit ? but had to give back its drones when the mayor banned their use, following protests in October 2012.

Protests and red tape
"Hasn't anyone heard of George Orwell's '1984'?" the Seattle Times quoted a protester as saying. "This is the militarization of our streets and now the air above us."

Protesters, not just in Seattle, seek more legal definition of what a drone can or can't do, and debate whether or not current laws sufficiently protect citizens from unauthorized surveillance and other abuses.

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg thinks of police drones as an inevitability ? "We're going to have them," he recently said in a radio interview ? while those on the police (and drone) side say the fears are unfounded.

"This hysteria of [a drone] hovering outside your backyard taking a video of you smoking a joint, it's just that ? hysteria," said Al Frazier, an ex-cop from Los Angeles who is now an assistant professor of aeronautics at the University of North Dakota, and a deputy at the Grand Forks sheriff's office.

The reason the sky isn't lousy with drones already mostly has to do with red tape. The FAA's highly restricted drone application for government agencies is supposed to take about 60 days, though unofficially, we're told it's much longer. COAs are also very strict about where, when and by whom a drone is flown.

"I think there are many agencies who would like to use [drones] for public good, but they're stymied by the process," Frazier said.

That's likely to change ? and soon. Last February, Obama signed a mandate that encourages the FAA to let civil and commercial drones join the airspace by 2015. This will take new regulations from the FAA for safe commercial drone flight, and it may take some convincing of local anti-drone activists (who sometimes don't differentiate between drones great and small). It may even require the passing of a few new privacy laws.

Folks like Frazier and Miller don't see the permit process getting easier any time soon but eventually ? inevitably ? and for better or worse, your local police department will get its drone.

Nidhi Subbaraman writes about technology and science. Follow her on Twitter and Google+.

Related:

The drones are coming ... but our laws aren't ready

Anticipating domestic boom, colleges rev up drone piloting programs

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2a26cd27/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Ctechnolog0Cdrones0Eover0Eamerica0Ehow0Eunmanned0Efliers0Eare0Ealready0Ehelping0Ecops0E1C9135554/story01.htm

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Friday, March 29, 2013

Neither party has cash for student loan rate fix (The Arizona Republic)

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Expect many happy returns with these tax Android apps

The days of tax paperwork are nearly over, as more and more people are filing online or with their mobile devices. Even the Internal Revenue Service endorsed electronic systems, which is a major step forward. Below is a quick list of five applications that can help with filing reports, monitoring your expenses and investments, and hopefully in making it rain (dollar bills) during tax season.

While Pageonce isn?t specifically geared toward filing or filling out tax forms, you can be better prepared for tax season by auditing this free mobile app. Once logged in, the Overview page provides a snapshot of all your assets, bills, investments, loans, and credit cards. Such a resource is crucial for the times of year when we take stock of expenses for W-2 and 1040EZ forms, and a great application for staying on top of financial obligations throughout the year.

A perennial service favored by practically everyone who files online, the TurboTax mobile app from Intuit Inc. is also towers over the competition. Upon booting up the app, you can either log in (as a returning user) or get started without signing up. In many ways, the TurboTax is a trendsetter for document uploading through photographs, as you can take a picture of your tax form, their app scans your tax document in seconds then sends you to a review screen. From this point, double and triple-check for any errors, add personal information, preview your form, and file your taxes. You could also check out H&R Block?s apps for?Android, if you prefer the competition. The process has never been this stress free!

Also on Android Apps

The Indianapolis 500 is one of the world?s oldest auto races. You can learn more about the cars and the people who race them thanks to this Guest Post from Zinio.

Another solid mobile app from the Intuit gang can be found in MyTaxRefund. Sure, it is a very barebones application, but its great for those who want to constantly check the status of their 2013 tax refund. It provides statuses for both federal and state tax refunds, and estimates on when you can expect compensation. All that is required of you is to indicate whether you filed with TurboTax or not, enter your social security number and zip code (both required by the IRS),

Bloomberg BNA?s free financial guide fills you in on the minutiae of filing your taxes in 2013. For example, it provides Standard Deductions based on your household (Married, Heads of Household, Single, etc.), Personal Exemptions, Estate and Gift Tax Rates, which comes with a built-in sliding scale that automatically calculates percentages owed based on the dollar amount (up to $2 million). Quick Tax Reference is a wonderfully simple tool for people who are using services such as TurboTax, ezTaxReturn, or H&R Block, and especially for those who itemize their deductions.

The final app in this taxing article is SigFig, another secure mobile app that is hyperfocused on financial planning and stock market investing. The app connects your brokerages, investments, and portfolios then automatically analyzes to provide investors with sound advice. Its crisp charts track performance, risk, and other analytics. The key with this app is to use it year round, so that come tax season you can quickly reference any investments you?ve made that are applicable. Also, a person that invests smartly should have less trouble figuring out tax forms.

Source: http://www.androidapps.com/finance/articles/13345-expect-many-happy-returns-with-these-tax-android-apps

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Gold Prices Will Explode Higher When These Investors Start Buying ...

Global Financial and Commodity Market Forecasts 2013

Commodities / Gold and Silver 2013 Mar 27, 2013 - 04:58 PM GMT

By: Money_Morning

David Zeiler writes: Until recently, an entire class of investors that control a huge pool of money - more than $27 trillion worldwide - have almost entirely ignored gold.

But lately, this group has begun to show more interest in the yellow metal, a trend that ultimately will exert massive upward pressure on gold prices.

We're talking about pension funds, which typically have had little interest in gold.

But with more traditional investments like bonds at historic lows, many pension funds aren't getting the returns they need to fund future obligations.

And with central banks debasing most major currencies and risking higher inflation, pension fund managers almost have no choice but to consider adding gold.

It's already started in Japan, which has about $3.4 trillion in pension funds - second only to the U.S., which has about $20 trillion.

In response to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's pledge to spur inflation by printing more yen, Japanese hedge fund managers plan to double their gold holdings from about $500 million to $1.1 billion over the next two years, primarily by investing in gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Itsuo Toshima, who represented the Tokyo office of World Gold Council for 23 years through 2011 and now advises Japanese pension fund managers, sees gold becoming a standard asset as inflation becomes more of a threat - with major consequences for gold prices.

"Pension money invested in bullion is "peanuts' at the moment," Toshima told Bloomberg News. "If 1% of their total assets shift to the metal, the gold market would explode."
How Pension Funds Could Make Gold Prices Soar
Shayne McGuire, managing director and head of Global Research at the Texas Teacher Retirement System pension fund, estimates that gold only makes up about 0.15% of pension fund portfolios now.

In his 2010 book, "Hard Money: Taking Gold to a Higher Investment Level," McGuire argues that it makes sense for pension funds to invest in gold.

Like the pension fund managers in Japan, McGuire sees gold as a way to diversify a portfolio while increasing returns and gaining some protection against inflation.

And as more pension fund managers realize this, gold prices can only go up - and up.

Consider this: According to the World Gold Council, global gold sales reached a record $236 billion in 2012, with purchases by gold-backed ETFs rising 51%. The biggest is the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE ARCA:GLD), with almost $70 billion worth of the yellow metal.

But using Toshima's formula, if pension funds around the world shifted just 1% of their assets to gold, it would create $270 billion of demand - more than the entire existing gold market. U.S. pension funds alone would account for $200 billion of demand.

"The effect of suddenly moving a substantial amount of investment money into the precious metals market was best described in a telephone conversation I had with an expert in the industry: It would be like shoving an elephant into a mailbox," McGuire wrote in his book.

He noted that only about $80 billion worth of new gold is mined every year, and half of that goes to jewelry and industry. A surge in pension fund buying would have to drive gold prices up, as demand would far outstrip supply.

"If gold rose from the minuscule part it represents in the world's largest portfolios today to just 1 or 2% of global assets under management, the effect would be substantial," McGuire wrote. "That it could rise to $10,000 an ounce is not out of the question."

Pension Funds Buying Gold Now
One Japanese bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust, told Bloomberg that some local pension funds in Japan already have made gold 2%-3% of their portfolios and the bank is talking to other fund managers.

In the U.S., McGuire's Texas Teacher Retirement fund - with over $100 billion in assets, the eighth-largest pension fund in the world - has tried to lead by example.

As of Dec. 31, 2012, the Texas Teachers fund held 2.4% of its portfolio in the SPDR Gold ETF, while adding new positions in gold miners Gold Fields Ltd. (NYSE ADR: GFI), 0.15% of the portfolio; and Harmony Gold Mining Co. Ltd. (NYSE ADR: HMY), 0.11% of portfolio.

Among its top 100 holdings, the fund also has 0.39% of its portfolio in Goldcorp Inc. (NYSE: GG) as well as 1% of its portfolio in the iShares Silver Trust ETF (NYSE: SLV), and 0.28% in Silver Wheaton Corp. (NYSE: SLW).

Separately, McGuire launched and created Texas Teachers pension fund, the $560 million GBI Gold Fund, entirely focused on precious metal investing in gold and silver.

Some other U.S. pension funds have shown interest.

The State of New Jersey Pension Fund E, which focuses on alternative investments, had 15.16% of its portfolio in gold, though the $577 million Fund E makes up just 2.5% of the total assets of New Jersey's four major state pension funds.

And the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Retirement System holds 0.36% of its portfolio in the SPDR Gold ETF.

Given the uncertain economy, the frustrating bond market and rampant money printing across the globe, pension fund gold buying could turn from experiment to policy in a hurry, with rising gold prices perhaps even encouraging the trend.

"A significant move into the metal could happen by default, as even the most die-hard gold opponents might soon be forced to consider it," McGuire wrote.

Source :http://moneymorning.com/2013/03/26/gold-prices-will-explode-when-these-investors-start-buying/

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Disclaimer: Nothing published by Money Morning should be considered personalized investment advice. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular investment situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized investent advice. We expressly forbid our writers from having a financial interest in any security recommended to our readers. All of our employees and agents must wait 24 hours after on-line publication, or after the mailing of printed-only publication prior to following an initial recommendation. Any investments recommended by Money Morning should be made only after consulting with your investment advisor and only after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Autopsy: Dead Russian adoptee bruised all over

ODESSA, Texas (AP) ? A 3-year-old adopted by a West Texas couple had more than 30 bruises and other marks on his body as well as signs that he was routinely injured by accident, according to an autopsy report released Tuesday.

Russian authorities have blamed Max Alan Shatto's death on abusive treatment by his adoptive parents, despite West Texas authorities' insistence that the boy's death was an accident. An Ector County grand jury has declined to indict the parents, Alan and Laura Shatto, who also adopted his half brother, Kristopher.

The autopsy report released to the Odessa American (http://bit.ly/XaJUoU) suggests that the Shattos were struggling to care for Max due to his behavioral problems and his tendency to hurt himself. The Shattos have declined to comment publicly about the boy's death.

The boy, born Maxim Kuzmin, died Jan. 21 after Laura Shatto found him unresponsive outside their home in Gardendale, Texas.

A medical examiner's investigator wrote in the report that she found abrasions, scrapes and bruises from head to toe on Max's body. Alan Shatto told authorities that the boy hit his head against items in the home and had serious behavioral problems.

He said a doctor had prescribed the anti-psychotic drug Risperidone, but the couple stopped giving Max the drug after about four days after reading about the side effects and because it appeared the boy was having trouble swallowing. Laura Shatto reported that three days before his death, Max nearly choked on a cooked carrot.

She said he tended to bang his head and claw himself, which she tried to prevent by cutting his nails short and having him wear gloves at night.

Russian authorities have blamed Max's parents for his death and used the incident to justify a ban on all American adoptions. Bobby Bland, the Ector County district attorney, has said four pathologists reviewed an autopsy report and ruled Max's death to be accidental.

"The injuries on the child were not consistent with abuse," Bland said this month. "They were, instead, consistent with the previously diagnosed behavioral disorder."

He said Max likely suffered the fatal injuries during 10 minutes when he was playing outside and Laura Shatto was in the bathroom.

Laura Shatto told authorities that on the day of his death, Max "began throwing a fit" when his parents tried to take him to the bathroom in the morning, according to the report. He eventually went back to bed and wasn't woken up until 3 p.m., Laura Shatto told authorities.

He and his half brother watched TV for some time before their mother took them outside to play on the family's swing set, the report says. Max was quiet and swaying from side to side when Laura Shatto went inside the house to use the bathroom, she told authorities. When she returned, she found Max on the ground near the swings, unresponsive.

The boy was pronounced dead shortly afterward at an area hospital.

Russian authorities and state media have used his death to fan opposition to American adoptions. Americans have adopted an estimated 60,000 Russian children over the last two decades, at least 20 of whom have died.

The lack of charges against the Shatto family "raises serious questions," Konstantin Dolgov, a Foreign Ministry official, told a state-controlled television channel last week. "It turns out that the child died and his adoptive parents are in no way guilty of this. Moreover, they are trying to persuade us that the boy's lethal injuries were inflicted by himself."

The family's attorney, Michael J. Brown, told the newspaper that while he hadn't seen the autopsy report, he knew both Alan and Laura Shatto were doing the best they could.

"They just sort of handled it as it came along," Brown said, adding that "they were not forewarned that they had this thing they were dealing with."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/autopsy-dead-russian-adoptee-bruised-over-020817328.html

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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Might and Magic: Duel of Champions bringing sword and sorcery trading card game to iPad

We took some time at PAX East 2013 to visit Ubisoft to see what they were up to. Obviously the new Assassin's Creed III content was a welcome sight to many, but Might and Magic: Duel of Champions has a lot of great things go for it. Users can fully customize their dock, the game itself will be completely unlockable by playing for free, and players will be able to compete online across platforms.

One of the things Might and Magic: Duel of Champions does right is recreate the awe of rare holographic cards. Though the idea of having a central hero card that each side is trying to destroy while keeping their own safe is relatively established, having to defend multiple lanes of attack at the same time keeps things fresh. Through multiplayer and single player matches, players earn gold which can be spent on acquiring new virtual packs of game cards.

The cash erned between each level orivudes a o if A For those hankering for a new iPad game that's decidedly different from iPad, maybe it's time to start heading out earlier. Jussying, at least it makes for more entertaining than watching an seeing exactly how the local cover service obscendenumber PAX East and 2012 of people watchng for the new?

For those interested in getting a headstart,, you can get an account right over here.?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/n_Wmqvh3v0k/story01.htm

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Fuel Fix ? Cyberattack risk high for oil and gas industry

(dustball/Flickr)

In the months since a virus ripped through 30,000 of Saudi Aramco?s computers, the world?s largest oil company has become the canary of the industry, warning others of the serious threats already lurking on their systems.

Although the attack did not disrupt Saudi Aramco?s oil and gas operations, the company?s top man warned in a recent interview with the Houston Chronicle that the risk to the industry remains high.

Chief Executive Officer Khalid Al-Falih said that despite aggressive efforts by Saudi Aramco and others to guard against online threats, operations throughout the energy industry will remain in danger unless all companies adopt strong Internet security measures.

?What happens to one company affects us all,? Al-Falih said.

Saudi Aramco, which is wholly owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, produces more hydrocarbons than Exxon Mobil, Chevron and BP combined.

But even though the mammoth energy company has increased its focus on Internet security, it continues to deal with a high volume of threats, Al-Falih said.

?Every company today that you talk to will tell you that they are being tested every day by hackers,? Al-Falih said. ?So it?s nothing new for us. We have been attacked hundreds of thousands of times before this attack penetrated us.?

While Saudi Aramco?s security measures have protected it from any interruption in its oil production, delivery or other fundamental operations, companies with less robust cybersecurity efforts may be at greater risk, he said. And that presents a threat to other oil and gas companies, Al-Falih said.

?We provide our petroleum to systems that are run by other companies,? he said. ?So in an extreme case, if refineries are hacked and disrupted, that will impact demand on us and our petroleum. And the reputation of the industry as a whole is important to us.?

Oil companies use computer systems to manage and control massive operations, and to monitor them for safety. A computer infection on one of those control systems could cause a company?s entire operation to malfunction.

Danger exists

In such a case, the results could be disastrous, with the possibilities including grid failure, leaks at chemical plants or refineries, explosions of pipelines, offshore oil spills and lost human lives. While those outcomes are remote, the danger of malicious attacks does exist.

And recent infections of energy industry computer systems have shown that there is reason to worry. Last year, 40 percent of cyberattacks were on energy infrastructure, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

During a keynote address at the IHS CERA-Week energy conference in Houston this month, Al-Falih emphasized the need to seriously address threats that malicious attacks posed to their computer systems.

He said in the interview that companies need to invest in computer security and pay more attention to the growing risk.

?We need to act collectively to protect the petroleum industry to make sure that we elevate our image as a reliable, safe, environmentally sound supplier of energy,? Al-Falih said. ?And ensuring security of our system ? physical and virtual ? is part of that responsibility.?

Though many attacks on energy companies are unsuccessful, a report released last month by Internet security firm Mandiant tied the growing occurrence of cyberattacks to activity from a group that Mandiant said probably is backed by the Chinese government.

In some of its attacks, the group had used a malicious file that unsuspecting workers in the oil and gas industry might have downloaded. It was called, ?Oil-Field-Services-Analysis-And-Outlook.zip,? according to the Mandiant report.

U.S. government role?

Government-backed attacks against private companies, even well-financed oil giants, put the businesses at a severe disadvantage, said Michael Hayden, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, who spoke at IHS CERA-Week.

Yet the role of the U.S. government in protecting companies from such attacks remains ambiguous because of indecision and disagreements among politicians and businesses, Hayden said.

A unit of the Department of Homeland Security, called the Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team, helps to analyze and respond to attacks.

But a more proactive approach would involve regular government access to private computers and networks, Hayden said. Companies aren?t sure how much access to their systems they want to allow to the government, even for Internet security purposes, Hayden said.

Asked about how the government might assist in defending against a malware attack on an oil company, Hayden said: ?Nobody knows.?

On their own, companies are attempting to improve security, but many in the energy industry remain vulnerable.

?It seems to me that they need to work very hard on their defense,? Hayden said.

Source: http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/03/25/cyberattack-risk-high-of-oil-and-gas-industry/

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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Galaxy Releases 128 GB Thunder GT Pro SSD

Galaxy, who's most commonly known for manufacturing graphics cards, has released an SSD into the Chinese market.

Galaxy, a manufacturer mainly known for its graphics cards, has released an SSD called the Thunder GT 128 Pro. As the name indicates, comes with 128 GB.

It is a 2.5" drive that is packed with a SATA3 interface. The NAND is manufactured by Toshiba, as Toggle-NAND flash, and paired with a JMicron JMF667H controller. The amount of DRAM cache is unknown.

Read speeds go up to 480 MB/s and 70,000 IOPS, with writes at 300 MB/s and 58,000 IOPS.

Not much more is known about the drive, except that it will be available in China at the end of this month for a price of ?799. This, coincidentally, is equivalent to USD 128, giving Chinese customers an exact price of one USD per gigabyte.?

_{Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback}???????????

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Source: http://www.pheedcontent.com/click.phdo?i=f156e2077c13d88b5d89cbeb9bd0f447

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Monday, March 25, 2013

Commercial Real Estate: Theaters-anchored Napa center to add ...

Jeff Quackenbush, Business Journal Staff Reporter After the November opening of the 12-screen movie complex at the 163,000-square-foot South Napa Century Center, the 15-acre project has set the construction premiere of one to three more retail buildings this summer.

Project owner Gasser South, LLC, managed by the Napa-based Peter A. and Vernice H. Gasser Foundation, is reviewing plans to submit to the city of Napa to build a 9,000-square-foot, single-story retail building just south of the Century Theaters building, according to Deborah Perry and Bill Kampton, the Colliers International team marketing the project.

One to three buildings could be under construction at South Napa Century Center this summer. (image credit: Shopworks LLC)

Enough leases are close to being signed that the next building could move forward. Two buildings with 12,000 and 6,000 square feet at the corner of Imola Avenue and Gasser Drive also could be built this summer, based on leases in advanced negotiations, the agents said.

?A lot of (letters of intent to lease) we?re holding because we want to keep an interesting local flair and not just tenants one would typically find in a local shopping center,? Ms. Perry said. ?We do not want to do? chains.?

Serious prospects include an upscale diner, Bay Area pizza restauranteur, wine bar, bike shop and a hair salon and school.

Also planned for the property are 34,000 square feet of retail space in three more buildings. Set to be built just west of the property are a health club and a 115-room hotel Hampton Inn & Suites hotel. Gasser has a lease pending for the fitness center, and South Carolina-based OTO Development has a purchase agreement for the hotel site.

***

A year and a half after an affiliate of San Francisco-based Pacific Urban Residential Properties, or PUR (purapts.com), purchased The Colonial Apartments, a 30-unit San Rafael complex, the San Francisco-based value-add investor of West Coast multifamily properties sold it for $6.9 million, or $230,000 a unit.

?The buyer rolled up its sleeves and massaged things that reduced expenses and increased income,? said Vince Schwab, who represented the seller with Erich Reichenbach also of Marcus & Millichap.

A big chunk of the savings came from retiring a long-term cable television contract for the complex, not an easy thing to do, according to the agents. PUR used its clout with the cable provider in working with a number of Bay Area units and complexes.

As a result, the 52-year-old complex on just more than an acre of ground at 155 Nova Albion Way sold in early March for nearly $2 million more than the previous sale and closed within three months of coming on the market. Twenty of the two-bedroom units are townhouses.

The buyer was Car Town Santa Clara, LLC, led by a Palo Alto private investor, represented by Michael Henshaw and Steve Souter also of Marcus & Millichap.

Submit items for this column to Business Journal Staff Writer Jeff Quackenbush, jquackenbush@busjrnl.com, 707-521-4256.

Source: http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/70838/commercial-real-estate-column-for-march-25-2013/

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The New SimCity Is Your Deal of the Day

The folks who pre-ordered SimCity got hosed. Since the game came out on March 5th, it's been plagued by server issues, caused by short-sighted always-online Origin DRM. Some folks couldn't log on to the play the game at all. But EA has added servers, and the game should be be working now — just in time for Amazon to drop the price to $40. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/vhkhnFcTNOU/the-new-simcity-is-your-deal-of-the-day

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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Senate passes budget with $1 trillion tax hike

By David Lawder, Reuters

WASHINGTON -- The Senate on Saturday narrowly passed its first federal budget in four years, a move that will usher in a relative lull in Washington's fiscal wars until an anticipated summer showdown over raising the debt ceiling.

The budget plan was passed by a 50-49 vote in the Democratic-controlled chamber. Four Democratic senators facing tough re-election campaigns in 2014 joined all the Senate Republicans in opposing the measure, which seeks to raise nearly $1 trillion in new tax revenues by closing some tax breaks for the wealthy.

The Senate budget, which reflects Democratic priorities of boosting near-term job growth and preserving social safety net programs, will square off in coming months against a Republican-focused budget passed by the Republican-dominated House of Representatives.

Neither of the non-binding blueprints has a chance of passage in the opposing chamber, leaving Congress no closer to resolving deep differences over how to shrink U.S. deficits and grow the economy. But they give each party a platform from which to tout their respective fiscal visions.

The Democrats' plan from Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray aims to reduce deficits by $1.85 trillion over 10 years through an equal mix of tax increases and spending cuts.

The Republican plan from House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan seeks $4.6 trillion in savings over the same period without raising new taxes. It aims to reach a small surplus by 2023 through deep cuts to health care and social programs that aid the poor.

"The House budget changes our debt course, while the Senate budget does not," said Senator Jeff Sessions, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee.?

'Very different' values
Murray said after the vote that she would try to work with Ryan on a path toward compromise.

"While it is clear that the policies, values, and priorities of the Senate budget are very different than those articulated in the House budget, I know the American people are expecting us to work together to end the gridlock and find common ground, and I plan to continue doing exactly that."

Passage of a stop-gap government funding measure on Thursday lowered the temperature in the budget debate by eliminating the threat of a government shutdown next week.

"We're going to get a breather here. Congress will let things cool off a bit and there'll be other issues that come to the forefront in the spring," said Greg Valliere, chief political strategist at Potomac Research Group, a firm that advises institutional investors on Washington politics.

These issues include legislation on gun control, immigration reform and initial work on simplifying the tax code, which is particularly important to Republicans.

Joining Republicans in opposing the Democratic budget were Democratic senators from conservative-leaning states: Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska, Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.

Voting for a budget that raises tax revenues could increase their vulnerability in congressional elections next year and put Democrats' thin majority at risk.

In the lead-up to the Senate vote early on Saturday morning, the body considered more than 100 largely symbolic, non-binding amendments to the budget aimed at scoring political points and staking out positions.

Among notable amendments, the Senate signaled strong support for allowing states more authority to collect sales taxes on Internet purchases, for approval of the controversial Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL oil pipeline and for repealing a tax on medical devices imposed by President Barack Obama's health care reform law.

The Senate also voted 99-0 to end policies that subsidized large banks considered "too big to fail" but came out against imposing taxes on industrial carbon emissions.

The Senate had not passed a budget resolution since 2009 because of fiscal policy disputes with House Republicans that forced Congress to turn to numerous stop-gap spending measures to avoid government shutdowns.?

Related:

Budget battles: What you need to know

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/29e65683/l/0Lnbcpolitics0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C230C17426960A0Esenate0Epasses0Ebudget0Ewith0E10Etrillion0Etax0Ehike0Dlite/story01.htm

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Umbrella insurance policy question - The Hull Truth - Boating and ...

Yesterday, 03:13 PM

Senior Member

Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Coastal Carolina

Posts: 1,016

Hope I can ask this question right.
What is the reason an umbrella policy will provide umbrella coverage on your car, boat, rv, and home seemingly across the board (above base insurance limits of course) but charge an extra premium for any coverage at all for one type loss : coverage of people in your car in car wrecks when you are not at fault and fault is from uninsured or underinsured motorists?
Whats the logic in that? is that a huge risk factor in todays zoo? they want 70% of the umbrella cost extra just to cover this one exception, and thats the only exception they call out for extra premium? the ins agent says almost no one buys this extra type of umbrella coverage.
whats so strange about Uninsured and underinsured fault situations?
or do most people not have too many riders in their cars (if that were true then the rate should be low, but its not)

Yesterday, 03:48 PM

Join Date: Oct 2003

Location: Irvine, ca, usa

Posts: 1,839

Quote:

It's all about protecting your assets. Your coverage limits should match your assets. Your auto policy might only offer up to 500K of coverage but you might need 1M, 2M or 3M of coverage to fully protect yourself.

A question to ask is, what are you willing to give up if you are found financially liable in an accident. Accidents can happen almost anywhere, while driving or at your home.

The umbrella offers broader coverage that can include personal injury. You can also lower the initial coverage limits of both the auto and home policy and let the umbrella policy provide the higher limits.

Umbrella policies are good to have.

Yesterday, 05:41 PM

Senior Member

Join Date: Aug 2006

Location: San Diego

Posts: 1,189

Quote:

Hope I can ask this question right.

Typical umbrella policy coverage provides additional liability insurance for claims made AGAINST YOU, arising out of your ownership of a home, car, boat or rental property. If you want to add additional coverage for claims you wish to make AGAINST OTHER PEOPLE (the uninsured/underinsureds in this world), then that is an entirely different risk for the insurer, and logically supports an increased premium.

How's that?

Yesterday, 06:08 PM

Join Date: Dec 2007

Posts: 12,032

Quote:

... but charge an extra premium for any coverage at all for one type loss : coverage of people in your car in car wrecks when you are not at fault and fault is from uninsured or underinsured motorists?

Educate me, please.
What I think you're asking is this: you are in a wreck while others are in your car and they get hurt.

They don't get medical or other payments from the guy that caused the wreck.

They sue you.

Are you saying that you are not covered by your MedPay or Comp or Umbrella policies in that case?

Yesterday, 08:16 PM

Senior Member

Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Coastal Carolina

Posts: 1,016

Quote:

Educate me, please.
What I think you're asking is this: you are in a wreck while others are in your car and they get hurt.

They don't get medical or other payments from the guy that caused the wreck.

They sue you.

Are you saying that you are not covered by your MedPay or Comp or Umbrella policies in that case?

---------
as I understand it they ARE covered by your auto policies uninsured motorists and underinsured motorist coverage (if you carry it) but NOT by the umbrella policy, unless you pay more for that exact coverage on the umbrella policy (a lot more- about 70% of the umbrella cost extra)

Yesterday, 10:22 PM

Senior Member

Join Date: Aug 2004

Location: NC/GA

Posts: 3,765

the ins agent says almost no one buys this extra type of umbrella coverage.

Insurance rates are typically determined by risk to the insurer, not by how many policies they sell ...

Today, 04:24 AM

Join Date: Feb 2009

Posts: 456

Most umbrella policies do not provide any payment for uninsured motorists coverage for any one, including the policy holder, without a large extra premium. As saltwater said, a PUP is about protecting your assets when you are personally liable.

In the event you and your passengers are hurt in an accident caused by an uninsured driver, your UM coverage will pay up to the limits you selected for you and your passengers. If the bills are higher than your UM limits pay, you personally are out of luck except for medical payments coverage you may have. Your passengers can go to their own policy and get coverage if they've selected higher limits than you had. Same thing works if you're hit by an uninsured driver with low limits and you have underinsured coverage.

So, get the highest limits your state allows for UM/UIM and relax.

__________________
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Yamaha 300
Capt. Ed

Last edited by Miss Sadie; Today at 05:02 AM.

Today, 10:32 AM

Senior Member

Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Coastal Carolina

Posts: 1,016

Quote:

So, get the highest limits your state allows for UM/UIM and relax.

-----------------
thanks-
1. so say you have the max under insured and un insured insurance on your auto policy and as you say above the wreck is not your fault , who do your car passengers sue - you? or the person who caused the wreck?

2. My umbrella company says if the wreck is YOUR fault the umbrella coverage DOES apply/add coverage to your car passengers .
what troubles me is non of this seems to make any logical sense

Today, 11:58 AM

Join Date: Sep 2012

Location: Greenville/MHC, NC

Posts: 316

Quote:

2. My umbrella company says if the wreck is YOUR fault the umbrella coverage DOES apply/add coverage to your car passengers .
what troubles me is non of this seems to make any logical sense

The person liable for the wreck should be the ones sued. Since you unbrella is a liability policy it covers those liable, since you were not liable for the wreck you should not be sued.

Now if you want to insure others, like the one that caused the wreck be prepared to pay for that coverage.

If you really want to see your rates go up, call your agent and the him you decided to become a private pilot.

Today, 02:42 PM

Join Date: Aug 2009

Location: Beaufort NC

Posts: 427

Quote:

I believe most Umbrellas require that your original policy carry 200/100

250/500 on auto and 500K lib on home is most common to have an umbrella.

Also, umbrella does not cover you or family. it is for those that sue you. a way to think of umbrellas is picture a side view of a city skyline. every building is one of your insurance polices; home, auto, rental property, toys. The height of each building is the max amount of insurance you have. Now an umbrella provides coverage to a specific amount "height) over each policy (building).

Sleep at night insurance.