Who is eligible to receive Indiana Medicaid?

People over the age of 65 in financial need, can apply and receive Indiana Medicaid. Additionally, state citizens under the age of 65 who meet disability or developmental delay criteria are also eligible to receive Indiana Medicaid. Families who can show financial need can all receive Medicaid. Currently, financial need is calculated using federal poverty guidelines. The program is designed primarily to assist, the aged, the disabled, pregnant women, and families with children. Indiana Medicaid is focused on health promotion through government assistance in these four high risk groups.

People over the age of 65 automatically qualify for Medicare. Medicaid services are based on financial need in the state of Indiana. The financial need requirements are more lenient should one spouse be in a long term care facility.

Pregnant women and children are also eligible to receive Medicaid at reduced qualification levels. Woman and children with family incomes at, or just above the federal poverty line should qualify for Indiana Medicaid.

The blind and disabled can also qualify for Indiana Medicaid. If a person can show that his or her disability is likely to impair their ability to provide for themselves over the next 12 month period, they will be eligible for Medicaid.

People with developmental delays can also qualify for Medicaid. If you can provide a letter from a registered physician that states, that due to your developmental delay, your ability to adequately provide for yourself is compromised, you will be eligible for Indiana Medicaid.

The Medicaid program in the state of Indiana is designed to ensure that potentially vulnerable state citizens get the quality health services that they are entitled to. By focusing on high risk groups for sub standard care, Indiana Medicaid aspires to provide the best health assistance administration possible. If you belong to one of these groups, Blind or disabled, aged, pregnant women and children or the developmental delayed, you might qualify to receive Medicaid funding. Visit your local Medicaid office, or visit the state of Indiana’s website for more details on eligibility requirements and how to begin the application process.

Shopping for a motorcycle before shopping for a motorcycle loan.

Many motorcycle buyers enter the showroom looking for a motorcycle before they determine how much money a motorcycle lender is willing to loan to them for the purchase of a motorcycle. There is no need to shop for a $20,000 Harley Davidson motorcycle, if a lender is only willing to provide a loan amount of $10,000.

Additionally, once motorcycle buyers enter the showroom slick salespeople often pressure them into motorcycle loans with much higher internet rates than they could have gotten had they shopped for a motorcycle loan at a bank, credit union or online. Salespeople do not like motorcycle buyers to leave the dealership to get a motorcycle loan. In the salespersons mind this only increases the chance of losing a sale and commission. Therefore, salespeople frequently try for a quick sale which normally results in pushing motorcycle buyers to get motorcycle financing at the dealership.

The bottom-line is that it is always best to shop for a motorcycle loan before entering the showroom.

Diving into the unknown motorcycle loan.

Motorcycle buyers often jump into motorcycle loans that they do not completely understand or may not be the best alternative for them. For instance, in today’s age manufacturers frequently run credit card motorcycle loan promotions on their private-label credit cards. But these promotions typically offer a low interest rate for a short term like 12 or 24 months and have a much higher interest rate after the short promotional term. On a credit card promotion if motorcycle buyers can not afford to pay off the loan during the short promotion period, then they are typically better finding a lender offering an installment motorcycle loan for a longer term.

Borrowing too much.

The most common mistake the first time motorcycle buyer makes in not having a clear sense of how much motorcycle they can afford. This is especially true for young motorcycle buyers who look to buy the top sport bikes that cost up to $10,000 – $15,000. What they fail to realize is that financing a $10,000 – $15,000 motorcycle can stretch them to thin, resulting in them having little cash to enjoy themselves and the motorcycling lifestyle. They may also have too little cash to pay for insurance, maintenance, registration or new accessories for their motorcycle.

Not asking the right questions.

The first warning sign that motorcycle buyers should see is that if they do not understand the type of motorcycle loan, then they should be sure to ask a lot of questions.

Here are some good questions to ask:

o Is the interest rate fixed or variable? If fixed how long will it be fixed for?

o Are there circumstances that can make the interest rate on the motorcycle loan change in the future?

o What happens if a payment is 30 days late? Does the interest rate increase?

o What happens if a payment is 60 days late? Does the interest rate increase?

o How long is the term on the motorcycle loan?

o If the loan is an installment loan, does it use rule of 78 or simple interest? (Simple interest is always better because it does not penalize the motorcycle buyer if the loan is paid off early.)

o What is the down payment requirement to get the motorcycle loan?

o Is full coverage insurance required?

o How much is registration and are these fees included in the motorcycle loan?

o Are there any administrative fees to get the motorcycle loan and if so how much are the fees?

Overall, motorcycle buyers can avoid these common mistakes by spending a little extra time focusing on shopping for a motorcycle loan and asking lots of questions.

One of the things that clients often say to me is:

I know I want to change careers, to do something different, but I just don’t know what I want to do instead.

The problem is they are stuck in a habitual pattern of boxed-in thinking that prevents them from seeing the wealth of possibilities that are out there.

Would you like some tips to help you get out of that place and to help you to generate a range of new career ideas to explore? Then read on.

Tip 1 – Forget job titles
Job titles really inhibit your thinking. If I asked you to list all the jobs you could think of, you might come up with a couple of hundred before you ran dry. In reality there are thousands of jobs out there that you would never identify under your own steam, so forget the job title and focus instead on the key themes that are important for you in a job. What do you want your dream job to involve?

Tip 2 – List what you don’t want to do
This is often quite easy to do if you are in a job you hate and it can be a very useful exercise. It helps you to focus on the aspects of a job that really drive you nuts and then also identify those that are annoying in your current job but actually you’d be prepared to put up with to some degree in a different situation. When you identify something as a no-no, ask if it would always be no under all circumstances. This will help you to avoid rejecting jobs in a knee-jerk way because they share similarities with your current role.

Tip 3 – List what you think you should want to do
What do you think your career should look like? What pressure are you putting on yourself to confirm to certain benchmarks (eg I must be earning a certain salary, I should be in a professional role, it must be something that other people will respect and admire me for). Just check with yourself whose rules you are following here. Who exactly says that your career must look like this? Is this really what you want or what other people say you should aspire to?

Tip 4 – List what you would do if anything were possible
Yes, you are allowed to take the brakes off here and create a big dream. Forget the constraints you put on yourself, wherever they come from. If your fairy godmother arrived to take you to the ball, what job or career would you ask her to line up for you as part of the deal?

Tip 5 – List what you would do if you gave yourself permission to say that you want it
So often, we limit the possibilities in our lives because we just don’t allow ourselves to want something. Maybe you want to earn lots of money – but that seems too greedy. Maybe you want to have an easy, quiet job – but that seems too lazy. Maybe you want to set up your own business – but you can’t because you have to think about so many other people in your life first. What do you need to give yourself permission to want to do?

Tip 6 – Reinvent yourself
If you could rewind the tape on your life and re-run it, what would you do? If you could dump all the stuff, the rules, the history that you have gathered on your journey through life to this point and travel light without the baggage, where would your journey take you? What would the new you look like and what work would this new person be doing? What does this tell you about what would really inspire you?

Tip 7 – Think big and think small
Your new career does not have to be something world changing and grand. If you want to change the world, great! Go ahead and build your new career around this big vision. But if you feel drawn to operating on a more local scale, that’s fine too. Small changes can be just as transforming for your career and your life as big ones, so don’t be fooled into thinking that bigger is necessarily better. Career change success is about finding what feels right for you.

So take some time to think about your career change with these 7 tips in mind – and by time I mean days, weeks, maybe even months if necessary. Changing career is a big step, so allow yourself the time and space to really think it through.

When I joined the Military, I was tested for my working aptitudes and transferable skills. The test placed me into a Clerical and Administrative position, because it matched to my aptitudes and capabilities best. The Job was what I liked to do, and especially something I could do well – It fit.

When I was Discharged from the Armed Services, I went into Construction right away – Big Mistake. I never liked it, but stayed because of the money and benefits. It was not who I was. I hated it – I got myself trapped into one big Career Blunder. This is exactly what you need to do. Not get trapped or necessarily join the Military, but find out who you are. It is your job to find out what your true calling, or ideal career is.

I know that it can be confusing when it comes to making a career choice that is supposed to last the rest of your life. It is a big responsibility. There is not much room for error. Just know that no matter what career you choose, you may change your mind later. Even in College, it is normal to Change your Major at least once.

Statistics show that half of those with jobs end up not liking their careers at some point. And to top that, people usually change careers a few times during their lives. Young and Old change their minds about their Careers. Sometimes, this is the way people eventually find their Dream Jobs. They do it by testing the job waters. They work at this job a while, then at that job. They quit because there is some quality about the company, or the job they do not like, and then search for another job. Eventually, they gain enough experience and insight into themselves, and finally know what things they like and do not like in a job. Then, when that particular job comes along that blends in with the preferred skills they like using every day, they then know they have found their ideal career.

Questions to ask yourself -

What Careers interest you?
What things would you like and not like doing in a job?.
What things fascinate you?
What do you do as a Hobby?
Do you have any Special Interests that could be turned into a Job?
What do you like to think about?
What do you find yourself daydreaming about?
The question is – How do you find out who you are, so that you can know what career is right for you? What we want to find out here, is who you are in relation to a compatible Career Choice. If you find a career cluster you fit into, then you can zero in on that particular job within the cluster you think you would enjoy being in.

For example, if the Career Cluster is Electronics, one needs to narrow it down even further. What kind of electronics do you prefer? Do you want to Repair Computers, or Design the Entire Computer as a Computer Engineer ready for Manufacture? Would you rather work for the FBI putting together electronic surveillance equipment, or assemble Motherboards in a Factory? It is all up to you what you want to do, depending upon your skills, education, training and abilities.

It is theorized, that if you have the same personality and interests as one in a certain job who likes his job, you will probably like that job too.

If you are inclined toward Art, Music and Writing, you should further explore and pursue these areas. When you take a Teen Quiz that inventories your job interests and career personality, your working style preferences will be matched to certain career jobs. These Occupations will be those known to attract and retain people with your particular personality.

You may be more of a hands-on type of person, and may still be interested in Art, but maybe your creations will require Welding your artistic model together for display. You may have the artistic inclination to make a masterpiece out of metal, but you will have to acquire the manual ability to Weld, through additional Training.

Are you into Scientific Research? You may have a Mind for Math and formulas. A Teen Quiz can help guide you to those careers that may be the best fit for your abilities and personality style.

The Teen Quiz may suggest Careers you never thought about. Consider these and explore – Visit people who have these jobs, and ask them what the job is like, and how they got into the career. You may start out with a job idea before you take the test, and end up with choices totally unrelated, that you would like doing just as well. Try to Keep an open mind, so you do not miss any potential opportunities – They can show up when you least expect them.

Know that You definitely fit inside some job, somewhere. The job exists that is perfect for your personality, interests and skills. Unless you have Transferable skills, you may have to receive further training and education in order to be qualified to apply for that job. This is true for those with little or no experience in the new field they wish to break into, no matter what their age.

For example, I enjoy thinking about different things, rearranging my words, and typing my thoughts out. Those in my past would often mention how it seemed I would Dwell on things too much, or refer to me as Quote – The Thinker. I was not too amused. But, now I feel I have put my aptitude to positive, good use.

I never fit my Second Career together until recently. I now make pages for my Web site, write Career and Teen Quiz articles online, and am working on a book. Just like me, you have the Capability to fit all your abilities, skills, interests, aptitudes and values together, and Discover which career will match.

Remember, that no matter what age we are, that most of the time, we still can get the education and training required to get into that particular Career Choice of our dreams. It is almost never too early to begin planning for your Future Career, nor too late to change careers and search for a new one. The first step in planning for your first career, is taking a Teen Quiz.

Every year, the homes in your area sell and are bought. However, you may not know how much each house is sold for. If you read the paper daily, you probably know that most real estate transactions are listed in many papers. This will be the easiest way to find out what your neighbor’s house sells for. You can often find them by address and even see the person’s name that bought it. This is all public information and is almost always published weekly.

The reason it is so important to know that your neighbor got so much for their home is because you might want to sell you home in the future. When your neighbor gets more for their home, you should get more as well. This is if your home is comparable in size and kept the same. If your home is larger and you maintain it better, you might even get more and should take that into consideration.

So, don’t worry about being nosey. Find our what your neighbor’s house sold for so you know about how much your home is worth as well…just in case you want to sell!

Follow those results and for the most part you will only end up poorer (paying those companies or individuals a fee) and still not getting the business loan you want or need.

Banks and lenders use credit histories and credit scores as a time saving measure. You request a loan, they pull your credit. If your credit is bad or below their threshold, they don’t waste anymore time on your deal request and can move on to other deals that have a better chance of getting funded.

I deal with entrepreneurs everyday that complain about how their bank or a private lender just won’t look at their deal because they have bad credit. I constantly hear the same thing:

“Why won’t they just look at the merits of my business and not focus so much on my personal credit as it is my business that will be paying the loan back!”

My answer is always the same:

1) That is how the financial markets work, and

2) If you want to get approved based solely on the merits of your business then find the right business loan that focuses only on the merits of your business.

Sounds simple and it really is.

Yes, there are business loans (and other types of business financing) that either do not look at your credit at all or if they do, do not place much weight on it (great for those credit scores that are borderline).

Let’s look at three examples:

1) Accounts Receivable (Invoice) Factoring: Your business writes an invoice for goods already shipped or delivered to your customer but you have to wait 10, 30, 60 days or more to get paid. Then, factor those invoices and get your cash today so that your business can pay its employees, suppliers or to complete that next job.

As your business has already completed the job and shipped the goods and is merely just waiting to get paid, the lender has no reason to even consider your credit history. Instead, they focus on the next cash event – which is your customer paying you. If your customer shows a strong promise to pay as agreed, then your loan request should be approved (without pulling your personal credit history).

2) Purchase Order Financing: Your business has already won over the customer and you have their job order in hand only to realize that your business does not have the cash on hand to purchase the materials and labor to complete that order.

Factor that job (purchase) order for up to 100% of the cash you need to complete it. When the job is done and you collect payment from your customer, you pay back the advance and keep the profits to be plowed back into the next deal.

Again, since your business has already demonstrated that it can win business, the focus of this loan approval is not based on your personal credit or the cash position of your company but in the next cash event – when your customer receives the completed order and pays you.

3) Business cash Advances: If your business accepts credit card payments from its customers, then your company could qualify for a business cash advance; based on your company’s ability to continue to get customers to purchase your goods and services.

Based on past results (your business’s past results and not your personal credit history), your firm could receive a cash advance to be used as working capital to re-stock inventory, pay employees, generate new business or whatever your business so desires.

And, since repayment of this advance (loan) is based on future cash flow from your credit card paying customers, these lenders are not that concerned with your personal credit scores but more concerned about your business’s ability to keep getting those paying customers in the door (which is what you wanted – a business loan based on your business results and future potential and not your past credit mistakes).

Now, while Business Cash Advance lenders place the onus of their loan/advance decision on your future cash flow potential, they may still pull your personal credit. The reason is that should your business shut down tomorrow, they want to be assured that you will still pay them back.

But, if your credit score is border line or just a bit below what a traditional lender requires, then a Business Cash Advance just might be the financing kick start your business needs.

These small business financing options were designed for businesses and business owners just like you – whether it is bad credit or a lack of cash flow or whatever reason a traditional lender states why they declined your loan request.

Thus, if you are one of the many that want a lender to focus their loan approval on your business and not on your credit, then seek the right business loan; a loan that has no reason to focus on your credit (as you and your business have already done the work) but focuses more on the merits and wherewithal of your company’s future potential.

So, the ball is in your court. Forget your credit score and get out there and get the business – show these lenders that your business can and has the potential to be something special and then use that potential to get the financing you need.

If bad credit is holding you back from getting the business loan your company needs, maybe it is time to step up to the plate and seek a loan that is more concerned about the abilities of your business and not solely on if you have made a few credit mistakes in the past.

In the end, it really doesn’t matter where that capital comes from as it all can be spent the same way – helping you grow your business into the success you know it can be.

There are many ways to explain what exactly our credit score is, but frankly trying to sort out the scientific and mental calculations involved only serves to give me one big giant financial headache. The main point to remember here is that the credit score determines an individual consumer’s credit worthiness as seen in the eyes of the three main credit score companies or bureaus as they are sometimes called. The score is based on a combination of a consumer’s current credit situation and their previous credit history with many additional mitigating factors.

The three main credit bureaus are Trans Union, Equifax and Experian. Each company has developed (with the Fair Isaacs Company) their own unique method to determine your FICO (credit) score. Don’t be alarmed by this because although each credit bureau has their own method for determining your credit score the numbers remain standardized across all three companies. For instance a 700 with Trans Union is equal to a 700 with Equifax and Experian.

So what exactly constitutes a good credit score? In order to determine that we first need to know the scoring parameters that makes up the scoring scale. As previously mentioned your credit score is influenced by a variety of factors such as outstanding debt, your credit history, the types of credit you current have or use and your payment history. These factors when analyzed form a score that can run anywhere from a low of 375 to a high of 830 or 900 depending on which expert you ask. These numbers generally serve as a guideline that a credit lender can then use to incorporate into their own credit rules that are tailored to their company’s in-house credit program. However generally speaking a credit score higher then 650 has the potential to be considered good credit in most cases. The national average for the FICO credit score varies. I’ve seen it as high as 723 and as low as 676. With that said a consumer with a credit score higher then 700 is considered excellent, a credit score between 601 – 699 is decent and anything less then 600 could probably use a financial makeover in order to raise the credit score.

Keep in mind that these categories could fluctuate depending on the national average and also remember these numbers just represent a guideline for lenders to use when determining your credit worthiness based on the FICO credit score. It’s their in-house line of credit rules and regulations that will ultimately decide if you have a high enough credit score to obtain financing at the most favorable terms offered by their company. Once thing is for sure the higher the credit score number the easier it is to receive credit and the more favorable the repayment terms are as far as interest rates go.

It is mandatory that a creditor does not offer you any financing for 24 months following a foreclosure. This limit does not only go towards home financing but any kind of credit. Therefore you will not be able to buy a car, take out college loans, or even finance something as small as a computer. It may also affect your ability to find an apartment as landlords use your credit score as a means to determine how reliable you will be as a tenant. The same can be said about trying to get a phone number or cable as they will also run your credit to determine your reliability.

The good news is that the harmful effects of a foreclosure can start to be reversed after the 24 month period has elapsed. A foreclosure will not fully be removed from your record until after seven years; however some lenders will offer you financing after two for small loans. You can expect to be able to purchase a home again from some lenders after around five years; however you will most definitely be assessed a very high interest rate. If you do choose to finance a home with a high interest rate you will be able to refinance the home after the foreclosure has dropped off your credit report assuming you have stable payment history.

Who is qualified?

Not all single mothers can take advantage of special financial help packages. Only those whose earnings fall below a certain level are considered low-income individuals and qualify for welfare benefits. To find out if you qualify for and may avail yourself of federal welfare services, you must complete the application form available at your local welfare office.

Each program has its own income limits. Whether or not your income falls within the limit depends on the type of income you have, your family’s expenses, and any other special circumstances your family may have. Each program also has resource limits. Things that can be converted to cash (bank accounts, stocks, and other properties) are considered to be resources. Only certain non-U.S. citizens may receive welfare benefits. Check with your local office for details.

What happens if you are not qualified?

If you do not qualify for welfare benefits, or if your needs are not covered by any specific welfare program, you may take advantage of grants offered by the U.S. government to single mothers. In exchange for the grant, you must perform some service or task required by the grant terms. There are 900 grant programs offered by 26 federal grant-making agencies. Some grant categories are agriculture, art, and education. You may visit http://www.grants.gov and http://www.neh.gov for details on grant application.

Other sources

Many schools offer scholarships specifically to single mothers. In order to find out about these, you may visit the financial aid office of the school you are currently attending or wish to attend.

There are also some private organizations that give grants and financial assistance to single mothers. Singlemom.com has a “financial gifting program.” It awards cash grants to deserving single mothers every month. Many other similar organizations have grant and financial aid information on the Internet.

A 30-day late payment can drop your score up to 110 points, raise an interest rate on a car loan nearly 3%, and make you pay $95 more a month for a home mortgage. That is just one 30-day late payment. Think about being 60 or 90 days late would do to your credit report.

There is something you can do about it though.

Contact the Creditor – If you are lucky, sometimes this is all it takes. Explain why you were late and if you have had a good payment history with them in the past, they might give you a freebie. Doesn’t hurt to ask.

Dispute the Late Payment – This involves contacting the credit bureaus and getting them to verify the account. You can do this yourself or hire an expert to do it for you. Either way, get it done before it ends up costing you more money.

It is imperative that you don’t let unfortunate circumstances, one mistake or credit reporting errors cause you to pay more in the long run. Use these resources given to make an informed decision to get your credit score up. If you’re not convinced yet, let me breakdown what FICO released concerning your credit report.

A 30-Day Late Payment Will Cause:

If your credit score is 680

Your score will drop 60 to 80 points.
You would have to pay $41 more a month on a car loan
You would have to pay $95 more a month on a home mortgage

If your credit score is 780

Your score will drop 90 to 110 points.
Your car loan rate would jump nearly 3%
You would have to pay $26 more a month on a car loan

So as you can see it hurts no matter what your score is. But it hurts you even more if you have a higher credit score and have been paying everything on time, except for this one mistake. So whether your fault, the creditors, or the credit bureaus, don’t let them damage your credit anymore.