Oliver S. Berryhill Blogs: February 2017

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Silky POCKETBOY Folding Hand Saw Review

3 Curtain Rod Alternatives

From time to time, it’s good to change things up a bit. Instead of going with a traditional curtain rod, why not try one of the following alternatives for a more creative option?

Image Source: Flickr

Rod-Free Curtains
Curtains don’t have to be hung with rods. Instead of using a store-bought or homemade rod, hammer a line of nails across arched and straight windows. Evenly space the nails and paint them to match the walls or the curtains. Once the paint is dry, loop the curtains over the nails or hang them with ribbons or large hooks. Another unique option is to space old door or cabinet knobs about 12 inches apart along the top of the window; use wood screws or nails to secure them in place. Cut holes in the curtains or use tab top panels and loop them over the knobs. If you’re using brass or metal knobs, paint them to ensure that the curtains won’t be stained should the knobs tarnish. Source: EHow

Coat Hangers
You can use coat hangers as another alternative for curtain rods. Put the coat hooks on the window frames. You can simply attach the curtain to the rods. Or, if you want something really eye-catching, you can use a ribbon to tie the openings of the curtain to the rod. This will add a whimsy appeal to your curtains. This style goes best in the living room or children’s room. You can even paint the coat hangers to make it stand out or blend with the colors of the walls. Source: DoItYourself

Branching Out
Sometimes the perfect object for a lightweight drapery rod may be sitting right outside your window. Branches can make for excellent, sculptural drapery rods with a few simple do-it-yourself updates. Search for a branch with the proper length and width to fit above a window and handle the weight of the chosen drapery panel. Next, cut it to size and spray-paint it in a color which contrasts well against the wall. Lastly, secure standoffs, ready-made drapery rod brackets or L-brackets directly to the wall using plastic drywall anchors, then attach the branch with screws or bailing wire. Source: HGTV

Tell us your creative plans! We’ll try our best to help you out. Contact us!

Contact:
Universal Blinds
601 – 1550 W. 10th Ave
Vancouver, V6J 1Z9
Canada
Phone: (604) 559-1988

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3 Tips for Buying Bathroom Faucets

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Having a hard time looking for faucets that best match your bathroom style? Luckily, we have some tips for buying bathroom faucets, such as: knowing the different styles, choosing the quality and matching with the number of mounting holes.

Below are 3 tips for buying bathroom faucets:

Knowing the Different Styles
Widespread: Most commonly found on pedestal sinks, widespread faucets are made for sinks with three pre-drilled holes that are 8″ apart. When purchasing a widespread faucet you’ll receive three individual components: two handles and one spout.
Vessel/Single-hole: On single hole faucets, the handle is attached to the spout and is for use on a sink with 1 pre-drilled hole. If you are in the market for a vessel style faucet but have a sink with 3 pre-drilled holes, it’s sometimes an option to purchase an additional deck plate to cover the existing holes on the sink. Contact the faucets manufacturer to see if that is an option before buying.
Wall-mounted: Ready for it? Wall-mounted faucets are mounted to …the wall! Normally, your water supply lines come up from the sink, but in this case they’ll need to be installed into the wall. One thing to be aware of when purchasing these types of faucets is that the spout is actually long enough to reach from the wall over the sink basin.
4″ Centerset: These faucets are found on sinks with 3 holes set at 4″ apart. The components sit on a deck plate that connect the handles with the spout body, and can also be found with single handle components.
4″ Minispread: Similar to centerset, these faucets fit 4″ configurations on sinks with 3 pre-drilled holes. But instead of purchasing a faucet with a 4″ deck plate, a minispread faucet looks more like a widespread faucet with three individual components: two handles and one spout. Source: ApartmentTherapy

Choosing the Quality
You’ll have to pay for it up front, but buying quality now means you won’t be paying during the life (or lack thereof) of your faucet. Look for an all-brass body, as opposed to brass- or chrome-plated. And keep in mind that the tub faucet has a larger flow rate than other household faucets, which means you can’t use a kitchen faucet or your tub. Bathtub faucets should have a 3/4-inch supply line, as opposed to 1/2-inch for the rest of the house. Some tubs hold up to 60 gallons of water, so you’ll want a faucet that can get the job done in a timely manner. Source: HGTV

Matching with the Number of Mounting Holes
Most sinks come with mounting holes pre-drilled for faucets and accessories such as side sprays or soap dispensers. If you’re keeping your original sink, you’ll need to match what you have or get a base plate to cover any extra holes. The base plate sold with your new faucet can be used to cover holes in your countertop, but don’t buy a faucet that requires more sink holes than your sink has; it’s not a good idea to try to drill additional holes in an existing sink or countertop. Get additional information on how to best match sinks and faucets. Source: ConsumerReports

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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Parc East – by Trillium Development

Coming soon to Port Coquitlam is Park East by Trillium Developments. Park East will be centrally located on the corner of Atkins and Shaughnessy, a short walk to the Main Village with its all it shops and services, as well as the West Coast Express.

Park East will be consist of 57 condos consisting of one bedroom, one bedroom plus den, two bedroom, or two bedroom plus den, with size ranging from 446 square feet to 1077 square feet. Each suite at Parc East will be designed with quartz counters, stainless steel appliances, and large islands in the Kitchen, with laminate flooring throughout.

Amenities include a gym, furnished amenity room that includes a lounge area with kitchenette, and an outdoor entertaining space, as well as outdoor play area for the kids (little kids, not the big kids, thats what the lounge is for 🙂

Sales expected to start in the late winter of 2017 or early Spring with price to starting the mid 200’s. Register with us to be kept up to date with floor plans, and vip sales.

E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act

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Parc East – by Trillium Development

Sales expected to start in the late winter of 2017 or early Spring with price to starting the mid 200’s. Register with us to be kept up to date with floor plans, and vip sales.

E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act

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The Arden

The Arden is coming soon to Port Coquitlam The Arden will be a boutique building with just 22 executive size suites with Quartz countertop, stainless steel appliances and laminate flooring. The Arden will sure be a great spot for first timers or down-sizers.

Pricing is expected to be:

1 bedroom from high $200’s

1 bedroom + dens from Low $300’s

2 bedroom 1 bathrooms from Mid to high $300’s

2 bedroom 2 bathroom over $400,000

Completion anticipated to be Fall of 2017. Previews start soon, register with us today to get access to this development and many others

E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act

The post The Arden appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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The Arden

Pricing is expected to be:

1 bedroom from high $200’s

1 bedroom + dens from Low $300’s

2 bedroom 1 bathrooms from Mid to high $300’s

2 bedroom 2 bathroom over $400,000

Completion anticipated to be Fall of 2017. Previews start soon, register with us today to get access to this development and many others

E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act

The post The Arden appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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A Review of the JetBlue Plus Card with 30,000 Bonus Points

When I was the ripe ol’ age of 18, I flew for the very first time. Before you date me as being much older than I am, that was only 14 years ago — and my very first flight was on JetBlue airlines.

At the time, JetBlue had just released the awesome new idea of having TVs installed in the back of every seat, so my already short flight of 3 hours flew by (pun intended). For years, I flew JetBlue exclusively until baggage fees and flight costs just became too expensive. Looking at the value the new JetBlue Plus Card offers, though, I can honestly say I’ll be looking to fly JetBlue (and often) in the very near future.

New cardholders of the JetBlue Plus Card will receive a 30,000 point bonus after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days. That equates to ~$300 in travel value, which is a pretty good opening bonus in today’s bonus points market. The standard rewards program on the JetBlue Plus Card breaks down as follows:

6 points per dollar spent on JetBlue purchases
2 points per dollar spent at restaurants and at grocery stores
1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

The fun doesn’t stop there. There are a few additional, very important rewards perks to mention as well on the JetBlue Plus Card.

All cardmembers will save 50% on in-flight JetBlue purchases
5,000 annual bonus points every card anniversary
Cardholders always have their first bag checked for FREE

The casual flyer will notice one big negative when considering to apply for the JetBlue plus card; a $99 annual fee that is NOT waived for the first year. There is a 0% intro APR on balance transfers associated with the JetBlue Plus Card and the ongoing APR (purchase and balance transfer) is 12.49% – 25.49% variable. There are no blackout dates when using TrueBlue points, points never expire, and points can always be redeemed for any seat on any JetBlue flight.

Learn More: Is Travel Hacking Too Good to Be True?

For those that fly JetBlue often, owning the JetBlue Plus Card is an absolute must. Between the intro bonus, the 6x points on JetBlue flights, the 50% discount on in flight purchases, the 5,000 annual bonus points AND free baggage check, we’re talking about savings of $40 to $50 each and every flight. Yes, the $99 annual fee is a bummer… but for those that fly even twice a year, the savings will certainly be greater than the annual fee.

Learn more about the JetBlue Plus Card here.

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Monday, February 27, 2017

NEMO Tensor Insulated 20S Mummy Sleeping Pad Review

Brooklynn

Much like Maplewood Village and Lions Gate Village, Lynn Creek/Seylynn is undergoing a transformation into a walkable, transit oriented hub. Brooklynn by Wanson Developments will be the next development to come up in the Lynn Creek/Seymour Village centre. Brooklynn will be a mixed use building consisting of ground floor retail and 63 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom condos.

More information and sales are expected to be released in March of 2017, register with us today to be kept up to date on this development and may others like it coming to the North Shore.

E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act

The post Brooklynn appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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Brooklynn

More information and sales are expected to be released in March of 2017, register with us today to be kept up to date on this development and may others like it coming to the North Shore.

E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act

The post Brooklynn appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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Cedar Reach at Maplewood

After the very successful development of Loden Green by Guildford Developments and Maplewood Place by Anthem, as well as the Northwood Estates Rental suite and shopping centre, Maplewood Villages is rapidly becoming a hot spot in North Vancouver. Cedar Reach is the newest development coming soon to the area. Cedar Reach will be modern collection of homes featuring 163 One, Two, and Three bedroom homes in the heart of Maplewood Village. Within a short stroll to Northwood Shopping centre, including Strong’s Market, Deep Cove Brewing. banking and liquor store, Cedar Reach will be designed with West Coast architecture and storage space for all your gear to fully enjoy the outdoors its surrounded by.

If you’d like to receive more information on this development or any other coming to the North Shore, register with us today to be kept up to date.

E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act

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Belle Isle by Citimark Developments

Lions Gate Village was approved under the new OCP a couple years ago, we are now seeing the changes coming with Park West slated to begin sales in the coming months, as well as Larco’s rental community, but Belle Isle will be the first ground oriented townhome development, when all phases are completed will include 164, 1, 2

, and 3 bedroom townhomes and garden flats.

Belle Isle will be centrally located in a new community within walking distance of Park Royal, a 15 minute drive to downtown and quick access to bus routes directly downtown, or anywhere on the North Shore

To be kept up to date on this development or any on the North Shore register with us today.

E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act

The post Belle Isle by Citimark Developments appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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Cedar Reach at Maplewood

If you’d like to receive more information on this development or any other coming to the North Shore, register with us today to be kept up to date.

E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act

The post Cedar Reach at Maplewood appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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Belle Isle by Citimark Developments

, and 3 bedroom townhomes and garden flats.

To be kept up to date on this development or any on the North Shore register with us today.

E. & O. E. This is not an offering for sale. An offering for sale may only be made after filing a Disclosure Statement under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act

The post Belle Isle by Citimark Developments appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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Sunday, February 26, 2017

Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL 2 Person Tent Review

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Petzl e+LITE Headlamp Review (50 Lumens) – 2017

Sweat In Up Markets So You Don’t Bleed In Down Markets

One of the many benefits of running Dough Roller for the past ten years is that the articles act like a diary for me. It’s fun to go back and look at older posts to see what was going on in the world, or my life, at the time. So, I decided to venture all the way back to 2008, looking specifically for investing articles. It was ugly.

There was, What to do when the stock market crashes, which noted that as of October 2008, the S&P 500 was down more than 40%. And then this one, Be a Do-Nothing Investor in a Falling Market?, which included a Washington Post quote from an investing “professional” who said,

Now is not the time to drink the “buy and hold” investment strategy Kool-Aid. Be conservative, limit your risk–and sleep well knowing your investment principal is not going to continue to decline.

Boy, was that guy wrong!

A good friend of mine told me that in March 2009, his wife wanted to follow this guy’s advice and pull all their retirement savings from the market. My friend prevailed, they stayed in the market, and were up 45% during the remainder of 2009.

So, here’s a stock market prediction for you: It will crash.

Now you probably want to know when it will crash. That, I have no idea. A good economist predicts what or when, but never both. And no, I’m not an economist. However, I am a lawyer, so you can trust me — the market will eventually fall so hard and fast you’ll feel like tossing your cookies. That’s just what it does. The important question, however, is what you do when that happens. (In fact, I even believe that there are three reasons you should cheer a crash!)

What to Do

That long introduction brings us to the point of this not-so-concise article: we need to prepare now, during an up market, for the inevitable down market.

So, what should we be doing? I’m glad you asked. Here are a few suggestions:

Fear the Right Things

Hibah Yousuf and Penelope Wang wrote an article for Money Magazine called, The Young and the Riskless. The story came with a picture of a young woman, and under her picture was the following: “Caroline Chesnutt was once an enthusiastic investor. Now she shuns the market.”

Here is her story, as reported by Yousuf and Wang:

She started early, at age 24, socking away money in both a taxable account (where she focused on individual companies like Starbucks and Wal-Mart) and a Roth IRA (holding two stock funds). Sure, being 100% in equities was aggressive, but not out of line for her age, and she enjoyed trading several times a month.

Then, in 2008, the bottom fell out of the market. Though her taxable account was unscathed (fortunately she’d sold her shares shortly before to free up cash to buy new stocks), her Roth plummeted 55% by year-end.

Chesnutt quickly closed the trading account and later cashed out the Roth, moving most of her money to two savings accounts (except for a mandatory 401(k) that her employer invests in a target-date fund).

“I don’t want anything to do with stocks,” declares Chesnutt, now 30 and a nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. “Watching so many people lose all their savings was life altering.”

Chesnutt did exactly, precisely the wrong thing. Had she stayed in the market, she would have more than recouped her losses. Instead, she probably moved her capital into bonds… at exactly, precisely the wrong time.

So, if we shouldn’t fear market losses, what should we be afraid of? Fees, taxes, and inflation. Fear the high fees of some funds. Be mindful of the tax implications of your non-retirement investments. And be deathly afraid that your real return, after accounting for inflation, will be negative.

Give Serious Thought to Your Investment Allocation

Have you ever taken one of these quizzes offered by online brokers, that ask you a series of questions to gauge your tolerance for risk? They include questions like, “If the market fell 50%, you would (a) buy more stocks, (b) do nothing, (c) sell, or (d) curl up into the fetal position and cry like a baby?”

If you want to take one, you can check out Vanguard’s Investor Questionnaire. But there are two important realities about these questionnaires you need to keep in mind:

You’ll never really know how you’ll react to a bear market until you live through one; and
How you’ll react to a down market will change as you get older and your financial picture evolves.

The second point is critical. It’s one thing to lose 40% when you are 25 and have $10,000 invested. It’s a whole different situation to be 55 and have $500,000 invested when the market goes into a free-fall.

Now, a well-thought out asset allocation plan will help you get through the down markets, both psychologically and financially. The key is to settling on a plan that works in good markets and in bad.

Resource: How to Rebalance a Portfolio

This takes some honest thinking about how you will react in a down market. Experienced investors should already know how they’ll handle a falling market; new investors will learn sooner or later. And if you are new to investing, I’d highly recommend Richard Ferri’s book, All About Asset Allocation. It’s a must read. And you should also check out the SEC’s Beginners’ Guide to Asset Allocation, Diversification, and Rebalancing.

Invest for a Falling Market

This is one of the most important concepts that many investors never consider. An example is the best way to explain it.

Early in my investing career, I bought shares of Bill Miller’s Legg Mason Value Trust (LMVTX). I began investing in LMVTX because it was a value fund. And as it turned out, the investment worked out very well for me. As some of you may recall, Bill Miller beat the S&P 500 with this fund for about 15 years running. I sold at about year 12. Why?

I determined that if the fund started to drop well below the S&P 500, I’d be too tempted to sell. And selling in a down market is the LAST thing I want to do. The issue here wasn’t just that LMVTX is an active fund, but also because of its expense ratio (currently 1.76%). I still own actively managed funds, but their costs are much lower.

Now, I could point to 2008 when LMVTX experienced significant loses, wiping out its gains of the past 15+ years. But that’s not the point! In fact, 2008 could have been the best time to buy LMVTX. The point is that LMVTX is not the type of investment I’m willing to stick with through good times and bad. It’s just too expensive. (If you are interested in the LMVTX story, Tom Lauricella from the WSJ wrote a great piece on Bill Miller back in 2008.)

So now that we are in an up market, take a good, hard look at your investments and ask yourself the following question: Would I stick with these investments if they dropped 30% this year? If the answer is no, you need to rethink your investments NOW, not when the market drops.

Get Out of Debt

This last tip is critical. Getting out of debt is the only way to truly take advantage of your investments, without making emotional decisions. Not to mention, all of the other benefits, like not wasting money on interest or having fund tied up to payments each month.

When we have too much debt, it can cause us to make bad investing and business decisions. It’s one thing to see the market going down; it’s another to watch your investments fall while you’re sitting on high interest credit card debt and a mortgage you can’t afford. I’ve seen the same problem with folks in highly leveraged real estate deals.

I’ve been fortunate in that my wife and I have very little debt. My online businesses have zero debt, the mortgages on our rental properties are very manageable and more than covered by rent, and the only personal debt we have is a mortgage. This allows us to make investing and business decisions that aren’t based on cash flow issues or a need for capital. It may take time to get there (it did for us), but it’s well worth the effort.

Prepare Now

Investing isn’t much different from any other aspect of personal finance, if you think about it. It’s all about being prepared.

We save up a couple months’ expenses in an emergency fund, just in case something unexpected comes crashing down on us. We pay insurance premiums on the off chance that we break a leg or rear-end a brand new Mercedes. So, why wouldn’t we also prepare for the worst case scenario with our investments?

Knowing that the market does wax and wane, and that it WILL crash again, can help you reevaluate your allocations. It can also allow you to truly prepare and head off any emotional reactions you may be tempted to have.

If you have any tips on how to survive a falling market, or how you’re preparing for one now, please share them in the comments below.

Topics: Investing • Money and Life • Mutual Fund Investing • Personal Finance • Retirement Planning

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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

3 More Window Treatments for Sliding Glass Doors

Choosing a window treatment for a sliding glass door can be a challenge because you don’t want to hinder the usefulness of the door. Consider these 3 common window treatments as you dress up your sliding door.

Image Source: Flickr

Vertical Blinds
Sliding door blinds are the most common window treatments and provide the best solution for privacy concerns in a home where sliding doors and French doors are used. Sliding doors are attractive and efficient, but they need to come with the proper kind of treatment to preserve privacy and filter sunlight.
But choosing the wrong kind of blinds can ruin the beauty and efficiency of a sliding door. So in order to keep this from happening, you need to know the different choices you have when it comes to sliding door blinds. Sometimes having tons of choices can be overwhelming, but it is a blessing in this case if you know what options you have.
Blinds are commonly made of PVC plastic, Faux Wood, Real, Wood, and Fabric. They are constructed using slats or vanes that can be adjusted using a cord, a wand, or a remote control. Their slats slightly overlap, making the blinds and shades very easily adjustable. Because they are easily adjustable, blinds can provide privacy whenever you want it. You can also control the amount of light that can get in your home. Source: DecorSnob

Side-Mounted Panels
Purely decorative treatments, such as these side-mounted panels, are perfect for sliders that receive constant use or that frame unbeatable vistas so the view remains barrier-free. The panels don’t move, so go ahead and mount the rods out of reach (these are positioned 12 inches above the top of the door’s frame) for a design trick that visually adds height to a low ceiling. Source: BHG

Privacy Sheers
If you are looking for a classical, elegant look, Luminette Privacy Sheers are a good choice. The sheer facing resembles traditional sheer draperies, while the 180-degree rotating vertical fabric vanes give you complete control over light and privacy to create the perfect ambiance you desire. Source: HunterDouglas

Contact:
Universal Blinds
601 – 1550 W. 10th Ave
Vancouver, V6J 1Z9
Canada
Phone: (604) 559-1988

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Snowshoeing to the Red Hill Firetower on Squam Lake

3 Things to Consider When Choosing a Vanity

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

The vanity is one of the first things you notice when you enter a bathroom. In addition to its aesthetic value, what’s also important is how the vanity will fit your needs. There are also many other factors to consider as you choose which one to buy. Check out these 3 tips to help you in your decision-making.

Determine the Number of Sinks
You’ll need to find a vanity style that can accommodate the number of sinks you want.
If they had their choice, most homeowners would prefer double sinks. Unfortunately, there often are space restrictions.
Vanities smaller than 60 inches wide usually have only one sink. The sink can be in the center, to the right or to the left. Your sink cabinet can have drawers or standard cabinet doors.
Vanities more than 60 inches wide can comfortably accommodate two sinks. However, if one sink is enough, you can use the extra room for additional counter space. Source: Forbes

Which mounting options are available?

Free Standing:Also known as standard, this is the most common bathroom vanity. It resembles a chest or buffet, and is your best option for maximum storage space.
Wall-Mounted: Most wall-mounted vanities hang or float on the wall without legs touching the ground. This modern style opens up floor space in a small bathroom.
Corner-Mounted: If you need to save space, this is the best option. Corner-mounted bathroom vanities have a 90-degree angle at the back so that they fit perfectly into a corner. Source: Wayfair

Plumbing
If you need to change your bathroom’s plumbing to install your new vanity, it’s going to account for a chunk of your budget. Even switching from a traditional floor-mounted vanity to a wall-mounted version will mean rerouting pipes and drains.
“Locating the vanity far from other bath fixtures requires a higher cost for rough plumbing,” says contractor David Lawson of Ironwood Builders. Source: Houzz

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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Investing in Real Estate Crowdfunding

Real estate crowdfunding: you may or may not heard of it, but the concept is quickly growing among investors. In a sense, crowdfunding is doing for real estate investing what Lending Club and Prosper are doing for personal loans. They are acting as online peer-to-peer marketplaces that match investors with borrowers, often under better financial terms than what they can get through traditional lending institutions, such as banks.

So, What Is It?

Real estate crowdfunding consists of various online platforms. There, real estate developers come to raise cash – either in the form of equity investments or debt financing – and investors come to invest money in those projects. They function as “peer-to-peer” investment sites, connecting those who need capital with those who have it to offer.

The platforms are primarily used by individual investors. However, they are growing more popular with institutional investors, such as banks and insurance companies.

Because they eliminate the “middleman” (the banker), real estate crowdfunding platforms can offer investors higher rates of return on their money. At the same time, they can charge lower interest rates to real estate developers. This makes it a win-win situation for both sides, and explains the growing appeal of these sites.

Loans and equity can be obtained on projects ranging from single-family homes to large apartment buildings and even retail shopping centers.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Real Estate Crowdfunding

Real estate crowdfunding offers a number of great benefits. These include:

Investment diversification. If your current portfolio holds mostly stocks, bonds, and funds — all “paper assets” — you could benefit from adding a hard asset like real estate to the mix. Because of the nature of real estate investing, the returns can be higher than what you can get on fixed income investments, while being less volatile than stocks. Meanwhile, real estate is famous for being an excellent inflation hedge.

Invest in different types of real estate. Crowdfunding platforms enable you to diversify your real estate holdings across different types of properties. For example, you can spread your money across retail shopping centers, apartment buildings, or hotels. You can also diversify geographically. Instead of investing in a single real estate project in your hometown, you can invest slices of your money in different cities.

Small initial investment. You can invest on most real estate crowdfunding platforms with as little as $5,000. Since individual investments can be had for as little as $1,000, your initial investment can be spread across several different projects.

More control than what REITs offer. While there are similarities between real estate crowdfunding and real estate investment trusts (REITs), crowdfunding allows you to directly control the specific projects you invest in. You can even invest in local, single family, fix-and-flip projects.

My Story: 10 Things I Learned From Flipping Real Estate

But real estate crowdfunding is not without its drawbacks either. Some of those include:

Capital calls. Due to the complexity of real estate projects, an investment may require more capital than originally anticipated. In that situation, the project manager can issue a capital call, which is a request from investors for additional capital. You should be aware of this possibility on any investment you make.

You must typically be an accredited investor. Accredited investors have certain income and net worth requirements that generally exclude small investors. And that’s the basic point. Since real estate investments are complex, you must be a sophisticated investor with a high net worth. This will help you understand the risks of the investments, as well as be able to absorb potential losses.

Investments aren’t liquid. Real estate investments tend to be long-term in nature, and are not traded on national exchanges. Once you commit money to an investment, you will usually be required to remain invested until it matures. The platforms themselves usually don’t offer a secondary market to sell your investments, either.

Your investment isn’t guaranteed. Though you can make higher investment earnings, you can also lose your initial investment. This makes real estate crowdfunding a high risk investment. It should not be thought of in the same terms as a bank investment.

Learn More: A Simple Trick to Increase Returns Without Raising Risk

Now that you’re aware of the benefits and risks of real estate crowdfunding, let’s take a look at some popular platforms.

RealtyShares

RealtyShares is an online real estate investment platform that focuses its business on smaller projects. These include things like single-family house fix-and-flips, rather than large projects, such as retail shopping centers or apartment complexes. The platform has been involved in investing over $300 million in more than 550 projects, and lists over 92,000 registered investors on the platform. They have investments in over 220 cities throughout 35 states across the country. However, they generally prefer investment properties located in large metropolitan areas.

Investments are either in the form of equity funding or financing. You can invest in anything from a single family property to a large complex. You can even introduce investments to the platform, to be funded by you and by other investors. You can invest in a slice of a real estate investment, or you can hold the entire position alone.

In order to invest in RealtyShares, you need a minimum initial deposit of $5,000; however, individual investments are available for as little as $1,000. You can also open a self-directed IRA, but the minimum investment is $10,000. Investment terms can run anywhere from six months to 10 years, which is referred to as the holding period.

You can register on the platform for free, and once you do, you are free to browse through any of the real estate investments listed on the site.

If you are participating in an equity investment, RealtyShares charges a 1% annual fee to manage the investment. They may also charge what is known as an over-raise fee, that covers initial legal fees related to the investment or other specific expenses.

If you are participating in debt investments, RealtyShares collects a servicing fee that represents a spread between the interest rate charged to the borrower and the net interest paid to the investors.

You can get more information on the platform at the RealtyShares website.

RealtyMogul

RealtyMogul is an online real estate capital marketplace. The platform was launched in 2013 and now has more than 90,000 investors holding more than $235 million in real estate, and has paid out $55 million to investors. In addition, the platform claims that it has experienced “$0 Principal Lost by RealtyMogul Investors.” The platform has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

In order to invest with RealtyMogul, you must make a minimum initial investment of $5,000, but individual investments within the platform can be made with as little as $1,000. The platform is available for investment by both accredited and non-accredited investors. However non-accredited investors are limited to investing in the MogulREIT 1 offering, while accredited investors can invest in private placements on the platform.

Investments can be made either in real estate loans or in equity investments. Loan investments can run from a few months to as long as a few years. The holding period on equity investments ranges from one to ten years.

You are investing in commercial real estate — including office and retail space — self storage facilities, and apartment buildings. You can invest in the platform through an IRA account, as long as your IRA trustee permits you to do so.

Unlike RealtyShares, RealtyMogul does not have flat investment fees. Instead, the fees depend on the type of investments and on the nature of the transaction. However you will know what the fees are in connection with each investment before you invest any money.

When you invest with RealtyMogul, you don’t actually own the underlying real estate. Instead, you are holding what is known as a platform note, which is secured by real estate.

Once on the platform, you can track the details of each investment from the dashboard. It reveals the details of a particular investment, including current funding, estimated return, type of property, estimated holding period, and the minimum investment requirements for that particular property type.

You can get more information about the platform on the RealtyMogul website.

PeerStreet

PeerStreet is open to accredited investors who can invest in high-quality private real estate loans. Those loans are typically secured by first liens on real estate. These are short in term duration – often between six months and 24 months – with loan-to-values usually below 75%. PeerStreet maintains that typical loan investments will earn an average APR of between 6% and 12%.

You can invest in PeerStreet through a regular taxable account, but also through either a traditional or Roth IRA. You can also do a rollover account from a 401(k) plan, 403(b), 457, or other employer-sponsored retirement plan into a PeerStreet IRA.

PeerStreet also has an automated investment feature. They will match you with loans that match your investment criteria. You can set that criteria in advance, and you will be alerted of investment opportunities that fit within those criteria.

PeerStreet can include loans made on single-family residences, either to rent the property, or to do a rehab on it to increase the value. You must have a minimum investment of at least $1,000 in any transaction. You can invest either in whole loans, or in pieces of whole loans, which will enable you to diversify your portfolio across many different loans.

PeerStreet charges a servicing fee on each loan that is offered, which is the spread between the interest rate that is due from the borrower, and the interest that investors will receive from those loans. The servicing fee ranges between 0.25% and 1.00% of each loan.

You can get more information about the platform on the PeerStreet website.

What are your thoughts on, or experiences with, real estate crowdfunding?

Topics: Real Estate Investing

The post Investing in Real Estate Crowdfunding appeared first on The Dough Roller.

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Why Body Image Has Nothing To Do With How Your Body Looks

Ugly Earrings Vs. Beautiful Earrings

Recently while in Peru, I bought some handmade dangly earrings at a street market that I love. I didn’t make the connection until I got home that I once owned earrings very much like them.

body image | healing self image | Jessi Kneeland

At 18 years old, when I lived abroad for a semester in Chile, I had bought a few pairs of very similar handmade dangly Chilean earrings. They were popular there at the time, they came in tons of pretty designs, and I thought they looked really cute on me.

When I got home though, I could not bear to look at those earrings.

Sitting in my jewelry box, they seemed hideous. Unbearably awkward and pathetic. Every time I spotted them on my dresser, I felt a zing of contempt, as though they were personally offending me by being there.

Those earrings are so ugly and self righteous. They pretend to be worldly and cultured, but really they’re nothing but a heap of cheap metal and poor quality beads.

I’m not exaggerating that this is how I felt about them. I didn’t give my feelings those exact words at the time, but I really hated them. After nearly two years of sitting in my room absorbing my hostility, I eventually threw them away. On the day I threw them away, I wondered briefly how I had been so duped into ever thinking they were pretty enough to buy them.

What’s the difference, really, between those old Chilean earrings that I hated, and these new Peruvian ones which I love?

These new earrings cost me about three dollars; they are, in all honesty, probably nothing more than cheap metal and poor quality beads. But in my eyes, these earrings are gorgeous. But when I look at them, I get a little zing of joy and gratitude without knowing exactly why. When I wear them I feel like we are in on a fantastic little secret together, like friends passing notes in school, written in a language only we understand.

The difference in how I felt about these two similar pieces of jewelry had nothing to do with what they actually looked it. Let me explain.

Beauty Really IS in the Eyes of the Beholder

Beauty is contextual, meaning you might find beauty or ugliness depending on the context you view it in. Even more importantly, the way we perceive a subject’s beauty is totally dependent on how we feel about that subject in other ways.

In short, our brains perceive our loved ones (like our newborn babies, and our lovers after amazing sex) to be significantly more beautiful than other people’s loved ones. Why? Because we love them! Beauty isn’t just in the eye of the beholder, it’s often in the eye of someone who feels positive emotions and associations with the subject.

The same is true for everything, including both non-significant objects like my earrings, and the way we view our own bodies.

Even if you don’t personify your jewelry with the same gusto that I do, can you recognize how some stuff feels special and beautiful while other stuff is just a total turn-off, even if visually they seem about on par?

What we find beautiful is entirely dependent on how we feel about the subject itself, and what that subject means to us.

We do this with ourselves, too

In my case, it felt true that the earrings I brought back from Chile were objectively hideous. But underneath that story was pain— fear, anger, and sadness— that I simply hadn’t processed yet, about the difficult six months I lived as an exchange student in Chile.

Those six months had seen me feeling trapped and isolated, in an emotionally abusive relationship with my host brother, powerless, and full of self-loathing. Those earrings entered my life at the same time and from the same place as all that darkness came from, and I was unable to separate my self-loathing and fear of the world from how I felt about them.

body image | healing self image | Jessi Kneeland

When I told this story to one of my woo-woo friends, she responded by saying those old earrings were filled with bad juju, and that I should have just smudged them with sage. As sweet of a suggestion as I found this to be, I can say with confidence that all the sage in the world still would not have been enough. I could never love them.

Luckily, I didn’t have to try; throwing them away was an easy choice.

It’s important to remember that all the negative associations I felt about those earrings were totally subconscious; all I thought about them at the time was “ugh they’re so ugly.” Those subconscious associations are always informing what we think about stuff though, even when we have absolutely no idea it’s happening.

My recent trip to Peru was an absolutely amazing one; the kind of deeply special experience that I will carry with me forever. Is it any wonder that I have glowingly positive associations with everything I bought there?

Most people don’t realize how subjective their idea of beauty is, because we’re taught to believe that there is some non-existent “objective” standard of beauty.

Chalking any differences up to “different tastes,” we believe that for the most part, some things and people are objectively more beautiful than others. The truth though is that our understanding of what is beautiful, the way our brains perceive beauty, depends entirely on how we feel about the subject emotionally, and what associations we have with that subject.

The big problem arises when the subject you’ve attached negative associations to isn’t something you can get rid of, like your own body.

thing-hideous

We call that “negative body image.”

Unfortunately, the term “negative body image” doesn’t do justice to the level of revulsion that many of us have felt about parts of our own bodies, however. When parts of our bodies become subconsciously associated with rejection, or infused with responsibility for our shame, or become a kind of representative for our self-loathing, we don’t necessarily realize what’s going on. Often, when we look at those body parts all we think is “ugh– so hideous.”

The Secret to Dealing With Body Image

We often believe that when we look in the mirror, certain body parts– or maybe even our whole body– is objectively unattractive. (And unfortunately this belief is easily supported in our society.) But this belief is untrue, and it keeps us from being able to see the important truth that lurks underneath.

As a body image coach, people often ask me things like “How do I learn to like my cellulite?” or “How can I start to love my belly fat?”

The only answer is to look below the surface of the question. Instead of asking “How can I love my belly fat?” start asking “What does my belly fat represent to me, and how can I begin untangling the layers of negativity that are associated with female belly fat in my mind?”

If you don’t think you have any negative associations, and that your thighs really are just objectively hideous, I humbly suggest that you just haven’t gone deep enough yet.

And hey, maybe you’re not ready to go deeper yet. That’s ok, too.

Being born into a human body means you’re going to suffer some extraordinary losses, pain, fear, and rejection. “Body image issues” often serve as a valuable cover-up for the deeper, more painful stuff. Thinking that your thighs are fat and disgusting might just be your mind’s way of protecting you from the sea of emotional pain underneath until you’re ready to handle it.

The secret that nobody tells you about body image is that you’ll never go from thinking your thighs are disgusting to that they’re beautiful– not as long as you still believe beauty is objective.

body-relationship

Start by acknowledging that your body image issues aren’t really about your body. If you hate the way your body looks, then you have hatred toward something your body represents or is associated with.

I hate to oversimplify a topic which is so incredibly vast and complex, but at the ends of articles like this I am always asked to explain “how.” So here you go: a greatly oversimplified “how.”

4 Steps to Heal Your Body Image Issues

1. Recognize your story of your body.

Become aware of the story you tell yourself about the parts of your body you find “ugly.” Start to gently bring consciousness to your self-talk about your body— what do you say about this part of your body? What do you believe is true about it?

2. Recognize the subjectivity of that story.

Begin to recognize that your story about your body is just that: a story. Your thighs are not any more objectively disgusting than my Chilean earrings were objectively hideous. You’re looking at your body through the lens of a story, and the first steps are to become aware both of the story itself, and of the fact that your story is not objectively True.

body image | healing self image | Jessi Kneeland

3. Deal with the feelings underneath the story.

Start with the physical sensations in your body. When you think about your thighs, what do you feel in your body? A tightness in your belly? A tingling or heat in your face or throat? Start with the physical sensations, and give them space to exist. Tell them (out loud or in your head), that they are welcome here. This might be awkward or uncomfortable, but if you give them space and welcome them, the physical feelings will lead you to emotional feelings. Sometimes what comes up are long-repressed feelings, which may be very painful. Let them hurt, but welcome them and stay with them.

Underneath your disgust about your weight might be shame about your sexuality, fear about your safety, grief about your lost loves, and anger about the many unfair things which have happened to you. Breathe and stay focused on the sensations in your body and the emotions that come up. Keep welcoming them, and keep feeling them. Do this practice over and over, for days and weeks and months, until you’ve made a habit of feeling your true feelings instead of re-telling your mind’s false narrative.

4. If you do this often enough, and deeply enough, shit will start to change.

Healing will start to happen, and the well of pain will eventually run dry. When that happens, you have the opportunity to change the narrative you tell about yourself. For the first time, you’ll be able to look at your body and see something different. You’ll be able to find beauty, value, worthiness where it once seemed impossible. You’ll be able to look in the mirror and feel a little zing of pleasure, like you’re in on a fabulous secret that only you and your body understand.

If you would like to learn more “secrets” like this about how to improve body image as a woman in our society, I’ve created my upcoming How to Love Your Body Workshop in NYC, especially for you. I’ll be teaching my complete techniques for how to get to the real issues around body image, as discussed in this article. The workshop is Sunday March 5th, and spots are still available. CLICK HERE to email me for more information on enrollment!

Here are some Tweetables for you to Share the Love:

What we find beautiful is entirely dependent on how we feel about the subject itself, and what that subject means to us.

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If you hate the way your body looks, then you have hatred toward something your body represents or is associated with.

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Tuesday, February 21, 2017

GPS Navigation with PDF Maps on Smartphones

Buying A Steam Shower? Don’t Make These 3 Common Mistakes!

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

help with choosing a steam shower to buy

Ah yes, the life of luxury. That’s where it’s at! All you need is your very own steam shower – complete with aromatherapy dispenser and chroma lights. (Because, if you’re going to buy a steam shower, why not go all out, right?)

But, before you get to the part where you relax in your steam shower, you’re going to need to know something super important. There are 3 mistakes that can end up costing you a lot of money. Do your research now. Save some headaches and possibly money later.

Measure, measure, measure. Believe it or not, many of us think we know how large our bathrooms are. We walk into a store and buy a steam shower only to discover that it’s an inch or more too large for the space. Looks can be deceiving. But so can tape measures. Give us a call, and we’ll help you figure out exactly how to ensure that your steam shower will fit along with any electrical and plumbing needs that factor in. The delays and extra work can end up adding thousands of dollars to your budget
Know thyself. There really are a whole lot of different kinds of steam showers available to you. Consider whether you want it to include a whirlpool tub with a combo steam shower and bathtub. Do you want it to accommodate two people? How about accessories, like Bluetooth? Will pets or children use it, too? Once you start looking at all the possibilities, it really is easy to get carried away! Start with a firm budget. Then determine who will be using and how often. Talk with one of our experts to make sure you’ve covered all the bases.
Running hot or cold. Does your existing shower valve protect you from water temperature extremes? You’ll know the answer if you’ve ever turned on the spray only to be met with ice cold or scalding hot water. If you are building your own tiled shower to Make sure you ask the plumber to install a thermostatic valve. That little device will automatically mix hot and cold until the water is the perfect temperature. All steam showers sold at Perfectbath come standard with thermostatic control valve.

Contributed by:

Perfectbath
Calgary, AB.
Phone 1-866-843-1641
Email info@perfectbath.com

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H&R Block 2017 Tax Preparation Software Review

H&R Block has long been a trusted name in affordable tax preparation. (And their commercials have been pretty on-point for the past few years, too!) Now, they offer their DIY tax filing option online. What’s new this year, and what level of H&R Block’s online software might work best for your needs? Get the details in this review.

H&R Block 2015 Review FB

H&R Block — New Features for Tax Year 2016

H&R Block didn’t roll out many new features for tax year 2016. It still offers a trimmed-down, less-expensive tax filing option online. However, this year it did expand its More Zero option to include itemized deductions. This free online tax filing option is available for:

Single or married filers who don’t have dependents and who use the 1040EZ form
1040 A filers who have expenses like student loan interest, educator expenses, and tuition and fees deductions
1040 Schedule A filers who itemize relatively simple expenses, such as mortgage interest, child care expenses, charitable donations, or medical expenses
Those who qualify for the EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) can claim it without paying for the software

Other than these expansions, H&R Block’s software for tax year 2016 is similar to what it’s offered in the past. With that said, it didn’t need major updates. It’s a solid tax preparation option for those who want to DIY file through a reputable provider without spending a fortune.

The Levels

Free

H&R Block’s free DIY version includes e-file for your federal taxes and an audit review. Even the free level will let you import your W-2s from certain employers and will automatically import last year’s tax return if you used TurboTax or TaxAct. Of course, it’ll also save your returns from year to year if you’ve used this software before.

The free version also comes with unlimited tax advice during standard chat hours. This is great if you’re confused on some points of your taxes or if this is the first time you’ve filed them on your own.

Plus, the free version will automatically import your federal filing information to your state taxes, ask you a few additional questions, and file your state taxes for free, too. This is a big benefit, as many other filing software options are free for federal taxes, but charge a hefty fee to file your state taxes.

All versions of H&R Block also come with free audit support and representation if you’re ever audited. This could be a huge savings if you have tax situations likely to get you into an audit.

H&R Block’s list of supported tax forms for the Free edition is surprisingly robust. It includes not only your basic 1040 forms, but also mortgage and student loan interest forms, tuition payment forms, and interest income.

So, who can file taxes for free with More Zero? A lot of people, it turns out! H&R Block estimates that six in 10 taxpayers will be eligible for More Zero this year. Basically if you file a 1040EZ or a 1040 A with relatively simple deductions, you may qualify.

Learn More About Tax Credits and Deductions for College Expenses

Deluxe

After expanding the More Zero edition to so many filers, H&R Block nixed the Basic edition this year. Now, you’ll skip straight from More Zero to Deluxe. The main difference (besides price!) is that Deluxe offers forms for more deductions. Right now, it costs $34.99 for federal filing and $36.99 per state return.

Deluxe offers all the same benefits as More Zero, but also includes reporting for freelancers and independent contractors, as well as the DeductionPro tool. This helps ensure that you get all the deductions for which you’re eligible. Supported forms include forms for Residential Energy Credits, Non-deductible IRAs, Health Savings Accounts, and more.

Now that homeowners and those with childcare expenses can use More Zero, only those with more deduction options will need to pay for the Deluxe Edition. But it’s a good fit for business owners who can file their business taxes using form C-EZ.

Premium

Premium includes everything included in Deluxe, as well as more support for rental property income and expenses, cost basis for home sales, gifts, inheritance assets, and more. It’s a better fit for those with more complicated self-employment taxes, including those who need to use Schedule C to report business income and deductions.

Premium also includes Schedule F for Profit or Loss from Farming and Schedule K-1 for Estate and Trust Income. Generally, it gives you access to any form you might need and support for filing those forms. Check out the full list of supported forms here.

The Premium version of H&R Block costs $54.99 for the 2017 tax season, with an additional $36.99 per state filed. That’s still a good deal for access to all these available forms.

The Interface

Signing up for an account with H&R Block was pretty simple. I didn’t notice additional security protocols, other than having to set three verification questions and meet their parameters for a password. I received an email as soon as I’d signed up.

Right after signing in and starting to file, the software asked how I filed taxes last year:

h-r-block-import-your-tax-data-from-last-years-return

I was somewhat disappointed that I have to upload the PDF of last year’s taxes to take advantage of this feature. In the advertising, it sounds like H&R Block could just use your login information from the other provider to grab the information for you, like Mint.com does with my banking information. This is not the case, though uploading a PDF isn’t too terrible:

h-r-block-upload-your-nbsp-2015-nbsp-turbotax-return

The basic interface of H&R Block’s software is similar to that of TurboTax, and it’s prettier than it was last year, with lots of fun little graphics. Unlike last year, you can now click around to any section, so you can do your taxes out of order. Or you can just let the software walk you through all your options.

h-r-block-let-s-find-all-your-adjustments-and-deductions

The one exception here is that you’ll have to fill out all the personal information before you can jump around to other sections. But this is understandable.

Once I dug into the financial piece of the software, things were interesting. It’s nice because the software gives you access to any type of income you might possibly file, like this:

h-r-block-let-s-take-a-look-at-your-income

When I dig into a type of income I know isn’t included in the Free version that I’m currently using, the software lets me know how to upgrade:

h-r-block-abby-you-need-h-r-block-deluxe

Since you don’t have to pay until you get to the end of the process, you can continue to add forms as needed, and then pay for the lowest possible version when you finish your filing.

Even though H&R Block includes all the options you might need in this main income interface, it doesn’t offer to walk you through all the options step-by-step like TurboTax and other software options do. If you already know what types of income you have, this may not be an issue. If you’re less familiar with tax filing, you might need the step-by-step help others offer.

If you do opt for H&R Block, I’d probably come up with a system to ensure that you use the information on every single tax form you get in the mail — from your W-2s and 1099s to interest information from your bank. That way, you can be sure you won’t miss anything, even if the software isn’t asking you specific questions.

This isn’t to say that H&R Block doesn’t ask any questions. When I get to the end of my make-believe income filing, it asks a few questions about less-common income types, including income from foreign transactions.

What To Do If You Get Audited

Based on your answers in the Deductions and Allowances section, the software will recommend either an itemized or a standard deduction. This is par for the course with tax software. Personally, I’d trust the recommendation of H&R Block, since they have such a great reputation.

Who It’s For

I’d be most likely to recommend H&R Block to a friend with very simple-to-file taxes or to a friend who is experienced in filing his or her own taxes. I might actually use it myself this year and save some money on software fees. It’s best, though, for those who aren’t likely to miss forms and who don’t need the step-by-step help other tax software offers.

It’s certainly worth checking out if you’re in the market for a tax filing option for your W-2 and standard deduction taxes in 2016, especially if you have simple deductions that might not be included in other providers’ free tax filing versions.

Visit H&R Block’s website for more details.

Topics: financial planning • Money and Life • Personal Finance • Taxes

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Monday, February 20, 2017

Sawyer Mini Water Filter or Sawyer Squeeze Point One: How to Choose

First Time Home-Buyers: 90-day RRSP grace-period, downpayment boost strategy ends March 1!

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Market Update: February 2017

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Hilton HHonors Card from American Express 50,000 Bonus Points Review

hilton-hhonors-amex-card A few years ago, I had the pleasure of spending two nights in New York City for an affiliate conference. The conference was being held at the Waldorf Astoria and, against my better judgement, I spent hundreds of dollars a night to book my room. Well, the room and the experience was fantastic, but I still hate myself for spending that kind of money when I’m usually the guy comparing TV channels on the motel websites to see if $49 with HBO is better than $47 without.

Hopefully, I’m provided the opportunity to stay at the Waldorf Astoria again, though. I’ve just signed up for the Hilton HHonors™ Card from American Express and need to start thinking about where you use my points.

The Hilton HHonors™ Card from American Express opens up by offering 50,000 Hilton HHonors bonus points after spending $750 in the first three months of card membership. Hilton HHonors rewards points are earn in the following three tiers:

Get 7X Hilton HHonors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a participating hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio.
Get 5X Hilton HHonors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
Get 3X Hilton HHonors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card. Terms and limitations apply.

One of the lesser known perks on the Hilton HHonors™ Card from American Express is that new cardmembers are automatically provided Silver status AND after spending $20,000 annually, Gold status is obtained. There are four levels of rewards program membership in the Hilton HHonors platform: Blue, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. Gold status provides amenities like free breakfast, free bottles of water, room upgrades, and a 25% bonus on all points earned.

Just how many hotels are under the Hilton umbrella? Well, their core brand, Hilton Hotels and Resorts, has just over 570 current locations. Cardmembers can also use and accrue 7x points at the following brands:

Canopy by Hilton
Conrad Hotels
Curio Collections
DoubleTree
Embassy Suites
Hampton by Hilton
Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Grand Vacations
Home2 Suites
Homewood Swuites
True by Hilton
Waldorf Astoria

There is no annual fee to own the Hilton HHonors™ Card from American Express and there is no annual fee for additional cardholders. The ongoing purchase and balance transfer APR is 15.74% – 19.74% variable. The cash advance APR is 25.74% and the penalty APR becomes 29.74% (and will be applied for a minimum of six months) if cardholders become delinquent on their accounts. There is a balance transfer fee of 3% and late payment/returned payment fees of $38 per transactions.

Love to Travel? Learn All About Travel Hacking

For anyone who routinely travels and is in need of hotel stays frequently, the Hilton HHonors™ Card from American Express is a terrific fee-free credit card. Make sure, however, to keep your purchases in the United States, as there is a standard foreign transaction fee charge of 2.7%.

Get more details on this card and links to apply online at CardRatings.com.

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Topics: Credit Cards

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