How to beat that traffic ticket

It has been a while since I got a traffic ticket, I have to admit that I did have a lot of fun with my 1999 Mustang GT, and it got me into some trouble with speeding tickets. Wish I had read this article back then.

If you've ever been ticketed for speeding or running a red light, you already know that the fine you pay may only be the beginning of your cost.

If it's your second offense, that mistake may very well drain a whopping $700 out of your pocket over the next three years. That's because, on average, a driver's insurance premiums can increase by 25 percent after a second violation.

Most traffic courts rely on the fact that nine out of 10 drivers will just pay their tickets and move on. Established to expedite cases quickly and efficiently, traffic courts serve as vital sources of revenue for many counties.

Read on at Bankrate.com

How to beat that traffic ticket

9 Times Travel Insurance Isn't A Ripoff

Consumerist.com has a nice post about Travel insurance, which most of us never bother to invest in. They list 9 situations, as talked about on NBC’s Daily Show where it actually helps to have travel insurance.

1. Your flight is cancelled.
2. Your bags are lost and your medication is in it. You need to have an emergency prescription filled.
3. Your passport and wallet are stolen, and you need emergency cash and a replacement passport.
4. You're involved in an accident and adequate medical treatment is not available. You need medical evacuation.
5. You need to cancel your trip due to illness.
6. Your cruise line, airline or tour operator goes bankrupt. You need your non-refundable expenses covered and to get to your destination.
7. You have a medical emergency in a foreign country.
8. A terrorist incident occurs in the city where you're planning to visit and you want to cancel your trip.
9. A hurricane forces you to evacuate your resort, hotel or cruise.

9 Times Travel Insurance Isn't A Ripoff

Protect your 'valuables'

I had been meaning to do this for a long time, but I finally did it this past weekend. I bought a fireproof and waterproof safe. It was ironic too, because on The Simpsons last night, Marge is inspired to purchase a fireproof safe to protect the family’s most precious valuables, but an accident causes the safe itself to explode and destroy its contents.

When it comes to fire-related issues, the most important issue is personal safety, but other ‘valuables’ need to be protected from fire as well. These may include, but are not limited to birth and death certificates, diplomas, jewellery, and even items with sentimental value such as photographs, backup CDs or DVDs of family vacations.

After shopping around some sites and doing some research, I settled on the Sentry®Safe Water-resistant Fire-Safe® Security Safe, model # OA3810. It is a little bit bigger than I had initially intended, but I figure it will allow me to keep some of the valuables I listed in the sentimental category. A few of it’s safety features are as follows:

• ETL Verified for 2-hour fire protection of CDs, DVDs, USB Drives and Memory Sticks up to 1850°F


• Water-resistant


• UL Classified 2-hour proven fire protection with impact


• UL Classified 30 ft. Drop Test

This is definitely something everyone should invest in, to protect your valuables in the unfortunate event of a flood or fire.