Warranties (Part ii)

I can’t really comment too well about car warranties (although, if your car comes with a long warranty, I like it, because if you are paying off the car, you won’t have to say, replace your engine as well). The other side argues, why would they give you such a long warranty? Is this likely to breakdown?

Again, I would look at web sites like the Lemon-Aid web site and check out the yearly books as well (very useful if you are buying a used car as well (take them out of your library?)).

I bought an extended warranty on my ’95 Plymouth Voyager (it was 2 years old when I got it in 1997) and the warranty cost $900. I had a head gasket job, repaired the Air Conditioner and 1 other big jobs, so in that case the warranty did pay for itself (a few times over). This was not the manufacturers warranty it was a third party warranty.

If you trust your mechanic (and I trust mine) ask him whether you should pay for extended warranties on your used car (or maybe your mechanic will sell you one himself). Ask people who you trust whether they think it is a good idea, and make your decision in an informed fashion (as you should with all decision on anything monetarily over $10). Ask yourself, am I buying VALUE here? (as you should with all major purchases).

Warranties

• Warranties? why would you get one? Maybe you just need a good support structure?
• Warranties (Part ii) for cars? Are extended warranties worth the money? Yes, in my case.
• Warranties (again) are they worth having? More discussions on that topic.
• Warranties and Computers – should you really pay for this? I don’t but I can usually repair it myself, except Apple products.
• Warranties a Final Thought – what parameters should you consider in your decision
• Extended Warranties: An Update explains why the extended warranty on my van saved me.

My Musings May 2005

• Warranties (Part ii) Car warranties always sound like a good idea, but are they? How about 3rd party extended warranties?
• Warranties? Do you need warranties, as usual, the answer is a bit murky.
• Real-World Example: Kids Allowances I wrote this article about kids’ allowances a long while ago, but I still use these accounts with my daughters. 
• A parable about advice… (not just financial) A parable about advice and the dangers of making the most innocent of commentaries and the possible ramifications of that ill-advised advice.
• Happy Victoria Day! When is best to talk about pay day loans ? Victoria Day weekend? Maybe, but just don’t use these services, they are bad.
• Good Quote for a Sunday OK, before I get inundated, this is a good biblical quote that I think can work for EVERYONE (even atheists, agnostics, Jews, Muslims, Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto or Snake Handler): No servant can serve two masters.
• RESPs some Final Thoughts What good is an RESP? If you have kids it is your best option if you are going help your kids, university aspirations.
• If I put $1000 a year away for my kids The power of compound interest relies heavily on you starting to save or build your portfolio early. Time is on your side, if you start early with your RESP
• University is going to cost HOW MUCH? The question, “University is going to cost how much?” is in the mind of most parents who dream of their kids going to University, better plan for it.
• The Motley Fool (my opinions) So, when I started “fiddling” in the Stock Market (I think my official rank is “fiddler” or maybe “kibitzer,” but nothing higher than that), I started reading the Motley Fool books.
• End of Week Another week in May 2005 leads us to think about taxes, debt and identity theft. Can I divorce my wife for tax reasons?
• How do you pay your bills? How do you pay your bills ? Do you have a methodology, or have you set them up to be automatic ?
• I should divorce my wife? The tax system seems to think I should divorce my wife , at least the way taxes are enforced seems to imply that would be better. 
• Hey, I have a credit Rating Knowing what your credit rating is, is important, but only when you want to borrow money or get a loan. 
• Fun with Credit Cards So, for this week, if you want to try something interesting, and do yourself a favor, here is a task for you.