Victor Varma | Blog

Safety group to review how it rates cars on safety

Posted on March 18, 2016February 25, 2016 by Victor Varma

U.S. regulators are revising the process of assigning safety ratings to new vehicles. It proposes to require more crash-avoidance technologies to achieve a perfect score. And they will update requirements for crash-test dummies that assess performance.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is proposing revision of current ratings from a single score of 1 to 5 into a multifaceted scorecard that includes the score on crash-avoidance systems and a mark for pedestrian safety.

The move signals a strategic shift for the auto-safety industry from simply measuring what happens to vehicles during collisions to how well vehicles can avoid accidents in the first place.

New ratings will gauge a vehicle’s use of nine advanced technologies, such as forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking and lane-departure warning. It could encourage manufacturers to turn often-optional but highly profitable safety systems into standard technology. It would also increase the average price of a new car.

New test dummies have improved sensors to better predict injuries.

NHSTA will include a new frontal-oblique crash test to address what they describe as a type of angled crash “that continues to result in death and serious injuries despite seat belt use, air bags and crashworthy structures.”

“The 5-Star ratings have set the bar on safety since it began in 1978, and today we are raising that bar,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a statement to The Wall Street Journal.

Average gas mileage is better than ever

Posted on March 15, 2016February 25, 2016 by Victor Varma

In spite of consumers’ affection for SUVs and pickups, the average fuel economy for new vehicles is still improving, according to the Environmental Protection agency.

Vehicles in the 2015 model year were expected to average 24.7 miles per gallon, and improvement of 24.3 mpg in 2014. Average fuel economy is at a record high, the EPA says.

The auto industry is taking advantage of incentives and trying to get ahead of stiffening fuel-economy requirements aimed at reducing greenhouse gases, says Christopher Grundler, Director of the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality.

Reductions in CO2 emissions, which are tied to how much fuel an engine burns, have outperformed the standard for the third consecutive year.

Some automakers are getting way ahead. Ford’s F150 pickup, the nation’s best-selling vehicle, meets the 2019 standard in 15 of its 32 different versions.

SUVs turned 2015 into the best sales year ever

Posted on March 11, 2016February 25, 2016 by Victor Varma

In 2015, automakers sold 17.47 million vehicles, according to Autodata. It bested what Kelly Blue Book reported as the previous record of 17.35 million in 2000.

Low gas prices, cheap credit, low unemployment, high consumer confidence and good weather brought a rush of buyers into showrooms in December.

Consumers continued their flight from less-lucrative cars into crossovers, sport-utility vehicles and pickups amid low gasoline prices.

At 13.9 percent of market share, the small SUV segment is now the largest category of vehicles in the United States. It is followed by small cars and midsize cars at 13.7 percent each, according to Kelly Blue Book.

Quoted in USA Today, AutoTrader.com analyst Michelle Krebs said, “There’s no end in sight to those trends.”

In December, General Motors had a 5.7 percent increase in sales, Ford Motor saw an 8.3 percent boost, and Fiat Chrysler sales rose 12.6 percent, according to Autodata.

Tesla Motors doubled sales during the month and sold 23,650 of its luxury electric cars in the U.S. for the year.

Among Asian makers, Toyota saw a 10.3 percent increase for the month, but it posted only a 5.3 percent increase for the year.

Honda was at 9.9 percent, and Nissan at 8.7 percent.

Income tax changes to plan for in 2016

Posted on March 10, 2016March 9, 2016 by Victor Varma

By learning about tax changes early in 2016, you’ll have more time to plan for them. Here are nine changes, according to the IRS and USAToday.

1. Income taxes for 2015 are due on April 18 because Friday, April 15 is the Emancipation Day holiday in Washington, D.C.

2. Penalties for not having qualified Affordable Care Act health insurance in 2016 are $695 per adult, 2.5 percent of income for children or a family maximum of $2,085.

3. Tax brackets rise by 0.4 percent, adjusted for inflation.

4. Standard deductions for heads of households rise, including single, married filing jointly, and married filing separately. The deduction rises by $50 to $9,300 in 2016.

5. Personal exemptions rise by $50 to $4,050 for this year.

6. Contribution limits for health savings accounts rise by $100 per family to $6,750, and an additional $1,000 for those 55 or older. Individual contribution limits remain the same at $3,350.

7. Earned Income Credit is rising. The maximum allowable Earned Income Credit for families with three or more children rises to $6,269, up by $27 in 2016. With two children, the maximum rises by $24. And one child families get $14 more than in 2015.

8. The exemption from alternative minimum tax rises for single taxpayers by $300 in 2016 to $53,900. Joint filers see a $500 boost to $83,800 this year.

9. The estate tax exemption rises to $5.45 million, up $20,000 for the estates of those who pass away in 2016.

Contributions to 401(k) plans, IRAs, and flexible spending arrangements are all staying the same as they were for 2015.

Importance of Business Insurance for Small Businesses

Posted on March 4, 2016February 25, 2016 by Victor Varma

By Nate Rodnay
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6909188

In any business, risks cannot be ruled out. In case of a small business, even a small risk can make a huge impact on the growth and sustainability of the business. This is more so with respect to finances as small businesses, by their very nature, are devoid of strong financial support.

If you are a small business owner, you need to seriously consider taking business insurance to protect your businesses from unfortunate events that cause financial crisis.

Besides providing financial support during unfortunate events, insurance helps in increasing the credibility of your business among your employees (crucial part of your business) – they feel secured knowing that they are covered under insurance policy.

While choosing an insurance policy, assess and identify the risks that are likely to affect your business significantly. Common risks for any business include, damage to business property, life hazards to employees, and public law suits. None of these is a small liability that you can afford to overlook.

Basic types of business insurance policies:
There are different types of insurance policies covering different types of risks; you can either choose one policy or combine a few of them to make a consolidated policy that covers every risk your business might face. Here are some basic insurance policies that you can choose from:

Business liability: Your business is always at risk of facing law suits from third parties. There can be instances that make your business the subject of a lawsuit – a customer trips on a torn carpet in your office, a customer falls sick using your product, an electrical short-circuit that causes fire and damages your landlord’s building etc. These liabilities usually result in huge compensation claims. In such cases, having business liability insurance protects you against all these risks. Business liability insurance generally covers medical expenses and legal fees.

Property insurance: You don’t want to mess up with your business property. Do you? So, make sure that your business property is covered properly. Property insurance for your small business covers the fixtures, furniture, the inventory, and other physical assets of business. Property insurance protects the property against the damage, theft or loss.

Auto insurance: You need commercial auto insurance if you use a vehicle solely for your business. You should get a commercial insurance policy if your vehicle has commercial tags on it. Auto insurance covers risks of damage to the vehicle caused by an accident or vandalism. It also protects you from the third-party liability claims if your vehicle is involved in any accident.

Workers’ compensation: As an employer, it is your responsibility to take care of your employees at workplace. If any employee falls sick, gets injured or dies while working, as a business owner, you will be held accountable. You need to take care of his medical expenses. Here, workers’ compensation insurance helps you by covering the risk of injury to workers and the consequent medical expenses, etc.

Not buying insurance would put your business at greater risk. It is also not financially sensible to ignore the importance of insurance. Working out the right type and the correct amount of insurance coverage is quite difficult going by the variety of risks to your business.

Hence, approach a good insurance broker to get the right insurance coverage for your business.

InsureUS specializes in business insurance solutions. We offer a broad range of products to contractors and general business customers including public liability insurance. Call us today at 281-640-8888.

Many ups and downs to consider before downsizing

Posted on February 26, 2016February 17, 2016 by Victor Varma

Among retirees who move, half of them choose smaller digs, finds a new study by Merrill Lynch and Age Wave. Less home and yard work, cost cutting and accessing their home equity were the chief reasons for the move.

The rise in real estate values have made the payoff even bigger, say experts at MONEY.com. Home equity, for many baby boomers, far exceeds the value of their 401(k) or IRA.

* Go or stay? Swapping a home in a cold city for a condo in a warm climate should save on your retirement funds. But it takes due diligence to calculate the monthly savings. Moving alone will cost about 10 percent of the price of your old place.
Jan Cullinane, author of The Single Woman’s Guide to Retirement, says one couple saved on property taxes and heating but their homeowners insurance was far more expensive.

* Single-family or condo? You’ll save on moving expenses by staying in your present area and by having a place with fewer bedrooms. Condos cost less than single-family homes, but you’ll pay for shared maintenance and homeowners association fees, which may cover water and yard work. These costs are usually higher than buyers expect.

* Buy or rent? Sometimes renting is better than buying, especially if you want to stay closer to your kids. But the kids themselves might move in a few years. Don’t buy unless you want to be there for five years or more.
Instead of buying a home, you might rather put the proceeds of your home sale into your investment portfolio.

* Now or later? Now is better than later. You’re likely better equipped for the physical and emotional stress of a move in your sixties than in your eighties.

Bicycle injuries in the 45+ group have increased dramatically since 1998

Posted on February 19, 2016February 17, 2016 by Victor Varma

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, analyzed injury data for adult cyclists using a sample of about 100 hospital emergency rooms.

They found that as cycling became more popular, the number of serious injuries has increased. In particular, the study found a disproportionate rise in injuries among people over 45, who accounted for 23 percent of reported injuries in 1998.

The most recent, figures, however, now show 42 percent. And, according to the University of California, Berkeley, about two-thirds of cycling injuries requiring hospital admission occur in people over 45. Most fatalities occurred in men.

Even if you’re an experienced rider, it’s a good idea to review these safety tips from the AAA:

1. Wear your helmet to reduce head injuries by up to 85 percent.
2. Keep your head up and look ahead, not at the ground.
3. Don’t carry a rider. It puts you and your passenger at greater risk.
4. Plan ahead when riding with a group. Agree on the route and what you’ll do if separated by traffic.
5. Check local bike laws if riding in an unfamiliar place. Avoid busy roads and peak traffic times.
6. Before riding at night, ask someone to check your visibility to motorists.
7. Maintain your bicycle. Keep chains clean and lubricated. Periodically inspect the brake pads.
8. Don’t drink and ride.

Companies have programs that let them hire new graduates now, let them start work later

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Victor Varma

Businesses large and small are seeking workers who can adapt to rapid technology changes or strategic shifts. Companies are realizing they should recruit for innate abilities, or attitudes such as high motivation, rather than skills needed for a particular job.
Intuit, which brings on about 200 new college grads annually, started program hiring some three years ago. Entry-level hires are locked in more quickly since recruiters arrive on campus armed with approval to make hires on the spot.
A candidate who accepts the hiring offer sets in motion a complex, matchmaking process that includes salary discussions. Each new hire is assigned to a recruiter who coordinates a series of matching conversations between the hire and various managers.
The conversations are designed to align the hire’s interests and talents with an available position, and with teams, they help with campus recruiting to get first choices on new hires.
Everette Fortner, a head career advisor at the University of Virginia, told The Wall Street Journal that some students balk at nonspecific offers. It took one five months to accept a full-time job.
Zappos currently hires the old-fashioned way, but that won’t be for much longer. Beginning next year, the company is considering ways to allow hires to carve out their own roles.

The Duration of Yellow Lights is Unpredictable

Posted on February 12, 2016February 3, 2016 by Victor Varma

Traffic engineers in the United States have never agreed on how to time yellow lights so the interval between green and red is just right.
If it’s too short, drivers may run the red light by mistake. If it’s too long, they may intentionally risk driving through the intersection.
In the past, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) has tried to come up with a formula, but they couldn’t get enough support from their 15,000-plus members. That was 30 years ago, but they’re trying to create a standard again. Their findings might come before the board late this year at the earliest.
The current proposal relies on four factors: determining how long the yellow should last; vehicle approach speed; driver perception-reaction time; and the deceleration rate and grade of the road. Because no studies are available on these factors, the information they use will be approximations.
Timothy Gates, an engineering professor at Michigan State University and co-author of an ITE report, says it’s a matter of validating appropriate input values.
“If the formula suggests you need 4.5 seconds, and if you provide drivers with 3 seconds, you’re putting drivers into a case where they either have to stop abruptly or proceed through and run the risk of running the red light,” Gates reported recently in The Wall Street Journal.

Super Bowl 50 Madness

Posted on February 5, 2016February 3, 2016 by Victor Varma

Super Bowl Sunday is an unofficial American holiday. Last year, about 114-million viewers tuned into the game on NBC. Over 118-million took in Katy Perry’s half-time performance, making it the most-watched broadcast in the history of U.S. television.

On February 7, 2016, even non-football fanatics will be among the 68,500 tickets holders in Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA, home of the San Francisco 49ers. Hundreds will see the game from the stadium’s luxury suites, and millions will tune in on CBS’ broadcast with fans of all ages.

NBC is so confident of its enormous audience, the price for a 30-second ad has gone up 11 percent to $5 million. People often tune in to see the ads.

For the first time ever, the Bowl game is branded with the Arabic numeral 50, rather than Roman numerals. The franchise and every spectator is on the 50 yard line celebrating the fiftieth game. Pepsi, sponsor of the already anticipated halftime spectacular, says the On the Fifty theme will honor the past, recognize the present and look forward to the next 50 years.

Legendary players and coaches of winning games will join popular music artists to ensure a thrilling, star-studded event sure to make history of its own. The stage is the largest in the world. When Coldplay was confirmed as the headliner, Chris Martin, the Grammy award-wining British rock band’s lead singer, said the thought of performing on it made him nervous, but the privilege was the “greatest moment in our band’s life.” Bruno Mars and a host of other stars will join Coldplay on stage.

Stadium security will be strict and intensified.