Clever Moving Options for an Easy Affordable Move!

Moving can be time-consuming, stressful, and expensive depending on the way someone goes about it.

It can also be easier, faster, and more affordable when alternative moving service options are considered.

While hiring a moving company for full-service moving might be every person’s wish, sometimes this is just not possible.

At times like these, there are alternatives that people can choose to make moving more practical.

  • DIY Moving - For those willing to do it all on their own, DIY moving can be less expensive when done carefully and there are plenty of people willing to help. Getting the job done will require people to do all their own packing, furniture disassembly and assembly, loading and unloading, which may not be feasible for some. Additionally, it is important to remember that while DIY moving can be cheaper, the inconvenience and time investment are much greater. Injuries, damage to personal property, and even damage to the vehicle are possible, all of which can turn cheap moving into a moving nightmare.
  • Partial-Service Moving - Local moving services that offer partial services are an excellent option for those wishing to do all their own packing while leaving the heavy work to the professionals. Self-packing also provides the benefit of insurance provided by moving services and skilled movers who know how to lift and relocate just about anything. 
  • Pod/Container Moving - For those who would like to self-pack at their own convenience, loading up a pod or moving container on their own schedule, then allowing a moving company to relocate the pod for them is yet another lower-cost moving option that may not even require someone to take time off from work. 
  • Labor-Only Moving Services - If the cost of a DIY move is appealing but loading the truck is not feasible, another option is renting the movers themselves. Labor-only moving services are basically movers for hire that come only to load the truck, then unload it at the new location. Everything else, including packing, fuel, and driving the moving truck, is the responsibility of the customer. 

When planning a local move, there are a variety of ways it can be done.

With full-service professional moving services at one end of the spectrum and DIY on the other, partial-service moving with a local moving company tends to be the most popular choice.

Self-packing partial-service moving provides professional help where people need it most, but at a lower price point when they handle all the packing themselves.

Contact a local moving service to discuss the options and getting a moving estimate!

Can Veterans Receive Veterans Disability Pay and SSI/SSDI?

There are multiple types of disability aid that disabled veterans may qualify for depending on their age, their disability, and whether or not they have a service-connected disability.

Those eligible for veterans service related disability pay may also be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits as well as any Medicaid or Medicare benefits provided with them. 

What Is The Role of SSI and SSDI?

Eligibility for SSI and SSDI is not related to a veteran’s service-related disability, so there is no need to prove a service connection to receive it and there is no consideration of the veteran’s discharge status.

These benefits, which are available to any disabled person, require only that the veteran fill out the appropriate application and submit the required information.

Additionally, this disability pay is not issued on a graduated scale the way veterans service related disability pay is, and disabled veterans may even apply for expedited processing for SSI/SSDI before their veterans disability pay is processed. 

What Must A Veteran Prove to Receive SSI/SSDI?

To apply for and determine their eligibility for SSI/SSDI, a disabled veteran must only provide two things:

  1. Evidence of their physical or mental health condition that substantially limits their ability to remain gainfully employed.
  2. Evidence that the condition has, or is expected to last a year or more, or until death.

Expedited processing is available through the 100% Permanent and Total Veterans Initiative and the Wounded Warriors Program, both of which can speed up the process of declaring a disability and starting disability benefits payments. 

Are There Any Disqualifications?

The important thing for veterans to understand is that SSI/SSDI benefits are available to them whether or not they are approved for veterans service related disability pay, but benefits are paid on an as-needed basis.

SSI/SSDI benefits amounts are dependent on the amount of other VA benefits pay being received, with the total usually reduced by that amount.

Only veterans receiving a VA pension do not qualify, since pension amounts are higher than SSI/SSDI benefit amounts. 

Explore The Multiple Disability Benefits Payment Options

Disabled veterans have access to multiple benefits, including veterans service related disability pay, SSI, and SSDI.

For those who may be confused about these applications and what information must be submitted with each of them as evidence of disability severity or service connection, veterans service related disability pay help is available from knowledgeable VA disability experts.

To avoid missing out on critical benefits that every veteran is entitled to, veterans should seek disability pay assistance that can help.

Full Service Moving Services – What Should You Expect?

Choosing full service movers to handle a residential move is a great option for anyone who is moving and wishes to leave the bulk of the job to the service.

Of course, customers of full service home movers must provide some basic input, but beyond that, they can leave the job to the service. 

Planning

The first stage of full service home moving is the planning stage, which usually starts with the company coming to the current residence to provide a moving estimate based on the amount and type of belongings that must be packed and moved.

Full service movers typically assign a moving coordinator to work with customers from the estimate stage, all the way through to the unpacking stage at the new residence.

After an estimate is provided, a date is worked out by the coordinator and customers, and the customer signs a contract and pays any required deposits, the rest is essentially in the hands of the moving company. 

What Does Full Service Moving Include?

Full service home moving typically includes all details involved in getting a customer’s belongings packed, loaded, unloaded, and then unpacked.

The moving service will show up on moving day or the day before to start packing up the house and they will bring their own packing materials with them.

As belongings are packed, they are then loaded onto the moving truck, which is then driven to the new location.

A part of the packing service offered by full service home movers is furniture disassembly as required and then reassembling it all at the new house.

The moving coordinator remains onsite to assist with the packing and supervise the whole move according to the customers’ needs and wishes, as it was all agreed upon in the contract. 

Is Insurance Included?

Beyond the more obvious parts of full service home moving, these services also include whatever insurance the moving company provides with their services.

It is noteworthy that companies offering full service moves that include packing by the movers usually offer better insurance protection for personal items, since they are the ones professionally packing everything.

There may not be a need for customers to purchase supplemental moving insurance when already paying for full service movers to do the packing, but always confirm how each company handles breakage to be sure. 

The Benefits of Full Service Moving

Moving can be challenging and stressful, especially for those who lack the time or ability to do all the packing on their own.

For those customers, full service home moving can be the best choice, even if it does cost a bit more than a self-packed move.

A personal moving coordinator and skilled movers who are professionally trained in their service make full service movers the better option!

5 Great Reasons Why Small Businesses Should Outsource Payroll Services!

No matter how big or small a company is, every business handles payroll services in one way or another.

Larger companies typically hire accountants to take care of their employee payroll, but many smaller businesses still try to save money by doing their own payroll.

Considering the important benefits of hiring accounting firms to process employee payroll, these smaller businesses trying to save a few dollars doing it on their own should reconsider for the following reasons:

  1. Payroll And Tax Rules and Regulations - The hard part of performing payroll services are not putting in the data, although that is challenging on its own; it is keeping up with tax rules and payroll and benefits regulations. Accountants are well schooled in these areas so they can keep their client companies compliant regarding employee taxes and any benefits-related calculations.
  2. Protection Against Fees and Fines - Accounting firms prevent fines and fees due to late or incorrectly submitted taxes, misunderstanding of tax laws, and audits that can result when unexpected red flags attract attention.   
  3. Compliance Maintenance - Whether speaking of industry compliance or federal compliance, keeping employee and business information safe requires setting up secure data handling policies. For many smaller businesses, it is easier and less risky to hire professional accountants whose entire businesses revolve around compliance maintenance rather than risk mistakes that could lead to errors, liabilities, and fines.  
  4. Recruitment and Business Growth - Whether a small business is growing or condensing, having separate payroll services available to handle the addition or removal of employees is less risky and more reliable than handling that task in-house. Accounting firms can make these changes more quickly and smoothly, eliminating any wait to get new employees fully added to the company’s payroll and benefits records. 
  5. Time Management - Given all of the knowledge and effort involved in performing payroll service accurately and securely, hiring accountants ends up saving countless hours that can be better put to use doing actual work for the business. Considering that time management issues are notably one of the biggest challenges that owners of small businesses face, taking payroll processing out of the equation can help considerably.

Small businesses running on tight budgets must look past the professional fees paid to an accounting firm to fully appreciate the benefits they will gain.

By avoiding tax penalties and fees, saving many hours each week on keeping up with in-house payroll services, and having skilled professionals to handle this essential service for them, small business owners will gain much more in return than they will spend.

Accountants are outsourced professionals that every business needs to be more profitable.

What Is an ACE Exam for VA Benefits?

An Acceptable Clinical Evidence or ACE Exam is one type of Compensation & Pension or C&P exam that a veteran seeking VA benefits might be asked to take to complete the disability claim process.

It is usually done online and may include a phone call from someone on the Veterans disability claims help staff; however, it does not include an in-person exam or interview.

The exam involves the individual submitting evidence that substantiates their veteran's disability claim as well as reviewing for correctness any other evidence already held by the VA. 

What Is the Purpose of an ACE Exam?

Many people wonder whether being required to fill out an ACE Exam form is a bad thing and if it suggests they will not be approved for VA benefits, but this is not so.

Actually, many VA benefits help experts find that most of those required to do an ACE Exam typically get approved if they submit the right evidence at the time.

As with all other claims applications and C&P Exams, approval lies in being able to present the evidence necessary to not just prove that a condition exists but also how it is service connected.

Since ACE Exams are done solely online, the veteran must be very careful to submit the needed information that supports their claim. 

When Can an ACE Exam Be Done?

ACE Exams are acceptable as C&P Exams only for certain disability conditions.

Those conditions include hearing loss, tinnitus, migraines, sleep apnea, cardiac conditions, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and any condition that is considered terminal.

The evaluations are appropriate when the existing evidence about a veteran’s disability claim is sufficient to prove their disability and the level of disability as an assessment of service-related connection and when a medical opinion is required to determine the relationship between a claim and a service-connected condition and whether a disability occurred during or was aggravated while in service. 

Need to Submit Precise Evidence for ACE Exams

Based on the decisions that can be made using an online ACE Exam, veterans must be precise with their evidence submission and review.

Also, there are numerous situations where ACE Exams are not permitted for VA benefits, including any required general health exams, mental health exams, or when the VA specifically requests an in-person exam. 

What Does All This Mean?

In summary, ACE Exams can be a fast track to VA benefits approval for many, but only as long as they have provided the necessary and important evidence to prove their service-connected claim.

Those with questions on how to do this or about the evidence they do have should seek VA benefits  help from experts trained in veterans disability claims help.

Why Are Full Service Moving Services Such A Great Choice?

Moving can be really expensive, there is no doubt about it.

It is no wonder that customers hiring moving companieslook for ways to reduce the cost of these services by self-packing.

Yet what many may not realize is that there are benefits to hiring full service moving companies over self-packing and even DIY moving.

Before packing that first box, be sure to understand these three reasons why full service local movers are the better option over self-packing or renting a U-Haul to DIY.

1. Experience Moving All Types of Items

The employees of professional moving companies have experience in moving everything from delicate glassware to heavy pianos and everything in-between.

This is especially important considering some furnishings can be so difficult to move.

With the equipment and training required to safely move these items,prevent damage to items and prevent anyone from getting hurt, too.

2. Item Security

From being properly trained on how to keep trucks and vehicles secure to knowing how to most securely pack each type of item, full service moving companies provide important security for keeping personal belongings safe.

They will use the right packing materials to protect items and stack items properly and securely in the truck to avoid mishaps along the way and when necessary, store belongings in safe, secure storage facilities.

3. Insurance Protection

One of the biggest mistakes that customers self-pack make when hiring moving companies is not understanding how the moving insurance included in the service actually works.

In most cases, the insurance provided by moving companies does not cover boxes that are self-packed for liability reasons.

That included protection is helpful for full service local movers who accidentally damage a customer’s items, but it does not apply to customer-packed items.

Any savings that customers gain by packing themselves might then end up being spent paying for separate, personal moving insurance, which ends up being less expensive depending on all factors involved.

The easiest thing to do is to just let full service moving companies handle the packing, too.

In Summary

So before self-packing for any move as a way to save money over paying full service local movers to do the packing, think again.

Ultimately, the cost can end up being the same once moving insurance gets added on. By hiring full service moving companies, customers instead get all the packing skill and protection that their items need, plus the convenience of having all that time to deal with other important moving issues instead of packing boxes. It is a win-win situation all around!