Trucks are used to tackling rugged terrain and off-road travel. Having the correct tire size for trucks is critical as that improves ride quality, braking performance, cabin comfort, fuel efficiency, handling, steering directness, and other factors. However, reading and selecting options can get confusing due to the varied aspects involved in a tire’s overall size. Here are the factors to consider while zeroing in on the sizes of tires for trucks:

Tire width
Having the right-sized tire allows trucks to have excellent traction and stability on the road. If the tires fitted onto a truck are smaller or bigger, there is an increased risk of accidents or poor ride quality.
One of the chief components of tire sizes is tire width. One can identify tire sizes by the unique code number written on them. For example, if the number is P225/70R16 91S, then the width of the tire is 225 mm (“P” stands for “passenger vehicle,” “LT” for “Light Truck Tire,” and “ST” for “Special Trailer”).
If truck owners want their vehicles to have good road grip and cornering ability, they can select wider tires. Wider tires than the one the truck comes with are factory-fitted and positively affect the ride stability. However, one must only go for truck tires that are just the right height. Such tires can increase friction and rolling resistance and, as a result, reduce the vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Also, broader and heavier tires make the steering feel heavy and less stable.
Tire width also needs to change depending on other factors. For example, narrower tires can provide some good traction on snow during winter, but stability issues will arise again if one goes too narrow.
Similarly, it makes sense for truckers to go for broader truck tires if their vehicle has immense horsepower and torque. In such cases, the wider tire will provide better acceleration and reduced dangerous wheelspin.

Tire height
All these size-measuring components, such as tire height, width, and others, are relative to the measurements of the factory-fitted tires that come with trucks that owners purchase from their local dealerships.
Taller tires are the ideal choice for increasing the ground clearance of a truck. As a result, selecting such tires means that trucks will not have scraped underbellies even when their owners drive them over rough, undulated, and unforgiving terrain.
However, the boosted ground clearance comes at the vehicle’s overall handling cost. For example, taller truck tires translate into increased body roll while cornering.
Additionally, if the tires are too tall or wide, there will be rubbing on the inside of the truck’s wheels, resulting in the frequent wearing of both the tires and wheels.

Wheel diameter
In P225/70R16 91S, the 16 denotes the wheel diameter of the tire in inches. As the name implies, wheel diameter is the measurement of the alloy or steel wheel fitted inside the truck tires. The wheel diameter is critical as it also influences the tire thickness.
Larger wheels will need larger tires. Using more extensive and taller tires, as seen above, will negatively affect the ride and handling of a truck. Therefore, one needs to be careful while selecting wheels. Wheel diameter is a valuable metric for tire buyers as it enables them to select just the right size of tires for their vehicle.

Aspect ratio
The number right next to the slash in P225/70R16 91S is the aspect ratio of truck tires. The aspect ratio indicates the overall profile of truck tires. Usually, this number is denoted in percentages. To calculate the aspect ratio, tire makers divide a tire’s height (from its wheel rim) by width. So, the aspect ratio of 70 percent in the above numerical example translates into the tire’s height being 70 percent of its overall width.
Tires with a lower aspect ratio, say, 60 percent or lower, offer better handling and road grip than higher ratio tires. In return, the ride quality of lower-ratio tires is worse than those with higher aspect ratios.

Construction type
The letter next to the aspect ratio in P225/70R16 91S is the construction type of the tire. These generally have two classifications – R for radial and D for diagonal. Now, radial tires are among the most used ones across the country. These tires have their internal ply cords oriented in a radial direction, meaning that they are at a 90-degree angle to the direction of rotation of the tire.
While selecting tires, one must select these as they offer higher road grip, better mileage, greater ride comfort, higher reliability and durability, and lower rolling resistance.

Speed rating
The speed rating indicates the capability of a tire at a particular speed based on the lab tests run by tire makers. In the example, the speed rating is the last number accompanied by the letter S. A vehicle with a speed rating of 120 can cruise at that speed in their truck without the fear of damaging the tire. The higher the speed at which one regularly drives their vehicle, the greater the speed rating should be for their tires.

Conclusion
By carefully considering these listed elements before buying tires, owners can ensure that the tire sizes are perfect for their specific trucking requirements.

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus are chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases. These are conditions where the body attacks and damages its own immune system. Inflammation causes pain, redness, swelling, loss of function, and heat; it can affect internal or external organs or sometimes both.

The differences between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the joints. It may affect other areas of the body too. It causes pain, stiffness, and swelling affecting the function of joints.

Lupus is also known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is an inflammatory disorder that takes on different forms and affects any part of the body. It affects the skin, heart, lungs, joints, blood, kidneys, and brain. It may cause severe pain and tissue damage.

Rheumatoid Arthritis and lupus can both affect people of all ages, although the cause is unknown.

You may experience difficulty sleeping, dry, itchy eyes, or chest pain while breathing. Look for symptoms of weight loss, weakness, depression, or numbing of skin tissues. Make sure to go for a medical diagnosis at the earliest if you feel any of the following symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus.

Early symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis include:
– Fever
– Anemia
– Joint pain
– Joint Stiffness
– Joint swelling
– Deformity of the joints
– Joint pain in many places
– Joint tenderness
– Loss of joint functions
– Same joints affected on both sides of the body

Few early symptoms of lupus include:
– Unexplained fever
– Kidney inflammation
– Fatigue
– Hair loss
– Skin rashes (butterfly shaped affecting nose and cheeks)
– Pulmonary issues
– Gastrointestinal problems
– Painful swollen joints
– Dry mouth or eyes
– Thyroid problems

Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus
While there is no definitive cure, you can expect to live a normal lifestyle. If you encounter serious complications, you may need strong medication.
If you experience mild symptoms, you may not need treatment. Make sure to follow your doctor’s instructions and treatment plans on time. You must also concentrate on improving your lifestyle and well-being. Talk to your doctor and find an effective treatment plan best suited for you and make sure to attend all follow-up appointments. Be patient. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Start low impact exercises like biking, walking, or swimming. Exercise is a great way to improve mental health and stay in a positive mood. Make sure to get plenty of rest and also take breaks between activities. Balancing activities with rest helps reduce fatigue and inflammation. Eat a nutritious and well-balanced diet. Avoid alcohol and smoking as it can worsen symptoms and impair circulation. Protect your skin from sunburns or rashes; make sure to always wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help or join a support group; talking to people with similar experiences can boost confidence and productivity.

Businesses can grow at an impressive rate with a good communication system. When operating a business, one may be pressed to consider the different business phone systems and the equipment for the same. You want to get the best business mobile phone, but it is important to know the pros and cons of all types of phones.

While some feel the need to have both, a landline and a mobile phone, others may choose to opt for either one of them for work. When opting for only one of the options, most professionals tend to lean towards the mobile phone option owing to the mobility advantage.

Here are a few points to consider when you are trying to decide whether you need both – a landline and a business mobile phone or just one of them.

• Having a landline phone can give an impression to clients that you are already well set up in terms of the office and team infrastructure. This helps the clients trust a brand easily. It also makes the business look more professional.
• Mobile phones can be carried anywhere which makes sure that you don’t miss any important calls that may be made when you are out of office or during non-business hours. A business mobile phone ensures continuous access to the users.
• Landline phones do not have the issue of insufficient network coverage which one may face with a mobile phone. A lot of time clients or team members often cannot communicate well when there is an issue with the network coverage. Call dropping between an important conversation is not a problem you have to worry about with a landline business phone.
• A business mobile phone number may not be ideal when there is a large team involved in the company. It is time-consuming for clients to call one mobile number after the other. A good landline business phone would mean a central point of contact from which the calls can be transferred to the concerned person conveniently.

The choice of whether business owners should go for only a business mobile phone or a landline connection or both depends on the scale of the business and the costs the company is willing to incur.

Dividends are when a company distributes a portion of its profit to its shareholders. There are two types of dividends “ cash and stock. The difference between the two types of paybacks are worth noting:

Cash dividend
A cash dividend is a form of cash, check, or electronic payment made by the company out of its profits to its shareholders. Thus, the company pays a part of their income to their investors for the economic value of shares without investing the whole money for its own operations. Yet it causes the EPS (earning per share) rate to drop down to the same rate as the dividend, resulting in financial value transfer. Another outcome is that the shareholders who are the receivers of cash dividends have to pay tax for the value of the shares, decreasing its finial value. However, cash dividends are beneficial as they provide regular income to their investors along with capital appreciation.

Stock dividend
Unlike cash dividend, stock dividends on the other hand are the payment made in the form extra shares rather than cash payouts. It is also known as scrip dividend. When a company is in shortage of liquid cash, it would choose another profitable alternative to distribute dividends to its shareholders and those are called the stock dividends. For example, if a company issues a 4% of stock dividend, it would increase the number of shares by 4%. This is similar to cash dividend in the way that it does not increase the value of the company. If the company pays $10 per share, the company’s value will be $10 million, and that is true even the share is amongst the 7 best dividend stocks in the market. The value remains the same even after stock dividend, decreasing the share price to $9.52 to reshape for the dividend payouts.

Which dividend is better?
Be it a cash or additional shares, it does not affect the company’s profitability. If the company has a turnover of $1 million in earnings by spending 10% of it as dividend, the company is still left with $900,000 of retained earrings after payouts. If the company spends $100,000 in cash or $100,00 worth of extra shares, it is all going to be the same to its current shareholders.

However, it is, in a way, effective if the company declares stock dividend instead of cash dividend because the transfer causes the company’s share price to fall. If a cash dividend equals 5% of the company’s stock price, the investors will experience a 5% low in value of shares. Cash dividends provide income but the shareholders will have to pay tax. It would increase the number of stocks outstanding, shift held-up earnings to paid-in-capital and also reduce the amount payable to its stockholders Like cash dividend, stock dividend does not increase the value of the company. However, a shareholder can keep their share and grow by investing their shares or by selling it for cash dividend.

Seniors who are financially challenged and need free cell phones for emergencies use can get free cell phones for the occasional calls through a few no-contract plans available for them. Wireless free cellphones for seniors are also available for free for seniors, depending on their income. This is along with monthly air-time minutes according to the criteria seniors qualify for.

One can get free cellphones for seniors by looking up some cheap deals online or in the nearby stores. For example, free cellphones for seniors can be obtained through a few no-contract phones that work well for infrequent users of cell phones. These pay-as-you-go phones help save money as they are pre-paid cell phones that are not owned on a contract basis. With these free cell phones, there are no credit checks, fixed monthly bills, hidden costs, or contracts that are the usual features of traditional phone plans for cell phones. These no-contract phones allow users to purchase a special pre-paid phone with a certain amount of available minutes for texting or in the form of talk time that need to be used within the given period. Majority of national carriers like Verizon and AT&T offer pre-paid plans that are inexpensive, similar to independent networks like Cricket, Net10 and Virgin Mobile. T-Mobile and TracPhone also offer some good free cellular phones plans.

Another option is the Doro PhoneEasy 618 that is sold via Consumer Cellular. It offers senior-friendly phones with simplified features and big buttons on a no-contract basis and is one of the cheapest options out there in the market. With calling plans starting at $10 per month, it costs about $60.

Lifeline Assistance program
The Lifeline Assistance Program is a government-sponsored program that subsidizes landline companies as well as wireless services that offer free cell phones along with 250 minutes of monthly free airtime and texts. This is done for those who qualify for the low-income criteria. Millions of Americans are eligible for this free cell phone offered via the Lifeline program, and only about 15 million have availed the service so far.

Many different national pre-paid wireless companies like Assurance Wireless and Safelink offer free minutes and phones through tie-ups with other regional carriers within the country. It is true that more than one wireless company provides the free phones and minutes in most of the states. For those who are eligible, the free phone that is received is a basic cell phone that offers voicemail, text messaging, caller ID, and call waiting. To qualify for these services, the recipient needs to prove that they are receiving some government benefits like Food Stamps, home energy assistance, Medicaid, public housing assistance, or SSI. Another criteria for eligibility is the household income that needs to be at or below 135 or 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. These vary from state to state.

The Lifeline program is a good way for low-income seniors to obtain a free cell phone, and seniors should check for service and eligibility requirements around their area by logging on to the site and locating the services available in their zip code area. The Lifeline program lets households with low income to get discounted telephone services to help them make ends meet on a monthly basis. A telephone is a necessity for most Americans, and more so for seniors. A cell phone or even a basic telephone is an important link to the outside world in today’s age. Whether it is an emergency, or for a job or even to simply know that help is a call away, a phone that is affordable is a necessity.

Selecting a person who will be in charge of your money can be quite a challenging task, which is why you need to understand the different types of financial advisors and their specializations. Financial planning is imperative to build a nice comfortable retirement nest egg so that you will not have to worry about making rent and payments for utilities in your golden years.

Different types of financial planners will provide both general and specific services. Here are five financial planners who are adept in analyzing your portfolio and utilizing financial planning tools to help build you that nest egg.

Stockbrokers: Stockbrokers are registered representatives who have a good knowledge of the different investment products available in the market. These financial planners qualify after taking the series 6 & 7 exams and register with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, to obtain their license to practice as a broker. Stockbrokers will not advise you on the best financial planning tools rather they will use these tools to sell you different products to invest in and earn their commission, while you make a profit to be saved for retirement.

Investment advisors: Individual advisors or investment agencies will advise the best possible course of action to be taken on certain financial products, mostly securities. It is up to the client to act on the advice given which is why investment advisors differ from stockbrokers.

Chartered Financial Analyst: People who have qualified and earned this designation from the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute are eligible to practice. CFA’s are adept in investment analysis and portfolio management on behalf of the client.

Certified Public Accountant: CPA’s just like CFA’s have to clear the examinations set forth by the CPA institute to qualify and practice on their own. Additional certifications for CPA’s include a PFS (Personal Financial Specialist) designation which focuses on financial planning mainly concerning taxation and accounting. CPA’s are great planners who make use of various financial planning tools.

Certified Financial Planner (CFP): Probably one of the best options when it comes to choosing financial planners since CFP’s have to qualify stringent education and experience requirements and are also required to take continuing education programs even after certification. There are certain ideals of conduct which comprise of the code of ethics, rules of conduct, practice standards to be followed and compiled by the CFP.

Qualification and experience are two of the main parameters which will help you decide on which financial planner will best suit to make use of various financial planning tools available at his or her disposal to assist you in an investment.