Hillsborough County Trash Bill Going Up: Here’s Why

Hillsborough County trash bill going up; Here's why. If you live in Hillsborough country, your trash bill is going up. Just like everything else in this country. It seems like we are constantly getting hit with higher bills. This hike however, I feel is ok after reading the story on Fox13news.

I live in Hillsborough county, so when I saw the story that Hillsborough County trash bills were going up it was of interest to me. It says that the average home owners bill is going to go up about $40 a year, which you first think, wow, that is quite a hike. When you break it down, It averages out to be about $3,37 a month, hmmm...that's really not that much. But, then, after reading why it was happening, I wasn't so upset. I am actually happy to pay the extra to help.

It seems like our landfills are running out of room. That is not good news in Florida. Hillsborough county commissioners voted 5-2 earlier this week to approve the increase. The solid waste department's director told the meeting that the county's landfill is running out of room and must be expanded. One thing they said really hit home for me was that the facility is one major storm away from a "solid waste crisis". That is scary to think about. That is the last thing I want to see. I drive on Highway 41 from Apollo Beach up to the crosstown everyday and drive right by the landfill. I swear its growing bigger every week. Mounds and mounds of garbage just piling up in our beautiful state.

Another thing the commissioners mentioned is that some of the county's other facilities are decades old and need improvements as well. The rising costs have also made a rate increase a necessity. It is best to invest in it now to start these much needed improvements. So, the $3.37 a month really isn't all that bad when you think about it. Something cool is that the proposal includes extending discounts for seniors and lower-income families, so that should help out. The new rates will go into effect starting Oct. 1.

If you have some money wasting away in a savings account that doesn't have interest, then you might want to consider making your money grow with low-risk investments. Financial experts say that certain low-risk investments can really help pad your savings.

Before we get into the best low-risk investments, let's look at what exactly is a low-risk investment. The official definition is basically what you would expect from the definition of a low-risk investment. According to the financial experts at Capital.com, it's "an investment where there is perceived to be just a slight chance of losing some or all of your money. Low risk investments offer you a security blanket as they’re not likely to suddenly drop in value."

In contrast, according to Investopedia.com, "A high-risk investment is one for which there is either a large percentage chance of loss of capital or under-performance—or a relatively high chance of a devastating loss." They add that, "The first of these is intuitive, if subjective: If you were told there’s a 50/50 chance that your investment will earn your expected return, you may find that quite risky." So, for example, a 50/50 risk might not seem risky to some, but it might seem risky to others. An investment with a 99% risk will obviously seem risky to everyone. But, with high-risk investments come big payouts, so that's what lures people in. For example, a separate article from Investopedia.com states that some high-risk investments can double your money. That's obviously a much bigger return than you would see in your average investment. As they state, "Make no mistake, there is no guaranteed way to double your money with any investment. But there are plenty of examples of investments that doubled or more in a short period of time."

So, if you're interested in making a ton of money, or losing it all, high-risk investments such as investing in foreign emerging markets may be of interest to you. "A country experiencing a growing economy can be an ideal investment opportunity," experts at Investopedia.com state. "Investors can buy government bonds, stocks, or sectors with that country experiencing hyper-growth or ETFs that represent a growing sector of stocks." They add "spurts in economic growth in countries are rare events that, though risky, can provide investors with a slew of brand new companies to invest in to bolster personal portfolios."

Now, let's move onto some low-risk investments for those who don't want to risk losing their money. Of course, talk to your financial advisor before making any of these moves.

You've probably heard of CDs being low-risk investments. Fidelity.com explains that "CDs provide reliable, fixed-rate returns on a lump sum of money over a fixed period of time, such as six months, one year, or five years." They add that the great thing is that if you "get a traditional CD at a bank or credit union where they are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or the National Credit Union Association (NCUA)." Usually, CDs have a minimum deposit, and you’ll have to pay a penalty if you take your money out too soon.

High-yield savings accounts are like your regular savings account, but they earn more interest. "You can use these accounts for long-term savings goals or to hold extra money from your checking account," CreditKarma.com states. "For example, if you want to start saving for a house or building up an emergency fund, this could be a great option."

Forbes.com says that right now, the risk level for U.S. treasury bills, notes and bonds is "very low." They add that, "U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Historically, the U.S. has always paid its debts, which helps to ensure that Treasurys are the lowest-risk investments you can own."

Fidelity.com states that, "Money market funds are mutual funds that invest in short-term, low-risk assets like Treasury and government securities, commercial paper, or municipal debt—depending on the focus of the fund." They add that, "Because their underlying investments are typically high quality, they are generally less volatile than other types of mutual funds, such as stock funds."

Fixed annuities are a pretty safe bet. As Forbes.com explains, "Fixed annuities are a popular type of annuity contract that are frequently used for retirement planning, but can also be useful for medium-term financial goals." They add that, "Sold by insurance companies and financial services companies, a fixed annuity guarantees a fixed rate of return over a set period of time, regardless of market conditions."

People talk about stepping outside of their comfort zone in life, but really, investing isn't a place to do this. You know how much money you have to "play" with, so if you're worried about putting too much money in the market, these low-risk investments could still help you make money on your money.