We’ve recently watched the inevitable downfall of several major US insurance giants which were breaking one by one under the heavy pressure of American financial housing market crisis. Such huge and well-known mortgage corporations as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, American International Group and Lehman Brothers were not ready for the great drop of real estate prices and following credit squeeze. They support many mortgage banks and credit agencies providing them with necessary monetary funds so that the insurance companies could give real estate loans to people who buy houses or apartments. They have to serve as a solid framework for the whole insurance market in the US.

The sequence of events was opened by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - two significant corporations that control half of the US mortgage market. However as we’ve witnessed, the bigger they are the harder they fall. Instability of these two giants put many people under the threat of losing their real estate property and even pushed down dollar’s value in the world’s currency market. In September 2008 70-year-old Fannie Mae and its successor, 40-year-old Freddie Mac, were the first ones to fall. However the US government took prompt actions to stop the two corporations from crashing and took total control over them. Being in charge of the two monsters the Federal Housing Finance Agency established a range of measures that will help to stabilize the situation.

Something similar happened to American International Group (AIG). It arose in the market in the early 60s and has been issuing loans and mortgage credits for a little less than 40 years already. However this fiscal year has become a major setback for this insurance corporation. Its share prices collapsed putting AIG on the edge of bankruptcy in the middle of September. But that was when the US government emerged again and helped them out of the trouble. The government bought control of the company and set its own game to play.

However history repeats itself too soon and a little later it was the turn for the world-known financial company to take the limps. Having been around for almost 160 years, Lehman Brothers was always recognized as the most distinguished and powerful body in American financial system. Nevertheless the crisis was merciless to this company as well and actually swept it away on September 15, 2008 when the company was forced to file bankruptcy before losing all its assets. In that case the US government didn’t take any preventive measures.

In spite of recent failures that happened to the biggest corporations in the US, it seems that the crisis passed most people, including debtors, round. Most financial experts are quite positive about the present situation. They say that prices flatten out fast and there are many favorable conditions for mortgage or car loans. Since the new economic growth is a regular occurrence after such events, car owners are recommended to buy car insurance now before the services recover in value and the prices are up again.

Sometimes it seems that gas gains in price in a wink of an eye. Neither our salaries nor our whole economy can keep up with the gas prices. However there are still some dos and don’ts which can lower your expenses and make your gas bills much shorter.

Tip #1. Be smart when you choose a car.

The first step one can ever take to cut down money expenses for gas from the very start is to buy a car which consumes less fuel than other brands. Some cars with a low-powered engine burn less gas and are quite suitable for living in a city. You might also consider buying a green car most of which were designed to preserve the environment by burning less fuel.

Tip #2. More haste, less speed

Driving at a lower speed will definitely lower your gas consumption. Every time you accelerate you spend more money. Air resistance lowers the speed of your car and works as a barrier that makes the engine spend more gas to reach the desired speed. Using a cruise control will help you maintain the speed.

Tip #3. Any gas would do.

There is a common misconception which makes people believe that using premium-priced gas will make their cars perform better on road. However the majority of cars were built to consume any regular gas. So, there is no difference which type of gas you use, except that you do pay more for the premium-priced one.

Tip #4. Don’t waste gas if you stop your car.

Kill the engine each time you bring your car to a stop somewhere for more than half a minute. Just imagine how much gas you could burn while standing at one spot with your engine on for a minute, and what a long distance you could have overcome within that period of time.

Tip #5. Take care of your car.

It goes without saying that an unattended car with a clogged air filter and no tunes-up for several months will consume more fuel that a car with all parts functioning normally. So, check and tune up your car every month to make sure it runs well. Even such a simple thing as inflating your tires regularly can reduce gas consumption.

Tip #6. Carry fewer things.

Take less heavy things in your car because each additional pound requires more gas to be spent to carry it. Even the weight of your gas tank matters. That’s why it’s recommended to keep your gas tank between half and empty most of the times.

Tip #7. Find good deals.

Some big supermarkets, fuel station and retail warehouse clubs offer better deals on gas for those who pay their special membership fee. It’s useful for people who can go to their stations and refill their tanks regularly, thus the membership will be money’s-worth.

Tip #8. Help your friends and let them help you.

Those who live in the same area with their coworkers can use it to their advantage. Your friends and you can take turns to drive each other to work. Carpooling has become quite popular lately and many people prefer it not only because it lets them save money on gas. They enjoy it because it is better to go to work with a friend instead of going there alone.