How To Protect Yourself From The Unexpected

Last time we talked about the three pillars of protection for you and your family: Disability, Life and Health insurance, with our primary focus on disability insurance. This time we will cover life insurance protection. If someone is depending on you, whether you work outside of the home or you are a home-maker, it is important to have adequate coverage. No one knows when they are going to go and that is why it is so important to protect yourself against the unexpected.

If you are a single mom who is raising children on your own, it vital that you protect your children’s future. Getting life insurance could be the most important thing that you could ever do for your children. If something were to happen to you, who would provide for your children? Would it be your ex-husband, your parents, a nanny, etc.? In either case, money will be required. Don’t assume that someone will step up to the plate to provide for your kids when you die. It would be a shame for your children to struggle and you could have provided it!

A common question that is, how much coverage should I have? The minimum recommended amount is six times your annual salary. So if you make $50,000 per year before taxes, you would need $300,000 at MINIMUM. If you have a lot of debt (cars, homes, credit cards, etc.) your coverage amount could be as high as twenty times your annual income. This is a decision that you will have to make for yourself, but whatever you decide, make sure that the premium is an amount that will be sustainable for future payments. Your life insurance is not something that you want to cut corners with.

There are two main types of life insurance: term and permanent. Term Life Insurance is when you make payments to a life insurance company for a certain amount of time, say ten years. Keep in mind that you will be protect only for that amount of time. One of the advantages of this type of policy is it is very cheap and generally easy to get. Permanent Life Insurance protects you for your entire life, as long as you make your payments. It is known by several different names: whole life, final expense, burial, universal life and variable life. It can be a little more expensive than term life simply because once you get it, it’s yours for life.

I am really passionate about people having life insurance and knowing the amount of coverage the policy provides. Here’s why, when I was growing up I remember he “insurance man” coming by my grandparents’ house to collect their premium for their policy. My family thought that my grandmother’s policy would more than cover her final expenses once she passed. My grandmother passed away from a heart attack many years later. Imagine our surprise when we found out that her policy was worth only $500! It is always worth the time and effort of founding out the worth of your policy, if it’s still in effect and who the beneficiaries are. A good insurance professional will check with his or her clients at least once a year to see if any life changes have taken place in their lives.

If you don’t have an agent to help you with your needs, my firm would be available to provide you the services that you need. Simply drop us an email: contact@totalbenefitsllc.com or give us a call: 205-378-9352.

What Single Mothers Need To Know About Income Support For Their Families

Women have the tendency to look after everyone else but themselves. We care for our communities, our churches, our children, our co-workers, even the family pet more than ourselves. There are three pillars of security that every woman needs for a strong financial life for her and her family. Those three pillars are: health insurance, life insurance, and disability insurance. Today, we are going to talk a little about disability insurance.

A couple of years ago, a female acquaintance came to me looking for disability insurance on her. She was recently divorced with a small child and she wanted protection for her ability to make a living. She realized that the ability to provide a home, food, and care for her child were paramount for her piece of mind. It was the best decision that she could have ever made.

While walking across the street with friends on a weekend get-away, she was plowed down by a 16 year old who had stolen a vehicle. The hit and run left her in terrible shape. She had a broken pelvis, internal bleeding, and a host of other medical problems. It took her two years to recover from her injuries; injuries which included the doctor telling her that she would never walk again. All she could think about while she was being wheeled into her first of many surgeries was her son.

Fast-forward to three years later; she not only is walking again, she actually ran in her first marathon this year! We stay in touch and have lunch often because she is still so thankful that she got disability insurance to protect her paycheck. She tells all her family and friends, that if you need a paycheck to pay your bills, you need disability insurance to protect that paycheck.

Not Having Money Is The Root Of Evil… Here’s Why

Once a woman takes control of her finances, she will never be powerless again. The growing power of women and finances is not some fly by night fad. It is the new normal in American households. 73% of households in the US are managed by single moms or women who are the primary breadwinner of the family and because of this fact; women need to have a handle on how to become more money savvy.

We often hear that money is the root of all evil. I think that NOT having money is the root of evil. Here’s why…I was at home on a rainy Sunday afternoon and was looking at a program on T.V. called “Snapped”. This particular episode involved a woman who grew up being spoiled by her widowed mother. The young lady was an only child and stood to inherit her mother’s fortune. Now there is nothing wrong with that because parents are told to build an inheritance for future generations (Proverbs 13:22). How did this whole scenario go wrong? The young lady and her boyfriend plotted and killed her mother to get the inheritance sooner than she was entitled.

Now I know this is an extreme case, but I’m sure that you can think of other examples where the lack of money caused people to do desperate things.

Starting here and now, I want you to start thinking about where you are financially and where you want to be in 5, 10, 30 years from now. You can’t get there unless you know where you are now. We have all seen the infomercials where the advisor tells the client that she can’t afford that $200 camera and maybe she can’t right now, but I have yet to see that same advisor show her client a clear path to how to get there. Whatever path you start on it has to be sustainable and fun or it won’t work in the long run.

The lesson take-away this week is, start where you are, you don’t have to be rich to start building an inheritance for you and your child. Next week, we will share a plan to get started.

Financial Safety Net for Women – Part 2

Last week we discussed the importance of building a form financial foundation. This week we will cover the first step; pouring and solidifying the concrete. This step involves meeting with an insurance agent and/or a financial advisor so you can complete a survey entitled a fact finder (needs analysis). This fact finder will uncover where you are financially and where you want to be in the future. It will formulate a plan for your financial objectives and goals. Some of the questions on the survey are: 1) Where day you want to be in 5, 10, 20, 40 years? 2) Do you need long-term care coverage? 3) How much life insurance do you need? 4) How much money should you have in savings for emergencies, etc.

Women are especially vulnerable in planning for their financial future. Schedule an appointment with an agent or planner to get started building your foundation.

Financial Safety Net for Women – Part 1

We are starting a new series for women. This series will focus on areas that are of importance to women, their families and their businesses. Statistics has shown that if we aren’t already, most of us will be the sole person responsible for our financial security. A woman who is out of the workforce due to family obligations or illness will have a longer recovery period financially than her male counterparts. On average, it takes about five years to make up for every one year of absence.

We are all concerned about retirement and investments but to have a strong foundation we must start with protection. Our next blog will cover creating a financial safety net for women.

Hospital Indemnity Insurance

Protect your family against unplanned hospital costs with Hospital Indemnity Insurance. If you have little to no savings and spending time in the hospital could cause a major financial burden to your family then hospital indemnity insurance may be able to help you. This coverage pays in addition to your health insurance. The average expense of in-patient hospital stay per person is $13,300. More than 1/3 of people will be treated in a hospital during their lives and 45.2% of healthcare spending is associated with hospital treatment.*

Here’s what you get with the Hospital Indemnity policy:
• Benefits paid directly to you unless assigned otherwise
• Benefits paid regardless of other coverage
• Can help cover your deductible
• Rates to fit your budget
• Benefits that pay anywhere from $50 to $500 per day

*US Department of Health and Human Services, Advance Data, June 2007

The American Dream

It’s been said that the American Dream is to own a home and yes, that is true. But I think the American Dream is much more profound than that. I think that having stability and security is the foundation of that dream and the only way for you to be stable is to plan for your financial future. The bible says, “A good man leave’s an inheritance to his children’s children”. Proverbs 13:22

Did you know that your actions today can change your family’s history? What’s important to you? Is ensuring your child’s future through a college education? Maybe is giving your child a leg up once they finish college. It could even be taking the necessary steps to make sure that Uncle Sam does not take a huge portion of your estate when you walk out of this life into the next. Whatever it is, life insurance is here to create cash for you and your family.

Call our office today to get started on your solutions. 205-378-9352

Disability Insurance is the forgotten insurance

The importance of auto, health, homeowners and life insurance is well known. But disability coverage, which replaces lost earnings if you can’t work, tends to be ignored — until you need it.

Government studies show that a 20-year-old worker has a 30 percent chance of becoming disabled before reaching full retirement age. Yet only about a third of employees in private industry have long-term disability insurance, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“It could be argued that the disability of a breadwinner is worse than the death of a breadwinner,” says James Hunt, insurance actuary for the Consumer Federation of America, “because the disabled person is still soaking up money.”

That’s why it makes sense to purchase individual coverage if you’re self-employed — or not covered sufficiently or at all by your employer.

A look at what you need to know about disability insurance:

Q: How does disability insurance work?
A: Disability insurance protects from a loss of income resulting from an inability to work due to an accident or illness. You typically receive disability checks starting three to six months after you become unable to work.

There are three sources of this coverage: The Social Security Administration, employers and private insurers.

— Social Security Disability Insurance is the bedrock protection against disability. About 153 million workers are insured by the program through FICA taxes. But it has a very strict definition of disability and it can take two years or more to be approved for benefits.

— Many employers offer disability coverage through a group plan, which pays a specified portion of your salary.

— Private insurance coverage is most often sought out by high-income professionals such as doctors and lawyers who have made a huge investment in their earnings potential; self-employed workers, and executives looking for supplemental coverage.

Q: Do you need to buy coverage if you receive disability insurance through your employer?
A: It depends whether you could get by on the benefit checks. A typical group plan replaces just 40 percent to 60 percent of your salary, up to a maximum $5,000 a month or $60,000 a year. And if the employer pays your premiums, the checks will be taxable.

Benefits can last for either a set number of years or until retirement age. Check your plan’s details closely. Company benefits have been steadily shrinking in recent years. Group policies often limit the duration of benefits to only two years if you can’t perform your job duties.

If your policy looks insufficient, ask your employer whether you can pay for additional coverage. Otherwise, consider getting extra insurance from a private insurer to extend the duration or bring the coverage up to 70 percent or 80 percent of income.

Q: Why can’t you count on Social Security Disability Insurance to cover your needs if you are disabled?
A: The average disability benefit is just $1,111 a month, based on payments by the Social Security Administration this month to 8.8 million beneficiaries. And you only qualify for it if you are unable to work in any capacity, not just at your chosen occupation. A list of conditions that are considered disabling is available by doing a search for “disability evaluation” at the agency’s website, http://www.ssa.gov .

Q: What should you look for in a policy?
A: If you have a highly specialized job or can simply afford to pay the premiums, it’s worth paying extra to have an “own occupation” policy. This coverage pays benefits if you are unable to perform the major duties of your own occupation. To trim some of the costs, it may be advisable to obtain “own occupation” coverage for one or two years and “any occupation” coverage after that.

The length of benefits is key, and will affect the cost of premiums significantly. Some policies pay benefits until age 65 or until your full retirement age for Social Security benefits, others for two or five years. Seek out a non-cancellable policy.

You probably also want a policy that will pay “residual” benefits, which will compensate for a decline in income if you are able to work at a new job that pays less.

Q: How much does disability insurance cost?
A: Prices vary based on age, gender, occupation, amount of coverage and health status. Check with a broker to get quotes from at least three different insurers.

For someone who does not have coverage at work, a plan with all the extras including inflation protection costs roughly 2 percent to 2.5 percent of annual salary for a man, and 3 percent to 4 percent for a woman. Women pay more because they file claims more frequently and for a longer duration than men.

If someone has coverage at work but wants earnings to boost benefits to 80 percent salary replacement, the annual cost is typically about 1 percent of the worker’s salary.

~ via Business Week

The New Preventive Care Benefits for Women began August 1, 2012

The eight new preventive care services that has become available to women free to charge (as summarized by HHS on HealthCare.gov), include:

■ Well-woman visits: This will include an annual well-woman preventive care visit for adult women to obtain the recommended preventive services, and additional visits if women and their health care providers determine they are necessary. These visits will help women and their health care providers determine what preventive services are appropriate, and set up a plan to help women get the care they need to be healthy.
■ Gestational diabetes screening: This screening is for women 24 to 28 weeks pregnant, and those at high risk of developing gestational diabetes. It will help improve the health of mothers and babies because women who have gestational diabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. In addition, the children of women with gestational diabetes are at significantly increased risk of being overweight and insulin-resistant throughout childhood.
■ HPV DNA testing: Women who are 30 or older will have access to high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing every three years, regardless of Pap smear results. Early screening, detection, and treatment have been shown to help reduce the prevalence of cervical cancer.
■ STI counseling: Sexually-active women will have access to annual counseling on sexually transmitted infections (STIs). These sessions have been shown to reduce risky behavior in patients, yet only 28 percent of women aged 18-44 years reported that they had discussed STIs with a doctor or nurse.
■ HIV screening and counseling: Sexually-active women will have access to annual counseling on HIV. Women are at increased risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. From 1999 to 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 15% increase in AIDS cases among women, and a 1% increase among men.
■ Contraception and contraceptive counseling: Women will have access to all Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling. These recommendations do not include abortifacient drugs. Most workers in employer-sponsored plans are currently covered for contraceptives. Contraception has additional health benefits like reduced risk of cancer and protection against osteoporosis.
■ Breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling: Pregnant and postpartum women will have access to comprehensive lactation support and counseling from trained providers, as well as breastfeeding equipment. Breastfeeding is one of the most effective preventive measures mothers can take to protect their health and that of their children. One of the barriers for breastfeeding is the cost of purchasing or renting breast pumps and nursing related supplies.
■ Interpersonal and domestic violence screening and counseling: Screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence should be provided for all adolescent and adult women. An estimated 25% of women in the United States report being targets of intimate partner violence during their lifetimes. Screening is effective in the early detection and effectiveness of interventions to increase the safety of abused women.”

Estate Planning

■ Make tax-free gifts. Under current federal law, you can give up to $13,000 to as many people as you wish each year. This is a great way to reduce the size of your estate (and potentially save estate taxes) over time. For example, if you give $13,000 per year to your two children and three grandchildren, you would remove $65,000 from your estate in just one year and $325,000 in five years. (You can double these amounts if you are married.) Charitable gifts are unlimited. So are gifts for tuition and medical expenses, if you give directly to the institution.
■ Secure/update health care documents. At the minimum, everyone over the age of 18 needs 1) a durable power of attorney for health care, which gives another person legal authority to make health care decisions (including life and death decisions) for you if you are unable to make them for yourself; and 2) HIPPA authorizations, which give written consent for doctors to discuss your medical situation with others, including family members.

In addition, a revocable living trust* is preferable over a will at incapacity because it can prevent the court from controlling your assets.
■ Review/update guardian for minor kids. It is quite likely that the person you name as guardian for your children when they are small will not be the best choice as they get older. Also, this person could change his/her mind, move away or even become ill or die. Revisit your choice from time to time, and name more than one in case your first choice cannot serve. Remember, if you haven’t named a guardian who is able and willing to serve and something happens to you, the court will decide who will raise your kids.
■ Review/update beneficiary designations. This is especially important if your beneficiary has died or if you are divorced. If your beneficiary is incapacitated or is a minor, setting up a trust for this person and naming the trust as beneficiary will prevent the court from taking control of the proceeds.
■ Review/update your insurance. Check the amount of your life insurance coverage and see if it meets your family’s current needs. Consider getting long-term care insurance** to help pay for the costs of long-term care (and preserve your assets for your family) in the event you and/or your spouse should need it due to illness or injury.
■ Talk to your children about your estate plan. You don’t have to show them bank and financial statements, but you can talk in general terms about what you are planning and why. The more they understand it, the more likely they are to readily accept it — and that will help to avoid discord after you are gone. You can also talk to them about your values and the opportunities that money can provide. Even better, show your values by doing — the holidays are an excellent time for families to do charitable work together.
■ Get basic documents for your unmarried kids who are over 18. Unmarried adults (18 and over) need to have a durable power of attorney for health care and HIPPA authorization, so you can act on their behalf in a medical emergency. And, while you’re at it, go ahead and have your attorney prepare a simple will and durable power of attorney. Hopefully, these will not be needed, but if an event does occur, you will be glad you have them.

*A revocable living trust may be amended, altered or revoked by its settlor at any time, provided the settlor is not mentally incapacitated. Revocable trusts are becoming increasingly common in the US as a substitute for a will to minimize administrative costs associated with probate and to provide centralized administration of a person’s final affairs after death.

**Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods of time.