Recent Posts:
New Survey Finds Knowledge Gaps May Be Costing Life Insurance Policyholders
More than two-thirds (70%) of Americans carry life insurance. Many of these policyholders are motivated by what life insurance policies do best: securing financial protections for surviving family members. But the life insurance industry has gotten increasingly complex over the last several decades. And while that complexity can benefit policyholders, it has the potential to alienate consumers — leaving them uncertain, first, about the type of life insurance they need, and, later, what they can do with their life insurance once they have it.
What Happens If You Don’t Probate a Will?
If you’ve been appointed as executor of someone’s estate, you’re tasked with filing the will and opening a probate case when that individual passes away. But what happens if you do not probate a will? Perhaps you’ve changed your mind about serving as executor or you simply have other, more pressing priorities to manage. You might wonder if you can skip a lengthy probate process and settle the deceased’s estate on your own. Unfortunately, the answer is usually no.
What happens if you don’t pay medical bills?
In 2019, a research study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine concluded that 137.1 million Americans had experienced a “medical financial hardship” in the previous year. That’s a jaw-dropping number, and one to remember if you’re currently struggling to manage unpaid medical bills — this is not a challenge you face alone. Many others have or are experiencing the stress of high hospital debt, as well as the consequences of not dealing with that debt.
Your Top Questions About Social Security Answered
Social Security provides reliable income payments to millions of retirees. But the program can be easily misunderstood, thanks to some complex rules that govern how you qualify and what factors affect benefits for you and your family members. Before you build any Social Security assumptions into your retirement plan, make sure you have the facts straight. You can start with this list of nine common Social Security questions, answered.
What is Considered Income for VA Benefits?
Understanding your eligibility for VA medical benefits can be challenging. To start, there’s a complex qualification system that considers service-related factors as well as your income. And, not all eligible veterans receive the same set of benefits. Your benefits package, for example, may range from limited healthcare services with full copayments to a broader set of medical and related services with no copayments at all.
How Does Mortgage Protection Life Insurance Work?
Purchasing your first home is one of life’s major milestones — right up there with graduating from college or getting your first real job. And as with those other big life moves, the home purchase comes with a host of decisions to make. One of those decisions is whether to sign up for the mortgage protection life insurance offered by your home lender.
How to Care for a Chronically Ill Family Member
The news that a spouse, parent, sibling, or child has been diagnosed with chronic illness stirs up a range of feelings, from guilt to grief. And then, before you’ve processed those feelings, you have to start addressing the practicalities of the situation. Who’s going to care for your chronically ill family member and how will your household adjust to this new reality, both emotionally and financially?
What is Variable Universal Life (VUL) Insurance?
Your financial advisor — or maybe a neighbor who sells insurance — may have pitched you on a variable universal life insurance policy. You have questions, and rightfully so. Variable universal life, also known as VUL, is a complex product that isn’t right for everyone. Here’s a closer look at VUL and the role it could play in your finances.
6 Essential Steps of Retirement Income Planning
Whether you’re nearing retirement or just starting out in the workforce, these are the essential steps you need to take in order to make sure you’ll be able to retire comfortably. Follow these step-by-step instructions to create a retirement income plan that includes how much money you’ll need and strategies to help you achieve this goal by the time you want to stop working.