Paying for the RIGHT insurance can be the best way to leverage your hard earned money and provide protection for loved ones and that which is most important to you. Insurance protects from catastrophic loss, the financial loss from death or illness. Insurance allows us to quickly offset these losses and continue with the same financial stability we previously enjoyed.

When considering insurance your job is to ask these three questions:

• Do I have enough?
  
• Do I have the right kind?
  
• Am I paying too much?

Insurance planning is best when tailored to fit its owner’s specific needs: whether designed for a single person or family; professional or seasonal employees; executive or small business owner, everyone can benefit from a well-tailored plan.

• Life
  
• Long-term care, disability and critical illness
  
• Health and dental
  
• Medicare, Medicare Supplemental Plans
  
• Group health benefits

Life insurance is more than planning for the security of one’s loved ones: it can be part of a multi-generational financial strategy, used to protect business interests from partners and creditors, create incentives for employees, and much more.

Life insurance policies have evolved over time and can provide benefits you don’t have to die to enjoy. Whether it’s life insurance with Living Benefits or policies with Cash Value accumulation, these products offer real value for the living. Life insurance can help with estate planning and charitable contributions. In the event of death, life insurance offers surviving family members increased financial stability. As a tax-free lump sum payment, the ‘death benefit’ can be used to pay for final expenses and debts, as well as provide income for the deceased’s dependents. life insurance should be considered as a valuable part of any financial plan.

Life insurance policies come in two main forms: Term insurance and Permanent insurance.

Term Insurance involves paying a premium to secure a death benefit to beneficiaries for a specified period of time. Additionally, Term insurance with Living Benefits can also provide significant benefits in the event of a chronic or critical illness. Term insurance can be the best way to obtain maximum coverage for the lowest cost to meat insurance needs over a specified period of time (typically while kids are still at home and prior to retirement age) . There are several different kinds of term life insurance, including Level Term, Annual Renewable Term, Decreasing Term, and Return of Premium life insurance.

Permanent Insurance as the name suggests is designed to provide coverage during a persons lifetime. Premiums are comparatively high relative to the amount of coverage offered by Term insurance for the same premium. Some permanent insurance plans include cash value accumulation and associated tax-advantaged borrowing privileges. There are several kinds of permanent life insurance, including Variable Life, Whole Life, and Universal Life coverage.

The advantages of life insurance include:

• An instant estate for loved ones at a time when funds are most needed
  
• Death benefits are generally non-taxable
  
• Life insurance plans with a cash value component offer tax-advantaged borrowing opportunities
  
• Some plans allow policy-holders to invest the cash value or death benefit in sub-accounts containing stocks, bonds, or other investments
  
• Gain tax advantages and help support a charitable interest through a charitable life insurance program

Not all insurance companies or insurance products are the same. They come in all sorts of different flavors, benefit options and cost structures. It pays to consult with an unbiased Independent Advisor that is proficient with both investing and insurance and has the freedom to work with different companies.

Life insurance can play a vital role in your financial plan—contact us today to find out how.

Help guard against the risk of loss through long-term care, disability and critical illness insurance.

Unfortunately, present forms of federal and state-sponsored health care programs do not comprehensively cover long-term care. Medicare generally offers temporary assistance, while Medicaid, which varies by state, may require you to spend most all of your assets before public assistance becomes available.

Long-term care and disability insurance

The lifetime probability of becoming disabled in at least two activities of daily living or of being cognitively impaired is 70% for people age 65 and older. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information, www.longtermcare.gov/the-basics (accessed November 2016). John Hancock Life & Health Insurance Company. "John Hancock 2016 Cost of Care Survey," conducted by LifePlans, Inc., September 2016.]

Income is important for both current financial obligations (e.g. grocery bills and mortgage payments) and for future financial resources (e.g. planning for a child’s education or for retirement). Just think what might happen if an income stream was lost through a long-term illness or disability. Long-term care and disability insurance products help protect the ability to earn an income, which can be affected by a disability or other condition.

Advantages of long-term care and disability insurance products include:

• Helping maintain financial independence, lifestyle and long-term financial resources in the event income is impacted by disability

A comprehensive financial plan can protect income through long-term care and disability insurance. Contact us today to find out which policies are best for your unique circumstances.

Critical illness insurance

Suffering a critical illness is a distressing event. Help ease the burden through a type of insurance that will reduce financial stresses. By helping pay for the additional expenses often associated with a critical illness or condition, insurance offers individuals, families and if applicable, businesses, adding financial resources —so the focus remains on recovery.

The advantages of critical illness insurance can include:

• Coverage encompasses a wide range of screening tests An initial lump-sum benefit of up to $1,000,000 that policy-holders can use however they wish—from making mortgage payments to home health care
  
• Employers or organizations can add value to benefit packages at an affordable cost
  
• Critical illness insurance pays a cash benefit if the policy-holder makes a full recovery
  

Contact us today to determine whether critical illness insurance fits into your financial security plan.

A growing number of Americans - according to the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index. 2018, at least 12.2% of the population - don't have any health insurance coverage. Without health insurance, a single incident can cause serious financial hardship.

Some, but not all, employed individuals are covered under an employer’s group benefits plan. For those people not covered, a health plan can help cover out-of-pocket medical expenses. Health plans can provide various levels of enhanced healthcare protection, depending on the needs and stage of life of the purchaser.

There are two categories of health insurance coverage: fee-for-service and managed health care. Fee-for-service plans are more expensive, but allow individuals to select doctors and hospitals based on their needs and preferences. Managed health care plans are divided into health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and point-of-service (POS) plans. All three generally charge a co-payment of $10 or $20 a visit. Managed care providers make most health care decisions, although PPOs and POSs allow some choice from the organization’s network of providers and the opportunity to see physicians outside the network.

Contact us to find out more about health care insurance for you and your loved ones

In today’s working environment, valued employees are looking for more than financial compensation. They also want an employer who supports their health, and the health of their families.

For this reason, either by itself or paired with complementing group insurance products, consider attracting and retaining employees with group benefit plans. From traditional health and dental benefits to alternative arrangements like employee wellness programs, group auto insurance or flexible work situations, group benefits help make employees more efficient, productive, and happy. Employers also gain tax benefits, such as premiums that are deductible as a business expense in some cases.

Flexible plans offer employers and employees cost-effective, customized ways to address their needs. Choose from an array of benefits like:

• Extended health and dental care coverage, which includes options like prescription drugs, paramedical services, vision care, basic dental work and orthodontics
  
• Group life insurance
  
• Group short- and long-term disability insurance
  
• Employee assistance and wellness programs
  
• Alternative group benefits, such as group auto insurance or flexible work arrangements
  
• Group critical illness insurance coverage, to help ensure your employees can survive a critical illness
  
• Benefits plans tailored to specialized employee groups, such as foreign or part-time workers

Contact us today to learn more about benefits products and services that fit the needs of your business