What Is Medicare? Medicare is the federal health insurance program for elderly persons and certain disabled individuals. In 1965, Medicare was enacted to provide a “safety net” of health-care coverage for qualifying individuals. Medicare is packaged in two major parts. Part A is hospital insurance protection. It covers hospitalization, some hospice care, and a limited […]

In general, Americans are not sufficiently prepared to pay for long-term care. Many of them go through their lives simply hoping that they won’t ever need it. Unfortunately, in the event that you or a loved one does need long-term care, hope won’t be enough to protect you from potential financial ruin. Also, the odds […]

How do you compare life insurance companies? What features do you examine? What criteria do you use? How do you know what to look for? Making sure that your insurance company is financially sound is an important part of helping to ensure family security. Fortunately, there are a number of independent companies that make these […]

Selecting health insurance is often one of the most important decisions you will make. Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs) are types of managed health-care plans and can cost much less than comprehensive individual policies. Through the use of managed care, HMOs and PPOs are able to reduce the costs of hospitals […]

In this litigious society, no one is immune from potential lawsuits. Anyone with significant assets might need protection from the devastating effects of a liability lawsuit. Elected officials and members of boards may be especially vulnerable. It’s not uncommon for plaintiffs to name everyone involved in an incident who has any perceived authority, responsibility, or […]

Rising health-care costs have driven the demand for, and the price of, medical insurance sky-high. The availability of group coverage through employment has helped many Americans face such costs. However, people who are not currently covered by their employers have few affordable sources for group coverage. If you are not covered at work, inquire about […]

Your home is one of your greatest assets, and it should be well protected. It is startling to consider that an estimated 64% of American homes are inadequately insured.1 Homeowners insurance protects against liability (in case someone is injured on your property), damage to the structure of your home and/or personal belongings, and theft. Most […]

Long ago, people realized that there is strength in numbers. For hundreds of years, we have been joining forces against all kinds of calamities — including financial troubles. The concept of insurance is simply that if enough of us can pool our money to form a large enough fund, then together we can handle practically […]

Understanding the threat of estate taxes on your life insurance proceeds is the first step in protecting these funds from unnecessary taxation. The next steps are determining the appropriate ownership of your policy and selecting a proper beneficiary. Although there are other alternatives, a life insurance trust can help avoid potential threats to the policy’s […]

When it is time to make an insurance claim, the more prepared you are, the more smoothly it will go. Be familiar not only with your policies but also with the steps you should take to file a claim. Preventive Measures It’s important to know beforehand what to expect from the insurance company. When you […]