Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Wellness Programs offer great alternative to Health Reform...for now.

There are other alternatives to what Washington is offering, or attempting to offer (it depends on how you look at it). For instance, Blackbaud has implemented several wellness programs at the in-house gym on location and is seeing, "dividends right back to the company's bottom line".  Whole Foods also offers a nationwide incentive for its Health and Wellness program.

Claims were up 8-9 percent nationwide last year whereas Blackbaud's was only 3 percent. So it obviously improves and promotes health, it saves money too.  On top of that, employers notice an improvement of productivity too.  So to all the employers out there, let's get a wellness program i.e., yoga, weight loss, smoking cessation, going for our employees!  It's an obvious win, win, win!




Charleston Regional Business Journal | Charleston, SC:

Infinite Banking Concept and Whole Life Insurance: YOUR Money and Health Care

Mr. McFie ties health insurance with the Infinite Banking Concept I mention on my life insurance page. Very interesting correlation but most folks are probably not happy to hear that the IRS is getting bigger.

Infinite Banking Concept and Whole Life Insurance: YOUR Money and Health Care

A Health Insurance Criminal Pleads His Case | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

This is an incredible article that is written by a self-insured individual who is not in agreement with the new health care bill. It is particularly interesting because he describes a rationing system where if you cannot afford the treatment you should not get it. It makes really good sense if, and that's a big if, you can afford it. I think this is what the insurance companies had in mind when they designed the high deductible plans. This plan must pay the deductible first and foremost before it will kick into effect. This way you can regulate what you really need in service for before you overuse or take advantage of the system. Anyways good article.

A Health Insurance Criminal Pleads His Case | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

Monday, March 29, 2010

I am not worried about our country

     I hear so much lately that our country is going to hell or I can't believe this is happening in Washington. There is change coming ya'll, that's one thing that Obama has delivered on. I am not worried. I do not agree with how it was attained though. That is simply nothing I have control over so I don't worry about it. The only thing I can do is hope and pray so that's what I attempt to do every day.

     I used to watch the news a lot. It would drive me crazy and I could not get to sleep and worry about how much the country is rotting from the inside out and all these news pundits were just adding fuel to the fire. It literally made me sick. So I stopped watching. It is simple. You cannot control what those news guys are ranting and raving about so you don't have to listen to them. If you believe that God is in control of what is happening in this country then you don't have to worry about the political agenda of Washington.

     The changes of the Health Care Reform (I know I said I was sick of hearing about Health Reform but this is an Health Insurance Blog so I have to) Bill are starting to trickle down. We have been getting a little information this week through the grapevine and we actually have a conference meeting this Thursday to explain more of the changes. I will be posting some of those as I learn them so those of you who have been asking tell your friends I'll have it up then.

     In the meantime check out this verse in Isaiah 26, 3-4 and "be nice" to each other.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Charlie Bit My Finger

Have you seen the video where the two little boys are sitting together and one bites the others finger.  It is one of my favorite YouTube videos and I know it's not really the topic of this Blog but check it out. 

My favorite part is when the younger one laughs after he bites his brother finger.  lol enjoy.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Health-Care Cons | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

Awesome article from the The Freeman again. "To be actuarially sound, insurance must discriminate on the basis of risk. If the government bars insurers from such price-discrimination, they really wouldn’t be in the insurance business at all. It would be more accurate to call their activity a forced subsidy. We should at least call a thing what it is."

Health-Care Cons | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Local sales of existing homes outpace national sales

To all you real estate watchers out there, here is some good news. It goes to show that Charleston's economy is starting to show more life. Hold on to your hats folks its about to get fast!

Charleston Regional Business Journal | Charleston, SC

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

The Politics of Failure and Success | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

I have recently seen and heard so many debates about the Health Care bill passing and it has made me think a lot about what is happening. I was of course raised conservative but have always sought to find balance so when I told my mother I was a moderate conservative of course she flipped. Most of my values are deeply rooted in the conservative views but I am open to some more progressive views too. Does that make me Liberal? My question to you would then be, how do you define liberal and conservative?

Below is an article from a publication that I subscribe to that fits my values a opinions to a "T". If you delve deeper into this organization you can find a wealth of political meaning and a culture to be proud of.

The Politics of Failure and Success | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Facebook has more loyal news reader than Google News | The Money Times

This is a cool little article that I found and it implies that Google is losing the web war to Facebook. I personally find Google's applications very handy. You be the judge.

Facebook has more loyal news reader than Google News | The Money Times

Friday, March 19, 2010

What's in store for her?


     My daughter will be five months old on Sunday.  She is so beautiful and is growing so fast.  My heart skips a beat the moment I get home and see her toothless grin smiling when I come home.  A thought has been sitting in the back of my mind for a while, "What is she going to have to deal with 25 years from now"?  Will DC get their act together by the time she's an adult or will she have a broken system to fix?

     You see I believe there are stronger forces in play here than what we can see and hear.  The bible says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose"(Romans 8:28 KJV).  How can you not know that things are going to work for your good if you love God then?  I was very worried about this reform bill prior to the election in Massachusetts.  Once Scott Brown won I thought that Washington would come together and rethink the health care issue.  Ehhhh, not so much.

     The vote for this bill is eminent and for some reason we are being forced to swallow this bill hook, line, and sinker.  And I am not worried.  I pray for our nation daily, and I pray for President Obama.  Like it or not he is our leader and authority was granted to him from God the Father and He did so for a reason so who am I to judge Gods will?  Therefore it is not for me to decide or control.  I know it will work for the good no matter the outcome.

     So I will tell Zoe one day, I prayed for this nation and God has blessed it.  You do the same, daughter, and tell your child you prayed too.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

FOX News - Top Stories - Democracy Without Vote?

I got this article from a friend of mine Jason Poirier who is also in the Health Insurance business. We were talking today and it looks like the Health Insurance companies rather than Health Care (doctors and hospitals) is getting the bad rap.

FOX News - Top Stories - Democracy Without Vote?

Innovative Painting in Parking Structure - StumbleUpon

crazy view on perspective

Innovative Painting in Parking Structure - StumbleUpon

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Coolest wedding proposal - Holy Kaw!

This one really is a cool proposal. If I could do it I would. Elizabeth just watched it with me and said are you looking for ideas or something. LOL still worth watching

Coolest wedding proposal - Holy Kaw!

My take on Health Insurance

     Since I have been selling insurance, the most popular question people ask is, "What is going to happen when/if the Health Care Reform bill is passed"?  To them I reply I have no idea because no one can definitely say.  I have heard many folks attempt but it still leaves so many unanswered questions.

     Even my sponsor Larry Baker of the Alpine Agency says the best of the best doesn't even know what to expect.  There are just too many variables to consider and it is just too much legal jargon that the folks in Congress can manipulate it to suit their future needs.  The facts remain that when taking on something as big as Health Care, there are no right or wrong ways to approach it.  Some decisions will make many angry and other will bode well for others.  Here we'll look at some possibilities to think about.

    Do you remember a few years ago when the Real Estate bubble burst.  The market was saturated with bad mortgages and big banks had their fill with as many of these "bad" loans as they wanted because mortgage companies were giving these away to anyone with a pulse.  Several of these banks failed and many had to be bailed out.  Well some say that what led to the bad mortgages was when congress made way for them by allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (government home mortgage lenders) to write semi quality slash sub prime business.  This was done during the Clinton administration and the reason they used was that, "everyone deserves the american dream of owning a home".

     Whoa hold on a minute.  I love the respect and props to America, the land of the free, its history of free men and all but everyone doesn't deserve a home.  If one were to become a home owner you must demonstrate responsibility and discipline not only over your finances but in your community and family.  So let's say I give you an opportunity to own a home but you didn't prove your responsibility with your job and money like yours neighbors did.  What happens is the folks who did deserve the American dream suffer at the market slump that their neighbors foreclosure has caused and no one wins.

     This brings me to Health Care Reform and some are saying everyone deserves health care.  If Washington passes this reform bill, that eerily sounds like the changes the gov did to Fannie and Freddie by regulating a free market system, do you think we could see the same kind of market response in the insurance sector as we did in the housing market?  Keep in mind the insurance industry is one of the few strengths of the big banks now and the free market system has allowed for this to happen.

     We do need change.  There is no getting around that.  Nearly 50 million people do not have health care coverage and for America that is not acceptable.  I don't like this bill or the reasons Washington gives to force us into another mess.  My prediction is that if the bill is passed, it could ignite a fervor of activity for insurance companies.  We will see a surge of business but then maybe 10-15 years from now, companies will start dropping like flies because they cannot keep up with the prices the government is demanding and yet again we will see the market affected by big gov.

     So there is my two cents but if the bill is passed I should be making a little more than that.  Haha thanks uncle Sam.

Friday, March 12, 2010

What I do

Some of my colleagues have been asking, "B, what exactly are you doing these days"?  As of right now my primary focus is on Health and Life insurance.  The health market is exploding and BlueCross BlueShield is the best known and most covered insurance company in the state.  Life insurance is the single best option for those who simply find themselves without health insurance.

Ask me how you can plan for death expenses, mortgages, and income protection.  Email me for your free kit on how to earn money with life insurance.

Also:

Ask me how you can become a real estate agent.  Take your test and become an agent at the best agency in town.  What are you doing trying to find a job working for someone else when you could be your own boss?  As a former real estate agent with AgentOwned Realty, I can show you how the market is beginning to shift and how you can capitalize on the swing here in Charleston.



There are plenty of opportunities out there you just have to be willing to look for them.

3 Ways to Prosper

     Three ways to prosper in this type of economic climate are easier to apply than you think.  

1.  More than money.  The reason you do business has to be more than money motivated.  If you are in it just to make a killing you probably fall flat.  You have to have an underlying reason to do what you do.

2.  Faith.  Believe in yourself and in the one who created us all.  There is always hope and those with an attitude that nothing good will ever come will only go so far.  Believe that God can and will provide.

3.  Pay attention to details.  You must be a good steward of your business.  Those who have more will be added, and those who have not it will be taken.
Doing Business God's Way

I have been reading the most remarkable book called Doing Business God's Way by Dennis Peacocke.  In it he describes the very nature one must adapt to in order to prosper and succeed.  It has really touched me sincerely and I recommend it to anyone looking for a scriptural basis for running and managing a business.

Gandhi's Neurons: The Practice of Empathy : The World :: American Express OPEN Forum

I thought this was a very intriguing article about how to connect with people.

Gandhi's Neurons: The Practice of Empathy : The World :: American Express OPEN Forum

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Small Business: It's Time to Start Using Social Media

I have devoted a incredible amount of time and energy to understanding this craze called social media. As much as it seem like there is no answer for it; its real. I can understand if you don't know all of the sites, but its time to check into the these social groups and listen to what your potential clients are saying. Here is a link for all you small business owners who are interested in this kind of marketing.

Health Insurance Agents: It's Time to Start Using Social Media - Health Insurance - Agent's Sales Journal