Wednesday, August 25, 2010

8 Simple Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Exposure to Identity Theft

There's no foolproof way to avoid having your identity stolen, but there are a number of precautions you can take to minimize your odds of being a victim.  Here are a few of them:

1.  Monitor your credit report.  Many consumers don't even realize their identity has been stolen until they are denied credit due to information provided on their credit reports.

2.  Don't give out personal information indiscriminately.  Before you give any personal information by mail, internet, or telephone, confirm you are dealing with a legitimate organization.

3.  Be careful with your mail.  Don't use an unsecured mailbox when mailing anything that contains financial information.  Mail sensitive materials from a post office collection box or your local post office.  Remove mail from your own mailbox promptly.  And, if you're planning to be away from your home, be sure to put a hold on your mail until you return.

4.  Guard your trash.  Identity thieves have been known to gather personal information from trash.  Before throwing them away, be sure to tear of shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, bank statements, and the credit card offers you get in the mail.

5.  Only give your Social Security Number when absolutely necessary.  There are legitimate reason you will be asked for your social security number.  Your employer and financial institution may need it for wage and tax reporting, and it's usually necessary whenever a credit check is required.  Before giving out your number, be sure to ask why it's needed and how it will be used.

6.  Pay attention to billing cycles.  If your bills don't arrive on time, follow up with creditors.  A missing statement could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address.

7.  Exercise caution online.  Before making any purchase via your computer, look for the icon of a lock in the lower right-hand corner of your browser window.  If it's there, you're dealing with a secure site.  If not, you'll be safer finding another merchant.

8.  Remove personal information from old computers.  If you delete sensitive files by using your keyboard mouse, the files may remain on your computer's hard drive where they can be easily retrieved.  To make sure your files are unrecoverable, use a "wipe" utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive.

Posted via email from bnice's posterous

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Insurance does not have incentives to lower costs or improve quality | KevinMD.com

The real reason behind reform. Or so it seems, well it all revolves around money, but you already knew that. I think that health reform will be modified to some extent come this November and when it does we still face the problem that it is just too darn expensive. This article is one that I find will open the dialog of how we can cut the expense of health insurance. I have an idea...

Any thoughts?

Friday, August 20, 2010

What Californians are Really Thinking

This is what I feel people are really thinking.  And even if they are not it makes for a great and valid point when it comes to Obamacare.  I only hope that November can solve these issues.


— 

Brandon Vincent
Alpine Agency
T: +843.532.8367 
F: +843.971.1813 
http://b-nice-intime.blogspot.com

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Posted via email from bnice's posterous

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

The Truth About Participating Whole Life

On June 4th 1963, a life insurance company issued a 29,000 participating whole life policy to a client name Joe at age 27.  It was then projected to accumulate 44,651 total cash value by age 73 based on the company's dividend scale.  Joe paid his annual premium of 527.22 every year for the past 46 years and the only withdrawal was 174.73 in dividend values which occurred April 1971.  On June 4th 2009, his annual policy statement read as shown:

Table One
Annual policy Statement as of 6-04-09

                    Death Benefit
                        Base policy death benefit                                         $29,000
                        Paid up additions death benefit                                 113,560

                        Total death benefit                                              $142,560

                    Cash Value
                         Guaranteed cash value                                            $20,494
                         Cash value of paid up adds.                                      92,552

                         Total cash value                                                  $113,046

                          Net premiums paid from
                          6-04-63 thru 6-04-09                                              $24,077

Was Joe's decision to purchase a whole life policy over 46 years ago a good decision?  Some consumers believe whole life is an obsolete product that pays poor return.

Why then do many critics of whole life support the buy term and invest the difference theory?  My thought is that the common belief that a good stock or mutual fund should outperform a whole life policy, has run its course. This is what everyone was saying and now those who had their money in the market have watched there life savings dwindle and no one knows where the bottom is now.

This is an idea that many rich have used for over 200 years.  Whole life has literally been around since our country's inception.  Now that the market has proven its unreliability, whole life is returning as more than a safe investment, but rather a high returning investment.

Now I cannot guarantee your policy's performance, but I can show you how these policies are able to perform so well when compared to other strategies like:

  • Whole Life vs. bank CDs
  • Whole Life vs. savings bonds
  • Whole Life vs. Term Insurance + Invest
  • Whole Life vs. Guaranteed UL
  • Whole Life vs. UL + Invest
  • Whole Life vs. Variable

Whole life insurance is one of the least understood forms of life insurance.  It is not an obsolete product nor a rip-off.  It can be the best type of insurance for some and if purchased at an early age and held long term, the true cost of coverage has proven to be less expensive than other types of insurance.

You can have your own illustration simply by emailing the address below.  Just give your date of birth, zip, and amount of coverage.  BrandonVincentua@gmail.com

Saturday, August 14, 2010

To Tax or Not to Tax, that is the... JK it's Tax



Here is a link to the bait and switch tactic used to fool supporters of the Health Reform bill.  It seems that the penalty for not owning health insurance is not considered a tax until... the judge asks.

Read the full story here.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Man Sues Over Health Insurance Fine



Can you imagine being fined $2,000 for not having insurance?

A man in Massachusetts did.

I think there is more of this to come. Especially with the ratings this administration's getting. The public outcry over health reform is deafening. What's more is that there is no end in sight of the red tape being wrapped around the health care industry.

Let's just hope that this November's election can remedy the situation.


Read the full story here
InsureBlog: No Health Insurance? Man Sues Over Health Insurance Fine

Monday, August 9, 2010

Obamacare Chart

Download now or preview on posterous
Obamacare_Chart.pdf (889 KB)

I came across this chart and literally laughed out loud.  Am I the only one who feels overwhelmed about health care?  Well if it makes you feel any better I am focusing more on life insurance now.

— 

Brandon Vincent
Alpine Agency
T: +843.532.8367 
F: +843.971.1813 
http://b-nice-intime.blogspot.com

Find me here too: FacebookLinkedInTwitterYouTube

Posted via email from bnice's posterous

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Are They Getting the Point?

71% Oppose Obamacare

I think most everyone has an opinion about the matter and my issue with the whole matter isn't whether we should have it or not.  My issue is they aren't hearing us.  Most polls I read show a strong dislike in the Reform bill but the folks in Washington don't seem to be listening.  It seems as if they are turning a blind eye to what America wants.  

I haven't posted on politics lately because frankly, it literally makes me sick.  I have trouble sleeping at night after watching the news.  I just hope that the industry as a whole is not cut off at the knees.  There are a lot of people who depend on health insurance as it is and if the premiums go up and my commission's get cut, I won't be the only one frustrated.

Relax there is hope

There are other alternatives to individual health insurance.  My wife for instance will have to get group insurance through an employer's means.  Group should be great for the employee, and even employers are going to have an incentive to start off.  You can also look self insuring.  It may take some time to set up but the value of having your own system that pays for itself is invaluable.  See IBC for more details.

The one thing my boss keeps promoting is Identity Theft.  He seems to think that the market is untapped and I'm starting to come around myself.  I know there is a ton of information exposed and that we as professional Benefits Consultants are obligated to help protect it.  See Identity Theft for more details.

Times are different than when I was growing up.  There wasn't an internet, or cell phones, or social media.  This is all new and it is amazing to watch the times take off as fast as they are.  It makes one think about what could possibly be is store for us in the next 5 years.  Or 50.  See Life Insurance for more details.  LOL

Tuu ta loo.

— 

Brandon Vincent
Alpine Agency
T: +843.532.8367 
F: +843.971.1813 
http://b-nice-intime.blogspot.com

Find me here too: FacebookLinkedInTwitterYouTube

Posted via email from bnice's posterous