How Much Life Insurance is Enough?

Just another infographic concerning the amount of Life Insurance needed.  Just curious how much do you have?  Why?

Growing Family

     This may be the last post for a while.  You see, my lovely wife is about to give birth to our second daughter.  Her name will be Hannah Faith.  The hurdles of pregnancy and pains of it all are building up as we head down the home stretch.  I can't wait.

     This whole past year has been unreal.  The business has done very well, and I am looking on to this year intently.  I think that as well as I did last year, this year can be spectacular.  Though for whatever reason, it starts slow.  Last year seemed kinda dead too after the holidays.  My overall goal this year is focusing on my business insurance production.  I commend my individual and family side of things but it seems the business side is more appreciative of the work I do.  And it is hard work when doing the business side.  Family and individual is easy.

   What it all really comes down to is my 3 girls now.  My awesome wife, Zoe and now Hannah.  I guess what I'm trying to say is yes I love my business, it is challenging and fulfilling.  But it is not my priority.  I work so that my family can live and enjoy.  I don't live so that I can work.  When I was on my own that's how it was but now, life is more rich.  My family is where my heart is.  In light of my growing family I've been noticing changes like this for me.  My priorities are becoming clearer and it has been motivating me to work harder.  Not only at work, but at family too.  Because if you don't think family is hard work, check again.

     So I'm taking time off when Hannah comes.  And I'll take as much as I need.  Work must take a back seat here and I know I'll get some looks at the office when I tell them I am taking what they think is "maternity" leave, but that's the way I see it.

Health Care Reform Bomb

I ran across this little image while surfing today.  I think it sums up our dilemma over the Obamacare debacle quite nicely.  While I'm not 100% for or against the law, the way it has been implemented has never felt all warm and cozy.  There are many provisions in the law that I like; under 26 can stay on parents plans, the idea of no pre-existing conditions, and allowing states to offer competing companies.  However, if you allow a federal mandate to purchase insurance, then people run for the hills.

There has to be some sort of tort reform so that doctors can manage costs without fear of malpractice lawsuits IMO.  Or you could regulate what doctors and hospitals can charge without increase and then the cost of insurance would steady.

Is the ruling going to blow back in the face the administration?  Many think it will.

The Insurance Business in 2011 vs 2012

Last year was freaking amazing.  I never thought that I'd do as well as I did.  My goals were met and I actually learned something too.  On New Year's Eve I found myself wondering, what will 2012 bring.  I am optimistic about my role as an insurance producer, but insurance as a whole will probably see some bumps along the way.

I often tell folks when they ask what I do that insurance is not the most exciting thing in the world, but it's necessary.  The conversation often turns to politics and I try not to upset their political feelings but I really enjoy building this business though.  I enjoy meeting with and talking with people to find the best suitable coverage.  It's a great challenge at times but when I find it, and get a, "Thank you so much", it feels good.  I feel like I really helped someone.  Everyone wants the best for the least and my role is to find it.  

While personally I did well, the Health Insurance industry is kinda in limbo.  Everyone is waiting to see what will happen with Obamacare with a Supreme Court ruling this year.  I am not really sure what to expect here.  Obamacare has allowed for kids under 26 to stay on their parents plan which is good.  We've actually seen an increase in uninsured policy since the passing of this law.  Certain aspects haven't taken effect yet like allowing pre-existing conditions on all policies.  This is still up in the air too with the ruling from the Supreme Court.  To me it seems like this legislation is trying to gain on the insurance agencies profits.  So while the law is making it easier for people to get coverage, we as agents might be losing in the long run and this is why I'm split on this issue.

My group business grew too.  When I say group I mean installing a coverage plan to business's.  I must say that this area is not as easy as I once thought it was.  There are so many moving parts to providing this service to a business.  A company has only so many options and ways to give coverage to their employees and with costs rising it's tough.  I want to improve this area in 2012 more than any other.  The lessons I've learned last year will serve this well in 2012.

Life insurance is an area I'd like to expand in too.  I didn't kill it this year with these policies yet there seems to be room to grow.  I've seen many studies on this and from what I've experienced, people are not that interested in talking about dying.  People need it though, and I need to find a way to access those who do want it.

I do expect my business to double again.  It did last year so why not this year.  That's my goal.  If there was one sentence to describe this business I'd have to say "The short term it looks bright".  I don't know how it will all play out but I hope for the best.

The Infinite Banking Concept

The Infinite Banking Concept is a process and not a product. It has nothing to do with investing but everything to do with financing. However, when this strategy is combined with a product that gives you control over your money, it will beat any investment system.
Consider this concept: You finance everything. This simply means that you either pay interest to someone else (bank or other financing institution) or you give up interest you could have earned otherwise.
This is why this process is so powerful. It helps you accelerate your wealth by you becoming your own banker and not giving up interest earning potential.

For more information please contact me at my email.

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The Spine is Not Designed for Sitting Around

A familiar argument against intelligent design is the one that is based on observations of supposed bad design in nature - inept, unintelligent or in other words nonexistent design. Interviewer Claudia Dreifus asks Harvard evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman. "People with bad backs often blame evolution for their pain. They say, 'My back aches because man was not meant to walk on two feet.' Are they right?" Answers Lieberman: "If that were true, natural selection would have its toll and we'd be extinct. 


What is more likely is that many people sit in chairs all day, get no exercise, and thus have weak backs. We did not evolve to sit in chairs all day." Lieberman makes the case for learning from evolution how best to care for our bodies. Of course, what he calls evolution could just as well be termed design. 


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Frequent Flyer Diseases

A century ago - before jet planes - it took new diseases months to travel around the world, and many pathogens probably never made it out of their isolated rural stomping grounds. But now no place is truly isolated, no matter how remote. 


We live in a world that's more connected than ever before, one where humans - and the viruses hitchhiking inside us - can circle the planet in a day. As a result, we're at greater risk from new infectious diseases than ever before. But there's an upside to our interconnectedness as well. 


Thanks to the Internet and cell phones, we can know what's happening in nearly every corner of the globe almost instantaneously - and that's a boon for epidemiology. 

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