work – Susman

October 17, 2016

Increase Productivity

We have all heard the saying “Work Smarter, Not Harder.”

Yeah. Easier said than done.

We all want to be more productive and more successful, but how do we do that without working a million ours a week and forfeiting a huge chunk (if not all) of our social life?

Maybe these tips will help:

Once you have all the information you need, make small decisions in less than 60 seconds

Check email in the afternoon so you protect the peak energy hours of your mornings for your best work.

Set clear, well-defined deadlines for your projects.

Stop waiting for perfect conditions to launch a great project.

Mess creates stress. Clean out the clutter in your office to get more done.

Say goodbye to the energy vampires in your life (the negative souls who steal your enthusiasm).

Win the battle of the bed- put mind over mattress.

Turn off the TV.

Knock your worst task out first thing, and clear it from your stack of work

Don’t do so many meetings.

Don’t say yes to every request.

Get into your absolute best physical condition – it creates explosive energy and focus

Drink more water.

Delegate.

Stop working overtime.

Use your commute time – listen to books on audio, podcasts and learning programs.

Get things right the first time.

If it’s not absolutely necessary, take it off of your to-do list.

Get lost – don’t be so available to everyone.

At the end of the day, laser in on one final task, finish it, then call it quits.

Review your progress each day and find ways to improve.

Sleep.

Productive

Sources:

www.robinsharma.com

www.inc.com

July 19, 2015

Critical Illness Insurance – Another Scam?

Unless you have substantial savings, even in the UK, contacting a serious illness, such as cancer, can be a very costly affair. Above all, not only do you need to consider how contracting such a critical illness will affect your savings in any medical care bills, but you also need to consider that you may well not be able to earn any income to cover you day-to-day expenditure. As a result, making sure you take out a critical illness insurance may well be one of the wisest and astute financial decisions you make.

What Is Critical Illness Insurance?

In short, a critical illness insurance policy is very much like any other insurance policy you take out. Here, however, your premiums go towards insuring that you do not contract a critical illness. In the event that you do contract a critical illness, your UK insurance provider will pay you out a tax-free lump sum to help you cover the day-to-day costs of having to live with your new medical condition.

Are There Any Limitations With Critical Illness Insurance?

Yes; it is essential that you look at the list of critical illnesses that your insurance policy covers, as these will be the only illness under which the policy will pay-out. In other words, the UK insurance provider will not pay-out on the policy simply because you have a doctor’s certificate that you have a critical illness, it needs to be one of the designated critical illness.

Moreover, if you are considered by the UK insurance provider to be a high risk – for example, if you smoke – then it is likely that either you will not be able to obtain the critical illness insurance, or your insurance premiums will be significantly higher than if this were not to the case. Importantly, you will need to disclose whether or not you have any existing conditions, in which case these will likely not be included, and whether or not your family has a history of the illnesses set out in the policy, in which case this will likely affect your premium payments.

How Will I Be Paid?

As mentioned, with a critical illness insurance your UK insurance underwriter will pay you out a lump-sum tax free amount once you contract one of the critical illnesses listed in the policy. Having paid out the lump-sum amount, your relationship with the UK insurance provider will come to an end. In other words, you will not have an ongoing relationship with the insurance provider paying you intermediate payments.

Is It Worth Having Critical Illness Insurance?

The question of whether or not there is any value in you having a critical illness insurance will depending largely on your age, expenses, and whether or not you have any other insurance. Essentially, critical illness insurance covers an area for which other types of insurance can be obtained. However, unlike other types of insurance, this is a very specific insurance policy paying out for a very specific purpose. That said, there is a strong argument that you can never really have too much insurance and will numbers seemingly showing that more and more of us contracting critical illnesses as we grow as an aging population, this type of UK insurance is always useful.

June 4, 2013

Why I Love Disability Insurance

Disability insurance is one of those provisions that you just know you will never need, but you buy it any why. As I neared retirement I had to have surgery, and this surgery would not allow me to continue in the career job I had been into for over 35 years.

I had five years before retirement and still had a mortgage on my home for at least ten more years.
When I took out my mortgage 20 years ago, I had purchased a mortgage insurance policy for my house. This insurance is now paying my monthly mortgage payments. I never felt that me of all people need this kind of coverage. To tell you the truth it was a wise decision on my part. No one can foresee what is going to happen in the future.

Fortunately for me my employee disability insurance is paying me 60 percent of my baseline wages per month. Some policies may differ sightly, but this what my policy paid. This helped me a great deal when I added it to my wife’s income.

I applied for Social Security Disability and was awarded full retirement. Along with my mortgage insurance, my wife and I are going to be all right. I highly recommend disability insurance. You never know what the future holds, so it is best to be protected. You may be sorry if you do not take the proper steps to secure your future with disability insurance.

May 4, 2011

Disability Income Protection—Are Your Bases Covered?

Like most people, you may have life insurance to help protect your family against the financial impact of your unexpected death. You may also insure your home, car, and other personal possessions against financial loss resulting from fire, theft, or damage. However, you may have overlooked insuring one of the more important aspects of your financial life—the ability to earn an income.

Thinking the Unthinkable

Have you ever contemplated how long the combined resources of you and your spouse might last if you were suddenly out of work due to a disability? What long-term impact would exhausting your savings during a disability have on your ability to provide for your family and even yourself during your retirement years? If those resources provide less than your monthly expenses, including taxes and regular savings, or if exhausting them would significantly impact your ability to provide for yourself and your family on a long-term basis, you may need disability income insurance. Whether you need an individually owned policy depends on the extent of your liquid assets, your spouse’s income, and other potential sources of disability income, such as employer-sponsored group disability insurance, Social Security, and veterans or union benefits.

Depending on your income and the risk level of your occupation, the maximum coverage you can buy will generally replace 45% to 75% of your pre-disability earnings. The higher your income, the lower the percentage of replacement benefit may be. Typically, premiums will depend on your age, your health, the risk level of your occupation, and the type of coverage.

Examine Policy Provisions

To make sure your disability income insurance offers the protection that you and your family need, your policy should include the following:

A definition of total disability that is consistent with the risk of your occupation. You may also want to look for a policy that pays some benefits in the event you are not totally disabled, but you suffer a “loss of income” due to a disability. Often these provisions are called partial or residual disability provisions.

A non-cancelable clause that states the insurance company cannot cancel the policy or increase the premium until a certain age (as specified in the policy).

Benefits that are payable for the maximum amount of time for which you are eligible based on your occupation and health. Most often, you can find policies that provide benefit eligibility for two years, five years, or all the way until you reach age 65, or even payments beyond 65 for the rest of your life.

A waiting period that is consistent with your overall financial resources. The waiting period is the amount of time you must be disabled before becoming eligible for disability benefits. The longer the waiting period you choose, the lower the premium on your policy will be. Typically, you may purchase coverage that provides eligibility for benefits after 30 days of disability or for as long as after two years of disability.

Act Now

Now is the time to investigate the relative benefits and costs of disability income insurance to determine how much you need to spend to attain adequate protection. In addition, it is important to review the particular details and provisions of the policy you are considering with a qualified professional to help ensure your financial needs will be met.

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This article appears courtesy of Karl Susman. Karl Susman is a representative of the New Engl and Life Insurance Company. He focuses on meeting the individual insurance and financial services needs of people on the West Coast. You can reach Karl at the office at (424) 785-4337. New Engl and Life Insurance Company, 501 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116

May 2, 2011

In the Spotlight: Disability Statistics

How secure will Social Security help you be if you are unable to work? It is emotionally difficult to prepare for the possibility that you may suffer a disability as a result of an accident or illness, but it is financially imperative to plan. Your quality of life tomorrow may depend on your efforts today.

The Latest Figures

The Social Security Administration (SSA, 2010) estimates that three in ten of today’s 20-year-olds will suffer a disability before reaching age 67.¹ In another sobering statistic, the SSA reports that 69% of the private sector workforce has no long-term disability insurance.² Essentially, seven out of ten workers would have to rely on their own personal savings, limited state-run insurance, and Social Security for replacement income in the event they could not work because of a disability. In 2009, the estimated average monthly Social Security benefit for all disabled workers was $1,006.³ Over the course of a year, that totals approximately $12,072, and for many workers and their families, that is significantly less than their annual expenses.

Men vs. Women

Throughout history, men have generally earned more than women. The SSA reports (2010) that as of the year 2007, the average salary for women was 78% of the average for men.⁴ This disparity affects women in two ways. Because disability benefits are based on earnings, the benefits for disabled male workers are typically higher than those of disabled female workers. However, the spousal benefit for widows is generally higher than that of widowers for the same reason—the median income of men is higher than that of women. These demographic trends are important to consider for families planning their financial security.

Supplemental Income Sources

In addition to Social Security and personal savings, there are additional options for workers and their families. Personal disability income insurance is a viable option for workers looking to manage the risk of losing their income. It offers coverage beyond workers compensation, which is state-run insurance that replaces a percentage of an employee’s income only for injuries that occur on the job or illnesses that are work-related.

Disability income insurance policies vary, but here are some key questions to ask:

Are you covered for both accidents and illness?

Does the policy define disability as the inability to perform your own job or any gainful employment?

How long must you wait before benefits begin?

How long will benefits last?

Does the policy offer cost-of-living adjustments?

Are benefits available for total and/or partial disability?

What percentage of income will the policy replace?

Disability income insurance policies contain, exclusions, limitations, reductions of benefits and terms for keeping them in force. Speak with your representative for costs and complete details.

If you lack insurance against disability, or are underinsured, you are possibly exposing yourself to serious financial risk. Avoid becoming another statistic—plan your future today.

¹The Social Security Administration, “Social Security Protection If You Become Disabled,”

www.ssa.gov/dibplan/index.htm.

²The Social Security Administration, “Social Security Basic Facts,” www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/basicfact.htm.

³The Social Security Administration, “2009 Social Security Changes,” www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/factsheets/colafacts2009.htm.

⁴The Social Security Administration, “Social Security Is Important to Women,” www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/factsheets/women.htm.

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