401K maxed out? Think annuities.
401K maxed out? Annuities offer you an investment that can grow without the impact of taxes until withdrawals are made, they can be a good alternative to consider when other tax-deferred investments such as 401k plans and IRAs are maxed-out. Say you’re putting the legally allowed limit into your 401(k) and you make a full contribution to your IRA every year, too. You also have a regular investment account with tax-efficient holdings, perhaps in municipal bonds or low-turnover exchange-traded funds. That’s the account [...]
Health Insurance, save thousands?
As an adviser / broker, one of the most common misunderstandings I hear from small business clients is that their company is "so small" or even "too small" to be able offer health insurance. Often times this assumption comes in the form of a question, "Why would my company offer health insurance? After all, it's just me and I've already got a plan." No, your company is not too small to offer health insurance. If [...]
Seven Must Read Articles
SEVEN MUST READ ARTICLES. Basics Of Long Term care, Managing Your Health Insurance Costs, Open Enrollment...Missed The Boat? Medicare Enrollment...What To Do? Life Insurance, A Bucket List Item? 10 Essential Health Benefits and Retirement, Are You Ready? See www.cortez.life - blog section
Basics of Long Term Care Insurance
What exactly does Long Term Care Insurance, or LTC cover? Many people believe that LTC only pays for the cost of an Assisted Living Facility or nursing home when you arrive at the point in your life when you can no longer care for yourself. Well, yes, it can function as such, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Did you know that with the right policy you can use your benefits to [...]
Managing Your Health Insurance Costs.
Is there really such a thing as managing your health insurance costs? When it comes to selecting a health plan we are sometimes asked to choose between a low monthly premium / high deductible, or a higher premium / low deductible. A healthy person who doesn't often use his plan might opt for the former in order to save money on his monthly premiums. But with the lower cost plan, if he requires a hospital [...]
Open Enrollment…Missed The Boat?
Missed the boat for open enrollment? The good news is that your ship may not have sailed yet. There are three exceptions under which you may still obtain health insurance coverage. Exception one - a "Qualifying Event" If you are moving from one state to another, turning 26 and moving off of your parents' health plan, getting married or divorced, losing coverage due to the loss of a job or are coming off COBRA you have [...]
10 Essential Health Benefits
10 Essential Health Benefits 10 Essential Health Benefits As a Health Insurance Industry professional, my clients often confess their bad experiences. These range from their Company's Health Insurance Plan, maybe implementation or strategy. Most grievances are about the misunderstandings on the functionality of their plans. I want to discuss the importance of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. I don't want to delve into any elaborate concepts or any of the [...]
Life Insurance, A Bucket List Item?
Life Insurance, A Bucket List Item? Life Insurance, A Bucket List Item? Let's face it, if you ask the average person what he has on his bucket list he'll probably run down the usual list of mountains to climb, sites to see or hobbies to pursue. Fact is, the very first thing on your list should be making sure that your loved ones will not be left holding the proverbial bucket after you kick [...]
Medicare Enrollment, What To Do?
Steven is turning 65 this May. He has many questions about Medicare enrollment. What does he need to do to prepare and when? What will this cost him? What are the differences between parts A, B, C and D? What is a Medi-Gap policy and does he need one? Whether you're turning 65 or recently disabled, the various medicare options can be a confusing maze to navigate. Using a trusted advisor is the surest way to ensure that you are getting the most out of the various options available to you. Contact me today with questions you have regarding your best Medicare enrollment options.
Retirement, Are You Ready?
Retirement, Are You Ready? Are you Ready? Recent surveys find that one of the most common fears among retirement age people is outliving their savings and investments. In this day and age, someone who retires at 65 may live to be 90 or older. Coupled with a social security system, the future of which is sketchy at best, are you ready to stretch your savings and investments out for 25 - 30 years or [...]